SCALIA-LITE

CNN vote to weigh in on:

Created: Monday, October 31, 2005, at 09:05:24 EDT
Is Judge Samuel Alito the best choice to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the U.S. Supreme Court?

Yes ................... 23% ... 4550 votes

No .................... 48% ... 9338 votes

Haven't decided yet ... 29% ... 5736 votes

Total: 19624 votes as of 9:23 am est

http://us.cnn.com/

Sorry to be off topic, but there is a petition to sign for GWB..."Give it Back George!"

Meaning...give back the illegally gained money from Tom Noe which was stolen from Ohioan's workman's comp and donated to the Bush re-election campaign.

Tom Noe was just indicted just like Tom Delay.

Give it ALL back!
http://demo.blueutopia.com/index.php?page=display&id=90

I know about the man and his plan without checking. I don't much give a rats ass at this point about the specifics, cuz if Shrub nominated him in the wake of the Mier's debacle, he would embody virtually everything I despise from a core values standpoint.

That said...

All I want out of this is a sign of life from the minority party. Not a bunch of posturing. I want bare knuckle, no holds barred, poke you in the eye with a stick kind of fighting for the core principles of this country.

Enough of this mamby-pamby bullshit, I'm tired of it. Reid is useless, jettison him. We need a leader who can rail against the administration a la Bob Dole during Clinton tenure.

Call it what it is please, in plain English... start using terms like RIGHT WING RADICAL EXTREMIST IDEOLOGY, instead of "well, we have some concerns" kind of fluffed up crap.

Large order of spine please, and fill 'er up, buster.

Kennedy's response.

http://kennedy.senate.gov/~kennedy/statements/05/10/2005A31235.html

From Jeffrey Feldman at the Frameshop, cross-posted at dailykos... please go there and hit the recommend button...

Here are a few pointers to keep the debate on the Alito nomination focused...

Progressive Focus for the Alito Nomination: Women in America

Women in America, Women on the Court: In the history of America, there have never been more highly qualified, experienced candidates for the job of Supreme Court Justice as there are today. And yet, President Bush is unable to find a candidate to fill this seat.

Reagan and Clinton Understood, Bush Does Not: This is not a Republican or Democratic Party issue. President Reagan broke the gender barrier on the Supreme court and President Clinton followed suit. Both Parties understand the importance of this issue. President Bush, by contrast, has used women as political pawns in the Supreme Court nomination process, but he does not get it. Women must be on the court.

More Than Wives and Mothers: This is a critical issue that must be discussed. Women in America are essential to every aspect of our way of life. They are not just wives and mothers. George W. Bush seemed to get this when he nominated Condi Rice, but when it comes to the Supreme Court, he forgot.

'Freedom' Means Not Having To Ask Your Husband's Permission: Over and over again, President Bush has told the American people that we invaded Iraq so that women can be free--free to drive, free to study, free to vote, free to work--free to do whatever they want without living as second class citizens to men. Now, he nominates a judge who believes that women must be required by law to ask their husband's permission before seeking medical care. Our soldiers are dying in Iraq to overturn laws of this kind, but President Bush nominates a judge in America who supports them.

Courts Are Not 'Men Only' Clubs: Courts across America are filled with women judges, and every year they inch closer and closer to reflecting the balance of men and women in our nation. The only court that is moving in the opposite direction--that is moving back in the direction of being an 'men only' club--is the Supreme Court under President Bush.

!!BE CAREFULL!! not to fall victim to a potential false attack from the White House: the false idea that Democrats rejected Harriet Miers. It was the radical Right who rejected Miers when they found out that she had once spoken to women's advocacy groups.

America deserves a court that reflects who we are as a nation. America deserves women on the Supreme Court of the United States.

© 2005 Jeffrey Feldman

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/10/31/84624/546

ALITO WOULD OVERTURN ROE V. WADE: In his dissenting opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, Alito concurred with the majority in supporting the restrictive abortion-related measures passed by the Pennsylvania legislature in the late 1980’s. Alito went further, however, saying the majority was wrong to strike down a requirement that women notify their spouses before having an abortion. The Supreme Court later rejected Alito’s view, voting to reaffirm Roe v. Wade.

ALITO WOULD ALLOW RACE-BASED DISCRIMINATION: Alito dissented from a decision in favor of a Marriott Hotel manager who said she had been discriminated against on the basis of race. The majority explained that Alito would have protected racist employers by “immuniz an employer from the reach of Title VII if the employer’s belief that it had selected the ‘best’ candidate was the result of conscious racial bias.”

ALITO WOULD ALLOW DISABILITY-BASED DISCRIMINATION: In Nathanson v. Medical College of Pennsylvania, the majority said the standard for proving disability-based discrimination articulated in Alito’s dissent was so restrictive that “few if any…cases would survive summary judgment.”

ALITO WOULD STRIKE DOWN THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT: The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) “guarantees most workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a loved one.” The 2003 Supreme Court ruling upholding FMLA essentially reversed a 2000 decision by Alito which found that Congress exceeded its power in passing the law.

ALITO SUPPORTS UNAUTHORIZED STRIP SEARCHES: In Doe v. Groody, Alito agued that police officers had not violated constitutional rights when they strip searched a mother and her ten-year-old daughter while carrying out a search warrant that authorized only the search of a man and his home.

ALITO HOSTILE TOWARD IMMIGRANTS: In two cases involving the deportation of immigrants, the majority twice noted Alito’s disregard of settled law. In Dia v. Ashcroft, the majority opinion states that Alito’s dissent “guts the statutory standard” and “ignores our precedent.” In Ki Se Lee v. Ashcroft, the majority stated Alito’s opinion contradicted “well-recognized rules of statutory construction.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2005/10/31/samuel-alitos-america/

Posted by: dwahzon at October 31, 2005 09:46 AM

The important thing that many people forget. They focus on the husband's right to know as being very basic. But what if the woman is abused by the same husband? What if he raped her? What if she's trying to leave him and start over again? Does he really have the right to know? (In a 'normal' husband/wife relationship shouldn't the government just STAY out of people's personal lives?)

Now let's focus on the other issue. Parental inform laws. Sure...in NORMAL circumstances that does seem reasonable. But what if the child was a victim of incest? It's not as rare as people think. Fathers, Step-dads, step-brothers, brothers too often rape young girls and pregnancy is the result. What other method is in place to protect young girls from the parental concent laws in these instances?

Excellent article here:

http://www.firedoglake.blogspot.com/

A hint...

"Why is it that Republicans preach non-stop about making government smaller and the thing they most want to do is stick their noses directly into the most personal part of our lives?

