Being Tall, Obese may Significantly Increase Risk of Blood Clots in Deep Veins

Study Highlights:

- The combination of being tall and obese, particularly in men, may substantially raise the risk of developing potentially dangerous blood clots in veins deep in the body.

- If you're tall, you can reduce your risk by maintaining a healthy weight.

DALLAS, April 28, 2011 -- Being tall and obese may increase your risk for potentially dangerous blood clots, according to new research in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association.

In the United States, more than 275,000 people each year are hospitalized with deep vein clots or pulmonary embolism, according to the American Heart Association.

Obesity is a well-known risk factor for clots in deep veins (usually in the legs) and for pulmonary embolism, a clot in blood vessels of the lungs that can result in sudden death or strain on the heart. Together, the two conditions are called venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Compared with short (5 feet, 7.7 inches or less) and normal-weight men (body mass index < 25kg/m2), the age-adjusted risk of VTE was:


   --  5.28 times higher in obese and tall men
   --  2.57 times higher in normal-weight and tall men (at least 5 feet, 11.7
       inches tall)
   --  2.11 times higher in obese and short men


The amount of risk conferred by being both obese and tall was comparable to other known risk factors for VTE, including pregnancy, the use of oral contraceptives, and carrying one gene for an inherited predisposition to clotting called Factor V Leiden.

Compared with short (5 feet, 2.6 inches or less) normal-weight women, the age-adjusted risk of VTE was:


   --  2.77 times higher in obese and tall women
   --  1.83 times higher in obese and short women
   --  Not increased in normal-weight and tall women (more than 5 feet, 6
       inches)


"We believe that we observed the increased risk in tall and normal-weight men, but not women, because most women do not get sufficiently tall," said Sigrid K. Braekkan, Ph.D., senior study author and a researcher in the Hematological Research Group at the University of Tromso in Norway. "The risk may be present in very tall women, but there were too few to investigate this properly."

Researchers said more studies are needed to determine the mechanisms of the association between tall stature, excess weight and the combination on the risk of VTEs.

"In tall people the blood must be pumped a longer distance by the calf-muscle pump, which may cause reduced flow in the legs and thereby raise the risk of clotting," Braekkan said.

"Understanding and preventing VTE is important because even the first occurrence may be fatal. Obesity, in combination with other VTE risk factors, has been shown to substantially increase the risk, so we wanted to assess the combined effects of tall stature and obesity."

The research team analyzed data from the Tromso study, which conducts periodic health surveys of adults 25-97 years old in the Norwegian town. Researchers collected height and obesity measures on 26,714 men and women followed a median of 12.5 years between 1994 and 2007. During that time, 461 VTEs occurred.

Obesity causes increased pressure in the abdomen, which may reduce the ability of the calf-muscle pump to return the blood from the legs. "Obesity is also linked to a state of constant low-grade inflammation, and inflammation may render blood more susceptible to clotting," Braekkan said.

Physicians should consider people's height and weight as they assess their overall risk for dangerous clots, researchers said.

"Since body height is not easy to modify, the most important thing is to stay slim, especially if you are tall," Braekkan said.

The researchers previously found a strikingly similar rise in clot risk along with height in American men, and believe that the height cut-offs would apply to Caucasian populations in other regions.


Co-authors are Knut H. Borch, M.D.; Cecilie Nyegaard, M.D.; John-Bjarne Hansen, M.D., Ph.D.; Ellisiv B. Mathiesen, M.D., Ph.D.; Inger Njolstad, M.D., Ph.D. and Tom Wilsgaard, Ph.D. Author disclosures are on the manuscript.

The University of Tromso and the Northern Norway Regional Health Authority funded the study.



Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the association's policy or position.  The association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability.  The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events.  The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content.  Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at www.americanheart.org/corporatefunding.


SOURCE  American Heart Association

Warning Signs of Heart Failure

Shortness of breath and fluid retention aren't the only warning signs...
"If you have heart failure, chances are you have (or had) one or more of the conditions listed below. Some of these can be present without you knowing it. Typically these conditions cause the "wear and tear" that leads to heart failure. Having more than one of these factors dramatically increases your risk."

Mercedes-Benz First Teen Driving School in the United States to Open in Los Angeles

Learn to drive in style.

