worldwide Politics

Gibo quit to protest GMA's lack of support: sources

2010-03-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

But Pichay says all's well in Lakas-KAMPI

MANILA, Philippines - The move by presidential candidate Gilberto 'Gibo' Teodoro to resign from the ruling Lakas-KAMPI-CMD as party chairman was a sign of protest against the lack of support from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, sources from Teodoro's camp told ABS-CBN News.

Although Teodoro is the official candidate of the administration in the May 10 presidential race, the sources complained that the Teodoro camp has not received the support it needs from the president ever since the official campaign period started last February 9.

The lack of support is evident in Teodoro's low level of spending on political advertisements compared with the other major opposition presidential bets.

From February 9 to March 2, Teodoro spent P60 million, even lower than Bagumbayan presidential bet Sen. Richard Gordon, who spent P67 million.

Teodoro was fifth in TV ad spending after Sen. Manny Villar (P120 million), former President Joseph Estrada (P88 million), Sen. Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino III (P87 million), and Richard Gordon (P67 million).

He spent only half of what Villar spent in the first month of the presidential campaign. This is based on a study by Libertas using data of media research firm, AGB Nielsen.

TV ads from FEBRUARY 9 - MARCH 2

1. Manny Villar (NP) 120 million pesos
2. Joseph Estrada (PMP) 88 million pesos
3. Noynoy Aquino (LP) 87 million pesos
4. Richard Gordon (Bagumbayan) 67 million pesos
5. Gibo Teodoro (Lakas-Kampi-CMD) 60 million pesos

According to a source close to Teodoro, the former defense chief has not been able to spend as much as he would like on TV ads since President Arroyo, who is the titular head of the party, has not been giving funds to the party.

Lakas-KAMPI-CMD vice-presidential candidate Edu Manzano had earlier complained that he was not receiving enough support from the party.

Manzano still does not have any political ads on TV, as of March 31. (Read: Edu denies quitting VP race)

According to another source in Lakas-KAMPI-CMD, the lack of support from President Arroyo was the real reason behind Teodoro's resignation on Tuesday as party chairman. (Read: Gibo quits as Lakas-KAMPI chairman)

Lakas-KAMPI-CMD president Miguel Dominguez, the governor of Sarangani province, and Lakas-KAMPI-CMD secretary-general Francis Manglapus, who are both in the inner circle of Teodoro, followed suit and resigned from their party posts on Wednesday. (Read: After Gibo, 2 top Lakas-KAMPI execs quit)

The source said it is not clear how far Teodoro will go to express his frustration over Arroyo's lack of support for her official candidate.

The source said this will depend on how Malacañang will respond to Teodoro's move.

'Money not the reason'

But Mike Toledo, spokesman for Teodoro, denied money was the reason behind Teodoro's resignation as party chairman. He said the party has funds, but it has been very particular about where to spend the money.

The Lakas-KAMPI-CMD quickly replaced Teodoro, Dominguez, and Manglapus on Wednesday in a meeting with President Arroyo. (Read: Villarosa replaces Gibo as Lakas-KAMPI chair)

Lakas-KAMPI-CMD vice-president for membership and recruitment Prospero Pichay downplayed the resignations and said all's well within the ruling party.

"Ang bilis ng aksyon ng executive committee and so, I think, everything's well, wala tayong dapat alalahanin at tuloy-tuloy ang kampanya natin for Gilbert Teodoro, for Edu Manzano and for our senators," Pichay said.

JDV: Lakas-Kampi is crumbling

Meanwhile, Lakas founder Jose de Venecia said the ruling party is crumbling and disintegrating, and he blames Malacañang for the discontent within Lakas-KAMPI-CMD.

De Venecia said he expected this to happen to the ruling party, especially since the merger between the Lakas and KAMPI was only forced on them.

He said the party's internal problems was God's punishment for the alleged treacherous acts of Malacañang against the original members of Lakas.

He also claimed these woes were a result of Malacañang's outpouring of support for its real candidate, whom he did not identify.

The Liberal Party (LP) has accused Villar as being the real candidate of Malacañang, a charge Villar has denied.

De Venecia vowed that he and former President Fidel V. Ramos, also a co-founder of Lakas, will reclaim leadership of the party.

He said they will call original Lakas members to a meeting after Holy Week to elect a new leadership and endorse a presidential candidate, who will not necessarily be Teodoro.

Teodoro sees win in Southern Leyte

Meanwhile, despite having a fever and cough, Teodoro on Wednesday campaigned in Maasin, Southern Leyte.

He reiterated that he quit as Lakas-KAMPI-CMD chair so that he can focus on his presidential campaign.

"Minabuti ko na na magbitaw, kasi either ako magsakripisyo katulad nung ginawa ko sa aking partido noong araw, ako nagsakripisyo, ako...ang aking political career ang nag-suffer. Kaya't hindi ko na puwede gawin yan e. Kailangan manalo ako e," he said.

Teodoro denied there were serious rifts among the leaders of the party, including President Arroyo. He also refused to be affected by the persistent rumors about Mrs. Arroyo's alleged support for Villar.

Teodoro said he will remain the standard-bearer of Lakas-KAMPI-CMD, and that he will not leave the party to run as an independent candidate.

"Kung didistansya lang ako e di umalis na ako sa Lakas-KAMPI. Pero miyembro pa rin ako at ako ang kandidato. Yun lamang, hindi ko na kaya hatiin yung katawan ko," he said.

Even if his survey ratings have not significantly improved enough to be competitive in the race, Teodoro said he is happy with the warm support of the people he meets in his sorties, such as the big attendance at the grand proclamation rally in Southern Leyte,

Local party officials expressed continued support for Teodoro, and said they believe the party machinery will help Teodoro win in the province. -- with reports from Lynda Jumilla, Henry Omaga Diaz, and Jay Ruiz, ABS-CBN News

source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/03/31/10/gibo-quit-protest-gmas-lack-support-sources

Noynoy stretches lead versus Villar in latest SWS survey

2010-03-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" C. Aquino III has opened up a nine-point lead over his nearest rival for the presidency, fellow legislator and Nacionalista Party bet Sen. Manuel “Manny" B. Villar, Jr., based on the results of the latest BusinessWorld-Social Weather Stations Pre-Election Survey.

Mr. Aquino picked up a point to score 37% and further benefitted from a six-point loss for Mr. Villar, now at 28%, in the March 19-22 poll conducted just before campaigning for local posts began last Friday. The gap between the two frontrunners was just two points, within the error margins used, a month earlier.

