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Monday, May 12, 2008
This is what Republicans think of democracy posted by Clyde 1:07 PM Voter ID Battle Shifts to Proof of Citizenship The battle over voting rights will expand this week as lawmakers in Missouri are expected to support a proposed constitutional amendment to enable election officials to require proof of citizenship from anyone registering to vote. The measure would allow far more rigorous demands than the voter ID requirement recently upheld by the Supreme Court, in which voters had to prove their identity with a government-issued card. Sponsors of the amendment - which requires the approval of voters to go into effect, possibly in an August referendum - say it is part of an effort to prevent illegal immigrants from affecting the political process. Critics say the measure could lead to the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of legal residents who would find it difficult to prove their citizenship. Voting experts say the Missouri amendment represents the next logical step for those who have supported stronger voter ID requirements and the next battleground in how elections are conducted. Similar measures requiring proof of citizenship are being considered in at least 19 state legislatures. Bills in Florida, Kansas, Oklahoma and South Carolina have strong support. But only in Missouri does the requirement have a chance of taking effect before the presidential election. (Link) Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Know when to fold 'em posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:16 AM Clinton Team Acknowledges $20 Million Debt With her campaign falling ever deeper into debt, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton spent a rainy Mother's Day seeking votes ahead of Tuesday's primary here, turning a deaf ear to calls for her to leave a Democratic presidential contest she has little hope of winning. Clinton aides continued to insist that she will remain in the race even while confirming that she is $20 million in debt. "The voters are going to decide this," senior adviser Howard Wolfson said on "Fox News Sunday," acknowledging the $20 million figure. "There is no reason for her not to continue this process." Wolfson said he has seen "no evidence of her interest" in pursuing the second-place spot on the Democratic ticket, contrary to rumors that she is staying in the race to leverage a bid for the vice presidential nomination. With the primary season nearing its close, Sen. Barack Obama's advisers are beginning to consider the question of his running mate with more urgency as they focus more openly on the general election. Although Obama himself has been careful to insist that the Democratic race is not over as long as Clinton stays in it, his advisers have planned a trip to Missouri -- a state that held its primary on Feb. 5 but appears certain to be a key November battleground -- this week. ...With nearly everyone -- including, privately, many on her own team -- contemplating when, not if, she will quit the race, the questions surrounding Clinton now go largely to her motivation. Publicly, her campaign argues that victories in West Virginia and Kentucky could shift the growing tide of momentum for Obama back to her by demonstrating that she has appeal in states that Democrats must to win to take back the White House in November. What is unclear is whether she hopes strong performances will make Obama consider her for the No. 2 slot or at least help her retire her growing debt. Big hole Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Sunday, May 11, 2008
Jenna got married on Saturday. As for the reverend who did the ceremony - guess who he's endorsing for President. posted by Wally 12:51 PM I'll give you a hint. It ain't McCain. President Bush's daughter Jenna Welch Bush on Saturday married Henry Chase Hager, a graduate student and son of a former Virginia lieutenant governor, before 200 relatives and close family friends here, the White House confirmed. On Saturday afternoon, the Hager family hosted wedding guests at a barbecue in Salado. The wedding, which began at 7:30 p.m., took place on the Bush ranch, before a white limestone altar erected next to a man-made lake. The Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston officiated at the ceremony. Mr. Caldwell, a longtime religious adviser to Mr. Bush, has endorsed Senator Barack Obama. Awkward Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Some meatpacking companies want to test all of their cattle for Mad Cow disease. Bush tells judge to stop them. posted by Wally 7:13 AM How much does Georgie care about the American (or other) people? Enough to try to stop meatpackers from doing additional testing (above and beyond federal regulations) to ensure that they're not putting mad cow disease beef on the market. The logic is so twisted, even those of us who have spent years studying Bush's (ahem) reasoning have a hard time following it. Time Magazine tries to explain: The Bush administration on Friday urged a federal appeals court to stop meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease, but a skeptical judge questioned whether the government has that authority. The government seeks to reverse a lower court ruling that allowed Arkansas City, Kan.