Kidnapped Soldiers

There are currently two US soldiers who were kidnapped in Iraq over the weekend by militants claiming association with al-Qaeda.

The military can't even protect its own from guerrillas in Iraq. How will they be effective to return Iraq to civility? Democrats are correct: the war in Iraq must be put on a timetable and it must be maintained. The Iraqi government must take responsibility for maintaining its own peace from here on out. Honestly, they will never make it once the US is gone. The current Parliament will be overthrown and replaced with a militant Islamic regime...all thanks to George Bush.

Even Saddam Hussein couldn't save Iraq at this point. Bush believed that by invading Iraq and liberating the Iraqis from Saddam he'd be heralded as a savior and beatified by the Iraqi and American people. This is what happens when you let an idiot be president and give him unfettered power.

Iran & North Korea

Bush is threatening Iran and Rice is threatening North Korea.

What are we going to do about it? Not a darn thing! We've got a civil war in Iraq that we started to deal with first.

Data Theft

ING reports that the personal data of a few thousand of its costumers in the DC area was stolen. Apparently, an employee's laptop was stolen, which contained the sensitive information.

Firstly, I wanted to know if it was a theft from an ING office? No, it was from the employee's home. Why are employees allowed to keep such information at their homes? Why would I be sitting at home with a laptop filled with 13,000 people's social security numbers and other personal information.

I realize this person works for the company. They probably go out to different businesses in the DC-area to drum up business for ING. Instead of taking the computer home with them, they should have an office where they drop off this information each day. Honestly, I don't feel safe with my stuff being at someone's home, even if they do work for a company I do business with. Who knows what they might do with all that information?!?!?!?!

My bottom line: Let's keep business at the office, not at home, especially, when it involves so much confidential information about customers.

The United States is the new Soviet Union?

Once upon a time, the Soviet Union was a world power. It was the main competitor with the United States. The US said capitalism is the ultimate in economics. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Soviet Union took a change in its economy. It became stagnant. The economy did not grow. People were out of work, people were in debt, and the select rich ran the country. There was no prospects for growth in that country's economy. Their economy tittered for years, before it finally crashed, leaving the Soviet Union dead. The United States worked very hard to make sure the Soviet Union's economy crashed, so they could cannibalize the leftovers when the country no longer existed. Effectively, the US would control the world!

Sure that may have happened, initially. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ended in 1990/1991. The US was the world broker of peace. It had brought democracy to the largest country in the world. We were at the pinnacle. Now, we are taking the same road the Soviet Union did in the 1970s. We are becoming heavily in debt. We are using our military to control other nations against their will (so guess where our money is going?). We want to hold our own in the league of nations of the world. We want the world to fear us, not respect us. We've got power and influence, but for how much longer?

In this year's national budget we had to allocate $200,000,000,000 ($200 billion) for the war in Iraq. Guess who put up that money? Was it the United States' taxpayers? Was it the surplus of money in the US Treasury that George Bush has put in there for us? No, it was the new world power who loaned us the money: CHINA! Did George Bush put that in a speech? I don't think so!

Our economy is growing at a rate of 3% per year. China's economy is growing at a rate of 8% per year! What's that translate to? China's economy is growing at a rate of almost three times the rate of our economy! What does that mean for us? China is quickly taking our jobs. We have outsourced our jobs so readily without any thought to the future. The US is buying rapidly from China to supply the demand of our consumers. China is getting our money in many different ways. Is China becoming the United States of the 1970s and 1980s? It looks like it, considering how fast their economy is growing. The US is slowly becoming the Soviet Union of yesteryear. How long can we last before China pushes us over the edge? We are slowly, but surely, becoming stagnate.

What will we do about it? Not much as long as King George is our leader, and Republicans control Congress. They seem pretty happy about it.

Perpetual War

The House of Representatives voted Friday that the war in Iraq is going to last forever. There is no date for removal. They didn't even play lip service to predicting a date.

What the hell?

Jefferson's Out; McKinney's In

It was tit-for-tat for black Democrats today in the House of Representatives. Representative William Jefferson (D-LA) was kicked out of his top spot in the Ways and Means Committee. Representative Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) won a reprieve when a District of Columbia grand jury refused to indict her over her altercation with Capitol Police in April.

Sounds like affirmative action...well...something like that!

Married at 15

The Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that a 15 year old can get married in Colorado. The Court also went further to say that it was legal for a female as young as 12 to marry and 14 year old boy can do the same.

People make fun of Kentucky, because...????

More Government Mismanagement

It would seem the Secretary of Health & Human Services (HHS), Michael Leavitt, has been using a GulfStream 3 jet that belongs to the Centers for Disease Control for his own private agenda.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the private jet has been used on several occasions to transport the secretary to events all across the US, which comes to a total of around $700,000 (just this year). The primary purpose of the jet, however, is to quickly transport personnel and equipment in the event of an emergency, not act as the secretary's personal aircraft.

The US Congress implemented into the HHS budget for the year that the secretary could use the CDC's aircraft "in times of emergencies and in the days following such emergencies." I'm not sure taking the jet on 19 separate trips to promote George Bush's Medicare prescription drug plan qualifies for an emergency. I'm sure, however, the fall out from Bush's Medicare initiative will create a national emergency in the future. Perhaps, they are just "paying the emergency forward."

This is only in addition to the FEMA fiasco which is really only coming into light in the past few days. We see tax dollars being used to take Caribbean vacations, to buy Dom Perignon champagne at Hooters, to visit XXX clubs, and pay for a sex change operation. Wow...how come I didn't go down there and get my hand in the cookie jar?! Damnit, we all should have! Apparently, they wouldn't have known if you were from Mars. They must have been throwing the money from the back of a dump truck!

Bush=Fiscal Responsibility (HAHAHAHAHAHA!)

Bush in Iraq

Bush went to Iraq today. I wonder if he got lost or something?

Guantanamo Bay

America's darling in the war against terrorism, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is now in the international limelight again.

Apparently, three "inmates" committed suicide over the weekend by hanging themselves. The US still doesn't tell the American people what really happened there. We have to learn the facts from foreign media outlets. I find it disgusting that our media is so beholden to the government that it can't find it in itself to be independent and report the facts of the case.

It is time the US brought these 500, or so, people to trial. They aren't even criminals. They are more like hostages in this illegal war. I suppose we are holding them on ice until we need them to conduct some type of backroom deal with the enemy.

The United Nations must insist the United States deliver these criminals to justice or set them free. Our country can no longer continue to hold these people incommunicado forever! It is illegal and irresponsible. It stands against everything democracy represents. We want to be a model of democracy for the whole world; yet we hold people in prisons in other countries and do not give them simple democratic devices, such as knowing what they are charged with and then the right to have a trial in a court of law.

Hurricane Alberto?

Tropical Storm Alberto is now up to 70mph...just 4mph shy of a hurricane! It is supposed to hit Florida by tomorrow.

American Justice, what does it mean?

What does it mean, justice? Justice is a sense of right over wrong. I have been listening to Laura Flanders on Air America Talk Radio. She made a very good point. Something I really hadn't thought about. She said what separates a democracy from the terrorists is the rule of law. Yes, the president doesn't have the authority (really) to simply order the assassination of someone (usually a head of state).

Yet, we are all excited about how this Zaqawi character was summarily assassinated by the US military. How is that really justice? Why not simply try to go in and arrest this individual? Then have a trial where the crimes against him are read and he is given a chance to respond to them. Then a trail ensues with a verdict by a jury/court.

I think George Bush has become overwrought with the Saddam Hussein trial. It is not going well for the court in Iraq (i.e., the United States) that is trying Saddam and his cohorts. Perhaps, Bush would have simply had Saddam summarily executed by the soldiers who found him hiding in his spider hole. King George wanted a big trial, where the Iraqi court would move things quickly, then order Saddam executed...easy peasy! At least it is a form of justice, to a certain degree.

We should have a discussion about how criminals are dealt with. Can the government/military simply order someone executed without regard to due process and the long established rule of law?

CNN and terrorism

I wonder if CNN will post the autopsy photos of that al-whatever his name is that was killed other night? They've really gone overboard with the whole issue. They showed his picture for two days...his dead mug framed bigger than normal on CNN.com. I emailed them and complained that I am tired of seeing it. I don't think we need to glorify the whole incident. It makes us look vulgar. I haven't heard back from them...

More Trouble

Blogger is still not working properly! WTF!

First Tropical Depression

Today is June 10 and we have already seen the first tropical depression of the hurricane season. This one is pretty close to home. It is just south of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. I suppose the waters are especially warm this time of year. It still seems pretty early, however, for this kind of activity. I guess it is going to be as bad as they predicted!

Love Bites

Whomever said love is blind certainly never really knew what love is. I believe that people can love each other no matter what. They can embrace each other in love and companionship, until, of course, the shit hits the fan. Now, there are different kinds of lovers. The first one believes love is somewhat conditional. This person looks for ways to ingratiate himself onto someone else. They win them over completely, then they screw them over behind their back (and not in a good way). Next, there is the person who sees all the signs of deceit and dishonesty and chooses to ignore it. I'm this kind of person. I have a theory that if he comes back every night, then he loves you to a certain degree. He cares enough to be with you each night. So what if he is out with everyone else carousing the streets, etc.? That's all just incidental...right???