Spokesmen for both pointed to retweaked strategies working or needing further adjustment, and analysts have said local-level campaigning – where endorsements by their parties’ bets will ostensibly add a new dimension – could change things anew with still a little over a month and a half left to go before the May 10 elections.

Former President Joseph M. “Erap" Estrada of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, meanwhile, gained four points to 19%, narrowing his gap with Mr. Villar to nine points from 19 previously.

Administration candidate Gilberto “Gibo" C. Teodoro, Jr. of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD remained in single digit territory with his score staying at 6%.

There were minimal changes with respect to the rest of the “presidentiables": Bagumbayan’s Sen. Richard “Dick" J. Gordon picked up a point to score a fifth-placed 3%, overtaking Bangon Pilipinas’ Eduardo “Bro. Eddie" C. Villanueva who lost a point to 2%. Following were Ang Kapatiran bet John Carlos “JC" G. De Los Reyes with 0.3%, and independent candidates Jesus Nicanor “Nick" P. Perlas (0.1%) and Sen. Ana Consuelo “Jamby" A. S. Madrigal (0.04%).

Votes for disqualified Kilusang Bagong Lipunan candidate Vetellano “Dodong" S. Acosta were classed under the undecided and others.

As with the previous Feb. 24-28 survey, the SWS respondents were asked to privately fill out a ballot containing the names of the official candidates in alphabetical order.

The question asked was “Kung ang eleksyon ay gaganapin ngayon, sino ang pinakamalamang ninyong ibiboto bilang Presidente, Bise-Presidente, at mga Senador ng Pilipinas? Narito ang listahan ng mga kandidato. Paki-shade o itiman po ang naa-angkop na oval katabi ng pangalan ng taong pina-kamalamang ninyong iboboto (If the elections were held today, whom would you most probably vote for as President, Vice-President, and Senators of the Philippines. Here is a list of candidates. Please shade the oval beside the name of the persons you would most likely vote for).

A total of 2,100 registered voters were polled nationwide, divided into random samples of 300 in Metro Manila and 600 each in the Balance of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. The sampling error margins used were ±2.2% for national percentages, ±6% for Metro Manila, and ±4% for the rest of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

The results put Mr. Aquino ahead of the pack in terms of both geographic area and socio-economic class, although he saw his support drop in Metro Manila (39% from 42%) and Mindanao (32% from 35%). He overtook Mr. Villar in the Balance of Luzon (35% versus 30%), and among the class ABC (45% vs. 17%) and class E (33% vs. 31%).

Mr. Villar saw his support eroded in almost all geographic areas and socioeconomic classes, except in Metro Manila where he kept his score of 20%, keeping him third behind Mr. Estrada.

Mr. Aquino’s nationwide gain was limited to one point as his three-point losses in Metro Manila and Mindanao offset increases of four points in the Visayas and two points in the Balance of Luzon.

Mr. Villar’s nationwide loss of six points, meanwhile, was due to seven-point drops in the Balance of Luzon and the Visayas, a six-point fall in Mindanao, and a steady score in Metro Manila.

Mr. Estrada’s four-point gain nationwide was due to an additional six points in Mindanao, five points in the rest of Luzon, four in Metro Manila, and a steady score in the Visayas.

Mr. Teodoro’s score failed to improve as despite picking up a point each in Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao, he lost a point in the Balance of Luzon.

Mr. Gordon leapfrogged Mr. Villanueva by gaining a point each in the rest of Luzon, the Visayas, and holding steady in Mindanao while losing a point in Metro Manila.

Mr. Villanueva lost a point each in both the Visayas and Mindanao, gained one in Metro Manila, and held steady in the Balance of Luzon.

By class, Mr. Aquino gained 15 points to 45% among the ABC. Mr. Villar lost 16 to 17% while Mr. Teodoro gained five to 12%. Mr. Estrada lost three (11%), Mr. Villanueva gained two (3%), Mr. de los Reyes one (1%), and the rest were unchanged.

Among class D or the “masa," Mr. Aquino’s score was unchanged at 38%; Mr. Villar lost seven to 27%; Mr. Estrada gained five to 18%; Mr. Teodoro was unchanged at 6%; Mr. Gordon picked up a point to 3%; and Mr. Villanueva lost a point to 2%. There were minimal changes with respect to the scores of the rest of the candidates.

Among the class E, Messrs. Aquino and Villanueva gained a point each to 33% and 3%, respectively. Mr. Gordon gained two points (3%), Mr. Villar lost three points (31%), Mr. Estrada was steady (21%), while Messrs. Teodoro and Perlas lost a point each (4% and 0.1%, respectively).

Sought for comment, Mr. Aquino’s spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a telephone interview: “This is good news for us. We mapped out a strategy to improve our ratings in areas where we are weak, and it looks like the people are responding well. We will continue to work to increase our lead."

Nacionalista Party senatorial bet Gilbert C. Remulla, who also speaks on behalf of Mr. Villar, said: “The latest ratings of the SWS are a challenge for us to work much harder in the remaining 40 days of the elections. This Holy Week is a time for us to recalibrate our strategies.

“Coming from over a 40-point deficit in September, the NP believes that we still have the right momentum going for us. As campaigns go, there are ups and downs but in the end we are confident that we will be able to emerge victorious. We are currently working on solidifying our national machinery."

Margaux M. Salcedo, Mr. Estrada’s spokesperson, attributed the improvement in the scores of the former president to recent visits to various provinces and towns.

“We are pleased with the results. Although we would have wanted a bigger jump because we are aiming for continuous [increase], we believe the increase was due to the rounds that he has made recently. We have been working really hard to reach out to the masses," she said in a telephone interview.

Mike Toledo, Mr. Teodoro’s spokesman, said the administration candidate remained confident even if his ratings were not moving, insisting that the ruling party does not rely solely on surveys.

“We look at surveys but we don’t rely on them. They don’t reflect the outcome of elections and history is replete with such cases. We have been seeing massive outpouring of support but that is not reflected in the surveys. We will continue doing what we do," he said in a separate telephone interview. — BusinessWorld

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/187216/noynoy-stretches-lead-versus-villar-in-latest-sws-survey

Villar-Arroyo alliance seen in Chavit’s defection from Lakas

2010-03-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

When Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao received a hero’s welcome upon his arrival last week, former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit" Singson - a known ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was seen in the crowd wearing orange.

Orange is the campaign color of presidential aspirant Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., who was also spotted in Pacquiao’s entourage. Pacquiao, who also used to be allied with the administration, is now under Villar’s Nacionalista Party (NP).

