Filibusters, Lies and Videotape

Ira, we aims to please.

Owen and Rogers Unfit for Lifetime Appointments

April 28, 2005

In all the hoopla and procedural wrangling over the filibuster, the mainstream media and the political elite continue to ignore the real reason for the showdown over seven of President Bush's nominees: they are some of the most extreme jurists in the land with highly questionable records of judicial activism.

Justice Priscilla Owen is a judicial pawn of corporate titans like Enron and Halliburton. Owen has consistently ruled in favor of big corporate interests over individuals and groups. More troubling, she frequently took campaign money from the likes of Enron and Halliburton and then ruled in favor of these very same corporations. In the months prior to a Texas Supreme Court case involving Halliburton, the company donated thousands of dollars to Owen and two other justices. Following these donations, the court declined to review Halliburton's case, saving the company millions of dollars in a workplace dispute. Owen personally authored a ruling that saved Enron-another campaign contributor- hundreds of thousands of dollars and stiffed a local school district.

Justice Janice Rogers Brown wants to repeal the entire New Deal and return the nation to the days when discrimination and unsafe working conditions were left unchecked. Justice Brown is a leading voice of an extreme right-wing legal movement to return constitutional law to its status in 1937, when the federal government had little or no power to enforce child labor laws or other workplace regulations. Brown has called Social Security the "triumph of our socialist revolution." She has consistently ruled against minorities and the elderly, downplaying racial issues and saying age discrimination legislation is harmful to the business community and an "unavoidable consequence of that universal leveler: time."

The Senate should not give extremists like Owen and Brown carte blanche to misuse America's courts for ideological purposes. More than 200 of President Bush's judicial nominees have been confirmed with bipartisan support. Many of these judges were conservative, but not reactionary or hostile to the rule of law and basic legal doctrine. In contrast, Owen and Brown have consistently shown that they are unfit for lifetime appointments and unable to rule in a fair and impartial manner. The Senate has the right and a duty to oppose these nominees.
Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund

Thanks Casey and Al.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy:

Schwarzenegger's rating drops sharply
Since January, his popularity has plunged 20 points.
By Gary Delsohn -- Bee Capitol Bureau
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, April 28, 2005
Just as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger prepares to sell a reduced "reform" agenda to voters, a newly released statewide poll shows the Republican governor's popularity has plummeted.
The poll from the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that only 40 percent of adults now approve of the way Schwarzenegger is handling his job as governor, a whopping 20 percentage point drop since January.

Scwarzenegger and Bush, Twins.

Colin Powell v. Condi, George and Mr. Bolton:

This will stun you.

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/000534.html

Posted by: Victoria Ellen at April 28, 2005 12:48 PM

Consider me stunned!
Just read the entire thing, and I thought I was rather jaded about what we DO know about this corrupt administration.
The next session of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Bolton will indeed be must-see-tv.
When the story first broke that Powell was against the Bolton approval, I thought there must be something powerful, but unknown to the masses, for Colin Powell to make that kind of stand. If SFRC can document there is proof that Bolton spied on Powell and then passed along the info, this indeed enters another realm.

Has anyone checked out the Voinovich story that I posted on Friday where a major pr supporter of Bolton spoke with Voinvich and then mysteriously pulled all of their pro Bolton radio spots after their reported but undisclosed conversation with Voinovich.

With all of this bad pr about Bolton why is Lugar still telling the press he has the votes to confirm Bolton? A Washington Post story I read this morning suggest that the Repubs plan on doing an end around of the Senate Committee and take it straight to the Senate Floor even if they lose in commitee;apparently unprecedented. When will so called moderates like Chafee stand up to this violation of Senate Rules and precedents?

On to Victory --

I'm starting to feel like these guys are capable of ANYTHING, including spying on our own diplomats. And an honored veteran, too...

If you look at what they are doing, it becomes clear quickly that all these things fit together to create a picture.

I can only conclude that these unprecedented moves are part of a multi-pronged effort to radically alter the trajectory of America for the long term.

http://www.hammerthehammer.com/

well this is fun

This photo of DeLay smoking a Cuban Cigar is hilarous.

DeLay has long been one of Congress' most vocal critics of what he calls Castro's "thugocracy," which is why some sharp-eyed TIME readers were surprised last week to see a photo of the Majority Leader smoking one of Cuba's best—a Hoyo de Monterrey double corona, which generally costs about $25 when purchased overseas and is not available in this country. The cigar's label clearly states that it was made in "Habana." The photo was taken in Jerusalem on July 28, 2003, during a meeting between DeLay and the Republican Jewish Coalition at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.

Time.com

Will Gannon be asking questions of Bush tonight?

Once again, Minnesota proves itself a national leader in the promotion of unique cultural activities.

Behold: "Whorehouse Days"

http://wcco.com/localnews/local_story_117130255.html

~The edition of The Nation magazine that was published the week of the Nov 2 election had the following cover story:
"The most important reason to vote for John Kerry is one that he does not mention. It is to safeguard democracy in America."

