WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011 • THE BULLETIN
T S Senate blocks Obama jobs bill By Robert Pear New York Times News Service
WASHINGTON — In a major setback for President Barack Obama, the Senate on Tuesday blocked consideration of his $447 billion jobs bill, forcing the White House and congressional Democrats to scramble to salvage parts of the plan, the centerpiece of Obama’s push to revive the economy. The legislation, announced by the president at a joint session of Congress last month, fell 10 votes short of the 60 needed to overcome procedur-
al hurdles in the Senate. The vote in favor of advancing the bill Tuesday was 5049. Two moderate Democrats facing difficult re-election campaigns, Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Jon Tester of Montana, joined Republicans in opposition. In addition, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, D-Nev., switched his vote from yes to no so he could move to reconsider the vote in the future. Given Obama’s repeated demands that Congress pass the bill intact, the Senate’s vote to block the measure rep-
resented a significant setback and came after leaders of his own party had adjusted the measure to include a surtax on incomes of more than $1 million to round up additional Democratic votes. Following the vote, the president criticized Republicans for balking at a measure that contained initiatives they supported in the past. Votes on pieces of the bill could begin later this month, perhaps as early as next week, Senate Democratic aides said. Party leaders said they needed to consult their
caucus before they decide on the timing or choose the provisions to be considered separately. As the Senate moved toward a vote Tuesday, Reid made a charge heard with increasing frequency from Democrats: Republicans were opposing the bill because they want the economy to remain in bad shape. “Republicans think that if the economy improves, it might help President Obama,” Reid said. “So they root for the economy to fail and oppose every effort to improve it.”
REPUBLICAN DEBATE
Romney solidifies his front-runner status By Philip Rucker and Amy Gardner The Washington Post
HANOVER, N.H. — A comfortable and confident Mitt Romney solidified his frontrunner status on Tuesday night in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination, navigating 90 minutes of tough questions on the economy from his rivals and debate moderators. All eight Republican hopefuls who shared an intimate roundtable on the debate stage at Dartmouth College clamored to blame Washington for the country’s economic ills. In turn, they pointed fingers at President Barack Obama, the Federal Reserve and the government in general, although they sparred over the details of their plans to grow the economy. The participants uniformly criticized Obama and official Washington for, in their view, not reviving the economy and for stunting its growth with too many regulations, overreach by the Federal Reserve and inadequate tax relief. This time, the candidate with whom Romney had to share the spotlight was Herman Cain. The businessman has soared in opinion polls but faced a crush of scrutiny in Tuesday’s debate on an economic plan that he referred to again and again but that his rivals dismissed as overly simplistic and unrealistic. Cain countered that the simplicity of his “9-9-9” plan to gut the federal tax code is its virtue, and he used it to separate himself as a bold outsider in a field of politicians. During a portion of Tuesday’s Washington Post-Bloomberg debate in which each candidate had a chance to ask another a question, four posed queries to Romney, acknowledging his position as the one to beat. Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who was looking to revive his struggling campaign, seized few moments. He stayed silent for long stretches in the debate. When asked how he would fix the nation’s sputtering economy, he said only that he would develop new energy resources. Even when pressed, he offered few specifics. “What we need to be focused on in this country today is not whether or not we are going to have this policy or that policy,” he said. “What we need to be focused on is how we get
New York Times News Service
DETROIT — Even before the plane had landed, a badly burned Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was admitting to a fellow passenger that, yes, he had just been trying to ignite an explosive device, a prosecutor said Tuesday, as Abdulmutallab’s trial of charges of trying to blow up a plane in 2009 began. From there, the prosecutor says, Abdulmutallab made admissions that day, one after the next, to just about everyone he came across. One day into his federal
Exchange with Hamas will free Israeli soldier cal leader of Hamas, said in a televised address that the neJERUSALEM — Israel gotiations had been “very, very and Hamas announced an difficult” and called the deal agreement Tuesday “a national accomplishto exchange more ment” that augured well than 1,000 Palestinfor the Palestinians. ian prisoners for an It was unclear what Israeli soldier held drove the two to accept captive in Gaza for a deal that had been on five years, a deal Shalit the table for years. But brokered by Egypt both stand to benefit that seemed likely politically and had reato shake up Middle East sons to distract attention from politics at a time when the efforts of Mahmoud Abthe region is immersed in bas, president of the Palestinturmoil. ian Authority, as he circles the Prime Minister Benjamin globe seeking votes for his bid Netanyahu of Israel told his to gain U.N. membership for a nation in a live address on state of Palestine. television that the soldier, A prisoner exchange deal Staff Sgt. Gilad Shalit, who for Shalit had seemed close was captured in June 2006 in late 2009, but the talks colat the age of 19, could be lapsed. Israel and Hamas each home “within days.” Sha- blamed the other. Israel had lit was seized in a cross- balked at releasing some of border raid by Hamas and the prisoners demanded by other Palestinian militant Hamas, including those congroups and taken into the victed as planners and perpeGaza Strip. trators of some of the deadliIn Damascus, Syria, est terrorist attacks in recent Khaled Meshal, the politi- years. By Ethan Bronner
New York Times News Service
Former Ukraine premier jailed for abuse of power Tymoshenko, an acerbic populist who represents the KIEV, Ukraine — From Europe-leaning west of the the moment President Vik- country, rose to drown out the tor Yanukovich took office judge’s voice as he read the last year, a central verdict, speaking diquestion was whethrectly to a bank of teleer he would lead vision cameras. Ukraine west, to“This is an authoriward Europe, or into tarian regime,” she a tight symbiosis said. “Against the backwith the country’s Yanukovich ground of European Soviet-era masters rhetoric, Yanukovich is in Moscow. taking Ukraine farther Eighteen months of cau- from Europe by launching tious navigation hit a wa- such political trials.” tershed Tuesday, when a Prosecutors say Tymoshencourt in Kiev sentenced the ko harmed Ukraine’s interests country’s most prominent when, as prime minister, she opposition politician, Yulia carried out negotiations with Tymoshenko, to seven years Russia in 2009 over the price in prison. Leaders in Eu- of natural gas. rope have condemned the case as politically motivated and hinted that they are unlikely to ratify a free trade and association agreement with Ukraine, a project four years in the making. By Ellen Barry
New York Times News Service
Jim Cole / The Associated Press
Republican presidential candidates from left: Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., Texas Gov. Rick Perry, businessman Herman Cain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum at the debate at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., on Tuesday.
