Corruption Reaches Higher and Higher

Tom Delay just indicted for Criminal Conspiracy.
Help us elect Nick Lampson to purge our Congressional Distric of DeLay's Stinch and undo corrupt Texas ReDistricting.

UnderstandingLife at DU has a great idea concerning this and other investigations. I know Bob fairly well through DU, hes an MD who works on large projects that go hand in hand with Gov. coordination. He never speaks through flames and I think he has point here....

"Good evening Congressman Conyers,

I have posted the following at DU and hope you will discuss with your colleagues and family and consider taking the proposed action:

====================================================

"The one Democratic leader who requires no spin, and who likely never will, is Congressman Conyers.

The Nation needs for him to step forward and assume leadership.

So, everyone, how about a concerted effort to convince Congressman Conyers to declare that if Bush and Cheney are not either forced to resign or are impeached before Nov 2006, then after he leads the Democrats to capturing the majority in both the House and the Senate in 2006 - based on a campaign laser focused on the vast criminality of Bush administration and the Republican 109th Congress -- he will lead the effort to impeach them in the House and assist his colleagues in the Senate to convict both of them.

He will urge his colleagues in the 110th US Congress, to elect him Speaker of the House of Representatives, so he can lead the impeachment effort.

We need action and we need it now.

Congressman Conyers is the person who can rally the Nation.

I hope everyone does all they can to convince Congressman Conyers to assume his rightful and much deserved place at the helm.

=======================================================

Thank you for all you are already doing.

The crisis in our Nation is so extensive and critical that I hope you will step forward and rally our fellow citizens.

Not since the days just prior to the Civil War, has America been so threatened.

Peace,
Bob"

link here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4909251

Every Republican in office has received money from Tom Delay's pacs.

We should demand that they return this money to the Federal Department of the Treasury to be used towards reducing our debt.

We should make every Republican come completely clean about how much money they received from each of Delay's pacs.

And we should put a scarlett "C" on their campaigns if they do not do more than 'disassociate' from Delay.

GOP congressional officials said the plan was for DeLay to temporarily relinquish his leadership post and Speaker Dennis Hastert will recommend that Rep. David Dreier of California step into those duties.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DELAY_INVESTIGATION?SITE=MABED&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&SECTION=HOME

Read about David Dreier here ===>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dreier

Posted by: sparrow at September 28, 2005 01:00 PM

Instead of a "C", I vote for "L" for LOSER...

Though Republicans on the hill are already "spinning" the indictment as a democrat attack, we need to remind everyone of the old saying, "Where there's smoke there's fire."

Furthermore, not one prosecutor can charge anyone with a crime unless they have enough to warrent coming before the judge with a case. This is one of the purposes of the grand jury.

So while the media and repubicans spin this--keep the focus on the facts: Delay would not be charged if the evidence didn't support the charge. Not even a "democrat" would charge him if it couldn't stand up in a court of law.

DeLay blames Louisiana officials for all of his legal problems. Claims its Governor Blanco's fault for TRIMPAC's violations.

Clean up the Stinch and Corruption in D.C. starting with Tom Delay,Bill Frist and Karl Rove.

Disgusting homophobes rule the day apparently. Right wing extremists, religious fanatics, Corpo fascist lackeys.... How long can this go on before their lunatic fringe supporters start sniping gays in the street?

"Clean up the Stinch and Corruption in D.C. starting with Tom Delay,Bill Frist and Karl Rove."

Posted by: Ira at September 28, 2005 01:05 PM

Don't forget Santorum and his lobby buds Accuweather (the apparent reason why DHS and FEMA were so clueless about Katrina)...

We Shall Over Come...

We Shall Overcome.

We need to post a list of all Democrats that D.A. Ronnie Earl(Travis Cty-Austin,Texas D.A.) has indicted while he has been in office, since Earl will certainly be DeLay's focal point for attack. They are numerous. Expect to hear that attack line in DeLay's press conference later this afternoon.
When will Rove be indicted?
Bush apologist Ca. Congressman David Dryer, possibly DeLay's successor

So I wonder which lucky staffer will draw the short straw to go tell Boy George about DeLay's indictment...

Posted by: Ira at September 28, 2005 01:13 PM
And welcome back, Ira...glad you're safe & online again.

Statement of the day from Scotty...

"We need to let the legal process proceed...and the president continues to hold those views..."

Yeah, right, Scotty... Squeal like a pig.

Go look at Reb Nation

I just posted a story about Reuters..S*** is getting deep.

Reuters is sick of their journalists getting killed

http://rebellenation.blogspot.com/2005/09/reuters-one-step-away-from-accusing.html

The Washington Post today printed a copy of the letter that Captain Ian Fishback sent to Senator McCain. Captain Fishback is the West Point graduate who recently came forward with additional information about torture and abuse in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The letter is here...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/27/AR2005092701527_pf.html

Andrew Sullivan of the Daily Dish is following this story closely and has some amazing posts here:

http://www.andrewsullivan.com/index.php?dish_inc=archives/2005_09_25_dish_archive.html#112792195691540296

Andrew includes today's WaPo editorial about Captain Fishback in this portion and then comments on it. He then adds two updates to this post that he's received from sources concerning what is currently happening to Captain Fishback.

Totally alarming...

and more evidence as to just how far astray the Bush administration has led our Armed Forces and betrayed them.

