Stories In The News

Sorry it's been so long since the last update. Here's some of the ongoing stories...

- Lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced to 5 years, 10 months in Prison.

JILL CARROLL RELEASED
Christian Science Monitor journalist Jill Carroll was released Thursday, nearly three months after her capture. The strangest thing I took notice of was the fact that Carroll, in her first video-interview after being set free, all but praised her captors for her treatment.

Carroll was released by her captors, the "Revenge Brigade" after, supposedly, the demands for Carrolls release had been met. According to official statements, the U.S. Embassy did NOT pay for her release. However, the statement leaves a loophole the size of L.A., leaving the possibility that another U.S. entity secured her release. The Christian Science Monitor denies paying a ransom.

RICE RECOGNIZES ERRORS
And in a newer story, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today, during her trip to England, admitted that there are errors in the way the War in Iraq was carried out. Rice said "I know we've made tactical errors, thousands of them I'm sure," and followed up this perfectly good moment with "But when you look back in history, what will be judged will be, did you make the right strategic decisions." It was nice while it lasted, but I know no one in the administration will admit to any large errors, w/o putting spin on it, until after Bush is out of Office.

FOOLISH CONGRESSMAN?
Howard Kaloogian, who is running as the Republican challenger for the California 50th Con. District, posted a picture on his campaign websiteshowing that Iraq is really a peaceful place, and that the press was distorting the real story.

The problem is, the picture is NOT from Iraq, it's from Instanbul, Turkey. The office of the prospective Congressman said that the photo was placed by mistake,andhas since been "corrected". The new photo, however, does not completely work with new picture, which is either taken from a helicopter or a tall building, and thus lacking detail.

Here's the picture.

IMMIGRATION BILLS
This whole immigration bill thing is getting out of hand. I don't even know all the details of it, it's so confusing. As far as I understand, there's two bills, but two proposed amendments to them or something.

And I took note that at least some of the political blog sites aren't even talking about it that much. I don't know where my party officially stands on this bill. From what I understand, the Democrats are split on the "Guest-Worker Program", which is being offered in the Senate bill, but not the House, and a majority of the Republicans are behind it, but not all.

Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of California had the interesting idea of having the prisoners pick the fruit.

CoS Andrew Card Resigns Post

NOTE: A new poll on this issue has been added in the right-hand column.

White House Chief of Staff, and possibly the closest aide to the President, Andrew Card has resigned. "Andy", as the President commonly refers to him, has held his position since Bush took office in early 2001.

It appears that Card chose to leave, saying he was ready to "move on". However, Bush is facing very low poll numbers & heat over illegal wiretapping and, of course, growing animosity over the War in Iraq.

Joshua Bolten, who currently is the White House Budget Director, will replace Card. Andrew Card will step down April 14th. Bolten himself is an interesting choice, since his Budget Office has done such a "GREAT"* job of managing the U.S. Budget.

Let's see if Bolten brings the fresh thinking that the White House wants, of if it's the same rhetoric, with a different face.

For more, go to: CNN & MSNBC

-Adam

*Sarcasm

The Worthless Legislature?

I'm going to switch gears and beat on Congress.

You may or may not have seen a story the news channels have been running on the actual amount of days Congress will be in session this year. The 109th Congress, as if the 27th Amendment* wasn't enough, has been taking an extended amount of days off each session.

Since the start of the new year, the House of Representatives has been in session a total of 19 days. The Senate has a little better record with 33 days. Today is the 82nd day of the year. I don't expect Congress to work everyday, because they're job is so demanding, but stick with me, because it gets worse.

Congress is still in break for St. Patrick's Day, and they will be until the 28th of this month. St. Patty's Day was, what, the 17th? Oh, and they adjourned before the 17th. They also go on Spring Break next month. This is in addition to the extended weekends they usually take.

This is where is gets good. Congress is on track to work a whopping 97 days this year! This is rediculous! The news channels were quick in reminding us, however, that they come home and hold town halls with the voters. Sorry, I haven't heard of any town halls starring my Congressmen.

