Archive - Jul 2, 2010

AFP - Three of the 10 accused Russian spies held by the United States were ordered to stay in detention, as prosecutors said two of them were the first to give up their true identities.

AP - A man wanted for the slayings of two Tampa police officers surrendered to police Friday night, officials said.

AP - Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered military officials Friday to get Pentagon clearance for interviews and other media contacts after President Barack Obama fired the top general in Afghanistan for embarrassing comments in a magazine article.

Statement in the House by Rep. Ron Paul of Texas on funding the war in Afghanistan. In January 1991, we went to war in the Middle East against Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s dictator who was our ally during the Iran-Iraq war. A border dispute between Kuwait and Iraq broke out after our State Department gave a [...]

Statement in the House by Rep. Tim Johnson of Illinois on funding the war in Afghanistan. I stand in opposition to this rule and in sincere but deep opposition to this $63 billion massive spending bill, and particularly the war spending component of the bill.  I speak, I believe, on the behalf of the hundreds [...]

Julie Andrews on The Muppet Show singing The Lonely Goatherd.

What’s on your mind?

Samuel Johnson famously said that "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel." He, of course, was born in the wrong century to have met Dick Cheney, the scoundrel for whom self-professed patriotism, as we found out to our regret, was the first refuge.

A new survey by the Pew Research Center for People and the Press reports:

Nearly all Americans consider themselves patriotic and voice pride in being American. Sizeable demographic and political differences do emerge, however, when it comes to intense expressions of patriotism. And many of those who voice strong patriotism and pride in the country also are highly critical of the federal government and its political leaders. A new national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted June 24-27 among 1,001 adults, finds that more than eight-in-ten (83%) say they are either extremely proud (52%) or very proud (31%) to be an American. Just 14% say they are moderately proud (8%) or have little or no pride (6%) in being an American. Nearly six-in-ten (59%) non-Hispanic whites say they are extremely proud of being an American compared with 36% of non-Hispanic blacks. People younger than 30 also are less likely than older Americans to say they are extremely proud of being an American. Those who give Barack Obama the lowest job ratings - predominately Republicans and independents who lean Republican - also are more likely to say that they are extremely proud to be an American than are those who give the president more positive ratings. Notably, those who take a particularly dim view of the federal government - including those who agree with the Tea Party movement - are among the most likely to consider themselves more patriotic than most people in this country. A survey conducted earlier this year asked respondents to compare their own level of patriotism with that of their fellow citizens. Most people (59%) say they are about as patriotic as others. Just a third (33%) claim to be more patriotic than most other Americans. Notably, those who take a particularly dim view of the federal government - including those who agree with the Tea Party movement - are among the most likely to consider themselves more patriotic than most people in this country. More men (36%) than women (30%) say they are more patriotic than others and racial and age differences in these attitudes are also noted. More than a third of whites (35%) say they are more patriotic than others, compared with 26% of African Americans. And people age 65 and older were more likely (at 42%) than younger age groups to see themselves as more patriotic than others. The picture is largely the same when it comes to a key way that Americans express their patriotism: displaying the American flag. Asked in a June 8-28 Pew Research survey, nearly six-in-ten (59%) say they show the flag at their home, office, or on their automobile.

7:45am - Emily Kaiser, Reuters, Economics Correspondent

8:30am - David Kramer, Fmr. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European & Eurasian Affairs (2005-08) and The German Marshall Fund, Senior Transatlantic Fellow

9:15am - John Hall, Florida Center for Fiscal & Economic Policy, Executive Director
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Published: Today at 7am (ET)

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) on his memoir, "Robert C. Byrd: Child of the Appalachian Coalfields." The book recounts the Senator's life from growing up in West Virginia in the early 1920s to his time in the U.S. Senate. Senator John F. Kennedy reading the Declaration of Independence for WQXR Radio, New York, on July 4, 1957.
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Published: Today at 10am (ET)

Ronald Drez speaks about events leading up to the invasion of Normandy in his book, “Remember D-Day: The Plan, the Invasion, Survivor Stories.” He describes why the invasion succeeded and tells the stories of some of the soldiers who took part.
Length: 43 min.

Published: Today at 10:40am (ET)

Historian Robert Dallek describes JFK's personal life and career in his book, "An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963." He examines the extent of JFK’s physical illness and how it affected his presidency, and he discusses the selection of the president's brother, Robert F. Kennedy, as U.S. Attorney General.
Length: 1 hr. 29 min.

Published: Today at 11:25am (ET)

Before architect James Hoban was selected to design the White House, George Washington hired Pierre Charles L'Enfant to design and build an executive mansion. Historian William Seale recently spoke in Washington about the home that was "never built."
Length: 52 min.

Published: Today at 1pm (ET)

The men and women who maintain the daily life of the White House do so quietly and behind the scenes. Recently the White House Historical Association brought together four former staffers who spoke about their positions in the Executive Mansion.
Length: 1 hr. 12 min.

Published: Today at 2pm (ET)

The National World War II Museum in New Orleans is conducting oral histories to record the experiences of World War II veterans and those Americans living and working on the Home Front. In this interview, "Iron Mike" Mervosh recalls the Battle for Iwo Jima as he experienced it. Mervosh served with Company C, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division.
Length: 1 hr. 2 min.

Published: Today at 3pm (ET)

AFP - US General David Petraeus makes his public debut on Saturday as commander of the Afghan war, celebrating US Independence Day in one of the most heavily guarded places in the country.