I'm still pouring through the 92 pages of the Ethics Committee report, but, thanks to Wonkette, I jumped ahead to the Exhibit list. My old blog, Stop Sex Predators is listed as Exhibit 10.
Alex Pareene, over at Wonkette loves the fact that ABC News is Exhibit 12, AFTER Wonkette being Exhibit 11. Somewhere in that post he mentions that they were first.
Ummmmm, at least one of your readers knew who was REALLY first. ;)
Friday, December 8, 2006
ANDERSON COOPER
Here is my segment on Anderson Cooper 360 on December 8. It's my first Live television appearance.
ETHICS COMMITTEE REACTION
The House Ethics Committee has indeed come to the conclusion that no rules were broken throughout the multi-year mismanagement of Mark Foley's immoral, unethical, and inappropriate behavior. They have instead opted to find the GOP Leadership "negligent" in protecting teens.
For years, the reputation of the House Ethics Committee has declined to the point that some people have begun calling the Committee irrelevant. Their findings in this investigation is just as negligent as the actions of the Republican Leaders.
The rules of the House clearly state that the House of Representatives, its Members, Officers, and staff, act "in loco parentis" for House Pages. At the moment that Congressman Rodney Alexander allowed the Louisiana page's parents to quash any action against Foley, he broke House Rules. When House officers and Leadership allowed this to stand, they all joined in failing to provide a safe environment for House Pages.
Could someone explain to me how you can find the Leadership "negligent" and then say they broke no rules? I realize that this report will have little impact on the political landscape. But, the Republicans missed an opportunity to show that they are willing to accept responsibility for a total breakdown in the system. Further, they have sent a very loud message to parents that they do not put a high priority on the safety of their children.
The only good thing about this report is that it finally ends this long, shameful saga.
For years, the reputation of the House Ethics Committee has declined to the point that some people have begun calling the Committee irrelevant. Their findings in this investigation is just as negligent as the actions of the Republican Leaders.
The rules of the House clearly state that the House of Representatives, its Members, Officers, and staff, act "in loco parentis" for House Pages. At the moment that Congressman Rodney Alexander allowed the Louisiana page's parents to quash any action against Foley, he broke House Rules. When House officers and Leadership allowed this to stand, they all joined in failing to provide a safe environment for House Pages.
Could someone explain to me how you can find the Leadership "negligent" and then say they broke no rules? I realize that this report will have little impact on the political landscape. But, the Republicans missed an opportunity to show that they are willing to accept responsibility for a total breakdown in the system. Further, they have sent a very loud message to parents that they do not put a high priority on the safety of their children.
The only good thing about this report is that it finally ends this long, shameful saga.
FOLEY REPORT AT 2PM
The AP is reporting that the Ethics Committee has found the GOP Leadership negligent in their handling of the House Page scandal, but say that they didn't break any House Rules. I'm waiting until the press conference to comment.
NM '08 Senate Analysis
Sen. Pete Domenici was re-elected in 2002 with 65% of the vote and spent $4,144,286 to do it. He was first elected in 1972. By 2008, he will have served 36 years. Should he run for re-election, he would be highly favored to win another term.
However, rumors are circulating that he will retire. These rumors are likely true. Domenici is losing the Chairmanship of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee as well as the Chairmanship of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. Given his diminished leadership capacity in the new Senate, he may want to enjoy retirement with his wife, eight children, and probably dozens of grandchildren.
If predictions of his retirement are correct, this is another prime pick-up for Democrats. New Mexico has become increasingly Democratic under Gov. Bill Richardson. Statewide, Democrats hold the offices of Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, Attorney General, and one U.S. Senate Seat.
This year, Gov. Richardson and U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman were re-elected with 69% and 71%, respectively. Democrats also have a healthy majority in both chambers of the Legislature.
Democrats hold only one of the State's three Congressional seats. Republican Heather Wilson, of NM's First District won re-election by less then 900 votes. She will likely face another stiff challenge in 2008.
Should Gov. Richardson fore go a Presidential run and instead opt for a Senate campaign, this seat is his for the taking. He is highly popular in New Mexico and would be a shoo-in. He would be an immediately effective member of the Senate, having served in the U.S. House, as Secretary of Energy, and as U.N. Ambassador. Service in the Senate would further his Presidential ambitions.
If Richardson chooses not to run, the most likely candidate would be Congressman Tom Udall. He has faced token opposition for his seat in Congress over the past few cycles and has $737,280 in his campaign account, which could all be transferred to a Senate campaign, giving him a big head start.
Either way, Domenici's retirement means the Dems will likely pick this Senate seat.