Congress was quick to note that they are predicted to work 120 days this year. I'm not willing to completely trust Congresses "predictions". Plus, 120 doesn't sound that much better. In 1948, President Harry Truman called his Congress the "Do-Nothing" Congress. They were in session for 108 days. Looks like the 109th is trying to beat that record.

I think we're getting cheated. The Court recently fell to the right, The President's terrible at his job, and now Congress won't do their's...

...Oh well, I've come to expect it.

-Adam

* The 27th Constitutional Amendment basically states that no one (including the President) can change Congresses salary, unless Congress votes & approves it first. This Amendment was originally proposed September 25, 1789, and ratified 203 years later, on May 7, 1992. The Bill of Rights was ratified December 15, 1791; which means Congress (if they had worked faster) could have made the 27th Amendment the FIRST one to appear in the Constitution. Figures...

Happy War Anniversary

I'd just like to congratulate those in Washington a happy 3 year anniversary on the War in Iraq. That's right, it's been three years since the one of the biggest mistakes in American history took place. What do you get a screwed up government for a "Third Year of Death" anniversary?

2,317 troops have died in Iraq, 2,180 of them since the end of "Major Combat Operations".

-Adam

Whether Or Not To Censure Bush

I'm finally deciding to write about this. It's been a few days, and at first, I didn't know what to think about Sen. Russ Feingold's (D-Wis) resolution to censure President Bush. I think I've come to a decision. While I'm not overly enthustiastic for it, I think that this should be pursued.

The censure resolution is being introduced due to President Bush's failure to report wire-tapping to the FISA court. President Bush did not do this on a whim. I'm sure the President could have allotted 72 hours for an emergengy submission. Actually, it was only a 24 time limit, but the President himself changed it to 72.

Many people do support the wire-tappings. In some cases, I support it, too. However, whether people supported it or not, what the President did was illegal. And people who break the law need to be punished.

A censure, as defined by Mirriam-Webster OnLine, is the "act of condemning sternly" or an "official reprimand". This is what the President deserves for his actions, even if they were meant well and for National Security purposes. Besides, a censure, if I understand it correctly, technically carries any weight. It's simply a stern warning.

Sen. Bill Frist (R-Ten), the Senate Majority Leader, has publically cme out against the motion.

Actually, I'm suprised that no one has introduced a censure against the president over the war in Iraq. The disapproval numbers on that issue are WAY lower than the numbers on the wire-tapping. Some have recommended impeaching President Bush. I still don't know where I stand on that, though. On one hand, I really don't want to have to listen to another impeachment trial. On the other hand, he REALLY screwed up on Iraq.

Back to the censure, I think it has merit to an extent, but I'm not sure Congress has the guts to persue this. But, as I've said before, only time will tell in politics.

To read more about the censure, go to:
http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/Politics/story?id=1715495&page=1

-Adam

Frist Wins [Tennessee] Straw Poll

The The Southern Republican Leadership Conference recently met in Memphis, Tennessee for a vote to test the waters, as it were, to see who the best person to endorse in 2008 for the Republican 'Nod would be. Southern and Midwestern Republicans took part in the poll.

Sen. Bill Frist, the Senate Majority Leader, came in first with 36.9%. That suprised me at first, asking why anyone would want someone like him (i.e. someone like Bush) in The White House. Then I remembered that he's from Tennessee, which probably really helped him clench the win.

Gov. Mitt Romney, of Massachusetts, came in a "suprising" second. That's "suprising" because no one thought that a moderate Republican from the north, who runs the BLUEST state in the country, would be popular in the south. Either those in the south are changing, or the southerners know what they'r looking for!

John McCain, who would have gotten 120% of the Democratic vote if it wasn't GOP only, announced that instead of putting his name on the ballot, he asked that all those who would have voted for him to write-in President Bush. Now obviously, President Bush will never be allowed to hold the Office of the President of the United States again (which is actually a good thing), but McCain requested it so they could "show support for the President". It kind of failed.

President Bush only got just over 10% of the vote. Obviously, most of the voters were smart enough to figure that doing such a thing would be a wasted vote, so they more than likely went with their second choice. Also, I believe, while many Republicans will publicly stand up for Bush, in private (such as on a ballot) they want to pick someone who is FAR away from the President. McCain should have clenched this opportunity to point out differences between himself and the President.

