You know what I hate about newspaper websites? They never have links in their stories. Not even to stories in their own archives that might be relevant. Yeah, sometimes there's a little sidebar. But I mean in the story, the way God intended HTML to be used. Just saying...
Hammer Down
Firedoglake
Tom Delay has given his resignation from the House, effective June 9, 2006. That's a 30 day notice.
So how should we celebrate the last thirty days of Delay? How about a retrospective, covering the life of this scoundrel, catching us up to date on everything?
Sounds like fun.
Cafferty: NSA Database Amounts To Dictatorship
Crooks and Liars
Not just the recent revelation about the NSA's database containing every phone call being made, but Cafferty was also hacked off about the Justice Department's inability to investigate the NSA.
This some bullshit, my friends. And Bush sailing out to sputter "9/11, 9/11, ollie ollie oxen free" is really getting my goat. I've listened to radio reports all day that has Bush talking about wanting to know what Al-Qaeda is saying. Well, fine, Mr. Bush. Go listen to Al-Qaeda. What do fully domestic phone records have to do with somebody in Afghanistan or Pakistan? Get the hell out of our personal records without a warrant.
If You Didn't Fix It, It Ain't Fixed
Cool Tool: Debugging
I'm getting this link into the blogroll as soon as possible. It highlights cool tools. Simple. Beautiful.
Today's post is about a book you need to buy. It's called Debugging. It's about fixing software or hardware, but the blogger points out that the rules apply to a lot of different situations.
The rules are:
Understand the systemI pass them along to you.
Make it fail
Quit thinking and look
Divide and conquer
Change one thing at a time
Keep an audit trail
Check the plug
Get a fresh view
If you didn't fix it, it ain't fixed
Missing File on Chief Justice Still Missing
Washington Post
Well. Apparently a file of John Robert's work papers went missing recently:
The file, compiled during Roberts's tenure as an associate counsel in the Reagan White House, vanished in July when lawyers from the Bush administration were reviewing the materials at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., as part of a vetting process before Roberts's formal nomination to the Supreme Court.Turns out that Archives policies were not followed as the Bush Administration researchers (names, anyone? The White House refuses to release them) looked at all the paperwork. They were given a private room. They were left unsupervised. They were allowed to bring in personal belongings (read: briefcases). So nice of the Ronald Reagan librarians to accommodate the Bushistas so lovingly, don't you think?
"This investigation is unresolved and the file is still missing," says the 64-page IG report, released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from a Washington area researcher and posted Tuesday on the Web site Memory Hole. ". . . The OIG was unable to determine whether the missing file was taken intentionally, unintentionally, or lost."
The White House, true to form, is pointing to this review and saying that it points to no evidence of wrongdoing. I just wish this administration didn't relish the appearance of evil so much.
I'm Blogging Here Again
eXTReMe Tracking - Science - Politics
If you click on the link you'll see stats for this page. I find it incredible that this page - to which I have not blogged for quite sometime - is still getting over 20 hits a day.
Most of them these days are from one single thing - the freaky little Jesus with a Gun clock jpg down below. People are googling like mad for a image of Jesus with a gun, and my little jpeg is coming up second on that search. Crazy, no?
So people who want that graphic sound like my target audience. So Bolo lives again. I don't think I'll play nice this time. If you want nice me, check out Inner Cog over on Wordpress.com. Otherwise, stick around. I'll blog until I can't. That's all I can promise.
The Thing About Richard Cohen
Maybe you don't think Stephen Colbert wasn't funny. Fine. But there's something else he wasn't.
Afraid.
Iranian Letter: Using Religion to Lecture Bush
New York Times
This wrapup is right on target concerning the Amhadinejad letter. I just finished typing it up from the hard-to-read PDF file.
I've got a few more things to say about it, but I tired. Maybe tomorrow...
Possible Out for Hayden 4th Flap?
I wrote in yesterday's column that Hayden had misinterpreted the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution during a January speech , when he asserted that the standard for searches was "reasonableness," not "probable cause."
Several readers wrote in to say that Hayden was technically correct -- and that reasonableness is the standard for searches, while probable cause is the standard for warrants for such searches.
