John McCain TV Ad: "Broken" VIDEO

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released its latest television ad, entitled "Broken." The ad highlights John McCain's record of taking on the special interests in Washington. The ad will air in key states.

Transcript For "Broken" (TV :60)

ANNCR: Washington's broken. John McCain knows it. We're worse off than we were four years ago.

Only McCain has taken on big tobacco, drug companies, fought corruption in both parties. He'll reform Wall Street, battle Big Oil, make America prosper again.

He's the original maverick.

One is ready to lead -- McCain.

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approved this message.

AD FACTS: Script For "Broken" (TV :60)

ANNCR: Washington's broken. John McCain knows it. We're worse off than we were four years ago. Only McCain has taken on big tobacco, drug companies, fought corruption in both parties.

The New York Times' David Brooks: "McCain Has Fought One Battle After Another Against Lobbyists And Special Interests." (David Brooks, Op-Ed, "The Real McCain," The New York Times, 2/26/08)

Public Citizen's Joan Claybrook: "John McCain has fought for 14 long, hard years for reforms that seriously limit lobbyists' power ... He has fought for campaign finance reform, limits on gifts and travel from lobbyists, and extensive public disclosure of lobbyists' activities all of which limit the influence of lobbyists and the companies that hire lobbyists in Washington, D.C." (Public Citizen, "One Thing Overlooked In Flap Over McCain And Lobbyists: His Record On Reform," Press Release, 2/26/08)

The Boston Globe: "McCain Took On The Tobacco Industry." "Ten years ago, Senator John McCain took on the tobacco industry, saying he would never back down from legislation to regulate the industry. ... McCain's decade of work on tobacco, one of the most significant efforts of his congressional career, has earned him enmity from the industry and from some fellow Republicans over the years." (Michael Kranish, "McCain's Stand On Tobacco Is Put To Test," The Boston Globe, 3/26/08)

McCain's Championing Of Anti-Smoking Legislation "Faced Furious Opposition From The Tobacco Lobby." "In 1998, McCain championed anti-smoking legislation that faced furious opposition from the tobacco lobby. McCain guided the legislation through the Senate Commerce Committee on a 19-1 vote, but then the tobacco companies struck back. They hired 200 lobbyists and spent $40 million in advertising (three times as much as the Harry and Louise health care reform ads). Many of the ads attacked McCain by name, accusing him of becoming a big government liberal. After weeks of bitter debate, the bill died on the Senate floor." (David Brooks, Op-Ed, "The Real McCain," The New York Times, 2/26/08)

In 2004, John McCain Co-Sponsored Bipartisan Drug Reimportation Legislation. "At a press conference today, Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) introduced breakthrough bipartisan, consensus prescription drug reimportation legislation, the Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act, with Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), John McCain (R-AZ), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Tom Daschle (D-SD), Trent Lott (R-MS) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)." (Sen. Olympia Snowe, Press Release, 4/21/04)

John McCain Fought To Allow The Importation Of Cheaper Drugs Which Was "Adamantly Opposed By Industry Lobbyists." "McCain said he wanted the government to be able to negotiate lower drug prices and import cheaper drugs from Canada, both ideas that were adamantly opposed by industry lobbyists, and which ultimately failed." (Eamon Javers, "Is John McCain Good For Business?" Business Week Online, 2/7/08)

A John McCain Bill To Make It Easier For Cheap Generic Drugs To Come Onto The Market Drew "Strong Opposition From The Pharmaceutical Industry." "The most public front was active last week, with the Senate passing a bill intended to make it easier for cheap generic drugs to come onto the market. The bill, sponsored by Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and John McCain, R-Ariz., drew considerable support in Congress and strong opposition from the pharmaceutical industry." ("Insurers' 'Counter' Attacks Aim To Boost Generic Drugs," Grand Rapid Press, 8/11/02)

McCain Passed Campaign Finance Reform Which "Was A Direct Assault On Lobbyist Power." "In 2002, McCain capped his long push for campaign finance reform by passing the McCain-Feingold Act. People can argue about the effectiveness of the act, but one thing is beyond dispute. It was a direct assault on lobbyist power, and earned McCain undying enmity among many important parts of the Republican coalition, who felt their soft money influence was being diminished." (David Brooks, Op-Ed, "The Real McCain," The New York Times, 2/26/08)

John McCain's Investigation Into The Boeing Tanker Deal "Exposed Billions Of Dollars Of Waste And Layers Of Contracting Irregularity." "In 2004, McCain launched a frontal assault on the leasing contract the Pentagon had signed with Boeing for aerial refueling tankers. McCain's investigation exposed billions of dollars of waste and layers of contracting irregularity." (David Brooks, Op-Ed, "The Real McCain," The New York Times, 2/26/08)

John McCain Led The Congressional Investigation Into Jack Abramoff. "In 2005, McCain led the Congressional investigation into the behavior of the lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The investigation was exceedingly unpleasant for Republicans, because it exposed shocking misbehavior by important conservative activists." (David Brooks, Op-Ed, "The Real McCain," The New York Times, 2/26/08)

ANNCR: He'll reform Wall Street, battle Big Oil, make America prosper again. He's the original maverick. One is ready to lead -- McCain. JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approved this message.

John McCain Will Be Vigilant In Holding Corporate Abuses To Account. "Americans are right to be offended when extravagant CEO salaries and severance deals bear no relation to their company's success or shareholders' wishes. As president, John McCain will see that wrongdoing of this kind is called to account by federal prosecutors. Under his reforms, all aspects of a CEO's pay, including severance arrangements, must be approved by shareholders." (John McCain 2008, "A Leader We Can Believe In To Help Small Businesses," Press Release, 6/11/08)

John McCain Has Called For The Immediate Formation Of A Justice Department Mortgage Abuse Task Force. "The Task Force will aggressively investigate potential criminal wrongdoing in the mortgage industry and bring to justice any who violated the law. The DOJ Task Force will offer assistance to State Attorney Generals who are investigating abusive lending practices." (John McCain 2008, "John McCain's Economic Plan," Press Release, 4/15/08)

John McCain Believes We Must Understand The Role Speculation Is Playing In Our Soaring Energy Prices. "Congress already has several investigations underway to examine this kind of wagering in our energy markets, unrelated to any kind of productive commerce, because it can distort the market, drive prices beyond rational limits, and put the investments and pensions of millions of Americans at risk. John McCain believes that where we find abuses, they need to be swiftly punished. To make sure it never happens again, we must reform the laws and regulations governing the oil futures market, so that they are just as clear and effective as the rules applied to stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments." (John McCain 2008, "Securing Our Energy Future," Press Release, 6/17/08)

John McCain Voted Against The 2005 Energy Bill. (H.R. 6, CQ Vote #152: Motion Agreed To 92-4: R 53-1; D 38-3; I 1-0, 6/23/05, McCain Voted Nay; H.R. 6, CQ Vote #158: Passed 85-12: R 49-5; D 35-7; I 1-0, 6/28/05, McCain Voted Nay; H.R. 6, CQ Vote #213: Adopted 74-26: R 49-6; D 25-19; I 0-1, 7/29/05, McCain Voted Nay)

John McCain Criticized The 2005 Energy Bill's "Handouts To Big Business And Oil Companies," Calling Them Irresponsible. McCain: "This bill does little to address the immediate energy crisis we face in this country. The handouts to big business and oil companies are irresponsible and will be disastrous for people of Arizona. I cannot in good conscience, vote to pass legislation that does not adequately address issues related to energy efficiency, security, and energy independence." (Sen. John McCain, "McCain, Kyl Say No To Flawed Energy Bill," Press Release, 6/28/05) ###

For Immediate Release August 5, 2008 Contact: Press Office 703-650-5550

Tags: Barack Obama and John McCain

Dr. Cindy L. Courville Biography

Dr. Cindy L. Courville

Dr. Cindy L. Courville is the U.S. Ambassador to the African Union. Prior to her appointment she served as the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council where she developed and coordinated United States policy engagement with Africa. She is responsible for the formulation, coordination, and implementation of policies related to South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, and military and security issues related to southern Africa.

Ambassador Courville went to the NSC from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), where she served as a Senior Intelligence Officer in the Office of the Chief of Staff. Dr. Courville is on leave from the Defense Intelligence Agency, where she is the Policy Staff Director for Africa at the Directorate of Operations and is responsible for all aspects of policy and regulatory development for Sub-Saharan Africa.

In her career at DIA, she also served the Deputy Assistant Defense Intelligence Office for Africa Policy as a liaison to the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Africa, the National Security Council, the Department of State, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Ambassador Courville was also the Director for East African Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense where she was responsible for the coordination of U.S. military and security policy with East Africa and the Horn of Africa. Ambassador Courville previously served as Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council from June 2001 through August 2003.

