WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Veterans groups are warning President Barack Obama against going ahead with a possible administration move to charge veterans' private health care for service-related injuries. Veterans groups say it's "wholly unacceptable" to charge their private insurance for service injuries. In a letter sent by 11 of the most prominent veterans organizations, the groups warned that the idea "is wholly unacceptable and a total abrogation of our government's moral and legal responsibility to the men and women who have sacrificed so much." CNN obtained a copy of the letter sent to the White House last Friday by groups including The American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Read the letter (PDF) A White House spokesman would neither confirm nor deny the option is being considered. "The details of specific proposals will be transmitted with the full submission in April. The president has made it clear that meeting the needs of veterans is one of his priorities, and as a result has requested an 11 percent increase in discretionary funding for 2010, and the administration is actively working with the veterans community to ensure we get the details of this budget right," said White House spokesman Nick Shapiro. In the letter, the groups said they have been told by sources on Capitol Hill and at the VA that the idea under consideration would allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to bill health insurance for a treatment of a disability or injury that was a result of military service. The argument for the proposal is that it frees up money for the VA by charging the private insurers, allowing the VA to spend on more services, said Joe Violante, legislative director for Disabled American Veterans, who opposes the idea. While there could be savings, Violante warned it also could lead to an increase in premiums for veterans with private coverage. ""We cannot and would not agree to any proposal that would expand this concept any further," the heads of the 11 groups wrote in the letter. "While we understand the fiscal difficulties this country faces right now, placing the burden of those fiscal problems on the men and women who have already sacrificed a great deal for this country is unconscionable." Currently, veterans' private insurance is only charged when they receive health care from the VA for medical issues that are not related to service injuries, like getting the flu. Charging for service-related injuries would violate "a sacred trust," said Veterans of Foreign Wars spokesman Joe Davis. Davis said the move would risk private health care for veterans and their families by potentially maxing out benefits paying for costly war injury treatments. It could also make it harder for veterans to get private insurance if the companies decide to reject them for pre-existing conditions, rather than be billed for service-connected injuries, Davis said. "This seems like bad politics and bad policy," said IAVA Policy Director Vanessa Williamson, noting that every veterans group opposes it and warns it will adversely affect veterans. "I don't see this as a tenable option."

Question: who is the spkesman?

Question: what irritates the group of veterans?

Question: Who is proposing the change in billing for service-related injuries?

Question: What is the current billing structure?

Answer: Nick Shapiro.

Answer: to charge their private insurance for service injuries.

Answer: President Barack Obama

Answer: veterans' private insurance is only charged when they receive health care from the VA for medical issues that are not related to service injuries,

Summary:
Possible change in billing angers veterans groups .
White House would neither confirm nor deny the option is being considered .
Argument for the proposal would be to free up more money for VA .
Spokesman: Charging for service-related injuries would violate "a sacred trust"


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney will serve as acting president briefly Saturday while President Bush is anesthetized for a routine colonoscopy, White House spokesman Tony Snow said Friday.

Bush is scheduled to have the medical procedure, expected to take about 2 1/2 hours, at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, Snow said.

Bush's last colonoscopy was in June 2002, and no abnormalities were found, Snow said.

The president's doctor had recommended a repeat procedure in about five years.

The procedure will be supervised by Dr. Richard Tubb and conducted by a multidisciplinary team from the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, Snow said.

A colonoscopy is the most sensitive test for colon cancer, rectal cancer and polyps, small clumps of cells that can become cancerous, according to the Mayo Clinic. Small polyps may be removed during the procedure.

Snow said that was the case when Bush had colonoscopies before becoming president.

Snow himself is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer that began in his colon and spread to his liver.

Snow told reporters he had a chemo session scheduled later Friday.  Watch Snow talk about Bush's procedure and his own colon cancer »

"The president wants to encourage everybody to use surveillance," Snow said.

The American Cancer Society recommends that people without high-risk factors or symptoms begin getting screened for signs of colorectal cancer at age 50. E-mail to a friend

Question: Who will be granted presidential power while Bush is anesthetized?

Question: When did he last have this procedure?

Question: What medical procedure will Bush have on Saturday?

Question: Who will be in charge while he's undergoing the procedure?

Question: What is the reason why the President's powers will be transferred to the vice president?

Question: who will have the president's powers when he is anesthetized?

Question: What person  will be presidentwhen Bush is anesthtized?

Question: What procedure is he having?

Question: What happens to his powers while he is anesthetized?

Question: When was Bush's last colonoscopy?

Question: Who is in charge while the president is anesthetized?

Question: What was the date in 2002 when Bush had his last colonoscopy, which found no problems?

Question: What procedure is President Bush having?

Question: Who will have a routine colonoscopy?

Question: Who will his powers be transferred to?

Question: What will President Bush have?

Question: What will President Bush have on Saturday?

Question: is bush's colon healthy?

Question: What problems were found in 2002 exam?

Question: Who had a colonoscopy in 2002?

Question: What kind of exam is Bush having?

Question: When did he last have a colonoscopy?

Question: Where will his powers be transferred?

Question: what procedure will president bush have?

Answer: Vice President Dick Cheney

Answer: June 2002,

Answer: routine colonoscopy,

Answer: Vice President Dick Cheney

Answer: anesthetized for a routine colonoscopy,

Answer: Dick Cheney

Answer: Vice President Dick Cheney

Answer: routine colonoscopy,

Answer: Vice President Dick Cheney will serve as acting president

Answer: June 2002,

Answer: Vice

Answer: June

Answer: colonoscopy,

Answer: President Bush

Answer: Vice President Dick Cheney

Answer: routine colonoscopy,

Answer: a routine colonoscopy,

Answer: no abnormalities were found,

Answer: no abnormalities

Answer: President Bush

Answer: colonoscopy,

Answer: June 2002,

Answer: Vice President Dick Cheney

Answer: routine colonoscopy,

Summary:
President Bush will have a routine colonoscopy Saturday .
While he's anesthetized, his powers will be transferred to the vice president .
Bush had last colonoscopy in 2002, which found no problems .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Joe Biden brushed aside recent criticism by predecessor Dick Cheney that moves by the Obama administration had put the United States at risk, telling CNN on Tuesday that the former vice president was "dead wrong."

Vice President Joe Biden sits down for an interview with CNN's Gloria Borger and Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday.

"I don't think [Cheney] is out of line, but he is dead wrong," he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "This administration -- the last administration left us in a weaker posture than we've been any time since World War II: less regarded in the world, stretched more thinly than we ever have been in the past, two wars under way, virtually no respect in entire parts of the world.

"... I guarantee you we are safer today, our interests are more secure today than they were any time during the eight years" of the Bush administration.

In an interview with CNN's John King last month, Cheney said President Obama had been "making some choices that in my mind will raise the risk to the American people of another attack."

Biden said former President Bush had not been fully aware of the country's position in the world.  Watch Biden lash out on Bush and Cheney »

"I remember President Bush saying to me one time in the Oval Office, and he was a great guy, enjoyed being with him.  He said to me, he said, 'Well, Joe,' he said, 'I'm a leader.'  And I said, 'Mr. President, turn around and look behind you. No one's following.'  People are beginning to follow the United States again as a consequence of our administration."

"... I think the biggest thing we're doing is, I'm operating in concert with the president," he said. "There are not -- there are -- look, everybody talks about how powerful Cheney was.  His power weakened America, in my view."

But he did not deny reports of disagreement within the Obama administration as well, over the president's plan to widen involvement in Afghanistan. A report last week said Biden had warned about the possibility of getting into a quagmire, while military advisers pushed for more troops.  Watch more on Obama's Afghanistan plan »

"Well, look. Without commenting specifically on who took what position, there was a healthy debate. There is a healthy debate within our administration."

The vice president said that he condemned a new Afghan law that would allow men to rape their wives, but that those issues were not the focus of the U.S. presence in that nation. "I am not prepared to send American troops to die for that," he said.

As the president made an unannounced visit to Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday, Biden said that he had no concerns that a recent uptick in violence in Iraq might affect plans to withdraw most U.S. troops from that country by the summer of 2010.

"I'm not worried about that at all. We will draw down along the timeline we suggested," the vice president said.  Watch the full interview »

Also not a concern for Biden: the possibility of an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The vice president said he was not worried that Israel's new government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would order such an attack.

"I don't believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu would do that. I think he would be ill-advised to do that. And so my level of concern is no different than it was a year ago."

A day after North Korea's rocket test sparked alarm from world leaders, Biden called for a tougher response from Moscow and Beijing.

"What I'd like to see is a strong condemnation and a united effort on the part of the Chinese, Russians in the six-party talks to say, 'enough is enough, there will be greater sanctions, we will squeeze down even harder on North Korea,' "

Question: when does biden speak?

Question: Who will speak with Blitzer and Borger?

Question: What does Biden want from Moscow?

Question: what does biden call for?

Question: what does biden say about recent criticism?

Question: What did Biden say about Dick Cheney?

Answer: Tuesday

Answer: Joe Biden

Answer: a tougher response

Answer: a tougher response from Moscow and Beijing.

