I'll be gone for about 10 days. But before I go, I want to weigh in on Sacramento's Arena debate.
Thus far, I am not in agreement that Sacramento "needs" the Arena in order to become a First Class City (the rhetoric used when the Arena is discussed).
My objections are as follows:
1) Why is Sacramento County the only county being taxed to the cost to build the Arena? Yolo, Placer, El Dorado and even Solano counties all go to Kings games and other events at the Arena.
2) County Supervisors and City Council members claim that Sacramento county will get "benefits" (read kickbacks?) from the Arena. They claim they will put the money into libraries, parks... When has anyone in government taken kickback money and put up a library? Just like the Lottery money was promised to be good for schools; currently schools receive less than 1% of lottery money.
3) Why are there no corporate sponsors in partnership - a Public, private, corporate partnership? Why? Because our local government officials want control of the Arena and the money being poured into it. And, they are enamored of the Maloofs... star struck, and don't want any interference (or accountability) from corporate sponsors.
4) Do you really believe that any Sacramento City officials has the foresight (or fortitude) to develope the waterfront because of the addition of an Arena? "If you build it, they will come," was long ago discredited. Sacramento officials have had 40+ years to develope our river waterfront. What will a convention-ready Arena do for the waterfront? Local has proven that doesn't matter... look at Old Sacramento; right on the waterfront but the most we have seen is one or two restaurants and the Delta King. Whoopee!
And now read about some the stinky details of the Arena "deal:"
Daniel Weintraub: Arena deal exaggerates payments by Kings
Sacramento's civic leaders were giddy last week with news they had brokered a deal with the NBA's Sacramento Kings to build a downtown arena...
**********
Let me know what you think. Meanwhile, I'll be enjoying a much needed vacation with Corporate Clem while enchanting Biff enjoys his last year of Boy Scout camp. I'll be back next week...
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Sheeples In Entitlement America
When did Americans become entitled to cradle-to-grave care by our government? This phenomenon - blaming the current presidential administration for everything that goes wrong in American's lives - is relatively new. In fact, it is new and exclusive to President George W. Bush.
Currently we're witnessing more entitlement whining from Americans than ever before. Why?
Politics. And the Main Stream Media. The actual events of the day are not going to be reported if the MSM is at odds with the "news" philosophically. The MSM will "report" what they wish happened, what they want to happen, what they hope will happen, all in the hope that they will change the course of events.
So why the whining and absurd expectations coming from Hurrican Katrina victims and now, Americans in Lebanon?
Some history:
Statistically, there was more damage from flooding during the Clinton administration than during the first Bush administration, and the number of disaster declarations under Clinton was higher. After removing damage and precipitation effects, the researchers found that Clinton's declaration numbers were about the same as Bush's.
Yet, Americans were not barraged with negative media about the Clinton administration's failure to save each and every victim of flooding, hurricane, tornado oe earthquake.
This was hushed-up:
FORGOTTEN NATIONAL TRAGEDY: BILL CLINTON AND 1,000 DEATHS IN THE "CHICAGO HEAT WAVE" OF 1995
Hillary Clinton has called for a "Katrina Commission." How come she never called for a commission to investigate why at least 1,000 Americans died in a 1995 heat wave when her husband was president?The "Chicago heat wave" killed more people than Hurricane Andrew, TWA Flight 800, the Oklahoma City bombing and the Northridge, CA earthquake, combined.
Curiously, Hillary Clinton did not point out what her husband and administration did to prevent widespread suffering as a result of the massive heat wave that struck the Midwest in 1995 and was particularly devastating to the city of Chicago.
For one terrible week in July 1995, daytime temperatures in Chicago soared above 100 degrees; even at night the mercury barely dipped below that. Public-health officials knew the prolonged heat would be deadly, especially for frail seniors, but they were stunned by the final death toll. Altogether, the heat wave killed more than 700 Chicagoans, more than double the number who died in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. As New York University sociologist Eric Klinenberg writes in Heat Wave, his remarkable book about the tragedy, "The proportional death toll ... in Chicago has no equal in the record of U.S. heat disasters." (The Galvin Opinion)
Hillary hopes, that with the help of the MSM, Americans have short memories.
On disasters:
Guidelines governing the president's decision include consideration of a state's ability to respond, but these guidelines are vague, leaving the process open to influence from media coverage, cronyism, and political pressure. (Politics and Disaster Declarations from the natural Hazards Observer)
listed by:
President, Fiscal Years, Number Disaster, Declarations, Counties Included, Damage (millions 1995 dollars)
Johnson 1965-1968, 4, 11.8, 190, 1,681
Nixon 1969-1974, 6, 27.2, 393, 4,469
Ford 1975-1976, 2, 26.02, 51, 5,370
Carter 1977-1980, 4, 20.0, 181, 3,478
Reagan 1981-1988, 8, 14.5, 133, 3,440
Bush 1989-1992, 4, 22.3, 357, 1,469
Clinton 1993-1997, 5, 32.2, 603, 7,553
(Partial presidency, article written in March 2001)
Although the differences among presidents do not follow political party lines, they do correspond to some general policy orientations. President Reagan's small number of PDDs is consistent with his stated goal of reducing the role of the federal government and returning responsibilities to the states. In contrast, President Clinton put a priority on federal disaster response, expanding the role of FEMA and the prominence of its director.
The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake occured on October 18, 1989 in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Central California.
Depth: 16.79 km
Magnitude: 6.9 Mw, 7.1 Ms, 6.7 Ml
Faulting:This earthquake was the first major event to occur along the San Andreas fault zone since the 1906 earthquake. The Loma Prieta earthquake ruptured the southernmost 40 km of the 1906 break, in comparable amounts of right-lateral strike slip and reverse slip motion. Deaths: 63
Injuries: 3,757
Property Damage: $ 5,900,000,000. At the time, this was the most costly natural disaster in the United States.
Californians at the time of that earthquake, did not demand that the state or Federal government save them. George H. W. Bush was President. He was not universally hated by the media.
The Northridge Earthquake, which struck at 4:31 a.m. Jan. 17, 1994, killed 72 people, injured 11,846 and caused more than $12.5 billion in damages, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.
Again, no demand for government entitlements by victims of the quake. Bill Clinton was President and was the darling of the MSM.
So, what's happening now? The main stream media hates President Bush with such passion and conviction that regardless of how ridiculous it sounds, they blame him and his administration for every disaster.
One example is "Journalist" PAUL KRUGMAN in a September 5, 2005 article in the New York Times:
"Each day since Katrina brings more evidence of the lethal ineptitude of federal officials. I'm not letting state and local officials off the hook, but federal officials had access to resources that could have made all the difference, but were never mobilized."
Another by Sasha Brown, in November 23, 2005:
"Although Hurricane Katrina was a "natural" disaster, there are lessons to be learned from some of the highly unnatural disasters that followed in its wake, a panel of experts told a crowd gathered in Kirsch Auditorium on Nov. 15.
Sponsored by the Program in Science, Technology and Society (STS), the talk was the fifth in a series of symposia asking the "Big Questions After Big Hurricanes." This symposium was titled, "What's So Natural About Natural Disasters?"
"America had expectations that the government would respond," said the Class of 1947 Career Development Associate Professor Meg Jacobs, one of the three speakers."
***
And instead of the incessant complaining about how slow the federal government was to respond, where were the reports of the long-standing government corruption of New Orleans and the subsequent failures of the local and state governments of Louisanna? New York Daily News' Errol Louis writes: "Louisiana and New Orleans have a long, well-known reputation for corruption: as former congressman Billy Tauzin once put it, "half of Louisiana is under water and the other half is under indictment."
That's putting it mildly. Adjusted for population size, the state ranks third in the number of elected officials convicted of crimes (Mississippi is No. 1). Recent scandals include the conviction of 14 state judges and an FBI raid on the business and personal files of a Louisiana congressman."
he continues...
"In 1991, a notoriously corrupt Democrat named Edwin Edwards ran for governor against Republican David Duke, a former head of the Ku Klux Klan. Edwards, whose winning campaign included bumper stickers saying "Elect the Crook," is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for taking bribes from casino owners. Duke recently completed his own prison term for tax fraud.
The rot included the New Orleans Police Department, which in the 1990s had the dubious distinction of being the nation's most corrupt police force and the least effective: the city had the highest murder rate in America. More than 50 officers were eventually convicted of crimes including murder, rape and robbery; two are currently on Death Row."
Every American adult over the age of 35 remembers the news stories and knows that New Orleans officials are notorious for their corruption.
As Cybercast News Service previously reported, state lawmakers and the Orleans Levee Board engaged in an ongoing battle between 1996 and 2001 over how the board spent money. Residents of the levee district also defeated a tax increase proposed by the board. New Orleans City Councilwoman and former Orleans Levee Board Member Peggy Wilson recalled those battles. "Nobody was convinced that [the levee board] needed any more money and, of course, they didn't," Wilson charged. Instead of spending money on levee maintenance and improvements, the levee board focused on widening bridges and making other accommodations for riverboat casinos, she said. The casinos are a major source of the levee board's funding since they pay for use of the riverfront property adjacent to their "boats."