But my understanding is that the traditional reading of the amendment is that it is the obtaining of a warrant (which requires probable cause) that determines whether a search is reasonable or not.
There are some specified exceptions to the warrant requirement -- but historically they've been identified by the courts.
Having unilaterally decided they didn't need warrants, I'm assuming Hayden and his lawyers felt they could then take it upon themselves to decide what was reasonable or not. But that's not how it's supposed to work.
So I guess it's conceivable that Hayden's view is not an out-and-out misinterpretation of the Fourth Amendment. But at the very least, it's certainly an activist way of looking at things.
"Having unilaterally decided they didn't need warrants" is the operative phrase.
Here's Findlaw's discussion on electronic surveillance and the Fourth Amendment. You can't skim it, but you should read it. It's a tight description of the relevent opinions from the Olmstead case onward.
Katz v. United States seems to wrap it up.
Unanimously, the Court held that at least in cases of domestic subversive investigations, compliance with the warrant provisions of the Fourth Amendment was required. Whether or not a search was reasonable, wrote Justice Powell for the Court, was a question which derived much of its answer from the warrant clause; except in a few narrowly circumscribed classes of situations, only those searches conducted pursuant to warrants were reasonable. The Government's duty to preserve the national security did not override the gurarantee that before government could invade the privacy of its citizens it must present to a neutral magistrate evidence sufficient to support issuance of a warrant authorizing that invasion of privacy. This protection was even more needed in ''national security cases'' than in cases of ''ordinary'' crime, the Justice continued, inasmuch as the tendency of government so often is to regard opponents of its policies as a threat and hence to tread in areas protected by the First Amendment as well as by the Fourth. Rejected also was the argument that courts could not appreciate the intricacies of investigations in the area of national security nor preserve the secrecy which is required.So as the courts have determined, only a small subset of searches made unpursuant to warrants are reasonable. Hayden's sidestep of warrants was unwarranted, particularly since the immediate need of wiretapping in the terrorism age is taken care of by the retroactive review allowed under the FISA court.
Short story? He's still a fascist.
Update:
The weaselly way this guy said what he said must be noted:
I didn't craft the authorization. I am responding to a lawful order. All right? The attorney general has averred to the lawfulness of the order. Just to be very clear -- and believe me, if there's any amendment to the Constitution that employees of the National Security Agency are familiar with, it's the Fourth. And it is a reasonableness standard in the Fourth Amendment. And so what you've raised to me -- and I'm not a lawyer, and don't want to become one -- what you've raised to me is, in terms of quoting the Fourth Amendment, is an issue of the Constitution. The constitutional standard is "reasonable." And we believe -- I am convinced that we are lawful because what it is we're doing is reasonable.What we are doing is reasonable. Weasel words. The General is counting on a common understanding of the word reasonable to fudge the issue (much the way a certain President used the term "sexual relations" to fudge another point). He takes the term "reasonable" outside its very legal definition, as already determined by Katz, by his words "and I'm not a lawyer, and don't want to become one". However, since the General is dealing with very murky legal issues, he might want to consult a lawyer pretty damn quickly.
Signs of Humanity
TBogg
I love things like this. The Bush Administration sent out a talking points memo to a lot of people that shouldn't have gotten it. Tbogg's singing West Side Story over it.
Career appointees at the Department of Agriculture were stunned last week to receive e-mailed instructions that include Bush administration "talking points" -- saying things such as "President Bush has a clear strategy for victory in Iraq" -- in every speech they give for the department.A weekly account sent to the White House? Chortle!
"The President has requested that all members of his cabinet and sub-cabinet incorporate message points on the Global War on Terror into speeches, including specific examples of what each agency is doing to aid the reconstruction of Iraq," the May 2 e-mail from USDA speechwriter Heather Vaughn began.
The e-mail, sent to about 60 undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and other political appointees, was also sent to "a few people to whom it should not have gone," said the department's communications director, Terri Teuber . The career people, we are assured, are not being asked to spread the great news on Iraq in their talks to food stamp recipients, disadvantaged farmers, enviros or other folks.
