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KAYLA RIVARA, TRNN PRODUCER: Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Kayla Rivara in Baltimore. And welcome to another edition of The Ratner Report. Now joining us is Michael Ratner.
Michael Ratner is the president emeritus of the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York. He is also a board member and regular contributor for The Real News Network.
Thank you so much for joining us, Michael.
MICHAEL RATNER, PRESIDENT EMERITUS, CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS: It's always good to be with you and The Real News.
RIVARA: Can you talk to us a little bit about the latest in Guantanamo?
RATNER: Yes. I mean, the Center for Constitutional Rights and myself have been representing Guantanamo detainees since it opened. It will be 12 years January 11. There's still 156 people in Guantanamo.
I just want to make a prediction. There will still be people there when President Obama leaves office, despite his promise to close Guantanamo in a year from when he went into office.
So, unfortunately, he's been weak-kneed. Congress has been bad, but I really lay it at the president's feet. Yes, we're starting to see some people released, but he's going to have to release people dramatically.
In addition, even if we were to ever get it physically closed, the concept of indefinite detention unfortunately is now joined at the hip with our legal system. It's an illegal, unconstitutional system. And it's sad that that's the case. So whether this Guantanamo closes, another one will open. Another one is already open at Bagram. So in the end, we're not winning this battle, although people are starting to be released now.
There are a couple of immediate things I wanted to bring to people's attention. One is an area we don't talk about that much, which is the ongoing trials at Guantanamo. There's a trial going on for the alleged conspirators of 9/11. Think about it. Eleven years, 12 years, almost, later, and it's still--12 years later and it's still going on. And those were people who were tortured. They were waterboarded. They were taken to secret sites. And then they were put in front of made-up trials, military commissions, completely made up, completely illegal, completely contrary to international law. And there's these charades going on down there. I mean, it's more--it's as if the emperor has no clothes, but no one seems to be willing to say it except for a few people like the Center and other civil liberties groups and a few others. But those trials are going on.
And one of the most unique things that's happened in those trials, to me, is that these men, who have been tortured and waterboarded, have had their memories classified. Think about that. The criminality that's happened to them, the torture that's happened to them, they are not allowed to speak about it. They can tell their lawyers about it, but the lawyers cannot tell the public about it, and it's classified memory--I mean, unheard of. This is something that, oh, you know, you think of in some Kafkaesque gulag, that you would actually classify what happened to people when they're in those Kafkaesque torture centers, whether Argentina, Chile, etc. But that's what the United States has done.
This week we had a ray of hope. This week the lawyers are arguing for their clients by saying, stop classifying their memories. They ought to be able to testify at their trial about how they were tortured, 'cause that obviously has an effect on whether any confessions they made were voluntary and whether the cases ought to be dismissed because the government misconduct is so bad, etc.
We still don't have an answer, but finally it appears that the judge may allow these defendants to testify about the torture that happened to them. But it will likely be in a completely closed court--the lawyers'll be there, the judge'll be there, the prosecutor'll be there, and that's it. So you and I and the listeners will never know firsthand how the United States and the effect of what the United States did in terms of its waterboarding of these and others.
It's just an outrage. But it's just another thing that tells me how all of those liberals and others who said military commissions, great idea, just put a bunch of nice rules about them, they sound great, it's crazy.
And these trials were going to happen in the United States--in New York, in fact. And Obama at the last minute, after they were already indicted because of pressure from the mayor, etc., decided not to have them here in a regular federal court. So now we're going through kangaroo trials, if you can even label them that, in Guantanamo.
So that's one important aspect I want to bring to people's attention, because as we go through the next year, these trials will continue and continue and continue.
A second important development on Guantanamo is the original general who actually built the dog cages for my client and for the first 100 or so people who went to Guantanamo, General Michael Lehnert, wrote an op-ed in the The Detroit Free News that took on not just Guantanamo ought to be closed, it's not in our national interest, it creates more terrorists, all the usual things you hear from people who mea culpa, oh, it's too late, we should have--you know, we should close it down now, but he actually said something more forceful: he said it should have never been opened in the beginning, it never served any purpose in the beginning, and what it was set up--and this is important--it was set up as an interrogation camp. It wasn't set up because people, you know, were so dangerous, even though Rumsfeld said they were the worst of the worst, but it was set up to interrogate people.
And we didn't learn anything from them. We didn't have such important people there that knew anything about it. And, you know, I knew this at the time. I looked at this very early on, right after the camp was set up. And the Geneva Conventions particularly outlaw interrogation camps because they were used by the Germans during the Second World War, and they're explicitly outlawed.
And we went to court, we and all the other lawyers who were litigating this at the time--not a great many of us, but some, and a decision came down in a case called Hamdi in 2004 that said, you can hold people as prisoners during this so-called war on terror, but you cannot hold them for purposes of interrogation.
And so what Michael Lehnert, the general who set up the camp, was saying: we were holding them for interrogation. And as the Supreme Court has now said--and that's me speaking about the Supreme Court as saying, not Michael Lehnert--it's completely illegal, what they did. So his statement is very, very important on the illegality of this camp from the beginning.
The second thing he said--also very important. Here if we look at our situation, 156 people left at Guantanamo, a handful have been charged and are on trial, you know, completely BS trials, horrible, ridiculous, you know, show trials of the best or worst sort, but no one else has been charged and tried. In fact, half of them have been told they're cleared for release. And what General Lehnert says is, we have a constitution in this country, and that says you don't put people in prison and hold them unless they're charged, tried, and convicted, and therefore everyone ought to be released from that camp unless they're charged, tried, and convicted. That's way beyond anything the Obama administration has said, way beyond what even a number of civil liberties groups and others have said. He's saying, we have a constitution, you comply with it. And I'm saying he's right.
And that provision in our constitution goes back to the Magna Carta, 1215, 800 years ago. And what this country has done has utterly shredded an 800 year legal history that said that people can't be jailed by an executive or a king. They have a right to go to court, a right to test their detention, a right to be tried and convicted before they're sentenced.
So those are two important aspects of Guantanamo, what's going on at the commissions.
David Lehnert--what Michael Lehnert, the general who set up the camp, said--I do want to say, when it comes to Michael Lehnert, it was a great statement. But what I would have liked to see him do as well is own up to what happened when he set up that camp. Those are the famous dog runs, you know, those long runs, you know, with the wire on the sides, you know, elements getting in. I have been to Guantanamo. Bad conditions. And I would have liked him to say, you know, things were bad when I was here. And we know they were bad because people like Moazzam Begg have written books about those first six months in the camp, and it was terrible. So I think it would have had added a lot to his statement to say, and yes, I bought the Kool-Aid, I was into this, I shouldn't have done it. Unfortunately, he didn't go that far. Perhaps he will soon.
The third and last point I want to make about Guantanamo is a letter that was sent by a coalition of groups, including my office, the Center for Constitutional Rights, to Secretary of Defense Hagel on what's going on with the recent hunger strikes. Two important things have happened. The Defense Department has issued new standard operational procedures, SOPS, about how they handle hunger strikes, and they have not made them public. Even though they said they were going to make everything transparent about how they're treating the prisoners there, they haven't made them public.
And it's our view, my view in particular, that those ways of dealing with hunger strikers most likely violate medical ethics, if not the law, against abuse and torture. That's what we've seen before. That's what I fear we see now.
So these dozen groups have just written this letter saying, make those standard operating procedures public. We're fearful that our clients and our people there are being abused, tortured, and the medical ethics are being violated.
The second thing the letter attacks is, you know, all of a sudden, this--you know, you can't believe it, you can't believe the government. All of a sudden they say, we're no longer going to announce how many people are on a hunger strike. I mean, they're not telling the nation or the world that there's--the numbers on the hunger strike. And, you know, it's very important that that information gets out. It's very important public information that we know what's going on in a prison under our control, how many people are resisting that prison, what's happening to those people. And yet this government in another wonderful show of the obvious, you know, lies we're getting about transparency, about Obama and secrecy, we're not being told any longer how many people are on hunger strike.
So there you have it. You have a Guantanamo under the current president that, very sad to say, is violating, you know, most of the law and most of the rules that any civilized society should have in handling any of its prisoners.
RIVARA: Well, we will certainly be following up with you on this very important issue. Michael Ratner, thank you so much for joining us.
RATNER: Real News, again, thank you for having me.
RIVARA: And thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.


