president vice

Writing in an op-ed in today’s Mooney Times, Jeffery Kuhner floats the idea of impeaching President Obama if health care reform passes. His argument is the same old strawman we have been hearing all week – the “deem and pass” of the House of Representative:

Many Democrats could claim they opposed the Senate bill while allowing it to pass. This would be an unprecedented violation of our democratic norms and procedures, established since the inception of the republic. Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution stipulates that for any bill to become a law, it must pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate. That is, not be "deemed" to have passed, but actually be voted on with the support of the required majority. The bill must contain the exact same language in both chambers - and in the version signed by the president - to be a legitimate law. This is why the House and Senate have a conference committee to iron out differences of competing versions. This is Civics 101.

Between 2005 and 2006 the Republican controlled House used this same parliamentary procedure 35 times. Did we call for the impeachment of President Bush because of it? Of course not. Of course Republicans are arguing that “it has never been used for legislation of this magnitude”. I have read the Constitution countless times and for the life of me I can’t find the language that says procedures are different depending upon the size or scope of the legislation.

Wow this is something:

Scott Tooley, a Republican, and former Congressional aide and law school
graduate, educated at renowned Christian universities, has filed suit
against the President, Vice President and relevant federal agencies for
their illegal surveillance programs.

According to the complaint, the Bush-Cheney Administration initiated
numerous illegal and perpetual surveillance methods on Mr. Tooley and his
family after he was incorrectly placed on the TSA's "selectee" or watch
list.

Mr. Tooley's case is unique because the suit alleges the Bush
Administration has used additional illegal surveillance methods on him in
addition to the illegal wiretapping. Mr. Tooley is also the first Republican
to file suit with regard to the Bush Administration's surveillance programs.

Article continues

here.

I wonder how many more will follow suit (no pun intended - ok maybe it is).
Considering the mountains of information that has come out lately regarding
peace groups and others being spied on by the government, we may see many more
of these from all sides of the political spectrum.

What a better way to promote hate than at some neo-con shindig. Of course the
queen of hate speech, Ann Coulter, made a nice little presentation.

Max Blumenthal has highlighted some of her comments at

Raw Story but here is one that is really interesting:

Coulter on killing Bill Clinton:

(Responding to a question from a Catholic University student about her
biggest moral or ethical dilemma) "There was one time I had a shot at
Clinton. I thought 'Ann, that's not going to help your career.'"

Now why is this one interesting? Well, anytime a pundit talks about
assassinating a President it should be make heads turn, especially those in the
Secret Service. You would expect them to keep the President, Vice President or
anyone else they protect away from such a person - right?

Well, if Bill Bennett didn't cause a few more riots in the Muslim world,
I suppose we can always count on Dick Cheney. Last night Cheney spoke at the
annual CPAC convention, a big big big Republican affair here in DC. Now what
kind of people was Cheney there giving his good name to? People who rise up
in boisterous applause when keynote speakers call Arabs and Muslims "ragheads."
For any of our foreign readers, that's an American racial slur.

Well it seems like

John at AMERIABlog has proven me wrong. Cheney had no problem speaking at
the same engagement that Coulter was talking about her thoughts of assassinating
Bill Clinton.