Republicans Reportedly "transitioning" away from the FISA Telecom Immunity fight….

Glenn Greenwald Reports that The Hill is reporting the following:

I’m still traveling and so have only a little bit of time to comment, but The Hill is reporting that the GOP is de-prioritizing their efforts to enact the Rockefeller/Cheney FISA bill:

"House Republicans are poised to shift their focus from national security to the economy, hoping to rally opposition to what they claim are Democratic plans to raise taxes amid the economic downturn.

 

Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) is expected to announce Thursday that the House GOP floor emphasis will transition away from passing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and earmark reform to "stop the tax hike.""

I tend to think that the Republicans, at least the ones in the Senate realize that they are not going to win this fight and that it could cost them some serious votes in the coming election. So, I tend to think they’ve changed their priorities. 

 

Unlike some of the more of the ardent Right Wingers or as the rest of the World calls them, the Right Wing Lunatic Fridge, I know that if these companies get immunity, America’s Justice system would be totally undermined. Now, do I believe that the Bush Administration broke the law? I do not know that, as I have zero proof of such claim. 

 

My feelings are, if the Bush Administration has done nothing wrong, then what do they have to hide? If they’ve done nothing wrong, they should not have a problem with the investigations or lawsuit, because they would be vindicated.

 

Unlike some of the more far right Conservatives, I do not believe that Corporate power should be protected. Every American, of any Religious persuasion, and yes, that does include Muslim, have the right to legal recourse, if they feel that they’ve been unfairly investigated. That is one of our Nation’s founding principles.

 

Others: Think Progress

McCain closes Obama's lead in a poll…..that includes "leaners"….

An interesting poll, taken by the Associated Press-Ipsos shows that McCain is basically tied with Obama. 

 

Quote:

An AP-Ipsos poll taken in late February had Obama leading McCain 51-41 percent. The current survey, conducted April 7-9, had them at 45 percent each. McCain leads Obama among men, whites, Southerners, married women and independents.

 

Clinton led McCain, 48-43 percent, in February. The latest survey showed the New York senator with 48 percent support to McCain’s 45 percent. Factoring in the poll’s margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, Clinton and McCain are statistically tied.

 

However, here’s the thing that kind of makes this poll a joke:

 

Although the race between Clinton and Obama remained unchanged, there were a few shifts in whom voters are choosing:

 

• The gender gap has mostly disappeared, with Clinton losing her advantage among women. In February, 51 percent of Democratic women supported Clinton while 38 percent were for Obama. Now they’re statistically tied at 44 percent for Clinton, 42 percent for Obama. That is partially offset by a decline in male support for Obama, down 7 points to 50 percent, while Clinton gained 10 points among men. She is now at 42 percent.

 

• Obama and Clinton are now statistically about even among households earning under $50,000. In late February, Clinton led 54 percent to 37 percent, but now it is just 48 percent to 41 percent.

 

• Obama now leads Clinton among self-described moderate Democrats, 51 percent to 35 percent. Previously they were 45 percent Clinton, 40 percent Obama.

 

The poll questioned 1,005 adults nationally. Included were interviews with 489 Democratic voters and people leaning Democratic, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.4 points; and 369 Republicans or GOP-leaning voters, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 5.1 points.

 

I mean, how fixed can a poll be? If that wasn’t a bad poll, I don’t know what is. Rolling EyesFrustrated

 

Leaning?!?!?! That could mean anything, how do we know those people weren’t lying?

 

I really do not think that this will really matter, the general public and those paying attention, know the John McCain is going to be equated with Bush and his Policies and people will not vote for him. Obama will win, I think, I would be wrong. But I highly doubt people will vote for him.

 

Others: MSNBC, Wake up America, TalkLeft and PoliGazette (via Memeorandum)

Jewish Racism by a Obama Supporter!

The Article: Reverend Eric Lee’s Anti-Semitism: A Personal Story (via Pajamas Media)

 

On April 4, 2008, at a Los Angeles event commemorating the assassination of Martin Luther King, the African-American fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi gave Israeli-American Daphna Ziman its Tom Bradley Award for community service. Then the event’s keynote speaker, Reverend Eric Lee, turned to Ms. Ziman and launched an anti-Semitic diatribe. Roger L. Simon interviewed Ms. Ziman.

 

Watch this Video:

 

 

That’s the saddest thing I have ever had to watch. I think Senator Barack Obama needs to publicly condemn this, there’s just no call for it.

I look for this to be the big story in the next couple of days.

 

Update: Thankfully, this is being picked up, several Bloggers have started talking about it: Roger L. Simon and Classical Values

Early Evening Political Humor

Political Blog Wars are so amusing to watch.

 

Mainly because both sides talk past one another. Not once do they listen to the other side.

 

Go see what I am talking about. I think that’s the reason why the main stream media hates us Bloggers so much. I doubt one could argue the fact that most Bloggers, especially Political Bloggers, like me, always feel the need to be right and to get the last word.

 

To me, watching a Blog war, is like watching a roman conquest. Flaming boulders being shot back and forth, it’s quite amazing. Grown people, squabbling like children.

