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June 30, 2007

Saturday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 29, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

Over at PartyBuilder, we've got a whole community of folks posting all the time. Be sure to check it out this weekend, all weekend, and here's a sample of what's there:

• D. Tree argues that affirmative action is not “favoritism or reverse racism” but simply a means of achieving fairness where historically none has existed in Making Desegregation Illegal: What would King Say?
• Wall Street Journal Reporters [Walked] Out of their jobs in a show of protest against being sold to media conglomerate News Corp says Julie, who also points out that these workers are facing pay cuts and loss of their health insurance.
• BOYCOTT ON STARBUCKS LIFTED! After protracted negotiations between Starbucks, Ethiopia, and Oxfam a settlement has been reached which will give farmers a fair share of profit and allow boycotters, such as FreedomOfSpeech, to resume their coffee drinking!
• In Strict Constitutional Constructionist'? Davidual writes that the strict constructionist interpretation of the Constitution is flawed because “instead of allowing our basis of freedom to grow and change, with the force of time. We must constrict its meaning to fit our present into our past.”

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Romney Blames Puppy in 'PuppyGate'

Yes, it's the cutest name ever for a scandal, but let's not forget that Mitt Romney may have broken the law here. With the story picking up steam, as puppy-owners across America voice their outrage, he has finally been forced to respond.

First he tried the dog-needed-fresh-air defense, but it was just too obvious that strapping a dog to the top of a speeding vehicle for 12 hours on the highway wasn't as responsible, as, say, opening a window.

So now he's blaming the dog. Yes, really. Apparently the puppy strapped himself to the top of the car: “He scrambled up there every time we went on trips, got in all by himself and enjoyed it.”

Blaming the puppy? Is he going to start claiming the dog ate his budget?

UPDATE: Did McCain come out swinging at Romney over PuppyGate? From a fundraising email that just came out from the McCain campaign:

The McCains are big pet lovers, their pets include: * Four dogs: an English Springer Spaniel, two toy Yorkies, and a mutt

Coincidence? I think not.

UPDATE 2: I decided to dig around the Humane Society website to see what it had to say about traveling by car with your dog, and the results are not surprising (emphasis mine):

It is also a good idea to travel with your pet in the back seat of the car (although, never in the bed of a pick up truck!), because of the possibility of a front-seat passenger side airbag deploying and causing possible harm to your pet in an accident.

Dogs and cats should always be kept safely inside the car. Pets who are allowed to stick their heads out the window can be injured by particles of debris or become ill from having cold air forced into their lungs. Never transport a pet in the back of an open pickup truck.

Stop frequently to allow your pet to exercise and eliminate. Never permit your pet to leave the car without a collar, ID tag, and leash.

It's important to note that they weren't stopping frequently, either, for the dog.

Past Three Months Are Deadliest for U.S. Troops Since War Began

The past three months have taken a terrible toll on American troops in Iraq. From the Associated Press:

The deaths brought to 99 the number of U.S. troops to die in Iraq this month, according to an Associated Press count. The toll for the past three months--329--made it the deadliest quarter for U.S. troops in Iraq since the war began in March 2003.

At least 3,576 members of the U.S. military have died since then, according to AP figures. The number includes seven military civilians. At least 2,936 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.

By the way, Monday is the fourth anniversary of President Bush's taunt to Iraqi fighters to "Bring 'em on," in response to a rising number of attacks on U.S. troops.

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. CHAIN OFF 2007 - Dogs Deserve Better (Atlanta, GA)
   

   Volunteers for the organization Dogs Deserve Better, a national nonprofit working to end the suffering endured by dogs who are kept chained or penned outside for life, will chain themselves to doghouses in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park from June 30 to July 1 as part of the organization’s "Chain Off 2007" event, entitled "Unchain the 50."

2. Winnemucca Mock Caucus (Winnemucca, NV)
   

   WINNEMUCCA MOCK CAUCUS -- learn more about how the Jan. 19th presidential caucuses will work!

3. Democracy for America Training (Tampa, FL)
   

   The Tampa Bay Democracy for America group is hosting a grassroots training event presented by the Burlington, Vermont DFA Training Academy. Join other grassroots volunteers and campaign staffers to learn what it takes to get our candidates elected.

4. El Dorado Voter Registration & Fireworks (Cameron Park, CA)
   

   The Sierra Foothills Democratic Club will be registering voters at the annual fireworks show at Cameron Park Lake. This is a very well attended day and evening event with music, food, and booths.

5. Wal-Mart Watch Campaign (Pecos, TX)
   

   Will be in front of Wal-Mart store in Pecos, Texas. Passing out flyers and talking to shoppers about the 'Cost of Wal-Mart's Everyday Low Prices' and how its low cost is sending our jobs and money to China.

Giuliani Flip-Flops Again, This Time on Israel and Gaza

Too bad Giuliani didn't attend those Iraq Study Group meetings instead of making money on the speaking circuit. He might have known more about national security.

Today, in his latest flip-flop, Giuliani strained to justify his support for escalation in Iraq by saying it was a mistake for Israel to pull out of Gaza. Watch it below:

Having trouble? Download the file here.

But when Giuliani visited Israel in 2005, he praised Ariel Sharon for his plan to pull out of Gaza, saying "Sharon did things that were necessary, even when they hurt him politically or crossed his party’s ideological line." [New York Post, 9/23/05]

Tongues Wagging

Romney's new excuse in PuppyGate: the dog traveled on top of the roof of his car for 12 hours because he "likes fresh air." Couldn't Mitt just roll down the window?

Wonder if Romney's fundraisers will use the "they like fresh air" defense in teen abuse cases?

The link to teen abuse goes far higher up in the Romney campaign. Romney’s national finance co-chair is a man named Mel Sembler. A long time friend of the Bushes, Sembler was campaign finance chair for the Republican party during the first election of George W. Bush, and a major fundraiser for his father.

Like Lichfield, Sembler also founded a nationwide network of treatment programs for troubled youth. Known as Straight Inc., from 1976 to 1993, it variously operated nine programs in seven states. At all of Straight’s facilities, state investigators and/or civil lawsuits documented scores of abuses including teens being beaten, deprived of food and sleep for days, restrained by fellow youth for hours, bound, sexually humiliated, abused and spat upon.

According to the L.A. Times, California investigators said that at Straight teens were “subjected to unusual punishment, infliction of pain, humiliation, intimidation, ridicule, coercion, threats, mental abuse… and interference with daily living functions such as eating, sleeping and toileting.”

Fred Thompson Calls Cuban Refugees Terrorists

At an appearance in South Carolina, Fred Thompson insulted Cuban refugees by referring to them as terrorists.

He expressed his opposition to the immigration bill in Congress and decried the flow of illegal immigrants from Cuba, saying: "I don't imagine they're coming here to bring greetings from Castro. We're living in the era of the suitcase bomb."

As Think Progress points out, besides insulting Cuban refugees, Thompson is also insulting the intelligence of his audience by playing up a fictional movie plot.

Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN) has dealt first-hand with nuclear weapons--on the Hollywood big screen. In 2005, he starred as President Charles Ross in Last Best Chance, a docudrama about terrorists trying to smuggle nuclear weapons into the United States.

One of Hollywood’s favorite plots is the threat of so-called suitcase nukes, like the one featured in the show "24." But these nuclear bombs cleverly concealed in suitcases don't exist in real life...

Arms control expert Charles Thornton of the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland calls the scenario "so highly unlikely as to be approaching fantasy."

The Rich Keep Getting Richer, Now Worth $37.2 Trillion

According to a new report released this week, the world's richest people are getting even richer.

The wealth of the world's rich and super rich surged 11.2 percent to $37.2 trillion last year but the elite group gave less than 1 percent of their net worth to charity, a study released on Wednesday said.

For the first time, the 11th annual World Wealth Report detailed philanthropic giving, and estimated that high net worth individuals turned over $285 billion to charitable causes in 2006. That's equivalent to someone worth $100,000 giving about $766 to charity, or 0.76 percent of their wealth.

According to the report, the number of wealthy people in Singapore and India is surging--but the United States still tops the list.

The United States has the most wealthy people, followed by Japan and then Germany, according to the report's researchers.

Merrill Lynch and Capgemini said they examined the "investments of passion" of the wealthy and found that luxury collectibles such as vintage yachts and automobilies selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars were among the top items.

The report also said Boeing Co.'s wide-body private jets are being customized at about $150 million each as mobile mansions.

Earlier this year, Democrats faced stiff Republican resistance before they passed an increase to the federal minimum wage--the first raise in a decade for about 5.6 million workers, who will now make just over $15,000 a year.

$15,000 is also .01 percent of the cost of that refurbished Boeing jet. In other words, if you were rich, you could pay ten thousand workers the federal minimum wage for one year--or you could pimp your jet with gold faucets.

Friday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 28, 2007

Debate Watching Open Thread

Tonight at 9 - 10:30pm ET, the Democratic candidates will debate with Tavis Smiley moderating. For those who want to watch online, the webcast is on PBS's website.

Chat away...

PB Rescue Open Thread

More posts today from our rich community over at PartyBuilder:

• Wisconsin's universal healthcare plan is, according to Bob Roszak, groundbreaking and he offers it as a model for other states to build on.
• Political Corruption on Steroids: Stephen Crockett points out that the Bush Administration was born from a questionable election, remains corrupted, and must be investigated.
• Marksg1 makes a fantastic point, noting an interview he says took place between Justice Roberts and Atlantic Magazine.

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Supreme Court Ends 96-Year-Old Antitrust Rule In Another 5-4 Decision

The Supreme Court also ruled today, 5-4, that it is no longer automatically illegal for manufacturers and distributors to agree on setting minimum retail prices, which has previously been considered a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

The majority said today that judges should instead consider such agreements on a case-by-case approach, known as a "rule of reason," to assess their impact on competition.

The decision was the latest in a string of opinions this term to overturn Supreme Court precedents. It marked the latest in a line of Supreme Court victories for big businesses and antitrust defendants.

Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and Justices Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito Jr. voted together to overturn the rule.

The dissent was written by Justice Stephen Breyer and signed by Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Debate!

Tavis Smiley will be hosting tonight's All American Presidential Forum tonight on PBS, where the Democratic candidates will take questions from Smiley and three other journalists.

On the PBS website, you can send in your questions. And tonight, when the debate starts at 9pm ET, you can watch the webcast online. I'll be sure to have a special late-night thread for you to discuss the debate, as well.

Romney: 'Virtually Eliminate' Department of Agriculture

Time for another Romney flip-flop? It has now come to light that in his failed race against Senator Kennedy, Mitt Romney called for the "virtual elimination" of the Department of Agriculture. He also voiced his support for gutting farm subsidies.

With Iowa an important primary state, it's no wonder his website doesn't feature his position on agricultural issues.

How big of a deal is this? Well, here's the giant headline treatment Matt Drudge gave to this story with Kerry back in 2004 (via the old Caucus Cooler).

On Immigration, Brownback Can't Decide For Sure

Sam Brownback doesn't know whether or not he wants to side with the anti-immigration wing of the Republican party. He's so confused about which way to go that he wrote a press release saying he would vote for cloture, then he voted for cloture in the Senate, then he changed his vote ten minutes later when the cloture seemed to be failing, then he took down his old press release and issued a new statement saying he voted against cloture.

Confused? Ben Weyl at Iowa Independent explains.

McCain: Like a Ship in a Storm?

Acknowledging a "very difficult" quarter, John McCain struck a pessimistic tone talking to reporters today about his upcoming fundraising totals.

But then he sent out a campaign fundraising email. The tone? Even more pessimistic:

Politics certainly is not a business of calm seas and light breezes. More like a ship in a storm, in campaign life we ride the high crests and sail through low troughs. I've been at the very top and I've suffered through the challenges of the bottom. It is through those experiences that I know we must keep the "steady strain."

The McCain campaign, a ship in a storm? About to capsize?

UPDATE: Abandon ship!

I Wanna Be A Secret Service Impersonator When I Grow Up

Trooper Garrity expands his resume:

Palm Beach Post Tallahassee bureau chief S.V. Date says that Garrity, who is now on paid leave from the campaign while New Hampshire authorities investigate, tried in April to prevent Date from following Romney into the Florida Senate Office Building, and then again when Date tried to board an elevator Romney was taking to meet with Republican state senators.

After Date reminded Garrity (pictured above) that the building and the elevator were open to the public in Florida, Garrity, wearing a Secret Service style lapel pin and an ear bud, responded that such measures were necessary because of numerous security threats against the former Massachusetts governor.

Bush Says He'll Ignore Subpoenas

President Bush must have learned about checks and balances at the same school that taught Dick Cheney that the VP wasn't a part of the Executive Branch.

Yesterday members of both parties subpoenaed the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney's office for documents related to the Bush administration's illegal domestic spying program. Specifically, according to AP, they're looking for "documents that might shed light on internal disputes within the administration over the legality of the program."

Such disputes, as I mentioned yesterday, we know existed, even though Gonzales testified that they did not.

But now Bush says that he won't supply subpoenaed documents, claiming executive privilege. On top of that, the White House is saying former presidential counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor will not testify next month, as directed by the subpoenas.

Such contempt for the rule of law by ignoring the subpoenas is fitting, consider it is to find information about an illegal program. Here's how Rep. Conyers framed his initial response:

The executive privilege assertion is unprecedented in its breadth and scope, and even includes documents that the administration previously offered to provide as part of their ‘take it or leave it’ proposal,” said Conyers, in a prepared statement. “This response indicates the reckless disrespect this administration has for the rule of law.

The charges alleged in this investigation are serious – including obstruction of justice and misleading Congress – and the White House should be as committed to this investigation as the Congress. At this point, I see only one choice in moving forward, and that is to enforce the rule of law set forth in these subpoenas.

As Rep. Conyers said, it's time to enforce the rule of law.

UPDATE: It's not just the subpoenas about the illegal domestic spying program that are being ignored, but also the ones about the US Attorney Scandal.

Supreme Court Rules In Landmark Decision Against School Desegregation

The Supreme Court ruled today in a landmark decision against school desegregation, 5-4. At issue were efforts by Seattle and Louisville to promote diverse populations for school districts through busing. The policies were determined through a democratic process, and were not court-imposed. Slate explains just why this decision matters:

The two cases heard at the Supreme Court today, Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District and Meredith v. Jefferson County, descend from two lines of cases: the court's school desegregation cases, beginning with Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, and the court's school affirmative-action cases, beginning with University of California Regents v. Bakke in 1978. So, the question justices are asking this morning is: Are today's cases more like Brown (because they redress the shocking legacy of slavery), more like Bakke (because they deny white people opportunities based on skin color), or a head-on collision between the two?

This is an extremely important decision. We’ll update as we learn more.

Mitt Romney's Big Empty Rooms

Oliver Willis caught this yesterday. Looks like the Mitt Romney campaign is promoting a recent "big" fundraiser, in which the campaign rented out both the Boston Garden and Fenway Park to convey the "bigness" of the event. But Oliver has some advice:

If you're going to hold a big free event at a sports venue, I don't think you communicate momentum by having an empty stadium.

Here's the pictures from the event:

Thursday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 27, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

You've all been writing, and I've been reading. Here are some of the posts coming from our community at PartyBuilder:

• In Fred Thompson and the Philip Morris Connection, Davidual adds his own personal touch.
• This Administration: A Bargain Gone Wrong: Paul Heise says to never trust a bargain, and that the world of low taxes and high security that the President campaigned on has turned out to be lower taxes and “ill considered and often immoral policies, as well as corruption, war, and government subversion.
• A Lone Wolf notes that Leahy Gets Tough! and mocks the response by the White House.

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Rudy to Debate Rudy on Terrorism?

Rudy Giuliani - the self-appointed terrorism expert - can't decide if President Clinton's handling of terrorist attacks in the 90's was good or bad. Sorry, Rudy, you can't have it both ways:

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday accused former President Clinton of not responding forcefully enough to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing or later terrorist attacks. [...] Last September, Giuliani defended Clinton's record amid political bickering over which president Clinton or George W. Bush missed more opportunities to prevent the Sept. 11 attacks.

"The idea of trying to cast blame on President Clinton is just wrong for many, many reasons, not the least of which is I don't think he deserves it," Giuliani said during a stop in Florida. "I don't think President Bush deserves it. The people who deserve blame for Sept. 11, I think we should remind ourselves, are the terrorists the Islamic fanatics who came here and killed us and want to come here again and do it."

Pentagon Can't Account for $19 Billion Spent on Iraqi Forces

According to a new bipartisan report, the Pentagon has spent $19 billion on training and equipping Iraqi security forces--and can't account for how it was spent.

The Pentagon "cannot report in detail how many of the 346,500 Iraqi military and police personnel that the coalition trained are operational today," according to the 250-page report. Details of the document were provided to The Washington Post by congressional staff members.

"We have no idea what our $19 billion has gotten us," said Rep. Martin T. Meehan (D-Mass.), chairman of the Armed Services subcommittee on oversight and investigations, noting that the United States investment represents $55,000 per Iraqi recruit.

According to the report, the Pentagon "cannot account for whether coalition-issued weapons have been stolen or turned against U.S. forces." The report also found "strong evidence" that some Iraqi forces who were trained and equipped by the U.S. military are now involved in sectarian violence.

Mitt Romney Strapped Family Dog to Roof of Car

From the open thread, DPD found this:

Before beginning the drive, Mitt Romney put Seamus, the family's hulking Irish setter, in a dog carrier and attached it to the station wagon's roof rack.

[snip]

As the oldest son, Tagg Romney commandeered the way-back of the wagon, keeping his eyes fixed out the rear window, where he glimpsed the first sign of trouble. "Dad!" he yelled. "Gross!" A brown liquid was dripping down the back window, payback from an Irish setter who'd been riding on the roof in the wind for hours.

As the rest of the boys joined in the howls of disgust, Romney coolly pulled off the highway and into a service station. There, he borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, then hopped back onto the highway.

The spin on this is "emotion-free crisis management."

More on the Subpoenas

Just to provide some background, the subpoenas of the White House and vice-president's office, according to AP, are intended to recover "documents that might shed light on internal disputes within the administration over the legality of the [warrantless wiretapping] program."

What type of internal disputes? Well, how about one that led to the famous scene at John Ashcroft's hospital bed, for starters. Many of you are already aware of the dramatic story where members of the Bush administration attempted to go around the acting Attorney General in order to reauthorize the warrantless eavesdropping.

These weren't minor disagreements, either. Then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and then-Deputy Attorney General James Comey both threatened to resign over the issue.

So why is this so important? For one, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales claimed that there wasn't any dispute on the issue. Not that he had any credibility, but let's remember that it was sworn testimony and he refused to retract his statement.

Bush Threatens Veto Against Bill That Funds District of Columbia--Because Bill No Longer Discriminates Against Gay Families

According to a statement on the White House website, President Bush is threatening to veto a bill which funds the District of Columbia because Democrats removed language that discriminated against same-sex couples. Pam writes:

How desperate is this man to gain a few approval points (with his Base abandoning him over immigration and Iraq)? The appropriate bill for the District of Columbia faces Dear Leader's pen because it contains a measure that supports a domestic partner registry that allows basic rights married couples take for granted.

Here's more on the legislation and the veto threat from the Human Rights Campaign.

Breaking: Senate Subpoenas White House, Cheney's Office

The Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney's office today for documents related to the Bush administration's illegal domestic spying program.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chair of the Committee, signed the subpoenas, which also named the Justice Department and the National Security Council.

"We're aware of the committee's action and will respond appropriately," White House spokesman Tony Fratto said. "It's unfortunate that congressional Democrats continue to choose the route of confrontation."

The showdown between the White House and Congress could land in federal court.

Sen. Leahy cited in his cover letter the Bush administration's "consistent pattern of evasion and misdirection" which made the subpoenas necessary. The deadline to comply is July 18.

Poll : Young Voters Gravitate Towards Democratic Party

The New York Times reports on a poll today showing that young American's are more engaged in politics than they have been in recent memory and in solid majorities gravitating toward the Democratic Party. The poll, which was commissioned by the New York Times, CBS News and MTV found that a majority of young voters see the country headed in the wrong direction and are anxious for change.

By a 52 to 36 majority, young Americans say that Democrats, rather than Republicans, come closer to sharing their moral values, while 58 percent said they had a favorable view of the Democratic Party, and 38 percent said they had a favorable view of Republicans.

....

The Times/CBS News/MTV Poll suggests that younger Americans are conflicted in their view of the country. Many have a bleak view about their own future and the direction the country is heading: 70 percent said the country was on the wrong track, while 48 percent said they feared that their generation would be worse off than their parents’. But the survey also found that this generation of Americans is not cynical: 77 percent said they thought the votes of their generation would have a great bearing on who became the next president.

.....

By any measure, the poll suggests that young Americans are anything but apathetic about the presidential election. Fifty-eight percent said they were paying attention to the campaign. By contrast, at this point in the 2004 presidential campaign, 35 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds said they were paying a lot or some attention to the campaign.

Bernie's Back!

Don't get too close; Kerik's inner-circle dropping like flies:

Beware of getting too close to Bernie Kerik. His own lawyer is the latest person in hot water over ties to the former NYPD commissioner.

Sources say federal authorities recently grilled attorney Joe Tacopina about what he said to Bernie during the time of his failed nomination as Homeland Security Director, the investigation into the renovations to his Bronx apartment, and his relationship with former Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
[...]
Of his patron, former mayor and current presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, he said: “It’s like dying a slow death, watching him have to answer for my mistakes.”

Cheney Joins the Executive Branch Again

Bowing to pressure, Dick Cheney finally admits he's a part of the executive branch of government. It's a good thing, too, because he has already admitted he was part of the executive branch in the past. Here's the video to prove it:

"It's really a function of the last 50 years or so that the vice president's become an important part of the executive branch."

(Problems watching? Download the file.)

UPDATE: Just to be clear, he's still trying to avoid scrutiny over the handling of classified national security information. Now he's simply doing it without any rational justification.

Is Family and Medical Leave Safe?

Back in December, the Bush administration's Department of Labor announced that it would review the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Today the Department of Labor will release the results.

Sneak preview: the public likes the law, big corporations don't.

The FMLA allows employees to balance their work and family life by taking up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year to care for themselves or their loved ones during illnesses or when caring for a newborn or newly adopted child.

Earlier this year, a study by Harvard and McGill universities reported that the United States lags far behind virtually all wealthy countries with regard to family-oriented workplace policies such as maternity leave, paid sick days and support for breast-feeding. The Associated Press reported the results:

Workplace policies for families in the United States are weaker than those of all high-income countries and many middle- and low-income countries. Notably, it says the U.S. is one of only five countries out of 173 in the survey that does not guarantee some form of paid maternity leave; the others are Lesotho, Liberia, Swaziland and Papua New Guinea.

The Department of Labor received over 15,000 comments on the FMLA. The majority of comments supported the program--but urged that the government should expand the program to include longer leaves and paid leaves, like most European countries.

But corporate groups like the National Association of Manufacturers called for more restrictions on the use of leave.

The AFL-CIO affiliate Working America conducted its own survey last winter, in which members were asked if they agreed or disagreed with the following statement: "Employers should be required to give full-time workers at least seven days of paid sick leave annually."

A whopping 97 percent of respondents said they agreed.

Wednesday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 26, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

You've all been writing and writing, and your work deserves to be highlighted. Here are some of the posts coming from our community of writers over at PartyBuilder:

• In Secrets, Disclosed or Exposed?, Democrat in Durham, NH writes about the issue of government transparency and says that the culture of secrecy is such that one immediately assumes guilt, and that disclosure may actually be preventative.
• Bentley Davis notes Thompson's indefensible defense of his lobbying on behalf of Jean-Bertrand Aristide and relaxing the regulations of savings and loans.
• And how could I possibly pass up this post by Jim with high praise for Gov. Howard Dean and the 50-state-stategy!

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Governor Dean Statement After Republicans Block EFCA Vote

After Republicans blocked a vote on the Employee Free Choice Act today, Governor Dean issued this statement:

"Today Senate Republicans made it clear that they just don't understand the challenges that hard-working Americans face. Once again they put what’s good for their party ahead of what’s good for hard-working Americans. Union workers are more likely to have health coverage, higher wages and better retirement benefits for themselves and their families. But given the opportunity to help more Americans enjoy the benefits of union membership, Senate Republicans once again chose to side with their special interest friends. Democrats will remain committed to America’s workers and represent their needs in the Congress."