MONTVALE, N.J.- Mercedes-Benz USA announces today that it is opening the company's first Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy in Los Angeles in October 2011, offering a fully integrated driver's education program and school that incorporates online, classroom and behind-the-wheel training for Los Angeles-area teens.

The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is unveiling details for its teen driving school at the annual California State PTA Convention, where approximately 2,500 California PTA members are attending from April 28 - May 1, 2011 in Long Beach, CA.

Mercedes-Benz is appointing Carolyn Duchene as Director for the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, and she will be responsible for the launch and management of daily operations. A Mercedes-Benz USA employee since 1994, Duchene has held several positions in the areas of marketing, digital media, training and education, and customer service.

"In addition to a unique educational approach, our highly qualified staff will be a key differentiator for the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy. We are recruiting and hiring the best talent for all areas of operation," said Duchene.
"The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy will connect with students and parents using a personalized, customer-centric approach that truly creates a unique offering among driver's education services for new teen drivers."

In preparation for its fall launch, the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is actively recruiting uniquely qualified driving instructors, who will be groomed to deliver the Academy's research-based program in a highly effective coaching style. The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy instructors are going to be Mercedes-Benz employees and eligible to receive Mercedes-Benz USA benefit packages.

Several auto manufacturers and third-party organizations are currently offering teen driving programs which primarily focus on crash avoidance and defensive driving exercises. However, Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy aims to be the only car manufacturer to offer a California DMV-approved program, fully integrated with the Graduated Driver Licensing framework. The goal of the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is to prepare students for today's driving environment by going beyond basic car control skills and rote learning of traffic rules.

The core program utilizes multiple teaching techniques and delivery methods ranging from online learning to interactive classroom sessions and behind-the-wheel training. The program will incorporate approaches such as digital animation to visualize road hazards in an online program, problem-solving exercises in the classroom, and hands-on experience of risky situations and in-car coaching techniques based on questioning rather than instruction. This approach is combined with consistent feedback from driving coaches to parents, which aims to assist them in planning their supervised driving practice. The overall collective curriculum aims to benefit and appeal to the vast spectrum of learning-styles which will ensure greater engagement and absorption of skills and knowledge.

A fully integrated California-focused curriculum will take a student from their instruction permit license stage through their provisional license. Other offerings include an on-road only curriculum for those who have chosen to complete their driver education requirement through other means, and a tailored program that takes into account individual driver's needs to further develop and improve driving skills.

"Vehicles, highways, and the driving environment have changed dramatically over the past 60 years, however driver education remains relatively unchanged in the U.S.," said Alexander Hobbach, Senior Manager of Business Innovation at Daimler AG. "Mercedes-Benz feels there is opportunity to better prepare teens for today's driving conditions, and while our offering will have premium pricing over existing schools, we are dedicated to delivering significant value based on unique coaching methods and curriculum that is aimed at teaching new teens how to drive safely."

The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is working with several advisers in the finalization of its proprietary curriculum including Daniel R. Mayhew, Senior Vice President of the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF); Allan Williams, Ph.D., former Chief Scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS);and Bill Combs, Executive Director of the Driver Education and Training Administrators and former Director of Communications at the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).

"A teenager's ability to drive safely should be one of the most important priorities for parents and it is extremely imperative that parents take a very active part in this process from researching driving schools to following through on supervised driving," said Mayhew.

Beyond curriculum development that sets new industry standards, The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is building on strategic partnerships in an effort to raise awareness about teen driver safety and to also engage educators and parents to ultimately combat the leading cause of deaths among teens, which is motor vehicle crashes according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, in conjunction with Impact Teen Drivers, will be delivering a public service outreach program through 2-hour parent/teen workshops, delivered in local Los Angeles- area high schools. These workshops will raise awareness on the importance of teaching teens the proper way to drive. Through interactive work groups, parents and their children will discuss the responsibility they have to each other when it comes to driver education while acknowledging that driving is an important part of teenager's life that leads to more freedom and independence. With the help of the California PTA, approximately twenty schools will be identified to host the workshops beginning late summer.

"The opportunity to have Mercedes-Benz step-up to work with Impact Teen Drivers and law enforcement and education partners to offer driver safety seminars at no cost to Los Angeles-area schools is commendable," said Kelly Browning, PhD, executive director of Impact Teen Drivers. "It is crucial that we educate teens and empower them to promote the safe driving message in order to have a fundamental and sustained behavior shift. This isn't about bad kids doing bad things, but good kids making poor choices. One poor choice can alter or end their lives and the lives of those they care about."

