text:
(CNN) -- Fred Wiseman has been at the forefront of the American documentary scene ever since his bombshell of a first film in 1967.

"Titicut Follies" may sound like a burlesque extravaganza, but in fact the film was a deeply disturbing expose of life inside a correctional institution for the criminally insane.

Since then, Wiseman has built up an extraordinary body of work. It includes nearly 40 feature films, many of them more than three hours long, largely preoccupied with examining the apparatus of social institutions: hospitals, high schools, parks and zoos. All of them are framed according to Wiseman's own rigorous observational style, which involves sustained scrutiny, no voice-over and no interviews. He's into process, not personality. With a Wiseman film, it's up to the viewer to supply the commentary.

That's easier when the subject concerns alleged inadequate welfare programs or dysfunctional government institutions. In his last few films, the septuagenarian director has turned his gaze on less overtly political matters: the esteemed Ballet de l'Opera company in "La Danse" (2009); an Austin, Texas, training facility in "Boxing Gym" (2010); and now, a Parisian cabaret, in "Crazy Horse."

In this loose-limbed documentary, Wiseman is more like an impressionist painter -- Degas is the obvious example -- than a social activist or a reporter. He's looking at the human body, at model physical specimens and at perceptions of beauty. "Crazy Horse" can be viewed as a series of nude studies built around the contrast between the dancers' casual nakedness backstage and the highly fetishistic, filtered nudity on stage. Surprisingly (and disappointingly), Wiseman foregrounds the latter; we scarcely learn the dancers' names and rarely hear them speak.

You might expect marked differences between a distinguished ballet company and a glorified strip club, but Wiseman seems to see them in much in the same light (not literally; the chromatic effects at the club are designed to dazzle, and they do). The Crazy Horse, or "Le Crazy" for short, aspires to art with almost comical sincerity. This is Paris, after all, and intellectuals are a prime target audience.

Like "La Danse," the new film dedicates most of its running time to rehearsal and performance, interspersed with sometimes tense exchanges behind the scenes involving the creative personnel (in this case, primarily director/choreographer Philippe Decoufle) and management (managing director Andree Deissenberg). The "artistes" always want more time, and the shareholders are invariably fixated on the bottom line. Which is understandable at the Crazy Horse, where dancing cheek to cheek means something very different from what Irving Berlin had in mind. (Or did he?)

At various points, the people who work there describe it as the best chic nude club in the world, and the classiest. A better description might be the kitschiest.

In one routine, Decoufle's dancers enact a "Barbarella" number as if it were "Solaris." In another, they parade around in Beefeater bearskin hats and not much else. (If the club had a uniform, it would be a thong -- though high heels and fishnets also feature strongly.) The music is mostly a cheesy mix of classic bump-and-grind and '70s Italian sex comedy. Once or twice, the choreography does break the mold -- to push into the exploratory eroticism of modern interpretative dance -- but at heart, the sensuality celebrated here is as safe and conventional as a Playboy bunny.

Does Wiseman disagree? Of course he never says so, but the film is laced with enough subtly suggestive ironies to prick all that oh-so-French pomposity and pretension, without ever undermining the discipline and commitment of dancers and choreographers.

"Be pretty, classy, relaxed -- and calm -- and push your buttocks out," recommends a stage manager to a group of new girls before their audition. "American Idol" this ain't.

Wiseman may be the one documentarian on Earth uninterested in revealing who makes the cut. Still, it's clear this is excellent advice; maybe all you need to know to get by in Le Crazy. Brightly photographed in high definition, the movie is an eyeful all right, but at 134 minutes, it's also a rather lengthy tease.

text: CNN

text: Fred

text: Wiseman

text: has

text: been

text: at

text: the

text: forefront

text: of

text: the

text: American

text: documentary

text: scene

text: ever

text: since

text: his

text: bombshell

text: of

text: a

text: first

text: film

text: in

text: Titicut

text: Follies

text: may

text: sound

text: like

text: a

text: burlesque

text: extravaganza

text: but

text: in

text: fact

text: the

text: film

text: was

text: a

text: deeply

text: disturbing

text: expose

text: of

text: life

text: inside

text: a

text: correctional

text: institution

text: for

text: the

text: criminally

text: insane

text: Since

text: then

text: Wiseman

text: has

text: built

text: up

text: an

text: extraordinary

text: body

text: of

text: work

text: It

text: includes

text: nearly

text: feature

text: films

text: many

text: of

text: them

text: more

text: than

text: three

text: hours

text: long

text: largely

text: preoccupied

text: with

text: examining

text: the

text: apparatus

text: of

text: social

text: institutions

text: hospitals

text: high

text: schools

text: parks

text: and

text: zoos

text: All

text: of

text: them

text: are

text: framed

text: according

text: to

text: Wiseman

text: 's

text: own

text: rigorous

text: observational

text: style

text: which

text: involves

text: sustained

text: scrutiny

text: no

text: voice

text: over

text: and

text: no

text: interviews

text: He

text: 's

text: into

text: process

text: not

text: personality

text: With

text: a

text: Wiseman

text: film

text: it

text: 's

text: up

text: to

text: the

text: viewer

text: to

text: supply

text: the

text: commentary

text: That

text: 's

text: easier

text: when

text: the

text: subject

text: concerns

text: alleged

text: inadequate

text: welfare

text: programs

text: or

text: dysfunctional

text: government

text: institutions

text: In

text: his

text: last

text: few

text: films

text: the

text: septuagenarian

text: director

text: has

text: turned

text: his

text: gaze

text: on

text: less

text: overtly

text: political

text: matters

text: the

text: esteemed

text: Ballet

text: de

text: l'Opera

text: company

text: in

text: La

text: Danse

text: an

text: Austin

text: Texas

text: training

text: facility

text: in

text: Boxing

text: Gym

text: and

text: now

text: a

text: Parisian

text: cabaret

text: in

text: Crazy

text: Horse

text: In

text: this

text: loose

text: limbed

text: documentary

text: Wiseman

text: is

text: more

text: like

text: an

text: impressionist

text: painter

text: Degas

text: is

text: the

text: obvious

text: example

text: than

text: a

text: social

text: activist

text: or

text: a

text: reporter

text: He

text: 's

text: looking

text: at

text: the

text: human

text: body

text: at

text: model

text: physical

text: specimens

text: and

text: at

text: perceptions

text: of

text: beauty

text: Crazy

text: Horse

text: can

text: be

text: viewed

text: as

text: a

text: series

text: of

text: nude

text: studies

text: built

text: around

text: the

text: contrast

text: between

text: the

text: dancers

text: casual

text: nakedness

text: backstage

text: and

text: the

text: highly

text: fetishistic

text: filtered

text: nudity

text: on

text: stage

text: Surprisingly

text: and

text: disappointingly

text: Wiseman

text: foregrounds

text: the

text: latter

text: we

text: scarcely

text: learn

text: the

text: dancers

text: names

text: and

text: rarely

text: hear

text: them

text: speak

text: You

text: might

text: expect

text: marked

text: differences

text: between

text: a

text: distinguished

text: ballet

text: company

text: and

text: a

text: glorified

text: strip

text: club

text: but

text: Wiseman

text: seems

text: to

text: see

text: them

text: in

text: much

text: in

text: the

text: same

text: light

text: not

text: literally

text: the

text: chromatic

text: effects

text: at

text: the

text: club

text: are

text: designed

text: to

text: dazzle

text: and

text: they

text: do

text: The

text: Crazy

text: Horse

text: or

text: Le

text: Crazy

text: for

text: short

text: aspires

text: to

text: art

text: with

text: almost

text: comical

text: sincerity

text: This

text: is

text: Paris

text: after

text: all

text: and

text: intellectuals

text: are

text: a

text: prime

text: target

text: audience

text: Like

text: La

text: Danse

text: the

text: new

text: film

text: dedicates

text: most

text: of

text: its

text: running

text: time

text: to

text: rehearsal

text: and

text: performance

text: interspersed

text: with

text: sometimes

text: tense

text: exchanges

text: behind

text: the

text: scenes

text: involving

text: the

text: creative

text: personnel

text: in

text: this

text: case

text: primarily

text: director

text: choreographer

text: Philippe

text: Decoufle

text: and

text: management

text: managing

text: director

text: Andree

text: Deissenberg

text: The

text: artistes

text: always

text: want

text: more

text: time

text: and

text: the

text: shareholders

text: are

text: invariably

text: fixated

text: on

text: the

text: bottom

text: line

text: Which

text: is

text: understandable

text: at

text: the

text: Crazy

text: Horse

text: where

text: dancing

text: cheek

text: to

text: cheek

text: means

text: something

text: very

text: different

text: from

text: what

text: Irving

text: Berlin

text: had

text: in

text: mind

text: Or

text: did

text: he

text: At

text: various

text: points

text: the

text: people

text: who

text: work

text: there

text: describe

text: it

text: as

text: the

text: best

text: chic

text: nude

text: club

text: in

text: the

text: world

text: and

text: the

text: classiest

text: A

text: better

text: description

text: might

text: be

text: the

text: kitschiest

text: In

text: one

text: routine

text: Decoufle

text: 's

text: dancers

text: enact

text: a

text: Barbarella

text: number

text: as

text: if

text: it

text: were

text: Solaris

text: In

text: another

text: they

text: parade

text: around

text: in

text: Beefeater

text: bearskin

text: hats

text: and

text: not

text: much

text: else

text: If

text: the

text: club

text: had

text: a

text: uniform

text: it

text: would

text: be

text: a

text: thong

text: though

text: high

text: heels

text: and

text: fishnets

text: also

text: feature

text: strongly

text: The

text: music

text: is

text: mostly

text: a

text: cheesy

text: mix

text: of

text: classic

text: bump

text: and

text: grind

text: and

text: Italian

text: sex

text: comedy

text: Once

text: or

text: twice

text: the

text: choreography

text: does

text: break

text: the

text: mold

text: to

text: push

text: into

text: the

text: exploratory

text: eroticism

text: of

text: modern

text: interpretative

text: dance

text: but

text: at

text: heart

text: the

text: sensuality

text: celebrated

text: here

text: is

text: as

text: safe

text: and

text: conventional

text: as

text: a

text: Playboy

text: bunny

text: Does

text: Wiseman

text: disagree

text: Of

text: course

text: he

text: never

text: says

text: so

text: but

text: the

text: film

text: is

text: laced

text: with

text: enough

text: subtly

text: suggestive

text: ironies

text: to

text: prick

text: all

text: that

text: oh

text: so

text: French

text: pomposity

text: and

text: pretension

text: without

text: ever

text: undermining

text: the

text: discipline

text: and

text: commitment

text: of

text: dancers

text: and

text: choreographers

text: Be

text: pretty

text: classy

text: relaxed

text: and

text: calm

text: and

text: push

text: your

text: buttocks

text: out

text: recommends

text: a

text: stage

text: manager

text: to

text: a

text: group

text: of

text: new

text: girls

text: before

text: their

text: audition

text: American

text: Idol

text: this

text: ai

text: n't

text: Wiseman

text: may

text: be

text: the

text: one

text: documentarian

text: on

text: Earth

text: uninterested

text: in

text: revealing

text: who

text: makes

text: the

text: cut

text: Still

text: it

text: 's

text: clear

text: this

text: is

text: excellent

text: advice

text: maybe

text: all

text: you

text: need

text: to

text: know

text: to

text: get

text: by

text: in

text: Le

text: Crazy

text: Brightly

text: photographed

text: in

text: high

text: definition

text: the

text: movie

text: is

text: an

text: eyeful

text: all

text: right

text: but

text: at

text: minutes

text: it

text: 's

text: also

text: a

text: rather

text: lengthy

text: tease

question: What does the film dedicate much of it's time to?

answer: rehearsal and performance,

text: rehearsal and performance,

question: Who is more like an impressionist painter?

answer: Wiseman

text: Wiseman

question: What can be viewed as a series of nude studies?

answer: "Crazy Horse"

text: "Crazy Horse"

question: What is Fred Wiseman more like?

answer: impressionist painter

text: impressionist painter


text:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States needs a new law requiring that the president consult with Congress before going to war, a blue-ribbon panel led by two former secretaries of state said Tuesday.

