Executive Order 13292, issued by President Bush on March 25, 2003, deals with the handling of classified material. That order was not an entirely new document but was, instead, an amendment to an earlier Executive Order, number 12958, issued by President Bill Clinton on April 17, 1995. Throughout Executive Order 13292, there are changes to the original Clinton order which, in effect, give the vice president the power of the president in dealing with classified material.
So, it would seem that even if the leak of Valerie Plame's name is tied to Cheney, the VP would be legally blameless because of fucking Executive Order 13292.
It makes me wanna puke.
[Sorry folks, I lost some data and had to repost this earlier entry.]
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Zeus Zaps a Church?
Just a quick post today to point you over to a post and discussion at Dave Silverman's NoGodBlog. Regarding a recent Baltimore church fire caused by a lightning strike, Silverman (tongue-in-cheek) wrote that Zeus must did it because he was unhappy they were worshipping the wrong god. I found it funny. His explanation was something along the lines of, well, what do you think some folks would say if lightning struck the headquarters of American Atheists?
Interesting question, no?
The commentary over there is fun reading, too. If you are at all interested, click on over there and share what you think about it (both over there and here, too)!
Interesting question, no?
The commentary over there is fun reading, too. If you are at all interested, click on over there and share what you think about it (both over there and here, too)!
Sunday, July 22, 2007
From Sen. Chuck Schumer
There is something rotten in Washington, DC.
And what I am talking about is the rank hypocrisy of Republican senators who continue to speak out against this war in Iraq, and then when it comes time to vote for actual change, do absolutely nothing.
I'm talking about GOP senators like John Sununu, Norm Coleman and Mitch McConnell who talk the talk but have never once supported a single bill that would actually force George Bush's hand.
We saw a repeat of this same sad story yesterday. Harry Reid had the Senate working throughout the night to debate the Reed-Levin amendment, which would begin bringing American troops home from Iraq in 120 days, with the eventual goal of removing all combat troops by April 30, 2008. And in the end, only THREE Republicans supported the measure.
Once again, Democrats could not get to the 60 votes needed to break a Republican filibuster. Not for lack of effort. But because with a slender 51-49 Senate majority, we need Republican senators of conscience and courage who are willing to vote their convictions and stand up to this president on Iraq.
And right now, they are nowhere to be found.
Right now, it is Democrats who are voicing and acting on the concerns of the American people. When Senator Bob Casey says, "Every time the President asks for more time on his policy in Iraq, there's only one group of Americans who pay the price for that - the troops and their families - over and over and over again," he speaks for the feelings of all of us.
When Sen. Dianne Feinstein says, "We're going to be paying the costs of this war for decades, yet this president has asked for more time. Waiting another two months won't change anything. It will just be more of the same," she speaks for all of us too.
And what I want Republicans to understand is that we are not going to stop. If Republicans think they can keep obstructing and force us to drop the issue, they are sadly mistaken.
Because each day, more and more Americans are demanding that we change our mission in Iraq. Still, this president refuses to face the facts. And so too do the GOP senators who say all the right things, but in the end, keep supporting a president who has never once in the past four years shown a shred of competence in conducting this war.
Democrats are going to keep fighting until we get the change you all voted for last November.
---
The above is the text of an e-mail I received from Senator Schumer. What do you folks think about this? Personally, I like that the Democrats keep raising the issue over and over again, even if the hopes are slim with the existing makeup of this Congress...
And what I am talking about is the rank hypocrisy of Republican senators who continue to speak out against this war in Iraq, and then when it comes time to vote for actual change, do absolutely nothing.
I'm talking about GOP senators like John Sununu, Norm Coleman and Mitch McConnell who talk the talk but have never once supported a single bill that would actually force George Bush's hand.
We saw a repeat of this same sad story yesterday. Harry Reid had the Senate working throughout the night to debate the Reed-Levin amendment, which would begin bringing American troops home from Iraq in 120 days, with the eventual goal of removing all combat troops by April 30, 2008. And in the end, only THREE Republicans supported the measure.