-based Creekstone Farms Premium Beef to conduct more comprehensive testing to satisfy demand from overseas customers in Japan and elsewhere. Less than 1 percent of slaughtered cows are currently tested for the disease under Agriculture Department guidelines. The agency argues that more widespread testing does not guarantee food safety and could result in a false positive that scares consumers. Wouldn't want to scare consumers now. They might stop shopping. That could lower corporate profit margins, and we can't have that, even at the expense of human lives and health. The additional, voluntary testing could also result in "real" positives that inform consumers. Perhaps that's another reason Bush is blocking it - he and Cheney have an irrational fear of allowing "we the people" to have any information about anything. (If you doubt this, consider the fact that they still refuse to release even the names of the people that were on Cheney's "energy task force" back in 2001). The more obvious reason, of course, is this: Larger meatpackers have opposed Creekstone's push to allow wider testing out of fear that consumer pressure would force them to begin testing all animals too. Once again, Bush comes to the rescue of the multi-national humongo-corporations in their struggle to squash the little guy. He wouldn't any of that "healthy competition" to enter his "free market" system and affect his big money CEO pals. Another day, another small step on the road to changing our government from "Of, by, and for the people" to "screw the people". Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

And the hits just keep on coming posted by Clyde 5:28 AM Republicans Vote Against Moms; No Word Yet on Puppies, Kittens It was already shaping up to be a difficult year for congressional Republicans. Now, on the cusp of Mother's Day, comes this: A majority of the House GOP has voted against motherhood. On Wednesday afternoon, the House had just voted, 412 to 0, to pass H. Res. 1113, "Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day," when Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), rose in protest. "Mr. Speaker, I move to reconsider the vote," he announced. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), who has two young daughters, moved to table Tiahrt's request, setting up a revote. This time, 178 Republicans cast their votes against mothers. (Link) Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Unfixing the fix posted by Clyde 5:08 AM Judge Drops General From Trial of Detainee In a new blow to the Bush administration's troubled military commission system, a military judge has disqualified a Pentagon general who has been centrally involved in overseeing Guantanamo war crimes tribunals from any role in the first case headed for trial. The judge said the general was too closely aligned with the prosecution, raising questions about whether he could carry out his role with the required neutrality and objectivity. Military defense lawyers said that although the ruling was limited to one case, they expected the issue to be raised in other cases, potentially delaying prosecutions, including the death-penalty prosecution of six detainees at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for the Sept. 11 attacks. Critics of the military commission system said Friday that the judge's decision would provide new grounds to attack the system that they say was set up to win convictions. (Link) Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Saturday, May 10, 2008
Corporate Wars posted by Clyde 4:47 AM War's shopping cart Pepsi, Apple, Krispy Kreme and other consumer firms profit from Iraq too. Last month, a review of 2006 congressional financial disclosure statements by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics found that lawmakers have as much as $196 million "invested in companies doing business with the Defense Department, earning millions since the start of the Iraq war." An Associated Press article on the report, however, offered a caveat: "Not all the companies invested in by lawmakers are typical defense contractors. Corporations such as PepsiCo, IBM, Microsoft and Johnson & Johnson have at one point received defense-related contracts." But the Associated Press is wrong. The fact is that corporations such as PepsiCo, IBM, Microsoft and Johnson & Johnson are, indeed, typical defense contractors. To suggest that such firms, and tens of thousands like them, only receive defense-related contracts at the odd, aberrant moment is specious at best. In 1961, Dwight D. Eisenhower, in his famous farewell address as president, warned of the "acquisition of unwarranted influence" by what he called the "military-industrial complex" in the United States. Today, however, the "large arms industry" of Eisenhower's day is only part of a complex equation. Civilian firms such as PepsiCo and IBM form the backbone of what more accurately can be described as a "military-corporate complex." These businesses allow the Pentagon to function, to make war and to carry out foreign occupations. For example, in 2006 (the last year for which official figures are available), PepsiCo and IBM ranked among the Pentagon's top 100 contractors, taking in $286,696,943 and $291,825,309, respectively. This was no aberration. The previous year, they received $233,053,993 and $382,408,117 each, according to Department of Defense documents. In fact, both companies have been defense contractors every year since at least 2000. And there isn't anything special or odd about PepsiCo or IBM, when it comes to the Pentagon. (Link) Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Georgie's Big Bad Boogey Man Alive and Well posted by Clyde 4:43 AM Al Qaeda in Iraq leader not captured - U.S. Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the head of al Qaeda in Iraq, has not been captured, a senior U.S. military official told CNN on Friday. Iraqi authorities said Thursday that al-Masri had been captured in Mosul. U.S. military officials were surprised about the report of Abu Ayyub al-Masri's capture -- first reported by Iraqi media and picked up by The Associated Press. And intelligence officials said they were skeptical, even though Iraqi officials said al-Masri was already in U.S. military custody. Al-Masri ("the Egyptian"), also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, took the reins of the Iraqi al Qaeda offshoot in June 2006 after a U.S. missile strike killed his predecessor, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. (BOO) Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Friday, May 9, 2008
"I can't quit you George." posted by Dookie The Webmaster 12:27 PM McCain Says He Did Vote For George W. Bush ABC News' Jan Simmonds and Jennifer Parker report: Heightening a he-said she-said brouhaha, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., today disputed liberal blogger Arianna Huffington's assertion that the presumptive Republican nominee voted against George W. Bush during the 2000 election. "It's nonsense," said McCain, whose campaign has suggested Huffington made up the story to promote her new book. Huffington, a former Republican, supports the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. ... Two other guests at Bergen's party, former "West Wing" actors Bradley Whitford and Richard Schiff, have come forward this week in the media to say that they, too, heard McCain say he didn't vote for Bush. Campaigning today in New Jersey, McCain disputed the story. "I voted, campaigned for, worked as hard as I could for President Bush's election in 2000 and 2004," McCain told reporters. "I voted for President Bush, I said so at the time. I know we're already in silly season, but my record stands very clearly of campaigning all over this nation on behalf of the candidacy of President Bush." McCain also admonished the media. "In all due respect, this is all not worth our time ...this happened eight years ago." McSame Permalink :: 6 comments :: Post a Comment

It's over posted by Dookie The Webmaster 8:40 AM Obama Takes Lead in Superdelegate Tally Sen. Barack Obama moved into the lead today in the last category that Sen. Hillary Clinton had claimed to have an edge -- support among the Democratic Party's superdelegates. The Illinois Democrat grabbed the superdelegate lead thanks to a switch by New Jersey Rep. Donald Payne and an endorsement from previously uncommitted Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon. Those two votes gave Obama a 267-266 lead over Clinton. That is a huge shift since the days when Clinton boasted about a 60-plus vote lead among the party's pros back on Super Tuesday. While the New York Democrat is refusing to concede defeat and is hoping a victory in Tuesday's West Virginia primary will keep her dwindling hopes alive, Obama is starting to focus instead on his Republican opponent John McCain. Get this over Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Dream ticket talk posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:26 AM Obama Seeks To Unify Party For November Sen. Barack Obama began taking the first steps to unify the fractured Democratic Party for a general-election battle against Sen. John McCain, even as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton continued to insist that she has the backing of a broader coalition that could carry the party to victory in November. Returning to Washington yesterday, Obama was mobbed by well-wishers as he walked onto the House floor. But behind the scenes, his campaign worked with a light touch to win over uncommitted superdelegates and allies of Clinton, mindful of not appearing overconfident and of the fact that they would need the backing of the candidate, her husband and their supporters in the fall. With numerous prominent Democrats believed to be waiting in the wings to endorse his candidacy, Obama appears poised to win the pledged delegates and superdelegates he will need to claim the Democratic nomination as early as May 20, when Kentucky and Oregon vote. But although he appeared to lock down his lead on Tuesday with a strong win in North Carolina and a narrow loss in Indiana, he won only two new superdelegate endorsements yesterday, from Reps. Rick Larsen (Wash.) and Brad Miller (N.C.). Many other unaligned lawmakers said they are likely to remain on the sidelines for the time being, in deference to Clinton. "Superdelegates understandably would prefer not to be seen as the deciding factor," Obama told reporters between meetings at the Capitol, brushing aside the suggestion that a mass endorsement is in the offing. "I think they respect the process, they respect Senator Clinton and myself." Heal Permalink :: 3 comments :: Post a Comment

Thursday, May 8, 2008
