MPs send soldiers to war, but few have gone themselves

As he goes from door to door wooing byelection voters in southwestern Ontario, Erin O'Toole talks about a lot of different issues, with one pointed exception: his 12 years as a member of the Canadian Forces.

O'Toole, the Conservative hopeful in the riding of Durham, is fiercely proud of his time in the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Navy, which included Sea King helicopter missions after the 1998 crash of Swissair Flight 111.

It's just that he doesn't want to be seen as using his military service or work with veterans as a springboard to a political career.

"When you leave the military, you feel a sense of guilt because your friends are still there, they are still serving," said O'Toole, who traded the life of a soldier for law school in 2000.

His desire to be in public life comes from somewhere else, he suggested.

That reluctance to highlight a military resume, while seemingly common in Canada, is at odds with politicians in the United States, where time in the armed forces is often seen as a prerequisite of sorts for running for office.

That could be changing — this year marked the first presidential election since 1932 where neither the Democrats or Republicans had a veteran running for president or vice president.

But for whatever reason, Canada has seen a far smaller proportion of ex-soldiers choosing to throw their berets into the political ring.

Over the history of the House of Commons, only 18 per cent of the 4,202 MPs ever elected have military duty on their resume, according to statistics on the parliamentary website.

Among them was George Baker, elected as a Tory in 1911 as the Canadian government decided to join the British effort in the First World War. He then joined the military and was the commander of the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles when he was killed in action at Ypres in July 1915.

The majority of MPs who have military records come from the First and Second World Wars, when collectively about 2 million Canadians served in the forces.

Fewer veterans to draw on

As the number of Canadians serving has dwindled, so too has the number of politicians drawn from their ranks, said military historian Christian Leuprecht.

"In the U.S., the military has a strong linkage with society — one in eight Americans will serve at some point in their lifetime," he said via email from a conference in Spain.

"In Canada, it's closer to 1 in 100. It just doesn't have the same cachet as it does in the U.S."

Of the 43 men who have served as U.S. president, only 11 have zero military experience on their resume. By contrast, of the 22 Canadian prime ministers, 15 have never done military duty.

The last prime minister to see active duty was Lester Pearson, who was both a member of the Canadian Army Medical Corps during the First World War and then a pilot in Britain.

Thirteen current MPs list some military service in their official backgrounds: two are Liberals, five are New Democrats and six are Conservatives.

Only one is a veteran of Canada's most recent conflict, the war in Afghanistan.

Tory MP Corneliu Chisu did one rotation in Kandahar as an engineer, responsible for setting up the Canadian compound and bases in the province. He also served in Bosnia.

He said he believes his military record helped him get elected, because he came across as a different kind of candidate. Not only is he an immigrant — he was born in Romania — but one who served in the military, to boot.

"Members of the public, they get used to politicians who are running for office, but what have they done in their lives?" he said.

Desire for public service

While Chisu and O'Toole both cited the continuing desire for public service at the heart of the decision to move from military to political life, many other soldiers are turned off by politics, suggested Audrey Prenzel, a Canadian career transition expert specializing in former military members.

She said she's never worked with anyone who has expressed an interest, and when she asks, she's often met with laughter.

"They like to get stuff done, they like to ask and answer questions directly and get direct straight-shooting answers," she said.

"So in terms of corporate culture, it just doesn't seem to be a fit."

Chisu said he does find it frustrating sometimes to listen to other politicians talk about the military and veterans when they have little real experience with either. But he uses his knowledge to try and shape the debate, where he can.

"You have to know how to ask the right questions," he said.

New Democrat MP Christine Moore served as a medical assistant with the 52nd Field Ambulance reserve unit in Sherbrooke for three years. Her military training has been useful as she adapts to life as an MP, she said.

"We have an advantage thanks to the discipline and teamwork and leadership training," she said. "Politics is also a crazy life, not as physical as military life, but you are away from your family and always on the go."

Leuprecht said that the peripatetic nature of military life often leaves soldiers without the community connections necessary for starting a political career.

For O'Toole, those connections have partially been found through other veterans.

His father represents Durham in the Ontario legislature and his family has longtime roots in the area. But he's been surprised at the number of other former soldiers who've turned up to help him campaign.

He said he believes it's possible that the war in Afghanistan will produce a new crop of political leaders, as groups supporting veterans and helping them move into their civilian lives are far more available than they used to be. Source: cbc.ca

readmore »»  

Memorial for Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan unveiled

Canadians gathered to honour soldiers who died in Afghanistan during the unveiling of the Afghanistan Repatriation Memorial in Trenton, Ont., Saturday.

Dignitaries and government officials including Afghan Ambassador to Canada Barna Karimi and Minister of Veteran Affairs Steven Blaney were in attendance.

During the ceremony, Blaney spoke of the importance of the memorial.

