OBAMA WINS AMERICA LOSES GUARENTEED

Spain: Osama bin Laden's son seeks asylum 27-year-old landed at Madrid airport using a passport from Saudi Arabia Claude Stemmelin / AFP - Getty Images file
Omar bin Laden, the fourth son of Osama bin laden, during a dinner at his horse ranch, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, on Sept. 11, 2008.Nov. 5: Residents in Madrid, Spain, drive carefully as their neighborhood chicken crosses the road. Msnbc.com's Dara Brown reports.updated 7:52 a.m. ET, Tues., Nov. 4, 2008

MADRID, Spain - A son of Osama bin Laden was in Spain and was seeking asylum, Spain's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.Omar Osama bin Laden requested asylum immediately after arriving at Madrid airport Monday on a flight from Cairo, Egypt, that had been going on to Casablanca, Morocco, a ministry official said on condition of anonymity in line with ministry rules.The official said Omar Osama bin Laden was traveling on a passport from Saudi Arabia. The official said he could not say on what grounds bin Laden was requesting asylum.The 27-year-old remained at the airport while the ministry was considering his petition. The ministry has 72 hours to make a decision, and the petitioner has a right of appeal.

Nov 4, 2008 0:17 | Updated Nov 4, 2008 12:34 Analysis: A Middle East message to the new American leader By BRENDA GAZZAR JPOST

Dear Mr. President, congratulations! Not only have you inherited a global economic crisis unmatched since the Great Depression but you have also inherited an increasingly tumultuous and more radicalized Middle East. Experts use words like unilateral and preemptive to describe America's foreign policy in the region in the last eight years. Some simply describe US President George W. Bush's approach as our way or the highway. Whether or not you choose a more multilateral foreign policy style, you will certainly have to contend with some pressing issues that have arisen or become exacerbated over the past eight years. Thorny issues like the war in Iraq, where more than 4,000 Americans have been killed with no clear end or resolution in sight. Issues such as Iran, which appears intent on pursuing a nuclear weapons program against the wishes of the majority of the world. And you will have to contend with them at a time that America's global and regional reputation has taken a blow as an honest, neutral and even-handed player in the Middle East. Indeed, many in the region today see the US as a country that only pursues its own interests at the expense of others.

Here are just a few of your challenges:


Iran: This is considered your top foreign policy issue. Your challenge is to figure out how to convince Iran in the next year or two that it shouldn't go forward with developing a nuclear weapon. Sanctions have not worked due to a lack of cooperation by nations like China and Russia. Bush has been very explicit about using force as an option in dealing with Iran. However, some argue that Bush has limited America's options by leading with the threat of military action rather than by using all available tools, such as negotiations or incentives. Ultimately, however, tough decisions would have to be made in case these tools fail.

Iraq: Your challenge in Iraq is to diminish the American presence while keeping the country and the region stable. You know that any sort of withdrawal will neither be quick or easy. Some experts, Some experts, such as Stephen Grand of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, argue that the key would
be to take a regional approach. In addition to finding a viable political settlement among the various factions inside Iraq, bringing other nations into the fold - countries affected by the conflict such as Syria, Iran and Turkey - is necessary for any long-term solution, he said. I think that's really what has been missing in the Bush approach; a truly regional perspective.

Israeli/Palestinian crisis: It appears that neither side can resolve the conflict on its own and some kind of international intervention - particularly American intervention - is needed to help bring peace to the region. But American mediation efforts have failed thus far and some say foreign policy here should be reassessed. The Arab peace initiative could well be part of any future peace deal. However, any peace broker must contend with new and rapidly changing realities here: including upcoming Israeli elections and the protracted Fatah-Hamas divide in the West Bank and Gaza.

Syria: Syria is looking to end years of difficult international isolation while maintaining regime stability. It is counting on a new US administration that will support its peace talks with Israel. But Syria also seems reluctant to sever its ties with Iran and militants in Lebanon and the PA. Your challenge will be to help Syria - perhaps through a mixture of sticks and carrots - to end its unsavory ties with extremists and to disassociate itself from radical Shi'ite elements in Lebanon and in Iran.

Egypt: President Hosni Mubarak turned 80 earlier this year, raising questions about his succession and whether or not there could be a political vacuum in this country of some 80 million. Egypt is one of America's strongest and most stable allies in the Middle East, but questions remain about what role, if any, Islamist groups would play in its next government.

ELECTION 2008 Will Supreme Court have say in presidency? Schedule includes campaign response to questions on Obama birthplace November 04, 2008 6:51 pm Eastern
2008 WorldNetDaily

U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter has rejected an emergency appeal for the court to halt the tabulation of the 2008 presidential election results until Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama documents his eligibility to run for the office, according to an attorney who brought the action that challenges the Illinois senator's standing in the race.However, the issue isn't going away, at least for now, since Souter set a schedule for a response from Obama to the challenge from attorney Philip J. Berg.As WND reported, Berg brought his claims to the Supreme Court after a federal judge dismissed his lawsuit alleging Obama is ineligible to be president because he possibly was born in Kenya.The judge concluded Berg lacks standing to bring the action.

Philip J. Berg

The 34-page memorandum that accompanied the court order from Judge R. Barclay Surrick said ordinary citizens can't sue to ensure that a presidential candidate actually meets the constitutional requirements of the office.Instead, Surrick said Congress could determine that citizens, voters, or party members should police the Constitution's eligibility requirements for the Presidency, but that it would take new laws to grant individual citizens that ability.Until that time, Surrick says, voters do not have standing to bring the sort of challenge that Plaintiff attempts to bring.In a statement today, Berg said he was told by a clerk for Souter that his application for an injunction to stay the election was denied. But he also said the defendants are required to respond to the Writ of Certiorari by Dec. 1.Get the book that started it all – Jerome Corsi's The Obama Nation, personally autographed for only $4.95 – an amazing $23 discount! The questions over Obama's eligibility first got traction among Internet bloggers and later were heightened when several campaigns were launched to determine whether a certificate of live birth posted on the Internet by the Obama campaign was valid.The issue gained more attention when Berg told radio talk show host Michael Savage he had an admission from Obama's grandmather that she was at his birth – in Kenya.