***
And now we are being subjected to the incessant whining by Americans in Lebanon about The U.S.'s slow evacuation from Lebanon. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi released this statement: "The United States government has an obligation to get thousands of its citizens out of harm's way in Lebanon quickly and safely. That means making it clear to the combatants that we will not tolerate any interference with our evacuation activities."
The United States has an obligation to "rescue" people who voluntarily traveled to Lebanon, moved there or attend University? These people are not hostages. And they are not naive. The American-born U.S. citizens who traveled or moved to Lebanon did so to make a political statement. But now they want out?
Read what the MSM talking heads and political opportunists are saying about the evacuation process:
JACK CAFFERTY: Remember Katrina? France has gotten more than 700 of their people out!
CHRIS JANSING: Sort of brought back, you know, the whole Katrina thing.
ANDERSON COOPER: It's like Katrina all over again.
NANCY PELOSI: Just another manifestation of the Katrina mentality.
HARRY REID: It is too bad that this is being treated as a mini Katrina.
ANDREA KOPPEL: The slow response that the Bush administration had after Katrina...
MILES O'BRIEN: One of the people we talked to earlier today equated it to...Katrina!
KATE SNOW: Some in Capitol Hill are bringing up memories of Hurricane Katrina.
DAVID SHUSTER: The image of Americans terrified has burned the Bush administration before following Hurricane Katrina.
PAULA ZAHN: You have heard Katrina, calling it "a mini-Katrina."
...there's not an original thought in the bunch. Did they get their talking points off the DNC website? From Howard Dean's mouth directly to you via the MSM...
and (NB: Looking for Something to Kvetch About, MSM Settles for 'Slow Evacuation')
It's no longer NEWS reporting: "The news, you have to look at it the same way you look at any retail product on the shelf at your favorite store. It's product. It's packaged. It's assembled. It's marketed. The news today is not what happened. The news today is what reporters want to happen. The news today is propaganda. The news today is agenda-oriented."(Rush Limbaugh)
So I ask... what are so many Americans doing in Lebanon?
from the Free Republic:
Most Americans in Lebanon Are Hezbollah Supporters
debbieschlussel.com ^ July 18, 2006 Debbie Schlussel
"One thing is lost in all the press coverage of the whining Americans who went to Lebanon of their own accord and now want us to pick up the tab to get them out.
THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS IN LEBANON ARE HEZBOLLAH SUPPORTERS.
Most of them are Shiite Muslims, many of whom hold dual U.S. and Lebanese citizenship. Many are anchor babies born here to Muslims in the U.S. illegally. Some are illegal aliens who became citizens through rubber-stamping Citizenship and Immigration Services (and its INS predecessor) coupled with political pressure by spineless politicians.
Of the 25,000 American citizens and green-card holders in Lebanon, at least 7,000 are from Dearborn, Michigan, the heart of Islamic America, and especially Shia Islam. These 7,000 are mostly Shi'ite Muslims who openly and strongly support Hezbollah. Ditto for many of the rest of the 25,000 that are there. " read the rest: Most Americans in Lebanon Are Hezbollah Supporters
And these people have the audacity to whine about the conditions of their rescue from a country they chose to live in and/or travel to, that is now at war.
The entitlement mentality spreading across our country is a shameful creation of the political left and MSM. Big Government will take care of you. You deserve to be taken care of.
As long as it's not George Bush doing the caring. Regardless of what he and his administration does to keep America safe, the irrational hatred of him by the elite leftie media will only fuel their means-to-an-end lying, falsifying, perjurous behavior; and, continue to perpetuate the entitlement mentality of America's sheeples.
Currently we're witnessing more entitlement whining from Americans than ever before. Why?
Politics. And the Main Stream Media. The actual events of the day are not going to be reported if the MSM is at odds with the "news" philosophically. The MSM will "report" what they wish happened, what they want to happen, what they hope will happen, all in the hope that they will change the course of events.
So why the whining and absurd expectations coming from Hurrican Katrina victims and now, Americans in Lebanon?
Some history:
Statistically, there was more damage from flooding during the Clinton administration than during the first Bush administration, and the number of disaster declarations under Clinton was higher. After removing damage and precipitation effects, the researchers found that Clinton's declaration numbers were about the same as Bush's.
Yet, Americans were not barraged with negative media about the Clinton administration's failure to save each and every victim of flooding, hurricane, tornado oe earthquake.
This was hushed-up:
FORGOTTEN NATIONAL TRAGEDY: BILL CLINTON AND 1,000 DEATHS IN THE "CHICAGO HEAT WAVE" OF 1995
Hillary Clinton has called for a "Katrina Commission." How come she never called for a commission to investigate why at least 1,000 Americans died in a 1995 heat wave when her husband was president?The "Chicago heat wave" killed more people than Hurricane Andrew, TWA Flight 800, the Oklahoma City bombing and the Northridge, CA earthquake, combined.
Curiously, Hillary Clinton did not point out what her husband and administration did to prevent widespread suffering as a result of the massive heat wave that struck the Midwest in 1995 and was particularly devastating to the city of Chicago.
For one terrible week in July 1995, daytime temperatures in Chicago soared above 100 degrees; even at night the mercury barely dipped below that. Public-health officials knew the prolonged heat would be deadly, especially for frail seniors, but they were stunned by the final death toll. Altogether, the heat wave killed more than 700 Chicagoans, more than double the number who died in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. As New York University sociologist Eric Klinenberg writes in Heat Wave, his remarkable book about the tragedy, "The proportional death toll ... in Chicago has no equal in the record of U.S. heat disasters." (The Galvin Opinion)
Hillary hopes, that with the help of the MSM, Americans have short memories.
On disasters:
Guidelines governing the president's decision include consideration of a state's ability to respond, but these guidelines are vague, leaving the process open to influence from media coverage, cronyism, and political pressure. (Politics and Disaster Declarations from the natural Hazards Observer)
listed by:
President, Fiscal Years, Number Disaster, Declarations, Counties Included, Damage (millions 1995 dollars)
Johnson 1965-1968, 4, 11.8, 190, 1,681
Nixon 1969-1974, 6, 27.2, 393, 4,469
Ford 1975-1976, 2, 26.02, 51, 5,370
Carter 1977-1980, 4, 20.0, 181, 3,478
Reagan 1981-1988, 8, 14.5, 133, 3,440
Bush 1989-1992, 4, 22.3, 357, 1,469
Clinton 1993-1997, 5, 32.2, 603, 7,553
(Partial presidency, article written in March 2001)
Although the differences among presidents do not follow political party lines, they do correspond to some general policy orientations. President Reagan's small number of PDDs is consistent with his stated goal of reducing the role of the federal government and returning responsibilities to the states. In contrast, President Clinton put a priority on federal disaster response, expanding the role of FEMA and the prominence of its director.
The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake occured on October 18, 1989 in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Central California.
Depth: 16.79 km
Magnitude: 6.9 Mw, 7.1 Ms, 6.7 Ml
Faulting:This earthquake was the first major event to occur along the San Andreas fault zone since the 1906 earthquake. The Loma Prieta earthquake ruptured the southernmost 40 km of the 1906 break, in comparable amounts of right-lateral strike slip and reverse slip motion. Deaths: 63
Injuries: 3,757
Property Damage: $ 5,900,000,000. At the time, this was the most costly natural disaster in the United States.
Californians at the time of that earthquake, did not demand that the state or Federal government save them. George H. W. Bush was President. He was not universally hated by the media.
The Northridge Earthquake, which struck at 4:31 a.m. Jan. 17, 1994, killed 72 people, injured 11,846 and caused more than $12.5 billion in damages, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.
Again, no demand for government entitlements by victims of the quake. Bill Clinton was President and was the darling of the MSM.
So, what's happening now? The main stream media hates President Bush with such passion and conviction that regardless of how ridiculous it sounds, they blame him and his administration for every disaster.
One example is "Journalist" PAUL KRUGMAN in a September 5, 2005 article in the New York Times:
"Each day since Katrina brings more evidence of the lethal ineptitude of federal officials. I'm not letting state and local officials off the hook, but federal officials had access to resources that could have made all the difference, but were never mobilized."
Another by Sasha Brown, in November 23, 2005:
"Although Hurricane Katrina was a "natural" disaster, there are lessons to be learned from some of the highly unnatural disasters that followed in its wake, a panel of experts told a crowd gathered in Kirsch Auditorium on Nov. 15.
Sponsored by the Program in Science, Technology and Society (STS), the talk was the fifth in a series of symposia asking the "Big Questions After Big Hurricanes." This symposium was titled, "What's So Natural About Natural Disasters?"
"America had expectations that the government would respond," said the Class of 1947 Career Development Associate Professor Meg Jacobs, one of the three speakers."
***
And instead of the incessant complaining about how slow the federal government was to respond, where were the reports of the long-standing government corruption of New Orleans and the subsequent failures of the local and state governments of Louisanna? New York Daily News' Errol Louis writes: "Louisiana and New Orleans have a long, well-known reputation for corruption: as former congressman Billy Tauzin once put it, "half of Louisiana is under water and the other half is under indictment."
That's putting it mildly. Adjusted for population size, the state ranks third in the number of elected officials convicted of crimes (Mississippi is No. 1). Recent scandals include the conviction of 14 state judges and an FBI raid on the business and personal files of a Louisiana congressman."
he continues...
