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MR. DAVID GREGORY: Our issues this Sunday: Flu fears sweep the globe. Here at home, as the outbreak grows the risk remains unclear.
VICE PRES. JOE BIDEN: I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now.
(End videotape)
DR. RICHARD BESSER: I think flying is safe, going on the subway is safe. People should go out and live their lives.
(End videotape)
MR. GREGORY: What is the government doing to try to stop the swine flu's spread, and could the U.S. outbreak turn deadly? All the latest from the three top officials charged with coordinating our national response: Health and Human Services secretary, Kathleen Sebelius; Homeland Security secretary, Janet Napolitano; and acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Richard Besser.
Then, a surprise switch on Capitol Hill.
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (D-PA): I do think, Mr. President, that I can be of assistance.
(End videotape)
MR. GREGORY: Veteran Republican Senator Arlen Specter becomes a Democrat and pushes that party very close to a filibuster-proof majority. How will his decision impact the Republican and Democratic Parties and their agendas in Washington? In his first television interview since announcing his decision, our guest, Democratic Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Then, what does Specter's move say about the future of the Republican Party for 2012 and beyond?
Plus, an unexpected retirement on the Supreme Court. Who's on the short list now? And is a new partisan battle brewing? We'll hear from two key Republican voices: Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and former Republican congressman from Florida, and Ed Gillespie, former counselor to President Bush and former chairman of the Republican National Committee.
And in our MEET THE PRESS minute we remember one of the Republican Party's political stars, former Republican vice presidential nominee Jack Kemp, who died last night at the age of 73.
But first, the latest on the H1N1 or swine flu outbreak around the globe. Here with us, the top U.S. officials coordinating the response: Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the CDC; Homeland Security secretary, Janet Napolitano; and the new secretary of Health & Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius.
Welcome to all of you.
DR. BESSER: Thank you.
MR. GREGORY: Dr. Besser, let me start with you. This is the cover of Newsweek magazine hitting newsstands now, and it talks about "Fear & the Flu: The New Age of Pandemics." This is what people are concerned about. What's the very latest on how bad this is?
DR. BESSER: Well, this is a rapidly evolving situation with, with a lot of uncertainty. The, the good news is that each day we're learning a lot about this virus and, and what it's doing both here, in Mexico and, and around the globe. And we're starting to see some encouraging signs, and, and that's good, but our approach has to be aggressive. With a new infectious disease you may only get one chance to get out in front of it, and that's what we're doing.
MR. GREGORY: So what are the raw facts here, number of cases, number of deaths?
DR. BESSER: Here's where we are. In the United States we've got 160 confirmed cases, 21 states. The World Health Organization this morning reported confirmed cases in 15 countries. Thankfully, in, in this country we are not seeing the number of deaths in Mexico. We reported last week the tragic death of the child in, in, in Texas. But as we're looking we're not seeing those deaths, but I'm not totally assured. We need some more information to see what this is going to do. And it's very encouraging to see that people are taking this seriously.
MR. GREGORY: Right.
DR. BESSER: And our doing the things to protect their health that they can do.
MR. GREGORY: But let, let, let me try to understand this, because this was the big issue: What's going on in Mexico?
DR. BESSER: Right.
MR. GREGORY: Why are people getting this flu and dying, whereas people in the United States are getting the flu and they're OK, they're going through it but they're recovering?
DR. BESSER: We're getting clues to that. We're, we're in Mexico as part of a tri-national team with Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, and we're looking very hard at that question. Ands what we're starting to see, we're starting to see that there was widespread flu in Mexico. Initial reports really were looking at flu that was all presenting as hospitalization, high rates of mortality. As we learn more about how widespread this is, it may be that the rates of severe disease in Mexico will end up being not different than what we see here. We're earlier than the Mexicans are, and it appears that they have had widespread flu across their country.
MR. GREGORY: But I just want to be clear. So in other words, we're, we're talking about 19 confirmed deaths in Mexico, 473 confirmed cases in Mexico. But many, many, many more cases of this particular virus than, than we knew to be the case.
DR. BESSER: One of the first things that we worked to do with the Canadians and the Mexicans was help them set up laboratory capacity so that they could do those confirmations. The initial tests that were all being done were on hospitalized patients, the sickest of the sick. As we're looking more, we're seeing that that may have actually been the tip of the iceberg, with a large number of cases that were less severe.
MR. GREGORY: OK, and that's an important point, that you could have this flu, this virus coursing through a country, a community, and that for most people it's less severe.
Secretary Sebelius, some, some context here. The seasonal flu, what we all know about, kills 36,000 people every year, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized. In this country 13 have been hospitalized with H1N1 or, or swine flu. Are we overreacting?
SEC'Y KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: Well, I think, David, we, we don't know. And what's important is that we're aggressively reacting to what the science is telling us. And as Dr. Besser just said, it's evolving day at a time. And so the guidance is being updated, the information is being updated. We know a couple of things. As you just said, seasonal flu kills people every year, hospitalizes people. What we don't know is what this new virus will do, what this new flu strain will do. And what's why I think taking precautions, being prudent at the outset and then reinforming as we move forward is the most important thing. We are in vaccine mode, so we're producing--accelerating the production...
MR. GREGORY: There's no vaccine right now.
SEC'Y SEBELIUS: No. You can't begin a vaccine until you identify the virus and the strain.
MR. GREGORY: Right.
SEC'Y SEBELIUS: So we're--but the flu strain has been identified, it's being grown, it's going to be tested. We can be ready to produce. Meanwhile, the production of seasonal flu vaccine is accelerating.
MR. GREGORY: Right.
SEC'Y SEBELIUS: So we're going to do both. We're going to be ready for both come fall.
MR. GREGORY: Secretary Napolitano, isn't the quandary here for the government, for this administration getting out all of the necessary public health information, raising that level of concern, but then being careful not to make people too alarmed or getting them to panic? And this week it seems like the administration went over that line. Vice President Biden on the "Today" show Thursday said this:
(Videotape, Thursday)
VICE PRES. BIDEN: I would tell members of my family, and I have, I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now. It's not that it's going to Mexico, it's you're in a confined aircraft. When one person sneezes it goes all the way through the aircraft. That's me. I, I would not be, at this point, if I--if they had another way of transportation, suggesting they ride the subway.
(End videotape)
MR. GREGORY: Vice president's office issued a statement later saying, "What he meant to say was if you're sick, don't get on an airplane." And look what happened just this week, Friday, a flight from Munich to Washington diverted to Boston because a woman showed signs of the flu, was complaining about flulike symptoms. They diverted the flight. How much damage do comments like Vice President Biden's do in the middle of all this?
SEC'Y JANET NAPOLITANO: Well, I think the vice president immediately clarified what, what he meant to say, which is if you're sick don't, don't get on a flight, don't get on--in the subway. If your child is sick, don't send the child to school. If you're sick, don't go to work. Stay home. Our whole strategy is built around containing the spread of, of the virus. But on, on the other hand, people should otherwise just carry on with their normal, everyday lives. And by and large, that's what Americans have been doing.
MR. GREGORY: Well, you, you say that. But The New York Times reports some of the reactions, some of the precautions being taken. And, Dr. Besser, I want you to react to this. "In Delaware, a rap concert was canceled. At Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, 22 students who had been student teaching in Mexico were told not to take part in graduation ceremonies. ... In Chicago, some Roman Catholic priests stopped giving communion wine and were asking parishioners to avoid shaking hands. `The handshake of peace will be the nod of peace for now,' the Reverend Joseph M. Jackson of St. Ignatius Church said.'" Appropriate or overreaction?
DR. BESSER: You know, what we're seeing across the country is people who are concerned and trying to do what they can to protect their health. And what we're trying to do is, is share what things do we know really work, and, and encouraging people to do those things. The importance of hand washing or using alcohol hand gels. The importance of covering your cough with your sleeve and not your hand. The important of staying home if, if you're sick. We're seeing other things taking place as well, and when we see that we try and channel towards the things we know that, that work. We're not telling people to, to not get together for, for concerts. But we are telling people who are sick, don't go to that concert.
MR. GREGORY: OK. But--fair enough. But, but that's your message. But the reaction seems to be different.
DR. BESSER: Well, you know, everybody is going to deal with their concerns in different ways, and, and that's the nature of, of people.
MR. GREGORY: Right.
DR. BESSER: What we can do is, is try and tell them what the risks are, what do we know.
MR. GREGORY: Right.
DR. BESSER: Share information as we have it and continue to, to hit the messages of, of those things that can really be effective.
MR. GREGORY: But, Secretary Sebelius, you've got reports, one out of Southern California, where people are flooding emergency rooms when they cough, afraid that they're going to die.
SEC'Y SEBELIUS: Well...
MR. GREGORY: That isn't, that is not correct.
SEC'Y SEBELIUS: You're right. That's, that is likely an overreaction. But it's also an indication of another of the key priorities of the president and this administration.
MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm.
SEC'Y SEBELIUS: One of the reasons people visit emergency rooms is that we have far too Americans who don't have health coverage, who don't have a doctor to call, who don't have a health home. And it, it--this situation that we're in links directly into health reform.
MR. GREGORY: Right.
SEC'Y SEBELIUS: It, it presents itself as why we desperately need a reformation of the health system, while we need attention at that issue so we get people health homes, we get preventative care and we get a conversation going so people have more information on a regular basis and have that kind of preventive care and don't go through emergency room doors.
MR. GREGORY: I, I want to be clear about something, Secretary Napolitano.
But first, Dr. Besser, the strategy right now is containment. Let me walk you through this. So a virus like this is unpredictable. So it may seem like it's tame; it could evolve in such a way to become deadly. It could become a more devastating virus in the United States. So...
DR. BESSER: Could I correct something you've said already?
MR. GREGORY: Yeah, OK.
DR. BESSER: The strategy is not containment. Containment is a strategy that...
MR. GREGORY: Secretary Napolitano said we're trying to contain the virus.
DR. BESSER: Well...
SEC'Y NAPOLITANO: Contain what you spread of the virus.
DR. BESSER: Yes.
SEC'Y NAPOLITANO: If you're sick.
DR. BESSER: Yeah. In...
SEC'Y NAPOLITANO: Let's be careful what we're saying here.
DR. BESSER: Yeah.
SEC'Y SEBELIUS: Yeah.
DR. BESSER: In, in terms of containment, had this been an outbreak that had started in a distant place in a small community, the approach would have been send a large team of international support in there, try and limit it or contain it to that area. What we're trying to do is reduce the impact on people's health. And you do that by trying to limit spread from person to person. But it is in our communities and we are not going to be able to prevent it from going community to community. But what you can do is try and reduce the burden on the health care system, which is so overloaded as it is, so that those people who are sickest are really able to be, be cared for.
