30 April 2005
1 dead, 14 injured in (possible) chem release in AR
DHS reports a possible poisoning at the Great Lakes Chemical Company in El Dorado, AR. One employee has died and fourteen others became sick on Thursday. The one fatality became paralyzed during a staff meeting around 0700 local time yesterday and was transported to the hospital. At the emergency room the employee reportedly went into convulsions.The cause of this incident is under investigation. Company officials report there was no known chemical release at the facility. Local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency are on scene investigating and monitoring the air. Nothing has been detected. The Great Lakes Chemical facility is a chemical processing plant that specializes in producing flame retardants and employs about 350 personnel. The principal chemical handled at the facility is bromine. The Washington Region Poison Control Center advises bromine exposure by inhalation or ingestion will cause eye irritation, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Paralysis and convulsions are not usual symptoms of exposure.
BBC on today's attacks in Cairo
"Our correspondent says the Egyptian authorities and Western governments fear the attacks represent a new generation of Islamic militants."
full story here
tyranny of the 'majority'
Political Wire gives today's "quote of the day" to Cuomo:
"The minority Democrats in the Senate actually represent more Americans than the majority Republicans do."
full text of Cuomo's address here
Are you a Republican?
go find out Mine was no surprise.
0% Republican. | "You're a complete liberal, utterly without a trace of Republicanism. You have the strength of ten because your heart is pure." |
LIAR
tons of rhetoric, abominably bereft in fact:
... on Thursday night, when he promised to improve benefits for the poor while limiting them for everyone else,Eric Martin deconstructs Tierney's silly column [Total Information Awareness: President Bush: A Man In Tights?]
In reality, the President's plan did not call for improving benefits for the poor, it just maintained what they would be getting if Social Security were left untouched. In the parlance of the day, somehow, that is transformed into an improvement. Under that rationale, I guess I get a raise every time I get a paycheck. Who knew? And the show continues. Tierney was duplicitously lauding a plan that has been described by some, especially Bush himself, as affecting social security benefits thusly: A slight benefit reduction for middle income and upper income earners, but with the lowest income earners benefits' left untouched - or "improved" if you will. In doing so, Bush was trying to portray himself as a compassionate conservative, and someone who cares for the poorest Americans - a dubious contention that could be shredded with even the most cursory examination of the changes to the tax code that have occurred over the past four years. But it will likely have its desired effect - at least in the hopelessly sycophantic corporate media.[update: Josh Marshall weighs in]
29 April 2005
28 April 2005
FT on the filibuster battle
and a point for you bozos who think the judicial confirmation battle is being fought on unfair footing because of threat of filibusters by Democrats... be careful what you ask for... and think about how badly you're going to want this "essential element of the Senate" intact, when Democrats undo all of the damage done by your incompetent and selfish decision making.
Country Reports on Terrorism: 2004
here Make sure not to miss Larry Johnson's contributions at Counterterrorism blog.
sonofa...
Eric Martin hits (another) homerun, responding to accusations made by Army Sgt. Erik Saar that interrogations at Guantanamo were staged for visiting dignitaries. These allegations were highlighted on last week's episode of 60 Minutes. Reuters has more here. Martin writes:
If true, this would mark yet another example of the Bush administration's willingness to manipulate perception in order to further their purposes. From government funded propaganda in the form of faux news segments aimed at misleading the public (even faux-er than Fox), hyped intelligence reports, paid pundits pushing the party line, to the intrusion on the non-partisan character of diplomatic vehicles like the Voice of America in order to inject a pro-Bush agenda, this administration is showing a frightening predilection for playing fast and loose with the facts. These actions are markedly undemocratic in their obfuscation of the truth - which in turn hinders the ability of the public and their representatives to make well-reasoned, informed decisions - a prerequisite for the healthy functioning of democracy.
Alliance for Justice Report on Fifth Circuit Nominee Priscilla Owen
here
In my more cynical moments, I suggest that, just as sports stadiums are now named after corporations, judicial seats are soon to follow. In that vein, I believe that Justice Owen could well fill the Exxon/Mobil or Wal-Mart seat on the Fifth Circuit. Justice Owen is the type of judge who can ignore facts – when it helps corporations to do so – yet then rail against the failure of her fellow Texas Supreme Court colleagues to pay more attention to the facts when she wants the court to stop a minor from getting an abortion… Justice Owen is only a judge because she was swept into office in the Republican sweep of 1994. There are many fine Republican jurists in this state, but Justice Owen is not one of them.
