Alito Confirmed

(Almost) along partisan lines, Alito became an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. His lifetime appointment, along with John Roberts, will serve to undermine future rights and liberties for us!

Thank those who voted for Bush...I certainly DON'T deserve any thanks!

Alito wins Cloture

The Senate kills off an attempt to filibuster Samuel Alito's Supreme Court nomination with a 72-25 vote to end debate (CNN.com).

Oh boy...

Filibuster Alito Confirmation

FILIBUSTER ALITO!

Recently, I sent word to Kentucky's ultra-conservative senators, Bunning and McConnell, that I do not support Alito's confirmation as associate justice. Of course, being die-hard Bush lackeys, it fell on deaf ears, but they need to know not everyone in Kentucky supports Bush. After all, Kentucky is traditionally Democrat territory!

Democrats.com has started their Alito 48 campaign to support Senator John Kerry's leadership of a filibuster against this tragic nomination. We need to get all Democratic senators to join this cause and block the Sam Alito vote next week. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) has already called for a cloture vote on Monday and then a final roll call on Tuesday morning!

Alito only needs a simple majority (51 votes) to be confirmed and take Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's place on the Supreme Court of the United States. We must support a more moderate stance on the Court. George Bush has been able to award a lifetime appoint to his conservative buddy, John Roberts, to the Court. Will we really allow him to appoint another Scalia or Thomas-wanna-be to the highest court in our land?

Our civil liberties are at stake; not for four years, or eight, but for a lifetime! Remember, a member of the Supreme Court serves at their own pleasure, which means they can retire when they wish (if ever). So in many cases, like with former Chief Justice William Rehnquist, you have to wait for the grim reaper to show up! NO JOKE!

How many more years can a 50-something man live in the 21st century?! Really, you have to consider 20+ years on the bench!

Please make sure you contact your state's TWO senators!

FILIBUSTER ALITO!

Wiretap Flop

What an arrogant prick?!

Need I really say more?

Alito loses key Democrats

Today, three Democrats on the Senate Judicial Committee stated they would not support Judge Samuel Alito's confirmation for the associate justice.

Further, they stated the Supreme Court stands as a final check for the over-zealous Bush Administration. The focus is on recent illegal use of the Executive authority to wiretap American citizens without court approval. I agree with their assessment, but I want to take it a step further.

The Supreme Court is not the only check to the president. The Congress of the United States has the authority and mandate to call the president to answer for his abuses of power. Accordingly, the Constitution gives them a little power called "impeachment." The United States House of Representatives has the authority to initiate impeachment proceedings against the president. I truly believe after the 2006 elections, there will be a change in the United States Congress. I have a great hope the Democrats will come to control both houses, but at least one of them.

In my final opinion, it is not the Supreme Court's exclusive authority to question the policies of the President of the United States. All branches of the federal government have the authority, and requirement, to keep each of the other branches in compliance and flying straight!

Clinton v. Bush

I was never more proud when I saw Hillary take on George Bush. It takes someone like Hillary to make a point regarding the issues relating to abuses and illegal actions taken by the "worst administration" in the history of our nation!

I also agree with her assessment of the United States House of Representatives as being a simple megaphone for Bush policies, or in words it's run like a "plantation." I think if Bush wanted to strip all Americans of their citizenship, the House would vote for the bill!

I am glad Hillary is talking like a candidate!

Hillary 2008!

eBay has poor customer care

I recently discovered the wonderful world of ebay. Or at least I thought it was wonderful.

I decided to sell an item. It was was a brand new--still in the wrapper even--and I had no use for it. So I decided, "Sell it on ebay!" I do the American thing and put it out there for sell. I get lots of hits and bids. I was overly excited. The person who won the item, however, decided they didn't want to pay for it. Ebay states clearly that non-bidders are still liable for entering a legal contract with the seller. I got an email from the buyer with some lame-ass story about how their home was broken into, their computer hacked, and then the perp magically bidding 3 times on my auction to drive the price up (go figure). I contact ebay and they inform me to make peace with the bidder, give them the benefit of the doubt, and let them out of the contract. Of course, instead of calling the bidder a flaming retard asshole for thinking I was so stupid, I follow ebay's advice (woe the negative feedback that I could have incurred). Now what does ebay do? Do they offer me my auction fees back for being a "good" guy? Do they let me relist my item without further cost? No, they stiff me for the cost of the auction!

Now, does this sound like good business practice? Of course not!

I have lodged a complaint with ebay over their policy. They told me to let the bidder out of the contract; thereby, leaving me still holding the item I don't want and also the charges for the auction because the bidder bailed! Don't get me wrong, it's not the $2.75 they allege I owe and I, subsequently, will refuse to pay, but the principle of the matter.

