cannabisnews.com: Chief Justice Attacks Law as Infringing on Judges
Chief Justice Attacks Law as Infringing on Judges
Posted by CN Staff on January 01, 2004 at 12:46:32 PT
By Linda Greenhouse
Source: New York Times
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist criticized Congress in unusually pointed terms on Wednesday for a recent law that places federal judges under special scrutiny for sentences that fall short of those called for by the federal sentencing guidelines.The legislation, enacted last spring as a little-noticed amendment to the popular Amber Alert child protection measure, "could appear to be an unwarranted and ill-considered effort to intimidate individual judges in the performance of their judicial duties," the chief justice said in his annual year-end report on the federal judiciary.
"It seems that the traditional interchange between the Congress and the judiciary broke down" when the amendment passed without any formal evaluation from the judiciary, he added.At its most recent meeting, in September, the Judicial Conference of the United States, a group of 27 judges who make policy for the federal courts, voted unanimously to ask Congress to repeal the amendment. Congress has not acted on the request from the conference, which the chief justice heads, and the prospect that it will do so appears slight. The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., Republican of Wisconsin, issued a statement on Wednesday defending the legislation and responding to the chief justice's criticism. Mr. Sensenbrenner said it had been necessary for Congress to act because the "growing problem of downward departures" — the term for sentences that fall below the minimum produced by the guidelines — had been "undermining sentencing fairness throughout the federal system."Mr. Sensenbrenner said Congress was aware of the judiciary's opposition when it adopted the amendment."This disagreement," he said, "resulted from a policy dispute between Congress and the judiciary and did not result from any breakdown in communication between the branches or a lack of opportunity for judges to express their thoughts on this issue."Nonetheless, it is clear that Congress is not of one mind on the question. Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, a leading Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, called the chief justice's criticism "extraordinary" and said he agreed that the amendment was undermining judicial independence, by creating "blacklists based on the sentencing practices of individual federal judges." Mr. Kennedy said he had introduced a bill to repeal the amendment.The measure at issue is known as the Feeney Amendment, for its sponsor, Representative Tom Feeney, Republican of Florida. It instructed the United States Sentencing Commission, the agency that sets the guidelines, to issue new rules to "ensure that the incidence of downward departures is substantially reduced." The commission was ordered to maintain judge-by-judge records of sentencing departures and to send the files to the attorney general, who in turn is obliged to provide the information to the Judiciary Committees of both houses.In one sense, given the Judicial Conference's official opposition to the Feeney Amendment, Chief Justice Rehnquist's critical remarks did little more than reflect existing judicial policy. The Judicial Conference's action itself reflected the views of many federal judges, who have become increasingly resentful of the limits — mandatory minimum sentences in some cases, in addition to the guidelines — that have been placed on their traditional sentencing discretion.But the chief justice's choice of subject for his year-end statement — this was his 18th — is never casual, and by making the sentencing debate the focus of the report, he was clearly trying to raise the issue's public visibility and bring it more forcefully than before to the attention of Washington policy makers. He has long been concerned about guarding judicial independence, and it was in those terms that he framed his critique of the Feeney Amendment.The chief justice said that "by constitutional design," judges had "an institutional commitment to the independent administration of justice and are able to see the consequences of judicial reform proposals that legislative sponsors may not be in a position to see." He suggested that while "judges are bound to respect" the Congressional perspective on questions of judicial administration, the respect should run in both directions."Consultation with the judiciary," he said, "will improve both the process and the product."Complete Title: Chief Justice Attacks a Law as Infringing on JudgesNewshawk: ekimSource: New York Times (NY)Author: Linda GreenhousePublished: January 1, 2004Copyright: 2004 The New York Times Co.Contact: letters nytimes.com Website: http://www.nytimes.com/CannabisNews Justice Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/justice.shtml
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Comment #52 posted by kaptinemo on January 02, 2004 at 15:35:19 PT:
Beat ya to it
RAW may talk with tongue in cheek, but he knows, alright.I've known of them for some time. Just another group of very dangerous people who may also be trafficking in human slavery for sexually perverted reasons. There's a good reason why you never hear anything about these groups, mainly because the members all have dirt on each other that would cause major governments to collapse overnight were that dirt to see daylight.As Disreali put it in his novel, "The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes." Very different, indeed.
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Comment #51 posted by BlakNo1 on January 02, 2004 at 14:54:42 PT:
been there, done that
Believe me, as far as I'm concerned, yesterdays "conspiracy theory" is todays political reality.I'm also a Robert Anton Wilson freak so I'm quite familiar with all the organizations you cited. Want a "fun" conspiracy theory? look up Bohemian Grove.
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Comment #50 posted by kaptinemo on January 02, 2004 at 11:15:27 PT:
As I said, you can accept or reject
But employ some research on your own before doing the latter out of hand.I'd do the same for anyone here.
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Comment #49 posted by BlakNo1 on January 02, 2004 at 10:38:10 PT:
could be meat, could be cake
Well, if you look at the above thread, you'll see that I'm a Kucinich booster. As for the rest, personally, I think "they" are all just fronting for The Cult Of The Yellow Sign, who are just fronting for The Interstellar Soul-Huffers, but that's just me.People tell me I smoke too much...
