Open thread

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Indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice

(Hat tip: TinyLittleDots.com)

Not former Bush Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, please - members of the Bush administration don't have to face the same penal code as other Americans. Read the rest of this post...

Leonid meteor shower tonight and tomorrow

I got up five years ago at like 4am for these babies. Was freaking cold out, but it was supposed to be a particularly good year. I did get to see a few meteors, including one that I got a decent picture of as it soared near Venus (well, to our eyes at least - you can see my photo at left).

More from Space.com:

The Leonid meteors are debris shed into space by the Tempel-Tuttle comet, which swings through the inner solar system at intervals of 33.25 years.

With each visit the comet leaves behind a trail of dust in its wake. Lots of the comet's old dusty trails litter the mid-November part of Earth's orbit and the Earth glides through this debris zone every year. Occasionally we'll pass directly through an unusually concentrated dust trail, or filament, which can spark a meteor storm resulting in thousands of meteors per hour. That's what happened in 1999, 2001 and 2002, because Tempel-Tuttle had passed through the inner solar system in 1998.

But now, the comet – and its dense trails of dust – have all receded far beyond Earth's orbit and back into the outer regions of the solar system. So this year there there is little if any chance of heightened activity....

this year's peak activity should occur on the night of Nov. 17-18. They cite 4:00 GMT on Nov. 18, which corresponds to 11 p.m. EST and 8 p.m. PST on the evening of Nov. 17.

This is the moment when the Earth will be passing closest to the orbit of the long-departed comet, and when our planet seemingly is most likely to encounter some residual comet material. This time is highly favorable for those in Europe and Africa. But in contrast for North American observers, Leo will still be below the horizon; they will have to wait until later in the night to catch a view of the Leonids.

But while Leonid rates are unpredictable, it is unlikely that more than about 15 meteors per hour will be seen this year.

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Two years ago Murtha called for a redployment from Iraq. Since then, here's what happened.

From the Speaker's blog, the Gavel. Read the rest of this post...

Cliff's Corner

The Week That Was 11/16/2007

Another week. More preposterousness to report.

This week I come bearing more gifts than than a coal/oil/auto/baby seal poacher lobbyist meeting with Mitch McConnell. It's more of your favorite Fox fun, where you can one-stop shop for anything and everything that happened in the world on any given day! Yes, we at Brave New Films, after our Fox Attacks Decency video went over so well, used the remaining, 457,927 hours of smutty Fox coverage to embark on a more sober project.

It's called Fox News Porn!, and the video is hot (well, not as hot as Rush Limbaugh with a cornucopia of little red pills in the red light district of Bangkok hot, but of ample degree). In fact, it is so "risque," apparently, that Digg flagged it as porn (or could it be that they are in takeover talks with News Corp.?), YouTube makes you promise to be 18 and spam filters in emails across the land are working harder than Pat Robertson to justify his lusty-lipped love-in with Rudy Giuliani.

So let's go to the videotape! And as a side note, we promise no "wide stances," prostitutes with the same name as your wife or alcohol-blamed, Congressional Page binges. Fair is fair, and the GOP has already staked their claim to this territory. We do, however, give you the video that over 167,000 people watched in one day: Fox News Porn!

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Never-ending Iraq ignorance

The switch of US strategic goals/perspectives in recent weeks is whiplash-inducing, and yesterday's WaPo article does a good job of providing the context of how drastically different the US military and political outlook is today than even a few months ago. The pinball approach to Iraq within the administration is absolutely maddening, and it's definitely a cause (rather than result) of the malaise described in the piece.

Not that this is new, but the primary problem is that we don't appear to have a specific goal. So when the lede includes the assertion that the Shia government is "the key threat facing the U.S. effort in Iraq" but no explanation of what, precisely, the US effort is aiming for, it's difficult to evaluate what's actually going on. It's baffling that anybody working on this could still think there's some possibility for a "national unity government" or whatever -- Shia leaders think they're winning the civil war, and they're basically right. They're in such a good position that Sadr is talking about extending the Mahdi militia "stand down" (in name only, sure, but still) for another six months, and the only thing they're really worried about is the US arming and training a Sunni opposition army (see, e.g., strenuous, public denunciations of our Anbar policies by the UIA in recent weeks). Our policies now are feeding right into the paranoia of 60% of the country, and they see no reason to capitulate to a formerly oppressive minority in the midst of apparent victory against them.

