Where’s the Outrage?

He knew it was coming, a special commentary on President Bush’s and the Republicans detainee act.  Keith Olbermann, on Countdown, does a much better job than he did with his last commentary.  His last commentary was simply angry.  This one presents excellent information and puts the detainee act in perspective.  When compared to Adam’s Alien and Sedition Act or Franklin D Roosevelt’s internment of Japanese-Americans, we can see that America has gone astray before.  We can also see that America is going astray again.  We are heading down a road in which the president can say anything and do anything and we’re supposed to say yes.  My point is if our laws are not good in a time of crisis, than our laws are no good.  If our laws are no good then the Constitution itself is no good.  But I think, I hope, that the American people understand that our Constitution is good.  The American people understand that for over 200 years our Constitution has withstood slavery, two world wars, and many many other challenges.

 

 Countdown - Special Commentary [8:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Domestic Issues, Legal, War on Terror by ecthompson
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What the H#$$?

From NYT:

A federal judge on Tuesday threw out the fraud and conspiracy conviction of Kenneth L. Lay, the former Enron executive, who died of heart failure in July while on vacation in Colorado.

Judge Simeon T. Lake III ruled that the conviction must be voided because Mr. Lay cannot pursue an appeal his guilty verdict.

The decision, which had been expected, prevents the government from trying to seize more than $43.5 million from Mr. Lay’s estate that prosecutors claimed he stole from Enron before it collapsed in 2001.

Mr. Lay, who was 64, died about six weeks after he and another former chief executive, Jeffrey K. Skilling, were convicted of spearheading the fraud that led to Enron’s collapse in December 2001.

“We’re very pleased that the criminal case against Mr. Lay is now over,” said Sam Buffone, the lawyer who successfully filed the motions to have both Mr. Lay’s indictment and conviction dismissed. A jury found Mr. Lay guilty in May of six counts of conspiracy and fraud, and Judge Lake, in a separate trial, found him guilty of four counts of bank fraud.

Mr. Skilling, who was convicted of 19 counts of fraud, conspiracy and insider trading, is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday.  more

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I do not believe in conspiracy theories, for the most part.  But now this may be one of the best cases for conspiracy theory.  Why would the judge have overturned Ken Lay’s conviction?  So, because the man is dead his conviction is overturned?  So his wife gets to spend millions of dollars that were gotten illegally?  The whole thing sounds so very fishy to me.  Kenneth Lay, the face of corporate corruption, dies only two weeks after his conviction.  The whole thing sounds just too convenient.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he sitting on an island somewhere like Kathleen Turner’s character in the movie Body Heat sipping some frozen drink with a little umbrella in it.

Tags: Corporate Wrongs by ecthompson
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Keith Olbermann has been talking about David Kuo and his new book for several days.  I was wondering why he didn’t have an interview with Kuo, this is why.  David Kuo probably had a deal with CBS that he would give them the first interview. 

The problem with David Kuo, for the right, is that he doesn’t come off as a flake or nutcase.  He is clearly a religious man who deeply believes in his religion.

 

 60 minutes - David Kuo [11:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Books, Party Politics, Religion by ecthompson
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Obama is on CBS’ Free Speech.  He choses a safe topic like Oil addiction.  Still nice commentary.

 

 CBS Free Speech - Obama [1:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Big Oil, Economy, Environment by ecthompson
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Joy Franklin, Editorial page Editor, of the Asheville Citizen-Times tries to explain the sequence of events:

Over the last couple of days, supporters of Heath Shuler have flooded my inbox with e-mails that read something like this:

“Your statement that Shuler ‘backed out’ of a debate is deplorable - a misleading assertion - disgraceful. He said many times Sunday was for his family - Republicans, and Republican publications like yours, spew out DECEIT constantly - and you are one of the main reasons this country has suffered under the worst president and the worst ruling majority in the history of the US! The damage is irreparable!”

These irate correspondents are reacting to a story we published Saturday: “Shuler backs out of debate.”

Most had received an e-mail from Shuler telling them that he did not back out of the debate and had, in fact, offered us several dates. The e-mail said we refused to work in good faith with his staff to find an acceptable one.

That e-mail misrepresents our role and I feel compelled to share a more complete account of the negotiations involved in trying to arrange a debate between Charles Taylor, R-Brevard, and Shuler, his Democratic challenger for the 11th District seat in the U.S. Congress. [Read more →]

Tags: State and Local Politics by ecthompson
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Under the category of “Oh, damn no he didn’t”

From CNN:

A ranking Democrat in the House of Representative is apologizing for saying an African-American Senate candidate “slavishly” supported the Republican Party.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, said he meant no offense when he made the remark about Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, the GOP nominee for the seat being vacated by longtime Democratic Sen. Paul Sarbanes.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Hoyer said, “I should not have used those words.”

Hoyer was speaking to a largely black audience at a campaign event for Steele’s Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Ben Cardin, when he made the comment.

Steele’s spokesman, Doug Heye, called Hoyer’s comments “insensitive and pretty stupid.”

While Hoyer apologized for the comments, he continued to criticize Steele’s support of the GOP.

“If Mr. Steele did in fact take offense, let me assure him that none was intended,” Hoyer said. “But Mr. Steele continuously tries to divert attention from the fact that he is an unwavering supporter of the Republican agenda and of President Bush and Vice President Cheney.”

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Steele is the rare Black man running on the GOP ticket.  Hoyer needs to pull his head out of where ever it has been and git into the game.  Democrats can not afford these types of stupid mistakes. 

Did you see that Steele has a new endorser?  You aren’t going to believe this (from Crooks and Liars)

Meet Mike Tyson. He’s just the type of campaigner Michael Steele really needs. His career is so far in the tank that he’s ready to fight women now.  More here

Tags: Domestic Issues, Election 2006 by ecthompson
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