Answer: "I don't think [Cheney] is out of line, but he is dead wrong,"

Answer: "I don't think [Cheney] is out of line, but he is dead wrong,"

Summary:
VP Biden speaks Tuesday with CNN's Wolf Blitzer and Gloria Borger .
Biden says recent criticism from former vice president Cheney is "dead wrong"
He says Bush administration left the country in weakest shape since WW II .
Biden calls for tougher response from Moscow and Beijing on N. Korea rocket launch .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Video showing Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl, captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan, is just another example of how captors use the medium for psychological warfare. U.S. Army Spc. Shoshana Johnson, who was held by insurgents in Iraq, prepares to enter a plane to safety. The latest video shows Bergdahl, of Ketchum, Idaho, looking comfortable and eating food. While he expresses concern about not seeing his family and girlfriend again, he does appear to speak calmly and has no visible signs of abuse. "I have a very, very good family that I love back home in America, and I miss them every day that I'm gone," he says in a 28-minute video released by his captors. "I miss them, and I'm afraid I might never see them again and that I'll never be able to tell them I love them again. I'll never be able to hug them." But that is in stark contrast to the well-publicized captures of U.S. servicemen and women in conflicts past. Vietnam Sen. John McCain, whose plane was shot down during a combat mission over Vietnam in 1967, is considered one of the most famous prisoners of war. He was captured by the Communist Viet Cong and spent nearly six years in a prisoner of war camp, where he was often tortured. A grainy black-and-white film released by his captors showed a severely injured McCain talking on camera in the so-called "Hanoi Hilton." McCain later refused to be released before other prisoners. He eventually returned to the United States in 1973. "During the years, we were kept in solitary confinement or two or three to a cell because they didn't want us to see each other. We'd spend all our time tapping on the walls to each other and encouraging each other and organizing, organizing, organizing with our chain of command. The days and hours go by," McCain told CNN's John King last year. Iraq And most recently, in 2003, video from Iraq painted a picture of an unruly and chaotic terror organization holding U.S. soldiers captured in the Iraq military theater. Army Spc. Shoshana Johnson was shown on videotape being interrogated -- with five other soldiers including Pfc. Jessica Lynch, who was badly wounded and was held prisoner at a separate location. Nine of their fellow soldiers were killed when their convoy was ambushed. Johnson appeared frightened, with her eyes darting quickly left and right. "I was terrified. I didn't know what was going to happen to me," Johnson said in a past CNN interview. "And I was in a lot of pain." Lynch's videotaped rescue made her a celebrity, and she was used by the Pentagon to put a face on the men and women who were fighting the war against the regime of Saddam Hussein. Johnson and the other POWs spent 22 days as prisoners until Marines rescued them. Chris Voss, a former lead international kidnapping coordinator for the FBI, says that as a lesson from the Johnson video, the Taliban may have learned to try to appear more political than radical. "They're hoping that ... this gets to other media outlets that will make them appear so that they are a reasonable political force," he says. "There is very much a lack of overthreat in the [Bergdahl] video, and they clearly thought this through ... specifically strategic for these purposes." Somalia Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Michael Durant, a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, was shot down in 1993 during a combat mission in Mogadishu, Somalia. The body of one of his fellow pilots being dragged through the streets was captured on video. After the crash, he was captured by a mob and held for 11 days. Durant suffered several serious injuries, including a broken back and face and leg wounds. He was later released. His bloodied and bruised face was splashed on the covers of several national magazines, including Time and Newsweek, and on TV networks. His story later inspired Mark Bowden's

Question: What Army official was captured?

Question: What does this video tell us?

Question: What US politician is a noted POW?

Question: What video was captured?

Question: Who is one of the most famous prisoners of war?

Question: Who was captured in Afghanistan?

Answer: Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl,

Answer: another example of how captors use the medium for psychological warfare.

Answer: Sen. John McCain,

Answer: showing Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl,

Answer: Sen. John McCain,

Answer: Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl,

Summary:
Army Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl was captured nearly three weeks ago in Afghanistan .
Sen. John McCain is considered one of the most famous prisoners of war .
Video of captured soldiers in Iraq painted a picture of rogue captors .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Virginia hasn't backed a Democrat for president in 44 years, but economic concerns and changing demographics are giving Sen. Barack Obama a chance to steal the once reliably red state from Republicans. Sen. Barack Obama waves as rain falls on a rally in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in late September. Polls earlier this year showed Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, leading Obama, his Democratic rival, in Virginia by a healthy margin. A Virginia Commonwealth University poll taken May 12-18 had McCain leading 47 percent to 39 percent. But as the financial crisis has shaken voters' confidence in the economy, Obama has begun to open a lead in the state, as he has done in other battleground states. The latest CNN poll of polls has Obama leading McCain 49 percent to 45 percent. A CNN/TIME/Opinion Research Corporation poll conducted September 28-30 shows Obama with an even bigger lead over McCain, 53 percent to 44 percent. The CNN poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points. Polls show that voters have more confidence in Obama to handle the economic crisis than they do in McCain, and are more likely to blame Republicans for the recent turmoil than Democrats. Beside an advantage on the economy, Obama is also benefiting from a demographic shift that has reshaped Virginia politics. For the last 10 presidential elections, Republicans have been able to bank on Virginia delivering its 13 electoral votes to the GOP. President Bush won Virginia by 8 percentage points in both 2000 and 2004, and President Bill Clinton was never able to capture the state when he ran in 1992 and 1996. But the explosive growth of Northern Virginia in the last decade has changed the state's electorate. Drawn by government jobs in nearby Washington and high-tech jobs in the Dulles corridor, the growing population in Northern Virginia is more liberal than the mostly rural southern portion of the state, which has remained reliably Republican. In 2000, Bush carried Northern Virginia 49 percent to 47 percent, but in 2004, Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee, carried the area 51 percent to 48 percent. Virginia "is not as red as people think," said Doc Thompson, a conservative talk show host for WRVA radio. "A third of the population in Northern Virginia is pretty liberal. A lot of people are buying into [Obama's] notion of change." Virginia Democrats have been able to exploit the changes in the electorate into statewide electoral success after years in which the Republicans had a virtual lock on the state. In fact, Virginia Republicans have not won a statewide race since Mark Warner, a former mobile phone company executive, captured the governorship for the Democrats in 2001 by emphasizing economic growth. Democrat Tim Kaine, who was Warner's lieutenant governor, succeeded Warner in 2005. And in what may have been the most surprising result of the 2006 election cycle, Democrat Jim Webb defeated the incumbent Republican George Allen in the race for one of Virginia's seats in the U.S. Senate. The trend favoring the Democrats is expected to continue this year, which is expected to help drive Virginia Democrats to the polls. The extremely popular Warner is almost certain to win this year's race against another former governor, Republican Jim Gilmore, to replace Virginia's long-standing Republican senator, John Warner, who is retiring. (The two Warners are not related, and John Warner was unopposed in 2002.) A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted in late September found Warner leading Gilmore by 30 points, and Warner's victory would give Democrats control of both of Virginia's seats in the U.S. Senate for the first time since 1970. While conservatives may be demoralized by Gilmore's poor showing, McCain may also face eroding support from Virginia conservatives for his recent proposals for the government to become heavily involved in the U.S. economy, said Thompson, the radio talk show host. During Tuesday night's presidential debate, McCain suggested that the government directly buy up to $300 billion in home mortgages to help homeowners facing foreclosure. Thompson said

Question: By how much is Obama leading?

Question: What's the point margin in the polls between the candidates?

Question: What has made Virginia more liberal?

Question: WHo is angry with McCain?

Question: What side has Virginia become because of rapid growth of suburbs?

Question: Who was Obama leading in the polls?

Question: Who is leading according to poll of polls?

Question: What has caused Virginia to become more liberal?

Question: What made Conservatives angry at McCain?

Answer: 53 percent to 44 percent.

Answer: 47 percent to 39 percent.

Answer: economic concerns

Answer: Virginia conservatives

Answer: more liberal

Answer: Sen. John McCain,

Answer: Obama

Answer: explosive growth of Northern

Answer: recent proposals

Summary:
Poll of polls has Sen. Obama leading Sen. McCain 49 percent to 45 percent .
Rapid growth of suburbs around Washington has made Virginia more liberal .
Conservatives angered by McCain's support for bailout, mortgage buyouts .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Virginia prosecutors are asking a state court to set a November 9 execution date for John Allen Muhammad, convicted in a series of sniper-style shootings that terrorized the Washington area in 2002. John Allen Muhammad was sentenced to death for the slaying of Dean Harold Meyers. In a letter dated Wednesday, Senior Assistant Attorney General Katherine B. Burnett said the November date "has been carefully coordinated with the governor's office to insure his availability for any clemency petition Muhammad may wish to pursue." Burnett enclosed a copy of a proposed execution order "for the court's convenience." Muhammad's attorney said he will file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court, and will ask the governor for clemency. During a three-week period in October 2002, police say, Muhammad and his young protege, Lee Boyd Malvo, shot 13 people, killing 10. The two also are suspected in other shootings and murders in Tacoma, Washington, Montgomery, Alabama, and the Washington, D.C., area. Muhammad, now 48, was convicted of murder in the death of Dean Harold Meyers at a Manassas, Virginia, filling station. Meyers was killed by a single bullet, which became the signature of the two-person sniper team. Ultimately, Muhammad was convicted of the Meyers' killing and of one Maryland murder, which prosecutors there said was "insurance" in case the Virginia conviction was overturned. Malvo was convicted of one Virginia shooting and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Muhammad's attorney, Jon Sheldon, released the prosecutor's letter Friday. The letter, addressed to the chief judge of the Prince William County Circuit Court, says the court must hold a hearing within 10 days of receiving the letter, and must set an execution date no later than 60 days after the hearing. Since Muhammad is not required to be at the hearing, Burnett asks that the court conduct the hearing by means of a conference call.

Question: Who is the convicted D.C. sniper?