Ambassador Courville's professional experience includes ten years in the University arena as a member of the political science faculty at Hanover College in Indiana and Occidental College in Los Angeles. She was an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Zimbabwe; a Shell Oil Fellow at the University of Denver; and a Ford Minority Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Ambassador Courville graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a B.A. and M.A. in political science and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Denver ( MA '80, PhD '88,), Graduate School of International Studies, in comparative politics and international relations. A native of Opelousas, La., she attended segregated schools until the 8th grade and was among the first wave of African-American students to integrate the state's public classrooms.

After earning her bachelor's and master's degree in political science at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Courville enrolled at DU's (University of Denver) Graduate School of International Studies, where her interest was piqued by the liberation struggle that transformed Rhodesia into Zimbabwe. In 1984, she traveled to Zimbabwe on a fellowship, an opportunity that allowed her to get to know government ministers, white landowners and black laborers. The diversity of her contacts, she says, provided a sense of balance that has characterized her approach to research and analysis.

Courville landed in Washington during the last years of the Clinton administration after a 10-year teaching career that culminated at California's Occidental College. There, she met a guest speaker from the Army War College, who encouraged her international relations students to consider a career with the Defense Department. Courville was intrigued. "I said, 'Well, what about me?'"

That question was answered 18 months later when she went to work for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) as a political/military analyst. At the start of the Bush administration in 2001, she moved to the National Security Council as a director responsible for southern and central Africa. In 2003, she organized President Bush's trip to Africa, accompanying him on its many legs. She then briefly returned to DIA as a team chief responsible for providing a daily compilation of African "all-source" intelligence. The information she collected and synthesized was used on the ground by military attaches and U.S. troops. Occasionally, she even instructed special operations forces on U.S. foreign policy.

SOURCES:

• Ambassador AU
• Dr. Cindy L. Courville State Department
• Occidental College Office of Global Affairs
• U.S. Mission to The African Union

Say goodbye to virtual bureaucracy

Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status.

Dr. Laurence J. Peter

Debit or credit card in hand, you're set to make a quick purchase online only to be greeted by yet another form asking for your personal details. You spend 10 minutes filling out the form and since you're new to the site, the online store asks you to choose your own unique password for the next time you shop at the site. You're then passed on to a security page which wants to check you're the legitimate owner of the bank card. Your password is requested.

If you haven't forgotten the password for the security check with your bank (you may have more than one credit card and the password isn't the same as your online banking password or your cash card pin), then you'll probably have forgotten your password to the online store the next time you shop there. Re-requesting all these user names and passwords slows us down from spending our own money or making a quick consultation on the internet.

Simplifying the process

This is a source of frustration which Vincent Etchebarne, innovative services developer at France Telecom's Orange, understands. "When people go on the internet, they must systematically fill in forms asking for their name and address. Our idea was to memorize all that information and make it mobile so it could be accessed at any PC, whether you were in an internet café or at home," he says.

The challenge was to find a technical way to save and manage a customer's information – while keeping it secure from fraudsters on the lookout to steal our personal information. In 2005, Orange partnered up with three other European telecoms operators – TeliaSonera, Telenor and the then Amena (now Orange) to develop a solution. The investigation became a EUREKA project called Fidelity, which stands for Federated Identity Management based on LIBERTY. The operators partnered with telecoms software and hardware developers Ericsson, Axalto and Italtel, three SMEs (Moviquity, TB-Security and Linus) and the University of Oslo, which had specialist knowledge of development and integration in IT systems.

They decided to test a system where telecoms operators could act as "identity providers". They would have a customer's personal information and would give the necessary information to third parties after receiving the customer's permission. "A hotel site, for instance, will ask Orange for your details and then Orange will ask you if you're happy about sharing your details with the hotel," explains Etchebarne.

One of the advantages of the system is that customers can save time through having one password with their identity provider. A customer could visit a new website and it would be their identity provider who would handle the virtual paperwork on their behalf.

The secure solution

To make the process secure, the EUREKA partners decided the identity providers would operate within what they called a circle of trust – a circle to which the service providers (internet stores or online news webpages, for example) would also belong, along with attribute providers which securely host the customers' personal attributes to be shared with service providers. The circle of trust would be a formal partnership where the members would sign a contract agreeing to certain terms such as how information should be exchanged, kept and deleted from databases at a customer's request.

"Since a contract exists, a customer can ask at any time to have their personal data removed from the records of a company," says Etchebarne. Customers can also decide to only give limited information to a company. They could decide to just give the information a company or organisation needs to provide them with the service.

"The system gives customers much more control," says Etchebarne. "Because everything linked, if you change your address, you just change it with your identity provider, not with every website you use."

Although a customer would have a single password with their identity provider, for extra security, when she visits a website and gives her permission for it to receive her personal data, she would be given a unique security identifier for that website. "In the future, the weather site would be able to recognise it is me from the identifier," says Etchebarne. "It knows where I live and every time I access the site automatically posts the weather for where I live. It won't know my name or address. It only needs to know where I live."

One of the most innovative aspects of FIDELITY is that a customer who is with one identity provider in one circle of trust can also use service providers in other circles of trust. Etchebarne says the identity providers would sign agreements with each other in a similar way to the way in which mobile operators sign roaming deals so that customers continue using their phones abroad on another network.

A bright future

Since concluding the trials during the project which ended at the end of 2006, the FIDELITY partners have started putting the project to commercial use. Orange, for instance, has clinched a contract with the French government to build a web portal through which citizens will be able to access all their public services and share their data with the civil service departments. It will use the FIDELITY system on the portal. ###

Contact: Shar McKenzie shar.mckenzie@es.eureka.be WEB: EUREKA

Freedom Calendar 08/02/08 - 08/09/08

August 2, 1810, Birth of anti-slavery activist and New Hampshire U.S. Rep. Amos Tuck, co-founder of the Republican Party.

August 3, 1990 President George, H. W. Bush declares first National American Indian Heritage Month.

August 4, 1965, Senate Republican Leader Everett Dirksen (R-IL) overcomes Democrat attempts to block 1965 Voting Rights Act; 94% of Senate Republicans vote for landmark civil right legislation, while 27% of Democrats oppose.

August 5, 1964, Hispanic-American Republican Lt. Everett Alvarez, USN, is shot down in Vietnam; becomes first U.S. prisoner of North Vietnamese and longest-serving POW in U.S. history.

August 6, 1965, Voting Rights Act of 1965, abolishing literacy tests and other measures devised by Democrats to prevent African-Americans from voting, signed into law; higher percentage of Republicans than Democrats vote in favor.

August 7, 1917, Birth of African-American Republican Melvin Evans, first elected Governor of Virgin Islands; also served as Delegate to Congress, Republican National Committeeman, and U.S. Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago.

August 8, 1878, African-American Republican James Rapier becomes Collector of Internal Revenue; previously served as U.S. Rep. (R-AL).

August 9, 1988, Lauro Cavazos, first Hispanic to serve in Cabinet, nominated by President Ronald Reagan to be Secretary of Education.

The United States respects your aspirations as sovereign citizens. And we will stand with you to secure your rights -- to speak as you choose, to think as you please, to worship as you wish, and to choose your leaders, freely and fairly, in democratic elections.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Washington, DC August 4, 2006.

Technorati Tags: President Bush and Freedom Calendar or Dwight Eisenhower and Republicans or African-Americans and Ronald Reagan or Ronald Reagan and Civil Rights or Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass or 40 acres and a mule or Martin Luther King and Voting Rights Act of 1965 or Dred Scott

Presidential Podcast 08/02/08

Presidential Podcast 08/02/08 . Subscribe to Our Podcast feed or online podnova Podcast Channel and receive the weekly Presidential Radio Address in English and Spanish with select State Department Briefings. Featuring full audio and text transcripts, More content Sources added often so stay tuned.

Tags: President Bush and White House radio address

Bush radio address 08/02/08 full audio, text transcript

bush radio address 08/02/08 full audio, text transcript. President's Radio Address In Focus: Economy and In Focus: Energy

Subscribe to Our Podcast feed or online podnova Podcast Channel and receive the weekly Presidential Radio Address in English and Spanish with select State Department Briefings. Featuring real audio and full text transcripts, More content Sources added often so stay tuned.

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This weekend marks the beginning of August, the month when many Americans take their summer vacation. This year, however, the high price of gas is taking a toll on summer travelers. Congress is now taking a month-long recess of its own. Unfortunately, Democratic leaders are leaving town without taking any action to ease the burden of high gas prices on families across America.

