Major Political Changes in the USA

[Redneck4sure]

you wanna think what you want, that's cool w/me. :)

You are soooo sweet!!! My wife doesn't let me think at all.

[Kooperman]

My wife doesn't let me think at all.

She's seen what happens when you do...that stunt you and Uncle Grandpa pulled of drag racing while pulling your homes down the road just about got you killed.

[Redneck4sure]

Mine was faster because I unhooked it from the plumbing first. :bigsmile:

[DudeAsInCool]

My wife doesn't let me think at all.

Hopefully she isnt reading this thread

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05074/471867.stm

[Redneck4sure]

It's ok. She never cooks.

[slum_goddess]

She's seen what happens when you do...that stunt you and Uncle Grandpa pulled of drag racing while pulling your homes down the road just about got you killed.

[DudeAsInCool]

The FCC's new "decency" chief

It won't get Beltway tongues wagging like the announcement earlier today that president Bush was supporting the nomination of Paul Wolfowitz to run the World Bank, but the news this afternoon that Kevin Martin has been tapped to become the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commissioner is creating lots of chatter. Once a subdued regulatory outpost of interest only to broadcasters, lobbyists and telecom attorneys, the FCC in recent years has grabbed the media spotlight by wrestling with hot-button issues such as media consolidation and indecency over the airwaves. Martin, an FCC commissioner since 2001, succeeds Michael Powell, the son of Gen. Colin Powell, who served as FCC chairman for the last four years. Because Martin already sits on the FCC commission, he does not need to be confirmed by the Senate.

Not that there would be much doubt. As evidenced by his promotion, Martin, just 38, has shown himself to be a savvy player on the Washington, D.C. stage -- or more specifically, backstage. Martin enjoys close personal and professional ties to the White House. He served as deputy general counsel on Bush's 2000 campaign, while his wife, Catherine, is a special assistant to the president on economic policy, and previously worked as an adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney. FCC watchers have noted how, by subtly withholding support, Martin at times made life difficult for Powell, his fellow Republican at the FCC. For instance, although Martin voted with Powell in 2003 to allow for further media consolidation, Martin rarely tried to lead on the issue or publicly rally support for the measure. So when Congress and the courts moved in to help block part of the deregulation package, it was Powell left with the stain on his resume.

As for the issue of indecency, which popped to the forefront following Janet Jackson's 2004 Super Bowl halftime performance, Martin has been to the right of Powell. Although the FCC ended up fining CBS' parent Viacom $550,000 for airing the fleeting moment, Martin wanted to go further and have the commission investigate the entire gyrating halftime program, which he felt was too crude. Additionally, last month while speaking at a telecommunications summit, Martin embraced the notion that cable television and satellite radio, which will soon play home to Howard Stern, should be policed the same way over-the-air radio and television broadcasts are.

"It is, sadly, a victory for the forces of so-called 'decency,'" says Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, which has battled the FCC over policy in recent years. “Religious and conservative groups campaigned for the elevation of Mr. Martin. They have succeeded in establishing a new 'litmus' test for the FCC chair --someone who will be at the forefront of monitoring programming.”

-- Eric Boehlert

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room//index.html

[slum_goddess]

"It is, sadly, a victory for the forces of so-called 'decency' ".

bah. *suppresses raving about 'decency,' decency, hypocrisy, Iraq &c*

[DudeAsInCool]

I think this guy and Michael Powell are far more obscene than a 5 second glimpse at Janet Jackson's breast... in fact, her breast wasnt obscene at all

[slum_goddess]

no shit (but think of all the children who are scarred for life upon that fateful glimpse). morons.

[Wolfie]

Yea, the kids can go get scarred in Iraq and Afganistan from now on.

[DudeAsInCool]

Yea, the kids can go get scarred in Iraq and Afganistan from now on.

Just dont tell Barbara - you wouldnt want to upset her beatiful mind

[slum_goddess]

Just dont tell Barbara - you wouldnt want to upset her beatiful mind

yeah really. and make sure you suppress all photos of soldiers' coffins--not good for moral amerika to be reminded that people actually die in wars.

[Wolfie]

Just dont tell Barbara - you wouldnt want to upset her beatiful mind

I think Russel Crowe might want to change the name of his movie after that comment from ol Barb. :bigsmile:

[KiwiCoromandel]

US Senate backs opening new Alaska oil drilling

18.03.05

WASHINGTON - As US oil prices soared to a record high on Wednesday, the Senate gave President Bush's energy plan a major boost by voting to open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil drilling.

Republicans have tried for more than two decades to open ANWR to oil exploration. The Bush administration, which views ANWR as the centrepiece of its national energy plan, was blocked the past four years by a Senate coalition of moderate Republicans and Democrats.

