Good Morning America

Good Morning, everyone!

I've missed you all!

Esmeralda

what's up?

Esmeralda,

Go see the Abandon Ship Thread.

Hi Benji.

I've just returned from the last of my GEMS II training. I'm ready to layout the ballot for my counties elections.

On a personal note, my Necee was assaulted and requires surgery on her inner ear. ;(

What the administration argued:
A wartime president has the authority to take all necessary and reasonable actions to protect the nation.

What the Supreme Court said:
Congress did not give President Bush authority to create military tribunals, and failed to provide a valid reason for the new system.

What’s next:
Congressional leadership has pledged to authorize a tribunal to hear Guantanamo cases.

Our responsibly as Democrats:
To make sure congress does not approve any tribunal process that fails to emphasize the rule of law. To make sure full consideration of legal and human rights is the foundation.

Bruno and Esmeralda, have you tried Tracys new Gabby chat?

Posted by TracyJoan on June 30, 2006 at 12:01 AM

Too early - that should have read responsibility.

{{Jacq}}, lawdy you've been missed. How goes the Space race? From here, it looks better and better all the time. Hugs to you and your beautiful younguns!

Bruno, Esmerelda go here.
http://www.gabbly.com/democrats.org

How about a link to the Gabby Chat. I'm still working on my first cup of coffee. Thx.

dk2, yeah I tried it here, loved that much. I got to chat with FOS before she signed off this morning...way cool!

I went to the Gabbly site and it was LOADED with the foulmouth trolls and Chinese viagra pushers. Thanks, but "no, thanks". It looks like a wonderful chat tool but an admin nightmare. I'm giving it a complete miss. The Wordpress widget made Wordpress crash and I didn't have time to go fix up someone else's broken code before work. (Fixing someone else's broken code is what I do for a living anyway...MOTS LOL)

dk2,

I've just turned on my computer after being gone all week. I will check it out. (what? not chatting on open thread? haha) ;)

{{{Bill}}}

I've been thinking about you! I'd just love to sit on the swing and have some sweet tea & watch the gardens grow with you & Rob.

Z is busy! This campaign is so different from the primary! The big dogs are in on this one. Field Ops (that's me!) starts in July. I'm so stoked!

So Dick 'the dick' Cheney was here in Minneapolis on Monday for a fund raiser. He was here to help (of all people) Michele Bachmann a woman that has been trying to push the Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriage and its equivelent. Talk about family values. He will do anything to win even hurt his own daughter after saying he supports her. Someone should be talking this up in the media. I have written LTE only to be ignored. Any suggestions?

Posted by RedLetter_Rev on June 30, 2006 at 09:58 AM

Have you found a new source of themes for WordPress other than their site?

gotta go...bbl.

suggestions would be great on how to counter the dick thing.

{{{Jacq}},

ANY time you want to come hang and decompress, you have a place here, dear one. It's NOT easy being "on stage and in face" all the time. All you have to do is ring the bell and say, "hurry up and open up, I'm here!" I'm so stoked with you!! Zack couldn't have anyone better working on his behalf.

Happy Birthday {{Callie}}

I like the gabber chat room. Can we be bad there? (snicker)

;)

Rev,

After this election, I will more likely than not need a trip down south! (after Z gets sworn in come Jan., that is)

Bill,

I missed YOUR birthday while I was gone. I hope it was a fun time.

(I did take the carpenter to an Allman Brothers concert on his b.d.)

suggestions would be great on how to counter the dick thing.

Posted by lavndrblue on June 30, 2006 at 10:04 AM

lmao!!!

I better go start unpacking & doing the wash. And the fenced in back yard is waiting for me to go bathin' in it.

Enjoy the morning, everyone!

Jacque, sorry to hear about your daughter. I hope the surgery goes well and that the person that hurt her was caught.

With the rebuke SCOTUS has also superceded Congress' Detainee Treatment Act that passed in 2005. the Hamdan decision also states al Qaeda is not an international enemy. so, SCOTUS has set precedent to make themeselves the ultimate authority on determining who the alleged enemies are.

regardless, SCOTUS determined POTUS does have authorization to detain.

Justice Stevens: "It bears emphasizing that Hamdan does not challenge, and we do not today address, the government's power to detain him for the duration of active hostilities. But in undertaking to try Hamdan and subject him to criminal punishment, the executive is bound to comply with the rule of law that prevails in this jurisdiction." (Geneva Convention's Common Article 3).

Jacque,

I missed the post about Necee. Do give her a hug from Unka Bill.

And you go, babygirl. It's long overdue you had someone in your life to pet you and take you out for a concert! You just holler when you're ready to rest up. Bring Mr Carpenter, too and we'll just set-around, fill up on "swaytay" and watch the garden grow.

Doot! Doot! Dooooot! Lookin' out my back door...

Essy,

How is your Necee doing? I wish her well and hope all else is doing fine in you life! Zack is lucky to have you!

Developing story on RawStory

Senators already moving to nullify Supreme Court
decision over Guantanamo Bay trials... Developing...

You think the Rubber-stamping Republicans are going to stand still and let Bush get his face slapped???? Not if they know what is good for them----look at what Rove did to Joe Wilson for not covering up.

regardless, SCOTUS determined POTUS does have authorization to detain.

Justice Stevens: "It bears emphasizing that Hamdan does not challenge, and we do not today address, the government's power to detain him for the duration of active hostilities. But in undertaking to try Hamdan and subject him to criminal punishment, the executive is bound to comply with the rule of law that prevails in this jurisdiction." (Geneva Convention's Common Article 3).

