Republicans go negative -- on one another

Not only did the GOP lose seats in the last election, but now they are losing respect for one another. It seems as Bush is becoming even more unpopular that more and more Republicans are trying to distance themselves from the principles that the Bush administration has portrayed. In a time when they (Republicans) should be working together, they seem to be trying to step on each others to keep their heads above the water.

Law and Order's Other 2008 Presidential Character: Sam Waterson

Since I already blogged about Congress for the week, I thought I'd pass this interesting little story along. Sam Waterson, or Jack McCoy as he's called on Law and Order. The gray-haired, opinionated, and independent-minded actor doesn't care for the partisan extremism of the two major parties and their primary systems. Interestingly enough, though, he doesn't want to see an end to either party, just a variation in the way we think about them. He is the current spokesman for a group called Unity '08. What is this all about? Well, basically, it's an effort to create a Presidential ticket with a Democrat AND a Republican. That's right, if the presidential nominee for Unity is a Dem, his VP has to be GOP and vice-versa. All of the convention selection process and everything takes place over the internet through online voting. The group has a fair amount of money and it does threaten both parties in that the candidates will most likely be centrists. Interestingly, these candidates don't have to appease the extreme right and left bases of their respective parties to win the primaries; they just have to get along with moderates from either party. Also, this leaves the door open to moderates that are currently running for President for a major party. McCain said yesterday that he'd hire a Democrat for his cabinet, but would he take a Democrat as a running mate should he lose the Republican primary? What about Giuliani? Neither hold traditional Republican positions on choice, gay rights, etc... Likewise, would Clinton, Obama, or Edwards choose to go this route after a loss early in the Democratic primaries? The possibilities are endless! The most interesting part is that no new party is formed, just a combo of the big two. Here's the Unity '08 site if you want more information on it: www.unity08.com

Murtha: Four Ways to Influence a President. One is Impeachment.

Yes, impeachment. Bush's handling of the Iraq war has an approval rating of 24%. 64% of Americans believe in setting some sort of timetable(CBS/NY TIMES poll 4/20-24, 07). Similarly, Democrats in Congress, particularly John Murtha (D-PA), are growing increasingly dissatisfied with the war in Iraq and the Bush Administration's handling of it. They've attempted to get out of Iraq with a spending bill that contained a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops, which Bush vows to veto. Murtha says if Bush isn't listening and remains unwilling to compromise, impeachment is the next option available to the Democrats.
Is it a legitimate threat? Absolutely. Will it work? Doubtful. Democrats care too much about 2008 to try a stunt like this. I have not supported this war from the day it began and I'd love to see it come to a quick end. However, a failed impeachment proceeding hurts Democrats nationwide in 2008, likely hurting the chances of electing a Democratic President and a legitimate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Remember, Bush, himself, has said he doesn't believe the conflict will be near its end when he leaves office. Let the next President deal with it. It's too difficult of an issue to deal with, especially with an approval rating in the 30's and nearing the end of his term. There is just no graceful exit for the United States and that is apparent in the national conversation happening right now.

Bush Tells Immigrant Graduates to Solve Immigration Problem

Because Bush cannot seek re-election in 2008, he feels no great pressure to remain perfectly aligned with conservative ideology, resulting in Bush proposing an extensive illegal immigrant amnesty worker program that he predicted would pass with a Democratic majority. However, enough Republicans held the conservative line and voted against Bush’s program to prevent passage. It logically follows that because the veto can be used only to maintain the status quo and not change policy, Bush will attempt to perform external lobbying by further shaping public opinion on the immigration issue. Of particular note is that Bush spoke to what may be the single largest group of conservative immigrant graduates in the nation (though it was only 1,500) to suggest how they might apply their American education to solve America’s immigration problem. It is notable that Bush went to a border state to select the university because Miami Dade has a large proportion working-class minorities who value family and faith, the latter of which is one of the most effective applications of sophistry in terms of convincing others that your opinion is right. My apologies to any religious folks…But Miami Dade College graduates on average have precisely the ideal qualities that Bush wants the American public believe that most illegal immigrants possess, despite entering the country ILLEGALLY! My apologies to any illegal immigrants who might be reading this…Nothing personal, but I have to take a stance on this.

