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Apparently, Sen. Arlen Specter thinks we should all go along with whatever the President wants to do. Even if the President has been secretly breaking the law for years -- since before 9/11/01 -- we should just all clap our hands, make the illegality go away, and be cheerful about Specter's bill that allows the President to keep on doing what he's doing, retroactively okay the Bush Administration's illegal conduct (as a former prosecutor, I'm sure you know how well THAT sits with me), and the hell with the Constitutional consequences and all those other pesky accountability and oversight responsibilities. After all, a strong unilateral executive is what the Framers intended right? What we want is a President who can just do as he pleases without any meaningful oversight by either the legislative or judicial branches, isn't it?
Well...NO. (via Glenn)
Sen. Arlen Specter has an Op-Ed in this morning's Washington Post which attempts to justify his proposed FISA legislation -- legislation which, at its core, renders legal the President's lawbreaking and cedes to the President the right to eavesdrop on Americans with no judicial oversight. The bill would also all but kill pending litigation challenging the legality of the President's eavesdropping conduct, and endorse a theory of presidential power so extreme that even the President's own Attorney General rejects it. Despite all of this, Specter claims, apparently with a straight face, that "negotiations with administration officials and the president himself were fierce" and that the bill is "a preeminently fair compromise."What Specter's Op-Ed actually does is provide a powerful reflection of the extent to which the Congress has been reduced to an empty, symbolic vessel which is permitted to act only to the extent it retroactively endorses the President's conduct. The outright debasement of the Congress by the administration is additionally reflected by the fact that Specter is actually expressing gratitude for the President's willingness to allow courts to adjudicate the constitutionality of his conduct, as though that is something the President has the power to prohibit....
With the Specter legislation, Bush has not agreed to allow the FISA court, or any other court, to adjudicate the legality of his eavesdropping program (meaning whether he has been violating the law for the last five years by ordering warrantless eavesdropping). To the contrary, the Specter bill would all but kill pending litigations around the country which allege that the President acted criminally by violating FISA. Nor would the Specter bill require the President to submit eavesdropping requests to courts for approval. To the contrary, the bill expressly allows the President to eavesdrop on Americans with no judicial oversight....
The Bush administration, as is well known by now, believes that the President has the power to violate laws enacted by Congress. But not even George Bush, Dick Cheney or John Yoo have argued that he can override specific constitutional protections guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. All Bush has "agreed to" is to conditionally "allow" a court to decide if his eavesdropping violates the 4th Amendment. Expressing gratitude for that or acting as though it is some sort of concession is to now vest the President not merely with the power to violate Congressional law, but also the Bill of Rights.
The Legislative Branch is supposed to be the strong arm of government, as the direct voice of the people, balanced by the judicial and executive branches. Boy, did the Founders miss that one these days. But who, after the American Revolution, could have forseen such a spineless bunch in elected office, willing to trade their own branch of government for some coins and a seat at the kiddie power ranger table? Who would have thought that Antonin Scalia would provide more of a check on George Bush than the entire Republican-controlled Congress?
The bottom line: do you trust George Bush?
Here's all the information you need to let your elected representatives know how you feel -- about illegal NSA domestic spying, upholding the Constitution, and the need for our elected officials to do their jobs and provide oversight and hold President Bush accountable for his actions. Tell them to vote no on Senate bill 2453 -- and uphold our commitment to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and what it means to be a true American patriot.
No more rubber stamps. Had enough?
(This cartoon from Gary Brookins of the Richmond Times-Dispatch arrived in my in-box last December, and I have been saving it for just such a post ever since. Brookins is a genius, and this cartoon was just too perfect. Click thru on the link to see many more hilarious Brookins masterpieces.)
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Ned!
Ned! Jane! Kobe!Fitz!AlGore!All Good People!
FEINGOLD!!!!!!!!
Christy!
Hope - if you’re still here, some thoughts on talking to Steve:
Maybe something like this:
“Steve, I would never impose upon our friendship and ask you to speak to your father about the work he is doing in the Senate; that’s a boundary that I completely respect. You and I are, however, American citizens, whose lives are affected by those in Washington, and I have some serious concerns about how the Congress is responding to this administration.
