The Hollywood Liberal

Quote of the Day
“I don’t see any reason at all to continue after June 3rd when we know who got the most delegates, who got the most popular votes, who won the most states and so forth.”

– Jimmy Carter, in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, on the Democratic presidential race.

While Malkin & Co. Continue Endless Circle Jerk On Wright, Deadliest Month Of 2008 In Iraq Gets Worse
Of course the Anchor Baby and her minions are blathering on and on about Jeremiah Wright. They desperately want to change the subject. Wouldn’t you, if your party presided over this debacle? The killings of three U.S. soldiers in separate attacks in Baghdad pushed the American death toll for April up to 47, making it the deadliest month since September. How are they going to message this?

Of course the Anchor Baby and company are blathering on and on about Jeremiah Wright. They desperately want to change the subject.

Wouldn’t you, if your party presided over this debacle?

The killings of three U.S. soldiers in separate attacks in Baghdad pushed the American death toll for April up to 47, making it the deadliest month since September.

How are they going to message this? More of our troops getting killed means The Surge Is Working?

Dozens of fighters ambushed a U.S. patrol in Baghdad’s main Shiite militia stronghold Tuesday, firing rocket-propelled grenades and machine gun bursts as the American offensive into the Sadr City neighborhood increasingly faces pockets of close urban combat.

U.S. forces struck back with 200-pound guided rockets that devastated at least three buildings in the densely packed district.

The U.S. military said 28 militia members were killed. Local hospital officials also said dozens of civilians were killed or wounded.

And here is the insanity of the occupation. Americans are fighting and dying in a conflict over which sect of Islam will rule Iraq, and in the process, are killing innocent Iraqis, whose shattered family members then retaliate against Americans, thus making the endless, vicious, violent pointless cycle complete.

100-Years McCain and the GOP know they can’t win on the war. They can’t win on the economy. They can’t win on health care. Their agenda sucks ass. And they know it.

So they’re going to do exactly what they did in ‘04 (Faggityfaghomogays) and ‘06 (Brownillegalwetbackmexicans). This time it’s Wrightscaryangrynegro.

It’s all they’ve got.

Is A Rockefeller/Hoyer FISA Immunity Deal Imminent?
According to the ACLU, there is rumor of a backroom deal being brokered by Jay Rockefeller on FISA that will include retroactive immunity. I’ve heard from several sources that Steny Hoyer is doing the dirty work on the House side, and some say it will be attached to the new supplemental.

There doesn’t seem to be any greater priorityfor this administration than to get Dick Cheney and the other criminals in the Bush administration retroactive immunity for themselves and their teleco cohorts on their way out the door. Much fear mongering, ads in the districts of freshmen House Democrats, and lookie here, Trent Lott crawls out from under his slimy rock…

photo by Aaron Landry

According to the ACLU, there is rumor of a backroom deal being brokered by Jay Rockefeller on FISA that will include retroactive immunity. I’ve heard from several sources that Steny Hoyer is doing the dirty work on the House side, and some say it will be attached to the new supplemental.

There doesn’t seem to be any greater priority for this administration than to get Dick Cheney and the other criminals in the Bush administration retroactive immunity for themselves and their teleco cohorts on their way out the door. Much fear mongering, ads and robocalls in the districts of freshmen House Democrats, and lookie here — Trent Lott crawls out from under his slimy rock:

AT&T is among charter clients of Breaux Lott Leadership Group, a firm established by former Senate heavyweights John Breaux (D-La.) and Trent Lott (R-Miss.). Their sons are also involved in the family business.

The telecom giant has given BLLG the mission to back the controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

And how much is that worth? So glad you asked:

Breaux-Lott’s top-paying clients during the first three months of the year include AT&T ($150,000 for help on FISA legislation); the Association of American Railroads ($150,000 for a tax cut on infrastructure investments); and the Plains Exploration and Production Company ($150,000 for work on offshore oil and gas issues).

Predictably, the Blue Dogs are top targets to flip on the Hoyer/Rockefeller deal.

In case anyone is wondering why this might be a really bad idea, Babak Pasdar’s column in the Seattle PI provides a nice refresher.

Feingold’s Secret Government Law Hearing
Sen. Feingold held a hearing this morning regarding secret law, the US government, and the need for better oversight and transparency. It was a fantastic hearing that, as I understand it, C-Span recorded for broadcast later today. Luckily for us, it was webcast from the Senate Judiciary website, and I have roughly transcribed the hearing — but watching it in its entirety is well worth looking for it on

Sen. Feingold held a hearing this morning regarding secret law, the US government, and the need for better oversight and transparency. It was a fantastic hearing that, as I understand it, C-Span may have recorded for broadcast later today. Luckily for us, it was webcast from the Senate Judiciary website, and I have roughly transcribed the hearing — but watching it in its entirety is well worth looking for it on the C-Span schedule today.