Last Saturday, Singson confirmed that he was backing Villar instead of administration standard-bearer Gilberto “Gibo" Teodoro Jr. (Lakas-Kampi-CMD). An ABS-CBN report quoted Singson as saying that he chose to support Villar because most Ilocos Sur leaders want him president.

On Sunday, Liberal Party (LP) campaign manager Florencio Abad said Singson’s abandonment of Teodoro only lent credence to allegations that Villar and President Arroyo have forged an alliance.

“The addition of Chavit Singson into the broadening ranks of Lakas-Kampi stalwarts supporting Villar is slowly but surely completing the Villarroyo [Villar-Arroyo] puzzle," Abad said in a text message to GMANews.TV.

LP is fielding Villar’s closest rival to the presidency, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III, as its standard-bearer.

Singson, who was instrumental in the downfall of the Estrada government in 2001, denied this. He said he had already cut ties with the party when he resigned as chairman of its Ilocos Sur chapter.

Better now than later

“Panira lang nila [LP] iyon. Ako, nag-resign na ako sa Lakas. Mas mabuti nang umalis ngayon habang maaga, kaysa pagkatapos pa ng eleksyon," Singson told GMANews.TV in a phone interview.

(The LP is just trying to malign us. I already resigned from Lakas, and it’s better to leave now than wait after the elections.)

Singson’s exposé against his friend, former President Joseph Estrada, sparked an impeachment complaint against the former leader, which eventually led to his ouster. A massive anti-corruption uprising installed then Vice President Arroyo to power.

In 2007, Singson ran for senator under the administration’s Team Unity ticket, but was unsuccessful. In September 2008, President Arroyo appointed him deputy national security adviser.

Singson also said he and Teodoro were not close. “I do not like him very much. We did not talk when he was still in the [Department of National Defense]," he said. Teodoro was a former DND secretary.

Normal occurrence

Last month, Singson hinted that he and other Ilocos Sur leaders were unsure of supporting Teodoro. The former governor said he and Teodoro may be party-mates, but it does not automatically translate to votes for the latter.

Malacañang, for its part, downplayed Chavit’s shift in allegiance, saying it is still confident that Teodoro would win in the May 10 polls. It also denied forging an alliance with Villar.

In an interview on government-owned Radyo ng Bayan (dzRB), deputy presidential spokesperson Gary Olivar said it was normal in Philippine elections for politicians to cross party-lines.

“It happens to everybody. People are coming and going… It’s like that in Philippine politics, especially during campaign season," he said.

Arroyo allies go for Villar

Singson, who is seeking to reclaim his previous post as Ilocos Sur governor, is the latest Arroyo ally to throw support for Villar. The others were Bukidnon Governor Jose Zubiri and former Cebu City Mayor Alvin Garcia.

Garcia belongs to Kusug, Cebu’s local opposition party. His relatives, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, and father, Deputy House Speaker and Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia Sr., belong to One Cebu, the ruling party in the province that is backing Teodoro.

Abad said the unfolding scenario is a bi-polar presidential race “with Villar as the administration bet and Aquino carrying the opposition banner.

“This can only benefit a confused electorate as their choices are now more and more clearly limited to Aquino representing change and to Villar symbolizing the status quo," Abad said. - with Johanna Camille Sisante/KBK, GMANews.TV

source http://www.gmanews.tv/story/187200/villar-arroyo-alliance-seen-in-chavits-defection-from-lakas

Survey Partidong masang Pilipino

2010-03-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

The province remains a Lakas administration bailiwick if we based indications to the latest survey showing administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD bets registering high ratings despite the on-going internal conflict among local party leaders.

The results of the Bohol Poll 2010 of the Holy Name University Research Center showed administration bets Rep. Edgar Chatto, former Gov. Rene Relampagos, Gov. Erico Aumentado as survey leaders for governor and congressmen in the first and second districts, respectively.

Former DA Secretary Art Yap, an administration bet, who is running for congressman is considered a virtual winner as he is unopposed in the third district which is the biggest in the province.

Chatto led the gubernatorial race at 40%. Vice Gov. Julius Herrera (NP) tied at second place at 22% and 17%, respectively (with a +/-5 margin of error). The last termer solon got a resounding support of 56% of first district while he got 27% and 36% in the second and third, districts, respectively.

In the first district, former Gov. Relampagos leads at 51%. Coming in far second is City kagawad Oscar Glovasa at 22% and City Kagawad Edgar Kapirig at 9%. Relampagos got a stronghold of 56% in the towns as against the 30% of Tagbilaran voters.

Gov. Aumentado likewise showed indication of sustained lead at 55% in the second district as the administration candidate for congressman. Trinidad Mayor Judith Cajes came far second at 15%. "Don't know" responses and refusals were still high at 23%.

OTHER SURVEY LEADERS

In the vice gubernatorial race, former DepEd Supt. Elpidio Jala (LP) was leading in the survey at 29% followed by former Prov'l Administrator Tomas Abapo, Jr. (NP) at 20% and Board member Concepcion Lim (Lakas), at 13% and a certain Alturas, at 3%.

For board members, administration bets BM Yul Lopez and Anthony Damalerio topped with 63% and 45% respectively. NP bet Danilo Bantugan got 33% and lawyer Raul Barbarona, 27%; Panglao Kag. Benjie Arcamo, 22% and Nemesio Monton, 15%. Undecided is 20%.

For the second district, BM Josephine Jumamoy got first at 53% followed by Dr. Mutya Tirol Macuno, 25%; Garcia G, 21% and Garcia W, 10%.

For the third district, there was a triple tie among BM Amalia Tirol, 51%; Dionisio Balite, 50% and BM Molina, 47%. For the last spot, a close fight among BM Trabajo, 26%; Lloren, 17%; BM Aster Piollo, 16%; Garcia, 16%; Enerio, 8% and Casingcasing, 8%.

In the city mayoralty race, re-electionist Mayor Dan Lim, who is identified with the Partidong Masang Pilipino (PMP) took a big lead at 70% against the 17% of Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso. Lim got relatively low votes from Class ABC as against the 79% of Class E.

For the city vice mayoralty race, former Vice Mayor Nuevas Tirol Montes pulled 68% as against the 15% of Barangay Capt. Glorivic Yap de la Serna.

more http://www.emrgingbol-anon.com

Noynoy, Erap, Gibo, Villar have ‘winning formulas’

2010-03-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

Noynoy, Erap, Gibo, Villar have ‘winning formulas’

MANILA, Philippines – The presidential race is down to a 4-cornered fight between Sen. Benigno Aquino III, former President Joseph Estrada, administration bet Gilbert Teodoro, and Sen. Manny Villar, according to a veteran political analyst.

