Monthly Archives: June 2012

Rush Drummer Neil Peart Denounces Ayn Rand: I’m A ‘Bleeding Heart Libertarian’

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In the latest edition of Rolling Stone, Rush drummer/lyricist Neil Peart opened up about his politics, calling himself a bleeding heart libertarian and renouncing his once-famous interest in the writings of Ayn Rand.

Peart once openly credited Rand for inspiring Rushs 1976 album 2112, which contained a sci-fi plot loosely based on the Objectivist authors novella Anthem. Many other Peart-written lyrics were clearly inspired by Rand-like views on individualism and government for instance, Rushs 1981 hit Tom Sawyer was about a strong individualist whose mind is not for rent/to any God or government, and their 1978 song The Trees was a parable about forced equality.

Rolling Stone asked Peart, Do [Ayn Rand's] words still speak to you? He responded:

Oh, no. That was 40 years ago. But it was important to me at the time in a transition of finding myself and having faith that what I believed was worthwhile. I had come up about that moral attitude about music, and then in my late teens I moved to England to seek fame and fortune and all that, and I was kind of stunned by the cynicism and the factory-like atmosphere of the music world over there and it shook me. Im thinking, Am I wrong? Am I stupid and nave? This is the way that everybody does everything and, had I better get with the program?

This view of the music industry was best captured in Rushs classic rock radio staple Spirit of the Radio, which champions the individualism and freedom of music, despite the pressures of a bureaucratic rock radio industry.

Peart continued:

For me, [Rand's writing] was an affirmation that its alright to totally believe in something and live for it and not compromise. It was a simple as that. On that 2112 album, again I was in my early 20s. I was a kid. Now I call myself a bleeding heart libertarian. Because I do believe in the principles of Libertarianism as an ideal because Im an idealist. Paul Therouxs definition of a cynic is a disappointed idealist. So as you go through past your 20s, your idealism is going to be disappointed many many times. And so, Ive brought my view and also Ive just realized this Libertarianism as I understood it was very good and pure and were all going to be successful and generous to the less fortunate and it was, to me, not dark or cynical. But then I soon saw, of course, the way that it gets twisted by the flaws of humanity. And thats when I evolve now into a bleeding heart Libertarian. Thatll do.

Its always refreshing to hear someone who calls themselves a libertarian not worship the writings of Rand. Take it from this lowly libertarian blogger: libertarianism and Ayn Rand-worship are not inseparable. While her skepticism of government, and the cronies who mooch off it, was insightful and incredibly rare for a fiction author, the moral and cultural absolutism of her philosophy is a big turn-off for some of us. (Plus, her prose is pretty awfulshe reads like a verbose romance novelist.)

Though, I wonder if Peart is aware that Rand hated libertarians, calling them a monstrous, disgusting bunch of people.

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Rush Drummer Neil Peart Denounces Ayn Rand: I’m A ‘Bleeding Heart Libertarian’

Is Ron Paul (maybe) getting ready to endorse Mitt Romney?

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Ron Paul's campaign website recently has featured pieces arguing that the 'mere act of endorsing' another politician (Mitt Romney or anyone) is not an abdication of libertarian principles.

Is it possible that Ron Paul is getting ready to endorse Mitt Romney? More specifically, is he beginning the delicate task of preparing his supporters for the day when such an endorsement might come?

Washington Editor

Peter Grier is The Christian Science Monitor's Washington editor. In this capacity, he helps direct coverage for the paper on most news events in the nation's capital.

We ask that question because Congressman Pauls campaign website in recent days has posted several pieces that discuss political endorsements in a somewhat defensive manner. In one, campaign blogger Jack Hunter talks about libertarian founding father Murray Rothbards 1992 endorsement of President George H. W. Bush.

Rothbards libertarian principles did not evaporate because of the mere act of endorsing, writes Hunter.

As to the current Paul campaign, any endorsements made or not made are done with our movements goals and efforts within the GOP in mind, whether some understand this or not, according to Hunter.

In another post, Hunter reiterated that in the past Ron Paul voted for GOP Reps. John Boehner (Ohio), Dennis Hastert (Illinois), and Newt Gingrich (Georgia) for speaker of the House.

That did not mean Paul shared these lawmakers political beliefs. Their elections as speaker were inevitable, writes Hunter, and Paul wanted to work within the Republican Party to push his own issues.

Ron Paul is a member in good standing of the Republican Party. Ron Pauls message is that he is against his party when its wrong, writes Hunter.