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Iraq is the gift that just never seems to end. With Gen. Petraeus coming over to Capital Hill to discuss this fine "engagement" with the House and Senate and a legally mandated withdrawal date looming ever more likely, the Administration is becoming ever more "strident". What this really means is that they have no idea what on earth they are doing... which seems par for the course of this Administration. I am not usually in favor of Congressional meddling in Executive affairs, but this time it has become necessary for the good of the nation. What we really need is someone of the capacity of FDR or Winston Churchill in the Oval Office these days, then at least we could fight a war and Congress could take a nap.

House panel votes to subpoena Rice on Iraq

On a party line vote, the House of Representatives' Oversight and Government Reform Committee directed Rice to appear before the panel next month. Republicans are calling it a fishing expedition, but Dems are saying they just want to ask questions and to explain herself. This is a good example of the accountability in our American politics. In another country many politicians could simply refuse despite any wishes from their colleleagues in the government.

I Learn From Mistakes

That's what Harry Reid wants to make clear in his opposition to the Iraq War. Initially, Reid was supportive of the war and was against the Feingold-Kerry bill that would have set a time-table for US withdrawal. However, a number of issues ranging from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center to the report that Iraq had devolved into civil war pushed Reid to believe he needed to do something differently. Recently Reid said the war could not be won militarily, but rather only through diplomacy. This seems to be along the same line of reasoning that many Americans have considered as support for the war continues to drop at home.

Pelosi Won't Attend Briefing on Iraq

Gen. David Petraeus is scheduled to come to the Hill tomorrow to brief lawmakers on the progress of the recent troop escalation. This is set to happen as the House and Senate prepare to vote on the Iraq spending bill. ABC News has learned, however, that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will not attend the briefing.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, called the decision "irresponsible" and said it constituted a "dereliction of duty." But by the end of the day, Pelosi's office changed course and scheduled a briefing for members of the House for Wednesday, April 25.
The office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the senator would attend the classified briefing with senators on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

I wonder why they will not give the reason that she will not attend....but they make very clear that she met with him to discuss matters in length over the telephone. What is up Pelosi's sleeve...if nothing else she knows she is causing alot of conflict for a lot of people.

Bridging a Divide -- and Crossing an Ocean

This article, from the Washington Post, talks about a congressional trip to the Middle East, organized by Nancy Pelosi. The trip has been criticized as "bad behavior" and an attempt to "embarrass the president". Representative David Hobson (R-Ohio) has also received criticism for being the sole republican on the trip. I think Hobson makes an excellent point when he says "It is important for lawmakers from both parties to travel together to lend credibility to the trip and present a cohesive message to foreign governments". I really don't understand how these actions have insulted the president and I think it makes a far better rapport and reputation for the United States when Congress is more hands on and involved. It's crucial for our Representatives and Senators to understand the full situation in the Middle East since they are the ones proposing the legislation that will, in turn, greatly affect the people of the Middle East.

Kohl amendment extending SeniorCare likely to be vetoed

This is an interesting move for our senior senator from WI. The majority of what I hear from people is they really want senior care to stay and it is a great program, but now people will be in conflict because it is attacked to an Iraq bill. I am interested to see the frenzy that this has the potential to cause.

Doyle lobbies for more UW funds

Wisconsin currently spends the same amount of money on prisons than it does on universities. Governor Doyle is proposing $178 million dollars for UW colleges. This is interesting because in his first term Doyle completely slashed the budget for Universities. UW Milwaukee will stand to gain 9 million dollars if the budget passes. What do you think the school plans on spending the money on? Parking? More computer labs? Nope, it wants to compete with UW Madison and spend the money on research and get their $143 million dollar new school of engineering off the ground.

here's the mccain article

i forgot to add the link

Sen. McCain gets tough on global warming & foreign oil reliance

John McCain is aggressively pushing his stance on global warming and foreign oil reliance. He is trailing other Rep. presidential hopefuls in both the polls and fundraising. He believes national security goes hand-in-hand with energy security. He believes by relying so much on foreign sources of oil, we are in turn financing the terrorists we are fighting against. His language is very strong on the issue and is quite surprising for a republican. Many republicans, the Bush administraion include, have gone out of their way to discount global warming and our nation's reliance on oil. It will be interesting to see the effects on his overall fundraising efforts after this.

