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May 31, 2007

How Much Leverage Can You Get Out of One Vote?

McCain stops by the Senate for one day and suddenly, he’s the model Senator!

Perhaps he forgot about this little incident...

Civil Unions In New Hampshire

In another success story, Democratic governor John Lynch signed an important piece of legislation today that establishes civil unions in New Hampshire. Noting the "proud tradition" of his state "taking the lead in opposing discrimination," the governor took a giant leap towards equality.

The New Hampshire Democratic Party put out a press release praising the legislation, with NHDP Chair Raymond Buckley stating (via Blue Hampshire):

"In signing HB 437, Governor Lynch will make history by signing a civil unions law that was not ordered by the courts in the process of legal action. All of New Hampshire should be proud of leadership of Senate President Sylvia Larsen, Speaker Terie Norelli and their legislative majorities for passing HB437 and proud of Governor John Lynch for signing it.

"Public surveys of the people of New Hampshire show widespread support for ending the unfair discrimination against same gender families and the adoption of civil unions is an issue that also has wide bipartisan support here in New Hampshire and across the country. Two leading Republican candidates for President support civil unions and George Bush himself has also expressed openness to civil unions."

Congratulations to those who worked so hard to get this done in New Hampshire.

Economy Nearly Stalled in First Quarter

According to a new report by the Commerce Department released Thursday, the economy nearly stalled in the first quarter. The growth of the economy slowed to a pace of just 0.6 percent, which was the worst record in over four years.

Economists blame the bloated trade deficit and businesses cutting investment in goods and inventories, as well as a sour housing market. The AP adds:

Consumers, whose spending is indispensable to the economy, boosted purchases by a 4.4 percent growth rate in the first quarter, the most in a year.

Some economists wonder how much interest consumers will have in continued brisk spending, however, given rising gasoline prices that have topped $3 a gallon in many markets. More money spent filling up the gas tank leaves less to spend on other things.

Still want to talk about that "very strong economy," Mr. McCain?

Conservative Website 'Purges' Giuliani Supporters

From the NY Observer:

Over the past few weeks, chaos has reigned in the “Freeper” community as members sympathetic to the former mayor's candidacy claim to have suffered banishment from the site. They were victimized, they say, by a wave of purges designed to weed out any remaining support for the Giuliani campaign on the popular conservative web forum. Another significant chunk of commenters have migrated away from the controversial site over the action, according to a number of former site members and conservative bloggers who have been tracking the situation.

The fight began one month ago, when site founder Jim Robinson posted an anti-Giuliani manifesto titled: “Giuliani as the GOP presidential nominee would be a dagger in the heart of the conservative movement.” Then the virtual ax started to swing. Longtime posters to the freewheeling discussion threads, used to serious no-holds-barred web etiquette, were still stunned by the intensity of the anti-Rudy activity; conservative blogs buzzed with the development.

Former Karl Rove Protege Tim Griffin Resigns As U.S. Attorney

Tim Griffin, the controversial U.S. attorney in Arkansas, has resigned.

Griffin is a protégé of Karl Rove and formerly research director of the Republican National Committee. In 2004, BBC News published a report showing that Griffin led a "caging" scheme to suppress the votes of African-American service members in Florida.

ThinkProgress published this helpful explanation of what "caging" is:

In 2004, BBC reporter Greg Palast obtained two e-mails — prepared for the executive director of the Bush campaign in Florida and the campaign’s national research director--that listed "1,886 names and addresses of voters in predominantly black and traditionally Democrat areas" of the Jacksonville, FL Naval Air Station. Palast explains:

Here’s how the scheme worked: The RNC mailed these voters letters in envelopes marked, "Do not forward", to be returned to the sender. These letters were mailed to servicemen and women, some stationed overseas, to their US home addresses. The letters then returned to the Bush-Cheney campaign as "undeliverable."

The lists of soldiers of "undeliverable" letters were transmitted from state headquarters, in this case Florida, to the RNC in Washington. The party could then challenge the voters’ registration and thereby prevent their absentee ballots being counted.

In 2004, African-American leaders denounced the caging scheme as "another shameful Republican effort to keep blacks from voting."

According to ThinkProgress, the Bush administration was so worried about the allegations that it decided not to proceed with the Griffin nomination before the Senate because it would draw attention to this very topic.

In her recent testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, former Justice Department official Monica Goodling dismissed "caging" as "just a direct-mail term."

O'Reilly Defends "White, Christian, Male Power Structure;" McCain Smiles and Nods

John McCain's campaign posted this YouTube clip of the Senator on the O'Reilly Factor:

Near the end of the video, there was this exchange:

Bill O'Reilly: But do you understand what the New York Times wants, and the far-left want? They want to break down the white, Christian, male power structure, which you're a part, and so am I, and they want to bring in millions of foreign nationals to basically break down the structure that we have. In that regard, Pat Buchanan is right. So I say you've got to cap with a number.

John McCain: In America today we've got a very strong economy and low unemployment, so we need addition farm workers, including by the way agriculture, but there may come a time where we have an economic downturn, and we don't need so many.

[crosstalk]

O'Reilly: But in this bill, you guys have got to cap it. Because estimation is 12 million, there may be 20 [million]. You don't know, I don't know. We've got to cap it.

McCain: We do, we do. I agree with you.

(Headline modified for clarity.)

Bush Advocates Permanent Force in Iraq, Like South Korea

The Bush administration described a scenario yesterday in which U.S. troops would be stationed permanently in Iraq, in a model similar to the U.S. presence in South Korea.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush would like to see a U.S. role in Iraq ultimately similar to that in South Korea in which "you get to a point in the future where you want it to be a purely support model."

...Iraq's neighbors have raised concerns about the possibility of the United States maintaining permanent bases in Iraq, and some U.S. lawmakers have said they think the Iraqi insurgency may have been fueled by perceptions the United States wants a permanent presence in the country.

Washington has consistently denied wanting permanent bases in Iraq.

U.S. troops have been stationed in South Korea, guarding against a North Korean invasion, for the last 50 years.

Thursday Open Thread

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May 30, 2007

Border Patrol Agents Securing Borders...In Iraq

Apparently the Bush administration supports border security...but for Iraq.

The public learned this week that the defense contractor DynCorp has been authorized by the Bush administration to hire as many as 120 "current and former U.S. Border Patrol agents" to train Iraqis in border security.

Agents are being tempted by DynCorp's offer of $134,000 for one year in Iraq, plus a $25,000 signing bonus, free housing and free food. Agents in the U.S. with at least two years’ experience currently earn about $55,000 a year.

The Bush administration also plans to reduce by half the 6,000 National Guard troops currently posted at the Arizona-Mexico border. The administration promised to replace the troops with "an equal number of new Border Patrol agents," but fewer than 350 new agents have been hired so far.

Governor Janet Napolitano (D-AZ) said in a letter to Bush last week:

"At a time when violence is once again flaring up on our own border, it makes no sense for the United States State Department to empower a company to hire away as many as 120 veteran Border Patrol agents to serve as mentors to train Iraqis...We should be focused on supporting our nation’s security efforts along the Mexican and Canadian border instead of hampering [the Border Patrol] by sending our best agents to a war zone in Iraq."

The administration has also cut Arizona’s Homeland Security funding by 60 percent from $60 million in 2003 to $20 million last year.

Bush Administration Tries to Stop Meatpackers From Testing for Mad Cow

The Bush administration is now fighting in court to stop meatpackers from testing all slaughtered cattle for mad cow disease. Thanks to Rick Perlstein at Common Sense for catching this one.

WASHINGTON--The Bush administration said Tuesday it will fight to keep meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture tests less than 1 percent of slaughtered cows for the disease, which can be fatal to humans who eat tainted beef. But Arkansas City-based Creekstone Farms Premium Beef wants to test all of its cows.

Larger meat companies feared that move because, if Creekstone tested its meat and advertised it as safe, they might have to perform the expensive test, too.

A federal judge ruled in March that such tests must be allowed. The ruling was to take effect Friday, but the Agriculture Department said Tuesday it would appeal--effectively delaying the testing until the court challenge plays out.

Mad cow disease is linked to more than 150 human deaths worldwide, mostly in Britain.

There have been three cases of mad cow disease identified in cattle in the U.S. The first, in December 2003 in Washington state, was in a cow that had been imported from Canada. The second, in 2005, was in a Texas-born cow. The third was confirmed last year in an Alabama cow.

The Agriculture Department argued that widespread testing could lead to a false positive that would harm the meat industry. U.S. District Judge James Robertson noted that Creekstone sought to use the same test the government relies on and said the government didn't have the authority to restrict it.

Offered without comment.

Harsh Words for Gingrich from Hot Tub Tom

Tom DeLay, the Republican congressman formerly known as "Hot Tub Tom," has harsh words for Newt Gingrich, his former colleague. In his book "No Retreat, No Surrender," DeLay criticizes Gingrich for having an affair with a Capitol Hill employee during the 1998 impeachment trial of Bill Clinton.

But, DeLay told journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, there is a "big difference" between his adultery and Gingrich's adultery:

"Yes, I don't think that Newt could set a high moral standard, a high moral tone, during that moment," DeLay said. "You can't do that if you're keeping secrets about your own adulterous affairs." He added that the impeachment trial was another of his "proudest moments." The difference between his own adultery and Gingrich's, he said, "is that I was no longer committing adultery by that time, the impeachment trial. There's a big difference." He added, "Also, I had returned to Christ and repented my sins by that time."

Wonder what their respective wives think about that one...

Okay, He's Really Running

The Politico reported this morning that Fred Thompson plans to announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination over the Fourth of July holiday.

Fred Dalton Thompson is planning to enter the presidential race over the Fourth of July holiday, announcing that week that he has already raised several million dollars and is being backed by insiders from the past three Republican administrations, Thompson advisers told The Politico.

The "Law and Order" actor and former lobbyist apparently spoke to more than 100 potential donors by conference call Tuesday afternoon. They were each urged to raise about $50,000.

Wednesday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 29, 2007

‘I Swear I’m Not a Candidate’ Fred Thompson Makes the Media Rounds

From the Baltimore Sun

With national opinion surveys showing that most Republican voters are dissatisfied with their choice of candidates, Thompson, 64, is positioning himself to fill a void. He's shrewdly leveraged his celebrity and generated considerable buzz among Republican insiders. At the same time, he's largely avoided press scrutiny and the grind of coast-to-coast campaign stops and relentless fundraising pitches.

He's done it largely by exploiting an extensive and expanding network of conservative media outlets, old and new. In March, he revealed his interest in running to Fox News and followed up by giving interviews to conservative talk show hosts, magazines and columnists. He's made postings on conservative blogs, and his recent, tongue-in-cheek video response to liberal filmmaker Michael Moore, who criticized Thompson's fondness for Cuban cigars, has been viewed more than 100,000 times on YouTube.

He's also a frequent fill-in for the 87-year-old radio icon Paul Harvey, whose daily broadcasts reach an audience of up to 18 million that tends to be older, rural, conservative and Republican.

One day after congressional negotiators unveiled their immigration reform deal, Thompson opened Harvey's show with a strongly worded attack on the plan, which, opinion polls indicate, is highly unpopular with conservative Republican voters. He ended by inviting listeners to read his other commentaries on ABC Radio's Web site (which he used last month to disclose that he is suffering from an "indolent lymphoma," a form of cancer).

Newt Gingrich Tries to Capture the Anti-Bush Vote

Blames Rove for election losses:

For this disarray he blames not only Iraq and Hurricane Katrina but also Karl Rove’s “maniacally dumb” strategy in 2004, which left Bush with no political capital. “All he proved was that the anti-Kerry vote was bigger than the anti-Bush vote,” Gingrich said. He continued, “The Bush people deliberately could not bring themselves to wage a campaign of choice”—of ideology, of suggesting that Kerry was “to the left of Ted Kennedy”—and chose instead to attack Kerry’s war record.

The only way to keep the White House in G.O.P. hands, Gingrich said, would be to nominate someone who, in essence, runs against Bush, in the style of Nicolas Sarkozy, the center-right cabinet minister who just won the French Presidency by making his own President, Jacques Chirac, his virtual opponent. Sarkozy is a transforming figure in French politics, Gingrich said, and he suggested that the only Republican who shared Sarkozy’s “transformative” approach to governing was, at that moment, eating a bowl of oatmeal at the McLean Family Restaurant.

Gingrich also builds campaign, er, ‘solutions’

Newt Gingrich's 527 group spent $136,000 in April on travel, aides' salaries, advice from a prominent Iowa political consultant and other expenses that seem a lot like those racked up by the presidential candidates.

And lately, the former House speaker has sounded as though he is leaning toward seeking the GOP presidential nomination.

The group paid $2,500 to Republican political consultant Nick Ryan of Iowa, a key early presidential battleground state. And it added the salary of a fourth aide to a staff that already included a pollster and a fundraiser.

The group -- which unlike federal campaign committees can accept unlimited contributions from individuals, companies and unions -- raised nearly $23,000 in April, bringing its total to $2.22 million since it was established in October

And calling all Spanish tutors: Gingrich pays big to learn the language:

For eight months, Gonzalez has been teaching Spanish to the former House speaker and possible Republican presidential candidate. And he helped Gingrich tape the Spanish-language portion of his bilingual YouTube video apologizing for the comment -- an apology that critics derided alternately as stilted, painful, funny and insincere.

Gingrich's political committee reported last week paying $1,667 in travel expenses to Gonzalez's Spanish tutoring company, Bilingual America, for the April trip to Washington, where the YouTube video was produced.

But Gingrich spokesman Rick Tyler said the former speaker's committee, American Solutions for Winning the Future, paid for the trip because Gingrich wanted Gonzalez to give a presentation on doing business with Hispanics.

Disenfranchisement: Day One

Today I lost my right to voting representation in the United State Congress. After a year of making the daily commute from Virginia to DC, I finally moved into the city and, along the way, lost my full voting rights. So how does Day One of disenfranchisement feel? Well, let me put it this way -- I can't wait to put that "Taxation Without Representation" license plate on my car.

(DC residents are the only Americans that pay federal income taxes without full voting representation in Congress.)

Of course, I'm proud that my new congresswoman, once I register to vote in the area, is the honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton, the only member able to consistently stand toe-to-toe with Stephen Colbert and get some shots in of her own. Nevertheless, the mere "notion" that many of our citizens don't receive proper representation in Congress finally hit home.

About two weeks ago, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a hearing to discuss a bill to discuss the efforts to recognize the voting rights of DC residents. The House has already passed it. Let's see if we can get this done.

Supreme Court Decision Hurts Workers' Rights

The Supreme Court decision today in the case of Ledbetter vs. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was a severe blow to equal pay and workers' rights advocates. The Court's decision, 5-4, will provide more protection for employers from pay discrimination lawsuits linked to gender or race.

Voting 5 to 4 after apparently heated deliberations, the justices found in favor of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and against Lilly M. Ledbetter, who worked for 19 years at the company’s plant in Gadsden, Ala., and was paid substantially less than men doing work at the same level.

The majority found against Ms. Ledbetter, saying she could not show that there had been intentional discrimination in the 180-day period before she complained to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in March 1998, shortly after she retired following an unwanted transfer.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., writing for the majority, conceded that 180 days is not a long period of time. But he said:

"This short deadline reflects Congress’s strong preference for the prompt resolution of employment discrimination allegations through voluntary conciliation and cooperation."

Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in serious disagreement with the majority, wrote the dissenting opinion and read it out loud:

She asserted that the effects of pay discrimination can be relatively small at first, then become far more serious as subsequent raises are based on the original low pay, and that instances of pay inequities ought to be treated differently from other acts of discrimination. For one thing, she said, pay discrimination is often not uncovered until long after the fact.

The majority’s holding, she said, "is totally at odds with the robust protection against workplace discrimination Congress intended Title VII to secure." She said the majority "does not comprehend, or is indifferent to, the insidious way in which women can be victims of pay discrimination."

Governor Dean and DNC Women’s Caucus Chair Mame Reiley issued a joint statement in response to the decision:

"Unequal pay has real consequences for America’s hard working families and the Supreme Court’s decision to limit workers’ ability to hold employers accountable for pay discrimination just makes the problem worse. The fact remains that women still earn 77 cents for every dollar men make. Our values tell us that men and women who do the same work should receive the same compensation. Democrats in Congress are keeping their word by taking strong action to remedy the pay gap including passing legislation to raise the federal minimum wage."

Statement on the Death of Former Congressman Parren Mitchell

Governor Howard Dean issued the following statement offering condolences on the death of former Congressman Parren Mitchell:

"As a veteran, founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and a civil rights champion, Congressman Parren Mitchell fought tirelessly to give all Americans equal rights under the law. He also made history by serving as Maryland’s first black congressman. Congressman Mitchell was widely known for his hard work, commitment to the underprivileged, and as a fiery advocate for change. He will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Congressman Mitchell’s family and friends along with the constituents he proudly served for eight terms in Maryland’s 7th district."

Bush Administration Rejects Global Warming Goals

Continuing a long-standing administration policy of looking the other way while our environment pays the price, President Bush's environmental advisor flat-out rejected the European Union's "two-degree" target to reduce carbon emissions and prevent a global temperatures from increasing no more than 2 degrees.

The Associated Press cites experts relaying that the EU target would mean "a global reduction in emissions of 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050," yet instead of adopting this plan, the Bush administration has decided against any strategy that relies on setting goals -- presumably because goals mean accountability.

In fact, according to reports, they've also rejected more flexible goals that would target a range between 2.7 to 4.5 degrees, despite a recent United Nations report that "concluded that global warming of more than two degrees could lead to extinction of many species on Earth."

This all comes right on the heels of Speaker Pelosi's visit to Greenland, where she, along with other lawmakers, met with leaders before the "Group of Eight" summit next week. In addition, next month the leading industrialized nations will hold a meeting to further discuss the issue of global warming.

Bush Appointee Violated Federal Law, Says Special Counsel

Lurita Doan, chief of the General Services Administration (GSA), violated the federal Hatch Act last January when she asked GSA political appointees how they could "help our candidates" win the next election, according to a new report by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.

The Hatch Act prohibits employees in the executive branch from using their positions for political purposes. According to the 19-page report:

"Her actions, to be certain, constitute an obvious misuse of her official authority and were made for the purpose of affecting the result of an election. One can imagine no greater violation of the Hatch Act than to invoke the machinery of an agency, with all its contracts and buildings, in the service of a partisan campaign to retake Congress and the Governors' mansions."

During a meeting at GSA headquarters on January 26, J. Scott Jennings, deputy director of political affairs in the White House office of Karl Rove, presented polling data from the 2006 elections--and a list of the top GOP seats on the White House radar.

In a slide called "2008 House Targets: Top 20," the presentation named 20 Democrats on whom Republicans intended to focus in 2008. Another slide, called "2008 House GOP Defense," listed GOP candidates to be protected.

According to the sworn testimony of dozens of witnesses, Doan asked at the conclusion of the presentation, "How can we help our candidates?"

Last March, Doan testified before Congress that she could no recall making any such statements, and that she spent the entire meeting "reviewing emails on her BlackBerry."

Investigators obtained her email records and found no evidence that this was true.

Lurita Doan is a political appointee of the Bush administration, confirmed by the Senate. Therefore the Bush administration gets to decide whether or not to remove her from her position.

Romney Can’t Even Buy Support in South Carolina

From The State:

But, for some strange reason, Romney has fallen short in his struggle to rise above single digits in South Carolina.

It’s not that the former Massachusetts governor hasn’t tried. He has done plenty. He has spent considerable time and money in the state, building a network of political activists and politicians.

But what has it gotten him?

A low rating in S.C. polls.

Why?

There is concern among S.C. social conservatives because Romney is from liberal Massachusetts. Others fear his switcheroo on social issues, adopting conservative stances, is nothing but political window dressing. And then there are the evangelicals — a third of the GOP primary vote — some of whom consider his Mormon faith a cult.

Not only that, but Romney's also getting tripped up in his own smooth talk:

Mitt Romney is the Jay Gatsby of American politics—a fiction within a fiction who was born in the Midwest, made his fortune in the East, and never stops reinventing himself to impress those he meets along the way.

It turns out that in one respect, at least, Romney is consistent: He's as unsure of other people's identities as he is of his own. Last week, Romney saw Ralph Reed across a crowded room and called him Gary Bauer. But longtime Romney watcher Seth Gitell writes that it wasn't the first time. Romney made an eerily similar mistake during his 2002 governor's race, mixing up two of his general-election opponents in a televised debate. Romney got into an exchange about bilingual education with the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein. His first words to Jill were, "Carla, I agree."

