PB Rescue Open Thread
There's always lots of good content over at PartyBuilder to choose from, so consider this a healthy sample:
- In Scooter's Free Ride: A Lesson For Congress, D. Tree examines what Democrats can learn from this whole ordeal.
- Pat Crowley draws attention to a Group Home in Lincoln Slated for Closure saying that to make such a decision without consulting or notifying the residents and their guardians is a violation of patient’s rights.
- In Mitch McConnell: Shows Scorn for the American Worker, Again, RDillon looks at the record of Mitch McConnell when it comes to the rights of workers -- adding a personal touch.
The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.
This is an open thread. Chat away...
Comments (157) «
Moses,
So let me see if I've got this straight.
You think that "an election between those two [Thompson and Obama] would restore an air [of] civility to the election process, something that [you] think is sorely missing in presidential politics."
Any other combination wouldn't work.
Edwards and Thompson, Hillary and Thompson, Edwards and Guiliani, Hillary and Guiliani, etc., etc., etc. would not restore an air of civility. I suppose in some cases an air of civility would be compromised if Thompson and Obama weren't the candidates. (Don't worry, I'm not even going to ask why you feel that way)
Also you would not ever vote for Hillary.
If Hillary were running against Newt Gingrich you would either vote for Newt or not vote at all. Or you would consider voting for Nader or any other independent candidate, as long as it isn't Hillary. If Newt were elected and Hillary wasn't then you would be happy because Hillary wasn't elected.
And I suppose now your going to claim that your "never vote for Hillary" stand has nothing to do with the fact that she is a "woman".
Fine.
As long as you don't start telling everyone how you're going to part the red sea, that's fine with me.
NO President has EVER used a signing statement to say "I'll ignore this and that parts of this law" until the Chimp.
Posted by DPD on July 3, 2007 at 04:49 PM
DPD,
I thought as much. Spector is doing interference again for the White House spin doctors.
So it really IS a good thing for us. Outrageous, but still a good thing for us.
Posted by PamB on July 3, 2007 at 04:45 PM
Pam,
Nothing is more outrageous than Cheney saying he's a fourth branch of the government and can do whatever he wants because the Constitution never stipulated his limitations.
Not that was something right out of the mouth of P.T. Barnum.
You think that "an election between those two [Thompson and Obama] would restore an air [of] civility to the election process, something that [you] think is sorely missing in presidential politics."
Someone said that? I need to go back and read the whole post. It must be hysterical.
Fred Thompson will restore civility? Maybe to the crew and cast of Law and Order. And only when he can get himself out of his chair long enough to exert the effort.
This guy is so lazy he can hardly bring himself to do anything unless someone is passing cash across his outreached hand. Once a paid lobbyist, always open to bribes.
If any republic were running against the devil, the devil would be a safer bet to go with. They've topped Beelzebub itself in theft, depravity, immorality, gluttony, tyranny, self-centered destructiveness and even stole his crown as prince of lies. At least with the devil, you'd know what you'd be getting. With a republic, there's no limit to the depths they'll sink to.
Besides saying he would direct the Justice department not to enforce parts of the telecommunications act of 1996, Clinton also said he would ignore parts of the 1996 Libertad Act.
Posted by Moses on July 3, 2007 at 05:30 PM
first of all, most of the rest of the world, inclulding the EU ignored and refused to follow much the the '96 Libertad act. So not apparently any big deal.
"The European Union introduced a Council Regulation (No 2271/96) (law binding all member states) declaring the extra-territorial provisions of the Helms-Burton Act to be unenforceable within the EU, and permitting recovery of any damages imposed under it. The EU law also applied sanctions against US companies and their executives for making Title III complaints.
The United Kingdom had previously introduced provisions by statutory instrument extending its Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980 (originally passed in the wake of extra-territorial claims by the U.S. in the 1970s) to United States rules on trade with Cuba. United Kingdom law was later extended to counter-act the Helms-Burton Act as well. This included criminal sanctions for complying with certain provisions of the Helms-Burton Act whilst in the UK (see statutory instrument).
Mexico passed a law in October 1996 aimed at neutralizing the Helms-Burton Act. The law provides for a fine of 2.2 million pesos, or $280,254, against anyone who while in Mexican territory obeys another country's laws aimed at reducing Mexican trade or foreign investment in a third country.
Bill Clinton and George W. Bush both signed a provision allowing for a waiver of the law. Though, effective May 10, 1999, with CFR Title 31 Part 515 the act was amended and is presently being enforced.
The following are laws that were passed in different countries to counteract the effects of Helms-Burton:
Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act of Canada
Law of Protection of Commerce and Investments from Foreign Policies that Contravene International Law of Mexico
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Libertad_Act
We're talking life and death bills that affect the USA population where Bush blatently says "I'm not going to be following this crap!"
Hill William,
Right on. I would vote for Hitler or Stalin before I would vote for any republic.
I don't need to lie. I have all kinds of cyber abuse, harassment, stalking, racist remarks, homophobia(afraid of being a homosexual oneself), threats against bloggers, wishes for deaths, that I copy and send on periodically to add to their files. I tell them they can track these sub-humans and terrorists through the DNC. I stick to facts.
Posted by PamB on July 3, 2007 at 09:04 AM
Comrade Pam,
You wanted us to save them files ? Last month we had toilet paper shortage, sorry the files you sent were used. Please send more.
Bill Clinton should have done more than just waive parts of this bill. He SHOULD have thrown the entire thing out, and Robert Murdoch would still be down in Australia hacking newspapers on the street.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996[1] was the first major overhaul of United States telecommunications law in nearly 62 years, amending the Communications Act of 1934, and leading to media consolidation.[2] It was approved by the 104th Congress on January 3, 1996 and signed into law on February 8, 1996 by President Bill Clinton.
Posted by CAS_TROL on July 3, 2007 at 05:51 PM
Hey Moses,
How come you changed your name?
Nothing is more outrageous than Cheney saying he's a fourth branch of the government and can do whatever he wants because the Constitution never stipulated his limitations.
Not that was something right out of the mouth of P.T. Barnum.
Posted by SandyH on July 3, 2007 at 05:31 PM
And I will bet like PT Barnum, there were some simple minded People out there, that said "OH, Mr. Cheney is his own government"!
At least with the devil, you'd know what you'd be getting. With a republic, there's no limit to the depths they'll sink to.Posted by HillWilliam4Edwards08 on July 3, 2007 at 05:43 PM
{{Bill}}
We thought we had seen it all after Nixon, Reagan, Bush Sr, and then along comes this Culture of Corruption and these neo-cons led by Cheney, and gives a whole new meaning to Evil .
Posted by CAS_TROL on July 3, 2007 at 05:51 PM
Moses,
You should just keep the same name instead of changing it to CAS_TROL. It makes everyone think you are two different Republicans posting.
Also you shouldn't stereotype and label Democrats as a whole. Democrats are too diverse to be lumped into one category.
We KNEW there had to be a reason!
The real reason Scooter Libby wasn't actually pardoned
Please note the reason for the commuting of Scooter's sentence is so that Scooter can still claim the 5th Amendment in further investigations of Bush, Rove, and Cheney.
Scooter still has an appeal pending, so he can still claim the 5th. A pardon now would have allowed Scooter to be forced to testify without limitation. The pardon will come right after the November 2008 election.
but I think if a Pardon is ever given, we can Stop it!
Bush's pardoning of Libby violates pardoning rules
This is a continuation off the previous post about the Libby pardon.
It's interesting how the White House is not calling this a "pardon." Instead, they are choosing to use the word "commute." Nonetheless, it still is at least a partial pardon -- and it is illegal, according to the Justice Department's own web site:
They “require a petitioner to wait a period of at least five years after conviction or release from confinement (whichever is later) before filing a pardon application,” according to the Justice Web site.
Moreover, in weighing whether to recommend a pardon, U.S. attorneys are supposed to consider whether an applicant is remorseful. “The extent to which a petitioner has accepted responsibility for his or her criminal conduct and made restitution to ... victims are important considerations. A petitioner should be genuinely desirous of forgiveness rather than vindication,” the Justice Web site states.
As we have seen with the ongoing battle over Executive privilege, the White House thinks it is above the law.
"Too many of our leaders have made a devil's bargain with corporate and wealthy interests, saying 'I'll keep you in power if you keep me in power."
well, well, here is a way for very easy impeachment. Find and expose the connection of Fibby to Bush's part in the exposure of Valerie Plame's identity.
The Framers, ever sensitive to the need for checks and balances, recognized the potential for abuse of the pardon power. According to a Judiciary Committee report drafted in the aftermath of the Watergate crisis: "In the [Constitutional] convention George Mason argued that the President might use his pardoning power to 'pardon crimes which were advised by himself' or, before indictment or conviction, 'to stop inquiry and prevent detection.' James Madison responded:
"[I]f the President be connected, in any suspicious manner, with any person, and there be grounds [to] believe he will shelter him, the House of Representatives can impeach him; they can remove him if found guilty. . . .
"Madison went on to [say] contrary to his position in the Philadelphia convention, that the President could be suspended when suspected, and his powers would devolve on the Vice President, who could likewise be suspended until impeached and convicted, if he were also suspected
Obstruction of justice
Congress needs to hold Dick Cheney accountable
Hi,
President Bush let Lewis Libby, the one man who was convicted for the lies around the Iraq war, go free.
And the obstruction of justice doesn't stop there. The Senate recently subpoenaed documents from the Vice President's office around the illegal wiretapping program and so far he has not complied. It's clear this administration thinks it's above the law. That's un-American, and I think it's time for Congress to hold them accountable.
I just signed a petition urging Congress to force Vice President Cheney to respond to its subpoenas. If he doesn't, Congress has to begin impeachment proceedings against him. Can you join me by clicking the link below?
http://pol.moveon.org/subpoena
Thanks!
*****
(P.S. You may also want to add a comment how President Bush should pardon the border control agents and how it's a disgrace those two men are still in jail for doing their job to protect the American people. )
Looks like we will get a two-fer with Hillary!
For those who claim they are not big on Bill or Hillary, you may be alone in that.
