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Monday, June 25, 2007
Liberty and Justice For All. Refreshments for Some.
GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul, his campaign says, will be in Iowa on Saturday to “celebrate life and liberty” at a Des Moines rally. The event follows a candidates forum sponsored by the Iowans for Tax Relief and the Iowa Christian Alliance.
Paul, a Texas congressman, will “share his message of freedom, peace and prosperity,” according to the campaign.
And he will share refreshments with some.
“Food and beverage will be provided to the first 500 people who arrive,” the campaign said in announcing the rally.
Maybe Mrs. Paul can whip up some fish sticks for the overflow.
The Post and The Veep
Not much official White House reaction today to The Washington Post’s exhaustive and unflattering series on Vice President Cheney. (Headline on today’s installment: “The Unseen Path to Cruelty”)
“I just hope (Post reporters Barton) Gellman and (Jo) Becker are getting paid by the word,” said White House spokesman Tony Fratto.
Asked if the series, in the works for more than a year, paints an accurate portrait of Cheney, Frato said, “I’m not going to answer an overall question.”
“The vice president’s role is to advise the president,” Fratto said.
And when Cheney took the job, Fratto said, he was not interested in “running for president or being a media star.”
Anything in the series, which has two parts to come, provide a source of heartburn for the administration?
“I haven’t seen anything that’s given me heartburn,” said Fratto.
National Association of Railroad Passengers Proposes Doubling of Rail Infrastructure Over 40 Years
 Amtrak’s current system map (PDF) |
 NARP’s proposed system map (PDF) |
The plan adds new new east-west connections from the east coast, north-south connections throughout the west, and new connections to many major metropolitan centers that are currently either under-served by Amtrak or not served at all.
Of note to Cox-owned papers, the following new connections are being proposed:
Atlanta:
- Atlanta to Macon to Savannah
- Atlanta to Macon to Jacksonville
- Atlanta to Augusta to Columbia to Charleston
- Atlanta to Chattanooga
- Atlanta to Opelika to Montgomery
Palm Beach:
- West Palm Beach to Ft. Pierce to Melbourne to Daytona to Jacksonville
Dayton:
- Dayton to Cincinnati
- Dayton to Columbus to Pittsburgh
- Dayton to Lima to Toledo
Austin:
- Austin to San Antonio to Laredo
- Austin to San Antonio to Corpus Christi
Longview:
- Longview to Houston to Victoria to Brownsville
According to NARP, the goal “is to have a nationwide ‘grid and gateway’ system fully in place in the next 40 years, which can be achieved by utilizing existing resources.”
Ross Capon, NARP’s Executive Director says that the next step for NARP will be to approach lawmakers to encourage adoption of the plan.
