Officials reach bailout deal for Greece
After months in which Greece teetered on the verge of bankruptcy, European officials agreed Tuesday to give the country a second massive bailout in exchange for harsh austerity measures, as grim new estimates about the country’s economy pushed off a resolution until what some officials called the last possible day to reach one. Under the plans negotiated between the Greek government and European leaders, officials said Tuesday, Greece will receive a $172 billion bailout in exchange for taking harsh austerity measures that officials believe will make it more competitive. Greece will also write down 53.5 percent of the nominal face value of its privately held debt as a way of getting back on track by 2020. The aid would come atop a previous bailout of $145 billion in May 2010, making Greece, a country of 11 million people that is just 2 percent of the euro zone’s economy, the recipient of by far the largest bailout in European Union history. (Washington Post)
Gallup: Santorum Opens Double-Digit National Lead Over Romney, 36 to 26
Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania has opened a double-digit lead over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in Gallup’s national tracking poll of the Republican presidential race. In the five-day polling period ending on Sunday, Feb. 19, Santorum was first with 36 percent, Romney was second with 26 percent, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was third with 13 percent, and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas was fourth with 11 percent. Each day, Gallup publishes the five-day rolling average of the results from its tracking poll of the Republican presidential primary field. Gallup’s tracking poll for the five-day period from Feb. 14-19, surveyed 1,194 registered Republican voters and Republican-leaning independents and had a margin of error of +/- 4 points. Santorum’s 10-point lead in this survey was larger than the poll’s margin of error. (CNS News) 
Michigan Republican Presidential Primary (Real Clear Politics)
|
Poll
|
Date
|
Sample
|
MoE
|
Santorum
|
Romney
|
Paul
|
Gingrich
|
Spread
|
|
RCP Average
|
2/11 - 2/20
|
--
|
--
|
34.7
|
31.5
|
10.7
|
10.5
|
Santorum +3.2
|
|
Mitchell/Rosetta Stone
|
2/20 - 2/20
|
420 LV
|
4.7
|
30
|
32
|
7
|
9
|
Romney +2
|
|
WeAskAmerica
|
2/19 - 2/19
|
1025 LV
|
3.1
|
29
|
29
|
12
|
10
|
Tie
|
|
PPP (D)
|
2/17 - 2/19
|
602 LV
|
4.0
|
37
|
33
|
15
|
10
|
Santorum +4
|
|
Inside MI Politics/MRG
|
2/13 - 2/14
|
800 LV
|
3.5
|
43
|
33
|
8
|
11
|
Santorum +10
|
|
Rasmussen Reports
|
2/13 - 2/13
|
750 LV
|
4.0
|
35
|
32
|
13
|
11
|
Santorum +3
|
|
Detroit News
|
2/11 - 2/13
|
500 RV
|
4.4
|
34
|
30
|
9
|
12
|
Santorum +4
|
Arizona Republican Presidential Primary
|
Poll
|
Date
|
Sample
|
Romney
|
Santorum
|
Gingrich
|
Paul
|
Spread
|
|
RCP Average
|
2/16 - 2/20
|
--
|
37.3
|
30.3
|
15.3
|
8.0
|
Romney +7.0
|
|
WeAskAmerica
|
2/19 - 2/20
|
1155 LV
|
37
|
27
|
15
|
8
|
Romney +10
|
|
PPP (D)
|
2/17 - 2/19
|
412 LV
|
36
|
33
|
16
|
9
|
Romney +3
|
|
Rasmussen Reports
|
2/16 - 2/16
|
750 LV
|
39
|
31
|
15
|
7
|
Romney +8
|
Santorum Aide Mentions "Radical Islamic Policies The President Has"
In an interview with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell, Rick Santorum's press secretary, Alice Stewart, said that Santorum was commenting on the president's energy and environmental policies when he said the president was motivated by a "phony theology." However, in her opening answer, she mentioned the "radical Islamic policies the president has."
"Certainly, Rick has said it, we've all said it before. Robert Gibbs took it out of context. He wasn't questioning the president's character," Stewart said. "He wasn't questioning the president's religion. As he said, as he's clarified the statement, he was talking about radical environmentalists. There is a type of theological secularism when it comes to the global warmists in this country. That's what he was referring to. He was referring to the president's policies in terms of the radical Islamic policies the president has, specifically in terms of energy exploration. Case in point, the Keystone pipeline. His radical environmentalist policies caused him to nix a program that would help energy exploration and create jobs in the country, and that is key to helping with gas prices in this country as well as job creation. And what he's going to see as the gas prices continue to rise, his popularity is going to go down with it."
