Monica and Kyle and Al The Torture Czar

Secret Order By Gonzales Delegated Extraordinary Powers

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales "signed a highly confidential order in March 2006 delegating to two of his top aides -- who have since resigned because of their central roles in the firings of eight U.S. attorneys -- extraordinary authority over the hiring and firing of most non-civil-service employees of the Justice Department. A copy of the order and other Justice Department records related to the conception and implementation of the order were provided to National Journal."

In the order, Gonzales delegated to his then-chief of staff, D. Kyle Sampson, and his White House liaison "the authority, with the approval of the Attorney General, to take final action in matters pertaining to the appointment, employment, pay, separation, and general administration" of virtually all non-civil-service employees of the Justice Department, including all of the department's political appointees who do not require Senate confirmation. Monica Goodling became White House liaison in April 2006, the month after Gonzales signed the order.

The existence of the order suggests that a broad effort was under way by the White House to place politically and ideologically loyal appointees throughout the Justice Department, not just at the U.S.-attorney level. Department records show that the personnel authority was delegated to the two aides at about the same time they were working with the White House in planning the firings of a dozen U.S. attorneys, eight of whom were, in fact, later dismissed.

A senior executive branch official familiar with the delegation of authority said in an interview that -- as was the case with the firings of the U.S. attorneys and the selection of their replacements -- the two aides intended to work closely with White House political aides and the White House counsel's office in deciding which senior Justice Department officials to dismiss and whom to appoint to their posts. "It was an attempt to make the department more responsive to the political side of the White House and to do it in such a way that people would not know it was going on," the official said.

Only Two More Days

Steph's on-screen transition worked better than expected. On The radi, her program begins when the MSNBC show signs off. Must See TV.

Proof That No One Watched The Democratic Debate

B.O. ahead of schedule...

Obama Leads Clinton Nationally for the First Time

"For the first time in the Election 2008 season, somebody other than New York Senator Hillary Clinton is on top in the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination," according to the latest Rasmussen poll.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) leads with 32%, followed by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) with 30% and former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) with 17%. "No other candidate tops 3%."

C-Change

Sen. O. big Box Office in Lotus Land. I may have to stop hating all things California (esp. super smug extra-Republican San Diego:

Obama Outshines Clinton at Calif. Convention

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) "wowed California Democrats at their annual convention on Saturday, drawing a more passionate welcome than Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton received hours earlier," according to Reuters. "Even Clinton supporters recognized Obama's speech -- full of generalities such as the need to 'turn the page' -- had tapped into the crowd's emotions."

The Caucus notes that some "renegades snaking through the hall" carried "Hillary" signs, "though affixed with a piece of paper containing two words: 'ANYBODY BUT.'"

A Book That I Must Read

Because I love the poetry of fuck.

The National Journal reports: The mostly admiring
account of Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) in The Thumpin
doesnt stint on cataloging one of Emanuels personal
habits -- frequent use of the F word in its many
variations. Signing off a phone call to a candidate,
Rahm concluded, Dont f*ck it up or Ill f*ck you. Ill
kill you. All right, I love you. Bye. He told some
campaign staffers, In my house, when you say, F*ck
you, its a sign of endearment. On Election Night, with
his kids gone, he told a boisterous celebration that
the Republicans can go f*ck themselves. Plus, the
author noted, Emanuel refered to Washington as
F*cknutsville, to opponents as knucklef*cks, and he
warned a reporter not to ratf*ck him.

GT12 Viewing Imperative

Stephanie Miller will be occupying Imuss MSNBC time
slot next week. She has a great show with areally
funny crew.

Think Howard Stern for liberals. I dont know how
successfully shell transition to TV (especially cause
its only for a week) but I am sure shell be better
than anything else. And once you become a fan you can
listen M-F during drive time.

Id send a link, but Im posting via Palm Treo. Just
google her.

NOW.

Victory Depends On Lying

Mendacity ... The chief value of the Bush family.
Wheres the outrage?

If the standard of success is no car bombings or
suicide bombings, we have just handed those who commit
suicide bombings a huge victory.

-- President Bush, in an interview with Charlie Rose,
explaining why the Bush administration no longer
includes suicide car bombings in Iraqi casualty counts.

Some Thoughts On Accounting As Tax Month Comes To A Close

It Wuz Always 'Bout Tha Numbahs

Sleepless hours and dreamless nights and far aways / Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here. —Chicago, "Wishing You Were Here"...

Iowa.

Quite a day Mary ....

Iowa House approves gay rights bill; Culver guarantees signature

By CHARLOTTE EBY, Globe Gazette Des Moines Bureau

DES MOINES — The Iowa House took a historic vote Wednesday to extend civil rights protections to gays and lesbians, giving approval to the measure in the waning days of this year’s session of the Iowa Legislature.

The outcome of Wednesday’s vote had been uncertain as Democratic leaders launched headlong into debate, unsure whether enough Republicans would sign on to ensure its passage.

But after a rare procedural move that required House members to stay in the chamber for the vote, 9 Republicans joined 50 Democrats to put the vote over the top on a 59-37 vote.

No one spoke in opposition of the bill during the floor debate.

Iowa House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, choked back tears of joy after seeing the civil rights legislation approved. Murphy served in the House in 1992 when the measure lost by a single vote.

Grovers Corners Gets Gay

Would this have saved Simon Stinson?

New Hampshire Senate Approves Civil Unions

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- A bill authorizing civil unions for gays cleared its last hurdle Thursday in New Hampshire, the first state to embrace same-sex unions without a court order or the threat of one.

The Senate passed the bill 14-10, sending it to Gov. John Lynch, who announced last week he will sign it.

"To me this legislation is a credit to our state. We're making this move not because some court some place is telling us that we must," said Democratic Sen. Joe Foster of Nashua. "We do so today because it is the right thing to do."

