In an interview with Reuters, NRA President David Keene said the Newtown massacre has not changed the powerful U.S. gun lobby's position on the treaty.
An often-ignored factor when examining environmental issues and climate change is the powerful role played by women.
The overall objective would be to promote diversity.One problem that the advisory panel had not bargained for, however, is the resistance to change from the powerful Nikkyoso, the teachers' union.
That equation could change if the powerful AARP decides to fight as aggressively on behalf of Medicaid -- and the six million elderly whose long-term care the program funds -- as it has defended Medicare and Social Security.
Instead of taking planetary leadership in the race against climate change, the most powerful nation on earth, and nearly its highest per capital polluter, has scuttled binding international agreements for stricter fossil fuel controls.
After significant opposition to the changes from the powerful industrial fishing lobby, and multiple attempts to scupper the process, the final vote was won by an emphatic 502 votes to 137.
But two-thirds of the 36 states must approve such changes and the powerful state governors, many of whom benefit from the status quo, are said to be wary.
This may not lead to a stable social situation in which trust can develop, for once the constellation of power changes, the more powerful group may no longer see any reasons for being tolerant (cf. Rawls 1987, 11, Fletcher 1996).
Given that, she agreed that a well-targeted billboard could change perceptions among the powerful.
The mixed signals highlight the challenge for Abdullah, known as a reformer, in pushing gently for change without antagonising the powerful clergy and a conservative segment of the population.
