Buck Naked Politics

Iraqis Unhappy with US Demand for Indefinite Presence

by Damozel | One of my colleagues has been saying for some time that none of the candidates will actually bring the troops home because, as a practical matter, the US can't afford to bring the troops home.  Thanks to Bush and Halliburton, we've spilled even more US money than US blood, and there's no way we can just walk away from all of that investment.  Is this true?  I refuse to believe it.  But maybe that is just me being 'in denial.'  The current negotiations over the terms on which we will be allowed by the Iraqis to stay in Iraq are making me wonder.

The UN mandate authorizing our continuing presence in Iraq is due to expire at the end of the year. As BN-Politics recently noted, quite a few high-ranking members of the Iraqi government really wants us gone.  While the Bush Administration, as always, maintains that its doings in Iraq are really none of our business, angry Iraqis have spilled the beans about Bush's plans for a continuing presence.  According to Iraqi politicians, our government wants to maintain 58 bases in their country indefinitely.  (WaPo)   (And that's significantly less than they initially bargained for.  Initially, they wanted 200.) (WaPo)

Oddly enough, the Iraqis aren't down with that.

Arlen Specter Stands Up for the Senate's Version of a Media Shield Law

Posted by Damozel | Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa) ---the ranking minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee --- has responded to Michael Mukasey's argument in The Washington Post.  An earlier article provides a nutshell summary of the pertinent parts. It seems a very moderate sort of shield to me, so I find the fact that Mukasey and other Administration officials oppose it distinctly worrying. 

The bill would protect a reporter's source unless a federal judge, "by a preponderance of the evidence," ruled that the identity sought is "essential to the resolution of the matter." In a criminal case, the judge must determine that "there are reasonable grounds to believe that a crime has occurred."

When classified information is involved, the judge must conclude that the leaker is "a person with authorized access" to the information and that the disclosure "has caused or will cause significant, clear, and articulable harm to the national security."

'Appreciative' Constituents Happy to Finance House Reps' Luxury Vehicles?

Posted by Damozel | It's all about respect, according to Congressman Charles Rangel.

""When I'm in New York, my car is my office. I use it to conduct Congressional business. It really pleases me that (my constituents) appreciate driving in a comfortable car, especially the senior citizens. "I could probably find something for ... one of those red cars and then I think my constituents would say, 'With all the money that he gets, this is the respect he shows us?'" (WBCBSTV.com)

This, then, he is telling himself --- respect for his constituents --- is why he must spend  $774 tax dollars per month to lease a Cadillac DeVille.  You and I, of course, know what his constituents would really think if they knew they were paying for his expensive car:  "With all the money that he gets, can't he afford to finance the cost of his own luxury vehicle?"  Or at least part of it?

The Bush Administration: A 'Constitutional Dictatorship' Primed to Lead Us Even Further Up the Creek?

Posted by Damozel | Did you know that George W. Bush is still president?  While you were busy throwing stones across the barricades at your fellow Dems, he and Cheney were busy beating the war drums.  If you can't hear them over the screaming, stop for a minute.  Listen.

Let's begin with a quote of a quote of a quote.  Right: at Balkinization, Sandy Levinson quotes this excerpt from a Dan Froomkin round-up.

"On his radio show this morning, Bill Bennett told the Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol -- who had a personal meeting with President Bush yesterday -- that a 'conclusion' he drew was that the hearing was 'less an argument for getting out of Iraq than going into Iran.' After suggesting that Iran may 'have to pay some price at some point on their own soil,' Kristol said that President Bush authorizing an attack of some kind before he leaves office is not 'out of the question.'

The Administration's Secret Plans for A Lasting US Presence in Iraq

Posted by Damozel | Color me surprised. The Guardian somehow got hold of the memo:

The draft strategic framework agreement between the US and Iraqi governments, dated March 7 and marked "secret" and "sensitive", is intended to replace the existing UN mandate and authorises the US to "conduct military operations in Iraq and to detain individuals when necessary for imperative reasons of security" without time limit. 

GOP Blocks Witnesses from Testifying about Credit Card Companies

 by D. Cupples |  Apparently, some of the same Republican House members who supported the egregiously credit-card-company-friendly changes in our bankruptcy laws don't want to victims to publicly speak about their nasty experiences with credit card companies.

The Washington Independent reports:

House Holds Secret FISA session at Republicans Request

by D. Cupples  | The U.S. House agreed to hold a secret (i.e., no public and no reporters) meeting to debate FISA last night.  According to The Hill, "the last closed House session was held in 1983. Only five have been held since 1825." 

Beforehand, Majortiy Leader Steny Hoyer made this statement:

Legal Abuses and FBI's Data Mining

by D. Cupples  | Last year, we learned that the FBI had made hundreds of errors (i.e., violations of laws and/or regulations) when mining for data on us Americans.  The FBI has had at least 9 months to repair its system and stop violating rules or laws.

Today, the New York Times covered a recently released report indicating that the FBI is still gathering far more private data on us Americans than the laws or the agencies'  regulations allow.  House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers commented:

House Judiciary Committee Sues over Subpoenas re: Justice Dept. Politicization

D. Cupples (photo from Judiciary Committee) |  Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee filed a civil suit against White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bloten and ex-White House counsel Harriet Miers because they failed to comply with subpoenas regarding the committee's probe of the firing of U.S. Attorneys. (See complaint) 

Last month, the House voted to hold Miers and Bolten in contempt of Congress.  Last week, the Justice Department refused to present the contempt citations to a grand jury, which federal law requires.  A statement by Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers sums up why this issue is important:

Spitzer Should Resign....Right After Senators Vitter and Craig

Posted by Damozel |  Apparently Spitzer is considering resignation.  At Mercury Rising, Phoenix Woman asks: 

Have either Senators Craig or Vitter resigned yet?