Bill Clinton: World Ambassador

Sen. Clinton announced at a rally this weekend that she would make Bill Clinton a roaming ambassador to the world if she were elected president. She believes Bill can do some good repairing America's image on the world stage. She cites his work on the post-tsuanmi relief as an example of the work he had done since leaving the white house. It will be fascinating to see the outcome of a possible Hillary Clinton presidency.

Senate Majority Leader says War Withdrawl Bill to be passed soon

The Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, has said that despite a promised veto from the President, that a bill to pull troops out of Iraq starting in October, will be passed in just days. The war spending bill goes over the funding of the war and stipulates that troops be pulled out. The goal will be to begin pulling troops out October 1, and be completely out six months after that.

Boris Yeltsin, RIP

I see where Boris Yeltsin has passed away. For those of you who do not remember the fall of the USSR in 1991 he played a very key part in the whole ordeal. My condolences to his family and to Russia on the passing of what has to be the most important figure of the early 90's. I will never forget the fall of the USSR and the tanks strolling by the Kremlin, next to the 9/11 attacks and the fall of the Berlin Wall, this is one of the most important events of my life. Thank you, Boris! You did more for humanity than most and history will accord you that honor of decency for doing so. Maybe I will go out and have a shot of vodka (which I never drink) in his honor.

Lobbyists Profit From Power Shift In Congress

This article seems fitting because we talked about lobbyists in our last lecture. This story is interesting because the number of registered lobbyists has grown from 2,232 from 1,222 earlier in the year. According to the article, Republican lobbyists are keeping their jobs and Democratic lobbyists are being hired. The reason for the increase to try to figure out the agenda of the Democratic leadership in Congress on issues. The question, then remains why keep the Republican lobbyists then? The answer is simple-because Republicans that have remained in Congress can be important to blocking certain legislation from passing.

House Approves A Full D.C. Seat

This article announces proposed legislation to add two seats to the U.S. House: one for D.C. and one for Utah, the next state in line up for a representative. The bill is greatly supported by the Democrats. Many of the Republican representatives, however, argue the bill is unconstitutional due to the constitutional requirement that reps come from states. The White House has threatened a veto on the bill and it is suspected that it will eventually end up in court. All the same, "Supporters called the bill's passage their biggest victory since 1978".
I think this is very important legislation and it will be very interesting to see how it all pans out. The article makes a very good point that a rep for D.C. would lead to increased representation for many people, not to mention multimillionnaires. I think it's pretty ironic that our nation's center for politics is struggling for increased representation.

Expectant House Member Is a Congressional Rarity

Question: Is representation of the public in general hurt because of the gift/burden women endure to have children? Is it insane for a member of Congress to be expecting? What does a baby on board do to hurt or help this Congressperson, her district, and the country as a whole, if anything?

Congress Skeptical of Warhead Plan

The Bush administration's current stance on a nuclear weapons plan has garnered substantial opposition from members of the House and Senate. Some individuals are worried about the possible responses from the international community about this nuclear warhead plan such as an arms race. I believe that a new plan for such weapons would be unsettling for some members of the international community but I have not decided where I fully stand on the issue because I do not know the nuclear policies of all the countries in the international community.

Renzi Resigns from Intelligence Chair

This article is about Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ 1st) resigning as Chair of the House Intelligence Committee following the initiation of a federal investigation on financial transactions he may have authorized. If it is fact that the land swap deal he made through using his wife’s company and the legislation that would have benefited his father’s military contractor company were planned and enacted by the Renzil, then this nails the responsibility for the corruption squarely on his head. When juxtaposed with this situation, third-party financing of vacations for MCs seems more tolerable due to congressional self-serving bills creating a more polarized perspective closer to extreme unacceptability. Hence, gifts to MCs come closer to the median preference in congressional perks considered to be permissible. If Renzi is found to be culpable, he should be recalled to discourage other MCs from initiating such deals and instead limit their perk-grabbing behavior to accepting gifts from others and engaging in official business that might be minimally funded through taxes.

MCs from Both Sides Dip Into Taxes for Vacations

This article describes how MCs from both parties enjoy mixed business-pleasure trips funded by others. I opine that this is not a substantial problem unless taxes are used to pay for more than a small portion of the trip such as passport fees. Such instances as the ones mentioned in the article should be grounds for recall, but the insidious way in which MCs tie such trips into anything and everything related to their legislative duties, such as lobbying other possible players in implementing and enforcing the bills, prevents members of the House Judiciary Committee and most others from thinking it to be a grievous offence, especially compared to other behaviors of elected officials that have not been punished (such as misleading the public on life-or-death matters).