Question: What is his lawyer seeking?

Question: How many people did Lee Boyd Malvo shoot?

Question: what Muhammad's lawyer says?

Question: what he is accused of?

Question: Who has an execution date?

Question: Who did he shoot?

Question: What will his lawyer seek?

Answer: John Allen Muhammad,

Answer: ask the governor for clemency.

Answer: 13

Answer: he will file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court, and will ask the governor for clemency.

Answer: the slaying of Dean Harold Meyers.

Answer: John Allen Muhammad,

Answer: Dean Harold Meyers.

Answer: ask the governor for clemency.

Summary:
Execution date proposed for convicted D.C. sniper John Allen Muhammad .
Police say Muhammad, Lee Boyd Malvo shot 13 people, killing 10 .
Muhammad's lawyer says he will seek clemency .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Washington police told the mother of slain congressional intern Chandra Levy that an arrest is imminent in her daughter's 2001 death, Susan Levy told CNN on Saturday.

Washington intern Chandra Levy's body was found a year after she disappeared in 2001.

"I got a call from the Washington police department, just to give me a heads up that there's a warrant out for the arrest," Levy said.

Police Chief Cathy Lanier of the Metropolitan Police Department did not reveal the suspect's name when she contacted the parents on Friday, Levy said.

She said police told her they have "enough evidence to convict somebody."

A source close to the investigation told CNN the suspect was Ingmar Guandique, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence for two assaults in Washington's Rock Creek Park that occurred around the time of Levy's disappearance. Levy's remains were found in the park.  View a timeline of her disappearance Â»

The source would not speak on the record because the investigation is ongoing and the arrest warrant had not been finalized.

A California native working as an intern for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Levy, 24, disappeared May 1, 2001. Her remains were found in May 2002 by a man walking his dog in a remote area of the park.

The source said authorities are working to finalize the arrest warrant. Asked about reports that Guandique, a laborer from El Salvador, told a fellow inmate he killed Levy, the source said Guandique "was running his mouth."

Guandique has been imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution - Victorville, a medium-security facility north of San Bernardino, California, an official there confirmed to CNN on Saturday.  Watch CNN's Mike Brooks discuss Guandique's background Â»

He has denied any involvement in her death, the Washington Post reported Saturday. Guandique was mentioned last year in a Washington Post article about the killing.

"It's a bittersweet situation for me as the mother of a daughter who is no longer here. I want justice. I want to know that the person who did it is in jail and will not do it to anybody else," Levy said.

"Every day the elephant is there. Every day you get a knot in your stomach. It doesn't go away. It's a life sentence for the families and relatives that miss their loved ones. We have a life sentence of hurt."

Referring to the impending arrest, Chandra's father told CNN affiliate KXTV that Lanier didn't say when an announcement would be made, but "she said it would be really soon."

"She didn't say the name yet, but we think we know who it is. I don't want to say until it's official, though," the father said.

The search for Levy and massive publicity that accompanied it stemmed largely from her connection to Rep. Gary Condit, D-California.

Condit and Levy, who was from Condit's district, had an affair, and police questioned Condit many times in connection with her disappearance. Police never named Condit as a suspect.

Condit, a member of Congress since 1989, lost the 2002 Democratic primary and left office at the end of his term. He later reportedly moved to Arizona.

"For the Levy family, we are glad they are finally getting the answers they deserve. For my family, I am glad that their years of standing together in the face of such adversity have finally led to the truth," Condit told WJLA on Saturday.

Condit's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, blamed police and media attention on Condit for delays in the arrest. Police never named him as a suspect.

"It is a tragedy that the police and media obsession with former Congressman Condit delayed this result for eight years, and caused needless pain and harm to the families involved," Lowell said.

"This should give the Levys the answer and closure they deserve, and remove the unfair cloud that has hung over the Condits for too long."

CNN's Carol Cratty,

Question: Who said Chandra Levy's death is a "life sentence" ?

Question: When were Chandra Levy's remains found?

Question: Who was runing his mouth?

Question: Who was "running his mouth" in prison?

Question: What was Ingmar Guandique guilty of?

Question: What is Chandra Levy's mother's name?

Question: Who is serving time for attacks in the park where Levy was found?

Question: What is Guandique serving time for?

Question: What is Ingmar Guandique's prison sentence?

Question: What is a "life sentence" for Levy's family?

Answer: Susan Levy

Answer: Washington's Rock Creek Park

Answer: Guandique

Answer: Ingmar Guandique,

Answer: two assaults in Washington's Rock Creek Park

Answer: Susan

Answer: Ingmar Guandique,

Answer: two assaults in Washington's Rock Creek Park

Answer: 10-year

Answer: hurt."

Summary:
NEW: Chandra Levy's death is a "life sentence" for family, Susan Levy says .
Source tells CNN that inmate Ingmar Guandique "was running his mouth" in prison .
Guandique is serving time for attacks in park where Chandra Levy's remains found .
Chandra Levy went missing May 1, 2001; her remains were found May 22, 2002 .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Wendell Potter knows a little something about the health care industry's practices and is not afraid of to speak out as the health care reform debate heats up around the country. Wendell Potter once was a vice president in the public relations department for insurance giant Cigna. The former vice president of corporate communications at insurance giant Cigna, who left his post, says  the industry is playing "dirty tricks" in an effort to manipulate public opinion. "Words matter, and the insurance industry is a master at linguistics and using the hot words, buzzwords, buzz expressions that they know will get people upset," he told CNN Wednesday. Now a senior fellow on health care for the watchdog group Center for Media and Democracy, Potter writes a blog on health care reform. He is focusing on efforts to defeat legislation supporting a government health care plan -- something he supports. In early July, Potter testified before the Senate Commerce Committee, telling senators that "I know from personal experience that members of Congress and the public have good reason to question the honesty and trustworthiness of the insurance industry." Potter described how underwriters at his former company would drive small businesses with expensive insurance claims to dump their Cigna policies. Industry executives refer to the practice as "purging," Potter said. "When that business comes up for renewal, the underwriters jack the rates up so much, the employer has no choice but to drop insurance," Potter had said. In an e-mail to CNN, Cigna spokesman Chris Curran denied the company engages in purging. "We do not practice that. We will offer rates that are reflective of the competitive group health insurance market. We always encourage our clients to compare our proposed rates to those available from other carriers," Curran wrote. But now, Potter is back in Washington at the invitation from Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-New York. He is questioning insurance companies' public relations tactics -- and says some of the questions from town hall meetings are familiar.  Watch more on the health care reform debate » "People talk about the government takeover of the system ... that's a buzz term that comes straight out of the insurance industry," he said. A Cigna spokesman would not comment directly on Potter's accusations. Instead, the company released a written statement saying officials agree that health care reform is needed. But the statement went on to say that officials don't see how a government-sponsored plan can accomplish that. But Potter's concerns fall right in line with the Democrats' strategy of hitting insurance companies hard this summer. Republicans argue that insurance companies aren't solely to blame for the health care crisis, noting that many of their constituents are perfectly happy with the current system. The Democratic Party is also dealing with a group of fiscally conservative members known as "Blue Dogs" who are worried over the high costs of the health care plans being bandied about. Slaughter says that the concerns over a government option may be set up to "try and protect one industry" -- referring to the health insurance industry. Potter insists he has no agenda -- just a deep passion for the issue. "This is hard to do. It's scary to do something like this. I don't think I'm any more courageous than anybody but I feel I had to do this." Potter also has said he decided to resign in 2007 after Cigna's controversial handling of an insurance claim made by the family of a California teenager, Nataline Sarkysian. The Sarkysian family made repeated appeals at news conferences for Cigna to approve a liver transplant for the 17-year-old, who had leukemia. Cigna initially declined to cover the operation, then reversed its decision. Sarkysian died hours after the company's reversal. CNN's Jim Acosta and Bonnie Knapp contributed to this report.

Question: Where was Wendell Potter a vice president?

Question: what does the company practices that a cigna spokedman denies?

Question: What claims denies Cigna spokesman?

Question: What were key buzzwords used for?

Question: Who is Wendell Potter?

Question: What does potter said?

Question: what does Potter says about insurance companies?

Question: Wendell Potter is a former vice president at what?

Answer: the public relations department for insurance giant Cigna.

Answer: "purging,"

Answer: company engages in purging.

Answer: will get people upset,"

Answer: once was a vice president in the public relations department for insurance giant Cigna.

Answer: "I know from personal experience that members of Congress and the public have good reason to question the honesty and trustworthiness of the insurance industry."

Answer: the industry is playing "dirty tricks" in an effort to manipulate public opinion.

Answer: the public relations department for insurance giant Cigna.

Summary:
Wendell Potter is a former vice president at insurance giant Cigna .
Potter says insurance companies use key buzzwords as scare tactics .
Potter also testified on his company's practice of 'purging'
Cigna spokesman denies claims that the company engages in patient purging .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- When Gregg Wenzel died six years ago in Ethiopia, the obituaries said he was a U.S. Foreign Service officer killed by a drunken driver on the streets of Addis Ababa. CIA Director Leon Panetta spoke Monday at a ceremony commemorating fallen CIA officers. Monday the public learned the State Department job was a cover for his real occupation: CIA spy. At a ceremony commemorating those who died in the line of duty, CIA Director Leon Panetta revealed Wenzel's affiliation with the agency and noted Wenzel was a member of the first clandestine service class to graduate after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "He helped unite the class and kept its spirits high in the toughest moments," Panetta said. Wenzel left his job as an attorney to join the agency. He was 33 years old when the car he was riding in was hit by a drunken driver who to this day remains a fugitive. There are now 90 stars prominently displayed on the memorial wall in the spacious atrium of CIA headquarters, each commemorating an officer, like Wenzel, who died while serving the country. The 90th star was added recently, but as with most of the victims, the person's name and nature of service will remain unknown to the public so as not to compromise secret operations. At the annual memorial service attended by hundreds of employees, retirees and family members, Panetta paid homage to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. "Their patriotism and leadership, courage and decency are models for all of us," said the director, adding, "their work is our work now. And their spirit abides with us." Panetta also announced the beginning of a new tradition. Family members of the fallen officers will receive a replica of the star from the wall. The first star was given to the brothers of Douglas Mackiernan, the first CIA operations officer killed in the line of duty, shot to death in Tibet after fleeing China in 1950.

