Romney begins making closing argument to voters (AP)

BEDFORD, N.H. ? Sharpening his message ahead of voting in Iowa and New Hampshire, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on Tuesday accused President Barack Obama of deepening the economic crisis and backing policies that will redistribute wealth instead of creating equal opportunity for people to do well.

Romney's allies, meanwhile, continued to aggressively criticize Newt Gingrich, his chief rival for the nomination. In Iowa, Gingrich lashed out and accused Romney of a "negative smear campaign."

Romney, a former businessman, told voters in an evening speech that his policies would turn the U.S. into an "opportunity society" while Obama's vision for an "entitlement society" would make more people dependent on government welfare.

"We will not surrender our dreams to the failures of this president. We are bigger than the misguided policies and weak leadership of one man. America is bigger than President Obama's failures," Romney said. "This America of long unemployment lines and small dreams is not the America you and I love. ... These troubled years are President Obama's legacy, but they are not our future."

Romney said that Obama "believes that government should create equal outcomes. In an entitlement society, everyone receives the same or similar rewards, regardless of education, effort and willingness to take risk."

Romney's message contrasts with the argument the Democratic president has begun to articulate for his re-election, in which he calls for a society that offers "fair play, a fair shot and a fair share." Obama argues that Republicans put the interests of the wealthy above the middle class.

"Giving more handouts to millionaires, billionaires and large corporations and making the middle class foot the bill are the same flawed policies that led to the economic crisis in the first place," Obama campaign manager Jim Messina told New Hampshire reporters.

Romney planned to remain focused on his effort in New Hampshire as his allies criticized Gingrich on Iowa's airwaves.

Restore Our Future, a special political action committee, or "super PAC," that backs Romney, launched a caustic ad tying Gingrich to Freddie Mac, the quasi-government mortgage company, and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. The spot also hits Gingrich for ethics violations and criticizes his record on abortion.

Campaigning in Iowa, Gingrich accused Romney of allowing a "negative smear campaign" fueled by a super PAC. He called on Romney to demand that ads run on his behalf by such groups be positive. Gingrich said Romney's comments aimed at distancing himself from the anti-Gingrich PAC ads were misleading and false.

Romney had refused earlier Tuesday to disavow the group's ads, saying it would be illegal for him to coordinate with the super PAC. He did say that such groups are a "disaster" and have made a "mockery" of the presidential campaign.

"Campaign finance law has made a mockery of our political campaign season," Romney said on MSNBC. "We really ought to let campaigns raise the money they need and just get rid of these super PACs."

A 2010 Supreme Court decision paved the way for such groups to accept unlimited amounts of money from donors. The political campaigns are limited to accepting $2,500 per donor.

Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, was using Tuesday's speech to open four straight days of campaigning in New Hampshire, which holds the nation's first primary on Jan. 10. It's a must-win contest in the campaign strategy designed by the Romney team.

Two weeks remain until voting begins Jan. 3 with the leadoff caucuses in Iowa, though Romney will campaign in New Hampshire through Christmas, a sign of the state's importance to his political strategy.

___

Associated Press writer Shannon McCaffrey in Ottumwa, Iowa, contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111221/ap_on_el_pr/us_romney

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Africa: Obama Better for Africa in Second Term?



African Arguments (London)

Richard Dowden

21 December 2011


analysis

Despite his African heritage Barack Obama appears to have done little for his father's continent in his first term as US president.

He could not match George Bush's generous legacy of millions of dollars poured in into health in Africa. Besides, he could not be seen to be worrying about such a remote and ostensibly inconsequential continent (for Americans, anyway) while the US was under threat from Islamic militants and its economy was shedding jobs.

All US presidents, and uniquely this one (given his unconventional background) have to prove themselves to the American people in their first term. In his case Obama had to prove that he was not some liberal pacifist wimp of foreign parentage who couldn't use military might to punish America's enemies. He had to 'win' the war in Iraq, track down Bin Laden and kill him and send drones over Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia to kill terrorists. That, by the way, may be a war crime under international law.

He also expended a huge amount of political capital getting his health scheme through Congress. It is still to be implemented. He has however been able to do little about America's declining economy and the subsequent decline in political power in the world. As campaigning gets under way for next November's election we will, I suspect, see little of the compassionate, intellectual man and more of warrior Obama.