“Why we are here today is to tell you that we have not forgotten,” he said.

Also in attendance were family members of soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

Kathy Bulger, mother of Cpl. Nick Bulger, told CTV Toronto she was thankful to see the memorial, which has been funded entirely by donations.

“As Nick’s mom I remember every day,” she said. “It’s three-and-a-half years after and people still remember. And this proves it today,” she said.

The memorial, situated on the banks of the Bay of Quinte in Bain Park, is close to the country’s largest air force base, Canadian Forces Base Trenton.

It features two large granite maple leaves. The first maple leaf, in red, is inscribed with the Canadian Forces emblem and provincial shields. The second maple leaf, in black, is inscribed with the names of the 158 soldiers who have died in Afghanistan. The maple leaves are flanked by two Canadian flags and two granite benches where visitors may sit.

After the memorial was unveiled, Christine Caswell searched the black maple leaf for her stepson’s name.

“All the people that are here and who’ve worked so hard is a wonderful tribute,” she said. “And all those names are wonderful people.”

The memorial is located near where repatriation ceremonies for fallen soldiers begin.

The motorcade for all returning soldiers who’ve been killed in action starts at CFB Trenton, continues on Highway 401 and ends in Toronto.

Thousands of Canadians salute the passing motorcades from overpasses along the stretch of Highway 401 dubbed “Highway of Heroes.” Source: ctvnews.ca

readmore »»  

All of Canada’s nuclear reactors running for first time in nearly 20 years

OTTAWA — For the first time in almost two decades, all 20 of Canada’s nuclear power reactors are supplying electricity to the grid.

The milestone was reached this week when the Point Lepreau reactor was connected to New Brunswick’s electrical grid for the first time in since March 2008.

The controversial refurbishment project to extend the plant’s operational life to 2025 is three years behind schedule and $1 billion over its $1.4-billion budget.

In Ontario, the Bruce Power generating station at Tiverton is now running all eight of its reactors for the first time in 17 years. Bruce’s refurbished Unit 2 reactor was restarted last week and synchronized to the province’s grid, the first time it has seen service since 1995.

Neither Lepreau nor Unit 2 will resume full power until commissioning activities, including safety system shutdown testing, are complete and final approvals are issued by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

Meanwhile, the Unit 1 reactor at the Bruce site on the shore of Lake Huron returned to service Sept. 20 after a 15-year shutdown for refurbishment. It is now at commercial operating status.

The cost to the privately-held Bruce Power corporation to update units 1 and 2 has been enormous — $4.9 billion, almost double the original estimate.

Bruce Power says once Unit 2 is approved for full power, the pair will produce enough electricity to power the cities of Ottawa and London, Ont., combined.

Bruce is the largest nuclear facility in North America in terms of output, with a total output capacity of 6,224 megawatts (MW). It houses two nuclear generating stations — Bruce A and Bruce B — each with four CANDU reactors.

The return to service of the 750 MW 1 and 2 reactors doubles the number of operational units from 2001 when Bruce Power purchased the operation from Ontario Hydro. Power generation from all eight reactors is considered essential if the Ontario government is to achieve its goal to eliminate coal-fired electrical generation by 2014.

At mid-afternoon Thursday, hourly nuclear generation in Ontario amounted to 10,130 MW, while coal-fire plants generated 628 MW. Hydro power supplied about 3,870 MW, natural gas 1,195 MW and wind 1,060 MW.

Source: ottawacitizen.com

readmore »»  

Barack Obama explains source of Donald Trump grudge match: ‘This all dates back to when we were growing up together in Kenya’

One thing is clear in the feud between U.S. President Barack Obama and blowhard businessman Donald Trump: the president has better comedy writers on his staff.

On the same day Trump took to YouTube in an attempt to blackmail the president via charity, Obama appeared on “The Tonight Show” to explain the source of Trump’s resentment of him.

“This all dates back to when we were growing up together in Kenya,” the Hawaii-born Obama dryly told Jay Leno. “We had constant run-ins on the soccer fields. He wasn’t very good and resented it. When we finally moved to America, I thought it would be over.”

Trump, the real estate mogul turned television caricature, is the de-facto leader of the “birther” movement — the long discredited but remarkably resilient conspiracy theory that Obama was born outside of the U.S. and thus, is not constitutionally eligible to be president.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump offered $5 million to the charity of Obama’s choice if he would release his academic records and passport applications.

“I have a deal for the President. A deal I don’t believe he can refuse,” Trump said in his YouTube video. “Frankly, it’s a cheque that I very much want to write.”

Trump gave no hints to what he expected to find in those records, less than two weeks before the election.

Trump’s announcement was largely mocked on Twitter for hyping his “game-changing” announcement. 