This forecast is based on the electoral track records, composite survey ratings, and the political machineries of these four presidential candidates.

“It’s basically a 4-cornered fight,” said Tony Gatmaitan, president of the Political Economy Applied Research Foundation, in an interview with Newsbreak.

Elaborating on his unpublished presentation for the Philippine Futuristics Society, Gatmaitan said these four candidates can still come up with “winning formulas” in capturing the presidency.

In the case of the Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer, he said Aquino must establish a big lead in the vote-rich corridor of Pangasinan to Quezon. He must also capture major cities, particularly Cebu, Davao, Naga, Bacolod, and Zamboanga.

In addition, his running mate Manuel ‘Mar’ Roxas, who is from Capiz, and former Sen. Franklin Drilon, who is from Iloilo, must deliver the Western Visayas region (Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental) for the Liberal Party ticket.

Contrary to what LP officials claim, Gatmaitan believes that support for Aquino is “soft” since it’s “not based on favors.”

“Middle-class support is soft. You don’t depend on money. That’s why after elections, they (supporters) usually disappear,” he said.

However, he noted that there is strong volunteerism for Noynoy, which he inherited from his late mother, former President Corazon Aquino. Backed by volunteers and the opposition party UNIDO, Mrs. Aquino almost beat President Ferdinand Marcos in the official count of the 1986 snap presidential elections. People power eventually brought her to power after the fraudulent February polls.

Erap has best electoral track record

In the case of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) bet Estrada, Gatmaitan noted that the former movie actor has won every election he has entered—mayor in 1967, senator in 1987, vice-president in 1992, and president in 1998.

“The arithmetic is simple [for Estrada]: get 70% of provinces who voted for him the last time around in 1998,” he said. “That would be enough to win in 2010.”

Gatmaitan said he’s not surprised with the recent recovery of Estrada in the presidential surveys, where he gained 7 percentage points, apparently at the expense of Villar. (Read: SWS: Aquino, Villar in statistical tie)

“Erap has the best electoral track record [among the candidates]. People seem to be ignoring this,” he said. “Electoral track record gives an idea of the pulling power of the candidate in past contests, and is usually a dependable gauge of future performance.”

He attributed Estrada’s increase of 9 percentage points in Mindanao in the latest Pulse Asia survey to his hawkish approach to solving the separatist threats, a popular stance to take among the Christian majority in the south. (Read: Erap, not C-5, caused Villar’s survey drop)

In contrast, other presidential bets have proposed peace talks and economic development for Muslim Mindanao. Due to Estrada’s stand, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has rejected his presidential bid. (Read: MILF endorses ‘fatwa’ against Estrada)

Unlike the other presidential bets, Estrada has a hard-core and loyal following among the poor in Philippine society who make up the majority of the 50 million voting population.

However, Gatmaitan said Estrada’s new handicap is his age. Being the oldest candidate at 72 years old, “he does not click among the young anymore.” He has not won any mock polls in any college or university.

Teodoro must capture Solid North

In the case of Teodoro, the Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer, Gatmaitan said that “it’s not too late in the day to stitch together a winning combination,” even if he’s behind Aquino, Villar, and Estrada in the surveys.

He said Teodoro must be the “new champion” of the north, and must work hard toward capturing the support of Ilocanos, including the Ilocano-speaking voters in central Luzon.

“The Ilocanos will vote for one of their own. Teodoro is the only candidate who speaks the dialect [Ilocano] fluently,” he said.

Although Rep. Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. is supporting Villar, Gatmaitan said “Villar is not an Ilocano…and he’s just endorsed by the Marcoses.” Thus, Teodoro can still swing the Ilocos region to his side.

Aside from doing well in central and northern Luzon, Gatmaitan said the dominant ruling party must deliver for Teodoro in Mindanao. In the 2004 presidential elections, he noted that President Arroyo “covered her losses” in Luzon with “spectacular victories in Visayas and Mindanao.”

Among the 4 leading presidential bets, Teodoro is backed the strongest political machinery.
(Read: Sans NPC, NP may not get dominant minority status)

“The party machine vote is the most crucial in real politik," he said.

‘Villar must aim for good 2nd’

As for the NP standard-bearer, Gatmaitan said the winning formula is to “aim for a good 2nd (place) in most of the provinces, instead of always fighting for first place.” Villar must “conserve his energy and resources to more manageable situations.”

In addition to placing 2nd in many areas, Villar must “dominate the smaller provinces where he is strong with organization and smart money.” He said there around 20 of these provinces, such as Camarines Sur, where Villar must dominate.

Villar’s edge is his money, which he has used well in political ads. However, Gatmaitan said this advantage has been contained by the limits to ad spending during the 90-day campaign period, which the candidates presumably are following.

Just as with Aquino, Gatmaitan said support for Villar is also “soft” since his “image is contrived.” This is why Estrada has been apparently been able to win over a significant number of his supporters, especially in Mindanao.

Another weak point is where Villar comes from, Las Piñas, which, Gatmaitan added, is “not a place to rise to national prominence,” given its limited number of voters. To compensate for this weakness, Villar has projected himself as a “Tondo boy” who may become president.

As for the rest of the presidential candidates—Sen. Richard Gordon, Bro. Eddie Villanueva, Sen. Jamby Madrigal, Olongapo City councilor JC de los Reyes, and Nicanor Perlas—they either rate too poorly in surveys, have weak or no political machineries, and their electoral track records are not as established as the four leading bets.

Gatmaitan was campaign manager of then presidential candidate Eduardo ‘Danding’ Cojuangco in the 1992 presidential elections. He was also involved in the Cory Aquino for President Movement in 1985-86 and once worked for then Sen. Gerry Roxas.

source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/03/20/10/analyst-may-10-polls-4-cornered-race

THE EMPOWERING LEADER

2010-02-15T05:17:00.000-08:00

This is the type who will not monopolize decisions or manipulate the outcome of situations (and definitely not the result of elections). Such a leader is the antithesis of a dictator and is very much aware that a person who is stubborn, manipulative, and has a
lone-ranger mentality has no place in a society that values democracy.

The leader who empowers people values service and the transformation of society into a vehicle for positive change. Micro-managing is out of the question, as it stifles the growth and initiative of subordinates. Unlike the narcissistic leader, an empowering leader does not invite but rather deflects praise away from oneself.

While in Malacañang, Co says this leader is expected to: (1) involve stakeholders in decision-making; (2) promotes social justice; (3) consult both strong and marginalized peers, colleagues, and constituencies.

