Eyes Left

2:36:32 PM EST
Hearing Shane Spann  Waco Fireman/Songwriter

JUDGING DELAY - ROUND 1

(Editor's Note - the following blog entry was written on November 3rd, BEFORE new developments on the "Delay Judge" story re Texas Supreme Court Justice Jefferson etc.  It is a bit out of date, but still quite relevant, and it expresses a worthwhile viewpoint.  So it is offered for your consideration.  See below.)

Texas law is clear.  Corporate funds cannot be used to feed the campaigns of political candidates.  But Texas Republicans conveniently selected a "the law be damned" perspective in 2002.  Mountains of corporate funds were steered to GOP candidates for the Texas Legislature, and the Republicans captured the Texas Legislature for the first time since Reconstruction.  Of course, the "Leg" has always been dominated by conservatives and the state's private economic elite.  But the 2003 Texas Legislature was pridefully shameless in its granting of $$$$$$$$ favor after $$$$$$$$ favor after $$$$$$$ favor to corporate executives.  Tom Delay masterminded this dirty money scheme.  His indictment is justified, and one can only hope for justice. 

Delay still holds strong cards.  He plaintively portrays himself as a victim of virulent Democratic persecution, and he has hired the best attorney money can buy, Dick DeGeurin.  DeGeurin and Delay scored an initial victory in their battle with Ronnie Earle, the Democratic (gasp!) Travis County District Attorney.  Bob Perkins, who was originally slated to be the presiding judge, was forced to withdraw from the case, because of Perkins' supposed "bias" against Delay.  And the evidence?  Perkins donated $ to the "Kerry for President" Campaign and "Move On.org".  DeGeurin requested a ruling from the supervisory judge in the Austin/Travis County area (it can only be the greatest coincidence that this individual was appointed by the epitome of nonpartisan governance - Republican Governor Rick Perry!) and the Perry mouthpiece punted the ball to Bud Duncan, a retired "Democratic" state judge from Bell County/Killeen.  I am sure that Judge Duncan loves his children and enjoys great respect in the legal community, but he is just the kind of judge that Tom Delay needs.  Duncan has his own political bias - he was appointed by conservative "Democrat" (????) Dolph Briscoe ini 1978.  Briscoe was/is a multimillionaire "establishment" rancher from South Texas.  Duncan also donated money to John Cornyn's campaigns for Attorney General.  Cornyn is now an ultraconserevative U.S. Senator from Texas.  Absent extraordinary circumstances, judges are presumed to be impartial.  It must be that way - since most judges at the state and local level are elected in partisan elections.  We may see DeGeurin pushing to seat the Legal Counsel of the Republican National Commit4tee as Judge in the Delay corporate money laundering trial. 

Delay and DeGeurin are pressing to move the trial out of Austin and Travis County.  Poor Tom can't get a fair trial in Austin - Austin and Travis County are filled with nasty partisan Democrats.  Besides, some local folks are outraged by the Delay gerrymandering (purchased with crooked corporate money) that split Austin into four Congressional Districts and gave the Republicans five more seats in the Texas U.S. House delegation.  Delay and DeGeurin want impartial Republican jurors - the kind of folks who live in Plano, Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland, Big Springs, Tyler etc.  Republican communities produce Republican judges and Republican juries, and Delay is confident of a "not guilty" verdict, if the trial can be sufficiently politicized.  Hopefully, the trial will be focused on one question:  "Did Tom Delay break the law?"

Ronnie Earle needs to show some creative moxie and muscle.  Dick DeGeurin is running circles around Earle. 

Written by usapolres Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

10:25:27 AM EST
Hearing Pachabel Canon

KEEP SAMUEL ALITO OFF THE SUPREME COURT!

As expected, President Bush changed tactics in his crusade to create an ideologically conservative United States Supreme Court.  After selecting a "stealth nominee" (Harriet Miers) with a record of absolute devotion to George W Bush and the Bush Administration who was inexplicably denounced by purist rightwing radicals in the Republican Party, the President has chosen a jurist with the ideological temperament of Antonin Scalia.  President Bush has nominated Samuel Alito, a distinguished conservative appeals court justice with seven years of service in the Reagan Justice Department.  Alito was placed on the federal bench by the first President Bush in 1990. 