If he wins a second term things will be different. He doesn't need to get re-elected. Consequently we may see Obama trying to straighten out Africa's bad politics. I am told he is ready for it. Contrary to appearances, he has remained quietly engaged with Africa throughout his first term, constantly phoning presidents and others - especially the Kenyans when there is tension. He has also had many of the Big Men to Washington for state visits. But it has been low profile.

The paradox of Africa at the moment is that, at last, it is where the hot money is going. Trade is booming and Africa's economies are among the fastest growing on the planet. But the politics are as bad as ever and next year several countries, Kenya included, are facing elections which may spark violence and war. At this moment of economic opportunity there remains the great threat of disruption, and a dearth of leadership to guide countries around it or through it. There is no one like Olusegun Obasanjo, Thabo Mbeki or Nelson Mandela who could provide a continent-wide vision and summon other rulers to help deal with crises. The traditional Big Men - the South Africans and Nigerians - are inward looking, their leaders not confident of making the right calls and giving decisive leadership. They backed different horses in Cote d'Ivoire and, like almost all African governments, kept quiet about Libya.

So there is a role for Obama in his second term, maybe not too prominent, but as a consensus builder. US interests outside West African oil are almost purely concentrated on making Africa successful and secure. Future generations may wonder how on earth China managed to get every one of Africa's rulers to come and shake hands with the Chinese president and premier in 2006 while the United States never even bothered to invite them. If the US is going to continue to be sole or joint Top Nation, it surely needs a substantial engagement in Africa beyond aid money and fighting terrorism. Obama could provide that.

Richard Dowden is Director of the Royal African Society and author of Africa: altered states, ordinary miracles

AllAfrica - All the Time

More News on allAfrica.com


Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201112211030.html

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Video: Will & Kate carry on Diana?s legacy of charity

>> overseas, prince william and his bride are getting into the spirit of the season with a visit to a charity dear to the heart of his mother, princess diana . the duke of cambridge showed off some pretty smooth dance moves on the dance floor . nbc's stephanie gosk is at buckingham palace . stephanie, good morning.

>> reporter: good morning, carl. this was really the perfect event for william and kate . it was laid back. they didn't have to get dressed up. they were comfortable around the cameras and the kids. prince william at one point even said to one of them, i look forward to bringing my own children here one day. just days before christmas the duke and duchess of cambridge had one official visit of the year left, to center point, a homeless shelter for young people . casually dressed, william and kate mingled easily, chatting with kids, baking cookies.

>> kate made me this for my 18th birthday. it's really beautiful and i'm going to cherish it.

>> reporter: there was even a little dancing. the prince showed off hip hop moves no one knew he had, impressing the kids and, clearly, amusing his wife.

>> they seemed like they were quite comfortable and so that was a nice thing to see.

>> reporter: of all the charities william supports, center point is probably the most important here. it was his mother's favorite. the prince famously spent the night sleeping outside with the homeless two years ago. now kate is by his side and looking very much at ease.

>> she seems to be genuinely interested in what she's doing with regard to the charity work that she's become involved insofar.

>> reporter: the young royals get a break now after a whirlwind week of holiday events and they will need the rest. 2012 is going to be a very busy year for the royal family . william and kate will play a high profile role in the year's two most important events, the olympics, and the queen's diamond jubilee , a celebration of her 60-year reign.

>> they'll play a focal role in all the celebrations in london, including being by the queen's side when she sails down the thames at the head of a flotilla of a thousand ships.

>> reporter: the royal family will also visit dozens of the uk commonwealth countries as part of the jubilee. the duke and duchess will be traveling the furthest, to the tiny tuvalu islands in the south pacific . the queen and prince philip were last there in 1982 . for now, william and kate will gather at the queen's estate and it will be her first christmas as a royal. but after a year of firsts, the duchess has proven she fits right in. now, speculation is swirling over what william is going to get kate for christmas . the general consensus at this point is that the duchess of cambridge is getting a puppy. i hope i haven't ruined any surprises. carl?

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/45763407/

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Mass. man convicted of conspiring to help al-Qaida (AP)

BOSTON ? A man who grew up in the Boston suburbs was convicted Tuesday of conspiring to help al-Qaida and plotting to kill U.S. soldiers in Iraq after a two-month trial in which jurors heard references to Osama bin Laden and saw dramatic images from the Sept. 11 attacks.

