Click and be edified

I’ve been filling in for Ethan while he’s been in what I’m going to call “Europe” because I can’t spell the name of the place he’s actually at.

It’s been exhausting due to the simple fact that, while this is Ethan’s job, I have a real job all day AND I was doing this. Tired, eh?

I had a lot of fun, folks. Thanks to KSL, Kevin LaRue, Ethan and Alex. If you like what you heard, send KSL a letter and tell them to give me the midnight to 3am slot. If you didn’t like it … what are you doing reading this blog?

At least that’s my opinion:

The other day, in exasperation, my wife asked me what America does anymore. Industry is in China and India and a lot of different third world countries. Other countries are moving forward with pharmaceuticals while America makes boner pills. Asians of all land masses are moving forward with new car and alternative fuel technology while America makes newer, smaller Hummers that get about the same gas mileage as the older, bigger Hummers (and a lot of other crap vehicles).

“America buys stuff that other people make,” I said.

“It was a rhetorical question, dummy,” she retorted.

From Crooks and Liars:

The Centre for Research on Globalization (Canada) has some very un-pretty numbers.  I’ll be watching for another announcement from the President that we’d all better go shopping.  But where, Mr. President?

Ann Taylor closing 117 stores nationwide.

Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Catherines closing 150 stores nationwide

Talbots will close all 78 of its kids and men’s stores plus another 22 underperforming stores.

Gap Inc. closing 85 stores

Foot Locker to close 140 stores

Wickes Furniture is going out of business and closing all of its stores. The 37-year-old retailer that targets middle-income customers, filed for bankruptcy protection last month.

Levitz - the furniture retailer, announced it was going out of business and closing all 76 of its stores in December. The retailer dates back to 1910.

Home Depot store closings 15 of them amid a slumping US economy and housing market. The move will affect 1,300 employees. It is the first time the world’s largest home improvement store chain has ever closed a flagship store.

Movie Gallery – video rental company plans to close 400 of 3,500 Movie Gallery and Hollywood Video stores in addition to the 520 locations the video rental chain closed last fall as part of bankruptcy.

Sprint Nextel - 125 retail locations to close with 4,000 employees following 5,000 layoffs last year.

Wilsons the Leather Experts – closing 158 stores

Bombay Company: to close all 384 U.S.-based Bombay Company stores.

KB Toys closing 356 stores around the United States as part of its bankruptcy reorganization.

CompUSA (CLOSED).

From Engadget:

Beam me up - BOOM

Finely riding that razored edge between tragedy and comedy, the New York Times reports that not only did the SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket lose its three satellites and fail to reach orbit during a recent launch, but it also destroyed the remains of actor James Doohan, best known as the original Star Trek’s Chief Engineer “Scotty.” The actor’s ashes — as well as those of over 200 others — were being carried into orbit by the rocket when complications with the ship’s stage separation led to the (assumed) destruction of the craft. This recent mishap puts a sad period on the end of the sentence that already included an earlier loss and eventual recovery of the remains.

Those miserable bastards.

UPDATED -  a Statement from Doohan family, via TrekMovie.com, Chris Doohan sent in this statement from his brother Ehrich on behalf of the family:

My father loved engineering. Anything he could do to visit NASA, an aircraft carrier, a submarine, he’d do it. There was no end to the enjoyment he received when people would come up to him and say, “I’m an engineer because of you.” So when a company in Texas offered to launch his remains into orbit, we could only accept.

It’s been just over 3 years since my dad, James Doohan, passed on. In that time, there have been many memorials, the most recent of which to commemorate Linlithgow, Scotland, as the future birthplace of Scotty. But his launch into space was the most publicized, and it was to be the most significant.

There have been many attempts to send my father on his way. On Saturday, the latest launch attempt by SpaceX, with a portion of my father’s remains aboard, failed to achieve orbit. While there are many complicated reasons why this is a disappointment, mine is simple: I’d like to finish saying goodbye.

Every launch attempt is like reliving his funeral. There’s a lot of pomp and ceremony, and a retelling of his deeds in life. But at the end of these funerals, something goes awry, the body doesn’t get buried, and you know you’re going to have to come back to do it over again.

