Christy!

BADA BING! x2

Sweet!

Ah ha!
Christy’s On It!

Congrats Biodun ;-)

Raising my (water) glass to CHS and JUSTICE IN AMERICA!

I saw it live.
When McConnel answered Conyer’s question with “none”, Conyers shoot him Such A Look.
Wish we could all send That Look to Mr. Bush regarding his comment about wishing he could serve in Iraq.
Altogether….Are you kidding us?

It’s something that got me thinking lately. If someone like Doris Kearns Goodwin were to write a history of the Bush presidency, it would run many thousands of pages. There is just so much wrong doing going on. Does P.J. O’Rourke realize how right he was?

demi @ 7

I saw it live.
When McConnel answered Conyer’s question with “none”, Conyers shoot him Such A Look.
Wish we could all send That Look to Mr. Bush regarding his comment about wishing he could serve in Iraq.
Altogether….Are you kidding us?

Did Conyers remind him about the lies McConnell retracted last week?

“We must not forget the lessons of history. Both the Fourth Amendment and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act were responses to abuses by government officials who thought they were above the law. We all agree that we want to protect our national security and that foreign intelligence gathering is fundamentally different from domestic surveillance. However, we should also agree that the power to invade people’s privacy must not be exercised unchecked. As we consider how to fix the Protect America Act, we must restore the fundamental freedoms that have been lost because of our recklessness. We must focus surveillance on terrorist activity and provide meaningful court review to protect the rights of Americans who will be spied on in our country. We must not trust this or any other administration to police itself. We must act now to restore much-needed checks and balances into this damaged law. We must restore respect for our Constitution that this Administration clearly does not care about.” (emphasis mine)

I like that alot…however I wish it would have added;

“We must not trust this or any other administration to police itself…absolute power corrupts absolutely and there WILL be a time information is gathered for personal gain and not for national security…the fisa law allows for all information gathering and the only restriction is that the gatherers must show they gathered information for the purpose of national security and not for themselves”

but as a whole an very nice piece

Yep. Sh*t’s hitting the fan in the Beltway today. Nice.

And thanks to FDL I have the front seat (from Minnesota…)

Thanks Christy and Jane. Mucho gracias. Merci bien.

Joe Klein’s conscience @ 9

demi @ 7

I saw it live.
When McConnel answered Conyer’s question with “none”, Conyers shoot him Such A Look.
Wish we could all send That Look to Mr. Bush regarding his comment about wishing he could serve in Iraq.
Altogether….Are you kidding us?

Did Conyers remind him about the lies McConnell retracted last week?

He did ask him why he had testified one way to the panel and then after a call to the WH, reversed himself “180 degrees” (Conyers’ words.)
McConnel ducked.

Mel Watt talking with Mr. W about retroactive immunization. McC asserts that this is immun from “alleged surveillance” and claims he has no idea how many lawsuits there are. Watt asks about whether they have evaluated them for merit, and they say NO, civil division did it (but no comment about what outcome was, thanks, just blindly give us the immunity for the telecoms)

Good for Mel Watt.

Franks from AZ up and I hate him already.

Demi @ 12 - did Conyers follow up?

Cuz if he ducked, there should have been a follow up.

Which reminds me of an OT question. I was reading a biography of RFK a couple of weeks ago, and they talked about him being counsel to a House committee, and questioning witnesses, and I wondered, why doesn’t it work like that any longer? Let the lawyers question, and run the hearing, instead of five minute turns of grandstanding by the members?

Reposting my comment from below:
When I called Sen. Craig’s office earlier, I merely called to ask for his support of S2202. I just called back and spoke with an aide. He doesn’t know what the Senator’s position is. I asked him to ask around the office to see if anyone else knew. He said most of the staff was at lunch and asked if I would call back in a couple of hours. I asked him to please check that out in the mean time. He said he would, but that things were kind of up in the air around the office right now. I took that opportunity to point out that because of his recent run in with the law, that it might be something that had made him take a serious stand regarding the bill. Got the young man’s name and will be calling back.
I’d appreciate more of you calling Craig’s office in a coupla hours. The young aide’s name is AJ.
Well too bad that Craig’s personal actions have the office all up in the air, but they all having paying gigs and still have a job to do. Let’s find out how he feels and then use it if he tries to run again.
Y’all think?
(and back attcha Laura Doty. :))

The Bush cultists want to protect the US Constitution with spitballs.

