Majority Leader: Iraq Needs a Peace Conference

The violence within Iraq could benefit from a peace conference such as that in Dayton, Ohio in 1995 that helped solve the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to the Democratic majority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Many scholars have called for a Dayton-like peace conference, an idea I support," says Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland. "Frankly, it is time for the president to accept that we are no longer involved in a nation-building exercise. We are involved in a conflict resolution, and there is no better means for resolving such conflicts, especially escalating civil wars that run the risk of becoming genocide, than to convene an international conference to achieve a cessation of violence and advance reconciliation."

President Bush has called for an increase of more than 20,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, a move opposed by Hoyer and other Democratic leaders in Congress.

Sectarian violence has surged in Iraq over the last year, prompting some to say Iraq is in civil war. U.S. troops invaded Iraq in 2003 and overthrew strongman Saddam Hussein. Moer than 3,000 U.S. service personnel have lost their lives in Iraq.

Organizing a peace conference for Iraq would also help United States' reputation abroad, Hoyer says.

"I urge the president to do this. I would propose that the conference be carried out under U.N. auspices with robust involvement from various Iraqi factions, neighboring countries, key Middle East nations, the European Union and others with the hope of brokering deals on securing Iraq's borders, disbanding militias, finalizing the constitution, establishing divisions of power and oil resources and other outstanding issues," Hoyer says.






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U.S. Must Do More To Improve Cyber Security, Industry Group Says

The U.S. federal government must significantly enhance its efforts to ensure the security of sensitive information, improve the security and resiliency of the critical information infrastructure and increase federal information assurance this year, according to the Cyber Security Industry Alliance.

"While the government has taken some positive steps forward to improve the state of information security, action has been decidedly mixed," says Liz Gasster, acting executive director and general counsel of CSIA. "CSIA commends the government for moving forward on several key initiatives including the Senate's ratification of the Council of Europe's Convention on Cyber Crime and the appointment of an assistant secretary for cyber security and telecommunications. However, we are discouraged by Congress' inability to pass a comprehensive federal law to protect sensitive personal information, even in the face of more than 100 million Americans having their data records exposed. In 2007, CSIA will work even harder to urge swift action from Congress to pass this much-needed legislation."

CSIA gave the federal government a grade of "D" for its cyber security efforts.

Members of the CSIA include Application Security, Inc.; CA, Inc. (NYSE:CA); BSI Management Systems; Citrix Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTXS);Crossroads Systems, Inc. (OTCBB Pink Sheets: CRDS.PK); Entrust, Inc.(Nasdaq: ENTU); F-Secure Corporation (HEX: FSC1V); Fortinet, Inc.; IBMInternet Security Systems Inc. (NYSE: IBM); iPass Inc. (Nasdaq: IPAS);McAfee, Inc. (NYSE: MFE); Mirage Networks; MXI Security; PGP Corporation;Qualys, Inc.; RSA, The Security Division of EMC (NYSE: EMC); SecureComputing Corporation (Nasdaq: SCUR); Surety, Inc.; SurfControl Plc (LSE:SRF); Symantec Corporation (Nasdaq: SYMC); TechGuard Security, LLC; andVontu, Inc.


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Lawmakers Seek To Reform Presidential Campaign System

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress have introduced bills to overhaul and modernize the U.S. public financing system to elect its presidents.

Reps. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.), Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and David Price (D-NC) announced the introduction of legislation to fix the presidential public financing system. Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) introduced companion legislation in the Senate as well.

The legislation would take effect on January 1, 2009 and be effective for presidential elections following the 2008 election, however.

"We are heading into a presidential election in 2008, in which the two major party nominees are expected to decline public financing for their races and to spend $500 million each, or a combined $1 billion, in private contributions for their primary and general election campaigns," says Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, a campaign finance advocacy organization. "In order to raise this massive amount of private campaign contributions, big-money fundraisers are bound to play a preeminent role in the presidential campaigns.