Source: news.nationalpost.com

readmore »»  

UN war crime investigators seek access to Syria

GENEVA - United Nations war crimes investigators said on Thursday they had asked to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to seek access for their team, which has been shut out of the country since being set up a year ago.

The team, led by Brazilian expert Paulo Pinheiro, has been gathering evidence and testimony on atrocities committed by Syrian government forces and armed rebels in the 19-month-old conflict.

"We decided to send a letter to President al-Assad calling for a meeting ... it would be very important that he could receive us," Pinheiro told reporters in Geneva.

"We intend to go there without conditions to meet President Assad to discuss access of our commission to Syria," added Pinheiro, who went to Damascus in June in his personal capacity for talks with senior Syrian officials.

Carla del Ponte, a former U.N. war crimes prosecutor who has joined the inquiry, was asked about similarities with past investigations including those into war crimes in former Yugoslavia. "The similarity is of course we are handling the same crimes, crimes against humanity and war crimes for sure."

She added: "My main task will be to continue the inquiry in the direction of determining the senior political and military authorities responsible for these crimes."

The investigators have drawn up a secret list of Syrian individuals and units suspected of committing crimes including murder and torture, which they say could pave the way for future criminal prosecution. — Reuters

Source: gmanetwork.com

readmore »»  

Hugo Chavez re-elected as Venezuelan president

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has won a fourth term in office, after opposition leader Henrique Capriles admitted defeat.

Mr Chavez won 54% of the vote, the country's electoral council announced, with turnout at about 81%.

Noisy celebrations among Chavez supporters erupted across the capital, Caracas, following the result.

Mr Chavez said Venezuela would continue its march towards socialism but also vowed he would be a "better president".

Electoral council president Tibisay Lucena announced that with 90% of votes counted Mr Chavez had taken 54.42% of the vote with Mr Capriles on 44.97%.

'Victory was perfect'

"The revolution has triumphed," President Chavez told a cheering crowd from the balcony of the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas.

"Viva Venezuela! Viva the fatherland! The battle was perfect and the victory was perfect," he said.

However, Mr Chavez also sounded a conciliatory note, saying he wanted to "include everybody", adding: "I commit to being a better president than I've been these past few years."

A subdued Mr Capriles congratulated Mr Chavez but told opposition supporters not to feel defeated.

"I want to congratulate the candidate, the president of the republic," he said at his campaign headquarters.

He added: "We have planted many seeds across Venezuela and I know that these seeds are going to produce many trees."

Jubilant Chavez supporters held impromptu street parties in central Caracas, blaring horns and waving flags.

"I'm celebrating with a big heart - Chavez is the hope of the people and of Latin America," said Chavez supporter Mary Reina.

Construction worker Edgar Gonzalez said: "I can't describe the relief and happiness I feel right now.

"The revolution will continue, thanks to God and the people of this great country."

At the Capriles' campaign headquarters, some opposition supporters were in tears at the news.

Mr Capriles said he hoped Mr Chavez would recognise that almost half the country disagreed with his policies.

Mr Capriles said: "There's a country that is divided and to be a good president means to work for all Venezuelans, to work for the solution of all Venezuelans' problems."

'Bolivarian revolution'

Mr Chavez, 58, was diagnosed with cancer last year but says he is now fully recovered.

He has been in power since 1999 and said he needed another six-year term to continue his "Bolivarian revolution" towards socialism.

During his time in office Mr Chavez has nationalised key sectors of the country's economy.

Venezuela is a major oil producer and high oil prices have allowed his government to fund healthcare, education programmes and social housing.

In his campaign, Mr Capriles, who headed a coalition of 30 opposition parties, said the president's policies had led to bureaucracy, inefficiency and shortages.

Earlier, Defence Minister Henry Rangel Silva said the armed forces had identified some groups planning to cause public disturbances but said violence was "unlikely".

A week before the election, three opposition activists were killed during a campaign rally, while four people were injured in a shooting during a voting rehearsal in September.

From Saturday evening to Monday evening, the sale of alcohol has been banned and only the security forces are allowed to carry arms.

Analysts say Mr Chavez's victory will also be welcomed by several countries in the region - including Cuba and Nicaragua - that benefit from his Petrocaribe scheme which provides Venezuelan oil at preferential rates.

He also has strong ties to Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, backing Argentina's sovereignty dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands.

After the election result was announced, President Fernandez tweeted: "Your victory is our victory! And the victory of South America and the Caribbean!"

President Chavez's new six-year term will begin on 10 January.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

readmore »»  

Chavez re-elected as Venezuelan president, defeating Capriles

Caracas, Venezuela (CNN) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was re-elected Sunday to a new six-year term, overcoming an energetic challenge by a candidate backed by an opposition coalition, according to nearly complete results announced by election officials.

Chavez, who has been president since 1999, defeated Henrique Capriles Radonski, whose campaign criticized the Chavez administration for inefficiencies, infrastructure shortcomings and corruption.

