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The Daily Muck
An Alaskan road that would have connected the small Gravina Island to the infamous and non-existent Bridge to Nowhere has been opened. The road, built with $25 million in federal tax dollars, was pushed by Gov. Sarah Palin's (R-AK) administration despite sizable opposition. Palin has highlighted her supposed opposition to the Bridge to Nowhere on the campaign trail for the vice presidency. (AP, Pro Publica)
Vice President Dick Cheney was ordered by a federal judge Saturday to preserve records of his time in office. Lawyers for the Bush administration had attempted to curtail Cheney's responsibilities under the Presidential Records Act, arguing in part that Cheney is not covered by the law as he is not in the executive branch. The decision follows a suit filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. (AP)
Sen. Ted Stevens' (R-AK) federal corruption trial begins this week with jury selection starting today. On Friday, Stevens said that he plans on testifying at his trial if his lawyers approve. Stevens also has a busy week ahead of him in Congress where he will have to defend his roughly $215 million in earmarks in the new defense bill. (Anchorage Daily News)
The Pentagon official assigned to oversee the Guantanamo Bay trials has been removed from his assignment and reassigned. The move came after three military judges barred Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas Hartmann from participation after they ruled he improperly influenced prosecutors, urging them to move the trial quickly and use evidence obtained by questionable coercive techniques. Hartmann's deputy will now oversee the trials. (Washington Post)
Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) has formed a legal defense fund titled the Fund for Justice. The fund will help Craig pay for legal fees involved with his attempt to withdraw his guilty plea after being arrested in a Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport bathroom. The Senate Ethics Committee recently signed off on the fund. (AP)
Two investigators in the Jack Abramoff corruption probe from the Interior Department have been removed in protest of the Justice Department's decision not to charge two former Interior officials in the separate scandal at the Minerals Management Service. Many at the Interior Department, including the inspector general, were disappointed by the Justice Department's decision not to charge the two officials. This action follows a letter sent to the attorney general from Sens. Pat Leahy (D-VT) and Ken Salazar (D-CO) inquiring as to why the officials are not being prosecuted. (Washington Post)
Rep. William Jefferson's (D-LA) lawyers will go to court this week to appeal a federal judge's decision to reject the defense's motion to throw out the charges against Jefferson. Jefferson's lawyers believed that his indictment was unconstitutional due to supposed overstepping of powers by the grand jury. Jefferson, who was indicted in June 2007 for accepting bribes, is set to begin his federal trial in December. (Times-Picayune)
Josh
Zachary
"In 2007, Wall Street's five biggest firms-- Bear Stearns, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, and Morgan Stanley - paid a record $39 billion in bonuses to themselves." ABC's Political Punch -- I say no Bail Out!
AND
Senator John McCain’s campaign manager, Rick Davis, was paid more than $30,000 a month for five years as president of an advocacy group set up by the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to defend them against stricter regulations!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/us/politics/2...
More McCain Hyprocrisy
September 22, 2008 10:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Palin Road to Nowhere Travels to the UN:
From:
Head of State
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarah-palin-meets-with-afghani.html
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Sarah Palin Meets with Afghan President Karzai (Transcript)
TRANSCRIPT:
Palin: Oh, Mr. President, it is such a pleasure to meet you, you're the first head of state that I have had the opportunity to meet--which is more than many Vice Presidents--and I'm so glad that my first one is an Afghani.
You know, in Trig's class there was a little Afghani? He was the child of one of the oil executives, and he was so cute, with his little turban runnin' around, everyone just loved him, and felt for him...
Karzai: Yes.
Palin: And everyone knew that we just had to defend him and keep him free and that's why I think that with a Palin/McCain...
Palin Aide: (looking up from clipboard) McCain/Palin.
Palin: ...McCain/Palin ticket, we can make sure of that, if we have to attack Russia, even, I mean, to keep people free at home, just like we want to keep our people free. We have so much in common! I know you have the problem with the poppies, and I understand so well, Mr. Karzai, because we have the same problem with the crystal meth in Wasilla? And I said "Look, we've got to shake this up!" and then that's just what I said, I said 'Look, let's just see what we have in common with these guys!" And that's just what you could do with the Taliban, Mr. Karzai. They've already so moral, and they want people to live by the straight and narrow, and they've got the newspapers sayin' and the schools doin' lots of the right things. They just need to get some of the right ideas, and pray to the right Lord. And, if they don't understand, we still have the weapons left over from Iraq, and then we can't blink, we can't blink, can we, Mr. Karzai?
Karzai: (Looks at Palin silently without moving his head. Pauses.). Blink?
Palin: Right. The thing is, we just have to hit the ground runnin', Mr. Karzai. That's what I do. A few weeks ago I didn't even know what a Vice President doesclock so you know just how much time you have left until you finish it. I tell you, Mr. Karzai, it's such a motivating influence on my staff, the good ones, anyway, they know what they're supposed to finish and when, they hear me sayin' "Look at the clock, people, look at the clock, and know what you have left to finish..."
Karzai: Yes.
Palin: And so I said to my husband, Todd--I call him the "First Dude"--Do you have that word 'Dude' here in Afghanistan?--maybe it's like "Khan" or "Emir" or somethin'?--I said to him, 'Todd, we have to take a look at what's happenin' in Afghanistan--before McCain called or any other thing happened--' cause I saw that Russia was right across from us, and then right next to that you have all the 'Stans--(counts cross fingers) Kyrgyzstan, oh, what's the others?--well, you are aware of them, of course, Mr. Karzai (laughs)...
Karzai: (Nods)
Palin: And if we don't let other people know of what I'm aware of then the world won't change, Mr. Karzai. I know we have the same goals even if we don't have the same God yet...(aide touches Palin on shoulder, whispers). 'Even', not 'yet', I meant 'same God even, Mr. Karzai, and my point is, we can't let others stop our choice, which is freedom for those who deserve it, and that's why I know a Palin/McCain...
Palin Aide: (reaching over to touch shoulder)
Palin: Stop! (brushing aide's hand off)...McCain/Palin ticket will do just what you want, Mr. Karzai...
Second Palin Aide Approaches: It's time for your next appointment, Gov. Palin.
Palin: It was so good meeting you, President Karzai, and all of your other people, it was so good meeting you too! Shalom! (waves, exits).
Karzai: (to his aide, in Pashto): She makes the last one look like the Grand Mufti.
Cite:
Head of State
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarah-palin-meets-with-afghani.html
September 22, 2008 10:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Cheney shredded those records long ago. Shredded and deleted.
Mission Accomplished!
September 22, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think if Sarah PAlin becomes VP she will let Alaska secede fro the US. She and her husband were both members of the radical alaskan secessionist party, AKIP.
Here's an interview with them on her involvment
http://newsone.com/elections/article/akip-interview-on-palin
September 22, 2008 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
If Cheney's not in the Executive branch, then he falls under Congressional purview.
And Congress does not have to impeach him.
They can simply vote to remove him as President of the Senate.
Then Cheney will be swinging in midair, without a branch.
September 22, 2008 1:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
After taking a good look at the above Daily Muck...
Apparently, the three Rs will be able to get more time in our public schools, now that our democracy is gone and we no longer need to be bothered with teaching history and government...
September 22, 2008 1:26 PM | Reply | Permalink