The presidential campaign bill increases the amount of matching funds for the presidential primaries from a 1:1 match for up to $250 of an individual's aggregate contributions, to a 4:1 match for up to $200 of an individual's contribution," Wertheimer adds.

The presidential campaign bill increases the spending limit for candidates who choose to participate in the presidential primary public financing system from its current level of approximately $45 million, to $150 million, with a sub-limit of no more than $100 million to be spent by April 1. The bill increases the spending limit for participating general election candidates from its current level of $75 million, to $100 million. The limits are indexed for inflation. The bill repeals the primary state-by-state spending limits.

To qualify for public financing in the primary election, a presidential candidate must raise $25,000 in each of 20 states, in amounts of no more than $200 of each individual's aggregate contribution. This increases the $5,000 per state requirement in current law. A candidate also must commit to accept public financing in both the primary and general election in order to receive public funds for the primary election.

The presidential campaign finance bill moves the starting date for the payment of matching funds to primary candidates from January 1 of the election year to six months before the first primary or caucus is held by a party to select it presidential nominee.

The presidential campaign finance bill provides that if one or more participating candidates in the primary election are running against a non-participating candidate of the same party who raises or spends more than 120 percent of the primary election spending limit, the spending limit for the participating candidates is increased to $150 million during the pre-April 1 period or $200 million for the whole primary period.


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Policymakers To Assess 'State of the Net' 2007

A group that works with lawmakers of both parties in Congress will hold a day-long conference on Wednesday, Jan. 31 to look at the State of the Net.

The Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee will hold the event at a hotel on Capitol Hill, which will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Congressional Internet Caucus. The State of the Net Conference last year attracted more than 350 attendees and more than half of the registered attendees are congressional and government staff working on Internet and digital policy, organizers say.

U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) and Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.), co chairs of the Congressional Internet Caucus, will offer keynote addresses.

Experts are set to explore such topics as whether the U.S. is falling behind or positioned to leap forward in global broadband rankings and whether U.S. copyright law can tolerate "mixing and mashing" in user-generated content.

Several academics will look at the controversy of "Net Neutrality."

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Homeland Security Legislation Mandates Uniform K-9 Standards

Canine detection teams are a critical element in increased demand for explosive detection since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, leading to the introduction of new bipartisan legislation in Congress.

In response to this increased need, Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, ranking Republican and Rep. Chris Carney (D-Pa.), chairman, of the House Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight joined together with full committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) and ranking Republican Peter King of New York to introduce H.R. 659, the "Canine Detection Improvement Act of2007."

This legislation addresses the need for improved and coordinated training, encourages the use of domestic dogs and confronts the need formore dogs by establishing a "Domestic Canine Breeding Grant Program" to increase canine numbers through both public and private means, the lawmakers say. Most importantly, the bill creates a canine team accreditation board to ensure proper certification standards and to prevent fraud and abuse, they add.

"Canine Detection Teams are critical to keeping America safe. This legislation is an important first step to ensuring that the supply of trained dogs will meet the nation's demand," says Thompson.

"This bipartisan, common sense legislation should help increase the use of domestically-bred dogs and support the work of canine breeding programs. Currently, the vast majority of these dogs are purchased in Europe, but by increasing domestic breeding we lower the costs of acquiring these dogs and ensure there are a sufficient number available for U.S. detection team training," Rogers adds.

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Chevron's Costly, Double-Page Ad is Deceptive, Says Group

Ordinary citizens who spotted Chevron Corp's two-page color ad in the New York Times Monday could only wonder what it meant, since it's obviously not aimed at consumers. The ad mimics the desktop of a busy corporate executive, littered with notes about oil demand and oil flow around the world, plus a checklist of Chevron's good deeds.

One answer is right on Chevron's website in a press release saying the company's ad campaign, which ran last year and is being renewed as the new Congress gets down to work, is "targeted at influentials who are involved with leading the energy debate."