James Baker, left, and Warren Christopher led a panel that recommended a new War Powers Act.

The current War Powers Resolution is "ineffective, and it should be repealed and it should be replaced," James Baker said in a joint appearance with Warren Christopher, announcing the results of the study they led.

The recommendation follows failed efforts by Democrats in Congress to put a stop to the war in Iraq or to put conditions on President Bush's conduct of it.

Congress passed a joint resolution to authorize armed force against Iraq in 2002, but some Bush opponents say it should not have been interpreted as a blank check for the United States to invade and occupy the Persian Gulf nation.

Baker, who served in George H.W. Bush's administration, and Christopher, who served under President Bill Clinton, said their project was not prompted by any specific war, with Christopher adding that the commission had "tried very hard not to call balls and strikes on past history here."

"We didn't direct this report at any particular conflict," Baker added.

The existing law, the War Powers Resolution of 1973, has been regarded as unconstitutional by every president since it was passed as a response to the Vietnam War, Baker and Christopher said. It requires presidents to report regularly to Congress about ongoing conflicts, but the provision has been flouted.

"No president has ever made a submission to Congress pursuant to the War Powers Resolution since 1973," former Sen. Slade Gorton, a Republican member of the committee, said Tuesday.

The panel, formally called the National War Powers Commission, said a new law should be created requiring the president to consult with key members of Congress before sending troops into combat expected to last more than a week, or within three days of doing so in the case of operations that need to be kept secret.

It should also make clear exactly who the president needed to consult. The panel suggests that the president talk to "a joint Congressional committee made up of the leaders of the House and the Senate as well as the chairmen and ranking members of key committees." The new committee would have a permanent professional staff with access to intelligence information, Baker and Christopher said.

Congress, in turn, would have to declare war or vote on a "resolution of approval" within 30 days, they said.

If a resolution of approval failed, any member of Congress could introduce a "resolution of disapproval," but it was not clear that such an act would stop a war in progress.

Christopher was unable to say in the news conference what practical effect congressional disapproval would have.

Baker said the commission had been in touch with the presidential campaigns of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, as well as leaders of Congress. He declined to reveal what they thought of the proposal, but said: "We haven't gotten a negative reaction."

Congress has not officially declared war since 1942, when the United States entered formal hostilities with the Axis powers in World War II. But since then, presidents have sent troops into countries including Korea, Vietnam, Grenada and Iraq.

The Constitution makes the president the commander in chief of the armed forces, but gives Congress the power to declare war and approve military budgets.

Baker and Christopher's group included both Republicans and Democrats and held seven meetings over 14 months.

text: WASHINGTON

text: CNN

text: The

text: United

text: States

text: needs

text: a

text: new

text: law

text: requiring

text: that

text: the

text: president

text: consult

text: with

text: Congress

text: before

text: going

text: to

text: war

text: a

text: blue

text: ribbon

text: panel

text: led

text: by

text: two

text: former

text: secretaries

text: of

text: state

text: said

text: Tuesday

text: James

text: Baker

text: left

text: and

text: Warren

text: Christopher

text: led

text: a

text: panel

text: that

text: recommended

text: a

text: new

text: War

text: Powers

text: Act

text: The

text: current

text: War

text: Powers

text: Resolution

text: is

text: ineffective

text: and

text: it

text: should

text: be

text: repealed

text: and

text: it

text: should

text: be

text: replaced

text: James

text: Baker

text: said

text: in

text: a

text: joint

text: appearance

text: with

text: Warren

text: Christopher

text: announcing

text: the

text: results

text: of

text: the

text: study

text: they

text: led

text: The

text: recommendation

text: follows

text: failed

text: efforts

text: by

text: Democrats

text: in

text: Congress

text: to

text: put

text: a

text: stop

text: to

text: the

text: war

text: in

text: Iraq

text: or

text: to

text: put

text: conditions

text: on

text: President

text: Bush

text: 's

text: conduct

text: of

text: it

text: Congress

text: passed

text: a

text: joint

text: resolution

text: to

text: authorize

text: armed

text: force

text: against

text: Iraq

text: in

text: but

text: some

text: Bush

text: opponents

text: say

text: it

text: should

text: not

text: have

text: been

text: interpreted

text: as

text: a

text: blank

text: check

text: for

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: to

text: invade

text: and

text: occupy

text: the

text: Persian

text: Gulf

text: nation

text: Baker

text: who

text: served

text: in

text: George

text: H.W.

text: Bush

text: 's

text: administration

text: and

text: Christopher

text: who

text: served

text: under

text: President

text: Bill

text: Clinton

text: said

text: their

text: project

text: was

text: not

text: prompted

text: by

text: any

text: specific

text: war

text: with

text: Christopher

text: adding

text: that

text: the

text: commission

text: had

text: tried

text: very

text: hard

text: not

text: to

text: call

text: balls

text: and

text: strikes

text: on

text: past

text: history

text: here

text: We

text: did

text: n't

text: direct

text: this

text: report

text: at

text: any

text: particular

text: conflict

text: Baker

text: added

text: The

text: existing

text: law

text: the

text: War

text: Powers

text: Resolution

text: of

text: has

text: been

text: regarded

text: as

text: unconstitutional

text: by

text: every

text: president

text: since

text: it

text: was

text: passed

text: as

text: a

text: response

text: to

text: the

text: Vietnam

text: War

text: Baker

text: and

text: Christopher

text: said

text: It

text: requires

text: presidents

text: to

text: report

text: regularly

text: to

text: Congress

text: about

text: ongoing

text: conflicts

text: but

text: the

text: provision

text: has

text: been

text: flouted

text: No

text: president

text: has

text: ever

text: made

text: a

text: submission

text: to

text: Congress

text: pursuant

text: to

text: the

text: War

text: Powers

text: Resolution

text: since

text: former

text: Sen.

text: Slade

text: Gorton

text: a

text: Republican

text: member

text: of

text: the

text: committee

text: said

text: Tuesday

text: The

text: panel

text: formally

text: called

text: the

text: National

text: War

text: Powers

text: Commission

text: said

text: a

text: new

text: law

text: should

text: be

text: created

text: requiring

text: the

text: president

text: to

text: consult

text: with

text: key

text: members

text: of

text: Congress

text: before

text: sending

text: troops

text: into

text: combat

text: expected

text: to

text: last

text: more

text: than

text: a

text: week

text: or

text: within

text: three

text: days

text: of

text: doing

text: so

text: in

text: the

text: case

text: of

text: operations

text: that

text: need

text: to

text: be

text: kept

text: secret

text: It

text: should

text: also

text: make

text: clear

text: exactly

text: who

text: the

text: president

text: needed

text: to

text: consult

text: The

text: panel

text: suggests

text: that

text: the

text: president

text: talk

text: to

text: a

text: joint

text: Congressional

text: committee

text: made

text: up

text: of

text: the

text: leaders

text: of

text: the

text: House

text: and

text: the

text: Senate

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: the

text: chairmen

text: and

text: ranking

text: members

text: of

text: key

text: committees

text: The

text: new

text: committee

text: would

text: have

text: a

text: permanent

text: professional

text: staff

text: with

text: access

text: to

text: intelligence

text: information

text: Baker

text: and

text: Christopher

text: said

text: Congress

text: in

text: turn

text: would

text: have

text: to

text: declare

text: war

text: or

text: vote

text: on

text: a

text: resolution

text: of

text: approval

text: within

text: days

text: they

text: said

text: If

text: a

text: resolution

text: of

text: approval

text: failed

text: any

text: member

text: of

text: Congress

text: could

text: introduce

text: a

text: resolution

text: of

text: disapproval

text: but

text: it

text: was

text: not

text: clear

text: that

text: such

text: an

text: act

text: would

text: stop

text: a

text: war

text: in

text: progress

text: Christopher

text: was

text: unable

text: to

text: say

text: in

text: the

text: news

text: conference

text: what

text: practical

text: effect

text: congressional

text: disapproval

text: would

text: have

text: Baker

text: said

text: the

text: commission

text: had

text: been

text: in

text: touch

text: with

text: the

text: presidential

text: campaigns

text: of

text: Democrat

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: and

text: Republican

text: John

text: McCain

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: leaders

text: of

text: Congress

text: He

text: declined

text: to

text: reveal

text: what

text: they

text: thought

text: of

text: the

text: proposal

text: but

text: said

text: We

text: have

text: n't

text: gotten

text: a

text: negative

text: reaction

text: Congress

text: has

text: not

text: officially

text: declared

text: war

text: since

text: when

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: entered

text: formal

text: hostilities

text: with

text: the

text: Axis

text: powers

text: in

text: World

text: War

text: II

text: But

text: since

text: then

text: presidents

text: have

text: sent

text: troops

text: into

text: countries

text: including

text: Korea

text: Vietnam

text: Grenada

text: and

text: Iraq

text: The

text: Constitution

text: makes

text: the

text: president

text: the

text: commander

text: in

text: chief

text: of

text: the

text: armed

text: forces

text: but

text: gives

text: Congress

text: the

text: power

text: to

text: declare

text: war

text: and

text: approve

text: military

text: budgets

text: Baker

text: and

text: Christopher

text: 's

text: group

text: included

text: both

text: Republicans

text: and

text: Democrats

text: and

text: held

text: seven

text: meetings

text: over

text: months

question: what is ineffective?

answer: The current War Powers Resolution

text: The current War Powers Resolution

question: what is proposed in new law?

answer: before going to war,

text: before going to war,

question: What does the panel propose?

answer: new War Powers Act.

text: new War Powers Act.

question: What did the panel propose?

answer: "a joint Congressional committee made up of the leaders of the House and the Senate as well as the chairmen and ranking members of key committees."

text: "a joint Congressional committee made up of the leaders of the House and the Senate as well as the chairmen and ranking members of key committees."

question: What did the blue ribbon panel say?

answer: before going to war,

text: before going to war,

question: What act is ineffective?

answer: War Powers Resolution

text: War Powers Resolution

question: Which former secretaries lead the study?

answer: James Baker,

text: James Baker,


text:
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- A Swiss diplomat was released from jail Thursday after being arrested on a sex charge, the Iranian media reported.

