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Posts by Paddy
Bush Shortchanges US Police
Posted by Paddy , The Political Carnival on May 28, 2008 at 3:26 PM.
Not my headline, McClatchy's. As the protesters said today, "Endless War, End This War".
WASHINGTON — At the same time the Bush administration has been pushing for deep cuts in a popular crime-fighting program for states and cities, the White House has been fighting for approval of $603 million for the Iraqi police.Yep, you read that right. We're freaking MADE of money if it benefits Iraq, but can't be bothered to pony up the cash to protect our own cities. I'm surprised they haven't contracted the local police forces out to Blackwater yet.
The White House earlier this year proposed slashing the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program, which helps local law enforcement officials deal with violent crime and serious offenders, to $200 million in the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
In 2002, the year before the Iraq war, the program received $900 million.
The administration and the Democratic-controlled Congress are headed for a showdown over the domestic money, probably next month. When the Senate last week passed the emergency Iraq war funding bill, it allotted an immediate $490 million for the domestic grants while keeping the Iraqi police funds intact.
The House is expected to consider the package when it returns from its Memorial Day recess next week. But the domestic grants are the kind of spending that's causing Bush to threaten a veto.
Bill Clinton Stuns Superdelegates with Angry Tirade Behind Closed Doors
Posted by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog on April 2, 2008 at 10:12 AM.
Take it with a grain of salt, since it's anonymous, but wow.
"It was one of the worst political meetings I have ever attended," one superdelegate said.
According to those at the meeting, Clinton - who flew in from Chicago with bags under his eyes - was classic old Bill at first, charming and making small talk with the 15 or so delegates who gathered in a room behind the convention stage.
But as the group moved together for the perfunctory photo, Rachel Binah, a former Richardson delegate who now supports Hillary Clinton, told Bill how "sorry" she was to have heard former Clinton campaign manager James Carville call Richardson a "Judas" for backing Obama.
It was as if someone pulled the pin from a grenade.
"Five times to my face (Richardson) said that he would never do that," a red-faced, finger-pointing Clinton erupted.
The former president then went on a tirade that ran from the media's unfair treatment of Hillary to questions about the fairness of the votes in state caucuses that voted for Obama. It ended with him asking delegates to imagine what the reaction would be if Obama was trailing by just 1 percent and people were telling him to drop out.UPDATE:
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
Libby Is Disbarred
Posted by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog on March 20, 2008 at 9:16 AM.
I'm all verklempt today over the woes of these people. Will they never get a break? Tucker's dad is going to have to step up the fundraising, or Scooter might have to give up his country club membership!!!
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was disbarred from practicing law in the nation's capital on Thursday.
The former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney was convicted last year of lying to a grand jury and federal agents probing the leak of the identity of a CIA agent, Valerie Plame Wilson.
"When a member of the Bar is convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude, disbarment is mandatory," the District of Columbia Court of Appeals wrote in its opinion, which is posted on its Web site.****
"When convictions on more than one count are involved, disbarment is mandated if any one of them involves moral turpitude," the court added.
Last July, a court sentenced Libby to a 30-month prison term. President Bush later commuted Libby's sentence, calling it "excessive."
Hillary Apologizes to Black Voters for Bill Clinton and Ferraro's Racial Insensitivity
Posted by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog on March 13, 2008 at 4:11 AM.
I blame Keith.
WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton did something Wednesday night that she almost never does. She apologized. And once she started, she didn't seem able to stop.
The New York senator, who is in a tight race with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination, struck several sorry notes at an evening forum sponsored by the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a group of more than 200 black community newspapers across the country.
Her biggest apology came in response to a question about comments by her husband, Bill Clinton, after the South Carolina primary, which Obama won handily. Bill Clinton said Jesse Jackson also won South Carolina when he ran for president in 1984 and 1988, a comment many viewed as belittling Obama's success.
"I want to put that in context. You know I am sorry if anyone was offended. It was certainly not meant in any way to be offensive," Hillary Clinton said. "We can be proud of both Jesse Jackson and Senator Obama."
