December 2006

Time To Play Catch-Up

In the weeks leading up to last month's elections, there were tons of stories coming out of possible wrong-doing by mostly GOP candidates. Well now it seems that the FBI is playing catch up with investigations into these claims, and here is another one to add to the mix:

A federal investigation is underway after allegations surfaced against US Rep. Tim Murphy.

Sources tell KDKA federal agents have begun interviewing former Murphy staffers on whether they did political work for the congressman on government time.

Murphy denies the allegations.

"There's absolutely nothing and no staff has ever been ordered to say anything about voting or political, never," he told KDKA in November.

But while neither the FBI nor the U.S. Attorney's office will confirm or deny an investigation, the probe concerns just that.

Just think of how much more money our federal government would have if these politicans could follow the laws they are suppose to create. We need stiffer penalties put in place for congressmen who violate the laws - something similar to punishments for doctors who abuse their powers.

Don't Rush Bush To Fix The War He Rushed Into!

The decider speaks:

President Bush said Wednesday he would "not be rushed" into a decision on a strategy change for Iraq, saying that in a round of consultations he heard both some interesting ideas and some "ideas that would lead to defeat."

"And I reject those ideas," Bush said after meeting with top generals and Defense Department officials at the Pentagon. He said those ideas included "leaving before the job is done, ideas such as not helping this (Iraqi) government take the necessary and hard steps to be able to do its job."

Bush spoke with reporters after wrapping up a round of high-level talks on revising his Iraq war policy. Earlier he spoke by telephone with two Kurdish leaders in Iraq as part of what the White House called efforts to forge a "moderate bloc" behind the shaky central government in Baghdad.

You know - there should be no real sense of urgency on the situation. Things are going so well in Iraq, why would he have to hurry up? I mean this is a typical "ideal" day in Iraq:

Gunmen in military uniforms kidnapped dozens of people Thursday from a major commercial area in central Baghdad, the second mass abduction in the capital in a month.

The attackers drove up to the busy al-Sanak area in about 10 sport utility vehicles and began rounding up shop owners and bystanders. Two police officers said 50 to 70 people were abducted.

The al-Sanak area — one of the capital's main commercial districts — holds stores selling auto spare parts, agricultural equipment and the small power generators that are ubiquitous in Baghdad due to severe power shortages.

Playing Politics With Children

So images should be illegal, but someone actually pursuing a minor for sex shouldn't?

Millions of commercial Web sites and personal blogs would be required to report illegal images or videos posted by their users or pay fines of up to $300,000, if a new proposal in the U.S. Senate came into law.

The legislation, drafted by Sen. John McCain and obtained by CNET News.com, would also require Web sites that offer user profiles to delete pages posted by sex offenders.

In a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, the Arizona Republican and former presidential candidate warned that "technology has contributed to the greater distribution and availability, and, some believe, desire for child pornography." McCain scored 31 of 100 points on a News.com 2006 election guide scoring technology-related votes.

Child pornography is wrong, as the children are getting hurt. Children also get hurt when someone pursues them via the internet trying to arrange for sex, especially when other people tell them not to say anything. Sound familiar Mr. Foley?

If McCain is serious about this legislation then he must look within the halls of Congress first and come out and chastise those who KNEW Mark Foley was going after children and did nothing. He must also blast the House Ethics Committee for saying there was "no wrong" in that disgusting act.

So why doesn't McCain's legislation address things like Foley was doing? Because he really doesn't care. He thinks this is a good measure to try and woo the Christian conservatives. If he was really concerned, his legislation would include language to make sure another Mark Foley never surfaces in Congress. Of course the leaders of this country are held to much lower standards than the citizens.

Thanks Tom!

With the victory of Ciro Rodriguez in TX-23 last night, many have forgot who to really thank. I even forgot, but Kos reminded me. This is the sweet gift of one Tom Delay. His redistricting plan in Texas, which could still land him in jail, was a big winner for Democrats.

(Graphic courtesy of Swing State Project. Visit them for the bigger picture)

Of course the media is ignoring the fact that this year's Democratic victory was HUGE! Chris does a good job of reminding people about that. True the right wing blogosphere can only focus on the minor defeat of Ned Lamont. I guess we can let them gloat on that small fact, while they sit back and squirm in the minority these next 2 years.

Now that Democrats are looking towards larger scale ethics reform, I am sure many Republicans are glad they lost, while many who did win are still running scared.

John Solomon's Witch Hunt Of Harry Reid Busted

Erica Werner from the AP reports this:

Incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid did not break Senate rules in accepting free ringside seats at boxing matches from the Nevada Athletic Commission, the Ethics Committee has concluded.

The committee disclosed the determination in a Dec. 7 letter to Las Vegas resident Robert Rose, who had filed a complaint on the matter.

The Associated Press reported earlier this year that Reid, D-Nev., attended three Las Vegas fights between 2003 and 2005 without paying, using credentials provided by the Nevada Athletic Commission, a state agency. Reid was supporting legislation during this period to create a federal agency to oversee boxing, something the commission opposed.

