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Nuances Lost as GOP Rivals Debate By CALVIN WOODWARD The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - Texas Gov. George Bush declared his opposition in the Republican debate Tuesday to national testing of public school students. But his own education plan requires testing. For his part, Arizona Sen. John McCain sharply criticized the Clinton administration's foreign interventions, including Kosovo, saying it had ``conducted an effectless, photo-op foreign policy for which we will pay a very high price in American blood and treasure.'' But U.S. forces suffered no casualties during the Kosovo conflict until three peace-keeping soldiers died in a vehicle accident in ...

For weeks now I have read articles and posts here on Free Republic that bash one candidate over another, but today we will discuss the pros and cons of the "flat tax" vs the "sales tax".To get this out of the way...Tonight in the debate McCain mentioned he could support a flat tax, so that only leaves one candidate left that supports a graduated income tax system, Bush. The others are for a flat tax or a sales tax. Confused by proposed changes in the tax system? Compare features of the NRST with the current income tax or the flat ...

Senator Smith arrived on time for the town hall meeting he was gracious enough to bestow on our community. Unfortunately, our community did not respond. Including "the press"(translation: one camera)head count was between 22 and 25. I went there to ask a question, if I could get through the "crowd". NO crowd, No problem. Senator Smith extended his hand and introduced himself, as I did in kind, and walked to the front of the little gathering. He began with the customized speech of the accomplishments of this congress: Balanced Budget, Welfare Reform, Saved the Social Security Trust Fund, Stopped funding ...

Feminist Expo 2000 for Women's Empowerment, the first coming-together of the feminist movement in the 21st Century, will be held March 31 - April 2 at the Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Expo 2000 will bring together women's groups from every sector of society to show the strength, depth, and diversity of the feminist movement in the United States and throughout the world. This conference will ignite the women's movement on the cutting-edge issues of our time, fighting for: women's equality and empowerment promoting a gender perspective on our nation's and world budgets countering the Right Wing backlash [What backlash, ...

RUSSIAN forces yesterday issued an ultimatum to the residents of Grozny to leave by the weekend or be destroyed as federal officials said the war was moving into its final stage. Leaflets dropped on the capital said the city was surrounded: "The united troop command gives you a last chance. Until Dec 11 there will be a safety corridor through the village of Pervomaiskoye." A military official said the corridor in the north-west suburbs of Grozny was due to open today for an unknown number of civilians trapped in the city. The leaflets said anyone who remained would be ...

Many U.S. plants are ticking chemical bombs, consumer groups say Greg Gordon / Star Tribune WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On the 15th anniversary of the chemical leak in Bhopal, India, that killed at least 4,000 people, two consumer watchdog groups declared Thursday that countless U.S. chemical facilities are "accidents waiting to happen." Despite the lessons of Bhopal, "industries in the United States continue to put communities at risk, storing hazardous chemicals in amounts far greater" than the 90,000 pounds of toxins released in that disaster, said Jeremiah Baumann, an environmental advocate for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). U.S. PIRG ...

For all the rhetoric on both sides of the rep/dem spectrum, there is a common goal of interest to both::::Endorsement of WTO ... 2 Dec article. The nightly news flashes will subside soon.... The topic won't.

Many U.S. plants are ticking chemical bombs, consumer groups say Greg Gordon / Star Tribune WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On the 15th anniversary of the chemical leak in Bhopal, India, that killed at least 4,000 people, two consumer watchdog groups declared Thursday that countless U.S. chemical facilities are "accidents waiting to happen." Despite the lessons of Bhopal, "industries in the United States continue to put communities at risk, storing hazardous chemicals in amounts far greater" than the 90,000 pounds of toxins released in that disaster, said Jeremiah Baumann, an environmental advocate for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). U.S. PIRG ...