Appropriate adage:
"No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it" - Andrew Carnegie

Real empowering leaders:
Anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet

Reel empowering leader:
Jedi knight Obi Wan Kenobi in the “Star Wars" series who trained Luke Skywalker

THE ETHICAL LEADER

2010-02-15T05:16:00.000-08:00

his is the kind of leader who will not employ questionable means to achieve an end, achieving goals not through treachery but truthfulness and persuasion. When they are found to have done something wrong, such leaders will voluntarily give up their posts because this is the right thing to do.

In 2007, Brazil’s Senate president Renan Calheiros resigned after a magazine reported that he had used funds from a lobbyist to pay for the child support of his daughter from an extramarital affair with a television journalist.

New York governor Eliot Spitzer did the same thing in 2008 after getting embroiled in an ethics scandal involving an alleged high-priced prostitution ring. Yoshitada Konoike, Japan’s deputy chief cabinet secretary, likewise resigned in 2009 after a magazine reported that he had used an official rail travel pass to take his mistress to a resort.

This may be a strange virtue in a society where many of the country’s politicians not only have one but several mistresses who benefit from public coffers. But there’s always room for change in the system.

Co says voters who want an ethical leader should find out if the candidate: (1) can demonstrate good moral character; (2) has a circle of associates who are people of integrity and are pro-reform; (3) is an advocate of meritocracy; (4) can prosecute and punish offenders; and (5) can be transparent in the use of public funds.

Appropriate adage:
“Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?' Vanity asks the question, 'Is it popular?' But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic,
nor popular but one must take it because one's conscience tells one that it is right." – Martin Luther King Jr.

Real ethical leader:
Lal Bahadur Shrivastav Shastri, third prime minister of India and a significant figure in the Indian Independence Movement who resigned from his earlier post as minister of railway and transport, accepting moral responsibility for a railway accident that killed 144 people

Reel ethical leader:
Wise counselor Gandalf in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings"

Administration seeks ways to tame corporate pay

2009-06-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

By JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press Writer Jim Kuhnhenn, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 30 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Talking tough but stepping gently, the Obama administration rejected direct intervention in corporate pay decisions Wednesday even as officials argued that excessive compensation in the private sector contributed to the nation's financial crisis.

Instead, the administration plans to seek legislation that would try to tame compensation at publicly traded companies through shareholder pressure and less management influence on pay decisions.

At the same time, the administration drew a sharp line between the overall corporate world and those institutions that have tapped the government's $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program.

The administration issued new regulations Wednesday that set pay limits on companies that receive TARP assistance, with the toughest restrictions aimed at seven recipients of "exceptional assistance." Those firms are Citigroup Inc., Bank of America corp, General Motors Corp, Chrysler, American International Group Inc., GMAC LLC and Chrysler Financial.

The regulations limit top executives of companies that receive TARP funds to bonuses of no more than one-third of their annual salaries.

But in a significant expansion of authority, the regulations call for a special compensation overseer who will burrow into the pay practices of some of the country's biggest enterprises.

The administration named Kenneth Feinberg, a lawyer who oversaw payments to families of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as a "special master" with power to reject pay plans he deems excessive at the seven companies with the biggest injections of public money. Feinberg also would have authority to review compensation for the top 100 salaried employees at those firms.

The tempered broader approach to executive pay wasn't immediately embraced on Capitol Hill, where a leading Democrat said he wants to go farther.

In a lengthy statement released after the White House announcement, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Rep. Barney Frank said he wants legislation that would instruct the Securities Exchange Commission to ban company boards from rewarding excessive risk taking.

"It is not the government's business to discourage risk taking," said Frank, D-Mass. "But neither should we allow systems which have existed up until now whereby decision-makers are handsomely rewarded if they take big risks that pay off, but suffer no penalty whatsoever if those risks result in losses to the company."

With one set of policies for taxpayer-assisted firms and a more hands-off approach to the rest of the corporate sector, Obama is straddling what has been an explosive issue with the public and in Congress. Executive pay burst as an issue earlier this year amid disclosures that AIG, the insurance conglomerate, had paid bonuses of $165 million even as it accepted billions from the government.

AIG is among the companies whose pay schemes the government will now oversee. But outside in the broader private sector, the administration chose to use public pressure and the potential for embarrassment, rather than direct pay restrictions.

"We do not believe it's appropriate for the government to set caps in compensation," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said. "We're not going to prescribe detailed prescriptive rules for compensation. All those things would be ineffective, could be counterproductive in some ways."

Geithner said the administration will ask Congress to give shareholders a nonbinding voice on executive pay and to require corporate compensation committees to be independent from company management. That second provision would give the SEC authority to strengthen the independence of panels that set executive pay.

"We'd like to see better transparency and accountability, frankly," of executive pay practices, Geithner said.

Geithner said the administration's legislative proposals would reinforce administration compensation guidelines that encourage corporate boards to adopt pay packages that reward long-term performance rather than short-term gains and to better manage the relationship between risk and incentive. Those guidelines, or principles, are not enforceable but are meant as a message to corporate boards and to shareholders.

With that policy, the administration appeared to be heeding the concerns of the financial sector.

"There is recognition that if you accept government money, you should be subject to restrictions," said Scott Talbott, the senior lobbyist for the Financial Services Roundtable, an industry group. "Our concern is the government should not set specific dollar amounts and should stick to principles and guidelines, which I believe they will."

So-called shareholder "say on pay" legislation cleared the House in April 2007 by a 2-to-1 margin but went nowhere in the Senate. It was opposed by the Bush White House and most Republicans.

Investor advocates, union pension funds and shareholder groups have pushed for the legislation. Critics, such as the Center on Executive Compensation, argue that "say on pay" would trivialize corporate governance and would give shareholders a voice even though they are not privy to information before the board of directors.

As a senator in 2007, President Barack Obama introduced a bill to require companies to allow nonbinding shareholder votes on executive compensation packages, though his proposal wouldn't have limited CEO pay.

During the presidential campaign, Hillary Rodham Clinton also proposed a measure to give shareholders a nonbinding vote on executives' pay packages. In addition, her bill would have required top executives who collect large performance-based pay packages to return the money if financial irregularities are discovered and companies are forced to restate their earnings. It also would have capped the amount that top executives could earn tax-free through deferred compensation.

___

AP Economics writers Martin Crutsinger and Marcy Gordon, AP Writer Anne Flaherty in Washington and AP Business Writer Sara Lepro in New York contributed to this report.

source : http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090610/ap_on_bi_ge/us_executive_pay

Controversies involving First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo

2009-02-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines - No matter how much he deliberately avoids the limelight, First Gentleman (FG) Jose Miguel “Mike" T. Arroyo has received more than his fair share of controversies.

