Kyl says GOP reaction to tax deal 'positive' - msnbc.com

From NBC's Ken Strickland and Carrie Dann
The top Senate Republican negotiator on a tentative deal to extend all of the Bush tax cuts for two years said Tuesday that the compromise proposal has received “general positive reaction” from his GOP colleagues.

Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, the chamber's number two Republican, told NBC News that an early-morning closed door meeting to debrief fellow Senate Republicans on the deal was “constructive” and that GOP members agreed that the stalemate over the cuts needed to be resolved.

"Obviously, we don't like the part we think we've had to give," Kyl said of Republican concessions in the negotiations. "On the other hand, it is true that this issue has to be resolved now. And we think it's being resolved -- all else being equal -- in a positive way. So I think, without speaking for all of my colleagues, I can say that there was general positive reaction to the agreement."

Many Senate Democrats object to key provisions in the White House’s deal with GOP negotiators, saying that the president broke a long-standing promise to sunset tax cuts for the most wealthy Americans. “To say that I’m disappointed … is an understatement,” said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, in a statment yesterday. Even louder cries of protest have come from House Democrats, some of whom have signed on to a letter vowing not to "back down" on the tax debate.

Kyl, who is also the Republican leadership's point man on the START nuclear reduction treaty with Russia, said that passage of the treaty was never part of the tax cut negotiations.

Ratification is one of the White House’s key goals for the lame duck session of Congress.

But Kyl noted that there are still major obstacles that could prevent the treaty from coming to the Senate floor before Christmas, arguing that there is “no way to do justice” to the nuclear security debate in the session’s waning days.

First, he said, the pending tax cut deal can't be passed quickly and will take up valuable floor time before debate and expected passage. The legislation still has to be written and, according to Kyl, key lawmakers still have to sign off on some details.

Secondly, Kyl cited the spending bills that fund all government operations. Some Democrats are pushing for what's called an "omnibus" bill, which bundles all of the spending bills into one large package – likely including a hefty chunk of earmarks. Republicans would prefer to pass a "continuing resolution," which would fund the government at existing levels into the early part of the next session of Congress. If that happens, Republicans will be able to address the budget issue again after the GOP gains control of the House.

"If there is not a pre-agreement on a Continuing Resolution to fund the government and they insist on bringing up an omnibus appropriations bill that will be very divisive and that will take time," Kyl said.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has vowed not to allow any legislation to come to the Senate floor until the tax cut and budget impasses are resolved.

Finally, Kyl said, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's continued attempts to pass bills on Reid's "agenda" before addressing government funding and the tax cuts will also take up time on the floor. Kyl specifically mentioned Reid calling for a vote on the Dream Act (an immigration bill) tomorrow, as well as promises to call up the Defense Authorization bill that includes a repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

"All of this is why I still believe that there is no way to do justice to a START treaty and all of these other issues prior to Christmas," he said.

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US, Israel, PA fail to reach agreement on settlement freeze - Jerusalem Post

 
Photo by: Associated Press By HERB KEINON 
12/07/2010 23:29 Talkbacks (2) The US-lead diplomatic process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority is going back to the drawing board, with a senior US official announcing Tuesday night that following consultation with the sides it was determined a further settlement moratorium would not provide the basis for a framework agreement.

The official, in a telephone briefing with reporters in Jerusalem, said that "in the days and weeks ahead" the US would engage with the sides, as well as with other countries in the region, about the "core substantive issues."

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The official said that Israeli and Palestinian officials would visit Washington in the coming days for discussions.  He would not say whether or not these would be direct talks. He was careful in not placing responsibility for the current stalemate on any one party

Israel is expected to be represented at the talks by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's envoy Yitzhak Molcho.

The surprise announcement came nearly a month after Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed in principle on 90-day settlement moratorium extension in exchange for a package of incentives from Washington.