The first secretary of the U.S. Interests section of the Swiss Embassy in Tehran had been in an "indecent sexual relation" with an Iranian woman in his car, Iran's Press TV reported, citing Iranian police.

Police spotted the car with diplomatic plates in a parking lot and caught the diplomat. The woman was "improperly dressed and in an obscene situation," Press TV said.

The "sexual relation" occurred after the diplomat, who was not named, promised he would marry the woman, Press TV reported. Both were released on bail. It was not clear what charges were filed against the woman.

Press TV said it had contacted the deputy head of the U.S. Interest Section in Tehran, Elizabeth Bucher, but she would not comment on the report.

The suspect is a Swiss diplomat who represents the United States in Iran in the absence of a U.S. presence. The United States and Iran have not had full diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

text: TEHRAN

text: Iran

text: CNN

text: A

text: Swiss

text: diplomat

text: was

text: released

text: from

text: jail

text: Thursday

text: after

text: being

text: arrested

text: on

text: a

text: sex

text: charge

text: the

text: Iranian

text: media

text: reported

text: The

text: first

text: secretary

text: of

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Interests

text: section

text: of

text: the

text: Swiss

text: Embassy

text: in

text: Tehran

text: had

text: been

text: in

text: an

text: indecent

text: sexual

text: relation

text: with

text: an

text: Iranian

text: woman

text: in

text: his

text: car

text: Iran

text: 's

text: Press

text: TV

text: reported

text: citing

text: Iranian

text: police

text: Police

text: spotted

text: the

text: car

text: with

text: diplomatic

text: plates

text: in

text: a

text: parking

text: lot

text: and

text: caught

text: the

text: diplomat

text: The

text: woman

text: was

text: improperly

text: dressed

text: and

text: in

text: an

text: obscene

text: situation

text: Press

text: TV

text: said

text: The

text: sexual

text: relation

text: occurred

text: after

text: the

text: diplomat

text: who

text: was

text: not

text: named

text: promised

text: he

text: would

text: marry

text: the

text: woman

text: Press

text: TV

text: reported

text: Both

text: were

text: released

text: on

text: bail

text: It

text: was

text: not

text: clear

text: what

text: charges

text: were

text: filed

text: against

text: the

text: woman

text: Press

text: TV

text: said

text: it

text: had

text: contacted

text: the

text: deputy

text: head

text: of

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Interest

text: Section

text: in

text: Tehran

text: Elizabeth

text: Bucher

text: but

text: she

text: would

text: not

text: comment

text: on

text: the

text: report

text: The

text: suspect

text: is

text: a

text: Swiss

text: diplomat

text: who

text: represents

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: in

text: Iran

text: in

text: the

text: absence

text: of

text: a

text: U.S.

text: presence

text: The

text: United

text: States

text: and

text: Iran

text: have

text: not

text: had

text: full

text: diplomatic

text: relations

text: since

text: the

text: Islamic

text: revolution

question: What type of situation was he seen in?

answer: "indecent sexual relation" with an Iranian woman in his car,

text: "indecent sexual relation" with an Iranian woman in his car,

question: What did the diplomat promise to do?

answer: he would marry the woman,

text: he would marry the woman,

question: What was the diplomat said to have done?

answer: been in an "indecent sexual relation" with an Iranian woman in his car,

text: been in an "indecent sexual relation" with an Iranian woman in his car,

question: What nationality was the staffer?

answer: Swiss

text: Swiss

question: What did diplomat promise?

answer: he would marry the woman,

text: he would marry the woman,

question: What was diplomat said to have done?

answer: been in an "indecent sexual relation" with an Iranian woman in his car,

text: been in an "indecent sexual relation" with an Iranian woman in his car,


text:
Perugia, Italy (CNN) -- A defense lawyer for Amanda Knox made an impassioned plea to the jury Wednesday as the high-profile case neared its conclusion. Knox is the American student accused of killing her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, at the villa they shared in Italy.

"We suffer at the memory of Meredith. But we look at the future of Amanda," Luciano Ghirga said in his defense summation.

"Meredith was my friend," he quoted Knox as saying, rejecting the notion that she hated her roommate, who was fatally stabbed in November 2007.

Prosecutors say Kercher died during a twisted sex game in which Knox taunted Kercher, and two men -- Knox's then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 26, and acquaintance Rudy Guede -- sexually assaulted her.

The prosecution says a knife found in Sollecito's house had Knox's DNA on the handle and Kercher's on the blade, among other pieces of evidence.

But Ghirga rejected the accusations against Knox on Wednesday.

He attacked the way police and prosecutors had treated the defendant, giving them a symbolic "red card" -- a referee's sign in soccer that a player is being expelled from the game for breaking the rules.

Ghirga concluded an emotional oration -- sobbing as he came to the end -- by asking the judge and jury to acquit Knox, because her mother asked him to request it, because her family asked it.

Knox's father, Curt, said Wednesday she had been a victim of "character assassination," and expressed hope she would be found not guilty.

Members of Kercher's family have declined repeated CNN requests for comment on the case.

But prosecutor Giuliano Mignini accused the defense of "lynching" the Italian police who worked on the case.

He defended the work of the police and the credibility of the prosecution witnesses as he responded to Ghirga's arguments Wednesday.

And he called again for life sentences for Knox and Sollecito if they are found guilty. Italy does not have the death penalty.

The jury is expected to begin deliberations on Friday, after the prosecution completes its summary.

Another Knox attorney on Tuesday said the prosecution's theory doesn't fit the facts of the case and there is not sufficient evidence to find her guilty.

Calling Knox a victim herself, Carlo della Vedova said the police had rushed to judgment following the murder, leaving Knox to fend off a myriad of false media reports regarding the crime.

The lawyer showed photos published in the media, purportedly showing the crime scene, that weren't authentic -- including a photo of the bathroom -- and said false allegations and rumors about Knox's character created a bias from the start.

Della Vedova also questioned the change in what prosecutor Mignini said was the motive for the murder.

In preliminary hearings, Mignini argued Knox, Sollecito and Guede slashed Kercher's throat during a sexual misadventure as the two men vied for Knox's attention. In recent days, Mignini has focused more on what he says was a hatred between the two roommates.

Defense lawyers have staunchly disagreed, claiming the two women were friends.

Ghirga on Wednesday said the two had gone to a chocolate festival together days before Kercher was killed.

The defense has argued that Guede, who was convicted in a separate fast-track trial and is currently appealing his conviction, was the sole killer.  The defense has said there is no evidence tying the three suspects together or proving they planned Kercher's murder.

Della Vedova also focused during closing arguments on the lack of evidence tying Knox to the crime scene.

As defense lawyers have throughout the entire trial, he cast doubt on DNA evidence that prosecutors claim shows Knox's DNA on the handle of the alleged murder weapon. The defense has said the knife doesn't match Kercher's wounds or an imprint of the knife left on a bedsheet, and the DNA sample is too small to be conclusive.

During the first day of closing arguments for Knox's lawyers, della Vedova stressed to the eight-member jury that they should also keep church law in mind as they decide whether to find Knox and Sollecito guilty or not guilty.

He told the jury they needed to be "morally certain of their decision."

"If you have the minimum of doubts, you must absolve this young girl -- a girl that is merely 22 years old," he said.

Knox and Sollecito, who both deny any role in the murder, have been jailed for more than two years since they were arrested on charges of murder and sexual violence.

Their trial began in January.

CNN's Mallory Simon contributed to this report.