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University News
WIU Veterans Resource Center to Present Resource Fair
March 18, 2013
MACOMB, IL - Western Illinois University's Veterans Resource Center will host a "Salute to Veterans and Service Members" Thursday, March 21 on the Macomb campus.
The event, open to veterans and service members who are students, employees and community members, will be held from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. in the Donald S. Spencer Student Recreation Center.
The Veterans Resource Center is collaborating with several organizations to enhance awareness of the local and regional services, resources and programs available to veterans and service members.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Mobile Vet Center will be on campus to provide outreach and transition services to any veteran who served in a combat zone. Military-related services are also available for their family members.
A professional from the DVA Office of Rural Health will be on hand to discuss tele-mental health services available at the Center for Military/Academic Transition and Health, located on the Macomb campus.
Additional community and regional agency representatives who will be available at the event include Mark Lane from the Illinois Department of Employment Security, and Stephanie Sleister, of the DVA Veterans Benefits Administration and Department of Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment. Both representatives will be prepared discuss employment-related questions. Representatives from the Western Illinois Regional Council, McDonough District Hospital and American Legion Post #6 will also be available.
WIU representatives will come from the WIU Financial Aid Office; Beu Health Center; WIU Veterans Club; University Counseling Center; School of Distance Learning, International Studies and Outreach; Centennial Honors College; School of Graduate Studies; Career Services; Student Development and Orientation; University Advising and Academic Service Center; Disability Resource Center; Women's Center; Department of Military Science; ROTC, Alcohol and Other Drugs Resource Center and the Interpersonal Violence and Prevention Initiative Project.
Topics that will be covered at the fair include career and employment information, healthcare, disability compensation, educational benefits, academic services, networking and social opportunities, gender issues, community resources, student financial aid, counseling and disability resources.
The event is open free to the public. For more information, contact the Veterans Resource Center at (309) 298-3505 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Posted By: WIU News (email@example.com)
Office of University Relations


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Spring 2012 Issue of DIAKONIA Available Online
The Spring 2012 issue of DIAKONIA is now available online. This issue highlights the Diocese of Los Angeles and the West and the Diocese of Eagle River and the Northwest, and contains:
- A message from His Eminence Archbishop Joseph
- An Orthodox University: Higher Education for Orthodox Christians by His Grace Bishop Thomas
- A message from Diocese of L.A. Antiochian Women President Melinda Bentz
...and more! Click here to download (PDF)


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Always have a passion for what you're doingI thought I found the key to the answer why he keeps traveling around, spending the evenings playing with his musician friend. I was listening to the early album "Freewheelin'" — the song "Bob Dylan's Dream." He has a dream where he sees his "first few friends" in the room where they used to laugh and sing together all night long.
When you are turned on by what you're creating, you will recognize that the work is what matters. This will help you to get through the dark days, those times when you feel uninspired and dejected. Dylan plays about 100 concerts a year around the world. He no longer needs the money or even the fame or the acclaim to solidify his place in popular-culture annals. But clearly, this is a man who passionately believes in what he is doing.
With haunted hearts through the heat and coldIt's now many years later, and he's wishing that "we could sit simply in that room again." He'd gladly give away his money "at the drop of a hat... if our lives could be like that." I think the Never Ending Tour is the closest he can get to that dream of being a young guy laughing and playing for the intrinsic fun of it, "long[ing] for nothin'" and "a-jokin' about the world outside."
We never thought we could ever get old
We thought we could sit forever in fun
But our chances really was a million to one
You can call that "entrepreneurial" if you want, I guess.
AND: Here's Bob Dylan's new album "Tempest" — which comes out tomorrow. And here's "Freewheelin'" — from 1963.


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Mobile Maths in Senegal
Primary schools in the regions of Pikine and Diourbel of Senegal will shortly benefit from mobile technologies to support teaching and improve achievement in maths and science thanks to a new UNESCO/NOKIA project, in partnership with the African network of distance training (RESAFAD).
Launched in March 2012, the initiative – Enhancement of Teaching/Learning of Mathematics and Science through the Use of Mobile Phones – will enter a 6-month pilot phase in the classroom in January 2013.
The first group of teachers and the implementation team from Pikine were trained at a recent three-day workshop in Dakar, Senegal (29-31 October) in Nokia Mobile Mathematics, the technology used for the project. Education and mobile learning experts, teachers and local team members explored how to harness mobile technologies for teacher development from pedagogical and technical perspectives. They also planned the next steps, including monitoring and evaluation strategies for the project.
Participants contributed feedback and ideas on how to use the tool and to incorporate it into the curriculum. UNESCO also visited some of the pilot schools and met with the local operator Sonatel-Orange to discuss a possible partnership aiming at making the service access free for the teachers and learners.
<- Back to: All news


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Teeth Round Mousepad
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Please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Oct 29, 2013
Next day delivery! I bought it for my dentist. He was flabbergasted!


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FBI fears homegrown threat after Afghan massacre
Bulletin notes 'high-profile perceived offenses against Islam' as motivation
(ABC NEWS) — Federal authorities have issued a warning there could be "acts of violence" in the homeland sparked by the recent massacre of 16 civilians in Afghanistan allegedly by an American soldier.
"The FBI and DHS [Department of Homeland Security] are concerned that this event could contribute to the radicalization or mobilization of homegrown violent extremists [HVEs] in the homeland, particularly against U.S.-based military targets which HVEs have historically considered legitimate targets for retaliation in response to past alleged U.S. military actions against civilians overseas," the FBI and DHS said in a joint "awareness bulletin" to law enforcement agencies Wednesday.
The bulletin noted that there is no specific threat at this time and said it is "unlikely" the recent killings and other "high-profile perceived offenses against Islam" would motivate any homeland extremist to violent action. "However," the bulletin says, "[the killings] will likely be incorporated into violent extremist propaganda and could contribute to an individual's radicalization to violence."


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he'd rather win MVP and FMVP this year.
he'd rather win MVP and FMVP this year.
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Of course, the article is a bit over a year old and was closer to both The Decision and the Humphries/Kardashian divorce, so it could be different now. Kobe (3rd most hated according to Forbes) may very well have surpassed them considering the hate for Lebron has died down with the championship and there's no reason to care about Humphries.
^ that's last year. I don't think anyone remembers kris is alive
To do it now would be pretty lame. Most of the great dunkers did it when they were still coming up in the league. It he was going to do it, it should've been years ago particularly when he "tentatively" said he was going to do it and then flaked but that ship has sailed
It would be fun to watch but who really cares?
he never is the first to talk trash, only to defend his team or himself, and frequently shows compation to other players, like his tweet to rondo.
anybody who hates lebron who isn't a hardcore cavs fan is a HATER
i honestly think lebron is more liked in the league than kobe, basing that off the same facts you're basing your assumption off of
@mvbiseccofollow me on twitter and i'll follow youSMOKE WEED ERR DAY
cause he wont win it and he knows that.
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Is it REALLY going to be worth an injury? Plus his dunks aren't flashy, they're usually just overpowering slams that look like they could kill a man. He has hops, speed and the power but if you wanna see a real dunk contest, look no further than James White.
injuries, thats the issue
look at vc, t-mac, steve francis, desmond mason, amare stoudemire, etc
i think LeBron could win it, with a free throw line dunk. but he refuses so oh well. lame as hell
James White is the guy i wanna see. see if he still has it
Because he is like Shannon Brown. Very athletic and trow down some powerful dunks and can climb the tallest guy but lack style and flair. Their dunks are all the same. He know he wont be creative enough.
There's no point in risking his health for a dunk contest because the fans want to see him do it. Albeit no one has ever been seriously injured in a dunk contest before, it still is possible. *See Tony Allen rupturing his ACL dunking the ball after the whistle. It's not beneficial to him to do it. Some players enter the league setting personal goals aspiring to win certain trophies and that's why they enter the contest. Other players in the past have entered the contest as a way to elevate themselves in the NBA as a household name. In this day an age where everything is immediately posted on the internet and social media people are quick to criticize someone instead of just watching the contest as just pure entertainment. There is no incentive for Le'bron to do the contest. He's a max player with a championship. If he wants to then so be it, if he doesn't just enjoy who is in it.
Why should he?
Spurs Sim league
2 time Champion 653-331
He would win its a popularity contest with the fans
Spurs Sim league
2 time Champion 653-331
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William Mann
Born: 1804
Died: 1851
and his wife, Azubah Hall
Born: 1807
Died 1898
Their son, Alfred Mann and his wife Sinie E. Feagles
Alfred Mann
Born: February 08, 1834
Died: 1905, New York
His wife, Sinie E. Feagles
Born: 1835
It's interesting to see someone else has an Azubah in their tree. I always thought that was such an unusual first name. Mine was Azubah (Hyde) Harmon from New Marlborough, Berkshire, Massachusetts.
Tracy, it really is unusual, so now we both have one! I live in Mass., but have never been to New Marlborough, probably no more than three hours away. Thanks for your comment.
I am in Idaho so you are definitely closer! Some day I hope to visit that area so I can further my research. I'm fairly certain that I have a strong Colonial ancestry since I can already get back to New Marlborough in 1798....just need time and money to research it all.


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The agreement provides the 17 percent wage increase recommended by the Presidential Emergency Board and includes the first-ever healthcare contributions from the 5,400 workers that make up the eight unions while protecting commuters and the MTA's long-term financial stability.
"The Long Island Rail Road is a critical artery in connecting the downstate region and the men and women who keep it running play a vital role in the lives of our commuters and in the communities that the LIRR serves," Gov. Cuomo said. "Resolving this contract dispute is the right thing to do and the agreement we have reached today is fair to all parties. It recognizes the many contributions of the LIRR's hardworking employees, while also maintaining the fiscal integrity of the MTA. I thank everyone involved in these negotiations, especially UTU Chairman Anthony Simon and MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast, whose collective dedication to the needs of LIRR commuters made this agreement possible."
"The agreement we reached today with the assistance of Gov. Cuomo is just what he advocated – a fair and reasonable contract that will enable the nation's busiest commuter railroad to continue to serve the people of Long Island," Prendergast said. "Both sides have compromised to reach an agreement that gives our employees the raises they deserve while also providing for the MTA's long-term financial stability."
Simon said, "Our workers move hundreds of thousands of commuters a day and their services are integral to the New York economy."
Under the terms of the agreement, based on the recommendations of the Presidential Emergency Board, existing LIRR employees will receive 17 percent raises over a term of 6-1/2 years. To ensure the long-term affordability of these wage increases, all employees will for the first time contribute to their health insurance costs and new employees will have different wage progressions and pension plan contributions.
The contract will have no impact on MTA fares and will be accommodated within revisions to the MTA financial plan.