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Comment #48 posted by kaptinemo on January 02, 2004 at 07:30:07 PT:
BlakNo1, I'm not so sanguine about the future
I thought long and hard about writing this next missive, as I realize that what it will look and sound like would normally be dismissed as the products of a diseased mind. I've no doubt that some of you believe that my thinking processes are faulty, that I engage in hyperbole too much. But prefer to let the chips fall where they may; make of this jeremiad what you will:Unless a political 'outsider', a real one, truly concerned for this nation's welfare, gets his hands on the Executive Branch, this nation and possibly this planet will be in deep doo-doo.Someone who doesn't have strings ('strings', Hell; bloody CABLES) attached to his buddies in the Kleptocracy. Someone who knows the score. Someone like Kucinich.Time is running out before this country is bled dry and ruined in imperialistic foreign wars for resources and domestic economic skullduggery. There are technologies that, if implemented, will ensure enough clean, sustainable, renewable energy to maintain a modern industrial nation like ours...but directly threaten the power base of those dependent upon hydrocarbon technology to stay perched on top of the economic pyramid. Their handmaiden is running loose in the Oval Office right now, starting those wars and blocking that technology.Like industrial hemp.With as much power as has - illegally, mind you - accreted to the Executive Branch, it will *only* be the Executive Branch that can stop the decline in time. The very odious Executive Orders that I hate so much may be the only way to sabotage the Global Plantation the plutocrats are planning for us all. I'd sooner trust someone like Mr. Kucinich at the helm than I would any perfumed prince of the DLC...and I'd trust only Ron Paul of the Republicans, either, to wield that power, for that matter. Both have shown their true face to the American people.Oops, I see I haven't explained myself again. THIS is what certain very powerful people have in mind for us:What I am about to relate is damned scary stuff...and all of it verifiable, as the organizations I'm about to mention have *actually published their intents*.There are a number of very powerful organizations on this planet, comprised of equally powerful people, who make decisions that have deep and lasting effects upon every human being alive, and those yet unborn. Few of them are elected. 99% of us have never heard of these organizations, much less their aims.These organizations, some of whom have been in existence for almost a century, have a very Malthusian view regarding humanity. Namely, that there are too many humans alive courtesy of the Industrial Revolution making it possible to feed so many. They think that in order to ensure humanity's survival - and *a priori* their continued dominance of humanity - the 'herd' has to be 'thinned out'.This requires that the present standards of living which we enjoy be artificially curtailed. We are seeing the process at work with the dismantling of the industrial base of this country and shipping it overseas, the concentration of the economic power in the hands of a very, very few people, increasingly fascistic laws being promulgated to support a police state that will be needed when things get so bad the 'herd' wakes up and revolts against their 'betters', etc.Go rent the movie "Soylent Green" for a taste of what's in mind for us.The Club of Rome, the Committee of 300, the Council on Foreign Relations, The Bildergergers, the Royal Institute for International Affairs, etc. are all part and parcel of this operation.Some of what they might be planning is truly horrific: possible race-specific biological warfare:DAVID KELLY AND VICTORIA'S SECRET
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/120903_victoria.htmlWhat this country - indeed, the entire world - is facing is an artificially engineered Malthusian die-off courtesy of some very shadowy figures. People you don't know have decided you shouldn't be breathing. And they have done all manner of things which could cause that to happen. They will cause *another* holocaust (these were the same folk that bankrolled Hitler and Mussolini and Tojo, as well as Lenin and Mao) if they are not stopped, and soon.I don't expect anyone to take my word for anything. Do your own research. Google those organization names I gave you and see for yourself. I guarantee you won't like what you find.Kucinich, Ron Paul and other patriots could stop this...but they need our help.Otherwise, you might someday be begging from your plutocratic 'betters' for a crust of bread and a handful of beans to stay alive for one more day of working in their factories...as many Third Worlders are doing right now.
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Comment #47 posted by ekim on January 02, 2004 at 06:59:28 PT
west try sending something to this site
you will be on the list. this is where i received this info. kucinichmichigan yahoogroups.com
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Comment #46 posted by BlakNo1 on January 02, 2004 at 06:05:02 PT:
fooled again
It always cracks me up when people second-guess everything that "big" gov't does, but are always more than happy to give "big" corporations a pass.Maybe 4 years after Dubya cheats his way into a second term, people will wise up. Then again, maybe not.
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Comment #45 posted by kaptinemo on January 02, 2004 at 04:49:04 PT:
E_J, I said nothing about socialism
The problem here is the same one that we have had in this country for the longest time: the balance between the needs and wants of capitalism versus the needs and wants of the citizenry; the two are not always in sync.The regulatory agencies which came into creation after the Great Depression because the Investor Class drove the country into the ground with their rampant, unregulated speculation and market manipulations. Nearly all our parents lived with the horrendous aftermath of that. Those regulations were created to ensure that it would never happen again.So, what happens when those regulations were removed, bit by bit? The same rampant market speculations (i.e. Milken's junk bond issues), insider trading (Ivan Boesky and his crew) and theft of people's money via the S&L crisis. And that was just for starters. We are seeing an accelleration of the process under the Korporate Krooks like "Kenny Boy" Lay absconding with old folk's pension plans to the Caymans. Businesses were given tax credits, putting the cost of paying for local services on the backs of taxpayers to give those businesses those credits. They were given those tax credits in order to create jobs HERE. And what did they do? Sent the jobs to *maquiladoras* in Mexico and slave wage factories in China and India.I repeat, those regulations were put into place because of past behavior of certain unscrupulous businessmen. The behavior of this generations' lot has been as bad or worse as those who made the regulations necessary to begin with. I have no love for governmental interfernce in the market. I really don't. That kind of interference *inevitably* bleeds over into your personal life; it can't help doing so. The result is the same. To me, government is like an amoeba; it oozes into any spot it can and consumes whatever it can unless it meets resistance. One of my favorite authors, Robert Heinlein, once wrote that a mugger was nothing more than a free-lance socialist. I have never seen anything since I read those words to convince me otherwise. And I went through Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin in 1983, and saw how wretched a hole East Berlin was, with bullet holes from WW2 in the walls of some buildings. I have no faith in socialism to solve problems; it only creates more.But when somebody is trying to pick my pocket and uses ideology to do it, it doesn't matter whether they are socialists or capitalist plutocrats. Some kind of balance has to be struck; we've lost that balance these last 23 years, and the present economy is the result. Unless that balance I spoke of is in operations, the citizens always suffer. As we have. As we will continue to do until that equilibrium is struck once more.