"In 1991, a notoriously corrupt Democrat named Edwin Edwards ran for governor against Republican David Duke, a former head of the Ku Klux Klan. Edwards, whose winning campaign included bumper stickers saying "Elect the Crook," is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for taking bribes from casino owners. Duke recently completed his own prison term for tax fraud.
The rot included the New Orleans Police Department, which in the 1990s had the dubious distinction of being the nation's most corrupt police force and the least effective: the city had the highest murder rate in America. More than 50 officers were eventually convicted of crimes including murder, rape and robbery; two are currently on Death Row."
Every American adult over the age of 35 remembers the news stories and knows that New Orleans officials are notorious for their corruption.
As Cybercast News Service previously reported, state lawmakers and the Orleans Levee Board engaged in an ongoing battle between 1996 and 2001 over how the board spent money. Residents of the levee district also defeated a tax increase proposed by the board. New Orleans City Councilwoman and former Orleans Levee Board Member Peggy Wilson recalled those battles. "Nobody was convinced that [the levee board] needed any more money and, of course, they didn't," Wilson charged. Instead of spending money on levee maintenance and improvements, the levee board focused on widening bridges and making other accommodations for riverboat casinos, she said. The casinos are a major source of the levee board's funding since they pay for use of the riverfront property adjacent to their "boats."
***
And now we are being subjected to the incessant whining by Americans in Lebanon about The U.S.'s slow evacuation from Lebanon. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi released this statement: "The United States government has an obligation to get thousands of its citizens out of harm's way in Lebanon quickly and safely. That means making it clear to the combatants that we will not tolerate any interference with our evacuation activities."
The United States has an obligation to "rescue" people who voluntarily traveled to Lebanon, moved there or attend University? These people are not hostages. And they are not naive. The American-born U.S. citizens who traveled or moved to Lebanon did so to make a political statement. But now they want out?
Read what the MSM talking heads and political opportunists are saying about the evacuation process:
JACK CAFFERTY: Remember Katrina? France has gotten more than 700 of their people out!
CHRIS JANSING: Sort of brought back, you know, the whole Katrina thing.
ANDERSON COOPER: It's like Katrina all over again.
NANCY PELOSI: Just another manifestation of the Katrina mentality.
HARRY REID: It is too bad that this is being treated as a mini Katrina.
ANDREA KOPPEL: The slow response that the Bush administration had after Katrina...
MILES O'BRIEN: One of the people we talked to earlier today equated it to...Katrina!
KATE SNOW: Some in Capitol Hill are bringing up memories of Hurricane Katrina.
DAVID SHUSTER: The image of Americans terrified has burned the Bush administration before following Hurricane Katrina.
PAULA ZAHN: You have heard Katrina, calling it "a mini-Katrina."
...there's not an original thought in the bunch. Did they get their talking points off the DNC website? From Howard Dean's mouth directly to you via the MSM...
and (NB: Looking for Something to Kvetch About, MSM Settles for 'Slow Evacuation')
It's no longer NEWS reporting: "The news, you have to look at it the same way you look at any retail product on the shelf at your favorite store. It's product. It's packaged. It's assembled. It's marketed. The news today is not what happened. The news today is what reporters want to happen. The news today is propaganda. The news today is agenda-oriented."(Rush Limbaugh)
So I ask... what are so many Americans doing in Lebanon?
from the Free Republic:
Most Americans in Lebanon Are Hezbollah Supporters
debbieschlussel.com ^ July 18, 2006 Debbie Schlussel
"One thing is lost in all the press coverage of the whining Americans who went to Lebanon of their own accord and now want us to pick up the tab to get them out.
THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS IN LEBANON ARE HEZBOLLAH SUPPORTERS.
Most of them are Shiite Muslims, many of whom hold dual U.S. and Lebanese citizenship. Many are anchor babies born here to Muslims in the U.S. illegally. Some are illegal aliens who became citizens through rubber-stamping Citizenship and Immigration Services (and its INS predecessor) coupled with political pressure by spineless politicians.
Of the 25,000 American citizens and green-card holders in Lebanon, at least 7,000 are from Dearborn, Michigan, the heart of Islamic America, and especially Shia Islam. These 7,000 are mostly Shi'ite Muslims who openly and strongly support Hezbollah. Ditto for many of the rest of the 25,000 that are there. " read the rest: Most Americans in Lebanon Are Hezbollah Supporters
And these people have the audacity to whine about the conditions of their rescue from a country they chose to live in and/or travel to, that is now at war.
The entitlement mentality spreading across our country is a shameful creation of the political left and MSM. Big Government will take care of you. You deserve to be taken care of.
As long as it's not George Bush doing the caring. Regardless of what he and his administration does to keep America safe, the irrational hatred of him by the elite leftie media will only fuel their means-to-an-end lying, falsifying, perjurous behavior; and, continue to perpetuate the entitlement mentality of America's sheeples.
Storming The Bastille
I've been off for a few days celebrating. My birthday was last Friday, Bastille Day. This is actually a good thing for me because I love everything French... the food, wine, decor, architecture, countryside, bread, ... I love French anything...except the French... people.
Specifically, it's the French culture of idleness, pomposity, entitlements, chicken hearts, and their politics.
So while I sipped on a fine Chenin Blanc, nibbled on frommage de Charolais spread on a crusty bagggette, savoured foie gras and Crumble aux Abricots for desert, I read French Women Don’t Get Fat. Why?
Because my darling son called me middle aged. Il l'a fait en dépit du bon sens. (He did it in spite of good sense).
La vérité sort de la bouche des enfants. (Out of the mouths of babes...)
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Liberal Blogs Tied To Political Consultant
Isn't that interesting.
In the July 10, 2006 issue of The Washington Times, writer Donald Lambro reports:
"The founders of two politically influential liberal blogs, known for their bare-knuckle attacks on Republicans and errant Democrats, are being knocked for promoting political candidates for whom one of them works as a paid campaign consultant.
Bloggers and news organizations have begun to question the close relationship between Markos Moulitsas, creator of the widely read DailyKos.com, and Jerome Armstrong, creator of MyDD.com and a political consultant."
“The talk of the blogosphere last week was ‘Kosola’ — allegations that Moulitsas wrote favorably about candidates with whom he or his close friend and co-author Jerome Armstrong has financial relationships,” Jonathan Darman writes in the current issue of Newsweek in a piece titled “The War’s Left Front.”
The story got juicier when the Web site for the liberal New Republic magazine obtained an e-mail Mr. Moulitsas sent out to a select list of bloggers, asking them to “ignore this [story] for now.”
“It would make my life easier. [. . .] If any of us blog on this right now, we fuel the story. Let’s starve it of oxygen,” he wrote.
read the rest here: Liberal blogs tied to political consultant - the story speaks for itself.
In the July 10, 2006 issue of The Washington Times, writer Donald Lambro reports:
"The founders of two politically influential liberal blogs, known for their bare-knuckle attacks on Republicans and errant Democrats, are being knocked for promoting political candidates for whom one of them works as a paid campaign consultant.
Bloggers and news organizations have begun to question the close relationship between Markos Moulitsas, creator of the widely read DailyKos.com, and Jerome Armstrong, creator of MyDD.com and a political consultant."
“The talk of the blogosphere last week was ‘Kosola’ — allegations that Moulitsas wrote favorably about candidates with whom he or his close friend and co-author Jerome Armstrong has financial relationships,” Jonathan Darman writes in the current issue of Newsweek in a piece titled “The War’s Left Front.”
The story got juicier when the Web site for the liberal New Republic magazine obtained an e-mail Mr. Moulitsas sent out to a select list of bloggers, asking them to “ignore this [story] for now.”
“It would make my life easier. [. . .] If any of us blog on this right now, we fuel the story. Let’s starve it of oxygen,” he wrote.
read the rest here: Liberal blogs tied to political consultant - the story speaks for itself.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
The Cindy Sheehan DIET
Cindy Sheehan is on a "fast:"
The following letter was posted on Michael Moore website:
Dear Friends,
GSFP and Code Pink are sponsoring a hunger strike for peace which begins July 04, called Troops Home Fast Some of us like Dick Gregory and Diane Wilson will be fasting until the troops come home from Iraq, and some, like me, will be fasting for a specified time. My fast will begin on 7/04 and end on the last day of Camp Casey: 09/02.
We are announcing the fast from Washington, DC on 07/04 and having our last supper on 07/03 in Lafayette Park.
If you can join us in DC on the 3rd and 4th, or fast in solidarity with us on that day, or any other time, please let me know.
Love and peace soon,
Cindy
Cindy's latest blog entry "I find traveling out of the country very challenging being on a fast. When I was on a layover in Madrid on my way to Venice, Italy yesterday, the closest thing I could find to a smoothie to get a little protein was a coffee with vanilla ice cream in it. Traveling for 22 hours is very taxing under normal circumstances--but then again, when have we had normal circumstances since the 2000 and 2004 successful coup attempts that have brought BushCo into power?"