Tuesday, December 7 6:53 AM SGT EU foreign ministers call for European defense force by 2003 BRUSSELS, Dec 6 (AFP) - European Union foreign ministers on Monday urged faster progress toward a European army that can handle crises without NATO. Meeting to prepare an EU summit in Helsinki this weekend, the ministers also agreed to a rough time-frame for admitting 12 new members to the 15-member EU, and on fundamental changes to institutions to allow the enlarged community of nations to function. The US-dominated Atlantic alliance, said a statement on defense proposals, "remains the foundation of the collective defense of ...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- A state commission on Monday asked the Arkansas Supreme Court to oust a circuit judge accused of writing bad checks, practicing law while a judge and driving a car with a fictitious license plate. Any of the offenses could have led to a reprimand, censure or suspension. But a state panel taking the accusations as a whole questioned whether Pulaski County Circuit Judge Morris A. Thompson should keep his job. ``Is this man demonstrating the proper characteristics that you want in a judge?'' said James Badami, the executive director of the Judicial Discipline and Disability ...

current tally at vote.com: George W. Bush (19%) Steve Forbes (5%) Gary Bauer (2%) John McCain (11%) Alan Keyes (62%) Orrin Hatch (1%)

You can watch a rerun of the Arizona Republican Debate right Here

Police officers blame cityA 10 year veteran of the Seattle Police Department has reported to the Seattle P.I. his side to the Battle for Seattle.At a pre-WTO briefing, officers asked for shin guards, hockey equiptment, and availability of the National Guard, only to be subject to what was described as a "temper tantrum by Mayor Schell"1,he reportedly screamed his answer, if you can't do this job I'll get someone that will.In this officers opinion there is not a doubt we weren't prepared. We were told in briefings by the S.S. and the F.B.I., that we should be prepared for 5-6 ...

c 8.35 p.m. ET (148 GMT) December 6, 1999 WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency, which uses spy satellites and foreign listening posts to monitor threats to U.S. security, denied on Monday that it intended to begin spying on Americans at home. Newsweek magazine in its Dec. 13 issue said the NSA was drafting a memorandum of understanding to clarify ways in which it could help the FBI track terrorists and criminals in the United States. "Under Executive Order, NSA is authorized to provide technical assistance to law enforcement,'' a statement from the agency said. "Any assistance NSA provides ...

New evidence of rural woes across the Great Plains Bob von Sternberg / Star Tribune Across the Great Plains, the agriculture crisis is far more enduring than the commodity-price catastrophe farmers have been suffering through the past two years. A new study documents just how severely the region's rural economy has tumbled even as the nation has enjoyed nearly a decade of unprecedented prosperity. The study, published today by the Nebraska-based Center for Rural Affairs, shows that during the decade ending in 1997, widespread poverty, depressed incomes, slumping populations and lagging job growth plagued rural areas in six Plains states. ...

The CNN PollReally good poll.

We have just received alarming news from Gnjilane. Obviously Kosovo Albanians are not going to stop with their barbarism until they destroy all churches in Kosovo. ALBANIANS MINED THE MONASTERY CHURCH OF ST ARCHANGEL MICHAEL IN BUZOVIK (14 th century), GNJILANE (US Sector) Gnjilane - In the village of Buzdovik near Vitina, three days ago Monastery of Archangel Michael was destroyed by mines. A week ago its cells were burnt and three days ago completely ruined. Church and Nationals Council, Gnjilane

Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #5 – The Arizona Primary Debate 12/6/99 - Official Discussion Thread (#2) Original thread HERE The one hour plus session was broadcast nationally by CNN (a.k.a., the Clinton News Network) at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST. Repeat airs at 12 midnight EST/9 p.m. PST Watch it on CNN or on your computer in streaming video from AllPolitics (if still available). Note: C-SPAN has a rerun scheduled for 05:45 am EST (much of C-SPAN's schedule in TBA so there may be other rebroadcasts) WHERE: Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams St., Phoenix. DEBATERS: Gary Bauer, Gov. George W. ...

US Report Telling it like it is Clinton's Fascist vision for America By James Henry The state of American education being what it is, the vast majority of people are totally incapable of recognising a fascist economic program, even when it is used to slap them in the face. This is because they have not been taught that fascism means state direction of the economy, cradle to grave 'social security', complete control of education, government intervention in every nook and cranny of the economy — and the belief that the individual belongs to the state. This was Clinton's State of ...

US-backed oil pipeline an economic, political blunder By Jonathan Power, 12/06/99 , LONDON Rarely if at all in the post-Cold War world has there been such a stark case of high politics and doubtful economics. The oil company's director of international affairs has been openly blunt about it: ''The only way this is going to work is to make the pipeline as affordable as possible for shippers to put their oil down it. We are asking the US government to attract as much oil as possible and to attract as much financing as possible.'' Thus BP Amoco, the world's third-largest ...