"Obscure Procedural Fights" Does it Get Any Better?

Yes. Obscure procedural fights, the stuff blogs dream about. Remember when the Democrats were in the minority in Congress? They used every little thing they could muster to limit what went through. The minority party in the House has a microscopic amount of power, so they had to get creative. Check out this article on procedural motions sending bills back to committee. The same Republicans that decried this as "silly" now use it as a tool at their disposal against the Democratic majority. To be fair, a number of Democrats need to cross-over and vote with the Republicans on certain issues for this to work.

Mazel Tov Tommy

You would think a person who has been in politics for so long would know better than to say what Tommy Thompson said in a speech Monday. I don't think he appeals to the median voter of the Jewish community anymore. Stereotyping is like the cardinal sin of all politics, and Tommy just shot himself in the foot with that one. Something are just better to be thought and not said.

Will Virginia shootings spur Congress to Act?

There is a lot of talk about how these shooting will affect gun control laws. I dont forsee any thing to come into action in this congress but who knows. I feel as though congress has enough food on their plate, that even if legislation is written, it will either die in committee or take way too long to make it through all the steps we talked about Tuesday in class. This could be an interesting way though, for a freshman member of congress to get noticed....what do you guys think?

Liberals to Pelosi: Hey! We're Still Here!

Liberal Democrats have been patient with the Pelosi style of leadership, understanding, but not overly pleased with the Party's shift toward the middle. The largest caucus in the Party at 72 members, The Progressive Caucus of these liberal Democrats is a powerful portion of Pelosi's House . They want to know when Congress will act on the issues they care about. Specifically, they point to Pelosi's dealings with the Blue Dog Democrats, the more conservative branch of the Party. She has bent over backwards to provide them with everything they need to preserve their seats in 2008 at the expense of the liberal legislative desires of The Progressive Caucus. It's no wonder this is the strategy, though. People perceived Democrats as more liberal than they actually were in previous election cycles. A visible move to the middle should help build a better, stronger majority in the future right? Ah, the median voter...

Guard, Reserve leaders speak before Senate

This article goes through some of the effects the BRAC has had on Air Force guard and reserve units. There is also a short piece about the closing of the 440th at Gen. Billy Mitchell International Airport and their move to Pope AFB N.C. The article also briefly addresses the Guard and reserves need and want for more money and their plans for recapitalization of old airframes and equipment.

Is it Political?

Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs was given a technical foul and was ejected from the game for laughing, while he was sitting on the bench. Referee Joey Crawford is the one who made the call, and he will be the one who will have to asnwer for it. The reason I bring this up is because the Spurs were playing the top ranked team the Dallas Mavericks, at at the point in the game when Duncan was given the T, the Spurs were in the lead. Some how the Mavs pulled it off. I guess i could see if there was trash talking going on, but even then, at what point to you limit people? First Imus, now Duncan. I know there is a huge difference, but whatever happen to Free Speech? I will be looking forward to seeing what will happen in the future, and what will happen in the playoffs.

GOP presidential candidates distance themselves from Bush

This article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel talks about the balancing act that Republican Presidential hopefuls have to deal with. Because Bush is so unpopular no one wants to embrace him, yet they can't really criticize him either. Republicans are known for traditionally valuing loyalty to their leaders. This is difficult when reporters ask direct questions, such as, how would your presidency differ from that of President Bush? Most Republicans can agree that voters are looking for something new in 2008.

Betwen Obama and Clinton for the Dems

Between the two candidates, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton they have raised over $43 million dollars. And this is just the start, Clinton has over $7 million she can only have access to if she get the nomination. In this report, Barack Obama still has the advantage because just over half of his 104,000 contributors have maxed out ther $2300 donation, furthermore he will still get the other half of their money down the road, Clinton however is not out of it, she has borrowed or "transfered" $10 million from her senate campaign fund. What does this mean? It means the democratic supporters are spending millions of dollars all hoping to get a Democrat in the Whitehouse. Do you think it will happen? Whats your stance on the Demorcrat and Republican candidates?