MR. GREGORY: But let me--so I think you, you're speaking to this point. If we talk about containment, stopping the spread from person to person, there is still this mystery about why there's a greater degree of virulence in Mexico thus far than the United States. So for a period of time, why not seal the border? Why not stop flights in and out of Mexico simply until we know more?
SEC'Y NAPOLITANO: Well, we take our advice from the scientists, from the doctors who really understand epidemiology. If they had told us that we would have an impact on the spread of this virus in the United States by taking some of those actions, we would have moved to do so. They told us no, it would have had no impact, and that really our efforts needed to be focused on communicating with people. If you're sick, stay home. If your child is sick, keep them home. Cover, cover your mouth when you cough and, and wash your hands. Very simple, common sense things. So the reason that that was not done is because the scientists said it wouldn't have an impact.
DR. BESSER: If this had started in a distant place, beefing up activities on the borders would have slowed entry into this country for, at best, two to three weeks. That would have been important, because it would have allowed us to do the things that we've, we've been doing now: distributing anti-virals around the country, getting surveillance in place, putting out the education messages. Once it's already in your, in your, in your borders, those efforts have really no impact on, on spread in your country and divert yourselves from the things that can really work.
MR. GREGORY: So what is your big question now?
DR. BESSER: You know, the, the big question, and we're, and we're getting information on that, is the one that you raised: What's different about Mexico and the United States? And the second question is, what do we know about this virus and its ability to cause severe disease? We're learning a lot about both of those things.
MR. GREGORY: All right, so I have three young kids at home. If any of them present--if they, if they're coughing, if runny noses, if they appear to have a cold, what should I do?
DR. BESSER: What you should do is, is call your doctor and say, "Here are the symptoms that my child has. What do you think? Do I need to be concerned?" And your doctor will be able to work with you, find out whether your children have any underlying medical problems or anything that would put them at special risk, and tell you what to do.
MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm. Right. Because normally I wouldn't call, necessarily. Especially, you know, the second and third kid, because I'm not as worried as much.
DR. BESSER: Right.
MR. GREGORY: But you're saying now with a cold, be more vigilant about it.
Secretary Sebelius, final point. Big question about what happens in our flu season, which is in the fall.
SEC'Y SEBELIUS: Right, right. Well, as you already pointed out, we know seasonal flu will hit. We know it will kill Americans, unfortunately, hospitalize folks, millions of people will get it. So we are ramping up production of the seasonal flu vaccine right now. We want to be ready to deal with that situation. At the same time, we're growing the virus and testing the virus to attack H1N1, and we'll be production ready when it's time to go.
MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm.
SEC'Y SEBELIUS: And then it'll be a question of who and, and when to distribute that vaccine. So we'll be ready for both. We know it will come back. We don't know in what phase we'll see H1N1 continue or maybe ramp up in flu season.
MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm.
SEC'Y SEBELIUS: And we want to be out ahead of this; again, not looking back in February and said we could've, should've, would've done something.
MR. GREGORY: Right. Final message from you this morning?
SEC'Y NAPOLITANO: That we're doing everything we can to be ahead of this virus, to keep Americans informed and to be safe.
MR. GREGORY: All right, thank you all very much for coming on this morning.
SEC'Y SEBELIUS: Thank you.
MR. GREGORY: And good luck monitoring all of this.
Coming next, a surprise on Capitol Hill as veteran Republican Senator Arlen Specter becomes a Democrat. He's here live for his first television interview since that announcement. Then, what does Specter's move mean for the GOP? Two key Republicans weigh in, Joe Scarborough and Ed Gillespie, only here on MEET THE PRESS.
MR. GREGORY: The Republican Party and a retirement on the Supreme Court, after this brief commercial break.
MR. GREGORY: We are back, and joining us live now from Philadelphia, the Senate's newest Democrat, Arlen Specter.
Senator, welcome back to MEET THE PRESS.
SEN. SPECTER: Thank you, David. Nice to be with you.
MR. GREGORY: Thank you. Your decision--or since your decision there's been some pretty big news. We'll get to the reasons for your decision in just a moment. But I want to talk about the retirement of Justice Souter and the vacancy to the Supreme Court that President Obama will now fill. You have a fair amount of experience with this as the former Judiciary chairman, and you might return to that post even as a Democrat. So what kind of justice should President Obama be looking for?
SEN. SPECTER: He should be looking for someone with a strong academic and professional background. It would be my hope that he would choose someone with diversity. Women are underrepresented on the court. We don't have an Hispanic. African-Americans are underrepresented. I would hope that he would look beyond the circuit courts of appeals which now populate the Supreme Court and pick someone with greater world experience and diversity.
MR. GREGORY: That's important. Are you suggesting that he should not pick a judge, but perhaps a politician or a leader from another discipline in life?
SEN. SPECTER: Well, maybe not a politician. Perhaps a statesman or a stateswoman. But all of the justices now have been on the circuit courts of appeals and they have lives and experiences which are all very similar. And we live in a very diverse country with a lot of different interests, and I think that it's important to have an Hispanic on the court at some point, important to have more than just one woman on the court and more than one African-American. And it would be good to get people who know something besides wearing a black robe.
MR. GREGORY: Do you have a candidate in mind and have you shared that with the White House?
SEN. SPECTER: I do not. I'm going to respect the Constitution. It's up to the president to make the selection, and it's up to me as one of the senators to consider the confirmation question.
MR. GREGORY: You mentioned the import of a woman on the court. Here are a few of the standouts that have been speculated about so far: Elena Kagan, she's the solicitor general now; Sonia Sotomayor, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit; Kathleen Sullivan, director of Stanford's Constitutional Law Center; and Diane Wood, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. Out of that list, do you think there's a front-runner?
SEN. SPECTER: I don't know. You'd have to ask President Obama.
MR. GREGORY: All right. The president said the other day, and he said this repeatedly, that he wants an empathetic justice on the Supreme Court. Empathetic. Is that code to you for an activist judge?
SEN. SPECTER: Well, we look to the court to interpret the Constitution and the statutes passed by Congress and not to make laws. There is no doubt that the standards and values in our country have shifted, as Cardozo said in the Palko case years ago. There was a time when equal protection meant that the Senate galleries were segregated, and we know how foolish that would be in modern day life. So there's no doubt that there are changes with the times. But if you talk about empathy, you may be talking about something which is, which is broader. But we'll have to test the nominee on that. Listen, the job of the United States Senate is to ask firm, really tough questions to find out whether the nominee has an open mind, whether the nominee respects the supremacy of the Constitution, whether the nominee will look to Congress to establish public policy. And there are going to be some empathetic factors, but basically we're a nation with a rule of law.
MR. GREGORY: You're a Democrat now, and so I ask you whether, in light of that switch, do you regret your support in the past for some of the more conservative members of this court: Alito, Roberts, Clarence Thomas?
SEN. SPECTER: I do, I do not. Remember, I was a leading voice opposite--opposing Judge Bork, a Republican. Got a lot of brickbats for that. Not a month passes by today without my hearing about Judge Bork. He was a leading Republican candidate. So I've not hesitated to oppose Republicans, a Republican when I thought he was out of the mainstream of American jurisprudence.
MR. GREGORY: All right, let me ask you about this switch from the Republican to the Democratic Party. Back in April of this year on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" you said this: "So I'm trying to bring back those voters to the Republican Party. We need balance and I'm trying to get people to register Republican. We need a second party. Look here, our country is built on checks and balances. The only check and balance in America today are the 41 Republican Senators who can talk and filibuster, otherwise, the White House, the House of Representatives will be a steamroller." Well, Senator, you've now decided to join that steamroller. What changed?
SEN. SPECTER: Well, well, since that time I undertook a very thorough survey of Republicans in Pennsylvania with polling and a lot of personal contacts, and it became apparent to me that my chances to be elected on the Republican ticket were, were bleak. And I'm simply not going to subject my 29-year record in the United States Senate to that Republican primary electorate. I'm not going to do that.
Now, with respect to the steamroller, I have shown repeatedly my independence, willing to cross party lines when I thought the interests of the American people in Pennsylvania were required it. Take one example: There's a bill on employees choice known as Card Check, which would take away the secret ballot and impose mandatory arbitration. I said when I made the switch I'm still against that bill. Democrats are all for it, Republicans are all against it and I'm the critical vote. And if see that there are other issues where I feel as a matter of conscience, I will continue a filibuster against legislation.
MR. GREGORY: Are there other issues right now that you can name where you don't see eye to eye with this president?
SEN. SPECTER: Well, I'm not going to start to explore a long range of issues. I, I'm not going to do that to...
MR. GREGORY: All right. Well...
SEN. SPECTER: You don't, you, you don't have enough time, David.
MR. GREGORY: Well, hey, we can make time. We're going to get to a few issues in a couple of minutes, but I want to stick to this point, what you're saying, this was politics. This was a cold, hard political reality check. This is what David Broder wrote in his column in the Washington Post, and it was pretty pointed. Look at the headline: "Specter the Defector. The one consistency in the history of Arlen Specter has been his willingness to do whatever will best protect and advance the career of Arlen Specter. ... So, once again, Specter is likely to reap political rewards from his maneuvering. But the Democrats should be open-eyed about what they are gaining from his return to his original political home. Specter's history shouts the lesson that he will stick with you only as long as it serves his own interests--and not a day longer." You're about to stand for re-election as a Democrat. Do you think that reputation hurts you?
SEN. SPECTER: I think it's a, a misreading. I do not think it is true. I can pick up any of the issues and tell you what my reasons were, and I think I have very strong reasons for all of them. There's more than being re-elected here. There's the factor of principle. The Republican Party has gone far to the right since I joined it under Reagan's big tent. When I came to the Senate, you had a roomful of moderate Republicans, Hines and Weicker and Stafford and Chafee and Danforth and on and on. And in recent times I have diverged materially from the Republican line. And the critical factor, David, as most--many people know, was the stimulus package.
MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm.
SEN. SPECTER: I bucked the Republican line, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe and I, and that created a schism. My approval rating dropped 30 points with Republicans as a result of that vote, so that as the pictures has evolved I felt a lot more comfortable as a matter of principle with Democrats than with Republicans.
MR. GREGORY: All right.
SEN. SPECTER: Let me mention...
MR. GREGORY: Yeah.