The federal jury deliberated about 10 hours over three days before finding Tarek Mehanna, 29, guilty of four terror-related charges and three charges of lying to authorities. He faces life in prison, though his attorneys plan to appeal.

"The heart of the case is really this: Did Mr. Mehanna conspire to support terrorists, conspire to kill in a foreign country and then did he lie to federal investigators?" said Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz. "Today a jury of his peers concluded that he did that."

Ortiz said the references to bin Laden and 9/11 were relevant and not inflammatory, but defense attorneys said they made it impossible for their client to get a fair trial.

"This is one the most cynical government cases I've ever seen tried," said defense attorney Janice Bassil. "Picture after picture just wanting to scare the jury. Deal after deal to government witnesses. All those government witnesses did way more than Tarek Mehanna."

Prosecutors said Mehanna and two friends conspired to travel to Yemen so they could receive training at a terrorism camp and eventually go on to Iraq to fight and kill U.S. soldiers there.

When the men were unable to find such a training camp, Mehanna returned home and began to see himself as part of the al-Qaida "media wing," translating materials promoting violent jihad and distributing them over the Internet, prosecutors said.

One of the men, Kareem Abu-zahra, testified under a grant of immunity. A third man, Ahmad Abousamra, was also charged. Prosecutors say they believe Abousamra is in Syria.

One observer said he was surprised Mehanna was convicted of all counts. Boston College Law School professor George Brown said he wasn't convinced prosecutors proved Mehanna was taking orders from a terrorist organization.

"I think the jury overall had formed an unfavorable impression of Mehanna and when his credibility was on the line like that they were not about to find in his favor," he said.

Mehanna, who was born in the U.S. and raised in the Boston suburbs, will be sentenced April 12. His mother, Souad Mehanna, sobbed after the verdict was read and was consoled by her younger son, Tamer. Mehanna's lawyers also wept.

Mehanna's father, Ahmed, a professor at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, said he was stunned by the verdict.

"I can't even think," he said. "It was political."

Andrew March, a Yale University professor who testified for the defense as an expert witness, said the verdict sends the message to Muslim Americans that they do not have free speech.

"I do what he did almost every single day at Yale University. I teach Islamic law, I study Islamic law. I translate things about al-Qaida. I teach people to debate," March said. "Because I'm not a Muslim and because of what my name is, I have no problem doing it. But if my name were Tarek Mehanna, I would have everything being tapped, and that should worry every single one of us."

During the trial, which started in October, Mehanna's attorneys portrayed him as an aspiring scholar of Islam who traveled to Yemen to look for religious schools, not to get terrorist training. They said his translation and distribution of controversial publications was free speech protected by the First Amendment.

Prosecutors focused on hundreds of online chats on Mehanna's computer in which they said he and his friends talked about their desire to participate in jihad, or holy war. Several of those friends were called by prosecutors to testify against Mehanna, including one man who said he, Mehanna and a third friend tried to get terrorism training in Yemen so they could fight American soldiers in Iraq.

Mehanna's lawyers told jurors prosecutors were using scare tactics by portraying Mehanna as a would-be terrorist and were trying to punish him for his beliefs.

The defense built its case on the testimony of a half-dozen terrorism experts. Mehanna did not testify.

His lawyers acknowledged that Mehanna expressed admiration for Osama bin Laden but said he disagreed with bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders about many things, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.

Jurors began deliberating Friday. In his instructions, U.S. District Judge George O'Toole Jr. told them that in order to find Mehanna guilty of conspiracy to provide material support to al-Qaida, they must find that he worked "in coordination with or at the direction of" the terrorist organization. He said independent advocacy on behalf of the organization was not a violation of the law.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/terrorism/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111220/ap_on_re_us/us_massachusetts_terror_charge

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Fly Or Die: The Mid-Size Tablet Revolution

Screen Shot 2011-12-21 at 10.43.21 PMThere's been a recent interesting trend in the tablet market: devices 8 inches and smaller that are as powerful as their bigger cousins but considerably more portable and convenient. In this episode of Fly Or Die we talk about the mid-size trend and decide whether a smaller tablet makes for a better tablet.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/3Nu966PDGLc/

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Adidas Accused of Bullying Church in Trademark Dispute; Derrick Rose Caught in the Middle


A church in Northern Illinois claims Adidas is on a vicious campaign to torpedo the organization, and Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose is caught in the middle.

