Archive for July, 2007:
Murtha On Positive NYT Article: It’s an Illusion
Because, it can’t possibly be authentic progress. Thad would be bad news for the Democrats. US casualties in Iraq are the lowest they’ve been in 8 months. Critics of Bush and the war report significant signs of progress, as well as an overall higher troop moral. All of that can’t go unanswered by the donkeys.
It’s time to assert that all of that good news isn’t actually real.
Roberts Had Seizure; Luckily, He Has Recovered
The Supreme Court issued the following statement about Chief Justice Roberts:
“Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., took a fall about 2 p.m. today near his summer home in Maine after suffering what doctors describe as a benign idiopathic seizure. He experienced minor scrapes in the fall. The Chief Justice is fully recovered from the incident. He was taken by ambulance to Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport, Maine, where he underwent a thorough neurological evaluation, which revealed no cause for concern. He will remain overnight at the medical center as a precaution. The Chief Justice experienced a similar event in 1993.”
Meanwhile, Wonkette is apparently disappointed he didn’t die.
Remarks from Wonkette on Chief Justice Roberts
As expected:
Lovely bit of tolerance from our friends in the party of peace.
Guess What? The Most Ethical Congress in History Isn’t So Ethical
H/t Allah. Porkbusters reports this little piece of meat:
Porkbusters obtained the latest version of the “Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007’’, and as expected, the Democratic leadership has worked some funny business to dilute some of the Act’s key provisions.
Based on what we’re hearing from those who would know, key changes include:
* The old version (passed by the Senate) required conference / committee reports to list all earmarks and required the chairman of the relevant committee to distribute the earmark list. But the new version of the bill allows the Majority Leader (as opposed to the Senate parliamentarian, a more objective judge) to determine whether or not a conference report complies with the disclosure requirements.
* The new version removes the requirement for earmark lists posted online to be in searchable format.
* The new version removes the provision that prevented any bill from being considered at all prior to the disclosure of earmarks; now the text only prohibits a formal motion to proceed, which leaves open a procedural loophole that would allow bills to slip through without disclosure.
* The old version prohibited earmarks which benefit a Member, their staff, or their family/their staff’s family. The new version waters that down and only prohibits earmarks that would “only” affect those parties — which means so long as you can make a case that your shiny new project affects at least one person other than you positively, you’re all set.
DeMint released the following:
“There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors in the new ethics bill, but upon a close look its obvious that earmark transparency reforms have been eviscerated. Senator Reid has given himself and a few committee chairmen the authority to determine whether congressional earmarks have been properly disclosed to the public. My office has confirmed this with the Senate Parliamentarian. Under this bill, the American people would be forced to trust Senator Reid and Senator Byrd – two of the biggest earmarkers in the Senate – to certify earmark disclosure. This bill allows the fox to guard the henhouse and makes a joke of ethics reform.”
“I will offer an amendment to this bill to restore real earmark reform, and I hope all of my colleagues will support it. The culture of earmarks is what drives the culture of corruption, and if we don’t fix the earmark rules in this bill, we will continue to have business as usual in Washington.”
“This bill is nothing more than the status quo, allowing every chairman to decide whether to disclose earmarks or not. Senator Byrd has already ‘certified’ that he is complying with disclosure now, but an independent group, Taxpayers for Common Sense, already showed that $7.5 billion in earmarks have been undisclosed. The favor factory is still open and ready for business.”
Emphasis mine. Yes you, Joe Citizen, will just have to trust Dingy Harry and company to do the right thing. What could possibly go wrong?
Justice Roberts Hospitalized
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., a seasonal resident of Hupper Island, located off Port Clyde, was taken to Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport mid-day Monday.
St. George Ambulance responded to a call at about 2 p.m. Monday of a man who had fallen 5 to 10 feet and landed on a dock, hitting the back of his head. The patient was ashen and was foaming at the mouth. The patient had reportedly suffered a grand mal seizure and was transported to Penobscot Bay Medical Center.
As of Monday afternoon, Penobscot Bay Medical Center would not confirm that Roberts was a patient.
Roberts and his wife, Jane Roberts, purchased their home on Hupper Island in June 2006. The island is located a few hundreds yards off Port Clyde and is only accessible by boat.
Please keep him in your prayers.