This is a question of who has standing to stand up for our Constitution, Berg told Jeff Schreiber of America's Right blog. If I don't have standing, if you don't have standing, if your neighbor doesn't have standing to ask whether or not the likely next president of the United States – the most powerful man in the entire world – is eligible to be in that office in the first place, then who does? WND senior investigative reporter Jerome Corsi traveled both to Kenya and Hawaii to investigate issues surrounding Obama's birth.But his discoveries only raised more questions.The biggest question is why Obama, if a Hawaii birth certificate exists, simply hasn't ordered it made available to settle the rumors.The governor's office in Hawaii said he had a valid certificate but rejected requests for access and left ambiguous its origin. Does the certificate on file with the Department of Health indicate a Hawaii birth or was it generated after the Obama family registered a Kenyan birth in Hawaii.

Obama's half-sister, Maya Soetoro, has named two different Hawaii hospitals where Obama could have been born.But a video posted on YouTube features Obama's Kenyan grandmother Sarah claiming to have witnessed Obama's birth in Kenya.As WND reported, Berg filed suit in U.S. District Court in August, alleging Obama is not a natural-born citizen and is thus ineligible to serve as president of the United States. Berg demanded that Obama provide documentation to the court to verify that the candidate was born in Hawaii, as Obama contends, and not in Kenya, as Berg believes.

CNN NEWS VIDEO
http://edition.cnn.com/video/

YAHOO NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video

MIDEAST CONFLICT NEWS
http://news.yahoo.com/video/1874;_ylt=A0wNcxFdg6xIgbkAwD6z174F

ABC NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/2461

FOX NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/3074

FOX BUSINESS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/3045

AP NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/2529

BBC NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/2918

REUTERS VIDEO NEWS
http://news.yahoo.com/video/2704

AFP NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/3091

CNBC NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/3245

HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER

DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.

JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

WORLD MARKET RESULTS
http://money.cnn.com/data/world_markets/

HALF HOUR DOW RESULTS WED NOV 05,2008

09:30 AM -53.04
10:00 AM -184.07
10:30 AM -101.15
11:00 AM -133.09
11:30 AM -150.06
12:00 PM -187.65
12:30 PM -253.44
01:00 PM -286.65
01:30 PM -290.56
02:00 PM -309.47
02:30 PM -328.71
03:00 PM -301.87
03:30 PM -390.11
04:00 PM -486.01 9139.27

S&P 500 952.77 -52.98

NASDAQ 1681.64 -98.48

GOLD 740.6 -16.70

OIL 65.30 -5.23

TSE 300 -229.38 9,887.20

CDNX -23.85 951.42

S&P/TSX/60 -13.57 597.06

YEAR TO DATE PERFORMANCE
Dow -27.44%
Dow Transports -10.9%
Dow Utilities -26.7%
Nasdaq -32.88%
S&P 500 -31.5%
Russell 2000 -28.73%
NY Composite -34.86%
Amex Composite -36.60%

Dow at low today was -202
Futures down after S&P rallies 19% over last 8 sessions.
Germany passes $64 BILLION Economic Stimulus Package.
Italy working on a plan,expect U.S to follow.
Solar stocks lower as ALT. energy measures fail in California.
Libor falls again,but Mortgage rates remain high.

END CLOSINGS

Biggest drop in 2 weeks.
Stocks close at days lows.
Dow fell over 5% today
Dow fell below 9200 points today.
All 30 Dow stocks lower today.
S&P below 1000 points today.
NASDAQ falls 5% today.

Memo to Traders:Global Economy in bad shape.
Conclusion:Tough to move Markets forward.
Fairly uniform selloff:Most stocks -3%-7%.
Initial decline lead by commodity Stocks.
Late-Day selloff led by Financials.

OBAMAS DECISIONS:WHAT WILL HE DO?
-tax increases-The right thing?
-Trade-revive Doha round?
-Expand health care-Casualty of deficit?

Europe awaits new deal from President Obama
LUCIA KUBOSOVA Today @ 09:26 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Europe has welcomed the victory of the democratic candidate in the US presidential elections, with the French leader Nicolas Sarkozy praising the choice of change and optimism by the American voters, while Brussels urged for a new deal in a new world under the leadership of Barack Obama.This is a time for a renewed commitment between Europe and the United States of America, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement released early Wednesday (5 November), minutes before Senator Obama appeared to meet his supporters in his hometown of Chicago after his victory was confirmed.Mr Barroso assured the US President-elect of his support when both Brussels and Washington will face together the many challenges ahead of us.We need a new deal for a new world. I sincerely hope that with the leadership of President Obama, the United States of America will join forces with Europe to drive this new deal, he added, using the same term as the Democratic predecessor of Obama in the White House, Franklin D. Roosevelt.Back in 1930s, President Roosevelt presented his New Deal initiative as a way to boost jobs and public investment to revive the economy battered by the Great Depression, a global economic crisis often referred to in comparisons to the current financial turbulence.Mr Obama is due to attend the first global summit organised by the outgoing US president George W. Bush under the initiative of Europe, in Washington on 15 November which could see an opening of a series of high-profile debates about the reform of the international financial system.

Optimistic choice

But despite the grim economic circumstances across the globe, for supporters of Barack Obama, the first Afro-American to take up the top US job, the election night was full of joy and positive emotions.French President Nicolas Sarkozy whose country is currently chairing the EU congratulated him for the brilliant victory, noting By choosing you, the American nation has chosen change, openness and optimism.It would give an excellent message to the people of the EU if Barack Obama were to make a speech in the European Parliament during his first visit to Europe, the parliament's president, Hans Gert Poettering, said in his statement of congratulation.This way he could address the almost 500 million citizens of the European Union, he added.The triumph of Barack Obama, 47, in the historic elections - followed with great interest worldwide - became evident after he had captured the key battleground states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, and later also Florida, Virginia and Colorado - all of which voted Republican in 2004. In some states, like Indiana and and North Carolina, the votes seemed very tightly distributed between the two candidates but at 07.00 Brussels time the polls stood at 51.3 percent for the Democratic Senator from Illinois, against 47.4 percent for Arizona Senator Mr McCain, the BBC reported.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer, Mr Obama said to the crowds in Grand Park, Chicago.Senator McCain congratulated his rival, saying I deeply admire and commend Mr Obama and called on his supporters to rally behind their new leader.

