Hand delivered letter to Senator Nelson, D-FL

Sir,

If Alito is not the nominee to be opposed, by filibuster if necessary, who exactly would warrant such action?

If this time of a presidency engaged in illegal and immoral acts and ignoring both the legislative and judicial breaches of our government is not the time to say, "enough" what exactly would you require of the times to finally say, "enough?"

If Alito, and his ideas regarding the presidency, is not the embodiment of the ideas that the Founders spoke so elegantly to in the Declaration of Independence, please Sir explain the difference.

Alito is most assuredly qualified for the court based on his legal education and training. He is most assuredly not qualified based on his interpretation of both law and the Constitution, to say nothing of his ethical lapses brought on by a rather unique interpretation of conflict of interest and lying under oath.

The time is now to oppose Alito, both in the floor vote and with a filibuster if necessary.

Please do not turn your back on the dream of the Founders.

Vote NO on the nomination of Samuel Alito.

As a registered democrat, I shall remember your actions come November.

No to Alito

On a straight party line vote, the Alito nomination is headed for the floor of the senate.

If he is to be nominated then let it be over a democratic filibuster. Democrats cannot rollover and play nice on this. Come to think of it, neither can the so called republican moderates.

For what it's worth, I see little difference in the judicial philosophy of Alito, as regards an imperious leader, and that of the judges in 1930s Germany.

"One of the ways to protect the American people is to understand the intentions of the enemy." --- George W. Bush 01-23-06

We understand your intentions George.

The coming war on Iran

Seems Iran will open an oil bourse in March, trading in currency other than the US dollar and that would likely be a financial disaster for America.

Disregard the nonsense over the nuclear weapon ambitions of Iran because, for as with the WMD arguments regarding Iraq, it is lie after lie, one upon another, designed to build fear in the American people in order to get them to support another naked aggression by the criminals of the Bush-Cheney regime.

The likely result of such an aggression on Iran? Think oil embargo, not by Saudi Arabia but by Venezuela. Think the insurgency in Iraq and the increased likelihood of the Shi'tes joining with the Sunnis. Think Russia and their new Topol-M and last but not least, think China and the significant amount of dollars (as well as other government paper) they hold.

One thing is certain though, and that is the agression on Iran will likely not include US ground forces as they are stretched to the breaking point worldwide.

Such is the mess awaiting us as a result of aggression upon Iran by the Band of Bunglers and The Coward who would be king.

Abramoff to get layed

From TIME:
[snip]
Bracing for the worst, Administration officials obtained from the Secret
Service a list of all the times Abramoff entered the White House complex,
and they scrambled to determine the reason for each visit. Bush aides are
also trying to identify all the photos that may exist of the two men
together. Abramoff attended Hanukkah and holiday events at the White House,
according to an aide who has seen the list. Press secretary Scott McClellan
said Abramoff might have attended large gatherings with Bush but added,
"The President does not know him, nor does the President recall ever
meeting him."
[snip]

Oops, looks like Abramoff is about to get (Ken) Layed.

Questions for republicans

Three questions for republicans:

Does a president, ANY president, have the right, 'war' or no war, to ignore either US Code, The Constitution or both?

If so, exactly where is this right enumerated?

If not, what is the responsibility of the Legislative and Judiciary branches to correct such actions?

Keep your eye the ball

GratisNet: "It would do well to remain focused in the upcoming fight over the unauthorized spying upon Americans. The dispute is not about 'security' but about whether, in 'wartime', a president must follow the law. It is not about the speed one needs to react to threats for the FISA law clearly allows immediate wiretaps requiring only that the warrant be submitted to the FISA court within 72 hours.

It is, most certainly, about the oversight granted by the constitution to the congress and the courts, over the executive branch. In other words, is the Constitution of The United States still the supreme law of the land? If it is, then the president committed an illegal act when he ordered the wiretaps on the American people. If the constantly changing excuses made by The Coward who would be king (and by extension, his law hating, unamerican apologists) says anything it shouts that these psuedo patriots know damn well that his actions were illegal under both the constitution and US Code.

The unique advice that a president, in his role as CIC, is somehow above the law (L'etat, c'est moi) would be laughable were it not so serious. The bootlickers will raise the example of Lincoln and Habeas Corpus but do not be fooled for the question of whether the president must obey the law, at all times, was settled when the SCOTUS ruled against Truman's attempt to keep the steel plants open in 1952 during the Korean War.

Do not be mislead by claims that the constitution is not a suicide pact, that extreme times call for extreme measures. The fact remains that the principles of the founders, as vested in the constitution will not and cannot be protected by a failure to act within the boundaries set forth by them.

9/11 did not 'change everything' America is still a nation where the law is king.

America is one village that we will not let be destroyed in an attempt to 'save' it."

Remember this.

Through all the excuses brought forth by Preznit TruthSlayer, his Band of Bunglers and brain dead supporters regarding the spying, sans warrants, on American citizens remember this:

The current FISA law allows the initiation of the wiretap, etc. without a warrant then, within 72 hours or 15 days depending on circumstances, a warrant must be obtained to continue the tap.

