Don't judge politicians on private beliefs

Premier Christy Clark has declared on what is described as a popular Christian TV show that it's the Bible that gives her courage to make "tough" decisions as our premier.

I missed her saying her piece because I'm not a regular viewer of 100 Huntley Street. But, as reported, it sounds like a piece that passeth understanding.

First of all, what persuaded the premier to appear on a show presenting "the amazing stories of people who have had life-changing encounters with God," according to its website?

Canada needs energy diversity: federal documents

OTTAWA — A dependence on fossil fuel resources is making the country vulnerable to a planetary “mega trend” toward low-carbon energy that “will affect the whole of Canada’s economy,” Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver was told in newly released internal briefing notes.

“While Canada has an enviable energy resource advantage, its future success cannot be taken for granted,” said the briefing notes. “It must make smart decisions now in order to get ahead of emerging challenges. The country will need to further diversify its energy sources, ensure that it has secure access to global markets and find ways to meet the growing demand for energy at home in ways that are environmentally sustainable and publicly acceptable.”

Climate Change Study Ties Recent Heat Waves To Global Warming

WASHINGTON — The relentless, weather-gone-crazy type of heat that has blistered the United States and other parts of the world in recent years is so rare that it can't be anything but man-made global warming, says a new statistical analysis from a top government scientist.

The research by a man often called the "godfather of global warming" says that the likelihood of such temperatures occurring from the 1950s through the 1980s was rarer than 1 in 300. Now, the odds are closer to 1 in 10, according to the study by NASA scientist James Hansen. He says that statistically what's happening is not random or normal, but pure and simple climate change.

Mitt Romney: Federal Reserve Should Avoid Stimulus

WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney says the Federal Reserve shouldn't use new stimulus measures to boost the still-sluggish economy.

The Republican presidential hopeful says he doesn't think another round of stimulus would help the economy, arguing that previous measures didn't work.

Romney tells CNN's "State of the Union" in an interview scheduled to air Sunday morning that business incentives are preferable to more government intervention.

The Fed held off last week on taking further action to boost economic growth, but indicated those measures could be announced in the near future. The Fed also opted to keep interest rates near zero in an attempt to keep borrowing costs low.

Romney also doubled down on his vow to create 12 million new jobs during his first term, calling that goal realistic and achievable.

Original Article
Source: huffington post
Author: AP

Lindsey Graham: Harry Reid Is 'Lying' About Romney Not Paying Taxes

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) leveled a serious charge against his colleague Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Sunday, accusing the Senate majority leader of lying on the Senate floor when he said he’d heard Mitt Romney didn’t pay taxes for a decade.

“I’ve been around this town for a while,” Graham told Candy Crowley on CNN’s "State of the Union." “I actually like Harry. But what he did on the Senate floor is so out of bounds. I think he’s lying about it.”

Koch Brothers, GOP Mega Donors, Help Bankroll Religious Conservative's 2012 Efforts

A conservative group led by longtime political activist Ralph Reed has budgeted $10 million for a major 2012 election push to turn out the religious right and block a second term for President Barack Obama, a top executive with his organization told the Huffington Post.

The Faith and Freedom Coalition's effort, which will include voter registration drives at NASCAR races in Florida, Virginia and other key swing states, is part of a much broader attempt to reactivate millions of socially conservative voters to not only defeat Obama but help some favorite conservative congressional candidates.

Democracy as an end in itself

What do people mean when they talk about democracy? I'm not thinking of historians, politicians or philosophers; just people.

When I arrived in Tunis, where the Arab Spring began, which spread to Cairo and then was the model for Real Democracy Now in Madrid, which in turn inspired the Occupy movements everywhere, I was hustled by a driver into his taxi. I sat beside him. Neither of us had our seatbelts buckled.

Departing Alberta Health Services executive previously collected $1M severance

CALGARY — Health and opposition critics say they’re outraged the former finance boss for Alberta’s medical superboard — who stepped down over criticism of excessive spending — previously pocketed $1 million in severance and collects a sizable executive retirement package from the province.

Alberta Health Services is working out the terms of a severance package potentially worth six figures for Allaudin Merali after he exited the provincial health authority earlier this week.

Rewarding bad behaviour: Israel and the West

Israel has barely put a foot right with the international community since its attack on Gaza more than three years ago provoked global revulsion.

The right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu has serially defied and insulted foreign leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama; given the settlers virtual free rein; blocked peace talks with the Palestinians; intimidated and marginalised human rights groups, UN agencies and even the Israeli courts; and fuelled a popular wave of Jewish ethnic and religious chauvinism against the country's Palestinian minority, foreign workers and asylum seekers.

Texas drought, Europe heat waves are climate change in action: top NASA scientist

The relentless, weather-gone-crazy type of heat that has blistered the United States and other parts of the world in recent years is so rare that it can’t be anything but man-made global warming, says a new statistical analysis from a top government scientist.

The research by a man often called the “godfather of global warming” says that the likelihood of such temperatures occurring from the 1950s through the 1980s was rarer than 1 in 300. Now, the odds are closer to 1 in 10, according to the study by NASA scientist James Hansen. He says that statistically what’s happening is not random or normal, but pure and simple climate change.