Cindy's "open-ended hunger strike" (whatever that is)
Starving for Attention: Troops Home Fast, Day One. Cindy's version of a fast is to add vanilla ice cream to her coffee because she can't find a Jamba Juice. When last I researched, fasting is the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food and in some cases drink, for a period of time. Jamba juice doesn't count.
For instance, a Raspberry Rainbow™ smoothie from Jamba Juice is described as this: "Take a healthy escape with this refreshingly familiar taste of raspberry and orange juice, strawberries, bananas and ice. A colorful source of vitamins C and B6 needed to help maintain a healthy, activity-rich life. No pot of gold can say that. " That's not clear broth or water.
Fasting is the avoidance of solid food and the intake of liquids only (true fasting would be the total avoidance of anything by mouth). The most stringent form of fasting is taking only water; more liberally, fasting includes the use of fresh juices made from fruits and vegetables as well as herbal teas.
Cindy again proves that she's a phony unwilling to give up her 15 minutes of fame. She and her handlers will continue to find ways to keep her unattractive mug in the news - whether she has to create the news or not. And as I've said previously, Cindy does not speak or behave as a sincere grieving mother would. A sincere, loving and selfless mother would honor and celebrate the wishes of the child.
Cindy is in love with the media and the sound of her own voice. She's not smart enough to see that the's just another media pawn; her shamelessness and stupidity sells newspapers.
From FrontPage magazine.com :: Exploiting the Dead:
"However, none of the mainstream media accounts of this beatified mourner recognize her long history of extremist rhetoric, her close association with far-Left and anti-Semitic figures, or the way she has seemingly rewritten her own history when it suited her purposes.
Her hatred of President George W. Bush apparently harkens back to well before her son ever set foot in Iraq. Cindy Sheehan’s antiwar animus dates to well before her son’s death. [1] The Sheehans always opposed U.S. involvement in Iraq. Asked about the views she and her husband, Pat, had toward the Iraq War before their son’s deployment, she answered: “We didn’t understand why the United States was there. We never thought that Iraq was an imminent threat to the United States.”
She has taken advantage of her status as an aggrieved mother to spread her poisonous brand of far-Left politics. Sheehan also applies dehumanizing rhetoric to “neo-con” officials in the Bush administration. In an antiwar speech this April, Sheehan said of a well-known Jewish conservative, “As soft-spoken and sincere-sounding as Paul Wolfowitz is, is there yet any sane adult in this country whose skin does not crawl when this murderous liar opens his mouth and speaks?” She fumed, “Our country has been overtaken by murderous thugs....gangsters who lust after fortunes and power.” It is possible her target is “merely” capitalism. But her vicious rhetoric leaves open the possibility that she makes room at her altar of hatred for Jews, as well."
And this:
In response to questions regarding the Cindy Sheehan/Crawford Texas issue: Sheehan Family Statement:
The Sheehan Family lost our beloved Casey in the Iraq War and we have been silently, respectfully grieving. We do not agree with the political motivations and publicity tactics of Cindy Sheehan. She now appears to be promoting her own personal agenda and notoriety at the expense of her son's good name and reputation. The rest of the Sheehan Family supports the troops, our country, and our President, silently, with prayer and respect.
Sincerely,Casey Sheehan's grandparents, aunts, uncles and numerous cousins.
And today, it's her diet. No, I mean her fast. For peace. And shameless self-promotion. She's not missing Casey. She's just worried she'll miss the media attention if she grieves privately.
The following letter was posted on Michael Moore website:
Dear Friends,
GSFP and Code Pink are sponsoring a hunger strike for peace which begins July 04, called Troops Home Fast Some of us like Dick Gregory and Diane Wilson will be fasting until the troops come home from Iraq, and some, like me, will be fasting for a specified time. My fast will begin on 7/04 and end on the last day of Camp Casey: 09/02.
We are announcing the fast from Washington, DC on 07/04 and having our last supper on 07/03 in Lafayette Park.
If you can join us in DC on the 3rd and 4th, or fast in solidarity with us on that day, or any other time, please let me know.
Love and peace soon,
Cindy
Cindy's latest blog entry "I find traveling out of the country very challenging being on a fast. When I was on a layover in Madrid on my way to Venice, Italy yesterday, the closest thing I could find to a smoothie to get a little protein was a coffee with vanilla ice cream in it. Traveling for 22 hours is very taxing under normal circumstances--but then again, when have we had normal circumstances since the 2000 and 2004 successful coup attempts that have brought BushCo into power?"
Cindy's "open-ended hunger strike" (whatever that is)
Starving for Attention: Troops Home Fast, Day One. Cindy's version of a fast is to add vanilla ice cream to her coffee because she can't find a Jamba Juice. When last I researched, fasting is the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food and in some cases drink, for a period of time. Jamba juice doesn't count.
For instance, a Raspberry Rainbow™ smoothie from Jamba Juice is described as this: "Take a healthy escape with this refreshingly familiar taste of raspberry and orange juice, strawberries, bananas and ice. A colorful source of vitamins C and B6 needed to help maintain a healthy, activity-rich life. No pot of gold can say that. " That's not clear broth or water.
Fasting is the avoidance of solid food and the intake of liquids only (true fasting would be the total avoidance of anything by mouth). The most stringent form of fasting is taking only water; more liberally, fasting includes the use of fresh juices made from fruits and vegetables as well as herbal teas.
Cindy again proves that she's a phony unwilling to give up her 15 minutes of fame. She and her handlers will continue to find ways to keep her unattractive mug in the news - whether she has to create the news or not. And as I've said previously, Cindy does not speak or behave as a sincere grieving mother would. A sincere, loving and selfless mother would honor and celebrate the wishes of the child.
Cindy is in love with the media and the sound of her own voice. She's not smart enough to see that the's just another media pawn; her shamelessness and stupidity sells newspapers.
From FrontPage magazine.com :: Exploiting the Dead:
"However, none of the mainstream media accounts of this beatified mourner recognize her long history of extremist rhetoric, her close association with far-Left and anti-Semitic figures, or the way she has seemingly rewritten her own history when it suited her purposes.
Her hatred of President George W. Bush apparently harkens back to well before her son ever set foot in Iraq. Cindy Sheehan’s antiwar animus dates to well before her son’s death. [1] The Sheehans always opposed U.S. involvement in Iraq. Asked about the views she and her husband, Pat, had toward the Iraq War before their son’s deployment, she answered: “We didn’t understand why the United States was there. We never thought that Iraq was an imminent threat to the United States.”
She has taken advantage of her status as an aggrieved mother to spread her poisonous brand of far-Left politics. Sheehan also applies dehumanizing rhetoric to “neo-con” officials in the Bush administration. In an antiwar speech this April, Sheehan said of a well-known Jewish conservative, “As soft-spoken and sincere-sounding as Paul Wolfowitz is, is there yet any sane adult in this country whose skin does not crawl when this murderous liar opens his mouth and speaks?” She fumed, “Our country has been overtaken by murderous thugs....gangsters who lust after fortunes and power.” It is possible her target is “merely” capitalism. But her vicious rhetoric leaves open the possibility that she makes room at her altar of hatred for Jews, as well."
And this:
In response to questions regarding the Cindy Sheehan/Crawford Texas issue: Sheehan Family Statement:
The Sheehan Family lost our beloved Casey in the Iraq War and we have been silently, respectfully grieving. We do not agree with the political motivations and publicity tactics of Cindy Sheehan. She now appears to be promoting her own personal agenda and notoriety at the expense of her son's good name and reputation. The rest of the Sheehan Family supports the troops, our country, and our President, silently, with prayer and respect.
Sincerely,Casey Sheehan's grandparents, aunts, uncles and numerous cousins.
And today, it's her diet. No, I mean her fast. For peace. And shameless self-promotion. She's not missing Casey. She's just worried she'll miss the media attention if she grieves privately.
Warrior Poet Dies
This story alternately infuriated me and made me sad; mad at the way Michael Moore abused an American soldier by tricking him into agreeing to be filmed in Fahrenheit 9/11, and sad that the fellow died fighting for the rights of jerks like Moore and other America-Hating libs.
Just as Al Gore is doing, Michael Moore used good people and twisted facts to uphold his lies.
And that is what the liberals do - use people, lie, all to meet their own sick needs: Power, Control, and never for the good of the country. Although they'd sure like you to believe that's their goal.
Actions speak louder than words. I wonder what Michael Moore has to say now.
********************
Marine recruiter in 'Fahrenheit' mourned
By SHARON COHEN, AP National Writer
LAKE ORION, Mich. (AP) - He was a stern-faced sniper - and a soft-hearted Marine who handed out candy to kids in Iraq. He was a warrior who wrote poetry about life and death.
He was featured in Michael Moore's antiwar documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," portrayed as an overzealous Marine recruiter who targeted poor kids.
But Staff Sgt. Raymond Plouhar was far more complicated than that.
And it was that complicated man who died in Iraq in late June, as he served with some of the same men he had recruited years ago. It was that complex man who was buried Friday, by a family that honored his service but would never forget his humanity.
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"He had a huge heart," says his widow, Leigha.
Plouhar was a Marine for 10 of his 30 years, but he had dreamed of joining the military ever since he was a little boy who liked to watch "M-A-S-H" on television and dress in fatigues and a camouflage shirt.