However, rumors are circulating that he will retire. These rumors are likely true. Domenici is losing the Chairmanship of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee as well as the Chairmanship of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. Given his diminished leadership capacity in the new Senate, he may want to enjoy retirement with his wife, eight children, and probably dozens of grandchildren.
If predictions of his retirement are correct, this is another prime pick-up for Democrats. New Mexico has become increasingly Democratic under Gov. Bill Richardson. Statewide, Democrats hold the offices of Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, Attorney General, and one U.S. Senate Seat.
This year, Gov. Richardson and U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman were re-elected with 69% and 71%, respectively. Democrats also have a healthy majority in both chambers of the Legislature.
Democrats hold only one of the State's three Congressional seats. Republican Heather Wilson, of NM's First District won re-election by less then 900 votes. She will likely face another stiff challenge in 2008.
Should Gov. Richardson fore go a Presidential run and instead opt for a Senate campaign, this seat is his for the taking. He is highly popular in New Mexico and would be a shoo-in. He would be an immediately effective member of the Senate, having served in the U.S. House, as Secretary of Energy, and as U.N. Ambassador. Service in the Senate would further his Presidential ambitions.
If Richardson chooses not to run, the most likely candidate would be Congressman Tom Udall. He has faced token opposition for his seat in Congress over the past few cycles and has $737,280 in his campaign account, which could all be transferred to a Senate campaign, giving him a big head start.
Either way, Domenici's retirement means the Dems will likely pick this Senate seat.
DEMS LOOK GOOD FINANCIALLY
Below, I'm going to post notable numbers from newly filed finance reports, which cover money spent through 11/27/06. Not everything is available, so I'll fill in the blanks as I get more information. First look shows the Democrats in good shape as we begin to look towards maintaining and expanding our majorities in Congress.
PARTY COMMITTEES
DNC: $4,736,131 Cash on Hand
RNC:
DSCC:
NRSC:
DCCC: $2,267,150 Cash on Hand
NRCC: $1,357,949 Cash on Hand
Check out Political Money Line for some interesting numbers on PACs by Presidential Hopefuls. I would offer just one caveat, though. Those PAC's existed to pay for travel, provide support to State Parties, and to make contributions to candidates, ALL with the idea of earning support for a potential Presidential run. Money from these PAC's cannot be transferred to a Presidential campaign committee, so unspent money is money that could have been used to influence some close races that we lost.
PARTY COMMITTEES
DNC: $4,736,131 Cash on Hand
RNC:
DSCC:
NRSC:
DCCC: $2,267,150 Cash on Hand
NRCC: $1,357,949 Cash on Hand
Check out Political Money Line for some interesting numbers on PACs by Presidential Hopefuls. I would offer just one caveat, though. Those PAC's existed to pay for travel, provide support to State Parties, and to make contributions to candidates, ALL with the idea of earning support for a potential Presidential run. Money from these PAC's cannot be transferred to a Presidential campaign committee, so unspent money is money that could have been used to influence some close races that we lost.
RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER
Blog puts Dole run in doubt
http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/518975.html
Now the rumors are swirling.
Seems U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole is allegedly so demoralized by the Republicans' losses in the U.S. Senate that a "confidential source on Capitol Hill" told a blogger this week she won't seek re-election in 2008.
The blogger, Lane Hudson, broke the scandal about U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, the Florida Republican who became close to high school pages. Now, the former congressional aide and Democratic activist is writing a liberal blog called "News for the Left."
He wrote Tuesday that Dole was too upset to run again.
Dole, of Salisbury, took some lumps in November. As chairwoman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, she was held responsible for keeping the Senate in GOP control. Last week, she sent out a fundraising letter asking for help because the committee went into debt.
But Dole said the week of Election Day that she already has begun thinking about a re-election bid. And her office reiterated this week: Dole will go after a second term.
http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/518975.html
Now the rumors are swirling.
Seems U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole is allegedly so demoralized by the Republicans' losses in the U.S. Senate that a "confidential source on Capitol Hill" told a blogger this week she won't seek re-election in 2008.
The blogger, Lane Hudson, broke the scandal about U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, the Florida Republican who became close to high school pages. Now, the former congressional aide and Democratic activist is writing a liberal blog called "News for the Left."
He wrote Tuesday that Dole was too upset to run again.
Dole, of Salisbury, took some lumps in November. As chairwoman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, she was held responsible for keeping the Senate in GOP control. Last week, she sent out a fundraising letter asking for help because the committee went into debt.
But Dole said the week of Election Day that she already has begun thinking about a re-election bid. And her office reiterated this week: Dole will go after a second term.
Thursday, December 7, 2006
I CAN'T RESIST.....
A friend forwarded me this. I'm not entirely sure what the source is, but I think it's The Hotline.