There is a bill currently in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which would make optional many provisions that are now required under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. This seems to be a reaction to the president’s unwillingness to comply with the Act, or to even fully brief members of the House and Senate committees which are supposed to oversee intelligence gathering programs.
What I would ask of you, Steve, is to review the provisions of Senate Bill 2453, The National Security Surveillance Act of 2006, in light of the current FISA, and in light of this administration’s reluctance to act within any boundaries set by current law, and ask yourself if this is the right direction for the Congress to take. Read it as a citizen whose rights may be jeopardized by it, read it through the lens of what future administrations could do with it, and if you find yourself with the same reservations and concerns that many other citizens have, I hope you would find it in your heart to convey those concerns to your father.”
It’s a touchy situation – this is the best I can come up with.
He knows where you keep your jewelry-
- and he know’s which set is fake.
As a former Pennsylvanian, I can tell you that whenever Arlen Specter approaches you with what HE thinks is a great idea, bear in mind that this is the same guy who came up with the Magic Bullet Theory to make the investigation into JFK’s assassination conveniently go away.
Is THIS the guy we want being the point man on surveillance law?
Christy,
(wiping up keyboard)
I’ve got to remember to put the coffee down before reading the posts around here, even when they are “serious” like this. “But who, after the American Revolution, could have forseen . . .” Sounds kind of like the Bush refrain - Katrina, Iraq, Lebanon, and on and on and on. From Bush I’d expect this line, but from you?
But on to more important matters . . .
When we hit the phones to the Senate, the “outright debasement of the Congress by the administration” ought to be one of the lines of approach, especially for those calling Red State senators.
“Would you be happy if a President Hillary had this kind of unchecked authority? How about a President Kerry? A President Dean? A President Gore? How about a President Al Sharpton or a President Jesse Jackson?”
Bottom line: No one is served by unchecked executive authority.
I just called both DiFi and Barbara Boxer’s offices. I got through to DiFi in Washington, and was informed that Senator Feinstein does not support 2453 and is sponsoring a competing bill requiring more judicial oversight. I couldn’t get through to Boxer in DC so I called her San Francisco office: the staffer I spoke to could not tell me Boxer’s position on the bill, but assured me that she would pass my position on to the Senator.
It would be interesting to look at Feinstein’s bill and see if it does indeed require more judicial oversight or if it is a sham.
“Freedom is about authority. Freedom is about the willingness of every single human being to cede to lawful authority a great deal of discretion about what you do and how you do it.”
New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, April 1998
Here’s the answer to Arlen’s question - if someone knows something better …
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/.....:H.R.5371:
It’s the Harman/Conyers bill, drafted by someone who HAS BEEN BRIEFED on the program.
Specter either believes a) the AG was telling the truth when he TESTIFIED to the Judiciary Committee that they are following the law - in which case nothing needs to happen; or b) he believes the AG was misleading the Congressional committee when he TESTIFIED.
If he believes a — then there is no reason for action. If he believes b then:
1) Why is he ok with the AG telling lies to the committee?
2) Why does he feel he has to act as a modern day Nixonian Plumber and cover up Executive branch felony lawbreaking?
3) Why does he feel he knows enough about any of it to draft legislation?
4) Has he bothered to read the second half of the Fourth Amendment and does he realize that even the President and the Congress, acting together, are not allowed to disenfranchise Americans on American soil from their Constitutional right to have searches proceed based on Judicially supervised warrants?
Anne at 5
Well done. You are always a voice of reason. I will say just that (I’ve opted out of,”You’re dad’s not smart enuff..” teddy ;)
I just know this is bad. I have no illusions about the lengths this administration will go to forward their agenda. The are amoral and souless. I feel sick to my stomach.
rootz!
Ned!
Barbara Boxer !
Peanut !
Hopefully Feinstein and Harman are on the same page.
Christy
I was told it was sr2455…is this wrong?
Mary - spot on as usual. Why can’t the people who represent us do this kind of critical thinking?
Hope at 15 — I got that information directly from the Judiciary Committee and looked it up on the Thomas system. If you click through on the Specter Bill link, it will take you directly to the text of the legislation. (That’s what the judiciary committee staffer said was up for consideration on Wednesday…doesn’t mean he knew what he was talking about, though, so I’ll check the one you were told as well to be certain.)