He entered the Corps straight out of high school, was trained as a sniper and traveled the world - Bosnia, Sudan and Israel. He had a ramrod posture and a fierce pride in his appearance: He once ironed his uniform and polished its brass buttons for two hours before allowing his mom to photograph him.
"He told me lots of times that he learned what could be accomplished .. if you put your heart and soul in it - and he put his heart and soul in the Marine Corps," says his father, also named Raymond. "He was gung-ho from the time he signed his name until the day he died."
His signature was a memorable one.
His birth certificate read Raymond James Byron Anthony Charles Plouhar - he was named after all his grandfathers. He followed a long family tradition of military service that included a grandfather who earned a Purple Heart in World War II and an older sister, Toni, who was in the Army.
Plouhar carried a Bible from his grandfather, Raymond, to Iraq. He kept it in his left shirt pocket next to his heart. Tucked inside was a photo of his wife and their two sons, Raymond, 9, and Michael, 5.
As devoted as he was to the Marines, Plouhar had a full life outside the military. He liked to hunt and camp, take canoe trips and fish with his boys.
He was known as a charmer, a good talker, a champion of the underdog (always defending and befriending kids picked on in school) and though he was trained to fight and kill, he preferred the role of peacemaker.
"He didn't like turmoil," recalls his mother, Cynthia. "He wanted everybody to be happy, to get along. ... He'd say 'Life's too short to sweat the small stuff.'"
As family members gathered last week in their lakefront home 30 miles north of Detroit, they lined the walls and windows with photo collages that tell Raymond Plouhar's life in chapters.
There's the grinning kid with the protruding ears (a coach once joked he looked like a Volkswagen with the doors open) proudly holding up the bass he caught.
There's the sturdy athlete grappling with an opponent around a wrestling circle and posing in the green-and-white football uniform of the Lake Orion Dragons.
There's the young man in love, sitting with high school sweetheart, Leigha, on his dad's Harley on their way to the prom, then years later, together again, he in Marine blue, she in white, on their wedding day.
Then there's the tough-minded Marine in helmet and combat gear - doling out candy from a plastic bag two months ago to schoolchildren in Iraq.
"He admired the Iraqi people," his father says. "He said, 'Dad, even though I can't understand a word they're saying, if we were back home ... we'd be buddies.'"
Plouhar was killed on June 26 by a roadside bomb in Anbar province in his second tour of duty in Iraq, weeks before he was to return home. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Plouhar's family says he had no qualms about returning to Iraq and he believed conditions had improved since his first tour in 2005.
"I never worried," Leigha says, "because ... in my head, he was indestructible and nothing could ever happen to him because he was so good at what he did."
His mother says her son preferred to be at the center of the action. In an undated entry in a blog on MySpace.com, Plouhar said "you can call me crazy" but he liked being in Iraq. "Someone has to do it plus I love what I do," he wrote.
Plouhar did step back from active duty for four years and worked as a recruiter in Flint so he could donate a kidney to his uncle.
It was as a recruiter that Plouhar was seen in Moore's award-winning "Fahrenheit 9/11." The segment shows Plouhar and another Marine in a mall parking lot in a depressed suburb of Flint; it suggests the two men were cynically hunting for poor teens to sign up, rather than go to a wealthy suburb where they'd likely be rejected.
Plouhar's father says his son told him he had been misled and believed he was being filmed for a documentary that would appear on the Discovery Channel. (Moore's office didn't return calls or e-mail messages seeking comment.)
"He cried when he found out what it really was," his father says. "He never dreamed that it was going to be something to slam the country, which he dearly loved."
The movie, to be precise, is primarily a criticism of the Bush administration's actions after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
And yet, the elder Plouhar also says he doesn't see anything wrong with his son's actions. "If you really watched just the part with my son in it," he asks, "how could you not say that he was standing tall and proud?"
His parents say they've seen only the segment featuring their son. Leigha Plouhar says her husband asked her not to watch the film - and she never has. Nor has Stephen Wandrie, his friend of 20 years, who says Plouhar was hurt by the film, but told him:
"'You know what? I know what I do is good for this country and every one of those people I'm recruiting - those guys are my brothers.' "
In the past month, the bloodshed that has become part of the daily life in Iraq seemed to edge closer and closer. He was shaken up in two explosions.
Two weeks before he died, his mother says, he called and she could hear the strain in his voice. But he tried to be reassuring. "He said, I'll be all right. I don't have much longer. ... I'm ready to come home. I'm ready."
And yet he seemed prepared for the possibility he wouldn't.
In a poem he sent to his family last year - a poem now enlarged to floor-to-ceiling size, and covering a wall of the Plouhar home - Plouhar said he knew he could die serving his country and was ready to make the sacrifice.
"I will leave my loved ones, my kids, my wife ...," he wrote. "Do not feel pity for me, for this is my choice. ... This is me. This is who I am. I am a Marine to the very end."
Marine recruiter in 'Fahrenheit' mourned:This photo released by the U.S. Marine Corps shows Staff Sgt. Raymond Plouhar handing candy to students at the Al Nabatiya Elementary School, May 9, 2006, near Fallujah, Iraq. Plouhar, 30, of Lake Orion, Mich., who was featured in Michael Moore's antiwar documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," was killed on June 26, 2006, by a roadside bomb in Anbar province in his second tour of duty in Iraq.
Just as Al Gore is doing, Michael Moore used good people and twisted facts to uphold his lies.
And that is what the liberals do - use people, lie, all to meet their own sick needs: Power, Control, and never for the good of the country. Although they'd sure like you to believe that's their goal.
Actions speak louder than words. I wonder what Michael Moore has to say now.
********************
Marine recruiter in 'Fahrenheit' mourned
By SHARON COHEN, AP National Writer
LAKE ORION, Mich. (AP) - He was a stern-faced sniper - and a soft-hearted Marine who handed out candy to kids in Iraq. He was a warrior who wrote poetry about life and death.
He was featured in Michael Moore's antiwar documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," portrayed as an overzealous Marine recruiter who targeted poor kids.
But Staff Sgt. Raymond Plouhar was far more complicated than that.
And it was that complicated man who died in Iraq in late June, as he served with some of the same men he had recruited years ago. It was that complex man who was buried Friday, by a family that honored his service but would never forget his humanity.
OAS_AD('Button20');
"He had a huge heart," says his widow, Leigha.
Plouhar was a Marine for 10 of his 30 years, but he had dreamed of joining the military ever since he was a little boy who liked to watch "M-A-S-H" on television and dress in fatigues and a camouflage shirt.
He entered the Corps straight out of high school, was trained as a sniper and traveled the world - Bosnia, Sudan and Israel. He had a ramrod posture and a fierce pride in his appearance: He once ironed his uniform and polished its brass buttons for two hours before allowing his mom to photograph him.
"He told me lots of times that he learned what could be accomplished .. if you put your heart and soul in it - and he put his heart and soul in the Marine Corps," says his father, also named Raymond. "He was gung-ho from the time he signed his name until the day he died."
His signature was a memorable one.
His birth certificate read Raymond James Byron Anthony Charles Plouhar - he was named after all his grandfathers. He followed a long family tradition of military service that included a grandfather who earned a Purple Heart in World War II and an older sister, Toni, who was in the Army.
Plouhar carried a Bible from his grandfather, Raymond, to Iraq. He kept it in his left shirt pocket next to his heart. Tucked inside was a photo of his wife and their two sons, Raymond, 9, and Michael, 5.
As devoted as he was to the Marines, Plouhar had a full life outside the military. He liked to hunt and camp, take canoe trips and fish with his boys.
He was known as a charmer, a good talker, a champion of the underdog (always defending and befriending kids picked on in school) and though he was trained to fight and kill, he preferred the role of peacemaker.
"He didn't like turmoil," recalls his mother, Cynthia. "He wanted everybody to be happy, to get along. ... He'd say 'Life's too short to sweat the small stuff.'"
As family members gathered last week in their lakefront home 30 miles north of Detroit, they lined the walls and windows with photo collages that tell Raymond Plouhar's life in chapters.
There's the grinning kid with the protruding ears (a coach once joked he looked like a Volkswagen with the doors open) proudly holding up the bass he caught.
There's the sturdy athlete grappling with an opponent around a wrestling circle and posing in the green-and-white football uniform of the Lake Orion Dragons.
There's the young man in love, sitting with high school sweetheart, Leigha, on his dad's Harley on their way to the prom, then years later, together again, he in Marine blue, she in white, on their wedding day.
Then there's the tough-minded Marine in helmet and combat gear - doling out candy from a plastic bag two months ago to schoolchildren in Iraq.
"He admired the Iraqi people," his father says. "He said, 'Dad, even though I can't understand a word they're saying, if we were back home ... we'd be buddies.'"
Plouhar was killed on June 26 by a roadside bomb in Anbar province in his second tour of duty in Iraq, weeks before he was to return home. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Plouhar's family says he had no qualms about returning to Iraq and he believed conditions had improved since his first tour in 2005.
"I never worried," Leigha says, "because ... in my head, he was indestructible and nothing could ever happen to him because he was so good at what he did."
