Mudlsides? Sanoma County? Frenso? "I've been spoking to...."Good Lord!
I never in my wildest Irish whiskey induced fantasies ever thought I would vote for a Democrat but that's what I'm doing next election.
The 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season was already a record-breaker before Zeta formed, with 26 named storms - including 13 hurricanes. Seven of those hurricanes became intense hurricanes.
The 2005 season was also the first time since 1851 that three category five storms occurred within one season.
After the story broke about President Bush's secret order to allow the wiretapping of U.S. citizens without any judicial review ["On Hill, Anger and Calls for Hearings Greet News of Stateside Surveillance," front page, Dec. 17], I asked myself why we in Congress, as part of the USA Patriot Act reauthorization, have been passionately debating the balance between civil liberties, on one hand, and the investigative and surveillance powers of the FBI and other executive branch agencies, on the other. The president's newly claimed authority renders significant portions of the Patriot Act debate -- especially as it relates to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court process -- meaningless.
What is the point of Congress drawing legal standards and developing procedures to protect our security and secure our civil liberties if the president secretly decides he has the authority to ignore much of what we do?
Mr. Bush's decision to unilaterally wiretap U.S. citizens raises serious questions about whether he acted outside the law and whether he did so deliberately.
The president has said that he has a responsibility to protect the safety of Americans, but he must exercise that responsibility in a manner consistent with his sworn duty to uphold the Constitution.
Congress must hold hearings to determine both the facts and the law in this matter of great consequence.
CHRIS VAN HOLLEN
Saga of Incompetence Monday, December 26, 2005; Page A38 IN THE WAKE of the catastrophic performance of the Federal Emergency Management Agency during Hurricane Katrina, it was hard not to heap opprobrium on the head of Michael D. Brown, the FEMA boss who sent joking e-mails to an aide in the middle of the storm ('Can I quit now? Can I go home?') as well as his boss, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who seemed to know less about the plight of New Orleans than the television reporters asking him questions about it. But as Post reporters Susan B. Glasser and Michael Grunwald showed in their two-part series last week ['Prelude to Disaster,' Dec. 22-23], the failures of FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security predate Hurricane Katrina by several years. Although both Mr. Chertoff and Mr. Brown made mistakes during the storm, far more fingers should have been pointed at the haphazard, irrational and unabashedly political process that led to the creation of DHS, as well as the inept leadership of the department's first boss, Tom Ridge. Four years ago, there was a case to be made for a government department that would group together different elements of border security -- the Coast Guard, the immigration services and customs -- in a more streamlined way. But, as the Post series documents, that wasn't what happened. Instead, White House officials anxious to prove their boss was more gung-ho about preparedness than congressional Democrats threw a lot of agencies together without much consideration of whether they belonged together, even at one point including Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which carries out nuclear weapons research. Other agencies and tasks that should belong to homeland security, such as managing the nation's emergency vaccine stockpile, were left out. The result was bureaucratic redundancy and a mystifying command structure. One example: Even today, it still is unclear who in the government -- the White House, DHS or the Department of Health and Human Services -- is really in charge of defense against bioterrorism. Mr. Ridge told the Post reporters of his many frustrations with DHS, but he bears blame for the catastrophe, too. The former Pennsylvania governor ran his department much as someone might run a governor's office. He worked hard on logos and public relations. His aides issued upbeat news releases. DHS put enormous and probably unnecessary resources into airline security while slighting other threats. Months into the job, he could not, in a conversation with Post editors, list his security priorities. Although Los Angeles had by 2004 come up with a method of measuring infrastructure risks, DHS still has not. By far the most disturbing aspect of the DHS saga is how familiar it sounds: After all, the administration's attempts to reform the intelligence services have been no less political, and apparently no less clumsy. It stumbled in Iraq for two years. Will incompetence be remembered as the salient characteristic of the Bush presidency?"