I mean, honestly, is it at all possible that a woman and a man who live together as husband and wife wouldn't talk about this sort of thing if the relationship is safe and solid? Hell, my husband worries about me if I've had a bad day from a slight headache."

I think the issue we need to keep addressing is the one where the government seems to think it should not ask for my participation in giving to charity, to supporting education and the arts, and supporting those not able to help themselves--that is for the churches and private donors to take care of--BUT they seem to feel they have a right to be inside my body, my marriage, and my beliefs.

A little backwards, I'd say.

I'd like to see a little more caretaking for my tax dollars and a little less moral judgement.

People for the American Way is quick out of the box this morning with their analysis of Bush's latest Supreme Court nominee, Samuel Alito. PFAW concludes that Alito's judicial philosophy is "far to the right." What a surprise. If your administration is stinking out the joint, there's nothing better than a good fight to distract people from all of the administration's other woes, domestic and foreign.

Here's PFAW's overview:
"As the following summaries of his opinions reveal, the judicial philosophy of Samuel Alito is far to the right. In fact, he has been given the nickname "Scalito" by some who practice before him and liken him to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. He has demonstrated hostility toward the principles undergirding a woman's constitutionally protected right to govern her own reproductive choices “ most notably in the Third Circuit's attempt to limit or overturn Roe v. Wade in the context of the Planned Parenthood v. Casey case. In addition, he has issued a number of troubling opinions that seek to undermine established civil rights law, especially in the areas of gender and race, and that seek to severely limit the federal government's ability to protect its citizens. Alito claimed that the federal government could not apply the Family and Medical Leave Act to state employees, a decision effectively reversed by the Supreme Court, and even argued that Congress could not enact a ban on the possession of machine guns. It is clear that Alito's confirmation would seriously jeopardize Americans' rights."

The full PFAW report is at: hhttp://media.pfaw.org/stc/AlitoPreliminary.pdf

Hey Alito...

Keep your damn laws OFF my body

Off topic once again...but another important article to read about journalism, libby, the spy case, and our national security.

This time it's Tim Russert...

http://tinyurl.com/d95f7

Posted by: monkey at October 31, 2005 09:32 AM

Monkey,

I couldn't have said it any better. I am with you on this. But are the Democratic leaders willing to take it to the mat? I too think this will have to result in a full fledged opposition i.e. filibuster. If the Dems don't think a filibuster is necessary, we might as all just pack it in.

Sparrow's list recounting Alitos's "judicial philosophy" should be enough to scare all Americans. Is it just a coincidence that his nomination was announced on Halloween?

In Doe v. Groody, Alito agued that police officers had not violated constitutional rights when they strip searched a mother and her ten-year-old daughter while carrying out a search warrant that authorized only the search of a man and his home. [Doe v. Groody, 2004]

Coupled with his finding that a woman's uterus is something for her husband to have and to hold, I'd say he has some issues when it comes to non-PenisAmericans.

http://tbogg.blogspot.com/2005/10/mmmmmmm.html

Legal experts consider the 55-year-old Alito so ideologically similar to Justice Antonin Scalia that he has earned the nickname "Scalito."

http://us.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/31/scotus.bush/index.html

Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo has just put out Part 1 of a report that he's writing that summarizes all his research on the Niger uranium, the forged papers, interaction with Italian intelligence...

(October 30, 2005 -- 11:45 PM EST // link)
The Italian Connection, Part I

(ed.note: At various points over the last two years, I've discussed here at tpm reporting I've done on the origins of the Niger forgeries. I've never put all the reporting in one place; and until now there was still a good bit of information I wasn't at liberty to report. This is the first of a series of installments I'm going to publish here at TPM in which I will lay out the story as I understand it based on my own reporting and research.)
~snip~

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/006896.php

Well worth book marking and reading.

Ralph Reed calls Alioto a grandslam.That comments summarizes it all.

Alioto writes in an opinion that ownership of a machinegun should be protected under the second amendment and that federal laws making machinegun ownership illegal should be overturned. If that's not legsilating from the bench I don't know what is. If owning a machinegun is a mainstream value, I don't know what is.

Unfortunately there is one Pennsylvania US Senator who will most assuredly guarantee his Senate approval, and his name is not Rick Santorum, its the pro choice Pa Senator who controls the judiciary committee.

Unless we could obtain Senator's Spector's opposition to Alioto, which is highly unlikely since Alioto is from Pa, a push for a filibuster while a truly noble cause, will in all likelihood go nowhere.

Just got a call from the World Can't Wait folks--they would like to know what you are planning to this Wednesday (November 2, the anniversary of the Bush regime's latest takeover).

Add Alito to the list of steps towards a less democratic government.

Actions are planned in 67 cities at this point.

And to those waiting for the leaders to react. respond, etc, I say--guess who needs to lead on all of this?

We, the people...

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO?

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO?

Posted by: Karen at October 31, 2005 10:36 AM

Im going to try to avoid my birthday party they THINK they will be surprising me with.

Other than that..maybe i'll get myself arrested and kill two birds with one stone.

Posted by: dwahzon at October 31, 2005 10:27 AM

He's doing a great job on that. I've been checking it daily.

Posted by: Christy at October 31, 2005 10:41 AM

Hahaha..that's a inventive way to avoid a party. Just tell me...WHICH cause will you be protesting to get the arrest? It's so hard to find only one!

Posted by: sparrow at October 31, 2005 10:46 AM

This is Louisiana... Just saying I am a democrat is likely to get me arrested.

I have a banner that says The Downing Memos ARE PROOF Of Treason... I have been saving it for something but heres the prob,...

As far as I know I am the only active protester in North Louisiana and the banner is about 6 or 7 ft wide..so holding it up is a problem.

Cooper learned Plame's id from ROVE not libby. (And the beat goes on...)

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/CIALeak/story?id=1265736&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

Posted by: Christy at October 31, 2005 10:49 AM

Hmmm...did you consider gaining weight? Just make yourself 6-7 feet wide and go stand by a highway.

Christy--post at the laundromat and grocery store that you need someone or someones to help you hold up a sign for a protest on Wednesday.

Watch what happens.

(They won't arrest you--but you might be surprised at who else is pissed off).

Interesting diary at kos about the Virginia governor's race...

If you've got some time this week, this poster makes some suggestions on how to spend it...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/10/31/10932/910

FOCUS people.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

Just got another call from the worldcantwait.org people--they are heading over to the Supreme Court, where the media are busy reporting just how wonderful Alito is. They will be speaking otherwise...

I'll be joining them later today.

Senator Kerry's response to the nomination:

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Kerry_on_Alito_Bushs_sagging_numbers_1031.html

Just wanted to add a note about the blocks and blocks and blocks of people standing in line outside the Captiol last night to see Rosa Parks. It was AMAZING.

