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Christie plans D.C. rollout

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is bringing his blunt talk about fiscal responsibility to Washington this week in a speech sure to stoke speculation about his national prospects – which have intensified in recent weeks as some Republicans openly fret about the strength of their 2012 field.

Like Christie himself, the message he’ll deliver Wednesday at the conservative American Enterprise Institute is unorthodox and straightforward: he accuses both parties, Democrats and Republicans alike, of “timidity” in the face of the coming fiscal calamity.

“It’s hard, but it can be dealt with,” Christie said of his speech, previewed for POLITICO, which will focus on his battles with the state’s teachers unions. “I’m a little mystified as to why they’re not doing it, on either side. Because what we’ve shown in New Jersey is that the public is hungry for this.”

“I don’t think anybody’s ever accused me of being ambiguous. So I think when I get done, they’ll have a good idea of what I’m talking about,” he said.

Christie is candid about his willingness to consider national office in the future but insists he’ll be sitting out 2012, saying he is “challenged and content and excited to be the governor of New Jersey, and I got a lot of work to do here – we are far from being fixed.”

“I’m not running for president,” Christie, 48, said by phone from his desk in Trenton Monday. “And I don’t know anybody who would want somebody like me as their vice president.”

But that hasn’t stopped some Republicans from seeing Christie as the answer for a party that badly wants to beat President Barack Obama two years out. He drew 6 percent of the vote at last weekend’s Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll – tied for third, even though he’s not running.

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter has emerged as a vocal backer, telling Fox and Friends Monday morning, “I would say he’s the only Republican who could win.”

And it’s not just Coulter. One overriding sentiment at CPAC last week was that there was still a spot in the race for a newcomer. Some have pushed former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Others have turned to Christie, a former U.S. attorney who unseated incumbent Jon Corzine in 2009 and who is enjoying a wave of GOP national celebrity.

Earlier in the year Christie turned down an opportunity to offer the Republican response to Obama’s State of the Union speech.

In a season of revolt against canned politics, his unapologetic swagger and decisiveness have registered with voters and activists.

“I am who I am,” he said. “To the extent that people are finding any type of attraction to what I’m doing, it’s mostly because it’s because I’m being straight with them. It’s not a bunch of prepared hooey, read off a teleprompter.”

AEI, which sometimes has to fill speeches with employees and interns, says the response to Christie has been so phenomenal that room reached its capacity of 300 less than a week after his speech was announced. Reporters and others are now being referred to a livestream on the Web.

Yet for all Christie’s demurrals on the presidential race, it’s clear his interests extend beyond Trenton. His staff revealed that he had hosted former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney last month for a large dinner at Drumthwacket, the governor’s mansion – and let it be known that it was Romney who had made the overture.

“Governor Romney asked if he could come see us, and I was more than happy to host him for dinner with some folks in my state who are political friends and allies of mine,” Christie said. “I’d do it with people I feel like I have a relationship with, and I have one with Governor Romney.”

And Christie clearly expects more such auditions.

“If there are other folks who I have developed a relationship with over time who are considering running for president … I’m happy to give them a forum,” he said. “As that happens, I’m not naïve enough to think that it won’t leak to all of you immediately.”

In an exclusive preview of his D.C. address, “It’s Time to Do the Big Things,” the governor reveled in his biggest controversy – his war with Garden State teachers’ unions.

It’s a fight where national Republicans are cheering him on and he knows it.

The speech, he said, is an effort to “let people around the country know about the experience we’re having in New Jersey, … and how I think it’s something that every governor is currently looking at, and that the federal government should be looking at.”

Christie explained his confrontational style, memorialized on various YouTube videos that have drawn hundreds of thousands of views.

“I was brand-new to the schoolyard last January,” he said. “And when I came on, I saw a whole bunch of people, laying on the ground – bloody. And one person standing up – that’s the bully. Some governors before me have decided they wanted to cozy up to the bully and make nice with him and hope that they don’t get punched.

“My attitude is: ‘You punch them, I punch you.’ That’s what I think I’ve been sent here to do, with regard to some of the public-sector unions. I don’t think you can allow public officials to be bullied around. If they want a fight, they’ll get one.”

Christie beat Corzine by less than 4 percent of the vote, but since then has marshaled public opinion to a surprising degree in a state that has gone Democratic in the past five presidential elections. In a Quinnipiac University poll taken early this month, 53 percent of respondents approved of his handling of the state budget, although those polled were evenly split on his handling of education.

The support for his tough medicine was unusually broad: 56 percent favored layoffs for state workers, 65 percent backed furloughs for state workers, 77 percent supported wage freezes for state workers, and 66 percent were for reducing pensions for new state workers.

“Whether that’s members of the state legislature, or people at my town-hall meetings, or folks who interview me on national television, I’m no different,” he said. “Some people are going to like it and some people aren’t, but they’re never gonna have to wonder what I think. They’re gonna know.”

The governor’s three big themes, foreshadowed in his “State of the State” address last month, will be “restoring fiscal sanity,” reforming entitlements and education reform.

