Sunday, June 20, 2010

SPB News for Sunday

Alberto Gonzales to pen memoir


'On A Mission From God': Vatican Declares 'Blues Brothers' Movie A 'Catholic Classic'


Obama: Republicans Blocking Votes In The Senate
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama attacked Senate Republicans for blocking votes on unemployment benefits, lifting the cap on corporate liability for oil spills, and on his appointments.

"All we ask for is a simple up or down vote," Obama said of the unemployment benefits. "That's what the American people deserve. Just like they deserve an up or down vote on legislation that would hold oil companies accountable for the disasters they cause - a vote that is also being blocked by the Republican leadership in the Senate. Right now, the law places a $75 million cap on the amount oil companies must pay to families and small businesses who suffer economic losses as a result of a spill like the one we're witnessing in the Gulf Coast. We should remove that cap. But the Republican leadership won't even allow a debate or a vote."

Obama Spill Panel Big On Policy, Not Engineering
The Associated Press reports: "The panel appointed by President Barack Obama to investigate the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is short on technical expertise but long on talking publicly about 'America's addiction to oil.' One member has blogged about it regularly. Only one of the seven commissioners, the dean of Harvard's engineering and applied sciences school, has a prominent engineering background -- but it's in optics and physics. Another is an environmental scientist with expertise in coastal areas and the after-effects of oil spills. Both are praised by other scientists. The five other commissioners are experts in policy and management."

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