Give a big high five

to our new friend Blue Texas. Hola.

America a less hopeful nation under Bush

Despite Bush’s claim that “In recent years, America has become a more hopeful Nation,” 61% of Americans think the country is on the wrong track. - MyDD

I saw the speech and I'm sure you did. I call bushit. You?

State of chaos

DeLays plays softball with Matthews

Think progress does it again by showing us Chris Matthews doing what he does worst. Spoon feeding Tom DeLay the answers is not my idea of playing hardball.

MATTHEWS: Do you think that’s unfair to say that you went over there [Scotland] on a junket?

DELAY: It’s incredibly unfair.

MATTHEWS: Why? Who paid for the trip?

DELAY: A legitimate conservative organization.

MATTHEWS: But wasn’t there a pass through?

DELAY: No, there was no pass through.

MATTHEWS: They came up with the money themselves.

DELAY: That’s exactly right. They raised their money themselves.

The trip — which was allegedly arranged through the National Center for Public Policy Research, a non-profit — was actually funded by Abramoff. DeLay’s airfare was charged to Jack Abramoff’s American Express card. (House ethics rules bar lawmakers from accepting travel and related expenses from registered lobbyists.)

The Washington Post also reports, “Multiple sources, including DeLay’s then-chief of staff Susan Hirschmann, have confirmed that DeLay’s congressional office was in direct contact with Preston Gates [Abramoff’s lobbying firm] about the trip itinerary before DeLay’s departure, to work out details of his travel.”

In short: the trip was a junket, it was not paid for by the non-profit, and there was a pass through. You just wouldn’t know that from watching Matthews show.

Cross-posted from TP. They have the video.

Alberto Gonzalez perjured under oath

The Washington reports that Alberto Gonzalez mislead ---LIED--- to the Senate Judiciary Committee during his January 2005 confirmation hearing.

Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) charged yesterday that Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales misled the Senate during his confirmation hearing a year ago when he appeared to try to avoid answering a question about whether the president could authorize warrantless wiretapping of U.S. citizens.

Read more about it.

The list goes on on... another Bush gangsta perjured himself under oath to Congress about Bush spying illegally on American citizens. Let's get out act together and win both back both houses to put the criminals where they belong. I just wonder if there are enough prison cells?

Must see tv: new DCCC ad - Rubber Stamps

Don't fall for the lies tomorrow night. Here is a whole lot of truth.

With 60 percent disapproval, DeLay says constituents Are ‘very, very supportive’

In an interview to be aired tonight on “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” Tom DeLay tells Chris that his constituents are “very, very supportive” of his candidacy. “They know what Ronnie Earle is — a runaway district attorney who is abusing his power, indicting me on laws that don’t exist,” DeLay said. “The backlash is in my favor.”

A recent Houston Chronicle poll tells a different story. DeLay is in political hot water...

You have to hand it to DeLay. He sure is an optimist. - Think Progress

As I have said before plan on zero hardball questions,

Not so must see tv tonight

Update: Oops, tomorrow night.

Call senators to join filibuster

Ask them to join the thirteen who have announced support for a filibuster.

Blanche Lambert Lincoln (D- AR), 202-224-4843
Joseph I. Lieberman (D- CT), 202-224-4041
Thomas R. Carper (D- DE), 202-224-2441
Daniel K. Inouye (D- HI), 202-224-3934
Tom Harkin (D- IA), 202-224-3254
Evan Bayh (D- IN), 202-224-5623
Barbara A. Mikulski (D- MD), 202-224-4654
Carl Levin (D- MI), 202-224-6221
Mark Dayton (D- MN), 202-224-3244
Max Baucus (D- MT), 202-224-2651
Frank Lautenberg (D- NJ), 202-224-3224
Jeff Bingaman (D- NM), 202-224-5521
Jack Reed (D- RI), 202-224-4642
Patrick J. Leahy (D- VT), 202-224-4242
Maria Cantwell (D- WA), 202-224-3441
Patty Murray (D- WA), 202-224-2621
Herb Kohl (D- WI), 202-224-5653
John D. Rockefeller, IV (D- WV), 202-224-6472
James M. Jeffords (I- VT), 202-224-5141

Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D- DE) , 202-224-5042
Bill Nelson (D- FL), 202-224-5274
Daniel K. Akaka (D- HI), 202-224-6361
Mary Landrieu (D- LA), 202-224-5824
Byron L. Dorgan (D- ND), 202-224-2551
Olympia Snowe (R- ME), 202-224-5344

58% of Americans agree Bush is a failure

and a miserable failure at that...

A majority of Americans said the presidency of George W. Bush has been a failure and that they would be more likely to vote for congressional candidates who oppose him, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll.