Must Read Record of Fred Thompson

As Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson faces new questions about his decades of work as an insider Washington lobbyist, he tried to defend his record today, telling the Associated Press that lobbying is important because "government's got their hands in everything."

This is a must read:

Fred Thompson, a likely Republican presidential candidate, on Tuesday defended his work as a Washington lobbyist, telling The Associated Press that lobbying is an important part of life because "government's got their hands in everything." The actor and former U.S. senator from Tennessee added, "Nobody yet has pointed out any of my clients that didn't deserve representation."

Thompson, who likes to cast himself as a political outsider, earned more than $1 million lobbying the federal government for more than 20 years. He lobbied for a savings-and-loan deregulation bill that helped hasten the industry's collapse and a failed nuclear energy project that cost taxpayers more than a billion dollars.

He also was a lobbyist for deposed Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was widely criticized for endorsing "necklacing," the gruesome practice of execution where gasoline-soaked tires are thrown over a person's neck and set ablaze.

In September 1991, Aristide said: "The buring tire, what a beautiful tool! ... It smells good. And wherever you go, you want to smell it."
Lobbying records show that in 1991 Thompson called then-White House Chief of Staff John Sununu on Aristide's behalf.

Aristide won Haiti's first democratic elections in 1989 and was overthrown in February 2004, fleeing amid an armed rebellion and protests against corruption and other problems.

In a brief interview with the AP, Thompson said he expects to hear criticism about his lobbying activities as he moves closer to declaring his candidacy. Opponents emphasized his lobbying work during his Senate races in 1994 and 1996.

"They'll talk about it--probably with the same results," he said.

Pandering Without Regard to Consistency

Over at The Right's Field, Paul Curtis notes that even some Republican bloggers have lost faith over the way in which their candidates will pander to the far right even when their new position is diametrically opposed to their previous held position. In this case, flip-flopping against campaign finance reform.

Candidates in primary elections will bend with the wishes of the base: that’s understood. But what seems to be happening this time around is an almost total abandonment of principle — yet the conservative base seems only to care about hearing the words, not about whether anybody actually means them. Dayton considers the implications:

So the pattern is clear. Run on some positions your whole life, then change them to win the nomination. Then what?

Is that a healthy way for a political party or a political movement to behave? What does this say about our intellectual class?

It speaks to the mediocrity of this group of candidates.

Giuliani and Romney Flip Flop on McCain-Thompson-Feingold

After the Supreme Court ruled against a key provision of Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002, (sometimes referred to as McCain-Thompson-Feingold), Republican campaigns had a chance to weigh in on the decision. Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney wasted no time in flip flopping, coming out against their previously held views on campaign finance reform. In Massachusetts's Romney was for even stricter limits on financing and advocated publicly financed campaigns to remove the influence of special interests from politics.

Massachusetts Romney called for spending limits on candidates and a 10 percent tax on campaign contributions for state elections to finance publicly funded campaigns. Massachusetts Romney wanted to abolish political action committees because they wield too much power, and he bemoaned the influence of money in politics.

As for Giuliani's previous position on McCain-Thompson-Feingold, we'll let him speak for himself.

Is He Or Isn't He?

Every schoolchild in America is taught, while being shown graphics like this, that the Vice-President is part of the executive branch, yet that hasn't stopped Dick Cheney from disagreeing in an attempt to get around important rules designed to protect classified material. It's worth taking a step back to look at an interview that the vice-president had on Fox News, where he was asked if he had the authority to declassify information.

In the February interview (sorry for the source), he said that he, in fact, has the authority to declassify information and that it derived from an executive order President Bush amended to give authority to the VP "in the performance of executive duties." Specifically, this is what Cheney pointed to in order to defend his ability to declassify material unilaterally.

But let's take a look at the letter from Rep. Waxman to Cheney, which states that the vice president "asserted that the Office of the Vice President is not an 'entity within the executive branch,' and hence is not subject to presidential executive orders."

Catch that? Not subject to presidential executive orders when it comes to protecting classified information. Yet only months ago, he was relying on an executive order that supposedly gave him the power to declassify information.

Getting back to the politics behind it all, Cheney is certainly in a tough position by having to defend the concept that he is not a part of the executive branch. Even the White House Kids website, in its US Constitution quiz, asks the following question:

Q10. The Constitution divides the government into three branches. Which one of these is not a branch?

• Legislative


• Executive


• Judicial


• Commercial

You'll notice that "Dick Cheney" isn't one of the branches of government they cite on the White House Kids website. But there's more on the White House Kids website that deserves recognition, like this video of Dick Cheney noting that the vice president has "become an important part of the executive branch."

Well, Cheney's new-found independence from the executive branch isn't going without a challenge, with Rep. Rahm Emanuel noting that if the VP isn't part of the Executive Branch, then maybe we shouldn't be funding his executive expenses.

Why Does the Employee Free Choice Act Matter?

The Senate voted today on whether or not to vote on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), an important piece of legislation that doesn't get much attention.

This bill protects workers' rights to form a union. Only 12.5% of American workers are part of a union today, even though 58% of workers want to join unions. Organizing efforts are stopped too often by fear, harassment and bureaucracy.

Workers who belong to unions earn 30 percent more than non-union workers. They are 62 percent more likely to have employer-provided health coverage and four times likelier to have pensions.

Read more myths versus facts on the Employee Free Choice Act on the Senate blog. You can also hear directly from workers about their experiences trying to organize a union in their workplace by checking out these YouTube clips at the AFL-CIO blog.

UPDATE: The cloture motion failed in the Senate today, without the 60 votes needed to proceed to vote. There will be no vote in the Senate on the Employee Free Choice Act.

Supreme Court Rules Against Campaign Finance Reform

The Supreme Court ruled against one of the provisions in the 2002 campaign finance reform act yesterday, in another narrow 5-4 ruling.

The provision had banned corporations from paying for political "issue ads" that mentioned a candidate for federal office within 60 days of a federal election and 30 days of a primary or caucus.

[T]he court eased legal barriers aimed at corporate- and union-financed television ads, a decision whose tone suggests greater hostility on the court to federal limitations on money in politics.

The decision upheld an appeals court ruling that a Wisconsin anti-abortion group should have been allowed to air ads during the final two months before the 2004 elections. The law unreasonably limits speech and violates the group's First Amendment rights, the court said.

The ruling is expected to open the door to more challenges against restrictions on "soft money" in politics. Speaking of soft money--Fred Thompson and Philip Morris. Read all about it.

Fred Thompson, Lobbyist, and his Ties to Philip Morris

Fred Thompson, the Republican lobbyist now running for President, has deep ties to Philip Morris and the tobacco industry through his top advisors. From the Huffington Post:

Take Tom Collamore, who is expected to become Thompson's campaign manager. In 1992, Collamore went to work for Philip Morris and later became vice president of public affairs at Altria.

Howard Baker, who has been a top adviser to Thompson, represented Philip Morris as a lobbyist at Baker Donelson Bearman Berman Caldwell & Berkowitz in 1998 and 1999. Baker was paid $1.92 million for his work. In addition Baker represented four other tobacco companies during that period and received another $1.71 million from them.

In the 1990s, Philip Morris financed the creation of a pro-smoking citizens' group called the National Smokers Alliance to fight anti-tobacco initiatives. Much of the actual organization of the Smokers' Alliance was performed by a Washington public relations firm, Burson-Marsteller. One of the key players at Burson-Marsteller involved in the Smokers' Alliance was Ken Rietz, who recently retired as CEO.

Rietz is now coordinating much of the early media strategy for the Thompson campaign.

From 1994 to 2002, Philip Morris gave $9.5 million to Republican committees and $1.28 million to their Democratic counterparts. The year 2002 was the last year that corporations were permitted to make direct "soft money" contributions to the political parties--although the Supreme Court decision yesterday may overturn that law.

The Face of the Giuliani Campaign in SC

Meet Arthur Ravenel, the brand-new South Carolina campaign co-chair for Rudy Giuliani. He's the father of the former SC chair, Thomas Ravenel, who left the position after being indicted for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

But here's what he's most famous for:

• Calling the NAACP the "National Association For Retarded People."


• Said a white committee chairmen operated on "black time," which he said meant fashionably late.

I'm just disgusted right now. Is this really who Rudy Giuliani wants to represent his campaign?

Tuesday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 25, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

Another day, another set of interesting posts by our Democratic community posting to PartyBuilder.

• In Just Another Day In America, Chris Vaughn writes about his experience at the Chicago Gay Pride Parade and remarks on the diversity of the homosexual community and the importance of working past our stereotypes in order to make the world a better place to live in.
• Bentley Davis takes note of the Great come-back to Cheney by Rep. Rahm Emanuel to strip funding of the VP's office if, in fact, Cheney's not a part of the Executive Branch like he claims.
• In Campaign finance reform, please!, Davidual writes that until we clean up our campaign laws, we won’t see improvement among our political leaders.

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Republican Candidates Don't Appeal To Iowa Conservatives

Ben Wyl, a blogger at the Iowa Independent interviewed Tamara Scott, director of the Iowa chapter of the right-wing Concerned Women for America who is unhappy with the choices in the Republican primary.

"It’s frustrating to the grassroots to hear continually three names mentioned," she said. "To hear them continually pumped in the media this early in the game is really frustrating for the grassroots and individuals that I speak with." If the eventual Republican nominee does not appeal to social conservatives, they might abandon the GOP, Scott said. "We’re told that in a two-party system to vote for the lesser of two evils," she said. "What I’m hearing from the grassroots is, 'I’d rather throw away a vote on a candidate with integrity than vote in more evil, no matter how much less it is."

Rudy's Failures and Lethal Consequences

"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."
- Rudy Giuliani

"Air quality [for asbestos] at those locations is not yet suitable for reoccupancy."
- NYC Health Department internal memo

Judging by his lame response over the weekend, it looks like Rudy Giuliani just can't answer the important questions about his poor decisions -- with lethal consequences -- in the aftermath of 9/11. His administration actually hid findings that showed the extent of the air contamination that has proved to be fatal. It's one of the reasons why firefighters have "all but declared war" on him.

So what's Giuliani's strategy? Well, it certainly isn't accepting responsibilities for his actions. Instead, he offers a couple statements he made about wearing masks and then tries to blame somebody else for the failures of his administration -- without addressing the criticisms directly, of course. Presumably, it's an attempt to muddy the waters so that nobody knows where exactly the blame should fall.

But his own role in this mess, which will certainly receive more scrutiny as the campaign progresses, is documented pretty clearly. Did he bend to the pressure coming from business to reopen parts of the city in the red zone before they were ready?

The city is now facing lawsuits for "inexcusable violation" of safety laws "because it did not ensure that the workers had proper protective equipment, like half-face respirators, and the training to use them." He can point to a statement he made about wearing masks, but if he failed to provide the proper equipment and training, then he's falling far short of his duty to those who rebuilt after 9/11.

He knew the air was bad. Over two dozen test results told him that. So why didn't he enforce the safety standards?

UPDATE: Right now, you can watch a hearing on 9/11 air quality held by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Desperate McCain Embraces Swiftboaters

McCain's desperation to raise money knows no bounds. In 2004 when the swiftboaters tried to smear John Kerry's record of service, John McCain denounced them by saying,

"I think the ad is dishonest and dishonorable. As it is none of these individuals served on the boat (Kerry) commanded. Many of his crewmates have testified to his courage under fire. I think John Kerry served honorably in Vietnam."

Tomorrow for at least $1,000 a person, John McCain is willing to forget the words he said in 2004 and embrace Paul Galanti, one of the men who smeared Sen. Kerry's service and went as far as calling Kerry a traitor.

Court Limits Taxpayer Ability to Challenge Government Expenditures

From the open thread, BlueinIdaho reminds us that it's a big day at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled today that taxpayers rights are limited when it comes to challenging unlawful government expenditures that violate the separation of church and state:

The Supreme Court Monday upheld the legality of an internal White House office that forcefully pushes federal aid for religious charities, a case with an unusual nexus of constitutional, financial and political implications.

By a 5-4 vote, a conservative majority concluded taxpayers did not have "standing" to challenge in court the discretionary spending authority of the executive branch for its Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI).

This is another loss for anyone who cares about government accountability. People for the American Way discuss the importance of this case here.

Giuliani and McCain Flounder

Even Bob Novak knows that Republican candidates are in trouble. Novak sees Giuliani floundering as his Iowa chair, Jim Nussle was willing to work for President Bush, who is apparently more attractive than Giuliani despite only having an approval rating of 26%.

When Giuliani bowed out of this summer's Republican presidential straw poll at Ames, Iowa, the former New York City mayor's camp insisted he was not abandoning the caucuses. But Nussle, defeated for governor of Iowa last year, was the most prominent Iowan for Giuliani. The perception in Iowa is that Nussle would not become Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director if Giuliani were serious about the caucuses.

Novak even uses the word "desperate" to describe McCain's latest fundraising efforts.

Sen. John McCain, reflecting dire financial straits for his Republican presidential campaign, has sent a desperate plea for funds to previous contributors who have not reached their campaign limit.

Maybe he read about McCain's phantom fundraisers on our blog?

Image of Jim Nussle leaving the side of Giuliani to work for President Bush.

McCain Campaign Staffed By Lobbyists

John McCain used to be seen as a "reformer." But meet the new McCain, who employs more lobbyists on his staff than any other 2008 Presidential candidate:

John McCain, who made his name attacking special interests, has more lobbyists working on his staff or as advisers than any of his competitors, Republican or Democrat.

All told, there are 11 current or former lobbyists working for or advising McCain, at least double the number in any other campaign.

. . .

Among the current and former lobbyists working for McCain are: Campaign CEO Rick Davis, a partner at Davis Manafort, where his clients have included SBC Communications and Verizon; and former Davis Manafort associate, National eCampaign Director Christian Ferry. At the end of 2006, Mike Dennehy, who founded The Dennehy Group, a New Hampshire lobbying firm, was appointed McCain's national political director. He gave up that post in May to become a senior campaign advisor.

McCain's deputy communications director Danny Diaz did not reply to questions about the campaign's policies governing the activities of lobbyists.

So what is he paying these guys, with starting salaries at $300,000? Is this why the campaign is almost broke?

Justice Department Treated Immigration Judges Like Political Appointees

Your daily dose of Attorneygate news. The Attorney General is now being sued for discrimination, after Republican insiders were awarded prestigious appointments as immigration judges over more qualified applicants. From the El Paso Times:

Guadalupe Gonzalez is the chief counsel for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in El Paso, a lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in immigration law and a stellar record. In 2002, she made the next logical career move, applying to become an immigration judge.

...But the job went to a Anglo male candidate with no reported immigration experience. In 2004, when two other judgeships opened, they went to two other Anglo males, both of them Gonzalez's subordinates with markedly less expertise in immigration law than Gonzalez.

One reason may be the political hiring practices of the Justice Department. An analysis by the Washington Post found that,

"at least one-third of the immigration judges appointed since 2004 have had Republican connections or have been administration insiders, and half lacked experience in immigration law."[Italics mine]

The pattern is similar to other Bush administration and Justice Department hiring decisions that are now under scrutiny. Read our past coverage here and here.

Romney Flack Goes Rumsfeldian

Trying to explain why his fake cop still gets a real salary, Romney spokesman Kevin Madden told reporters:

"There's more unknowns here than there are knowns. I think it would probably be a little bit step too far if you were to take somebody's salary if in the end they’re exonerated and haven’t done anything wrong.'"

TROOPERGATE: Suspended Romney Aide Has More Time To Watch Law and Order

Staffers who worked with (ex) Romney aide and cop-impersonator Jay Garrity say that he has long harbored delusions of Secret Service grandeur. And now that Team Romney has suspended him, Garrity will finally have some time on his hands to catch up on old episodes of Law and Order. Then again, maybe he would find more inspiration from Sinbad's performance in Disney's First Kid... The Boston Herald has the story:

Jay Garrity, who was Romney’s $75,000-a-year operations guy on Beacon Hill, is facing accusations he posed as a cop in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He’s denied the charges.

Those who worked close to Garrity at the State House say the allegations are no surprise.

“He thinks he’s a cop,” sniffed one longtime insider. “That was always the persona.”

A Democrat said: “He wasn’t well-liked by those across the aisle. He was a little pompous. You could see that the pretense of power was going to his head.”

A Republican lawmaker added: “He looks and acts like Secret Service.”

Lobbyists Have Feelings, Too

The New York Times reports that lobbyists are feeling hurt these days from all that negative press.

So these days, when some of the most powerful lobbyists in New York City get together in private, they talk about the insults they are hearing and attacks they are feeling from all sides. Some have suggested banding together to change their image, to spread the word that they are not bad people. Perhaps even...hire a lobbyist.

"I think the problem is the public image," said Sid Davidoff, one of the elders among the lobbying elite. "If you don’t address it, then you’ll never change it."

I wonder if stories like this about K Street corruption fuel any of those stereotypes. You think?

UPDATE: While we're on the subject, don't forget that Fred Thompson, Hollywood actor and Republican presidential candidate, was also a K Street lobbyist for decades. Read the highlights here.

McCain May Drop Out of Race By September

Republican consultants are predicting that John McCain will drop out of the race by September. New polls show that he is in third place, alongside Mitt Romney, with just 10% support among Republican voters.

Another poll shows McCain in fifth place in Iowa with only 6% support. He is behind most of the field there, including Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas.

The McCain campaign's response:

"Reports of his death are greatly exaggerated. We’re in the precampaign phase when everybody is trying hysterically to read the tea leaves, but after September the lights will go on and everybody will see that we’ve got a candidate who has stood before, doesn’t need on-the-job training and has the resources to compete."

Must be why McCain recently decided not to compete in a straw poll in Iowa in August.

UPDATE: McCain attends a fundraising reception in Greenville, South Carolina today. Supposedly.

Monday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 24, 2007

Sunday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 23, 2007

Saturday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 22, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

All of you talented folks contribute so much to our website that it's important to find one more way to highlight it. So let's take a look at some of the quality writing at PartyBuilder:

• In Republicans and Big Oil, Cato Meador calls on our leaders, Democrats included, to change our oil policy and to be on the side of the average American consumer and not Big Oil.
• Linda Wade, in A Free Choice To Organize, gives us an update on the Employee Free Choice Act and reiterates that it will mean higher wages and better working conditions for Americans.
• In I love Waxman!, Bentley Davis notes that Dick Cheney has been refused to cooperate with the Information Security Oversight Office.

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Top Democrats In The House Introduce Pay Equity Act

In a 5-4 decision handed down by the Supreme Court last month Lilly Ledbetter, a 20 year employee of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was denied justice because the Supreme Court determined that she had filed her claim 180 days after the decision was made to discriminate against her. The problem? Most employees, like Ms. Ledbetter, don't realize that they are being paid unfairly till many years after they start working.

Rep. George Miller and top Democrats introduced legislation today that would undo the injustice suffered by Ms. Ledbetter and other Americans. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act would allow claims to be filed up to 180 days after they receive a discriminatory paycheck.

Giuliani Ignores Iraq On Campaign Trail

Rudy bills himself as the "national security candidate." So why won't he discuss Iraq?

White House Won't Say If Cheney Is Part of Executive Branch

Yesterday we wrote about how Vice President Cheney defied the National Archives and exempted his office from a presidential order that required keeping all classified national security information. Cheney asserted that his office is not an "entity within the executive branch."

During a press conference today, the White House added fuel to the fire when spokeswoman Dana Perino would only say that Cheney's office is "an interesting constitutional question that people can debate." Partial transcript thanks to Carpetbagger Report:

Q: Would you agree with the contention that the office of the Vice President is not part of the executive branch?

PERINO: What I know--and I am not a lawyer and this is an interesting legal question that legal scholars can debate and I’m sure you’ll find plenty of them inside the Beltway--is that the Vice President has a unique role in our United States government. He is not only the Vice President of the United States, but in that role he is also the President of the Senate. I will go ahead, I will let that debate be held, but what I’m answering questions on, in regards to this morning, is Chairman Waxman’s accusations about this small provision and going back and reading the E.O. and realizing that the President did not intend to have the Vice President treated any differently than himself, and remembering that the executive order is enforced solely by the president of the United States. I think this is a little bit of a non-issue.

Sorry, folks, you've got two choices: executive or legislative. Last time I checked, there wasn't another secret branch of the government called "vice-president."

Jim Inhofe Launches Campaign for Tin Foil Hat Caucus Chair

Break out the tin foil hats. Apparently the women of Congress have a "conspiracy."

Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barbara Boxer have big plans to rein in conservative radio talk shows, according to Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla.

He said Thursday on John Ziegler's evening radio show on KFI in L.A. that he overheard Clinton, D-N.Y., and Boxer, D-Calif., saying they want legislation to control conservative radio talk shows.

Romney Tells the ‘Truth,’ But Not the Whole Truth In New Ad

Although Mitt promises "New.Strong.Leadership" - and, I assume, changes to punctuation rules as well? - the Boston Herald reveals exactly what kind of "leader" he has been. Fellow Massachusetts Republicans admit that, as Governor, he "vetoed bills just for show" and rarely showed concern over the outcome of legislation. In fact, Romney possessed an "utter lack of influence" - a fact that no amount of "false advertising" that change.

It’s a great-looking ad for a presidential campaign, with Mitt Romney handsome and princely as ever, claiming he vetoed “hundreds and hundreds” of spending bills and other obnoxious (at least to him) legislation as governor of a Democratic-dominated state.

It’s true as far as it goes - which isn’t very far. Almost all those vetoes were overridden by the Legislature and became law. Which makes Mitt not a St. George slaying big-bucks dragons, but an overmatched Mr. Futile.

“He’d veto a lot of bills just for show,” said Richard Tisei (R-Lynnfield), the Senate minority leader, who is supporting Rudy Giuliani for president. “Probably 90 percent were overidden. He never tried to solicit support to sustain them; never talked to our legislative leadership or the Republican rank and file.”

If Romney had really cared, he could have gathered the GOP’s waning members in one big conference room and at least fought to uphold some of his vetoes. But, Tisei said, “I can’t remember one time he asked for our support.”

Which may explain why Romney suffered so many embarrassing shutouts when not a single legislator in one (often both) of the chambers backed him. The House journal’s report last year on 286 appropriations vetoes between July 19 and July 31 shows Romney’s utter lack of influence.

All 286 line item vetoes were rejected, most of them by overwhelming margins from both parties. He was overridden unanimously 99 times, getting a goose egg from both House and Senate 32 times, blanked by the Senate another 42 times and shut out by the House 25 times. Only one of the votes was even close. The best Mitt mustered was 50 votes against 104 in the House (still short of the necessary one-third to sustain) on money for a school-based health program. But the Senate overrode him, 35-1.

McCain's Phantom Fundraisers

We just put out a press release noting that McCain "may be relying on phantom fundraising events to convince supporters his second quarter fundraising won't be as disappointing as the first." This comes out of Florida, where the Tampa Tribune notes that events appearing on John McCain's website apparently were never even planned:

The schedule on McCain’s web site showed him holding an event in St. Petersburg as well, but with no details on a time or place, and no such event took place. Several St. Pete GOP activists, including Pinellas County party chairman Tony DiMatteo, came to the Tampa event, and DiMatteo said he was never aware of any St. Pete event being planned.

McCain’s web site also showed an unspecified Pensacola event to be held Tuesday, which didn’t occur.

A campaign spokesman said no Pensacola or St. Pete events were ever planned.

Why hasn't he been attending these events? It's not like he's too busy voting. So there must be some other reason why he these events aren't happening. Luckily, I've been able to locate his personal schedule for next week, and the EXCLUSIVE details are below:

MONDAY, JUNE 25
1:00 pm: Immigration proceedings in the Senate. Skip these, for fear of using more expletives directed at fellow Republicans.

4:00 pm: Scooter Libby Fan Club Meeting. The Scooter Libby Fan Club will gather to discuss why the convicted felon is actually a victim. Try to avoid mentioning my promise to consider Patrick Fitzgerald for Attorney General, if elected.