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Comment #44 posted by westnyc on January 01, 2004 at 23:15:13 PT
Ekim - I am not worthy!
I am a Michigan resident; and, I have heard of this. Now I know exactly what to do in order to support Mr Kucinich! I was searching like hell the other day for this info. Thank you, thank you! :-)
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Comment #43 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 20:24:47 PT
ekim
This article is for you!Past Defeat and Personal Quest Shape Long-Shot Kucinich Bid: http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread18074.shtml
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Comment #42 posted by ekim on January 01, 2004 at 20:11:57 PT
something new
This is the moment! This is not an online poll, not a "rate this
photo" activity. This is a real vote. If you are a registered
Michigan voter, you can vote by mail or online. Just follow these
instructions:1. Go to this link: http://www.applytovote.com/
2. Fill out the information, as it appears on your voter registration
card.
3. Print out the page with your information on it, then "Submit Your
Application"
4. A ballot will be mailed to your voter registration address.
5. The ballot will contain instructions for online voting or voting
by mail.To guard against election fraud, Kucinich supporters will be doing an
independent tally of our online and mail-in votes. When you vote,
confirm it with an e-mail to MIvote hotmail.comIf you have any questions, call 734-646-2792 or e-mail
MIvote hotmail.com
http://www.kucinich.us
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Comment #41 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 19:55:18 PT
sukoi
Jose's words echo true. You should take his advice.
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Comment #40 posted by jose melendez on January 01, 2004 at 19:52:46 PT
sukoi
LTEs echo louder
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Comment #39 posted by sukoi on January 01, 2004 at 19:41:32 PT:
I understand FoM
although it is rather hard to email anyone from here except for kaptinemo as very few others have provided an email address. I have provided my email address in this post. If anyone wishes to contact me, please feel free to do so. I apologize if I have caused any problems FoM!
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Comment #38 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 19:33:19 PT
sukoi
You can do whatever you feel is right. I don't have a problem with that at all. All I want is to not bring it to this board. That's all.
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Comment #37 posted by sukoi on January 01, 2004 at 19:31:39 PT
FoM
I have always thought that this entire cause is about doing the right thing and getting people in the mind set to do just that. How can we possibly accomplish that without getting people to think and changing some minds? By only reaching out to like minded people, we are effectively just "preaching to the quior", and while that makes us all feel better it does nothing for our cause. Even if this guys' mind can't be changed, there are many people reading that may take a second look at this whole issue, and who knows, we may end up with another member of the quior! For me, it is time well spent. I hope that you understand what I am trying to say!
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Comment #36 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 19:27:41 PT
sukoi
I've thought about this and I'd appreciate if you didn't post the link to your discussion here. If you want someone to help you please email them and then it won't be a problem for me or this board. Thank you.
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Comment #35 posted by ron on January 01, 2004 at 19:22:17 PT
The Issue is Prison, Sukoi
He talks a lot, but never mentions it.
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Comment #34 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 19:16:54 PT
Here's A Link That Helps Me
We can become a troll by responding to them if we aren't careful.http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/troll.htm
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Comment #33 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 19:13:15 PT
sukoi
I don't believe in wasting time. If I have free time I find something to do. There are never enough hours in the day. I won't talk with people who really don't care about our issue but would rather just argue. There are too many nice people that need a pat on the back or a well done and they will get my attention.
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Comment #32 posted by sukoi on January 01, 2004 at 19:05:30 PT
This guy is Hard Core Prohibition!!!
And he is quite good at it! I’m sure that I’ll be able to politely respond to him, but it will take a little time in order for me to do so and keep it in a context that will further a civil debate. The GCW would do well to intervene here, as I am really not up with the religious aspect of this argument to his degree. In the mean time, I would certainly be interested in hearing some angles that all of you would present so that I may have more to work with. I made this guy think, and I can’t stop now! I'd sure be greatful if you would allow me to tap into some of the knowledge that all of you possess. He has yet to present any facts and I do have some, but more wouldn't hurt! Please read this and give me your input:http://www.delriolive.com/langtry/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=national&Number=5508
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Comment #31 posted by E_Johnson on January 01, 2004 at 18:52:49 PT
So you'd rather have state socialism kaptinemo
"Well, we now see what happens when you allow businessmen carte blanche to run the country...they've made an even worse mess than the 'lib-ruhls' they decried so much as lacking an understanding of economics."And if you want to look at the way the left governs when it owns all the power, look at the Soviet Union.Oops, we can't look at that country any more because the Soviet government was rejected by the citizens when the government sent tanks against them in 1991.Why is Russia run by the Mafia now?Because the Communists criminalized not just the drug business but ALL business!!!So criminals ended up being the only ones who knew what to do when the state economy collapsed.You're not the only one who wants freedom, but not everyone defines freedom the way you define it. Some people want the freedom to run their own businesses the way they see fit.You can demonize them.They can demonize you.If you can't define your freedom in a way that is compatible with the freedom of others, then all you can depend on is the naked exercise of power, and at that -- you lose!
