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Thursday, July 31
McCain, still campaigning like a stand-in
by
margieburns
on Thu 31 Jul 2008 09:15 PM EDT
Now John McCain is accusing Barack Obama of 'playing the race card.' If any further demonstration were needed that McCain is doing inverse campaigning--campaigning as though he will of a certainty never have to hold the office he's nominally running for-- and also that McCain is Bush Three, this is it. 'Orwellian' is the term so often invoked to characterize the Bush-Cheney administration, its rhetoric, its policies if you call them that, etc, and with ample justification. I wrote columns, in little DC-area newspapers, about the term and its applicability, myself. Bush-Cheney may well retire the trophy for Orwellianisms in ... more »
Wednesday, July 30
McCain is campaigning like a stand-in
by
margieburns
on Wed 30 Jul 2008 09:16 PM EDT
John McCain is increasingly campaigning like somebody who knows full well he will have nothing to answer for at the end of the current election cycle. He's going through the requisite motions, fundraising with a forced smile, pressing the flesh with some gamely forced humor--accompanied by campaign ads that have to be seen to be disbelieved adequately. The new one comparing Obama to two white bleached-blond starlets (Britney Spears and Paris Hilton) is only the most recent and maybe most egregious misstep. But virtually every day seems to bring a new verbal gaffe or other misstep by the McCain campaign--enough ... more »
Tuesday, July 29
Companies keeping your "withholding" from govt; problems with Medicare Part D; are the problems related?
by
margieburns
on Tue 29 Jul 2008 11:19 AM EDT
On July 24, the House Oversight and Government Reform
Committee held a hearing
on problems that continue to plague the Medicare drug benefit (the hearing,
which was amply attended but ignored by the Washington
Post, was previously referenced on this blog site). As Rep. Henry Waxman
(D-Calif.), chair of the committee, noted in his opening statement, one
of the problems facing investigators is lack of forthcoming information from
the pertinent government agency, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS):
“This Committee has been
investigating Medicare Part D for 18 months. During our investigation, we have
conducted ... more »
OPEN LETTER TO CONGRESS ON IMPEACHMENT, from J. Glenn Evans
by
margieburns
on Tue 29 Jul 2008 09:14 AM EDT
The message below passed along by J. Glenn Evans (poetswest):
|
Margie Burns
<margie.burns@gmail.com>
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OPEN LETTER TO CONGRESS ON IMPEACHMENT
1 message
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J. Glenn Evans
<info@poetswest.com>
|
Tue, Jul 29, 2008 at 4:06 AM
|
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To:
"J. Glenn Evans" <info@poetswest.com>
|
Activists for a Better
World
1100 University St. #17A
Seattle WA 98101
info@poetswest.com
www.poetswest.com
29 July 2008
Dear Members of Congress who refuse to act
on impeachment,
What do you
want history to record for your grandchildren?
That you were complicit in the war crimes of this administration? That you did nothing to support ... more »
Saturday, July 26
Impeachment Inquiry: Our way forward in 2008
by
margieburns
on Sat 26 Jul 2008 10:04 AM EDT
The Honorable John Conyers, the Honorable Elizabeth
Holtzman, the Honorable Dennis Kucinich, and the Democratic members of the
House Judiciary Committee did their country proud yesterday. Friday, July 25, 2008, in Room 2141
of the Rayburn House
office Building,
Conyers chaired the “ Hearing on
Executive Power and Its Limitations,” to date our closest approximation of
the impeachment proceedings necessary to the integrity of the USA.
Former U.S. Representative from New York Elizabeth Holtzman,
an alumna of the Nixon impeachment proceedings and a forceful and effective
speaker, pointed a way forward: even this close to ... more »
Thursday, July 24
Insurance companies, Medicare, and prescription drugs: Government Reform Committee to hear testimony on whether private insurers are locking in discounts for the taxpayer
by
margieburns
on Thu 24 Jul 2008 06:11 AM EDT
Abuses by private insurers affect public programs. On Oct. 7, 2007, the New York Times reported that 91 federal
audits showed tens of thousands of Medicare recipients have systematically had
their claims improperly denied by private insurers. Audits revealed improper
terminations of people with HIV/AIDS; huge backlogs of unprocessed claims and
complaints; and failure to answer phone calls from consumers, physicians and
pharmacists. Companies audited include UnitedHealth, which services six million
Medicare recipients; Humana, with more than 4.5 million; and WellPoint, which
owns Blue Cross of California. Problems included UnitedHealth’s improperly
denying claims without explanation to beneficiaries; Humana’s not ... more »
Thursday, July 17
Today on Capitol Hill: Ashcroft on Gitmo, insurance companies on terminating their policies, Senate on super-wealthy tax havens abroad
by
margieburns
on Thu 17 Jul 2008 06:59 AM EDT
Former Attorney General John Ashcroft is scheduled to appear today before the House Judiciary Committee. The hearing is " From the Department of Justice to Guantanamo Bay:
Administration Lawyers and Administration Interrogation Rules, Part V."