Standard & Poor’s lowered New Jersey’s credit rating earlier this month because of what Christie said at the time was a “pension and benefit bomb.” Christie said that for his state, pension and health-benefit reform are the entitlement equivalents of the federal Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

“Nobody’s talking about it, so [Republicans and Democrats] both get incompletes,” Christie said. “Once again, the states are going to have to show leadership. I want to talk to people on a more national level about the fact that this is being done in New Jersey … as a way to show a pathway to it being done in other states and on the national level.”

Christie accused both parties of “timidity” on the big fiscal issues.

The Republican Party, he said, is “on probation” with the American people. “If we do this well, the country will reward us for being men and women of our word,” he said. “And if we don’t, then we’ll be punished they way people who break their word should be.”

“The way to get that message out to a lot of the states is to come to Washington, D.C., because you’ll get national coverage that they’ll read everywhere,” the governor added. “But also, if it leads to spurring courageous conversation in the United States Capitol, then that’ll be just another extra added benefit.”

Christie claims he already has “changed the way government is going to operate in New Jersey.”

“No longer is every program assumed to be funded, [or] that every funded program will get an increase,” he said. “We’ve actually turned that momentum around, not just for one year but now for two years in a row. That, I hope, will be the takeaway [from his budget address later this month]: ‘Wow, this isn’t just a flash in the pan. They’re actually going to continue to do this.”

Christie said his soulmates among governors include New York’s Andrew Cuomo (D), Wisconsin’s Scott Walker (R), Ohio’s John Kasich (R) and Susana Martinez (R), New Mexico’s first female governor.

“We are on the verge of real financial disaster,” Christie said. “It’s not papering it over anymore with help from Washington, D.C. It’s about us putting our own affairs in order, and Washington, D.C., giving us the flexibility [on Medicare and other issues] to do that.”

Asked about the GOP’s 2012 presidential field, Christie replied: “I, obviously, am very close to Governor [Haley] Barbour [of Mississippi], and we worked together closely at the [Republican Governors Association]. I’m also very friendly with [former Minnesota] Governor [Tim] Pawlenty, and have great respect for him. I have respect for [Indiana] Governor [Mitch] Daniels, and I’ve spent time with him.”

How about Sarah Palin? “I’ve never spent any time with her,” he said, referring to the Alaska governor who stepped down from office 4 months prior to his election.

Read More Stories from POLITICO

Sharkoon Upgrades Flash Drives to USB 3.0

Sharkoon is coloring itsblue, showing consumers it's upgrading its drives to USB 3.0. The switch is coming to two of its latest flash memory sticks—the Flexi-Drive Extreme Duo (16GB) andFlexi-Drive Accelerate Duo (32GB and 64GB).

The Extreme Duo is encased in black aluminum that has a brushed texture to it. The USB portion of the stick is protected by a plastic cap, which, like me, you'll likely lose. Personally, I prefer some kind of retractable USB drive. The Accelerate Duo is also encased in dark grey aluminum, which makes for a more modest design than the Extreme. It also sports a cap to protect the USB input device.

Both drives have plug and play capabilities—no software installs required. The USB drives are also supported by Mac OS X, Linux, and Winows XP/ Vista/ 7 (32- and 64-bit) operating systems, so there's no worry of formatting or reformatting the drive to fit your needs. More importantly are the transfer speeds, especially for students that need to print out that last minute paper before class. The Extreme is said to have a 130MB/s read/write speed, which is about 4x faster than the "typical" USB 2.0 drives. The Accelerate's speeds aren't as fast, but are still about 3x faster than the standard USB 2.0 drive. Sharkoon claims it can read files in 110MB/s and write in 70MB/s.

These speeds are thanks to the latest USB 3.0 interface on the flash drive. It's backwards compatible with the USB 2.0 interface, however, you won't benefit from USB 3.0's speeds. As it is, the USB 3.0 interface has yet to become mainstream amongand .

The Flexi-Drive Extreme Duo andFlexi-Drive Accelerate Duo are currently available from select retailers through .

IDRI Announces Appointment of H. Stewart Parker as Chief Executive Officer

SEATTLE, Feb. 15, 2011 – SEATTLE, Feb. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) announces today the appointment of H. Stewart Parker as its new Chief Executive Officer and new member of the IDRI board of directors. Parker is a widely recognized figure in the biotechnology industry, having served as President and CEO of Targeted Genetics Corp. and, formerly, Vice President, Corporate Development at Immunex Corp.

"I look forward to working with Stewart, who represents a balance of entrepreneurial spirit and operational expertise," said Steve Reed, IDRI's Founder and Head of Research and Development.

"I couldn't be more thrilled to join IDRI. The organization possesses a number of technologies that may have an enormous impact on the health of the world," indicated Parker. "To support their innovation, IDRI possesses developmental capabilities that are rare in non-profits yet urgently needed if global health funding is going to result in products that make a difference."