Do take the time to read this and the source documents.

dinnertime in Europe and Delay story has hit the BBC and hope its on nightly news here too

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4291706.stm

We should all call and give Texas Democratic Gubenatorial candidate Chris Bell's office a big thank you today for having the courage to stand up to Delay's stinch a year ago when other weak kneed Congresspeople accused him of being luny.
We shouldn't get to excited about this indictment as even a conviction in Travis Cty's Criminal District Court will certainly lead to DeLay's political pressures on our 100% Republican appellate courts.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5308282,00.html

Guardian story on DeLay - keep em coming

"DeLay has denied committing any crime and accused the Democratic district attorney leading the investigation, Ronnie Earle, of pursuing the case for political motives." The attacks against Earl have already begun; expect more in this afternoon's press conference.

We need to find a list of Democrats that Ronnie Earl has indicted which I think started with Jim Wright and are numerous.

Army investigates photos of Iraqi war dead.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/28/international/middleeast/28site.html?pagewanted=all

Now, if only Fitzgerald would announce indictments of Rove and Libby in the Plame investigation.

"But a June 17 editorial in the Houston Chronicle noted: "During his long tenure, Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle has prosecuted many more Democratic officials than Republicans. The record does not support allegations that Earle is prone to partisan witch hunts."

This assertion supports Earle's own claim about his record. From a March 6 article in the El Paso Times: "Earle says local prosecution is fundamental and points out that 11 of the 15 politicians he has prosecuted over the years were Democrats."

Will try and find those names.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush on Wednesday warned there will be an upsurge in violence in Iraq before next month's voting, but said the terrorists will fail. "Our troops are ready," he said.

Bush's remarks in the Rose Garden came a day after Iraqi and U.S. forces announced they had killed Abdullah Abu Azzam, the No. 2 al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, during a weekend raid in Baghdad.

"This guy's a brutal killer," Bush said.

Al-Qaeda in Iraq issued an Internet statement denying that Abu Azzam was its deputy leader, calling him "one of al-Qaeda's many soldiers" and "the leader of one its battalions operating in Baghdad." The U.S.-led coalition, however, called Abu Azzam the mastermind of an escalation in suicide bombings that have killed nearly 700 people in Baghdad since April.

"We can expect they'll do everything in their power to try to stop the march of freedom," Bush said. "And our troops are ready for it."

more freedom and troops and democracy, oh my...
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/09/28/bush.ap/index.html

Posted by: monkey at September 28, 2005 01:53 PM

Bush seems to be so concerned about Democracy, let him give DC the right to have it's own representation to go with their taxation then.

He doesn't need an army; it won't cost any money to do this, and then we'll have finally "freed the blacks" as Lincoln promised more than a hundred years ago.

Fineman speaks to what many of you have been asking.. Where is the Democratic Leadership?

Agree with him or not, he raises vaild points:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9505859/

Interesting article from RawStory. He's only a homophobe when it comes to others being out... another log cabin that should go up in flames.

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Gay_Republican_eyed_to_become_House_0928.html

*jaw drops to the floor

Some still value justice over power & money

From Media Matters:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200411180003

~snip~
While Earle is an elected Democrat, as Media Matters for America has previously noted, a June 17 editorial in the Houston Chronicle commended his work: "During his long tenure, Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle has prosecuted many more Democratic officials than Republicans. The record does not support allegations that Earle is prone to partisan witch hunts." This assertion supports Earle's own claim about his record; a March 6 article in the El Paso Times reported: "Earle says local prosecution is fundamental and points out that 11 of the 15 politicians he has prosecuted over the years were Democrats."
~snip~

Here's a reprint of an editorial from the Houston Chronicle that the Media Matters item above refers to:

Houston Chronicle: COPS AND ROBBERS

Earle prosecutes Democrats and Republicans alike
Editorial: March 17, 2003

Until recent years, Democrats controlled the Texas Legislature, held most statewide offices and caused the big scandals. Now the situation is reversed, but some Republicans want their scandals to be exempt from investigation.

During his long tenure, Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle has prosecuted many more Democratic officials than Republicans. The record does not support allegations that Earle is prone to partisan witch hunts.

Furthermore, the argument that Earle should drop the investigation because of its high cost ill becomes a political party that supported the spending of tens of millions of dollars to investigate Bill and Hillary Clinton's failed real estate investment in Arkansas, with little result.

Earle is investigating whether state Rep. Tom Craddick, a Republican, broke the rules in his race to become speaker of the Texas House. That investigation grew out of another begun to determine whether the Texas Association of Business and Texans for a Republican Majority illegally used corporate donations to influence Texas House races.

The whole scandal came to light after the TAB bragged that it had used corporate donations to gain a Republican majority in the House. As proof of his evenhandedness, Earle has subpoenaed the records of former House Speaker Pete Laney, a Democrat, after Craddick's defenders suggested that Laney had behaved similarly.

A spokesman for the Republican Party of Texas called Earle's investigation frivolous. That charge is rebutted by the impressive legal talent hired to represent the targets of the probe.

Earle himself perhaps put the matter best: "This is not about Democrats and Republicans. It is about cops and robbers. This is an investigation of a crime.

http://www.tpj.org/page_view.jsp?pageid=571&pf=1

Repost from EBG on prior thread:

Something is going down here in Chicago too, but I cannot find out what it is. There are news cameras everywhere at the Federal Court and State Court buildings.