27 April 2005
26 April 2005
bingo
"But the nuts and bolts of anti-terrorism and counter-terrorism aren't sexy — because they're mostly the nuts and bolts of law enforcement, firefighting, public health work, municipal management and logistics. This isn't '24' or 'CSI-Miami'. This is real life. And in real life, first responders and consequence-management types and others need real solutions like FM frequency management from the federal government. And they need real money to buy really simple things like protective gear and HAZMAT training, or to stage exercises so that they can practice their response plans. A reliable, accurate and accessible 'watch list' system would also be a good tool. Our eye has been on a few other balls as of late, like Iraq, Social Security, judicial nominations and many other subjects. But arguably, nothing is as important as our government's ability to protect this country's citizens from another terrorist attack. Perhaps we need to pay more attention to these issues. There may be little glamour in carving out FM frequencies for police and fire agencies, or in building a better formula to allocate federal anti-terrorism money. But that doesn't diminish these recommendations' importance, or the consequences if we fail to act on them." [source: INTEL DUMP]
Arthur Andersen v. United States
on tomorrow's USSC agenda
SCOTUSBlog gives an excellent rundown of the case here...
In this criminal case, the government alleged that high-ranking Andersen personnel “corruptly persuaded” company employees “with the intent to cause them to withhold documents from, or alter documents for, an official proceeding”—namely, an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The government made these allegations against the backdrop of widely disseminated reports that Andersen had engaged in “an unprecedented campaign of document destruction” in the months before it was served with a formal SEC subpoena for Enron-related documents.
~
Andersen characterizes its conviction as an example of creative government lawyering that, if allowed to stand, will criminalize “common conduct undertaken without any consciousness of wrongdoing.” The government, in stark contrast, portrays Andersen’s response to Enron’s downfall as a unique and calculated attempt to convince its “employees to lay waste to vast troves of documents when a government investigation [was] viewed as highly probable.”~
The government attempts to refute Andersen’s argument point-by-point. The lower courts’ definition of “corruptly” was proper, the government asserts, because it is consistent with the “purpose-based” definition courts have applied to the same language in other obstruction of justice statutes. Andersen’s “transitive” reading, the government contends, would criminalize little if any conduct that is not independently proscribed by other federal statutes, like the one forbidding bribery. Furthermore, section 1512 does not require proof that the defendant knew its conduct was wrongful, since Congress uses the adverb “willfully” when it seeks to override the background principle that ignorance of the law is not a defense.
emphasis added is mine
have you read
The Pentagon's New Map yet? If not, here's your chance. update: Defense Tech ran this today on Barnett's big brain.
We don't do much military strategy around here at Defense Tech. I don't think I'm smart enough for it, frankly.
But guys like John Robb and Thomas P.M. Barnett, they're different. Both of them have brains bigger than watermelons in July. And they both have had fascinating posts in the last week on the changing nature of war.
quoting Barnett:Globalization will win out in the end, because connectivity trumps disconnectedness, and if we have confidence in that outcome, then we must temper our desire for short-term successes with a sense of playing out history's clock and understanding that if we cannot look our opponents in the eye upon any conflict's resolution, our victories will seem hollow indeed. There will be no globalization at the barrel of a gun, but rather at the acceptance of legitimate rule sets to which we likewise must submit in both wartime and peace. Abu Ghraib was wrong, as is Guantanamo, as is rendering terrorist suspects to Gap states which use torture. "WWIV" is easily distorted to excuse all these failures of judgment and action, and for that reason alone it does us far more harm than good.
25 April 2005
how ironic is this
from JURIST... who better to stand up and fight to retain the filibuster than walking filibuster himself?
The Center for American Progress [advocacy website] is holding a forum in support of retaining the filibuster in the Senate at 9:30 AM ET today, with WV Sen. Robert C. Byrd [official website] to speak. Watch a live webcast of the event via C-SPAN 2.
read this: murray waas' latest on plame
[whatever already!] "Two days before columnist Robert Novak named Valerie Plame as a covert CIA operative, a Bush administration official told a reporter for the Washington Post that Plame's husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson IV, had been sent to Niger on a sensitive diplomatic mission only because his wife recommended him for the job. The administration official admitted his role to federal prosecutors during their investigation into the leak of Plame's identity."
