Iowa Caucus Thursday...

By the way...the "Christians for Huckabee" was not my title. It was the youtube author's title. It was titled with a twisted intent.

It's ok sparrow, they had to go with "Christians for Huckabee" instead of the original idea...

"Michael Do Caucus"

FROM REP. WEXLER ON IMPEACHMENT:

Dear R. E.,

In my last email to you, I wrote how your support for our efforts to hold impeachment hearings for Vice President Cheney has helped us get some attention from the mainstream media. My editorial was recently published in the Philadelphia Inquirer and newspapers from coast to coast have covered our success. 175,000 supporters have now signed up at WexerWantsHearings.com and the number continues to build.

Over the past weeks, I have put significant financial resources behind this effort, including advertising, multimedia, blog ads, and technical support for WexlerWantsHearings.com. Thank you to the hundreds of people who have already generously supported the cause.

Now, with your help – I want to expand this effort.

With your support I want to make a major Internet advertising buy on Google that will guarantee that for the next two weeks, every person that looks up "Dick Cheney" on Google sees an advertisement for our petition. With your help we can own "Cheney" on the web.

In addition, I want to publish blog ads, such as you see to the right, throughout the web to galvanize Americans in support of our cause. (You may have to right mouse click and select "Download Pictures" to see the ad).

It is time to reach beyond those that are regular readers of the political blogs, and expand the number of people mobilized to help push for impeachment hearings. The truth is that the number of Americans who support our efforts is immense and we need to do everything possible to reach out to them and maximize our strength.

I cannot do this without your support, so click here if you'd like to contribute to our work.

@@@@@@@@@@@@

BTW: BEWARE, WITH THE ABOVE YOU ARE CONTRIBUTING TO REP. WEXLER'S CAMPAIGN (AS FAR AS I CAN TELL) NOT TO A SEPARATE IMPEACHMENT EFFORT...

PHILADELPHIA ENQUIRER, MIAMI HERALD PICK UP WEXLER'S OP-ED ON IMPEACHMENT:

Philadelphia Inquirer first to publish full op-ed
In the last days, we have made real progress:

The mainstream media has awakened to this movement and to the extraordinary support you have given it. Your calls, letters, and emails have clearly made a difference. Already 140,000 people have joined us in demanding impeachment hearings for Vice President Dick Cheney by signing up at WexlerWantsHearings.com.

The power of these combined voices are already shaking up the established order on Capitol Hill and throughout the mainstream media:

This week, the Miami Herald printed an article on our efforts that was syndicated in papers across the country, including the Detroit Free Press, Philadelphia Inquirer, Fort Worth Telegram, Contra Costa Times, Sacramento Bee, Houston Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, NC News & Observer, and others. (Click HERE to read the article.)

In addition, CBS4 in Miami became the first station we know of to run a television segment about the call for hearings. Video of that can be found HERE.)

Perhaps most importantly, just this morning the Philadelphia Inquirer courageously ran the full editorial I drafted along with my fellow Judiciary Committee members Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). (View it HERE .) Congratulations to the Inquirer for their willingness to publish a viewpoint that is so widely held by Americans – yet one that other leading national newspapers refused to publish.

We have come so far in just a few weeks. No longer can the mainstream media ignore our efforts and dismiss this cause as only part of the fringe left.

Already we are seeing tangible results from our combined effort. As you already know, Congress is well behind the American people on this issue. This is an uphill battle, but it's one that has to be fought. It should not be the whole agenda, but it needs be *on* the agenda.

When Congress reconvenes in January, I plan to present a list to my Judiciary Committee colleagues of every single person that signed up at WexlerWantsHearings.com. I will go to more of my colleagues and ask them to join a letter in support of hearings. We will build on the momentum you have given us.

Last week, I spent an hour on Blog Talk Radio outlining thoughts and answering questions in regards to this work. So many people hit their site that their servers temporarily went down. If you'd like to hear the archived audio, please click HERE.

Let's do our best to further spread the message so that list will be up to a quarter million. Please continue to blog, email friends, and insist that your family and friends sign up!

Thanks for your commitment.

Congressman Robert Wexler

P.S. I have been running online ads to make more people aware of our impeachment campaign. If you are interested in making a contribution to this effort you can click here.

Offtopic, but...

FEC Adds Fine to Hastert's Legal Bills in Mark Foley Case

By Mary Ann Akers And Paul Kane
The Washington Post
Thursday, January 3, 2008; Page A17

As if the House page scandal involving former representative Mark Foley (R-Fla.) hadn't done enough damage to Republicans, now we discover that legal bills arising from it landed former speaker J. Dennis Hastert's campaign committee in hot water with the Federal Election Commission.

