Providence College Democrats

Grasping for Straws

2006-01-12T01:11:00.000-05:00

In case you were wondering, fetuses do not count for carpool lanes.

Restart

2006-01-10T12:17:00.000-05:00

Back in July, I more or less stopped posting to this blog. Unfortunately, the 90 hour weeks left little time for much of anything. For months, my leisure time consisted solely of watching Family Guy on Adult Swim before going to sleep. The rigors of a campaign staffer definitely are exhausting, and probably impossible to tolerate for someone not obsessed with politics.

Now I am going to restart the blog. We are waiting for a third party to help us with website hosting, but we are preparing to fully launch our website, which will include a new blog on new software. In the meantime, I'll use this blog, though to a somewhat lesser degree than before.

Mainstream Media

2005-12-25T12:31:00.000-05:00

I've always liked this. This is a newspaper box from the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville that has been in this condition for at least a couple of years.

Too Busy

2005-07-12T16:15:00.000-04:00

It was fun keeping up this blog, but, alas, my present occupation is keeping me too busy to keep updating.

While I am absent from the blog, rest assured that it is because I am working extremely hard to get Tim Kaine, Leslie Byrne and Creigh Deeds elected the next Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General of Virginia. We have great candidates, we have a great campaign structure, and frankly, our opponents are little more than a joke. I have good feelings about November, and if I have anything to say about it, we will deliver those seats in November, we will make gains in the House of Delegates and as a result, we will set the tone, along with the future Governor Corzine, for the 2006 midterm elections.

But, as this is MUCH easier said than done, I will have to take my leave from updating here, so that I might, um, occasionally get some sleep.

Hopefully, Adam will find some talented people to take over once classes start, and the blog will continue to thrive. Adam or I will occasionally check in with updates that relate to the organization.

Thanks for making me your President last year, thanks for helping make the PC Democrats into an elite organization, and finally, don't relent. We are a great College Democrats chapter, but we still have incredible unrealized potential. Give Adam and the other officers your support, keep alive the passion that I saw from all of you before election day, and I have no doubt that the group that we basically started from scratch last November will become one of the leading CD chapters in the entire nation. It's a tough job, to go from nothing to the best in just two years, but remember... we are Friars, and we are Democrats. Anything is possible.

Rumor

2005-07-08T22:01:00.000-04:00

Today's big rumor is that Monday, Chief Justice William Rehnquist will announce his retirement. Stay tuned.

Hiatus

2005-07-07T21:48:00.000-04:00

I've been busy, so the blog hasn't been updated in a while.

Expect this to continue off and on. The job is getting a little more intense.

Independence Day

2005-07-04T23:59:00.000-04:00

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. –That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. —Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain [George III] is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

New Hampshire
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts
John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Thanks

2005-07-04T21:35:00.000-04:00

Check out the Democratic Veteran, who recently linked to us. Great blog.

Scottsville Parade

2005-07-04T16:27:00.000-04:00

There is nothing more surreal than a parade. Today, in a gas station parking lot at the end of the parade route, I witnessed, simultaneously:
-A group of Shriners all in their little cars.
-Delegate Rob Bell
-Miss Teen Buckingham, Miss Preteen Buckingham and Tiny Miss Buckingham
-A bunch of Confederate soldiers

Apparently there are nine components essential to any parade:
1) Political officials and candidates.
2) Beauty pageant winners.
3) Little League teams.
4) Rescue vehicles (police, fire, ambulance).
5) Church groups.
6) Marching bands (including baton twirlers, etc.)
7) Horses. Lots of horses.
8) Men in uniform portraying the entire military history of said town.
9) Candy. Lots and lots of candy.

Virgil

2005-07-04T16:11:00.000-04:00

"I guess that's not good for me then!"
-Congressman Virgil Goode, after I informed him that I was back from Rhode Island for good.

If you're wondering what the heck Virgil and I were referring to...
Last summer, the Nelson County Service Authority received a federal grant. Virgil was at the ribboncutting ceremony all ready to take credit for the grant. Problem is, he was one of the biggest opponents of this grant in Congress, and vigorously fought against it. Now, he was trying to take all the credit. Especially since this was in Al's home county, the Al Weed campaign wasn't about to let Virgil get another one of his patented photo ops. So, we crashed the event. We made signs criticizing Virgil's record on the issue, and we held Al Weed signs. Suffice to say there was not one picture Virgil took that day that didn't have Al Weed in the background.

I got a chance to meet Virgil during that event... and we made small talk. Nothing major. After the event, some of the other staffers and I were eating at the McDonald's in Lovingston, and who else but Virgil Goode walks in!

He told me, one of his constituents, "I'm glad you're going back to Rhode Island so you can't campaign against me," or something along those lines.

I was actually quite shocked he remembered our conversation from nearly a year ago.

I was hoping to shout out "MZM for Goode," but I didn't see him again.

Something We Already Knew

2005-07-03T20:57:00.000-04:00

The Bush Administration is the most secretive ever. More items are being classified and fewer are being declassified.

From the Seattle Times:

WASHINGTON — Government secrecy has reached a historic high by several measures, with federal departments classifying documents at the rate of 125 a minute as they create categories of semisecrets bearing vague labels such as "sensitive security information."

A record 15.6 million documents were classified last year, nearly double the number in 2001, according to the federal Information Security Oversight Office. Meanwhile, declassification, which made millions of historical documents available annually in the 1990s, has slowed to a relative crawl, from a high of 204 million pages in 1997 to 28 million pages last year.

The increasing secrecy and its rising cost to taxpayers, estimated by the office at $7.2 billion last year, are drawing protests from a growing array of politicians and activists, including Republican members of Congress, leaders of the independent commission that studied the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the top federal official who oversees classification.

Terrorist Leader Killed

2005-07-03T20:53:00.000-04:00

In an apparent victory in the war on terror, a leading al Qaeda operative was killed today in Saudi Arabia.

The press is saying that Younus Mohamed Al-Hayari was the head of al Qaeda in Saudia Arabia. I am skeptical, simply because of the loose nature of the organization, and the fact that most certainly, if there is a leader, another has already taken Al-Hayari's place.

Nevertheless, a good development. Now, let's watch the Bush administration fuck it up.

MD Gov: Ehrlich Raises Money at Racist Club

2005-07-03T20:20:00.000-04:00

Via the Baltimore Sun (login required):

(BTW, any time you need a login at a news site, and don't want to sign up yourself, check out http://www.bugmenot.com/)

Just three years ago, Dr. Levi Watkins Jr., a noted cardiac surgeon and associate dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, cited Baltimore's oldest country club as an example of racial exclusion and the progress African-Americans still need to make.

"I have had a professorship at Vanderbilt named after me, but I still can't become a member at the Elkridge Club in Baltimore," Watkins, who is black, told a publication at his Tennessee alma mater. "We have not healed completely."

Still, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. held a golf fund-raiser last week at the North Charles Street country club - a decision that is sparking criticism from some prominent African-American leaders, including Watkins.

Several Elkridge members and former officers confirmed that the club has had no African-American members in its 127-year history. None would speak for the record. Club members said there is no written race-based prohibition, and that blacks and other minorities have played golf and dined there. Memberships are extended based on social and family connections, they said...

"Amazing. I could seek candidacy in the Senate of the United States, but cannot seek membership in this club," said Kweisi Mfume, former president of the NAACP and a Democratic candidate for Senate...

"I don't think that the governor should play at a club that his own lieutenant governor could not be a member of," said Del. Adrienne A. Jones, a Democrat who heads the Baltimore County Office of Fair Practices and Community Affairs and who is speaker pro tem of the House of Delegates...

But race has nonetheless been a delicate issue for Ehrlich. He drew the ire of minority groups last year when he dismissed the concept of multiculturalism as "crap" and "bunk," and during the 2004 Republican National Convention when he accused Democrats of racism for what he said were rote appeals for black votes.

During a Board of Public Works meeting this year, he echoed Comptroller William Donald Schaefer's sentiment that the state's minority business program should end at some point - drawing a stinging rebuke from the General Assembly's black members.