24 April 2005
23 April 2005
liars, cheats and frauds
and the Republicans who love them:
Witness: Executives lied about broadband The former chief executive of Enron's Internet business told jurors he lied to analysts about the capabilities of the company's broadband network and that other executives, including former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling, were accomplices. Ken Rice, who headed Enron's Broadband Services, said the lies were to trick analysts into bolstering the value of Enron's stock. "I lied about the status of Enron Broadband Services," said Rice, who appeared nervous at the start of his one-hour testimony near the end of proceedings on Friday. "Did you do this alone?" asked U.S. Attorney Ben Campbell. "No," Rice replied.
~
"The purpose in telling the lies was to make Enron Broadband Services look better than it was," Rice said, adding that in turn, Enron's stock would rise. The Jan. 20, 2000, meeting is widely seen as the catalyst for a huge increase in Enron's stock price in the following year. Enron's stock climbed 25 percent that day and began its gallop up to a record high of $90.56 that August.
henry hyde lets the cat out of the bag
And ABC censors the story b/c of too much editorializing...here's the heavy part.
Which brings up another good point... Henry gives us a 2-fer. Implicit in this statement is not only that the "GOP should stand for something", but that "something" should be to bury Clinton, at all costs.Andy Shaw asked Hyde if the Clinton proceedings were payback for Nixon's impeachment. "I can't say it wasn't, but I also thought that the Republican party should stand for something, and if we walked away from this, no matter how difficult, we could be accused of shirking our duty, our responsibility," said Hyde.
Tom DeLay: SOOTHSAYER
Political Wire: Quote of the Day
"'The time has come that the American people know exactly what their Representatives are doing here in Washington. Are they feeding at the public trough, taking lobbyist-paid vacations, getting wined and dined by special interest groups? Or are they working hard to represent their constituents? The people, the American people, have a right to know... I say the best disinfectant is full disclosure, not isolation.'"
Jude Wanniski : A Good Deed for President Bush
Re: Send John Bolton Home
Of course I was thrilled to pieces that you have decided to hold up a vote on confirmation of John Bolton to be U.N. Ambassador. I've watched him operate for the last four years and can assure you there is no upside with him at Turtle Bay. He will only make trouble. In that sense, you will be doing President Bush a great favor by sending Bolton home, or to a fellowship at the American Enterprise Institute, the HQ for the Military-Industrial Complex. I'm sure you have all read this morning's front-page report in the NYTimes indicating former Secretary of State Colin Powell has refused to endorse the Bolton nomination and is doing his best behind the scenes to make sure he is not confirmed. If you spent the next six months investigating Bolton, you would see that what is now on the public record is just the tip of the iceberg on the damage he has done to the U.S. Much of it would be found in "off the record" interviews he gave to the major papers, always at the direction of the warriors who are looking for new "rogue states" to bomb. If he is cancelled, there will be a much better chance that we will avoid confrontation with Iran in the months ahead, as his first assignment by the Neo-Con cabal would be to undermine the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). I wrote about this earlier this week for Al Jazeera (gasp!). You can only imagine how the rest of the world would feel if you would not consent to this nomination. Ecstatic! It's not Bolton himself, but the warmongers he represents, who would have to regroup to think of new ways to trouble the planet. I'm sorry to inform you that Israel is part of the equation, but you all know that anyway. [source: The Conservative Voice - News]
22 April 2005
DC's dirty ass rivers
just got a little bit cleaner... WTOP reports:
Two Rivers Get Major Cleanup
WASHINGTON - It was quite a sight: a 140-foot barge with 50 tons of garbage floating along Hains Point Friday. And it was just the tip of the iceberg.
During the past three weeks, more than 5,000 volunteers picked up 258 tons of trash from the Potomac and Anacostia rivers. They did so as part of the second Capital River Relief, which culminated on the 35th annual Earth Day.
"The barge kind of makes its own statement without having to make a statement," said Chad Pregracke, founder of Living Lands & Waters, a national river cleanup group that used boats to navigate the hard-to-reach areas.
"People are either disgusted that all this stuff came out of the river, but they're also happy that somebody is out there doing it," Pregracke said.
