Five Liberal Leaders in 2005

US Senator Harry Reid of Nevada

When Senator Reid was newly elected Senate Democratic leader in November 2004 just after the national election, Senate Democrats were in political shambles, holding only 44 of 100 Senate seats and longtime leader Tom Daschle headed back home after reelection defeat.

And Senator Reid seemed an unlikely candidate to be a Democrat at all, much less a Democratic Party uniter. A Mormon by faith, he opposes gun control and some abortion rights, and is the antithesis of the fire-breathing, hardball-seeming politician.

He's a passionate champion and tenacious advocate, though, for the environment, educational opportunities and standards, equal opportunity for all, and issues vital to senior citizens, such as Social Security, healthcare and prescription drug coverage.

Soft-spoken Senator Reid, former head of the Nevada Gaming Commission who ran the mob out of Las Vegas, molded Senate Democrats plus one Independent and a handful of moderate Republicans into a surprisingly influential coalition.

In May 2005, he successfully led Senate Democrats in a tough fight to beat back an aggressive Republican power grab to kill the filibuster for judicial nominees. He labored tirelessly to bury the President's Social Security privatization plan that would have cut and eventually killed Social Security in the United States.

He relentlessly marshaled support to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil-drilling. He fought off presidential plans to use immigrants to create a permanent, slave-like underclass of US workers. And always, he spoke openly and candidly to the American public.

On August 19, 2005, Reid's office announced that the Senator suffered a mild stroke. Yet, the senator returned full-strength in September to continue to lead Senate Democrats as a formidable and inspiring Senate force for American values and all Americans.
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Cindy Sheehan, Anti-Iraq War Activist and "Peace Mom"

Cindy Sheehan, the blunt-speaking middle-aged suburban mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, gave a face in 2005 to the bereaved families of the War in Iraq. Mrs. Sheehan, a youth pastor at a Roman Catholic church in California, began speaking out against the war in 2004 just a month after her Eagle Scout son was killed in action, and just weeks after a group meeting-gone-awry with President Bush.

In August 2005, Cindy Sheehan came to international prominence, and galvanized the national anti-war movement, when she and hundreds of supporters and other bereaved families camped outside the President's Crawford, Texas ranch estate for the entirety of his five-week vacation.

The purpose of Mrs. Sheehan's encampment was to request a personal meeting with the President to ask him what the "noble cause" was that her son died for. Despite threats of physical violence and arrest, Camp Casey occupants survived and thrived for the five weeks, waiting for a 30-minute meeting with the President. George Bush never made the time to meet with them.

On September 24, 2005, Cindy Sheehan led over 200,000 protestors, inspired by her example, in a three-day rally in Washington DC, in which she and others were arrested for demonstrating without a permit.

Sheehan now travels around the country speaking and encouraging others to stand against the War in Iraq. She has met with members of Congress, both friendly and unfriendly to her drive for peace.

And on December 10, 2005, Mrs. Sheehan addressed the International Peace Conference in London, where she was greeted enthusiastically as a heroine. Later that evening, she attended a play written by Nobel Prize Literature winner, Dario Fo, about Sheehan's leadership for world peace.

Cindy Sheehan is an American mother who made a difference, and inspired others to also make a difference...including Senator Russ Feingold and Congressman John Murtha in their respective calls for the US to exit Iraq.

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EU leaders reach Greek rescue deal

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou took part in the bailout talks in Brussels on Thursday.NEW: Bailout for Greece to be funded by the European Union and the International Monetary FundNEW: Deal will save the country 54 billion euros over three yearsPlans were thrashed out by France's Nicolas Sarkozy and Germany's Angela Merkel

(CNN) -- European leaders agreed on Thursday to provide a second bailout package for Greece and drastically expand rescue funds to prevent financial crisis spreading through the eurozone.

European Union president Herman Van Rompuy said the rescue deal would be financed by both the EU and the International Monetary Fund.

European governments and the IMF will contribute a total of 109 billion euros. The private sector's share will amount to 49.6 billion euros.

The deal was reached following an emergency summit of the 17 eurozone nations in Brussels.

The plan is believed to have been thrashed out at a seven-hour meeting on Wednesday between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who buried sharp differences about involving the private sector in the bailout.

According to a draft proposal, obtained by several media organizations earlier on Thursday, the European Union will provide additional loans with longer pay back periods "to decisively improve the debt sustainability and refinancing profile of Greece."