No?  Didn’t think so.

Then neither should Governor Spitzer.  That’s my take.

Oh, and guess how Spitzer was brought down? The bankers he’d pissed off were watching his money really closely. Normally they wouldn’t be flagging $5,000 transactions from a man of his wealth (his father is a real estate mogul), but in his case they sure did.

I think this is probably right.

Memeorandum on the resignation issue:  here.

Congressman Renzi (R-AZ) Indicted

Posted by D. Cupples | (photo from U.S. House) The Associated Press reports that Republican Congressman Rick Renzi (AZ)  has been indicted for extortion, wire fraud, money laundering and other charges.  CNN describes the charges as stemming from Renzi's alleged promise to support legislation in exchange for a land deal through which he earned $700,00.

 

You may remember Renzi's name in connection to the fired U.S. Attorney scandal.

McCaskill Likes Telecom Amnesty, Republicans Refuse to Co-operate re: FISA

Posted by D. Cupples (photo from Senate) |  About Telecom Amnesty (a.k.a., "retroactive immunity"), there is no "compromise."  Either the telecom companies that broke the law -- in exchange for big money -- will be accountable to us taxpayers in court, or they won't.

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) seems averse to holding them accountable, or so she said last week on Bill Maher.  McCaskill made the following highly questionable statement:

Whistleblower Talks about Corruption, Justice Department Buries Story

By D. Cupples |  It's not surprising that the Justice Department may have buried the stories of an ex-FBI staffer who has blown the whistle on schemes carried out at high government levels involving -- among other things - - the selling of state secrets and illegal arms transfers. 

The Dallas Morning News reports:

A Great Fall: McCain Votes Against Bill to Ban Waterboarding

Posted by Damozel |  Here's a development that has genuinely saddened me.  I must not be as cynical as I claim.   Today, John McCain voted against a bill that did exactly what he himself has advocated doing in the past:  adopted the Army Field Manual interrogation standards for the US government. Anti-torture advocates, such as the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, supported this crucial  billl.

In a Republican presidential debate on Nov. 28, McCain said that the Army Field Manual should be the gold standard for interrogations:

Dems Want Bush to Respect the Law

By D. Cupples |  When Congress banned permanent bases in Iraq in its 2008 Defense Authorization bill, President Bush made yet another signing statement that signified his aversion to executing the law, which is one of his constitutional duties (See Article II).  Congress isn't pleased.  The Hill reports:

Congressman Wexler Calls for Impeachment Hearings Against Cheney; Confronts Mukasey

Posted by Damozel |   In all the fuss over the primaries, it's easy to forget this key fact:  BUSH IS STILL PRESIDENT.  In fact, we want be well and truly done with him till January of next year.  So the following should be of concern to all who are fed up with the Bush regime. 

Congressman Wexler sets out his reasons for demanding the impeachment of Cheney here.  "These charges are too serious to ignore."

If you're on board---and after hearing this, I think you will be---you can sign the petition at WexlerWantsHearings.com.

Oversight Committee Subpoenas Iraq Embassy Documents

Posted by D. Cupples |  After repeated State Department stonewalling, the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena yesterday, seeking documents related to construction and safety problems at the new U.S. Embassy in Iraq. 

In July, we learned that the $592 million embassy (our nation's largest in the world) suffered major construction problems due to shoddy work on the part of contractors, including faulty wiring that caused fires. In October, we learned that the embassy project was months behind schedule and about $140 million over budget, bringing the cost of the poorly constructed complex up to more than $730 million.

Approval Ratings Low for Bush & Congress

Posted by D. Cupples | In January, the White House publicly predicted that President Bush's approval ratings would bounce back to 45% before he leaves office.  The latest Associated Press poll indicates that approval of President Bush has hit an :

Overall          Republicans        Democrats      Independents

30%                       61%                    10%                  10%   

With 11 months left in office, Mr. Bush could (maybe, possibly) see his approval ratings increase by 50% -- though his publicly proclaiming that Dick Cheney is the "best vice president in history" likely won't do much to win over most Democrats or Independents.

Congress Passes Economic Stimulus: Taxpayers to Get Rebate Checks

Posted by D. Cupples | Yesterday, Congress passed a $152 billion economic stimulus package that President Bush seems interested in signing (see bill text).  The bill includes tax breaks for businesses that buy equipment, provisions allowing federally-backed consolidators (e.g., FHA and Fannie Mae) to insure larger home mortgages, and rebates for us ordinary taxpayers.

If all goes well, we can expect rebates in or before May, in the following amounts:

Individuals (up to$75,000 Adjusted Gross Income)       $600

Couples  (up to $150,000 AGI)                              $1,200

Parents    (per child under 17)                                    $300

What about people whose AGI was greater than $75,000 or $150,000 (for singles and couples, respectively)?

The World Spins Even on Super Tuesday: Issues Worth Reading About

Posted by D. Cupples |  Tonight, we'll likely know which presidential candidates won which states' primaries and caucuses:  except, perhaps, in California, whose switch to paper ballots may delay the results.  I don't mind waiting -- and I wouldn't mind doing without exit polls and pundits' predictions.

As the media obsesses over Super Tuesday, insisting on making Off-Track-Betting-style commentary, things are happening in the World.  For example, the U.S. Senate plans to go back to debating the FISA bill and Telecom Amnesty. (TPM)   BN-Politics has repeatedly covered why Telecom Amnesty would be a terrible thing for us taxpayers (including here and here).  Now's a good time to email senators and congressmen, urging them to vote "No" on Telecom Amnesty."