Posted by Catsup on June 30, 2006 at 10:38 AM

Looks like another one that doesn't read for content. If an appellant does not raise an issue, SCOTUS does not address it. Quite different than "determining" that King George can kidnap civilians in a sovereign nation.

well i think now that this is cleared up bernie is ready for that vice presidential spot on the republican ticket in 08:

June 30,2006 | NEW YORK -- A year and a half after his Homeland Security nomination sank over ethics questions, former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik pleaded guilty Friday to charges he accepted tens of thousands of dollars in gifts while he was a top city official.

Kerik pleaded guilty to a pair of misdemeanors in a deal that spared him any jail time. He instead was ordered to pay $221,000 in fines at the 10-minute hearing.

Kerik acknowledged accepting $165,000 worth of renovations on his Bronx apartment from a company attempting to do business with the city -- a New Jersey construction firm with alleged links to the mob. He also admitted failing to report a loan as required by city law.

Good morning, all.

Got back into town late last night from short vacation.

Jacque, sorry to hear about Necee. My heart goes out to you and my strength to her. Know that all will work out. Glad to see that you are still moving in new directions.

I'm getting stoked for the coming election. Had some interesting conversations with people in a very red section of my state during the last week. I think the ground is fertile for new Democratic seeds to grow.

Tourist areas draw folks from all around and give you a better perspective on what's going on around your state and the country.

What's with this new chat room?

Arkansas may not be as backwards, Rednecked as we thought!

In a unanimous decision and sweeping decision, the Arkansas Supreme Court today struck down a regulation that banned lesbian and gay people from serving as foster parents.

The decision ends a seven-year legal battle between the state and the American Civil Liberties Union.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Arkansas_high_court_unanimously_rejects_gay_0629.html

I read this on CNN and it just caught my attention that maybe this is a big part of our problem with the people that believe they are following Christ:

"What would cause a Godly woman to do such a thing?" asked neighbor Sharon Everitt, echoing the question that has hung over the rural town since late March. "Christians don't shoot Christians."

I guess that would mean that Christians have carte blanche to hunt down and kill everyone else though. When will their god come and scoop them all up?

Blue,

As far as this heathen is concerned, it won't be quick enough...

Here's an article in the Wash Post about pay raises for fed employees....senate wants to base on job performance....since the senate is also fed employee, will this also apply to them?

A Senate bill that would deny pay raises to federal employees who get poor job evaluations was endorsed by the Bush administration and drew opposition from two unions at a hearing yesterday.

The bill would require that federal employees receive a written evaluation of their job performance each year and would prohibit annual raises or within-grade increases for employees deemed less than successful by their managers.

Welcome back Sandy,

the gabby link is an instant chat type of thing...

Momo --

If the Senate had to abide by performance reviews, they'd be getting checks with negative numbers on 'em

A good analysis of the Hamden case:

http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dorf/20060630.html

Common Article 3 also requires that detainees "shall in all cases be treated humanely." This provision certainly bans torture and equally certainly bans the forms of interrogation--such as "waterboarding," which simulates the experience of drowning--that the Administration is widely believed to have authorized, under the supposition that the Geneva Conventions do not apply.

As Justice Kennedy stated straightforwardly, yet ominously for the Administration: "By Act of Congress . . . violations of Common Article 3 are considered 'war crimes,' punishable as federal offenses, when committed by or against United States nationals and military personnel," and "there should be no doubt . . . that Common Article 3 is part of the law of war as that term is used in" the UCMJ.

http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dorf/20060630.html

On the 18 November 2005, Brian Ross and Richard Esposito described the CIA's "waterboarding" technique as follows in an article posted on the ABC News web site:

"The prisoner is bound to an inclined board, feet raised and head slightly below the feet. Cellophane is wrapped over the prisoner's face and water is poured over him. Unavoidably, the gag reflex kicks in and a terrifying fear of drowning leads to almost instant pleas to bring the treatment to a halt. According to the sources, CIA officers who subjected themselves to the water boarding technique lasted an average of 14 seconds before caving in. They said al Qaeda's toughest prisoner, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, won the admiration of interrogators when he was able to last over two minutes before begging to confess. 'The person believes they are being killed, and as such, it really amounts to a mock execution, which is illegal under international law,' said John Sifton of Human Rights Watch."

On that note, THIS POST from DK must mean that the Chimperor and his rubber stampers are none too keen on following the LAWS.

Perhaps "rule of law" is something that a college dropout might not understand however.

DPD

here's a link to the Guardian story

Rally,

Too many syllables at once... of course he won't understand it. Lo, HOW many years later and he's still talking about nookyalar threat? Just thinkin' out loud here... ;-)

Hi everyone,

just a quick fly-by....

Tall Ships Coming to North Carolina

This spectacular maritime festival is bringing an impressive collection of tall ships to Beaufort and Morehead City this summer.

Hope all you "tar heels" can make it!

Good afternoon fellow Democrats.

Bruno,

Sorry I missed your post earlier... it's been a heckuva busy day. The folks at WP have updated their themes list (FINALLY!) and most of the themes actually work.

I DL'd about 15 and found 5 or 6 that got along with my hacks. The NCAK site is pretty much vanilla WP, but the site on my clickable name is so heavily reworked, WP's own mama wouldn't recognize it. (It just worked out that WP is a fine framework for document retrieval ;-))

News flash....the founding fathers created the 2nd amendment to help the NRA and gun makers succeed in business. We don't need trigger locks, that way we can be quicker on the draw.
We need to hunt game with automatic weapons. That will also help keep crime down.