According to FEC documents, Hastert (R-Ill.) failed to disclose in early January 2007 that his 2006 reelection campaign had run up $147,000 in legal bills stemming from his connection with the Foley investigation. Hastert agreed to settle the matter and pay a $1,000 penalty.

One of Hastert's campaign lawyers signed the agreement Aug. 20, three days after he publicly announced he would not run for office again, and it was filed with the FEC in September. Hastert officially resigned Nov. 26.

The FEC allows lawmakers under investigation for matters of official conduct to pay attorneys with campaign funds. But they must disclose the payments and any outstanding debt in filings with the FEC.

more...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/02/AR2008010202970.html?nav=rss_print/asection

Army Bonus payments frozen

Bush veto halts $1 billion in accession and retention bonuses.

By Jim Tice - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jan 3, 2008 7:47:39 EST

The Army has temporarily halted bonus payments for more than 20 enlistment, re-enlistment and service extension programs pending enactment of authorizing legislation.

President Bush, to the surprise of Congress and the Defense Department, vetoed the fiscal 2008 Defense Authorization Act on Dec. 29 after months bargaining with House and Senate leaders.

In announcing the pocket veto, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said the president objected to a single provision of the legislation that would delay the reconstruction of Iraq, and expose the Iraqi government to unwarranted law suits in U.S. courts.

If enacted as currently written, the legislation would authorize $696.3 billion in defense spending during 2008, including $1 billion for Army accession and retention bonuses.

Until a new version of the legislation is enacted, all new bonus agreements signed on, or after, Jan. 1 must include an addendum that stipulates the soldier’s eligibility for a future bonus.

However, the addendum also stipulates that the bonus is not guaranteed. Payments will not be made if the affected bonus program is not authorized in the final budget compromise.

If Congress fails to authorize a bonus, the soldier — officer or enlisted — still must meet the re-enlistment or service extension requirements of the contract.

Soldiers whose service contracts expire during the impasse have the option of extending month by month until the problem is worked out, or sign a service agreement on the assumption that a new authorization bill will be enacted.

Bonus programs affected by the impasse are targeted at officers and enlisted soldiers of the active and reserve components. Specifically they are:

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/army_bonuses_halted_080102w/

Kangaroo...

I posted last week of His Stupidnessssss intention to veto this, after threatening Congress to pass the Defense (Offense) spending bill to "fully fund the troops" while also claiming that layoffs at the Pentagon were looming without the money.

This veto is a friggin outrage, but you wouldn't know it here in You Knighted States.

Everytime I see a sticker on a car that says "I Support The Troops and I Support The President", I wanna puke.

MORE REGARDING IMPEACH CHENEY;

LETTER FROM REP. MICHAUD TO CONYERS:

Dear Chairman Conyers,

I write today to request that you include vigorous hearings into the abuses of power by this Administration and include impeachment hearings of Vice President Richard Cheney in the Judiciary Committee schedule for the second session of the 110th Congress.

As you are aware, the House of Representatives voted on November 7th to send a resolution of impeachment of Vice President Cheney to the Judiciary Committee. I urge you to commence these proceedings. There is no doubt that at the very least this Administration has dangerously expanded the scope of executive authority and flaunted the constitutionally defined separation of powers.

Serious allegations have been raised against the Vice President regarding his role in mischaracterizing information that led to the invasion of Iraq, in similarly mischaracterizing information about Iran's nuclear program, the outing of a CIA agent as political retaliation, the abuse of detainees in contravention of the Geneva Conventions, and the illegal wiretapping of American citizens. As a recent poll indicates, 70% of the American public believes that the Vice President has abused his power.

This is not an attack on Vice President Cheney or any other member of this Administration. Impeachment investigations must not be about the man or his personal life; they must focus on whether the office of the Vice President has illegally expanded its power or abused the law. Expansions and potential abuses of power by this Administration become precedents for future ones, which lead to further erosions of our constitutional rights. That is why these investigations must be held with the utmost seriousness of purpose and must lay all the facts on the table. We do not know what the result of any investigation will be, but this is the only way to restore the faith of the American people in their government.

There must be no other purpose for these proceedings than to protect our Constitution and to hold individuals accountable if they have broken the law. Most importantly, we must act in a way that will heal the growing bitter divide within our country and end the disillusionment that many Americans feel toward their government.