Quiet and contemplative and HUGE. The line we saw went from 1st-5th streets and from Consitution to Independence Avenues. That is about 4 very long blocks down and four long blocks over--16 square blocks of lines.

We are sure it went on all night long.

In the name of Rosa Parks, let's all get busy this week, OK?

This quote shows the importance of next week's Va election. I urge all to call all friends and family in the Va area urging them to help Tim Kaine in whateever capacity they can.

"In Sunday's Los Angeles Times, Ron Brownstein had Prof. Larry Sabato saying that if Kilgore can retake the Virginia governorship for the GOP with his death penalty attacks, it would prove "that red states" in 2006 "are going to be tougher nuts to crack for Democrats, even under good circumstances, than they currently think" because of a continuing perception that Democrats are out of step with the values of Red State voters."

on the other hand, a win next week in Va will send a chilling message to the Whitehouse and the RNC that the country is ready for Democratic leadership, even in otherwise Red States like Va. Va could also be the benchmark for an '08 Presidential election.

Posted by: sparrow at October 31, 2005 10:55 AM

If i were six or seven feet wide i wouldnt need a banner at all i could just remove my shirt and use the rolls on my back as a living ad space.

Karen,..

There are lots of people pissed off but that is quite different than standing there waiting on the drunk red necks to show up and teach you a lesson on speaking out.

The cops are already watching my house but I break no laws so they don't worry me. I actually tease them about not knowing thier Constitution.

They know what I am doing at night when they loose track of me. The rednecks though thats a whole nuther story.

See thats where Ive been saying we need yall all this time. Last time the freedom riders came they stood between us and them. There is NOTHING standing between me and them. And there is NO ONE waiting to grab the flag and move on if i fall.

And I know yall think i am being dramatic but I have seen people beaten to death for less. I was sitting beside a girl once who was shot 4 times in the head for muttering the WRONG racial slang. I even knew when she said it it was coming.

Down here they call that shit TUESDAY.

I do not fear any man. But I do fear PACKS of them. There are MANY pissed off people down here, but it is not enough to be pissed off. You must have a way past fear itself. Until we figure that one out I will have to be active as best I can without being SEEN.

Posted by: Christy at October 31, 2005 11:14 AM

Getting arrested doesn't sound like such a great idea then, Christy.

Why don't you go for a lighter touch? Put a note on 1000 balloons, and release them. Then let them scatter your message to the wind and those who find them later.

Posted by: sparrow at October 31, 2005 11:25 AM

Actually..that is not a bad idea.

On odd nights when the cops have better things to watch I make my rounds and put up flyers.. the wierd thing is I actually DO think it has made a HUGE difference.

My nieghbors kid, hes 16 he has gone out with me before.. but honestly I fear for him going out simply because he is a black kid and if hes caught in certain places it would be horrible.

I really really wish I knew a better way but right now papering the town at 3 am is about the best idea i can figure out.

Christy--let people know about the World Can't Wait--

http://www.worldcantwait.org

I'm very happy with Bush's new nominee to the Court, because he's taking the blinders off and showing the indys what he's really all about. If there are any Democrats or Independants left in the country who haven't figured it out yet, now they will. Miers was a sham candidate all along- she was as conservative as Alito is, but the right wing just wasn't completely sure of it. It was a plan to make indys think that just maybe, Bush was a moderate with only rightward leanings. It's halloween today, and instead of putting his mask on, Bush has just taken his off. And he's much scarier underneath the mask than he was with it on.
So, fight like hell, and we'll lose. But we have to fight anyway. Let 'em use the nuclear option. At least it will make the demos look like they have some cajones.
And Wolf Blitzer is on CNN right now saying that Libby's trial will tell the whole story of what went on in the Plame affair. Blitzer can't possibly be that stupid. Rove will NEVER let Libby go to trial- Libby will plea bargain and the rest of this story will NEVER be aired . What I'd like to know is what there is in Fitzgerald's background that Rove is using to blackmail him into not charging Rove himself in the crime. There was some "last minute wrangling" according to the media with Rove's lawyers and Fitzgerald- hey, I'm a bit surprised that Fitz wasn't the new Supreme Court nominee this morning :-) No matter how honest Fitz is, he's got enough evidence that Rove was involved to indict him- Rove has to be holding something over his head.
I'd really like to know what it is.

From sparrow at October 31, 2005 10:51 AM

TIME REPORTER SAYS HE LEARNED AGENT'S IDENTITY FROM ROVE

Oct. 31 2005 — One of the reporters at the center of the investigation into the leak of the identity of an undercover CIA officer, says he first learned the agent's name from President Bush's top political advisor, Karl Rove.

Time magazine reporter Matt Cooper also said today in an interview with "Good Morning America," that the vice president's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, confirmed to him that Ambassador Joseph Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, was a covert CIA operative.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/CIALeak/story?id=1265736&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

I hope Matt Cooper has strong support in place for the coming slime brigade. He must have been waiting to see the outconme of the first Fitz grand jury before going public

aimzz- that doesn't matter. The rumor now is that the outing was over 2 years ago, and can't be charged because of the Statute of Limitations. Rove has to be gotten on perjury or obstruction of justice, and that's up to Fitzgerald. Now, if Cooper testifies in court that it was Rove, and Fitzgerald has testimony in his grand jury records that Rove testified differently, he can nail him.
But there's not going to be a trial. Count on that.

fitzgerald, Linda, seems to be an honorable and very serious prosecutor but I worry about what I have read about Rove's atty Lunstrum I believe his name is, and his closeness professionally to Fitzgerald. you stated: "What I'd like to know is what there is in Fitzgerald's background that Rove is using to blackmail him into not charging Rove"
I just read a story saying Fitzgerald backed off of a plea agreement b/c Fitzgerald insisted on serious jail time of at least 10 years. My guess is we will see a 1-2 year plea offer and then this whole episode will then be swept under the rug. Without indicting Rove and Novak or Cheney, we will never hear the real story which I belive involved a cospiracy to destroy Wilson run directed out of Cheney's office. Libby and Cheney were obsessed with getting Wilson, I doubt there are even too many Republican who love Bush and Cheney, in this country who don't believe that.
It looks as obvious as the smirk on W's face.

SUPREME COURT
Samuel Alito's America

The right wing demanded the withdrawal of Harriet Miers so she could be replaced with a judge who met their rigid, ideological litmus test. This morning, the conservatives got what they wanted. President Bush will nominate Third Circuite Appeal Court Judge Samuel Alito as the replacement for swing-voter Sandra Day O'Connor. (In contrast, John Roberts replaced the very conservative William Rehnquist.) On NBC's Today Show, law professor Jonathan Turley said there "will be no one to the right of Sam Alito" on the Supreme Court. Alito's record supports Turley's view. His history of right-wing judicial activism will be a key issue during his hearings.