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Is Ron Paul (maybe) getting ready to endorse Mitt Romney?

11 questions with Gary Johnson

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In an interview with Hotsheet last week, Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson spoke at length about the economy overall and President's Obama plans, and also participated in a rapid-fire question-and-answer session.

Johnson is the former Republican governor of New Mexico who first ran for the GOP presidential nomination last year before dropping out to seek the Libertarian Party nomination, which he won in May.

Here's some of what Johnson had to say in the rapid-fire portion of the interview, which you can watch above at left:

"I'm afraid both are quite pale in comparison to the Johnson plan," he said. Johnson's plan would cut 43 percent from the federal budget, including Defense programs and entitlement programs Medicare and Medicaid. He also calls for implementation of the "fair tax," or a national sales tax to replace the current tax system.

To find out what he said when asked to choose between "Romneycare" or "Obamacare," or between Romney or Mr. Obama overall, watch the video to find out.

Gary Johnson compares U.S. to Greece, laughs at Obama's economic plan

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11 questions with Gary Johnson

LEAD: Falkland Islands referendum over "political status" announced

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London (dpa) - The Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic will hold a referendum next year about their "political status" in the hope of bringing to an end a dispute between Britain and Argentina over the islands sovereignty, the islands government said Tuesday.

Reacting to the announcement in London, British Prime Minister David Cameron said his government would "respect and defend" the outcome of the referendum, to be held in the first half of 2013.

"The voice of the Falkland Islands people should be heard. I hope very much that Argentina, and indeed the whole of the international community, joins the UK in listening carefully to what they have to say," said Britains Foreign Secretary, William Hague.

His envoy, Foreign Office minister Jeremy Browne, who is currently visiting the islands, said it was a "truly significant moment."

The announcement came amid tension between Britain and Argentina over the disputed islands, over which the two nations went to war in 1982.

Referring to the anniversary, Cameron said Tuesday: "Thirty years ago, they made clear that they wanted to stay British. Thats why British forces bravely liberated the island from Argentine invaders."

The bloody conflict over the islands, with a population of just 3,000 people, claimed the lives of 655 Argentinian soldiers and 255 British servicemen. The 30th anniversary of the end of the conflict is marked on June 14.

Next years referendum would determine beyond doubt the views of the people of the Falklands, said Cameron. "We look to all UN members to live up to their responsibilities under the UN charter and accept the islanders decision about how they want to live."

The Falkland Islands government said Tuesday that it hoped the referendum would send a firm message to Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner that the islanders wanted to remain British.

"We are holding this referendum, not because we have any doubts about who we are and what future we want, but to show the world just how certain we are about it," said Gavin Short, chairman of the Legislative Assembly in the Falkland Islands capital, Port Stanley.

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LEAD: Falkland Islands referendum over "political status" announced

Falkland Islands to Hold Vote on Political Status

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--Falkland Islands will hold referendum in first half of 2013

--UK says it will support the choice of Falkland Islanders

LONDON--The Falkland Islands on Tuesday announced plans to hold a referendum on their political status next year, in a bid to end the territorial dispute between Britain and Argentina 30 years after the two countries fought a brief, but bloody war over the oil-rich archipelago.

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain would be "resolute" in supporting their choice. Officials from Argentina's foreign ministry couldn't be reached for comment. But Argentina has long rejected self-determination as a answer to the question of sovereignty.

The announcement comes as the South Atlantic archipelago prepares to mark 30 years since British forces wrested back the islands from 74 days of Argentine military occupation. More than 900 Argentine and British military personnel were killed in the conflict.

Jeremy Browne, a U.K. foreign office minister, is currently in the Falklands to commemorate the war's end on June 14, 1982.

Tensions between Argentina and the U.K. have increased in recent months ahead of the anniversary. The prospect of oil and gas finds off the islands has also fueled the dispute.

Gavin Short, chairman of the islands' legislative assembly, said he has no doubt that Falklanders wish to be considered part of the U.K.

"We certainly have no desire to be ruled by the government in Buenos Aires, a fact that is immediately obvious to anyone who has visited the islands and heard our views," he said.

"We have thought carefully about how to convey a strong message to the outside world that expresses the views of the Falklands people in a clear, democratic and incontestable way. So we have decided, with the full support of the British government, to hold a referendum on the Falkland Islands to eliminate any possible doubt about our wishes."

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Falkland Islands to Hold Vote on Political Status

Japanese donate millions to buy islands

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Japanese national pride has attracted $14 million and counting. That's how much citizens have chipped into a public fund to buy a set of islands the Japanese say is rightfully theirs.

The islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, have been a diplomatic and emotional wedge between the two Asian superpowers, as both countries lay claims to the five uninhabited rocky islets in the East China Sea.

The dispute, which dates back decades, came to a boiling point in 2010 when a Chinese fishing trawler rammed into a Japan Coast Guard vessel on patrol in the island's waters. Japan detained the crew but later released them under Chinese diplomatic and trade pressure.

Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara never got over that dispute and his national government's response, which he characterizes as "weak." Ishihara, an unrepentant nationalist who is loudly anti-China, said when it comes to the islands, China is acting like "a burglar in Japan's house."

"Chinese hegemony is totally intolerable to us," said Ishihara. "We do not want to become a second Tibet and Mongolia. We have no intention of becoming China's annex. We shall stop China, who is coming to steal our land."

Driven by that nationalist fury, Ishihara cooked up a plan with a family, who claims to own four of the five disputed islands. That family, the Kuriharas, says it has documents showing the islands' Japanese ownership dating back to 1890.

Ishihara established a public fund for donors to send in money to the Tokyo metropolitan government. The city of Tokyo would eventually use that money to buy the islands from the Kurihara family, turning them from private Japanese property into government property. Hiroyuki Kurihara said his family would sell the islands to Tokyo's government, calling a sale in his country's "national interest."

"It's not possible for my family to keep protecting the island, considering the territorial issue," he said. Kurihara added that as owners, the Tokyo or national government would "protect the island in an appropriate way" from China.

Kurihara and Tokyo's governor announced the public fund last month. Ishihara said he expected to raise eyebrows and make a point to China about Japan's interest in the islands. He said he didn't expect a flood of money.

The fund has raised the equivalent of $14 million and it continues to grow daily.

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Japanese donate millions to buy islands

Falklands Will Hold Referendum Next Year on Islands’ Status

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LIBOR TRADERS AVOID CRIMINAL CHARGES IN BRITISH PROBE

By Robert Hutton and Eddie Buckle - 2012-06-12T13:45:12Z

The government of the Falkland Islands, the British territory in the South Atlantic claimed by Argentina, said it will hold a referendum in the first half of 2013 on the islands status.

I have no doubt that the people of the Falklands wish for the islands to remain a self-governing Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom, Gavin Short, the chairman of the Falklands legislative committee, said in an e-mailed statement today. We certainly have no desire to be ruled by the government in Buenos Aires, a fact that is immediately obvious to anyone who has visited the islands and heard our views.

Britain and Argentina went to war over the Falklands 30 years ago after Argentinian forces invaded the archipelago. Tensions have heightened this year, with Argentina protesting at the U.K.s deployment of a modern warship to the region and Prince Williams arrival for a stint as a military-helicopter pilot. Argentina said last week five British oil companies are operating illegally near the islands by exploring for crude.

Next years referendum will determine beyond doubt the views of the people of the Falklands, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said in an e-mailed statement. Britain will respect and defend their choice.

A total of 255 British military personnel were killed while 649 Argentinian lives were lost in the 1982 conflict over the islands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas. Britain has since reinforced its armed forces on the islands, which have a population of about 2,500 people.

We have thought carefully about how to convey a strong message to the outside world that expresses the views of the Falklands people in a clear, democratic and incontestable way, Short said. The Argentine government deploys misleading rhetoric that wrongly implies that we have no strong views or even that we are being held hostage by the U.K. military. This is simply absurd.

The Argentinian government said June 4 that Borders & Southern Petroleum Plc (BOR), Rockhopper Exploration Plc (RKH), Desire Petroleum Plc (DES), Argos Resources Ltd. and Falkland Oil and Gas Ltd. dont have the required permits to operate off the Falklands. Salisbury, England-based Rockhopper and London-based Borders & Southern have announced discoveries.

To contact the reporters on this story: Robert Hutton in London at rhutton1@bloomberg.net; Eddie Buckle in London at ebuckle@bloomberg.net

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Falklands Will Hold Referendum Next Year on Islands’ Status

Falkland Islands plan referendum 'to send a message to Argentina'

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A Falkland Islands spokesman said the vote would reinforce the message that residents had the right to freely reject the Argentinian claims. He said that only a few residents, "probably those who misread the question", were expected to vote against continued ties to Britain.

