Brick #14 NSS: Secret spying court stays secret

“The Bush administration says that the new law is necessary to protect the country against terrorism, but there’s nothing in the law that prevents the government from monitoring the communications of innocent Americans,” Jaffer said in a written statement. “The intelligence court should not be deciding important constitutional issues in secret judicial opinions issued after secret hearings at which only the government is permitted to appear.”

The ACLU also wanted to file a brief contesting the constitutionality of the targeting procedures and the law, but McLaughin declined, saying that the group’s analysis would not be helpful since only the government and the court know how the spying works.

You can read it at WIRED.

RNC Journalists have cameras and material confiscated

See it here.

More on Palin by a fellow Alaskan

More on Palin by a fellow Alaskan

Police active in raiding Minnesota homes pre-RNC

Blip TV has several videos of homes that were raided by police/homeland security in advance of the Republican National Convention.

It is difficult to know but it appears that probable cause was insufficient for these raids. No one was arrested. Nothing was seized. No weapons were found.

And this, dear reader, is what we must be cautious about. There is a fine line between invasive/intrusive law enforcement and responsible policing actions.

The questions we should be asking are how were these homes targeted for action? What was the probable cause that was used to justify the action? Was any of this related to illegal intelligence gathering on Americans?

The police/homeland security appeared to be civil during the questioning; but then I assume that no one challenged their authority. This could have been more dangerous had any of the detainees overtly challenged their detention.

We will likely see and hear more of these raids.  But I really want to know why these specific homes were raided. Anybody know?

Take a walk with Gov. Sarah Palin

Blip TV has this.

It’s a walk with a BLIP TV correspondent from her gubernatorial home to her office in Juneau, Alaska.

The Uptake Watch at RNC

Blip TV has a couple of video postings on Homeland Security raids of protester houses in Minneapolis.

Here is one.

Here is another.

And here is Bushville. 

Get your free fire truck from DHS

Homeland Security ( remember them? The ones that protect you from terrorists?) is now the agency that gives out free firetrucks.

EAGLESWOOD TOWNSHIP - The Eagleswood Township Volunteer Fire Company will receive $225,000 from the Department of Homeland Security to help fund the cost of a new fire truck.
The money was a fraction of the more that $490 million that the Department of Homeland Security dispersed to fire companies through the Assistance to Firefighter Grants program.

$490 Million to fire departments across America from the FEDERAL government. Is there no one the federal government will not wet nurse?

Can Congress not rein in the Executive Branch on anything? Can Congress stop this misuse of the national teasury? 

Is it any wonder that our national debt has doubled under President Bush? Do you want more of the same in the next four years? It isn’t about which Republican or Democrat candidate is in charge, its about Republican and Democrat Parties being in charge. Doling out Federal money to a local fire department is all wrong.

Save America, Vote responsibly in 2008. Vote for independents or lesser party candidates  whenever you can.

Senator Contribution Comparison

(All information below from Project VoteSmart)

What makes one senator worth more in campaign contributions than another?

Take a look at this:

	AZ	AZ	IL	DE	DE
	McCain-R	Kyl-R	Obama-D	Biden-D	Carper-D
Total Campaign Contribu	$946,425	$14,123,880	$1,321,210	$5,170,064	$3,177,275
Individual contribu	$776,410	$10,967,596	$1,159,359	$5,061,802	$1,561,674
PACS	$29,500	$2,802,011	$94,654	$0	$1,564,498

 

How is it that McCain receives less than $1M in contributions and his fellow senator, Kyl, can parlay his office into $14M?

And how can Biden receive no PACS contributions at all, McCain very little,  and Kyl receives almost  $3M from PACS in his last campaign?

What makes one Senator worth so much more to PACS than another? Legislative reach?

Here’s Kyl’s legislative activity:

 Committees:
Finance, Member
Judiciary, Member
Subcommittee on Health Care, Member
Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law, Member
Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Refugees, Member
Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy, Member
Subcommittee on Taxation, IRS Oversight, and Long-Term Growth, Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security, Ranking Member

Here’s McCain:

Committees:
Armed Services, Ranking Member
Commerce, Science & Transportation, Member
Indian Affairs, Member
Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security, Member
Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety, Member
Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism, Member
Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Innovation, Member
Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security, Member

Am I missing something or do both of these Senators have the same reach in Congress?