ALITO WOULD OVERTURN ROE V. WADE: In his dissenting opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, Alito concurred with the majority in supporting the restrictive abortion-related measures passed by the Pennsylvania legislature in the late 1980s. Alito went further, however, saying the majority was wrong to strike down a requirement that women notify their spouses before having an abortion. The Supreme Court later rejected Alito’s view and also voted to reaffirm Roe v. Wade. [Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, 1991]

ALITO WOULD ALLOW RACE-BASED DISCRIMINATION: Alito dissented from a decision in favor of a Marriott Hotel manager who said she had been discriminated against on the basis of race. The majority explained that Alito would have protected racist employers by “immuniz[ing] an employer from the reach of Title VII if the employer’s belief that it had selected the ‘best’ candidate was the result of conscious racial bias.” [Bray v. Marriott Hotels, 1997]

ALITO WOULD ALLOW DISABILITY-BASED DISCRIMINATION: In Nathanson v. Medical College of Pennsylvania, the majority said the standard for proving disability-based discrimination articulated in Alito’s dissent was so restrictive that “few if any…cases would survive summary judgment.” Summary judgment allows a case to be dismissed before it goes to trial. [Nathanson v.Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1991]

ALITO WOULD STRIKE DOWN THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT: The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) "guarantees most workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a loved one." The 2003 Supreme Court ruling upholding FMLA [Nevada v. Hibbs, 2003] essentially reversed a 2000 decision by Alito which found that Congress exceeded its power in passing the law. [Chittister v. Department of Community and Economic Development, 2000]

ALITO SUPPORTS UNAUTHORIZED STRIP SEARCHES: In Doe v. Groody, Alito argued that police officers had not violated constitutional rights when they strip-searched a mother and her ten-year-old daughter while carrying out a search warrant that authorized only the search of a man and his home. [Doe v. Groody, 2004]

ALITO HOSTILE TOWARD IMMIGRANTS: In two cases involving the deportation of immigrants, the majority twice noted Alito’s disregard of settled law. In Dia v. Ashcroft, the majority opinion states that Alito’s dissent “guts the statutory standard” and “ignores our precedent.” In Ki Se Lee v. Ashcroft, the majority stated Alito’s opinion contradicted “well-recognized rules of statutory construction.” [Dia v. Ashcroft, 2003; Ki Se Lee v. Ashcroft, 2004]

Bush plans to roll out a new "presidency" in January...

United States President George Bush will attempt to relaunch his presidency in January but has "lost some of his confidence" in his three closest advisers -- Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and Andrew Card -- a US magazine reported on Sunday.
The Bush administration is attempting to recover after a devastating week in which the 2 000th American soldier died in Iraq, the president's supreme court nominee was forced to withdraw, and a powerful White House official, Lewis Libby, resigned after being indicted for lying about an intelligence leak.
According to Time magazine: "Top advisers have all but written off the rest of the year as a loss."
The White House will instead attempt to salvage the presidency with a relaunch in January's State of the Union address, with a new agenda and possibly some new staff, the report said.
"The problem is that the president doesn't want to make changes," an unnamed White House adviser told Time, "but he's lost some of his confidence in the three people he listens to the most."
____________________
Plame inquiry fallout to bring revamp of Bush presidency
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/&articleid=255190

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Bush knew all about Rove's and Libby's involvement in 2003, and thus was a full participant in the cover-up for any crime that might have been committed. He deprived the American people of their right to know all the facts during the 2004 Presidential Campaign. This is an illegitimate Presidency. Illegitimate Presidents don’t get to change the direction of the country.

Linda Enterkin at October 31, 2005 11:46 AM

Thanks for the reality check, Linda-- I read about teh statute of limitations the other day, but I seem to have blotted it from my mind. Denial is bliss :)

Karen

World Can't Wait activities being heavily planned here in Seattle. They were also out at the vigils for the 2000th soldier fallen, leafleting and with the big lime green signs. Especially hopeful about the youth walkout.

Colleges & Universities Walking Out:
Shoreline Community College
University of Washington
Seattle Central Community College
Evergreen College-Olympia

High Schools Walking Out:
Bainbridge High School
Ballard High School
Bremerton High School
Edmonds-Woodway High
Garfield High
Ingelmoore High
Ingraham High
Nova High
Roosevelt High
Sehome High
Vashon High
West Sound Academy

K through 12 Schools:
AS (Alternative School) #1

We hit the streets with "Regime Free Zones" along march route.No Endless War, Round-ups and Detentions, Torture Zone, No Theocracy Zone , No Suppression of Science and Critical Thought Zone, No Attacks on Abortion and Birth Control Zone, No Bigotry and Intolerance Zone.

There will also be an evening Torchlight Parade.

Ever hear of the Spartans..???

Ofcourse you have.

Here is an interesting fact about thier style of rule.

The Spartans were awsome fighters as we all know. A culture COMPLETELY dedicated to war. The Spartans also used the natives of Sparta as slaves. And they were GREATLY outnumbered by thier slaves.

Now being a war culture it was absolutely in thier conciousness all the time that they were outnumbered, surrounded, and infiltrated by those they oppressed. Their solution??

They declared WAR once a year on thier servants. It was a ritualist practice. Once a year they declared war, mounted up and started randomly killing large amounts of slaves. Needless to say it kept the larger oppressed population from ever rising up.

I think we should declare war on the media. They declared war FOR us, and let little judy miller write it right up.

I think until we do something to make them remember they are outnumbered surrounded and infiltrated they will KEEP betraying our nation and getting our kids killed.

I am still hoping for an Orange Revolution. But if that never comes then we should declare war and start with naming olielly an enemy of the people. And hume too.

Matthew Carnicelli
Of course Bush knew, or how could he have presented false information during his State of the Union address? If he didn't know, then he was especially incompetent and should be impeached anyway.

Link to Time article summarized in 12:00 PM post:

A Time to Regroup
Bloodied by scandal, setbacks and casualties, Bush is looking for fresh troops and a new battle plan
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/&articleid=255190

You want to change what they are doing to us?

The surround the Washington Post. BLOCKADE them with a peaceful sit in. Wave orange in thier faces. Let them KNOW they have been BLOCKADED. And don't move until either they confess and change thier ways, or until hell freezes over.

One way or another something has got to give.

Ira- I didn't know that Rove's lawyer and Fitzgerald had a close professional relationship. That could have a lot to do with Rove not being indicted.
And I agree with you 100%- I figure 1-2 years in a country club prison with no embarrassing public trial. That's where all this will lead.
I really thought this thing originated with Rove though- it surprised me, just a little, to find it came from Tricky Dicky II.
I have to believe that Rove and Cheney thought it up together. It's just Rove's regular modus operandi.