The e-mail provided language "being used by Secretary [Michael O.] Johanns and deputy secretary [Charles F.] Conner in all of their remarks and is being sent to you for inclusion in your speeches."
Another attachment "contains specific examples of GWOT messages within agriculture speeches. Please use these message points as often as possible and send Harry Phillips , USDA's director of speechwriting, a weekly email summarizing the event, date and location of each speech incorporating the attached language. Your responses will be included in a weekly account sent to the White House."
We're the Bush Administration, and we're marching in lockstep. Viva George Bu...no, wait, that's Spanish. Long live our glorious Emporer!
Bolo Boffin Expires - Long Live The Inner Cog
Well, I don't post here anymore. That's obvious. Thanks for all the faithful readers. I've decided to revamp the whole operation, so I'm taking up residence at theInner Cog. It's just me right now, but we'll see about some other folks. Anyhow, Bolo was fun, but I'm moving on. Come see me in the new digs.
Frist Sells HCA Stock Two Weeks Before Price Plummet
Yahoo.com > DemoUnder
The news that brought me back. I'm on super secret undercover assignment right now, but Frist's unbelievable sense of personal entitlement drew me back into blogging. If I blog in the future, it will be quite sporadic; I don't get into port much (oops! I'm spilling the beans). But I've been watching Katrina coverage with pretty much blind outrage at the Bush Administration once again finding itself "learning the lessons" of being prepared. George, these are the Majors. If you don't already have the basics down, you screw up the pennant race bigtime.
But of course, they have the basics down. They demonstrated that during the election year in Florida. New Orleans in an off year? Fuck 'em.
I mean, seriously. Don't you know they just looked at Katrina heading for New Orleans with all its oil business and said, "Hey - great way to get gas prices up - hold off. And Rush and O'Reilly stocking up on poor (read black) degradation material is just icing on the cake."
Oo, don't get me started.
Anyway, I saw that Frist got his doctor props together and went down to do triage in New Orleans. I was giving him credit for that, but now the truth comes out: he needed a moral high ground approach to head off criticism about this blatently illegal stock trade. And the crap about his "conflict of interest" should be branded onto his corrupt backside. That rat bastard. Horsewhipping's too good for him.
I really should blog more often. Holding it in like that gets toxic.
Since When Do Blog Articles Get Listed on Google News?
Here's a sceen shot of a blog article listed on Google News. It's the one titled [url=http://www.americandaily.com/article/7895]NBC, Wolf Should Apologize Without Delay[/url].
Sure, it's in Entertainment, but that's still right there on the front page, the top headline in that grouping of stories. So our news is going to be subject to Googlebombing as well? Is there anyone else that thinks that's a bad idea?
Wesley Clark Is Running in 2008
Clark Community Network || CCN Home
General Wesley Clark announced at the Figueroa Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles that he will run once agian for President of the United States. It was, for the most part, a small gathering. The only notable that I saw there was Lt. Governor of CA, Cruz Bustamante. As the General was addressing the growd he said, 'some of you have been asking whether I am going to run in 2008' (not an exact quote) and the crowd went wild and started chanting 'Go Wes Go'. Clark said 'I am'. Somewhere in between he cracked a joke about how he was drafted late '03 and blamed us. Then Clark said that he thought if he ever got drafted again he would make sure to get an early start and then followed with THIS TIME he wants to make sure that he gets enough funds, so he won't be in '04 situation. Clark 08!Very good news. I'll be backing the General again.
Securing America: Wesley Clark's New Website
 | Wesley Clark has just opened up his new website. Give it a looksee, will ya? |
Ignorance on Parade
MSNBC - Teen protests Pledge said in foreign languages
A ninth-grader is protesting his school’s decision to broadcast the Pledge of Allegiance in foreign languages as part of National Foreign Language Week.Sources tell me that Townhall.com has offered this bright shining American boy his own triweekly column.
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Patrick Linton said he and other students at Old Mill High School sat down rather than stand Wednesday when the pledge was read over the school’s public address system in Russian. Linton’s teacher told him if he had a problem he should leave the room.
He did, and did not plan to return this week.
“This is America, and we got soldiers at war,” the 15-year-old said. “When you’re saying the Pledge in a different language which nobody understands, that’s not OK.”
