Yesterday, President Bush used the veto for only the second time since he took office to send the Iraq war spending bill back to Congress. His rational was that the bill - laden with domestic pork - fundamentally infringed upon his constitutional authority as Commander in Chief by legislating war strategy. I agree completely.

Congress has no constitutional authority to tell the President how a war should be prosecuted. Congress chooses whether or not to declare a war, and Congress pays for that war thereafter, but that's all the Constitution provides for.

If the Democrats want this war to end, then the operation needs to be de-funded. It's political suicide of course, but what's more important, putting an end to the most expensive American foreign policy boondoggle in history or covering your own ass? We're talking about Washington here so I think we can expect some world-class half-assery over the next couple of weeks after which legislation sporting some shiny new compromise language will emerge with both sides claiming victory and absolutely nothing changing for the troops in the field. Shit, they're not real people anyway.

I want this war to end. Hell, I wanted not to start. But over the past few weeks I've watched the Democrats formulate their strategy, and found it severely lacking. For years I've criticized this Administration's inability to be truthful with the American people while it played our emotions for its own political gain, now the Democrats are doing the same damn thing. There is no "immediate withdrawal." That kind of talk needs to stop. Now. The best we can hope for militarily is a phased redeployment to an area from which our forces can respond to the Middle East should a truly state-threatening crisis arise. Africa, I'm looking at you. Talk of benchmarks and surrender dates and all the rest is bullshit. There's no other word for it. Please stop. You're hurting America.

It's time for the Democrats in Congress to shut up and do their job: Oversight, oversight, oversight. If they don't like the job the President is doing, then bring the hammer down. Impeach the SOB and let it be over with.

Labels: Congress, George W. Bush, iraq

I'm sorry, but as a taxpayer, I do not support individuals with Alzheimer's or other conditions which adversely effect memory or critical brain function serving in our government. The Bush Administration apparently disagrees.

Today, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing entitled: “Allegations of Misconduct at the General Services Administration.”

Once upon a time lying to Congress under oath was a big deal.

Labels: Congress, General Services Administration

Even as debate rages in Congress and around watercoolers throughout world regarding President Bush's Iraq escalation plan, the ground work is being laid for America's next ill conceived military boondoggle: Iran.

Across America - in Illinois, Hawaii, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Arkansas, and Kentucky - sightings of so-called UFOs are spiking. While these sightings are dismissed or ignored by military and civil air authorities, watchers of the night sky who also pay attention to global geo-politics recognize this activity for what it is: maneuvers and operations in preparation for a military strike.

With these activities taking place beneath the noses of Congress and the American people, a strike on Iran is now a foregone conclusion. It is a question of when, not if a strike will occur.

What makes these questions other than academic is that Bush is putting in place military assets that will enable him to order and effect the rapid nuclear castration of Iran. But scarcely a peep of protest has been heard from our congressional leadership.

Observers have noted the dispatch of minesweepers and another U.S. carrier to the Persian Gulf, the naming of Admiral Bill "Fox" Fallon to head CentCom, which today manages two ground wars, and the return of U.S. fighter-bombers to Turkey. ~via

Either the unitary executive is about to open another front in the struggle for Pax Americana, or the Greys are finally coming home.

Labels: Congress, iran, iraq, Surge, Unitary Executive

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government has abruptly ended an inquiry into the warrantless eavesdropping program because the National Security Agency refused to grant Justice Department lawyers security clearance.

On top of this, further details were was disclosed today regarding the NSA warrantless surveillance program. The agency has apparently compiled the largest database in the world to monitor the statistics of nearly every telephone in the U.S. Also known as the "we-don't-need-no-stinkin'-Fourth-Amendment" program, this activity is in effect a preemptive fishing expedition to discover probable cause. There is no way this is legal of course as at least one telecommunications company, Qwest, well knew.

In related news, 72 members of Congress filed an amicus brief in support of the ACLU's lawsuit against the program.

All we need now is for Congress to grow enough backbone to start the sweetest two word mantra of them all: "under oath."

Say it with me now. Under oath. Doesn't that feel good? Try it again. Under oath. General Hayden. Under oath. Alberto Gonzales. Under oath. John Ashcroft. Under oath. Ah...it's going to be a wonderful Summer. Under oath.

Labels: aclu, Alberto Gonzales, Congress, General Michael Hayden, John Ashcroft, nsa, tia, warrantless wiretaps

Yep, this sure is one fine hand basket we have here. Enjoy the ride while you can!

Working with the Bush administration, Congressional Republicans are maneuvering to make permanent the sweeping antiterrorism powers granted to federal law enforcement agents after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, officials said today.

The move is likely to touch off strong objections from many Democrats and even some Republicans in Congress who believe that the Patriot Act, as the legislation that grew out of the attacks is known, has already given the government too much power to spy on Americans.

