I grew up reading comic books wanting to be a superhero. Comics taught me that those who speak the truth are heroes, all the rest are liars.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Wednesday's Waxing

Why Does Governor Pawlenty Support This Guy?

When McCain was asked to comment on missing six consecutive weeks worth of votes: McCain deadpanned: ‘Oh my god, is that right? … It’s a nice day, the weather’s nice.’

Say, didn't Pawlenty support Bush also? Timmy has some serious flaws...

Be Afraid!?
It’s when I read stuff like this that I can’t sleep at night and I worry about America’s future. Before Bush I might have reassured myself with the ‘it can’t happen here’ denial, but given the last 6 years, it can and could and might and would.

With scarcely a mention in the mainstream media, President Bush has ordered up a plan for responding to a catastrophic attack. Under that plan, he entrusts himself with leading the entire federal government, not just the Executive Branch. And he gives himself the responsibility “for ensuring constitutional government.”


The Haircut
As Edwards explained in a North Carolina Town Hall meeting, the haircut was scheduled by staff, squeezed in between the nonstop timetables of campaigning.

“When you are a presidential candidate going all over the country you do what you have to do where you have to do it--you don’t have any choice. And they get people, because you don’t have any time, they get people to come to you--they don’t give you the bill, they send the bill so I didn’t know it would be that much. I knew it would be expensive now, I don’t want to mislead--when a haircut guy comes to your hotel to do your hair it’s not going to be cheap, so I knew that, but I did not know it was this expensive… nobody should be paying four hundred dollars for a haircut.”

Minnesota Vampyre of Note
Besides his short gubernatorial run for office in 2006, Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey now get to list a documentary on his resume.
IMPALER documents the strange fascination the media had with Jonathon and the macabre, absurd, funny and ultimately heartbreaking events that took place throughout this 8-month long documentary. Jonathon has made more announcements since the completion of this documentary including his candidacy for President of the United States, his promise to "impale" George W. Bush if elected, and a threat to "impale" the filmmaker of IMPALER at this screening of this film mocks him in anyway. This is a must see film!

Someone More Mad than Me?
I really thought I’d corner the marketplace on my rage over the Iraq funding but the madman at Liberal Street Fighter is there:

Did you REALLY think the Donklephants would actually work hard to end the war, to stop the spilling of blood and treasure in a country WE destroyed in a criminal war of choice? Well, you need to grow up and embrace compromise. more

As funny as a chow chow alert seems, it’s not.
During yesterday’s press conference, President Bush warned individual reporters that terrorists were a danger to their kids. “They are a threat to your children, David,” he told NBC’s David Gregory. “It’s a danger to your children, Jim,” he said to New York Times reporter Jim Rutenberg. Dana Milbank notes:


This last warning was perplexing, because Rutenberg has no children, only a brown chow chow named Little Bear. It was unclear whether Bush was referring to a specific and credible threat to Little Bear or merely indicating there was increased “chatter in the system” about chow chows in general.

Temporary Digs? I don’t think so.
The Iraq embassy we're building in Bagdad has an estimated cost of just under $600 million dollars. a fortress compound of over 100 acres in downtown Bagdad.

The Bu$h Whisperer
Frances Fragos Townsend was appointed Homeland Security Advisor by Bu$h on May 28th, 2004. In the past Fran Townsend has lectured at FBI legal advisors' conferences
about DOJ policy. Bush has entrusted her with, among other things, the task of implementing sweeping recommendations that a presidential commission made last year for reforming the intelligence community which makes her less likable in the intelligence community than gum on the bottom of an agent’s shoe.

Fran Townsend’s comments regarding the failure to apprehend Osama bin Laden after over five years “Well, I’m not sure [it’s a failure] — it’s a success that hasn’t occurred yet. I don’t know that I view that as a failure.” She also cited that bin Laden is most likely in Pakistan and we can’t simply ‘invade a sovereign nation’……

Now part of the inner circle...she whispers to Bush.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Tim Walzing With The Devil On Iraq Funding

Yesterday Tim Walz (MN -D) voted to continue funding for the war. While Walz harshly criticizes the war, his actions spoke louder by voting to continue the war's funding. He joined the ranks of other spineless Minnesotans who decided to get their dance cards punched by Bu$h's war dance: Klobuchar, Kline, Bachman, Peterson, and Ramstad. As Senator Hagel says...

