Bad Deeds for 5-9-07

Dick Cheney Says, “then we kick the press out.” – Once safely ensconced in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, however, Cheney appeared to reserve his toughest language for his normal target – the press. Cheney held a lot of photo ops with key Iraqi leaders like Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, but was adamant about not taking questions. At one point, Cheney emphasized to the assembled journalists that “this is just a photo spray.” Later in the day, as reporters filed into an embassy conference room for another photo of Cheney they overheard him tell his staff “then we kick the press out.” Vice President Dick Cheney’s surprise trip to Baghdad today was meant to deliver a tough message to the Iraqi government – put off your vacation plans and get back to work. Sounds like a message that Cheney should be presenting to Chimpy McFlightsuit.

Who is Funding the Climate Change Skeptics? -To find someone’s true agenda or motivations all one needs to do is follow the money. So, the question is where does the money trail lead when it comes to the skeptics of climate change? Click the link to find out.

Ann Coulter Says Newsweek Poll Was Made-Up and Helps al-Qaida – A recent Newsweek poll showing Democrat Barack Obama leading top Republican presidential hopefuls could have been made up and might help al-Qaida, conservative commentator Ann Coulter said Sunday on Fox News'”At Large”. “I think this is Newsweek doing more push polling for al-Qaida,” she said.

Department of Homeland Security Plans to Move Forward with Real ID Act Despite Fierce State Opposition – The Homeland Security Department said Tuesday that it would plow ahead with national standards for driver’s licenses despite a highly unusual level of activity by state legislatures opposed to the idea, and substantial second thoughts in Congress. Washington and Montana have enacted laws pledging not to comply with the Real ID Act; Idaho’s legislature passed, and the governor signed, a budget specifically allocating zero dollars for compliance; and resolutions opposing the new licenses have been passed by one or both houses of the legislature, and in some cases signed by the governor

State Dept. Erases All References to Top Official Who Quit Over DC Madam list – The State Department and the US Agency for International Development have instructed employees to remove all references from publications and other materials to a top official who resigned after his name turned up as a former client of ‘DC Madam’ Deborah Jean Palfrey.

Condoleezza Rice Led Chevron Oil’s Policy Committee During the Time They Paid Kickbacks to Saddam Hussein – For many conservatives, the U.N.’s oil-for-food scandal was an assault on all that is good and holy. In a nutshell, Saddam Hussein took advantage of a U.N. program in which Iraq would sell oil and use the revenue for food, medicine, and humanitarian goods, as exceptions to a trade embargo imposed after the first Gulf War. Saddam, however, received illegal kickbacks on the oil sales, which he transferred to private accounts. And who was giving Saddam the illegal kickbacks? According to a New York Times report, Chevron is poised to announce that it should have known about the kickbacks that were being paid to Saddam. If only Chevron had some kind of internal policy committee, as part of the company’s board of directors, with a knowledgeable expert responsible for looking out for these kinds of problems. Oh wait, it did — and it was led by Condoleezza Rice.

Gonzales to Congress: Let’s talk about something else – Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will encourage Members of Congress on Thursday to direct their attention to areas other than the firings of US Attorneys, according to remarks prepared for his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.

The worst law in the nation’s history — the Military Commissions Act of 2006 – Last year, Congressional Democrats allowed the Bush administration to ram through one of the worst laws in the nation’s history — the Military Commissions Act of 2006. President Bush turned habeas corpus into a partisan issue by declaring that the prisoners in Guantánamo Bay, even innocent ones, do not deserve a hearing. Lawmakers who objected were painted as friends of terrorists. This year, the Democrats pledged to use their new majority to begin repairing the profound damage the law has done to the nation’s justice system and global image. But there are disturbing signs their pledge may fall victim to the same tactical political calculations and Bush administration propagandizing that allowed this scandalous law to pass in the first place. Time to make sure they make good on their pledge.

Call the Leadership:
Speaker Nancy Pelosi , (202) 225-4965
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer , (202) 225-4131
Armed Services Committee members
Here’s a list of toll free numbers for the Capitol switchboard:
1 (800) 828 – 0498
1 (800) 459 – 1887
1 (800) 614 – 2803
1 (866) 340 – 9281
1 (866) 338 – 1015
1 (877) 851 – 6437

Regards,

Jim