Alito symbolizes Bush's rejection of accommodation and compromise with Democrats and the great mass of moderate American opinion.  Despite plummeting poll numbers (we can only hope that the American electorate is finally getting wise - but the only poll that counts is Election Day 2006 and Election Day 2008), the President is standing with rightwing extremists who seek to diminish liberty and embrace economic royalism. 

Bush has a special affinity for rightwing Catholics - Alito is Catholic and Alito's supporteres will undoubtedly claim that opposition to Alito is related to anti-Catholic bias.  However, the President rejected the counsel of his own spouse, Laura Bush by not selecting a woman.  Several ultraconservative women federal judges with long paper trails were available.  If Alito is confirmed, there will be only one woman on the Supreme Court - Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  Alito is 55 years old-- Bush could have found a "forty something" ultraconservative jurist who could stay on the court for 40+ years. 

Alito will provide the fifth vote to destroy Roe vs Wade.  Alito believes that husbands should have a veto power over their wife's desire to have an abortion.  Alito's presence on the Supreme Court would have devastating consequences.  His nickname is "Scalito", which refers to his ideological kinship with the brilliant rightwing purist, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. 

Senate Democrats need to find some courage and unity.  The following strategies should be pursued by Democratic Senators.  NO Democratic Senator should endorse Alito.  If some Democratic Senator decides to betray justice and the national Democratic constituency, the lawmakere should wait until after the Judiciary Committee Alito confirmation hearings are concluded and all Democratic Judiciary Committee membes have expressed their position.  The seven Democratic members of the "centrist" Gang of 14 should be encouraged not to surrender to the Bush Administration.  We need a united Senate Democratic Caucus.  Because Alito is an ideological candidate, he may not secure the support of all Republican Senators.  The decisions of Judiciary Committee Chair Arlen Specter (R-Penn) and abortion rights supporters Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe are key.  Absent extraordinary circumstances, Alito cannot be defeated by majority vote - this Senate of 55 Republicans and 45 Republicans is completely under the thumb of right wing economic royalist and "social control" ideologues.  But Alito could be stopped by a unified Democratic filibuster - surely the Democrats can find at least 40 Senators to vote "NO" on Alito.  The Democrats should stiffen their spines and develop their filibuster plans. 

Written by usapolres Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

11:55:40 PM EST

WACO TRIBUNE HERALD - GOING SOUTH

In 2004, the Waco Tribune Herald exhibited unusual courage when it endorsed John Kerry for President.   President George W Bush's Crawford ranch lies within McLennan County, and McLennan County has gone Republican in most recent statewide elections.  If competence, intelligence, and compassion were the only variables (excluding ideology), all discerning voters should have selected Kerry.  But the mostly Republican business community, which provides vital advertising income to the Waco Tribune Herald (the sole daily newspaper in Waco) was outraged by the Tribune Herald's stand. 

In 2005, Waco Tribune Herald Publisher Dan Savage resigned, and he was replaced by Michael Vivio, the Waco Tribune Herald Advertising Director.  The Waco Tribune Herald soon inaugurated a series on the potential Bush Presidential Library that could be located on the Baylor campus.  All pretense of objectivity was removed - the stories repeatedly gushed about how wonderful it would be for all concerned if George W Bush chose Waco as the site for his presidential library - indeed, the unspoken, unstated, yet crystal clear implication was that any Wacoan who opposed the Bush presidential library was practically mentally imbalanced or a Bush hating ideological leftist.   The Tribune Herald even printed fifty individual "Reasons to Locate the Bush Library in Waco" advertisements. 

Under Vivio's leadership, the Tribune Herald soon embarked on a campaign to let "the readers" choose Waco Tribune Herald syndicated columnists - a list was circulated, and most of the syndicated columnists were outspoken conservatives.  Local liberals worried that the previous practice of presenting approximately equal numbers of "liberal" and "conservative" columns would be abandoned. 

The Waco Tribune Herald then displayed strategically displayed billboards on Waco roadways that are presumably utilized by Republican voters.  The billboards have pictures of three conservative columnists - Walter Williams (an ultraconservative Republican and African-American), Ann Coulter (the "Wicked Witch of the West" of the Right), and Charles Krauthammer - with the slogan "Your Voices".  There are no Waco billboards with pictures of liberal columnists. 