Hat tip to Zell Miller.

-GSD

McConnell does seem like a “straight shooter”. No apparent big ego to get through.

C-span-retroactively actions were taken regarding surveillance?

What is it we are immunizing them from?….

I’m confused if a company were to cooperate with the government in a possible fishing expedition that had no basis for executing this proceeding is requesting a retroactive immunization from litigation?….

you’re the bestest! ;~p

OT: Ezra Klein’s quick eval of Clinton’s plan. Very interesting, and he answers questions that were raised yesterday: The Hillary Plan

I want them to target internal US targets who have threatened or seriously weakened US National Security.

I want FISA laws used on internal threats…to National Security Libby, Rove, Cheney, Fleisher, Ledeen. Plenty of enemies of the nation who have served under the Bush administration.

OT but kinda on topic. If you call your Senator’s office in Washington (hopefully through the 800 numbers) and you immediately follow that up with a call to each of his local offices, is your voice counted once or however many number of times as the Senator has offices? Doesn’t that mean, keep going, you ain’t done yet!

If nobody has done anything illegal….

that is what i am waiting to hear about….

In case anyone needs a good simple overview of what the gutting of Habeus Corpus means to all Americans, a friend of mine gives an overview below

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yi33LPwzB6s

Lofgren: picking up on the immunization issue. Says why should we have immunization if you claim no one has done anything wrong? What other time periods do you want immunization for?

Mc: Says he will talk about it in closed session.

Really OT, but this guy keeps getting better and better:

Thompson: Drill the Everglades?

anne @ 26

Lofgren: picking up on the immunization issue. Says why should we have immunization if you claim no one has done anything wrong? What other time periods do you want immunization for?

Mc: Says he will talk about it in closed session.

Why would a discussion regarding defining immunization of litigation be placed under “National Security” and therefore close the whole proceeding under a “closed session” when very likely our liberties have been abused….

perris @ 10

“We must not forget the lessons of history. Both the Fourth Amendment and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act were responses to abuses by government officials who thought they were above the law. We all agree that we want to protect our national security and that foreign intelligence gathering is fundamentally different from domestic surveillance. However, we should also agree that the power to invade people’s privacy must not be exercised unchecked. As we consider how to fix the Protect America Act, we must restore the fundamental freedoms that have been lost because of our recklessness. We must focus surveillance on terrorist activity and provide meaningful court review to protect the rights of Americans who will be spied on in our country. We must not trust this or any other administration to police itself. We must act now to restore much-needed checks and balances into this damaged law. We must restore respect for our Constitution that this Administration clearly does not care about.” (emphasis mine)

I like that alot…however I wish it would have added;

“We must not trust this or any other administration to police itself…absolute power corrupts absolutely and there WILL be a time information is gathered for personal or political gain and not for national security…the fisa law allows for all information gathering and the only restriction is that the gatherers must show they gathered information for the purpose of national security and not for themselves”

but as a whole an very nice piece

What I bolded is what I’m talkin’ about! It’s the thing I think is most dangerous about putting all that information out to be picked through by politicians with an agenda and bureaucrats without conscience.

OT/just wondering when the GOP Corporate Candidate Hillary Clinton and her pro-insurance industry health-care plan will be a topic?
“She said she could envision a day when “you have to show proof to your employer that you’re insured as a part of the job interview —…Her health care plan would require every American to buy health insurance”
Yeah, stick-it to the people and give the insurance industry carte blanche and outta control premiums. Just like the Car and Home Insurance Companies.

This is not Universal Health Care, it’s a free-for-all Corporate Wet-dream.
What a two-faced republican corporate Bitch. I will NEVER vote for her

Rock at 30 — TRex did something on it last night for Late Night, I believe.

Not to belabor the point I made at #16, but I just saw article on Huffingtonpost. GOP’s Worst Nightmare Returns To Senate.
When we call this afternoon, should we warn AJ not to bend over to pick up a dropped pencil if the Senator is around.
(I know, I know, I’m bad.)

also i signed on as a citizen co-sponsor…tho i am not too swift on legal items…

Sorry, here’s linky:
AP Interview: Clinton on health care
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200.....5pOQus0NUE

Re: habeas restoration:

Mike Crapo (R-ID) is still the only one saying no…

John McCain and Larry Craig join the maybes…

This is the best effort yet by Conyers etal

The rehtugs keep insisting on minimalization, existing statutes and Wannstein..” the law school hypo”. When the rethugs insist that the language was accidental like the retoactive immunity I grab my wallet. Con Men.