 

But then again, that’s Politics.

Did Petraeus Overplay His Hand?

Philip Carter thinks so… 

 

The Article: Petraeus Overplays His Hand (Via Intel Dump @ WaPo)

Except that in making this pitch, Petraeus and Crocker overplayed their hand. They overstated the threat posed by al-Qaeda in Iraq in an effort to justify the mission — a mindset that has generated a deeply flawed strategy. They also overplayed the surge’s success — downplaying or discounting factors that likely did more to create today’s improved security conditions. While their "Anaconda" strategy looks cool on a PowerPoint slide, it confuses the issues of control and influence, putting too much stock in America’s ability to engineer success in Iraq. And, perhaps most tellingly, the two men made the case for perseverance without placing Iraq in the context of vital U.S. national interests, offering only apocalyptic predictions of what would happen if we don’t stay the course.

Andrew Sullivan weighs in:

But that was their carefully prescribed task. I don’t fault them. They’re not responsible for overall strategy. At one point last year, I was worried that Petraeus was being used politically. I was wrong. He’s been a magnificent general, in a near-impossible situation. Ditto Crocker. Along with Patrick Fitzgerald, they strike me as among the most impressive public servants of our time.

 

Now that is a bit overstated, I think, Because I personally believe that General Patraeus is, in the Bush Administration’s eyes, a pawn. A Pawn in a Neo-Conservative chess game.

 

While I admire Patraeus for doing his job, I think he knows what he is doing. He’s keeping his head down, and doing his job, and when the President is out of office. He will write a book, that will basically indict his bosses. I could be wrong, but I think General Patraeus is holding his cards to his vest and will tell all, when it’s all over with.

 

Should be interesting indeed.

 

Others: Washington Post and SWJ Blog

Neo-Con Michael Goldfarb proves he's an Idiot….

Hey Goldiefarb!

Has it really been that long?

Goldfarb drops this turd….:

They Need More White people (via The Weekly Standard)

Quote:

The Tartan, Carnegie Mellon’s student newspaper, reports on a campaign event featuring Michelle Obama:

While the crowd was indeed diverse, some students at the event questioned the practices of Mrs. Obama’s event coordinators, who handpicked the crowd sitting behind Mrs. Obama. The Tartan’s correspondents observed one event coordinator say to another, “Get me more white people, we need more white people.” To an Asian girl sitting in the back row, one coordinator said, “We’re moving you, sorry. It’s going to look so pretty, though.”

“I didn’t know they would say, ‘We need a white person here,’ ” said attendee and senior psychology major Shayna Watson, who sat in the crowd behind Mrs. Obama. “I understood they would want a show of diversity, but to pick up people and to reseat them, I didn’t know it would be so outright.”

The Obama campaign discriminates against people of color, and their own supporters no less, in what is presumably a misguided pander to white voters. Very strange, but perhaps Obama’s candidacy really has transcended race in America (surely this is a first). Alternatively, the campaign may just plan to stage-manage it out of public view. Go balloons!

Has this feckless idiot forgotten, this?:

stagecraft

Typical moron Neo-Con, Can’t remember past yesterday.

Others: TBogg and The New Editor and more via Memeornadum

Sen. Jay Rockefeller Endorses Obama, Insults McCain and then says He's Sorry…

Oy….

Go Read.

Why can’t people just endorse the guy, and keep their opinions to themselves?

Rolling Eyes

Once again, Huffington Post recycles old McCain News….

Contrary to what the Liberals want you to believe, The story of McCain going to blows with another senator is old news, that has been reported a few times already.

Quote:

Perhaps the most remarkable story of McCain’s temper involved Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi. Two former reporters covering McCain, one who witnessed the following events and one who confirmed the facts provided by the first, relayed it to me as follows: In 2006, the Arizona Republican congressional delegation had a strategy meeting. McCain repeatedly addressed two new members, congressmen Trent Franks and Rick Renzi, as ‘boy.’ Finally, Renzi, a former college linebacker, rose from his chair and said to McCain, "You call me that one more time and I’ll kick your old ass." McCain lunged at Renzi, punches were thrown, and the two had to be physically separated. After they went to their separate offices, McCain called Renzi and demanded an apology. Renzi refused. Apparently this posture made McCain admire him, as they became fast friends.

Seriously, do these people do any kind of research at all??? This story is older than dirt.

Research gents, It could only help!

Other idiots who Blogged about this: The Politico, New York Times, Crooks and Liars, MotherJones.com, Booman Tribune, The Campaign Spot, The Raw Story, DownWithTyranny!, Brilliant at Breakfast, Cliff Schecter …, Open Left and Wonkette

A good Book:

 

Bill O'Reilly's Talking Points Memo…

I know what you’re thinking, "Why are you doing this?" Why? Because I’m fair. I believe that both sides of the conversation ought be heard. Not just one side. and besides. Fox News is now doing embeds on their video. It’s about time guys!

Anyhow, here’s Talking Points Memo from 4/4, they need to update, yeesh!