Fifty-two percent of adults said Bush's administration since 2001 has been a failure, down from 55 percent in October. Fifty- eight percent described his second term as a failure. At the same point in former President Bill Clinton's presidency, 70 percent of those surveyed by Gallup said they considered it a success and 20 percent a failure.

Perry Dorrell new David Van Os campaign manager

I just received a note that Texas Attorney General candidate David Van Os has asked Perry Dorrell, aka PDiddie to be his campaign manager and he has accepted. Here is to wishing Perry and the Van Os campaign the best of luck.

Congressional hit men

Down right evil part II.

Jack Abramoff's partner Mike Scanlon admitted to digging up former Congressman Robert Livingston's private life. Set to become speaker, Livingston then got sidelined for Tom DeLay's man Denis Hastert. Prosecutors now checking if Abramoff and Scanlon took Livingston down at DeLay's behest. -NY Post

Scary thought of the day

The smell of rotten fish

Chris Matthews will interview Tom Delay tonight (I think) on Hardball. I would expect softball more than hardball questons. Think Progress has a preview of the interview.

MATTHEWS: Tom DeLay, you are not in this buisness for the money. You live modestly You commute back and forth from Washington to Houston, Texas. Why? What drives you every day?

Huh? Modestly? Here are the facts.

As Tom DeLay became a king of campaign fund-raising, he lived like one, too. He visited cliff-top Caribbean resorts, golf courses designed by PGA champions and four-star restaurants, all courtesy of donors who bankrolled his political money empire.

Over the past six years, the former House majority leader and his associates have visited places of luxury most Americans have never seen, often getting there aboard corporate jets arranged by lobbyists and other special interests.

Public documents reviewed by the Associated Press tell the story: At least 48 visits to golf clubs and resorts; 100 flights aboard company planes; 200 stays at hotels, many world-class; and 500 meals at restaurants, some averaging nearly $200 for a dinner for two.

Tom's says he wants the country led in a different direction. I guess five years of the bubble boy is not enough so he must resort to his own very extra special values.

DELAY: What I believe in. The constitution of the United States. Ronald Reagan got me involved in this. I fight every day for what I believe in. Strong national security. Protecting the American family. Values. I just, I want to see this country led in a different direction than I found it when I got into politics 20 some years ago.

Ok, expect a love-fest!

Bush not selling domestic spying to americans

58% of Americans support terrorism and support Osama.

A new USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll shows that 51% of Americans say the administration was wrong to intercept conversations without a warrant. The poll also showed that 58% of Americans support appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the issue. The poll of 1,006 adults was taken Friday through Sunday and has a margin of error of +/—3 percentage points.

Another day, another subpoena.

Another DeLay aid subpoenaed today by a prosecutor in Austin. Another day, another subpoena.

Robert G. Mills also ran an organization linked to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle is seeking records from Mills in a probe of DeLay, who faces trial on money laundering charges. DeLay says he's innocent.

Earle wants information about a 500-thousand dollar political contribution made in 1999 by the National Republican Congressional Committee to the U-S Family Network.

Mills, who was DeLay's 1996 campaign manager, was president of the Network.

The Washington Post reported Network donations came from clients of Abramoff, who's pleaded guilty in a congressional corruption investigation.

Bush team prepares for possible impeachment

This conservative mag has the Bush team preparing for the worst.

"A coalition in Congress is being formed to support impeachment," an administration source said.

Sources said a prelude to the impeachment process could begin with hearings by the Senate Judiciary Committee in February. They said the hearings would focus on the secret electronic surveillance program and whether Mr. Bush violated the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Administration sources said the charges are expected to include false reports to Congress as well as Mr. Bush's authorization of the National Security Agency to engage in electronic surveillance inside the United States without a court warrant. This included the monitoring of overseas telephone calls and e-mail traffic to and from people living in the United States without requisite permission from a secret court.

Sources said the probe to determine whether the president violated the law will include Republicans, but that they may not be aware they could be helping to lay the groundwork for a Democratic impeachment campaign against Mr. Bush.

"Our arithmetic shows that a majority of the committee could vote against the president," the source said. "If we work hard, there could be a tie."

Ford Going Foreign

Today, Ford announced the slashing of 30,000 jobs and 14 US plants over the next few years in effort to save themselves from bankruptcy. Management partly blames healthcare and pension costs.

Don't be fooled by these greedy bastards. They are shifting their labor and manufacturing facilities to the likes of China and India where the cost of labor is peanuts.

Savage, the radio personality, today, was criticizing liberals for not making appeal to prevent such a drastic move by Ford. However, he fails to remember that Bush is the leader of our country and he has the influence to start negotiations with the auto industry and remedy the situation.

Don't hold your breath. Bush won't say a damn thing about this issue. He generally sides with his special interests with deep pockets not middle America. See Haliburton.