It's Rove!

2005-07-03T20:12:00.000-04:00

From Lawrence O'Donnell, via Huffington Post:

I revealed in yesterday's taping of the McLaughlin Group that Time magazine's emails will reveal that Karl Rove was Matt Cooper's source. I have known this for months but didn't want to say it at a time that would risk me getting dragged into the grand jury.

McLaughlin is seen in some markets on Friday night, so some websites have picked it up, including Drudge, but I don't expect it to have much impact because McLaughlin is not considered a news show and it will be pre-empted in the big markets on Sunday because of tennis.

Since I revealed the big scoop, I have had it reconfirmed by yet another highly authoritative source. Too many people know this. It should break wide open this week. I know Newsweek is working on an 'It's Rove!' story and will probably break it tomorrow.

About to Eat Crow?

2005-07-03T20:08:00.000-04:00

So, Rove leaked or authorized the leak of Valerie Plame?

What does Scott McClellan have to say about said matter?

McClellan said that if anyone at the White House leaked Plame's identity, he should be fired, and pursued to the "fullest extent."

"No one was authorized to do this. That is simply not the way this White House operates and if someone leaked classified information it is a very serious matter," he said.
-September 29, 2003

R.I.P. Gaylord Nelson

2005-07-03T17:44:00.000-04:00

Former US Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI), founder of the Earth Day movement, has passed away.

Gaylord A. Nelson, one of the architects of America's modern environmental movement who as a United States senator from Wisconsin founded Earth Day to protest degradation and launch a national legislative campaign to improve stewardship, died today in at his home in Kensington, Md. He was 89 years old,

. . . A liberal Democrat, Mr. Nelson was known for his candor and independence. He was just one of three United States senators who voted against the $700 million appropriation that began the nation's expanded involvement in the Vietnam War.

But it was Mr. Nelson's lifelong devotion to the natural landscape that distinguished him as one of Capitol Hill's early and ardent environmental leaders. On March 25, 1963, in his first Senate speech, he framed the declining condition of the nation's air and water as a national issue. "We need a comprehensive and nationwide program to save the national resources of America," he said. "Our soil, our water, and our air are becoming more polluted every day. Our most priceless natural resources - trees, lakes, rivers, wildlife habitats, scenic landscapes - are being destroyed."

The speech coincided with Mr. Nelson's private effort to successfully lobby President John F. Kennedy to embrace environmental protection as a priority. In September 1963, Mr. Kennedy embarked on a five-day, 11-state tour to talk about conservation.

. . . In 1995, President Bill Clinton awarded Mr. Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. "As the father of Earth Day, he is the grandfather of all that grew out of that event," Mr. Clinton said. "He inspired us to remember that the stewardship of our natural resources is the stewardship of the American Dream."

Schumer Speaks Out

2005-07-03T17:20:00.000-04:00

"We've heard it from his lawyer, but it would be nice to hear it directly from Mr. Rove the he didn't leak the identity of Valerie Plame, and that he didn't direct anyone else to do such a dastardly thing. I have said from the first day... whoever leaked the classified information should be punished to the full extent of the law."
-US Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

High Treason

2005-07-02T12:38:00.000-04:00

Did Karl Rove leak the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame?

Lawrence O'Donnell on the McLaughlin Group:

"What we're going to go to now in the next stage, when Matt Cooper's e-mails, within Time Magazine, are handed over to the grand jury, the ultimate revelation, probably within the week of who his source is.

"And I know I'm going to get pulled into the grand jury for saying this but the source of...for Matt Cooper was Karl Rove, and that will be revealed in this document dump that Time magazine's going to do with the grand jury."

The Shanley Era

2005-07-01T23:43:00.000-04:00

Father Smith's term as President of Providence College has drawn to a close, and Fr. Brian Shanley has taken over as the 12th President.

Best wishes for a successful and slightly more open-minded administration.

Another Poll

2005-07-01T19:25:00.000-04:00

CNN broadcasted earlier that 47% of Republicans want a justice who will uphold Roe, while 46% want a justice who will overturn it.

If Roe is overturned, there will be an upside... as it will become a MAJOR issue during the 2006 0r 2008 election cycles (or both), and two thirds of Americans support Roe v. Wade.

And you know what that will mean on election night. Heck, maybe enough state legislatures will go blue that abortion will still be an option everywhere! (Yeah, right, but here's hoping).

And in semi-unrelated news, something tells me that our Outreach Director will be hearing his name A LOT over the next few months.

R.I.P. Luther Vandross

2005-07-01T19:20:00.000-04:00

Luther Vandross has died at the age of 54.

Why Roe v. Wade Will Not Be Overturned

2005-07-01T19:17:00.000-04:00

...Or at least the GOP better hope not...

Pew Poll

"In 1973 the Roe versus Wade decision established a woman's constitutional right to an abortion, at least in the first three months of pregnancy. Would you like to see the Supreme Court completely overturn its Roe versus Wade decision, or not?"

June 8-12, 2005
Yes 30
No 63
Unsure 7

January, 2003
Yes 31
No 62
Unsure 7

O'Connor's Record

2005-07-01T19:14:00.000-04:00

Justice O'Connor was the swing vote in all of the following decisions:

-Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) affirmed the right of state colleges and universities to use affirmative action in their admissions policies to increase educational opportunities for minorities and promote racial diversity on campus;

-Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation v. EPA (2004) said the Environmental Protection Agency could step in and take action to reduce air pollution under the Clean Air Act when a state conservation agency fails to act;

-Rush Prudential HMO, Inc. v. Moran (2002) upheld state laws giving people the right to a second doctor's opinion if their HMOs tried to deny them treatment;

-Hunt v. Cromartie (2001) affirmed the right of state legislators to take race into account to secure minority voting rights in redistricting;

-Tennessee v. Lane (2004) upheld the constitutionality of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and required that courtrooms be physically accessible to the disabled;

-Hibbs v. Winn (2004) subjected discriminatory and unconstitutional state tax laws to review by the federal judiciary;

-Zadvydas v. Davis (2001) told the government it could not indefinitely detain an immigrant who was under final order of removal even if no other country would accept that person;

-Brentwood Academy v. Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (2001) affirmed that civil rights laws apply to associations regulating interscholastic sports;

-Lee v. Weisman (1992) continued the tradition of government neutrality toward religion, finding that government-sponsored prayer is unacceptable at graduations and other public school events;

-Brown v. Legal Foundation of Washington (2003) maintained a key source of funding for legal assistance for the poor;

-Morse v. Republican Party of Virginia (1996) said key anti-discrimination provisions of the Voting Rights Act apply to political conventions that choose party candidates;

-Federal Election Commission v. Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee (2001) upheld laws that limit political party expenditures that are coordinated with a candidate and seek to evade campaign contribution limits;

-McConnell v. Federal Election Commission (2003) upheld most of the landmark McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, including its ban on political parties' use of unlimited soft money contributions;

-Stenberg v. Carhart (2000) overturned a state ban on so-called partial birth abortion;

-McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky (2005) upheld the principle of government neutrality towards religion and ruled unconstitutional Ten Commandments displays in several courthouses.

O'Connor

2005-07-01T18:48:00.000-04:00

Obviously, the big news today is the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, creating the first Supreme Court vacancy in eleven years. This is somewhat shocking, as Chief Justice William Rehnquist was the favorite to create the next vacancy.

It's also worrying, as the O'Connor retirement could result in drastic changes, including loss of reproductive choice, blurring of the separation of church and state, indefinite detainment of foreign nationals and US citizens without any form of due process, the loss of affirmative action, etc.

It is important now that we contact our Senators and President Bush, urging them to choose a concensus candidate... one that both sides can agree upon. As this appointment will affect the balance of power on the Supreme Court, if Bush chooses an arch-conservative, there will be a battle like most of us have never seen. But, as Orrin Hatch tells us, a concensus candidate will avoid that situation. From Hatch's biography...

I told him [Clinton] that confirmation would not be easy. At least one Democrat would probably vote against Bruce, and there would be a great deal of resistance from the Republican side. I explained to the President that although he might prevail in the end, he should consider whether he wanted a tough, political battle over his first appointment to the Court.

