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Afghanistan prisoners to be allowed to challenge their detention for first time 13 Sep 2009 Prisoners held in Afghanistan for years without trial in a notorious military prison and accused of being Taliban fighters or terrorists will for the first time be able to challenge their detention. More than 600 prisoners held at Bagram airbase will be given a chance to have their case reviewed under a new scheme disclosed by the Pentagon... The move was met cautiously by lawyers working with prisoners. Ramzi Kassem, a law professor at City University of New York acting for a Yemeni seized in Thailand in 2002 said it was "window dressing". "The whole thing was meant to pull the wool over the eyes of the judicial system. These changes don't come anywhere near an adequate substitute for a real review." The guidelines came to light as President Barack Obama's administration reviewed Bush-era detention policies. His government is currently in US court battles with lawyers seeking to gain full legal rights for Bagram detainees.
U.S. to Expand Review of Detainees in Afghan Prison --Some of the detainees have already been held at Bagram for as long as six years. 13 Sep 2009 The Obama administration soon plans to issue new guidelines aimed at giving the hundreds of prisoners at an American detention center in Afghanistan significantly more ability to challenge their custody, Pentagon officials and detainee advocates say. The new Pentagon guidelines would assign military-appointed representatives to each of the roughly 600 detainees at the American-run prison at the Bagram Air Base north of Kabul... Two prisoners [argue] that they were not enemy combatants and want a civilian judge to review the evidence against them and order their release, under the constitutional right of habeas corpus. The Obama administration, like the Bush administration, has rejected this argument... The new policy guidelines will bolster the government’s case, said the Defense Department official, who added, "We want to be able to go into court and say we have good review procedures." The Obama administration had sought to preserve Bagram as a haven where it could detain terrorism suspects beyond the reach of American courts, agreeing with the Bush regime’s view that courts had no jurisdiction over prisoners there.
'America's final goal is to create confrontation between Iran and Iraq.' US wants Iran-Iraq confrontation: Vahidi 12 Sep 2009 Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on Saturday that Washington was aiming to trigger a confrontation between former archfoes turned allies Iran and Iraq. "America's final goal is to create confrontation between Iran and Iraq," Vahidi said in reaction to an interview by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates in which he urged Washington's Arab allies to strengthen their military capabilities in order to pressure Iran into halting its nuclear programme. "We advise US officials not to try to militarise the atmosphere in the region and to change their wrong strategy to make up for past mistakes," Vahidi was quoted as saying by Fars new agency.
U.S. soldier held in shooting death of KBR contractor on American base 13 Sep 2009 A U.S. soldier was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting today of a civilian contractor on an American military base in the northern Iraq city of Tikrit, the military said. The shooting occurred at 8:30 a.m. and the man died of his wounds later in the day. The Associated Press later reported that Houston-based KBR confirmed he was one of its employees, 27-year-old Lucas Vinson.
At least 3 killed in car bombing in northeast Baghdad 13 Sep 2009 At least three people were killed and 20 others injured in a car bomb explosion at a popular market in a town in the volatile Diyala province on Sunday, a provincial police source said. The incident took place in the afternoon in a busy marketplace in the town of Maqdadiyah, some 100 km northeast of Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Back-to-back bombs at Shiite shrine in Iraq kill 4 12 Sep 2009 Two bombs exploded back to back near a Shiite shrine in central Baghdad where worshippers had gathered in prayer Saturday, killing four people and injuring 24, police and hospital officials said. The first bomb went off next to the tomb of a revered ninth century religious figure, Sheik Othman al-Omari. Then a car bomb exploded in a nearby parking lot as crowds were gathering. The blasts damaged the shrine and blew out the windows of neighboring buildings.
39 civilians, 5 U.S. troops die in Afghanistan 13 Sep 2009 Five Americans were killed Saturday amid a wave of bombings, ambushes and killings that swept across Afghanistan. At least 39 Afghan civilians and members of the Afghan security forces were also killed in attacks that struck the north, the south and the east on Friday and Saturday, Afghan officials said.
US not to channel aid to Pak through the government sector: official 13 Sep 2009 The United States has made it clear that it would not funnel its aid to Pakistan through the government sector unless it is convinced that the funds would be used effectively and efficiently and exactly for the purpose it is meant for. [And, what would that be?]