Polish president gets prickly mandate for EU summit
PHILIPPA RUNNER Today NOV 5,08 @ 09:27 CET

The Polish government will let Polish President Lech Kaczynski go alone to Friday's (7 November) EU summit, to avoid another fiasco over chairs at the top table. But it will give him a hard to digest pro-euro and pro-Lisbon treaty mandate.Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Tuesday his decision to stay home, saying he did not want a repeat of the October summit, when a rogue Mr Kaczynski chartered his own plane and gatecrashed the EU meeting, causing protocol havoc and making Poland a figure of fun in European media.The government's negotiating mandate - which Mr Kaczynski is obliged to follow under the Polish constitution - will force the president to put forward Poland's plan to join the euro in 2012 and call on all EU states to ratify the Lisbon treaty, placing him in an awkward position.The eurosceptic Mr Kaczynski last week said quick euro entry will cause inflation and has himself refused to sign off on Lisbon in support of the Irish No vote in June.Mr Tusk said the mandate was not drafted out of spite, but because Polish euro entry and broader EU integration will help keep Poland safe amid the financial crisis.

I can imagine a situation [in which the president ignores the mandate], but I wouldn't accept it, he warned, PAP reports. We can't apply any extraordinary disciplinary measures, because we don't have them. We can just count on [his] elementary sense of responsibility.Mr Kaczynski's aides called the proposals absurd, saying they do not fit in with Friday's summit agenda.What does the Lisbon treaty have to do with the financial crisis? It's a paradox. Every reasonable person knows this. I'm curious, who'll even want to talk about the treaty, when Europe is facing such serious tasks, in the context of the crisis, presidential minister Michal Kaminski said on Polish TV, calling Mr Tusk's position point scoring and a strange game.Presidential advisor Piotr Kownacki told Rzeczpospolita that if French President Nicolas Sarkozy asks Mr Kaczynski why he won't sign Lisbon, the Polish head can answer it's not us blocking the treaty, it's Ireland.The Polish president is also embroiled in another scrap over government policy, after on Monday signing a declaration together with Lithuanian President Valdus Adamkus calling on the EU not to restart negotiations on a new EU-Russia agreement. Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said he learned of the move from his Lithuanian colleague at a meeting in the French city of Marseille. But the president's men say they consulted with the Polish embassy in Lithuania first.The head of the Lithuanian foreign office put the declaration on the table, Mr Sikorski said. It's not good for our negotiating position [in the EU] that the existence of this document and its contents were a surprise for me.

MEPs back penalties for hiring irregular migrants
RENATA GOLDIROVA Today NOV 5,08 @ 09:29 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Parliament civil liberties committee has backed the idea of introducing sanctions, administrative as well as criminal, against employers who hire undocumented immigrants from outside Europe. Italian Socialist Claudio Fava, in charge of the dossier in the parliament, described the vote as a step forward. Illegal immigrants help meet the needs of some unscrupulous employers who are willing to take advantage of workers prepared to undertake what are mostly low-skilled and low paid jobs, he said. Brussels estimates there are four to eight million immigrants working without proper documentation in the EU, with the number swelling by up to half a million each year. According to the approved piece of law, employers hiring irregular immigrants will have to, among other things, pay costs for the migrant's return, outstanding wages, taxes and social contributions.Criminal penalties could be triggered in circumstances such as extreme exploitation and human trafficking, while those exploited severely could be granted a temporary residency permit in order to participate in a trial trying to win what an employer owns to them. The directive does not exclude regularisation of clandestine workers, Mr Fava said. But the issue of criminal measures is very divisive among EU member states.

In July - when the draft legislation was debated by EU interior ministers - some countries, including Germany, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, the Netherlands and Sweden, argued there were other ways to fight irregular employment.The European Commission proposal on sanctions against employers who hire undocumented non-EU immigrants dates back to May 2007. It is part of the union's efforts to curb such forms of migration, while boosting legally sanctioned ways of labourers entering its territory.

Bush promises smooth transition to Obama NOV 5,08

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President George W. Bush on Wednesday publicly congratulated Barack Obama on his historic victory and vowed complete cooperation as the first black US president moves into the White House.Last night, I had a warm conversation with president-elect Barack Obama. I congratulated him and Senator (Joe) Biden on their impressive victory, Bush said in his first public remarks on the election.I told the president-elect he can count on complete cooperation from my administration as he makes the transition to the White House, said the outgoing president, whose second four-year term ends January 20.Bush also said he and First Lady Laura Bush had invited Obama and wife Michelle Obama to come to the presidential mansion, and Laura and I are looking forward to welcoming them as soon as possible.Bush, whose vast unpopularity weighed down fellow Republican and chosen successor John McCain's campaign, said he had also spoken to the defeated Arizona senator.I congratulated him on a determined campaign that he and Governor Palin ran, he said, referring to Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who would have been the first woman vice president.

The American people will always be grateful for the lifetime of service John McCain has devoted to this nation. And I know he'll continue to make tremendous contributions to our country, said Bush.He also left little doubt about the president-elect's say in charting the nation's course over the next 76 days, saying he would keep Obama fully informed on important decisions.But there's important work to do in the months ahead, and I will continue to conduct the people's business as long as this office remains in my trust, said Bush.Eight years after campaigning on a pledge to be a uniter not a divider, Bush was to leave a politically polarized country in which nine out of ten citizens worry the nation is on the wrong course but disagree what to do.No matter how they cast their ballots, all Americans can be proud of the history that was made yesterday, said the president, who underlined the historic nature of the choice made at the polls a day earlier.Many of our citizens thought they would never live to see that day. This moment is especially uplifting for a generation of Americans who witnessed the struggle for civil rights with their own eyes -- and four decades later see dream fulfilled, he said.A long campaign has now ended, and we move forward as one nation. We're embarking on a period of change in Washington, yet there are some things that will not change, he said.The United States government will stay vigilant in meeting its most important responsibility -- protecting the American people. And the world can be certain this commitment will remain steadfast under our next Commander-in-Chief, Bush said in his three-minute statement.And when the time comes on January the 20th, Laura and I will return home to Texas with treasured memories of our time here -- and with profound gratitude for the honor of serving this amazing country.