The fundamental source of high gas prices is the fact that supply is not keeping pace with demand. To reduce pressure on prices, we need to increase the supply of oil, especially oil produced here at home. So in June, I called on Congress to lift the legislative ban that prevents offshore exploration of parts of the Outer Continental Shelf, or OCS. But the leaders of the Democratic Congress have refused to allow a vote.

Lifting the ban on this offshore exploration would benefit our economy in two important ways.

First, lifting the ban would allow our Nation to take advantage of a large and reliable source of domestic oil. Experts believe that these restricted areas could eventually produce about 18 billion barrels of oil. That's almost 10 years worth of America's current oil production.

Second, lifting the ban would create new opportunities for American workers and businesses. On Tuesday, I visited the Lincoln Electric Company in Cleveland, Ohio, a business that produces welding products used for offshore exploration. If Congress were to permit this exploration, it would mean new jobs at businesses like Lincoln Electric. American drivers are counting on Congress to lift the ban on offshore exploration, and so are American workers.

Bringing these resources online will take time, and that means that the need for congressional action is urgent. I've lifted the executive restrictions on offshore exploration. This means that the only thing now standing between the American people and these vast oil resources is the United States Congress. The sooner Congress lifts the ban, the sooner we can get this oil from beneath the ocean floor to your gas tank.

We also need to take other essential steps to strengthen domestic oil production. Congress needs to pass legislation that allows us to tap the extraordinary potential of oil shale, permits exploration in currently restricted areas of northern Alaska, and enables the expansion of America's domestic refining capacity.

It appears that the leaders of the Democratically-controlled Congress will let the entire summer pass without voting on any of these vital steps to help reduce pressure on gas prices. This failure to act is unacceptable to me and unacceptable to the American people. So when they return from their summer break, Democratic leaders should show that they've heard the frustration of the American people by allowing a vote on offshore exploration. If Congress does not act, they will owe families across America an explanation for why they're ignoring their concerns.

I know that high energy prices are making this a difficult time for many of our citizens, but it is important to remember that these high prices were not inevitable. They are partially the result of policy choices that have been made over the years by the United States Congress. Now Congress has an opportunity to begin reversing that damage. By opening up new resources at home we can help bring energy costs down. And that will help ensure that our economy remains the strongest, most vibrant, and most hopeful in the world.

Thank you for listening.

# # #

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary August 2, 2008

Tags: President Bush and White House radio address

Discurso Radial del Presidente a la Nación 08/02/08

forre el audio de la dirección de radio 08/02/08 por completo, transcripción del texto. (nota de los redactores: ninguna lengua española mp3 lanzó esta semana, apesadumbrada) PODCAST

Suscribir a nuestro canal de Podcast de Odeo o del podnova y recibir la dirección de radio presidencial semanal en inglés y español con informes selectos del departamento del estado. Ofreciendo transcripciones audio y con texto completo verdaderas, más fuentes contentas agregaron a menudo así que la estancia templó.

Buenos Días.

Este fin de semana comienza el mes de agosto -mes en que muchos estadounidenses toman sus vacaciones de verano. Sin embargo, este año el precio elevado de la gasolina está afectando a los viajeros de verano. El Congreso ahora tomará su propio receso de un mes. Desafortunadamente los líderes Demócratas se van de la ciudad sin tomar ninguna acción para aliviar la carga de los elevados precios de gasolina sobre las familias en todo Estados Unidos.

La razón principal de los elevados precios de gasolina es el hecho de que la oferta no ha estado a la par con la demanda. Para reducir la presión sobre los precios, necesitamos aumentar el suministro de petróleo - sobre todo del petróleo producido aquí en casa. Por lo tanto en junio yo pedí al Congreso que levantara la prohibición legislativa que impide la exploración en alta mar en partes de la Plataforma Continental Exterior, OCS por sus siglas en inglés. Pero los líderes del Congreso Demócrata se han negado a permitir un voto.

Levantar la prohibición sobre esta exploración en alta mar sería beneficioso para nuestra economía de dos formas importantes:

Primero, levantar la prohibición permitiría a nuestra Nación aprovechar una fuente grande y confiable de petróleo doméstico. Los expertos consideran que estas áreas restringidas podrían eventualmente producir cerca de 18 mil millones de barriles de petróleo. Eso es casi el equivalente de 10 años de la producción actual de petróleo en Estados Unidos.

Segundo, levantar la prohibición crearía nuevas oportunidades para trabajadores y negocios estadounidenses. El martes visité la Compañía Lincoln Electric en Cleveland, Ohio - un negocio que produce productos de soldar para exploración en alta mar. Si el Congreso permitiera esta exploración, significaría nuevos empleos para negocios como Lincoln Electric. Los conductores estadounidenses están contando con que el Congreso levante la prohibición sobre la exploración en alta mar - al igual que los trabajadores estadounidenses.

Explotar estos recursos tomará tiempo - y eso muestra la urgencia de que el Congreso tome acción. Yo he levantado las restricciones ejecutivas sobre la exploración en alta mar. Esto significa que lo único que queda entre el pueblo estadounidense y estos enormes recursos petrolíferos es el Congreso de los Estados Unidos. Mientras más rápido el Congreso levante la prohibición, más rápido podremos sacar este petróleo del fondo del mar y ponerlo en su tanque de gasolina.

También necesitamos tomar otros pasos fundamentales para fortalecer la producción doméstica de petróleo. El Congreso necesita aprobar legislación que nos permita explotar el extraordinario potencial de esquisto bituminoso... que permita la exploración en áreas del norte de Alaska actualmente restringidas... y que permita la expansión de la capacidad de refinería domestica de Estados Unidos.

Parece que los líderes del Congreso controlado por los Demócratas dejarán pasar todo el verano sin votar sobre cualquiera de estos pasos vitales para ayudar a reducir la presión sobre los precios de gasolina. Esta falta de acción la encuentro inaceptable para mí y para el pueblo de Estados Unidos. Por lo tanto cuando regresen de su receso de verano los líderes Demócratas deberán mostrar que han escuchado la frustración del pueblo estadounidense permitiendo un voto sobre la exploración en alta mar.

Si el Congreso no actúa, le deberá una explicación a familias en todo Estados Unidos sobre el porqué está ignorando sus inquietudes.

Yo sé que los elevados precios de energía están causando que este sea un tiempo difícil para muchos de nuestros ciudadanos. Pero es importante recordar que estos elevados precios no fueron inevitables - en parte son el resultado de opciones de política tomadas a lo largo del tiempo por el Congreso de los Estados Unidos. Ahora el Congreso tiene la oportunidad de comenzar a remediar esos daños. Abriendo nuevos recursos domésticos podemos ayudar a reducir los costos de energía. Y eso ayudará a asegurar que nuestra economía siga siendo la más fuerte, la más dinámica y la más optimista en el mundo.

Gracias por escuchar.

Para su publicación inmediata Oficina del Secretario de Prensa 2 de agosto de 2008

Etiquetas De Technorati: Discurso Radial del Presidente a la Nación, y Presidente Bush

John McCain TV Ad: "Praise the One" VIDEO

Posted on John McCain 2008 at 3:50 PM on 8/1/2008 by ben_olson - Watch Our Latest Ad -- The One

While Barack Obama was holding rallies in Germany, John McCain was meeting with American voters. John McCain also gained nine points in the Gallup Tracking Poll, tying Senator Obama.

We've had a good week and hope you take the time to watch our latest fun video. We hope you enjoy it and send it on to your friends.

Tags: Barack Obama and John McCain

Michael W. Hager Biography

The President has nominated Michael W. Hager, of Virginia, to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management and intends to designate Acting, for a four-year term. Mr. Hager currently serves as Assistant Secretary (Human Resources and Management) at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Prior to this, he served as Associate Administrator in the Office of Capital Access at the Small Business Administration. Earlier in his career, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Capital Officer for Bank One Corporation for fifteen years. Mr. Hager received his bachelor's degree from Bluefield State College.

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary August 1, 2008

Michael W. Hager was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration on November 27, 2007, following his nomination by President George W. Bush and confirmation by the Senate on November 16, 2007.

Mr. Hager serves as principal advisor to the Secretary, his executive staff, and the Department’s human resources managers and practitioners on matters pertaining to human resources; labor-management relations; diversity management and equal employment opportunity; discrimination complaint processing (resolution management); employee health and safety; workers’ compensation; and VA Central Office administration.

Before joining VA, Hager was Associate Administrator in the Office of Capital Access for the Small Business Administration (SBA). He was responsible for the management and oversight of SBA's principal lending, international trade, surety bond, and venture capital programs. Hager managed SBA’s $80 billion loan and investment portfolio which guarantees millions of dollars in small business loans each year. In 2006, he received the Small Business Champion Award from the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders.