I’m not laying blame on anyone for the delays. It’s difficult, living on the cusp of technology. Where most of us lament the premature obsolescence of our cell phones, there are those few of us who’ve pinned the memories of our family members on a rocket, hoping it will touch the sky.

My dad believed in human ingenuity, and he believed in mankind’s destiny beyond the exosphere. That it would take several attempts in these early stages to successfully achieve orbit would not have phased him. I can accept this, because of who he was, and because he knew it was all a part of progress.

For those reasons, I know that his spirit will persevere, and others will keep those launch attempts coming. The act of sending a loved one’s remains into space will someday be commonplace, even if we have to book a space flight ourselves to make it happen. That’s the kind of progress my father believed in.

But I’m not sure I can hang on until then. Grieving can’t wait for the pace of progress, and I have to say goodbye now. So when news of the next launch rolls around, please don’t ask me about it; I won’t be paying attention.

If my father has anything to do with it, though, I’m sure that ship will get where it’s going.

Democratic National Committee.

Best Debate This Sunday:
John McCain Vs. His Surrogates

Washington, DC - Today, after a week of watching Senator McCain go back and forth on whether or not he would consider raising the Social Security payroll tax, McCain’s campaign surrogates engaged in their own debate: with McCain.

On Fox News Sunday, Lindsey Graham said raising the Social Security payroll tax was “a dumb idea,” even though McCain himself said he was open to the idea last weekend.  Meanwhile, on CBS’s Face the Nation, McCain economic advisor Carly Fiorina said McCain had been consistent on this issue for “many, many months.”  In reality, McCain wasn’t even consistent on this issue this week.  On Sunday, he said “nothing is off the table” only to have his campaign say two days later say raising the payroll tax is “absolutely out of the question.” By Thursday, McCain himself was pledging not to raise the payroll tax.  It was the latest in a string of reversals on the issue dating back to last September.

“By far, the sharpest debate this Sunday was between John McCain and his own surrogates,” said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera.  “Since John McCain himself has been trying to have it both ways on the Social Security payroll tax, it’s no surprise that his surrogates are confused about which position to defend.  No amount of double talk can change the fact that John McCain is promising more of the same failed policies that have left Americans struggling under the failed Bush-McCain economy.”

SUNDAY’S BIGGEST DEBATE: MCCAIN’S SURROGATES…

Lindsey Graham: McCain’s Suggested Payroll Tax Hike “A Dumb Idea.” “Senator McCain believes you cannot tax your way into Social Security solvency.  If you want to deal with Social Security, you’ve got to deal with all the moving parts. That is whether or not you allow young people to invest uh have an account in their own name? Do you adjust the age? Do you adjust, reschedule the benefits based on upper income people? John is not going to tax our way into solvency because it will ruin the American economy…But to raise taxes to save Social Security from bankruptcy won’t happen. It’s a dumb idea.”  [Fox News Sunday, 8/03/08]

Carly Fiorina: McCain Has Been Saying Payroll Tax Hike Not Part of the Solution “For Many, Many Months.” “He’s making his position very clear which is payroll tax increases are not the solution. He has been consistent in that position for the last many, many months, even as his opponent has proposed increases in payroll taxes.” [CBS Face The Nation, 8/3/08]

…VS. MCCAIN’S RECORD.

September 2007: McCain Refused to Sign No New Tax Pledge. “Last September, he was forced to defend his refusal to sign a no-new tax pledge offered by the conservative Americans for Tax Reform. ‘I stand on my record,’ he said during a televised debate in Durham, N.H. ‘I don’t have to sign pledges.’” [Associated Press, 2/17/2008]

December 2007: McCain Tells Wall Street Journal “I Will Not Agree To Any Tax Increase,” No Exceptions. “Meeting with us last December, before the primaries, he declared that “I will not agree to any tax increase,” repeating the phrase for emphasis. He did not say any tax increase with the exception of Social Security.”  [Wall Street Journal editorial, 7/30/08: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121737539116495163.html?mod=googlenews_wsj]