Posted by: Ellen Beth at September 28, 2005 02:05 PM

Oh, its just our corrupt republican ex-governor who is making traffic a mess here today--opening statements in his trial. But, they are talking about his case on television while showing tape of our new democratic governor and trying to smear him. republicans are really after Blagojevich in a huge effort to turn Illinois red and, unfortunately, a lot of dems are buying into it.

Posted by: Ellen Beth at September 28, 2005 02:12 PM

Seen at the grocery today:

1. National Enquirer has headline blurb on the cover saying Katrina sent bush back to the bottle & something about Laura trying to get him back on the wagon. The point isn't so much the story-- consider the source. What amazed me was the presence of such a story on a check-out counter tabloid. People must be willing to see Bush in a different light than a few months ago.

2. Time magazine cover story: Iraq - Is it too late to win the war?
('nuff said)

3. Christmas decorations (arrgggghhhh!)

"Fineman speaks to what many of you have been asking.. Where is the Democratic Leadership?

Agree with him or not, he raises vaild points:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9505859/"

Posted by: Ladytechie at September 28, 2005 02:11 PM

Yes very good points indeed... Show the spine and admit they were wrong if they were. Show the spine and demand nothing but focus on indictments for the entire admin.

Nothing will get done until these war criminals are impeached. Not election reform, eductaion reform, alleviating the plight of our nations poor, getting out of Iraq, tending environment, GLBT civil rights... nothing. No real and meaningful work is going to get done while they hold office, they know nothing of compromise and the absolute evil trifecta of political power whore ideologues, corporate fascist greed humpers, and fanatical extremist religion hijackers are going to do everything they can to bend us over and rape us as sevrely as they like without compromise.

If the moderate righties don't wake up to the brown shirt albatross hanging around their neck in the form of Bushcos base, they'll be looked at through the eyes of history as enablers and complicit in their inaction.

The Dems who do not start fighting vigorously everyday to indict the admin on every front, will be seen as do nothing diddlers, or worse... traitors to their own.

For a great story, go here:

http://www.democracycellproject.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=889&st=0&#entry3445

The Democrats are likely in a closed door session about how best NOT to do the Snoopy dance in public. And the ones that are not in that meeting, are in the bar buying everyone shots of schadenfraude.

The clock is ticking and the knives are getting sharpened. The only question left about Tom DeLay is whether he will be tried on charges of conspiracy before or AFTER the feds indict him on the Abramoff investigation.

the only question Casey is whether Abramoff turns states evidence and testifies against DeLay to save his ass or whether Earl can cut a deal with Abramoff to testify against DeLay.

"The Democrats are likely in a closed door session about how best NOT to do the Snoopy dance in public."

May they are meeting to do the Snoopy dance :)

Posted by: karen at September 28, 2005 02:32 PM

Karen,

Thanks for that! Warmed my heart and brought a tear to my eye.

Iraqs First Female Suicide Bomber Has Struck

Damnit.

Mankind has gone mad and women can not stop it.

If you can't beat them.....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050928/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq;_ylt=Ak0.SPKxqT7eKjOCx8qEMDms0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

"Twas the night before Christmas,
And all through the House...
Not a Speaker was stirring,
Except for one louse..."

KaChing.

"Your National ID card seems to be in order...but now Vee must scan your RFID chip to see if you are REALLY who you say you are..."

Sounds far fetched?

If we do not stop them now and I mean RIGHT NOW, we are all in for a very rude awakening indeed.

"Chips help morgue track Katrina victims"

Wednesday, September 28, 2005; Posted: 11:12 a.m. EDT (15:12 GMT)

GULFPORT, Mississippi (AP) -- As body counts mounted and missing-person reports multiplied after Hurricane Katrina, some morgue workers began using tiny computer chips to keep track of unidentified remains.

Radio frequency identification chips -- slender red cylinders about half an inch long -- were implanted under the corpses' skin or placed inside body bags at two Mississippi counties.

Each VeriChip, donated by a subsidiary of Applied Digital Solutions Inc., emits a specific radio signal, enabling morgue workers to quickly locate and catalog the remains, speed the morgue-management process and reduce errors.

----------------------------------snip------------------

Each chip comes packaged in a white plastic injector that looks like a bulky pen attached to a thick hypodermic needle. The chips are implanted in the corpse's shoulder or placed inside the body bag and handheld scanners that read the radio signals.

The beige plastic scanners, which resemble TV remote controls, have screens that display a 16-digit number when passed within six inches of a chip.

"The VeriChip allows the technicians to accurately and quickly identify the remains inside the body bag without having to open the body bag at each step along the process," Procter said.

While officials in Mississippi are using the technology for free, Applied Digital recommends doctors charge a total of about $200 for the chip, the injector to place it under a person's skin and for performing the procedure.

While some privacy advocates fear that implantable chips could lead to unwanted tracking of humans, relatives of those who died in the wake of Katrina welcome the technology.

"If it helps the families find their loved ones, then I think it's a good thing," said Chuck Kerr, a Murfreesboro, Tennessee, businessman whose parents' bodies were kept in Gulfport for nearly two weeks.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/09/28/katrina.bodychips.ap/index.html

Indy -

Holy crap is that creepy to think about!

Leno did a joke on Bush drinking last night. If the story is factual, Dubya's moral backsliding could alienate his evangelical/fundamentalist base.

