Fair Proxy Web

Hollywood producers make offer

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) — Hollywood studios presented a new contract offer to striking film and TV writers Thursday that the studios said would pay writers millions of dollars extra for shows created for the Internet.

But writers said some of the proposals amounted to rollbacks and said studios should adopt their counteroffer.

The Writers Guild of America said it asked for a recess in the talks until Tuesday to consider its options, but it called on members to continue picketing Friday and Monday.

The producers said the new offer, dubbed the New Economic Partnership, included payments for work shown on the Internet, the key sticking points in the talks.

The entire value of the New Economic Partnership will deliver more than $130 million in additional compensation above and beyond the more than $1.3 billion writers already receive each year, the statement from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said.

The $130 million sum was over the life of the proposed three-year deal, producers said. No further details of the terms were released in the first statement since both sides imposed a media blackout Monday.

The guild countered with a lengthier response, saying the producers’ proposal only dealt with advertising-supported programs streamed for free and jurisdiction over shows created for the Web and it amounts to a massive rollback.

The writers said their plan, presented Thursday, would cost producers $151 million over three years.

That’s a little over a 3 percent increase in writer earnings each year, while company revenues are projected to grow at a rate of 10 percent, the statement said. We are falling behind.

The conflicting details and tone of the statements is confusing, said Jonathan Handel, an entertainment lawyer who served in the 1990s as an associate counsel for the writers guild.

None of this computes, Handel said. It’s very difficult to analyze this in any rigorous way.

Handel noted that, on the surface, the two sides seems to be only $20 million apart if the producers’ statement is read to mean $130 million over three years.

The tone of the writers’ statement seems angry, Handel said, while the producers’ statement seemed more upbeat.

Handel said both sides should end the confusion by publishing the full details of the proposals.

David Kidd, a screenwriter from Glendale, said he was hopeful but not overly optimistic about what he described as an apparent sweet offer from producers.

I don’t know what sweet is until I taste it, Kidd said. Nobody wants to go in and accept a bad offer.

Meanwhile, protesting writers converged on NBC’s studios in suburban Burbank to rally against restarted production of the late-night show Last Call With Carson Daly. Watch a protester skewer Carson Daly and comedian Ellen DeGeneres

Several people said Daly circled the Burbank lot before entering a gate with no pickets.

Adam Waring, who has written for the sitcom Two and a Half Men, said he and two other writers dashed around a corner to intercept Daly.

We stood in front of his car, and he told his driver to keep going, Waring said, adding that protesters had to move out of the way.

Last Call was the first late-night show to resume production since the strike began November 5. The walkout has also idled production on many scripted television series.

Daly has defended the move, saying he still supports the writers but did not want to see all 75 members of his staff and crew lose their jobs because of the work stoppage.

Protesters at NBC carried signs reading, Carson Daly Please Don’t Cross and Carson Daly Please Support Us.

Among them was Joe Medeiros, 56, head writer on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He said union members were disappointed with Daly’s break in solidarity.

All the other late-night hosts are holding firm, Medeiros said. That’s what they need to do to solve this in a timely manner.
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Venezuelans protest, as vote nears

CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN) — One day after demonstrators thronged the Venezuelan capital’s main thoroughfare to express their opposition to Sunday’s referendum on changes to the constitution, supporters of President Hugo Chavez plan to hold their own demonstrations on Friday.

Tens of thousands of people filled Avenida Bolivar from early in the morning Thursday to voice fears that approval of the 69 proposed amendments would give Chavez a tighter grip on power and lead to a totalitarian state.

Both sides have declared they will emerge victorious. Recent polls have put the odds at about even.

At stake is whether the leftist leader should have full authority over the now autonomous Central Bank and the nation’s economic policy. Chavez has said the changes are necessary to move the economy toward socialism.

The most controversial amendment would do away with term limits, allowing the 53-year-old firebrand president, who has already served almost eight years in power, to hold the office indefinitely as long as he is re-elected. Watch what else is being proposed

The constitution is the one Chavez helped write when he was voted into office in 1998, promising to rid the country of corruption. He was twice re-elected by large margins and is not due to leave office until 2013.