The Dems seem coordinated and purposeful and keeping the creeps(sorry Nixon 1972)Off Balance.

Habeas update: Folks — I’m hearing that Ben Nelson of Nebraska will vote for cloture but ultimately is leaning against the habeas bill at this point. If there are some Nebraska readers who are out there who haven’t made calls yet, please do — both Nelson and Hagel are critical votes to pressure. Thanks!

A quick drive-by to say how much I love this site and this community. It’s an honor to be counted among you.

With clarity of vision, purity of heart, we must go forth boldly; we must speak the truth whatever it may be; we will call, we will write, we will vote, we will organize, we will march, and not only will we never quit, never even will we take one step back.

Make the calls. Make your family, friends, and neighbors make the calls. The fight is right here, right now.

A long time ago, before the actual Libby trial when we were wishing for crumbs from Patrick Fitzgerald and getting nont, Christy wrote a few amazing posts about the rule of law, the reason he was no Ken Starr and what that meant for all of us. Those post changed my thinking about a number of things and were part of my reason for turning off my TV. Time went on and we had the Supreme Court nominations, with a very intense day of calling re: the cloture vote for Samuel Alito and some fascinating posts and discussion about the process as well as both him and Roberts as nominees. During those I learned to watch CSpan and watched both hearings.

And now, here we are again, with Christy reminding us again about the importance of habeas. There was a time when I could have watched this in wide-eyed wonder, thinking “Look, my government at work” and thinking little more about it. I knew it was there and it reassured me. Now that I am so much better informed and try to use discernment in my sources of that information, I understand that a large percentage of what I believed for 50 years just isn’t true. I understand that there is a deeper meaning and a complex dance in every interaction and it is my responsibility to at least know that and incorporate it in my learning viewing. This has ensured that watching congress is a deeply emotional process.

I’m so glad.
Thanks, Redd.

RockPaperScizzors @ 34

Sorry, here’s linky:
AP Interview: Clinton on health care
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200.....5pOQus0NUE

And one analysis: The Hillary Plan

zennurse @ 14

Franks from AZ up and I hate him already.

Yup! That’s my Congressman. Trent Franks–walks in lockstep with George Bush and the neocons on pretty much everything.

watching hearings on c-span3.. heating up a bit….

Christy Hardin Smith @ 31

Rock at 30 — TRex did something on it last night for Late Night, I believe.

He didn’t do this:

This is not Universal Health Care, it’s a free-for-all Corporate Wet-dream.
What a two-faced republican corporate Bitch. I will NEVER vote for her

But he very well could have — perhaps with a touch more Southern charm and more dramatic metaphor — but that’s right in the ball park! Good job Rock, you rock!

zennurse at 39 — That is the nicest thing anyone has said to me all day. Thanks, hon, and right back at you. :)

Thank you Christy!
I appreciate the hat tip regarding CSPAN3– I have it on right now.

I want to recommend that everyone who missed it watch yesterday’s Democracy Now! — You can watch a replay online. Most of the show was devoted to The Shock Doctrine: Naomi Klein on the Rise of Disaster Capitalism . Klein shows how all the seemingly random acts of evil performed by this administration are part of a coherent overall plan to subvert our Democracy and our Constitution. This is a subversive conspiracy of the highest order that she has revealed.

Bob in HI

zennurse @ 14

Franks from AZ up and I hate him already.

He is my Congressman so feel free to thump on him all you want.

zennurse @ 39

A long time ago, before the actual Libby trial when we were wishing for crumbs from Patrick Fitzgerald and getting nont, Christy wrote a few amazing posts about the rule of law, the reason he was no Ken Starr and what that meant for all of us. Those post changed my thinking about a number of things and were part of my reason for turning off my TV. Time went on and we had the Supreme Court nominations, with a very intense day of calling re: the cloture vote for Samuel Alito and some fascinating posts and discussion about the process as well as both him and Roberts as nominees. During those I learned to watch CSpan and watched both hearings.