THIS JUST IN:

Indicted House majority leader Tom DeLay says: "I have done nothing unlawful, unethical or... unprecedented."

ROFLMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ha ha ha ha ha ha....ha ha ha....ha ha...*SNIFF* that is the funnuest thing I think I have heard in decades!!!

HA HA HA!!!

Burn Baby Burn!

Despot Inferno!!!

Burn Baby Burn!!!

All of the step sof mourning are being followed by DeLay and the GOP:

Anger

Denial

Depression

Acceptance of Sentencing

victoria ellen
LOL

Ira, legal opinion please.

If Delay is convicted, and others are convicted, as will likely happen, are the trail transcripts enough to establish a corruption nexus to go after overturning the redistricting?

What would need to be established, at a minimum, for the courts to look at it? (time being money and all, don't feel like you need to give it more than a yes or no and a sentence or two, if you could please)

I was just thinking...kinda of like dreaming actually....

Indicted majority leader steps down

(CNN) -- Rep. Tom DeLay said Wednesday that he will step aside as House majority leader after a Texas grand jury indicted him on a conspiracy charge.

DeLay faces a single conspiracy count stemming from a long-running campaign finance investigation, the county clerk's office in Austin told CNN.

A grand jury in Austin charged DeLay, 58, and two associates already facing criminal charges with a single count of criminal conspiracy, accusing them of improperly funneling $190,000 in corporate donations to a DeLay-founded political action committee to Republican candidates for the Texas Legislature in 2002.

The move forced DeLay, R-Texas, to temporarily give up his position as the Republican leader in the House of Representatives. (Watch: DeLay faces conspiracy charge -- 3:38)

"I have notified the speaker that I will temporarily step aside from my position as majority leader pursuant to rules of the House Republican Conference and the actions of the Travis County District Attorney today," DeLay said in a statement.

The Associated Press reports that House Speaker Dennis Hastert plans to recommend that California Rep. David Dreier take over DeLay's duties. Some of those duties may go to GOP whip, Rep. Roy Blount of Missouri, according to the AP. House Republicans reportedly could vote Wednesday on the recommendation.

The rules of the GOP conference call for members to give up their leadership posts if they are indicted, but Republican members must vote on the matter.

DeLay does not have to resign his seat in the House, where he has represented a suburban Houston district since 1985. (Full story)

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, a Democrat, is investigating whether donations to the Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee (TRMPAC) were wrongly used to help the GOP win a majority in the Texas Legislature in 2002.

According to the indictment, $190,000 in corporate contributions to TRMPAC were sent to national Republican Party committees. Those committees then sent the money to GOP candidates in the 2002 legislative races, which solidified Republican control of the legislature and led to a mid-census redistricting push that shifted the balance of Texas' congressional delegation toward the GOP.

DeLay's attorney, Bill White, called the charge "a skunky indictment."

"Like a dead skunk in the middle of the road, it stinks to high heaven," White said.

A DeLay spokesman said the charge has "no basis in the facts or the law" and blamed it on a "partisan vendetta" by a Democratic prosecutor.

"Ronnie Earle's previous misuse of his office has resulted in failed prosecutions and we trust his partisan grandstanding will strike out again, as it should," DeLay spokesman Kevin Madden said in a written statement.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, had a different view.

"The criminal indictment of Majority Leader Tom Delay is the latest example that Republicans in Congress are plagued by a culture of corruption at the expense of the American people," she said in a written statement.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan praised DeLay as "a leader who we have worked closely with to get things done for the American people" and a "good ally" of President Bush. Asked about the charges, McClellan said, "The president's view is that we need to let the legal process work."

The two associates charged with DeLay on Wednesday, John Colyandro and Jim Ellis, already are awaiting trial on other charges related to the Texas probe. Each was charged with one count of money laundering in September, and Colyandro faces 13 additional counts of unlawful acceptance of a corporate political contribution.

Warren Robold, a Washington fund-raiser, was indicted in 2004 on charges of accepting or making corporate donations in connection with the case. Several corporations and a trade association that contributed to TRMPAC have been charged as well.

The majority leader spoke to Earle "voluntarily" in August, Madden said earlier this month.

"DeLay assured the district attorney's office that he was not involved in the day-to-day operations of TRMPAC, and to his knowledge all activities were properly reviewed and approved by lawyers for the PAC," Madden said.

Did I just see a spark in the blackout???

Whats that big ripping sound I hear from my TV..?

Oh I hope they come to rue this sentiment Indy,
"White House spokesman Scott McClellan praised DeLay" .

Whats that big ripping sound I hear from my TV..?

Posted by: Christy at September 28, 2005 03:13 PM

Those are your plugs in you arms, neck, back legs and head coming undone...

You are being released from the Matrix for Setience.

Please be prepared to be flushed.

Oh I hope they come to rue this sentiment Indy,
"White House spokesman Scott McClellan praised DeLay" .

Posted by: Ira at September 28, 2005 03:15 PM

Well Ira...

We started at the bottom with the lowest common slimeball...and as you well know, it is not over until the gavel falls on sentencing day however...

Now it is time to go all the way to the top rungs of power and hang the bastards for their crimes against the American people and humanity.

Vive la Revolution!

Posted by: Indy at September 28, 2005 02:54 PM

Like any technology, they can be used for good or evil. Should we ban all use of computers or the internet for the same reason?

