January 22, 2009
"I am concerned, as I'm sure many of you are, that these jobs [hopefully being created by government spending] not simply go to high skilled people who are already professionals or to white male construction workers."
Got that? Obama recovery point man Robert Reich is concerned that government spending might actually benefit white people – and wants to make sure that this does not happen.
No doubt this means that we will see race-based qualifications for beneficiaries of these programs, with disproportionate minority participation goals resulting in the exclusion of “excess white men” from the program.
Could you imagine if an official of a Republican administration expressed a concern that government spending not disproportionately benefit African-Americans? But this sort of racial discrimination is the politically correct kind, so the opinion elite wonÂ’t take note of it. After all, in the two weeks since the statement was made, we've heard not one peep out of the media. So much for the press protecting our right to know -- what they truly believe in is our right to drink the liberal Kool-Aid they dispense.
And here we had hoped that this post-racial presidency might result in an end to the sordid practice of sorting our citizens by skin color in the awarding of benefits and burdens. Instead, we have seen a stake driven through the heart of Dr. King's vision of a color-blind society by the administration of the American who most benefited from it.
H/T Malkin
UPDATE: Over at Hot Air, they have the video. Where is the MSM on this one?
Do we need a special prosecutor to investigate the Obama Administration's conspiracy to deprive whites of the rights under the Fourteenth Amendment? At a bare minimum, it is clear from this video that Barry Hussein and his merry band of socialists are on their way to be the administration which has shown the least respect for civil rights since that of Democrat President Woodrow Wilson -- if not that of Confederate Jefferson Davis (D-Mississippi).
UPDATE 2: Darleen Click offers this pointed commentary.
![racistreich[1].jpg](http://rhymeswithright.mu.nu/archives/images/racistreich[1].jpg)
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January 21, 2009
![questioning[1].jpg](http://rhymeswithright.mu.nu/archives/images/questioning[1].jpg)
We have heard from the Left for eight years that dissent is the highest form of patriotism. My friends on the Right and I are nothing if not patriots -- and will dissent from the policies of Barack Obama with more class and dignity than those on the Left showed for the last eight years. And we will work to ensure a rebirth of liberty in four years.
So to my fellow Americans I offer up the prize on which we must focus our eyes.
1/20/2013
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(
), 
, January 20, 2009
I did not vote for him.
I cannot imagine any circumstance under which I will ever vote for him.
But he is still my president for the next four years, for good or ill.
Let me close with these words I posted the day after President Obama's election in November.
I commit to offering to Barack Obama my support and respect after his inauguration -- and not the same level of support and respect that the Left showed George W. Bush. I will support Obama when he is right, but fiercely oppose him when he is wrong -- something I suspect will be more often than not. But as I said in 1993 when Bill Clinton was inaugurated, my prayer is that Barack Obama leaves this country better than it was at the beginning of his term, and am fully prepared to be pleasantly surprised if he does. After all, my country is more important to me than my party -- as it should be.
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History will be kinder to you than your critics have been.
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January 16, 2009
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama skipped his soon-to-be predecessorÂ’s final address to the nation on Thursday in favor of dining out.At roughly 8 p.m. in Washington, about the time President George W. Bush began his televised speech, Obama left his new temporary residence across from the White House to go out for dinner in a restaurant a few blocks away.
A couple of observations.
1) In America, no one is required to watch a presidential address.
2) Obama had to eat sometime.
3) There is this remarkable invention called “Tivo” that allows one to record something off of the television to watch later – and there are also older bits of technology like VCRs and DVDs that do the same thing.
4) Like the White House hadnÂ’t already forward Obama a copy of the speech before it was given?
So come on, folks – this is a non-issue.
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Mr. Holder was forced to defend his record as deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration as Republicans pressed him during a daylong confirmation hearing about his role in controversial pardons issued by President Bill Clinton and on other issues.Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, led the attack, pointedly suggesting that Mr. Holder had given political cover to then-Vice President Al Gore by refusing to seek an independent counsel to investigate accusations that Mr. Gore had violated campaign finance laws in a 1996 fund-raiser.
For the only time in more than seven hours of testimony, Mr. Holder abandoned his calm, stoic demeanor. “You’re getting close to questioning my integrity, and that’s not appropriate,” he responded. “That’s not fair, and I will not accept that.”
Excuse me, Mr. Holder, but you are being considered for the top position in the Department of Justice, and will have great authority over the investigation of criminal matters and the prosecution of those cases. Given that you supported the questionable pardon of a wanted fugitive (Marc Rich), the unsolicited pardon of a group of unrepentant terrorists to enhance Hillary Clinton’s Senate campaign, and refused to investigate illegal campaign activity by a high ranking member of the administration in which you served, I think there is plenty of room to question both your judgment and integrity. It is fair, it is appropriate, and if you can’t accept it then you have absolutely no business seeking confirmation for a cabinet position. Indeed, there is but one appropriate action for you in this case – WITHDRAW! After all, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
And if Eric Holder will now withdraw, here an essay by the son of one of the victims of the FALN terrorists whose words quite eloquently explain why those pardoned terrorists should never have been permitted another day of freedom.
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January 15, 2009
Although it has been dismissed by some observers as a “hiccup” in an otherwise smooth confirmation process, treasury secretary-designate Timothy Geithner’s failure to pay self-employment taxes during the years he worked at the International Monetary Fund is causing some Republicans on Capitol Hill to ask serious questions about his actions. First among those questions is why he accepted payment from the IMF as restitution for taxes that he had not, in fact, paid.
Yeah, you read that right – the IMF gave Geithner the money to pay the taxes – and while he accepted the cash, he didn’t pay the tax. Here are the details.
The IMF did not withhold state and federal income taxes or self-employment taxes — Social Security and Medicare — from its employees’ paychecks. But the IMF took great care to explain to those employees, in detail and frequently, what their tax responsibilities were. First, each employee was given the IMF Employee Tax Manual. Then, employees were given quarterly wage statements for the specific purpose of calculating taxes. Then, they were given year-end wage statements. And then, each IMF employee was required to file what was known as an Annual Tax Allowance Request. Geithner received all those documents.The tax allowance has turned out to be a key part of the Geithner situation. This is how it worked. IMF employees were expected to pay their taxes out of their own money. But the IMF then gave them an extra allowance, known as a “gross-up,” to cover those tax payments. This was done in the Annual Tax Allowance Request, in which the employee filled out some basic information — marital status, dependent children, etc. — and the IMF then estimated the amount of taxes the employee would owe and gave the employee a corresponding allowance.
At the end of the tax allowance form were the words, “I hereby certify that all the information contained herein is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and that I will pay the taxes for which I have received tax allowance payments from the Fund.” Geithner signed the form. He accepted the allowance payment. He didn’t pay the tax. For several years in a row.