That means Congress and the Bush administration, says the Foundation For Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR), which criticized the ads as deceptive by omission. As Chevron and other oil companies face the loss of tax breaks in the new Congress and investigations of price gouging in last summer's record gasoline prices, the ad tries to shift the discussion, the organization says. The global market in oil, says the ad, is "a world of rising demand, supply disruption, natural disasters and unstable regimes."


Such language absolves Chevron and other major oil companies of their own responsibility for "supply disruptions" in the gasoline market, which are due in large part to the industry's restriction of refining capacity even when, as in last year's price spike, there was no lack of availablecrude oil, says FTCR. The price spike equaled -- and in California exceeded-- the prices following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, despite the utter lack of such weather disasters nationwide last year, the group says.


The ad also aims to forestall congressional criticism of questionable foreign oil investments by California-based Chevron, arguing that oil investment should be allowed to "flow freely across borders," FTCR says. Chevron praises itself for "developing energy through partnerships with 26 countries."


"Those 26 countries would include Nigeria, where Chevron's ties with brutal security forces and broken economic promises to people near its oil fields have been strongly rebuked by human rights organizations," says Judy Dugan, research director of FTCR. "And Ecuador, where Chevron's toxic drilling wastes polluted regional water sources and triggered a lawsuit by indigenous tribes whose children are said to suffer four times the leukemia rate of unaffected areas.


"Chevron, aside from trying to shift the discussion away from its own behavior in the gasoline market, appears to be intent on quelling any trade regulation that might restrict its dealings with abusive regimes," says Dugan.




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Democrat Reid Challenges Bush On Various Security Threats

While he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi challenge President Bush on Bush's course for U.S. involvement in Iraq, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid also calls Bush's moves inadequate on several other security matters facing the United States.

"As much as we're convinced the president has chosen the wrong direction in Iraq, we're increasingly concerned he's headed in the wrong direction in Iran and Afghanistan," Reid, Democrat of Nevada, says. "Five years after we defeated the Taliban, the extremists are returning. Drug production is soaring. And attacks on U.S. and NATO forces are on the rise. By all measures, the country is at risk of slipping away; yet, some reports suggest the president will be moving some U.S. troops out of Afghanistan and into Iraq. This is a terrible mistake."

Bush must put more attention on the mission in Afghanistan, Reid says.

"Although time is short, there is still an opportunity to defeat our enemies in Afghanistan once and for all," he says. "The president must acknowledge what's at stake, and immediately take action to prevent the country from returning to what it was -- a haven for international terrorism."

President Bush will need explicit new authorization from Congress if Bush wants to pursue military action against Iran.

"Much has been made about President Bush's recent saber rattling toward Iran. This morning, I'd like to be clear: The president does not have the authority to launch military action in Iran without first seeking congressional authorization -- the current use of force resolution for Iraq does not give him such authorization," Reid says.

Reid also criticizes Bush's approach to the threat posed by the apparent nuclear ambitions of Iran, saying ultimately the best way to defang the regime in Iran to cut U.S. dependence on Middle East oil.

"Let there be no doubt, the Iranian regime poses one of the great threats of the new century, but the Iranian people -- two-thirds of which are under the age of 30 -- present a great opportunity for progress. Regrettably, this administration has no strategy for connecting with this generation of potential reformers.

"Iran sends millions of barrels of crude oil to theWestern world, and gets billions of dollars in return," Reid says. "Fortunately, we have the power to turn the tables on Iran. That power is energy independence. If the United States led the world in developing new alternative fuel technologies, we could create new jobs, export new products, slow global warming and reduce Iran's leverage on the international stage."

Democrats in Congress are advancing an energy bill that would shift priorities away from oil production to alternative sources.


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In Own State of the Union, Top Dems Call For Iraq War End

The top Democrats who lead the U.S. Congress continued to push their opposition to President Bush's escalation of U.S. involvement in Iraq -- and the top Democrat in the Senate is going further by advocating a withdrawl of U.S. forces from the conflict in coming months.