SEN. SPECTER: ...one other important point, and that is my work in the Senate on medical research. I've been a major--maybe the major spear carrier for the National Institutes of Health. And I'm trying to get more federal funding. I've opened up a Web site, specterforthecure.com. If we had pursued the war on cancer which President Nixon declared in 1970, Jack Kemp might be alive today. This medical research has prolonged or saved many lives, including mine. And The New York Times today has a column, when you compare my work on medical research it makes party allegiance look pretty small.
MR. GREGORY: I want to move on, though, to the question of what it took for the Democrats to get you. What were you offered? What inducements have you been given to switch parties?
SEN. SPECTER: None.
MR. GREGORY: None.
SEN. SPECTER: None.
MR. GREGORY: You won't retain your seniority, as you move over, on, on key committees?
SEN. SPECTER: Well, that is, that is, that is true. But...
MR. GREGORY: That's not an inducement, Senator?
SEN. SPECTER: Well, no, that's an entitlement. I've earned, I've earned the seniority. I was elected in 1980. And I think that's, that's not a bribe or a gift or something extraordinary. I will be treated by the Democrats as if I'd been elected as a Democrat.
MR. GREGORY: What about how you stand for election? Has the Democratic Party--Leader Reid, Governor Rendell in Pennsylvania and the president himself--seen to it, have they seen to it that you will not face a primary challenger?
SEN. SPECTER: They have not. Flatly not.
MR. GREGORY: But the president said he's going to campaign for you.
SEN. SPECTER: Well...
MR. GREGORY: Who's going to step up against you when the president's declared his intention in the primary?
SEN. SPECTER: Well, well, that's a different question. You asked me if they've cleared the field, and they have not. There, there are two candidates in the field and there are others on the sidelines; one other, specifically, who's talking about running. I didn't ask them to clear the field. The reality is you can't tell other people what to do. I'm prepared to run in a contested primary. But I don't want to run against a stacked deck like I would have had to against the Republican primary electorate.
MR. GREGORY: You know that Tom Ridge, former secretary of Homeland Security and governor of Pennsylvania, is thinking about getting into the Republican primary race. Do you think he could win what you couldn't?
SEN. SPECTER: Well, I think former Governor Ridge is a very able fellow, and I have a lot of respect for him.
MR. GREGORY: One potential challenger is Congressman Joe Sestak, and he was interviewed in the Los Angeles Times talking about exactly what kind of Democrat you would be. And this is what he said: "[Sestak] said that Specter would have to answer a series of questions in the coming weeks, such as why Democratic voters should view him as a leader in their party when he failed to prevent the GOP from moving to the hard right. `What are you running for, Arlen?' Sestak asked. `How are you going to use your leadership to shape the Democratic Party? Is it to the way we believe Pennsylvania should be helped? And the platform we should follow? Are you a Democrat, an independent or a Republican?'" You always talked about core conservative values when you ran for president. What are your core political beliefs now?
SEN. SPECTER: My core views are freedom, a woman's right to choose, consistently voted for increasing the minimum wage, for expanding unemployment compensation, for the nuclear test ban treaty, where I broke with Republicans. I got into politics, David, as the result of the inspiration of my father, who was a Russian immigrant, who was a veteran in World War I. The government broke the promise to pay World War I veterans a bonus. And Harry Specter was a little guy. And you take a look at my record in the Senate, or my record in public life generally, I've always been for the little guy. I say in a sense that I, I'm on my way--I was on my way to Washington to get my father's bonus. I haven't gotten it yet, so I'm running for re-election. But I've helped the veterans. I've broken with the party on, on funding for veterans. I've broken with the party on voting for Social Security increases. My record has been issue-oriented, one at a time. And I think as a matter of principle--listen, the stimulus vote was a mighty big test. It cost me dearly with the Republicans. And I stood with the Democrats because I thought it was right. I thought otherwise this country might have been on the verge of a 1929 Depression. And I new it was politically problemsome, perhaps disastrous. I represent the people of Pennsylvania, not any political party.
MR. GREGORY: It was reported this week that when you met with the president you said, "I will be a loyal Democrat. I support your agenda." Let me test that on probably one of the most important areas of his agenda, and that's health care. Would you support health care reform that puts up a government-run public plan to complete with a private plan issued by a private insurance company?
SEN. SPECTER: No. And you misquote me, David. I did not say I would be a loyal Democrat. I did not say that. And last week, after I said I was changing parties, I voted against the budget because the budget has a way to pass health care with a 51 votes, which undermines a basic Senate institution to require 60 votes to impose cloture on, on key issues. But I...
MR. GREGORY: All right, just to be clear, Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal Jonathan Weisman and Greg Hitt reported that when you met with the president you said, "I'm a loyal Democrat," and, according to people familiar with the White House, "I support your agenda." So that's wrong? You didn't say those things?
SEN. SPECTER: I did not say I'm a loyal Democrat. You know, I read once another mistake in the newspaper, some newspaper.
MR. GREGORY: Let me--I just want to turn, then, to the issue of health care. You would not support a public plan?
SEN. SPECTER: That's what I said...
SEN. SPECTER: ...and that's what I meant.
MR. GREGORY: Do you support taxing the value of, the value of employer-provided health care for workers?
SEN. SPECTER: No, I'd be very reluctant to do that. Health care provided by employers, which is deductible for them and not added on as income to the recipient, has been the mainstay of health coverage for millions of Americans, and I'd be very reluctant to abandon that.
MR. GREGORY: So the health care reform you would like to see is what?
SEN. SPECTER: I would, I would like to see all Americans covered. I've joined with the Wyden-Bennett plan, has 14 co-sponsors. I would like to see health care which emphasizes exercise and diet and, and makes premiums lower on that basis. I would like to see health care which had very tough prosecution against Medicare and Medicaid fraud, put people in jail as opposed to fines, which are licenses to steal. I would emphasize National Institute of Health research. What better way to reduce the cost of health care than to, than to have--prevent illness? I would support advanced directives, where we find so much of medical care is paid for the in the last few hours or few days or a person's life. Not to tell people what to do on their care at that time, but have them, have them think about it. I support programs which improves technology, as the stimulus package has $19 billion. I've been in this field for a long time and have a lot of ideas, participated in the president's task force, and I'm ready to put my shoulder to the wheel to get legislation adopted. But I'm going to take a look at it piece by piece. I'm not committed.
MR. GREGORY: Finally, Senator Specter, what is the future of the Republican Party, the party you have now left behind?
SEN. SPECTER: Well, it would be hope, David, that there would be a, a wake-up call. It would be my hope that there would be a strong two-party system. That's what I've worked for for a long time, trying to bring back the Republican Party in the city of Philadelphia, trying to bring back the Republican Party nationally. And I have campaigned for Republican candidates and moderates. It would be my hope that the party would turn away from the Club for Growth. Let me be very specific here. The Club for Growth has undertaken campaigns to defeat moderate Republicans in the primaries, knowing that they would lose in the general election. I give you a long list. But take one case which was slightly different on procedure, and that was Linc Chafee. Club for Growth beat Linc Chafee, made him spend all his money in the primary. Had Linc Chafee been elected in 2006, the Republican Party would've controlled the Senate in 2007 and '8 and would've confirmed 34 Republican judges which were left on the table unconfirmed. And I think that my colleague Senator Olympia Snowe had it right in her New York Times op-ed piece that you have to have a big tent.
MR. GREGORY: Right.
SEN. SPECTER: You can't--listen, I voted 10,000 times. I don't expect people to agree with all my votes. I don't agree with all of them at this time. But can you imagine picking one vote out of 10,000 and having the party say to me, in effect, "We don't want you as our candidate"? So there has to be room for people who are, who are moderates.
MR. GREGORY: Right.
SEN. SPECTER: It has to be Reagan's big tent again.
MR. GREGORY: All right, Senator Arlen Specter, thank you very much for appearing this morning.
SEN. SPECTER: Great being with you, David. Thank you.
MR. GREGORY: Coming next, what does Senator Specter's move say about the future of the GOP? Plus, an unexpected retirement on the Supreme Court. Who's on the short list now? And is a new partisan battle brewing? We're going to hear from two key Republican voices, Joe Scarborough and Ed Gillespie, after this brief station break.
MR. GREGORY: And we are back with Ed Gillespie and Joe Scarborough.
Welcome to you both. Well, you've just listened to Senator Specter talking about what's wrong with the Republican Party. And he talks about this, Ed Gillespie, as a low point, a wake-up call. Do you see it as that?
MR. ED GILLESPIE: Well, clearly the pendulum has swung away from us, and it's our job as a party to figure out how to get it to swing back. And obviously President Obama and the Democrats in Congress will give us some opportunities there, but we've got to proactively go out and address some of the concerns. We've got geographic concerns; we're noncompetitive on the West Coast, largely, and noncompetitive in the Northeast and increasingly so in the, in the Great Lakes. We've got to do better with Hispanic voters. So there are some things we've got to address. But I, you know, I'm optimistic. This is the fourth time in my lifetime, and I'm 47, that the Republican Party's been declared dead. We've come back the previous three times and I think we'll come back this time as well.
MR. GREGORY: But, Joe, it seems like the fundamental question is, what does the party want to be, right? So there are people who've said, "This is a low point." Ron Brown, seen in his column this week in the National Journal, talks about the party being more monochromatic, more conservative regionally and in terms of the voters. And he talked to Tom Davis of Virginia who said this, we'll put this up on the screen: "Shrewd former Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, who chaired the Republican--the National Republican Congressional Committee, calls Specter's defection a `devastating blow' that will send a `bad signal' of ideological intolerance to the moderate white-collar suburbanites the party must recapture if it is to threaten the Democrats' congressional and Electoral College majorities. `The dilemma for Republicans is, are we--what are we going to become, a coalition or are we going to be a private club?'"
MR. JOE SCARBOROUGH: But look what's happening right now. This always happens, like Ed says. Republicans were dead in 1964, they were dead in 1974. They're dead again, we hear. But just look at Connecticut, the, the bluest of the blue states; you've got a senator, Chris Dodd, down by 16 points. Look in Illinois, another blue state; you've got Mark Kirk doing very well against all Democratic comers, another Republican moderate. Look, look in Pennsylvania, Tom Ridge. If, if Tom Ridge gets in, that's a guy that's probably going to win that state also. Even New York state, thank to, thanks to David Paterson, is a state that could very well go Republican. So there's always a back and forth. But the bigger question is, what does the Republican Party need to be? We keep hearing that it's too conservative. You know, it depends on how you define conservative.
MR. GREGORY: Right.
MR. SCARBOROUGH: Over the past decade we've spent too much money, we've spread our armies across the globe, we've, we've changed rules on Wall Street that allows, you know, that allowed bankers to leverage 40-to-1. That's not conservative, that's radical. And we have to understand that and be truly conservative.