5:00 pm: More votes. Skip for nap.

7:00 pm: Staff meeting. Beg them all to stop leaving campaign.

According to the New York Times, McCain "is jetting to 35 fund-raising events in the 30 days of June, hoping to raise more than $100,000 at each from small groups of big donors." Of those 35, it'd be interesting to see how many of those events are real and how many of those are in Neverland.

McCain May Be Losing SC Legislator After Firing Her Son

John McCain fired one of his South Carolina staffers this week because he "wasn't getting the job done." So is anyone surprised when the staffer's mom decides that maybe McCain isn't getting the job done either?

You’ve just got to read this one. Hoover asks “readers, any observations?”

Yeah…here’s an observation - GLORIA HASKINS IS PISSED BECAUSE MCCAIN FIRED HER SON.

Does it really take a genius to figure that one out?

For those who don’t know, just a couple weeks back John McCain fired most of his South Carolina field team, including Brian Haskins, because they weren’t getting the job done. Gloria Haskins was one of McCain’s top and most outspoken supporters. Now she suddenly has a “lack of enthusiasm.”

He’s down in the polls, his Aiken County chairman publicly renounced him, and now one of Arizona Sen. John McCain’s early brand-name Greenville supporters seems, well, not inclined to cheerlead.

I’ll let a conversation with state Rep. Gloria Haskins speak for itself.

“Are you still foursquare behind Sen. McCain?”

Haskins: “Ah...ah...ah...ah...”

“I notice a certain hesitation there.”

Haskins: “Ah…I like Sen. McCain and Cindy very much. They’re good people.”

“So, are you still with Sen. McCain?”

Haskins: “I support Sen. (Lindsey) Graham.”

Tax Breaks for Billionaires? Those Days May Be Numbered

Some wealthy financiers who run private equity firms and hedge funds receive tax breaks worth billions of dollars, due to an obscure tax break. But those days may be coming to an end.

Right now hedge fund managers are shielded from the top income rate of 35 percent on their performance fees, and only have to pay a tax rate of 15 percent. Democrats in Congress are considering new legislation that would end that exemption. Top hedge fund managers bring home over $1 billion a year.

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. Orange County Young Democrats "White Elephant" Sale (Orlando, FL)
   

   Yard Sale to Raise $$$$ for the Orange County Young Democrats! We will be helping our friend and YD supporter Doug Head clear out his house. Doug Head has generously decided to give $all proceeds$ from this sale to the OCYD's! Bring your unwanted treasures (aka. White Elephants) too! We'll be grilling hot dogs and "ElephantBurgers" - so you can take your first bite out of the Republicans!

2. IDN Bookclub of Chicago - ReadUp for June (Chicago, IL)
   

   Our next get-together of the IDN Bookclub will be on Sunday, 6/24 (4:00p-5:45p) at the Book Cellar, 4736 N. Lincoln Ave. in Lincoln Sq. Our Bookclub selection is: "The Assault on Reason" by Al Gore!

3. Conway, SC Round the Fourth (Conway, SC)
   

   We will be participating in the Round the Fourth festival in Conway, and it truly, truly, truly requires all good democrats on deck! The Conway Chamber estimates 9-10,000 people attend this annual event, and we want the strongest presence we can muster while promoting our platform, issues, and presidential candidates. The press will be covering the festival and your participation will make it a little easier for them to notice us.

4. Screen on the Green - E.T. (Atlanta, GA)
   

   Join the Young Democrats of Georgia, the metro-Atlanta YD Chapters, and friends of YDG as we attend and enjoy Screen on the Green 2007 in Piedmont Park. This is an annual event at Piedmont Park on the 10th Street Meadow. Attendees are encouraged to wear their respective organization's paraphanalia - t-shirts, buttons, etc.

5. NYDLC "Celebrating our Success" Fundraiser (Manhattan, NY)
   

   SAVE THE DATE of JUNE 26 for a fundraiser in support of the election protection activities of the New York Democratic Lawyers Council, the voting rights project of the New York State Democratic Committee.

You Sir, Are No Jack Bauer... Romney Aide Under Investigation For Impersonating Police

Today the Boston Globe reported that the New Hampshire Attorney General is investigating Romney aide Jay Garrity after he pretended to be a police officer so he could intimidate a random stranger who happened to annoy him:

State Police are investigating one of Mitt Romney’s top campaign aides for allegedly impersonating a trooper by calling a Wilmington company and threatening to cite the driver of a company van for erratic driving, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the probe.

Jay Garrity, who is director of operations on Romney’s presidential campaign and a constant presence at his side, became the primary target of the investigation, according to one of the sources, after authorities traced the cellphone used to make the call back to him. The investigation comes three years after Garrity, while working for Romney in the State House, was cited for having flashing lights and other police equipment in his car without proper permits.

The New Hampshire attorney general, according to the Associated Press, also is investigating a report that a Romney aide, later identified as Garrity, pulled over a New York Times reporter in New Hampshire and said he had run his license plate.

Bush Tells Visiting New Orleans Musicians to Pick Up Trash

Thanks to Moira for catching this on the White House website. George Bush tells a New Orleans jazz band to pick up trash during a Mardi Gras-themed barbeque on the South Lawn. Here's Bush speaking to the black musicians of the band Kermit Ruffins and the Barbeque Swingers:

THE PRESIDENT: Kermit Ruffins and the Barbeque Swingers, right out of New Orleans, Louisiana. (Applause.)

MR. RUFFINS: Thank you. Thanks for having us. We're glad to be here.

THE PRESIDENT: Proud you're here. Thanks for coming. You all enjoy yourself. Make sure you pick up all the trash after it's over.

(Laughter.)

Victory! Senate Dems Pass Energy Bill

Yesterday the US Senate passed important legislation increasing fuel efficiency, creating laws against price gouging, and boosting the use of renewable fuels.

It's a tremendous accomplishment for the Congress, and the House already passed similar legislation.

Republicans tried as hard as they could to block the bill, but they failed everywhere except for one measure that would have provided extra tax incentives for renewable energy. While that would have made the bill even better, the bill still is a major victory.

Here's more from the Associated Press:

The legislation for the first time would establish a single fuel economy standard applicable to not only cars, but also SUVs and pickups which currently have to meet less stringent requirement.

Fuel efficiency requirements would vary for different classes of vehicles based on weight and size. But manufacturers would be required to meet an overall fleetwide average of 35 mpg.

“It closes the SUV loophole,” declared Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., referring to current requirements that allow much less stringent fuel efficiency standards for SUVs and pickup trucks than for cars. “This is a victory for the American public.”

In the end, the GOP wasn't able to fight off the will of the American people.

UPDATE: In the comments, somebody asks what this energy bill will do. Here are some of the key points, thanks to a release by the Senate Democratic Office:

1. Increases auto mileage for first time in decades.
2. Increases production of ethanol.
3. Spurs research on fuel-efficient vehicles.
4. Saves taxpayer dollars by increasing efficiency in government buildings.
5. Ensures gas prices are not manipulated.

Clearly, this is sweeping reform. Certainly there are some additional measures I'd love to have seen, but it's nice to see so much progress on this issue compared to the old Republican Congress that failed to get anything done besides tax breaks for oil companies.

Democrats are leading the way at a time when Republicans do nothing but try to put up roadblocks to energy independence.

People Aren't Goats

Take a guess which Republican Senator said this about his position on immigration reform:

"Now people are at least as smart as goats. Maybe not as agile. Build a fence. We should have a virtual fence. Now one of the ways I keep those goats in the fence is I electrified them. Once they got popped a couple times they quit trying to jump it."

Hint: the answer won't surprise you.
Hint 2: he's actually in a leadership position.

Answer here.

Friday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 21, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

Time for another installment of PB rescue, which features talented writers adding their voice to PartyBuilder. It's just one more way to highlight some of the incredible talent we've got contributing to our community with thoughtful, well-written posts.

• Jim Callahan highlights research that seeks to determine breast cancer risk factors by studying 50,000 sisters of women who have suffered from the disease, and says that they still need to recruit over 12,000 more women in Sisters Needed to End Breast Cancer Now!
• D. Tree writes in Take the Pledge: Vote for All of the Above that though most Democrats have favorite candidates, that they should pledge to support that candidate through constructive means only, to refrain for negative campaigning against another Democrat, and to ultimately cast a vote in support of the Democratic candidate in the general election in order to come together as a party like never before.
• In Stem Cell Veto: Tony Snow Speaks with Forked Tongue, D. Tree writes another good post, this time taking Tony Snow to task for his failure to level with the American people.

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Bush's Approval Rating Drops to Lowest Levels Ever. Again.

According to a new Newsweek poll, Bush's approval rating has dropped to a stunning 26%:

President Bush’s approval rating has reached a record low. Only 26 percent of Americans, just over one in four, approve of the job the 43rd president is doing; while a record 65 percent disapprove, including nearly a third of Republicans...the only president in the last 35 years to score lower than Bush is Richard Nixon. Nixon’s approval rating tumbled to 23 percent in January 1974, seven months before his resignation over the botched Watergate break-in.

Seems like we report a "new record" for the Bush free-falling poll numbers every week, but still...26%. Sheesh.

Cheney Says He is Not an "Entity Within the Executive Branch"

Today we learned that Vice President Cheney, over the objections of the National Archives, exempted his office from a presidential order that required safeguarding classified national security information. Cheney asserted that his office is not an "entity within the executive branch."

So if he's not an "entity within the executive branch"--what is he? The Vatican?

Here's Governor Dean's response:

"Once again, Dick Cheney and the Bush White House think the rules don’t apply to them. There seems to be no limit to the lengths the Bush Administration will go to hide from public scrutiny. Whether it’s keeping the names of his energy task force secret or refusing to disclose the names of people he meets with in his residence, Vice President Cheney’s antics are just more of the same culture of lawlessness that we’ve seen from the Bush Administration over the past six years. It’s no wonder that the American people are looking for new leadership," Dean said.

GOP Blocks Renewable Energy Incentives

Once again Senate Republicans have put the special interests before the people they are supposed to represent, blocking a measure to provide tax breaks for renewable energy. Despite the fact that the American people overwhelmingly favor the incentives, the GOP seems to care more about their Big Oil friends.

Nevertheless, the Democrats defeated the Republicans by winning a vote to limit debate on the bill itself, which the GOP had previously attempted to block. That's very good news for the Democratic Congress, and the House already passed similar legislation.

While the renewable energy tax incentives make the bill even better, without it there are still lots of big ideas that progressives should rally behind. OpenCongress notes some of the other pieces of the legislation:

The bill would recoup lost taxes from big oil companies, protect consumers from gasoline price gauging, promote energy efficiency in lighting and appliances, require utilities to generate some of their electricity from renewable sources, and raise the standard for fuel efficiency for automobiles.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said it best today, noting that "Republicans repeatedly demonstrate that they do not care about the priorities of the American people, throwing up roadblocks at every turn instead of working with us to reduce skyrocketing gas prices, reduce our dependence on oil and reduce the emissions that cause global warming."

But there are still more negotiations to come, and according to Bloomberg News, a final vote on the bill is expected tomorrow. Even the measure blocked by the Republicans could be reconsidered, thanks to a manuever by Sen. Reid.

The Bush Spying Program Under Fire: Senators Vote to Subpoena Documents

Today the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to issue subpoenas for any documents related to the Bush administration's domestic spying program--including any legal opinions and advice that the administration may have received. Democrats on the committee were joined in the vote by Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA), Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

The Center on Democracy & Technology has released a list of the seven "most wanted surveillance documents," including:

* A memo prepared by former Deputy Attorney General James Comey and sent to the White House shortly after March 10, 2004, explaining why the Justice Department would not certify the surveillance program as lawful.

* A memo from then-White House counsel Alberto Gonzales in response, reacting to the Justice Department decision not to certify the domestic spying program.

* Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court orders on January 10, 2007, authorizing the program--which the Administration now calls the Terrorist Surveillance Program.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has made at least nine formal requests for the documents, without an answer from the Justice Department. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chair of the committee, said today:

"Why has this Administration been so steadfast in its refusal? Deputy Attorney General Comey’s account suggests that some of these documents would reveal an Administration perfectly willing to ignore the law. Is that what they are hiding?"

Impersonating the Police?

Romney's entourage on a power trip:

In the piece, Leibovich illustrates the Gov's tight-assedness with this anecdote:

He (Romney) travels with an entourage that includes two or three “operations” guys who serve as advance men and a security detail. (Between stops in New Hampshire, this reporter found himself trailing the former governor’s S.U.V. on a back road, only to be led to the shoulder and instructed to “veer off” by a man wearing an earpiece who emerged from Mr. Romney’s car. “We ran your license plate,” he told the reporter, and explained that no one was permitted to follow Mr. Romney’s vehicle.)

Turns out, however, per AP, that "New Hampshire law does not allow private staffers access to license plate databases, nor does it allow campaign staffers to pull over fellow citizens." Good thing that, per Romney, Leibovich made it up mischaracterized it*:

"We can confirm, though, that at no time was the reporter's license plate run through a check or was his vehicle pulled over."

No Love For Rudy In Iowa

Rudy made a quick stop in Iowa yesterday to talk about his "commitments," but was drowned out by reporters asking about the real story: Rudy's no-show at the Iraq Study Group. Rudy defended his decision to skip a crucial meeting on our national security to pursue lucrative deals on the speech circuit - apparently, self-promotion and money-making are more important to Rudy than figuring out a way to get out of the Iraq quagmire. The Rocky Mountain News had this to say:

Tough questions drowned out part of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's message during a pop-in visit here on Wednesday.

The man some call "America's Mayor" made a rare campaign stop at a Des Moines hotel so he could tout his "commitment" to being a fiscal conservative. But after a quick speech, he got sidetracked at a news conference defending his decision to quit the Iraq Study Group.

Democrats in Congress Work to Reform Student Loan System

Democrats in Congress are working on sweeping changes to the student loan system, with legislation approved by both the Senate and House education committees that would cut federal subsidies to lending companies by as much as $19 billion, channel most of those savings to student aid, and ease repayment rules for borrowers.

The Senate measure would boost the maximum Pell grant, the nation's main aid program for low-income students, from $4,300 to $5,400 a year. The House measure calls for a smaller grant increase but would cut in half the interest rates on federally backed student loans, to 3.4 percent.

Lobbyists for the student loan industry attacked the legislation, saying that it might force some lending companies out of business. But supporters say that this legislation will aid those who need it most--the students.

Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chair of the House Education Committee, called it, "the biggest single investment in college financial aid since the GI Bill."

Both the House and Senate are expected to vote on the bill by the end of July.

Thursday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 20, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

Once again, here is a sample of the talented writers adding their voice to PartyBuilder. It's just one more way to highlight some of the incredible talent we've got contributing to our community with thoughtful, well-written posts.

• Michelle denounces President Bush for once again vetoing funding for advancements in stem cell research in Lil Bush says, Just say 'NO' to progress.
• In Taxes Are Not A Bad Thing!, Aryeh writes about why taxes are fundamental to society and how we can reverse the bad connotations Americans have with them.
• FreedomOfSpeech asks Kerry supporters in 2004 to share their stories of the ups and downs of the election in Calling All John Kerry Supporters!"

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

President Bush Vetoes Hope For Millions of Americans, Governor Dean Responds

Governor Dean released the following statement in reaction to Bush's veto of life saving stem cell funding.

“President Bush’s veto of life-saving stem cell research is just another example of how out of touch he is with the American people,” Dean said. “Bush once again put political posturing ahead of sound science, turning his back on the overwhelming majority of Americans who support stem cell research and the 100 million Americans suffering from debilitating diseases who could benefit from this life-saving science. Republicans should stand up to this President and instead stand with the American people by overriding his veto. We absolutely must elect a Democratic President in 2008 to provide the change in direction that the American people have demanded.”

It's important to remember that the Republican candidates for President aren't any better on providing funding for this life saving research. As recently as this week smooth talking Mitt Romney was flip-flopping yet again by coming out against stem cell funding.

Maybe He Should Consider Actually Being a Senator

The New York Post reports that Arizona voters are not happy with their senior Senator John McCain and may punish him with a primary loss:

Sen. John McCain is in the doghouse on his home turf over immigration reform and is no longer a lock to carry Arizona in the Republican presidential primary, the state's GOP leader said yesterday.

"It's a fight to the end. I don't think it's a given that McCain will win [Arizona]," state GOP chairman Randy Pullen told The Post during a New York visit.

Asked whether he could see Rudy Giuliani or another challenger pulling an upset, Pullen said, "It could happen."

McCain infuriated fellow Arizona Republicans by backing a bill that they see as granting what would amount to amnesty to 12 million illegal aliens and failing to secure the nation's borders. E-mails and phone calls to the Arizona GOP ran 30 to 1 against the measure.

"[He] is wrong on this issue," Pullen said of McCain, who's defended the bill as an improvement over the status quo.

As a result, Pullen said, Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson could make a run at McCain in his back yard.

Bush Vetoes Bill to Expand Stem Cell Research

Stem cell research is a new frontier in medical research, giving hope to those with Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

But today President Bush vetoed legislation to expand embryonic stem cell research, even though such research is supported by a large majority of Americans. In his remarks, Bush claimed that,

"it would compel American taxpayers for the first time in our history to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos."

But this isn't true. The Senate legislation only would support research on stem cell lines from fertility clinics that would otherwise have been discarded.

Bush also issued an Executive Order, allegedly to "increase our support for researchers and their vital work." But as the New York Times pointed out,

"The effort appears largely symbolic--there is no money attached--and some scientists were instantly skeptical. Two leading stem cell researchers, interviewed Tuesday evening, said the recent work was no substitute for embryonic stem cell research."

Top Money Man For Romney Faces Lawsuits Alleging Extensive Child Abuse

Today's edition of The Hill reports that one of Team Romney's biggest fundraisers is being sued for child abuse:

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has collected hundreds of thousands of dollars through the fundraising efforts of a supporter targeted by several lawsuits alleging child abuse.

In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, 133 plaintiffs have alleged that Robert Lichfield, co-chairman of Romney’s Utah finance committee owned or operated residential boarding schools for troubled teenagers where students were “subjected to physical abuse, emotional abuse and sexual abuse.”

The complaint, which plaintiffs amended and resubmitted to the court last week, alleges children attending schools operated by Lichfield suffered abuses such as unsanitary living conditions; denial of adequate food; exposure to extreme temperatures; beatings; confinement in dog cages; and sexual fondling.

The Next Director of Homeland Security? Giuliani’s Former Top Man In SC Indicted On Cocaine Charges

South Carolina Treasurer Thomas Ravenel, the state chairman of Rudolph Giuliani's election campaign, was indicted yesterday on federal cocaine charges. The former real estate developer, a millionaire, is accused of buying less than 500 grams of the drug to share with other people in late 2005, U.S. Attorney Reggie Lloyd said. Ravenel, 44, is charged with distribution of cocaine, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The Giuliani campaign said he had stepped down from his campaign post.

Here's Ravenel sharing his thoughts on the world. What's hard to believe is that Giuliani had no idea this guy was on drugs...

Fair Elections Hearing

This morning, starting at 10am, the Senate is holding a hearing about the "Fair Elections Now Act," which is sponsored by Senator Durbin. You can watch the webcast and get a list of the witnesses right here.

According to the Paid For By... Blog, the bill's goal is to bring "full public financing to congressional elections." For a full background of exactly what this bill is about, however, you'll want to read this release the Public Campaign Action Fund put out.

And afterwards, you can listen to an interview that the Fund's David Donnelly did recently with Air America about the legislation.

Justice Department Negligence Could Cost Taxpayers Billions

The Justice Department has chosen not to pursue at least 10 cases of alleged fraud in Iraq contracts, which could be costing American taxpayers millions, if not billions, of dollars. According to a story in the Boston Globe today:

The Justice Department has opted out of at least 10 whistle-blower lawsuits alleging fraud and corruption in government reconstruction and security contracts in Iraq, and has spent years investigating additional fraud cases but has yet to try to recover any money.

Last year, lawsuits under the False Claims Act, which is used to recover money defrauded from the federal government, returned more than $3 billion in domestic cases--but has returned only $6.1 million from private contractors in Iraq since the war began.

According to Alan Grayson, a lawyer who testified yesterday before a subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, the Justice Department has been stonewalling the cases.

"In our fifth year in the war in Iraq, the Bush administration has not litigated a single case against any war profiteer under the False Claims Act," Grayson said.

Since 2003, the government has relied on private contractors in Iraq like Halliburton to provide everything from meals for the troops to laundry services to armed security for visiting officials.

But records show millions, if not billions, of dollars paid to these contractors are not accounted for.

Patrick Burns, director of communications for Taxpayers Against Fraud, said that without intervention by the Justice Department:

"that isn't much of an incentive not to steal. At this point, there is nothing more profitable than fraud."

Wednesday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 19, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

We got so much positive feedback that I'm going to make Partybuilder Rescue, inspired by SusanG at DailyKos, a daily feature. It's just one more way to highlight some of the incredible talent we've got contributing to our community with thoughtful, well-written posts.

Today's selections were compiled by one of our Internet interns, Emily Smith:

• In Background on Taft-Hartley from an experienced unionist, new PB user Stephen Crockett posts a letter from Leo C. Helmer that recounts the history of the Taft-Hartley Bill and draws several interesting comparisons to present day situations.
• Robert Donovan offers insight into the allegations of DOJ voter suppression and praises Democrats for standing up to it in Senators demand investigation of "cager".
• Our very best wishes go out to Faith Shirley who in Hello Everyone!!! tells us that she is re-enlisting for active duty in the Air Force.

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

A Blogger Responds to Fred Thompson

Bob Geiger -- veteran, suburban husband, blogger and father -- responds to Fred Thompson's latest right-wing rant on ABC News Radio where he accused the bloggers of being "fringe."

Well, I was on that conference call, and based on what I know of the other participants, I suspect they lead much the same kind of life that I do. I never knew I was a "fringe element" in American society, but when I look at a snapshot of my nefarious activities over the last week or so, I know in my heart that Freddie must be right.

Here's just a taste of what this middle-aged, suburban husband and father did to undermine our national values over the past seven days:

• Attended my son's middle-school orientation. He's "graduating" from elementary school this Thursday -- though, oddly enough, exhibiting few signs of being a "fringe element" despite having me for a father -- and on that day, our lunatic activities will center around taking many pictures of him and his friends and going for ice cream afterwards. I personally plan on ordering the Cookies and Communist Crunch.
• Volunteered at a local community clean-up effort to rid our town of the trash spawned by a predominantly-Democratic community that clearly hates America. Went to weenie roast afterwards… Put catsup on my hotdog to show how much I despise American values.
• Went to son's Cub Scout meeting. My wife is the town's Cub Master and spends hours of her time on volunteer activities and team-building with the kids. She's another of the "fringe element" of which Fred Thompson speaks.

As Thinkprogress points out on their website, Thompson’s claims are on thin ice and completely baseless. He wants to sell four more years of the same formula, this time with a deeper voice.

Thompson Takes Credit For Others' Work During Hearings

He was lazy during Watergate, too..

Regarding Thompson, Woodward was responding to a question during a chat on washingtonpost.com about the legacy of the Watergate scandal 35 years after the June 17, 1972 break-in that began to expose Nixon's crimes in office and ultimately brought down the president. A questioner from Fairfax, Va., asked Woodward's opinion of Thompson and noted that Thompson had asked a crucial question about secret White House tape recordings when he was minority counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee.

The veteran journalist, whose early reporting was instrumental in uncovering the scandal, said that when Thompson asked the question, he already "knew the answer -- because three days before the public testimony, lawyers and investigators for the committee got Butterfield to reveal the existance of the secret tape-recording system. Though Thompson seems to get public credit for asking this critical question, it was the work of others on the committee staff who dug out Butterfield's revelation in a lengthy interview on a hot Friday afternoon on July 13, 1973."

Kerik Sheds a Tear For Giuliani

Looks like Rudy's record as mayor is coming back to haunt him, says the New York Post:

Disgraced ex-NYPD Commissioner Bernie Kerik can't stop crying over his fizzled friendship with former BFF Rudy Giuliani.

"I accept the distance created by Giuliani. I understand it, but inside, it's killing me," Kerik said.