"I can state categorically that the subject of warrantless wiretaps of American citizens never came up. I did not and never would have supported giving authority to the president for such wiretaps. I am also confident that the 98 senators who voted in favor of authorization of force against al Qaeda did not believe that they were also voting for warrantless domestic surveillance." Power We Didn't GrantKurds talk big when it comes to democracy, but old undemocratic ways are hard to shake, and Kurdistan is very very old. Corruption here isn't as bad as in, say, Baghdad, a city built on closed-door deals and dead Kurds. But it's still pretty obnoxious. Take the multi-million-dollar four-lane highway being built near Erbil that doesn't seem to connect any major population centers. It doesn't make much sense until you realize that the highway begins at the regional prime minister's house and ends at his office.
"We think it's time for Congress to heed the warning of George Orwell. To that end, we're asking for your help: Mail us or drop off your tattered copies of '1984.' When we get 537 of them, we'll send them to every member of the House of Representatives and Senate and to President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Feel free to inscribe the book with a note, reminding these fine people that we Americans take the threat to our liberties seriously. Remind Congress that it makes no sense to fight a war for democracy in a foreign land while allowing our democratic principles to erode at home. Remind President Bush that ours is a country of checks and balances, not unbridled power. Perhaps our nation's leaders can find some truth in this fiction and more carefully ponder the road we're traveling. Bring or mail your books to the Oakland Tribune, 401 13th St., Oakland CA 94612. Doors are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m."
Yukon school group found on U.S. threat list A group of Yukon high school students who attended a peace demonstration in Alaska last year have been labelled a threat by U.S. Homeland Security. The students and their teachers from Vanier Catholic Secondary School in Whitehorse were singled out when they crossed the border on their way to Fort Greely to protest the proliferation of missiles. A document leaked from the U.S. defense department shows the Whitehorse school group is among a list of more than 1,500 anti-war groups considered a risk to American security. They have been lumped in with other organizations such as the Florida Quakers and student unions from major American universities.
President Bush is wrong. You don't have to break a law to get quick action. Not only can you catch terrorists using FISA, we have caught terrorists. The real story behind the unauthorized wiretaps authorized by President Bush probably concerns the source of the info. It appears the most likely explanation is that the Bush Administration did not want to have to tell a Federal judge that they were using information obtained from interrogations that violated the spirit and the letter of the Geneva Conventions. Instead of protecting the nation the President may be covering his derrier. [Roving Wiretaps Capture a Terrorist]It's also not unlikely that President Bush refused to seek FISA oversight because had he done so he would have made known the practice of illegally obtaining intelligence from "U.S. persons" on U.S. soil continues. Sound familiar?
The resolutions were quietly introduced Sunday evening along with a third resolution (HR 635) to create a Select Committee to investigate the administration’s intent to go to war prior to congressional authorization. The committee would also be charged with examining manipulation of pre-war intelligence, thwarting Congressional oversight and retaliatory attacks against critics. As part of this resolution, House Judiciary Democrats seek also to explore violations of international law as pertaining to detainee abuse and torture of prisoners of war.
RAW STORY acquired copies of the resolutions Tuesday. To view the resolution to create investigative body to determine if offenses are impeachable, click here; the resolution to censure President George W. Bush, click here; and the resolution to censure Vice President Dick Cheney, click here.based upon our initial analysis of the video description by the Pajhwok news agency, IntelCenter is working under the assumption that the video exists and is new. Final confirmation can only be provided once we obtain the actual video itself.
Copley News Service syndicated columnist Doug Bandow (left) says he accepted money from indicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff for writing as many as 24 op-ed articles favorable to the positions of some of Abramoff's clients. "It was a lapse of judgment on my part, and I take full responsibility for it," says Bandow, who has resigned his senior fellow position with the Cato Institute.
"After 25 years of serving as a CNN commentator and program host, our colleague Bob Novak's tenure on the network will come to a close (effective 12/31)."
"President Bush says Congress saw the same intelligence he did in the lead-up to the war in Iraq. So Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) asked the non-partisan Congressional Research Service to look into the matter and report back whether or not what the president said is true. They reported back today. The verdict: not true" Read it yourself.
The president must make a statement committing his administration to reasonable, moderate but genuine hurricane protection for New Orleans. Not to do so soon is tantamount to admitting that New Orleans will not be rebuilt.Well, whattya know?
[ABC News] Dec. 15, 2005 — President Bush today requested an additional $1.5 billion in funding to help rebuild the levee system in New Orleans.
