text:
- Font:
- +
- -
Guests: Howard Fineman, Alex Wagner, E.J. Dionne, Jackie DeAngelis, Chuck Todd, Major Garrett, Steve McMahon, Todd Harris
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Jeremiah was a bullfrog.
Let`s play HARDBALL.
Good evening. I`m Chris Matthews in Washington. Leading off tonight:
Bad men with "Dirty Angry Money." Have Republican money men, the
billionaires funding pro-Romney super-PACs, decided the way to beat
President Obama is to get as dirty as possible, as soon as possible?
Well, today`s "New York Times" front page reported that Ameritrade
billionaire Joe Ricketts was looking at running adds linking Mr. Obama with
the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Well, today Ricketts disavowed any such
campaign. He says it was only a suggestion. Perhaps, but that mere
suggestion came in a 54-page professionally bound campaign plan illustrated
with color photos. Who`s fooling who?
Mitt Romney meanwhile says he repudiates this ad campaign, and then --
Etch-a-Sketch moment -- accuses President Obama of character assassination,
this from the guy who systematically destroyed each of his primary
opponents with negative personal ads.
Plus, Mitt Romney hearts Bill Clinton? Romney says he has more in
common with Bill Clinton than President Obama does. Really? Well, Clinton
supports the health care law, supports financial reform, and he championed
tax rates that Romney insists will destroy the economy. Let`s face it, the
only thing Clinton and Romney have in common is that Clinton once had the
job that Clinton wants.
And there`s a major effort to prevent HHS secretary Kathleen Sebelius
from speaking tomorrow at Georgetown University here in Washington. Are
Catholic conservatives trying to drive liberal Catholics off of Catholic
college campuses?
Finally, "Let Me Finish" tonight with what we should do if we really
want to reduce the number of abortions in this country.
We begin with "Dirty Angry Money" and the plot to bring back the
Reverend Jeremiah Wright as a campaign issue. Chuck Todd`s NBC political
director and chief White House correspondent. Major Garrett covers the
White House for "National Journal" -- the (INAUDIBLE)
Anyway, "The New York Times" reported on a proposal from a Republican
strategist to a wealthy super-PAC backer to dredge up Jeremiah Wright. The
point was to show President Obama really is a radical after all.
Here`s some language from the plan. "Our plan is to do exactly what
John McCain would not let us do, show the world how Barack Obama`s opinions
of America and the world were formed and why the influence of that
misguided mentor and our president`s formative years among left-wing
intellectuals has brought our country to its knees."
Chuck Todd, front page placement, left side of the paper. "The Times"
played this baby big today.
CHUCK TODD, NBC WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT/POLITICAL DIR.: They did.
And look, let`s look at it as political strategy. Just watch how it
consumed a day of the campaign, of the Romney campaign, the idea that this
might come up as a potential ad.
And it just shows you why, as simple political strategy, this was a
bad idea and this wasn`t good advice. The idea that somehow Mitt Romney or
the Republican message machine should go off on another tangent and not be
talking about the issues of the day, not be talking about the economy, is
simply bad political strategy, and it threw Romney off all day today.
It`s, I think, clearly, turned into bad business for Mr. Ricketts, who
owns the Chicago Cubs, clearly has to do business with the city of Chicago,
which, oh, by the way, whose mayor is Rahn Emanuel, whose most famous
citizen is the president of the United States.
I think watching all of this -- how it got as far as it did is mind-
boggling because, number one, it seems like bad political strategy, and
number two, it seemed like bad business for Mr. Ricketts.
MATTHEWS: Yes, also here`s Mitt Romney today saying he repudiated
that proposed campaign, as you said, Chuck. But he also took the
opportunity to hit President Obama`s campaign. Let`s watch. He`s in this
thick (ph).
MITT ROMNEY (R-MA), FMR. GOV., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I read the
article on the aircraft. As I read the article, I want to make it very
clear I repudiate that -- that effort. I think it`s the wrong course for a
PAC or a campaign. I hope that our campaigns can respectively be about the
future and about issues and about a vision for America.
I -- I`ve been disappointed in the president`s campaign to date, which
is focused on character assassination.
We can talk about a lot of things, but the centerpiece of his campaign
is quite clearly character assassination, and the centerpiece of my
campaign is going to be my vision to get America working again and provide
a brighter future for our kids.
MATTHEWS: Before we go on here, Major, what were the -- what`s with
the conehead talk here? I read that newspaper "on the aircraft."
MATTHEWS: Is this guy trying to learn earthling language here?
What`s going on here, "the aircraft"?
MAJOR GARRETT, "NATIONAL JOURNAL": Look -- look...
MATTHEWS: Anyway, there`s no need to discuss this, it`s just funny.
But go ahead.
GARRETT: Right. Look, let`s decode what Mitt Romney was saying when
he said two things. This campaign should be about the future, meaning,
Don`t talk about my past. What does the past mean? The past means what?
Bain Capital. "Character assassination" -- what does that mean? It also
means Bain Capital, but it might also mean, My religious heritage also.
So what Romney is trying to communicate in that very short sound bit
answer is, Let us take religion for both of us off the -- the stage
entirely, your religion, my religion. Let`s call that equal or non-
discussable. And let`s focus on the future because if you talk about Bain,
that hurts me more, I`m afraid, then your past might hurt you or...
MATTHEWS: What are you allowed to talk about?
GARRETT: ... I might only be able to fight you to a draw.
MATTHEWS: What are you allowed to talk about, about Romney now?
What`s left?
GARRETT: Well, that -- look, every campaign...
MATTHEWS: Can you talk about...
MATTHEWS: He is running to be our president of the United States.
Can we talk about him?
GARRETT: No, I understand, Chris, but you understand also that every
candidate tries to fence off that which they can. And also, look, I was
there when the Jeremiah Wright story broke. I was one of three people who
interviewed then-candidate Obama about this. Keith Olbermann was another
and Anderson Cooper was another. And then candidate Obama gave a speech in
Philadelphia. He fenced off to the best of his ability the Jeremiah Wright
Every candidate does that to one degree or another. Here`s what we`re
going to discuss, here`s what we`re not going to discuss. And all I`m
saying is, in Romney`s own way, whether you agree with it or disagree with
it or buy it or don`t buy it, he was trying to fence of or redirect that
which is discussable and that which isn`t discussable. And the context to
the story, which I think Chuck would agree with me completely obliterated
the best news for Romney today...
TODD: Right.
GARRETT: ... which is that he raised $40 million to run against Obama
in the general election campaign.
MATTHEWS: Well, let`s go back to Chuck and the regular tenor of this
campaign. It looks to me like, Chuck -- and you study this all the time --
we`ve got a campaign coming. We`re only in the pre-season, according to
Nate Silver of "The New York Times." We`re just getting started here.
And yet the pre -- the pre-season so far, the training program we`ve
watched of Romney, was very tough negative campaigning...
TODD: Right.
MATTHEWS: ... basically Dresden-style bombing of his opponents -- he
erased them as issues of the -- as opponents. And yet he says, Don`t talk
about me, don`t engage in character assassination. Is that some way of
cauterizing himself, of saying, Look, any attack on my background, any
attack on my business career is character assassination, and meanwhile, I`m
going to unleash the super-PACs?
TODD: Well, it was an interesting strawman that he was trying to
create with Bain. I would say the difference between Reverend Wright and
Bain is that, basically, you had the president as a candidate that decided
to repudiate the things that Reverend Wright said, try to put distance to
Is that what Mitt Romney`s trying to do with Bain? Is he going to
repudiate some of Bain`s practices? You know, to sort of get the
equivalent treatment, he would also have to do the equivalent of what the -
- of what then candidate Obama did with Reverend Wright and the distance
that he -- that he wanted to put between himself and Reverend Wright with
the church itself, with Reverend Wright and some of the things that he
So does that -- is that what -- is that the message that Mitt Romney`s
trying to send? I think that he`s putting -- setting himself up. I get
the strawman. And I think that they thought, Well, hey, let`s repudiate,
but at the same time, let`s try to reemphasize the fact that, Look, the
Obama campaign is -- is throwing negative ads our way. Let`s at least see
if some of this mud will stick to them.
I think that`s a tougher argument to make, that somehow -- I agree
with Major. I think you can get away with that and he can sort of bully
opponents and the media to not touch the religion issue. I think Bain`s...
MATTHEWS: OK, let`s -- let`s put this...
TODD: ... another story. It`s part of his...
MATTHEWS: ... in perspective...
TODD: It`s part of the story he`s trying to sell.
MATTHEWS: I`m sorry. I`m sorry, Scott -- Chuck. Let`s take a look
at what he said, Romney said on Sean Hannity. Let`s put his record, the
way he talks this year. Here he is in February of this year, talking about
this thing. Let`s go back through the Sean Hannity performance, when he`s
in that theater.
ROMNEY: I think, again, that the president takes his philosophical
leanings in this regard not from those who are ardent believers in various
faiths, but instead, from those who would like to see America more secular.
And I`m not sure which is worse, him listening to Reverend Wright or him
saying that -- that we -- we must be a less Christian nation.
MATTHEWS: Well, what do you make of that, that commentary there,
Major? I mean, there he is saying, I don`t know what`s worse, whether he`s
listened to Jeremiah Wright, who he doesn`t want to bring up, of course,
but he just did...
GARRETT: Right.
MATTHEWS: ... or he`s listening to these lefties out there that don`t
believe in God. I mean, he`s now (INAUDIBLE) both being a believer and a
non-believer, whacking him personally on his religious beliefs, his
philosophy, and then saying, Let`s not get personal about my religion.
What do you mean here? What`s the deal?
GARRETT: Right. That was then, this is now. That`s a cliche in
politics. It`s a cliche in culture. It`s a cliche in a lot of American
life. That was then. What was then? A primary context when Romney is
trying to communicate certain values, certain core beliefs or certain core
attack lines to whom, Republican or likely Republican primary voters. When
was that Sean Hannity episode taped? February. Where are we know? We`re
in mid to late May, and it`s a different context.
And here`s the other thing that I think is worth pointing out, Chris,
just for a second. The implicit premise of this Tom Ricketts proposal is
that John McCain made some catastrophic political blunder not attacking...
MATTHEWS: So that was Romney`s...
GARRETT: ... then candidate Obama...
MATTHEWS: ... tribute to Black History Month -- no, wait a minute
here. I`m not going to move on here from February. That was his tribute
to Black History Month, whacking at the guy for his minister, whacking at
him for his philosophy and his religion? He was allowed to do it in
February and now he`s declaring this, Oh, we don`t attack each other`s
religions in May?
Why do you so loosely let him skip away from the standard he set?
Trash the guy`s religion.
GARRETT: I`m -- I`m...
MATTHEWS: And his race, perhaps, in this regard. Who knows what the
number there was. Why`d he bring up Reverend Wright? What`s he up to?
GARRETT: He -- I`m saying -- I`m saying...
MATTHEWS: No wonder this guy...
MATTHEWS: ... brought the ad campaign to him. He brought the ad
campaign to this guy because he saw this guy`s willing to play this card.
He saw that -- you know, John McCain was the man of honor. He said, I`m
not going to play this card. Then he sees, Oh, oh, this new guy is
desperate to get the job. He`ll use the campaign. So why don`t I do a 54-
page proposal for the guy, get prior approval at a New York meeting, come
back for further approval. It hits "The New York Times," and wait a
minute, Oh, now "The New York Times" finds out about it, he says he`s not
going to do it.
But he indicated before a couple times he was going to do it. Romney
said personally, I`m going to go after Wright. We saw it on Sean Hannity.
Then we see a little note that says, With your preliminary approval at the
New York meeting. Well, here they go again, and then they get caught red-
handed here, and all of a sudden, they`re all saying, Oh, we`re not going
to do this. You know why? "The Times" caught them.
That`s my thought. Your thought, Major?
GARRETT: It`s all part of the public record, as you described, Chris,
as I described. I said that was then, this is now. Everything is public
record. Everyone can evaluate Romney about what he said in February, why
he said it then, and why he`s repudiating it now. I`m not disinviting
scrutiny. I`m inviting scrutiny of what Romney said. And...
GARRETT: ... laying it down in February, OK?
TODD: Yes, but this is an important...
GARRETT: Everything you say in politics in the course of a campaign
not only invites scrutiny but deserves scrutiny. I`m not saying Romney
doesn`t deserve scrutiny. I`m saying it`s all part of the public record.
TODD: Well, you know...
GARRETT: And you can evaluate it then against the -- the -- the
objectives of his campaign now, which are different then. And if you don`t
like them now or you don`t like them then, then you don`t vote for him.
MATTHEWS: I just want consistency and transparency. Chuck, I`m
sorry. I`m shorting you tonight.
TODD: No, no, no...
MATTHEWS: Do you think this is the kind of campaign we`re going to
see this year, Reverend Wright against the Mormon -- is this going to be
that level of dirt, take him in the ditch kind of fighting?
TODD: Well, I`ve had this theory that the next 60 days are going to
be a lot of these stories, where one and two-day things that pop up that
aren`t about the picture, and then, suddenly, the debates are going to
happen and it`s going to recenter the conversation one final time.
But there`s one point about Reverend Wright that I think that viewers
here need to understand, which is for -- on conservative media outlets,
Reverend Wright`s never has gone away as an issue.
MATTHEWS: Yes.
TODD: You know, even last night, before this story hit, on Hannity,
they talked about Reverend Wright. Reverend Wright is brought up -- it is
-- whatever you want to describe it, a dogwhistle, a talking point.
TODD: It is a regular conservative sledgehammer, if you will, on the
president. It gets brought up in passing. His name has very high ID among
conservatives. That`s why I question this as political strategy. I think
it does not play well with swing voters, and that`s why you just sit there
-- and I am very surprised by the people involved with this, that they
actually thought this was good...
MATTHEWS: Yes.
TODD: ... just simply good politics.
MATTHEWS: Well, they get touched with it tonight.
GARRETT: Hey, Chris...
MATTHEWS: Anyway...
GARRETT: Chris...
MATTHEWS: I have to go. I`m sorry, Major. More the next time you`re
MATTHEWS: Thank you so much, as always. Chuck, my man, thank you,
from the White House.
TODD: You got it. See you.
MATTHEWS: Coming up, we`re going to ask the HARDBALL "Strategists"
about reviving the Reverend Wright issue. Why is it back? Why are we
talking about it? Well, Romney was talking bout it in February. Now they
got an ad, a 54-page ad campaign based on -- well, hint, hint, maybe he
wants to talk about it, since he has been.
Plus Romney`s charge that he`s a victim of character assassination.
Well, that`s interesting.
This is HARDBALL, the place for politics.
MATTHEWS: Got some new polling out of Wisconsin, and it`s a number
that should have the White House worried, actually. Let`s check the
HARDBALL "Scoreboard."
Here it is. A new Marquette Law School finds the -- poll finds the
presidential race between Obama and -- 46 all. Boy, is that close.
Wisconsin`s a state Democrats have carried in every presidential election
since `88, but it`s a state Romney probably needs to carry to have a chance
to win. Boy, this is a hot one, 46 all. You can`t beat that for a tight
We`ll be right back.
MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL. Our HARDBALL "Strategists" are
here tonight to discuss the two big fights brewing right now. First, how
do you talking that proposed attack campaign on President Obama using the
Reverend Wright? Well, they`ll advise both campaigns tonight very
carefully and fairly, of course.
And second, Mitt Romney calls it character assassination, the Obama
attacks on his Bain record, that is. Has he already forgotten how personal
he got with Gingrich and Santorum? He blew those guys away personally,
talking about their "baggage."
And with me now are our "Strategists," Democrat Steve McMahon and
Republican Todd Harris. Thank you very much. It`s great to have you on.
What do you make of this front page of "The Washington" -- "The New
York Times" today, right at the top of the fold here? And then Romney`s
sort of usually kind of odd language coming back, saying, Yes, I read that
on the aircraft? I mean, is he a conehead? Anyway, go on.
MATTHEWS: Why does he talk like that? Nobody says -- I just got off
the plane. That`s how people talk, I just got off the plane. He says, I
just got off the aircraft.
TODD HARRIS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, most people read on the
MATTHEWS: On the aircraft.
HARRIS: It`s also an aircraft.
MATTHEWS: What`s this, a flying saucer he got off of?
HARRIS: I don`t think he lost any votes calling it an aircraft.
MATTHEWS: Go ahead.
HARRIS: I think it`s much ado about nothing. It`s a...
MATTHEWS: Oh, there`s nothing here.
HARRIS: It`s a plan that`s not going anywhere, that -- that the guy
who`s putting up the money said he`s not going to do, that Romney has
MATTHEWS: Plus, he got caught.
HARRIS: It wasn`t a good idea in the first place.
MATTHEWS: Let`s go on. Let`s look at this. At the end of the 2008
campaign, when John McCain trailed Barack Obama, McCain refused to run ads
attacking Obama`s connection with the Reverend Wright, a storyline
featured, by the way, in the great film on HBO "Game Change." Let`s watch
that scene.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John, I mean, these numbers do show it. We`ve got
to make this about Obama. We`ve got to get tough and we`ve got to get
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we go this way, Reverend Wright is still the
best play we have.
ED HARRIS, ACTOR: Any of you ever been accused of having a Negro
child out of wedlock because your adopted daughter was born in Bangladesh?
And then, when she was 16 and Googled her name, I had to explain to her why
President Bush`s henchmen called her a bastard when she was 10 years old.
PETER MACNICOL, ACTOR: Yes, listen, South Carolina, that was an ugly
primary. But this isn`t the same thing. I mean, Reverend Wright really
did say those things.
E. HARRIS: That may be true, but there is a dark side to American
populism. Some people win elections by tapping into it. I`m not one of
those people.
MATTHEWS: Well, how are you going to spin this thing, Todd, because,
you know, your candidate, Romney, uses the references to Wright. We just
caught him doing it in February. And he`s obviously, this ad campaign guy,
Fred Davis, trying to sell him on a 54-page proposal.
He thought that was what Romney would bite on, they would like that.
T. HARRIS: Well, not Romney.
MATTHEWS: His people. OK. We can be cute. Go ahead.
T. HARRIS: Look, it`s a bad strategy for two reasons.
Number one, Obama is most vulnerable on economic issues. Something
like this -- look at what`s happening today. We are not talking about the
president`s failed promises to turn the economy around. That`s what the
Romney campaign...
MATTHEWS: So why were they giving preliminary approval at the New
York meeting? Why were they doing it?
T. HARRIS: Look, I have had preliminary approval for all kinds of
MATTHEWS: Well, why did they approve it if it`s a lousy idea?
T. HARRIS: It doesn`t mean that they actually agree with the
T. HARRIS: The second thing is most voters think that this has
already been prosecuted, in that this came up in 2008 and Obama was
elected. To bring it up now, it`s going to feel like old news.
MATTHEWS: ... Obama people going to exploit this? How are you guys
going to exploit this?
STEVE MCMAHON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Actually, you know what? I
don`t think the president benefits from an extended conversation about
Reverend Wright.
I think most voters think not only has it been litigated, but I think
they think it`s racist. And they reject it. And independent voters in
particular, the people who are going to make the decision about this
election, wouldn`t be persuaded by this, they would be offended by this.
The this it was seriously considered is because it`s a bunch of rich
fools sitting there trying to figure out what can they do that would be
fun. How can we swift boat Barack Obama?
MATTHEWS: I agree with you.
Let`s take a look. Here`s the afternoon -- this afternoon, while
repudiating while the proposed attacks involving Jeremiah Wright, Mitt
Romney criticized the president for using character assassination.
I want you to defend this. Let`s watch.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have been disappointed in
the president`s campaign to date, which has focused on character
assassination. I just think that we`re wiser to talk about the issues of
the day, what we do to get America working again, and talk about our
respective records.
And so, with that, I certainly hope that you get a chance to see our
first ad. That will come up I think in a couple of days. It will a
positive ad about the things I would do if I were president. It is
contrasting with the president`s ad which came out again as a character
assassination ad.
MATTHEWS: This is talking points.
Do you want to defend those talking points.
T. HARRIS: He`s absolutely right.
MCMAHON: Oh, come on.
T. HARRIS: Look, the Obama campaign even telegraphed this to the
Politico late last year when they said our strategy to go against Romney is
going to be to destroy him. We`re going to undercut his credibility.
We`re going to make him not likable, not credible. We`re going to call him
what -- these are their words -- weird, which is code for talking about
MATTHEWS: Who said that? Who said they were going to use the word
weird to make him a Mormon?
T. HARRIS: Senior Obama campaign advisers. There`s an entire article
in Politico about it.
MATTHEWS: Yes.
T. HARRIS: By Ben Smith and Jonathan Martin. I think it`s pretty
MCMAHON: OK, so can we go back to the question? And that is Mitt
Romney`s record, a record of creating great wealth, but not creating any
jobs. When he became governor of Massachusetts...
MATTHEWS: Well, you`re not supposed to talk about Bain. That`s
character assassination.
MATTHEWS: Is it character assassination to talk about his Bain
MCMAHON: If he wants to talk about job creation job, it`s perfectly
legitimate to say, let`s look at Mitt Romney`s record on jobs. He`s got a
record destroying jobs, laying people off, taking away benefits, taking
away pensions.
He doesn`t have a record of creating jobs. He had the fourth worst
job creation record in the country when he was governor of Massachusetts.
MATTHEWS: Let me get it straight. What are you allowed to talk about
-- he wants to be president of the United States, the most important job in
the world. He doesn`t want us talking about his entire business career,
which is most of his life. Not supposed to -- shouldn`t talk about his
family, shouldn`t talk about religion. What`s left?
T. HARRIS: You can talk about his business record.
MATTHEWS: Oh, he says it`s character assassination.
T. HARRIS: It`s character assassination to distort his business
MATTHEWS: Oh, to distort.
MATTHEWS: Not to sell it his way. This isn`t the business press.
Anyway, we got a statement just off the wires here about the Wright
issue from the Obama campaign just now -- quote -- "Today, Mitt Romney had
the opportunity to distance himself from his previous attempts to inject