She later called MSNBC to say she misspoke. "I was talking about radical environmental policies and I misspoke," Stewart told the Washington Post. "I regret it." (Real Clear Politics)
Pro-Romney ‘Super PAC’ Spent $14 Million in January
A super PAC supporting Mitt Romney blew through $14 million on a three-state advertising binge against his Republican rivals in January, according to campaign reports filed with the Federal Election Commission on Monday. But the super PAC, Restore Our Future, also raised close to $7 million during the same month, and began February with more than $16 million in the bank, money that has helped pound Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum and may help restore momentum for Romney as the “Super Tuesday” round of Republican contests next month approaches. (NY Times)
Nearly all pro-Newt Gingrich PAC cash from Adelsons
Pro-Newt Gingrich super PAC Winning Our Future raised more than $11 million in January — with almost all of it coming from one couple, new federal records show. Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson’s $5 million donation on Jan. 6 preceded another $5 million on Jan. 24 from his wife, Miriam Adelson. The cash helped fuel more than $9.76 million in spending by the super PAC, which is run by former Gingrich staffers. Winning Our Future reported $2.44 million cash on hand through January. Winning Our Future official Rick Tyler declined to elaborate on the super PAC’s fundraising or plans going forward, telling POLITICO, “I’m optimistic — I’m not going to say more than that.” By comparison, pro-Mitt Romney super PAC Restore Our Future today reported raising $6.6 million and spending $13.9 million in January. (Politico)
Afghans protest burning of Koran at U.S. base
Deeply angered over the improper disposal of copies of Koran by U.S. troops, thousands of Afghans tried to storm the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan on Tuesday. The protests erupted early Tuesday morning after Afghans working inside the Bagram base reported to local residents that a number of copies of the Koran had been burned. The incident prompted the top U.S. military officer in Afghanistan, Gen. John Allen, to offer a public apology and order a prompt investigation. Allen said the religious materials were improperly disposed of unintentionally. “When we learned of these actions, we immediately intervened and stopped them,” he said. (Washington Post)
Iran: Pre-emptive strike against enemies possible
A senior Iranian military commander signaled the Islamic Republic might launch a pre-emptive strike against its "enemies" if the nation's leaders felt an attack on Iran was imminent, providing another example of ever-escalating tensions between Tehran and the West over its nuclear program. In a clear shot across the bow, the deputy head of Iran's armed forces, Mohammad Hejazi, told state media on Tuesday: "Our strategy now is that if we feel our enemies want to endanger Iran's national interests, and want to decide to do that, we will act without waiting for their actions," according to the Reuters news agency. Hejazi's comments come as another Iranian official said that a U.N. team visiting Iran has no plans to inspect the country's nuclear facilities and will only hold talks with officials in Tehran. The remarks by Ramin Mehmanparast cast doubt on how much the U.N. inspectors would be able to gauge whether Iran is moving ahead with its suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons. (CBS News)
Calif. Mail-Order Condom Project for Teens Sparks Controversy
The Condom Access Project (CAP) launched by California officials in several counties last week provides free condoms through the mail to students as young as 12, and the taxpayer-funded initiative has some wondering if the program might actually encourage teens to have sex. CAP, supported by the STD Control Branch of the California Department of Public Health and the nonprofit California Family Health Council, aims to cut the high rates of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases and infections among the state's teens. The free, mail-order condom program for teens living in Alameda, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Kern County, and certain areas in San Francisco, was launched the week of Feb. 14. Teens 12-19 can log onto TeenSource.com, fill out a short form requesting their city, zip code and date of birth and then select to have a free package of 10 condoms, lubricant and education literature mailed in a plain yellow envelope to their home. Condoms can be requested every 30 days. Although supporters of the program admit abstinence is the only sure way of preventing unplanned pregnancies and avoiding STDs among teens, they insist that implementing the free condom mail-order program does have some chance of helping to decrease California's staggering teen pregnancy and STD rates.
Despite the Condom Access Project's aim, there remain some California residents who fear teens will only be encouraged to have sex. California, one of several states that refuse federal funding for abstinence-only programs, saw a decline in overall teen pregnancy based on 2005 data, according to a 2010 report from the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice agency. More than 10 years prior, the state held the highest teen pregnancy rate in the U.S. Researchers admit that teaching abstinence plays a part in preventing unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections among teens, but assert there is no evidence that abstinence-only programs work to prevent youth from HIV/AIDS, STIs or unplanned pregnancies. They insist a comprehensive approach is needed. (Christian Post)
Family of DUI homicide victim: Feds failed to deport illegal-immigrant killer
Family members of a Chicago man killed in 2011 by a drunk driver are steaming mad at city officials for failing to bring the driver’s illegal immigration status to the attention of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when they first learned about it, four years ago. A 2008 police report shows local authorities learned Saul Chavez was an illegal immigrant following an unrelated arrest that year, but did nothing about it. On June 8, 2011, Chavez was driving drunk in the Logan Square Neighborhood of Chicago when his car hit and killed long-time insurance agent Denny McCann, 66. Chavez’s blood-alcohol content was 0.29 percent, more than three times the legal limit. Witnesses said that on impact McCann cracked the windshield of Chavez’s 2002 Dodge Neon and then tumbled forward. But the driver tried to flee, running him over and dragging him 200 feet with the car. McCann died that night. Chavez was already a convicted drunk driver when he ran down McCann, and a police report obtained by the Daily Caller shows that he told police during a Sept. 20, 2008 DUI arrest that he was in the United States illegally. The report also reveals that when Chicago Police asked Chavez for his license and vehicle registration that night, Chavez responded, “I live in Chicago on Kedzie [Street]. I don’t have a driver’s license because I don’t have papers.”