What do you believe? What are you willing to support? What do you think? Why were you elected?

If you wanted a safe job, go sell shoes. This is a tough business. But is it any tougher, us having to take a tough vote, express ourselves and have the courage to step up on what we’re asking our young men and women to do?

Pretty it up anyway you want, this vote continues a war that drains our country, kills our citizens, and continues terrorism.

Those Standing Up
Betty McCollum and Keith Ellison

"Enough is enough," Obama, declared, adding that President Bush should not get "a blank check to continue down this same, disastrous path."

"I fully support our troops" but the measure "fails to compel the president to give our troops a new strategy in Iraq," said Hillary Clinton.

AWOL Votes
Norm Coleman and Oberstar. Do we get to dock their pay? Did they think to avoid any political fallout? Think again guys!

Meanwhile the deaths continue…

Thursday, May 24, 2007

PIM Banking On A Winner In CD2?

Normally I wouldn't refer to Politics in Minnesota because given the whole PIM-MDE lawsuit thingy regarding Coleen Rowley (google if you must)...But...I was amused that they gave the label ‘highly-respected’ to a bank owner! When did bank owners become that? Shouldn’t those that fight for the poor, underprivileged and down trodden be highly respected…and not the money lenders or did I miss the point of that biblical teaching.

Maybe David Metzen is highly respected but by whom and for what...or again, is it just the money (aka potential PIM money) that makes him respected? Should voters in the Second Congressional District just forgo elections and crown the richest baron into office? What about addressing some issues? Was any of this considered by PIM?

Naturally given the recent Metzen DWI, David won't now benefit as much from the name recognition... via PIM:

David Metzen
The most impressive name out of the block is U of M Regent David Metzen, brother to President of the State Senate, Sen. Jim Metzen (DFL-St. Paul) and a highly respected bank owner. Metzen would immediately garner a significant fundraising base as well as the ability to compete with Kline on business issues. He would benefit from his brother's profile, as "Metzen" gives him a slight jump-start in the name-recognition game. He was seen making the rounds at the DFL Humphrey Day Dinner last Saturday, and the Ranger party on Monday.

Jack Haugen
Jack Haugen is the mayor of Prior Lake, one of the most rapidly growing suburbs in the Twin Cities, and in the Second Congressional District. As owner of the American National Insurance Company, he is also a small business leader. Haugen has been mayor of Prior Lake since 2001 and during that time the growth of the city ballooned. He presumably has a good relationship with the Mdewakanton Sioux, having had to work with them on many issues with the city. While Haugen had been making the rounds only a few weeks ago, we now hear that he has had second thoughts.

Stephen Sarvi
Stephen Sarvi, the former mayor of Watertown and former city administrator of Victoria, could be a sleeper and is considering a run. Sarvi is currently deployed in Iraq as a member of the Minnesota National Guard. He has reportedly had his father meet with staff at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) about his campaign. On paper, Sarvi could be a formidable candidate, like Rep. Tim Walz (DFL-MN1) was, or he could simply be an amateur up against the pro, Kline.

While Democrats thought 2006 was the year to defeat Kline, 2008 may be a better year. The war in Iraq is even less popular and with a strong presidential turnout, the second district could be more competitive than in other years. DFL legislative pick-ups in Eagan, Burnsville and Apple Valley in 2006 show that once-placid GOP waters could turn in the perfect storm.


Kline will have the fundraising and discipline to run a strong race but the current field could make the last two opponents quickly forgettable.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Friday’s Mixed Bag O’Nuts

The Disconnect of Old Math
Pawlenty = VETO
Bush= VETO
Pawlenty + Bush = VETO

Effin Unbelieveable, from Polinaut this morning:
A potential GOP candidate in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District says he told DFL Rep. Tim Walz about his possible plans to run against him. He was in Washington to lobby Walz on a bill. "Excuse me Congressman. I would really like your support on this project. By the way, I would also like your job." (ba da bing!)

