Saturday, September 30, 2006

Foley Resigns

Well, what do we have here? A REPUBLICAN congressman sends sexually suggestive messages to an UNDERAGE page. There was apparently a cover-up of the incident, as the IM contact in question happened last year:

Majority Leader John Boehner, an Ohio Republican, learned about the matter during the spring, but "there wasn't a level of alarm because there was no specificity about the contact," an aide to Boehner told CNN.

CNN.com - House to probe resigning congressman's notes to teen - Sep 30, 2006



The congreesman incharge of the Page program, a REPUBLICAN, learned of this over a year ago and dimissed it, telling Foley to 'be mindful of his conduct'. Pelosi called for an investigation of the incident AND the cover-up by the Republican Leadership, but her move was blocked. An investigation into Foley's actions passed unanimously. It will be investigated by the Ethics Committee.

I find it extremely hypocritical to investigate Foley without investigating an apparent cover-up! Foley served on the comittee dealing with internet predators. Maybe he was there as a subject-matter expert!

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Sandra Day O'Connor Stands up to the Far Right!

For a long time, I have been concerned that the far right has been allowed to attack the judicial system with impunity as they went after what they called 'activist judges'. If they don't like a ruling they go out hard and heavy, calling the judges(s) "activists" and call for restrictions on the courts/judges.to me, this was nothing short of an attack on the Constitution and the seperation of powers. There have been a few politicians that have really made an effort to defend the courts from such attacks. What bothers me even more is that fewer still have even pointed out how 'activist judges' have actually been at the forefront of establishing equality in our society. (see BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)
Well, at least until now:
O'Connor, Breyer call for end to attacks on judiciary
From CNN's Bill Mears

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Backed by four of her former colleagues on the
Supreme Court, retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor sounded a deep warning on
"criticism we're hearing today about so-called 'activist judges,'" calling them
direct political attacks on judicial independence.

Speaking at a two-day conference she is co-sponsoring with Justice
Stephen Breyer, O'Connor told fellow attorneys the rule of law is undermined
when judges are threatened with impeachment, legislative oversight, and loss of
independence by lawmakers angry with court rulings.

"The breadth of unhappiness expressed about the courts," said O'Connor,
"shows a level perhaps greater than in the past, a cause of great concern."


http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2006/09/oconnor-breyer-call-for-end-to-attacks.html


Illegal Wiretaps, its a Republican thing, you just wouldn't understand!

Gee, I guess that this whole wiretapping bit has become so ingrained into the soul of Republicans that they feel they can do it within their own personal life:

ALBANY, New York (AP) -- An awkward pause during an important speech. A puzzling geography gaffe. An aborted bid for the U.S. Senate. A husband who keeps getting into trouble.

The latest in a string of pitfalls for state attorney general candidate Jeanine Pirro came Wednesday when she announced she is being investigated for allegedly plotting to secretly record her husband to find out if he was having another affair.

Despite the stumbles, the Republican forcefully maintained at a Manhattan news conference that she has no plans to drop out of the race against Democrat Andrew Cuomo.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/28/ny.ag.ap/index.html



Now, I am not trying to defend her husband's alleged infidelity, but trying to bug your own husband in an effort to catch him cheating??? If you have that much mistrust in your marriage, it is OVER folks.... (maybe a pre-nup is involved and she is trying to get it nullified for marital infidelity, but still..)

The Republicans seem to have this whole 'we are above the law' air about them. Damned International Law, the Constitution, and Civil Rights: Full Steam ahead!
This nut-job is indicative of what the Republicans stand for. Thank God she stands little chance of winning her race.