Cheating

Does Texas senate canadidate Dan Patrick have two campaign web sites here and here? You make the call.

It's their scandal

A Republican scandal. Believe it!

Pass the handkerchief please

John Cobarruvias explains why the DeLay staff needs diapers.

South Texas Politcal Ads

There should be a law outlawing politcal ads. I live in the Rio Grande Valley and everywhere you drive you see all intersections and landscapes littered with thousands of candidates' photo ads posing as if running for a modeling contest. I can't help but laugh at this embarrassement.

Ok maybe I'm a little cynical, but these pictures are eye soars and they make our country look awful. (You remember that commercial that ran decades ago with an indian on a horse crying as he sees his country awashed in litter?) In addition, none seem to make a point about what they stand for.

I guess we are supposed to vote for the most ugliest.

Ruthless Bastards

Bush: Congressman, law scholar urge House to consider impeachment inquiry at hearing.

Frist: Samuel Alito was the "worst nightmare of liberal Democrats."

Rove: Rove camp 'frustrated' by uncertainty in CIA leak case.

DeLay: KRIV to air ad targeting DeLay.

Who reminds you of Bin Laden?

Tweety sounds like a loud drunk Osama Bin Laden...



Update: More than 23,000 people have visited this website today demanding media whore Matthews apologize to Moore.

Right wing bloggers attempt to discredit DeLay's poor poll results

Our friends to the right are going ape shit over the recent Houston Chronicle poll showing Rep. Tom DeLay trailing ex-Rep. Nick Lampson(D). They are congratulating each other over what they allegedly call a growing story widely criticized by (right-wing) bloggers. Lets just be honest here, conservatives hate the Chronicle here in Houston and why not use this opportunity to take a few pot shots at their beloved local paper.

Tom DeLay vs. the World claims to be ecstatic people are talking about this story. But just who are these people?

David Benzion at Lone Star Times breaks the news that Dr. David Hill will be on "Special Report with Brit Hume" tonight on Fox News Channel at 5pm Texas time to talk about the poll. Hill's interview has already been filmed, and Benzion was present for the interview, so he previews it.

Dr. Hill has a very good national reputation as a pollster, so it will be very interesting to see how he views the piece.

Dr. David Hill is a Republican pollster who has completed projects for well known political clients such as former Vice President Dan Quayle, Elizabeth Dole, Jeb Bush, Katherine Harris and Tom DeLay. Need I say more.

David Benzion, the managing editor at Lone Star Times, broke the news Dr. David Hill will be on Fox News. David Benzion just so happens to work for Dr. David Hill at Hill Research Consultants. David is also an employee of ultra-right wing KSEV and a volunteer for the Dan Patrick for Senate Campaign. Dan Patrick is is also a conservative talk-show host on KSEV and formed the web site Lone Star Times. Dan also created the now defunct Houston Chronicle bashing web site Chronically Biased.

National pollster Chris Wilson of Wilson Research Strategies criticized the survey's methodology and resulting coverage on KSEV yesterday.

Chris Wilson on unbiased KSEV? Wow! Any guest on KSEV should already raise a few eye brows.

Chris Elam (whose blog has been newly christened Texas Safety Forum) has had a few posts on this poll since even before the results were released.

Chris works for his daddy's Republican consulting firm Campaign Resources, Inc. A quick peek into his client list and you'll quickly see a laundry list of Republican politicians including Tom Delay.

I'm sure there are others involved in this growing story, but I'm sure you get the drift. It's just one big happy family.

Truth

Congressional "day traders"

Down right criminal!

After a comment by Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) on Air America's Majority Report Wednesday evening, RAW STORY has learned that House Democrats are pushing the ethics committee to investigate allegations of congressional offices providing privleged information to Wall Street investors.

On Air America, Slaughter alleged that "day traders" in the offices of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) had aided such investors. She mentioned as a specific example that individuals got advance notice that an asbestos bill was not going to emerge from the Senate (Audio here).

As similar article today in USA Today.

Oasma Bin Forgotten

As Bin Laden releases his new video (experts say it's actually six months old), we must all remember these famous words.

Bush: “So I don’t know where he is. You know, I just don’t spend that much time on him. … And, again, I don’t know where he is. I — I’ll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him.” [3/13/02]

Don't we all feel safer now. This video could not have come out at a better time for the repubs to further thier agenda of torture, spying on american citizens and the further removal of our civil liberties. Expect this to be their talking points on right wing radio, blogs and media.

Debates and $$

Pure entertainment.

Independent candidates for governor Carole Keeton Strayhorn and Kinky Friedman want to debate Gov. Rick Perry.

Perry, however, said he won't commit to a debate with the independent candidates until he is sure who he is up against in November.