Total and Chevron accused of propping up junta 10 Sep 2009 Two reports by EarthRights International, a US-based rights advocacy group, allege that energy giants Total and Chevron are propping up Burma's junta with a gas project that has allowed the regime to stash billions of dollars. Energy giants Total and Chevron are propping up Myanmar's junta with a gas project that has allowed the regime to stash nearly five billion dollars in Singaporean banks, a rights group said Thursday. France's Total and US-based Chevron have also tried to whitewash alleged rights abuses by Myanmar troops guarding the pipeline, including forced labour and killings, two reports by US-based EarthRights International said.
Court temporarily halts CIA secrets case 13 Sep 2009 A federal appeals court has put a lawsuit against the CIA on hold temporarily, disagreeing with a lower court judge who claimed the agency was hiding behind dubious national security arguments to shield itself from potential embarrassment. The decision by a federal appeals panel on Thursday to grant an emergency stay will likely put off the questioning of a key witness in the case. The CIA has argued that allowing the case to proceed would divulge classified information.
Sonic Weapons Used in Iraq Positioned At Town Hall Meetings 11 Sep 2009 (CA) The device was stationed by San Diego County Sheriff deputies at a recent town hall forum hosted by Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) in Spring Valley and at a subsequent town hall with Congressman Darrell Issa (R-San Diego). A public records search conducted by East County Magazine has confirmed that the device is an LRAD 500-x manufactured by San Diego-based American Technology Corporation (ATC). Capable of use as an effective loudspeaker, the LRAD also has the ability to emit a deafening tone aimed at incapacitating and dispersing a crowd without use of lethal force.
Disaster Plans Being Revised For Swine Flu 13 Sep 2009 Even if swine flu remains a mild infection, the pandemic could be the tipping point for an emergency medical system teetering on the edge. Federal officials are asking hospitals to report more current details about how stressed or well-equipped they are so the officials can help coordinate care in a crisis. In a worst-case scenario, some states, such as Iowa and California, have mobile hospitals consisting of a series of connected tents that they could rush to any area and erect, for example, on a football field.
Govt sees early delivery of flu vaccine 13 Sep 2009 Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Sunday said the United States now expects to receive the first batch of [deadly] swine flu vaccine in early October, a few weeks earlier than expected. "We're on track to have an ample supply by October," Sebelius told ABC television "but we may have some early vaccine as early as the first full week in October."
Curiouser and curiouser: 2 flu strains in 1 pig led to new H1N1 --Swine flues merged, jumped to humans 13 Sep 2009 The new H1N1 strain is based primarily on an unusual virus that has been circulating widely in U.S. pigs since the 1990s. That "triple reassortant" flu is actually a combination of classic swine flu, a North American avian flu and a strain of human flu. Somehow [!?!], a single pig became simultaneously infected with that virus and a pure swine flu strain found in pigs in Europe and Asia. The two strains swapped genetic material to produce the new H1N1 strain, which then began to infect humans. How did strains mix? That remains a mystery, and scientists will probably never know. [Uh, I'd say, we *all* know! I saw this one marching down Broadway when Shock & Awe was just a twinkle in Rumsfeld's eye. See: Killer flu recreated in the lab 07 Oct 2004 UK Scientists have shown that tiny changes to modern flu viruses could render them as deadly as the 1918 strain which killed millions. A US team added two genes from a sample of the 1918 virus to a modern strain known to have no effect on mice. Animals exposed to this composite were dying within days of symptoms similar to those found in human victims of the 1918 pandemic. And, they are about to hit paydirt, w. this pandemic insanity. --LRP]
Key Blagojevich adviser Christopher Kelly dead 12 Sep 2009 The man federal prosecutors pressured to cooperate in the corruption probe of ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich died of an apparent aspirin overdose on Saturday, law enforcement sources said. Christopher Kelly, 51, of Burr Ridge, was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital at 10:46 a.m. An autopsy is scheduled for today, a Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office spokeswoman said.
ABC News Was Misquoted on Crowd Size --ABC News Reported D.C. Rally Size in Tens of Thousands, Not 1M to 1.5M as Teabagger Said. 12 Sep 2009 Conservative activists, who organized a march on the U.S. Capitol today in protest of the Obama administration's health care agenda and government spending, erroneously attributed reports on the size of the crowds to ABC News. Matt Kibbe, president of FreedomWorks [United Healthcare whore], the group that organized the event, said on stage at the rally that ABC News was reporting that 1 million to 1.5 million people were in attendance.
