Feliz Año Nuevo

Have a safe and happy New Year to you all. I will be on vacation until Friday, January 6th. I probably won’t be online again until Monday, January 9th, so don’t fret, they haven’t shipped me off to Guantanamo….yet.

🙂

Paz

 

the most wonderful time of the year

It’s so hard to blog during this season.

My family background surrounds me with fellowship, love and joy at this time of year. To read the news, or check the blogs for the latest outrage causes major dissonance in my brain. I feel guilty when I hear that George has uttered more outrage from his podium, and then I head off to a gathering full of laughter and frivolity.

Yet.

I am overcome with a stubborn need to enjoy my life. Not too much to ask, I hope. I was sitting at a table con primos y otra familia this past weekend and it was fantastic to talk a bunch of crap about memories past that are sure to cause snorting chuckles. I know that our democracy is being destroyed piece-by-piece as I am wiping the happy tears from my eyes, but in order to maintain the energy levels for the fight, I need these moments of bliss.

I find myself torn in half from this disconnect; but at the same time, I recognize that if I don’t allow some space for happiness and escape, then I will be worthless for the battles ahead. So my advice to progressives and other sane human beings who are concerned for the well-being of the United States is this:

Enjoy the time you are given to share the best parts of our common humanity; the moments of fellowship, love and joy. It gives us a resurgence of energy that reminds our souls why we fight for the health of our democracy. Sure, the Bush War Council is stinking up the joint, but if you get the chance to enter a room free of the stench, then live it up.

Happy Holidays to you all and may 2006 be full of victory for the forces of equality and diversity.

Paz

Crossposted at Booman Tribune

 

Happy Holidays!

 

Twelve Days for Justice – Day 12

Day Twelve – Presidential Powers

From the Booman Tribune

Dear Senator,

In 1989, Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. denounced the high court’s decision that year upholding a Watergate-era law that allowed independent counsels to investigate wrongdoing in the White House, arguing that the decision amounted to a ”congressional pilfering” of presidential power.

Speaking at a convention marking an anniversary of the Bill of Rights, Alito endorsed the strong view of presidential power described by Justice Antonin Scalia, the only member of the court to vote against the independent counsel law, calling Scalia’s opinion ”a brilliant but very lonely dissent.” Scalia argued that no president should be subject to a prosecutor who is not also answerable to that president under the Constitution.

Such remarks are highly alarming in light of the current constitutional crisis faced by the United States, where the President has not only admitted to committing an impeachable offense, but has declared his intention to continue breaking the same law. Furthermore, President Bush has asserted the power to hold prisoners without trial, shield documents, and authorize aggressive interrogations without congressional approval. Because the President has been so openly disdainful of the Constitution and rule of law in this country, I question his choice of nominee for the Supreme Court.

The advice and consent clause of the Constitution gives the Senate the vital role of asking the hard questions and, where necessary, withholding confirmation. Because of his radical right-wing judicial philosophy and the damage that his confirmation could inflict on American citizens for many years to come, I am urging you to oppose the confirmation of Samuel A. Alito Jr. to the Supreme Court.

Sincerely,

Links to an online fax service, contact info for the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a big round of thank-you’s for this cross-blog protest effort can be found here.

 

Racist Piece of Mierda Act of 2005

I receive periodic updates from the United Farm Workers union and have been concerned over the debate happening in the House regarding H.R. 4437, the “Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005″…

…or as I shall refer to it from now on, the “Racist Piece of Mierda Act of 2005”

It passed the House today on a vote of 239-182. What really puts me in a shitty mood (pun intended) is the fact that 36 Democrats voted for the damn thing and were basically responsible for its passage. What the fuck is the point of belonging to a political party when you consistently screw your base? Huh?

This bill isn’t even in the same zip code as “moderate”. It seeks to continue to fan the flames of racism in this country and belongs under the category of Officially Sanctioned by the Minutemen and the KKK.

Here are the Dems that caught a one-way ticket to the naughty list for Navidad 2005:

• Barrow
• Bean
• Berry
• Boren
• Boswell
• Boucher
• Case
• Chandler
• Costello
• Cramer
• Davis (TN)
• DeFazio
• Edwards
• Ford
• Gordon
• Herseth
• Higgins
• Holden
• Kanjorski
• Larsen (WA)
• Lipinski
• Marshall
• Matheson
• McIntyre
• Melancon
• Moore (KS)
• Peterson (MN)
• Pomeroy
• Ross
• Royce
• Salazar
• Skelton
• Strickland
• Tanner
• Udall (CO)
• Visclosky

It’s a good thing I have a few days off from work, it gives me some time to send them howlers.

 

Twelve Days for Justice – Day 11

Day Eleven – Corporate Interests

From the Booman Tribune

Dear Senator:

I am writing today to express my displeasure with the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court of the United States. As I have reviewed Judge Alito’s records of past rulings, it is apparent to me that he consistently puts the needs and interests of corporations over the rights of everyday workers in the United States. He has also shown blatant disrespect for the environment, again siding with business interests.

