This is historic, and if anyone thinks for a second it isn’t, then they are simply fooling themselves. All of those people who screamed about indefinite detention of enemy combatants down at Gitmo, I sure as hell hope you are going to be screaming now. This is not just for those possible terrorists, this is for you, and me.

Now, I am no attorney, or Constitutional scholar, but I can read. The US Constitution, Amendment 6 says this: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

What is not clear about this?

I might add, I said from the very beginning that this alleged “Constitutional Scholar” probably became one so he could better dismantle the law. Sure is looking like it with this.

Glenn Greenwald’s article on this topic is outstanding, and I highly recommend you read the entire piece, but I do want to touch on some highlights here:

[snip] (Y)esterday announced that he would instead sign it into law (this is the same individual, of course, who unequivocally vowed when seeking the Democratic nomination to support a filibuster of “any bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecom[s],” only to turn around – once he had the nomination secure — and not only vote against such a filibuster, but to vote in favor of the underlying bill itself, so this is perfectly consistent with his past conduct). As a result, the final version of the Levin/McCain bill will be enshrined as law this week as part of the the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). I wrote aboutthe primary provisions and implications of this bill last week, and won’t repeat those points here.

The ACLU said last night that the bill contains “harmful provisions that some legislators have said could authorize the U.S. military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians, including American citizens, anywhere in the world” and added: “if President Obama signs this bill, it will damage his legacy.” Human Rights Watch said that Obama’s decision “does enormous damage to the rule of law both in the US and abroad” and that “President Obama will go down in history as the president who enshrined indefinite detention without trial in US law.”

Both groups pointed out that this is the first time indefinite detention has been enshrined in law since the McCarthy era of the 1950s, when — as the ACLU put it — “President Truman had the courage to veto” the Internal Security Act of 1950 on the ground that it “would make a mockery of our Bill of Rights” and then watched Congress override the veto. That Act authorized the imprisonment of Communists and other “subversives” without the necessity of full trials or due process (many of the most egregious provisions of that bill were repealed by the 1971 Non-Detention Act, and are now being rejuvenated by these War on Terror policies of indefinite detention). President Obama, needless to say, is not Harry Truman. He’s not even the Candidate Obama of 2008 who repeatedly insisted that due process and security were not mutually exclusive and who condemned indefinite detention as “black hole” injustice.

A return to McCarthyism under the Obama Administration is what we now have. Wow, great. That is just jake. For all of those people who did not believe us when we said Obama was Bush III, something about which I wrote extensively, who ridiculed, attacked, and demeaned, not only were we right, and bite me, but NOW look what has happened to our nation.

As I said, there is so much more to this article, I cannot begin to do it justice here, read it. But I do want to make sure you see this:

[snip] I need to say that again: long before, and fully independent of, anything Congress did, President Obama made clear that he was going to preserve the indefinite detention system at Guantanamo even once he closed the camp. (Emphasis mine.)That’s what makes the apologias over Obama and GITMO so misleading: the controversy over Guantanamo was not that about its locale — that it was based in the Caribbean Sea — so that simply closing it and then re-locating it to a different venue would address the problem. The controversy over Guantanamo was that it was a prison camp where people were put in cages indefinitely, for decades or life, without being charged with any crime. And that policy is one that President Obama whole-heartedly embraced from the start. [snip] (Click here to read the rest.)

If you prefer, you can watch Mr. Greenwald discuss this issue with Cenk Ungar here:

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is historic, this is horrible, this is McCarthyism, this is an affront to the US Constitution, this is abhorrent in every way, shape, and form.

I have just one question for those who voted for Obama: How do you like him NOW??

Click here to view the embedded video.

[snip] Holder and one of his other deputies, Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer, have both admitted that statement was false in recent Senate hearings.

“The letter was withdrawn because there was information in there that was inaccurate,” Holder replied to Sensenbrenner’s question.

Still unsatisfied, Sensenbrenner followed up again. “Tell me what the difference is between lying and misleading Congress in this context?,” he asked Holder.

Holder responded that whether a statement is a lie or misleading comment depends on what the person making it is thinking at the time. (Click here to read the rest.)

Wow. Honestly, how does Holder come out with this BS and keep a straight face? When he’s not slumping back into his chair in disgust at being questioned, that is? What a crock.

Get this, though – Holder never, not ONCE, acknowledged just who signed off on this absurd program. Apparently, no one did, since in the 10 months he has been questioned about “Fast and Furious,” he has not come up with ONE name. And no one has been fired for their part in this, either. Just unbelievable.

