President Jimmy Carter recomended a series of questions for those who aren’t sure how they should vote. I found these immensely well stated. You really do have to eliminate the clutter and rhetoric of the Right and pose stark contrasting values to make the choice abundantly clear: Daily Kos: Questions and Answers. "I had lunch … Read more

It seems to me that many conservatives lack the part of their brain responsible for irony. Perhaps without it, hypocrisy is inevitable. I ran across a rich example of this over at EspressoPundit (this is just a little dated – I don’t get over there too often):

Congratulations to David Schweikert for telling it like it is…

Maricopa County Treasurer David Schweikert says unequivocally, "If the election passes, homeowners will pay more property taxes."

"It’s just that simple," he said. "I think it’s unfair for people who are making economic decisions not to tell the story in a truthful manner. The discussion needs to be about spending."

I guess that answers John Dougherty’s question.

Do you believe bond proponents’ pitch trumpeted by Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon that the bonds can be sold "with no new taxes"?

Or do you think it’s impossible to go that deeply into debt without someone, somewhere, getting stuck with the bill — which almost always means higher taxes?

These bond issues will probably pass…maybe overwhelmingly; the Champagne will flow, ASU will build a campus downtown…but the tactics of the supporters will not be forgotten.

Doesn’t this seem to have application on a somewhat larger scale to you? Say perhaps all those Treasury Bonds that the GOP is printing so furiously to create an expected 400 billion dollar deficit in 2006 and whopping 8.3 trillion dollar – and growing – public debt? Don’t you think it’s impossible to go that deeply into debt without someone, somewhere, getting stuck with the bill — which almost always means higher taxes?

On Sunday I am interviewing Alex Rodriguez (Note: WMV on front page), who is running for the Democratic nomination in CD8. The transcript of the interview and my impressions of the candidate will probably be online 7-10 days following. I’m considering gathering some ideas to provide more entertainment/information for Drinking Liberally meetings and possibly taking … Read more

While he looks dead, he’s really just about as relaxed as a dog can get. Sound asleep on his back in his crate, little Bottie is settling in just fine. Bottie is our latest foster dog through Desert Labrador Retreiver Rescue. He’s just over 6 months old, so he’s still really just a puppy, though … Read more

The GOP is going after Fighting Russ Feingold with their newest radio ad. They aren’t even trying to hide their involvement behind a cut-out, like the SBVFT, this time. Apparently, the tenor of political discourse in America is now such that a politician can be accused of pro-terrorist leanings for standing up for Americans’ civil … Read more

George Tuttle posted an interesting group of quotes from Gabby Giffords on the Iraq war on his blog: Stand up and be counted: Will the real Gabrielle Giffords please stand up?. His conclusion is that Gabby has been inconstant in her view of what is to be done about Iraq. I actually don’t agree. If … Read more

The Administration and Congressional Republicans are thwarting legitimate Congressional inquiry into the President’s domestic NSA program. This abuse of power should be a major issue in the 2006 season. I don’t hear candidates talking about often enough. This is potentially THE issue of 2006. When I do hear them talking about it, I very seldom recognize a genuine understanding of the issue and the values at stake. Toward improving the tone of the debate, I wrote a little memo combining accurate statements on the legal issues and an appropriate framing of the issue. I’m very interested in feedback.

Summary:
The Administration’s legal justifications for the program are implausible. The complete lack of information forthcoming about the actual conduct of investigations, the identity of citizens affected by the surveillance, or scope of the program makes impossible any responsible conclusion about the legality or illegality of the program. The Congress must fully investigate the program before legislating or making any other recommendation or finding about the program. Such a constitutionally responsible investigation is being blocked by the Administration and by the Republican Party in Congress.

Talking Points:
•    “Congress has a duty to investigate violations of American citizens’ 4th Amendment Rights. But this Administration and the Republican Party in Congress are blocking the constitutional process for partisan advantage.”

•     “This Administration claims the power to violate the 4th Amend and insists that no one – not the Congress, not the Courts, not the people – can stop them.”

•    “Republicans in Congress won’t stand up to this Administration even to protect the Constitutional rights of American citizens.”

•    “The Administration created a constitutional crisis by claiming the right to ignore the law and the doing everything they could to keep it quiet.”

•    “A responsible determination of the legal issues isn’t possible until we have the facts, and the Republicans in Congress and this Administration are blocking any inquiry into the facts.”

•    “This Administration is throwing legal sand in the faces of the American people and Congress rather than explain how this program works and why it’s needed.”

•    Stopping terrorists is everyone’s interest, but it doesn’t override our Constitution and the rule of law.”

The solution to the Constitutional crisis the President has created by ignoring the law lies in:

1. Congress using its full subpoena power to investigate thoroughly the factual issues to determine,
2. the Administration’s genuine need to use the methods selected to obtain the information instead of using FISA to obtain the information (especially given 72 hour retroactivity),
3. the intelligence value of the information actually obtained versus the intrusion imposed upon the public.