fitz

K.O.!

“0″ yeah….

Keith O. is enough to make me watch television again. Well, his show anyway.

good to know that at least the 3rd arcticle is safe in the new and inproved “bill of right”.

had enough?

‘ morning, Redd, ‘morning everybody… has anyone figured out how the delay in signing helps shrub? I don’t understand why he is waiting…

Word is he’ll sign around the 17th. Why then? What’s special then?

Also a question about time to sign, is it two weeks=10 business days, I thot it was simply 10 calendar days.

The thrashing I gave Sen. Warner over habeas and the detainee bill is the only letter I’ve ever written him that hasn’t gotten an answer. Hmm.

pete @ 4

good to know that at least the 3rd article is safe in the new and improved “bill of right”.

had enough?

Let’s amuse ourselves thinking of ways they could abuse the 3rd–military in your homes. Then it’ll be a clean sweep. We could start over again with 10 new “rights.”

Ideas anyone?

OldCoastie @ 5

‘ morning, Redd, ‘morning everybody… has anyone figured out how the delay in signing helps shrub? I don’t understand why he is waiting…

I suspect they delayed it as long as possible in the hope that all this unpleasantness would have died down and people would actually pay attention. Considering that they never care about anything other than winning elections and amassing power, that seems like the most likely explanation.

Redshift – I wonder what kind of signing statement will accompany it? bet it’ll be a doozy…

Morning, Christy!

Nuts. I EPU’d myself in the last thread, should have seen it coming…will have to repost it here.

Only quibble I had with KO on his commentary was that the 3rd Amendment is also moot if you are locked up…if you’re in Gitmo and you’re prevented from communicating with anyone, how do you even know your home is being used as a military hostel? How could you even fight it if you did know?

They trashed them all, gang, not 9 of 10.

“Cheeky?” “Cheeky” is what you call the neighborhood kid who responds to an adult in a borderline rude way. It’s for the rakish bad-boy hero of an English novel. It’s for the smart-mouthed, edgy, quick comeback.

It’s not for the kinds of tactics the GOP and president engage in on a regular basis. Try thinking of Bush signing statements as “cheeky,” and you’ll see how truly inappropriate it is.

But “bastards?” Definitely. You nailed that one.

Redshift — you could be right, and perhaps they were so uncertain about the outcome that they didn’t have a marketing plan prepared for hyping up the bill’s signing and roll-out.

Dear God by digby today…
“655,000 more people have died in Iraq since coalition forces arrived in March 2003 than would have died if the invasion had not occurred”.
and of coarse there’s more torture…..heh heh heh.

Scrawled across the last fundraising request from Bill Nelson that his support for this bill canceled out any further financial support from me. Tossed it over to Howie instead, felt good. Oh, and so far no response from the Senator’s office, not that I expect one.

For those of you who haven’t yet had the chance, as Christy recommends, stop over to Glenn Greenwald’s blog and read yesterday’s chilling post entitled “The Bush administration’s torture of U.S. citizen Jose Padilla”.

Glenn’s post refer’s to a blog by David Markus called the “Southern District of Florida Blog” where you can find all of David’s description of “What was done to Padilla”.

I’d make 2 further points:

1. The torture described in Glenn’s and David’s posts are exactly those which are made “retroactively legal” by the recent “Torture Bill” that passed Congress. Everyone associated with this torture will have a “Get Out of Jail Free Card” courtesy of the Repug Criminal Cabal in power in this country.

And by “everyone”, I mean everyone! From the Shore Patrol types in the Naval Brig who performed some of the torture all the way up to and including Rummy, Darth and Junya who directed that the torture be applied!

2. Glenn also makes the very important point for our very own future: to wit, this type of torture will now be the law of the land, and available to be used on anyone the President determines deserves it. That includes you and I!

US Citzenship in no longer a bar to indefinite confinement without any charges, without legal representation, without contact with any other soul in the universe, and of course with all that, you get torture as an added bonus!

Have you had fecking ENOUGH???

CocoaBeach @
15

Scrawled across the last fundraising request from Bill Nelson that his support for this bill canceled out any further financial support from me. Tossed it over to Howie instead, felt good. Oh, and so far no response from the Senator’s office, not that I expect one.

Great great move, thanks!

