They're not going to answer for it at all, are they?

First, Bush commutes Libby's sentence, meaning that prison is out of the question.

Now, today a federal judge gave a free pass to the Bushies on any civil penalties, dismissing Valerie Plame's lawsuit against the Administration.

From the Washington Post article -

U.S. District Judge John D. Bates dismissed the case on jurisdictional grounds and said he would not express an opinion on the constitutional arguments.

{snip}

Bates also sided with administration officials who said they were acting within their job duties. Plame had argued that what they did was illegal and outside the scope of their government jobs.

"The alleged means by which defendants chose to rebut Mr. Wilson's comments and attack his credibility may have been highly unsavory," Bates wrote.

"But there can be no serious dispute that the act of rebutting public criticism, such as that levied by Mr. Wilson against the Bush administration's handling of prewar foreign intelligence, by speaking with members of the press is within the scope of defendants' duties as high-level Executive Branch officials," Bates said.

Now, considering that the retribution against Mr. Wilson and Ms. Plame involved leaking classified information to the media, I have to ask -

Did this judge just say it's OK for government officials to betray their oaths of office? Hell, did he just say that it's OK for them to betray their *country*?!?

How could any self-respecting American jurist render such a counterintuitive legal opinion?

Perhaps the last line in the WaPo article can shed a little light on that question -

Bates, a former Whitewater prosecutor, was appointed to the bench in 2001 by Bush.

Harry Mitchell and 'Congress On Your Corner'

From a press release -

MITCHELL TO HOLD MOBILE OFFICE HOURS
Congressman Continues One-on-One Listening Sessions

SCOTTSDALE - U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell will hold his eighth "Congress on Your Corner" one-on-one listening session Saturday, July 21 at the Ironwood Branch public library in Ahwatukee.

Mitchell's office will also be available to help constituents resolve issues with federalagencies, departments or programs, including passport inquiries.

"These one-on-one listening sessions are incredibly helpful," said Mitchell. "It is important for me to have as many opportunities as possible to hear firsthand what is on the minds of residents in our community."

WHEN: 10 a.m. to Noon, Saturday, July 21

WHAT: Mitchell to meet with constituents during his "Congress on Your Corner" session.

WHERE: Ironwood Branch Public Library, 4333 East Chandler Blvd, Phoenix

Later!

Consistent Hypocrites II

Continuing the theme of my earlier post, the hypocrisy of the Republicans' claims about their 'fiscal conservatism', of how their 'vaunted' regard for the interests of the taxpayer are more smoke than substance...

One thing I've noticed about the Republicans (and its been noticed by many before me!), their drive for fiscal conservatism usually involves driving right over programs that educate, benefit society as a whole, or even simply benefit America's living rooms more than its boardrooms.

For example, look at the amendments voted on today on HR3043, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008.

Graves (R-MO) - An amendment to reduce appropriations for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases by $125 million and redirect it to special education. [Failed 203 -224]

Hensarling (R-TX) - An amendment to reduce appropriations for Children and Families Services Programs by $8 million. [Failed 58 - 370]

Hensarling (R-TX) - An amendment to reduce appropriations for Children and Families Services Programs by $5 million. [Failed 80 - 347]

Hensarling (R-TX) (Good ol' Jeb was a busy boy today!) - An amendment to reduce appropriations for Aging Services Programs by $21.4 million. (Failed by voice vote)

Price (R-GA) - An amendment to reduce appropriations for School Improvement Programs (by transfer), and redirect $21 million to ESEA. [Note: ESEA is the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, something of a precursor to No Child Left Behind (NCLB)] [Failed 149 - 274]

Garrett (R-NJ) - An amendment to reduce appropriations on Page 80, line 2, by $33,907,000. [Failed 74 - 352, 1 present]

Foxx (R-NC) - An amendment to reduce (by transfer) the Innovation and Improvement account by $10 million. [Failed 186 - 241]

Shadegg (R-AZ) - An amendment to reduce the Innovation and Improvement account by $10,695,000.