MR. GREGORY: This--Ed, you worked for President Bush, and we look at the standing of the Republican Party from when he came into office to when he leaves. And look at this polling: positive ratings now for the Republican Party at 29 percent, in December of 2001 at 57 percent. Bear in mind, that's after 9/11 there. Negative ratings jump, they double, from 22 to 44 percent there. Is this about Americans turning away from President Bush, or is it about turning away from the Republican Party? Is there a distinction?
MR. GILLESPIE: Well, I think--obviously, the president's numbers were low. It was frustrating to me because I am such a strong admirer and count myself a friend. But it's, it's a lot of different things. We had control of Congress for 12 years as well, and there were some things I think that we could've done differently. When we had the White House there were some things I think that we could've done differently. We--the, the point is to look at where we have opportunities, learn our lessons. I think that the effort that Eric Cantor and other leaders in Congress have, have just launched a go out and listen and learn and hear the voters is important. There's opportunities in that. President Obama, while he enjoys a, a 61 percent favorability rating, there is growing concern about his spending and borrowing and taxing out there. More independents in line with Republicans in those concerns than with Democrats.
MR. GREGORY: Hm.
MR. GILLESPIE: On national security issues we have some opportunities. So the key for us is to come forward with positive agenda and explain to voters how it is that our conservative principles translate into policies that improve their lives and create jobs and help them with health care and energy.
MR. GREGORY: I just want to, I want to press you on one point.
MR. GILLESPIE: Sure.
MR. GREGORY: You say independents are with Republicans on this. Obama advisers say just the opposite, that he's in the high 60s in terms of approval among independents, much more trust for Obama than for Republicans on the economy. And, and this from the ABC/Washington Post poll: Who do you trust to do a better job handling the economy? It's Obama 61 percent, Republicans in Congress 24 percent.
MR. GILLESPIE: Yeah. Let me--the, the poll I was citing...
MR. GREGORY: Yeah.
MR. GILLESPIE: ...was actually from a group that I recently helped to launched, Resurgent Republic.
MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm.
MR. GILLESPIE: Which is modeled on a, a similar liberal side of a group, but it's accurate data. It, it, it's consistent, 61 percent approval of President Obama's performance. But on the budget itself, specifically...
MR. GREGORY: Specifically on the budget.
MR. GILLESPIE: ...do you support this budget with its $1.4 trillion in--or $1.6 trillion in new spending, $1.4 trillion in new debt, and 51 percent of the respondents oppose it, and, and more independents aligned with Republicans in opposing that budget than Democrats.
MR. GREGORY: Right.
MR. GILLESPIE: So that's, that's a specific issue I'm citing.
MR. SCARBOROUGH: But here's the, here's the problem, though. When Republicans took over Washington--and we're not just talking about George W. Bush, we're talking about Republican Congress. When Republicans took over Congress in 2001 and the White House, we owned Washington, D.C., like Democrats do now. We had $155 billion surplus. When Republicans got out of power we had a $1.5 trillion debt--deficit. We doubled the national debt from about $5.7 trillion to about $11 trillion. Americans believe that we were spending too much money on foreign wars as well. We, we were the world's 911. We got away from the basics that Eddie and I worked on in the 1990s: balancing the budget, reforming welfare and adopting Colin Powell. You want to know a true conservative on foreign policy? It's Colin Powell, who says we go to war sparingly, and when we go to war we fight to win so we can bring our troops home. We've gotten away from that. And it's not just been one Republican, it's been the entire party. We've got to refocus. That's why when I hear Democrats like Arlen Specter and read editorialists like E.J. Dionne saying how liberal--or, or how conservative the Republican Party's become, they've got it backwards. We have not been conservative as a party, we've been radical.
MR. GREGORY: You've got a book coming out in the next couple of weeks, and we're going to put the jacket, the special preview jack on the screen here.
MR. SCARBOROUGH: Oh, this is so exciting.
MR. GILLESPIE: Yeah.
MR. GREGORY: "The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America's Promise." And then look at the headline from The New York Times this week: "GOP Debate: A Broader Party or a Purer One?" Both of you address this question. Should it be broader? Should it be purer?
MR. SCARBOROUGH: That's a false choice, though. Ronald Reagan was about as conservative as you can be. Ronald Reagan said, you know, the government that governs the least governs best. Thirty years ago you had Margaret Thatcher, 30 years ago this month, coming into power. Again, Thatcher, a hard-core conservative on economic issues, especially. We need to be conservative, but like Reagan. Because conservatives always love talking about Reagan. They'll talk about the ideology but not the temperament. We've got to work on our temperament. We've got to be more like Reagan. We can't scare little kids and dogs.
MR. GILLESPIE: Well, you know, I...
MR. SCARBOROUGH: And also regionally, let's face it, we've had conservative leaders. We've had George W. Bush...
MR. GREGORY: Right.
MR. SCARBOROUGH: ...Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey, Tom DeLay.
MR. GREGORY: All right, but on, but on that point, Ed, Karl Rove and...
MR. GILLESPIE: Are, are, are they going, are they going to, are they going to win New England? No.
MR. SCARBOROUGH: No.
MR. GREGORY: But, but the, but the, the, the criticism of President Bush and Karl Rove was to run a base strategy not only to get elected, but to govern that way, to a point where Lindsey Graham from South Carolina says, "Look, we can't have a party where I can't accept somebody in my party who agrees with me 70 percent of the time."
MR. GILLESPIE: Well...
MR. GREGORY: Do you think it's a false choice?
MR. GILLESPIE: I, I do think there's a lot of false choices in there. First of all, let's note, President Bush, when he passed in his first term in office No Child Left Behind and the, and the tax package, all with bipartisan support in the both the House and the Senate. We haven't seen President Obama do that yet. So that, that's a false--that's a misnomer. I do think, though, that it is important.
The fact is Ronald Reagan, everybody talks about Reagan. He was right when he said, "Somebody agrees with me 80 percent of the time is my friend." And we can be a party that adheres to principles. But also understand, to me I think who we ought to be looking at is the Democrats, frankly, and how they got the majority. They have recruited and supported candidates who run in rural districts who don't agree with their party platform on gun control.
MR. GREGORY: Right.
MR. GILLESPIE: They have recruited and supported candidates who run in predominantly Catholic or, or largely Catholic districts that don't agree with them on abortion.
MR. GREGORY: Right. That's a model, you think.
MR. GILLESPIE: Yes. I--the fact is, the most important vote a, a member of Congress casts is the first vote of the Congress, which is who is going to be the speaker and who's going to be the majority leader...
MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm.
MR. GILLESPIE: ...and set the agenda for the rest of the year.
MR. SCARBOROUGH: And while that may offend purists, remember, when we came in in 1994 we owned--oh, we owned Maine.
MR. GREGORY: Yeah.
MR. SCARBOROUGH: We had two Maine congressmen, we had two congressman from New Hampshire.
MR. GILLESPIE: New Hampshire, New York.
MR. SCARBOROUGH: We had, we had, had two in Massachusetts. We had three in Connecticut. Now there's not a single Republican House member representing anybody in all of New England.
MR. GREGORY: All right, I want to get to...
MR. SCARBOROUGH: We are shut out of that region. We have to go Ed's direction.
MR. GREGORY: I want, I want to just do a couple of quick points here. One is the Supreme Court vacancy. You're well acquainted with all of this...
MR. GILLESPIE: I am.
MR. GREGORY: ...because you were the one to shepherd Chief Justice Roberts through that nomination fight very successfully. He's the chief justice of the United States. What kind of fight do you think Republicans are gearing up for now?
MR. GILLESPIE: I think that, well, there's a difference between Republicans and conservative groups. And, and there wasn't much difference, frankly, between liberal groups and Democrats in the Senate. I think it'll be interesting to see here if Republicans senators are going to adopt what the Democrat senators, Democratic senators adopted in the last confirmation process with Roberts and Alito; which is to say it use to be that elections have consequences, presidents win elections, they get to nominate. And if someone is qualified in terms of their temperament, their intellect and their experience, whether I disagree or agree with how I think they may vote down the line, I will support them. That was changed in the last go around, and I think it'll be interesting to see whether or not Republicans say, "Yeah, we think this person may vote a certain way."
MR. GREGORY: Right.
MR. GILLESPIE: And I thought the president's comment about empathy, well, I may have empathy for, for the little guy in a fight with a big corporation, but the law may not be on his side. So I think that's a concern...
MR. GREGORY: Joe, let me talk...
MR. GILLESPIE: ...and Republicans should hone in on that.
MR. GREGORY: Let me talk about tactics on another issue, that's the issue of national security. Here is a Web ad released this week from Republican leader Boehner and Representative, Representative Pete Hoekstra talking about safety. Watch this.
(Clip from advertisement)
MR. GREGORY: Is that the tone that Republicans should be striking now?
MR. SCARBOROUGH: No. How's that? You wanted a short--no, that is not the tone we should be strike--it seems very discordant right now. The president has, has just gotten in. We can disagree without being disagreeable right now. You will see ads like that perhaps the last month of the 2010 campaign, but right now Republicans need to keep their head down, they need to come up with a policy, a conservative blueprint for where they want to lead this country on the environment, on a lot of other issues. No, I don't think that's helpful.
MR. GREGORY: All right, we're going to leave it there. Thank you both very much.
We?re going to continue this discussion online with Joe and Ed and ask some questions that our viewers have submitted via e-mail and Twitter. Watch our MEET THE PRESS Tax Two Web extra. It's up this afternoon on our Web site. Plus, look for updates from me throughout the week. It's all at mtp.msnbc.com.
And we'll be right back with our MEET THE PRESS minute; remembering professional quarterback, congressman, Cabinet member and Republican vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp.
MR. GREGORY: We're back. In our MEET THE PRESS minute this morning we remember Jack Kemp, a former quarterback with the Buffalo Bills who went on to a famed career in politics: nine terms in Congress, a member of George H.W. Bush's Cabinet and Bob Dole's running mate in the 1996 presidential campaign. He appeared on this program 21 times. Here he is in February of 1997 speaking about an issue of great importance to him, race relations and civil rights.
(Videotape, February 9, 1997)
Representative JACK KEMP: It's the single most important issue facing America at the turn of the century and the new millennium: racial reconciliation, civility. An America where you can have a dialogue over affirmative action, for instance, without being accused of being a, a racist on either way, or on either side of that issue. These are important issues that have to be addressed, and I would like to see an America in which black and white actually listen to each other. And it can't be solved with rhetoric, it has to be solved with sound, positive, progressive, inclusive policies. And I want to see the Republican Party lead that debate, because we are the party of Lincoln. And we must be an inclusionary party that says that by the year 2000, as I tried to say at Harlem one day during the campaign, I'd like to see an America where half of all black Americans are voting Democrat, but the other half are voting Republican.
(End videotape)
MR. GREGORY: Jack Kemp died last night at his home in Maryland after a battle with cancer. He was 73. He and his family are in our thoughts and prayers.
And we'll be right back.
MR. GREGORY: That's all for today. Next Sunday, two exclusive interviews: Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, and Pakistan's president, Asif Ali Zardari. They lead countries in a region that the president calls the most dangerous place in the world. Next week they'll be in Washington for a private summit with President Obama, and they'll join us on MEET THE PRESS to talk about their meeting and how they are dealing with the Taliban insurgencies in their countries. That's next week. If it's Sunday, it's MEET THE PRESS.