Anne at 12 — yes, well, I was being a tad sarcastic with the cheeky. Clearly that needed to be a bit more obvious…more coffee, please…

OK – have a good one, ‘pups… off to earn a livin’…

This post on Balkinization really got my attention. It was about a German lawyer who anticipated the administration’s legalizing crimes against humanity. Here’s just part of it:

A team of Justice Department lawyers worked with Keitel and his team at OKW on the drafting of the decree and further steps for its implementation. This included a series of highly particularized rules setting out how such detainees were to be treated by police, justice officials and others. The rules specified how such individuals would be permitted to make wills, issue final letters of farewell, what would be done with children born to detainees and how their death could be recorded in the registry. Other lawyers prepared parallel orders creating special secret courts and detention facilities for those interned under the Nacht- und Nebelerlass. These courts were crafted under domestic German law and thus constituted a projection of German law into the occupied territories.

These arrangements flouted the protections of the Hague Convention, specifically the right of “family honor, lives of persons” and the right “to be judged under their own laws.” To the extent applied against uniformed service personnel, they also violated the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War of 1929. However, the Justice Department lawyers advanced the view that the Hague and Geneva Conventions were inapplicable because their adversaries did not subscribe to these documents. This decree was applied brutally, and with particular force in France. A total of at least 7,000 persons were detained; a large number of them perished.

The Justice Department lawyers justified these acts as steps available to an occupying power in order to protect its troops against terrorist acts or insurgency. Further, the occupied territories could be divided, roughly, into three categories: (i) areas directly incorporated into the German State (for instance, Austria, Alsace-Lorraine, the Eupen-Malmdy region of Belgium, Danzig and portions of Poland); (ii) areas under German occupation and direct administration (such as Bohemia and Moravia); and (iii) areas under puppet rgimes (such as Hungary and Slovakia). As for the first, they asserted the right to treat persons found within those territories under German law. As to the second, they claimed the right as occupier to promulgate new rules and orders, and to derive them from Germany. As to the third, they relied on the acquiescence of rgimes like Vichy France and Hungary. Their positions on these points were at least colorable from a legal perspective.

The Justice Department lawyers were indicted and charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes arising out of the issuance and implementation of the Nacht- und Nebelerlass. The United States charged that as lawyers, “not farmers or factory workers,” they must have recognized that their technical justifications for avoiding the application of the Hague and Geneva Conventions were unavailing, because these conventions were “recognized by all civilized nations, and were regarded as being declaratory of the laws and customs of war.” That is to say, they were customary international law. Further, the United States charged, this decree “would probably cause the death of human beings,” grounding a charge of homicidal intent.

There’s lots more there. Well worth reading.

Have a good day, OC. :)

Christy, I know you’ve probably got a full plate already lined up for today, but I wondered whether you could whip up a post that highlights the point in the exchange John Casper had with cbl downstairs.

Bush clearly screwed up WRT North Korea, and the VRWC is helping McCain cover up and obscure this point.

Thanks a bunch, appreciate whatever you might be able to do.

The details on the delay are simple. Once the House and Senate pass a bill, it has to be printed in proper form, with all the right margins, font sizes, etc. and then sent up to the White House for the president’s signature or veto. The “clock” doesn’t start until it reaches the White House, and Bush asked that Congress take its time getting the bill to him, so that he could schedule a signing ceremony closer to the election.

Almost makes you wonder how many habeas petitions are being filed quickly right now, to beat that clock. Time’s running out . . .

He doesn’t want his name on it, Shrubya. If it sits on his desk, it becomes law without his foul scrawl on it. Then it looks like it’s the Lege that’s responsible.

Peterr @ 23

The details on the delay are simple. Once the House and Senate pass a bill, it has to be printed in proper form, with all the right margins, font sizes, etc. and then sent up to the White House for the president’s signature or veto. The “clock” doesn’t start until it reaches the White House, and Bush asked that Congress take its time getting the bill to him, so that he could schedule a signing ceremony closer to the election.

Almost makes you wonder how many habeas petitions are being filed quickly right now, to beat that clock. Time’s running out . . .

It didn’t take them any time to print and present the Terri Schiavo bill to chimpy. It’s all theater, bad theater.

The jose padilla thing makes me ill.

These people have got to be stopped.

Wouldn’t it make more sense from a policy perspective to let people go (if you have nothing to charge them with) and follow them to see who they associate with?

Imagine if the the money we’ve wasted on Iraq had been used to shore up our intelligence services so we could really do something about potential terrorism?

Their policies, besides being unconstitutional, are just plain stupid.

Old Sow @ 24

He doesn’t want his name on it, Shrubya. If it sits on his desk, it becomes law without his foul scrawl on it. Then it looks like it’s the Lege that’s responsible.

I thought that not signing it was called a “pocket veto.” yes? no?