House may vote on formal rebuke for Rep. Wilson outburst 13 Sep 2009 The House of Representatives appears headed for a vote to formally rebuke Rep. Joe Wilson this week for heckling President Obama after the South Carolina Republican refused Sunday to apologize on the House floor. "The House likely will take up a resolution," Brendan Daly, a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told USA TODAY. "He violated the decorum of the House; it has to be resolved in the House."
Lawmaker won't apologize to Obama in Congress 13 Sep 2009 South Carolina Republican Representative [racist] Joe Wilson, who faces possible censure in the U.S. House of Representatives for shouting "You lie!" during President Barack Obama's speech to Congress on healthcare reform, said on Sunday he would not apologize again. Calling his outburst on Wednesday evening "a town hall moment," Wilson told "Fox News Sunday" that since his apology to the president had already been accepted, he did not plan to apologize on the House floor as Democrats have demanded.
Insurance Industry to Write New Obama Health Care Compromise Bill --The universal health care provision will mandate that everyone buy a health care plan from a private insurance provider or be thrown into Guantanamo Bay prison as a traitor. By R J Shulman 13 Sep 2009 In a bold new move to push health care reform through Congress by the end of the year, President Barack Obama has asked the insurance industry to help draft a bill that can get the votes of so-called Blue Dog Democrats and some Republican support... The bill also makes it illegal for anyone, any government entity or business to negotiate for lower health care premium prices as that would be considered government interference with the free market. "We just can't have anyone trying to shove down limits down the throats of CEO bonuses as that is just anti-American," said Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT). (Satire)
Stiglitz Says Banking Problems Are Now Bigger Than Pre-Lehman 13 Sep 2009 Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize- winning economist, said the U.S. has failed to fix the underlying problems of its banking system after the credit crunch and the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. "In the U.S. and many other countries, the too-big-to-fail banks have become even bigger," Stiglitz said in an interview today in Paris. "The problems are worse than they were in 2007 before the crisis."
Charles Darwin film 'too controversial for religious America' 11 Sep 2009 A British film about Charles Darwin has failed to find a US distributor because his theory of evolution is too controversial for American audiences, according to its producer. Creation, starring Paul Bettany, details Darwin's "struggle between faith and reason" as he wrote On The Origin of Species. The film was chosen to open the Toronto Film Festival and has its British premiere on Sunday. It has been sold in almost every territory around the world, from Australia to Scandinavia. However, US distributors have resolutely passed on a film which will prove hugely divisive in a country [of morons] where, according to a Gallup poll conducted in February, only 39 per cent of Americans believe in the theory of evolution.
Previous lead stories: Putin warns against Iran attack --US and Israel have never ruled out the option of air strikes on Iran to stop it acquiring an atomic weapon 11 Sep 2009 Russian PM Vladimir Putin has warned against military action targeting Iran or imposing new sanctions to curb its nuclear programme. Iran's latest proposals on its nuclear ambitions have brought diverging views from the US and Russia. Earlier, a US official told the BBC that Washington was unhappy with the proposals, submitted on Wednesday. President Barack Obama has given Tehran until the end of September to respond to his friendlier overtures or face new sanctions.
Obama says U.S. must renew fight against al Qaeda 11 Sep 2009 President George W. Bush Barack Obama sought to rally Americans behind the war in Afghanistan on the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States as opinion polls show faltering public support for the conflict. "Let us renew our resolve against those who perpetrated this barbaric act and plot against us still," Obama said on Friday at a somber ceremony attended by about 500 people under rain-filled skies at the Pentagon. "In pursuit of al Qaeda and its extremist allies we will never falter," he said, before laying a wreath at a memorial for those killed at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.
US committee approves $128 billion war spending --Funding will allow President Obama's order to add 21,000 more troops to the Afghanistan contingent, to proceed. 10 Sep 2009 A powerful Senate committee in the US has approved President Barack Obama’s $128 billion request for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. With little debate, it was decided to allow the request which will cater for $636 billion in funding for next year’s Pentagon budget. The funding will allow President Obama’s order from earlier this year, to add 21,000 more troops to the Afghanistan contingent, to go ahead.