Question: What killed the officier

Question: Where did Gregg Wenzel die?

Question: Who died six years ago

Question: Who died six years ago in Ethiopia?

Question: Who said he was a U.S. Foreign Service officer?

Question: What did the CIA Director reveal at his funeral?

Question: What did obituaries say about him?

Question: Who revealed Wenzel was a CIA spy?

Answer: a drunken driver

Answer: Ethiopia,

Answer: Gregg Wenzel

Answer: Gregg Wenzel

Answer: the obituaries

Answer: State Department job was a cover

Answer: he was a U.S.

Answer: Leon Panetta

Summary:
Gregg Wenzel died six years ago in Ethiopia .
Obituaries said he was a U.S. Foreign Service officer killed by a drunken driver .
At ceremony for fallen CIA officers, CIA Director revealed Wenzel was a CIA spy .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- When Washington manicurist Lidia Schaefer returned to her native village in Ethiopia, she was troubled by what she saw: children walking three hours each way to attend classes held not in a school, but under a tree. Lidia Schaefer sold her house and car and set aside tips and part of her salary to raise money for the school. When she learned in 1998 that one of the girls she'd met -- Medhine -- had been attacked and killed by a hyena after falling behind other children during the long trek home from school, Schaefer knew she had to act. She began setting aside a third of her salary and all of her tips, and later sold her house and car, to raise enough money to build a school for the village. "She's definitely not your average manicurist," says Denise Abrahams, a longtime client. "This is the kind of thing that you hear about Oprah Winfrey doing." Do you know a hero? Nominations are open at CNN.com/Heroes For Schaefer, it was simply a matter of doing what felt right. "I don't work with my head," she says. "I really work with my heart."  Watch Schaefer's clients and colleagues discuss her efforts » Born in Feres Mai, a large village in northern Ethiopia, Schaefer moved to the United States in the mid-1970s when civil war broke out at home. During her troubling visit back home in the '90s, she recalls, "I promised the children I was going to open a school for them." But she had no idea how to tackle such a big project, especially while raising her own two children and working 12-hour days, six days a week.  Watch Schaefer speak with CNN's Larry King » The motivation to fulfill her promise came with the news of Medhine's death. "That really pushed me to do it," she says, "to build a school so that wouldn't happen again." Schaefer lobbied the Ethiopian government to donate land in a central location so the school could serve children from several nearby villages. The decision was made to build a secondary school, since the nearest one was more than 18 miles away. Back in Washington, Schaefer began setting aside money for construction of the school. "I was working two days for the school, four days for me," she recalls. Her clients and co-workers rallied to help, holding raffles and making contributions. Several clients bought individual doors or windows for the school.  Watch Schaefer talk about the school » But Schaefer realized it wouldn't be enough. To finish the school, she needed to do something drastic. In 2002, she gave up her symbols of the American dream, selling her home and car. It's a sacrifice that still stuns her colleagues and friends. "I couldn't believe it," remembers salon manager Patty Gonzalez. But Schaefer saw nothing remarkable about her decision. "I don't feel like I [gave] up a lot," she says. "I want [the children] to learn, to get something out of their life." Schaefer ultimately raised more than $250,000 for the school, which was completed in 2006. When she went back for the dedication, Schaefer was honored with an elaborate procession through the village. For her, it was gratifying to see what she'd accomplished. "I was so happy, I can't even describe it," she recalls. Today, nearly 1,500 students are educated in the school, which boasts an eight-building campus with 16 classrooms, a science lab and library. "It's simple, but it's nice," Schaefer says. Though she'd hoped to name the school in memory of Medhine, the government -- which runs the school -- instead named it the Lidia Secondary School, telling Schaefer, "We want it to be your name so that more people [will] be like you." Schaefer has indeed inspired many others to follow her example. When Ethiopian

Question: Who was killed by hyena while walking home motivated Lidia Schaefer to fulfill promise?

Question: What raised more than $250,000?

Question: Where were the children attending classes?

Question: What nominations are open at CNN.com/Heros?

Question: Who raised more than $250,000 to build school in native Ethiopia?

Question: What came after seeing children walk three hours to classes held under tree?

Question: Who raised money to build a school in Ethiopia?

Question: What is the link to nominate a hero on the CNN website?

Answer: Medhine

Answer: Schaefer

Answer: under a tree.

Answer: Do you know a hero?

Answer: Schaefer

Answer: raise money for the school.

Answer: Lidia Schaefer

Answer: CNN.com/Heroes

Summary:
D.C. manicurist raised more than $250,000 to build school in native Ethiopia .
Inspiration came after seeing children walk three hours to classes held under tree .
Girl killed by hyena while walking home motivated Lidia Schaefer to fulfill promise .
Do you know a hero? Nominations are open at CNN.com/Heroes .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- When then-President-elect Barack Obama first asked Hillary Clinton to be his top diplomat, she turned him down and recommended others for the job, the secretary of state said in an interview broadcast Sunday. Hillary Clinton meets with South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan on Friday to discuss North Korea. Speaking to ABC's "This Week," Clinton also said the president has answered the central question she raised about him when she was his chief rival for the Democratic nomination last year. In her famous "3 a.m." ad, she questioned whether Obama was the right candidate to handle a middle-of-the-night international crisis. "Has the president answered it for you?" host George Stephanopoulos asked. "Absolutely," Clinton replied. "And, you know, the president, in his public actions and demeanor, and certainly in private with me and with the national security team, has been strong, thoughtful, decisive, I think he is doing a terrific job. And it's an honor to serve with him." The former senator from New York and former first lady revealed details of how she came to accept the role.  Watch analysts dissect the Clinton-Obama relationship » "I never had any dream, let alone inkling, that I would end up in President Obama's cabinet," she said. "When I left the presidential race after getting some sleep and taking some deep breaths, I immediately went to work for him in the general election. ... And I was looking forward to going back to the Senate and, frankly, going back to my life and representing New York, which I love. And I had no idea that he had a different plan in mind." When her name was mentioned in the media as a possible member of Obama's cabinet, Clinton said, she found the idea "absurd." "And then when he called and asked me to come see him, and we had our first conversation, I said, 'You know, I really don't think I'm the person to do this, I want to go back to my life. I really feel like I owe it to the people of New York.' And I gave him a bunch of other names of people who I thought would be great secretaries of state." But Obama "was quite persistent and very persuasive," Clinton said. She added, "Ultimately, it came down to my feeling that, number one, when your president asks you to do something for your country, you really need a good reason not to do it. Number two, if I had won and I had asked him to please help me serve our country, I would have hoped he would say yes. And finally, I looked around our world and I thought, you know, we are in just so many deep holes that everybody had better grab a shovel and start digging out." Some analysts have raised questions about how much power Clinton actually has in the administration, given that Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have done a great deal of international outreach themselves. The president has also appointed special envoys to focus on several key regions. But Clinton said she wanted the envoys appointed "because we were inheriting so many hot spot problems that I knew you could never have one person possibly address all of that." One of the biggest is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Clinton and the president have called on Israel to halt construction at settlements in the West Bank. Asked whether there is any room for compromise on that issue, Clinton said the administration would not "prejudge the effort." She said the administration is committed to Israel's security. "We see historical, demographic, political, technological trends that are very troubling as to Israel's future. At the same time, there is a legitimate aspiration of the Palestinian people that needs to be addressed." On the nuclear standoff with Iran, Clinton said a diplomatic process in which U.S. representatives sit down with Iran's authorized

Question:
what does clinton say?
What did she suggest to Obama?
what did she suggest?
Who is Clinton?

Answer: "Absolutely,"

Answer: recommended others for the job,

Answer: questioned whether Obama was the right candidate to handle a middle-of-the-night international crisis.