Old Sow @ 24

He doesn’t want his name on it, Shrubya. If it sits on his desk, it becomes law without his foul scrawl on it. Then it looks like it’s the Lege that’s responsible.

Wow, that makes a lot of sense.

Christy said:

Generally, the President has only two weeks to sign something into law, but since Republicans think rules and the law are for other people, there has apparently been some maneuver to enable President Bush to sign it outside that usual window. Cheeky bastards. (Personally, I’d like to know exactly how this has been accomplished, so if anyone has the details, please share.)

I found this by Professor Micheal Froomkin over at Discourse.net:

Incidentally, I understand that although the Military Commissions Act (aka The Torture Bill) was so essential to our freedom that it had to be rushed through both houses before the election…the Speaker and the President Pro Tem of the Senate only got around to delivering it to the White House today. As a result, the President will be able to delay signing it until Oct. 17th (real urgent, huh?) without the bill becoming subject to a pocket veto.

The reason for the delay in delivering the bill is that the White House wanted the signing ceremony for the 17th. Had it been sent over any earlier, that would have messed up the media strategy.

So it seems Junya and Karl are following a scripted plan. Just what all that plan entails is an October surprise for us.

Junya likes surprises!

I don’t want to sound like a tin foil haberdasher or anything, but with the death of habeus corpus still stinking up the GOP elephant in the voting booth, how long do you think it will take before the BushCo rhetoric about the terrorists here at home (i.e. anyone who opposes their ghastly policies, or in other words – most of us in Left Blogtopia) turns into mass arrests and fresh bodies for the FEMA detainment camps allegedly built around the country? How close are we to naked fascist aggression sure to rally the Dwight Schroots of America to Dear Leader’s cause?

We all use terminology in jest to describe these folks as Nazi-like or pseudofascist and the like, but now its beginning to be fairly obvious that there is no pseudo to their fascism. There are serious 4 alarm Constitutional fires raging right now like the Reichstag and we are beginning to hear some strange rhetoric coming from DC. I’m more than concerned that we are one 9/11 style attack away from worst case scenario land. Then what?

US Rep. Mean Jean Schmidt (R), of the 1st District of OH said, “I have a copy of the Constitution in my purse. I’ve been meaning to read it.”

She also said, “In times like this, I think the Consitution should be suspended.”

egregious @ 6

Word is he’ll sign around the 17th. Why then? What’s special then?

Also a question about time to sign, is it two weeks=10 business days, I thot it was simply 10 calendar days.

The Constitution says “within ten Days (Sundays excepted),” but that still doesn’t cover it.

Found a possible answer allegedly from Congressional Quarterly, quoted in a post on a different bill in a a righty blog that I won’t link to, but conveniently meta-quoted in Hotline (scroll down to “That Could Be A Long Wait” near the bottom):

The 10-day period starts only after Congress formally prints and delivers the bill for the President to sign into law.

I’d be interested to know if this fact has ever been used for blatantly political purposes before. Anyone else would look at this and see a purely practical consideration, they look at it and see a loophole to allow a campaign event.

RevDeb @ 25

Peterr @ 23

The details on the delay are simple. Once the House and Senate pass a bill, it has to be printed in proper form, with all the right margins, font sizes, etc. and then sent up to the White House for the president’s signature or veto. The “clock” doesn’t start until it reaches the White House, and Bush asked that Congress take its time getting the bill to him, so that he could schedule a signing ceremony closer to the election.

Almost makes you wonder how many habeas petitions are being filed quickly right now, to beat that clock. Time’s running out . . .

It didn’t take them any time to print and present the Terri Schiavo bill to chimpy. It’s all theater, bad theater.

Theater of the absurd.

RevDeb @ 27

Old Sow @ 24

He doesn’t want his name on it, Shrubya. If it sits on his desk, it becomes law without his foul scrawl on it. Then it looks like it’s the Lege that’s responsible.

I thought that not signing it was called a “pocket veto.” yes? no?

If Congress is in session, it becomes law, if they’re not, it’s a “pocket veto.” So that’s not the explanation. (Also, considering that this was rushed through for political purposes, I don’t think W has any concerns with having his name on it.)

Old Sow at 24 — actually, if he doesn’t sign it within the two week period, it is a “pocket veto.” To become law, the President must sign the bill — it’s a forced accountability measure that was written into how we do things. You know, from back in the days when people actually felt that your actions and your words should match up.

test

RevDeb @ 27

Old Sow @ 24

He doesn’t want his name on it, Shrubya. If it sits on his desk, it becomes law without his foul scrawl on it. Then it looks like it’s the Lege that’s responsible.