Meanwhile, Kinky has outraised the Democratic candidates by a margin of 3-to-1:

Former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell raised $355,000 in the last six months, and one-time state Supreme Court Justice Bob Gammage collected $67,000, according to campaign finance reports filed Tuesday with the state.

By comparison, Mr. Friedman, the mystery novelist and singer-songwriter who's running his first race for statewide office, reported raising $1.5 million between July and December.

To bad he spent it all.

Gammage tours South Texas

Bob Gammage launches New Day for South Texas Valley
(“Un Nuevo Dia Para Sur de Tejas”) Tour. How about an A for effort?



Update: Wesley Clark and Bob Gammage to make a Houston appearance January 26. Brains and Eggs has the scoop!

Abramhoff attends White House staff meetings

History in the making...the most corrupt White House in History. No doubt about it.

The White House is refusing to reveal details of tainted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's visits with President Bush's staff.

Abramoff had "a few staff-level meetings" at the Bush White House, presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday. But he would not say with whom Abramoff met, which interests he was representing or how he got access to the White House.

Since Abramoff pleaded guilty two weeks ago to conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion charges in an influence-peddling scandal, McClellan has told reporters he was checking into Abramoff's meetings. "I'm making sure that I have a thorough report back to you on that," he said in his press briefing Jan. 5. "And I'll get that to you, hopefully very soon."

McClellan said Tuesday that he checked on it at reporters' requests, but wouldn't discuss the private staff-level meetings. He has said Abramoff attended three Hanukkah receptions at the White House, but corrected himself Tuesday to say there were only two — in 2001 and 2002. By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer

Oh my lord!

The most frightning show on television. Channel surfing can be very dangerous.

Gore fights back

Gore takes no shit from the Bushies.

The Administration's response to my speech illustrates perfectly the need for a special counsel to review the legality of the NSA wiretapping program.

The Attorney General is making a political defense of the President without even addressing the substantive legal questions that have so troubled millions of Americans in both political parties.

There are two problems with the Attorney General's effort to focus attention on the past instead of the present Administration's behavior. First, as others have thoroughly documented, his charges are factually wrong. Both before and after the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was amended in 1995, the Clinton/Gore Administration complied fully and completely with the terms of the law.

Second, the Attorney General's attempt to cite a previous administration's activity as precedent for theirs - even though factually wrong - ironically demonstrates another reason why we must be so vigilant about their brazen disregard for the law. If unchecked, their behavior would serve as a precedent to encourage future presidents to claim these same powers, which many legal experts in both parties believe are clearly illegal.

The issue, simply put, is that for more than four years, the executive branch has been wiretapping many thousands of American citizens without warrants in direct contradiction of American law. It is clearly wrong and disrespectful to the American people to allow a close political associate of the president to be in charge of reviewing serious charges against him.

The country needs a full and independent investigation into the facts and legality of the present Administration's program.

C&L has the false claims by Alberto Gonzalez from Larry King. When all fails blame Clinton.

Democrat activity

Will someone buy Gore a beer - that guy really put a pinch in today's GOP daily strategy. Gore afraid of the Republican machine, yeah right - only if other dems had his courage, the democratic party would have the majority. His slamming of Bush and the GOP on MLK day is the kind of spark that's missing from the Democratic strategy. (Hillary did also, but she voted for the war and the Patriot Act. and she's also a suck ass. I would never consider her as Pres.) Too bad his edgy persona is a little scary but his points are on target. Gore's speech implied impeachment, but Bush should have been impeached ions ago for the Iraq lie.

Murtha is another democrat that is making considerable intelligent, opposition chatter, but I think nonvoters and swingers see Murtha as an oldie and most democratic congressmen kind of step away from his views. Too bad b/c we could learn a lot from an oldie.

The Alito topic is boring and I get tired of seeing him on TV looking as if he just got out of bed. The Dems will do their normal pounce and then vote him in. Seen it before, no crystal ball needed. Let's move on.

Sh*t, did we just piss a missle in Pakistan. Is this type of activity the norm in our time? Do we really have the freedom to deliver a missle in any sovereign nation without a bitch from any congressmen and/or other nations? Where is the fuss? How much power should Bush have? I couldn't imagine if someone bombed our nation. It looks as if we'll just give Musharof (sp?) another billion in aid - out of the New Orleans fund or some other fund that the rich don't need - just to keep the riots down.

Iran will be interesting in the next few months. I'm only guessing that we'll bomb them also. It may be only a matter of time. Repubs don't need to lie for this preemptive strike. Too bad diplomacy won't have to be in the equation. In this case, the stars are aligning for the chicken hawks.

Bush caught lying on warrantless domestic wiretapping

“[T]he National Security Agency began sending a steady stream of telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and names to the F.B.I. in search of terrorists. The stream soon became a flood, requiring hundreds of agents to check out thousands of tips a month. But virtually all of them, current and former officials say, led to dead ends or innocent Americans,” the NYT reports.

