Monday, March 20, 2006

STANDING UP FOR THE MILIONS, NOT THE MILLIONAIRES NYTimes: "Compounding woes for Prime Minister Tony Blair, his Labor Party acknowledged Friday that it had received more than three times the amount it had previously reported in secret campaign loans. The disclosure fed a debate swirling around Mr. Blair's political future, as did an unusual editorial in The Economist reversing the weekly's support for him in last year's election. It would be 'better, surely, for him to quit while he is still ahead', The Economist said, echoing remarks from other publications on the left and the right. A procession of questions have emerged about the financial dealings of both the party and personalities, ranging from the prime minister and his wife, Cherie Booth, to a former minister, Peter Mandelson, and to donors, including Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One racing magnate." Observer: "The Labour 'secret loans' crisis deepened last night when it was revealed that the party received nearly £1m from a multi-millionaire businessman who has funded one of Tony Blair's controversial city academies. It emerged yesterday that the Tories also relied on unannounced loans of more than £20m to avert a crises before the 2005 election." BBC: "A new party challenging Labour policies for working people is being launched by political and trade union activists. The Campaign for a New Workers Party says it is a reaction to what it calls 'spin and control freakery'. With the aim of 'standing up for the millions, not the millionaires' members will claim Labour policies are not doing enough for working people." Paul D. Eaton, a retired Army major general, in charge of training the Iraqi military from 2003 to 2004, said about Rumsfeld: "He has shown himself incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically, and is far more than anyone else responsible for what has happened to our important mission in Iraq. Mr. Rumsfeld must step down." Not only Rumsfeld, but primarily Bush and Tony Blair are responsible for the horrible mess. They should all step down. 11:41:16 AM

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