the device of politics of character assassination in the presidential race.
It was a moment that required moral leadership and once again he didn`t
rise to the occasion. Throughout the course oft campaign, he has
repeatedly refused to stand up to most extreme voices in the Republican
"If this is the `leadership` he has shown on the campaign trail, what
can the American people expect of him as president of the United States?"
T. HARRIS: You know how much moral leadership we`re getting out of
the Obama campaign on this? They have already sent out an e-mail
solicitation trying to raise money on this issue.
MATTHEWS: Wouldn`t you?
MCMAHON: Yes, he would.
T. HARRIS: Yes. It`s a political issue, but don`t be all, oh...
MATTHEWS: Just tell me right now. Your guy, Romney, is not going to
talk about Reverend Wright this whole campaign?
T. HARRIS: No, I don`t think he will.
MCMAHON: Not after today.
MATTHEWS: He just already did. We got the tape. We showed him in
February doing it.
T. HARRIS: Look, he said today this is going to be a campaign...
MATTHEWS: Oh, he is going to stop doing it?
T. HARRIS: Is the left going to stop talking about Romney being a
MATTHEWS: I`m just asking you.
T. HARRIS: I`m asking you.
MATTHEWS: I don`t think they ever talk about it.
T. HARRIS: Is Lawrence O`Donnell going to do a rant about Mormonism?
MATTHEWS: I don`t think Lawrence works for their campaign.
MATTHEWS: Go ahead.
MCMAHON: You`re a baseball fan. The White House just threw a very
hard high pitch at Mitt Romney. Don`t be talking about this because we
will squash you with it.
Mitt Romney has squirmed away from it after being afraid to talk about
it. He squirmed away, repudiated it. He is not going to go near this
issue for the rest of the campaign. That doesn`t mean these crazy, rich
fools won`t, but it will backfire.
MATTHEWS: ... Reverend Wright?
T. HARRIS: I don`t think...
MATTHEWS: By the way, I`m still waiting for your answer. Will he use
Reverend Wright?
T. HARRIS: No. I don`t think he will.
MATTHEWS: It will not leave his lips again?
T. HARRIS: It would be a mistake.
MCMAHON: I don`t think he will.
T. HARRIS: He ought to be talking about jobs and the president`s
failed record.
MATTHEWS: Well, he`s already done it.
Anyway, thank you, Steve McMahon.
Thank you, Todd Harris. He doesn`t listen to your advice.
MCMAHON: He should.
MATTHEWS: Up next, the late-night comics have some advice for Mitt
Romney. That`s next in the "Sideshow." I`m sure it will be positive.
This is HARDBALL, the place for politics.
MATTHEWS: Back to HARDBALL. Now for "Sideshow."
First off, is believe in America the best slogan or the best campaign
slogan for team Romney? He`s had plenty of other notable quotes. Just ask
the folks at "Conan."
CONAN O`BRIEN, HOST, "CONAN": Mitt Romney is also trying out new
campaign slogans, but he`s getting mixed results.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am offering a real choice,
a new beginning. We believe in ourselves. Our greatest days are ahead.
The other guys are talking about everything but the economy, and I`m
going to talk about nothing.
If you have got a shirt on, as you -- the guys in the room at least
do, and the gals have tops, I guess you would call them.
I`m allowed to say what I`m not allowed to say, that`s very important
to me.
I`m over 13 now.
MATTHEWS: Well, the late-night crowd has been having a good time with
Here`s David Letterman with what happened when George W. Bush endorsed
Romney as the elevator doors were closing.
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": We have a
simulation. We don`t have actual footage. So we have put together a
simulation of what George W. Bush must have looked like endorsing Mitt
Romney from the elevator. Here it is. I hope you enjoy it.
GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I strongly
stand with Mitt Romney.
MATTHEWS: That was his tie going up the elevator.
Anyway, also, have you noticed that President Obama sometimes avoids
mentioning Mitt Romney by name during speeches, like when he recently
criticized the policies of -- quote -- "some people running for a certain
offices should not be named"?
Well, Vice President Biden has been on a campaign blitz in Ohio the
last couple days and he wasn`t so coy.
JOSEPH BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Romney talks about
restructuring the economy. It`s fundamentally about making money.
Here`s the crux of Governor Romney`s argument. Romney`s partners came
in, his fellow investors, and eight years later the company was bankrupt.
Romney`s investors walked away with $12 million. That`s Romney economics.
The president did not take Governor Romney`s advice.
Governor Romney seems to want it both ways. Governor Romney. Romney.
Romney. Governor Romney. Governor Romney, he said -- quote -- "I will
take a lot of credit for the fact that the industry`s come back." Whoa.
BIDEN: And by the way, I will take a lot of credit for man having
landed on the moon, because although I was in school, I rooted for it.
MATTHEWS: Well, see what I mean? Nineteen direct shots in today`s
speech alone.
Well, finally, why are Republicans digging up four-year-old attack
lines against President Obama? We have got the Jeremiah Wright situation
we talked about earlier. And the birthers have yet to put bed that issue.
Here`s the latest. This is U.S. Congressman from Colorado Mike
Coffman at a fund-raiser last week.
REP. MIKE COFFMAN (R), COLORADO: I don`t know whether Barack Obama
was born in the United States or not. I don`t know that. But I do know
this, that, in his heart, he`s not an American. He`s just not an American.
MATTHEWS: Oh.
Coffman found himself backpedaling that one this week -- or actually
last night -- in a quote, he said, "I have confidence in President Obama`s
citizenship and legitimacy as president of the United States. However, I
don`t believe the president shares my belief in American exceptionalism.
His policies reflect a philosophy that America is but one nation among many
So, this congressman, he says the president is an undocumented alien.
Then he says he`s outright un-American. Who votes for these odd ducks,
these political quacks?
Anyway, up next: Mitt Romney wants you to believe that he has got
more in common with Bill Clinton politically than President Obama does. Is
he fooling anyone, except himself?
You`re watching HARDBALL, the place for politics.
JACKIE DEANGELIS, CNBC CORRESPONDENT: I`m Jackie DeAngelis with your
CNBC "Market Wrap."
The Dow plummeting 156 points, the S&P falling 20, and the Nasdaq
sliding 60 points today. And some investors are already looking past
today`s selling and ahead to Facebook`s Friday debut. Shares have priced
at $38 each. Meantime, Apple fell nearly $16 today. It`s off more than 8
percent over the last month. And J.P. Morgan slipping another 4 percent.
The Senate Banking Committee wants CEO Jamie Dimon to testify as early as
next month.
That`s it from CNBC, first in business worldwide -- now back over to
MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL.
Mitt Romney has been testing out a new strategy aimed at driving a
wedge between President Obama and centrist Democrats and independents who
embraced Bill Clinton. There are many problems with the strategy,
beginning with this. Mitt Romney opposes almost everything Bill Clinton
Howard Fineman is an MSNBC political analyst and the Huffington Post
Media Group editorial director. And my colleague Alex Wagner from our
network is the host of the "Now," the highly successful program that comes
on earlier than this.
MATTHEWS: Anyway, here`s Mitt Romney. You`re laughing, but it`s all
true. Here`s Mitt Romney stirring the pot in Des Moines this Tuesday, two
days ago. Let`s watch.
ROMNEY: President Clinton was signaling to his own party that
Democrats should no longer try to govern by proposing a new program for
every problem.
President Obama tucked away the Clinton doctrine in his large drawer
of discarded ideas, along with transparency and bipartisanship.
ROMNEY: It`s enough to make you wonder if maybe it was a personal
beef with the Clintons, but probably that -- it runs much deeper than that.
MATTHEWS: You know, who writes this? He`s reading off a
teleprompter, Howard, and he`s reading crap.
I don`t use the word very often, but here`s a guy who says that this
president of the United States, who, whatever you think of him, boldly came
out for health care reform, boldly came out for a stimulus platform, in the
face of the worst economic danger since the Great Depression, did all this
stuff, and he`s saying he did all that out of a personal beef or tiff with
Bill Clinton.
How can you say something? Is it just meant to be overstatement or
understatement or what?
HOWARD FINEMAN, NBC CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: First of all, if
he were speaking to a Democratic audience there, where he was seriously
trying to get people who adored Bill Clinton, I might take it a little more
seriously as a political tactic, although even then I wouldn`t.
MATTHEWS: Right.
FINEMAN: But here he`s just -- it`s just parlor talk for a bunch of
Republicans. It doesn`t mean anything. And I will say a couple other
MATTHEWS: OK. Translate the meaning. Does it have any meaning at
FINEMAN: No, not really. First of all, I would not -- I would let
the sleeping big dog lie here. Don`t give Bill Clinton...
MATTHEWS: They hate Clinton.
FINEMAN: I know, but don`t give Bill Clinton an excuse to be
righteously indignant in public and campaign for Barack Obama at the same
time, number one.
Also, people generally don`t these days, given how divided we are,
take seriously praise of people in the other party. They just don`t. So I
don`t know what he was trying to do. He thought he was trying to be clever
and stir mischief among the Democrats. It won`t work and nobody was
MATTHEWS: Alex, what do you make of that? It was a sarcastic line
obviously aimed at stirring trouble, but what`s it about? Is this a theme
that is coming here?
ALEX WAGNER, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it`s not surprising.
And, actually, Sam Stein in Howard`s paper, The Huffington Post, had a
great analysis of this, which is that a lot of presidential candidates try
and do this. McCain tried to do this to some degree. Bill Clinton remains
an incredibly powerful figure in American politics.
He reminds people of halcyon days when things got done in Washington,
to a degree. And Romney is trying to exploit that. He`s been tossing
around the word liberal like nobody`s business. And he`s clearly trying to
paint President Obama as an extremist, which obviously is not going to
The other problem with this...
MATTHEWS: They impeached him.
FINEMAN: Yes.
MATTHEWS: I`m sorry. They impeached him.
MATTHEWS: How can anybody forget that? Two presidents in history got
impeached, probably for political reasons. And he`s one of them. And now
go, his guy is great. He`s great. He`s the best thing since sliced bread.
They impeached him. How can they go on? Does even Romney have any
history in that head of his or just talking points?
Anyway, go ahead. I interrupted you. But I did interrupt you with
something important. He was impeached by Republicans.
ALEX WAGNER, MSNBC HOST: He was. But institutional memory is a
thing of the past. Let`s not forget. Now, if this was Mitt Romney
speaking in 1994, perhaps he would have more in common with Bill Clinton
and he could sort of align himself better with him.
But Mitt Romney these days, you know, we call him Governor Romney.
His record as the governor of Massachusetts has effectively been
whitewashed. It would be much more appropriate to introduce him as
chairman or CEO Romney at this point. I mean, Governor Romney had common
than Bill Clinton than candidate Romney.
HOWARD FINEMAN, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: My point is nobody is going
to take -- no Democrat is going to take Mitt Romney`s praise of bill
Clinton seriously. And if he somehow thought he was going to lure
Democratic votes by exposing a historical fissure in the Democratic Party,
it`s a waste of his time.
MATTHEWS: OK. Thank God we have videotape like Warner Wolf. Here
we go -- Romney`s new line of attack might have you thinking he was once a
Clinton fan if you don`t pay attention.
So, here he is in a debate this January trying to explain why he
didn`t vote in the 1993 Republican presidential primary in Massachusetts
and sticking it to Bill Clinton in the process. Here he is explaining who
he is in January. Let`s watch.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In my state of
Massachusetts, you could register as an independent and go vote in
whichever primary happens to be interesting. Any chance I got to vote
against Bill Clinton or Ted Kennedy, I took.
MATTHEWS: Any chance -- there we have it, Alex Wagner. We just like
to report here we do have a videotape machine here, we can show what he
says. I don`t talk about Jeremiah Wright, we caught him doing it in
February. I love Bill Clinton.
Here we have trashing him in January. Thank God for tape. It`s not
a good friend of this guy, though.
WAGNER: Chris, are we surprised? I mean, Mitt Romney, the flip-
flopping thing is the truth. He has slipped up on every major issue. It
is very hard to understand what Mitt Romney is all about.
The other thing, and Howard mentioned this, don`t wake the sleeping
giant. Bill Clinton is still alive. He is still the kingmaker, like he
will disprove whatever Romney is saying about him. And the Clintons, if we
know anything about them, they`ve got institutional memory. They remember
who their enemies are, they remember what was said about them years ago,
months ago, weeks ago.
Bill Clinton is around and he will be out there on the campaign trail
not for Mitt Romney but for Barack Obama.
MATTHEWS: Well, for all Romney`s talk, he`s no true believer in
President Clinton`s policies. Clinton raised taxes on the wealthy, up to
37 percent, however. And the president want to return the top rates to
Clinton era levels. Mitt Romney wants to lower taxes on the wealthy
Clinton supports Obama`s health care reform. Romney has vowed to
repeal it. And while Clinton backs the Dodd/Frank financial reform, Mitt
Romney opposes it. So, just about every issue you think of.
By the way, let`s talk politics for a second, Bill Clinton, you`re so
good, I`m looking at the deep, at one of my smartest colleagues here. Bill
Clinton wants this guy to win, I believe, because somewhere in the back of
his head, he would like his wife to be president, Hillary Clinton, and I
don`t think what she thinks.
If this president gets beaten, it`s going to be harder for her to be
an incumbent because the business cycle is going to turn up eventually.
FINEMAN: A couple things. First of all, Bill Clinton`s version of
health care was more government oriented, actually, than the Obama one.
MATTHEWS: So was Nixon`s.
FINEMAN: Yes, exactly. OK. So, the Romney makes no sense on that
On another level, I think Bill Clinton wants to be the guy, short of
Hillary being elected, Bill Clinton being the guy --
MATTHEWS: Who`d bring this guy in.
FINEMAN: Yes. Bill Clinton wants to be the guy who`s called on to
help, in a great statesmanship to bring in Obama.
MATTHEWS: He wants to be a St. Bernard who goes out and gets this
guy in the snow, brings him home.
FINEMAN: Brings him home, exactly.
MATTHEWS: OK, thank you. The big dog, he`s St. Bernard. Thank you.
I got to laugh, Alex. That makes it all worthwhile.
Thank you, Howard. And thank you, Alex. Good luck with your show.
You`re doing great.
WAGNER: Thanks, Chris.
MATTHEWS: Up next, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen
Sebelius is scheduled to speak in this city, in Georgetown, tomorrow. But
a lot of right wing Catholics are out trying to keep her from talking.
Well, that`s liberty. You can`t talk. And that`s head.
This is HARDALL -- the place for politics.
MATTHEWS: U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio has ruled out
running for Congress in Washington state, a decision that end his career on
Capitol Hill. Kucinich`s district was withdrawn and he lost a primary
fight against fellow Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur early this year.
He considered moving west actually to the Seattle area and running
for Congress there, but instead he now says his 16 years of service in
Congress will end when his current term is up.
We`ll be right back.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As citizens of a
vibrant and varied democracy, how do we engage in vigorous debate? How
does each of us remain firm in our principles and fight for what we
consider rights without, as Father John said, demonizing those are just as
strong convictions on the other side? And of course nowhere do these
questions come up more powerful than on the issue of abortion.
MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL.
In 2009, you saw him, President Obama received an honorary and gave
the commencement address at Notre Dame. But because he said he supports
the woman`s right to choose an abortion, the president`s selection as
speaker was criticized by some well, many Catholic bishops and conservative
church members.
Now, Heath and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, there she
is, is facing similar scrutiny and attack. She`s a featured speaker
tomorrow, at an award ceremony at Georgetown University here at their
Public Policy Institution -- at the invitation of the students, I must say.
But a statement from the archdiocese of Washington calls her work on
the Affordable Care Act the most direct challenge to religious liberty in
recent history.
Well, despite the criticism, Georgetown University President Jack
DeGoia supports her appearance.
E.J. Dionne, by the way, is a columnist. He`s with me now. He`s
with "The Washington Post." He is a senior fellow at Brookings Institution
and a tenured professor at Georgetown, at its Public Policy Institute,
where Secretary Sebelius is speaking tomorrow.
She will speak, right?
E.J. DIONNE, WASHINGTON POST: She will.
MATTHEWS: And the invitation came from the students?
DIONNE: Well, the students` came up -- I think the invitation
formally came from the Public Policy Institute, it was the student`s idea.
We have a committee of students who makes this decision, and she is
perfectly typical of a kind of speakers --
MATTHEWS: And you had Paul Ryan a few weeks ago.
DIONNE: And we had probably our most lecture is (INAUDIBLE) lectern
after someone who died in 9/11, a faculty member. And he gave that lecture
a few weeks ago.
And one of the things I know -- I was one of the people on the
faculty who signed the letter disagreeing with Congressman Ryan. But the
first words --
MATTHEWS: You didn`t want him to speak?
DIONNE: The first letters were welcome to Georgetown.
DIONNE: And that was the whole idea. I wouldn`t have signed the
letter if it had said we don`t want him to come up to speak. And that`s
the point. I think what you`re seeing here is an effort to keep only, if
you will, liberal Catholics off --
MATTHEWS: The issue at hand here is not so much her general position
which is pro-choice, and I understand that long debate. The way they put
it up is they don`t her to speak because she supports contraceptive
services as part of health care.
DIONNE: Right.
MATTHEWS: That`s her problem.
DIONNE: And what they said is that somehow Georgetown was slapping
the bishops in the face. Of course, this invitation went out before that
final decision was made. Secondly, she has since compromised on the issue
and I were critical of HHS before the compromise, and then we were for the
compromise. So yes.
So they have a disagreement with her on this. But they don`t apply
this rule, saying when someone disagrees with the church on the death
penalty, they don`t say we shouldn`t have invited Paul Ryan when the
bishops have been very critical of the Ryan budget.
MATTHEWS: By the way, does the Catholic Church view the Iraq war as
a just war? Did it meet the standard?
DIONNE: The church and the Vatican were very critical of the Iraq
war. To me, if a Catholic university is Catholic and it`s a university.
And a university should be a place where a people of a variety of views,
including Catholics of variety of views, get to present their positions. I
invite people who disagree with me to my classes in Georgetown a lot.
MATTHEWS: OK. Is the role of Catholic education inquiry or
DIONNE: I think it`s inquiry and I think it`s spreading the fate.
MATTHEWS: Yes.
DIONNE: But, you know, my favorite example how to do this is the
cardinal of Milan, Cardinal Martini regularly invited atheists into his
cathedral to discuss all kinds of questions including questions about God.
If belief in God is not more fundamental to Catholicism than anything else,
I don`t know what it is.
Martini said, the purpose of the session was always the same, to help
people think. And that`s what a Catholic university should be.
MATTHEW: The funny thing is, and I said to liberal and conservative
people of every religion, you know, when I was growing up, one of the
things we really valued was the great church thinkers of history, were able
to make arguments, have great arguments in the middle of the night, and
they would argue all night their religious and they were confident doing
DIONNE: John Murray, great American Catholic, Jesuit, who really was
the architect of the reforms in the Vatican II, some of them -- the Vatican
wanted to silence him in 1954, and then he became a hero of the church and
we got to keep the debate open.
MATTHEWS: Thank you so much, E.J. You`re a good guy. Thank you.
When we return, let me finish with what we should do to reduce
abortions in this country.
You`re watching HARDBALL -- the place for politics.
MATTHEWS: Let me finish tonight with this. It`s a subtle
recommendation for me protesting the appearance tomorrow by HHS Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius at Georgetown University.
You oppose her speaking because of her support on abortion right
rights. So, let me propose a thought to you, who like me, value life.
Will protesting the secretary`s appearance radically reduce the number of
millions of abortions in this county each year? Will it reduce by one?
What would? What practical workable step would radically reduce the number
of abortions in this free country of ours?
I would suggest that it`s radically reducing the number of unwanted
pregnancies. Get the young man having sex with young women to stop having
unwanted pregnancies, stop protesting government officials and start
talking to the people involved in having these millions of unwanted
pregnancies. Tell them, get word to them as parents, teachers, loved ones.
And if they`re going to have sex, and that`s a decision they ought to
accept for responsibility for, please use birth control, just stop having
unwanted pregnancies. It`s how we do things in a free society that values
life, not with dictatorial laws but with persuasion. I say this as someone
that accepts the moral teaching of my church, but also as someone who
accepts the practical need here for effective action, not more protests.
And now, word about Secretary Sebelius. It could be argued that this
person has done more to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies than
anyone in our country. She`s behind the policy of requiring insurance
companies to cover birth control, making birth control free, which is what
she`s done or do more to reduce unwanted pregnancies than anything I can
imagine. Certainly getting people to stop having sex is another way.
Her way will have a more dramatic result. It could actually work.
I know what the protesters believe. They believe they can stop it by
protest, by rallies, by stopping people from speaking at graduation
Common sense tells me that the way to stop unwarranted pregnancies
and about is not a graduation ceremony, but on what we used to call dates.
It`s when a young man and woman are together. We can argue against them
having sex, but we can also suggest that when relationship becomes closer
and respectful, birth control is far better than an unwanted pregnancy.
So, here in my role as a secular adviser, I suggest those of us that
think this country would be better off with radically fewer abortions
actually begin doing something about it. Kathleen Sebelius deserves
credit. Again, it could certainly be argued for her doing her part.
Rather than protesting what she`s doing, pro-lifers and pro-choicers might
just think about giving her a little credit, or at least let her speak.
That`s HARDBALL for now. Thanks for being with us.
"POLITICS NATION" with Al Sharpton starts right now.
United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed,
transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written
permission of CQ-Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark,
copyright or other notice from copies of the content.>