 

I guess I know how Hillary must have felt when Bill went on each of his little trysts. You have to be the strong one and overlook these things for the good of the relationship. You must be the one who takes it on the chin and smiles the next morning so he doesn't have to remember what just happened. Perhaps, he just can't help it? Ha...sure he can, but if you mention it to him then you get threats of self-harm and self-loathing. It's always innocent. *wink wink* I always misunderstood what I saw, according to him. Isn't that the real price we pay for love? A blind, infected eye.

Is this really necessary?

Okay, so they killed the al-Qaeda mastermind, al-Zaqawi, in Iraq today. That's lovely, I'm sure. But why must we be required to look at his dead face in a picture frame?

 

First of all, we have spent millions of dollars to kill this guy, sure we have...let's be honest. Now, the US government took it a step further and paid for a photograph of him and placed it into a wooden frame. That's pretty tacky. To me it's no different than when the terrorists (and not the US this time) behead someone and put it on a website. Of course, they are happy, but we don't need to see their gloating faces as we look at the image of a disgusting dead man. This isn't CSI.

 

To make it even more picture perfect, it is show with this soldier looking at the picture with an almost smirk on his face. What's he smirking at and what is the message the Pentagon (i.e., Bush) trying to send? That if you defy the US we will kill you, take a professional-grade photograph of your dead face, and then place it in a lovely wooden frame?

 

When will this all end?

Blogger is on the fritz

Has anyone else noticed how slow Blogger has been recently? You can't even log into the service during the day. I wonder if it is because of network traffic or if there is a problem on their servers? They were down yesterday for unscheduled maintenance. As of now, I'm being forced to submit my entries via email! How sad is that? I hope they get it fixed soon. It is inconvenient to say the least.

Quashed

The Marriage Amendment before the Senate was quashed today by a vote of 49-48; thereby, killing it during this session of Congress. I believe that due to the fact Democrats will regain their control over Congress in November, Republicans will have to look for a different minority to dump all their shit on during the 2008 election cycle, considering this dog won't hunt anymore with the American people.

Idiots in the Senate

It would seem that Americans are more consumed with same-sex marriage than the price of gas. I didn't know that. Of course, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) was able to set me right on that. I can't believe how foolish I was to think Americans were more worried about how much gas costs and how they're going to pay for it when it would seem they're more worried about who their neighbors are sleeping with tonight.***

Wow! The things you learn by watching debate on the Senate floor!

(***Note my seething sarcasm!)

6/6/06

Bah!

Marriage will be modeled after Muslim marriage

From the things I have heard some senators say regarding the marriage amendment, I am floored and appalled.

Basically, the things they would do is implement Muslim tenants toward marriage. It would seem that a woman is to be subversive to her husband for all of life. How's that sound ladies? You can just be a baby machine and clean the house for your man! Divorce...please...that destabilizes society. You're married for life. Maybe dad can even pick the man you marry!

What is this 1682?

Judicial Branch is the Devil?

The debate on the floor of the Senate has turned to directly attack the judicial system of the United States.

They make it sound as if the judicial branch of the government just magically appeared without any regard from the other branches of the federal government.

Firstly, every federal judge in the United States is nominated by the president and then confirmed by the Senate. So, it is the elected officials of this country who select and seat the judges....have some senators forgotten this simple fact? Perhaps.

Perhaps, they are looking for someone to blame. Some say the courts have legislated from the bench public policies. The function of the courts is to interpret the Constitution. Duh! If I have a problem with the law, then I have the right to bring a suit against the government so the courts may interpret the constitutionality of the law.

It's time for each branch of the federal government to respect the authority of each other.

Two year anniversary!

Wow! Today is the second year since I started my blog. It doesn't seem that long ago!

I'm old....

An amendment that makes sense

George Bush is tramping around Washington today trying to be a big man and rally his ultra-conservative cronies toward interfering in people's personal affairs. Now, sure this will never pass the US Congress, but it puts on a good show for the conservative-base come November. (Even though, Bush's Republican cronies are going out of office in January, 2007).

Now what about an amendment to the US Constitution that makes sense? Sure, there are reasons we should amend the Constitution. Here's one of them the majority of Americans would gladly ratify. Article II (dealing with the president) should be amended to include an intelligence test for all candidates. The president of the United States should be above intelligence, don't you think? He/she should be able to score at least 110+ on a standard IQ test (without any help from advisors, or tutors...haha!). Do you honestly think Bush could score anything above 70? I hardly doubt it. His intelligence is down there with a brain-dead chimpanzee! (Not to offend poor helpless animals.) Further, it would be terrible if he didn't have his advisors. He'd never find the front door of the White House without them.

Let's face facts, George Bush is an idiot! If not that amendment, let's put a clause in the Constitution that says there can't be another president from the Bush family. His poor brother, Jeb, who is the governor of Florida, is of the same stock. He pushed a bill to allow dogs to be able to dine with their owners at restaurants al-fresco! That's just what Americans need. I'd love to eat at a restaurant while someone's dog is at the next table licking it's balls. God, where did these idiots come from?!

XM Radio

I got XM satellite radio Friday. I had never dealt with satellite radio before, I had heard a lot about it. Hell, I'd even bought (and since sold) stock in Sirius. But XM seemed to be the best choice for me. I bought the portable Delphi xm2go handset. It is really cool, even for $154. The thing I love most is I can listen to music I like without being bothered with commercials! It's awesome. The thing with terrestrial radio (listen at me) is you have to deal with the commercials and then you also have to deal with what stations choose to put on the air. Around here, it is mostly preaching and gospel music, which really sucks. I shouldn't have to search through 10 of those channels to find something I only remotely enjoy.

So, yeah, it's worth the $12.95/month I pay to receive over 200+ channels. (Most I probably won't listen to, granted, but it's the thought that counts.)

6-6-06

Okay, let's clear up the misnomer...6/6/06 happens every one hundred years, not once in a millennium. Let's be serious about it and think for a few seconds before we post this kinda crap on the Internet (hello CNN). So the last date was 6/6/1906...hence the even shorter-hand 6/6/06. Duh!

Okay, what is so special about this day? 666...wow...I have paid that much a couple of times at Dairy Queen ($6.66). That must be Satan's lair. No wonder I love the Cappucino Moolate so well! :)

I have an appointment with my "pharmacist" on that day. I hope I can at least get my drugs before the end of the world happens or else I'll have a bf! *gasp*

Proposal headed to Iran

The European Union/United States has prepared its conditions for Iran. Basically, Iran has turned down this proposal already. Iran said it would discuss the provisions, but I know they will never accept them. The US/EU is only postponing the inevitable conflict with Iran. Oh boy...

Bush is in the toilet...again

Considering George's radio address this morning, I have tweaked my letter sent to senators McConnell and Bunning from yesterday, which will now be sent to the White House.

Dear Mr. President:

As the US Congress returns from Memorial Day recess, the Senate will be faced with many important issues, including how to solve the energy crisis facing America, illegal immigration, and the war in Iraq.

The United States Senate, also, has again taken up the issue of a marriage amendment. Mr. Bush, how a person lives their life in the confines of privacy and family simply is not the business of the state. Fifty years ago, the US government was faced with issues such as this which ultimately opened society to all citizens. Of course, I am speaking of the civil rights movement. Some members of Congress during this time advocated and voted to maintain the status quo of segregation within public institutions and venues. Those members, in their later political careers and lives, lived to regret their decisions, which simply were based on intolerance and the popular sentiments of the time. I do not recall reading where President Eisenhower, President Kennedy, or President Johnson were against the civil rights and liberties of the minority; rather, they worked to increase civil rights and liberties. You, on the other hand, are attempting to implement a policy of intolerance and bigotry.

Banning homosexual citizens from enjoying the same rights as heterosexual citizens is akin to banning African-Americans from enjoying the same rights as European-Americans in the 1950s and 1960s. Where is the logic? The United States was not founded on the principle of minority segregation. Certainly, we can argue for ages the "Founding Fathers" never envisioned homosexuality as they crafted our Constitution; however, that point is moot, considering the Constitution, through and by the laws of this nation, has never confined nor limited the rights of individuals. Furthermore, our Constitution is a living document that encompasses all citizens and the immediate conditions of society. It does not confine or limit rights and liberties.

Mr. President, society was not unraveled by giving African-Americans their civil liberties and rights. I am certain you agree, as well. I argue the same will be said in twenty-five years about homosexuals. By protecting a minority, American culture will not be destroyed nor undermined. Instead, those public servants who oppose basic rights for all Americans today will be labeled as regressive and narrow-minded by posterity. You proclaim this so-called “marriage amendment” will work to counteract the moral decline in this nation. You profess your belief that marriage is inherently a right between a man and a woman; however, you overlook the strains placed on society by the lack of appropriate family planning and the lack of sex education for young people. Obviously, from your point-of-view, by placing everyone in a monogamous, heterosexual relationship America will become a utopia. That is simply flawed and misguided. Social reform begins in solid policies that promote the general welfare and education of all citizens. Not the segregation of a convenient minority to win a few votes from another minority, which happens to be conservative.

It is obvious, Mr. Bush, the politics at play in this amendment. During the 2004 election cycle, the same political stunt was crafted by the Republican-led Senate as a means to shift the conversation of American politics; however, I dare say, the political continuum in this nation will certainly shift in November. The Republican-controlled Congress, in concert with your Administration, has repeatedly refused to take up the causes which truly matter to Americans, which include why I am paying almost $3 per gallon to fill-up the tank of my car, outsourcing of American jobs, why companies who choose to stay in the US can replace American labor with cheap, undocumented aliens, and the seemingly unending war in Iraq, which has cost this nation dearly in lives and dollars. Let's address the issues that are truly impacting our society and economy.

