Remember the good ole days when the news programs had integrity? Remember when they would carefully step over the tricky issues of personal preference when it came to candidates? When there was a "fairness doctrine" that forced them to carefully walk a tightrope when it came to giving one candidate more exposure over another? Well, the Repugicans did away with most of that and the result is that we're blessed with their idea of "fair trade" versus "fairness".
For example, Fox "news", in a study by MediaMatters.com has given Giuliani more airtime than any other candidate, Repug or Democrat. And when you look behind the curtain, here's a interesting tidbit from MSNBC.com that might explain it...
“Roger [Alies] explained that every time a candidate is given a microphone, he’s getting $100,000 worth of publicity,” Mr. Giuliani wrote in his book. After he became mayor, Mr. Giuliani spoke at a reception in 1994 when Mr. Ailes was introduced as the new president of the new CNBC business news network. The mayor listed for the crowd gathered in the Rainbow Room Mr. Ailes’s many accomplishments as a producer of television comedy specials and documentaries, including the Emmy Award-winning “Television and the Presidency.”
“I am personally gratified to see that Roger has reached a new pinnacle in a remarkable career, because Roger has played an important role in my own career,” Mr. Giuliani said, according to a draft of his speech.
----
Should Roger and Fox "news" account for a political donation of $100,000 for each appearance by Rudy on their "network"? It would seem that they've already placed that value on the act. They should have to "own up" to you, dontcha think?
But alas, the Justice Department and Election Commission are under the political control of the Bush Regime and they are too busy prosecuting Liberal churches for political organizing and Democrat candidates for election law violations to look at real crimes! It's a shame and, yet another fact, that history will record in this decade of shameless, political plundering masterminded by Rove and Cheney and recorded as the "Bush Presidency".
Showing posts with label Cheney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cheney. Show all posts
Monday, August 6, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Congress needs to grow some "Big Ones"
There's a excellent article at Slate.com about "Executive Priviledge" and how Congress should respond to the White House in this matter. Click here to read it.
The author offers a idea involving the formation of yet another layer of technology to combat the abuse of executive power but that's adding another layer to the problem rather than peeling away a layer to solve the current problem. As a technician, I'm always wary of "adding another layer" because it tends to complicate matters more often than solve them.
The solution to the abuse of Executive Priviledge is for Congress to grow some "Big Ones" and assert it's oversight authority. After all Congress has the powers granted to it by the Constitution which include oversight and, yes, the I-word, Impeachment. Congress has the authority and responsibility for oversight. For five years, they dropped the ball and let it bounce around while the White House cast a blind eye to its actions which included getting the US involved in the Iraqi Civil War and Occupation. Subsequent to the 2006 elections, the hearings have begun but many are too late to hope for any good to come of their efforts. Meanwhile, the core of the problem lies within the offices of the Vice President, the Senior Adviser, Karl Rove and the Justice Department's head, Alberto Gonzales. And the biggest problem has been the reluctantance of Congress to move forward with some action of disapproval. There are many possible actions but it's time to consider the big one: Impeachment!
Ever since the Clinton Impeachment, I believe the Democrats, especially, have been uncomfortable bring this up because they don't want to look like they are abusing it as the Republicans did against Clinton. They see it as a very serious alternative and wish to reserve it for the most appropriate moment. However, there is a tool available to Congress that could come before Impeachment and will trump the flaccid argument of Executive Privledge. It is called Inherent Comtempt. Congress can compell the testimony of anyone it wants and hold court within its chambers to prosecute anyone it wants, including those mentioned above, to force them to testify of be jailed for comptempt... impeachment to follow, I am sure. It's currently considering Contempt charges against Harriet Myers for not complying with the subpoena to appear. But this is BB-shot compared to what it really MUST do.
If there is any basis for Impeachment in the US Constitution, the actions of the Bush Regime have certainly warranted such action. They've been bold in their resistance to the requirements to report to Congress when requested and lied when they did. They have subverted law and law and skated on the edge of laws, flauting their spirit, if not their letter. Nothing in US history can compare to their absolute disrespect for the Congress, Laws, Traditions, Sanctity, and People of the United States as this adminstration! Nothing! If Congress does not move to Impeachment against Bush, Cheney and Gonzales then they should just "whiteout" the references to it in the Constitution and wait until January 2009 for the nightmare to be over.
The author offers a idea involving the formation of yet another layer of technology to combat the abuse of executive power but that's adding another layer to the problem rather than peeling away a layer to solve the current problem. As a technician, I'm always wary of "adding another layer" because it tends to complicate matters more often than solve them.
The solution to the abuse of Executive Priviledge is for Congress to grow some "Big Ones" and assert it's oversight authority. After all Congress has the powers granted to it by the Constitution which include oversight and, yes, the I-word, Impeachment. Congress has the authority and responsibility for oversight. For five years, they dropped the ball and let it bounce around while the White House cast a blind eye to its actions which included getting the US involved in the Iraqi Civil War and Occupation. Subsequent to the 2006 elections, the hearings have begun but many are too late to hope for any good to come of their efforts. Meanwhile, the core of the problem lies within the offices of the Vice President, the Senior Adviser, Karl Rove and the Justice Department's head, Alberto Gonzales. And the biggest problem has been the reluctantance of Congress to move forward with some action of disapproval. There are many possible actions but it's time to consider the big one: Impeachment!