Westmoreland (R-GA) - An amendment to reduce the Innovation and Improvement account by $23,533,000.

Brady (R-TX) - An amendment to reduce the Safe Schools and Citizenship Education account by $72,674,000. [Failed by voice vote]

Garrett (R-NJ) - An amendment to reduce Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research account by $2,279,000.

Price (R-GA) - An amendment to reduce funding for the Student Financial Assistance account by $64,987,000.

Shadegg (R-AZ) - An amendment reduce to appropriations for the Corporation for National and Community Service. [Failed...]

Lamborn (R-CO) - An amendment to strike line 7 and all that follows through the comma on page 104, line 12.

Flake (R-AZ) - An amendment to prohibit the use of funds to be used for the Exploratorium, San Francisco, California, for its Bay Area Science Teacher Recruitment, Retention, and Improvement Initiative.

Barton (R-TX) - An amendment to prohibit the use of funds for activities under section 241(a) of the Public Health Service Act. [Note: Sec. 241a of the Public Health Service Act concerns "...research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, and studies relating to the causes, diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention of physical and mental diseases and impairments of man, including water purification, sewage treatment, and pollution of lakes and streams."]

Hensarling (R-TX) (He's a persistent one, isn't he?) - An amendment to prohibit the use of funds be used for the Twin Cities Public Television, St. Paul, MN. [Failed by voice vote]

Flake (R-AZ) - An amendment to prohibit the use of funds for the Burpee Museum, Rockford, Illinois, for educational programming and exhibits. [Failed by voice vote]

Flake (R-AZ) - An amendment to prohibit the use of funds for Rhode Island College, Providence, Rhode Island, for development of a Portuguese and Lusophone Studies Program. [Failed by voice vote]

Hensarling (R-TX) (Yup, him again) - An amendment prohibit the use of funds for the On Location Entertainment Industry Craft and Technician Training project, West Los Angeles College, Culver City, CA.

Flake (R-AZ) - An amendment to prohibit the use of funds for the American Ballet Theatre, New York, New York, for educational activities.

Flake (R-AZ) - An amendment to prohibit the use of funds for the South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston, South Carolina, for exhibits and curriculum.

Flake (R-AZ) - An amendment to prohibit the use of funds for the Kansas Regional Prisons Museum, Lansing, Kansas, for educational and outreach programs.

Flake (R-AZ) - An amendment to prohibit the use of funds for the Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, Illinois, for exhibits and community outreach. [Failed by voice vote]

Flake (R-AZ) - An amendment to prohibit the use of funds for the Corporation for Jefferson's Poplar Forest, Forest, Virginia, for expansion of exhibits and outreach.

More were offered, and I'd go on, but they all failed, and the roll call votes weren't taken in the order that the amendments were offered. Linking up the amendments to the actual votes is getting confusing. :)

And the point is made.

Every one of their amendments went after an educational programs, enviromental research, or something else that definitely did NOT help a large corporate campaign contributor. One, proposed by Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN), even went after unions. His amendment would have barred "use of funds in the bill by the NLRB to recognize as the exclusive bargaining representative of employees any labor organization that has not been certified as such by the NLRB." It failed on a voice vote, but a roll call vote was demanded; that vote was not taken today.

Is it possible that the target of one of these amendments targeted some actual wasteful spending? Of course it is. I'd be shocked if there *wasn't* some wasteful spending in the largest appropriations bill; still, the Republicans are rather consistent about what they consider to be wasteful, and what they take a pass on.

I know that no Republican politicians read this blog, but if one did, I would say this to him/her:

If you want some real 'fiscal conservative' cred, try proposing amendments that would bar 'no-bid' contracts or giving contracts to companies that are run by large campaign contributors, or similarly fiscally responsible language.

Until then, they're just small-minded crooks soullessly undermining the future of American society while shilling for corporate interests.

