The Agonist - USA: Congress

Larry Craig Said it Best

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:16:40 -0700

Published courtesy of Win McCormack

I was mulling over topics for an article I could write to support the release of our guide to Republican values —when, wouldn’t you know it, a conservative Republican anti-gay crusader came to my aid in the nick of time.

Like most vociferous anti-gay politicians, this one turns out to be gay himself. I speak of the attorney general of the former Confederate state of Alabama, Mr. Troy King. Last week, Wonkette reported that King had been caught in flagrante with a tender, youthful male aide by his wife, in their marital bed no less; this alleged event occurred in the couple’s house in Montgomery, the very capital of Jefferson Davis’s renegade racist confederacy.

Incidentally, former senator from neighboring Mississippi and one-time Republican majority leader of the U.S. Senate, Trent Lott, once said that the American political leader he “felt the closest to” was Jefferson Davis. Ain’t contemporary Republican politics grand? One can only imagine how Republican leader of the Union Abraham Lincoln would have reacted to that sentiment. Oh, and speaking of Republican presidents, we should probably note that General King was the Alabama state chair for the campaign of Republican presidential aspirant John McCain (the Pensito Review website has reported that McCain’s website was “scrubbed” of King’s name soon after the Wonkette posting).

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My Country Right or Wrong...My Country

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:40:40 -0700

Those words…so haunting, seemingly harmless and benign, I love my country whether it’s right or wrong. That’s what the phrase means, right? To some it may mean that, but to me, it means something entirely different.

“My country right or wrong”, that part is entirely correct. The Egyptians, the Spartans, the Romans, the Spanish and the English all supported their nations, whether they were right or wrong. What most people don’t realize is that the last two words of that phrase changes the meaning so completely; “my country”.

The truth is that it is your country whether your country is right or wrong. It’s still your country. That makes you part and parcel of what is done in your name. “My Country” is the damning part of that phrase. Yes, it’s your country, and what your country does reflects on you. The truth may be that you have no real power to move your country in a different direction, but that doesn’t take away the fact that you are complicit. What your country does, what it stands for, or doesn’t stand for, is certainly part of your responsibility. You may only be one voice in the wilderness, but you still have that voice.

Congress addresses the imminent martial law plan - in private.

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:21:31 -0700

Note: I am unfamiliar with this site; received this from a friend. Is this panic, reality, or pure fiction? Whatever it is, it's disturbing. kj

Secret meeting in Congress to discuss the imminent martial law. This happened March 13th of 2008. WHY? Congress is expecting the imminent collapse of the U.S. economy sometime in late 2008 and the possibility of “Civil War” in the United States due to the economic collapse. Possibly the most disturbing, “The advance round up of insurgent U.S. citizens that are likely to move against the U.S. Government.” It goes on to project the necessary and unavoidable merger between the U.S. , Canada and Mexico to save the U.S. economy. If this doesn’t motivate you into action then nothing will…. If nothing else watch CSPAN video of Dennis Kucinich asking for the reasons for secret meeting. That video is a MUST SEE besides listening to the radio programming ….

Clinton vows to fight "insulting" abortion plan

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:49:59 -0700

New York | July 19

Reuters - A Bush administration plan to define several widely used contraception methods as abortion is a "gratuitous, unnecessary insult" to women and faces tough opposition, Sen. Hillary Clinton said on Friday.

The former Democratic presidential candidate joined family planning groups to condemn the proposal that defines abortion to include contraception such as birth control pills and intrauterine devices.

It would cut off federal funds to hospitals and states where medical providers are obligated to offer legal abortion and contraception to women.

Anti-terror money sought for luxury

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:42:37 -0700

R. Jeffrey Smith | July 18

Washington Post - The top Air Force leadership sought for three years to spend counter-terrorism money on "comfort capsules" for military planes to ease the travel of senior officers and civilian leaders -- with at least four top generals involved in design details such as the color of the capsules' carpet and leather chairs -- according to internal e-mails and budget documents.

Production has begun for the first capsule -- two sealed rooms that can fit in the fuselage of a large aircraft -- and four mobile pallets containing plush, swiveling leather chairs with footrests.

Air Force officials say the new capsules are necessary to ensure that leaders can talk, work and rest comfortably in the air. But the top brass' preoccupation has alienated lower-ranking Air Force officers familiar with the effort, as well as congressional staff and a nonprofit group that calls the program a waste of money.