Prior to joining the SBA, Hager served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for one of the 25 largest corporations in the world, the Federal Home Loan and Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). Freddie Mac plays a fundamental role in the American housing finance system linking domestic and global capital markets.

Hager is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in corporate America where he worked for a number of complex and large organizations. He served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Russell Corporation in Atlanta, Georgia, and for 15 years as Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Bank One Corporation in Columbus, Ohio. During his tenure, Bank One grew from 7,000 to more than 50,000 employees to become a top financial services institution.

A native of Princeton, West Virginia, Hager holds a degree in Business Administration from Bluefield State College and has pursued leadership studies offered by the University of North Carolina and the University of Michigan.

Mr. Hager is married to the former Donna Farley and has two sons, Mitch and Dr. Christopher Hager.

Sources

• Personnel Announcement
• VA Official Biography

ABC News On John McCain TV Ad "Celeb" VIDEO

"Today, McCain unveiled a new ad in eleven states, flashing images of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, suggesting Obama is just another vapid celebrity."-- ABC's David Wright

ABC's "World News" July 30, 2008

ABC's David Wright: "And today, McCain comparing Obama to empty celebrities, all sizzle, no substance. John McCain has been trying to raise doubts about his opponent. Today in Colorado, he was at it again."

John McCain: "The bottom line is that Senator Obama's words, for all their eloquence and passion, don't mean all that much."

Wright: "McCain has recently said Obama would rather lose a war to win an election. He's called him 'Dr. No' on energy reforms, and run ads blaming Obama for high gas prices."

McCain Ad: "He's the biggest celebrity in the world. But is he ready to lead?"

Wright: "Today, McCain unveiled a new ad in eleven states, flashing images of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, suggesting Obama is just another vapid celebrity."

McCain Ad: "Higher taxes, more foreign oil. That's the real Obama."

Stuart Rothenberg: "Nobody's going to confuse Paris Hilton with Senator Barack Obama. But over time, the attempt to raise questions about his substance, that could very well work."

Tags: Barack Obama and John McCain

John McCain TV Ad: "Celeb" VIDEO

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign released its latest television ad entitled "Celeb." The ad highlights Barack Obama's opposition to offshore drilling and proposals to raise taxes on energy sources that produce much of this nation's electricity. While Barack Obama is the biggest celebrity in the world -- attracting 200,000 fans in Berlin -- that doesn't do much to help American families who need relief from high gas prices today or answer the question of whether he's ready to lead. The ad will air on national cable and in key states.

Transcript For "Celeb" (TV :30)

ANNCR: He's the biggest celebrity in the world.

But, is he ready to lead?

With gas prices soaring, Barack Obama says no to offshore drilling.

And, says he'll raise taxes on electricity.

Higher taxes, more foreign oil, that's the real Obama.

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approved this message.

AD FACTS: Script For "Celeb" (TV :30)

ANNCR: He's the biggest celebrity in the world. But, is he ready to lead? With gas prices soaring, Barack Obama says no to offshore drilling.

* Barack Obama Opposes Lifting The Ban On Offshore Drilling. Obama: "The politics may have changed, but the facts haven't. The accuracy of Sen. McCain's original position has not changed: Offshore drilling would not lower gas prices today, it would not lower gas prices next year and it would not lower gas prices five years from now." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At Press Availability, Jacksonville, FL, 6/20/08)

* John McCain Proposed Lifting The Ban On Offshore Drilling And Letting States Decide If They Wanted To Explore And Drill For Energy. McCain: "But I also believe that lifting the moratoria from offshore drilling or oil and natural gas exploration is something that we should place as a very high priority. And again, I don't want to dictate to the states what they should do, but I think that the states can be provided with additional incentives such as a greater share of the revenues than is presently the case." (Sen. John McCain, Remarks At A Press Availability, Arlington, VA, 6/16/08)

* Harvard Professor And Former Council Of Economic Advisors Chairman Martin Feldstein: "Increasing The Expected Future Supply Of Oil Would Also Reduce Today's Price." "Any policy that causes the expected future oil price to fall can cause the current price to fall, or to rise less than it would otherwise do. In other words, it is possible to bring down today's price of oil with policies that will have their physical impact on oil demand or supply only in the future. For example, increases in government subsidies to develop technology that will make future cars more efficient, or tighter standards that gradually improve the gas mileage of the stock of cars, would lower the future demand for oil and therefore the price of oil today. Similarly, increasing the expected future supply of oil would also reduce today's price. That fall in the current price would induce an immediate rise in oil consumption that would be matched by an increase in supply from the OPEC producers and others with some current excess capacity or available inventories. Any steps that can be taken now to increase the future supply of oil, or reduce the future demand for oil in the U.S. or elsewhere, can therefore lead both to lower prices and increased consumption today." (Martin Feldstein, Op-Ed, "We Can Lower Oil Prices Now," The Wall Street Journal, 7/1/08)

* CNN's Frank Sesno: "Expectations Of More Production Can Send Prices Down." FRANK SESNO: "Obama's criticized McCain for saying more drilling would have a positive psychological impact. But there is psychology in energy markets, worries about soaring demand in China or supply disruptions in Nigeria send prices up. Expectations of more production can send prices down." (CNN's "Situation Room," 6/26/08)

* Omer Bhatti, The Head Trader At WorldSpreads, Said That The U.S. Offshore Drilling Plan Will Help Lower The Price Of Oil. OMER BHATTI (Head Sales Trader at WorldSpreads): "I think the offshore drilling plan that was agreed in the U.S. kind of helped the scenario to create that pullback scenario." (CNBC's "Worldwide Exchange," 7/28/08)

ANNCR: And, says he'll raise taxes on electricity.

* Barack Obama Told A Texas Newspaper: "What We Ought To Tax Is Dirty Energy, Like Coal And, To A Lesser Extent, Natural Gas." ("Q&A With Sen. Barack Obama," San Antonio Express-News, 2/19/08)

* Coal Is The Largest Source Of Electricity In America, Accounting For Nearly 49 Percent Of U.S. Total Net Generation In 2006. (Energy Information Administration Website, www.eia.doe.gov, Accessed 6/9/08)

* "The U.S. Has The World's Largest Coal Reserves, With The Western U.S. Accounting For 55 Percent Of Current U.S. Coal Production." (Energy Information Administration Website, tonto.eia.doe.gov, Accessed 6/9/08)

* Natural Gas Is The Second Largest Source Of Electricity In America, Accounting For 20 Percent Of U.S. Total Net Generation In 2006. (Energy Information Administration Website, www.eia.doe.gov, Accessed 6/9/08)

* "The U.S. Is The World's Largest Consumer And Second-Largest Producer Of Natural Gas." (Energy Information Administration Website, tonto.eia.doe.gov, Accessed 6/9/08)

ANNCR: Higher taxes, more foreign oil, that's the real Obama.
JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approved this message.

Tags: Barack Obama and John McCain

Republican National Committee Web Video: “Obama TV Ad In Berlin” VIDEO

WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee (RNC) today announced a new Web video, titled “Obama TV Ad In Berlin.” In the aftermath of Obama’s European campaign swing, the Web video provides a parody of what an Obama TV ad in Berlin, Germany might look like, with video commentary from Obama’s international fan base.

Tags: Barack Obama and Republican National Committee

Republican National Convention History & Memorabilia VIDEO

Republican National Convention memorabilia and explanation from Leonard Nadasdy. (1982-Present)

In 38 days Senator John McCain will make history as he accepts the Republican Party nomination in St. Paul, MN on September 4th.

Leonard Nadasdy has been to several political conventions and reflects on some of the changes through the years in the interview below. Mr. Nadasdy also shared some convention memorabilia from his private collection which will be on display at Civic Fest in the weeks preceding the 2008 Republican National Convention.

James A. Slutz Biography

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The President intends to nominate James A. Slutz, of Ohio, to be Assistant Secretary of Energy (Fossil Energy), and designate Acting. Mr. Slutz currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Natural Gas at the Department of Energy. Prior to this, he served as Director of the Division of Oil and Natural Gas for the State of Indiana. Earlier in his career, he served with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Mr. Slutz received his bachelor's degree and Master's in Business Administration from Ohio State University.

For Immediate Release. Office of the Press Secretary July 29, 2008.

Jim Slutz currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Natural Gas in the Office of Fossil Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy. In this position, Mr. Slutz is responsible for administering domestic and international oil and gas programs, including research and development, policy analysis, and natural gas import and export licensing. The oil and natural gas office leads DOE's LNG program which involves the analysis of safety and other technical issues.

Directs DOE's programs to develop improved technologies to find, extract, and process natural gas and crude oil with an emphasis on improving domestic production from difficult geologic formations. Responsible for developing new and more cost-effective environmental compliance methods and technologies for oil and natural gas operations. Carries out statutory requirements to authorize natural gas imports and exports and provides the Department's regulatory interface with other agencies regarding natural gas import and export policies.