According to an analysis released by the Senate Finance Committee, Geithner “wrote contemporaneous checks to the IRS and the State of Maryland for estimated [income] tax payments” that jibed exactly with his IMF statements. But he didn’t write checks for the self-employment tax allowance. Then, according to the committee analysis, “he filled out, signed and submitted an annual tax allowance request worksheet with the IMF that states, ‘I wish to apply for tax allowance of U.S. Federal and State income taxes and the difference between the “self-employed” and “employed” obligation of the U.S. Social Security tax which I will pay on my Fund income.”
This isn’t a question of an error – or even taking advantage of a loophole. At this point it becomes a question of intentional fraud and willful tax evasion. As such, there can be no question of actually allowing Geithner to serve in the cabinet. Indeed, it may be that the first thing that we need to start the Obama Administration with the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate this matter (as well as the questionable actions of several other nominees) and other matters noted in a New York Times editorial today.
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Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) likely will introduce his controversial legislation to reinstate the draft again this year, but he will wait until after the economic stimulus package is passed.Asked if he plans to introduce the legislation again in 2009, Rangel last week said, “Probably … yes. I don’t want to do anything this early to distract from the issue of the economic stimulus.”
RangelÂ’s military draft bill did create a distraction for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) soon after Democrats won control of Congress after the 2006 election.
Rangel, of course, wants it to be clear that his goal is to undermine the military capability of the US by making it difficult for the US to fight a war, even after we are attacked on our own soil by a foreign enemy.
Frankly, I don’t see how the Democrats can oppose the Rangel plan – after all, Barack’s proposed mandatory volunteer national service program (call it the “Obama Youth”) already proposes involuntary servitude for young Americans. Why would Rangel’s bill create a “distraction” if it does, in fact, seek to fulfill one of Obama’s own proposals?
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"I know as much or more than Cheney. I'm the most experienced vice president since anybody."
Now letÂ’s consider this for just a moment.
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Does Biden really want to argue that he is more experienced or prepared than two of the most important Founders?
But then again, maybe we get some insight into the workings of Biden’s mind when we recognize that he does concede that one many may have been better prepared – Lyndon Johnson (who went on to be one of the worst presidents in history). What do they have in common? An extended tenure in the Senate – with Johnson having also been Senate Majority Leader and therefore having a greater breadth of experience.
Aside from being a rather narrow definition of “experience”, Biden’s criteria would also argue that he was not the best qualified choice for VP – and I therefore urge him to step aside and allow Obama to appoint Senator Robert Byrd, a former majority leader, president pro tem and KKK Kleagle, as vice president.
Call it “Experience We Can Believe In.”
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January 14, 2009
Gov. Rick Perry expressed doubts Tuesday that U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison will enter the 2010 Republican primary race against him and said Texans want a leader like him with "big ideas."Perry, after addressing lawmakers on opening day of the Texas Legislature, talked about his record as governor and his ideas for the future in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press. The state's longest-serving governor, Perry said he wants to run next year for a third full term in office.
Hutchison has formed an exploratory committee to run for governor in 2010.Perry noted that she hasn't formally jumped into the race and, when asked whether he has doubts that she will, Perry said: "Oh yeah. I mean, there's plenty of time for the senator to think that it's not in her best interest, Texas' best interest or the country's best interest to leave the United States Senate and come run for governor. But that's, again, that's her call.
"I'm running," Perry added. "I've announced, I'm in, I'm here and I'm enjoying continuing to move Texas forward."
For all of his “not in the best interests of Texas” rhetoric, what he really means is that it is not in the best interests of Rick Perry for Senator Hutchison to seek the governorship. The best interests of Texas are best served by getting him out of that office.
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Timothy Geithner didn't pay Social Security and Medicare taxes for several years while he worked for the International Monetary Fund, and he employed an immigrant housekeeper who briefly lacked proper work papers.
* * * At the closed-door meeting, Mr. Geithner was contrite, several participants said. He told senators the mistakes weren't intentional, but that he should have known better. The Internal Revenue Service makes up by far the largest piece of the Treasury's budget.
Mr. Geithner declined to comment on any matters as he left the closed-door meeting Tuesday.
The tax issue relates to Mr. Geithner's work for the International Monetary Fund between 2001 and 2004. As an American citizen working for the IMF, Mr. Geithner was technically considered self-employed and was required to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes for himself as both an employer and an employee.
* * * In 2006, the IRS audited Mr. Geithner's 2003 and 2004 taxes and concluded he owed taxes and interest totaling $17,230, according to documents released by the Senate Finance Committee. The IRS waived the related penalties.
During the vetting of Mr. Geithner late last year, the Obama transition team discovered the nominee had failed to pay the same taxes for 2001 and 2002. "Upon learning of this error on Nov. 21, 2008, Mr. Geithner immediately submitted payment for tax that would have been due in those years, plus interest," a transition aide said. The sum totaled $25,970.
And therein lies the problem – Geithner DID know about the issue after the 2006 audit. He knew that he did his taxes the same way in 2001 and 2002 that he did in the years for which he was audited – but did nothing to correct the problem. THAT is troubling – but whether it is a sufficient question regarding his integrity to merit the denial of confirmation is one we have to consider.
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January 13, 2009
The Roland Burris saga is over, as Democratic Senate leaders have accepted his credentials, clearing the way for him to be sworn in as the junior senator from Illinois by the end of this week.The decision ends an embarrassing chapter in Democratic politics and allows the Senate to move on after the Burris spectacle dominated the opening week of the 111th Congress
In a statement issued after a 45-minute meeting between Senate officials and BurrisÂ’ lawyers, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) said Burris is the senator-designate from Illinois now that the secretary of the Senate has approved his latest credentials.
“Accordingly, barring objections from Senate Republicans, we expect Senator-designee Burris to be sworn in and formally seated later this week,” the statement said. “We are working with him and the office of the vice president to determine the date and time of the swearing-in.”
Remember – this is the same appointee that these same Democrat “leaders” declared would never be seated due to the “taint” of being appointed by the indicted Illinois governor. Well, I guess the best legal advice they could find told them what anyone who is familiar with the Constitution could have told them – the Senate really had no option but to seat Burris because he was properly appointed under the US Constitution and the laws of the state of Illinois. Thus the leadership of the Senate starts out with a big black eye, having been shown to be impotent blowhards.
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"We should genuinely want him to succeed. Our country is facing not only an economic challenge, but also international threats. ... I want our country to thrive under his administration. Clearly I will have philosophical disagreements with him. He deserves a chance to hit the ground running. He hasn't proposed his first bill. Republicans make a mistake in Congress if they simply go there and say their mission in life is to say 'no' to every proposal. I think we should look for opportunities to work with him. I also think we should be proactive if we don't agree with him and offer (alternative) solutions."
