Remember when I said that Domenici had health and behavior issues? He will be citing a form of dementia called frontotemporal lobar degeneration as the reason for his retirement.
In related news, Republican Heather Wilson will run for his seat. This should be interesting, as she nearly lost her house seat in 2006, and she is as hip deep in the US Attorney scandal as Domenici is.
Congress seeks justice dept. documents on interrogation.
What is clear here is that Bush and His Evil Minions™ are objectively pro torture, and that they find torture a good thing in and of itself, and so they are using any means necessary to continue to torture.
They have to know that it does not work. They have to know that it damages the US’s reputation and ability to gather competent intelligence. They don’t care.
Ordering torture makes them feel like real men. It makes them feel virile and effective to cause needless harmful pain.
Not surprising. When you consider reports of corruption (he’s hip deep in the US attorney purge), health problems, and erratic behavior (he showed up to work in pajamas), it’s pretty clear that he’s going.
Brent Wilkes’ lawyer Mark Geragos had previously thrown around bogus subpoenas at about a dozen members of congress, who promptly had the house lawyer to pound sand, but it looks like this time Wilkes’ lawyer is actually targeting representatives who have ties to him. They are all Republicans.
His defense is going to be, “I didn’t bribe anyone, I was shaken down.”
Wilkes to Target Five Pols for Testimony
Even though Geragos dropped the initial subpoenas, he told reporters later that he planned to file new ones against former House Speaker U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and California Republican Reps. John Doolittle, Duncan Hunter, Darrell Issa and Jerry Lewis.
The substance of Wilkes’ defense is that he was not bribing people, but he was being shaken down by members of Congress, and these 5 guys flew on Wilkes’ plane, and ate at his dinner, so their testimony is relevant.
Pass the popcorn.
As you are no doubt aware, Senator Larry Craig has not resigned on September 30 as he said he would, so they are threating public ethics hearings on his behavior.
My guess is that Craig is putting Senator David Vitter on his witness list.
Pass the popcorn.
Representative Terry Everett (R-AL) Will Retire.
This happened in 1994, where there was a flood of Democratic resignations. Basically, it’s not as fun being in the minority.
Another endorsement for the primary in a true blue district (MD-4 will go Democrat until the apocalypse).
She ran against Al Wynn in the primary last year, and almost beat him.
Wynn is pro-War, he voted for the energy bill givaway to Exxon et al, he’s a bad guy, and may have stolen the last election (voting machines from his stronghold delivered votes days late).
Go to her siteDonna Edwards for Congress”, and check her out.
Democracy for America has officially endorsed her.
Criag is saying that he’s going to stay in office, at least for a while.
That sound you hear is Jon Stewart’s, Jay Leno’s, and David Letterman’s writers cheering.
The Republican Congressional Campaign Committee has $1.4 million in the bank, and $4 million in debt, as compared to the DCCC, which has $22 million in the bank, with $3 million in debt.
So in addition to being morally bankrupt, the Republicans are literally bankrupt too.
Heh.
Mark Pera for Congress (Il-03).
The Illinois 3rd district is very solidly Democratic (+10% dem), and the incumbent, Dan Lipinski is one of the worst Bush Dogs out there. He’s pro war, favors criminalizing abortion, and supported federal intervention in the case of Terri Schiavo.
As an aside, this is a “safe” endorsement for me, because even if my jinx* holds true, it’s still a vote for Speaker Pelosi.
Besides, Lipinski is a Democrat that we can simply do without.
*Yes, I know that superstitions are silly, and I frequently belittle people for them, but this, and the Hope Diamond† are where my rationality deserts me.
‡I wouldn’t take that cursed diamond if you paid me.
By way of Tom Delay’s chief of staff, Ed Buckham, who has been hit with a Federal grand jury subpoena for his payroll records.
One hopes that this will eventually lead to the Bugman getting rolled up in all of this.
GOP Congressman Jerry Weller. If you’ve heard the name before, it’s because he is married to the daughter of Guatamalan dictator (and brutal butcher) Efraín Ríos Montt, and he has engaged in some very dodgy land deals Latin America.
John Warner has been telling Jim Webb that he supports his troop relief bill, which requires that soldiers stand down for at least as long as they are deployed to a combat zone.
Today, he introduced a Warner Introduced a non-binding “Sense of the Senat” Version of Jim Webb’s amendment to the military authorization bill.
Not only that, but he did not tell Senator Webb about his intentions.
Wanker.
Congressman Rep. Jim Ramstad (MN-03) To Retire is not running for reelection.
Expect to see a lot more of these. There are those who don’t want to lose, and there are those who are unhappy with being in the minority again, and (of course) those under investigation.
Honestly, I think that Reid has spent way too much time being too accommodating to Republicans. He’s given them repeated opportunities to support phony withdrawal bills.
I don’t know why he is now saying that the negociations are off. This is without warning.
One wonders why the abrupt change in position:
Some possibilities:
My guess is the last one.
Desperation is the reason that Shays is threatening retirement unless he is given the top GOP spot on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
He is the last Republican member of Congress from New England, and people are starting to recognize that he is irrelevant, because Republicans ignore their more moderate members, so he is unleashing this threat.
He almost lost last time, and there is no way that another Republican can win.
His language is actually a bit stronger:
Even if he runs and wins, and somehow gets denied the top Republican spot anyway in 2009, “I will resign,” Shays said.
That’s fear speaking.
It’s better, but Bush is implying a veto over the reduced damages.
It’s a little bit better, but the problem with IP abuse continues, and will continue until congress treats Patent and copyright as the public interest law*, we won’t have a good law.
It’s still got to pass the Senate, though.
*The section of the constitution that allows congress to create patent and copyright for a “limited time” has as its justification, “to promote the useful arts and sciences”, and until the law gets back to this, as opposed being an attempt for entrenched players to use the power of the state to coerce excessive profits out of people, we won’t see a good law.
Willis suggests that the campaigns against the Bush Dogs Dems is a waste of resources, and we should focus on places like Donna Edward’s challenge to Al Wynne.
He is completely wrong.
The “Bush Dog” Challenge is almost entirely about the war. There are other issues in the mix, but the war is the 800 pound gorilla in the room, and getting out of Iraq is a winner for Democrats, as the overwhelming majority of Americans, including Republicans want us out now.
They are pushing this position out of cowardice and stupidity, and getting them back on track serves to strengthen, not weaken the Democratic hold on their seats.
In addition, letting them be stupid and craven without consequence serves to destroy what is already pathetically weak Democratic party discipline.
Va. Senator Warner is out for 2008, and Fred Thompson is in for 2008.
Neither big surprises. Warner raised something like 12 cents in the past few quarters, and Thompson has been under investigation by the FEC for “exploring” too enthusiastically.
*No, I mean not running for re-election, not Senator Craig out.
From Politico.com.
If I bet on politics, and I don’t because my record sucks, I’d guess that he’s not running.