All-night parties cheer Obama in EU capital Over 2,000 people gathered at the Renaissance hotel in Brussels to watch the US election results (Photo: EUobserver)LEIGH PHILLIPS AND VALENTINA POP Today NOV 5,08 @ 09:57 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU officials, expats working for the European headquarters of multinational firms, Erasmus students and locals from every quarter of the Belgian capital partied on Tuesday night (4 November) in anticipation of a victory for Barack Obama in the US presidential vote.Over 2,000 US expats and other international workers crammed into the Brussels Renaissance hotel down the road from the European Parliament for a party organised by the American Chamber of Commerce Belgium and the local chapters of Democrats Abroad and Republicans Abroad. The crowd celebrated as results came in on the huge screens through the night, despite the time zone difference. The organisers set up a debate between representatives of the Republicans and Democrats. But the audience was clearly in favour of senator Barack Obama, who won 93 percent of the votes cast at a straw poll at the event, with only seven percent favouring his Republican rival, John McCain.To Matt Graves, a 37-year-old French-speaking Texan who has lived in Belgium for 14 years, the election of senator Obama was a dream come true. Proudly wearing his cowboy hat with the inscription Texans for Obama, Mr Graves told EUobserver that his home state is not all red, despite the Texas end result coming out in favour of senator McCain.These are historical elections, it's absolutely amazing, he said, convinced that the new president will greatly improve relations with the European Union.Belgian nationals were also present at the celebrations, such as Eric and Micheline Mathay, a couple who had also joined the election party for French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007.

Mr Obama is the American Sarkozy, the 52-year-old accountant told this website, noting that Europeans have very high expectations from the newly elected US president in terms of a better dialogue on international affairs. But Mr Obama's popularity was likely to drop after the honeymoon ends, Mr Mathay argued, just as with the French president.

More responsibilities for the EU

An Obama presidency would mean not only more dialogue and involvement with the Europeans on the world stage, but also more responsibilities for the EU countries, argued Jamie Shea, the head of NATO's policy planning unit during the debate ahead of the first results.The cost of multilateralism, for the EU countries, would soon be felt when President Obama picks up the phone to Germany and France and tell them to commit more troops for the war in Afghanistan, he said. In terms of the consequences of the first truly global financial crisis, Mr Shea said that multi-lateralism would also mean that rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and China would soon feel entitled to more voting rights in the International Monetary Fund than, for example, Luxembourg or Belgium, if their contribution is required to stabilise the markets. This would also pose a challenge for the EU, especially in the context of a US president having to face pressure from a Democratic congress to keep his campaign promises in terms of social programmes and thus increase spending - in turn inflating the country's $33 trillion debt, Mr Shea argued.To Michael R. Kulbickas, chair of Republicans Abroad Belgium, an Obama presidency would mean lower military spending. There is a danger that a reduced defence budget means fewer security guarantees for EU countries, especially eastern European ones, he told EUobserver. In terms of dealing with Russia, Mr Obama would prefer appeasement at the expense of countries such as Georgia and Ukraine, the Republican argued.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town

Across the city from the European quarter, outside the cafe at the Maison du Peuple [the people's house] - bedecked in red-white-and-blue bunting and red-white-and-blue Obama posters - a raucous crowd was trying to get into an election party hosted by the Party of European Socialists.If there was a single McCain supporter amongst the gathered hipsters and immigrants in the student-heavy and working-class neighbourhood of St Gilles, he made himself well-disguised. The square stretching out from the cafe, built as a house of working class self-education for Belgian trade unionists in the last century, was more packed than could ever be likely for any domestic election. Zach Ellis, a young backpacker from New York happened across the event having not long got off the train in Brussels, and was dumbstruck that so many Belgians were paying attention to the election. It's awesome - the energy, the sympathy of the people in the street. They want somebody who's committed to ending our wars overseas - wars I don't want to fight in.His new European friend, Martti Kaartinen, a stagaire with the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation, said he found out about the party via the internet, adding that the campuses of the francophone Universite Libre de Bruxelles and the Dutch-speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel were covered in Obama posters.All of Europe is behind Obama. He's going to bring back some of the good things we think of about America, he said, while also preparing to be disappointed. People here see him as a kind of European, but he's an American really, and a politician. Democrats have started wars as well.Julio Diankenda, who moved to Belgium from the Congo when he was three, said he thought of Obama as a great symbol of hope for immigrants both in the US and in Europe. He tells people in Africa they can come from immigrant backgrounds and even be president. That's important for people to recognise here in Europe too.

European socialists roll out red carpet

Midway through the evening, it was time for the politicians to arrive, slicing their way through the crowds. Elio di Rupo, the president of the Walloon Socialists, was quick to say that Barack Obama was the choice of Belgium and of Europe.Obama is the sole candidate that is in accord with Europe. On the financial crisis, climate change - all the essential elements, his is a progressive programme, a humane discourse that is in accord with the grand ensemble of Europe.He admitted that there were differences between a European Socialist view of the world and that of a free-market American Democrat, however. We can't demand that he agree 100 percent with Europe. The reality is different in the United States.His colleague, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, the president of the European Socialists, agreed that despite ideological differences, Mr Obama was the preferred candidate of the left in the European Parliament.The United States is not the same type of welfare state as we have here in Europe, but what is clear is that the overall vision is the same as Socialists, as Europeans, he said.[He believes] that the people come first and shouldn't pay for the mistakes of the better off whether in Wall Street or Frankfurt, that markets cannot do it all any longer on their own.