text: Perugia

text: Italy

text: CNN

text: A

text: defense

text: lawyer

text: for

text: Amanda

text: Knox

text: made

text: an

text: impassioned

text: plea

text: to

text: the

text: jury

text: Wednesday

text: as

text: the

text: high

text: profile

text: case

text: neared

text: its

text: conclusion

text: Knox

text: is

text: the

text: American

text: student

text: accused

text: of

text: killing

text: her

text: British

text: roommate

text: Meredith

text: Kercher

text: at

text: the

text: villa

text: they

text: shared

text: in

text: Italy

text: We

text: suffer

text: at

text: the

text: memory

text: of

text: Meredith

text: But

text: we

text: look

text: at

text: the

text: future

text: of

text: Amanda

text: Luciano

text: Ghirga

text: said

text: in

text: his

text: defense

text: summation

text: Meredith

text: was

text: my

text: friend

text: he

text: quoted

text: Knox

text: as

text: saying

text: rejecting

text: the

text: notion

text: that

text: she

text: hated

text: her

text: roommate

text: who

text: was

text: fatally

text: stabbed

text: in

text: November

text: Prosecutors

text: say

text: Kercher

text: died

text: during

text: a

text: twisted

text: sex

text: game

text: in

text: which

text: Knox

text: taunted

text: Kercher

text: and

text: two

text: men

text: Knox

text: 's

text: then

text: boyfriend

text: Raffaele

text: Sollecito

text: and

text: acquaintance

text: Rudy

text: Guede

text: sexually

text: assaulted

text: her

text: The

text: prosecution

text: says

text: a

text: knife

text: found

text: in

text: Sollecito

text: 's

text: house

text: had

text: Knox

text: 's

text: DNA

text: on

text: the

text: handle

text: and

text: Kercher

text: 's

text: on

text: the

text: blade

text: among

text: other

text: pieces

text: of

text: evidence

text: But

text: Ghirga

text: rejected

text: the

text: accusations

text: against

text: Knox

text: on

text: Wednesday

text: He

text: attacked

text: the

text: way

text: police

text: and

text: prosecutors

text: had

text: treated

text: the

text: defendant

text: giving

text: them

text: a

text: symbolic

text: red

text: card

text: a

text: referee

text: 's

text: sign

text: in

text: soccer

text: that

text: a

text: player

text: is

text: being

text: expelled

text: from

text: the

text: game

text: for

text: breaking

text: the

text: rules

text: Ghirga

text: concluded

text: an

text: emotional

text: oration

text: sobbing

text: as

text: he

text: came

text: to

text: the

text: end

text: by

text: asking

text: the

text: judge

text: and

text: jury

text: to

text: acquit

text: Knox

text: because

text: her

text: mother

text: asked

text: him

text: to

text: request

text: it

text: because

text: her

text: family

text: asked

text: it

text: Knox

text: 's

text: father

text: Curt

text: said

text: Wednesday

text: she

text: had

text: been

text: a

text: victim

text: of

text: character

text: assassination

text: and

text: expressed

text: hope

text: she

text: would

text: be

text: found

text: not

text: guilty

text: Members

text: of

text: Kercher

text: 's

text: family

text: have

text: declined

text: repeated

text: CNN

text: requests

text: for

text: comment

text: on

text: the

text: case

text: But

text: prosecutor

text: Giuliano

text: Mignini

text: accused

text: the

text: defense

text: of

text: lynching

text: the

text: Italian

text: police

text: who

text: worked

text: on

text: the

text: case

text: He

text: defended

text: the

text: work

text: of

text: the

text: police

text: and

text: the

text: credibility

text: of

text: the

text: prosecution

text: witnesses

text: as

text: he

text: responded

text: to

text: Ghirga

text: 's

text: arguments

text: Wednesday

text: And

text: he

text: called

text: again

text: for

text: life

text: sentences

text: for

text: Knox

text: and

text: Sollecito

text: if

text: they

text: are

text: found

text: guilty

text: Italy

text: does

text: not

text: have

text: the

text: death

text: penalty

text: The

text: jury

text: is

text: expected

text: to

text: begin

text: deliberations

text: on

text: Friday

text: after

text: the

text: prosecution

text: completes

text: its

text: summary

text: Another

text: Knox

text: attorney

text: on

text: Tuesday

text: said

text: the

text: prosecution

text: 's

text: theory

text: does

text: n't

text: fit

text: the

text: facts

text: of

text: the

text: case

text: and

text: there

text: is

text: not

text: sufficient

text: evidence

text: to

text: find

text: her

text: guilty

text: Calling

text: Knox

text: a

text: victim

text: herself

text: Carlo

text: della

text: Vedova

text: said

text: the

text: police

text: had

text: rushed

text: to

text: judgment

text: following

text: the

text: murder

text: leaving

text: Knox

text: to

text: fend

text: off

text: a

text: myriad

text: of

text: false

text: media

text: reports

text: regarding

text: the

text: crime

text: The

text: lawyer

text: showed

text: photos

text: published

text: in

text: the

text: media

text: purportedly

text: showing

text: the

text: crime

text: scene

text: that

text: were

text: n't

text: authentic

text: including

text: a

text: photo

text: of

text: the

text: bathroom

text: and

text: said

text: false

text: allegations

text: and

text: rumors

text: about

text: Knox

text: 's

text: character

text: created

text: a

text: bias

text: from

text: the

text: start

text: Della

text: Vedova

text: also

text: questioned

text: the

text: change

text: in

text: what

text: prosecutor

text: Mignini

text: said

text: was

text: the

text: motive

text: for

text: the

text: murder

text: In

text: preliminary

text: hearings

text: Mignini

text: argued

text: Knox

text: Sollecito

text: and

text: Guede

text: slashed

text: Kercher

text: 's

text: throat

text: during

text: a

text: sexual

text: misadventure

text: as

text: the

text: two

text: men

text: vied

text: for

text: Knox

text: 's

text: attention

text: In

text: recent

text: days

text: Mignini

text: has

text: focused

text: more

text: on

text: what

text: he

text: says

text: was

text: a

text: hatred

text: between

text: the

text: two

text: roommates

text: Defense

text: lawyers

text: have

text: staunchly

text: disagreed

text: claiming

text: the

text: two

text: women

text: were

text: friends

text: Ghirga

text: on

text: Wednesday

text: said

text: the

text: two

text: had

text: gone

text: to

text: a

text: chocolate

text: festival

text: together

text: days

text: before

text: Kercher

text: was

text: killed

text: The

text: defense

text: has

text: argued

text: that

text: Guede

text: who

text: was

text: convicted

text: in

text: a

text: separate

text: fast

text: track

text: trial

text: and

text: is

text: currently

text: appealing

text: his

text: conviction

text: was

text: the

text: sole

text: killer

text: The

text: defense

text: has

text: said

text: there

text: is

text: no

text: evidence

text: tying

text: the

text: three

text: suspects

text: together

text: or

text: proving

text: they

text: planned

text: Kercher

text: 's

text: murder

text: Della

text: Vedova

text: also

text: focused

text: during

text: closing

text: arguments

text: on

text: the

text: lack

text: of

text: evidence

text: tying

text: Knox

text: to

text: the

text: crime

text: scene

text: As

text: defense

text: lawyers

text: have

text: throughout

text: the

text: entire

text: trial

text: he

text: cast

text: doubt

text: on

text: DNA

text: evidence

text: that

text: prosecutors

text: claim

text: shows

text: Knox

text: 's

text: DNA

text: on

text: the

text: handle

text: of

text: the

text: alleged

text: murder

text: weapon

text: The

text: defense

text: has

text: said

text: the

text: knife

text: does

text: n't

text: match

text: Kercher

text: 's

text: wounds

text: or

text: an

text: imprint

text: of

text: the

text: knife

text: left

text: on

text: a

text: bedsheet

text: and

text: the

text: DNA

text: sample

text: is

text: too

text: small

text: to

text: be

text: conclusive

text: During

text: the

text: first

text: day

text: of

text: closing

text: arguments

text: for

text: Knox

text: 's

text: lawyers

text: della

text: Vedova

text: stressed

text: to

text: the

text: eight

text: member

text: jury

text: that

text: they

text: should

text: also

text: keep

text: church

text: law

text: in

text: mind

text: as

text: they

text: decide

text: whether

text: to

text: find

text: Knox

text: and

text: Sollecito

text: guilty

text: or

text: not

text: guilty

text: He

text: told

text: the

text: jury

text: they

text: needed

text: to

text: be

text: morally

text: certain

text: of

text: their

text: decision

text: If

text: you

text: have

text: the

text: minimum

text: of

text: doubts

text: you

text: must

text: absolve

text: this

text: young

text: girl

text: a

text: girl

text: that

text: is

text: merely

text: years

text: old

text: he

text: said

text: Knox

text: and

text: Sollecito

text: who

text: both

text: deny

text: any

text: role

text: in

text: the

text: murder

text: have

text: been

text: jailed

text: for

text: more

text: than

text: two

text: years

text: since

text: they

text: were

text: arrested

text: on

text: charges

text: of

text: murder

text: and

text: sexual

text: violence

text: Their

text: trial

text: began

text: in

text: January

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Mallory

text: Simon

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: What said prosecutor about the police?

answer: defended the work of the

text: defended the work of the

question: What did the defense lawer become emotional during?

answer: oration

text: oration

question: What does Ghirga tell the jury?

answer: "We suffer at the memory of Meredith. But we look at the future of Amanda,"

text: "We suffer at the memory of Meredith. But we look at the future of Amanda,"

question: What does the prosecutor assuse the defense of?

answer: "lynching" the Italian police who worked on the case.

text: "lynching" the Italian police who worked on the case.

question: What is the name of the defense lawyer?

answer: Luciano Ghirga

text: Luciano Ghirga

question: What did the defense lawyer do during his final argument?

answer: made an impassioned plea to the jury

text: made an impassioned plea to the jury

question: What is Knox accused of ?

answer: killing her British roommate, Meredith Kercher,

text: killing her British roommate, Meredith Kercher,

question: What happened to the defense attorney Amanda?

answer: made an impassioned plea

text: made an impassioned plea


text:
(CNN)  -- Yes, she is 28. Yes, she is a Sunday school teacher, and yes, her name is Melissa Huckaby.

Melissa Huckaby of Manteca, California, is also a 28-year-old Sunday school teacher.

But the woman from Manteca, California, said she wants people to know that she is not that Melissa Huckaby.

This Melissa Huckaby lives about 14 miles from Tracy, California, where the other one was arrested and accused of raping and killing 8-year-old Sandra Cantu.

That hasn't stopped national talk shows from calling her and people from threatening her, forcing her friends to bring guns to church in an effort to protect her.

Her MySpace page has been mistaken so many times for the one of the murder suspect that she has had to shut it down, Huckaby said.

"They hear the name, and a lot of people think it's me," Huckaby told CNN affiliate KOVR-TV. "I was getting hate mail."

Even Melissa Huckaby of Manteca has noticed the similarities with her namesake in nearby Tracy.  Watch how the Manteca woman deals with the confusion Â»

Not only are they the same age and both teach Sunday school, the two women resemble each other slightly.

Melissa Huckaby of Tracy is accused of killing an 8-year-old playmate of her 5-year-old daughter.

Melissa Huckaby of Manteca has two daughters -- 8 and 5.

But that's where the similarities end, the Manteca woman said, noting that she's never even received a speeding ticket.

text: CNN

text: Yes

text: she

text: is

text: Yes

text: she

text: is

text: a

text: Sunday

text: school

text: teacher

text: and

text: yes

text: her

text: name

text: is

text: Melissa

text: Huckaby

text: Melissa

text: Huckaby

text: of

text: Manteca

text: California

text: is

text: also

text: a

text: old

text: Sunday

text: school

text: teacher

text: But

text: the

text: woman

text: from

text: Manteca

text: California

text: said

text: she

text: wants

text: people

text: to

text: know

text: that

text: she

text: is

text: not

text: that

text: Melissa

text: Huckaby

text: This

text: Melissa

text: Huckaby

text: lives

text: about

text: miles

text: from

text: Tracy

text: California

text: where

text: the

text: other

text: one

text: was

text: arrested

text: and

text: accused

text: of

text: raping

text: and

text: killing

text: old

text: Sandra

text: Cantu

text: That

text: has

text: n't

text: stopped

text: national

text: talk

text: shows

text: from

text: calling

text: her

text: and

text: people

text: from

text: threatening

text: her

text: forcing

text: her

text: friends

text: to

text: bring

text: guns

text: to

text: church

text: in

text: an

text: effort

text: to

text: protect

text: her

text: Her

text: MySpace

text: page

text: has

text: been

text: mistaken

text: so

text: many

text: times

text: for

text: the

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: murder

text: suspect

text: that

text: she

text: has

text: had

text: to

text: shut

text: it

text: down

text: Huckaby

text: said

text: They

text: hear

text: the

text: name

text: and

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: people

text: think

text: it

text: 's

text: me

text: Huckaby

text: told

text: CNN

text: affiliate

text: KOVR

text: TV

text: I

text: was

text: getting

text: hate

text: mail

text: Even

text: Melissa

text: Huckaby

text: of

text: Manteca

text: has

text: noticed

text: the

text: similarities

text: with

text: her

text: namesake

text: in

text: nearby

text: Tracy

text: Watch

text: how

text: the

text: Manteca

text: woman

text: deals

text: with

text: the

text: confusion

text: Â

text: Not

text: only

text: are

text: they

text: the

text: same

text: age

text: and

text: both

text: teach

text: Sunday

text: school

text: the

text: two

text: women

text: resemble

text: each

text: other

text: slightly

text: Melissa

text: Huckaby

text: of

text: Tracy

text: is

text: accused

text: of

text: killing

text: an

text: old

text: playmate

text: of

text: her

text: old

text: daughter

text: Melissa

text: Huckaby

text: of

text: Manteca

text: has

text: two

text: daughters

text: and

text: But

text: that

text: 's

text: where

text: the

text: similarities

text: end

text: the

text: Manteca

text: woman

text: said

text: noting

text: that

text: she

text: 's

text: never

text: even

text: received

text: a

text: speeding

text: ticket

question: Where is city Manteca?

answer: California,

text: California,

question: Where does Melissa Huckaby live?

answer: Manteca, California,

text: Manteca, California,

question: What is the name of the suspect?

answer: Melissa Huckaby.

text: Melissa Huckaby.

question: Who is Melissa Huckaby?

answer: Sunday school teacher,

text: Sunday school teacher,

question: Who had a mistaken identity?

answer: Melissa Huckaby

text: Melissa Huckaby

question: Who was killed?

answer: Sandra Cantu.

text: Sandra Cantu.

question: What does Melissa Huckaby claim she has never received?

answer: a speeding ticket

text: a speeding ticket


text:
Editor's note: Julian E. Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School. He is completing a book on the history of national security politics since World War II, to be published by Basic Books. Zelizer writes widely on current events.