The bill's success is an about-face from two years ago, when a study panel recommended giving no meaningful consideration to extending legal recognition to gay couples. That panel, staffed mostly by supporters of a ban on gay marriage, concluded that homosexuality is a choice and endorsed a constitutional amendment to limit marriage to unions between a man and a woman.

Democrats won control of the Legislature last fall for the first time in more than a century.

New Hampshire will join New Jersey, Connecticut and neighboring Vermont in offering civil unions beginning Jan. 1. Vermont and Massachusetts were the first states to offer civil unions and marriage, respectively, to same sex couples in 2000 and 2004. Both moves followed court decisions.

At Least They're Leading In Something

Why is this guy remaining anonymous? He might as well be saying "Chocolate tastes good".

Bonus Quote of the Day

"This is the most incompetent White House I've seen since I came to Washington."--

An anonymous Republican U.S. Senator, quoted by the Washington Post.

The Return Of Going To Eleven

'Spinal Tap' to reform for climate change

NEW YORK (AFP) - Fans of the cult mockumentary "This is Spinal Tap" are in for a treat.

The clueless heavy rockers, described in the 1984 spoof as "one of England's loudest bands," are back, describing in a short film to raise awareness about climate change what they've been doing for the past 20-odd years.

Lead guitarists Nigel Tufnel and David St. Hubbins are also due to make an appearance with bassist Derek Smalls at Wembley Stadium in London on July 7 as part of the global Live Earth concerts in aid of tackling climate change.

Director Rob Reiner, who played documentary maker Marty DiBergi in the movie, told reporters in New York Wednesday he had been asked to resurrect the band behind such classics as "Stonehenge," "Sex Farm" and "Hell Hole."

"I was asked... if I could contact Marty DiBergi," he said. "We filmmakers have a bond, we stick together."

"Buying the War"

Last night Bill Moyers returned to his PBS Jouranl with a wonderfully complete and reasoned exploration of how the American people were, well, screwed by the press in the lead-up to the war.





Call it "The Press' Katrina". Being a PBS show, you should be able to see another run of the episode this week on your PBS station. If you're reading this, yopu probably won't find anything too surprising but you can't go anywhere else to find all the material in one easy-to-digest place. Tape it for any friend you have who ever suggests that 'what our President wants' is reason enough for anything, no matter who the President is.



You can watch it here.


It Starts Like This:

BILL MOYERS: Four years ago this spring the Bush administration took leave of reality and plunged our country into a war so poorly planned it soon turned into a disaster. The story of how high officials misled the country has been told. But they couldn't have done it on their own; they needed a compliant press, to pass on their propaganda as news and cheer them on.

Since then thousands of people have died, and many are dying to this day. Yet the story of how the media bought what the White House was selling has not been told in depth on television. As the war rages into its fifth year, we look back at those months leading up to the invasion, when our press largely surrendered its independence and skepticism to join with our government in marching to wa

Sam's Finale

Sam Harris posts his last contribution to his blog-a-logue with Andrew Sullivan on Faith, God and Reason. It's a gem:

If God loves the world, he has a terribly noncommittal way of showing it. Why rig a silly game in which only the poorly educated and mentally unbalanced are perfectly tuned to glimpse the truth of your existence, while smart, well-adjusted, and well-educated people (like yourself) must wrestle with doubt, barricade themselves behind euphemism, and cling to spurious "mysteries" to keep from tumbling into unbelief? You beckon me to a world in which George Bush and James Dobson have an effortless bead on the deepest conceivable truth; meanwhile, 93 percent of the members of the National Academy of Sciences may well be doomed for eternity by their skepticism. It's hard for me to imagine that this scenario seems even remotely plausible to you--but this is Christianity at a glance. I am not the first to notice that it is a strange sort of loving God who would make salvation depend upon a person's ability to believe in him on bad evidence.

Finally, let me say that there is something tragically unnecessary about all of this. I do not doubt the consolations you get from your faith. But faith is like a pickpocket who loans you your own money on generous terms. Your resultant feelings of gratitude are perfectly understandable, but misplaced. You are the source of the love that you attribute to Jesus (how else can you feel it?). Realizing this, what need is there to feel certain about ancient miracles?

Chip Chip Chip

The inevitability gets chipped away:

From Politcal Wire:

Obama, Edwards Close Gap With Clinton

Sen. Barack Obama "is closing the gap in the race for the 2008 Democratic nomination, trailing Sen. Hillary Clinton just 36% to 31%," according to a new Wall Srreet Journal/NBC poll.

"Last month, Obama lagged 12 percentage points behind Clinton. Support for John Edwards rose to 20% from 15%."

"The backdrop for those findings, fueling Democratic hopes for recapturing the White House next year, remains deep discontent with President Bush and the Iraq war. The poll results show Americans side with congressional Democrats on Iraq by a lopsided 56% to 37%."

In the Republican race, Rudy Giuliani leads Sen. John McCain 33% to 22%, with Fred Thompson at 17% and Mitt Romney at 12%.

Complete poll results are available.

Monica Really Has Legs

I was afraid that my obsesssion with Monica Goodling (and all of the bad-ling that she symbolizes) would go away before people started to watch. I have more hope today that she could be even better tool than that other Monica.

Think Progress sums up the latest developments:

Gonzales Aide Goodling Granted Immunity

The House Judiciary Committee voted moments ago to grant immunity to Monica Goodling — former counsel to Alberto Gonzales and the Justice Department’s liaison to the White House — and issue a subpoena compelling her to testify. Yesterday, fired U.S. Attorney David Iglesias said he believes that Goodling holds the “keys to the kingdom” in terms of uncovering the roots of the U.S. Attorney purge:

I think Monica Goodling is holding the keys to the kingdom. I think if they get her to testify under oath with a transcript, and have her describe the process between the information flow between the White House counsel, White House and the Justice Department, I believe the picture becomes a lot clearer.

UPDATE: The AP notes, “The 32-6 vote by the House Judiciary Committee surpassed the 2/3 majority required to grant a witness immunity from prosecution. A separate vote to authorize a subpoena for Goodling passed by voice vote.”