Obama sweeps to victory as first black president By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent – NOV 5,08

WASHINGTON – Barack Obama swept to victory as the nation's first black president Tuesday night in an electoral college landslide that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself. Change has come, he told a jubilant hometown Chicago crowd estimated at nearly a quarter-million people.The son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, the Democratic senator from Illinois sealed his historic triumph by defeating Republican Sen. John McCain in a string of wins in hard-fought battleground states — Ohio, Florida, Iowa and more. He captured Virginia, too, the first candidate of his party in 44 years to do so.On a night for Democrats to savor, they not only elected Obama the nation's 44th president but padded their majorities in the House and Senate, and in January will control both the White House and Congress for the first time since 1994.A survey of voters leaving polling places showed the economy was by far the top Election Day issue. Six in 10 voters said so, and none of the other top issues — energy, Iraq, terrorism and health care — was picked by more than one in 10.Obama's election capped a meteoric rise — from mere state senator to president-elect in four years.Spontaneous celebrations erupted from Atlanta to New York and Philadelphia as word of Obama's victory spread. A big crowd filled Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House.

In his first speech as victor, to an enormous throng at Grant Park in Chicago, Obama catalogued the challenges ahead. The greatest of a lifetime, he said, two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.He added, There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face.McCain called his former rival to concede defeat — and the end of his own 10-year quest for the White House. The American people have spoken, and spoken clearly, McCain told disappointed supporters in Arizona.President Bush added his congratulations from the White House, where his tenure runs out on Jan. 20. May God bless whoever wins tonight, he had told dinner guests earlier.Obama, in his speech, invoked the words of Lincoln and seemed to echo John F. Kennedy.So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder, he said.He and his running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, will take their oaths of office as president and vice president on Jan. 20, 2009. McCain remains in the Senate.Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, returns to Alaska as governor after a tumultuous debut on the national stage.He will move into the Oval Office as leader of a country that is almost certainly in recession, and fighting two long wars, one in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan.The popular vote was close — 51.3 percent to 47.5 percent with 73 percent of all U.S. precincts tallied — but not the count in the Electoral College, where it mattered most.There, Obama's audacious decision to contest McCain in states that hadn't gone Democratic in years paid rich dividends.Shortly after midnight in the East, The Associated Press count showed Obama with 338 electoral votes, well over the 270 needed for victory. McCain had 141 after winning states that comprised the normal Republican base, including Texas and most of the South. Interviews with voters suggested that almost six in 10 women were backing Obama nationwide, while men leaned his way by a narrow margin. Just over half of whites supported McCain, giving him a slim advantage in a group that Bush carried overwhelmingly in 2004. The results of the AP survey were based on a preliminary partial sample of nearly 10,000 voters in Election Day polls and in telephone interviews over the past week for early voters. Obama has said his first order of presidential business will be to tackle the economy. He has also pledged to withdraw most U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 16 months. In Washington, the Democratic leaders of Congress celebrated.

It is not a mandate for a party or ideology but a mandate for change, said Senate Majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Said Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California: Tonight the American people have called for a new direction. They have called for change in America.Democrats also acclaimed Senate successes by former Gov. Mark Warner in Virginia, Rep. Tom Udall in New Mexico and Rep. Mark Udall in Colorado. All won seats left open by Republican retirements. In New Hampshire, former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen defeated Republican Sen. John Sununu in a rematch of their 2002 race, and Sen. Elizabeth Dole fell to Democrat Kay Hagan in North Carolina. Biden won a new term in Delaware, a seat he will resign before he is sworn in as vice president.

The Senate's Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, survived a scare in Kentucky, and in Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss hoped to avoid a December runoff. The Democrats piled up gains in the House, as well. They defeated seven Republican incumbents, including 22-year veteran Chris Shays in Connecticut, and picked up nine more seats where GOP lawmakers had retired. At least three Democrats lost their seats, including Florida Rep. Tim Mahoney, turned out of office after admitting to two extramarital affairs while serving his first term in Florida. In Louisiana, Democratic Rep. Don Cazayoux lost the seat he had won in a special election six months ago. The resurgent Democrats also elected a governor in one of the nation's traditional bellwether states when Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon won his race.

An estimated 187 million voters were registered, and in an indication of interest in the battle for the White House, 40 million or so had already voted as Election Day dawned. Obama sought election as one of the youngest presidents, and one of the least experienced in national political affairs. That wasn't what set the Illinois senator apart, though — neither from his rivals nor from the other men who had served as president since the nation's founding more than two centuries ago. A black man, he confronted a previously unbreakable barrier as he campaigned on twin themes of change and hope in uncertain times. McCain, a prisoner of war during Vietnam, a generation older than his rival at 72, was making his second try for the White House, following his defeat in the battle for the GOP nomination in 2000. A conservative, he stressed his maverick's streak. And although a Republican, he did what he could to separate himself from an unpopular president. For the most part, the two presidential candidates and their running mates, Biden and Republican Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, spent weeks campaigning in states that went for Bush four years ago. McCain and Obama each won contested nominations — the Democrat outdistancing former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton — and promptly set out to claim the mantle of change. Obama won California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. McCain had Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming. He also won at least 3 of Nebraska's five electoral votes, with the other two in doubt. (This version CORRECTS years since Democrat won Virginia to 44, not 40)

Nov 5, 2008 18:29 Israeli leaders congratulate Obama on presidential victory
By JPOST.COM STAFF

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni congratulated US president-elect Barack Obama on his victory, saying that Israelis were impressed by his commitment to the peace and security of Israel during his recent visit. Barack Obama makes history becoming first African-American President-elect In a statement released Wednesday, Livni also thanked Sen. John McCain for his long-standing friendship with Israel, and congratulated him on an honorable campaign. Opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu sent Obama a telegram congratulating him on his election. You and the American people have brought about a historic change, Netanyahu wrote. You've reminded the world of what the US symbolizes - the hope and promise of a better future. I am convinced that we will work together for peace, security and prosperity in our region and a better future for us all, he added. President Shimon Peres called the result an end to racism, going on to say that there is no longer any way that any white man can claim superiority, nor any black person feel discrimination.