"It's like dying a slow death, watching him have to answer for my mistakes," the former top cop said of the ex-New York mayor-turned-presidential.

Vetoing Hope

One day somebody is going to have to explain to me how blocking research that's potentially lifesaving encourages a "culture of life." Yet tomorrow, President Bush is schedule to once again veto the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, which would greatly increase the number of embryonic stem cell lines available to scientists looking to cure debilitating diseases.

If he vetoes, it's not all over. ScienceNow News reported a while back that Sen. Harkin "hints that he might put money in the 2008 budget for [National Institutes of Health] to support work using embryonic stem cells."

Still, today we all urge President Bush to sign this bill, despite the threats. And to get a better idea of what this debate is all about, this YouTube video explains:

Well, We All Knew About the Commitment Problem: Giuliani Gets the Boot From Iraq Study Group After Not Showing Up

If the Republican debates taught us anything, it's that Rudy Giuliani can't go for a few hours without mentioning his national security "credentials."

But if he's so concerned with our security, why did he stand up the Iraq Study Group when it invited him to participate? Newsday reports that Rudy was a no-show for the group's first two meetings--a move earning him the distinction of being the only person kicked off the Iraq Study Group. And what was Rudy doing instead? Just getting paid millions for giving speeches. Rudy needs to get his priorities straight:

Rudolph Giuliani's membership on an elite Iraq study panel came to an abrupt end last spring after he failed to show up for a single official meeting of the group, causing the panel's top Republican to give him a stark choice: either attend the meetings or quit, several sources said.

Giuliani left the Iraq Study Group last May after just two months, walking away from a chance to make up for his lack of foreign policy credentials on the top issue in the 2008 race, the Iraq war.

He cited "previous time commitments" in a letter explaining his decision to quit, and a look at his schedule suggests why--the sessions at times conflicted with Giuliani's lucrative speaking tour that garnered him $11.4 million in 14 months.

Giuliani failed to show up for a pair of two-day sessions that occurred during his tenure, the sources said--and both times, they conflicted with paid public appearances shown on his recent financial disclosure. Giuliani quit the group during his busiest stretch in 2006, when he gave 20 speeches in a single month that brought in $1.7 million.

Bush Administration Fights Against Security Measures at Chemical Plants

Just caught this on the Huffington Post wire:

For nearly seven years, the chemical, oil and gas industries have successfully fought proposals to require stringent anti-terror security measures at facilities storing poisonous materials such as chlorine and methyl mercaptan.

These industries have been especially opposed to legislation requiring "inherently safer technology," a policy industry officials and the Bush administration view as both setting an excessively high standard and as leaving companies more vulnerable to lawsuits for failing to comply.

House Democrats added the security measure to the second Iraq supplemental appropriation. The measure was quietly killed by Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, whose staff confirmed that he was acting on behalf of the White House.

Efforts to tighten security at chemical factories began less than two months after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Government documents disclosed the existence of more than 100 factories and other facilities where a successful attack would produce toxic clouds with the potential to severely sicken or kill at least a million people.

So why would anyone fight these efforts to tighten security?

In 1994, the oil and gas industry contributed a total of $17.5 million to Congressional candidates, with two thirds of it, $11 million, going to Republicans, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. By 2002, the industry gave a total of $25 million, with 80 percent, $19.9 million, going to Republicans. From 1990 to 2006, the chemical industry contributed $3 to Republicans for every $1 to Democrats, or $46 million to $14.2 million.

Similarly, at least 85 of Bush's major fundraisers--"Pioneers" who collected at least $100,000 and "Rangers" who collected $200,000 or more--were corporate officials in oil, gas, chemical and fertilizer companies.

The full story is definitely worth a read.

Offered Without Comment

A question, however: can anybody make sense of this?

Tuesday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 18, 2007

Open Thread and PB Rescue

For a while now, SusanG over at DailyKos has maintained the Diary Rescue. This post is offered in the same spirit of trying to promote those voices that might not get the attention they deserve.

For those unfamiliar, the Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

Here is today's PB Rescue:

• In Bush Opens Our Wallets, Sam Schoolsky writes about the craziness of Bush fiscal policies, and even those of us who know about their irresponsibility will be surprised at the extent of the borrowing.
• Michelle asks the community to rank their favorite, and least favorite, media personalities in Just for fun--Rank your favorites.
• And Tim offers [his] thoughts on Congress, venting his frustrations, yet looking at the positive side.

Let me know what you think about this roundup in the comments. This is a fresh open thread.

Romney Flip-Flops on Massachussetts

Mitt Romney has been running away from his home state of Massachusetts, which he governed for years, even bashing them in a 30-second ad. Because we've seen him talking trash about his state for the last few months, I was surprised to see that today Romney announced the Massachusetts Steering Committee.

But is this most recent flip-flop working? Here's an editorial yesterday from the Boston Globe:

Romney committed himself to pro choice policies and miscellaneous moderate social stands in order to run for office in Massachusetts, and with good political reason. It would be hard to imagine a pro life, anti-gay rights social conservative winning a Massachusetts governor's race. Once elected, Romney used Massachusetts as the launchpad he intended from the start. He began the dramatic political retooling that he hopes will win him the Republican nomination, then the presidency. [...] Such critics are forcing Romney to explain what he said as a gubernatorial candidate, and why. But Republican primary voters may also give Romney credit for speaking out against his home state now, as they question how much any single Republican could do to stop the liberal tide demonstrated by the gay marriage vote.

Meanwhile, there's some poetic justice in the fact that whenever Romney looks in the rearview mirror, a Massachusetts liberal is not far behind.

Apparently Massachusetts isn't just going to sit back and take Romney's attacks.

RNC Destroyed Official Email Records

A new report from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform finds that the White House likely violated the Presidential Records Act by using Republican National Committee (RNC) email accounts. Karl Rove alone sent or received 140,216 emails through his RNC account.

But that's not all. There is also evidence that the RNC has systematically destroyed many email records, including all email records for 51 White House officials.

The Presidential Records Act requires the office of the President to preserve records related to official White House work.

The Oversight Committee found:

The number of White House officials given RNC email accounts is higher than previously disclosed. In March 2007, White House spokesperson Dana Perino said that only a "handful of officials" had RNC email accounts. In later statements, her estimate rose to "50 over the course of the administration." In fact, the Committee has learned from the RNC that at least 88 White House officials had RNC email accounts.

White House officials made extensive use of their RNC email accounts. The RNC has preserved 140,216 emails sent or received by Karl Rove. Over half of these emails (75,374) were sent to or received from individuals using official ".gov" email accounts. Other heavy users of RNC email accounts include former White House Director of Political Affairs Sara Taylor (66,018 emails) and Deputy Director of Political Affairs Scott Jennings (35,198 emails). These email accounts were used by White House officials for official purposes, such as communicating with federal agencies about federal appointments and policies.

There has been extensive destruction of the emails of White House officials by the RNC. Of the 88 White House officials who received RNC email accounts, the RNC has preserved no emails for 51 officials...In addition, there are major gaps in the email records of the 37 White House officials for whom the RNC did preserve emails. The RNC has preserved only 130 emails sent to Mr. Rove during President Bush’s first term and no emails sent by Mr. Rove prior to November 2003.

There is evidence that the Office of White House Counsel under Alberto Gonzales may have known that White House officials were using RNC email accounts for official business, but took no action to preserve these presidential records. In her deposition, Ms. Ralston testified that she searched Mr. Rove’s RNC email account in response to an Enron-related investigation in 2001 and the investigation of Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald later in the Administration. According to Ms. Ralston, the White House Counsel’s office knew about these emails because "all of the documents we collected were then turned over to the White House Counsel’s office." There is no evidence, however, that White House Counsel Gonzales initiated any action to ensure the preservation of the email records that were destroyed by the RNC.

Read the report from the Oversight Committee and see the full list of White House officials with RNC accounts here.

Heads They Stay, Tails They Don't Leave

Compare and contrast. A couple of weeks ago, ABC News ran this story:

• "The senior U.S. commanders in Iraq -- Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno and Gen. David Petraeus -- want the surge to continue until at least December and expect to report enough progress in Iraq by September to justify it, officials told ABC News' Martha Raddatz."

Fast-forward to today, now that the Washington Post is reporting:

• "Conditions in Iraq will not improve sufficiently by September to justify a drawdown of U.S. military forces, [General Petraeus] in Iraq said yesterday."

According to Gen. Petraeus, a failure to meet the September deadline means we have to keep US forces in Iraq. Yesterday, he said that conditions in Iraq won't improve enough by September to justify a redeployment of our troops. But only a couple weeks ago, he was saying we'd have so much progress that a redeployment of troops wouldn't be justified.

The Bush administration, along with many other Republicans, have been holding up September as the month when we can finally judge whether or not this latest attempt to escalate the Iraq occupation was a "success" -- despite the fact that there isn't even a clear mission. Later, as always seems to happen with the Bush administration, they began moving the goalposts, saying that the report wouldn't be "definitive" and downplaying the importance of the date.

And now they're directly contradicting themselves, saying there'd be so much progress -- and so little progress -- that we have to continue the failed escalation ploy.

Surprise, surprise.

Not Exactly the 'Christian' Thing To Do

Brownback email questions Romney's religion:

An aide to GOP presidential candidate Sam Brownback has been reprimanded for sending e-mail to Iowa Republican leaders in an apparent attempt to draw unfavorable scrutiny to rival Mitt Romney's Mormonism.

Emma Nemecek, the southeastern Iowa field director for Brownback's presidential campaign and a former state representative candidate, violated campaign policy when she forwarded the June 6 e-mail from an interest group raising the questions, the Brownback campaign said Sunday.

The e-mail requested help in fact-checking a series of statements about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Among the statements: "Theologically, the only thing Christianity and the LDS church has in common is the name of Jesus Christ, and the LDS Jesus is not the same Jesus of the Christian faith" and "The LDS church has never been accepted by the Christian Council of Churches."

McCain May Be Stealing Thompson's Red Pickup Truck Strategy

Check it out.

History Repeats Itself

Exactly 35 years ago yesterday, five men were apprehended for breaking into Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington DC. The scandal led to the discovery of the dirty tricks that high-level White House officials attempted to cover up and the resignation of President Nixon.

As Governor Dean pointed out the other day, we've got a president even more dishonest than Nixon. Appearing on Tavis Smiley's show, he noted that attorneys were fired "because they didn't do a good enough job at suppressing the vote."

It's a completely different type of dirty trick than the ones Nixon was responsible for, but still an unethical abuse of power where high-level resignations are appropriate -- namely, Alberto Gonzales'.

There have been lots of connections made between the Bush administration and the Nixon administration when it comes to warrantless eavesdropping, the Iraq war, the Justice Department scandals, and so on. In fact, ex-Nixon aide John Dean wrote a book entitled "Worse Than Watergate" about the Bush presidency.

I'll be spending this anniversary of the arrests thinking about how today's Woodward and Bernstein is a blogger and journalist named Joshua Marshall.

Tales of a Fallen GOP Frontrunner

McCain drops to single digits in South Carolina:

Similarly, Mr. McCain used to be the frontrunner in the South Carolina primary. Well... not anymore. The latest Mason-Dixon poll shows Mr. McCain down to an unbelievable 7% in the state's primary. This used to be Mr. McCain's best shot at winning one of the Early Three states; now he's below Mitt Romney (a place no candidate wants to be). The Big Four breakdown looks like this: Thompson: 25% Giuliani: 21% Romney: 11% McCain: 7%

Monday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 17, 2007

Sunday Open Thread

Happy Father's Day! Chat away...

June 16, 2007

Saturday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 15, 2007

Fred Dalton Thompson, K Street Lobbyist

A profile of Fred Thompson in USA Today this week highlighted his long, long career as a K Street lobbyist:

Although the folksy-sounding Tennessean recently told USA TODAY that he would run as an outsider, just as he did while campaigning as a "country lawyer" in a red pickup during his 1994 U.S. Senate race, his resume is that of a longtime Washington operative who has crossed ideological lines to represent corporate and foreign clients.

In his most recent stint in Washington, Thompson worked for Equitas, a London company lobbying Congress to limit liability for asbestos-related illnesses. Thompson opponents accused him of being a "Gucci-wearing, Lincoln-driving, Perrier-drinking, Grey Poupon-spreading millionaire Washington special-interest lobbyist," but a Thompson spokesperson said that this was "not an issue at all." From the Washington Post:

He said that Thompson is proud to have been a lobbyist and believed in Equitas's cause. "It's an honorable endeavor," Carallo added. "He was retained to do a job, and he did it to the best of his abilities."

Of course, he is also an actor--gifted at pretending to be someone he's not.

Mitt Romney, Stuck Between A Stem Cell And An Embryo

From the NY Times:

But in a little-noticed moment at the first Republican presidential debate, last month in California, Mr. Romney was asked whether he would encourage broader federal financing. When he did not directly answer that question, he was pressed on whether scientists should be able to do research at all on embryos that fertility clinics would otherwise discard anyway.

Mr. Romney said he would be “happy to allow that,” then stopped himself and said: “I shouldn’t say happy. It’s fine for that to be allowed, to be legal. I won’t use our government funds for that.”

But in August 2004, Governor Romney appeared to express support for expanded federal backing of embryonic work. Ann Romney held a news conference that month in which she said that she supported such research and that she believed it could be done “morally and ethically.” Soon afterward, in response to questions about the issue, Eric Fehrnstrom, a spokesman for Mr. Romney, told The Boston Globe that the governor “wants to encourage and support scientific research and the discovery of new cures.”

And Romney might want to get his dates straight. His pro-life epiphany just doesn’t add up:

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has long cited a November 2004 meeting with a Harvard stem cell researcher as the moment that changed his long-held stance of supporting abortion rights to his current "pro-life" position opposing legal abortion.

But several actions Romney took mere months after that meeting call into question how deep-seated his conversion truly was.

Within two months of his epiphany on this issue, Romney appointed to a judgeship a Democrat who was an avowed supporter of abortion rights. In May 2005, Romney also declared his support for a House bill lifting President Bush's ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research -- a bill he now said he opposes.

Suppressing the Vote

Governor Dean sat down with Tavis Smiley last night, and sunny flagged down one key part of the interview where "he talked about the attorneys being fired for not going along with suppressing the vote."

The bogus voter fraud allegations are what, as Josh Marshall often reminds us, this whole Justice Department scandal is all about. Here's the exchange from the show last night:

Tavis Smiley: The Democrats did not succeed depending on how one defines success, the measure did not pass but Chuck Schumer from New York says the measure was successful because the majority of the Senate voted, supported that no-confidence vote against the Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. The president is still standing firm behind his man.

Gov. Dean: This president is more dishonest than Richard Nixon. He is using the Justice Department to suppress the vote. The attorneys were fired because they didn't do a good enough job at suppressing the vote. It is outrageous. In fact, one of them did his job well enough he was investigating complaints about the Republican's suppression to vote. The Justice Department is becoming a laughingstock and George Bush makes Richard Nixon look like an honest man. He really does. What's going on is the disgrace. To use the Justice Department, which is to be an independent force in the enforcement of justice in America, to suppress the vote of your opponents is a disgrace and Alberto Gonzales should not be in office.

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. Activist Academy Election Protection Training: Running a Poll-Watching Operation (Manhattan, NY)
   

   The New York Democratic Lawyers Council will be presenting two training sessions of the of the New Democratic Majority's Activist Academy. Both sessions are free of charge. On June 16, join NYDLC Co-Chair and election protection expert Robert Donovan for an overview of running a poll watching operation.

2. DFA Training Weekend in Salt Lake City (Salt Lake City, UT)
   

   We're very excited to announce that Democracy for Utah will be hosting campaign and grassroots training from Democracy for America this June! This is a great training opportunity whether you're a candidate, campaign manager, or grassroots activist. And best of all, the cost is only $60 for the whole weekend.

3. Tekoa Slippery Gulch Days Celebration (Tekoa, WA)
   

   Parade, fireworks, annual rodeo, Farmers Market, recently renovated Empire Theatre. Children's Parade at 10:30, Grand Parade at 11.

4. South Bend Juneteenth (South Bend, IN)
   

   The St. Joseph County Democratic Party will once again participate in the South Bend Juneteenth celebration. Juneteenth is the commemoration of the freeing of the last slaves in Texas in 1865. Stop by and visit our tent!

5. Democratic Family Fun Day (Jackson, MS)
   

   Join state & local Democratic Candidates and area families as they enjoy political speaking, children's games, blues music and grilled hotdogs in a shady park (please bring blankets to picnic)

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Giuliani can't make up his mind on Bush:

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, in an indirect swipe at President Bush, said Thursday the overwhelming attitude that the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction reflects a lack of leadership.

The nation's bleak mood was evident in the most recent Associated Press-Ipsos poll in which only 21 percent said they believe things in the U.S. are heading in the right direction, the worst mark since the AP-Ipsos poll began in December 2003.

In a brief meeting with reporters after the rally, Giuliani declined to take a direct jab at Bush. The Republican candidate said he has "tremendous admiration" for the president.

"I think President Bush made the single biggest decision of his presidency correctly; he put us on offense against terrorism, and I will always admire him for that," he said.

Another GOP Filibuster

Is the Republican Party falling in love with being in the minority? How else do you explain why they would filibuster an energy bill that would reduce our dependence on foreign oil by focusing on energy conservation and renewable fuels. The NY Times today reports that instead of laying out anything resembling a path towards energy independence, Senate Republicans blocked the legislation.

It's the same legislation I wrote about the other day, which takes historic steps when it comes to issues like increasing the fuel economy of vehicles and increasing the production of renewable fuels.

The measure still, of course, has a good shot, and we're only one short of the 60 votes needed to end debate. The GOP has been filibuster-happy lately, refusing to allow a vote on the Alberto Gonzales no-confidence vote not very long ago. It's just reinforcing the voters' belief that Republicans are out of ideas: on Iraq, on health care, and on our energy crisis.

Friday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 14, 2007

The California GOP Hires...a Canadian?

This is hilarious. After all the Republican rhetoric around immigration, check out this story from the Carpetbagger Report:

The California Republican Party has decided no American is qualified to take one of its most crucial positions--state deputy political director--and has hired a Canadian for the job through a coveted H-1B visa, a program favored by Silicon Valley tech firms that is under fire for displacing skilled American workers.

Christopher Matthews, 35, a Canadian citizen, has worked for the state GOP as a campaign consultant since 2004. But he recently was hired as full-time deputy political director, with responsibility for handling campaign operations and information technology for the country's largest state Republican Party operation, California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring confirmed in a telephone interview this week.

So much for "not wanting immigrants to take American jobs."

Wait, it gets funnier. Matthews was hired by Michael Kamburowski, the state GOP's chief operations officer, who is...wait for it...an Australian citizen.

House Democrats Work to Make College Tuition More Affordable

The House Education and Labor Committee voted 30-16 to approve legislation that would make college tuition more affordable. The "College Cost Reduction Act of 2007" would boost financial aid by almost $20 billion over the next 5 years while cutting interest rates on subsidized student loans and increasing the Pell Grant Scholarship.

"This legislation represents Congress's biggest effort since the GI Bill was passed more than 60 years ago to help Americans pay for college. We are committed to growing and strengthening America's middle class. A key to that goal is making sure that every qualified student can afford to go to college and this vote takes us a tremendous step in the right direction," said Rep. George Miller, the chairman of the committee and the sponsor of the legislation. "Not only does this legislation meet our promise of making college more affordable, but it does so in a fiscally responsible way, at no new cost to taxpayers. For far too long, college costs have grown faster than families' ability to pay them. With this bill, we are saying that help is on the way."

As a student I know full well the burden of paying tuition, and I think other students would agree with me when I say that this type of relief can’t come soon enough.

(Emily Smith is an intern in the DNC Internet Department.)

Massachusetts Legislature Rejects Discriminatory Marriage Amendment

Today the Massachusetts legislature defeated a proposed constitutional amendment that would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman. The amendment would have ended over three years of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts. Thanks to Blue Mass Group for bringing it to our attention.

Because the amendment was proposed via the initiative process, it only needed 50 of the 200 members to vote "yes" in order to add the proposal to the 2008 ballot. But the final vote was 45-151. The amendment will not appear on the 2008 ballot.

Governor Dean issued the following statement in response to the vote:

"Today's vote is an important milestone in the march toward equal rights and protections under the law for every American. By a three-to-one margin, Bay State legislators stood up and sent a clear message that there is no place in their constitution for the brand of divisiveness and discrimination that would have been enshrined in this proposed amendment. I applaud Governor Deval Patrick and the Democratic leadership in the State House for their strong, principled leadership.

"Because Democrats value all families, we are committed to promoting a vision of America in which every one of our fellow citizens can live in respect and dignity, with equality under the law. Governor Patrick and his fellow Bay State Democrats helped bring that ideal closer to reality today by casting aside the politics of fear and division."

Tony Snow Says That Bush is "On The Frontlines" of the Iraq War "Every Day"

Amanda at ThinkProgress caught this amazing exchange during a White House briefing today. Reporter Helen Thomas asked White House spokesman Tony Snow if there are "any members of the Bush family or this administration in this war."

Tony Snow's response? He claimed that President Bush is on the "frontlines" of the war in Iraq--which is probably a surprise to the troops actually serving there.

Q: Are there any members of the Bush family or this administration in this war?

SNOW: Yeah, the President. The President is in the war every day.

Q: Come on, that isn’t my question –

SNOW: Well, no, if you ask any president who is a commander in chief –

Q: On the frontlines, wherever...

SNOW: The President.

ThinkProgress has the clip.

Giuliani’s New Plan For Success in Iraq?

Super-Surge!

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said he would consider adding U.S. troops in Iraq if the head of military operations there, U.S. Army General David Petraeus, asked for them.

``If he said the strategy was working, and we needed more soldiers to make it work,'' Giuliani said in an interview yesterday, ``of course I'd look at that and consider that.''

Giuliani, 63, said he knew such a decision would be unpopular. ``Leadership is about sometimes doing the things that you know are right'' and then educating the public, he said.

BREAKING: Scooter Libby Will Not Remain Free During Appeal

Scooter Libby will report to prison sometime in the next six weeks--where, unless he is pardoned by George Bush, he will serve his sentence for the next two-and-a-half years. Thanks to firedoglake, as usual, for terrific coverage.

Huckabee Has a New Plan: Go to Jail With Paris

Republican presidential candidate and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee accused the news media of not paying enough attention to his campaign.

"One of the frustrations is that there is more attention on Britney Spears getting out of a car without underwear than there is about who is going to be the next president," he said. "That is something that we as candidates don’t control."

So what's the solution?

"Accompanying Paris Hilton to jail might work," Huckabee said.

Scooter Libby Hearing Happening Now; Judge Was Threatened

A hearing is taking place right now to determine whether Scooter Libby will remain free on bond pending his appeal--or whether he will start serving his prison time immediately. Firedoglake is liveblogging the hearing.

Libby was convicted last March on four counts of lying and obstructing a leak investigation. Bush administration officials leaked covert CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity to reporters in 2003.

Her identity was revealed after her husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, accused the Bush administration of faking intelligence on Iraq before the war. The leak was widely seen as retaliation against Wilson.

Scooter Libby's conviction in the case resulted in a sentence of 30 months in prison and a $250,000 fine. Judge Reggie Walton is right now presiding over a hearing on whether or not Libby will remain free during his appeal.

It's worth noting that Judge Walton has received threatening letters and phone calls since the verdict. From the AP via ThinkProgress:

The federal judge who oversaw I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby’s CIA leak trial said Thursday that he received threatening letters and phone calls after sentencing the former White House aide to prison.

"I received a number of angry, harassing mean-spirited phone calls and letters," U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton said. "Some of those were wishing bad things on me and my family."

Walton made the remarks as he opened a hearing into whether to delay Libby’s 2 1/2-year sentence. He said he was holding the letters in case something happened but said they would have no effect on Thursday’s decision.

UPDATE: Scooter Libby must report to prison.

Ask the Candidates Questions Through YouTube

The first DNC sanctioned debate will take place on July 23, 2007 in Charleston, South Carolina, sponsored by YouTube/Google and CNN. In a new twist, voters will be able to submit their questions to the candidates via YouTube. Click here to submit your own question.