Meanwhile, the US and military leaders are apparently only now realizing that the government for which they've been fighting isn't inclined to take advantage of this "political space" provided, and round and round we go. And while I'd love for Maliki & friends to suddenly decide to offer an olive branch to the Sunnis, we set up a political/electoral system in Iraq that makes such a move unnecessary -- and, from the not-unreasonable perspective of the Shia, counterproductive (to wit: "Maj. Mark Brady, who works on reconciliation issues, noted that a Sunni leader told him: "As soon as we finish with al-Qaeda, we start with the Shiite extremists." ") Marc Lynch -- and it's great to see him quoted in the WaPo piece; his insight is self-made but his surging profile is fully a product of the blogosphere -- is right when he says that warlordism is the natural result of our current policies. Why conservatives think otherwise is beyond me (I'd love to see, for example, some quotes comparing what officials say about Shia leaders needing to reach out to Sunnis with what the same people say about Israel and the Palestinians; somehow I doubt political reconciliation with an insurgent/terrorist opposition is a consistent virtue from the perspective of the right).

Now that al Qaeda in Iraq is "defeated" and the insurgency is ostensibly waning (as measured by reduced casualties, I guess), it seems the Bush administration needs a new enemy. Picking the powerful (and elected) Shia majority as that enemy, though, is a huge mistake. Read the rest of this post...

Boeing spying on workers

Since the Democratic candidates all said last night that "the right to privacy" is a paramount concern of each and every one of them, I'm sure we'll see those same candidates all over this story. Ha! Made myself laugh.

Anyway, the Seattle PI has done some great reports on Boeing including whistle-blowers who have felt the full wrath of Boeing. The latest is a report on spying efforts on employees including reading personal emails and videotaping employees outside of the office. Part of the problem in Washington is that there are few laws available that protect employees and whistle-blowers.

Within its bowels, The Boeing Co. holds volumes of proprietary information deemed so valuable that the company has entire teams dedicated to making sure that private information stays private.

One such team, dubbed "enterprise" investigators, has permission to read the private e-mails of employees, follow them and collect video footage or photos of them. Investigators can also secretly watch employee computer screens in real time and reproduce every keystroke a worker makes, the Seattle P-I has learned.

Companies have a full right to protect corporate information though this is going much too far.

It also raises the interesting dynamics of the so-called "Millennials" as 60 Minutes are others are calling them. Considering what the incoming generation has witnessed in their own households, is it any wonder they are telling the corporate world that the old rules simply don't work for them? The Baby Boomers are so full of sour grapes with the young crowd who are demanding balance between work and their personal life and why not? If this is the best the corporate world can deliver, why should this new generation knock themselves out? Hats off to the Millennials and their attitudes and more power to them. Read the rest of this post...

Markos hits on a point that we raised as well about the CNN debate

From Markos:

Would it kill CNN to not include partisan supporters of the various candidates in their post-debate spin?

Would it kill CNN to disclose that James Carville is a partisan Clinton supporter when talking about the presidential race?

Would it kill James Carville to disclose that he is a partisan Clinton supporter when on the air talking about the presidential race?

Apparently so.

The keepers of media ethics still bring up me and Jerome working for Dean in 2003, even though we both disclosed it prominently and Jerome even quit blogging. But Carville? He's kosher of course.

Being a member of the "club" sure has its benefits.

I have no problem with Carville doing post-debate spin. I actually get a kick out of the guy. But he is a Clinton supporter and the viewers have a right to know that. Read the rest of this post...

GOP Senator Arlen Specter blames Bush for judges not being confirmed

Bush is trying to make himself relevant again by complaining that Congress is being mean by upholding its constitutional duty to vet and confirm federal judges. And we all know how bent out of shape Bush and the Republicans get whenever anybody tries to do what the Constitution tells them to do. But what's funny as hell is that members of Bush's own party are basically calling him a liar and telling him to shut up. That's what happens when you're no longer relevant.