Once again, Democrats could not get to the 60 votes needed to break a Republican filibuster. Not for lack of effort. But because with a slender 51-49 Senate majority, we need Republican senators of conscience and courage who are willing to vote their convictions and stand up to this president on Iraq.
And right now, they are nowhere to be found.
Right now, it is Democrats who are voicing and acting on the concerns of the American people. When Senator Bob Casey says, "Every time the President asks for more time on his policy in Iraq, there's only one group of Americans who pay the price for that - the troops and their families - over and over and over again," he speaks for the feelings of all of us.
When Sen. Dianne Feinstein says, "We're going to be paying the costs of this war for decades, yet this president has asked for more time. Waiting another two months won't change anything. It will just be more of the same," she speaks for all of us too.
And what I want Republicans to understand is that we are not going to stop. If Republicans think they can keep obstructing and force us to drop the issue, they are sadly mistaken.
Because each day, more and more Americans are demanding that we change our mission in Iraq. Still, this president refuses to face the facts. And so too do the GOP senators who say all the right things, but in the end, keep supporting a president who has never once in the past four years shown a shred of competence in conducting this war.
Democrats are going to keep fighting until we get the change you all voted for last November.
---
The above is the text of an e-mail I received from Senator Schumer. What do you folks think about this? Personally, I like that the Democrats keep raising the issue over and over again, even if the hopes are slim with the existing makeup of this Congress...
Monday, July 16, 2007
Half a Billion: The Cost of Rape in LA
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles will pay more than $1 million each to each of several hundred people who claim to have been abused by Catholic clergy.
An anonymous source with knowledge of the deal placed its value at $660 million, by far the largest payout in the church's sexual abuse scandal.
Hmmm... I wonder if all of those Catholics who graciously donated their money to their church expected it to be used this way?
An anonymous source with knowledge of the deal placed its value at $660 million, by far the largest payout in the church's sexual abuse scandal.
Hmmm... I wonder if all of those Catholics who graciously donated their money to their church expected it to be used this way?
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Bush Hating on the Rise
Well, at the risk of inundating the blog with new topics I’m going to post another one today. Maybe this will make up for being on vacation last week!
USA Today reports the results of a recent poll showing Bush’s popularity at an all-time low of 29 percent and that More than seven in 10 favor removing nearly all U.S. troops from Iraq by April. Especially fun is to click on the graphic of Bush’s approval rating over time.
It looks like the war in Iraq continues to become less and less popular. Imagine that, war being unpopular! Just goes to reinforce the notion that the Democratic win last November had a lot to do with America’s dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in Iraq (if not the whole damn war to begin with).
And on a related note, John McCain, pathetic Bush toady that he has become, appears to be suffering for his support of the idiot in chief. Two of his top aides have resigned and it looks like people are beginning to question the on-going viability of his campaign. I won’t miss him.
USA Today reports the results of a recent poll showing Bush’s popularity at an all-time low of 29 percent and that More than seven in 10 favor removing nearly all U.S. troops from Iraq by April. Especially fun is to click on the graphic of Bush’s approval rating over time.
It looks like the war in Iraq continues to become less and less popular. Imagine that, war being unpopular! Just goes to reinforce the notion that the Democratic win last November had a lot to do with America’s dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in Iraq (if not the whole damn war to begin with).
And on a related note, John McCain, pathetic Bush toady that he has become, appears to be suffering for his support of the idiot in chief. Two of his top aides have resigned and it looks like people are beginning to question the on-going viability of his campaign. I won’t miss him.
Joe Mathlete Breaks Down
I just had to post about the bizarre blog entry for last Friday's Joe Mathlete Explains Marmaduke. This humorous little blog takes the piss out of Marmaduke and is worth visiting for a chuckle or two (which is more than Marmaduke itself delivers). But this particular explanation made me laugh out loud - and for no explainable reason. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did...