text:
Hana Beshara, the co-founder and public face of the NinjaVideo movie-sharing site, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and criminal copyright infringement. Each count carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.
According to the government, Beshara has admitted to personally earning more than $200,000 from operating the site, and she has agreed to forfeit assets seized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last year.
Beshara served as the public face of NinjaVideo under the alias "Phara." She was a regular presence on NinjaVideo discussion forums. In a podcast episode that she called NinjaVideo's manifesto, she acknowledged that people mostly come to the site for "zero hour releases of TV and movies," but she argued sharing copyrighted films was justified by the large profits of Hollywood studios. "Every year, those at the top of your business get richer and richer. And we, your loyal fans, pay more and more to view two hours of regurgitated plot," she said.
Beshara said that "we weave and we bob through these grey areas of laws not yet written." But the feds evidently didn't agree that NinjaVideo was operating in a legal grey area. Beshara's condo was raided in June 2010. In a video posted in June 2011, on the one-year anniversary of that raid, she said she "wanted to go viral" at that point, but that she stayed quiet about the ongoing investigation on the advice of her lawyers.
"We're not going to be silent any more," she said in June 2011, promising a series of videos. She said that running NinjaVideo "was the proudest, and still is the proudest, accomplishment of my life" and called on the NinjaVideo community to support her.
Her next video was released shortly after she was indicted. In it, Beshara seemed weary and frightened but determined to fight on.
"You try to do right. It's so hard to balance your principles and what you want to do against the fear of retribution from the federal government. So please don't ever think us cowardly," she said.
"I'm really private, but this can't be private any more because it affects all of us," she said. "We believe in sharing, and I'm going to fight this fight for us. I don't believe anything that we ever did was wrong."
Beshara evidently changed her mind about fighting the charges after one of her co-defendants pled guilty a few days ago. Faced with mounting legal bills and bleak prospects for vindication in the courtroom, she cut a deal with federal prosecutors. She'll be sentenced in January.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tree Guard Products
Street trees and garden flowers provide so many benefits to city life. Curb Allure's high quality, modular metal tree guards are designed to protect them and make our streets more livable, breathable and beautiful.
Curb Allure's interconnecting system of posts, rails, decorative panels and accessories can be used to create unique or classic looking tree guards. With a combination of our patented design, easily replaceable parts, "breakaway" brackets, and tamper-proof screws, our metal tree guards are extremely secure, durable, and able to withstand the challenges of an urban environment. Because of this and many other features, Curb Allure offers the most unique tree guard products available for your urban garden and street tree protection.
Below are examples of the tree guard frames that we offer:
|Click to enlarge
|Click to enlarge
|Click to enlarge
Get started:
How can you create your own tree guard or garden fence? Follow these easy steps.
- Measure. Measure the length and width of your tree or garden area. Click here for some measuring tips.
- Design. Click here to give us your measurements and check off your requirements, or give us a call at
(212) 769-CURB (2872) or Toll Free (800) 800-5100.
- Assemble. Assemble your tree guard yourself or have Curb Allure do it on site for you. Our team can also remove your old or damaged tree guard when we install a new Curb Allure one for you. Curb Allure is a licensed New York City contractor.
The parts:
Standard Guard
|Click to enlarge
Standard frame
Curb Allure's posts, rails, caps and brackets are made with high quality aluminum that makes them extremely strong, relatively lightweight, and resistant to rust. How durable? Our metal tree guards received high marks from structural engineers who tested them for strength and durability. Click here to see their report.
How many posts and rails do you need? Our tree guards can be as short as two feet and can increase in 6-inch increments up to 8 feet and 1 foot increments thereafter. If your tree guard is longer than 5 feet, just add one of our 180-degree intermediate posts, and if needed, every five feet thereafter.
Curb Allure's rails and posts uniquely fasten together with specially designed connectors and a proprietary locking system that ensures your metal tree is extremely durable and safe.
How much do they cost? The cost depends on the size of your tree guard. A two to three foot wide and long, four sided tree guard starts at $449.
Decorative panels
Want more than our standard tree guard frame? Choose from a variety of side panels that insert through a discrete slot in the top rail and slide between our standard rails. We give you lots of options to make your tree guards look just the way you'd like them. Once your panels are inserted, just lock them for safety. A couple of our tree guard panel designs include:
Flower Panel
Square in Square Panel
Click here to see all of our panels
Our accessories make your tree guard beautiful and practical. They are specially designed to withstand the challenges of life on the city streets of New York and beyond. Whatever your challenge is, we've got the ideal accessory to help. Some of our tree guard accessories include:
Pet reminder sign
|Click to enlarge
|Click to enlarge
- Adjustable feet. So your tree guard can be built on a sloping sidewalk or around a protruding tree root.
- Sit spikes. If you live close to a parade route or a bar where people tend to congregate or smoke, our sit spikes can be particularly useful. They securely fasten to the top rail to discourage people from using your tree guard as a chair.
- Other options. We also offer upgraded ball post caps, garden planter boxes, concrete anchoring feet and pet reminder signs, all which securely fasten onto your metal tree guard. In addition, we offer touch up paint pens that are exactly color matched to Curb Allure's powder coating. Please learn more about these and all of our other accessories under the Shop "For Accessories" section of our site.
Breakaway Brackets
|Click to enlarge
Replacement parts
Garden and Tree Guard Installation: Maybe you don't have the time, or you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of doing it yourself. Not to worry. In New York City, our guards are installed exclusively by the New York Tree Trust, a program of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and the City Parks Foundation, when a donation is made to the New York Tree Trust. For orders outside New York City, please call us at 212.769.CURB(2872) or toll free at 800.800.5100 for a quote.
The details:
Our rails, brackets, posts and post caps are made from either cast or extruded aluminum. Both the casting and extruding design and manufacturing process make the aluminum extremely durable. However, Curb Allure's panels and certain accessories cannot be manufactured in the same way because of their thickness and design. Therefore, these components are made of steel in order to withstand the rigors of an urban environment.
Our tree guard products have a protective undercoating and are finished with one of the highest rated DuPont powder coatings available for outdoor applications, in order to minimize the effects of long term exposure to the outdoor urban elements.
Our manufacturers and Curb Allure designers, along with our structural engineering firm, have carefully chosen the perfect metals and alloys for our different components that strike a balance between strength, environmental friendliness, design, and cost in order to make this outstanding line of tree guard products.
Examples of Curb Allure tree guards:
Single Vine with Planters
Single Flower
Square in Square
|Click to enlarge
|Click to enlarge
|Click to enlarge
Floating Leaf
|Click to enlarge
|Click to enlarge
|Click to enlarge
Designs are available in all sizes and either 3, 3.5 and 4 sided tree guards (Click here to see our standard 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 sided tree guard frames).
Tree Guard Guidelines and Benefits in NYC
In New York City all newly installed tree guards require a permit issued by the NYC Parks Department. To learn more about what standards are required to get a permit, to understand why you need a permit and what guards will not be permitted, visit www.treeguards.nyc for more information.