Our conversation moved to other potential candidates. I asked whether he had considered Judge Stephen Breyer of the First Circuit Court of Appeals or Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. President Clinton indicated he had heard Breyer's name but had not thought about Judge Ginsberg.

I indicated I thought they would be confirmed easily. I knew them both and believed that, while liberal, they were highly honest and capable jurists and their confirmation would not embarrass the President. From my perspective, they were far better than the other likely candidates from a liberal Democrat administration.

In the end, the President did not select Secretary Babbitt. Instead, he nominated Judge Ginsburg and Judge Breyer a year later, when Harry Blackmun retired from the Court. Both were confirmed with relative ease.

Bush should ask himself the same question. Does he want "a tough, political battle over his first appointment to the Court?"

Of course we all know the answer.

Welcome!

2005-06-30T23:12:00.000-04:00

I've always been interested in who visits this site...

Yesterday, we welcomed MZM, who were checking in on their misdeeds.

Today, we have some more wholesome visitors, including many who were ALSO checking in on MZM's misdeeds.

Welcome to:
-The US Navy
-A student in the Broward County, Florida school system, researching the PATRIOT ACT.
-The Democratic Party of Virginia

More on the Nats

2005-06-30T22:56:00.000-04:00

Senator Kohl (D-WI) makes an interesting point about Republicans who threaten MLB because George Soros might purchase a team. Apparently House Republicans would prefer Nazi owners to Democratic owners...

"Marge Schott owned a team," said Senator Herb Kohl, the Wisconsin Democrat, recalling the former Cincinnati Reds owner, who collected Nazi memorabilia and was ultimately suspended from baseball for making racial slurs.

Sure, that might not be exactly fair, but then again, where was the Republican outrage when Schott was in the news?

Mas

2005-06-30T22:39:00.000-04:00

Spain becomes the fourth country today to grant its citizens marriage equality.

Some of you may be wondering why I constantly refer to this issue as marriage equality, and not same-sex marriage, gay marriage, or any other nomenclature. The reason is simple. The movement is about the government granting the same rights to same-sex married couples as they do to any couple. So, that's the goal... marriage equality... equality in marriage. Furthermore, terms like gay marriage tend to make people afraid that the movement wants to force churches to change their beliefs. Of course, this is not true, and marriage equality is COMPLETELY compatible with the choices of any church. This is simply a matter of civil marriage... civil rights. Thus, the term marriage equality is the most accurate phrase for what gay couples and their allies are trying to achieve.

Publicity Flop

2005-06-30T22:37:00.000-04:00

According to Zogby:

"President Bush's televised address to the nation produced no noticeable bounce in his approval numbers, with his job approval rating slipping a point from a week ago, to 43%, in the latest Zogby International poll. And, in a sign of continuing polarization, more than two-in-five voters (42%) say they would favor impeachment proceedings if it is found the President misled the nation about his reasons for going to war with Iraq."

And the most important part of the new survey: 42% now say they favor impeachment if Bush misled the nation about the reasons for the Iraq war (which, of course, he did).

As they say, when Clinton lied, nobody died.

2005-06-30T09:20:00.000-04:00

"I don't mean to be discourteous, but I've heard enough of your smart answers. Get off your high horse when you come up here. I have to run for re-election and you don't. We represent the American people and they are asking questions. They haven't been told the truth. The administration says we're unpatriotic if we ask questions, but that's our job."
-Senator Robert Byrd, to Donald Rumsfeld.

Read the rest. This story is incredible.

What the PATRIOT ACT Hath Wrought

2005-06-30T09:08:00.000-04:00

Even the Justice Department agrees this is too much.

Welcome MZM!

2005-06-30T00:11:00.000-04:00

I noticed the blog got a hit from "Mzm Inc."

Thanks for stopping by! Come back any time!

Most of this blog's hits lately are coming from people looking for info on MZM's misdeeds. Looks like this story is picking up steam!

Among other news, thanks to Kenton Ngo for the link!

Supreme Revenge

2005-06-29T23:53:00.000-04:00

A California man intends to use the recent Kelo v. New London SCOTUS decision to turn Justice David Souter's house into a hotel (Souter voted in the majority).

Launch the Nukes

2005-06-29T23:48:00.000-04:00

Vladimir Putin recently walked off with Bob Kraft's 2005 Super Bowl ring.

Awesome Site

2005-06-29T23:39:00.000-04:00

Front page newspaper scans from newspapers across the world, every day. Check it out.

Schwarzenegger is Toast

2005-06-29T23:34:00.000-04:00

A new Field poll looks at Arnold's re-election bid.

Two candidates have announced...

Phil Angelides 46%
Schwarzenegger 42%

Steve Westly 44%
Schwarzenegger 40%

And as of now, Westly's name ID is 71% and Angelides' is only 63%, which is a very good sign considering they are already leading a candidate who is known to everyone over the age of three.

Bolton is Toast

2005-06-29T23:20:00.000-04:00

As this commentary by Robert Kuttner points out, George Bush is not going to get his way on John Bolton.

Bolton can't make it through the Senate, primarily because of the actions of Senators Biden (D-DE) and our own Senator Chris Dodd '66 (D-CT), who led Senate Dems in demanding the White House release documents, which were customarily provided but were withheld from the White House, before the nomination could proceed. After Bill Frist's impotent performance on this issue, it is clear that John Bolton's nomination will never clear the Senate.

So, Bush has two options. This first is to appoint Bolton to his post after the Senate session ends in a move known as a recess appointment. This would completely strip Bolton of any legitimacy he might have within the UN.

Second, Bush can withdraw the nomination.

This is how things should work. Compare two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senators Biden and Boxer. These two have very disparate political views on a number of issues. But this is a case in which Senate Democrats had to come together to stop a very dangerous man... and they performed beautifully, while still keeping their different opinions in other areas of Senate business.

And props to Senator Voinovich (R-OH) for following his conscience throughout this matter.

In Gomes We Trust

2005-06-29T01:55:00.000-04:00

So, the big news. Ryan Gomes was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the second round, 50th pick overall.

Congrats.

Historic Day for Marriage Equality

2005-06-29T01:08:00.000-04:00

In a victory for the marriage equality movement, Canada's parliament voted yesterday to approve civil marriage equality, making it the third country to do so.

VA-Gov: OBAMA!!!

2005-06-29T00:43:00.000-04:00

Hey Virginians (and anyone else in the area)! Come down to Arlington on July 20th and hang out with Tim Kaine and Senator Barack Obama! The cost is $35 (or more, naturally). Click here for more details.

Why, oh why, do I have to work!?!?!

Flip Flop #6

2005-06-29T00:40:00.000-04:00

"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."
-George W. Bush, 1999

Full Text

2005-06-29T00:35:00.000-04:00

For those of who can stomach the full text of Bush's speech, you can find it here.

Democratic Response

2005-06-29T00:33:00.000-04:00

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's response to Bush's speech:

"Tonight's address offered the President an excellent opportunity to level with the American people about the current situation in Iraq, put forth a path for success, and provide the means to assess our progress. Unfortunately he fell short on all counts.

"There is a growing feeling among the American people that the President's Iraq policy is adrift, disconnected from the reality on the ground and in need of major mid-course corrections. "Staying the course," as the President advocates, is neither sustainable nor likely to lead to the success we all seek.

"The President's numerous references to September 11th did not provide a way forward in Iraq, they only served to remind the American people that our most dangerous enemy, namely Osama bin Laden, is still on the loose and Al Qaeda remains capable of doing this nation great harm nearly four years after it attacked America.

"Democrats stand united and committed to seeing that we achieve success in Iraq and provide our troops, their families, and our veterans everything they need and deserve for their sacrifices for our nation. The stakes are too high, and failure in Iraq cannot be an option. Success is only possible if the President significantly alters his current course. That requires the President to work with Congress and finally begin to speak openly and honestly with our troops and the American people about the difficult road ahead.

"Our troops and their families deserve no less."