Another one minute rant

from Avery Ant. What to Expect from George Bush in 2006.

While you're at it, watch "Who is George W. Bush?".

I'm a pure, unabashed, die-hard Democratic loyalist

I took the Democratic loyalty quiz and this is how I scored.

Your score is 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. You are a pure, unabashed, die-hard Democratic loyalist. You are appalled by the way Republicans are turning America into a theocratic, corpo-fascist police state, and you'd gladly walk through a furnace in a gasoline suit to elect a Democratic president. In your view, there is no higher form of patriotism than defending America against the Republican Party and every intolerant, puritanical, imperialistic, greed-mongering, Constitution-shredding ideal for which it stands.

Test your allegiance to the Democrats here.

Give a high five

to The View from 22. The correct liberal view.

A loss for DeLay if election held today

The news only gets worse for DeLay.

Only half of those who cast ballots for DeLay in 2004 said they will do so again. And while a fourth of the 2004 DeLay voters still aren't sure whom they will vote for this year, almost 20 percent have defected to other candidates.

Responding to the poll Saturday, DeLay spokeswoman Shannon Flaherty said the result is "contrary to the strong support we're seeing for Congressman DeLay throughout the district."

Keep dreaming Shannon. The media reports regarding indictments and ties to Abramhoff just makes your support in District 22 stronger and stronger. It's amazing. Just how do you do it?

Here how the other side spins it.



Update: Nick Lampson responds to the poll here.

MYDD has thoughts on the race...

Although Tom DeLay did have a relatively difficult time being reelected two years ago, winning by a fourteen point margin, it's stunning to see him gaining less than half the support today that he did on election day 2004. What's more, DeLay does not appear to have much breathing room these days, with a significant majority holding negative feelings about him.

In Texas' 22nd congressional district, as is the case in a number of districts, the GOP might be better off with a candidate other than the incumbent. Too bad for them, then, that former conservative Republican Congressman Stockman is running as an independent rather than as a primary challenger to DeLay. As it stands now, though, it's less and less clear how, exactly, DeLay would even be able to win another term.

War hero smeared

Scum!

Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), the former Marine who is an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq, has become the latest Democrat to have his Vietnam War decorations questioned.

In a tactic reminiscent of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth assault on Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) during the 2004 presidential campaign, a conservative Web site yesterday quoted Murtha opponents as questioning the circumstances surrounding the awarding of his two Purple Hearts.

CNSNEWS should drop this ridiculous story and go after the real story, the AWOL in Chief.


Not a hero

DeLay ad factual

The folks over at The Daily Delay are urging all to call four television stations to air the new DeLay ad. It appears the four Houston TV stations decided not to air the ad after a letter from a DeLay lawyer threatens to sue. Factcheck.org now says the ad is factual.

Text of Campaign for America’s Future Public Campaign Action Fund TV Ad: “Resign”

Narrator: Tom DeLay. Indicted for criminal money laundering.
(On screen: “Indicted in election
fund scheme. – Dallas Morning News, 09/29/05”)
Narrator: Pocketed tens of thousands in campaign contributions from indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
(On screen: “Over $57,000 from Jack Abramoff, associates and clients. – Associated Press, 01/04/06”)
Narrator: Forty-eight trips to golf resorts, 100 flights aboard company jets, 200 nights at world class resorts and hotels.
(On Screen: “48 golf trips, 100 flights, 200 nights – Associated Press 12/21/05”)
Narrator: One million dollars from Russian tycoons to allegedly influence his vote.
(On Screen: “$1,000,000 from Russians to allegedly influence his vote – Washington Post, 12/31/05”)
(On Screen: “Corruption”)
Narrator: One million dollars from Russian tycoons?
(On Screen: “Corruption Tom DeLay”)
Narrator: What else will we uncover about Tom DeLay?
(On Screen: “Tom DeLay Time to Resign from Congress”)
Narrator: It’s time for DeLay to resign.
(On Screen: "A message from Public Campaign Action Fund and Campaign for America ’s Future”)

Generally, I would call all four stations a bunch of wimps who caved to a politician gasping for air but annatopia took a good look at the station owners and I'm sure you will soon realize why these ads have not been aired to date. Whether the ad airs or not, Campaign for America's Future and the Public Campaign Action Fund have accomplished what these ads so often do. That is get national media attention with minimal airplay.

TRUTH SERUM ALERT

Rotten bananas

Congressman returns DeLay money

Funny how nobody wants his money now.

Some Connecticut charities will benefit from a congressional Republican leader's problems.

Second District Congressman Rob Simmons says he's donating more than $39,000 he has received from former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

Simmons says he's decided to donate the money he received from DeLay's political action committees to local charities.

Simmons has also joined other Republican House members in calling for new leadership elections later this month.