Julian Zelizer says it's not enough for Republicans to oppose Obama's plans, they must offer their own ideas.

PRINCETON, New Jersey (CNN) -- One of the best Marx Brothers movies, "Horse Feathers," played in movie theaters at the height of the Great Depression in 1932.

In the film, the comedian Groucho Marx played the new president of Huxley College, Quincy Adams Wagstaff.

During one of the most memorable scenes, Groucho introduces himself to faculty and students by singing about his philosophy of governance: "Your proposition may be good/But let's have one thing understood/ Whatever it is, I'm against it!/And even when you've changed it or condensed it, I'm against it/ I'm opposed to it/On general principle. I'm opposed to it."

If Republicans want to rebuild their party after the calamity of 2008, the party leadership needs to avoid the Quincy Adams Wagstaff approach to politics.

When Obama proposed his economic recovery bill last week, the first words to come out of House Minority Leader's John Boehner's mouth sounded a bit like Wagstaff.

With the economy imploding and the international economic crisis worsening, Boehner said: "Right now, given the concerns that we have over the size of the package and all of the spending in this package, we don't think it's going to work. And so if it's the plan that I see today, put me down in the 'no' column."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has been more restrained in his response, leaving open the door to compromise.

If Boehner is simply acting as Dr. No to get a better deal, Republicans can come out of the negotiations over the economic recovery bill as partners, planting the seeds for a new Republican approach toward dealing with economic matters.

But if Boehner's plan is for his party to act as an oppositional force -- trying to block, delay and prevent legislative action -- then the GOP could find itself in big trouble.

If the Republicans don't agree with Obama's approach, given the severity of the crisis, they need to offer an alternative rather than just sitting still.

To be sure, there is the possibility that if the economy continues to deteriorate after a bill has passed and the public loses faith in Obama, the House GOP could reap the benefit from their opposition. They could say "we told you so." But even that would be a high-risk maneuver, particularly given the state of public opinion about the Republican Party.

Even if a bill passes and the economy continues to struggle, voters would be looking at a Republican Party that didn't have anything better to offer. The public likes hard-working politicians.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal ideas didn't always work -- some like the National Recovery Act were downright failures -- but voters valued a president who tried to offer arguments about how to end the crisis and who rolled up his sleeves to make the nation better.

The election of 2008 revealed that the Republican Party lacks the kind of big ideas that Ronald Reagan used in 1980 to bring the conservative movement into power. The various factions of the conservative movement came together around the themes of anti-communism, deregulation and tax cuts.

Reagan didn't just sell tax cuts for the wealthy as good in themselves, but connected them to supply-side economics, which claimed that cuts would stimulate investment, generate economic growth and ultimately bring more revenue into the coffers of Treasury.

Even after the Soviet Union collapsed, Republican leaders found ideas to sell their movement to the public. Newt Gingrich and a cohort of young Republicans focused on sharp attacks about the dangers of government intervention and corruption of government.

For a short time it seemed that under George W. Bush, the war on terrorism would provide a new thematic focus to Republican efforts. But this was not to be.

The controversies over Iraq and the continued dangers in countries such as Afghanistan undermined Republican claims of superiority on national security policy. Controversies over the erosion of civil liberties and due process in the pursuit of terrorism also weakened their claims.

When the economy collapsed in fall 2008, Republicans' arguments about the wisdom of tax cuts and deregulation were made suspect. Americans might not always like government, but they dislike being broke even more.

Sen. John McCain struggled in his campaign, not just because of the weaknesses of his campaign, but because his party seemed to lack any answers as Wall Street and Main Street spun out of control.

Furthermore, the fact that the federal government continued to expand under Bush -- both when Republicans and Democrats controlled Capitol Hill -- made it difficult to sell Republican arguments about the dangers of big government.

Back in the 1970s, when Republicans felt as if they were in the political wilderness, they invested a great deal of their resources into the market of ideas.

Conservatives built think tanks like the CATO Institute, established talk radio shows, and financed academic scholarship about conservatism so that when opportunities arose in the elections of 1980 and 1994, Republicans had something to say.

At some point, Republicans have to tap into the 1970s enthusiasm about generating ideas if they want to rebuild their party and win over the hearts and minds of voters. Simply reviving the philosophy of the 1970s won't work. Rather the GOP needs to offer new arguments and new policies to achieve economic recovery.

If they repeat what happened in the 1930s, when Republicans sounded a lot like Groucho Marx and just said no as FDR rebuilt the nation, they are likely to remain on the outskirts of power for decades to come.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian Zelizer.

text: Editor

text: 's

text: note

text: Julian

text: E.

text: Zelizer

text: is

text: a

text: professor

text: of

text: history

text: and

text: public

text: affairs

text: at

text: Princeton

text: University

text: 's

text: Woodrow

text: Wilson

text: School

text: He

text: is

text: completing

text: a

text: book

text: on

text: the

text: history

text: of

text: national

text: security

text: politics

text: since

text: World

text: War

text: II

text: to

text: be

text: published

text: by

text: Basic

text: Books

text: Zelizer

text: writes

text: widely

text: on

text: current

text: events

text: Julian

text: Zelizer

text: says

text: it

text: 's

text: not

text: enough

text: for

text: Republicans

text: to

text: oppose

text: Obama

text: 's

text: plans

text: they

text: must

text: offer

text: their

text: own

text: ideas

text: PRINCETON

text: New

text: Jersey

text: CNN

text: One

text: of

text: the

text: best

text: Marx

text: Brothers

text: movies

text: Horse

text: Feathers

text: played

text: in

text: movie

text: theaters

text: at

text: the

text: height

text: of

text: the

text: Great

text: Depression

text: in

text: In

text: the

text: film

text: the

text: comedian

text: Groucho

text: Marx

text: played

text: the

text: new

text: president

text: of

text: Huxley

text: College

text: Quincy

text: Adams

text: Wagstaff

text: During

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: most

text: memorable

text: scenes

text: Groucho

text: introduces

text: himself

text: to

text: faculty

text: and

text: students

text: by

text: singing

text: about

text: his

text: philosophy

text: of

text: governance

text: Your

text: proposition

text: may

text: be

text: good

text: But

text: let

text: 's

text: have

text: one

text: thing

text: understood/

text: Whatever

text: it

text: is

text: I

text: 'm

text: against

text: it!/And

text: even

text: when

text: you

text: 've

text: changed

text: it

text: or

text: condensed

text: it

text: I

text: 'm

text: against

text: it/

text: I

text: 'm

text: opposed

text: to

text: it

text: On

text: general

text: principle

text: I

text: 'm

text: opposed

text: to

text: it

text: If

text: Republicans

text: want

text: to

text: rebuild

text: their

text: party

text: after

text: the

text: calamity

text: of

text: the

text: party

text: leadership

text: needs

text: to

text: avoid

text: the

text: Quincy

text: Adams

text: Wagstaff

text: approach

text: to

text: politics

text: When

text: Obama

text: proposed

text: his

text: economic

text: recovery

text: bill

text: last

text: week

text: the

text: first

text: words

text: to

text: come

text: out

text: of

text: House

text: Minority

text: Leader

text: 's

text: John

text: Boehner

text: 's

text: mouth

text: sounded

text: a

text: bit

text: like

text: Wagstaff

text: With

text: the

text: economy

text: imploding

text: and

text: the

text: international

text: economic

text: crisis

text: worsening

text: Boehner

text: said

text: Right

text: now

text: given

text: the

text: concerns

text: that

text: we

text: have

text: over

text: the

text: size

text: of

text: the

text: package

text: and

text: all

text: of

text: the

text: spending

text: in

text: this

text: package

text: we

text: do

text: n't

text: think

text: it

text: 's

text: going

text: to

text: work

text: And

text: so

text: if

text: it

text: 's

text: the

text: plan

text: that

text: I

text: see

text: today

text: put

text: me

text: down

text: in

text: the

text: no

text: column

text: Senate

text: Minority

text: Leader

text: Mitch

text: McConnell

text: has

text: been

text: more

text: restrained

text: in

text: his

text: response

text: leaving

text: open

text: the

text: door

text: to

text: compromise

text: If

text: Boehner

text: is

text: simply

text: acting

text: as

text: Dr.

text: No

text: to

text: get

text: a

text: better

text: deal

text: Republicans

text: can

text: come

text: out

text: of

text: the

text: negotiations

text: over

text: the

text: economic

text: recovery

text: bill

text: as

text: partners

text: planting

text: the

text: seeds

text: for

text: a

text: new

text: Republican

text: approach

text: toward

text: dealing

text: with

text: economic

text: matters

text: But

text: if

text: Boehner

text: 's

text: plan

text: is

text: for

text: his

text: party

text: to

text: act

text: as

text: an

text: oppositional

text: force

text: trying

text: to

text: block

text: delay

text: and

text: prevent

text: legislative

text: action

text: then

text: the

text: GOP

text: could

text: find

text: itself

text: in

text: big

text: trouble

text: If

text: the

text: Republicans

text: do

text: n't

text: agree

text: with

text: Obama

text: 's

text: approach

text: given

text: the

text: severity

text: of

text: the

text: crisis

text: they

text: need

text: to

text: offer

text: an

text: alternative

text: rather

text: than

text: just

text: sitting

text: still

text: To

text: be

text: sure

text: there

text: is

text: the

text: possibility

text: that

text: if

text: the

text: economy

text: continues

text: to

text: deteriorate

text: after

text: a

text: bill

text: has

text: passed

text: and

text: the

text: public

text: loses

text: faith

text: in

text: Obama

text: the

text: House

text: GOP

text: could

text: reap

text: the

text: benefit

text: from

text: their

text: opposition

text: They

text: could

text: say

text: we

text: told

text: you

text: so

text: But

text: even

text: that

text: would

text: be

text: a

text: high

text: risk

text: maneuver

text: particularly

text: given

text: the

text: state

text: of

text: public

text: opinion

text: about

text: the

text: Republican

text: Party

text: Even

text: if

text: a

text: bill

text: passes

text: and

text: the

text: economy

text: continues

text: to

text: struggle

text: voters

text: would

text: be

text: looking

text: at

text: a

text: Republican

text: Party

text: that

text: did

text: n't

text: have

text: anything

text: better

text: to

text: offer

text: The

text: public

text: likes

text: hard

text: working

text: politicians

text: President

text: Franklin

text: D.