So it is not about being able to react quickly, is it? No, it is more likely that this abominable covey of criminals did not want the FISA court to be involved because they knew that they would be thrown out of court. Which begs the question, just who were this latter day KGB spying on? The question needs to be answered because the very existence of our republic depends upon it.

That's it, now have yourselves a Happy Holiday, or Merry Christmas if you prefer, be safe and enjoy the company of family and friends and remember, do something nice for someone you don't know this week.

To be a liberal

“Yes, I’m a liberal and I’m sick of it being a bad word. I don’t know at what time in history liberals have stood on the wrong side of social issues. We thought that blacks should sit at the front of the bus, that women should be allowed to vote, that maybe McCarthy was a jerk, that Vietnam was wrong and strip-bombing Cambodia was probably stupid. We’ve been on the right side of all these issues.” --- George Clooney


And he is right, conservatives basic premise is that change, any change, is bad. In fact, if the republicans had their way, women, blacks, all minorities, for that matter, would cease having the right to vote as well as other rights.

As for the "original intent" argument regarding the constitution, they also believe that only white, male, real property owners deserve the right to vote and that slavery or indentured servitude is proper for it was allowed in the constitution produced at Philadelphia in 1787.

Conservatism, yet another synonym for elitism.

And before the wongnuts go on about the republicans who voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, remember this, a good number of southern democrats who opposed the act switched parties and became republicans in good standing as a result of the passage of that law. They followed the example set by Strom Thurmond some 15 years earlier.

The Republican Party, the party of the people? Please don't make me laugh.

Conservativism, the philosophy of the future? Please don't make me laugh.

In the words of FDR, "A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned to walk forward." From a radio address, Oct. 26, 1939.

Pre-holiday ramblings

Regarding Alito, can there be any doubt that this man is a liar of the first order? When he justified his less than candid answers (read, lies) when he was being considered for the Apellate Court as being akin to a job interview where the interviewee provides answers that he thinks the questioners want to hear, can anyone seriously believe any answers he may give to any questions this time around? While he is more than qualified by education, his judicial philosophy seems more apt for a totalitarian regime rather than the Supreme Court of The United States. Placing this man on the SCOTUS, the watchdog of our liberty, would be like having the proverbial fox guarding the chicken coop. No to Alito.

Does anyone besides yours truly get the feeling that the coming days in Iraq could well bring a Tet style offensive by the insurgency? The admission that the opposition to our presence is less an insurgency and more a resistance is quite telling. Just as the French did not learn from their experience in Indochina when they were faced with resistance in Algeria and it seems that we have not learned from our experience in South Vietnam, repeating the same tired canards that were used then, today in Iraq. It is not the matter of 'staying the course' when staying the course means driving off a cliff. Our volunteer army, to borrow from Rep. Murtha, is damn near broken and a universal draft is a dog that won't hunt. As good as our military is, and it is very good, one of the great strengths was the aura of invincibility that took shape after the mismatches in Grenada, Panama and Kuwait. The most powerful military in the world has been revealed, after the relatively easy (and unjustified) invasion of Iraq, as seemingly very vulnerable to an irregular but determined resistance. That loss of the sense of invulnerability promises to bring us much grief in the future.

Does anyone else get the impression that the republican comments regarding the Fitzgerald investigation are solidly in the 'whistling past the graveyard" category? When all is said and done, the indictments and trials will happen in the months before the elections next year and that can hardly be a comforting thought for republicans. Given the albatross that Preznit YellowStripe represents for republicans, the trials arising from Plamegate as well as those from DeLay and Abramoff cannot be providing them with much solace.

When only a liar will do.

Samuel Alito.

Stay the course.

Because that strategy worked so well for Varian in Germania, Crassus at Carrhae, Edward II at Bannockburn and, lest we forget, Hitler at Stalingrad.

Random thoughts.

When will the SCLM accurately quote democrats? Rep. Murtha called for a six month withdrawal schedule. His plan also called for a quick reaction force of marines to be based nearby, outside of Iraqi borders, to be on call to provide assistence, when needed, to the fledgling Iraqi army. Yet we have Tweety not correcting his guests when they said Murtha favored immediate withdrawal. Tweety was not alone for Der Wolf let Rumsfeld's comment about the immediate withdrawal pass sans correction. Is it that difficult to conduct an accurate interview or is it a case of the host fearing that if they did call into question the deceptions being offered up on their shows, they would have difficulty getting republicans to appear? Republicans would appear and they would not continue their dishonest tactic because what they fear most is giving their opponents free rein to offer their arguments without opposition.

More bad news for the Republican Party, cementing the notion that it is a criminal enterprise organization. Scanlon pleads guilty in the Abramoff mess. Michael Scanlon was a former aide to, are you ready for it? Tom DeLay. Scalon is cooperating with prosecutors. Reports that Bob Ney (R-OH) is also cooperating with prosecutors is bringing a sense of foreboding to republicans. Oh, and lest you forget, Patrick Fitzgerald remains on the hunt for more conspiritors in the Plame Affair. Two investigations which are plainly not anywhere close to conclusion threaten to create an implosion of gigantic proportions for republicans. While it is true that the 2006 elections are still a year away and the Diebold and ES&S election factor has not been addressed, any trials will be conducted in the days prior to the elections and news from them will dominate the media in the runup to Election Day. On Election Day itself, the backlash could generate such a massive opposition to republican officeholders that any magical, surprise results would be immediately seen for what it would be, election fraud.