Peres reiterated what he had said to Obama when he was in Israel; that the best thing he could do for Israel was to be a great president of the United States of America. A president, continued, should be on the side of peace.The president also sent Obama a short personal letter, which read, The world needs a great leader. It is in your making. It is in our prayers. God bless you.Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also congratulated Obama on his historic and impressive victory.America proved once again that it is indeed the greatest democracy, which sets an example to all the democracies in the world, Olmert said in a statement. Obama proved to the entire world his skills and his leadership.Olmert added that Israel and the US have a special relationship based on shared values and interests. Israel and America have a joint will to continue and strengthen that relationship and advance peace and stability in the Middle East. I have no doubt that this special relationship between the two countries will continue and strengthen during the Obama administration.Gil Hoffman contributed to this report.

Transcript: Obama's acceptance speech Wed Nov 5, 3:25 am ET

AP – President-elect Barack Obama hugs his daughter, Malia, after his acceptance speech at his election night … Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama-as prepared for delivery Election Night Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 Chicago, Illinois

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference. It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America. It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done. But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there. There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand. What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too. And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope. For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow. This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can. At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can. When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can. When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can. A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can. America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Google pulls out of Yahoo advertising partnership By JOELLE TESSLER and MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology Writers NOV 5,08

WASHINGTON – Google Inc. has scrapped its Internet advertising partnership with struggling rival Yahoo Inc., abandoning attempts to overcome the objections of antitrust regulators and customers who believed the alliance would give Google too much power over online commerce.The retreat announced Wednesday represented another setback for Yahoo, which had been counting on the Google deal to boost its annual revenue by $800 million and placate shareholders still incensed by management's decision to reject a $47.5 billion takeover bid from Microsoft Corp. six months ago.

To Yahoo's dismay, Google backed off to avoid a challenge from the U.S. Justice Department, which said it would sue to block the Yahoo deal to preserve competition in the Internet's rapidly growing advertising market.The arrangement likely would have denied consumers the benefits of competition — lower prices, better service and greater innovation, said Thomas Barnett, an assistant attorney general who oversees the Justice Department's antitrust division.Without Google's help, Yahoo now may feel more pressure to renew talks with Microsoft and ultimately sell itself for much less than the $33 per share that Microsoft offered in May. Yahoo shares traded Wednesday morning at just $13.87, gaining 4 percent in a move reflecting investor hopes that Microsoft might renew its pursuit.Surrendering the chance to sell ads on Yahoo's popular Web site won't be a significant financial blow for Google, which already runs the Internet's largest and most prosperous advertising network.But the capitulation marks a rare comedown for Google, which had been insisting for more than four months that the Internet would be a better place to do business if it were allowed to work with Yahoo.

We're of course disappointed that this deal won't be moving ahead, David Drummond, Google's chief legal officer, wrote on a company blog. But we're not going to let the prospect of a lengthy legal battle distract us from our core mission. That would be like trying to drive down the road of innovation with the parking brake on.Yahoo said it wanted to fight the Justice Department in court, though it played down the impact Google's retreat would have on its turnaround efforts.This deal was incremental to Yahoo's product roadmap and does not change Yahoo's commitment to innovation and growth in search, the company said in a statement. The fundamental building blocks of a stronger Yahoo ... were put in place independent of the agreement.Google's management took a strategic risk by agreeing to the Yahoo partnership in June, knowing the move would increase the government's scrutiny of Google's market power. Even though it is now walking away empty-handed, Google figures to remain in regulators' sights as it tries to expand.For the first time, Google has run into real opposition to its marketplace goals, said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, a consumer advocacy group. Google is aware that its aggressive moves in the online advertising business are potentially contributing to damaging its brand. The perception of Google has changed.

The collapse of the Google-Yahoo alliance shapes up as a potential coup for Microsoft.Although it has publicly said it's no longer interested in buying Yahoo, Microsoft spent a lot of time and money trying to keep Google and Yahoo from coming together.The world's largest software maker provided evidence that helped persuade regulators the partnership would diminish competition. Microsoft also helped orchestrate the campaign that prompted major advertisers to lodge formal complaints against the proposed partnership.The Justice Department signaled it was considering a legal challenge to the deal in September when it hired veteran antitrust lawyer Sanford Litvack to review the case.The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Google and Yahoo had proposed restrictions on the deal — capping the amount of search ads Yahoo could outsource to Google — in a late bid to win favor.Now that Google is out of the picture, Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang will have to come up with another way to accelerate his company's revenue growth and boost a stock price that has lost more than half its value since he became chief executive in June 2007.

If nothing else, Yang appears to have a bigger incentive to join forces with another tarnished Internet star, AOL. Yahoo has been discussing a possible acquisition with AOL's corporate parent, Time Warner Inc., for months. Google also owns a 5 percent stake in AOL. But many Yahoo shareholders, including new board member Carl Icahn, have indicated they think the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company should try to lure Microsoft back to the negotiating table. Most industry analysts still believe Microsoft will make another run at Yahoo, particularly now that the company can be bought at a fraction of the May offer. Instead of buying Yahoo in its entirety, Microsoft might want just Yahoo's search engine, which ranks a distant second in usage behind Google's. Microsoft attempted to buy Yahoo's search engine shortly before the Google partnership was reached. Under the terms of the proposed partnership, Yahoo would have drawn on Google's superior technology for some of the ads shown alongside the search results on its Web site. Yahoo would have pocketed most of the revenue generated from Google's ads. The concept didn't pan out because Google and Yahoo combined control more than 80 percent of the U.S. search advertising market. Microsoft and the Association of National Advertisers, among others, argued the arrangement would enable Google to gradually increase advertising prices and exert more control over the flow of e-commerce. Bob Liodice, head of the advertisers group, said Wednesday that with the agreement dead, the search advertising marketplace will evolve unencumbered with increasing transparency and greater productivity. The marketplace will win.Google and Yahoo said the advertisers' complaints were misguided because search ad rates are set through an auction-style system. What's more, the partnership was supposed to be non-exclusive, leaving an opening for Microsoft and others to vie to sell ads on Yahoo's Web site.