Better to be aware of the potential for abuse and make sure that guidelines and laws are enacted as necessary.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3224920.stm

Oh I hope they come to rue this sentiment Indy,
"White House spokesman Scott McClellan praised DeLay" .

Posted by: Ira at September 28, 2005 03:15 PM

They did it for Karl and look how Snotty just sidestepped those questions... Press barely followed up with a few notable exceptions.

Snotty will say a year from now "thats an ongoing criminal matter and I can't comment on it"....

hey gang:

ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?

(I have my own version of the Snoopy dance--PSSST- I do it at my desk)

Posted by: dwahzon at September 28, 2005 03:18 PM

No.

Just the STUPID naive idea that our government or unscrupulous people will not use the information to invade all of our privacy.

Freedom...

Has a nice ring to it yes?

If you want an electronic leash other than your cell phone and National ID card, please have at it...

But don't come crying to me or the ACLU WHEN it is used against you.

To: National Desk

Contact: Karen Finney of the Democratic National Committee, 202-863-8148

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Today, a Texas grand jury returned a criminal indictment against House GOP Leader Tom DeLay on a charge of conspiracy. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement, saying DeLay's indictment is symptomatic of the Republicans' culture of corruption in Washington, DC:

"Today, the state of Texas is doing what the Republican- controlled federal government has failed repeatedly to do, which is hold Republicans in Washington accountable for their culture of corruption. This alleged illegal activity reaches to the highest levels of the Republican Party.

"With House Republican Leader Tom DeLay under criminal indictment, Senate Republican Leader Frist facing SEC and Department of Justice investigations, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove under investigation, the Republican leadership in Washington is now spending more time answering questions about ethical misconduct than doing the people's business.

"Tom DeLay is neither the beginning nor the end of the Washington Republicans' ethical problems. America can do better than leaders who use their power to promote their own personal interests instead of the interests of the American people who elected them. We simply must change the way business is done in Washington."

They are CATAGORICALLY denying EVERYTHING...

Good, VERY VERY good.

It will be easier to discredit them with the very first skeleton.

Posted by: Indy at September 28, 2005 03:15 PM

Play nice Indy.

You don't want me to verbally strip you of all your mental dignity.

I'll make you cry like a baby.

Maybe the Hammer can help former Senate Majority leader Trent Lott rebuild that porch that W is so eager to sit on someday.

Majority Rulers... Nailed

hehehe

Go look at Huffington Posts headliner

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Posted by: Christy at September 28, 2005 03:34 PM

Dearest...

I won't even dignify that with an answer.

Monkey...

Crucify them, crucify them...

Or we could just pluck their nose hairs one at a time...

You first!

Indy Alert Alert Take this bastard ON

Lousiana State Senator Craig Romero (R) visited Washington earlier this month under the auspices of raising money for Katrina disaster relief, Roll Call reported today. [link] But the trip was also an opportunity for Romero to drum up support for his run for Congress in Louisiana’s 3rd district now held by Democrat Charlie Melancon.

The Huffington Post has acquired pages from a packet of candidate information that Romero handed out to special interest groups: A main selling point of Romero's candidacy is that if Katrina's victims don't move back home, the district will go Republican.

In the 2004 election, 50.2 percent voted for Democrat Charles Melancon and 49.8 percent for Rep. Billy Tauzin (R).

Romero's campaign information includes a pie chart that shows the district's make-up without the residents who were displaced by Katrina. Leaving those residents out, the chart says the district would be have voted 57.1 percent Republican and 42.9 percent Democrat in the 2004 election.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2005/09/28/republican-congressional-_n_8019.html

NONONONO AINT HAPPENING DUDE.

C...just making a joke about the situation...not a personal attack at all..

In the MATRIX when Neo woke up, he was flushed when he realized the truth of his existence.

I was comparing that scene to your revelation of sitting in front of the TV hearing a strange sound coming out of it.

Get it?

Maybe the Hammer can help former Senate Majority leader Trent Lott rebuild that porch that W is so eager to sit on someday "as part of his Community Service."

Yes Indy...

Actually I think we perhaps both got lame and I know my words somehow on reflection does not really come off as intended either.

Hey, I am a fantastic writer, Tis true, yet even I have an off moment.

Oh and I was multitasking.

So....

Are you going to run for congress against this no good for nothing disgusting @#$%$^!@#$%&**&^$!@#$%^! DICKHE** OF A REPUBLICAN..?

Indy For Congress!!!

Reuters sent a letter to John Warner, head of the Senate Armed Services Committee- NEWS REPORTING IN IRAQ IS BEING OBSTRUCTED BY INTIMIDATION & WORSE:
__________________

Reuters says US troops obstruct reporting of Iraq
http://tinyurl.com/77bxl

The conduct of US troops in Iraq, including increasing detention and accidental shootings of journalists, is preventing full coverage of the war reaching the American public, Reuters said on Wednesday.

In a letter to Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner, head of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Reuters said US forces were limiting the ability of independent journalists to operate.

The letter from Reuters Global Managing Editor David Schlesinger called on Warner to raise widespread media concerns about the conduct of US troops with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who is due to testify to the committee on Thursday.

Schlesinger referred to "a long parade of disturbing incidents whereby professional journalists have been killed, wrongfully detained, and/or illegally abused by US forces in Iraq."