From AP:

Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the Judiciary Committee's ranking Republican, said Bush's rhetoric was strong considering there still was hope for getting some nominees confirmed during the final year of Bush's presidency.

"A war of words is not productive," Specter said in a telephone interview.

While he said he understands Bush's frustration, the White House must shoulder some of the blame, Specter said, noting that Bush ignored five recommendations to fill a vacancy on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals submitted to him by Virginia Sens. Jim Webb, a Democrat, and John Warner, a Republican.

"It's pretty fundamental that you listen to Republican senators," Specter said.

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BREAKING: Reid shuts down Bush recess appointments during Thanksgiving

Now who's relevant? A statement from Senator Harry Reid (and more background on this issue here):

The Senate will be coming in for pro-forma sessions during the Thanksgiving holiday to prevent recess appointments.

My hope is that this will prompt the President to see that it is our mutual interests for the nominations process to get back on track.

While an election year looms, significant progress can still be made on nominations.

I am committed to making that progress if the President will meet me half way.

But that progress can’t be made if the President seeks controversial recess appointments and fails to make Democratic appointments to important commissions.

As Democratic leader, I recommend nominees to the President for many important commissions like the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

These independent agencies are required by law to have Democratic representation.

As a result, the President has a statutory obligation to honor my recommendations and move on them in good faith.

And, up until recently, the President has generally discharged that obligation.

In the last several months, however, the administration has been stalling progress on Democratic appointments.

This problem existed before the August break.

In an effort to solve it, I worked hard to confirm over 40 administration nominees in exchange for a commitment by the President to make progress on a number of important commissions.

When we reconvened after August break, I also worked to quickly move on the President’s new Attorney General.

I did this despite my own opposition to that nominee.

Even with all this hard work on our side, the commitments the administration made to me before August break were not met.

In the almost three months since that break, we have received no Democratic nominees to full-time commission positions.

For some, in fact, absolutely no discernable progress has been made.

With Thanksgiving break looming, the administration informed me that they would make several recess appointments.

I indicated I would be willing to confirm various appointments if the administration would agree to move on Democratic appointments.

They would not make that commitment.

As a result, I am keeping the Senate in pro-forma to prevent recess appointments until we get this process back on track.

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Catholic Bishops: Be careful how you vote or you're going to hell forever

Actually, there's an aspect to this that the bishops should be lauded for: Telling their parishioners to pay attention to other moral issues as well, such as immigration, just war and poverty - not exactly issues the Republicans excel at. From the Chicago Trib:

Bishops have drafted a similar document every four years since the 1976 presidential election, when concerns centered on Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe and recovery from the Watergate scandal. But the guidelines issued Wednesday for the first time spelled out possible consequences as well as giving much more nuanced instruction to the Catholic electorate than in years past.

Voters are implored not to support abortion-rights political candidates but also advised that views on abortion should not be the sole factor. Catholics should also weigh church teaching on such moral issues as immigration, just war and poverty, bishops said.

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Republican Senators kill Iraq funding bill

Why do they hate our troops?

Here's what just happened on the Senate floor. As you know, the House passed its version of the Iraq funding bill a few days ago, providing Bush $50 billion for the war but with serious strings attached. The bill then moved over to the Senate side and before it could come up for a vote, GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell tried to bring up his version of the Iraq funding bill, which contained $70 billion for the war, no strings attached. McConnell didn't even consult with Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid about this, which is considered rather rude in the Senate. Democrats objected to McConnell's bill. Anyway, Reid responded by trying to bring up his Iraq bill for a vote, basically the same bill that passed the House. Republicans objected to Reid's bill. The objections meant that each bill would need 60 votes (out of 100 total senators) in order to even be brought up for debate. Both votes failed to get 60 votes. McConnell's vote was 45 to 53. Reid's vote was 53 to 45.

So in a nutshell, the Democrats were ready to give George Bush $50 billion for Iraq today and the Republicans killed it because they don't want to provide any oversight whatsoever. The Republicans think the war in Iraq is going great, and to prove it they just took $50 billion away from our troops.

The Republicans own this war. Remember that in one year when we're still in Iraq, we still haven't won, and the Republicans are still telling us that we need yet another six months to finally show progress.