But helping out Yahoo — to keep it out of Microsoft's hands and to perhaps began to make less sense for Google as it became apparent how much the proposal was alienating the government and advertisers. Michael Liedtke reported from San Francisco.

California voters ban gay marriage ,Bans also pass in Fla., Ariz.; anti-abortion initiatives rejected in Colo., S.D.Opponents of Proposition 8, which would amend California's state constitution to ban gay marriage, urged San Francisco voters to reject the measure on Tuesday. NOV 5,08

California voters have passed a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage, AP reported Wednesday. NBC News has yet to confirm the passage of this amendment, which would overturn a court ruling that gave gay couples the right to wed just months ago. The passage of Proposition 8 represents a crushing political defeat for gay-rights activists, who had hoped public opinion on the contentious issue had shifted enough to help them defeat the measure. It also represents a personal loss for the thousands of couples from California and others states who got married in the brief window when they could. Legal experts said courts will have to resolve whether their unions still are valid. California joins Arizona and Florida, where voters also approved amendments banning gay marriage. Gay-rights forces also suffered a loss in Arkansas, where voters approved a measure banning unmarried couples from serving as adoptive or foster parents. Supporters made clear that gays and lesbians were their main target. Meantime, Colorado and South Dakota rejected anti-abortion initiatives.

Marijuana decriminalized
In Washington state, voters decided to join Oregon as the only states offering terminally ill people the option of physician-assisted suicide. Michigan approved medical marijuana, and Massachusetts decriminalized the possession of an ounce or less of marijuana. Those results were among the more than 150 measures voted on in 36 states. Some of the nation's most divisive social issues — gay marriage, abortion and affirmative action — went before voters. In California, the night had started out optimistically for many who believed that a large Democratic-voter turnout would help defeat the state's proposed ban on same-sex marriage. Similar bans had prevailed in 27 states before Tuesday's elections, but none were in California's situation — with about 18,000 gay couples married since a state Supreme Court ruling in May. Some in San Francisco vowed to continue fighting for the right to marry if the proposition passed. My view of America is different today, said Diallo Grant, a gay man with mixed-race parents. The culture wars will continue.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom preached patience to the same-sex couples who were unable to enjoy Barack Obama's victory while their personal lives hung in the balance. Newsom called the wait excruciating.You decided to live your life out loud, to fall in love, and to say I do, and now you have to wait for this verdict, he said. California voters rejected a proposition to require doctors to notify parents before performing an abortion on a minor. Similar to laws in 35 states, the initiative also would have required a two-day waiting period before minors could get abortions.Colorado voters rejected a personhood amendment to define human life as beginning at fertilization. Had it been approved, the amendment could have provided the foundation for a ban on abortion in the state.The National Right to Life Committee, Colorado’s Catholic bishops and some other anti-abortion groups declined to endorse the proposal, fearing it would run aground in legal challenges and even lead to judicial reaffirmation of abortion rights. Abortion-rights activists contended it would potentially have led to banning certain types of birth control.

South Dakota voters, two years after rejecting a nearly total ban on abortion, rejected another sweeping but less restrictive ballot measure to outlaw abortions except in cases of rape, incest and pregnancies that threaten a woman's health. Some voters said they wanted those exceptions when they rejected the tougher 2006 measure by 56 percent to 44 percent.Opponents said the new measure would have jeopardized the patient-doctor relationship because physicians could be criminally charged for exceeding its bounds. They also argued that its exceptions were too narrowly defined and that it would force some women to carry an unhealthy fetus.Source: NBC News, Associated Press, msnbc.com and National Conference of State Legislatures • On same-sex marriage and affirmative action, Obama and Republican John McCain rarely made proactive comments during their presidential campaigns. Abortion also had seemed like an uncomfortable topic for them at times, although Obama made clear he supports abortion rights and McCain said he would like to ban most abortions. But in a half-dozen states, those three issues were front and center. California's opposing sides together raised about $70 million, much of it from out of state, to wage their campaigns.

Big dam
The rival camps view the California vote in epic terms, with the outcome having enormous influence on prospects for same-sex marriage rights in other states.If we lose California, if they defeat the marriage amendment, I'm afraid that the culture war is over and Christians have lost, said Donald Wildmon, founder of the American Family Association. California is a big dam, holding back the flood — and if you take down the dam in California, it's going to flood 49 other states.Gay rights also was an issue in Arkansas, where voters approved a measure banning unmarried couples living together from being adoptive or foster parents. The measure's sponsors painted it as a battle against a gay agenda.Opponents argued it would make it harder for the state to find the foster parents it needs to take care of children. In South Dakota, voters defeated an initiative to ban abortion except in cases of rape, incest and serious health threat to the mother. A tougher law without the rape and incest exceptions was defeated in 2006. Colorado voters defeated a personhood amendment that would have defined human life as beginning at fertilization. The ballot did not explicitly mention abortion, but activists on both sides in the campaign viewed it as a blunt challenge to abortion rights. Abortion-rights activists contended that, if approved, it would have potentially led to the banning of certain types of birth control.

Affirmative action
Nebraska voters approved a ban on race- and gender-based affirmative action, similar to measures previously approved in California, Michigan and Washington. A similar vote in Colorado had yet to be decided. The man spearheading the movement, California activist-businessman Ward Connerly, said the candidacies of Obama, Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin prove blacks and women no longer need affirmative action.Anyone who raises $150 million in one month is being judged pretty much on the basis of their political abilities and not on the basis of race, Connerly said of Obama during a recent debate in Nebraska.The marijuana reform movement won two prized victories, with Massachusetts voters decriminalizing possession of small amounts of the drug and Michigan joining 12 other states in allowing use of pot for medical purposes. Henceforth, people caught in Massachusetts with an ounce or less of pot will no longer face criminal penalties. Instead, they'll forfeit the marijuana and pay a $100 civil fine. Barnstable District Attorney Michael O'Keefe, who led opposition to the measure, called it bad public policy.The Michigan measure will allow severely ill patients to register with the state and legally buy, grow and use small amounts of marijuana to relieve pain, nausea, appetite loss and other symptoms.