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Comment #30 posted by ron on January 01, 2004 at 18:35:41 PT
Driving in Wisconsin = Russian Roulette
Check this out:http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n2012/a02.html?999NEW DRUGGED DRIVING LAW IN EFFECT IN WISCONSIN MARINETTE -- "Busted. Over the limit. Under arrest." That's the latest ad slogan for the State of Wisconsin's enforcement of drunk driving laws. The law is fairly simple, if you have a blood alcohol concentration level ( BAC ) over 0.08, you will be arrested, but up until recently, arrests for driving while under the influence of illegal drugs fell into an hazy area. While a person could be under the influence of an illegal drug, it was a hard process to make a convincing legal argument that the drugs impaired a person's ability to drive. In December that changed. A new law, called Luke's Law, went into effect Dec. 19 which basically states that if someone is caught driving while under the influence of an illegal drug, they will be charged just like a driver under the influence of alcohol. While the law is similar to the state's already existing driving while under the influence laws, Wisconsin State Patrol Lt. Tim Carnahan said that it was necessary for the state to be more specific. "Essentially what is says is that it is unlawful to drive a motor vehicle if you have any detectable limit of a controlled substance in your blood. The controlled substances are all the usual suspects; marijuana, cocaine, opiates, methamphetamines. They are not talking about legal medications, they are talking about illegal drugs," said Carnahan. "If you've got it in your system, you've broken the law." Before this law, driving while under the influence law stated that a person could not drive a motor vehicle if they are impaired by alcohol or other drugs. That's still the case. "The problem for law enforcement is when you brought somebody in and they were clearly impaired driving, but they didn't have any alcohol and you had drugs," explained Carnahan. "They took them for a blood test, and the blood test came back, for example it came back for cocaine, and it said that you had such a level of cocaine in your blood, you didn't have the corresponding blood alcohol levels." With alcohol, in Wisconsin if a driver has a ( BAC ) of over 0.08, the state only has to argue that they were above the legal level of intoxication. With drugs, law enforcement and the courts didn't have that, thus it created a legal hassle to convict people who were impaired by other means than alcohol. Such an incident happened in Milwaukee in 2001. The new law, is also known as the Baby Luke bill, after a victim in the incident. Michelle Logemann of Waukesha was approximately eight months pregnant when her vehicle was hit by a van that ran a red light in Milwaukee on Dec. 11 of that year. She was seriously injured. Soon after the crash, Logemann's baby, named Luke, was delivered by Caesarian section but died a few hours later of head injuries. Prosecutors demonstrated that the driver of the van, Paul D. Wilson, had ingested cocaine, but they couldn't prove actual impairment. Wilson eventually pleaded no contest to a charge of a homicide by negligent use of a motor vehicle and received a maximum two-year sentence. If he had been convicted of being impaired by alcohol at the time of the fatal crash, he could have received a maximum 40-year sentence. The new law makes penalties for drugged driving as severe as those for drunk driving, with a first offense resulting in a hefty fine, an alcohol and other drugs assessment, loss of driving privileges, and possible jail time. Motorists who exhibit behavior or symptoms indicative of drug use will have to submit to a blood test that determines the presence of controlled substances. Refusing to take the blood test for illegal drugs is treated the same as refusing to take the test to detect alcohol levels -- automatic revocation of the driver's license. That doesn't mean that law enforcement officers can pull someone over and force them to submit to a drug test. As with all alcohol stops, an officer has to have reasonable suspicion before requesting a test. "Is law enforcement going to be stopping people and randomly sticking needles in people's arms to see if they have any drugs in their system? The answer to that is absolutely not," he said. "In order to stop somebody while driving a car, you have to have reasonable suspicion that they have broken some law. Then you have to make a determination based on probable cause that this law has been violated."
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Comment #29 posted by westnyc on January 01, 2004 at 18:02:41 PT
I love books too!
I just finished Jesse Ventura's "Do I Stand Alone." Excellent! No bullshit! Is all I can say. I love political books: Barbara Ehrenreich, Jim Hightower, Al Franken (awesome satire), Michael Moore, etc. Ultimately I am a horror fan. I always love the "dark side" of humanity. Oddly enough, I was born on Sept. 11 of all days. My favorite book of all time is Robert McCammon's "Swan Song." It is everything a great horror epic, and epic it is, should be; love, loss, corruption, desperation, humility, survival, and ultimately, hope. There is even an interesting part about "American Patriots." He also wrote the Speaks the Nightbird series about the witch trials of the late 1600's. I think it is ironic that King is considered the "Master of Horror;" and, McCammon has been called the "Poor man's Steven King." It kinda should be the other way around.What is interesting is that many of our greatest fictional writers predict the turmoil and desperation of humankind. They call it the "ser humano" or the "to be human." Many of these works can be symbolized in today's society with everything from Totalitarianism to Fascism to even cannabis prohibition itself. All ingrained from ignorance and greed. You can definately see George Orwell in everything from Shakespeare, Hugo, to Herbert and King.
