Clipmarks | boniface's 'senate' clips

Palin's Home Town Expresses Surprise, Shock at Selection

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 03:49:51 GMT

clipped by: boniface

There was snide criticism from the Republican establishment that Palin fought in her underdog gubernatorial campaign in 2006, after six years as Wasilla's mayor.

"She's not prepared to be governor; how can she be prepared to be vice president or president?" said state Senate President Lyda Green, a Wasilla Republican who told the Anchorage Daily News that she at first thought news of Palin's selection was a joke.

"I think John McCain won the state of Alaska but lost the nation," said state Sen. Hollis French, an Anchorage Democrat. "I think her inexperience is going to cause many, many voters to think twice before voting for him."

Why McCain would be a mediocre president

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:39:57 GMT

clipped by: boniface
clipper's remarks: A lot more McCain failures listed on the article.

Clip Source: www.marketwatch.com

It's not a given that Republican candidate has the right stuff

Is McCain fit to lead America?

That question hasn't been asked, nor has it been answered.

A careful look at McCain's biography shows that he isn't prepared for the job. His resume is much thinner than most people think.

Like the current occupant of the White House, McCain got his first career breaks from the connections and money of his family, not from hard work.

The son and grandson of Navy admirals, he attended Annapolis where he did poorly. Nevertheless, he was commissioned as a pilot, where he performed poorly, crashing three planes before he failed to evade a North Vietnamese missile that destroyed his plane. McCain spent more than five years in a prison camp.

McCain hasn't accomplished much in the Senate. Even his own campaign doesn't trumpet his successes, probably because the few victories he's had still rankle Republicans.

Elizabeth Holtzman to House Judiciary re: Impeachment

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:33:48 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: "You may not be able to finish the task, but you certainly can start the task, which will send an important signal not just to this president, but to future presidents."

Clip Source: www.democracynow.org

ELIZABETH HOLTZMAN: I think the question for this committee is what is to be done now and what can be done now. Prosecution is unrealistic. The administration will never prosecute itself. Truth commissions? The administration will stonewall them, as they have so many committees of Congress. So, what is the realistic remedy? The only remedy, and that’s the one the framers gave to the Congress of the United States, the House and the Senate, is the remedy of impeachment, because no one can interfere with it.

You ask the President or the Vice President to give you the contents of the FBI statement, they don’t do that. That becomes an impeachable offense. You could ask them to provide them the information under oath. You may not be able to finish the task, but you certainly can start the task, which will send an important signal not just to this president, but to future presidents.

John McCain Officially Most Absent Member of the Senate

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:09:41 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: www.motherjones.com

We've written before about the fact that John McCain has more or less abdicated all of his responsibilities in the Senate while running for president. The man almost never votes anymore: he once went five consecutive weeks without voting. Now we learn that he's the Senate's top absentee, passing Democratic Senator Tim Johnson of North Dakota, who suffered a brain hemorrhage in December 2006 and was unable to return to the Senate until last fall, in terms of votes missed. I guess it takes time to suggest doing nothing about America's economic crisis.

Tags: john, mccain, officially, most, absent, member, senate

Cheney's Office Pushed Purge Of Climate Change Testimony

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:30:07 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: online.wsj.com

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's office was behind a push to censor congressional testimony that global warming poses a danger to the public, a former Environmental Protection Agency official told Congress.

The director of the Centers for Disease Control testified to a U.S. Senate panel last year about the public health effects of climate change in testimony that was heavily edited by the White House's Office of Management and Budget. Until now, Mr. Cheney's office hadn't been publicly linked to the efforts to keep information about climate change out of the public eye.

"We know that the administration's efforts have been about covering up the real dangers of global warming and hiding facts from the public," Sen. Boxer said at a press conference Tuesday. "This cover-up is being directed from the White House and the Office of the Vice President."

Tags: cheney, office, pushed, purge, climate, change, testimony

When it comes to civil rights, McCain has some explaining to do

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:30:10 GMT

clipped by: boniface
clipper's remarks: "In an effort to show that, if elected, he would be president of "all the people," John McCain has visited the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., the scene of one of the bloodiest civil rights marches in history. He's also traveled though Alabama's impoverished Black Belt region, and showed up for services commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in Memphis."

Clip Source: www.philly.com

Those gestures, designed to soften McCain's public image, cannot hide his awful record on civil rights.