Witnesses included:

· J. William Leonard - Former Director, Information Security Oversight Office

· Steven Aftergood - Director, Project on Government Secrecy, Federation of American Scientists

· Bradford Berenson – Partner, Sidley Austin LLP, Washington, DC

· Dawn Johnsen - Professor, Indiana University School of Law; Former Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel

· Heidi Kitrosser - Associate Professor of Law, University of Minnesota Law School

· David Rivkin – Partner, Baker Hostetler, Washington, DC

Witness statements as prepared for the committee are available here. Sen. Feingold’s opening statement is available in its entirety here.

_______________________

Began at slightly after 9:00 am ET. Rough hearing transcription follows:

Feingold calling the committee into session.

FEINGOLD OPENING: More than any other administration in recent history, this Administration has a penchant for secrecy. It has relied increasingly on secret evidence and closed tribunals, in Guantanamo and in the US. There is also an increasing prevalence in our country of secret law. It is a basic tenet of democracy that the people get to know their laws.

The recent release of the Yoo memorandum from 2003 has shown the importance of not allowing this secret law — goes into the binding precedent of the OLC on the federal government agencies. This contains no information about sources, methods or any other information about national security — but it did contain shaky legal rationale which the Administration did not want the public knowing was used as a foundation for their actions, and yet it was classified until just weeks ago.

Goes on to discuss the problems of any sort of oversight when you have such an internal policy of secrecy.

BROWNBACK OPENING: Problem? What problem?

Witnesses sworn in for testimony.

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Obama Files FEC Complaint Over 527 Group’s Hillary Ad

Barack Obama's campaign filed a complaint with the FEC today over a 527 group's ad attacking Obama's economic plan for having no specifics.

He didn't always feel that way about 527 ads. When a group supporting John Edwards aired one in Iowa he was critical, saying:

You can't just talk the talk. The easiest thing in the world is to talk about change during election time.”

But when a 527 group aired a shameful ad on Spanish radio stations in Nevada that re-injected ethnicity into the campaign, an ad that supported him and attacked Hillary in Nevada,

A spokesman for Obama, Bill Burton, did not condemn the ad or the independent spending specifically, but instead attacked Clinton.

More…

On a related note, Move-On tomorrow will launch an ad against McCain.

The 30-second ad, funded by the group’s donors and its political action committee, marks the start of the liberal advocacy group’s million dollar, month-long ad campaign aimed at the Arizona senator.

MoveOn will spend $160,000 to air the new ad — titled “Candles” — on cable as well as on broadcast networks in Iowa and New Mexico, where the McCain campaign is currently on the air without competition from either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.

The RNC calls the Move-On ad a smear campaign:

“At nearly every event, Obama bemoans the ‘negative tone’ of politics, even while groups that support him are now running negative ads. Now, Obama should prove his rhetoric is more than ‘just words’ and stand up to MoveOn.org.”

Women’s Voices
Uh…this is pretty bad.

Objective Analysis
CNN brings on a guy from Cato to talk about the gas tax. Did you know we had an awesome state highway system before the Feds started building the interstate system?

Why does Cato hate Eisenhower and, by extension, America?

Having Laid Waste to Their Country, U.S. Indifferent to Iraqi Refugees
For the Bush Administration, admitting that Iraq is in the throes of a humanitarian crisis disrupts the narrative that the war is winnable.

Wash. Post?s Murray: ?Just wait? until after the primaries for media to scrutinize McCain.
In a Washington Post discussion yesterday, Post reporter Shailagh Murray inadvertently admitted that the media is currently scrutinizing Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) less than they potentially could: Q: Will we see more scrutiny of his campaign finances and practices, or will Obama/Wright continue to suck up all the oxygen? MURRAY: This is driving Democrats crazy […]

In a Washington Post discussion yesterday, Post reporter Shailagh Murray inadvertently admitted that the media is currently scrutinizing Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) less than they potentially could:

Q: Will we see more scrutiny of his campaign finances and practices, or will Obama/Wright continue to suck up all the oxygen?

MURRAY: This is driving Democrats crazy right now, but just wait. Once the primary battle is over, Sen. McCain will get his fair share of scrutiny.

Asked about the statement from Murray in his weekly discussion, the Post’s Howard Kurtz said this attitude is the wrong one:

KURTZ: We don’t have unlimited resources, but I think we need to be covering McCain as vigorously now as in the fall. I mean, it’s not like he’s laying on a beach somewhere, he’s out there campaigning. One pet peeve of mine is when reporters don’t cover an issue because the candidates are avoiding it, thus allowing them to set the agenda.