After watching the Democrats spend eight years trying to destroy George W. Bush, it is tempting to do the same to Barack Obama, a many who is uniquely underqualified for the office to which he has been elected. Love of country, though, mandates that I follow the path suggested by Jindal – which is a more eloquent statement of something I’ve been saying since election day. Country trumps party – and the good of the United States is more important than the good of the GOP.
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January 12, 2009
In 1991, Ben Reyes was the lone Latino serving on the 15-member Houston City Council. By 1996, four Latino council members served on Council: Gracie Saenz, Felix Fraga, Orlando Sanchez and John Castillo. Today, 17 years later, there is once again a lone Latino council member. As the only Latino serving on City Council, I take this as an opportunity to challenge my fellow Latino leaders across our great city to intensify our efforts to help create a stronger political voice for the growing Latino community.Latinos are the city's fastest growing population group, a fact that is not reflected on our City Council.
Houston is home to nearly a million Latinos, almost half of this city's population, and appropriate representation for the community needs to be addressed through engagement in the political process.
I challenge myself and the local Latino leadership to invest in the premise of a nonpartisan political engagement strategy involving a united Latino community.
Therefore, I have taken the initiative, along with many of my elected colleagues, to organize the inaugural Houston Area Latino Summit for Saturday, Feb. 14.
Now there are a number of things which should be noted here.
First, the reason Rodriguez is the only Latino on the council is that the other one was just elected county sheriff and so resigned his seat on the city.
Second, those four members of the city council in 1996 were term-limited out after three terms – even though it is reasonably certain that any of the four could have been comfortably reelected (and likely could be today).
Third, one major reason for the underrepresentation is turnout – which in turn is (in part) a factor of citizenship. As long as Houston’s Hispanic community remains heavily composed of first-generation immigrants (legal and illegal) who are not citizens, there will always be a smaller turnout than one would expect at first glance. Indeed, I’d argue that this will continue for at least another decade or two. Even after the districts are redrawn to include two additional seats, it is unlikely that we will see the balance shift dramatically – indeed, I suspect that the outcome will be one additional Latino member of the council and one African-American. At-large seats will continue to favor white and African-American candidates due to turnout and citizenship issues.
The real question, though, is whether or not the interests of any given community are represented on the City Council. Interestingly enough, Rodriguez does not address that issue. Is he really arguing for more of the same race-based politics? Moreover, does he really want to argue that only an individual with the right skin color can represent a particular group only one week before our majority white nation inaugurates its first black president?
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January 09, 2009
While Mr. Clinton's fundraising has been an appearance of a conflict waiting to happen with his wife a senator, it will only get worse and more troublesome once Ms. Clinton is confirmed as secretary of state. Per the agreement with Mr. Obama, a list of who is bankrolling the foundation will be released once a year. Only new donations from foreign governments will be examined by government ethics officials. And there is no prior review of donations from foreign companies or individuals or those in the United States with interests overseas. Mr. Clinton's continued globetrotting while collecting checks along the way could embarrass the administration on multiple, sensitive and dangerous fronts.
When the Washington Post remarks how much this conflict of interest stinks, you know that there is a real problem. And just imagine how much louder (and widespread) the howls of outrage would be if this were a Republican administration.
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JOE SCARBOROUGH: [Reid] says he doesn't work for Barack Obama. I think he's wrong.TAVIS SMILEY: Harry Reid, put down the crack pipe. You don't work for Barack Obama? We're all working for Barack Obama.
Tavis, maybe you need to put down the crack pipe.
First, aren't journalists supposed to be objective?
Second, Obama isn’t a dictator, monarch, or demigod – and there is no requirement that any American to goose-step along with his agenda if they oppose any or all of it.
However, I will note that Barack ObamaÂ’s inability to get the leadership of his own party in Congress to follow him may be an indication of how pathetic he will be as president.
H/T NewsBusters
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January 05, 2009
We have seen the enemy -- and he is Obama.
It remains awfully difficult to catch a glimpse of First Kids-to-Be Malia and Sasha Obama, but at least we can say for certain where they are this morning: getting to know their new classmates at the Sidwell Friends campuses in upper Northwest Washington and Bethesda.The president-elect moved his transition operation to Washington yesterday in order to be with his girls as they started at their new school. Obama, who will meet with congressional leaders today to discuss an economic stimulus package, did not accompany his daughters to school this morning. But transition officials released these photos of him saying good-bye to them at their hotel suite.
Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, left the Hay-Adams Hotel with their mother, Michelle Obama, at 7:10 a.m. Their motorcade emerged from a security tent that has been erected outside the posh hotel, and they drove off with nary a wave to the throngs of cameras or the waiting crowds.
Malia, a fifth-grader, arrived at Sidwell's middle school in the 3800 block of Wisconsin Avenue at 7:30 a.m., a full half-hour before the school day began. The motorcade bypassed the main entrance to the underground garage at Wisconsin Avenue and Rodman Street NW, opting instead for a side entrance adjacent to Fannie Mae's James A. Johnson Housing and Community Development Center.
Whatever Michelle Obama did to settle Malia into her class, it didn't take long. At 7:41, the motorcade exited another driveway slightly to the north, adjacent to the Friendship Post Office.
Only the best for the First Kids – but neither hope nor change for children stuck in the public schools in the District of Columbia. Instead, Obama stands in the schoolhouse door to make sure that his little darlings don’t have to mix with the masses.
But we shouldn't be surprised -- the Chicago Public Schools run by his new Secretary of education weren't good enough for the little Obamalings.
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Which is why the response of liberal activists to DarbyÂ’s acknowledgment of his role in preventing terrorist acts by a pair of terrorist-wannabes is quite telling.
When The St. Paul Pioneer Press published an article in October that cited an unidentified source who named Mr. Darby as an informant in the case against Mr. Crowder and Mr. McKay, a co-founder of Common Ground, Scott Crow, defended Mr. Darby publicly and warned against “rumors, conjecture and innuendo.”“I put it all on the line to defend him when accusations first came out,” Mr. Crow said. “Brandon Darby is somebody I had entrusted with my life in New Orleans, and now I feel endangered by him.”
Endangered? By daring to assist law enforcement in preventing acts of political violence in the streets of America? Exactly where do your loyalties (and those of your fellow “activists”) lie, Mr. Crow?
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New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, chosen by President-elect Barack Obama to be commerce secretary, withdrew from consideration yesterday, citing an ongoing federal "pay-to-play" investigation involving one of his political donors as a significant obstacle to his confirmation.Richardson, 61, who competed unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination last year, becomes the first political casualty in Obama's Cabinet, and his withdrawal marked the first visible crack in what had been one of the smoothest presidential transitions in modern history.
