United States News Digest

HBPA Supporter Now Detroit's Mayor

Sept. 19 (EIRNS)—Ken Cockrel, who as City Council president supported a resolution in support of Lyndon LaRouche's proposed Homeowners and Bank Protection Act of 2007, was sworn in as interim mayor of Detroit this week. He replaces Kwame Kilpatrick, who is headed for jail.

This news item ran on the LaRouche PAC website (www.larouchepac.com) on March 26, 2008:

"The nine-member Detroit City Council unanimously passed Lyndon LaRouche's Homeowner and Bank Protection Act on March 25, 2008. The resolution was offered by Council President Kenneth V. Cockrel, Jr. The LaRouche Youth Movement and LaRouche Political Action Committee presented the HBPA in meetings with Council members, in public input sessions, and in mass leafletting of LaRouche initiatives. The Detroit City Council previously passed the LaRouche-authored legislative resolution for the Emergency Recovery Act, which called for retooling the U.S. automobile industry to build infrastructure."

U.S. Army Commander Warns Against Any Iran War

Sep. 19 (EIRNS)—An anonymous U.S. Army commander told The Independent, a British daily, that an Israeli attack on Iran "would destabilize the entire region and open a new battlefront which could have damaging effect on Iraq and Afghanistan." Described as a senior officer in the heart of U.S. military policy-making, he said Israel's air exercise showed there was a real threat, but that "a diplomatic solution is the only logical answer to this."

Democrats Back Rangel; Motion To Force His Resignation Defeated

Sept. 18 (EIRNS)—Five Republicans joined Democrats, in a 226-176 vote, to defeat a motion by House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) to strip Rep. Charles Rangel of his chairmanship of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee. Every Democrat, except the five on the Ethics Committee (who voted "present"), voted against Boehner's motion. The five Republicans who voted no included: Reps. Wayne Gilchrest (Md.), who was defeated in the Republican primary by a pro-war candidate; Walter Jones (N.C.); Ron Paul (Tex.); Dana Rohrabacher (Calif.); and Jim Ramstad (Minn.) Six more Republicans voted "present." Eight Democrats and 12 Republicans did not vote.

Boehner's resolution would have also required the Ethics Committee to launch an investigative subcommittee to begin a formal probe of New York Democrat Rangel. The Ethics Committee handles more minor ethics questions by reviewing them and issuing advisory opinions. Rangel requested the opinions of the Committee on what he called unclear areas, such as whether a Congressman could use his official stationery to urge support of public institutions, such as Rangel did for City College of New York.

Rep. Gene Green (D-Tex.), the new acting chair of the Ethics Committee, since the untimely death of Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio) in August, said that the Committee will meet next week to begin investigating Rangel, according to The Hill.

The vote is a defeat for Boehner, who is acting for financier interests in trying to oust Rangel. Boehner threatened Republicans on Sept. 16, that if they voted against his motion, they could kiss their committee assignments goodbye. Lyndon LaRouche observed that these attacks on Rangel would not be occurring, if Speaker Pelosi had not made it known that she wants Rangel out.

Former Ambassador Calls for Dialogue with Iran

Sept. 17 (EIRNS)—"U.S.-Iranian Relations: The Diplomatic Cost of Not Talking," is the title of an op-ed in today's Washington Times by Edward Djerejian, former U.S. ambassador to Israel and Syria, and the founding director of the James Baker III Institute at Rice University.

Djerejian notes that the Iranians have engaged in discussions with the United States on Iraq, but that they want a broader dialogue. The U.S. is strong enough that we can afford to offer Iran a broad strategic dialogue, which might begin with discussions of Iraq, Afghanistan, Arab-Israeli peace, Gulf security, and Lebanon, before getting to the question of Iran's nuclear program. There are at least three different factions in Iran with regard to the nuclear issue, and a sophisticated approach by the United States would take this into account, Djerejian contends.

Obama Won't Fund Democratic Senate Campaigns

Sept. 16 (EIRNS)—The Obama campaign, finding itself strapped for cash for its own losing campaign, is letting Democratic Congressional campaigns go down the tubes.

Washington's Politico today reports that Obama's campaign is so strapped that it turned down a direct appeal from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for financial assistance for campaigns which could boost the Democratic majority by four to seven seats. Senators Reid and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) had hoped at one point to get as much as $10 million from the Obama campaign, since 23 GOP seats are up for reelection this year, as compared to only a dozen Democratic seats, opening a "once in a generation opportunity," in their view.

So far, the Obama campaign is said to not only have given no money, but it has not even planned any joint fundraising events with House or Senate Democrats.