Thank you for your consideration of this issue of such great importance. I look forward to working with you to strengthen our democracy and our nation.

Sincerely,
Michael H. Michaud
Member of Congress

US Dollars No Longer Accepted at Indian Tourist Sites

US dollar no good at Taj Mahal
India's tourism minister says only rupees, please,
In a sign of how the once mighty U.S. dollar has fallen, India's tourism minister said Thursday that U.S. dollars will no longer be accepted at the country's heritage tourist sites, like the famed Taj Mahal.
For years the dollar was worth about 50 rupees and tourists visiting most sites in India were charged either $5 or 250 rupees.
But with the dollar at a nine-year low against the rupee — falling 11 percent in 2007 alone and now hovering at around 39 rupees — that deal has become a losing proposition for the tourism industry.
The country's tourism minister said, though, that the decision was only in part a reaction to the currency's plunging value.
"Before the dollar lost its value, there was a demand to have (admission tickets) just in rupees," Tourism Minister Ambika Soni told the CNN-IBN news channel.
Soni said that charging only rupees would not only be more practical, but would save money because "the dollar was weaker against the rupee."
The Taj Mahal, India's famed white marble monument to love, which had charged tourists $15 or 750 rupees, has been refusing to accept dollars since November.
The move makes visits pricier for American tourists, who now have to shell out nearly $20.
And it's likely to get worse.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Dollars_no_good_at_Indian_tourist_s_01032008.html

I Support The Troops and I Support The President", I wanna puke.

======

I've wanted to puke for the last 8 years Monkey

What a joke this man is, how disingenuous, ran on IMPEACHING BUSH, and the moment Democrats won the House and Senate he reneged, Flip Flop, Flip Flop
You Suck Conyers
Bush White House covering their asses again, what a joke

Conyers likens CIA tape 'coverup' case to Valerie Plame

Rep. John Conyers, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, is demanding a special counsel with a "full investigative mandate" in the CIA destroyed tapes case, according to a press release.
Responding to Attorney General Michael Mukasey's announcement that an assistant U.S. Attorney would investigate the controversial case on behalf of the Justice Department, as RAW STORY reported earlier, Conyers says, "While I certainly agree that these matters warrant an immediate criminal investigation, it is disappointing that the Attorney General has stepped outside the Justice Department's own regulations and declined to appoint a more independent special counsel in this matter.
"Because of this action, the Congress and the American people will be denied – as they were in the Valerie Plame matter – any final report on the investigation," Conyers continues.
The veteran Michigan congressmember also rues the "limited scope" of the investigation, saying that the federal government "needs to scrutinize what other evidence may have been destroyed beyond the two tapes, as well as the underlying allegations of misconduct" during interrogations of detainees.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has also issued a statement regarding Mukasey's announcement, describing it as "a reflection of the seriousness of these charges." Pelosi expresses concerns similar to those of Conyers, saying that the White House "now has the burden of proving the investigation is truly independent and has appropriate reporting provisions and sufficient scope to uncover the truth."
"The Justice Department's record over the past seven years of sweeping the administration's misconduct under the rug has left the American public with little confidence in the Administration's ability to investigate itself," adds Conyers. "Nothing less than a special counsel with a full investigative mandate will meet the tests of independence, transparency and completeness."
Conyers insists that the appointment of a special counsel would "allow our nation to begin to restore our credibility and moral standing on these issues."

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Conyers_demands_Justice_Dept._appoint_special_0102.html

Woz

Tune into CNN at about 10 am, should get the Iowa Caucus there, that is where I watched them all 4 years ago.

Come On Edwards!

Come on John! You can do it!

BTW Ally, I had a neighbor that shot my dog once when I was 15.

Little peeping tom from Next door, his name was Tracy. He used to come peeping everytime my parents were away, and I pulled my daddys rifle on him one night. Put it right through the window he was peeping in, right to his forehead. He started crying and begging. It was really quite sad.

The next day, he shot my dog, right in front of me. I hit that boy so hard I dislocated my knuckle.

And a war ensued.

I loved that stupid dog.

THE OBAMA GIRL IS ON THE LOOSE!!!

SHE'S DANCING TOO FAST,

BREAKING DOWN FIREWALLS

AND SHAKING THINGS UP!!!

Anyone else getting dizzy from all the conflicting polls?

