Bad Deeds for 4-5-07

Houston Councilman Michael Berry says American Indians do not deserve the federal assistance that they’re getting because they were “whipped in a war” and “We conquered them.” – Berry said on his radio show on KPRC 950 AM in Houston on March 27 that American Indians do not deserve the federal assistance that they’re getting because they were “whipped in a war.” He also said this about Indians, “We conquered them.”

Swift Boat donor’s appointment sidesteps Congress – President Bush named Republican fundraiser Sam Fox as U.S. ambassador to Belgium on Wednesday, using a maneuver that allowed him to bypass Congress where Democrats had derailed Fox’s nomination. Recognizing Fox did not have the votes to obtain Senate confirmation, Bush withdrew the nomination last month. On Wednesday, with Congress out of town for a spring break, the president used his power to make recess appointments to put Fox in the job without Senate confirmation. Bush’s ploy is illegal say Democrats, pointing to the federal law that prohibits unpaid “voluntary service” – the terms under which Bush sneaked Fox through – in positions, such as the ambassadorship, that have a fixed rate of pay. More.

Alberto Gonzales Preps with Former Republican National Committee Chairman for Senate Testimony – In an effort to salvage his career, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has retreated from public view this week to spend hours practicing “the truth” with the coaching of former RNC chairman Ed Gillespie and three days of mock testimony sessions. However, officials say that Gonzales’s efforts are hampered even behind closed doors due to legal conflicts between the attorney general and his own staff, leading to a scenario in which “some senior officials are not able to discuss the facts as they know them in the same room.”

White House Posts Lawmakers’ Earmarks Online, Omits Its Own – The White House on Wednesday unveiled an online list of all the pet spending projects appended by Congress to the federal budget for the 2004-05 fiscal year. The list saw light of day despite the Bush administration’s own best efforts, as it was reportedly pressuring the OMB just weeks ago to publish only a partial list for fear of angering some pork-friendly GOP lawmakers. The White House did manage, however, to keep its own earmark requests off the list. More.

Romney calls himself a longtime hunter, even though he’s gone out only 2 times – In boasting about his lifelong experience as a hunter, Mitt Romney may have shot himself in the foot. The Republican presidential contender has told audiences on several occasions, most recently this week in gun-savvy _ and early voting _ New Hampshire, that he has been a longtime hunter. But it turns out he has been on only two hunting trips.

Conservatives go nuts ranting against Nancy Pelosi wearing a headscarf while visiting a mosque, but don’t seem to mind Laura Bush wearing one while visiting a Muslim shrine – Various conservatives blogs contain many ugly comments about Pelosi wearing a hijab, but check out the photo at the link below:

Regards,

Jim