text:
Greenpeace, the environmental campaign group, have hijacked a power station in Kent. Their takeover was spurred by the prime minister's decision to approve the UK's first coal plant in over three decades.
At the dead of night, fifty Greenpeacers launched a subversive attack on the Kingsnorth power plant. According to the Guardian:
"One group immobilised the conveyor belts carrying coal into the plant and chained themselves to the machinery. A second group with enough provisions to last for several days, began scaling a 200m ladder up the chimney which they painted with the words "Gordon Bin It"."
The power station operated by German energy giant E.O.N. is working closely with the police to resolve the matter. A spokes man for the company said, "Greenpeace has every right to express their views, but we don't think this is the right way to do it."
Notwithstanding this, Greenpeace claim that the protest was not causing any risk to energy supplies. Robin Oakley, a greenpeace campaigner stressed that "Taking one power station off the national grid will not lead to a blackout…There is plenty of spare supply in the system."
The power plant is still operating normally, using stocks of coal already on site, but the situation will worsen, if the protestors carry on.
Greenpeace hope to close the power station, claiming that it is the fifth biggest polluter in the UK, emitting over 20,000 tonnes of carbon daily. Greenpeace also argue that the power station is only 45% efficient, when it could possibly reach over 95% efficiency by using the heat generated to supply to homes and business. E.O.N. argue that this is a great improvement from 36% at the current station.
The debate continues. Meanwhile the protestors remain chained to the powerplant.
If you find this information useful and would like to get daily updates, feel free to subscribe to our RSS feed.


