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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