The DNC will sanction six debates this year. See below for the DNC debate schedule:

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.

UPDATE: Here's the statement from Governor Dean:

"We're delighted that the first of the DNC-sanctioned debates will present voters with a truly innovative opportunity to engage directly with our outstanding Democratic candidates. The Democratic Party is committed to helping usher in a new era in American politics that recognizes campaigns require a two-way dialogue between voters and their candidates on the future of our country. This historic partnership between CNN, YouTube/Google, and the South Carolina Democratic Party helps move political campaigns in that direction, and marks a new era in American politics. I am pleased that the DNC could help play a role in facilitating this revolutionary and unique event, and that our strong field of Democratic candidates will get to share their vision of leadership for America's future with voters across the country, and across the internet."

FBI Terrorist Watch List Includes More Than 500,000 Names

An FBI terrorist watch list has apparently swelled to more than half a million names. According to privacy and civil liberties advocates, the list is out of control, and could possibly become useless in the war on terror.

U.S. lawmakers and their spouses have been detained because their names were on the watch list. Reporters who have reviewed versions of the list found it included the names of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, at the time he was alive but in custody in Iraq; imprisoned al Qaeda plotter Zacarias Moussaoui; and 14 of the 19 Sept. 11, 2001 hijackers, all of whom perished in the attacks.

ACLU senior legislative counsel Tim Sparapani called the number of names--now estimated at 509,000--"stunning."

"If we have 509,000 names on that list, the watch list is virtually useless," he told ABC News. "You'll be capturing innocent individuals with no connection to crime or terror."

"There's a reason the FBI has a '10 Most Wanted' list, right? We need to focus the government's efforts on the greatest threats. When the watch list grows to this level, it's useless as an anti-terror tool," Sparapani said.

Meanwhile, last year U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales refused to endorse legislation that would forbid gun sales to suspects on the watch list, telling a House panel:

"We don't want terrorists to have firearms, but at the end of the day we have to enforce the law. And unless they have a disability under the statute, then they're entitled to a weapon." [Italics mine.]

So we have a "watch list" of 500,000 suspected terrorists--and they are all allowed to buy weapons? What's the point of this "watch list" again?

Gov. Dean Meets Tavis Smiley

Today Governor Dean appears on the Tavis Smiley show on PBS to discuss "strategy and the diversity of his party's slate of presidential candidates."

Check your local listings to watch the interview.

Thursday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 13, 2007

Not Making the Grade

Thompson not ‘right’ enough on immigration:

But Thompson is viewed somewhat poorly by conservative activists on immigration and campaign-finance reform.

Americans for Better Immigration - a group that advocates deportation of illegals and a stronger border - rates Thompson an overall "C."

Thompson’s free ride may be over as opponents begin to question his credentials.

A Multiple Choice Mitt Quiz

Which of these people do you think is least deserving of a pardon:

1. A decorated Iraq war veteran and hero with a boyhood conviction for a BB gun shooting that didn't even break the skin. The veteran "led a platoon of 20 soldiers in Iraq's deadly Sunni triangle" and "sought a pardon to fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer."
2. A Bush administration official convicted of two counts of perjury, one count of obstructing justice in a grand jury investigation, and one of the two counts of making false statements to federal investigators. The official also leaked the identity of a covert CIA agent, creating a severe security threat.

If you're Mitt Romney, you reject pardoning Person A twice, but actually consider pardoning Person B. He's actually talking about favoring a pardon of convicted felon Scooter Libby. This from a man that brags about how he is the first governor in the modern history of Massachusetts to deny every single request for a pardon.

Hypocrisy? Another day in the life of Mitt Romney. I suppose that we should be grateful that he only denied the veteran's pardon, rather than also lashing out at him like he recently did to an Iraq veteran on Memorial Day.

Democrats Getting It Done: Energy Independence

Energy independence is something that both sides talk about, but it's an issue where the old Republican Congress simply failed to lead. Now the Democratic Congress is taking up the issue, offering bold ideas to reduce our nation's dependence on oil by significantly reducing our oil consumption.

This week, the Senate begins debating legislation to "increase the fuel economy of cars and trucks and boosting the use of non-petroleum fuels like ethanol." According to ABC News, the legislation currently being considered would:

• Require that vehicles get 35 miles on the gallon by 2020. This would increase by 4 percent every year.
• Authorize the Energy Department "to make loan guarantees for fuel-efficient vehicle manufacturers and related parts suppliers."
• Increase the use of renewable fuels to 8.5 billion gallons in 2008, and to 36 billion gallons by 2022.
• Give the federal government "more authority to go after oil companies that manipulate gasoline supplies and overcharge consumers at the pump."

It would also:

• Authorize projects "to capture greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and other polluters."
• "Promote energy efficiency in consumer products ranging from light bulbs to big-screen TVs."

This is good, tough legislation that reduces our dependence on foreign oil. It's good, tough legislation that tackles the problem directly. Senator Reid had more to say in a statement:

This amendment is an important step in our efforts to reduce our nation's dependence on oil and make America more secure by directing the Administration to craft a plan to significantly reduce U.S. oil consumption. Democrats understand that with only three percent of the world's oil reserves in the U.S., we will always rely on unstable regions of the world if we do not reduce our dependence on oil. This amendment is also a critical element of our energy legislation that will also protect consumers, strengthen the economy and reduce global-warming emissions.

Will Republicans try to block this one? Or is their big talk about energy independence just cheap rhetoric? We'll soon find out.

UPDATE: Surprise, surprise... the Republicans offer nothing and block much-needed reform with a filibuster.

Enron Redux: Bush Won't Support the Rights of Investors in Securities Fraud Case

George Bush personally intervened in a Justice Department decision not to support the rights of investors in a securities fraud lawsuit now before the Supreme Court, in a case that will impact victims of the Enron scandal.

The case will help determine whether the Houston energy company alone is to blame for the fraud, or whether the Wall Street banks that allegedly aided and abetted its fraud will accept some of the responsibility.

Bush argued that the administration shouldn't support the Enron investors in order to reduce "unnecessary lawsuits," according to his chief economic advisor, Al Hubbard. From the AP:

Bush’s role in the case underscores its significance. The outcome of the Supreme Court case could determine whether investors can pursue lawsuits to recover investment losses if they can prove collusion between Wall Street institutions and scandal-ridden companies.

The deadline for siding with investors in the case now before the Supreme Court ended at midnight Monday, and the solicitor general did not file a brief...The administration will decide in the next 30 days whether to side with the defendant companies or not to participate in the case at all.

The lawsuit before the Supreme Court is Stoneridge Investment v. Scientific-Atlanta, 06-43, and refers to the Enron scandal 55 times in a 43-page court filing.

New York Police Honor McCain...Right in Rudy's Backyard

The New York Police Department Honor Legion awarded a Republican presidential candidate with their Man of the Year award last night in Queens. But in a slap at Rudy Giuliani, the candidate they chose to honor was...John McCain?

A spokeswoman for former Mayor Rudy Giuliani--who has made a presidential campaign staple of highlighting the drop in crime during his time at City Hall--declined to comment on McCain's selection.

Meanwhile, Giuliani spoke last night to the annual convention of the Police Officers Association of Michigan.

Off To A Great Start

Thompson gets slapped with an FEC fine:

With all the millions that will be raised and spent on presidential campaigns -- including, presumably, Fred Thompson's -- this sounds kind of like a parking ticket:

The Federal Election Commission reports today that Thompson's now-defunct Fred D. Thompson PAC has been fined $450 for being late with some of its paperwork in 2006.

Comments to this post are turned on.

Success in Rural Communities

Democrats continue making gains in the rural community, as a new Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll shows numbers that seem to support the growing trend over the past few years. The Center for Rural Strategies, which commissioned the poll, has a summary of the results:

46% of the respondents indicated they'd vote for an un-named Democratic candidate for president; 43 % favored a Republican -- a. statistical dead heat given the poll's 3.4% margin of error – but a deep plunge given rural voters past support of Republicans. 2000 exit polls showed Bush beating Al Gore by 22% in rural areas. In 2004, the vote tally showed Bush outpolling Sen. John Kerry, by 19 percent among rural voters.

60% of those surveyed know someone who is serving or has served in Iraq or Afghanistan. 45% of respondents said the country should "stay the course" in Iraq, down from 51% in 2004. Bush's job performance ratings has dropped to 44%, down 10% since the 2004 election.

Rural folks are now part of the Democratic majority, but it's going to take some work to keep it that way. And it's going to be even more work to keep making inroads. It's why the 50-state strategy is so important. We can't make these gains unless we campaign everywhere and talk to every voter.

White House Political Director Linked to U.S. Attorney Purge

The Justice Department released new emails last night linking former White House political director Sara Taylor (who resigned just last month) and her deputy Scott Jennings to the U.S. attorney scandal.

The February 2007 emails all relate to the case of Tim Griffin, the protégé of Karl Rove who was installed as U.S. attorney in Arkansas without Senate confirmation. Former U.S. attorney Bud Cummins was fired to make way for Griffin. From ThinkProgress:

The messages from Taylor and Jennings to the Justice officials are sent from their Republican National Committee email accounts. They provide new evidence that senior White House officials were intimately involved in the attorney scandal, and that the White House was still interested in installing Griffin as U.S. Attorney even after the controversy over the firings had become public.

Today we learn that congressional subpoenas have now been issued to both Taylor and former White House counsel Harriet Miers. These are the first subpoenas issued directly to the White House in the U.S. attorney scandal.

Read the emails for yourself here.

The Rightroot's Sleuths Strike Again

Comments at this blog close automatically after a certain number of days. It's a pretty standard tool in order to fight spam comments, although different blogs deal with it in different ways.

So long after a post was written, the detectives over at the right-wing Virginia Virtucon and Michelle Malkin's Hotair whined about CENSORSHIP! at the Democratic Party blog. They (falsely) claimed that the substance of comments caused the thread to be closed, as part of some grand conspiracy.

Oops. Do these guys ever get it right? Will they issue a correction? Well, here's how the Viginia Virtucon blogger responded to a commenter: "Blah, blah, blah." Maybe there's a better chance at Hotair, given that Michelle Malkin -- who runs it, but didn't write the post -- is such an expert at corrections.

Wednesday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 12, 2007

FBI Director Uses $40 Million Dollar Jet to Fly to Public Appearances

The FBI recently asked Congress for $3.6 million in funding for the agency's Gulfstream V jet, saying that it needed the money to make sure the aircraft, packed with "state-of-the-art" gear, could fly counterterror agents on "crucial missions" into Iraq. The bureau has made similar funding requests for the jet every year since 9/11.

Now we learn that the jet, which is worth $40 million dollars, is used to ferry FBI Directory Robert Mueller to "speeches, public appearances and field office visits." His travel accounts for nearly a quarter of the jet's flight time.

FBI officials acknowledged to The Washington Post that Mueller's use of the Gulfstream is a marked departure from the travel practices of his predecessors, such as Louis J. Freeh, who flew commercially or used a smaller Cessna Citation jet. They said that Mueller's aides first check with the counterterrorism division to make sure the Gulfstream is not needed for terrorism operations, and that the Justice Department approves each flight.

Oh, the Justice Department approves the flights? What a relief.

Fred's Last Role Was In Gucci Gulch...

From the Washington Post:

By all accounts, Fred D. Thompson will soon be running for president, portraying himself as a Washington outsider on the campaign trail. But over the past three years he showed up every two weeks or so at a lobbying and law firm in downtown D.C. to plot how best to persuade Congress to help a British company.

His main assignment: to use his connections to then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) to extract information about goings-on inside Congress and use it to benefit his multibillion-dollar client.

In exchange for this insider wisdom he was paid a cool $760,000.
[...]
According to people he lobbied with, Thompson was an access man. He contacted his old colleagues to learn the latest about bills his client cared about. Thompson was frequently responsible for finding out what Frist was planning for asbestos legislation, his spokesman said -- an easy task, given his eight years in the Senate representing Tennessee alongside Frist (both were first elected in 1994).

Thompson's client, London-based Equitas Ltd., held billions of dollars to pay off claims from people sickened by asbestos, a once-common building material. It wanted Congress to limit how much it had to pay into a trust fund to cover those liabilities.

In an earlier era, the term of art for what Thompson did would have been "foreign agent." But a law change in 1995 allowed lobbyists for foreign companies to register simply as run-of-the-mill lobbyists, which permitted them to sidestep detailed disclosure requirements about their activities and to avoid the politically charged "agent" designation.

Romney Isn’t the Brightest Bulb in the Bunch

Another president who doesn’t open the newspaper?

“If Saddam Hussein had opened up his country to IAEA inspectors, and they'd come in and they'd found that there were no weapons of mass destruction...we wouldn't be in the conflict we're in."

Those were the words of Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, and currently campaigning for the Republican nomination for President. The words were the opening answer to the Republican Presidential debate. Just in case you aren’t grasping what Romney is saying, let’s put in a little more understandable English. What Mitt Romney is saying if that the US and the world had only known that there were no WMDs in Iraq for sure on the basis of weapons inspections inside the country, there would not now be a war going on there. Okay, he’s also saying something else. Mitt Romney, a man who feels he is qualified to be the President of the United States, is saying that there were no weapons inspectors in Iraq and that is why we could not get assurances that no WMDs existed there.

Mitt Romney wants to be your President even though he apparently never opened a newspaper during the run-up to the Iraq invasion. In fact, Scott Ritter was going around telling everyone that he had found no evidence of WMDs in Iraq. Scott Ritter had been inside Iraq. His feet were actually touching the sand there, but instead of relying upon him, Pres. Bush and Dick Cheney and Condi Rice relied on evidence from satellites miles above the earth. Hans Blix was in Iraq. Hans Blix and his team of over 200 weapons inspectors were inside Iraq looking for WMDs.

Army Misses May Recruiting Goals

For the first time in two years, the Army fell short of its recruiting goals. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that his goal is to increase the size of the active-duty Army by 65,000 to a total of 547,000 within five years.

Why can't the Army meet its recruiting goals? Apparently, prom.

"May is historically a difficult month to recruit," said Maj. Anne Edgecomb, an Army spokeswoman. High school graduation and other spring events tend to make it harder to attract the attention of potential recruits, she said.

No Vote on Alberto Gonzales

Along with many of you, I've watched the growing number of scandals surrounding the Department of Justice under Attorney General Alberto Gonzales with disgust. These government officials abused the system to ram a bunch of political hacks into office without regard to "qualifications," depending instead on political affiliation. More than that, they completely undermined the public trust in a system that depends on that faith to survive.

Then Gonzales went and mislead the Congress of the United States of America -- not just the Democrats, but the Republicans and the rest of the American people.

We know the Attorney General told them, and us, that the attorneys were fired for "performance" related reasons. And we know that to be false. We know that the Attorney General claimed he would never fire anybody for "political reasons." And we also know that to be false. We know he said the White House had no intention of going around the Senate to appoint United States Attorneys. And again, we know that to be false. There's more and more of these statements documented here.

How do those Republicans, which were just as misled as the rest of us, react? Today they had a unique opportunity to put the greatness of their institution before their loyalties President Bush, a man seemingly without any remaining support anywhere in the country.

Yet instead, they reacted just as you'd expect them to. They voted against holding Alberto Gonzales accountable by refusing allow the Senate to express their lack of confidence in the Attorney General.

GOP Blocks Gonzales No-Confidence Vote

Republicans blocked a Senate no-confidence vote on U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales yesterday, rejecting a Democratic effort to force him from office. From the AP:

The 53-38 vote to move the resolution to full debate fell seven short of the 60 required. In bringing the matter up, Democrats dared Republicans to vote their true feelings about an attorney general who has alienated even the White House's strongest defenders by bungling the firings of federal prosecutors and claiming not to recall the details.

Republicans did not defend him, but most voted against moving the resolution ahead.

Monday's vote was not the end of scrutiny for Gonzales and his management of the Justice Department--more congressional hearings are scheduled and an internal department investigation continues.

Attorney General Gonzales is the subject of an ongoing investigation into the political purge of eight federal prosecutors. He has received blistering criticism from both parties in recent months.

Tuesday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 11, 2007

Fred Plays A Prosecutor on TV

But endorses frauds in real life:

Possible presidential candidate Fred D. Thompson is lending his voice to radio commercials for a company that says it fights identity thieves and that was co-founded by a man accused of taking money from consumer bank accounts without permission.

The one-minute commercials are airing across the country on behalf of Tempe, Ariz.-based LifeLock Inc., which said nearly 200,000 customers pay about $10 a month for services that include placing fraud alerts on their credit files.

LifeLock was co-founded in 2005 by Robert J. Maynard Jr., whom the Federal Trade Commission accused in 1996 of deceiving consumers with advertisements that suggested his credit-repair company could remove records of bankruptcies and delinquent payments.

New Mexico State Democratic Chair: Making the 50 State Strategy Work

New Mexico State Democratic Chairman Brian Colón is visiting every county in the state on a listening tour, with the goal of electing more Democrats to local, state and national offices.

Colón stopped in Roswell on Saturday, traditionally a Republican district. He spoke with about 50 people, telling them that he is the product of Democratic values.

"I remember standing with my parents in line for a block of cheese and a loaf of bread," Colón said. "But I was able to go to college and then law school."

Colón said Democrats believe in the importance of funding the care of soldiers returning home from war and that the only way to make improvements in health-care, education and government ethics is to elect Democrats. Colón said that people are fed up with the war and continuous ethics questions about elected representatives.

"The other party is not the party of patriots," he said. "They only wrap themselves in the flag."

By contrast, Colón called Army Sgt. James Akin "the true test of patriotism." Akin hoped someday to be the nation's president, and he managed Democrat Victor Raigoza’s failed bid for a state Senate seat. Akin was killed in Baghdad earlier this month.

The tour of every New Mexico county is part of the 50 State Strategy devised by Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean.

The Democratic Party used to focus on about 18 counties in each state when working to elect Democrats. Now, under the leadership of Governor Dean, Democratic Party chairs are building grassroots support in every county in their respective states.

The Democratic Party of New Mexico is no longer focused only on cities and towns that run along the I-25 corridor, said Colón.

"The enemy is in The White House, and we're going to get him out."

Brownback Tows the Far Right Line

Pushes no abortions for rape victims, and cites imaginary studies:

Sen. Sam Brownback, campaigning for president Saturday before the National Catholic Men's Conference, questioned whether rape victims should get abortions.

"Rape is terrible. Rape is awful. Is it made any better by killing an innocent child? Does it solve the problem for the woman that's been raped?" the Kansas Republican asked at the St. Joseph's Covenant Keepers gathering.

He also encouraged married couples to stay together, saying studies have shown that if couples weather hard times for five years, their marriages tend to last. After five years, "people are happier than those who have had a divorce," Brownback said.

It was not clear what research he was citing.

How to Apply to be a Senator

The Wyoming Republican Party has released details on the process to select a Senator to succeed Craig Thomas.

Get yours HERE

Shouldn't they at least ask for references and a writing sample?

Huckabee: Gitmo's Great!

ABC News has this quote from Mike Huckabee: "I can tell you, most of our prisoners would love to be in a facility more like Guantanamo and less like the state prisons that people are in in the United States."

Now McCain is A Scooter Libby Fan Too

From ABC News:

"I think that you can make a case that he was singled out unfairly. I think that the appeals process goes forward," McCain said. "I happen to be one who admires Scooter Libby. I think he was a dedicated servant."

If President Bush were to pardon Libby, the Senator stated he would assess the facts of the case and the President's reasons for the pardon before coming to any conclusions about the decision.

"I would say I'd like to know the reasons why he did so. I would like to have him lay out, which I'm sure he would if he pardoned him, the reasons for the pardon and then I would evaluate that."

FLASHBACK: McCain suggested Patrick Fitzgerald for Attorney General. Here's a transcript of the Charlie Rose show back in 2005.

JOHN MCCAIN: I think it was incredible. This guy - he is going to be attorney general of the United States some day if he wants to be.

CHARLIE ROSE: John McCain would appoint him if he was president?

JOHN MCCAIN: He certainly would be one that would be considered, because this is - this is really the epitome of the kind of person we want conducting an investigation. And I was particularly impressed when they were asking him about other people, and he said I`m not going to talk about other people, because they aren`t implicated.

Will These Senate Republicans Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is?

Today is the Senate "no confidence" vote on U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. But the votes to watch are the 10 Republican Senators who have already voiced "no confidence" in Gonzales in the past.

1. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK): "I would just say, Mr. Attorney General, it's my considered opinion that the exact same standards should be applied to you in how this was handled. And it was handled incompetently. The communication was atrocious...And I believe you ought to suffer the consequences that these others have suffered. And I believe that the best way to put this behind us is your resignation." (Judiciary Committee Hearing¸ 4/19/07)

2. Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN): "I don't believe that Gonzales has the type of leadership that the department needs." (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 5/17/07)

3. Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC): But at the end of the day, you said something that struck me, 'That sometimes it just came down to these were not the right people at the right time.' If I applied that standard to you, what would you say? (Judiciary Committee Hearing¸ 4/19/07)

4. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE): "The American people deserve an attorney general, the chief law enforcement officer of our country, whose honesty and capability are beyond question...Attorney General Gonzales can no longer meet this standard. He has failed this country. He has lost the moral authority to lead." (Washington Post, 5/16/07)

5. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): "I am very disappointed in [Alberto Gonzales’] performance...I think loyalty to the president should enter into his calculations...I think that out of loyalty to the president that [resigning] would probably be the best thing that he could do." (CNN's "Larry King Live," 4/25/07)

6. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS): "When you have to spend more time up here on Capitol Hill instead of running the Justice Department, maybe you ought to think about [stepping down]" (AP, 5/16/07)

7. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL): "There are some problems that he just hasn't handled well, and it might just be best if he came to a conclusion that the department is better served if he's not there." (AP, 4/20/07)

8. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR): "For the Justice Department to be effective before the U.S. Senate, it would be helpful [if Gonzales resigned]." USA Today, 3/15/07)

9. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA): "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." (Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, 5/17/07)

10. Sen. John Sununu (R-NH): "The president should fire the attorney general and replace him as soon as possible with someone who can provide strong, aggressive leadership." (Reuters, 3/15/07)

So how will they vote today? We'll have to wait and see.

ONE Vote

Today the ONE Campaign launched One Vote 2008, aimed at making fighting global poverty and disease across the globe.

The Democratic Party issued a release, along with the RNC, endorsing the ONE Vote effort. It'll be interesting to see what exactly comes out of this bipartisan coalition and the five goals outlined.

Those goals:

1. Save 15,000 lives a day by fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, three of the world's most devastating diseases.
2. Prevent 5.4 million young children from dying each year from poverty-related illnesses and 400,000 women from dying in childbirth each year.
3. Provide free access to primary education for 77 million out-of-school children with a special emphasis on girls.
4. Improve the living conditions of vulnerable populations by, for example, providing access to clean water for 450 million people and basic sanitation to more than 700 million people.
5. Reduce by half the number of people in the world who suffer from hunger, resulting in 300 million "fewer" hungry people each year.

We're all for curing the sick and feeding the hungry, but how do we get there? We need effective programs that can tackle these problems and make people feel confident that their tax dollars are not being wasted. To that end, this fact-sheet (PDF), with enough information to keep you busy all day, talks more about the substantive areas where we can make progress on these issues.

The plus side of a strategy with goals set by the number of people helped, rather the number of dollars spent, is that we get to make sure that the focus is on the people. The tough part is that it means we need to make "extra" sure that we don't absolve ourselves of our own responsibility to actually step-up and make sure the necessary programs actually get created.

You can get involved as a volunteer by visiting their website.

McDonald's Lobbies to Change the Definition of "McJob"

Speaking of beef...McDonald's has a beef with the term "McJob."

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a "McJob" as "an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects, especially one created by the expansion of the service sector." Now the McDonald's Corporation is lobbying to change that definition.

The object, according to David Fairhurst, a senior vice-president of McDonald's, is to change the definition of McJob to "reflect a job that is stimulating, rewarding...and offers skills that last a lifetime."

But...

[T]he enthusiasm for McJobs is more muted among some of those who actually perform them. "Pay is an issue," said Nikki, who works as a floor manager at a nearby restaurant and has two young children at home. "We work very hard here; you're on your feet eight hours a day."