Answer: secretary of state

Summary:
Clinton says she was looking forward to going back to Senate after the election .
She suggested to President Obama a list of other people for top diplomat post .
Clinton reconsidered when Obama was "quite persistent and very persuasive"
Clinton was recently in South Korea for discussions on North Korea .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Where were you on the night of July 15? You may not even remember, but for me it was an extraordinary evening, an evening of unimaginable triumph and unbearable tragedy. Andrew Kinard testifies before a Senate Armed Services subcommittee on April 29, 2009. But I would not actually know everything that happened until the night was long over. A couple of weeks before July 15, a friend who works with injured troops emailed me to say it was time for Andrew's going away party. Andrew Kinard is a young Marine I first met a few years ago at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington where he was recovering from a devastating IED attack in Iraq. He had stepped on the roadside bomb and lost his entire body below the hips. The party being arranged was Andrew's farewell to D.C. Andrew is off to the rigors of Harvard Law School. He's says he's itching to get into a courtroom. You need to remember the name Andrew Kinard. Many of his friends believe Andrew is such an amazing man that he will become president of the United States. If I had to bet, I'd say it could happen. I wouldn't have missed the party for the world. I was touched that this tight-knit community of wounded warriors had included me in this very special, very intimate evening. There was a display of photos of Andrew serving in Iraq. I suddenly realized I never knew how tall he was before the war. There were a few sniffles and wiping of eyes in the room for a Marine whose dream of service to his country ended within a few months of getting to Iraq. But sniffles didn't last long and the evening became one of hugs, laughter and good wishes (and more than a few beers) for a young Marine who had triumphed over what the war had dealt him. But my warm feelings didn't last long. The next day another source in the wounded troop community came to me in the Pentagon hallway with another tale. "You have to do something about the story of Ray Rivas," he said. In the very hours we were celebrating Andrew in Washington, tragedy was unfolding in Texas. Lt. Col. Raymond Rivas, a 53-year old civil affairs officer who had dedicated his career to rebuilding war torn countries, was found dead in his car in the parking lot of Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio Texas. Colleagues of Ray's said prescription pills and notes he wrote to his family and wife, Colleen, were found. A military source told me all indications are Ray took his own life. His devastated family understandably declined to talk publicly, and the military won't discuss the case citing privacy concerns. But friends and colleagues I spoke to confirmed that Ray had suffered multiple blast injuries to his brain from bomb attacks during several deployments over the years. Watch Ray Rivas's struggle with his brain injuries » In October 2006, Ray survived an attack in Iraq that rendered him briefly unconscious. He was transferred to Europe but somehow talked the doctors into sending him back to the war zone. A week later, ill and confused, he was sent back to the United States. A close associate tells me that at first, despite being diagnosed with traumatic brain injury in Iraq, some doctors thought Ray might be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. They didn't realize he had all the symptoms of traumatic brain injury. He had trouble talking, reasoning and remembering. He was sent to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio so he could be near his family, but for the first few months he just sat in his room. Fellow soldiers helped him with his bathing, dressing and eating. Finally, Ray was assigned a case manager, and things began to move rapidly. He got therapy and was able to go home. But by all accounts from his friends, Ray had become seriously debilitated by the injuries to his brain. A private email shown to CNN revealed that Ray had been diagnosed with rapidly emerging Alzheimer's disease. The cumulative impact

Question:
What was celebrated?
What injury was he suffering from?
What was an injured marine celebrating?
The marine got into what Law School?
What was the date celebrated?
What happened on the same night?
What happened on July 15?

Answer: Andrew's farewell to D.C.

Answer: lost his entire body below the hips.

Answer: Andrew's going away party.

Answer: Harvard

Answer: July 15?

Answer: Andrew Kinard testifies before a Senate Armed Services

Answer: Lt. Col. Raymond Rivas, a 53-year old civil affairs officer who had dedicated his career to rebuilding war torn countries, was found dead in his car in the parking lot of Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio Texas.

Summary:
CNN's Barbara Starr celebrated a victory and mourned a loss on July 15 .
An injured Marine was celebrating getting into Harvard Law School .
On same night, a warrior with a traumatic brain injury was found dead in his car .
Men's stories are linked -- both pleaded with the government to aid injured soldiers .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- While a government-run public health care option irks conservatives, and even some fiscally minded Democrats, the idea of health care cooperatives has emerged as an option in the reform debate. Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad, of North Dakota, says a public option plan might not make it through Congress. Small health care cooperatives have worked in a couple of markets. But whether the idea can be applied on a national scale is debatable. Sen. Kent Conrad, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, is pushing the co-op idea as an alternative to a government-sponsored insurance program that would compete with private insurers. He doesn't think a government option will pass in the Senate. Conrad, a North Dakota Democrat, told CNN's "American Morning" on Tuesday that his model could attract 12 million members and "be the third-largest insurer in the country and be a very effective competitor [with private insurance companies]." "If you believe competition helps drive down costs, then they would certainly contribute to holding down costs," Conrad said. But Tim Jost, a professor at Washington and Lee University, said that Conrad is not offering concrete statistics on how the plan will help reform health care. "I have not seen anything, other than Sen. Conrad's statements to the press, explaining how this is going to work," he said. "He put out a couple of one-pagers early on, but he is talking about this actuarial data. Let's make it public, let's find out who the actuaries are." Co-ops are nonprofit organizations that aim to provide better coverage at a lower cost for their members. They put profits back into the system, so any money that is earned is used on patients and other costs. In addition, patients elect a governing board. Cooperatives are already established in cities such as Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Seattle, Washington. In order for a co-op to have reduced costs, analysts say, it needs to have tens of thousands of members. That could be a hard slog for the nonprofits because start-up costs would probably be in the millions. That may be where the federal government steps in -- by adding seed money for the program. That government infusion of money probably would put Democrats at odds with Republicans, who are worried about the rising federal deficit and an expanded role of government in health care.  Watch two members of the House discuss reform » And the costs of a cooperative might not allow enough people to sign up, meaning that some of the nearly 46 million uninsured Americans wouldn't be able to buy into the program. Other health reform alternatives, such as the public option, cost less for participants. "Let's see how they [Conrad and others] explain that they are going to get to 10 to 12 million members. ... I can't see how that's going to happen," Jost said. Probably the biggest barrier, Jost said, is entering a new market and trying to establish a network. "You have to go out there, you have to contract with hospitals, doctors, other providers of care. Well, the private insurers have their networks in place, and they often have what they call 'most favored nations' clauses, which provide that a provider cannot [offer] a lower rate than it does to the dominant insurer." The idea of co-ops appears to have received some support from the Obama administration. A top White House aide told Bloomberg Television's "Conversations with Judy Woodruff" that President Obama may accept nonprofit health insurance cooperatives in place of a new government-run plan. "We would be interested in that" if certain conditions are met, said Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office of Health Reform. And the idea has gotten support from a key Republican senator. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, said on "Fox News Sunday" that co-ops are "a step in the right direction."

Question:
who is kent conrad
What senator favors health care co-ops?
Sen. Kent Conrad favors what?
What organizations runs co-ops?
name of republican senator
Co-ops are run by whom?

Answer: of North Dakota,

Answer: Kent Conrad,

Answer: co-op idea as an alternative to a government-sponsored insurance program

Answer: are nonprofit

Answer: Richard Shelby,

Answer: a governing board.

Summary:
Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad favors health care cooperatives .
Co-ops are run by nonprofits, and patients elect members to their boards .
One key Republican senator seems to be on board with the idea .
Skeptics question start-up costs, whether all the uninsured would be covered .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- White House communications director Anita Dunn fired back at criticism from TV commentator Glenn Beck on Friday, saying that a Mao Tse-tung quote Beck took issue with was picked up from legendary GOP strategist Lee Atwater. White House communications director Anita Dunn she picked up Mao Tse-tung from a legendary Republican. "The Mao quote is one I picked up from the late Republican strategist Lee Atwater from something I read in the late 1980s, so I hope I don't get my progressive friends mad at me," Dunn told CNN. As for Beck's criticism: "The use of the phrase 'favorite political philosophers' was intended as irony, but clearly the effort fell flat -- at least with a certain Fox commentator whose sense of irony may be missing." On Thursday night's program, Beck showed exclusive video of Dunn discussing the communist leader, who was responsible for a cultural revolution in 1966 that included re-education camps and setting the army and students on witch hunts against his opponents. Millions of Chinese suffered or died, most notably teachers, writers, political opponents or anyone deemed a "reactionary." Dunn, taped in a speech in what appears to be a church, said the leader's philosophies were a guidepost for her own strategy on politics. She also praised the philosophy used by religious icon Mother Teresa. "The third lesson and tip actually comes from two of my favorite political philosophers: Mao Tse-tung and Mother Theresa -- not often coupled with each other, but the two people I turn to most to basically deliver a simple point which is 'you're going to make choices; you're going to challenge; you're going to say why not; you're going to figure out how to do things that have never been done before." The comments set Beck into a tirade. "It's insanity. This is her hero's work," he said. "She thinks of this man's work all the time? "It would be like me saying to you, 'you know who my favorite political philosopher is? Adolf Hitler.' Have you read Mein Kampf? [She wants to] fight your fight like Hitler did," Beck said. Dunn recently blasted Fox News saying that the cable news organization often operates as either "the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party." "When he [Obama] goes on Fox, he understands that he's not really going on it as a news network at this point. He's going to debate the opposition. And that's fine. He never minds doing that. "They're widely viewed as a part of the Republican Party. Take [the GOP's] talking points, put them on the air, take [the GOP's] opposition research, put them on the air," Dunn said. Fox News in a statement to CNN said its programming was comparable to the editorial page of a newspaper. Still, Beck wasted no time Thursday in using Dunn's comments to blast the Obama administration for promoting what he deems a radical agenda. "America, how many radicals is it going to take? How many radicals surrounding our president before you understand that when the president said he wants to transform the country, he wants to transform it all right," Beck said. Dunn pointed out that during his presidential campaign and since being elected President Obama has been interviewed by Fox News and will be again in the future.  Watch more of Dunn's comments » "He'll go on Fox because he engages with ideological opponents," Dunn said. "He has done that before, and he'll do it again." But it's not just Dunn, a Democrat, who has used Mao as someone she reads. Media Matters for America, a liberal media watchdog group, points out that former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, also a Fox News contributor, quoted Mao in a 1995 Roll Call profile. "War is politics with blood; politics is war without

Question: Where did Dunn say she got the Mao quote from?