UPDATE II: TPM Muckraker reports that the dissenters “were Reps. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Chris Cannon (R-UT), Randy Forbes (R-VA), Steve King (R-IA), Trent Franks (R-AZ), and Louie Gohmert (R-TX). Rep. Cannon claimed that the investigation was harming the Justice Department’s ability to conduct business, and Rep. Forbes called the committee’s investigation the ‘hearings to nowhere,’ saying that the investigation was interfering with the committee’s legislative work.”

America Calls For Defeat, I Guess

Oh that Harry Reid and his defeatocrat craziness ...

The Best Interview On Iraq Ever, Pt. I

I'm serious. Like the Onion after 9/11, Jon Stewart shows how to actally deal with lies, evil and plain old stupidity (In Two Parts - watch them or else!):

The Best, PT II

Where in Jon Stewart does what every other news person should have done years ago:

Turnabout's Fair Play?

From Think Progress (with a featured role for GT12's latest bete noir Monica Goodling):

Iglesias Reveals He Filed Complaint Against Rove, Leading To Special Counsel Probe

[Last]night on MSNBC, fired U.S. Attorney David Iglesias revealed key new details about the Office of Special Counsel’s (OSC) probe into Karl Rove and other White House officials reported today by the Los Angeles Times.

Iglesias said that on April 3, he filed a Hatch Act complaint with the OSC, charging that Karl Rove and others may have violated the law by firing him over his failure to initiate partisan-motivated prosecutions. Iglesias said he subsequently spoke with OSC chief Scott Bloch, who made clear that he was planning to launch an investigation. Despite suggestions that the White House may have initiated the OSC investigation to obstruct parallel congressional probes, Iglesias expressed confidence in Bloch.

Iglesias also said that while evidence of Rove’s potential illegal actions is currently only circumstantial, “I believe if OSC digs in, they can get direct evidence.”

[T]he Justice Department papers everything. I mean, the most minute issue has an incredible researched and memoed product. There has to be a paper trail. I haven’t seen it yet. If it’s not at the Justice Department, it has got to be at the White House.

Finally, Iglesias said he believes that Monica Goodling — former counsel to Alberto Gonzales and the Justice Department’s liaison to the White House — holds the “keys to the kingdom” in terms of uncovering the roots of the U.S. Attorney purge, since she can describe the communication that took place between the White House and the Justice Department.

Let's Start The Attack On Rudy Now

This hopeless demagogic meglomaniacacle INCOMPETENT SECURITY PLANNER.

Why is it that we have thought that a guy who simply didn't collapse in a puddle on 9/11 is somehow tough on terror?

What did he do in NYC? He placed his emergency control center in the only building to have be attacked by Muslim jihadists ... The WTC.

He fired any police leader who threatened to upstage him.

He recommended for Homeland Security Head a man of breathtaking, no Bush-esque, freedom from scruples, emotional stability and intelligence.

This man says this:

From The Politico:

Giuliani warns of 'new 9/11' if Dems win

MANCHESTER, N.H. —- Rudy Giuliani said if a Democrat is elected president in 2008, America will be at risk for another terrorist attack on the scale of Sept. 11, 2001.

But if a Republican is elected, he said, especially if it is him, terrorist attacks can be anticipated and stopped.

“If any Republican is elected president —- and I think obviously I would be the best at this —- we will remain on offense and will anticipate what [the terrorists] will do and try to stop them before they do it,” Giuliani said.

The former New York City mayor, currently leading in all national polls for the Republican nomination for president, said Tuesday night that America would ultimately defeat terrorism no matter which party gains the White House.

Truly, A Thought For Monday

When I Die, I'm Going To Haunt The Fuck Out Of You People

As long as I can remember, my life has been a constant stream of insults, condescension, and humiliation at the hands of you people. Well, I'm...

A New Vista

The post just below was done via Palm Treo from the CDW Warehouse parking lot where I was picking up a new home PC. After hours of high-tech customization thanks to Mr JK I have a system that won't be out of date for at least three weeks.

Last Wednesday also found me being introduced to Yahoo IM .... within seconds of signing on I had rec'd a message from an old friend (who inspired this trip into IM). Then another old friend IM's me (is that the right term?) just seconds later. How do kids handle this???

All has settled down now and I can pursue my dream of re-organizing my 38,000 mp3 files.

Seems Hard To Find Fault With This

Guns and Anti-DepressantsIn the United States, if you
are seriously depressed, you can purchase
anti-depressive drugs like Prozac, but only if you
have a prescription from a doctor. Anti-depressants
are enormously beneficial to millions of people but
they are also potentially dangerous if used
improperly. So you have to see a doctor and get an
assessment before can go to a drug store and purchase
one.

But in the United States, in places like Virginia, a
seriously depressed or deranged person can walk into a
gun store and buy a semi-automatic handgun and a box
of ammunition. The only limitation in Virginia is you
cannot buy more than one handgun a month and you must
present two forms of identification. You don't need
permission from a doctor or counselor or anyone in the
business of screening people to make sure they're fit
to have a gun.

We can debate the relative benefits and dangers of
anti-depressants and semi-automatic handguns, but if
30,000 Americans were killed each year by
anti-depressants, as they are by handguns, it seems
likely that anti-depressants would be even more
strictly regulated than they are now.

-- Guest contributor Robert B. Reich was Secretary of
Labor during the Clinton administration.

Don't Tell Hilary

Rhode Island Votes To Move 2008 Primary To Tomorrow

PROVIDENCE, RI—The Rhode Island legislature has passed a law moving the state's presidential primary to tomorrow, forcing candidates from...