The peaceful demonstration on Thursday contrasted with others in recent days, when riot police fired tear gas and water cannon jets at university students, as they tried to take their protests off university grounds.

Early this month several anti-Chavez demonstrators were wounded by gunfire. And on Monday, a student was killed during a rally in the state of Maracaibo. The shootings are under investigation, a government spokesman said.

Chavez insists the majority of Venezuela’s 26 million people back him, and indeed he has garnered overwhelming support from the country’s poorer neighborhoods, who have benefited from his policies — paid for by skyrocketing oil prices. Oil accounts for roughly 90 percent of the country’s export earnings, according to the CIA World Factbook.

Among the benefits reaped by Venezuela’s impoverished classes have been free health care and education — the same benefits accorded Cuba’s poor under Chavez’s friend and mentor, Cuban President Fidel Castro.

But Raul Baduel, a former Venezuelan defense minister who has broken with Chavez, earlier this month called Sunday’s vote a coup. They’re attempting to usurp the constitutional powers of the Venezuelan people, he told CNN.

Venezuelan Deputy Chief of Mission Angelo Rivero ridiculed Baduel’s remarks, saying, If General Baduel believes this is a coup d’etat, it would be the first time in history that a coup d’etat is voted for by the majority of the people.

Chavez, a former paratrooper, routinely thumbs his nose at the United States and has called his U.S. counterpart, George W. Bush, the devil.

On Wednesday, he accused the United States of pushing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to end Chavez’s efforts to broker the release of hundreds of people kidnapped by Colombian leftist rebels.

Chavez does have warm relations with Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and has joined in his call for the oil-producing cartel OPEC to switch to euros from dollars, which Ahmadinejad has called worthless. Their recommendation was rejected.

Despite the animosity, the United States and Venezuela remain closely tied economically: The United States is Venezuela’s biggest oil customer and one of the few countries that can refine its low-quality crude.

Chavez survived a botched, two-day coup attempt in 2002 and has accused the United States of having supported anti-democratic forces.
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Newsquiz: Week of November 26

(CNN Student News) — November 30, 2007

Get a clue — Use each of the following clues to figure out who or what is being described from stories you saw on CNN Student News this week. Write your answers in the space provided.

1. A Middle East peace conference was held in this U.S. city.

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2. Ehud Olmert is the prime minister of this country.

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3. This Canadian cruise ship sunk off the icy waters of Antarctica.

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4. China recently denied this U.S. aircraft carrier and its battle group entry into the port of Hong Kong.

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5. This U.S. city enacted a ban on plastic bags.

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6. A court in this nation found British teacher Gillian Gibbons guilty of insulting religion and sentenced her to 15 days in prison.

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7. T-Mobile dropped its sponsorship of one of the biggest organizations in this professional sport.

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8. During a presidential debate, Republican candidates answered questions posted by the public on this Internet site.

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9. This Pakistani leader resigned from his country’s military and was sworn in as a civilian president.

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10. Doctors announced that this five-year-old Iraqi burn victim underwent his most significant surgery to date.

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* E-mail to a friend

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Their questions, their take on the answers

(CNN) — Just like the questions in Wednesday night’s Republican debate, the post-show analysis started in the living rooms, dorm rooms and at least one basement TV studio of the people watching the fireworks on screen.

CNN asked YouTube questioners and I-Report contributors watching the debate at home what they thought. Who did the best? Results were mixed: several I-Reporters praised former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s one-liners, but Sen. John McCain, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney all scored points with the YouTube and I-Report groups.

Conner Tipping, an I-Report contributor and student at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, said he thought McCain’s answers about illegal immigration and torture took the moral high ground in the debate, while Mark McSweeney of Henniker, New Hampshire, said he hadn’t heard about Huckabee until the debate but thought he had some great stuff.

Several commented on the format of the debate itself, praising the fireworks between Romney and Giuliani at the beginning of the night and complaining that they hadn’t heard enough from each candidate.

Sgt. Shaphan Richardson, a U.S. soldier stationed in South Korea, called the exchange between Giuliani and Romney the most interesting part of the night. I wanted to hear more, he said.