The New York Times leaking about domestic spying...that's garbage. The House of Rep. voting against mandatory trigger locks. That's news !!! Bad news !!!

By AARON C. DAVIS
Associated Press Writer
SACRAMENTO, Calif.
The Bush administration has been unable to muster even half of the 2,500 National Guardsmen it planned to have on the Mexican border by the end of June.
As of Thursday, the next-to-last day of the month, fewer than 1,000 troops were in place, according to military officials in the four border states of Texas, California, New Mexico and Arizona.
President Bush's plan called for all 50 states to send troops. But only 10 states _ including the four border states _ have signed commitments.
Some state officials have argued that they cannot free up Guardsmen because of flooding in the East, wildfires in the West or the prospect of hurricanes in the South.
"It's not a combat priority. It is a volunteer mission," said Kristine Munn, spokeswoman for the National Guard Bureau, an arm of the Pentagon, "so it's a question of balancing the needs of the Border Patrol with the needs of 54 states and territories, and all those balls roll in different directions."

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/06/29/D8II3LHO4.html

What was that you said, Secretary Rumsfeld, about the Iraq War not being a drain on our ability to muster National Guard troops? Yet another lie from this administration has been revealed.

Why would anyone want a gun without a trigger lock ?

Posted by RedLetter_Rev on June 30, 2006 at 01:53 PM

Thx - I'll go out and look and maybe DL a few for my customers. besides, I can always use the additional setup revenue.

Posted by redneckbluedog on June 30, 2006 at 02:08 PM

I have single friends here that don't want to have to take the time to unlock the gun in an emergency situation. They don't have kids in their house so they don't worry about accidents. I'm kind of in the majority here, I don't believe the gov't should mandate locks either. A responsible gun owner should make certain the guns are not accessible to children....or stupid adults.

Posted by Bruno- on June 30, 2006 at 02:38 PM

NP. The ones I picked (you can find them in the switcher box) seemed to be the least objectionable and best behaved of the 35 pages of themes they offered. These seemed not to barf on AJAX code, like half the plugins and themes seem to. It does get old, reworking other people's bugpackages into something useful. Luckily, I can do javascript, PHP and dotNet in my sleep.

Like who makes up some of those colors? Th'ain't raht... some themes are just plainole weirdlooking.

Best of luck and happy hunting.

Posted by RedLetter_Rev on June 30, 2006 at 03:00 PM

No offense, but I think all your techie talk killed the blog, j/k....OR, it could be that everyone is taking an early start to the fourth.

Does anyone have big plans?

Hi Blue, just thought I'd pop in to wish you a fantastic weekend! Seems to be quiet around here these days.

Hey, Blue,

I think everyone's out making potato salad and getting the ribs ready to slow-cook. At least my better half is :-) Can't rush ribs.

It's pretty slow most everywhere I've been today. Are we the only folks at work? j/k

verk? vat ess dis ting, vork?

slow smoked ribs...hmmmmmm. please pass me a rack and the lipitor bottle.

Will that be with or without aspirin and water back? :-D

Rev, ever do any dry rub ribs?

Gregg, been meaning to tell you: Greg Palest copies your style. His book: Armed Madhouse which I am 1/2 way thru, is your style. If you havn't read it, DO.

Heya lets!

That's what's gonna be keeping me awake all night. Rob's already into his cooking and I'll start mine when I get home, beginning with gleaning the garden for goodies. There's a load of fresh mustard greens waiting to come in HOYeah!

Howdy, ALL. I'm back from the store.

(I had to buy some scallions, green peppers and other stuff to doctor up Pie Lady's "world famous" tater salad. She is REALLY proud of it, and ships over a boatload every Holiday. It's basically 100 pounds of boiled spuds and a teaspoon of Miracle Whip.

Anyhoo, I usually go to the RIB COMPETITION (I usually vote for the guy from Australia, just because he always travels so far), and then the next day I go to the Hot Air Balloon Races.

Anytime within the next 10 days I will stop by the Taste of Chicago.

Lotsa grub in a short time.

Posted by Kristen on June 30, 2006 at 03:39 PM

Hello back atcha!

Sounds like ribs are the menu of choice for this holiday weekend. We are doing the same.

We will celebrate our independence from jolly ol england and mourn our dependence on Bush's buddies in Saudi Arabia.

I will also give a cheer to the ACLU and all of the other historic patriots of this land who without their efforts we would likely be wearing our own version of the Burka.

bahbahahahahahah! I luvvvv Lewis Black:

http://movies.crooksandliars.com/TDS-Lewis-Black-Santorum.wmv

While it may be repugnant, we really do need to celebrate the wisdom of the courts today and cheer wildly for their defense of democracy. This was a wise decision. I'm not saying they are not still a bunch of idiots, but they made a non-partisan decision based on the objective truth.

We should give them high praise for this indeed and express relief that the entire country has not become a tribe of Zom-Bushes.

One more judge and they might go the other way some day. I can't help think that Alito, Thomas and Scalia are not bought and paid for by corporate America. They lack American integrity and, in some cases (Thomas) they lack intelligence. A one branch gov't is not at all what the framers had in mind.