Air Force documents spell out how each capsule is to be "aesthetically pleasing and furnished to reflect the rank of the senior leaders using the capsule," with beds, a couch, a table and a 37-inch flat-screen monitor with stereo speakers.

Don't Expect the Democrats to Stop an Attack on Iran

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:30:48 -0700

It’s very early in the morning and I’m here writing about the possibility of my country attacking another nation in the Middle East for no real reason except to put some capitalistic fears to rest. The major reason that the United States desires to attack Iran isn’t because they believe that they will build an atomic weapon, it is the fear that Iran will switch from the dollar and embrace the Euro which will send our currency into free fall and bring about a possible recession or depression in this country as our dollar becomes worthless.

Make no mistake about why wars are fought. The central reason is almost always about resources, markets or threats to an economy. The rhetoric that precedes a war is usually never about the real reasons a nation desires to attack another. The reasons for war are veiled in talk about freedom or principles, but warring nations usually have neither. This nation, built on a system of values called capitalism or a market economy is always ready to use its armed forces as a means to force their economic needs on other nations.

Fear Factor

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:18:47 -0700

Someone once described courage as not never being afraid, but going on in spite of the fear. As a nation and as elected officials we seem to be running dangerously low on courage. Oh we have the tough talk down, we have the posturing, but do we really have true courage? Since 9/11 when at least 2,985 people died from the terrorists attacks I think that what has been lost in all the hype is some perspective. While this was surely a tragedy, the population of the United States in the year 2001 was somewhere around 290 million people. Based on those numbers the terrorist attacks killed less than .02% of the population, yet since the attack we have responded by invading sovereign nations, torturing our fellow human beings, and gutting our Constitutional protections.

The Foundation of the Housing Market has Begun to Collapse

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:40:32 -0700

There are two really devastating events, outside of another foolhardy war, that could push the U.S. economy into a depression. The first is a dramatic increase in defaults on consumer credit card, auto, and home equity loans from prime customers, and the second is a collapse of the government sponsored enterprises that support the housing market. This week the first suggestions have begun to appear in the market that both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are insolvent.

Since at least 2005 a number of commentators here at the Agonist have been mentioning this possibility as an important step in the collapse of the economy as the debt bubble is deflated. Back then, very few economic observers were willing to suggest such a thing, but one of them was Fed Governor William Poole. He laid out the egregious decline in credit standards that was feeding the housing bubble, and he laid blame in part on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This week he stated the obvious: from an accounting standpoint, Freddie Mac is now insolvent, and Fannie Mae will be so by the end of next quarter. This means if you put a price on all their assets, there is not enough cash left over after liquidation to pay off all their liabilities. These are no longer going concerns.

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Give Immunity AFTER the Crimes Are Committed!

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:37:12 -0700

I’ll bet that George Bush and Dick Cheney are tap dancing together today. There is nothing better than getting your way when most of the people in the country are absolutely disgusted with the FISA Bill and the immunity it gives for the telecommunication industries fir knowingly breaking the law Must be a sweet deal for AT&T that gave ALL of its telephone messages in the west coast to the government.

Barack Obama was a real patriot too. He flew in to Washington just so he could give a free pass to all those that broke the law! Some country we have here. Russ Feingold and Chris Dodd were magnificent in their caving in on their supposed filibuster. Yeah, kudos all around the Senate for showing that they believe in the rule of law, as long as it’s the citizens that break it. The Government apparently is above the law. This bodes well for Bush when (and if) he ever gets charged for breaking the FISA Statues.

Senate passes Medicare bill with Kennedy's help

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:50:00 -0700

Kim Dixon | Washington DC | July 9

Reuters - A Medicare bill opposed by the White House won final congressional approval on Wednesday with the help of Sen. Edward Kennedy, who returned to the Senate floor for the first time since brain surgery last month.

With Kennedy's dramatic and surprise appearance, he and fellow Democrats overcame a Republican procedural hurdle and, on a voice vote, passed the measure earlier approved by the House of Representatives.

"Aye," declared a smiling Kennedy of Massachusetts -- a Democratic icon, the party's leading liberal voice and a longtime champion of expanding health care. Democratic as well as Republican colleagues applauded.

Feingold warns against immunity/ Bill passes with a whimper

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:49:40 -0700

David Edwards & Nick Juliano | July 8

Raw Story - While the final result of what critics call a flawed surveillance bill is all-but-ordained, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) is sticking to his fight to convince colleagues not to retroactively eliminate any consequences for participating in President Bush's warrantless wiretapping program, which was conducted outside of existing law.