So Bob Adams and Maura totally put it to Barbara Boxer today and got it on tape. Boxer was angry, said Lieberman never made the “short ride” comment, claimed he had always supported providing transportation for rape victims from one hospital to another and bagged on Ned’s NOW endorsement because they weren’t a single-issue group.
She interrputed Maura and was yelling at her, and Bob Adams got it all on tape. Bob will be working on the tape tonight and Maura will write it up.
BOOYAH!!!
EPU’d but thought it was worth repeating, since Cornyn is on the Judiciary committee.
We can tie his supposed passion for less secrecy in government to this hearing.
This may make your head spin:
More here:
http://www.firstamendmentcente.....x?id=14985
Hope at 17 — S.2455 is a bill sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed on reports on nonstrategic nuclear weapons. I think the Senate Judiciary staffer was right on 2453, based on my read through — it’s a revision of the FISA laws and oversight of NSA actions.
Sorry to go OT. Great post, as always, Christy. And really good effort by everyone who is calling their reps today.
Boxer yelling at our Maura! On video! Eek!
Jane at 18 — excellent! Perhaps everyone should e-mail a link to Ms. Boxer of the multiple sources on the “short ride” comment? Or even fax her? Seems she needs some edumacation. *g*
But not even George Bush, Dick Cheney or John Yoo have argued that he can override specific constitutional protections guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
I don’t think Glenn is right on this. Padilla WAS just that very argument. Yoo HAS made the argument that the President’s inherent CIC powers allow him to operate free from constraints of the Bill of Rights.
Mary and Anne
Have you seen the electorate?
Last night I had a long conversation with a liberal Army doctor friend. He is very smart, savvy, and for the most part politically aware. He thinks that the ‘progressive left’ is so polarized that they simply want bush to fail. Dead-set against him regardless of what he’d done, does, will do. He gets his news primarily from NPR. The conversation started to get a little hot, his ego got into it. I hate when that happens. But it reminds me how little ‘news’ I was getting before I started blogging. And I’ve just been doing this since May 6th.
We hear the complaints about the MSM all the time. Much of the conversation on yesterday’s thread with Soros was about the lack of good information that balances the right.
After this election, I think we need to find a way to change the media.
Cbl is onto a good argument here with privacy of BUSINESS information. This is one argument that actually might work with red state Senators.
Do companies want all their information spied on and sold to the highest bidding competitor? If we think they would never do that, how would we know–this bill is taking away the very last court oversight.
is the gop really that certian (deluded?) that there will never be another democrat elected president that they are willing to so criminally stack the deck in favor of executive authority? it almost gives me a sense of comfort knowing that, in the great scheme of karmic justice, this one is going to have to come back to majorly bite them in the ass. i only hope it is sooner (’08) rather than later.
Thank you Christy. It’s sad that so few people do there jobs well. Thank you for doing your’s brilliantly.
Already called Sens Bingaman and Domenici. I suspect that Bingaman will oppose. Domenici is usually labeled in the MSM as “moderate Republican” Pete Domenici … which says a lot about how far out on the right wing the GOP is.
OT, for Lotus and Hope (and anyone else interested in the) further adventures of Cadet Countertenor.
I spoke with him yesterday morning. He was able to pick up a 5 hour transpacific phone card for $10. He’s “having fun, but I can’t tell you what I’m doing on the phone …”
He (and a gaggle of other cadets) got a trip to the DMZ, to visit the building where the truce negotiations took place. He was standing in PDRK territory for a while, and said it gave him the willies when the sergeant guiding the tour pointed it out.
He says Ringknockers-to-be (West Pointers) are more amusing than kittens. He also said that one of the junior NCOs in “his” platoon is two years older than him, and already has two tours in Iraq and topped by this one in Korea. I said something like, “God, I hope he’s not married!”, to which Cadet Countertenor replied, “Not any more, Dad.” If you want an indication of how thin our combat forces are stretched by the Alfred E Neuman-esque poseur in the White House, a 23 year-old who’s been posted to Iraq twice (followed by a year in Korea) in three-and-a-half years says it all.
Thanks again for the thoughts and prayers.
BC
THANKS Jane -any sign of Big Dawg?
This is a little OT, but maybe notsomuch.