Mr. President, these are the issues I will take with me to the polls in November. It is unconscionable the Senate of this great nation would dare waste my tax dollars to debate such a useless issue as a marriage amendment, which will never be ratified. The climate of America has changed since 2004. Simply, the voters need more to occupy their minds during this election cycle than with whom I go to bed with tonight.

As an American citizen, I express my whole-hearted dissent against this ill-conceived and intolerant amendment which is now before the United States Senate.

Commander-in-Chief

According to the Constitution, in a time of war, the President of the United States is Commander-in-Chief (CIC) of the armed forces. This being said, King George has the great distinction of being CIC. CIC is not a light duty. It's more than a title bestowed on a man, or woman (in the future), he can wear it around like a pair of $900 Prada slip-ons. It's a little more involved than Hollywood glamour might allow us to believe.

Various elements of the US armed forces are being investigated for grave misconduct while on the battlefield. Now, King George, being 12,000 miles away, can blow this off as a disciplinary breakdown between his commanders on the ground and the troops committing the offenses. That might hold water between Bush and his commanders, since they will ultimately answer to him, not Donald Rumsfeld. In this country, today, we place too much emphasis on Cabinet level positions. We say that Rumsfeld, as secretary of defense, commands the troops and he is ultimately responsible for the outcome of this war. That is simply wrong!

Members of the President's Cabinet are simply advisers. That's all! Sure, we give them big titles and offices with billion dollar budgets to oversee these days, but the constitutionality of the Cabinet is unchanged. George Bush can simply pan failure off onto Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense (ooohhh..scary), but it's really Bush who is ultimately responsible as CIC. No, it's not the brigadier general in Iraq commanding his troops from one of Hussein's presidential palaces, it's not even the sergeant on the ground with the troops facing untold horrors, it's not even the Secretary of Defense's fault, sadly for Bush, it's his fault as CIC.

Mr. Bush, commander-in-chief is more than a fancy title. It's a responsibility to the people of the United States. It says, "I will be personally responsible for the great trust to command the armed services of this nation. I will walk the line beside the enlisted men and women to personally see that operations and orders are carried out. I will personally oversee the discipline of those troops who fail to carry out the directives of acceptable warfare." It's not, "That damn lazy secretary of defense over there at the Pentagon has failed again. I really wish those commanders would rein in their troops and put a tighter lead on them."

Mr. Bush, take the initiative and live up to your Constitutional office that you so quickly raised your right hand to God and accepted before the American people. Be all that you must be!

Terrible Gays

The US Senate is yet again bringing up the gay marriage amendment next week. I am going to be writing my senators to express my disgust with this political maneuvering, while ignoring the real issues in America that we are concerned with.

Dear Senator McConnell:

As the US Congress returns from Memorial Day recess, the Senate will be faced with many important issues, including how to solve the energy crisis facing America and illegal immigration.

The United States Senate, also, has again taken up the issue of a marriage amendment. Senator, how a person lives their life in the confines of privacy and family simply is not the business of the US Congress. Fifty years ago, the US Congress was faced with issues such as this which ultimately opened society to all citizens. Of course, I am speaking of the civil rights movement. Some members of Congress during this time advocated and voted to maintain the status quo of segregation within public institutions and venues. Those members, in their later political careers and lives, lived to regret their decisions, which simply were based on ignorance and the popular sentiments of the time.

Banning homosexual citizens from enjoying the same rights as heterosexual citizens is akin to banning African-Americans from enjoying the same rights as European-Americans in the 1950s and 1960s. Where is the logic? The United States was not founded on the principle of minority segregation. Certainly, we can argue for ages the "Founding Fathers" never envisioned homosexuality as they crafted our Constitution; however, that point is moot, considering the Constitution, through and by the laws of this nation, has never confined nor limited the rights of individuals. Furthermore, our Constitution is a living document that encompasses all citizens and the immediate conditions of society. It does not confine or limit rights and liberties.

Senator, society was not unraveled by giving African-Americans their civil liberties and rights. I am certain you agree, as well. I argue the same will be said in twenty-five years about homosexuals. By protecting a minority, American culture will not be destroyed nor undermined. Instead, those public servants who oppose basic rights for all Americans today will be labeled as regressive and narrow-minded by posterity.

It is obvious, Senator, the politics at play in this amendment. During the 2004 election cycle, the same political stunt was crafted by the Senate and placed before the American people; however, I dare say, the political continuum in this nation will certainly shift in November. The Republican-controlled Congress has repeatedly refused to take up the causes which truly matter to Americans, which include why I am paying almost $3 per gallon to fill-up the tank of my car, outsourcing of American jobs, why companies who choose to stay in the US can replace American labor with cheap, undocumented aliens, and the seemingly unending war in Iraq. Senator, these are the issues I will take with me to the polls in November. It is unconscionable the Senate of this great nation would dare waste my tax dollars to debate such useless issues as a marriage amendment, which will never be ratified. The climate of America has changed since 2004. Simply, voters need more to occupy their minds during this election cycle than who I go to bed with tonight.

As your constituent, I respectful ask that you vote against this ill-conceived, hateful amendment.

Jackson Leslie in the News!

Well, I used the handy dandy search engine, Google, to search on "jacksonleslie." It would seem that I have been referenced by washingtonpost.com. This reference by me goes back to when George Bush was nominating a candidate to take over for former Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in July 2005. The reference isn't one that I'd have chosen, because of the profanity I was using (and part of the reference). Ha! Here I am referenced by a national media outlet! I'm well on my way to fame!

To wit:

"For some, the nominee's actual identity didn't seem to matter. 'Who the hell is Edith Clement? CNN seems to think she's the nominee,' wrote Jackson Leslie at Grace & Civility. "She's probably a hardline conservative (look at who's doing the nominating).'"

More and more...

Iran stepped up the rhetoric over it's nuclear program when it refused an American call to meet vís-a-vís to discuss the issue. I felt the US invitation to meet at the negotiation table sounded more like an ultimatum to Iran rather than a willingness to openly discuss the issue. The US government stated it would meet with the Iranian government to directly discuss the issue of its nuclear program; however, there were some conditions, including Iran had to halt its uranium enrichment program before the meeting would take place. It would have been more advantageous for the US government to discuss the issue as things stand. Issuing demands and conditions to another country, although American chic these days, is not really asking to discuss the issue, but rather preface the meeting with demands.

Meet the Iranians on their level with how things stand, then discuss concerns and concessions at the bargaining table. DUH!

Society's Debt

Now, before I get started on a rant, let me preface it with the fact that I've NEVER been convicted of a crime in a court of law (in your face you stupid pig cop who tried to call me a speeder). Now, ladies and gentlemen, the rest of the show...

People are convicted of crimes everyday in this country, it's a fact. These include homicide, rape, burglary, grand theft auto, etc. If I stab someone to death and receive my 25 years in a state lock-up, then the day I am set free, I am really, well, free. I can go back into society and live as I see fit. Now of course, I may choose to live in the mainstream, but I can also choose to re-offend, which many felons do.

The title of this blog is "Society's Debt." What does society require of those who live outside of mainstream values? Do they require them to serve a prison sentence, as most criminal activities entail? Of course, they do. I am not saying there is anything wrong with a punitive justice system. If someone kills me, I hope they go to jail for a long, long time. Perhaps, that will keep them from hurting someone else in the near future. If we're really lucky, they may turn over a whole new leaf. Hey, it can and does happen!

When my convicted murderer is up for release after 25 years in prison (let's pretend he was never paroled, etc., he just paid for his debt straight up), he isn't required to become a registered murderer with the state and county in which he lives. Seemingly, special conditions aren't placed on the way he can live his life as a free member of society. We place, however, special conditions on certain types of convicted felons, such as sex-based offenders. Now, these are terrible crimes, like murder, I agree. They deserve to be punished within the confines our jurisprudence system, just like every other criminal. That's not my point, however. My point is this: once you pay your debt--you serve your maximum time as imposed by a court of law--then you are no longer under obligation to the state; ergo society. Society requires sex-based criminals, like being a rapists, child molester, etc., to not only serve time in prison, but also to register within a community as essentially a pervert (for all time, really). It's society's double jeopardy; however, we aren't a law of mob justice (seemingly). We have laws that dictate how we can punish criminals. These laws are written out and apply to everyone, including the criminal. In essence, being a criminal of the sexual persuasion requires you to wear a scarlet letter on your chest forever.

There is no website I can go to and look up who is a formerly convicted murderer in my community. There is no website where I can look up former car thieves, who might be looking at my new car in the drive-way. But sure, I can go to a state website and look at everyone in my community who has raped someone. I can find out who molested little Bobby (who isn't so little anymore) down the street 15 years ago. If our jurisprudence system is fair, then we must have websites with EVERY criminal listed with their offenses; if not, we have violated the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which directly protects the accused individual from excessive and unjust punishment by the state. We have imprisoned some criminals, like sex offenders, for a lifetime, without bars, while sanctioning others for a terminal period of time without future social sanctions against their freedom. This is not justice, this is excessive and unfair punishment.

Someone will say, but this hasn't happened to your family. If your mother was sexually assaulted by a pervert, don't you think that criminal deserves to rot in jail forever. That is simply a gut reaction to a crime against a loved one. Sure, I want to beat the person to death with a baseball bat, but that makes me a criminal and that is not the society in which we want to live. The individual committing the crime deserves his punishment, which will be a set term of imprisonment where he will lose his civil rights and liberties as a citizen. Then, he will be released after said sentence has been fulfilled. I don't expect him to be a slave to the past forever, even for my mother.