And what was pulled from the rivers? Nearly 2,500 balls, 1,640 tires, 16 bicycles, 13 refrigerators, five gas tanks and nearly 100 barrels - half of which were described as "the blue mystery barrels" by Glen M. O'Gilvie, president of Earth Conservation Corps.
"These barrels wash downstream quite often, and we've had a very tough time tracking exactly where they're coming from," O'Gilvie said.
"We know that the contents have been food and waste and sometimes oils and other things that obviously are detrimental and damaging to the river, but just where they're coming from still continues to be a mystery."
Mary Beth Jarvis, project manager of Capital River Relief, was elated with the haul, but hopes such cleanups will become a thing of the past as people start recycling and properly throwing away garbage.
"It's all about taking responsibility, cleaning up your backyard," Jarvis said.
listen to the swiss
“Switzerland has given its support to plans for a global security strategy in the context of United Nations reforms aimed at "freeing the world of fear". The country’s ambassador to the UN, Peter Maurer, told the General Assembly that member states should strengthen the multilateral system of arms control and disarmament for nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.” Maurer said the International Agency for Atomic Energy (IAEA), the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation should regularly inform the Security Council of developments of particular concern in their area.” Swiss Info / The Daily Nonproliferator, 4/22/2005
holy underpass
"Bette Shober (L) and Joanne Vrablik (R) take a closer look at what people believe to be an image of the Virgin Mary under a freeway underpass in Chicago, April 18, 2005. Police said the image might have been caused by stains from road salt that dripped from the Kennedy expressway onto the wall, but hundreds of believers have been coming to the underpass to view the image and pray at the spot. REUTERS/John Gress"
Sen. Santorum wants the government to sell you what you've already paid for
seriously... if this wasn't so ridiculous it would be outrageous. Good luck getting this bill passed. Josh Marshall today
This page right here is the one I go to to check the weather. It's put out by the National Weather Service. It's a lot like some commercial ones, only it has more information, costs nothing and contains no ads. But as the Carpetbagger Report notes here, Sen. Santorum (R) of Pennsylvania has introduced a bill that would ban the federal government's meteorologists from making this information available for free since that creates a problem for outfits like The Weather Channel and AccuWeather, which want to sell it.Brad Delong thinks Santorum should resign, right now.Plenty of federal legislation these days boils down to this sort of rip-off of the public. But seldom is the equation so clear.
You paid for the data. Your tax dollars fund a massive apparatus of meteorological data collection for reasons ranging from agriculture to disaster safety to keeping airplanes in the air -- everything under the sun. You pay for it and this is just the feds making it available to you on a website.
bad news for Bolton
Seems John Bolton has the same propensity for revising history tendency to blatantly lie as many of his cohorts... nice choice Mr. President.
for more, see Kevin Drum's post on this LA Times story.
bad news for John Allen Muhammad
from JURIST DC sniper ring-leader will die for his crimes
read the entire opinion here (.pdf)COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY LeRoy F. Millette, JudgeIn these appeals, we consider two capital murder convictions and two death sentences imposed upon John Allen Muhammad ("Muhammad"), along with his convictions for conspiracy to commit capital murder and the illegal use of a firearm in the commission of murder. This prosecution arose from the investigation of a series of sixteen shootings, including ten murders that occurred in Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia over a 47-day period from September 5 to October 22, 2002. For the reasons discussed herein, the judgment of the trial court and the sentences of death will be affirmed.
bush v/ powell
is bush implying that Colin is playing 'politics'? "'I urge the Senate to put aside politics and confirm John Bolton to the United Nations.'"
21 April 2005
Montana American Legion baseball adopts wooden bats
On July 25, 2003, 18-year-old Brandon Patch, a southpaw pitcher for the Miles City Mavericks American Legion team, was killed after a line drive rocketed off an aluminum bat and struck him in the head. Now, almost two years later and in an attempt to prevent future tragedies, his parents and others are on a crusade to see the national pastime, at all levels, revert to wood bats. This week, the Patches watched Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer sign an unprecedented resolution calling upon American Legion baseball, with its thousands of teams nationally to adopt wood bats out of concern that aluminum counterparts propel balls at dangerous speeds... CSM has more
Murder, Suicide Rates Up in Parts of U.S.