I thought that not signing it was called a “pocket veto.” yes? no?

Yes, exactly opposite of what Junya wants. Don’t worry, he’ll sign it.

Or perhaps that should be “Do worry, he’ll sign it!”

PS: Per Wikipedia, an odd fact – Since Congress cannot vote while in adjournment, a pocket veto cannot be overridden.

Mornin’ Christy and All,

still googling on St. Straightalk – but did link BBC & US news articles about it to

David Gregory
Hardball
Jack Cafferty

here’s BBC article provided by J Casper, if any of y’all are so inclined – there is a Rose Garden presser today

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asi…..908571.stm

for the not fully caffeinated -

In releasing the funding, President George W Bush waived the Framework’s requirement that North Korea allow inspectors

op99 — did we pass the test?

Shucks, sounded good to me!! Thanks for the correction though.

Why does Habeas Corpus hate America?

o/t

op99,

thought of you among others when I caught this at C& L

aretha/turandot

http://www.crooksandliars.com/…..in-part-2/

Fini at 30, some of us have not been using these words in jest. It is chilling having these goons in power here.

Nice catch RevDeb, from Wikipedia Pocket Veto

A pocket veto is a legislative maneuver in American federal lawmaking. The U.S. Constitution requires the President to sign or veto any legislation placed on his desk within ten days (not including Sundays). If he does not, then it becomes law by default. The one exception to this rule is if Congress adjourns before the ten days are up. In such a case, the bill does not become law; it is effectively, if not actually, vetoed. Ignoring legislation, or “putting a bill in one’s pocket” until Congress adjourns is thus called a pocket veto. Since Congress cannot vote while in adjournment, a pocket veto cannot be overridden….

Christy,

The Greenwald link re: Padilla’s seizure and torture is devastating. I thought I was reasonably up to date on how egregious things had become, and sadly, I was not.

Glenn does a great job, but this screams out for commentary everywhere. Can I encourage you, using the Padilla brief as your basis, to do a prosecutor’s-perspective post on this?

percy at 45 — I thought I was up to speed on this as well until I caught Glenn’s post on it. I’ve put it on my “to do” list to do something more in depth, but I’m not certain that I can get to it today. (My to do list appears to be growing exponentially these days…it’s been one of those months, I’m afraid, and it’s only the 11th.)

not a f’ing peep on that box this morning about 650,000 dead Iraqis – not an effing peep

Christy – fyi – Associated Press ran story of Lt. Commdr Swift on Monday, 10/9

Maybe this has been said earlier and I missed it. If a bill is passed by the House & Senate, goes to the President and he doesn’t sign it, it does NOT become law. It’s known as a “pocket veto”. It then goes back to the House & Senate. Congress can override the veto with a 2/3 majority.

Old Sow @ 43

Fini at 30, some of us have not been using these words in jest. It is chilling having these goons in power here.

I know I have not personally used these words in jest, but there tends to be a weird kind of I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-fascism vibe these days. I have seen posts on various blogs of all sizes lecturing folks on using these words to describe what the GOP are up to, but for crying out loud how DO you describe undermining the very foundation of our freedoms other than to call it fascist? I sometimes think I went to sleep the night of 9/10/01 and through some sort of Star Trek transporter accident crossed into a Bizarro World that Justin Raimondo at AntiWar.com has been writing about for years.

Mmmmmmm…Gladys Knight singing “Stormy Weather” at the moment on the Today Show. Luuuuuuv her voice…

karen allen @ 31

US Rep. Mean Jean Schmidt (R), of the 1st District of OH said, “I have a copy of the Constitution in my purse. I’ve been meaning to read it.”

She also said, “In times like this, I think the Consitution should be suspended.”

karen allen, do you have a link?

The Military Commissions Act, passed on 28 September 2006. According to the Wiki article at 6:43, OS and karen are correct, unless Congress adjourns, which is the case. In that case, the pocket veto is activated if the President exceeds the ten-day limit. Clearly, I am missing something here.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 50

Mmmmmmm…Gladys Knight singing “Stormy Weather” at the moment on the Today Show. Luuuuuuv her voice…

She is so awesome, and a lovely human being to boot. I once had the pleasure of meeting her and being her local personal aide during an appearance here at a venue I once worked for. Did she have any Pips with her?