Fireworks began to pepper the sky over Caracas soon after the provisional results were announced.

"Today we have demonstrated -- comrades, compatriots -- that our democracy is one of the best in the world," Chavez said in a speech from the balcony of the presidential palace to thousands of supporters who cheered and waved flags.

He thanked those who had voted for him and acknowledged those who had voted against him, applauding their "democratic attitude."

Chavez has had more than a decade to implement his vision of 21st century socialism, a view that emphasizes use of state oil windfalls to fund social programs. During his campaign, he highlighted his accomplishments in housing, education and health initiatives and acknowledged he need to do more on crime and government bureaucracy.

The ebullient leader is 58 years old and has been visibly weakened by two surgeries for cancer. He has kept secret his kind of cancer and prognosis.

His victory gives him "the opportunity to consolidate his policies" and also reaffirms the approach his government has taken to international relations, said Miguel Tinker Salas, a Latin American history professor at Pomona College in California.

Chavez's influence over Latin America's left-leaning governments has often rankled the United States, Venezuela's largest trading partner. Venezuela is the fourth-largest exporter of oil to the United States.

Despite that tight economic relationship, the two countries are far from close allies: Chavez often rails against the United States and its allies as "imperialists" and has supported controversial world leaders like President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran.

The election result Sunday means the U.S. government will have to continue to deal with Chavez's provocatively independent brand of diplomacy.

"I think Washington will have to start getting used to the fact that countries in Latin America, especially South America, are charting their own course," said Tinker Salas.

With 90% of the ballots counted Sunday night, Chavez has 54.42% of the vote compared with 44.97% for Capriles, according to Tibisay Lucena, president of the National Electoral Council.

Chavez had secured 7.4 million votes and Capriles 6.1 million votes, election officials said.

In a speech to his supporters, Capriles congratulated Chavez on his victory and urged him to take into account the different views expressed by voters.

"Being a good president means working for the vision of all Venezuelans," he said.

Observers had said Capriles, 40, represented a moderate alternative to Chavez, the charismatic standard-bearer of the Latin American left. Capriles had vowed not to end the social programs that Chavez had set up, and he had promised to fight corruption that had grown in the public sector.

Capriles is a high-profile conservative who was a mayor, a parliament member and governor of Miranda, which adjoins the nation's capital. The attorney-turned-politician had been so active on the campaign trial that he earned the nicknamed the "roadrunner."

He appeared to have mounted one of the strongest challenges so far in Chavez's 13 years in power. But his efforts ultimately proved insufficient to unseat the incumbent.

The opposition will now have to try to maintain a unified front for regional elections scheduled to take place December, Tinker Salas said. That may prove difficult, he said, since "the one thing that brought them together was the figure of Chavez."

The country saw one of its high participation rates in decades on Sunday, with almost 81% of voters going to the polls, according to Lucena of the electoral council.

In fact, some polls were kept open two hours after their scheduled closing because of lines of voters waited for ballots.

The army was deployed around the country throughout the day to ensure a peaceful and secure vote, said Maj. Gen. Wilmer Barrientos, commander of strategic operations command.

Nearly 140,000 troops were deployed throughout the country to guard polls and keep the peace, state-run VTV reported.

In a phone call aired on state-run television earlier in the evening, Chavez had asked people to remain calm until the election results were completed and for there to be no violence.

Long lines began forming in the early morning hours at polling stations from remote regions of the Amazon to the bustling capital of Caracas.

By mid-afternoon, Barrientos reported 15 electoral offenses throughout the entire country, the Venezuelan military said on its Twitter account. No further details were immediately available.

The election also drew voters from beyond the country's borders as thousands of Venezuelans living abroad lined up to cast their ballots at diplomatic offices.

In New Orleans, Louisiana, voters streamed into the Venezuelan Consulate. Many traveled by bus from Miami, where Venezuelan authorities closed a consulate in January after the United States expelled the office's top Venezuelan diplomat.

In Caracas, voters said they were happy to be casting their ballots.

"I'm really proud of the people, because everyone is cheerful about this event and I think there is a good feeling," said Jesus Betancourt, a 25-year-old student.

Standing outside the Caracas school where Chavez cast his ballot, Katherene Rivas said she hoped Venezuelans would respect the results.

"For now, everything is quiet here, and we want that after the results are announced, that people remain calm," she said.

Source: edition.cnn.com

readmore »»  

Philippines, Muslim rebels reach peace deal

The Philippines has reached a preliminary agreement with Muslim rebels after 15 years of talks, the president announced Sunday, marking a major milestone after decades of militant insurgency in the nation's troubled south.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has fought for decades for an independent Islamic state in southern Philippines. It has been blamed for rampant attacks in the region.

President Benigno Aquino III described the deal as a "framework agreement" for establishing a new autonomous region to be administered by Muslims in the south.