February 17: McCain Pledges No Tax Increases Under Any Circumstances. “STEPHANOPOULOS: So on taxes, are you a “read my lips” candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?  MCCAIN: No new taxes. I do not — in fact, I could see an argument, if our economy continues to deteriorate, for lower interest rates, lower tax rates, and certainly decreasing corporate tax rates, which are the second-highest in the world, giving people the ability to write off depreciation in a year, elimination of the AMT.  There’s a lot of things that I would think we should to relieve that burden, including, obviously, as we all know, simplification of the tax code.  STEPHANOPOULOS: But under circumstances would you increase taxes? MCCAIN: No.” [ABC This Week, 2/17/08: http://www.abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/Story?id=4304502&page=2]

March 3: McCain Backs Away From No New Tax Pledge. “On taxes, Sen. McCain is walking a fine line between courting keep-taxes-low Republicans while insisting he is the candidate of fiscal discipline. Two weeks ago, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos asked him on ‘This Week’ if he were a ”read my lips’ candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?’ referring to a pledge made by President George H.W. Bush, which he later broke. ‘No new taxes,’ Sen. McCain responded. ‘But under circumstances would you increase taxes?’ Mr. Stephanopoulos continued. ‘No,’ Sen. McCain answered. Asked in The Wall Street Journal interview to clarify, Sen. McCain softened that stance. ‘I’m not making a ‘read my lips’ statement, in that I will not raise taxes,’ he says. ‘But I’m not saying I can envision a scenario where I would, OK?’” [Wall Street Journal, 3/3/08: http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120451614688707083.html]

March 13: Asked if He Would Raise Taxes, McCain: “No.” Asked if he would raise taxes, McCain said: “No. Look, here we are. Americans are hurting. You know that, I know that.  These are tough economic times.  Do we want to raise their taxes and have the government take more of their money… We can’t raise people’s taxes, particularly at this particular time.” [Hannity and Colmes, 3/13/08]

July 27: McCain Refuses to Rule out Payroll Tax Hike: “Nothing’s off the Table.” “MCCAIN: No, I have said and will say, I will say that everything has to be on the table, if we’re going to reach a bipartisan agreement. I’ve been in bipartisan negotiations before. I know how you reach a conclusion. We all have to sit down together with everything on the table.  STEPHANOPOULOS: So, that means payroll tax increases are on the table, as well? MCCAIN: There is nothing that’s off the table. I have my positions, and I’ll articulate them. But nothing’s off the table. [ABC's This Week, July 27, 2008]

July 29: Spokesman Says there Is “No Imaginable Circumstance” Where McCain Would Raise the Payroll Tax. “MEGYN KELLY: Alright, but you’re waffling now, Tucker. You’re off point, you’re off point. We’re talking about on a go forward basis if McCain gets in the White House is he going to raise the payroll tax? Might the Social Security tax go up? Is that on the table?  TUCKER BOUNDS: No, Megyn. There is no imaginable circumstance where John McCain would raise payroll taxes. It’s absolutely out of the question.” [Fox News, July 29, 2008]

July 31: “I Am Opposed To” Raising Social Security Tax. McCain said “you will always know where I stand,” and that there “should be no doubt about my position…I am opposed to raising taxes, including social security taxes.” [John McCain Town Hall, Racine, WI, 7/31/08]

I threw out a shotgun blast of topics for the last show:

Rep. Rob Bishop loves Nuclear Waste (lobbyists).
Rep. Jim Matheson loves being a Republican.
Rep. Chris Cannon doesn’t go to work anymore.
Sen. Orrin Hatch is a whiney, little liar.*

Everyone chose to talk about the complete sell-out that is Rep. Rob Bishop and his love of importation of Nuclear Waste (foreign and domestic) to store in Utah.

Left of the Dial - Rep. Rob Bishop is a Radioactive Waste Sell Out

*Senator Bennett is actual acting like a Senator back in CD, and not a whiney little bitch like Uncle Orrin.

As I’m about to record this week’s Weekend Throwdown, I thought maybe you’d all be interested in last week’s Throwdown.

First we talked about why McCain can’t/won’t take MittRomney on as his VP candidate.

McCain Romney - Weekend Throwdown Hour One

Second, Alex and I argued about Obama’s tour of world leaders. I think Alex is just jealous that when McCain took his world tour, nobody cared.

Obama / King of the World - Weekend Throwdown Hour Two

and FAST:

So proud and excited …

…that I screwed it up ….

Sorry about that, son. Way to go!