I believe also that if McCain would have submitted his name to the ballot, instaed of supporting "the wasted vote" system, he would have won, possibly with a count near a majority.

It should also be noted that out of 1,427 ballots cast, all but 97 of them were from people who live in Tennessee. Now that we know who Tennessee wants, how about the other 49 states?

-Adam

BUSH SUNK IN HARBOR

Well, the Ports Deal appears to be dead, hopefully . . .

Except it wasn't President Bush who admitted his mistake in backing this deal. Instead, as you already know (sorry I didn't post this earlier, by the way), DP World passed an announcement to Sen. John Warner (R-VA), who readit on the Senate Floor.

The announcement stated that DP World would back out of the U.S. ports part of the purchase, saying that they would "Transfer [management] of the ports to a U.S. entity." Transfer? Not buy? U.S. entity? I'd be cautious about those two key words. A transfer incinuates that the company who takes management would have some connection to DP World. The word entity is more interesting, because there is no company in the U.S. that specializes in running ports.

While this is a great thing, I'm more disappointed that it didn't go another way.

The day before the Ports Deal was announced, Congress was ready to take action. That's right, Congress, the one that's controlled by Republicans (and yes, I'd rather have Republicans control Congress than a foreign country run our ports), was about to forcefully halt the Ports Deal.

The House Appropriations Sub-Committee, which I assume is part of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, had voted 62 - 2 to attach a "Kill Deal" amendment to the President's Defense Spending Bill, which provides the billions of dollars to run the wars in Afghanistan & Iraq. The spending bill was slated as a "Must-Pass Emergency Spending Bill", so adding the amendment to kill the Ports Deal was a great idea.

On this one occasion, I'd like to congradulate the House Republicans on doing the right thing. But naturally, I'm a little disappointed. I would have loved to see the President admit defeat, and sign the bill. He's already hovering at about 34%, and I'm positive that would have sent his numbers below 30%.

But nonetheless, I'd rather have National Security than a failing President. I'll still wonder, though, what Bush had to consent to for DP World to pull out, and help him save face? DP World doesn't care about our National Security. They don't care if we get attacked again, like we did on 9/11. They don't care that two of the terrorists were from Dubai. They couldn't care less. That's why we need to protect ourselves, not just save money by exporting our security.

They never have cared, and they never will . . .

-Adam

Banned Abortions & Funeral Protesters

I've got TWO stories for you today!

But first, I support the troops, but not the war. But reguardless of what you think, support the troops by contributing to the Fallen Heroes Fund or by buying a Hero Bracelet. Fallen Heroes Fund has made it's goal, but they still need help. Use the links to the right if you would like to help out.

SOUTH DAKOTA BANS ALL ABORTIONS...

Okay, so I support abortions, but I don't think they should be used as birth control. People need to be responsible. But, we're Americans, which (anymore) seems to mean we're completely stupid. Just look at the Ports Deal, but that's for another post.

In the infinite wisdom of the South Dakota State House & Senate, and signed off by Governor Mike Rounds, South Dakota has become the first state to ban virtually all abortions. The one and only exception is if the woman would die if she didn't have one performed.

Than means if the pregnancy or giving birth would be harmful, but not fatal, no abortion would be performed. It also means that, in cases of pregnancy by rape or incest, no abortion would be performed. I certainly hope the press exagerates all those cases of women being raped & getting pregnant, because a few women are about to, without choice, carry a criminal's child.

That is COMPLETELY wrong ! ! ! What reason does the state have to force women to carry children that resulted from a criminal act? They don't. Yet, they are doing it anyway...

It is now a crime for doctors to perform the procedure. Planned Parenthood is planning to challenge the law. Planned Parenthood operates the only abortion clinic in the state, which is located in Sioux Falls.

The law goes into effect July 1st.

Source: MSNBC.com

GROUP PROTESTS SOLDIERS' FUNERALS...

Fred Phelps is a sick-o evil anti-American, who I think is mentally disturbed and lives in a distorted reality. Fred Phelps is the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church, located in Topeka Kansas. (I've talked about his website, "God Hates Fags", before; you can find the previous post in the Archives).

