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Tuesday Open Thread

It's the Tuesday open thread, where readers take over to post their thoughts. With last week being election day, we missed it, so hopefully some of you have enough pent up to get a thread going. If you don't, or even if you do, hopefully TChris, Big Tent or LNILR will keep you updated. Enjoy.

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    Accountability (none / 0) (#1)
    by Edger on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 05:14:31 AM EST
    Nancy Pelosi has to begin some very serious effort by Democrats toward hearings, investigations, evidence gathering, accountability and prosecution of people responsible for crimes related to the invasion of Iraq, to the highest levels.  

    If that includes impeaching bush and cheney I not only think she should do it, I think she is going to lose credibility steadily unless she does do it.

    Top Marine: No Plan For Post-Saddam Iraq, Nov. 13/06

    There is no one on the Joint Chiefs of Staff who has visited Iraq more often than Gen. Mike Hagee, whose term as Commandant of the United States Marine Corps ends Monday.
    ...
    As Commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force during the lead-up to the war, Hagee was in charge of planning for the Marines' original push to Baghdad. So I asked him about one of the enduring mysteries of the invasion -- why there was no real plan for running the country once Saddam Hussein fell from power.

    Unfortunately, Hagee's comments only deepen the mystery. He says he was deeply concerned about who would take charge of major Iraqi cities, like Najaf, as the Marines pushed through them on their way to Baghdad.

    Hagee says he asked his boss again and again who would take charge of those cities. He wanted to know what the plan was for Phase IV -- military terminology for the phase that follows the end of major combat operations. Phase IV is, in other words, what comes after "mission accomplished." Hagee says that he sent his questions up the chain of command, as they say in the military -- and never heard back.

    There are no rugs big enough to sweep this under. IMO, not impeaching bush and cheney is going to cost the Democrats the presidency in 2008.

    And... (none / 0) (#2)
    by Edger on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 05:17:37 AM EST
    ...Rumsfeld should be under arrest by now.

    Parent
    Maggots (none / 0) (#3)
    by JSN on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 06:36:46 AM EST
    I just returned from attending the FCNL annual meeting. At the opening session they had the author of the Nelson Report as the guest speaker. He has sources in the government that provide him with information prior to release to the public which he sells to his subscribers. Since he sells the information it is a reaonable supposition that he pays his spies. Nelson and his spies have found a way to profit from the fact that the government conducts the public business in secret. In my view they are maggots that are feeding on the rotting flesh of our government.

    McCain Is Toast (none / 0) (#4)
    by MinorRipper on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 09:40:28 AM EST
    Regarding McCain, people might have been inclined to believe his, "Trust me on Iraq" speel 6 years ago, but not now.  He's lost tremendous credibility by metamorphisizing into a bible-thumping, lunch with Jerry Falwell right winger in order to with the South Carolina primary vote. The "Straight Talk Express" is broken down and has a flat tire--he should have taken John Kerry's VP offer in 2004--it's the closest he'll ever get to the presidency...

    www.minor-ripper.blogspot.com

    Big Tent (none / 0) (#5)
    by Jlvngstn on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 09:50:24 AM EST
    What do you say about this?  Are you going to run a correction?

    From mediamatters.org

    Russert claimed Reid and Pelosi "declined" Meet the Press "invitations," but he apparently asked no other Democrats
    On November 12, Meet the Press's first broadcast after the Democratic election sweep -- after interviews with John McCain and Joe Lieberman, host Tim Russert announced: "[O]ur viewers should know we extended invitations to the new Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reid. Both declined our invitation." Russert gave no indication that the show invited any other Democrats (who, in contrast with Lieberman, ran as Democrats) or

    i thought this was kind of scary (none / 0) (#6)
    by cpinva on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 10:22:23 AM EST
    US: Immigrants May Be Held Indefinitely

    the bush administration asserts, to the 4th circuit court of appeals, that immigrants have no constitutional rights, pretty much period. that foreigners taken prisoner on u.s. soil have no rights, period.

    if the 4th circuit buys into this, we are all in deep.

    Brilliant! (none / 0) (#15)
    by kdog on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 05:06:18 PM EST
    Then we can put them to work and save the 75 bucks a day/no benefits.

    The times are changing back!  I'm waiting for the return of debtors prisons.

    Parent

    Micheal Steele vs Mel Martinez for RNC (none / 0) (#7)
    by aappundit on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 10:39:45 AM EST
    Black Bloogers a debating hot and heavy, the Micheal Steele vs Mel Martinez RNC post. Until today only few bloggers (big hat tip) Jack and Jill Politics, blogged on the choice for RNC Chairman publicly boiling down to Michael Steele, the recently defeated Senate candidate and Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL), first Cuban-American Senator. (Steele for the Black Vote or Martinez for the Latino vote). A number of bloggers, including Booker Rising are urging Mr. Steele to carefully weigh his options, and would rather see him as head of the Republican National Committee. Booker Rising says his skills may be better suited in articulating GOP ideals. Ouch! Articulating GOP ideals? Is this the same Republican National Committee that ran the most replayed ads, featuring a bubbly blonde telling Ford to call her. You remember the commercial that made an implicit appeal to deep-seated racial fears about black men and white women. Candidly, I could care less (ok maybe a little) if Republicans choose Micheal Steele or Mel Martinez for RNC Chair.