Last in a very insightful series:

President Bush cannot be of service to his country until he looks inward and surrenders to the fact that he is an alcoholic, with all the challenges the disease of alcoholism carries with it. And the millions of citizens who are opposed to Bush's policies must also surrender to the fact that we have an alcoholic president. How else to make sense of his administration without condemning him personally?

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/theprinciples/230/george-bush-alcoholicpart-5;_ylt=AsGa.5xRzbTZiso8oehck_FLvs8F

Posted by RedLetter_Rev on June 30, 2006 at 03:00 PM

I picked 5 I liked and I've been playing around with colors and images. But you are right, I think who ever picked those colors must have taken the brown acid in spite of the warning.

Gotta tell somebody about what I'm reading in Walter Isaacson's great book "Benjamin Franklin--An American Life" (copyright 2003) and encourage you all to look up this book.

On page 266 of the biography starts the section headed "Social Philosophy". As I understand it, Ben Franklin embraced an amazing mix of liberal, populist, and conservative ideas, early recognizing the value of the middle class (being "distrustful of the elite and the rabble"), an appreciator of social compassion (not necessarily born of any particular religious doctrine), and civic cooperation.

When these factors are combined with his role as a publisher and champion of the press and his natural keen skills of observation that made Franklin a scientist and inventor -- you have all the ingredients that make up Bush Rightwing Repellant.

Polarization between Rightwing Fanatics and the Left makes it understood that the Renegade Bush Rapture Right hates liberal principles and progressive cultural accomplishments. And, lately, it is being mentioned that Bush is destroying the middle class via planned fiscal policies.

However, I believe it is time to acknowledge that the Bush Junta also despises all moderate elements in our politics, society, economy, and spiritual life, despises all science and the media (press amongst them) wherever they aren't under authoritarian/totalitarian dictates, and favors only American Taliban Fundamentalist religious expression (to the detriment of all other religious expression).

The sooner moderates understand they are not on the sidelines watching some political playacting between Right and Left, the better! The reality is that moderates ARE the primary target!

Bushview is anti-everything the great patriot Benjamin Franklin represented!

May we be guided to save this nation by the same great source of knowledge and strength that guided Franklin to create it!

AND HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY JULY 4TH!

P.S. Bush's Annihilation of the Moderates is a continuation of the Culture Wars against Clinton. Because the Clintons are hardly Left or Liberal afterall!

here, here nora! -clapping-

More bad news from Iraq, US Troops accused of killing an Iraqi family:

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/063006S.shtml

bruno you still have a few tabs of that brown stuff in the back of the freezer?

You don't get everything you want. A dictatorship would be a lot easier." Describing what it's like to be governor of Texas.
(Governing Magazine 7/98)
~ From Paul Begala's "Is Our Children Learning?"

"I told all four that there are going to be some times where we don't agree with each other, but that's OK. If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator," Bush joked.
~ CNN.com, December 18, 2000

"A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there's no question about it, " [Bush] said.
~ Business Week, July 30, 2001
***

So His Chimpiness got shot down by the Supremes today. Of course, Scalia, Alito and Thomas were true to form - disgusting! I am happy that Roberts came to this decision - there may be hope for him after all.

evening everyone! how's friday been for y'all?

Hi Nora,

You make a lot of sense to me and I think that you are very close to what the real issues that we face are.

I continue to hope that we are witnessing the final throes of puritanical thought in the world. However, we need to be patient and let the events unfold as they will; and, I know that in the end a new age of enlightenment and true love will begin to sweep the planet. The darkness in which this country finds itself at the moment cannot survive for very long.

I also know that the best that we can do as individuals is continue to respond to all the aggression coming at us with great equanimity and I know that in the end humanity will come to see the futility of war and hatred.

Japan announces decision to pullout troops from Iraq crusade
Submitted by davidswanson on Fri, 2006-06-30 20:52. Media

TOKYO, June 20 (Xinhua) - Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
announced Tuesday at a press conference that Japan has decided to
withdraw the Ground Self-Defense Force troops from Iraq, Kyodo News
reported. Koizumi talked about the plan on Tuesday morning with
leaders of the ruling coalition and opposition parties shortly before
the announcement. He described the Iraq mission as "a chapter has
been finished," a government source was quoted as saying. Japanese
Defense Agency Director General Fukushiro Nukaga issued an order to
withdraw the troops right after the premier left the press conference.

****

One less in the coalition of the "willing" ... more like the coalition of the deluded.

BobVADem:
It's intersting that California was one of the 10 states that committed National Guard troops to the border. Hmmm, I do recall Herr Gropenneggar saying that he was not going to commit any. I wondered when he was going to cave in... I sure would like to see Arnold out. I've never accepted how he got into Sacramento in the first place, and it does not surprise me that he was involved with Kenneth Lay of Enron. I just don't trust Republicans. I'm rooting and voting for Phil Angelides.

My friends are here and we are going out to eat. Have a great evening everyone and BBL to lurk as always.

Did Bush Commit War Crimes?
Submitted by davidswanson on Fri, 2006-06-30 20:01. Criminal Prosecution

By Rosa Brooks, Los Angeles Times

Supreme Court's decision in Hamdan vs. Rumsfeld could expose officials to prosecution.

The Supreme Court on Thursday dealt the Bush administration a stinging rebuke, declaring in Hamdan vs. Rumsfeld that military commissions for trying terrorist suspects violate both U.S. military law and the Geneva Convention.