Prior to his appointment in June 2002, Mr. Slutz served as the Director, Indiana Division of Oil and Gas, with responsibilities for overseeing oil and natural gas exploration and production, natural gas storage, and leasing of state land for exploration. From the period of 1981 to 1992, Mr. Slutz worked for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Oil and Gas, where he served in managerial and technical positions.

In 1993, Mr. Slutz was appointed to represent the Governor of Indiana on the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC), an organization representing the governors of oil and gas producing states. He was elected IOGCC Vice Chairman in
1997

Mr. Slutz holds an MBA degree from The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business, and a B.S. degree from The Ohio State University, School of Natural Resources.

James A. Slutz, Deputy Assistant Secretary Office of Fossil Energy Department of Energy 1000 Independence Ave SW, FE-30, Room 3E-028, Forrestal Building GM-142 Washington, DC 20585. (202) 586-5600 E-Mail: james.slutz@hq.doe.gov

SOURCES:

• Personnel Announcement
• Department of Energy - James A. Slutz
• Energy Information Directory of the Energy Information Administration
• BIOGRAPHIES

John McCain TV Ad: "Troops" VIDEO

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign released it television ad entitled "Troops." The ad highlights Barack Obama's record of not calling a single oversight hearing on NATO's mission in Afghanistan, not visiting in Iraq for over 900 days, not supporting our troops when he voted against critical funding in 2007 and not visiting our wounded troops in Germany when he made time to go to the gym but cancelled trips to Ramstein and Landstuhl. The ad will air in key states.

Script For "Troops" (TV :30)

Anncr: Barack Obama never held a single Senate hearing on Afghanistan.

He hadn't been to Iraq in years.

He voted against funding our troops.

And now, he made time to go to the gym, but cancelled a visit with wounded troops.

Seems the Pentagon wouldn't allow him to bring cameras.

John McCain is always there for our troops.

McCain. Country first.

John McCain: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

AD FACTS: Script For "Troops" (TV :30)

ANNCR: Barack Obama never held a single Senate hearing on Afghanistan.

Barack Obama: "I became Chairman of this committee at the beginning of this campaign, at the beginning of 2007. So it is true that we haven't had oversight hearings on Afghanistan." (MSNBC Democratic Presidential Debate, 2/26/08)

ANNCR: He hadn't been to Iraq in years.

The New York Times: Barack Obama Had Not Been To Iraq For Over 900 Days. "For months, Senator John McCain and other Republicans have been criticizing Senator Barack Obama for not having visited Iraq in a long time, even running a daily tally that is now well past 900 days." (Larry Rohter, "A Mixed Take By McCain Camp On Obama's Trip To War Zones," The New York Times, 7/19/08)

ANNCR: He voted against funding our troops.

Barack Obama Voted Against Providing $94.4 Billion In Critical Funding For The Troops In Iraq And Afghanistan. (H.R. 2206, CQ Vote #181: Passed 80-14: R 42-3; D 37-10; I 1-1, 5/24/07, Obama Voted Nay)

ANNCR: And now, he made time to go to the gym, but cancelled a visit with wounded troops. Seems the Pentagon wouldn't allow him to bring cameras.

Barack Obama Cancelled A Planned Visit To Ramstein And Landstuhl In Germany. "SPIEGEL ONLINE has learned that Obama has cancelled a planned short visit to the Rammstein and Landstuhl US military bases in the southwest German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The visits were planned for Friday. Barack Obama will not be coming to us,' a spokesperson for the US military hospital in Landstuhl announced. I don't know why.' Shortly before the same spokeswoman had announced a planned visit by Obama." (Der Spiegel Website, http://www.spiegel.de, Accessed 7/24/08)

Obama Senior Strategist David Axelrod Said The Pentagon Told The Campaign That Barack Obama "Should Not Come." "Though the Rammstein visit had been planned for days, Obama senior strategist David Axelrod said that that Pentagon notified an Obama military advisor only yesterday or the day before that he should not come. The Pentagon 'viewed this as a campaign event and therefore they said he should not come,' Axelrod said. Obama has been at the base in previous overseas trips. He visited with troops--even played basketball--when he touched down in Kuwait during the Iraq and Afghanistan leg of his swing." (Lynn Sweet, "Pentagon Tells Obama Not To Visit U.S. Troops At German Base Because It Would Be Too Political," Chicago Sun Times' "Sweet" Blog, http://blogs.suntimes.com, Posted 7/25/08)

"The [Military] Official Said 'We Didn't Know Why' Th e Request To Visit The Wounded Troops Was Withdrawn. 'He (Obama) Was More Than Welcome. We Were All Ready For Him." (Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube, "What's Not On Obama's Schedule..." MSNBC's "First Read," http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com, Posted 7/24/08)

Military "Prepared To Accommodate Obama's Traveling Press And Campaign Staff At The Passenger Terminal At Ramstein Air Base." "Morrell said the U.S. military was prepared to accommodate Obama's traveling press and campaign staff at the passenger terminal at Ramstein Air Base, the U.S. Air Force base in southern Germany where Obama's plane had been cleared to land." (Michael Finnegan And Peter Spiegel, "Obama's Cancellation Of A Military Hospital Visit Leaves Unanswered Questions," Los Angeles Times' "Top Of The Ticket" Blog, 7/25/08)

Defense Department Press Secretary Geoff Morrell: "Sen. Obama is more than welcome to visit Landstuhl or any other military hospital around the world. ... But he has to do so, just as any other senator has to do so, in his official capacity. It is not acceptable to do so as a candidate." (Michael Finnegan And Peter Spiegel, "Obama's Cancellation Of A Military Hospital Visit Leaves Unanswered Questions," Los Angeles Times' "Top Of The Ticket" Blog, 7/25/08)

Defense Department: "But The Pentagon Certainly Did Not Tell The Senator That He Could Not Visit Landstuhl." "Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters later Friday the Pentagon did not explicitly say Obama should not visit the base, but was concerned with whether his capacity there would be one of a presidential candidate, not a senator. 'We do have certain policy guidelines for political campaigns and elections. And what is appropriate and what is not appropriate in those situations. But the Pentagon certainly did not tell the senator that he could not visit Landstuhl,' Whitman said." (Alexander Mooney And Sasha Johnson, "Pentagon Was Concerned With Obama Visit To Hospital," CNN's "Political Ticker" Blog, 7/25/08)

Obama Campaign Explanation "Didn't Square With The Defense Department Explanation." "On Obama's flight from Berlin to Paris, Gibbs offered more details. Around July 15, the Pentagon approved Obama's visit. But military officials later invoked a rule on political activity at military bases and questioned whether it would cover Obama's visit, Gibbs said. Obama spokesmen said they were seeking clarification on what the rule is. Gibbs also declined to speculate on why the Pentagon did not cite the rule until Wednesday. That account, however, didn't square with the Defense Department's explanation. The Pentagon said it informed the Obama campaign on Monday that he and his Senate staff could visit Landstuhl, where wounded soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan are treated, but that no press would be allowed." (Michael Finnegan And Peter Spiegel, "Obama's Cancellation Of A Military Hospital Visit Leaves Unanswered Questions," Los Angeles Times ' "Top Of The Ticket" Blog, 7/25/08)

The Pentagon Reportedly Informed Obama That He And His Senate Staff Were Permitted To Visit Landstuhl, But "No Press Would Be Allowed" In Military Base. "The Pentagon said it informed the Obama campaign on Monday that he and his Senate staff could visit Landstuhl, where wounded soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan are treated, but that no press would be allowed." (Michael Finnegan And Peter Spiegel, "Obama's Cancellation Of A Military Hospital Visit Leaves Unanswered Questions," Los Angeles Times' "Top Of The Ticket" Blog, 7/25/08)

Barack Obama "Would Not Have Been Able To Address The Media Or Make Any Campaign-Related Statements." "A memo sent out Wednesday from Undersecretary of Defense David Chu explained that Obama's visit to such a military facility would be limited under these circumstances. Obama would not have been able to bring any of his campaign staff -- only one Senate staffer and security. He also would not have been able to address the media or make any campaign-related statements." ("Obama Camp: Visit To Troops Would Have Seemed Too Political," Fox News, 7/25/08)