I informed them the first tenant of good business is to make the customer happy and leave them feeling in charge so they will come back for more. I was left holding a wet blanket and told to suck it up and be a good sport....oh, and pay them their $2.75. BAD BUSINESS! In the words of some ebayers, "F-, will not do business with again!"

SUCK IT!

How would we respond?

If Mexico, Canada, or some Caribbean nation launched missiles into the United States, how would we react?

I think it is unconscionable for us to be so arrogant as to launch missile strikes into the airspace of other nations. The United States, however, does not feel it is obligated to respect any other nation's sovereignty. Of course, I refer to the recent missile attack coordinated by the CIA and launched into Pakistan.

Who cares what the reason is. It is unfair of us to use our might to bully others. If Cuba launched a missile into Miami to try to kill some Cuban dissidents we'd be outraged and destroy Cuba for attacking our country, even if they are attempting to "weed out" Cuban terrorists/radicals.

So what's with the double standard?

Alito

I watched a small portion of the Alito hearings held by the Senate Judicial Committee. I was never surprised by anything the man said. He answered each question with the stealth of a politician; he never answered any question at all. I did notice, however, with some questions he becomes agitated. He had obviously been taught a defense mechanism to deal with his frustration and not outwardly show his anger. Several times he would almost be rubbing his thumbs together. He also would allow his hand to slam down against the table as he testified. This wasn't an occurrence that happened always. It only seemed to happen when Democrats questioned him.

Mostly, from his previous writings, he is a bigot who sees the world through an ultra-conservative agenda. He was the member of a Princeton club that advocated against the admittance of minorities and women to the ivy league school. Conveniently, he seemed to have "forgotten" he was ever a member of such a club, even though he listed it on a 1985 application for a job in the Reagan Administration. I find it a bit hard to swallow and highly suspicious.

We certainly do not need him on the bench of the Supreme Court of the United States. His record is clear...conservative. I have a filibuster in the back of my mind. So we can hope, at least.

I agree with what Senator Joe Biden of Delaware said regarding the hearings held by the Senate Judicial Committee on prospective federal judges. We simply should eliminate the process. They do not answer questions in a black and white manner. They always lean toward the middle. The Senate should simply vote on the record of the individual and dispense with the grand-standing and back slapping. It's the simple.

Smoting

The perennial presidential candidate and ultra-conservative loon, Pat Robertson, says God 'smote' Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for seeking peace in the Middle East. So essentially, God punished Sharon with a cerebral hemorrhage for "dividing" Israel. Wow! That's SOOOO logical!

Instead, could it be he is a very fat 77 year old man????? I can't honestly believe anyone would listen to the crap Robertson says. He's slowly losing his mind, because he's saying so much crap these days. I think it even embarrasses his "community" of loyal patrons.

I just wonder what we did for God to send the wrath of George Bush upon us? We've definitely been living in sin! Geesh!

This is one for the theologians, for sure!

Padilla Remanded

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States ordered the military to turn over "enemy combatant" American citizen Jose Padilla to the civilian courts. This is his first request with further filing for Petition for Writ of Certiorari (can Mr. Bush hold Americans and deny them their rights). I think this case should be handled by the inferior courts, initially, and then move along with the inevitable appeals process. I do think, however, the SCOTUS (through the writ) has the mandate to determine if such imprisonment of Americans is constitutional.

He is to be remanded to the jurisdiction of the US District Court of Southern Florida in Miami. He will be set free from a navy brig in South Carolina where he has spent the past several years. Habeas corpus is the right of every American, but this person has been denied this right for years, which is simply outrageous. I have the Constitutional right to know what charges are levied against me by the state in a court of law with due process; ergo, habeas corpus.

This is more than a simple test of individual liberties, but whether the president will comply with the Order of the SCOTUS and their final decision regarding this over zealous and illegal treatment of Americans by authorizing the military to hold them indefinitely without due process. Of course, the military loves to argue they are outside the jurisdiction of civilian courts, but even military courts are under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court (every American court--martial or civilian), considering they have the final word on all law.

An even further stretch is regarding the foreigners held by the US. The SCOTUS should order the military courts to present their cases against all foreign nationals they have in custody, such as the political prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, or release them. The countries where these people are citizens should be outraged their citizens are being held incommunicado.

Roberts wants a raise

Chief Justice Roberts is just a few short months into his tenure as America's top jurist and he is ready for a....raise.

