I guess that people figured that with gas past $4/bbl, this would not be a good thing to vote against.
Category: Congress
Update on Republithug Corruption
Busy day.
We have former Congressman Curt Weldon tied into a Russian influence buying scheme, all laundered through a shady non-profit.
Curt Weldon was, of course one of those guys who saw agents of hostile governments everywhere…who knew he was one?
The fine folks at TPM note that former Rep. Sweeney’s (now ex-) wife, the one that he beat when he wasn’t driving drunk, was being paid for work she never did at a “fundraising firm” that she ran.
In the small fry category, we have Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) neglection to mention $286,278 in expenditures and $102,044 in contributions in her 2002 campaign. It could just be a clerical error, but seeing as how they neglected to mention a donation from “Friends of Duke Cunningham”, and over a hundred grand spent on her Daughter and Son-in-law’s “political consulting firm”, I’m thinking that we have some self dealing going on.
House Passes Draconian IP Legislation
HR 4279 is a very bad piece of legislation. Among other things, it:
- Creates an IP “Czar” in the Department of Justice, who would be institutionally driven to make criminal matters out of what is has been a civil offense.
- Apply civil asset forfeiture, so you could lose your house if law enforcement agencies convince a judge that you might be infringing.
- Expanded criminal penalties.
Luckily, it’s unlikely to make it through the Senate in an election year, but this legislation is evil.
What too many people do not understand, including over 400 members of Congress, it passed 410 to 10, is that Patent and Copyright Law is at its Core Public Interest Law. It is not a property right, but rather a societal contract in which we all give up our rights in order to encourage artistic and scientific development through the granting of a temporary exclusive license.
Good
The Economist is wringing its hands because the Democratic controlled Senate is refusing to confirm two Bush nominees to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. They think that it strikes a blow against the independence of the body.
They have it wrong. This is a good thing.
If the Democrats should have any goal in the next few months, it should be to absolutely prevent any permanent or long term personnel changes to the courts, the Fed, or similar bodies from Bush and His Evil Minions&trade.
They have an obligation to protect the American people from Bush.
House Votes Down Unemployment Extension…Sort Of
They had to vote, “under a procedure that required a two-thirds vote for approval”, but they fell 3 votes short, so they will reconsider it in the next few days.
Seeing as how they got about 50 Republicans to flip, and that constituents will doubtless be calling those who did not flip, I think that this will pass with a veto proof majority.
Republicans Running Away From Bush on Unemployment Extension
I think that the fact that extending unemployment benefits is extremely popular with voters is why the Democrats split it out of the Iraq authorization.
They want as many Republicans as possible to have to choose between their political future and George W. Bush.
Voting against this will not look good in November.
How Long Will It Take Arlen Specter to Cave on This?
Now Specter is saying that wiretapping should require some sort of judicial review.
That’s nice, but considering your record, we also know that when it finally comes down to a vote, you will snivel and vote with the Neanderthals in the party.
Been down this road before.
Do Not Send Money to These Bush Blue Dogs
One of the things Tim Mahoney and Allen Boyd, both of Florida, won’t do is endorse Barack Obama for president.
These are both folks who have received lots of support from the Democratic grass roots, Mahoney is in Mark “Just as soon as I get to the end of the page” Foley’s old seat following the sex scandal, and when the time comes for them to do little things, like endorse the Democrat, or in Mahoney’s case, criticize John McCain for opposing Mahoney’s own insurance relief bill, they just don’t have the guts.
Screw them.
Lobbyists Complaining About Obama Donation Ban
Good. It means that he’s done something right.
So are some Congressman, or at least that’s what the lobbyists say in the article.
Seriously though, is there any reason for Steny Hoyer to have, “received a higher percentage of his campaign contributions from PACs this cycle than has any other member of Congress?” He’s in a completely safe district. He could win if he spent 50 bucks on his hole campaign.
Two snaps up from me.
Talk About Lowered Expectations
The ‘Phants are now saying that if they only lose 8 seats out of the 23 seats of theirs up for election, it’s a victory, because they can theoretically still stop cloture.
There are a bunch of seriously depressed Republicans in Congress.
Scotty to Talk
McClellan has agreed to testify before congress regarding the Plame Affair.