text: Roosevelt

text: 's

text: New

text: Deal

text: ideas

text: did

text: n't

text: always

text: work

text: some

text: like

text: the

text: National

text: Recovery

text: Act

text: were

text: downright

text: failures

text: but

text: voters

text: valued

text: a

text: president

text: who

text: tried

text: to

text: offer

text: arguments

text: about

text: how

text: to

text: end

text: the

text: crisis

text: and

text: who

text: rolled

text: up

text: his

text: sleeves

text: to

text: make

text: the

text: nation

text: better

text: The

text: election

text: of

text: revealed

text: that

text: the

text: Republican

text: Party

text: lacks

text: the

text: kind

text: of

text: big

text: ideas

text: that

text: Ronald

text: Reagan

text: used

text: in

text: to

text: bring

text: the

text: conservative

text: movement

text: into

text: power

text: The

text: various

text: factions

text: of

text: the

text: conservative

text: movement

text: came

text: together

text: around

text: the

text: themes

text: of

text: anti

text: communism

text: deregulation

text: and

text: tax

text: cuts

text: Reagan

text: did

text: n't

text: just

text: sell

text: tax

text: cuts

text: for

text: the

text: wealthy

text: as

text: good

text: in

text: themselves

text: but

text: connected

text: them

text: to

text: supply

text: side

text: economics

text: which

text: claimed

text: that

text: cuts

text: would

text: stimulate

text: investment

text: generate

text: economic

text: growth

text: and

text: ultimately

text: bring

text: more

text: revenue

text: into

text: the

text: coffers

text: of

text: Treasury

text: Even

text: after

text: the

text: Soviet

text: Union

text: collapsed

text: Republican

text: leaders

text: found

text: ideas

text: to

text: sell

text: their

text: movement

text: to

text: the

text: public

text: Newt

text: Gingrich

text: and

text: a

text: cohort

text: of

text: young

text: Republicans

text: focused

text: on

text: sharp

text: attacks

text: about

text: the

text: dangers

text: of

text: government

text: intervention

text: and

text: corruption

text: of

text: government

text: For

text: a

text: short

text: time

text: it

text: seemed

text: that

text: under

text: George

text: W.

text: Bush

text: the

text: war

text: on

text: terrorism

text: would

text: provide

text: a

text: new

text: thematic

text: focus

text: to

text: Republican

text: efforts

text: But

text: this

text: was

text: not

text: to

text: be

text: The

text: controversies

text: over

text: Iraq

text: and

text: the

text: continued

text: dangers

text: in

text: countries

text: such

text: as

text: Afghanistan

text: undermined

text: Republican

text: claims

text: of

text: superiority

text: on

text: national

text: security

text: policy

text: Controversies

text: over

text: the

text: erosion

text: of

text: civil

text: liberties

text: and

text: due

text: process

text: in

text: the

text: pursuit

text: of

text: terrorism

text: also

text: weakened

text: their

text: claims

text: When

text: the

text: economy

text: collapsed

text: in

text: fall

text: Republicans

text: arguments

text: about

text: the

text: wisdom

text: of

text: tax

text: cuts

text: and

text: deregulation

text: were

text: made

text: suspect

text: Americans

text: might

text: not

text: always

text: like

text: government

text: but

text: they

text: dislike

text: being

text: broke

text: even

text: more

text: Sen.

text: John

text: McCain

text: struggled

text: in

text: his

text: campaign

text: not

text: just

text: because

text: of

text: the

text: weaknesses

text: of

text: his

text: campaign

text: but

text: because

text: his

text: party

text: seemed

text: to

text: lack

text: any

text: answers

text: as

text: Wall

text: Street

text: and

text: Main

text: Street

text: spun

text: out

text: of

text: control

text: Furthermore

text: the

text: fact

text: that

text: the

text: federal

text: government

text: continued

text: to

text: expand

text: under

text: Bush

text: both

text: when

text: Republicans

text: and

text: Democrats

text: controlled

text: Capitol

text: Hill

text: made

text: it

text: difficult

text: to

text: sell

text: Republican

text: arguments

text: about

text: the

text: dangers

text: of

text: big

text: government

text: Back

text: in

text: the

text: when

text: Republicans

text: felt

text: as

text: if

text: they

text: were

text: in

text: the

text: political

text: wilderness

text: they

text: invested

text: a

text: great

text: deal

text: of

text: their

text: resources

text: into

text: the

text: market

text: of

text: ideas

text: Conservatives

text: built

text: think

text: tanks

text: like

text: the

text: CATO

text: Institute

text: established

text: talk

text: radio

text: shows

text: and

text: financed

text: academic

text: scholarship

text: about

text: conservatism

text: so

text: that

text: when

text: opportunities

text: arose

text: in

text: the

text: elections

text: of

text: and

text: Republicans

text: had

text: something

text: to

text: say

text: At

text: some

text: point

text: Republicans

text: have

text: to

text: tap

text: into

text: the

text: enthusiasm

text: about

text: generating

text: ideas

text: if

text: they

text: want

text: to

text: rebuild

text: their

text: party

text: and

text: win

text: over

text: the

text: hearts

text: and

text: minds

text: of

text: voters

text: Simply

text: reviving

text: the

text: philosophy

text: of

text: the

text: wo

text: n't

text: work

text: Rather

text: the

text: GOP

text: needs

text: to

text: offer

text: new

text: arguments

text: and

text: new

text: policies

text: to

text: achieve

text: economic

text: recovery

text: If

text: they

text: repeat

text: what

text: happened

text: in

text: the

text: when

text: Republicans

text: sounded

text: a

text: lot

text: like

text: Groucho

text: Marx

text: and

text: just

text: said

text: no

text: as

text: FDR

text: rebuilt

text: the

text: nation

text: they

text: are

text: likely

text: to

text: remain

text: on

text: the

text: outskirts

text: of

text: power

text: for

text: decades

text: to

text: come

text: The

text: opinions

text: expressed

text: in

text: this

text: commentary

text: are

text: solely

text: those

text: of

text: Julian

text: Zelizer

question: what did zelizer say

answer: it's not enough for Republicans to oppose Obama's plans, they must offer their own ideas.

text: it's not enough for Republicans to oppose Obama's plans, they must offer their own ideas.

question: who is in trouble

answer: GOP

text: GOP

question: What did Zelizer say GOP should do if it opposes the stimulus plan?

answer: they must offer their own ideas.

text: they must offer their own ideas.

question: what happens if gop opposes

answer: could find itself in big trouble.

text: could find itself in big trouble.

question: who says republicans are in trouble?

answer: Julian Zelizer

text: Julian Zelizer

question: what are house republicans doing?

answer: want to rebuild their party

text: want to rebuild their party


text:
Editor's note: Michael A. Olivas is the William B. Bates Distinguished Chair in Law at the University of Houston Law Center and director of the university's Institute for Higher Education Law and Governance. He is the editor of "Colored Men And Hombres AquÃ: Hernandez V. Texas and the Emergence of Mexican American Lawyering," and is a member of the board of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Michael Olivas says Sonia Sotomayor's nomination affirms that Latinos matter in America.

(CNN) -- I recently saw an old episode of "West Wing," where Edward James Olmos, playing a fictional Puerto Rican federal judge, was nominated to become the first Latino on the U.S. Supreme Court. I cried, thinking how remote this possibility seemed, yet how close.

Now that Judge Sonia Sotomayor has been nominated by President Barack Obama to the Court, that episode finally rings true. When I heard the news, I wept, for the long-overdue acknowledgement that Latinos matter.

Judge Sotomayor's life and legal career are arcs possible only in this country: a hardscrabble life in a south Bronx housing project, educational opportunities made possible by her own intelligence and hard work, and a legal career devoted to public service. When she assumes her position on the bench in October, no other justice will have had the depth of legal experience she holds, and none will have served as a trial judge.

The sum of her life is exactly what we should look for on this court: excellent academic credentials, an accomplished legal career in private and government practice, and appointments to federal benches by Republican and Democrat presidents. Her decisions have been well-reasoned and well-written, and she will ably take her place on the Supreme Court bench.

The search for a justice with "empathy" is no less coded than is the traditional search for "judicial temperament" and a person who will "judge, not legislate." All nominees have the requisite merit badges, as does Judge Sotomayor. And to make their way to such a short list, all have the combination of personal and professional lives that warrant their consideration.

What Sonia Sotomayor will have, as few other candidates, is the additional weight of historical expectations and the hopes of Latinos.

In today's culture, Latinos are marginalized and demonized and feared. In Judge Sotomayor's New York, roving gangs of thugs go "beaner hunting," looking to harm undocumented Mexicans. Such racial hatred knows no nuance, as one such mob killed a permanent resident Ecuadorian, thinking him to be Mexican.

Vigilantes along the Mexican border have taken the law of enforcement into their own hands. In cultural programming, this community is described as either lazy and shiftless, or stealing jobs from real Americans. They are typecast as drogeros or maids, long characterized as banditos or greasers. The racial rhetoric against Latinos has been tolerated for too long on cable television news and in political and polite discourse.

I will be carefully watching the confirmation hearings for the coded political messages, knowing that Justice-elect Sotomayor's many merits will ultimately win her confirmation. But also watching will be little girls in a south Bronx housing project, in the valley of South Texas, and in rural New Mexico.