Local newspaper (Seattle PI) asked for on-line responses to Scalito nomination. First person said a fascist and war criminal nominated a fascist. Next person called that person a knee-jerk liberal & hoped the "nuclear option" would be used in spite of leftwing nuts like Teddy Kennedy & Schumer. Next person gave a definition of fascism (as lst 2 were both off-base). This will continue all day.

What can take Alito down..?

www.thinkprogress.org

'Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr., a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, has been accused of a conflict of interest by a woman whose suit he and two other appeals judges dismissed…. According to Alito’s 2002 financial-disclosure statement, the judge held investments worth $390,000 to $930,000 in 11 Vanguard funds in July 2002, when he ruled on a lawsuit filed by Shantee Maharaj of Wayne against Vanguard.'

Alito argued that he didn’t need to recuse himself because the case was so small that it wouldn’t even affect Vanguard:

'They have $600 billion invested with them. The idea that a case like this would affect [their investments] is just ludicrous.'

Despite his own arguments, Alito eventually recused himself but continued to insist he had done nothing wrong.

DiAnne- let 'em use the nuclear option. They're going to win this nomination anyway, and we might as well let them prove what a bunch of dictatorial bastards they are. And we HAVE to prove that we're gong to stand our ground somewhere in the future. WE have to become the alternative to the Republicans. The public right now believes there's no opposition party. 2006 is only next year. I know it's a far out notion, but I believe we'll take over at least one of the houses of Congress next year. If we do, the Plame investigation can really begin, the impeachment proceedings can begin, and we can get our country back.
Like I said- Bush took his mask off completely today. The American people do NOT want the face that they're seeing underneath.

Anyone catch the machinegun lobbyist support for Alioto and his ruling in support of the right to own machineguns, for deer hunting I suppose?
To me that is symbolic and represents the mainstream philopohy of this nomination.

my attitude about the nuclear option, bring it on. As you might recall Linda, Republicans under Newt threatened to shut down Congress and look where that got him, a horrible backlash in 1996.

The Headline I Have Prayed For

Edwards works on possible bid in 2008

And look what it goes on to say...

Hurricane Katrina, he believes, opened the rest of the country's eyes to the plight of the hidden poor in places such as Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

hehehehe

Some very interesting points made by Hunter over at dailykos:

~snip~
One of the things that shouldn't be lost is that, in addition to being an obvious stratospheric launch in order to deflect attention from the indictment of one of Bush and Cheney's most very senior advisors, this nomination is an assault on mainstream Republicans.

Already, NPR has reported multiple anonymous Republican senators who are very unhappy with the nomination. Considering Bush's already weakened position -- and after the Meirs nomination, there are a growing number of moderate Republicans that deeply question his judgement -- I fully expect to see Republican defectors.

Just like in the Miers nomination, Democrats are largely bystanders here. There's no way we're going to vote for Alito. Not a prayer. So the heavy lifting now falls on so-called "moderate" Republicans who are looking at Bush's track record, looking at the incomprehensible political violence of this nomination, looking at the Republican's rapidly eroding 2006 prospects, and who need to come to some decision on whether or not they're going to hitch their wagon to Bush's increasingly skeletal horse.

This could be a night of long knives against the moderate and old-school-members of the Republican Party. Or they could decide to put on the uniform, and for once and for all march with the new theocrats. A very, very dangerous situation for them, for us, and for America.
~snip~

So far out of the mainstream that you can't even see him from there.
~snip~

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/10/31/123120/05

operative words here: extremist radical right activist judge

You can take Alito down by questioning wether or not bush has committed TREASON.

Illegal invations must surely be more damaging than say selling comp technology to china. if he has committed a high crime he can not be trusted to appoint ANYONE.

We should remind repellicans of that often.

from Kevin Drum at The Washington Monthly:

FIGHTING ALITO....Marshall Wittman has the clearest statement ( http://www.bullmooseblog.com/2005/10/trick-or-treat.html ) I've seen yet about the motivations behind the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court:

"The Alito nomination is evidence that Mr. Rove is once again riding high in the saddle. The Rovian solution to all of the Administration woes is to give a hot-button treat to the base and attempt to trick the Democrats into alienating swing traditionalist values voters. Meanwhile, folks will ask, "Scooter who?"."

"The politics of polarization has been the governing philosophy of the Bushies. It got them re-elected and it is the only way they know to govern. With this understanding, the Alito nomination makes complete sense."

"After Hurricanes Katrina and Libby, the President has now found a safe port in a storm. That may seem to contradict the fact that we are entering the ultimate confrontation in Washington. To the contrary, this is the type of chaos in which the Bushies thrive."

"The President is now back on what Rove considers terra firma."

That seems right to me. But does this mean that liberals should choose a smarter, lower key strategy to opposing Alito than the usual nuclear war model? Maybe. Any ideas?

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2005_10/007462.php

From Scott Shields at mydd.com:

Scooter Libby is going to "be replaced by Cheney's current chief counsel, David Addington. Addington is, to put it kindly, a real piece of work. This information comes from a Washington Post profile from last fall."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22665-2004Oct10.html

"Where there has been controversy over the past four years, there has often been Addington. He was a principal author of the White House memo justifying torture of terrorism suspects. He was a prime advocate of arguments supporting the holding of terrorism suspects without access to courts."

"Addington also led the fight with Congress and environmentalists over access to information about corporations that advised the White House on energy policy. He was instrumental in the series of fights with the Sept. 11 commission and its requests for information."
. . .
"Colleagues say Addington stands out for his devotion to secrecy in an administration noted for its confidentiality."
. . .
"Even in a White House known for its dedication to conservative philosophy, Addington is known as an ideologue, an adherent of an obscure philosophy called the unitary executive theory that favors an extraordinarily powerful president."
. . .
"Addington's influence -- like Cheney's overall -- extends throughout the government in his bid to expand executive power. He goes through every page of the federal budget in search of riders that could restrict executive authority. He meets daily with White House counsel Alberto R. Gonzales and often raises objections to requests for information from Congress or the public, officials say. He also routinely works to defeat proposals from the State Department, where the pervasive internationalist philosophy is at odds with Cheney's neoconservatism."

"Addington is a hard core neocon. The White House, and Cheney's office in particular, is digging in for some serious fights over the remainder of the President's term. Let's prepare accordingly."

http://www.mydd.com/story/2005/10/28/13753/367

Its time to go nuclear

Either stop this president or shut down the WHOLE damn thing.

The repells can shut down our gov when they get lewinkies panties in their teeth but we are supposed to just maintain our go along get along stratagy...no freaking way.