"Carla" was the name of the Libertarian candidate, Carla Howell. She didn't look like Jill, or think like her, either. As Gitell wrote at the time in the Boston Phoenix, "Romney's faux pas seemed to suggest a candidate who could not be bothered to listen to the differences between the Greens and the Libertarians."

To Romney, not only all Christian conservatives look alike, but all women look alike, too. The cyborg programming must be even more primitive than we thought.

Apparently He Hasn’t Heard What Happens When You Take Donors On Golf Trips. . .

Giuliani rewards top bundlers with freebies:

Rudy Giuliani's campaign team will reward top fund-raisers from across the country with special access at a New York "leadership conference" that will include golf and other recreational events, The Post has learned.

The Giuliani campaign is dangling the carrot of more "exclusive" time with the 2008 presidential hopeful in front of potential top "bundlers" as an incentive to boost fund-raising through June 30, when updated financial statements will be reported to the Federal Elections Commission.

Anonymous Republican Holding Up Transparency Bill

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which guarantees Americans the right to obtain federal agency records, marked an important victory for proponents of keeping our government open when it was created decades ago. As support builds to amend the act to further increase transparency, an anonymous Republican Senator has placed a "secret hold" on the Open Government Act.

In the new report issued by the Congressional Budget Office, here are some of the listed effects of this legislation:

• Expand FOIA’s definition of the news media;
• Require time limits for agencies to act upon FOIA requests;
• Allow greater recovery of attorneys’ fees and litigation costs by FOIA requestors if information is withheld by the government;
• Require agencies to provide tracking numbers for FOIA requests and status information; and
• Establish an Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) to review FOIA policies and procedures, conduct audits, and offer mediation services.

The bill's rising support comes as a backlog of requests for public information continues to mount, as median average more than 100 days for some agencies. And ironically, without the ability to track requests with status information, the act that guarantees transparently uses a process that oftentimes is a mystery to those attempting to use it.

We badly need to reform; when requests are routinely delayed, the system is clearly broken.

Tuesday Open Thread

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May 28, 2007

Monday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 27, 2007

Sunday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 26, 2007

War Veteran Delivers Memorial Day Message in Democratic Radio Address

In this week's Democratic Radio Address, Afghanistan war veteran Elliot Anderson gives his opinion on the best ways to honor our troops this Memorial Day.

The text of the radio address, as delivered, is below:

"Good morning. This is Elliot Anderson. I spent four years on active duty with the Marine Corps, including a seven month deployment to Afghanistan. Now I am a member of the Individual Ready Reserve, living in Las Vegas, Nevada. I am especially proud to deliver the Democratic Radio Address on Memorial Day Weekend.

"Patriotism isn't a Democratic or a Republican value - it's an American value. I strongly oppose our involvement in Iraq's civil war, but I am still proud of my service to my country.

"No matter what any of us thinks about the war in Iraq, we all support our troops on the ground. The Democratic Party has always stood for that, both in words and action.

"This year, the Democratic-controlled Congress passed a budget that
included $3.6 billion more for veterans' health care than the President asked for, and rejected fees that would have driven 200,000 veterans out of the VA health system. For veterans' medical care, it represents the largest increase in funding ever provided. In the recent supplemental bill for war funding, they gave the troops every penny requested by the Pentagon and more.

"Democrats added more than a billion dollars for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles to protect our troops against roadside bombs - and another $2 billion to make sure that veterans returning home get the quality health care they deserve. Some of these funds will go to fix the awful conditions at Walter Reed Medical Center. No government that truly supports its troops would let the country's largest veteran's health facility fall into disrepair. All of these funds will ensure that the men and women in uniform have the equipment and support they need, whether they are deployed abroad or here at home.

"But I know I speak for many of my friends overseas when I say that the best way to honor the troops is to responsibly end our involvement in Iraq's civil war. As long as President Bush stays committed to the same policies that aren't working, it won't be easy. But I am proud to see Democrats and now some brave Republicans standing up to him.

"I said before that patriotism is not about politics. It's about loving our country. I would like to close by suggesting a way that you can show your patriotism and support for our troops on Memorial Day, and every day after. Visit www.treatsfortroops.com , www.anymarine.com, or www.booksforsoldiers.com. These websites, and others, make it easy for you to send a care package to show your appreciation for our troops, and your support means so much to all of us.

"I am Elliot Anderson. It has been my honor to deliver the weekly Democratic radio address. I'm proud to fight for our freedom, and proud of all of those who serve or have served to keep our nation strong. Semper Fi."

Saturday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 25, 2007

Thompson: The Great Conservative Hope or Just a Big Tease?

From CBS News:

But former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson avoided any discussion of a possible White House run and instead delivered a strong speech attacking Democrats and reminding his fellow Republicans of their GOP roots.

"I'm not here to make a pitch tonight. I'm here to support what you're doing," Thompson said.

People close to Thompson, whose senate term spanned nearly a decade - from 1994 to 2003 - say he has not made a final decision about running. If he announces, it's expected to be sometime in the summer.

He is hiring staff, speaking to conservative groups, writing online columns and staking out positions on issues like the Senate immigration overhaul.

Somebody check the script: Fred spouts nonsense.

Last night, aspiring presidential hopeful Fred Thompson said

"We're are now living in a nation that is beset by suicidal maniacs..."

He proceeded to criticize the Senate immigration bill.

Was he referring to Cho Seung-Hui's rampage?

Because if he was, Thompson is positioning himself well to the right of Tom Tancredo on immigration. Hui was a legal immigrant who achieved permanent resident status-- and, anyway, unless Thompson is a cultural essentialist, was, at the time of his shootings, more of an American than he was a Korean. Anyway, is Thompson saying that every legal immigrant is a potential Cho? What does VA Tech have to do with amnesty for illegal immigrants?

I Don't Have to Tell You What My Position Is!

Romney can’t quite figure out where he stands on immigration:

Mitt Romney offered a mixed message on illegal immigrants Thursday, saying he supports allowing them to apply to become permanent residents but opposes current legislation that would allow them to do just that.

The Republican presidential candidate said he opposes the U.S. Senate immigration bill because he believes it is unfair to legal immigrants who have "waited in line" for the chance to stay in this country.

Asked at a news conference in Lakeland how he would specifically change the language, Romney said, "I'm not, here, going to describe language of a piece of legislation. I'm not a legislator, at least not currently, so I'm not going to give you legislative language."

The quote reminds me of him previously saying that he couldn't talk about Iraq because he was still a Governor.

House Passes Minimum Wage Raise of $2.10 an Hour

House Democrats passed an increase in the minimum wage on Thursday as part of the controversial war spending bill, raising the wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour. Full-time minimum-wage workers stand to earn an extra $4,000 per year.

This is the first time the minimum wage has been raised in a decade, and comes after a bitter fight between Democrats and Republicans. For the past 134 days, Senate Republicans have filibustered the bill, insisted on massive tax breaks for businesses, and balked at attending a conference with the House to work out a compromise.

According to the AFL-CIO, delaying the passage of this bill cost minimum wage workers about $750 in their wallets. Rep. George Miller (D-CA) said:

"This is a great day for America's middle class. America's workers have been waiting for a raise for a long time."

The Economic Policy Institute estimates that 5.6 million workers--about 4 percent of the work force--earn less than $7.25. Right now a person working 40 hours a week at $5.15 an hour makes about $10,700 a year. An increase to $7.25 will raise that to just over $15,000 a year.

Miller pointed out that the raise is the equivalent of 15 months of groceries for a family of three.

Gas Prices and the Memorial Day Weekend

Sky-high gas prices are putting the squeeze on working families this Memorial Day weekend, when about 32.1 million travelers will be riding by motor vehicle.

The record-high prices led to House Democrats passing tough new gasoline price gouging laws that the White House has threatened to veto, absurdly calling the penalties for gouging "price controls." The common-sense legislation "calls for criminal penalties of up to $150 million for corporations and up to $2 million and a jail sentence of up to 10 years for individuals found to be engaged in price gouging."

Gas prices have continued to skyrocket in recent weeks, though crude oil is lower than it was last summer. At the same time, as Stephanie pointed out, "ExxonMobil reported this year the largest annual profit of any U.S. company ever: $39.5 billion."

Obviously, the job doesn't end with putting a stop to price gouging. We need a comprehensive plan to become energy independent in this country, developing energy alternatives that not only reduce our dependencies on foreign oil, but also clean up our environment.

Let's compare this to the Republican presidential candidates, such Rudy Giuliani. The Oil and Gas industry is practically president of his fan club, with individual and PAC contributions from the industry totaling $229,923. An "Honorary Texas Oil Lawyer," Giuliani became a partner for Bracewell & Patterson, which was renamed Bracewell & Giuliani, whose clients include "oil refiners, power producers and other energy companies in Texas and near the Gulf Coast." There, Bracewell & Giuliani worked for Saudi Arabia's Oil Ministry and got six figure payments from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's Citgo.

Mitt Romney is next in line to be the champion of the Oil and Gas industry, second only to Giuliani in contributions from the Oil and Gas Industry with over $100,000. At Governor Romney's Inaugural Party, NStar Electric and Gas Donated $25K and served as a Platinum sponsor.

It's no wonder that these Republicans have failed to lead on real solutions to lower the price of gas in America. As working families are hurting this weekend at the pumps, now they know who to thank.

I Missed Votes??

McCain makes a guest appearance in the Senate on last day of legislating:

At 12:36 p.m. today, the Senate doors were held open today by pages as a stream of senators trudged on to the chamber floor to cast a vote on an immigration bill amendment relating to children of Filipino veterans of World War II - and John McCain (R-Ariz.) was among those senators walking in to vote.

It was McCain's first vote in six weeks, after 46 straight roll calls in which the Arizonan opted for presidential campaign duties instead of casting a vote in the Senate.

Asked by the cable producer about missing six consecutive weeks of votes, he deadpanned: "Oh my god, is that right? ... It's a nice day, the weather's nice."

Friday Open Thread

Chat here.

May 24, 2007

Giuliani Exposed Workers and Public to Danger After 9/11

Rudy Giuliani has been accused many times of endangering the public in the weeks after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Firefighters and other Ground Zero recovery workers filed a lawsuit against the city for not adequately protecting workers. Now, the first death linked to World Trade Center dust raises new questions about Giuliani’s 9/11 failures.

Giuliani asserted at a press conference in late September 2001 that,

"The air quality is safe and acceptable. And I know there are people that are concerned about it and people that are worried about it, but that’s just the reality."

But new documents show that Giuliani opened sections of downtown Manhattan in the weeks after the 9/11 attacks knowing that the air was toxic.

On Giuliani’s watch, city and federal officials hid important information about the true extent of contamination. The city’s Department of Environmental Protection found high levels of asbestos in 27 of the first 38 air samples it took in lower Manhattan before Sept. 17, 2001. But the city didn’t publicly disclose those results until five months later.

Giuliani didn’t even enforce federal requirements that workers at Ground Zero wear respirators. As a result, "more than 2,000 New York City firefighters have been treated for serious respiratory problems."

Giuliani’s problems with firefighters worsened when he withdrew from a planned appearance at the International Association of Firefighters presidential forum. The union responded by blasting him for "egregious acts" against the FDNY after 9/11.

Not Gunning for the Red Sox Vote

Romney hits on home state in new ad:

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who routinely jokes about “liberal” Massachusetts while stumping for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination, is taking a swipe at his own state in a new campaign TV ad that debuts today.

At the start of the 30-second spot, photos of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and former Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis appear, as well as a newspaper headline about Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).

In a foreboding voice, the narrator says: “In the most liberal state in the country, one Republican stood up and cut spending, instead of raising taxes. He enforced immigration laws, stood up for traditional marriage and the sanctity of human life.” Romney then appears and says: “This isn’t the time for us to shrink from conservative principles. It’s a time for us to stand in strength. Strong military, strong economy, strong families.”

Is There a Second Escalation?

The Bush administration is on track to nearly double the number of combat troops in Iraq this year, leading some to wonder if there is a "secret surge" taking place.

This is because more combat brigades are rotating into the region while the military extends tours of duty for troops already there. Hearst newspapers report:

"The actions could boost the number of combat soldiers from 52,500 in early January to as many as 98,000 by the end of this year if the Pentagon overlaps arriving and departing combat brigades.

Separately, when additional support troops are included in this second troop increase, the total number of U.S. troops in Iraq could increase from 162,000 now to more than 200,000--a record-high number--by the end of the year."

The Pentagon recently extended combat tours for units in Iraq from 12 months to 15 months. Since then, military planners requested 20 additional brigades. As many as 28 combat brigades could be deployed in Iraq by Christmas.

Dean: Democrats Must Keep Our Word to the American People

Governor Dean's response to Bush’s remarks on Iraq:

"The message to President Bush is clear: this is just the beginning of Democratic efforts to change course and end the war in Iraq as the American people have demanded. Last November, the American people elected Democrats to change course in Iraq and end the Republican culture of corruption in Washington. We accomplished in five months what the Republicans refused to do or even try. President Bush said that he would never sign a bill with any accountability and he will now have to do that. Democrats know that if we do not work to force the President to change course in Iraq and end the war, we may well find ourselves in the minority again. And the same holds true if we don’t pass meaningful ethics reform."

"The American people loaned us that power, and we know that we have to continue to earn their trust so that we can earn their votes and win back the White House in 2008. We must keep our word to the American people."

He Must Have Seen Those Polls...

Rudy Giuliani no longer anti-gun:

Rudolph Giuliani Wednesday sounded open to letting anyone who's not a criminal or mental patient carry a concealed handgun -- even telling a woman who packs a piece in New York that it's OK with him.

Giuliani later backpedaled -- saying decisions on concealed-carry permits are up to the states -- but his answer had been different to Julie Trevor, of Stowe, Vt., at a campaign stop. Trevor told Giuliani she gets nervous every time she enters New York while toting a concealed handgun she got for protection after her house was burglarized.

Giuliani's days as a crusading anti-gun mayor are behind him now that he's running for president, and Wednesday he staked out a simple test for concealed-carry permits, which are tightly controlled in New York. He asked two questions -- Are you a criminal, and have you ever been institutionalized? -- and to the laughter of the audience, rendered his verdict when she said no to both.

Interfering With Investigations

As the AP notes, yesterday Monica Goodling told House investigators that Alberto Gonzales "tried to review his version of the prosecutor firings with her at a time when lawmakers were homing in on conflicting accounts."

Goodling said that it made her "a little uncomfortable" and that she said nothing in reply because she was unsure whether it was inappropriate.

Yet Alberto Gonzales testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, "I haven't talked to witnesses because of the fact that I haven't wanted to interfere with this investigation and department investigations."

He'll try to wiggle out of this, like he tried to wiggle out of all of the other distortions. But let's not forget that this is about more than that. He said that talking to witnesses was interfering with both investigations, and he needs to be held to that standard.

Terrorism Analyst: National Intelligence Predicted U.S. Invasion Would Result in Rise of al Qaeda in Iraq

Terrorism analyst Paul Kurtz on CBS This Morning:

Q. Since one of the things missing in the speech yesterday was the fact that al Qaeda did not exist in Iraq before the war began. Now we read that the national intelligence counsel report before the war actually predicted this influx of terrorism into the country before the war began. What are we to make of that?

Kurtz: Well, I think it's clear that prior to our invasion of Iraq in 2003, Iraq was not a fertile ground for terrorist activity. Post-invasion, we have created that fertile ground for terrorist activity. Something the--obviously, the administration has sought to avoid. But now it is a reality. We have a safe haven in Iraq for terrorism.

Q. Yeah, and one of the rationales for continuing the war the president repeated yesterday is if we pull out, we're just inviting the terrorists to come to the United States. Do you think that's valid?

Kurtz: Well, I think we all must assume that in any case al Qaeda -- whether through Iraq or through other means, was going to come to the United States. It seems as though the administration is, if you will, trying to have it both ways. The fact of the matter is our invasion of Iraq has created a fertile ground for terrorist activity that is, in fact, spawning new terrorist activity. Al Qaeda or Osama Bin Laden wanting to use Iraq as a jumping off point for other terrorist opportunities should be expected. And, in fact, our invasion is making that a reality.

Kurtz later adds that "our continued engagement in Iraq is spawning more terrorist activity."

Thursday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 23, 2007

Same Old, Same Old for John McCain

With McCain now officially missing more than half of the votes held in the Senate so far, I wanted to see if this was something new for the Senator.

And no, it isn't. Here's an article that appeared in the Arizona Republic in November 1999, the last time he ran for president and ignored the job which his state relies on him to show up for:

As he campaigns hard for the Republican presidential nomination, Mr. McCain is missing votes more frequently than anyone else in the Senate.
[...]
Obviously, this year is different for Mr. McCain, who has emerged as the leading alternative to Republican presidential front-runner George W. Bush. From July 1 to Oct. 1, a particularly busy campaign period, Mr. McCain missed 41 of 108 votes.
[...]
Mr. McCain is doubtless receiving few accommodations from Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, the key player in the scheduling of important votes. The two have disagreed for years over Mr. McCain's legislation to reform the campaign-finance system, and the battle seemed to turn personal this last year.

This time around, his attendance record is even worse than described in the article. Also this time around, with Trent Lott being "one of McCain's strongest backers," he doesn't have any excuses left.

Bush Nominee Michael Baroody Withdraws Under Fire

Last month, we reported that President Bush nominated Michael Baroody, executive vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), to head the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)--the very organization that NAM has consistently sought to undermine.

Baroody has now withdrawn his nomination amid strong opposition from Senate Democrats. Democrats also had raised questions about a $150,000 payment that Baroody would have received from the manufacturers' lobbying group when he left.

The White House said that Baroody was nominated for the position “because of his strong commitment to protect American consumers.”

Baroody’s organization has recently opposed a CPSC proposal to improve safety standards for baby walkers, among other anti-consumer measures.

By the way, Michael Baroody’s father, William J. Baroody Sr., founded the American Enterprise Institute, and his brother Joe Baroody was linked to Watergate. Historian Rick Perlstein describes the family history here.

McCain Talks Tough On Immigration, But Looks Like He’s Quitting His Day Job

Just a few hours ago, the Senate voted to alter the delicately crafted immigration compromise, significantly cutting the size of the guest worker program. Several of those involved in creating the legislation voted against the amendment, including Sens. Kennedy, Kyl, Graham, and Salazar, wanting to keep it intact. According to the AP, “the conservatives, liberals and centrists who worked out the deal are struggling to keep it intact.” All of them except for Senator McCain, apparently, who has opted out of the immigration debate to raise money. McCain’s fundraising schedule brought him to DC today, yet he couldn’t quite manage to swing by the Senate and give a quick high five to the Senators who are actually working on the immigration bill.

McCain, it seems, would rather talk tough to Mitt Romney and John Cornyn than fulfill his senatorial duties, which today prompted AZ GOP legislator Russell Pierce to call for McCain’s resignation. Pearce said, “We need a Senator. I think if McCain wants to be a full-time candidate and not be at the Senate, he ought to consider resigning." Indeed, McCain has been MIA in the Senate this year, missing half of the roll call votes since January. Maybe he’ll pop up for the next photo op…

I’ll Meet You By the Flagpost After School

Romney and McCain continue squabbling over immigration:

The Arizona senator supports the Senate proposal and said Mr. Romney has had similar views in the past.

"Look at the record and look at the statements he's made about that and a number of issues," Mr. McCain said at a Dallas fundraiser. "The important thing is for us to move forward and get something done. ... If someone else has a better proposal, then let's see if we can get enough support to pass it."

Mr. Romney shrugged off Mr. McCain's criticism.

"I have respect for Sen. McCain," he said. "I guess it just shows that even when he's wrong, he's amusing."

Mr. McCain later responded, "I'm always amusing."

Time to back up that tough talk? McCain skips immigration debate to raise some campaign cash.

And if channeling Castro wasn't enough, Romney’s immigration stance costing him Jeb Bush’s support in Florida.

Governor Dean on the Kentucky Primary

Governor Dean issued the following statement today congratulating Steve Beshear and Daniel Mongiardo on their win last night in the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Kentucky. They will run against incumbent Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher:

"Last night's primary results show the stark contrast between the strong, principled leadership being offered by Kentucky Democrats and the failed leadership and misplaced priorities of state Republicans. When they head to the polls in November, Kentuckians will have a clear choice between Steve Beshear and Daniel Mongiardo, proven leaders who they can trust to stand up for working families, and a scandal-plagued Republican governor who has spent the last four years letting his special interest friends and partisan cronies run roughshod over the state government. The fact that an additional 50,000 more Democrats went to the polls yesterday shows both the desire for change in Kentucky and the energy and enthusiasm behind Beshear and Mongiardo.