A few days ago, the Waco Tribune Herald outdid itself.  It placed another of its clever ads in thefront section of the paper, with the slogan "Your Voices".  The ad contained two words of text in a blank square - "Liberal Wacko".  What was the point of this ad?  Was it to show that liberals can be insulted?  Was it to show that political liberals are illegitimate?  Was it to show that rightwing  commentators and readers can feel comfortable denouncing all things "liberal" with seething emotion?  Would the paper have dared to print the ad if the words "Conservative idiot" were used?  I think not. 

When the sun sets on October, I will do a comprehensive survey of "number of liberal columns vs number of conservative columns published in the Waco Tribune Herald during October 2005".  Then I will tabulate "liberal columns vs conservative columns published ini the Waco Tribune Herald  for October 2004".  I expect two discoveries -  (1) fewer columns are being printed, and (2) there is a greater proportion of conservative columns to liberal columns in October 2005, compared to October 2004. 

And yet, some local conservatives still denounce the Waco Tribune Herald as a "liberal rag".  These conservatives and the local Republican business community  should be joyful.  They still have their President, and the Waco Tribune Herald is slowly metamorphosizing into a George W Bush house organ. 

 

Written by usapolres Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 1 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

3:22:52 PM EDT
Hearing Mozart Piano Concerto # 21  Adagio

STRIDES FOR MENTAL HEALTH ON A HOT AUTUMN MORNING

October 2nd, 2005 was one of the better days of my life.  I walked 3.2 miles with 350 other persons in the shimmering early autumn heat of downtown Austin with Texas NAMI (also known as the Texas Chapter of the National Alliance For The Mentally Ill).  This was a $ raising walk, and I was especially gratified by the response to my pleas for contributions - I raised about $ 500, and 90% of this money will go to the Waco Tx NAMI chapter. 

Why did I get involved?  For some time, I have been quite aware of the insidious discrimination inflicted on persons with mental ailments - there is severe employment discrimination - insurance companies refuse to provide comprehensive benefits for psychiatric care - persons receiving Social Security benefits for a mental disability lose their disability status if they work full time or earn more than $ 500 pere month (some persons on Social Security for mental disability are capable of full time employment, but their mental state is often quite precarious - they can sometimes land a full time job, but a capricious employer or economic recession can destroy their employment status - and if they lose their full time job, there is no disability income and no wage/salary income) - there is this great oppressive solitude, where the sufferer feels alone and helpless - there is severe stigma, for society often concentrates on the mental sufferer's "sickness" instead of their humanity and desire for love, happiness, and meaning which is the foundation of every human spirit.  Mental illness respects no barriers - it curses rich and poor - it bombards persons of all races, ages, both genders - it raises its hydra like heads without warning, and the sufferer, families, and friends sometimes feel as if a nuclear bomb has exploded, and God is completely absent. 

My beloved girl friend is brave, spiritual, kind, honest, loyal, and loving.  She is the source of much of my power and confidence.  But she has struggled with a mental disorder for years - usually, her problems are quite controllable with psychiatric "maintenance medication" - but occasionally, she leaves her medication regimen, and plunges inito deep spinning darkness with no gravity.  After several years of mental stability and an essentially normal life, my friend recently found herself in a psychiatric hospital, her mind swirling ini endless circles.  Eventually, with the help of caring psychiatric professionals and the restoration of medication, she found her way back to the light, and I gave thanks.  She left the hospital in late August, and I learned about NAMI as she was being discharged.  At that point, I knew that I must participate in the NAMI Walk. 

I confined my search for contributions to blood kin or persons that I absolutely trusted, or persons who knew and loved my friend.  Almost everyone responded - about twenty people donated funds for my participation in the walk.  I did not walk alone - my friend and seven other persons from Waco NAMI were with me in Austin (a psychologist, a father with a son who suffers from schizophrenia, my girl firend, and several persons with recurring mental afflictions).  As we walked, we wore dark blue NAMI WACO tshirts, skipping church for this opportunity - the Austini skyscrapers towered above us - gradually, the Texas Capitol grew larger and larger in our vision - the atmosphere was festive and filled with brave hope - "Expect Recovery" - the bumper stickers read - but the "Expect Recovery" slogan was more of a prayer - this was an army of the wounded that bravely struggles against the darkness, bringing light, community, and love. 