Speaking in Washington in their own joint State of the Union speech, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid say Iraqis must shoulder more of the burden of security in their nation.

More than 3,000 American service personnel have lost their lives in Iraq while tens-of-thousands more have been wounded in combat in Iraq. Last year, violence claimed the lives of at least 34,000 Iraqis -- a rate of almost 100 a day, Reid notes. The war in Iraq has now lasted longer than World War II, Reid, a senator from Nevada, adds.

"Yet despite these tremendous costs, despite this great sacrifice, the Iraq war has made America less safe, not more safe," Reid says. "Our troops in Iraq --including hundreds of fine Nevadans -- have done everything asked of them. It's their political leaders at home who've failed. We must change course."

President Bush this month called for an increase of more than 20,000 U.S. troops to Iraq. Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq in 2003 because he said Iraq was developing weapons of mass destruction. No WMDs have been found. Since the ouster of since-hanged Iraq leader Saddam Hussein, Iraq has been plagued by sectarian violence.

"Unfortunately, the president's new plan can be summed up in four words: 'more of the same,'" Reid says. "Like our military generals, the American people and a growingbipartisan chorus in Congress, I believe escalation is a serious mistake."

Democrats want to transform the U.S. military mission in Iraq, Reid says.

"The mission of our troops should be transitioned away from combat to training, force protection, logistics and counter-terror. U.S. forces have been given an impossible mission -- policing a civil war," he says. "It's Iraqis -- not our troops -- who should be walking the streets of Baghdad, trying to sort friend from foe."

The toll the Iraq war is putting on U.S. forces threatens U.S. security overall, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

"The strain the war is placing on our Army and Marine Corps diminishes our ability to respond toother challenges and thereby threatens our security," she says. "Escalating our military involvement in Iraq will not reverse these negative effects, it will only add to them.

Reid says the U.S. should begin the phased redeployment of its forces within the next four to six months, putting more responsibility on Iraqis

"Only Iraqis can ultimately secure Iraq," Reid says. "A phased redeployment will allow our country to rebuild the military force here at home, and increase the number of troops available to hunt for Osama bin Laden and stabilize Afghanistan."

The issues facing Iraq are beyond solving by U.S. military force, Pelosi says.

"The solutions to the issues which divide Iraqis are political and diplomatic, not military. As such, they are beyond the ability of our troops, who have performed their difficult and dangerous missions with great courage, to resolve," she says. "The Iraqis and their neighbors have the most at stake in an unsafe Iraq. The sooner we give them the responsibility fortheir future, the sooner our troops can come home."


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U.S Embraces Clean Energy, But Beware Ethanol

Americans and their political leaders are increasingly embracing clean, renewable energy. But a foremost expert on energy and technology is warning against relying on ethanol as a solution.





Only one in fourAmerican voters today believe the United States is doing enough to promote and utilize alternative or "green" technologies and renewable energy sources to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign energy sources, according to a new poll by Zogby International and TechNet's Green Tech Task Force.





TechNet is a bipartisan political network of high tech CEOs promotes the growth of the innovation economy.





The Zogby/TechNet nationwide poll of 1,043 Americans found that 77% ofU.S. voters believe that our nation must do more to promote green technologies like renewable energy sources.



Wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, hydrogen and alternative fuels are all cleaner energy sources.



"The magnitude of global energy and environmental challenges demandsthat we act now to implement a sound energy strategy based on U.S. innovation," says John Doerr, TechNet founder and partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a leading technology venture capitral firm. "TechNet is committed to working with the president and Congress to reshape our energy future."

Renewable energy has been an area of research in the United States for decades, and maintains a dedicated lab at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado.

Leaders in both parties of U.S. government are also increasingly turning to support clean energy as an alternative to U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Burning fossil fuels is also thought to be a major contributor to the carbon emissions blamed for global climate change.