"Introducing Hillary Clinton at the state fairgrounds, the ex-president, who has stayed largely outside public view in the early phase of the campaign, sought to dispel perceptions that his wife is a tough person to like.
He stood behind her as the couple was introduced to the crowd, his hands resting affectionately on her shoulders. Clinton described his wife as "by a long stretch the best qualified non-incumbent I have ever had a chance to vote for in my entire life."
After his introductory speech, he hugged her warmly, handed off the microphone, then sat and watched as the Democratic front-runner called for universal healthcare and an energy policy that eschews foreign oil.
She also made plain that her husband, immensely popular among Democrats, would remain an influential advisor.
Closing her half-hour speech, she said: "I will have some good help along the way."
Campaign organizers estimated the crowd at 7,000. People waited in line for hours to hear the Clintons, who arrived nearly an hour late. Sitting on hay bales and risers, some members of the audience sported buttons criticizing President Bush ("Bush Bin Lyin' ") and touting potential "First Gentleman" Bill Clinton.
"It's exciting! I always loved the man," said Bill Troutfetter, 66, of Des Moines, a retired truck driver. "With him and her together, it's a solid situation. There's a lot of knowledge."
Personally, I Loved the man. I watched my 401K holdings grown quickly, while his economy was so good. I watched as the housing market allowed my kids both to buy houses. (including the single one) I watched as there was the biggest advances towards peace in Ireland and Israel I have seen in my lifetime. I watched as the world smiled on him and loved and respected him and our country. I watched as Hillary attempted to revamp Health care in this country, regardless of whether Insurance Cos and Drug cos might suffer. I watched as they made sure Medicare and SS would stay solvent. I watched as they turned 12 years of Republican debt and deficit into surplus. Yeah, I guess I would not mind the two of them strolling back down Pennsylvania Ave and into that White House again !
(P.S. You may also want to add a comment how President Bush should pardon the border control agents and how it's a disgrace those two men are still in jail for doing their job to protect the American people. )
Posted by DemocratKickingAss on July 3, 2007 at
06:36 PM
DKA,
Good point. However, neither of these men have evidence that they could bring forward against the President, so they don't have a chance of hell of getting their sentences commuted...nor are they large GOP donnors.
Only the "little people" pay taxes or get pardons or commutations.
here's something i'd like to offer up to everyone...hope you like it.
A PROMISE BROKEN -- A PROMISE KEPT
As young people growing up in America, we are told we live in the greatest country on earth, a country where all men are created equal and each has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We are told that if we go to college and work hard the ’American Dream’ will be ours, we will be able to live our lives with dignity and pride and we will want for very little. We are told our government is comprised of three separate branches with checks and balances to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. God is inserted into our national anthem, put upon our currency, invoked in our official ceremonies, and we are told ‘He’ is on our side. These and a great deal more we are told while we are yet naïve to the treacherousness of greed and the powers of great wealth.
As we mature into young adults, we become increasing aware of the ’ifs and buts’ working to moderate our expectations. We begin to realize that not all we were told was exactly correct and that, indeed, much was cruel lies. We lose the twinkle in our once childish eyes as we become aware of the pervasive reality of social injustices imbedded deep within the fabric of our country’s institutions. We realize there are those among us who profess to be our leaders who manipulate these injustices to their own advantage, seeking to increase their personal wealth and power while diminishing both for others. Confronted by obstacle upon never ending obstacle, many of us lose hope and sink into despair. Many others in acts of not so quiet desperation, lash out violently and indiscriminately, seeking ‘revenge’ for all the broken promises.
The dark cloud which shadows our nation’s future is that we are, in fact, ‘our own worst enemy’. The realization of this leaves open the possibility of restored hope. Thru our own thoughtfulness, intelligence, and compassion for the lives of others we can correct the inequities of the past, change the course of our country, and lead the way to a brighter day. What more fitting way to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of our country than to pledge our unending opposition to adversity. And what better way to keep the promise of a better tomorrow than to promise to cast the light of truth into all the dark places of our world.
Happy Birthday America!
BoilerMan
Posted by Harpo_Salutes_America_231_years on July 3, 2007 at 06:50 PM
Moses,
I told you, you shouldn't change your name. It makes people think you are two different people.
First you want to call yourself Herbert and then Moses and now Harp...etc., etc., etc.
You should really call yourself only one name.
Well you guys have a good night.
And Moses, CAS_TROL, Herbert, or Harpo remember if you keep changing your name and you post under multiple identities, it makes everyone think you are several bloggers instead of the same person posting under multiple identities.
Johnnybos, nope didn't change monickers here at all. And yes, I still won't vote for Hillary under any circumstances, and yes, you can still try putting words in my mouth. No I won't try parting any seas. But you may still need to be led out of the wilderness.
P.S. You may also want to add a comment how President Bush should pardon the border control agents and how it's a disgrace those two men are still in jail for doing their job to protect the American people
Dem KA, unfortunetly for these 2 guys, they are not above the law either, and they did break the law.
don't forget folks! Let's all Honk to Impeach!
HONK TO IMPEACH
Americans celebrate July 4 as a day of patriotism, but the true spirit of July 4 has been lost. After all, July 4, 1776 was the day our Founding Fathers declared the American Revolution against King George!
Our ancestors won that revolution, but after 224 years King George came back through Texas. Fortunately we don't need to fight another revolution because the Founding Fathers gave us a Constitution with the power of impeachment. We just have to demand that our Representatives use their impeachment power to hold George Bush and Dick Cheney accountable for their crimes.
So let's use this July 4 to declare our independence from King George W - and let's make some noise!
Local impeachment activists report great success holding signs at busy intersections that say "HONK TO IMPEACH!" Most of the drivers who pass these signs are delighted to honk - which makes them happy and makes our activists happy too. Best of all, the drivers and pedestrians discover how much support there is for impeachment - something they never knew because the Corporate Media won't tell them or even conduct a poll. Here's a great report from Bob Feuer of Great Barrington, Mass: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/honktoimpeach-1
July 4 is a great day to "HONK TO IMPEACH" because there's already lots of noise from fireworks and people are relaxed. So here's our plan:
Posted by fade2bluz on July 3, 2007 at 08:31 AM
HONK, HONK!! (that's what lame duck pretzeldents sound like)
HONK TO IMPEACH STARTING JULY 4TH
Last week we kicked off our "Honk To Impeach" campaign, which is a great way to get past the Corporate Media blackout and prove to politicians, the media, and our fellow citizens how many Americans support impeachment. July 4 is an especially good day to "Honk To Impeach" because it brings out the true spirit of July 4, 1776, when patriots launched their revolution against tyrannical King George III. Let's use this July 4 to declare our independence from King George W.
We've added a modern twist, which is that if people text "IMPEACH" to 30644 they'll be signed up to receive impeachment alerts on their phone. This is a great way to get people involved who are just driving by a Honk to Impeach action, so include a sign that says "Text IMPEACH to 30644" if you organize one of these events. Check out http://www.democrats.com/july-4-honk-to-impeach for more info and http://www.communitywalk.com/impeach for a map of locations.
Posted by Moses on July 3, 2007 at 06:59 PM
Interesting how Moses likes to rebut only after a declaration of signing out has been made.
It seems Moses is trying to convince everyone here that he supports the Democratic Party but is only here as a Republican Party plant.
I will say it's clever for Moses to pretend he supports Obama when he really supports Thompson.
If Obama and Thompson become their parties respective candidates don't be surprised if he finds a reason to criticize Obama and then all of a sudden become a Thompson supporter.
Now I'm really signing out for tonight.
To all the honest Democrats on this blog,
I hope you have a fun Fourth of July Holiday.
P.S. Moses, you can now post you rebuttal and pretend claim that you support Obama, when you really support Thompson.
duhhhhhhh! simple minds should keep their mouths firmly shut! Wrong again, numb ones!
In August 1994 Starr was appointed by a three-judge panel to continue the Whitewater investigation, replacing Robert B. Fiske, who had been appointed by the Attorney General prior to the reenactment of the Independent Counsel law. The law conferred broad investigative powers on Starr and the other independent counsels named to investigate the administration, including the right to subpoena nearly anyone who might have relevant information. Starr would later receive authority to conduct additional investigations, including the firing of White House Travel Office personnel, potential political abuse of confidential FBI files, [5], Madison Guaranty, Rose Law Firm, Paula Jones law suit and, most notoriously, possible perjury and obstruction of justice to cover up President Clinton's sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky.
2-To outsiders, the prosecutors' decision to turn their attention to the president's alleged sexual appetites may have seemed like a radical, even desperate, departure from Starr's mandate. But it was less of a leap for Starr. His many tentacled investigation, which first focused on events when Clinton was governor of Arkansas, evolved through the 1992 election campaign and continued into his presidency, already focused on whether Clinton's intimates had sought to suppress information by giving less than forthright accounts or covering up questionable behavior.
But to his considerable number of detractors, Starr's decisions are those of an obsessed inquisitor desperately grasping for something, anything, that can help him land a blow against a frustratingly elusive adversary.
"Who could possibly perceive Ken Starr as 'independent' at this point?" asked Nancy Luque, a former federal prosecutor who faults Starr for lack of discretion in his zeal as independent counsel. "He has so much riding on his report, a battle to the death. His ability to continue with credibility in this town hangs on his ability to get a scalp."
http://partners.nytimes.com/library/politics/081798clinton-starr.html
Rudy Giuliani emerged as the winner in the Republican presidential money contest this quarter, raising more and spending less than both of his leading rivals.
Mitt Romney tapped his personal wealth for a $6.5 million loan and John McCain's campaign was seriously considering public financing to revive his all-but-broke presidential bid
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070703/campaign-money/
When are the overpaid CEO's of Ford, GM and Chrysler going to get it. PEOPLE WANT MORE FUEL EFFICIENT CARS PERIOD!!
What is with these people? They are as stupid as the republics.
href="http://partner.neopets.com/newsArticle.aspx?catId=8&articleId=1125212&" rel="nofollow">GM, Ford, Chrysler's June Sales Drop
IT'S OFFICIAL:
SENATOR LIEBERMAN HAS LOST HIS MARBLES
Imagine, calling for the United States to engage Iran militarily at a time when not even operations in Afghanistan appear to be especially stable. What's missing here, of course, is common sense. To make matters worse, the Senator fails to lay out plans for such action. That leaves us with a man simply crying out emotionally.