Mr. Phelps, in addition to running a church made up of incestuous family members & claiming that "George Bush worships Mr. Peanut, whose name is the great god Goober" (confirmation still pending on whether the President does! LOL!), Phelps is going to as many fallen soldiers' funerals as he can, protesting not the war, not even the administration, but the country & the soldiers themselves!

He and his family/congregation is showing up to funerls with signs that state "Thank God for IED's" and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers." He is protesting because he says that the soldiers "are serving in an army that represents a country that accepts homosexuality."

However, as CNN has reported, a group of motorcyclists, calling themselves the "Patriot Guard Riders", are going to all the funerals that the Phelps' group is protesting, and protests them. These motorcycle-patriots always, sometimes metting up with citizens who have saw the story on T.V. and wish to help "protest the protesters."

The "Patriot Guard Riders" sing patriotic songs, and sometimes, while the funeral service is taking place, turn on there motorcycles and rev their engines to drown out the crazy chanting that Phelps, and his fellow anti-American loser protesters, scream out.

Now, I don't think the "Patriot Guard Riders" are a pro-war group. But even if they were, they are more-so a pro-Soldier group, which means that I support them, and all action they take to make these psycho devil-worshipers, who pretend they're a religious organization, go away.

Source: Paula Zahn Now (on CNN), CNN.com

-Adam

New Poll Posted

I've posted a new poll about the security of our ports. Will the U.A.E. purchasing control of our ports makeus more or less safe?

Take the "Ports Deal" poll.

-Adam

Bush Knew Wrath Of Katrina

I was going to write about how the DP World was "kindly" giving us a 45-day review of the deal, but this sounds a little more important.

But first, the Patriot Act just passed the Senate by a vote of 81-18*. Now on to the story...

September, 2005 --
President Bush: "I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees." It turns out President Bush really did know how bad Hurricane Katrina really was going to be.

On August 28, 2005, the day before Katrina made landfall on the gulf coast, Bush and Michael Chertoff, the Homeland Security Secretary, joined in a video tele-conference with top FEMA officials and the Louisiana and Mississippi governors. During the tele-conference, hurricane expert Max Mayfield warned that massive devastation was going to come with Katrina.

Mayfield said that "no one with any certainty" could say whether or not the levees would fail. He called the possible breaching of the levees a "very, very big concern." He also stated that Katrina would be in the top 10 or 15 worst natural disasters.

Michael Brown, former director of FEMA, feared there weren't enough disaster teams to help those who were held up in the Superdome (Of course, we now know that they didn't even try to find out if people were seeking shelter in the Convention Center!). He also feared that the roof wouldn't be able to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. Brown later said that he warned the President that the situation in LA would be "dire."

However, during the tele-conference, where President Bush and DHS Sec. Chertoff were broadcasting from Bush's ranch, the President assures the governors that the federal government is "fully prepared" (my emphasis), and they were ready to help during the storm and move in immediately after the storm (Again, emphasis mine).

I don't know, I watched a LOT of the coverage, and it seemed that CNN's Anderson Cooper help people more than the government did. They BOTCHED this one, folks.

NOLA Mayor Ray Nagin said "you know, from the looks of this tape, it looks like everybody was fully aware." I agree.

NBC News attained a transcript of a tele-conference that occurred on the 29th, the day of the storm, which quoted Brown as saying that The President is "...very engaged and is asking a lot of really good questions." Brown went on to say that the Bush asked about hospitals, the Superdome, and the levees possibly breaching.

Asked a "lot of good questions", huh? I'd like to note that on the taped tele-conference (August 28th), the President did NOT ask a single question.

And finally, the White House said that the tape does not contradict anything the Bush Administration has said about Hurricane Katrina. Doesn't contradict? What about "I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees." ? ? ?

By the way, Bush's approval rating is down to 34%.

For parts of the video, visit either of the sources below. (It's not the whole thing)

-Adam
Sources: MSNBC.com & CNN.com

* The Patriot Act passed the Senate by a vote of 81-18, not 89-10. This has been corrected. Sorry for any inconvenience.