Even I Wasn't Saying This

one more from Andrew S:

You can definitely be sure from my e-mail address I'm not an Obama staffer, but I have a similar story to that of your earlier e-mailer. My dad grew up in Macon, Georgia in an all-white school he describes consistently as having gone to hell thanks to integration. He has never been personally racist to anyone of any background in his life, but he really thinks the world went to hell starting about 1960 and that civil rights went too far too fast. His dislike for the Sharptons and Jacksons of the world couldn't be fiercer. The N-word is pretty much the standard noun many of his family members use to describe black people. His only vote for a Democrat in his lifetime was for Carter, out of Georgia patriotism.

I had the fun experience of watching Obama's electrifying 2004 convention speech with him. My dad, who hadn't heard of him, just said "He's good." As in, "ok, I liked this guy, but he's a Democrat, so he must be a huckster. But he's a talented one."

Then, late last year, his updated view on Obama: "I think I could vote for him." I could only turn around and smirk, once I'd picked my jaw up from the floor.

Biden-esque

From Political Wire

Thompson Flubs Talk Before Jewish Group

Tommy Thompson (R) told a group of Jewish activists that making money is "part of the Jewish tradition," and something that he applauded, Haaretz reports.

Said Thompson: "I'm in the private sector and for the first time in my life I'm earning money. You know that's sort of part of the Jewish tradition and I do not find anything wrong with that."

After causing "a stir in the audience," Thompson only made matters worse by trying to apologize.

"I just want to clarify something because I didn't [by] any means want to infer or imply anything about Jews and finances and things. What I was referring to, ladies and gentlemen, is the accomplishments of the Jewish religion. You've been outstanding business people and I compliment you for that."

As I Was Saying - II

And then Andrew Sullivan posts some correspondence.

First, this e-mail:

My partner and I were at her parents' house this weekend in eastern NC. They are people who grew up in a segregated South and would not be upset if life, in some instances, had remained that way.

So much to our surprise this weekend, they both declared they were voting for Obama! I literaly almost fell out of the recliner! I was like "What did you just say?" They laughed and said, "Yeah, we are voting for him because we agree with his views and we are sick of Bush and his stubborness and arrogance towards the war." Being the smart ass that I am, I told them if they had seen Obama on TV and knew that he was black. They just smiled and said, "Yes, so what? We need serious change in this country."

And then this one:

My apolitical husband, a man who only reads the sports page and is registered to vote as an 'Independent,' just finished both Obama books and has declared himself for Obama. This is the first time in his life he has ever shown any interest in any political candidate. This is unheard of. There is something afoot.

Are there really Democrats that don't feel this way?

As I Was Saying

Look what I found in Political Wire after my morning postings - She's going down:

Presidential Race Tightens

A new CNN/Opinion Research poll finds the presidential race tightening up in both parties, with frontrunners losing ground since last month's poll.In the Democratic race, Sen. Hillary Clinton leads with 36%, trailed by Sen. Barack Obama at 28% and John Edwards at 15%.

On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani leads with 27%, trailed by Sen. John McCain at 24%, Fred Thompson at 11%, Mitt Romney at 10% and Newt Gingrich at 8%.

McCain To Send Self Back To Vietnamese POW Camp To Revitalize Campaign

PHOENIX, AZ—McCain's decision to revisit the indescribable degradation was prompted by a desire to reconnect with the struggles that defined him as a leader.

"So, Basiscally, If You're Not A Shit-kicker From Oklahoma You're With The Terrorists"

Even more perplexing to me than the use of the word 'humanist' as a perjorative is the country's demonizing (for demogogic purposes) smart people. After six disastrous years of leadership by a guy whose only leadship quality was his perceived quality to be a better guy to share a beer with, perhaps we all will listen to Bill Maher next fall.

Inevitable

Polls regularly put Her Inevitableness way in the lead ... but amongst those that believe enough to put up money the tide is turning.

On a macro-level Hilary can't compete. Obama has won over most of the right leaning independents in my office. No one outside of the Clinton Camp really wants this person to be President.

From Political Wire:

Obama Drawing from Clinton Crowd

As Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) "seeks to reassemble the Democratic money machine her husband built, some of its major fund-raisers have already signed on with" Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), reports the New York Times.

"Among the biggest fund-raisers for Mr. Obama’s campaign are as many as a half-dozen former guests of the Clinton White House. At least two are close enough to the Clintons to have slept in the Lincoln bedroom."

"At minimum, a dozen were major fund-raisers for President Bill Clinton. At least four worked in the administration and one, James Rubin, is a son of a former Clinton Treasury Secretary, Robert E. Rubin. About two dozen of the top Obama fund-raisers have contributed to Mrs. Clinton’s Senate campaigns or political action committee, some as recently as a few months ago."

Lest You Think It Was Innocent

From Raw Story:

"Former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias was fired after Sen. Pete Domenici, who had been unhappy with Iglesias for some time, made a personal appeal to the White House," reports the Albuquerque Journal.

Domenici complained about the attorney to Alberto Gonzales, and later to President Bush, after Gonzales refused to fire Iglesias, according to the Journal.

"The senior senator from New Mexico had listened to criticism of Iglesias going back to 2003 from sources ranging from law enforcement officials to Republican Party activists," writes Mike Gallagher.

Gonzales told Domenici the only way Iglesias would be fired was at direct orders from the president, continues the report.

Fits The Bill

And I'm with Bill Maher:

I’m going to say what I feel and what I feel is you made a really bad, dumb joke. And it was insulting. No one would want to take credit for that joke. It was wrong.

But after you say you’re sorry a few times, I think then it’s on other people if they can’t accept an apology. I think there’s so much in this country about making people go away. It’s a mistake, you apologize, and you shouldn’t lose your livelihood.

It’s like nobody in this country can have one moment of discomfort. If you’re made to feel uncomfortable, the person who caused it has to go away. It’s ridiculous.Yeah, it was a bad joke, it was really creepy. But after that, people should move on.

I talked to some of my black friends about this and, you know, they’re not tripping over this. It’s all this fake outrage in this country. I’m a fan of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. I like them. I’ve had them on my show many times.