"Last year, from coast to coast the American people demanded a new direction, electing Democrats who promised to clean up the Republican culture of corruption and put our government back to work for the people. By narrowly re-nominating an ethically-challenged governor who only barely beat one of the Republicans ousted in last year's elections, Kentucky Republicans showed that they still haven’t gotten the message. Come Election Day, the voters will speak loud and clear by sending Steve Beshear and Daniel Mongiardo to Frankfort."

Goodling: "I may have gone too far"

Monica Goodling, former Justice Department White House liaison, admitted today during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee:

"I do acknowledge that I may have gone too far in asking political questions of applicants for career positions and in taking inappropriate political considerations into account on some occasions. And I regret these mistakes."

Goodling later admitted that she sometimes asked applicants who they voted for in the last election.

Her testimony is live now.

McCain's Home State Legislators Urge Him to Quit His Day Job

It's not all about the photo ops, Senator. From the Arizona Daily Star, we learn that a "Phoenix-area Republican legislator called on Sen. John McCain to resign from his seat Tuesday if he continues to miss votes while campaigning for president."

"We need a senator," the Star quotes state Rep. Pearce saying. "I think if McCain wants to be a full-time candidate and not be at the Senate, he ought to consider resigning."

Monica Goodling Testifies Today

Monica Goodling, a graduate of Pat Robertson's Regent University law school "with six months of prosecutorial experience," worked at the Justice Department as the White House liaison before quitting in shame in the middle of the scandal surrounding the firings of eight US Attorneys.

She played a central role in the controversy, and now, granted immunity, she begins her testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee. You can watch it live via webcast.

Hopefully she, unlike her former boss, can recall the November 27th meeting, where Gonzales "sat in on a meeting about the firings on November 27 to review the firing plan."

Hopefully we'll also want to determine the role of the White House in the firings, the process by which names were added to the list, and, as TPM questions, if she acting on her own.

Wednesday Open Thread

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May 22, 2007

Democrats Prepare to Subpoena Karl Rove

Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) warned the White House today that the House Judiciary Committee will use subpoenas to compel the testimony of Karl Rove and other White House officials.

Rep. Conyers and Rep. Sanchez note that the negotiation process between Congress and the White House stopped as soon as it started. After Democrats requested interviews and documents from the White House, [White House counsel Fred] Fielding replied with an offer to have Rove and others interviewed privately with no oath and no transcript. The Democrats rejected the offer. That was two months ago. There hasn't been any progress since then.

...Rep. Conyers notes that even without the White House's cooperation, it's become increasingly apparent that the U.S. attorney firings were driven by the White House.

Monica Goodling, the Justice Department's former liaison to the White House, will testify before the House Judiciary Committee this Wednesday, in exchange for limited immunity from prosecution.

Marine Corps Waited a Year Before Acting on Urgent Vehicle Request

National Security blog DANGER ROOM reported today that the Marine Corps waited almost a year before acting on an urgent request to send blast-resistant vehicles to Iraq.

According to a Marine Corps document provided to DANGER ROOM, the request for over 1,000 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles came in February 2005. A formal call to fulfill that order did not emerge until November 2006.

MRAP vehicles offer significantly more protection for troops against improvised explosive devices. Since the Iraq insurgency began, improvised bombs have taken 1,373 American lives, according to icasualties.org.

After months of inaction, the Army and Marine Corps are now requesting nearly 18,000 MRAP vehicles to replace the entire Humvee fleet. Defense Secretary Gates calls MRAP vehicles the Pentagon's highest priority for new equipment.

McCain Goes Missing

John McCain's attendance has been so bad, you'd think he confused the Senate for a Washington Nationals game. Here are his last 44 roll call votes:

Roll call 173: Not voting; Roll call 172: Not voting; Roll call 171: Not voting; Roll call 170: Not voting; Roll call 169: Not voting; Roll call 168: Not voting; Roll call 167: Not voting; Roll call 166: Not voting; Roll call 165: Not voting; Roll call 164: Not voting; Roll call 163: Not voting; Roll call 162: Not voting; Roll call 161: Not voting; Roll call 160: Not voting; Roll call 159: Not voting; Roll call 158: Not voting; Roll call 157: Not voting; Roll call 156: Not voting; Roll call 155: Not voting; Roll call 154: Not voting; Roll call 153: Not voting; Roll call 152: Not voting;

Roll call 151: Not voting; Roll call 150: Not voting; Roll call 149: Not voting; Roll call 148: Not voting; Roll call 147: Not voting; Roll call 146: Not voting; Roll call 145: Not voting; Roll call 144: Not voting; Roll call 143: Not voting; Roll call 142: Not voting; Roll call 141: Not voting; Roll call 140: Not voting; Roll call 139: Not voting; Roll call 138: Not voting; Roll call 137: Not voting; Roll call 136: Not voting; Roll call 135: Not voting; Roll call 134: Not voting; Roll call 133: Not voting; Roll call 132: Not voting; Roll call 131: Not voting; Roll call 130: Not voting;

One more vote, and "he will officially have been absent for 50 percent of the more than 170 roll calls held in the chamber so far in the 110th Congress."

Jack Abramoff Never Forgot His Name: Mitt Romney Can't Identify Ralph Reed

Even though Mitt Romney desperately panders to the extreme right-wing of the Republican Party, he can't identify one of its leaders.

At the fund-raiser for Mitt Romney at the posh 1818 Club on Friday, the candidate was making the introductions to the room.

Romney gestured to Ralph Reed and said, "Why it’s good to see Gary Bauer here." (Bauer is a former presidential candidate with ties, like Reed, to the Religious Right.)

Romney then caught himself. "Oh, I’m a little mixed up here," he said. But Romney still couldn’t place Reed’s face--and had to move on.

Dean: Democrats Must Keep Our Word to the American People

Governor Dean's response to Bush’s remarks on Iraq:

"The message to President Bush is clear: this is just the beginning of Democratic efforts to change course and end the war in Iraq as the American people have demanded. Last November, the American people elected Democrats to change course in Iraq and end the Republican culture of corruption in Washington. We accomplished in five months what the Republicans refused to do or even try. President Bush said that he would never sign a bill with any accountability and he will now have to do that. Democrats know that if we do not work to force the President to change course in Iraq and end the war, we may well find ourselves in the minority again. And the same holds true if we don’t pass meaningful ethics reform."

"The American people loaned us that power, and we know that we have to continue to earn their trust so that we can earn their votes and win back the White House in 2008. We must keep our word to the American people."

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Back on YouTube

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer talks about using "innovative technology to improve Party outreach," and answers questions from Michigan Democrats about online voting and more.

You can also read a blog post by Mark Brewer, "Hello Progressive Democrats" at the Michigan Liberal.

He Must Have Forgotten To Pay This Guy

Longtime aide criticizes Giuliani's 9-11 image:

In recent days, Mr. Hauer has challenged Mr. Giuliani’s recollection that he had little role as mayor in placing the city’s emergency command center at the ill-fated World Trade Center.

Mr. Hauer has also disputed the claim by the Giuliani campaign that the mayor’s wife, Judith Giuliani, had coordinated a help center for families after the attack.

And he has contradicted Mr. Giuliani’s assertions that the city’s emergency response was well coordinated that day, a point he made most notably to the authors of “Grand Illusion,” a book that depicts Mr. Giuliani’s antiterrorism efforts as deeply flawed.

That pesky Ground Zero respirator story just won't go away:

As more and more workers who inhaled the dust at ground zero fall ill, it has become increasingly clear that much of the problem can be traced to the Giuliani administration’s failure to insist that all emergency personnel and construction workers at the site wear respirators.

The then-mayor and his agency heads put their emphasis on a speedy cleanup and return to normalcy. In that, they were remarkably successful, clearing the site in less than 10 months. Unfortunately, the price is now being paid by thousands of workers who have developed lung and other ailments.

By late October, only 29 percent of workers at ground zero were wearing the respirators, and even Mayor Giuliani visited without wearing one, setting a terrible example. This was a case where workers should have been protected against their own destructive instincts. … the clear lesson is that Mr. Giuliani’s administration failed in its duty to protect the workers at ground zero.

Tuesday Open Thread

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May 21, 2007

Gas Prices Still Rising: Now Worse Than ’81 Oil Shock

Gas prices are soaring to new highs, even as a record number of Americans plan to hit the road this holiday weekend. Even adjusted for inflation, the price of a gallon of unleaded gas topped the 1981 spike in prices--a record that stood for 26 years.

The Lundberg Survey, which tracks the price of gas, put the price of a gallon of unleaded gas at $3.18 in the latest reading. The price is 11 cents higher than the reading two weeks ago.

A separate survey from AAA show the average price of self-serve regular today is $3.20 a gallon. That price is 34 cents a gallon higher than the price in last month’s survey.

38.3 million Americans are expected to travel 100 miles or more over the Memorial Day holiday, which is 1.7 percent more than a year ago. However, 32.6 percent of those surveyed said that they scaled back their holiday plans this year.

Last week, Democrats grilled Big Oil at a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee. Oil industry representatives said that gas prices are surging due to "a lack of refining capacity." Critics responded that the oil companies don’t build spare refining capacity because that would undermine their pricing power.

By the way, ExxonMobil reported the largest annual profit of any U.S. company ever this year: $39.5 billion. That’s $75,000 a minute in profit.

McCain Snaps Again on Immigration

Asked by Ryan Sager of the New York Sun about Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson using the immigration issue against him, McCain said he was "disappointed" in Thompson, but reserved his harshest comments for Romney.

"In the case of Governor Romney, maybe I should wait a couple of weeks and see if it changes, because it's changed in less than a year from his position a year before, and maybe his solution will be to get out his small varmint gun and drive those Guatemalans off his lawn."

No Confidence in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL)--both of whom previously served as Assistant U.S. Attorneys--introduced a formal 'no confidence' resolution in the House of Representatives this morning against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

"Resolved: That the House of Representatives and the American people have lost confidence in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and urge the President to request his resignation and to nominate a new candidate more capable of serving as head of the Department of Justice."

Gonzales is under fire for his role in the firings of eight U.S. attorneys, a purge which appears to have been politically motivated.

Former Deputy Attorney General James Comey also testified recently that Gonzales appeared at the hospital bed of former Attorney General John Ashcroft late at night, trying to force him to reauthorize a legally questionable program--a program which the Bush administration used to spy on Americans without warrants. The Washington Post called it:

"an account of Bush administration lawlessness so shocking it would have been unbelievable coming from a less reputable source."

Gonzales might be a goner. After all, just how low can his credibility go?

Rudy's Money Can't Buy Him the Love

Giuliani is forced to buy GOP love in his home state...

Giuliani has pledged to help raise $500,000 to be used for party-building efforts in New York that will help both his presidential bid and other Republican candidates, according to a highly placed GOP source.

Leery that Giuliani would accept their endorsements and then leave them high and dry, Republican leaders withheld their backing until he showed up at last week's $1,000-a-head state GOP dinner--where he played second fiddle to rival John McCain--and promised to help them raise money for 2008.

There is no love lost between Giuliani and the state GOP. Although the ex-mayor was helpful to New York Republicans in the 2006 election cycle, many believe he should have done more in years past. They also haven't forgotten that he crossed party lines to endorse Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo for reelection in 1994.

But are Rudy and NY Republicans ready to bury the hatchet?

Rudy, who ran in those days on the Liberal Party line, instantly became the GOP's enemy within. Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno called him "Judas Giuliani." Mentor Guy Molinari called the mayor a "Frankenstein." Giuliani deputy Peter Powers at the time called then state chairman Bill Powers (no relation) a tool of old foe Sen. Alfonse D'Amato - who in turn called Giuliani "a bad guy."

He didn’t win any fans at the Department of Justice, either.

Senators accustomed to having their way with certain administration appointments when their party took power bristled when Giuliani put candidates for U.S. attorney on ice. Pennsylvania GOP Sen. Arlen Specter complained directly to Reagan that Giuliani ignored his calls and stopped answering his letters.

South Dakota's Republican senators told Attorney General William French Smith it was unacceptable for Giuliani to resist their choice of a Reagan loyalist who had little experience in federal court.

"We were shocked last week to receive a letter from Associate Attorney General Rudolph W. Giuliani indicating that the Justice Department takes exception," Sens. James Abdnor and Larry Pressler wrote, in papers released by the National Archives. The senators said indignantly that their selection followed "the most democratic and open procedure ever used in filling patronage positions in the state."

Senate Throwdown! A Glimpse of the Famous McCain Temper

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has been so busy campaigning for President, he hasn't spent much time at the Capitol. But last Thursday, during one of his rare appearances, he managed to get into a heated shouting match with a fellow Republican, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).

At a bipartisan gathering in an ornate meeting room just off the Senate floor, McCain complained that Cornyn was raising petty objections to a compromise plan being worked out between Senate Republicans and Democrats and the White House. He used a curse word associated with chickens and accused Cornyn of raising the issue just to torpedo a deal.

Things got really heated when Cornyn accused McCain of being too busy campaigning for president to take part in the negotiations, which have gone on for months behind closed doors. "Wait a second here," Cornyn said to McCain. "I've been sitting in here for all of these negotiations and you just parachute in here on the last day. You're out of line."

McCain, a former Navy pilot, then used language more accustomed to sailors (not to mention the current vice president, who made news a few years back after a verbal encounter with Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont).

"[Expletive] you! I know more about this than anyone else in the room," shouted McCain at Cornyn. McCain helped craft a bill in 2006 that passed the Senate but couldn't be compromised with a House bill that was much tougher on illegal immigrants.

Monday Open Thread

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May 20, 2007

Jack Abramoff Never Forgot His Name

Mitt can’t identify Ralph Reed:

At the fund-raiser for Mitt Romney at the posh 1818 Club on Friday, the candidate was making the introductions to the room.

Romney gestured to Ralph Reed and said, “Why it’s good to see Gary Bauer here.” (For the detached, Bauer is a former presidential candidate with ties, like Reed, to the Religious Right.)

Romney then caught himself. “Oh, I’m a little mixed up here,” he said. But Romney still couldn’t place Reed’s face — and had to move on.

Sunday Open Thread

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May 19, 2007

Saturday Open Thread

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May 18, 2007

Ebb and flow?

TPM Muckraker notes this exchange during a White House press briefing this morning:

Q: Is it not important for the Attorney General to have the confidence of Congress?

MR. FRATTO: It's important for any public official to have as much confidence as he can garner. And that's going to ebb and flow, but it will not ebb and flow with this President and this Attorney General.

Alberto Gonzales is seen in a positive light by only 14-percent of Americans. That isn't ebb and flow. To put that in perspective, it's a smaller percentage than those who believe humans have been abducted by other intelligent lifeforms in the universe. And even more unbelievable? It's a smaller percentage than those who approve of Dick Cheney.

Romney Celebrates Cuban Independence Day

Today Mitt Romney came out with a press release in celebration of Cuban Independence Day.

MARCH FLASHBACK: "Cubans in Miami are steaming mad at former Gov. Mitt Romney for shooting his mouth off in stumbling Spanish, mispronouncing names and erroneously associating a notorious Fidel Castro-spewed Communist catch phrase with freedom fighters."

Affordable Housing for Katrina Victims

As you may know, FEMA is asking families who currently live in government provided trailers, including victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, if they want to buy them. It's part of the "Sales to Occupants" program where, according to a press release:

If interested, applicants will sign and return to FEMA a "Notice of Interest in Purchasing Temporary Housing Unit" form. Once FEMA receives a signed notice of interest, FEMA sales managers will begin contacting interested families to provide instructions on the sales process and its requirements. All sales will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

I bring this news up to illustrate the remaining problems surrounding housing in the region, as it's currently at the center of a dispute around a bill that the Democratic-led House of Representatives will debate. The legislation would be a significant step towards providing affordable housing for those Gulf Coast residents.

It's called the Federal Housing Finance Reform Act, and as Speaker Pelosi noted, it would create a fund of "about $450 million per year for five years to promote housing for low-income homeowners and renters. [...] Grants will be distributed around the country through states and tribes for preserving and building affordable housing."

For the first year, the fund would be dedicated to Louisiana and Mississippi. With so many housing problems remaining, this legislation has a good shot at passing. Yet the right-wing Club for Growth has put their weight against the measure and called on members of Congress to gut the fund from the legislation.

McCain’s Actions Don’t Match His Big Talk On Iraq

The Senator has missed major war votes:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is the only presidential candidate in Congress to have missed a major vote on the Iraq war this year, and his absences are not sitting well with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

While McCain has missed four of 14 Senate roll calls on the war this year, other presidential candidates have managed their schedules around the high-profile votes.

The campaign declined to comment on the fact that all the other candidates have not missed major votes on Iraq.

Iraq has arguably become the central issue of McCain’s campaign, as he has been the most outspoken in his defense of the recent troop surge.

“John McCain (R-Campaign Trail)”?

In fact, McCain's missed vote today marked his fifth straight week without casting a vote on the Senate floor, with this morning's vote marking the 42nd straight roll call that he has missed.

Since the first-quarter fundraising period for presidential candidates ended March 31, McCain has made just three floor votes. He hasn't cast a single vote since the full details of his wildly disappointing presidential campaign's fundraising report were revealed in mid-April.

If McCain misses the next three votes -- the $2.9 trillion fiscal 2008 budget is likely to be voted on this afternoon -- he will officially have been absent for 50 percent of the more than 170 roll calls held in the chamber so far in the 110th Congress.

Yet McCain somehow manages to sneak back for the immigration photo op:

John McCain made an appearance in the Senate today. Yes, at least on Capitol Hill, this is a newsworthy item.

As he seeks the Republican presidential nomination, Mr. McCain has missed half of the votes cast this year by the Senate. It is the worst attendance record of any candidate.

But there he was, standing directly behind Senator Edward M. Kennedy during a press conference this afternoon to announce that a bipartisan deal had been struck on immigration. Mr. McCain, a longtime leader on the matter, has all but excused himself from the tedious negotiations in recent weeks between Democrats, Republicans and the White House.

During a luncheon for Republican senators today, Mr. McCain sheepishly took note of his own reemergence, which timed specifically for the press conference. He was not on hand only a few hours earlier to vote on the Iraq supplemental bill. And he did not stick around a few hours later to cast his vote on the budget bill.

Wolfowitz Resigns Under Pressure

Paul Wolfowitz, one of the architects of the Iraq war, stepped down yesterday, after a report by the World Bank ethics panel found that he violated bank rules by engineering a promotion and large raise for his girlfriend. Despite the White House's support, the the scandal proved too serious to simply brush off.

Wolfowitz and the World Bank reportedly were working out a deal where he would supposedly "still save some face," but the high-profile controversy has proved to be an embarrassment for the former Deputy Secretary of Defense.

Clearly, the man did not want to resign, waiting until it looked like there was no way to continue to head the World Bank. He must miss the Bush administration, where somebody like Alberto Gonzales has -- so far -- refused to resign now that his role in the politically motivated firings of U.S. Attorneys has come to light.

This White House continued to support Wolfowitz as head of the bank even after his resignation, with a White House spokesman saying, "We would have preferred that he stay at the bank, but the president reluctantly accepts his decision."

For some reason, the White House just can't stand the idea of a little accountability.

Friday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 17, 2007

Help, He’s Fallen And He Can’t Get Up

Rudy Giuliani's campaign is still stumbling over the abortion question:

It isn’t so much that Rudy Giuliani’s tripped over the issue of abortion, which everyone knew was going to be a difficult one for a pro-choice candidate to navigate in the context of a pro-life primary.

It’s the amount of time it’s taking him to get back up.

Not only that, but he also is playing the numbers game with abortion and adoption rates in NYC.

When Mr. Giuliani said at the first debate that adoptions had increased 65 percent to 70 percent, he was comparing the last six years of his administration with the previous six years.

He revised the figure at the second debate, to 133 percent, by comparing adoptions in all eight years of his administration with those in the previous eight years.

According to figures from the Administration for Children’s Services, the number of adoptions was increasing before Mr. Giuliani took office and before he created the agency. The total peaked in 1997, at 4,000, and declined, to 2,700, by Mr. Giuliani’s last year as mayor.