text:
Sunny Daize's Best Dressed Pre-Party
Louisville's unique boutique, Sunny Daize, hosted a fun-filled Best Dressed Pre-Party, Aug. 9, in honor of the Voice-Tribune's upcoming fashion show presented by Churchill Downs.
Wild Strawberry Hair & Nail Studio offered hair styling and professional makeup. Guests also enjoyed food, fashion and freebies at the event.
Photos By JAMES EATON | Contributing Photographer
Click here to see the full gallery.
Masorti Fundraiser
Masorti: The Fight For Religious Pluralism in Israel, a fundraiser hosted by Rabbi Robert Slosberg, William Yarmuth and Susan Long was held Aug. 7. Those attending enjoyed a delicious dinner and a discussion, led by David Lissy.
Photos By TIM VALENTINO | Contributing Photographer
Click here to see the full gallery.
MOAA Luncheon
The Louisville Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America held its monthly luncheon Aug. 8 at Wildwood Country Club. Dr. Don Miller, Chief of the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, was the guest speaker at the event.
Photos By TIM VALENTINO | Contributing Photographer
Click here to see the full gallery.
St. Joseph Orphans' Picnic
 Thousands of Louisvillians made a difference in the lives of local children by attending the 163rd annual St. Joseph Orphans' Picnic, Aug. 11 at the Children's Home on Frankfort Avenue. Picnic-goers enjoyed delicious food, such as the picnic's famous chicken dinner, as well as games of chance, vendor booths and raffles.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will be used to support services offered by the St. Joseph Children's Home, including the Child Development Center, Residential Treatment Program and the Therapeutic Foster Care and Adoption Program.
Photos By BILL WINE | Contributing Photographer
Click here to see the full gallery.
Cabo Wabo Summer Party
Cabo Wabo held its summer fundraising party at the Central American Airways hanger at Bowman Field. Cabo Wabo was founded as a fundraising organization to benefit local charities.
Photos By The Voice-Tribune's John Harralson
Click here to see the full gallery.
Shawnee H.S. 50 Club Luncheon
The Shawnee High School 50 Club held their third annual luncheon, Aug. 11, for all classes that have celebrated the 50th anniversary of their high school graduation. Those attending met at the Holiday Inn on Hurstbourne Parkway to enjoy a buffet and dessert, as well as share memories with former classmates.
Photos By BILL WINE | Contributing Photographer


