Then Again, Maybe Not

Over the last three weeks, we heard from three different sources in Luzerne County that Judge Lokuta was on the verge of cutting a deal to resolve the charges pending against her. We blabbed about it here.

Part of the report said that her trial was imminent and thus the resolution. However, on checking with the Court of Judicial Discipline, we learned that no trial date has been set formally at this time. We then contacted her new counsel about the settlement rumors.

It had been reported in one of the local rags that the Judge had hired Nancy Burdine of the Philadelphia law firm of Pelino & Lentz, P.C., so we contacted her. In reply, we didn't get a no comment -- Ms. Burdine responded that "We do not believe that there is any such arrangement." Now, that's a curious response. It suggests a number of possibilities, some conflicting. But we'll let that answer perc a little as we touch base over the next week or so with some of our former colleagues up there.

One other bit 'o news, Ms. Burdine revealed that Louis Sinatra, a litigation partner in her firm, was the main contact person on the Lokuta case. That makes a bit more sense -- Ms. Burdine, although I am sure extremely capable, is a relatively junior lawyer while Mr. Sinatra has several decades litigation experience.

As far as we could tell, this is the first published confirmation that Judge Lokuta has retained this firm and its lawyers as her new defense counsel.

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The Failure No One is Talking About

As the Democratic candidates elbow and claw to be "the most" against the war, and the Repug contenders tumble over one another to grab the monger chieftain cap, no one is talking about the fundamental failure which lead us into the Iraq morass.

And I am not talking about the "failure of intelligence" canard.

After the 2001 attack, the Bush administration had an opportunity to propose a new doctrine for American foreign policy for the 21st Century -- one that would have capitalized on the goodwill pouring America's way, would have tapped into the worldwide anger and sadness, could have had generations of impact on the crisis centers of the world, and could have galvanized into a worldwide effort to conduct a real war on terrorism. How inspiring would it have been for the American president to respond to the attacks by dedicating the resources of the most powerful and influential nation in the world to the fight against tyranny and oppression?

That America could have led the fight against terrorism and the rogue states supporting them by first setting the example -- by rejecting the friendship of governments that exploit, abuse, and terrify their own subjects, promising never to install brutal dictators, never to again prop up puppet despots, to gain strategic geopolitical advantage. That first principle could have been one which promised to bring the world together to use statecraft, moral suasion, and economic benefits to move nations towards the protection of basic human rights. It could have wove together a complex cloth integrating every aspect of our civil and private interaction with the rest of the world. Inspiring the developed states to join in, we could have simultaneously provided hope to the billions living under oppression and deflated the recruitment efforts of terrorist groups.

But it would have taken leadership, which, as is now patent, this cabal is incapable of providing. It would have taken vision, a "thing" foreign to the entire Bush family.

Instead, we got from this criminal cabal of neocon failures a different new doctrine -- but one which promises the same multi-generational impact. Unfortunately, the impact of the Bush Doctrine, endorsing the use of preventive aggression, leaves no salutary remnants for tomorrow's world order.

We are in Iraq, we have created quite a mess and have a responsibility to figure out the least harmful way to extricate ourselves from it. That is an issue which needs to be a focus of the '08 campaign. And, to a degree, there is some discussion going on about that.

But no one is talking about the fundamental turning point which was designed to lead us to the war -- when Hillary and Biden and Edwards and McCain and the rest of them did what none of them have apologized for or evaluated, much less recognized as the fundamental error, the failure, which permitted all of this to rain down. Even if they believed every word of the idiotic, convoluted, thin public relations spun together by the lying criminals in charge of the White House, their support of the invasion of Iraq required the endorsement of a preventive war -- a war of aggression absent any semblance of an imminent threat.

American foreign policy has never been so blatantly perverted as it has been by the neocons in this case. Unquestioningly the Democrats lined up nodding like bobbleheads with almost no one questioning the morality of this war of aggression.

I remain unimpressed by Edwards' overly-lauded early "apology". He merely apologized for believing the lies, but has neither explained nor apologized for his endorsement of an invasion absent the kind of instant, overwhelming threat which has always been the underlying requirement for defensive aggression. And Hillary, oh forget that . . . .

What nearly every candidate on both side accepts is that, if the lies were truths, the invasion of Iraq was justified. This sub silencio endorsement of the preventive war doctrine of the Bush Administration holds gasping repercussions.

Not debating this perversion of foreign policy permits it to seep into legitimacy and opens the door to its use again. It also signals to the rest of the world -- especially those who see the United States as an imperial force -- that the United States intends to live up to its reputation in some quarters as the world's bully. By allowing this perversion of policy to stand unquestioned as the basis for the American invasion of Iraq, the Democrats and the Bush Administration have also managed to let loose the dogs -- they tell the world they, also, can enjoy the freedom of attack which the new policy of aggression offers to them. (We can only hope that India or China aren't listening.)

While the 2008 campaign should have been a debate on the future of this Bush Doctrine, the candidates are for the most part acting like the debate is done. Candidates like Biden, Hillary and Edwards face a real personal risk in opening up this debate -- they are guilty of endorsing this shift in war-making policy.

But how much greater the risk of not debating it?

So, excuse me while I don't get excited over Edwards, Hillary, or Biden, or any of these other war enablers. On one of the most important set of issues facing us right now, they got it wrong then and they are still wrong.

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Resolution Could Be Near in Lokuta Case

{UPDATED 5/18} It is looking like the men sharing the bench with Luzerne County Common Pleas Judge Ann Lokuta may be getting what they hoped for when they got together-- ahem, okay, allegedly got together-- to contrive the charges filed against Judge Lokuta by the Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania late last year. (See the update after the jump -- some of the information appears to have been incorrect, casting some doubt on the report of a deal.)

Judge Lokuta recently fired her lawyer, Sam Stretton, supposedly after learning that he was advising the (recently-failed) judicial campaign of her former law clerk, Tom Marsilio. (Marsilio, for his part, was/is supposedly set to be a witness for the prosecution. It has been said that he easily criticized his former employer on the campaign trail when the question was raised. Asked at one gathering how he would work with her, he reportedly told the audience that "no one can work with her". One can be curious as to why and when Marsilio came to that conclusion -- he was an enthusiastic speaker at a high-ticket fundraiser for the judge in her recent retention election.)

Back to Judge Lokuta after the jump . . .

The judge's trial on the charges is said to be set for later this month (something I am trying to confirm). {UPDATE 5/18: The information about the trial date appears to be wrong. The Court of Judicial Discipline has advised us that no trial date has been set.} Through the gapacious Luzerne County Ding Dome grapevine, we hear that a deal is about to be cut which would permit the Judge to retain her pension interests and open up another space on the bench for yet another white male ass.

