Today, The Africa And The World Mourn The Sad Passing Of A Great Man Of Honor And Integrity, And A Literary Giant, Who Warned That In Africa "Things Fall Apart", Professor Cinua Achebe. Rest In Peace, Brother.

Read all about  Chinua Achebe.

Secretary Of Defense, Robert Gates, Aims To Take The Budget Cutting Axe To Pentagon's BLOATED Budget. You Gotta Love The Guy.

Gates plans to cut $78B from Pentagon budget
By Anne Flaherty And Anne Gearan

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Thursday he will cut $78 billion from the Pentagon's budget in the next five years -- money that will come from shrinking the military's ground force, increasing health care premiums for troops and other politically unpopular cost-saving measures.

The plan also identifies a separate $100 billion in savings, including the cancellation of a $14 billion amphibious Marine vehicle. However, the services will be allowed to reinvest that money in new weapon systems and programs that benefit troops, he said.

The move is part of a broader effort to trim fat from the military's mammoth half-trillion annual budget in light of the nation's ballooning deficit.

""We are not exempt from scrutiny and being asked to figure out what we are doing with less dollars."," Gates told reporters.

But parts of the plan are likely to run into serious opposition from Congress. Lawmakers have fought past proposals to increase health care premiums and cut weapons programs that produce jobs in their states.

At the same time, many newly elected lawmakers are tea party activists and anti-war Democrats say the Defense Department isn't doing enough to scale back.

The Defense Department represents the largest portion of the federal government's discretionary budget.

The final plan calls for $553 billion spent in 2012 -- $13 billion less than the Pentagon wanted, but still representing 3 percent in real growth.

"Those who feel we've gone too far and those who feel we've gone far enough," Gates said. "My view is we've got it about right."

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he and the service chiefs are fully supportive of the plan.

Under pressure to rein in deficit spending, the White House has told the Defense Department it must cut $78 billion from its budget plan covering 2012 through 2016. Gates agreed, but insisted that topline reductions not happen until 2015 when presumably the war in Afghanistan will end.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said that it plans to take control of security in its country by the end of 2014.

After that, the plan would be to let go of 27,000 Army soldiers and up to 20,000 Marines to save as much as $6 billion.

Mullen called the reduction in force size modest and "well within the risk envelope."

Gates said he expects to save some $7 billion by reforming the military's health care system known as Tricare, including an increase to premiums paid by military families.

Editor's comment: Yes, you gotta love the guy. He REFUSES to play politics, and calls it the way he sees it.

Integrity is a word that comes to mind to describe him.

This Is Why I Love South Carolina U. S. Senator, Lindsey Graham: He Calls It FAIRLY And Balanced Just As He Sees It. Watch Video And Read More Below.

Sen. Graham: Gen. McChrystal crossed lines 'you can't cross'
James Rosen - McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Sen. Lindsey Graham said Wednesday that Gen. Stanley McChrystal left President Barack Obama no choice but to accept his resignation, but Graham criticized Obama for sticking to his plans to start withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan next year.

Graham, an Air Force Reserve colonel and a military lawyer who's the only member of Congress to have served active duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, stopped just short of accusing McChrystal of insubordination for his derisive comments about Obama and his aides in a Rolling Stone magazine article.

"When it comes to why the president had to act, the statements of the general not only were outside the norm, they really did put in question military subordination to civilian control," Graham said.

Graham, though, rebuked Obama for continuing to say that he'll start a drawdown of U.S. troops next summer.

"The July 11, 2011, policy is confusing," Graham said. "It undercuts the war effort. It empowers our enemies. It confuses our friends. And I think it needs to be re-evaluated."

Graham, R-S.C., appeared with Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., all three members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at a crowded news conference at the Capitol.

"I've been a military officer most of my adult life, and there's lines you can't cross," Graham said. "Those lines were crossed. It was poor judgment, but it was beyond poor judgment. It made it virtually impossible for the general to stay in his job."

The three senators, who've taken numerous trips together to Afghanistan, lauded Obama's decision to replace McChrystal with Gen. David Petraeus as the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Petraeus, currently the commander of U.S. Central Command, crafted and led the 2007 U.S. military surge in Iraq as the commander of American forces there. His appointment must be confirmed by the Senate.

Graham, who'd come to know Petraeus and McChrystal from his tours of duty helping the Afghan government develop its judicial system, implored Obama to make other U.S. personnel changes in Afghanistan.

"I would urge the president to look at this as a chance to put new people on the ground without old baggage," Graham said. "And if we don't change quickly, we're going to lose a war we can't afford to lose."