Senators Call for No Confidence Vote in Gonzales

The New York Times is reporting that Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) have called for a no-confidence vote in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, saying that the attorney general has been "too weakened to run the department."

Republicans also expressed a lack of confidence in Gonzales. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) said Thursday that the Justice Department can't properly protect the nation from terrorism with Gonzales at the helm.

"I have a sense that when we finish our investigation, we may have the conclusion of the tenure of the attorney general. I think when our investigation is concluded, it'll be clear even to the attorney general and the president that we're looking at a dysfunctional department which is vital to the national welfare."

In related news, President Bush was asked twice during a news conference on Thursday if he personally ordered Gonzales and then-White House chief of staff Andrew Card to then-Attorney General John Ashcroft's hospital room. Bush refused to answer.

"There's a lot of speculation about what happened and what didn't happen. I'm not going to talk about it," Bush said.

Bush's "War Czar" Had Timetable

Much has been written about the creation of a "War Czar" to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which has been filled by Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute. Yet what hasn't been discussed is the timetable that he set back in August of 2005, declaring that the United States was expected to withdraw troop levels significantly from Iraq in the next 12 months.

The case he made for withdrawing troops was, if I do say so myself, quite eloquently stated:

We believe at some point, in order to break this dependence on the . . . coalition, you simply have to back off and let the Iraqis step forward. You have to undercut the perception of occupation in Iraq. It's very difficult to do that when you have 150,000-plus, largely western, foreign troops occupying the country.

Indeed. According to the 2005 Financial Times piece, Lute also stated: "I will tell you this, as the operation officer of Centcom, if a year from now I've got to call on all those army troops that Gen Schoomaker is prepared to provide, I won't feel real good about myself." Yet more than a year since he spoke those words, he has taken on the job of overseeing the war in Iraq and Afghanistan with increased troop levels.

Lute will have to receive congressional approval before taking on the position of overseeing the two wars, and it will be interesting to see how he responds to his past statements.

White House Opposes Pay Raises for Troops, Increases in Widows’ Benefits

Bush administration budget officials said on Wednesday that the troops don’t need bigger pay raises. The White House also opposes increasing benefits for widows of slain soldiers by $40 per month, and opposes additional benefits for surviving family members of civilian employees.

But the Bush administration supports removing accountability from contracts with private Defense contractors because of the higher costs that accountability provisions "impose on the Department's contractors."

What about the costs to our troops and their families?

Here are more details from the Army Times:

Troops don't need bigger pay raises, White House budget officials said Wednesday in a statement of administration policy laying out objections to the House version of the 2008 defense authorization bill.

The Bush administration had asked for a 3 percent military raise for Jan. 1, 2008, enough to match last year's average pay increase in the private sector. The House Armed Services Committee recommends a 3.5 percent pay increase for 2008, and increases in 2009 through 2012 that also are 0.5 percentage point greater than private-sector pay raises.

The slightly bigger military raises are intended to reduce the gap between military and civilian pay that stands at about 3.9 percent today. Under the bill, HR 1585, the pay gap would be reduced to 1.4 percent after the Jan. 1, 2012, pay increase.

Bush budget officials said the administration "strongly opposes" both the 3.5 percent raise for 2008 and the follow-on increases, calling extra pay increases "unnecessary."

Here are relevant excerpts from the Statement of Administration Policy. First, the excerpt in which the White House "strongly opposes" a larger pay raise for the troops:

Military Pay: The Administration strongly opposes sections 601 and 606. The additional 0.5 percent increase above the President's proposed 3.0 percent across-the-board pay increase is unnecessary. When combined with the overall military benefit package, the President's proposal provides a good quality of life for service members and their families. While we agree military pay must be kept competitive, the three percent raise, equal to the increase in the Employment Cost Index, will do that. The cost of increasing the FY 2008 military pay raise by an additional 0.5 percent is $265 million in FY 2008 and $7.3 billion from FY 2008 to FY 2013.

Here the Administration opposes an additional $40 per month for widows of slain soldiers:

Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance: The Administration opposes section 644, which would pay a monthly special survivor indemnity allowance of $40 from the DoD Military Retirement Fund. The current benefit programs for survivors, DoD's Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) and Department of Veterans Affairs' Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC), provide sufficient benefits and avoid duplication of two complementary federal benefits programs established for the same purpose — providing a lifetime annuity for the survivor of an active, retired or former servicemember. This offset policy is consistent with private sector benefits. The provision is estimated to cost $27 million in the first year and about $160 million through FY 2013. It appears to be the first step toward eliminating the offset between SBP and DIC; full elimination of this offset would cost the Military Retirement Fund between $6 and $8 billion over 10 years.

Here the Administration opposes additional benefits for surviving family members of civilian employees:

Death Gratuity for Federal Civilian Employees: The Administration strongly opposes section 1105, which would amend the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) to provide an additional $100,000 death benefit for surviving family members of civilian employees who died supporting U.S. forces in a contingency operation. This provision would raise equity concerns by eroding the uniformity of benefits provided by FECA.

Here the Administration opposes price controls for prescription drugs under TRICARE, the military's health care plan for military personnel and their dependents:

The Administration strongly opposes section 703, which would impose price controls on prescription drugs when they are dispensed to enrollees in TRICARE through community pharmacies. The Administration believes market competition is the most effective way to promote discounts in the community setting. Government price-setting at community pharmacies will eliminate retail competition; it could also have an adverse impact on other markets, which could limit access to life-saving drugs, reduce convenience for beneficiaries, and ultimately increase costs. Drugs dispensed directly by DoD in its hospitals, clinics, and mail order facilities are already purchased at government purchasing schedules and DOD is working to encourage beneficiaries to take advantage of the lowest prescription drug prices available whenever possible.

And here the Administration urges deletion of various contract accountability provisions:

Acquisition Policy: While the Administration supports the underlying interests of section 806, 821, 822, 824, and 843, the Administration urges their deletion because each of these provisions is either duplicative of recently-enacted laws and implementing regulations or would be counterproductive and not of practical help in strengthening the acquisition process. Section 824, in particular, which imposes exhaustive reporting on contract deficiencies, will interfere with agencies' ability to address and resolve contract performance problems in a timely manner. In addition, section 326(b) would impose on the Department's contractors unmanageable and costly reporting requirements with questionable benefit.

CT GOP Flip-Flopping On Young Voters

Earlier this month, there was a new effort to allow 17-year-olds to vote in Connecticut primaries if they will be of voting age once the general election approaches. Ultimately, the vote fell short of the three-quarters required to pass a constitutional amendment, but what ensued during the vote was nothing short of comical.

We're talking Dean-on-Colbert-Report funny, and it has been YouTubed by the CT Young Democrats:

Six Republican members of the Connecticut House of Representatives kept switching their votes from yes to no, as WTNH reports:

"What I think we want to do is show the intent of these Republican members who, clearly, when there was a dispute as to exactly how many votes were needed to pass this amendment, they saw an opportunity to kill it and we believe they did it," SAID Lon Seidman, Connecticut Young Democrats.

Watch the video and decide for yourself. This is the kind of fun, clever work that makes me excited about the first DNC sanctioned debate, where CNN will be teaming up with YouTube.

McCain 2.0

Not as young as he used to be, and the voters are starting to notice:

But his wooden movements, along with his age and appearance, are creating an impression about McCain's health that could be a liability for the Arizona Republican as he tries to persuade Americans to elect him president.

"What does in McCain is the fact that he looks old," said Loren Thompson, an expert on military affairs at the Lexington Institute, a public policy think tank in Arlington, Va. "Looks count, and McCain looks terrible."

A recent Roper poll found that 30% of registered voters had "some reservations" or were "very uncomfortable" about the fact that McCain would be the oldest president elected to a first term.

Desperately trying to maintain his image, McCain taps Lott to do his dirty work: hit up lobbyists for cash:

Sen. Trent Lott, the Minority Whip and a McCain backer, met with the small group of influential lobbyists at a downtown office Monday afternoon.

According to a source familiar with the meeting, Lott urged the donors to meet their second-quarter goals. Attendees were asked to commit to raising a specific dollar amount.

And is McCain not in favor of (Gasp!) Reaganomics?

McCain, by contrast, has been out front in denouncing the economic policies pioneered by President Reagan. He opposed the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, and then, until very recently, he was a champion for preserving the inheritance or “death” tax on the grounds that it makes American society more egalitarian, preventing the excessive accumulation of family wealth.

McCain has always been strong on the issue of containing pork-barrel spending, but he should not get a free pass on his aversion to cutting marginal rates. Supply-side economics embraces the reality that business-owners’ and investors’ money makes the world go round — and when the government confiscates less of it, there is more available to create more economic growth and employ more Americans.

Brownback Thinks He Has a Uterus

During Tuesday’s presidential debate, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) repeatedly motioned to his stomach as he argued against pro-choice policies, while saying things like, "Here in the womb." Brownback argued specifically for prohibiting rape and incest victims from obtaining an abortion. ThinkProgress has the clip.

Dean on the Colbert Report

In case you missed it, Governor Dean appeared on the Colbert Report last night and gave a great interview.

Thursday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 16, 2007

GOP Debate Post-Mortem

After the Republican presidential debate in South Carolina last night, Mitt Romney’s campaign issued a statement to the press: "GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY WINS SECOND DEBATE ADVOCATING A STRONGER AMERICA."

Too bad it's not true.

A barrage of bad reviews panned his performance in last night’s debate.

The Hotline: Romney’s Own Advisors Say Romney Underperformed. "Romney didn't do as well as he wanted to do--one of his advisers admitted as much--but his campaign seems happy that he managed to make three policy points."[5/15/07]

Andrew Sullivan: Romney’s Pandering Showed Through. "Romney aims to please. He knew where he was - South Carolina. You can largely determine his beliefs in advance by judging the audience he is attempting to win over."[5/15/07]

Ryan Sager: Romney’s Slickness Wears Thin. "As for Mr. Romney ... he simply didn't have a big moment. His slickness wears thin pretty quickly I think, especially when he constantly has to defend himself against flip-flopping charges — and his defenses are pretty lame. He also weirdly proclaimed: ‘We ought to double Guantanamo.’ What does this mean? This guy just says whatever he thinks people want to hear. It gets hard to even listen to."[5/15/07]

MSNBC: Tough Questions on Security "Seemed to Throw Him Off." "Part of his problem were the surprisingly tough questions he received from his inquisitors which seemed to throw him off. But there was something about him that just seemed less present on stage tonight."[5/16/07]

Politico.com: Romney’s Latest Anti-Massachusetts Joke "Fell Flat." "He got to his Washington outsider/MBA message nicely when he was asked about taxes, but was not as sure-footed when Wallace asked about his conservative credentials. And the tug on the blue suit coat to underscore just what a blue state Massachusetts is fell flat."[5/15/07]

Rich Galen: Romney Too Polished. "I thought that Mitt Romney needed to knock a little polish off his performance: His answers continue to make him sound like Hermione Granger in Potions class at Hogwarts. For example, when Wendell Goler asked Romney about the dangers of illegal abortions he said, ‘I can't imagine my heart not being rent’ by the circumstance described. I can't imagine anyone being moved by that answer."[5/16/07]

Wolfowitz to Resign This Afternoon?

World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz may resign this afternoon. From The Blotter:

World Bank officials say the bank's board is completing an "exit strategy" that will allow World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz to resign this afternoon and "still save some face" over the issue of his efforts to seek a promotion and pay raise for his girlfriend at the bank.

The officials say the bank's board will accept Wolfowitz's resignation but will also acknowledge that the World Bank's Ethics Committee bears "some responsibility" for giving him bad advice on the issue of his girlfriend.

The decision is likely today, officials say, because Wolfowitz had been scheduled to leave tonight for a European trip.

A bank investigating committee found that Wolfowitz broke ethics rules by engineering a large raise for his girlfriend, Shaha Riza. As Deputy Secretary of Defense in the Bush administration, Wolfowitz was one of the chief hawks calling for the invasion of Iraq.

DNC Announces Dates, Media Sponsors and Locations for Sanctioned Debates

Today the Democratic National Committee in partnership with six state parties announced the dates, media sponsors and cities for the six DNC sanctioned debates. Additional details regarding specifics for the individual debates including additional media partners and logistics will be announced at a later time. The DNC sanctioned debate schedule will be:

DNC SANCTIONED DEBATES:

July 23, 2007: YouTube/Google and CNN* in Charleston, SC

August 19, 2007: ABC in Des Moines, IA

September 26, 2007: NBC News/MSNBC** in Hanover, NH

October 30, 2007: NBC News/MSNBC** in Philadelphia, PA

November 15, 2007: CNN* in Las Vegas, NV

December 10, 2007: CBS in Los Angeles, CA

*Debate will be simulcast on CNN en Espanol.
**Telemundo will re-broadcast both debates.

"Our strong field of Democratic candidates have been working hard, talking about the issues the American people care about and laying out a positive vision for America’s future," said DNC Chairman Howard Dean. "We are grateful to the media sponsors and our state parties for their role in providing important, diverse settings for the American people to hear directly from our candidates."

“Rudy Must Be Stopped”

David Brody from the Christian Broadcasting Network posted a summary today of a conversation he had with "a prominent evangelical leader." The leader, whom he did not identify, said that evangelicals are not happy with front-runner Rudy Giuliani.

As a matter of fact, he told me point blank, "Rudy must be stopped" and there is a conversation underway on how to do that.”

The same leader said that Mitt Romney, widely seen as one of the top tier candidates, "doesn’t cut it:"

Now, as for Mitt Romney, this Evangelical leader who is definitely a mover and a shaker, told me that there is an uncomfortability with Romney. I’m told that certain Evangelical leaders don’t by in to the multiple conversions and that’s why Thompson would get their support instead of Romney. But that decision HAS NOT been made yet.

During the May 15th debate in South Carolina, Rudy Giuliani was asked how, as a "pro-choice, pro-gun control Republican who once supported liberal Democrat Mario Cuomo for governor of New York," he could claim to be a conservative. After hemming and hawing for thirty seconds, he finally answered that "the important issue was to unite against the threat of a Democratic win."

Clearly, the real conservatives aren’t convinced.

Gonzales: It's Worse Than We Thought

This is a must-read.

James Comey, the former second-in-command at the Justice Department, testified yesterday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Washington Post called it:

an account of Bush administration lawlessness so shocking it would have been unbelievable coming from a less reputable source.

Comey testified yesterday about an incident in 2004, in which Alberto Gonzales and Andrew Card showed up at the hospital room of then Attorney General John Ashcroft in the middle of the night to demand recertification of the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program.

The testimony is shocking. Watch it here.

This goes far beyond previous reports about Alberto Gonzales. Now he just looks like a thug.

The Daily Flipper: Debate Edition

Romney delivers a disappointing performance:

Romney, after a great first debate, turned in a very mediocre performance. Part of his problem were the surprisingly tough questions he received from his inquisitors which seemed to throw him off. But there was something about him that just seemed less present on stage tonight.

And he can’t top the rest of the top tier:

Maybe it was because he got a good deal of tough questions (five by my count) or perhaps because the focus -- national security -- was more in the McCain/Rudy wheelhouse, but Romney did not have a good a night as he did at the first debate. He got to his Washington outsider/MBA message nicely when he was asked about taxes, but was not as sure-footed when Wallace asked about his conservative credentials. And the tug on the blue suit coat to underscore just what a blue state Massachusetts is fell flat.

Plus, Romney feeds into his own stereotype:

I might have avoided sending out "GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY WINS SECOND DEBATE ADVOCATING A STRONGER AMERICA" as they just did. He had some moments, but he didn't win and saying so while par for the course feeds into the (unfair, IMHO) "he'll say anything" meme.

And continues his assault on his home state:

Romney once again gave a smooth, controlled performance except for one bizarre moment when he held up the bottom of his suit jacket and said: “Have you ever bought a suit and look at it and you can’t tell if it is blue or black? That is how blue Massachusetts is.”

Huh? Massachusetts is so blue it is almost black? Is that supposed to be some kind of racial statement? I doubt it, but it shows you the perils of live television.

Also at the debate, Giuliani failed to clear his abortion record with conservatives:

After the first Republican candidates’ encounter, in which Mayor Giuliani famously blew it on the issue of overturning Roe v. Wade, he had his big chance in Columbia last night. Fox News’ Chris Wallace asked him how he -- a pro-choice, pro-gun control Republican who once supported liberal Democrat Mario Cuomo for governor of New York -- could claim to be a conservative.

Giuliani danced around the question through his allotted time, and when Wallace extended the time for another thirty seconds “…so you can answer the question…”, the best Giuliani could do is to say that the important issue was to unite against the threat of a Democratic win. If it weren’t for Cong. Ron Paul (and Brit Hume’s later questions about terrorist interrogation) Rudy’s campaign might have crashed to a halt last night. But it didn’t. Giuliani is still in it, though more clearly than ever something other than a conservative.

All in all, the debate can be summed up so: got some pent up anger guys?

The result was a difference in tone _ and substance _ from the first GOP debate on May 3, a mostly polite affair awash in Ronald Reagan references.

"This was clearly more contentious," Joe Gaylord, a GOP strategist close to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, said of the 90-minute debate at the University of South Carolina. "But I thought in that way it was a little more edifying."

Romney and McCain sniped at each other, the monthlong behind-the-scenes aggression between their campaigns bursting into the open.

"Until this debate, they'd been content to lob missiles at each other from a distance but they were polite in person," said Dan Schnur, a former McCain aide who is now unaligned. This time, he said, "they were more confrontational face to face."

Governor Dean on Colbert Report Tonight

Governor Dean will be a guest tonight on "The Colbert Report." Watch it on Comedy Central at 11:30 pm ET/ 10:30 pm central.

Here's Governor Dean's last appearance on Comedy Central, as a guest on "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart:

We can think of lots of funny things to say about the state of the Republican Party. They would be funnier if they weren’t all true.

Wednesday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 15, 2007

SC DEBATE: PARDON ME MIKE ...

Mike Huckabee Commuted 152 Felons For Over 500 Crimes In Ten Years As Arkansas Governor, 14% Rearrested, Governor Accused of Playing Favorites. Murder, rape, kidnapping, assault, theft, weapons, arson, escape, drug use, and drug manufacturing: part of a long list of crimes Mike Huckabee commuted. According to independent research based on data from the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office, 14 percent of criminals granted clemency by Huckabee were re-arrested after their release. Huckabee has long-been accused of playing favorites with his clemency cases; one of the felons who received clemency from Huckabee was the stepson to his administrative assistant, and five others were able to forge personal relationships with Huckabee while working as trustees at the Governor’s Mansion. [Arkansas Secretary of State’s Documents; Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 8/1/04; Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 8/18/02]

SC DEBATE: DUNCAN HUNTER BUILDS FENCES

Must have been during a congressional recess.

SC DEBATE: NYC ADOPTION FACTS

RHETORIC: Giuliani Said Adoptions Went Up 133%. Giuliani continues to use wrong numbers on adoptions when trying to explain his position on choice. Tonight he said adoptions “went up 133%” while he was mayor.

REALITY: Adoptions Declined 5 Years Out Of Seven, Were Going Down When He Left, Only Went Up 17% Overall. In fact, the independent group FactCheck.org has twice debunked Giuliani’s misleading numbers. In a recent article they wrote that “Adoptions declined in five of the mayor's last six years,” using the same set of official numbers that the Giuliani campaign relies on. They said this is “a classic case of how candidates and public officials sometimes use data selectively to create a false impression.” The data shows that adoptions went down for most of the years he ran the city, by as much as 17% one year, including the last five years he was in office. They only went up in two years. And as FactCheck noted, his 67% claim is wrong, because adoptions overall were “only 17 percent higher than at the start, and falling.” [“Levitating Numbers,” Factcheck.org, 5/7/07, http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/levitating_numbers.html; “Adoption Finalizations: Fiscal Years 1989-2003,” 2003 End Review, NYC Administration For Children’s Services (PDF), p.14 ]

SC DEBATE: MCCAIN ON TAXES

TONIGHT:

Senator MCCAIN, you opposed president bush's 2001 tax cuts. Now you say you were wrong. How can you convince republican voters you will push a democratic congress hard enough to make those tax cuts permanent, sir?

MCCAIN: Well, first of all, i didn't say that I was wrong. I said that the reason why i opposed those tax cuts is
because we didn't reign in spending. The fact is the tax cuts have dramatically increased revenues.