We hear that the Judge will be bidding the Courthouse a not so fond adieu sometime this summer, perhaps as early as June 1.

In our other ear, a different friend-who-heard-something-from- someone-who-thinks-they-are-in-the-know, whispered the name of a (very capable) local attorney, with deep political roots in those parts, who is in line to get the nod from Fast Eddie to fill Lokuta's spot on the bench. We'll keep that one under our sombrero for now.

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Even His Brother Doesn't Believe Barry Bonds

Bobby Bonds, Jr. is upset with MLB and Hank Aaron for the way they are treating Barry Bonds' asterisk-laden approach to the all-time home run record. The Commish isn't sure he can be in town when the magic numbers are up, and Hammerin' Hank is pretty sure he'll be out of town playing golf.

But, from the "accidental honesty" files, Bobby unwittingly (for once, the word is apt) supplies the reason that Barry's "achievement" is yawn-inspiring: no one believes Barry's denials that he cheated to get there -- not even his brother.

In the ESPN article, Bobby Jr. tells ESPN that he doesn't know if his brother cheated:

Bobby Bonds Jr. does not know for certain if his more famous older brother took steroids. But he is bothered by the way baseball is treating his brother as he approaches Henry Aaron's career home run record, he told the Newark Star-Ledger.

In an interview Bobby Bonds Jr. says he's bothered that baseball commissioner Bud Selig has not committed to being present when his brother Barry Bonds hits home runs 755 and 756 -- and that Aaron has said he'll be somewhere else playing golf when the moment comes.

Moments later, Bobby Jr says that he asked Barry "point blank" and that Barry denied taking steroids.

But Bobby Jr. apparently has no reason to trust Barry's word to him, because not even Bobby Jr. believes his brother's "point-blank denial".

And, neither does MLB, Hammerin' Hank, or YT.

So, Barry and Bobby Jr., that's why we don't give a rat's ass about your or your numbers.

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In Hell

Burning, if there's a just god.

“Grown men should not be having sex with prostitutes unless they are married to them”

“I had a student ask me, "Could the savior you believe in save Osama bin Laden?" Of course, we know the blood of Jesus Christ can save him, and then he must be executed”

“Christians, like slaves and soldiers, ask no questions”

“AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals”

“Billy Graham is the chief servant of Satan in America”

“The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own country”

“If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being”

“Textbooks are Soviet propaganda”

“The ACLU is to Christians what the American Nazi party is to Jews”

“It appears that America's anti-Biblical feminist movement is at last dying, thank God, and is possibly being replaced by a Christ-centered men's movement which may become the foundation for a desperately needed national spiritual awakening”

More, if you can stomach it . . .

“The whole (global warming) thing is created to destroy America's free enterprise system and our economic stability”

“Homosexuality is Satan's diabolical attack upon the family that will not only have a corrupting influence upon our next generation, but it will also bring down the wrath of God upon America.”

“I do not believe we can blame genetics for adultery, homosexuality, dishonesty and other character flaws”

“[Homosexuals are] brute beasts...part of a vile and satanic system [that] will be utterly annihilated, and there will be a celebration in heaven.”

"I believe that global warming is a myth. And so, therefore, I have no conscience problems at all and I'm going to buy a Suburban next time."

“I listen to feminists and all these radical gals - most of them are failures. They’ve blown it. Some of them have been married, but they married some Casper Milquetoast who asked permission to go to the bathroom. These women just need a man in the house. That’s all they need. Most of the feminists need a man to tell them what time of day it is and to lead them home. And they blew it and they’re mad at all men. Feminists hate men. They’re sexist. They hate men - that’s their problem.”


(h\t ThinkExist)

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Cracks in the Levees

This time he can anticipate the breach -- it is scheduled for September.

Today's news, anticipated yesterday.

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The Debate Videos

For those of you, like yours t., without access to the broadcast (the local sports bar demurred to my request for a channel change), here are links to the recent Dem and Repub debates, courtesy of You Decide 2008:

Democratic debate in South Carolina -- 4/26/07

Republican debate in California from the Reagan Library -- 5/3/07

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Inside the Reagan White House

Almost the best SNL Reagan skit:

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Internet Radio Fees Set to Explode in July

Back in March, the United States Copyright Royalty Board (those three patently hip old white men in the picture), issued an initial determination of rates for internet music broadcasters. Last week, they issued their final order.

The rates for non-commercial webcasters, retroactive to January 1, 2006, provided for a fraction of a cent charge for each work on a per-performance basis. Starting at $.0008 per performance in 2006 (applied retroactively); $.0011 per performance in 2007; and going all the way up to $.0019 per performance in 2010. The first payments are due from webcasters July 15.

So far, that doesn't sound so bad. Except, the three farts decided that they would define a "performance" as one tune streamed to one listener. Say you've got a little streaming internet station with 1,000 listeners. The average internet broadcaster puts out 16 songs an hour. At 1,000 listeners, that little streamer is going to pay about $17.60 an hour x 24 x 365 . . . . Go ahead, do the math . . . . Gotta get a lot of adsense clicks to pay that baby.

What is being done and what you can do after the jump.

A bi-partisan bill has been introduced in the House to reverse the CRB decision. The "Internet Radio Equality Act", H.R. 2060, was introduced by Reps. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) and Don Manzullo (R-Ill.). It currently has 33 co-cponsors (none from Pennsylvania).

SaveNetRadio.Org, a coalition of large and small webcasters and citizens, is actively working against the CRB decision and lobbying for the reversal of the royalties. They are asking that concerned citizens contact their congress members and ask them to sign on to the legislation. You can go here to get the phone numbers for your representatives and some suggestions on what to say. You can also go here for further contact information on your representatives.

Various audio and banner downloads for your website are available here.

Time is short, so if you're gonna do something, you gotta do it now.

(h/t Coffee House Studio)

(Image Credit: US Copyright Office)

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It's Official: Fox Noise Viewers "Least Informed"

A recent independent survey on public affairs awareness levels has shown (big surprise here) that viewers of Fox Noise are the least informed people in the world (okay, the "in the world" is hyperbole) (if you are a Fox Noise viewer, go here).

A couple of weeks ago, the Pew Center released the results of its survey. Over 1500 adults were given a news quiz and also queried about the new sources they read, watch and listen to. Presenting a challenge to the reality-based community, the top scoring group were those who listed the Daily Show and Colbert Report amongst their daily viewing diet. Seventy-nine percent in that group demonstrated a high or moderate level of public events awareness. Rounding out the top three were consumers of major US newspaper websites (80%) and the News Hour (72%). Fox Noise viewers were at the bottom of the list (just a smidgen above the folk who watch the morning news shows) with 66% scoring low - to moderate and the lowest (35%) scoring high.