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Help Wanted (a Lot): Home-Health Aides
Fast-Growing Industry Experiences High Turnover Amid Low Pay and Demanding Duties
PHILADELPHIA—Dolores Streater works in one of the fastest-growing professions in the country. It is also among the lowest-paying and most-demanding. And, not coincidentally, it has particularly high turnover.
Ms. Streater is a home health-care aide.
Over the course of a day, she spends two hours commuting among her elderly and disabled clients,...
To Read the Full Story

subset: commoncrawl


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Plant Hire in Penkridge
Vine Plant Hire are one of the leading plant hire and excavator hire contractors in Staffordshire and surrounding areas.
As a family run business we have over 25 years experience and provide efficient, reliable plant hire in Penkridge and throughout the surrounding areas.
We specialise in operated plant hire services. Our highly experienced operators have considerable expertise working with equipment of all shapes and sizes, including mini excavators and midi excavators. Our mini and midi excavators are specifically chosen to provide the best quality, reliability and versatility on site. We can provide excavators from 0.8 ton – 20 ton and forward tipping dumpers (wheeled and tracked) ranging from 0.5 ton – 9 ton. All supplied with CPCS accredited operators.
Operated Plant Hire in Penkridge
When working with Vine Plant Hire, you know you're in good hands. We can provide fully qualified operators to handle all of your Plant requirements in Staffordshire and throughout the Midlands.Our excavator drivers have all been trained to CPCS standard and are available with supplementary Quick Hitch and lifting and erecting qualifications. For many of our customers we will complete specialist training such as PTS (Personal Track Safety) and BESC (Basic Electrical Safety Competence)
- An operator will add value and time to your project
- All our plant operators are CPCS/NPORS qualified to ensure safety
- Punctuality, reliability and productivity are assured
- Daily maintenance checks are completed by our operatives to ensure the machines are in good working order
- We can also provide Operators with PTS Lifting Qualifications & BESC (Basic Electrical Safety Certificates)
Why Operated Plant Hire?
- A Vine Plant Hire Operator will add value to the machine you have hired.
- Vine Plant Hire can supply you with a wide range of plant with fully trained, competent and experienced operatives.
- Give us your exact requirements and we will match our operatives to your task.
- All our plant operators are CPCS qualified and have worked on many major sites throughout Staffordshire
- Excellent timekeeping, reliability and productivity are assured.
- Daily maintenance checks are completed by our operatives.
- We can provide more specialised Operators with PTS Lifting Qualifications, BESC (Basic Electrical Safety Certificates) and NGP for overhead line and substation working.
Dumper Hire in Penkridge
The dumpers we have for hire are capable of moving 1 tonne of material despite being only just over a meter wide, enabling them to shift vast amounts of material despite severe space restrictions. All of our operators are fully accredited and experienced, able to save our customers vast amounts of time – and by extension money – for our customers thanks to their unparalleled levels of skill and the quality of machines that they are using.
Excavator Hire in Penkridge
Whether you need something small and agile or just something big to get the job done for this projects where space isn't an issue, we have what you are looking for. All of our operators are fully trained and accredited, not only to ensure maximum safety but to help keep your project on time with quick and efficient work. They are allied to machines which undergo our regular and rigorous maintenance requirements so you know that you are getting the very best combination of man and machine when you hire an excavator in Penkridge.
Site Clearance in Penkridge
At Vine Plant Hire Ltd, we provide an intensive and exact site clearance service. Our service begins by conducting an initial examination with the client. As soon as an evaluation is complete, the removal and clearing of the highlighted waste/buildings/rubbish etc will start.Our site clearance in Penkridge service is renowned for its professionalism and represents an outstanding solution to get rid of unwanted items, junk and clutter. Our services are so adaptable that they can certainly be employed to eradicate a single hazardous item to a comprehensive large scale, fully fledged site clearance.
Contact Vine Plant Hire Ltd
If you require operated plant hire in Penkridge, or perhaps feel as though you would benefit from another of our services, call our friendly team today or alternatively fill out the contact form provided and we will be in touch ASAP. You can read more about us here.