Graham, however, wouldn't say whether Obama should replace Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and special envoy Richard Holbrooke, whom McChrystal and his staff also disparaged in the Rolling Stone article.

"I'll leave that to the president," Graham said.

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/06/23/1320605/sen-graham-gen-mcchrystal-crossed.html#ixzz0rj4pjOY9

Update: Toyota Receives Grand Jury Subpoena For Documents.

Toyota receives grand jury subpoena for documents
By DAN STRUMPF and TOM KRISHER

Toyota said Monday it received a subpoena from a U.S. federal grand jury seeking documents related to unintended acceleration in its vehicles and the braking system of its Prius hybrid, indicating a criminal investigation of its safety problems has begun.

The Japanese automaker also said it and its U.S. sales affiliate received the subpoena and a document request from the Los Angeles office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC is seeking documents related to unintended acceleration and Toyota's disclosure policies and practices, Toyota said.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York declined to comment, saying it does not confirm or deny its investigations as a matter of policy. But the subpoena means a criminal investigation is under way, said Peter Henning, a law professor at Wayne State University in Detroit and a former Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission lawyer.

Henning said the government could be looking into product safety law violations or whether Toyota made false statements to a federal safety agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, involving unintended acceleration or the Prius braking system, Henning said.

“In their prior submissions, if there were false statements made in there, that could be the basis” for the investigation, Henning said.

In addition, the SEC likely is looking into whether Toyota disclosed all of its problems in required regulatory filings, Henning said. Both agencies could be working together as well, he said.

The subpoenas are the latest demand for documentation from Toyota Motor Corp. Over the weekend, Toyota turned over documents to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, with some indicating it saved money by obtaining a limited recall from regulators in 2007.

Two House committees are holding hearings this week on the Japanese automaker's recall of 8.5 million vehicles since last fall to deal with safety problems involving gas pedals, floor mats and brakes.

Toyota said it received the grand jury request from the Southern District of New York on Feb. 8. It received the requests from the SEC on Friday. It disclosed both requests in a filing with the SEC on Monday and said it intends to comply with the requests.

Toyota Motor Company Boasted In Internal Documents Of Saving $100 Million By Limiting Recalls. Say It Ain't So, Toyota!

Documents: Toyota boasted saving $100M on recall
KELLY OLSEN and KEN THOMAS

TOKYO — Claims by Toyota in internal documents that it saved money by obtaining a limited recall from regulators in 2007 create an even bigger challenge for the automaker's president when he testifies before U.S. lawmakers this week over quality and safety lapses.

Toyota officials said they saved $100 million by successfully negotiating with the U.S. government on a limited recall of floor mats in some Toyota and Lexus vehicles, according to new documents shared with congressional investigators.

Toyota, in an internal presentation in July 2009 at its Washington office, said it saved $100 million or more by negotiating an "equipment recall" of floor mats involving 55,000 Toyota Camry and Lexus ES350 vehicles in September 2007.

The savings are listed under the title, "Wins for Toyota — Safety Group." The document cites millions of dollars in other savings by delaying safety regulations, avoiding defect investigations and slowing down other industry requirements.

The documents could set off alarms in Congress over whether Toyota put profits ahead of customer safety and pushed regulators to narrow the scope of recalls. Two House committees are holding hearings this week on the Japanese automaker's recall of 8.5 million vehicles in recent months to deal with safety problems involving gas pedals, floor mats and brakes.

"You can feel that the staff were thinking more about company profits than customers," Mamoru Kato, an analyst at Tokai-Tokyo Securities, said in an e-mail after viewing the documents. "It's unfavorable for Toyota ahead of the hearings."

The world's largest automaker has been criticized for responding too slowly to complaints of sudden acceleration in its vehicles, threatening to undermine its reputation for quality and safety.

The documents were turned over to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee — which is scheduled to hold a hearing Tuesday — and obtained by The Associated Press on Sunday. The presentation was first reported by The Detroit News.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda is scheduled to testify at a separate House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday.

"This is any executive's worst nightmare — a damning document comes out and exposes your company as having basically gone slow and tried to delay addressing significant safety problems with their product," said Jeff Kingston, director of Asian studies at Temple University Japan.

Toyota said in a statement: "Our first priority is the safety of our customers and to conclude otherwise on the basis of one internal presentation is wrong. Our values have always been to put the customer first and ensure the highest levels of safety and quality."

Company spokesman Paul Nolasco in Tokyo had no further comment, saying only that the company handed over some documents to the committee.

Transportation Department spokeswoman Olivia Alair called the document "very telling. And that's why Secretary (Ray) LaHood has been saying we're going to hold Toyota's feet to the fire and make sure they do what's necessary to make their cars safe for the driving public."