When we watch each other, we become a society of vigilantes. We become a society of street justice. "I don't want that pervert living next door to me." No one could say that about this person without someone having forced him/her to register as a sex offender on a website, etc. It's not about protecting victims. It's about protecting our personal feelings and security without regard to the civil liberties and rights of another individual, who committed a crime and paid his debt to society. It's a factor of our relationships among each other where our government allows us to offend against and offender. It would be akin to a murderer serving a sentence in prison and then when he is released, he is then taken to a tree in town and hanged by the people of that community. Do we allow this type of second chance justice for such crimes? Of course not!

Simply, we can't require certain criminals to repay a debt to society over-and-over, while other criminals go their merry ways free and clear!

Political persuasion

You are a Social Liberal (71% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (18% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Myspace.com

Myspace.com is a phenomenon. I admit that I have dabbled in it a little bit, under a fake name, of course!

There are a lot of freaks on there. Let me emphasize, "freaks!" I have learned a lot of interesting facts about people I know/knew through the myspace website!

Troop Reduction in Iraq

Well, George Bush has promised a troop number reduction in Iraq for a while now. He has delivered on that promise today, right?

Sure, he just INCREASED the number of troops in Iraq by 1,500! Good job, Bush! Why should we have believed you'd do anything else?

Summer Vacation

Well, I officially now want to go to Paris in July. It seems to me that it would be a good time considering I can enjoy the fireworks in the US and then jump a plane to Paris for Bastille Day. The only issue I've had with this trip is the fact I can't learn French! Mon Dieu! How come French is so bloody hard? My complaint is this: they don't say half of the word. They change the sound of the ending of most words. It may have something like -eaux as the suffix, but that is simply pronounced -oo. I wonder how you get that? My first impression was the French are lazy speakers, but I suppose it comes from hundreds of years of tradition, so who am I to judge?

If I speak French, then I am certain to sound beneath a mere provincial, which won't win me any favors in France. I may just stick with English and let them get over it. The French are an arrogant people, so by speaking their language someone may get offended. Then I'll be hated for being more than a pompous American, but also being a presumptuous one.

First Tropical Storm of 2006

Uh oh! We're already starting? I guess it's good the tropical storm is in the Pacific Ocean.

I hope this year isn't as bad as last year by a long shot! It's only May 29...so that's like 2 days ahead of the official start of the hurricane season.

Search Support

Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee supports the search of Congressional offices.

Senator Frist should be impeached for being a moron!

Anniversaries

Today is my parents' anniversary. It's been 29 years! They got married in 1977...gosh, that was back in the age of disco and tight pants. I asked my mom if she didn't think it was time for a divorce or something else to shake things up a bit. She said my dad is good for a few more years. There's not many people who make it so long. I'm glad my parents did though. If they got divorced, I'd be devastated. I don't see a divorce, however, occurring; that's how come I can joke about it! :)

"Tipping Point"

It would seem this whole scandal over the seizure of documents from a the office of a representative of the United States Congress has grown over night!

Now, we hear that the Attorney-General of the United States and the director of the FBI possibly may resign over this whole incident. I wonder what Bush had to promise them to get this kind of reaction from two top individuals in the Federal government?

Bush is deflecting the heat away from his Administration. He is putting it squarely on the shoulders of the Justice Department. I think Bush should be the one responsible for the things his lackeys do. This president seems to have more Pam cooking spray on him than a greased-up pig at the county fair!

Poor Clinton was impeached for having sex with an intern in the Oval Office. This president has engaged the US in a lengthy illegal war, costing thousands of lives on both sides, billions of dollars in expense, he keeps billions of records listing our personal and business phone calls without court issued warrants, and now he seizes documents from the legislative branch of the government. When we he be liable for any of these deeds? If Bush had any balls he'd fire the Attorney-General and director of the FBI today!

Even this last snafu has caused him some face with his own party. But I don't think it will ever amount to a hill of beans. I just don't understand the reasons why!

Let's not forget poor Dick Nixon. All he did was steal some documents from the democrat's HQ and he was crucified.

Separation of Powers

It stands to reason that people who enforce the law should know the law. The US Justice Department should be the ultimate authority on the legal system. Instead, they did the Bush thing and decided the US Constitution doesn't apply in this situation. The FBI, directed by the US Department of Justice, decided it can invade the US Congress and take whatever they want from an elected representative to the House of Representatives.

Now, King George has placed a 45 day moratorium on the information seized from Representative Jefferson's office. It took both political parties in Congress to get George to change his mind. I guess he really does fear what's coming up this November and he can't really lose ANY support!

Iran Shame

Wouldn't it be a crying shame if Iran is allowed to develop and manufacture nuclear weapons? Israel seems to think it is a matter of months before they are able to do so!

Let's act now while we can!

Building Fences

It seems George Bush and the US Congress is in the business of building fences.

Fences are only a temporary solution to the illegal immigration problem facing America's southern border. Let's not forget the Berlin Wall in Europe. It only provided a short term solution that was never really good at keeping people from escaping East Germany, or for that matter, keeping people from entering from West Germany.

Now you can call me a communist or a radical, but I have some ideas of my own for this one too. Sometimes, conservatives call us bleeding heart liberals a touchy-feely bunch who can't get anything tough done. As a so-called bleeding heart liberal, I would use more force to secure the border. The border should be militarized for the short-term. As president, I would consider anyone trying to enter the US without proper papers and authorization as an invading force which will be met with all due force necessary to repel it. (You may infer as needed.)

Just a thought, after all...

Teacher Reverence

Of course, as a small child I was always shocked and amazed when I saw a teacher at a store or a restaurant. I thought they lived at school and they couldn't leave the confines of the school's brick or mortar, lest they perish.

Even though, we treat teachers like garbage today, it is surprising that the same belief holds true. Ironically, it holds true for parents too! I am a teacher and I see this first hand. Parents fear teachers...plain and simple, even the ones they didn't have as a child. Parents fear me, interesting!

I see kids at places I go, like the grocery store, mall, etc. They all have that look of awe on their faces, like "Wow! My teacher is outside the school! Is the world still spinning?" Perhaps, they think they should call the teacher police and have me arrested for violating my parole, but they usually get over it. Mom and dad, aunt and uncle, grandma and grandpa, seem to be a bit more calm too when they find out who I am. Perhaps, they have flashbacks of being beaten as a child with a ruler or paddle by their teachers. Who knows the reason? My thesis is this: mom and dad will threaten everything from murder, to getting a teacher fired, or simply a good old fashioned "cussin' out," but the fact-of-the-matter is they never live up to their threats when you meet them in person.

Now what is the purpose of this rant? Simply this: Adults and kids, pay attention, your teachers have lives. Lives that most of you may not imagine a teacher is capable or legally allowed to live! (Shocking, I know.) So when you see me at the convenient store buying a 20-ounce Mountain Dew, at the park, in Wal-Mart, or at the doctor's office to talk about going bald, remember that yes, I am allowed out of the school (occasionally). We aren't driven by stereotypes or old wives' tales. There is nothing in the school handbook that says we can't pose in lingerie on the Internet, get married, sing, dance, or cuss. No, I don't need to send home a permission form to my students' guardians when I decide that I am going on a vacation.

It's simple...don't be naive! Most likely when we see you in the store, we're going to run the other way and pray that you never saw us! HA! HA!

NSA has my phone records?

It would seem the NSA is simply not monitoring phone calls, without warrants, of American citizens who converse with terrorists (allegedly), but they are also storing a massive repository of phone related records of every single American after September 11, 2001!

George Bush has surely gone over the edge of all legal fairness relating to previous legal faux pas. It is certainly time for the United States Congress to exercise its Constitutional authority and call the president to answer for these atrocious abuses of every Americans' civil liberties. It is even more than sinister and illegal...it is outrageous!

President Bush stated they aren't "trolling" to breach our personal privacy. Then what do you call keeping a record of everyone whom I have called in the past 4+ years? HMMMMMM...?! To paraphrase Lou Dobbs, does George Bush really thing we are this foolish? Senators and Representatives, from both parties, seem to be railing against Bush these days. This will send what Republican-base Bush might retain running for the woods to distance themselves from this recent bit of knowledge.

Bush is surely in his last days, if this pans out the way we understand it to be today.

The irony is while Bush was discussing this issue, and how it doesn't violate our basic Constitutional liberties and rights, you can see the portrait of George Washington over Bush's right shoulder. Washington seems to be looking out, over Bush's shoulder, reminding us that we are Americans and we cannot discharge our rights and liberties that he and so many of our forefathers--and foremothers--fought.

Let's not forget the many things we take for granted. Let's not forget the message Washington would send us if he were with us today. Oppression and tyranny start when people become complacent. We lose a bit of our humanity, our freedom, everytime we allow George Bush, or any other person, to railroad what we know to be morally and ethically correct. It takes a greater patriot to stand up and tell us what is wrong with our government, and with our leaders, than it does to comply and become subservient.

It's time to hold President Bush accountable for his numerous crimes!

Ambien

US Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) had an incident with the prescription sleep aid Ambien. It has been said that those who take Ambien suffer from strange and unitended incidents, where they sleepwalk, sleepdrive, sleepeat, etc., without any knowledge of the activities afterward. They engage in activities which they should only be doing while awake. Like when Representative Kennedy was on his way to "vote" at the Capitol at 3am.