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What is Uber in a nutshell?
Uber is your private driver in more than 40 countries. Request a ride using the app and get picked up within minutes.
Where it came from?
Uber Technologies Inc. is an American international transportation network company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It develops, markets and operates the Uber mobile app, which allows consumers with smartphones to submit a trip request which is then routed to Uber drivers who use their own cars. As of May 28, 2015, the service was available in 58 countries and 300 cities worldwide. Since Uber's launch, several other companies have emulated its business model, a trend that has come to be referred to as "Uberification".
Regardless of the company's massive success, there is still some downsides in the service.
Uber should be suspended in California and fined $7.3 million, judge says
Uber — plagued by problems with regulators, drivers and taxi unions around the world — took a big blow in its home state Wednesday when an administrative judge recommended that the ride-sharing giant be fined $7.3 million and be suspended from operating in California.
Have you ever think about making it your day to day job? Well some did!
Here's how much you could make as an Uber or Lyft driver in 20 major US cities
While there's a huge disparity between how much ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft say their drivers can make and how much drivers say they're making, we should arrive at a more accurate picture by looking at the data.
Thanks to SherpaShare, a financial-analytics site that allows drivers who work for on-demand companies to track their earnings, that picture just became clearer.
According to Uber, in 2014 the median wage for an UberX driver working at least 40 hours a week in New York City averaged to about $43 an hour. A more recent report from Uber, however, put that number closer to $30 an hour.
By aggregating data from more than a million drivers tracking their trips between January and May 2015, SherpaShare was able to average the price per trip in 20 major US cities.
While SherpaShare didn't reveal the average number of trips per hour drivers could make, we now know that the average price for a New York City Uber or Lyft driver is close to $29.
Follow our coverage of the IFA 2015 and anything of the Technology World one by one only on our social media.
For more, head to our Facebook page and throw us a like or follow us on Twitter or add us to your circle in Google+ and also follow us on Instagram, so that you won't miss out any breaking news.
Be the first to hear about exciting and great projects in the works
VIA: Motors Academy, Akibatech , DSM-Tech


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Songwriting Workshop+Concert
Eddie Owen Presents an evening of Song from the Lyrical Genius of Levi Lowrey, Fester Hagood and Brother Shine White!
With Levi, Fester and Shine you'll learn:
-A helpful assortment of tricks that will help you come up with ideas even when you think you're stuck
-The qualities that make lyrics great, and how to write good ones yourself
-How a song should be structured – and how it could be structured
-How to give and receive advice that is helpful, constructive, kind, and effective
-The keys to collaborating with other songwriters
-Shortcuts that will allow you to create music for your song even if you don't play an instrument
Place: Red Clay Music Foundry
3116 Main Street, Duluth, Georgia
Date: Sept 5th
Time: Workshop 5:00pm-6:00pm
Concert doors: 7:00pm
Concert: 8:00pm
"Support Local MUSIC"
Artists to Watch
Cry With Us! Puddles Pity Party in Orlando
I owe him a poem:
Here's a story of a sad clown who one night in February was traveling through O-town.
He brought a suitcase and a lot of gum, he brought music and videos and tons of fun.
He sang high but mostly he sang low, and he put of one hell of a good show.
He gave a bearded guy a cupcake and danced with a lady, a wolf he would make
There is no doubt he is a boss sir, he even got love from Kevin Costner.
Fans filled the plaza for a night of delight as the 7 foot clown gave us some real insight.
He sang Bowie and Queen and even some Who, also Cash, Lorde and "Let it go" too
Videos played of pets and babies crying, also beautiful artwork and people smiling.
Last night Orlando was anything but mad as we showed much love for a clown that is sad.
Ok, I'd cry too after that poem. Here's some more info:
If you haven't been to see a Puddles Pity Party show, you are missing out.
The show had me smiling and laughing so hard my stomach hurt, but I was also moved so many times by the range of Puddles voice. True entertainment never gets old and I have a feeling he is going to last forever.
I loved the interaction he had with the crowd. He pulled numerous people up to help him on stage and all of them were good sports, one man even singing the entire song, "All by myself" karaoke style! The show was so well thought out and planned but with room for some hilarious improv. Especially at the end when he pulled the 3 fans from the audience dressed like clowns. At the end of them performing together, Puddles suddenly remembers that he is scared of clowns! Genius!
Hands down one of the best performances I've seen in years.
Holiday Fun
Kingsized Holiday Fun! Big Mike is Back at the Variety Playhouse!
Big Mike Geier and his Kingsized Rock 'n Roll Orchestra, along with the Dames Aflame Dancers, Lil' Santa and other special guests, bring tidings of comfort and joy with their signature glitz and glamour in what has become a tinsel-time tradition at the Variety Playhouse. The all-ages 90-minute show features your Holiday favorites by the likes of Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Andy Williams, Heat Miser, The Grinch and more!
We caught up with Big Mike to ask a few questions.
TBB: Big Mike! It's been a couple years since we had the pleasure of seeing you perform live. We are so excited to be back in Atlanta and we are ready for this show. What can you tell us about this years event?
Big Mike: Welcome back to Atlanta, Ange! We're also excited to be in town for another wild and wonderful Holiday Jubilee. We like to honor the tradition that the Jubilee has become and don't mess too much with the format. You can expect the always magnificent sounds of the 12-piece Kingsized Rock 'n Roll orchestra performing your favorite holiday classics and the dazzling Dames Aflame dancers providing the glamour. The show is all about holiday nostalgia, whatever that means to you: Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, Donnie Hathaway, The Grinch, Rankin Bass, Peanuts, the Dreidel Song? It's all in there.
Music Gallery
Turkuaz at Aisle 5
Brooklyn based funk band Turkuaz played at Aisle Five in Atlanta last week and here are some shots from the show!
MUSIC10 years ago
The Best Rock in Town – Charley Magruders Memories
Tough Mudder10 years ago
10 Musts to Survive Tough Mudder
Just For Fun6 years ago
46 Double Takes You Won't Believe!
Music Gallery5 years ago
Turkuaz at Aisle 5
Comedy5 years ago
Ho Ho Ho Steve-O? Holiday Laughs with Steve-O at the Improv Atlanta
GeekChic!6 years ago
7 Tips On How To Be Successful at Dragon*Con
Aural Pleasure6 years ago
Exclusive : Tom Arnold Interview with The Backstage Beat
Games6 years ago


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An accessory for a multi-function calibrator can range from a calibrator pressure pump and pressure module to rechargeable battery packs and pressure pumps. Each individual accessory is either used a replacement or kept a spare for use with a multi-function calibrator.
Where are Multi-Function Calibrators used?
A multi-function calibrator are available in many forms, most of them being hand-held and portable devices. They have been created to provide precision when simulating and measuring pressure, electrical signals and temperature. A multifunction calibrator used in conjunction with correct accessories has the capability to perform a multitude of applications such as simulate direct current signals including voltages, currents, pulses, frequencies, resistances and power. (some may have built-in functions, removing the need for some accessories)
Our range of multi-function calibrator accessories is brought to you by leading brands such as Fluke, Time Electronics, Druck and of course our trusted own brand RS Pro. Each component and each instrument has been created and designed to enhance the capability of a calibrator and ultimately provide high precision calibration and measurement.