Donna Isenhower, on the other hand, said she hadn’t heard enough from each of the candidates to make a decision. The title of her video: What was THAT? Hear what the I-Reporters had to say about the debate

A handful of YouTube users whose questions had been picked for the debate watched the event as part of the live audience in St. Petersburg, Florida, and shared their thoughts on how the candidates did. Reactions overall were mixed, but most said what they’d heard would influence their vote. See what YouTube questioners thought about the candidates’ answers

Of course, many of the I-Report contributors who responded to the GOP debate did it the old-fashioned way: through e-mail. Below is a collection of their responses, some of which have been edited for length and clarity.

Douglas Berube of Salem, New Hampshire To find a good candidate, I make a list of all the things I have to tear down from their image, and yet still appreciate about them, including: humor, wit, insults, smooth talk, and charm. Only after these minor characteristics are torn down will a candidate’s true colors show. I base my decision of a winner on, not just the amount of spotlight or applause he gets, but the message he delivers. With that being said, it is undoubtedly Congressman Ron Paul. His message is so clear.

Barbara Joyce of Albuquerque, New Mexico I thought this was a debate about politics and issues for president, not for a religious leader, so what was that about all the questions about religion, which is none of my business nor is it any of their business about my religious beliefs. terrible

Anthony Cancel of Dallas, Texas Dear CNN, Out of 4000 questions submitted — I am a little disappointed in your choices to ask the candidates. I couldn’t believe that there wasn’t a single question or mention about global warming or the environment. As big an issue as it is, how can you not get a question in about that subject or, for that matter, a question on energy usage and new sources of energy?

Nancy Kolger of Richmond, Indiana I am a 67-year-old widow. I am clearly disappointed about the questions chosen tonight for the candidates to answer. As a senior citizen I am really disappointed that not one question was asked about health care and rising drug costs for all the people. I can send you an e-mail response and/or question but I do not know how to take or send a video or download and all that other stuff that younger people do. So therefore I was not given the chance to ask a question and I feel this is a form of discrimination or else lack of CNN taking the time to scan through e-mails as they have obviously done with videos. Next time I hope you will consider the fact that a lot of the citizens/voters of this country do not know how to use all this modern stuff and it would be nice if you just had a senior citizen debate with the candidates; and I bet some really good questions besides, wars, gun control, immigration, abortion, gays, etc, would come forth. Like health care, drug expenses, gas prices, feeding, clothing, and housing the elderly, more American jobs, etc. Thank you!

Anonymous from Washington I am a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. I served as a platoon leader, and am now working at the battalion level and am about to make the rank of captain. I ask that you not use my name because I am active duty. In response to the candidates’ remarks on gays in the military, not a single one will get my vote. Sen. McCain said he has talked to the leaders in the Army, the generals. These are not the people to talk to on this issue; the people to talk to are the lieutenants, the captains and the sergeants. They are the ones who serve with these soldiers. They are the ones who see how these soldiers serve. Openly gay soldiers should not be discriminated against. They do not damage morale; they do not damage the ability of a unit to fight. Years ago, the ability of women to fight was questioned, yet now we are in a war where there is no battle line, everywhere is the front line. I’ve lost friends both on the FOB and outside, both men AND women.

Margaret Giles of Fort Walton Beach, Florida Although the debate has covered a lot of hot topics such as Iraq, gay marriage, immigration, abortion and such, I was a bit disappointed to see that NOT person or candidate even brought up stem cell research. Is this not as big a deal as putting a man on Mars or fixing highway infrastructures!? I think they could have covered more important topics like stem cell research than Do you believe every single word of the Bible?

Dennis Wolcott of Vermilion, Ohio Why do we focus on abortion, religion and gun rights when theses issues are debated every 4 years and never seem to change. In truth, these issues are polarizing talking points that eat at people emotionally. Please discuss real issues that matter to all of us: Fair trade, paying down debt, trade deficits, mortgage credit crunch, etc. Maybe someone could explain why NAFTA does not seem to be working or why our children are now being taught to pass an achievement test instead of fundamentals.

Stephen Farley of San Francisco, California The bravery of the brigadier general in the audience was the highlight of the evening.