"We have thought carefully about how to convey a strong message to the outside world that expresses the views of the Falklands people in a clear, democratic and incontestable way," said Gavin Short, the Speaker of the Legislative assembly said. "The Argentine government deploys misleading rhetoric that wrongly implies that we have no strong views or even that we are being held hostage by the UK military. This is simply absurd."

President Cristina Kirchner, Argentina's nationalist leader, plans to address a UN committee on decolonisation on Thursday in New York. Her views will be confronted by a delegation of Falkland residents who will publicly restate their right to remain British.

British officials have criticised the "domineering" approach pursued by Buenos Aires, including threats to island's trade by banning British flagged ships and legal pursuit of oil firms exploring for oil in its waters.

Mr Cameron said the islanders were in effect sovereign and the vote would vindicate British support for the far away territories.

"I have always said it is up to the Falkland Islanders themselves to choose whether they want to be British and that the world should listen to their views," he said. "Thirty years ago they made clear that they wanted to stay British. That's why British forces bravely liberated the island from Argentine invaders."

Since the 1982 war, which cost 255 British and 655 Argentinian lives, Falkland officials have bolstered the democratic constitution of the islands, introducing a fully elected Legislative Assembly in 2009.

Ordinary Islanders retain a romantic, deeply emotional, view of their nationality. One resident pointed out yesterday that Argentina was 400 miles from the islands, not a bordering state that was hankering after a lost slice of territory.

Jeremy Browne, the Foreign Office junior minister, who is visiting Stanley to mark the surrender, promised support for the vote. Island leaders said they would bring in outside experts to frame a fair question.

No effort would be made to stop Argentina if it mounts a campaign to woo the island voters. The number of Argentinian passport holders resident on the island is thought to be less than 30.

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Falkland Islands plan referendum 'to send a message to Argentina'

Falkland Islands government says it plans referendum on its future political status

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LONDON The Falkland Islands government said Tuesday it plans a referendum next year on the political future of the tiny south Atlantic archipelago, seeking to end Argentina's claims of sovereignty and to secure its status as a British territory.

Gavin Short, chairman of the Falklands' legislature, made the announcement ahead of Thursday's 30th anniversary of the end of the brief 1982 war between Britain and Argentina over the islands, which saw more than 900 people die.

Tensions have risen ahead of the June 14 anniversary, with Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez planning to press her country's case at a meeting of the U.N.'s decolonization committee to be held on Thursday in New York.

Short said he hoped that a referendum would help the Falklanders "convey a strong message to the outside world," about their desire to retain ties to London.

"We are holding this referendum not because we have any doubts about who we are and what future we want, but to show the world just how very certain we are about that," Short said in a statement.

He said that he had no doubt that the people of the Falklands "wish for the islands to remain a self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom."

British Prime Minister David Cameron said the U.K. would abide by whatever choice the islanders make when they hold their vote and urged Argentina and its allies to do the same.

"Britain will respect and defend their choice. We look to all U.N. members to live up to their responsibilities under the U.N. charter and accept the islanders' decision about how they want to live," he said.

Argentines insist Britain has illegally occupied the islands they call the Islas Malvinas since 1833. Britain accuses Buenos Aires of ignoring the wishes of the island's population of about 3,000 people.

A total of 649 Argentines and 255 British soldiers died in the 1982 war fought between the nations over the archipelago, prompted by the Argentine invasion of the islands.

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Falkland Islands government says it plans referendum on its future political status

Falkland Islands to vote on UK or Argentina rule

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By NBC News' partner, ITV News

Britains Falkland Islands are to hold a referendum on their "political status" - hoping to bring an end to the continuing dispute with Argentina over the islands' sovereignty, their government said Tuesday.

Britain and Argentina in 1982 went to war over the South Atlantic islands, and 30 years later tensions have escalated between the two nations.

Cristina Fernandez, Argentina's president, has asserted her country's claims to the islands - known in Spanish as Las Malvinas and has asked for negotiations with Britain to end their colonial control from London.

An Argentinian television ad showing an Olympic hopeful training on a British war memorial in the Falklands has been branded a "stunt" by foreign secretary William Hague. ITN reports.

The referendum is expected to take place in the first half of 2013.

Read the full story at ITV News

Gavin Short, chairman of the Legislative Assembly for the Falkland Islands, said he hoped a referendum would indicate islanders are "certain" about their future.

Mr Short said: I have no doubt that the people of the Falklands wish for the islands to remain a self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom.

We certainly have no desire to be ruled by the government in Buenos Aires, a fact that is immediately obvious to anyone who has visited the islands and heard our views.