Seems to me Lieberdouche cares MORE about protecting the land of his ROOTS than the LAND he steals money from - er I mean the land where he makes a living.
jinx to you, too Dawnie. Great minds surely DO think alike. :)
Were ya watching any of the sleaze or corruption
uhhhh, other than what Starr tried desperately to pin on him and failed, there WAS NONE>
who gives a rats A**sssss?
Posted by Dawnie on July 3, 2007 at 07:34 PM
sorry that was directed at a ken starr comment..... I forgot to ignore (yet again)
What are president asshole and vice president asshole going to do when bin-laden takes over Pakistan and obtains the atomic bomb? chimp doesn't dare to even think of this scenario. When it happens, and it's just a matter of time, we will be in deep shit. cheney is probably pannint it for 2009 so they can blame the Democrats.
Clashes erupt at Pakistan mosque
Starr would later receive authority to conduct additional investigations, from Janet Frickin Reno Duh, including the firing of White House Travel Office
MY statement you chose to debate AND FAILED TO DO, said Ken Starr tried from the beginning of Clinton's term to try and pin something on him.
Open those beady little blood shot eyes and READ next time, fruitface !
The next President (DEM, of course) should appoint Lieberdouche to be Ambassador to Israel, and be done with him. I know Rell is a Pug, but NOBODY is as bad as that asswipe who is putting Israel's interests over the lives of OUR soldiers and Marines.
Send him over there and have AIPAC pay for his protection.
One might ask at this point, "From what personal experience or training regimine does Lieberman draw from in suggesting that the United States should begin military operations against a formidable enemy while already engaged on two nearby fronts?" The answer, surprise, surprise, is that Lieberman has none.
True he has sat on several influential political panels, and currently does, but in doing so he has seldom shown the ability to do so much as investigate fully the observations made by those tasked with providing intelligence. Most often the Senator is seen as he is here, making decisions based on apparent personal beliefs. A conviction arrived at as the result of intense scrutiny would surely result in a more compelling arguement than that the Senator provides.
a good read from 2000.
A little over seven years ago, Bill Clinton was elected President of the United States and even before he got into office, the Clinton haters started their campaigns of "Let's get Bill Clinton". Mind you this was long before Travel Gate, any of the other "Gates", Monica Lewensky or any of his other alleged or real Presidential transgressions. The political right put him at the top of their hit list before he even took the oath of office.
And now, as he nears the end of his presidency, I'd like to reflect on Bill Clinton....Both of them!! Bill Clinton, the man and Bill Clinton, the President. Many right wing pundits would have us believe that they're one in the same, but they're not. In fact they're often as different as night and day.
To say that Bill Clinton, the man is not perfect would be much the same as saying the Chicago Bulls may not win the NBA championship this year. He's a long way from perfect. He's flawed in many respects (as are all of us in some way). He cheated on his wife and got caught, he lied about it and got caught, again. He was impeached by the Senate but still managed to retain his Presidency. He's a man who people say, with some justification, has lied to the American people. Well, hey, folks, this certainly can't be the man we want for our President. He's a scoundrel and should be booted out of office. Right?
But hold on. National polls put his Presidential (not his personal) popularity at over 70% immediately after his impeachment. How can this be? How, in God's name, can 70% of the population think he's doing a good job as President after all the dirty laundry we've uncovered about the man over the past seven years? The reason is as crystal clear as it is simple. We're not the sheep the right wing would like to believe we are, who can be herded around by a few clever political sheep dogs, otherwise known as hired spin doctors. The American public is quite capable of independent thought and, wonder of wonders, we can separate Clinton, the man from Clinton, the President.
The Republican party threw everything they had at Bill Clinton, the man and the President. Newt Gingrich took his best shots and is now out of political office. Bob Dole had his time at bat and he too is gone from the political scene (although he seems to have found new life as a Viagra salesman). Ken Starr, the right wing's hired political assassin, spent five years and an ungodly amount of our money to dig up all of the dirt he could on Clinton and, other than the Monica Lewinsky scandal and it's aftermath, he found nothing behind the innuendoes and accusations that could be deemed as criminal behavior by Bill or Hillary Clinton. He found nothing in White Water (the only area he was originally chartered to investigate), travel Gate, File Gate or any other "Gate". My God, it's a wonder Starr didn't try to blame the problems of Bill Gates on Clinton.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the United States economy and the welfare of it's citizens was booming like never before as the stock market reached all time new highs, inflation was in check, unemployment had all but disappeared, the national debt was finally under control, and the country was enjoying its greatest period of prosperity in decades. Coincidence, you say? I think not.
As the majority of our citizens were able to clearly see for themselves, Bill Clinton may not be terribly good for himself, but he and his Presidency, have been very good for the United States. He has proven to be an extremely capable leader, both at home and abroad. As a country, we're much better off today than we were when George Bush, Senior left office.
http://www.kenkreps.com/2clinton.htm
It is pitiful how many simple minded easily led people believed these Right wing blood suckers and the Hate radio shows that backed them.
frosty,
FU and president cheney and vice president bush (the dummy).
Lieberman, the only grown man to sport facial baby fat. A clear sign that the man doesn't lift a finger unless it is absolutely necessary.
I am so sick of these simple minded repigs, When are they going to grow up?
A little over seven years ago, Bill Clinton was elected President of the United States and even before he got into office, the Clinton haters started their campaigns of "Let's get Bill Clinton". Mind you this was long before Travel Gate, any of the other "Gates", Monica Lewensky or any of his other alleged or real Presidential transgressions. The political right put him at the top of their hit list before he even took the oath of office.
Here's a theory. The conservatives, though thwarted by our former president Bush, still wanted into Iraq and hoped to get there by forcing Bill Clinton out of office prematurely.
Frosty and pUSs,
I guess I have to say it louder!
FUCK YOU BOTH!!!!!!!
Their shared blow up cheney doll exploded and blew out their brains or a facsimile thereof HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa.
- Most number of convictions and guilty pleas by friends and associates*
BS. That record is held by RAY-GUN. Drop Drudge and learn to read FACTS.
As for the most "investigations".. Well, DUH! The Pugs went after anybody they could...
AND NOTHING CAME OF IT.
- Number of individuals and businesses associated with the cheney machine who have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to crimes: 10,000
- Number of these convictions during chimps mis- presidency: 20,000
- Number of indictments/misdemeanor charges: 50,000
- Number of congressional witnesses who have pleaded the Fifth Amendment, fled the country to avoid testifying, or (in the case of foreign witnesses) refused to be interviewed: 122,000
- Number of republic pedophiles prosected and pardoned by cheney: 1,345,783
-Number 0f lying sacks of shit in the cheney administration: 545,993,003,784
Okay, let's get beyond this clear demonstration of desperation on the part of the Bush administration. These people are clearly in such need of support that they feel it necessary to find it wherever possible and at whatever cost. View this as a positive sign, rather than as an annoyance.
why are trolls such total assholes? Are they taking lessons from limpballs and handjobity?
I'll bet their parents are proud that they raised such total assholes.
Listen you all. It get's annoying watching these pukes come in here and stir up shit, when it clear to all who witness their antics that they desire nothing more. Leave them to their idiotic behavior, ignore them.
Remember, when an obnoxious child keeps doing something stupid for attention, he or she will stop (at some point, sooner or later depending upon their level of stubborness) if attention is not forthcoming.
Marine,
I hope you are right. The situation seems so hopeless sometimes.
hey Johnedwrd, DESPITE their lists of dirt they try and put together, THIS MAN STILL LEFT OFFICE WITH OVER 70% APPROVAL ! LET'S WATCH AND SEE WHAT BUSHIE LEAVES AT. Let's see what his list of accomplishments end up being.
hmmmmm, he is at 26% right now, let's see if he is in negatives by the time he gets out! hahaha
Like I said,
It is pitiful how many simple minded easily led people believed these Right wing blood suckers and the Hate radio shows that backed them.
Posted by PamB on July 3, 2007 at 07:46 PM
gotta log out John and Dawn and fine Dems.
the Stump grinding guy is here, and I have to go lead him around the grounds.
blog ya tomorrow...........
And we are most certainly dealing with children here, whether they appear to be children physical or not. They most certainly display the mental capacity of a toddler.
Posted by Johnedwrd on July 3, 2007 at 08:09 PM
John, at the very least you may find some personal peace once you've managed to ignore their asinine comments.
Henry Hyde actually came out and said that the non-stop witch hunts of Clinton was QUOTE "Payback for Nixon".
What more do the trolls need to realize that THE MOST INVESTIGATED administration was guilty of NOTHING, and they had to put all of their cards on the President getting a blow job?
Let's put Gannon / Guckert on the stand and see just WHO HE was servicing every time Laura was hiding out chain smoking in Crapfest TX.
Is there any "question" why Chimpy didn't have sex with that cow until he was 40?
Too drunk and coked up? That don't fly.
I come here because you all make more sense than these idiots. That's why it troubles me when the idiots direct or influence the discussion. I'd rather not stick to right wing talking points, such as those these characters spew.
See retarded behavior, take a deep breath, allow your disgust to pass, and move on as if it never existed.
Don't you just love the way Pat Buchanan and Chris Matthews are trying to paint the Libby amnesty deal as a reluctant duty Bush had to perform. They want to believe so badly that Bush isn't a crook.
They've even make up several senarios to cover their doubts...like Cheney made Bush do it out of loyalty. Or that the neocons, The Weekly Standard, and the Wall Street Journal were insistent.
That Bush could be covering up for his own dirty deeds just can't possible fit the facts.
Yeah, Bush went to Walter Reed today and gave an explanation that was so pathetic it was laughable. The vets who weren't condemned to doing their rehab in the Bldg. 19 were really impressed that Libby won't have to do his time there.
He's a crook alright and his diehard media whore fans just can't let go of their dying dreams. They put the wrong guy on a pedestal and he stole it right out from under them. What a bunch of losers.