The other day I was talking about how Bushco is radically changing DOJ from a political career prosecutors (it used to be frowned upon to admit thet you were voting in a primary) to a patronage mill with political litmus testing, and how all the non political “real” lawyers were fleeing.
Seems the Boston Globe has caught on to at least a little bit of it:
http://www.boston.com/news/nat....._bush_era/
It’s not just the civil rights division. What Abu G has been doing to the entire department is almost inconceivable. The US Attorny’s (some of whom are now crony appointments) see the chage in culture and follow suit.
Cronies will shape the policies and practices of DOJ for years to come, plus the loss of institutional knowledge becasue so many really brilliant people with a whole career’s worth of knowledge are lost.
Worst though is the cultural shift, from a culture of excellance and stiving to do the right thing, to a culture of advancement by abuse of the system.
I am sick over this.
Mmm, fresh hot EPU’d:
After much rigmarole, finally got through to “Tod[d]” in Mel Martinez’ offfice, who ver’ much appreciated hearing the bill # and whatever else I could tell him about it. So I sweetly (you know me, *g*) made the three main and various sub-points, stressing in particular:
How d’ya reckon biz people gonna like [cbl’s questions], hmmm?
This may feel comfy to Sen. Martinez while BOOSH is still in, but what about After That, hmmm?
Ended up, “Well, thanks so much, Tod[d]. I rilly enjoyed chattin’ with you, and please do let the Senator know what a stinker this thang is, okay?”
“Will do, lotus — yew have yew a good ‘un, y’heah!”
[So back into knowing hide’n'watch mode on ol’ Mel.]
Slightly less rigmarole at Bill Nelson’s orifice, but the aide I/we need to jaw with, Julia Spencer, will be in a mtg for another couple of hours, so gonna try her back mid-afternoon . . .
Bargain Countertenor @29: I said something like, “God, I hope he’s not married!”, to which Cadet Countertenor replied, “Not any more, Dad.”
Now them there’s some family values for ya.
This war is horrible.
Why, yes, Ms. ReddHedd, since you asked, I have had the fuck enough!
a reminder to all
The Chimp was unaware of the NSA programs prior to 12/18/05.
the architects were Cheney/Addington
per US News & World Report of 3/27/06
“White House lawyers, in particular, Vice President Cheney’s counsel David Addington (who is now Cheney’s chief of staff), pressed Mueller to use information from the NSA program in court cases, without disclosing the origin of the information, and told Mueller to be prepared to drop prosecutions if judges demanded to know the sourcing
in other words -
A. this is a tacit acknowledgement of the illegality
and
B. They are prepared to let the baddest of the bad ‘walk’
sorry to go OT with Ms. Hamsher on Senator Boxer, but
still riled.
Bargain Countertenor
I’m so glad to hear he’s well and all’s well.
CounterCadet is in my nightly prayers. I leave for Germany on August 12th. Trying to keep my feeling down about it. At least there’s plenty to keep me busy.
He thinks that the ‘progressive left’ is so polarized that they simply want bush to fail. Dead-set against him regardless of what he’d done, does, will do.
Then how does he explain the fact that the country at large, including the progressive left, stood fully behind the President with respect to Afghanistan?
I also think this is a turn around question. Ignoring that you have people like Reagan appointees (Fein), Republican Presidential nominees who were “too conservative” for the Republican Party (Buchanan) and Republican foreign policy and military advisors to the first George (Scowcroft, Schwarzkopf, later Powell) who all have beeb critical and ignoring the blatant lies (who knew the levees would break) that are casually tossed out to cover any and every bit of incompetence —
WHO, among those who have been right, has the Administration reached out to in order to get back on track? Not even on the conservative Scowcroft front has there been an effort by the President to work with anyone who has been correct in their predictions.
Does the President hate this Country and the left so much that he won’t even open a door and listen to the people who were right, over and over, especially the people in his own party who were right?
Well?
Thanks for the news Jane….Boxer will regret this stunt for sure! By the looks of it her anger shows that she is INSECURE about what she is doing, so she has to defend her position……She has ALL of the facts WRONG on this one….I gues Boxer doesn’t get it…..there is so much proof about Holy Joes comments that as my grandma would say…”CHOKE A HORSE”…She is totally FINISHED in my eyesnow…I can’t wait for the tape and Mauras waccount…I have at least 100 people to send it too…..Looks like Boxer may be looking for a challenger in her next election!
