The News and Ron Paul

This illustrates where we are with "news" in the United States.  I am not going to take a stance (other than my quotation marks), but would love to hear your point of view.  I have listed the "news" anchors responses to Ron Paul's words below the clip.

Mark Haines: "This is not going as planned"

ErinBurnett: "No it is not"

MarkHaines: "We were told that there would be a very limited number of opening statements, and it seems to be getting out of control."

ErinBurnett: "Here’s what we forgot, everybody is taking this live, you know what that means? Why would they miss an opportunity for free air time?"

MarkHaines: "We’re going to take a commercial break and get them out of the way, so that when something really substandard [hahaha-think he meant substantial] is happening, we don’t have to interrupt them."

Putting out the fires?

I'm just too exhausted to blog tonight, but felt that this was an appropriate cartoon adressing our misdirected priorities.  The only thing missing in the image is the bankers strolling out, loaded with cash.

Goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow.

National Debt Too Big for the National Debt Clock

Jon Stewart's moment of Zen last night:  

At one point in time, I supported the idea of the National Debt Clock to raise the financial awareness of Americans.  Now, I think it is important that we turn the thing off.  Think of all the energy spent lighting up all those numbers.

Quote of the Day - U.S. Constitution

"All bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills." 

~Article 1, Section 7

United States Constitution

Letter to Lamar Smith re: Economic Stabilization Bill

Thankfully, the vote to have working Americans pay for the golden parachutes of crooks and liars fell short today.  You can read the verbiage of the bill here.  The bill failed 205 to 228. 

I watched the news and they are saying that the bill needs to be renegotiated.  We need to keep on our representatives in both houses to keep them from redistributing wealth from working American citizens to banks and corporations that have acted irresponsibly.

Rep. Ron Paul provides his view on the failure of the bailout bill right after the vote:

I wrote a letter to my State Representative before and after the vote. If you feel like contacting your representatives, you can do it easily by clicking here and filling in your zip code in the "my elected officials" search box.  

Here is the letter I wrote to my State Representative.  (He is one of the few Texas Reps that actually voted for it.):

Dear Representative Smith,

I saw how you voted on the Economic Stabilization bill and am surprised. I have differed with your views in the past, but am shocked you voted for this...as is everyone I have spoken with today.

As a constituent, I ask that you stem the socialization of debt & privatization of profit this bill and others like it provide. This is one of the most impacting decisions of our time. Please side with conservatism, responsibility, accountability, free markets, transparency and the American way. Please be a fiscal conservative, please stand up for your constituency, please be a defender of our country's financial interests in the future.

I know you speak to people around you about the issues that face us. As someone who offices in the same complex as you, I speak to a lot of the same people you would. I have not met a single person in your district that supports the way you voted this time. I hope that you continue to speak to the people you represent and that time provides insight that might change your mind regarding this huge redistribution of wealth.

Sincerely,

Erik Kuykendall

Hope you write Your represenatatives and Senators.

Martial Law Declared in Congress Last Night

Today, I stand in agreement with Rep. Michael Burgess.   Martial law has been declared so that the powers that be (he blames Democrats-partial agreement from me) can push through the socialization of the banking system.  

House Res--Waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with respect to the consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules request BLANKET MARTIAL LAW RULE THROUGH MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH 2008.  Click here to read the detail of the filing.

Rep. Michael Burgess :

 

It is offensive to the senses to think that our "representatives" are even considering pushing this through so quickly.  This is going to be one of the most fundamentally impacting decisions of our lifetime.  The decisions in this bill are as far reaching, if not further reaching, as any in the patriot act.  Must we succumb to the shock doctrine of disaster capitalism?

Here is Rep. Marcy Kaptur with a Democrat's view:

A brief definition of martial law from the Daily Paul this morning:

"The Leadership apparently intends to use a process known as “martial law” to allow these bills to be brought to the floor very shortly after negotiations are completed, with the result that Members of the House are likely to have virtually no time to examine and consider the details of the legislation before they will be required to vote on it."

What do you think? What should we do? What are you going to say to your representatives?

George W. Bush to be Indicted for Murder?

LA prosecutor and author, Vincent Bugliosi, has been calling for the criminal prosecution of George W. Bush for murder. He has written a book that lays out the case.   The video below shows him discussing the, now, very real possibility of Bush being prosecuted for murder.

There is now a candidate for a State Attorney General position who also believes that George W. Bush is guilty of murder.  If she is successful in taking office, she plans to appoint Bugliosi as special prosecutor to seek a murder indictment against George W.Bush. 