    As Ron Walters, professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland, said Republicans have to identify candidates based on issues, not skin color. "They have to have positions that are in line with the black community," he said. "If they can't attract the black vote, it won't pay off."

    I think the main focus of dems... (none / 0) (#8)
    by Bill Arnett on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 11:15:57 AM EST
    ...should be the passage of one single issue bill after another after another to showcase what the Democratic Party wants to do for the common good and provide a stark contrast to bush if he vetoes them. e.g.-Pass min. wage increase, send for signature or veto. Next pass a change of the AMT, send for signature or veto, etc. Simple, clear-cut bills everyone can understand.

    It will be if they pass massive omnibus bills that bush will be able to nitpick and justify a veto.

    Also, by sticking to simple single issue bills it will be easier to get moderate republicans behind the bill as well, and perhaps, obtain veto proof majorities for our best ideas.

    I also agree with cpinva. The MCA should be brought up for the immediate restoration of the constitutional imperative of habeas corpus. NO ONE is safe as long as bush retains this power, not even American citizens, and, given their rather crushing defeat it may not be that hard to get some moderate republicans to join in making that modification.

    After all, they wouldn't WANT a Democratic president to have that authority, eh?

    And last on my wish list: Pass a law stating that "signing statements" are OF NO LEGAL CONSEQUENCE WHATEVER and CANNOT be considered or cited by ANY COURT.

    This will go a long way toward restoring checks and balances. Veto or sign. Vetoes can be overridden, signing statements are BS.

    Single issue Bills...Ha! (none / 0) (#13)
    by kdog on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 02:43:05 PM EST
    Sounds great Bill....but sigle issue bills leave no room for pork, and no room for sneaking through unsavory legislation.  Hence it will never happen.  Remember the DNC is only 10% less corrupt than the GOP...not 100% less.

    Parent
    Remember Google resisting subpoenas from the feds (none / 0) (#9)
    by scribe on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 11:18:21 AM EST
    when they were looking for sexually explicit material to support the constitutionality of some law or other that was said to protect children, but really just wanted to gut the web and the First Amendment?

    You know the case.  Google fought it, MSN and Yahoo caved...  Google and the feds settled on a random sample of a small percentage of sites, etc.

    Well, it turns out that there just isn't that much sex on the web.  The government's own expert concludes that maybe 1 percent of the web pages out there have something which might be considered explicit content.  

    ``One of the things we think came out of the government's study is that the chance of running into graphic content on the Web when filters are on is extremely low,'' said Catherine Crump, staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union.

    Stark's study found that only 6 percent of all queries returned a sexually explicit Web site, despite the consistant popularity of queries related to sex. It also found that the filters which did the best job blocking sexually explicit content also inadvertently blocked lots of content that was not explicit.

    It seems the web imitiates life:

    Finkelstein said Stark's findings about the prevalence of pornography on the Internet are similar to other academic studies.

    ``What we are learning about the Internet is that it reflects life and that the Internet is not -- contrary to what some people might think -- more sexual than people are in general.''

    I'll leave the "not getting any" jokes to the rest of you....


    check out the invitation (none / 0) (#10)
    by scribe on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 12:51:18 PM EST
    for a speech by The Coultergeist.  Apparently, She-whose-name-is-not mentioned had artistic approval on this piece of, uh, work, though she winds up looking better in the cartoon than real life....

    The comments are worth a read, too....  Meow.

    It ain't easy (none / 0) (#11)
    by Edger on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 01:16:36 PM EST
    I note the video was removed due to "terms of use violations".

    Uuurrrrp. It ain't easy bein' Ann these days, I guess.

    Parent

    Off every topic... (none / 0) (#12)
    by desertswine on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 02:39:27 PM EST
    Goodbye Jack.  Thanks for the thrills.

    hear, hear (none / 0) (#14)
    by scribe on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 03:01:02 PM EST
    He will be missed.

    Parent
    Woman kicked off plane for breast-feeding baby (none / 0) (#16)
    by dutchfox on Wed Nov 15, 2006 at 08:18:27 AM EST
    November 14, 2006

    BURLINGTON, Vt. --A New Mexico woman has complained that she was kicked off an airplane about to leave Burlington International Airport because she was breast-feeding her baby.

    A complaint against two airlines was filed with the Vermont Human Rights, although Executive Director Robert Appel said he was barred by state law from confirming the complaint. He did say state law allows a mother to breast-feed in public.

    Elizabeth Boepple, a lawyer hired by 27-year-old mother Emily Gillette, confirmed that Gillette filed the complaint late last week against Delta Air Lines and Freedom Airlines. Freedom was operating the Delta commuter flight between Burlington and New York City.

    A Freedom spokesman said Gillette was asked to leave the flight after she declined a flight attendant's offer of a blanket.

    "A breast-feeding mother is perfectly acceptable on an aircraft, providing she is feeding the child in a discreet way," that doesn't bother others, said Paul Skellon, spokesman for Phoenix-based Freedom. "She was asked to use a blanket just to provide a little more discretion, she was given a blanket, and she refused to use it, and that's all I know."

    Here's the full AP story from the Boston Globe.