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
KBR Supplied Water Makes US Troops Sick
Posted by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog on March 10, 2008 at 6:13 AM.
If they supported the troops any better, they'd be killing them.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq fell sick at bases using "unmonitored and potentially unsafe" water supplied by the military and a contractor once owned by Vice President Dick Cheney's former company, the Pentagon's internal watchdog says.
A report obtained by The Associated Press said soldiers experienced skin abscesses, cellulitis, skin infections, diarrhea and other illnesses after using discolored, smelly water for personal hygiene and laundry at five U.S. military sites in Iraq.
The Pentagon's inspector general found water quality problems between March 2004 and February 2006 at three sites run by contractor KBR Inc., and between January 2004 and December 2006 at two military-operated locations.
It was impossible to link the dirty water definitively to all the illnesses, according to the report. But it said KBR's water quality "was not maintained in accordance with field water sanitary standards" and the military-run sites "were not performing all required quality control tests."
Democrat Wins the Special Election to Fill Former GOP Speaker Hastert's House Seat
Posted by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog on March 8, 2008 at 10:12 PM.
HOT DAMN.
CHICAGO (AP) -- Democrat Bill Foster has snatched former House Speaker Dennis Hastert's congressional seat in a closely watched special election that gave the longtime Republican district to the Democrats.
Foster has won 52 percent of the vote compared to 48 percent for Republican Jim Oberweis with 556 of 568 precincts reporting.From Chicago situated Georgia10-
This is a red district. Former Speaker of the House Denny Hastert represented this district since 1987, winning reelection by huge margins.
This district includes the city of Dixon, which is the birthplace of Ronald Reagan.
This is a district that President Bush won twice, and in 2004 he received 56% of the vote.
The NRCC poured over $1 million here to hold onto this seat -- nearly a third of its cash on hand.
John McCain actually took time from his presidential campaign to come to Illinois and hold a fundraiser for Oberweis and formally endorse him.This is a huge deal, and (fingers crossed) hopefully a harbringer of things to come!!!
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
Michigan Democratic Do-Over Caucus Very Likely, Florida May Re-Vote Via Mail
Posted by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog on March 7, 2008 at 7:00 AM.
This isn't going to make Gov. Granholm or Senator Clinton happy at all. A caucus favors Obama, and Clinton was hoping for just seating the delegates she already won in an unfair primary.
A member of the DNC's Rules And Bylaws Committee--the committee that stripped Florida and Michigan of its delegates for moving their primaries before February 5th--told me that Michigan plans to get out of its uncounted delegate problem by announcing a new caucus in the next few days.
"They want to play. They know how to do caucuses," the DNC source said. "That was their plan all along, before they got cute with the primary."
Michigan Democrats had originally planned on caucuses after the legally permissible Feb. 5 date, but then went along with top elected Democrats, including Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who pushed for an early primary.UPDATE: Fla. Dems weigh redoing presidential primary by mail
WASHINGTON -- With pressure to resolve the Florida Democratic primary's renegade status intensifying, the state party is looking at the possibility of giving voters a chance to cast a second ballot in the presidential primary -- by mail.
The party has all but ruled out as too costly holding an election in which voters would go to the polls, but is looking at a mail-in contest that could give Florida Democrats a say in the presidential nominating contest.
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
Obama Campaign Confirms 50 More Super Delegates Waiting in the Wings
Posted by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog on March 6, 2008 at 9:33 AM.
The rumoured delegate bounce looks to be true.
Rep. Lacy Clay (D-MO), Sen. Barack Obama's Missouri co-chairman and pledged Obama superdelegate, said Obama will gain the support of 50 undecided Democratic superdelegates later this week, according to the Columbia Missourian.
Said Clay: "She (Sen. Clinton) will not make up those numbers. This race is over."
Former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw first reported yesterday that Obama had about 50 secretly committed superdelegates. However, The Hotline quotes an unnamed Obama campaign aide who says the report is "wrong."Reported elsewhere, but always nice to repeat-
Both Democrats Lead McCain
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows both Democratic presidential candidates ahead of Sen. John McCain in general election match ups.