Bush Holds Press Conference, Addresses the Economy
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Thank you. Good morning. It’s a tough time for our economy. Across our country, many Americans are understandably anxious about issues affecting their pocketbook, from gas and food prices to mortgage and tuition bills. They’re looking to their elected leaders in Congres…

McCain Offers Market-Based Health Plan
TAMPA, April 29 — Sen. John McCain on Tuesday rejected calls by his Democratic opponents for universal health coverage, instead offering a market-based solution with an approach similar to a proposal put forth by President Bush last year.

Bill Ayers Tried to Kill My Family
John Murtagh, New York Daily News

Signs Indicate That Duels May Be Hurting Party
With Democratic voters falling into generally predictable patterns, there are signs in the Pennsylvania exit poll that the prolonged battle for the Democratic nomination may have negative consequences for the party.

Administration Says Particulars May Trump Geneva Protections
The Geneva Conventions’ ban on “outrages against personal dignity” does not automatically apply to terrorism suspects in the custody of U.S. intelligence agencies, the Justice Department has suggested to Congress in recent letters that lay out the Bush administration’s interpretation of the…

Preaching to the Choir, and Feeding the Fire
The Rev. Henry P. Davis III, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Highland Park, came to the National Press Club yesterday to see the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., his former seminary professor, and to hear him calm the controversy surrounding him by answering a handful of pre-written questions.

Studies on Chemical In Plastics Questioned
Despite more than 100 published studies by government scientists and university laboratories that have raised health concerns about a chemical compound that is central to the multibillion-dollar plastics industry, the Food and Drug Administration has deemed it safe largely because of two studies,…

The Civil Anger of New York City
The Sean Bell trial is over. Trial judge Arthur F. Cooperman, acting as both judge and jury, issued his verdict of “not guilty” to three police officers. Those officers - two black and one white — had been charged in the killing of Sean Bell, a young black man celebrating his forthcoming marriage. According to the judge, the three undercover officers — who fired 50 shots at Bell’s car — committed no criminal act. The judge noted in his verdict that “Questions of carelessness and incompetence must be left to other forums.” Sean Bell was killed on November 25, 2006 after he and two companions left a night club in which the three had been partying and got into Bell’s car. The three undercover officers believed that one of the passengers was reaching for a gun. The public was told at a press conference attended by Commissioner Ray Kelly and Mayor Mike Bloomberg that the police had fired 50 shots, described by Mayor Bloomberg, as I recall, as excessive. Commissioner Kelly emphasized that police regulations state that a police officer firing a gun is required to stop after three shots to determine whether more were needed.

Will The Worst Debate Ever Matter?

Last night’s ABC’s debate was a spectacular travesty, if not the first of it’s kind in this campaign. (MSNBC’s Cleveland debate was in many ways an anti-Clinton pile-on.)

You would think after the polls barely budged in the wake of the Rev. Wright and “bitter” media frenzies, that traditional media outlets would recognize that most voters want to know more about the issues than be force-fed manufactured outrage. Sadly, no.

(To complain to ABC, call 212-456-7777, via Eschaton.)

But with recent history in mind, will the latest anti-Obama pile-on matter at the polls next week?

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette blog reports:

WTAE [Pittsburgh’s ABC affiliate] in its post-game coverage, asks everybody at its “watch party” if Sen. Obama was forced to spend too much time answering “gotcha” questions, 45 minutes or so about flag pins and Rev. Wright and Bill Ayers. Almost everybody raised their hands.

Sorry Pittsburgh voters. The very non-elitist David Brooks says “No Whining About the Media” tonight. He knows real people, not like you, uh, real people.

An Old Newness
Many years ago, a great hitter named Paul Waner was nearing the end of his long career. He entered a ballgame with 2,999 hits — one hit away from the landmark total of 3,000, which so many hitters want to reach, but which relatively few actually do reach. Waner hit a ball that the fielder did not handle cleanly but the official scorer called it a hit, making it Waner’s 3,000th. Paul Waner then sent word to the official scorer that he did not want that questionable hit to be the one that put him over the top. The official scorer reversed himself and called it an error. Later Paul Waner got a clean hit for number 3,000.