Beware the dark of winter.

As Bush's fortunes (read poll numbers) continue to tank through the winter, beware another large 'terrorist' attack on the US.

New slogan

popular preznit - politics - FidoNet Echomail Archive

The Republican Party, a criminal enterprise organization (AKA Reprobates-r-Us).

Deceived as a strategy

GratisNet: "Some democrats are speaking out saying that the Bush Regime mislead them into supporting the misbegotten invasion of Iraq. Some pundits are claiming that such and admission, if used as a weapon in the 2006 elections would only serve to backfire on them and ultimately help the republicans.

The pundits no doubt remember George Romney and his 'I was brainwashed' comment regarding Vietnam back in 1968 and what it did to his presidential asperations. May I suggest that the conditions of Iraq 2005 and Vietnam 1968 are totally different? At the time of Romney's comment to a reporter a majority of the country did not yet believe that everything about the war was a lie. Is there even one person, outside of Cheney's office, that believes anything (let alone everything) that was claimed about Saddam's threat to us was true?

The democrats need to hammer long and hard about the deception this maladministration used to get their war on. They need to hammer long and hard about the lack of oversight, that traditional role of the congress as outlined in the constitution meant to rein it an out of control executive branch. They need to hammer long and hard about the lengths to which republicans will go to silence or discredit opponents of their policies.

Admitting to being deceived, or duped, loses much of its derogatory implication when a majority of the people feel the same way. It ceases to become a liability in 2006 as more people come to the same conclusion. This abominable regime of inveterate liars lied and deceived their way into Iraq, period. Democrats need to constantly remind the people of that fact."

Samuel Alito

Samuel Alito is, without question, most certainly qualified for membership on the Supreme Court based on his education and experience. He is also, without question, less than desirable as an Associate Justice based on a glimpse of his personal belief system which, his protestations to the contrary have, can and will color his deliberations.

His comments regarding settled law are fine for an appellate judge but surely he realizes that precedent, while certainly a desirable goal when considering the continuity of the law, has not been sacrosanct in the deliberations of the Supreme Court in the past.

Were that the case, blacks (and other people of color) would still be nonentities without the right to vote or indeed, the right to be free. Women would not have the right to vote and be relegated as little more than chattel of their husbands. Indeed, only caucasion land owners would have the right qualifications.

So please spare me the claims of "original intent" when it is painfully obvious that a large portion of "original intent" discriminated against large portions of the people then residing in the United States. As for devining what the "original intent" of the Founders were, can anyone truly say that they know, beyond question what another is thinking? It is virtually impossible to know with any degree of certainty what your spouse, significant other or best friend is thinking, let alone have any significant insight into the thoughts and beliefs of the Founders based on their anonymous writings and letters of the day.

Suffice it to say that if the Founders had intended the Constitution to be a "finished" effort, not requiring further consideration they would not have enabled a manner through which it could be modified.

As for the republican mantra of Alita deserves a fair up or down vote, I would simply remind that it was they who torpedoed the Miers nomination. Make no mistake about what they mean by "fair up or down vote" quite simply they mean that as long as they are satisfied with the nominee then that is all that matters.

Should Samuel Alito be confirmed as an Associate Justice? His experience and education say yes while his interpretation of the law seem to indicate otherwise. In any event, he deserves not only a hearing where his judicial philosophy can be investigated, but we the people and our elected representatives in the US Senate deserve his answers to be totally forthcoming and candid. Then, when he has answered every question to the satisfaction of the senators, and the people, then and only then should his nomination be sent to the floor of the senate for a fair up or down vote and not one minute before!

What's in a name?

GratisNet: "Of all the blather on the tube about Wilson' wife, seems one item is overlooked. In all the CIA memo documentation, she is identified as Valerie Wilson. In the White House, she is noted as Wislon's wife.

The 64 thousand dollar question is from whence came the Valerie Plame name?

Fitgerald answers that question and a whole lot of republican scum will be measured for red jumpsuits."

The Scooter was protecting Dirty Dick.

GratisNet: "Libby lied to protect Cheney. Libby now says he learned of Valerie Plame from the VP.

Did Libby come to Jesus yesterday? Will he do so today? Curiouser and curiouser it becomes.

Round and round it goes and where it stops only Fitzgerald knows. Karma is, indeed, a bitch."

Deja Vu, all over again?

Will the senior White House staff be decimated by indictments?

Will Cheney resign due to "poor health" in order to avoid emulating Spiro Agnew?

Will Preznit Likesboyz be named as an unindicted conspirator?

These ideas just may not be that far fetched. In any event the next 7-10 days promise to be as interesting and significant as those of the Watergate scandal 31 years ago.