Ties to Big Oil? Pharma? Preunp? posted by Dookie The Webmaster 12:10 PM Cindy McCain says she'll never release her tax returns Cindy McCain says she will never make her tax returns public even if her husband wins the White House and she becomes the first lady. "You know, my husband and I have been married 28 years and we have filed separate tax returns for 28 years. This is a privacy issue. My husband is the candidate," Cindy McCain, wife of Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting John McCain, said in an interview aired on NBC's "Today" on Thursday. Asked if she would release her tax returns if she was first lady, Cindy McCain said: "No." The Arizona senator released his tax return last month, reporting he had a total income of $405,409 in 2007 and paid $84,460 in federal income taxes. He files his return separately from his wife, an heiress to a Phoenix-based beer distributing company whose fortune is in the $100 million range. They made Teresa Heinz Kerry release hers Is it just me or does Cindy McCain look like the Crypt Keeper? Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Where all the white women at? posted by Dookie The Webmaster 7:10 AM Obama needs Clinton's white women voters to win in November The reason Hillary Clinton is still in the race is her overwhelming support from white women in the recent primaries. Much has been made in the media and on the Sunday talk shows that if Barack Obama isn't the nominee the Democratic Party risks tearing itself asunder by losing black and youth voters. But little is talked about whether white women, particularly senior citizens, will comfortably vote for Obama over a war hero. Obama famously said back in February, "I'm confident I will get her votes if I am the nominee. It's not clear that she would get the votes I got if she were the nominee." A lot has happened since then. Is that boast still true? And can Democrats focus exclusively on black and youth voters and ignore white women or do they do so at their peril? Or is there still plenty of time for Obama to bridge the gap? Recent polls from Gallup and others and exit polls from Pennsylvania have shown more Clinton voters than Obama voters would vote Republican in the fall if their preferred candidate fails to win the Democratic nomination. Almost 7 out of 10 Obama voters would cast ballots for Clinton compared to barely 50 percent of Clinton voters in PA saying they'd support Obama in the fall. Various national polls show at least a quarter of her supporters would vote John McCain in the fall. More black caucus Permalink :: 3 comments :: Post a Comment

All eyes on the Super Delegates posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:22 AM Zogby: Clinton 'heading for the exit' To all intents and purposes the race for the Democratic nomination is over. Senator Obama needs slightly fewer than 200 delegates to pass the winning post and there are more than enough pledged delegates remaining to be elected, and super-delegates waiting to put him over the top. .... Where do we go from here? My understanding is that probably today, but certainly within 48 hours, about 30 super-delegates will endorse Mr Obama. That should give him further momentum. Mathematically, this will widen the gap between him and Mrs Clinton. He has a bigger share of the popular vote, more pledged delegates, and will now overtake her in terms of super-delegates too. Here are the reasons: There really is no mathematical chance for her to win Her campaign is virtually out of money - and it will be difficult for her to raise significant amounts of money after last night Not enough happened last night to give her any hope, so continuing would only give the appearance of wanting to damage Mr Obama Another problem she faces is that she is not perceived as a strong general election contender, because of her high negative poll ratings. I have no evidence that she will throw in the towel, or when she will. She is a Clinton and the Clintons do not have the word "lose" in their playbook - but these are the things I am hearing from supporters on both sides. Round 13 Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Absolut Medvedev posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:11 AM Medvedev Sworn in as New Russian President Newly-inaugurated Kremlin leader Dmitri Medvedev says Russia must develop genuine respect for the law. But VOA Moscow Correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports, critics of the new president see his elevation to power as a contradiction of the legal values he promises to advance. Considerable fanfare accompanied Dmitri Medvedev's inauguration in a lavish Kremlin ceremony that featured goose-stepping military units and 2,000 guests. They included political and military leaders, Orthodox, Jewish and Muslim clergy, and foreign ambassadors. Mr. Medvedev entered the Kremlin in a Mercedes Benz limousine. He walked up a long flight of stairs to an ornate hall along a red carpet to a stage where he was awaited by outgoing President Vladimir Putin, the head of Russia's Constitutional Court and the leaders of both houses of Parliament. Placing his hand on a copy of the Russian Constitution, the new Kremlin leader pledged to uphold the document, Russian sovereignty, and the human rights of citizens. We shall see Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Tough choices for Hillary... posted by Dookie The Webmaster 7:44 AM Will she drop out now or go in debt? Clinton Loans Campaign More Than $6 Million in Past Month The candidate loaned about $6.4 million to the campaign - and communications director Wolfson says she may give more. Tells MSNBC: "She is invested in this race, she is committed to this race, she will do what she can to ensure we have the resources that we need going forward." Loan comes on top of the $5 million she pumped into the campaign in late January. Is this about the Democratic party anymore? Permalink :: 4 comments :: Post a Comment