The Republicans are so corrupt and incompetent that Bush can't even grant a pardon without making it appear to be a dirty trick. It's always about covering their ass not admitting their wrong doings.
There will be no glory for the wicked, no Golden Age of Neocon Reason, no democracy in the Middle East...nor any mercy for them and their Congressional Republican enablers when the voters get done with them in 2008.
Think of this. Where are republicans most likely to be seen as a bad influence to Americans? Once you've found a good answer, talk about it.
Libby was only commuted in an act of desperation. In this way Bush hoped to win the support of a handful of extremeists.
HRES 333 should pass and the impeachment hearing of Cheney begin. Let's get to the bottom of what;s going on. If there's nothing solid, I'll live with that.
Libby was only commuted in an act of desperation. In this way Bush hoped to win the support of a handful of extremeists.
Posted by Marine on July 3, 2007 at 08:24 PM
****
Yes it's possible that he is playing to the base to help the GOP in 2008. The two idiots freddy boy and ghouliani agree with the commutation. That's fine. This is an issue that will be used against them in 2008. The polls show that this is not playing well for the GOP.
We received some very good and well studied suggestions for how we might better handle our troubles in Iraq. They involve improving our relationship with Iran, without delay. Extremeists here fight to ensure this is never possible. They seek to achieve this objective either through severe diplomatic pressures or, if all else fails, through military aggression.
This should remind you of the push for action inside Iraq. Their desire is once again to force our nation into a situation of no return.
Had Enough?
by WesClarkJr [Subscribe]
Tue Jul 03, 2007 at 01:29:35 PM PDT
Enough of seeing the Constitution trashed? Enough of the corruption? Enough of the war? Enough of the gutless response of our elected Democratic representatives?
WesClarkJr's diary :: ::
I don't think our reps read our e-mail or listen to our phone calls. Hell, they didn't even listen to the 2006 election in which we told them to stop the war. Scooter Libby is the last straw and I'm not going to take it anymore. I've had enough.
Cenk Uygur and I were talking this morning about what to do. We've decided it's time to tell America we've had enough. We'll be standing outside the Federal Building in West L.A. at the corner of Veteran and Wilshire for one hour this Sunday. If you'd like to join us, just wear a t-shirt or bring a sign that says you've had enough.
If you're not in L.A., just go to whatever the most common protest site is in your home city with a shirt or sign that says you've had enough from noon to one p.m. this Sunday. You don't have to march, chant, play drums, pass out pamphlets or build puppets (not that we're against those things). All you have to do is stand there with one word: enough.
Cenk and I don't care if we're the only two people there. We don't care because the next Sunday, each of us has pledged to bring two more people with us, and we'll ask them to make the same pledge. And we'll keep standing out there every single Sunday, doubling our numbers, from now until we've got so many people with us that we cannot be ignored.
So how about it? Have you had enough? Will you stand with us?
This is why Bush acted on conflicting intelligence reports and engaged Iraq. He didn't care what those reports eventually revealed. All that he did care about, because it was all that his supporters cared about, was that we became engaged in Iraq so deeply that we could not simply be removed. Drive an army to the point of no return and it has no choice but to succeed for its leader, succeed or die trying that is.
It is pitiful how many simple minded easily led people believed these Right wing blood suckers and the Hate radio shows that backed them.
Posted by PamB on July 3, 2007 at 07:46 PM
Most Americans like to think we are pious people. In reality we are just the opposite. As a capitalistic society intent on being #1 we have steam rolled over so many innocent, less agressive people in our pursuit of the good life.
We really aren't very nice unless we are made to face our demons ocassionally and made to feel guilty. God really has his hands full with us.
Libby commutation in conflict with recent Supreme Court decision
by TX AG Candidate Van Os [Subscribe]
Tue Jul 03, 2007 at 04:01:25 PM PDT
In a decision announced on June 21, 2007, the US Supreme Court in Rita v. United States upheld as reasonable under federal sentencing law a prison sentence of 33 months for the offense of perjury committed in testimony to a grand jury, which is virtually the same sentence imposed on Scooter Libby for the same offense.
The defendant Victor Rita was a 25-year military veteran with 35 commendations, awards and medals for his military service, and in poor medical condition. He contended that the length of his prison term was unreasonable in light of his exemplary service to the country and his health circumstances. The Supreme Court granted review in order to examine and clarify the issue of how to determine the reasonableness of a prison sentence.
Twelve days after the Supreme Court held as a matter of law that a sentence of 33 months of prison for perjury was reasonable for a decorated veteran in poor health, the president,
Operational intelligence gathered over the years told us that Iraqis were not motivated to support a mission to overthrow their government. It didn't matter how many times or how forcefully we attempted to instigate this, the support was simply not forthcoming. That is why the Bush administration was forced to rely upon the power of bribery to acquire intelligence to the contrary.
A leaflet campaign initiated in 1990 failed to win adequate support, as did a covert attempt to win the support of Kurds along the Iraqi border with Turkey.
Posted by rjsnj on July 3, 2007 at 08:31 PM
rjsnj,
Clark maybe on to something. Remember those women in South America who used to sit all day in a town square in protest of their missing (and presumed tortured and dead children) who had challenged a military junta?
Finally, people took notice and joined them. The rest is history including the military dictatorship they toppled. You can say so much by just showing up and defiantly remaining silent.
I hope MoveOn or some other group picks this up.
The Bush administration's desire to control Iraq thoroughly was so intense that it chose to ignore one of the first rules of engagement. You do not engage an enemy when that information you are provided is circumstantial at best. When it must be coerced from those considered to be possible friendly forces, it pays to be suspicious.
Clearly none of this information mattered to the Bush administration. It felt that it was in the right and that is all that seemed to occur to those involved. A democratic decision by a democratic society this was not. This was instead the decision of a dictatorship, which we expect to be faulty.
Attorneys see irony in Libby case
WASHINGTON - President Bush knew what he was getting in 2001 when he made Reggie B. Walton one of his first picks for a seat on the federal bench: a tough-on-crime judge with a reputation for handing down stiff sentences.
A former deputy drug adviser, federal prosecutor and Superior Court judge, Walton seemed a perfect fit for the new president. And Walton didn't disappoint, proving to be exactly the kind of no-nonsense judge Bush was looking for.
Until now.
When erasing former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's 2 1/2-year prison term in the CIA leak case, Bush said Walton was being too harsh.
"The point here is to do what is consistent with the dictates of justice," said White House Press Secretary Tony Snow.
Walton, the son of a steel worker who turned a hardscrabble upbringing into a legal career, declined Tuesday to discuss the case or his views on sentencing.
"To now say anything about sentencing on the heels of yesterday's events will inevitably be construed as comments on the president's commutation decision, which would be inappropriate," the judge said in an e-mail.
But attorneys noted some irony in Bush's decision to override Walton.
"The party who appointed him is now unhappy with what he appointed him to do," said Scott L. Fredericksen, a defense attorney who served as a prosecutor under every president since Ronald Reagan.
Also noteworthy, defense attorneys said, was seeing the White House urge leniency just weeks after the Bush administration announced a tough new crime bill that would bar judges from going easy on criminals. They would be free to impose longer sentences, but not shorter ones.
To hear Snow tell it, Walton ignored the recommendation of probation officials and sentenced Libby to prison. That isn't what happened. Probation officers recommended Libby serve 15-21 months. Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald recommended more than 30 months. Libby's attorneys asked for probation.
Walton accepted Fitzgerald's interpretation of the law, which said Libby should be sentenced more harshly because of the seriousness of the investigation he obstructed.
The 2 1/2 years handed Libby was much like the sentences given others convicted in obstruction cases. Federal court records indicate that 382 people were convicted for obstruction of justice over the past two years. Three of four were sent to prison. The average prison term was 64 months, more than five years. The largest group of defendants drew prison terms ranging from 13 months to 31 months.
"This is sort of a standard sentence in that situation," said defense attorney Mark H. Tuohey. "Call it what you want, but that's what it is. This was not some out-of-the-blue-sentence."
For those of you too trusting of our leadership to believe that such corruption could possibly exist in the White House, ever, consider this. If you are correct, and the administration made the decisions that it has made, fully expecting promises issued to be fulfilled, then why has not one of those promises been fulfilled to a point at or significantly near to the extent proposed? Is it simply that this collection of leaders is incompetent, and is that in itself not reason enough to limit their influence in this nation?
OLBERMANN'S "SPECIAL COMMENT" COMING UP IN THE CENTRAL TIME ZONE!!<M/b
Clark maybe on to something. Remember those women in South America who used to sit all day in a town square in protest of their missing (and presumed tortured and dead children) who had challenged a military junta?
****
Sandy, indeed I do. You are talking about the "Mothers of the Disappeared" in Pinochet's Chile.
By the way, Bush admires Pinochet's social security privatization ...
Figures right.
Oh manno, Olbermann is blasting Bush!!!
Impeach Chimpo
-There was a promise to continue work on the Isreali/Palestine peace process. That has failed miserably.
-There was a promise to work with the nations of the Middle East to eradicate terrorism. That appears to be failing, and even causing the outer reaches of those forces engaging in those actions to be expanded. The Taliban surges once again in Afghanistan, Al Queda and other forces are at work in Iraq. Also, the overall atmosphere in the Middle East has deteriorated with significant conflicts occurring in Lebanon.
Terrorists or terrorist copycats have now struck British sites on not one, not two, but three occasions.
"This is sort of a standard sentence in that situation," said defense attorney Mark H. Tuohey. "Call it what you want, but that's what it is. This was not some out-of-the-blue-sentence."
Posted by marsh_supports_bong_hits_for_jesus on July 3, 2007 at 08:47 PM
****
Did Olbermann just say Impeach? Yes!!!!
Resign Chimpo and Shotgun
OR
face Impeachment!
Dan Abrams is now whacking Bush!!!
The Chimp really went over the line now.
This is going to fuel the impeachment movement.