His mother says her son preferred to be at the center of the action. In an undated entry in a blog on MySpace.com, Plouhar said "you can call me crazy" but he liked being in Iraq. "Someone has to do it plus I love what I do," he wrote.
Plouhar did step back from active duty for four years and worked as a recruiter in Flint so he could donate a kidney to his uncle.
It was as a recruiter that Plouhar was seen in Moore's award-winning "Fahrenheit 9/11." The segment shows Plouhar and another Marine in a mall parking lot in a depressed suburb of Flint; it suggests the two men were cynically hunting for poor teens to sign up, rather than go to a wealthy suburb where they'd likely be rejected.
Plouhar's father says his son told him he had been misled and believed he was being filmed for a documentary that would appear on the Discovery Channel. (Moore's office didn't return calls or e-mail messages seeking comment.)
"He cried when he found out what it really was," his father says. "He never dreamed that it was going to be something to slam the country, which he dearly loved."
The movie, to be precise, is primarily a criticism of the Bush administration's actions after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
And yet, the elder Plouhar also says he doesn't see anything wrong with his son's actions. "If you really watched just the part with my son in it," he asks, "how could you not say that he was standing tall and proud?"
His parents say they've seen only the segment featuring their son. Leigha Plouhar says her husband asked her not to watch the film - and she never has. Nor has Stephen Wandrie, his friend of 20 years, who says Plouhar was hurt by the film, but told him:
"'You know what? I know what I do is good for this country and every one of those people I'm recruiting - those guys are my brothers.' "
In the past month, the bloodshed that has become part of the daily life in Iraq seemed to edge closer and closer. He was shaken up in two explosions.
Two weeks before he died, his mother says, he called and she could hear the strain in his voice. But he tried to be reassuring. "He said, I'll be all right. I don't have much longer. ... I'm ready to come home. I'm ready."
And yet he seemed prepared for the possibility he wouldn't.
In a poem he sent to his family last year - a poem now enlarged to floor-to-ceiling size, and covering a wall of the Plouhar home - Plouhar said he knew he could die serving his country and was ready to make the sacrifice.
"I will leave my loved ones, my kids, my wife ...," he wrote. "Do not feel pity for me, for this is my choice. ... This is me. This is who I am. I am a Marine to the very end."
Marine recruiter in 'Fahrenheit' mourned:This photo released by the U.S. Marine Corps shows Staff Sgt. Raymond Plouhar handing candy to students at the Al Nabatiya Elementary School, May 9, 2006, near Fallujah, Iraq. Plouhar, 30, of Lake Orion, Mich., who was featured in Michael Moore's antiwar documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," was killed on June 26, 2006, by a roadside bomb in Anbar province in his second tour of duty in Iraq.
Monday, July 10, 2006
William Jefferson Office Raid LEGAL
I wonder when the Main Stream Media will get around to report this (Or bury it on page A-18):
*************************************************
Judge: FBI Raid on Lawmaker's Office Legal
Jul 10
4:44pm Eastern
By TONI LOCY
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON
An FBI raid on a Louisiana congressman's Capitol Hill office was legal, a federal judge ruled Monday.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan said members of Congress are not above the law. He rejected requests from lawmakers and Democratic Rep. William Jefferson to return material seized by the FBI in a May 20-21 search of Jefferson's office.
In a 28-page opinion, Hogan dismissed arguments that the first-ever raid on a congressman's office violated the Constitution's protections against intimidation of elected officials.
"Congress' capacity to function effectively is not threatened by permitting congressional offices to be searched pursuant to validly issued search warrants," said Hogan, who had approved the FBI's request to conduct the overnight search of Jefferson's office.
Jefferson had sought the return of several computer hard drives, floppy disks and two boxes of paper documents that FBI agents seized during an 18-hour search of his Rayburn Building office.
At issue was a constitutional provision known as the speech and debate clause, which protects elected officials from being questioned by the president, a prosecutor or a plaintiff in a lawsuit about their legislative work.
"No one argues that the warrant executed upon Congressman Jefferson's office was not properly administered," Hogan wrote. "Therefore, there was no impermissible intrusion on the Legislature. The fact that some privileged material was incidentally captured by the search does not constitute an unlawful intrusion."
The raid on Jefferson's office angered members of Congress, some of whom threatened to retaliate by tinkering with the FBI and Justice Department budgets.
President Bush stepped in and ordered the solicitor general to take custody of the seized materials so Congress and the Justice Department could work out procedures to deal with similar situations in the future.
The president's 45-day "cooling off period" ended Sunday with no compromise worked out but with assurances from the Justice Department that it would not seek to regain custody of the materials until Hogan ruled on Jefferson's request.
Because Hogan signed the search warrant authorizing the search, Jefferson's legal team was not surprised by his ruling upholding it.
"While a Congressman is not above the law, the executive branch must also follow the law," said Jefferson's lawyer, Robert Trout. "We appreciate the consideration the judge accorded our motion for the return of the seized property, but we respectfully disagree with his conclusion, and we intend to appeal the ruling."
Hogan said a search warrant seeking material is very different than a subpoena seeking testimony.
"Jefferson may never be questioned regarding his legitimate legislative activities, is immune from civil or criminal liability for those activities, and no privileged material may ever be used against him in court," the judge wrote.
Jefferson has been under investigation since March 2005 for allegedly using his position to promote the sale of telecommunications equipment and services offered by iGate, a Louisville-based firm, that sought contracts with Nigeria, Ghana and other African nations.
In return for his help, Jefferson allegedly demanded stock and cash payments. Jefferson has not been charged and has denied wrongdoing.
*************************************************
Judge: FBI Raid on Lawmaker's Office Legal
Jul 10
4:44pm Eastern
By TONI LOCY
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON
An FBI raid on a Louisiana congressman's Capitol Hill office was legal, a federal judge ruled Monday.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan said members of Congress are not above the law. He rejected requests from lawmakers and Democratic Rep. William Jefferson to return material seized by the FBI in a May 20-21 search of Jefferson's office.
In a 28-page opinion, Hogan dismissed arguments that the first-ever raid on a congressman's office violated the Constitution's protections against intimidation of elected officials.
"Congress' capacity to function effectively is not threatened by permitting congressional offices to be searched pursuant to validly issued search warrants," said Hogan, who had approved the FBI's request to conduct the overnight search of Jefferson's office.
Jefferson had sought the return of several computer hard drives, floppy disks and two boxes of paper documents that FBI agents seized during an 18-hour search of his Rayburn Building office.
At issue was a constitutional provision known as the speech and debate clause, which protects elected officials from being questioned by the president, a prosecutor or a plaintiff in a lawsuit about their legislative work.
"No one argues that the warrant executed upon Congressman Jefferson's office was not properly administered," Hogan wrote. "Therefore, there was no impermissible intrusion on the Legislature. The fact that some privileged material was incidentally captured by the search does not constitute an unlawful intrusion."
The raid on Jefferson's office angered members of Congress, some of whom threatened to retaliate by tinkering with the FBI and Justice Department budgets.
President Bush stepped in and ordered the solicitor general to take custody of the seized materials so Congress and the Justice Department could work out procedures to deal with similar situations in the future.
The president's 45-day "cooling off period" ended Sunday with no compromise worked out but with assurances from the Justice Department that it would not seek to regain custody of the materials until Hogan ruled on Jefferson's request.
Because Hogan signed the search warrant authorizing the search, Jefferson's legal team was not surprised by his ruling upholding it.
"While a Congressman is not above the law, the executive branch must also follow the law," said Jefferson's lawyer, Robert Trout. "We appreciate the consideration the judge accorded our motion for the return of the seized property, but we respectfully disagree with his conclusion, and we intend to appeal the ruling."
Hogan said a search warrant seeking material is very different than a subpoena seeking testimony.
"Jefferson may never be questioned regarding his legitimate legislative activities, is immune from civil or criminal liability for those activities, and no privileged material may ever be used against him in court," the judge wrote.
Jefferson has been under investigation since March 2005 for allegedly using his position to promote the sale of telecommunications equipment and services offered by iGate, a Louisville-based firm, that sought contracts with Nigeria, Ghana and other African nations.
In return for his help, Jefferson allegedly demanded stock and cash payments. Jefferson has not been charged and has denied wrongdoing.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Baghdad Bob Mulholland Flaps At The Mouth Again
Baghdad Bob as he's affectionately known in California, is letting loose again with idiocies...
Proof once again that Bob Mulholland, now Phil Angelides' campaign advisor, is certifiably NUTS and a dangerous, loose cannon. He'll say anything, and is never constrained by the truth.
Mullholand, famous for the Recall-election bogus charges by six women, four of whom were anonymous, who claimed sexual harassment by The Terminator. Some of the charges go back to the '70s.
Bob, the quintessential dirty trickster also helped to oversee the recount of ballots in Florida(Some help). In fact, this guy once went so far over the line that he was suspended by the California Democratic party for misconduct. However, since results for some are more important than ethics, he was soon reinstated. (Dems will overlook anything dirty by a Dem).