Cronies will shape the policies and practices of DOJ for years to come, plus the loss of institutional knowledge becasue so many really brilliant people with a whole career’s worth of knowledge are lost.
Worst though is the cultural shift, from a culture of excellance and stiving to do the right thing, to a culture of advancement by abuse of the system.
I am sick over this.
Add on that this is happening in lifetime judicial appointments as well and it makes it even a sadder thing.
Brilliant conservatives with integrity are a whole different kettle of fish than political hacks on the bench. It’s a legacy that will keep reshaping this country.
Hope,
Thanks again. Are you going to Deutschland for a visit, or will you be staying a while? Frankfurt, right?
Oh, I forgot to add that the Cadet was pretty clearly homesick — he kept asking about what was going on at home. I told him about domestic politics, and he said, “No, no … at HOME. There. What are you and [his step-mom] doing?”
BC
BC
OT - CNN - tony snow - US will announce significant humanitarian aid program for lebanon later today
Franco - “Looks like Boxer may be looking for a (at?) a challenger in her next election?”
whoo hooo - Maxine Waters? - stop my pounding heart!
Franco 41
I’m just sick about Boxer.
I can’t believe she’s so uninformed about HoJo.
I also don’t feel any relish in her being on the opposite side of this from me.
She’s one of the few in the Senate who has a strong liberal voting record.
I hope we straighten her out on the facts, but I’m not going to be piling on.
twolf,
This is how the neocon mind works. We give Israel the bombs to destroy infrastructure in Lebanon, then we give Lebanon humanitarian aid with strings attached requiring contracts with the likes of Kellogg, Brown, Root…
Have I mentioned how much I hate these people?
BC
Thanks for the Cadet CT update, BC, and keep ‘em coming!
“Not anymore, Dad.” >>> Sigh.
I do not know if this is Feinstein’s alternative to Specter’s bill. It deals with a provision to inform the appropriate committees of Congress within 15 day of new intelligence programs. It doesn’t reference FISA at all. This was all I could find so either her staff are talking about a bill that she has been working on but which has not been reported to the Senate for its first reading or they are engaged in misdirection.
S.2660
Title: A bill to amend the National Security Act of 1947 to require notice to Congress of certain declassifications of intelligence information, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [CA] (introduced 4/26/2006) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 4/26/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Intelligence.
Introductory remarks on measure. Congressional Record, pages S3597-3598
Text of measure as introduced: S3598
The links to the CR do not seem to be working but those are the pages.
So Boxer’s picked up Flop-Sweat Joe’s pheromones and getting a tad tense herself, is it? Makes sense to me (but I’m jes’ a flowah) . . .
“Brilliant conservatives with integrity are a whole different kettle of fish than political hacks on the bench. It’s a legacy that will keep reshaping this country.”
Amen Mary ! I keep thinking of the Conservative Reagan Appointee in Georgia who has now twice rightly rejected their Voter ID law
Jane at 18 -
Wow.
Boxer made a huge mistake coming to Connecticut.
Boxer’s statement about the “short ride” comments of Lieberman is either a reprehensible display of ignorance or an audacious attempt to mislead.
Either way, Boxer she severely undermined her progressive credentials today. She will feel the repercussions of this for years to come.
CT Bob and Maura are literally American heroes for their role in exposing Boxer as either a liar or an ignoramus or perhaps both.
My hat is off to both of them.
Yep Mary,
I agree. The thing is, and this is why it’s not toally OT, it is DOJ lawyers who will interpret and us the new Specter bill if it passes.
Once upon a time, that meant, with few exceptions, a law like that would be interpretted and used by intellectually brillin=ant lawyers chosen as much for their self restraint and respect for the Constitution as for their academic credentials.Men and women of good will and good faith.
Now, that’s over.
This is so very broken.
The other day, someone started suggesting names for the next AG and I
Fitz”ed. Not just out of reflex, but because the ONLY WAY this mess gets fixed is if someone who remembers and embodies that tradition, is sent in to revive it.
Boxer is totally unresponsive to her constituents regarding campaigning for Lieberman.