Impeach Chimpo
Impeach Shotgun
War is fine and good, when it accomplishes something positive. A military or diplomatic display of force is also good in this situation. The thing, however, to remember is that they are not always the solution to our problems. And when tested with negative results, we must be willing to adjust our strategy and to seek our objectives through other means. Improved diplomatic relations appear to offer the best alternative to the approach now used for six or more years with limited or negative results.
Judiciary Hearing Scheduled
by mcjoan
Tue Jul 03, 2007 at 05:56:50 PM PDT
From Chairman Conyers:
Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. announced that he will be holding a full committee hearing next week titled, "The Use and Misuse of Presidential Clemency Power for Executive Branch Officials." The hearing will be held next Wednesday, July 11, at 10:15 am in the committee’s hearing room, 2141 Rayburn House Office Building.
"In light of yesterday’s announcement by the President that he was commuting the prison sentence for Scooter Libby, it is imperative that Congress look into presidential authority to grant clemency, and how such power may be abused," Conyers said. "Taken to its extreme, the use of such authority could completely circumvent the law enforcement process and prevent credible efforts to investigate wrongdoing in the executive branch."
The hearing begins next Wednesday, July 11 at 10:15 a.m. Eastern. Jane and Marcy will be liveblogging it for FDL. Stock up on popcorn.
Now, the conservatives suggested that the number of terrorists attacks suffered American targets prior to the Bush administrations time in the White House was excessive and required a more intense response. We have now tried their approach for six years only to discover that the number of terrorist attacks on American targets has skyrocketted. Incidents like the USS Cole bombing or the bombing of the US Embassy in Africa occur on a regular basis in both Afghanistan and Iraq, despite the insistence that we enjoy the support of local governments in both locations.
for those who, like me, are away from a television...
Olbermann: Bush, Cheney should resign
I accuse you, Mr. Bush, of lying this country into war.
I accuse you of fabricating in the minds of your own people, a false implied link between Saddam Hussein and 9/11.
I accuse you of firing the generals who told you that the plans for Iraq were disastrously insufficient.
I accuse you of causing in Iraq the needless deaths of 3,586 of our brothers and sons, and sisters and daughters, and friends and neighbors.
I accuse you of subverting the Constitution, not in some misguided but sincerely-motivated struggle to combat terrorists, but to stifle dissent.
I accuse you of fomenting fear among your own people, of creating the very terror you claim to have fought.
I accuse you of exploiting that unreasoning fear, the natural fear of your own people who just want to live their lives in peace, as a political tool to slander your critics and libel your opponents.
I accuse you of handing part of this Republic over to a Vice President who is without conscience, and letting him run roughshod over it.
And I accuse you now, Mr. Bush, of giving, through that Vice President, carte blanche to Mr. Libby, to help defame Ambassador Joseph Wilson by any means necessary, to lie to Grand Juries and Special Counsel and before a court, in order to protect the mechanisms and particulars of that defamation, with your guarantee that Libby would never see prison, and, in so doing, as Ambassador Wilson himself phrased it here last night, of becoming an accessory to the obstruction of justice.
National-Security Breaches: Time for Impeachment
Submitted by davidswanson on Wed, 2007-07-04 00:19. Impeachment
By Bernard Weiner, Crisis Papers
By taking impeachment "off the table," Nancy Pelosi and John Conyers may have made partisan sense during the run-up to the November 2006 midterm election -- the Dems didn't want to scare away any wavering Republicans. Perhaps it even made sense in the first few months of their new majority status in Congress. But it's now mid-2007 and a whole lot of awful, fetid water has flowed under the political bridge in the interim.
It's long past time for Dem leaders to re-think their strategy on this issue, and to use the great leverage their majority status now conveys -- much of that leverage inadvertently supplied by Bush and Cheney themselves -- to help protect the American people from the Administration's dangerous policies.
The old issues are still there and together would make up formidable reasons to begin impeachment hearings in the House. But some or all of those highly-publicized issues (lying to take the country to war, U.S. attorneys scandal cover-up, torture as state policy, widespread domestic spying without court warrants, et al.) might not fly with many Republicans. They can choose to believe that the Administration has the right to be wrong in its policies but are not generally engaged in anything that would rise to the "high crimes and misdemeanors" required for impeachment.
Olbermann: Bush, Cheney should resign
****
Thx Marsh, I was looking around for that. Olbermann really blasted the Chimp.
AND
So did Joe Wilson:
CNN American Morning: Joe Wilson Blasts President on Libby
By: Nicole Belle on Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007 at 3:30 PM - PDT
(thanks to CTblogger for video)
It was just pointed out to me again just how unwilling the media continues to remain to characterize anything this administration does in a negative light…note at approximately 3:12 point in the interview, John Roberts tries to get Joe Wilson to guess as to why Fitzgerald didn’t go after Armitage for the leak and says that despite Armitage’s participation being known before Libby allegedly perjured himself. Allegedly??? Um, maybe the Bush administration has seriously compromised the criminal justice system more than I realized, but doesn’t a CONVICTION indicate that it’s no longer alleged, but proven?? (h/t BG)
UPDATE: CREW has Joe Wilson’s response to that Tony Snow Lie-Fest this morning.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/07/03/cnn-american-morning-joe-wilson-blasts-president-on-libby/
Our men and women, though not dying at rate similar to that experienced during the Vietnam War, are none the less dying at a significant rate. Worse still, those they were sent to help in Iraq are dying or being injured by the war-like atmosphere there at an alarming rate, and many blame us for that.
Here is the most signifcant problem. It isn't how we see ourselves, but how others see us because they will decide whether or not they take up arms against the United States or simply engage in diplomatic attempts to supress our influence in their part of the world.
It is also frightening when you consider the fact that three well-to-do doctors were involved in a recent attempt to upset Brits with a terrorist type attack. Doctors, men and women sworn to do no harm, were involved in the planning of a terrorist strike that was meant to kill or mame hundreds of innocent people.
In case you hadn't noticed, this is significantly more alarming than the prospect of a terrorist attack on a US Embassy situated in a not so stabile region of Africa. This attack was to be carried out on the soil of our most determined ally.
The Bush Constitution - Preamble
Me, the Decider of the United States, in order to scorn a more perfect system, abolish Justice, insure domestic inequity, provide for deceitful defense, promote the corporate welfare and insure the debasement of Liberty for ourselves, our friends and our non-taxable posterity, do disdain and demolish this Constitution of the United States of America.
We can only conclude at this point that the approach currently being used to reduce the threat due to terrorism has actually served to increase it.
Improved diplomatic relations appear to offer the best alternative to the approach now used for six or more years with limited or negative results.
Posted by Marine on July 3, 2007 at 09:06 PM
I agree 100%. Franklin Roosevelt operated in a manner that brought success to his efforts in ending the depression. He would try one program and if that failed, he would then try another. He had humility enough to mold his efforts to the task at hand.
chimp is too stubborn and arrogant to change his his mind on anything. After all, he doesn't want to be accused of flip-flopping. Heavens to Betsy. That would expose him to ridicule by the party extremists who hate "flip-flopping".
This attack was to be carried out on the soil of our most determined ally.
Posted by Marine on July 3, 2007 at 09:20 PM
****
Marine, all it proves to me is that there is no such thing as "fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them at home".
Yes indeed, it's disturbing that well educated people would participate in such an attack. It shows the degree of anger and alienation that exist amongst people who live in Western nations.
All that Bush is doing is making more enemies and stoking that sense of anger and alienation. This is the most destructive, boorish and divisive President in our history.
They can choose to believe that the Administration has the right to be wrong in its policies but are not generally engaged in anything that would rise to the "high crimes and misdemeanors" required for impeachment.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/24284
Posted by rjsnj on July 3, 2007 at 09:14 PM
There is only one way to find out, and if it offers the US a chance to move forward sooner rather than later, given the dynamic nature of threats of facing us, it's better to find out sooner.
There is only one way to find out, and if it offers the US a chance to move forward sooner rather than later, given the dynamic nature of threats of facing us, it's better to find out sooner.
Posted by Marine on July 3, 2007 at 09:31 PM
****
Marine, as you know, I am in favor of proceeding on HRES 333. That is not impeachment per se. First, the Judiciary Committee must hold a hearing to determine if there really is something solid to proceed on. I'll live with their decision.
I agree that there is no way of knowing except to move forward on a hearing where subpoeans can not be ignored. If they are ignored, it;s grounds to move forward on impeachment.
Posted by marsh_supports_bong_hits_for_jesus on July 3, 2007 at 09:13 PM
I couldn't have said it better.
Olbermann and the guy filling in for Scarborough are both letting go with both barrels at Bush tonight.
And they have another Republican apologist on Scarborough saying that Libby didn't do anything wrong....that he was just doing what Richard Armitage did first. That is so grade school. Only children offer that kind of defense when caught lying or doing something wrong.
Armitage didn't lie about what he did...or felt he had to protect someone farther up the White House food chain. Libby lied and obstructed justice to cover up for someone else who would not testify under oath. The jury and judge heard the evidence and found him guilty.
But now the President is rewarding him? And attempting to cover his own ass at the same time?
This Libby amnesty pronouncement is nothing more than Bush thumbing his nose at Congress, the Constitution, the Courts System, and the American people. He is daring us to impeach him. So let's not give it to him.
Instead let's let him reap the rewards of his own guilty behavior for the next year.
The longer these GOP criminals look like they are going to get away with something crooked like abusing the court system for their own benefit, the more damage it will do to their party in the election next year.
Any Republican incumbent who apologizes for this disgraceful croynism will pay the price. It's Foley all over again but instead of child abuse it's cheating and executive favortism for those in high places.
It's clear that this Republican White House isn't playing by the rules. But this time it's not a complex issue that the the sheep can't understand.
Bush is even beginning to look like Nixon.
I don't believe that Americans have had the chance to adequately identify the seriousness of the threat that has developed as a result of the Bush administrations approaches because the media has remained on the sidelines throughout this era. They appear reluctant to dig in for fear they might offend the ruling party, which is understandable until it becomes apparent that it is done to the detriment of the American people.
Loyalty is fine and good, but it does not win wars in every case. Remember, the losing side is often loyal to its leadership. So loyal in fact that all follow that leadership to utter destruction, as has been witnessed on many occassions throughout history.