As I left the park at the conclusion of the NAMI Walk, a thin and somewhat nervous women accosted me and others exiting the gate.  There is a Suicide Prevention Walk on November 13th.  Her son had committed suicide.  She had to do this, passing out literature to strangers.  She had to bring honor to her son's memory and soul.  I understood.  I was at the NAMI Walk because of Delia.  And I remembered the suicides that have touched my life - the obstetrician who delivered my oldest daughter, the older brother of a childhood best friend who went to Viet Nam and came home and swallowed a bottle of pills, consumed by nightmares and guilt - the physician who excelled at everything but ended his life because he saw that he was checkmated by pancreatic cancer.  When you go on a NAMI Walk or a suicide prevention awareness walk, you meet people who have been to hell and back.  You meet people who refuse to let their trip to hell define them.  You meet people who have slipped into hell and refuse to stay there. 

So I may be coming to see you in the coming weeks, because my work on behalf of the mentally afflicted remains unfinished.  Waco NAMI is small - but it should be large, active, and viable.  It's the type of organization that should draw ministers, psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, social workers, therapists, mental health consumers (patients), their families and friends, and anyone else who dares to replace darkness with light.  So if I ask you for a $ donation to NAMI, or I ask you to become personally involved with the organization, listen to your heart. 

To send a donation to the Waco NAMI, please make the check payable to:  NAMI   Mail the donation to John DeVries, 2304 Herring, Waco Tx  76708.

Visit www.nami.org       

Written by usapolres Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

8:06:18 PM EDT
Hearing Shane Spann, Waco Songwriter

A VOTE FOR MIERS IS A VOTE FOR KARL ROVE

President Bush has nominated Harriet Miers to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the United States Supreme Court.  Many outspoken conservatives are supposedly "aghast" - they claim Miers has no proven conservative credentials.  But they are wrong.  The ascension of Miers to the Supreme Court would  aid the rightwing cause - it would create a fairly reliable 5-4 conservative majority,  and would likely demolish  Roe vs Wade.  We need to look at Miers' background. 

Miers was born and raised in Dallas - in the 1950's and early 1960's, Dallas was one of the most conservative cities in America - I can never forget the "Welcome, Mr. Kennedy, to Dallas" advertisement in the Dallas Morning News on November 22, 1963. Somehow, I doubt that Miers' family dissented from the prevailing political consensus.   She earned a Mathematics degree from Southern Methodist University, and then graduated from the Southern Methodist University Law School in 1970.  Southern Methodist University is a citadel of conservatism, although there certainly are pockets of resistence to the Bush regime, even at SMU.  Miers then worked for Federal Judge Joe Estes from 1970 through 1972.  Estes was a Republican who was appointed to the federal bench by Eisenhower in 1955.  In 1972, Miers was hired by a blue blood law firm - she was the firm's first woman attorney.   Miers' supporters praise her has a "trailblazer" for professional women.  Eventually, she became managing partner in a super law firm of 400 attorneys.   Miers may be a "trailblazer for women", but Miers advanced in her professional career by serving the economic elite - Miers did not seek to change the basic maldistribution of power and resources in American society.  Eventually, Miers found her way to an evangelical church in Dallas - a "God is a Republican" church.  She became close friends with Nathan Hecht, an attorney in her law firm and fellow church member.  Mr. Hecht was eventually elected to the Texas Supreme Court as a Republican, where he distinguished himself as an inflexible conservative, particularly on abortion matters.  Miers expressed the view that "abortion is murder" to women's groups in the late 1980's, and lobbied the American Bar Association to abandon its position favoring abortion rights.  Yes, Miers did serve on the Dallas City Council for one term - and she did show a small amount of proclivity for some independent thought, considering her background and professional associations.  But she eventually fell into a pattern of slavish devotion to George W Bush - she served as Counsel to the Bush For Governor Campaign in 1994, and was appointed as Chair of the Texas Lottery Commission in 1995.  (The "fundamentalist" side of me still objects to legalized gambling in principle - I may be the only person who has never bought a lottery ticket, and will never buy a lottery ticket - but I do know that countless poor people buy lottery tickets out of economic desperation - and Miers' affiliation with the Texas Lottery Commission means that she supports legalized gambling).  She was George W Bush's personal attorney during the controversy over George W Bush's ethically dubious entry into the Texas National Guard, where he conveniently avoided combat in Viet Nam.  Miers has been with George W Bush since George W first set foot in the White House - rising from "Staff Secretary" to :"Deputy Chief of Staff For Policy" to "White House Counsel".  Miers was probably involved in the development of legal guidelines that justify the use of torture and the rejection of the Geneva Guidelines for treatment of prisoners of war.   Miers apparently has great personal admiration for President George W Bush - she has called him a "genius".   Miers has been DEEPLY involved in the development of Bush Administration policies - policies that I vehemently oppose. 

