So, Christy!

hey Christy. Real interesting …

(And typo alert — 4th para. “Especially of if Spakovsky doesn’t …”)

Seven sisters went to vote,
In wholesome Indiana..

“Do You have Your Papers, girls.”
Mo Superior demanded

In spite of tears and pleading looks,
she had to tell them all,

“Sorry girls, it doesn’t matter, the rules are posted on the wall.”

And so they left the polling place,
nary a vote was made,

And went back to the convent,
to ponder what she’d said.

If VonSpaz gets a set on the FEC, expect a lot more nuns (and other cirizens who don’t have any reason to carry ID) to get left out of the process.

Tinfoil hat time: Bush allows FEC to be constituted without Von Spakovsky; FEC enforces McCain sticking to public financing till convention; R’s scream for new candidate to replace McCain. Who would that be?

Is George screwing McCain one last time, just because he feels like it?

it is an interesting tinfoil hat theory …
mcsame seems like such a damaged sure-to-fail candidate. so is he just a sacrifice knowing that they’ll lose? or are they planning some deeper way to steal the election? mccain melts down at last minute and election has to be cancelled? iranian threat means cheney gets to appt next pres?

Bush on TVeeee again.
Must…not…get…sick

and African Americans, students, Latinos, the elderly, you know core Democratic voters. VonSpaz is deserving of prosecution certainly not confirmation.

Is George screwing McCain one last time, just because he feels like it?

if you are correct – that would be Mr Cheney – with yet another of his anti McSame ‘tells’ exhibited throughout primary season

CSpan. Kucinich speaking against the new war bill, and for some reason, Pelosi is presiding.

I had that exact same thought!

oooops, she slipped out.

to the phones!

Mornin’ Christy

who are the other FEC nominees? VonSp I know about — testament to famous criminals and all. But, what about the others? Can Bush really be nominating reasonable commisioners? Figure there have to be some more crooks in there …

Just goes to show you, even nuns have to follow the rules. They knew they were supposed to get pictured IDs, but they said they didn’t want to. I guess they thought they could get away with it since they were old and nuns, but it was not to be. That’ll teach ‘em!

Morning, Christy – did my email duty with Sen. Schumer(yes, I realize…). Hope people are feeling more hopeful and less grumpy this morning and energized for the battle ahead.

I won’t trust Bush to nominate someone less crooked than a sidewinder.

But I trust our man to get through. He’s the real IRON MAN. Everytime you hammer him he gets stronger.

Good morning Christy!

Direct dial list of Senators’ phone and fax numbers

btw, gang — the links above are just the highlight reel on Von Spakovsky. There is a LOT more out there on him…

answering my own question by following Christy’s first link:
“Democrat Cynthia L. Bauerly, and Republicans Donald F. McGahn and Caroline C. Hunter”

so, time to figure out who these people are …

per nyt: “Cynthia L. Bauerly, a Democrat and legislative director for Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York; Donald F. McGahn II, a lawyer for the National Republican Congressional Committee; and Caroline C. Hunter, a Republican and head of the Election Assistance Commission”

They put one Democrat and load up with Repubs.

FEC must be equally balanced with D’s and R’s.

That’s because there was an agreement to leave the Dem member of the FEC on the board, so it’s still a two and two nomination, there’s just already one who has been approved sitting in a non-vacant-now seat.

So, Ann, by that logic, shouldn’t McCain be abiding by the laws he signed on to and stop fundraising illegally?

Or is that one of the “bad” laws that Republicans don’t need to obey because they don’t like it?

the other interesting thing is that bush is apparently kicking the one repub who called mcsame on financing violations off the committee and trying to replace him w/ a party hack …

McCain should be arrested for illegal fundraising. That’ll teach em’.

I found that intriguing, too — and I’ve sent out a coupla e-mails to see if I can get some backstory on that…

If all the Republicans were arrested that had committed crimes against the Constitution and/or the American public there would be a building boom of prisons to hold all the Republican perps.