For all the Buck O’Neil fans and fellow enemy combatant baseball fans, today there is an article that
says why Buck should NOT be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/…..726356.htm
A quote: “He hugged school kids, politicked for the Negro Leagues and told some of the most fantastic stories about the players that society tried to forget. Buck told kids to stay in school, stay off drugs, work hard, chase your dreams and most of all love one another.
Buck is the reason there is a Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. Buck turned Ken Burns’ documentaries into masterpieces.”

Rayne @ 39

op99 — did we pass the test?

You did, OS and I flunked. (on the pocket veto quiz)

Fini at 53 — No, she has a new solo album out of classic tunes — am going to have to check it out. I just love her mellow voice — especially on Midnight Train to Georgia (which I know is so cliche to say, but truly, has there been a better expression of soul and heartbreak than her voice on that song? Maybe Marvin Gaye?!?)

JF @ 51

karen allen @ 31

US Rep. Mean Jean Schmidt (R), of the 1st District of OH said, “I have a copy of the Constitution in my purse. I’ve been meaning to read it.”

She also said, “In times like this, I think the Consitution should be suspended.”

karen allen, do you have a link?

For the second, the exact quote is “we’re at war…suspending the Constitution is sometimes necessary” — see here. It’s from an eyewitness account by firepup Froggermarch of a town hall meeting.

cbl @ 42

o/t

op99,

thought of you among others when I caught this at C& L

aretha/turandot

http://www.crooksandliars.com/…..in-part-2/

Thanks for that. Her interpretive power transcends genre.

Apologies if already posted – from CNN, ” 655,000 Iraqis dead because of war, study finds”
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/…..index.html

Fini -

I would not be characterized as one of the resident optimists BUT there are signs out there that plenty outside Left Blogistan are waking up to this -eg

this guy is in a competitive race in CO-5 – which has been solidly gooper since it’s inception AND HE SPELLS OUT DANGERS in his mailers – frankly, despite Wes Clark’s endorsement, this guy makes Hillary look Green, yet here he is talking about it

http://www.fawcett4congress.com/endorsements.php

I takes my hope where I can find it

Glenn has a post about blogging.

Since we know how important the work he does is to us, we need to support him with $$.

End of homily.

(for those who don’t know, a homily is a short sermon)

Christy Hardin Smith @ 46

percy at 45 — I thought I was up to speed on this as well until I caught Glenn’s post on it. I’ve put it on my “to do” list to do something more in depth, but I’m not certain that I can get to it today.

Back from hearing K.O. (A writer named Vorhaus wrote that all humor is “truth and pain”.) When you post isn’t important. I simply read that brief and thought, “Here comes another ‘The Memorial Stars at the CIA’ post.” (Can’t find it to link to it. Very moving and angering. Anyone got a link?)

JF @51, Redshift @ 57: Re Rep. Jean Schmit, (R) OH, yes, it’s a direct quote. Both Froggermarch, myself, and our 8 other operatives attended the meeting wherein Mean Jean uttered those chilling words.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 56

Fini at 53 — No, she has a new solo album out of classic tunes — am going to have to check it out. I just love her mellow voice — especially on Midnight Train to Georgia (which I know is so cliche to say, but truly, has there been a better expression of soul and heartbreak than her voice on that song? Maybe Marvin Gaye?!?)

I would have to agree with you there, that is one of her signature songs and she really puts a lot of herself into it. Now, if you’re adventurous, you may want to listen to Teddy Brown’s reggae take [Windows Media Audio] on the same song. It was an interesting nugget an ex girlfriend turned me onto a few years ago that turned my head.

my take on this weeks olberman;

not too good

sorry, it’s the first piece of his I thought was awfull and everyone here knows I love this guy and I think he’s one of the driving forces that might save this country

no passion abut habeus corpus though to me it’s possible the most important issue to date

I didn’t like the snark at all, and I didn’t like the fact that he pointed out the bill hasn’t been signed, I don’t want to rush the president on this AT ALL

we really need our spokespeople to describe what habeus corpus is and PUNSIHS the people that trample our constitution with VILE disdain…the snark only serves progressives, it enables concervatives to make light of the entire document;

we need to EDUCATE the uneducated on exactly what this means

things like this need to get our;

“the president can arrest someone for no reason at all and then create a law that never existed, that nobody thinks should have ever existed, and claim he’s holding that person on this new law even though the person never ever broke the law once it was on the books.

for instance, the president can arrest someone and when he finds out that person broke no law, he can declare “being in the vaciinity we arrested you is illegal”, and the person can actually be held for being in that area before it was concidered tresspassing”

things like THAT need to be said, NOT just “it violates the constitution”

Heads up — Presidential presser on North Korea to begin at 11 am ET. FYI.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 66

Heads up — Presidential presser on North Korea to begin at 11 am ET. FYI.

let’s bet on how many times he’ll blame the Clinton admin.