REALITY

2003: McCain Was Against Tax Cuts "Worsen the Deficit Before It Ever Helps the Economy." Senator McCain rejected the Bush tax cuts in 2001 ‘All the predicates for the 2001 tax cuts and all the predictions for its results were absolutely, completely wrong,’ he said. And it will worsen the deficit before it ever helps the economy, he added.” [Star-Ledger, 2/24/03]

2007: McCain Says Tax Cuts Increase Revenue. Asked if he might consider a tax increase as part of a compromise for entitlements or tax simplification, Senator McCain responded “No. None. None. Taxcuts, starting with Kennedy, as we all know, increase revenues. So what's the argument for increasing taxes?If you get the opposite effect out of taxcuts?” [The National Review, 3/5/07]

SC DEBATE: GIULIANI INCREASED NYC SPENDING

Rhetoric: It Was Inflation. Tonight Giuliani said he increased spending less then inflation and defended his record increasing spending in New York City while claiming to be a fiscal conservative.

Reality: Giuliani Increases Well Outpaced Inflation. : According to spending data from New York City’s Independent Budget Office and inflation stastistics from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, this simply isn’t true. Inflation from 1994 to 2001 was 19.7%. Under Giuliani, spending went up 28%, or $8.9 billion even before 9/11. [http://inflationdata.com/Inflation/Inflation_Rate/InflationCalculator.asp#results; NYC Independent Budget Office Revenue and Expenditure Summary]

Every Major Candidate Backed Bush’s Tactics and Borrowed His Talking Points

Bush: "Iraq is the central front in this war on terror. If we leave the streets of Baghdad before the job is done, we will have to face the terrorists in our own cities." [Salt Lake Tribune, 8/31/06]

TONIGHT:

Giuliani: These people do want to follow us here and they have followed us here.

McCain: After we lost the war in vietnam, we came home. They didn't follow us home. You read zarqawi, you read bin laden, you read al qaeda, they will tell you they want to follow us home.
I believe we have a new strategy and a good strategy.

Romney: There is a global jihadist effort, violent, radical jihadist who want to replace all the governments of the moderate states replace them with a caliphate. They want to bring down the West and particularly us.

Five Simple Questions

Here are several simple questions that we'd like to see Brit Hume ask in the Republican debate tonight. There's nothing tricky or "gotcha" here, just a simple opportunity for the candidates to clarify whether they offer real change or four more years of Bush's Iraq, the Bush economy and Bush's culture of corruption.

Q1. What is the national minimum wage? What should it be?

Q2. Response to the tornadoes in Kansas demonstrated the danger of having a National Guard that is stretched too thin. Just this week, the of Governor North Carolina has just warned that troops serving extended deployments abroad cannot train to provide hurricane relief this summer. How do we maintain an escalated commitment in Iraq and remain adequately prepared here at home?

Keep reading "Five Simple Questions"

White House Picks a War Czar

Speaking of passing the buck, we now have a "war czar." Whatever that means.

After a frustrating search for a new "war czar" to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, ABC News has learned that President Bush has chosen the Pentagon's director of operations, Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, for the role.

...Filling the position had become a priority for the White House, after a handful of retired generals told the White House they did not want the job. Among them, retired Marine Corps four-star Gen. Jack Sheehan, who proved an embarrassment to the White House after he wrote an op-ed piece in the Washington Post saying there were "huge shortcomings" in the White House view of the strategy in Iraq.

Lute will report directly to the president and to National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley.

Gonzales Quick to Pass the Buck

Less than a day after Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty announced that he would resign by the end of the summer, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was quick to blame him for the controversial firings of eight U.S. attorneys last year.

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Tuesday he relied on his resigning deputy more than any other aide to decide which U.S. attorneys should be fired last year.

"You have to remember, at the end of the day, the recommendations reflected the views of the deputy attorney general. He signed off on the names," Gonzales told reporters at a National Press Club forum in Washington. "And he would know better than anyone else, anyone in this room, anyone--again, the deputy attorney general would know best about the qualifications and the experiences of the United States attorneys community, and he signed off on the names."

McNulty, reached in San Antonio after Gonzales' remarks, declined to comment.

McNulty has acknowledged approving the list of prosecutors who were ordered to leave last October, a few weeks before the firings were made official. But documents released by the Justice Department show he was not closely involved in picking all the U.S. attorneys who were put on the list--a job mostly driven by two Gonzales staffers with little prosecutorial experience.

Gonzales ultimately signed off on the list in a process that Congress is investigating to see whether the firings were politically motivated.

Sources close to McNulty said that his decision to resign was directly related to the political firestorm in the Justice Department over the eight fired prosecutors.

Giuliani Faces An Uphill Battle Tonight

From the Hill:

Planned Parenthood is planning a rally outside tonight’s debate site at the University of South Carolina, and although the group said it hopes to press the Republican candidates into “the mainstream,” there was no bad-mouthing of Giuliani. He has donated to the group in the past.

“We appreciate his support over the years,” a spokeswoman for the group, Carol McDonald-Dixon, said. “He appears to be … taking a stand against the small but vocal and powerful minority within the party.”

Such support may not be welcome in the Palmetto State, Woliver said.

“That’s not going to sit well here,” she said. “In the Republican primary, Giuliani is really stepping into heated territory. This is a state where [Sen. John] McCain is questionable. That’s how conservative the Republican cadre is here.”

Fox News Story on Voter Fraud Features Only African Americans

A Fox News story on potential voter fraud in South Carolina featured only African American voters. Watch it here:

This is a good example of why the DNC refused to sanction any Democratic presidential debates broadcast on Fox News.

As we reported earlier, Fox News will moderate and broadcast the Republican presidential debate in South Carolina tonight at 9pm ET.

Is it All in Vain?

Mitt Romney is running close to last in South Carolina:

There are two interesting things about the most recent poll out of South Carolina, done by Ayres McHenry & Associates: 1) Mitt Romney is in a weak fifth place, despite a massive effort in the state (though he is still ahead of Lindsay Lohan), and 2) Rudy Giuliani is in a strong second place, despite an ugly last couple months.

First things first. The Romney folks always blame his weak showing nationally on his low name ID. He does have weak name ID, but not in South Carolina. There, at least 69% of likely Republican primary voters know enough about him to have an opinion (his fav-unfav is: 54%-15%), and only 13% claim not to have heard of him. Meanwhile, 30% of likely Republican primary voters haven't heard of Fred Thompson, yet he comes in third with 16% of the vote.

Mr. Romney's been running ads, he's been having robo-calls go out with the popular Sen. DeMint's voice, and he's been doing other on-the-ground work. Yet Mr. Thompson beats him by 8 points, Mr. Giuliani beats him by 12 points, and Mr. McCain beats him by 17.

As the Republicans prepare to debate tonight in South Carolina (9 p.m. EDT), you can get information about Mitt Romney and the rest of the candidates at our Resource Center.

South Carolina Primary is Already Ugly

Ten Republican presidential candidates gather in South Carolina tonight for their second debate this month. The debate will broadcast live on Fox News at 9:00 pm, and will be moderated by Brit Hume, the conservative Fox commentator.

South Carolina was the scene of an ugly primary battle in 2000 between George Bush and John McCain, during which McCain suffered “one of the dirtiest smear campaigns in modern political history.”

Push polls attacked McCain's personal life and exaggerated his role in the Keating savings and loan scandal. Leaflets slammed his wife, Cindy, for her past addiction to painkillers. An e-mail from a Bob Jones University professor accused McCain of fathering children out of wedlock. A mysterious public action committee in favor of the Confederate flag--called "Keep it Flying"--sprang up overnight and slammed McCain in 250,000 leaflets.

Ironically, McCain has hired Terry Nelson, a strategist with his own long history of dirty tricks who said he admired the tactics used against McCain in South Carolina in 2000.

Just in time for the debate tonight, a smear attack on Mitt Romney and his Mormon beliefs. Coincidence?

The Spartanburg Herald-Journal reported that some unsigned literature attacking Mormonism was being mailed to some households in the state. The literature was described as "an eight-page diatribe," with the title "Mormons in Contemporary American Society: A Politically Dangerous Religion?" It did not mention Romney, who is Mormon, but was seen by politically active South Carolinians as a direct attack on his candidacy, the paper said.

Of course, Mitt Romney has hired Warren Tompkins, Bush's South Carolina chief strategist in 2000--and one of the principal architects of the smear campaign against McCain. Watch out, folks. This could get ugly.

Tuesday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 14, 2007

Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty Will Resign

From the AP:

Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty said Monday he will resign, the highest-ranking Bush administration casualty in the furor over the firing of U.S. attorneys, The Associated Press has learned.

McNulty, who has served 18 months as the Justice Department’s second-in-command, announced his plans at a closed-door meeting of U.S. attorneys in San Antonio, according to two senior department aides. He said he will remain at the department until this fall or until the Senate approves a successor, the aides said.

Tommy Thompson: In the Running for Number 2?

Expanding on his reason for saying at a debate that an employer should be allowed to fire someone for being gay, Tommy Thompson on Saturday blamed a dead hearing aid and his need to use the bathroom.

Thompson has lost hearing in one ear and said his hearing-aid battery for the other ear had gone dead.

“I didn’t hear the question. All I was thinking about was getting off the stage,” Thompson said Saturday. “I said it, I’m sorry, and it won’t happen again but it’s not my record. ... There’s nothing discriminatory about me at all.”

That gaffe, as well as one in April when he told a Jewish group that earning money is “part of the Jewish tradition,” have been a distraction for Thompson’s campaign. But he told party faithful at the convention Saturday that he can still win.

No Love Lost Between McCain and Conservatives

John McCain has a problem with conservatives...

In a recent interview in the club's Washington office, Mr. McCain pops up time and again as the one candidate Mr. Toomey thinks cannot carry the free-market message. "The fact is Senator McCain has a problem with conservatives, and his campaign understands that, knows that," he said.

And then he "can't respond" to questions on his policy flips.

McCain, meanwhile, grew indignant at the suggestion that political calculations sparked his opposition to the repeal of President Bush's tax cuts and his support of ethanol as an energy alternative--two views seemingly at odds with positions he has taken before. "I can't respond to a statement like that," he said when asked if his stance on the ethanol, stance, popular in Iowa, had anything nothing to do with that state's caucuses.

Stop the Presses, White Guys Leading The Republican Primary Also Wealthy

The three leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination are all rich, rich, and rich.

Republican Mitt Romney is expected to report financial assets between $190 million and $250 million, an amount that would likely make him the wealthiest of the 2008 Presidential candidates.

Aides to the former Massachusetts governor said his assets have been held in a blind trust that he and his wife set up when he took office in 2002. The adviser who provided the estimate of his assets cautioned that the number is based on 2005 and 2006 financial activity and could amount to a bigger total once the disclosure report is filed later this year.

McCain, an Arizona senator, amassed most of his money through investments and holdings controlled by his wife, Cindy, an heiress to a major beer distributor, Hensley & Co., founded by her father. Estimates put their net worth at between $20-$32 million.

Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, earned his fortune from a multitude of business consulting ventures and paid speeches after leaving office. He received $11.4 million in speaking fees in 2006 alone, an average of about $88,000 a speech.

House Passes Student Loan Sunshine Act

Last week, the House passed the Student Loan Sunshine Act by a vote of 414-3. The legislation will require full disclosure of lender relationships with colleges and universities.

The public recently learned that private loan companies are sometimes offering gifts to college employees--like all-expenses-paid vacations-- in return for being placed on a "preferred lender" list that encourages students to finance their education through those lenders. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chair of the Education and Labor Committee, said:

"At a time when more and more students and families are relying on loans--and incurring greater amounts of debt--in order to pay for a college education, it is beyond shameful that some private lenders are courting colleges with gifts and incentives that often do not help students or parents. These unethical practices abuse the trust that students and parents place in schools and lenders when they take out a loan, and undermine the credibility of the student aid system. Students should be steered towards lenders that will give them the best terms, not towards companies that send college employees on an all-expenses-paid Caribbean vacation."

The Committee on Education and Labor also held a hearing on apparent corruption in the Reading First program. Margaret Spellings, the embattled Education Secretary, testified. Her department is responsible for overseeing the $85 billion-a-year student loan industry.

"The Education Department’s oversight failures have been monumental," said Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), chairman of the committee. "Was this simply laziness? Was it incompetence? Was it a deliberate decision to look the other way while these things happened? Or was it a failing more sinister than that?"

Miller disclosed at the hearing that the Justice Department is examining a controversial accounting loophole used by Nelnet, a Nebraska-based lending company, in an attempt to collect more than $1 billion in government subsidies. Spellings decided this year to halt the payments but allowed Nelnet to keep $278 million it had collected.

...

Spellings offered her fullest explanation yet of the decision to settle with Nelnet, saying she believed there was a significant chance that the company would have won if it had filed a lawsuit against the government to continue receiving payments.

But Miller, in one of several verbal sparring sessions with Spellings, said the explanation made little sense. "If it's such an easy case for them, why did they walk away from $1 billion?" he asked.

Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) recently introduced a companion bill to the Student Loan Sunshine Act in the Senate.

No Longer a Spotless Record: Giuliani Wrongly Handled 9-11 Aftermath

Giuliani's record is tarnished by how he handled the 9-11 aftermath. From the New York Times:

[T]oday, with evidence that thousands of people who worked at ground zero have become sick, many regard Mr. Giuliani’s triumph of leadership as having come with a human cost.

An examination of Mr. Giuliani’s handling of the extraordinary recovery operation during his last months in office shows that he seized control and largely limited the influence of experienced federal agencies. In doing that, according to some experts and many of those who worked in the trade center’s ruins, Mr. Giuliani might have allowed his sense of purpose to trump caution in the rush to prove that his city was not crippled by the attack. . . .

“The city ran a generally slipshod, haphazard, uncoordinated, unfocused response to environmental concerns,” said David Newman, an industrial hygienist with the New York Committee on Occupational Safety and Health, a labor group.

Rudy shows where the buck stops...with some guy named Jerry.

Rudy Giuliani yesterday fingered his former top emergency-management aide Jerry Hauer as the man responsible for the tragic decision to put the city's emergency command bunker inside the World Trade Center complex.

"Jerry Hauer recommended that as the prime site and the site that would make the most sense," Giuliani said on "Fox News Sunday," adding, "It was largely on his recommendation that that site was selected."

Giuliani was answering a question about why the city built the $61 million bunker on the 23rd floor of 7 World Trade Center despite the 1993 truck-bomb attack on the WTC, even though Hauer--a Democrat who has since had a falling-out with Giuliani--had told him the existing facility in Brooklyn could be updated.

No home field advantage for Giuliani: Bloomberg tops Rudy in New York presidential poll.

Michael Bloomberg is not only a better mayor of New York than Rudy Giuliani--he'd make a better President, too.

That's the result of a Daily News poll released today that asked the voters who know best--New Yorkers--which man belongs in the White House.

City voters overwhelmingly chose Mayor Mike over America's Mayor as their pick for President, 46% to 29%.

"I feel in my heart Bloomberg is a better man," said Jaen Garcia, 53, of Highbridge, the Bronx.

Too Much Information: The Judi-Rudy Courtship

At other times, their presentation has been lovey-dovey to the point of queasiness. Their displays of affection got so gooey during the taping of the Walters interview that the ABC News doyenne is said to have joked, “Enough already!” They held hands and cooed; he called her “baby” and she called him “sweetheart” as they kissed on the lips. At one point, after he absolved her of responsibility for his divorce from Hanover and his alienation from their two children (“She’s done everything she can. She loves all the children”), Judith, who was serenely feminine in a sea-green sweater, with another, lavender sweater tied casually around her neck over it, French preppy style, reached out to caress his cheek.

U.S. Debt Ballooned Under Bush Administration

So much for the "fiscal conservatives." This is from The Agonist:

Here's a list of the total debt outstanding at the end of the fiscal years 2000-2006. These are years when the "fiscally conservative party" ran the nation and had complete control of Congress and the White House.

09/30/2006 $8,506,973,899,215.23
09/30/2005 $7,932,709,661,723.50
09/30/2004 $7,379,052,696,330.32
09/30/2003 $6,783,231,062,743.62
09/30/2002 $6,228,235,965,597.16
09/30/2001 $5,807,463,412,200.06
09/30/2000 $5,674,178,209,886.86

The "fiscally conservative party" added almost three trillion in total debt outstanding over the course of 6 years.

Bonddad reports that by the end of this year, our national debt will top $9.216 trillion. By the way, the war in Iraq has cost us over $425 billion dollars so far--and Bush is demanding another $95 billion in blank check funding.

Department of Defense Cuts Off Access to YouTube, MySpace for Troops

The Department of Defense is now blocking access to YouTube, MySpace and 11 other Web sites on its computers and networks, which will prevent soldiers from sharing pictures and video with family and friends back home.

Soldiers serving overseas will lose some of their online links to friends and loved ones back home under a U.S. Department of Defense policy that a high-ranking Army official said would take effect Monday.

The Defense Department will begin blocking access worldwide to YouTube, MySpace and 11 other popular Web sites on its computers and networks, according to a memo sent Friday by Gen. B.B. Bell, the U.S. Forces Korea commander.

...

The armed services have long barred members of the military from sharing information that could jeopardize their missions or safety, whether electronically or by other means.

The new policy is different because it creates a blanket ban on several sites used by military personnel to exchange messages, pictures, video and audio with family and friends.

We reported last week that the U.S. military is also banning soldiers from posting to blogs without clearing the content with a superior officer first.

Monday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 13, 2007

Sunday Open Thread

Chat away...

Happy Mother's Day Weekend

Anna Jarvis was instrumental in making Mother's Day a national holiday, which began in the United States as a call for peace, and as influential people joined the campaign, it quickly caught on. After finally succeeding in 1914, she grew outraged at the commercialization of the holiday. She has been called the "Mother of Mother's Day," but was also a speaker, teacher, and -- of course -- a mother.

Some also credit Julia Ward Howe, famous author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," for bringing the holiday over from England. The poet and activist wrote the Mother's Day Proclamation, which did not just call for peace, but also for greater civic engagement for women at a time it was lacking.

It was a time when women were still denied the right to vote in this country, so the creation of this holiday, and the lobbying that went along with it, is worthy of celebration in its own right as a victory for America.

The original proclamation, which was signed by Woodrow Wilson and can be viewed here, declared that the flag be displayed on all government buildings "as a public expression of our love and reverence for all the mothers of this country."

And in that spirit, the DNC Internet Department would like to wish a very special Mother's Day to our moms.

My own mom, Connie Link, continues to serve as an important role model for me. Nobody has been more instrumental in shaping the values that I bring both to my politics and my everyday life.

Adam Zoltowski, our graphics designer at the DNC, had this to say about his mom: "My mom is the coolest woman I know, and I forgive her for keeping me in for recess when I was in her 6th Grade class as a boy. She's the best."

And Stephanie Taylor, who you all know, had this to say about her mom: "My mom can bake a cake and build a shelf. She's the most talented lady I know. I love you, Mom!"

Tell us about your mom in the comments.

May 12, 2007

Saturday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 11, 2007

Republican Representative Under Investigation Appointed to the House Appropriations Committee

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. He replaces Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), who stepped down after the FBI raided his home in a probe connected to lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

But Calvert is also under investigation by the FBI.

Calvert, who represents western Riverside County, caught investigators’ attention because he had been receiving campaign donations since 1999 from a lobbying firm that has close ties with Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands. The FBI had been investigating links between Lewis, a ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, and the lobbying firm Copeland, Lowery, Jacquez, Denton & White.

The Riverside County grand jury also sought documents related to a land deal, in which Calvert and his associates purchased a 3.3-acre parcel of land for $1.2 million.

The House Appropriations Committee is recognized as the most powerful and influential of the committees. The Committee oversees approximately $900 billion in federal money.

The Friday Five

Every Friday we're highlighting five events happening around the country that we've found in PartyBuilder's Events system. Democrats who work and play together, win together, and keeping your local Democrats active and involved is the key to sustaining vibrant organizations.

Here are 5 events happening around the country in the next week. If you don't see one in your neck of the woods, click here to search for one near you.

1. Basic VAN Training (Reno, NV)
   

   This is the basic VAN training created by Brian. We will be doing the training on a demonstration basis (as opposed to a hands-on basis).

2. DFA Training (Bloomington, IN)
   

   On May 12th and 13th instructors from Democracy for America and related organizations will conduct an official DFA training seminar in Bloomington Indiana. DFA training is similar to seminars conducted by Camp Wellstone and Camp Bayh but with more emphasis on immersion in the entire campaign structure rather than separating attendees based on one specific area.

