Free Republic

We Need Fewer Secrets By Jimmy Carter Monday, July 3, 2006; A21 The U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) turns 40 tomorrow, the day we celebrate our independence. But this anniversary will not be a day of celebration for the right to information in our country. Our government leaders have become increasingly obsessed with secrecy. Obstructionist policies and deficient practices have ensured that many important public documents and official actions remain hidden from our view. The events in our nation today -- war, civil rights violations, spiraling energy costs, campaign finance and lobbyist scandals -- dictate the growing need and...

Big Oil seen trimming Venezuela risksChavez push to retool contracts cools investment climate By Jasmina Kelemen, MarketWatch Last Update: 8:56 PM ET Apr 5, 2006 HOUSTON (MarketWatch) -- Major oil companies are likely to trim their exposure to Venezuela and spend their development money elsewhere as the oil producing giant embarks on an increasingly rancorous course with foreign investors, said analysts Wednesday. In recent days, Venezuela has taken control of oil fields operated by companies opposed to President Hugo Chavez's efforts to wrest more money from the industry and assert more national control over its activities. Historically high oil prices...

Jimmy Carter aspired to make Government "competent and compassionate," responsive to the American people and their expectations. His achievements were notable, but in an era of rising energy costs, mounting inflation, and continuing tensions, it was impossible for his administration to meet these high expectations. Carter, who has rarely used his full name--James Earl Carter, Jr.--was born October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. Peanut farming, talk of politics, and devotion to the Baptist faith were mainstays of his upbringing. Upon graduation in 1946 from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Carter married Rosalynn Smith. The Carters have three sons,...

At least eight Gulf Coast refineries in the path of Hurricane Katrina shut down or reduced operations by Monday, according to company and U.S. Department of Energy reports. The eight represent about 2.3 million barrels of daily refining capacity. In the Gulf, reports from the Mineral Management Services showed crude oil production down about 91 percent, or 1.37 million barrels. The Gulf also lost about 82 percent of daily natural gas production, according to the assessment released midday. Damage appears to be minimal, but Bob Slaughter, president of the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association in Washington, said even that assessment...

ATLANTA - Former President Jimmy Carter on Tuesday called for the United States to shut down its Guantanamo Bay prison to demonstrate the country's commitment to protecting human rights. "Despite President George W. Bush's bold reminder that America is determined to promote freedom and democracy around the world, the U.S. continues to suffer terrible embarrassment and a blow to our reputation as a champion of human rights because of reports concerning abuses of prisoners in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo," Carter said in a news conference following the close of a two-day human rights conference at his Atlanta center. In addition...

http://www.guidinglightvideo.com/postcard/smilerack.htm MIDI - CAMP GRENADA Hello foolish, Jimmy Carter...all your words are...a non-starter We don't care what you are thinking...your whole presidency, sir, was really stinking Not one problem...you had plenty...interest rates were reaching twenty You cut back the U.S. power...and had left a taste in our mouth that was sour I remember gas line waiting...for our nation, how degrading I have mocked you...and I mean it...why don't you just go away and suck a peanut You were flat as month old cola...bitch slapped by the Ayatollah You were milktoast and so tiring...Bernie's Weekend dead guy had been more inspiring...

Don't expect to see last month's Nobel Peace Prize winner, ex-President Jimmy Carter, campaigning for his old VP Walter Mondale in a bid to help save the Senate for the Democrats. When Carter volunteered to help, Mondale's people reportedly told him, thanks but no thanks. "As a matter of fact, Jimmy did offer to come," former Carter campaign veteran, now editor of the Hotline, Craig Crawford revealed Friday night to WABC's John Batchelor and Paul Alexander. "He wanted to come (to Minnesota) to campaign. But they found a polite way to decline his offer." "They rejected a Nobel Peace Prize...