Just months after his wife became President eight years ago, Mr. Arroyo has unwittingly been the focus of much attention, after being accused of receiving a P50 million bribe over a company’s telecommunications franchise.

And now, with only a year left in his wife’s term, allegations against the First Gentleman have refused to stop.

Mr. Arroyo returned to the spotlight following disclosures by Senator Panfilo Lacson of a World Bank report that allegedly implicated the First Gentleman and some politicians in the irregularities in the bidding of the agency-funded road projects.

From 2001 to 2009, Mr. Arroyo became the subject of various congressional investigations because of corruption allegations.

But the allegations have not been proven.

The following is a GMA News Research compilation of the controversies involving Mr. Arroyo:

* FG alleged to have received bribe to have presidential veto withdrawn

In July 2001, Veronica "Bing" Rodrigo, former correspondence secretary and friend of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, alleged that the First Gentleman received a P50-million bribe for the President to recall her veto of the franchise bills of the Philippine Communication Clearinghouse and APC Wireless Interface Network. Rodrigo retracted her accusations a few days later.

* FG accused of using PCSO funds for campaign of certain senatorial candidates

In October 2001, Robert Rivero, axed consultant of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, alleged that First Gentleman Mike Arroyo used PCSO funds in the campaign of certain senatorial candidates and to bribe the media. He claimed that FG Arroyo paid P20.5 million to Bombo Radyo and Radio Mindanao Network. Even though the PCSO and lotto draw did not air in these stations, some commentators aired pro-administration commentaries. The PCSO publicity department denied Rivero's accusations.

* FG’s designation as OFW envoy

In December 2002, President Arroyo designated Mike Arroyo as an OFW envoy so he could represent her in the countries she could not visit. However, critics assailed Arroyo's announcement when they learned that his activities as OFW envoy could be funded by a proposed overseas workers legal assistance fund. They feared that the Arroyo couple would use the funds for her 2004 campaign. While the President did not recall her husband's designation, the first gentleman voluntarily resigned.

* FG accused of maintaining secret bank accounts in the name of Jose Pidal

In 2003, Sen. Panfilo Lacson accused Arroyo of maintaining secret bank accounts to launder money from campaign contributions for the 1998 vice presidential bid of President Arroyo.

First Gentleman Arroyo denied the allegations. His brother, Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo took up the cudgels for him and claimed to be "Jose Pidal" before clamming up and invoking his "right to privacy" during a Senate investigation.

* FG’s alleged friend is involved in importation of rotten rice

Indian trader Kishore Hemlani, allegedly a close friend of First Gentleman Arroyo, also figured that year in a contract involving the importation of 600,000 metric tons of rotten rice worth P9.5 million from India.

* FG’s expensive accommodations in a Las Vegas suite

In 2005, First Gentleman Arroyo drew criticism for staying in a $20,000-a-night MGM Grand Villa in Las Vegas, Nevada, during a Manny Pacquiao-Erik Morales boxing match. Arroyo’s camp said the accommodation was complimentary and not paid for by public funds.

* FG’s alleged receipt of jueteng payola

During the same year, witnesses at the Senate hearings on jueteng claimed that First Gentleman Arroyo received protection money for the illegal numbers game. The First Gentleman denied the allegations and left the country momentarily to help "remove distractions and doubts from people’s minds" on President Arroyo's ability to run the government. The Palace, then embattled with both the jueteng and "Hello Garci" controversies, dismissed the accusations against the First Gentleman as mere concoctions by those who wanted to oust the President.

* FG’s involvement in the Hello Garci scandal

Still in 2005, a Marine brigade commander appeared at a Senate Hearing on the Hello Garci controversy and claimed that First Gentleman Arroyo delivered a huge amount of cash to Mindanao shortly before the 2004 elections.

Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani cited information from an unnamed source that FG Arroyo flew to Mindanao twice in a private helicopter days before the 2004 elections to deliver P500 million in boxes.

Gudani, who was detailed in Lanao during the 2004 elections, told senators that he witnessed vote-buying and other election irregularities in his area.

* FG’s alleged friend is involved in fertilizer fund scam

In 2006, the Senate wrapped up a series of hearings on the fertilizer fund scam and concluded that First Gentleman Arroyo's close friend and fellow Makati Rotarian, agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc" Bolante diverted agricultural funds to the 2004 electoral campaign of President Arroyo.

* FG’s alleged multi-million dollar German bank account

Later that year, then opposition Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano claimed that a member of the Arroyo family maintained a bank account in Germany amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. First Gentleman Arroyo flew to Germany and secured a certification from the bank to disprove Cayetano's claims. Upon his return, he sought Cayetano's expulsion from Congress.

* FG reportedly tells rival to “back off" from national broadband project

The testimonies of Jose de Venecia III and Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. during the Senate hearings on the national broadband network project linked First Gentleman Arroyo to another multi-million dollar controversy.

De Venecia III claimed that FG Arroyo told him to "back off" from the project, which eventually went to Chinese firm ZTE Corp. De Venecia III was a majority shareholder of one of the proponents of the NBN project.

Lozada meanwhile claimed that Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos phoned "FG" to discuss the NBN project. Lozada also testified that Abalos, de Venecia III, and the First Gentleman met for dinner around the time that the ZTE execs were following up on the project.

* FG’s reported ties with construction firm that was blacklisted by the World Bank

In January 2009, Sen. Panfilo Lacson linked FG Arroyo to a constructor blacklisted by the World Bank.

Citing entries from an appointments book he claimed belonged to FG Arroyo, Sen. Lacson pointed out that the First Gentleman met with Eduardo de Luna of E. C. de Luna Construction Corp. several times. De Luna, who was debarred by World Bank for collusive practice in a national roads project, said in a Senate hearing that he did meet FG Arroyo a few times but denied that he and FG were close. - source

Obama wins in earliest vote in tiny NH town

2008-11-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H. – Barack Obama came up a big winner in the presidential race in Dixville Notch and Hart's Location, N.H., where tradition of having the first Election Day ballots tallied lives on.

Democrat Obama defeated Republican John McCain by a count of 15 to 6 in Dixville Notch, where a loud whoop accompanied the announcement in Tuesday's first minutes. The town of Hart's Location reported 17 votes for Obama, 10 for McCain and two for write-in Ron Paul. Independent Ralph Nader was on both towns' ballots but got no votes.

