A Bass-ackwards World

Schwarzenegger, an immigrant, doesn't like others--at least if they are not Aryan, I suppose. He's consistently opposed Mexican immigration as an echo of his mentor, Pete Wilson. During is campaign, he was upfront about it, but at the time, the voters of California were too self-involved to care.

Recently, he recommended that we "close the borders." That's not what one would expect of an immigrant, but Schwarzenegger sees himself as a man apart in every respect. His arrogance is amazing.

On the international scene, one amazing turn: Ahmad Chalabi has been named interim oil minister in Iraq. Interim--right. He's got control of the oil and the Cheney cabal is set to exploit oil as much as possible. They'll strain our economy as much as possible, trying to wring every dollar possible out of our pockets while blaming the lack of oil on Chinese or Indian consumption, or those damn insurgents, while filling the coffers of big oil. The chutzpah of these folks is amazing!

What can we say to make a difference?

I haven't written recently for two reasons. One, I've not been feeling well. But that 's past. The more significant problem is I feel increasingly silent. What's to say when the Bushies whitewash their own investigations (the Abu Grahib report skewering Karpinski while letting the old boys up the chain of command who in Bush's "culture of
personal responsibility" take exactly none) and the have a literal echo chamber for their lies in Fox News and CNN. What can we say when much of what passes as news is now admittedly produced by the Bushies (listen to this NPR report on the agriculture department)?

Now, what can we say when there is still a good possibility that a true nut case in John Bolton will be confirmed as the Ambassador to the UN? Listen to his comments linked below. I admit they are edited (so what's new, George?), but they are on the record and can be contextualized. Nevertheless, listen to what he says, and watch how he says it. He's disturbed, and certainly not qualified as a diplomat. If he is confirmed, the system must be certainly broken.
http://websrvr20.audiovideoweb.com/avwebdswebsrvr2143/news_video/boltonun_300k.mov

Treason?

I naively thought Tom Delay would realize how improper his response was to final decisions on the Shiavo case. After all, the Speaker of the House of Representatives was calling for an end to the checks and balances central to our form of government--literally threatening the future of those judges who did their jobs as they should. I thought he realized how radical his vituperative speech appeared and let it drop. Given all his other problems, this seemed to be an ephemeral fit of pique. But no, he's persisted. I can only hope it becomes clear to all that he's lost touch completely.

Yesterday, he was reported to have said, "The judiciary branch of our government has overstepped its authority on countless occasions, overturning and in some cases just ignoring the legitimate will of the people," But I also believe the executive and legislative branches have neglected the proper checks and balances on this behavior. ... Our next step, whatever it is, must be more than rhetoric."

Don't you think this statement is treasonous--really, I mean it--treasonous? He says the judiciary has "overstepped its authority on countless occasions." (He must have been coached by someone from Fox News about the wild accusation presented as fact.) However, what got my attention is that he went on to suggest that the executive and legislative branches haven't done enough to make the judiciary do what they want. There is no government in existence, that I know of, that has a legislature that controls the executive branch if there is a division of power. Historically, the only re-organization Delay could be pointing to would be establishment of a monarchy or dictatorship (which Bush once jokingly (?) said he'd prefer.)

Delay's ideas are treasonous, I think, by virtue of the fact that he is calling for a radical change in governmental power, excising the ability of one entire branch now extant because it has not done what he wants. I'm curious how he'd have responded about seventeen years ago when he agreed with his family to pull the plug on his father. What if the courts had ruled, as he now demands, that such an option could not be exercised by family?

Delay's persistent call to remove the balancing power of the judiciary is a direct attack on this government. He should be made to account for his behavior as any traitor would be.

Texans Against Checks and Balances

I guess for Rep. Tom Delay and, now, Sen. John Cornyn from Texas feel these pesky judges are getting in the way of their agendas. The solution, for them, is to call the judges bad things like "activist" and call for their removal. That's an excellent solution given our Constitution and tradition of an independent judiciary.

The fact is that the judges are performing their roles as designed. If Tom "The Hammer" Delay had his way the judiciary would be his lapdog there to do his bidding. He's not used to folks saying no, so his response is to threaten those who do with impeachment.

Now Cornyn comes late to the issue. I'm paranoid enough to assume that he got a call from Karl or W telling him to get on board to give more muscle to the attack. Who cares about what is legal or moral as long as it moves the ultra-conservative
agenda forward.

I don't like the fact that a CA judge recently gave Schwarzenegger permission to raise unlimited private dollars to push his public agenda, but impeachment of that judge is not the way to deal with the situation. There is a larger principle of government restraint that has to be allowed to play itself out.

But restraint is not a word that W and company like.