Wolf Road Kill
Wolfowitz resigned yesterday. Reaction at the World Bank Headquaters: Everyone ran into the hallways and were clapping and hugging each other,"

New State DFL Kids
The State DFL announce it’s new communications team…two hard-working and highly respected DFLers: Kelly Schwinghammer as Communications Director and John Stiles as Associate Communications Director. Congrats to both, now get to work!

Two Penquins and Airport Security
A priest, a rabbi, and two penquins walk into an airport bar….The bartender says, Hey what is this, some kinda joke?

To do list
Kline, DeLay, Rumsfeld,Wolfowitz, Gonzales, Rove, Bush

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, May 17, 2007

This and That Thursday

Pawlenty of Vetos - What Others Are Saying
I overhear at the office today ‘Traffic sucks everywhere’, and ‘This is the worse I’ve ever seen it’…

It won’t get any better with MN Governor Pawlenty’s veto of the Transportation Bill. Expect to burn up more than 5 cents a gallon by sitting in traffic jams and wear and tear from pot holes...welcome to pawlentyland and governance by veto.

Still Looking to Impeach
This was a comment recently posted at Truthsurfer…I thought it needs more attention and action:

I urge you and your readers to take a few minutes to look at usalone.com. It's a list of the 25 most recent comments made by real Americans participating in an online poll/letter-writing campaign concerning the impeachment charges recently filed against Vice President Cheney, which are now being evaluated by the House Judiciary Committee.

Comments can be sent to elected representatives and local newspapers at your option.


A Fish Like Norm Coleman
I was going to blog on Norm Coleman’s lack of leadership and vision in boiling down the complex issue of immigration into a law that would tie up gazillion of resources and money in Minnesota's policing, paperwork, court system, detention centers, jails and deportation costs...without once addressing the real underlying issues of social and economic inequity that lead to illegal immigration...
As the Church Secretary says:

That we support this approach with an arbitrary, capricious, unjust, and often inhumane mechanism of laws and enforcement makes it even worse. (If you don't think these mechanisms are unjust and inhumane by nature, then look at this and this.)

In the autumn of Imperial America we are a nation of spoiled, easily frightened brats who are unwilling to invest sufficient mental and moral energy into addressing the complex problems with which we are faced. We want our cheap gas and our cheap food, dammit, and in the end we really don't care how many foreign brown people have to have their homes leveled, their families torn apart, and their lives forfeit in order for us to get our fix. God help anyone who suggests that our 'way of life' is the core of the problem.


Which brings us back to Mr. Coleman's pawlenty-like leadership…the last time Norm made this much noise it was over the U.N’s Oil for Food Program which spent his time, resources and pr, but yielded Minnesota what? Shouldn't he be investigating the 5 million a day (conservative figure) of missing Iraqi oil for the last four years while we continue to fund the Iraqi war out of own pockets...but that's just like silly o' me questioning a wet slimy fish.

Turning 95 But Not Turning Stupid
Writer Studs Terkel when asked how he felt turning 95:

"I feel like I always feel: rotten, physically, to tell you the truth. However, here I am, breathing, inhaling, exhaling. When Robert Browning wrote in his poem, 'Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be,' he was telling as much truth as George W. Bush and Karl Rove. He was lying like a rug.
God Liked Tinky Winky Best
Rev. Jerry Falwell died Tuesday at 73 but eight years before that Jerry outed Tinky Winky, the purple telly tubby with a triangle antenna and magic bag. Most everything Jerry did was because g*d spoke through him... With Jerry’s death Tinky said: "Oh dear, it's easy to say the wrong thing here. Tinky Winky is sad whenever someone dies, but ..."

He left it hanging there. Speaking for all lesbians, gays, feminists, pagan, abortionists, and alternative lifestyle folks: Goodbye…I'm sorry that g*d decided he like us all (including that purple gay tubby) better than you. If only you had seen the light, but you didn't, and now are dead...Let your death be a warning to Robertson and Dobson.

The Wolf Has Howled
An internal investigating committee has determined that World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz violated ethics guidelines when he secured a huge tax-free raise for his girlfriend. Wolfowitz claims that he was FORCED to intervene on his girlfriend’s behalf because the investigating committee was too scared to approach her. Wow, the girlfriend must be one leather whip dominating mistress!