If only it had happened a year ago.
Kennedy Home from Hospital
Best wishes to the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts.
Dems Hold Lead in Polls in Alaska
The last time that Alaska was truly competitive for Democrats was shortly after I left, at age 6, in 1968, and now we have polls showing Begich leading Stevens and Berkowitz beating Young, and both the Republicans are incumbents, albeit fantastically corrupt ones.
Mark Begich (51%) – Ted Stevens (44%)
Eathan Berkowitz (58) – Don Young (38%)
I think that the good people of Alaska realize that these guys are an embarrassment.
Al Franken Gets DFL Party Endorsement for Senate
He got the required 60% on the first ballot. There is still a primary in September, but absent a dead girl/live boy* revelation, he is the nominee.
I guess that this decade is all about him, Al Franken.
Here’s hoping that he kicks that phony Norm Coleman, who is proof of that old adage, “If you can’t fool all of the people all of the time, you should start breeding them for stupidity.”†
*Edwin Edwards, when discovering that he would be facing David Duke in the Louisiana governor’s race, said that the the only way that he would lose were if he were, “caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy”.
†Dave Sim, in his comic book Cerebus, some time around issue 20.
Republicans Kill Global Warming Bill
This is not unexpected. Those guys will never admit that Al Gore was right.
Maybe next congress we will get 60 votes.
Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth*
Francis H. Powers is the Republican nominee for US Congress in New York’s 13th District, Staten Island. His son, Francis M. Powers, will be running against him on the Libertarian ticket.
Ouch. His own son.
*The title comes from King Lear, Act 1, Scene 4: How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is, To have a thankless child!
Hopefully, This is Obama Showing His LBJ Side
This bit of Senatorial theater is making the rounds now:
Returning to the Senate after his securing the Democratic presidential nomination, Obama and Lieberman greeted each on the Senate floor in the Well as they were voting on the budget resolution.
They shook hands. But Obama didn’t let go, leading Lieberman – cordially – by the hand across the room into a corner on the Democratic side, where Democratic sources tell ABC News he delivered some tough words for the junior senator from Connecticut, who had just minutes before hammered Obama’s speech before the pro-Israel group AIPAC in a conference call arranged by the McCain campaign.
The two spoke intensely for approximately five minutes, with no one able to hear their conversation. Reporters watched as Obama leaned closely in to Lieberman, whose back was literally up against the wall.
(emphasis mine)
A source said that it was, “a cordial and friendly discussion”, but I’m inclined to think that that depends on how you define those words, and this sounds just like how LBJ used to work people.
If it’s true, I’m favorably impressed.
McCain Lied Through His Teeth
On the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. He voted against investigations and aid to the Gulf coast.
Senate Intelligence Committee Report Says the Bush Lied
That’s what the report translates to, “Policymakers’ statements did not accurately convey the intelligence assessments”.
Impeach Dick Cheney today. Impeach George W. Bush tomorrow.
More Evidence of the Bush Terror Over Warrantless Wiretapping Revalations
We know that Bush and His Evil Minions™ are determined to create immunity for the telecommunications companies that spied on Americans, probably to cover up the fact that they used the program to spy on political enemies, particularly Kerry in 2004, but the fact that they are now cutting Kit Bond (R-MO), the ranking ‘Phant on the Senate Intelligence Committee in their negotiations with the House indicates that they are getting a bit desperate.
Normally, they don’t want their finger prints on something like this.
The Bush administration is talking directly with Democrats over rewriting the nation’s surveillance laws and leaving the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee out of the debate, a senior Senate Democrat said Wednesday.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) said that negotiations were occurring without Sen. Kit Bond (Mo.), the ranking Republican on the panel.
………
“You know, Bond, he’s just complicating things,” Rockefeller said. “And I’ve never talked to him about [his one-on-one talks with Hoyer], so I don’t understand it.”
The only reason that the Bushies are so intent on this is because this program involves something so awful that they would all go to jail, and the only thing I can think of that would do that is their use of the program for partisan electoral advantage.
I could be wrong on this. When ever I think that I’ve mined the depths of the Bush administration, it turns out that I’m insufficiently imaginative.