Fucksocks.

[digitaldiscipline]

Who dropped ADA on Jack Thompson's dog when he was a kid, anyway? Drop it, Jackoff.

Want to get some meaningful testimony out of Alberto Gonzalez? How about the Senate Judiciary Committee employ some of the tactics he's approved for Gitmo, since they're "not torture" and "provide a means to get good information"? I'm sure he wouldn't object to being subjected to the treatment he's given the big thumbs-up to, right?

Comments

[jam1974.livejournal.com]

Maybe I am a bit cynical, but it is old school politics at work. Pretty much every presidential administration fires and appoints Federal DAs based on their political leanings and willingness to further the incumbent administration's agenda.

Prime Example: In 1993, after taking office, the Clinton administration, with assistance from then-Attorney General Janet Reno, fired 93 Federal District Attorneys without a ripple in the pond. What is good for the goose is apparently not good for the gander.

Begin political rant: The Dems are railing about how the public is crying for withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, yet they are unwilling to cut funding for the war entirely, despite Congress' Constitutional power of the purse. Conversely, the Democrats willfully ignore the overwhelming public support of deportation of illegal immigrants, more stringent oversight and enforcement of ICE, and closing our porous borders with Mexico and Canada. They also refuse to acknowledge public support for a flat tax rather than the existing income-based format.

Finally, while Congress is more than happy to attempt meddling in the oil industry to reduce profits and hopefully drive down prices for gas at the pump (while completely ignoring the basic economic principles of supply and demand), they have not even proposed the idea of temporarily or permanently dropping the 18.4 cent per gallon Federal tax on gasoline and other oil products. They have also refused to allow additional drilling to exploit oil resources domestically, and have further denied requests for assistance in building additional refineries, which is the choke point for gasoline production here the U.S. End Political Rant.

Yeah, so...in summation: Politicians are a bunch of lying, backstabbing, corrupt, greedy and hypocritical windbags that do nothing to promote the wishes of the American people and instead pursue their own personal agendas for their own personal gain. Fuck 'em. I say we fire the career politicians and start from scratch. National referendum, anyone?

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I'll see your prime example and call "bullshit."

Every administration commonly does a wholesale replacement of FDA personnel (at least, unless NPR is blowing bullshit up my ass); what Clinton did (and what Bush did when he assumed office) isn't unusual, or at issue.

The brouhaha here is because these folks are getting ousted.... after Bush gave them the jobs in the first place. Apparently they didn't come to heel well enough, or roll over when Rove waved his hand just so.

Changing gears, the Democrats are, as Olbermann pointed out, just as guilty, shameful, and complicit in the current clusterfuckery because they refuse to hold Bush's feet to the fire and pass any meaningful legislation vis a vis war funding or troop withdrawals.

"Yeah, so...in summation: Politicians are a bunch of lying, backstabbing, corrupt, greedy and hypocritical windbags that do nothing to promote the wishes of the American people and instead pursue their own personal agendas for their own personal gain. Fuck 'em. I say we fire the career politicians and start from scratch. National referendum, anyone?"

Mister Obvious, your table is ready. You ordered the Hemlock Salad, I believe?

[jam1974.livejournal.com]

It was my understanding that some of the DAs in question were holdovers. Besides, they all serve at the pleasure of the President, and, like most states, they are 'at will' employees, which means that there is no cause necessary to fire them. Does it reek of Jacksonian division of spoils? Sure it does, but, again, it is politics as usual.

Basically, it seems to me that most Americans are a) apathetic, b) generally either unable or unwilling to formulate their own opinions, c) prefer to have decisions made for them by the government, d) entirely incapable of long-term planning in choosing their political representatives, and e) unwilling to hold said representatives accountable for their actions.

So, yeah, the politicians take full advantage of the lemmings that constitute most of the citizenry, and aren't willing to police themselves (see the Dems' recent change of tune on ethics reform for Congress), and generally seem to be beyond the reach of any type of accountability.

To quote Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, "Shto dyelat'? (What is to be done?)" We either stand on the sidelines and bitch, or we become active participants in fomenting change in the system, either by applying pressure on the politicians, or working within the system by either presenting ourselves for office or electing others who actually represent our views and have the principles to further those beliefs. Not that I think there are many who can do it, given that power, prestige and money are the downfall of many an otherwise decent human being.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

so what, exactly, are we arguing about? we pretty much agree up and down the line here. heh.

[ex-xn667.livejournal.com]

Hadn't thought of it that way, but yeah...and with habeas corpus suspended, what Constitutional right or executive privilege can anyone in this administration (or any other till *that* unholy nightmare is fixed) pretend to hide behind? Is it a matter of progressive immunity dependent upon rank?

[jam1974.livejournal.com]

It's all a matter of separation of powers, with the various branches of government considered to be equal. Congress lacks the power to subpoena or otherwise force a member of the Presidential staff to testify or provide other documents the Executive branch determines to be privileged. To allow otherwise would undermine the independence of that branch.

Of course, the Supreme Court is supposed to be equal, but in practice it has been able to completely derail both Congress and the White House in many instances. Isn't it nice to know that the future of your country is in the hands of nine justices that may, or may not, have any connection to reality?

[jam1974.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah...about suspension of habeas corpus, that protection does not apply to PoWs or enemy combatants if they are not citizens. Regardless of what the ACLU says, Constitutional rights have not historically been extended to our enemies.

Personally, I think that prominent Democratic leaders should go to Guantanamo and adopt a few inmates each, then they can provide those detainees the lifestyle that they are apparently entitled to, such as living better than many American citizens that can barely make ends meet. Sure, they don't have freedom of movement, but they get three or more squares a day, a nice hovel to live in, a prayer rug, a Quran, culturally appropriate dress, opportunity to pray five times a day, cable and other amenities.

Anyway, habeas corpus has not been suspended to the best of my knowledge, though I will admit that the Patriot Act has raised the specter of vitiation of Due Process of law and violations of the Fourth Amendment protection against illegal search and seizure, as wall as violating attorney-client privilege in the interests of security. Ben Franklin said it best...