50 State Approval Rating

2005-06-29T00:17:00.000-04:00

SUSA kicks ass. They just released Bush's approval ratings in all fifty states. And man, it ain't pretty.

Bush is at or above 50 percent in twelve states:
Utah (63)
Nebraska (60)
Wyoming (58)
Idaho (56)
Montana (56)
Alabama (54)
Alaska (53)
North Dakota (52)
Kansas (51)
Kentucky (50)
Mississippi (50)
Texas (50)

Bush is at 40 percent or lower in 14 states:
Vermont (32)
Rhode Island (33)
New York (33)
California (37)
Connecticut (37)
Illinois (37)
Delaware (38)
Nevada (38)
New Jersey (38)
Michigan (38)
Maine (39)
Massachusetts (39)
Ohio (40)
Wisconsin (40)

FYI, the total electoral votes for the states that support Bush = 89
Total electoral votes for states that overwhelmingly disapprove = 207

Red states not mentioned above in which more people disapprove of Bush: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

Obviously, the timing was a bit off for the Presidential election, but this bodes well for 2005 races as well as the upcoming midterm elections.

Fake Speech

2005-06-29T00:13:00.000-04:00

We all knew tonight's speech at Fort Bragg was a simple PR stunt. But as it turns out, even the applause was fake.

"ABC's Terry Moran just reported that the only time Bush got applause was in the middle of his speech when a White House advance team member started clapping all on their own in order to cajole the soldiers into clapping, which they dutifully did.

So even the applause was fake."

Meanwhile, Think Progress is on the scene with the speech by the numbers:

References to “September 11″: 5
References to “weapons of mass destruction”: 0
References to “freedom”: 21
References to “exit strategy”: 0
References to “Saddam Hussein”: 2
References to “Osama Bin Laden”: 2
References to “a mistake”: 1 (setting a timetable for withdrawal)
References to “mission”: 11
References to “mission accomplished”: 0

Frankly, any mention of Osama is a surprise to me.

MZM Owns Virgil Goode

2005-06-29T00:05:00.000-04:00

For the zero of you who care, forgive me. This is our nemesis, and one of the ultimate betrayers of the Democratic Party (voted to impeach Clinton while he was still a Democrat).

Waldo Jaquith has done some excellent analysis of contribution patterns that are extremely damaging for Mr. Goode, Congressman Cunningham and Congresswoman Harris (yeah, THAT Harris).

The bottom line is that allegations were made that MZM employees were forced to donate to Goode, or risk losing their jobs, and reportedly one of the recipients (Goode or Harris) was actually in the room while employees were coerced into making the donations. Well, donation patterns to Virgil's campaign look EXTREMELY suspicious. Basically, ALL donations from MZM employees tend to come in one day clumps, not over a period of time as they would if MZM employees were donation voluntarily. Furthermore, in the 2004 cycle, not one MZM employee made a donation to someone other than Goode, Cunningham or Harris. Lifetime, only two employees made a donation to someone other than those three (two donations to Elizabeth Dole in 2002).

Interesting stuff that will hopefully send Virgil back to Rocky Mount for good!

FYI

2005-06-28T09:43:00.000-04:00

Bush has a PR stunt at 8 PM tonight at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. It will be televised on cable, ABC and possibly NBC, CBS and Fox, who are still debating whether or not to air this completely un-newsworthy event.

Beware of old men in flight suits.

They Blog

2005-06-28T09:36:00.000-04:00

Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) chimes in on GOP efforts to successfully block VA funding for veteran's health care:

In response to this announcement, Texas Congressman Chet Edwards, the top Democratic Member on the House Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs, offered an amendment to immediately address this shortfall, so no veteran would lose access to her or his needed health care. Invoking a special wartime budget wartime authority, Edwards proposed adding the money to H.R. 3057, the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that we will be passing later this week.

Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues (Chairman Dreier & Reps. Hastings of Washington, Capito, Cole, Bishop, Gingrey) on the Rules Committee opposed giving Congressman Edwards the procedural waiver his amendment needed so that it could be debated and quickly passed. The Republicans I just mentioned voted along party lines to block the Edwards Amendment and effectively killed his attempt to immediately address the terrible budget shortfall the VA is facing.

I'm sure you'll agree with me that standing up for our veterans is not a Democratic or a Republican issue. It's about keeping the solemn promise we make to the men and women who go to war to defend our freedoms. We promise them we'll take care of them if they come home injured in their minds or bodies. It is unconscionable to me that we would go back on this promise while our country is at war.

More at the link above.

Frist In Trouble

2005-06-27T23:49:00.000-04:00

The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has filed an FEC complaint against Bill "Kitten Killer" Frist (R-TN) failing to disclose a $1.4 million loan.

Iraq Update

2005-06-27T23:44:00.000-04:00

The latest toll:
US: 1,741
UK: 89
Italy: 25
Ukraine: 18
Poland: 17
Bulgaria: 13
Spain: 11
Slovakia: 3
Estonia, Thailand, Netherlands: 2
Denmark, El Salvador, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia: 1

That's at least 1,928 deaths, not counting civilian casualties, which are far greater.

And all for nothing.

$3 a Gallon

2005-06-27T23:11:00.000-04:00

I'm going to resist the urge to lambast SUV owners here, but, due to a spike in oil demand, $3 per gallon prices at the pump are in the not-so-distant future.

The New Iraq

2005-06-27T23:02:00.000-04:00

Freedom is flourishing, for sure...

"They arrested us because of our hair and because we were wearing jeans," said student Mohammed Jasim, adding that the arrests took place two weeks ago in the city, the spiritual heart of Iraq''s newly dominant Shi'ite majority.

"They beat us in front of the people. Then they took us to their headquarters, beat us again, shaved our heads and tore our clothes.

"When we asked what we had done, they said that we had no honor," he told Reuters this week.

Police in Najaf, a conservative city that some residents say has grown more so since
Saddam Hussein was overthrown two years ago and religious Shi'ites gained greater power in Iraq, disputed the students' version of events.

LINK

"The Nut-job From Arizona"

2005-06-27T22:55:00.000-04:00

Grover Norquist sounds off on Republicans John McCain, "the nut-job from Arizona", Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, the "two girls from Maine" over their opposition to the filibuster.

Of course Norquist is no stranger to attacking fellow Republicans, as we know full well here in Virginia after he attacked 34 Republicans who (gasp!) dared to help Democrats balance the budget.

It's All Boston's Fault

2005-06-27T22:45:00.000-04:00

Rick Santorum (R-PA/VA) writes the following about the priest abuse scandals:

"When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm."

Can't Catch a Break

2005-06-27T22:40:00.000-04:00

Does ANY poll look good for the Bush administration?

ABC news released a poll today that showed, among other things, that 52% of the public believe that the administration "intentionally misled the American public" in making the case for the war in Iraq.

57% say the Bush administration intentionally exagerrated evidence.

51% say the war was a mistake.

In yet another poll released today by CNN/USA Today/Gallup, 53% of respondents disapproved of George Bush's job performance, compared to 45% who approve. This is Bush's highest CNN/USA Today/Gallup disapproval rating of his entire presidency.

Major League Baseball: No Democrats Allowed

2005-06-27T22:21:00.000-04:00

George Soros wants to buy the Washington Nationals (which is enough to make at least one reader of this blog salivate). But, Soros is public enemy #1 amongst Republicans, and so they are trying to block Soros' bid.

While the Soros-Ledecky group is not seen as the frontrunner to win the bidding for the Nationals, who should be awarded to their new owner at the end of the 2005 season, the very prospect that Soros could have a stake in the team is enough to irritate Congressional Republicans.

"I think Major League Baseball understands the stakes," said Government Reform Chairman Tom Davis (R), the Northern Virginia lawmaker who recently convened high-profile steroid hearings. "I don't think they want to get involved in a political fight."

Davis, whose panel also oversees District of Columbia issues, said that if a Soros sale went through, "I don't think it's the Nats that get hurt. I think it's Major League Baseball that gets hurt. They enjoy all sorts of exemptions" from anti-trust laws.