"After reading the article ' 'Holiday' Cards Ring Hollow for Some on Bushes' List' [front page, Dec. 7], I checked the Bible for the passages in which Jesus told us to go forth and buy trees to decorate, max out our credit cards on gifts, and use catalogues and the Internet to save time doing it. Nothing backed that up, but I did find a passage in Matthew (25:34-40) in which Jesus adjured his followers to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, take in strangers, and visit prisoners and the sick." As Jesus said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Perhaps those from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights and the American Family Association who are organizing boycotts and fretting about greetings could put their time and energy to better use by acting on those words. And as for the pagan origin of "Christmas" trees -- let's not even go there.
The BRAD BLOG can now report that a Securities Fraud Class Action suit has been filed against Diebold, Inc. (stock symbol: DBD) naming eight top executive officers in the company as co-defendants. The suit has been filed by plaintiff Janice Konkol, alleging securities fraud against the North Canton, Ohio-based manufacturer of Voting Systems and ATM machines on behalf of investors who owned shares of Diebold stock and lost money due to an alleged fraudulent scheme by the company and its executives to deceive shareholders during the "class period" of October 22, 2003 through September 21, 2005. The suit was filed today in U.S. Federal District Court in Ohio and alleges the company "artificially inflated" stock prices through misleading public information designed to conceal the true nature of Diebold's financial and legal situation. The defendants are also alleged to have attempted to disguise well-known and ongoing problems with Diebold's Voting Machine equipment and software. Additionally, the suit alleges insider trading by defendants resulting in proceeds of $2.7 million. Remedies are sought under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.Hey, it's not all bad. They do have lots of experience with lawsuits, so they're likely entitled to some sort of VIP discount on their legal fees.
Three months since Hurricane Katrina it remains difficult to ascertain what progress has been made in rebuilding New Orleans and its region. Using a wide array of about 50 economic and social indicators, the Metropolitan Policy Program has compiled the first in a series of monthly snapshots of economic and both short term and long term reconstruction trends, finding that the area remains mired in a state of emergency still.
BBC: Katrina emails show PR worries "You send that many black folks out of state, we will have a perception problem" ~ 2 pieces from NPR (audio available): Deadline for Katrina Victims' Hotel Aid Extended FEMA Aid Runs Out in March for Apartment Dwellers"We got people living in tents and automobiles. We got people living in barns. We got people living in their houses -- in tents," he said on "American Morning."
"This is the beginning of winter. This is unacceptable."
Tuesday morning, it was 41 degrees in New Orleans.
Q Scott, the President said something very poignant in the Brian Williams interview, that he doesn't care what people call him, but don't call him a racist. Is he concerned, still three months after the Katrina relief effort, that there are still some African Americans who may feel that -- the same way as Kanye West, and in these next three years, what can the President do to help turn that feeling around? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, what we can continue to do is work with state and local officials and the people in the region to help rebuild New Orleans, and help rebuild the Gulf Coast region and Mississippi and Alabama. There's a large area that was affected by the hurricanes, and the President has talked about this before. I think what was exposed by the hurricanes was the deep roots of injustice and inequality that have existed. And that's why the President has been acting to address those -- the root causes of that inequality and injustice. And we will continue acting on the policies that we have been pursuing, whether it be the education reforms we have put in place, or reaching out to faith-based and community organizations, or helping lift people out of poverty by moving forward on pro-growth policies. The President has been acting to help people improve their quality of life. And, yes, the question came up yesterday, and I think that there were some that expressed some views that did concern the President. And that's why the President responded the way that he did. Q But some are saying -- some had been saying that prior to Katrina, and some are saying that Kanye West just exposed the whisperers in the African American community from many years prior to Katrina. What can the President do beyond these steps that you said -- MR. McCLELLAN: As you point out, there's a deep history of this within the region that was exposed by the hurricanes. And that's why we must continue to act to address the root causes of that inequality and injustice. And that's what the President will continue to do. He will also continue working to bring people together from all walks of life to focus on the priorities that we care most about, and that is making sure that the American people have the opportunity to succeed and prosper. Q But, lastly, and still back on the question I'm trying to get an answer to, is the President still concerned that there is a pocket of African Americans beyond the people who live in Louisiana that feel that -- that still, I guess, feel what Kanye West has said? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I'm not sure exactly what he said. I don't recall exactly what he said. All I can tell you is what the President is doing -- Q "The President does not care about black people" -- MR. McCLELLAN: Oh, okay, that is just outrageous. And I think the President expressed that yesterday in the interview with Brian Williams. It's outrageous to make such a suggestion like that. And it's based on an ill-informed -- it's ill-informed and misguided comments. The President has acted to help people from all walks of life. And all you have to do is look at his record. The President has acted to make sure everybody has the opportunity to learn and succeed through the No Child Left Behind Act. These are historic education reforms. And that's the best way we can help to address these injustices and inequalities that exist.