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Comment #28 posted by sukoi on January 01, 2004 at 17:57:07 PT
You have probably heard this
but you might want to save it for next year. Merry New Year! sukoi!http://www.toonedin.com/movies/WhiteTrashXmas.html
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Comment #27 posted by kaptinemo on January 01, 2004 at 17:24:46 PT:
The Bush you are referring to is Neil Bush
Of the Silverado S&L debacle infamy.Whose wife has launched an embarrasing - for him - lawsuit as part of an exceedingly messy divorce. A lawsuit in which some VERY shady dealings with foreign agencies, some with ties to Mainland China's intelligence apparatus, are being exposed.Want some steaming, dripping red meat? Here it is:
N. Bush's foreign business deals draw spotlight
http://www.sunspot.net/news/nationworld/bal-te.bush30dec30,0,6889509.story
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Comment #26 posted by kaptinemo on January 01, 2004 at 17:15:20 PT:
Sorry to disappoint, WestNYC
I see I have been remiss in my manners: welcome to CNEWS!Many thanks for your gracious compliments, but I'm just Your Friendly Neighborhood Geek, that's all. Ex-military from a military family that goes WAY back, who's seen and experienced some *very* strange things, and is cursed with an eidetic memory. To directly answer your query, my major was Sociology with a minor in Poli Sci. I read too much as a kid, mainly science fiction, the classics (Verne, Wells, etc.) as well as Frank Herbert (he wrote a LOT more than "Dune", and his stuff is just as important today as it was when written; he warned of tampering with ecologies, and now look at this global warming mess we're in) and Heinlein's stuff and Gordon R. Dickson's works in particular, and this formed my nascent political beliefs. As you might guess, "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" was a big favorite of mine, hence the phoneticization of my moniker; I'd like to think my fictional namesake and I would have had a lot in common. I'm not exactly a scholar, I'm afraid, but I have the utmost respect for scholars and teachers; a damn dirtier job than soldiering was, sometimes. At least I didn't have to worry about a Board of Education backstabbing me and ruining a curriculum for political reasons, damaging the student's educations. Which I have witnessed up close and in-my-face for a period when I (briefly, thank God!) worked for a BoE.Nope, I'm just another guy, who stops in here from time to time to vent a spleen full of bile. I can only hope I do so with a modicum of entertainment :)
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Comment #25 posted by westnyc on January 01, 2004 at 16:44:32 PT
It seems like I remember a Bush
Perhaps Kaptinemo, I am wrong; but, wasn't a Bush involved with the whole "savings and loan" scandal? Unfortunately, during the eighties I was too busy listening to The Cure, the Violent Femmes, and the Joy Division to care about much else. I also wore black and an old Londonfog Trenchcoat; but, I never killed anyone. PS - I didn't worship "SATAN" either. ;-)
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Comment #24 posted by kaptinemo on January 01, 2004 at 16:32:09 PT:
WestNYC: Why am I not surprised?
The 21st Century's version of Marie Antoinette's "Let them eat cake."Many years ago, back in the mid 1970's I saw an article in US News and World Report about how business groups were martialling their resources to politically battle and eventually control the regulatory agencies that were considered the bane of their existence.The battle cry back then was: "If government was run like a business, we'd have Nirvana on Earth."Well, we now see what happens when you allow businessmen carte blanche to run the country...they've made an even worse mess than the 'lib-ruhls' they decried so much as lacking an understanding of economics. People had forgotten WHY regulations governing business transactions had been emplaced so long ago: because you can always count on the bottom dollar and the profit margin to rule decisions regarding life-shattering acts like plant closures. Places like Flint were only the precursors of what we are experiencing today. The businessmen sent the jobs overseas. So much for Nirvana in America.Way back on the last day of my college stay, after I had graduated, I took my roomie home for the last time. The very last thing he said to me (This was December 1981) "Don't put your money in an S&L." I thought the advice very strange, as we had never discussed economics. But his mother had worked for the regulatory agency FSLIC, whose task it was to regulate the Savings and Loan companies. The first S&L collapses began in 1982, and we are still paying for that debacle, and will for the next 3 generations. All because of deregulation. Open the door to the trough, and the pigs WILL feed. And feed. And feed. It's their nature.And now we have wars all over the place, for resources that major corporations control, monopolistically, with governmnetal blessing because that same government is rife with the corporate officers themselves 'serving the public'.Yeah, 'serving'...as on a platter.And carrying attitudes like that "Great camera work." remark.This country can't take much more of this.
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Comment #23 posted by westnyc on January 01, 2004 at 16:15:20 PT
BTW Kaptinemo
I wasn't an English major; I studied Spanish. I was wondering if you are an English teacher. Your grammar and use of pronouns, subject verb agreements, etc. is flawless! Just wondering.
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Comment #22 posted by sukoi on January 01, 2004 at 16:13:01 PT
Westnyc (comment #20)
“The best way to pull others to your side, is to treat them with dignity and respect and maybe, just maybe, they will come to understand that you have a point.”You are absolutely right and we can all make a huge difference one or two minds at a time. I am doing a little, and if everyone did just a little, we could reach hundreds of thousands, if not more! Check out: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18071.shtml comments #19, 39, 51 and 67 and do something similar, it WILL make a difference!