Nearly twice as many college grads and men scored in the high category as did non-grads and women. Independents had a higher percent of "high" scores than did Democrats, who had more high scores than Repubs. Northeast adults were the most well-informed regionally.

These findings comport with the 2003 World Public Opinion group's extended survey and study on misperceptions of the Iraq war. From their summary of the findings:

The polling, conducted by the Program on International Policy (PIPA) at the University of Maryland and Knowledge Networks, also reveals that the frequency of these misperceptions varies significantly according to individuals’ primary source of news. Those who primarily watch Fox News are significantly more likely to have misperceptions, while those who primarily listen to NPR or watch PBS are significantly less likely.

You can take a shortened version of the News Quiz here (and don't come back if you get any wrong -- it is an absurdly easy quiz); and you can measure yourself against the political typology here.

(h/t to Revolt Today)

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Weasel Words

Thanks to Think Progress:

George W. Bush, 4/9/99, Houston Chronicle:

“Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is.”

And on the specific need for a timetable:

George W. Bush, 6/5/99, Scripps Howard/Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

“I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn.”

(Image Credit: davidstuff.com via Truthdig)

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Whoo Boy. Glad I know better, now.

John Kerry -- war profiteer.
Mary Tillman -- disingenuous and ludicrous to boot.
Jessica Lynch -- dishonorable.

The wingnut noise machine, unable to deal with the horror wrought by the weasel in the White House, unable to defend the indefensible, has instead returned to their tired old tactic of diversion by character assassination.

Disgusting.

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Thanks, Boss

So, you would be among the best players who never won a Championship, if not for one team owner . . . and after you told that owner you were done with the game, taking a kustomized Hummer as a retirement gift, you played for someone else the following year anyway without so much as a "sorry"; now, with that team desperately in need of your particular talent, you would, naturally, show your gratitude by threatening to go sign with that team's rival.

Maybe "gratitude" isn't the word I am looking for . . . .

Maybe, it is "character" . . .

HOUSTON -- If Roger Clemens decides he does indeed want to pitch in 2007 and if he had to pick a team today, based on the requirements he has placed on the interested parties, he'd go to the Red Sox.

That's okay, I feel better booing the guy, anyway.

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Welcome, Virgina Supreme Court

Over the last couple of days, we have had well nigh on two dozen visits from the server of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Virgina. Someone in that building has spent nearly two hours perusing our entries concerning the court system in general and a certain lady judge from NEPA in particular.

Hope we were helpful.

But we are still scratching our heads to make the connection on this one.

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Uh-oh. The Dick Better Hope Lou Barletta Doesn't See This.

Or he's in for a world of hurt . . . .

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This has got to be a Mistake

But, for today at least, we're a "Large Mammal" in the TTLB ecosystem. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

The "fine print", from the notice at the head of each TTLB page right now:

Notice 4/30/07: Yes, some major work is going on around the Ecosystem, and the rankings have gone wonky at the moment. Please bear with me, as this is a sign of good things to come --- lots of improvements coming!

(Sigh)

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Zoom Zoom

Check it out here.

h/t The Funny Farm.

From the inventor's website:

The XR-3 Hybrid is a super-fuel-efficient two-passenger plug-in hybrid that achieves 125 mpg on diesel power alone, 225 mpg on combined diesel and electric power, and performance like a conventional automobile. The design of the XR-3 Hybrid focuses on existing technologies and a vehicle “personality” that makes conserving energy a fun driving experience. It showcases the design ideas explored in Robert Q. Riley’s book, Alternative Cars in the 21st Century.

At just 1300 pounds, this high-performance design combines lightening-fast acceleration, a maximum speed of 85 mph, and fuel economy of 125- to over 200-mpg.

Its clam-shell canopy and three-wheel platform boldly differentiates the XR-3 from conventional passenger cars. The vehicle’s hybrid power system, diesel engine, and low curb weight are the main ingredients of its super-high fuel economy and excellent performance. Acceleration equal to that of a conventional car and a maximum speed of 85 mph make the XR-3 Hybrid equally at home on freeways and surface streets.

Plans will be available so readers can build a duplicate of the XR-3 Hybrid prototype, or convert their own car into a significantly more fuel-efficient vehicle. Readers will understand the factors that influence fuel economy, and learn how to make any car achieve greater fuel economy. The XR-3 Hybrid gives enthusiasts and experimenters the opportunity to significantly reduce their transportation expenses and have fun doing it. On a broader level, the vehicle is a highly visible example of the kinds of vehicles that could help reduce personal mobility energy on a global scale.

(Image Credit: Robert G. Riley Enterprises)

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Long National Nightmare Over

Yay!
Balance restored to the Universe.

Awwwwww, ka-rap!

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Gilmore Announces Today -- Live on the Web

Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore will announce his candidacy for the Republican Vice Presidential nomination at noon (Eastern) today. The event will be live-streamed from his website.

So, who is Jim Gilmore and why is he getting into this? From his website (yawn):

Courageous. Consistent. Conservative. Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore has exactly the credentials that most Republicans are looking for in their nominee for President of the United States.

* Jim Gilmore served as a U.S. Army counter-intelligence agent in Germany during the Vietnam era.
* Jim Gilmore served as a tough, crime busting local prosecutor in Virginia.
* Jim Gilmore served as a popular, no-nonsense Virginia Attorney General.
* Jim Gilmore served as a Governor who was a champion of the taxpayers.
* Jim Gilmore served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee.
* Jim Gilmore served as Chairman of a national commission on prevention and response to terrorism.

On the issues, Jim Gilmore is a leader Republicans can trust to stand for low taxes, secure borders, support for our troops, protection of our 2nd Amendment rights, the preservation of life and the defense of traditional marriage and family values.

Gilmore wants to send MORE troops into Iraq, imposed restrictions on a woman's personal liberty rights as Governor, and promises to fight against civil rights for gay Americans.

Just what the Repubs need, another gun-totin', war mongering, moralizing, divisive crusader.

Well, he might want to stop trying to tinker with people's private lives long enough to work on his "Press Center" . . . . I guess 'attention to detail' is less important in a President than co-opting someone's uterus or penalizing their sexual orientation.

(Guess it is just her day today: h/t Media Lizzy)

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Playing the Authenticity Card

Medial Lizzy got it spot on todayyesterday:

AUTHENTIC will be the word that defines the 2008 presidential cycle. The candidate who is the most real, most authentic AND is the least contrived - will be the one who successfully crosses the finish line.