Witnesses: John D. Ashcroft, former
Attorney General of the United
States
Walter Dellinger, former
Assistant Attorney General and Solicitor General
Ben Wittes, Brookings
Institution
Also today, over at House Oversight and Government Reform, a full committee hearing is scheduled on "“Business Practices in the Individual Health Insurance Market: Termination of Coverage.” Meanwhile, over on the Senate side, the Senate ... more »
Wednesday, July 16
Mukasey 'requests' the president to assert executive privilege
by
margieburns
on Wed 16 Jul 2008 04:53 PM EDT
Unsurprisingly, AG Mukasey is making Bush's job easier, so far as he is able to do so. Rescuing even an eyelash's worth of credibility to the Bush-Cheney WH would be impossible at this stage, but apparently there is still the occasional gesture to offer. Yesterday, the Attorney General wrote a lengthy letter to the White House, asking that the president assert executive privilege in regard to House subpoenas of material from the Plame CIA leak investigation. At issue most intensely are the informal interviews of Bush and Cheney conducted by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald; also at issue are the exact ... more »
Joseph Wilson and Valerie Plame Wilson back Waxman against Cheney
by
margieburns
on Wed 16 Jul 2008 04:36 PM EDT
Just released by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW): STATEMENT FROM JOSEPH AND VALERIE WILSON IN RESPONSE TO PRES. BUSH’S ASSERTION OF EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE TO PROTECT V.P. CHENEY
16 Jul 2008 // “Today the president
took the unprecedented step of asserting executive privilege to thwart
congressional efforts to review Vice President Cheney’s interview with
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald concerning the betrayal of
Valerie Wilson’s covert CIA identity. We agree with Congressman Waxman
that the position taken by the president is ludicrous.
The American people have a right to know what role the vice
... more »
Tuesday, July 15
One Man's Backlog Is another Man's Active Cases, pending
by
margieburns
on Tue 15 Jul 2008 10:02 AM EDT
The Washington Post
ran an interesting little back-and-forth this past couple of weeks. First
appeared the July 2 front pager, “A
Backlog of Cases Alleging Fraud,” beginning thus:
“More than 900 cases alleging that government contractors
and drugmakers have defrauded taxpayers out of billions of dollars are
languishing in a backlog that has built up over the past decade because the
Justice Department cannot keep pace with the surge in charges brought by
whistle-blowers, according to lawyers involved in the disputes.”
The article reports that, since 2001, 300 or 400 cases filed
yearly by corporate whistle-blowers fall into ... more »
Monday, July 14
Aggressive solicitation of foreign donors for Bush presidential library
by
margieburns
on Mon 14 Jul 2008 06:47 PM EDT
The London Times reports that fundraising for the GWBush presidential library has taken an unusually blatant and aggressive tack. According to the Murdoch-owned Times, at least one prospective donor received direct offer of administration access in return for contributing. Fittingly, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is taking an interest in the exchange and promises to investigate. Following is the letter from Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.): "Dear Mr. Payne:
I
am writing regarding a report that you solicited funds for the George
W. Bush Presidential Library in return for access to senior U.S.
foreign policy ... more »
Friday, July 11
Judiciary Committee rejects claim of 'executive privilege' by Karl Rove attorney
by
margieburns
on Fri 11 Jul 2008 09:01 AM EDT
Update: Following Rove's failure to appear under subpoena before the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law yesterday, chair of the full House Judiciary Committee John Conyers (D-Mich.) issued the following statement: " (Washington,
DC)- House Judiciary
Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. and Commercial and Administrative Law
Subcommittee Chairwoman Linda Sánchez today
criticized Karl Rove for failing to appear before a Judiciary Subcommittee
in violation of a Committee subpoena. Mr. Rove's privilege claim was
rejected by a 7-1 Subcommittee vote.
"Mr. Rove's absence today is an
insult to the American people and to the system of checks and balances that
... more »
House Judiciary Committee calls for new Special Counsel re CIA 'rendition' matter
by
margieburns
on Fri 11 Jul 2008 08:53 AM EDT
Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.) called yesterday for Special Counsel to be appointed regarding the CIA 'rendition' of Canadian citizen Maher Arar. Arar was imprisoned and tortured in his 'home' country of Syria, the direct result of CIA and administration practices. The public statement issued by Conyers, Nadler and Delahunt follows below: " (Washington,
DC)- House Judiciary
Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Constitution, Civil Rights,
and Civil Liberties Subcommittee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and
Foreign Affairs Chairman of the International Organizations, Human Rights
and Oversight Subcommittee, Bill Delahunt (D-MA), today called on Attorney
... more »
Thursday, July 10
Rove, like Feith, a no-show at Judiciary
by
margieburns
on Thu 10 Jul 2008 12:35 PM EDT
Contempt of Congress, as manifested in disregarding a congressional subpoena, can be pursued via an arrest warrant, and according to one of the Code Pink representatives at today's Judiciary Committee/Subcommittee hearing, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) has already said that he stands ready to issue a warrant for the arrest of Karl Rove. Rove's attorney sent a letter to Judiciary yesterday asserting a broad claim of executive privilege and also declining to appear before the Subcommittee today. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), chair of the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, has a solid statement ruling the exec-privilege argument invalid. Dem Counsel ... more »
Wednesday, July 9
Update: Karl Rove to appear before House Judiciary
by
margieburns
on Wed 09 Jul 2008 06:52 PM EDT
Relatively good news, as far as it goes, from the House Judiciary Committee, for tomorrow's hearing: former WH chief of staff and in-over-his-head-by-a-long-shot honcho Karl Rove is slated to appear before the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, to speak re the politicization of the Justice Department and selective prosecution. It would be illuminating to find out whether Mr. Rove has anything to proffer regarding coordinating arrangements for those torture detainees and other detainees. But in default, it should at the very least be enlightening to hear from him on the topic of Don Siegelman. more »
Capitol Hill and the Justice Department
by
margieburns
on Wed 09 Jul 2008 08:28 AM EDT
Some activity on Capitol Hill, regarding our troubled Department of Justice, although as long as Congress and the White House engage in a waiting game scheduled to last through January 2009, little may be accomplished in the short term: Today, Attorney General Mukasey is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee (9:00 a.m.) on "Oversight of the Department of Justice." It would be nice is his remarks addressed Justice Department complicity in administration information-sharing with other regimes, including what coordination was required to transfer those detainees--both those admittedly tortured, and the others--from country to country. As we know, some ... more »
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