Indeed, Hill Republicans could potentially make life difficult for MLB in a variety of ways. In addition to being exempt from anti-trust rules, baseball is still under scrutiny over the steroid issue. The Nats, meanwhile, hope to have a publicly-funded stadium built soon, though money for that venture is expected to come through the sale of bonds rather than a federal outlay.

Still, Rep. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.), vice chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that covers the District of Columbia budget, said if Soros buys the team and seeks public funding for the new stadium or anything else, the GOP attitude would be, "Let him pay for it."

"We're not going to interfere with [the sale], but from a fan's perspective, who needs the politics?" Sweeney said.

Another senior Republican lawmaker who requested anonymity said that the league should be aware of the perception problem that might be associated with selling the Nats to Soros.
"Why would Major League Baseball want to get involved with George Soros?" said the lawmaker. "It's about more than just the sale price."

So the bottom line is... if a liberal wants to buy the Nats, Republicans will punish all of baseball.

This isn't about getting baseball and politics mixed up. After all, I seem to recall another partisan figure who used to be heavily involved with the Texas Rangers. And do Nats fans (besides political geeks like ourselves) really care about the political persuasion of one of their team's owners? Or do they care about seeing that owner put a quality team on the field? Furthermore, threatening to withhold funding for the Nats new stadium for political reasons is a direct affront to every Nats fan and resident of the DC area. This is an attempt to get revenge against Soros and the Democrats, pure and simple.

I am able to look past the fact that my favorite team is in a red state and that some of my favorite players (John Smoltz, et. al.) are Republicans. I'm sure most Sox fans overlook the fact that Curt Schilling is a Republican. Baseball is the national pasttime, shared by all of us, and it is something that should be far above politics.

How is this Making the World Safer?

2005-06-27T12:58:00.000-04:00

The US plans to produce Uranium-238 since the first time since the Cold War.

And we still presume to lecture other countries about their nuclear ambitions?

Yadda...

2005-06-27T12:56:00.000-04:00

Even more civil rights abuses by the Bush administration. This time involving improper use of material witness warrants.

"The report cites instances in which agents used what it calls "flimsy" evidence to make arrests. A 68-year-old Virginia doctor named Tajammul Bhatti was arrested by the FBI in June 2002 after neighbors found magazines about flying and a phone number of a Pakistani nuclear scientist in his apartment. It turned out he had served in the U.S. Air Force National Guard and the Pakistani scientist was a childhood friend."

Flip Flop #5

2005-06-26T23:57:00.000-04:00

Dick Cheney, May 31st:
"The level of activity that we see today from a military standpoint, I think, will clearly decline. I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency."

Don Rumsfeld, June 26th:
"I would anticipate you're going to see an escalation of violence between now and the December elections... Insurgencies tend to go on five, six, eight, ten, twelve years... Coalition forces, foreign forces are not going to repress that insurgency."

Elite 8

2005-06-26T23:49:00.000-04:00

The Supreme Court session ends very soon, and announcements about SC justices could be forthcoming. Obviously, with his medical concerns, the one to watch is Chief Justice Rehnquist.

Slate has in depth looks at the 8 most likely Supreme Court nominees.

As the next justice will likely replace Rehnquist, Roe v. Wade will not be overturned, even if the replacement justice is opposed.

Republican Infighting

2005-06-26T23:07:00.000-04:00

VP Dick Cheney had the following to say about Chuck Hagel a few days ago:
"Since 9/11, we've had people like Chuck Hagel and other politicians and we've had people in the press corps and commentators who've said we can't do Afghanistan."

This is interesting as Chuck Hagel has NEVER said we couldn't win the war in Afghanistan. In fact, he said quite the contrary. In essence, this boils down to slander. Dissenting voices will not be tolerated within the Republican Party, and the Bush administration will go so far as to slander their own party leaders in an attempt to shut them up.

While we have a unified Democratic Party, the more fighting we see on their side, the better. The Bush regime is crumbling before our eyes.

More Cheney, from the same appearance. The ridiculousness of this quote speaks for itself:
"[Washington has] got a lot of people in it who were armchair quarterbacks or who like to comment on the passing scene. But those who have predicted the demise of our efforts since 9/11 -- as we have fought the war on terror, as we have liberated 50 million people in Iraq and Afghanistan -- did not know what they were talking about."

Far worse than Vietnam...

2005-06-26T22:56:00.000-04:00

They'll surely vilify one of their own... in fact, it's already happened, but Chuck Hagel continues to speak out against the war he once supported.

Hagel spoke to a crowd of American Legion members today in Nebraska...

Sen. Chuck Hagel addresses more than 200 Nebraska American Legion members in Grand Island on Saturday.

It took 20 minutes, but it boiled down to this:

The Bush team sent in too few troops to fight the war leading to today's chaos and rising deaths of Americans and Iraqis. Terrorists are "pouring in" to Iraq.

Basic living standards are worse than a year ago in Iraq. Civil war is perilously close to erupting there. Allies aren't helping much. The American public is losing its trust in President Bush's handling of the conflict.

And Hagel's deep fear is that it will all plunge into another Vietnam debacle, prompting Congress to force another abrupt pullout as it did in 1975.

"What we don't want to happen is for this to end up another Vietnam," Hagel told the legionnaires, "because the consequences would be catastrophic."

It would be far worse than Vietnam, says Hagel, a twice-wounded veteran of that conflict, which killed 58,000 Americans.

One of the important points from the article, not quoted above, is that Hagel received a standing ovation from the crowd at the conclusion of his speech. Hagel is a veteran. The crowd was made up of veterans. They can see when the shit is hitting the fan.

Moonlight

2005-06-26T00:06:00.000-04:00

One century ago next Tuesday, Moonlight Graham made his sole appearance in the major leagues.

If you know who that is, click here.

That famous line.

NYT Commentary

2005-06-25T23:50:00.000-04:00

Today's Times has a great commentary.

To have the sober conversation about the war in Iraq that America badly needs, it is vital to acknowledge three facts:

The war has nothing to do with Sept. 11....

The war has not made the world, or this nation, safer from terrorism....

If the war is going according to plan, someone needs to rethink the plan....

Indeed.

Great site...

2005-06-25T23:41:00.000-04:00

Soldiers, veterans and military families sound off on Karl Rove. Check it out.

An example:
I served in the Marines in the infantry from 1986 to 1991, and I saw combat in Panama and the Persian Gulf. And I'm a liberal. I'm a liberal precisely because of my service and because of my experience.

Karl Rove is too obtuse to understand the complexities of the issues of which he so cavalierly speaks. Yet he is all-too-willing to sacrifice the lives of American service men and women in the name of his simplistic merry-making with U.S. foreign policy and militaristic shenanigans.

I am most upset with Karl Rove's insipid declaration that anyone who didn't feel the need for blind revenge is somehow less than patriotic. I understood my service to my country to be based upon the belief that we would uphold the American ideal that we will always seek to set the standard for the rest of the world to follow--liberty, humanity, civility, forthrightness, and dignity. Mr. Rove's comments besmirch anyone who seeks to have those ideals upheld.

No Shit

2005-06-25T23:34:00.000-04:00

US admits torture at Gitmo, Iraq, Afghanistan.

In Case You Need An Ego Boost...

2005-06-25T17:40:00.000-04:00

Check out why members of the Young Republicans aren't volunteering for their own war...

NEW YORK - Young Republicans gathered here for their party's national convention are united in applauding the war in Iraq, supporting the U.S. troops there and calling the U.S. mission a noble cause.

But there's no such unanimity when they're asked a more personal question: Would you be willing to put on the uniform and go to fight in Iraq?

In more than a dozen interviews, Republicans in their teens and 20s offered a range of answers. Some have friends in the military in Iraq and are considering enlisting; others said they can better support the war by working politically in the United States; and still others said they think the military doesn't need them because the U.S. presence in Iraq is sufficient.

"Frankly, I want to be a politician. I'd like to survive to see that," said Vivian Lee, 17, a war supporter visiting the convention from Los Angeles,

Lee said she supports the war but would volunteer only if the United States faced a dire troop shortage or "if there's another Sept. 11."