In the case, Homar v. Gilbert, Judge Alito argued in the minority position that a corporate entity had the right to suspend an employee without a hearing or compensation. This opens the door to strong-arm tactics by corporations that are more concerned with their financial bottom line than the rights of their workers.

Regarding environmental concerns, I was disturbed to read that Judge Alito cast the deciding vote in the 1997 case, Public Interest Research Group v. Magnesium Elektron that basically nullified the Clean Water Act by blocking a lawsuit and fine that was filed for a violation. It should be noted that the Supreme Court later struck down Judge Alito’s decision, finding it to be an instance of judicial activism. continued…

Full information on today’s action items and contact info can be found here.

 

Send the wounded troops some love

This is a fantastic idea. I can’t wait to go pick up an extra box of cards this evening and fill them out. Please do the same and show your support for our brave military personnel.

I have a special request. I’m sure many of you are currently writing cards to friends and family. If you can, please send an extra one (or 10 or 20) to our American military heroes who are recuperating from wounds this Christmas Season. Please enclose a short note thanking them for their service and personal sacrifice. Your small act of kindness will be greatly appreciated. Here’s the address…

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20307-5001

If you would, please forward this message to your email friends.

Yes, please spread the word.

 

The role of Abu Gonzales

I have been cringing all week as I’ve seen replays of Attorney General Alberto “Abu” Gonzales advocating for the spying program that was signed-off by King George. Why did the White House trot Mr. Torture out in front of cameras regarding this issue? Howard Fineman’s latest screed gives us a clue:

In the first weeks and months after 9/11, I am told by a very good source, there was a lot of wishing out loud in the White House Situation Room about expanding the National Security Agency’s ability to instantly monitor phone calls and e-mails between American callers and possible terror suspects abroad. “We talked a lot about how useful that would be,” said this source, who was “in the room” in the critical period after the attacks.

Well, as the world now knows, the NSA at the prompting of Vice President Cheney and on official (secret) orders from President Bush — was doing just that. And yet, as I understand it, many of the people in the White House’’s own Situation Room including leaders of the national security adviser’s top staff and officials of the FBI had no idea that it was happening.

As best I can tell, and this really isn’’t my beat, the only people who knew about the NSA’s new (and now so controversial) warrant-less eavesdropping program early on were Bush, Cheney, NSA chief Michael Hayden, his top deputies, top leaders of the CIA, and lawyers at the Justice Department and the White House counsel’s office hurriedly called in to sprinkle holy water on it. (emphasis mine)

Who was the pseudo-priest sprinkling that water? You guessed it, Alberto Gonzales.

This type of nightmare scenario is highly likely when you have a government that is incestuous in the way it operates. Rather than have all the minions in one coven, they have been spread out like a severe outbreak of chlamydia in George’s second term–Condoleeza Rice to the State Department, Paul Wolfowitz to the World Bank, Alberto Gonzales to Justice, Harriet Miers replacing Alberto Gonzales as White House Counsel and then briefly a Supreme Court nominee…

No wonder there is horror coming from all directions, everyone is sleeping with each other! (metaphorically speaking to the NSA overlords reading this)

So here we are creeping up to the last week of 2005 and the Attorney General of the United States, along with the President, Vice President, Secretary of State and other kool-aide drinking government officials are implicating themselves in multiple impeachable offenses.

I say, bring it on.

 

Twelve Days for Justice – Day 10

Day Ten – Gender Discrimination

From the Booman Tribune

Dear Senator,

In 1981 President Reagan nominated Sandra Day O’Connor to the Supreme Court, honoring his pledge to nominate a woman if given the opportunity.

If you review Justice O’Connor’s work experience you will find that upon completing her law degree at Stanford, she was unable to find a job in a law firm. One firm offered her the position of secretary. This was in 1952.

President Bush, speaking about his choice for the Supreme Court, said in September, 2005, “I will pick a person who can do the job. But I am mindful that diversity is one of the strengths of the country.”

Now you are being asked to consider Judge O’Connor’s replacement, Judge Samuel Alito.

When you examine his opinions on the Third Circuit, you will discover in the case Sheridan v. E.I.DuPont de Nemours and Co., that Alito’s lone dissent would have prevented a woman claiming gender discrimination from going to trial, even though she had produced evidence. continued…

Full information and contact information for the Senate Judiciary committee can be found here

 

Open Thread

Guess who?

I’d be glad to answer some questions.

QUESTION: Thank you, sir. Are you going to order a leaks investigation into the disclosure of the NSA surveillance program? And why did you skip the basic safeguard of asking courts for permission for these intercepts?

BUSH: Let me start with the first question.

There’s a process that goes on inside the Justice Department about leaks, and I presume that process is moving forward.

My personal opinion is it was a shameful act, for someone to disclose this very important program in time of war.

The fact that we’re discussing this program is helping the enemy.

You’ve got to understand, and I hope the American people understand, there is still an enemy that would like to strike the United States of America, and they’re very dangerous.

And, you know, the discussion about how we try to find them will enable them to adjust.

Now, I can understand you asking these questions. And if I were you, I’d be asking me these questions too.

I will be blogging lightly over the next several days. I haven’t even started my Christmas shopping. How else am I supposed to retain the title of Master Procrastinator?