mr. graham: here at home. mr. levin: i wouldn't want to hold that position. mr. graham: do you believe that america is part of the battlefield in the global war on terror? mr. levin: without doubt. on september 11 the war was brought here by al qaeda and to suggest that the foreign al qaeda member should not be subject to an assumption to begin with, if they're determined to be al qaeda, that they are going to be detained, that we should not start with that assumption. subject to procedures which the administration adopts, it's totally in their hands, it cannot interfere with civilian interrogation, it cannot interfere with civilian intelligence, we're very specific about it. the procedures are written by the executive branch. they can try them anywhere they want. but you bring a war here, you bring a war here, we are going to create an assumption that you can be subject and are going to be subject to military detention. mr. graham: ,well, my belief is most americans would want our military being able to combat al qaeda at home as much as they would abroad. i thin

mr. graham: absolutely. mr. kyl: in a criminal trial the object is to do justice to the individual as pertains to his alleged vials of law of the united states. in the case of the capture and detention of a -- of a combatant, someone who has taken action against the united states, the object first is to keep the united states safe from this individual's actions and secondly where possible, gain intelligence are that individual. that's the critical element that would be taken from our military were the feinstein amendment to be adopted and i'd like unanimous consent to insert in the record at this point a statement that makes very clear why military detention is necessary to allow intelligence gathering that will prevent future terrorist attacks against the american people. the presiding officer: is there objection? so ordered. mr. kyl: thank you, mr. president. i hope this statement will clarify in anyone's minds, that by taking people into military custody in the past we have gathered essential intelligence to

mr. graham allen. question no. 6. >> i lead a committee of cabinet ministers specifically to family issues including the importance of early intervention. it is central to what this government is trying to achieve. we do believe if you change the chances of the least well off you have a better chance of genuinely lifting young people out of poverty and keeping them there. and take a close interest as my right hon. friend the education secretary and the chancellor in the work of the hon. gentleman and a real difference he has made in terms of prioritizing of the intervention in our country. >> can i thank all three policy leaders for their consistent support for early intervention and their generous welcome to my two reports. i ask the prime minister, early intervention with babies, children and young people a scheme for all departments in the next comprehensive spending review so not only will children be able to better their chances but government and the taxpayer will be able to reduce the costs of f

mr. graham: here's what we are doing -- you're correct. here's what lindsey graham, carl levin and an overwhelming number of the members of the body is about to do. we're about to pass a defense authorization bill that increases military pay, has a lot of things but we're about to say as a congress we believe we're at war and we reject the idea, the libertarian idea who are great americans, that if you get to america somehow it's no longer a war, that -- i think the libertarians agree if you catch an al qaeda operative including an american citizen overseas, you don't have to read them their rights, and you don't have to give them a lawyer, but somehow the perverse logic is if you make it to america to attack us, whether you're a citizen or not, somehow you get a special deal. all of us who are voting for this bill say that's crazy. we're at war. no other war has that been the case. if you were -- had suggested in 1942 that the american citizens helping the nazis commit sabotage against the united states had a special status and could not b

mr. graham is looking forward to returning home to spend the christmas holidays with his family. >>> somethingmat toers a lot of americans. lipitor lost its patent today. generic versions can now be sold. 17 million people are prescribed lipitor. the drug brought in $5 billion in u.s. revenue alone last year. pfizer analysts told out front sales will decline by 50% at the end of the year. as much as 80% next year and that the generic lipitor will cost you a lot, lot, lot less money. >>> number four, 110,000 jobs will be added in november. that's what 21 economists predicted to us ahead of friday's jobs report. based on their estimates, the unemployment rate would stand change at 9%. >>> it's been 117 days since the u.s. lost the top credit rating. when are we going to get it back? today's rise in the dow might not upgrade us. positive economic news can. an economy that's growing will take away nearly 40% of our deficit according to some estimates. that will help. >>> is iran heading to war? france, britain, germany, recalling ambassadors from iran today. this in reaction to iranian protesters

mr. graham is looking forward to returning home to spend the upcoming chris plas holidays with his family a lot of americans, lipitor lost its patent today. that means generic versions can be sold. 17 million people are prescribed lipitor. the drug brought in $5 billion in u.s. revenue alone last year. fizer analysts told "outfront" sales will decline by 50% at the end of the year. as much as 80% next year and that the generic lipitor will cost you a lot, lot, lot less money. >>> number four, 110,000 jobs will be added in november. that's what 21 economists predicted to us ahead of friday's jobs report. based on their estimates, the unemployment rate would stand changed at 9%. >>> it's been 117 days since the u.s. lost the top credit rating. what are we going to get it back? today's rise in the dow might not upgrade us. positive economic news can. an economy that's growing will take away nearly 40% of our deficit, according to some estimates. that will help. >>> is iran heading to war? france, britain, germany, netherlands all recalling ambassadors from iran today, this in reaction to hun