But I have to disagree with what they’re doing here. They do deserve to get an apology. But if they just keep it going to make it a cottage industry…I mean, if this is the biggest issue they face, then civil rights (this part was obscured by music somewhat but it sounded like he ended with “has gone a lot further than I thought it had.”)

That's Rich

All week, during The Passion of the Imus, pundits have been inserting, late in their comments, the statement "I'm waitning to see what Frank Rich Says". Rich is becoming the provider of all 'Final Words' for those on the left. Frank has also been a regular on the I-man's show.

We got his reflections yesterday and I'm with him (from Raw Story):

"Starting with Al Sharpton," he writes, "who has yet to apologize for his leading role in the Tawana Brawley case, the 1980s racial melee prompted by unproven charges much like those that soiled the Duke lacrosse players."

Rich includes himself among the hypocrites surrounding the Imus affair, noting that he was a frequent guest on the show in the 1990s despite "obnoxious comments about minority groups," including one to which he belongs.

"Sometimes he aimed invective at me personally," writes Rich. "I wasn't seriously bothered by much of it, even when it was unfunny or made me wince, because I saw him as equally offensive to everyone. The show's crudest interludes struck me as burlesque."

However, Rich says, because the targets of Imus' slur were young women who were not public figures other than through being talented athletes, this time the disc jockey's words "landed wrong."

"So while I still don't know whether Imus is a bigot, there was an inhuman contempt in the moment that sounded like hate to me," Rich writes.

But the answer isn't to silence Imus, he says. "The answer to his free speech is more free speech -- mine and yours. Let Bill O'Reilly talk about 'wetbacks' or Rush Limbaugh accuse Michael J. Fox of exaggerating his Parkinson's symptoms, and let the rest of us answer back."

Rich feels that the Imus incident will have a "chilling effect on comics who push the line" and will similarly "impede Ann Coulter's nasty invective on the public airwaves."

The Crux Of the Matter

From 'This Week'

MR. [Robert] REICH: The issue at stake here has to do with what the White House was trying to do with the U.S. attorneys, what the White House was trying to do in terms of perhaps creating a public image of voter fraud across this country that would entitle the White House to make it more difficult for people to vote. That seems to me to be a very large issue that ought to be discussed.

Well, He Is The Cute One

Edwards Touts Prominent Gay Supporters

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrat John Edwards is touting prominent gay supporters who have signed on to his presidential campaign, including a former adviser to President Clinton.

Businessman David Mixner is one of 25 people listed on a news release that the Edwards campaign distributed Tuesday, along with a statement from the candidate saying he is honored to have the backing of so many respected gay leaders.

"They work hard every day to make our country a better place and I am proud to join with them to fight for equal rights for all Americans," Edwards said.

Edwards is making a push for gay support in the competitive Democratic presidential primary. In February, he came out in support of legislation that would end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that prevents people who are openly gay from serving in the military.

But Edwards has competition for the gay community's support - Barack Obama's campaign has also said he is opposed to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," as has Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign. She also told the Human Rights Campaign last month that she wants a partnership with gays if elected president.

Transparency Is Messy

Andrew sullivan has been posting e-mails in response to his blog-a-logue with Sam Harris about faith. None of which have been in his favor lately.

The best:

[your argument boils down to] let’s pass out the security blankets, pick the one you want, and we don’t care what’s really true.

Example: God created man out of dirt? The female gender of the human species was created from a bone? Please. You know the list of these types of Christian idiocies is long indeed. Christians must take responsibility for what their holy book specifically claims is the truth. You seem quite happy to pick and choose what you want to take literally (the stuff that specifically makes you feel good), and what you want to believe is just metaphor (all the ridiculous stuff that no right-thinking person could ever believe). How can the Christian religion be said to embody any kind of integrity when all of their followers indulge in these personal pick-and-choose shenanigans?

Also, this nebulous 'God is Love' argument is old and well-worn, and doesn't mesh with the specific claims made by Christianity. I don’t disagree with the statement, but I am saying that Christianity is claiming much more than just that, a lot more.

I think it is time to end this debate between you and Sam. It has ended up where it was always been headed: in the inability of the believer to rationally answer even very basic and glaringly obvious rational questions about their faith, and instead, to descriptively wallow in their personal love affair with their particular belief system despite all the irrationality, obscenity, and contradictory evidence offered by their magic holy book.

A bit more civility from this reader:

I do believe that your ultimate defense of your faith, which was to say I believe it because I have never doubted it, and since I did not gain it by rational debate, I cannot lose it by rational debate, completely eliminates any credible ability to criticize the beliefs of dangerous fundamentalists on rational grounds. That little formulation that you use to extend a protective bubble around your belief in God can, in principle be extended around any set of beliefs that go with belief in God.

Unlike Harris, I do not believe this makes you in any way responsible or complicit with dangerous fundamentalism, but I do think it is a fair point for Sam to make that the urge to defend a belief in that way really is a part of the problem.

A New Mount St Helens?

Sounds like someone's blown (the whistle):

Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff may be getting out of jail earlier than he expected, NBC News learned on Monday. A federal judge Monday granted the government’s request for a new hearing to determine an appropriate reduction in Abramoff’s sentence, a reward based on his continued cooperation with investigators in several federal probes.

Abramoff is currently serving a five-and-a-half-year sentence for his conviction in the Florida-based SunCruz Casinos gambling boat fraud case. In Miami, U.S. District Judge Paul Huck granted the request from prosecutors once they told him Abramoff’s cooperation in the investigations is fully completed.

"Democracy Is Messy"

I SPEND EVERY MORNING from 6-7 with Don Imus. I was driven away from CNN by Soledad O’Brien’s intolerable vacuousness and towrd the I-Man by a never ending parade of great guests goaded by the host’s irreverence into saying things that they shouldn’t say. Chris Matthews eluding the censors and calling the war in Iraq “Bullshit” and complaining about “Southern Presidents and their Fucking Ranches” redeemed Chris in my eyes and made my week. Such an id-driven high-wire act is bound to cross the line. And Don leaped over that line last week.