But the real blockbuster in the Hamdan decision is the court's holding that Common Article 3 of the Geneva Convention applies to the conflict with Al Qaeda - a holding that makes high-ranking Bush administration officials potentially subject to prosecution under the federal War Crimes Act.

****

Put the Chimp, Darth Cheney and Crumsfeld on trial now! That would be a reason to celebrate the 4th.

rjsnj: You've gotten that right. No, I'm not at all surprised at Scalia, Thomas, and Alito. I'm glad that the rest abided by the Constitution, which they should always do. Personally, I don't think that the 3 Justices who sided with Bush belong on the Supreme Court.

rjsnj: You bet! Wow! Wouldn't that be something? I'm just curious who the Justice was who didn't vote? I saw earlier that it was a 5-3 decision.

Personally, I don't think that the 3 Justices who sided with Bush belong on the Supreme Court.
****

We all knew that Alito would be Scalia junior and that Thomas stinks. They are three terrible judges.

With a better court, we could challenge His Chimpiness's use of signing statements. He has gone way beyond the intent of the founders by using a signing statement not as a means of clarification but as nullification.

rjsnj: You bet! Wow! Wouldn't that be something? I'm just curious who the Justice was who didn't vote? I saw earlier that it was a 5-3 decision.
***
I didn't see Ginsburg name ... surprised she would pass this one up. There may have been a reason.

Huh. For some reason my last post did not show. Does anyone know who the Justice was who did not vote on the Hamden vs. Rumsfield case? I saw earlier that it was a 5-3 decision.

i am crossing my fingers and hoping against hope ( wtf does that expression mean anyway? ) that the supremes go 5-4 to force the epa to regulate CO2. that would be a big win for the planet and the world's future generations and would get the coulters, bush's, rush's and the rest of that crowd biting holes right thru their own tongues.

Gee, this system is weird. At first my post didn't show, and then voila! Must be because it's Friday...
Thanks, rjsnj. Yes, I'm surprised that Ginsburg didn't vote on this, either.

Gregg: I hope the Supreme Court will force the EPA to regulate CO2, too. I think we already know who won't - Thomas, Scalia, and Alito... But, if the other 6 do, well there's hope!

The new Presiding Bishop Elect of the Episcopal church was interviewed on NPR yesterday...

Katharine Jefferts Schori: There are only 9 provinces of the 38 that don't ordain women at all. Several of the others are in process to ordain women to all orders of ministry. But the reality is that women are leaders as baptized persons everywhere in the communion, and they always have been.

Diane Rehm: I thought it was interesting to hear that Bishop Desmond Tutu shouted "Whoopee!" when he learned of your selection. He went on to say, "When you think we used to say 'What? A woman doctor?!' 'What? A woman engineer?!' 'What? A woman prime minister?!' And now we have, for the first time, a woman Presiding Bishop Elect of the Episcopal Church.

Click here for more.

Well, my husband just woke up, so I'm out for now. Enjoy the weekend, all!

Gee, this system is weird.

****

Actually, I have noticed that it sometimes takes awhile for your post to appear.

Yep, I sure hope they will decide that CO2 should be regulated by the EPA.

What's with these Rethuglicans anyway? Do you love breathing smog? Even if you are not convinced about global warming, I think you need to be a luddite not to be concerned, can't you sense the pollution in the air? The last week in NJ had me wheezing a couple of times as the air was so stagnant.

cam58, i think alito, scalia, thomas and roberts will all vote against. i think if we are lucky the four moderates will vote for it and it will come down to kennedy. i hope he thinks about his legacy and if he wants to go down as a justice who did something about the fact that the world is melting under our feet or as a right wing zealot who denied reality and a people's need to be served by their government instead of brow beat by it...

Lt. CMDR. Charles Swift speaks out

Swift was on Hardball yesterday talking about the decision that reigns in King George’s power grab on our constitution.

MATTHEWS: Today the United States Supreme Court pushed back hard against President Bush and ruled that his policies regarding Guantanamo Bay prisoners went against both U.S. and international law. Lieutenant Commander Charles Swift, the Judge Advocate General‘s Corps JAG, was appointed by the military to represent the Gitmo detainee in the case of Hamdan versus Rumsfeld. He had a big win today and he joins us now.

Mr. Swift, let me ask you, what was at stake here in this case decided by the court?

LT. CMDR. CHARLES SWIFT, SALIM AHMED HAMDAN‘S LAWYER: At stake was the rule of law. The president had staked out a position that was contrary both to international law and to our domestic statutes in the Uniform Code of Military Justice. What the court did was say that even the president has to follow the law. And that if we‘re going to try people, we‘re going to do it under the law, not under an ad hoc system.

Crooks and Liars

cam58 on June 30, 2006 at 08:07 PM

roberts recused himself

Japan announces decision to pullout troops from Iraq crusade

yeah, rjsnj, read this:

`The Japanese defense forces did a really good job when they were in Iraq,'' Bush said. ``They are able to leave because they did such a good job, and they're able to leave because they did such a good job and now the Iraqis are running the province in which the Japanese forces used to be.''

Anybody buying this? I think this will last just until the election is over, and not a minute beyond.

Schwarzenegger Woos Gays -- to a Point

At his first talk before a gay-rights group, California's governor promises to love and respect the constituency, but avoids mentioning same-sex marriage.

In his first appearance before a gay rights group, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday acknowledged that he would continue to disagree with activists on critical issues but pledged to respect them and foster a spirit of "respect, equality and inclusion" in California.