And now, here we are again, with Christy reminding us again about the importance of habeas. There was a time when I could have watched this in wide-eyed wonder, thinking “Look, my government at work” and thinking little more about it. I knew it was there and it reassured me. Now that I am so much better informed and try to use discernment in my sources of that information, I understand that a large percentage of what I believed for 50 years just isn’t true. I understand that there is a deeper meaning and a complex dance in every interaction and it is my responsibility to at least know that and incorporate it in my learning viewing. This has ensured that watching congress is a deeply emotional process.

I’m so glad.
Thanks, Redd.

Amen to that ……

Thanks for a great post Christy. We need more like Nadler.

important stuff here as reported from kos

http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/18/34338/6447

Republicans Block Voting Machine Testing in Ohio
by markthshark
Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 05:33:09 AM PDT
This is not good for Democrats in Ohio. Voters there need to rally and organize to countermand this grievous public injustice. All votes must be counted and all votes must count.

That said, if Ohio Republicans have anything to do with it; the state will reprise its ignominious stage role as the “New Florida” in the much-awaited 2008 neocon sequel, “Rigged Election Part Two.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m a movie aficionado, and to me, sequels are greatly overrated.

It seems that the legend of J. Kenneth Blackwell, Ohio’s former secretary of state and graduate of the Karl Rove School of Dirty Politics, lives on, bequeathed to other remaining Republicans in the state. In fact, they’ve decided to block proposed tests to the state’s electronic voting machines prior to the 2008 presidential primary.

JF @ 27

Really OT, but this guy keeps getting better and better:

Thompson: Drill the Everglades?

Better take him seriously and crush him before he gets started. Don’t expect his buffoonery to do it for you.

Laura Doty @ 6

Raising my (water) glass to CHS and JUSTICE IN AMERICA!

Ditto, except mine’s coffee. Looks like one of my Senators (Murray, of all people) is still sitting on the fence.

FISA is not and was never meant to cover either purely domestic or purely foreign intelligence surveillance. For the foreign cases, there has never been any restriction on the US surveilling foreign to foreign communications. For domestic cases, you establish probable cause before a judge and get a warrant.

FISA before it was gutted covered communications where one end was domestic and the other foreign. You needed a probable cause but the bar on this was set very low and almost no FISA requested warrants have ever been denied by the FISA court.

There have been several rationales put forward for gutting FISA: that it was cumbersome, that it prohibited foreign-foreign communications routed through the US, etc.

If you have been listening to the hearings, you will have heard the term reverse targeting. If the government says it is targeting a non-citizen individual outside the US, then it can without going to FISA listen in on conversations where one end originates in the US. It is a way of doing an end run around FISA.

You may also have heard the term minimization. Supposedly irrelevant or inconsequential communications originating in the US or involving US citizens would be discarded. But the people who are doing the tapping are the ones who are making the determinations on who is really being targeted and which conversations should be “minimized” i.e. eliminated. And we have only their word that this is being done. In other words, they are saying Trust us which if experience has taught us anything about this Administration is not a good idea.

Just heard a bit of the following….

Untenable position regarding acquiring a warrant?….

Doesn’t FISA provide for acquiring a justified warrant after the fact?

Christy, you are an inspiration to me. All of the Headliners here at the Lake work extremely hard to further the truth.
Why else would we be watching hearings, making phone calls, following the thread and making (sometimes) bad jokes and doing so all at the same time?
Devoted folks at a Great Community with Terrific Leaders!

ticktock @ 53

Just heard a bit of the following….

Untenable position regarding acquiring a warrant?….

Doesn’t FISA provide for acquiring a justified warrant after the fact?

yes it does and there have been only a handful of warrants ever refused

it’s a rediculous claim

I have been reading Waxman’s letter to Krongard. It is amazing, this guy has done about every FU’ed thing one could come up with. I just got to the part were he tipped off Kenneth Tomlinson:

According to current and former officials in your office, you improperly tipped off Kenneth Tomlinson, the head of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which operates Voice of America and all other government-sponsored international broadcasting, about an ongoing investigation into allegations of misconduct by Mr. Tomlinson

How has this turkey been allowed to operate for so long in this office? Where the hell has the been Sec of State in all of this?

Judiciary:
Benjamin Powell, Shorter, I know better than you. Trust me!