Donald F. McGahn II, has worked for Tom Delay, Michele Bachmann, via the NRCC ,ARMPAC and Patton-Boggs. Judging by the company he keeps, he is not a person whose company I would particularly enjoy.

“Who would that be?”

Another Bush, maybe? Only not a McBush, but a REAL Bush, as in little brother Jeb?

Fascinating prospect. Worth a fiction novella.

and thus not too surprising that he’s the one they’re planning to replace Mason with. You can guess how McGahn would vote on any mcsame finance violations …

The boom is already underway, but it’s meant for petty thieves and pot smokers, and maybe political dissidents.

Wouldn’t it be ironic justice if the cells they built eventually house them all?

Hey, I can dream…

I nominate the Bush Twins.

Bush’s new nominees are Democrat Cynthia Bauerly, a lawyer who serves as legislative director for Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.; and Republicans Caroline Hunter, a former White House official and current member of the Election Assistance Commission, and Donald McGahn, who has served as counsel for the National Republican Congressional Campaign.

At Reid’s request, the White House would permit one current commissioner, Democrat Ellen Weintraub, to remain on the commission as a holdover.

http://firedoglake.com/2008/05…..rate-vote/

Bush hasn’t just separated out von Spak’s nomination but that he has withdrawn the nomination of the FEC Chairman David Mason, you know the guy who sent that letter to McCain about his opting out of public campaign financing. The question here is if there is an inside deal that will make McCain’s finance illegalities go away.

One of them is getting married this weekend, but I hear Not Jenna is still available for parties…

Caroline C. Hunter, a Republican and head of the Election Assistance Commission”

abso-effing-lutely not!

EAC – designed by Von Spakovsky, executed by Schlozman

Election Assistance Commission

One of the principle roles of the EAC under HAVA is to research and report on issues critical to the election process. In 2006 the EAC commissioned two such reports. One combined research and reporting on voter fraud and voter intimidation, and the other report researched the impact of voter identification on turnout. The findings of both reports directly conflict with proponents arguments that restrictive voter identification and proof of citizenship laws are necessary to preserve the integrity of the electoral process

Instead of releasing this critical information, the EAC suppressed the reports for months. During that time Congress was debating a number of proposals to impose voter ID and proof of citizenship requirements on voters across the country. Also, state legislatures were debating and passing restrictive voter identification provisions and restrictions on the rights of voter registration groups to register voters. All of these efforts were rationalized by fears of voter fraud

Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights

holy crow!

I never thought I would say it but newt gingrich actually gets it right;

In an article posted on HumanEvents.com, the former House speaker and conservative icon said the Republican Party’s loss in a Saturday special election in Louisiana for a House seat the party had held since 1975 should be a “sharp wake up call for Republicans: Either Congressional Republicans are going to chart a bold course of real change or they are going to suffer decisive losses this November.”

In particular, Gingrich chastised an electoral strategy congressional Republicans are using to “nationalize” the election by tying local races to national figures.

“The Republican brand has been so badly damaged that if Republicans try to run an anti-Obama, anti-Reverend Wright, or (if Senator Clinton wins), anti-Clinton campaign, they are simply going to fail,” Gingrich warned.

hoo boy

Hugh, am I just blind? I don’t see that quoted text in this post …
But, anyway, my question is answered. And pretty much as I expected. A Schumer aide (I can guess how happy I’ll be about that) and two thug hacks.

OT – sorry (long night):

Is it wrong of me to be a bit pissed about the way in which the U.S. is dying to send money to Myanmar while New Orleans is still ruined?

Actually former Gov. Jeb Bush once took Predident Bush to court to stop drilling off the shore of Florida. Funny he could not just pick up the phone and ask him, they had to go to court.

is this just a deal to get reid’s buddy (Steven T. Walther) confirmed?