Impact Teen Drivers, Inc., which was founded by the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, the California Teachers Association, and California Casualty, provides education to teens and parents regarding the dangers of reckless and distracted driving through breakthrough campaigns delivered online and in schools.

Committed to raising the level of driver education and increasing road safety, the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy continues Mercedes-Benz long-standing corporate dedication to driver safety. For continuous updates before the October 2011 opening and employment opportunities, please visit mbdrivingacademy.com for information.

The Limits of School Reform - NYTimes.com

The Limits of School Reform - NYTimes.com

Excerpt from article. PLEASE READ ENTIRE.

Going back to the famous Coleman report in the 1960s, social scientists have contended — and unquestionably proved — that students’ socioeconomic backgrounds vastly outweigh what goes on in the school as factors in determining how much they learn. Richard Rothstein of the Economic Policy Institute lists dozens of reasons why this is so, from the more frequent illness and stress poor students suffer, to the fact that they don’t hear the large vocabularies that middle-class children hear at home.

Yet the reformers act as if a student’s home life is irrelevant. “There is no question that family engagement can matter,” said Klein when I spoke to him. “But they seem to be saying that poverty is destiny, so let’s go home. We don’t yet know how much education can overcome poverty,” he insisted — notwithstanding the voluminous studies that have been done on the subject. “To let us off the hook prematurely seems, to me, to play into the hands of the other side.”

That last sentence strikes me as the key to the reformers’ resistance: To admit the importance of a student’s background, they fear, is to give ammo to the enemy — which to them are their social-scientist critics and the teachers’ unions. But that shouldn’t be the case. Making schools better is always a goal worth striving for, whether it means improving pedagogy itself or being able to fire bad teachers more easily.

Deepwater Horizon, Fukushima, the Chilean Miners and the Human Cost of Energy - Ecocentric - TIME.com

"Blood per Kilowatt." (Never thought I would see this idea in secular print.)
Deepwater Horizon, Fukushima, the Chilean Miners and the Human Cost of Energy - Ecocentric - TIME.com

"It isn't just oil or electrons that flows in our pipelines and transmission wires. It's blood.

In fact, the blood cost is another way to calculate the energy equation: blood per kilowatt."

Read more: http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2011/04/22/on-earth-day-contemplating-the-human-cost-of-energy/#ixzz1KUe0akRx

NY case underscores Wi-Fi privacy dangers - Yahoo! News

NY case underscores Wi-Fi privacy dangers - Yahoo! News
What it should be: "I think it's convenient and polite to have an open Wi-Fi network," said Rebecca Jeschke, whose home signal is accessible to anyone within range."Public Wi-Fi is for the common good and I'm happy to participate in that — and lots of people are," said Jeschke, a spokeswoman for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that takes on cyberspace civil liberties issues.

What it is: Wi-Fi and Internet was never invented or intended for criminal use or criminals--of any sort. Why should the innocent pay a price for the dammed? Love good, hate evil. Society is always burdened with what to do about evil, as it infects just about everything. Evil is inconvenient to those who are just. Concentrate on incarcerating the dammed and leave the innocent alone. Open and unsecured Wi-Fi or hotspots, as they were called back in the day before the widespread use of wireless internet, are just as the EFF spokeswoman said.

Homeless woman prosecuted for enrolling son in Conn. school - Yahoo! News

Homeless woman prosecuted for enrolling son in Conn. school - Yahoo! News
This is an unfortunate shame. It is as if we as a body of people, who form this country, have no common sense. Why put this woman in jail and kick her friend out? Isn't their another way? The harshness of the law meets these women because they are poor and black or because the law regarding changing school districts is harsh?

Change Your Eye Color Surgery: Eye Surgery Safety | Suite101.com

Change Your Eye Color Surgery: Eye Surgery Safety | Suite101.com

Some who have undergone this groundbreaking surgery express regrets and have developed vision problems.

