The Washington Examiner, in an editorial, points out another unfortunate consequence of the war on drugs: doctors are getting skittish about prescribing pain medication for patients in chronic pain, for fear of being prosecuted.

As Pain Relief Network President Siobhan Reynolds said, "Ninety-eight percent of doctors won't touch [chronic pain patients] with a 10-foot pole."

Dr. William Hurwitz was sentenced to 25 years in prison last month, following a trial at which the Government labeled him "no better than a crack dealer," although there was no evidence that he profited from his prescriptions.

by TChris

Some members of the East Waynesville Baptist Church in North Carolina were displeased when Rev. Chan Chandler told them he'd kick them out of the church if they voted for Kerry. Rev. Chandler denies that he "positively endorsed" Bush, but admits that he gave Kerry a "negative endorsement." That subtle distinction apparently convinces Rev. Chandler that he didn't turn his church into a satellite office for the Bush campaign.

Still, long-standing parishoners didn't approve of Rev. Chandler's desire to politicize their church.

Tensions had escalated last week, when several members said Chandler called a meeting of the church's board of deacons and declared his intention for East Waynesville to become a politically active church. Anyone who did not like that direction was free to leave, Chandler said a statement that caused nine members to walk out.

Extremists seem to enjoy causing diviseness, and that's what Rev. Chandler did. In the end, Rev. Chandler resigned, but he took with him "many of the young congregants" he recruited, leaving behind those who sensibly believe that government and religion should play separate roles in their lives.

Colorado Congresswoman Diana DeGette is co-sponsor of H.R. 810 the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, that would expand federal government oversight of stem cell research. She issued this press release today (received by e-mail.)

"I appreciate the hard work by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and the Republican Main Street Partnership to help pass the Castle-DeGette stem cell bill. This just reinforces the fact that embryonic stem cell research is backed by a wide and deep coalition of pro-choice and pro-life Republicans and Democrats," said Rep. DeGette. "In my eight years in Congress, the only other legislation that received such broad and bipartisan support was the Shays-Meehan campaign finance reform plan. Today, similar support appears to be building in Congress for stem cells."

The $82 billion Iraq spending bill unanimously passed yesterday by the Senate contains an anti-torture provision sponsored by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL).

Congress barred the government on Tuesday from using any money in a newly passed emergency spending bill to subject anyone in American custody to torture or "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" that is forbidden by the Constitution.

....This sends a clear message to our own government that certain conduct is simply unacceptable," Senator Richard J. Durbin, the Illinois Democrat who sponsored the provision, said in an interview. "And it reminds the world that what happened at the Abu Ghraib prison is not American policy and is not tolerated."

Jackson Trial Update
Wednesday May 11, 2005

Actor Macauley Culkin took the stand today at Michael Jackson's trial and denied the actor molested him. He called the charges against Jackson "absolutely ridiculous."

Stephen Bright and Virgina Sloan of the Southern Center for Human Rights, make the case that Congress should grant death row inmates the same degree of judicial review extended to Terry Schiavo.

Proponents of the law that required federal court review of the Terri Schiavo case said that all possible protections should be available when a human life is at stake. Said Senator Mel Martinez, R-Fla., "We will simply be allowing the federal judge to give one last review, one last look in a case that has so many questions, that has so many anxieties, and that will provide us the kind of assurance before the ultimate fate of this woman is decided to know that we did all we could do and that every last measure of review was given her, just like it would have been given to a death row inmate convicted and sentenced to die."

But, Martinez was wrong because since 1996 when Congress enacted the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA), those sentenced to death have been prevented from receiving a full review in the courts. There are other obstacles as well.

by TChris

We haven't heard much lately about the government's color-coded terror threat warning system. Some suspect that the terror threat level was elevated whenever it served the administration's purpose to elevate the public's fear level. Now that the president has been reelected, the fear-inducing system has served its apparent purpose and should be retired.

No one, of course, knows what to do when the level is increased. Or when it is returned to yellow, the mid-point on the five-tiered scale. Perhaps they are supposed to go back to simply being afraid.