…..

i’m confused – won’t these nominations have to go to committee again? are the republicans not going to insist that they be voted out of committee as a group?

Is anyone going to throw the rejected 90 year old nuns in Spaz’s face and tell him, are these the people you were hoping to keep from voting with your tactics?

-G

No, it is always a hard time, people are starving in Africa, suffering in Myanmar and people in the US die wihtout proper healthcare. Always are hard choice.

I don’t know — haven’t been able to get a straight answer on whether the deal is meant to bypass the committee altogether and go straight to the floor for a vote, or whether there will be another round of oversight hearings in the Rules Committee. Will let you know when and if I get more details…and if anyone else sees some anywhere, please let me know.

And this is the first “sharp wakeup call” they’ve had? Talk about blinders and earplugs. Hoo boy, indeed!

Is George screwing McCain one last time, just because he feels like it?

maybe not a screw job “just for the heck of it” but a screw job because they realize mccain’s facilities will prevent him from winning at all

his appearances are feeble, his knowledge of the issues is even less then pedestrian, his response to unscripted questions are damaging to his position and bush’s performance

each appearance it seems he is more and more unelectable and since they don’t have a “super delegate” system to save their party in the event of a candidate like mccain they have to get rid of him through other methods

in other words, not only does the base hate mccain now the brass of the party are beginning to see what a bad candidate he is going to be

this is a turn around for me I might add, I thought he would be their only hope, now that I see how age and ambition for the office have taken it’s toll on the mans image, charachter and inteligence I see I am glad we are running against him

the repuke brass sees the same thing and wants someone with a better shot

but there’s the thing, nobody has a shot, the public revile the re republican party and they can only win through another coup

yeah, I know. When Hillary brought up Myanmar in her speech last night, I was probably *way* too close to yelling out “Katrina”, but I really wasn’t in the mood to be escorted from the room…

Just look at what happened to Myanmar, this is just a glimpse:
NASA Satellite Captures Image of Cyclone Nargis Flooding in Burma

The entire coastal plain is flooded in the May 5 image. The fallow agricultural areas appear to have been especially hard hit. For example, Yangôn (population over 4 million) is almost completely surrounded by floods. Several large cities (population 100,000–500,000) are in the affected area. Muddy runoff colors the Gulf of Martaban turquoise.

Do FEC appointments extend beyond inauguration January 20, 2009? Ditto FCC? How does that work (to the extent it works at all, of course)?

It was suggested that Ms. Hunter lacked any qualifications for the EAC when she was nominated for that post. Her total experience prior to that post was as a Republican operative:

“Caroline Hunter serves as Deputy Counsel to the Republican National Committee, where she assists on employment and contract law, as well as assisting the RNC and State Parties with the Help America Vote Act of 2002. Mrs. Hunter also assists the RNC on a number of internal issues, including the Rules of the Republican Party and the 2004 Republican National Convention. Mrs. Hunter previously served as administrative assistant and assistant producer for Mary Matalin and was also involved in the Bush-Quayle ‘92 Campaign and the Victory 2000 Program.”

http://pview.findlaw.com/view/3388303_1

jay, that was so amazing that you left so late and got right up to the front. wow. your observations, and insight, were and are WAY appreciated!
WE had a Man On The Ground!
made me proud!
you rock!

wow – thank you.

It was a fun night indeed.

Sorry, I copied the wrong link. I was quoting from the AP story:

http://ap.google.com/article/A…..wD90GF9U01

Laura Bush: Too bad for them. Let’s talk about the wedding and the Texas limestone altar!

I think the plan is to sacrifice Jenna to Baal.

thanks — i know i can be a little spacey … but was embarassed to think i couldn’t even read the post i was reading … anyway, interesting to find out more about the other nominees. and thanks nonplussed for the add’l background. they sure do sound like winners!

Really, he is a Neocn operative and a Rovian tool.

