Two hypothetical reasons why Bush commuted Libby's sentence rather than pardoning him altogether:
1. It polled well. There's a sense of justice while Bush demonstrates his commitment to loyalty to those who are loyal to him. Bush can't exactly drop further in the polls, but he can keep his inner circle dedicated, and rally the most hardcore of his base.
2. It prevents further compelled testimony. Libby has already been convicted and is being punished, so he may not have Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. Thus, he may be compelled to testify against Cheney, et al. I do not know whether an outright pardon would prevent future prosecution of the same offense, though (and I suspect it would).
One or two of those targeted by the case might be liable for libel, but most of it can probably be defended as hyperbole (not meant to be taken literally and identifiable as such to the common individual).
Most businesses are founded under and driven by Adam Smith's ideals, in search of profit.
Our nation is not a business. It was founded to "secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity", the freedoms of speech and press being among the first enumerated rights in the Constitution.
But I guess that this is what we get for electing our first "CEO President".
Molly Ivins doesn't exactly have credibility.
When a former CIA analyst speaks up, people will listen and the credibility of the government comes into question.
Remember Joseph Wilson?
If the "big picture" is classified, the details would be classified, as well. The "big picture", in this case, is an opinion that contradicts the White House's rhetoric. Can opinions now be classified?
All of the facts have previously been published. The author has, AFAIK, said similar things in print before. The White House didn't want that opinion published widely, period.
Snail mail is still being delivered to Congresscritters, but it can be significantly delayed because of the scans and tests instituted in the days after 9/11.
Mail to the local (home) office of your representatives does not go through the same scans, so it will be read sooner. However, it is likely to be read by an unpaid intern whose task is to draft and send replies on behalf of the Representative or Senator. It's not often that your elected representative will actually read your letter, though they may get a daily or weekly review of how many letters came in on what topics and which way they leaned.
So why remove the democrat supporters? There's no real immediate gain.
Not immediate, no, but what happens in the next election cycle? Those people won't contribute to the opposition party, so the party in power is more likely to STAY in power. No, it's not the One thing that will keep them in power, but, drip, drip, drip...
And when the Democrats finally take power again, they'll use this tool, as well, unless they offer up a very strong reformist candidate who has the Congress on his/her leash (unlikely). Once one disappointing political maneuver is used in Washington, it will be used by whomever is in power. This is why the current debate on eliminating the filibuster is so potent -- they're not simply changing the rules in the manner in which rules are officially changed in the Senate. They're going to declare the Democrats and their filibusters out of order, a move that requires a simple majority vote (which is likely to be a tie, with the President of the Senate, Dick Cheney, breaking it in favor of the GOP). It's very likely that Democrats might use a similar maneuver to block Republican initiatives in the future.
Somewhere we seem to have forgotten that sometimes the minority needs to overrule the majority, and that differing political opinions to not negate your professional or intellectual capability.
If you thought the two-party system was bad, wait until it's a one-party system.
It seems that most of the people, even those replying seriously, understood that I was joking. And so even the serious replies were amusing to me.
But, you, sir, take the cake. I'm happy and proud to be an American and to live in America, though I dislike Bush, but I'm damned proud to be privately educated and not a product of the public school system.
What's your excuse?
hehe.
You're right in that case, but what cost Kos my respect was his outing of Alan Keyes' lesbian daughter and her girlfriend. I mean, Keyes, for one, was down by FIFTY POINTS in the polls at the time, but regardless, it was wrong: if Maya (his daughter) were publically out and proud and Keyes treated her poorly, it'd be newsworthy. But she was semi-closeted and so was her girlfriend, who was kicked out of her mother's house pretty quickly after Kos went public with sensationalistic photos he (or another blogger) found in Maya's personal, private web journal.
One should never have to notify the government that he or she is going to gather with others to voice an opinion. Of course, it would be respectful of the nature of the city to do so in order that the city can plan for the disruption or help control traffic, provide for safety, etc. But the fact that the city has the ability to say, "No, you can't march here" for whatever reasons it may state, is worrying, when what the city really should be saying is, "OK, you'll be marching in Central Park? Great! We'll make sure there are enough police to keep everyone safe. Have fun!"
Relax -- it's supposed to happen for the next five days to the next three weeks. Someone should ring up Ball tomorrow and see if they have any updated info as to when they'll fire the bugger next.
It would be nice if the e-voting machine manufacturers were to test and subject their systems to this sort of criticism BEFORE using them as part of the public voting apparatus. If the system isn't secure, it's going to receive criticism and it's their own damn fault that the criticism is in newspaper editorials and in Congressional testimony.
The sensors on top of lights are usually radar devices that detect whether or not there are cars at an intersection. I often pick them up on my radar detector shortly before a light change.
Oh, is that how it works on/.? Write something relevant in the "subject" field, and then quote the most recent episode of South Park?
In THAT case...
1. Microsoft sucks!
2. ???
3. Profit!!!
What we really need is a system that can catch people who don't understand the two lane system, instantly teleport them to Driver's Ed and carefully explain to them that cars in a left lane are to pass cars in the right lane, speed limits be damned. If the cars to your right are going the same speed as you (say, the speed limit), that's the lane you should be in.
And that's why so many people tailgate and pass on the right.
Slashdot Mirror
Yeah, well, as recently as 1996, Clinton was running for President!
Two hypothetical reasons why Bush commuted Libby's sentence rather than pardoning him altogether:
1. It polled well. There's a sense of justice while Bush demonstrates his commitment to loyalty to those who are loyal to him. Bush can't exactly drop further in the polls, but he can keep his inner circle dedicated, and rally the most hardcore of his base.