"As long as there's a steady stream of volunteers, I don't see why I necessarily should volunteer," said Lee, who has a cousin deployed in the Middle East.

In an election season overwhelmed by memories of the Vietnam War, the U.S. military's newest war ranks supreme among the worries confronting much of Generation Y'ers. Iraq is their war.

"If there was a need presented, I would go," said Chris Cusmano, a 21-year-old member of the College Republicans organization from Rocky Point, N.Y. But he said he hasn't really considered volunteering.

The army is experiencing a massive troop shortage. There's a need. Go, Chris Go.

These people were some of the most vigorous supporters of the war, and were all too willing to call us stupid and unpatriotic for not supporting it. Well, I think it's time they put their money where their mouth is.

DeLay's Losing It

2005-06-25T17:32:00.001-04:00

Is he drunk? Or just insane?

You be the judge.

And ask yourself. What w0uld the media reaction be if that were Nancy Pelosi?

No Wonder Rove is Desperate

2005-06-25T17:19:00.000-04:00

From the latest ARG Poll:
Approve Disapprove
Republicans 84 12
Independents 17 75
Democrats 18 77

That independent spread is phenomenal.

Slowly, the rest of the country is finding out that the Democrats are right on Iraq. Right on homeland security. Right on the war on terror. Right on the economy. Right on social security. Right on health care. Right on family values.

The bottom is falling out of the GOP machine. Enjoy the show!

Another Cheney Heart Attack?

2005-06-25T17:17:00.000-04:00

Arriana's on the case...

A Litmus Test on Patrotism

2005-06-25T08:38:00.000-04:00

Excellent editorial from the Virginian-Pilot (Hampton Roads, VA)

Hey Sox Fans...

2005-06-24T23:48:00.000-04:00

...Somebody might want to tell ARod...

Crazy Commonwealth

2005-06-24T23:31:00.000-04:00

Last week, it was Silvio Berlusconi's fat. Now, on eBay, you can purchase Virginia Governor Mark R. Warner's DNA! You could be buying the DNA of the next President of the United States!

And now, your moment of zen: "Look! See? There's that filmy-looking sticky stuff in the bottom of that lemonade cup. It may actually have been back-washed."

Broken Record

2005-06-24T23:20:00.000-04:00

"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."
-Hermann Goering
Nurenburg Trials
April 18, 1946

Sound familiar?

Rove Supporters

2005-06-24T23:02:00.000-04:00

The following people/groups have expressed their support for Karl Rove's statements. In essence, the following think that liberals are soft on the war on terror and want US soldiers to die.

RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman
The White House
NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg
NY Governor George Pataki
NJ Gubernatorial Candidate Doug Forrester
Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay

Now, which party is REALLY hurting the troops and the war on terror?

Oh, in case you're interested, here's Karl Rove's phone number: (202) 456-2369.

Extraordinary Rendition

2005-06-24T22:58:00.000-04:00

It looks like the rest of the world is tired of being pushed around.

From the Times:

An Italian judge has ordered the arrest of 13 operatives of the Central Intelligence Agency accused of kidnapping an Egyptian cleric on a Milan street two years ago and sending him to a prison in Egypt for questioning, Italian prosecutors and investigators said today.

Judge Chiara Nobili of Milan signed the arrest warrants on Thursday for 13 people the documents identified as C.I.A. operatives suspected of seizing the radical imam Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, as he walked to his mosque here for noon prayers on Feb. 17, 2003.

His family says that he has been tortured by his Egyptian captors.

Investigators said the court documents, which remain under seal, identify the 13 operatives by their real names as well as their cover names. In the warrants, Judge Nobili said that all 13 suspects were linked to the C.I.A. and that several served as diplomats at the United States Consulate in Milan, investigators said. The judge's action represents the first time that American operatives face prosecution by a foreign criminal justice system for carrying out the C.I.A.'s policy of "extraordinary rendition," the legal term for the agency's practice of seizing terror suspects in one country and delivering them to be detained in another, including countries that routinely engage in torture. Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 100 terrorism suspects have been transferred by the United States to Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and other countries, where some former captives have said they were tortured.

Roving Lunatic

2005-06-24T00:01:00.000-04:00

The DNC has it right on Rove.

Scary Stuff...

2005-06-23T23:48:00.000-04:00

Some of the more frightening things to come up lately:

-Be thankful you're in College. The Pentagon is creating a database of high school students between 16 and 18 for military recruitment purposes. The database will include sensitive information such as birthdates, social security numbers, grade point averages and subjects studies.

-SCOTUS has ruled that governments can take private property against the owner's will for economic development projects. In other words, your local government can now take your house and land in order for someone else to put up a shopping mall.

-A study commissioned by Senator Lugar (R-IN) states "The world faces an estimated 50% chance of nuclear, biological, chemical or radiological attack over the next five years... Over ten years this risk expands to as much as 70%."

What He Said...

2005-06-23T23:41:00.000-04:00

So Karl Rove wants to say that liberals want the troops to die?

I agree with Atrios: "For the record, my motives aren't to get more troops killed. If those were my motives I'd ship them off to a war on false pretenses without sufficient equipment to keep them safe."

Great NYT Column

2005-06-23T10:47:00.000-04:00

From Bob Herbert of the New York Times...

Excellent article. Check out the rest.

Whatever term is used, the governor's continued pursuit of Mr. Schiavo in the absence of any evidence that he has done anything wrong is a clear example of government power being used as a club to punish someone for political reasons. The unwarranted harassment of an ordinary citizen by the most powerful political figure in his state is an affront to the very idea of freedom that Mr. Bush and his brother in the White House are so fond of preaching.

The political exploitation of this tragic case has been uniquely grotesque. Ms. Schiavo died March 31 following the court-ordered removal of her feeding tube. An autopsy supported Mr. Schiavo's contention that his wife had been in a persistent vegetative state. She was unaware of anything and incapable of recovering. At her death at age 41, Ms. Schiavo's withered brain was half the normal size for a woman her age.

Governor Bush was one of the leaders of the pack of politicians who vehemently opposed Mr. Schiavo's efforts to have his wife's feeding tube removed. Much of what was said was outrageous. Eleven days before she died, Tom DeLay declared: "Terri Schiavo is not brain dead. She talks and she laughs, and she expresses happiness and discomfort. Terri Schiavo is not on life support."

Senator Tom Coburn, a Republican and a physician from Oklahoma, said: "All you have to do is look at her on TV. Any doctor with any conscience can look at her and know that she does not have a terminal disease and know that she has some function."

All agree that Terri Schiavo is now dead, but Governor Bush insists on keeping the craziness going.

Too Long in an Undisclosed Location?

2005-06-23T00:08:00.000-04:00

"Maybe his mother loved him, but I've never met anybody who does. He's never won anything, as best I can tell."
-Dick "Go Fuck Yourself" Cheney

Speaking of Gassing Your Own People...

2005-06-23T00:03:00.000-04:00

Roger Ailes, head honcho at Fox News, has apparently subjected his employees to a highly toxic pesticide.

O'Reilly Versus Our Own

2005-06-22T23:53:00.000-04:00

Everyone at Air America should be arrested as traitors, according to Bill O'Reilly. Including fellow Friar Janeane Garafalo.

"And any American that undermines that war, with our soldiers in the field, or undermines the war on terror, with 3,000 dead on 9/11, is a traitor.

Everybody got it? Dissent, fine; undermining, you're a traitor. Got it? So, all those clowns over at the liberal radio network, we could incarcerate them immediately. Will you have that done please? Send over the FBI and just put them in chains, because they, you know, they're undermining everything and they don't care, couldn't care less."

Gotcha!

2005-06-22T23:47:00.000-04:00

From today's press briefing:

Q Scott, how concerned is the administration about the potential for Iraq to become a sort of training ground for Islamic extremists who may go back to their home countries and use these techniques to destabilize their governments? There's a new report on that recently.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let me mention a couple things. As the President has said for some time now, Iraq is a central front in the war on terrorism. Wherever you stood before the decision to go into Iraq, I think we can all recognize that the terrorists have made it a central front in the war on terrorism. [snip]

Q Just following up on that question, you said at the outset of that, the terrorists have made it a central front in the war on terrorism. I thought it was a central front in the war on terrorism before we invaded.