Since that time the US has held intensive talks with both Israel and the PA about the precise details of the incentives and what would happen during the three months of negotiations during the freeze.  What emerged, according to diplomatic officials, was a gap between what Israel thought could be achieved during this time, and Palestinian expectations.

The Palestinians, according to Israeli sources, wanted the talks to focus on border issues, in the expectation that this issue would be solved within three months.

Israel, however, refused to commit to this timetable, arguing that it would not talk about borders without talking about security agreements, and that it would not agree to ceding land without knowing in advance what security arrangements would be put in place when it withdrew. Among security arrangements Israel is demanding are an Israeli presence on the eastern border of a future Palestinian state, and that the future state be demilitarized. 

According to Israeli sources, the US – after hearing the position of both sides -- came to the conclusion that even if there was a moratorium for the next 90 days, it would not ensure success of the process, and that the entire process could actually explode on the 91st day if an agreement on borders was not reached.

Interested in forestalling that scenario, the US has – according to Israeli sources -- decided to rethink the entire process, look at the process with "fresh eyes," and perhaps come up with a new path forward.

One Israeli official said that construction in the settlements,  re-started after the initial 10-month moratorium expired on September 26, will continue as it has since then. The official said the US position on a settlement moratorium is the same.

 The US has made clear that it would have liked to see a continuation of the settlement freeze that began in November 2009.

The Israeli official said that the breakdown of the talks over the moratorium would not impact on efforts to get the US to supply Israel with a second squadron of 20 F35 fighters.  Under the package of incentives that were reportedly being discussed with the US, Israel was to receive the planes in exchange for an additional settlement freeze.

An Israeli official said, however, that the second squadron was requested independent of the settlement moratorium as a vehicle by which Israel could retain its "qualitative military edge" following a massive $60 billion US arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

The US official said in the phone briefing Tuesday night that the US remained firmly committed to Israel's security and to its retention of a qualitative military edge.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a private meeting Tuesday that the US has a "central role in navigating the diplomatic process as a party accepted by both Israel and the Arabs." Barak said that in the coming days the discussion will continue between Israeli officials and Clinton "with the aim of leading to progress in talks with the Palestinians."function initServerVars() {_headup.clientHost = 'http://newstopics.jpost.com';_headup.termsFromServer = 'Ehud Barak$$Jerusalem';_headup.annotatedTerms = ['City/name/Jerusalem/displaytype/City/dbpediaSubject/Jerusalem/$$1', 'Person/name/Ehud Barak/displaytype/Prime Minister/dbpediaSubject/Ehud_Barak/$$1']_headup.widgetMode = 'snippet';_headup.snippetButtonStyle = 'banner';_headup.blackListedUrl = false;}  Subscribe to our Newsletter to receive news updates directly to your email         Author:   LBCountry:   Canada12/07/2010   23:39
Highly surprising. LOL. Was there ever any doubt?

1. Incentives or disincentives..Author:   jim lCountry:   USA12/07/2010   23:33
nothing can diminish the land value to Israelis. Their economy requires it. Their security requires it. Even if every Israeli got a windfall in cash from this deal and, the Arabs normalized relations with them, their growth and assets would necessitate expansion. The Arabs have no such situation. Their policies and behavior should raise red flags in every direction.

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Elizabeth Edwards loses battle with cancer - CNN International

Elizabeth Edwards died Tuesday at the family home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a statement from the family said.Edwards hid the possibility she had cancer from her husband during the 2004 campaignShe met her future husband while they both studied law at the University of North CarolinaHer cancer returned in 2007She died at her home, surrounded by her familyRead more on this story at CNN affiliate WRAL.

(CNN) -- Elizabeth Edwards, the estranged wife of 2004 vice presidential candidate and former North Carolina senator John Edwards, died Tuesday after a lengthy battle with cancer. She was 61

She died at the family home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, according to a statement released by the family.

"Today we have lost the comfort of Elizabeth's presence but she remains the heart of this family," the statement said. "We love her and will never know anyone more inspiring or full of life."

Edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after her husband lost his bid for vice president in November 2004. John Edwards, a one-term Democratic senator, was Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's running mate.

It was later revealed that she knew before the election she might have cancer, but shielded her husband from the news during the campaign. She immediately underwent treatment, and the cancer was believed to be in remission.

In March 2007 -- at the start her husband's 2008 presidential campaign -- Edwards learned that the cancer had returned and spread.

Dr. Lisa Carey, the oncologist treating Edwards, categorized the cancer as metastatic stage four cancer, largely confined to the bones.

The cancer was diagnosed treatable but not curable, Edwards said.

Despite the diagnosis, Edwards said she was ready to go forward with her husband's bid for the White House.

"Either you push forward with the things that you were doing yesterday or you start dying," she said. "If I had given up everything that my life was about ... I'd let cancer win before it needed to."

"Maybe eventually it will win," she said. "But I'd let it win before I needed to."

John Edwards, unable to compete with the attention focused on then-Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, withdrew from the presidential race in January 2008.

Several months later, he admitted that tabloid claims about an extramarital affair with former campaign videographer Rielle Hunter were true. Eventually, he also admitted to fathering a child with Hunter -- an allegation he initially vociferously denied even after conceding the affair.

John Edwards said the affair happened in 2006 while his wife's cancer was in remission. He claimed he informed his wife at the time and asked for her forgiveness.

The couple was criticized by some activists for not revealing the affair prior to his presidential bid, as the news could have damaged Democratic chances if it became publicly known during a general election campaign in which John Edwards was the party's standard bearer.

"This was our private matter, and I frankly wanted it to be private because as painful as it was I did not want to have to play it out on a public stage as well," Elizabeth Edwards said.

The affair appeared to end any future political ambitions the former senator may have had. It also led to the couple's separation.

Elizabeth Edwards was born Mary Elizabeth Anania on July 3, 1949, in Jacksonville, Florida. Her father was a Navy pilot, and in her early years, she attended school in Japan.

She attended the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and met her future husband while studying at UNC's law school.

They spent their first date dancing at a local Holiday Inn, and it ended with John kissing Elizabeth on the forehead.

"It was just really sweet," she said of the kiss. "I wasn't used to men being sweet."

The couple was married July 30, 1977, the Saturday after they took their state bar exams. They had four children: Wade, Cate, Emma Claire, and Jack. Wade Edwards was killed in a car accident in 1996.

Mrs. Edwards worked as a clerk for U.S. District Judge Calvitt Clarke Jr. in Norfolk, Virginia, and was a bankruptcy lawyer in Raleigh.

In 2006, after her initial cancer diagnosis, she wrote "Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers," which chronicled the aftermath of her son's death and her battle with the disease.

When her cancer returned in 2007, the couple held a news conference to publicize the information and declare their intention to continue with John Edwards' campaign.

"You can go cower in the corner and hide or you can go out there and stand up for what you believe in," the former senator said. "We have no intentions of cowering in the corner."

In an interview with the Detroit Free Press after her husband admitted to his affair, Elizabeth Edwards said the incident helped her focus on resuming her role as an advocate for the poor and for health care reform. She also said it pushed her to refocus on her role as a mother.

She also said she did not want her husband's tarnished public image to overshadow his role as an advocate for the poor -- particularly in the eyes of her children.

"I have to prepare for the possibility if I die before they are grown" to make them "able to function without an involved, engaged and admiring parent," she said. "So I need to create the picture for them that I want them to have."

She said living with stage four cancer "is like dancing with a partner who keeps changing."

"Fortunately with the research, it looks like there may be a new drug for me down the line," she said. "My job is to stay alive until they find a cure. I don't think there's any way to live with this diagnosis than to have that kind of optimism."

On Monday, the Edwards family released a statement saying that further cancer treatment would be unproductive.

In a message posted on her Facebook page, Elizabeth Edwards addressed her family and friends:

"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human," she wrote.

"But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know."

CNN's John King contributed to this report.