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Filing A Claim For Your Retirement Benefits
A key document related to your retirement benefits is the summary plan description (SPD) for your plan. The SPD provides a detailed overview of the plan – how it works, what benefits it provides, and the plan's procedures for filing a claim. It also describes your rights as well as your responsibilities under ERISA and your plan. For some single employer collectively bargained plans, you should also check the collective bargaining agreement's claim filing, grievance and appeal procedures as they may apply to claims for retirement benefits.
Before you apply for retirement benefits, review the SPD to make sure you meet the plan's requirements and understand the procedures for filing a claim. Sometimes claims procedures are contained in a separate booklet that is handed out with your SPD. If you do not have a copy of your plan's SPD or claims procedures, make a written request for one or both to your retirement plan's administrator. Your plan administrator is required to provide you with a copy.
If you are not retiring but are changing jobs and wish to roll over the money in your plan to an IRA or another employer's retirement plan, the SPD will tell you if and how this transfer can be made. Plans that do permit rollovers will specify the process for requesting a transfer. Your SPD will also tell you if there are special rules for benefits such as those for early retirement benefits.
Filing A Claim
An important first step is to check your SPD to make sure you meet your plan's eligibility requirements to receive benefits. Your plan might say, for example, that you must have worked a certain number of years and/or be a certain age before you can start receiving benefits. Also, be aware of what your plan requires to file a claim. The SPD or claims procedure booklet must include information on where to file, what to file, and who to contact if you have questions about your plan, such as how to estimate your retirement benefits. Plans cannot charge any filing fees or costs for filing claims and appeals.
If, for any reason, that information is not in the SPD or claims procedure booklet, write your plan administrator, your employer's human resource department (or the office that normally handles claims), or an office of your employer to notify them that you have a claim. Keep a copy of the letter for your records. You may also want to send the letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you will have a record that the letter was received and by whom.
If it is not you, but an authorized representative or your beneficiary who is filing the claim, that person should refer to the SPD and follow your plan's claims procedure. The procedure may require other documents when this type of claim is filed.
When a claim is filed, be sure to keep a copy for your records.
Waiting Period
Your plan has 90 days in which to evaluate your claim and to tell you whether or not you will receive the retirement benefits. It may not take this long.
If, because of special circumstances, your plan needs more time to decide your claim, it must tell you within the 90-day period that more time is needed, why it is needed, and the date by which you can expect a decision. Plans can have up to 90 additional days to decide your claim. Make a note of when you file your claim.
Usually, claims are decided within the 90-day period (or 180 days if an extension applies). If you are entitled to benefits, check your SPD for how and when benefits are paid.
If your claim is denied, the plan must send you written notice within 90 days (or 180 days if an extension applies). This notice must be in plain language that can be understood. It must include all the specific reasons for the denial, refer you to the plan provisions on which the decision is based, and tell you if more information is needed from you to decide the claim, what that information is, and why it is needed. It also must describe the plan's procedures and deadlines for submitting an appeal of your claim for a full and fair review.
Appealing A Denied Claim
Claims are denied for various reasons. Perhaps you haven't been a participant in the plan long enough. Or you may not be old enough to meet the plan's age requirements. Or perhaps the plan simply needs more information about your claim. Whatever the reason, the plan must give you at least 60 days to file an appeal (check your SPD or claims procedure booklet to see if your plan provides a longer time period).
Use the information in your claim denial notice in preparing your appeal. You should also be aware that the plan must provide claimants, on request and free of charge, copies of all documents, records, and other information relevant to the claim for benefits. Be sure to include all information related to your claim, particularly any additional information or evidence, and get it to the person specified in the denial notice before the end of the 60-day period.
Reviewing An Appeal
Plan officials have 60 days to review your appeal. If it is going to take longer, they must notify you in writing of the delay. Plan officials can extend the decision due date an additional 60 days, for a total of 120 days. There is one exception. When a committee or board of trustees reviews your appeal and that entity meets only quarterly, your appeal may take longer.
Once a final decision on your claim is made, the plan must send you a written explanation of the decision. The notice must be in plain language that can be understood. It must include all the specific reasons for denial of your claim on appeal, refer you to the plan provisions on which the decision is based, tell you if the plan has any additional or voluntary levels of appeal, explain your right to receive all documents that are relevant to your benefit claim free of charge, and describe your rights to seek judicial review of the plan's decision.
If Your Appeal Is Denied
If the plan's final decision denies your claim, you may want to seek legal advice regarding your rights to bring an action in court to challenge the denial. You also may want to contact the nearest office of the Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) about your rights if you believe the plan failed to follow any of ERISA's requirements in handling your benefit claim.
Contact EBSA if you don't receive a written notice of the decision on your claim or appeal, if you have tried to reach a plan official to file or inquire about a claim and received no response, or if you have other questions about filing a claim or about your retirement plan.
You can reach the EBSA regional office nearest you by calling 1.866.444.3272.
For more information about the claims procedure rules and retirement plans go to EBSA's Web site, www.dol.gov/ebsa. You may also wish to consult the following EBSA publications: What You Should Know About Your Retirement Plan and Taking The Mystery Out of Retirement Planning.
Filing A Claim – Summary
This publication has been developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration. For a complete list of the agency's publications, call our toll free number at 1.866.444.3272. This material will be made available in alternate format upon request: Voice phone: 202.693.8664, TTY: 202.501.3911. This booklet constitutes a small entity compliance guide for purposes of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Act of 1996.


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KARVER–KF Code Zero Furler, KF1
This item is no longer available.
KF Code Zero Furler, KF1
|Best Use
|Boat Length
Gennakers: 17 to 43 Feet
Storm and Code Zero: 17 to 23 Feet
|Breaking Strength
|6613 Pounds
|Drum Diameter
|4.3 Inches (110mm)
|Pin Diameter
|5/16 Inch
|Safe Working Load
|3306 Pounds
|14.7 Ounces
Product Overview
Reefing or furling systems?
Unlike conventional reefing systems that are fixed to the headstay and have rigid extrusions, a furler is a light cast-off system that allows ease of deploying and striking a sail with the added convenience of lowering and storing the rolled sail, minimizing weight and windage aloft. The rolled sail is easily removed from the sail locker, the drum attached to the deck and a halyard attached to the swivel. Raise the rolled sail, and simply unroll it and set the sheets. In addition, a single furler may be utilized on numerous sails (gennaker, staysail, stormsail, etc.) improving sail handling.
Exclusive Advantages of Karver Furlers
Karver furlers dominate in extreme offshore racing classes like the Open 60, and here are a few reasons why:
Protective Spool Cover: An elastic impact-resistant plastic cover encloses the lower spool.
Simple line replacement: KF Furlers have a notch on the spool allowing fitting or removal of the loop line without removing the line cover or dismounting the system. Continuous line systems allow unlimited furling (ideal for large overlapping sails), and larger diameter drums apply more torque for easier operation.
Increased available luff length through reduced height of the spool and tack fitting, putting the tack of the sail closer to the deck.
High resistance stainless steel ball bearings ensure smooth rotation under the most extreme loads. All KF Furlers are maintenance free and protected by a special anodizing with Teflon impregnation. No pins or small parts to lose. Simple attachment systems allow either a conventional snap shackle or a 2:1 block either on top of the swivel or below the spool.
Drum Diameter 3 5/32", Lower Unit Height 3 7/8", Swivel/Shackle Dia. 1 1/4",Pin Diameter 5/16", Wt. (Oz.) 14.7, MWL (lb.) 3,306, Breaking Strength (lb.) 6,613
The West Advisor articles have answered boaters' questions and provided solutions to boating problems for more than 20 years. West Marine has compiled one of the Web's most comprehensive collections of technical boating information articles.


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A sturdy vise with features comparable to those in the $200-250 range, the Peak® Rotary Vise includes a 6" x 6" x 1/2" stand-alone pedestal base constructed of white, powder-coated steel. This base provides a stable work platform and features a convenient, rounded-edge pocket for beads and hooks. Its non-reflective white coat provides good contrast, making small hooks and beads easy to see without straining your eyes.
The Peak Rotary Vice has a positive-stop cam action that allows repeatable gripping from the first fly to the last. Its hardened jaws can hold hooks ranging from a 2/0 streamer hook to a #24 midge. Additional features include an adjustable height and length bobbin rest, a quick-change jaw and an adjustable friction knob. Optional Peak Saltwater Jaws are available for hook sizes up to 6/0.
- Base dimensions: 6" x 6" x 1/2"
- Base construction: white powder-coated steel
- Pocket with rounded corners for easy retrieval of hooks, beads and other supplies
- Brass tipped set screw and Allen wrench (provided) allow the vise to be broken down flat
- Hardened jaws hold large range of hook sizes
- Positive-stop cam action
- Height and length adjustable bobbin rest
- Quick-change jaw
- Adjustable friction knob
- Peak lifetime warranty against materials and workmanship
- Manufacture's model number: PRV-G2


