Bad Deeds for 2-06-2008

The Senate’s Trillion Dollar Giveaway to Polluters – After years of ignoring global warming, the U.S. Senate is finally considering legislation to cap greenhouse gas pollution. Unfortunately, the Lieberman-Warner bill being advanced by Senate Democrats lavishes up to $1 trillion on industries responsible for global warming, and in return asks for reduction targets well below what scientists say are necessary. If this is the best Senate Democrats can do, the world is in trouble.

Bush ‘Kills’ Freedom of Information Act Compliance Officer – President George W. Bush has effectively killed a position monitoring compliance with government efforts to release documents. Late last year, Washington watchdogs won over a reluctant President Bush, who agreed to sign a law enforcing better compliance with the Freedom of Information Act. But in his budget request this week, Bush proposed shifting a newly created ombudsman’s position from the National Archives and Records Administration to the Department of Justice. Because the ombudsman would be the chief monitor of compliance with the new law, that move is akin to killing the critical function.

White House Says Waterboarding Can be Used Again in Future – The White House on Wednesday defended the use of the interrogation technique known as waterboarding, saying it is legal — not torture as critics argue — and has saved American lives. President Bush could authorize waterboarding for future terrorism suspects if certain criteria are met, a spokesman said. A day earlier, the Bush administration acknowledged publicly for the first time that the tactic was used by U.S. government questioners on three terror suspects.

Order Was Given to Fire on Iranian Speedboat – The commander of a US warship gave the order to fire on an approaching Iranian speedboat in the Strait of Hormuz last month but it turned away just in time, Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday.

Republican Rule is Don’t Make Democrats Sound Human – There’s a new rule at the Republican National Committee. Refer to the two leading Democratic presidential candidates simply as “Barack” and “Hillary” and you’ll be fined $10. The reason: Using first names makes the candidates sound more likable but calling them “Senator Obama” and “Senator Clinton” makes them sound more distant and bureaucratic. “I don’t think people are actually being fined,” says one insider. But everyone is being “encouraged” to follow the rule.

Regards,

Jim