Back in 2004, one of the Bush administration's chief economic advisors proposed reclassifying fast-food restaurant work as manufacturing work--which would have boosted the number of manufacturing jobs "created" by the administration.

The idea seems to be to redefine the jobs--without actually changing the pay, the benefits, the hours, or the work. Just call them the McMasters of Spin.

Meat Supplier Expands Ground Beef Recall

A massive ground beef recall now includes about 5.7 million pounds of fresh and frozen meat that may be contaminated with E. coli.

David Goldman, acting administrator of the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, announced on Saturday that the recall would be expanded to include products with sell-by dates from April 6-April 20. The beef, sold in 11 Western states, was distributed by California-based United Food Group LLC.

The meat has been blamed for an E. coli outbreak in the Western states that resulted in 14 illnesses, spanning April 25 through May 18. All the patients have recovered.

E. coli is a bacterium that can cause stomach cramps and diarrhea that may turn bloody, and can lead to kidney failure and death.

In related food-safety news, we reported earlier on the Bush administration's efforts to prevent meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease, arguing that widespread testing could lead to a false positive that might harm the meat industry.

No Confidence Vote on Alberto Gonzales Today

Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) announced that a vote of no confidence in U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will be held in the Senate today:

If all senators who have actually lost confidence in Attorney General Gonzales voted their conscience, this vote would be unanimous."

"However, the President will certainly exert pressure to support the Attorney General, his longtime friend. We will soon see where people’s loyalties lie."

Meanwhile, a Washington Post-ABC News Poll asked 1,205 adults whether they approve or disapprove of the way Gonzales has handled the controversial firing of nine federal prosecutors. 52 percent said that they disapprove; another 23 percent said they had no opinion.

Monday Open Thread

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June 10, 2007

Sunday Open Thread

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June 9, 2007

Saturday Open Thread

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June 8, 2007

Romney Running Away From Red Sox

Somebody didn't get the memo. Mitt Romney is supposed to be running AWAY from Massachusetts (with a record like his, you would too). So DNC Sox fans were confused when the beloved Fenway anthem "Love That Dirty Water" came blasting out of the speakers after a Romney event in Iowa. And to top it off, he barely recognized the song! The recognizable tune, "Dirty Water" by the Standells, has blasted at Fenway Park in Boston after nearly every Red Sox home game win for years and it features the line, "And I love that dirty water, oh, Boston you’re my home." Romney was recorded on CSPAN as saying, "Oh that’s that song, Gosh, I was wondering what that song was."

At least play it off like you Love That Dirty Water in Beantown, Mitt...I mean, you were GOVERNOR OF THE STATE! Oye.

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. Dem' Hiking Democrats (Between Reno and Incline Village, NV)
   

   Meeting Time & Location: Meet at 9:00 AM at Tahoe Meadows Trailhead on the southeast side of the Mt. Rose Highway (Nevada Highway 431) approximately 1/2 mile west of the Mt. Rose Summit on Hwy 431. There is a paved parking lot available as well as restrooms.

2. Hampton DTC Film Series: "Why We Fight" (Hampton, CT)
   

   The term "military-industrial complex" was coined by Dwight D. Eisenhower in his farewell address to the nation at the end of his second term as president in 1961. In ensuing years the phrase has become so commonplace, it has ceased to have any meaning.

3. DemocracyFest 2007 (Bedford, NH)
   

   DemocracyFest is coming June 9th and 10th near Manchester, New Hampshire. Network with progressives from across the country, gain valuable knowledge about how to take our country back, and socialize with like-minded liberal activists!

4. Democrats Score! Reading Phillies Game (Greenfield Manor, PA)
   

   Come out and join your fellow Democrats rooting for our home team Reading Phillies. Sunday, June 10, Game Time 1:05. This is Ryan Howard day, with giveaways, dollar dogs and an opportunity to run the bases after the game.

5. Walking Poll (Simpson, IL)
   

   We call it the "Local Views on National News" we will be walking areas in Johnson County asking a series of questions from Iraq War to reponsiveness of your representatives.

Immigration Bill Fails

McCain has no comment:

"I don't have anything to say," he said five times before stepping into an elevator in the Capitol. "I apologize, I do not have anything to say."

But the damage is already done; McCain loses a South Carolina backer. Guess that Kennedy-McCain alliance never helped either.

The Kennedy-McCain alliance was criticized by one of Mr. McCain's Republican presidential rivals, Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo. "John McCain has always prided himself as a man who marches to the beat of a different drummer," Mr. Tancredo told The Times yesterday. "How depressing to learn that the drummer is Ted Kennedy."

Pace is Out

TPM Muckraker reports that Marine General Peter Pace "is out as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff after serving less than two years. Pace's announced departure comes just after the deputy joint chiefs chairman, Admiral Edmund Giambastiani, announced his own retirement last week."

Retired Generals haven't exactly been painting a very good picture of this administration, so it'll be interesting to see what he has to say during the last couple years of the Bush administration.

UPDATE: How did I almost forget about this?

President Bush at the G-8 Summit: Weakens Global Warming Initiative in Spite of World Pressure

The leaders of the eight largest industrial nations met in Germany this week at the G-8 Summit to address global warming--but President Bush forced them to accept an emissions agreement that was far weaker than they originally intended.

Most European leaders endorsed a plan in which participating nations would reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to half of what they were in 1990.

But Bush argued for "goals" in reductions rather than mandatory reductions.

The other leaders caved, and the final agreement does not mandate reductions in greenhouse gases, which are widely blamed for rising global temperatures. The leaders also agreed to invite major economies like China, India and Brazil to join them in the "goal" of reducing emissions.

The new plan replaces the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

As the New York Times points out, Bush has a long history of "denial and obstructionism" on climate change. The Bush administration even allowed oil-industry lobbyists to edit scientific reports to minimize the threat of global warming.

"A White House official who once led the oil industry’s fight against limits on greenhouse gases has repeatedly edited government climate reports in ways that play down links between such emissions and global warming, according to internal documents. Before going to the White House in 2001, he was the 'climate team leader' and a lobbyist at the American Petroleum Institute, the largest trade group representing the interests of the oil industry. A lawyer with a bachelor’s degree in economics, he has no scientific training."

The administration relied almost exclusively on the energy industry for its energy policy recommendations. The final policy was even written from an energy industry "wish list."

"Nine days before George W. Bush was inaugurated, energy lobbyists gathered at the American Petroleum Institute’s offices in downtown Washington. Their agenda: to write a wish list. One participant remembers it fondly. 'The tone was, 'Ok, what do you guys want? You are going to have the ear of this White House'...But many items on that board--and other lists scribbled by other energy lobbyists in other offices around town--found their way into the recommendations that the president will unveil to the nation next week. The API list, in fact, was forwarded to George Bush’s transition team, which sent it to the Interior Department."

As Bush claimed this week that he is "committed" to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a New York Times editorial pointed out one more telling fact:

"His goal is to produce a common strategy in 18 months. This would coincide, roughly speaking, with his departure from public life, suggesting his real goal is to leave the heavy lifting to his successor."

Romney the Ignorant

Atrios and Ezra are having a bit of a back and forth over whether Romney's failure to know that IAEA inspectors did go into Iraq is actually a display of ignorance, with Ezra answering in the affirmative. While Atrios' point is slightly more complicated than that, I've got to side with Ezra on this one, simply because of these remarks he just made yesterday.

Specifically, he claimed that the United States "can have a presence in the region" without permanent bases in Iraq because the U.S. "has bases in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar." You'd expect somebody running for president to know that President Bush withdrew virtually all U.S. troops and closed all U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia in 2003.

The first incident could have been attributed to simply continuing a false narrative the right has been pushing for some time. But as he continues to get basic facts wrong about foreign policy, I've got to side with it being yet another example of his ignorance of foreign policy matters.

The Doctor Is Out

Last week I wrote about President Bush's nominee for Surgeon General, James W. Holsinger. Since then, there has been a lot of coverage of the controversial pick (pending Senate confirmation), with ABC News reporting that he may be in trouble because of "homophobic statements."

But now there's news that he manipulated medical studies in a paper he wrote in order to advance his anti-gay agenda. You can get some background on the 1991 paper here.

More information from Page One Q:

"Gay rights groups are outraged," reports ABC, adding that Holsinger also helped found a church that promises to "'cure' gays of their sexual orientation," a claim that major medical organizations dispute.

"A confirmation fight is exactly what the administration does not need," says commentator David Gergen. "There has been a growing criticism of the administration favoring ideology over competence and this nomination smacks of that."

This is supposed to be "America's doctor." The Surgeon General is supposed to serve all Americans, and we need somebody who won't just promote a narrow right-wing agenda relying on offensive beliefs that belong to another century.

What Does This Mean?

Bill O'Reilly, last night: "You know, we have a nation of 300 million Americans. And proportionally, we don't have a lot of these crimes, but you know, when we do have a young lady going into a Target store, and we have her on video and some guy just -- and this guy who is charged has a child and a wife. He's like white bread guy. And we're all going what is that?"

And later that night:

O'Reilly: "You know, this guy in Kansas, I mean if he did it, has to be, you know, he has to be an unstable psychotic guy who snapped or whatever. But look at him. He looks like a guy you would see in a Target and wouldn't have a problem."

Another Flip-Flop on Iraq for Romney

Now supports disclosing benchmarks and timetable:

In a wide-ranging, hourlong interview with AP reporters and editors, Romney said the Bush administration would be wise to publicly disclose some goals for success in Iraq to restore public confidence. Benchmarks that would tip off adversaries, however, should remain private.

"This is a time when it would be helpful for the American people and the people of Iraq to see that we are actually making progress if that's what's happening," Romney said.

Helpful measurements could include power-sharing with the Sunnis, division of oil revenues, the status of certain militias, as well as the numbers and training levels of Iraqi military and security forces, he said.

FLASHBACK: Romney opposed disclosing information about benchmarks. During an interview on Good Morning America, Romney said, “The president and Prime Minister al-Maliki have to have a series of timetables and milestones that they speak about. But those shouldn't be for public pronouncement. You don't want the enemy to understand how long they have to wait in the weeds until you're going to be gone. You want to have a series of things you want to see accomplished in terms of the strength of the Iraqi military and the Iraqi police, and the leadership of the Iraqi government.”

Is Giuliani Really A Corruption Buster?

Despite his tough rhetoric on corruption, Rudy Giuliani didn't take long to show us exactly what kind of person he trusts with big jobs. Today's New York Times reported that the newest addition to Giuliani's team is convicted criminal Robert B. Asher, who will be the political director for the Pennsylvania campaign. The Pennsylvania Democratic Party noted the serious ethical problems with this top-ranking official in Giuliani's campaign in the following news release:

HARRISBURG: In a move that startled even the closest political observers in Pennsylvania, former New York City Mayor and Republican presidential contender Rudy Guiliani has appointed a formerly convicted Republican chairman as the head of the state’s campaign efforts.

According to today’s New York Times, Robert B. Asher, known as a Republican heavyweight, sent a letter to potential donors where he wrote: “I am proud to say that I have agreed to be the state political chairman for Mayor Rudy Guiliani.”

Asher was convicted more than 20 years ago of bribery-related charges in order to receive a no-bid contract in exchange of $300,000. In 1986, he was fined and sentenced to one year in prison.

Keep reading "Is Giuliani Really A Corruption Buster?"

Democrats May Have to Subpoena Secret Justice Department Documents

House Democrats said yesterday that they may have to issue subpoenas to obtain secret legal opinions and other documents from the Justice Department related to the National Security Agency’s illegal surveillance program.

A senior Justice Department official, Steven Bradbury, told a House judiciary subcommittee that the department would not turn over the documents. The New York Times called it

"the stage for a constitutional showdown over the separation of powers."

Meanwhile the Bush administration is trying to expand its wiretapping powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Democrats in both the House and the Senate say they do not want to vote on the issue without first seeing the Justice Department's secret documents on the wiretapping program.

"How can we begin to consider FISA legislation when we don’t know what they are doing?" asked Representative Jerrold Nadler, Democrat of New York, who heads the subcommittee.

He added that he did not think the administration would comply with the document request and that he thought he would have to push for the subpoenas soon.

Ferret Rights Advocate Strikes Back

Many of you have listened to the audio clip of Rudy Giuliani's unhinged attacks against a ferret rights advocate. Years later, he's back to shed light on exactly what happened. He sat down with Tucker Carlson, and made the point that this isn't just about ferrets.

Bush Approval Rating Back At All-Time Low

President Bush's approval rating has dropped back to the lowest level ever, according to a new AP/Ipsos Poll:

The survey, released Thursday, reflects widespread discontent over how Bush is handling the war in Iraq, efforts against terrorism and domestic issues. It also underscores challenges Republican presidential and congressional candidates will confront next year when they face voters who seem to be clamoring for change.

Only 32 percent said they were satisfied with how Bush is handling his job overall, the same low point AP-Ipsos polling measured last January and a drop of 3 percentage points since May.

Overall, only 21 percent said they believe the U.S. is heading in the right direction, the worst numbers since the AP-Ipsos poll began in December 2003.

Even the traditional Republican base is unhappy. Only three in 10 conservatives and similar numbers of white evangelicals said they were happy with the country's direction.

Howard Dean on The Ed Schultz Show

Governor Dean is going to be on the Ed Schultz show today at 10:35 AM. Just a heads-up, because I know you won't want to miss it. You can listen to the interview live at their website (free registration required).

Friday Open Thread

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June 7, 2007

McCain 2.0: Embraces 'Agents of Intolerance'

Well, after firing them:

After firing two senior campaign aides in charge of courting evangelical Christians earlier this year, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) took steps yesterday to try to shore up support from religious conservatives.

McCain spent an hour answering questions on a conference call with church pastors and antiabortion activists in Iowa, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Florida and other key states, a campaign spokesman said.

Democrats Pass Stem Cell Bill, But Bush Will Veto

Democrats passed a bill today that would loosen restraints on federally funded embryonic stem cell research by a vote of 247-176. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called it a bill that would ""save lives, find cures, and give hope to those suffering."

But Bush has already said he will veto the bill.

210 House Democrats and 37 Republicans supported the legislation. But in spite of the bipartisan support, the bill is 35 votes short of the total needed to override a veto.

The Senate passed the bill several weeks ago by a margin that was just one vote short of the two-thirds needed to override the expected veto.

During the debate, several House Democrats told very personal stories about their support of stem cell research.

Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., the bill's chief Democratic supporter, spoke of her daughter's struggle with juvenile diabetes. "As you can imagine, I am anxious about the idea of my child having to manage such a serious condition all by herself" once she goes to college, she said. "I share this anxiety with many parents of affected children."

Moments later Rep. James Langevin, D-R.I., paralyzed since a gun accident severed his spinal cord several years ago, addressed the House from his motorized wheelchair. An opponent of abortion, Langevin said, "My education on this issue has filled me with tremendous hope, not only that stem cell research might one day lead to a cure for spinal cord injuries, but that one day ... families will no longer watch in agony as a loved one with Parkinson's or Alzheimer's gradually declines."

Head of Republican Environmental Group Will Plead Guilty

Italia Federici, the head of a Republican environmental advocacy group, will plead guilty in the Jack Abramoff scandal and cooperate with an FBI investigation into corruption in the Bush administration. Thanks to Cliff Schecter for catching this story. From the AP:

Federici co-founded the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy--also known as CREA--with Norton and Grover Norquist, a college friend of Abramoff and a close ally of President Bush. Norquist helped set up contacts with the Bush administration for Abramoff's clients, while Abramoff pushed his clients to donate to Norquist's tax reform group, e-mails in the case have shown.

Prosecutors say Federici supplemented her salary at the nonprofit by making ATM withdrawals directly from the organization's bank accounts. She did not pay income tax from 2001-2003 and owes tens of thousands of dollars in back taxes, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors charged Federici with tax evasion and obstructing a Senate inquiry into the Abramoff scandal. She allegedly served as a link between Abramhoff and J. Steven Griles, who served as the deputy interior secretary during Bush’s first term. More from the AP:

Authorities believe Federici may be able to provide information about former Interior Secretary Gale Norton, other Bush administration officials and the contacts that she, Abramoff and Griles cultivated in Congress.

During that period, Abramoff instructed his clients to pay $500,000 to CREA. Abramoff is now serving time in federal prison.

Better Keep That Red Truck in the Garage

From USA Today:

Although the folksy-sounding Tennessean recently told USA TODAY that he would run an outsider, just as he did while campaigning as a "country lawyer" in a red pickup during his 1994 U.S. Senate race, his résumé is that of a longtime Washington operative who has crossed ideological lines to represent corporate and foreign clients.

Before he was elected to the Senate, Thompson spent nearly two decades in Washington as a lawyer-lobbyist, representing such entities as Westinghouse, the deposed government of Haiti, the Teamsters Union pension fund and the Tennessee Savings and Loan Association, according to Senate records and published accounts.

After he left the Senate in 2003, Thompson resumed his acting career with a role as the district attorney on TV's Law & Order. Less visibly, he registered in 2004 as a lobbyist for Equitas, a company created to manage the asbestos liability for Lloyd's of London.

The Son of a Mail Man

My dad is a proud postal carrier. It was because of their union that our family lived comfortably during my childhood, with health insurance and security. Lately, many of us who value the union have been outraged about the recent trend by the USPS to contract out work. It's essentially an attempt to privatize the post office by hiring any unscreened non-professional off the street. Then, those workers work without the health care I was lucky enough to have as a child thanks to the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC).

Yes, there are areas where it might make sense to contract out, like if somebody is living at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. For the most part, however, this is just a race to the bottom. It's a way to gut the union that has such a proud tradition in this country.

Mail often contains incredibly private information -- credit card information, Social Security numbers, etc. It's important that we make sure screened professionals do this work. This is a security issue, as well as an issue for workers.

That's why it's good news (PDF) that Senator Tom Harkin introduced the Mail Delivery Protection Act of 2007, which limits the USPS' ability to contract out to places where the delivery points are less than one per mile.

UPDATE: You can get a fact sheet here (PDF), courtesy of the NALC.

Democrats Score 40% More Viewers than Republicans

Here’s an interesting comparison of the Democratic and Republican debates. From Media Bistro, the number of viewers:

CNN's Democratic debate averaged 2,783,000 million total viewers on Sunday night--"more than any other presidential debate of this election season," the network notes.

On the other hand, CNN's Republican debate two nights later averaged a scant 1,974,000 million viewers--a deficit of 809,000 viewers. The Democratic debate was viewed by almost 40% more people.

But it's not just the debates. In the first quarter of the fiscal year, Democratic presidential campaigns raised about $78 million, compared with just over $51 million by their Republican rivals. Senate Democrats have raised twice as much money this year as Senate Republicans.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee reported raising $4.6 million in April, bringing its total for the year to $18.3 million, compared with the Republican totals of $2.1 million for the same month and $9.1 million for the year. Democrats also have more cash in the bank.

Democrats have fewer seats to defend. Twenty-one seats now held by Republicans will be contested next year, compared with 12 held by Democrats.

The difference in numbers can be seen as measurable evidence that there is an "enthusiasm gap" between Democrats and Republicans.

"This reflects on the part of Democrats not only their view of the prospects of victory in 2008, but also how they are coming off this rush of the 2006 elections," said Costas Panagopoulos, a political science professor at Fordham University. "In terms of Republican candidates, voters are feeling like they have to choose from a list of who represents the least of all evils."

No Love For Iowa...

Giuliani and McCain will skip Ames Straw Poll. And the Iowa GOP is NOT HAPPY:

The Iowa Republican Party is an unhappy bunch this afternoon, and they're dispensing with any Midwestern niceties in showing their displeasure at what is a very tough blow to party fundraising efforts.

Said Iowa GOP executive director Chuck Laudner to Radio Iowa's Kay Henderson: "It’s a kick in the shins, or a little higher, right to the Iowa Republican Party."

Toughest of all, though, was the press release the Iowa GOP issued on Rudy's decision:

"The Republican Party of Iowa is disappointed over his decision, but more so over his lackluster campaign efforts in Iowa. Giuliani's efforts in the Hawkeye State have also been disappointing for many Iowans who have not had the opportunity to see, hear, meet or question the former New York Mayor. The Straw Poll would have been an opportunity for Giuliani to show Iowans he is engaged, cares about Iowans' issues and is 100 percent dedicated to Iowa.

"Regarding Giuliani's decision, Laudner said, 'He was in, he was out, he was in, now he's out. Who knows. Maybe he'll change his mind again. Regardless, his name will be on the Straw Poll ballot in August.'"

Romney Double Flip Flops on Social Security Privatization

Yesterday in New Hampshire Mitt Romney took his THIRD position (we know of) on reforming Social Security. He had expressed faith in the "contract" and opposed ideas like cuts, means testing and privatization when he was running for Senate. More recently after Bush's privatization plan failed, Romney criticized the process and said he would move in a bipartisan fashion. Now, he's abandoned bipartisanship and backed Bush's plan.

Yesterday: Mitt backs Bush on privatization:

"Romney praised Bush's idea of personal accounts and said they would make up for some of the expected shortfall in the trust fund. He also said changing the retirement age could be considered, as well as basing the Social Security cost of living adjustment on a different inflation gauge." [New Hampshire Union Leader, 6/7/2007]

Old Mitt: After Bush plan failed, called for bipartisanship:

Asked by the Politico how he would address Social Security and Medicare, Mr. Romney said he would "meet quietly, probably in the basement of the White House, with Democratic leaders and Republican leaders, and talk through different alternatives that we have to rein in the excessive growth of certain ones of our entitlement programs." Without providing any specifics, he added, incongruously, "I think we can get that job done." Please tell us how, Mr. Romney. [Washington Times, 4/27/2007]

Older Mitt: Don't rewrite the contract...

Romney said he would not cut Social Security to meet his goal of balancing the federal budget. "I don't think you go back and rewrite the contract the government has with people who've retired, but I do think there's a wide range of action we can take on entitlement programs: government pensions is one, our whole welfare system is another, and I think Medicare and Medicaid costs could be brought down by much more aggressive management." [Boston Globe, 10/17/2004]

Cheney Fought for Domestic Surveillance Program

Vice President Cheney argued with Justice Department officials about their objections to the White House’s illegal domestic surveillance program at a meeting in March 2004, according to new details that emerged yesterday. From the Washington Post:

The meeting came one day before White House officials tried to get approval for the same program from then-Attorney General John D. Ashcroft, who lay recovering from surgery in a hospital, according to former deputy attorney general James B. Comey.

Comey's disclosures, made in response to written questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee, indicate that Cheney and his aides were more closely involved than previously known in a fierce internal battle over the legality of the warrantless surveillance program. The program allowed the National Security Agency to monitor phone calls and e-mails between the United States and overseas.

Comey said that Cheney's office later blocked the promotion of a senior Justice Department lawyer, Patrick Philbin, because of his role in raising concerns about the surveillance.

Democrats are now asking new questions about the relationship between the White House and the Justice Department.

"Mr. Comey has confirmed what we suspected for a while -- that White House hands guided Justice Department business," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). "The vice president's fingerprints are all over the effort to strong-arm Justice on the NSA program, and the obvious next question is: Exactly what role did the president play?"

Fred Thompson's New Controversial Caging Hire

Tim Griffin's record is about as shady as they come. In fact, the Bush administration felt they had to go around the normal Senate confirmation process to replace one of the fired US Attorneys with him. The Bush administration wanted so much distance from Griffin that they "withheld a series of e-mails from Congress showing that senior White House and Justice Department officials worked together to conceal the role of Karl Rove in installing Timothy Griffin." Why? Presumably, they didn't want him to have to answer questions about his voter "caging" scheme.

According to the Atlantic Online, Fred Thompson just hired him.

So far, Thompson has been pretty shameless when it comes to the most discredited folks in the Bush administration. Just look at his support for convicted felon Scooter Libby. What's next? Donald Rumsfeld as campaign manager? Michael Brown as his running mate?

The vote caging allegations are serious. His campaign needs to be prepared to answer questions about it.

Thursday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 6, 2007

Democrats in Congress Protect Voting Rights

Yesterday Democrats in Congress defeated a proposal by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) that would have required all voters to show photo identification in order to vote.

