Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad champions Iran’s nuclear program,
but British Prime Minister Tony Blair rules out a military strike.
** GIULIANI AND MCCAIN OUT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE DEBATE, IN CALIFORNIA DEBATE. Republican presidential frontrunners Rudy Giuliani and John McCain won’t participate in the New Hampshire debate to be cablecast by CNN on April 4th.
They will participate in the May 3rd debate at the Reagan Library to be cablecast by MSNBC.
** SCHWARZENEGGER CLOSE SECOND IN “GLOBIE” AWARDS, NUNEZ AND PAVLEY HONORABLE MENTION. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger finished less than 30 votes out of more than 20,000 cast by Environmental Defense members behind the mayor of Seattle for his work on climate change. Mayor Greg Nickels got the nod for his work organizing American cities to pledge to cut greenhouse gases. Nickels has organized nearly 400 mayors representing 57 million Americans to agree to cut greenhouse gas emissions in their communities by 7% under the 1990 level by 2012. Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and former LA Assemblywoman Fran Pavley received honorable mention awards for authoring last year’s landmark California global warming law, which Schwarzenegger, of course, signed. “I do also want to congratulate Governor Schwarzenegger for his close second-place finish in the Globies,” Nunez said. “And while it may not be the first time he’s gone empty handed on awards night, I want to say on behalf of the legislature that Governor, we really, really like you.”
** HUNDREDS OF CONTRACTORS DEAD IN IRAQ, AS WELL. According to the AP, some 800 contractors to US forces in Iraq have also died. Contractors fulfill a variety of functions there, from paramilitary and security work to support functions.
** ARNOLD SELLS CALI. California will debut its $10 million tourism TV ad campaign during Sunday’s Oscarcast in Denver, Seattle, Salt Lake, and Portland. The advertising includes Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, First Lady Maria Shriver, Clint Eastwood, Teri Hatcher, skateboarder Tony Hawk and chef Wolfgang Puck.
** DEMOCRATS TO TRY TO REVOKE BUSH’S AUTHORIZATION. Echoing comments made Wednesday in Carson City by Senators Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, Senate Democrats are drafting legislation to revoke the broad authority given President George W. Bush prior to the toppling of Saddam Hussein. The president did go on that aircraft carrier and say: “Mission accomplished!”
** VILSACK DROPS OUT. Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is dropping out of the Democratic presidential race. Vilsack was running fourth in his home state of Iowa, site of the first-in-the-nation Iowa presidential caucus. He was one of the candidates I essentially ignored Wednesday at the presidential forum in Carson City, Nevada, given the format of one candidate appearing in the forum and another doing a press availability, simultaneously.
** BLAIR SAYS NO TO MILITARY STRIKE ON IRAN. British Prime Minister Tony Blair says he’s against a military strike against Iran. Blair prefers diplomacy, as well as political and economic sanctions.
** Monitor computer memory prices on a daily basis. Chip prices are stable.
** Track global and national energy prices in near real time via Bloomberg. Crude oil prices are up to $60 per barrel. US refinery capacity was running at only 85% last week.
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