"Whether you are gay or straight, everyone needs someone to love," he told the crowd in Hollywood. "While we may not agree on every issue, we are united in the values of love, understanding and tolerance."

LA Times

Saxby Chambliss: Listen in more please.

In today’s USA Today, Chambliss argues that the controversial NSA call database, which has been secretly logging the phone records of millions of Americans, actually doesn’t go far enough—and that it would work better to have records of every telephone company.

Crooks and Liars

Since he entered politics, the issue of gay marriage has prompted Schwarzenegger to make some verbal missteps. He told Fox News in 2003: "Gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman."

Hi Jen,

That's a laugh, that Japan is pulling out, because Iraq is now running the area.

Japan had agreed to go to Iraq on the condition that they would be down in the Southern part where there was no fighting nor risk. You never heard of them being in any kind of danger or anything.

what a load of crap, domingo! schwarzenegger, tolerant? bwahahaha!

I know Pam. I was disgusted that he said they did a good job so they get to go home. what does that say about the rest of the troops???

He wants money, pure and simple.

The title of the fundraiser was "The courage to lead — an evening with the governor" — even though Schwarzenegger opposed the group, the Log Cabin Republicans, on the issue of same-sex marriage. The group supports it; he vetoed a bill last year that would have legalized it in California.

Lighthearted and joking at the event, the governor was clearly comfortable with the crowd. He started off by saying: "I love the Log Cabin Republicans. I love this organization. I love all of you."

Schwarzenegger, who did not mention gay marriage, said he was "proud to be on the same team as all of you."

LA Times

Legality of US Bank Data Searches Probed in Belgium

BRUSSELS - Belgium's government said on Monday it was investigating the legality of counter-terrorism searches by U.S. officials of thousands of private records held by Brussels-based international bank cooperative SWIFT.

Reuters

what a pig he is. on the same team? i could vomit.

Sometimes staying the course is stupid.

Email from the GOP chief procurement officer regarding their "base".

Republicans Seek to Revoke NYT Press Credentials

Fascists, plain and simple. Use of the power of government to threaten and punish otherwise legally protected acts.

House Republican leaders are expected to introduce a resolution today condemning The New York Times for publishing a story last week that exposed government monitoring of banking records.

The Hill

Feingold Backs Angelelides

Feingold announced today that Phil Angelides, Democratic Candidate for California Governor, is the winner of the fifth “Pick a Progressive Patriot” contest. After a week of online voting, in which thousands of people from the online community participated, Mr. Angelides won the latest contest as he attempts to unseat Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this fall.

Phil Angelides will receive a $5,000 contribution from the Progressive Patriots Fund. The fund will also contribute smaller amounts to the nine other featured candidates.

This “Pick a Progressive Patriot” contest featured both incumbent governors and challengers from across the country, complementing an ongoing effort by Senator Feingold to highlight and support candidates as we work toward a progressive majority at all levels this fall.

The Progressive Patriots Fund

domingo, what i want to know is how they can get away with this nyt shit when the wsj and latimes both published the same thing?

Domingo wrote: "Fascists, plain and simple. Use of the power of government to threaten and punish otherwise legally protected acts."

After all communist governments never threaten and punish legally protected acts. It's more the quest for power than anything, legitimate or illigimate.

It would wise of those who throw around the words "facist" and "Nazi," to rethink how to use them in a more appropriate manner, if nothing else out of self-interest. In other words If you don't knock this habit of labeling your enemies on the right "fascist," these labels will soon lose any negative connotation they had. That is if they haven't lost it already.

Domingo wrote Posted by angry_idealist

Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't "write" any of that. I copied and paste-ed it all.

I apologize and stand corrected

Thomas was the justivce who did not vote. He recused himself because he had ruled on the case in the appelate court.

Thomas did vote, and in fact, read his opinion from the bench which he hasn't done in 15 years on it.

Roberts recused himself because he had ruled earlier.

Ironically, Justice Thomas refers to Justice Stevens’ “unfamiliarity with the realities of warfare”; but Stevens served in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1945, during World War II. Thomas’s official bio, by contrast, contains no experience of military service. Justice Stevens suffers another unwarranted ad hominim attack from Justice Scalia, who refers to Stevens’ sarcasm.

Because the NY Times got the story and put it out on the wire.

I meant Roberts, too many justices with first names for last names.

Is anyone watching ABC? 20/20 is doing a show about how divided the Country is, and what the causes are.

Ummmm, I have an answer.......

NEWT GINGRICH and GROVER NORQUIST!!

Every Dem they talked to wished for the "good ol' days" where they would fight for their side and have a Bourbon on the rocks at the end of the day. EVERY Pug says something like "we'll agree to compromise as long as the Dems move to the right..."

WEST COASTERS. watch the Snuffleupagus segment if you can.

Bruce Shapiro | A President Rebuked
"The only surviving World War II veteran on the Supreme Court, Justice John Paul Stevens, appointed three decades ago by a president as Republican as W., delivered the plain and airtight message: President Bush violated every standard of the military code, the US Constitution and international law with its order for military tribunals at Guantanamo," writes Bruce Shapiro.

i was watching it but my damn husband changed the channel. so we compromised and we're watching rosewood. {{{DPD}}}

So the Repubs want to condemn the NY Times do they? Well maybe somebody should investgate THEM for providing "Terriss" worldwide with an online al Qaeda training manual!

This is a sample of what the US Government makes available on-line.

If the Government is going to complain about the NYT disclosing information about a program already know to exist, perhaps it ought to look at itself as well.