This is an easy one Wolf, you do lack the moral authority to run any bank…Naturally being such an upstanding guy you'll refuses to resign. Can you say golden parachute? Most folks would go to jail for a lot less.

If You Made It This Far
How much of your favorite energy drink or soda would it take to kill you? Check out this fun little calculator. My doctor can stop worrying me about my caffeine intake…There’s not a chance I could drink that much in a day!

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

The Final Bomb Is Coming

Surprise, Surprise the kid who grew up reading comic books now watches Heroes on TV. Last night was the second part of the season's finale where a final battle is coming. All the players (heroes/villains) are amassing in NY to a critical point. The show has good and bad and sometimes a morally grey (aka HRG) , kids, moms, politicians, ups, downs, twists, endings, transformations, and above all destiny…just like the comic books and real life.

I identify with both Peter and Hiro in trying to save the world even when it’s apparent the world can’t be saved. But most of all I agree with Claire that the future is not written in stone…hard clay maybe... but not stone.

BTW, I can't wait to see this guy on film. All hope is not lost...KABOOM!

What's wrong with this picture?

While soldiers are fighting and dying for Iraqi freedom, our government is busy taking more of theirs away.

The sites covered by the ban are the video-sharing sites YouTube, Metacafe, IFilm, StupidVideos and FileCabi; social networking sites MySpace, BlackPlanet and Hi5; music sites Pandora, MTV, 1.fm and live365, and the photo-sharing site Photobucket.

While troops will have access to the Internet, they will have to rely mainly on private accounts. Welcome to 1984.

Friday, May 11, 2007

Rudy Shoots Self

The story of Rudy Giuliani drug trafficking OxyContin. Ouch!
“Most of all, Purdue wanted Giuliani as a front man. He set up an "astroturf" lobbying group called Rx Action Alliance. Giuliani's photo still graces the Alliance's website”

Of course after too many more snubs like this, Rudy will be lucky if a taxi driver pulls over when he whistles.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Senator Coleman Needs To Clean Up His Act

Today Brian Melendez, chair of the Minnesota DFL Party, asked for the immediate return of money that Senator Coleman accepted from two Alaska oil executives that pleaded guilty to bribing legislators with hundreds of thousands of dollars in phony consulting fees as well as defrauding the IRS by funneling campaign contributions through their employees. In July 2002, Coleman accepted $1,000 each from Veco’s Bill Allen and Richard Smith.

I'll go one better than Brian...I call for a full audit of all of Senator Coleman's finances along with a full accounting of what he gave in return for this dirty money. Message to Coleman: Stop the selling out of Minnesota to the highest bidders!

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Holy Smokes!

Finally, a breath of fresh Minnesota air!
Want to smoke? No problem, do it in private so those of us who are non-smokers, don't have to!

The Freedom to Breathe Act Conference Committee came to agreement on all major differences between the MN House and MN Senate versions. Here it is...


Conference Committee Report (Senate File 238)

a.. All indoor public places, workplaces, bars and restaurants are smoke free

b.. Very limited exemptions exist for tobacco retail shops and "over the road" truck cabs

c.. The bill is silent on all outdoor air and patios

d.. The language is not preemptive

e.. Implementation date August 1, 2007


This bill without exemptions will go back to the Senate and House for their approval.

From here the Senate and House will vote on the committee report as soon as Wednesday or Thursday. Both the Senate and House must approve the conference committee report (it is not amendable), once adopted by both bodies the legislation will go to the Governor for a signature.


Call your representatives let them know that you support the right for us to breath clean air.

Minnesota GOP Humor Is Not So Nice

Minnesota Monitor’s Jeff Fecke has an interview with local Republican Senate District 51 Chair Andy Aplikowski who now is backing away from an interview saying ‘it was all a joke’.

Of course, he was lying before but not now!...…no wait..it was a joke! Really? Which time? What part?

There’s nothing funny - no excuse, alibi or justification for any of the racist comments made…No-one is laughing at the imus-ish humor from the Republican Senate District Chair:

I am a bit worried about your boy Obama though. He used to worship that Allah, and his middle-name is Hussein. Coincidence????