Beware of what you do, it may come back to haunt you.

Lowering the bar

and it's not even spring break...



Also, say hola to P! , yes P! P! truly is a Populist, a Pacifist, Passionate and Pragmatic. And damn proud of it!

Tell the truth and I'll sue

DeLay is threatning to sue any TV station that runs a new TV ad critical of him. (From Think Progress via TPM)

Update: Watch the ad.

It's a great ad and I hope the television stations don't wimp out to his ridiculous threat.

Update: The word is the stations will not run the ad with one station still thinking about it. Damn Pansies. I don't recall them thinking twice before running the swift boat liar ads that smeared Kerry. I've given up hope on the Liberal media!

Eavesdropping by the NSA could be in the millions

Someone is lying here. Guess who?

President Bush has admitted that he gave orders that allowed the NSA to eavesdrop on a small number of Americans without the usual requisite warrants.

But Tice disagrees. He says the number of Americans subject to eavesdropping by the NSA could be in the millions if the full range of secret NSA programs is used.

"That would mean for most Americans that if they conducted, or you know, placed an overseas communication, more than likely they were sucked into that vacuum," Tice said.

The same day The New York Times broke the story of the NSA eavesdropping without warrants, Tice surfaced as a whistleblower in the agency. He told ABC News that he was a source for the Times' reporters. But Tice maintains that his conscience is clear.

"As far as I'm concerned, as long as I don't say anything that's classified, I'm not worried," he said. "We need to clean up the intelligence community. We've had abuses, and they need to be addressed." - ABC News

Why should merely annoying someone be illegal?

Thanks to the Bubbleboy, it is now a federal crime to annoy someone on the internets. Our civil liberties are slowly eroding as our lawmakers place law in unrelated legislaton. What an a-hole. -Signed anonymous

It's illegal to annoy

A new federal law states that when you annoy someone on the Internet, you must disclose your identity. Here's the relevant language.

"Whoever...utilizes any device or software that can be used to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet... without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person...who receives the communications...shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."

Annoy.com

Beware trolls!

'Give me 2 more years before the judge gives me 5 to 10.'

Congressman Tom DeLay, who has been indicted, has officially filed for re-election. Did you hear his campaign slogan? 'Give me 2 more years before the judge gives me 5 to 10.'—Jay Leno

Tom DeLay vs. the World

Tom says it's all one big Democratic conspiracy. Yeah, tell all nine Republican elected judges on Texas Court of Criminal Appeals who on Monday denied Rep. Tom DeLay's request that the money laundering charges against him be dismissed or sent back to a lower court for an immediate trial. It just gets wackier by the day. And the fact that people actually stood behind him in support for Sunday's press conference says a lot about his supporters.

I can almost imagine the invitations to attend the sudden press conference. "You will attend my press conference or I will send one of Ambramhof's goons to break your leg. Don't forget the trip to Hawaii and the free rounds of golf"

Okay, I have a crazy imagination...

It really is Tom DeLay vs. the World.

Time: Never a Texas Two-Step

New Time Online story hot off the press.

When legal and ethical questions began spinning around House majority leader Tom DeLay last year, President George W. Bush was publicly supportive. Privately, though, he questioned his fellow Texan's mojo. Bush had scored 10 points higher than DeLay in the Representative's district in 2004, and that was only after Bush had recorded a telephone message to help rally local Republicans. "I can't believe I had to do robocalls for him," the President said bitingly to an Oval Office visitor.

WILLIAM PHILPOTT / REUTERS

It's ok go ahead and quit

The local Orkin man should be a little nervous.

“DeLay told the Chronicle Saturday that in recent days he discussed his situation with GOP leaders, including Hastert, and considered several options, including resigning from Congress. In the end he decided against quitting Congress because ‘I still have a lot to contribute to the Houston-Galveston area.’” Think Progress

Take two with your daily dose of truth serum.

Why the Hammer broke

DeLay says he is has abandoned his bid to remain as House majority leader though most say he never had really has a chance to return anyway.

In a letter to rank-and-file Republicans, DeLay said, "During my time in Congress, I have always acted in an ethical manner within the rules of our body and the laws of our land. I am fully confident time will bear this out."

At the same time, "I cannot allow our adversaries to divide and distract our attention," the Texas Republican wrote.

Here's why...