Fund-Raiser to Blagojevich Dies in Chicago
MAG DATE LOCAL-TIME LAT LON DEPTH LOCATION
y/m/d h:m:s deg deg km
map 1.5 2009/09/13 01:01:56 34.242N 81.198W 0.9 12 km ( 7 mi) E of Peak, SC
map 2.3 2009/09/11 11:23:58 32.827N 87.965W 0.9 7 km ( 5 mi) WSW of Eutaw, AL
map 2.0 2009/09/09 05:21:17 36.144N 89.413W 8.6 12 km ( 8 mi) N of Dyersburg, TN
map 1.4 2009/09/08 22:53:33 36.186N 89.439W 8.4 10 km ( 6 mi) SSE of Ridgely, TN
map 1.6 2009/09/08 22:31:27 36.331N 89.516W 9.2 7 km ( 4 mi) SW of Tiptonville, TN
map 2.3 2009/09/08 09:03:12 35.633N 97.205W 5.0 12 km ( 7 mi) ESE of Arcadia, OK
map 1.8 2009/09/08 00:01:39 36.621N 89.927W 7.4 10 km ( 6 mi) W of Parma, MO
SAN FRANCISCO – Dangerous staph bacteria have been found in sand and water for the first time at five public beaches along the coast of Washington, and scientists think the state is not the only one with this problem.
The germ is MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus — a hard-to-treat bug once rarely seen outside of hospitals but that increasingly is spreading in ordinary community settings such as schools, locker rooms and gyms.
The germ causes nasty skin infections as well as pneumonia and other life-threatening problems. It spreads mostly through human contact. Little is known about environmental sources that also may harbor the germ.
Finding it at the beach suggests one place that people may be picking it up, said Marilyn Roberts, a microbiologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.
"We don't know the risk" for any individual going to a beach, she said. "But the fact that we found these organisms suggests that the level is much higher than we had thought."
She presented results Saturday at an American Society for Microbiology conference in California. Last year, her team reported finding a different type of bacteria, enterococci, at five West Coast beaches. And earlier this year, University of Miami researchers reported finding staph bacteria in four out of 10 ocean water samples collected by hundreds of bathers at a South Florida beach.
Many communities also commonly restrict bathing at beaches because of contamination with fecal bacteria.
In the new study, researchers tested 10 beaches in Washington along the West CoastPuget Sound from February to September 2008. Staph bacteria were found at nine of them, including five with MRSA. The strains resembled the highly resistant ones usually seen in hospitals, rather than the milder strains acquired in community settings, Roberts said. and in
No staph was found in samples from two beaches in southern California.
People should not avoid beaches or be afraid to enjoy them, scientists say.
"It's probably prudent to shower when you come out" to lower the risk of bacteria staying on the skin, said Dr. Lance Peterson, a microbiologist at NorthShore University Health System in Evanston, Ill.
"Make sure you get all the sand off," and cover any open cuts or scrapes before playing in the sand, Roberts added. Digging in the sand or being buried in it seems to raise the risk of infection, she said.
Shiveluch Volcano in Kamchatka Erupts Posted: 12 Sep 2009 09:06 PM PDT Dr. Erik Kllemetti reports that a large eruption is underway at Shiveluch Volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula of eastern Russia. It could have an adverse impact on air traffic in that area and east to North America. |
| Posted: 12 Sep 2009 08:55 PM PDT USGS scientists are involved in a wide range of microbiology research to understand pathogens in contaminating drinking water, West Nile Virus in bird species, plague in Black-Footed ferrets, microorganisms as potential sources of alternative energy and other microbiology issues. They have a “Microbiology and the Environment” website to share information about their activities. |
| Could Britain Profit from Carbon Storage? Posted: 12 Sep 2009 08:35 PM PDT Rock units below British territorial waters of the North Sea are quite suitable for the sequestration of carbon dioxide. Some people think that Britain could market this storage and receive billions from other countries in Europe who have inadequate carbon storage potential. |
| Posted: 12 Sep 2009 08:29 PM PDT Significant amounts of oil and natural gas are thought to be beneath Libya but they have not been aggressively explored for political reasons. |
| Posted: 12 Sep 2009 03:51 PM PDT Scott Kleine of Great Basin Minerals shares a few photos from his 2005 trip to collect pink heulandite at the Rats Nest Mine in Custer County, Idaho. |
| Venezuela: Offshore 6.4 Earthquake Posted: 12 Sep 2009 02:10 PM PDT A strong 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck the offshore area of Venezuela, just northwest of Caracas at 6:25 PM local time. The USGS shake map and “did you feel it map” have reports of VI intensity in areas near oil facilities. |
EDIS No: NC-20090912-23135-USA
MOSCOW — A Russian news agency says parts of the once-banned book "The Gulag Archipelago" have been declared required reading for upper-level students in the country's schools.