And Joe Biden who takes no PACS money has this reach:

Committees:
Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, Member
Foreign Relations, Chair
Judiciary, Member
Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, Chair
Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Member
Subcommittee on European Affairs, Member
Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law, Member
Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Refugees, Member
Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs
and International Environmental Protection, Member
Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Democracy and Human
Rights, Member
Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, Member
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security, Member
Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs, Member

I cannot explain how this works. If anybody knows how the system is gamed, please leave a comment below, thanks.

Palin Drone

Hit the snooze button, Mama. We can sleep through this weekend. The big bees of the Republican Party are droning about McCain’s pick. The Hive will pick it up soon.

 Republicans on three channels are all saying the same thing about Sarah Palin:

“Gun-toting, abortion-hating, baby-bearing, frontier woman Annie Oakley is a brilliant selection that nobody but rogue John McCain would do. What a bold move!”

Newt Gingrich can’t say enough good things about her, Rush Limbaugh sputtered through a whole program explaining why she is an excellent choice, and Fred Barnes stammered and then peed his pants. Karl Rove, Imperial Buddha, smiled like Mona Lisa as he talked about Palin’s qualifications as superior to Obama’s.

Yaaaaawwwwwwwnnnn.

By Monday, she will have built the Great Wall of China, cleaned up the Wild West singlehandedly, made lunch for all oil production workers in Alaska, and learned what a Vice President actually does.

 Amazingly, the Republican spin machine is using Hillary’s name in every context they can to give Mrs. Palin some stature, equivalency, and gravitas. (*cough*)

 I want to say to all my friends that thought I was overreaching to run for President: what makes Palin more qualified than me? OR more qualified than any one of my daughters who have accomplished as much in their lives? Hmmmmm?

If only I had a Republican Story-Telling Machine (batteries included),  I could have been a contender in this election. (heavy sigh here)

I renege on my prediction

Oh, previously I was quite comfortable predicting that John McCain would be the next President of the U.S. After all, Barack had little experience and Hillary supporters were undermining the cohesiveness of the Democrat party to the point that Dems were going to vote Repub out of spite. Knowing that the loyal Dem voters and the loyal Repub voters would vote as they always do, the Hillary votes and independent votes would then be decisive in this election.

Independent voters look a little closer and think a little harder than the loyalists of either party. So I shrewdly calculated that the telegenic qualities of Barack Obama would wear thin on independents and come election day, they would vote Republican.

Afraid that he actually might win, John Mc Cain has leveled the playing field by selecting the most inexperienced Republican elected executive he could find: Sarah Palin of Alaska. Determined NOT to take unfair advantage of Barack Obama’s youth and inexperience, John McCain has chosen a running mate that no thinking person could possibly believe would be chosen by a major political party. What a rogue! Among wiser choices, he selects a lesser one! Hoorah! ( It actually reminds me of the hiring and selection process highlighted in Chandrasekaran’s book “Imperial Life in the Emerald City”.: Republican? Yes. Bush lover? Yes. Anti-abortion? Yes. Experienced? No. Well, looks like you get the job!)

John McCain is a strong, fair, and generous man. Who knew he would squander his strength on inexperience?

Every female news anchor on TV now knows that they could be President. They have more knowledge, know more people, are more telegenic, and have had more experience in shaping and developing a national debate than Sarah Palin. Fox News personalities like Martha MacCallum, Megyn Kendall, and Page Hopkins come to mind. Each of them is more qualified than Sarah Palin.  Andrea Mitchell, Rachel Maddow, and Candy Crowley also can fill the bill. The list goes on and on and on.

Now that John McCain has made his selection I have the following things to say:

1. Barack Obama will be the next President
2. John McCain insults me by choosing Palin
3. John McCain insults the office of Vice President
4. John McCain insults all of his other VP possibilities 
5.  John McCain gives votes to Obama by choosing Palin
6. John McCain hates America

If any ReasonableCitizen reader votes for McCain because of his VEEP pick, I will haunt you for 20 years…

Please, for goodness’ sake, vote responsibly and save America.