I’ve sent her two emails in two weeks on the subject and have received zero response.
Boxer: another member of the pro-incumbent party?
lhp at 31, it makes me sick too. These people are doing so much damage on so many levels, in so many directions. Did you see the article about the IRS lawyers? (Saw this at dKos but can’t find the diary now, so sorry no link):
This administration makes me just incoherent w/anger sometimes.
Bargain Countertenor 45 - yes, we already sent one bag of Rice over there.
–also, it’s a way to have war with Iran/Syria by proxy.
twolf–I’ve got a humanitarian program. Let’s tell Israel no more billions from us until they stop bombing civilian targets. It’s against Geneva.
Keynote#52…I just called Boxers office, and told them what I thought of her behavior today. According to the aid, they have gotten quite a few calls about her behavior…Give them a ringy-dingy…can’t hurt!
cbl - there was an earlier (WaPo I think) story as well about the fact that the Chief FISA judges were, at some point, briefed on the program and pretty much said “keep your cooties out of our court” IOW they said make sure you don’t come asking for a warrant here based on illegal warrantless info you got through sleeping around with NSA.
Again, pretty much draws the line that the FISA court judges briefed thought the program was illegal.
I also believe that USNews&WR carried a story some time back about Townsend (who is still a fave of the President) and the fact that she got crossways with the chief FISA judge over questionable warrants.
Here’s the thing.
A terrorist attack or word of an imminent attack - those are big deals. What I would definitely call “exigent circumstances.” There has to be an acknowledgement that now and then there may indeed be situations where warrants can’t be had. Actually - FISA already seems to try to do that with the 3 day freebie.
But acknowledging that you need exigent circumstances response capabilities is a whole different ball of wax than tossing FISA and court supervision out the door for over a half decade of lawbreaking.
I don’t and won’t fault almost any response, panicked or obsessive or just mistaken, that takes place in the midst of dealing with an emergency and we dont’ really know what emergencies there have or have not been since before 9/11.
But you decide what you need and why and implement with supervision because there are way too many corrupt people out there to do otherwise.
This administration seems to try to take the worry out of there being corrupt people who may get access by just putting the corrupt people in charge to start with.
LOL BC…home. You remember home, right? Yes Frankfurt, well, Landstuhl actually.
2 weeks. But he comes home 2 weeks after that so all told its not bad.
Mary at 40
The conversation just illustrated how terribly
out-of-control the media is in their spin. They report on some things as we know, because we link to the piece, but if it doesn’t get ‘public’ attention it gets sucked down the memory hole. The media wants to have it both ways. “We reported on that” “We have many stories to cover, the news cycle, Brittany’s pregnant…” Whatever. The rampant irresponsibility in the MSM has taken it cue from the administration. “No News IS Good News…film at 11″
Mary and lhp:
Firstly, you are both absolute gems.
Second, the Globe wrt political appt.s in DOJ, etc.
I’d call that a ‘permanent signing statement’…
How would a future admin that didn’t agree w/signing statement type enforcement (or lack thereof) go about changing the direction?
Go to Congress? To undo what was undone in the original law? etc?
Go to the Courts? Who does that? DOJ?
Puts this exchange in a different light…
http://www.searchlores.org/contract.html
—-
I remember Mary got a kick out of it a while back, but it rings ominous to this ear today.
Jane,
Did the media catch the interaction between Bob, Maura, and JoeBoxer? I’d love to see it on the evening news!
wxyz…you are right…CTBob and Maura ARE heroes for exposing the hypocricy of Boxer…..Boxer is very articulate and is up on facts…OF COURSE she tried to mislead, they all take a page from Rovers handbook, they have seen it work against them, so they assume it could work for them, not with this gropup!
wxyz…you are right…CTBob and Maura ARE heroes for exposing the hypocricy of Boxer…..Boxer is very articulate and is up on facts…OF COURSE she tried to mislead, they all take a page from Rovers handbook, they have seen it work against them, so they assume it could work for them, not with this gropup!
If there is a prosecutor out there like Russ Feingold, that is what I would like to see, but if wishes were horses …
I don’t really need even one more horse, so I think that means I’m out of wishes too.
I sure hope this summer is making our Maura mad enough to … to … RUN FOR OFFICE!