This president has committed WAR CRIMES and we are just supposed to stand by as he gives LIFETIME APPOINTMENTS to our highest offices in the land? Hell no.

Nuke Em.

Vice President lied as White House sought to defuse leak inquiry

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Vice_President_lied_as_White_House_1031.html

dwahzon- I don't think we need to go low key with our opposition. We're so low key right now that the public doesn't even know we exist. If they can't vote Republican next year, they'll stay away from the polls. We have to start crawling out of our holes, and if our heads get knocked off in the process, at least we won't go down without trying.

The far right is still the far right. They don't care about Plamegate. I told my sister last night that Bush's honesty ratings were now lower than Bill Clinton's , and all she said was that "it's a good thing he's safely in office for another 3 years then, isn't it?"
And I was told not to buy a baby shower gift for my nephew's wife from Target because it was a French owned company, and my nephew wouldn't appreciate it. He hates the French since they wouldn't go into Iraq with us.
They don't care.

But they're only 35 percent of the population, and they CANNOT win, if we give voters an alternative.
We need a bold alternative, not the wussy one we've been putting forward since we bowed down to the IWR 3 years ago.

From the Washington Post, some info on Chuck Hagel and his recent moves in preparation for 2008...

An Independent Prairie Thinker
By David S. Broder
Sunday, October 30, 2005; Page B07

Last week, as a federal grand jury approached the end of its investigation of senior officials in the Bush White House, Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska quietly introduced two far-reaching pieces of legislation dealing with such serious national problems as immigration, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
...
What is clear is that the Bush White House would be unlikely to view Hagel as its preferred successor. His loyalty to the president is measured by his 94 percent support score on roll-call votes in 2004, two points higher than that of Majority Leader Bill Frist in the Congressional Quarterly ratings.

But he has dissented publicly on major issues. While he voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq, he has been strongly critical of the prewar intelligence, the military planning and the management of the war. On the president's landmark initiative to add prescription drug coverage to Medicare, Hagel voted no, arguing that the cost of the new entitlement had not been accurately estimated or adequately financed.

A classic business-oriented conservative, with limited liking for the social issues of the religious right, Hagel argues that the preoccupation with "satisfying the base" has meant, "no question, the Republican Party has become captive to extreme right-wingers."

But he thinks -- and he has lots of company among independent pollsters and operatives -- that the public mood is shifting and there is a growing demand for what he calls "responsible governance."

That's not easily defined, but one characteristic, Hagel says, is clearly the search for a consensus that commands more than a partisan majority of 51 percent.
~snip~

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/29/AR2005102901017.html

Refresher on neoconservatism - I have been reading in this almost every day for a week, reading & re-reading, thinking & thinking.
It's not new to me but this is such a good
summary & the thinking is about the future.
Not sure what to think.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism_(United_States)

CSPAN 2 RIGHT NOW Joe Wilson LIVE

don't understand the purpose of the Hagel post. I no longer trust any Republican including Hagel, McCain, Chaffe, Specter or Snowe. They try to act resonably then just say amen to anything that Rove proposes like Alioto. I am tired of trying to be on the reasonable side of political arguments. There is no such side any longer.

Linda E
Target it a French-owned company? Your relatives take the TarJHAY joke literally? LOL It's from Minneapolis - have they heard of Dayton-Hudson?!

Ira
I agree about those people - they may vote "ok" on some issues (like Dave Reichert from here may vote against oil drilling in Alaska) - HOWEVER, they still do things like kiss Bush on the head. It's not moral. If they're not part of the solution, they're part of the problem. Who would be part of a party that doesn't condemn torture, for example?!

The Hagel post is just to make you aware that there will be other appeals to moderates and independent voters out there. And for those who don't follow politics closely and couldn't name even one of the Supreme Court justices if their lives depended on it, he and those like him are going to sound like a plausible choice.

Just consider the post some background information that you might not otherwise have known.

IS advocating a gov shut down illegal..?

Just wondering

Paul Krugman | Ending the Fraudulence

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/103105O.shtml

Paul Krugman writes that this administration's political triumphs have never been based on its real-world achievements, which are few and far between. The administration has, instead, built its power on myths: the myth of presidential leadership, the ugly myth that the administration is patriotic, while its critics are not. Take away those myths, and the administration has nothing left.

--- Seems to me anymore that economists and economics magazines (esp Financial Times) are most worth reading

Christy
During the Clinton era, the government used to shut itself down for a day or two at a time, when the budget needed to be balanced! I know what you're getting at though - supposedly we still do have a certain degree of free speech (endangered though).

I was just thinking how well we had it during that era. You say you weren't a fan of Clinton. He wasn't my favorite but he looks really good now in retrospect & I actually appreciate him more now than I did then. I took things for granted. I felt the country (and world) were headed in a better direction, for example. The Berlin Wall had fallen, the Soviet Union had broken up & weapons were being dismantled, there were treaties, wars were small with ends in sight, countries still practiced diplomacy, the US wasn't completely hated, and the country wasn't as polarized yet.

That Krugman is just outstanding to read.

Posted by: Christy at October 31, 2005 12:08 PM

Surround W.P., NYT, CNN, ABC, NBC, and CBS.

Leave Fox alone because at least 70% of the people out here already know Fox is b.s.

DiAnne,

I have stange mixed feelings about clinton. Inspite of what i know of him, I have to admit he was one hell of a good president.

Its like being forced to trust a serial killer because hes a killer not a liar. I think all men lie. Women lie too. Those in power are the most likely to lie most often.

But with clinton, ...i just cant forget he is a liar but at the same time i know in my very soul he is SMARTER than ALL of them.

Hes like the slick bad guy in movies, you kinda wind up cheering him on inspite of yourself.

Great president, but I would HATE to be caught in a room alone with him.

Read foreign press
Then call regular media & ask them why things
were covereed more elsewhere

The wingnut I wrote to yesterday answered me
(St Louis Dispatch) - so I know he read me

Thanks for writing.
_ John Sonderegger

Call media sponsors of offending networks
Let them know you won't buy their products
til they sponsor truth
Then don't

dwazon: I think we should declare political warfare(which I have urged here since january) on the like of McCain, Specter, Snowe, Collins, Voinovich and especially Chaffe. Its ridiculous for blue states like Pa, Maine, and Rhode Island to keep crossing over and electing these folks and have zero to show for it when supreme ct appointments or Anwr are at risk.
We need a political revolt in those states against so called Republican moderates, especially when Rove still goves after Senators like Nelson come election time who consistantly supports Bush initiatives. As long as these so called Moderate Republicans continue to vote for Frist or DeLay as majority leaders, we should give them no sympathy support at any time.

Christy...no tv here. What is Joe Wilson saying?