Think Karl Rove.  Would you like to see Karl Rove on the Supreme Court?  No?  Then why would you consider Harriet Miers?  Miers is a radical right, absolutist Bush Administration loyalist.  However, President Bush realizes that the ultraconservative political agenda (obliterate abortion rights, create a state Republican church) may be extremely popular in Colorado Springs Colorado or Lynchburg Va, but it is extremely unpopular with most of the electorate.  Bush knows that he can get a known ultraconservative confirmed - because he has 55 Republican Senators, and a significant number of Democrats without any spine.  But Bush knows that the confirmation of a known ultraconservative will reduce his popularity - he prefers to place a "stealth" ultraconservative on the Supreme Court, and a "stealth" ultraconservative is what America has in Miers.  Liberals should not be misled by the outcry of some conservatives against Miers - liberals need to help defeat the Miers nomination - for if Miers is defeated, Bush will be forced to appoint a "public" ultraconservative, and that will place the heat on politicians like Arlen Specter, the moderate Republican Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  With this Senate,  it may be impossible to defeat any Bush Supreme Court nominee, unless the nominee publicly embraces the American Nazi Party - but it would be better to force President Bush to nominate a proud and defiant clone of Robert Bork, so some Republican Senators can be forced to 'walk the plank" in casting their "yes" votes.   MIERS IS JUST AS CONSERVATIVE AS ANY RIGHT WING SUPREME COURT NOMINEE WITH AN EXTENSIVE "PAPER TRAIL".  We need to force President Bush to name a KNOWN ultraconservative - getting this person confirmed will cost Bush precious political capital. 

Politics is a delicate game of chess - and Bush and the conservatives are playing brilliant chess.  The conservative denunciation of Miers is probably staged - but it seems real - if a person has enemies like Ann Coulter, she can't be that bad! - but things are not always what they seem.    The crusade against Miers by some rightwing activists has caused most liberals to remain silent.  Could this be the person who saves Roe vs Wade?  No, No, No, No, No, No, No!!!!!!!!!!!   Miers has served George W Bush in a political capacity for eleven years.  Miers has served as George W Bush's personal attorney.  Miers is an absolute Bush loyalist.  MIERS IS A TROJAN HORSE. 

Miers has never married.  We will never know the answer to this question, and I think that Miers is entitled to absolute privacy on this matter.  But has Miers ever had an abortion?  That would be the only thing that could possibly cause her to consider affirming Roe vs Wade, and I don't believe that Miers ever went through an abortion experience. 

Now, to James Dobson.  James Dobson (head of Focus on the Family, and a theocratic ideologue who would do Mussolini proud) supports Miers, because he claims that he has inside information on Miers.  Dobson is not the only conservative who supports Miers - William Rusher, the ultraconservative publisher of National Review (the magazine founded by William Buckley), isan ardent supporter of Miers' nomination - but Dobson should be hauled before the Senate Judiciary Committee and questioned closely regarding the source of his "inside information".  I believe the following exchange took place:

KARL ROVE:  Jim, you don't have to worry about Harriet Miers.  She told me flat  out that she would vote against abortion providers in every instance.  She also told me that Roe vs Wade was wrongly decided.  She told me that abortion is murder.  She told me that she would do everything in her power to put Roe vs Wade in its proper place. 

JAMES DOBSON:  I don't want the blood of innocent babies on my hands, Karl (Dr Dobson doesn't seem to care about the blood of Iraqi children and the blood of Iraq women who have fourth degree burns).  This is good to know - I will keep it confidential, and I will take it to the bank. 