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A Texas Democrat and dozens of students are asking state lawmakers to reconsider a bill that would push the state's public schools to teach about contraception in addition to abstinence.
About 75 high school and college students marched Tuesday to the Texas Capitol to support a legislation introduced by Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio) to revamp the state's sex education to teach about the use of contraception in addition to abstinence. Texas law currently mandates that districts that teach sex education must emphasize abstinence.
Castro says his bill is meant to give students other options to prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted illnesses, not downplay abstinence.
"We're still making sure that that's (abstinence) the emphasis, but our legislation also has a dose of reality in it," said Castro.
The student marchers on Tuesday say the state's teen pregnancy rate is too high.
Protester Nicole Vargas, 18, of San Antonio told Reuters, "At my high school, when a teenager gets pregnant, it's not that big of a deal, because it's such a common thing."
According to 2009 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Texas is one of ten states where the rate of teen pregnancy is above 50 percent among youths ages 15 to 19.
Nationally, however, the rate of teen pregnancy has been declining. U.S. figures collected in 2009 and released in December show that there was an average of 39 births per 1,000 girls, ages 15 to 19. The 2009 rate is the lowest on record in 70 years.
The CDC also released a report this month that shows an increase in the practice of abstinence among teens and young adults between the ages of 15 to 24. The number of youths who never had oral, vaginal or anal sex rose from 22 percent to 28 percent.
Jonathan Saenz, director of legislative affairs for Liberty Institute, defended the lack of contraception lesions in the state's sex education by contending that such instruction amounts to "giving students a lighter and a cigarette at the front door of the school and telling them not to smoke."
State Representative Rob Eissler, the head of the House Public Education Committee, said Castro's bill is unlikely to pass in these economic times.
Moreover, the bill is also unlikely to gain support with Republicans. A similar bill did not make it out of a House committee last session. This year, the bill could face even more challenges because of the larger number of Republicans in the House.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry also has voiced his support for the state's focus on abstinence education. Perry said in a television interview, "I'm just going to tell you from my own personal life, abstinence works."


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But I already *have* the woman I want.
> If you have all the beautiful, sexy women you want in your life,
> read no further.
Wow. Kudos to them for the warning...
Byars, did you write this?
> Would you like to stop making the same mistakes 90% of the other
> guys are making?
Naw, Byars couldn't have written this. He would have used the
mystical number 97.
The thing that kills me about spams like this is that it feeds off
the insecurities of poor schleps who are too uncertain and shaky to
know any better. Nonetheless, I crossFoRK it for point of reference...
> PLUS, if you order now, as an added bonus you will receive
> absolutely FREE the fantastic new report "Rapid Start Dating Guide"
Oh joy. I still can't believe they teach me everything I need to
know about women in 126 pages...
------- start of forwarded message (RFC 934 encapsulation) -------
From: email@example.com
Apparently-To: <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Subject: Have the women YOU want!!!
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 97 16:44:43 EST
ATTRACT AND DATE THE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN OF YOUR DREAMS WITH AN INCREDIBLE NEW STEP BY STEP BOOK! If you have all the beautiful, sexy women you want in your life, read no further. If you are ready to make some major changes in your love life and you want to start dating more beautiful women than you ever believed possible... READ ON! Would you like to stop making the same mistakes 90% of the other guys are making? Would you like to be the man an attractive woman chooses over all the rest? Is it really possible to date ALL the sensational women you want? YES! You too can easily date beautiful women! Learn the secrets of success and you can easily attract the exciting women of the 90's! Now, you can be that man who stands out when it comes to women. You can be the man who walks confidently up to a gorgeous woman and soon has her totally charmed! 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"Men are basically visually stimulated while women are basically emotionally stimulated" Knowing what this really means and how it applies makes a huge difference in YOUR love life! This step by step book covers everything from when and where to meet a desirable woman, to enjoying a successful, lasting relationship. You will see through the illusions you've been taught to believe. We do not offer gimmicks or vague advice. In simple, easily understood language you will learn what really works and how you can easily duplicate these proven techniques. You will find chapter after chapter of specific information; we eliminate the guess work, confusion, and frustration. We teach you, step by step, how to utilize the way you present yourself to your own best advantage, making you irresistible to today's beautiful, sexy women! You'll be amazed how easy it really is to charm attractive women! 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Try our step by step approach presented to you for 90 days and are not meeting and dating more women, you can return this book in good condition, for a full refund... no questions asked. Either way, the free report is yours to keep! Order the book now!! (Cut here) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MEET, ATTRACT AND DATE GORGEOUS WOMEN!!! BOOK ORDER INFORMATION THE BOOK YOU WISH TO ORDER IS (US) $49.95 EACH HOWEVER DURING OUR SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER FOR THE NEXT 10 DAYS..... YOU CAN ORDER IT NOW FOR ONLY (US) $24.95 EACH !!! SHIPPING COSTS: USA, Canada & Mexico $24.95 add $3.50 (Add US$12 for International) for shipping and handling. PLEASE ENTER YOUR TOTAL HERE: ___________________ ********************************************************** ** Please give us your name, E-mail address, and the postal ** ** address where you would like your book order to be sent. ** ********************************************************** YOUR FULL NAME: ____________________________________________ YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS: _______________________________________ YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER: ___________________________________ YOUR FULL MAILING ADDRESS(Including City, State, Postal Code & Country): _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ *************************** *** PAYMENT INFORMATION *** *************************** METHOD OF PAYMENT: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ___ Master Card ___ Visa ___ American Express ___ Check ___ Money Orders CREDIT CARD INFORMATION: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ NAME AS IT APPEARS ON CARD: ____________________________________ ACCOUNT NUMBER ON CARD: ______________________________________ EXPIRATION DATE ON CARD: _______________________________________ SIGNATURE: _____________________________________________________ ADDRESS WHERE YOU RECEIVE YOUR CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS: _______________________________________________________________ PAYING BY CHECK: (US Currency) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Please make checks payable and mail orders to: M.J.H. PO Box 14909 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406-4909 ALL orders must be postal mailed! ------- end ------- ---- email@example.com There are no bright sides in the FoRK universe, just the temporary absence of darkness. -- Rohit Khare


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Intel chases sports viewing in VR with acquisition of Voke
- 04 November, 2016 05:24
How nice would it be to view sports events as if you were right in the middle of the action? Intel is betting consumers will embrace sports as part of its virtual reality future.
The chipmaker on Thursday snapped up VR firm Voke, which provides products so users can view live events on VR headsets.
Voke's products include a lens that captures stereoscopic 3D video so viewers can feel like they are attending a sporting event.
The acquisition fills a big hole in Intel's attempts to deliver live sports events to VR headsets. It now has the tools to shoot, view, and replay video in a VR format.
In addition to PC-based VR headsets, the video captured by Voke's system can also be viewed on PCs, tablets, and smartphones. So it'll be possible for the technology to work with mobile VR headsets.
Beyond sports, Intel's also trying to bring VR to events like fashion shows. Intel has had a big presence at New York Fashion Week in recent years, and this year, the company showed off some of its VR technologies. Voke worked with Intel to live stream fashion shows to VR headsets.
Intel is still getting its feet wet in the interactive sports video market. Live video is still emerging as a consumer product, but the company is already partnering with the National Basketball Association so users can watch highlight reels from different angles. That technology is made possible through other VR acquisitions by Intel. One such company is Replay Technologies, which captures video from several cameras, and the video then is processed on servers with Intel chips.
Intel believes VR is the future of computing. It is competing with content creators, headset makers, broadcasters, and other VR companies. While it is working with PC makers to create VR headsets with its chips, it hasn't cooperated with well-established VR companies like Samsung and Google.
Intel did not disclose how much it was paying to buy Voke.


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Orrick is a leading global law firm with a particular focus on serving companies in the technology, energy and financial sectors. We are recognized worldwide for delivering the highest-quality, commercially-oriented legal advice and for our culture of innovation and collaboration.
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To learn more about our firm, we invite you to explore this site and to contact members of the Orrick team in your market.


text: You should have seen quite an improvement over the last 24 hours or so. Also, the complete re-write of the script is almost complete... we'll need probably another couple of weeks of testing it on another domain to make sure everything will go smoothly when we move it over. Once that is done it'll be like new again


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Ohio Northern University will begin its third annual Student Safety Week, featuring a number of activities, on Sept. 9.
Sponsored by the ONU Security Office, in partnership with the ONU Student Senate, the ONU Panhellenic Council, the ONU Interfraternity Council and the ONU Student Planning Committee, the event will touch on subjects such as personal safety, dating violence and human trafficking.
On Monday, Sept. 8, the week kicks off with two events. At noon, the Hardin County Sheriff's Department will have a canine unit under the supervision of Deputy Joe Carl in the McIntosh Activities Room. Larry Banaszak, Otterbein's chief of police, will lecture on "Response to Campus Shooter Program" in the McIntosh Ballroom at 7 p.m.
Debbie Norris will speak about dating violence in the McIntosh Ballroom on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. Norris, who created the Heather's Voice website to educate teens about dating violence and domestic abuse, lost her daughter to domestic abuse, which eventually led to her death.
A fun interactive game show, "Game Show XXX: Sex, Love and Everything in Between," will be held in the McIntosh Ballroom on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. On Thursday, Sept. 12, the movie "Not Today" will be shown in the English Chapel at 9 p.m. The movie focuses on a young man who is exposed to the world of human trafficking.
The week will conclude with a raffle conducted by the ONU Security Office on Friday, Sept. 13, at 1 p.m. in the McIntosh lobby. Raffle tickets can be acquired by attending the events throughout the week.
All safety week activities are free and open to the public.