Her service on our country's highest court will be the evidence that they, too, have reason to hope and to achieve. All of this country's citizens should realize that it is not just Latinos' dreams being realized, but our collective accomplishment.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Michael Olivas.

text: Editor

text: 's

text: note

text: Michael

text: A.

text: Olivas

text: is

text: the

text: William

text: B.

text: Bates

text: Distinguished

text: Chair

text: in

text: Law

text: at

text: the

text: University

text: of

text: Houston

text: Law

text: Center

text: and

text: director

text: of

text: the

text: university

text: 's

text: Institute

text: for

text: Higher

text: Education

text: Law

text: and

text: Governance

text: He

text: is

text: the

text: editor

text: of

text: Colored

text: Men

text: And

text: Hombres

text: AquÃ

text: Hernandez

text: V.

text: Texas

text: and

text: the

text: Emergence

text: of

text: Mexican

text: American

text: Lawyering

text: and

text: is

text: a

text: member

text: of

text: the

text: board

text: of

text: the

text: Mexican

text: American

text: Legal

text: Defense

text: and

text: Educational

text: Fund

text: Michael

text: Olivas

text: says

text: Sonia

text: Sotomayor

text: 's

text: nomination

text: affirms

text: that

text: Latinos

text: matter

text: in

text: America

text: CNN

text: I

text: recently

text: saw

text: an

text: old

text: episode

text: of

text: West

text: Wing

text: where

text: Edward

text: James

text: Olmos

text: playing

text: a

text: fictional

text: Puerto

text: Rican

text: federal

text: judge

text: was

text: nominated

text: to

text: become

text: the

text: first

text: Latino

text: on

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Supreme

text: Court

text: I

text: cried

text: thinking

text: how

text: remote

text: this

text: possibility

text: seemed

text: yet

text: how

text: close

text: Now

text: that

text: Judge

text: Sonia

text: Sotomayor

text: has

text: been

text: nominated

text: by

text: President

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: to

text: the

text: Court

text: that

text: episode

text: finally

text: rings

text: true

text: When

text: I

text: heard

text: the

text: news

text: I

text: wept

text: for

text: the

text: long

text: overdue

text: acknowledgement

text: that

text: Latinos

text: matter

text: Judge

text: Sotomayor

text: 's

text: life

text: and

text: legal

text: career

text: are

text: arcs

text: possible

text: only

text: in

text: this

text: country

text: a

text: hardscrabble

text: life

text: in

text: a

text: south

text: Bronx

text: housing

text: project

text: educational

text: opportunities

text: made

text: possible

text: by

text: her

text: own

text: intelligence

text: and

text: hard

text: work

text: and

text: a

text: legal

text: career

text: devoted

text: to

text: public

text: service

text: When

text: she

text: assumes

text: her

text: position

text: on

text: the

text: bench

text: in

text: October

text: no

text: other

text: justice

text: will

text: have

text: had

text: the

text: depth

text: of

text: legal

text: experience

text: she

text: holds

text: and

text: will

text: have

text: served

text: as

text: a

text: trial

text: judge

text: The

text: sum

text: of

text: her

text: life

text: is

text: exactly

text: what

text: we

text: should

text: look

text: for

text: on

text: this

text: court

text: excellent

text: academic

text: credentials

text: an

text: accomplished

text: legal

text: career

text: in

text: private

text: and

text: government

text: practice

text: and

text: appointments

text: to

text: federal

text: benches

text: by

text: Republican

text: and

text: Democrat

text: presidents

text: Her

text: decisions

text: have

text: been

text: well

text: reasoned

text: and

text: well

text: written

text: and

text: she

text: will

text: ably

text: take

text: her

text: place

text: on

text: the

text: Supreme

text: Court

text: bench

text: The

text: search

text: for

text: a

text: justice

text: with

text: empathy

text: is

text: no

text: less

text: coded

text: than

text: is

text: the

text: traditional

text: search

text: for

text: judicial

text: temperament

text: and

text: a

text: person

text: who

text: will

text: judge

text: not

text: legislate

text: All

text: nominees

text: have

text: the

text: requisite

text: merit

text: badges

text: as

text: does

text: Judge

text: Sotomayor

text: And

text: to

text: make

text: their

text: way

text: to

text: such

text: a

text: short

text: list

text: all

text: have

text: the

text: combination

text: of

text: personal

text: and

text: professional

text: lives

text: that

text: warrant

text: their

text: consideration

text: What

text: Sonia

text: Sotomayor

text: will

text: have

text: as

text: few

text: other

text: candidates

text: is

text: the

text: additional

text: weight

text: of

text: historical

text: expectations

text: and

text: the

text: hopes

text: of

text: Latinos

text: In

text: today

text: 's

text: culture

text: Latinos

text: are

text: marginalized

text: and

text: demonized

text: and

text: feared

text: In

text: Judge

text: Sotomayor

text: 's

text: New

text: York

text: roving

text: gangs

text: of

text: thugs

text: go

text: beaner

text: hunting

text: looking

text: to

text: harm

text: undocumented

text: Mexicans

text: Such

text: racial

text: hatred

text: knows

text: no

text: nuance

text: as

text: one

text: such

text: mob

text: killed

text: a

text: permanent

text: resident

text: Ecuadorian

text: thinking

text: him

text: to

text: be

text: Mexican

text: Vigilantes

text: along

text: the

text: Mexican

text: border

text: have

text: taken

text: the

text: law

text: of

text: enforcement

text: into

text: their

text: own

text: hands

text: In

text: cultural

text: programming

text: this

text: community

text: is

text: described

text: as

text: either

text: lazy

text: and

text: shiftless

text: or

text: stealing

text: jobs

text: from

text: real

text: Americans

text: They

text: are

text: typecast

text: as

text: drogeros

text: or

text: maids

text: long

text: characterized

text: as

text: banditos

text: or

text: greasers

text: The

text: racial

text: rhetoric

text: against

text: Latinos

text: has

text: been

text: tolerated

text: for

text: too

text: long

text: on

text: cable

text: television

text: news

text: and

text: in

text: political

text: and

text: polite

text: discourse

text: I

text: will

text: be

text: carefully

text: watching

text: the

text: confirmation

text: hearings

text: for

text: the

text: coded

text: political

text: messages

text: knowing

text: that

text: Justice

text: elect

text: Sotomayor

text: 's

text: many

text: merits

text: will

text: ultimately

text: win

text: her

text: confirmation

text: But

text: also

text: watching

text: will

text: be

text: little

text: girls

text: in

text: a

text: south

text: Bronx

text: housing

text: project

text: in

text: the

text: valley

text: of

text: South

text: Texas

text: and

text: in

text: rural

text: New

text: Mexico

text: Her

text: service

text: on

text: our

text: country

text: 's

text: highest

text: court

text: will

text: be

text: the

text: evidence

text: that

text: they

text: too

text: have

text: reason

text: to

text: hope

text: and

text: to

text: achieve

text: All

text: of

text: this

text: country

text: 's

text: citizens

text: should

text: realize

text: that

text: it

text: is

text: not

text: just

text: Latinos

text: dreams

text: being

text: realized

text: but

text: our

text: collective

text: accomplishment

text: The

text: opinions

text: expressed

text: in

text: this

text: commentary

text: are

text: solely

text: those

text: of

text: Michael

text: Olivas

question: In the present American culture, Latinos are what?

answer: marginalized and demonized and feared.

text: marginalized and demonized and feared.

question: Who is Judge Sonia Sotomayor?

answer: has been nominated by President Barack Obama to the Court,

text: has been nominated by President Barack Obama to the Court,

question: The name of the Judge is what?

answer: Sonia Sotomayor

text: Sonia Sotomayor

question: What does the nomination send?

answer: affirms that Latinos matter in America.

text: affirms that Latinos matter in America.

question: In what light are Latinos seen in American culture?

answer: marginalized and demonized and feared.

text: marginalized and demonized and feared.

question: What is a historic moment?

answer: Sonia Sotomayor's nomination

text: Sonia Sotomayor's nomination


text:
(CNN) -- Part of Havana's charm is that it plays by its own rules -- these tips will help you play along.

Traveling by the brightly-colored Cocotaxi is a kitsch way to explore Havana.

Hard currency Parting with your cash can be a tricky proposition in Havana. Confusingly, Cuba has two currencies, convertible pesos and Cuban pesos, with the U.S. dollar no longer commonly accepted.

Tourists are perfectly entitled to use Cuban pesos, but you can't buy much with them and in practice, visitors will deal almost exclusively in convertible pesos.

You can convert foreign currencies into convertibles at hotels and money-changing booths, but if you're converting U.S. dollars you will be charged a 10 per cent commission. The sensible thing would be to get your money from an ATM, however, while Visa cards are accepted at some ATMs, other cards are practically useless in Havana.

Credit cards are becoming more widely accepted in Havana, but using them will incur a hefty surcharge and American credit and debit cards can't be used at all in Cuba. That ban applies even to credit cards issued by American-owned companies and companies with apparently scant connection to the U.S. The upshot is that you should check with your credit card company before traveling, or you may find you're carrying a lot of worthless plastic.

See Carlos Acosta's Havana Â»

Getting around The faded glories of Old Havana are best appreciated on foot, but to fully explore the city, and after nightfall in some of the sketchier areas, you're better off taking a taxi. The cheapest are the state-owned yellow and black Ladas, although these are not meant to pick up tourists within 100 meters of a hotel. Haggle over the price before you set off.

You can flag down metered tourist taxis along the Malecon and they also congregate outside the Hotel Nacional in Vedado. It's technically illegal, but easy enough, to flag down pretty much any passing car and pay for a ride around the city, although there's no guarantee of the car, or the driver, being roadworthy.

If your heart's set on ride in a 50s classic car a better bet is to take a Gran Car. These state-owned vintage cars are in good condition, although they're pricey for Havana. Cocotaxis are kitschy, bright yellow, three-wheeled novelty taxis that look a bit like a crash helmet on wheels. They're cheap and fun, if you like that kind of thing.

Also with three wheels, the pedal-powered bici-taxis are usually cheaper, and often more comfortable, than their four-wheeled motorized cousins. If you're lucky you'll get one with a salsa-blasting stereo strapped onto the back.

Do you have any Havana tips? Let us know

Havana's crowded buses are a pickpocket's paradise and are best avoided.

A rum time Cubans do enjoy a splash of rum and their capital is home to one of the world's most famous brands -- Havana Club. There's no better way to cool down on a steamy Havana night than with a rum cocktail -- but which to choose? Here are a few you should sample:

Cuba Libre: A Havana classic made with cola, rum and lime. Canchanchara: The locals' favorite -- white rum, lime juice and honey. El Presidente: This mixture of rum, red vermouth, Curacao and grenadine is named not after Fidel, but after President Mario Garcia Menocal. Daiquiri: The purist's daiquiri is a combination of rum, lime juice, sugar and maraschino, but if you're feeling impure you can have yours with added fruit. Mojito: Ernest Hemingway's tipple of choice was this mix of white rum, lime juice, sugar or sugar cane juice, soda water and fresh mint. Havana Special: A refreshing blend of white rum, maraschino and pineapple juice. Saoco: Not unlike a turbo-charged milkshake, the saoco is a double whammy of white rum and coconut milk.

If all those cocktails haven't quenched your thirst for knowledge, you can carry out more rum research at the Museo del Ron, 262 Avenida del Puerto, on the corner of San Pedro and Sol.

