Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories):
1. Biden Reveals Top Secret 'Undisclosed Location'
2. Top Democrats Fight Push for Murtha Probe
3. Truth-O-Meter: Pelosi Statement 'False'
4. Cheney Likes Jeb for President
5. Newsmax Poll: Sarah Palin for President in 2012
6. Join Vitter, Coburn, Ruddy in New York
7. Exports Decline Idles Huge Fleet of Cargo Ships
8. James Carville Is a Newsmax Reader
9. We Heard: Mary Matalin, Liz Cheney, Tribune Co.
1. Biden Reveals Location of Secret 'Undisclosed Location'
Vice President Joe Biden has done it again.
Biden, who has a history of verbal blunders, has revealed the existence of a secret bunker intended to house the vice president in case of a national emergency or attack.
According to Newsweek magazine's Eleanor Clift, Biden let the secret slip at the recent Gridiron Club dinner, and annual event attended by media members and high-power politicians. Clift reports that Biden admitted to those at his table that the bunker is located beneath the vice president's official residence, located at the U.S. Naval Observatory near Washington, D.C.
It is likely that former Vice President Dick Cheney was hidden in the bunker - referred to as an "undisclosed location" - in the confusing aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
Newsweek's story asserts that Biden "said a young naval officer giving him a tour of the residence showed him the hideaway, which is behind a massive steel door secured by an elaborate lock with a narrow connecting hallway lined with shelves filled with communications equipment.
"The officer explained that when Cheney was in lock down, this was where his most trusted aides were stationed, an image that Biden conveyed in a way that suggested we shouldn't be surprised that the policies that emerged were off the wall."
This is hardly the first time Biden has raised eyebrows with an off-the-cuff remark. Most recently, he was criticized for encouraging Americans to avoid airline travel during the swine flu scare.
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2. Top Democrats Fight Push for Murtha Probe
Democratic leaders in Congress are pressuring newer members of the House not to back a resolution by Rep. Jeff Flake calling for an ethics investigation involving Rep. John Murtha.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, assistant to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, sent an e-mail to staffers for first-and second-term Democrats with the subject line: "Don't be a Flake."
The message said Democrats would again be voting to table another Flake resolution and warned that leadership "would have its eyes on any Democrat even thinking about defecting," Politico reports.
Flake, an Arizona Republican, wants an ethics investigation into the relationships that Pennsylvania Democrat Murtha and other veteran Democratic legislators had with the PMA Group.
The offices of PMA, a military-oriented lobbying firm, were raided by the FBI in November. The New York Times reported that investigators were looking for evidence that PMA made illegitimate campaign contributions to Murtha.
PMA allegedly directed tens of millions of dollars in contributions to lawmakers while steering hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarked contracts back to PMA clients.
Murtha, chairman of the Defense Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, earmarked millions of dollars for the Electro-Optics Center at Penn State University, which then rerouted the money to clients of PMA, according to Politico.
As the House prepared to vote on Flake's resolution, House Minority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina sent an e-mail warning Democrats: "If the Flake resolution is referred to the Ethics Committee, members can expect attack ads to be run against them alleging members to be 'under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.'"
On Tuesday, Democrats did again vote overwhelmingly to table Flake's resolution. But 29 Democrats — the highest number yet — voted in favor of the measure, providing "further evidence of a generational divide that's pitting newer House members who want to 'drain the swamp' against veteran members who don't want to see their colleagues investigated," Politico observed.
The newer Democrats reportedly are concerned about appearing hypocritical for vowing during the campaign to clean up Congress and then declining to do so once in office.
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3. Truth-O-Meter: Pelosi Statement 'False'
The St. Petersburg Times applied its "Truth-O-Meter" to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's statement about her knowledge of CIA interrogation techniques — and the needle swung to "False."
On April 23, Pelosi was asked if she and other key members of the House Intelligence Committee were briefed on "enhanced interrogation techniques," including waterboarding, in 2002.
"We were not — I repeat — were not told that waterboarding or any of these other enhanced interrogation methods were used," said the California Democrat.
Pelosi insists she was told only that the interrogation techniques could be used, not that they would be or had been used.