One interesting ruling of Judge Alito. Should a ten year old be stripped searched? Not mine...that's for sure!

http://vls.law.villanova.edu/locator/3d/March2004/024532p.pdf

Joe Wilson is telling one hell of a tale..

I was just sitting here thinking..NOW I understand the 'We Hate the French' campaign.

It was because FRENCH COMPANIES are the ones who were actually in possesion of Niger Uranium.

They knew it was bullshit and they let Wilson know it too.

Christy, No, and especially when government is totally out of controln like it is today. Let them shut it down with the Nuclear Option.

Oh and speaking of Niger Urainium check this out

I read yesterday the dude that tried passing off the Niger Forgeries to our CIA in Italy..

AS SOON as the head of our Cia saw them he told the guy to get the hell out of his office.

Skip to a few months later. Italy intell. releases a report saying basicaly the same thing that was in those forgeries. Our CIA accepts thier intell report NEVER KNOWING the dude they threw out of the office was the ITALIANS ONLY SOURCE.

Read page 6.

Dianne- thanks for the info on Target. I hate to say it, but these folks believe EVERYTHING the right wing says.
They apparently want their base to boycott Target because Target donated to John Kerry's campaign.
So, they're calling them French. And the gullible, right wing side of my family, who I still love very much, believes it.

The pre-emptiveness of the Alito nomination on the heels of the Plamegate scandal shows an administration going to ANY length to distract by division. Here is a statement out on the Alito nom by the Stonewall Dems. Alito most CERTAINLY is a conservative conservative.

"Monday, October 31, 2005

Washington, DC - Today, the National Stonewall Democrats released the following statement on the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the United States Supreme Court:

"President Bush has nominated a socially conservative judicial activist to appease the socially conservative political activists who control the Republican Party and this White House," said Eric Stern, NSD Executive Director. "Every Supreme Court nominee deserves a fair and thorough investigation into their judicial record. While judgements on this nomination should not be rushed, the giddy salivation of anti-gay activists over their preferred nominee should disturb fair-minded Americans."

This morning, President Bush nominated Judge Samuel Alito to serve on the United States Supreme Court. Alito currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, based in Philadelphia. On that court, Alito is often the lone dissenter from opinions of the majority. As a U.S. Attorney, Alito was nominated to serve on the court by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. His judicial philosophy is often described by legal experts as ideologically conservative, and in the mold of Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia.

This morning, news reports revealed that the selection of Samuel Alito was approved this weekend by anti-gay activists at the request of the White House. Specifically, the Concerned Women for America, a radical anti-gay organization, was contacted on Saturday by the White House to solicit their approval for the nomination."

[emphasis added by poster] Alito and Luttig have always been at the top of our list. We think either of them would be a supreme pick. There isn't a thing stealthy about them. They've got a long, proven record," Janet LaRue of the Concerned Women for America told the Washington Post."

And Dianne- don't blame my sis and her family too much for their lack of knowledge. She went to a private, Christian school. I went to public school, so I know better :-)

"The face of the search warrent does not grant a strip search."

p.6

Let them shut it down with the Nuclear Option.

Posted by: Ira at October 31, 2005 01:33 PM

Amen Brotherman...

Let the last left standing turn off the lights and lock the doors.

Until bush can ASSURE us he has not committed TREASON then we should make sure thay can make NO decisions that would affect our future.

Nuke Em.

We may never get another chance to make a stand.

CNN is very busy avoiding Joe Wilson's speech. They mentioned that they were gonna cover it, obviously got a call from Karl Rove, then said they were gonna cover it if it "heated up."
Liars.

Posted by: Fe at October 31, 2005 01:45 PM

Gosh...I'm very disappointed. Why didn't pResident Bush ask me? I'd have told him my choices.

Poster on a kiosk on the University of Iowa campus:

Keep Bush Out of Your Bush.
Support Women's Right to Choose.

IN THE MEANTIME, THIS IS WHAT'S GOING ON BACKSTAGE AT THE REAL WHITE HOUSE:

Cheney Names Two to Fill Libby's Positions By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 12 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney, moving swiftly to replace an indicted aide, on Monday named attorney David Addington as his chief of staff and John Hannah as his national security adviser.

Both positions had been filled by I. Lewis Libby, who resigned Friday when he was indicted on perjury and other charges in a 22-month investigation of the unmasking of an undercover CIA officer.

Addington has been Cheney's counsel and Hannah has been his deputy national security adviser.

Meanwhile, Cheney's former chief of staff faces the first court appearance in his CIA leak case Thursday as Democrats criticize President Bush for lauding I. Lewis Libby rather than apologizing for his alleged crimes.

The Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid, said Sunday that another key insider, presidential adviser Karl Rove, should resign because of his role in exposing an undercover CIA officer.

A veteran Republican senator added that Bush needs to bring "new blood" into his White House.

Rove has not been charged, but he continues to be investigated in the CIA leaks case that brought the indictment and resignation on Friday of Libby, an adviser to Bush and the top aide to Cheney. Libby's arraignment will be held Thursday morning before U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton.

Reid said he is disappointed that Bush and Cheney responded to the indictment by praising Libby — known around Washington as "Scooter" — and suggested they should apologize for the leak that revealed the identity of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame.

"First of all, the vice president issues this very terse statement praising Libby for all the great things he's done," Reid said. "Then we have the president come on camera a few minutes later calling him Scooter and what a great patriot he is. There has not been an apology to the American people for this obvious problem in the White House," Reid, D-Nev., told ABC's "This Week."

Meanwhile, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., said Cheney should "come clean" about his involvement and why he discussed Plame with Libby before Libby spoke to reporters about her.

"What did the vice president know? What were his intentions?" Dodd asked on "Fox News Sunday."

"Now, there's no suggestion the vice president is guilty of any crime here whatsoever. But if our standard is just criminality, then we're never going to get to the bottom of this," Dodd said.

Democrats appearing on Sunday talk shows portrayed Libby's indictment as one of many serious problems surrounding the White House and one of several allegations raising questions about Republican ethics. Republicans repeatedly said the charges have been made against only one individual and that Libby should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Public opinion appears to be running against Bush. Almost half the public, 46 percent, say the level of ethics and honesty in the federal government has fallen with Bush as president, according to an ABC News-Washington Post poll. That's three times the number who say ethics and honesty have risen during that time.

Republican Sen. Trent Lott (news, bio, voting record) of Mississippi said Bush should be on the lookout for "new blood, new energy, qualified staff, new people in administration." He said poor advice may have even contributed to the failed nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court.

A grand jury charged Libby on Friday with five felonies alleging obstruction of justice, perjury to a grand jury and making false statements to FBI agents. If convicted, he could face a maximum of 30 years in prison and $1.25 million in fines.