We must be willing to observe the failures present and to consider an alternative which might be more likely to result in the accomplishment of our desired goals. In this case, we would most like to reduce the threat posed to Americans here at home, and our allies in the Western world. This is why we started out on this path to begin with.
Posted by rjsnj on July 3, 2007 at 09:36 PM
It sounds like a good way to go, but to be honest I am not familiar with HRES 333.
Posted by SandyH on July 3, 2007 at 09:37 PM
If this approach were likely to prevent the abuses this administration has engaged in, I would agree, but I do not see that being the case. I see the only likely way to prevent future abuses of this nature being a process that lays bare for all to see, the crimes and dispicable behavior engaged in here.
Oh, Bush looks much worse to the American people than Nixon ever did.
tony snow is operating like Propaganda Minister Goebels. He must also be tried for treason.
It sounds like a good way to go, but to be honest I am not familiar with HRES 333.
Posted by Marine on July 3, 2007 at 09:43 PM
****
Marine, it was created by Dennis Kucinich. Take a look here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/24/AR2007042401542.html
I think it's reasonable to focus on Cheney first. He seems to be the architect of these policies that go against the constitution. It's not that I don't think Bush is involved but I think you need to get past Cheney to figure out how Bush is involved.
Joe Wilson: Bush has "utterly subverted the rule of law and system of justice" and has role in the cover up
by Joe Sudbay (DC) · 7/03/2007 08:16:00 AM ET
Discuss this post here: Comments (130) · digg it · reddit · FARK · · Link
Joe Wilson was on the Today Show this morning -- succinct and tough. He said Bush "short-circuited our system of justice" and guaranteed that Libby will never tell the truth. Wilson knows -- and the media who were complicit in the Plame leak know -- Bush is complicit in the cover-up and obstruction.
Watch the interview. It's worth it:
http://www.americablog.com/2007/07/joe-wilson-bush-has-utterly-subverted.html
Olbermann Special Comment is online.
Keith Olbermann’s Special Comment: You ceased to be the President of the United States
I think that he is right in suggesting that Cheney go first.
The problem I have with Speaker Pelosi making a promise on behalf of all democrats is that she is of course not all democrats. She clearly had not verified that course of action to be either supported nor denied by a majority of democrats before making that promise and thus she did not in fact make that promise on the behalf of Democrats but instead did so on her own behalf.
There are questions concerning many shady deals and conversations that have occurred over the years and we deserve answers. This is necessary because as a nation we must know the extent of the damage that may have been done if we are to take corrective measures. Leave a stone unturned and the snake that lives beneath it may come back one day to bite us all in the end.
As a democracy we are in a constant state of evolution, and must not allow the premature decisions of any one group on individuals to paralyze that process.
And have a good Fourth of July. I like to think a little bit about what made this country so great, before simply enjoying the day off. Those founding fathers of our were brilliant men. They made sure to allow for corrective processes such as those we now propose.
As a democracy we are in a constant state of evolution, and must not allow the premature decisions of any one group on individuals to paralyze that process.
Posted by Marine on July 3, 2007 at 10:04 PM
****
Marine, I agree with you. It's a mistake on several levels:
1. The Speaker should not shut off legitimate concerns that members of her caucus have.
2. Making your mind up ahead of time does not acknowledge the possibility of new facts being discovered.
3. It's really not a political decision. It's a matter of upholding the constitution and Congress's role within the constitution.
I think there is a good argument for bringing HRES 333 to the Judiciary committee. Where it goes from there, is a matter for the committee. I will live with their decision. If they think there isn't anything of substance there then so be it. I will be the first to say that you can't impeach just because you disagree with a president and/or vice president. There has to be reasons that meet th ecriteria set out in the constitution.
Shuster knocks down the usual “Wilson is a liar” theme from the Libby apologists
By: John Amato on Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007 at 4:15 PM - PDT
It’s really very tiring to hear the same nonsensical argument that the Libby apologists make. The one that is supposed to take the focus off of the real crime here. This whole Libby case is all about the lying liars that said Iraq was trying to buy yellow cake uranium from Niger to start a war. When Joe Wilson called Cheney and Bush on it—they attacked his wife and himself. Shuster knocks down the lie that the NRO’s, Tucker and the beltway weenie circuit keep pushing. Wilson was right and they were wrong…
ReBubblicans
By Eli on Tue Jul 3, 2007 at 06:01 pm
Bush’s decision to commute Libby’s sentence came shortly after I read this fascinating WaPo story about Bush and his bubble (which both Christy and I have already covered separately). In addition to thinking about all the most likely reasons for the commutation - obstruction of justice, taking care of a loyal soldier, sending the very important message that it’s okay to break the law on behalf of a Republican president - I found myself wondering if Bush even realized that his decision would not be popular outside of Crazy Base Land. After all, who’s going to tell him otherwise?
I started thinking about bubbles some more, and realized that the bubble is actually much larger than just the White House. The fact is that there is a giant bubble machine called the media, which insisted that not only was the Libby trial a partisan Democratic witch hunt that could only be remedied by a pardon, but that most Americans felt the same way. Similarly, on issues like abortion and gay marriage and withdrawal from Iraq, the mainstream corporate media keeps pretending that the Republican positions are mainstream positions.
Posted by Johnedwrd on July 3, 2007 at 09:49 PM
John,
I don't think Snow looked very confident today. He was after all having to defend something that is indefensible. But it was his decision to join the hogs in this pigpen.
once again bush has made himself and his administration the laughing stock of the legal and political worlds...his libby gambit has bit him and his lame ass justice department in the ass...his argument is a complete 180 from everything that these clowns have said and done up to this point, his base is not happy because he didn't capitulate enough to their wishes and the other 75% of americans are appalled at the abuse of power. we just might get those sixty senate votes in 08 and the white house should be a walk in the park...
Obstruction of Justice, Continued
By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Tuesday, July 3, 2007; 3:22 PM
During the course of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's trial for obstruction of justice and perjury, we learned a lot about his bosses.
Incremental discoveries that didn't garner major headlines nevertheless added to what we know -- and can reasonably surmise -- about Vice President Cheney and President Bush's role in the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity, which was revealed during the course of the administration's defense of its decision to go to war in Iraq.
We know, for instance, that Cheney was the first person to tell Libby about Plame's identity. We know that Cheney told Libby to leak Plame's identity to the New York Times in an attempt to discredit her husband, who had accused the administration of manipulating prewar intelligence. We know that Cheney wrote talking points that may have encouraged Libby and others to mention Plame to reporters. We know that Cheney once talked to Bush about Libby's assignment, and got permission from the president for Libby to leak hitherto classified information to the Times.
We don't know why Libby decided to lie to federal investigators about his role in the leak. But it's reasonable to conclude -- or at least strongly suspect -- that he was doing it to protect Cheney, and maybe even Bush.
Why, after all, was special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald so determined to get the truth from Libby and, barring that, to punish him for obstructing justice? Prosecutorial ethics preclude Fitzgerald, a Bush appointee, from answering such questions. But the most likely scenario is that he suspected that it was Cheney who committed the underlying crime -- that Cheney instructed Libby to out a CIA agent in his no-holds-barred crusade against a critic. (See my Feb. 21 column, The Cloud Over Cheney and my May 29 column, Fitzgerald Again Points to Cheney.)
All of this means that Bush's decision yesterday to commute Libby's prison sentence isn't just a matter of unequal justice. It is also a potentially self-serving and corrupt act.
Was there a quid pro quo at work? Was Libby being repaid for falling on his sword and protecting his bosses from further scrutiny? Alternately, was he being repaid for his defense team's abrupt decision in mid-trial not to drag Cheney into court, where he would have faced cross-examination by Fitzgerald? (See my March 8 column, Did Libby Make a Deal?)
Bush and Press Secretary Tony Snow this morning continued to stonewall when it comes to any of the important questions about this case, Cheney and Bush's involvement, and the commutation itself. Bush said he wouldn't rule out a future pardon for Libby -- but didn't have much else new to say. Snow was simply ducking questions while asserting repeatedly that the president is entitled to exercise his clemency power when he sees fit.
It's true that the Constitution grants the president unlimited clemency and pardon power. But presidents have generally used that power to show mercy or, in rare cases, make political amends -- not to protect themselves from exposure.
The Framers, ever sensitive to the need for checks and balances, recognized the potential for abuse of the pardon power. According to a Judiciary Committee report drafted in the aftermath of the Watergate crisis: "In the [Constitutional] convention George Mason argued that the President might use his pardoning power to 'pardon crimes which were advised by himself' or, before indictment or conviction, 'to stop inquiry and prevent detection.' James Madison responded:
"[I]f the President be connected, in any suspicious manner, with any person, and there be grounds [to] believe he will shelter him, the House of Representatives can impeach him; they can remove him if found guilty. . . .
"Madison went on to [say] contrary to his position in the Philadelphia convention, that the President could be suspended when suspected, and his powers would devolve on the Vice President, who could likewise be suspended until impeached and convicted, if he were also suspected."
bush covers up, but rather opaquely
Dear Michael,
There's nothing quite like a crowd of 7,000 cheering supporters to let you know your campaign is on the right track and yesterday, that's just what Bill and I enjoyed in Des Moines. We're on our "Ready for Change, Ready to Lead" tour across Iowa, and we are having a great time!
It's so clear we've got real momentum with voters in this race, and I know you're the key reason. Your tremendous support in the last two weeks has made all the difference, making sure we have the resources we need to take our campaign to the next level. Every day we have more supporters, more volunteers, more endorsements, and more people ready to change America.
Even if you can't make it to our Iowa tour, you can still follow us online. Today we're introducing HillCam, a new video series with Bill and I reporting directly from the campaign trail - our first time out on the trail together! You can watch it here:
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/hillcam/?splash=1
I hope you'll join us. There's no time for change like the present. Just look at what President Bush did yesterday, commuting Scooter Libby's sentence. Isn't it time we had a president who respects the rule of law and who works for average hardworking Americans instead of political cronies?
I know you're ready for change like I am. Thank you again for all your amazing support. I couldn't do it without you.