2. It prevents further compelled testimony. Libby has already been convicted and is being punished, so he may not have Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. Thus, he may be compelled to testify against Cheney, et al. I do not know whether an outright pardon would prevent future prosecution of the same offense, though (and I suspect it would).
IANAL.
One or two of those targeted by the case might be liable for libel, but most of it can probably be defended as hyperbole (not meant to be taken literally and identifiable as such to the common individual).
IANAL
Most businesses are founded under and driven by Adam Smith's ideals, in search of profit. Our nation is not a business. It was founded to "secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity", the freedoms of speech and press being among the first enumerated rights in the Constitution. But I guess that this is what we get for electing our first "CEO President".
Molly Ivins doesn't exactly have credibility. When a former CIA analyst speaks up, people will listen and the credibility of the government comes into question. Remember Joseph Wilson?
If the "big picture" is classified, the details would be classified, as well. The "big picture", in this case, is an opinion that contradicts the White House's rhetoric. Can opinions now be classified?
All of the facts have previously been published. The author has, AFAIK, said similar things in print before. The White House didn't want that opinion published widely, period.
Snail mail is still being delivered to Congresscritters, but it can be significantly delayed because of the scans and tests instituted in the days after 9/11.
Mail to the local (home) office of your representatives does not go through the same scans, so it will be read sooner. However, it is likely to be read by an unpaid intern whose task is to draft and send replies on behalf of the Representative or Senator. It's not often that your elected representative will actually read your letter, though they may get a daily or weekly review of how many letters came in on what topics and which way they leaned.
So why remove the democrat supporters? There's no real immediate gain.
Not immediate, no, but what happens in the next election cycle? Those people won't contribute to the opposition party, so the party in power is more likely to STAY in power. No, it's not the One thing that will keep them in power, but, drip, drip, drip...
And when the Democrats finally take power again, they'll use this tool, as well, unless they offer up a very strong reformist candidate who has the Congress on his/her leash (unlikely). Once one disappointing political maneuver is used in Washington, it will be used by whomever is in power. This is why the current debate on eliminating the filibuster is so potent -- they're not simply changing the rules in the manner in which rules are officially changed in the Senate. They're going to declare the Democrats and their filibusters out of order, a move that requires a simple majority vote (which is likely to be a tie, with the President of the Senate, Dick Cheney, breaking it in favor of the GOP). It's very likely that Democrats might use a similar maneuver to block Republican initiatives in the future.
Somewhere we seem to have forgotten that sometimes the minority needs to overrule the majority, and that differing political opinions to not negate your professional or intellectual capability.
If you thought the two-party system was bad, wait until it's a one-party system.
I'm going to love it, hug it, and call it OGLE-TR-122b!
It seems that most of the people, even those replying seriously, understood that I was joking. And so even the serious replies were amusing to me. But, you, sir, take the cake. I'm happy and proud to be an American and to live in America, though I dislike Bush, but I'm damned proud to be privately educated and not a product of the public school system. What's your excuse? hehe.
It was a solo flight, so apparantely Mr. Fossett DOESN'T give a flying fuck.
Wasn't Yuri Gagarin "the first person to successfully circle the earth in a nonstop solo flight" in Vostok 1, back in '61? Hyuk.
You're right in that case, but what cost Kos my respect was his outing of Alan Keyes' lesbian daughter and her girlfriend. I mean, Keyes, for one, was down by FIFTY POINTS in the polls at the time, but regardless, it was wrong: if Maya (his daughter) were publically out and proud and Keyes treated her poorly, it'd be newsworthy. But she was semi-closeted and so was her girlfriend, who was kicked out of her mother's house pretty quickly after Kos went public with sensationalistic photos he (or another blogger) found in Maya's personal, private web journal.
So did Slashdot, nearly four years ago!
One should never have to notify the government that he or she is going to gather with others to voice an opinion. Of course, it would be respectful of the nature of the city to do so in order that the city can plan for the disruption or help control traffic, provide for safety, etc. But the fact that the city has the ability to say, "No, you can't march here" for whatever reasons it may state, is worrying, when what the city really should be saying is, "OK, you'll be marching in Central Park? Great! We'll make sure there are enough police to keep everyone safe. Have fun!"
... or work for the RIAA.
This is the only way that the "girls next door" really WOULD be the girls next door!
Relax -- it's supposed to happen for the next five days to the next three weeks. Someone should ring up Ball tomorrow and see if they have any updated info as to when they'll fire the bugger next.
Will it still be the same classic rock song in the background, or another?
It would be nice if the e-voting machine manufacturers were to test and subject their systems to this sort of criticism BEFORE using them as part of the public voting apparatus. If the system isn't secure, it's going to receive criticism and it's their own damn fault that the criticism is in newspaper editorials and in Congressional testimony.
If it stops the cancer before the cancer kills, that's "cure" enough for me.
The sensors on top of lights are usually radar devices that detect whether or not there are cars at an intersection. I often pick them up on my radar detector shortly before a light change.
Oh, is that how it works on /.? Write something relevant in the "subject" field, and then quote the most recent episode of South Park?
In THAT case...
1. Microsoft sucks!
2. ???
3. Profit!!!
What we really need is a system that can catch people who don't understand the two lane system, instantly teleport them to Driver's Ed and carefully explain to them that cars in a left lane are to pass cars in the right lane, speed limits be damned. If the cars to your right are going the same speed as you (say, the speed limit), that's the lane you should be in.
And that's why so many people tailgate and pass on the right.
This guy is building weapons that rival Iraq's! Invade!