Sunday, July 8, 2007
The Disgrace of Commuting Scooter's Sentence
I received this e-mail from the DSCC and thought I'd share it here:
President Bush commuted Scooter Libby's prison sentence wiping away two and half years of jail time with the stroke of a pen. President Bush ignored Libby's felony conviction for lying to investigators, ignored the jury's guilty verdict, and ignored the rule of law that governs our nation.
Join me and tell President Bush that you are appalled by his actions. Sign the DSCC's petition today letting President Bush know that his outrageous conduct won't be tolerated by the American people.
Click here: http://www.dscc.org/makeadifference/petitions/20070702_libby.htm
President Bush commuted Scooter Libby's prison sentence wiping away two and half years of jail time with the stroke of a pen. President Bush ignored Libby's felony conviction for lying to investigators, ignored the jury's guilty verdict, and ignored the rule of law that governs our nation.
Join me and tell President Bush that you are appalled by his actions. Sign the DSCC's petition today letting President Bush know that his outrageous conduct won't be tolerated by the American people.
Click here: http://www.dscc.org/makeadifference/petitions/20070702_libby.htm
Friday, June 29, 2007
Vacation... Time to Get Away.
I will be going on vacation (Bermuda) next week so I won't be checking in on the blog until around July 10th or so. But I thought I'd leave you with a fiew links and thoughts before abandoning y'all for a bit.
First of all, Yahoo News reports that the Democrats are going to try to reintroduce legislation for pulling our troops out of Iraq. I won't hold my breath, but I'm glad they are going to keep trying to roll that boulder up the mountain. After all, that is why the Dems won the last election -- the majority of the people in the USA want us out of Iraq. But as long as the majority is slim and GWB is president nothing Congress does will matter.
Next item of interest, the Supreme Court will hear appeals by Guantanamo prisoners on their right to challenge their indefinite confinement. I would hope so! Gitmo is an on-going black eye to the USA's reputation and we, as a nation, need to work hard to fix that oozing suckhole of human right's violations. Of course, it is quite feasible that the right-leaning court will simply vote to allow GWB's administration to continue doing as it has done for 7 years and violate the human rights we used to hold dear. And, who knows, if Romney gets elected he has stated he would double Gitmo! It makes me shake my head sadly for our lost dignity.
And finally, let's talk about a recent Supreme Court decision that highlights why I have so little "faith" in them to think properly and make the correct decisions. Earlier this week the Supreme Court upheld the legality of faith-based initiatives that push federal funds into religious charities. By a 5-4 vote, a conservative majority concluded taxpayers did not have "standing" to challenge in court the discretionary spending authority of the executive branch for its Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. I hope the FFRF finds another way to challenge the unconstitutional movement of tax money to religious charities.
First of all, Yahoo News reports that the Democrats are going to try to reintroduce legislation for pulling our troops out of Iraq. I won't hold my breath, but I'm glad they are going to keep trying to roll that boulder up the mountain. After all, that is why the Dems won the last election -- the majority of the people in the USA want us out of Iraq. But as long as the majority is slim and GWB is president nothing Congress does will matter.
Next item of interest, the Supreme Court will hear appeals by Guantanamo prisoners on their right to challenge their indefinite confinement. I would hope so! Gitmo is an on-going black eye to the USA's reputation and we, as a nation, need to work hard to fix that oozing suckhole of human right's violations. Of course, it is quite feasible that the right-leaning court will simply vote to allow GWB's administration to continue doing as it has done for 7 years and violate the human rights we used to hold dear. And, who knows, if Romney gets elected he has stated he would double Gitmo! It makes me shake my head sadly for our lost dignity.
And finally, let's talk about a recent Supreme Court decision that highlights why I have so little "faith" in them to think properly and make the correct decisions. Earlier this week the Supreme Court upheld the legality of faith-based initiatives that push federal funds into religious charities. By a 5-4 vote, a conservative majority concluded taxpayers did not have "standing" to challenge in court the discretionary spending authority of the executive branch for its Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. I hope the FFRF finds another way to challenge the unconstitutional movement of tax money to religious charities.
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