A Mid-Michigan Township makes national news but there's a problem, local officials say the whole thing was made up. Bill O'Reilly is making the claim that Saginaw Township officials banned residents from wearing red and green during the holiday season. Local officials say he's dead wrong.from poynter.org, the text of an email sent to parents of the Plano, Tx. School District:
"The school district does not restrict students or staff from wearing certain color clothes during holiday times or any other school days," noted Dr. Otto, who said that the school district's attorney has requested that Mr. O'Reilly retract the statement.And I love the jab from the school district's attorney in his letter to O'Reilly:
"It would be our hope that you would engage in fair and balanced reporting of this nationally recognized school district in the future,"
Authorities have identified more than 1,000 detention centers across Iraq.Excellent. Iraq is quickly becoming George Bush's vision of Utopia. Nothing says "Congratulations, you've been liberated!" more than one thousand detention centers.
Monday, December 12, 2005; Page A24 WHEN MARYLAND put Wesley E. Baker to death last week, it highlighted just about all the disparities that afflict its use of capital punishment. Mr. Baker was an African American man who killed a white person in Baltimore County. Blacks who kill whites are substantially more likely to receive the death penalty in Maryland than are whites who kill blacks, and Baltimore County prosecutors are dramatically more likely to seek it than are their counterparts elsewhere. While Mr. Baker committed a horrible crime, his execution nonetheless poses the question of whether the justice system would have demanded his life had he or his victim looked different or had the crime taken place somewhere else. Such disparities used to bother Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele (R) -- and presumably still do. Mr. Steele, now running for U.S. senator, opposes the death penalty. Nearly three years ago, when Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) lifted his predecessor's moratorium on executions -- disregarding a University of Maryland study that clarified just how unevenly the state's death penalty is applied -- Mr. Steele expressed concern. Mr. Ehrlich asked him to study the issue further and make recommendations. Yet even as Maryland has resumed executions, Mr. Steele's long-awaited study has not materialized. While he has reportedly met with people to discuss the subject, there has been no formal task force -- something the governor's office says neither Mr. Ehrlich nor Mr. Steele ever envisioned. A spokesman for the governor, Henry P. Fawell, says Mr. Steele has met with a variety of interested parties and expects to make his much-delayed recommendations in the first few months of the new year. Maryland's use of the death penalty is relatively rare. Yet partly because it is used so infrequently, its disparities can become particularly pronounced. Reserving the death penalty for the worst of the worst is better than profligate executions. But capital punishment cannot be reserved for black killers of white people in Baltimore County. As an opponent of capital punishment in an administration that has dismissed such concerns, there is undoubtedly a limit to Mr. Steele's influence. Yet burying the issue for three years is not a sign of political courage.
And tonight I also offer this pledge of the American people: Throughout the area hit by the hurricane, we will do what it takes, we will stay as long as it takes, to help citizens rebuild their communities and their lives.
actually, that's a lie, there wasn't a post-war plan for Iraq.
But researchers did find this weird cat-looking thing the other day.
"There is no leadership election, and there is no scheduled leadership election, and there can't be a leadership election until a vote of the conference removing me from office," DeLay, a Republican, told reporters today at the U.S. Capitol. "I'm still the elected majority leader." [more from Bloomberg]That sounds awfully similar to another psychotically-arrogant dictator in today's news.