There will surely be more research into this drug!

Read the Washington Post article about this subject.

Conspiracy

They found a million barrels of oil just laying around, huh? Maybe it was in the basement collecting dust, simply overlooked for a little while.

Yeah, right!

May Day, Part 2

Okay, so May Day was a total waste of time. I thought the apocalypse or something was supposed to happen. I guess living in Kentucky, I didn't see these "big" things happen. All I saw on television, however, were a few protests and people bitching about legislation and human rights. But that's what makes American great, after all. In the end, I think the pro-immigrant movement hurt itself through its May Day festivities. It only proved to Washington that perhaps we can live without immigrants, overall as a nation.

Who knows...but it wasn't what I thought!

Tomorrow's May Day Right?

You wouldn't know that tomorrow is May 1 from watching the news. It is the day when immigrants and those who support amnesty for illegal aliens are supposed to cripple the American economy. I think that deserves a little more attention from the news than what movie is #1 at the box office.

Let's "rush" Limbaugh to Jail!

Rush Limbaugh is dealing (pardon the pun) himself out of a jail sentence. I wonder why it took three years to get to this point anyhow?

An average person would have already been sentenced to prison. No deals! Look at how they did poor Martha! All she did was deal in some stocks. Rush illegally acquired prescriptions drugs and abused them.

The moral of this story: if you're a Republican crooney then you can do whatever the hell you want!

Iran calling the shots now

Iran has put some conditions on the United Nations. It says that it will allow members of the IAEA to inspect its nuclear facilities if the UN Security Council backs off.

I think it's time to set Iran straight on a few things. First, it can't dictate policy to the rest of the world. Next, we should go ahead and take out these facilities while we know where they are at. While we have our heads buried in the sand they are going to be moving components of their program around the country. Then when they unveil their nuclear weapons program, we'll have no clue where it is!

Good going there George Bush!

Gas going Down?

I noticed today that the price of gas has dropped in some places almost 25-cents.

This tells me that there probably was a little bit of price gouging going on by oil companies and local stations. Since Bush said he would investigate the price of gas, and causes for its sharp increase, people seem to be lowering things down a bit. I hope that they truly do find out there was price gouging and then an antitrust commission is convened to investigate the BIG oil companies.

Oh, and for the $100 rebate the US Senate Republicans wanted to send us...FUCK THAT!

Iran, Iran, Iran

What will we do with Iran? It is now the redheaded step-child of the international community. No one wants to even think about it, much less discipline it.

From what I know, Iran is now the foremost threat to our security. Not just the security of the United States, but that of the entire world. The Middle East is a volatile place. People there hate each other over religious and family issues. Iranian President Ahmadinejad is working hard to bring trouble to his country. His rhetoric is offensive, almost like he is begging for a confrontation with the West.

I am not sure what he means when he says that Iran's nuclear program is irreversible. I suppose he means that the IAEA can go suck a long one, and leave him the hell alone. I imagine the CIA is working overtime in Tehran this evening. It wouldn't surprise me that the United Nations moves forward with sanctions against Iran. Iran certainly is more dangerous than Iraq ever was. They now possess the "atom." We just must make sure they can't refine that atom further and then attach it to missile. To me the options are obvious, Bush must take direct action, along with the United Nations, to shut down Iran's nuclear program (I didn't say invade). I am talking about airstrikes against the facilities where uranium is being enriched. These attacks can take place from naval ships in the Persian Gulf and from B-52 bombers way overhead. Sure, this will piss someone off, but I think we will all be pissed off when Iran nukes Israel or China.

As for Israel, I am not sure what Ahmadinejad's motivation is for attacking Israel verbally. I believe it is a way to somehow create support for Iran with other Muslim nations. I believe, if anything, such rhetoric only serves to distance other Muslim nations from Iran. Today, the president of Palenstine stated that Hamas-led government should recognize Israel as an authentic nation. Iran has always been the ugly duckling of the Muslim nations. It is primarily Shi'ite in its worship of Allah. I believe other Muslim nations are wary of the Ayatollah, who is the "bigwig" of Iran's theocracy.

Basically, Iran is cruising for a bruising. It will simply take a concise aerial strike of Iran's nuclear facilities. That's all! We can leave the Iranians to be in charge of their own government. Of course, we can keep a closer eye on them and make sure they tow the line, or risk another strike.

Simply, Iran cannot be allowed to possess and utilize nuclear energy and technology!

McKinney should pack up

We've heard a lot about US Representative Cynthia McKinney in the news lately. Even though she is a fellow Democrat, I believe her theatrics are more appropriate for the other side of the aisle.

First, she punched a Capitol Policeman, who was only doing his duty. They tried to play the race card, but I'm afraid we are all tired of that card being played. If I was a member of Congress, I would wear my lapel pin, or be willing to identify myself to the security that helps me secure and alive. I think that is common sense. I won't feel like I am being profiled, or other nonsense like that.

Second, she has now called one of her interns as "a fool."

This year is all about elections, especially for the House of Representatives. I believe Representative McKinney (D-GA) must remove her name from the ballot on the Democratic ticket. She must endorse a fellow Democrat to take her spot. There is simply too much baggage attached to this person. I suppose we will wait and see what the people of Georgia's 4th Congressional district will do. After all, it's their decision.

I just hate to see Democrats suffer at this time of great opportunity. Personally, I'm looking forward to a Democrat controlled Congress in January 2007!

The BIG 2-0-0

Wow, my 200th post! I think I should celebrate with some Dom Perignon! Ha! Ha!

Hostel is hostile to my patience

Alright, I just watched the movie Hostel and it is about 1.75 hours of my life I wish I had back. I read the reviews and many people said it was a thriller unlike any other in the past 20 years. So of course, that got my attention and I was excited to finally see it. But for what it's worth, I'll rate it up there with those Jason and Freddy Kruger movies from the 80s which were really, really sad.

I suppose I am more into psychological thrillers, like SAW and SAW II. Now those are some freakishly good movies. Hostel never came close to the the Saw duo, however. The whole movie was based on these three guys who wanted to get some "pussy" across Europe, so of course they end up in Bratislav, Slovakia. The first 45 minutes is a three man frat party, plain and simple. These "college" guys bang every girl they meet, except for the one who is a closet homosexual (that's how I interpreted his actions, poor thing being forced to think about vaginas and breasts).

The only thing that kept me to the end was the character Paxton. If he hadn't been cute, I would have stopped it way before the end. :) The conclusion, however, was hurried and predictable. (Just like my review of it.)

The parts where the people are being tortured in this dungeon of "pain and fear" are very cheesy, at best. The lights are off most of the time and all you can hear are the screams of people in the theater wanting their money back! You only catch a short glimpse of someone puking, losing an eye or finger throughout the whole film. And honestly, those parts weren't even remotely scary. (Am I demented? Perhaps.)

If you enjoy psychological thrillers, this one is definitely not going to make you smile or feel that sensation of your skin crawling at the end. It doesn't even leave you thinking, "Wow! What if...?" The plot is not even feasible, honestly. I don't think even in Slovakia you could run this "Elite Hunters" club. The movie is an insult to anyone from eastern Europe. From the underlying theme of the movie, it would seem the police in eastern Europe are so corrupt and immoral they allow big wigs from around the world to spend their "dollars" and "Euros" to kill people so openly for pleasure. It's preposterous!

Hostel, puhlease!

Happy Earth Day

Now gas is $3.15/gallon for premium. That's how much I paid this afternoon at the BP.

Now they say we are running out of gas, with shortages reported on the east coast! What will we do? I think George Bush needs to fly Air Force One around a little bit more to figure this one out. It's ironic that he celebrated Earth Day in California by calling for less waste of gas, energy efficient cars, and alternatives to fossil fuels. I suppose the president doesn't have to heed his own advice. He can fuel that Boeing 747 up anytime he wants, and we the taxpayers flip the bill!

How convenient for him! Thanks, George! Why don't you do something more constructive to fix this problem, rather than blowing smoke up your own ass?!

I got mauled tonight!

No, it wasn't some wild beast from deep inside the forest. It wasn't some deranged animal with the first signs of rabies. It was my cat.

Even though, she is declawed (the front claws), she is still a formidable opponent. She got outside so I decided to be the "man" and go out and bring her back into the fold--the straight and narrow, you know. Of course, she had other plans for me.

I had to entice her from her hiding place with her bag of kitty food. That worked; boy did it work! So when her back was turned, I reached down and grabbed her up into my arms. I was so proud of myself. I started walking back toward the house, when she suddenly rebels and uses her back claws to shred my forearms. In less than a second, she inflicted five superficial cuts to my right forearm, and then one deeper cut to my left forearm. Sufficed to say, mom says another mm and it would require stitches. And to beat it all, the damn cat got away again!

I haven't seen her since. I've been too busy licking my wounds to care! I just hope this shit doesn't scar. I'm very much allergic to pain and my forearms looked (notice past tense) good.

Fuck it...that's what Mederma is for, right? Too bad there's none in this house!

What will we do?

The price of gas is still on the rise. Honestly, there seems to be no end in sight. Luckily, for now, the Senate is asking questions. Maybe that will be enough to let the gas/oil producers know it's not okay to gouge us and increase their production to bring the price down again to more acceptable levels.

Recently, I found a gas receipt where I paid $1.09/gallon for gas. It was in 2002! It's almost $2 less than we pay today for premium gasoline! That's not so long ago, eh?

Higher Oil Prices?