State Rep. Charlie Brown: IBLC Condems Affordable Health Care Repeal

State Rep. Charlie Brown

INDIANA BLACK LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS FORMALLY CONDEMNS
U.S. HOUSE REPEAL OF AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE

---

INDIANAPOLIS —— Members of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus today condemned the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives for voting to deny millions of Hoosiers basic health care coverage, including affordable prescription drugs and protections against unreasonable premium increases.

“Today, the Republicans who run the U.S. House have voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act,” said State Rep. Vanessa Summers (D-Indianapolis), chairwoman of the caucus. “This means they are more interested in protecting big insurance companies, rather than the millions of Hoosiers who will benefit from the provisions of this act.”

State Rep. Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis) added, “If this repeal is approved in the U.S. Senate—which thankfully looks very unlikely at this point in time—we would see a return to the days when children with pre-existing medical conditions would be denied coverage, when people who are sick would see coverage cancelled, and when the amount of care a person receives would be based on the arbitrary whims of insurance industry bean-counters, not doctors.”

Caucus members noted that the impact of repealing the Affordable Care Act would be felt across all segments of Indiana’s population:

• More than 21,000 young adults would lose their insurance coverage through their parents’ health plans. (The Act allows young adults to stay on their parents’ plans up to the age of 26 if they do not have coverage of their own.)


• More than 3.8 million Indiana residents with private insurance coverage would find themselves vulnerable again to having insurance companies place limits on how much will be spent on their health care.


• Nearly 280,000 Hoosiers again would be at risk of losing their insurance at the moment they are in an accident or fall sick, simply because of a mistake made on their application for coverage.


• More than 950,000 older Hoosiers who have Medicare coverage would be forced to pay extra for annual check-ups, and they would have to help pay for services like mammograms and colonoscopies.


• More than 66,000 Hoosiers on Medicare would lose the discounts they were set to receive for falling into the “donut hole” coverage gap, which means they would be paying significantly more on their prescription drugs.

“Beyond all of these things, repealing this act would prevent Indiana from getting the federal resources that would help us crack down on unreasonable insurance premium increases,” noted State Rep. Charlie Brown (D-Gary), ranking Democrat on the Indiana House Public Health Committee and a long-time advocate of universal health care.

“In addition, we wouldn’t be getting the federal funds needed to start health insurance exchanges to drive down costs and we wouldn’t have the support needed to start a consumer assistance program designed to protect all of us from the worst insurance industry practices,” Summers continued.

Pryor said, “Repealing this act will bring a return to the worst abuses that created our country’s health care crisis. We are hopeful that the U.S. Senate will do what’s right and stop this travesty by refusing to follow the House’s lead.”

---

If you have an opinion you would like to share about this issue or any other topics related to Indiana state government, you can contact Rep. Brown directly.

State Rep. Vernon G. Smith: Indiana Dems Moderate Radical Right HB

State Rep. Vernon G. Smith

DEMOCRATS ACHIEVED GOAL OF MODERATING RADICAL REPUBLICAN BILLS

INDIANAPOLIS —— State Rep. Vernon G. Smith (D-Gary) said Indiana House Democrats returned to the Statehouse after gaining concessions on several Republican bills now before the Indiana House of Representatives.

Smith said the protest by Democrats did not cost taxpayers any money as House Republicans claimed. He said the business before the Indiana House and Senate should be completed by the end of April, so no special session is necessary. In addition, House Democrats gave up their daily stipend, while their Republican colleagues collected theirs. The Democrats also were fined $350 per day by the Republican majority for denying a quorum in the House.

“When I calculated what our protest cost me in fines, loss of daily stipend and other expenditures, the figure was more than $8,000,” said Smith. “It has been a significant drain of personal finances, yet it was worth the cost. If we had not left the state to prevent a quorum, these extreme, Republican bills would have decimated our public education system and severely damaged the earning power of working-class families in Indiana.

“The Republicans were pushing these bills through the process as quickly as possible, which prevented proper, public review of these devastating measures,” explained Smith. “The stop-action allowed a timeout for millions of Hoosiers, so they could learn more about what was happening in Indianapolis. Our protest was absolutely necessary.

“With the solid support and thunderous voice of a vast number teachers, in addition to thousands of working families, many from Northwest Indiana, we were able to force the House Republicans to compromise on several of the bills,” added Smith. “The compromises are not perfect, but those particular bills are much better than they were. I appreciate Speaker Bosma’s willingness to negotiate with us and help find solutions to our most serious concerns.”