The sprawling book, regarded as Alexander Solzhenitsyn's masterwork, recounts the brutality and despair of the prison camp system set up under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. The book was banned in the Soviet Union and Solzhenitsyn was forced into exile.
According to the state-run news agency RIA Novosti, the Education Ministry on Wednesday ordered that passages from the book become required reading in order to deepen students' understanding of Russia's history. A ministry spokesman did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.
The move comes despite Russian moves over the past decade to restore some Soviet symbols and defend some of Stalin's actions.
Kerry Robertson, who has mild learning difficulties, was told her wedding was being halted just 48 hours before she was to walk up the aisle with fiance Mark McDougall.
WSJ.com | Protesters March on Washington
Tens of thousands of people converged on Capitol Hill on Saturday to protest against government spendingThe line of protesters spread across Pennsylvania Avenue for blocks, all the way to the capitol, according to the Washington Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.
People were chanting "enough, enough" and "We the People." Others yelled "You lie, you lie!" and "Pelosi has to go," referring to California congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.
Demonstrators waved U.S. flags and held signs reading "Go Green Recycle Congress" and "I'm Not Your ATM." Men wore colonial costumes as they listened to speakers who warned of "judgment day" - Election Day 2010.
Richard Brigle, 57, a Vietnam War veteran and former Teamster, came from Michigan. He said health care needs to be reformed - but not according to President Barack Obama's plan.
"My grandkids are going to be paying for this. It's going to cost too much money that we don't have," he said while marching, bracing himself with a wooden cane as he walked.
FreedomWorks Foundation, a conservative organization led by former House of Representatives Majority Leader Dick Armey, organized several groups from across the country for what they billed as a "March on Washington."
Organizers say they built on momentum from the April "tea party" demonstrations held nationwide to protest tax policies, along with growing resentment over the economic stimulus packages and bank bailouts.
Many protesters said they paid their own way to the event - an ethic they believe should be applied to the government.
They say unchecked spending on things like a government-run health insurance option could increase inflation and lead to economic ruin.
Terri Hall, 45, of Florida, said she felt compelled to become political for the first time this year because she was upset by government spending.
"Our government has lost sight of the powers they were granted," she said. She added that the deficit spending was out of control, and said she thought it was putting the country at risk.
Anna Hayes, 58, a nurse from Fairfax County, stood on the Mall in 1981 for Reagan's inauguration. "The same people were celebrating freedom," she said. "The president was fighting for the people then. I remember those years very well and fondly."
Saying she was worried about "Obamacare," Hayes explained: "This is the first rally I've been to that demonstrates against something, the first in my life. I just couldn't stay home anymore."
| Study Reveals Serious HPV Vaccine Problems: Fainting, Blood Clots, Death Among Risks (NaturalNews) At first glance, a study just published in the August 19th edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is yet another whitewash job about the safety of the quadrivalent human papillomavirus recombinant vaccine... |
| Culture Shock: Living in Ecuador, then visiting an American city (NaturalNews) It's shocking visiting the United States after living in Vilcabamba, Ecuador, even for a short while. In just a few weeks in the Valley of Longevity, you naturally get used to the connection with nature: The evening lightning bugs, the dreamscape... |
| Diseases Caused by Smoking will be Graphically Depicted on Packs Smoking is a habit associated with numerous diseases, and the labels on cigarettes will soon more accurately reflect this. Obama recently signed a measure that might update warnings on cigarette packs to stronger and more accurate messages... |
| Too Much Fertilizer Causes Loss of Plant Diversity (NaturalNews) Scientists may have discovered why excessive fertilizer use leads to a loss of species diversity in grasslands, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and published in the journal Science... |
| Artichokes Contain Amazing Power Artichokes, which can be eaten or taken as artichoke leaf extract, have been shown to improve various digestive health disorders. They significantly lower blood cholesterol levels, prevent heart disease and atherosclerosis, enhance detoxification... |
| Use Hypnosis to Research Conversion Disorder Research has been conducted to learn more about the benefits of hypnosis. Hypnosis has also been used to research neurological and psychological disorders such as conversion disorder. Hypnosis is a natural method that can be used with no... |
| Interview with Kirt Tyson, Former Type-I Diabetic, Featured in "Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days" (NaturalNews) Mike: Hi everybody. I'm here with Kirt Tyson today. How are you doing today, Kirt? Kirt: I'm doing wonderful, and I'm glad to be here. Mike: Now, just the fact that you are here is quite amazing in itself. You... |
http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/?region=4&id=caribe.2009.09.12.201619TSUNAMI STATEMENT NUMBER 1
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
2016 UTC SAT SEP 12 2009
THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO COUNTRIES WITHIN AND BORDERING THE
CARIBBEAN SEA...EXCEPT FOR PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS.