un-Lucky Guy posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:43 AM Jenna Bush, fiance to say "I do" on Saturday Talk about hush-hush wedding planning. First daughter Jenna Bush was the last in the family to know she was getting married. Months ago, her fiance, Henry Hager, told Jenna's twin sister that he wanted to propose. Then at the Camp David presidential retreat, Hager asked President Bush and first lady Laura Bush for their daughter's hand in marriage. For weeks, the president and Mrs. Bush kept their lips zipped. ..... Officially, the wedding is a private, family affair. The White House has issued no press releases, but the president and first lady have gradually dribbled out details about the nuptials Saturday at their 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas. Speak now or forever hold your.... At least ole Henry will know what Jenna will look like in 30 years: Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Russert Says It's Over - Clinton Cancels Appearances posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:31 AM Timmy making sense? More at DailyKos Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Is it over? posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:23 AM Obama expands his lead; Clinton says she'll fight on Barack Obama closed in on a history-making presidential nomination Tuesday - sweeping the North Carolina primary and holding Hillary Rodham Clinton to a narrow victory in Indiana that raised questions about the future of her campaign. The Illinois senator seemed relaxed and triumphant when he addressed a victory rally in Raleigh. He had prevailed in a "big state, a swing state," and one in which Clinton had suggested a loss by him could be a "game-changer." The Illinois senator seemed relaxed and triumphant when he addressed a victory rally in Raleigh. He had prevailed in a "big state, a swing state," and one in which Clinton had suggested a loss by him could be a "game-changer." .... Clinton - who would be the first woman nominated - announced campaign stops Thursday in West Virginia, South Dakota and Oregon. But the disappointing results Tuesday - including a rout in North Carolina after the campaign devoted enormous resources there - could make it difficult for her to raise money to compete effectively in the handful of states that remain. Time to focus on McCain Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

November.... posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:17 AM Are you a Hillary supporter who won't vote for Obama? Are you an Obama supporter who won't vote for Hillary? This is what you will get. And deserve: McCain pledges more conservative judges Sen. John McCain moved to shore up his support among conservatives by pledging Tuesday to nominate strict-constructionist judges to the federal bench. "It will fall to the next president to nominate hundreds of qualified men and women to the federal courts, and the choices we make will reach far into the future," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said during a speech at Wake Forest University in North Carolina... Many conservative members are suspicious of McCain on the issue of judges because of his involvement in 2006 in the so-called Senate "gang of 14." That bipartisan group of senators sought to reach a consensus on President Bush's judicial appointees, blocking some of the president's most conservative nominations while promising to confirm others. The group formed after the then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist threatened to remove the ability to filibuster judicial nominations after Democratic senators blocked a number of Bush nominees. McCain also directly criticized Obama for not voting to confirm Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, saying the Illinois senator's justification of that decision sounded like it was written by an "activist judge."... In response to McCain's speech, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said the Arizona senator has a "radical, right wing judicial philosophy." "It's clear he's the wrong choice to safeguard that future," Dean also said. "No matter how far they have gone to restrict our fundamental rights or their clear records of gutting the reforms John McCain claims to care about, he has put loyalty to his party and a radical agenda ahead of the American people." R.A.T.S. - Roberts.Alito.Thomas.Scalia Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

RIP GOP posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:13 AM GOP leaders warn of election disaster Shellshocked House Republicans got warnings from leaders past and present Tuesday: Your party's message isn't good enough to prevent disaster in November, and neither is the NRCC's money. The double shot of bad news had one veteran Republican House member worrying aloud that the party's electoral woes - brought into sharp focus by Woody Jenkins' loss to Don Cazayoux in Louisiana on Saturday - have the House Republican Conference splitting apart in "everybody for himself" mode. "There is an attitude that, 'I better watch out for myself, because nobody else is going to do it,'" the member said. "There are all these different factions out there, everyone is sniping at each other, and we have no real plan. We have a lot of people fighting to be the captain of the lifeboat instead of everybody pulling together." ... And in a closed-door session at the Capitol, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told members that the NRCC doesn't have enough cash to "save them" in November if they don't raise enough money or run strong campaigns themselves. Whaaaambulance Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Tuesday, May 6, 2008