(Thanks to Laura Flanders for the original post on this one.)

"In his career at the L.A. County District Attorney's office, Vincent successfully prosecuted 105 out of 106 felony jury trials, including 21 murder convictions without a single loss in his career. His most famous trial, the Charles Manson case, became the basis of his bestselling book, Helter Skelter."

Think this guy knows what he's talking about?  

"The likelihood of Bush being prosecuted for murder; along with Cheney and Rice is somewhere between 95% and 99%."  ~Vincent Bugliosi

Here he is testifying before the House Judiciary Committee on the Constitutional limits of executive power.

About 5 minutes in, Bugliosi says: 

"All Americans should be absolutely outraged over what the Bush administration has done!  How dare they do what they did?  How dare they?"

His statement is met with a burst of applause and Rep. Smith tried to have the room cleared because there had been "an outburst".

Congress Votes Out 4th Amendment, Senate Agrees

Microsoft sent out a security update which crashed my computer. I am purchasing a Mac today and am currently typing on a borrowed computer. I only have a brief opportunity to comment on what just transpired with the Democratic lead Senate passing FISA.

The cynical side of me isn't surprised, the American in me is appalled. Barack Obama said he was going to support this bill and his forums exploded. He opted not to vote. This man is not a valid candidate for President. He has shown that he will not defend the Constitution! Who is? Let me know.

The Senate approved a bill (previously approved by the house) to retroactively immunize the telecom companies, end all pending suits against the, and allow the government warrantless wiretapping and data tapping. The vote? 69-28 with 3 abstentions. You can see how everyone voted here.

George Bush's words on July 4th are chillingly prophetic:

To my fellow citizens to be: We believe in free speech in the United States of America!

While he is saying that, someone who just called him a war criminal is being hauled off by the CIA or Secret Service. They then hand her off to the Police.

Warrantless wire tapping and free speech in America.
This is a dark day in American history. My hope is that this is the spark that ignites the American public into taking responsibility for what is happening!

No matter what you think of the ACLU, I expect they will get a gold star for their defense of the Constitution in the coming battle. Click here to see to see how they plan to challenge this as soon as it is signed into law.

Media Blackout!

Does it bother anyone else that some amateur blogger in Austin knows that the House sent 35 articles of impeachment to the Judiciary Committee (click here for original article), but Fox News, NBC, CBS and ABC haven't mentioned a peep? Anyone wonder why they haven't heard it on Clear Channel radio?

Put simply, "WTF"?

House Votes For Impeachment

From the United States House of Representatives

(I'm as surprised as you are)!

The House of Representatives voted to refer 35 articles of impeachment against President Bush for high crimes and misdemeanors to the Judiciary Committee.

House Roll Call No. 401
110th Congress, 2nd Session

Passed!

251-166, 16 did not vote.

The House agreed to refer H. Res. 1258, impeaching George W. Bush, President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors, to the Committee on the Judiciary by a yea-and-nay vote of 251 yeas to 166 nays, Roll No. 401.

Our "representative", Lamar Smith voted against it.

See the breakdown of how everyone voted here.

Obama Declares Victory - Can We Concentrate Now?

So...Can we start paying attention to what the Congress and Senate are doing? This epic-length battle has been a blue dress of distraction.

Yes, the battle for top diplomat and commander-in-chief should be important to us, but not all-consuming. Congress and Senate are as much to blame for what is happening with the United States and around the world, if not more. They were elected to represent us and act as a check/balance with the Judicial and the Executive branches.True, they are not doing their jobs the way they should and neither are we. We are just as guilty because we have not demanded accountability from our representatives. We have not remained diligent and have released control of our republic to scoundrels, crooks and liars.

Please get involved in local and state elections while we still have a chance to.

Food Rationing in the U.S.?

Thought it couldn't happen here? Think again. Costco stores are rationing rice in California stores. Watch the video report from Mountainview, California here.

Not only is that a concern...they are rationing based on previous usage! You mean they have been tracking our purchases and that will affect how much food they will allow us to have in the future? If you are surprised by any of this, you should spend more time reading.


Representative Mike Conaway from Midland, TX is reputed to have

"I had a guy in the wheat industry tell me we may be rationing flour," said U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Midland, a member of the House Agriculture Committee. "We're going to get a wake-up call on increasing food prices." (Read story @ Houston Chronicle).

Hug a farmer!

Stop FCC Media Consolidation

I have two previous posts with videos on this topic, you can check them out here and here.

Please send the FCC a message by encouraging your representative to co-sponsor the Resolution of Disapproval introduced by Sen. Byron Dorgan.