And then there was the second hearing of Jon Corine appearing before Congress to try and explain where in the hell $1.2 BILLION dollars went. His answer? “I dunno.” Okay, okay, he said, “I do not know,” but really, he may as well have just shrugged his shoulders and given the first response. Oh, he feels bad about this, he really does. Not enough to use any of his multi-millions to DO anything about it for all of those folks who lost their money, or the employees who are out of jobs as a result. Nope. Screw them. He doesn’t know what happened to the money under his watch, but really, it’s just tough for those people. I am sure his “devastation” over what happened while he sits on his pile of money is a real comfort to those people who lost everything. Right.

This is not over yet, though. The investigation will continue, and he may well be brought up on charges. He sure SHOULD be, but we know how that can go, especially for close, personal friends/bundlers of Obama…

Sigh. Really? These is the guy responsible for our Justice Department? And the other one Obama and Biden’s “go-to” guy for all things financial? Holy cow.

Okay, it’s Friday, and time for a bit of a break. You can discuss the stories above, or anything else that hits you, but feel free to also share a musical interlude that appeals for a TGIF.

Here are my offerings for this Friday, with winter coming on:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And this one from the incomparable Sarah McLachlan:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Okay, friends – it’s all you now!

Good grief.

Thanks heavens some US Senators are speaking out about this incredibly sanitized, downright false characterization of Major Hasan’s intentions when he began to shoot down unarmed soldiers in the name of Allah. Here is more on this issue:

Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday blasted the Defense Department for classifying the Fort Hood massacre as workplace violence and suggested political correctness is being placed above the security of the nation’s Armed Forces at home.

During a joint session of the Senate and House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday, the Maine Republican referenced a letter from the Defense Department depicting the Fort Hood shootings as workplace violence. She criticized the Obama administration for failing to identify the threat as radical Islam.

Thirteen people were killed and dozens more wounded at Fort Hood in 2009, and the number of alleged plots targeting the military has grown significantly since then. Lawmakers said there have been 33 plots against the U.S. military since Sept. 11, 2001, and 70 percent of those threats have been since mid-2009. Major Nidal Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, who is being held for the attacks, allegedly was inspired by radical U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in late September. The two men exchanged as many as 20 emails, according to U.S. officials, and Awlaki declared Hasan a hero.

It is just mind boggling that our government is attempting to sanitize to the point of absurdity the horrific attack by Major Hasan at Fort Hood. Senator Collins is correct, this is taking political correctness to an extreme that is downright dangerous.

And that denial is dangerous not just to the nation, but to our military, specifically:

The chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Connecticut independent Sen. Joe Lieberman, said the military has become a “direct target of violent Islamist extremism” within the United States.

“The stark reality is that the American service member is increasingly in the terrorists’ scope and not just overseas in a traditional war setting,” Lieberman told Fox News before the start of Wednesday’s hearing.

In June, two men allegedly plotted to attack a Seattle, Wash., military installation using guns and grenades. In July, Army Pvt. Naser Abdo was accused of planning a second attack on Fort Hood. And in November, New York police arrested Jose Pimentel, who alleged sought to kill service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. (Click here to read the rest.)

And yet, knowing this, our government, in their infinite wisdom (cough, choke), has decided to redefine radical Islamic attacks as “workplace violence.” Wow. This is up there with Napolitano’s “man made disasters” term. But both are disingenuous at best, and deliberately misleading at worse.

Of course, radical Islam is not the whole of Islam, but to deny its existence in this country is doing a tremendous disservice to those killed at 9/11, those killed at Fort Hood, those killed at bases overseas, those killed in the attack on the USS Cole, and so, so many more instances too numerous to mention here. Why our government seems more concerned with insulting these groups than naming them for what they are is just beyond me. This revisionist history must stop, and must stop now. Call it what it is by name. Nothing less will do.

How in the hell is Holder, and every single one of the administrators who went along with this, not indicted and facing trial? I’m no attorney, but I am fairly certain that money laundering is ILLEGAL, especially for the head of the US Justice Department.

As you might suspect, this is all part and parcel of the horrendously stupid “Fast and Furious” gun-walking program. Rep. Darrell Issa is doing his best to uncover the extent of this program under Holder:

[snip] The New York Times reported on Sunday that “in operations supervised by the Justice Department and orchestrated to get around sovereignty restrictions” drug enforcement agents “laundered or smuggled millions of dollars in drug proceeds as part of Washington’s expanding role in Mexico’s fight against drug cartels.”

In a Monday letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, Issa announced he’s investigating the allegations made against the DEA in the New York Times article.

