I wonder, now that the Cong. is headed to summer recess what’s going to happen.

It appears they’re going to work on FISA and little else before taking a break.

The House seems to have cleared off the table very well. Congrats to Spkr. Pelosi for her great first work session. They passed a lot of terrific legislation!

Now, if only the Senate can get their end of things in line.

I used to get C-SPAN 1 & 2, but in the last couple of weeks my provider COMCAST has taken down C-SPAN-2 and said that if we want it we have to pay extra money. Bastards!

C-SPAN-2 covers the Senate primarily. Maybe they know something is coming up in the Senate that they don’t want the American people to see.

They say, “While the cat’s away the mice will play.”, so I suspect while the Cong. is in recess (if they do) that Bush will do something utterly ridiculous and dangerous. He’ll probably try to replace Gonzales with Elmer Fudd or something equally amazing.

Meanwhile, Clinton & Obama duke it out and the MSM is completely happy to focus on the spectacle and ignore that there are other political candidates around. Maybe Edwards should carry a loaded gun around or shout obscenities at somebody to get the MSM attention.

Kudos to the Minnesotans who hung together beautifully, even if their federal government didn’t seem (from the few stories I’ve read) to be very present to help.

Phoenix Woman @ 200

Jonathan, why do you dislike Nancy Pelosi?

Because she occupies an office that imposes upon the occupant duties owed to the American people, not owed to the occupant or his or her party.

And I agree!

marymccurnin @ 174

I don’t think he will. I have so much respect for him.

They want the winner of a congressional district in the presidential election to receive the electoral vote for that district rather than the winner of the overall vote winning all the electoral votes for that state. There are about 18 or 19 safe Republican districts in California so that would give the Republican Pres. candidate those 18-19 electoral votes. The Republicans do not rest for one minute trying to figure out a way to game the system to their advantage. It’s time the Republican Party receive electoral euthanasia.

And get this…even if the vote in that District goes to a Democrat (as it did for Clinton, Gore and Kerry in many) the votes would still be proportioned out with regards to who hold the Congressional seat.

That’s simply absurd! Congressional votes have nothing to do with the Presidential vote…Constitutionally, or otherwise. Many people vote-split…preferring a Republican Congresscritter but a President of the opposite party. This is vote theft, plain and simple.

This is a rare moment.. I agree with republicans.. no recess until FISA is abolished.

Indeed, CALL THEIR BLUFF! And Pelosi can also insist that the Senate not recess. No recess appointments!

US Constitution Article 1 Section 5

“Neither House, during the session of Congress, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.”

Thus Pelosi can prevent the Senate from officially adjourning.

Twisted Martini @ 34

They are probably trying to divide up the electoral votes based on percentage of votes won, not winner take all.

That’s correct.

Actually, they want some sort of Congressional District “winner take all”…not true proportional distribution.

In fact, they simply want to weaken the ability of Democrats to win California’s votes while ignoring all those other States that have winner take all that go Republican.

In fact, in other States the Pugs have Gerrymandered things so that even if they did this they would still win a disproportionate number of electors. Take Texas for example…set up where the Democratic districts approach 90-100% Democrats and the others are 55-60% Repigs. Thus, even in a race where Democrats would be even with or ahead of Republicans in actual votes…they’d still win 60% of the seats (and electors).

In the old system the Democrats, if they won the majority of votes, would have all the electors.

Let’s simply go to a proportionate electoral college nationwide…or scrap the whole thing!

Aug 2, 2007
“Over the Wires” at TPM, from Roll Call

Capitol Police officials have stepped up the department’s security presence on Capitol Hill in response to intelligence indicating the increased possibility of an al-Qaida terrorist attack on Congress sometime between now and Sept. 11.

The August-to-Sept. 11 time frame was confirmed by a Capitol Police source who said Congressional security officials were recently made aware of the potential threat by federal anti-terrorism authorities. The Capitol Police department has a liaison from the Homeland Security Department working in its Capitol Hill command center.

Jul 18, 2007
Imminent al Qaeda attack in US likely

The United States faces an increased threat of attack from al Qaeda, which will likely try to use battle-hardened associates in Iraq to strike inside the United States, an intelligence report warned on Tuesday.

Released as the White House confronts mounting pressure in Congress to withdraw US forces from Iraq, the document marked the first time that the 16-agency US intelligence community has warned publicly that the Iraq war poses a near-term threat to the United States. …

“Reformed” of course meaning “giving Bush more powers than he already has”.

If there ever was a person in need of going to Reform School, it’s George W. Bush.

- Tom