text:
Wayne Madsen
April 30, 2013
Evidence is mounting that the accused dead Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev became a "radicalized" Muslim while participating in a covert CIA program, run through the Republic of Georgia, to destabilize Russia's North Caucasus region. The ultimate goal of the CIA's campaign was for the Muslim inhabitants of the region to declare independence from Moscow and tilt toward the U.S. Wahhabi Muslim-run governments of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Russia's Izvestia is reporting that Tsarnaev attended seminars run by the Caucasus Fund of Georgia, a group affiliated with the neo-conservative think tank, the Jamestown Foundation, between January and July 2012. The U.S. media has been reporting that during this six month time frame Tsarnaev was being radicalized by Dagestan radical imam "Abu Dudzhan," killed in a fight with Russian security last year. However, in documents leaked by the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs's Counterintelligence Department, Tsarnaev is pinpointed as being in Tbilisi taking part in "seminars" organized by the Caucasus Fund, founded during the Georgian-South Ossetian war of 2008, a war started when Georgian troops invaded the pro-Russian Republic of South Ossetia during the Beijing Olympics. Georgia was supported by the United States and Israel, including U.S. Special Forces advisers. The Georgian intelligence documents indicate Tsarnaev attended the Jamestown seminars in Tbilisi.
Tsarnaev also visited Dagestan in 2011. On December 16, 2011, WMR reported on the CIA's and George Soros's operations in Georgia that funded the Caucasus Fund, the Jamestown Foundation, and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) activities. It should also be noted that Tsarnaev's Maryland-based uncle, Ruslan Tsarni (name changed from Tsarnaev) was also contracted to USAID.
"The money from USAID for Russian dissidents is being funneled through the Georgian Ministry of Education. The Georgian Minister of Education Dmitry Shashkin also attended the Tbilisi ceremony (a World AIDS Day ceremony also attended by U.S. ambassador to Georgia John Bass and Georgia First Lady Sandra Roloefs, the Dutch wife of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili), which provided cover for the covert aid program to the Russian dissidents. USAID money was used to fund scholarships in Georgia for exiled Chechen "students" who were being trained as CIA agenst to interface with Chechen guerrilla forces and the Caucasus Emirate terrorists of Doku Umarov.
Georgia has become the nexus for the U.S. aid to the Russian opposition trying to unseat Putin. In March [2010], Georgia sponsored, with CIA, Soros, and MI-6 funds, a conference titled 'Hidden Nations, Enduring Crimes: The Circassians and the People of the North Caucasus Between Past and Future.' Georgia and its CIA, Soros, and British intelligence allies are funneling cash and other support for secessionism by ethnic minorities in Russia, including Circassians, Chechens, Ingushetians, Balkars, Kabardins, Abaza, Tatars, Talysh, and Kumyks."
Note: the Talysh and Kumyks live primarily in Dagestan.
The conference, held on March 21, 2010, was organized by the Jamestown Foundation and the International School of Caucasus Studies at Ilia State University in Georgia. If Georgian counter-intelligence documents had Tamerlan Tsarnaev attending Jamestown conferences in Tbilisi in 2011, could the Russian FSB have tracked him to the Jamestown Hidden Nations seminar in March 2010? In any event, a year later the FSB decided to contact the FBI about Tsarnaev's ties to terrorists.
The first Russian request to the FBI came via the FBI's Legal Attache's office at the U.S. embassy in Moscow in March 2011. It took the FBI until June of 2011 to conclude that Tamerlan posed no terrorist threat but it did add his name to the Treasury Enforcement Communications System, or TECS, which monitors financial information such as bank accounts held abroad and wire transfers. In September 2011, Russian authorities, once again, alerted the U.S. of their suspicions about Tamerlan. The second alert went to the CIA. The Russians were well aware that the Hidden Nations seminar held a year earlier was a CIA-sponsored event that was supported by the Saakashvili government in Georgia. In their second communication with Washington, the Russians were likely making the CIA aware that it was on to one of Langley's assets.
At some point in time after the first Russian alert and either before or after the second, the CIA entered Tamerlan's name into the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment list (TIDE), a database with more than 750,000 entries that is maintained by the National Counterterrorism Center in McLean, Virginia.
On March 31, 2010, shortly after the Hidden Nations conference in Tbilisi, deadly mass casualty suicide bomb blasts in the Moscow Metro system and in Dagestan, and Georgia's Georgia's launching of a Russian-language TV channel targeting the north Caucasus and designed to whip up anti-Russian feelings in the volatile region, WMR reported:
"The Jamestown Foundation is a long-standing front operation for the CIA, it being founded, in part, by CIA director William Casey in 1984. The organization was used as an employer for high-ranking Soviet bloc defectors, including the Soviet Undersecretary General of the UN Arkady Shevchenko and Romanian intelligence official Ion Pacepa. The Russian FSB and the SVR foreign intelligence agencies have long suspected Jamestown of helping to foment rebellions in Chechnya, Ingushetia, and other north Caucasus republics. The March 21 Tbilisi conference on the north Caucasus a few days before the Moscow train bombings has obviously added to the suspicions of the FSB and SVR.
Jamestown's board includes such Cold War era individuals as Marcia Carlucci; wife of Frank Carlucci, the former CIA officer, Secretary of Defense, and Chairman of The Carlyle Group [Frank Carlucci was also one of those who requested the U.S. government to allow former Chechen Republic 'Foreign Minister' Ilyas Akhmadov, accused by the Russians of terrorist ties, to be granted political asylum in the U.S. after a veto from the Homeland Security and Justice Departments], anti-Communist book and magazine publisher Alfred Regnery; and Caspar Weinberger's Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Kathleen Troia "KT" McFarland. Also on the board is former Oklahoma GOP Governor Frank Keating, the governor at the time of the 1995 Murrah Federal Building bombing.
The Georgian International School for Caucasus Studies in a perfect partner for Jamestown. Its current major project is designed to stir up anti-Russian sentiments in the north Caucasus by creating such new research programs as "Tsarist Russian policy and state-sponsored Soviet ethnic policies conducted in the North Caucasus during the 19th and 20th century."
Cooperating with Jamestown in not only its north and south Caucasus information operations, but also in Moldovan, Belarusian, Uighur, and Uzbekistan affairs, is George Soros's ubiquitous Open Society Institute, another cipher for U.S. intelligence and global banking interests. Soros's Central Eurasia Project has sponsored a number of panels and seminars with Jamestown. Soros and his NGO contrivances and constructs provided the impetus for Saakashvili's themed 'Rose Revolution.' Jamestown's Monitor and the Soros-influenced Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty often quote from each others' sources and reports.
On March 9, 2005, the Jamestown Foundation, Soros's Open Society Institute, and the Moldova Foundation sponsored a seminar in Washington on the Moldovan elections. Among the advisory board members of the Moldova Foundation are Bari-Bar Zion, CEO of A4E and Amin in Israel and a former business adviser to the head of the Israel State Lottery, and Sam Amadi, special adviser to the President of the Senate of Nigeria. The Moldova Foundation receives support from Soros's Open Society Institute."
Georgia was a major launching pad for anti-Russia operations by the CIA, Mossad, and Britain's MI-6. Not only did Georgian Imedi TV presented a fake news report about a Russian invasion of Georgia — which also suggested that Russian troops had killed Saakashvili — but Caucasus Emirate terrorists were conducting a number of terrorist attacks inside Russia, including a suicide bombings in Moscow and Dagestan, at the same time NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen was hosting Saakashvili in Brussels.
The Russians indicated in their first communication with the FBI that Tamerlan had changed drastically since 2010. That change came after the Hidden Nations conference in Tbilisi. U.S. support for Chechen and North Caucasus secession came as a result of a public statement on August 2008 by GOP presidential candidate John McCain that "after Russia illegally recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Western countries ought to think about the independence of the North Caucasus and Chechnya."
What does U.S. ambassador to Moscow Michael McFaul know about Tamerlan Tsarneav's activities in Russia's North Caucasus?
Upon becoming President in 2009, Barack Obama adopted McCain's proposal and authorized CIA support for North Caucasus secessionists and terrorists with money laundered through the USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy, Soros's Open Society Institute, Freedom House, and the Jamestown Foundation. In January 2012, Obama appointed a Soros activist and neocon, Michael McFaul of the right-wing Hoover Institution at Stanford university, as U.S. ambassador to Moscow. McFaul immediately threw open the doors of the U.S. embassy to a variety of Russian dissidents, including secessionists from the North Caucasus, some of whom were suspected by the Russian FSB of ties to Islamist terrorists.
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!