He can be a true asshole. The members of his crew that aren’t ball-less toadies are true and deep racist homophobic misogynists. But no worse than Howard Stern and a lot more interesting and mature. They are a billion times more entertaining than Al Franken on his best days at Air America. And when they spout off you know where they stand. You know what racism, sexism and homophobia drove their opinions and worldviews. The show is the only true ‘no-spin zone’.

Now, we will no-longer have that information. Producer Bernard McGuirck’s unreconstructed Irish Catholic Buchananistic disdain for all non-white, non-straight non-male will be papered over in insincere self-pitying political correctness. Until it erupts again, more vitriolic than ever thanks to this publicly ordained ‘cleansing’ of the show.

And I bet that Matthews won’t say ‘Fuck’ ever again on TV.

In meantime Don’s expression of this country’s racism will be pared with the showboating of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, reducing his offense to a tool for the diminishing Black Leaders to use to try to grab back the mantle of leader from the Barack the Civilized and the rising Harold Ford.

I’ll be honest here – I have only slightly more faith in the honesty and integrity of a position held by Jackson now and Sharpton always than I do for the Dauphin and his Trainer in DC. I trust none of them, even when they’re right.

If only he’d just called those women ‘scarey’. Of course, that’s not very colorful, is it?

And I want it known that I find the desire of anyone to stop me from hearing Imus, or Rush or Randi Rhodes being offensive bigoted clods far more offensive than any of the homophobic slurs I have listened to from Don and his boys. To those people I say Fuck You.

News From The Tax Zone

In my office, where I am gently if repeatedly chided for my Democratic membership (and therefore my desire to give away rich people's money) I am also the source for all info about what the Dems are going to do, or the reasons for why they aren't.

We talk alot about The AMT. If you own a home and like to give healthily to charities you may very well have been hit by the AMT. Or you will be hit soon (probably next year).

The Dems are looking for away to tackle the issue.

Democrats Seek to Lead the Way in Tax Overhaul
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
WASHINGTON, April 8 — House Democratic leaders, in an effort to upstage Republicans on the issue of tax cuts, are preparing legislation that would permanently shield all but the very richest taxpayers from the alternative minimum tax, which is likely to affect tens of millions of families as early as next year if it is left unchanged.

...The alternative minimum tax was created in 1969 to prevent millionaires from using loopholes to avoid all federal income taxes. Under it, affected taxpayers have to do a second tax calculation without claiming popular deductions like those for state and local taxes that they have come to rely on. It is akin to a flat tax of 26 to 28 percent.

But the tax is expanding at a rapid pace, partly because it is not adjusted for inflation. It can hit people with incomes as low as $50,000 and if left unchecked is expected to affect 23 million households during the 2007 tax year, up from 3.4 million last year.

...
Bewildering to calculate and capricious in its impact on individuals, the alternative minimum tax requires taxpayers to perform a second calculation of their tax bill, on top of their regular tax calculation, that erases personal exemptions, the child tax credit and widely used deductions like those for state and local taxes.

The reach of the alternative tax is expanding rapidly, for two main reasons. The first is that the tax is not indexed for inflation, which means that more people fall into its maw as nominal incomes rise. But an equally important reason stems from Mr. Bush's tax cuts of 2001 and 2003. The cuts lowered taxes under the regular tax, but were not applied to the alternative calculation. As a result, the alternative tax bill is higher than the regular tax bill for millions of additional people.

After his re-election in 2004, Mr. Bush vowed to overhaul the income tax and abolish the alternative minimum tax as part of the process. But even though he received recommendations from a handpicked advisory panel, Mr. Bush ignored the proposals and never came out with a plan of his own.

Democrats Demand Inquiry Into How They're Doing So Far

WASHINGTON, DC—"The question facing us today is simple: Do you like us? If not, why?" asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, seeking approval from the American people.

Hey! You There With The Loaves And Fishes! Not So Fast!

ORLANDO, Fla. -- An activist was arrested while he was feeding homeless people in a public park.

Eric Montanez, 21, a member of Orlando's Food Not Bombs, violated a city ordinance against feedings in the park Wednesday evening, police said.

Each group is allowed to feed only 25 people, but undercover officers saw Montanez feed 30, police spokeswoman Barbara Jones said.

Food Not Bombs and Montanez are plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit against the city, claiming that the ordinance is unconstitutional, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Montanez was charged with a misdemeanor count of prohibited activity in a park and was released from jail on a $250 bond.

Some Kind Words From Ann

Coulter evaluates genocidal performances:

These people can't even wrap up genocide. We've been hearing about this slaughter in Darfur forever - and they still haven't finished. The aggressors are moving like termites across that country. It's like genocide by committee. Who's running this holocaust in Darfur, FEMA?

Joe-Mail?

I mean, Lieberman never seemed crazy to me ... idiotic, priggish, entitled yes but not crazy. Now I'm not so sure.

Unless Cheney's got dirty pix of Joe eating ham. That might explain why a man who still tries to identify with the Democratic party actually relies on the most discredited parts of the Cheney/Bush deceit-of-the-day play book.

From Wolf Blitzer's show today (with Arlen Spector in one of his I think I'll sound sane today moments. I think that they've got pictures of him too).

BLITZER: What about Senator Lieberman, what do you think?

LIEBERMAN: I respectfully and strongly disagree with Arlen Specter and with Nancy Pelosi. I believe her visit to Syria was a mistake, that it was bad for the United States of America and good for the Syrians. And I say this because we’re in a war. We’re in a war against the Islamic terrorists who attacked us on 9-11-01. Syria is a state sponsor of terrorism.

BLITZER: But they had nothing to do with 9-11.