Before His Thursday Speech, Barack Obama Went To The Ritz Carlton To Work Out While In Berlin. "Still, Obama, just like George W. Bush in the 2000 election, managed to squeeze in his workout time despite a heavy schedule of high-level meetings with government officials and his big speech at the Siegessule, or Victory Column, around 7 p.m. Berlin time. '4:49 p.m.: Obama enters the luxury Ritz Carlton hotel wearing a T-shirt, black sweatpants and white trainers -- apparently to work out in the hotel's gym. He kept up the campaigning on the way there, smiling and waving at tourists and other onlookers,' the breathless Spiegel ticker reported." (Jill Zuckman, "Barack Obama Gets A Workout At Ritz Gym," Chicago Tribune's "Swamp" Blog, http://www.swamppolitics.com , Posted 7/24/08)

After His Thursday Speech, Barack Obama Joined His Campaign Staff And The Press Corps For A Martini At A Berlin Restaurant. "After the speech was over, the candidate, in a celebratory mood, joined his campaign staff -- and the press corps traveling with him -- for dinner and a very dry vodka martini with olives at a downtown Berlin restaurant." (Karen Tumulty, "Obama Urges Unity In Berlin," Time, www.time.com, 7/24/08)

Barack Obama Said That He Was Going To Have Some "Down Time" In Berlin And That He "Would Love To Tour A Little Bit." "Obama noted that in a break from his whirlwind schedule, 'we've got some down time tonight. What are you guys gonna do in Berlin? Huh? Huh? You guys got any big. plans? I've never been to Berlin, so...I would love to tour around a little bit.'" (Jake Tapper, "Obama On Tonight's Berlin Speech: "A Crapshoot"," ABC News' "Political Punch" Blog, http://blogs.abcnews.com, Posted 7/24/08)

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message. ###

Tags: John McCain

Build-Out Continues for 2008 Republican National Convention VIDEO

Transformation from hockey arena to GOP Convention floor. Check out the progress from the first week (7/21/08 - 7/25/08).

Hundreds of Workers Continue Transforming Xcel Energy Center in Advance of Sen. John McCain's Nomination

SAINT PAUL, Minn. - The 2008 Republican National Convention today released a behind-the-scenes, time lapse video of the ongoing transformation of the Xcel Energy Center into the podium for the Republican Party's nomination of Sen. John McCain.

In the week since work began at the venue, workers have removed 3,000 seats, built workspace for staff and media, and began technological enhancements needed to support the 45,000 participants expected. We invite you to view our progress by clicking here.

Stay tuned! The 2008 Republican National Convention plans to release a new video each Sunday, so that all can follow along with the six-week transformation.

Contact: Joanna Burgos (651) 467-2728

About the Republican National Convention - The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and YouTube

How secure is your network? NIST model knows

Caption: The example illustrates three paths that an attacker can take to penetrate the network using FTP server, SSH server or database server. Credit: NIST. Usage Restrictions: None.

Data breaches are a recurring nightmare for IT managers responsible for securing not only their company’s confidential data, but possibly also sensitive information belonging to their clients, such as social security numbers or health or financial records.

To help managers safeguard valuable information most efficiently, computer scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are applying security metrics to computer network pathways to assign a probable risk of attack to guide IT managers in securing their networks.

“We analyze all of the paths that system attackers could penetrate through a network,” says computer scientist Anoop Singhal, “and assign a risk to each component of the system. Decision makers can use our assigned probabilities to make wise decisions and investments to safeguard their network.” The research was presented at a conference earlier this month.*

Computer networks are made up of components varying from individual computers, to servers and routers. Once inside a network’s firewall, for a seemingly mild-mannered purpose as posting an image to a file transfer protocol (FTP) site, a hacker can travel through the network through a variety of routes to hit the jackpot of valuable data. In addition to hardware, the hacker can break in through software on the computers, especially file-sharing applications that have been blamed for some major data breaches recently.

NIST researchers evaluate each route and assign it a risk based on how challenging it is to the hacker. The paths are determined using a technique called “attack graphs.” A new analysis technique based on attack graphs was jointly developed by Singhal and research colleagues at George Mason University. A patent is pending on the technique.

Singhal and his team determine risk by using these attack graphs and NIST’s National Vulnerability Database (NVD). This government repository includes a collection of security-related software weaknesses that hackers can exploit. NVD data was collected from software vendors and scores are assigned from most to least insecure by experts.

For example in a simple system there is an attacker on a computer, a firewall, router, an FTP server and a database server. The goal for the attacker is to find the simplest path into the jackpot—the database server. Attack Graph Analysis determines three potential attack paths. For each path in the graph, the NIST researchers assign an attack probability based on the score in the NVD database.

Because it takes multiple steps to reach the goal, the probabilities of each component are multiplied to determine the overall risk. One path takes only three steps. The first step has an 80 percent chance of being hacked, the second, a 90 percent chance. The final step requires great expertise, so there is only a 10 percent probability it can be breached. By multiplying the three probabilities together, that path is pretty secure with a less than 10 percent chance of being hacked.

The next step is for the researchers to expand their research to handle large-scale enterprise networks. ###

* L. Wang, T. Islam, T. Long, A. Singhal and S. Jajodia. An Attack Graph Based Probabilistic Security Metric. IFIP WG 11.3 Conference on Data and Application Security, London, United Kingdom.

Contact: Evelyn Brown evelyn.brown@nist.gov 301-975-5661 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Freedom Calendar 07/26/08 - 08/02/08

July 26, 1990, President George H. W. Bush signs Americans with Disabilities Act, world’s first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities.

July 27, 1960, At Republican National Convention, Vice President and eventual presidential nominee Richard Nixon insists on strong civil rights plank in platform.

July 28, 1866, Republican Congress authorizes formation of the Buffalo Soldiers, two regiments of African-American cavalrymen.

July 29, 1932, Birth of Nancy Kassebaum, U.S. Senator (R-KS) and daughter of 1936 Republican presidential nominee.

July 30, 1866, Democrat-controlled City of New Orleans orders police to storm racially-integrated Republican meeting; raid kills 40 and wounds more than 150.

July 31, 2000, African-American U.S. Rep. J. C. Watts (R-OK) presides over Republican National Convention in Philadelphia.

August 1, 1916, Republican presidential candidate Charles Evans Hughes, former New York Governor and U.S. Supreme Court Justice, endorses women’s suffrage constitutional amendment; he would become Secretary of State and Chief Justice.

August 2, 1810, Birth of anti-slavery activist and New Hampshire U.S. Rep. Amos Tuck, co-founder of the Republican Party.

"For 150 years, Republicans have worked to secure the civil rights of African-Americans, Hispanics, Asian-Americans, and every individual from every background and walk of life. We believe that every person contributes to America's rich cultural heritage. Americans of all races and creeds share the Republican commitment to creating job opportunities for all, giving children equal access to a quality education, and strengthening families and faith. This is the Republican agenda; this is the American agenda."

U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) Speaker of the House

Technorati Tags: President Bush and Freedom Calendar or Dwight Eisenhower and Republicans or African-Americans and Ronald Reagan or Ronald Reagan and Civil Rights or Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass or 40 acres and a mule or Martin Luther King and Earl Warren or Dred Scott

Presidential Podcast 07/26/08

Presidential Podcast 07/26/08 . Subscribe to Our Podcast feed or online podnova Podcast Channel and receive the weekly Presidential Radio Address in English and Spanish with select State Department Briefings. Featuring full audio and text transcripts, More content Sources added often so stay tuned.

Tags: President Bush and White House radio address

Bush radio address 07/26/08 full audio, text transcript

bush radio address 07/26/08 full audio, text transcript. President's Radio Address In Focus: Freedom Agenda

Subscribe to Our Podcast feed or online podnova Podcast Channel and receive the weekly Presidential Radio Address in English and Spanish with select State Department Briefings. Featuring real audio and full text transcripts, More content Sources added often so stay tuned.

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week, Congress voted to expand a vital program that is saving lives across the developing world -- the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, also known as PEPFAR. I thank members of Congress from both sides of the aisle for working with my Administration to pass this important bill, and I will be honored to sign it into law next week.

PEPFAR is the largest international health initiative dedicated to fighting a single disease in history. And it is a testament to the extraordinary compassion and generosity of the American people. When we first launched this program five-and-a-half years ago, the scourge of HIV/AIDS had cast a shadow over the continent of Africa. Only 50,000 people with AIDS in sub-Sahara Africa were receiving antiretroviral treatment. Today, PEPFAR is supporting treatment for nearly 1.7 million people in the region. PEPFAR has allowed nearly 200,000 African babies to be born HIV free. And this program is bringing hope to a continent in desperate need.

The new legislation that I will sign next week will build on this progress. We will expand access to lifesaving antiretroviral drugs. We will help prevent millions of new HIV infections from occurring. And we will also bolster our efforts to help developing nations combat other devastating diseases like malaria and tuberculosis.

