[NYTr] Comedy Nooz: Bush AG Nominees Vows "Independence; " Why We're Fat Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:05:32 -0500 (CDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit [Two items from today's news that just seem to go together for their comedy value -NYTr] * Attorney general nominee pledges independence * Study blames obesity on modern life CNN - Oct 17, 2007 http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/17/mukasey.hearing/ Attorney general nominee pledges independence WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Attorney General-designate Michael Mukasey made it clear to senators Wednesday that he would be independent of the White House and would make legal decisions based "on facts and law, not by interests and motives." Michael Mukasey prepares to testify before a Senate committee on his nomination for attorney general. Mukasey, appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he would resign from office if ever faced with a presidential order he believed was unconstitutional. He said he does not believe the president has legal authority to approve torture techniques for use on terror suspects, something former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales refused to say. Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Democratic chairman of the committee, has predicted that Mukasey, a retired federal judge appointed to the bench by President Reagan, would have no trouble winning Senate confirmation "because we know that we need somebody to clean up the Department of Justice." Still, Democratic committee staffers predicted tough questioning on a range of hot-button issues -- including warrantless surveillance and torture policy. Democratic senators have said they will demand, above all else, assurances the Justice Department will operate independently of White House political operatives. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, while introducing Mukasey -- who is from his home state -- said he has already asked the nominee the key question he wanted answered. "If confirmed, will you have the courage to look squarely into the eyes of the president of the United States and tell him 'no,' if that is your best legal and ethical judgment?" Schumer said. "Judge Mukasey then looked me in the eye and assured me, 'Absolutely. That is what I'm there for.'" Under questioning by Leahy about the Bush administration's firing of U.S. attorneys, Mukasey assured him he would not let politics influence prosecutions. "Partisan politics plays no part in either the bringing of charges or the timing of charges," Mukasey said. He added that only Justice Department officials in "a very small group at the top" would be allowed to talk to politicians about cases. The soft-spoken Mukasey, in response to a question from Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania, said he would resign from office if the "president proposed to undertake a course of conduct that was in violation of the Constitution" and he could not persuade him to change his mind. In his short opening statement, Mukasey said everyone in the Justice Department is "united by shared values and standards," including that "legal decisions and the progress of cases are decided by facts and law, not by interests and motives." "I am here in the first instance to tell you, but also to tell the men and women of the Department of Justice, that those are the standards that guided the Department when I was privileged to serve 35 years ago, and those are the standards I intend to help them uphold if I am confirmed," Mukasey said. He continued his assurances given in private meetings with senators who were concerned about what they see as civil liberties abuses in the Bush administration. "Protecting civil liberties," he said, "and people's confidence that those liberties are protected, is a part of protecting national security, just as is the gathering of intelligence to defend us from those who believe it is their duty to make war on us. We have to succeed at both." Mukasey said the Guantanamo detention center in Cuba, where hundreds of terror suspects have been held for years, is a "black eye" to the country, but he is not prepared to immediately recommend that it be closed. The American Civil Liberties Union sought Tuesday to keep pressure on committee Democrats on that issue. "In particular, we are concerned with his views on the power of the executive branch to authorize indefinite detention of American citizens as enemy combatants without meaningful judicial oversight," the ACLU said. The group also took Mukasey to task for his support of detaining witnesses under the material witness statute. There was concern earlier in the week over the issue of internal Justice Department documents previously demanded by Congress. It could complicate the proceedings if committee Democrats "decide to pick that fight," a Justice official privately cautioned Monday. Specter has urged the committee not to use the demand for sensitive documents as a precondition for Mukasey's confirmation. Several Democrats backed by civil liberties groups have demanded documents relating to torture, interrogation, detention and warrantless wiretapping. However, the decisions on turning over sensitive documents ultimately rest with the White House, not with the attorney general. Key Democrats acknowledged as much this week, saying the document access issues would be pursued with the White House "on a parallel track" apart from the Mukasey hearings. Barring surprises, administration and congressional officials expect Mukasey's testimony to be completed in two days and remaining witnesses to conclude late Thursday or Friday. Leahy has set no date for the committee to vote on the matter, although committee sources said if the hearings go relatively smoothly, a vote is likely by the end of October or early November. Mukasey retired in 2006 as chief judge of the Southern District of New York, one of the nation's busiest and highest-profile courthouses. He was named to the bench in 1988. *** CTV news (Canada) - Oct 17, 2007 http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071017/obesity_071017/20071017?hub=Health OR: http://tinyurl.com/25mpde Study blames obesity on modern life CTV.ca News Staff A new study claims obesity is not simply caused by overeating and lack of exercise but that it is the result of modern life. The two-year study, 'Tackling Obesities: Future Choices,' involved almost 250 experts and scientists and was led by Foresight, the U.K. government's futures think-tank. "The technological revolution of the 20th century has led to weight gain becoming inevitable for most people, because our bodies and biological make-up are out of step with our surroundings," says a press release by the U.K. government on the report. The study found that obesity has many causes and is a "much more passive phenomenon" than often believed. Researchers also found that it will take at least 30 years to reverse the obesity epidemic. "Foresight has for the first time drawn together complex evidence to show that we must fight the notion that the current obesity epidemic arises from individual over-indulgence or laziness alone," said Sir David King, head of Foresight. "Personal responsibility is important, but our study shows the problem is much more complicated. It is a wake-up call for the nation, showing that only change across many elements of our society will help us tackle obesity." While stocking up on food was key to survival in prehistoric times, King said modern society's "energy dense, cheap foods, labour-saving devices, motorised transport and sedentary work" are making obesity a common reality. The study predicts that if current trends continue, 60 per cent of men, 50 per cent of women and 25 per cent of children in the U.K. will be obese by 2050. The study calls for policies aimed at different age groups, particularly initiatives to help early intervention. There is no "magic bullet" solution and a wide range of different actions are needed to make a difference, says the study. * ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us Our main website: http://www.blythe.org List Archives: http://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ Subscribe: http://blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr =================================================================