[source: Reuters]
The finding, published on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was based on data from the first six states to take part in the federal agency's national violent-death reporting system.The overall murder rate in these states -- Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina and Virginia -- jumped 6 percent between 2000 and 2002 and another 4 percent between 2002 and 2003, to 5.49 per 100,000 people, the CDC said.
The rising murder rates were fueled by a jump in homicides among males under the age of 25, mimicking the trend of the 1980s and early 1990s, when U.S. murder rates also increased.
The suicide rate was stable in the six states between 2000 and 2002, but it rose 5 percent between 2002 and 2003, to 9.37 per 100,000. The increase was largely due to rises in self-inflicted deaths among women of all ages.
Some sociologists have tied rising murder and suicide rates to changes in the economy as well as a greater availability of drugs and guns. The U.S. economy grew robustly for much of the 1990s, but fell into recession in March 2001 and the job market was sluggish even after the recession ended in November of that year.
emphasis added is mine... these are not signs of growth in a civilized nation.
newsflash: Alan Greenspan is Washington's biggest hack
still [update: Eric Martin (of TIA and LAT) is none too pleased : Hack Attack]
Here's the problem with Greenspan's faux defense, and why it's not so unfair to hold him accountable: he has consistently counseled against repealing those same tax cuts as a means of putting the nation's fiscal house in order. So, according to him, he should be given a free pass on all of his sage advice concerning the preservation of those tax cuts because once, four years ago, he said they should have a sunset provision built in - even though now he opposes efforts to pass an ex post facto repeal. Not very convincing Mr. Greenspan. If you think those tax cuts should have been passed with provisions for their eventual rescission, why not advocate for their repeal now - which would accomplish the same goal. Otherwise, live with your hackularity. What also caught my eye, at least in the New York Times' coverage (note: the reference to private accounts is not included in the most updated online version of the story), was the fact that Greenspan cautioned that the time was not right for private accounts, and that the trillions that would need to be borrowed to fund the transition from the current system to partial privatization would further spike the deficits and would likely cause a sharp increase in interest rates. When one of the biggest GOP political hacks in Washington comes out against privatization, the President's plan might be DOA. If so, RIP.
20 April 2005
Dozens of Bodies Found in Tigris River
oh goody... looks like the hostage crisis that was deemed a failure of the 'leftist media' may actually have been a bonafide hostage crisis. AP reports "Terrorists committed crimes there. It is not true to say there were no hostages. There were. They were killed, and they threw the bodies into the Tigris,"
Aid worker's words just a week before she was killed
reposted in entirety from USATODAY.com By Marla Ruzicka BAGHDAD — The writer, a 28-year-old humanitarian aid worker from California, was killed Saturday in Baghdad when a suicide bomber aiming for a convoy of contractors pulled alongside her vehicle and detonated his explosives. Her driver also died. She filed this piece from Baghdad a week before her death. The facts cited in it have been reported elsewhere as a matter of public record. However, estimates of the number of civilian deaths in Iraq vary widely. Media reports put the number between 17,000 and 20,000 people. In my two years in Iraq, the one question I am asked the most is: 'How many Iraqi civilians have been killed by American forces?' The American public has a right to know how many Iraqis have lost their lives since the start of the war and as hostilities continue. In a news conference at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan in March 2002, Gen. Tommy Franks said, 'We don't do body counts.' His words outraged the Arab world and damaged the U.S. claim that its forces go to great lengths to minimize civilian casualties. During the Iraq war, as U.S. troops pushed toward Baghdad, counting civilian casualties was not a priority for the military. However, since May 1, 2003, when President Bush declared major combat operations over and the U.S. military moved into a phase referred to as 'stability operations,' most units began to keep track of Iraqi civilians killed at checkpoints or during foot patrols by U.S. soldiers. Here in Baghdad, a brigadier general commander explained to me that it is standard operating procedure for U.S. troops to file a spot report when they shoot a non-combatant. It is in the military's interest to release these statistics. Recently, I obtained statistics on civilian casualties from a high-ranking U.S. military official. The numbers were for Baghdad only, for a short period, during a relatively quiet time. Other hot spots, such as the Ramadi and Mosul areas, could prove worse. The statistics showed that 29 civilians were killed by small-arms fire during firefights between U.S. troops and insurgents between Feb. 28 and April 5 — four times the number of Iraqi police killed in the same period. It is not clear whether the bullets that killed these civilians were fired by U.S. troops or insurgents. A good place to search for Iraqi civilian death counts is the Iraqi Assistance Center in Baghdad and the General Information Centers