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Started this discussion. Last reply by nancy Jun 17, 2011. 8 Replies 1 Like
Hi there fellow Moms! I'm a mom of four, writer, business owner and blogger. I've recently put up a family blog that follows the journey of our family of six across the Mid-Atlantic as we attend and…Continue
Posted on August 10, 2012 at 11:30am 0 Comments 0 Likes
Welcome to Week 2 of the Monster Weekend Blog Hop, hosted by EJ of Four Little Monsters. If you're a blogger hungry for new followers and friends, you're in the right place. Let's build a monster online presence together! The Monster Weekend Blog Hop welcomes all Mom & Dad bloggers, travel bloggers, food bloggers and other family-friendly blogs. Please write to firstname.lastname@example.com to express your interest in co-hosting next time! …
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:47am 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted on June 26, 2011 at 1:00pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
I'm thrilled to announce that Four Little Monsters has recently partnered with Better Homes & Gardens to represent the great state of Pennsylvania in the first ever "State Cookie Contest". That's right! Four Little Monsters is Pennsylvania's one-and-only cookie delegate and will attempt to out-bake forty-nine other blogger delegates from all the other states. Can we do it? Of course, we can!
This weekend, I'll be crazy in the kitchen coming up with the winning recipe (Duh) and…
My name is Missy and I am also a member of the Mom Bloggers Club. I have a blog,www.luxurybeautyproducts.blogspot.com and I also run the blog hop network.
I wanted to let you know that I am following you, and hoping when you get a chance you can follow me back. I also want to invite you to join my groups, The Blog Hop Network, Beauty Bloggers, and Children's businesses. Also, I would love to place a link to your site on my blog if you want to do the same with my blog on yours. Please let me know by sending me an email regarding this and it has been nice meeting you via the web.
Just wanted to share my blog with you :)
Little Boys are Made of Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails
I host a blog hop for moms every Tuesday! Come link up with us...it's a great way to get new followers!
You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter
I would also like to invite you to join my team as an Independent Scentsy consultant. It's the perfect way to be a stay at home mom and a successful business entrepreneur! It's simple - you get paid to party!
Scentsy makes wickless candles and other fragrance products. Wickless candles are safe for homes with kids and pets! Whether you want to make a little extra money or quit your job to be a stay at home mom, I will get you there! Please let me know if you have any questions!
Feel free to check out my blog: Kick the Wick
I'm looking forward to reading your blog!
I'm doing my part to help raise awareness regarding the issues surrounding cervical cancer and HPV; empowering women to take control of their health. Please feel free to pass it long!
Blog: http://julnet.typepad.com/ibelieveintomorrows/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BelieveinTomorrows
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Love and Hugs!
Welcome to MBC I hope you are having a great weekend!
I wanted to let you know that I have a code for a FREE night rental to any Blockbuster Kiosk on my site Dazzling Daily Deals that is good through June 8th. If you would like to share this on your blog, Im sure everyone would be thrilled (please give a credit link back to my site). If you would like get more great deals and freebies make sure you "LIKE" me on facebook and get real time info on the latest hot deals.
Welcome to the Mom Bloggers Club! I hope you enjoy your time here! I write a blog called The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug. I wanted to let you know about a few special events that are going on there that I would love for you to particiate in! First, come join up for our weekend blog hop! It's going on NOW and is a great way to find new followers and meet some new friends. You can find more information on that HERE.
Also, I am having a fantastic celebration since I reached 1,000 followers with a grand prize worth more than $550! I would love for you to join in! You can enter to win by clicking HERE. Below is a little sneak peak of all the goodies you could be winning!
While you are there, be sure to check out my other giveaways! I have some fabulous baby items up for grabs right now! They are a don't miss!
I hope to see you at my blog! And be sure when you visit to leave a comment with your blog URL so that I can be sure to follow you back!


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Friday, April 6, 2012
More Golden Art For Good Friday
Back here I posted some truly golden art from The Golden Bible: The New Testament, illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen, and again this year I offer more of the same for Good Friday 2012. This painting spotlights the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem at the start of Holy Week. Although that was Palm Sunday not Good Friday, this event began the long road to Calvary that week so it still seems appropriate...and the seemingly simple art illuminates the sacred happening just as an icon or stained glass windows might. Enjoy, and a good Good Friday to all.
2 comments:
- Pete Emslie said...
Please tell me that "Tulgey Wood" hasn't become the blog equivalent of the movie, "Holiday Inn", only posting articles on national holidays! Anyway, it's good to have you back again - just wanted you to know we've missed ya'! :)
- April 9, 2012 at 8:33 PM
- Jim said...
Thanks so much, Pete! I have been trying to find time to post more regularly so I hope to do just that soon. In the meantime, I really appreciate your support!
- April 22, 2012 at 2:05 AM
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The Viroqua Heritage Inn include the Boyle House and the Eckhart House. The beautiful B&B's are located across the street from each other in a quiet residential neighborhood just a block away from Viroqua's quaint and vital downtown. Ask your innkeeper about our fitness club, local downtown shopping, great restaurants, ...Read More
Posted by davewf
01 June, 2013