Those kind of people are nuts, and the last thing we need is anotherMuslim in DC, let alone the White house. Ellison is enough. It scares me to even think about what he is sending thru CAIR to bin Laden and Iran. I bet Obama would sign a new NATO-esque agreement with Syria and Iran and attack Europe and Israel.

Anyone but a Democrat I suppose would be just dandy. Unless Shrillary could shed about 50 pounds and drop the sourthern twang. Then, well, maybe. I would just love to see how Slick Willy sneaks 'nappy headedhos' into the Oval Office behind her back now.

Seriously, when is the last time you or your readers have seen them together? I am thinking it was his Library and Massage parlor opening. Maybe a funeral. Other than that, have they even been in the same frame of a picture?

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Tuesday's Kool-Aid

Save the Rich!
Good news Pawlenty (government by veto) and the ‘no new tax’ posse can easily move to where taxes aren’t paid because everyone is leaving! In fact more leave than die! That’s how well a ‘no taxes’ model works… Jason Lewis is whinning at the WSJ but really, if it’s sooooooo bad, why not move back to Colorado or try a 'no taxes' country. Why?

The price of an congressional endorsement?
I see Betty McCollum endorsed Mike Ciresi before letting the rank and file decide...but not before she accepted almost $65,000 in contributions from the law firm that Ciresi is a partner and director. Priceless.

Hmm…
Never too early to start the campaigning…Mark Dayton is looking ahead to 2010 in Minnesota!

A Winner Not Running…
Gore is pulling STRONGLY as a top candidate, and he isn't even running yet...(or IS he?) more here and here.

Envision Impeachment
It’s nice to know Minnesotans can still have some creative fun while we work away at the serious stuff.

Oh, Oh, Obama
As his campaign has become bigger and more centralized Obama seems to have surrounded himself with top-down assholes. Makes him look as bad as his minions but then there’s also his vote that favored banks and credit card companies over…us. I agree you that you won't agree with any elected official all the time, but too many are willing to make Obama into a saint…and he isn’t by a long shot. Before you drink the Kool-Aid read the label carefully…(that would apply for all of them!). Still anyone of them are better than what the GOP are offering up.

Minnesota Nice Training
Don’t suppose QE2 will make it to Minnesota…but if she does, I’m ready.

Minnesota Mirrors Kansas

Currently serving in Iraq is a National Guard Brigade of Minnesotans which by the time of their deployment back to the states (Aug. 1, 2007) will have become the longest-serving National Guard unit (22 months) in the Iraq war.

Long tours are related to rising stress levels and eroding morale and mental health of those serving in Iraq. It is an excruciatingly long time to be away from one’s spouse and children and also interfers with the need for both rest and training among the troops. Studies also show that misconduct occurs more frequently as stress levels increase.

But the problems don't end there...Bu$h is using our military to the point of exhaustion while compromising homeland security and safety back home in America.

The State of Kansas is recovering from a series of disasters from tornadoes to flooding. There have been a dozen deaths and many are now homeless and without resources. In the past, the national guard’s personnel and equipment would be called up to assist with the emergency. But here’s the problem…Iraq.

The war in Iraq has had a serious impact on the National Guard and its ability to protect and assist Americans in times of disaster here at home. While Kansas citizens currently have an immediate need for the national guard, they have access to only about 40 percent of what would have been available before the guard went to Iraq… Forty percent of what they need!

Kansas' governor says tornado cleanup efforts are being hamstrung because the state National Guard is on a mission in Iraq. And before this, there was the significantly unavailability of the National Guard to respond to Hurricane Katrina victims.

The non-partisan Government Accountability Office has repeatedly cited the deployment of the guard troops and its equipment as a problem for domestic preparedness and disaster response (including domestic terrorist events!)…

The Special Commission on the National Guard and Reserves and Retired Generals have warned this administration that the Iraq war strategy is pushing the already overstretched Guard to the breaking point. "Kansas is not an isolated situation. Every state is significantly below level for equipment across the National Guard," Brig. Gen. Stephen Koper said

The President’s illegal war has over committed our military resources, depleted our strategic reserves and left the heart of America wide open. Minnesota, with what appears to be the longest servicing National Guard unit in Iraq has just been lucky…so far. Let's bring them back home this time (no extensions) and hope there are no major disasters in Minnesota before then.