Dems 2, retroactive immunity, and language changes
Rethugs 1, Put forth their best legal beagles. Anyone notice how young are these disciples?
( agood housecleaning vis a vis Grover Norquist?)

ticktock at 53 — Yes, there is a 72-hour emergency window — they can begin the tap and then file the paperwork up to 72 hours later to secure the warrant in an emergency situation.

perris @ 55

ticktock @ 53

Just heard a bit of the following….

Untenable position regarding acquiring a warrant?….

Doesn’t FISA provide for acquiring a justified warrant after the fact?

yes it does and there have been only a handful of warrants ever refused

it’s a rediculous claim

The real issues are oversight, accountability and transparency. The Boosh admin wants NO ONE to know what they are doing. Therefore even though FISA meets every criteria of speed and secrecy, they still want to gut it because they want nothing on record anywhere outside of their direct control.

And Christy, what I like about this blog is the way it helps me connect the dots, and see how things are related. Many, many thanks from this corner of the country.

tho not up on all things lawyerly i must say being on the lake is very enlightening… it most certainly has spurred me on to become much more involved in good government so i add my respect and thanks for jane, christy, pach, trex, lhp, pw and i know i’m missing a few but big ups y’all ;o)) - oh and 1 more thing…jane was attacked on billo’s screedcast last night - tells me the lake is doing a bang-up job!!!

ticktock @ 53

Just heard a bit of the following….

Untenable position regarding acquiring a warrant?….

Doesn’t FISA provide for acquiring a justified warrant after the fact?

Yes, it does. The AG could certify that surveillance was permissable until a real warrant was obtained. They could listen for up to 72 hours without a warrant.

OT

Good to see my crystal ball working again (it’s on the fritz a lot, I hate to say.)

Yesterday in the comments on a few threads here I oh-pined that any para-military organization allowed to get away with murder will axiomatically turn to smuggling guns and drugs.

Now this:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200.....raud_probe

WASHINGTON - A congressional committee has launched an investigation into the State Department’s inspector general, alleging that he blocked fraud investigations, including potential security lapses at the newly built U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

Also under scrutiny is whether Blackwater USA, the private security firm banned this week from working in Iraq for the alleged killing of eight Iraqi civilians, was “illegally smuggling weapons into Iraq,” according to a letter to IG Howard J. Krongard that was obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

For those who under-estimate BushCo’s capacity for criminality and scoff at the evidence that this criminality is far worse than conventional wisdom allows, take off the tin-foil hat, get off the black helicopters on the grassy knoll and open yer eyes!

recess from conyers hearing

Gohmert is a turd.

The committe is now in recess. Back after votes. And, not a minute too soon. I’ve been sitting here for three solid hours and my back end is sore.
Catch you all later…

OT but funny, the GOP Christian Values debate

click here

Thanks Perris & Christy for info….

Peanutbutter #59;

Kind of like the bottomless pit where those lost emails from DOJ are at too….

Tragic….

ticktock @ 67

Thanks Perris & Christy for info….

Peanutbutter #59;

Kind of like the bottomless pit where those lost emails from DOJ are at too….

Tragic….

Aren’t they in that little space behind the dryer?

demi @ 54

Christy, you are an inspiration to me. All of the Headliners here at the Lake work extremely hard to further the truth.
Why else would we be watching hearings, making phone calls, following the thread and making (sometimes) bad jokes and doing so all at the same time?
Devoted folks at a Great Community with Terrific Leaders!

Demi - before I started lurking here and reading during the Libby trial, I never, ever wrote, called, emailed or contacted my Rep. or Senators. I just did not feel that my voice was important enough for them to listen to. Being here has changed my political life - and frankly, the lives of my kids (who I email stuff to) and my husband, who I IM stuff to at work. We are all a lot more “with it” in terms of what is going on and how important it is now than we ever were before. I go to local events and grab the sleeves of the local guys for the Reps for my area and I call and write and scream and yell and generally make an annoyance of myself. Being called a “citizen firepup” is a point of great pride with me.

TexBetsy @ 68

ticktock @ 67

Thanks Perris & Christy for info….

Peanutbutter #59;

Kind of like the bottomless pit where those lost emails from DOJ are at too….

Tragic….

Aren’t they in that little space behind the dryer?

Good one….

Got to fly people, love you guys, thanks lake for everything!…..