Libby was not charged with the crime that the grand jury was created to investigate — specifically, who leaked the name of Plame to reporters in 2003. Libby and Rove were named by reporters brought before the grand jury, but it was unclear whether they knew that she was a covert agent.

Time magazine's Matthew Cooper, one of the reporters at the center of the investigation, said Monday on ABC's "Good Morning America" that he was certain he'd first learned from Rove that Plame, the wife of ambassador Joseph Wilson, was a CIA operative. Wilson, an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq, maintains the Bush White House leaked his wife's covert identity as part of a campaign to discredit him.

"Before I spoke to Mr. Rove I didn't know about Wilson having a wife. And he was the one who suggested to me that she worked at the agency," said Cooper. "He didn't use her name but he did mention Wilson's wife.

Reid said Rove should resign or be fired for even discussing Plame. He recalled that Bush once said he would fire anyone involved in the leak, although Bush later amended that standard to say he would fire anyone convicted of a crime.

"If he's a man of his word, Rove should be history," Reid said on CNN's "Late Edition."

Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., said Rove has not been charged with any crime and that any talk of him stepping down is politically motivated.

"Senator Reid is entitled to his opinion, but he's not the president of the United States, and he doesn't administer justice in this country," Specter said.

"During his campaign for president, Bush promised to hold himself and his aides to the highest ethical standards, promising to 'put conscience above what the lawyers tell us.' But, in handling the most serious national security decisions, the Bush White House has dramatically failed to meet the standard they set. Despite hosting numerous White House photo-ops vowing to uphold the highest ethical standards, the Bush White House has blatantly compromised our moral code by placing its political agenda ahead of America's national security. America deserves better than empty rhetoric and meaningless photo-ops. The President must hold himself and his administration accountable."

For a new DNC web video showing the ethical standards President Bush set for himself and his Administration go to http://tinyurl.com/7zolb

Joe Wilson was just asked point blank should bush be IMPEACHED!!!!

They are at a NATIONAL PRESS CLUB meeting..

OH Hell yeah

Hes hedging but still talking about the lires of iraq.

...but he's not the president of the United States, and he doesn't administer justice in this country," Specter said."

Quite unintentional, I know, but I find the juxtaposition of these two statements quite funny.

Thousands of evacuees face eviction
Other Katrina victims homeless after aid problems
By Richard Wolf
USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Two months after Hurricane Katrina displaced more than 1 million people, problems with federal housing aid threaten to spawn a new wave of homelessness.

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20051031/1a_lede31.art.htm

Its going to be a long hard winter.

Am I missing something here?

Wasn't John Hannah someone that Fitzgerald had in his crosshairs for potential indictment?

And what is Cheney's punishment for that? He promotes him.

"Am I missing something here?

Wasn't John Hannah someone that Fitzgerald had in his crosshairs for potential indictment? And what is Cheney's punishment for that? He promotes him.

Posted by: Ira at October 31, 2005 02:08 PM"

Ira:

Long article, but as Josh says its circling the wagons time:

Addington's Role In Cheney's Office Draws Fresh Attention
By Murray Waas and Paul Singer
© National Journal Group Inc.
Sunday, Oct. 30, 2005

David Addington, counsel to Vice President Cheney, is currently considered the leading candidate to succeed Scooter Libby as Cheney's chief of staff. But Addington's own role in the Plame matter is emerging just as the vice president considers whether to name him to the job.

On the morning of July 8, 2003, I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, then-chief of staff to Vice President Cheney, had a two-hour meeting with New York Times reporter Judith Miller at which Libby gave information to Miller in an attempt to discredit former ambassador and Bush administration critic Joseph Wilson.

When Libby returned to the White House, he immediately sought out David Addington, the vice president's counsel, according to court records and interviews. During their breakfast at the St. Regis Hotel, Libby had promised Miller he would try to find out more about Wilson, and Wilson's wife, CIA officer Valerie Plame. As the former general counsel to the CIA and counsel to the House Intelligence Committee, Addington was the right man for Libby to see.

Libby's and Addington's fates have dramatically changed as a result of the events of that day. Libby, long Cheney's most trusted aide, resigned as the vice president's chief of staff on Friday following his felony indictment on five counts of making false statements, perjury, and obstruction of justice in the CIA leak case. A federal grand jury accused Libby of trying to cover up that he had disclosed the identity of Plame, a covert CIA operative, in an effort to discredit Wilson and his criticism of the administration.

Addington is currently considered the leading candidate to succeed Libby as the chief of staff to a weakened but still powerful Cheney. But Addington's own role in the Plame matter is emerging just as the vice president considers whether to name him as his next chief of staff.

There is no evidence that Addington has done anything outside the law, or that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has regarded him as anything other than a witness during the two-year probe that led to Libby's indictment. There is also no evidence that Addington was cognizant that Libby had allegedly leaked classified information on Plame to the media.

But Addington was deeply immersed in the White House damage-control campaign to deflect criticism that the Bush administration misrepresented intelligence information to make the case to go to war with Iraq, according to administration and congressional sources.

Moreover, as a pivotal member of the vice president's office, Addington also attended strategy sessions in 2003 on how to discredit Wilson when the former ambassador publicly charged that the Bush administration misled the country in pushing its case for war, according to attorneys in the CIA leak probe.

Further, Addington played a leading role in 2004 on behalf of the Bush administration when it refused to give the Senate Intelligence Committee documents from Libby's office on the alleged misuse of intelligence information regarding Iraq. Because Addington may be in line to succeed Libby, the Intelligence Committee-White House battle over the documents has sparked new interest on Capitol Hill.

more...
http://nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories/2005/1030nj1.htm

What a joke. DeLay continues to abuse the judicial system by expecting confidential information from the State Democratic Party for supposed use in his legal defense. Heck in Va what they normally do is just intercept telephone strategy meetings rather than asking a District Judge for that kind of info. Hopefully these tactics will backfire with the Travis County (Austin) jury pool.

"Democrat refuses to produce data sought by DeLay
Associated Press

AUSTIN — The chairman of the Texas Democratic Party today rejected a subpoena asking him to provide five years of fund-raising materials in connection with the criminal case against former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

Charles Soechting, the state chairman, said he would attend, as ordered, a court hearing Tuesday to decide whether a Democratic judge should remain on DeLay's case. But, he will not bring the documents requested by DeLay's attorney Bill White unless ordered by the court.

White issued the subpoena on Thursday, asking Soechting for mail-outs, brochures, e-mails and other requests seeking Democratic support and donations "particularly, but not limited to, materials that mention Tom DeLay, or Texas redistricting, or the Texas Legislative races of 2002."

...new thread