Justice Department documents show one terrorist, Abu Zubaydah, was waterboarded 83 times in August 2002, the month before Pelosi's briefing.
A CIA timeline prepared by the Director of National Intelligence indicates that on Sept. 4, 2002, Pelosi and Porter Goss, then-chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, were briefed on the use of enhanced interrogation techniques (EITs) on Zubaydah and received "a description of the particular EITs that had been employed."
The CIA's account is backed up by Goss, the Times' PolitiFact Web site reports.
The Truth-O-Meter's conclusion?
"At PolitiFact, we normally would be reluctant to make a Truth-O-Meter ruling in a he-said, she-said situation, but in this case, the evidence goes beyond the competing accounts from Pelosi and Goss," the Times' site states.
"We are persuaded by the CIA timeline . . . That document provides compelling — albeit sparsely worded — evidence that Pelosi's recollection is incorrect...
"We reserve the right to change our ruling if new information emerges that contradicts the CIA timeline, but for now, we rule Pelosi's statement False."
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4. Cheney Likes Jeb for President
Former Vice President Dick Cheney said he would likely support ex-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush if he decides to follow in his older brother's footsteps and run for president.
During an interview on Tuesday with Fox News' Neil Cavuto, the host noted: "Jeb Bush made some news recently saying that the [Republican] Party, and I’ll paraphrase here, obsesses a bit too much about Ronald Reagan and has got to move on and move forward. What do make of that?"
Cheney responded: "Well, I like Jeb. I think he’s a good man. I’d like to see him continue to stay involved politically."
"For president?" Cavuto asked.
"I’d probably support him for president," Cheney said.
Cavuto: "Would you really?"
Cheney: "He’s a good man."
Cavuto: "Over Mitt Romney?"
Cheney: "I’m not - I’m not endorsing anybody today. I’m not..."
Cavuto: "Any candidate you like?"
Cheney: "I’m not in the business of endorsing anybody at this point, Neil. But I’m a big fan of Jeb’s."
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5. Newsmax Poll: Sarah Palin for President in 2012
An Internet poll sponsored by Newsmax reveals overwhelming support for Sarah Palin as the Republican presidential nominee in 2012.
The great majority of those taking part in the poll — which drew more than half a million responses — also believe that as a running mate Palin helped John McCain last year.
Here are the poll questions and results:
- What is your opinion of Sarah Palin? Favorable: 83 percent Unfavorable: 17 percent
- Do you believe Sarah Palin as a running mate helped or hurt John McCain? Helped: 80 percent Hurt: 20 percent
- In the election between McCain-Palin and Obama-Biden, who did you vote for? McCain-Palin: 81 percent Obama-Biden: 16 percent Other: 3 percent
- Would you support Sarah Palin as the Republican nominee for president in 2012? Yes: 78 percent No: 22 percent
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6. Join Vitter, Coburn, Ruddy in New York
The largest conservative insider meeting — The Monday Meeting in New York--will take place in New York this Monday, May 18.
This important meeting will include Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy, Senator David Vitter (R-LA) and Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK). Also Bob McDonnell, the former Virginia Attorney General and Republican nominee for Governor of Virginia – will also be there.
Obviously, it's probably too late for you be there in person.
But thanks to Fox News, the Monday Meeting will be streamed live at http://www.foxnews.com/strategyroom/.
To view the meeting, which will air Monday evening between 6:00pm to 7:30pm EDT, simply go to http://www.foxnews.com/strategyroom/
The Monday Meeting has received extensive coverage in the media. The Meeting has been profiled in New York Magazine and the Washington Post, among other publications and referenced extensively on electronic media. This is the first time that the meeting has been opened up to a broader audience.
7. Exports Decline Idles Huge Fleet of Cargo Ships
The worldwide economic crisis has dried up the demand for global trade to the extent that more than 750 large cargo vessels are now sitting idle in the waters off Singapore.
The huge flotilla of ships, some up to 300,000 tons, forms one of the largest fleets of vessels ever gathered as they sit at anchor waiting for work.
It's a maritime parallel to the hundreds of Boeing 737s, MD-80s and other passenger jets grounded at an "airplane graveyard" near Tucson, Ariz., due to the fallen demand for air travel.