Romney, Giuliani Have Money to Burn

This article lists the huge amounts of money being spent thus far in order to become the next president. "Republican presidential front-runner Rudolph W. Giuliani spent $5.7 million on his campaign during the first three months of the year, campaign aides said yesterday, leaving him with more than $10.8 million to spend". "The presidential candidates from both parties have shattered fundraising records this year as they prepare to wage what observers say could easily be the nation's first billion-dollar election."
Does anybody else see this as being completely ridiculous? All we hear about is lowering the deficit and all of the spending on the Iraqi war but hey lets spend $5.7 on a campaign in the first 3 months! I think this amount of money is completely out of control for a campiagn that hasn't even passed the primaries yet. It will be really interesting to see what the final costs are at the end of the upcoming election.

Gonzales: I have nothing to hide

Alberto Gonzales has been fighting to save his job with the Senate because of allegations that he improperly fired eight United States attorney. Republican Senators have claimed that Gonzales has yet to "shore up his credibility amid shifting explanations of his role in the dismissals." Gonzales has claimed that he has nothing to hide and yet he claims he has a hazy memory about the role he played in firing them. The Senate has reasons to believe the firings were politically motivated and that Gonzales has something to hide and he probably does. He just wouldn't not remember why eight attorneys got fired, there is something that he is not saying.

Cheny thinks Democrats will Drop Timetables

Vice-President Dick Cheny thinks that Democrats will drop legislation requiring timetables for troops to withdrawl because President Bush will veto any legislation with timetables on it and Democracts do not have enough support to override a presidental veto. Cheny is claiming that the Democrats will blink, but top Democratic leadership has claimed that they will not blink. Democrats think that they are in power because voters in November were not happy with the war and now Democrats are trying to make voters happy with the war. What is interesting is that Democrats think Republicans will blink and either jump ship to side with the Democrats or loose their seats in elections.

House Hesitates on Ethics Changes

This article describes how the Democratic majority in the House is hesitant to make changes to ethics enforcement in Congress even though they were pushing for it rather strongly months ago. Democrats used the term "culture of corruption" to describe the activities of the previous Republican-majority House, but are now hesitating to go forward with the idea of having an outiside entity monitor the activites of the House in addition to the House Ethics committee. This issue is a matter of trust and accountability between citizens and the respresentatives they put in office. I think that some U.S. citizens would be pleased with the idea of an outside entity monitoring the activities of their representatives to reduce corruption. A certain amount of trust goes along with being put in a Congressional position though. Can representatives do their jobs fully when they are worried about an outside entity monitoring them? In addition, what are the limits to this monitoring? I don't see the House going ahead with this idea.

NASA Causes Turnabout on Fiscal Responsibility

This article describes congressional resistance to saving $20,000,000 that would be freed up if a lunar robotics office in Huntsville, AL were to be closed. In a move opposing their own usual fiscal conservatism, the majority of opposition to the closing was expressed by Republican members of Congress. It should be noted that no member of Congress mentioned jobs as an incentive to keep the office open, thereby limiting the scope of excuses that could be used to keep that money vacuum open.
If even half the money the House allocates to NASA were spent on population control, the potentially tangible and economic benefits of space exploration would all but become moot. Why such a strong push for such egregious expenditures on space programs that so far have limited very limited dividends? Rational choice theory posits that those members of Congress who vote to allocate more funding to NASA (at an extravagant $16,623,000,000 in 2006) than to the Office of Family Planning (at a mere $283,103,000 in 2006) <> derive more benefit from the NASA programs than they do from the Department of Health and Human Services’ OFP programs. What could this benefit be? Most of the benefit probably is from the campaign financing bestowed by aerospace corporations, but a more obscure but possible benefit is the discovery of a different, very efficient type of fuel that could also be conveniently used to power more destructive weapons. It will be an even greater bonus if we discover a planet with different organisms we could condition to do our bidding while we deplete their resources…A space adventure with a happy ending!

Amendment to FISA Proposed

This article describes an amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978, proposed by intelligence and Justice Department officials through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), that would expand the legal definition of those who can be the subject of warrantless surveillance to include not only current non-US persons clearly linked to terrorist organizations or to governments harboring terrorist organizations but also the following:
1. Non-US persons evidenced as perpetrating and/or plotting proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)
2. Non-US persons suspected (without a clear link) of having a relation with a militant group or with any non-US government
Of course this broad pool includes everyone on the planet who is either not a U.S. citizen or not a hermit unaffiliated with any government. I expect an amendment that would limit the scope of the definition pretty close to its current breadth, perhaps expanding warrantless surveillance subjects to include those evidenced as proliferating WMDs. That type of amendment to the proposed amendment would likely be the median vote because the need for evidence beyond a gut feeling is what will shape perceptions of most members of Congress that that particular addition will be more difficult to abuse than the other proposed definitional expansion. Current opponents of the PATRIOT Act are likely to coalition to prevent any more latitude in permitting domestic spying.