Miers is James Dobson in drag.  SHE IS AN ULTRACONSERVATIVE, but ****she is a "stealth" ultraconservative****.  Bush should be forced to publicly embrace a female clone of Clarence Thomas as his Supreme Court nominee, because that is the kind of jurist that he really wants, and he will have that kind of Supreme Court Judge in Harriet Miers. 

 

 

 

 

Written by usapolres Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

9:12:21 AM EDT

JUDICIARY DEMOCRATS FRACTURED ON ROBERTS

John Roberts is closer to his coveted position as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.  The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-5 to endorse his confirmation.  The committee is comprised of ten Republicans and eight Democrats.  The votes of the Republicans were completely predictable - indeed, it would be surprising if any GOP Senator votes "NO" on the Senate floor - but the Democratic vote tally was extremely disappointing.  Ranking Democrat Patrick Leahy (Vermont) and Democrats Russell Feingold and Herb Kohl of Wisconsin voted "YES" on the Roberts nomination.  Leahy is a reliably liberal Senator with a calm demeanor.  Feingold has this irritating habit of supporting controversial Republican Justice Department and judicial nominations - he supported the confirmation of John Ashcroft as Attorney General - but he is a steadfast liberal with 12+ years of distinguished Senate service.  Feingold may run for President in 2008.  Kohl, the other Wisconsin Senator, owns a nationwide chain of grocery stores and clothing stores - he is no "rock the boat" liberal.  Kohl's vote on Roberts was not completely unexpected.  Three of the eight Judiciary Committee Democrats voted to support Roberts, even though numerous liberal Democratic interest groups (Americans United for Separation of Church and State, League of Conservation Voters, National Abortion Rights Action League, Moveon.org) and Democratic National Chair Howard Dean urged a "NO" vote. 

Democrats claimed that Roberts did not answer questions with enough specificity.  They are right.  But Roberts  already expressed his true feelings on the great issues of the day when he voluntarily became Rehnquist's law clerk and when he voluntarily joined the Reagan and Bush Justice Departments.  He knew that Rehnquist was an ultraconservative, and he knew that the Reagan and Bush I  Administration were ideologically conservative.  Roberts urged the destruction of Roe vs Wade in legal briefs submitted to the Supreme Court, he is an orthodox traditionalist Catholic, and his wife is on the board of "Feminists For Lilfe", which advocates the abolition of abortion rights.  Roberts  has argued 39 cases before the Supreme Court.  In most instances, Roberts spoke for the "rightwing" position - ..i.e, overturning a binding arbitrationemployment agreement by seeking the termination of a coal company truck driver who tested positive for marijuana...endorsing "mountain top blast" coal mining where the top of a mountain is destroyed to reach the coal with the resulting contamination of nearby rivers and streams, etc.  We KNOW Roberts' views.  His public record shows his private views!

Yes, Roberts is personally attractive and affable.  He loves his wife, his children, and his neighbors.  He is unfailingly polite and gracious.  But those qualities do not justify a lifetime appointment as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. 

Yes, Roberts is "only" replacing Rehnquist - a conservative is replacing a conservative.  There is no net ideological loss - yet.  But the Supreme Court is becoming a more dangerous place - America's liberties hang in the balance.  Unless Democrats grow some unified spine - which would take a "second coming of Christ" divine intervention -  (all 45 Democrats vote "NO"), Bush should be able to place an avowedly rightwing jurist in the O'Connor seat.  There are disquieting rumors that liberal Justice John Stevens (85 years old) may soon retire, and Bush would seek to replace Stevens with an ideological conservative.  Given today's pathetic Senate (55 Republicans and 45 Democrats - with nearly every Republican an ideological conservative or Bush loyalist and 10+ "pragmatic" or "centrist" Democrats), an ideologically conservative nominee to replace Stevens would be confirmed.  We can only hope that Stevens can somehow hold out until 2007. 

Written by usapolres Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

6:50:52 PM EDT

"Five Charities That Will Help Katrina Victims"

There are countless charitable organizations that are soliciting $ to help persons who were caught in Katrina's demonic darkness.  Here are five organizations of impeccable reputation who are totally committed to helping those who were in Katrina's path: 

OPERATION USA provides emergency medical help to Third World Medical disaster sites.  It accepts no $ from the USA federal government.