When you give up a job like being a high profile D.C.-attorney you give up some BIG bucks. I guess the six digit salary paid by the American taxpayer, John Q. Public, to his judges isn't quite enough. If I was pulling down seven figures as a private litigator then I'd be pissed too. It's a nice, fancy title, but the pay is lousy, I agree!

Let all hardworking Americans get a raise...not just the suits in Washington!

Reagan is dead

Ronald Reagan has been dead for a while now, but we are still worrying about his would-be assassin, John Hinkley, Jr. This man has been locked inside a mental institution for over 20 years. I think we can breathe easy knowing he won't commit this crime again, considering the victim is taking a dirt nap now.

Why should we continue to spend our tax dollars on such a criminal? I say set the man free.

Memoirs of a Geisha

Okay, normally I don't do book reviews, but I couldn't pass up this one.

Arthur Golden's book, Memoirs of a Geisha, is a magnificent story of love, betrayal, jealousy, revenge...shall I go on? It takes place during Japan's expansion into the Pacific (i.e., before WWII) and during WWII. I always sort of knew what a geisha was, but really I had no idea until I read this book. A geisha isn't a prostitute, per se. She is a woman of necessity; she is an object of reverence by men who seek her company and fortune.

It starts out in a small, impoverished fishing village located in a remote part of Japan and ends on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan (quite a contrast)! As you read this book you are intrigued by the beauty of the geisha and her meaning for Japanese culture. They are born of the lower levels of society and brought forward to better themselves through hard work. A geisha is dependent on the good-will of men, who pay for her services. Of course, one might think these services are simply sexual in nature, but not in the sense of prostituting yourself for a one-night stand. It is so much more in-depth!

Memoirs takes you on a journey from poverty, to resentment, to opulence, back to poverty, and finally happiness and contentment for a brutalized and detached woman. Remember: you do not choose to become geisha, you become geisha because you have no other choice. This simple idea is really the thesis of the book, and my favorite line.

Where do I sign up? =)

Neal Boortz

Okay, so I'm driving down I-75 today and I tune in to this Knoxville station that was spewing this conservative, neo-Nazi propaganda, so I had to listen...for a bit, at least.

This guy's show, The Neal Boortz Show, is unlike anything I've ever heard in the United States. At first, I thought he was just your run-of-the-mill conservative who was ragging on the liberals. Boy was I wrong!

This show was more than gross. It filled my car and soul with hate and dread. I eventually had to turn it off, especially after the host (who wasn't Neal Boortz today, but I've heard him rant previously) advocated the use of nuclear weapons against terrorists. Further, he went on about how great the United States was for its use of the atom bomb which killed hundreds-of-thousands of innocent Japanese civilians just to "teach" the Japanese government a lesson during WWII (this is his joy in life).

I came home and found out how to spell "Boortz" by using my old friend Google. I found out he isn't a conservative, or even Republican, at all, he's a Libertarian. Libertarian, from Boortz's point-of-view, is one step from hoarding assault rifles and ammunition in a small cabin in Montana! It really made me feel thankful that conservatives are the majority sitting on the other side of the fence from me, not this freak! He's 100+ miles out of the American main-stream.

Here's the insanity I heard espoused on this talk radio show in a five minute--or so--timespan.

1. As I stated before, the approval of using nuclear weapons to solve our differences. (Sounds like instead of trying to solve issues in a constructive manner, we should just say "to hell" with everyone else and just nuke them.)
2. Executions should be put on "primetime" television for everyone to see. In fact, it sounded like this should be required viewing for all good and decent Americans. To make it worse, he said Americans should use a lottery system to see who gets to pull the switch and light the poor son-of-a-bitch up. This would be an excellent deterrent to crime in the United States, according to the show. I'm sorry, but that is just sad, which only shows deeper psychological issues for this man, simply based on his views. The death penalty is something to be loathed and ashamed of--a true relic of the past, which must, and will, be abolished in our nation.
3. The use of a "secret" police and military forces which will infiltrate our enemies and destroy them without regard to civilians. Not only was this to be used by American soldiers against foreign terrorists, but against the "bleeding heart liberals" in America who keep the military from doing its job. Sounds a bit too characteristic of Hitler's Gestalt staats-polizei (Gestapo). Someone didn't get enough hugs when he was younger!