On edit:

BTW - It's not over. The Daily Leader, an email of the floor schedule from the office of Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), House Majority Leader, contains the following tidbits:

Hensarling is going after the CDC and education for Native Hawaiians;

Pence (R-IN) is going after Planned Parenthood;

Westmoreland is trying to prevent "funds for the publication of certain student loan applications";

King (R-IA) is going after immigrants and the Sundance Film Festival;

Ryan (R-WI) is going after the CDC, too.

Maybe, just maybe, they'll let an actual vote on the underlying bill take place tomorrow.

Or maybe not.

They could just say that "the show must go on," and propose more amendments.

End edit.

They may be hypocrites, but at least they're consistent about it...

Gotta love watching Republicans thump their chests as they proudly proclaim themselves to be watchdogs for the taxpayers.

It's utterly disingenuous crap, but it makes for great theater.

Earlier today during debate on an amendment to the Labor, HHS, and Education appropriations bill, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), aided and abetted by Arizona's own John Shadegg, trotted out the now-familiar Republican canard about how the "Democrats are pushing the largest tax increase ever" on the American people and that borrowing money from foreign countries was a better option for the American taxpayers.

Just a couple of points here -

1. Any money borrowed (currently more than $600 bln/year) has to be paid back eventually, and paid back with interest, by those same American taxpayers that he's so concerned about; and

2. That 'largest tax increase ever' is actually the sunset provisions written into the largest tax decrease for the wealthy ever, provisions written by the Republicans. In short, it's *their* tax increase, timed for when they aren't going to be in control of the Congress or the White House. (The sunset provisions kick in fully by 2011.)

'Nuff said.

Later!

The Senate's having a sleepover tonight...

but I don't think they'll be watching movies and playing Twister together.


At least they'll have pizza on the menu. :)


Seriously, in an admitted publicity stunt, led by Harry Reid (D-NV), the Senate Democrats have scheduled an all-night debate on the Levin/Reed Amendment to HR1585, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. The amendment would begin withdrawal of troops from Iraq within 120 days of enactment.


Republicans are blocking a vote on the subject, demanding a cloture vote of at least 60 votes to bring the issue to a close; Democrats want a simple majority vote.


The rhetoric used by both sides is familiar to everyone who has followed the issue, so I won't go over it now, but after watching Joe Lieberman (R in everything but registration - CT) shill for Bush's War on the floor yet again, I have to ask -


Would it be appropriate for Lieberman's party (Connecticut for Lieberman) to rename itself 'The Grim Reaper Party"??





[Image courtesy Doahleigh]

Later!


Edit to add at 12:20 a.m. AZ time:

Just caught the brief speeches by Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and our own John McCain (yes, he actually showed up for this one!) - they looked more than a little shopworn.

I think their best days, at least for pulling all-nighters, are in the past.

*Far* in the past. :)

End edit.

The Republican Party's self-immolation is continuing....

with the latest evidence right here in Arizona.

From the East Valley Tribune -

Pearce weighing run for Congress against Flake

Mesa lawmaker Russell Pearce has said he’s considering a run against Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake in next year’s Republican primary election.

Pearce, who has built a national reputation fighting for tougher measures against illegal immigrants, accused the four-term congressman of being soft on illegal immigration.

Let me summarize the article for you: Russell Pearce thinks that Jeff Flake isn't Republican enough.


Whoooo Hooooo!


Congressman Jeff Flake is as conservative as they come (c'mon, he's wrong about damn near *everything*!), but even I have to give him a little bit of respect - he's got solid constituent services, he takes his duties seriously, and he's sane.

In short, he's a fine public servant; I may disagree with him on the policies he proposes/supports, but find his conduct in office to be a credit to his position, his state, and his district.

Having said all that, if State Rep. Pearce decides to run against Congressman Flake, I have to wish him the best of luck; after all, his candidacy could lead to CD6 electing the kind of representative that they truly need and deserve.

A Democrat.

:)

Greg at Espresso Pundit has RW blog coverage of the issue here; Seeing Red AZ has coverage here.

Later!