Democrats who now control the the U.S. House of Representatives have passed a bill that would cut subsidies for oil production and impose a "conservation fee" on oil and gas taken from deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Funds collected would be steered toward renewable, clean energy sources. President Bush is also said ready in his upcoming State of the Union address to further complain of the U.S. dependence on oil and embrace renewable clean energy.

The Danger of Ethanol






However, ethanol will not be an attractive clean- or renewable-energy solution, says veteran Washington correspondent and energy and technology expert Llewellyn King.



Produced from vegetable matter high in sugar or starch and fermented and distilled to produce fuel, the United States already is producing 5 billion gallons of ethanol a year, King notes in his recent syndicated column. For more than 30 years, King published such publications as The Energy Daily and New Technology Week, and observed keenly developments in ethanol and other clean energies. Full disclosure: I used to work for Llewellyn King as editor of New Technology Week.



King, who remains host of the national public affairs TV show "White House Chronicle," says "President Bush is so taken with ethanol that he wants to expand production to 60 billion gallons a year by 2030."



The growing interest in ethanol is affecting the price of corn, driving up the price of meat, King says.



"Last year, there was a shortage of grain for livestock, and beef prices rocketed. Other dislocations are likely when corn becomes the must-grow cash crop," he writes.



Like others, King believes the United States must wean itself from oil and embrace new technologies -- but not ethanol. He suggests hybrid and all-electric vehicles as a better alternative.



"Not only is there something repugnant about using food for gasoline, but in all probability, it will cause damage to the whole agricultural cycle and to the agricultural economy," King writes. "This way lies madness. And it is shameful that so many environmental organizations, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council, have embraced ethanol—which may save no energy whatsoever."








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Conservative Leader Praises Democrat Pelosi

An early pioneer of the conservative movement is praising US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, for her leadership on so-called earmark reform.

"Some Republicans, like Trent Lott, apparently still haven't learned anything from the 2006 election returns," says Richard Viguerie, author of Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause. "But Nancy Pelosi understands that voters are disgusted with pork-barrel spending. She has my thanks and support for extending the ban on earmarks for this entire year."

Earmarks, which Viguerie notes exploded under all-Republican rule, are the term for federal spending which is steered by legislative language to specific projects by lawmakers. Pelosi became the first female U.S. House speaker following elections that handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress for the first time since 1994.

"Let the message from conservatives be loud and clear," Viguerie adds. "We are not slaves to either party. We will support Democrats and Republicans alike when they do the right thing, and we will oppose Democrats and Republicans alike when they do the wrong thing. Our loyalty is to the taxpayers and to sound fiscal policies."

Viguerie pioneered ideological andpolitical direct mail and has been called "the funding father of theconservative movement" for his role in helping build dozens of conservative organizations. Viguerie was cited in the Washington Times in 1999 as one of13 "Conservatives of the Century." The founding of his company was listed by the late John F. Kennedy Jr.'s magazine, George, as one of the 100 "defining moments" in 20th Century American politics.

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Bush Signs Anti-Terror Bill To Fight Missile Threat

Legislation authored by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to prevent terrorists from obtaining surface-to-air missiles, support key U.S. allies including Israel, and assist U.S. diplomats while conducting missions overseas and was signed into law by President Bush today.





"We rely considerably on the State Department's diplomatic work to helpus win the Global War on Terror. Therefore, American diplomats must have every means available at their disposal to successfully carry out U.S. foreign policy. The new authorities contained in this law enhance U.S.foreign policy and provides the State Department with more tools to effectively accomplish their diplomatic objectives," says Smith.



Among the new authorities granted to the State Department through the"Department of State Authorities Act of 2006" (P.L. 109-xxx) is the ability to withdraw any economic and military assistance to a country that knowingly transfers man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) to terrorist organizations or a foreign government that sponsors terrorism.



"MANPADS are cheap, lethal and shockingly easy to obtain on the black market. We now have the means to prevent terrorists from getting their hands on these destructive weapons and using them to kill hundreds of Americans with a single shot," says Smith.