I’ll say four.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 66

Heads up — Presidential presser on North Korea to begin at 11 am ET. FYI.

Think he’ll take questions or slither away afterward like the snake he is?

me to me @ 65

we really need our spokespeople to describe what habeus corpus is and PUNSIHS the people that trample our constitution with VILE disdain…the snark only serves progressives, it enables concervatives to make light of the entire document;

we need to EDUCATE the uneducated on exactly what this means

I agree, however, sometimes K.O.’s or Jon Stewart’s or Stephen Colbert’s snark is the only way to get the uneducated into the educated column. So many folks these days pay little or no attention to political matters they need a spoonful of sugary snarkiness to make the bad tasting medicine of Truth go down.

let’s bet on how many times he’ll blame the Clinton admin.

overnight polling on McCain – says that dog wont hunt

RevDeb @ 68

Christy Hardin Smith @ 66

Heads up — Presidential presser on North Korea to begin at 11 am ET. FYI.

Think he’ll take questions or slither away afterward like the snake he is?

I always fancied him more like a marmoset or weasel. The scrunchy face he makes reminds me of a buddy’s pet marm.

John Casper @ 52

The Military Commissions Act, passed on 28 September 2006. According to the Wiki article at 6:43, OS and karen are correct, unless Congress adjourns, which is the case. In that case, the pocket veto is activated if the President exceeds the ten-day limit. Clearly, I am missing something here.

John,

Here’s what I think you missed:

Per Wikipedia: A pocket veto is a legislative maneuver in American federal lawmaking. The U.S. Constitution requires the President to sign or veto any legislation placed on his desk within ten days (not including Sundays).

And I cross-posted some stuff at http://www.firedoglake.com/200…..ent-332185 that basically says the bill was just officially signed off by the Congress today the 11th.

The 10 day clock now has started as of today.

percy @ 62

Christy Hardin Smith @ 46

percy at 45 — I thought I was up to speed on this as well until I caught Glenn’s post on it. I’ve put it on my “to do” list to do something more in depth, but I’m not certain that I can get to it today.

Back from hearing K.O. (A writer named Vorhaus wrote that all humor is “truth and pain”.) When you post isn’t important. I simply read that brief and thought, “Here comes another ‘The Memorial Stars at the CIA’ post.” (Can’t find it to link to it. Very moving and angering. Anyone got a link?)

As far as timing for Christy’s post, maybe right after Bush’s signing soiree (?).

OT, (but really, when is Bush’s hubris ever OT?), but the new Johns Hopkins study of civilian deaths in Iraq has a new figure – 600,000 since 2003. Jeez, he’s almost caught up to Saddam.

Mr. President, have you avenged the 3,000 American deaths yet, you utter, psychotic pig?

It’s too much to expect the MSM to knock down Bush’s lies on North Korea in his upcoming campaign speech on NK. I don’t know if these people are willing Bush accomplices and/or just totally ignorant of the facts.

Christy needs some help if, as requested, she is to knock down these many things as they come up so her analyses can be spotlighted by FDL’s spotlighters.

Thanks Mad Dogs.

I think that, according to the U.S. Constitution, a bill becomes law if the President does not veto it within 10 days. If that’s true, the Torture bill is now law, and Bush didn’t even have to put his name on it. Thus giving himself the ability to disclaim ever having “signed” the torture bill in the first place. On the plus side, there probably won’t be any signing statement this time.

North Korea Threatens War Over Sanctions.

http://apnews.myway.com/articl…..F1K80.html

Part of Bush’s problem is that he has a horrible time being in the present. Whether he’ll actually name Clinton is a good question. Especailly since that little Chris Wallace chowdown.
His sudden and comprehensive turn to the UN is a real lark. Maybe he’ll find a way to hang onto Bolton after all.

sohei @ 77

I think that, according to the U.S. Constitution, a bill becomes law if the President does not veto it within 10 days. If that’s true, the Torture bill is now law, and Bush didn’t even have to put his name on it. Thus giving himself the ability to disclaim ever having “signed” the torture bill in the first place. On the plus side, there probably won’t be any signing statement this time.

Article 1 section 7:

“If any bill shall not be returned by the President within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their adjournment prevents its return, in which case it shall not be a law.”

And he doesn’t need a signing statement. He got everything he wanted and then some.