The Christian Faith Fellowship Church in Zion, Ill., trademarked the name Add A Zero as a campaign to sell clothing and other items to raise money for a new building, a local food pantry and a day care program. Worthwhile endeavors, all.

But in 2009, years after the Church got its trademark, Adidas tried to register the name ADIZERO, for a sub-brand of its athletic clothing. Adidas is marking the line, using Bulls point guard and Chicago native Derrick Rose as its spokesperson.

D-Rose

The U.S. Trademark Office negged Adidas because the church registered it first.

Adidas offered the Church $5,000 to give up the name, and was turned down.

Then, in November 2010, Adidas petitioned the U.S. Trademark Office to cancel the Church's trademark, on ground the Church hadn't used it enough.

The petition is pending, but three weeks ago, Pastor E. James Logan from the Church sent letters to Adidas, begging them to back down. He wrote:

"I have long been an admirer of Adidas and would not expect a company of your stature to try to use wealth and power to bully a working class church."

The Pastor also wrote Rose, pleading for him to knock some sense into Adidas.

Rose rose from one of the Chicago's most dangerous neighborhoods to star for a franchise that has been searching for Michael Jordan's replacement since 1998.

He just signed a five year, $94.8 million contract with the Bulls, and has said he would like to use some of his newfound riches to improve his old neighborhood.

He says he'd like to bring indoor basketball courts and after-school programs to Englewood. Maybe he can start by helping this church keep its trademark.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/adidas-accused-of-bullying-illinois-church-in-trademark-dispute/

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No. 1 Syracuse beats NC State 88-72

Syracuse's Kris Joseph, left, and Scoop Jardine celebrate a play during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina State in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. Syracuse won 88-72. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Syracuse's Kris Joseph, left, and Scoop Jardine celebrate a play during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina State in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. Syracuse won 88-72. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Syracuse's Dion Waiters (3) drives for a basket as North Carolina State's Scott Wood (15) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Syracuse's Kris Joseph (32) drives between North Carolina State's Scott Wood (15) and Lorenzo Brown during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Syracuse's Dion Waiters (3) reacts as North Carolina State coach Mark Gottfried speaks with players during a timeout in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. Syracuse won 88-72. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Syracuse's Scoop Jardine (11) and North Carolina State's Lorenzo Brown struggle for possession of the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

(AP) ? At times, top-ranked Syracuse looked dominant and more than worthy of its No. 1 ranking. At others, the Orange looked flustered and vulnerable against a hot-shooting opponent playing in front of a rowdy home crowd.

Perhaps that's why Kris Joseph sounded so pleased with the Orange's 88-72 win against North Carolina State on Saturday night.

"Not to say that we're arrogant, but we're No. 1 in the country for a reason," the senior said. "Going into someone else's home, it's always going to be tough. Like I said, we held our composure ? that's what I took out of this game."

Dion Waiters scored a career-high 22 points to lead the Orange (11-0) and teamed with Scoop Jardine to finally give Syracuse some cushion during an 11-2 second-half run after the Wolfpack fought back from 17 down late in the first half.

Waiters started the spurt by knocking down his own 3-pointer to answer one by Scott Wood that brought N.C. State (6-4) within 63-61. He also jumped a pass and raced in for a dunk, while Jardine added a pair of 3s that helped give Syracuse a 74-63 lead with 6:41 left.

"We knew they were going to come out throwing punches and we had to be ready to throw punches back," Waiters said. "With the No. 1 team coming inside here, we knew it was going to be a hostile environment but we had to stick together as a unit, play together and do everything we usually do in practice."

N.C. State got no closer than eight again, with the Orange blowing the game open in the final minutes.

"The single best thing was that when they made that comeback, our players kept their poise," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. "They just kept getting good shots."

The Orange ? who will join N.C. State in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the coming years ? was playing for the first time as No. 1 this season after Kentucky and Ohio State lost road games last weekend. It also was Syracuse's first true road test after playing the first 10 games in its home state.

The game was also a bit of a rarity for the Wolfpack. N.C. State has frequently had nearby rivals Duke and North Carolina come into Raleigh with a No. 1 ranking, but this was the first time a nonconference No. 1 had come here since Notre Dame in February 1979 and just the second time in program history.

