If it's not one thing...

AUSTIN, Texas -- Boy, you really can't take your eyes off this bunch for a minute, can you? If they're not screwing up one thing, then they're screwing up another -- busy little beavers. And then there are the administrative nightmares they have created all by themselves: The new Medicare prescription-drug benefit is such a disaster area, four states took it over in less than a week just to make sure poor people received their drugs.

It's been a long trek since Nov. 2, 2004 -- now getting shorter

Dear Friends: It took the downfall of a lobbyist who dresses like a Hasidic rabbi one day and a baseball coach the next to make it happen. But if looks as if our 14-month-long effort to expose the fraud in Ohio that gave the 2004 to Bush is bearing fruit at last.

Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) was one of the architects of HAVA (Help America Vote Act). In that role he worked with Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and others to reform certain election procedures that had arisen from the controversial 2000 election. But where electronic voting machines were concerned, the HAVA architects neglected accusations that they were "hackable" and focused instead on lesser issues, in particular making it easier for blind people to vote.

RE: They must really think we're morons

Dear Editor:

In her column ("They must really think we're morons" - Creators Syndicate Columnist Molly Ivins - January 10, 2006), Molly Ivins writes falsely that Newt Gingrich was "fined $300,000" for "misusing nonprofit organizations for political purposes, personally benefiting from political contributions, cutting a sleazy book deal and giving false statements to ethics investigators."

Ms. Ivins has been around long enough to have known the facts. Democrats filed 84 politically motivated ethics charges against Speaker Gingrich. All of them were found to be without merit. The last three were dismissed on October 10, 1998, including the charge of using tax-exempt foundations for political purposes. The fact is, not a single ethics charge filed against Speaker Gingrich was ever found to be based in fact - not one.

During the investigation into the bogus charge of using a tax exempt foundation for political purposes, a letter responding to an inquiry by the Committee prepared and filed by a Gingrich lawyer contained an inaccuracy which was that it characterized GOPAC as an educational

Fitzgerald maintains focus on Rove but attorney says 'Architect' not a target

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is said to have spent the past month preparing evidence he will present to a grand jury alleging that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove knowingly made false statements to FBI and Justice Department investigators and lied under oath while he was being questioned about his role in the leak of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity more than two years ago, according to sources knowledgeable about the probe.

Although there have not been rumblings regarding Fitzgerald's probe into the Plame leak since he met with the grand jury hearing evidence in the case more than a month ago, the sources said that Fitzgerald has been quietly building his case against Rove and has been interviewing witnesses, in some cases for the second and third time, who have provided him with information related to Rove's role in the leak. It is unclear when Fitzgerald is expected to meet with the grand jury again.

Three years

Today in Iraq for perspective, commentary and news

Interview with Susan Oehler of Today in Iraq

At the end of last year I came across an excellent website, "Today in Iraq." What caught my eye was an email about "This day in history of Iraq" that highlighted the handshake between Donald Rumsfeld and Saddam Hussein on December 20, 1983. Six bloggers make up the site - all with diverse backgrounds and perspecitves thereby producing a lot of depth and nuance. I interviewed one of the bloggers, Susan Oehler and then asked her fellow bloggers to comment at the end of the interview. My hope in sharing their work is not only to provide you with a useful source of information and analysis on Iraq but also inspire you to take action and do what you can to end the war.

Kevin Zeese: Describe yourself, your background (activist and professional) and your work.

Strickland Leads Blackwell, Montgomery, and Petro

Congressman Ted Strickland Leads GOP Rivals by 4 to 16 Points in Head-to-Head Match-ups

Columbus, Ohio - Ohio gubernatorial candidate Congressman Ted Strickland holds a lead over every Republican challenger for the governor's office, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports poll released Saturday.

The survey, conducted January 3, shows Strickland with a four-point lead over Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, 44% to 40%. Strickland leads Attorney General Jim Petro by five points, 43% to 38%.

The survey also found that Strickland leads Ohio State Auditor Betty Montgomery by a sixteen-point margin, 49% to 33%.

According to Rasmussen Reports, Strickland is viewed favorably by 54% of respondents, higher than the Republican challengers and significantly higher than the 40% favorability rating attributed to Strickland in the previous Rasmussen Reports poll (November).

For more information please visit: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/

A peace movement demanding the rule of law

Remarks prepared for Out of Iraq event in Washington, D.C., on day of 164 Out of Iraq Events around the country, Jan. 7, 2006.

President Nixon famously said that if the President does it, it's legal.  And he didn't think that up on his own – that's a way of thinking that has long had currency in America. 

Today there are over 150 Out of Iraq events like this one happening around the country.  A dozen members of Congress are taking part.  Numerous candidates for Congress, local elected officials, and national leaders of the peace movement are speaking.  Large crowds are gathering.  We'll see what sort of job the media does of noticing.  Thus far, progressive and rightwing radio have provided the most coverage.  The event in New York will be broadcast on Air America / Nation Radio at 7 p.m. ET, as soon as this event is over.

When I spoke on a rightwing radio show yesterday, I heard from callers who would paraphrase Nixon thus: If the U.S. military does it, it's legal.

Another unqualified Bush appointment

Last week President Bush took advantage of Congress’ holiday recess to appoint Ellen Sauerbrey as the Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM). The Senate had stalled on approving her nomination because Ms. Sauerbrey has no experience. This State Department position administers the government’s policies regarding refugees and international migration issues and oversees approximately $700 million in federal funds for refugee protection, resettlement, and humanitarian assistance programs. Given the importance of this position, and the nominee’s total lack of experience, Mr. Bush abused his authority by circumventing the Senate.

Although the Bush administration insisted that Ms. Sauerbrey was well qualified for the position, her resume was appallingly slender.  She twice ran as the Republican nominee for Maryland Governor, loosing both times. She served as a representative in the Maryland legislature from 1978 to 1994. In 2000, she was the chairperson for the Maryland for Bush Campaign. Her only experience in federal government is having served as the U.S. representative on a United Nations committee on women’s issues.

Man of the Year: Patrick Fitzgerald

My nomination for Man of the Year in 2005 is Patrick Fitzgerald. Anyone who could flush out a sleazy journalist like Judy Miller and toss her in jail without blinking an eye gets my vote. More significantly, though, it was only after Fitzgerald’s tenacious investigation that the media woke from its stupor and discovered that the disclosure of Valerie Plame’s CIA identity was more than just another Washington scandal – which is where they seemed happy to leave it. So we began reading about – get this now --possible attempts by the Bush administration to dissemble, deceive and distort, as they “fixed the intelligence” to sell the Iraq war to Congress and the American people. It’s clear that Fitzgerald’s dogged efforts had that hard-to-define tipping effect, where what had been obvious all along, but was being ignored for lack of momentum, suddenly gets new life.

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