They’re going to need those powers once they get this Iran thing going: Chris Hedges is worried. The former Middle East bureau chief for The New York Times says a U.S. carrier group is headed for the Straits of Hormuz and will be in place to strike Iran by the end of the month. “It may be a bluff. It may be a feint. It may be a simple show of American power. But I doubt it,” he writes, warning about the “strange, twilight mentality that now grips most of the civilian planners who are barreling us towards a crisis of epic proportions.” Will Iran be Bush’s October surprise? Will we survive his madness?

A postscript to Christy’s announcement yesterday of 20 million unique visitors to FDL [major kudos to our firedog leaders!]:

After months of commenting seemingly side by side here, ReneND and I finally organized a meet-up right here in Fargo yesterday morning at Luna Coffee. Turns out we’re even more kindred spirits than we could have anticipated with lots of people connections in common. So a shoutout this morning to ReneND [and her reading sister and brother-in-law!].

And a vigorous thanks to FDL for this wonderful neighborhood gathering spot online that shares the same cosy warmth of Luna with just the right dash of spice.

Mad Dogs, I think you have our much needed clarification. Thanks very much!

Christy Hardin Smith @
66

Heads up — Presidential presser on North Korea to begin at 11 am ET. FYI.

Today is National Coming Out Day. You don’t suppose . . . (shudders) . . .

Nah. But wouldn’t it flip out the wingnuts!

Let’s see.

North Korea is girding for war and that means that South Korea, the U.S., Japan, China and Australia are on notice.

Russia is preparing for war with Georgia.

The US is preparing for war with Iran.

Somalia and Ethiopia are ready to go.

Darfur is heating up.

Iraq is melting down.

Syria is preparing for war with Israel.

Halliburton, CACI and Bechtel say: Mission Accomplished.

-GSD

Wonder if we’ll see any questions about Ralston’s departure?

oooooh, shiny thing, shiny thing, NK, 9-11, Bolton UN, shiny thing….

ah Rev Peterr, ya beat me by a hair !

http://pageoneq.com/admin/refe…..mp;id=9045

cbl @ 87

ah Rev Peterr, ya beat me by a hair !

http://pageoneq.com/admin/refe…..mp;id=9045

Great minds . . . and thanks for the link!

come out come out wherever you are . . .

http://www.blogactive.com/

karen allen @ 31

US Rep. Mean Jean Schmidt (R), of the 1st District of OH said, “I have a copy of the Constitution in my purse. I’ve been meaning to read it.”

She also said, “In times like this, I think the Consitution should be suspended.”

Would that include the bits that allow ideological trollops like Jean Schmidt to hold national public office?

Just looking for the silver lining.

A trivia question someone asked me yesterday – how many people is Iraq’s Saddam Hussein accused of killing – not counting the Iran/Iraq war. I mean how many of its own civilians died at the hands of Saddam. Quite a few I am sure, tens of thousands would be my quess.

Questions to me was who has killed more – Saddam or Bush? Heresy I know, but just asking.

cbl @ 70

let’s bet on how many times he’ll blame the Clinton admin.

overnight polling on McCain – says that dog wont hunt

Six years into Bush’s administration, that dog is getting just a little too old to hunt like it used to.

GrandmaJ @ 91

A trivia question someone asked me yesterday – how many people is Iraq’s Saddam Hussein accused of killing – not counting the Iran/Iraq war. I mean how many of its own civilians died at the hands of Saddam. Quite a few I am sure, tens of thousands would be my quess.

Questions to me was who has killed more – Saddam or Bush? Heresy I know, but just asking.

I guess my only reply to a question like that would be my favorite quote from “Star Trek: Insurrection.”

Picard: Admiral, how many does it take before it becomes wrong?

Grandma J,

good mornin’ – saw somewhere on the toobz this am – that Hussein could be tied to 250K to 340K

Prairie Sunshine @ 82

A postscript to Christy’s announcement yesterday of 20 million unique visitors to FDL [major kudos to our firedog leaders!]:

After months of commenting seemingly side by side here, ReneND and I finally organized a meet-up right here in Fargo yesterday morning at Luna Coffee. Turns out we’re even more kindred spirits than we could have anticipated with lots of people connections in common. So a shoutout this morning to ReneND [and her reading sister and brother-in-law!].

And a vigorous thanks to FDL for this wonderful neighborhood gathering spot online that shares the same cosy warmth of Luna with just the right dash of spice.

Pinkie sends his regards. LOL (blast from the past)

Chimpy – live from rose garden – will b taking questions.