Fighting disease is one part of America's larger commitment to help struggling nations build more hopeful futures of freedom. Over the past seven years, we've learned how advancing the cause of freedom requires combating hopelessness. This is because the only way that the enemies of freedom can attract new recruits to their dark ideology is to exploit distress and despair. So as we help struggling nations achieve freedom from disease through programs like PEPFAR, we must also help them achieve freedom from corruption, freedom from poverty, freedom from hunger, and freedom from tyranny. And that is exactly what we're doing.

America is using our foreign assistance to promote democracy and good government. We have more than doubled the federal budget for democracy and governance and human rights programs. And through the Millennium Challenge Account, we have transformed the way we deliver aid, so we can support developing nations that make important political and economic reforms.

America is promoting free trade and open investment. Over the long term, we know that trade and investment are the best ways to fight poverty, and build strong and prosperous societies. So we have expanded the African Growth and Opportunity Act to increase trade between America and Africa. We have put eleven new free trade agreements into effect since 2001. And we're striving to make this the year that the world completes an ambitious Doha Round agreement, so we can tear down barriers to trade and investment around the world.

America is leading the fight against global hunger. This year, the United States has provided more than $1.8 billion in new funds to bolster global food security. We are the world's largest provider of food aid, and we have proposed legislation that would transform the way we deliver this aid to promote greater self-reliance in developing nations.

America is leading the cause of human rights. Over the past seven years, we've spoken out against human rights abuses by tyrannical regimes like those in Iran and Syria, Cuba, Sudan, and Zimbabwe. We've spoken candidly about human rights with nations with whom America has good relations, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia and China. And to ensure that our Nation continues to speak out for those who have no other voice, I recently issued a directive instructing all senior U.S. officials serving in undemocratic countries to maintain regular contact with political dissidents and democracy activists.

With all these steps, we're helping defeat the forces of violent extremism by offering a more hopeful vision of freedom. And as this vision takes hold in more nations around the world, America will be safer here at home.

Thank you for listening.

# # # For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary July 26, 2008

Tags: President Bush and White House radio address

Discurso Radial del Presidente a la Nación 07/26/08

forre el audio de la dirección de radio 07/26/08 por completo, transcripción del texto. (nota de los redactores: ninguna lengua española mp3 lanzó esta semana, apesadumbrada) PODCAST

Suscribir a nuestro canal de Podcast de Odeo o del podnova y recibir la dirección de radio presidencial semanal en inglés y español con informes selectos del departamento del estado. Ofreciendo transcripciones audio y con texto completo verdaderas, más fuentes contentas agregaron a menudo así que la estancia templó.

Buenos Días.

Esta semana el Congreso aprobó la expansión de un programa vital que está salvando vidas en todo el mundo en vías de desarrollo – el Plan de Emergencia para Alivio del SIDA también conocido como PEPFAR. Agradezco a los miembros del Congreso de ambos partidos el haber trabajado con mi Administración para aprobar este importante proyecto de ley – y estaré honrado de firmarlo como ley la semana próxima.

PEPFAR es la iniciativa internacional de salud más grande dedicada a luchar contra una sola enfermedad en toda la historia. Y es un testamento a la compasión y generosidad extraordinarias del pueblo estadounidense. Cuando lanzamos este programa hace cinco años y medio, el azote del VIH/SIDA había ensombrecido todo el continente africano. Sólo 50,000 personas con SIDA en África al sur del Sahara recibían tratamiento antiretroviral. Hoy en día, PEPFAR apoya el tratamiento para cerca de 1.7 millones de personas en la región. PEPFAR ha permitido que casi 200,000 bebés africanos nazcan sin VIH. Y este programa está trayendo esperanza a un continente con una necesidad desesperada.

La nueva legislación que yo sancionaré la próxima semana se apoyará en este progreso. Ampliaremos el acceso a drogas antiretroviral que salvan vidas. Ayudaremos a evitar que ocurran millones de nuevas infecciones VIH. Y también reforzaremos nuestros esfuerzos para ayudar a naciones en vías de desarrollo a combatir otras enfermedades devastadoras como la malaria y la tuberculosis.

Combatir las enfermedades es una parte del compromiso más amplio de Estados Unidos de ayudar a las naciones que luchan por construir futuros más optimistas de libertad. En los últimos siete años hemos aprendido cómo el avanzar la causa de la libertad requiere combatir la desesperación. Esto es porque la única forma en que los enemigos de la libertad pueden atraer nuevos reclutas a su oscura ideología es explotando la angustia y la desesperación. Por lo tanto, al ayudar a las naciones que luchan por lograr la libertad contra las enfermedades mediante programas como PEPFAR, también debemos ayudarlas a lograr la libertad contra la corrupción… la libertad contra la pobreza… la libertad contra el hambre… y la libertad contra la tiranía. Y eso es exactamente lo que estamos haciendo.

Estados Unidos está usando su asistencia extranjera para promover la democracia y el buen gobierno. Hemos más que duplicado el presupuesto federal para la democracia, el gobierno, y programas de derechos humanos. Y a través de la Cuenta de Desafío del Milenio, hemos transformado la manera en que entregamos ayuda – de modo que podamos apoyar a naciones en vías de desarrollo que llevan a cabo importantes reformas políticas y económicas.

Estados Unidos está promoviendo el libre comercio y la inversión abierta. A largo plazo, sabemos que el comercio y la inversión son las mejores maneras de luchar contra la pobreza y construir sociedades fuertes y prósperas. Por lo tanto hemos ampliado la Ley sobre Crecimiento y Oportunidad en África para aumentar el comercio entre Estados Unidos y África. Hemos puesto en vigor once nuevos acuerdos de libre comercio desde el 2001. Y nos estamos esforzando para que este año el mundo complete un ambicioso acuerdo de la Rueda de Doha – para poder desmantelar barreras al comercio y la inversión alrededor del mundo.

Estados Unidos está encabezando la lucha contra el hambre global. Este año, Estados Unidos ha proporcionado más de 1.8 mil millones de dólares en nuevos fondos para apoyar la seguridad alimenticia global. Somos el mayor proveedor de ayuda alimenticia en el mundo – y hemos propuesto legislación para transformar la manera en que entregamos esta ayuda a fin de promover mayor auto-dependencia en las naciones en vías de desarrollo.

Estados Unidos está encabezando la causa de los derechos humanos. En los últimos siete años hemos hablado contra abusos de derechos humanos por regímenes tiránicos como los de Irán y Siria, Cuba y Zimbabwe. Hemos hablado con franqueza sobre los derechos humanos con naciones con las cuales Estados Unidos tiene buenas relaciones tales como Egipto, Arabia Saudita y China. Y para asegurar que nuestra Nación siga hablando por aquellos que no tienen otra voz, recientemente promulgué una directiva dando instrucciones a todos los oficiales superiores estadounidenses sirviendo en países no-democráticos que mantengan contacto regular con disidentes políticos y activistas democráticos.

Con todos estos pasos estamos ayudando a derrotar las fuerzas del extremismo violento ofreciendo una visión más optimista de la libertad. Y a medida que esta visión eche raíces en más naciones alrededor del mundo, Estados Unidos será más seguro aquí en casa.

Gracias por escuchar.

Para su publicación inmediata Oficina del Secretario de Prensa 26 de julio de 2008

Etiquetas De Technorati: Discurso Radial del Presidente a la Nación, y Presidente Bush

John McCain TV Ad: "Pump" VIDEO

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign released television ad entitled "Pump." The ad highlights Barack Obama's opposition to initiatives that will help to lower gas prices and achieve energy independence. Barack Obama opposes more drilling in America, expanding nuclear energy use and incentives to spark electric-car research. Unlike Barack Obama, John McCain has proposed a comprehensive, balanced plan to achieve energy independence -- the Lexington Project -- that supports more drilling, expands the use of nuclear energy, encouraging more research while investing in alternative energy sources. The ad will air on national cable and in key states.

Script For "Pump" (TV :30)

ANNCR: Gas prices - $4, $5, no end in sight, because some in Washington are still saying no to drilling in America.

No to independence from foreign oil.

Who can you thank for rising prices at the pump?

CHANT: Obama, Obama

ANNCR: One man knows we must now drill more in America and rescue our family budgets.

Don't hope for more energy, vote for it. McCain.

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

AD FACTS: Script For "Pump" (TV :30)

ANNCR: Gas prices - $4, $5, no end in sight, because some in Washington are still saying no to drilling in America.