Mary, we can’t have YOU outta those, so try “If wishes were fishes . . .”!
cbl says:
July 24th, 2006 at 9:38 am
Was David Addington involved with drafting S.2453?
CODE BROWN ALERT:
http://www.thedenverchannel.co.....etail.html
Don’t pick your nose, yawn, or look around for the exit signs while settling into your seat on a commercial airliner. Such will likely be interpreted as al Qaeda ops signals by the Densa Society gumshoe crew at TSA.
Consider yourselves warned.
_
“. . . beggars would windsurf.”
Hmm, needs a little work, that one. Whar’s punaise?
Lesiat 53
They are also cutting the staffs at the various IG’s offices–heaven forbid we should find all the fraud, waste and abuse of power going on in this admin.
They are systematically dismantling all the organs of good government in this country.
BOBBY G, where ya been all our week?
I would love to see CT Bob put together a video that starts with someone reading aloud HoJo’s “short ride” quote, with the written text in the original article appearing onscreen.
Then, cut immediately to the interaction with Boxer and her egregious lies.
Mary and lhp, all this dismantlement stuff — this is what I call TERRORISM, you know?
“also, it’s a way to have war with Iran/Syria by proxy.”
another failure when you look at the poker hands dealt Syria/Iran and how very well they’re playing them simply by keeping their mouths shut - heckuva, never mind
Leslie in CA at 53 - the reduction is in large part due to a corresponding reduction in the number of estate tax returns that have to be filed now. The number of returns has been decreasing as the gross estate required for filing has increased. Lots of IRS estate tax lawyers sitting around with nothing much to do.
lotus -
Busier than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.Busier than a one-armed paper hanger…
And, now, I’m following up on an AMBER ALERT, possible murder victim:
http://www.khosoba.com/medical.....vum-hi.jpg
_
lhp at 71 - They are systematically dismantling all the organs of good government in this country.
Hammer. Nail. Head.
Found the link - it’s in the NYT.
Thanks Christy,
Just off the phone with Senator Collins’ and Snowe’s offices locally and in D.C.
Neither one of them are issuing statements at this time. Their staff says that they are waiting on word from their constitiuents.
If there’s anyone out there from Maine and you haven’t called - don’t wait any longer.
Snowe in D.C. 202.224.5344
Collins in D.C. 202.224.2523
Thanks again for the reminder Christy.
Boxer’s statement about the “short ride” comments of Lieberman is either a reprehensible display of ignorance or an audacious attempt to mislead.
Someone should ask Barbara and Joe: How short a ride can it be when your state only has ONE abortion clinic?
(Joe shoulda known that. After all, he was in that state in 1964, right?)
Banner on CNN: US military help in evacuation is ending.”
From Redd’s post via Glenn: “The bill would also all but kill pending litigation challenging the legality of the President’s eavesdropping conduct”
Can a lawyer tell me how this is legal? I understand that Congress can halt FUTURE litigation, but how can they stop PENDING litigation? Isn’t this “ex post facto”??
Kevin,
Plan B emergency help for rape victims is a contraceptive, not an abortion.
Busier’n a three-legged hawg on ice (for use in Arkinsaw, Bobby).
Am assuming that when the Dems take the Oval Office in 2008 and retain the majority in Congress won in 2006, the atmosphere in DoJ is going to undergo another - and more positive - change, one that will have the GOP lapdog loyalists running in droves for the door. Are DoJ lawyers considered “at will” employees, or do they have a different arrangement?
Kevin Hayden (#77):
Joe would just claim that CT is a small state, so how long could the ride be?
Anne at 75 - hmm; the article has a different take on it.
Egregious: My bad. I thought Joe made the comment that medical personnel could refuse both out of conscience. Guess I should ingest java before jumpstarting the memory so early.
“Busier’n a three-legged hawg on ice (for use in Arkinsaw, Bobby).”
How about the old standard, “busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kickin’ contest!”
Sonate
There is a theory that you can pass a alw that makes something that was illegal retroactively legal, but not the other way around.
The idea being that if someone operating under correct information that a particular act was legal, performs that act, you can’t go back and make it criminally punishable, however, you can always let someone off the hook.