LIEBERMAN: But they have — but let me tell what you they have to do with what we’re into now. The Bashir Assad Syrian government has allowed terrorists and arms to flow across its country into Iraq that are being used to kill Americans today. Syria has been implicated in the assassination of a very strong popular Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. Syria is supporting Hezbollah, which is trying to unseat our ally, Senora, in Lebanon. Syria is supporting the terrorist group Hamas against our allies in the Fatah Palestinian movement, and of course, Israel. The administration, in all fairness — people in Washington should know, if they don’t know, the administration has been trying in many ways, in diplomatic discussions with Syria since 9-11, to get Assad to change his behavior and he has not. When Nancy Pelosi goes there, she sends a message of disunity. She legitimizes the Syrian goverment.

BLITZER: So I assume you disagree with Senator Specter’s decision. I want Senator Specter to respond. Why do you think Senator Lieberman, Senator Specter, is wrong?

SPECTER: I believe in the maxim, hold your friends close and your enemies closer. President Ronald Reagan declared the Soviet Union to be the evil empire, and immediately thereafter undertook negotiations with them. Look, Assad is not a boy scout, but we have to deal with him. he’s there. In my conversation with him, I think there are ways to get him to stop arming Hezbollah and to stop arming Hamas. They came on the brink of a solution to the Golan Heights in 1995 and again in the year 2000. That was done by active negotiation that President Clinton engaged in. So there are ways to move through it, and to isolate them has not been successful.

Just So You Get My Point

More on Monica and her Pat-Robertson-designed-law-degree from the Boston Globe:

And across the political blogosphere, critics have held up Goodling, who declined to be interviewed, as a prime example of the Bush administration subordinating ability to politics in hiring decisions.

"It used to be that high-level DOJ jobs were generally reserved for the best of the legal profession," wrote a contributor to The New Republic website . ". . . That a recent graduate of one of the very worst (and sketchiest) law schools with virtually no relevant experience could ascend to this position is a sure sign that there is something seriously wrong at the DOJ."

The Regent law school was founded in 1986, when Oral Roberts University shut down its ailing law school and sent its library to Robertson's Bible-based college in Virginia. It was initially called "CBN University School of Law" after the televangelist's Christian Broadcasting Network, whose studios share the campus and which provided much of the funding for the law school. (The Coors Foundation is also a donor to the university.) The American Bar Association accredited Regent 's law school in 1996.

Not long ago, it was rare for Regent graduates to join the federal government. But in 2001, the Bush administration picked the dean of Regent's government school, Kay Coles James , to be the director of the Office of Personnel Management -- essentially the head of human resources for the executive branch. The doors of opportunity for government jobs were thrown open to Regent alumni.

"We've had great placement," said Jay Sekulow , who heads a non profit law firm based at Regent that files lawsuits aimed at lowering barriers between church and state. "We've had a lot of people in key positions."

Many of those who have Regent law degrees, including Goodling, joined the Department of Justice. Their path to employment was further eased in late 2002, when John Ashcroft , then attorney general, changed longstanding rules for hiring lawyers to fill vacancies in the career ranks.

Previously, veteran civil servants screened applicants and recommended whom to hire, usually picking top students from elite schools.

In a recent Regent law school newsletter, a 2004 graduate described being interviewed for a job as a trial attorney at the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division in October 2003. Asked to name the Supreme Court decision from the past 20 years with which he most disagreed, he cited Lawrence v. Texas, the ruling striking down a law against sodomy because it violated gay people's civil rights.

"When one of the interviewers agreed and said that decision in Lawrence was 'maddening,' I knew I correctly answered the question," wrote the Regent graduate . The administration hired him for the Civil Rights Division's housing section -- the only employment offer he received after graduation, he said.

The graduate from Regent -- which is ranked a "tier four" school by US News & World Report, the lowest score and essentially a tie for 136th place -- was not the only lawyer with modest credentials to be hired by the Civil Rights Division after the administration imposed greater political control over career hiring.

...

As the dean of a lower-ranked law school that benefited from the Bush administration's hiring practices, Jeffrey Brauch of Regent made no apologies in a recent interview for training students to understand what the law is today, and also to understand how legal rules should be changed to better reflect "eternal principles of justice," from divorce laws to abortion rights.

"We anticipate that many of our graduates are going to go and be change agents in society," Brauch said.

Fairy Tales Can Come True

I'm with Andrew Sullivan ... the culture wars are over and we won.

From Disney:

We are updating our Fairy Tale Wedding guidelines to include commitment ceremonies,” Disney Parks and Resorts spokesman Donn Walker said. “This is consistent with our policy of creating a welcoming, respectful and inclusive environment for all of our guests.

…We are not in the business of making judgments about the lifestyle of our guests. We are in the hospitality business and our parks and resorts are open to everyone.”

A Cancer On Our System Of Justice

A Jesus-shaped tumor no doubt . I don't think these girls are helping god or women.

MINNEAPOLIS -- It’s a major shakeup at the offices of new U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose.
Four of her top staff voluntarily demoted themselves Thursday, fed up with Paulose, who, after just months on the job, has earned a reputation for quoting Bible verses and dressing down underlings.

Deputy U.S. Attorney John Marty is just one of the people dropping themselves in rank to simply a U.S. Attorney position. Also making the move are the heads of Paulose’s criminal and civil divisions and the top administrative officer.
The move is intended to send a message to Washington – that 33-year-old Paulose is in over her head.

Paulose was appointed before the 8 U.S. Attorneys were given their pink slips, but she has deep connections to the scandal.

She was a special assistant to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, worked as a senior counsel for deputy attorney general Paul McNulty and is best buds with Monica Goodling – the assistant U.S. Attorney who recently took the Fifth rather than testify before Congress.

Add to the suspicions the fact that Minnesota’s former U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger stepped down just as the White House was developing its hit list.

Heffelfinger responds to questions whether he was forced out by saying, “emphatically no.” But there’s been a lot of speculation that Heffelfinger, a moderate Republican, may have been able to read the writing on the wall.