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Return to Transcripts main page
President Obama Unveils $3 Trillion Debt Plan; Interview with Jacob Lew
Aired September 19, 2011 - 19:00 ET
JOHN KING, HOST: Good evening everyone. Tonight President Obama picks a fight he can't win, at least at the moment, calling on Congress to raise taxes on millionaires to help chip into the massive federal budget deficit. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: During the usual defenders of these kinds of loopholes saying this is just class warfare. I reject the idea that asking a hedge fund manager to pay the same tax rate as a plumber or a teacher is class warfare. I think it's just the right thing to do. (END OF VIDEO CLIP) KING: Bu what's right to the president is labeled dead on arrival by congressional Republicans. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: Giving the federal government more money would be like giving a cocaine addict, all right, more cocaine. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: And the reaction among the Republicans running for president, well, it's unanimous. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The president's gimmicks in tax increases on the backs of small businesses and the middle class won't grow the economy. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: The White House says its plan would trim $3 trillion from the deficit over the next decade, and in releasing it, the president hopes now to influence that so-called congressional super committee, charged with drafting a big deficit reduction plan. Fellow Democrats for months on this issue and others have complained the president is too quick to compromise with Republicans. Well, today that same president delivered this warning. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OBAMA: I will not support, I will not support any plan that puts all the burdens for closing our deficit on ordinary Americans. And I will veto any bill that changes benefits for those who rely on Medicare, but does not raise serious revenues by asking the wealthiest Americans or biggest corporations to pay their fair share. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: The rich, very rich politics of this debate in just a moment. First, though, let's take a closer look at what the president proposed today. The president, of course trying to influence that super committee, as I said. Here's the main proposal from the president. He wants to have a mandatory spending cuts, $580 billion over the next ten years. Tax revenues, $1.5 trillion in new tax increases over the next ten years. War savings, the president says he will save $1.1 trillion because the United States will be getting almost all of its troops out of Iraq, many of its troops out of Afghanistan. The president says you save that much. Interest savings, if you are not spending this money that means you're borrowing less. The government would save about $430 billion in, excuse me, in interest over that decade, and this is the August debt agreement to raise the debt ceiling. There's another trillion dollars there, just a couple of things that raise red flags for you. Let's turn this around and look. The president says he is going to save $223 billion from getting money the government shouldn't be paying doctors, Medicare overpayments. Well, past presidents have promised that. He also promises to restructure government. Again, that's shrinking government, getting rid of waste, fraud, and abuse. Some are skeptical you'll find those savings. Tax revenues, we have a red flag because the House Republicans simply say they won't give the president this. They won't give him these higher tax increases, including letting the Bush tax cuts expire. The war savings, will this really happen? A lot of people in Congress say they're not sure you'll save money that fast. Some also say the president shouldn't count it in something like this. Obviously, the interest savings simply come if you are spending less money. So, let's take a quick look at how this looks if you want to add it all up. The Obama plan, $3.6 trillion total, that's $1 trillion from the August debt deal, but, remember, the president wants to spend a half, $500 billion here, a half trillion for his new jobs program. So, net you get about $4 trillion in savings over the next decade as the president sees it. Our chief White House correspondent Jessica Yellin and our congressional correspondent Kate Bolduan are working their sources to get a better sense now of where this fight is going. Jess, I want to start with you. When the president puts out this plan, they have known the meetings, as much as they like the policy idea, the idea of these tax increases, dead on arrival on the hill. Yet, they still put them in there. The president passionately makes the case for them today, more a political statement than a policy hope, though? JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Clearly a political statement, but, you know, John, that veto threat does have the affect of shaping a little bit what that super committee can do because, look, if the Republicans on the committee were planning to push for entitlement cuts alone without any tax increases, they now have to think twice about that. And it does to some extent tie the hands of that super committee or limit what they can do. The Buffett rule, which was outlined by the president, is in itself a very political statement. We can talk about that separately and defines a little bit about what the president sees as his main mission going forward, defining himself as the champion of the middle class, John. KING: Well, let's talk about that, because you say main mission going forward. Do you mean going forward as president for the next 14 months, or do you believe going forward as a candidate in the next 14 months? Essentially a more populous taking by a president who many liberals often criticize saying he needs to pick more fights, he needs to - they don't like the term class warfare, but draw distinctions like that. YELLIN: I think it's exactly it's exactly defining the contours of campaign 2012 and saying that these are democratic principles that the president is standing up for now, much to the enthusiasm of his key democratic base. That this is a man who is now going to say I stand for and fight for the middle class, the working class and will seek to define Republicans as protectors of the wealthy, and if the Republicans allow themselves to be defined that way, then that will be the theme the president will continue to hit on not just through the super committee and through this jobs plan fight, but through campaign 2012 going into next year. . KING: Jessica Yellin, who is live from New York tonight because the president is heading up to the United Nations. Thanks Jess. Let's move up to Capitol Hill, Kate Bolduan. And Kate, before I pose the question let's listen to the speaker. The speaker is home in his home district of Cincinnati today. He saw the president's plan and he was unimpressed. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BOEHNER: We could get into this tax the rich, tax the rich, but that is not, that's not the basis for America, and it's not going to get our economy going again, and it's not going to put people back to work. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: We know that's the public line from this speaker, Kate. My question, I guess, is privately, when the Republicans see the president out making this case, is there any fear of the Republicans on the committee? Do they believe that he can rally public opinion and force them to do things they might not want to do? KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I see the early reaction John, is they're not fearful. They're down right coming out almost doubling down with more fighting words and more war of words, if you will, and really trying their hardest to dismiss the president's proposals as quickly as they absolutely can. Not only are we hearing many top Republicans calling, accusing the president of class warfare, including House Speaker John Boehner. You have, I have a flood of statements today from everyone saying that the president still doesn't get it, that this is ill conceived, ill timed, and dead on arrival, so really why is the president pushing for this, saying it's not serious, and that it's disappointing. So, that's what you have from Republicans, of course, but on the part of Democrats, I'll say, as Jessica was saying, Democrats are absolutely applauding this public debate, if nothing else, because it's not likely many of these proposals are going to be able to make it through the gridlock of congress. The sense that we're getting from Democrats is they are or at least hopeful that this public debate, this war of words the president really using his bully pulpit here will work to influence the debate and influence public opinion and, of course, voters as well as influence kind of the discussion on this super committee, on this deficit committee, because they want to see the debate move away from cuts, cuts, cuts, only cuts, which they think is what the debate has been into looking to other ways of reducing the deficit, because the deficit committee is charged with coming up with something in over $1 trillion in savings, John. KING: And Kate, has the president, we agree he is not going to get these tax increases, at least not the way he laid them out tonight, but he also said essentially go big. Don't do $1.5 trillion, which is your floor, but shoot for $3 trillion or more. Shoot for a bigger deficit reduction plan. Does the president's proposal at least gain him some momentum in that regard, to convince this committee think big? BOLDUAN: I definitely received communication from members on the committee that they absolutely especially democratic members, I should say, that they welcome this serious approach that the president has laid out. We've heard from the committee members in their public hearing so far. Democrats and Republicans that they want to go big, but, of course, John, it will be no surprise to you getting past that point is very difficult, getting into the details of how they can reach that big, that grand deal, that big deal is nearly impossible to guess at this point, John. KING: About two months of negotiations, tough negotiations. BOLDUAN: And less time with congressional recesses, of course. KING: Of course, they wouldn't miss those. Not for a minute. Kate Bolduan, on the Hill tonight. Thank you. Thanks again and Jessica Yellin. Let's get some perspective now from CNN Gloria Borger and David Gergen. David, do you first. As someone who has helped four presidents, Democrats and Republicans, decide what to say at big moments, is this more of a political statement for the president, or is this a serious policy proposal? DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: He threw down the gauntlet today, John. It's a very, very political statement. You know, the Republicans had been engaged in a political campaign against him, he feels, for a long time. Now he is joining that fight and coming the other way. Instead of setting up a proposal that might warm the hearts of Republicans and try to invite them to a compromise, something Democrats think has never worked. He has put up a proposal that warms the heart of Nancy Pelosi. This is exactly the kind of a plan she wanted. It protects Social Security. It protects Medicare, and it sticks it to the wealthy. That's exactly the kind of thing that she thinks will help Democrats and, of course, we're now into a situation. I think its good politics for the president in terms of rallying his base. I do think it is a dampener on the committee actually getting an agreement. GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: But this is a president who has been accused by Democrats of being too passive of negotiating with himself, of being too much of a compromiser, and it was like today he was Clark Kent who went into the phone booth sort of meek, compromising president. Came out, suddenly democratic superman, very muscular, no cuts in entitlement spending and, you know, you better raise those taxes on the wealthy. So, I think this is al about going back on more comfortable turf for the president and for Democrats, talking about the middle class rather than just spending cuts. It's where he wants to be. KING: Let's listen to a little bit of his language, and not just the words, but the tone as the president, as Gloria just notes, makes the case that for a deal to be fair, the rich have to pay at least as much if not more than the middle class. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OBAMA: Any reform plan will have to raise revenue to help close our deficit. That has to be part of the formula. And anything should be part of another simple principle. Middle class families shouldn't pay higher taxes than millionaires and billionaires. That's pretty straight forward. It's hard to argue against that. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: It is hard, David Gergen, to argue against that, but the Republicans are pretty adamant they won't give it to the president the way he wants it. They won't give it to him in these rate increases. Can the president create the impetus to say, fine then do it the other way? Do big sweeping bold tax reform and do it quickly? GERGEN: I don't think you are going to see big sweeping tax reform quickly, John. This committee can't resolve all those kind of intricate details that go into the complexity of our tax system. It has to be this is a problem that's going to take a year or two or more. You've got to sort out what the answers might be and much less pass it. What the president has hit upon is something he thinks works and it shows up in the opinion polls, there are an awful lot of Americans who think it's time to raise taxes on the wealthy. I think when we actually get into the details, I would wager there are probably not very many people like Warren Buffett who are millionaires or billionaires who pay less as a percentage of their income than their secretary, but we'll have to wait and see. There may be people that will come up with figures that will surprise me. But I think that from, I think this is very, very good politics for Barack Obama and his base, but whether it actually advances us toward getting a real agreement, you know, I think people in the markets are going to be very skeptical that we're going to see a major agreement any time before the election. KING: So you'll have uncertainty in the markets if David Gergen is right, Gloria, and you'll also have the threat of across the board cuts in the August agreement. Now, they don't take effect right away. Congress will have a chance to revisit that issue, but if they don't get this done by the deadline, the Specter will be across the board cuts. BORGER: Right. So they do have this hanging over their heads, and nobody wants it. The secretary of defense, Leon Panetta has said that the defense cuts would be completely unacceptable. I assume Republicans would agree with him. So, that is the only light there because it might force them to do their jobs, and so in the end, and I don't know if you agree with me or disagree with me, David, on this and John, but I think that if you could come up with some form of tax reform or the promise of it in which you could kind of muddle what's a tax increase because if you lower a wealthy person's top rate, but you take away their deductions, does it even itself out? And maybe you could play with something like that. GERGEN: Well, Gloria, you're right. There's an important point. If you did get tax reform that economist would say would increase growth, that will bring more revenue and Republicans would support that. BORGER: Right. GERGEN: You know, it would more growth brings more revenue, and that's a good thing, but I have to, I don't know about you, but, and I'm not sure of the feeling in Washington, but don't you think the super committee is a long, long way away from coming up with a serious big plan? BORGER: I do, but, you know - KING: Yes. BORGER: But the solutions, you know it's not as if this is a secret. I mean you know, David that Erskine Bowles-Alan Simpson committee came up with a tax reform proposal. The president could have endorsed it in January. He did not do that. I believe that was a mistake. But people know what the contours of this, has to be. It's not as if they haven't been dealing with it for years, right? GERGEN: Yes, but we're - but we're moving - we've moved into an election cycle. BORGER: Right. Right. GERGEN: I today was a political play. Not a governing play. KING: Let's see if we are surprised by leaders of al parties if they could surprise us into Sunday. GERGEN: Would love to be surprised. KING: I would love to be surprised as well. David Gergen, Gloria Borger, Thanks for your help tonight. David, we'll see you in a little bit. Ahead tonight, Doctor Sanjay Gupta on the rare decision by the United Nations, to put a major help challenge front and center, in its annual general assembly. And next, why proposed a deficit plan you know will be thrown into the trashy by Republicans. The president's budget director explains the plans and the strategy next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) KING: More on the president's new $3 trillion deficit reduction plan. Half of that amount would come from tax increases, including big changes for more wealthy Americans. As he announced it in the Rose Garden, the president knew just what the Republicans would say about his approach. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OBAMA: This is not class warfare. It's math. The money is going to have to come from someplace. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: Let's dig deeper now and just how the president assembled this plan and whether he will compromise with congressional Republicans or fight this one out in the next contain campaign. The Obama budget director Jacob Lew is with us from the White House tonight. Jack, I want to start on that point. When you are assembling this plan, I know from a policy standpoint, you think these higher taxes on more affluent Americans are the right thing to do. But you know from a political point, it's dead on arrival so, you made the decision to leave it in there. That's more a political calculation than a policy calculation, isn't it? JACOB LEW, WHITE HOUSE BUDGET DIRECTOR: You know, John, I actually hope that that is not the correct assessment. There's no doubt that there is an almost instinctive reaction on the Republican side to say that, but last summer we saw that there were some openings for a reasonable discussion, and I hope we find that again. KING: Back in the lame-duck session the president once again agreed to leave the Bush tax cuts in place, so we know back in 2008 he campaigned for president saying he wanted to get rid of the Bush tax cuts for those at $250,000 or above. When he left them in place again in that decision at that time he said, he said look, here's my tough decision. I don't want to raise taxes when the economy might still be in recession or is just barely in recovery. You could make the case the economy is as weak if not weaker now. Why put tax increases on the table? LEW: Well, we're not talking about raising taxes today or tomorrow. What the president proposed is in two phases, the immediate action is to cut taxes. The American jobs act would reduce payroll taxes for individuals, avoid a tax increase in January, and it would reduce taxes for businesses that hire new workers. So, in the short run he is very concerned, as we all should be, about making sure the economy grows and we create jobs. As we look out over the horizon at the very difficult choices we have in terms of how to get our fiscal house in order, revenues have to be part of it, and the president's proposals today would take effect in you know in beginning not this year or next year, but after that. I think that if you look at the kind of balance of what the choices Congress faces, in the debt bill that we agreed to together in August, it put in place automatic cuts that would have very deep cuts in defense and in domestic spending that everyone agrees are unacceptable. The challenge for the joint committee is to come up with a better alternative. What the president said today is we have to raise the bar and do even more because doing the minimum is really not enough. We have to make a statement that we're going to reduce our deficit and our debt as a percentage of the economy so that it is actually helping us to promote long-term growth. KING: One way you could read this document, and you have been in Washington long enough to know how this works is you know you're not going to get the rate increases, but what the president hopes to do is say go big, number one be as you say, make it a bigger number, and put the pressure on the Republicans since they won't give you the rate increases to actually develop the political will to do comprehensive tax reform and to work with the Democrats on the committee for that so that you lower rates for everybody. You get rid the loopholes and, therefore, you get more money in Washington. That acceptable to the president, forget his rates as long as he gets that in the end, the bottom line? LEW: Well, if the president made clear in the document he sent to Congress today that our goal is tax reform. Our goal is in our principles in tax reform include lowering rates, but we also have to raise revenue while we're doing that. We think that would be the best thing to do for the economy and for the American people and if there's a path there to work together, we should get that accomplished and we should do it as soon as possible. It is not an acceptable place to go to say that the entire burden for solving our deficit problem should fall on the backs of those who are on Medicare and Medicaid and who are in many ways the least able to absorb it. There has to be a shared burden if this is going to be done fairly, and we can't say that those who get the most benefit out of the tax code and out of the economy are exempt from any impact. KING: You know full well in the business community a lot of CEOs say well we need more certainty from Washington. We need the bickering to end and what the policy is going to be. Not for the next three to five years. But how about the next three to five years, that would really help us? What the president puts a veto threat out there and, again, you know in your heart you're not going to get those rate increase on more wealthy Americans, do you worry at all that this standoff, if the president holds that line and has to veto something or doesn't get, doesn't even get something and the automatic cuts kick in, that you contribute indirectly to that uncertainty that's hurting the economy and the markets? LEW: I think that what happened this past summer was a very, very bad thing in terms of the kind of gridlock and kind of dysfunction that the world saw when it looked at government. We need to do better than that. We are now in a place where there is not that threat of immediate default, so one can say that the action forcing event is perhaps less clear, but it's an opportunity for us to work together and show that we can get beyond what that bickering that everyone saw and try to get something important done for the American economy and for our budget. I think that the notion that taxes are off the table is as much of a nonstarter as any other kind of absolute principle like that might be. So that's not a reasonable, that's not a way of showing leadership. The president I think showed leadership today by saying I'm going to put on the table a host of very difficult policies, reductions in Medicare and Medicaid, reductions in programs from agriculture to federal workers. These are hard policies. The right answer is everything should be on the table. Taxes should be on the table, and we should do this together. KING: Fascinating and stressful time to be at the White House budget director. LEW: Certainly is. KING: Appreciate your time tonight. LEW: Thanks John. KING: Thank you. Ahead here, President Obama supports creating an independent Palestinian state. So, why is he so upset the Palestinians are asking the United Nations for help right now? Plus, today's historic U.N. gathering aimed at stopping diseases that account for nearly two-thirds of the world's deaths every year. CNN's Doctor Sanjay Gupta is at the U.N. for us tonight. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KING: At the United Nations today, health experts from around the globe sharing ideas on slowing the spread of heart and lung disease, cancer, diabetes, diseases that aren't spread person to person, but are caused by how and where you live, what you eat, and whether you smoke. This is a very, very big deal. Only the second time in history the United Nations has devoted such a high level meeting to a health issue. The only other time was to address the aids crisis. Our Chief Medical Correspondent Doctor Sanjay Gupta is live at the U.N. tonight. Sanjay, let me start with why the urgency now? What is it about now? DOCTOR SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Because it's a truly global problem, John. I think that that's what people are starting to realize. You think of these, as they are called, non- communicable diseases, such as the ones that you mentioned as being diseases of the infant (ph), diseases of developed countries, diseases of the elderly, and what you find when you really start to look at the numbers is that in many places around the world it's quite the opposite. In fact, there's a U.N. secretary general said today three out of five people living on earth will die of these chronic or non- communicable diseases. So, it is a global problem. It's also a huge economic one, John. They say over the next 15 years diseases that could absolutely be prevented in terms of their toll on people's lives and certainly leading to their deaths could cost $7 trillion over 15 years, but about $10 billion to $12 billion to prevent. So, you see the economic. You see the health sort of things coming together. But I think what I learned probably most of all, John, was there are some solutions to addressing these problems everywhere in the world. They used to think cancer it's too complex, too complicated, too costly, to treat in the developed world. Well, you hear quite a different story today at the U.N., John. KING: And so you seem to see there's consensus, if we get into geopolitical issues there, hard to find there at the U.N. When it comes to the health urgencies, if they have a consensus and they have an urgent global problem, do they have a plan? And I assume you need a one-year plan, a two-year plan, a five-year plan, and a ten-year plan to even make a dent? GUPTA: I think so, and I think mainly because of what you said earlier, John. Ten years ago almost exactly was when the last U.N. general assembly came together to talk about a global health problem, HIV AIDS. And at that point, as you know, John, there wasn't a lot of consensus. There weren't people negotiating lower drug costs. There wasn't a visible evidence of success. In fact, a lot of people said this was going to be an issue that would go no further than the U.N. general assembly. History has proven that not to be true. There have been a lot of successes when it comes to HIV aids. It's turned into a chronic disease. It's turned in to much more affordable disease to treat for a less than a dollar a day in many places in the developing world. So, people are saying, OK, let's think of these chronic diseases much in the same model that we thought about HIV/AIDS and see if we can get some sort of traction, some success at using those same approaches, John. KING: And so when you have this class of diseases -- we're talking about, non-communicable diseases, much more lifestyle-related in the sense that any one government can't necessarily stop them, what are we talking about here -- joint education campaigns, pooling research, resources? What do these governments hope to do collectively? GUPTA: Well, you know, I think a lot of it is certainly education. I think tobacco, you always have to put on the table very early because, you know, you still have over a billion people smoking in the world, but it's much deeper than that, John. I'll tell you, first of all, look at certain vaccination programs for hepatitis, for example. Hepatitis can lead to liver cancer and chronic disease. Vaccinating people against hepatitis, you can diminish those numbers significantly. Something that's come up domestically a lot, John, like cervical cancer and Gardasil, using Gardasil as part of the cervical cancer vaccination program in many places around the world. The partners in health organization folks are talking about that. But, also, the same sort of lifestyle decisions, choices that we've had here in the United States that people talk about all the time with regard to obesity, with regard to diabetes. Those same sorts of things are starting to affect other parts of the world. While it's hard to get the message across to individuals and no one knows this better than me, people don't always listen. If society starts to move in this direction because of the significant impact on the overall labor force, young people who can't work because they're sick and has the impact on the economics -- $7 trillion I mentioned over 15 years, then people start to pay attention. A lot of people start to unite and do something about these NCDs, these non-communicable diseases. KING: You mention the progress in the 10 years ago, the AIDS summit essentially at the U.N. There has been remarkable progress. There have been a number of government NGOs and government-to- government cooperation. As you know, there also were, especially at the beginning and even now, some obstacle, some governments don't want to distribute condoms. Some governments don't want to do certain kinds of education. When it comes to the current challenge, are there any parallels in the sense that certain governments for taboo reasons or, you tobacco being a big crop, or for whatever reasons, might think I don't want to touch this? GUPTA: Absolutely. I think one of the biggest ones is this idea that, look, this is a lifestyle problem. People did this to themselves. They ate too much. They did things that they could have prevented themselves. Why should the rest of society have to pay the price? I think that's going to be -- that's been an obstacle, John, as you know. It will continue to be an obstacle. The same could be said of HIV/AIDS 10 years ago as well, where people said, look, this is a lifestyle disease, but you saw those obstacles were eventually overcome. And, you know, in many places around the world, with regard to the foods they eat, people eat, they oftentimes don't have choices to eat healthier foods. We talk about that here in the United States, but the same can be said in places around the world. So, you know, you start to have governments say we provide healthier food because it leads to a healthier population overall, and we make that much more accessible and affordable. Those obstacles will remain. But, you know, we're talking about what they call best buys. Things they can do for relatively cheap. They can safe millions of lives. And I think, you know, from listening to the people at the U.N. and the people in the panels around the city, that's where the focus seems to be. Let's grabbing that low-hanging fruit and make it worked for us. KING: Fascinating challenge. Great to get some perspective. Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta -- Doc, thanks. Up next here, new violence leads one of the poorest countries in the Middle East on what a humanitarian official calls the knife edge of civil war. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) KING: Welcome back. Here's the latest news you need to know right now. An official of Amnesty International warns Yemen is on, quote, "the knife edge" of civil war after a second day of pro-government forces, including snipers -- you can see it right there -- firing on demonstrators. At least 57 people are dead, 550 wounded. In Libya, a spokesman for the transitional government accuses pro-Gadhafi forces of robbing food stores, leaving civilians to starve and creating a humanitarian crisis in the city of Bani Walid, which so far anti-Gadhafi forces have been unable to take. A training accident near the Camp Pendleton Marine Base in California killed two people this afternoon. Crews are mopping up a brush fire that started after a Cobra helicopter went down. Delores Hope, comedian Bob Hope's widow, died today at 102. Back in the day, she would close her husband's USO shows by singing "Silent Night." Next, President Obama steps into an international showdown that could embarrass him on the world stage, and hurt him politically here at home. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) KING: "ANDERSON COOPER 360" coming up at the top of the hour. Let's check in with Anderson for a preview. Hi there. ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERON COOPER 360": Hey, John. We're keeping them honest tonight on "360," tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. With the president unveiling his debt reduction plan, we'll take a look at what the plan says, what the Republican response is, and what's not working in Washington, which is compromise because politicians are putting their election prospects first instead of working for the people. Also, up close tonight, the death of a whale trainer at SeaWorld Orlando. A hearing in Florida today over the death of Dawn Brancheau, who was working on a platform next to the whale tank handling a whale named Tilikum, during a live show. This is what the audience saw. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SUE CONNELL, WITNESSED SEAWORLD ATTACK: He grabbed her by the head and, you know, very hard thrust. She went down, and I screamed, and she screamed, and then I started yelling to the other trainer because he wasn't looking. I said he just took her down. He took her down. (END VIDEO CLIP) COOPER: Obviously the wrong tape. We'll show you what the audience saw and we'll talk about what happened at the hearing today. We'll talk to a former SeaWorld trainer about whether these animals should be worked with trainers in captivity. Also, caught in the across fire in Libya. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have been shot. (GUNFIRE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Down, down, down. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get it down. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, go, go! (END VIDEO CLIP) COOPER: This is what happened to our CNN crew. They managed to drive to the hospital. The story didn't end there. We'll show you what happens next, and tonight's "Ridiculist." All that coming up at the top of the hour -- John. KING: See you in a few minutes. Anderson, thanks. President Obama is in New York tonight for the opening of the United Nations General Assembly. But he is also, you might say, between a rock and a hard place. Even though the president is long on record expressing support for Palestinian statehood, he's also made it clear the United States will veto the Palestinian's application for official U.N. recognition this week if it reaches a vote in the Security Council. Just now, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters negotiations are -- in her words -- extremely intensive and ongoing. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: The only way to a two-state solution, which is what we support and want to see happen, is through negotiations. And no matter what does or doesn't happen this week, it will not produce the kind of outcome that everyone is hoping for. So, we're going to stay very much engaged and focused. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: With us now: Shibley Telhami. He's a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. And CNN national security contributor, Fran Townsend. She's a former adviser to President Bush, and a member of both the CIA and homeland security external advisory boards. Professor Telhami, let's start with this. The United States doesn't want this to happen. What is it? What is it in the Palestinian politics that makes President Abbas at this moment decide he needs to push for this even though he knows the United States, who he needs as a partner, so firmly opposes it? PROF. SHIBLEY TELHAMI, SENIOR FELLOW, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: Well, it may have started as a bargaining tactic on his side. You know, he may have initially when they started to talk about this move weeks ago, it may have been part of the -- put pressure of Israel and the U.S. to make concessions to come back to the negotiating table. But once the train started moving, it really became out of control, in part, because it's a popular move, and the Arab world expects it. The international community expects it. And, frankly, there has not been significant movement for two years of administration effort. We're entering into an election year. Something had to be done to shake up the game, and I think right now, people think this might be just the move that might shake the game enough to make some forward movement. KING: Could, Fran, from a security standpoint, shake the game too much in the sense that across the Arab world, the Palestinian crisis, the Palestinian's grievances, are often the source of tension, sometimes a source of violence at a time when you have so much uncertainty in the Arab Spring unfolding. If the United States had to use its veto in the Security Council to say no to the Palestinians, would you be concerned about what might happen in the Arab street? FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: Well, of course, I think there's likely to be a reaction in the Arab street, but you have to understand, the administration is a very difficult position with all the chaos throughout the region right now. There are real concerns about Israeli security. Israel is the only democracy in the region. And you've got sort of -- look at what's going on in Egypt with the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood. There have been protests in Jordan. I mean, this is a real-time of uncertainty, and the added tension right now really puts the administration in a very difficult position. KING: And so, Professor Telhami, this afternoon the Israeli prime minister says, no, don't do this. Don't do this. Let's have direct negotiations. And the Israeli P.M. on Twitter, "I call upon Palestinian president to meet with me in New York to resume immediately direct negotiations for peace." Might that -- is that enough, or would the Palestinians think it's a gimmick? TELHAMI: Well, look, there's been negotiations ongoing for decades, and direct negotiations for a couple of decades. Obviously, they haven't resolved it. This administration put a lot into it at the beginning and said this is a priority issue for the president. He expected to have some agreement by now. Nothing has happened. In the meanwhile, what do you have on the ground? You've got occupation 44 years. The policies (INAUDIBLE) -- policies have been born under occupation. Israelis have not had security. So, the reality of it is, there's something that needs to be done at the international level. The U.N. is a good place, but it should be an American resolution. It should be an American-led resolution that would put some outliers. It's not a substitute for negotiations, but there has to be some perimeters out there to regain the confidence. People are losing faith in the two-state solution as it is. You need to generate some international legitimacy for this solution, and I think the way to do it instead of going on the defensive and having a lose-lose is to come with the Europeans to put some reasonable proposition before the Security Council that would reinforce a two- state solution and then restart the negotiation. KING: Can President Abbas accept some compromise like that, or has he now raised expectations back home that he is coming to the United Nations to get this vote -- win or lose, he can't draw -- win or lose, he's coming to the United Nations to get this. TELHAMI: But he would interpret a Security Council resolution that included the basic element as a victory for himself, and I think there is something that we could play with. Whether or not the president himself, our own president, can live with that depending -- given where Congress is, given where the Congress is totally opposed to some kind of U.N. action on this, that's another question. But that's really a function of our broken politics, not a function of sensible policy. KING: Fran, should we mention our broken politics. This is a tough one. It may not be a fair question. But when you are in the White House, and you are on homeland security issues and especially in the post-9/11 world, some of them became very political. When this is happening, when you have an administration that has its policy plan in front of, it and when it comes to the Middle East, that's complicated and hard enough. And then you have a domestic political environment where, you know, some Democrats are saying, sir, could you lose the Jewish vote, you can't do this. In Congress, Republicans are saying you are turning on our greatest ally, Israel. How much does the domestic political noise get in the way of national security policy and influence it? TOWNSEND: There is no question there is tremendous, tremendous pressure on the White House politically right now. And, frankly, they've got -- the Palestinians really rely on the United States for -- and are allies for financial support. And the White House is not going to look kindly on this sort of the brinksmanship of a U.N. Security Council vote and being put in a position, along with our allies, of using our veto. The Palestinians have to be very careful. If they push the administration politically very hard on this and play this sort of brinksmanship, there are going to be consequences for the Palestinians. And so, while they may be able to get the vote that Abbas seems to so dearly want, there will be long-term consequences to them. And so, what they ought to be looking to are these intensive negotiations that the secretary of state has referred to, to try and get some progress here without pushing that this to that sort of brinksmanship vote. KING: We'll follow this closely over the next 48 to 72 hours. Fran Townsend in New York, and Shibley Telhami -- thanks for coming in. It's a very important story. Next, a former staffer says the Obama White House was a hostile workplace for a woman. But the treasury secretary says that and other allegations in a new book bear no resemblance to the reality he lived. We'll explore this publishing controversy. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) KING: A new book about the Obama White House describes the president as, quote, "uncertain and second guessing himself often." One former top woman staffer is quoted as calling it a hostile workplace. Another says she felt, quote, "like a piece of meat" and reportedly questioned whether men on the senior staff had the courage, shall we say, to make tough decisions. And what makes this all the more odd is this: the White House aggressively cooperated with the author, Ron Suskind, to the point of giving him a 50-minute interview with the president of the United States. Now, many former top White House aides, even current cabinet secretaries, are saying they can't imagine ever saying the things attributed to them in the book. It's called "Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington and the Education of a President." (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TIMOTHY GEITHNER, TREASURY SECRETARY: I haven't read this book. But, to borrow a phrase, I live the reality. And the reports I've read about this book bear no resemblance to the reality we live together -- no resemblance. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: So how damaging are the accounts? Our chief White House correspondent Jessica Yellin; former presidential adviser David Gergen are back with us. Jess, some of this is substance that's embarrassing to the president, if true. Some of it is the personal conduct. And I want to start there. Anita Dunn is the woman Ron Suskind says, called it a hostile workplace. And she said this: "Looking back, this place would be in court for a hostile workplace, because it actually fits all of the classic legal requirements for a genuinely hostile workplace for women." That's Anita Dunn, a former top communications adviser in the White House. Also, Dr. Christina Romer, the top economic adviser for the long time -- or the number two. This is talking about her boss essentially, the number one guy, Larry Summers, "I felt like a piece of meat. Why is it always the women? Why are we the only ones with the" -- you can read that on your screen if you want -- "around here?" In covering this White House and in knowing everyone who works here but especially women -- do they describe such a horrible environment? JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'll tell you, John, first of all, both women have either flatly refuted or said they have no memory of saying those things. That said, it's no secret that Democratic women around town have for some time talked about the fact that this White House, especially in the early days, was a challenging place for women to work. That is no secret. They've also said -- from women who have worked there -- that the president became personally involved in this and that it's become an easier place to work and that is changed I should also say that it's not a secret that this has been true of most White Houses. It's hard to find a White House that's an exception. It's kind of the world we live in, in Washington, John. KING: That's certainly true. David, I want to bring you into the conversation as someone who has worked in four White Houses and there's always a lot of grunting, sighing and sometimes panic when books are written. We talked about a workplace environment question there. I want you to listen to this. This is a policy issue heading into a campaign when the economy is the number one issue. Paul Volcker is quoted on this book and the president has been brought him for some advice. He's quoted on this book as saying, "Obama is smart, but smart is not enough. Leadership is another thing entirely, about knowing your mind enough to make real decision, ones that last." That's a pretty damning portrayal by a man who is described by this White House as a senior economic adviser sometimes. DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it is, John. As you well know, there are a number of arguments in this book that the president was in over his head, that he had a team of people around him on the economic side who were frequently clashing with each other, had the knives out for each other. And most of the top economic advisers have specifically refuted what's been attributed, led by Secretary Geithner, as you just showed that clip. What's been interesting about Ron Suskind's book in the past, John, is, he had three about the Bush administration and each case, there attacks on particular lines or what statements of people have made, what was attributed to them, and sometimes it appeared they were wrong. But the main narrative of those books tended to hold up. And I think the danger for the Obama team is -- you can disagree with one particular quote or another, but the main narrative of the book -- here is an amateur coming to the White House who was really struggling with decisiveness and with leadership is one that the president is going to have to face in this campaign because it's one his enemies are using against him. KING: Jess, do they regret the access he was given, 50 minutes with the president of the United States. That's a hard interview to get. And also, a lot of time with the senior staff. Do they now think in hindsight that was a mistake? YELLIN: Well, they're certainly refuting it, aggressively. I mean, they're putting out chapter and verse, pointing out everything that they can find that's wrong from individual names that he's gotten wrong, to titles, even showing where he has quoted Wikipedia instead of doing his own reporting. So, they're doing everything that they can possibly do to tarnish this book and suggest that, by detailed inaccuracies, suggesting that the larger narrative is itself inaccurate. I think you can extrapolate from that that there's a lot of upset about the book more broadly, John. KING: Angst in a word as Jess YELLIN: Sorry. It's very noisy here. KING: I get it. Jess braving the elements outside. So, David, in a few seconds, we're almost out of time tonight, but when you're working a senior job in the White House and these proposals come forward, how do you weigh the pros and cons and saying, "Let's even give him the president"? GERGEN: Look, the Clinton administration made the same mistake. They gave access early on to Bob Woodward. The president met with him. He wrote a book that was very damning and the president was angry that he had the interview. How the hell did my staff get me into this kind of thing? That happened when you're new and fresh. And you get these early books, and they can be very, very upsetting inside. KING: We'll watch this one play out. David, Jess, thanks for your help. We'll see you tomorrow night -- interview with the vice president -- former Vice President Dick Cheney among our issues tomorrow. That's all for us, though. "ANDERSON COOPER 360" starts right now.