This isn’t about screwing McCain quite the reverse. It is about making his campaign finance problems and David Mason go away.

thanks christy. i guess we can also keep an eye on the rules committee hearing schedule to see if anything turns up.

Is it wrong of me to be a bit pissed about the way in which the U.S. is dying to send money to Myanmar while New Orleans is still ruined?

i think we can be pissed about new orleans without making the people of myanmar pay the price for that. i don’t regret any aid to the suffering anywhere.

turn. it. off.

it’s the only way.

unless… how much to we have to pay you to watch it for us? *g*

you’re right of course. I probably just worded it badly – I think that, really, I’m more pissed about the way in which certain individual politicians (Hi Hillary!) are making it an issue to show their humanity, without ever having gone on record to decry the plight of New Orleans.

She’s showing her true self a bit more these days, and it ain’t pretty.

thanks. think i got it now.

It’s quite amazing that the Clintons themselves have the ability to loan millions of dollars to their campaign.

It’s quite amazing that the Clintons themselves have the ability to loan millions of dollars to their campaign.

The rich are not like us.

It’s quite amazing that the Clintons themselves have the ability to loan millions of dollars to their campaign.

heh. Last time I tried to write myself a check for a million – it didn’t turn out well at all.

Whoosh, Christy!

You overestimate our ability to control gag reflex. *blergh*

Laura Bush’s complicity in the Bushco crusade against condoms alone is more deadly than the cyclone in Myanmar.

You earned a medal fer sure! Kudos!

I just had a thought that is gonna make everyone smile;

right now the republicans and the base are trying to make believe this president did everything right, they think that if they criticize him they are doomed

however it’s because of this president they lost their monopoly of power, it’s because of this president a democrat is the odds on favorite to win the office

in addition, it’s because they are bigots and misogynists that Hillary and Obama were the only democratic candidates covered before it got down to these two

in other words, they thought that because the president is so reviled their only hope to win the presidency would be to run against a black man or a women

they therefore did whatever they could do to make our choice one of these two

imagine how they will feel about the president when Obama is elected, they will with no doubt think the only reason a black man was electable was because the president damaged the republican brand and party so much

imagine that, a black president because of bush!

and mark my words, no matter which democrat becomes president they will become known as one of the greatest presidents who ever served if they are able to make inroads bringing back integrity of office and our standing in the world

well, if anyone is going to make inroads to re-establishing integrity and cleaning up that mess(pick your mess..any mess), we’ll have to work very hard to make sure every Democrat running this year is elected. It won’t do us squat’s worth of good if we leave a Democratic president with a Congress that won’t pass the goods.

thanks – it was real easy.

Just had to run one block – got right into the room. Everybody was standing around with their eyes glued to CNN on the big screens. So I just slipped through and got right up front.

I am pretty happy that I didn’t holler out “Katrina”. Not to say that, before I stopped drinking, I’ve never been “asked” to leave, but to have had it happen on national teevee mighta been a bit hard to live down…

I never hear Von Spakovsky’s name without seeing this

too little sleep these morning after’s am confused – Chimpy offered a separate vote on Hans but drops Mason as current chair ???

Rumor has it that Bushco has a plan to “offshore” all our displaced people from Katrina and our homeless population under the Compassionate Conservative banner. G

I keep wondering what else is up with this, being floated out late, late last night while everyone was watching primary results. Buried treasure in the details, anyone?

OT here are the current headlines at the NYT:

Clinton to Fight on Despite Split Result: Losing Ground to Obama, She Lends $6 Million to Effort

Uncertainty Mark Next Steps

Clinton’s Options Seem to Dwindle

Pundits Declare the Race Over

I don’t know, could there be a pattern developing?

Laura Bush’s complicity in the Bushco crusade against condoms alone is more deadly than the cyclone in Myanmar.

i don’t know the numbers but you make a very good point.