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Comment #21 posted by westnyc on January 01, 2004 at 16:00:06 PT
Kapt - Speaking of Moore
I am from Michigan; so, I love Michael Moore. There is an interesting aspect of the film Roger and Me. Apparently, Georgie's cousin Kevin did the camera work for this film. While at Camp David the Bush family ordered a copy of the film and watched it. For those who havn't seen this movie - it is about Roger Smith's closing of the GM Plants in Flint; and, the subsequent relocation outside the US Borders. This was a tremendous tragedy for us; and, at the end of the film there is a part where the County Sherrif's Department regrettably goes to one house after another forcing evictions on the families whose homes had been foreclosed; and, once evicted they walked-down to the end of their driveways where their christmas trees were discarded with little hope of elsewhere to go. The Bush family watched this together and after seeing this emotional situation - George Jr. looked at his cousin Kevin and said "Great camera work Kev." This is the man who is now President of the people of the United States.
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Comment #20 posted by westnyc on January 01, 2004 at 15:44:57 PT
I wish I had the answers
Kucinich gets it! The (christian) right wants to destroy all disagreement because they understand the nasty secrets that the majority of the left-wing party simply doesn't get. More Americans are left-wing than right-wing. The Republicans live in a America that has become increasingly more liberal over the past years; and, because they detest this they will go to every extreme possible to eliminate any dissent, including the contrary idea that America is conservative. I like Kucinich because I want a liberal who is an actual leader and not a follower. He' the one candidate I think who actually believes in something.What I am going to do is give Kucinich my (1)Commitment and passion when speaking to others, and (2) a small donation, and (3)my vote if voting in the key primaries, and probably the most important of all (4) respect and consideration when speaking to Republicans as they are most likely liberals too without even realizing it. The best way to pull others to your side, is to treat them with dignity and respect and maybe, just maybe, they will come to understand that you have a point.
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Comment #19 posted by SystemGoneDown on January 01, 2004 at 15:32:31 PT
Also, about Kucinich...
Has anyone seen www.Kucinich.com? It's not even a site promoting him, it's a site defaming him... sad.
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Comment #18 posted by SystemGoneDown on January 01, 2004 at 15:28:13 PT
Kucinich
There was a little satire that occured last night when I was watching CSNBC. When the news anchor was naming off the campaign financing for each candidate, and when she got to Kucinich. I learned for the 1st time that I had been prounouncing his name wrong, it's Ku-S-inich not Ku-C-nich. I felt silly but hey, this is VERY SYMBOLIC. It just comes to show how rarely even an adoring supporter like me has heard of him on TV. I get all my sources from internet in regards to Kucinich, so I was never able to hear his name being said. It's kind of bothering that the vast majority of Americans still don't know who he is, other than that "short nerdy looking guy on the democratic debate".
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Comment #17 posted by kaptinemo on January 01, 2004 at 15:15:25 PT:
"Strike behind the Mask" said Ahab
In other words, the surface is just a front; what's going on behind it is much more interesting.What if you learned that all the heads of the major networks belonged to the same exclusive club? As well as various well-known newsreaders and journalists? Wouldn't that practically render any differences between the various networks and their handling of the recent wars moot?
As simplistic an explanation as it might seem, that's just what has happened:The Council on Foreign Relations
by Michael Collins Piper
http://www.totse.com/en/conspiracy/the_new_world_order/cfr.htmlNow, would it surprise us Kucinich supporters that Ted Koppel is a star member of the CFR's media circus animals?The Council on Foreign Relations
(Compiled by Barry Chamish)
http://radiobergen.org/powergame/cfr.htmlYou'll have to do a search on the page, but he's there, all right. Scroll way down and you'll see for yourself.So, with all these not-so "Stupid White Men" as Michael Moore incorrectly calls them getting together yearly behind closed doors and the media people amongst them ARE SWORN TO SECRECY TO NEVER DIVULGE THE CONTENTS OF THESE MEETINGS OR THAT THEY EVEN TOOK PLACE, who's being a 'journalist'? Who's serving the public interest? Certainly not Koppel and his crew.And yet it is Koppel and his CFR ilk who have the audacity to determine, before even any primaries have been conducted, that certain candidates are 'marginal'. Do you think he's being frank, or just rolling over and barking on command for his real employers? Kucinich represents the people these CFR types have exploited since their formal inception...namely, you and me. The little guy. They are scared of how his message would carry if it got the attention it truly deserves. This is why I said last year that Mr. K had better have fanatically loyal security people around him at all times (think of Gordon Dickson's Dorsai, or Frank Herbert's Fedaykin from DUNE; that kind of loyal). Because Kucinich is a threat to this very real "Establishment", as much a one as Wellstone was...and we all know what happened to *him*.This is why the major networks are pulling their reporters out of Mr. K's campaign teams. "Out of sight, out of mind" works all too well on the American mind-set, with it's notoriously short memory span. The major networks are attempting to put blinkers on the public with this gambit. But this time, the stakes are higher than they have ever been before.This is why I have totally forsworn paying any attention to corp-rat media, and rely on the Internet for alternative views of 'current events'. I refuse to have my intelligence insulted while being literally sold a bill of goods courtesy of equally insulting commercials.
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Comment #16 posted by SystemGoneDown on January 01, 2004 at 15:14:08 PT
westnyc
So my next question would be, how do we as Kucinich supporters get past this handicap. How can we use a secondary source other than the silicon(fake) media to gain recognition for Kucinich.
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 15:10:43 PT
westnyc
Good answer!