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Falkland Islands to vote on UK or Argentina rule

Falkland Islands will vote on political status

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By Mariano Castillo, CNN

updated 11:33 AM EDT, Tue June 12, 2012

Locator map of the Falkland Islands.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- The Falkland Islands government announced Tuesday that the British territory will hold a referendum on its political status.

The vote is intended to affirm islanders' desire to remain a self-governing territory of the United Kingdom and to reject claims of ownership by nearby Argentina.

The Argentine government in recent months has stepped up its rhetoric over the Falklands, saying that the U.K. is exploiting the resources of the islands it calls Las Malvinas. The British defeated Argentina in a 1982 war over the territory.

"We have thought carefully about how to convey a strong message to the outside world that expresses the views of the Falklands people in a clear, democratic and incontestable way," said Gavin Short, chairman of the Falklands legislative assembly. "So we have decided, with the full support of the British government, to hold a referendum on the Falkland Islands to eliminate any possible doubt about our wishes."

The vote will take place in the first half of 2013.

The Argentine government did not immediately respond to the announcement.

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Falkland Islands will vote on political status

Genetics used as weapon against malaria

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U.S. researchers say they've created genetically modified mosquitoes incapable of transmitting the deadly disease malaria to humans.

IRVINE, Calif., June 12 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they've created genetically modified mosquitoes incapable of transmitting the deadly disease malaria to humans.

Scientists at the University of California, Irvine, say the genetic option of breeding mosquitoes unable to infect people with the malaria parasite could help curb one of the world's most pressing public health issues.

Researchers at the Irvine campus, along with colleagues from the Pasteur Institute in Paris, have produced a model of the Anopheles stephensi mosquito -- a major source of malaria in India and the Middle East -- that impairs the development of the malaria parasite so it cannot transmit the disease through their bites.

"Our group has made significant advances with the creation of transgenic mosquitoes," UCI microbiology Professor Anthony James said in a university release Tuesday.

"But this is the first model of a malaria vector with a genetic modification that can potentially exist in wild populations and be transferred through generations without affecting their fitness."

The genetic modification can be applied to the dozens of different mosquito types that harbor and transmit the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, researchers said.

In the genetically modified mosquitoes antibodies are released that render the parasite harmless to others, they said.

"We see a complete deletion of the infectious version of the malaria parasite," James said. "This blocking process within the insect that carries malaria can help significantly reduce human sickness and death."

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Genetics used as weapon against malaria

Model Organisms Help Researchers Learn About Human Cancers

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Newswise BETHESDA, MD June 12, 2012 -- Its hard to imagine that a zebrafish, a small tropical freshwater fish that is often found in home aquariums, could help scientists solve complicated problems about melanoma, a type of human skin cancer. But zebrafish and other small organismssuch as fruit flies, roundworms, yeast and mice are helping research scientists uncover how human cancersskin, colon, breast and othersbegin, invade, spread and can be treated. Many of the top scientists in the model organism and human cancer fields will be meeting to discuss their research at the Genetics Society of Americas (GSAs) Model Organisms to Human Biology (MOHB): Cancer Genetics Meeting on June 17-20, 2012 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Nature reuses the same building blocks to construct organisms as different as yeasts, worms, flies, fish, mice, and humans. Key aspects of most human disorders, including cancer, can be modeled in these organisms, said Phil Hieter, PhD, (University of British Columbia), president of the GSA. This MOHB meeting is occurring at a very exciting time when the genetic mutations that cause cancer are being discovered at an unprecedented pace. This meeting will showcase the power of the multi-organismal approach to understanding gene function relevant to disease and will stimulate cross-talk and collaboration between cancer researchers and basic scientists, Dr. Hieter added.

Model organisms are used to study complex diseases like cancer because of their short life cycles and well-understood biology, which enable researchers to dissect the disease, conduct experiments, and even try out treatments in ways that wouldnt be possible in people.

We study model organisms to improve the health of people, said Judith Greenberg, PhD, Acting Director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. They enable us to identify the root causes of disease, track disease progression, and test out potential therapies. These days, as scientists sort through the ever increasing wealth of genomic data, model organisms are more important than ever to help us understand the molecular underpinnings of cancer and other complex diseases. Several model organisms are featured in talks at the GSA MOHB: Cancer Genetics Meeting, suggesting the broad application of different experimental systems to explore human disease. In addition to the zebrafish mentioned above, other model organisms featured include: The tiny worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, which exhibits single cell movements that mimic the migration of a tumor cell in humans. Fruit flies with the same set of sequential mutations that causes cancer in human colons. Mice with isolated tumor cells in which chromosomes are lost and gained, and cancer-regulating genes turned on and off in addition to epigenetic or outside the genome influences that start and propel a cancer. Yeast with telomereschromosome tipsthat fail to whittle down in cancer cells and consequently enable the cells to ignore the clocks that normally regulate cell division.

