Trick? Or Treat?

From CNN article:

President Bush today announced he is nominating 3rd Circuit Appeals Court Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. "Judge Alito is one of the most accomplished and respected judges in America," Bush said. Legal experts consider Alito so ideologically similar to Justice Antonin Scalia that he has earned the nickname "Scalito."

Like I said...its Scootergate!

Once again, its not the acts that led to the investigation that got him, its the lying & obstructing that led to the indictment.

I still hold out hope that Darth Karl will join the orange jumpsuit party.

I can feel a "Gate" coming on...

Geez, I haven't seen this much covering up, distancing, subject-changing, and hanging of pawns out to dry since ol' Nixy was in office! Not that I was alive then. I wouldn't want to be the guy looking around the White House and realizing that I was playing the part of G. Gordon Liddy!

Miers Withdraws Nomination

Read about it here.

Does this clear the way for Bush to nominate someone more pleasing to social conservatives?

Attention Virginia Voters

Lt. Governor Kaine has received the endorsements of The Washington Post (here's the editorial explaining why) and, more importantly, the Virginia Education Association (VEA). The VEA based its endorsement on "interviews with the gubernatorial candidates and a thorough examination of their records and positions." As someone who places tremendous importance on public education (and as a past and future public school teacher), I have decided to vote for Kaine based on his pledges to increase teacher salaries to the national average, to support/protect the Virginia Retirement System benefit plan for teachers, and to provide additional funding for the Standards of Quality (SOQ) initiative.

[In the interests of full disclosure, I would like to note that I am a member of the Fairfax Education Association, which is affiliated with the VEA and their national partner, the NEA.]

New Milestone - 2,000 American soldiers killed in Iraq

"Grieve little and move on. I shall be looking over you. And you will hear me from time to time on the gentle breeze that sounds at night, and in the rustle of leaves."

This was what a 25-year-old sergeant wrote to his wife and two children before he was killed by a roadside bomb this year.

Cheney can gut anything!

You may have thought that Vice President Cheney and his right-wing friends only gutted social legislation. Not the case. While traditionally they have only used their "great name, no substance" legislative strategy to pretend to solve Americans' problems (like annoucing a great Prescription Drug Bill that does little to get folks prescription drugs, while doing a lot to line insurance companies pockets), now Cheney is proposing to make sure our proposed anti-torture bill doesn't actually stop any torture. If you exempt all non-DOD personnel, operations overseas, and anti-terrorist operations, exactly what torture will the bill purport to stop? Doesn't the Bush Administration define pretty much EVERYTHING we do overseas, including the Iraq War, as anti-terrorist operations? Is the "Anti-Torture Bill" really going to be only the "Turn the Reigns of Torture Over To Non-Soldiers Bill"? Great, soldiers cannot torture, but CIA, NSA, State Consular Operations, etc., etc. can go right ahead.

Does Cheney have no shame? No conscience?

Interesting new twist

Hmmm, looks like the chain of information concerning Valerie Plame's identity as a CIA agent went from Tenet to Cheney to Scooter Libby to the press. Interesting.

21 too many.

This makes me sick. I don't care who they were. I KNOW who we are: Americans. We don't do that. Period.

Leaglize It?

From a Schmolitician who wishes to remain anonymous:

This is an interesting article from the former Seattle police chief advocating legalization (note not decriminalization). I'd like to see a well written counterpoint. Any takers?

What do you guys and gals think about this article?

What? No perp walk?

You gotta have a perp walk!!

Bud Pong pulled from shelves...

It may not be fair to classify this as political, but it is interesting.

Can you imagine AB's press office dealing with this story? They probably sent the e-mail response to avoid cracking up over the phone. I mean, come on. Who would play a game call 'Bud Pong' with water????

Spreading Freedom Around the World

Except to our own Armed Forces personnel. Apparently, differing opinions and possible dissent are too dangerous for our boys over there. If its not choreographed in the White House or the Pentagon, they don't get to hear it!

Schmolitical Poll 'o the Week

Will Harriet Miers get confirmed? Why or why not?

Weigh in, Schmoliticians!

File Under "Mistress in Georgia"?

This isn't especially newsworthy, but it is interesting.



I don't believe Rush Limbaugh's drug addiction problems are any of my business, but I do find his girlfriend's political editorializing something to be considered. Can she keep her Limbaughing to a minimum or will she be necessarily swayed by her handsome (and trim!) boyfriend's political views?

More Cronyism?

OK, now this cronyism is getting a little out of hand:

WASHINGTON, DC—Halliburton was awarded an $85.5 million contract to rebuild damaged U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney Monday. "We are proud to serve the executive branch in their hour of need," CEO David J. Lesar wrote in a statement released later that day. "Due to our vast experience with oil-well fires and refinery mishaps, we are well-versed in the sort of reinforcement, rewiring, and exoskeleton refitting Mr. Cheney so desperately needs." The Department of Ways and Means defended awarding the contract to Halliburton on the grounds that they had done the original work on Cheney in the 1970s. (10.5.05, The Onion)

Assisted Suicide - Is it our right?