mr. graham will attend. so with that objections to work. i also would come up for a bit of a housekeeping issue, we are going to try to do the opening statements, but we may have an opportunity for witnesses to give their opening statements. we were told that somewhere around 1:30 that we may have a series of votes. we think there are three or four votes in that series. we're going to continue the hearing during that period, but it looks like i'd be difficult to do since there's three or four votes and so i think the best thing for a committee to do is ask the ranking member to have different ideas for us to adjourned and briefly make those votes. and come back. and i else go ask unanimous consent that if any other members were from the financial services committee, he allowed to be a part of the hearing as well. at this time, i will now recognize myself for an opening statement. this is a very important hearing. we are here to find out exactly what happened at mf global in their bankruptcy. i think we want to accomplish three things in thi

mr. graham stringer. >> thank you, mr. speaker.o wouldn't be the economic and political mess now if we had to wait for nearly 40 years before a british prime minister came back and said that he or she had used the veto. can the prime minister tell us how he's going to -- and when he's going to repatriotiat some of those powers that have been so carelessly given way. >> we have brought back the bailout. we've prevented britain from joining this treaty without the safeguards. i believe there will be opportunities in the future. i think that there are areas particularly in terms of costly regulation where britain has paid a high price from european regulation and i think we should use future opportunities to act on that. >> mr. bob russell. >> i bring some grandfatherly advice to the proceedings and urge the prime minister to let the dust settle, keep calm and carry on carefully. but please abandon the approach to europe and also bridges need to be built. and the first bridge the prime minister can build is to get the tory meps to joi

mr. graham stringer. >> thank you, mr. speaker. euro wouldn't be the economic and political mess now if we had to wait for nearly 40 years before a british prime minister came back and said that he or she had used the veto. can the prime minister tell us how he's going to -- and when he's going to repatriotiat some of those powers that have been so carelessly given way. >> we have brought back the bailout. we've prevented britain from joining this treaty without the safeguards. i believe there will be opportunities in the future. i think that there are areas particularly in terms of costly regulation where britain has paid a high price from european regulation and i think we should use future opportunities to act on that. >> mr. bob russell. >> i bring some grandfatherly advice to the proceedings and urge the prime minister to let the dust settle, keep calm and carry on carefully. but please abandon the approach to europe and also bridges need to be built. and the first bridge the prime minister can build is to get the tory meps to

senator graham said, and i quote, mr. ident, senator graham said "ideological attacks are not an extraordinary circumstance. to me, it would have to be a character problem, an ethics problem, so allegations about the qualifications of a person, not an ideological bent." caitlin halligan does not have a character problem or an ethics problem. no one has alleged she does. it's that simple. so, mr. president, if this body cannot invoke cloture on her nomination today, the gang of 14 agreement, it would seem to me, would be violated. the approach taken by senate republicans will have lasting consequences beyond this one nomination. it seems to me that a vote against this nominee is a vote that declares the gang of 14 agreement null and void. now, i was not a party to that agreement, but it would be impossible to deny that it has guided this body's consideration of judges since 2005 under both democratic and republican presidents. if republicans are going to suddenly junk that six-year armistice, it could risk throwing the sena

mr. bush's leadership on aids saying it was one of his greatest legacies. evangelist billy graham has been diagnosed with pneumonia. but is responding to well to antibiotics. spokesman for mission hospital in asheville, north carolina, says the 93-year-old graham is alert and in positive spirits. no date has been set for his discharge. president obama leaves his pred somewheres in the dust when it comes to one area. we will tell you what that is in the grapevine. the former head of the international monetary fund says he has had a typical sex life for a we know a place where tossing and turning have given way to sleeping. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don'trive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, i

mr. bush's leadership on aids saying it was one of his greatest legacies. evangelist billy grahamas been diagnosed with pneumonia. but is responding to well to antibiotics. spokesman for mission hospital in asheville, north carolina, says the 93-year-old graham is alert and in positive spirits. no date has been set for his discharge. president obama leaves his pred somewheres in the dust when it comes to one area. we will tell you what that is in the grapevine. the former head of the international monetary fund says he has had a typical sex life for a politician. ♪ but the fire is so delightful ♪ ♪ ♪ of chicken noodle soup from campbell's. ♪ let it snow, let it snow even if you think you can live with your old mattress... ask me how i've never slept better. why not talk to one of the 6 million people who've switched to the most highly recommended bed in america? it's not a sealy, a simmons, or a serta. ask me about my tempur-pedic. ask me about how i can finally sleep all night. ask me how great my back feels every morning. did you know there's a tempur-pedic for everybody? tempur

