Hearing on House Raid

The legality of the FBI raid on Congressman W. Jefferson (D-LA) office over a week ago was trashed yesterday morning during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by J. Sensenbrenner (R-WI). During the raid, the FBI forbade the presence of a lawyer for either the House or Congressman Jefferson. Also, constitutionally protected materials were seized in the sweep. The raid took a full 18 hours to conduct.

All witnesses, who included law professors, a former member of the House
and a former Justice Department official, and members agreed the raid violated
the separation of powers provided by the Constitution between the legislative
and executive branches of government. Witnesses cited other instances
where the Bush administration had unilaterally grabbed power, including the
White House's authorizing more aggressive interrogation of prisoners, domestic
wiretapping without a warrant and data mining. The consensus was that the
search reduced Congress' standing as a co-equal branch of government and
amounted to intimidation of Congress.

Further hearings are planned, which would include calling Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and FBI officials to testify.

President Bush has ordered all the materials taken from the office sealed for 45 days while the Justice Department and the Congress negotiate procedures for conducting investigations involving members of Congress.

The incompetent Bush administration continues to arrogantly assert its primacy, all the while tripping over its own feet in the process.

BLOG ON

Memorial Day Message:

Show Respect for Our Vets

OUT OF IRAQ N O W!

Blog On

Repugs Agree on 'English Only' Only

The English Only provision attached to the imminent Senate immigration bill will be the only one that will survive conference, if indeed the House and Senate immigration bills get that far. It is a quintessential statement of what the repug party is all about.

The right wing kook majority in the party (the great majority in the house and a sizeable, obstructionist minority in the senate) is truly only interested in a 'final solution' to immigration.

The truth slipped out while good ole Tim Russert refereed the intramural conflict among the competing repug bills in Congress today. During the so-called 'interview', some looney southern repug congressman alluded to creating a couple hundred camps or detention centers for corralling 'illegals' in lieu of deportation. Of course, Russert in his inimitable way let the comment slip by without a follow-up question nor even a raised eyebrow. So much for the liberal press. . .

Absolutely frightening!


BLOG ON

A Winning Agenda. . .

Honest Leadership & Open Government -- We will end the Republican culture of corruption and restore a government as good as the people it serves.

Real Security -- We will protect Americans at home and lead the world by telling the truth to our troops, our citizens and our allies.

Energy Independence -- We will create a cleaner and stronger America by reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

Economic Prosperity & Educational Excellence -- We will create jobs that will stay in America by restoring opportunity and driving innovation.

A Healthcare System that Works for Everyone -- We will join 36 other industrialized nations by making sure everyone has access to affordable health care.

Retirement Security -- We will ensure that a retirement with dignity is the right and expectation of every single American.

--The Democratic Party 2006

BLOG ON

Latest 'Snow' Job on Health Care

Tony Snow in his latest incarnation of conservative apologist as White House press secretary brought himself to tears in honor of the ineffectual, discriminatory and third world health care system in the U. S.. Of course, he received the best available medicine in his fight against cancer. Of course, he is grateful for the skued to the rich health care system that saved his life- early detection, prompt treatment and all that.

That scenario just isn't in the cards for the vast majority of the rest of us- underinsured or just not insured at all!

What is with this new class of conservative elitists?:

1. They just don't give a damn. We've got ours, the rest of you go to hell.

2. Their corporate sponsors and powerful Washington lobbyists (insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and the like) don't want true health care reform. They get 25% of cost for administration of the system as it is. Compare this to the government programs like Medicare and Medicaid that charge for administration maybe up to 2 %!. Profits, profits, profits. . .

3. It would take true vision and a dramatic change of course to change the system. This repug administration and congress is just not willing or capable of doing this.

Thus, we are stuck in the middle again, which is nowhere. American government under repug domination won't do the right thing and put 'family values' first!

The Democratic Party will- with all it's faults. VOTE Democratic this political season!

BLOG ON

Bush a Total Failure

A Real Wunderkind

BLOG ON

Yes, Another Quote. . .

"No enemy is worse than bad advice." --Sophocles

Considering the state of the Bush administration's war policy today, there could be no truer statement. President Bush received the utterly bad advice of V.P. Cheney, Rumsfeld and a myriad of insidious neo-con syncophants to go to war with 'enemy' Iraq on a problematic theory. Then, they lied about why. The result is the most distasteful and disasterous war in American history unfolding now, before our eyes.

The blood of our troops and Iraqi innocents will forever be on America's hands for this bad advice. Due to this bad advice, our treasure has been squandered, during a time when its benefits are much needed by an evergrowing number of American sick and poor. In the world community, the United States has become reviled and derided- it's credibility non-existent, because of this bad advice.

True to Sophocles' words, all of this pain and hardship has truly shown up the real enemy. It is the bad advice of those inside the Bush administration and without, whom are responsible for getting us into this mess. When will they be held accountable?

BLOG ON