Further cementing in the public record the public's growing disdain for the Bush administration, the Vermont Senate passed a nonbinding resolution today calling for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

Bush and Cheney's actions in the U.S. and abroad, including in Iraq, "raise serious questions of constitutionality, statutory legality, and abuse of the public trust," the resolution reads.

Rudy Giuliani was never a man of principle on any issue but, on the issue of the right to choose, he is laughably contortionist, depending upon what office he is running for. Much is being discussed about his recent flip flop, (previously he criticized Pope John Paul II on the issue) but little is discussed about his initial flip flop in 1989 when he first sought the Mayoralty of NYC:

[A]ccording to a February 22, 1989, Newsday article, leaders of New York's Conservative Party said Giuliani -- then a candidate for mayor of New York City -- "assured them he was personally opposed to abortion, did not favor government funding or criminal penalties, did favor an exemption in cases of rape or incest, and was in favor of overturning the U.S. Supreme Court's decision legalizing abortion, Roe v. Wade." But following the U.S. Supreme Court's July 1989 decision in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, Giuliani reportedly shifted his position to one favoring abortion rights.

So when he now flips again because he is running for a different political office, the Presidency this time, it is simply what one would expect from such an unprincipled man. One flop on choice we can call political expediency or "personal growth" - but another motivated by political ambition? What can one say about such a person? Simply this, he'll say anything to get elected.

In light of the SCOTUS' decision upholding as constitutional a federal ban of an abortion procedure, intact dilation and extraction, much activity on abortion ban legislation in the States is now expected:

Both sides of the abortion debate expect a new push for restrictions as state lawmakers around the country digest the implications of the Supreme Court decision Wednesday upholding a federal ban on a type of abortion.

So despite the attempts of many Democrats to avoid the Politics of Contrast, particularly on social issues such as choice, it appears the Democrats will be forced to battle the Party of Dobson on social issues. This is politically fortuitous for the Democrats, particularly on the issue of choice.

Some more discussion on the Politics of Contrast on the flip.

I've got lots to do today. What's on your mind? Here's an open thread to talk about it.

Conservative and liberal bloggers alike are predicting a downfall for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

If you missed today's hearing, and don't have the time to watch it, here's the full transcript.

And this from the New York Times news article (not editorial) on the hearing:

In more than five hours of often-combative testimony, Mr. Gonzales, who sat grim-faced, clasping his hands and hunched over, struggled to offer a coherent explanation for the dismissals. He apologized for his mistakes in what he described as a flawed process, but defended the removal of eight United States attorneys as proper.

I'm not as charged up about this as most people. What will change with Gonzales gone? Bush will appoint another one of his loyal faves to replace him. The war on drugs, war on civil liberties and trend towards draconian sentences will continue. Say what you want about Gonzales, he's nowhere near the threat to constitutional rights that John Ashcroft was. He's continued Ashcroft's policies, but he seems to be more of a follower than a take-charge innovator of new ways to deprive people of their freedom.

More...

The jury returned guilty verdicts Thursday on 19 of 42 counts of insider trading against former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio.

I can't imagine sitting through the verdict, hearing 23 counts of "not guilty" one by one, only to be followed by 19 counts of guilty. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster.

As to my thoughts on the verdict, I've blogged the trial over at 5280.com and my analysis is here.

In a nutshell,

Massive immigrant rights demonstrators will take to the streets of our major cities again on May Day.

Where last year's marches took aim at federal legislation that would have made assisting illegal immigrants a felony, this year's May 1 march will call for a moratorium on workplace immigration raids that have occurred nationwide in recent months, organizers said.

Demonstrators also will demand that U.S. citizenship be opened to the country's estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants, an element in several competing proposals introduced this year in Congress.

Activists say this year could see even bigger turnouts.

"The difference this year is that we now have the infrastructure in place. People are easier to reach and they only have to ask: Where and what time?"

Off-topic perhaps, but it's Friday and I'm sick of all the crime news this week.

In today's Washington Post:

Data shows that baby boomers are less healthy than their parents. Hard to believe with all our focus on gyms, health food and quitting smoking, but these are the facts:

Boomers are healthier in some important ways -- they are much less likely to smoke, for example -- but large surveys are consistently finding that they tend to describe themselves as less hale and hearty than their forebears did at the same age. They are more likely to report difficulty climbing stairs, getting up from a chair and doing other routine activities, as well as more chronic problems such as high cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes.

One explanation:

John Podesta discusses potential Democratic strategies for reacting to a Bush veto of the Iraq supplemental funding bill scheduled to be sent the President next week:

Four Post-Veto Scenarios:

Provide a short infusion of funding of $40 billion

Demand the president to account for the military readiness of units being sent to Iraq and acknowledge the strains on troops already in Iraq in the fiscal year 2007 supplemental bill

Demand that certification of progress towards benchmarks for Iraq’s political transition remains a part of the FY2007 supplemental funding bill

Keep the pressure for redeployment dates by offering redeployment language in the markups of the fiscal year 2008 Defense Authorization and Appropriations bills.

What's missing? Reid-Feingold. Why would John Podesta not consider Reid-Feingold? Why would he ignore the stated policy of the Democratic Senate Majority Leader? Here's why -- because John Podesta and his group do not believe, apparently, that Congress can NOT fund the Debacle:

Via Think Progress: Former President Bill Clinton said on Larry King Live tonight that Alberto Gonzales should resign.

Rudy Giuliani spent today in Oklahoma City, trying to perfect his image as terrorist victim soother.

Presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani told the crowd at the former site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that the response to the 1995 attack serves as an example to others recovering from violence.

The people of Oklahoma City "became a model of compassion and strength, both, a model that helped us several years later get through Sept. 11 and a model that will help the people of Virginia Tech get through the terrible agonies that they are going through right now," said Giuliani, who was New York's mayor during the 2001 terrorist attacks.

A much better glimpse into Giuliani is provided by Watertiger over at Firedoglake.