MR. McCLELLAN: It is. It's part of the war on terrorism, yes.

Q It was.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, it is.

Q It is now --

MR. McCLELLAN: Both.

Q Was it prior to --

MR. McCLELLAN: Both. It's part of the war on terrorism, David.

Flag Burning Amendment

2005-06-22T23:36:00.000-04:00

Shame on Dianne Feinstein, Ben Nelson, Max Baucus and Blanche Lincoln for co-sponsoring the Flag Burning Amendment, which recently passed the House.

This amendment is idiotic for two reasons.

First, desecration of the flag is a form of political protest. While it is one I do not approve of personally and would never do (I think the country is greater than its current right-wing fetish), I do not want to see any form of political expression banned in the Constitution. Once that precedent is set, what would be next?

But the second reason comes down to simple common sense. When a flag has reached the end of its useful life, you're SUPPOSED to burn it. In fact, several organizations, such as the Elk's Club, the American Legion and the Boy Scouts actually provide this as a service. Obviously the American Legion and the Boy Scouts are unpatriotic.

But, this has 65 votes and needs 67, so it won't pass... this year.

Yeah, So, We Won Ohio Apparently

2005-06-22T23:19:00.000-04:00

I wasn't one to pay much mind to voter irregularities in Ohio in the sense that is affected the outcome of the election. I didn't think the numbers were big enough. But the DNC has some interesting findings, and it looks like the Ohio results may be questionable after all.

The following is from the introduction. Get the full text here.

Why were there so many more provisional ballots cast in Ohio than in other states of comparable size? 2.8% of all ballots cast in Ohio were provisional ballots, as contrasted with only 0.9% in PA and 0.3% in FLA.(...)

Our report concludes that more than one-quarter of Ohio voters had problems at the polls. Far more troubling, twice as many African American voters reported problems at the polls than did white voters.

Ohio voters report experiencing a wide range of problems, the most common of which was long lines. African American voters reported waiting an average of 52 minutes before voting while white voters overall reported waiting 18 minutes.

Voters also reported confusion at the polls, incompetence and negligence on the part of polling officials, problems with registration status, problems locating the proper polling place, problems with absentee and provisional ballots and unlawful identification requirements at the polls.

African American voters were far more likely to have their registration status challenged and to report experiencing intimidation at the polls than other voters. 16% of African Americans reported experiencing intimidation at the polls as opposed to 5% of whites. African Americans and voters under age 30 were far more likely to have their identification checked at the polls, very often illegally. Under Ohio law, only voters voting in a Federal election for the first time who had not provided identification at the time they registered to vote may be required to show ID at the polls.

But while only 7% of Ohio voters were newly registered and only a fraction of those new voters failed to provide ID at the time they registered to vote, 37% of voters statewide were required to produce ID at the polls, meaning that many voters were illegally required to produce identification. Fully 67% of voters under age 30 were required to produce ID at the polls, and 67% of African American males were required to produce ID in order to vote.

Counties using touchscreen machines had far more problems than voters in
other counties. The quantity of touchscreen machines varied widely from county
to county. In Franklin County (Columbus and surrounding cities), where 74% of
voters reported waiting in line more than 20 minutes) there were proportionally
fewer machines in minority neighborhoods.

The study reveals a profound lack of confidence in the democratic process
in Ohio, divided sharply along racial lines. Nearly one-quarter of Ohio voters
report that their experience in 2004 has made them less confident about the
reliability of elections in Ohio. 71% of whites reported being very confident
their vote was counted as opposed to 19% of African Americans.

Blogging Team

2005-06-22T14:22:00.000-04:00

Adam Roach, the current President of the PC Dems, will start posting here from time to time.

If anyone else from the group would like to do the same, post below or drop me an email. Within reason, what you want to post is up to you. News, analysis, commentary, humor, whatever. I'm wonderful and all, but it would be great to get some fresh blood in here.

History Repeats

2005-06-22T00:41:00.000-04:00

From Rev. Bill Banuchi, executive director of the New York Christian Coalition:
"We put warning labels on cigarette packs because we know that smoking takes one to two years off the average life span, yet we ‘celebrate’ a lifestyle that we know spreads every kind of sexually transmitted disease and takes at least 20 years off the average life span according to the 2005 issue of the revered scientific journal Psychological Reports."

So, Rev. Banuchi, should we put warning labels on gays? Should they look something like this?...

Told You So...

2005-06-22T00:30:00.000-04:00

To all those people who told me I was wrong when I said Arnold would be a horrible Governor, here's some crow.

Field Poll. 6/13-6/19 (February 2005)

Schwarzenegger's Approval Rating:
Approve 37 (53)
Disapprove 53 (35)

Those trend lines are phenomenal. And they want this guy to be President?

Cruella's Screwed

2005-06-22T00:28:00.000-04:00

Mason-Dixon Poll, 6/14-6/16 (No Trend Lines)

Bill Nelson (D) 53
Katherine Harris (R) 36

"This is one of those rare cases where, going in, the challenger has higher negative ratings than the incumbent," said Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc., which conducted the poll for the Orlando Sentinel and WESH 2 News. "At this point, when you look at these numbers, I don't know how she's going to win this race."

"Too negative"

2005-06-22T00:25:00.000-04:00

Check out this ad that Crooks and Liars tried to place in the Young Republican National Convention program.

Scott McClellan Is Still A Tool

2005-06-22T00:22:00.000-04:00

Priceless...

Q Is the President concerned about the recruitment being down in his home country, he can't get -- you know, some day you may give a war and no one will come? And, also, the second part of the question, is there any member of the Bush clan who is in the military service now, that you know of?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'd have to go check; that's a pretty large clan, as you -- ]

Q Would you do that?

MR. McCLELLAN: -- as you referred to. In terms of -- and certainly there are members of the family that have served and served very admirably in the Armed Forces.

Q I'm not talking about the past, I'm talking about now.

MR. McCLELLAN: And in terms of your question on recruitment and the recruiting efforts, I think the Department of Defense has briefed on that recently and they've talked about their efforts to address some of the concerns that you bring up. I would refer you --

More on Virgil Goode/MZM

2005-06-22T00:17:00.000-04:00

MZM employees were coerced into making political donations.

Waldo Jaquith has more.

Randy Cunningham is going down. Hopefully so is Virgil Goode.

Happy Solstice

2005-06-21T00:01:00.000-04:00

It's officially summer. Enjoy!

Want to Annoy Mike Rubin?

2005-06-20T23:57:00.000-04:00

Remember this?

Here's a reminder: "Jon [McGrath '05] claims that if homosexuality is genetic, and therefore 'occurs naturally' then it cannot be wrong (Nov. 4); of course, people have genetic predispositions to developing cancer, but that does not mean cancer is natural for humans to have, or that we should not try to help them conquer it."

Why bring this up now?

A little background. Mr Rubin is from Virginia (aren't I lucky). He lives about 30 minutes from my house. His delegate (same as a state rep) is a man named Bob Marshall. Let's just say that Mr. Marshall and Mike Rubin see eye to eye on a great many issues, and Mike loves the man (almost as much as his bizarre worship of Paul Gondreau).

So, want to piss off Rubin? Then donate a few bucks to this guy. Bruce Roemmelt is taking on Mr. Marshall in his re-election bid this year. This was supposed to be a cakewalk for Mr. Marshall, but Bruce Roemmelt has thoroughly kicked Marshall's ass in fundraising thus far, which is making things interesting. So donate. Bruce is a swell guy. College Professor. Firefighter. Veteran. What more could you want?

The benefits are two-fold. I have to live in this state too, so if Bruce wins, I get to deal with a slightly less idiotic general assembly. But what could be more important than making Mike Rubin have to deal with being represented by Democrats at home as well as in Rhode Island. Lincoln Chafee will be his last hope (until January 2007, of course)! You want to annoy Mike Rubin. You don't have any races in your own state in 2005 (except for you NJ people, of course). You have lucrative summer jobs and nothing to spend your money on. So donate! Trust me, it will make you feel all fuzzy inside!