Question: Who was the Fox news host?

Question: What did Beck say?

Question: Who else have quoted him?

Question: Who said, "It's insanity. This is her hero's work."?

Question: Who called it 'insanity'?

Question: Who did Dunn quote?

Question: Who has also quoted Mao in the past?

Answer: Lee Atwater.

Answer: Glenn Beck

Answer: "It would be like me saying to you, 'you know who my favorite political philosopher is? Adolf Hitler.' Have you read Mein Kampf? [She wants to] fight your fight like Hitler did,"

Answer: GOP strategist Lee Atwater.

Answer: Beck

Answer: Beck

Answer: Mao

Answer: Newt Gingrich,

Summary:
Dunn says she got Mao quote from GOP strategist Lee Atwater .
Fox News host Glenn Beck showed video of Dunn quoting Mao .
Beck: "It's insanity. This is her hero's work"
Other Republicans have quoted Mao in the past .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- White House press secretary Tony Snow, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, will step down from his post September 14 and be replaced by deputy press secretary Dana Perino, the White House announced Friday.

White House press secretary Tony Snow will step down from his post on September 14.

President Bush told reporters Friday that he will "sadly accept" Snow's resignation.

Flanked by Snow and Perino in the White House press room, the president spoke warmly of his departing press secretary.

"It's been a joy to watch him spar with you," Bush told reporters.  Watch the announcement about Snow leaving »

Bush said he was certain of two things in regard to Snow.

"He'll battle cancer and win," Bush said, "and he'll be a solid contributor to society."

Turning to Snow, the president then said: "I love you, and I wish you all the best."

Snow, speaking after Bush at the start of the daily White House news conference, said he was leaving to earn more money. He took a big pay cut, he said, when he left his previous jobs as anchor and political analyst for Fox News.

According to The Washington Post, Snow makes $168,000 as the White House spokesman.

His family took out a loan when he started the job, "and that loan is now gone."

"This job has really been a dream for me, a blast. I've had an enormous amount of fun and satisfaction," Snow said.

He said he would continue to speak out on issues, and would do "some radio, some TV, but I don't anticipate full-time anchor duties."

Snow said he's received great satisfaction from talking to people about his illness.

Snow's cancer was diagnosed for the first time in February 2005. His colon was removed, and after six months of treatment, doctors said the cancer was in remission.

Perino announced March 27 that Snow's cancer had recurred, and that doctors had removed a growth from his abdomen the day before.

Sources told CNN two weeks ago that Snow was planning to leave his job, possibly as early as September.

Bush tapped Snow to replace Scott McClellan in April 2006. Snow had been an anchor for "Fox News Sunday" and a political analyst for the Fox News Channel, which he joined in 1996. He also hosted "The Tony Snow Show" on Fox News Radio.

On Thursday, Snow told CNN his health is improving, citing two medical tests this month that found the cancer has not spread.

"The tumors are stable -- they are not growing," Snow said of the results from an MRI and a CAT scan. "And there are no new growths. The health is good."

The press secretary, whose hair has turned gray during chemotherapy treatment, said his black hair is expected to grow back in about a month.

"I'm also putting on weight again," he said after returning from a 10-day vacation. "I actually feel very good about" the health situation.

Snow said on Friday he was to see his oncologist, and they will decide on some minor forms of chemotherapy to start as maintenance treatment. E-mail to a friend

Question: Has Snow's successor been named?

Question: Who did President Bush mention that will battle cancer and win?

Question: What kind of cancer is it?

Question: who will succeed snow?

Question: When will Snow leave?

Question: Who does the president think will battle cancer and win?

Question: What did President Bush say?

Question: What is Tony Snow's last day of work?

Question: What is the dream job of Tony Snow?

Question: What disease does Tony Snow have?

Question: When was the cancer found?

Question: When does Tony Snow leave?

Question: What did the president say?

Question: Will Tony Snow beat cancer according to Bush?

Question: Who praised Tony Snow?

Question: Who is replacing Tony Snow as press secretary?

Question: What did snow say?

Question: When will Snow leave office?

Question: Who will battle cancer?

Question: Who will succeed Tony Snow?

Question: What job did Tony Snow hold?

Question: Is Snow leaving because of an illness?

Answer: deputy press secretary Dana Perino,

Answer: Tony Snow,

Answer: colon

Answer: deputy press secretary Dana Perino,

Answer: September 14.

Answer: Tony Snow,

Answer: he will "sadly accept" Snow's resignation.

Answer: September 14.

Answer: "This

Answer: cancer,

Answer: February 2005.

Answer: September 14.

Answer: that he will "sadly accept" Snow's resignation.

Answer: and win,"

Answer: the president

Answer: Dana Perino,

Answer: "This job has really been a dream for me, a blast. I've had an enormous amount of fun and satisfaction,"

Answer: September 14.

Answer: Tony Snow,

Answer: Dana Perino,

Answer: White House press secretary

Answer: undergoing treatment for cancer,

Summary: President Bush says Tony Snow "will battle cancer and win"  Job of press secretary "has been a dream for me," Snow says  Snow leaving on September 14, will be succeeded by Dana Perino .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- White House spokeswoman Dana Perino on Friday said she would do the job again -- but only if she could work for her current boss. Dana Perino said goodbye to the White House press corps at her last briefing as White House spokeswoman Friday. "I wouldn't do it for anybody but President Bush," Perino said as she briefed reporters for the last time Friday. "If given the chance to do it over again, would I? Yes," Perino said. "But would I ever come back and do this? No. ... I think it's good to get off the stage." Perino also thanked the White House press corps. "We all have difficult jobs, we all work long and tough hours, and it's been an exciting challenge," said Perino, 36. "I know I had some big shoes to fill when I got here -- and I still only wear a size six."  Watch Bush's farewell address » And she wished President-elect Barack Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs, "all the very best." "Please go easy on him -- for a week," Perino joked with reporters. In the 80-year history of official White House press secretaries, only two women have been named to the job: Dee Dee Myers, who served former President Bill Clinton, and Perino. It's been 15 months since Bush named Perino to succeed Tony Snow, who later died of colon cancer, as White House press secretary.  View key moments in the Bush presidency » "It was about two weeks into the job when I realized that I am never going to be like Tony Snow," Perino said. Her first goal was to make briefings less heated. She still pushed back, but chose her confrontations carefully. "If I was testy all the time as a woman in this position, I can only imagine what people would have said about me, so there is a delicate balance, I think, in this position." During her time behind the White House podium, Perino sparred almost daily with the media on a number of contentious issues, including the president's decision to "surge" troops into Iraq. Perino said there are some things that she would have done differently. "I'm sure that I'll have lots," she said Friday when asked if she had any regrets. "I'm going to go on a six-week trip with my husband, and I'm sure there will be long-enough flights for me to think about all the things we could have done better.  View iconic images from Bush's time in the White House » "Any press secretary always wants to be more proactive, but news happens all over the world," Perino said. "And now with the 24/7 news cycle, in many ways, sometimes, you feel like you're just trying to keep up with that." "That's not a regret or a disappointment. It's just a fact of life," she added. As she begins to look beyond her years in the West Wing, Perino, a native of Wyoming who was raised in Colorado, says she is looking forward to spending more time in her own neighborhood in Washington with her husband, Peter McMahon, and their dog, a Hungarian Vizsla named Henry.  Watch Perino prepare for life after the White House » She is also looking forward to sleeping in. When asked what she will miss the least from her time in the White House, Perino said, "Absolutely has to be getting up at 4 o'clock in the morning. "I don't mind working long hours, I don't mind working hard, but getting up when the four is still on the clock is something I hope I never have to do again unless I'm catching a flight to some exotic location," she said. After January 20, Perino does plan to take a vacation -- which she says will include volunteer work for President Bush's HIV/AIDS

Question: What are Perino's future plans?

Question: Who had the job before her?

Question: What kind of statement did Dana Perino give on Friday?

Question: Who was Perino's predecessor?

Question: What will she do on vacation?

Question: When was the last news briefing?

Question: Who was the spokesperson?

Question: Who did she succeed?

Answer: to take a vacation

Answer: Tony Snow,

Answer: said goodbye to the White House press corps at her last briefing as White House spokeswoman

Answer: Tony Snow,

Answer: volunteer work

Answer: Friday.