Christie endorses Romney LEBANON, N.H. — Mitt Romney on Tuesday won the coveted endorsement of Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, gaining a persuasive ambassador to populist conservatives and additional cover against attacks from the Christian right. The pugnacious, fiscally conservative Christie has been a bridge between the Republican Party establishment and the grassroots, and his
Americans working again.” At another moment, Perry quipped: “Mitt’s had six years to be working on a plan. I’ve been in this for about eight weeks.” In one exchange, Cain, a former Godfather’s Pizza executive, challenged Romney to name all 59 points in his 160-page economic plan, suggesting that it failed Cain’s test to be “simple, transparent, efficient, fair and neutral” in contrast to Cain’s proposal. But the former Massachusetts governor did not hesitate to make the case that the complexity of his plan reflects the complexity of the nation’s problems and the depth of his experience, business knowhow and ability to deal with those problems. “I have had the experience in my life of taking on some tough problems,” Romney said. “And I must admit that simple answers are always very helpful but oftentimes inadequate. And in my view, to get this
Prosecutor says man admitted plot to blow up passenger jet By Monica Davey
A3
trial here, it remained uncertain what defense Abdulmutallab, a nonlawyer who is representing himself, intends to present. After Jonathan Tukel, an assistant U.S. attorney, described the outlines of the case in a lengthy opening statement, a lawyer assist ingAbdulmutallab told jurors that the defense would, at least for now, offer no such opening. So far, Abdulmutallab has made it clear that he intends to call a passenger from among the 290 on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, which had traveled from Amsterdam to Detroit on Dec. 25, 2009.
endorsement helped cement the perception that the establishment, including many big donors, has now lined up behind Romney. And in a year in which Republican voters have been seeking a candidate with the fighting spirit needed to defeat President Barack Obama, Christie’s presence at the candidate’s side seemed to highlight a new combativeness in Romney. — New York Times News Service
economy going again, we’re going to have to deal with more than just tax policy and just energy policy, even though both of those are part of my plan.” Not one of the candidates has successfully prosecuted the conservative case against Romney, who on the strength of his political organization and strong debate performances has held steady even though he has been unable to build an insurmountable lead. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman joined Cain in calling for broad tax reform, while Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota criticized federal regulation of interest rates and the housing industry. Bachmann, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas took aim at the Federal Reserve and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke specifically for regulating currency, interest rates and other aspects of the economy. Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania at one point
urged that the solution to the nation’s economic problems should revolve around rebuilding the American family Again and again, the Republican contest has been shaped by the debates, which have been filled with moments that have proved pivotal, whether by boosting the candidates’ fortunes or dashing them. A crucial mistake in June by former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty crippled his campaign, while Bachmann rode a pair of impressive performances to a victory in the Iowa straw poll. More recently, Perry’s poor showing in a trio of September debates soured voters on his candidacy. With each debate, the expectations for the primary electorate have shifted, as they have turned their attention to the latest candidate to capture their fancy. On Tuesday night, that was Cain, after his own debate performances propelled him to the top of opinion polls this month. For him, this was a test of whether he could do what other candidates were unable to do, which is turn his center-stage moment into lasting appeal. Cain referred repeatedly to his 9-9-9 plan and said he would reduce the federal debt. But the plan he championed became fodder for his rivals. “I think it’s a catchy phrase,” Huntsman said. “In fact, I thought it was the price of a pizza when I first heard about it.” Cain shot back: “9-9-9 will pass, and it is not the price of a pizza, because it has been well studied and well developed.”
Bob Schumacher 541.280.9147 www.schumacherconstructioninc.com
• Weight Loss & Weight Management • Nutritional Counseling • Hormone Balancing • Age Management
AGEWISEMD.COM 541.678.5150
Vitamin E pills linked to prostate cancer risk By Lindsey Tanner The Associated Press CHICAGO — There is more evidence that taking vitamin E pills can be risky. A study that followed up on men who took high doses of the vitamin for about five years found they had a slightly increased risk of prostate cancer — even after they quit taking the pills. Doctors say it’s another sign that people should be careful about using vitamins and other supplements. “People tend to think of vitamins as innocuous substances, almost like chicken soup — take a little and it can’t hurt,”
said lead author Dr. Eric Klein of the Cleveland Clinic. The study shows that is not true. “If you have normal levels, the vitamin is probably of no benefit, and if you take too much, you can be harmed,” Klein said. Men randomly assigned to take a 400-unit capsule of vitamin E every day for about five years were 17 percent more likely to get prostate cancer than those given dummy pills. That dose, commonly found in over-the-counter supplements, is almost 20 times higher than the recommended adult amount of about 23 units daily.
Darrel Wisseman
Danielle Baptist
Mark A. Schang
Jim Sliker
Prineville, OR 541-447-7013
Bend, OR 541-389-0100
Bend, OR 541-617-8861
Bend, OR 541-318-9880