The Senate voted today 97-0 to restrict E-Mail spam:

It targets the most unsavory senders of unsolicited commercial e-mail by prohibiting messages that peddle financial scams, fraudulent body-enhancement products and pornography. The legislation also draws on amendments from Sens. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) that would criminalize the techniques used by spammers to thwart detection -- disguising identities, masking the locations of computers used to send junk e-mail and automating spam attacks.

The bill has its critics:

...several anti-spam and consumer groups have argued that the bill has too many loopholes that could enable so-called legitimate marketers to bombard consumers with unwanted e-mail.

The bill would preempt all state anti-spam laws, some of which are tougher than the Burns-Wyden bill. And it would prohibit private lawsuits against spammers, allowing suits only by providers of e-mail accounts, such as Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp., EarthLink Inc. and America Online Inc., all of which also market to their own members.

Here is the statement of Senator Patrick Leahy on Bush judicial nominee Janice Rogers Brown. [link via How Appealing]. Her confirmation hearing was held today. As expected, it was not smooth sailing at the hearing.

Alliance for Justice published this critique of Judge Brown yesterday:

Citing some of her controversial judicial opinions and public speeches, Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron said, "After a thorough review of Justice Brown's record, we have profound concerns about her ability and willingness to put aside her extreme, anachronistic views of the law and decide cases as statute and precedent require."

Aron described Brown's record as evincing a strong hostility to claims of discrimination based on race, age, gender, and disability, affirmative action, reproductive rights, and worker and consumer protections. "Justice Brown's record as a state court judge raises serious questions about her commitment to equal justice and her fitness for an appointment to the federal judiciary," Aron said.

All of our coverage of Bush judicial nominee Janice Rogers Brown is here.

Here is the statement of Senator Patrick Leahy on Bush judicial nominee Janice Rogers Brown. [link via How Appealing]. Her confirmation hearing was held today. As expected, it was not smooth sailing at the hearing.

Alliance for Justice published this critique of Judge Brown yesterday:

Citing some of her controversial judicial opinions and public speeches, Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron said, "After a thorough review of Justice Brown's record, we have profound concerns about her ability and willingness to put aside her extreme, anachronistic views of the law and decide cases as statute and precedent require."

Aron described Brown's record as evincing a strong hostility to claims of discrimination based on race, age, gender, and disability, affirmative action, reproductive rights, and worker and consumer protections. "Justice Brown's record as a state court judge raises serious questions about her commitment to equal justice and her fitness for an appointment to the federal judiciary," Aron said.

All of our coverage of Bush judicial nominee Janice Rogers Brown is here.

Musician John Mellencamp and his wife Elaine have published An Open Letter to America: It's Time to Take Back Our Country. Here's a portion.

The Governor of California was removed from office based on finance troubles. And yet George W Bush has lied to us, failed to keep our own borders secure, entered a war under false pretense, endangered lives, and created financial chaos. How is it that he hasn't been recalled? Perhaps this time we could even have a real election . . . but that wouldn't fit the Bush administration's "take what you want and fire people later" policy. Take an election; take an oil field; take advantage of your own people -- a game of political Three-Card Monte.

The fight for freedom in this country has been long, painful, and ongoing. It is time to take back our country. Take it back from political agendas, corporate greed and overall manipulation. It is time to take action here in our land, in our own schools, neighborhoods, farms, and businesses. We have been lied to and terrorized by our own government, and it is time to take action. Now is the time to come together.

To Washington.

Musician John Mellencamp and his wife Elaine have published An Open Letter to America: It's Time to Take Back Our Country. Here's a portion.

The Governor of California was removed from office based on finance troubles. And yet George W Bush has lied to us, failed to keep our own borders secure, entered a war under false pretense, endangered lives, and created financial chaos. How is it that he hasn't been recalled? Perhaps this time we could even have a real election . . . but that wouldn't fit the Bush administration's "take what you want and fire people later" policy. Take an election; take an oil field; take advantage of your own people -- a game of political Three-Card Monte.