In 11 grading periods since he began serving in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1983 and the Senate in 1987, McCain has earned an F for every period, according to an annual report by the NAACP.

Of the 11 grading periods, McCain's highest score was 50 percent (1985-86), meaning he supported positions on legislation favored by the NAACP half of the time. His second-highest score was 40 percent (1997-1998). In the nine other grading periods, he supported the NAACP 30 percent of the time or less.

Instead of getting better on civil rights in recent years, McCain has grown worse. Since his unsuccessful 2000 bid for president, McCain voted with the NAACP just 27 percent of the time during the 107th Congress, 15 percent in the 108th Congress and an all-time low of 7 percent during the first session of the 109th Congress, which ended in 2006.

It's not the Dems that want out, it's the American people!

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:59:51 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: seattletimes.nwsource.com

McCain attacks Democrats on Iraq

Bashing his Democratic rivals for pushing "a hasty, reckless, and irresponsible withdrawal," Sen. John McCain on Monday took the first shot in the political fight over Gen. David Petraeus' Senate scheduled testimony today on the progress of the Iraq war.

McCain, who has tied his Republican bid for the White House to the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq, told the National Veterans of Foreign Wars in Kansas City, Mo., that goals for Iraq are within reach.

Backing out now would trigger massive unrest that would require the U.S. to storm back into the country to restore order, he said, blasting Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton for a "failure of leadership."

The Reason Democrats are Idiots!

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:18:29 GMT

clipped by: boniface
clipper's remarks: After the Bush presidency, the oval office is just about being handed to the Democratic Party; but No! They are not going to rally the party like this. What these morons are going to do is give the final election to McCain who is just another Bush. I'm independent, but I don't want McCain in office. I'd vote for Obama, but I'll never vote for the Hillary 'the liar' Clinton!

Clip Source: ap.google.com

Clinton Rules Out Leaving Race Early

If Hillary Rodham Clinton is feeling heat from pundits and party elders to quit the race and back Barack Obama, you'd never know it from her crowds, energy level and upbeat demeanor on the campaign trail.

The former first lady weathered a two-pronged blow Friday, with influential Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey Jr. endorsing Obama and another Senate colleague, Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy, urging her to step aside. But to hear Clinton tell it, it was just another day in an epic primary battle whose result is still not known.

She trails Obama among pledged delegates and is not expected to close that gap even with a strong showing in the 10 remaining primaries. She also trails in the popular vote and probably cannot make up the deficit without revotes in Michigan and Florida, whose January primary results were nullified because they broke party rules. Neither state is expected to go through with new contests.

Bush OK'd confirming waterboarding

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:40:22 GMT

clipped by: boniface
clipper's remarks: "Lawful through a process..."

Ahh, there you go, that explains everything, it was through a "process." I wonder if it's the same process that makes American processed cheese? WTF do you mean by "A PROCESS?" The only people more idiotic than the people dishing out this explanation, are the people that buy "process" as any kind of an explanation for anything, much less torture!

Clip Source: washingtontimes.com

The White House today said President Bush authorized his CIA director to confirm the use of waterboarding by U.S. officials on three suspected terrorists to gather intelligence and that the interrogation technique is not torture.

“This program and the techniques used in it were determined lawful through a process,” said White House spokesman Tony Fratto.

Senate Democrats, however, demanded a government investigation into the matter to determine whether laws forbidding torture were broken.

The attorney general would judge waterboarding legal or illegal in each case, and if he deemed it legal, he and the CIA director would present their plan to the president, Mr. Fratto said.

CIA Director Michael V. Hayden yesterday confirmed for the first time that U.S. intelligence officials have used the controversial interrogation technique.

Senate inquiry targets televangelists

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:43:37 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: www.businessweek.com

Senate inquiry targets televangelists

The top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee said Tuesday he has launched an investigation into alleged financial wrongdoing involving six well-known televangelists.

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa sent letters to six Christian media ministries this week requesting information about their expenses, executive compensation and amenities given to executives.