GREATER NEW ORLEANS FOUNDATION

GULF COAST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION serves the poor on the Mississippi and Alabama coasts. 

NAACP (National Assoc for the Advancement of Colored People).  No other orgnaization is as committed to helping the AFrican-Amereican poor who were crushed by Katrina. 

BATON ROUGE AREA FOUNDATION

Each of these organizations maintains comprehensive Internet websites.  Each organization can be located on the Intrnet via a simple Internet search.  Information on making a secure donation is available at each website. 

We can't assume that the federal government (FEMA) is totally committed to rebuilding the lives of persons who suffered because of Katrinia, but the above organizations do have that total commitment, and deserve our sacrificial financial support. 

Written by usapolres Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 1 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

6:43:10 PM EDT

"Katrina = $$$$$$$$$$$ For Pat Robertson"

If any political figure could be considered "anti-Christ", it would be Pat Robertson.  Pat is no THE "anti-Christ", but he does appear to be "anti-Christian", despite his "Christian" label.  This is a man who claimed that the 9/11/01 tragedy occurred because the "wrath of God turned on Amereica because of America's "encouragement and toleration" of abortion and homosexuality.  This is a man who once claimed credit for steering a hurricane away from the Virginia coastline through constant intercessory prayer.  (Robertson either did not pray, or did not pray with enough vigor, as Hurricane Katrina churned through the Gulf.  This is a man, although nominally a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who called for the murder of Venezuela President Hugo Chavez, a left/libeal critic of the Bush Administration.  This is a man who is willing to ignore the "Thou Shalt Not Kill" directive for reasons of political convenience.  Of course, Robertson is deeply involved in rightwing, Republican, theocratic politics (he ran for President in 1988, but his campaign quickly crashed), and urges the abolition of legal abortion, compulsory school prayer, church/state unity (as long as the state is Republican and Christian) and a rightwing federal judiciary.  Robertson's conservatism is perhaps hereditary - his dad, United States Senator Willis Robertson (D-Va), was a reactionary opponent of civil rights and strong supporter of the economically and socially conservative "Byrd Machine" that dominated Virginia politics. Willis Robertson served in the United States Senate from 1946 through 1966, when he was defeated in the Democratic Primary by a more moderate candidate. 

Robertson has a $ 66 million "charitable" operation called "Operation Blessing".  "Operation Blessing" is prominently featured on the FEMA website under organizations that are accepting donations for hurricane relief.  Almost all of these organizations are "faith based" - only two are "secular".  Money given to "Operation Blessing" will supposedly be funneled to rightwing megachurches for $ help to Katrina victims.  But "Operation Blessing" has a very checkered and disturbing ethical past.  Roberts has big investments in Africa diamond mines.  He developed a close relationshipo with Zaire "President" ("dictator" would be a better description) MobutoSeko, where the diamond minds are located.  In 1994, Roberts made a passionate public appeal for donations to Operation Blessing.  The money was to be used to airlift refugees from the Rwandan civil war to Zaire.  Substantial money was raised, given by people who wanted to help Rwandan refugees.  Instead, OPeration Blessings' planes were used to transport diamond mining equipment!

Anh donation to "Operation Blessing" is a donation to the "Pat Robertson Political Machine".  "Operation Blessing" donations will not be used in the best interest of Hurricane Katrina victims. 

 

 

 

Written by usapolres Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

5:46:27 PM EDT

"Eleven Representatives Oppose $ For Katrina Victims"

The United States Senate and United States House have passed further supplemental appropriations in response to the Katrina disaster.  The Senate's vote was unanimous.  Measures like this deserve unanimous support in both Houses of Congress, but unanimity was not forthcoming.  The House voted 410-11 to approve the Katrina supplemental appropriations legislation - a thumping endorsement - and yet, eleven Representatives dissented.  My curiousity was raised:   Which Representatives rejected the "I am my brother's keeper" ethic?