Sen. Barack Obama leads McCain, 52% to 40%, while Sen. Hillary Clinton is ahead, 50% to 44%.
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
McCain Can't Distance Himself from Offensive Attacks on Obama at Pro-McCain Rally
Posted by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog on February 27, 2008 at 8:28 AM.
UPDATE: Bill Cunningham went on Fox News (shocker!) following his controversial comments, defended his statements and whined about McCain disavowing his comments.
Post in whole from our friend OhDave, Barb at Kos has some of Cunningham's greatest hits.
Don't Cry for Bill Cunningham, Victim Extraordinaire
Bill Cunningham was asked today by the McCain camp to introduce McCain at a rally in Cincinnati's Over the Rhine district. His comments made national news when he repeatedly used Obama's middle name "Hussein" and said Obama in 2009 will have "just got back from a meeting with Ahmedinajad, has a meeting next week with Kim Jong Il, and then he's gonna saddle up next to Hezbollah." (my transcribing)
McCain pretended to be shocked, and apologized. But if John McCain bothered to do any research he would know that Cunningham engages in these kinds of personal attacks on a regular basis as a way to generate controversy that will create headlines for himself and WLW. On CNN McCain is being roundly lauded for apologizing and "taking responsibility." John King of CNN reported that McCain's staff had no idea that he would be headlining the event. In fact, the Enquirer reported it as follows:
Cunningham, a conservative Republican who also hosts a Sunday night syndicated radio show, said he was asked Monday "by a McCain operative" to introduce the Republican front-runner at Memorial Hall.Of course, now McCain wants credit for repudiating the comments that his own campaign knew were coming. Meanwhile, Cunningham is feeling used, and now says that he repudiates McCain, and won't support him in the election. But McCain obviously staged this event very carefully. He waited until Cunningham was gone to enter the hall, and claimed not to have heard the remarks. Now the offensive remarks from Cunningham are making the regular news cycle, all while McCain is shown distancing himself from it. It's all very clever, and it's exactly how the GOP will use surrogates like Cunningham to attack Obama in the coming months while keeping their hands clean.
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
The GOP Evaluates How Racist or Sexist They Can Be in the General Election
Posted by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog on February 25, 2008 at 12:11 PM.
You can see where this is going-
The Republican National Committee "has commissioned polling and focus groups to determine the boundaries of attacking a minority or female candidate," according to The Politico. "The secretive effort underscores the enormous risk senior GOP operatives see for a party often criticized for its insensitivity to minorities in campaigns dating back to the 1960s."
"The RNC project is viewed as so sensitive that those involved in the work were reluctant to discuss the findings in detail. But one Republican strategist, who asked that his name be withheld to speak candidly, said the research shows the daunting and delicate task ahead."Heh, guess that means they can't be as destructive and evil as they'd like to be. Unfortunate. More from the Politico-
In other words, Republicans should expect a severe backlash if they say or do anything that smacks of politicizing race or gender. They didn't need an expensive poll to learn that lesson, however.
(snip)
GOP officials are certain their words will be scrutinized ever more aggressively. They anticipate a regular media barrage of accusations of intolerance - or much worse.
They seem most concerned about Obama right now.
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
Secret Service Orders End to Gun Checks at Obama Rally in Dallas
Posted by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog on February 22, 2008 at 5:45 AM.
I heard rumblings about this yesterday, but this boils it down the best.
NEW YORK The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported late Thursday that security details at Barack Obama's rally in Dallas (of all places) on Wednesday "stopped screening people for weapons at the front gates more than an hour before the Democratic presidential candidate took the stage at Reunion Arena.
"The order to put down the metal detectors and stop checking purses and laptop bags came as a surprise to several Dallas police officers who said they believed it was a lapse in security," reported the paper's Jack Douglas, Jr. More than 10 days remain until the Texas primary and a key vote for president.