Not just identification. Photo identification.

Requiring photo identification is the equivalent of imposing a modern day poll tax. A study of Wisconsin voters found that only 22% of African American men aged 18-24 have a photo ID. A requirement like this would unfairly penalize seniors, young people, minorities, people with disabilities and other groups who are less likely to have photo identification. DNC Voting Rights Institute Chair Donna Brazile said:

"The American people were the real winners last night when Democrats stood up and defeated Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s harmful amendment. The Republican Party continues to play politics with the most fundamental right in our Democracy, the right to vote. The American people went to the polls and spoke loud and clear about their desire for change in November. Just because Republicans dislike what Americans are saying doesn’t mean they can block voters’ access to the ballot box. Democrats believe that democracy works best when all legally eligible voters can exercise their right to vote. And we believe that we should be working to make it easier and not harder for Americans to vote and have their vote counted."

New evidence emerged this week about Republican efforts to suppress votes under the guise of cracking down on voter fraud. A lot of the activity is related to the political purge of eight U.S. attorneys.

UPDATE: Here's a few examples of Justice Department activity:

• Tim Griffin, a protégé of Karl Rove, was installed as U.S. attorney in Arkansas. During the 2004 election, Griffin led a "caging" scheme to suppress the votes of African-American service members in Florida.

• Bradley Schlozman, acting U.S. attorney in Missouri, prosecuted a lawsuit that was seen as a Republican effort to remove the poor and elderly from voting rolls. Another attorney was forced to resign after he refused to prosecute the case.

• Tom Heffelfinger, U.S. attorney for Minnesota, was apparently targeted by the Bush administration for firing because he tried to protect voting rights for Native Americans.

Full Disclosure

Shouldn't Fred Thompson -- or Fox News, for that matter -- have disclosed that he is on the advisory committee for Libby's Legal Defense Trust? Last night Fox News gave him a platform to bash the respected prosecutor involved in the Libby case, but there was no disclosure.

I wrote about his involvement with convicted felon Scooter Libby in more detail yesterday.

Bush-bashing by the GOP

It would be more entertaining to watch all of these Republicans run away from President Bush, despite serving as nothing as a rubber stamp for the man, if they didn't keep recommending the same failed policies.

Example: John McCain claims that Bush mismanaged the war. He wants us to forget that over a year ago he just kept talking about how Iraq was on the "right track."

It was on display last night during the GOP debate. We had Tommy Thompson, a one time member of the Bush cabinet, saying "I would certainly not send him to the United Nations." There was Duncan Hunter, throwing a remark directed at him back at the president. Rep. Duncan Hunter said the administration "has the slows." And it was the top tier, as well, taking shots at the president (while embracing the same policy).

But I think what has gone unmentioned is that this isn't just happening at the presidential level. Republican candidates at every level of government are finding they have to run away from him as fast as they can. Just the other day I got a fundraising email from a Virginia state Senator, Republican Ken Cuccinelli, with the subject line "My President is Wrong."

It was more than simple disagreement. In the fundraising email, he declares that "I no longer consider him the head of my Republican Party."

Ouch. Needless to say, the state Senator is up for re-election this year. Things are getting so bad that it's every man for himself in today's GOP.

White House Reaction to the Scooter Libby Sentence

From Talking Points Memo, President Bush and Vice-President Cheney react to the news that convicted felon Scooter Libby is sentenced to two-and-a-half years in the slammer:

Both President Bush and Vice-President Cheney expressed their sympathy for Scooter Libby following his sentencing yesterday to 30 months imprisonment. Bush constrained his statements to feeling “terrible” for Libby’s family. However, Cheney went so far as to say he hoped Libby would eventually get off, an unusual stance for someone who should be on the "USA" side of "USA vs. Libby."

Romney's Restaurant Reviews

Water boarding really works up an appetite. Luckily, the savvy traveler knows where to dine. Mitt gives the Guantanamo Cafe four stars:

BEDFORD, N.H. (AP) - Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney says the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is a necessary tool in the war on terror.

He was speaking this morning at a "Politics and Eggs" breakfast in Bedford (New Hampshire).

Romney visited the base last year. He says prisoners there probably are treated better than they should be, and he says the food is unbelievable.

Another Smoking Gun: The Latest Intelligence Report

There is new evidence that the White House knew in the months before the Iraq invasion that a civil war would erupt after Saddam’s ouster--and that al-Qaeda would actually become stronger globally in the wake of Bush’s action.

Thanks to Bob Geiger for his terrific coverage of what U.S. intelligence knew--and reported--before the war:

"Sunni Arabs would face possible loss of their longstanding privileged position while Shia would seek power commensurate with their majority status," says the report. "Kurds could try to take advantage of Saddam's departure by seizing some of the large northern oilfields, a move that would elicit forceful responses from Sunni Arabs. Score-settling would occur throughout Iraq between those associated with Saddam's regime and those who have suffered most under it."

The report also pointed out that with such an overwhelming U.S. focus on maintaining the Iraq occupation, Osama bin Laden and Company would be allowed to flourish and operate with greater ease in other countries, saying that the White House should expect "...many countries--including some US allies--to slacken efforts to hunt down al-Qa'ida and its associates within their borders."

"A US-led war against and occupation of Iraq would boost political Islam and increase popular sympathy for some of the terrorist objectives," the report concluded.

This report was released and circulated widely in the White House months before the invasion and proves that the Bush administration received ample warning of the chaos, civil war and insecurity that the invasion would create--but chose to ignore it.

The Senate Intelligence Committee released the report just before Memorial Day--after the previous Republican Congress stalled its release for two years.

McCain Loses On Immigration

From the Boston Herald:

Surely McCain knew he was going to get blistered for supporting the Kennedy-Bush amnesty bill. His unfavorability rating in Arizona is 51 percent. He took a beating on immigration at a town meeting in Gilford earlier in the day.

But McCain just can’t help himself. He just keeps stepping into it, spouting nonsense about how the illegals have a “tough path,” and how they “must come into our country legally.” He’s sounds as simple as George Bush does on the subject. No wonder Mitt Romney could afford to be so genial to him. Nobody looks good jumping ugly with Sen. Depends.

McCain is like a NASCAR race now - you just wait for the Strait Jacket Express to careen out of control and slam into the stands. But why would McCain just confirm the cynicism of maybe 90 percent of the Republican primary voters by perfectly summing up what he and his Washington cronies have excreted in SB 1348: "What we have done is what you expect us to do."

Isn’t that the truth? Strike one.

He failed to “close the deal” in the debate. And McCain and Giuliani go at it over immigration bill:

Rudy Giuliani and John McCain waged war over immigration reform during the Republican presidential debate last night - with the former mayor blasting the plan as "a typical Washington mess."

McCain fired back that opposing the overhaul now before Congress means "de facto amnesty" for the 12 million illegals already in the United States.

It's the first time that Giuliani and McCain went mano-à-mano and directly attacked each other's position in such a public forum over the contentious issue of illegal immigration, as they stood next to each on the stage at St. Alselm's College in the third GOP presidential debate.

And Tancredo doing what he does best. . . goes after his own on immigration:

Presidential hopeful Tom Tancredo said Tuesday that he will work against fellow Republicans - among them rival John McCain - who support an immigration bill he considers a sellout.

The candidate said he is launching a petition drive and volunteer network to help voters campaign against senators who support the White House-backed immigration plan. The bill would provide a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S.

Democrats Win the Republican Debate

Anybody watch the sad, pathetic display of pandering and insanity last night during the Republican debate? Mike Gehrke liveblogged it, and the result is a "Greatest Hits" of hypocrisy and flip-flopping, with some absurdities thrown in for good measure:

• John McCain, champion of pork, actually thinks he has the standing to lecture others.
• Is Giuliani running for president of the United States, or still acting as a paid consultant for PhRMA?
• More 'silliness' from Mitt Romney on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
• Convicted felon Scooter Libby was a victim? For some reason Rudy Giuliani is actually trying to one-up Fred Thompson in supporting a convicted felon.
• Mike Huckabee points out what we already knew -- that none of them have any credibility. It's a shame he didn't mention his own record while on the subject of corruption.
• With the oil and gas industry president of the Rudy Giuliani fan club, it's no wonder Giuliani's running for cover.
• If Rudy needs me to send him a copy of the bill so he can read it, all he needs to do is ask.
• How do you say 'hypocrisy' in Spanish?

Rice Blamed for Staff Shortage, Low Morale at State Department

The State Department is suffering from a severe staff shortage and low morale among diplomats, according to an independent report by the Foreign Affairs Council.

The council found a severe staff shortage and holds Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice partly responsible. The State Department needs 1,100 more employees, especially since recent staff additions have gone to fill jobs in Iraq, Afghanistan and other difficult posts, the report said.

The report added that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are straining the resources of the State Department. About 750 overseas positions are also now classified as "unaccompanied," meaning diplomats cannot take their families with them because conditions are too dangerous.

The unaccompanied deployments in difficult, hostile terrain are also lowering staff morale. One in five current Foreign Service officers has served in Iraq.

Wednesday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 5, 2007

John McCain Loves Pork

McRhetoric: STOP EARMARKS AND BRIDGES ...

We have former members of Congress in jail as we speak because of this earmarking. We let spending get out of control. We presided over the largest increase in the size of government since the Great Society. And our constituents and our Republicans became dispirited and disenchanted. We've got to stop the earmarking. The bridge to nowhere, with 233 miles -- a $233 million bridge to an island in Alaska with 50 people on it was the tipping point. I want to promise you, as president of the United States, I'll veto every bill that has a pork-barrel project on it. And I'll make the authors of it famous, and we'll get spending under control, and we'll stop the corruption in Washington.

McFacts: MCCAIN’S TOP FUNDRAISER IS A PORK LOBBYIST FOR EARMARKS AND BRIDGES:

Loeffler Earned $3.9 Million for Creating $40 Million in Federal Pork.

McCain’s new Presidential campaign consigliere, and chief fundraising strategist, Tom Loeffler, founder of Loeffler Group has spent much of the last decade as a lobbyist. According to documents filed with the Secretary of the Senate, Loeffler and his associates have collected $3,920,000 over the years lobbying from the Texas cities of San Antonio, Houston, Pharr, Donna and Mercedes. In return, according to Citizens Against Government Waste, the cities received $40 Million and possibly more in Federal Government pork. [Politico, 4/4/07; Washington Post, 4/4/07; Lobbyist Disclosure Documents Filled with Secretary of the Senate, Citizens Against Government Waste Pig Book 2003-06]

Loeffler Was Paid At Least $240,000 to Lobby for Bridge to Mexico.

In 2001 and 2002, The Loeffler Group was paid $240,000 by the Donna-Mercedes Bridge Board as compensation for efforts to lobby the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Transportation. The proposed bridge would connect the Rio Grande Valley cities of Donna and Mercedes to Rio Bravo, in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, a city of 150,000 residents. “Bridge advocates say it will improve commerce between the United States and Mexico and decrease air pollution along the Texas-Mexico border.” [San Antonio Express-News, 4/19/02; www.publicintegrity.org]

MCCAIN FIGHTS OTHER’S PORK, PUSHES HIS OWN.

“Arizona Sen. John McCain is sponsoring two interesting pieces of legislation. One mounts a direct assault on congressional earmarks, those little morsels of home district pork that lawmakers slip into unrelated spending bills. The other steers $10 million to the University of Arizona to launch an academic center honoring the late Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Yes, McCain does seem to be saying to himself: Stop me before I sin again… McCain and co-sponsor Jon Kyl, Arizona's other GOP senator, insist their pork proposal isn't hypocritical because they aren't trying to hide anything. It is set out in stand-alone legislation to be vetted on its own merits…in Congress, it seems, the only bad pork projects are those sponsored by somebody else.” [Chicago Tribune, 3/4/06]

MCCAIN BROKE HIS OWN PORK-BARREL SPENDING RULES.

“After years of crusading against ‘pork-barrel’ spending projects in Congressional appropriations bills, Senator McCain may be breaking his own rules. McCain pushed for, and got, $14.3 million for Arizona's Luke Air Force Base inserted into the just-completed fiscal 2004 military construction appropriations conference report. The only problem is the project to acquire more land near the base was not requested

Rudy On Drug Company Payrolls

Rudy Ducks RX Drugs Questions... Maybe This Is Why?

TONIGHT GIULIANI ASKED ABOUT LOWERING COSTS OF RX DRUGS:

Giuliani was asked by a New Hampshire voter who told a story of scrounging abroad for affordable prescription drugs if you are elected president, is there anything you would do to address it? His answer completely ignored the question.

GIULIANI, WORKING FOR DRUG COMPANIES, TESTIFIED THAT REIMPORTING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS WERE DANGEROUS.

Giuliani was a paid consultant to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the drug maker trade group that is fighting drug importation proposals in Congress. Giuliani Partners was hired by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) to study the safety of reimported prescription drugs. The National Journal reported, Giuliani Partners, industry lobbyists said, has a one-year deal with PhRMA that was valued at a few million dollars. After becoming employed by PhRMA, Giuliani testified to Congress that imported drugs were dangerous. Speaking before the US Senate on the probe's conclusions, Giuliani parroted the talking points of the special interests paying his consulting firm. It is pretty much right now a wide open system, Giuliani told senators. The report asserted safety and security risks far outweigh any alleged benefits for US residents. The report also said, It is not difficult to imagine a scenario in which terrorist groups could use this system to finance their operations or, worse, as a vehicle of attack. Giuliani also touted the report's findings to the public. [National Journal, 3/13/04; Contemporary Pediatrics, 5/1/05; Tulsa World (Oklahoma), 6/18/04; Biotech Business Week, 7/15/06; United Press International, 4/26/04]

Asking, Telling About Mitt's Record on Gays in Military

Tonight - Romney: At First I Thought Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy Was Silly.

Romney said, "When I first heard of the don't ask, don't tell policy I thought it sounded silly and didn't think it would be effective and I was wrong. It is the policy in the military what, 10, 15 years and working and I agree that this is not the time to put in place a major change." [GOP Debate, CNN & WMUR, 6/5/07]

1994 Mitt Romney Said Don't Ask Don't Tell Must Lead to Gays Serving Openly in Armed Forces.

In a letter to the Log Cabin Club of Massachusetts, Romney wrote, "I am more convinced than ever before that as we seek to establish full equality for America's gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership" than opponent Ted Kennedy. He also endorsed a federal employment civil rights act for homosexuals. Romney said, President Clinton's Don't Ask Don't Tell policy on gays in the military is a fine first step, but must "ultimately lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly in our nation's military. [Boston Herald, 10/20/94]

Giuliani — Scooter was a Victim?

Rudy Worried About Excessive Punishment... When It Comes To GOP Political Operatives.

Tonight, Giuliani, who usually is bragging about law enforcement credentials, went out of his way to call Scooter Libby’s sentence "grossly excessive" and say "a man’s life is at stake" and say there was no underlying crime involved.

But When It Came To Victim’s Rights, Giuliani Didn’t Care Much For Due Process

The high-profile shooting deaths of Patrick Dorismond and Amadou Diallo and the stationhouse torture and sodomizing of Abner Louima were "three notorious cases that, for many, seemed to form a pattern of abuse." When Dorismond was shot, Giuliani released his sealed juvenile records, suggesting he was at fault and drawing criticism from across the political spectrum. After an unarmed Diallo was shot 41 times, Giuliani demeaned protestors, saying, "this is a great publicity stunt." [New York Times, 12/31/01; Washington Post, 3/25/00; 8/20/97; Boston Globe, 3/27/00; The New York Times, 3/16/99]

Who Was Watching the Store in Little Rock?

Mike Huckabee Tonight:

We've lost credibility. The way we bungled Katrina, the fact that there was corruption that was unchecked in Washington.

Mike Huckabee's "Gimme Gimme Gimme" Record as Governor:

Crystal, China Gifts to Former First Lady Huckabee Nixed After Questions.

The private group that supports the Arkansas Governor's Mansion did not give $7,500 worth of crystal and china as planned to Janet Huckabee after questions were raised about the gifts to the former first lady and wife of White House hopeful Mike Huckabee. The non-profit group announced they would not give 20 place settings of Lenox china and 20 place settings of Lenox crystal to Mrs. Huckabee. The group had announced the gifts last year to Mrs. Huckabee to recognize her service. The association reconsidered the gifts after news reports and questions about the appropriateness of the nonprofit group using its funds for the items. [AP, 2/3/07]

Huckabee Did Not Disclose First Ladys 2006 Gifts at First.

Although financial disclosure forms require public officials to report any gifts worth more than $100 received by the official or spouse, Huckabee initially did not report some of the gifts his wife had received. Huckabee then amended his forms, showing that Janet Huckabee received gifts during a December 2006 housewarming party including a $110 juicer, a $300 mixer and $200 worth of Lenox Christmas China. [AP, 2/2/07]

Huckabee Set Up Online Gift Registries for a Housewarming Party.

Previously, the Huckabees criticized news reporters for questioning online gift registries set up at Target and Dillard's for a housewarming party for their $525,000 home in North Little Rock. At the time, Huckabee said he would report gifts on financial disclosure forms if he's required to by law, but indicated he did not see any ethical problems in accepting them. Arkansas law prohibits public servants from accepting any gift worth more than $100, unless the gift is conferred on account of a bona fide personal, professional or business relationship independent of the recipient's official status. [AP, 2/2/07]

Leaving Office, Huckabee Received $3,250 in Gift Cards From Staff and Cabinet.

In his final months in office, Huckabee received $3,250 in gift cards ($2,800-Best Buy, $450-Lowes) from his staff and cabinet, financial disclosure forms show. [AP, 2/2/07]

DNC: McCain ... Blame and Run

JOHN MCCAIN BLAMED DEMOCRATS, CALLED FOR WITHDRAWAL

JOHN MCRHETORIC: I didn't say that Bosnia, the intervention there was President Clinton’s war. Kosovo, I didn't say it was President Clinton’s war. What he does -- what senator clinton doesn't understand that presidents don't lose wars. Political parties don't lose wars. Nations lose wars and nations lose the -- have the consequences of -- we must succeed in this conflict.

FACTS: MCCAIN PLAYED THE BLAME GAME

McCain Blamed Clinton For Not Articulating Bosnia Strategy
McCain said, speaking about possible intervention in Bosnia, "I think that an exit strategy, clear and achievable goals have to be better articulated. And finally, why is it in our vital national security interest? I can understand why it's in the Europeans' vital national security interest. It's harder for Americans to understand why it's in America's vital national security interest." [CBS News, 11/26/95]

McCain Blamed Clinton For Having No Plan Or Objective For Kosovo.
"We had a hearing--excuse me--a top-secret briefing on the Kosovo situation. It was about as top-secret as the latest copy of The New York Times or The Washington Post, as it always is, and it's not a consultation … The only problem with that, Chris, is that they don't have a plan. They don't have any idea as to what the objectives are, at least that I could see, and they don't have a plan B if only air strikes work. I think we've got to do whatever we can to prevent 100,000 or 200,000 people from dying in the next few weeks. But the--but the president and--and the administration has yet to come forward with a coherent plan … to get the American people behind it." [MSNBC, 10/2/99]

MCCAIN USED THE SAME ARGUMENTS HE NOW CRITICIZES TO SUPPORT WITHDRAWAL
FROM HAITI AND SOMALIA:

McCain Argued For Withdrawing From Haiti Even If the Situation Was Not
Stable. In arguing in favor of a resolution to withdraw from Haiti,
McCain said, the "resolution offers support for the withdrawal of
United States Armed Forces as soon as possible. In my view that does not mean as soon as order is restored to Haiti. It does not mean as soon as democracy is flourishing in Haiti. It does not mean as soon as we have established a viable nation in Haiti. As soon as possible means as soon we can get out of Haiti without losing any American lives." [Congressional Record, 10/6/94]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=palbo-ilalU&mode=related&search=

McCain Argued That Stabilization in Somalia Was Not Worth Sacrificing American Lives. McCain argued for withdrawal from Somalia, saying, "Mr. President, can anyone seriously argue that another six months of United States forces in harm’s way means the difference between peace and prosperity in Somalia and war and starvation there? Is that very dim prospect worth one more American life? No, it is not." [Congressional Record, 10/14/93]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8TFKXHiefs

How Did Giuliani Duck The Oil Company Question?

Giuliani Favorite Presidential Candidate of Oil And Gas Industry

Oil and gas companies have a favorite candidate among the large field of contenders to become the next president, based upon campaign contributions made by the industry. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is the leading recipient of campaign donations from the oil and gas industry. Individual and PAC contributions from the fuel industry total $229,923 to the Giuliani campaign. It is almost double the amount raised by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the second-largest recipient of oil and gas money, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan research group that tracks campaign contributions. [UPI, 5/7/07]

Bracewell & Giuliani Worked For Foreign Oil, Including Saudi Arabias Oil Ministry and Got Six Figure Payments From Venezuelan President Hugo Chavezs Citgo After Giuliani Joined.

Bracewell and Giulianiis working for Saudi Arabia. In March, the firm filed papers in a Texas court case on behalf of Saudi Arabia's oil ministry taking sides with another international energy giant, Citgo, which is controlled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a rival of the Bush administration. The firm also got $125,000 to $250,000 for lobbying for Citgo, starting only weeks after Giuliani joined [Associated Press, 5/14/07; Bloomberg, 3/14/07]

Giulianis Ties With Bracewell & Giuliani Got Him Oil Money, Including Over $50k From Valero and 3 Other Texas Oil Company Executives.

Giuliani forged his ties to the energy industry after leaving New York's City Hall in 2001. The Houston law firm Bracewell & Patterson was renamed Bracewell & Giuliani after the former mayor became a partner in 2005. The firm's clients include oil refiners, power producers and other energy companies in Texas and near the Gulf Coast, according to Newsday. This position at the law firm appears to be winning him the support of oil and gas executives. Valero Energy, the largest refiner in North America, has been a client of Bracewell & Giuliani and gave more than $14,000 to Giuliani's campaign. Three other Texas oil companies have each given more than $10,000 to Giuliani. The most came from Sierra Resource, a private oil and gas development company based in Houston, which contributed $18,400. [UPI, 5/7/07]

Did Rudy Read the Bill?

Giuliani gets it wrong on the immigration bill.

Tonight Giuliani attacked the bill, saying "There's no information of who exited the United States"

REALITY: The bill, S.1348, includes a "biometric entry-exit system" in Section 128, as well as enhancements to the US-VISIT system (Section 124) and "improved document integrity" (Section 125) and "document fraud detection" (Section 125)

(Source )

Que?

Even though Mitt Romney raised his hand when he said that English should be our official language, he was the first Republican to run a Spanish language ad.

http://www.democrats.org/a/2007/03/funny_that_wasn_1.php

Sen Reid on the Iraq War

REID SAID WAR COULD BE WON DIPLOMATICALY, POLITICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY

"I believe... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week," Reid told journalists. [...] "I know I was the odd guy out at the White House, but I told him at least what he needed to hear ... I believe the war at this stage can only be won diplomatically, politically and economically."

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070419184534.ileoeb47&show_article=1

TOP AMERICAN GENERALS AGREE WITH REID

LT. GEN. RICARDO SANCHEZ: DO THINGS RIGHT POLITICALLY AND
ECONOMICALLY

The general who commanded US-led coalition forces during the first year of the Iraq war says the United States can forget about winning the war. "I think if we do the right things politically and economically with the right Iraqi leadership we could still salvage at least a stalemate, if you will -- not a stalemate but at least stave off defeat," retired Army Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez said in an interview.
http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=179458

GEN. PAUL EATON: NEED SERIOUS DIPLOMACY

Mr. President, I was one of those commanders, and you weren’t listening when we warned you of the dangers we’d face invading Iraq. Now our military is overcommitted, and America is less secure. Mr. President, you’re being told we need serious diplomacy, not escalation. And you’re still not listening. If the President won’t listen, Congress must.
[Gen. Paul Eaton, who most recently served as Commanding General in
charge of reestablishing Iraqi Security Forces from 2003-2004.]
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/14/iraq-general-stars-in-new-votevets-ad/

Justice or Politics?