There's an important point here which is so obvious that one might miss it. For years, a decade really, Tom DeLay has helped run the Republican Congress like a thug. It was way back in 1999 when DeLay earned his first slap from the ethics committee for "threatening a Washington trade association with retaliation for hiring a prominent Democrat as its president." It was crystal clear at that moment, if not well before, what kind of operation DeLay was running. But DeLay's power only grew from there, and that action, far from tempering DeLay's behavior, expanded into a massive, unabashed racket called the K Street Project which has become such an entrenched part of Washington that is has its own website for all to see. From there, DeLay went on to collect three ethics admonishments in 2004. Not a single Republican came out for his removal at that point. He then went on to be indicted in Texas, even as stories of his spectacular pay-for-play partnership with Jack Abramoff were streaming out in the media. And still, hardly a single Republican called for DeLay's permanent removal from Leadership, all content for him to continue running the show and twisting arms behind the scenes. For all those years, the Republicans were more than happy to ride the DeLay, Inc. gravy train and vote as he told them.

So what was it that finally got Republicans to revolt, and to ask for new Leadership? Was it the revelation of some action or behavior that took his corruption to new levels? Was it a spontaneous, collective crisis of the conscience?

No. It was a plea bargain by Jack Abramoff. No new information came out about DeLay himself.

DeLay was not kicked out for what he had done. He was kicked out for getting caught.

Update: C&L has the video of his outgoing press conference (campaign rally) in Sugar Land.

Whistle stop tour of Texas officially kicks-off Gammage Campaign

Bob Gammage kicks off whistle stop tour in Suar land.

'DeLay Inc.' = Scandals

Ouch!

Representative Tom DeLay's campaign to get Republicans to dominate Washington lobbying may have worked too well for Alexander Strategy Group.

The firm has links to no fewer than three of the scandals convulsing the U.S. capital. One partner, former DeLay aide Tony Rudy, is now a focus of a federal investigation of lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The group's founder, former DeLay chief of staff Ed Buckham, set up a South Korea junket for his old boss that violated ethics rules. And the firm represents a company whose owner, prosecutors allege, bribed former Representative Randy Cunningham.

Double ouch!

About two dozen Republicans have promised to sign a petition calling for elections to permanently replace Rep. Tom DeLay as majority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, aides said on Friday.

"We have commitments for about 25 signatures. The letter calls for a leadership election for a permanent majority leader," said Matthew Specht, a spokesman for Rep. Jeff Flake, a conservative Arizona Republican.

It's so nice to have friends

like Why Are We Back In Iraq? , The People's Republic of Seabrook and The Jeffersonian.

Tom DeLay thought he could screw the law but the law screwed back

Yep he said it alright...

“How many Republicans do you have on your staff?”

“Beats me,” I replied. “I don’t ask their party affiliation.”

“Why not?”

“Because this is the private sector Mr. DeLay. It’s illegal to ask political affiliation and even more illegal to use that affiliation as criteria for hiring.”

“Fuck the law,” Delay snapped back. “I don’t give a rat’s ass about the law.”

Things get tougher for DeLay

Like Strayhorn, Steve Stockman is set to split the Republican vote in District 22. That is if Delay is still around on election day.

Dump the trash

Don't we all have friends like Jack?

From the masters of disasters Crooks and Liars.

Deguerin was on "The Abrams Report," to discuss Tom Delay's relationship with Jack Abramoff. He was steadfast in telling us that although Jack was a crook to the worst degree, good old Tom stood by his friends. Wouldn't you?

Dan listed all the quality time Tom spent with Jack and asked:
Dan:...are you concerned?

Dick: There's no question that they are friends and Tom Delay's not the kind of person that's going to turn his back on a friend that's in trouble---Tom Delay is not going to abandon Jack Abramoff just because Abramoff has done some illegal things...

Video-WMP Video-QT

Don't we all have friends like Jack? Where is the truth serum when we need it?

Freeway blogger impeach

really isn't it time...

www.freewayblogger.com

"Hook 'em Horns"

How good are the Horns? National Champs and a Wheaties box...



I fuckin' luv em'.

Six months from now

or sooner...

Return the dirty money

Dearest Tom,

In December, you refused to return donations from several of convicted Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham's (R-CA) named co-conspirators. Now it seems the Washington, DC lobbyist you have referred to as one of your "closest friends" is pleading guilty to corruption charges. That lobbyist is obviously Jack Abramoff who footed the bill as you accompanied him on two exotic golf trips. MSNBC reports that you have received $57,000 from Jack Abramoff and his associates. This is in addition to the more than $30,000 that Congressman Cunningham's co-conspirators have donated to you or your political action committees. According to the Galveston Daily News your staff said they would start looking for local charities to give Abramoff's money to -- but that's not nearly good enough. You should return all the money from everyone involved in Capitol Hill corruption. To return the donation of one crook and keep the donations of several others is not a good faith effort to make right with the voters of this district. I encourage you to do the right thing and return the funds you have received from both the Cunningham co-conspirators and Jack Abramoff.

Southeast Texans are increasingly embarrassed by your association with these criminals. It is imperative that you send the right message to your constituents, and return this money, which is reportedly in excess of $80,000. A failure to do so would exhibit an unthinkable impropriety for a sitting Member of Congress.

