American Morning
What's on Tap – Thursday October 8, 2009
Here are the top stories we’ll be breaking down for you this morning:
Breaking news: The Taliban is reportedly claiming responsibility for a suicide car bombing this morning near the Indian embassy in Kabul. At least 12 people were killed and 60 were injured in the attack. The explosion shattered car windows and knocked down walls. Paramedics are digging through debris searching for survivors. Read more
Deciding the next move in Afghanistan… An official request for more troops is now on President Obama's desk. It comes from his top general. Our Barbara Starr is live at the Pentagon where there are new questions this morning about the president's approach to the war.
And Washington is still looking for a fix on the make or break push for health care reform. We know insurance premiums and co-pays are going up, but what's the reason? The cost of care or greedy insurance execs? One case in Maine is taking that question to court. CNN's Jim Acosta has that story.
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It is sad that we are have any debate about the war and supporting it. We wasted time in Iraq looking for imagined Weapons of Mass Destruction while we allowed Osama bin Laden to get further away. Let us rememeber that we lost over 3000 lives on Sept. 11 2001. On our own soil nonetheless. How soon so many forget. Thank goodness we didn't waste time after the attack on Pearl Harbor. I wonder how that would have panned out if we had wasted time going after imaginary foes and weapons.
These terrorists of various organizations are killing hundreds if not thousands of their own people. Where is the outcry about this???? If the Allied forces accidently kill civilians while pursuing these same terrorists all heck breaks loose. Why haven't we wiped out the poppy crops in Afghanistan? Paying the farmers not to plant them would be a lot cheaper than the policy that we have now. Or, is our govt. in the drug trade like they were during Vietnam? There should be a law that foggy bottom and any politicians that have no military service be able to advise on the amount of troops we have or ANY military option. Look at what the likes of rumsfeld did. He should have been charged with multiple charges of murder for all of the troops killed because of his negligence. These so called 'intelligent people' learned nothing from their screwups in Vietnam and even Korea.
With all the coverage focused on the high cost of health insurance premiums, your reaction of surprise- bordering -on- shock at an individual monthly cost of $500.00 actually made me chuckle. Are you sitting? Our household of 4 (parents and 2 sons) pay over $1200.00 for our monthly premiums! WITH a $5000 deductible! PLUS we have to "pay upfront" for all medicines ( another $650.00 at least, monthly). And, although 80% gets reimbursed, that process takes about 2 months (SURPRISE)!!
Well, at least the woman from Maine seemed friendly which is some consolation. Because we are likely to find ourselves exchanging "cat food recipes" in another ten years or so...
To those who are upset became President Obama is analysing the way forward in Afghanistan, I, as Canadian, am thankful that he is looking seriously at all options. It is not only American blood which has been shed there. Canadian soldiers (including my grandson) have been there, since the beginning, stayed after former President Bush left for another war, and are still there today. Canadians mourn the deaths of their family members, just as you do. The only time Americans hear about our casualties, is when you hear the almost aside comment, of "NATO deaths. So... thank God your President is doing an in-depth review of Afghanistan strategy.
I really hope that CNN gives Michael Ware much more time on the air to explain what is happening in Afghanistan!
Michael Ware in my opinion is by far the most knowledgeable, credible, and objective journalist in the business when it comes to reporting about and explaining complex foreign policy issues!
I would even hope that President Obama would call Michael Ware into the Oval Office to ask for his advice about Afghanistan. While nobody is perfect or infallible, I have never seen Michael Ware ever make an unsound call on anything that he has ever reported about and explained in all of the years I have been watching him on CNN!
Mitch Dworkin
Dallas, Texas
Students in this country are tested with Norm Referenced Tests instead of Criteron Referenced Tests. What does this mean; simply put Norm Referenced Tests are based on what students across the country have been taught (maybe). While Criteron Referenced Tests are based on what any one child has learned in the classroom. Big Difference. The Criteron Referenced Test is a much more accurate measure of the learning curve. Stats for this type of test cannot be 'fudged' as they can be on Norm Referenced Tests. We need to pressure our state school administrators to do away with Norm Referenced Testing once and for all!
In Secretary Gates, President Obama and General McChrystal, we have the best, most pragmatic minds, the best analysts of what is necessary to safeguard this country. Yes, the war is terribly costly and it's not going well, but we can't abandon our efforts to prevent al-Qaida from stregthening. Imagine what will happen if they and the Taliban defeat America. There will be no end to terrorism world wide. We are in a fight with terrorists. We must prevail, depsite the cost and the hardship.
SCHOOL
Jeb Bush was on talking about education. If you and I was a truck driver and I drove 100 miles and tore up 2 fenders and took to long to get my miles in, you started driving 100 miles and had a certain time to get there. You get blamed for being late and the truck condition. Myi grandson came home in the second grade, I was checking his papers. So I was going to try and help him on his spelling. I was told no the teacher knows, she is a teacher. She spelled Monday, Munday. A lot of teachers in some schools can't speak undersandable English. Where did you get the $43.000 teachers pay? My wife teaches and gets about that amount with a masters and years of teaching. Lot of places start less than $30,000.
Concerning your interview with Gov. Bush this morning on the subject of education: How Jeb is wrong, let me count the ways;
1. He's says that we spend more per student than any other country. Compare us to all of the European countries while keeping my next point in mind.
2. Our national per student spending look high, but when you compare the "have" schools to the "have not" schools, you will find that we are spending five times more on some students than on others.
3. Merit pay for teachers is based on standardized testing, which is deeply flawed. A social studies teacher, for example, should be teaching students to think critically. How can students demonstrate critical thinking skills on a test that only evaluates their retention of a list of "historical facts"? Do we really care if our children can name the famous Spanish explorers of the sixteenth century? What we need to be teaching them is how to consider the issues and vote for the politicians that represent their interests.
Also, since merit pay is based on student performance, the "best " teachers will never be those working with the most challenging students. The disparity in spending between the well-off schools and the poor schools will increase because those schools with the most resources will have the best test scores and their teachers will recieve the raises.
You should interview Jonathan Kozol!