While I can't always agree with her politics (oh, okay, I hardly EVER agree with her politics), when she drops the talking points and personal attacks, Media Lizzy can learn us a lot.

Her assessment of the problem with the GOP field is not much different than mine, despite that we come at the question from opposite ends of the spectrum (putting aside her hots for Fred Thompson, who has nothing to offer and despite his spin, is no RR (not that being another RR is anything worth bragging about)):

If Fred Thompson does not enter the race... Mitt Romney will likely be the nominee. (barring a serious mistake) The press, consultants and voters alike don't like baggage. Being a Mormon is a lot more palatable than a third wife, a mistress, an old sick guy, an angry guy with a shady, baggage laden consultant, or a guy who can't be honest about mob ties that a staffer had. If Fred Thompson does not run, it will be about who McCain endorses - because that person will get the McCain finance Committee. And that is McCain's strongest asset.

Sincerity is the key . . . once you can fake that the rest is easy . . . . At least, that's the way consultants approach campaigns. M.L. is right to call them out on it and to point out that the electorate will be clamoring for true sincerity -- for authenticity this time around. That's why Hilary is going to have problems and that's why Obama has taken off.

What M.L. doesn't explain is the reason why sincerity is going to be so important this time around. One word -- Dubya. Colin Powell -- the closest thing to sincerity out of this cabal -- lost that rep for good when he did the deed in front of the UN. The rest of them? Condi, Wolfi, Rummi, Dicki, Pearle, Rove -- yeah, you get the idea.

{Image Credit: Media Lizzy}

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UN Reports Bleak Human Rights Situation in Iraq

The latest Human Rights Report from the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) details rampant violations of human rights standards in Iraq. The UN also assessment takes issue with the Bush Administration claim that the surge has improved the situation in Baghdad.

The Report complains of frequent failures of the Iraqi government to conform to international humanitarian and human rights laws. UNAMI reports that large numbers of Iraqis, among them professional groups and law enforcement personnel, continued to experience intimidation and killings. It also notes continued political interference in the affairs of the judiciary.

The Report describes the deterioration of freedom of expression, affecting media, religious and ethnic minorities, and professional-groups, including academics who are continuously targeted by religious extremists and armed groups in all areas of Iraq.

It outlines the key human rights concerns relating to detention and internment by US and Iraqi forces, lack of judicial oversight and treatment of detainees and prisoners and expresses UNAMI's concern over the apparent lack of judicial guarantees in the handling of suspects arrested in the context of the new Baghdad Security Plan (a/k/a the "Surge"). According to the UN Report, violence in Baghdad has not been reduced since the Surge began.

However, unlike previous reports, this one does not contain official statistics for civilian casualties of the violence in Iraq. This is because the Iraqi Government decided, without explanation, to stop providing the information.

Further Reading:

Reuters: U.N. raps Iraq for holding back death toll figures
Courier Mail: Iraq concealing casualty figures: UN
Reuters: U.N. criticises Iraq's Kurdistan on press freedom
Int'l Herald Tribune: UN report: Baghdad security operation has not reduced violence in capital
Shanghai Daily: UN: Security in Baghdad wasn't improved
WaPo: U.N. Report on Human Rights in Iraq Draws U.S. Denunciation
AP: U.N. and Iraq dispute casualty count
Vancover Province: Tories march into Afghan torture trap
BBC News: UN criticises Iraq human rights
Independent: Iraq concealing casualty figures: UN
AP: Attacker targets volatile Iraq province
Deutsche Presse-Agentur: UN rebukes Iraqi Government for witholding death statistics
Earth Times: UN rebukes Iraqi Government for witholding death statistics
Aljazeera: UN slams Iraq’s human rights
Turkish Press: UN criticises Iraq for concealing casualty figures
Guardian: UN claims Iraq underplays civilian death toll
VOA: Iraqi Government Criticizes New UN Human Rights Report on Iraq
VOA: UN Report Criticizes Iraq on Human Rights
Chicago Tribune: Iraq won't give casualty figures to UN
Turkish Weekly: Civil Tragedy in Iraq
NYTimes: U.N. Report Criticizes Iraq on Detainees’ Treatment
USA Today: U.N. says plight of Iraqis worsens; Study clashes with general's appraisal
LATimes: Iraq withholds death toll, but estimate is in thousands
AP: U.N. criticizes Kurdish authorities

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What Happens to the Wine?

STATE COLLEGE — "What was supposed to be a romantic dinner atop a parking garage on Beaver Avenue turned sour for a young couple Tuesday night.

"A borough police officer on patrol about 11 p.m. spotted a man and woman, both younger than 21, having a candlelight dinner with a bottle of wine sitting on the table. The officer checked them with a portable breath-tester, and the results came back 0.0, according to borough police.

"As such, the couple, both Penn State students, were not cited. But they received a stern warning, and the wine bottle was confiscated, police said."

Kudos to the sharp-eyed officer for saving us from such outrageous conduct. Better this than wasting his time preventing something like this, or the 100 rapes and sexual assaults that happen on campus every year.

Gimme a break.

(Image Credit: Don Knotts, wvpics.com)

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'Impeach the Dick' Resolution

Dennis Kucinich has posted on his Congressional website the Resolution Impeaching Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States, for High Crimes and Misdemeanors, together with his note to The Dick.

The Resolution, formally introduced yesterday and given the designation H.R. 333, was referred to the House Judiciary Committee, which will likely be its final resting place.

There are three articles in the resolution. The first addresses what Kucinich calls the Veep's intentional manipulation of the intelligence to falsely convey the impression that Saddam has WMD at the ready for an attack on the United States or its allies.

The second article using similar language in accusing The Dick of putting out false intelligence linking the 9/11 attacks, Iraq, and al Qaeda.

The final article calls Cheney out on his current campaign against Iran and, essentially, says "there he goes again", in violation of the Constitution and UN Charter.

Unfortunately, these Resolutions have no chance of resulting in any hearings or investigations, as the Democrats are too chicken-livered to take on anything this hot. Just like they were afraid to call out Bush when he wanted to invade Iraq in the first place, and just as today they will back down on their demand for a timetable and pull back from any claim of a lost cause.

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Colbert Washed Up?

I could have titled this "Colbert Cleaning Up", but that might not have arched enough eyebrows.

For no apparent reason, I was perusing the web site of perhaps the leading purveyor of classic vintage bathtubs in these here United States, when I noticed a little linky at the bottom titled "Greatest Living American".

Gotta say, that's one heck of a paint job on that baby. I wonder if Colbert actually posed for those pix or if that's just really good photo shopping?