He urged Warner to demand that Rumsfeld resolve these issues "in a way that best balances the legitimate security interests of the US forces in Iraq and the equally legitimate rights of journalists in conflict zones under international law".

At least 66 journalists and media workers, most of them Iraqis, have been killed in the Iraq conflict since March 2003.

US forces acknowledge killing three Reuters journalists, most recently soundman Waleed Khaled who was shot by American soldiers on August 28 while on assignment in Baghdad. But the military say the soldiers were justified in opening fire.

Reuters believes a fourth journalist working for the agency, who died in Ramadi last year, was killed by a US sniper.

"The worsening situation for professional journalists in Iraq directly limits journalists' abilities to do their jobs and, more importantly, creates a serious chilling effect on the media overall," Schlesinger wrote.

"By limiting the ability of the media to fully and independently cover the events in Iraq, the U.S. forces are unduly preventing US citizens from receiving information...and undermining the very freedoms the US says it is seeking to foster every day that it commits US lives and US dollars," the letter said.

"SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL"
Schlesinger said the US military had refused to conduct independent and transparent investigations into the deaths of the Reuters journalists, relying instead on inquiries by officers from the units responsible, who had exonerated their soldiers.

The US military had failed even to implement recommendations by its own inquiry into one of the deaths, that of award-winning Palestinian cameraman Mazen Dana who was shot dead while filming outside
Abu Ghraib prison in August 2003.

Schlesinger said Reuters and other reputable international news organizations were concerned by the "sizeable and rapidly increasing number of journalists detained by US forces."

He said most of these detentions had been prompted by legitimate journalistic activity such as possessing photographs and video of insurgents, which US soldiers assumed showed sympathy with the insurgency.

In most cases the journalists were held for long periods at Abu Ghraib or Camp Bucca prisons before being released without charge.

At least four journalists working for international media are currently being held without charge or legal representation in Iraq. They include two cameramen working for Reuters and a freelance reporter who sometimes works for the agency.

A cameraman working for the US network CBS has been detained since April despite an Iraqi court saying his case does not justify prosecution. Iraq's justice minister has criticized the system of military detentions without charge.

Schlesinger's letter said: "It appears as though the US forces in Iraq either completely misunderstand the role of professional journalists or do not know how to deal with journalists in a conflict zone, or both."

Reuters and other media organizations in Iraq had repeatedly tried to hold a dialogue with the
Pentagon to establish appropriate guidelines on how to safeguard journalists. These efforts had failed "and the situation is now spiraling out of control," Schlesinger said.

He asked Warner to question Rumsfeld specifically about the rules of engagement toward professional journalists, the failure to hold independent investigations into shooting incidents and to ask what was the guidance to US forces on how to distinguish legitimate journalists from insurgents.

We need stiffer sentences for politicians who commit crimes.

I am thinking death penalty for parking violations to start...then from there they only get more...

Severe!

Off with their heads!!!

I think members of the government who commit crimes SHOULD be subjected to a full and public military tribunal.

AMERICAN military justice. Lets make it honorable again.

from 03:47 PM post -

"Reuters said US forces were limiting the ability of independent journalists to operate"

So, if you don't agree to official control via embedding, um, oh man

So, if you don't agree to official control via embedding, um, oh man

Posted by: aimzzz at September 28, 2005 03:52 PM

Worse yet is the distraction tactic of calling for a removal of the Posse Comitatus forbidding the use of Federal Military Troops on US soil and against American citizens...

Guess what folks...too late.

There are innumerable first hand accounts from family and friends who SAW U.S. troops fire on American civilians in New Orleans. From the National Guard to Regular Army to a NAVY SEAL TEAM deployed to free up a pharmacy from drug users who had taken control in Charity Hospital.

I do not care if the civillians had guns or not, or were firing them or not it is a matter of Constitutional law that was disguarded by Homeland Security, FEMA and all on the orders of and under the distainful eye of George W. Bush.

The truth WILL be told and when it is...

They will HANG for their treason.

Aimzzz

I posted that article on Reb Nation earlier.

If you think look at the wording of thier 'Issues'

They are saying everything EXCEPT, They are deliberately killing journalists.

That is as damning as anything I've ever read not for what it did say but for the one thing it left out.

Bush's 2000 campaign slogan:

"Character Counts".

When I place my hand on that bible to be sworn in I will restore Honesty and Integrity to the Whitehouse and D.C.

Let's revisit those campaign promises especially with Scotty praising Tom Delay today. Is that what you mean by Honor and Integrity Scotty?

Indy.....

Congress???

Say yes.

You know you WANT to.

Just think..Last time I told you what to do.. You wound up in the presence of Cindy Sheehan.

Oh and that sexy tattooed chick you met in a ditch.

"We need stiffer sentences for politicians who commit crimes."

We need sentences. The weasels rarely seldom see the inside of a jail.

Roy Blount on Tom DeLay:

"We intend to move forward with our agenda."

Apparently right over the body of Tom DeLay.

Wolf Blitzer just referred to Tom Delay in the past tense.

Posted by: monkey at September 28, 2005 03:35 PM

LOL- lets add Shrub to the construction team. Tho they'd probably try to scam the code inspectors.

Tom Delay was a bug exterminator before coming to Congress. Now he's just a bug who needs to be politically exterminated.