Smith said the compromises included several areas of contention:

• the so-called “right-to-work” legislation is off the table, preserving collective bargaining rights and preventing Hoosier wages from being drastically reduced;


• the permanent ban on public employee bargaining is off the table in the House;


• collective bargaining rights for teachers is protected;


• enabling legislation for the private takeover of public schools is off the table in the House;


• private school vouchers will be limited to 7,500 students in the first year and 15,000 in the second year, rather than creating the largest voucher program in the country, which would have shifted $1 billion in state tax money from public schools to private schools;


• instead of an outright ban of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), as originally proposed by Republicans, PLAs will still be able to be included with projects passed by public referendum; and


• the threshold for applying the common construction wage to projects would be $250,000 for 2012 and $350,000 for 2013, instead of the GOP’s original $1 million threshold, which would have had a significant, negative impact on Hoosier workers.

---

If you wish to share your views or opinions about these issues or any other topics related to Indiana state government, please contact me. Please take a moment—if you have not already done so—to sign up for periodic Statehouse eUpdates about the Indiana State Legislature.

Walgreen to install electric car charging stations - Chicago Breaking News

Walgreen to install electric car charging stations - Chicago Breaking News
Smart move!

Is 'racial resentment' behind health reform backlash?

Is 'racial resentment' behind health reform backlash?
(yes)
Ask a truthful (many are) southern white man how he feels about taking orders from a black man(or woman) . Now ask any man. What did you find out?
Surprised? I'm not. I live with this fact everyday that I am black.

I am reading the Book of Revelation right now, learning about how God warns us humans to repent from our evil ways and all but a few ignore his warnings. If people won't listen to their Creator, why do I expect them to listen to me? We have to stop hindering and mistreating each other. What good comes of it?

"A mob of 10,000 white men destroyed the prosperous black community of Tulsa, known as Greenwood or Black Wall Street. The white community, resenting the success of their African-American neighbors, killed at least 300 black residents, possibly many more. "

Philippine priest in ancient battle with 'demons' - Yahoo! News

Philippine priest in ancient battle with 'demons' - Yahoo! News
"With God by your side, you can do no wrong."
This article is about a priest who left a comfortable lifestyle to serve the Lord in a capacity that many pretend do not exist. He banishes demons and unclean spirits from the souls of humans.

Japan: Significant Needs in Remote Quake and Tsunami-hit Areas | Doctors Without Borders

Japan: Significant Needs in Remote Quake and Tsunami-hit Areas | Doctors Without Borders

Oxygen, non-food, medical items and water needed.

7 Ways You're Exposed to Radiation -- When Should You Worry? (When should you pray.)

7 Ways You're Exposed to Radiation -- When Should You Worry?
We humans should stop poisoning the earth. Radiation affects all living things--animal, plant and human. These facts are based on adult exposure, not children, women in their childbearing years, infants or babies-in-the-womb.

Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney aboard Air Force One en route Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Barack Obama | Government News from the White House and Congress - Senate/House of Representatives

Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney aboard Air Force One en route Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Barack Obama | Government News from the White House and Congress - Senate/House of Representatives

Release Time:

For Immediate Release

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1:06 P.M. EDT

MR. CARNEY: So, here we are flying to Philadelphia. I’m here to gaggle. And I just wanted to quickly brief you on phone calls the President made this morning to Senator Reid and to Speaker Boehner. He had good conversations with both leaders, got an update on negotiations over funding for fiscal year 2011, and will monitor progress as the day progresses -- as the day continues, and will -- he’ll call another meeting at the White House if he believes that that’s required. But for now, he was just getting an update.

Q Can you provide an update on the thinking from the White House now on a short-term CR just until they can finalize these negotiations?

MR. CARNEY: What the President said yesterday is what his position is today, which is that he would entertain a essentially clean, very short-term CR if there were an agreement entrain and all that was necessary was a few more days to essentially file the paperwork and get it through the process on Capitol Hill.

Q Jay, the President said yesterday that he would call another meeting today if there wasn’t an agreement yesterday, and then the next day if there wasn’t an agreement --

MR. CARNEY: No, he said if there wasn’t progress. And we all -- you all have reported that there has been some progress in these conversations, in these meetings. And that’s good, obviously -- not an agreement, but progress. And he will monitor the progress or lack thereof on the Hill and will call a meeting if he thinks it’s necessary.