Currently a Commercialization Consultant with the Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association (WBBA), Parker sits on a number of boards including OncoGenex and C3 Jian Inc. Parker was a long-term board member of Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). She earned an MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business.

"The board conducted an exhaustive international search as we sought the best candidate to lead IDRI," says Franklyn Prendergast, M.D., Ph.D. "Stewart's strength and status as a highly respected CEO made her a unique fit with IDRI's team, as well as with our core values and mission."

The appointment follows the announcement of several new grants that ensures IDRI's continuing success in the area of vaccine development, drug discovery, and diagnostics.

About IDRI Translating science into global health solutions

IDRI is a Seattle-based not-for-profit organization committed to applying innovative science to the research and development of products to prevent, detect, and treat infectious diseases of poverty. By integrating capabilities including early stage drug discovery, preclinical testing, manufacturing, and clinical trials IDRI strives to create an efficient pathway bringing scientific innovation from the laboratory to the people who need it most.

For more information, go to .

SOURCEInfectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI)

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Umberger, Huselius lead Jackets 4-3

COLUMBUS, Ohio – R.J. Umberger scored twice and assisted on both of Kristian Huselius' goals, including the game-winning tally with 4 minutes left, to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets past the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Saturday night.

With the Blue Jackets trailing 3-2 and 6:16 left, Umberger tied it with a nifty move and a snap shot. He then fed Huselius on a 2-on-1 break, with Huselius tucking a wrist shot inside the near post and past goalie Nikolai Khabibulin.

Magnus Paajarvi had a career-best two goals for the Oilers, who lost their fourth in a row — both goals coming on almost identical plays off assists from fellow rookie Linus Omark. Dustin Penner also scored.

Steve Mason was solid in goal for Columbus, allowing the Blue Jackets to come back from an early 2-0 deficit. He finished with 23 saves.

Huselius also assisted on one of Umberger's goals. Kris Russell also had two assists.

The win was critical for the Blue Jackets, who have little margin for error as they try to stay in the chase for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. They began the night six points out of the eighth and final qualifying spot.

On the tying goal, Umberger showed the puck to Omark and then pulled it back between the winger's skates before stepping into a shot from near the left dot.

Huselius had scored just one goal over the past 13 games and had been a healthy scratch in Friday night's 3-0 victory at Detroit.

Omark pivoted in the left corner near the goal line and whipped quick passes through the crease that Paajarvi converted for the Oilers' first and third goals. It was the first two-goal game of Paajarvi's NHL career.

The teams entered the third period tied at 2 after the Blue Jackets fought back to pull even on Huselius' first goal.

Umberger made a great effort play after Huselius was wide with a shot from the slot. Umberger collected the puck on the back boards, skated to the side of the net and sent a pass back to Huselius, who mishit the puck but it went in off Khabibulin's leg pad.

The Oilers came in last in the NHL with only 15 wins (in 51 games) and 38 points. But they needed just 7:44 to take the 2-0 lead.

After Omark's pass to Paajarvi for the first goal, Penner took a pass from Ales Hemsky and wound up on a hard one-timer from the high slot for his 17th goal while Shawn Horcoff supplied a screen of Mason.

Khabibulin, who had 30 saves, made several nice stops to preserve the lead. But the Blue Jackets finally broke through late in the first. Umberger carried the puck across the blue line along the right boards, then skated laterally through the high slot before unleashing a wrister that trickled in.

Notes: John Moore, a touted 20-year-old defenseman who was the Blue Jackets' first-round pick in the 2009 draft, made his NHL debut. ... Mason had stopped 34 shots on Friday night in Columbus' first-ever shutout win in Detroit.

Canada blasts Iran over porn death sentence

OTTAWA (AFP) – Canada on Tuesday renewed its condemnation of Tehran over a death sentence handed down to an Iranian-born Canadian resident for operating a porn site.

"Canada remains deeply concerned by the continued flagrant disregard of the Iranian authorities for the rights of both Iranian and dual-national citizens," Melissa Lantsman, spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon, told AFP.

"This appears to be another case in which someone in Iran is facing a death sentence after a highly questionable process.

"We continue to call on Iran to respect its domestic and international obligations and ensure fairness and due process for all its citizens and others."

Saeed Malekpour, 35, was convicted of "designing and moderating adult content websites," "agitation against the regime" in Tehran, and "insulting the sanctity of Islam," according to an online campaign calling for his release.

He worked as a freelance website developer and programmer, and designed a software program for uploading photos onto websites, which the Campaign for Release of Saeed Malekpour said was used, unbeknownst to him, for the creation of a porn website.

Malekpour arrived in Canada in 2004, but was detained in Iran after returning in 2008 to visit his ailing father. He was sentenced to death in December.

Ottawa said then that it was "deeply concerned" by the verdict, but did not intervene directly in the case because Malekpour is not a Canadian citizen.

On Sunday, Iran's prosecutor general Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi was quoted by the Islamic republic's official IRNA news agency saying two porn verdicts were sent to the high court for confirmation.

He did not identify the two individuals sentenced to death.