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Comment #14 posted by westnyc on January 01, 2004 at 15:09:31 PT
I think
The reason Dean is getting all the coverage outside of the money issues may be quite simple. The "Biased and Liberal Media" e.g. Fox (aka Republican National Headquarters), MSNBC, etc. has chosen the candidate they believe most unlikely to beat Bush in 2004. Think of all their investments that could be jeopardized if Kucinich or a true liberal actually defeated Bush. That's why they are not given due airtime - so that the "poor, naive" working-class American public won't be fooled into a more reasonable and rational approach to leadership.
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Comment #13 posted by SystemGoneDown on January 01, 2004 at 14:29:56 PT
Dean
Can somebody tell me why this guy is so special, other than the fact that he has the most money to campaign.Absurd... Regarding the 2003 review, Here's the headline for Foxnews.com: "Only Bush, Schwarzenegger generated as much buzz as Howard Dean"I think there is 'secret' reasons why he gets all the coverage and recognition.
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Comment #12 posted by E_Johnson on January 01, 2004 at 14:25:25 PT
If Gore were President, there'd be no Kucinich
They say everything happens for a reason. It's an infuriating and challenging statement but there is some sense to it.If President Gore were running for reelection now, there would be no chance of Kucinich running against him. Kucinich would be snuffed out by party politics before he even raised a dime.I actually think our situation could be worse now, because Gore's position on medical marijuana would be the position of the Democratic Party going into 2004.Maybe he would have changed his position between 2000 and 2004. Maybe not. Maybe he would have fought the War on Weed just as hard as Bush, to validate his credentials in Mindless Political Correctness, and to trade votes with the right wing.
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Comment #11 posted by kaptinemo on January 01, 2004 at 14:23:01 PT:
Interesting article, E_J
But the problem of 'salvaging' someone - the entire thrust of much of the early ideas of penology - have still been largely been unaddressed. The *personal* restitution aspect of it is certainly a good point, but as the author herself has noted, in cases of truly heinous crimes, how do you determine what's proper restitution? The knee-jerk reaction is the ol' Code of Hammurabi, but that still doesn't fix the problem.In the past, we've had 'debtor's prisons' where the debt accumulated so much while the prisoner was inside, the inmate was practically an indentured servant of The State until death. That is little more than *de facto* slavery.Seeing as this is where the antis would like to stuff us, one and all, into their money-maker machine, it's not a matter of intellectual curiosity...
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Comment #10 posted by ekim on January 01, 2004 at 14:13:18 PT
has this been up--seems to fit in here
Original Message -----
From:
ToSent: Wednesday, December 31, 2003 12:43 AM
Subject: Comcast bans MPP's marijuana ads -- fight back! > Dear Friend:
>
> Comcast, the largest cable TV provider in the nation, has told the
> Marijuana Policy Project that it will not run any kind of marijuana
> policy reform ads, including medical marijuana ads. This national
> policy, which Comcast refuses to put in writing, was brought about by
> MPP's campaign in New Hampshire.
>
> MPP was seeking to spend approximately $10,000 on "issue ads" in mid-
> January to pressure the presidential candidates to strengthen their
> medical marijuana positions before they leave the state on January 27
> (the date of New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary
> election).
>
> We are fighting back. As a short-term solution, a congressional
> candidate in New Hampshire said he is willing to run MPP's medical
> marijuana message in his own TV ads. (Under federal law, TV networks
> and cable TV providers cannot refuse advertising money from federal
> candidates!)
>
> As a long-term solution, however, MPP must sue Comcast. Would you
> please visit http://www.mpp.org/donate to help get this unexpected
> lawsuit off the ground? If you so choose, your donation can be tax-
> deductible.
>
> For the long-term health of MPP and the marijuana policy reform
> movement, it is absolutely crucial that we change Comcast's policy. If
> we do not, we will not be able to purchase the necessary airtime to
> pass ballot initiatives, pressure elected officials, and educate the
> public about the need to end marijuana prohibition.
>
> This year alone, the White House drug czar's office is spending
> $145,000,000 of taxpayer money to run anti-marijuana scare ads. And,
> in the meantime, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America is receiving
> $50,000,000 worth of free airtime to run its own untruthful TV ads.
> Yes, that's right ...
>
> To add insult to injury, Comcast recently announced it is donating
> $50,000,000 worth of free airtime to PDFA. Please see
> http://www.mpp.org/releases/nr122203gsmm.html for MPP's news release,
> which features our protest outside of Comcast's Manchester office on
> December 22.
>
> We have been researching our legal options, and it's pretty clear that
> the case law makes it very hard for us to win a broad-based lawsuit
> against Comcast.
>
> However, we have a fighting chance in court if (1) Comcast has a
> virtual monopoly in a geographic region, and (2) this monopoly has
> been granted by a local or state government (as opposed to a voluntary
> lack of competition by other companies). In addition, in order to
> strengthen our First Amendment argument, we plan to sue Comcast in a
> state where a marijuana policy reform initiative is likely to appear
> on an upcoming ballot.
>
> Please consider visiting http://www.mpp.org/donate to help pay for the
> MPP staff time and legal fees associated with this lawsuit. Given
> what's at stake, we absolutely must file this lawsuit -- and soon.
>
> One added benefit of this lawsuit is that it is sure to generate a
> substantial amount of free media coverage. This media coverage will be
> enormously positive for MPP and the forces of medical marijuana.
> Newspaper editorial boards across the nation -- which almost
> universally oppose censorship and support a free and open political
> debate -- will run editorials against Comcast and in favor of MPP.
>
> We are playing to win in court. But, even if we lose in court, we
> might be able to cause Comcast to buckle because all of this free
> media coverage will (1) be bad for their business, and (2) help
> promote a political cause they oppose.