Sincerely,
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Wilson was right and they were wrong...
rj,
And that's the one thing the neocons just can't face to this day. They got it all wrong. They were so sure that the universe would revolve around them if only they put themselves out there as the Sun.
Another GOP pundit tonight was trying to say that Wilson lied and the White House was just trying to set things straight in the media. "About what?" was the reply of the host. (I think it was Tweety) who told him to get over it. ..there were no WMD; quite implying there were.
Outting a CIA agent while our troops are on the battlefield is an interesting way of setting things straight? Perhaps a little extreme? Perhaps treasonous if you are caught doing it? Perhaps the real reason why someone had to be given a pardon to shut them up?
These guys have no sense of proportion or propriety when it comes to getting what they want. When challenged, they over-react and go for the jugular as if it's some sort of personal affront to their manhood.
Even Hitler never took it personal. Not even Ghengis Khan. Not even Julius Caesar.
I believe I'll call it a night.
I think our leadership is proceeding about right. The worse thing we could do now is over-react. But it's important that we display our outrage forcefully.
I'd hate to think we might overplay our hand and end up making people feel sorry for these crooks.
Slow and steady. Steady and slow, that's the way to go to get where you want without jeopardizing the election.
I've changed my mind in the last 24 hours.
Should they be impeached? Sure. But would it result in our gaining both the White House and the Senate next year? I'm not sure.
I do know we must not let them appoint any more fundie judges. So let's continue to let them shoot themselves in the foot while we find new ways to showcase their corruption.
At some point they will alienate all we need and send them to the polls in disgust. It's a good strategy.
Good night, guys.
Posted by gregg on July 3, 2007 at 10:42 PM
Why do you always come to the point in about 10 times few words that I? Good post.
sandy, you are too kind. i think on this one cheney told bush to " get set, ready, go" and shot the starter pistol not telling the dummie that the edge of the cliff was ten feet away....so bush got his legs going and ran right off just like that old coyote and looked down and said "huh?" and is now going down really fast as reality comes up to meet his sorry ass...
see you in the morning.
have a great day tomorrow everyone! ice cream sundays with nuts and cherry topping for all! much more pleasing than the usual fair...g'night all.
a dumb presidummie choose not to use a dumb ag's operation to advise him on a dumb way to handle libby and now...and now he looks dumber and dumber...good night dear friends.
The Hong Kong's human rights are deteriorating. In psychiatric hospitals in Hong Kong, patients are tied to urine and not being let to have meals.
With linkage exchange system with Hong Kong, our country should enable Hong Kong to have good level of human rights. Otherwise we should not let Hong Kong to have link exchange rate with us.
china's human rights are of the utmost importance to the united states, as long as those rights don't interfere with commerce.
then, of course, anything goes.
Young Americans lean liberal, fear draft
Young Americans are more likely than the public at large to favor same-sex marriage and government-run universal health insurance, according to a new poll conducted this month by the New York Times/CBS News/MTV.
Although they are more optimistic than their elders about U.S. success in Iraq, fully 87 percent oppose a draft and two-thirds think the GOP is more likely to impose one. Perhaps not coincidentally, 54 percent say they plan to vote Democratic in 2008.
As reported by the New York Times, the poll also shows that Americans between 17 to 29 appear to be familiar with only two of the candidates for the 2008 presidential race, Democratic U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Fifty-four percent say they plan to vote for a Democrat in 2008, with 52 percent saying they share similar moral values with Democrats more than Republicans. An "overwhelming majority" said the nation was ready to elect a president who was black, female or had admitted to smoking marijuana.
The poll also found young Americans share a negative opinion with the public at large on President Bush, who scored a 28 percent approval rating with this group -- down from more than 80 percent after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Forty-four percent believe that same-sex couples should be able to get married, while only 28 percent of the public at large holds that view, and 62 percent said they would support a universal, government-sponsored national health care insurance program, compared to 47 percent of the general public.
Forty-two percent of young Americans thought it was likely or very likely that the nation would reinstate a military draft over the next few years. Two-thirds said they thought the Republican Party was more likely to do so, and 87 percent of respondents said they opposed a draft.
When asked about the Iraq war, young Americans were slightly more optimistic about the outcome than the general population: 51 percent said the United States was very or somewhat likely to succeed in Iraq, compared with 45 percent among all U.S. adults.
the mother of all double standards...
Romney defends Bush decision on Libby
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who as Massachusetts governor refused to pardon an Iraq war veteran's BB-gun conviction, on Tuesday called President Bush's commutation of Scooter Libby's prison sentence "reasonable."
Defending Bush, Romney said at a campaign stop that "the president looked very carefully at the setting" before deciding to commute the 2 1/2-year sentence of Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, who was convicted in the CIA leak case.
The prosecutor in the case "went after somebody even when he knew no crime had been committed," Romney said. "Given that fact, isn't it reasonable for a commutation of a portion of the sentence to be made?"
As governor, Romney twice rejected a pardon for Anthony Circosta, who at age 13 was convicted of assault for shooting another boy in the arm with a BB gun — a shot that didn't break the skin. Circosta worked his way through college, joined the Army National Guard and led a platoon of 20 soldiers in Iraq's deadly Sunni triangle.
In 2005, as he was serving in Iraq, he sought a pardon to fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer.
In his presidential bid, Romney often proudly points out that he was the first governor in modern Massachusetts history to deny every request for a pardon or commutation during his four years in office. He says he refused pardons because he didn't want to overturn a jury.
During the four years Romney was in office, 100 requests for commutations and 172 requests for pardons were filed in the state. All were denied.
While campaigning Tuesday, Romney also threw a barb at former President Bill Clinton, who issued 457 pardons during his two terms in the White House.
"Wasn't it Bill Clinton who was handing out pardons like lollipops?" Romney said.
going, going...
gone.
Global warming blamed for vanishing lake
SANTIAGO, Chile - Scientists on Tuesday blamed global warming for the disappearance of a glacial lake in remote southern Chile that faded away in just two months, leaving just a crater behind.
The disappearance of the lake in Bernardo O'Higgins National Park was discovered in late May by park rangers, who were stunned to find a 130-foot deep crater where a large lake had been.
After flying over the lake Monday scientists said they were able to draw preliminary conclusions that point to climate change as the leading culprit for the lake's disappearance.
They suggested the melting of nearby glaciers raised the lake's level to the point where the increased water pressure caused part of a glacier acting as a dam to give way. Water in the lake flowed out of the breach, into a nearby fiord and then to the sea, said Andres Rivera, a glaciologist with Chile's Center of Scientific Studies.
Rivera, accompanied by an expert from the Chilean Antarctic Institute, flew over the site in a navy airplane, taking hundreds of photographs.
"On one side of the Bernardo glacier one can see a large hole or gap, and we believe that's where the water flowed through," Rivera said in a navy communique. "This confirms that glaciers in the region are retreating and getting thinner."
He said that the bottom of the vanished lake again has some water, likely from the melting ice.
Similar phenomenon have occurred before in the southern Magallanes region.
As glaciers retreat lakes form behind natural dams of ice or moraine, earth and stones pushed up by a glacier. Those relatively weak dams can be breached suddenly, causing the lake to drain.
The advance and retreat of glaciers is part of the normal dynamics of the Patagonia but climate change was distorting the process, Rivera said.
"This would not be happening if the temperature had not increased," Rivera said.
The navy communique said the missing lake was the smaller of a two-lake system. The larger one remains but at a lower level.
Let's impeach Dick Cheney. He's a disgrace to America. Support House RES 333.
What's on your table?
by Kagro X
Tue Jul 03, 2007 at 08:37:53 PM PDT
Via the AP and WQAD News:
Jackson: Put impeachment back on table
Associated Press - July 3, 2007 11:04 AM ET
WASHINGTON (AP) - Congressman Jesse Jackson Junior wants his fellow Democrats to reconsider impeaching President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
The Illinois Democrat today reacted to Bush's decision yesterday to commute the sentence of former vice presidential aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
I chose that one for the headline, obviously.
For a fuller quote, we'll go with John Nichols at The Capital Times:
"In her first weeks as leader of the Congress, Speaker Nancy Pelosi withdrew the notion of impeachment proceedings against either President Bush or Vice President Cheney," announced Jackson. "With the president's decision to once again subvert the legal process and the will of the American people by commuting the sentence of convicted felon Lewis Scooter' Libby, I call on House Democrats to reconsider impeachment proceedings."
It's enough to make a fella wanna shoot another guy in the face, I'd bet.
Let's impeach Dick Cheney. He's a disgrace to America. Support House RES 333.
Posted by KansasDemocrat on July 4, 2007 at 02:13 AM
****
Looks like 14 now kansasDem ... Conyers is the key. Get Conyers and HRES 333 will pass.
Impeach Shotgun
Impeach Chimpo
Another GOP pundit tonight was trying to say that Wilson lied and the White House was just trying to set things straight in the media. "About what?" was the reply of the host. (I think it was Tweety) who told him to get over it. ..there were no WMD; quite implying there were.
****
Sandy, let me understand this. Chimpo said that he respects the decision of the jury. Okay the jury decided that Libby committed perjury. The GOP can't claim that they don't think perjury is a serious crime - after all, they went after Clinto for years with no other reason other than perjury. The sentence Libby was given is fairly typical for the crime. So, on what basis does Bush commute his sentence?
Here's the truth. There is no basis. Once again, there is nothing but lies to save Bush-Cheney from further investigations on this issue.
We all know they are hiding something. Let's pass HRES 333 and get to the bottom of it.
Bush Impeachment – Libby Commutation Makes it Imperative
by StevenLeser [Subscribe]
Wed Jul 04, 2007 at 03:11:59 AM PDT
A President cannot be allowed to take such a brazen act to impede an investigation in which he is one of the potential suspects. Congress should ALWAYS respond to acts like these with impeachment hearings otherwise Presidents will feel like they can live above the law and take action to prevent any consequences.