Events Calendar

I wasn't going to do one yet, but one of the events is on Tuesday during the day, so better to mention it now than not at all.

This is a brief and far-from-all-inclusive listing...

...Tuesday, July 17 - Terry Goddard to Participate in Tempe Shred-a-Thon

Event: Shred-a-Thon with Attorney General Terry Goddard

When: Tuesday, July 17

Time: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Attorney General Goddard will visit the facility at noon

Where: Assured Security Document Destruction, 215 West Lodge Drive, Tempe

For more information, please contact the Attorney General's Community Services Program at 602-542-2123 or visit the Attorney General's Web site at www.azag.gov.

...Friday, July 20 - The LD17 Democrats present the film 'Small Town Gay Bar' at the Escalante Center in Tempe. The event starts at 6:00 p.m.

...Tuesday, July 24 - The next meeting of the Arizona Chapter of the National Jewish Democratic Council. Time 7:00 p.m., Temple Chai, 4645 Marilyn, Phoenix, AZ (between Greenway and Thunderbird off of Tatum). For more information, email to njdcphx[at]cox.net.

...Friday, July 27 - The LD8 Democrats present the film 'Crossing Arizona', 7:00 p.m., Fountain Hills Community Center, 13001 N La Montana Dr, Fountain Hills. For more info, email info[at]D8Dems.org.

Later!

Quarterly numbers, anyone?

The FEC has posted candidates' quarterly financial reports online.

Summary of interesting stuff for Arizona's Congressfolk and would-be Congressfolk -

Ed Pastor of CD4 has the most cash on hand, at $1,185,109.24 but in a bit of a surprise, freshman Gabrielle Giffords of CD8 is second with a whopping $941,489.64.

Whoever the Reps throw against her next year will have a steep uphill fight.

In terms of fundraising, the two freshman Democrats in Congress, Giffords and Harry Mitchell of CD5, led the way raising $580,637.32 and $354,638.52 respectively.

Coming in 3rd, however, playing catch-up to (and surpassing) the surprising fundraising totals of challenger Bob Lord from last quarter's reports, Republican John Shadegg of CD3 raised $311,532. He now has a lead in cash on hand over Lord by approximately $50K.

Leading the state's Congressional delegation in the 'seriously scuffling' category is Republican Rick Renzi of CD1.

He's down to $20,418.16 cash on hand after raising just over $40k during the quarter.

The best part of the numbers? He paid out $25,000 in legal fees, and owes over $100K more.

And speaking of a (former) Congressman with legal issues, here are JD Hayworth's numbers:

Cash on hand: $23,134.64 (that's good news)

Raised: $0 (that's better news)

Spent: $107,879.42, with nearly $100K of that in legal fees. (that's *great* news :) )

Later!

The letter sent to Sens. Kyl and McCain

Whatthehell, I'm awake anyway... :)

The letter, as submitted via their websites -

Dear Senator Kyl,

I am writing to you today in regard to the events of Thursday, July 12, where, on the floor of the Senate, a group of religious extremists tried to shout down the prayer offered by a spiritual leader from another faith.

In a country such as ours that has as one of its founding principles that people will befree to worship peacefully and without fear of persecution, this sort of sectarian intolerance is embarrassing and unacceptable.

I urge you to condemn the behavior of the extremists and to disavow any ties to their umbrella group, Operation Save America.

A message must be sent; one that states that tolerance of other faiths does not diminish one's own faith, but that suppression of one faith inevitably leads to the suppression of all.

Thank you,

[cpmaz]

Note: This same note is also being sent to Sen. McCain.

Personally, the letter seems restrained and reasonable to me; however, I expect some blowback from one or more wingers over it.

Oh well.

Note: I did change the names where appropriate when I submitted the letter via McCain's website. :)

Now, have a great weekend!

The Republican Idea of Religious Freedom...

means that Christian fundamentalists are free to attack and suppress other religions while claiming that they themselves are persecuted when they are held to account for their crimes.

Thanks to Desert Beacon (NV) for the heads up on this one....