>
> To supplement this barrage of publicity, MPP is now also calling for a
> nationwide boycott of Comcast. The boycott starts with me, as I will
> be signing up with Starpower at home instead of Comcast in a couple of
> days.
>
> Please visit http://www.mpp.org/donate to fight Comcast's censorship
> of the marijuana policy reform perspective.
>
> Comcast's ban is particularly chilling when one considers that
> Congress is poised to enact a law banning all marijuana policy reform
> advertising on public transit systems that receive federal money
> (which is almost all of them). See http://mpp.org/DC/news_5704.html
> for details.
>
> If you are one of the 31,500 people on this e-mail list who have never
> donated to our work, your donation to the lawsuit will automatically
> make you an MPP member. If you are one of the 8,800 supporters who
> have let their MPP memberships lapse, your donation today will renew
> your membership.
>
> If you are one of MPP's 5,000 current members ... which includes 158
> Lifetime Members who have donated $1,000 or more in one calendar year
> ... as well as 515 people who make automatic credit card donations
> each month ... thank you, thank you, thank you.
>
> Would you please make a year-end donation at http://www.mpp.org/donate
> so that we can launch our lawsuit against Comcast as soon as possible?
> Thank you in advance for considering this request.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Rob Kampia
> Executive Director
> Marijuana Policy Project
> Washington, D.C.
>
> P.S. To mail in a check, please direct it to "MPP" or "MPP Foundation"
> at P.O. Box 77492, Washington, D.C. 20013. Donations to MPP are
> not tax-deductible, while donations to MPP Foundation are tax-
> deductible.
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Comment #9 posted by CorvallisEric on January 01, 2004 at 14:09:18 PT
Another way to look at Gore
It's possible that a President Gore could have been goaded into doing something *really* crazy in response to an attack. Since he headed the more "dovish" party, the demand from Republicans could have been relentless.
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Comment #8 posted by ekim on January 01, 2004 at 13:57:56 PT
last time only Ralph was for the People
someone on C-span today said that Mr Nader got 3 million votes last election. gee the only person who was telling the truth, only got threemill to stand with him i dont regret my vote.
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Comment #7 posted by E_Johnson on January 01, 2004 at 13:37:08 PT
We've actually benefited from Rehnquist
Think about this -- if the War on Weed were being waged by a Democratic White House, where in the Hell would we get any allies at all?The only reason why we've gained so many Democratic allies now is because the War on Weed is being waged by a Republican.So maybe we should go kiss Rehnquist's feet.If Gore had been a better human being, he would have energized the electorate enough so that the Supreme Court never would have been a factor.He lied about medical marijuana. He didn't just fail to back it, he lied about the IOM report. He lied about science. Published peer reviewed science.What kind of a craven slimeball does something like that?Gore is a lying corrupt politician who just happens to believe in some version of what is considered liberal in these craven times.In a war between two craven liars, the one with a Texas accent who is against abortion won.It doesn't really ruffle my feathers a lot, to be frank.Sorry to be so frank but that's the truth.And looking at Clinton's record for making war, why would anyone believe that Gore would not have taken us into Iraq like Bush did?All in all, I just can't work up any regret at all about 2000. All I think about really is when our war will be over, and Bush, while painful, has turned out to be an asset for many reasons.
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Comment #6 posted by kaptinemo on January 01, 2004 at 13:36:59 PT:
Rehnquist practically WAS a 'pharmaceutical
industry'...will all the weird pills he took...while judging:WHEN SUPREME COURT JUSTICES REFUSE TO RETIRE: Why We Need More Media Coverage, And A Constitutional Amendment
http://writ.corporate.findlaw.com/dean/20010720.htmlDouble Standards
http://www.electricemperor.com/eecdrom/HTML/EMP/16/ECH16_08.HTMRehnquist was addicted to the powerful sleeping aid called Placidyl...which can cause dementia. You have every right to ask what lasting effects those pills had on his ability to properly judge cases of the most important nature imaginable.
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Comment #5 posted by westnyc on January 01, 2004 at 13:25:15 PT
Kaptinemo
Well said! It's all about power. Remember, he and his Supreme and "non-partisan" Buddies made Bush our new President. I wouldn't be surprised if he's also a big investor in the pharmaceutical industry and prison (for profit) industrial system.
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Comment #4 posted by E_Johnson on January 01, 2004 at 13:18:19 PT
Something by Wendy McElroy
An opinion piece by Wendy McElroy -- Criminals owe debt to victims, not to societyhttp://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,106899,00.html
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Comment #3 posted by E_Johnson on January 01, 2004 at 13:16:18 PT
He's on your side now
He's defending his own turf, but if he doesn't do that, we're even more screwed than before. That was the same story with Rohan.
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Comment #2 posted by kaptinemo on January 01, 2004 at 13:13:01 PT:
Nope, sorry, it ain't
More like Grima Wormtongue bitching at his loss of status...after sucking up to the Dark Powers. Rehnquist is no friend of ours; he's out for himself, as all the Black Robes are. They ensured that a future war criminal would become President. That he's whining now about a loss of (unConstitutional) powers is just sour grapes.
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Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on January 01, 2004 at 12:57:56 PT
First good news of the year
Omigosh!!!Ted Kennedy runs to the defense of William Rehnquist!Gondor and Rohan have united against the Dark Lord Sauron and the Uruk-Cons.The Battle for Middle Earth is about to begin!
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