Hugo Chavez Says US Using Earthquake As Excuse To Occupy Haiti

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is accusing the United States of using Haiti’s earthquake as a pretext for occupation.

“I read that 3,000 soldiers are arriving, Marines armed as if they were going to war. There is not a shortage of guns there, my God. Doctors, medicine, fuel, field hospitals, that’s what the United States should send,” Chavez said on his weekly television show. “They are occupying Haiti undercover.”

“On top of that, you don’t see them in the streets. Are they picking up bodies? … Are they looking for the injured? You don’t see them. I haven’t seen them. …

MA Senate Hopeful Brown Defends Denying Funds to 9/11 Rescue Workers

Scott Brown, seeking the Senate seat that was held by Ted Kennedy, tried to justify his vote as a state representative to deny Red Cross aid to New York rescue workers after 9/11. Think Progress asked him about it at a campaign rally in Hyannis.

TP: In 2001, you voted against 9/11 recovery workers, giving them aid, do you have any comment on this story?

BROWN: Yes, it was a time when our budget was down. We had a lot of cuts unfortunately, and we had to take care of our own priorities first.

I wonder if he’d …

What It Really Means To Be The Most Powerful Nation On Earth

General Paul Eaton (Ret.), who led coalition training of the Iraq military, says our response to the Haiti crisis can help redefine American power. For too long, our “power” has been defined by the size of our military and the wars we fight, how we respond to terrorism, and the rhetoric of our presidents.

But in the wake of the unfolding tragedy in Haiti, the U.S. can redefine what American power actually is while providing crucial assistance to the poorest nation in the hemisphere at its most vulnerable moment.

Out of this heartbreaking event, America can project a different image …

Scott Brown Vs. Martha Coakley: It’s Ugly

Laffy has some good stuff on Scott Brown at The Political Carnival. For one thing, Brown implies that Barack Obama was born out of wedlock:

For their part, Democrats put out a mailer claiming that Brown wants hospitals to turn away rape victims.

The mailer — paid for by the Massachusetts Democratic Party — says the claim is based on “a law to let emergency hospitals turn away rape victims in need of emergency contraception.” That appears to be a reference to a Brown-sponsored 2005 amendment that would have exempted hospital personnel, on religious grounds, to inform victims of …

US Offers Sustained Support For Haiti

President Obama, united Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in the Haiti relief effort, says we will stand with Haiti long after the tragic earthquake leaves the headlines.

“In these difficult hours, America stands united,” Obama said. “We stand united with the people of Haiti, who have shown such an incredible resilience, and we will help them to recover and to rebuild.”

Bush says the best thing people can do is send money. Both Bush and Clinton pledge that money raised through their site, clintonbushhaitifund.org, will be well-spent.…

Haiti Death Toll could Be 200,000; Among Ten Worst Earthquakes In History

Most of Port-au-Prince is reduced to rubble.  Entire towns have slid down hillsides.

Life in the wrecked city is concentrated in brightly colored patchwork spots where tens of thousands have set up makeshift camps in open spaces as aftershocks frighten people away from the buildings that are still standing.

From above, the cathedral looks like it has been stepped on. The gleaming white presidential palace looks like an iced wedding cake that has been dropped on the floor. Multistory car parks and supermarkets have been leveled like concertinas.

Cinder block houses are so crumpled it seems they must have …

Seizmologists Say Haiti Earthquake Couldn’t Have Been Predicted

Experts say they’ve made progress identifying where earthquakes will hit in the coming decades, but they could not have predicted what happened in Haiti.

“There is currently no scientifically accepted method or theory of earthquake prediction,” said David Oglesby, an associate professor of earth sciences at the University of California, Riverside.

Geologists have long been aware that a major earthquake could rock the fault line that runs through the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. The hard part was figuring out when.

U.S. geologists presented a paper in 2008 concluding that Port-au-Prince, which had not been hit by a major seismic event since …

MA Senate Hopeful Scott Brown Voted Against Relief For 9/11 Recovery Workers

While Scott Brown is busy parading around Rudy Giuliani, it’s a good time to note that he voted against a bill that would have given financial assistance to Red Cross workers who helped with recovery at Ground Zero. (h/t The Political Carnival)

On October 17th, 2001, Brown voted against a bill that would authorize “leaves of absence for certain Red Cross employees participating in Red Cross emergencies.” The bill gave 15 days of paid leave each year to state workers called up by the Red Cross to respond to disasters. At the time, state workers called for such emergencies …

US To Allow Undocumented Haitians To Stay For 18 Months

An estimated 100,000-200,000 Haitians in the US illegally will be allowed to stay and work here for 18 months, with the government giving them Temporary Protected Status. Those living here as of January 12 qualify as a measure of compassion, and to insure they can send money to their home country.

“This is a disaster of historic proportions,” [Homeland Security Secretary Janet] Napolitano said in a conference call. “Providing a temporary refuge for Haitian nationals who are currently in the United States and whose personal safety would be ended by returning to Haiti as part of this administration continue …

On Friday’s Radio Show…

• In a live report from the earthquake-torn region, Dr. Manny Alvarez describes the difficult efforts to treat victims - and explains what you may be able to do to help.

• Full-body scanners have been called “virtual strip searches,” and one group loves the concept: nudists! Erich Schuttauf from the American Association For Nude Recreation explains why.

• It’s the Friday Night Free-For-All!…

Obama Shows Bipartisanship: Taps Bush And Clinton For Haiti

President Obama is not only showing bipartisanship, his gesture may help shape and improve the legacy of George W. Bush, as he taps both Bush and former President Clinton to help coordinate Haiti relief efforts.

“The thing about ‘43’ is that of course he was the acrimonious target of the Democrats who replaced him, and was perceived as discredited, and now he’s being offered a little bit of redemption by those former opponents,” says Bruce Buchanan, a political scientist at the University of Texas at Austin. “That makes this interesting.”

…

For Democrat Obama, the inclusion of his Republican predecessor …