It comes after 15 years of negotiations between the government and the rebels. "This framework agreement paves the way for a final, enduring peace in Mindanao," Aquino said.

"It brings all former secessionist groups into the fold; no longer does the Moro Islamic Liberation Front aspire for a separate state." It also provides a framework on issues such as power structure and revenues in the southern region.

"This means that hands that once held rifles will be put to use tilling land, selling produce, manning work stations and opening doorways of opportunity for other citizens," he said. The new autonomous region will be named Bangsamoro.

"It deserves a name that symbolizes and honors the struggles of our forebears in Mindanao, and celebrates the history and character of that part of our nation," the president said.

The preliminary deal marks a major milestone after years of negotiations with the Moro group to help end an insurgency that has killed tens of thousands.

The Moro group is estimated to have 12,000 members, but military sources say it may have been splintered when government troops conducted offensives in 2000.

British officials applauded the agreement. "I wholeheartedly welcome the announcement of the framework agreement ... to bring peace and development to Muslim Mindanao," Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement.

"This is a testament to the commitment and vision of the parties." The new region is expected to replace the current one by 2016, when the president's term ends, according to officials.

Sourse: edition.cnn.com

readmore »»  

Doctor seeking Illinois Senate seat offers brutal diagnosis of ObamaCare in viral video

She's a former nun, an Army major, a lawyer, a college professor and a physician. Now Dr. Barbara Bellar wants to be a state senator from Illinois, and she has one question about ObamaCare.

VIDEO

“What the blank could possibly go wrong?” Bellar asks, tongue in cheek, after delivering a one-sentence indictment of President Obama's health care law.

Bellar, a Republican candidate running for office in the state’s 18th district, gave the extended one-liner while warming up the crowd at a recent event for GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Someone captured it on video, and now the doctor's diagnosis of the Affordable Care Act is an Internet sensation with more than 2 million views.

“So, let me get this straight. This is a long sentence,” Bellar begins.

“We are going to be gifted with a health care plan that we are forced to purchase, and fined if we don’t,” Bellar continues, “signed by a president who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, by a government which has already bankrupted Social Security and Medicare, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that’s broke.”

Bellar then launched into a longer speech, but the friendly crowd at the event dubbed "Women for Romney/Ryan," was already in the palm of her hand.

“I had no idea I was being video taped,” Bellar told FoxNews.com. “I meant it as a light opener to a more serious issue. It did take on a life of its own."

But Bellar, who is running for office for the first time, has strong feelings about ObamaCare, which she considers an “erosion” of rights. She is seeking to succeed Edward Maloney, who is retiring from the district, which includes Chicago's 19th Ward, and has picked up the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune.

The title of senator would be just the latest entry on an interesting and lengthy resume. Bellar was a Benedictine nun for nearly five years, although she left before she completed her final vows. She is a major in the U.S. Army Reserves, runs a family medical practice, teaches part time at both Benedictine and DePaul universities and practices law.

“I’ve been fortunate," Bellar said. "I’m just a life-long learner and have always wanted to help serve others.”

Of the upcoming election, Bellar says that she plans to shake up the statehouse where President Obama got his start in politics.

“They will not know what hit them,” she said.

readmore »»  

Candidate 'tells' a cue to presidential debate performance

Washington - When Mitt Romney is agitated his arms flail. President Barack Obama has a tendency to drone on and on. Debate experts say both should keep those quirks in check during the upcoming presidential debates.

That's because in the world of political theater, nobody likes a ham or a know-it-all, said Melissa Wade, a debate professor at Emory University.

So Romney should keep that whiteboard full of facts and figures under wraps. And Obama should keep the lecturing to a minimum.

"It's the generation of Twitter and Facebook and efficient language choices are persuasive," Wade said.

Both candidates are considered skilled debaters -- Romney's campaign called Obama a "universally acclaimed public speaker," and Romney was lauded for his performance during the Republican presidential primary debates. However, there's a lot more to effective debating than clever rhetoric.

10 questions you would ask at the presidential debate 

Delivery, tone and body language -- almost as much as substance -- convey a lot to would-be voters, political experts say.

Over the next three weeks, voters will have plenty of opportunities to watch the political posturing unfold. Wednesday night's debate in Denver is the first of three between the president and Romney.

The first debate focuses on domestic policy, so exchanges are bound to be lively, debate experts say.

"Romney and Obama will disagree with the foundation of what caused our economy to go south," said Todd Graham, director of debate at Southern Illinois University.

The two men will also mix it up over their different proposals for trimming the nation's debt and entitlement spending, addressing tax rates, and reforming the nation's health care system.

For voters keeping score at home, pay attention to "things like argument depth, trying to get beneath the surface of the argument. They've become quite skilled at not answering the question. They'll repeat the question and then the next few things out of their mouths don't answer the question," Graham said.

