Openly celebrating George Bush's last state of the union address, Democrats in Congress last night dismissed his entreaties on tax cuts and government wiretaps but left the president some room on a $150bn economic aid package.  

Economy, War To Dominate State of Union

Bush's Challenge May Be Getting People to Listen

For years, President Bush and his advisers expressed frustration that the White House received little credit for the nation's strong economic performance because of public discontent about the Iraq war.

"Your papers please" has long been a phrase associated with Hitler’s Gestapo. People without the Third Reich’s stamp of approval were hauled off to Nazi Germany’s version of Halliburton detention centers.  

Today Americans are on the verge of being asked for their papers, although probably without the "please."  

Economic Woes Again Batter Global Stocks 

Persistent fears about the world economy battered global stocks again on Monday and drove investors towards safer assets despite expectations of more interest cuts from the Federal Reserve to bolster growth. 

A thousand years ago and one hundred years ago and again today, there has always been confusion between terrorism and resistance.

As it was for mainstream Islam, it is a point of view for today’s US administration that sees terrorists under every rock, that blames every failure on largely unidentified terrorists, and justifies each of its own nefarious crimes on generic terrorism.  

The former president of Tanzania Julius Nyerere once asked: "Why haven’t we all got a vote in the US election? Surely everyone with a TV set has earned that right just for enduring the merciless bombardment every four years."  

To pay for World War II, Americans bought savings bonds and put extra notches in their belts. President Harry Truman raised taxes and cut non-military spending to pay for the Korean conflict. During Vietnam, the US raised taxes but still watched deficits soar.

But to pay for the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US has used its credit card, counting on the Chinese and other foreign buyers of its debt to pay the bills. ... 

Real faith makes us humble and mindful, not of the faults of others, but of our own. It makes us less judgmental, as we see others with the same frailties we have. Faith gives us strength in the face of injustice and motivates us to do our best for "the least of us." 

Our nation was birthed in a spirit of faith - not a prescriptive one telling us whether to believe, but one acknowledging that a providence pervades our world. 

Primary Choices: Hillary Clinton 

This generally is the stage of a campaign when Democrats have to work hard to get excited about whichever candidate seems most likely to outlast an uninspiring pack. That is not remotely the case this year. 

Hoping to give a quick adrenaline shot to the ailing economy, President Bush and House leaders struck a deal on Thursday for a $150 billion fiscal stimulus package, including rebates for most tax filers of up to $600 for individuals, $1,200 for couples and, for families, an additional $300 a child. 

With its international mandate in Iraq set to expire in 11 months, the Bush administration will insist that the government in Baghdad give the United States broad authority to conduct combat operations and guarantee civilian contractors specific legal protections from Iraqi law, according to administration and military officials. 

As the middle and poorer classes get crushed under a mounting pile of debt, and living costs grow faster than wages, we're becoming a country of two classes: the top 1% and everyone else.

The news that US citizen Jose Padilla has received a prison sentence of 17 years and four months should provoke outrage in the United States, although it is unlikely that there will be much more than a whimper of dissent.  

from the Centre for American Progress ….. 

Bush's Stimulus Misses The Target 

This past weekend, as most Americans celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., markets all across the world were experiencing precipitous declines. 

Malcolm Turnbull has accused the Treasurer of being almost schizophrenic in his comments.  

The Federal Opposition has accused Treasurer Wayne Swan of adding to inflationary concerns with his recent statements about the economy.