Prostitution
Among scores of local ballot questions, one of the most provocative was in San Francisco, where a measure to decriminalize prostitution was defeated. Proponents said the proposition would have freed up millions of dollars spent annually by police arresting prostitutes.Opponents — including the mayor and police department — said it would have emboldened pimps and hampered the fight against sex trafficking.

Other state issues

Gambling-related measures were voted on to allow Ohio's first casino (rejected), establish a state lottery in Arkansas (approved), and allow up to 15,000 slot machines in Maryland (approved).Election-reform proposals were voted on to create nonpartisan open primaries in Oregon (rejected) and eliminate legislative term limits in South Dakota (rejected).Measures inspired partly by unease over immigration would designate English as the official language of government proceedings in Missouri (approved), and limit teaching of students in languages other than English to no more than two years in Oregon (defeated).Another Oregon initiative would tie any merit pay for teachers to classroom performance (defeated).
A proposal in Missouri would require the state to produce 15 percent of its electricity from clean energy by 2021 (approved). A California initiative would require all utilities to generate 20 percent of their power from renewable energy by 2010, and 50 percent by 2025 (rejected).Another California measure would authorize the sale of $9.95 billion in bonds to help pay for a high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It would be the most ambitious state rail project ever.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MUSLIM NATIONS

EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)

EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

Medvedev: Russia to deploy missiles near Poland By STEVE GUTTERMAN, Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW – Russia will deploy missiles near NATO member Poland in response to U.S. missile defense plans, President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday in his first state of the nation speech.Medvedev also singled out the United States for criticism, casting Russia's war with Georgia in August and the global financial turmoil as consequences of aggressive, selfish U.S. policies.He said he hoped the next U.S. administration would act to improve relations. In a separate telegram, he congratulated Barack Obama on his election victory and said he was hoping for constructive dialogue with the incoming U.S. president.Medvedev also proposed increasing the Russian presidential term to six years from the current four, a major constitutional change that would further increase the power of the head of state and could deepen Western concern over democracy in Russia.The president said the Iskander missiles will be deployed to Russia's Kaliningrad region, which lies between Poland and the ex-Soviet republic of Lithuania on the Baltic Sea, but did not say how many would be used. Equipment to electronically hamper the operation of prospective U.S. missile defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic will be deployed, he said.He did not say whether the short-range Iskander missiles would be fitted with nuclear warheads and it was not clear exactly when the missiles would be deployed.Mechanisms must be created to block mistaken, egoistical and sometimes simply dangerous decisions of certain members of the international community, he said shortly after starting the 85-minute speech, making it clear he was referring to the United States.The president said Georgia sparked the August war on its territory with what he called barbaric aggression against Russian-backed South Ossetia. The conflict was, among other things, the result of the arrogant course of the American administration, which did not tolerate criticism and preferred unilateral decisions.Medvedev also painted Russia as a country threatened by growing Western military might.From what we have seen in recent years, the creation of a missile defense system, the encirclement of Russia with military bases, the relentless expansion of NATO, we have gotten the clear impression that they are testing our strength, Medvedev said.

He announced deployment of the short-range missiles as a military response to U.S. plans to deploy missile-defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic — former Soviet satellites that are now NATO members.Speaking just hours after Obama was declared the victor in the U.S. presidential election, Medvedev said he hoped the incoming administration will take steps to improve badly damaged U.S. ties with Russia. He suggested it is up to the U.S. — not the Kremlin — to seek to improve relations.I stress that we have no problem with the American people, no inborn anti-Americanism. And we hope that our partners, the U.S. administration, will make a choice in favor of full-fledged relations with Russia, Medvedev said.Tension in Russian-American relations has been driven to a post-Cold War high by Moscow's war with U.S. ally Georgia.On the financial crisis, Medvedev said overconfidence in American dominance after the collapse of the Soviet Union led the U.S. authorities to major mistakes in the economic sphere. The administration ignored warnings and harmed itself and others by blowing up a money bubble to stimulate its own growth, he said.Medvedev said the president's tenure should be lengthened to six years to enable the government to more effectively implement reforms. He said the term of the parliament also should be extended by a year to five years, and that parliament's power must be increased by requiring the Cabinet to report to lawmakers regularly.

The proposals were Medvedev's first major initiative to amend the constitution since he was elected in March to succeed his longtime mentor Vladimir Putin.Putin, who is now prime minister and has not ruled out a return to the Kremlin in the future, has favored increasing the presidential term. Associated Press Writers Vladimir Isachenkov and Lynn Berry contributed to this report.

Iraq confident Obama won't withdraw troops too quickly By Missy Ryan Missy Ryan – NOV 5,08

AFP BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The Iraqi government is confident that president-elect Barack Obama will not jeopardize Iraq's improving security by hastily withdrawing U.S. troops, Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Wednesday.Obama has reassured us that he would not take any drastic or dramatic decisions, Zebari told BBC television.He will consult with the Iraqi government and the U.S. military in the field, but believes strongly that a phased withdrawal of U.S. forces in Iraq will put more responsibility on the shoulders of the Iraqi government.Obama opposed the U.S. war in Iraq from the beginning, and his promise to pull combat troops out of the country by mid-2010 was a cornerstone of his campaign.The administration of President George W. Bush had long resisted deadlines for withdrawal, but is now working on a security pact that would set 2011 as an end date for the U.S. troop presence, a concession that moved U.S. policy closer to Obama's proposals.We are negotiating right now with the U.S. for a timeline of 2011 for U.S. forces to withdraw from the country ... Our position has become much closer to what Senator Obama during his election campaign called for, Zebari said.Washington and Baghdad are still negotiating how firm the deadline will be. The plan also envisions halting U.S. patrols of Iraqi streets by mid-2009.Violence has dropped dramatically across Iraq, but U.S. generals and Iraqi leaders say Iraqi forces are not yet ready to assume full control and a hasty pullout could jeopardize gains.In another interview Zebari said he believed Obama would take conditions on the ground into account before any withdrawal.When there is a reality check, I think any U.S. president has to look very hard at the facts on the ground, he told Al-Jazeera television. The gains that we have attained and won with hard struggle and a great deal of sacrifice need to be sustained.