I guess that’s the best non-legal jargon explaination I can think of
Kevin, Sonate–
This is not about abortion clinics.
It is about treatment in the emergency room of a hospital that refuses to give a rape victim emergency Plan B contraception.
Was David Addington involved with drafting S.2453?
Stephen,
personally have no reason to doubt it
Busier than the reservations desk at Free Bootie night at The Bunny Ranch in Parumph.
Franco -41 - Yeah - I used to feel the same way about Sen. Boxer. Nonetheless the bloom is off that rose here in central coastal California, formerly a bi-partisan strong-hold she could once count on. We’re hearing her SF staff is de-moralized over her blunder today - course they have had a rough couple of weeks dealing with record calls, letters and emails.
I’m just saying if you live in California let her know how you really feel and see if she can explain it to you - that all.
Leslie - I know the article’s take, but I can tell you, as someone who has been administering estates and preparing estate tax returns for almost 30 years, we have WAY fewer returns to do since the filing limits started going up. And this is true in E & T practices all over the country.
Busier than Oliver North at a document shreddeer.
Anne
Although technically, I think DOJ line assistants were “at will” that’s not how it worked. because these are mostly folks from the top of their law school classes who could make much more moolah in the private sector, the culture has always been focused on how to make them want to stay.
If a given assistant was NOT a sucess, they would get the message by not getting assigned to the unit they wanted, or net getting promoted, or not getting assigned the really sexy cases.
But you really only get “fired” for cause. In this way, career prosecutors rode the waves from one administration to the next and owed their loyalty to the law and the Constitution and the people of the United States, not to any one president ot AG.
The FBI used to have greater cultural shifts from one director to another, but line assistants in DOJ and especailly the USAOs rarely even needed to know the name of the sitting AG (of course the knew the name, but WHO the AG was, really didn’t matter that much)
Busy? How about ;
Busier than a cat tryin to bury shit on a hot tin roof? Now THATS busy.
A little late to the posting, but it’s been a killer Mon. morning @ work…
J.P. Spencer @ 7:
Oh, so true, & let’s not forget that Specter was on the defense team for the Unicorn Killer, Ira Einhorn (I can’t forget because I’m from that part of PA).
Specter got Einhorn’s bail lowered just enough so he could skip to Sweden & parts south. Einhorn remained a fugitive from 1979 to 1997.
Every time I read somewhere that Specter’s got another great idea, I remember his wonderful judgement regarding that SOB Einhorn as a flight risk…
looseheadprop says:
July 24th, 2006 at 10:17 am
“There is a theory that you can pass a law that makes something that was illegal retroactively legal, but not the other way around.”
Thanks. That would seem to eliminate criminal action. Sorry to be a pest, but would the same be true for CIVIL action too? After all, a civil action is a claim for personal indemnification. If I file a civil suit, can Congress, after the fact, take the side of my legal opponent and “cut the rug out from under me”? How about civil damages that were awarded and are under appeal within the legal system when Congress passes such a law?
88: got it, on your first response. Thanks for reminding me.
I want to give Barbara Boxer the benefit of the doubt — she has staff to brief her and she expects them to tell her about the “rape gurney” remark — they obviously didnt. She also expected Whiney Joe to warn her about hot button local issues, like the “short hike to the next hospital” crack. She should be furious at her staff for failing her and exposing her to this stuff.
Speaking of abortion, however, am I the only person worried about the CCPA vote tomorrow?
This wasn’t an encouraging sign. I just spoke to someone in Menendez’s office in DC and I said I want to encourage the Senator to vote no on bill number 2453.
She asked my name and address and said she would convey my meessage to the Senator. When I asked her if she had any information about how the Senator plans to vote, her response was “What was that bill number again?”
I have to wonder if she even recorded the information. Now it’s on to the fax number, and Lutenberg’s office.
Can’t wait to see the video of Boxer yelling at a concerned citizen.
*ilson@99….For me Boxer had the benefit of the doubt until TODAY…he yelling at progressives who are trying to understand why she has wrong information, is NO excuse to yell or act out….She is under pressure for being a lap dogy for RG Joe noting more nothing less…I am OVER her !
Sonate
Most civil suits are based on common law, but yeah, I THINK Congress could retroactively immunize someone/something from suit or change the jurisdi