While you're at it, through a few bucks to these guys:
Tim Kaine - Governor
Leslie Byrne - Lieutenant Governor
Creigh Deeds - Attorney General
David Toscano - House of Delegates, 57th District (my district)
Steve Koleszar - House of Delegates, 58th District

OK, enough with the shameless plugging of races in a state where approximately 0.32% of the group lives. But remember, if any one of these people loses on November 8th, it's all your fault!

NJ GOV: Action Alert!

2005-06-20T23:53:00.000-04:00

From the Jon Corzine campaign:

Tomorrow, from 5pm - 7pm in Monmouth County, Doug Forrester is hosting a $1000/plate fundraising event headlined by special guest and Bush favorite Karl Rove. NJ Democrats are holding a protest. Please pass this information on to any forum, listservs, or blogs you’re a part of.

--------------

The New Jersey State Democratic Party is organizing a protest outside of the event to show that George W. Bush and Doug Forrester’s agenda. Forrester’s agenda is like a greatest hits of Bushism: tax cuts for the wealthy, wage cuts for the middle class, Social Security privatization, and massive deficits...

Protesters are meeting at 4:15pm at the home of Anne Beebe. The address is:

52 Navesink Ave
Rumson, NJ 07760
Monmouth CO

If you have any questions or if you’d like to attend, email Jonathan Murray (jonathan.murray@njdems.org) so that he knows that you’re coming. The goal is to get 100+ people there, so please forward this message to your friends!

Flip Flop #4 (Springtime for Hitler Edition)

2005-06-20T22:51:00.000-04:00

Right-wingers are all a-twitter after Senator Durbin's comments last week that compared Americans to Nazis (for purposes of this post, we'll ignore the fact that Durbin did NOT actually compare Americans to Nazis). These wingers are calling for anything from Durbin's censure to his totally resigning from the Senate.

MyDD is suggesting a resolution that would be great to see introduced (don't hold your breath)...

I think we should call them on this, and introduce a bi-partisan concurrent resolution to censure all elected officials who have made comparisons between Americans and Nazis. In addition to agreeing to conservative demands, this resolution would see both parties agree to all of the following:

-Ken Melhman must also resign as chairman of the Republican National Committee for defending a Republican ad that compared Democrats to Hitler.

-All Republican elected officials must refuse and return any money from organizations associated with Grover Norquist for directly comparing Democrats
to Nazis.

-Senator Rick Santorum must step down from his leadership position within the Senate for his comments comparing Democratic use of the filibuster to Nazis.

-Senator James Inhofe must step down as Chairman of the Committee on Environment and public works, for his likening of the Democratic supported Kyoto treaty to Nazism.

-Senator Jeff Sessions must be censured for his likening of a Democratic sponsored bill on stem cell research to Nazism.

-Representative Steve King must also be censured for comparing those who support abortion rights to Nazis.

-A sense of the Senate resolution rebuking former Senators Tim Cole and Phil Graham for their comparisons of Democrats to Nazis must also be passed.

"Am I Next?"

2005-06-20T22:41:00.000-04:00

A day in the life of the Iowa National Guard...

I'd like to see Bush tell these guys to their face to "stay the course."

Hayes drops down and cradles Miller's head in his lap, while Dermer rips open a pressure dressing and places it on the neck wound. Each man grabs one of Miller's hands and feels for a pulse. They still haven't found one when medic Spec. Jaymie Holschlag pulls open the back door of the M-113 and rushes, breathless, to Miller's side.

"Doc," Hayes says, looking up at her. "He's gone."

Holschlag begins checking Miller's pulse herself, as if she hasn't heard.

"Doc," Hayes repeats, louder. "He's gone!"

It is 10:18 a.m. on April 12, and John Wayne Miller is no more.

In the frenzy to save Miller, no one was thinking about why the war had snatched away the gangly 21-year-old Wal-Mart stocker from West Burlington, Iowa. Only later, as darkness falls and details of the day's horrors ricochet through their camp, do that question and others begin to haunt Hayes and his tightknit Iowa platoon. With a fifth of its soldiers killed or wounded, the platoon is reeling from the trauma of repeated loss, facing a constant threat from bombs and gunfire on Ramadi's streets, or mortar strikes on their base. They are angry, anxious, wracked by guilt -- one soldier suffers from combat stress so acute that he is unable to go on missions, and stays behind camp walls.

Dermer asks bitterly why the crew had sat exposed so long, making them an easy target.

Hayes turns inward, tormented over why the sniper had set his cross hairs on Miller instead of him.

Others wonder what Miller -- who sought escape by playing video games underneath a blanket -- was doing here in the first place.

Ramadi is a grim destination for U.S. troops. No battalion stationed inside the city has so far escaped a tour without serious casualties. More than 120 troops have been killed and hundreds more wounded since the summer of 2003 -- proportionally more than in Baghdad. And not all the deaths are from combat: One homesick 19-year-old recently shot himself in the head.

Miller's platoon of the 224th Combat Engineer Battalion headed to Ramadi in late February with 31 soldiers. Six weeks later it was down to 25...

Miller's squad leader, Staff Sgt. Steve "Shaggy" Hagedorn, is more blunt. "We spent three days clearing a route and I guarantee it's worse now than when we started," he says. "So everyone's asking, 'What are we doing it for?' Everyone's asking, 'Am I next?' "

Bitch

2005-06-20T22:38:00.000-04:00

What a freaking selfish idiot...

What hasn't changed is the fact that the vast majority of the parents who support the war do not want their children to fight it. A woman in the affluent New York suburb of Ridgewood, N.J., who has a daughter in high school and a younger son, said: "I would not want my children to go. If there wasn't a war it would be different. I support the war and I think we need to be there. But it's not going well. It's becoming like Vietnam. It's a very bad situation. But we can't leave."

Fuzzy Science

2005-06-20T22:28:00.000-04:00

Think Progress has a great report on the Bush administration's efforts to meddle with science in order to advance their agenda. Some pretty phenomenal stuff, covering topics like air quality at ground zero, the effectiveness of condoms (promoting abstinence instead), creating a fictional link between abortion and breast cancer, and much, much more. Check it out.

In addition, MyDD has an awesome post on the administration's efforts to alter reality.

STILL Not Supporting the Troops

2005-06-20T22:18:00.000-04:00

Marines in Arizona preparing to ship out to Iraq are being asked to buy their own equipment.

John Tod of Mesa had been prepared to face Father's Day worrying about his son's pending date with the war in Iraq.

Then Uncle Sam stepped in with more disappointing developments.

Marine Pfc. Jeremy Tod called home with news that his superiors were urging him and fellow Marines to buy special military equipment, including flak jackets with armor plating, to enhance the prospects of their survival.

The message was that such purchases were to be made by Marines with their own money.

"He said they strongly suggested he get this equipment because when they get to Iraq they will wish they had," Tod said.

Total estimated cost: $600.

Tod said his son's call about two weeks ago from the Marine Corps Air Station-Yuma was a sobering reminder that the military is not prepared to equip Pfc. Tod and fellow Marines with the best equipment.

Besides the essential flak jacket with steel "trauma" plates, the shopping list for the young Marine included a Camelbak (water pouch) special ballistic goggles, knee and elbow pads, a "drop pouch" to hold ammunition magazines and a load-bearing vest.

Tod, 45, is picking up the tab for a son who blew most of his savings on a new pickup truck. And dad says he is tempted to forward the bill to the Pentagon. "Or maybe I can write it off in taxes," he said with a grin.

It's not the cost that concerns him, even though the self-employed home repairman will have to dig deep for the cash.

"We're supposed to have a professional army," he said, "the best in the world. And we're not providing them with the type of gear they need to protect themselves as they do their jobs."

What does the administration think is more important. This? Or actually making sure the soldiers who are being put in harm's way (for dubious reasons) have the best possible equipment?