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The Don Siegelman Story |
| 2/25/2008 3:38:10 PM |
60 Minutes did a piece on this amazing story of former Alabama governor Don Siegelman yesterday. (See The Weekly Wonk, 6/2/07) However, if you live in Alabama, where all the shenanigans took place, you didn't see it. The Alabama CBS stationed blacked it out, with a later statement that said, "We apologize that you missed the first segment of 60 Minutes tonight featuring 'The... Read More |
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Nader for President |
| 2/24/2008 8:46:40 AM |
Ralph Nader is going to do it again -- throw his hat in the ring and draw off voters from the Democratic nominee. His announcement this morning is, I'm sure, throwing plenty of Dems into absolute hysteria. Hasn't this guy learned anything? Of course he has. He's learned that he can spoil an election and revels in it. He's 74 years old, even older than John McCain, and... Read More |
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The Evolution of FISA |
| 2/18/2008 1:03:08 PM |
Prior to the American revolution, British soldiers were allowed to write their own warrants. They'd stand outside someone's home, write a warrant, and then enter the premises. Thus, the Bill of Rights included the 4th Amendment. This Amendment states: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and... Read More |
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More on the Walk-Out |
| 2/15/2008 12:20:49 PM |
The Republican grandstanding yesterday really backfired. They didn't get the FISA bill they wanted. But -- there's more.
Prior to the walk-out, the Republicans had a plan. Rep. Tom Lantos (D, CA), the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress, died this week. The House had a memorial service for him. In an attempt to get the Senate's FISA bill passed, the Republicans... Read More |
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Congrats to the House |
| 2/14/2008 7:33:56 PM |
House Democrats refused to cave in to Bush, the Senate, or their own Republicans and wouldn't change their FISA bill, which does NOT include retroactive immunity for telecommunication companies. The Republicans were so infuriated they walked out. Yes, they took their ball and went home. Of course, they said that this threatens American security. It does not. The Protect... Read More |
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Congressional Hearings |
| 2/14/2008 12:21:41 PM |
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Oh, my God. The shock. The hand-wringing. The outrage. What are we gonna do?
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, chaired by Henry Waxman (D, CA), spent the whole day yesterday having hearings on the Mitchell Report. Former senator George Mitchell (D, ME) did a 20-month investigation on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. Roger Clemens was... Read More |
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The House FISA Shenanigans |
| 2/13/2008 7:52:31 PM |
A House bill that would have extended the Protect America Act, the FISA bill from last August, was defeated by a vote of 229 to 191. Blue Dog Democrats sided with Republicans. But a bill to prolong its debate for 3 more weeks passed by a vote of 206-199.
Bush is still saying that he will veto any bill that does not include retroactive immunity for the telecommunication... Read More |
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The Senate FISA Bill |
| 2/12/2008 8:54:06 PM |
After James Risen and Eric Lichtblau exposed the existence of the illegal wiretapping done by telecommunications companies for the Bush administration (see The New York Times), Congress went nuts. Everyone claimed that this wouldn't stand. They were going to do something about it. Well, Lichtblau and Risen's article appeared on June 23, 2006 and now they finally are doing... Read More |
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Voter Dynamics |
| 2/6/2008 9:34:52 AM |
The Super Tuesday voting got me to thinking about the dynamics in each party. The Democrats are the most interesting since the Democratic party, as Mark Twain said, isn't an organized political party. It's a confederation of factions. Bill Clinton was hugely supported by Democrats and it seems that loyalty is extending to his wife. Any disenchantment with Bill appears to... Read More |
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The Bush Budget |
| 2/5/2008 3:04:08 PM |
Bush has released his budget request for fiscal year 2009. The Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) runs from October 1st to September 30th. As predicted, his budget is for $3.1 trillion and he projects it will leave a deficit of more than $400 billion in both fiscal years. This budget represents the most irresponsible spending since Ronald Reagan and even surpasses that.
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