Charles Linton, Patrick’s father, said the use of other languages is disrespectful to the country. “It’s like wearing a cross upside down in a church,” he said.
This is weird. Just found this new blog: The Shortcake Chronicles. Marty's a strange little fella, but anybody who likes strawberry shortcake can't be all bad.
Military Worship and Recruitment At Baptist Men's Service
Shlonkom Bakazay?
It really must be seen to be believed. Some kid brought his camera to a Men's Service at his local Baptist church, which turned out to be a military recruitment service.
The reproduced program is chilling:
Men,I'm just amazed at the cognative dissonance that these people are able to contain in their brains.
It is a privilege for Porter Memorial Baptist Church to be hosting this event. This is the fifth year that our Men's Ministry has put this on and we are excited about how we have seen God provide for us to make this night possible.
This is a night to honor the men and women who serve our God blessed nation, and for those who have served in previous conflicts and wars. Porter Memorial Baptist Church wishes to say "Thank you!!!" for making our nation free to worship God.
We hope you enjoyed the BBQ meal and will enjoy some of our most talented men singing praises to God this evening. Most of all, we hope you are challenged and inspired by the testimony that Capt. Jeff Struecker gives tonight as he shares his experience in battle and his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
Our mission statement is "To worship God, globally lead people to faith in Christ, and grow together to be like Him."
Most of all, on behalf of our pastoral staff and men, we want you to know that Porter Memorial Baptist Church is a Home for your Heart.
Please note that this is the fifth annual Men's Service to honor the military; i.e., every year of the Bush presidency. This combination of military worship and American jingoism is particularly stunning when you consider that these people are very likely believers in Premillienialism. These folks are signing up for Armegeddon, and making sure it's gonna happen.
The two pictures that recreate a parade of American Soldiers under the displayed image of Jesus on the cross will stupefy you - especially because one of the American soldiers is wearing a Confederate uniform. I just don't know what to say about that. I mean, you know, the Confederates were trying to do the same thing to Washington, DC that al-Qaeda tried to to. I mean, you know? They didn't have planes, of course, but if they could have gotten to Washington and burned it down, they would have. You know? Could we maybe not include them in a parade that nonors soldiers of the United States of America?
I'm just saying...
Coolest Carson Memory So Far
Cincinatti Post
Nick Clooney (yes, I believe that's George's dad) recalls how Carson staged a black wig protest on his own show when Clooney and two other grey-haired newsmen were let go from the local LA NBC news program that led into Carson's show.
$1.3 Trillion in Deficits Forecast Over Decade
LA Times
George W. Bush: enemy of the United States of America.
What else can we believe when reading about this incredible deficit? If you had hired someone to watch over your finances, and then discovered the person had wasted your entire growing surplus and sunk you even further into debt, you would fire him.
This person is not looking out after our common interests. The best way to destroy someone is to ruin them financially, and this mass deficit is ruining this country financially. Why does George Bush hate America so much that he must spend it into oblivion?
I'm really getting serious about this. Try to think of some better way to destroy this country, outside of outright treason, than to destroy its government economically. The Bush deficit spending is holding a knife to this country's throat.
And this, my fellow Americans, is what you voted on. Enjoy.
Paging Mr. Swift...
The Smirking Chimp
Paul Krugman explains why the latest push to dismantle Social Security is a scam. He's saying that if the economy grows as expected, the trust fund will last through this century, which is what I gather Bruce Webb was saying in a comment below.
Meaning that nothing needs to be done to Social Security, probably.
And then this section of the interview caught my eye:
If you really want to get scared about something that can happen between now and 2052, you should talk about Medicare and Medicaid. The entire system of private health insurance is gradually collapsing. And as the share of people getting medical insurance through their employers continues to decline, the number of people who have to rely on the government for health insurance keeps going up. At the same time, medical costs keep on rising, because doctors keep on figuring out new stuff to do -- procedures that didn't exist ten or twenty years ago.So if Medicare and Medicaid go bellyup, the people who rely on both programs will die, and end the pressure on Social Security!
It would be nice to have a reality-based president again, wouldn't it?
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