Answer: Dana Perino

Answer: Tony Snow,

Summary:
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino gave last news briefing Friday .
Perino, 36, succeeded Tony Snow, is only second woman to hold post .
Perino plans six-week vacation, will volunteer with HIV/AIDS relief program in Africa .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With U.S. gasoline prices setting records, opponents of the war in Iraq have raised a new complaint this week: The budget windfall that skyrocketing oil prices has given Baghdad. Iraqi employees attend the opening ceremony of a new oil refinery plant in Najaf, Iraq, on March 15. Crude oil futures topped $112 a barrel in Wednesday's intraday trading in New York -- up from about $35 a barrel before the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Though Iraq's oil exports have yet to top prewar levels, the price rise has meant a $6.4 billion surplus for the Iraqi government, according to the Pentagon's last quarterly report on the war. With the five-year-old war's cost to U.S. taxpayers estimated at more than $600 billion, the Iraqi windfall provoked sharp questions from Congress during two days of testimony by the top U.S. officials in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. "This nation's facing record deficits, and the Iraqis have translated their oil revenues into budget surpluses rather than effective services," Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri, the Democratic chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said Wednesday. "Under these circumstances and with a strategic risk to our nation and our military readiness, we and the American people must ask: Why should we stay in Iraq in large numbers?" Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-California, proposed the Iraqi government pay the cost of stationing U.S. troops in its country under any future agreement between Washington and Baghdad -- and said he would introduce legislation to require that. "The United States government and the people of the United States have paid an awful price," Rohrabacher said. "It's time for the Iraqis to pay that price for their own protection." Crocker said Iraq has allocated $13 billion for reconstruction projects in 2008 and plans to add another $5 billion this summer. The U.S. focus will shift to improving Iraq's economy at the local level and expanding its export capacity, he said. "The era of U.S.-funded major infrastructure projects is over. We are seeking to ensure that our assistance, in partnership with the Iraqis, leverages Iraq's own resources," he said. Five years after Baghdad fell to a U.S.-led army, many Iraqis still lack basic services such as water, sewer connections and electricity. Nevertheless, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the government is "doing its best" to spend money to improve the country. "I think the government has a responsibility, definitely, to care for its people, to provide services and to use the oil money for reconstruction and development," Zebari said. The United States has committed about $45 billion to Iraq's reconstruction since the March 2003 invasion, according to a report last month from the Government Accountability Office. The agency, the investigative arm of Congress, concluded that Iraq's oil revenues could top $100 billion in 2007 and 2008. When President Bush announced he was dispatching almost 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq in January 2007, he told Americans that Iraqis would spend $10 billion on reconstruction projects and pass a law allocating the country's oil wealth as steps toward a political settlement of the war. The GAO, however, found Iraq had spent only 7 percent of that budget by November 2007, and the proposed oil law has stalled in the country's fractious parliament. Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh blamed the ongoing insurgency and the "socialist command economy" left behind by ousted dictator Saddam Hussein for the slow pace of reconstruction. "At the time we were trying to reform it, open up the system, when we are faced with the terrible challenge of al Qaeda and this tornado of terrorism afflicting the society day in, day out," Saleh said. "People should not be too judgmental." But Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, said Tuesday the issue is "a burr in the saddle of the American people" -- particularly since Bush administration officials told Congress before the invasion that Iraq could finance its own reconstruction with oil revenues. Rep. Walter Jones of North

Question: How much is the surplus

Question: Who proposes Iraq should pay the cost of stationing U.S. troops

Question: The Iraq war's cost to U.S. taxpayers is estimated at how much?

Question: What cost taxpayers for than $600 billion?

Question: Who says The era of U.S.-funded major infrastructure projects is over

Question: Lawmaker proposes Iraq should pay what?

Question: What should Iraq pay the cost of?

Question: Rising oil prices result in a surplus of how much?

Question: What results in a surplus for the Iraqi government?

Answer: $6.4 billion

Answer: Rep. Dana Rohrabacher,

Answer: $600 billion,

Answer: five-year-old war's

Answer: Ambassador Ryan Crocker.

Answer: the cost of stationing U.S. troops in its country

Answer: pay the cost of stationing U.S. troops in its country

Answer: $6.4 billion

Answer: Though Iraq's oil exports have yet to top prewar levels, the price rise has meant a $6.4 billion

Summary:
Pentagon: Rising oil prices result in a $6.4 billion surplus for the Iraqi government .
The Iraq war's cost to U.S. taxpayers is estimated at more than $600 billion .
Lawmaker proposes Iraq should pay the cost of stationing U.S. troops .
Ambassador: "The era of U.S.-funded major infrastructure projects is over"


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With the election of the next president a year away, Sen. Hillary Clinton remains the person to beat, a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday suggests.

As the countdown begins to November 4, 2008, the New York Democrat continues to dominate the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, and comes out ahead when voters are asked whether they prefer her or the GOP front-runner, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

But Clinton's path to the White House is in no way certain. Clinton was criticized for her performance during a debate last week, and her rivals for the Democratic nomination have stepped up attacks that she has equivocated on her position on Iraq, Iran and other major issues.

The Republican presidential candidates have also stepped up their attacks on the Democratic front-runner, with each suggesting that he has the best chance of stopping Clinton.

The attacks may be working. The CNN/Opinion Research polls suggests that Clinton's support has slipped from its height one month ago.  Watch CNN's Bill Schneider on the latest poll numbers »

"Clinton's strength is about where it was throughout the summer, indicating that she has lost the support she gained last month but that Obama has not yet cut into her core constituency," CNN political director Keating Holland said.

Clinton is the top choice of 44 percent of the likely Democratic voters interviewed for the poll. Her closest rival, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, was the top choice of 25 percent, and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina has 14 percent.

All other Democratic candidates were in single digits. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was backed by 4 percent, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware by 3 percent, Sen. Christopher Dodd by 2 percent, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich by 2 percent and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel was at 1 percent.

The poll involved 467 interviews conducted on November 2-4 with Democrats or independents who lean Democratic. The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.  View the poll results »

In an October CNN/Opinion Research poll, Clinton was supported by 51 percent of Democratic voters and had a 30 point lead over Obama.

During last week's Democratic debate, Clinton received heavy criticism from her fellow Democratic presidential rivals, who are desperate to shake up the presidential race just months before the first voting occurs in the Iowa Caucus in early January.

Edwards was particularly aggressive during the debate, criticizing Clinton for her stance on Iraq, Iran and Social Security.

"The American people ... deserve a president of the United States that they know will tell them the truth and won't say one thing one time and something different at a different time," Edwards said.

Edwards has also accused Clinton of being a "corporate Democrat" too willing to defend a "corrupt" Washington establishement.

"We desperately need in the next president someone that recognizes we have a system in Washington that's become broken, corruption has crept into it, and we have to tell the truth about that," Edwards said Monday. "If you defend that system, I don't believe you can bring about the change that America needs."

In the Republican presidential race, Giuliani continues to be the leading candidate, with the backing of 28 percent of the Republican primary voters polled. Former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee was backed by 19 percent. Sen. John McCain of Arizona was the top pick of 16 percent, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had 11 percent.

Of the remaining Republican candidates, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee received 10 percent, Texas Rep. Ron Paul 5 percent, California Rep. Duncan Hunter 4 percent and Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo 3 percent.

The poll involved telephone interviews with 397 Republicans or independents who lean Republican. The poll's margin of error was 5 percentage points.

In a head-to-head matchup of the two front-runners, Clinton leads Giuliani 51 percent to 45 percent. That lead has increased since October, when Clinton led Giuliani 49 percent to 47 percent.

"The overall political environment seems

Question: Who leads Republican presidential field

Question: Did Clinton beat Giuliani in the polls?

Question: What did Clinton beat Guiliani by?

Question: what does this poll mean?

Question: Who is supported  by 44 percent of Democrats polled?

Question: What percent of democrats supported Clinton

Question: Which candidate continues to lead the Republican nomination?

Question: What percentage of Democrats support Clinton?

Question: Is Clinton beating Giuliani in the polls?

Question: What percentage of Democrats supports Clinton?

Question: What percent of Democrats support Clinton?

Question: Who leads the Republican presidential field?

Question: What percentage of democrats support Hillary Clinton?

Question: Who continues to lead?

Question: what is his actual polling percent?

Question: What percentage of Democrats supported Clinton since October?

Answer: Giuliani

Answer: 51 percent to 45 percent.

Answer: 49

Answer: Clinton was supported by 51 percent of Democratic voters and had a 30 point lead over Obama.

Answer: Sen. Hillary Clinton

Answer: 44

Answer: New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Answer: 44 percent

Answer: 51 percent to 45 percent.

Answer: 51 percent

Answer: 51

Answer: Giuliani

Answer: 44 percent

Answer: Sen. Hillary Clinton

Answer: 51

Answer: 51 percent

Summary:
Sen. Clinton supported by 44 percent of Democrats polled, down from October .
Rudy Giuliani continues to lead Republican presidential field with 28 percent .
Clinton beats Giuliani 51 percent to 45 percent, the poll found .
Only 42 percent think things are going well in the U.S., according to the poll .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With thousands of Americans looking for jobs, many businesses are saying: Sorry, we're not hiring. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is sending out another message: Come right this way.

Donna Gill Lumpkin is one of more than 270,000 people to apply for about 2,950 jobs at the FBI.

After years of being outgunned in the battle for job applicants by corporations who could pay bigger salaries, hundreds of thousands of job seekers are applying for FBI positions.

The FBI announced a hiring blitz in January to fill more than 2,100 professional staff positions. The job postings run the gamut from scientists to accountants to auto mechanics. In addition, the bureau said it wants to hire 850 FBI agents.

What happened next caught many at the FBI by surprise. More than 270,000 people applied over about six weeks. The FBI said about 70,000 people seek positions in a normal year.

But this isn't a normal year. Just ask Donna Gill Lumpkin, a divorced mother of two who lives in Maryland. Gill Lumpkin lost her job selling radio ad time in November. "The competition is really stiff," she said. "There's a lot of people out of work. A lot of people looking for a job."

Gill Lumpkin has applied for a job as an FBI recruiter. If the FBI thinks she has the skills for the post, that's just one step toward a job. She'll have to undergo an FBI background check and take polygraph and drug tests.  Watch the applications pile up at the FBI »

The FBI official in charge of human resources concedes the FBI is benefiting a bit from the sour economy and getting a flood of applications this year. "In years past it was often difficult to find people with the science and technology background or chemistry background or a biology background because we were competing with the private sector," said FBI Assistant Director John Raucci.

Raucci said during the dotcom explosion, the FBI had a difficult time competing with dotcom start-up salaries. "Now, what we offer is stability, we offer a job and I think a very exciting environment in which to work," said Raucci.