That article came instantly to mind when I read Sidney Blumenthal's explosive article in the UK.Guardian today, especially this in his closing statement:
"a gathering storm over constitutional government."
If Bolton did spy on SoS Powell and passed that info onto Cheney, our "constitutional government" is very much at stake.
The Democrats in Congress, as the minority, cannot win this fight for our democracy on their own. It will take a few brave "moderate Republicans" who will be brave enough to finally say enough is enough and stand up to the power mad Bush/Cheney/Rove machine. In reading Blumenthal's article, it sounds like Colin Powell is ready to stand up and fight once more for the future of his country:

--------------------------------------------------
The good soldier's revenge

In Colin Powell's battle to block Bush's nominee to the UN, far more is at stake than John Bolton's unsuitability

Sidney Blumenthal
Thursday April 28, 2005
The Guardian

From the redoubt of his retirement, former secretary of state Colin Powell is beginning to exact revenge. His sterling reputation was soiled, having lost most of the important battles within the administration during the first term. While he lamented that he had been "deceived" into presenting false information before the United Nations to justify the Iraq war, he acted as the good soldier to the end, giving every sign of desiring to fade away.

But now he has re-emerged to conduct a campaign to defeat President Bush's nomination of conservative hardliner and former undersecretary of state John Bolton as US ambassador to the UN.
In seeking to prevent the bullying and duplicitous ideologue from representing the US before the international organisation, Powell is engaging in hand-to-hand combat with his successor. Secretary of state Condoleezza Rice's first true test has not arrived from abroad. Caught by Powell's flanking movement, she is trapped in a crisis of credibility, which she herself is deepening.

continue~~
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1471879,00.html

This photo of DeLay smoking a Cuban Cigar is hilarous.

Posted by: Ira at April 28, 2005 03:14 PM

And those rotten Cuban-Americans are not asking for DeLay's head...

~adding fuel to the fire in Iraq:

Sunni Representation Low in Iraqi Gov't
By LEE KEATH, Associated Press Writer
17 minutes ago

CAIRO, Egypt - In the end it was the demands of hard politics that kept most minority Sunnis out of Iraq's new government. And that could spur an escalation in the country's bloody insurgency.

Despite U.S. pressure and their own recognition that it was a priority, Iraqi politicians failed to name a significant number of Sunni Arabs to the Cabinet. Those who were selected are not major figures in the Sunni community and none received high-profile portfolios.

The promise to reach out to the Sunnis foundered on political realities: rivalries within the Shiite party that dominates the government, that party's fierce enmity with outgoing Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and its insistence that those tainted by ties with Saddam Hussein's Baath Party be excluded.

That meant the two major forces in Iraq today — the Shiites and the Kurds — essentially divvied up the major Cabinet posts among themselves.

The result is a Cabinet of 37 positions — with only four named Sunnis holding relatively low-level posts including, ironically, the Tourism Ministry.
snip~
That has potentially big implications for the insurgency, which already finds its core among disgruntled Sunnis, including former members of Saddam's Baathist regime and military.

Seeing no role in the country's politics, Sunnis are likely to be more willing to give money and shelter to guerrillas.

That trend will only worsen if the new Shiite leadership moves to purge former Baathists — largely Sunnis — from the military, adding new disgruntled former soldiers to the fight.

It's the scenario everyone on all sides has been warning about since the Jan. 30 election, when Shiites and Kurds turned out in droves to vote — eager at the chance at power after decades of oppressions.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050428/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_too_few_sunnis

Speaking of who's smoking what...

'Smoking gun' on humans and global warming claimed
NASA-led scientists say ocean data ties manmade emissions to warmer Earth

MSNBC staff and news service reports
April 28, 2005

Using ocean data collected by diving floats, U.S. climate scientists released a study Thursday that they said provides the "smoking gun" that ties manmade greenhouse gas emissions to global warming.

The researchers, some of them working for NASA and the Energy Department, went a step further, implicitly criticizing President Bush for not taking stronger action to curb emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases.

Read more at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7665636/

2 Physics Professors Join Filibuster Protest at Princeton:

http://mcdfa.org/?q=frist2

===================================
Maybe we should be organizing filibusters all across the country to show solidarity with the patriotic young folks at Princeton...

Senate bill passes in Minnesota, binding Electors to honor popular vote winner

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5373486.html

This one could start a trend, folks.

Sorry - didn't realize you'd have to register to read this... here's the blurb.

Popular vote would bind the electors
April 28, 2005 LBRIEFS0428
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Under a bill passed by the Senate, Minnesota's Electoral College votes would go to the presidential candidate who won the state's popular vote.

An unnamed Democrat cast one of the state's 10 electoral votes for Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards -- not presidential candidate John Kerry -- back in December, cutting Kerry's electoral tally by a vote. Kerry won Minnesota's popular vote last year but lost nationwide.