On July 20, 2008, Average Gasoline Prices Were $4.07. (AAA Website, http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/, Accessed 7/20/08)

In Parts Of The Country, Gas Prices Are Over $5 A Gallon. "The president's announcement comes as public pressure intensifies to do something about gas prices that have gone over $5 a gallon in some parts of the state." (Dena Bunis, "Petroleum Power Play," The Orange County Register, 7/15/08)

Barack Obama Opposes Lifting The Ban On Offshore Drilling. Obama: "The politics may have changed, but the facts haven't. The accuracy of Sen. McCain's original position has not changed: Offshore drilling would not lower gas prices today, it would not lower gas prices next year and it would not lower gas prices five years from now." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At Press Availability, Jacksonville, FL, 6/20/08)

ANNCR: No to independence from foreign oil. Who can you thank for rising prices at the pump? CHANT: Obama, Obama

Barack Obama Said He's Fine With A Gradual Increase In Gas Prices. Obama: "Well, I think that we have been slow to move in a better direction when it comes to energy usage. And the president, frankly, hasn't had an energy policy. And as a consequence, we've been consuming energy as if it's infinite. We now know that our demand is badly outstripping supply with China and India growing as rapidly as they are. So..." CNBC's John Hardwood: "So could these high prices help us?" Obama: "I think that I would have preferred a gradual adjustment. The fact that this is such a shock to American pocketbooks is not a good thing." (CNBC's "Your Money, Your Vote," 6/10/08)

Barack Obama Called John McCain's $300 Million Prize For A Better Battery A "Gimmick." Obama: "In this campaign, John McCain is offering the same old gimmicks that will provide almost no short-term relief to folks who are struggling with high gas prices. Gimmicks that will only increase our addiction for another four years." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At Campaign Event, Las Vegas, NV, 6/24/08)

Barack Obama Has Criticized Expanding Nuclear Power. Obama: "That might make sense in Washington, but it doesn't make sense for America. In fact, it makes about as much sense as his proposal to build 45 new nuclear reactors without a plan to store the waste some place other than, guess where? Right here in Nevada at Yucca Mountain." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At Campaign Event, Las Vegas, NV, 6/24/08)

FactCheck.org's Brooks Jackson: "No Guarantee" That Barack Obama's Sole Energy Proposal "Would Actually Reverse The Growth Of Oil Imports." "We also point out that even over the long term there can be no guarantee that just spending more for research will produce the sort of new fuels, vehicles or other breakthroughs that would actually reverse the growth of oil imports. Keep in mind that the U.S. imported the equivalent of 13.4 million barrels of oil per day last year, up nearly 17 percent from just five years earlier and 32 percent higher than in 1997. This is a huge problem that has been getting worse for a long time. Reversing it will not be 'fast' or painless." (Brooks Jackson, "Straining A Point," FactCheck.org, 7/17/08)

Barack Obama's Energy Plan Relies On A Tax Increase Proven To Fail. "Obama often criticizes big oil and a big part of his energy plan revolves around higher taxes on oil companies, to help fund R & D for new energy technologies, to pay for tax credits for some consumers, even to spur exploration. Oil companies have faced a windfall profit tax before in the 1970s. The tax was repealed in the '80s. Why? Because a lot of people felt it wasn't raising enough revenue, Wolf, that it was an administrative headache and at the end of the day, oil exploration was going down when it need to be going up." (CNN's "Situation Room," 6/26/08)

ANNCR: One man knows we must now drill more in America and rescue our family budgets. Don't hope for more energy, vote for it. McCain. JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

John McCain Proposed Lifting The Ban On Offshore Drilling And Letting States Decide If They Wanted To Explore And Drill For Energy. McCain: "But I also believe that lifting the moratoria from offshore drilling or oil and natural gas exploration is something that we should place as a very high priority. And again, I don't want to dictate to the states what they should do, but I think that the states can be provided with additional incentives such as a greater share of the revenues than is presently the case." (Sen. John McCain, Remarks At Press Availability, Arlington, VA, 6/16/08)

USA Today: "McCain Trumps Obama By Calling For More Offshore Drilling To Increase U.S. Supplies." "McCain trumps Obama by calling for more offshore drilling to increase U.S. supplies. Obama complains that it wouldn't cut pump prices now and might eventually add only a small amount to world supplies, which is true but misses the point. Increasing U.S. supply and cutting imports while the nation shifts away from oil is a worthwhile goal." (Editorial, "Mccain + Obama = A Valid Energy Plan," USA Today, 7/3/08)

The New Hampshire Union-Leader: "On the issue of whether to pursue domestic offshore oil drilling to further U.S. national interests, U.S. Sen. John McCain's position wins hands down over that of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama. McCain wants to lift a decades-long ban that has prevented much of such drilling. Obama wants to keep it in place." (Editorial, "Energy Election: McCain Wins Over Obama," The New Hampshire Union-Leader, 6/20/08)

CNN's Frank Sesno: "Expectations Of More Production Can Send Prices Down." FRANK SESNO: "Obama's criticized McCain for saying more drilling would have a positive psychological impact. But there is psychology in energy markets, worries about soaring demand in China or supply disruptions in Nigeria send prices up. Expectations of more production can send prices down." (CNN's "Situation Room," 6/26/08)

Harvard Professor And Former Council Of Economic Advisors Chairman Martin Feldstein: "Increasing The Expected Future Supply Of Oil Would Also Reduce Today's Price." "Any policy that causes the expected future oil price to fall can cause the current price to fall, or to rise less than it would otherwise do. In other words, it is possible to bring down today's price of oil with policies that will have their physical impact on oil demand or supply only in the future. For example, increases in government subsidies to develop technology that will make future cars more efficient, or tighter standards that gradually improve the gas mileage of the stock of cars, would lower the future demand for oil and therefore the price of oil today. Similarly, increasing the expected future supply of oil would also reduce today's price. That fall in the current price would induce an immediate rise in oil consumption that would be matched by an increase in supply from the OPEC producers and others with some current excess capacity or available inventories. Any steps that can be taken now to increase the future supply of oil, or reduce the future demand for oil in the U.S. or elsewhere, can therefore lead both to lower prices and increased consumption today." (Martin Feldstein, Op-Ed, "We Can Lower Oil Prices Now," The Wall Street Journal, 7/1/08)

TheStreet.com's Eric Bolling: "Certain People In Congress Would Have Us Believe That Those Barrels Are 10-Plus Years Away From Our Refiners' Cracking Towers. That's Just Not True. ... [W]e Could Realize Oil In As Little As A Year And As Far Into The Future As Six Years For Those Really Remote Reservoirs." "We have billions upon billions of barrels and gas equivalents of oil available to the world. In fact, we have billions upon billions available to us in the U.S. We have an estimated 18 billion barrels off the Outer Continental Shelf. Certain people in Congress would have us believe that those barrels are 10-plus years away from our refiners' cracking towers. That's just not true. I told you about the conversations I had with TransoceanRIG officers and their time frames for that oil in the last column. I have since confirmed that opinion with other big-time ocean drillers, and the picture remains as clear as it was last we ek. It would take anywhere from one to six years to produce a barrel from the Outer Continental Shelf. That's right, we could realize oil in as little as a year and as far into the future as six years for those really remote reservoirs. These are barrels we need now and will certainly need in the future. These are barrels that currently rest under a drilling moratorium. These are barrels that the next president should release as soon as possible." (Eric Bolling, "How To Solve The Oil Crisis," TheStreet.com, 6/25/08)

John McCain Called For A $300 Million Prize For A Next Generation Battery. McCain: "I further propose we inspire the ingenuity and resolve of the American people by offering a $300 million prize for the development of a battery package that has the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars." (Sen. John McCain, Remarks At Campaign Event, Fresno, CA, 6/23/08)

USA Today: McCain's Prize For A Better Battery Is "Smarter Than More Bureaucratic Approaches." "$300 million battery prize. Obama derides this as a gimmick, but McCain's idea for developing a radically better battery for powering a new generation of cars strikes us as smarter than more bureaucratic approaches. Like the X-Prize that helped propel the first civilian aircraft into space, a reward can leverage huge private investment. The idea would be better, though, if it focused on building radically more fuel-efficient cars regardless of the technology." (Editorial, "Mccain + Obama = A Valid Energy Plan," USA Today, 7/3/08)

John McCain Has Proposed Building 45 New Nuclear Plants. McCain: "So, if I am elected president, I will set this nation on a course to building 45 new reactors by the year 2030, with the ultimate goal of 100 new plants to power the homes and factories and cities of America." (Sen. John McCain, Remarks At Campaign Event, Springfield, MO, 6/18/08)

FactCheck.org: "Obama's Energy Plan Contains No Such [Nuclear Energy] Initiative" Comparable To John McCain's Plan. "But it's true McCain is more aggressive in his support of nuclear power, giving it a prominent place in his energy plan, with the goal of creating 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030 and as many as 100 total. Obama's energy plan contains no such initiative." (Emi Kolawole, "A False Accusation About Energy," FactCheck.org, 7/9/08) ###

Tags: John McCain