Pete Domenici, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, led the fight to defeat a Democratic effort to strip ANWR drilling language from a budget resolution to fund the federal government. The vote was 51 to 49 in favour of keeping the drilling provision in the bill.

However, the Republican plan to give oil companies access to the refuge is far from a done deal..........

Read more.......

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10115937

[Kooperman]

yeah really. and make sure you suppress all photos of soldiers' coffins--not good for moral amerika to be reminded that people actually die in wars.

you mean these.....

[DudeAsInCool]

Alaskans Wary of Vote on Oil Drilling

Thu Mar 17,11:19 AM ET

By MATT VOLZ, Associated Press Writer

JUNEAU, Alaska - The tiny north coast town of Kaktovik officially supports responsible development of oil and gas. But many reacted warily to the Senate vote to allow drilling in their back yard.

Even with just 284 residents, Kaktovik is the largest town on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's coastal plain. Mayor Lon Sonsalla said just about everyone has concerns about changes that could accompany any work in the 1.5 million-acre stretch, where billions of barrels of crude oil are believed to rest beneath the tundra.

"We are now given notice that we have to be on our toes," said the mayor said.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/a...illing_alaska_5

[DudeAsInCool]

Senate Defies Bush on Medicaid Spending

By Anna Willard

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate rejected President Bush's planned spending curbs for Medicaid on Thursday and set the stage for a major battle with the House of Representatives over the budget and how to bring down the record deficit.

The Senate Republican budget plan initially proposed $15 billion in savings from Medicaid over five years, but a handful of Republicans joined Democrats to vote 52-48 to put the money back.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/n...ess_budget_dc_5

[Kooperman]

Let's see, which one would a "compassionate conservative" choose....?

1) Deep cuts to the Medicaid assistance that impoverished Americans desperately need in order to stay alive, or

2) More tax cuts for the wealthiest people in the country, which, in effect, allows them to lead a more lavish lifestyle than ever before.

[Redneck4sure]

I'll take a double dose of both. :)

[DudeAsInCool]

The Soft Bigotry of Life Expectancy

Different Social Security messages for blacks and Latinos.

By William Saletan

Posted Wednesday, March 16, 2005, at 1:08 PM PT

Different strokes for different folks?

Why is President Bush's Social Security reform plan heading south in the polls? Maybe because he's selling different messages to different audiences and some audiences are overhearing messages meant for others. He's telling older people that nothing relevant to them will change. Meanwhile, he's telling the younger people who are propping up the system that it's a dead end and he'll help them get out. This is why Republican "town halls" that were supposed to boost the plan in the polls failed so miserably. The town halls were for the younger folks, but the older folks showed up. Oops!

It turns out the young and the old aren't the only groups getting different pitches. Bush is narrowcasting to blacks and Latinos, too. The message to blacks is that Social Security screws them because they die younger. By all accounts, that's what Bush toldblack business and community leaders at a two-hour private meeting on Jan. 25. It's also the centerpiece of black community town halls and speeches to black audiences by GOP chairman Ken Mehlman, according to the Los Angeles Times. At one forum, Bush told a black executive, "African American males die sooner than other males do, which means the system is inherently unfair to a certain group of people." The executive, referring to black male life expectancy, said to Bush, "If you're telling me that it's 69, and the [retirement] age is going to go to 67, you do the math." Bush replied, "Right."

http://www.slate.com/id/2114957/

:rotfl:

[DudeAsInCool]

Questions Left by C.I.A. Chief on Torture Use

By DOUGLAS JEHL

Published: March 18, 2005

WASHINGTON, March 17 - Porter J. Goss, the director of central intelligence, said Thursday that he could not assure Congress that the Central Intelligence Agency's methods of interrogating terrorism suspects since Sept. 11, 2001, had been permissible under federal laws prohibiting torture.

http://nytimes.com/2005/03/18/politics/18i...artner=homepage

****

Duh...no kidding. And may I add unAmerican and unPatriotic :reallymad:

[DudeAsInCool]

March 17, 2005

HOUSE REPUBLICANS

INTO TRAINING

More Bush budget bonking. The House of Paleozoic Hominids went off the Bushist game preserve today, voting to preserve Amtrak...

http://maxspeak.org/mt/archives/001243.html

***

I like Amtrak - recently took a train from PA to Washington, DC. What's not to like? Try renting a rent-a-car if you are out of town - you might as well buy the damn thing

[Redneck4sure]

Amtrak runs in the red every year. I am not especially for or against it. Is it worth what it cost to subsidize it for the number of people that benefit from it? I dunno.

[DudeAsInCool]

Amtrak runs in the red every year. I am not especially for or against it. Is it worth what it cost to subsidize it for the number of people that benefit from it? I dunno.

Try renting a car when you are out of state... then tell me