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There are ways to fake a hamstring pull. I don't have time to go into details, but it can easily be done.
This big pus$y hasn't been on the field the entire season.
I thought he just had a hamstring pull, was it a pull or a tear?
5 weeks without setting foot on the practice field seems like an awfully long time for just a hamstring pull......I know there are different grades of hamstring injuries and what not, but, what I interpret as his lack of urgency to get back on the football field is very aggravating to say the least.
There are ways to fake a hamstring pull. I don't have time to go into details, but it can easily be done.
he's trying not to risk anything so it doesn't hurt him get a new contract in free agency...good call on his part.
He could be gone forever if it's a Green Jets & Hamstring.
Last edited by LockeJET; 10-05-2012 at 07:07 AM.
The real question IS........what the hell happened to Sanchez since week one? He looked like a beast and now looks like the beast's ....crap.
He has a "high" hamstring injury that goes from his hamstring to his vagina.
Once he comes back Sanchez will not look down field for the rest of the season.
5 weeks for a hamstring is not unusual. The thing get re-injured all the time. It must be one of the worse sprain type injuries.
With Holmes out, he could be the #1 option which bodes well for him in FA. Sitting out injured does not.
Weren't there reports that he was looking to play last week and aggravated the injury during warm ups?
If so, that basically resets his whole rehab schedule.
He pees sitting down
Dustin Keller is channelling his inner All-Pro and does not wish to be disturbed at this time.
This week, the Jets are looking at having Holmes, Keller and Hill out of the lineup. Josh Baker was also expected to be a contributor. Patrick Turner, the one WR who has been here a few years, was cut earlier this week, I believe. Going 4 wide (forget about 5 - it ain't happening), we're looking at Schilens/Kerley/Gates and.......J. Hill?
That's pretty ugly for a team that was not considered at all deep at WR. I suspect Chaz Schilens will be the fantasy sleeper of all sleepers. Now's his time to make some money.
just for the record, he played in Week 1.
limped off the field, during the second half I believe...hasn't been seen since.
obviously reinjured it -- which might explain why they're taking it very slow this time around. these types of injuries need to be very close to fully healed if you're going to avoid setting yourself back to square one.
whether for the team, or for himself, I'm sure he wants to be out there. this is only hurting his next contract.
How many times does this need to be explained?
How many threads need to be started to ask the same question?
First of all, not playing is certainly not going to enhance Keller's value in FA.
So, that point is ridiculous.
Secondly, and therefore, this is obviously more than a simple "pull."
Matt Kemp of the Dodgers was out for almost 2 months with a hamstring injury. Before that, he had tried to come back too early and he made it worse resulting in the almost 2 month absence.
So, all this speculation is unfounded. The guy has a bad hamstring injury. End of story.