set up by the U.S. military across Iraq. Iraqis who have been harmed by Americans have the right to file claims for compensation at these locations, and some claims have been paid. But others have been denied, even when the U.S. forces were in the wrong. The Marines have also been paying compensation in Fallujah and Najaf. These data serve as a good barometer of the civilian costs of battle in both cities. These statistics demonstrate that the U.S. military can and does track civilian casualties. Troops on the ground keep these records because they recognize they have a responsibility to review each action taken and that it is in their interest to minimize mistakes, especially since winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis is a key component of their strategy. The military should also want to release this information for the purposes of comparison with reports such as the Lancet study published late last year. It suggested that since the U.S.-led invasion there had been 100,000 deaths in Iraq. A further step should be taken. In my dealings with U.S. military officials here, they have shown regret and remorse for the deaths and injuries of civilians. Systematically recording and publicly releasing civilian casualty numbers would assist in helping the victims who survive to piece their lives back together. A number is important not only to quantify the cost of war, but as a reminder of those whose dreams will never be realized in a free and democratic Iraq. Marla Ruzicka was founder of the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict. In 2003, she organized surveyors across Iraq to document civilian casualties. Before that, she managed a similar project in Afghanistan that helped to secure assistance from the U.S. government for civilian victims.
Voinovich's conscience: update
"My conscience got me," he said after the stormy two-hour session. He said he had gone to the meeting planning to vote for Mr. Bolton, but changed his mind after hearing the case against the nominee made by Senators Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, both Democrats.
"I wanted more information about this individual, and I didn't feel comfortable voting for him," Mr. Voinovich said. [source: NYTimes]
19 April 2005
Voinovich has a conscience!!!
who knew?
quote of the day: 19 April 2005
18 April 2005
move over DARPA
The Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency is seeking new laboratory detection technology to screen the food supply for hidden dangers. The system will need to quickly scan for biological pathogens or toxins that pose a threat to consumers.
HSARPA’s Food Biological Agent Detection Sensor (FBADS) program seeks to develop a cost-effective detection method for use in food manufacturing and processing facilities. Ideally, according to HSARPA documents, the system would be able to get accurate readings for a wide range of potential threats in less than 20 minutes, with a minimum of human involvement. A low cost also is desired, “so that it can be absorbed by industry and have practical use beyond protection of the food supply.”
The FBADS initiative responds to Homeland Security Presidential Directive-9, “Defense of United States Agriculture and Food.” That directive tries to place a framework around what many homeland security experts see as a large gap in the national defenses.
The food network has many openings for manmade and natural disasters, as witnessed by recent outbreaks of avian flu and foot-and-mouth disease. “The United States agriculture and food systems are vulnerable to disease, pest or poisonous agents that occur naturally, are unintentionally introduced or are intentionally delivered by acts of terrorism,” HSPD-9 states. “America’s agriculture and food system is an extensive, open, interconnected, diverse and complex structure providing potential targets for terrorist attacks.”
Awards for the system may be granted in mid- to late 2005, depending on the availability of future funding, HSARPA’s solicitation noted.
Food security is monitored as part of the information analysis and infrastructure protection focus of the Homeland Security Operations Center, the department’s primary hub for information sharing and coordinated reaction during domestic incidents.
Food and agricultural security issues are receiving increasing attention across the federal spectrum. Most efforts have been spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is conducting a far-flung vulnerability assessment of domestic and imported food.
The USDA also has established an Office of Food Security and Emergency Preparedness, and implemented the National Consumer Complaint Monitoring System, a surveillance regime that tracks food-related complaints in hopes it will serve as an early warning system for a potential food-borne attack or outbreak. [source: National Defense Magazine]
GOP's bait and switch on States' rights vs Federal authority
GOP sheds federalism favored by forefathers New legislation trumping state authority veers from conservatism's roots.
god's sick sense of humor
16 April 2005
just for you paul
How stupid does Mel think we are? Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida admitted to giving a memo that he had not read, which contained "talking points" regarding the Schiavo situation, to Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa. The admission came after a week of the Republicans accusing the Democrats of writing a "dirty trick" memo that would put the Republican in an unfavorable light. The memo suggested that the Republicans should use the Schiavo controversy for political gain.