Senior C.J. Williams scored a career-high 25 points for the Wolfpack, thriving by flashing to the high post underneath the guards in the Syracuse zone for mid-range shots. C.J. Leslie added 13 points despite battling leg cramps in the second half and Richard Howell had 12 for N.C. State, but Syracuse defenders paid close attention to Wood ? who had 18 points and six 3s in the Orange's win last season ? and held him to eight points on 3-for-7 shooting.

N.C. State fell behind big when Syracuse ran off 23 unanswered points to build a 47-33 halftime lead. The Wolfpack charged out of halftime to erase the deficit and twice tied the game to re-energize the red-clad crowd ? only to see Waiters and Jardine (16 points) knock down huge shots to take back control.

Waiters went 9 for 14 from the field and finished with three 3s, while Jardine scored 14 on 6-for-6 shooting in the second half.

"Those are probably the best guards we're going to play against," Williams said. "Those guys, they're so good off the bounce and then if they've got the shot going, they're really tough to guard."

Joseph finished with 21 points for Syracuse, which shot 57 percent and hit 11 of 25 3-point tries. N.C. State was even better at 58 percent and made 7 of 14 3s, but the Wolfpack committed 19 turnovers that led to 25 points for Syracuse. In addition, Waiters' huge scoring day helped the Orange bench outscore the Wolfpack reserves 46-4 for the game.

N.C. State fell to 5-26 against No. 1 teams, with its last win coming in 2004 against Duke. The game also denied N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried a huge win to build on in his first year with the Wolfpack.

"Once you lose a game, you sit up here and say, 'They've got a great team, yada, yada, yada,'" Gottfried said. "I've been around a lot of good teams, guy, and that team right there might be playing on Monday night in April. We did a lot of good things tonight. We just didn't do enough of them."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-17-T25-Syracuse-NC%20State/id-e1465b10f4844a50b4134f2234b15a73

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Bahraini police fire tear gas at protesters: witnesses (Reuters)

DUBAI (Reuters) ? Bahraini police fired tear gas and clashed with Shi'ite Muslim protesters on Friday, a day after a man was run over and killed as he fled security forces chasing protesters near Manama, the opposition and a rights group said on Friday.

Tensions have been high in Bahrain since security forces crushed weeks of pro-democracy street protests by the Gulf kingdom's majority Shi'ite Muslims in March.

The police fired tear gas and sound grenades to disperse protesters, and several people were injured during the clashes which went on for several hours in different Shi'ite villages outside the capital Manama, said Matar Matar, a member of the Shi'ite al Wefaq political bloc.

Doha-based Al Jazeera television aired footage of riot police firing tear gas at protesters.

"Many were injured because of excessive force," Matar told Reuters over the telephone. "Many have head injuries which indicates there is an intention to hurt them."

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) said demonstrator Ali-Ahmed al-Qassab was trying to flee intelligence officers during clashes between hundreds of mainly Shi'ite protesters and riot police on Thursday when a speeding car hit him.

His funeral will be held on Saturday.

"The regime prefers using force and killing people instead of instituting reforms that the people are asking for," Nabeel Rajab, the head of BCHR, told Reuters.

An interior ministry spokesman could not be reached for comment.

TALKS STALLED

Protesters took to the streets in February demanding a bigger role for elected representatives and less power for ruling al-Khalifa family, who are Sunni Muslims. Some Shi'ite groups sought an end to the monarchy altogether.

Bahrain hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet and faces Shi'ite giant Iran on the other side of the Gulf. Iran has denied Bahraini government accusations it has incited the protests.

A government-appointed commission of international jurists found evidence of systematic abuses against detained protesters.

There has been no progress on talks between the government and opposition groups on political reform, and sectarian tensions continue to dog the Gulf Arab island state.

Also on Thursday, police detained Zainab al-Khawaja, a human rights activist and daughter of a prominent opposition leader, after she joined the protesters, many of whom chanted slogans against King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, Rajab said.

(Reporting by Mahmoud Habboush)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/energy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111216/wl_nm/us_bahrain_violence

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Video: One-on-one with Speaker Boehner

October 30: Plouffe, roundtable

Nearly a year away from the 2012 election, we?ll talk to the president?s 2008 campaign manager, now White House Senior Adviser, David Plouffe. Then author of the definitive new biography on the late Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson; Author of the new book ?The Time of Our Lives,? NBC News Special Correspondent, Tom Brokaw; Former Governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm; and Republican strategist, Mike Murphy.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/vp/45714717#45714717

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