Interesting that this comes to light just as the Washington Post hires Solomon away from the AP. Remember - it was Solomon who had conducted this continual witch hunt against Harry Reid. Perhaps the Washington Post should keep an eye on their latest addition to the reporting family.

I believe the AP should have forced Solomon to cover the fact that Reid was found innocent as his final act of employment. It could have been a final mia culpa for him, but that might hurt his dignity.

Opposition to the War Grows - Why Are Americans So Wrong?!?!

Looks like Americans are still not pleased with Iraq, no matter how many new catch phrases the administration comes up with:

Negative assessments of the war in Iraq -- the central issue in last month's midterm election -- continue to hold down President Bush's job approval ratings and could cast a pall on the final two years of his presidency.

In a new Post-ABC News poll, seven in 10 Americans disapprove of the way the president is handling the situation in Iraq -- the highest percentage since the March 2003 invasion. Six in 10 say the war was not worth fighting.

While both gauges on the war have been negative since late 2004, Bush's approval rating on Iraq has deteriorated further since early October, likely weakened by recent high-profile criticisms of the administration's Iraq policy.

The bleak appraisals of the war include the release last week of the much-anticipated report from the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan government advisory panel, which described conditions in Iraq as "grave and deteriorating."

Well now, I know that is only one poll. Let's try another just released:

As President Bush weighs options for changing course in Iraq, Americans are more pessimistic on the war and most support a quick withdrawal of U.S. troops, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup poll.

More than half of the respondents, or 55 percent, want most U.S. troops withdrawn within a year, but only 18 percent believe that will happen, USA Today reported on Tuesday.

The New Blogger - Tom Delay

The Hammer is now a blogger. He started this weekend inviting comments, then turned them off and now has them back on.

One thing that interests me about these right wing bloggers. Why do they never give credit to the actual software they use? I proudly state time and time again that I use Wordpress (and even have a link on the bottom of the page). Wordpress is a Creative Commons liscense, so you techinically don't have to advertise them, but it is nice to give credit where credit is do. Most left wing blogs proudly give credit to the people who develop the software they use, while the right seems to not appreciate that.

I guess it goes with the nature of the politics. Isn't it the Republicans who always like to take credit for other's work? Think of Clinton's economic success. Typical right-wing bullshit.

The Re-Election Of William Jefferson

Josh sums it up perfectly

Remember Who Attacked Us?

Yeah - that other war!

Islamic militants are using a recent peace deal with the government to consolidate their hold in northern Pakistan, vastly expanding their training of suicide bombers and other recruits and fortifying alliances with Al Qaeda and foreign fighters, diplomats and intelligence officials from several nations say. The result, they say, is virtually a Taliban mini-state.

The militants, the officials say, are openly flouting the terms of the September accord in North Waziristan, under which they agreed to end cross-border help for the Taliban insurgency that revived in Afghanistan with new force this year.

The area is becoming a magnet for an influx of foreign fighters, who not only challenge government authority in the area, but are even wresting control from local tribes and spreading their influence to neighboring areas, according to several American and NATO officials and Pakistani and Afghan intelligence officials.

While Bush has had us tied up in Iraq with a never ending nightmare, our true enemies have been gaining major ground and power. It is almost like he wanted this to happen. Kind of how he flew Osama's family out of the country the day after the 9/11 attacks. If any other citizen of the United States continued to hand our nation defeat while enabling our enemies to gain power, they would be characterized as a traitor. The same needs to be applied to the Oval Office.

Ousting al-Maliki?

This is very interesting and hasn't received much attention as of yet:

Major partners in Iraq's governing coalition are in behind-the-scenes talks to oust Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki amid discontent over his failure to quell raging violence, according to lawmakers involved.

The talks are aimed at forming a new parliamentary bloc that would seek to replace the current government and that would likely exclude supporters of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who is a vehement opponent of the U.S. military presence.

The new alliance would be led by senior Shiite politician Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, who met with President Bush last week. Al-Hakim, however, was not expected to be the next prime minister because he prefers the role of powerbroker, staying above the grinding day-to-day running of the country.

A key figure in the proposed alliance, Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, a Sunni Arab, left for Washington on Sunday for a meeting with Bush at least three weeks ahead of schedule.

Interesting how the "key figures" in this movement have had meetings in Washington. It sounds like the Hadley memo carried some meaning. What else is interesting is the fact that al-Maliki was essentially Bush's pick to run the country. Remember - they had picked someone else, until Washington pressured the country into picking Maliki.

So what does al-Maliki think about this?

They said al-Maliki was livid at the attempt to unseat him.

"We know what's going on and we will sabotage it," said a close al-Maliki aide who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivities involved. He did not elaborate.

Time To Play Catch-Up

Don't Rush Bush To Fix The War He Rushed Into!

Playing Politics With Children

Thanks Tom!

John Solomon's Witch Hunt Of Harry Reid Busted

Opposition to the War Grows - Why Are Americans So Wrong?!?!

The New Blogger - Tom Delay

The Re-Election Of William Jefferson

Remember Who Attacked Us?

Ousting al-Maliki?

Pages

Comments

Tip Jar

Monthly archive

Tags

Follow Me On Twitter

You are here