The below is from a page Teaching Terror WEB site which the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, a part of the United States Military Academy, links to.

Note the "Al Qaeda Training Manual" is available from this WEB Site and may be downloaded.

This seems a lot stupider to me to have been posted (especially by our own government), than the NYT printing the article about tracing financial transactions.

http://www.teachingterror.com/pubs.htm

Yeah. Explain that away, Rutabaga.

Banana Republican

Our "Commander in Chief" is a "Liar and Thief" and our troops have no leadership with any kind of "Personal Responsibility". As resident, he "giggles" about death and torture just like he did while running the death chambers as Governor.

GIs eyed in alleged rape, murders in Iraq

BEIJI, Iraq - A group of American soldiers in an insurgent-riddled town allegedly noticed a young Iraqi woman when on patrol and later returned to rape her, according to U.S. officials Friday. In an apparent cover-up attempt, she and three members of her family then were killed and her body was set on fire.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060701/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

Posted by jen on June 30, 2006 at 10:02 PM

Hi, {{JEN}}.

The LA Times is OWNED by the Chgo Trib, and the Trib founded the Pug Party.

Rove don't wanna go crapping in his own nest....

Yeah. Explain that away, Rutabaga.

Posted by Domingo on June 30, 2006 at 11:19 PM

I am Al-Rutabaga-Bin-Al-Zuccini.

How do the documents get out, some have asked? Well it's likely more of a function of the function of the Freedom of Information Act and and the agressive pursuit of the act by researchers that that stuff is public

Yeah sure, you get condemnation of the New York Times, "liberal media," and the like. On the other hand there has been consistent criticism from behind the scenes that too much stuff is classfied. Too much information classified, imagine that.

Governor's Office Tracking Political, Anti-War Groups

SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office in charge of protecting California against terrorism has been tracking demonstrations staged by political and anti-war groups, a practice that senior law enforcement officials say is an abuse of civil liberties.

Daily reports prepared for the state Office of Homeland Security in recent months contain details on the whereabouts and purpose of a number of political demonstrations throughout California.

Political activities cited in the reports include:

- An animal-rights rally outside a Canadian consulate office in San Francisco to protest the hunting of seals.

- A demonstration in Walnut Creek at which U.S. Congressman George Miller (D-Martinez) and other officials spoke against the war in Iraq.

- A Women's International League for Peace and Freedom gathering at a courthouse in Santa Barbara in support of an anti-war protester - a 56-year-old Salinas woman - facing federal trespassing charges.

- California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer's office on Friday condemned the office's actions, saying they violated the groups' Constitutional right of free speech.

"When people exercise their First Amendment rights to rally, march and protest, they should not have to worry that intelligence officials are watching them or their activities are in any way being painted with the terrorism brush," Lockyer spokesman Tom Dresslar said in an interview.

"That kind of conduct by anti-terrorism intelligence agencies threatens civil liberties, runs counter to our values and violates this office's policy regarding criminal intelligence gathering,'' Dresslar said.

The Times obtained copies of two reports.The homeland security office declined to release others.

State homeland security officials said details about the rallies were reported by SRA International, a company hired to provide counter-terrorism analysis.

LA Times

Division seems to be a reoccuring theme here.

Someone thought could be traced to two politicians. I disagree. I think it is more contigent on mindset. There are many people who tune in to media that isn't the most reliable source, but rather it reaffirms there values. Too many people are afraid to have their opinions change, so they need to have something, whether it be a blog or (god help us!) Rush Limbaugh tell them how weak the other side is and in doing so reaffirm their values. It's the us versus them that has enabled such division viewing it as a zero sum game, a winner take all. One either gets everything they ask for, or nothing at all. It is as if you can't bargain and seek a solution that may not get you everything you want but is at least satisfactory: compromise.

A real life example of failure to compromise that happened not too long ago comes from the Republicans (not all did) that opposed the immigration compromise. Mostly it on the grounds that there that there cannot be any kind of amnesty/ guest-worker program. Instead the sole focus was on enforcement. While an important issue , it cannot be the sole issue. The Republicans had they compromised may not have gotten their super-wall, it may have just been more funding for enforcement-who knows.

This same problem of turning the opponent into a larger than life enemy, seems to occur a lot on this blog. It seems to occur on similar logic patterns as the Republican black and white "with us or against us." There is no one thing that is going to solve the division, but a good way would be to not turn the opponent into the antichrist.

ISRAEL WARNS: FREE SOLDIER OR PRIME MINISTER DIES

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0%2C20867%2C19645805-601%2C00.html

ISRAEL last night threatened to assassinate Palestinian Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh if Hamas militants did not release a captured Israeli soldier unharmed.

The unprecedented warning was delivered to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a letter as Israel debated a deal offered by Hamas to free Corporal Gilad Shalit.

It came as Israeli military officials readied a second invasion force for a huge offensive into Gaza.

Hamas's Gaza-based political leaders, including Mr Haniyeh, had already gone into hiding.

Israel knows how t deal with these hairballs.

Who says pointing out an opponent's faults is "turning him into the antichrist"? Me thinks you got some kind of a problem with folks finding out what Republicans do wrong.

I am Al-Rutabaga-Bin-Al-ZucciniTranslated=a-jerkoff-dun-sullid-yo-nest

.....but a good way would be to not turn the opponent into the antichrist.

Posted by angry_idealist on June 30, 2006 at 11:59 PM

As Bette Davis said in Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?"