Between the Iraq War debate in both chambers of Congress yesterday (and a Democratic happy hour at Papago Brewing last night :) ), I missed this one...

From the Washington Post -

Hindu Prayer in Senate Disrupted

WASHINGTON -- A Hindu clergyman made history Thursday by offering the Senate's morning prayer, but only after police officers removed three shouting protesters from the visitors' gallery.

Rajan Zed, director of interfaith relations at a Hindu temple in Reno, Nev., gave the brief prayer that opens each day's Senate session. As he stood at the chamber's podium in a bright orange and burgundy robe, two women and a man began shouting "this is an abomination" and other complaints from the gallery.

Police officers quickly arrested them and charged them disrupting Congress, a misdemeanor. The male protester told an AP reporter, "we are Christians and patriots" before police handcuffed them and led them away.

Let's be clear - we have the makings of the Taliban or the Saudi religious police or the like right here in the land of 'freedom of religion'; the only difference is that our fanatics claim to be respectful of the rights of adherent of other faiths.

Right up to the point where they put their boots to their victims.

In the interests of helping publicize that which the three village idiots would suppress, from a USA Today blog posting on the event (they got it from the Congressional Record, but deserve credit for helping get it out on the web), the prayer that Rajan Zed gave on the Senate floor -

Let us pray. We meditate on the transcendental Glory of the Deity Supreme, who is inside the heart of the Earth, inside the life of the sky, and inside the soul of the Heaven. May He stimulate and illuminate our minds.

Lead us from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, and from death to immortality. May we be protected together. May we be nourished together. May we work together with great vigor. May our study be enlightening. May no obstacle arise between us.

May the Senators strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world, performing their duties with the welfare of others always in mind, because by devotion to selfless work one attains the supreme goal of life. May they work carefully and wisely, guided by compassion and without thought for themselves.

United your resolve, united your hearts, may your spirits be as one, that you may long dwell in unity and concord.

Peace, peace, peace be unto all. Lord, we ask You to comfort the family of former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson. Amen.

Note: Anybody who knows me knows that I'm not particularly religious (the Red Sox are a different kind of faith, one that has actually been rewarded in this life, not the next :) ), so this is not advocacy of any religion, including Mr. Zed's. I do, however, advocate doing everything you can to tick off and ridicule bullies.

While I do not expect a positive response, I will be writing to both AZ senators asking them to condemn this sort of religious intolerance and to disavow any ties with the protestors' group, Operation Save America (formerly Operation Rescue.)

If I actually get a reply from either Senator's office, I'll post it here. Not going to hold my breath. :)

Coverage of the incident from The Hill is here.

YouTube video of the event is here.

Have a great weekend!

The House debating an Iraq withdrawal bill

The House is debating HR2956, the Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act, right now.

The debate is pretty standard, with the supporters of the bill (Democrats) talking about the reasons that U.S. troops should be brought home (it's now a civil/sectarian war, etc.) and opponents of the bill (Republicans) throwing around phrases like "Islamfascism", "national security", "defeatist", "protect the children", "earmarks", "tax increase", etc.

BTW - I'm not kidding about those last three items - check out the floor remarks of the saccharin-mouthed Texas Republican Jeb Hensarling.

Another good one was "this shows a lack of respect and confidence in the abilities of the commanders on the ground."

Nah - we've got plenty of respect for and confidence in the abilities of them; however, their commander-in-chief is an entirely different story.

My personal favorite was the oft-repeated theme of "this bill represents politics taking precedence over policy."

Yo, guys - that's what this war is about, and has been all along.

It's been all about the politics of a would-be imperial President following his own whims, of subjugating national interests to corporate interests (see: oil and no-bid contracts), and of the marketing of fear and bigotry as foreign policy.

Have no doubt - there is no doubt that even if this bill passes the House (better than a 50/50 chance there, I think) and the Senate (unlikely), it will be vetoed by Bush.

So what?

It's time to send a message to him and the warmongers and profiteers.