The saddest part is people called in to this show and supported such bigotry and hate. I am 100% certain the only people who frequent such a show are bigots, wife-beaters, and those who truly hate America. It is a sad truth, but when you relish in others' misery and pain you are a heartless and cowardly person. It takes a GREATER American to stand up and question the direction of our government, to wit: military expansion and imperialism; rather than one who chooses to file behind a blood thirsty tyrant and accept things without question. America is an ideal, not an absolute. Its foundation is created on the blood, sweat and tears of people who made us truly great. It wasn't built on those who chose to take the easy road out, but rather on great patriots like Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, and Hamilton (just a small, small few) who decided not to stand behind a failing imperialistic policy of a benign dictator and blindly accept what what came their way. No, these patriots stood up and decided to fashion their own destiny without constraints and regard for precedent or what someone thought about them in Great Britain. They questioned their leaders and decided their answers, or lack thereof, had little merit, nor were they in the best interest of the Colonists. The moment we give over to the elite, or the mob, we cease to exist as the United States of America. We begin to unravel at our very fabric. Perhaps in the minds of people like Neal Boortz, our founders were cowards and should have been shot for not following the will of their king. Who knows, really?

It is scary to think radio stations would support such views and then broadcast them to the world! I am not a proponent of constraining the First Amendment, but such views and shows really make me take a hard and candid look at my beliefs in the freedom of speech, but in the end I will tolerate their right to say it; however, I will not condone it by listening!

In the spirit of the holiday...

Since it is the holidays, I decided that I should devote at least one moment to something good I saw. Today, I read a story about how this little girl was discovered in Iraq suffering from spina bifida. They state this girl would have died without outside help. The marines (I think) were able to render aid and as a result she is going to be sent to Georgia for an operation to save her life.

I found this to be a very touching story. Even if it did involve the military and Iraq. Perhaps, the media should devote a little more time and effort to showing us this side of Iraq. I know there is a lot a of death and chaos, but we mustn't forget the caring, openly-human side of it.

Enemy Combatant

I agree the time has come for the United States Supreme Court to decide the powers of the president. Can the president imprison American citizens extra-constitutionally? The answer is simply, no. It is dangerous for the Executive branch to assume such widespread powers for itself.

It stands to reason that a nation which values its commitment to the rule of law would be content to turn over "enemy combatants" to the judicial branch for prosecution based on the facts and merits of each individual case. I suspect, however, the president is not able to make a viable case based on the facts which creates a problem for him. He asserts he has the authority to imprison Americans for years without due process.

How bogus is that?

Wiretaps in Article II...WOW!

Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez reports the president has the authority to conduct covert wiretaps of Americans. I must have missed that one in American National Government. Allegedly, this right is in the Constitution, but it must be written in invisible ink (maybe like in that movie, they must be confusing the Declaration of Independence with the Constitution). I am sure the framers of the Constitution wrote "wiretaps" in there. Are we so dumb? Really, this is what happens when you put your best buddies and cronies in important offices. They become sycophants. Basically, they will tell you not to worry as your house burns down (what fire? relax! you're so pretty today!).

Now, let's look at the next BIG issue for King George. It seems his buddies at the New York Times have unearthed some new information which disputes Bush's allegations of limiting the illegal wiretaps to Americans talking to terrorists. Instead, he authorized the intelligence community to go very deep into the very fabric of our lives. He was looking for patterns to our behaviors by monitoring our communications. And of course without warrants! I have always stated my communications are being monitored by the Department of Homeland Security, out of jest of course, but it seems I was more right than wrong!

With this new information, coupled with other new information that the FBI monitors Muslims for radiation (without warrants) in their homes and mosques, will really drive the House toward impeachment. There is just too much here even for Bush's Republican lackeys to save him.

How the mighty have fallen! Maybe we're looking at a Hastert Administration in the new year.

Is Alito finito?

Well, we are starting to talk about Alito again. His nomination hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee is coming up next month.

Alito will have a hard road to travel since the NSA faux pas of recent. He seems a bit more conservative with a more extensively published paper trail than Roberts. He espoused the overturning of Roe v. Wade during his tenure with the Reagan Administration. This simple fact may be enough to railroad his nomination and send Bush a message: find more moderate candidates to fill Supreme Court vacancies.

Beyond the abortion question, he seems to have advocated the ability to "wiretap" Americans without judicial consent. A potential Supreme Court justice who advocates the strict DE-construction of the US Constitution has no place on the federal bench, at any level!

Let's vote "finito" for Alito. (Isn't that cute?)

House trumps Senate

The Congress of the United States seems to be turmoil over the USA Patriot Act. The House of Representatives refused the six month extension of the Act made by the Senate, instead they opted for a one month extension. The ball is not in the Senate's corner. What's next? Very interesting!

Will King George really veto the bill? I surely hope so, then the Congress can recess without a resolution to the Act; thereby, allowing it die a nice quick death!