And indeed, some of the early White House memos indicate three people on the hit list resigned before they could be fired.

Monica Monica Monica

Gonzales' top aide resigns

Senior counselor refused to testify before Congress

WASHINGTON -- The senior counselor to Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales submitted her resignation Friday, becoming the third high-ranking Justice Department aide to quit in the aftermath of the firings of eight U.S. attorneys.

The departure of Monica Goodling, 33, comes two weeks after she first refused to answer questions from Congress about the firings, invoking her 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination.

....

"It has been an honor to have served at the Justice Department for the past five years," Goodling wrote Gonzales, telling him of her resignation effective Saturday. "May God bless you richly as you continue your service to America," she added.

Everybody just stay where you genetically are and no one gets hurt.

Satan, The Early Years

Karl Rove interviewed by Dan Rather while working for The Committee To Re-Elect The President, (CREEP) 1972. Bad Hair even then (but we all did...)

Clean, Honest, Reverent, Brave, Cooked

We visited wonkette this AM and ran across this:

Jesus-Loving Boy Scouts Defeat ACLU!

The military-boy scout orgy known as “Jamboree” will be held as planned behind the gates of Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday.

Every four years, the boy scouts and soldiers get together for a private no-holds-barred bash.

ACLU communists said this was wrong because boy scouts also have to pray to Jesus, so they shouldn’t be using public property — which is kind of insane, considering that the entire federal government is run by god-nuts who spend all their time on public property muttering to god.

Despite their prayers, the American god is not a big fan of the boy scouts or their vile jamboree. Last time they held it at Fort A.P. Hill, lightning killed four scout leaders while more than 300 scout kids collapsed in the heat after waiting for hours for a promised visit by President Bush. Scouts were struck by lightning at the 2001 jamboree, too.

Area Homosexual Saves Four From Fire

FALMOUTH, MA—Near-tragedy turned to joy Monday, when Phillip and Karen Widman and their two children were rescued from their burning house on Locust Street by Kevin Lassally, a homosexual man.

Delusion Thy Name Is Monica

Let's us take a serious look at the new Monica in DC.

Part of a generation of young religious conservatives who swept into the federal government after the election of President Bush in 2000, Goodling displayed unblinking devotion to the administration and expected others to do the same. When she started at Justice, "no job was too small for her," and as she moved rapidly up the ranks, none "was too large," Corallo said.

Monica is refusing to testify before the senate about things that she has done on her job because she, and all of us, have the right to not incriminate ourselves.

"She forced many very talented, career people out of main Justice so she could replace them with junior people that were either loyal to the administration or would score her some points," said a former career Justice official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.

Of course, not all of us are committing potentially criminal behavior while helping maintain the rule of law in America.

Explaining why she invoked her right against self-incrimination, her lawyer, John M. Dowd, called the investigation "hostile" and said that some committee members "have already reached conclusions."

At yesterday's Judiciary hearing, senators questioned why she was still employed at Justice. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), a former U.S. attorney, noted that the department encourages corporations to fire employees who refuse to cooperate with government investigations.

"I'm a little surprised that she's still there after taking the Fifth," he said.

Actually WaPo has a great piece on her, which we've been quoting here. As odd as her pre-emptive attempt to "take the fifth" before ever being asked a question may seem, it is really just a fine example of how warped the idea of civil law becomes when cooked in an oven of religious thinking.

To her supporters, Goodling's only mistake -- if she made one at all -- was not anticipating the political peril before the 2006 midterm elections.

"The young conservatives who came off the campaign and were new to town with this administration, they've never seen lean times," said a veteran Republican political appointee who declined to be quoted by name saying anything critical of Goodling. "They had no appreciation for what would happen after the Democrats took control and how tough it would be."

This is type person who really does believe that her faith is the law of the land, that laws exist to raise up the faithful and to cast down the unbelievers (remember too, unbelievers in Monica's world includes all Catholics and most Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans etc).

And so, she sincerely believes that the satanic Democrats will twist what she has done and what she will say into crimes.

This, of course, makes her a model of the Cheney/Bush / Addington theory of governance.

A Thousand Words

Not flashy, but may be the single most symbolic photo of the Bush Administration was taken this week as dear leader put on his War Face one more time to fight for his right to be king.

How Do You Spell Compromise?

F-U-C-K-Y-O-U

Go visit RawStory here for this must watch video from Hardball last night. You will get an object lesson in what's left of Republican Public Policy discourse. As the party is now only the party of Alabama cousin-lovers this rep is distinctly represetative of the party, dolly Parton clothes and all. Stick around till the end where she begins to channel Pat Robertson's crazy 'smile of rage'.

Hardball host Chris Matthews asks if a compromise between the president's position and the Democrats' position is possible. Rep. Blackburn responds, "I do not know if there is room for compromise. I think that a good way to define that compromise would be to put a clean bill on the floor, one that supports the troops, supports their needs, and then have an up or down vote."

Frustrated by Blackburn's response, Matthews asks the question again. Blackburn continues, saying, "The way for compromise is to put a bill on the floor that says 'let's fund the troops, let's fund the effort and what they need' and those that want to vote against it, vote against it."

"That's a compromise?" says a puzzled Matthews.

New Mexico approves medical use of marijuana

If only Bill Richardson could raise 25 Mil.

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (Reuters) - New Mexico doctors are allowed to prescribe marijuana to help some seriously ill patients manage symptoms including pain and nausea under a bill signed into law by Gov. Bill Richardson on Monday.

"This law will provide much-needed relief for New Mexicans suffering from debilitating diseases," Richardson, a Democratic candidate for U.S. president in 2008, said at the signing ceremony. "It is the right thing to do."

The southwestern state is the 12th in the United States to endorse the use of marijuana for medical uses. New Mexico's state legislature is the fourth in the country to enact such a measure.

The law allows marijuana use by patients suffering from several conditions, such as
HIV/ AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis and epilepsy, according to Richardson's office.