A Pastor at Center Stage
WASHINGTON — Because John McCain and other legislators worry that they are easily corrupted, there are legal limits to the monetary contributions that anyone can make to political candidates. There are, however, no limits to the rhetorical contributions that the Rev. Jeremiah Wright can make to McCain’s campaign. Because Wright is a gift determined to keep on giving, this question arises: Can persons opposed to Barack Obama’s candidacy justly make use of Wright’s invariably interesting interventions in the campaign? The answer is: Certainly, because Wright’s paranoias tell us something — exactly what remains to be explored — about his 20-year parishioner.

When I started the HL back in 2004, I used to put up stories every day about what A$$holes Bush, Cheney, Rummy, and the gang all were. I even did a lot of Comics about it. This is a story I have read a thousand times since I started. It is a rehash of all the reasons to hate Bush which I have painstakingly detailed over the past 4 years, To the point where it gets hard to deal with it all, because it has been done to death. Of course we can blame the Democrats for giving Bush power in 2000, and 2008.

Bush Hate Rising
Counterpunch

Excerpt:
Have you noticed how everybody hates Bush these days? Well, everybody except Uncle Dick, Godfather Rummy and Tony Snow. Oh, and let’s not forget Rockey Vaccarella. And the arms dealers. But enthusiastic Bush supporters who aren’t directly on the Bush-Cheney payroll are dwindling down to a sliver of a minority. These are the reality-challenged few that still expect rose petals and open arms to embrace us in Iraq, maybe, if we “stay the course,” by the 22nd century. Basically, these few frightened, lock-step individuals, corporate representatives, Legionnaires and paid performers are the ones we see the President chatting up on TV.

HL’s Take
So now the whole country hates the Worst President Ever. I was one of the 9% who hated his ass on September 12, 2001 (the day I predicted that Osama Bin Laden would NEVER be caught) Now I am with the 91% currently can’t stand the site of him. Thank God the reign of error is almost over. Hopefully then we can get on with some positive stories about how Barack Obama is starting to turn around all misery that the Bush family has wrought on America.
I only hope that Obama, holds these bastards accoutnable for the dozens of acts of Treason against the USA that Bush and his posse have comitted.

O”Reilly Attacks Moyers For Interviewing Rev. Wright: They Should “Take A Long Vacation, Perhaps In Iran”
On PBS’s Bill Moyers Journal last night, Moyers interviewed Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, whose controversial remarks created a political storm last month. Reacting to advance excerpts of the interview, Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly attacked Moyers on his show last night, calling him a “far left PBS guy” who is “extreme” and […]

On PBS’s Bill Moyers Journal last night, Moyers interviewed Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, whose controversial remarks created a political storm last month.

Reacting to advance excerpts of the interview, Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly attacked Moyers on his show last night, calling him a “far left PBS guy” who is “extreme” and “pathetic.” At the end of his Talking Points Memo segment, O’Reilly suggested that Moyers and Wright should “take a long vacation, perhaps in Iran.”

Watch it:

Later in the show, when O’Reilly asked former House Speaker Newt Gingrich if he could “figure” Moyers out, Gingrich called Moyers “a hard left sympathizer for anybody who dislikes America”:

O’REILLY: Can you figure this guy out, Moyers?

GINGRICH: Sure. Bill Moyers is a hard left sympathizer for anybody who dislikes America. And Reverend Wright’s sort of his perfect interview. He doesn’t lay — from what I’ve seen so far and the things that I’ve read tonight from the interview tonight, he doesn’t lay a glove on him.

Closing his discussion of Moyers with Gingrich, O’Reilly previewed a segment with Bernard Goldberg on his Monday show, saying “we’re going to wait and see the whole interview before we really hang Moyers, but Bernie’s warming up.”

Digg It!

Daniel Levy, on the Syria-Israel-North Korea revelations….

Dark, Very Dark
The Journal today has a dark and curdled portrait of Bill Clinton’s growing role in Sen. Clinton’s campaign … Dubbed the “Billification” of Sen. Clinton’s campaign by some insiders, Mr. Clinton has become something of a strategist-in-chief in recent weeks….

McCain backer retracts ‘gays caused Katrina’
McCain backer retracts ‘gays caused Katrina’

GOP pol: Pull Jimmy Carter’s passport
GOP pol: Pull Jimmy Carter’s passport

Israel tests Ecstasy on PTSD victims
An Israeli medical team has started tests using the drug Ecstasy as a treatment for conflict-linked post-traumatic disorders, the Maariv daily reported on Friday…

Bitter Politics - The Nation

Wright Still Wrong For Obama
Rick Klein & Mike Elmore, ABC News

Cheer Up Dems! Party Is In Great Shape For Nov.
Alan Abramowitz, TNR

Smog exposure tied to early demise
Even short-term exposure to common levels of ozone in smog is likely to contribute to premature deaths, a new National Research Council report warned Wednesday…

Tax dodge gets Snipes 3 years
…for not filing returns; not even Woody Harrelson could keep him out of jail.