Chadian President Idriss Deby has threatened to cut off his country's pipeline on Tuesday if the payments from British accounts for Chadian oil aren't made. How might this effect the price of crude on the world market?

I suspect it will lead to another so-called "panic" and result in a spike in the price of crude; thereby, increasing the price of gas for us at the pump!

Alas, there's always another excuse to put billions into the oil industries pocket.

Mexicans have Conservatives on the Run

Today, while I was driving, I heard Rush Limbaugh on the radio talking about how the Mexicans are ruining the US. He said that they are going to celebrate the Soviet Communist holiday of May Day (May 1) by taking the American economy down a peg or two, through an economic boycott. Firstly, May Day predates the Soviet Union by a long, long time. May Day is celebrated by people, and countries, all around the world as a day to celebrate spring and new beginnings. It only became associated with the "worker" in recent times (so everyone gets a day off [is that so bad?]). Why can't we just stop the lies, intimidation and fear?

Anyhow, it would seem this whole immigration issue has the right wing fascists really uptight just before this year's Congressional elections. It almost sounded like Rush wanted to discredit anyone who isn't a conservative, evangelical Caucasian male. Apparently, if you aren't this type of person, then you are certainly part of the problem (liberal/communist/Marxist/socialist/black/Jew/woman).

As for his view that liberals are whimps who are losers in life, that is simple to answer: liberals aren't the ones chosing to forget the middle class and use hard working, decent people, who are the bedrock of our nation as a stepping stone to destroy the economy and environment. Not to mention, the use of unilateral strikes and illegal wars to make themselves feel better. Now who is lonely and pathetic? Republicans are chumps, and in November they are going to be treated exactly the way they deserve, with a big, fat, pink slip from the American taxpayers/voters!

I feel very sad that radio stations choose to air such hate and skewed views of humanity. I do agree with him, however, on one simple point: the conservatives are going out this fall, with or without the Mexicans.

I just hope Rush can handle it! He might, however, get hooked on pills again. :)

Iran: Can you feel the love...and hate?

Recently, Iran has proclaimed its joined the elite "Nuclear Club." It says, however, its intentions are peaceful and only meant to procure clean, nuclear power for the people of Iran. Of course, this sounds lovely and benign, but today the same president of Iran, who expresses his peaceful intentions, stated Israel, or Zionist regime, is a threat to Islam.

So, what else might nuclear technology come in handy for? I can't imagine! Are we really so stupid?

Civil War

The president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, stated that Iraq is currently heading in the direction of civil war.

"Mr Mubarak had told al-Arabiya TV on Saturday that civil war in Iraq 'was on the doorstep.'

"'Civil war has almost started among Shias, Sunnis, Kurds and those who are coming from Asia,' he said.

"However, Iraq's leaders appear to be divided on the issue.
Speaking a day after suicide bombings in a Baghdad mosque left 90 dead, the deputy interior minister told the BBC on Saturday the country had been in a state of undeclared civil conflict for a year or more."

Source

Iran in the Crosshairs?

"The U.S. administration is stepping up plans for a possible air strike on Iran, despite publicly pushing for a diplomatic solution to a dispute over its nuclear ambitions, according to a report by influential investigative journalist Seymour Hersh.

"Hersh's story in the April 17 issue of the New Yorker magazine, mostly citing unidentified current and former officials, says President George W. Bush views Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a 'potential Adolf Hitler,' and sees 'regime change' in Tehran as the ultimate goal.

'This White House believes that the only way to solve the problem is to change the power structure in Iran, and that means war,' Hersh quotes an unidentified senior Pentagon adviser on the war on terror as saying.

The White House, without denying the report, reiterated that it was pursuing a diplomatic solution. 'We are not going to discuss military planning,' said spokesman Blair Jones.

"'The IAEA (The International Atomic Energy Agency) and the UN Security Council have spoken clearly: Iran must return to full and sustained suspension of its enrichment and reprocessing activities.'

"Iran insists it only wants nuclear technology for power generation. Washington believes Iran is trying to build an atomic bomb and refuses to rule out an attack to deal with what it says is one of the biggest threats to regional stability.

"Its attempts to take action against Iran have been frustrated by the reluctance of fellow United Nations Security Council veto-holders Russia and China to consider sanctions."

Source

It would seem G.W. Bush is up to it again. He is going after part 2 of his axis of evil. He even went as far as to label the president of Iran as "Adolf Hitler." It sounds pretty serious. I just wonder if any of Bush's generals, who he relies on for intelligence and when to increase/decrease the military in Iraq, have bothered to tell him that such a move would be highly costly and dangerous to the welfare and integrity of the United States?

Even a selective airstrike against targets inside of Iran could only prove to provoke them further. They may undertake a full-force military invasion of Iraq. I doubt Tehran is as gullible and crippled as Baghdad was three years ago on Freedom Day. Out of the people I know from Iran, they are a truly arrogant and proud people. They probably would fight to the last man, for real! Instead of shaming the Iranian people into "regime change," Bush may move them to US policy change in the Middle East, especially when you have someone like the Ayatollah who is really pulling the strings and running the government behind the scenes.

In this instance, however, I agree with US policy-makers, we cannot allow Iran to have nuclear capabilities, even for peaceful use (which I do not believe). Iran has repeatedly verbalized its contempt for Israel, and such weapons, I am sure, would find a place on the tip of some mid-range ballistic missile, or in the backpack of some serious suicide bomber in downtown Tel Aviv!

George Bush should have taken greater care to gauge his enemies and place them into order in regards to their direct immediate and future threats to the United States and its allies. Now, we are stuck in a hopeless war (like Vietnam), which we will never win. We have already been defeated, and Iraq is locked in a civil war, which they can only decide ultimately. If Bush had attacked Iran first, we can be certain (mostly) that Saddam wouldn't have come to the aid of his blood enemies, the Iranians. Now, however, we have regime stagnation in Iraq, and Iran has vowed to aid its Shi'ite brethren in Iraq from the Sunnis who subjugated them for decades! American airstrikes can only go so far, when the Iranians invade the eastern borders of Iraq!

This is truly a conundrum for the United Nations to work out. The US cannot afford anymore unilateral "nation building." The cost of such policies in Iraq has already proven too great in money and American lives!

Bush is not the president to make such a decision for us at this time!

Meryl Streep, I love you!

If you have watched Meryl Streep's recent movies, to wit: Prime and The Manchurian Candidate, you will have seen my very own mother (not Meryl Streep, perse, but her characters).

In both movies, she plays a doting and overbearing mother who is bent on running the life of her son. That sounds so very reminiscent of my own mother. Her characters even says things and displays body language that gives me chills. I'm like, "Mom, is that you?!" I just love when she uses a bit of motherly advice that is laced with guilt and shame. It works everytime!

Moreover, I have found the actress to portray my mother when they make the movie of my life. You see, Megan Mullally is playing the part of me. So we will have an all-star cast! Megan Mullally and Meryl Streep.

Now, I must cast the parts for my brothers and father. I'll let you know how that turns out!

I wonder if Ina Garten is available? Hmmm....

Happy Freedom Day!

Today is Freedom Day in Iraq. I am sure everyone in Iraq is celebrating.

Wait! It's just more American propaganda! I doubt many people in Iraq could care less, much less celebrate the day their country was taken over by another country.

Interesting how history is written by the victors. I doubt many Iraqis three years ago thought their country would be engaged in a civil war today.

As my French friend says, "Mon ami, c'est la vie!"

Gas News

Today, at the BP, I paid $2.95/gallon for premium gas. How rude!

In other news, last week it was revealed that ExxonMobil is now the NUMBER ONE corporation in the world for revenues over the past 12 months. It made $340,000,000,000 ($340 billion) in revenue! It beat Wal-Mart's $316,000,000,000 revenue, which took Wal-Mart from the top, where it has been for the past four years! Imagine someone taking the top seat away from Wal-Mart, I'm appalled. ExxonMobil made $147,000,000,000 more than General Motors (which is #3) in the same time period! So are we paying more for gas than the automobiles it goes in? Seems so!

Mostly I'm upset because ExxonMobil couldn't have done it without the inflated gas prices over the past 1.5 years. Our government has done nothing to halt this upward spiral from this unchecked monopoly.

Is it surprising that three out of the top 10 revenue making companies in the world last year are oil giants (ExxonMobil, $340bn; Chevron, $190bn; ConocoPhillips, $167bn)?

So in the past year, the three biggest oil companies made $697,000,000,000!!!!! That's almost $1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion dollars) split between three companies!

Now how much did ExxonMobil grow from 2004 to 2006, you ask? ExxonMobil's profits grew by 42.6%. I wonder how much its net revenues will total between now and 2007? From the rise in the price of gas lately, I'd bet on another 42.6%!

When will this greed and price gouging stop? When we decide that it will!

Somewhere in Saudi Arabia a sheik is happy!

Bitchy Bush

"President Bush blamed Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid on Saturday for the potentially fatal blow dealt to compromise immigration legislation.

"The landmark bill, which would offer eventual citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants, fell victim Friday to internal disputes in both parties.
But Bush -- echoing earlier complaints from Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee -- sought to place all the blame on Reid, D-Nevada, who refused to permit votes on more than three Republican-backed amendments.

"'I call on the Senate minority leader to end his blocking tactics and allow the Senate to do its work and pass a fair, effective immigration reform bill,' Bush said in his weekly radio address.