3. Colorama Festival and ProWest Rodeo (Coulee Dam, WA)
   

   Mother's Day Weekend. Arts, crafts, carnival, entertainment, art show & food booths. Saturday Cowboy Breakfast, 6:30 to 11am, Health Walk at 8am, North Dam Park, Grand Parade, 11 am. Special Showing of the Laser Light Show on the Grand Coulee Dam.




4. Clean WI Kick Off (Lone Rock, WI)
   

   Join area progressives and environmentalists as we launch our campaign to STOP global warming in Wisconsin.

5. The Climate Crisis: Time to Rise (Worthington, OH)
   

   Dr. David Robinson, who has worked with Al Gore's organization to develop a presentation that supports and extends the message of Al Gore's movie, "An Inconvenient Truth" will share his presentation with WADC in a meeting that is free and open to the public.

Democrats Pass Revised Iraq Accountability Act

Since Bush vetoed the Iraq Accountability Act, House Democrats have worked round-the-clock to find ways to fund our troops without writing a blank check for the Bush administration. On Thursday they passed HR 2206, the revised Iraq Accountability Act, by a vote of 221-205.

The revised Iraq Accountability Act splits the original bill into two parts. While making $42.8 billion available immediately to provide our troops with the equipment and armor they need, the other $52.8 billion in requested funding would depend on Bush and the Iraqi government meeting benchmarks by July.

From Speaker Nancy Pelosi:

[W]e will not give the President a blank check. We will not support an open-ended commitment to a war without end.

By July 13, Bush would have to report to Congress on progress by the Government of Iraq. The Government of Iraq will have to meet key benchmarks like agreeing to share oil revenue among all Iraqis, disarming militias, and pursuing extremists.

Within 7 legislative days of receiving the report, both the House and the Senate would vote on whether to release the remaining defense funds. The House would also vote on whether or not the remaining funds could only be used to redeploy troops from the region.

The revised Iraq Accountability Act also includes:

• Prohibition on the establishment of permanent bases in Iraq
• Prohibition on torture
• The Murtha troop readiness provision
• $2.25 billion to improve homeland security
• $1.8 billion for veterans’ medical care

Bush has already threatened to veto the measure, although he now says he is open to the idea of benchmarks. Previously he said he wanted $95 billion with no strings attached.

Yes Man

Another questionnaire lists Rudy's pro-choice positions:

Race42008.com has obtained from a confidential source the 1997 NARAL/NY PAC questionnaire complete by then candidate for Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Nine questions that are asked include whether the candidate agrees with the substance of Roe v. Wade, whether the candidate supports Medicaid funding of abortions “without any restrictions,” and whether the candidate opposes legislation requiring parental notification or consent for minors to obtain an abortion. To each of these Giuliani answered “yes.” The questionnaire also asks whether the candidate would “oppose legislation that would make criminals of doctors who perform intact D&X [partial birth] abortions.” Again Giuliani answered “yes” to each of these. Other questions ask whether he would support inclusion of contraceptive and abortion services in all “health care delivery packages,” requiring OB/Gyn graduate training hospitals to require abortion training and including comprehensive sex education in public schools. Once again Giuliani answered “yes” to all of these.

"IF" he comes to Church...

The priest of the Manhattan church where Rudy Giuliani had his second wedding says he would deny the presidential contender Holy Communion because of his public support for abortion.

"Because he publicly is against church teaching, the answer would be no" if Giuliani requested the sacrament, said Msgr. Thomas Modugno.

Modugno, who has not seen Giuliani at the church since his third marriage to the former Judith Nathan, said all Catholics who support abortion should be denied Communion.
. . .

Asked if Giuliani attends church, a campaign spokeswoman said, "The mayor's relationship with God is both private and personal."

At St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Rev. Joseph Marabe, 60, said, "If he comes to my church, he would be refused Communion."

Will Hillbilly Heroin Lobbyist Giuliani Win The Rush Limbaugh Endorsement?

From the NY Post:

Political observers said Giuliani's private business dealings are becoming a serious liability to his presidential campaign.

"He's seeking to be president to represent the public interest and his firm is representing clients that are endangering the public health. Come on," said Baruch College political science Professor Doug Muzzio.

Another Sad, Pathetic Display

Alberto Gonzales, the man with a memory only a Bush could love, testified today in front of the House Judiciary Committee about the politically motivating firings of U.S. Attorneys. Yet if he attempted to remove himself from the still-growing controversy, let me offer this one bit of advice that I hope he takes to heart: it's time to resign.

In yet another pathetic display by the Attorney General, he attempted to defend the recent news that nine prosecutors were asked to resign -- not eight as Gonzales and other Justice Department officials said. The big question: how is it possible that after document dump after document dump, and witness testimony after witness testimony, that this firing escaped the public eye for so long?

Those questions that were actually answered at the hearing with something besides "I don't recall," such as the discovery that David Iglesias was added to the list of prosecutors to be fired on "Election Day, November," have created more problems for a Justice Department that continues to be led by a man without a shred of credibility.

And then, of course, there were the endless contradictions, such as the comical-if-not-so-serious claim that, as Joshua Marshall points out, "the firing list was assembled by consulting senior DOJ officials -- even though those officials apparently weren't told they were being consulted."

How's that for clarity?

What's truly sad is that it's not just his own reputation that he's damaging, or even the reputation of the Bush administration which already faded long ago. No, what's important here is the reputation of the Justice Department, and we desperately need to restore the public trust that the law will be enforced regardless of politics.

Friday Open Thread

Happy Friday! Chat away...

May 10, 2007

Bush Administration Withheld Emails about Rove

The Bush administration may have deliberately withheld emails from Congress that would have revealed just how deeply Karl Rove was involved in Attorneygate.

In a breaking story from the National Journal, journalist Murray Waas reports that a series of emails, leaked by an anonymous senior official, show that Karl Rove was involved in an effort to install Timothy Griffin, a Rove protégé, as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas.

The emails also show that Kyle Sampson, former chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, worked with White House officials to draft two letters to Congress that misrepresented the circumstances of Griffin’s appointment as U.S. attorney--and Rove’s role in supporting Griffin.

Several of the e-mails that the Bush administration is withholding from Congress, as well as papers from the White House counsel's office describing other withheld documents, were made available to National Journal by a senior executive branch official, who said that the administration has inappropriately kept many of them from Congress...

"If [Gonzales] didn't know everything that was going on when it went down, that is one thing," this official said. "But he knows and understands chapter and verse. If there was an effort within Justice and the White House to mislead Congress, it is his duty to disclose that to Congress. As the country's chief law enforcement official, he has a higher duty to disclose than to protect himself or the administration."

There is further evidence that White House and Justice Department officials, afraid that Griffin would not be confirmed, asked former U.S. attorney Bud Cummins to resign more quickly so that they could name Griffin as an interim U.S. attorney in his place, which under the PATRIOT Act would allow him to avoid a confirmation vote in the Senate.

Oregon Stands Up For Equality

We're making progress in Oregon; yesterday Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed into law legislation to create domestic partnerships for LGBT families and ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. In the fight for equality, this step forward means fewer Americans will face discrimination and more families will be protected.

This historic legislation will allow families to benefit from the same rights already afforded to married couples at the state level. In Governor Kulongoski's press release, this stood out to me as being particularly insightful:

"If you look at the majority of the bills that pass each session, they are what I call transactional," the Governor continued. "However, every decade or so there are a few bills that are actually transformational – and House Bill 2007 and Senate Bill 2 are two pieces of legislation that will literally transform our state from one of exclusion to one of complete inclusion."

As Governor of Vermont, Governor Dean signed the nation's first civil unions bill. Since then, Democratic leaders in other states have taken steps towards providing equal rights and protections under the law for all Americans. That's because Democrats are committeed to ensuring that all of our families have the same access to a life with dignity and respect, free of discrimination.

New Report: Katrina Hit African Americans Harder Than Whites

A new study shows that Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and surrounding areas in August 2005, has hit African American residents of the city much harder than whites.

The Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a house-to-house survey of people living in Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes. The study found that the vast majority (81%) have seen their quality of life deteriorate in at least one critical aspect of their lives.

The study also found a sharp divide in the way that African Americans and whites in New Orleans experienced the storm and the recovery efforts:

Twice as many African Americans as whites in Orleans (59% vs. 29%) reported that their lives are still "very" or "somewhat" disrupted. African Americans within Orleans were significantly more likely than Orleans whites (58% vs. 34%) to live in areas that experienced heavy flooding.

In addition, seven in 10 African Americans in Orleans Parish (72%) reported a problem accessing health care, more than twice the rate reported by whites in the parish (32%). African Americans in the city also reported more often than their white neighbors that their financial situation had gotten worse, that they had no job or earned too little, or that they had a child facing a health care-related problem. For example, 46% of African Americans reported that they had inadequate wages or no job, compared with 17% among whites.

The new hurricane season begins June 1, and many residents are worried that their neighborhoods are still vulnerable to a major storm.

The Bush administration was severely criticized in the aftermath of Katrina for its slow and inept response to the emergency. More recently, after a tornado devastated a town in Kansas, residents and the state government once again struggled without needed federal support.

11 Republican Lawmakers Tell Bush Support is Crumbling

On Tuesday, 11 Republican lawmakers, including House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), met with President Bush at the White House to tell him that he has lost all credibility on the war among their constituents. Witnesses described it as a blunt, no-holds-barred meeting. Thanks to PamB for catching this detail from the New York Times:

Participants in the Tuesday meeting between Mr. Bush, senior administration officials and 11 members of a moderate bloc of House Republicans said the lawmakers were unusually candid with the president, telling him that public support for the war was crumbling in their swing districts.

One told Mr. Bush that voters back home favored a withdrawal even if it meant the war was judged a loss. Representative Tom Davis told Mr. Bush that the president’s approval rating was at 5 percent in one section of his northern Virginia district.

"It was a tough meeting in terms of people being as frank as they possibly could about their districts and their feelings about where the American people are on the war," said Representative Ray LaHood of Illinois. "It was a no-holds-barred meeting."

The meeting, which lasted more than an hour and fifteen minutes, suggests that there is a deepening break in the conservative base on the issue of the war. Bush was advised to stop making claims of progress in Iraq altogether. "We need honesty, Mr. President," one member told him.

Ann Romney Donated to Planned Parenthood

The news today that Ann Romney donated to Planned Parenthood is raising new questions about Mitt Romney's stance on abortion. Is he pro-choice or not? Mitt, make up your mind!

Former Gov. Mitt Romney's wife, Ann, gave an $150 donation to the abortion-rights group Planned Parenthood in 1994, at a time when Romney considered himself effectively "pro-choice," the Romney campaign confirmed today.

Campaign spokesman Kevin Madden said Ann Romney had no recollection of the circumstances under which she donated the money.

...

Madden said he did not know whether the former governor was aware of the donation, but he noted that Romney had been publicly committed to upholding a woman's right to an abortion until late 2004.

"This is an issue that the governor has changed his position on, that the governor was wrong on in the past and believes he is right on now," he said.

On Thursday, Romney is scheduled to deliver a speech to Massachusetts Citizens for Life--a speech that is expected to draw protesters from both sides of the abortion debate who are upset with Romney's shifting position on choice.

Thursday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 9, 2007

Bush Administration Already Says It Will Veto - But Hasn’t Even Seen the Bill Yet

House Democrats are working round-the-clock to provide funding for the troops, since Bush vetoed the Iraq Accountability Act last week, which would have provided $124 billion in funding for our troops.

One proposal would pay for the war through September, but with one condition: half the money would depend on Bush reporting to Congress this summer on security goals met by the Iraqi government.

The proposal hasn’t even made it as far as the House floor. But today, White House spokesman Tony Snow said that the bill would be vetoed due to "unacceptable language"--sight unseen.

More to come...

Fred Thompson: Survey? What Survey?

Yesterday I wrote about a questionnaire that surfaced showing that Fred Thompson wanted to cut funding for AIDS research. The survey, conducted in 1994, is receiving quite a bit of attention for its claim that he supported a woman's right to abortion in the first three months.

But now Fred Thompson is claiming he never even saw the survey:

The abortion credentials of potential Republican White House contender Fred Thompson came into question Tuesday when a survey filled out by his 1994 Senate campaign surfaced on the Internet. It said Thompson supported a woman's right to abortion in the first three months of pregnancy.

"That questionnaire was filled out by a campaign staffer without Fred's knowledge," said Mark Corallo, a spokesman for the former Tennessee senator. "As you can see, he has voted in every instance along pro-life lines."

It's always a staffer, isn't it?

Governor Dean Responds to Cheney Trip to Baghdad

Governor Dean issued the following response to Vice President Dick Cheney in Baghdad:

"As casualties continue to mount, 35,000 more U.S. troops are being sent into a civil war in Iraq and our National Guard is stretched thin, making it difficult to respond to natural disasters here at home, the only solution Vice President Cheney and the Bush Administration offer is to stay-the-course. Democrats stand with our troops, the American people and military leaders as we work to ensure America changes course in Iraq. We want to work with President Bush and Republicans in Congress toward a solution but we will not support a blank check policy."

Cheney’s Surprise Visit to Iraq: “Kick the Press Out”

Vice President Dick Cheney's surprise trip to Baghdad today was carefully kept secret from the press for days. While his staff never denied the visit, they did repeatedly say that such a visit was not on the schedule. The Wall Street Journal reports:

Once safely ensconced in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, however, Cheney appeared to reserve his toughest language for his normal target--the press. Cheney held a lot of photo ops with key Iraqi leaders like Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, but was adamant about not taking questions. At one point, Cheney emphasized to the assembled journalists that "this is just a photo spray." Later in the day, as reporters filed into an embassy conference room for another photo of Cheney they overheard him tell his staff "then we kick the press out."

Related news: The U.S. Army has ordered soldiers to stop posting to blogs or sending personal e-mail messages without first clearing the content with a superior officer first, in an ongoing effort to control news from Iraq. Wired News has full coverage of the story.

Over 60% of Americans Support Withdrawal from Iraq

According to a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll released today, over 60% of Americans support withdrawal from Iraq. The poll also reports that most don’t believe the continued American presence in Iraq will protect the U.S. from new terrorist attacks or prevent an escalation of the Iraqi civil war.

"Six in 10 support setting a timetable for withdrawal and sticking to it regardless of what's happening in Iraq; 36% say the United States should keep troops in Iraq until the situation there improves. Most Americans expect things to get worse in Iraq and the region in any case...

"Only 22% of Americans accept the administration's argument that U.S. forces in Iraq are preventing new terror attacks on the United States; 17% say the troop presence is making those attacks more likely. Another 58% say the U.S. deployment doesn't affect it either way...In the poll, three in four Americans support benchmarks that Iraq would have to meet to continue receiving economic and military assistance."

In other news, more than half the members of Iraq’s parliament signed a legislative petition yesterday calling on the United States to set a timetable for withdrawal. Read the great coverage by AlterNet here.

Celebrating Asian Pacific American Workers

With the Democratic Party celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, it's worth taking a closer look at the lives that Asian Pacific American workers lead. The AFL-CIO blog, highlighting their Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, write about the history of their role in the labor movement and the struggles they encountered and overcame.

They also point us to Journey for Justice, 223 years of APA Labor History in the Puget Sound, which is on display in the lobby of AFL-CIO building.

It features portraits and stories of Puget Sound workers fighting for their rights and their fair share of the American Dream. Workers such as David Yao, who along with his co-workers at a private mail-processing facility sought and won a union with the Postal Workers.

You'll want to check out the website, which has history of important events, like the Seattle General Strike of 1919:

For five days in February, 65,000 workers participated in a general strike in support of the city’s wartime shipyard workers. For Chinese and Japanese Americans, however, these days were much darker. For decades, Asian workers had been exploited by company owners to undercut white workers’ wages and break strikes. At the same time they were scapegoated and ghettoized by white workers who felt economically threatened by immigrant and non-white laborers.

It's been a long struggle, and more work remains to be done.

Giuliani May Be a Little Too Cozy With the Yankees

World Series rings may be "serious breach of the law:"

With Giuliani's name inscribed in the 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000 diamond-and-gold rings, memorabilia and baseball experts say they are collectively worth a minimum of $200,000. The Yankees say that Giuliani did pay for his rings—but only $16,000, and years after he had left office. Anyone paying for the rings is as unusual as a mayor getting one, since neither the Yankees nor any other recent champion have sold rings to virtually anyone. The meager payment, however, is less than half of the replacement value of the rings, and that's a fraction of the market price, especially with the added value of Giuliani's name.

What's more troubling is that Giuliani's receipt of the rings may be a serious breach of the law, and one that could still be prosecuted. New York officials are barred from taking a gift of greater than $50 value from anyone doing business with the city, and under Giuliani, that statute was enforced aggressively against others. His administration forced a fire department chief, for example, to retire, forfeit $93,105 in salary, and pay a $6,000 fine for taking Broadway tickets to two shows and a free week in a ski condo from a city vendor. The city's Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB) has applied the gift rule to discounts as well, unless the cheaper rate "is available generally to all government employees." When a buildings department deputy commissioner was indicted in 2000 for taking Mets and Rangers tickets, as well as a family trip to Florida, from a vendor, an outraged Giuliani denounced his conduct as "reprehensible," particularly "at high levels in city agencies," and said that such officials had to be "singled out" and "used as examples."

Commanders Now Say Escalation Will Last Into 2008

The Washington Post reported this morning that as the Pentagon prepares to deploy 35,000 more soldiers, U.S. commanders in Iraq are saying the escalation will last into the spring of 2008.

"The surge needs to go through the beginning of next year for sure," said Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the day-to-day commander for U.S. military operations in Iraq.

"What I am trying to do is to get until April so we can decide whether to keep it going or not," he said in an interview in Baghdad last week. "Are we making progress? If we're not making any progress, we need to change our strategy. If we're making progress, then we need to make a decision on whether we continue to surge."

On Monday, the Bush administration said that the United States will suffer heavy casualties in Iraq in the coming weeks as the military pushes into "tougher neighborhoods" in Baghdad. April was one of the deadliest months for U.S. soldiers since the start of the war, with 104 troops killed.

35,000 More Soldiers To Be Deployed

From the AP/Huffington Post:

The Pentagon has notified more than 35,000 soldiers and Marines to be prepared to deploy to Iraq beginning this fall, a move that would allow commanders to maintain the ongoing buildup of troops through the end of the year if needed.

According to the Army, the combat brigades would deploy for up to 15 months. The Army also said that close to 1,000 additional support troops from the U.S. Army Reserves would also deploy in August.

Wednesday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 8, 2007

National Guard Deployments to Iraq Leave States Vulnerable

The disaster in Kansas last weekend highlighted the crisis we are facing with needed National Guard troops and equipment deployed to Iraq. Everyone is now asking "Is the war in Iraq making us more vulnerable at home?"

Democratic leaders in Congress included $2 billion in the Iraq Accountability Act, not requested by the president, for a new Strategic Reserve Readiness Fund, of which $1 billion would have funded the replacement of Army National Guard equipment deployed or lost in Iraq. Bush vetoed this bill, along with the additional funding for the National Guard, on May 1.

The Government Accountability Office reported back in January that out of 300 types of equipment needed in natural disasters, the Guard had fewer in all categories than it did in 2001, before the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Some units are missing essential equipment like radios, dump trucks, or diesel generators.

A study by the National Guard Association of the United States reported that domestic units only have 40 percent of the equipment they would need in the event of a natural disaster--and that includes privately owned vehicles that would be made available under the terms of their lease agreements.

Over the past few years, military commanders, governors, state legislators and the National Guard Association have all spoken out about the crisis.

Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, Chief, National Guard Bureau:

"They (the governors) are rightfully concerned that… the equipment piece to the National Guard back here at home has never been less ready…The message is clear: What we have in the budget does not produce the level of readiness that they feel comfortable with."[Stateline.org; 2/25/07]

Michael Easley, Governor, North Carolina:

"We the governors rely on the Guard to respond to natural disasters, a pandemic or terrorist attack…Currently, we don’t have the manpower or the equipment to perform that dual role of responding to both state and federal needs."[Los Angeles Times, 2/25/07]

Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, Head of the Indiana National Guard:

"What keeps me up at night is...if I needed to deploy every bit of my soldiers and airmen, I know for a fact I do not have enough equipment."[Washington Post, 3/2/07]

Lt. Col. Pete Schneider, Spokesman for the Louisiana National Guard:

"We are really concerned about vehicles...We would have enough for a small-scale issue...maybe a Category 1 tropical storm we could handle — an event that doesn’t involve massive flooding or massive search and rescue."[Washington Post, 3/2/07]

GOP Donors Dine With the Queen

The White House hosted the Queen of England last night with an intimate formal dinner for 134 guests in white ties. What did one have to do to score an invitation to such an event? Win a Nobel Prize? Bring home an Olympics gold medal?