It will only happen when pigs fly! posted by Clyde 10:36 AM U.S. panel authorizes subpoena of Cheney aide A Democratic-led U.S. congressional panel voted on Tuesday to authorize its chairman to subpoena Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff in its probe of possible U.S. torture of suspected terrorists. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, may issue a subpoena as early as Wednesday for David Addington, who the administration maintains is immune from being required to testify. If Addington refuses to show up, a court fight is likely, but it may not be resolved until after President George W. Bush and Cheney end their terms in January and leave office. Despite that likelihood, Nadler, chairman of the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, pushed for a possible confrontation. (Link) Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Hillary Clinton's keys to winning... posted by Dookie The Webmaster 7:55 AM By Keith Olbermann: Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Know a veteran? Help them. posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:21 AM Post-War Suicides May Exceed Combat Deaths, U.S. Says The number of suicides among veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may exceed the combat death toll because of inadequate mental health care, the U.S. government's top psychiatric researcher said. Community mental health centers, hobbled by financial limits, haven't provided enough scientifically sound care, especially in rural areas, said Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He briefed reporters today at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting in Washington. Insel echoed a Rand Corporation study published last month that found about 20 percent of returning U.S. soldiers have post- traumatic stress disorder or depression, and only half of them receive treatment. About 1.6 million U.S. troops have fought in the two wars since October 2001, the report said. About 4,560 soldiers had died in the conflicts as of today, the Defense Department reported on its Web site. Based on those figures and established suicide rates for similar patients who commonly develop substance abuse and other complications of post-traumatic stress disorder, "it's quite possible that the suicides and psychiatric mortality of this war could trump the combat deaths," Insel said. Support our Troops Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Monday, May 5, 2008
All hat, no cattle posted by Dookie The Webmaster 10:17 AM Schumer Proposes Putting Pressure On Saudi Arabia Over Oil At the Hess on 44th Street and Tenth Avenue in Manhattan on Sunday, the gas price stood at $3.81 per gallon for regular, which had Senator Charles Schumer speaking up. "We all know how the price of gasoline is through the roof," said New York's senior senator. "We all know how it's burning a hole in everyone's wallets and pocket books. And we all know how it's crimping our economy." He and four other senators are calling on the Bush administration to use its leverage with members of OPEC to force them to increase oil supplies. "There is one way to get the prices of oil down and it's two words -- Saudi Arabia," said Schumer. Schumer proposes holding up multi-billion dollar arms deals with the Saudis unless they put more oil into circulation. He says the Saudi Arabia has been cutting back production the past few years, leading to a drop in supply, increased prices, and more money in the Saudis pockets. Not gonna happen Anyone remember then Governor Bush in 2000? Bush Would Use Power of Persuasion to Raise Oil Supply "I would work with our friends in OPEC to convince them to open up the spigot, to increase the supply," Mr. Bush, the presumptive Republican candidate for president, told reporters here today. "Use the capital that my administration will earn, with the Kuwaitis or the Saudis, and convince them to open up the spigot." Instead: Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Tomorrow.... posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:18 AM CBS Poll: Support For Obama Rebounds Democrat Barack Obama appears to have rebounded from some of the damage caused by the controversy surrounding his former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright, according to the latest CBS News/New York Times poll. On one key measure, Obama has seen a big reversal since his denunciation of Wright's remarks on Tuesday. He now leads presumptive Republican nominee John McCain in the hypothetical fall contest by eleven points, 51 percent to 40 percent. That compares to a tied match-up in a CBS News/New York Times poll that was released last Wednesday. Positive assessments of how Obama has handled the situation with Wright are also reflected by a continued lead over fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton in his battle for their party's nomination. Among Democratic primary voters (those who have voted or plan to vote in a Democratic primary) Obama's lead over Clinton has increased -- he now leads Clinton by twelve points, 50 percent to 38 percent. That's up from his eight point lead in the poll released just a few days ago. However, among all registered voters who identify themselves as Democrats (regardless of whether they have voted or plan to vote in a Democratic primary) Obama and Clinton are virtually tied -- 45 percent for Clinton and 44 percent for Obama. This is similar to the numbers earlier in the week. The poll also shows good news for both Democrats in a campaign versus McCain in the fall. Just like Obama, Clinton's lead over McCain has jumped, from 5 to 12 points. End it by June Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Sunday, May 4, 2008