I look forward to hearing that you have done the right thing and returned these donations.

Signed by:
Truth Serum

Sign the petition.

Per the Lampson campaign, DeLay's staff said they would start looking for local charities to return $15,000 of the Abramoff money to.

Wanted: Bloggers

Eddie at The Red State has a new look and is looking for contributors to help the site grow. If you are interested pay him a visit or just stop by and say howdy.

Democrats united behind Lampson

The Democratic Party is united behind Nick Lampson. Can you honestly say the same about the republicans and Tom DeLay?


Nick Lampson & Richard Morrison at Monday's announcement event.

Kill them there so we don't have to kill them here

even if they are children...all in the name of democracy...

A U.S. air strike killed several members of a family in the oil refining town of Baiji in northern Iraq, Iraqi security forces said on Tuesday.

The U.S. military, responding to an inquiry, said aircraft had targeted a house after three men suspected of planting a roadside bomb were seen entering the building late on Monday.

The military statement made no mention of casualties and said Iraqi police had handled the scene after the attack.

Local people at the scene of the blast said seven bodies were recovered from the rubble, including at least two children.

A police official in the regional capital Tikrit said six people were killed and three wounded, although an official at the Joint Coordination Centre, which liaises between U.S. and Iraqi forces in Salahaddin province, said 14 died. - Reuters

"Closest and dearest friends” - How about a big hug?

Cross-posted from the one and only Think Progress.

Rep. Tom DeLay is likely to face more legal problems as fallen lobbyist Jack Abramoff — one of his “closest and dearest friends” — cooperates with federal prosecutors.

But while DeLay will try to distance himself from Abramoff, the camera doesn’t lie. Watch it:

For more on DeLay’s involvement in the Abramoff scandal, click here.

Tex politics is getting exciting.

Kuff has done his homework and lists the lineup of the top filings of the Texas Democratic Ticket.

In other news, Carole Keeton Strayhorn decides to run as an independent. Chris says her career is over and others say it just makes the race that much more interesting. While her career is not over, she never really had a chance but running as a independent does add a little spice to the race. Perry crunched some some numbers and things may actually look for a Democratic win.

And for the really strange...Steve Stockman has filed to run as an independent in Texas CD 22, better know as DeLay's district.

Military support slipping for Bush

If this poll falls below 50 percent, consider him toast

Support for President Bush and for the war in Iraq has slipped significantly in the last year among members of the military’s professional core, according to the 2005 Military Times Poll.

Approval of the president’s Iraq policy fell 9 percentage points from 2004; a bare majority, 54 percent, now say they view his performance on Iraq as favorable. Support for his overall performance fell 11 points, to 60 percent, among active-duty readersof the Military Times newspapers. Though support both for President Bush and for the war in Iraq remains significantly higher than in the public as a whole, the drop is likely to add further fuel to the heated debate over Iraq policy. In 2003 and 2004, supporters of the war in Iraq pointed to high approval ratings in the Military Times Poll as a signal that military members were behind President Bush’s the president’s policy.

The poll also found diminished optimism that U.S. goals in Iraq can be accomplished, and a somewhat smaller drop in support for the decision to go to war in 2003.

Very bad company

Yeah right not swayed...and Billy never got a blow job...

but:

$1 million in 1998 from a London law firm that was channeled from two Russian oil executives. The executives denied the transaction ever took place, but a former president of the U.S. Family Network said he was told money was to influence DeLay's position on a possible tax increase in Russia. DeLay spoke out against the possible increase, which was tied to potential international loans to bail out Russia's troubled economy.

I smell bullshit and it is not on my shoes.


"I'll lie for you if you'll lie for me"

The Doofus marches on

BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLICANS

Mine eyes have seen the bungling of that stumbling moron Bush;
he has blathered all the drivel that the neocons can push;
he has lost sight of all reason 'cause his head is up his tush;
The Doofus marches on.

I have heard him butcher syntax like a kindergarten fool;
There is warranted suspicion that he never went to school;
Should we fault him for the policies - or is he just their tool?
The lies keep piling on.

Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
His wreckage will live on.

I have seen him cut the taxes of the billionaires' lone heir;
As he spends another zillion on an aircraft carrier;
Let the smokestacks keep polluting - do we really need clean air?
The surplus is now gone.

Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'l l Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Your safety net is gone!

Now he's got a mighty hankerin' to bomb a prostrate state;
Though the whole world knows its crazy - and the U.N. says to wait;
When he doesn't have the evidence, "We must prevaricate."
Diplomacy is done!

Oh, a trumped-up war is excellent; we have no moral bounds;
Should the reasons be disputed, we'll just make up other grounds;
Enraging several billions - to his brainlessness redounds;
The Doofus marches on!

Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
The Doofus marches on! AHNC