Kerry and Gingrich Hugging Trees -- and (Almost) Each Other

This article discusses the global-warming debate this past Tuesday between Newt Gingrich and John Kerry. It was expected to be a "smack-down and a prize fight" but Gingrich surprisingly positioned himself on Kerry's side. Gingrich even presented former negative remarks made by Kerry regarding Gingrich's environmental position while Speaker of the House. By the end of the debate, "for a brief but terrifying moment, they appeared to be on the verge of a hug."

It is very obvious the Gingrich is widening and changing his political positions due to his presidential campaign. "When Kerry was running for president in 2004, Gingrich said the senator "thrashed and smeared and lied about U.S. soldiers" and was guilty of "consistent distortion over and over and over again on every front."" I think it is really ridiculous the way politicians will change their stance on such crucial issue just for the votes. I realize that is how you get elected in the country but it really makes you wonder why people pursue political positions. Is it for the chance to change or improve a situation that you truely care about or is it soley about the title?

congress and morals???

Since when did the Congress become the ultimate moral arbiter of America? I guess that first its stem cells and next smoking... Where does it all stop. I can honestly say that on the stem cell issue I don't know enough to make a qualified value judgement, so maybe I will keep my mouth shut as to where I stand, but it does seem to me that we legislate too many things. Let science do its thing, even if I am ignorant of what this "thing" is.

Bush vs. Congress: The Looming Battle Over Executive Privilege.

The whole idea of an executive privilege reminds much of the nation of Watergate. Look how well that turned out for the President. What steps does Congress take in furthering this investigation? Is there a standing committee on this or has a group of members been put on a select committee to investigate?

Romney targets Pelosi in foreign-policy speech

Romney brought up in his speech on foreign policy attacking Pelosi for her trip to Syria. This is a bit of a hot button issue right now and by criticizing her, he is not making any enemies...a safe statement to make. I wonder if Pelosi has given any thought of her own credibility.

“And then the Speaker of the House helped dignify a state sponsor of terror,” Romney said, in excerpts released by his campaign. “At this time of war, her action stands as one of the most partisan, divisive and ill-considered of any national leader in this decade.” Romney said the state of the U.S. military had declined during the Clinton administration, and he called for expanding the military by 100,000 troops.

Obama Challenges McCain on Iraq Stroll

Barack Obama on Tuesday challenged Republican White House rival John McCain for using a heavily guarded trip to a Baghdad market as evidence that Iraq's security is improving.

"The idea that the situation in Iraq is improving because it takes a security detail of 100 soldiers, three Black Hawk helicopters and a couple of Apache gunships to walk through a market in the middle of Baghdad is simply not credible and not reflective of the facts on the ground," Obama said in a taped interview that will air as part of a Democratic presidential forum sponsored by MoveOn.org.

House committee to hold Tillman hearings

The house committee on oversight and government reform will hold a hearing on whether or not the government mislead the public in saying that Pat Tillman was killed by afghan soldiers and not by friendly fire. This has been an ongoing investigation that has gotten lots of media attention. The Tillman family have been very critical of the findings of the government, and also are furious at being lied to about how there son died. The committee has no plans to subpoena witnesses although it has the right to do so. There have been five investigations as to what happened that day. It seems to me that if it takes five investigations to figure something out, than somebody is trying to disrupt the investigative process. Somebody is to blame here, unfortunately they will probably not be brought to justice. It also says that the House Armed Services Committee is also considering Tillman hearings. Is this a case where the jurisdiction is not clear? Can they have multiple hearings on the same issue in different committees? I dont know. One top ranking general tried to warn Bush to not say that Tillman was killed by enemy fire, because he knew that that information was probably false, and that people would find out, and ultimately there would be committee hearings over it where people would get into trouble. Bush apparently didnt get the message, or didnt care, and put the priorities of the administration over that of the Tillman family and also the American people. On the same subject, there is an issue of Sports Illustrated (I think it is a special issue) with Pat Tillman on the cover. The story lays out the reasons why Tillman went to war and all that 'go america' hublah that goes with it. It also lays out the circumstances leading up to his death including maps and statements from members of his platoon. It is a very well written article worth looking at. What strikes me is that an SI journalist seems to know more about the situation than all five of these investigations put together.