Ever since the Clinton Impeachment, I believe the Democrats, especially, have been uncomfortable bring this up because they don't want to look like they are abusing it as the Republicans did against Clinton. They see it as a very serious alternative and wish to reserve it for the most appropriate moment. However, there is a tool available to Congress that could come before Impeachment and will trump the flaccid argument of Executive Privledge. It is called Inherent Comtempt. Congress can compell the testimony of anyone it wants and hold court within its chambers to prosecute anyone it wants, including those mentioned above, to force them to testify of be jailed for comptempt... impeachment to follow, I am sure. It's currently considering Contempt charges against Harriet Myers for not complying with the subpoena to appear. But this is BB-shot compared to what it really MUST do.
If there is any basis for Impeachment in the US Constitution, the actions of the Bush Regime have certainly warranted such action. They've been bold in their resistance to the requirements to report to Congress when requested and lied when they did. They have subverted law and law and skated on the edge of laws, flauting their spirit, if not their letter. Nothing in US history can compare to their absolute disrespect for the Congress, Laws, Traditions, Sanctity, and People of the United States as this adminstration! Nothing! If Congress does not move to Impeachment against Bush, Cheney and Gonzales then they should just "whiteout" the references to it in the Constitution and wait until January 2009 for the nightmare to be over.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Republicans Eating Their Own and Who's left Holding the Bag?
Eleven congresspeople met in the private quarters of the White House today to ask Bush to finally be "honest" and to have "candor" in his discussions of the Iraq Occupation. So, after 5+ years of lying and secrecy, they want the leopard to change its spots. What's in it for them? They're worried about their CONTINUANCE, not their CONSTITUENTS! Now they can go back to their voters and claim, "I TRIED to get Bush to stop lying!" or "I TRIED to get the W to be truthful!" Then, of course, they'll ask for their vote to continue their "fine work representing their districts" in the Nation's Capital.
They thought they could have it both ways. For the last six years, they've stood behind the Chief Liar and his gang while they looted the US Treasury and destoyed our reputation on a global basis --- a sort of "Global Coldshoulder" is about all we can expect from our former allies. They stood shoulder to shoulder with Bush/Cheney as the Imperial Pretender and his Surrogate Daddy ripped large sections from the US Constitution and undermined our time-honored military restraint. They didn't question the lack of WMDs or why we attacked Iraq because Osama, a Saudi being protected by Afganistan, attacked New York City. They didn't ask why we left Afganistan to be re-occupied by Al Qaida and the Taliban while we were spending our time protecting the Mobil/Exxon's profits by occupying Iraq. For all their time in Congress, they never asked a question. They were the Silent Majority, in fact. Now they want to pretend they can make effect a change in the Bush Regime.
Personally, I appreciate their effort but I think it'll take something akin to what we did to Saddam to get George the Second to give up his throne. Besides the fact that I think Bush being "honest" is like asking Al Quaida to be "friendly", it appears that those Repugnicans who've been so staunch in their support of Bush Regime's failed policy in Iraq are beginning to turn inward to feed on themselves.
Going to the Presidential bedroom and having a private "nite-nite" chat with the Drunken Frat Boy leaves behind those like our senators Cornyn and Hutchinson to wonder how they're going to "deal with this". Of course, they'll continue to "support the party" and their little buddy in the White House because they don't know what else to do. No where in their flash through the Senatorial sky have they ever had to come up their own talking points; they've always had the Karl Rove to tell them what to do. They simply stod behind the product they sold in 2000 and 2004 even though they knew it was killing thousands of our children and hundreds of thousands in Iraq and Afganistan. Now they're all alone, left holding the bag. But, John and Kay, don't fret, we --- the US Public --- are left holding an even bigger bag!
-Devon
They thought they could have it both ways. For the last six years, they've stood behind the Chief Liar and his gang while they looted the US Treasury and destoyed our reputation on a global basis --- a sort of "Global Coldshoulder" is about all we can expect from our former allies. They stood shoulder to shoulder with Bush/Cheney as the Imperial Pretender and his Surrogate Daddy ripped large sections from the US Constitution and undermined our time-honored military restraint. They didn't question the lack of WMDs or why we attacked Iraq because Osama, a Saudi being protected by Afganistan, attacked New York City. They didn't ask why we left Afganistan to be re-occupied by Al Qaida and the Taliban while we were spending our time protecting the Mobil/Exxon's profits by occupying Iraq. For all their time in Congress, they never asked a question. They were the Silent Majority, in fact. Now they want to pretend they can make effect a change in the Bush Regime.
Personally, I appreciate their effort but I think it'll take something akin to what we did to Saddam to get George the Second to give up his throne. Besides the fact that I think Bush being "honest" is like asking Al Quaida to be "friendly", it appears that those Repugnicans who've been so staunch in their support of Bush Regime's failed policy in Iraq are beginning to turn inward to feed on themselves.
Going to the Presidential bedroom and having a private "nite-nite" chat with the Drunken Frat Boy leaves behind those like our senators Cornyn and Hutchinson to wonder how they're going to "deal with this". Of course, they'll continue to "support the party" and their little buddy in the White House because they don't know what else to do. No where in their flash through the Senatorial sky have they ever had to come up their own talking points; they've always had the Karl Rove to tell them what to do. They simply stod behind the product they sold in 2000 and 2004 even though they knew it was killing thousands of our children and hundreds of thousands in Iraq and Afganistan. Now they're all alone, left holding the bag. But, John and Kay, don't fret, we --- the US Public --- are left holding an even bigger bag!
-Devon
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