Mike Lamprecht of New York, New York Whatever happened to separation of church and state? I don’t think our candidates should be asked if they believe in the bible. Religious views are private personal beliefs and should remain private. Isn’t that the basis of this country’s creation?

Robert Semands of Edmond, Oklahoma This is the best debate so far. I have enjoyed the in-your-face energy from all the candidates. The moderator, while doing a generally good job, has really short-changed Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter. Ron Paul is the only candidate on that stage that understands the Constitution and adequately represents it. We all needed to hear much more from him.

Muriel Sims of Fort Worth, Texas No he [Mitt Romney] didn’t invoke the name of Bill Cosby! People living in the inner city (code for Black communities) are no less moral than anyone else. But men have a very hard time staying if they cannot work. My stepfather was in my life, but he worked all his life too. What man wants to sit around feeling helpless while his child cries in hunger? Why do you think the inner city father is any less sympathetic than the people who can afford to employ illegal aliens in his home?

Frank Richmond of Wichita, Kansas I’m amazed to hear all these well-fed people who have never felt any pain talking about what is or isn’t torture. If you kicked in any of these candidates’ doors, dragged them out of bed naked, threw them in a cell for a few days, then tied them upside down to a board with a wet towel around their head and started hosing them down, they would think it was torture.

They might think it’s necessary on occasion, but at least be man enough to call it what it is.

Mary Tarkington of Wilsonville, Oregon Do you believe what the bible says? PLEEEASE! These people are running for president, not Pope!

Mike G. of Chicago, Illinois This debate proves nothing more than the GOP is the God-centric party. Not everyone believes that the USA should be as religiously focused as it is. After hearing the candidates, I feel they cannot relate to my religious views, which are different than theirs.

Jeff Stevens of Peekskill, New York As a member of the U.S. Army, it greatly offends me to hear John McCain say things like Our troops want to finish the job. I have never in my few years as a young Soldier in both an active duty and reserve component heard anyone say such things. It is a soldier’s job to be neutral and fulfill the duties that the American people task us with. I think it is wrong to fool the American people into thinking that soldiers actually enjoy the brutal environment in Iraq and wish to stay there.

Bobby Schechinger of La Vista, Nebraska During the immigration debate I felt that nobody really hit the true points of dealing with illegal immigrants. It was turning into a fistfight with words and bashing their opponents ideas and saying he’s an idiot, don’t vote for him!

Sarah Soltesz of Palm Harbor, Florida When Romney replied to Giuliani about the illegal immigrants that he has employed at his mansion, he responded with do I ask people who have an accent to see their green card?. I would have replied that if he was employing them legally he would have to gather that information it states clearly on an application are you a legal US citizen? Can you show the correct paper (green card) that you are legally able to work in the US? As an employer you have the right to ask this of your employee.

Tim Lamb of Waynesville, Ohio This is a stupid format. What is next? Dancing with the Presidential Candidates!! The Great Presidential Race!! Presidential Idol!! Give me a break. How about a serious format?
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Campaign trail rancor carries into GOP debate

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (CNN) — The acrimony from the Republican campaign trail carried over quickly into the CNN/YouTube GOP presidential debate Wednesday.

With five weeks to go until the first contest of the 2008 nominating season, the Republican candidates engaged in a free-for-all, trying to differentiate their views on immigration, the Iraq war, abortion, gun control and even whether they believed every word in the Bible was true.

Unlike previous debates in which the candidates focused most of their attacks on Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, Wednesday night’s attacks were launched at each other.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney traded jabs over illegal immigration, something they have been arguing about on the trail for the past month.

Romney attacked Giuliani’s record, saying that as mayor, he promoted illegal immigration. And Giuliani shot back, accusing Romney of having a sanctuary mansion at his own home. Watch the debate format produce raw moments

In his case, there were six sanctuary cities. He did nothing about them. There was a sanctuary mansion — at his own home, illegal immigrants were being employed, Giuliani said.

Romney denied Giuliani’s allegation, and the two raised their voices as they tried to talk over each other.

In his quest to appeal to the hard-line immigration wing of the party, Romney also turned some of his fire on the same topic toward former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who has been rising in the polls.