Subsidies should only be for Oil, not trivial luxuries like Food posted by Wally 6:37 AM As Farm Bill Nears Vote, Bush Presses for Fewer Subsidies President Bush's decision in 2002 to sign a farm bill loaded with billions of dollars of new agricultural subsidies triggered considerable criticism from GOP conservatives true to the party's anti-spending philosophy. Now, as Congress nears final agreement on a new five-year farm bill that will cost nearly $300 billion, the president has taken a harder line. Emboldened by soaring food prices and record farm profits, he has pressed Congress to cut farm subsidies sharply and has made clear that he will veto the popular bill if lawmakers do not meet his demands. Too bad Bush wasn't also "emboldened by" soaring oil prices and record oil company profits into working with Congress to cut oil subsidies and eliminating tax breaks for oil companies. But individual farmers don't have millions to donate to the GOP, and Bush isn't buddies with farmers like he is with oil execs, in spite of the fact that he keeps telling us about his "ranch". You know, the one with no livestock or actual "ranching" going on. Let them eat cake Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Greed is good, right? posted by Clyde 5:35 AM Contractors Gone Wild Allegations of widespread mismanagement and corruption among private contractors in Iraq are nothing new; if anything, tales of cronyism, over-billing, and embezzlement have become so frequent that our national tolerance for them seems only to have increased as the Iraq War has drawn on. Even so, the testimony earlier this week of three whistleblowers before the Senate's Democratic Policy Committee (DPC) stands out for the sheer outrageousness of their accusations-namely that U.S. private contractors looted Iraqi palaces and ministries, stole military equipment, fenced supplies destined for U.S. troops, and even operated a prostitution ring that may have contributed to the death of fellow contractor. Yet despite its focus on such salacious matters as sex and corruption, the session earned little media attention. The first to testify was Frank Cassaday, a former KBR employee who worked as an ice plant operator in Fallujah in 2004 and 2005. "Ice was a very valuable commodity in Iraq that was regularly stolen and bartered for other goods," he told the committee. He recalled how a convoy of U.S. Marines, in preparation for an operation that would take them outside the wire for several days, requested 28 bags of ice to keep their food fresh in the desert heat. They received only three. "The ice foreman was cheating the troops out of ice at the same time that he was trading the ice for DVDs, CDs, food, and other items at the Iraqi shops across the street," Cassaday said. "This foreman would change the ice tally sheets at the distribution area I worked in to make it seem as though we had handed out more ice to the Marines than we actually did." (Link) Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

A new twist to "fighting them over there" posted by Clyde 5:28 AM Despite Alert, Flawed Wiring Still Kills G.I.'s In October 2004, the United States Army issued an urgent bulletin to commanders across Iraq, warning them of a deadly new threat to American soldiers. Because of flawed electrical work by contractors, the bulletin stated, soldiers at American bases in Iraq had received severe electrical shocks, and some had even been electrocuted. The bulletin, with the headline "The Unexpected Killer," was issued after the horrific deaths of two soldiers who were caught in water - one in a shower, the other in a swimming pool - that was suddenly electrified after poorly grounded wiring short-circuited. 'We've had several shocks in showers and near misses here in Baghdad, as well as in other parts of the country," Frank Trent, an expert with the Army Corps of Engineers, wrote in the bulletin. "As we install temporary and permanent power on our projects, we must ensure that we require contractors to properly ground electrical systems." Since that warning, at least two more American soldiers have been electrocuted in similar circumstances. In all, at least a dozen American military personnel have been electrocuted in Iraq, according to the Pentagon and Congressional investigators. (Link) Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Saturday, May 3, 2008
It's just a mistake, right? posted by Clyde 6:08 AM Feds acknowledge error on travel for former Ala. governor Federal court officials acknowledged Friday that they erred this week in classifying former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman as a special offender who required an extra layer of approval before traveling to New Orleans. Probation officials in Alabama and Louisiana mistakenly applied rules governing offenders who are on probation. Siegelman is not on probation; he is free on bond pending appeal, said Karen Redmond, spokeswoman for the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts. "They made an honest mistake," Redmond said. "They were giving him conditions for a special offender under probation. He's not. He's pretrial." Siegelman, a Democrat who was convicted in 2006 on corruption charges, complained this week that he had been placed under new travel restrictions after appearing in several national media outlets and traveling to Washington to criticize his prosecution, which he claims was politically motivated. (Link) Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