Several years ago, at the height of the Clinton impeachment battle, Mulholland was digging up personal dirt on Republican members of Congress who might oppose the president. At that time, Mulholland said Republicans who have skeletons in their closets should not be attacking the president's character, and he pledged to unearth the skeletons. (Some might call this intimidation, or even tampering with justice.) Both the Clinton White House and the DNC predictably distanced themselves publicly from Mulholland, who was investigating, for example, whether Republican lawmakers had ever committed adultery.
Here are some classic Baghdad Bob quotes:
“This election was called by Schwarzenegger, and it is a referendum on Schwarzenegger.”
“Schwarzenegger hasn't missed attending his fundraisers, but he's missed a meeting with the most important president (who borders) California - and that's Fox.”
“Now, for the umpteenth time, Arnold is undone by his attempts at hiding the truth from the public. How many more secrets does the governor have?”
“I think this team is as good as Dick Cheney's shooting skills. This is a recycled Bush-Cheney political team that represents the policies that the vast majority of Californians are opposed to, whether it's Supreme Court nominees, whether it's the environment, whether it's education. I think it's foolish of Schwarzenegger to have brought in Bush-Cheney's campaign team.”
“No normal governor, when there has been no flood, would call a state of emergency at 5:30 p.m. Friday night. You call an emergency when there is a real emergency. This is a political emergency, like having the Republican delegates rough you up.”
“The biggest element of it (the poll) is Schwarzenegger's trouble. He is in quicksand, and not even a Hummer could get him out of it.”
And finally:
A “non partisan” panel of former government officials are holding a very public inquiry into why the attacks of September 11 happened. Never mind that it is completely without precedent to investigate the cause of a war while the war is still going on. It was not until years after WWII was over that Pearl Harbor was investigated.
There is a buzz that a bulk of the blame for 9/11 will be placed at the feet of the Bush Administration. Besides the fact that this is ludicrous, it is interesting to see the reaction of Democrats to this news. In particular is Bob Mulholland (CDP Spokesman) who seems to be a giddy as a schoolgirl to use this news in the election. From the Washing Times comes the following:
The national commission looking into the September 11 terrorist attacks may see itself as nonpartisan, but Democratic officials and strategists say the panel's report, due out just before their party's July convention, can only hurt President Bush and help John Kerry.
"The report will be a perfect introduction to the Democratic convention on July 26," said Bob Mulholland, the California Democratic Party spokesman who says the commission's inquiry will be a political bonanza for the Democrats and Mr. Kerry's presidential campaign.
Think what you want about Bush, but he was President when the attacks occurred and history will record that as a defining moment of his tenure. The Democrats (and not just Mulholland) however, would like to see 9/11/01 off the political table, unless it serves their need.
Imagine if he was a conservative saying these things... He'd have been Erased by the media!
Schwarzenegger should terminate him, once and for all.
********************
Drudge Report: Will missiles soon be flying in the California governor's race?
Bob Mulholland, senior advisor to Democratic nominee Phil Angelides, aims for controversy this morning, saying: "With North Korea leader Kim Jong-Il back in the news, it reminds me that he and Schwarzenegger have something in common. Both have their shoes specifically made to add a couple inches of lift. What we don’t know is does Kim Jong-Il have his shoes made by Schwarzenegger’s shoemaker in Italy."Hillary is hosting a fundraiser for Angelides today in San Francisco.
In 2003, Mulholland warned Arnold Schwarzenegger that "real bullets" will be coming his way during his campaign to be governor. "Schwarzenegger is going to find out, that unlike a Hollywood movie set, the bullets coming at him in this campaign are going to be real bullets and he is going to have to respond to them," warned Mulholland. Developing...
**************
We'll keep on the lookout for more Baghdad Bob idiotic statements and deeds. He's dirty, he's mean, he has NO scruples, and relishes taking people apart. Hugh Hewitt referred to Bob as "easily the nastiest Democratic operative in the nation. He's the Yosemite Sam of the Dems, eager to shoot first and aim later." We're so lucky to have him in California. I for one, am glad he's speaking for Angelides... he's Phil's type of politician... birds of a feather flock together.
Proof once again that Bob Mulholland, now Phil Angelides' campaign advisor, is certifiably NUTS and a dangerous, loose cannon. He'll say anything, and is never constrained by the truth.
Mullholand, famous for the Recall-election bogus charges by six women, four of whom were anonymous, who claimed sexual harassment by The Terminator. Some of the charges go back to the '70s.
Bob, the quintessential dirty trickster also helped to oversee the recount of ballots in Florida(Some help). In fact, this guy once went so far over the line that he was suspended by the California Democratic party for misconduct. However, since results for some are more important than ethics, he was soon reinstated. (Dems will overlook anything dirty by a Dem).
Several years ago, at the height of the Clinton impeachment battle, Mulholland was digging up personal dirt on Republican members of Congress who might oppose the president. At that time, Mulholland said Republicans who have skeletons in their closets should not be attacking the president's character, and he pledged to unearth the skeletons. (Some might call this intimidation, or even tampering with justice.) Both the Clinton White House and the DNC predictably distanced themselves publicly from Mulholland, who was investigating, for example, whether Republican lawmakers had ever committed adultery.
Here are some classic Baghdad Bob quotes:
“This election was called by Schwarzenegger, and it is a referendum on Schwarzenegger.”
“Schwarzenegger hasn't missed attending his fundraisers, but he's missed a meeting with the most important president (who borders) California - and that's Fox.”
“Now, for the umpteenth time, Arnold is undone by his attempts at hiding the truth from the public. How many more secrets does the governor have?”
“I think this team is as good as Dick Cheney's shooting skills. This is a recycled Bush-Cheney political team that represents the policies that the vast majority of Californians are opposed to, whether it's Supreme Court nominees, whether it's the environment, whether it's education. I think it's foolish of Schwarzenegger to have brought in Bush-Cheney's campaign team.”
“No normal governor, when there has been no flood, would call a state of emergency at 5:30 p.m. Friday night. You call an emergency when there is a real emergency. This is a political emergency, like having the Republican delegates rough you up.”
“The biggest element of it (the poll) is Schwarzenegger's trouble. He is in quicksand, and not even a Hummer could get him out of it.”
And finally:
A “non partisan” panel of former government officials are holding a very public inquiry into why the attacks of September 11 happened. Never mind that it is completely without precedent to investigate the cause of a war while the war is still going on. It was not until years after WWII was over that Pearl Harbor was investigated.
There is a buzz that a bulk of the blame for 9/11 will be placed at the feet of the Bush Administration. Besides the fact that this is ludicrous, it is interesting to see the reaction of Democrats to this news. In particular is Bob Mulholland (CDP Spokesman) who seems to be a giddy as a schoolgirl to use this news in the election. From the Washing Times comes the following:
The national commission looking into the September 11 terrorist attacks may see itself as nonpartisan, but Democratic officials and strategists say the panel's report, due out just before their party's July convention, can only hurt President Bush and help John Kerry.
"The report will be a perfect introduction to the Democratic convention on July 26," said Bob Mulholland, the California Democratic Party spokesman who says the commission's inquiry will be a political bonanza for the Democrats and Mr. Kerry's presidential campaign.
Think what you want about Bush, but he was President when the attacks occurred and history will record that as a defining moment of his tenure. The Democrats (and not just Mulholland) however, would like to see 9/11/01 off the political table, unless it serves their need.
Imagine if he was a conservative saying these things... He'd have been Erased by the media!
Schwarzenegger should terminate him, once and for all.
********************
Drudge Report: Will missiles soon be flying in the California governor's race?
Bob Mulholland, senior advisor to Democratic nominee Phil Angelides, aims for controversy this morning, saying: "With North Korea leader Kim Jong-Il back in the news, it reminds me that he and Schwarzenegger have something in common. Both have their shoes specifically made to add a couple inches of lift. What we don’t know is does Kim Jong-Il have his shoes made by Schwarzenegger’s shoemaker in Italy."Hillary is hosting a fundraiser for Angelides today in San Francisco.
In 2003, Mulholland warned Arnold Schwarzenegger that "real bullets" will be coming his way during his campaign to be governor. "Schwarzenegger is going to find out, that unlike a Hollywood movie set, the bullets coming at him in this campaign are going to be real bullets and he is going to have to respond to them," warned Mulholland. Developing...
**************
We'll keep on the lookout for more Baghdad Bob idiotic statements and deeds. He's dirty, he's mean, he has NO scruples, and relishes taking people apart. Hugh Hewitt referred to Bob as "easily the nastiest Democratic operative in the nation. He's the Yosemite Sam of the Dems, eager to shoot first and aim later." We're so lucky to have him in California. I for one, am glad he's speaking for Angelides... he's Phil's type of politician... birds of a feather flock together.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Cindy -N- Hugo
Let's all contribute a few of our hard-earned dollars to Cindy Sheehan's travel expenses; she says she'd rather live under Venezuelan thug Hugo Chavez than in America. (Here's the video via Allah.)
MSNBC'S Norah O'Donnell: Would you rather live under Hugo Chavez than President Bush?
Sheehan: Um, yes, (giggle). You know, Hugo Chavez is not a dictator like you, like you introduced him. He's been democratically elected eight times.
O'Donnell: Saddam Hussein was democratically elected.