Red tape Unless you're from the U.S., all you need to visit Havana is a tourist card and a plane ticket, and the two are best acquired at the same time. The card will let you stay in the country for 30 days and if you don't get one when you book your trip you can pick one up from your local Cuban consulate -- although that can be a time-consuming process.

If you're a U.S. citizen planning to visit Havana, good luck! Before leaving you'll need to get a license from the U.S. government, and regular tourists aren't eligible.

Of course, there are U.S. citizens who travel to Cuba on a tourist card bought in Canada or Mexico, but it's a ruse that can result in a hefty fine and even a jail term. For the latest information see the U.S. Department of State Website.

text: CNN

text: Part

text: of

text: Havana

text: 's

text: charm

text: is

text: that

text: it

text: plays

text: by

text: its

text: own

text: rules

text: these

text: tips

text: will

text: help

text: you

text: play

text: along

text: Traveling

text: by

text: the

text: brightly

text: colored

text: Cocotaxi

text: is

text: a

text: kitsch

text: way

text: to

text: explore

text: Havana

text: Hard

text: currency

text: Parting

text: with

text: your

text: cash

text: can

text: be

text: a

text: tricky

text: proposition

text: in

text: Havana

text: Confusingly

text: Cuba

text: has

text: two

text: currencies

text: convertible

text: pesos

text: and

text: Cuban

text: pesos

text: with

text: the

text: U.S.

text: dollar

text: no

text: longer

text: commonly

text: accepted

text: Tourists

text: are

text: perfectly

text: entitled

text: to

text: use

text: Cuban

text: pesos

text: but

text: you

text: ca

text: n't

text: buy

text: much

text: with

text: them

text: and

text: in

text: practice

text: visitors

text: will

text: deal

text: almost

text: exclusively

text: in

text: convertible

text: pesos

text: You

text: can

text: convert

text: foreign

text: currencies

text: into

text: convertibles

text: at

text: hotels

text: and

text: money

text: changing

text: booths

text: but

text: if

text: you

text: 're

text: converting

text: U.S.

text: dollars

text: you

text: will

text: be

text: charged

text: a

text: per

text: cent

text: commission

text: The

text: sensible

text: thing

text: would

text: be

text: to

text: get

text: your

text: money

text: from

text: an

text: ATM

text: however

text: while

text: Visa

text: cards

text: are

text: accepted

text: at

text: some

text: ATMs

text: other

text: cards

text: are

text: practically

text: useless

text: in

text: Havana

text: Credit

text: cards

text: are

text: becoming

text: more

text: widely

text: accepted

text: in

text: Havana

text: but

text: using

text: them

text: will

text: incur

text: a

text: hefty

text: surcharge

text: and

text: American

text: credit

text: and

text: debit

text: cards

text: ca

text: n't

text: be

text: used

text: at

text: all

text: in

text: Cuba

text: That

text: ban

text: applies

text: even

text: to

text: credit

text: cards

text: issued

text: by

text: American

text: owned

text: companies

text: and

text: companies

text: with

text: apparently

text: scant

text: connection

text: to

text: the

text: U.S.

text: The

text: upshot

text: is

text: that

text: you

text: should

text: check

text: with

text: your

text: credit

text: card

text: company

text: before

text: traveling

text: or

text: you

text: may

text: find

text: you

text: 're

text: carrying

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: worthless

text: plastic

text: See

text: Carlos

text: Acosta

text: 's

text: Havana

text: Â

text: Getting

text: around

text: The

text: faded

text: glories

text: of

text: Old

text: Havana

text: are

text: best

text: appreciated

text: on

text: foot

text: but

text: to

text: fully

text: explore

text: the

text: city

text: and

text: after

text: nightfall

text: in

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: sketchier

text: areas

text: you

text: 're

text: better

text: off

text: taking

text: a

text: taxi

text: The

text: cheapest

text: are

text: the

text: state

text: owned

text: yellow

text: and

text: black

text: Ladas

text: although

text: these

text: are

text: not

text: meant

text: to

text: pick

text: up

text: tourists

text: within

text: meters

text: of

text: a

text: hotel

text: Haggle

text: over

text: the

text: price

text: before

text: you

text: set

text: off

text: You

text: can

text: flag

text: down

text: metered

text: tourist

text: taxis

text: along

text: the

text: Malecon

text: and

text: they

text: also

text: congregate

text: outside

text: the

text: Hotel

text: Nacional

text: in

text: Vedado

text: It

text: 's

text: technically

text: illegal

text: but

text: easy

text: enough

text: to

text: flag

text: down

text: pretty

text: much

text: any

text: passing

text: car

text: and

text: pay

text: for

text: a

text: ride

text: around

text: the

text: city

text: although

text: there

text: 's

text: no

text: guarantee

text: of

text: the

text: car

text: or

text: the

text: driver

text: being

text: roadworthy

text: If

text: your

text: heart

text: 's

text: set

text: on

text: ride

text: in

text: a

text: classic

text: car

text: a

text: better

text: bet

text: is

text: to

text: take

text: a

text: Gran

text: Car

text: These

text: state

text: owned

text: vintage

text: cars

text: are

text: in

text: good

text: condition

text: although

text: they

text: 're

text: pricey

text: for

text: Havana

text: Cocotaxis

text: are

text: kitschy

text: bright

text: yellow

text: three

text: wheeled

text: novelty

text: taxis

text: that

text: look

text: a

text: bit

text: like

text: a

text: crash

text: helmet

text: on

text: wheels

text: They

text: 're

text: cheap

text: and

text: fun

text: if

text: you

text: like

text: that

text: kind

text: of

text: thing

text: Also

text: with

text: three

text: wheels

text: the

text: pedal

text: powered

text: bici

text: taxis

text: are

text: usually

text: cheaper

text: and

text: often

text: more

text: comfortable

text: than

text: their

text: four

text: wheeled

text: motorized

text: cousins

text: If

text: you

text: 're

text: lucky

text: you

text: 'll

text: get

text: one

text: with

text: a

text: salsa

text: blasting

text: stereo

text: strapped

text: onto

text: the

text: back

text: Do

text: you

text: have

text: any

text: Havana

text: tips

text: Let

text: us

text: know

text: Havana

text: 's

text: crowded

text: buses

text: are

text: a

text: pickpocket

text: 's

text: paradise

text: and

text: are

text: best

text: avoided

text: A

text: rum

text: time

text: Cubans

text: do

text: enjoy

text: a

text: splash

text: of

text: rum

text: and

text: their

text: capital

text: is

text: home

text: to

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: world

text: 's

text: most

text: famous

text: brands

text: Havana

text: Club

text: There

text: 's

text: no

text: better

text: way

text: to

text: cool

text: down

text: on

text: a

text: steamy

text: Havana

text: night

text: than

text: with

text: a

text: rum

text: cocktail

text: but

text: which

text: to

text: choose

text: Here

text: are

text: a

text: few

text: you

text: should

text: sample

text: Cuba

text: Libre

text: A

text: Havana

text: classic

text: made

text: with

text: cola

text: rum

text: and

text: lime

text: Canchanchara

text: The

text: locals

text: favorite

text: white

text: rum

text: lime

text: juice

text: and

text: honey

text: El

text: Presidente

text: This

text: mixture

text: of

text: rum

text: red

text: vermouth

text: Curacao

text: and

text: grenadine

text: is

text: named

text: not

text: after

text: Fidel

text: but

text: after

text: President

text: Mario

text: Garcia

text: Menocal

text: Daiquiri

text: The

text: purist

text: 's

text: daiquiri

text: is

text: a

text: combination

text: of

text: rum

text: lime

text: juice

text: sugar

text: and

text: maraschino

text: but

text: if

text: you

text: 're

text: feeling

text: impure

text: you

text: can

text: have

text: yours

text: with

text: added

text: fruit

text: Mojito

text: Ernest

text: Hemingway

text: 's

text: tipple

text: of

text: choice

text: was

text: this

text: mix

text: of

text: white

text: rum

text: lime

text: juice

text: sugar

text: or

text: sugar

text: cane

text: juice

text: soda

text: water

text: and

text: fresh

text: mint

text: Havana

text: Special

text: A

text: refreshing

text: blend

text: of

text: white

text: rum

text: maraschino

text: and

text: pineapple

text: juice

text: Saoco

text: Not

text: unlike

text: a

text: turbo

text: charged

text: milkshake

text: the

text: saoco

text: is

text: a

text: double

text: whammy

text: of

text: white

text: rum

text: and

text: coconut

text: milk

text: If

text: all

text: those

text: cocktails

text: have

text: n't

text: quenched

text: your

text: thirst

text: for

text: knowledge

text: you

text: can

text: carry

text: out

text: more

text: rum

text: research

text: at

text: the

text: Museo

text: del

text: Ron

text: Avenida

text: del

text: Puerto

text: on

text: the

text: corner

text: of

text: San

text: Pedro

text: and

text: Sol

text: Red

text: tape

text: Unless

text: you

text: 're

text: from

text: the

text: U.S.

text: all

text: you

text: need

text: to

text: visit

text: Havana

text: is

text: a

text: tourist

text: card

text: and

text: a

text: plane

text: ticket

text: and

text: the

text: two

text: are

text: best

text: acquired

text: at

text: the

text: same

text: time

text: The

text: card

text: will

text: let

text: you

text: stay

text: in

text: the

text: country

text: for

text: days

text: and

text: if

text: you

text: do

text: n't

text: get

text: one

text: when

text: you

text: book

text: your

text: trip

text: you

text: can

text: pick

text: one

text: up

text: from

text: your

text: local

text: Cuban

text: consulate

text: although

text: that

text: can

text: be

text: a

text: time

text: consuming

text: process

text: If

text: you

text: 're

text: a

text: U.S.

text: citizen

text: planning

text: to

text: visit

text: Havana

text: good

text: luck

text: Before

text: leaving

text: you

text: 'll

text: need

text: to

text: get

text: a

text: license

text: from

text: the

text: U.S.

text: government

text: and

text: regular

text: tourists

text: are

text: n't

text: eligible

text: Of

text: course

text: there

text: are

text: U.S.

text: citizens

text: who

text: travel

text: to

text: Cuba

text: on

text: a

text: tourist

text: card

text: bought

text: in

text: Canada

text: or

text: Mexico

text: but

text: it

text: 's

text: a

text: ruse

text: that

text: can

text: result

text: in

text: a

text: hefty

text: fine

text: and

text: even

text: a

text: jail

text: term

text: For

text: the

text: latest

text: information

text: see

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Department

text: of

text: State

text: Website

question: What kind of currency do tourists usually use?

answer: convertible pesos

text: convertible pesos

question: where is state-owned vintage American cars?

answer: Havana.

text: Havana.

question: What is a classic Cuban drink?

answer: Cuba Libre:

text: Cuba Libre:

question: who has two currencies?

answer: Cuba

text: Cuba

question: How many currencies does Cuba have?

answer: two

text: two