"But they ARE, Blanch, they ARE!!!"

The Pugs who are RUINING this Country aren't any more Christian than Satan. They DO NOT care about a single thing Christ talked about, and only worship MONEY and POWER.

("Thou Shall NOT Steal, Covet Thy neighbors goods , wife, KILL, bear false witness, etc....)

OH, Keep Holy the Sabbath. Yeah, let's see just how many of those Pugs actually GO TO CHURCH.

Really, is there ANY of the 10 "suggestions" (as applied to Pugs by the Fundies) that this administration hasn't broken?

For clarication, I wasn't intending to imply that pointing out an opponents faults in and of itself was a problem. It's the sort of "smear campaigns" by the media and by politicans (think "un-American) and the refusal to give the time of day to anyone they disagree with.

In case your wondering I've already done some work involving democrats at the grassroots level and will soon be involved on a Democratic candidate.

Where does anyone get the idea that all Republican office holders are fundamentalist Christians? Verey few are. The fundementalist Christians support the Republicans because Republicans tend to vote against abortion and queer marriage and assorted other perversions.

That's what the Pugs do, though. They scream and holler 'Don't call us Nazis", and although the name is different, the tactics are right out of the play book. If they walk like a duck....But nobody can call them on it because the sheep DON'T READ, and the schools are underfunded.

That is part of the tactic behind having "ENGLISH" as the "Official" language. If it's "Official", then foreign languages can't be taught in schools, and we will be ruled by a narrow minded mono-linguistic Theocracy that can't tell you where they they are on a map, let alone figure out the subtleties between the Cabinet, China, and a China Cabinet.

As long as it holds Grandma's Wal-Mart gravy boat it's OK.

Mayor John DeStefano for Connecticut Governor, The Right Choice:

http://www.destefanoforct.com/home.jsp

Hyprocrisy, me thinks. You go around doing the same thing; e.g. fascist, then complain when the complain that Republicans call you un-Patriotic or will cut and run in Iraq. I haven't researched this English only issue, but I will say that you can always find a conspiracy if you're looking for one.

Maybe I need to put this in PLAIN ENGLISH, since it doesn't seem to be getting across. Ethics in politics.

Getting back to the original point. While I will be involved in a DEMOCRATIC campaign in the near future , and will make every effort to ensure my democratic candidate wins, I think I have a difference in mindset. Many people on this blog may feel differently, but at the end of the day, even after having worked hard to ensure election, I see no reason why I can't view the Republican candidate as a person versus a villian (which many people on this board seem to do).

Most of responses I have been getting so far are proof that the division is a double-edged sword, that encompasses both Democratic and Republican, and likely even beyond that.

idealist,

yes most of my postings here have clearly been republican villian oriented

but i don't view all republicans as villians

i know republicans i respect

OH! The Hypocracy!!

When President Bush launched his "faith-based initiative" in 2001 to funnel federal money to religious groups, Pat Robertson was skeptical, calling the idea a "Pandora's box" and a "narcotic" that would ensnare religious organizations in government red tape.

Those misgivings notwithstanding, the federal government has become a major source of money for Operation Blessing, Robertson's international charity, under the Bush initiative. In two years, the group's annual revenue from government grants has ballooned from $108,000 to $14.4 million.

Brother, can you spare a few HUNDRED MILLION?

.......But investigative reporter Bill Sizemore of the Virginian Pilot discovered that over a six-month period - except for one medical flight - the planes were used to haul equipment for something called African Development Corporation, a diamond mining operation a long way from Goma. African Development is owned by Pat Robertson.

Did Robertson know about the diversion of the relief planes? According to pilots' records, he actually flew on one plane ferrying equipment to his mines.

(snip)

The miracles add up. In 1997, Christian Broadcast Network, Robertson's 'ministry', took in $164m in donations plus an additional $34m in other income. The tidal wave of tax-deductible cash generated by this daily dose of holiness paid for the cable channel - which was sold in 1997 to Rupert Murdoch, along with the old sitcoms that filled the remaining broadcast hours, for $1.82bn.

Yeah, Pugs and "religion" go hand in hand as long as there is money to be made. Slave labor is the Pug dream, and The Rev Pat has the market cornered on that sector. Also, does this sound too CIA-ish to you? You know, like the Dulles brothers and United Fruit?

Let's not forget about Ralph Reed now.

I'm just pointing out the FACT that the time of being nice to those clowns who are DESTROYING America is over. If we are even cordial to that small cabal who are shreddinf OUR Constitution they will claim it as acquiesence to their cause.

ENOUGH!! Slam them every time they call a Dem ANYTHING. The Pug reign of incompetence and cronyism HAS GOT TO END!

The Pug party should be "shrunk down to the size where it can be drowned in a bathtub". (G.N.)

If a Party openly states that "Government is the problem" why would anyone put these clowns in charge of the Government?

ralph reed is not a republican i particularly respect.

i not sure if there's anything he says that i honestly take seriously.

i'm not saying he never says anything remotely intelligent

i'm just saying i won't bet anything of value that he does

DPD, mostly the powerful businesses would want someone who believes that "government is the problem." If you run a corporation do you want government telling you what to do? I don't think so.

The way you put it sounds almost like a resurgence of Reageanism, or more than that. It can be dealt with, but carefully. For instance, say you have a Republican candidate that more or less pledges to "get government off our backs." If the Democratic candidate isn't careful he or she could easily find themselves facing accusations of being a "tax and spend liberal."