Raucci said the average starting salary at the FBI is about $35,000 per year. But he adds those with extraordinary academic credentials and prior job experience start at a much higher rate.

Donna Gill Lumpkin said the stability of a job with the federal government and the good benefits such as health insurance attracted her to apply. "In this tough economic climate right now the federal government, I think, is one of the most steady and stable places anyone could be."

The stakes are high for Gill Lumpkin, who has a 12-year-old daughter and a 14-year-old son. She said her children are covered under her ex-husband's health insurance. But she needs coverage for herself. And she is not able to put any money away right now for her children's college years. "Right now the college fund is on pause," said Gill Lumpkin. "It's the survival fund. We are trying to survive."

Question: What positions are job seekers applying for?

Question: Who is applying for FBI positions?

Question: What is the average starting salary?

Question: What kinds of positions do the FBI have open?

Question: What is the average starting salary at the FBI?

Question: Who has openings for agents?

Answer: FBI

Answer: Donna Gill Lumpkin

Answer: $35,000 per year.

Answer: run the gamut from scientists to accountants to auto mechanics. In addition, the bureau said it wants to hire 850

Answer: $35,000 per year.

Answer: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Summary:
Hundreds of thousands of job seekers are applying for FBI positions .
Average starting salary at the FBI is about $35,000 per year .
FBI no longer has same level of competition from private sector .
FBI has openings for agents, but also for those in various support roles .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- You don't find many churches making theatrical films. You especially don't find many churches making films starring Kirk Cameron about a firefighter in a crumbling marriage addicted to online porn.

Kirk Cameron stars in "Fireproof," a film he was attracted to for its many themes, he said.

But that's the case for Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. In fact, the film, "Fireproof," was the church's third movie.

It was also an unexpected hit. In September it debuted at No. 4 at the box office, eventually bringing in $33.5 million and spawning two books: a novelization, also called "Fireproof," which is in The New York Times' best-seller list's Top 20; and a companion journal to the movie, "The Love Dare," which has sold more than 2 million copies.

Last week "Fireproof" debuted on DVD and climbed to No. 3 on Billboard's DVD chart, beating out "The Hulk" and "Saw V," among others.

"You don't often see movies made by churches do big numbers," said Billboard's Anthony Colombo. "Having [distributor] Sony behind it helps. Having Kirk Cameron helps, but for it to come out and do 136,000 pieces [DVDs] in its first week is pretty impressive."

"It should not be working," said Alex Kendrick, one of the pastors behind the film. "All I can say is we prayed for months and asked for it to honor God."

Kendrick said that Sherwood's pastors gathered for prayer two years ago and asked God to give them an idea for their next movie. They were just coming off making "Facing the Giants," a movie shot entirely in Albany on a $100,000 budget. It starred no professional actors -- just members of their church -- but made $10.2 million at the box office and sold 250,000 copies on DVD, launching the church into the national spotlight.

The church leaders lit upon the idea of troubled relationships. "Families and marriages are crumbing and we want to do something about it," said Kendrick, recalling the idea's genesis. "God give us the idea. We had no clue what would happen with it."

"Fireproof" began with a $500,000 budget and a fresh crop of church member/actors, but the film got a left-field boost when Cameron, best known as the 1980s heartthrob from the TV series "Growing Pains," read the script and asked to get involved.

"All throughout the movie ... there are issues of communications, money, sex, addiction, porn, extramarital affairs, feeling respected at work but not at home, feeling respected by friends but not at home," Cameron told CNN. The themes resonated with the actor and devout Christian, a husband of 17 years, and father of six, he said. That and the "cool action scenes," he added.

The makers of "Fireproof" tapped into the church market, arranging screenings for the National Baptist Pastors' convention before release and using word-of-mouth among church leaders.

However, says Cameron, the film was pitched to general audiences, not necessarily Christians.

"'Fireproof' was never marketed as a Christian movie. This is a movie about marriage," Cameron said. "The fact is, though, the gospel is presented, is done well, and it's a central part of the storyline."

Although many critics panned "Fireproof" -- "as sincere, uncynical and subtlety-free as a Sunday school lecture," said Variety -- audiences embraced it. "There's a huge market out there that's underserved. That market is there and a lot of people don't want to go there but there is a huge untapped market," Cameron said.

Paul Dergarabedian, a box office analyst for Hollywood.com, said he was shocked when the movie debuted in the top five its opening weekend.

"With 'Fireproof,' they really

Question:
who was the film produced by?
What is Fireproof about?
what is about a firefighter?

Answer: Sherwood Baptist Church

Answer: a firefighter in a crumbling marriage addicted to online porn.

Answer: theatrical films.

Summary:
"Fireproof" about a firefighter having marriage problems .
Film was produced by a church, aimed some marketing at churches .
"Fireproof" successful in theaters, now success on DVD, has become a brand .


WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The Democratic-led Congress yielded to President Bush on Saturday and approved legislation to temporarily expand government's power to conduct electronic surveillance without a court order in tracking foreign suspects. President Bush demanded Congress expand his surveillance authority before leaving for vacation. Civil liberties groups charged the measure would create a broad net that would sweep up law-abiding U.S. citizens. But the House of Representatives gave its concurrence to the bill, 227-183, a day after it won Senate approval, 60-28. The action came amid warnings of possible attacks on the United States. "After months of prodding by House Republicans, Congress has finally closed the terrorist loophole in our surveillance law -- and America will be the safer for it," declared House Minority Leader John Boehner, an Ohio Republican. "We think it is not the bill that ought to pass," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. But he conceded he and fellow Democrats were unable to stop the measure in this national security showdown with the White House. "Protecting America is our most solemn obligation," Bush said earlier in the day in urging Congress to send him the bill so he could sign it into law.  Watch Kelli Arena's report on what some call an intelligence gap » The measure would authorize the National Security Agency to intercept without a court order communications between people in the United States and foreign targets overseas. E-mail to a friend

Question: what prompted push for updating the program?

Question: Who urged the house to pass the bill?

Question: Who expanded the power of government to eavesdrop?

Question: What did the ruling push for?

Question: What did the measure do?

Answer: possible attacks on the United States.

Answer: President Bush

Answer: The Democratic-led Congress

Answer: power to conduct electronic surveillance without a court order in tracking foreign suspects.

Answer: temporarily expand government's power to conduct electronic surveillance without a court order in tracking foreign suspects.

Summary:
Secret court ruling prompted push for updating the program .
President Bush had urged the House to pass the bill without delay .
Measure expands government's power to eavesdrop on foreign suspects .


WASHINGTON -- For the second time since resigning the Alaska governorship more than a month ago, Sarah Palin is adding her voice to the fiery debate over health care. Sarah Palin says in a new op-ed that big government is not the solution to health care reform. This time, Palin is hitting the pages of the Wall Street Journal to counter President Obama's latest efforts to reform the nation's health care system. "The answers offered by Democrats in Washington all rest on one principle: that increased government involvement can solve the problem. I fundamentally disagree," Palin writes in the 1,110-word opinion piece in Wednesday's edition of the paper. "Common sense tells us that the government's attempts to solve large problems more often create new ones," the former Republican vice presidential candidate continues. "Common sense also tells us that a top-down, one-size-fits-all plan will not improve the workings of a nationwide health-care system that accounts for one-sixth of our economy." Palin, whose initial Facebook posting on "death panels" last month is credited with spurring heated opposition to the House Democratic health care proposal, again raises the claim -- now widely debunked -- that a government panel could determine which senior citizens receive vital treatments. "Is it any wonder that many of the sick and elderly are concerned that the Democrats' proposals will ultimately lead to rationing of their health care by -- dare I say it -- death panels?" she writes. "Establishment voices dismissed that phrase, but it rang true for many Americans."  Watch more on the health care debate » Ultimately, Palin says, "Congress will likely reject a wrong-headed proposal to authorize end-of-life counseling in this cost-cutting context" because Americans made their voices heard in the contentious town halls last August. "But the fact remains that the Democrats' proposals would still empower unelected bureaucrats to make decisions affecting life or death health-care matters. Such government overreaching is what we've come to expect from this administration," she says. Palin also takes issue with the president's assertion that Democrats' heath care proposals will rein in costs and eliminate waste and inefficiency in the system. Citing the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Palin says currently proposed health care legislation will do little to bring down costs, but will instead cause the federal deficit to skyrocket by more than $200 billion over the next decade. "Only in Washington could a plan that adds hundreds of billions to the deficit be hailed as a cost-cutting measure," writes Palin. Instead, Palin argues the true solution to health care lies in "market oriented, patient-centered, and result driven" measures such as providing tax benefits for those who get health care coverage from their jobs, providing seniors on Medicare vouchers to buy their own coverage, and allowing people to buy health insurance across state lines.

Question: Who blasts health reform?

Question: Does Palin think that the Democrats' plans will reduce costs?

Question: What does Palin take issue with?

Question: What does Palin say is the solution?

Answer: Palin

Answer: I fundamentally disagree,"

Answer: president's assertion that Democrats' heath care proposals will rein in costs and eliminate waste and inefficiency in the system.

Answer: "market oriented, patient-centered, and result driven" measures

Summary:
Sarah Palin blasts Democrats' health care reform proposals in newspaper op-ed .
Palin: Public outcry led Congress not to authorize "end-of-life counseling"
She takes issue with Obama's view that Democrats' plans will rein in costs .
Palin says the true solution is a "market oriented, patient-centered" approach .