TexBetsy @ 68

ticktock @ 67

Thanks Perris & Christy for info….

Peanutbutter #59;

Kind of like the bottomless pit where those lost emails from DOJ are at too….

Tragic….

Aren’t they in that little space behind the dryer?

You mean, with all the sockpuppets?

I’ve got several meetings throughout the day today, but I just had some time to call Bayh’s office and tell him to support the amendment, his staff never chit chats, they just take your name and address.

Our most powerful weapon isn’t feet on the street, at least not yet.

Our most powerful weapon is the knowledge and clarity of vision we’ve gained from Christy, Jane and the Lake. This has brought us out from the ignorance of our previous ‘low information’ state and into a clearer understanding of the political landscape, it’s players and their Agenda items.

By taking this knowledge and spreading it amongst the slumbering people we already know, we are doing the right and most powerful thing we can to wake America up to the Kabuki hiding the Treachery of BushCo.

Knowledge is Power if it is used to enlighten those suffering without its benefit! ‘Our’ Country is steadily being destroyed from within by ConMen willing to lie, obfuscate and distract US with straw-man drama after straw-man drama.

Our challenge is to ring the Liberty Bell of Clear Seeing for our slumbering brothers and sisters to wake-up by.

If anyone learns when today’s HJC hearing will rerun on C-Span 1 or 2, please shout out.

{{{{{{{{{Mr. Henry}}}}}}}}

radiofreewill @ 73

Our most powerful weapon isn’t feet on the street, at least not yet.

Our most powerful weapon is the knowledge and clarity of vision we’ve gained from Christy, Jane and the Lake. This has brought us out from the ignorance of our previous ‘low information’ state and into a clearer understanding of the political landscape, it’s players and their Agenda items.

By taking this knowledge and spreading it amongst the slumbering people we already know, we are doing the right and most powerful thing we can to wake America up to the Kabuki hiding the Treachery of BushCo.

Knowledge is Power if it is used to enlighten those suffering without its benefit! ‘Our’ Country is steadily being destroyed from within by ConMen willing to lie, obfuscate and distract US with straw-man drama after straw-man drama.

Our challenge is to ring the Liberty Bell of Clear Seeing for our slumbering brothers and sisters to wake-up by.

Waking them up will be difficult now that OJ’s back in the news.

The students are furious about the Kerry thing. The video has been playing all day. CNN will be having the student who was tasered on later today. Every time I see that video, I am appalled, and apparently, so is everyone else. I’m glad it’s getting airtime, so people can see the police state that is emerging. Give these goons an inch, and they take it a mile…just like Abu Gharib - same sort of power trip. It is just getting out of control.

radiofreewill @ 73

Our most powerful weapon isn’t feet on the street, at least not yet.

Our most powerful weapon is the knowledge and clarity of vision we’ve gained from Christy, Jane and the Lake. This has brought us out from the ignorance of our previous ‘low information’ state and into a clearer understanding of the political landscape, it’s players and their Agenda items.

By taking this knowledge and spreading it amongst the slumbering people we already know, we are doing the right and most powerful thing we can to wake America up to the Kabuki hiding the Treachery of BushCo.

Knowledge is Power if it is used to enlighten those suffering without its benefit! ‘Our’ Country is steadily being destroyed from within by ConMen willing to lie, obfuscate and distract US with straw-man drama after straw-man drama.

Our challenge is to ring the Liberty Bell of Clear Seeing for our slumbering brothers and sisters to wake-up by.

here here, or hear hear!

AZ Matt @ 56

I have been reading Waxman’s letter to Krongard. It is amazing, this guy has done about every FU’ed thing one could come up with. I just got to the part were he tipped off Kenneth Tomlinson:

According to current and former officials in your office, you improperly tipped off Kenneth Tomlinson, the head of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which operates Voice of America and all other government-sponsored international broadcasting, about an ongoing investigation into allegations of misconduct by Mr. Tomlinson

How has this turkey been allowed to operate for so long in this office? Where the hell has the been Sec of State in all of this?

could you post a link, I missed it. I love Conyers’ letters.

off topic distraction:

all the corporatists’ cable snews shows is some Simpson guy and it’s not Bart.

how come they aren’t covering this?:
Federal prosecutor is arrested in sex sting

John David Roy Atchison — who prosecutes civil and criminal matters as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern Florida District — appeared on the other side of the law Monday in Detroit federal court. Atchison, 53, of Gulf Breeze, Fla., was charged with enticement of a minor using the Internet and knowingly traveling interstate to engage in illicit sex.