"I'm not going to say I wasn't surprised," said Obama supporter Tanner Nelson Tillotson, whose name was drawn from a bowl to make him Dixville Notch's first voter.

With 115 residents between them, Dixville Notch and Hart's Location get every eligible voter to the polls beginning at midnight on Election Day. Between them, the towns have been enjoying their first-vote status since 1948.

Being first means something to residents of the Granite State, home of the nation's earliest presidential primary and the central focus — however briefly — of the vote-watching nation's attention every four years.

Town Clerk Rick Erwin said Dixville Notch is proud of its tradition, but added, "The most important thing is that we exemplify a 100 percent vote."

Dixville Notch resident Peter Johnson said the early bird electoral exercise "is fun." A former naval aviator, Johnson said he was voting for McCain, but added, "I think both candidates are excellent people."

Voting was carried out in a room in a local hotel festooned with political memorabilia from campaigns long past. Each voter gets an individual booth so there are no lines at the magic hour. The votes were quickly counted, announced and recorded on a posterboard that proclaims, "First in the Nation, Dixville Notch."

The tradition drew spectators, including Tim McKenna, who drove with his wife 16 miles from Cambridge, N.H., to witness the event.

"Living in New Hampshire, you hear so much about it in the news," said McKenna. "I think it's a very historic election this year."

Ed Butler, a Democratic state representative who runs the Notchland Inn in Hart's Location, said, "Being this small and being able to be first just makes it that much more special."

Although scores of states have voted early, the two villages are the first to officially announce the results on Election Day.

New Hampshire law requires polls to open at 11 a.m., but that doesn't stop towns from opening earlier. It also allows towns to close their polls once all registered and eligible voters have cast ballots.

Hart's Location started opening its polls early in 1948, the year Harry S. Truman beat Thomas Dewey, to accommodate railroad workers who had to get to work early. Hart's Location got out of the early voting business in 1964 after some residents grew weary of all the publicity, but brought it back in 1996.

Dixville Notch, nestled in a mountain pass 1,800 feet up and about halfway between the White Mountain National Forest and the Canadian border, followed suit in 1960, when John F. KennedyRichard M. Nixon. Nixon, the Republican, swept all nine votes cast in Dixville that year, and before Tuesday, the town had gone for a Democrat only once since then. That was in 1968, when the tally was Democrat Hubert Humphrey eight, Nixon four. beat

Bush, allies seek to calm jittery investors

2008-10-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON - President Bush and financial leaders from nations rich and poor pledged Saturday to intensify their efforts to unblock a frozen financial system before it does more damage to an increasingly shaky global economy.
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While there were no concrete offers of new moves, Bush vowed anew that his administration was doing everything possible to halt the biggest market disruptions since the Great Depression. The finance ministers spoke in unusually somber terms about the need for action.

Bush started the day shortly after daybreak with a Rose Garden appearance with finance ministers from the world's richest countries and later made an unexpected evening visit to the headquarters of the 185-nation International Monetary Fund a few blocks from the White House.

With Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, he participated for about 25 minutes in a discussion with the Group of 20, which includes rich countries and major developing nations such as China, Brazil and India.

Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega said that the president told the finance ministers that he was doing all he could to involve other countries in efforts to resolve the crisis. According to White House spokesman Tony Fratto, Bush acknowledged the problems began in the U.S., with a meltdown of the market for subprime mortgages in the summer of 2007. The president felt it was important to take the rare step of coming to such a meeting because the problems were spreading globally.

"It doesn't matter if you're a rich country or a poor country, a developed country or a developing country — we're all in this together," Bush said, according to Fratto. "We take this seriously, and we want to work with you."

In response, the G-20 countries issued a joint statement in which the finance officials pledged to work together "to overcome the financial turmoil and to deepen cooperation to improve the regulation, supervision and the overall functioning of the world's financial markets."

The financial turmoil also dominated discussions at weekend's annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank. The IMF strongly endorsed a five-point plan put together a day earlier by the so-called Group of Seven wealthy powers, in which the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada jointly pledged to use all means possible to prevent major financial institutions from failing and to keep pumping money into the banking system to unfreeze lending and get credit — the lifeblood of the economy — flowing again.

"The depth and systemic nature of the crisis call for exceptional vigilance, coordination and readiness to take bold action," the IMF said in its joint statement. That statement, in an unusual move, repeated verbatim all of the commitments made in the G-7 statement that had been released on Friday.

"There is a resolve that this crisis will be resolved, that no tools will be spared to address this issue," Egypt's finance minister, Youssef Boutros Ghali, chairman of the IMF's policy panel, told a news conference late Saturday.

In his Rose Garden appearance, Bush made a plea for nations work together to address the crisis, avoiding the go-it-alone protectionist trade strategies that worsened conditions during the Great Depression.

"In an interconnected world, no nation will gain by driving down the fortunes of another. We are in this together. We will come through it together," Bush said, flanked by representatives from G-7 nations, the IMF, World Bank and European Union. "There have been moments of crisis in the past when powerful nations turned their energies against each other or sought to wall themselves off from the world. This time is different."

Fratto said Bush's commitment to collaborative action was repeated and agreed to by every official and minister who took part in the White House meeting.

Bush did not mention any specific action that prompted his call. But Ireland recently moved to guarantee all bank deposits, triggering similar actions in Germany and other countries concerned that nervous depositors would move their bank accounts to Ireland.

In his White House remarks, the president barely noted a significant new step from his administration — partial nationalization of some banks. After days of speculation this move was coming, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced late Friday night that the government would buy part ownership in an array of American banks.

President Hoover tried something like that in 1932 during the Great Depression. No detail was provided about how the Bush administration's approach would work, only that it was similar to Britain's move to pour cash into its troubled banks in exchange for a stake in them. The U.S. government would use an unspecified portion of the $700 billion approved by Congress a week ago to purchase stocks in a wide variety of banks and other financial institutions.

The rescue program originally was sold to Congress and the public as a plan to buy mortgage-related loans from financial institutions. The goal was to remove troubled assets from those institutions' books and inspire them to restart more normal lending operations.

Congress passed the massive and hard-fought legislation, and Bush signed it. The government raised the amount of bank deposits it insured. Billions of dollars of reserves have gone into banking systems in the U.S. and other countries. Yet credit has remained virtually frozen.

This paralysis in the credit markets has translated into intense turmoil in the stock markets. The Dow Jones industrial average just completed its worst week in history, plummeting more than 18 percent. Over the past year, people in the U.S. have watched $8.4 trillion drain from investment accounts and retirement savings.

