BREVITAS

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

OUTLYING PRECINCTS

TOM CURRY, MSNBC, 2006 - On Congressional Quarterly's tally of how often
senators support Bush's positions on issues coming before the Senate, in
2005 Clinton earned a 31 out of 100 rating (with 100 meaning totally
supportive of Bush) and Obama got a 33. On the National Journal scale of
liberal to conservative positions, again based on roll call votes in
2005, Obama rated an 82.5 (meaning he was more liberal than 82.5 percent
of his Senate colleagues) and Clinton a 79.8.

JOHN EDWARDS HAS MADE his first big policy blunder: suggesting that "we
ought to be thinking about is some level of mandatory service to our
country." Responded Libertarian presidential candidate George Phillies:
"Mandatory service is a euphemism for conscript labor. If America wants
more teachers or nurse's aides or people cleaning local parks, it should
try paying them an honest wage. That's not a minimum wage so small that
no one can live one it, either. . . America's young people are free
citizens, not the property of John Edwards. A century and a half ago,
half a million Americans gave their lives to end slavery, the belief
that some people can be required by law to give their labor to their
masters."

http://thirdpartywatch.com/2008/01/09/phillies-speaks-out-
about-mandatory-national-service/


POLITICAL WIRE - According to The State, when South Carolinians go to
the polls for the respective primaries, one fifth of the regular polling
locations will be closed. A new law giving oversight of the primaries to
the South Carolina State Election Commission has resulted in the merging
of 400 of the state's 2200 polling locations in an attempt to ensure
professionally run polling sites. Opponents argue the closings will make
it more difficult for many to get to the polls. State Rep. Todd
Rutherford (D) explained: "The state should not be in the business of
suppressing voter turnout in order to save a dollar."

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/01/14/poll_closings_could_
impact_turnout_in_south_carolina.html


WASH TIMES - The two candidates were tied at 33 percent in South
Carolina last month, but a Rasmussen poll released yesterday found Mr.
Obama leading with 38 percent of the likely Democratic voters compared
with Mrs. Clinton's 33 percent. Among black voters, Mr. Obama leads Mrs.
Clinton 53 percent to 30 percent. She leads 40 percent to 21 percent
among whites. Nationally, Rasmussen shows Mr. Obama is leading Mrs.
Clinton 66 percent to 16 percent among blacks. She leads among whites 41
percent to 27 percent.

http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080115/
NATION/279947465/1001&template=printart


GREAT MOMENTS IN NH ELECTION COVERAGE
http://www.slatev.com/player.html?id=1370845042

INTERESTING EXCERPT FROM SALLY BEDELL SMIITH'S BOOK ON HR CLINTON
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=
507762&in_page_id=1879


SID BLUMENTHALL ARRESTED FOR AGGRAVATED DRUNK DRIVING
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/01/11/the_politics_of_sex.html

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

DRUG BUSTS

JACOB SULLUM, REASON - A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration warns that the cough suppressant
dextromethorphan "can produce hallucinations or dissociative,
'out-of-body' experiences similar to those caused by the hallucinogens
phencyclidine and ketamine." Personally, I avoid cold remedies that
contain dextromethorphan because I don't like the psychoactive effects
of even a therapeutic dose, which leaves me tossing and turning with
hypnagogic hallucinations dancing in my head. But the government's
description makes me think I haven't given the stuff a fair chance.
Which makes me wonder how bored teenagers are apt to respond when
they're told that "young people are using cough syrups and cold pills in
large doses to induce hallucinations, 'out-of-body' experiences or other
effects," as Reuters tells us based on the federal report. . .

http://www.reason.com/blog/show/124323.html

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

THE WORLD

USHAHIDI.COM is a tool for people who witness acts of violence in Kenya
in post-election times. Kenyans can report incidents and it will appear
on a map-based view. It is working with local Kenyan NGOs to get
information and to verify each incident.

http://www.ushahidi.com/

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

HEALTH & SCIENCE

PR WATCH - The U.S. Congress is investigating "the pharmaceutical
industry's use of celebrity endorsements in direct-to-consumer
advertisements." First up are ads for Pfizer's cholesterol drug Lipitor,
which feature the inventor of the artificial heart, Dr. Robert Jarvik.
In the ads, Jarvik says, "Just because I'm a doctor doesn't mean I don't
worry about my cholesterol." Representative John Dingell noted, "Dr.
Jarvik appears to be giving medical advice, but apparently, he has never
obtained a license to practice or prescribe medicine." Other celebrity
drug endorsers include former Senator Bob Dole and athletes Magic
Johnson and Cal Ripken.

http://www.prwatch.org/node/6886

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

AFGHANISTAN

IRIN - Soaring staple food prices have pushed 1.3 million previously
food-secure people in rural Afghanistan into high risk food-insecurity,
according to the latest assessment by the UN World Food Program. . .
Staple food prices have increased by 100 percent in global markets and
by over 60 percent in Afghan markets in the past 12 months, the UN Food
and Agriculture Organisation reported. Recently about 6.5 million out of
an estimated 24.5 million people in Afghanistan were considered
food-insecure by FAO - a figure which has increased considerably in the
past three months.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=76219