... TSUNAMI INFORMATION STATEMENT ...
THIS MESSAGE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY.
THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ONLY
NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE
DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND
ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
ORIGIN TIME - 2006Z 12 SEP 2009
COORDINATES - 10.7 NORTH 67.8 WEST
LOCATION - NEAR COAST OF VENEZUELA
MAGNITUDE - 6.4
EVALUATION
A DESTRUCTIVE WIDESPREAD TSUNAMI THREAT DOES NOT EXIST BASED ON
HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI DATA.
HOWEVER - THERE IS THE SMALL POSSIBILITY OF A LOCAL TSUNAMI THAT
COULD AFFECT COASTS LOCATED USUALLY NO MORE THAN A HUNDRED
KILOMETERS FROM THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER. AUTHORITIES IN THE
REGION NEAR THE EPICENTER SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THIS
POSSIBILITY.
THIS WILL BE THE ONLY PRODUCT ISSUED BY THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI
WARNING CENTER FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
BECOMES AVAILABLE.
A crowd of people, some carrying signs, are shown during a rally at Freedom Plaza in Washington on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. Thousands of protesters have packed streets in the nation's capital to protest what they consider the federal government's out-of-control spending. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
A top aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned fellow Democrats in a memo obtained by FOXNews.com that up to 2 million people may attend. But conservatives believe Democrats are playing an expectations game to claim the event was a failure.
Democrats are sounding the alarms over the potential turnout at a planned protest in the nation's capital Saturday by opponents of President Obama's domestic policies, but protest organizers say the Democrats' numbers don't add up.
The demonstration is part of the Tea Party Movement and the culmination of a 34-city, 7,000-mile bus tour that began Aug. 28 in Sacramento, Calif. The "partiers" want any health care reform to create more competition and be guided by market principles, not a government-run plan.
...
But there is some confusion over how many people will show up, and where Democrats are getting their estimates. A top aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned fellow Democrats in a memo obtained by FOXNews.com that up to 2 million people may attend.
"It looks like Saturday's event is going to be a huge gathering, estimates ranging from hundreds of thousands to 2 million people," Pelosi aide Doug Thornell wrote ...
Conservatives have seized on this memo as proof Democrats are playing an expectations game. They say the House leadership wrote the memo in hopes it would be leaked and inflate expectations for the turnout anticipating that it will fall short.
"It's an old political tactic to get out in front and make wild projections and when they're not met, claim their opponents don't have the juice," said Pete Sepp, a spokesman for the National Taxpayers Union, one of the organizers of the rally.
Sepp said there's only one reason to float a number that high.
"You set the bar at 2 million and anything under it becomes a failure," he said, adding that any event in D.C. that attracts 50,000 is considered a success.
A crowd of 2 million people, he said, "would exceed our wildest dreams."
Even President Obama didn't attract 2 million people to his inauguration, when estimates ranged from 1.2 million to 1.8 million people.
But Thornell told FOXNews.com that he was not playing an expectations game and that he simply used the numbers cited by organizers.
"I was using their own words and predictions and estimates," he said, explaining his memo was a compilation of statements from different Tea Party Web sites.
...
"If you read the memo, it doesn't convey any feeling about this event at all," he said. "I think the memo speaks for itself. … It's not about setting expectations."
FreedomWorks, the lead organizer who has largely bankrolled the rallies leading up to Saturday's march in Washington, D.C. has said it is expecting tens of thousands to attend. Adam Brandon, a spokesman for FreedomWorks, told Politico he expects the crowd to be in the 20,000-30,000 range.
