NPR News today 2/7/05

So, here we are, the Monday after the Superbowl. I wonder what's in the news today? Hmm. Listened to Morning Edition, just so's you know.

I tried to ignore Superbowl coverage, but this little tidbit leaked through on betting and fan behavior. NPR went to Las Vegas to see how the Superbowl plays there. There is no end to what people will do to entertain themselves, is what I took away from this report. Apparently, in Las Vegas (and probably many other places), you can place bets on just about anything that might happen in the game, from who will receive the kickoff to which QB will be sacked first and anything else you can think of. Interviews with fans were... what to say... enlightening. Not being much of a sports person/betting person/rabid fan person myself, NPR provided a great look inside "game day" for sports lovers/bettors/rabid fans. Wow.

Rice likes what she sees in Abbas and reiterated that the US intends to help the Palestinians reform their security forces. She qualified this statement by saying that it is important that Israelis and Palestinians pursue a bi-lateral security effort. In other words, the US should not be in the region all the time. The report also included some information on the meeting Abbas and Sharon will have in Egypt, and pointed out that Rice will not be there. The reporter seemed to think that this was a good idea, because initial talks and agreements should be between Arab and Israeli leaders, not leaders outside the region.

Kurds and Shiits are expected to work together on the new Iraqi government, but the question remains, do Kurds really want to be part of Iraq? A poll suggests that they want independence, but reports indicate that the poll was fabricated, and that lots of folks want to be part of the new Iraq. An interview with some Kurdish leaders seemed to say that the reports about a poll are a distraction, and that most of the Kurdish leadership wants very much to participate in building a better Iraq. This does not mean there are not those who desire an independent Kurdistan, just that at this point, it is not a priority for most regular people and a majority of their leaders.

I thought it was cool that NPR was doing a report on Virginia as part of a series on red state/blue gov, blue state/red gov issues. The interview with Mark Warner was terrific -- he is a really great politician, and did an excellent job staying with his points and talking positively about Virginia. I had never really known much about Warner. He founded Nextel? Go figure. He was also able to do something almost no governor before him has done, and that is to get a tax increase through the legislature. He did this by appealing to republican sensibilities, and now is well known for his ability to bridge the red/blue divide. Turns out he is the number one governor in the history of Virginia for controlling spending, which he trots out to counter the "pro-tax" label some would like to stick on him. Like I said, he really stuck to his messages and did not get derailed.

Today is budget day at the White House, and guess what's not included? I knew you could guess it -- the WAR in IRAQ!! Gee. NPR asked about how the war, SS, and tax cuts would be reflected in the deficit reporting, but Robert Reichower dodged the question. Mostly he said that they use 5 year projections, but most of these issues would affect the budget after that 5 year period. The budget is typically done in 1, 2 and 3 year increments, because things like war, ss spending and tax cuts create too much uncertancy. NPR asked how Bush planned to hold down spending, and the answer? He will propose a series of unrealistic cuts and won't have any success getting them through, but then he will be able to say, "hey, I tried!" The only thing that is really holding back spending is the potential rise in interest rates and worries about inflation/economic growth.