Do you think we have a constitutional right to assisted suicide?
This case is before the Supreme Court now, and no surprise, today, Chief Justice Roberts sharply questioned the lawyer arguing for Oregon's law that allows physician assisted suicide. The opponents are arguing that it violates drug laws, which I really don't understand. If its administered by a physician, how can it violate drug laws? The Oregon law strictly states how and when it should be administered. Are we really worried about whether terminally ill patients will become addicts?
Anyway, Justice O'Connor is currently leaning toward upholding the Oregon law, however, she will probably not be on the bench when the decision is rendered. So, with an expected 4-4 tie, the new Justice will be the tie-breaker. Since the Bush administration has been solidly against the issue of physician-assisted suicide, we can imagine how she would vote. And, keep in mind, this is a Republican president who is opposed to a state law that has twice been endorsed by the voters. Isn't that against the Republican ideology?
My opinion, in case its not obvious by now, is that the right to die is the ultimate constitutional right. If I am terminally ill, and suffering, why should the government tell me I must continue to suffer? Its a decision between a patient and a doctor, with no politicians involved.

Ummm, Riiiiight... That'd Be Grrrreaattt...

Did anyone else catch "high"lights of the President's press conference today? The press corps and Dems, natch, as well as some conservatives, surprisingly, are having the same reaction, namely, "Who the #@(%! is this woman, and how is she even REMOTELY qualified to sit on the Supreme Court??" The Prez claims she'll be the same woman in 20 years that she is now. He claims she's a constructionist, not a judicial activist. That she'll exercise modesty and careful jurisprudence. What did we expect him to say?

I, for one, am at a loss. Gratified she's a woman, yes, but at a loss. How can we put her on the bench when she's never been a judge, at any level?

Well, it's a Step up from Iron Meg and Hank

I just received my first email from William and Mary's new president, Gene Nichol, announcing that none other than Sandra Day O'Connor will succeed Henry Kissinger as our new Chancellor. Oh my.

But when I stop and think about this, I am actually not as angry as I thought I was. True, O'Connor was a Republican appointee, but on the other hand, I would not call her a conservative idealogue by any stretch of the imagination. While I do not agree with her on several of her major Supreme Court rulings, I cannot deny that she has been a moderate, reasonable jurist and served our country well. And compared to the last two Chancellors (Kissenger and Thatcher), she is Mother Freakin' Theresa.

So I guess my final opinion is: we could have done much worse. I will just have to wait and see how O'Connor handles her Chancellorship. Good luck, Sandra!

W&M-affiliated Schmoliticians, what are your thoughts?

What's this Katrina hubbub about? FEMA did exactly what it claimed it would do!

As pointed out on the Daily Show a couple of days ago, FEMA performed exactly as they planned. As the chart clearly shows, FEMA precipitated the exact result called for by the plan. Just follow the last action arrow.

Bush to Push Americans to Cut Energy Usage

This is most unexpected, though most welcome: the Bush Administration will unveil a national campaign to convince Americans to curb their energy usage as much as possible this winter. And this after Bush's own father famously told the world in 1992 at the World Summit in Brazil, "The American way of life is not up for negotiation."

This is not the first time that Bush has shown his new, enlightened stance on a possible fossil fuel crisis. Two months ago, with oil prices shooting upwards, he talked about how we needed to focus seriously on alternative fuel sources.

While this lip service is reassuring (in that a "good ol' boy from the oilpatch" can come around on energy issues enough to admit that a problem exists), I am afraid that it is just that: lip service. Bush (or his handlers) is quite politically adroit, and once it became clear that Americans were upset about high gasoline prices hitting them in the pocketbook, a new strategy for talking about energy was drafted.

If Bush was serious about this, why is alternative fuel research not being funded? Surely a small slice of the $500 billion defence budget would go a long way toward financing some of the cutting edge research that is going on at a handful of US universities. And energy technology would seem to be related enough to defence to get some DARPA money.

Who?

Harriet Miers, the current Counsel to the President, has just been named as Bush’s new nominee for the Supreme Court.  While holding a position as a judge is not a prerequisite for a Supreme Court appointment, does anyone else think that selecting Miers is a cop-out by Bush?  With no record to defend, and all correspondence between Miers and the administration protected by attorney/client  privilege, how does anyone know where this nominee stands on core issues?  Furthermore, doesn’t Bush realize that most of the informed citizens of this country are already scrutinizing his favoritism towards White House insiders?  I have to believe that there are more qualified and more transparent candidates for this position.  Frankly, this selection scares the hell out of me.