Yep – another political ally into pay-to-play. What is it about these dirty Dem governors? And given the ties between Obama, his Chicago crew, and Gov. Blagojevich in Illinois, how can anyone call this transition “smooth”. Hell, it already appears that there is serious need for a special prosecutor to investigate the Obama administration two weeks before the man even takes office.
And then there might be another dirty Dem in the prospective Cabinet – the nominee for Secretary of State, Senator Hillary Clinton.
A developer in New York state donated $100,000 to former President Bill ClintonÂ’s foundation in November 2004, around the same time that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton helped secure millions of dollars in federal assistance for the businessmanÂ’s mall project.Hillary Clinton helped enact legislation allowing the developer, Robert Congel, to use tax-exempt bonds to help finance the construction of the Destiny USA entertainment and shopping complex, an expansion of the Carousel Center in Syracuse.
She also helped secure a provision in a highway bill that set aside $5 million for Destiny USA roadway construction.
The bill with the tax-free bonds provision became law in October 2004, weeks before the donation, and the highway bill with the set-aside became law in August 2005, about nine months after the donation.
Mighty suspicious timing, don’t you think. Here’s hoping the Senate takes the time to look at this before confirming her – assuming that she isn’t as dirty as she appears here. Remember the old standard of the Democrats – the appearance of impropriety is itself an impropriety.
And, of course, there is Attorney General nominee Eric Holder, whose involvement with the Marc Rich pardon and the unsolicited pardon of a gang of Puerto Rican terrorists is already predicted to be the source of fireworks during his confirmation hearings.
All of which leads me to ask – is it possible that the incoming Obama administration did as poor a job vetting cabinet nominees as the press did vetting their candidate during the campaign.
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In reaction, the House Republican leadership is sending a letter today to Pelosi to object to changes to House Rules this week that would bar Republicans from offering alternative bills, amendments to Democrat bills or even the guarantee of open debate accessible by motions to recommit for any piece of legislation during the entire 111th Congress.
Will President-elect Obama speak out against these moves towards legislative tyranny? Or is this the sort of change we are supposed to believe in as a part of the new tone in Washington?
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January 02, 2009
"Some think the job of government is simply to collect taxes and spend money. I do not subscribe to that view."
Thank God we still have some in public office who recognize that the purpose of government is to provide ESSENTIAL services that we cannot provide for ourselves, not provide all services while socializing the costs through ever-higher taxation and spending.
In one move, Jindal wiped out nearly half of this year's budget deficit (due to falling oil prices) by ordering spending cuts. He also recommended cuts that will eliminate the rest of that deficit if Louisiana's legislature goes along with them. Here's hoping that his actions will be noted in Washington -- and that they will serve as an example to other public officials on how to govern in a fiscally responsible manner.
H/T American Thinker
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December 30, 2008
What has he given us today? An eminently qualified African-American nominee to replace Barack Obama in the US Senate -- and a full-blown constitutional crisis on both the state and federal level.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich is expected today to name former Illinois Atty. Gen. Roland Burris to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. SenateÂ…Shortly after ObamaÂ’s Nov. 4 victory, Burris made known his interest in an appointment to the Senate but was never seriously considered, according to Blagojevich insiders. But in the days following BlagojevichÂ’s arrest, and despite questions over the taint of a Senate appointment, Burris stepped up his efforts to win the governorÂ’s support.
Though he is 71, Burris has said that ObamaÂ’s replacement should be able to win re-election and he has noted that despite a string of primary losses in races ranging from Chicago mayor to governor and U.S. senator, heÂ’s never lost to a RepublicanÂ…
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada previously warned Blagojevich, following the governorÂ’s Dec. 9 arrest, that Senate Democrats would not seat any appointment the two-term Democratic governor made. ReidÂ’s warning was contained in a letter signed by all 50 sitting Democratic senators, including the No. 2 Democrat in Senate leadership, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois.
Now I lived the better part of two decades in Illinois. I remember Roland Burris as a public official and a candidate for office. He always struck me as a fundamentally decent man, well-qualified and eminently worthy of public trust. And even though I voted against him at every opportunity, I always believed him to be the sort of Democrat I could live with if my Republican candidate lost. And I will say this loud and clear -- given the failure of the Illinois legislature to act to strip Blagojevic of his power to appoint Barack Obama's successor, I fully support his decision to appoint Burris.
Of course, this action by the corrupt governor has given rise to several interesting responses.
Consider this response from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, with Illinois Senator Dick Durbin giving him a measure of cover.
Senate Democrats said Tuesday they would refuse to seat the man Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has picked to succeed President-elect Barack Obama, saying that the taint of scandal would follow the new senator to Washington."Anyone appointed by Gov. Blagojevich cannot be an effective representative of the people of Illinois and, as we have said, will not be seated by the Democratic Caucus," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and his deputy, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, said in a statement.
Well, the Senate DOES have the right to judge the qualifications of its members -- but there could be a constitutional problem with this declaration. More on that in a bit.
And then there is this statement from Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.
The appointment was instantly rejected by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White who said he would refuse to certify Burris' selection....
His argument amounts to a claim that the current legal cloud under which Blagojevic finds himself makes the appointment illegitimate. However, does that apply to all appointments, or just to this one -- and on what basis does he make and enforce that judgment. Another constitutional crisis, this on the state level.
And wherein lie the constitutional crises?
Well, let's start with the state constitutional crisis. After all, state law REQUIRES the Secretary of State to perform the following acts, and the state constitution (Article V, Section 16) obliges him to carry out the duties prescribe by this law.
1. To countersign and affix the seal of state to all commissions required by law to be issued by the Governor.2. To make a register of all appointments by the Governor, specifying the person appointed, the office conferred, the date of the appointment, the date when bond or oath is taken and the date filed. If Senate confirmation is required, the date of the confirmation shall be included in the register.
There is nothing optional or discretionary in this. His failure to do so will lead to state court action to require White to do his job. That means lots of drama on another front in Blago-gate.
And the federal constitutional crisis? I'll let Eugene Volokh explain this one.
If there's some evidence that Burris's appointment was indeed the result of a bribe or some illegal maneuvering, then indeed the Senate can refuse to seat him. But if there is no such evidence, then for reasons I noted earlier, I think their position is legally unsustainable, given the Supreme Court's Powell v. McCormack precedent.
Given that Burris meets all the requirements set by the US Constitution to hold a Senate seat, any failure to seat him will almost certainly be struck down -- just as any attempt to toss ted Stevens would have failed if the Senate had tried to expel him following his reelection after a bribery conviction. Of course, that will require another nasty court fight.