Apparently, one just has to be very rich. The guest list included an Arizona car dealer, an interior designer and a former Enron executive.

As The Blotter reports, 18 big GOP donors dined with the Queen last night. Not just ordinary GOP donors. As Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the campaign finance watchdog group Center for Responsive Politics said, "In a sense, this is the GOP royalty."

The 18 major donors on last night's guest list each raised and contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars for Bush and the Republican party over the past decade, according to an ABC News analysis of campaign contribution data available at Opensecrets.

Among the guests to attend the white-tie dinner was Jim Click, a Tucson, Ariz., car dealership owner, who has contributed more than $900,000 for Republicans since 1994, and was designated a Bush "Ranger" for raising more than $200,000 for Bush's 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns.

Click is the cousin and business partner of Robert Tuttle, also a major contributor, who is now the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain. Tuttle raised at least $100,000 for Bush's re-election campaign, making him a Bush "Pioneer."

Tuttle's predecessor as ambassador to Great Britain, William S. Farish, was also guest at the dinner. Farish and his family have contributed more than $220,000 to the Republican party and made a $100,000 donation to Bush's 2001 inaugural committee. Months later, Bush appointed Farish ambassador.

Many of the major donors on the guest list came from the Texas oil and energy industries, including former Enron executive Richard Kinder. Kinder left Enron in 1996 after buying out the company's pipeline operations to start his own business. Kinder has contributed nearly $1 million to Bush and the GOP since the early 1990s, including $350,000 in donations to Bush's inaugural funds.

Also receiving coveted invitations were Texas oilmen T. Boone Pickens and Ray L. Hunt. Pickens and Hunt have each contributed more than $700,000 to the Republican party going back to the first Bush presidency.

Speaking of royalty, the families of George W. Bush and Prince William are related through Henry Spencer, who lived in Northamptonshire during the 15th century. So joking aside, he really is King George.

Fred Thompson Wanted to Cut Funding for AIDS Research

Fred Thompson, in a Project Vote Smart survey he filled out in 1994 that has recently come to light, stated that he favored decreasing funding for AIDS research (via NY Sun).

I couldn't believe it until I checked it out for myself; he actually said he wanted to cut funding. This, by the way, was right around the time that the US death rate (per 100,000 population) was near its peak. Yet somehow that didn't cause him to change his mind.

He can't claim that it was a different time. The nation already understood the seriousness of the issue and the great harm it had already caused so many families. President Clinton had already taken steps to make federal funding of research a priority, as an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education back in 1994 pointed out:

A sharp increase in support for AIDS research for fiscal year 1994. After remaining on a plateau for the last three years of the Bush Administration, federal support for AIDS research in the Public Health Service went up by about 18 per cent, to $1.5-billion for 1994. The NIH will receive about $1.3-billion of that total.

A strengthening of the NIH Office of AIDS Research. This reform, which was part of Congress's reauthorization of the NIH in 1993, aimed to coordinate AIDS research more effectively. It gave the AIDS office a full-time director and instructed that person to lead an effort to develop a strategic plan for the government's spending priorities in AIDS research. The director will also distribute AIDS-research funds to the NIH's 17 institutes.

The appointment of a White House "AIDS czar," Kristine Gebbie, whose job is to coordinate federal AIDS programs.

The recent creation of a National Task Force on AIDS Drug Development, which is charged with finding ways to expedite the search for new therapies against HIV and AIDS. The panel will be made up of scientists, doctors, activists, and members of the pharmaceutical industry.

Fred Thompson would have reacted to this national tragedy with budget cuts. Remember that when he starts talking about the safety of the American people.

But that's not all.

In the survey, he also stated that when it came to raising the minimum wage, he was "undecided." At the time, the federal minimum wage was $4.25/hour.

Is Kansas Another Katrina?

On Monday, we reported that in the aftermath of a killer tornado that ripped through Greensburg, Kansas, Governor Kathleen Sebelius said that the rebuilding effort would be hampered because 60% of the state’s National Guard equipment is now in Iraq.

Today White House spokesman Tony Snow blamed Governor Sebelius for not "following procedure" in requesting additional National Guard equipment:

"As far as we know, the only thing the governor has requested are FM radios. There have been no requests to the National Guard for heavy equipment...We are eager to provide what Kansas needs. But...you also have to go through the process of making the request first."

Snow added, "I’m not aware of any prior complaints," from the governor on the issue of National Guard readiness for emergencies.

Now it turns out that Governor Sebelius, a Democrat, had asked the Bush administration on multiple occasions to replace missing National Guard equipment in Kansas. Hat tip to ThinkProgress for the following timeline, with some modifications:

– Dec. 30, 2005: Sebelius writes to Rumsfeld requesting new equipment. "The Guard was critical to responding to recent blizzards and floods in Kansas, yet its ability to respond to similar situations is being diminished by a lack of equipment," wrote Sebelius. Included with her letter was a list of equipment Kansas had lost to the Iraq war. [Kansas City Star, 1/21/06; Topeka Capital-Journal, 6/29/06]

–Jan. 2006: Sebelius personally urges Bush to increase National Guard funding. In a one-hour motorcade ride in Kansas with Bush, Sebelius expressed concern about "a reduction of National Guard troop strength in its next budget." Bush assured her he was "dealing" with the shortages. [Topeka Capital-Journal, 1/24/06; Kansas City Star, 3/11/06]

-Feb. 2006: Sebelius signs letter from National Governors' Association asking Bush administration to replace missing National Guard equipment. "Governors of both parties said Sunday that Bush administration policies were stripping the National Guard of equipment and personnel needed to respond to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, forest fires and other emergencies." [New York Times, 2/27/06]

–June 28, 2006: Sebelius sends Army Secretary list of equipment lost in war. In a meeting with Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey, Sebelius told Harvey that the state had lost about $140 million in National Guard equipment to the Iraq war. Her office then sent him a list of the lost equipment. [Topeka Capital-Journal, 6/29/06]

–Sept. 2006: Sebelius lobbies for replacement of National Guard equipment sent to Iraq. "Kansas' congressional delegation, Sebelius and governors from around the country have been lobbying the Pentagon for increased funding to replace National Guard equipment that has been left in Iraq or damaged beyond repair after repeated use in war." [AP, 9/5/06]

Tens of thousands of National Guard members have been sent to Iraq since the start of the war, along with much of the equipment needed to deal with natural disasters and terrorist threats in the United States.

The Government Accountability Office reported back in January that out of 300 types of equipment needed in natural disasters, the Guard had fewer in all categories than it did in 2001, before the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Giuliani the Insincere

Rudy Giuliani repeatedly contributed to Planned Parenthood:

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani in his campaign appearances this year has stated that he personally abhors abortion, even though he supports keeping a legal right to choose. But records show that in the '90s he contributed money at least six times to Planned Parenthood, one of the country's leading abortion rights groups and its top provider of abortions.

Federal tax returns made public by the former New York mayor show that he and his then-wife, Donna Hanover, made personal donations to national, state and city chapters of Planned Parenthood totaling $900 in 1993, 1994, 1998 and 1999.

People have begun asking whether Giuliani has any real convictions at all, given that he continues to flip-flop on such important, high-profile issues. Now his campaign faces an increasing amount of scrutiny, as they attempt to explain the seemingly endless contradictions. Over at the conservative National Review, Rich Lowry has dubbed him "Giuliani the Insincere," stating that he lacks "both clarity and conviction." He continues:

Giuliani has been pounded by pundits for his answers on abortion at the first GOP debate. But he didn’t commit a gaffe. He only suffered from the contradictions of a position that appears to be the product of poorly thought-out political calculation.

It's no wonder the GOP isn't happy with their current crop of presidential candidates.

Report Finds Wolfowitz Broke Bank Rules

Paul Wolfowitz, one of the architects of the Iraq war, appears to be heading down the same path as Alberto Gonzales, feeling pressure from all sides to resign from the World Bank in light of a recent scandal by securing a promotion and hefty raise for his girlfriend. For Wolfowitz, this increasing tension stems from the loss of his chief advisor, leaving as a direct result of his boss' scandal. But the weight of this new round of public outrage mainly comes from a new report by the World Bank ethics panel:

The report was not made public, but the person familiar with its findings confirmed that violations were cited but did not provide any details. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the report has not yet been released.

World Bank officials were bracing for a finding that Wolfowitz may have breached conflict of interest rules in arranging the pay package for Riza.

It appears nobody in the Bush administration is used to even a little bit of oversight, as the administration continues to defy Congressional oversight by refusing to allow Congress to openly question people like Karl Rove.

But now that Wolfowitz is out of government -- for good, I hope -- he's stuck having to deal with the burden of being held accountable for his actions. While there's talk of a deal (via PamB) for settling this situation, it's clear that the World Bank won't be giving Wolfowitz Medals of Honor or telling him he's doing a "heck of a job" like Bush did for those who never deserved it.

UPDATE: Heh. Right on cue: "The White House said on Tuesday the World Bank could continue to be effective with embattled World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz in charge." How perfectly expected.

Gas Prices Hit Record High

The average price of gas hit $3.07 per gallon, a new record in a year of sky-high gas prices. The previous record was an average of $3.03 per gallon.

Most Americans don’t see relief coming anytime soon, either. A CNN poll found that 79 percent of people surveyed think they are either "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to pay over $4 a gallon for gasoline this year. The same poll found that 81 percent think gasoline costs are "unreasonable."

The AFL-CIO reports that if the driver is a minimum wage worker earning $5.15 an hour--a wage Republicans in Congress have refused to raise since 1997--filling up the tank costs more than 11.5 hours of work, or about a day-and-a-half in wages.

Meanwhile, ExxonMobil reported this year the largest annual profit of any U.S. company ever: $39.5 billion. That’s $75,000 a minute in profit.

It's worth noting that the oil and gas industries donated $2,596,725 to the Bush Presidential Campaign in 2004, according to OpenSecrets. Recently, Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani has fielded questions about his close ties to the same Houston oil and gas companies that funded the Bush political career.

Democrats will meet today to address the soaring price of gasoline. Afterwards, at 2:30pm, the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee will hold a hearing on ways to reduce U.S. oil dependence.

Tuesday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 7, 2007

White House says heavier casualties to come in Iraq

The Bush administration said today that the United States will suffer heavy casualties in Iraq in the coming weeks as the military pushes into "tougher neighborhoods" in Baghdad as part of the Bush escalation plan. White House spokesman Tony Snow said:

"We are getting to the point now with the Baghdad security plan where there is going to be real engagement in tougher neighborhoods and you’re likely to see escalating levels of casualties. We’ve known that, been saying it all along. We’re getting into some of the grittiest security operations."

Eight U.S. soldiers were killed Sunday in roadside bomb attacks. Since the invasion of Iraq, more than 3,300 U.S. troops have been killed.

UPDATE: Back in January, during a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was asked if the White House had an estimate of the number of casualties to expect from the escalation. She answered:

"No, uh...I don't think there's any way to give you such an estimate."

If Rice is to be believed, the White House moved forward with the escalation plan with no analysis of what such an action would cost in U.S. lives.

Thompson Lobbied for Perrier

You know how the GOP feels about the French:

Lobbying records show his clients spanned the political spectrum. One was Westinghouse Electric Corp., for which he lobbied in favor of nuclear power. Another was the Teamsters union's Central States Pension Funds.

Thompson also lobbied on behalf of an eclectic group of foreign clients, including Toyota Motor Corp.; The Perrier Group; and Jean-Bertrand Aristide, then president of Haiti.

Maybe he's not so much the Great Conservative Hope:

Members of the Lincoln Club of Orange County, an influential conservative group that hosted the event, praised Thompson's plain-spoken style, his appeal to Southern voters, and his impeccable ideological credentials on issues like limited government, lower taxes, and border security. But several people said they were worried by his sedate delivery – where was the fire? one man asked – and a lack of specifics in his homespun critiques of Democrats and inside-the-beltway Washington.

"He needs to get more detailed," said Richard Wagner, a real estate developer and president of the Lincoln Club. "We need to find out if he can really become an ideological soulmate."

Giuliani Firms Had Potential Conflict of Interest

According to the Wall Street Journal today, two of Rudy Giuliani's companies failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest to a federal judge overseeing a bankruptcy proceeding:

A pair of companies owned by Rudy Giuliani represented both a debtor and a creditor in a recently concluded bankruptcy proceeding, a potential conflict of interest that wasn't disclosed to the federal judge overseeing the case, records show. The matter could heighten pressures on Mr. Giuliani's presidential campaign to be more forthcoming about the candidate's stable of businesses, their clients and the services they provide.

In September 2005, a subsidiary of closely held Giuliani Partners LLC signed a consulting agreement with Delta Air Lines Inc. to provide restructuring advice during the carrier's bankruptcy reorganization, drawing more than $5 million in fees for the service. Then, in January 2006, a separate Giuliani Partners division -- Giuliani Security & Safety -- signed a $2 million consulting deal with Command Security Corp., a tiny provider of security-guard services that had been left with $1 million in unpaid bills when Delta and Northwest Airlines Corp. filed for bankruptcy-court protection in September 2005...

Relatively little is known about the complex relationships between Mr. Giuliani's various businesses, their clients and the fees they charge. Because the company has no public shareholders, it doesn't have to make much information public. Though political rivals have pressed Mr. Giuliani to provide a complete list of his clients, which include pharmaceutical companies, distressed businesses and energy companies, the Republican front-runner's campaign has so far declined to do so.

According to the article, bankruptcy judges can impose stiff penalties on creditor advisers if the judge concludes a firm has improperly failed to reveal connections on both sides of the case.

Giuliani has refused to release a full list of all his firm's clients even though it is becoming relevant to his presidential campaign.

For example, last week he called Hugo Chavez, leader of oil-rich Venezuela, a dangerous foe of the United States--even though Giuliani's law firm lobbies for the U.S. branch of an oil company controlled by Chavez.

Bush Veto Stops Funding to Fix Humvees

A new story from USA Today (reprinted in the Army Times) reports that every armored Humvee in combat Iraq needs to be repaired because the doors can jam shut during an attack and trap soldiers inside.

The Army planned to spend $284 million this year on armor kits, improved door latches and stronger hinges for Humvees. But the money is part of the Iraq Accountability Act that President Bush vetoed last week.

Armored Humvees are the primary troop transport vehicle in Iraq, and are often targeted by insurgents who plant improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along the roads. These bombs cause 70% of U.S. injuries and deaths in Iraq. The broken doors are only the latest in a long series of problems with the Humvees since the war began.

Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA) recently visited a military base, and told reporters that while he was looking at one of the seven-ton Humvees, "the damn seat fell out." Murtha and others have complained that the vehicles lack the armor necessary to keep troops safe from attacks. Even when armored, the Humvees need new suspension systems and engines to support the additional weight.

When fully armored, a Humvee door can weigh at least 600 pounds. One quick fix to the problem of the jamming door is to weld D-shaped hooks to the doors so another truck could rip them off with a cable. There are about 18,000 Humvees in Iraq which need the upgrades.

Bush vetoed the Iraq Accountability Act on May 1, exactly four years after he declared the war over in the infamous "Mission Accomplished" photo-op on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln. Democrats continue to call on Bush to work with them to fund the troops and bring the war to a responsible end.

Scooter Libby: DC's Paris Hilton?

• Paris claimed she didn't know that she wasn't allowed to drive. Scooter Libby claimed he didn't know Plame's real name or covert status.
• Paris Hilton wrote an autobiography, Confessions of an Heiress, where she reveals "intimate" details of a past scandal. Scooter Libby wrote The Apprentice, which The Guardian described as "a steamy novel."
• Paris Hilton has appeared in feature films. Libby has his own Hollywood dreams, telling Larry King of his hopes for his novel to become a movie.
• After sentencing, Paris Hilton cried as people left the courtroom. After his closing remarks, Libby's lawyer "broke down in tears."
• Paris Hilton was convicted of violating the terms of her probation. Scooter Libby was convicted on charges of perjury, making false statements, and obstruction of justice.
• It looks like Paris Hilton is going to prison. Will Scooter Libby follow? Sentencing is set for next month.

Well He Still Has His Hair

Romney loses another top advisor to a rival candidate:

Pozen was a donor to Romney’s gubernatorial campaign in 2004 and was one of two so-called “super” Cabinet secretaries tapped by Romney to lead his administration.

A former Social Security adviser to President Bush, Pozen is just the latest high-profile Massachusetts supporter to turn away from Romney. Richard Egan, billionaire founder of Hopkinton’s EMC Corp., has hopped on former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s bandwagon.

Romney also dodged religion at a religious university:

Mitt Romney, in a major test of his appeal to religious conservatives, delivered the commencement speech yesterday to the largest-ever graduating class at Regent University, the Christian school founded by televangelist Pat Robertson.

Romney steered clear of his religion in yesterday's address, making only one oblique reference, which was not part of his prepared remarks: In thanking Robertson for the chance to speak, he noted that Robertson, during his own presidential bid in 1988, was willing to sacrifice to lead a religiously diverse nation.

Also interesting, Mitt Romney’s upper crust hobbies:

Remember when John Kerry was photographed windsurfing? Didn't help.

Well, Mitt Romney might want to avoid highlighting the life lessons he learned from waterskiing in his stump speech...

Maybe Mitt should spend his time reading the Constitution, instead:

Only the wonkiest wonks of Washington would catch a technical foul such as this one: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has a new TV ad in which he vows to cap non-defense discretionary spending if elected president and declares, "If Congress sends me a budget that exceeds that cap I will veto that budget!"

"I can't wait to get my hands on Washington!" Romney roars.

Well, he may want to get his hands on a budget lesson first. Because the thing is, in Washington, presidents don't veto budgets. Budget resolutions are simply blueprints that, by law, are not sent to the White House for the president's signature.

Iraq War Hampers Kansas Cleanup

Last Friday night, a tornado devastated Greensburg, Kansas, flattening most buildings and killing eight people. Now, Governor Kathleen Sebelius says that the rebuilding effort will be hampered because much of the needed equipment is in Iraq. From the AP:

Governor Kathleen Sebelius said much of the National Guard equipment usually positioned around the state to respond to emergencies is gone. She said not having immediate access to things like tents, trucks and semitrailers will really handicap the rebuilding effort.

Greensburg is an oil and farming town with a population of 1,500. The Greensburg administrator estimated that 95 percent of the town was destroyed by the tornado.

The Kansas National Guard has access right now to only about 40 percent of the equipment it is allotted because so much of the equipment has been sent to Iraq.

Monday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 6, 2007

Sunday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 5, 2007

Saturday Open Thread

Chat away...

May 4, 2007

Lowering Prescription Drug Costs

Chalk up one more victory for America, as the Senate voted 63-28 on an amendment to allow lower-priced prescription drugs to be imported from Canada. While the president's advisors are recommending a veto, the bill still stands a shot at passage.

From the AP:

The amendment that survived the test vote would permit broader imports of prescription drugs from Canada and elsewhere, where certain medicines can cost less than two-thirds what they do in the United States. Backers hope the imports will drive down prices at home.

"The fact is, we are paying the highest prices for brand-name prescription drugs in the world and that's not fair," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., the amendment's sponsor. "Let's make the global economy work for everybody."

By lowering costs, the bill would help ensure that seniors didn't have to choose between taking their prescriptions and their next meal. The legislation has a tremendous level of support of Americans over 50. In one poll conducted by AARP, the 79% backed re-importation and only 9% was against it. In the same survey, 86% wanted Congress "to give top or high priority" to tackling the rising costs of prescription drugs.

If Bush is thinking "What do I care? My approval rating can't get any worse!" then he might just learn he's wrong.

There Were "Rumors" of Political Hiring and Firing in Justice Department

James B. Comey, the former Deputy Attorney General, testified yesterday before the House Judiciary Committee. He told members of the committee that he "heard rumors" of political hiring and firing in the Justice Department.

Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) asked Comey specifically about Monica Goodling, the Justice Department White House Liaison, who is suspected of using political criteria when making employment decisions about career staff. Comey said:

"I had heard rumors to that effect, and read in the newspaper most recently about an investigation on that subject, after I left the government in the last six months or so."

And where there's smoke, there's usually fire…

Raw Story has more.