Unless the eurozone finds a way to bring Greece back from the brink of defaulting on part of its $500 billion debts, it is feared that other countries exposed to the debt will begin to experience problems.

Weaker economies such as Italy and Spain -- seen as too big to bail out -- could falter, tearing apart the eurozone, and hurting other nations exposed to the debt take.

Under the draft proposals, loans made by the European Financial Stability Fund, funded by bonds backed by EU members, will now mature in 15 years instead of the current seven-and-a-half. The loans will be available to Ireland and Portugal, which have already been bailed out.

Interest rates will be as low as 3.5%, it said.

The draft dropped earlier plans for a bank tax to raise bailout funds, but revived German calls for private sector involvement -- a move that could risk a Greek default.

The eurozone will use its expanded crisis funds as a short-term guarantee to Greek bonds to prevent wider collapse in the event of a partial debt default in order to prevent wider collapse, diplomats told Agence France-Presse earlier on Thursday.

The euro rose sharply and U.S. and European markets were broadly up following reported details of the draft.

"If this is correct it all looks pretty sensible at first glance," said Gary Jenkins, head of fixed income research with Evolution Securities.

Greece's government is estimated to need more than $200 billion to in addition to a $157 billion rescue package agreed last year to sustain it over the next few years.

EU governments have been at loggerheads about what shape the bailout will take, with some leaders insisting banks and private sector investors should take some of the burden.

Greece has been forced to impose harsh austerity measures, provoking violent scenes of protest, in an attempt to cut its debts. Taxes have been raised and public sector jobs cut. It is also selling off numerous assets.

CNNMoney's Ben Rooney contributed to this story.

Quoting : CNN

European leaders reach deal over Greek debt

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou took part in the bailout talks in Brussels on Thursday.NEW: Bailout for Greece to be funded by the European Union and the International Monetary FundNEW: Deal will save the country 54 billion euros over three yearsPlans were thrashed out by France's Nicolas Sarkozy and Germany's Angela Merkel

(CNN) -- European leaders agreed on Thursday to provide a second bailout package for Greece and drastically expand rescue funds to prevent financial crisis spreading through the eurozone.

European Union president Herman Van Rompuy said the rescue deal would be financed by both the EU and the International Monetary Fund.

European governments and the IMF will contribute a total of 109 billion euros. The private sector's share will amount to 49.6 billion euros.

The deal was reached following an emergency summit of the 17 eurozone nations in Brussels.

The plan is believed to have been thrashed out at a seven-hour meeting on Wednesday between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who buried sharp differences about involving the private sector in the bailout.

According to a draft proposal, obtained by several media organizations earlier on Thursday, the European Union will provide additional loans with longer pay back periods "to decisively improve the debt sustainability and refinancing profile of Greece."

Unless the eurozone finds a way to bring Greece back from the brink of defaulting on part of its $500 billion debts, it is feared that other countries exposed to the debt will begin to experience problems.

Weaker economies such as Italy and Spain -- seen as too big to bail out -- could falter, tearing apart the eurozone, and hurting other nations exposed to the debt take.

Under the draft proposals, loans made by the European Financial Stability Fund, funded by bonds backed by EU members, will now mature in 15 years instead of the current seven-and-a-half. The loans will be available to Ireland and Portugal, which have already been bailed out.

Interest rates will be as low as 3.5%, it said.

The draft dropped earlier plans for a bank tax to raise bailout funds, but revived German calls for private sector involvement -- a move that could risk a Greek default.

The eurozone will use its expanded crisis funds as a short-term guarantee to Greek bonds to prevent wider collapse in the event of a partial debt default in order to prevent wider collapse, diplomats told Agence France-Presse earlier on Thursday.

The euro rose sharply and U.S. and European markets were broadly up following reported details of the draft.

"If this is correct it all looks pretty sensible at first glance," said Gary Jenkins, head of fixed income research with Evolution Securities.

Greece's government is estimated to need more than $200 billion to in addition to a $157 billion rescue package agreed last year to sustain it over the next few years.

EU governments have been at loggerheads about what shape the bailout will take, with some leaders insisting banks and private sector investors should take some of the burden.

Greece has been forced to impose harsh austerity measures, provoking violent scenes of protest, in an attempt to cut its debts. Taxes have been raised and public sector jobs cut. It is also selling off numerous assets.

CNNMoney's Ben Rooney contributed to this story.

Quoting : CNN.com