Now as a Republican, I see a great political upside for my party if White refuses to certify or Senate Democrats refuse to seat Burris. The ensuing court battles as the Democrats try to keep a black man out of the Senate seat previous held by the only black member of the US Senate (by then the first black president) would be entertaining -- and would likely serve to drive a wedge between some elements of the black community and the Democrat Party. That could only serve to help turn Illinois (and perhaps some other states) from blue to red.
But to be honest, I don't want it to come to that. I actually agree with Bobby Rush on this score -- words you may never see again.
"This is a good decision," Rush told reporters. "Roland Burris is worthy. He has not, in 20 years of public service, had one iota of taint on his record as a public servant. He is an esteemed member of this state and this community.""I would ask you not to hang or lynch the appointee as you try to casitgate the appointor," Rush added. "Separate, if you will, the appointee from the appointor. Roland Burris is worthy."
Let's be honest -- at 71, Roland Burris is unlikely to be a Senator for more than two years. He will certainly face challengers in the Democrat primary in 2010, and the Blagojevic connection will not serve him well. The GOP will put up a strong candidate as well, who will have a better than even chance to win. In other words, he is a sear-warmer -- and one whose service to the people of Illinois would be capped by this honor, and who has the stature to rise above the current scandal. He should be accepted by all parties as the ideal compromise appointee.
UPDATE: Obama says not to seat Burris -- and here I thought he knew enough constitutional law to know that the Senate really has no choice.
Others Blogging: Top of the Ticket, Ace (twice), Malkin, Hot Air (twice), Gateway Pundit, Sister Toldjah, Bench Memos, Concurring Opinions, Patterico, The Glittering Eye, Don Surber
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December 29, 2008
But when Obama makes precisely such an appointment, we are told that the new Cabinet member is an "innovator" and "reformer" who will continue "experimentation on a national scale".
City schools chief executive Arne Duncan, President-elect Barack Obama's choice for education secretary, pushed that performance-pay plan and a host of other innovations to transform a school system once regarded as one of the country's worst. As Duncan heads to Washington, the lessons of Chicago could provide a model for fixing America's schools."Obama chose Arne Duncan for a reason, and part of that reason is the experimentation that Duncan has done in Chicago and his real attention to data and outcomes," said Elliot Weinbaum, assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. "Duncan's willing to try new things and see if they work, hopefully keep the ones that do and drop the ones that don't. I expect that experimentation to continue on a national scale."
Now I will give Duncan some credit -- he has introduced some meaningful reforms into a district that has been troubled for decades by corruption, incompetence, and union intransigence. But the reality is that, by virtually every measure, the district remains a failure in terms of its primary mission -- educating every student to his or her fullest potential, and preparing them to function as productive citizens.
As a teacher, I am NOT reassured by this appointment -- and I am shocked by the whitewashing that the press are giving Duncan and his record.
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![obama-soap[1].jpg](http://rhymeswithright.mu.nu/archives/images/obama-soap[1].jpg)
What we've all been waiting for — a little hope, and Barack's the man for the job. We made him purple, because we here at dugshop feel that he's a true uniter, there are no red or blue states, we're all purple.
Just as I have no interest in shirtless pics of Obama on vacation, I also have no interest in having him stare at me naked in the shower. Indeed, I can't think of a politician who I want in the shower with me.
H/T Moonbatery
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December 28, 2008
A top adviser to President-elect Barack Obama said Sunday that the country's slowing economy won't keep the new administration from fulfilling its plans for a middle-class tax cut."We feel it's important that middle-class people get some relief now," Obama adviser David Axelrod said.
"This package will include a portion of that tax cut that will become part of the permanent tax cut that he'll have in his upcoming budget," Mr. Axelrod said.
The adviser appeared Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" and CBS's "Face the Nation."
The incoming administration is considering tax cuts of $1,000 for couples and $500 for individuals that will be delivered by reducing the tax withheld from paychecks. That plan has been estimated to be worth about $140 billion in 2009 and 2010.
Odd, but wasn't that the argument used by George W. Bush to reduce the the amount of income tax paid by every American who paid income tax when he entered office in 2001? Indeed, didn't those tax cuts have the very impact that the incoming administration says this cut will have -- putting money in the pockets of Americans? Does this mean that the Democrats are admitting that Bush was right?
Oh, and I cannot help but be struck by this twisted bit of illogic.
The lump-sum rebates issued earlier this year were used by many people to pay down debt, rather than spending the money and boosting the economy as the administration had hoped.
Now wait -- if (hypothetically speaking) my wife and I took our $1200 and used it to pay down our credit card debt or student loans, wouldn't this have had the effect of dribbling money into our pockets the same way this Obama tax cut will do? After all, the amount of the Obama cut will be about $80 a month -- roughly the same as would be left by the reduced payments on the bills in question.
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December 21, 2008
ON Thursday, Dec. 11, Jim Donnelly got the call at his office on Jay Street in Dumbo for the biggest job he had ever had. Emmett Beliveau, the executive director of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, told him that Precise Continental, Mr. DonnellyÂ’s 26-year-old printing company, had won the bid to produce one million gold-and-black engraved invitations for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.
Insert your joke here.
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Former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann used his campaign account to bankroll home repairs and family vacations, according to a newspaper review of state investigative reports.The reports are part of a complaint filed last week with the Ohio Elections Commission by state Inspector General Tom Charles. Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner also filed an elections commission complaint against Dann last week alleging misuse of campaign funds.
The Ohio Elections Commission will address both complaints Jan. 22. And state Auditor Mary Taylor plans Monday to release her own investigation into Dann's spending.
Dann resigned in May amid a sexual harassment scandal in his office that included his admission that he had an affair with an employee.
The first four paragraphs are representative of the rest of the article in that they leave out Dann's party. Nowhere does this AP article identify this corrupt public official's party, which seems to me to be pretty shocking. Isn't that relevant information?
Of course, Dann is a Democrat -- something that could have been inferred from the absence of the party label. After all, if Dann were a Republican, we know it would have been included.
H/T Instapundit, Hot Air
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If only slaveholders (or, arguably, former slaveholders) had been as smart as Jerry Brown, they could have urged the Supreme Court to invalidate the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, on the Brownian ground that the Constitution as adopted protected property, including property in slaves, and that that right should not be sacrificed to the whims of a tyrannical majority.
Fortunately for African-Americans in this nation, the US Supreme Court of the United States is unlikely to rule that constitutional amendments are unconstitutional. Will the California Supreme Court exercise similar restraint, even with Brown's urging that they make precisely such a ruling?
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December 19, 2008
Unfortunately, California Attorney General Jerry Brown doesn't believe he has to fulfill the duty he owes to the people.
