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.

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.

A court ruling over competing claims to convicted rapist Andrew Luster's forfeited $1 million bail yesterday divided the funds among Luster, his victims and the county. None went to Duane "Dog" Chapman, the bounty hunter who capture him.

Unfair. The Judge awarded $165,000 in costs related to Luster's capture to those who failed to capture him. Dog did the dirty work. He should have had his costs reimbursed as well.

Brodie reissued what he had awarded county agencies in August -- about $165,000 for costs accrued trying to capture Luster. The Ventura County Sheriff's Department collected about $86,200 for time spent by five detectives and costs for monitoring cell phones and towing Luster's abandoned car.

The county Probation Agency was given about $9,400 for labor costs and an electric ankle monitoring device attached to Luster that was never returned. The District Attorney's Office will get just over $65,500 for investigative costs.

The victims and the state owe a debt of gratitude to Dog. We think they should chip in and reimburse Dog for the costs he expended from his own funds.

[comments now closed]

A court ruling over competing claims to convicted rapist Andrew Luster's forfeited $1 million bail yesterday divided the funds among Luster, his victims and the county. None went to Duane "Dog" Chapman, the bounty hunter who capture him.

Unfair. The Judge awarded $165,000 in costs related to Luster's capture to those who failed to capture him. Dog did the dirty work. He should have had his costs reimbursed as well.

Brodie reissued what he had awarded county agencies in August -- about $165,000 for costs accrued trying to capture Luster. The Ventura County Sheriff's Department collected about $86,200 for time spent by five detectives and costs for monitoring cell phones and towing Luster's abandoned car.

The county Probation Agency was given about $9,400 for labor costs and an electric ankle monitoring device attached to Luster that was never returned. The District Attorney's Office will get just over $65,500 for investigative costs.

The victims and the state owe a debt of gratitude to Dog. We think they should chip in and reimburse Dog for the costs he expended from his own funds.

[comments now closed]

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing today on the nomination of controversial Bush judicial nominee Janice Rogers Brown. The San Francisco Chronicle explains why Brown's nomination is a political lightning rod that has civil liberties groups rising in opposition.

Here's our prior coverage.