The organizations and their leaders are:

-- Randy and Paula White of Without Walls International Church and Paula White Ministries of Tampa, Fla.;

-- Benny Hinn of World Healing Center Church Inc. and Benny Hinn Ministries of Grapevine, Texas;

-- David and Joyce Meyer of Joyce Meyer Ministries of Fenton, Mo.;

-- Kenneth and Gloria Copeland of Kenneth Copeland Ministries of Newark, Texas;

-- Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and Bishop Eddie Long Ministries of Lithonia, Ga.;

Creflo and Taffi Dollar of World Changers Church International and Creflo Dollar Ministries of College Park

Tags: senate, inquiry, targets, televangelists

Congress is not getting its work done

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:11:44 GMT

clipped by: boniface
clipper's remarks: I agree! Bush hasn't been impeached yet. Get to work Congress. Impeach!

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

Bush: Congress is not getting its work done

(CNN) -- President Bush blasted the Democratic-controlled Congress on Tuesday for having "the worst record in 20 years."

"Congress is not getting it's work done," Bush said, flanked by members of the Republican House leadership. "The House of Representatives has wasted valuable time on a constant stream of investigations, and the Senate has wasted valuable time on an endless series of failed votes to pull our troops out of Iraq."

Bush said the Senate was "wasting valuable time" by taking up the children's health insurance bill, which he had earlier vetoed.

Tags: congress, is, not, getting, its, work, done

BREAKING: Lieberman-Kyl’s Iran amendment passes.

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 12:37:03 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: thinkprogress.org

By a vote of 76-22, the Senate passed the Lieberman-Kyl amendment, which threatens to “combat, contain and [stop]” Iran via “military instruments.” Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) called the amendment “Cheney’s fondest pipe dream” and said it could “read as a backdoor method of gaining Congressional validation for military action.”

Tags: lieberman-kyl, iran, amendment, passes, senate

Petraeus/Betray Us Ad Results in A Deluge of Support for Moveon.org

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 07:43:03 GMT

clipped by: zasel
clipper's remarks: Moveon.org really started something with its Petraeus/Betray-Us ad. It actually was able to move the congress into introducing and voting on legislation condemning the organization for running the ad, which is the first bit of activity we have seen there in a while. While war rages and blood flows the most important thing on the minds of our legislators was to codify censorship. We must never speak poorly, especially of a military man in uniform. The Republicans were especially outraged. Yes, the same Republicans who swift-boated John Kerry and Max Cleland who were both Viet Nam vets and heroes. I guess it depends on who is wearing the uniform at the time when we condemn an attack. Anyway, Moveon.org has received a tremendous increase in donations since congress condemned them, so as far as they are concerned, keep the complaints coming Congresspersons.

Clip Source: www.motherjones.com

MoveOn.org Rakes in the Cash After "Betray Us" Ad

Dear MoveOn member,

Yesterday, an amazing thing happened. After the Senate's shameful vote, and after President Bush called MoveOn "disgusting," our email started to fill up with messages like this one:

I'm currently in Iraq. I do not agree with this war, and if I did support this war, it would not matter. You have the RIGHT to speak the truth. We KNOW that you support us. Thank you for speaking out for being our voice. We do not have a voice. We are overshooted by those who say that we soldiers do not support organizations like MoveOn. WE DO.

YOU ARE OUR voice.

And then came the donations. By midnight, over 12,000 people had donated $500,000—more than we've raised any day this year—for our new ad calling out the Republicans who blocked adequate rest for troops headed back to Iraq.

Tags: moveon.org, petraeus

My Vote Against the Senate!!!

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 23:10:10 GMT

clipped by: boniface
clipper's remarks: This is my vote against the senate's vote condemning MoveOn.org. I think anyone that sides with "MoveOn" on this one, should post this "betray us ad" anywhere they can.

Clip Source: pol.moveon.org

General Petraeus or General Betray Us?

Tags: moveon, betrayus, senate, vote

What?!! No Real Work to Do?

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 23:04:49 GMT

clipped by: boniface
clipper's remarks: Damn! Don't these idiots have anything better to do? Something like, for instance, REAL WORK!

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

Senate Votes to Condemn MoveOn for Ad Attacking General Petraeus

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a measure condemning MoveOn.org for a newspaper ad it ran last week attacking Gen. David Petraeus. The move came as President Bush accused Democrats of cowering to the liberal political action group.

The measure passed in a 72-25 vote, with none of the Democratic presidential candidates supporting it. Sponsored by Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn, never one to shy away from forcing Democrats to go on record on politically sticky issues, the amendment to the defense authorization bill did win the backing of 23 Democrats.

Tags: senate, bush, vote, betray us