According to court documents, during an Internet chat with an undercover officer, Atchison described himself as “very much a family man.” He initiated the online chat Aug. 29 with the officer posing as a mother interested in letting men have sex with her children.

just another of those problems at Justice?

They are falling like flies, left and right. Must be Brisingamen’s spell ;>

peanutbutter @ 40

RockPaperScizzors @ 34

Sorry, here’s linky:
AP Interview: Clinton on health care
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200.....5pOQus0NUE

And one analysis: The Hillary Plan

Thanks, read it. “the Clinton plan creates a few new coverage options, reform the insurance industry, limits coverage costs to a percentage of income…”

I don’t trust her or congress in regulating or reforming the insurance industry. Just like NAFTA under Bill Clinton, congress stripped away all the safeguards. And how the heck will unemployed people or recent college graduates who’ve been automatically kicked-off their parents health insurance and looking for jobs be able to pay for health insurance? This is just a giant giveaway to the insurance industry…again.

“…a refundable tax credit limiting the cost of insurance to a certain percentage of family income. The plan doesn’t yet define what that percentage of income is, but it’ll presumably be reasonable.”
And who gets to decide what ‘reasonable’ is? As long as there are lobbyists on the hill, “reasonable” will be defined by the insurance industry.

zennurse @ 78

AZ Matt @ 56

I have been reading Waxman’s letter to Krongard. It is amazing, this guy has done about every FU’ed thing one could come up with. I just got to the part were he tipped off Kenneth Tomlinson:

How has this turkey been allowed to operate for so long in this office? Where the hell has the been Sec of State in all of this?

could you post a link, I missed it. I love Conyers’ letters.

Waxman to Krongard Letter

Christy Hardin Smith @ 58

ticktock at 53 — Yes, there is a 72-hour emergency window — they can begin the tap and then file the paperwork up to 72 hours later to secure the warrant in an emergency situation.

But all that paperwork is really hard! All the Bushies say so, it must be true!

LS @ 80

They are falling like flies, left and right. Must be Brisingamen’s spell ;>

oathbreakers beware!

zennurse @ 78

AZ Matt @ 56

I have been reading Waxman’s letter to Krongard. It is amazing, this guy has done about every FU’ed thing one could come up with. I just got to the part were he tipped off Kenneth Tomlinson:

How has this turkey been allowed to operate for so long in this office? Where the hell has the been Sec of State in all of this?

could you post a link, I missed it. I love Conyers’ letters.

think progress

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/.....-state-ig/

State Dept. Watchdog: My ‘Foremost Mission Is To Support Bush Administration’
The Inspector General Act of 1978 states Inspectors General (IG) must be “independent and objective” in their analysis. The State Department IG, led by Howard Krongard, has a core mission of “promot[ing] integrity” and “prevent[ing] and detect waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement” within the Department.

But today, House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) wrote to Krongard under allegations from seven employees that he “has repeatedly interfered with on-going investigations to protect the State Department and the White House from political embarrassment.”

Waxman wrote that one “consistent allegation” is that Krongard believes his “foremost mission is to support the Bush Administration, especially with respect to Iraq and Afghanistan,” rather than “act as an independent and objective check.” Waxman also noted complaints of Krongard’s “partisan political ties.”

Among the allegations:

– Refused to send “any investigators” into Iraq and Afghanistan to “pursue investigations into wasteful spending or procurement fraud.”

– Stalled investigators from cooperating with a “Justice Department investigation into waste, fraud, and abuse relating to the new U.S. Embassy in Iraq.”

– Used “irregular” and incomplete investigative procedures to help exonerate a prime contractor of the U.S. embassy in Iraq of charges of labor trafficking.

– Impeded investigators’ efforts to cooperate with a Justice probe into allegations that a “large private security contractor was smuggling weapons into Iraq.”

– Interfered with an on-going investigation “into the conduct of Kenneth Tomlinson, the head of Voice of America and a close associate of Karl Rove.”

– Censored portions of inspection reports on embassies so that information on security vulnerabilities was “not disclosed to Congress.”