The fight for freedom in this country has been long, painful, and ongoing. It is time to take back our country. Take it back from political agendas, corporate greed and overall manipulation. It is time to take action here in our land, in our own schools, neighborhoods, farms, and businesses. We have been lied to and terrorized by our own government, and it is time to take action. Now is the time to come together.

To Washington.

If you are interested in contributions to political campaigns, check out Political Money Line.

Here's what the New York Times said about them in 1999:

...set up in 1996 by two former Federal Election Commission employees who formed a Washington research firm called Public Disclosure Inc.

Their site takes often-fragmented commission data and organizes the information into an accessible, logical and simple-to-use format. Whether it's following individual donations, looking at the Clinton legal defense fund, tracking the 2000 Federal candidates or exploring soft money donations, the site is a one-stop shopping center for campaign finance data.

The site is independent.

If you are interested in contributions to political campaigns, check out Political Money Line.

Here's what the New York Times said about them in 1999:

...set up in 1996 by two former Federal Election Commission employees who formed a Washington research firm called Public Disclosure Inc.

Their site takes often-fragmented commission data and organizes the information into an accessible, logical and simple-to-use format. Whether it's following individual donations, looking at the Clinton legal defense fund, tracking the 2000 Federal candidates or exploring soft money donations, the site is a one-stop shopping center for campaign finance data.

The site is independent.

Law Professor and Instapundit Glenn Reynolds has an interesting column up over on his MSNBC weblog today. Writing about dumb laws, he says:

...law is like anything else: when the supply outstrips the demand, its value falls. If law were restricted to things like rape, robbery, and murder, its prestige would be higher. When we make felonies out of trivial crimes, though, the law loses prestige. As the old bumper stickers about the 55 mile-per-hour speed limit used to say: “It’s not a good idea. It’s just the law.”

The answer perhaps, Reynolds says, is simply to ignore them.

Law Professor and Instapundit Glenn Reynolds has an interesting column up over on his MSNBC weblog today. Writing about dumb laws, he says:

...law is like anything else: when the supply outstrips the demand, its value falls. If law were restricted to things like rape, robbery, and murder, its prestige would be higher. When we make felonies out of trivial crimes, though, the law loses prestige. As the old bumper stickers about the 55 mile-per-hour speed limit used to say: “It’s not a good idea. It’s just the law.”

The answer perhaps, Reynolds says, is simply to ignore them.

Accused sniper suspect John Muhammad has ended his stint as his own lawyer and his standby counsel (who are also his original lawyers) have taken over. Smart move by Mr. Muhammad.

His self representation may have helped him in terms of humanizing him before the jury. They at least got a sense of him. Hopefully, it will be harder for them to vote for death now. This Washington Post article explores this theory and asks whether Muhammad's move was calculated to curry favor with the jury.

All in all, we think he stands a way better chance with his lawyers. At least now he can preserve trial errors for appeal. He has excellent counsel and they are right back in the swing of things.

Real time blogging coverage from Virginia Pilot is
here.

Update: So what's the verdict on his two days of self-representation? Not as bad as you would think. Check out "Muhammad Stumbles, but Stars As Own Attorney."

Accused sniper suspect John Muhammad has ended his stint as his own lawyer and his standby counsel (who are also his original lawyers) have taken over. Smart move by Mr. Muhammad.

His self representation may have helped him in terms of humanizing him before the jury. They at least got a sense of him. Hopefully, it will be harder for them to vote for death now. This Washington Post article explores this theory and asks whether Muhammad's move was calculated to curry favor with the jury.

All in all, we think he stands a way better chance with his lawyers. At least now he can preserve trial errors for appeal. He has excellent counsel and they are right back in the swing of things.

Real time blogging coverage from Virginia Pilot is
here.

Update: So what's the verdict on his two days of self-representation? Not as bad as you would think. Check out "Muhammad Stumbles, but Stars As Own Attorney."

Two federal judges yesterday expressed their criticism of Congress and the Justice Department's interference with their ability to exercise independent discretion in sentencing decisions. See here and here. We hope more Judges follow suit. The independence of our judiciary is at stake. Ashcroft must be stopped from hijacking it.