UPDATE: The details of who voted what will be posted here, the McConnell vote is already up, it's vote # 00410. Read the rest of this post...

Saudi Arabia to jail and whip woman who was gang raped

We're going to pay a serious price some day for supporting these despots. Then again, the world does nothing about the villains running China because China is too big to push around. Saudi Arabia falls in the same category because of their oil. Still, it grows tiring reading about Saudi Arabia's role in September 11, their continued support for extremism, and now this. And it's not just Saudi - Dubai is just as backward, blaming a 15 year old boy for his own rape. I'm a nice multicultural guy who gets that each country has its own ways, but there are serious problems in a number of countries out there that can't be overlooked simply because tolerance is a virtue. Read the rest of this post...

Why can't Detroit do this?

It's in the best interest of the US to have Detroit leading the way and generating the car that people want to buy. That means jobs and money flowing in the US economy. It's also in the best interest of the US and the world to address global warming. Who knows if this is the future, but I'd like to see US automakers delivering stories like this one of these days.

Honda will introduce a state-of-the-art hydrogen-powered car in the United States next year, offering a glimpse of the next generation of environmentally friendly vehicles, officials said Wednesday.

The only emission is water. Wow. Decades of coddling Big Auto management has driven any competitive or innovative spirit right out the window. That needs to change. Read the rest of this post...

Friday Morning Open Thread

I think it's fair to say this was an interesting week.

Good to see the Democrats on the Hill fighting back again. Let's hope it wasn't an anomaly.

Get cranking. Read the rest of this post...

Bush-friendly energy company among leading polluters in world

Not much of a surprise here, but it's good to see such a list coming out.

The first-ever worldwide database of such pollution also reveals the rapid growth in global-warming emissions by power plants in China, South Africa and India. Power plants already produce 40 per cent of US greenhouse gas and 25 per cent of the world's.

But it is the enormous carbon footprint of Southern Company – among the largest financiers of Republican Party politicians – which has raised eyebrows. Southern's employees handed George Bush $217,047 to help him get elected, and they and the company have contributed an extraordinary $6.2m to Republican campaigns since 1990.

A single Southern Company plant in Juliette, Georgia already emits more carbon dioxide annually that Brazil's entire power sector. The company is in the top two of America's dirtiest utility polluters and sixth worst in the world.

Apart from vague promises by the Democratic presidential hopefuls, there is no pressure on this or any other power company to clean up their act and cut back on CO2 emissions.

I'd like to see the Democratic candidates talking more about this issue but then again, I'd like to see the Democrats in general take a stand on quite a few issues. Being cautious is one thing, but this is getting silly. Read the rest of this post...

Federal Reserve adds $47 billion into system

Where was the Fed a few years ago when Mr Bubble was asleep at the wheel? He ignored the looming subprime catastrophe and gave the green light to tax cuts for the wealthy during a supposed war. I guess they just woke up and read more bad news from GE or the massive losses at NovaStar due to bad loans.

Of course, it could have also had something to do with the Wells Fargo CEO expressing a few minor, insignificant really, concerns with the Bush economy.

"We have not seen a nationwide decline in housing like this since the Great Depression," Stumpf said at a Merrill Lynch banking conference in New York.

"I don't think we're in the ninth inning of unwinding this," he continued. "If we are, it's an extra-inning game."

Stumpf's comments came hours after Barclays announced a 1.3 billion pound ($2.7 billion) write-down for losses on securities linked to U.S. subprime mortgages.

It's time the Democrats pound the Republicans on this national and international failure. If they can manage to locate a spine, stand up shove it back in the face of the GOP and that buffoon Greenspan who sat there and did nothing as it unraveled. Read the rest of this post...

The FCC needs medication for bipolar disorder

Opening up the cable TV industry was a great move, but media consolidation? Look at how well consolidation in the banking and telecom industry has worked. If you want to see how well media consolidation works, look at the path the US media is already on or check out Australia, where Rupert Murdoch dominates the media with very few exceptions. Is that what we want to see in the US? Wasn't the Cold War supposed to be about issues like this? Looks like the Soviet Union won.

What ever happened to the spirit of competition that used to be important in America? Read the rest of this post...