In a surprise move, state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown asked the California Supreme Court on Friday to invalidate Proposition 8. He said the November ballot measure that banned gay marriage "deprives people of the right to marry, an aspect of liberty that the Supreme Court has concluded is guaranteed by the California Constitution."It is the attorney general's duty to defend the state's laws, and after gay rights activists filed legal challenges to Proposition 8, which amended the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, Brown said he planned to defend the proposition as enacted by the people of California.
But after studying the matter, Brown concluded that "Proposition 8 must be invalidated because the amendment process cannot be used to extinguish fundamental constitutional rights without compelling justification."
In other words, Brown has arrogantly taken it upon himself to substitute his view of the matter for the view of the people of the state of California who passed an amendment to the state constitution to formally establish the definition of marriage as that which it has been since the founding of the American Republic -- one man and one woman.
In other words, what Brown has done here is to promulgate as the official position of the state of California the position taken by the losing side in the last election. What's more, he has taken the position that right of the people to govern themselves and to alter or abolish their form of government does not exist -- and that they have no recourse in the face of judicial tyrants who impose novel interpretations of the very document from which they derive their authority. In other words, he has rejected the notion that the people are sovereign and instead seeks to have the California Supreme Court rule that the people of that state are mere subjects. As such, he has actively violated his oath of office and should be immediately impeached and removed from office.
That will not happen, of course, given the predilection of some members of the gerrymandered General Assembly to ignore the vote of the people on the same issue and attempt to legalize what the people of California had banned when they voted for a proposition against gay marriage in 2000 -- despite explicit constitutional prohibitions on repealing such initiatives through legislation.
What is even more frightening is that the California Supreme Court may take it upon itself to use Brown's filing to overturn Prop 8 -- after all, it is a specific rebuke to that activist court that overturned the previous vote of the people because it overturns last spring's decision legalizing gay marriages.
What we may have here, then, is a situation in which it may become the obligation of the Federal Government to intervene in California, under the authority conveyed by Article IV, Section 4 of the US Constitution.
The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.
After all, if the ruling of the court is that the people may not alter or abolish the government established by their state constitution and that the voice of the people on matters of public policy carry no force, then it is clear that there does not exist a Republican Form of Government in that state.
And of Congress or the Obama Administration were to fail to act in such a situation? Jefferson addresses that matter well.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
Like the patriots of old, prepare the tar and feathers -- and like the people of Italy at the end of WWII, prepare the piano wire and meat hooks.
More At Malkin, Patterico, Gateway Pundit, Jules Crittenden, NewsBusters, STACLU, Don Surber, Pirates Cove, Jane Q. Republican
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However, Scott at Power Line bring up an interesting point today.
John Hinderaker wrote about the Star Tribune's W3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUT">puff piece by Mitch Anderson earlier this week on the pilgrimage of Minnesota Fifth District Rep. Keith Ellison to Mecca for the Muslim Hajj. The brief piece relied heavily on comments by Ellison spoksman Rick Jauert, who told Anderson "that Ellison paid for the journey himself." (Incidentally, the Star Tribune seems to have tinkered with the version of the story on which John commented)
Today the Star Tribune devotes a second W3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUsX">puff piece by Anderson to Ellison's Hajj The rationale for another piece on the same subject is obscure. Apparently adding weight to Ellison's greatness in the eyes of the Star Tribune, Anderson quotes Ellison: "This is just me trying to be the best person I can be."
Anderson buries the sole item of journalistic interest at the end of the article. Anderson reports: "[Ellison's] expenses were paid for by the Muslim American Society of Minnesota." Despite the fact that it was Anderson himself who previously quoted Ellison's spokesman asserting that the trip was on Ellison's own nickel, Anderson drops the subject there.
Now IÂ’m not going to delve into the prolems with the MAS or its various branches, the groupÂ’s origins or its somewhat alarming connections to some troubling groups abroad. Power Line does a great job of that later in the piece IÂ’ve quoted above, and I wonÂ’t reproduce it here. Go read it there, and give them the traffic.
No, I’m concerned about another issue – one related to ethics. After all, democrats have for years raised questions about what Republican went where on what company or group’s dime. And there are, of course, some rather straightforward requirements on what can be accepted as well as when and how the travel must be reported on official disclosure forms. Not only that, but there are requirements for advance approval of such privately funded trips. Has Ellison complied with all those disclosure and reporting guidelines? I checked the House website, and there is no filing there. Do we have another potential ethical lapse by a House Democrat?
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That’s why he managed to miss this tidbit about a Texas legislator with a host of such problems – one who wants to be Speaker of the House.
Representative Sylvester Turner has been a busy little beaver. He has managed to amass enough campaign finance violations in the last two years to fill a 37 page ethics complaint, along with167 pages of campaign finance reports to back up the complaint. Since the complaint runs 37 pages I obviously cannot do all of his violations justice but I will hit some highlights for you.• $220,905.33 (cumulative errors) is missing and unaccounted for out of his campaign funds, and also did not report any interest accrual on the account as well. This is fraud and perjury.
• Accepted $13,500 in direct contributions from corporate entities which is illegal.
• $500 of which was from Zachry Construction, the prime contractor for the Trans-Texas Corridor construction and a major contractor to TXDoT. Knowingly accepting Corporate donations is a third degree felony. He did this a total of 16 times in the last two years, listed the corporations on the forms, and then signed them, so he will have a hard time claiming he did not know. Maybe he didn't read them, but he SHOULD have read them. He signed the form which means he is accepting responsibility for what is in them.
• Made six payments to Ford Motor Credit in the amount of $736.46 for what appears to be his personal vehicle. Amounting to $4418.76. This is personal enrichment from campaign funds and he would be civilly liable for the amount, even if it's a lease with residual value to the lessor.
• Made a total of 141 payments to himself and others from the fund without disclosing the names of payees, dates, amounts, or purposes of the payments.Now mind you, this covers just TWO YEARS worth of violations.
Personally, I donÂ’t know if Turner is actually guilty of the offenses with which he is charged, and I am willing to wait to see what the outcome is. And IÂ’d even cut John some slack here were it not for the fact that he has recently filed an ethics complaint against the current speaker, and has implied on his blog that the mere fact that the Texas Ethics Commission accepted his complaint as properly filed is indicative of Speaker CraddickÂ’s guilt. That means, I suppose, that John is seeking to protect his partyÂ’s own corrupt pols, since he is only reporting on actions against his political opponents.
And interestingly enough, he himself would be one of the corrupt Democrats he has been protecting. After all, he’s the guy used by the Office of the Inspector General as a case study in what not to do with regards to the Hatch Act – which he was determined to have violated and for which he received a 180 day suspension from his job at NASA. Interestingly enough, John didn’t see fit to comment on that ethical lapse on his blog – and nor did he offer any criticism of the candidate for whom he illicitly raised funds on government time using government resources and facilities in violation of federal law. I guess that lapses of political ethics are in the eye of the beholder, right?