Return of the Swift Boaters
by Christopher Hayes

More than three years after John Kerry's bitter defeat, at the dawn of what looks like a far more promising campaign cycle for the Democrats, the party is still haunted by the specter of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Once upon a time, "Swift boat" denoted an obscure military vessel, but thanks to the activities of this group it has come to represent movement conservatism's penchant for ruthlessly (and effectively) smearing any and all political opponents, from a sitting senator and war hero to an 11-year-old boy with a cranial fracture.

Research by The Nation into Federal Election Commission records of the group's top twenty donors reveals that they've been remarkably active in this cycle, contributing and bundling nearly $200,000 to presidential candidates. This does not bode well. During the last presidential campaign, the wealthy backers of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth--now rebranded as Swift Vets and POWs for Truth--didn't do their real dirty work until the general election, where as a tax-exempt 527 group they operated outside the restraints of direct campaign contributions. We may wish we were done with the Swift Boaters, but they aren't done with us.

-snip-

The most notable recipient of Swift Boat largesse is John McCain, erstwhile front-runner and Stand Up Guy. When the Swift Boat ads were first unleashed, McCain was alone among his Republican colleagues to condemn them. A fellow Vietnam veteran, a good friend of Kerry's and a former target of smears about his own service, McCain called the ads "dishonest and dishonorable," a "cheap stunt," and he urged Bush to condemn them. But in pursuit of the GOP nomination, McCain ditched the mantle of maverick for that of hack, and his once-floundering, possibly rejuvenated campaign has been aided along the way by $61,650 from Swift Boat donors and their associates. "There is such a thing as dirty money," said Senator Kerry in a statement, after The Nation informed him of McCain's FEC records. "I'm surprised that the John McCain I knew who was smeared in 2000 and thought so-called Swift Boating was wrong in 2004 would feel comfortable taking their money after seeing the way it was used to hurt the veterans I know he loves." (McCain's office did not return calls for comment.)

McCain's Swift Boat bounty is exceeded only by that of Mitt Romney, who has raked in $70,550. Romney's success with Swift Boat donors is significant because he has surpassed even McCain in his demonstrated willingness to do or say anything in pursuit of the presidency and because he has emerged as the GOP establishment's favored candidate. Last year, when McCain held that position, the Arizona senator received significant backing from Swift Boat donors. But many have subsequently switched their allegiance. Pickens, who donated to McCain in June 2006, is now an enthusiastic Giuliani donor and fundraiser (Giuliani ranks third in Swift Boat funding, with $47,950). Perry, who also recorded several donations to McCain's PAC in 2005 and 2006, is now a major donor and fundraiser for Romney. If the list of top Swift Boat donors is expanded to fifty, Romney's fundraising edge is even more pronounced. (Neither Romney nor Giuliani's campaign returned calls for comment.)

Also noticeable among the recipients of Swift Boat largesse is one who received only a single donation: Mike Huckabee. Despite meager fundraising and little national name recognition, the former Arkansas governor has experienced a bubble-like expansion of support and media attention, taking the lead in Iowa and approaching a steady lead in national polls. But the lack of Swift Boat contributions lends credence to the claim that Huckabee is viewed warily by the money men who call the shots in the modern GOP.

more...
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080107/hayes

Ignore the polls.

They are as reliable as Bush answering a question with a complete sentence.

Obama has been warned.

Trying too Monkey, but it is no use.

The polls seem to be all anyone wants to talk about. This poll, that poll, a poll averaging other polls.

Everybody wants to show us their poll.

Number lumber.

Christy, Monkey...(and everyone)

Go out and do something. Skip the polls! I went to the bank, the gas station and the airport. At each stop, I gave out the wexler url and asked people to sign up.

Didja take out a 2nd mortgage at the bank to pay for the gas?

Early-to-bed Bush likely not staying up for Iowa vote results

Thursday January 3, 2008

(AFP) US President George W. Bush is following voting in Iowa Thursday that will help determine his successor but may not stay up late for final returns given his habit of an early bedtime, the White House said.

"What time do all the results start coming in? Because he goes to bed early," spokeswoman Dan Perino joked when asked by reporters about the president's view of the Iowa caucuses.

Bush is well-known for his preference for an early-to-bed routine.

-snip-

"Obviously it's a very exciting time for America as they look to all the choices that they have for who is running for president," Perino said.

Bush was watching the contest "as an observer" and as "somebody who is obviously very interested in politics," she said.

"But he's not spending a lot of time on that," Perino said, adding: "So we'll be watching with interest, but we're not dwelling on it."