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The Sugar Factory is a sweet-lovers haven in the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. In fact, it's one of the coolest candy stores you've ever seen, with a myriad of unusual treats, many not found elsewhere. Just imagine 6,000 square-feet of delectable goodies, including signature ice cream sundaes, milkshakes, cupcakes and gelato. There is also a large collection of candy-inspired apparel and novelty items. What's more, in their Chocolate Lounge, you can even order "Chocolate Gold" for $1,000. We ordered 5 pounds to go! Oops, wishful thinking.
In case you're wondering what $1,000 includes – along with a mother-lode of gold-dusted, gold-studded and gold-leafed chocolates, truffles and sauces, you also get a 10-year-old bottle of Dom Perignon champagne and a glass of Hardy Noces d'Or 50-year-old cognac for the table. Bring a crowd and call it a cool "Chocoholics Night."
The good news is that you don't need $1000 or even a candy fetish to love this Paris Las Vegas emporium. The Sugar Factory retail candy store is adjacent to the 30,000 square foot Sugar Factory American Brasserie. An Open Table 2012 Winner, the brasserie is a first class restaurant and bar.
If you are lucky enough to go on a beautiful night like we did and sit outside, it feels like an authentic Paris street scene. Of course, this is Las Vegas, but because the brasserie opens directly onto the sidewalk in front of the hotel it has an interesting European atmosphere. Most Vegas hotels are set far back from the street. The Sugar Factory American Brasserie uses their strategic location to full advantage with their spacious outdoor patio, where you can eat, drink, and people-watch as throngs of Vegas visitors stroll along the Strip.
In the event you catch a rare bad-weather night when the space heaters won't do the trick, sitting inside works well, too. The Sugar Factory American Brasserie is artistically designed with all the trappings of a typical French brasserie, including the lavish use of dark wood, crystal lighting, white cloth napkins and tile floors. It's the kind of place where it feels great just to sit and hang out, whether it's a lazy afternoon, a starlit night, or the wee small hours of the morning.
After sitting down at our front row, street level table, the first thing we did was order a Goblet. These are the Sugar Factory's signature drinks that are served in their own 36 ounce goblets. There are about eight of these monsters, all 36 oz for $36, with names like Lollipop Passion, Ocean Blue, Berry Bliss, Hawaiian Crush, and White Gummi – a fresh and fruity cocktail with fresh lemon sour, Peach Schnapps, Bacardi Red, Bacardi Razz and even actual Gummi worms!
We ordered Passion Punch, which was flavored with blood oranges, passion fruit, grapefruit liqueur and two kinds of vodka. Heads turned as it was brought to our table because it was literally "smoking." No, it wasn't served hot; it was chilled with smoke-generating dry ice. Even in jaded Las Vegas, people still react to something unique.
These Goblet drinks are humongous. Ours came with two straws, because with 36 ounces of heavenly booze, you'll want to share it… with at least one other person.
If you are not into sharing, there are the more personal-sized, but no less enticing, specialty flavored martinis for $16, with names like Hubba Bubba, Blow Pop, S'mores and Cotton Candy.
While enjoying the punch packed by our Passion Punch, we shared an appetizer special of Seared Tuna Sliders with Grilled Onions. These were healthier and much more interesting than typical burger sliders. For our main courses, we decided on "basic" dishes, thinking that these might be among their best because they are brasserie staples.
We first chose the Pan Roasted Salmon with Grilled Asparagus and Baby Spinach Sprinkled with Bacon-Herb Vinaigrette. The salmon was cooked to rare perfection, as we had requested.
For our second entree, we ordered a traditional French meat dish, Steak Frites, which is an herb marinated skirt steak served with French fries, lemon aioli and salad. We liked the simple, straight forward presentation of both dishes and appreciated that these basic plates were not taken for granted, but made with care to make them taste fresh and flavorful.
We finished dinner feeling pleasantly plump, when our stellar waitress told us it was "Time for dessert!" "Are you kidding?" our rebelling bellies rumbled. Well, this was the Sugar Factory after all, and our server simply wouldn't let us leave if we didn't indulge her (and ourselves) in one of their special dessert items.
After perusing the many choices, we finally settled on two items reflecting each of our own "his and hers" sweet-tooth favorites. His: Chocolate. Hers: Caramel.
His yen for chocolate was more than satisfied by the S'mores Crepe, which consisted of a freshly made crepe with white chocolate ice cream covered in toasted marshmallows, crushed graham crackers, and melted chocolate chunks in a decadent dark chocolate sauce.
Her caramel craving led to an almost religious experience as she "sighed and went to heaven" with the Apple Pie Waffle – a vanilla bean waffle, roasted apples, and toasted pecan crumbles, topped with vanilla ice cream smothered in maple syrup, caramel sauce and whipped cream. Okay, so we wouldn't be eating again for the next year. Or at least the next hour!
A factor that contributes to Sugar Factory American Brasserie's successful niche in the Las Vegas restaurant scene is its moderately priced menu, along with the fact that it is always open. Company execs realized that giving people a reasonably-priced, high-quality cuisine is good for business. It's no surprise that the brasserie is always bustling.
Part of the allure of Sugar Factory is the fact that it's a casual place. The night-scene on the street is a constant blur of activity, but at the brasserie, guests can just hang out and chill. You get the sense there is no rush to be anywhere else, except here. This is true 24 hours a day, with menu items changing for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
So there's no doubt… for a sweet treat or a great meal that's practically a steal – there's the Sugar Factory American Brasserie. What else can we say, except..."Bon appétit!"
Sugar Factory American Brasserie
Paris Las Vegas
3655 Las Vegas Blvd So.
Las Vegas,NV 89109
Published on Nov 30, 2012


