A Gallup poll found that for the first time since April 2005, Bush’s favorability rating is higher than his unfavorability rating. And Americans across all party lines have a more positive opinion of the former president. Gallup notes that an increase in approval ratings is common after presidents leave the White House, but the numbers may still come as a surprise. Since March 2009, Bush’s favorability rating increased by 14 percentage points among Democrats, 17 percent among Independents and 12 percent among Republicans. The numbers starkly contrast to the ratings he had shortly after leaving the White House. In January 2009, only 40 percent of poll respondents viewed him favorably. And at his lowest point in April 2008, only 32 percent of Americans expressed a positive opinion of him. The 32 percent approval rating occurred at a time when the economy was suffering and gas prices were high. Dislike for the president had been higher than favorability for 38 months in a row, which ABC News said was “a record unmatched since Harry Truman.” “We have a president who is out of public support, out of ideas and out of gas,” Washington Post Associate Editor Robert G. Kaiser wrote when the 32 percent approval rating was released. “It is fascinating to me how difficult it is for politicians (and journalists too, to be far) to say publicly what so many of them readily say among themselves know: this is a failed presidency, one of the most unsuccessful in American history probably.” But it appears that the harsh feelings for Bush have become largely forgotten, as negative opinions shift to President Barack Obama and his administration. During last Thursday’s edition of CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight”, the liberal television host even went so far as to describe Obama’s actions as “worse than anything George W. Bush did,” referencing the IRS targeting of conservative groups and the administration’s pursuit of AP and FOX journalists. And while Obama is now taking the heat for the clandestine NSA surveillance program revealed by whistleblowers, Bush just recently launched the George W. Bush Presidential Center to commemorate his time in office and shed a new light on his policies. It is unclear if the launch of the former president’s library and museum, which opened their doors on April 25, contributed to the latest favorability ratings. But with harsh feelings aimed at the Obama administration, lingering resentment for Bush may have been pushed onto the back burner. … Read More
Woman Scorned Arrested for Bloomberg Ricin Letters
Shannon Guess Richardson, a Texas woman, has been accused of sending ricin-tainted letters to Mayor Bloomberg and his anti-gun mayor buddies last month, and setting up her husband to take the fall. … Read More
Putin offers to send Russian peacekeepers to Golan Heights
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Vladimir Putin has offered to send Russian troops to replace Austrian peacekeepers who are leaving their monitoring mission on the Israeli-Syrian ceasefire line in the Golan Heights.
Bush fires could be seen following fighting on Thursday between rebels and Syrian government forces around a border crossing.
The Israeli army remains on alert and has sent tanks and troop reinforcements.
Now the Russian president, Syria’s ally, is proposing a more proactive role for his country.
“In view of the difficult situation in the Golan Heights, we can replace the Austrian contingent which is leaving the region on the border between the Israelis and the Syrian army,” Vladimir Putin said.
On Thursday President al-Assad’s forces retook a control point in the Quneitra area from rebels who had seized it for a few hours.
Israel says it regrets Austria’s decision to pull its peacekeepers out. Vienna said it was no longer possible to keep them in the region due to the worsening fighting.
The withdrawal of the 378 troops is expected to take two to four weeks.
More about: Armed conflicts, Israel, Syria
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55 injured as protesters clash with police in Kyrgyzstan, state of emergency declared
“Doctors have provided medical care to 55 people injured in the Dzhety-Oguz district of the Issyk-Kul region during the events over the Kumtor gold mine,” a Kyrgyz Health Ministry spokesman told Interfax on Friday. Those injured in northern Kyrgyzstan include 13 law enforcement personnel, five of whom were admitted to the Issyk-Kul regional hospital. Three of them sustained injuries of medium gravity, the ministry spokesman said. Police used tear gas and stun grenades in clashes with villagers who tried to seize a power station feeding the mine and cut power supplies, following several days of protests. The mine belongs to Toronto-listed Centerra Gold and is Kyrgyzstan’s largest gold deposit. The protests started Tuesday afternoon when hundreds of villagers had blocked the road to Kumtor, threatening to move on the mine if the government did not tear up its agreement with the company. The villagers put forward several demands to Centerra Gold which included building roads and a kindergarten, providing long-term loans, offering more jobs and buying equipment for local hospitals. On Thursday night protesters took over an electricity substation feeding the mine and forced its operators to cut off power. Police on Friday cleared away demonstarors who had been blocking the road to Kumtor and arrested 92 people, according to Prime Minister Zhantoro Satybaldiyev . … Read More
Defender of fish reels in historic EU deal
Isabella Lövin, an environmental reporter turned Swedish Green Party MEP, has been at the forefront of the battle to bind EU member states to a sustainable fishing policy, a goal she finally secured early on Thursday morning. … Read More
Schools burn on fifth night of Stockholm riots
At least two schools, a police station, and 15 cars were set ablaze in Stockholm on Thursday night as riots in the suburbs of the Swedish capital continued for the fifth straight night. … Read More
Ford to shut down Australian production by 2016
“Manufacturing is not viable for Ford in Australia for the longer term,” said Chief Executive of Ford Australia Bob Graziano. “Our locally-made products continue to be unprofitable, while our imported products continue to be profitable.” Is the dollar too strong? -The rise of the Australian dollar versus the yen has created a high exchange rate, which makes the country’s export market uncompetitive, especially in the Asia-Pacific block. -Australia’s automakers and other manufacturing exporters have struggled with their currency’s 28 percent rise against the yen in the past year. -The currency dropped as low as 96.62 US cents in the early hours of Thursday morning, its weakest level since June 2012, following weak Chinese data as well as the Ford news. Analysts estimate the company has approximately $580 million in losses in the last fiscal year, and profit fell by 72 percent. Ford’s decision in Australia follows effort to also close shop in Europe.Graziano told reporters Australian production was no longer sustainable, as it was double the costs of Europe and quadruple the costs in Asia. The average hourly manufacturing salary in Australia in 2011 was $46.29, slightly lower than in Germany but 30 percent higher than the US and Japan, and nearly 75 percent higher than Brazil, according to US Department of Labor data.This could be a warning for other foreign auto makers- Toyota and General Motors – which both currently plan to keep operations running.The Australian government already highly subsidizes the car industry through a $5.4 billion fund, $34 million of which is allocated to Ford Australia.Two plants in Melbourne and Geelong in the state of Victoria will be closed by 2016, giving workers 3 years notice, and offering a government rescue support package of $39 million.Australia’s auto industry directly employs 45,000 people across the country, and another 250,000 indirectly, according to the Federation of Automotive Products Manufacturers.Australia’s population in 2012 was 22.8 million, which is a small market to have domestic auto production.Car registrations in Australia decreased to 93,423 in April of 2013, down 1,531 from March, indicating a drop in sales.There has been speculation that the Carbon tax is a driving factor behind Ford’s decision to halt production.Victoria Premier Denis Napthine, though confident of recovery, blames the carbon tax for hiking up production and manufacturing costs. The government has proposed to ditch the tax this coming December, but will not likely alter Ford’s decision to pack up and leave for cheaper labor and more profitable production. … Read More