My one big disappointment -

Nobody in the debate has touched upon the big, bad, boogeyman of the debate, the fact that *we* started the war without just cause. Even the Democrats are only talking about the "Iraqis taking greater responsibility," etc.

The Iraqis didn't break their country.

We did.

The Scottsdale City Council can spin and save face all that they want...

...but no matter what they say, they didn't get their way.

Warning - some colorful language ahead, but it's only clinically colorful, and that's part of the point of this post.

I'm not sure how they pulled it off, but the gaggle of prudes known as the Scottsdale City Council and City Staff proposed and passed an update to the City's Sexually Oriented Business (SOB) ordinance with almost no mentions of anything, well, 'sexual' in nature.

The night started off slowly, with approximately 50 minutes of debate and questions devoted to the various items on the 'consent' part of the agenda, including a [cue sarcasm] stimulating [end sarcasm] discussion on the comparative nuances of "in-lieu" parking versus "parking credits."

Don't ask - my brain cells start seizing up and dying just from the memory of it.

After that, the fun started. Or at least, it was supposed to. The expected fireworks, or at least the expected titillation, fizzled out.

Mostly because the Council and City staff members were too shy to talk about that which they would regulate.

Very brief background -

Approximately a year and a half ago, the Council passed an updated SOB ordinance (the original was created in 1995) written by a right-wing lawyer from Memphis? that, if enforced, would have put the two strip clubs in Scottsdale out of business. Not being fools, the clubs' management immediately started a petition drive, and in nearly-record time, gathered enough signatures to force the issue to a referendum.

Last September, the voters of Scottsdale overturned the new ordinance.

Tonight's agenda item was intended to update the 1995 ordinance in a manner acceptable to the clubs (and the voters.)

The fun part of the evening was the presentation by City staff; not for what it included, but for what they couldn't bring themselves to talk about specifically - a new definition of "specified sexual activity".

Well, as a public service, here it is (from the Powerpoint presentation):

Specified sexual activity means:

(1) Intercourse, oral copulation, masturbation or sodomy; or

(2) Excretory functions in connection with any of the activities in (1) above.

(3) Intentionally or knowingly touching the anus, vulva, genitals, or female breast of any other person with the intent to sexually arouse or excite. This definition is not intended to include incidental touching or physical contact between the buttocks or an adult service provider and the lap of a patron.

Yes, that last paragraph means that lap dancing is allowed.

During the staff presentation, the City's attorney not only didn't talk about this slide, she didn't even flash it on the screen that they have in the Council's meeting area.

The staff presentation itself was an exercise in saving face, with a number of different citations included in an attempt to defend and even bolster the City's original position that it could set whatever standards it wanted for the SOB licenses.

Which was interesting given that the Council approved one tonight that was basically written by the attorney for one of the strip clubs that they originally tried to shut down, but I digress. :))

Even the Staff's timeline of events regarding the SOB ordinance was spun - instead of saying truthfully that the voters slapped down their 2005 ordinance, they simply said

- 2006 - referendum election; most of the 2005 ordinance did not become effective.

Yeah, whatever.

There was a bit of humor during the proceedings when Councilman Tony Nelssen asked for a clarification of the meaning of 'incidental' touching, especially of certain unnamed parts of the body. City Attorney Deborah Robberson responded that it had to do with 'sexual intent' and that things like hugs were OK.

Nelssen quipped wryly "I wasn't talking about hugs," eliciting a loud round of laughter from the audience.

There were only a couple of public speakers on the issue -

Lyle Wurtz (sp?) criticized the use of City resources and time on this "nonsense," but he did volunteer to help out with the ordinance's required "direct observation" of dancers from a manager's station.

That brought a smile to everyone's face. :))

Council candidate Joel Bramoweth took a slightly different tack in the briefest speech that I've heard from him yet - he advised the clubs to police themselves and their patrons.

He was trying to come off as stern, but the thing that most of the audience members noticed the most (and were happy to note at that) was his merciful brevity.