But then again, why should we be surprised? After all, he’s jut following the Pelosi Paradigm for improving political ethics – cleaning out the ethical swamp to make room for his own unethical alligators.
UPDATE: I'll be damned -- Coby actually reports today on the ethics issues of a Democrat. Of course, she is one of the "Craddick Democrats" who support the current speaker, so John is still only commenting on the ethical issues of those he identifies as political enemies.
UPDATE II: I love it when John brags about his threats of physical violence against me. Just more of barack Obama's "new tone" in American politics, I guess.
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Many Maryland high school seniors at risk of not graduating may be able to earn diplomas through a waiver of the state's new exit-exam requirements under a policy approved yesterday.
The waiver process, approved unanimously by the Maryland State Board of Education, provides another path to a diploma for some of the 4,000 seniors who have not passed or not taken one or more of the High School Assessments, a set of four exams in algebra, English, biology and government.The estimate of 4,000 at-risk seniors is sharply reduced from an earlier statewide estimate of 9,000 because, state officials said, thousands of students have met graduation standards in recent months.
State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick said the waiver was likely to affect "a small cohort" of students who have not completed courses or remedial work. Many of those affected would be students learning English as a second language or others in special education programs, she said.
"It's very hard to predict. The determination literally has to be made at the school level," Grasmick said. "I could say several hundred, and I'd probably be somewhat safe."
In other words, the state of Maryland has said you must pass a test to graduate, and if you can’t there are other options – unless you can’t fulfill any of them, in which case you don’t have to bother with any of it at all. All I can say in response is that instead of raising the value of a Maryland diploma, they have managed to lower it.
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Opponents of abortion, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Health Association, which represents Catholic hospitals, support the new regulations and say they are needed to protect health-care providers from being forced to perform abortions and sterilizations.They are opposed by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association, among others. Opponents contend that the regulations are a threat to a womanÂ’s right to choose to have an abortion, and that they are not needed in any event because the Civil Rights Act of 1964 already prohibits employment discrimination based on religion.
Now look at that last sentence. It shows the propensity of anti-lifers like the NACDS, AHA and AMA folks to lie about anything in an effort to ensure that abortion is available any time, anywhere, with as little restriction as possible. After all, absolutely nothing in the regulations forbids women to have abortions – they simply ensure that those who have a moral objection to abortion are not forced to participate in them. After all, must every doctor be forced to become an abortionist in order to guarantee a woman the freedom to take the life of her unborn child? Of course not. And since the 1964 Civil Rights Act argument has not generally been successful in protecting the conscience rights of pro-life medical professionals, the latter argument is fatuous
But the assertion made by the proponents of death does lead to a question that no reporter for the Grey Lady would dare ask – if they are opposed to regulations that they claim essentially duplicate protections found in the 1964 Civil Rights Act, are they also opposed to the protections found in that seminal piece of civil rights legislation? Do they, in fact, believe that even the religious liberties of Americans must take the back seat to the needs of the abortion industry? But while asking such questions would be good journalism, doing so might expose the anti-freedom agenda of these acolytes of death – meaning that the answers to such questions will never make it into the MSM.
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City Councilman Hiram Monserrate, a Queens Democrat who was elected to the State Senate last month, was arrested and charged with assault on Friday morning in connection with an injury to his girlfriend, law enforcement officials said.Paul J. Browne, the Police DepartmentÂ’s top spokesman, said that Mr. Monserrate had been arrested and charged with assault in the first degree.
Officials said that Mr. Monserrate had taken his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, 30, to Long Island Jewish Medical Center with what appeared to be a serious injury in or around her left eye.Ms. Giraldo told hospital staff that it was Mr. Monserrate who had assaulted her, officials said. It appeared that she had been punched and slashed in or around her left eye with a shard of glass, and officials said it took 20 to 40 stitches to close the wound. A doctor at the hospital, which straddles the border between Queens and Nassau County, called the police at 4:50 a.m.
New York City police detectives arrived at the hospital, arrested Mr. Monserrate and took him to a Queens precinct house for questioning. The alleged assault occurred in Mr. MonserrateÂ’s apartment, at 37-20 83rd Street in Jackson Heights, officials said.
What a prince of a man – just one more example of the way in which New York Democrats show their respect for their women. After all, in the last year we have seen a pair of New York governors exposed for engaging in affairs behind the backs of their wives (one with a hooker, the other with a staffer). And let’s not forget the way in which New York’s junior senator was treated by her husband a few years back. I guess this sort of stuff proves that NY Democrats view women as doormats – and I’m prepared to call them on it in light of the propensity of Democrats to be outraged by the peccadillos of Republicans.
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December 17, 2008
Islamic proposals to ban criticism of religion, which have gathered strength since the publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad two years ago, threaten to derail an already troubled U.N. anti-racism conference planned for next year.The European Union rejects suggestions by Algeria _ backed by other Muslim and African countries _ that limits on free speech are needed to stop the publication of offensive articles and images.
Supporters of the proposal, who have been pushing for such a ban to be included in international anti-discrimination charters, want it discussed in April at a high-level United Nations anti-racism meeting in Geneva.
What Muslims want to be able to publish themselves.
BOOK EXCERPTS from Islam or Fundamentalism? In light of the QorÂ’an and the Sunna by Imam Abou Hammaad Sulaiman Dameus Al-HayitiHomosexuals
* Homosexuality is a "perversion"
* Homosexuals "spread disorder on earth"
* Homosexuals and lesbians should be "exterminated in this life"
* "Homosexuals caught performing sodomy are beheaded"Ethnic groups are not equal
* "Can we doubt the superiority of Islamic principles over the corrupt principles of Eastern and Western cultures ? Culture is based on the beliefs of a nation. The superior culture is the one closest to the revelation of Allah !"
* "This is the reason why ethnic groups are not equal"Muslims are superior to Infidels
* "... a Muslim must never put his brother in Islam at the same level as an Infidel. In fact, to place Infidels at equality with Muslims is one of the greatest form of ignorance and injustice"
* "The rule is that the most disobedient among Muslims is better than the most virtuous, the most polite, the most honest and the most loyal among the Infidels"
* "The Muslim nation is actually the most balanced and the most righteous"Christianity
* "It is because of this religion of lies, which goes against human nature, that the West is now full of perversity, corruption and adultery"
Jews
* Jews "spread corruption and chaos on earth"
* Most Jews "seek only material goods and money, apart from that, they have nothing"
* Jews "unjustly occupy" Palestine for the sole purpose of "filling this land with corruption and transgress the laws of Allah in the name of secularism"
The scary thing is that there are some in the West who are more than willing to allow precisely such a dichotomy of speech, establishing a regime under which even the mildest criticism of Islam will result in government sanction while even the most outrageous words of hate from Muslims will be treated as protected speech. This leads us back to the question I have asked more than once in the past -- are Islam and human rights able to coexist, or is Islam a fundamental threat to the human rights of all non-Muslims?