text:
VMware provides an end-to-end IoT management solution for monitoring, managing and securing all your things - from car to the cloud. Whether you are a car manufacturer, dealer, insurer or a fleet management company, VMware can help you securely manage your edge systems and real-time data to optimize design, manufacturing, distribution and service delivery.
Leverage vehicle to vehicle communication to avert accidents and improve passenger comfort with features like personalization, detecting fatigue/insobriety/theft etc.
Create new, innovative car insurance products by collecting real-time data for driver profiling in order to provide safe driving incentives.
Save costs by utilizing JIT manufacturing and automation based on inputs throughout the value chain on customer personalization and selling data.
Reduce expensive recalls by delivering vehicle updates over the air and predicting car mechanical failures and malfunctions.
Lower costs by collecting real-time data for predictive maintenance and repair and route optimization. Achieve real time transparency and improve operations by performing remote fleet management.
The Future automobile and driving experience is here. IoT can help deliver the most innovative, reliable and secure experience for the driver whether it is more personalization, OTA services or on going security updates. Learn more about how VMware can help you deliver the next generation Smart Car.


text:
Many Presidents stand at risk of being distracted from the core job of bringing development to our lives. In the case of President John Mahama, this risk is slightly nuanced or even reversed. Here, we the good people are at some risk of being distracted by His Excellency himself from focusing on our bread and butter issues.
Look at it this way. The President is too smooth an operator!
While others were running the campaigns of their lives in the 2012 Presidential election, what was John Mahama doing? All I can remember is a relatively youngish candidate in a customized slim- fitting designer T shirt twisting his mouth across the nation: e dey bee keke! Talk of his state of the nation address and all people remember is his teleprompter. Mention his inaugural and on Facebook, it is his resort to a funky IPAD that trends. Many Presidents want to be remembered by their full names like Barack Hussein Obama and Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga, and this post-independence Show Boy all but tricks us into calling him "JM!"
My argument is that if we are not careful, JM will distract us with his charisma and make us forget in the process that we are still hungry, not having eaten for three days!
What good intention didn't JM express during his inaugural address? — 'I will do my best, I intend to fulfill my promises, and national development will take our collective efforts' and so on and so forth. All well and good but we are certainly going to need more than good intentions.
Anyone embarking on a quality improvement project is advised to define a measurable goal within a specified timeline. To this extent, it has been clichéd that, some is not a number and hope is not a plan. It is no longer enough to aspire towards a Better Ghana. Mr. President ought to define for us in concrete measurable terms what we would see and feel when the Better Ghana is attained as captured in the executive summary of the NDC's 2012 manifesto.
When the government promises "decent facilities for all rural schools" what exactly will "decent" constitute?; a modern ICT centre or ten toilets per school? Will these be water closets, KVIPS, pan latrines? Or maybe a modern gymnasium? It is crucial to agree on an operational definition of "decent" in order to prevent the situation where come 2016, Mr. President says he has fulfilled this promise because he managed to "supply each rural school, one catapult as a decent modern tool for calculating the angle of elevation" when one flies a stone!
Of the 200 new community day secondary high schools and ten new Colleges of Education intending to be built, how many does government plan to build in 2013 and onwards in each year? And here, remember that we will be looking out for the introduction of a "one-year specialized programme in the Colleges of Education to train Teachers in early childhood care and development;" And while we are at it, do not forget the new public University to be established in the Eastern region. The President is however silent on the extent to which he intends to expand academic and residential facilities on existing campuses –10%, 20%, 60%? Does existing campuses mean all universities, all polytechnics, all training colleges, all secondary schools or various combinations of these? Failure to do this will simply mean that the President could build one hostel on Legon campus and commission it with loads of fanfare when he has only scratched the surface of the problem.
The promise to establish a GH¢10 million Jobs and Enterprise Development Fund is easily done. Deposit the money in the bank! Or? What we must therefore look out for would be how many young people have become supported to "become successful entrepreneurs" sustainably. How about "Job and Enterprise Centres in ALL regions?" and by when?
I love the measurable goal of reserving "5% of admissions to Senior High Schools for talented sports and other creative students, to support the development of athletics and other lesser-known sports." After each year's admissions, we shall simply look for the total number of students admitted, find out the number of students in that year on sports scholarships and determine if it is greater or equal to 5%. Since government simply intends to reserve, there shouldn't be any long tales about this.
The government has introduced further ambiguity by talking, not about establishing "an integrated petroleum industry based on bauxite, a petrochemical industry based on salt and natural gas, a fertilizer industry, an integrated iron and steel industry based on the iron ore deposits at Oppon Manso in the Western region" but by emphasizing "laying a foundation" for the establishment of the above. What does "laying a foundation" mean and how can we measure how much of a foundation has been laid each year? In which year is government hoping to fully revive the " Volta Aluminium Company, Textile industries, Ceramics, brick and tile, Glass factories and Steel mills?"
The promise to establish a nationwide railway network is fantastic. On the Western Line, the emphasis is on "modernized" which I interpret to mean no chuku-chaka business. I am looking at high speed trains with neat cabins. Further, when will the rehabilitation of the Accra-Tema, Kumasi-Ejisu, Accra-Nsawam and Takoradi-Kojokrom rail networks start? Which will be done by which time? And while we are on transport we might as well pin His Excellency down to clarify the matter of a second international airport after Kotoka. While the government pledges to upgrade Tamale Airport into "Ghana's second international Airport", there is another pledge to "commence", (just commence ooo, not finish!") feasibility studies into establishing an alternative airport. Some clarification is due. Is Tamale that second airport or are we commencing feasibility studies for a third international airport?
I see that the President likes adjectives like "accelerated" which is how he described his Social Housing Scheme under a so called rural Housing and Urban Renewal Programmes. We have a current national housing deficit in excess of one million. What proportion of this deficit does the government intend to reduce? I could under aim and proclaim 20% but since we are going for the "accelerated" option, I will opt for solving 80% of the housing problem. In monitoring this promise, we stand at risk of subterfuge from government communicators who may bamboozle us with counts instead of dabbling in proportions which would be more meaningful to the extent that proportions better inform us about the magnitude of the problem solved and by extension, what remains unsolved. So on this housing problem, we might well hear government touting building an "impressive" count of 30, 000 individual houses without conceding that this count constitutes only 3% of the problem being solved. Our journalists need to probe a little deeper beyond the politicians proclivity for superficial tinkering knowing that 30,000 houses sounds much better than 3% of the problem solved.
On building the Eastern and Western Corridors and Central Spine! I am interested in knowing the total length of these roads needing to be done and what proportion government intends to build. All of it or 40%?
I love the energy promises: "increase power generation from 2,443 megawatts to 5,000 megawatts by 2016" and "universal access to electricity by 2016." In other words, by 2016, Mother Ghana will be 100% fully powered. No ifs and buts- very specific! As for the pledge to elect District Chief Executives directly, yate aaa abre! Make the promise while seeking power and refrain from executing same once you savor its sweetness. We shall see what JM will do when the DCEs' tenure expires!
At the end of the day, we the good people – the focus of the NDC's Social Democratic agenda- will have but few questions: do we feel safer, do we have better access to quality healthcare and educational facilities, are we less hungry, have we stopped competing with cattle for rights to potable drinking water, do I have reliable electricity, am I decently housed without having to sacrifice an arm and a leg in advance rent payment?
JM is on a clock and if he falters, no amount of mouth twisting and Teleprompters will redeem him!
Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey
17th January, 2013
Send your news stories to and features to . Chat with us via WhatsApp on +233 55 2699 625.


text:
Culture Night 2013 - video
***Like the video? Check out the Cultural Night Pictures***
Each year, the World Student Association (WSA) organizes the UW-Superior Cultural Night, which includes dinner with food from around the world, along with an international flag ceramony, fashion show, and various cultural performances. Cultural Night is the largest student-organized event on the UW-Superior campus and a big highlight of the entire year. The organizers are a group of energetic students who are passionate about celebrating differences on campus, raising multicultural awareness, and building bridges among people from different walks of life.


text:
LA TOUSSUIRE, France (AP) — Try as they might, rivals of Bradley Wiggins can't take his yellow jersey.
The three-time Olympic track champion, looking to become Britain's first Tour de France winner, beat back repeated attacks Thursday in a crucial Alpine stage won by ace French climber Pierre Rolland.
As Stage 11 began, Wiggins' main challengers were planning to unsettle him in the 92-mile ride along three big climbs from the 1992 Winter Olympics town of Albertville to the ski station at La Toussuire.
First, defending champion Cadel Evans took a shot at Wiggins on the longest climb — a tactic some questioned. On the way to the uphill finish, Belgium's Jurgen Van Den Broeck tried, too. Then Vincenzo Nibali did, twice.
Each time, Wiggins steadily, meticulously reeled them in.
Evans petered out early. The 35-year-old Australian was dropped by Wiggins and others who finished nearly a minute behind Rolland. Evans began the day in second place, but finished 1 minute, 26 seconds behind Wiggins and fell to fourth overall. He's now 3:19 back.
The Briton also dispensed with Russia's Denis Menchov, who won the Spanish Vuelta twice and the Italian Giro once. He began the day 3:02 back in fifth place but lost more than 13 minutes to Wiggins.
Overall, Wiggins leads Sky teammate Christophe Froome, who rose to second, by 2:05. Nibali is third, 2:23 back. Van Den Broeck is fifth, 4:48 behind.
Wiggins also patched things up with Nibali, who a day earlier hadn't taken kindly to a seeming glare from the Sky leader. As they finished together Thursday, Wiggins gave him a peacemaking pat on the back.
The Alpine stage shaped up as a pivotal moment because mountains and time trials tend to determine who wins the Tour. Wiggins' rivals saw it as their chance to strike. He looks unstoppable in the time trials: He won one Monday and another one comes the day before the July 22 finish in Paris. Their last opportunity could await in yet another uphill finish in the Pyrenees next Thursday.
Rolland, a 25-year old Europcar rider, gave his team its second straight stage victory. It was his second in two years following his victory on the fabled Alpe d'Huez in 2011.
The joy of victory contrasted with his "immense pain" weeks earlier. Two days before the Tour start, a French sports daily revealed a previously unknown investigation of his team over allegations of improper use of a controlled substance in the 2011 Tour. The team denies the claim.
But fans in Belgium — where the race began June 30 — jeered at some Europcar riders, and Rolland said he was spit on.
"The evening after the prologue I was really down," he said. "I told myself: 'If that's what the Tour is all about, I'd rather go home.'" He said the fans' reaction at home in France has been more charitable.
And yet another doping controversy — like the many that have battered cycling's image in recent years — lingered in the background Thursday.
Judicial officials in Marseille said Remy Di Gregorio was placed under investigation Thursday as part of a doping inquiry. The Cofidas rider was arrested at a team hotel Tuesday and is suspected of illegal possession of doping products or equipment.
Rolland had to pick himself up Thursday after a crash on the winding downhill from the stage's third climb. He unclipped from his pedal and hit the ground on a sharp turn, but quickly got back on his bike.
The route was brutal, with at least 40 miles of climbs over two of the most grueling ascents in cycling, plus a very tough uphill finish. Under a relentless sun, riders' faces reflected the agony: tongues wagging, teeth gritting, mouths agape.
One crucial moment, possibly with the title in the balance, came when Evans tried to shake Wiggins, about halfway up the 6,750-foot Croix de Fer (Iron Cross) pass.
The Australian caught up with BMC teammate Tejay Van Garderen, a promising American rider, and was able to chisel out a lead of about 15 seconds on Wiggins.
But the Sky train of riders, in a line and pedaling almost in sync, powered with a steady rhythm to escort Wiggins back up front, and gradually erased the Australian's getaway about three miles later. Some of Evans' rivals questioned his tactic of attacking on the Iron Cross.
"You've got to admire him for trying," Froome said.
On the last climb, Van Den Broeck, and then Nibali, gave it a try. This time, Wiggins was more vulnerable because his teammates — aside from Froome — had fallen back. But Wiggins caught them, too.
Evans, seemingly spent by his earlier attack, lost ground. He was unable to keep up with Van Garderen, who dutifully stayed back to help his team leader as best he could. Crossing the line, Evans let out a sigh. He didn't speak as rode through a scrum of reporters on way to a team hotel.
John Lelangue, the BMC team manager, acknowledged that the title defense was "getting more and more complicated."
Van Garderen, a 23-year-old rider from Montana, said he was ready to help Evans speed ahead on the final climb.
"Before he lost contact, I was saying, 'Hey, if you have the legs you should go because Wiggins is looking a little isolated,'" Van Garderen said. "And then next thing you know he (Evans) was coming off the back."
Froome, meanwhile, accelerated in a dramatic final dash, passing Wiggins. The Sky leader said such a move was in the team plan, so that Kenyan-born Froome — who had been third — could take time on Evans.
"At that moment, I was really just really concentrating on my effort and keeping it constant," Wiggins said.
The race stays in the Alps on Friday with a 141-mile ride from Saint-Jean-De-Maurienne to Annonay Davezieux.