So the administration decided to use the bailout bill to pump equity directly into the banks — an idea never mentioned during the congressional debate. The administration says it is authorized by an obscure provision of the 400-page legislation.

Officials are not saying how long it will take to get this program under way — just as is the case with the even more complicated effort to buy mortgage-backed securities.

Bush seemed to acknowledge that the lag is feeding anxiety on Wall Street. "These extraordinary efforts are being implemented as quickly and as effectively as possible," he said. "The benefits will not be realized overnight."

The president said the G-7 nations have together pledged to "do what it takes to resolve this crisis."

Officials in Europe prepared for a meeting Sunday of the leaders of the 15 nations using the euro currency. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Saturday they opposed to the creation of a common financial rescue fund for Europe.

For Bush, it was the 22nd day in the past 27 he had spoken about the financial crisis, since evidence first arose that the year-old subprime mortgage mess was evolving into a broader and more calamitous meltdown.

Bush also addressed the crisis in his weekly radio address, as did Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden in delivering his party's response. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, in a series of Philadelphia rallies, also focused on words of calm.

"I know these are difficult times. I know folks are worried," he said. "But I also know that now is not the time for fear or panic. Now is the time for resolve and steady leadership. Because I know we can steer ourselves out of this crisis." source

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Barack Obama

2008-10-05T05:20:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama's campaign has quickly rejected Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's claim that he associated "with terrorists who targeted our own country."

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin lashed out at Sen. Barack Obama's ties to controversial figure William Ayers.

Palin attacked Sen. Obama on Saturday for his brief political relationship with Bill Ayers, a founding member of the radical Weather Underground which was involved in several bombings in the early 1970s, including the Pentagon and the Capitol. Obama was eight years old at the time of bombings.

Obama and Ayers, now a university professor, have met several times since 1995, when both worked with a non-profit group trying to raise funds for a school improvement project and a charitable foundation. CNN's review of project records found nothing to suggest anything inappropriate in the volunteer projects in which the two men were involved.

Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said the two had not spoken by phone or exchanged e-mail messages since Obama came to the U.S. Senate in 2005 and last met more than a year ago when they encountered each other on the street in a Chicago neighborhood where both live.

Palin's attack delivered on the McCain campaign's announcement that it would step up attacks on the Democratic presidential candidate with just a month left before the November general election.

"We see America as the greatest force for good in this world," Palin said at a fund-raising event in Colorado, adding, "Our opponent though, is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect that he's palling around with terrorists who would target their own country."

She cited an article in Saturday's New York Times about Obama's relationship with Ayers, now 63. But that article concluded that "the two men do not appear to have been close. Nor has Mr. Obama ever expressed sympathy for the radical views and actions of Mr. Ayers, whom he has called 'somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8.' "

Several other publications, including the Washington Post, Time magazine, the Chicago Sun-Times, The New Yorker and The New Republic, have debunked the idea that Obama and Ayers had a close relationship.

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Riot and bomb conspiracy charges against Ayers were dropped in 1974, and he is now a professor of education at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Obama campaign spokesman Hari Sevugan called Palin's comments "offensive" and "not surprising" given the McCain campaign's statement that "they would be launching Swift Boat-like attacks in hopes of deflecting attention from the nation's economic ills."

With Obama rising in polls while the country struggles in the grip of a financial crisis, Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign decided to shift attention away from the troubled economy and on to issues of his opponent's character, judgment and personal associations, the Washington Post reported.

"We're going to get a little tougher," a senior Republican operative said, requesting anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss strategy. "We've got to question this guy's associations. Very soon. There's no question that we have to change the subject here."

McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers told CNN, "We are coming up on 30 days until the election, and there are a lot of unanswered questions about Sen. Obama's judgment."

The Obama camp said the tactic wouldn't work.

"What's clear is that John McCain and Sarah Palin would rather spend their time tearing down Barack Obama than laying out a plan to build up our economy," Sevugan said.

see source

Trade Forex - Make Thousands Each Week Trading Forex

2008-09-06T08:49:00.001-07:00

Foreign Exchange as well Known As Forex is probably one of the a good number of easy and lucrative jobs. It functions on 100% autopilot, which means all you need to make a lot of money is a good sum of funds to invest. So might you make money proper away?

Well yes you can easily, it may require a little luck, but people make lots of money on day one. But you ought to provide even more money if you knew exactly what you are doing. You should make a strategy and start to build on your forex techniques.

Relative Strength Index, also named/called RSI, is a great indicator this will service you find money quickly and easily. This indicator uses history of forex and many other techniques to show you what will fashion you money. So how do you loose money? Well if currency is within the duration of sold, then the current trade can not make you any cash and you may end up loosing money. Forex trading commencing to become very popular because of all the income people make while never even making around their computer. Some people makes thousands each week trading forex. Its almost like trading stock, but you have a a great deal higher chance of making tons of money. Also to trade forex you do not need any knowledge to make the money.

Trading forex can become your full time job, so if you are sick of your boss and want to quite your job you provided that check to forex. You may loose certain money at first but the returns are always huge.

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First Step To Wealth Attraction Is Changing Your Mindset About Money

2008-09-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

The first step to attracting money and wealth is to tweak your mindset about how you feel about money. Many of us have uncomfortable feeling nearly money. They affix beliefs such a funds is the root of all evil, people who have money swindled it out of people who don't have it or they acquired immorally or illegally.

People may feel uncomfortable or concerned when income is brought up or if someone makes a comment to them. For example, someone may issue out a comment to you these types of as you must be rich just because they compose an observation of at which you live or what car you drive, at which you vacation or what you have in your home, and you may just brush it off or say oh it wasn't a lot of money or I desire I was rich.

There is nothing wrong or shameful for being wealthy or experiencing nice things. The crisis lies in the old client who makes the present statement. Everyone has a ideal to be wealthy. There is not anything wrong in being harmful either but there is something wrong in STAYING poor.

People also see money in scarcity as opposed to abundance. People think that if you make money you are taking it away from someone else. This is a false premise. There is an abundance of money in the world and money is always circulating. Money is constantly making made. I say that there is no ownership in money; all of us is a facilitator of it.

I see some people who use money as a way of survival instead rather than a symbol of energy. People who view money as a way of survival have a harder time attracting money. Using money for survival stems again from the scarcity mentality. It should be used as a way to express your real self.

Abundance will never be a factor of how much currency one has rather it should be virtually how one feels about the money one does have. more links

MoreNiche Affiliate Program - Make Money Online

2008-09-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

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Obama

2008-08-29T05:13:00.000-07:00

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