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Expedia Verified Reviews
Don't miss out on a lower price on this hotel
Get an overview of this hotelWaterfront hotel with full-service spa and restaurant
Collecting Nectar Points
Simply enter your Nectar card number when you check out. Your points will be credited 35 days after you return from your trip.
*Terms and conditions apply.
Popular property highlights
Situated on the waterfront, this spa hotel is 0.2 mi (0.3 km) from Northney Marina and within 6 miles (10 km) of Station Theatre and Staunton Country Park. Farlington Marshes and Funland Hayling Island are also within 6 miles (10 km).
Hotel features
A full-service spa, a restaurant and an indoor pool are available at this smoke-free hotel. Free WiFi in public areas and free self parking are also provided. Additionally, a health club, a bar/lounge and a spa tub are on-site.
Room amenities
All 148 rooms offer free WiFi and free wired Internet, plus 24-hour room service and satellite TV. Other amenities available to guests include coffee/tea makers, hairdryers and safes.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us! Opens in a new window.
The Langstone
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
In addition to a full-service spa, The Langstone features an indoor pool and a health club. The hotel offers a restaurant. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Public areas are equipped with complimentary wireless Internet access.
12 meeting rooms are available. This business-friendly hotel also offers a hot tub, a sauna and a garden. On-site self parking is complimentary.
The Langstone is a smoke-free property.
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Number of meeting rooms - 12
- Bar/lounge
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Full-service spa
- Indoor pool
- 24-hour front desk
- Spa treatment room(s)
- Conference space
- Turkish bath/Hammam
- Spa tub
- Restaurant
- Total number of rooms - 148
- Television in common areas
- Free self parking
- Steam room
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Free WiFi
- Sauna
- Wedding services
- Health club
- Smoke-free property
- Garden
- Free newspapers in lobby
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Indoor pool
- Free Wi-Fi
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Private bathroom
- Room service (24 hours)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Daily housekeeping
- Hair dryer
- Bathtub or shower
- Iron/ironing board
- In-room safe
- Desk
- Satellite TV service
- Free WiFi
- Free toiletries
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Free wired Internet
Where to Eat
Full breakfasts are available for a surcharge and are served each morning.
The Brasserie – Overlooking the ocean, this restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Guests can order drinks at the bar and enjoy al fresco dining (weather permitting). A children's menu is available.
Compass Bar and Lounge – This pub serves lunch and dinner. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar.
24-hour room service is available.
Nearby Things to Do
An indoor pool and a spa tub are on site. Other recreational amenities include a health club and a sauna.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on-site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Pilates classes on site
- Fitness classes on site
- Yoga classes/instruction on site
Spa Services
Synergy Beauty Academy has 2 treatment rooms. Services include massages, facials, body wraps and body scrubs. The spa is equipped with a sauna, a spa tub and Turkish bath/hammam.
The spa is open selected days.
- Sauna in spa
- Spa tub in spa
- Number of treatment rooms 2
- Manicures and pedicures
- Body wraps
- Body treatments
- Body scrubs
- Facial treatments
- Massages
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time ends at 2 PM
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Kids stay free! Children 16 years old and younger stay free when using existing bedding.
- Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
- Cribs (infant beds) are not available.
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
- Resort fee
Optional extras
- Fee for full breakfast: GBP10 per person (approximately)
Hotel Name
- Langstone Hotel Hayling Island
- Langstone Hotel
- Langstone Hayling Island
- Langstone
We should mention
A resort fee is included in the total price displayed. Children aged 16 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