When the FCC voted this December, it ignored nearly universal public opposition again, when the Senate voted to overturn similar rule changes. The FCC's decision to let Big Media get even bigger will erode localism, diminish minority ownership, decrease competition & journalistic diversity.

Consolidation means fewer perspectives and less news.

Please support the Resolution of Disapproval and encourage your representative to stand up to the FCC

Click here to find and write your representatives in Congress.

FISA is Outdated?

George Bush held a press conference to reassure us all that our rights have been protected and will continue to be. Then he demanded that we give retroactive immunity to telecom companies and not hold them responsible for violating the rights that he says are being protected. He basically said that allowing Americans recourse to having their Constitutional rights violated would be "patently unfair".

So...did anyone else know that one can take classes in how to speak Orwell at Yale?

I found the Olbermann video after I had started this entry. If you only have time for one video, I'd watch his.



Apparently, Keith Olbermann feels like I do.

"It was legal, but it was the kind of legal for which you still need immunity just like it wasn't legal."

FISA is out of date?

Will Congress Listen? NO TELECOM IMMUNITY!

NO RETROACTIVE TELECOM IMMUNITY!!!

Please act now. The Senate passed a FISA reform bill falls short on adequately protecting Americans from warrantless surveillance and it shamefully grants retroactive immunity to the telecommunications companies that "may have" aided the Bush administration’s illegal domestic wiretapping.

Join the effort to stop retroactive telecom immunity by signing the emergency petition here.

See what Keith Olbermann had to say about it here.

If you are going to give immunity to a corporation for an illegal action, do it beforehand. Otherwise, it can only be viewed as a corporation colluding with the United States government in illegal activities.

Thought Crimes Video...Act Now!

This is a video analysis of the Thought Crimes Bill in an attempt to convince you to keep my last post at the forefront of your mind. The bill is real and this is really happening. Please don't put this one off. Your involvement is more important moment by moment. Get involved. Be heard! Speak up or they will think you agree!!!

Contact your Senators here!

Stop the Thought Crimes Bill!

I have put off blogging on this only because I get so upset each time I begin. Here it goes.
404 of your "representatives" in the House of Representatives voted for the "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007" (Senate Bill 1959, House Resolution 1955). You say, "That sounds like it would be a good thing, right?". I say, "Read the bill!".


I will come back to add a bit of insight as to what scares me about this bill, but check it out for yourself. Click Here for the bill through the Library of Congress, Click Here for the pdf text of the bill or Here for a web link. When it was a House bill, it was H.R. 1955...Google it!

Don't know how to contact your Senators? Click Here!

Do yo want to know who sponsored it? I hope this isn't what Jane Harmon intended the bill to be.

This bill was co-sponsored by the following 14 people:
(links will take you to other legislation they are involved with)

Rep Carney, Christopher P. [PA-10]
Rep Christensen, Donna M. [VI]
Rep Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11]
Rep Dent, Charles W. [PA-15]
Rep Dicks, Norman D. [WA-6]
Rep Green, Al [TX-9]
Rep Langevin, James R. [RI-2]
Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16]
Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18]
Rep Lungren, Daniel E. [CA-3]
Rep Perlmutter, Ed [CO-7]
Rep Poe, Ted [TX-2]
Rep Reichert, David G. [WA-8]
Rep Thompson, Bennie G. [MS-2]

Four Hundred and Four of your Democrat and Republican "representatives" voted for this bill. Get involved to stop this bill now!!!

Senate is in session, do not hesitate! Call, fax, mail and email your Senator(s) ASAP.

Update: Pete Stark Apology

As a follow up to the last Pete Stark post, here is his apology on October 23, 2007. I somewhat expected him to apologize for his tone or for letting his emotions get the better of him, but his apology took a much different form. With this apology, I expect his wish will be granted:

“I hope that with this apology, I’ll become as insignificant as I should be”.

(Thanks to TPM for the video)

Thank you Sheila Jackson Lee

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee from Texas,

Thank You!

Thank you for speaking up for our civil rights. Thank you for representing the people. Watch her in the video below as she speaks regarding SB (Senate Bill) 1927. This isn't likely to replayed on Fox like a Paris Hilton clip.

Anyone want to know which of our "representatives" felt it important to give away our civil rights? Peak at the roll call here. They called this the Protect America Act (S 1927) . Yes, this is truly beginning to upset me. Please say it upsets you and contact your representatives. Please start doing something. 20 minutes a day to a better country!

There were 227 votes in favor of making it totally legal for Big Brother to spy on you. 183 of our representatives voted to maintain some semblance of civil rights.