Defense contractors are developing systems to defend airliners and airports from potential MANPADS attack. Among various competitors, Raytheon has a product called Vigilant Eagle that uses electromagnetic energy tailored to divert a missile. When located at a commercial airport, Vigilant Eagle creates a dome of protection around the airport, protecting all aircraft during the most critical phases of flight—takeoff and landing, the contractor says.



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U.S. Mayors Meet With Speaker Nancy Pelosi

The leadership of The United States Conference of Mayors, led by conference President Douglas Palmer, met with newly elected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday in a strategy session on Capitol Hill. Palmer is mayor of Trenton, N.J.

The purpose of the meeting was for mayors to discuss critical issues facing America's cities and to forge new partnerships as Congress sets its legislative agenda.

"As CEOs of the nation's cities, mayors know all too well the challenges America's families face. We are here to stand with Speaker Pelosi and the new congressional leadership to forge new partnerships that will invest in families and cities in a way that creates jobs and safe communities, and provides an environment where families and children can thrive," says Palmer. "We welcome the opportunity to work with this new Congress in a bi-partisan way as we move forward together to build a stronger America."

Palmer is Trenton's first African American mayor, first elected in 1990 and re-elected four times since.

Mayors shared with Pelosi their 10-point plan called "Strong Cities, Strong Families for a Strong America" which will be presented at The U.S. Conference of Mayors 75th Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C., January 24- 26.

A Democrat from California, Pelosi became the first female U.S. House speaker in history after Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress this month following elections in November that handed Democrats majorities in the House and Senate.


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Catholic Charities Launches Campaign To Cut Poverty In Half

Catholic Charities USA today announced a new multi-year initiative to cut poverty in half by2020, urging Congress and the Bush administration to give a much higher priority to the needs of the poor in budget and policy decisions on issues such as health care, housing, nutrition, and economic security.

"Poverty is a moral and social wound on the soul of our country and threatens the health and economic well-being of both families and our nation," Rev. Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA, said at a briefing this morning on Capitol Hill. "We must marshal the strength andthe collective will of our nation to take on this tragedy that affects 37 million people who are living in poverty in one of the wealthiest nations in the world."

"The Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America is about who we are as a nation," Father Snyder said. "We must no longer ignore the injustice ofpoverty and the extreme in equality in America and instead must seize this opportunity to advocate for changes that promote human dignity and thecommon good."

The goal of Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America is to cut the poverty rate in the United States in half by 2020. Catholic Charities USA is leading a broad effort that will involve partners in social serviceagencies, the faith community, and other groups in a sustained effort to convince government officials of the importance of making systemic changes in government programs to help the poor and most vulnerable in our society.

With more than 275 years of experience in serving those living in poverty, Catholic Charities has a unique understanding of this growing problem and its devastating impact on families and the nation.

"Catholic Charities agencies provide help and offer hope to more than 7.4 million people each year, and in communities across the country, our agencies have been coping with a steady increase in demand for emergencyassistance, primarily among working families," Father Snyder said. "Each day, our agencies serve families who work hard but still do not earn enough to provide for their basic needs."

"Catholic Charities USA pledges its experience and resources to help reduce poverty in America. But, we can only succeed with the activeinvolvement of Congress and the administration. Only through partnershipsbetween government and community leaders like Catholic Charities, will we develop the capacity and the scale necessary to attack poverty in a comprehensive and sustained way," said Father Snyder.

Catholic Charities USA's Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America will urge Congress and the administration to improve programs and policies in four key issue areas: health care, affordable housing, nutritionassistance, and family economic security for the poor and vulnerable.

"Good government is about making choices and setting priorities that serve the common good, and we will work in partnership in this campaignwith Catholic organizations and other partners to encourage elected leaders to give greater priority to attending to the needs of the poorest and mostvulnerable persons in society," Father Snyder said. "Choices made in the federal budget process about what is funded -- and how to pay for it --must be judged by whether the life and dignity of families are protected or undermined."