text:
• A daily summary of global reports on security issues.
New video footage has provided graphic evidence of a massacre reportedly committed by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Damascus suburb of Daraya. If reports from the London-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights of more than 300 dead are confirmed, "it would be an atrocity of a new scale" in the Syrian conflict, a British diplomat warned.
Over the weekend, activists posted multiple bloody videos of the victims of what they say was a coordinated massacre of citizens of Daraya – mostly young men of fighting age, although women and children were killed as well – that began on Friday.
"The Assad forces killed them in cold blood," Abu Ahmad, a resident of Daraya, told The New York Times. "I saw dozens of dead people, killed by the knives at the end of Kalashnikovs, or by gunfire. The regime finished off whole families, a father, mother and their children. They just killed them without any pretext."
The Local Coordination Committees activist group said that some 150 bodies were found Saturday night in the basement of a mosque in what seems to be the largest single killing site, though additional sites continue to be found – another 15 bodies were found in the basement of a home on Sunday. The LCC puts the death toll for the week in Daraya at more than 630.
"Daraya, a city of dignity, has paid a heavy price for demanding freedom," the group said in a statement, adding: "The death toll has doubled in the past few days due to field executions and revenge killings."
Foreign journalists remain largely unable to confirm reports on the ground in Syria, due to violence and government restrictions. But British Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt said that "If confirmed, it would be an atrocity of a new scale, requiring unequivocal condemnation from the entire international community," reports the Telegraph.
"It is clear that was collective punishment," Khaled Al-Shami, an activist from Damascus, told the Associated Press. "I am certain that the coming days will reveal more massacres, but by then others will have taken place and people will forget about Daraya." Mr. Shami also said that Daraya was under a de facto curfew Sunday, as Syrian government forces carried out house-to-house searches.
The AP adds that the regime's campaign in Dayara is being carried out by an elite division of the military led by President Assad's brother, Maher. Although it is unclear what prompted the campaign, the AP notes that Daraya abuts the capital's military airport, which activists say Assad intends to use as a gateway out of Damascus should the situation turn fully against the regime.
The Independent of London writes that the attack on Daraya began last week with five days of bombardment by tanks and helicopters. Late Friday, regime troops began systematically moving through the suburb, advancing 200 yards at a time. "They would then shell the streets in front of them and raid the area," activists told The Independent.
Syrian state media blamed rebels for the violence, reports Agence France-Presse, and claimed that regime forces had "purified [Daraya] of terrorist remnants."
Pro-government television Al-Dunia said "terrorists" carried out the attacks, as it interviewed residents including traumatised children and showed a number of bloodied bodies lying in the streets.
"Our valiant armed forces cleared Daraya of the remnants of armed terrorist groups which committed crimes that traumatised the citizens of the town and destroyed public and private property," government newspaper Ath-Thawra said.
Assad, at a meeting with a top official from regional ally Iran, accused Western and neighboring powers of being behind a "conspiracy" against the Syrian regime, and promised he would not yield to pressure. "The Syrian people will not allow this conspiracy to achieve its objectives" and will defeat it "at any price," he said.


text:
Mack's - Pillow soft silicone earplugs NRR 22dB
Mack's Pillow Soft Earplugs are America's original and #1-selling moldable silicone earplugs. Mack's Pillow Soft Earplugs mold very comfortably to the unique contours of any ear. The Doctor's choice for sealing out water (helps prevent swimmer's ear) and reducing noise with a noise reduction rating (NRR) of 22 decibels. For swimming, sleeping, studying, bathing, work, travel, loud events, flying discomfort, etc.


text:
Associate your company with the world's premier Wi-Fi event
The Wi-Fi NOW media partnership program is a platform for mutually beneficial industry cooperation. A series of unique benefits are available to our partners for their assistance in providing their readership with information about the conference. A non-financial partnership provides both parties with a number of benefits to take advantage from like brand exposure and access to information.
For further information or specific questions regarding becoming a media partner, please contact Jane Mølgaard or fill out the form below.


text:
Brisbane Broncos 2018 Infants Fleece Hoodie
- Write a review
- Add to wishlist Added to Wishlist
Ensure your little fanatic is rugged up all season long with this Brisbane Broncos 2018 Infants Fleece Hoodie. This cozy and warm hoodie has been constructed using lightweight polyester for all day long comfort. A large team logo has been printed onto the Rugby League Jumper and the pouch style pocket is great for the little ones hands when watching their favourite NRL team.


text:
Legrand is established in nearly 90 countries
A step above the standard with no unsightly screws, this modern, low-profile wall plate instantly elevates the look of radiant dimmers, switches, outlets, home automation controls and more.
Available in White, Ivory, Light Almond, Black, Brown and Gray, as well as three metallic finishes: Nickel, Dark Bronze, and Graphite (all sold separately) to coordinate with most any decor.
Live Chat
Chat Offline ›


text:
If you have an account with us, please log in.
Forgot Your Password?
Don't have an account?Sign Up
Shopping Cart
You have no items in your shopping cart.
4 Item(s)
Regular Price: £74.99
Special Price £54.67
Minimal Price: £ 54.67 54.67
Shopping Options
You have no items to compare.
High Search
Customer Service
Sign Up For Newsletter
Follow Us


text:
I wondered where my intellisense had gone for jQuery with MVC3 and Razor. Anyway there is a fix for it:
Add the following to your view (with the jQuery vsdoc version you have:
@if (false) { <script src="~/Scripts/jquery-1.5.0-vsdoc.js" type="text/javascript"></script> }
The if-statement prevents the script tag from being rendered into the html source code.
Grab jQuery 1.5.0 vsdoc from here -> http://damianedwards.com/files/jquery/jquery-1.5-vsdoc.js


text:
Brewers pound Reds to avoid sweep
Bailey struggles, Reds offense falters
Rickie Weeks and Cody Ransom hit two-run homers off Homer Bailey, and the Milwaukee Brewers avoided a three-game sweep by beating the Cincinnati Reds 8-4 on Wednesday afternoon.
Zack Greinke (9-2) remained unbeaten against the Reds, allowing two runs in six innings. Greinke is 4-0 in six career starts against Cincinnati.
Bailey (5-6) has had nothing but trouble against Milwaukee, falling to 0-5 in 10 games with a 6.50 ERA. He left after failing to get an out in the fifth inning, trailing 5-2.
The defending NL Central champions came to town hoping to take at least two of three and get back in the race. Instead, they dropped two of the three and left town 7½ games behind the first-place Reds.
Milwaukee has been in an offensive slump lately. The Brewers didn't even manage a hit until the eighth inning of a 4-3 loss on Tuesday night. But they had 11 hits on Wednesday, including two doubles, a triple and two homers.
They wasted a bases-loaded, none-out chance to break the game open in the seventh inning, failing to score. Milwaukee put it away with three in the ninth off Jose Arredondo, who walked Aramis Ramirez and Corey Hart with the bases loaded.
Weeks hit a two-run homer in the second off Bailey, who snapped his glove toward the ground in anger as soon as the ball left the bat. Center fielder Chris Heisey jumped for the ball at the wall, but couldn't quite reach it.
Weeks' first homer since May 26 left him 11 of 20 career off Bailey with a pair of homers. It also made it 65 consecutive games at Great American Ball Park with at least one homer, the longest such streak since an 80-game stretch at Coors Field in 2002-03.
Ransom hit a two-run homer in the fourth for a 5-1 lead. Since the Brewers claimed him off waivers from Arizona on May 23, he'd been batting only .152 with one other homer.
The Brewers loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh, but Norichika Aoki struck out and Ransom was caught in a rundown off a failed suicide squeeze attempt with Nyjer Morgan at bat. Morgan then popped out.
Greinke allowed five hits and a pair of runs in six innings, including Ryan Ludwick's solo homer. Greinke is 4-0 in his last six starts overall, allowing a total of only eight runs.
Ludwick had another solo shot in the ninth off Livan Hernandez, his second multihomer game of the season.
Reds Gold Glove second baseman Brandon Phillips got hit in the face by Ramirez's arm while tagging him out on a steal attempt in the third. Phillips left the game three innings later as a precaution.
NOTES: The Brewers completed a 2-4 trip and returned home for a day off, followed by seven games against Arizona and Miami. ... The Reds head into the All-Star break with an 11-game trip to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. ... OF Ryan Braun was out of the Brewers' lineup with a tender left elbow, hit by Bronson Arroyo's pitch in the first inning on Tuesday night. Braun finished that game, but the elbow was bothering him a day later. ... Stubbs and 3B Scott Rolen were out of the Reds' starting lineup, getting some rest. ... Reds rookie SS Zack Cozart singled in the eighth, snapping an 0-for-19 slump.