He can't talk so why would anyone think reading would be any better? posted by Clyde 6:03 AM Study: Bush administration's reading program hasn't helped A reading program at the center of President Bush's signature education law hasn't added to children's understanding of what they read, a federal study has found. The federal government has spent about $6 billion on Reading First, which was created as part of the 2002 No Child Left Behind law and brings extra reading instruction, based on recommended practices, into low-income elementary schools. The report out Thursday from the Institute of Education Sciences, an independent arm of the Education Department, finds no difference in reading comprehension scores among students who participated in Reading First and those who did not. One of the main goals of the No Child law is to get all children reading at their proper grade level, and the Bush administration has made Reading First a key part of that goal. (Link) Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Friday, May 2, 2008
DC Maddam suicide note found: posted by Dookie The Webmaster 12:20 PM Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

The "War on Food" posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:47 AM What about here at home? Bush offers $770m for food crisis George W Bush has offered $770m (£390m) in international food aid to help ease the effects of surging food prices that have sparked riots in some countries. The US president said he was asking Congress to approve his request. The White House has come under intense pressure to step in as high food and petrol prices have squeezed poor families both at home and abroad. The global crisis has sparked rioting in several developing countries, with the threat of worse to come. "We're sending a clear message to the world that America will lead the fight against hunger for years to come," said Mr Bush. "In some of the world's poorest nations, rising prices can mean the difference between getting a daily meal and going without food," he said. "The American people are generous people and compassionate people. We believe in the timeless truth, to whom much is given, much is expected." Food price increases, dubbed by the United Nations World Food Programme a "silent tsunami", have sparked riots in some countries, including Haiti, Cameroon and Indonesia. The UN has warned that high prices are expected to continue despite increased production. Food or Gas? Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Our kids better have high paying jobs.. posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:22 AM Senate Panel Approves $542B Defense Authorization The Senate Armed Services Committee has approved a $542.5 billion defense authorization bill for next year that increases military pay, funds new weapons systems and requires Iraq to assume the cost of large-scale infrastructure projects. The panel last night unanimously approved the package, which would fund the fiscal 2009 "baseline budget" of the Defense Department and national security programs of the Energy Department, Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.), the committee's chairman, announced today. An additional $70 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan "for some months beyond the current fiscal year" will be covered by a separate supplemental appropriations bill, he said. The proposed legislation prohibits the Defense Department from using funds authorized by the act to pay for large-scale infrastructure projects in Iraq, which are defined as those costing more than $2 million. It also calls for the United States to begin negotiating with the Iraqi government a cost-sharing agreement to ensure that "Iraq pays for the training, equipping and sustaining of the Iraqi security forces" and covers the costs associated with armed groups of U.S.-allied civilians known as the "Sons of Iraq." "American taxpayers are paying for too many things ... in Iraq that the Iraqis ought to pay for out of their surplus" oil revenues, Levin told a news conference this morning. With crude oil fetching nearly $120 a barrel, Iraq is expected to reap about $70 billion in oil revenue this year, and both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have complained that the Baghdad government should take on more of the costs now borne by cash-strapped American taxpayers. The market is strong, in China Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Thursday, May 1, 2008
*Don't fck with David Vitter (R-Diapers) posted by Dookie The Webmaster 2:35 PM DC Madam commits suicide in Tarpon Springs** Police were called to the home of DC Madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey's mother on Thursday to investigate her apparent suicide. Police have confirmed that the dead person is Palfrey who was 52. Palfrey was dubbed "The DC Madam" by the national media after her arrest for allegedly running an upscale call girl ring in the nation's capitol. She was convicted on Tuesday of money laundering, using the mail for illegal purposes and racketeering, but she had not yet been sentenced. Suicide-d? Permalink :: 3 comments ::