The report adds that under Krongard, the IG office has seen an “exodus of trained staff” as “people come to work every day fearful” of his “daily antagonism.”

The allegations against Krongard reflect a disturbing trend in the IG offices under the Bush administration. Currently, at least four IGs are under investigation into allegations of “fraud, wasteful spending and abuse of power” — the very flaws they are supposed to be preventing.

RockPaperScizzors @ 81

peanutbutter @ 40

And one analysis: The Hillary Plan

Thanks, read it. “the Clinton plan creates a few new coverage options, reform the insurance industry, limits coverage costs to a percentage of income…”

I don’t trust her or congress in regulating or reforming the insurance industry. Just like NAFTA under Bill Clinton, congress stripped away all the safeguards. And how the heck will unemployed people or recent college graduates who’ve been automatically kicked-off their parents health insurance and looking for jobs be able to pay for health insurance? This is just a giant giveaway to the insurance industry…again.

“…a refundable tax credit limiting the cost of insurance to a certain percentage of family income. The plan doesn’t yet define what that percentage of income is, but it’ll presumably be reasonable.”
And who gets to decide what ‘reasonable’ is? As long as there are lobbyists on the hill, “reasonable” will be defined by the insurance industry.

Oh, indeed. I’m interested in all analyses of all the health care plans being proposed. Looking around for others. I like Kucinich, but he’s got a snowball’s chance in hell. So Edwards and Clinton’s plans are of more practical interest to me…

Regarding the FISA hearing. It seems to me that they are honing in on something…about illegal activities “prior” to February. McConnell is making sure they understand that “it” didn’t happen under his “watch”, but they are alluding to something for sure.

LS @ 87

Regarding the FISA hearing. It seems to me that they are honing in on something…about illegal activities “prior” to February. McConnell is making sure they understand that “it” didn’t happen under his “watch”, but they are alluding to something for sure.

hence the rush to immunize ATT et al

yellowdog jim @ 79

off topic distraction:

all the corporatists’ cable snews shows is some Simpson guy and it’s not Bart.

how come they aren’t covering this?:
Federal prosecutor is arrested in sex sting

John David Roy Atchison — who prosecutes civil and criminal matters as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern Florida District — appeared on the other side of the law Monday in Detroit federal court. Atchison, 53, of Gulf Breeze, Fla., was charged with enticement of a minor using the Internet and knowingly traveling interstate to engage in illicit sex.

According to court documents, during an Internet chat with an undercover officer, Atchison described himself as “very much a family man.” He initiated the online chat Aug. 29 with the officer posing as a mother interested in letting men have sex with her children.

just another of those problems at Justice?

Betcha he’s buddies with Jeb

It’s not clear what the method is behind the madness. Wilkes’ lawyers didn’t respond to the AP’s calls and the lawmakers say the subpoena comes out of left field. They also say that they’ve been advised by the counsel that it would be against House rules for them to comply.

It’s a pretty impressive roster Wilkes’ is after (9 GOPers, 4 Dems), including House Appropriations defense subcommittee chairman John Murtha (D-PA) and former House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-CA). Some, like Lewis, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), had been reported to be involved with Wilkes. Most of the others have not.

So it’s anybody’s guess as to what Wilkes’ lawyers got cooking. Wilkes came out last year to offer the defense that he didn’t bribe lawmakers — it was the other way around: they shook him down.”

Heh. They got Issa too.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004214.php

RockPaperScissors-

So yesterday, corporate-whore Hillary, pimps her ‘everybody-will-buy-health-insurance’ plan and then today, her nearest competitor, Senator Obama, reveals his tax reform plan:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITI.....index.html

I’m not a genius by any stretch, but I think I know who ‘gets it’ and whom doesn’t.

As I said yesterday, HRC can go fuck herself.

Sorry, I meant Henry Waxman’s letters, although they are both pretty great and prodigious on attack.

Coincidentally we had a live presentation by an M.D. advocating single-payer health care this morning at 6:30 a.m. (local Kiwanis meeting).

It was amazingly well-received in this small-town in a Red state.

As opposed to Hillary’s plan to legally force you to buy insurance. What’s next, legally forcing us all to take restless leg syndrome medicine? Leave it to Hillary to come up with a plan that’s actually WORSE than the status quo.