"We're considering granting immunity when roughly 70 members of the Senate still have not been briefed on the president's wiretapping program," he said. "The vast majority of this body still does not even know what we're being asked to grant immunity for."

UPDATE

Congress votes to immunize lawbreaking telecoms, legalize warrantless eavesdropping ~ Glenn Greenwald

The Democratic-led Congress this afternoon voted to put an end to the NSA spying scandal, as the Senate approved a bill -- approved last week by the House -- to immunize lawbreaking telecoms, terminate all pending lawsuits against them, and vest whole new warrantless eavesdropping powers in the President. The vote in favor of the new FISA bill was 69-28. Barack Obama joined every Senate Republican (and every House Republican other than one) by voting in favor of it, while his now-vanquished primary rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, voted against it. John McCain wasn't present for any of the votes, but shared Obama's support for the bill. The bill will now be sent to an extremely happy George Bush, who already announced that he enthusiastically supports it, and he will sign it into law very shortly.

Real Independence for All Americans

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:23:13 -0700

I have been wondering of late where it is on the political spectrum that I would feel comfortable? There was a time when I considered myself to be a Democrat. This wasn’t because I believed in the party’s platform; it was because I disagreed with the Republican point of view. The last seven years have reinforced my view of Republicans, but at the same time my fondness for the Democrats has also waned. The truth is that frankly, I don’t see much of a difference between the two; both the Republicans and the Democrats are financed by the same entities.

Who are the people behind the curtain, so to speak? Well, they are basically the same people and organizations that have always ruled in this country (with periodic breaks from time to time). These are the captains of industry and the bankers that back them, and lately, religious groups (that pop-up occasionally). The government claim that the people are behind the government and they are responsible for electing their government is patently untrue. The only thing that the people are responsible for is rubber-stamping the candidates that are selected for us. The two political parties, the Republicans and Democrats, seem to be the only game in town, so to speak. While it is true that this nation has other political parties, in national elections, there are basically only two parties that matter.

Former Sen. Jesse Helms dies at 86

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:28:30 -0700

Washington | July 4

Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Sen. Jesse Helms, a die-hard anti-communist firebrand who championed a wide range of conservative causes in his 30 years in the Senate, died early on Friday, aged 86, his foundation said.

A blunt-talking product of the Old South, the North Carolina lawmaker was known as "Senator No" for opposing just about anything that obstructed his conservative view of the world.

Helms died at 1:15 a.m. in Raleigh, North Carolina, according to a notice on the Web site of the Jesse Helms Center, a foundation established to promote his legacy.

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Commentary: How dare they rip the Fourth Amendment?

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:41:30 -0700

Joseph L. Galloway | McClatchy Newspapers

Early next week the U.S. Senate will vote on an extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, with a few small amendments intended to immunize telecommunications corporations that assisted our government in the warrantless and illegal wiretapping it has grown to love.

That such a gutting of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution even made it out of committee is yet another stain on the gutless and seemingly powerless Democratic majority in both houses of Congress.

That a majority on both sides of the aisle — not least of them the presumptive nominees for president of both political parties — intend to vote for such a violation of Americans' right to privacy and of the sanctity of their personal communications is a stunning surrender to those who want us to live in fear forever.

We are living in a time when the right of habeas corpus — which simply put is your right to be brought before a proper court of law where the government is made to prove that there is good and legal reason to detain you — recently survived by a margin of only one vote at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Now these bad actors are prepared to set aside your right to privacy — written into the Constitution as a key part of our Bill of Rights — with hardly a nod in the direction of the true patriots who rebelled against an English king and his army to guarantee those rights.

FDA adds up to 100 labs to help trace salmonella outbreak

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:17:57 -0700

Elizabeth Weise | July 2

USA Today - The Food and Drug Administration activated its Food Emergency Response Network on Tuesday, adding as many as 100 laboratories to its efforts to trace the source of the salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 800 since April.

The extra labs are needed because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over the weekend expanded its investigation of the outbreak originally blamed on contaminated tomatoes. The federal agencies are now collecting samples of foods typically consumed with tomatoes.

That doesn't mean that tomatoes are off the suspect list, cautioned David Acheson, the FDA's associate commissioner for foods. "The tomato trail is still hot, it's a question of whether other items are getting hotter," he said.