The Council had a couple of choices - pass an ordinance that offered minimal changes to the 1995 ordinance, mostly due to new case law, or to pass one that incorporated a number of requests floated by the clubs.

They unanimously approved the clubs' version.

Mayor Mary Manross tried to put a positive spin on things, saying that her personal concern was the 'quality of life' near the clubs and then reminding everyone present that this vote, like the one in 2005, was unanimous, and that the referendum margin (1200 votes out of approximately 32,000 cast) to overturn the 2005 rules was a close one.

The Scottsdale City Council is on hiatus until August 21, 2007.

As an aside - How do these people communicate with their doctors? A coded series of winks, nudges, and ear twitches?

When they stood for election, they signed on for this stuff! And more specifically, they picked this fight where one did not exist beforehand. How can they then have trouble talking about subject matter that they themselves chose?!?

It's like a doctor going through medical school and into practice before realizing he was unable to be around sick people.

AZ Republic coverage here.

EV Tribune coverage here.

Later!

The wheels are falling off of the 'Straight Talk Express'...

...and after some far-worse-than-expected quarterly fundraising numbers, the shakeups at John McCain's presidential campaign are continuing.

OK, it's beginning to look more like a 'complete collapse' than a 'shakeup', but let's not quibble over mere words.

Either way, it's kind of fun to watch. :))

Today, McCain's campaign manager and a top aide resigned.

From AP via Yahoo! News -

McCain campaign suffers key shakeups

WASHINGTON - John McCain's campaign manager and chief strategist quit the campaign Tuesday in a major staff shake-up for the struggling Republican presidential candidate who is all but broke and trails in opinion polls.

{snip}

Two officials said Rick Davis, a longtime aide to McCain, will take over the campaign and that other changes also were likely.

The shakeup is the second in a week. It comes just six months before the first voting in Iowa and as McCain, once considered the front-runner, seeks to regain some momentum with a diminishing list of options to lift his candidacy.

Frankly, as a Democrat, I'm a little torn over this -

On one hand, as a Democrat in the general sense, I think he would be the most easily beaten in a general election (he sold his political soul to the Bushies, inextricably tying him to the worst president ever), so in that regard, I hoped that he would get the Republican nomination.

On the other hand, as a Democrat in the *Arizona* sense, I want to see the Democrats take a majority in one or both chambers of the state legislature, and John McCain at the top of the ticket would elevate Republican turnout and make that all but impossible in 2008.

Ahhhhhh....."Speaker of the House Phil Lopes" has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? :))

Later!

News that the Bushies wish came out last week...

when everyone's attention was on some rocket's red glare or bomb bursting in air, or something. :))

...From the Washington Post -

Bush Denies Congress Access to Aides

President Bush directed former aides to defy congressional subpoenas on Monday, claiming executive privilege and prodding lawmakers closer to their first contempt citations against administration officials since Ronald Reagan was president.

Ummm...could someone tell me when 'executive privilege' came to cover the conduct and coverup of criminal activities? Anyone?

...From MSNBC.com -

Official: Report will say none of Iraq’s goals met

A progress report on Iraq will conclude that the U.S.-backed government in Baghdad has not met any of its targets for political, economic and other reform, speeding up the Bush administration's reckoning on what to do next, a U.S. official said Monday.

Harry Mitchell and the other freshman Dems in the House are going to have trouble voting for the next round of funding for the war when it comes up again in the fall.

Which may have been the plan all along.

...From The Hill -

Franken outpaces Coleman in 2nd quarter

Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken out-raised Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) in the second quarter, pulling together more than $1.9 million and topping his own total from the first quarter.

In another top Senate race, Rep. Tom Allen (D-Maine), who is running against Sen. Susan Collins (R), raised almost $1.1 million in the quarter.

Gee, wouldn't it be great if the Democrats had a large enough majority in the Senate to marginalize everyone's least favorite 'Independent' (more like 'Republican in everything but name'), Joe Lieberman?

Of course, at least one Senator who isn't up for reelection next year is going to be squirming anyway...