If you didn't have a chance to watch the hearing today, where Bradley Schlozman was grilled by the Senate Judiciary Committee, be sure to check out the comprehensive coverage over at TPM Muckraker. It has been the authoritative source throughout all of the investigations into the politicization of the Justice Department under the Bush administration.

But today was particularly insightful, watching Senators wave the manual that Schlozman so flagrantly ignored.

Note the contradictions by Schlozman in the video. First, he says, "I was aware of the general policy that the department refrains from indicting certain election-related crimes before an election." Then, he said "no" when asked if "anybody on [his] staff had any reservations about the timing of this."

Yet he also claims that "we" -- presumably referring to his staff -- asked "if it should go forward, or if we should refrain from bringing the case until afterwards..." So did they have reservations, or not? If not, why were they questioning it?

There's a lot of smoke here. If you want to see through it more clearly, one good place to check out is the War Room over at Salon.

REID SAID WAR COULD BE WON DIPLOMATICALY, POLITICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY

"I believe... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing
anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week," Reid
told journalists. [...] "I know I was the odd guy out at the White
House, but I told him at least what he needed to hear... I believe the
war at this stage can only be won diplomatically, politically and
economically."

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070419184534.ileoeb47&show_article=1

TOP AMERICAN GENERALS AGREE WITH REID

LT. GEN. RICARDO SANCHEZ: DO THINGS RIGHT POLITICALLY AND
ECONOMICALLY

The general who commanded US-led coalition forces during the first year
of the Iraq war says the United States can forget about winning the war.
"I think if we do the right things politically and economically with
the right Iraqi leadership we could still salvage at least a stalemate,
if you will -- not a stalemate but at least stave off defeat," retired
Army Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez said in an interview.

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=179458

GEN. PAUL EATON: NEED SERIOUS DIPLOMACY

Mr. President, I was one of those commanders, and you weren’t
listening when we warned you of the dangers we’d face invading Iraq.
Now our military is overcommitted, and America is less secure. Mr.
President, you’re being told we need serious diplomacy, not
escalation. And you’re still not listening. If the President won’t
listen, Congress must.
[Gen. Paul Eaton, who most recently served as Commanding General in
charge of reestablishing Iraqi Security Forces from 2003-2004.]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/14/iraq-general-stars-in-new-votevets-ad/

The Ultimate Insult: Giuliani Is Worse Than Bush

Rolling Stone:

Rudy giuliani is a true American hero, and we know this because he does all the things we expect of heroes these days -- like make $16 million a year, and lobby for Hugo Chávez and Rupert Murdoch, and promote wars without ever having served in the military, and hire a lawyer to call his second wife a "stuck pig," and organize absurd, grandstanding pogroms against minor foreign artists, and generally drift through life being a shameless opportunist with an outsize ego who doesn't even bother to conceal the fact that he's had a hard-on for the presidency since he was in diapers. In the media age, we can't have a hero humble enough to actually be one; what is needed is a tireless scoundrel, a cad willing to pose all day long for photos, who'll accept $100,000 to talk about heroism for an hour, who has the balls to take a $2.7 million advance to write a book about himself called Leadership. That's Rudy Giuliani. Our hero. And a perfect choice to uphold the legacy of George W. Bush.

Yes, Rudy is smarter than Bush. But his political strength -- and he knows it -- comes from America's unrelenting passion for never bothering to take that extra step to figure shit out. If you think you know it all already, Rudy agrees with you. And if anyone tries to tell you differently, they're probably traitors, and Rudy, well, he'll keep an eye on 'em for you. Just like Bush, Rudy appeals to the couch-bound bully in all of us, and part of the allure of his campaign is the promise to put the Pentagon and the power of the White House at that bully's disposal.

While the mayor himself flew out of New York on a magic carpet, thousands of cash-strapped cops, firemen and city workers involved with the cleanup at the World Trade Center were developing cancers and infections and mysterious respiratory ailments like the "WTC cough." This is the dirty little secret lurking underneath Rudy's 9/11 hero image -- the most egregious example of his willingness to shape public policy to suit his donors. While the cleanup effort at the Pentagon was turned over to federal agencies like OSHA, which quickly sealed off the site and required relief workers to wear hazmat suits, the World Trade Center cleanup was handed over to Giuliani. The city's Department of Design and Construction (DDC) promptly farmed out the waste-clearing effort to a smattering of politically connected companies, including Bechtel, Bovis and AMEC construction.

Thompson Talking Like Bush

Uh-oh. Who does this sound like?

"This is a battle between the forces of civilization and the forces of evil and we've got to choose sides."

Yes, George W. Bush is a good guess. But this was actually the actor, lobbyist and former senator Fred Thompson, in his first appearance as a candidate.

He spoke about terrorism at a Virginia state party dinner. He sounded an awful lot like Bush, but maybe that was just his natural gift of mimicry.

Republicans Debate Tonight—But No Mighty Mouse

Ten candidates for the Republican nomination for president will debate tonight in New Hampshire, on the same stage where the Democratic candidates debated two nights ago.

But one likely candidate, the actor, lobbyist and former senator Fred Thompson, will not attend. On Monday, one rival called Thompson "Mighty Mouse."

"It’s what we might call the ‘Mighty Mouse’ candidacy," former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Monday while campaigning in Concord, New Hampshire’s capital city. "You know: ‘Here I come to save the day.’ And in the end voters are not necessarily looking for Mighty Mouse to fly in--they are looking for somebody who stands their ground and goes the distance."

Speaking of distance, look for candidates struggling to distance themselves from George Bush--and from unpopular White House policies on Iraq, immigration and Alberto Gonzales.

YearlyKos Announces Dean Convention Kickoff

Today the organizers over at YearlyKos announced that Governor Dean will once again be attending the Chicago event this August. Speaking directly after the opening remarks by Markos Moulitsas and Senator Dick Durbin, the governor will be sure to fire up the crowd.

From the YearlyKos press release:

"Gov. Dean has been one of the most influential forces in the new progressive movement," said Gina Cooper, YearlyKos Convention executive director. "His belief that every citizen matters, from California to Connecticut, from Alaska to Mississippi, matches our belief that the voices of regular Americans deserve to be heard. It's an honor for Gov. Dean to return to our venue and present the opening keynote."

Gina Cooper, quoted above, organized the highly successful event last year. It's exactly the type of grassroots/netroots activism that is revitalizing our democracy, and I can't wait to celebrate and build upon it in August.

You can, of course, register for the event online.

Don't They Care About Law and Order?

With convicted felon Scooter Libby sentenced today for 2 1/2 years in prison, it's worth looking back at the first Republican debate, where the candidates were asked whether Scooter Libby should be pardoned.

Mitt Romney, as usual, tried to get out of taking any sort of position, saying that we need to wait until "the judicial process is complete." It seems that Romney is not aware the the man has already been convicted. Maybe he needs to be asked again, now that Libby has been sentenced.

When Chris Matthews asked for a show of hands, to determine who favored a pardon, none of the "top tier" candidates showed their support. At the same time, they didn't exactly condemn the convicted felon either.

Another Republican debate just happens to be tonight, so it'll be interesting to see if the question comes up again. But one candidate really takes the cake when it comes to the shameless manner in which he has sucked up to the Bush administration by taking on the Libby cause. That man is Fred Thompson.

Just how close are Libby and Thompson? Take a look at Libby's legal defense trust website, which features a biography of the former Senator. On the website, we learn that he worked with Libby to raise millions and millions of dollars for the legal defense fund. He's also "among 27 prominent Republicans and Bush Administration supporters on the advisory committee." During the Libby trial, Thompson sat in the public gallery with Libby's public relations person.

Fred Thompson will be on Hannity and Colmes shortly after the debate, so it'll be interesting to see if he has any insight on the convicted felon, now that the sentencing has happened. Does the Law and Order candidate actually care about law and order? It certainly doesn't look that way.

UPDATE: Almost forgot to bring your attention to this story, highlighting the fact that Thompson says if he becomes president, he will pardon Scooter Libby. Freeing a convicted felon is an odd promise for a campaign platform.

Let’s Get These Guys in the Ring

McCain and Romney continue their spat over immigration:

In remarks aimed most directly at fellow Republican Mitt Romney, the Arizona senator accused his presidential rivals of pandering. If they don't like the immigration plan, he said, they must offer an alternative.

"Pandering for votes on this issue, while offering no solution to the problem, amounts to doing nothing. And doing nothing is silent amnesty," McCain said to applause from more than 100 people gathered to hear him address the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.

Romney released a statement Monday saying his "principled disagreement" with McCain is based on wanting to see greater priority on border security, employment verification and not rewarding undocumented workers.

Romney’s ever-evolving immigration stance continues to change:

But former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- trying to take advantage of a backlash against the position of Arizona Sen. John McCain -- appears to have backed away from his calls for an estimated 12 million to 20 million illegal immigrants to register with the government, as he told The Chronicle in March.

Scooter Libby Sentenced To Prison

On June 5, Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby will be sentenced. Libby was convicted in March of lying and obstructing a leak investigation. He is the highest-ranking White House official to be convicted of a felony since the Iran-Contra scandal of the mid-1980s.

The verdict was the result of a four-year investigation into how Bush administration officials revealed covert CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity to reporters in 2003. Plame’s husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, accused the Bush administration of faking intelligence on Iraq before the war.

During the Libby trial, it became clear that the Bush administration wanted to discredit Wilson--and chose to do so by exposing his wife and compromising American security operations abroad.

Libby will be sentenced by Judge Reggie Walton. He could face up to 25 years in prison. Firedoglake is following the story live.

UPDATE: Scooter Libby was sentenced to thirty months in prison and a $250,000 fine. The question now is whether or not Bush will pardon him before he serves his time.

Tuesday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 4, 2007

A Food and Farm Bill of Rights

All of you KA readers have been begging for it, so now I'm proud to give it to you -- more blogging about the farming! Seriously though, what's going on is of particular interest to anyone who, well, eats.

Farming, seemingly out of nowhere, has been receiving a lot more attention in the blogosphere -- with discussion of the rewriting of the farm bill and Congressman Earl Blumenauer stopping by TPM Cafe discussing the Food & Farm Bill of Rights.

While I know that Michelle Malkin is probably "skeptical" on this one, based on the title, the rest of us who value a safe food supply need to start paying attention to this one. Here are the key points, via the TPM Cafe post:

1. Americans have a right to a policy free of special interest giveaways.
2. American taxpayers have a right to a fiscally responsible policy.
3. Americans have a right to a policy that serves all farmers.
4. Americans have a right to a safe and healthful food supply.
5. American children have a right to good nutrition.
6. Americans have a right to local supplies of fresh food.
7. Americans have a right to a policy that promotes energy independence.
8. Americans have a right to a policy that protects the environment.
9. Americans have a right to preserve farmland from sprawl.
10. Americans have a right to a policy that fosters sustainable farming practices.

Democrats have been leading the fight for rural communities, energizing their economies and eliminating health and other discrepancies. It's why the Bush budget gets an 'F' on the "Rural Report Card" and Speaker Pelosi is a hit in the community.

McCain in Neverland Again

From the Des Moines Register:

Most Americans should accept a long-term United States military presence in Iraq as long as the number of U.S. casualties can drop to almost nothing, Sen. John McCain said Friday.

McCain is one of the front-runners for the Republican presidential nomination. One of the cornerstones of his candidacy is his support for increasing the number of U.S. troops in Iraq as a method of fighting Islamic terrorist groups.

"The key to this issue is not American presence, but American casualties," he told a standing-room-only crowd of about 250 employees at Nationwide Insurance's offices.

A Look at How Bush's Justice Department Operates

A must-read article in the Los Angeles Times describes the role of Bradley Schlozman at the Justice Department. Schlozman, a Bush administration political appointee, is the former chief of the Justice Department’s civil rights division. His work reveals how the Bush administration has flipped the idea of civil rights enforcement--and pursued cases that may have had the effect of discouraging voter participation.

For example, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit in November 2005 against the state of Missouri, claiming that there were too many voters registered in some counties, and therefore potential for voter fraud.

Todd Graves, the U.S. attorney in Kansas City, had reservations about the lawsuit and refused to sign the complaint. Graves was later ordered to resign by department headquarters. Schlozman was appointed to replace Graves in March 2006.

Less than a week before the November election, Schlozman obtained indictments of four members of the liberal activist group Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, for allegedly submitting fraudulent voter registrations. The Justice Department election manual says prosecutors should refrain generally from bringing cases just before elections, out of concern that the charges could affect voting.

ACORN itself had brought the case to the attention of authorities after discovering that some of its employees were making up names of registrants as part of a voter-registration drive.

Schlozman's office was apparently in such a rush to file the case, one of the names on the indictments was wrong.

Missouri Republicans seized on the charges in the final days of the campaign. Nevertheless, Missouri voters narrowly elected Democrat Claire McCaskill over Republican incumbent Jim Talent, a victory that sank GOP hopes of maintaining control of Congress.

In April, the suit was dismissed by a federal judge, who ruled that the government failed to produce any evidence of fraud or that any Missouri resident had been denied the right to vote because of the alleged registration deficiencies.

Schlozman is scheduled to testify tomorrow on Capitol Hill in connection with the ongoing U.S. attorney investigation. Todd Graves is also scheduled to testify.

Bush Administration Wants It Both Ways

How can the Bush administration say that the surge has been a success, while still saying it's early to tell if it's working? Compare these two statements:

"And I think what the President is saying is that what David Petraeus has said, it's going to take until the fall to see if this Baghdad security plan is working before we can evaluate."
- Deputy White House Press Secretary Dana Perino

"The senior U.S. commanders in Iraq -- Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno and Gen. David Petraeus -- want the surge to continue until at least December and expect to report enough progress in Iraq by September to justify it..."
- ABC News

As John Arivosis pointed out, the Bush administration has repeatedly made the point that despite the rising death toll, it's far too early to declare the escalation of troops in Iraq a failed strategy.

It's an attempt to avoid holding themselves accountable in the present as we receive more and more bad news. Just today we found out a recent American assessment "found that American and Iraqi forces were able to 'protect the population' and 'maintain physical influence over' only 146 of the 457 Baghdad neighborhoods." The same NY Times article also reports a cautioning tale about the Iraqi Police:

A few weeks earlier, angered by the attacks on his soldiers, Colonel Frank ordered a video camera hidden near an abandoned swimming pool along a main road in Ameel, near a police checkpoint, where patrols had been hit repeatedly.

When the video was examined after another attack, it showed two Iraqi policemen talking with companions, who were heard off-camera, apparently laying an explosive device. Minutes after the policemen were seen driving away, the camera showed a powerful bomb detonating as an American Humvee came into view.

The bad news doesn't end there. The number of unidentified bodies found in Baghdad rose sharply last month. A surge in the number of civilians killed. An increase in the complexity and lethality of attacks.

Yet somehow the administration is planning to report everything's dandy? And they're planning it while saying -- at the same time -- that it's too early to tell whether or not it's working?

It should go without saying that the administration no longer has any credibility. This is just another reminder of why that is.

Republicans Propose A 700 Mile Fence... To Separate Themselves From Bush

Could Romney flip again on immigration? Mitt's backing away from amnesty rhetoric:

“One simple rule: no amnesty,” he said to applause at the South Carolina Republican convention last month. He said the current compromise, despite making illegal immigrants pay hefty fines and wait years for citizenship, was not good enough because workers could apply for visas that would allow them to stay indefinitely.

“If that is not a form of amnesty, I don’t know what is,” he said.

But now, Mr. Romney seems to be backing away from that position. While visiting Florida last week, he was asked to clarify his stance, and said he was “not really trying to define what is technically amnesty.”

Romney's not the only one with problems. John McCain tries to sell immigration to an angry base. And then there's this about McCain and Amnesty: The End of An Affair?

Amnesty” now is a political dirty word – the favorite slur of the bill’s opponents. But it was not always thus. The Googling monkeys discovered that McCain himself embraced the term during a news conference a few years ago in his office in Tucson, Ariz. “McCain Pushes Amnesty, Guest-Worker Program,” reported the Tucson Citizen of May 29, 2003. The senator is quoted as saying: “Amnesty has to be an important part because there are people who have lived in this country for 20, 30 or 40 years, who have raised children here and pay taxes here and are not citizens. That has to be a component of it.” The newspaper also quoted McCain as saying: “I think we can set up a program where amnesty is extended to a certain number of people who are eligible and at the same time make sure that we have some control over people who come in and out of this country.”

Shocking Comments from New Chair of Arkansas GOP

Dennis Milligan, the new chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party, told a reporter that America needs to be attacked by terrorists again--so that people will appreciate President Bush.

"At the end of the day, I believe fully the president is doing the right thing, and I think all we need is some attacks on American soil like we had on [Sept. 11, 2001], and the naysayers will come around very quickly to appreciate not only the commitment for President Bush, but the sacrifice that has been made by men and women to protect this country," Milligan said.

Milligan was elected as the new chair of the Arkansas Republican Party just two weeks ago. The owner of a water treatment company, Milligan was a relative unknown in Arkansas politics before the vote.

During the interview, Milligan also said that he is "150 percent" behind Bush on Iraq war policy.

Governor Dean on the New Hampshire Debates

Governor Dean issued the following statement following the Democratic Presidential Debate in New Hampshire last night:

"Tonight our Democratic field of candidates again did what their Republican counterparts have yet to do. They articulated a real vision of strong leadership for America's future.

"On the issue of Iraq our candidates agreed it's past time to end the war and refocus on fighting terrorism and strengthening our national security, a stark contrast to the Republican field's blind support for continuing the President's failed strategy. On a range of other issues, from making health care more affordable for every American to addressing immigration reform in a practical way, Democrats offered real solutions. Our candidates showed they're ready to address the challenges confronting the American people, made it clear that the Democratic Party's values are America's values, and showed a Democratic field that looks like the America they aspire to lead.

"The choice for 2008 is clear: Democrats who offer real leadership for a strong America, or Republicans facing an identity crisis who on Tuesday will no doubt reiterate that they offer nothing more than the same divisiveness and failed policies of the Bush Administration."

Monday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 3, 2007

Sunday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 2, 2007

Saturday Open Thread

Chat away...

June 1, 2007

Victory for Workers in the New Hampshire House

Public employees in New Hampshire won a major victory yesterday when Democrats in the state House of Representatives passed legislation strengthening their rights at work. The bill already passed the state Senate earlier this year, and is now on its way to the desk of Gov. John Lynch (D).

The bill is similar to the federal Employee Free Choice Act, which makes it easier for workers to form unions without fear or intimidation.

Only 12.5% of workers are part of a union today. Over 58% of workers want to join unions--but they are stopped too often by fear, harassment and bureaucracy.

This bill makes it all much easier. When a simple majority of workers sign cards saying they want to form a union, they would be recognized legally as a union.

Workers who belong to unions earn 30 percent more than nonunion workers. They are 62 percent more likely to have employer-provided health coverage and four times likelier to have pensions.

Similar bills to the one just passed in New Hampshire have been approved this year in Massachusetts, Oregon and Vermont state Houses and are pending in the California, Minnesota and Rhode Island legislatures.

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. Town & Country Days (Kettle Falls, WA)
   

   Entertainment, food and craft booths, 7K "Grumpy Grouch Fun Run," "Slam Jam" 3-on-3 basketball tournament, parade, ALA sanctioned logging events, free kids games, car show, beer garden and the final frenzy of ballot stuffing for the "Grouch" election.

2. DFA Training in Louisiana (Baton Rouge, LA)
   

   You made the phone calls, you knocked on the doors and this past November you began to take our country back from the right wing. While many people are thinking about taking a rest after our victories in 2006, we know that you are not. Neither are President Bush and his right wing allies. That is why we are proud to announce that the DFA Training Academy is coming to Baton Rouge, Louisiana on June 2-3.

3. N.H. Debate Watch Party (Concord, CA)
   

   Come watch the Debate on Sunday June 3rd. AJ's has a Big Screen TV and a full bar. Bring your appetite! We can watch the debate and support a local small business owned by a Democrat! The debate starts at 4pm. Please RSVP so that I can let the restaurant know for planning.

4. SD53 Potluck Family Picnic (Shoreview, MN)
   

   Celebrate the big DFL wins of the 2006 election by coming to the fourth annual potluck picnic. All DFLers are welcome. Bring your family, friends, and either a dish to share, a bag of chips or other snack.

5. Screen on the Green - Car Wash (Atlanta, GA)
   

   Join the Young Democrats of Georgia, the metro-Atlanta YD Chapters, and friends of YDG as we attend and enjoy Screen on the Green 2007 in Piedmont Park. This is an annual event at Piedmont Park on the 10th Street Meadow.

What Are They Hiding? White House Wants to Keep Visitors Secret

The Bush administration is now fighting in court to keep secret who visits Vice President Dick Cheney at home. From the latest AP article:

A newly disclosed effort to keep Vice President Dick Cheney’s visitor records secret is the latest White House push to make sure the public does not learn who has been meeting with top officials in the Bush administration.

...The drive to keep the logs secret, the administration says, is essential to assuring that the president and vice president receive candid advice to carry out their duties.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a liberal watchdog group, filed two lawsuits last year demanding the Secret Service visitor records. The White House continues to claim that those records are presidential, and therefore not subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). More from the AP:

"The scary thing about this move by the vice president’s office is the power grab part of it," said Tom Blanton, head of the National Security Archive, a private group which uses the FOIA law to pierce government secrecy.

"We’re looking at a huge problem if the White House can reach into any agency and say certain records have something to do with the White House and they are presidential from now on," Blanton said. "This White House has been infinitely creative in finding new ways and new forms of government secrecy."

Surgeon General Nominee: Looking for a Cure

Somehow, after all these years, I still manage to be genuinely shocked by the Bush administration. Take, for example, the nomination of James W. Holsinger as U.S. Surgeon General (aka "America's doctor").

Via DailyKos, the Lexington Herald-Leader has the scoop:

In his role on the nine-member Judicial Council, Holsinger has opposed a decision to allow a practicing lesbian to be an associate pastor, and he supported a pastor who would not permit an openly gay man to join the church. [...] They founded Hope Springs Community Church in a warehouse at 1109 Versailles Road. Calhoun called it a socially diverse congregation with a "very vital recovery ministry." [...] Hope Springs also ministers to people who no longer wish to be gay or lesbian, Calhoun said.

He wants to be the Surgeon General and supposedly cure homosexuality? How about starting with heart disease, instead?

What a way to start off PRIDE month...

Comment vous dites "Flip Flopper?"

Again with the “French” thing Mitt?

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Thursday criticized Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton as a European caricature who would turn the United States into a welfare state. …

"She gave a speech a couple of days ago and laid out her vision for America. And as I listened to her I figured her platform wouldn't even get her elected in France,"

But Mon Dieu! Le YouTube Has Mitt Parlez Vousing.

Secret Senator Unmasked

This week I wrote about an anonymous Senator placing a "secret hold" on a bill to promote transparency in government. The Society of Professional Journalists, determined to solve the mystery, began asking all GOP Senators to solve the riddle by process of elimination.

All of the hard work paid off, and now the Associated Press reports that it was Senator Jon Kyl all along:

Kyl revealed his name Thursday, days after the bill's backers launched an e-mail and telephone campaign, urging their supporters to help in ``smoking out 'Senator Secrecy.''' They pointed out the irony that an open government bill was being blocked using a rule that allowed secrecy.

See my earlier post for why this bill is necessary. Not only do we need to give greater transparency to the FOIA process, but we also need to do something about the backlog of requests that continue to mount.

Dan Bartlett Resigns

Breaking news: "Dan Bartlett, a key member of President George W. Bush's inner circle and an aide for him going back more than 13 years, announced on Friday he is resigning as White House counselor effective July 4."

Reuters has more:

He is the most important White House insider to leave Bush's side since the resignation last November of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Bartlett's pending departure will follow that of some other aides such as deputy national security adviser J.D. Crouch and the National Security Council expert on Iraq and Afghanistan, Meghan O'Sullivan, who chose to leave rather than ride out the rest of the president's term, which ends in January 2009.

There sure seem to be an awful lot of resignations lately.

UPDATE: I wanted to highlight my personal favorite memory of Dan Bartlett:

Caption contest, anyone?

Friday Open Thread

Chat away...