Love the copy, too, "this tub proudly depicts an American flag as it waives in the breeze – the breeze of freedom (in fact, the freshiest breeze of freedom in the free world . . . .27% fresher than the nearest leading democracy Great Britain)" and "Vintage Tub and Bath is proud - nay, very proud – to name this tub after the man who provides light where there is darkness, strength where there is weakness, and hair gel where there were once split ends."

Regardless, if you are in the market for one of those (becoming more ubiquitous) vintage tubs, Vintage Tub & Bath, in good 'ol Hazleton, PA, seems as good a place to start as any -- flags optional.

{UPDATE: Living sans TV (actually, I have an HDTV & HDDVD player, just no cable or reception), I am a bit behind on these things. But it turns out that the Vintage Tub folk were part of a massive Google bombing linking Colbert to "Greatest Living American". More here. And they are collecting a bribe prize for their efforts! Well done.}

(Image Credit: Vintage Tub & Bath)

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Giuliani: A Vote for Democrats is a Vote for Terrorists

Reflecting the desperation of the Repub warmongers who want to be President, yesterday Rudy Giuliani told New Hampshire Republicans that electing a Democrat in 2008 will result in another 9/11-type attack by terrorists.

Saying that America will be safer with a Republican in the White House and that, with a Democratic President "we will have more losses and it will go on longer", Rudy ginned up the Repub crowd and, shockingly, reached the conclusion that he, Rudy Giuliani, would be the best choice for a safe America.

Rudy, who can play but one note on that piano, sees 9/11 wherever he goes . . . he saw it in Oklahoma, at Virginia Tech, in divorce court . . . . Of course, he didn't remind his whooping audience that it was the Republicans who were responsible for the piled-up bungles which hugely contributed to our inability to prevent the real 9/11 attacks.

Rudy also doesn't mention that it was a Republican administration in New York City which was responsible for the failure to provide first responders with the communications systems and equipment which could have prevented the loss of so many police, fire fighters, and other first responders, who were hampered and endangered by those lacks during the immediate aftermath of the attack.

At the same meeting, Rud-y angrily defended diminishing civil rights and personal liberties as a weapon in the war against terrorism. After all, if we have to defeat the terrorists because they want to take away our civil rights and personal liberties. Hmmm, I see, Rud-y wants to take them away now so that the terrorists have nothing left to fight us about. Smaaart guy, eh?

The war against terrorism has been sidetracked by the neocon-driven war against Saddam. As a direct result of the bungling of that unnecessary and unjustified expedition, Osama bin Laden is still a free man, the organization he represents (a creation of the CIA, no less), has strengthened its hand around the world and gained a foothold in Iraq (where it was not previously), and the reputation and influence of the United States have taken serious body blows, all thanks to the Republican control of policy for the last six years.

Putting aside the repulsion that half of Americans (at least) will feel when Rud-y tells them that agenda of the party in which they are registered favors the terrorists, the failures of the Republicans are so patent, so thorough, and so complete, that, while Rud-y invites whooping cheers from the wingnutz sliver sharing his citizenship in the State of Denial, he only reminds the rest of us, who are weary of this crowd, why we need to be rid of them.

Run, Rud-y, Run.

{h/t Revolt Today}


{Photo Credit: Rox Populi}

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Kucinich: Impeach the Dick

According to an announcement on his Congressional web site, Ohio Congressman and Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich is holding a press conference today to announce his intention to introduce articles of impeachment against Vice-President Dick Cheney.

{UPDATE: Kucinich has cancelled today's news conference and delayed his introduction of articles of impeachment against the Veep due to Cheney's apparent sudden "medical crisis".}

{UPDATE II: It is back on . . . . Congressman Kucinich held his Impeach the Dick press conference during the 5:00 hour this evening.}

Seems an odd move. (I understand those of you who responded "which one?") Accordingly to the Associated Press, the Big Dick merely went in to have that blood clot checked on. The Veep's office said that the doctors told Cheney that the clot had shrunk and sent him back to work at the White House . . . . .

Steny Hoyer wasn't impressed . . . .

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Abusing VT

After a modest period of mourning, the wingnutz are aligning their talking points and taking aim at two of their favorite targets.

Using the shootings at Virginia Tech a week ago as their excuse de jour, they are attacking the Americans with Disabilities Act and privacy legislation. On a par with the 'smoking gun/mushroom cloud' simile, now they want you to believe that the massacre at VT was occasioned not by the easy access to handguns by the mentally-ill student, but by the ADA and privacy laws which tied the University's hands.

Over the weekend, President Bush gave the secret signal that sufficient time had passed and it was okay to begin abusing the corpses at VT for the sake of wingnut politics.

In his weekly radio address, President Bush announced that he was forming a coalition of the determined to conduct "a review of the broader questions raised by this tragedy". And what are those broader issues? Well, civil liberties, of course -- equal rights for disabled Americans and privacy rights of all of us: "Our society continues to wrestle with the question of how to handle individuals whose mental health problems can make them a danger to themselves and to others."

And make no mistake about what he expects the outcome to be -- this tragedy in Virginia was the precisely the result of the ADA and privacy interests, for, as he said on Saturday, "what we do know is that this was a deeply troubled young man -- and there were many warning signs."

"Many warning signs" . . . . yet no one acted? That is precisely the silent response his address was meant to elicit. His next sentence directed the listener to draw the very conclusion that Chris Wallace then made express on Sunday. "[T]here were many warning signs. Our society continues to wrestle with the question of how to handle individuals whose mental health problems can make them a danger to themselves and to others."

Dutifully picking up on the cue, Chris Wallace breathlessly asked Virginia's lieutenant governor, Bill Bolling, "Lieutenant Governor Bolling, have our privacy and disability laws gone so far, perhaps too far, in protecting the individual at the expense of protecting the community?"

Yep, Chris got the memo.

And so did every wingnut on the planet (except, curiously, Tony Blakely, who this weekend denied that the ADA was a root cause of the shooting. But, I look for Blakely to come to jesus within the week. For Blakely, the culprit was opening the doors of what he called "the insane asylums" in the 70s.)

But, kids, it is not the ADA that pulled the triggers and it's not the privacy laws that caused this event. The ADA and the regulations effectuating them already permit colleges like VT to make the determinations and take the actions which they need to take to protect their young charges. Here is the pertinent regulatory language:

Sec.36.208 Direct threat

(a) This part does not require a public accommodation to permit an individual to participate in or benefit from the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages and accommodations of that public accommodation when that individual poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.

(b) Direct threat means a significant risk to the health or safety of others that cannot be eliminated by a modification of policies, practices, or procedures, or by the provision of auxiliary aids or services.