'Indicted majority leader steps down'

Still not sure I'm awake-- Maybe I'm on drugs?

A few months can make an amazing difference. Earlier this year the pugs* were changing laws in order to keep Delay. They were willing to risk be ing seen as the moral & ethical scumballs they are in exchange for keeping him.

NOW they are seeing that maybe the election was not a mandate, that the people haven't swallowed their ideology, and that Bush's teflon can peel.

Daddy Hastert & the pugs noticed that what they might have palmed off a few months ago would bite their butts now. They told him they can't keep him.

Ahhh.
*pugs as usual being all but the rarest few

I think I'll go watch a little TV news

May this be the first in a long line of indictments against ShrubCo. Woohoo!

If only- The Plame Grand Jury should be reporting soon

Terry Mccauliff just

Omg that was BEAUTIFUL

I may cry

On Michael Moores Headliner

In face of criminal conspiracy, White House says: "Congressman DeLay is a good ally, a leader who we have worked closely with to get things done for the American people."

HeHeHeHe

Joined at the throat.

Ira & others from Texas -- but especially Ira...

Former Congressman Chris Bell of Houston, who filed the original ethics complaints against House Majority Leader Tom DeLay will be a special guest TONIGHT on MSNBC's HARDBALL hosted by Chris Matthews and he will also be appearing on Fox News' HANNITY AND COLMES....also tonight.

Blunt picked to replace DeLay as US House leader

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously made Roy Blunt of Missouri their majority leader, replacing
Tom DeLay who was forced to step down after being indicted by a Texas grand jury, lawmakers said.

In an interim arrangement for the rest of the year, lawmakers said Blunt would share leadership responsibilities with Rep. David Dreier (news, bio, voting record) of California.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050928/ts_nm/usa_politics_delay_leader_dc

Last Night on Tavis Smiley on PBS:

Barack Obama Interview.

Tavis: Pleased to welcome Senator Barack Obama back to this program. The Illinois Democrat is of course serving his first term in the U.S. Senate. A clear sign of his status in the Senate is a key seat he holds on the Foreign Relations Committee. But it is Democratic - I should say domestic issues these days, like Hurricane Katrina, that have consumed much of his time of late. Senator Obama joins us tonight from Washington. Senator Obama, nice to have you back on the program, sir.

Senator Barack Obama: Great to talk to you, Tavis. Hope you're doing well.

Tavis: I'm doing well, man. Nice to see you. Let me start with the news of today. As you well know, Michael Brown, the former head of FEMA, testified today before a Congressional panel set up by House Republicans. And before I get your thoughts on it, I just want to give a sense of, to our audience, of the way these hearings went today. I must say that Republicans and Democrats went after him today. This was nothing nice, as we like to say, with regard to his testimony.

I quote now Christopher Shays, a Republican of Connecticut who said, and I quote, “I'm happy you left. That kind of look in the lights like a deer tells me you weren't capable of doing that job.” That's a Republican saying, “I'm happy you left.” Of course, Democrats like Gene Taylor of Mississippi, who lost his home in the Hurricane Katrina said, and I quote, “The - disconnect was, people thought there was some federal expertise out there. There wasn’t. Not from you.” So, they went after him today. Too little, too late?

Obama: Well, here's the question. Why is the guy still getting paid?

Tavis: Yeah.

Obama: I mean - we learned that he is in fact getting a consulting contract still on the federal payroll. And it's not clear to me why we would want to rehire somebody through the private sector that has already performed so badly in the public sector. But let me make this point, Tavis. I think that Michael Brown is sort of an easy target. And I think that there's a reason why Republicans are willing to go after him. He's already been thrown overboard.

And the real question we've got to ask ourselves is, number one, what are we doing in terms of the Department of Homeland Security that Michael Chertoff is still the head of, to make sure that our responses in the event of crisis or terrorist attack is better next time than it was this time? Number two, how are we setting up the reconstruction process that ensures that it's not just various contributors to the Republican National Convention or - the RNC, that are making money down there. But, in fact, the people on the ground are getting jobs and helping to build their communities back up. Those are questions that have not yet been examined and I'm worried that are gonna be lost in the shuffle.

Interview Continues vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200509/20050927_transcript.html

Wish I had Obama... all I have is #@~#

Posted by: aimzzz at September 28, 2005 05:12 PM

Frist is next one to go down, unless Fitzgerald gets Cheney and Rove first.

OMG GOD OMG OMG

BECAUSE it is NOT a Crime.

Thats what they are saying

This is a sick sick world

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050928/us_nm/iraq_usa_photos_dc

Wish I had Obama... all I have is #@~#

Posted by: aimzzz at September 28, 2005 05:12 PM

I feel your pain...

After earlier reporting that Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) was expected to succeed House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) as majority leader, the decision has been reversed. House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) will instead take up DeLay's post.

Ed Schultz now heard on 165 X-M Radio instead of Air America.

Sources tell RAW STORY that Dreier -- who was a shoo-in for the position -- was nixed for various reasons, in part because his sexuality would raise ire within the party ranks. He is also out of favor because he is pro-choice.

A second reason cited is that it would have meant that Doc Hastings (R-FL) would have become Rules Chairman in Dreier's place, meaning the Ethics Committee would change hands midstream. This was seen by leadership as a bad move, sources say.

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Gay_Republican_eyed_to_become_House_0928.html

House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) will instead take up DeLay's post.