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

ECO CLIPS

TREE HUGGER - The Bush administration is quietly pushing for the
elimination of a committee that provides crucial intelligence data for
scientists studying everything from climate change to hurricanes and
pollution. The Civil Applications Committee, which is under the
jurisdiction of the USGS, reviews civilian requests for classified
information and makes recommendations to intelligence officials - who
exercise the final say in deciding what gets declassified. In its place,
the Bush administration would establish a new office in DHS to review
these requests and others from various law enforcement agencies.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/01/bush_plan_data.php

INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE - Next year in California, state regulators
are likely to have the emergency power to control individual
thermostats, sending temperatures up or down through a radio-controlled
device that will be required in new or substantially modified houses and
buildings to manage electricity shortages. The proposed rules are
contained in a document circulated by the California Energy Commission,
which for more than three decades has set state energy efficiency
standards for home appliances, like water heaters, air conditioners and
refrigerators. The changes would allow utilities to adjust customers'
preset temperatures when the price of electricity is soaring. Customers
could override the utilities' suggested temperatures. But in
emergencies, the utilities could override customers' wishes

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/11/america/calif.php

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

SUSTAIN YOURSELF

LIVING IN A YURT
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/11/living_in_a_yur.php

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

CYBER NOTES

RTE, IRELAND - A plan to provide free wireless broadband throughout
Dublin has been abandoned. Dublin City Council has decided the plan
would be contrary to EU law on state aid, as well as not financially
possible. . .

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0109/wifi.html

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

FURTHERMORE. . .

ABC - Matthew Mitchell is suing the Yankees for $221 - the exact
amount he paid for tickets to five of the games he attended between 2002
and 2007. His claim is filed under "failure to provide goods paid for."
"I've been a fan forever, and now, there's evidence - based on the
Mitchell Report and common sense - it's clear to me that what I was
seeing was not a baseball game," said Mitchell.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AbcNews_TheLaw/~3/216132306/story

LACROSSE TRIBUNE, WI - A Milwaukee judge says a prosecutor is bordering
on contempt by wearing a red ascot to court, despite a courthouse rule
requiring lawyers to wear neckties. Circuit Judge William Sosnay held up
court for about three hours Tuesday over the ascot that prosecutor
Warren Zier wore with his pinstriped gray suit. The judge finally
reasoned that it's an issue dealing with the integrity of the court, and
only standard neckwear should be worn. Zier said he plans to continue
with his practice of rotating from a long tie to a bow tie and ascot. "I
think it's too casual, and Mr. Zier has appeared with a tie before," the
judge said. "He has told me that if we're before a jury, he would appear
with a tie. Well, why? I think we can draw an obvious implication from
that." Zier said he'll just have to wait to find out what happens about
the threat of a contempt citation. .

http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2008/01/10/wi/7w.txt

CBC - A museum devoted to Canadian bandleader Guy Lombardo may close its
doors and transfer its artifacts to Museum London. London's city
councillors will vote on a staff recommendation to close the
1,000-square-foot museum. Called the Guy Lombardo Music Centre, it has
been dogged by poor attendance, with only 400 visitors in 2007.
Lombardo, a violinist and bandleader of The Royal Canadians famous
throughout the world, was born in the city. The Royal Canadians were
noted for playing the traditional Auld Lang Syne as part of New Year's
celebrations in New York.

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2008/01/14/lombardo-museum.html?ref=rss


GALLERY: COLLECTION OF "REDUNDANT" QUOTATIONS "MARKS"
http://www.quotation-marks.blogspot.com/

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

THE PROGRESSIVE REVIEW
Washington's Most Unofficial Source
1312 18th St NW (5th Floor)
Washington DC 20036 202-835-0770
Editor: Sam Smith

REVIEW E-MAIL: mailto:news@prorev.com
REVIEW INDEX: http://prorev.com/
LATEST HEADLINES: http://prorev.com
NEWS BY TOPIC: http://prorev.com/heads.htm
UNDERNEWS: http://prorev.com/indexa.htm

E-MAIL: mailto:news@prorev.com

LATEST HEADLINES & INDEX: http://prorev.com

UNDERNEWS: http://www.prorev.com/indexa.htm
XML FEED: http://prorev.com/feed.xml
FREE UPDATES VIA TOPICA: prorev-subscribe@topica.com
OR JUST SEND NAME & EMAIL TO: mailto:news@prorev.com


TO DONATE TO THE PROGRESSIVE REVIEW, you may use the address above,
the order form below or Pay Pal

ORDER FORM
http://prorev.com/order3.htm

PAY PAL
http://prorev.com/index.htm#donor

BOOKS
- WHY BOTHER? http://prorev.com/order3.htm
- GREAT AMERICAN POLITICAL REPAIR MANUAL http://prorev.com/order3.htm

SAM SMITH'S DECOLAND BAND & OTHER GIGS
http://prorev.com/band.htm

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||