I am truly beginning to believe that McCain has gotten the nomination as a “consolation” for his loss in 2000 from the republican big-wigs. His “placeholder” nomination has surprisingly done better with the average republican and “reagan democrat” than the RNC expected, but it’s just that a sop to the McCain wing of the party.

So out your tinfoil hat away lee5, I’m onboard with this theory and have been for a while. McSame’s support is thin at best among the powers that be in the republican party, and they have provided him with a staff of bought and paid for lobbyists to make sure that he at least stays on the reservation for the remainder of the campaign. I fully expect to see a “true believer” put in as his #2 in the next few months, I think it’s just down to a battle between the Christofascists and “secular” money men as to who gets the spot on the ticket to acheive name recognition for 2012.

I keep wondering what else is up with this, being floated out late, late last night while everyone was watching primary results. Buried treasure in the details, anyone?

reid first sets up lieberman for a take down of the D presidential candidate by lieberman (at the rnc), and then agrees to a “compromise” that will make mccain’s fec problems go away?

i’m hoping that someone will connect the dots for me… ‘cuz i don’t like the picture i’m getting when i do it.

I was suprised that an expired passport (with photo!) wouldn’t qualify as ID.

OTOH, this does demonstrate that there will be lots of problems for people who can’t easily get out to acquire an ID.

I keep wondering what else is up with this, being floated out late, late last night while everyone was watching primary results. Buried treasure in the details, anyone?

Well, we can take it as a given that the Bush Administration hasn’t suddenly developed an interest in real campaign finance reform. So that leaves who can they stab in the back? Mason. Who can they help? McCain And how many troglodyte campaign hacks can they lard the FEC with before leaving office? As many as they can.

It’s quite amazing that the Clintons themselves have the ability to loan millions of dollars to their campaign.

Yet, Sen. Obama’s an ‘elitist’.

The guy not far removed from paying off his student loans ‘can’t identify with Joe Sixpack’.

Ridiculous.

Sadly…yes.

Fascinating prospect. Worth a fiction novella.

Sorry, I was away for a bit. I would further qualify that as definitely belonging in the horror section.

Quick OT,

“Conservatives Happier Than Liberals”

Proves blissful ignorance has it’s rewards.

Have they swapped Spakovsky for the FISA bill? I do not like “deals” that Reid has a hand in

I am done with any “deals” Reid has in hand. He’s become a one-off arm of Mitch McConnells staff.

With Impeachment of off the table all things are possible for Bushco. Pelosi and the Blue Dogs have invited all of these problems and more are coming until Bush is out of power and the political hangover is removed which may take several years. Pelosi gave Bushco leverage to do these things…the war funding…FISA immunity….aaargh!

It must have been at 10:45 as the stock market started tanking about then

First thing for the new administration…put forth a resolution to the United Nations that their flag be a condom. Back it up with free protected sex devices funded and dispensed by USAID. Free condoms and needles.

I read someplace this am that gwb is also putting in a replacement for the head of the FEC, who has really been coming down hard on st john lately. Does this mean that the dems win on von-whats his name, but come out overall losers because gwb is putting in his own hack to replace the head man, does this mean that all the complaints against st john will go into file 13?

Re my post above, here is the source of my comment
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpoi…..ad_332.php

Remember this is Bush, McConnell and Harry Reid-less we’re talking about. Bush and McConnell don’t keep bargains with Democrats. They treat them as bargains with the devil that they can ignore at will. It’s one step back, two steps forward, always to the right.

Von Spakovsky may not be on the first slate to be considered, but he’s still being nominated. While he continues to be a cause celebre among progressives, this deal would install ueber-conservative GOP’er McGahn in place of the FEC commissioner who has been most outspoken in criticizing McCain for violating election rules.

Better a nobbled FEC than one that takes goose steps farther to the right.

Yes, as I also mentioned in #95, I think that’s a critical element to this “deal”. Bush, and more so, Cheney, always pays back slights tenfold, no matter how much time it takes.