Key components of the campaign will include sustained and comprehensive outreach to the administration and Congress as well as activities in local communities throughout the country on the need for action to reduce poverty, Catholic Charities says.


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Dems Want To Fix No Child Left Behind

Now in charge on Capitol Hill, Democrats are looking to alter No Child Left Behind, the U.S. education reform law enacted early in President Bush's first term.

"Five years ago, with the signing of the No Child Left Behind Act, Democrats and Republicans joined President Bush in ushering in a dramatic reform of our nation's schools. We were hopeful that the increased accountability and performance standards, coupled with a significant increase in the federal investment in education would raise student achievement levels. It is clear, five years later, that changes need to be made," says Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democrat now Senate majority leader. "No Child Left Behind has been vastly under funded -- by nearly $55 billion since it was first enacted -- accountability measures have proven far too punitive, and states have been given little flexibility in implementing the law's requirements."

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) -- the main federal law affecting education from kindergarten through high school. NCLB is built on four principles: accountability for results, more choices for parents, greater local control and flexibility, and an emphasis on doing what works based on scientific research.

Reid says he has met with all of Nevada's school superintendents, heard from teachers, and talked with parents and students across the state state about No Child Left Behind.

"They all believe in higher standards, increased accountability, and raising student achievement," he says. "But, across the board, they expressed concerns with the law. One of their primary concerns is how they'll cover the additional costs of increased testing without adequate support from the federal government. Many principals also feel that the current law does not give credit to schools that have made strides in student performance. And teachers, who share the goal of raising student achievement, are concerned that the focus on reading and math takes time away from other important subjects."

No Child Left Behind is up for reauthorization in Congress this year.

"As Congress considers the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind this year, we have an opportunity to make the law more responsive to the needs of students, teachers, and administrators," Reid says. "As a start, we need to fully fund the law. Then, we need to take a hard look to see what works, what needs fine tuning, and what needs to be fixed."

For his part, President Bush seemed willing to make some changes to bill.

"I am proud of this piece of legislation. I think it's made an enormous difference, particularly in the lives of some of our poorer students. This country needs to get it right when it comes to public education, and the bill that I was honored to sign
is an important first step toward making sure every child gets a good education in America," he says.

Bush met in the Oval Office with Sen. Edward Kennedy and other Democratic and Republican lawmakers on reauthorization.

"And in our discussions today, we've all agreed to work together to address some of the major concerns that some people have on this piece of legislation, without weakening the essence of the bill, and get a piece of legislation done. We showed in the past that we can work together to get positive results, and I'm confident we can do so again," Bush says.



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RunObama.com Enlists 6,500 Supporters in Two Weeks

The website RunObama.com has collected 6,500 signatures on a petition urging U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to run for president in 2008, those who operate the site say.

The thousands of Obama supporters from all 50 states and the District of Columbia poured in during the first two weeks of the site being active, the operators say.

A rising star in the Democratic party, Obama has left the door open to a bid for the White House. If he decides to run, he would face potentially many rivals for the Democratic nomination, including Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Outgoing Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack has already declared he will run as has Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware.

Obama has been in national office just two years. Before that, he served as a state legislator in Illinois.

RunObama.com is now urging supporters of Barack Obama to gather 10,000 signatures before Sunday, December 10 to present to Obama during his first visit to New Hampshire. New Hampshire is home to an early and often crucial early test in the primary elections in which voters of each party select nominees for president.

The site was created to gather Obama supporters together to show the Illinois Democrat that there is a grassroots army of citizens ready to support him.

The site features a blog that is covering the early stages of an Obama campaign, as well as a video section to highlight recent television clips.

On the petition, the website encourages people to "Tell Obama to Run," declaring: "We the undersigned believe we need new leadership in this country. We need someone who can challenge, inspire and get America back on track. Most of all, we need leadership. Senator Obama needs to know that if -- and when -- he decides to run, he'll have an army of grassroots supporters ready to help him win!"