"Hailed as a bipartisan breakthrough earlier in the week, the immigration measure would have provided for stronger border security, regulated the future entry of foreign workers and created a complex new set of regulations for the estimated 11 million immigrants in the country illegally."

Source

Eh, blow it out your pie hole Bush. Republicans are going down in November and you're shaking in your boots!

Bush Authorized Leak that Libby is paying for?

"Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide told prosecutors President Bush authorized the leak of sensitive intelligence information about Iraq, according to court papers filed by prosecutors in the CIA leak case. Before his indictment, I. Lewis Libby testified to the grand jury investigating the CIA leak that Cheney told him to pass on information and that it was Bush who authorized the disclosure, the court papers say. According to the documents, the authorization led to the July 8, 2003, conversation between Libby and New York Times reporter Judith Miller."
Source

Poetry

Stars shine and die
Like mortals below whom they delight
Mars and Venus, each a different light overhead
Yet, they stand and swing far apart

My heart bleeds like a river inside of me
It aches and wails a song of misery
Delight is on my mind hours on end
The words are within, not without

The tears well on the outside like floods
But their heat is inside like flames
My emotions are almost dulled
Since I know you'll be gone

Awhile, I'll pretend the sun still shines
And the world still turns
But inside I'll be lost and alone
Misery's sorrow, a pet to be used

Mishandled are my emotions
Laid aside on a shelf--forgotten, but missed
The tears will dry and become bitter
With loneliness as my companion, I can still sigh--
Regret
Dream
Hope

Poetry

THOUGHTS

Ancient thoughts

Bury me in silent repose.

I remember months, years

Which haunt my thoughts and dreams--

From a while ago.

I see you face as it was,

But today it is different--

Long and round

Your eyes remain unchanged,

Light and dark

They peer out from the confines of my prison inside

Chained to the processes of my desire,

However distant, I know, I breathe

I need through substitution, I try

Your hold resigns me for a while longer

I'll sigh and groan, lust more, of course

Changes are never sincere, only skin deep

I feel yours in my dreams, my desires.

Iran Missile Tests

It seems that in Bush's so-called axis of evil, he chose poorly when he attacked Iraq.

Iran has just made a second missile test, which is capable of taking out large naval vessels (maybe American ships?). Now, all they need is a nice nuclear warhead to attach to the top of that missile. Wouldn't that be just lovely?

I'm disgusted by the whole thing. Condi Rice was right when she said there have been thousands of mistakes related to the occupation of Iraq. Let's send them to the top, where they belong. The buck stops with Bush.

IMPEACH BUSH NOW!

Dick Aide calls for Bush Censure

The aide of former President Dick Nixon has called for the United States Senate to censure Bush...perhaps, even impeach him!

OMG! I've been saying that for how long now? January 20, 2001?

I think so!

They lie!

I've been to the muthafuckin' mountain top!

:)

Gas is on the rise again, no fooling!

Today, I paid $2.89 for premium gasoline at BP. It looks like we are heading back up to the $3 mark. People, however, aren't making the same noise they were making this time last year. The petroleum industry is smart. They play the numbers. If you raise the price too high, people will bitch, then you drop the price down about 15% to a number where people will relax. Then, you work to slowly raise the price to a higher number. If you do it in a systematic manner, people will not complain because they are fickle and they stop paying attention. A dime a month is a pretty safe bet at this time, because people have seen gas prices at $3+ in the past, so they won't complain on a mass scale.

What a shame!

Age is a number!

A 250 year old tortoise! FUCK!

It's older than the United States....that's awesome!

Immigration

The question of immigration is a hot topic at the moment. And of course, I have a few ideas about it.

Without going into the concept of out-sourcing, let's talk about in-sourcing. In-sourcing is a new term for our lexicon. We look at large companies, mom-and-pop businesses, and then the average American looking to save a few bucks. By bringing in cheap labor from south of the border, we cheat ourselves. Every time a company hires an illegal immigrant they save a lot of money. They pay these people under the table for their services and half the wages they'd have to pay an honest American. What will an undocumented immigrant do? Call the IRS?

Duh! At half the legal wage, they are still making a handsome wage from the one they earned in Mexico or Central America. It's truly win-win for companies. In the end they can maintain their output at a reduced rate. But doesn't that sound good for our economy? NO!

We are moving jobs out of the United States to avoid taxation and wage restrictions. At the same time, we are moving immigrants into our country who work at companies which still fly the American flag out front. They take the place of the American man or woman who worked for $15/hour. Now, the illegal immigrant is making $3/hour. I believe it is wrong to punish the poor souls who have risked all to make it to our country. They honestly don't understand the politics and legalities of their actions (more or less, at least).

Instead we must severely punish companies which choose to in-source their labor (or at least fluff a portion thereof). Criminal/civil litigation (class action) should be brought against the company hiring illegal immigrants. In addition, the IRS must demand penalties, etc., be paid to their coffers for the loss in revenue as a result of using illegal, cheap labor to conduct business.

And of course, we must blame a Republican, who supports BIG business!

Oil & America

Oil is the quintessential staple of the American diet. It fuels our cars and it heats our homes. So what if it all suddenly went away...or most of it at least?

We have our refineries along the Gulf of Mexico. They are certainly vulnerable, Hurricane Katrina taught us that last year. We primarily rely on oil from the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, the largest oil exporter in the world, and the United States largest partner in oil, is vulnerable to terrorism. If it weren't for the crude that sits beneath their deserts, they would be nothing but a Bedouin nation of poor, deprived people. We need their supply of oil to keep our country operating smoothly.

Although, I am not keen on the idea of destroying pristine national refuges for our own greed, we must come to terms, however, with our own vulnerability when it comes to this issue. We must be realistic.

We have been talking about alternative fuel cars for decades, but it is true we are probably no closer to making this a reality now than we were 15 years ago. There are certainly steps being taken by car manufacturers to address this growing dread among our country, but it is one that we will not easily embrace. The United States must face facts: either we switch our petroleum-based cars for those that run on renewable resources immediately, which can be grown in our own backyards, or we must prepare ourselves for extracting our own resources of crude in Alaska.

It seems easy to say we will depart from our petroleum-based transportation, but as long as automobile manufacturers are allowed to continue to roll out vehicles with combustible engines driven by gasoline and diesel, then we will never make it over this looming disaster when it occurs. The government must place a moratorium on the production of gasoline engines and require that all new vehicles be fitted with engines which run on renewable fuels, such as ethanol. As logic dictates, as older cars are scrapped then our dependence on foreign oil is diminished, until we can arrive at a place in the future where our dependence on oil is diminished completely or less than 10% of where we are today.

Can you imagine a country that is no longer dependent on oil? The big oil companies, and countries like Saudi Arabia, will lobby Washington against such a bold step, but it is one that we must wise-up to and understand is coming. Otherwise, we will be left with a nation of cars that no longer can be used, homes that no longer can be heated, because we chose to give into big business and turn a blind eye to the facts which are staring us so boldly in the eye.

Saddam's Fate

I wonder what Saddam's fate will be since his trial will never be over?

I'll give you one guess...just look at Slobodan Milosevic!

Iran's Nuclear Program

The Russians were our only hope for hammering out an agreement with the Iranians for uranium enrichment. It seems that has failed.

Iranians turned down a compromise to have their uranium processed by Russians at a Russian location and then transferred to Iran for use as nuclear power.

It would seem the intent of Iran is not to have have a peaceful nuclear program. They are looking to become the next nuclear power in the Middle East. The United States has miscalculated the Iran-factor when it went to war in Iraq. Our forces are now engaged in a hopeless battle in Iraq as it fights a civil war. George Bush's "axis of evil" policy has failed. He allowed the two most powerful nations in this axis to slip through. Basically, I believe the US may have chosen the weakest member of the axis to make a point, which has only strengthened the military resolve of Iran and North Korea, while weakening our own!

Certainly, we will have to look to Europe to resolve the Iran issue; considering, the United States does not have the military presence and force to resolve the Iran issue unilaterally. Perhaps, China can keep North Korea in check. We can only hope!

Milosevic Never Gets Justice

Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic died yesterday in the custody of the United Nation International Court of Justice in The Hague. His four year stint in The Hague was a miscarriage of justice. The extent of a speedy trial should have been extended to him, and every individual currently on trial in the ICJ. Of course, we knew before the case ever started the ICJ judges were going to find Milosevic guilty and sentence him to life imprisonment. It was a given fact, so why the need for four years?

As for Saddam, his case should be heard before the ICJ also. Of course, he is deserving of a speedy trial that should take weeks, not years! In jurisprudence, I believe every defendant should have the right to face his/her accusers in open court. So there shouldn't be any shields or faces being covered. All elements of the proceedings should be held in open court. If they level the implication, they should stand in open court and state as much! Habeas corpus, for Christ's sake!

Just like Milosevic, Saddam will be denied justice in the interest of American politics. He was sentenced to death before the court in Iraq ever assembled.

Step One: South Dakota

Isn't it odd how suddenly South Dakota has enacted a law that limits abortion just at the same moment there are now two Bush lackeys on the Supreme Court?

What has happened is these groups have devised a way to reverse Roe v. Wade (1973). They will start with a state, such as South Dakota, which will easily enact such a law. Groups, like the ACLU, will challenge it's legality in the federal courts. Now, once the issue goes from the state level to the Supreme Court they will push to reverse the Roe v. Wade decision, which will limit abortion in all 50 states!

The best thing to do is simply ignore the law enacted in South Dakota and understand that 49 other states are protected from such limitations of civil rights. Basically, they want this issue before the US Supreme Court.