Labels: Charles Schumer, Congress, fisa, George W. Bush, Orrin Hatch, patriot act, Tom Daschle

Congress Wants to Regulate Web Wagering

Legalizing online gambling for Americans with restrictions similar to those imposed on land-based casinos would have enormous implications for the gambling industry. It is estimated that as much as 60 percent of all offshore gambling dollars come from Americans and a U.S. seal of approval would almost assuredly bring the major commercial casino operators into the online game.

Why are we sending these revenues out of America? Because gambling is bad. Evil in fact. We deliver millions of dollars every day to companies outside the US because "unlicensed gambling lures minors and young adults, particularly college students armed with credit cards, into a potentially dangerous vice; sinks the hooks of addiction even deeper into compulsive gamblers who are willing to bet baby's new shoes on virtual craps; and serves as a conduit for organized crime to launder dirty money."

Instead of legalizing and taxing - always a good way to deal with vice - Congress wants to attempt to ban online gambling. You know, like they want to ban file-trading.

This is going to be great.

Labels: Congress, gaming

House Narrowly Passes $2.2 Trillion Budget

WASHINGTON, March 21 — Voting largely along party lines, the House early today narrowly approved a 10-year budget plan that would allow the deep tax cuts President Bush has proposed.

The Republican-controlled House approved its plan by a vote of 215 to 212. The legislation calls for a $2.2 trillion budget for the 2004 fiscal year that includes $726 billion in tax cuts that the White House has proposed.

This is a record high budget that some believe could seriously damage the economic outlook of the US for the foreseeable future. The budget DOES NOT yet include any funding for the ongoing war in Iraq. The Bush administration has told the American people and the US Congress that it would request even more money to pay for the present operations and any occupation afterwards.

Labels: budget, Congress, George W. Bush, iraq

WTF? Why is this being announced today in the fog of war?

Texan to Lead House Cybersecurity Panel

Congressional leaders have picked Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) to lead a new congressional subcommittee on cybersecurity, a House spokeswoman said today.

Thornberry will head the subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Science, Research and Development. The panel is part of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, which was created last month to oversee the new Department of Homeland Security.

Who is Mac Thornberry you ask? He introduced a little bill to congress last year H.R. 1158. That bill established a new cabinet-level dpartment: The Department of Homeland Security.

I have a very bad feeling about this.

Labels: Congress, Cybersecurity, iraq

From ZDNet:

"DMCA goes under public scrutiny again"

The Library of Congress' Copyright Office said on Thursday that it will hold a series of public hearings over the next two months in Washington, D.C. and California to decide what changes, if any, should be made to the section of the DMCA that restricts bypassing copy-protection schemes.

Anyone with strong feelings about the DMCA, one way or another, may submit a request by Apr. 1 to testify during the public forums, the Copyright Office said in its announcement. The hearing dates in the U.S. capital will be Apr. 11, Apr. 15 and May 2.

Labels: Congress, media, p2p

This story - "Campus Anti-Piracy Fight Reaches Congress" - from Internetnews.com pretty much cinches it for individual file traders on campus.

Expect an initiative in Congress in the near future that threatens to pull sensitive government contracts from colleges and universities that don't crack down hard on file sharing. Or perhaps just a Congressional go-ahead for the FBI to start cracking skulls will be sufficient.

Why? Because we can't have computer systems that house government funded secrets being exposed to security threats. Or as the RIAA chairman and CEO, Hilary Rosen, said in testimony to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property:

"Rampant file sharing of music and video content imposes a heavy toll on all of us. Despite education campaigns about the illegality of file sharing, and despite numerous court decisions clearly holding that copying music, movies and other copyrighted files is against the law, there is an alarming disregard among students for Internet theft...Moreover, students are often unaware of the dangers of these P2P applications: compromising campus network security, making their own hard drives containing their personal data available to others, and opening the campus networks to computer viruses...Campus systems, with their fast connections, find themselves hosting total strangers."

So which would you prefer? Cake or death?

Labels: Congress, fbi, p2p, riaa

I checked-out MoveOn.org's site for their virtual march on Washington D.C. to protest war in Iraq. It’s set for Wednesday the 26. They'd like people to phone, fax, and e-mail their representatives in Washington to show support for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

The site interface sucks. Check it out if you like. Very weak.

Are we too dumb to be trusted to go to congress.org, type in our zip codes, and e-mail our Senators and Representatives on our own? Do we need MoveOn.org to coordinate and coach us on when to speak and what to say?

Please, if you want to participate in an antiwar protest via e-mail, do it yourself. Don't register with anyone. Just go to congress.org on Wednesday, type in your zip code, and e-mail those who represent you in D.C. It's that simple.

As a matter of fact, why not take this opportunity to save the e-mail addresses of your Senators and Representatives, just in case you want to contact them in the future. After all, they are there to speak on your behalf. They can't do that effectively if they don't hear from you from time to time.

Labels: activism, Congress, iraq