Oh, BTW, go over to KSL.com and click Radio … they got a whole bunch of new webcams.

Set aside the FISA debacle, set aside the retroactive immunity for unConstitutional, lawbreaking TeleComs that enabled the Former Governor of Texas to break more laws (hey, GOP’s, get off my back, he’s already admitted that he broke the law). Now, remember folks, according to the GOP, the only governments that do bad things are called either: “Not Bush,” or “everyone else, but especially Democrats and pesky foreigners.”

Fox News:

“If you were a human rights advocate, if you’re a journalist, you’re in room 1251 of a hotel, anything that you use, sending out over the Internet is monitored in real time by the Chinese Public Security bureau,” Brownback said.

Just like in America!

“These hotels are justifiably outraged by this order, which puts them in the awkward position of having to craft pop-up messages explaining to their customers that their Web history, communications, searches and key strokes are being spied on by the Chinese government,” Brownback said at a news conference.

Just like in America!

From the LA Times comes me favorite piece of missed irony:

The U.S. State Department issued a fact sheet this year warning travelers attending the Games that “they have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public or private locations” in China.

You know, just like at home in America!

This was ACTUALLY in the Utah Policy Newsletter today … and it’s not even rude. Good job, LaVarr.

Former SLC Mayor Rocky Anderson’s new organization, High Road for Human Rights, has sent out a fundraising packet requesting donations for both the education arm of the organization and the advocacy arm. The materials are colorful and nicely designed, including a letter from Anderson, a brochure describing the work of High Road for Human Rights, and an outline of contribution levels and volunteer opportunities.

The brochure describes human rights atrocities that have occurred over the past century and appeals for support and volunteer help to combat such abuses and demand that elected leaders take action against environmental degradation and prevent the repeat of tragedies such as those in Bosnia, Darfur, Rwanda, and Cambodia. “If we had embraced our democracy and pushed to stop major human rights abuses, we could have prevented many of the atrocities of the past century,” says the brochure. In his letter, Anderson says, “High Road for Human Rights is a unique grassroots movement that will provide its members with specific ways to take action that will result in real change in our country’s response to major human rights abuses, including human trafficking, genocide, climate change, and torture.”

You know … you should click HERE and do something. Become a member. Like me.

I’m sitting in for Ethan on the Nightside Project again and the topic is the American Idol auditions tomorrow at the Rob Bishop / Energy Solutions Arena.

I understand that American Idol is pretty popular, but, well … why?

They don’t even play instruments.

Anyone want to explain it to me? Sound off in the comments section.

Testimony of Ross C. “Rocky” Anderson

Regarding Illegal Conduct and Other Egregious Abuses
by the President of the United States
and Other Members of His Administration
and Possible Steps Toward Accountability, Future Deterrence,
and Reform Before the House Committee on the Judiciary,
United States House of Representatives

July 25, 2008

I am honored to address you today and am pleased that you are considering your solemn responsibility to ascertain and disclose to the American people the nature and scope of illegal conduct and other egregious abuses of power by the administration.  Ascertaining and disclosing the truth about these matters is vital in order to restore our constitutional democracy, the rule of law,  and the crucial role Congress plays in a system of checks and balances that has been utterly emasculated by members of the administration.

Astoundingly, even after learning over 2 1/2 years ago that the American people were misled about the government purportedly obtaining a warrant for all electronic surveillance,  we still have no idea about the nature and scope of the felonious warrantless wiretapping program.   How many citizens’ communications were illegally intercepted by our government?  At this point, we don’t know if it has been dozens, hundreds, thousands, or millions of Americans who were victims of the illegal spying initiative.  Whose communications were intercepted, and for what purpose?  Are those communications still maintained?  If so, why and by whom?  How were those communications used?  Were my communications intercepted?  Were yours?  We, the American people, are entitled to know.  The only way we will learn the truth, and the only way we will know what needs to be done to prevent such outrages in the future, is through Congress aggressively ferreting out and disclosing the truth.

We have learned that US government agents have tortured detainees in blatant violation of fundamental treaty obligations  and statutory laws passed by Congress.   We have also learned that US agents have kidnapped, disappeared, and tortured (or caused others to torture) people around the world, including some who had no connection whatsoever to terrorism.   However, the American people have not learned how this unprecedented, blatantly illegal  program operated, by whom, whether it is continuing, or even how many people have been subjected to these monstrous human rights abuses.  In our democracy, we are entitled to answers to these questions.