Ouch

Borat more influential than Bush:

He's the President of the United States, the leader of the free world, the most powerful person on the planet.

But President Bush doesn't have enough juice to make Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world list.

For the first time in the four years that Time has been compiling the list, Bush didn't make the cut.

Even a fake journalist, "Borat" buffoon Sasha Baron Cohen, was deemed list-worthy.

Giuliani Shows He's Out of Practice

At the debate, he gives a struggling and lackluster performance:

Giuliani is going to get whacked around a lot for his performance tonight. Clearly the format didn’t help him. I said watching him try to explain the difference between Shia and Sunni was as painful as watching Joe Theismann have his leg broken by Lawrence Taylor back in the 1980s. Rudy’s better than this performance; the question will be whether this really hurt him.

And of course, there was The ‘OK’ Heard Around the Conservative World: "Rudy Giuliani STILL won't give a straight answer on what he thinks about the repeal of Roe; that "OK" is going to be the "OK" heard around the conservative world."

Rudy's stuck between Roe v. Wade and a hard place:

Asked whether it would be a good day when and if the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling allowing abortions is repealed, Giuliani was the one candidate who struggled a bit.

"It would be ok," the former mayor said -- a major break from the "yeses" offered. He added: "The Court has to make that decision and then the country to deal with it."

He later added: "I hate abortion."

Giuliani “probably won’t be the front-runner” anymore:

John McCain was passionate and vigorous, Mitt Romney was quick and opportunistic and Rudy Giuliani looked uncomfortable and dodgy on the key question of abortion. He probably won't be the front-runner when he wakes up this morning, and that means the Republican race is up for grabs.

The Friday Five

Every Friday we're highlighting five events happening around the country that we've found in PartyBuilder's Events system. Democrats who work and play together, win together, and keeping your local Democrats active and involved is the key to sustaining vibrant organizations.

Here are 5 events happening around the country in the next week. If you don't see one in your neck of the woods, click here to search for one near you.

1. Dance For Democracy (Madison, WI)
   

   Cactus Jam Records is organizing a community event called Dance For Democracy. Dance For Democracy is a free charity event to bring awareness about democracy and local community organizations through music, local community speakers,and charities (American Red Cross, Planned Parenthood,Outreach,etc)

2. Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia Happy Hour (Arlington, VA)
   

   Come join Asian American Democrats at a Happy Hour in Arlington, VA! Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month!!!

3. American Idols (San Gabriel, CA)
   

   Karaoke for the future

4. NC-3rd District Democratic Women's Annual Convention (Morehead City, NC)
   

   NC 3rd District Democratic Women will hold their annual convention in Morehead City this year! Carteret County Democratic Women will be hosting the event. We would like to extend an invitation to every Democrat in eastern North Carolina to attend along with any Democrat who may be on vacation at the Crystal Coast!

5. Cinco de Mayo Festival (San Pablo, CA)
   

   The Latina/o Democratic Club is participating in the Cinco de Mayo Festival sponsored by the cities of San Pablo and Richmond this coming Saturday.

Tag Clouds Can Tell Us a Lot....

Here's some fun from last night's Republican debate. One of our helpful readers sent us these three tag clouds for McCain, Romney, and Giuliani.

What's a tag cloud? Each tag cloud displays the 50 words used most often by each candidate during his answers to last night's debate--the type size varies according to the frequency of usage. The larger the type size, the more often each candidate used the word. The clouds omit common words like "and," "of," "the" and "new."

Sometimes a cloud tracks a candidate's obsessions--for example, we can see that Giuliani talks a lot about New York. McCain talks a lot about Iran, Iranians, and Iraq.

But sometimes a cloud also reflects concerns that voters share about a candidate. This is because the candidate gets asked about the issue--a lot--and then has to talk about it.

Check out the large "Pro-Life" tag in flip-flopping Romney’s cloud, or the large "Think" tag in Giuliani’s cloud--the candidate notorious for leaping first and thinking later.

Mitt Romney, 2,371 words:

John McCain, 2,060 words:

Rudy Giuliani, 1,623 words:

These tag clouds were created especially for us by our helpful reader-slash-data genius. To see tag clouds for all ten candidates, go to Pollster.com.

Posted by Stephanie Taylor on Friday, May 4, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (8)

Friday Open Thread

Chat away...

Posted by Stephanie Taylor on Friday, May 4, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (312)

May 3, 2007

Live-Blogging the GOP Debate

Tonight, as the Democratic Party live-blogs the Republican presidential debate in the chat window below, you can join the conversation by adding your own comments to this post.

Join your fellow Democrats in the comments, and let the fact-checking begin. Need some help? Consult our new online resource center for the GOP candidates.

Consider this is an open thread.

UPDATE: We're done! Full transcript below (after the jump).

Keep reading "Live-Blogging the GOP Debate"

Posted by Michael Link on Thursday, May 3, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (185)

Which Giuliani Will Show Up to the Debate Tonight?

Asks the NY Times:

Which Rudolph W. Giuliani will show up tonight in California for the debate among 10 Republican presidential candidates? The hard-hitting prosecutor? Or Mr. Nice Guy?

Mr. Giuliani has played both in his short debate history. Now, with polls showing him as the front-runner of the Republican field, his performance may well be the most-watched tonight. But it has been a decade since Mr. Giuliani last debated as a political candidate, and his two closest challengers, Senator John McCain of Arizona and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, have more recent experience.

Find out tonight. And watch it with us as we live-blog it.

Posted by Mike Gehrke on Thursday, May 3, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (7)

Democrats Win for Head Start

By a vote of 365 to 48, the House voted yesterday to expand and improve Head Start, the popular early childhood development program.

The bill reauthorizes the program for the first time since 1998, and increases spending on Head Start from $6.9 billion to $7.4 billion. The bill also makes room for 10,000 more children, and requires that 25 percent of the new money be used to raise teacher salaries and benefits.

The bill, called the Improving Head Start Act of 2007, signals a shift in social and education policy after years of a Congress under Republican control. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) said:

“They tried to starve programs like this. We are going to start unstarving them.”

Head Start was founded 42 years ago to prepare low-income children and their families for school, and is now seen as the nation’s leading preschool program for the poor. Head Start teachers and staff teach basic learning skills and hygiene to children, and help their parents study for the GED or learn to drive. Some children enter Head Start without knowing how to hold a fork or use a toilet.

Head Start advocates say the program provides these children and their families with critical preparation before they enter kindergarten.

But the Bush administration has tried over the years to emphasize literacy, not family wellness, by requiring standardized literacy testing of children as young as four years old.

Efforts to reauthorize Head Start had also stalled in the past over Republican proposals that would have allowed faith-based groups to consider religion in hiring for Head Start programs.

A similar amendment was proposed yesterday, but Democratic leaders stopped the effort, as well as another effort to send the legislation back to committee for further consideration. The Senate is expected to consider a version of the bill within a few weeks.

Posted by Stephanie Taylor on Thursday, May 3, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (10)

House Passes Hate Crimes Bill

The Democratic-led House of Representatives just passed legislation to extend the definition of hate crimes to include violence against a person because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. It's important legislation in the battle for an America where everybody has equal rights under the law.

As is often pointed out, hate is not an American value. Governor Dean has spoken many times about this issue and recently noted in a press release that "Each year hundreds of our fellow citizens are attacked based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity, with thousands more attacked based on their race, religion, age, gender or ethnicity. Hate crimes do not target just the victim; they terrorize entire communities and entire groups of people."

This bill doesn't just protect one group of people; it protects all of us. The prevention of injustice is a goal that the Democratic Party has committed itself to. It's why the Democratic National Committee, under the leadership of Governor Howard Dean, has dramatically expanded and improved its outreach to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities across America.

This isn't over. The bill still needs to pass in the Senate (it was introduced a couple weeks ago) and then President Bush must sign it (although today he threatened to veto). But we can still celebrate the message that the House of Representatives sent today. Today America sent a message that we will stand up for the victims of these hateful, violent acts.

More coverage at Americablog and The Gavel.

UPDATE: Here's what Governor Dean said:

Today’s vote in the House of Representatives was not about party or politics. It was not about Republicans or Democrats. Today’s vote was about human rights and about the right of everyone in America to live free from persecution and free from violence. The vote in Congress today made it clear that hate is not an American value and will protect countless Americans. I applaud Chairman John Conyers, Congressman Barney Frank, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, and the more than 100 members of Congress from both parties who introduced the bill, as well as the Democratic leadership for advancing this important legislation.

Hate crimes have no place in our society. I urge our lawmakers in the Senate to also pass this critical bill, and urge President Bush to swiftly sign it into law.

Posted by Michael Link on Thursday, May 3, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (15)

The Suck-Up Candidate

Mitt Romney calls Bush to “commend” him on his veto:

On the same day that the House of Representatives failed to override his veto of a bill forcing U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq, President Bush got a hang-in-there call from former Gov. Mitt Romney.

An adviser to Romney said the presidential hopeful reached out to "commend the president for his veto" and to salute his "principled leadership in the war on terror."

Posted by Mike Gehrke on Thursday, May 3, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (12)

Best Nickname Ever

He's no longer "the decider." He's now "the commander guy." No joke.

UPDATE: Stephanie helpfully points out that there's audio from the Young Turks.

Posted by Josh McConaha on Thursday, May 3, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (8)

YouTube Address by the Michigan Democratic Party Chair

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer answers questions submitted online about vulnerable Republicans, Democratic plans for change, and the Michigan caucus process (he promises Internet voting!)

We look forward to seeing lots more of these. To learn more about the Michigan State Democratic Party, check out their great website here.

Posted by Stephanie Taylor on Thursday, May 3, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (3)

Republican Debate: We Were Ready

The first Republican presidential debate took place last night at the Ronald Reagan Library in Los Angeles--and we were watching.

Ten candidates for the Republican presidential nomination squared off on issues like the Iraq War and immigration. But Democrats got a head start on the candidates by checking out the major new online research center that we launched today.

Through the 2008 campaign, we'll be updating this new site daily with the news that the Republicans don't want you to read. Check back often to read the latest.

Posted by Stephanie Taylor on Thursday, May 3, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (25)

Thursday Open Thread

Chat away...

Posted by Michael Link on Thursday, May 3, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (263)

May 2, 2007

Team Tancredo, The Reality Show

Tom Tancredo could support a lot of good causes. But the one he's chosen to highlight on the home page of "Team Tancredo" is a petition drive to "Free Duane 'Dog' Chapman."

Duane "Dog" Chapman is a bounty hunter whose show on A&E has made him a reality television star. In September 2006, Chapman and his team captured a fugitive cosmetics heir in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and brought him back to the United States. But bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico, and the Mexican government is now asking for his extradition.

Nothing against the Bounty Hunter or the show--but this is the only cause Team Tancredo is supporting on its website. Not ending poverty or teaching kids to read, but keeping Dog the Bounty Hunter out of jail.

What's next, tax cuts for Paris Hilton?

Posted by Stephanie Taylor on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (7)

Subpoena Issued to Gonzales on Rove

Today the Senate Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, ordering him to provide all emails related to Karl Rove and the circumstances around the firing of eight federal prosecutors earlier this year. From the AP:

The order compels the Justice Department to turn over “complete and unredacted versions of any and all emails and attachments to emails to, from, or copied to Karl Rove” related to the firings, written on White House, Republican National Committee, or any other email accounts.

The committee is probing whether Rove and other top White House officials conducted official business on RNC accounts intended for political work, and then deleted them in violation of the law.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), called it "troubling that significant documents highly relevant to the committee's inquiry have not been produced." Gonzales has to produce the emails by May 15.

The White House has said it is trying to recover emails that were lost but has not promised to turn any over to congressional investigators. Karl Rove’s lawyer also said previously that some of the "lost" emails might have been turned over to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald as part of his investigation into the identity leak of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame.

Posted by Stephanie Taylor on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (20)

Romney Flip-Flops on His Favorite Book

Already under scrutiny for shifting positions on key issues and his Mormon faith, presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has made a bizarre new flip flop--saying on national TV his favorite novel is Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's "Battlefield Earth."

The former Massachusetts governor told Fox News his favorite book was the Bible but his favorite novel was the science fiction tome "Battlefield Earth."

The Mark Twain novel "Huckleberry Finn" tops the book list on Romney’s MySpace page. "Battlefield Earth" isn't on the list.

Posted by Mike Gehrke on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (11)

The Fred Thompson "Dummies Guide to Diplomacy"

UPDATE: Showing their usual "brilliant" investigative work, the Republicans have us figured out! That's right, Hotair, there's a giant conspiracy that involves an automatic spam system that closes comments on all posts after a certain number of days.

UPDATE 2: Comments back on, because this is too good to pass up.

On his personal blog, "The Fred Thompson Report: Opinions and Commentary of Fred Dalton Thompson," former senator and actor Fred Thompson shares his special view of the world.

"Mexican leaders apparently have an economic policy based on exporting their own citizens, while complaining about US immigration policies that are far less exclusionary than their own. The French jail perfectly nice people for politically incorrect comments, but scold us for holding terrorists at Guantanamo.

Russia, though, takes the cake. Here is a government apparently run by ex-KGB agents who have no problem blackmailing whole countries by turning the crank on their oil pipelines. They're not doing anything shady, they say. They can’t help it if their opponents are so notoriously accident-prone. Criticize these guys and you might accidentally drink a cup of tea laced with a few million dollars worth of deadly, and extremely rare, radioactive poison. Oppose the Russian leadership, and you could trip and fall off a tall building or stumble into the path of a bullet."

And this is how he talks about American allies. Someone please keep this guy's fingers off the nuclear football.

Posted by Stephanie Taylor on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (29)

Giuliani Reaps Financial Benefits From Energy Industry

Rudy Giuliani is raising money hand-over-fist in Texas--partly as a result of his Houston law firm, Bracewell & Giuliani, one of the most high-profile lobbyists for the oil, gas and energy industries. From the New York Times:

The firm is perhaps the nation's most aggressive lobbyist for coal-fired power plants, heavy emitters of air pollutants and carbon dioxide, a gas associated with global warming. Environmentalists say the firm played a significant role in persuading the Bush administration to roll back major provisions of the Clean Air Act.

...In addition to collecting $89,000 in contributions from Bracewell partners and employees, Mr. Giuliani has held a fund-raiser in Houston. The firm’s managing partner, Patrick C. Oxford, is a top-shelf Bush fund-raiser with a wealth of contacts within Republican money circles.

...It is difficult to say just how much of Mr. Giuliani’s contributions from those industries stem from his affiliation with Bracewell, but employees of companies in those sectors, including several Bracewell clients, have contributed more than $400,000 to Mr. Giuliani’s campaign so far.

"From clean air to mercury pollution to global warming policies," said Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, "Giuliani’s firm has been perhaps the most anti-environment voice in Washington, representing some of the biggest corporate polluters."

Posted by Stephanie Taylor on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (4)

Ron Paul Talks About Current Affairs, Like the Civil War

Dr. Ron Paul recently appeared on "The Bill Maher" show to announce that the civil war was a "mistake," and to ask about global warming, "But what are you going to do about the volcanoes?" We've got a clip from the show right here.

Posted by Stephanie Taylor on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (3)

Rudy Blasts Chavez, But Defends His Work for Citgo

Rudy Giuliani yesterday called Hugo Chavez, leader of oil-rich Venezuela, a dangerous foe of the United States--even though Giuliani's law firm lobbies for the U.S. branch of an oil company controlled by Chavez.

Giuliani never mentioned his law firm's contract with Citgo Petroleum to a crowd of Hispanic small business owners, even as he said that it is Chavez's vast oil wealth that gives him a platform for his anti-American activities in the region.

Calling for energy efficiency to wean Americans from foreign oil, Giuliani said:

"We need a president who knows how to get things done so we don't have to be sending money to Chavez. Who would listen to Chavez if he didn't have all this oil money?"

His law firm, Bracewell & Giuliani, lobbies in Texas for Citgo--a subsidiary of Venezuela's national oil company, controlled by Chavez.

At the same time, Giuliani has strenuously defended his law firm's work for Citgo because the company employs about 4,000 workers here.

Posted by Mike Gehrke on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (16)

Democrats Win Upset Victory in Morris Township

Last night, New Jersey Democrats celebrated a huge upset victory in Morris Township, where Jeff Grayzel became the first Democrat elected to the Morris Township Council in over 30 years. Thanks to Blue Jersey for bringing this to our attention.

In the final tally, Jeff Grayzel beat Republican Joe Calvanelli by 441 votes. This is the first time since Watergate that a Democrat was elected in Morris Township. After his victory, Grayzel said:

"We've been telling people change is coming, change is coming. Well, change is here."

Posted by Stephanie Taylor on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (3)

Wednesday Open Thread

Chat away...

Posted by Stephanie Taylor on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (160)

May 1, 2007

Bush Chooses To Continue War Without End

President Bush, in a stubborn sign of contempt for the wishes of the American people, vetoed the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill, which provides funding for the troops along with a strategy for getting them out of a bloody civil war.

Does the Republican Congress agree with Bush's misguided veto? Are they going to continue giving the president a blank check for him to continue his failed strategy that continues to cost us a heavy price in American lives?

With this veto, President Bush has failed the country. And most regrettably, our brave men and women in uniform will pay the price. We need a new direction in Iraq, and the American people sent a clear message in November that they agree.

This is a sad, sad day. Bush has demanded nothing short of the same rubber stamp the Republican Congress granted him so that he can continue the same policies that never worked in the past. Yet it seems that the Republicans in Congress think it's more important to have Bush's back than to set a date certain for the redeployment of our forces.

We can't afford to stay down the same failed path. An open-ended commitment, as Congressional Republicans appear dedicated to pursuing, is a slap in the face of voters who came out last November in favor of a new direction. The Democrats in the House and the Senate voted for much-needed oversight, and it's way past time for the president to start respecting the role of Congress.

Posted by Michael Link on Tuesday, May 1, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (46)

Arctic Ice Cap Melting 30 Years Earlier Than Predicted

This piece of news straight from Reuters:

The Arctic ice cap is melting much faster than expected and is now about 30 years ahead of predictions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a U.S. ice expert said on Tuesday.

This means the ocean at the top of the world could be free or nearly free of summer ice by 2020, three decades sooner than the global panel's gloomiest forecast of 2050.

No ice on the Arctic Ocean during summer would be a major spur to global warming, said Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the National Snow and Ice Center in Colorado.

"Right now ... the Arctic helps keep the Earth cool," Scambos said in a telephone interview. "Without that Arctic ice, or with much less of it, the Earth will warm much faster."

Read the entire article. Later in the piece, Scambos states, that he as "no doubt that this was caused in large part by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere."

The Democrats have taken action already, as this article in the Seattle Times points to a bill that recently passed the House. In addition, Speaker Pelosi has announced a 15-Member Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming to tackle this important issue.

Posted by Michael Link on Tuesday, May 1, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (6)

Gingrich: I'm Scared of How Popular I Am

From the Associated Press:

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Monday he is still eyeing a run for president and can't explain polls that show him ranked near the top-tier candidates for the Republican nomination although he has not formally announced.

"It's sort of frightening sometimes," Gingrich said. "Sometimes the guys who aren't running are doing better than the guys who are running. Why would you want to start running if you're doing better by not running than you would if you were running? I can't explain it."

Posted by Mike Gehrke on Tuesday, May 1, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (12)

Sam Brownback, Girl Scout.

No, really:

Sen. Sam Brownback said his waist size grew by two inches last year and that his favorite Girl Scout cookies -- Caramel deLites -- are probably to blame.

The presidential candidate became an honorary member of the Girl Scouts of the Golden Plains Council when he visited a group of Scouts on Monday evening and talked to them about following their dreams.

The Scouts gave Brownback a commemorative song book, a sing-along badge, a lapel pin and a framed certificate of membership into the Girl Scouts.

Posted by Mike Gehrke on Tuesday, May 1, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (7)

Fred Thompson: The Ladies Man Candidate?

From the Politico:

Thompson also has begun inoculating himself against potential attacks from rivals. During a question-and-answer session with House members on April 18, Thompson was asked about his colorful dating history from 1985 to 2002, while he was divorced.

"I was single for a long time, and, yep, I chased a lot of women," Thompson replied, chuckling, according to an attendee who took notes. "And a lot of women chased me. And those that chased me tended to catch me."

Posted by Mike Gehrke on Tuesday, May 1, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (7)

Tuesday Open Thread

Chat away...

Posted by Michael Link on Tuesday, May 1, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (274)