Daily Archives: Oct. 27, 2007

Open thread 10/27

Who is not on the terrorist watch list?

Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, is justified in raising concerns about the size and accuracy of the federal government’s terrorist “watch list.” A Government Accountability Office study released this week said the watch list contained about 755,000 names, though there may be some duplicates. But Lieberman said the list actually now contains about 860,000 names and has increased nearly 500 percent in the past three years. He said the size and rapid growth of the list “could call into question the quality of the list itself.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

Sebelius role in coal plant denial a puzzle

Many critics of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s denial of a permit for two coal-fired power plants rushed to the judgment that it was a political decision made by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius with an eye toward a Senate seat or Cabinet post. But the governor’s office contends that Sebelius didn’t discuss the issue with Health and Environment Secretary Rod Bremby until a meeting with him an hour before his decision was announced.
“They met at no other time during this process, nor did they have conversations about it,” said spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

Do not scare off global investors

Globalization is a dirty word in Washington, D.C., these days. Many politicians are hasty to make a blanket denunciation in the name of protecting American interests. However, history shows that a country’s economic growth is tied directly to its involvement in the global economy. Countries that have closed themselves off to the global economy, either out of fear or perceived self-sufficiency, have eventually experienced steady economic downturn.
As Robert J. Samuelson of the Washington Post notes, “If global investors fear that the United States might make its economy less open to foreign trade and investment, the result might be the very dollar panic that everyone fears.”
While politicians may believe themselves soothing to American ears, the international trade community is listening in and taking note.
Posted by Kristin Mehler

Community thread