(c) In determining whether an individual poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, a public accommodation must make an individualized assessment, based on reasonable judgment that relies on current medical knowledge or on the best available objective evidence, to ascertain: the nature, duration, and severity of the risk; the probability that the potential injury will actually occur; and whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices, or procedures will mitigate the risk.

Clearly, a university's hands are not tied. Here, as has been reported, VT sent the disturbed student to a doctor, who -- erroneously -- concluded that he wasn't a danger, "only" depressed. That erroneous medical opinion wasn't caused by the ADA; nor was it the fault of privacy legislation. It was a perfunctory, inadequately-based, medical opinion. As much as it was the preemptive failure of that doctor, the tragedy was exacerbated by the carelessness and lack of compassion of the local police and VT itself, as Will Divide explained last week.

What the wingnuts want you to believe is more sinister. They want to gin up enough outrage to permit them to strip away the rights protected by HIPPA and the ADA, and permit university officials, and law enforcement, to act based, not on actual medical opinion, but on their own clues and inexpert hunches and, however well-intentioned, laymen beliefs as to what might happen, and as to who does and does not pose a danger.

And then they can lock them up in Blakely's rejuvenated insane asylums.

"If Mr. McMurphy doesn't want to take his medication orally, I'm sure we can arrange that he can have it some other way. But I don't think that he would like it."

(Image Credit: "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest", Jack Nicholson 1975. United Artists, MPTV.net)

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Blaming Reid for the Iraq Body Count

It may not be the dumbest thing ever said by a wingnut (I mean, with this gaggle of goons, imagine how hard would it be to pick only ONE dumbest thing), but this one has got to make the final cut: "I think a good name for the increasing body count in Iraq is the 'Reid surge.'"

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Soldier: Iraq "Lost", "Our Vietnam"

From AlterNet, a CNN International report in which a US Staff Sergeant says that the Iraq war "can't be won" and that his fellow-soldiers think of the war as "our generation's Vietnam".

I guess Staff Sergeant Matthew St. Pierre and his men can expect to be the next targets of an attack by David Broder.

St. Pierre thinks the US is stuck in Iraq. "We're caught in the middle of a civil war", he says. If we leave now, the "people that are against us, they're in the majority, and . . . they will ultimately win."

We're in a civil war -- supporting the losing side -- it can't be won. All this from a soldier who supports the war.
So what did Harry Reid say that was so bad?

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PA Bar Launches PA Vote Smart for Judicial Races

Offering links to the websites of judicial candidates -- statewide and local -- as well as to judicial evaluations of the candidates, the Pennsylvania Bar Association has launched PA Vote Smart. Unfortunately, the links to the judicial evaluations are fubar. Someone typed in slashes facing the wrong way and linking to the wrong page.

Hopefully, they will figure it out and get it fixed.

In the meantime, you can get the statewide candidate evaluations here.

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House Keeping

About once a month we sit down and clean up the PA Poliblogroll, looking for stagnant blogs and broken links.

We also check out the blogrolls of those on our list, looking for additional PA Poliblogs to add.

In order to keep the list current, we have a loose rule of thumb -- if there hasn't been a post in a month or so, we delete it. If I can, I try to leave a comment on the blog, asking them to let me know when they reactivate so that we can put them on the list.

If your blog, or one of your favorites, seems to have been removed from the 'roll in error, PLEASE, let me know so that we can get it back on the list. Sometimes we had a bad URL, or the blog moved, or sometimes I just screw up. So don't be shy. Our goal is to keep the ABFS Poliblogroll the most complete list of active Pennsylvania Poliblogs going.

Also, a bit of an apology for those of you who came to us by way of Lefty Blogs over the weekend. In looking over our first year of posting, we also cleaned up some of the tags on the older posts. Lefty Blogs dutifully then read the newly-tagged posts as "new". So, in case you were wondering, no, Pennsylvania is NOT having another Senate race this year.

(Image Credit: "Sweeping Up A Storm", Samone Turnbull)

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Well, that's one . . . .

(Image Credit: "The Birthday Cake", Beryl Cook)

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Lite a Joint, Fight Cancer

From WebMD:

April 17, 2007 (Los Angeles) -- Cannabis may be bad for the lungs, but the active ingredient in marijuana may help combat lung cancer, new research suggests.

In lab and mouse studies, the compound, known as THC, cut lung tumor growth in half and helped prevent the cancer from spreading, says Anju Preet, PhD, a Harvard University researcher in Boston who tested the chemical.

While a lot more work needs to be done, “the results suggest THC has therapeutic potential,” she tells WebMD.

More good news here.

Speaking hypothetically. . . . IF one had enjoyed the therapeutic benefits of weed on a daily basis for, oh, I dunno, the entire 1970s, then one might be pretty self-satisified right now . . . . hypothetically speaking, of course.

(h\t to Coffee House Studio)

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So Much For Justice Roberts' Respect for Precedent

At his confirmation hearings, now-Chief Justice Roberts earnestly and unblinkingly insisted that his respect for the venerable principle of stare decisis would not permit him to discard well-settled precedent. And butter wouldn't melt in his mouth . . . .

Today the Supreme Court, by a 5-4 vote, employed a tactic honed to a fine edge by Roberts's predecessor -- overrule well-settled precedent and deny, with faces straight and sober, that anything was overruled. In today's opinion, they upheld the federal ban on the dilation and extraction abortion method. I don't have time for an exegesis, but Ginsberg's spot-on dissent makes the point:

Today’s decision is alarming. It refuses to take Casey and Stenberg seriously. It tolerates, indeed applauds, federal intervention to ban nationwide a procedure found necessary and proper in certain cases by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

It blurs the line, firmly drawn in Casey, between previability and postviability abortions. And, for the first time since Roe, the Court blesses a prohibition with no exception safeguarding a woman’s health.

I dissent from the Court’s disposition.

Retreating from prior rulings that abortion restrictions cannot be imposed absent an exception safeguarding a woman’s health, the Court upholds an Act that surely would not survive under the close scrutiny that previously attended state-decreed limitations on a woman’s reproductive choices.