Details of GOP's Immigration Bill Strategy

The white House and senate republicans have been talking about what to do with the immigration issue. From these talks we can see on the horizon, a stance that the republican party will take on the issue. The plan is to construct a process of making the 12 million undocumented persons in this country citizens. However, the process will not be easy or affordable. A system based on merit seems to be the new status quo. Reuniting broken families is no longer a priority. These republican views are much different from the bill passed by the democratic house two weeks ago.

Wisconsin Might Just Hang Up on "Robo-Calls"

"Hi this is Representative_______" or "Hi this is Senator_______". As a consistent primary voter, I get inundated with these awful things. Finally, we might get a break thanks to State Rep. Spencer Black. However, it does potentially face a first amendment challenge, in that it is free speech. All I know is that on the weekend before an election, I need to leave my house or turn off my phone.
Anyway, I'm stuck at home today waiting for the tow-truck to come get my car in somewhere as I think it might have actually kicked the bucket this time. Maybe I'll even get around to deleting the robo-calls left on my answering machine from last week.

Flaws in W2

This article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel states that a think-tank has studied Wisconsin's W2 program and found major flaws and inconsistencies. I think its interesting that welfare programs have been put on the back burner recently despite how controversial they are. I don't think I've even heard Hillary say anything about welfare policy which was a large part of the Clinton administration when Bill was in the White House.

Stem cell vote set for Congress this week

Funding for stem cell research will be discussed in Congress this week. One of the measures up for discussion is virtually identical to a bill vetoed by President Bush last week. The other bill up for discussion is a compromise worked about between The other is a compromise measure worked out by Republicans Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia and Norm Coleman of Minnesota, which appears to be appealing to both Democrats and Republicans. The compromise bill replaces a bill last year that would have banned stem cell research. The worry is that the President might veto legislation and support is not strong enough to override a veto. I think it is interesting because it shows how Congress must work with the President and take his ideal points into consideration as well as try to find win sets among themselves to get legislation to pass.

kerry v gingrich...debate on climate change

Former House Speaker and possible presidential candidate Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and 2004 Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) are set to square off on climate change next week, their staffs announced Thursday.
The debate, hosted by New York University’s John Brademas Center for the Study of Congress, will take place next Tuesday, April 10, at 10 a.m. in the Russell Senate Office Building.


I think this is going to be a VERY interesting debate. Either way the cookie crumbles, Both respectively will put up a huge fight. Let the games begin.

Fundraising numbers shake up White House race

I know this article is about the money that the candidates are raising at the moment, but I also wanted to point out how this could affect their campaign after the primary. It seems that there is such a frantic race to raise money just for the primary election and get the nod from the party. However, what affect will this have on the person who wins in the actual election. For the GOP you have three candidates who at the moment seem to have a pretty good cash flow coming in, and for the (D) you have atleast two, both of which aren't going to back down. Just something to think about.

Will Dems get Gonzales through Monica Goodling?

Monica Goodling, a Justice Department aide, is refusing to testify before a Congressional Committee, vowing to use her 5th amendment right. This is a continuation of the Alberto Gonzales saga over the firings of those eight U.S. attorneys. The problem is that Gonzales vowed to make Justice Department staff available for questioning. What's the significance? Well, she may know something important in that she was one of those who met with Gonzales for discussion before the firings. We'll see what happens.
Your move Mr. Gonzales.

Who Cares About the Next American President When We've still Got an Idol to Crown?