-we achieved our goal of cutting budget in half three years ahead of schedule

crikey!

have to go – puleeze Dear God, let one of these lemmings asked the Chimp about his 2002 waiver of Inspection regimen

Chimpy – live from rose garden – telling us what he will be talking about and still mispronouncing nuclear.

-wants to make tax cuts permanent

-wants resolution for korea to keep them from further nuke development and to keep them from exporting nukes

twolf1 @ 96

Chimpy – live from rose garden – will b taking questions.

That’s always worth so much with this asshole.

-we achieved our goal of cutting budget in half three years ahead of schedule

…if we ignore all of those off-budget appropriations for making a complete fucked-up mess of Iraq and Afghanistan, I suppose?

Chimpy – live from rose garden – “we infirmed (sic) we have no intention of attacking north korea”

-he is pleased nations in region they are letting N Korea what is at stake

twolf1 @ 100

Chimpy – live from rose garden – “we infermed (sic) we have no intention of attacking north korea”

…and never did, because even Belligero the Ape knows damned well that Kim Jong-Il would kick his ass from here to Neptune.

Chimpy – live from rose garden – sounds like he is rattling off talking points (more so than normal)

-will also be discussing Iraq

Fresh thread, gang. Document the idiocy.

cbl @
47

not a f’ing peep on that box this morning about 650,000 dead Iraqis

My box was peeping about it. Of course, “my box” is a radio tuned to NPR.

Chimpy – live from rose garden – the situation is difficult in iraq. attacks and casualties have increased during ramadan, that is normal (wtf?)

-we are on the move, we are helping this young democracy succeed.

-shorter chimp – it’s hard work but mission accomplished

new thread

Chimpy – live from rose garden – Iraqi PM implementing ways of dampening violence.

-there is a political process that is going forward *switching on explainer mode*

twolf1 @ 107

Chimpy – live from rose garden – Iraqi PM implementing ways of dampening violence.

Iraqi citizens are now required to wrap wet towels around themselves at all times.

Chimpy – live from rose garden – if we were to abandon iraq, the terrists would take control and launch attacks from there. we know this because the enemy told us so. (i guess we must believe everything kim jong il says too then)

Chimpy – live from rose garden – reporters asking questions now. was asked if his policies caused the current korea situation. I have lost chimpy’s response, I assume he will be blaming clinton soon.

“Intrashashence”? Doesh he wear denshures?

Habeas Corpus – Don’t be taken from home without it.

Corpus Christy : )

I thought that they House and the Senate versions had to be reconciled before the president signed.
ANYWAY, I had a scary thought while I was watching Keith. The consititution says the writ of Habeas Corpus can only be suspended during rebellioon or invasion and even Spector acknowledges that we don’t have either situation.
Yet.
What if the election is rigged, clearly. Everyone knows it and all hell breaks loose ala Obrador in Mexico. What if there are mass protests and what if these protests get ugly. What constitutes a rebellion? Anything the president says is a rebellion? Does he have the power to throw everyone arrested during a protest in jail and hold them forever? Does this nasty bill threaten indefinite detention on anyone who challenges a fraudulent election?

I wrote a chastising letter to Senator Bill Nelson, D-Florida, hours after he voted to pass this heinous bill. It took over a week, but I finally got a reply from him.

Let me just say outright that this reply did not change my view one iota — I will not vote for Nelson after he supported this anti-constitutional mess of a law and I will not vote for his insane opponent, Katharine Harris.

I will do something that I’ve never done in 27 years of voting: leave the box for “US Senator” empty on my ballot.

I won’t compromise on this one. Sorry Jane and Christy, this is more important to me than attaining Democratic majorities in Congress. And since Nelson is miles ahead of Harris anyway, it won’t matter too much but it will make me feel like I have some dignity and integrity left.

Nelson’s reply to my “How on earth could you vote for this?” letter:

“As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I have followed closely the evolution of this important issue.

Congress needed to establish a system for trying terrorist suspects, because the President’s plan for secret trials could have put our own captured troops at risk. I voted for Senator John McCain’s proposal for trying terrorist suspects in military courts and ruling out secret trials. I believe the legislation respects international law and our treaty obligations by preventing abuses during interrogations. I also voted for an amendment to restore habeas corpus rights, but it was narrowly defeated.

I appreciate the opportunity to share my position on this very emotional issue.”

His signing statement will say something along the lines of “….these powers will reside only in me and if Diebold should screw-up and some Democrat actually gets elected, well then, all of the “powers” that I’ve claimed for the Presidency will immediately vaporize and the newly elected Democratic President will have only ceremonial powers…and it will stay that way until the next Republican is elected”. And the Democrats will meekly agree.