Boy Scouts To Turn Over Files In California Sex Abuse Cover-Up Case
A judge overseeing a lawsuit brought by the family of a California boy molested by his troop leader in 2007 has ordered the Boy Scouts of America to hand over confidential files detailing allegations of sexual abuse by Scout leaders around the nation. Known as "ineligible volunteer files," the documents have been maintained since the 1920s and are intended to keep suspected molesters and others accused of misconduct out of Scouting. Scouts officials have resisted releasing them and won't discuss their contents, citing the privacy rights of victims and the fact that many files are based on unproven allegations. The officials deny that the files have been used to conceal sexual abuse. "These files exist solely to keep out individuals whose actions are inconsistent with the standards of Scouting, and Scouts are safer because of them," Deron Smith, public relations director of Boy Scouts of America, told the Times. The Santa Barbara case is significant because it seeks to unlock files that have never been turned over by the Scouts, including all since 2005. It also alleges wrongdoing that took place relatively recently, even as the Scouts have stepped up protective efforts. The trial is scheduled for April, nearly five years after the boy, then 13, was molested by volunteer troop leader Al Stein at a Boy Scouts Christmas tree sale in Goleta. Stein pleaded no contest to felony child endangerment in 2009. (Huffington Post)
Atheist Richard Dawkins: Slavery Profiteer?
Renowned atheist Richard Dawkins fired back at the Telegraph today after the paper accused him of profiting—albeit indirectly—from slavery, the Guardian reports. The Telegraph's article notes that Dawkins' great great great great great grandfather, Henry Dawkins, owned 1,013 Jamaican slaves before he died in 1744. Dawkins called the article "a smear tactic" and says the family slave fortune dwindled long before he was born. According to Dawkins, the Telegraph reporter called him and quoted a Biblical line about the Lord "visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation." The reporter also suggested that Dawkins—an evolutionary biologist—has a "slave supporting" gene. Dawkins writes in his blog that he expected a "smear" after clashing with a former chancellor of St. Paul's cathedral on a BBC program this week. "But in my wildest dreams I couldn't have imagined the surreal form this one was to take." (Newser)
Rhode Island teen who fought against prayer banner gets scholarship from atheist group
The Rhode Island teen who was recently thrust into the national spotlight for fighting to have a prayer banner at her high school removed, is now receiving a scholarship from an atheist group, MyFoxBoston.com reports. The American Humanist Association, a national atheist organization, says that Jessica Ahlquist, 16, of Cranston High School West, stood up for her beliefs despite critics and, “responded well to online threats when she challenged the constitutionality of the display,” MyFoxBoston reports. The group’s campaign has resulted in $40,000 raised on the website, the Friendly Atheist. On Feb. 9, FoxNews.com reported that Ahlquist, an atheist, filed a complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union after deciding the banner’s presence in a public school was unconstitutional. (Fox News)
Top Scientologist tells how she was 'beaten and tortured while locked up for 45 days in Church's ant-infested desert compound trailer'
A senior Scientologist was locked up, beaten and tortured by the controversial religion's tyrannical leadership, a court has heard after an attempt by the Church to silence her spectacularly backfired. Debbie Cook, who was one of the organization’s most respected executives before she quit in 2007, testified that she was held for 45 days in a crowded, ant-infested trailer in the California desert. The 50-year-old also claimed to have witnessed Scientology chairman David Miscavige, a friend of celebrity follower Tom Cruise, punch another senior executive in the face before wrestling him to the ground. And she told the court in San Antonio, Texas, that Mr. Miscavige ordered his secretary to slap her, sending her tumbling into chairs. Her testimony is hugely embarrassing for the Church, which took legal action to prevent her from revealing the exact details its lawsuit has now allowed her to expose in court. They claimed breach of a confidentiality agreement she signed when leaving the Church in 2007. The organization then suddenly withdrew from the legal proceedings after Mrs. Cook's blistering testimony on the stand. Mrs. Cook claimed that in the summer of 2007 she was one of 100 Scientology executives imprisoned in a large trailer known as The Hole. (Daily Mail)
Oops! Vice president's memo announces upcoming visit to 'Road Island'
Critics are having a field day with an advisory from Vice President Joseph Biden's office that describes an upcoming visit to New England. According to Biden's White House office, the vice president plans to go to Boston, Manchester and then "Providence Road Island" on Thursday to attend campaign events. Presumably, Biden knows that U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, for whom he is expected to campaign, is a U.S. senator from the state of Rhode Island, not Road Island, wherever that is. (Providence Journal)
|