Under the legislation, an elector would have to vote orally and on a written public ballot. Failure to vote for the party's candidate would result in an invalidated ballot and an alternate elector stepping in.

I used to use this line with regard to Dubya, but I now see that it fits all of the far right bunch:

Talks about Jesus, acts like the snake in the Garden of Eden.

Cyrano, I had shortened it a bit--Talks about Jesus but acts like the snake. Has apple, will travel.

Farm Loans, Student Loans and Pensions will get cuts under the Republican's newest Budget and $70 billion more in tax cut give aways. Thanks Republicans in Congress that is just what the middle class and the DOW Index wanted.

The Florida Supreme Ct says No to Limbaugh's whining that his medical records deserve privacy protections. He believes in Privacy, yea right.

Here's more, Ira:

(CNN) -- The Florida Supreme Court has turned down conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh's request to review a lower court decision that the state could seize his medical records.

In a 4-3 decision, the court said it would not consider a motion for rehearing.

Limbaugh has been under investigation into whether he illegally went from doctor to doctor to get multiple painkiller prescriptions.

He has not been charged and denies the allegation, saying investigators are on a fishing expedition aimed at embarrassing him.

In October, Florida's 4th District Court of Appeal ruled that the state did not violate Limbaugh's privacy rights when it seized his medical records with a search warrant.

Limbaugh's lawyer, Roy Black, has argued that using a warrant gave Limbaugh no opportunity to challenge the seizure. On Thursday, Black released a statement that said in part, "I have said from the start that there was no violation of the doctor-shopping statute, but that Rush Limbaugh should not have to give up his right to privacy in order to prove his innocence.

"Mr. Limbaugh appropriately sought treatment for severe back pain and for pain from an operation to restore his hearing. He has not been charged with a crime, and he should not be charged. His medical records will show that he received legitimate medical treatment for legitimate medical reasons."

The American Civil Liberties Union has supported Limbaugh's position, saying the seizure of medical records violated Florida's constitutional right of privacy and doctor-patient confidentiality.

But James Martz, assistant state attorney, argued that giving notice, or using a subpoena, would have compromised the investigation into whether Limbaugh was obtaining prescription medications illegally.

Prosecutors seized Limbaugh's medical records in late November and early December of 2003. Authorities also seized Limbaugh's prescription records from several drugstores Limbaugh went to obtain 2,000 pills over six months, prosecutors said.

Using several doctors to get such prescriptions is a felony in Florida.

Limbaugh's medical records have remained under court seal pending a decision in the case. It was unclear what the next step would be.

The seizure came after Limbaugh's former housekeeper revealed to the National Enquirer in October 2003 that she had sold him prescription painkillers. He then publicly admitted to his addiction to pain medication and left his radio show for five weeks to check into a rehabilitation program.
------------
Have you listened to him lately? I think he's had a relapse.

Why do run a way electorates always end up being Democrats Victria? That could have been disastrous had we lost the whitehouse by one idiot electorate. Its called party discipline which Dems just seem to always struggle with.

Casey, works for me.

I've used both versions, but sometimes I want to make the point of distinguishing between the snake of power in Hindu mythology, and that foul, lowdown, degenerate cousin of Karl Rove and Tom Delay that shows up in the book of Genesis.

This ain't no Kundalini snake I'm talking about. This is S-A-T-A-N.

Ira --

I don't know... I was furious when I read it, some asshole telling himself he's 'voting his consciounce' and he's really just exercising his ego.

I had heard that there was a stray elector, but that it was a Nader vote. That rumor flew pretty quickly after the election.

Was surprised to read it was an Edwards vote... whoever it was for, it was profoundly misguided.

Dems need to start speaking with one voice, which means you don't get 100% of what you want 100% of the time.

But you still get more than you get with the Neocons running the show.

If Dems can't get that, the best candidate in the world won't make a difference.

T-minus 30 minutes. Here's a primer:

"Don't underestimate Bush's oratorical skill of persuasion"
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/192812_bushorator29.html

After hearing Bill Frist trying to explain today that he ONLY wants the filibuster banned in relation to judicial nominees, I found this interesting blurb on Yahoo news awhile ago.
The new budget being considered will cut Medicaid by 10 billion dollars, and cuts like this one that are considered part of the overall budget are also immune to filibuster. All this is done under the auspices of "Senate Rules."
It's total power the Republican party is seeking- that's what they've wanted since W took office 4 years ago. Destroying the filibuster is part of it, spying on diplomats is part of it, and the huge increase in wiretapping over the past year is part of it. Here's the link to the story about Medicaid:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050428/ap_on_go_co/congress_spending;_ylt=AstPZ9TVbAwrla.3Pku2pvayFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Linda

Don't forget what they "accidentally" slipped into the omnibus bill which would have allowed them to look at anybodies tax returns without cause.