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Obama urges Democrats to support tax cut deal - USA Today

Obama urges Democrats to support tax cut dealBy Catalina Camia and David Jackson, USA TODAYWASHINGTON — President Obama on Tuesday defended the deal he reached with Republicans on extending a broad range of expiring tax cuts, saying he did not want Americans to be harmed while he engages in a long-term political fight with the GOP. Obama held a hastily arranged news conference to answer questions on the agreement struck late Monday.

Vice President Biden went to Capitol Hill to sell the agreement to Democrats who played no part in reaching a compromise Obama said he struck because Republicans would not budge.

"The deal we struck here … gives us time to have a political battle," Obama said, adding that he was unwilling to see millions of Americans "immediately damaged at a time when the economy is about to recover."

Many in Obama's party, who wanted the focus on poor and middle-class families, lashed out at the agreement that would extend Bush-era tax cuts expiring this year for all income levels, including the wealthy.

"Republicans have held the middle class hostage for provisions that benefit only the wealthiest 3%, do not create jobs and add tens of billions of dollars to the deficit," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement.

Pelosi said discussions with the president and the Democratic caucus will continue in the days ahead.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, vowed to filibuster the deal. His colleague, Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, said the plan was "unconscionable."

Seeking to mollify angry Democrats, Obama vowed to fight further extensions of tax cuts for the wealthy when they expire in two years under the proposal being considered by Congress.

"To my Democratic friends, what I'd suggest is let's make sure that we understand this is a long game. This is not a short game," Obama said.

Republicans wanted the cuts to be permanent. The plan would include a tax cut extension for families making more than $250,000 a year.

As part of the deal, Obama won agreement from Republicans to extend jobless benefits for 13 months.

Obama said he will pressure Republicans to pay for the cuts they want. He said the debate reminds him of the battle over the health care bill: He got a historic piece of legislation passed but was criticized for compromises in the plan.

"In order to get stuff done, we're going to have to compromise," Obama said. "This country was founded on compromise."

The deal provided the first big test of how Obama will work with Republicans after their victory in last month's election. Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives next month and narrow the Democratic majority in the Senate.

Obama said he had no choice because he did not have the votes in Congress. For Republicans, he said, "this is their holy grail, these tax cuts for the wealthy."

When asked how much the tax cuts will promote economic growth, Obama said they wouldn't provide "as significant a boost" for the economy as the stimulus bill but that wasn't needed because the economy is starting to come back.

Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., said Biden characterized the agreement as "a bad situation but a good deal."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., emerging from a weekly lunch meeting for Republicans, said he considers the deal final and thanked Obama for "working with Republicans on a bipartisan plan to prevent a tax hike on any American and in creating incentives for economic growth."

Contributing: John Fritze in Washington; Associated Press

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China Debuts at Top of International Education Rankings - ABC News

American educators received a wake-up call today when it was revealed that students in Shanghai rank number one globally in reading, math and science, far outpacing their American peers. Despite modest gains in math and science, the U.S. continues to lag behind other developed countries.

A report out today, "Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context," shows the U.S. now ranks 25th in math, 17th in science, and 14th in reading out of the 34 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.

While OECD countries such as Finland, South Korea, Canada, Japan, Switzerland and New Zealand continue to outpace the U.S. in reading, science and math, all eyes are on China. In its first year to be included in the study as a non-OECD education system, Shanghai ranked first in all three categories. Hong Kong came in second in reading and science and third in math.

"The 2009 PISA data demonstrate the rise in the quality of education in Asia -- among the top performers were Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and Korea," said Tony Jackson, Vice President of Education at the Asia Society. "Aligning education goals to economic development, Asian nations have scoured the world for models of effective education systems, and implemented them consistently through deliberate policies and long-term investments. Any definition of a world-class education must include knowledge of Asia and the language and cultural skills to deal with Asia. It's a two-way street: America must now learn from — and with — Asia and the world."

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the findings, "to be brutally honest, show that a host of developed nations are out-educating us."

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