All eleven opponents were conservative Republicans.  The list contains some notable names - Rep. Ron Paul (Texas) is a noted libertarian, and was the Libertarian Party presidential nominee in 1988.  James Sensenbrenner (Wisconsin) is Chair of the House Judiciary Committee.  Rep. Tom Tancredo (Colorado) is a vociferous critic of illegal immigration who seems to often cater to anti-Hispanic prejudice.  Tancredo supports most National Rifle Association positions, but his district contains Columbine High School, the site of a tragic massacre that killed fourteen persons.  Rep. Joe Barton (Texas) was the primary sponsor of comprehensive industry-friendly "energy policy legislation" that has been signed into law by President Bush.  Jeffrey Flake (Arizona) is a principled rightwing libertarian on fiscal and government spending issues, but has consistently urged a more flexible policy regarding USA trade with Cuba.  Most of the remaining list is obscure - Rep. Steve King, an ultraconservative backbencher from Sioux City, Iowa...Lynn Westmoreland, an ultraconservative Georgia freshman...John Hostettler, a fundamentalist-leaning engineere from America's Heartland (Evansville In)...Scott Garrett (New Jersey), a favorite of the "Club For Growth", a Political Action Committee financed by rightwing Wall Street millionaires...Virginia Foxx, a conservative first term Representative from Winston Salem NC....and Rep. Butch Otter (Idaho), a rightwinger who has expressed strong concerns about expansive enforcement of the USA Patriot Act. 

This vote was not the opponents' finest hour.  The vote should have been unanimous. 

 

Written by usapolres Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

5:35:37 PM EDT

"The Representatives Who Passed CAFTA"

The passage of CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) was one more notable victory for corporate $$$$$$ employers who want third world cheap labor to produce their goods, but it was one more dispiriting defeat for American workers and the American economy, because CAFTA is based on this premise:  the export of good paying manufacturing jobs from the United States  to "low wage" and "slave wage" environments in the Third World.  The policy makes absolutely no sense.  It will aggravate America's trade deficit.  Therefore, the success of the Bush Administration and the Congressional Republican leadership in persuading a recalcitrant House to approve CAFTA is an exhibit of astonishing political skill. 

CAFTA passed the Senate 55-43, but the House vote was narrowly decided, 217-215.  On paper, the switch of a single vote would have doomed the agreement.  But the House GOP Leadership was determined not to lose - they would have found 217 votes, even if the roll call lasted all night.  Certain Republican Representatives deserved special oppobrium for their duplicity.  Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC), a declared opponent of CAFTA, never voted.  He claimed that his voting device jammed.  This was pure subterfuge.  Rep. Joanne Davis (R-Va), a conservative Republican with a small streak of economic populism (her core constituency is lower middle class evangelical white voters who like Pat Robertson), was pledged to oppose CAFTA, but she conveniently missed the vote to attend a Boy Scout Jamboree event.  Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC), a multimillionaire textile heir with a "Textile Belt" district that has been economically devastated by "free trade" policies, initially voted "No" in the early moments of the roll call, but switched his vote to "yes" just before the GOP Leadership gaveled the vote to a close.  Rep. Shelly Capito (R-W Va), who represents a culturally conservative but economically populist district that is vehemently opposed to "free trade" directed by Exxon/Mobil and Wall Street, voted against CAFTA - but Capito refused to cast her vote until the very end of the roll call, which gave Republican leaders enough times to twist arms to gain a majority.  Freshmen GOP Representatives Charles Boustany (Louisiana), Bobby Jindal (Louisiana), and Patrick McHenry (North Carolina) are normally ultraconservative reliable supporters of "Team Bush", but they all voted "NO" on CAFTA.  However, they followed the lead of Representative Capito, and did not cast their votes until the very end of the roll call.  Boustany and Jindal were responding to lobby pressure from the Lousiana's sugar industry, which would suffere severe wounds from CAFTA, while McHenry's district is dependent on textiles and furniture.  Rep. Steve Latourette (Ohio), a somewhat moderate Republican from the Cleveland suburbs, provided the 217th vote for CAFTA just after midnight, despite its expected severe impact on furniture manufacturing interests in his district.  Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (Penn), who represents suburban Philadelphia, provided the 216th vote. 

On critical issues, Representatives should take a position and stick to it.  They should say, "This is my position - and my position is not open to discussion or negotiation - period".  An absolute declaration will keep the arm twisting dragons away. 

The House GOP Leadership and President Bush were determined to win the CAFTA vote.  Because enough Representatives were willing to abandon their good judgment, CAFTA passed.  The GOP Congressional Leadership operates on this principle - "Failure is not an option" - when important floor votes are being decided. 

Written by usapolres Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own