Further reading:

Reuters: US top court upholds law banning some abortions
The Caucus: 2008 Candidates on the Abortion Ruling
PR Inside: ACLU and National Abortion Federation Criticize Decision
Brisbane Times: US Supreme Court decision may lead to abortion restrictions
VOA: US Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Disputed Abortion Procedure
Newslocale: Implications Of The Federal Ban On Partial-Birth Abortions
The Australian: Bush hails US court abortion decision
Christian Science Monitor: US Supreme Court allows late-term abortion ban
PRNewswire: Roberts Court Shows Its Cards: In a Stunning Reversal, Supreme Court Rules Against Women's Health, in Favor of Abortion Restrictions
NYTimes: Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Abortion Procedure
The Nation: The Politics of Supreme Court Nominations
BBC: US top court backs abortion ban
Bloomberg: Partial Birth' Abortion Ban Upheld by Top U.S. Court
AP: GOP candidates praise abortion ruling
Townhall: A Closer Look at Partial Birth Abortions
CNN: Justices uphold ban on abortion procedure
Think Progress: Breaking: Supreme Court Upholds ‘Partial Birth’ Abortion Ban
WaPo: High Court Upholds Curb on Abortion

Stix: Finally
Suburban Guerilla: Playing (Too) Nice
Slog: Justice Ginsburg’s Dissent
Linkmeister: SCOTUS, Alito and abortion
Punditbuzz: Partial Birth Abortion Ban Upheld
Mainly Politics: Right to abortion no longer guaranteed
Oliver Willis: The Left Needs To Wise Up On The Supreme Court
Martin Lewis: Abortion Ban & Virginia Massacre: Don't Forget To Thank The Nader Voters
Const. Party: Supreme Court does something right about Abortion
Galloping Beaver: Rhetoric trumps Law in US Supreme Court
Descent into Madness: Danger: Supreme Court Upholds Federal Abortion Ban

Dahlia Lithwick: Justice Kennedy Knows Best?
Edward Whelan: A Welcome Decision on Abortion
Los Angeles Times: An Unconscionable Abortion Ruling
SCOTUSblog: Court Upholds Federal Abortion Ban
Christine Todd Whitman: Carbon Ruling: A Welcome First Step
J. Fund, OpinionJournal: O'Connor & the Twilight of Affirmative Action
Boston Herald: The Supremes Off the Beam

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Ohhh, well that's alright, then . . . .

Tommy Thompson now says that a cold and fatigue made him insult a Jewish group with repeated references to negative Jewish stereotypes.

Glad that got cleared up.

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Santorum Working for His Constituents

After being fired by Pennsylvania from his job in the Senate, Rick Santorum has been padding his resume, and that meager income we heard so much about. Most recently, he's been appointed to the board of Universal Health Services, Inc., the Pennsylvania-based national health care group (35,000 employees) who paid Santorum well for Santorum's support on malpractice and other health care issues. During his two terms in the Senate, UHS was a regular donor to Santorum, his PAC (America's Foundation) and to PACs which in turn shoved money Santorum's way.

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Belated Birthday Greetings

"Jiggs", better known to my fellow olden farts as "Cheeta", celebrated his 75th birthday last week at his retirement home in Palm Springs (California). Born April 9, 1932, Cheeta first appeared in a 1954 Tarzan film as a young pup, er, chimp, in an uncredited cameo. He later took over the role of "Cheeta", a role which he held throughout the remainder of the Weissmuller Tarzan career. His last role was in 1967's Doctor Doolittle.

Chimpanzees, we are told, have normal life expectancies of about 50 years. Cheeta is recognized as the world's oldest living chimp. Cheeta lives at the C.H.E.E.T.A. Primate Sanctuary, where, between watching his old movies with his grandson, he turns out original art works which are sold to raise money for the Sanctuary.

(h/t to Huck and Jim, who alerted us to the event via backchannel and was apparently too proud to sully their blog with the news. We've got no pride.)

(Photo Credit: Frederick Neema)

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Tommy, Tommy, Tommy

Writing his political epithet, Tommy Thompson today told an audience at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington D.C., that,

"I'm in the private sector and for the first time in my life I'm earning money. You know that's sort of part of the Jewish tradition and I do not find anything wrong with that."

But, ma, it's okay because he immediately realized how that sounded and fixed it all up by telling the audience:

"I just want to clarify something because I didn't [by] any means want to infer or imply anything about Jews and finances and things," he said. "What I was referring to, ladies and gentlemen, is the accomplishments of the Jewish religion. You've been outstanding business people and I compliment you for that."

Yeah, that's better.

Later in the day, he was treated and released for the foot wound. The treatment was complicated because, after injuring the foot, it mysteriously became lodged in his mouth. He had to communicate with the doctors by talking through his ass.

Say "Goodnight", Tommy.

Further reading:

Shmuel Rosner (Haaretz): Friendly advice to American candidates trying to woo the Jewish vote
Wonkette: Tommy Thompson: 'Nothing Wrong With Money-Loving Jews!'
The Moderate Voice: Campaign Promise: Cashew Chicken on Every Plate
Salon War Room: Not that there's anything wrong with that
The Volokh Conspiracy: Jewish Tradition
Huffington Post: '08 Candidate Tommy Thompson: "Earning Money...A Part Of The Jewish Tradition"
Rum, Romanism and Rebellion: Thompson Steps in Macaca
Spot of Bother: The Jewish tradition
Evergreen Politics: Tommy Thompson Loses the Jewish Vote
Unlikely Words: Anti-semite? Or just an idiot?
Matthew Yglesias: Tommy Thompson
The Plank: Oh, and Al and Jesse, You've Got Great Rhythm
Cheese-O-Sphere: Tommy can't figure out how to speak to American Jews
JTA: Candidate: Making money part of Jewish tradition
HorsesAss.org: Republicans court the Jewish vote
Mike the Mad Biologist: My Hook Nose Is Swelling With Pride
Too saucy: Oy Gevalt
Political Wire: Thompson Flubs Talk Before Jewish Group
Swampland: Oy.
Is That Legal: Tommy Thompson's Joe Biden Moment
Atrios: Tommy!
Think Progress: Thompson: Jews have a ‘tradition’ of ‘earning money.’
archy: Where have these people been for the last 40 years?



(Photo Credit: MSNBC/Newsweek via William Wolfram)

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I wasn't going to do this, but . . .

I was going to pass on the whole ugly Imus mess. The target was too easy, the preaching too likely, and the other comments too good. But there I was, minding my own business on Sunday when Pat Buchanan used the Imus mess as another excuse for him to smear civil rights leaders with the worst kind of mockery.

Defending his friend and fellow-racist on the McLaughin Group, Buchanan said that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton acted like a "lynch mob" out to get Imus. "Lynch Mob"!? The words could not have been more inappropriate. Think what you will about Sharpton and Jackson, they are leaders in the African-American community and in the American civil-rights movement.

For Buchanan to defend Imus is one thing -- that's what friends (even racist pals) do. But to take the opportunity to unnecessarily smear two of the leading civil rights figures in our country by comparing them to the white mobs who murdered thousands of blacks in this country is an abomination. And not one person on the show called Buchanan on his reprehensible, insensitive, racist simile.