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The Illinois Supreme Court has refused to hear a challenge to Gov. Rod Blagojevich's fitness to hold office.A spokesman said Wednesday that the court rejected the challenge without comment.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan had argued Blagojevich's legal and political troubles are keeping him from performing his duties. He has been charged with seeking kickbacks in choosing a successor for President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.
Madigan argued that the governor's problems amount to a disability, so Blagojevich should have his authority removed temporarily.
My guess is that the court internally adopted a theory something akin to what I outlined here. However, they didn't need to explain their decision not to take the case, and did not. Now the ball is in the court of the branch constitutionally charged with dealing with impeachment.
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December 15, 2008
In the few seconds it took Iraqi journalist Muntather Zaidi to wing a pair of shoes at President George Bush, the Middle East got its own version of Joe the Plumber.Just as Joe Wurzelbacher's gripes to Barack Obama during the U.S. presidential election catapulted him to fame, Zaidi's burst of rage toward Bush during a Baghdad news conference Sunday has made him a household name across the Middle East.
To many, Zaidi is a hero for engaging in the ultimate Arab world insult -- hurling his shoes -- at Bush, who ducked to avoid being slammed in the head. To others, Zaidi is an embarrassment for a society that prides itself on being hospitable to guests, even those who are not much liked. Whichever way his act is viewed, there's no question that Zaidi, like Wurzelbacher, is no longer just another Joe.
Let's see -- Wurzelbacher asked a pointed question of a candidate who literally appeared on his doorstep -- the ultimate in free speech. Zaidi engaged in a violent attack and confuses that with free speech.
Personally, I think we'd do better to compare Zaidi to Squeaky Fromme or John Hinkley -- but somehow I expect the press to start comparing those two presidential assailants to Joe the Plumber instead.
H/T NewsBusters
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A federal grand jury is investigating how a company that advised Jefferson County, Alabama, on bond deals that threaten to cause the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, did similar work in New Mexico after making contributions to Governor Bill RichardsonÂ’s political action committees.
The grand jury in Albuquerque is looking into Beverly Hills, California-based CDR Financial Products Inc., which received almost $1.5 million in fees from the New Mexico Finance Authority in 2004 after donating $100,000 to RichardsonÂ’s efforts to register Hispanic and American Indian voters and pay for expenses at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, people familiar with the matter said.The Federal Bureau of Investigation asked current and former officials from the state agency if any staff members in the governorÂ’s office influenced CDRÂ’s hiring, said the people, who declined to be identified because the proceedings are secret. Richardson, who is President-elect Barack ObamaÂ’s designate for Commerce Secretary, has a staff of at least 30 people.
This probe has been in progress for some time. It could ensnare Richardson directly, but even if his involvement is only tangential it has the potential to spatter the new president with even more scandalous muck. After all, this appears to be more of the Chicago Way of pay-to-play.
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Sen. John McCain said Sunday he would not necessarily support his former running mate if she chose to run for president.Speaking to ABC's "This Week," McCain was asked whether Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin could count on his support.
"I can't say something like that. We've got some great other young governors. I think you're going to see the governors assume a greater leadership role in our Republican Party," he said.
He then mentioned governors Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Jon Huntsman of Utah.
McCain is no fool. He is correct in recognizing that we have a number of young governors (including not only the two he mentioned, but also Louisiana’s Bobby Jindal and Hawaii’s Linda Lingle who would be great candidates. There are also several promising members of the House and Senate who would be fantastic candidates. And let’s not forget Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, whose showing this year gives them serious name recognition that would help a future candidacy. But who knows – there may be some candidate who is not yet on anyone’s radar who could emerge and lead us to victory. David Petraeus, anyone?
So for anyone who wants to make this into a slight of Palin by McCain, please think again. After all, at this time in 2004 we all thought that 2008 would see the major Dems line up to put Hillary Clinton into the Oval Office. We saw how well that worked.
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December 13, 2008
Now, however, the failure of Republican legislators to support legislation being rammed through by the Democrats who lead the Senate is described as unpatriotic by leading Democrats without a word of protest by the media or GOP leaders.
Consider these two statements, both made in the wake of the defeat of the Big Three bailout.
First, Congressman John Dingell.
“Last night, some Southern Senators kicked American workers in the gut,” Dingell said in a statement released by his office. “Let’s be clear about what happened in the Senate: Senators from states where the international automakers do considerable business unpatriotically blocked a bill that was supported by the White House, that passed the House with a bipartisan majority, and that had the support of 52 Senators.”
And then Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
"It is unacceptable for this un-American, frankly, behavior of these U.S. senators to cause this country to go from a recession into a depression," Granholm said during a radio interview Friday morning.
Notice, if you will, that failure to support the bill is not presented as a disagreement on principle, a policy difference, or even simply wrong. The Democrats have gone right to the patriotism of those who dare to disagree with their proposal to give another bailout to big business without giving a bit of relief to the average taxpayer. Now that they have seized power at the polls, dissent cannot be permitted, and dissenters have to be clearly labeled as the enemy of all decent Americans.
Oh, and let me make a little side note about Dingell. Could it be that his vote on the bailout bill, and his criticism of those who opposed it, is less about the needs of the country and more about the need of his stock portfolio?
[N]obody’s been a bigger advocate for Motor City interests than Dingell. And for him, the stakes aren’t just political, they’re personal.“There’s an actual conflict,” said Ryan Alexander of the nonprofit group Taxpayers for Common Sense. “His personal financial health, you know, the wealth of his family is tied up in the car industry.”
DingellÂ’s wife Debbie once worked as a lobbyist for GM.
When she married the congressman, she became a senior GM executive at an undisclosed salary. And we found the couple has extensive GM assets.
DingellÂ’s current financial disclosure filed in May lists GM stock worth up to $350,000, options worth up to $1 million more, and a GM pension fund. In 2000, among the DingellsÂ’ GM assets were stock options worth up to $5 million.
And in 1998, the congressman reported selling GM stock options worth up to $1 million dollars.
If Dingell were a Republican, I'm sure folks would accuse him of having a major conflict of interest. After all, a GM bankruptcy would certainly lead to sever financial losses for him and his wife. But since he has a D after his name, I suspect that the conflict of interest will be ignored and he will be permitted o cast aspersions on the patriotism of political dissenters.
Frankly, I'd love to see Granholm's disclosure forms as well. I know what I think we would find there, and it would certainly call into question whether her words were based upon the best interests of the country or the best interests of her personal finances.
H/T The Next Right
Posted by: Greg at
03:37 PM
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