StevenLeser's diary :: ::
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 4, 2007
Bush Impeachment – Libby Commutation Makes it Imperative
By Steven Leser
When Richard Nixon fired Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox as part of the October 23, 1973 "Saturday Night Massacre", he did it to prevent information being released that could directly implicate him in wrongdoing. Cox had issued Nixon a subpoena requesting the now infamous Nixon tapes and Nixon acted to protect himself and in doing so obstructed justice in the ongoing Watergate investigations. This is not entirely different from what we have with Bush and his commutation of Libby’s sentence. Patrick Fitzgerald filed obstruction of justice charges against Libby because he believed that Libby had information relevant to the investigation and lied or refused to divulge that information. A jury agreed, found him guilty and Libby received 30 months in prison. One of the things prosecutors hope happens in situations like this is when the person obstructing justice is faced with a lengthy prison term, in exchange for avoiding prison they start providing the information they were withholding. Bush’s commutation takes the threat of prison away from Libby and is thus an act of obstruction of justice.
Nixon’s actions in the Saturday Night Massacre lead directly to several articles of impeachment being filed against him in congress in the ensuing days. A President cannot be allowed to take such a brazen act to impede an investigation in which he is one of the potential suspects. Congress should ALWAYS respond to acts like these with impeachment hearings otherwise Presidents will feel like they can live above the law and take action to prevent any consequences.
I wonder if the public realize another important aspect of this. The commutation is a virtual admission of guilt by Bush that the outing of Plame was part of a generalized conspiracy in the White House that involved major players, i.e. either Bush or Cheney themselves. There is no other reason the President would intervene. It was not a matter of, as Bush tried to suggest, "the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive". As of the morning of July 2, a few hours before Bush would commute the sentence, Libby had six to eight weeks before he had to report to prison and concurrently as of July 2, the appeals process would take a few months. If Libby was innocent and the administration had nothing to hide and Libby nothing to tell prosecutors, Libby would do a month or two in prison before the appeals process got into full swing and then he would have a strong shot at being set free. Bush’s commutation of Libby’s sentence shows that none of this was true and that Libby was close to breaking and telling Fitzgerald everything he knew.
Fred Thompson and other prominent Republicans eye-deep in the cover-up
As I write this, I note another article with similar themes by the esteemed Amy Goodman who directs us to another important point. Bush claimed in his statement about the commutation that Libby still faces a stiff fine and probation. You can kiss the fine goodbye. There is a fund to pay the fine that has been raised by many prominent Republicans including Fred Thompson. Thompson and other Republicans know what kind of a mess it would be for their party if the real facts regarding Plamegate came out so they are paying Libby’s fine for him. Now Libby has no repercussions and nothing to fear at all, the jail sentence is gone, the fine has been paid, and next I am sure will come a cushy job courtesy of the Republican good old boy network.
John Nichols: Bush's Move Adds to Impeachment Push
Submitted by Chip on Wed, 2007-07-04 09:02. Impeachment
Bush's move adds to impeachment push
Illinois's Jesse Jackson Jr., a member of the House of Representatives so constitutionally minded that he wrote a book on the subject, responded as a founding father would have to the news that President Bush had commuted the 30-month prison sentence of former White House insider I. "Scooter" Libby.
How so? By calling for consideration of the impeachment of the president for abusing the pardoning -- and the related commutation of sentences -- privileges of his office.
"In her first weeks as leader of the Congress, Speaker Nancy Pelosi withdrew the notion of impeachment proceedings against either President Bush or Vice President Cheney," announced Jackson. "With the president's decision to once again subvert the legal process and the will of the American people by commuting the sentence of convicted felon Lewis Scooter' Libby, I call on House Democrats to reconsider impeachment proceedings."
The commutation of Libby's sentence and the president's refusal to comply with formal inquiries from the House and Senate on a number of matters "leave Democrats with no other option than to consider impeachment so that we can gather the information needed to achieve justice for all Americans," Jackson said.
The founders were exceptionally clear on the question of what should be done if a president abuses his privilege to pardon an associate, or by extension to commute the sentence of an aide.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/24293
****
I couldn't agree more. Bush just did what various fractured movements may not have been able to do. He's added the fuel to the fire.
Morning rj,
Happy Fourth of July. Damn it is dry here. It was 119 in Las Vegas yesterday with more to come.
cheney and bush have to be impeached starting tomorrow. Soon, Congress will be going on vacation. Waht then?
In August, under cover of recess, the arrogant bastard some call president will most likely appoint bolton to the UN again. cheney will probably have one of the supreme court justices "disappear" so he can appoint a crony which would screw up the court for another 200 years. Who knows what else these assholes would do in August. They could start a war with Iran.
Morning rj,
Happy Fourth of July. Damn it is dry here. It was 119 in Las Vegas yesterday with more to come.
****
Hi John,
Sorta cloudy and rainy in NJ ... weather is nuts this summer ... very hot and then not so hot. It's just beginning though. I am sure it will be steamy in July and August.
There's a new thread at the top by the way.
Bill & Hillary:
Worse than you thought & worth remembering, and this came from a Democrat
Dear ( Ex) President Clinton:
I recently saw a bumper sticker that said, "Thank me, I voted for Clinton-Gore." So, I sat down and reflected on that, and I am sending my "Thank you" for what you have done, specifically:
1. Thank you for introducing us to Jennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, Monica Lewinsky, Dolly Kyle Browning, Kathleen Willey, and Juanita Broderick. Did I leave anyone out?
2. Thank you for teaching my 8 year old about oral sex. I had really planned to wait until he was a little older to discuss it with him, but now he knows more about it than I did as a senior in college.
3. Thank you for showing us that sexual harassment in the work place (especially the White House) and on the job is OK, and all you have to know is what the meaning of "it" is. It really is great to know that certain sexual acts are not sex, and one person may have sex while the other one does NOT have sex.
4. Thank you for reintroducing the concept of impeachment to a new generation and demonstrating that the ridiculous plot of the movie "Wag the Dog" could be plausible after all.
5. Thanks for making Jimmy Carter look competent, Gerald Ford look graceful, Richard Nixon look honest, Lyndon Johnson look truthful, and John Kennedy look moral.
6. Thank you for the 73 House and Senate witnesses who have pled the 5th Amendment and 17 witnesses who have fled the country to avoid testifying about Democratic campaign fund raising.
7. Thank you, for the 19 charges, 8 convictions, and 4 imprisonment's from the Whitewater "mess" and the 55 criminal charges and 32 criminal convictions (so far) in the other " Clinton " scandals.
8. Thanks also for reducing our military by half, "gutting" much of our foreign policy, and flying all over the world on "vacations" carefully disguised as necessary trips.
9 Thank you, also, for "finding" millions of dollars (I really didn't need it in the first place, and I can't think of a more deserving group of recipients for my hard-earned tax dollars)
for all of your globe-trotting. I understand you, the family and your cronies have logged in more time aboard Air Force One than any other administration.
10. Now that you've left the White House, thanks for the 140 pardons of convicted felons and indicted felons-in-exile. We will love to have them rejoin society. (Not to mention the scores you pardoned while Governor of Arkansas)
11. Thanks also for removing the White House silverware. I'm sure that Laura Bush didn't like the pattern anyway. Also, enjoy the housewarming gifts you've received from your "friends."
12. Thanks to you and your staff in the West Wing of the White House for vandalizing and destroying government property on the way out. I also appreciate removing all of that excess weight ( China , silverware, linen, towels, ash trays, soap, pens, magnetic compass, flight manuals, etc.) out of Air Force 1. The weight savings means burning less fuel, thus less tax dollars spent on jet fuel. Thank you!
13. And finally, please ensure that Hillary enjoys the $8 million dollar advance for her "tell-all" book and you, Bill, the $10 million advance for your memoirs. Who says crime doesn't pay!
14. The last and most important point - thank you for forcing Israel to let Mohammed Atta go free. Terrorist pilot Mohammed Atta blew up a bus in Israel in 1986. The Israelis captured, tried and imprisoned him. As part of the Oslo agreement with the Palestinians in 1993, Israel had to agree to release so-called "political prisoners". However, the Israelis would not release any with blood on their hands. The American President at the time, Bill Clinton, and his Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, "insisted" that all prisoners be released. Thus Mohammed Atta was freed and eventually thanked the US by flying an airplane into Tower One of the World Trade Center . This was reported by many of the American TV networks at the time that the terrorists were first identified. It was censored in the US from all later reports. Why shouldn't Americans know the real truth?
What a guy!!
If you agree that the American public must be made aware of these facts, pass this on. God bless America and THANK YOU (once again) for spending my taxes so wisely and frugally.
SINCERELY,
A US Citizen
PS.
Please pass along a special thank you to Al Gore for "inventing" the Internet, without which I would not be able to send this wonderful, factual e-mail.
AND THE REST OF THE STORY Hillary Rodham Clinton, as a New York State Senator, now comes under the "Congressional Retirement and Staffing Plan," which means that even if she never gets reelected, she STILL receives her Congressional salary until she dies. (Would it not be nice if all Americans were pension eligible after only 4 years?)
If Bill outlives her, he then inherits HER salary until HE dies. He is already getting his Presidential salary until he dies. If Hillary outlives Bill, she also gets HIS salary until she dies. Guess who pays for that?
WE DO!
It's common knowledge that in order for her to establish NY residency, they purchased a million dollar-plus house in upscale Chappaqua , New York . Makes sense. They are entitled to Secret Service protection for life. Still makes sense.
Here is where it becomes interesting. Their mortgage payments hover at around $10,000 per month. BUT, an extra residence HAD to be built within the acreage to house the Secret Service agents.
The Clintons charge the Federal government $10,000 monthly rent for the use of that extra residence, which is just about equal to their mortgage payment. This means that we, the taxpayers, are paying the Clinton 's salary, mortgage, transportation, safety and security, as well as the salaries for their 12 man staff -- and, this is all perfectly legal!
When she runs for President, will you vote for her?
How many people can YOU send this to?
I have only one thing to say to the Democratic Party regarding the Scooter Libby commutation. If you want my vote in 2008 you will impeach George W. Bush.
I'm an independent and one of those who gave you back the House in 2006. I've been waiting patiently for you to grow some courage to stand up to this president. My patience has just ended. I've had enough, but Democrats need to PROVE they're worthy of my vote.
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