Second woman claims Spitzer tryst
Woman said cooperating with federal investigators, according to NY Post.

Dem bigs mull pushing superdels
Dem bigs mull pushing superdels

Friends and associates of The Clintons have a bad habit of winding up dead according to this article. An Awful lot of coincidence there. I googled a couple of these names, and the ones I did, did indeed die of mysterious circumstances. Is this why Bill and Poppy Bush used to hang out together a lot?

THE CLINTON BODY BAGS

Food for Thought

Just a quick refresher course lest we forget what has happened to many ‘friends’ of the Clinton’s.

1- James McDougal - Clinton’s convicted Whitewater partner died of an apparent heart attack, while in solitary confinement. He was a key witness in Ken Starr’s investigation.

2 - Mary Mahoney - A former White House intern was murdered July 1997 at a Starbucks Coffee Shop in Georgetown. The murder happened just after she was to go public with her story of sexual harassment in the White House.

3 - Vince Foster - Former White House councilor, and colleague of Hillary Clinton at Little Rock’s Rose Law firm. Died of a gunshot wound to the head, ruled a suicide.

4 - Ron Brown - Secretary of Commerce and former DNC Chairman. Reported to have died by impact in a plane crash. A pathologist close to the investigation reported that there was a hole in the top of Brown’s skull resembling a gunshot wound. At the time of his death Brown was being investigated, and spoke publicly of his willingness to cut a deal with prosecutors. The rest of the people on the plane also died. A few days later the air Traffic controller commited suicide.

HL’s Take:
There are 44 more people on the list, click through and let me know what you think.

Military: Law-abiding gays out, felons in
As open gays continue to be discharged simply for being who they are under 10 USC 654, better known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” an overstretched military has ramped up recruitments of convicted felons, a new report shows…

$100 fill-ups arrive at gas pump
COALINGA, California (CNN) — Noel Bosse and Ken Davis watch as the numbers keep spinning at the gas pump — 70 bucks, 80 bucks. Gulp, guzzle, then it stops: $101 for about 25 gallons. art.gas1.cnn.jpg Gas prices in California are the nation’s highest, already soaring over $4 a gallon in some areas. Click to view previous image 1 of 2 Click to view next image The $100 fill-up has arrived in the United States. “I think it’s absolutely ridiculous,” Bosse says with disgust…

Mattel will sue over ‘lesbian’ Barbie
Mattel will sue over ‘lesbian’ Barbie

States to proceed with executions
States began moving forward with plans for executions this week after the Supreme Court declined last Wednesday to review the appeals of death row inmates who had challenged lethal-injection methods in nearly a dozen states. The court had issued orders staying several executions last year and earlier this year while it weighed whether Kentucky’s lethal-injection procedure constituted cruel and unusual punishment. States had postponed at least 14 scheduled executions pending the high court’s decision, creating a de facto moratorium on capital punishment, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, which opposes capital punishment.

McCain opposes equal pay for women bill
McCain opposes equal pay for women bill

U.S. to Expand Collection Of Crime Suspects’ DNA
The U.S. government will soon begin collecting DNA samples from all citizens arrested in connection with any federal crime and from many immigrants detained by federal authorities, adding genetic identifiers from more than 1 million individuals a year to the swiftly growing federal law enforcemen…

Exiting HUD chief got royal treatment
How do you say goodbye to a HUD chief who ineptly presided over the worst national housing crisis in recent memory, who made HUD a byword for cronyism, and who resigned under the cloud of a federal criminal investigation?

Mil. mechanics key to missing contractor?
Both Kirk von Ackermann and Ryan Manelick worked for Ultra Services of Istanbul, Turkey. October 9, 2003 — Kirk von Ackermann left a meeting at FOB Pacesetter, a small and isolated base just north of Balad, Iraq. His vehicle was found later that day abandoned in the Jabal Hamrin mountains roughly 140 miles away. December 14, 2003 — Ryan Manelick was killed in a drive-by shooting just after leaving a meeting at Camp Anaconda, later renamed LSA Anaconda, just south of Balad. Shortly before his murder, Manelick had alleged fraud within his company, fraud that involved US Army officers. That’s the short version of the story. The longer version, as is often the case, is much more involved…

Former Justice Official Accused of Exchanging Favors With Abramoff
A federal prosecutor in Maryland has accused a Justice Department official who became the former deputy chief of staff of the criminal division of helping Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff in exchange for a “stream of things of value,” according to criminal papers filed yesterday.

Raw Story vs. The White House
Raw Story vs. The White House