Rep. Tom Tancredo, who has anchored his candidacy on securing the borders and cracking down on illegal immigration, seemed delighted with the give and take, saying the other candidates were trying to out-Tancredo him.

Huckabee drew one of the night’s largest cheers when he said that one of the agencies he would abolish to control federal spending was the Internal Revenue Service.

Most people in this country are more afraid of an audit than they are of a mugging, and there’s a reason why, he said.

Sen. John McCain, freshly back from a visit to Iraq over Thanksgiving and the most hawkish of the candidates, and Rep. Ron Paul, the most anti-war of the candidates, tangled on two occasions over the Iraq war. Watch the questions and the candidates’ responses

Asked which government programs they would cut, Paul said bringing the troops home from Iraq would save a trillion dollars.

McCain said: It’s that kind of isolationism that caused World War II, which drew some hoots from the crowd. Watch McCain, Paul spar on Iraq

Paul replied: The real question you have to ask is why do I get the most money from active duty officers and military personnel?

A retired brigadier general, Keith Kerr, who is gay, asked candidates if they thought U.S. military personnel were professional enough to work with gay and lesbian troops.

CNN later learned that a June media release from the campaign of Democratic front-runner Clinton listed Kerr as a member of its steering committee for gay and lesbian supporters. Watch Kerr deny that the Clinton campaign influenced his question

David Bohrman, CNN senior vice president and executive producer of the debate, said, We regret this incident. CNN would not have used the general’s question had we known that he was connected to any presidential candidate. Political Ticker

Kerr told CNN after the debate that he has not worked for the Clinton campaign and was representing no one other than himself. Kerr also said he is a member of the Log Cabin Republicans, a national gay and lesbian Republican grass-roots organization.

Prior to the debate, CNN had verified Kerr’s military background and that he had not contributed money to any presidential candidate.

In a section of the debate about gun ownership rights, three of the GOP presidential hopefuls said they do not own guns: McCain, Giuliani and Romney.

Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson quipped, I own a couple of guns — but I’m not going to tell you what they are or where they are. Watch the candidates address gun control

The debate turned personal when a viewer, holding the Bible, asked: Do you believe every word of this book? And I mean specifically, this book that I am holding in my hand.

Huckabee, a Baptist minister, said, Sure, I believe the Bible is exactly what it is.

Giuliani said he believes the Bible, but not literally true in every respect.

After that, Romney stammered a bit when moderator Anderson Cooper asked him if he believed every word. Watch the candidates get personal about the Bible

Yeah, the Bible is the word of God. … I might interpret the word differently than you interpret the word, but I read the Bible and I believe the Bible is the word of God, Romney said.

When asked about abortion, Romney said he was wrong in favoring a woman’s right to choose — his position when he was elected governor of Massachusetts.

If people in this country are looking for someone who’s never made a mistake on a policy issue and is not willing to admit they’re ever wrong, they’re going to have to find somebody else. On abortion, I was wrong, he said.

His remarks came in response to the 30-second video produced for the debate by Thompson’s campaign, which included a clip of Romney expressing support for Roe vs. Wade during a 1994 debate against Sen. Ted Kennedy.

When asked what women and doctors should be charged with if abortion was to become illegal, Paul said it was not an issue for the president or the federal government.

We don’t need a federal abortion police, that’s the last thing we need, Paul said. He added that the issue should be left to the states and courts and not federal authorities.

On the issues of taxes, Thompson said he’d never met a tax he liked.

I’ve got a tax-cut bill on the table. But I don’t do pledges to anybody but the American people, he said.

His response was met by a Go, Fred, go! from a member of the audience.

On the issue of trade with China, Rep. Duncan Hunter said China is cheating on trade … and it’s in the interest of the United States to stop China’s cheating. Buy American this Christmas season — that might keep your neighbor from losing his job.

The candidates fielded video questions submitted by the public via the YouTube Web site, just as Democratic White House candidates did in July.

The debate was the first time the GOP candidates had faced off on the same stage in over a month.

CNN’s political team viewed nearly 5,000 videos for the GOP debate — about 2,000 more than they saw for the Democrats’ debate.
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