Q With that said --

Q -- his speech to come back for the meeting?

MR. CARNEY: He’ll call a meeting at whatever hour of the day is necessary if he believes that progress is not being made, because we are very close to a situation that would bring about a shutdown in government. And he thinks it would be the -- highly unnecessary and the height of irresponsibility to not get an agreement when agreement is so clearly within reach.

We are, as we talked about yesterday, the Democrats and the President have shown -- demonstrated a willingness to move more than halfway towards the Republicans, willingness to accept the largest domestic discretionary spending cuts in history, discretionary spending cuts that represent the largest cuts as a percentage of GDP since 1982, cuts in programs that in an ideal world he would not want to have to make.

So he’s -- but also he’s laid out his priorities and the choices that he thinks face us now as we are in these final stages of negotiations.

Q Will the President still go to New York even if he needs to call a meeting?

MR. CARNEY: We have no -- well, that's an “if, if” question, a speculative question. We have no plans to change our schedule. As I said, if a meeting needed to be called -- and as of now, there are reports of progress on the Hill. So I’m not saying -- I’m not saying a meeting will happen or not happen today. It may happen tomorrow if necessary. Or as he said, if he needs to meet tomorrow, he’ll meet tomorrow. If he needs to meet today, he’ll meet today, Thursday, Friday, as the President said yesterday.

Q Is he going to talk about that in either appearance today, about the budget negotiations?

MR. CARNEY: I don't want to anticipate what he’ll say. The trip to Philadelphia, he’ll have a town hall meeting to talk about things that Americans really care about as opposed to bickering in Washington over very small -- small ball.

Q Right, but they care about whether the government will shut down or not, right?

MR. CARNEY: Well, they care about gas prices and they care about how energy prices affect their livelihoods and they care deeply about an energy policy that would reduce our dependence on foreign oil in the long term so that we don't have these kind of situations, the shock that people get when prices go up at the gas pump like they have.

So I think that most Americans would -- you would find are much more worried about that than they are about CR FY2011 budget negotiations.

Q Can I just ask one more -- on the wire, it said, right before we took off, that “U.S. official says Qaddafi appeals to Obama in a letter to halt NATO campaign.” Can you -- do you have anything on that, Jay?

MR. CARNEY: Well, we can confirm that there was a letter, but obviously not the first. And the issue of a ceasefire is, as the President made clear when he announced his decision a number of weeks ago, is that it’s not a question of the conditions to -- the conditions the President laid out were clear, which is action, not words -- cessation of violence, withdrawal from the cities and the menacing sort of positions that the Qaddafi forces had taken. And I would just leave it at that, that words are different from actions.

Q Did he talk to President Karzai this morning about the Koran burning?

MR. CARNEY: He did have a SVTC with President Karzai, but I don’t have a readout on the meeting.

Q Will there be a readout later, do you think?

MR. CARNEY: I’ll have to check. I don’t know.

Q Just real quickly back to the budget, would Democrats and the White House accept a $40 billion tax cut package if it did include the riders?

MR. CARNEY: I’m not going to negotiate the elements of an agreement. What I would say is $40 billion is $80 billion; 33 is 73 -- $73 billion, which the President and the Democrats have shown that they are willing to accept, is a great deal more than halfway towards the Republicans. It is also the very amount of spending cuts that the Speaker of the House, the leader of the Republican Party in the House, and the chairman of the House Republican Appropriations Committee identified initially as their target, their goal -- $73 billion, largest cuts in history.

So that’s our position and we believe that what separates us here is not a question about who is for spending cuts and who is not, but an issue over choices made that are -- need to be made in terms of what the composition of those cuts are and choices that we think are -- need to be made based on priorities like funding for education, funding for medical research, funding for Head Start, and not, as I’ve said before, funding for highway earmarks or military spending that the Pentagon has already said it does not want and does not need.

So those are the choices we believe are on the table.

Q Thank you.

MR. CARNEY: Thanks, guys.

END
1:13 P.M. EDT

Future jobs won’t support decent living standard: Report - Yahoo! News

Future jobs won’t support decent living standard: Report - Yahoo! News