The color codes, introduced in March 2002, have done nothing to improve anyone's homeland security. They've caused confusion. And alert-fatigue. And cost untold dollars.

Tom Ridge defended the system yesterday, complaining that people focus too much on the colors. "It could be numbers, it could be animals," Ridge said. Whether the threat level is indicated by a color or a giraffe isn't the issue. The ineffectiveness of a system that doesn't tell people what or where the threat is or what to do about it won't be cured by replacing colors with a different symbol.

Michael Chertoff says he's looking for a better warning system. He should start by scrapping the existing one.

by TChris

If an agent of the FBI or DEA wants to question you -- or worse, to enter your home without a warrant -- do two things. First, just say no. Second, call the agent's boss to make sure the agent is who he claims to be.

Why is the second piece of advice important?

Federal agents arrested a man on Monday, charging him with possessing and selling more than 1,300 counterfeit badges representing 35 law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency said.

The phony badges mimic real badges from agencies such as the FBI, U.S. Marshals, Customs, Drug Enforcement Agency, Treasury and New York Police Department, Ficke said. Some even had a signature from the company that makes the real badges.

Agents also confiscated NYPD uniforms and firearms.

Barring a last minute plea bargain, the final Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse trial is set to begin tomorrow. The Judge is hearing motions today on whether to exclude evidence.

The 27-year-old reservist is accused of writing "rapeist" on the leg of one prisoner and forcing another to stand on a box with wires in his hands and telling him he would be electrocuted if he fell. In the photo, he is shown perched on a small box, with his hands outstretched.

In another photo, Harman gives a thumbs-up while posing with the corpse of an Iraqi detainee allegedly beaten by Navy SEALs at Abu Ghraib who later died while being interrogated by CIA agents.

Harman is charged with conspiracy to maltreat detainees, maltreating detainees and dereliction of duty. She faces up to six and a half years. Some of our coverage of the case can be found here and here. The most serious charge against her pertaining to indecent acts was dropped by the Judge.

A few days ago we put out this action alert on new mandatory minimum sentencing laws the House of Representatives will consider Wednesday when it holds a hearing on H.R. 1279, the "Gang Deterrence and Community Protection Act of 2005," called the the anti-gang bill, for short.

Also pending is a bill passed by the House Judiciary Committee that would apply much harsher mandatory minimums to federal drug offenses. A third bill intended to protect judicial officials would establish mandatory minimum sentences for courthouse crimes.

TalkLeft's view on the anti-gang bill: America cannot jail itself out of its perceived juvenile crime problems. We do not need more laws that emphasize punishment over treatment, prevention and rehabilitation. One-size-fits-all justice is no justice at all.

With the Nuclear Option almost upon us, and only 18 months to go to the 2006 elections, bloggers need to mobilize regionally and locally. Bob Brigham writes over at Daily Kos and MyDD that BlogPAC is rushing out its regional infrastructure, and it's ready to go now.

This is a general call for Democratic bloggers to sign up and unite to wage politics online....As many of you know, over the last 10 months, BlogPAC has begun to organize nationally. Free conference calls, IM, Skype, and email have allowed us message consistency, organized timing, and focus. These tools have institutionalized a support system.

To be prepared for the filibuster battle and to begin our 18 month march through the election, we need to organize state-by-state, district-by-district...ASAP.

It's too late. The Senate has passed the bill by a unanimous vote. It now goes to Bush for his signature.

Update: Raw Story reports the Daily News tomorrow will have an about an impending court battle over the Real ID Act. Also, a New York Judge has ruled that the state cannot deny drivers' licenses to undocumented residents.

And Cheers to the U.S. Conference of Bishops. They launched a national campaign to support immigrants today.

Comprehensive immigration reform—including a broad legalization program—is the goal of the national campaign. Catholic organizations which have come together to launch the campaign intend to mobilize a growing network of Catholic institutions and individuals in support of its goals. The campaign also marks a new effort to educate and galvanize Catholics on the need for “justice for immigrants.”