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Thailand Time
Thailand Standard Time is +7 GMT.Thailand does not observe daylight savings.
Thailand Holidays
The following are a list of Thailand public holidays:
1 January: New Year's Day
February/March: Makha Bucha Day – A Buddhist holiday occurring on the full moon of fourth lunar month.
6 April: Chakri Memorial Day – This day honors the foundation of the reigning royal family's dynasty.
13-15 April: Songkran – The Thai new year.May: Royal Ploughing Ceremony – Celbrating the farming season; the specific date is determined by the royal astrologerMay: Visakha Bucha: A Buddhist holiday occurring on the full moon of the 6th lunar month.
1 May: Labor Day
5 May: Coronation Day – In commemoration of the coronation of the reigning King of Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
July: Asanha Bucha Day – A Buddhist Holiday occurring on the full moon of 8th lunar month
Vassa – This is the beginning of Buddhist lent on first waning moon of 8th lunar month
12 August: H.M. The Queen of Thailand's Birthday; also Thai Mothers Day
23 October: Chulalongkorn Day: In honor of a former King of Thailand.
5 December: H.M The King of Thailand's Birthday; also Thai Father's Day
10 December: Constitution Day: In celebration of the kingdom's first constitution.
31 December: New Year's Eve


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Diversity Awards Nominations Being Accepted- Jackson
South Central Human Resource Management Association (SCHRMA), an affiliated chapter of SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management), is actively seeking nominations for the 2013 Workforce Diversity Celebration Award. Nominations are not required to be SHRM or SCHRMA members. Workplace diversity is the collective mixture of differences and similarities that include individual and organizational characteristics, values, beliefs, experiences, backgrounds, preferences and behaviors. The award is designed to increase community awareness of diversity and inclusion and help us understand how this affects our community. Nomination forms may be found on the SCHRMA website-schrma.shrm.org
The 2012 winner was Jackson Community College. JCC's commitment to diversity starts at the very core of their operations, beginning with the strategic plan as adopted by the Board of Trustees. The College is not only dedicated to increasing the diversity of employees, but also increasing the diversity of those served — the students.
Nominations will be accepted until April 8, 2013. The award will be presented on Thursday, May 23 at Cascades Manor House, with a luncheon and program from 12-1:30 p.m. The award will be presented by Karen Belair, Diversity Chairperson for SCHRMA. For more information about nominating a Diversity nominee, please call Karen Belair at 517-750-1900, ext. 106 or email: firstname.lastname@example.com.