"Dallas Deputy Police Chief T.W. Lawrence, head of the Police Department's homeland security and special operations divisions, said the order -- apparently made by the U.S. Secret Service -- was meant to speed up the long lines outside and fill the arena's vacant seats before Obama came on. '"Sure,' said Lawrence, when asked if he was concerned by the great number of people who had gotten into the building without being checked. But, he added, the turnout of more than 17,000 people seemed to be a 'friendly crowd.'"
The Secret Service did not return a call from the Star-Telegram seeking comment.This is troubling on so many levels. It doesn't matter if it were Obama or Gravel as there have been actual substantiated threats out there. "Seemed to be a friendly crowd". What the hell does that mean? Lawrence should be fired just on that statement alone.
Obama Secretly Meets With John Edwards
Posted by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog on February 18, 2008 at 6:52 AM.
Sen. Barack Obama "paid a secret visit to his former rival, John Edwards, in quest of his endorsement on Sunday," The Politico reports.
"The meeting in Chapel Hill, N.C., where Edwards lives, is the latest effort by Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) to win 'the Edwards primary' -- the heatedly sought endorsement of the third-place finisher in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination."
Like Clinton's visit earlier this month, Obama managed to pull off his without the notice of the national press corps. However. WTVD-TV claims to have video of the visit which it will air later today.
Mark Halperin explains why Edwards' endorsement matters.
"I don't think there's any imminent news," Obama told CBS affiliate WISC-TV this afternoon. "We were exchanging views, he was giving me some thoughts, and obviosuly he's gonna be a big force in the Democratic party for many years to come."
Campaign officials would not specify whether the meeting included a promise of an Edwards endorsement.Also, AP reports tonight that Clinton has been wooing the Edwardses more effectively:
People close to the Edwardses, speaking privately, say they have been torn about whom to support. The former North Carolina senator is concerned that Obama may not be ready for the presidency and that his health care plan is inferior. But Edwards was highly critical of Clinton - her policies, her ties to special interests and her character - during his campaign, making it more difficult to support her now.
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
Army Buried Study Faulting Iraq Planning
Posted by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog on February 11, 2008 at 6:57 AM.
Can we impeach now, please?
WASHINGTON - The Army is accustomed to protecting classified information. But when it comes to the planning for the Iraq war, even an unclassified assessment can acquire the status of a state secret.
That is what happened to a detailed study of the planning for postwar Iraq prepared for the Army by the RAND Corporation, a federally financed center that conducts research for the military.
After 18 months of research, RAND submitted a report in the summer of 2005 called "Rebuilding Iraq." RAND researchers provided an unclassified version of the report along with a secret one, hoping that its publication would contribute to the public debate on how to prepare for future conflicts.
But the study's wide-ranging critique of the White House, the Defense Department and other government agencies was a concern for Army generals, and the Army has sought to keep the report under lock and key.The entire article is devasting. How we don't end up with a high crimes and misdemeanors court is beyond me.
Ron Paul Likely to Drop Out of '08 Race, Will Not Run as Third Party Candidate
Posted by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog on February 9, 2008 at 7:44 AM.
In an email to supporters last night, the New York Times notes Rep. Ron Paul conceded that his chance to win the Republican presidential nomination are "nearly zero."
But despite raising tens of millions of dollars, Paul "clearly stated that he will not run as a third-party candidate. Right now, his priorities are serving the residents in his Texas congressional district and winning re-election."
Ted Haggard's Church: Ex-Gay Brainwashing Didn't Take
Posted by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog on February 6, 2008 at 5:21 AM.
Really, what a bunch of maroons if they think you can pray away the gay. I mean, this guy was one of their holiest ministers, so if he can't pray it away, who can? (no one of course!!)
COLORADO SPRINGS -- More than a year after then-pastor Ted Haggard resigned from his position at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Haggard has severed his official relationship with the New Life Church Restoration Team.
Haggard was the church's senior founding pastor.
In November 2006, he resigned from his church leadership position and from his position as head of the National Association of Evangelicals amid allegations he had an affair with a male prostitute.
(snip)
"New Life Church recognizes the process of restoring Ted Haggard is incomplete and maintains its original stance that he should not return to vocational ministry. However, we wish him and his family only success in the future."
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