Also, "Look for inconsistencies ... things they have or have not said before," he said.

Vice President Joe Biden and Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, will face off once on foreign policy matters. And like their top-of-the-ticket counterparts, the veep candidates also have some habits to watch out for.

"Ryan has so much less experience that he's going to be on talking points for the ticket," Wade said, and that could make him seem a bit stiff. On the other hand, "Biden has to be careful to not be glib about it and assume his superior knowledge."

Voters have already handicapped the presidential candidates' performance.

According to an ABC News/Washington Post national poll released Monday, 55% of likely voters say they think the president will win the debate, with 31% saying the former Massachusetts governor will be victorious. The findings on this question from the new survey are in line with a CNN/ORC International poll conducted right after the Democratic Convention last month, where likely voters predicted by 59% to 34% that Obama was more likely than Romney to prevail in the October showdowns.

The campaigns spent the bulk of last week downplaying expectations.

Romney debate challenge: High stakes, lowered expectations

However, there's still plenty of room for surprises.

"The mistakes the presidential candidates have made over the years are numerous. Poor body language has been a common blunder. As much as candidates focus on perfecting the substance of what they say before the cameras, a large number of Americans are really most interested to see how they say it," CNN contributor and history professor Julian Zelizer wrote for CNN.

Despite weeks of preparation and practice with debate sparring partners, candidates often revert to nervous tics under the harsh glare of spotlights. During a 2008 debate, Sen. John McCain paced on stage; in 1992, President George H.W. Bush glanced at his watch; and in 1960, Vice President Richard Nixon was sweaty and cast furtive glances.

Both Obama and Romney have similar habits -- "tells" that signal that they're nervous.

The mistakes candidates make in debates

"Romney is more aggressive, he talks with his hands more and is more animated. That's not a good thing," Wade said, adding that at times Romney seems irritated when pressed. "He's a smart man ... but because he is not fully consistent in his message, it shows in his face."

Such behavior could come across as impatient, Wade said.

"The best thing he could do is shove those hands in his pocket," she said. "Even if he were to put one hand in the pocket it would calm ... his body and face down."

Obama may have a reputation as "cool, calm, collected and very comfortable in his body," Wade said, but he too has his own set of body language challenges.

The town hall format -- such as the one scheduled for October 16 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York -- is Obama's nemesis. It offers a looser, more classroom-like setting, one in which the former law school lecturer tends to slip into the role of an academic.

"It's his worst format," Wade said. "It was not as pronounced as McCain wandering around. Obama in a town hall is more long-winded. He just can't help himself."

Getting ready for Wednesday's showdown

Both candidates tend to fare well in settings in which they are standing behind podiums.

"The setup with lecterns and longer questions and answers allows for more direct exchange," Wade said. "They're looking at the moderator and the audience, but they're also able to look at each other."

But there's also a psychological disadvantage to this, said SIU's Graham.

"When seated, the candidates become less aggressive," he said.

For viewers, that's a good thing, Graham added, saying that voters tend to see aggressive debating tactics as bullying.

"For God sakes, don't actually debate. If you actually debate you tend not to do well in the polling the next day," he said. "The public tends to think they were too aggressive and mean and they don't like them."

In Ohio, Romney praises debate partner Portman

Even things like height differences alter perception and the types of gestures a candidate should use, Wade said.

"Most of the presidential primary debates were the standard format of the line of humans behind lecterns. It generates some power dynamics in size difference," she added. "We associate height with power. It's a subtle stereotype that goes on."

So someone smaller, like Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, "had to use larger hand gestures to compensate with size," Wade said.

Sourse: edition.cnn.com

readmore »»  

Gov. Christie's mixed history with Brzezinski-Hoffer family

Gov. Chris Christie never fails to get a fawning reception from Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski when he appears on the MSNBC program “Morning Joe.” But not everyone in the Brzezinski household holds the Republican governor in such high regard.

Christie tangled with Brzezinski’s husband, Jim Hoffer, of WABC in New York, at a news conference Tuesday in Long Branch when the TV reporter challenged how the administration distributed foreclosure funds.

Hoffer wanted to know why the state had distributed only $4 million of $300 million in federal funds from a program called Hardest Hit. Christie said a moratorium on foreclosures slowed the program (though days he later clarified that the once-troubled program has now given out $40 million).

“I’m not sure that really rings true,” Hoffer shouted.

His voice rising before a crowd gathered for a school groundbreaking, Christie said, “If you don’t think it rings true, it’s not a question.”

In the brief back-and-forth, Christie told Hoffer to get his facts straight. “Listen, do me a favor, don’t show up once in every blue moon and think you’re going to dominate my press conference,” he said before moving on.