Let's not allow that to happen!

Impeach Bush

The momentum to impeach Bush if finally catching some steam!

The Fox Is Going to Guard the Hen House

Why can't the United States allow American companies to manage our ports? Wow! What a novel idea.

As Iraqis Prepare for Civil War...

As Iraqis prepare for civil war, we has Americans must reevaluate our Constitutional offices. It's time to hold Bush accountable for his crimes against humanity. For the first time, we are seeing how incompetent our military really is. It was during the Persian Gulf War, in 1990, we saw how incompetent the Soviet military was. And what happened? Within a year, the Soviet Union fell apart. If we can't manage one big family squabble in a desert nation, how can we really expect to hold off a real military threat from a nation with superior armed forces? I don't believe it is the men and women who serve our country bringing us down, it's the leadership who dishonors us all.

And yes, I'm still a patriot.

Oops! Sorry!

Lt. Governor Pence was in Florida on vacation, so he was too busy to run state business.

My mistake!!!

Let's Solve the Iraq Problem Now!

Iraqis are not Americans. Let's say that right off the bat. They do not understand the concept of democracy and republic. It is 100% foreign, and 180-degrees opposite, of anything they have dealt with before.

Now, we say we gave them democracy, but we didn't. They are the same people they were 4 years ago. The only thing we did is allow them to open Pandora's box and let out all these evils into their society and now we have to pay for it over-and-over!

As long as their is undeniable freedom for everyone in Iraq, there will be ongoing terrorism. It is my belief that the vast majority of Iraqis simply want to be left alone to survive without bothering any other person. I admire that and respect that; it's how it should be, however, we are left with these persistant zealots who falsely murder and plunder in the name of their religion. They take to the streets with mob mentality. They respect no law, because to them the law does not exist, because Saddam is gone. The United States is not Saddam, by any means. They are not going to respond to threats and idle promises of retaliation if they fail to meet the newest restrictions imposed on them, such as the failed curfews now in effect across Iraq.

I am not a violent person, but if we are going to truly bring democracy and stability to the people of Iraq then we must give them a snow ball's chance in hell for a viable sovereign nation. We must act accordingly and expeditiously. Here's what we must do to solve this problem:

• We must quash the mob first. The US must use its superior military to destroy the resistance to our nation building. Not simply quell an uprising, but obliterate any hope for future uprisings. This entails the use of violent offensive force. In any area where people are assembled, we must dispense of them immediately. This will send a message to the people who would seek to undermine our authority that we will not accept it and it will be met with deadly force in all cases.
• People respond to mob mentality. So they will respond to mob justice. If American tanks roll into the outskirts of their demonstrations or mass rallies and let off a few bombs and missiles into the crowd, then they will think twice about future subversive engagements if they see their comrades-in-arms on the ground dead.
• Next, crush the will of the people. If they want to bomb mosques, let's help them! The policy is simple: if you decide to blow up a Sunni mosque, then we will blow up five Shi'ite mosques. This can go on until every mosque and religious center in Iraq lays in rubble. The Iraqis may decide.
• All the borders must be secured and guarded to the best of our ability. No one can come into the country and no one may leave the country without military approval. Anyone seen at the border will be shot and then interrogated later (if available for comment).

Machiavelli had it right: it is better to be a ruler who is hated than one who is loved. People respect fear. This policy I have mentioned is not a long-term solution. It is simply a short-term policy that says "we are in charge." Relax, stay home, go to work, live your life peacefully, but don't cross us or there will be dire and immediate consequences, not pussy-footing around issues and problems. We must remember justice is limited to those civilized few who accept its consequences. As Americans, we live our lives in peace and mutual toleration. We understand the rule of law is concrete and it applies to us all. We seldom give ourselves over to vigilante justice, and we certainly would not tolerate violent protests in our streets!

I now agree the US cannot withdraw from Iraq. There is too much at stake at the moment. We have Iran which is beginning a nuclear program. If we abandon Iraq, then we leave Iran free to expand its borders and influence in the Middle East by encroaching upon Iraq.

We must work to contain Iraq immediately. Not wait for their failed electoral process to go any further. In its infancy, it has already failed. They need a strong colonial master to show them the straight and narrow. Considering, we put them on the path to democracy; we must not fail by letting them stray too far from its narrow course.

Every child needs a strong parent, after all!

Fletcher in PJs

Governor Ernie Fletcher has been in the hospital for over a week now with gall-bladder surgery and complications. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported his top three aides are taking care of his duties for him. My one question is don't we pay the lieutenant governor to conduct the duties of the executive when the governor is incapacitated?

I didn't realize we had elected his three top aides for this job!

Even if the governor is not unconscious, we should expect Lt. Governor Steve Pence to run the governor's office until the governor is again able to resume his duties as executive!

Doesn't it all make too much sense???

Bush wants to replace foreign oil???

Bush announced he wants to replace America's reliance on foreign crude with natural, renewable resources!

King George better be careful. He is treading thin ice with his Middle East pals. Big foreign oil is what funds his pet projects. Even though, he is backing the Dubai company's right to operate American ports, one-hundred percent! So, he isn't totally cutting off his constituency; however, I am sure they were "warned" ahead of time to expect Bush's announcement. I'm sure they understand "good" American politics.

Bush Administration Lamed by Cheney's Gun

Time released an article stating the premature beginning of the Bush Administration's "lame duck" period. What they say makes a lot of sense: Bush is now lamed by all the scandals that have befallen his impotent administration in the previous few short months!

Now King George has less than two years to his name and he is already playing defense against the war in Iraq, the NSA tragedy, and now Dick Cheney's lack of gun safety! I think the next few months will be even more tragic for the president. I foresee a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress. The American people are now officially fed up with the Bush propaganda machine that has been running this country for over five years now. It is too bad people didn't have the imagination to see all of this in 2004. If they had, we may have been spared all these problems.

I just think it is high time that Bush have some problems, which his lackeys can't fix for him!

Mohammad Newspaper Drawings

Here's the link to the infamous drawings in the flesh from the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, so to speak. I had a hard time locating these, and since so many people have died for them we should at least have a peak!

How many more?

I thought the cartoon snafu had finally died, but it seems that Libya had to put its two-cents-worth in before there can be any finality.

It is completely outrageous that human life is sacrificed over something as vulgar as a cartoon, even if it does portray Mohammad in a not so nice way. It's a caricature for Christ's sake, not the gospel!

The funny thing is the Iranians have renamed the Danish the "Flowers of Mohammad" or something like that. Now, you can't draw pictures of the man, but you can name breakfast foods after him. It is a sin to see him, but it's quite alright to have a puff pastry named after God's dearest and best prophet!

That's a lot hypocritical!

It's time for the governments of the world, especially Muslim countries, to proclaim this jihad against free speech at an end.

Finally!

Bunning Writes

Today, Senator Bunning wrote to me regarding my opposition to Samuel Alito. He is pretty happy with his decision! I'm so shocked!! HAHA! Yeah, right.

You have to be careful what you say these days or you'll get a face full of buckshot! LOL

Dick & Spiro Revival

Although, I wasn't yet born during the Watergate years, I know the recent incidents involving Dick and George are very similar. It's a bit of deja vou!

Now, we know that Dick Cheney ordered his chief-of-staff, Scooter, to leak classified CIA-information to the media to mislead the country about the war in Iraq. I notice how the issues are flowing upward now toward the top. It's like the Nile River flowing from the center of the forgotten parts of Africa to the brilliant and celebrated Mediterranean Sea. We're almost to the delta now!

It's time for King George to start feeling the fire that is now just inches from his feet. He misled our nation to engage in an illegal war. And for what? Nothing, really! Iraq is worse off than it was three years ago. Saddam at least lent himself to stability (you won't hear that on Fox News), even if he wasn't the nicest guy in the Middle East...but who is really?

Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean has called for Dick Cheney to resign if the accusations made by his former "Number One" pan out. It is certainly not out of the realm of probability and I'd place it in the realm of more than likely, or why else would we be at war? Americans needed a reason to fear and Dick and George gave them lots of false information to let them sleep easily every night!

This is not even related to the NSA issue that is also barking at Bush's feet! It looks like it's time to begin Leakgate!

If my history is accurate, Spiro resigned first followed by Dick Nixon, leaving us with Gerry Ford. I wonder if we are headed toward a few years with Denny Hastert????

It's time we shed the shackles of our nation's tyranny. Let's send Democrats to the US Congress this November and reclaim our democracy!

Dissociation among the Rank-and-File

It's interesting to note that some of Bush's own party are quietly dissociating themselves from him over the NSA controversy.

In the US House of Representatives, Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM), who is the chairperson of the Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence, has called for an investigation into Bush's covert authorization of illegal wiretapping through the NSA.

Earlier this week, Attorney-General Alberto Gonzalez appeared before the US Senate Judicial Committee to answer questions about the legality of Bush's NSA program. During which, Senator Biden likened the exchange to Samuel Alito's confirmation hearing--not very forthcoming. In addition, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) questioned Bush's policies through is disregard for the legislative branch's check-and-balance of the executive branch, which was unexpected! Of course, Attorney-General Gonzalez had nothing to say other than the president respects constitutional checks-and-balances. I was deeply impressed by Graham's assertion that future presidents may construe this precedent to indicate they can work extra-constitutionally anytime they deem the interests of the United States are at stake. What is the basis for these contentions?

It is very nice to see the Republican Party machine grinding a few gears!