Collectively, model organisms provide a unique window to the mechanistic heart of cancer: the loss of normal cell division controls, failed response to DNA damage, telomeres which are too long, and profound genomic instability. Some model organisms have their own version of human cancer cell mutations naturally, while others are modified to bear human genes. In addition, by using model organisms to study cancer, researchers are able to deftly separate genetic causes from environmental ones within a short timeframe since the life cycle of these organisms is considerably shorter than those of humans.

In addition to the informative talks like the ones mentioned above, GSAs MOHB: Cancer Genetics Meeting features keynote addresses from Bert Vogelstein, MD (Johns Hopkins University) on cancer genomes and their implications for basic and applied research; Eric S. Lander, PhD (Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and co-chair of the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science & Technology) on the secrets of the human genome, and Angelika Amon, PhD (MIT) , on the consequences of aneuploidy, which is a different number of chromosomes than the normal set.

The meeting, which runs from Sunday, June 17 to Wednesday, June 20, 2012, is intended to bring together basic scientists conducting research using model organisms with those engaged in human cancer research more directly. Registration is available online until June 12 and onsite during the meeting. For more information, see the website at http://www.mohb.org/2012/. Media interested in covering the meeting should contact Phyllis Edelman, pedelman@genetics-gsa.org. ABOUT THE MODEL ORGANISM TO HUMAN BIOLOGY MEETING: The GSA MOHB Meeting has been held every other year since 2006. The GSA Board of Directors developed this meeting to enable basic research scientists studying genetic diseases in model organisms and scientists studying these diseases in humans to have a forum for discussion of their findings and to forge collaborative investigations.

ABOUT GSA: Founded in 1931, the Genetics Society of America (GSA) is the professional membership organization for scientific researchers, educators, bioengineers, bioinformaticians and others interested in the field of genetics. Its nearly 5,000 members work to advance knowledge in the basic mechanisms of inheritance, from the molecular to the population level. The GSA is dedicated to promoting research in genetics and to facilitating communication among geneticists worldwide through its conferences, including the biennial conference on Model Organisms to Human Biology, an interdisciplinary meeting on current and cutting edge topics in genetics research, as well as annual and biennial meetings that focus on the genetics of particular organisms, including C. elegans, Drosophila, fungi, mice, yeast, and zebrafish. GSA publishes GENETICS, a leading journal in the field and an online, open-access j, G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics. For more information about GSA, please visit http://www.genetics-gsa.org. Also follow GSA on Facebook at facebook.com/GeneticsGSA and on Twitter @GeneticsGSA.

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Model Organisms Help Researchers Learn About Human Cancers

GOP adjusts health care strategy

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Speaker John Boehner recently told Republicans in a private meeting to change their tone on health care and fast: stop using job-killing to describe the Obama health care law.

Instead, emphasize that the law drives up costs and makes things worse for small businesses.

Why? The job-killing message was polling poorly, sources said.

The episode underscores both the GOPs recognition that it needs to be ready to respond to the Supreme Courts looming decision on the health care law and the delicacy with which Republicans must fashion that response.

Theres no time to waste: GOP leaders plan to bookend July with a weeklong debate on health care after the court releases its ruling in late June and a tax-cut fight at the end of the month.

The strategy the finalization of months of deliberations by GOP leaders over whether to rebut Obama on health care and tax cuts before the summer break comes at a time when many rank-and-file Republicans are grumbling that they dont have much to show for the last year and a half in Washington.

So Republican leaders wanted to give their members a platform to frame their side of the political debate as the campaign season heats up with the added bonus of giving fuel to tea party Republicans as well as the tax-minded establishment. It also lays markers on taxes and health care, which will be key in the lame-duck session of Congress and beyond.

These are the fights going into the election, one GOP aide told POLITICO.

The message: This is the Republican position on taxes and health care. Weve got a plan, and we can execute it.

But GOP insiders insist they havent finalized that plan quite yet an acknowledgment of the tricky task of putting together a health care response that satisfies both moderates and conservatives and comports to a yet-unknown Supreme Court ruling.

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GOP adjusts health care strategy