Sheehan: Yeah, hold on a second, though. He is not anti-American. He has helped the poor people of America. He has sent aid to New Orleans. He has sold heating oil to disadvantaged people in America, in the United States of America, at low cost. The people of his country love him.
read more of the transcript here: The Media Blog
Somebody put her on a plane FAST! She's sounding more dull and vapid with each press conference. ...looking a little moth-eaten at as well. It must be that dominant left-brained thing...
Someone FINALLY Listened To Voters
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York's highest court ruled Thursday that gay marriage is not allowed under state law, rejecting arguments by same-sex couples who said the law violates their constitutional rights.
The Court of Appeals in a 4-2 decision said New York's marriage law is constitutional and clearly limits marriage to between a man and a woman. Any change in the law should come from the state Legislature, Judge Robert Smith wrote.
"We do not predict what people will think generations from now, but we believe the present generation should have a chance to decide the issue through its elected representatives," Smith wrote.
The New York ruling is part of an evolving mosaic on the volatile issue nationwide.
The New York decision said lawmakers have a legitimate interest in protecting children by limiting marriage to heterosexual couples and that the law does not deny homosexual couples any "fundamental right" since same-sex marriages are not "deeply rooted in the nation's history and tradition."
read the rest of the story: • New York Appeals Court Won't Allow Gay Marriage
and in Georgia:
ATLANTA — The state Supreme Court reinstated Georgia's constitutional ban on gay marriage Thursday, just hours after New York's highest court upheld that state's gay-marriage ban.
The Georgia Supreme Court, reversing a lower court judge's ruling, decided unanimously that the ban did not violate the state's single-subject rule for ballot measures. Superior Court Judge Constance Russell of Fulton County had ruled that it did.
Seventy-six percent of Georgia voters approved the ban when it was on the ballot in 2004.
read the rest: Georgia Gay Nups Ban Upheld
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Voters are consistently voting to uphold the law that marriage is between a man and a woman. And if liberal activist judges and nutty legislators won't listen, finally, higher courts are paying attention to the will of the people.
"It's a sad day for New York families," said plaintiff Kathy Burke of Schenectady. "My family deserves the same protections as my next door neighbors."
Burke and her partner of seven years, Tonja Alvis, are raising her 11-year-old son.
Gay activists aren't asking for the same protections as their next-door neighbors; they already have those. They are asking/demanding MORE rights and protections than every man and woman already have under the law.
No group of people in this country should be allowed extra laws and "protections" for their special interest, regardless of hteir intent. And gays are a special interest group, representing only 1-2% of the population.
The Court of Appeals in a 4-2 decision said New York's marriage law is constitutional and clearly limits marriage to between a man and a woman. Any change in the law should come from the state Legislature, Judge Robert Smith wrote.
"We do not predict what people will think generations from now, but we believe the present generation should have a chance to decide the issue through its elected representatives," Smith wrote.
The New York ruling is part of an evolving mosaic on the volatile issue nationwide.
The New York decision said lawmakers have a legitimate interest in protecting children by limiting marriage to heterosexual couples and that the law does not deny homosexual couples any "fundamental right" since same-sex marriages are not "deeply rooted in the nation's history and tradition."
read the rest of the story: • New York Appeals Court Won't Allow Gay Marriage
and in Georgia:
ATLANTA — The state Supreme Court reinstated Georgia's constitutional ban on gay marriage Thursday, just hours after New York's highest court upheld that state's gay-marriage ban.
The Georgia Supreme Court, reversing a lower court judge's ruling, decided unanimously that the ban did not violate the state's single-subject rule for ballot measures. Superior Court Judge Constance Russell of Fulton County had ruled that it did.
Seventy-six percent of Georgia voters approved the ban when it was on the ballot in 2004.
read the rest: Georgia Gay Nups Ban Upheld
*********************
Voters are consistently voting to uphold the law that marriage is between a man and a woman. And if liberal activist judges and nutty legislators won't listen, finally, higher courts are paying attention to the will of the people.
"It's a sad day for New York families," said plaintiff Kathy Burke of Schenectady. "My family deserves the same protections as my next door neighbors."
Burke and her partner of seven years, Tonja Alvis, are raising her 11-year-old son.
Gay activists aren't asking for the same protections as their next-door neighbors; they already have those. They are asking/demanding MORE rights and protections than every man and woman already have under the law.
No group of people in this country should be allowed extra laws and "protections" for their special interest, regardless of hteir intent. And gays are a special interest group, representing only 1-2% of the population.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
America Haters and The 4th of July
Yesterday was July 4th - America's Independence Day. A day off from work for most Americans, celebrating the day with picnics, family reunions, and cookouts and bar-b-ques. Most people know what and why they are celebrating and a backyard cookout complete with fireworks at dark, is an American tradition.
I was surfing around the bloggesphere enjoying what bloggers wrote about Independence Day when I stumbled on an America-Hater, right in my backyard. So why is it that so many people who claim to be Americans feel this way? Titled Self-Evident Truths, blogger The Intellectual Insurgent wrote this:
"Today, bloated, gluttonous America consumes 150 million hot dogs, gulps down oceans of beer and oohs and aahs over neat sparkly things. This is how the fiercest nation in the world celebrates its birth -- by eating like fat pigs, blowing up things and waving flags that represent our freedom to choose between pork rinds and hamburgers."
Hers is a sad commentary; she feels intellectually superior to people who celebrate America's independence with a bar-b-que. I suppose Intellectual Insurgent celebrated at her favorite sushi restaurant. Or a wine bar.
She continues: "One must wonder if Americans even remember the meaning of the holiday and what it is we are supposed to celebrate."
What is so offensive about gathering with neighbors, cooking hamburgers and lighting fireworks? Must we also recite the Declaration of Independence from memory, and debate it's meaning and intent? (Mine is framed and hangs on the wall near the enterance of my home).
She posts several excerpts from the Declaration and ponders the meaning, summing up with this: "One must question why it was not acceptable for the King of England to establish new offices and send officers to harass the people, while today we have the Department of Homeland Security and wiretaps from the National Security Administration. It was tyranny for King George to make his military independent of and superior to the civil power, but our Senate confirmed a military leader to head the CIA. It is tyranny to deny people a trial by jury, but the Attorney General has fought with vigor to deny so-called "enemy combatants" that inalienable right. It is tyranny to fundamentally alter our forms of government, but those who hate America applaud federal efforts to usurp control of education, marriage, abortion and criminal laws.
Did we simply trade King George for, hmmm, King George?"
I find it almost tragic that someone blessed with high intelligence is also filled with so much vitriol for America. The America-bashers and Bush haters are so blinded by their curious anger that they cannot see the country and all of it's beauty; a country made up of immigrants, hard-working people, free people, fortunate people, with boundless opportunity. Today in America, you still can determine your own destiny, regardless of your beginnings. How many countries can honestly offer that?
Intellectual Insurgent sees poverty, oppression, conspiracy, and power-mongering, not tradition, patriotism, fellowship, and the beauty of simplicity. Mocking July 4th celebrations is certainly mocking Americans and our way of life. Is a small town parade with baton twirlers and a parade queen open to ridicule as well. And a county fair? Or a rodeo?
What has happened to so many people (read "liberals")? Has living in San Francisco so severly isolated the "intellectuals" that the simple happiness of a backyard bar-b-que is ripe for ridicule. Middle-America, haughtily dubbed "Fly-Over States" by the MSM, is much closer to the wonderful American-way-of-life than anyone living on either coast, especially New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Why the superiority from a fellow American? What inspires Intellectual Insurgent and other angry liberals like her, to mock the way Americans celebrate Independence Day? Perhaps Intellectual Insurgent doesn't know her history the way she thinks: Fireworks have been a tradition in the United States since John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, that "[the holiday] ought to be solemnized with ... bonfires and illuminations." Thomas Jefferson indicated that the celebration should be with a loud bang.
And from Wikipedia: Independence Day is commonly associated with parades, barbecues, picnics, baseball games, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the U.S. Fireworks have been associated with the Fourth of July since 1777.
Independence Day, as the only holiday celebrating the United States as a whole, is a national holiday marked by patriotic displays. Independence Day is considered a federal holiday, which usually means that all non-essential federal institutions (like the US Mail Service, court systems, etc) are closed on the 4th. Many politicians make it a point on this day to appear at a public event to praise the nation's heritage, society and people. Families often mark the Fourth with a picnic or barbecue, and often gather with family relatives, taking advantage of the longer weekend or day off from work. Parades are often held the morning of the Fourth, baseball games are usually held (July 4th being nearly halfway into the baseball season), and the evening is usually marked by public displays of fireworks.
I found last evening's festivities wonderful and beautiful... and so normal. My husband and I walked around the neighborhood and watched neighbors proudly display their fireworks. Friends and family placed their law chairs on sidewalks and spontaneously made ooooh's and ahhhhhh's with each Piccalo Pete, fountain and ground blossom. We walked over to a neighboring street to watch our son and his friends put on a light show for several families. I remembered my own childhood neighborhood, and the get-togethers the neighbors had, complete with picnic foods and fireworks.
It must be fashionable to mock anything American, otherwise, why would so many people do it? Being American is a pretty great way to live. And if the America-haters don't like it, why don't they leave America... Bastille Day is coming up July 14th. Can you say Bon voyage?
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