For those of you who may have missed ABC's Good Morning America this morning, you missed the typical softball GMA story. This link is to the video from this morning. More people on the street could identify the contestants from a glorified karaoke contest than the potential next president of the US. Frightening, but I know I expected it. I mean who likes karaoke when drinking isn't involved anyway?
Seriously, I don't watch American Idol, never have and never will. The only info I know about it is from the seemingly endless flow from competing national news outlets. I couldn't tell you who any of those people are, but I can name all the candidates for president. Somehow that seems less funny and makes me sound like I'm the weird one. Anyway, I can understand not getting people like Thompson, Hunter, Romney, Dodd, and Biden. For the love of God, Giuliani was on TV for like a year after 9/11, McCain ran before, and Obama has been the media golden child since his speech at the Democratic Convention in 2004.

lets see how we rate...taxpayers

Congress now has a new tool to measure taxes by state, county, city, and everything else you may want to know....we rank near 60th....NOT COOL

Feingold and Reid Propose Funding Cut for Troops

This article describes Senator Russ Feingold’s (D-WI) latest antiwar bill, which would cut all funding for American forces in the Iraqi War by March 31st, 2008 and leave relatively small pockets of funding for American security forces and infrastructure rebuilding efforts. Feingold notes that the status quo, or what calls the “center of gravity,” for the issue has gradually shifted from broad congressional support for an indeterminate American military presence in Iraq in 2005 towards forcing a withdrawal through one congressional bill or another. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) agrees with Feingold’s progression of antiwar measures, as anything short of cutting funds to American forces in Iraq is unlikely to sway Bush or two-thirds of the House floor. Although the Rules Committee is currently run by a Democratic majority, it is still possible for the Republicans to filibuster to require 60% of senators to end debate on the bill or else trap the bill on the floor until further log rolling results in an amendment that either neuters the bill’s fund-cutting provisions or tacitly redefines “American forces” to exclude more of the troops to create a loophole that enables more of the forces in Iraq to be funded than what Feingold and Reid intended.

Bush berates Dems over Iraq war funding

It is clear that Pres. Bush is upset with the house and reaffirms that he will veto any legislation that has a timetable in Iraq. Harry Ried's claim that he knows that he does not have the support to override a veto but hopes he can make Bush cave makes little sense. If Bush knows that his veto will not be overridden, why would he not veto? Although the public support for the war is continuing to slip, I highly doubt that Bush will back down. The important thing is that if something does not happen within the next 3 months, the money shortfall will start to effect the troops, both sides will need to make some concessions

Pelosi is welcomed in Syria

Though as we saw before there was much disagreement about Speaker Pelosi's trip to Syria between her and the White House, everything seems to be going smoothly now that she is there. This could mean great things for a relationship between the United States and Syria. Syria seems delighted to have her there despite Bush calling the visit "counterproductive."

The Decoy Effect, or How to Win an Election

This is a very inetertesting article about the effects of the third place runners in an election on the two leading candidates. Front runners are often focus on each other-which I think can greatly be seen currently-rather than on the third place candidates, who have a huge influence on our decisions (known as the decoy effect).
"What the decoy effect basically shows is that when people cannot decide between two front-runners, they use the third candidate as a sort of measuring stick. If one front-runner looks much better than the third candidate, people gravitate toward that front-runner. Third candidates, in other words, can make a complicated decision feel simple."
I find this to be a very intriguing idea. This suggests that a third place runner could potentially boost votes for a front-runner that closely resembles him/her rather than taking votes away. Since there definately are leading contenders in both parties, it will be interesting to see how this theory eventually plays out.

Former Wis. Governor Enters Race for Nomination

Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson has officially announced that he is joining in the race to the White House. His previous title as Bush's secretary of health and human services in Bush's first term may prove to be a bit of a setback for Thompson but he has assured that his presidency would differ greatly from that of President Bush. Another setback might be his lack of fundraising thus far, while other candidates have raised millions. All in all, it's pretty cool to see a former Wis governor running for president but I don't really see his campiagn as being to successful due to the strength of many of his opponents.

Senate Democrats Vow to Push Withdrawal

Senate Democrats vowed today that they will push for withdrawal out of Iraq even if President Bush vetoes legislation. The bill would require solders to start leaving Iraq with in 120 days with an expected complete pull out by March 2008. Because spatically, Republicans and Democrats differ, Bush has claimed he will veto anything with a pull out date on it, but he is willing to compromise somewhat and sit down with the Democratic leadership.

White House criticizes Pelosi's planned Syria visit

At the federal level, both branches of government disagree on a lot of things. This article is an example. Nancy Pelosi is planning to visit Syria and the white house is not happy about it. I think that this is interesting because it shows how the two branches can differ spatially. Pelosi wants to go to Syria and the white house doesn't want her to because the white house claims the government in Syria sponsor's terrorism.