Because the courts have blindly accepted the perpetrators’ invocation of the frighteningly over-broad “State Secrets” doctrine and summarily dismissed cases challenging these illegal, human-rights abusing practices, the American people will learn the truth only if Congress assumes its vital responsibilities of investigating, ascertaining, and disclosing the truth.

The administration has, with impunity and arrogant disregard of our long-treasured system of separation of powers among three branches of government, engaged in heinous human rights violations, the most serious breaches of trust, abuses of power injurious to the nation, war crimes, crimes against peace,  misleading Congress and the American people about threats to our nation’s security and the supposed case for war,  and grave violations of treaties, the Constitution, and domestic statutory law.

What are the potential remedies?  First, there has never been a more compelling case for impeachment.    Nothing would speak so loudly regarding the principled, non-partisan commitment of our nation to the rule of law, to our jealous embrace of our constitutional democracy, and to fundamental morality.

There is much more that Congress can do to restore the rule of law at a time when administration officials assert unbridled, dictatorial power, even to the point of issuing signing statements, declaring that only the president has the last word as to the scope and applicability of the statutes.

I urge the consideration by Congress of federal legislation that would (1) instruct the courts that they are not to consider signing statements when determining legislative history; (2) prohibit the President from issuing any statement that purports to limit any part of the legislation as being advisory or that purports to assert any authority by the President to determine the scope or applicability of the legislation; and (3) provide that no one can rely upon signing statements as a defense for a violation of the law.  I also urge Congress to seek a declaratory judgment as to the legal effect of many of the signing statements.

Some members of the administration appear to have been making a case for an attack against Iran. Threats by members of Congress to impeach in the event of a unilateral decision to attack or letters expressing concern are insufficient, particularly when dealing with administration officials who have claimed power to do as they please, regardless of the Constitution, federal statutes, or rulings of the courts.  I urge Congress to reassert its vital constitutional role and forbid, by a criminal statute with severe penalties, any attack against Iran, except as permitted under the United Nations Charter and the Constitution, absent explicit authorization by Congress.

Special prosecutors should be authorized, designated and assigned to investigate and prosecute violations of the law by members of the administration, particularly for involvement in felonious warrantless wiretapping, torture, and kidnappings of people in the so-called “extraordinary rendition” program.

Legislation limiting the application of the State Secrets doctrine should be urgently considered in order that the courts will once again provide a meaningful check on abuses of power and violations of the law by members of the Executive Branch.

Legislation should be passed immediately providing for severe punishment for any government agent who engages in or authorizes torture, or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment of any person being detained, without exception.

Congress should make clear what process must be followed before any US treaty obligations are violated or terminated by any member of the Executive Branch.  Congress should also reaffirm its commitment to treaty obligations forbidding aggressive war and torture.

When Congress issues subpoenas, it should assert its power to enforce the subpoenas aggressively and without delay.  If the Attorney General of the U.S. will not cooperate with Congress in enforcing subpoenas, Congress should terminate funding for the Office of the Attorney General until such cooperation is forthcoming.

Vital to our constitutional democracy, and to our political and moral standing throughout the world, is a comprehensive consideration by Congress of what is to be done for the sake of democratic accountability, and to ensure that the horrendous damage to our nation and to much of the rest of the world as a result of the illegal and abusive misconduct of administration officials is never again repeated.

In order to comprehensively determine the nature and extent of abuses by the administration and those who have worked in concert with it, and to prevent such misconduct in the future, a select committee, similar to the Church and Ervin Committees, should be appointed and charged with investigating the abuses and making recommendations concerning reforms that will aid in restoring the rule of law in our great nation, reasserting the crucial role of Congress, and making it clear to American citizens and people throughout the world that the rights and dignity of people will be honored and protected.

Pursuing these measures would be an important beginning to the restoration of the balance of power and system of checks and balances in our federal government, the restoration of the reputation of the United States among other nations, and to the restoration of our constitutional democracy, with the honor and respect it deserves.

(read more for end-notes [that's what we liberals call evidence])

Continue reading this post…