graham, cornyn and vitter. the presiding officer: under the previous order, there are two minutes equally divided prior to a vote on the motion to proceed to s. 1917. mr. casey: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from pennsylvania. mr. casey: mr. president, could we have order of th order. the presiding officer: the senate will be in orderment mr. casey: mr. president, this middle class tax cut act is very simple. it does two things for employers and also helps employees. last year the senate came together on a bipartisan bill. we passed a tax bill that, among other things, reduced payroll taxes for employees. this legislation expands that. instead of just saying we're going to have a reduction of 2% of the payroll tax, it was going to be -- this legislation has it as a -- a cut in half. so you're cutting the payroll tax in half. that's take-home pay, 1,500 bucks in the pockets of the average working family in america. secondly, it allows us to provide a -- a cut as well, cutting in half the payroll tax for businesses. it's good public policy. it will create lots of jobs at a time when the american people are telling us with one voice t

mr. president, it shows what happens when democrats and republicans work together. sometimes it's not noted in the press. a lot gets done around here, when democrats and republicans work together. senator graham and i introduced a bill in may that has more than 70 cosponsors from both parties. we've accomplished a lot for our guard with this bill, again, by having republicans and democrats work together. there's more to be done but what a great start. i would ask that those statements about the guard be included as in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. leahy: mr. president, as i said about democrats and republicans working together, i have to applaud the two senators from alaska. because of their hard work, we have this nominee before us, and that's something every one of us should take pride in the way the two have worked together. and i yield the floor. mr. begich: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from alaska. mr. begich: mr. president, first i want to comment on the the senator from from vermont that the work he has done in regard to the guard affects us in alaska a great deal, and i want to thank him for all the hard work he's done. in regard

graham to the commonwealth club. [applause] >> gentlemen, thank you for coming. >> i don't think i've ever introduced quite that way as republican bill reilly. [laughter] >> let's get right into this. mrreilly, when the report came out you said that only systemic reform in government and business could prevent a similar disaster. are those systemic reforms happening? >> the system reforms that we recommended are under way certainly in the department under the direction of michael wrolich and secretaries owls are. they really are. the issue and a number of new rules on safety and environmental management that are long overdue. i think very defensible, every professional and appropriate. they are also reorganized so that they have separated the fund-raising for the revenue generating part of oil spill and gas leasing from environmental and safety. those are very important. it hasn't happened statutory because congress hasn't done that the secretary salazar has done as much as he can do a recommendation. i think a very promising and to some surprising response is the response of industry. the center for offshore safety is basically coming together. the have had a couple of board meetings

mr. graham: yes, i think. mr. levin: why don't you start using the time on your side and then i'll ask nor that extension. mr. graham: how much time do we have? the presiding officer: eight minutes. you're allotted three minutes, senator. the senator from south carolina is allotted three minutes. mr. graham: would the senator please inform me when i use two? the presiding officer: yes. greenhouse gas emission greenhouse thank you very much mr. graham: thank you very much. to senator feinstein, i do believe the second provision is where we want to be. i never intended by 1031 to change the how imposing a greater burden on american citizens or more exposure to military detention nor did i want to create additional rights beyond what exist today. the problem i have with senator fine stiens amendment, it says the authority to describe in this section for the armed forces of the united states to detain a person does not include the authority detain a citizen of the united states without trial. here is my concern. when

mr. graham stringer. >> thank you, mr. speaker.euro wouldn't be the economic and political mess now if we had to wait for nearly 40 years before a british prime minister came back and said that he or she had used the veto. can the prime minister tell us how he's going to -- and when he's going to repatriotiat some of those powers that have been so carelessly given way. >> we have brought back the bailout. we've prevented britain from joining this treaty without the safeguards. i believe there will be opportunities in the future. i think that there are areas particularly in terms of costly regulation where britain has paid a high price from european regulation and i think we should use future opportunities to act on that. >> mr. bob russell. >> i bring some grandfatherly advice to the proceedings and urge the prime minister to let the dust settle, keep calm and carry on carefully. but please abandon the approach to europe and also bridges need to be built. and the first bridge the prime minister can build is to get the tory meps to