Posted by: monkey at September 28, 2005 05:26 PM

Which means the Delay indictment will STICK.

My desk "happy dance" just got happier.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, now under a formal investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission for insider trading, made between $2 million and $6 million by selling his HCA holdings just before stock values plummeted in the face of a bad earnings report, an analysis released today by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) alleges.

FTCR also pointed to overly rosy earnings projections made by HCA executives at a conference with investors just as Frist and HCA insiders were dumping HCA stock en masse, saying HCA Sr. Vice President Vic Campbell's made misleading statements to investors.

After earlier reporting that Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) was expected to succeed House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) as majority leader, the decision has been reversed. House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) will instead take up DeLay's post.

Posted by: monkey at September 28, 2005 05:26 PM

Monkey...

Would you call that a FLIP...

Or a FLOP?

Floundering minds want to know...

Hehehe

Go look at the pic I just posted on Rebelle of w flexing his muscles with the marine.. it is actually one of Rossis pics, but its so good I kept it for mysef.

It came labled 'Dry Drunk"

hehehehe

What does the appointment of Roy Blunt have to do with a potential verdict of a Travis County Criminal District Ct. jury?
Confused when you stated:

House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) will instead take up DeLay's post.

Posted by: monkey at September 28, 2005 05:26 PM

"Which means the Delay indictment will STICK."

Posted by: Ira at September 28, 2005 05:45 PM

Ira: Got it from TPM, below:

"DeLay is out as Majority Leader -- at least temporarily. And Hastert plans to recommend Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) as his replacement. Why Dreier? Because DeLay plans on coming back. If DeLay lets someone into the job who actually has the juice to hold it, he might never get it back. That's why the logical person on the totem pole, Majority Whip Roy Blunt, is staying right where he is."

-- Josh Marshall
(September 28, 2005 -- 01:01 PM EDT // link // print)

It may or may NOT mean the indictment will stick, but it also means Delay's possible return as Speaker looks like a goner.

Sorry if I spoke too soon...(wishful thinking--too much happy dancing).

Saw another post at TPM which got my dander up: Now with this indictment, will the Dems show up with their BEST GAME?

Hmmmmmmmmm.

Transcript: Rep. Tom DeLay on Clinton investigation

DELAY: Mr. Speaker, let's dispense with the notion that Congress can punish the president either by a so-called censure or by a fine or any other punishment. Such a deal is unconstitutional, and anyone who believes in that kind of deal believes not in the rule of law, but the rule of man, and needs to read the Constitution.

Impeachment is a process of deciding whether a president is fit for office.

The founding fathers didn't give Congress the authority to punish the president. That's for the judicial system to decide.

The question before the House is -- Is this president fit for office? Has he disqualified himself to continue to lead this nation?

The decision for the House is whether to impeach or not to impeach. The decision for the Senate is to remove from office or not to remove.

Any action to punish this president -- any deal cut that short- circuits the constitutional process -- is unconstitutional and I will fight for the Constitution.

And Mr. Speaker, this is not the time to abandon our Constitution. I urge my colleagues to read the Constitution, to support the process, and resist the temptation to cut a deal with the president.

____________________________________

Impeachment may not be appropos for THIS indictment, but maybe CENSURE is...

Checked on kos and Blunt looks as greasy as DeLay.

Despite the early chat this afternoon that Dreier would be the temporary replacement for Delay, it is in fact the Majority Whip Roy Blunt who's been named.

~snip~
House Republicans on Wednesday afternoon selected Majority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri as their acting leader. Reps. Eric Cantor of Virginia and David Dreier of California also will take on additional duties, House Speaker Dennis Hastert said.
~snip~

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/09/28/delay.indict/index.html

When it rains… The Securities and Exchange Commission has launched an official investigation into Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s sale in June of HCA Inc. shares.

www.thinkprogress.org

new thread...

Just when you think Tom has NO FRIENDS LEFT:

To: National Desk

Contact: Christopher Norfleet of Focus on the Family Action, 719-548-4570 or culturalissues@focusaction.org; Web: http://www.focusaction.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Sept. 28 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Focus on the Family Action Chairman James C. Dobson, Ph. D., issued the following statement today regarding the indictment of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay by a Texas grand jury:

"Today's indictment of Majority Leader Tom DeLay bears all the signs of a trumped-up, political witch-hunt. The extreme left has seized this chance to take a swipe at one of America's leading advocates of family values. We have every confidence that time will prove these charges false and we look forward to the majority leader being fully vindicated.

"While some will doubtless try to capitalize on Rep. DeLay's current difficulties by kicking at his political beliefs while he is down, such blatant opportunism will be clearly seen for what it is. Political adversity is nothing new to Tom DeLay, who has long shown himself to be a consistent voice of reason and clarity in America's moral debates.

"It is encouraging that the Republicans in the House seem prepared to continue the tradition of clear leadership in Majority Leader DeLay's stead. We are pleased that Rep. Roy Blunt has been instated as the acting majority leader and anticipate that he will prove to be a good steward of the critical tasks now before him."

---

James C. Dobson, Ph.D. is a psychologist, author, radio broadcaster and founder of Focus on the Family Action. Founded in 2004, Focus on the Family Action is an action organization dedicated to the preservation of the moral and cultural values upon which our nation was founded.

http://www.usnewswire.com/