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Seven Not So Lucky

Seven is the number of spots on a common ladybug, the number of dwafts in Snow White, and the number of Democrats it took to end a different direction for the Iraq war...


The attempt to override Bu$h's veto of the Iraq funding bill needed a two-thirds majority in each house. As expected the vote was 222 to override and 203 voting to sustain.


The 7 Democrats who voted for Bush's and Cheney's war without end were:



  • John Barrow (GA)

  • Dan Boren (OK)

  • Lincoln Davis (TN)

  • Jim Marshall (GA)

  • Jim Matheson (UT)

  • Michael McNulty (NY)

  • Gene Taylor (MS)


Hopefully it won't be 7 more years of an endless illegal war...

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Pawlenty Takes Partisan Politics Over Minnesota Nice

Minnesotans are getting 'pawlenty of partisan politics' these days. Personally I'd much rather see my governor be a state leader instead of a simplist slogan pen collector! The issues facing our state are servere and can't (nor should they) be brought down to a moronic slogan level. For those of you not paying attention the Republicans spent nearly five hours speaking against the tax bill, but then they offered no amendments to change it! If that isn't partisan politics WHAT IS?

Governor Pawlenty needs to take his job responsibilities to Minnesota more seriously. Gone is the rubber stamp and voter mandate for his 'do nothing for Minnesota but save the wealthy' policies! Do the wealthy really need you to save them? And next time you hear that you pay too much in taxes, ask them if they've ever been to Mexico where you pay hardly any taxes. Do you really want Minnesota to become like that? Call your representatives and tell them what you want. Let them know that becoming more like Mexico isn't what you see for Minnesota's future. The MN Budget Project had an interesting look at our taxes:


Tax rankings are popular because they compress complex issues into a single number. But Minnesotans need to be particularly cautious of claims about the size of government that focus on only one piece of the puzzle, especially when those claims are used to justify the sort of tough belt-tightening measures that Minnesota has gone through for the last two years. State comparisons should include all government revenues — not just state taxes — and should also take into account variations in incomes among states. Based on this more meaningful and complete measure, Minnesota ranks in the middle of the fifty states.

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Was Rove's Tool

My husband watched U.S. AG Gonzales during the hearings last week. He told me that he had heard how bright Alberto was and wanted to see some fireworks but also some high level back on forth among the politicos and this smart attorney. After watching several hours, my husband was at a lost for why/how the Attorney General of the United States could be such a idiot. The reason is pretty obvious now, Alberto Gonzales was put in office precisely because he's a stupid tool of Mr. Karl Rove.

Howie at Down with Tyranny has the story:

Yesterday the National Journal published a must-read story by Murray Waas that lays bare the real Alberto Gonzales/Karl Rove/George Bush story. It really is horrifying. You might expect it in 1930s Germany. But in our country?As Newshoggers explains, "The reason Gonzales has come across as a know-nothing rubberstamper is because... he was a know-nothing rubberstamper.

Someone(s) at the White House had decided that they were going to control all appointments to the Justice Department, in order to stuff it with fellow travelers and cronies. To that end, Gonzales signed a highly confidential order in March 2006 delegating to two of his top aides-- Sampson and Goodling, both of whom have already resigned-- authority over the hiring and firing of most non-civil-service employees of the Justice Department.

"Clearly that "someone at the White House" was Karl Rove. Several of the fired Republican U.S. Attorneys have been less than reticent to put investigators on Rove's tail. Dave Iglesias was perfectly explicit where the investigation should go and he personally filed a complaint against Rove.

Waas wrote that "a broad effort was under way by the White House to place politically and ideologically loyal appointees throughout the Justice Department, not just at the U.S.-attorney level. Department records show that the personnel authority was delegated to the two aides at about the same time they were working with the White House in planning the firings of a dozen U.S. attorneys, eight of whom were, in fact, later dismissed."

An anonymous White House official told him that "It was an attempt to make the department more responsive to the political side of the White House and to do it in such a way that people would not know it was going on."Gonzales wasn't just acting clueless; he was clueless-- by design. "

An original draft of Gonzales's delegation of authority to Sampson and Goodling was so broad that it did not even require the two aides to obtain the final approval of the attorney general before moving to dismiss other department officials, according to records obtained by National Journal. And they covered it up every step of the way. Gonzales should be barred from ever entering the building again. And Rove should be in prison. Waas explains the dangers of having two political hacks like Goodling and Sampson-- each a fourth rate intellect and an obedient religionist zombie, reporting only to a vicious partisan like Rove.