From the Washington Post -

Senator's Number on Phone List of 'D.C. Madam'

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) apologized last night for "a very serious sin in my past" after his telephone number appeared among those associated with an escort service operated by the woman accused of being the "D.C. Madam."

And in an overseas precendent that is sure to send shivers down the backs of all loyal Bushies, a high-ranking government official was actually held responsible for his crimes.

In *China* of all places.

...From AP, via Yahoo! News -

China executes ex-food and drug chief

BEIJING - China executed the former head of its food and drug watchdog on Tuesday for approving untested medicine in exchange for cash, the strongest signal yet from Beijing that it is serious about tackling its product safety crisis.

Can't wait to see how Bush spins 'executive privilege' when his aides face something a little more serious than a 'contempt of Congress' citation.


...And in a piece of news that is totally unrelated to the Bushies, but one that I just couldn't resist making a snarky comment on -

From the Daily Mail (UK) -

Pensioner 'beaten up' by police for not watering her lawn

A 70-year-old American woman was left bruised and bloody after an unexpected clash with police who came to caution her for not watering her lawn.

The Orem, Utah woman either was struck by handcuffs or slipped and fell (depends on who you ask), got a cut on her face, received medical attention, and then was taken to jail.

She was later released once the police officer's superiors figured out how much grief they were going to catch for this.

The officer has been suspended, but even if he loses his job over the incident, there are HOAs all over that *really* like his attitude and would hire him in an instant.

BTW - Why are they ticketing and assaulting people for NOT wasting water? Not only is most of the American West a desert (or close to it), but we're in a drought on top of that!!

Good night!

Short attention span musing

...Besides being from Tempe, what do Congressman Harry Mitchell and Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World have in common?

Good taste in books and bars - they both listed Four Peaks Brewing Company and Changing Hands Bookstore as two of the local businesses that they support. See the complete list at Local First Arizona. (Credit an AZ Rep article for the heads-up on the website.)

My personal favorite listing: former Governor Rose Mofford's mention of ASU's Karsten Golf Course. I just knew that there was a reason that she's my favorite ex-governor. :))

...Turns out that erstwhile Republican presidential candidate exhibited better professional ethics as an actor portraying a lawyer than he did as an actual lawyer.

From TimesOnline (UK) -

Fred was 'Nixon mole'

FRED THOMPSON, the potential frontrunner for the 2008 Republican nomination, had a less than heroic role as a mole for the Nixon White House during the Watergate hearings in the 1970s, according to a contemporary.

{snip}

But the impulse to protect Nixon may not harm him with the conservative base of the Republican party.

Hell, the impulse to protect one criminal president will garner him the whole-hearted support of the Republican base as they try to protect another - they want to elect someone who will pardon Bush, or at least derail any legal investigations into his Presidency.

...The writers and editors at the the AZ Republic are so bad sometimes that when they try to spin, they end up telling the truth.

Check out this headline from an article in Saturday's paper -

Surge is producing results, senator says

...In contrast with the stalled political progress, Graham said, the surge - the dispatch of 30,000 more U.S. troops that Bush began in January - is yielding clear results...

Hundreds of dead Americans and thousands of dead Iraqis definitely qualify as 'results', don't they?? "Clear" results, at that...

...In a development that probably will be used to distract people from unimportant issues like the mounting death toll in Iraq, the gleeful complicity of the Roberts Supreme Court in undermining Constitutional protections, and the raging corruption of government at all levels in our country, a U.S. District judge has allowed Washington D.C. madam Deborah Palfrey to release the names and numbers of her clientele.

More coverage here.

...A federal appeals court has ruled that the ACLU cannot challenge the President's secret wiretapping program because they can't prove that they were targets of the program.

They didn't rule that the program was legal; they only said that because its activities are secret, no one can challenge it.

That's like saying that someone can't sue for wrongful death if they are alive.

These guys are definitely ready for a callup to the big leagues if there is another vacancy on the Supreme Court during Bush's last 1 1/2 years in office.

Later!