In the end, the reporter seemed to have gotten what he wanted. The Auditor overheard Hoffer whisper to a Christie aide, “He misplayed it, didn’t he?”

readmore »»  

Greece aims at good marks from auditors

More than 12,000 protesters marched Saturday against fresh austerity measures the Greek government has prepared to win another slice of an international bailout loan.

As auditors from Greece's international creditors inspected the government's books, four separate marches took place in the northern city of Thessaloniki.

The main trade unions, opposition parties including the radical left Syriza Party and communist activists all joined the protest.

Police put the turnout at more than 12,000, significantly less than the 25,000 who showed up for the same march last year.

The protesters' message is that the country can take no more of the austerity measures successive Greek governments have imposed in return for the international bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

The cuts imposed have, according to the government's own figures, driven down the standard of living in Greece by 35 percent as wages, perks and even pensions have been slashed back.

Unemployment has shot up with nearly a quarter of the workforce out of work, which in turn has driven the country deeper into recession, now in its fifth year.

But further cuts to civil service wages, pensions and other public expenditure are on the cards.

The GSEE, the main trades union federation for the private sector, has denounced Greece's international creditors for pressuring the government to deregulate the labour market.

Its private sector counterpart Adedy has condemned as "barbaric" the latest round of cuts announced by the government.

Saturday's demonstrations are part of the traditional autumn calendar.

This year's march however had an added significance because of the visit of the international auditors from the so-called troika of the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank.

The troika has been demanding Athens make up for lost time after delays brought on by back-to-back elections that caused a two-month political deadlock.

Earlier Saturday, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras insisted that his priority was to convince them to release the next loan instalment, worth 31.5 billion euro ($39.9 billion).

Opening an international fair in Greece's second city of Thessaloniki he said the coalition government was determined to hold to its commitments despite growing public hostility.

A favourable assessment from the auditors could also determine whether Athens gets extra time to make spending cuts in return for badly needed loans.

They will review Greece's efforts to cut its huge deficit and adopt reforms needed to help improve its economic competitiveness as agreed as part of its 130-billion-euro bailout package.

The government has to finalise a new austerity programme within days to save more than 11.5 billion euros over 2013 and 2014.

But it is pressing for "breathing space" to carry out cuts, arguing that reducing spending too much too fast will only further depress the economy.

A deeper than expected recession has made it even harder to meet the agreed targets.

Samaras warned on Friday after a meeting with European Union president Herman Van Rompuy that "the resistance of Greeks has reached its limit, which means we need a recovery as soon as possible."

Van Rompuy for his part warned that Greece had to deliver on promised fiscal and reform results to obtain further support.

Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras is set to meet the chief troika auditors on Sunday afternoon, a source in his ministry said, and present the government's latest savings plan so far.

Samaras is to meet the leaders of the parties in his coalition government Sunday night, followed by a meeting with the troika on Monday morning.

readmore »»  

Teenage suicide bomber kills 6 in Afghan capital

A teenage suicide bomber blew himself up outside NATO headquarters in the Afghan capital yesterday, killing at least six civilians in a strike that targeted the heart of the US-led military operation in the country, officials said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast, which was the latest in a series of insurgent attacks in the heavily-fortified Afghan capital aimed at undercutting a months-long campaign by the US-led coalition to shore up security in Kabul before a significant withdrawal of combat troops limits American options.

While bombings and shootings elsewhere in Afghanistan often receive relatively little attention, attacks in the capital score propaganda points for the insurgents by throwing doubt on the government's ability to provide security even for the seat of its power. The attacks also aim to undermine coalition claims of improving security ahead of the planned withdrawal of foreign troops by the end of 2014.

The bomber struck just before noon yesterday outside the headquarters of the US-led NATO coalition, on a street that connects the alliance headquarters to the nearby US and Italian embassies, a large US military base and the Afghan Defence Ministry.

The alliance and police said all of the dead were Afghans, and the Ministry of Interior said some were street children. Kabul police said in a statement that the bomber was 14 years old.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the target was a US intelligence facility nearby.

German Brig. Gen. Gunter Katz, the spokesman for the US-led international military alliance, said there were no coalition casualties.

Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi blamed the attack on the Haqqani network, one of the most dangerous militant groups fighting US-led forces in Afghanistan. He did not say what he was basing that conclusion on, but the Haqqani group, which is linked to both the Taliban and al-Qaida, has been responsible for several high-profile attacks in the Afghan capital in the past.

On Friday, the US designated the Pakistan-based Haqqani network a terrorist organisation, a move that bans Americans from doing business with members of the group and blocks any assets it holds in the United States.

The Obama administration went forward with the decision despite misgivings about how the largely symbolic act could further stall planned Afghan peace talks or put yet another chill on the United States' already fragile counterterrorism alliance with Pakistan.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mijahid said the decision will have no impact on the war against the Afghan government and US-led forces, and added that the Haqqanis were part of the Taliban and not a separate group. He said its founder, Jalaluddin Haqqani, was a loyal member of the Taliban leadership council and a "person of trust" to the movement's leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar.