A senior Justice Department official, who did not know of Gonzales's delegation of authority until contacted by National Journal, said that it posed a serious threat to the integrity of the criminal-justice system because it gave Sampson, Goodling, and the White House control over the hiring of senior officials in the Justice Department's Criminal Division, which oversees all politically sensitive public corruption cases, at the same time that they held authority to hire and fire U.S. attorneys."If you are controlling who is going to be a U.S. attorney and who isn't going to be,... firing them outside the traditional process... and the same people are deciding who are going to be their supervisors back in Washington... there is too much of a potential for mischief, for abuse," the official said.

Even if there is no interference or politicization of public corruption investigations, the same official said, "you are just going to have people questioning every prosecutorial decision, when all of the people in place have been put there for political reasons."

Typically, the assistant attorney general in charge of the Criminal Division has five deputies who oversee political corruption cases and nearly all other federal criminal prosecutions. The assistant attorney general in charge of the Criminal Division is a political appointee of the president and is subject to Senate confirmation. But two of the division's five deputies are not subject to Senate confirmation. Under the order signed on March 1, 2006, their fate was delegated to Sampson and Goodling. Based on a review of the delegation order, the official said, the Criminal Division chief's principal deputy, his counselor, any of his special assistants, and a score of other aides were also among those who could be fired and replaced by Sampson and Goodling, and then subject to final approval by Gonzales.

"It would be an act of insanity and, frankly, implausible that the attorney general would grant authority to Kyle [Sampson] and Monica Goodling to make these decisions," the official said,

"But it would be frightening if they were serving as proxies for the White House. You do not want to allow for the possible politicization of your Criminal Division like that."Why? Hitler did; and whatever he has done, tactically, is what Rove and Bush have tried to emulate.

Meanwhile Republicans like Heather Wilson (NM), Pete "Sneaky Pete" Domenici (NM), "Doc" Hastings (WA), Jerry Lewis (CA), Rick Renzi and others attempted top get the Justice Department and White House to use the legal system for narrow, self-serving partisan political purposes. These people should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.Patrick Leahy blew a gasket yesterday when he found all this stuff out-- especially because these documents were not turned over to the Senate after they were subpoenaed.

“It is disturbing to learn that the Attorney General was granting extraordinary and sweeping authority to the same political operatives who were plotting with the White House to dilute our system of checks and balances in the confirmation of U.S. Attorneys. This development is highly troubling in what it seems to reveal about White House politicization of key appointees in the Department of Justice.

The mass firing of U.S. attorneys appeared to be part of a systematic scheme to inject political influence into the hiring and firing decisions of key justice employees. This secret order would seem to be evidence of an effort to hardwire control over law enforcement by White House political operatives."

I just can't understand how anyone who cares for this country could still consider impeachment "off the table."

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Minnesotan 101

The DFL controlled legislature have resolved to send a spending bill that is honest both in method and intent. Instead of slashing programs until they hurt Minnesota, they determined to control costs but to preserve education, human services, transportation needs, and public safety. Instead of borrow against future revenues (and paying interest), the DFL has decided to tax those wealthiest among us who haven't been paying their fair share. In exchange, Minnesotas will see a lowering in their property taxes, and the funding of needed, critical services by budgeting instead of by chance through the GOP's 'pawlenty of fees'.

The bill will boost Minnesota's economy and provide for it's continued finacial health including the state reserve. I expect Pawlenty to veto it in the name of partisan politics. Business as usual for the GOP!

Billboard on I94:
'Liberalism 101 - Tax, tax, tax, spend, spend, spend'

Per Alan Olson in Minneapolis:
'Conservatism 101 - Borrow, borrow, borrow, spend, spend, spend'

Per Gov. Pawlenty:
'GOP 101 - Borrow, borrow, borrow, slash education, slash public safety, slash insurance, save the wealthy'

DFL and TruthSurfer:
'Minnesotan 101 - honesty, fairness, equality'