"The truth is a lot of reports in Washington aren't read by anybody. To show you how important this report is, I read it." -- Pres. Bush, on the ISG report, at this a.m.’s presser, mult, 12/7.
Priceless, huh?
"The truth is a lot of reports in Washington aren't read by anybody. To show you how important this report is, I read it." -- Pres. Bush, on the ISG report, at this a.m.’s presser, mult, 12/7.
Priceless, huh?
CONNECT YOUR BRAIN TO THE INTERNET?
Today, the Center for American Progress hosted a panel titled "Mind Wars: Brain Research and National Defense." CAP Senior Fellow Jonathan Moreno, Ph.D. gave a run down on his book and fellow panelist Jennifer Bard, a law professor at Texas Tech University, gave a legal analysis of advances in neuroscience research as applied to real life situations.
The most shocking comment came from panelist Paul Root Wolpe, Ph.D. when he said that it "is realistic that in ten to fifteen years, it could be possible to directly connect the human brain to the internet." He cited current research where neuroscientists are able to bypass lesions in the brain by connecting two sections of the brain by man made circuitry.
Despite such an earth shaking advancement being possibly a decade away, there exists no body of ethical oversight OR laws governing such research. The biggest sponsor of this type of research is the Federal Government, often funding scientific studies through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA.
Techniques currently in development include functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or fMRI. It takes pictures of brain activity in real time and is being used to learn reactions of the brain to figure out if someone is lying, their sexual orientation, if they have racist tendencies, if they are extroverted, and countless other things. It is the closest that we have come to "mind reading."
DARPA is funding an "Enhanced Human Performance" project. Augmenting cognition, or increasing brain function, is one of the goals of this project. This can be accomplished by inserting a chip in a soldier's brain and increasing the bandwidth of brain activity.
The drug Modanafil has also been developed and can keep people awake for days at a time without the need for sleep or calories. This has already been made available in the private sector under the name Provigil.
This barely scratches the surface of an emerging issue about which the Center for American Progress hopes to begin a public discussion. The potential implications of this issue on civil liberties is enormous. It warrants much scrutiny until acceptable legal and ethical standards are created. There should also be a balance between using these new advances for national defense and using it in the private sector where it can be used to improve the lives of everyday Americans.
The most shocking comment came from panelist Paul Root Wolpe, Ph.D. when he said that it "is realistic that in ten to fifteen years, it could be possible to directly connect the human brain to the internet." He cited current research where neuroscientists are able to bypass lesions in the brain by connecting two sections of the brain by man made circuitry.
Despite such an earth shaking advancement being possibly a decade away, there exists no body of ethical oversight OR laws governing such research. The biggest sponsor of this type of research is the Federal Government, often funding scientific studies through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA.
Techniques currently in development include functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or fMRI. It takes pictures of brain activity in real time and is being used to learn reactions of the brain to figure out if someone is lying, their sexual orientation, if they have racist tendencies, if they are extroverted, and countless other things. It is the closest that we have come to "mind reading."
DARPA is funding an "Enhanced Human Performance" project. Augmenting cognition, or increasing brain function, is one of the goals of this project. This can be accomplished by inserting a chip in a soldier's brain and increasing the bandwidth of brain activity.
The drug Modanafil has also been developed and can keep people awake for days at a time without the need for sleep or calories. This has already been made available in the private sector under the name Provigil.
This barely scratches the surface of an emerging issue about which the Center for American Progress hopes to begin a public discussion. The potential implications of this issue on civil liberties is enormous. It warrants much scrutiny until acceptable legal and ethical standards are created. There should also be a balance between using these new advances for national defense and using it in the private sector where it can be used to improve the lives of everyday Americans.
BLUE XMAS (tree) FOR HASTERT
The Congressional Christmas Tree Lighting was last night. For Hastert, he lamented that in nine years as Speaker, that this was one of the duties he most looked forward to because it began a season of hope. It seemed like a somewhat sad event for him since it was his last time to light the Tree.
As if things weren't bad enough for the Republicans, when Hastert pushed the button to light the tree, all assembled looked up to see a BLUE Christmas Tree!
Apparently, GE donated the lights to the tree. The donated lights were red, white, and blue. But, the blue lights completely overpowered everything else. I'll be on Capitol Hill tonight and will definately be checking this out! I'll get a picture if I can, so check back this evening to see if I was able to.
As if things weren't bad enough for the Republicans, when Hastert pushed the button to light the tree, all assembled looked up to see a BLUE Christmas Tree!
Apparently, GE donated the lights to the tree. The donated lights were red, white, and blue. But, the blue lights completely overpowered everything else. I'll be on Capitol Hill tonight and will definately be checking this out! I'll get a picture if I can, so check back this evening to see if I was able to.
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