"It will not have a negative effect on our struggle and we are rejecting this announcement," Mujahid said in an email.

The Haqqani network has been blamed for a series of high profile attacks against foreign targets in Kabul, including coordinated attacks last April against NATO and government facilities that lasted more than a day before the insurgents were killed. A year ago, they were blamed for a rocket-propelled grenade assault on the US Embassy and NATO headquarters. In June, gunmen stormed a lakeside hotel near Kabul and 18 people in a 12-hour rampage.

American officials estimate the Haqqani forces at 2,000 to 4,000 fighters and say the group maintains close ties with al-Qaida.

Earlier yesterday, hundreds of Afghans and officials had gathered just a few hundred metres from the site of the attack to lay wreaths at a statue to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the death of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the charismatic Northern Alliance commander who was killed in an al-Qaida suicide bombing two days before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The alliance joined with the United States to help rout the Taliban after America invaded Afghanistan a month later in the wake of the attacks.

readmore »»  

Democrats say Akin's comments could put Missouri in play

NEWS: As Democrats wrapped up their nominating convention in Charlotte last week, Missouri delegates were abuzz about President Barack Obama's rousing acceptance speech and former President Bill Clinton's detailed deconstruction of the GOP's case against him.

But what had some Missouri Democrats really ginned up was the possibility the Show-Me State could reclaim its status as an election bellwether. Specifically, how much have Rep. Todd Akin's controversial comments about "legitimate rape" and abortion changed the political landscape in Missouri?

Akin said in an interview last month that victims of "legitimate rape" rarely get pregnant because "the female has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

Some delegates at last week's Democratic convention said Akin's remarks not only may have shifted the Senate race in favor of Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill, they may offer Obama a chance to make an aggressive play for Missouri. So far, Obama has largely ceded the increasingly Republican state to challenger Mitt Romney.

"I do think the president's going to get a bump" from the convention, said St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. "And I think that that can translate into them rethinking Missouri."

Slay said he and other Democrats "are certainly going to make an effort" to persuade the Obama campaign to invest energy and resources in Missouri.

Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon said Obama could win the state in November, noting the president lost there by only about 3,900 votes in 2008 against GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona. But Nixon said he isn't planning to lobby the Obama campaign to send more people or money to Missouri.

"I'm not here to tell the president or his folks how to run their race," he said.

A recent Rasmussen survey showed Obama's support in Missouri at 47% compared to 46% for Romney.

"As the controversy over Republican Senate candidate Todd Akin's 'legitimate rape' comment continues, Mitt Romney's lead in Missouri has vanished," Rasmussen concluded.

Republicans flatly dismissed the notion Missouri will turn purple because of Akin's remarks. As Democrats wrapped up their convention, former Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond and other GOP leaders organized a conference call with reporters to rebut the pitch coming out of Charlotte.

"I have a very high confidence level … that Missouri is very solidly in the Romney corner," said state Auditor Tom Schweich.

John Hancock, a Republican consultant and former state GOP party chairman, said he would not be surprised to see Obama move staff and money to Missouri, but only because his prospects in other swing states will start to dim.

"It would be an incredibly steep hill for Obama to carry Missouri, but it may be the best of a series of bad options for him," Hancock said. "His support in other states he carried in 2008 is eroding. Look at North Carolina and Virginia."

Michael Sanders, chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party, said the state is now more in play than anyone would have predicted six months ago.

"That's a testament to the candidates we have," he said. "But it's also a testament to the Republican candidates. They don't track with mainstream common-sense Missouri values."

But he and other Democrats openly worried McCaskill could still lose. Several convention delegates said they believe Republicans will still vote for Akin, even if his comments made them cringe, because he has an "R'' behind his name on the November ballot.

"I do phone banking and you would be amazed at the number of people who say 'Yeah, but I'm still going to vote for him'," said Sharon Aring, a 71-year-old delegate from Platte City. She was wearing a leopard-patterned sweater with ten political buttons, including one that read, "The GOP is Akin."

Kansas City Mayor Sly James, a Democrat, agreed Akin's comments "changed the landscape some," but said McCaskill still faces "a very tight race." And he doesn't anticipate a big shift in the presidential matchup.

Even if Obama wanted to make a play for Missouri, his campaign probably won't have the resources to invest in such a marginal state, James said. He noted that Obama is on track to be heavily outspent by Romney and conservative super PACs.

"Ramping up (in Missouri) at this stage would be a huge drain on resources," James said. "He's going to need to reinforce his message elsewhere. I think the president's campaign is really focused on the states they've mapped out, and they're pretty good about sticking to their strategy."

readmore »»