Bush has declined to endorse any of his fellow Republicans vying for the party's nomination and his low approval ratings have meant the White House hopefuls have maintained a certain distance from the president.

http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Early_to_bed_Bush_likely_not_stayin_01032008.html

I paid 2.98 for gas. The extra mortgage is next week.

In the meantime, I got an 'invite' to return to my academic sweatshop job. I think I will have to turn it down due to the fact that they issued a pay cut two years ago and now the gas is double that! So it would cost me money to slave-labor for them!

Oh well. The testing industry will survive without my compassion for the students. And the slave drivers there will continue freezing their employees and cracking the whip.

But Not Good News for All Dems

Pelosi Negatives Exceed Positives in Latest Poll.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's own party is turning on her, apparently because of a perception among California Democrats that she has not done enough to shake up the status quo in Washington, D.C., according to a Field Poll released Friday.

With independents playing a major roll in Iowa and beyond, who knows what will happen to democrats-- leaders and blindly obedient troops-- who have failed to honor the mission the 2006 elections sent them to do-- get out of Iraq and clean up Bush and Cheney, preferably with impeachment.

http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/link.php?id=48659

Monkey said (from last thread), re Huckabee and the writers' strike

Claims of "not knowing" make him a perfect president by todays standards.

Surely you meant by "yesterday's" standards, monkey. Today and all the tomorrows will surely make him extremely thoughtless and careless; if not plain old ignorant.

A question. For the legal minds amongst us here. Since impeachment of all has been off the table, and even the impeachment petition by Wexler only refers to Cheney and ignores Bush - who IS after all, the Commander in Chief; the Torturer In Chief - can George W Bush be prosecuted as a citizen and sent to prison for ever and ever amen? Or is there a 4 year Statute of Limitations on Presidential judiciary, military, constitutional and civil crimes?

If he can be prosecuted, locked up and the key ? Well - ummm - we can't recall seeing it. Was there a key? No, sir, I don't recall a key. If that were to be a possibility then I understand taking impeachment off the table. What I don't - and never will - understand, is how your democratic two houses could allow the deaths of millions to continue whilst this was the task they were elected in '06 to carry out.

In a way, I do hope he wins.

It will signal the all out implosion of the republicans.

I personally can not wait for hm to become the nominee and be asked even more questions on how he came to fire the State Trooper investigating his son for torturing a dog to death.

It is totally relevent on how far he will go when he is president.

Oh, and his whole taking the nation 'back' to hand over to Baby Jesus is freaking out even the most moderate repellican.

HAHA! It is funny watching them suddenly go... 'Oh MY GOD!'...Yup, Indeed.

Or they could just elect Romney ans see just how much this nation really does distrust Mormons.

The Great Varmit Hunter and Lover Of All Things Black, Not brown.. HAHA!

The republicans are done for!

"What I don't - and never will - understand, is how your democratic two houses could allow the deaths of millions to continue...'

Very simple. Money and a lust for power. Greed, is the original sin.

Those that can not be bought can be bullied and outright blackmailed.

We are witnessing a theft on a scale never quite seen before. Hitler also started out as a thief.

It is exactly how Hitler shored up his base. Also full of torture enablers and mass murder justifiers.

Only mass murder can cover the theft of an empire.

rossi - do you have an URL for it? I hoped SBS would have it, but they don't apparently. I don't have cable - just free.

Woz go to www.cnn.com.

They should have constant updates AND streaming video.

Thanks Christy. I've got that page open, and Google news, Age online, Al Jazeera English, so even though I don't get to watch I think I'll probably stay updated.

"The Mellencamp concert for John Edwards last night was a huge success for the campaign. It was well attended (easily twice the size of the Huckabee "Huck'n'Chuck" rally the night before), the crowd was enthusiastic and responded to his message. The people he assembled on the stage represented the image he was trying to put forth -- working class, labor, the people who have been forgotten and disenfranchised and disempowered. They're pissed off and they respond to Edwards' message that you can't reach a "bipartisan agreement" with people who won't pay for a liver transplant for a teenage girl for the sake of profit. You're going to have to fight them. "

http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/can-edwards-do-it-in-iowa/

Amen John! Fight!

Fingers crossed.

Ditto, Christy

Huckabee's Iowa Mission Statement:
Mike Do Caucus

That still strikes me as funny, even if I made it up myself.

Waiter! Table for 1 please!

1 hour.

C'mon already!

new faster thread.

Yeah monkey - I laugh at your quips so often - I don't always tell you. But it wasn't missed.