Until recently the ships were engaged largely in handling exports from China and other nations the Far East. But China's exports plunged 22 percent in April compared to a year earlier, following a 17 percent drop in March, as American demand for Chinese consumer products has tailed off sharply.
The resulting oversupply of cargo-carrying capacity has forced a precipitous drop in the cost of shipping. The daily rate to charter a large bulk freighter for carrying iron ore, for instance, plunged from nearly $300,000 last summer to just $10,000 early this year, according to The New York Times.
And the cost of shipping a 40-foot steel container full of merchandise from southern China to northern Europe has fallen from $1,400 plus fuel charges a year ago to $150 early this year — which is less than the cost of providing the service.
Vessels have favored anchoring off Singapore, in the Strait of Malacca between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, because it has few storms, good ship repair teams, and proximity to Asian ports that might eventually have cargo to deliver, The Times reports.
But another 300 vessels are idle and anchored near Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and 150 ships are anchored in and around the Straits of Gibraltar.
"For trade to pick up, demand has to pick up," said Joshua Felman, assistant director of the Asia and Pacific division of the International Monetary Fund.
"It's very difficult to see that happening any time soon."
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8. James Carville Is a Newsmax Reader
Democratic strategist James Carville says he likes to read Newsmax "to see what's going on elsewhere" — although he acknowledges that "we seldom agree."
CNN analyst Carville was a key architect of Bill Clinton's rise to the White House. His new book, “40 More Years: How the Democrats Will Rule the Next Generation,” predicts that Democratic strength among young voters and minorities will make it the majority party for the next four decades.
In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with Newsmax.TV, Carville said: "I like to read Newsmax. I like to read the National Review. I'll read the [Weekly] Standard. I will watch and see what's going on.
"I don't like to read so much of people who agree with me. I'll do it sometimes, but sometimes you've got to see what's going on elsewhere, to think what you need, to think properly."
He also said: "I always like to come on Newsmax. We seldom agree, but also we're seldom disagreeable with each other, and there's something to be said for that."
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9. We Heard…
THAT political strategist Mary Matalin believes it's President Barack Obama's fault that former Vice President Dick Cheney has been outspoken in his criticism of the administration.
Matalin, who was a Cheney spokeswoman during the early years of the Bush presidency, says that if Obama had not moved so precipitously to undo the Bush policies that Cheney feels so strongly about, "Cheney would have held his fire," The Washington Post reported.
Some Republican Party members are uncomfortable with Cheney’s constant criticism of the president and believe his TV appearances are hurting the GOP, according to The Post.
But Matalin said: "If Barack Obama had come in and done what he said he was going to do and look at the stuff and see what is working, then Cheney would have continued to do what he was doing — working on his memoirs, finishing his house.
"He's got a good life. He's got stuff going on. He doesn't care about being on TV. There's no more politics there. He's not settling any scores. He just wants people to understand."
THAT Cheney's daughter Liz said Joe Biden never followed through on his promise to consult with the former vice president after taking office.
Appearing on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Tuesday, Liz Cheney — who served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State under President George W. Bush — said:
"Before the inauguration when the Bidens came for a tour of the vice president's residence, my dad and Vice President Biden talked and Vice President Biden said he'd like very much to sit down and hear at length from my dad about the whole range of issues he's been dealing with.
"My dad said he'd be happy to do that. And then there was never any follow-up from the Bidens."
THAT two months after a media company sharply criticized insurance giant AIG for doling out bonuses to executives while accepting a federal bailout, the news company has handed out bonuses itself.
A Chicago Tribune editorial in mid-March opined about the AIG bonuses and the company's $40.5 billion in losses last year: "Shouldn't that kind of 'performance' require those employees to return some of their salaries, if not be fired altogether?"
But now the Tribune Co., which owns the Tribune as well as the Los Angeles Times and other dailies, plans to pay out $13.3 million in bonuses to around 700 local and corporate managers, the Washington Times reported.
The Tribune Co. was $13 billion in debt when it filed for bankruptcy in December.
On Tuesday, a judge refused to approve severance payments to Tribune employees who were laid off before the bankruptcy filing.
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