On Meet The Press this weekend, Gwen Eiffel patiently explained it to NBCtool Russert (who still doesn't get it). But Buchanan doesn't need Eiffel to explain anything to him -- he gets it, he knows what he is doing, and his comparison of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to the Ku Klux Klan was a knowing one.

Newspaper reports since Reconstruction account nearly 5,000 lynchings -- mainly of black men -- in the United States. There are many more, unknown and uncounted. They were grisly affairs, the deaths horrible and terrifying. In many areas of the country the lynch mobs practiced their deadly brand of racism with impunity.

With this historical background, Buchanan's smear is, on several levels, worse than Imus' thoughtless attack on those young woman. He invoked one of the uglier aspects of American treatment of minorities, to smear minority leaders, for no other reason than that they powerfully expressed their indignation over a racist attack by one of Buchanan's friends.

Buchanan is a pig and deserves a fate worse than that meted to Imus -- Buchanan deserves to be ignored as the passe, ignorant, ranting relic that he is.

(Image Credit: William Blake's "A Negro hung alive by the Ribs to a Gallows", via The Bridgeman Art Library)

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Do you think it is because Bob Casey Jr lied?

Earlier this week, we talked about how Bobby Casey Junior was going to vote to flush left over blastocysts down the drain rather than let scientists use them to see if they can't come up with a cure for Alzheimer's, or spinal cord injury, or any other similarly frivolous research projects just itchin' to get their hands on federal funds to help mankind.

Junior, being the good roman catholic tool that he is, decided that god wanted the throw-aways to stay in the toilet and out of our research labs. In the course of it, he got a supporter reporter to write a puff piece about how Junior had struggled, oh so hard, and spent many months in many meetings with those on both sides of the issue before making up his mind.

Admittedly, we questioned that, since Junior made it clear in the primaries that he can't think on his own (gawd, how awful was he in the debates?) and that he was going to let his knee-jerk theology do his thinking for him. Nevertheless, he said he had all these months of all these meetings, and Bobby Junior is a feckin US Senator and he wouldn't just make that stuff up. So we did what anyone else would have (well, anyone except a certain AP reporter who had been giving Junior the journalistic equivalent of head since who knows when), we asked him -- who did you meet with and when.

We asked Larry Smar, Casey's spokesmouth, via email, twice THREE times {updated 4/18/07}.

But, just to cover the bases, we also asked his "scheduler", Sara Mabry, also twice THREE times {updated 4/18/07}.

Now, we aren't entirely certain, but we are pretty sure that they, or at least someone who reads their emails, received these requests for information. This because, soon after they were sent, someone using the official US Senate ISP visited our blog here. Actually, it seems like there were multiple someones, as we received seven EIGHT NINE TWELVE {updated 4/16 4/17 4/25} separate visits from someone using the Senate network in the several days after the emails were sent (compared to, about, none in the month before).

Yet, Junior has not released the information on who all those meetings that he conducted were with. And, it makes us wonder, is it because he just made that part up?

We're beginning to think so.

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Gotta love the Google

Love it the way the Google saves its searches. We got some interesting hits this week from up in Wilkesberry (hey, is your snow off the streets yet? I have to go up that way next week). It seems that someone at one of the really big local firms up there spent quite a bit of time looking over our various posts about Judge Lokuta. Hope we amused. But, pal, if you really want to get the scoop on what's going on with the judge -- you might want to spell her name correct when you Google it -- It is "Ann Lokuta", not, "Anne Lokuta".

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Like Dog Crap On A Shoe

It just won't go away. You scrape it off but then later you get a whiff . . . . From today's in box, Rick Santorum begging for money for his new PAC:

Dear Friends,

The 2006 election has long been over, and these last few months since departing the Senate have been a great adventure for me. I've discovered a new and exciting path filled with opportunities to discuss the issues that I have long believed are critical to our nation's future.

As you may recall, during my Senate campaign, I spoke at great length about the Gathering Storm of the 21st Century -- the challenges that I and many others believe are posed by radical Islamic fascism and its growing alliances around the world. I gave numerous speeches about the threats our enemies pose, and I didn't shy away from this topic despite the overwhelming political wisdom telling me to change course. And looking back, despite the outcome of my Senate race, I am more convinced than ever that educating the American public about our enemies and raising awareness about the threats our country faces isn't just right, it's an obligation.

We cannot underestimate the threats we face from those who wish to do us harm. Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran, and North Korea's Kim Jong-il are committed to destroying the West and th. . . .

You get the idea. It ends with a request for money.



{Image Credit: Reading Eagle, via News Watch}

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So it goes.

November 11, 1922–April 11, 2007

RIP

{Image Credit: Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times}

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Silent Bob Giving Bush Veto on Stem Cell Research

The Hill reports today that Senate Democrats expect to come up one vote short of a veto-proof majority on Senate Bill 5 -- the bill allowing federal funds to be used to conduct research on stem cells taken from blastocysts headed for the trash bin anyway. The one vote they need -- Bobby Casey Junior, the theocrat from Pennsylvania whose agenda includes advancing the policies of the Roman Catholic Church.

Earlier this week, Junior Casey told a supporter reporter that he only came to the decision, to support the Bush regime and deny more federal funds for stem cell research on purely religious grounds, after "months of meetings" with people on both sides of the issue.

Casey spokesman Larry Smar and scheduler Sara Mabry have failed to respond to requests for a list of the meetings that Casey claims to have had since taking office. Too bad the AP didn't bother to ask Casey for the list before reporting that the meetings happened. Too bad Casey's office won't provide information about Casey's alleged meetings which supposedly formed his opinion on the crucial stem cell bill which could be voted on today. Too bad theocracy is more dear to Casey than democracy. Too bad Casey is from my state.

More on the bill itself here.

{UPDATE: Junior voted NO. philly was right.}

Contact Senator Casey:

Email: senator@casey.senate.gov
Fax: 202.228.0604
Phone: 202.224.6324
Casey's Senate Web Contact

Further Reading:

WaPo: Stem cell vote set for U.S. Congress this week
WaPo: Senate Revisits Debate On Stem Cell Research
NYTimes: Senate, Bush Head for Showdown on Stem Cells
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ohio senators split on stem-cell bill
Des Moines Register: Harkin rekindles stem cell battle
CQ: Stem Cell Research Backers Disagree Over Prospects for Senate Veto Override
Orlando Sentinel: A chance for breakthroughs
Kaiser Network: NIH Director Zerhouni Calls for Expanding Federal Funding for Embryonic Stem Cell Research

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