The new documents show the financial benefit of delay. In the presentation, Toyota said a phase-in to new safety regulations for side air bags saved the company $124 million and 50,000 man hours. Delaying a rule for tougher door locks saved $11 million.

On defect regulations, the document boasts that Toyota "avoided investigation" on rusting Tacoma pickup trucks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigated the case in 2008 but closed it without finding a safety defect. Toyota agreed to buy back certain rusty pickups, inspect other and extend warranties.

The document lists seven "Wins for Toyota & Industry," including "favorable recall outcomes," ''secured safety rulemaking favorable to Toyota" and "vehicles not in climate legislation." Another page lists "key safety issues," including "Sudden acceleration on ES/Camry, Tacoma, LS etc."

In one passage, the document says Toyota "negotiated 'equipment' recall on Camry/ES re SA; saved $100M+, w/ no defect found."

NHTSA had launched an investigation in March 2007 over allegations that floor mats were interfering with accelerator pedals. Toyota told the government a month later that there was "no possibility of the pedal interference with the all-weather floor mat if it's placed properly and secured."

By that August, the government had connected the problem to a dozen deaths and a survey of 600 Lexus owners discovered 10 percent reported sudden or unexpected acceleration. But the recall in September 2007 was limited to 55,000 Camry and ES350 vehicles to replace the floor mats.

The 10-page internal presentation was dated July 6, 2009, less than two months before a high-speed crash near San Diego killed a California highway patrol officer and his family and reignited concerns over sudden acceleration in Toyotas.

In October 2009, Toyota issued its largest-ever U.S. recall, involving about 4 million vehicles, over concerns of pedals getting stuck in floor mats.

The presentation lists Yoshi Inaba, Toyota's chief executive in North America, on its cover. Inaba is scheduled to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday, along with Toyoda and Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales USA. The committee is also expected to hear from LaHood, NHTSA Administrator David Strickland and safety advocates.

The Oversight Committee is holding a hearing Tuesday with Lentz, LaHood and Strickland. A Senate committee is planning a March 2 hearing.

Toyoda arrived in the United States on Saturday and appeared to be preparing for the hearing, the Yomiuri newspaper, Japan's largest, reported Monday. Nolasco, the Toyota spokesman, said the company does not comment on the moves of individual executives, citing security reasons and company policy.

Toyota has said it will create an outside review of company operations, do a better job of responding to customer complaints and improve communication with federal officials.

Toshiro Yoshinaga, an analyst at Aizawa Securities in Tokyo, said that Toyota's actions as seen in the documents shows the company believed the problems with its vehicles were unlikely to become a major issue and illustrate the company's weakness in crisis management.

"Toyota's perception was extremely optimistic," he said. "It's sense of crisis has been lacking."

Yoshinaga also said the documents put the company in a futher bind ahead of Toyoda's testimony.

"But a pinch can also be a chance," he said. "If Toyoda can offer a proper explanation then the issue can settle down. If not, then it won't."

Temple Universty's Kingston said Toyoda must make clear that the company has learned a lesson from growing too quickly and losing track of quality control, though even that will be unlikely to stave off harsh criticism from lawmakers.

"He's going to be taking an awful pummeling, I think," Kingston said.

Steve Pence Is Set To Jump In Louisville, Kentucky, Mayoral Race. Thank Goodness.

Read more.

I will do EVERYTHING in my power to help Steve win this one.

E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!

Read more about Steve Pence, and get ready to join the movement.

Happy Birthday, Abraham "Honest Abe" Lincoln. Your Country Cries Out To -- And For -- You.

In HONOR of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, I shall dispense with blogging today. Please check back tomorrow!

General Colin Powell Is In The News. Watch Video News.

***** Kentucky needs "UNBRIDLED" and "UNVARNISHED" men of INTEGRITY like STEVE PENCE. *****

It is WITHOUT a shadow of any REASONABLE doubt that Kentucky needs "UNBRIDLED" and "UNVARNISHED" men of INTEGRITY like our current Lt. Governor, STEVE PENCE. That is why we pray that he will re-consider this decision, and stay on as our Secretary of the Justice Cabinet.

We urge him to do so, NOT because he needs any political headache -- like the one he has been through the past 3 years or so -- or the pay -- which is low compared to what he will make in private practice -- but our Commonwealth will benefit GREATLY from his service.

And if he decides NOT to do so, we will understand, but at least we can try to keep him serving us.

So won't you join me in praying that he continues in public service, en route to a federal judgeship?