Congratulations ChoicePoint!!!
You're the big winner... AGAIN ChoicePoint received Big Brother's Greatest Corporate Invader award in 2001. This year, after the company generated headlines for selling personal information about 145,000 people to criminals, judges decided to grant it a Lifetime Menace award.
15 April 2005
12 April 2005
11 April 2005
08 April 2005
the power of organized protest: part deux
This is pure democracy at work and more proof that a coalition of students CAN make a change in the world. Last month, Georgetown University students waged a hunger strike until the campus agreed to give ALL of its employees (esp. janitors and other service workers) a living wage. That hunger strike was successful at GU, and now it seems to be having a ripple-effect.
today in smart-people land
Domestic Partner Registry Bill Passes Md. House it's not a civil unions bill, but those who vehemently opposed it claim that it opens 'pandoras box'. Silliness.
justice prevails
bad news for spammers From WTOP.com: First Person Convicted Under Va. Spam Law Sentenced LEESBURG, Va. - A North Carolina was sentenced to nine years in prison Friday for bombarding computer users with spam or illegal bulk email. Thirty-year-old Jeremy Jaynes of Raleigh is free on bond while the case is being appealed. Loudoun County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Horne said it was appropriate to defer any prison time pending an appeal, because the law is new and raises constitutional issues. It was the nation's first felony spamming conviction.
GOP martyrdom
These guys have no respect for the rule of law. Also, this from the Delcotimes.com: Editorial: Republicans waging war against judges
First the Republican Party launched the War on Drugs. Then it declared the War on Terror. And now, building on the success of those latest efforts, comes the War on Judges. The first shot was fired in the aftermath of the saga of Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged Florida woman who died March 31 after her feeding tube was disconnected. Her death followed years of court battles between her husband, Michael, who insisted she would not have wanted to live in a persistent vegetative state, and her parents, who disagreed. Judge after judge, in the Florida and federal court systems, ruled in favor of the husband; the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case six times.
lies, and the lying liars who tell them
''Senator Martinez has never seen the memo and condemns its sentiments,'' spokeswoman Kerry Feehery said. 'No one in our office has seen it, nor had anything to do with its creation.' [Washington Times, 3/7/05]" DNC News: Republicans Admit to Authoring Political Memo in Schiavo Case
a CSPAN/NPC dynamic duo tomorrow morning
Roger Ailes claims he 'left politics'... rambles on about objective journalism... and basically spends an entire hour lying his ass off. 08:22 AM EDT A Conversation with Roger Ailes National Press Club Marvin Kalb , Harvard University Roger Ailes , FOX News Network 09:30 AM EDT A re-air of the National Press Club event featuring Jeff Gannon (Guckert/gay escort/fake White House correspondent), on "who is a journalist" and "who isn't" Program ID 186216 Journalist Credentials National Press Club Julie Hirschfeld Davis , Baltimore Sun Ana Marie Cox Watch them both, here.
yeow
from Judicial Watch:
06 April 2005
03 April 2005
George Mitchell joins fight against GOP's plans to eliminate filibuster
Why do Republicans hate democracy? from JURIST - Paper Chase "[JURIST] Former US Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell Saturday joined the Democratic party chorus opposing Republican threats to ban Senate filibusters [Reuters report] of judicial nominees. Delivering the Democrats' Saturday radio address, Mitchell chided Republicans for seeking to overturn a 200-year old Senate practice in the face of Senate approval of some 95% of Bush judicial appointees. The Senate has thusfar approved 204 of President Bush's candidates for the federal bench, but 10 others have been stalled by filibusters, which under current Senate rules can only be ended by 60 votes. Republicans want to eliminate this requirement for presidential appointees. Democrats point out that the Republicans previously prevented some 60 Clinton nominees from even getting a hearing [Christian Science Monitor report] before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which had the same effect as a filibuster. Both sides have taken the debate to the media [New York Times report] with a showdown expected this coming week [New York Times report]. Even though Republicans hold 55 seats in the Senate, it is unclear if they will get the 51 votes needed to change the rule. Some GOP moderates might not be on board [Washington Post report] with the rule change."