“As you are fully aware, since March of this year, I have been investigating the reckless tactics — in particular gunwalking — used in ATF’s Operation Fast and Furious,” Issa wrote. “That operation, which you personally acknowledged was ‘fundamentally flawed,’ failed spectacularly to meet its objective of bring down Mexican drug cartels. Precisely because the ends do not justify the means, the law limits the conduct alleged in this story.”

“Apparently, this same goal of dismantling Mexican drug cartels motivated the Drug Enforcement Administration in aiding and abetting these same cartels in laundering millions of dollars in cash,” Issa continued. “In fact, The New York Times reports that agents needed to seek Department approval to launder amounts greater than $10 million in any single operation.”

Issa wrote that, according to the report, many agents said the $10 million requirement was frequently “waived” because it was treated more like a guideline. He said that means “hundreds of millions of dollars” could’ve been “laundered” into the hands of drug cartels by the Obama administration and Holder’s Justice Department. (Click here to read the rest.)

This just gets worse and worse with every passing day. The NY Times article stated that the DEA did this in order to see how the drug cartels move their money. Because I am sure the DEA/DOJ just couldn’t figure it out any other way than laundering potentially hundreds of millions of dollars. This isn’t just folly, this is sheer insanity, and it starts at the top – all the way to the top with Obama, who is still standing behind Holder. Hell, he picked him in the FIRST place, so that tells you something right there.

And speaking of following the money, former NJ Governor and US Senator, Jon Corzine, is about to be on the hot seat this Thursday regarding the disappearance of $1.2 BILLION of investors’ money at MF Global. That is all bad enough, but like the “Fast and Furious” program, with every day, more information leaks out. Now it seems that Corzine threatened to quit his post if he was not allowed to throw money into European bonds.

And you may recall, Jon Corzine played an integral part in helping this Administration as evidenced by both President Obama and VP Biden heaping praise on Corzine in this video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Well, I think that explains a LOT, doesn’t it? But there is oh, so much more on this issue. Guess who sits on the advisory board of the PR Firm that worked for MF Global, and which provided financial advice to MF Global? That would be President Clinton. Former PM Tony Blair, too, but that’s the U.K.’s problem. The company, Teneo Holdings, was paid $625,000 for it’s work with MF Global:

[snip] Clinton’s office insists the former president did not profit from the relationship between MF Global and Teneo Holdings, where he is chairman of the advisory board. But Teneo, on whose advisory board former British Prime Minister Tony Blair also sits, was paid $125,000 a month for at least five months in one of MF’s biggest consulting arrangements, according to sources at the brokerage house.

The relationship was controversial within MF Global even before the company’s financial problems hit the news as executives questioned why an outside firm was needed for work that had long been done in-house.

“I don’t know what they did,” one MF source said. “It was always unclear.” (Click here to read the rest.)

Yes, Obama and Biden’s financial guru will be spending some quality time in front of Congress trying to explain why he was so gung-ho about investing in European bonds, and how $1.2 Billion of investors’ money disappeared.

The workers at MF Global want to know, too, and are suing the executives who ran MF Global into the ground. Serves them right. I hope the workers get a ton of money from them.

I hope Rep. Issa and Congress continues to follow these money trails to the very end. And I hope some of these folks, like Holder and Corzine, end up in a room cell of their own. They deserve nothing less, don’t you think?

Oh, wait. No, not really. None of those things have really happened. I was shocked to see The Hill, a site I read regularly for its impartiality, and whose Associate Editor, A.B. Stoddard, I have admired for her intellect. The premise of the article by Peter Schroeder is this:

President Obama, with his electoral fate tied to the economy, must be pleased with the momentum he’s getting.

Just months ago, the U.S. credit rating was downgraded and Democrats worried Obama was following in the footsteps of one-term President Jimmy Carter. Maybe he will, but reports in the last week suggest manufacturing and construction are humming, and Thanksgiving saw record-setting shopping by consumers.

The icing on the cake? A jobs report Friday shaved nearly half a point off the unemployment rate. The 8.6 percent rate was down from 9 percent in October and is the lowest unemployment has stood in two and a half years. (Emphasis mine.)

“Democrats have a very good chance in 2012 and if the economy gets better that’ll help us,” said Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.). “Things are looking a lot better. A lot better.”

“The icing on the cake?” Really? He is promoting this false meme that the artificially reduced Unemployment numbers put forth by the Obama Administration (and which Larry Johnson thoroughly debunks in this post, “Delusional America“)? Is it really good news for Obama that over 300,000 people have given up hope of ever finding a job again? That’s a GOOD thing? In what universe? ObamaMedia World? Evidently. I was just appalled to see a site like The Hill pushing this crock of BS for Obama and the Democrats. This wasn’t an opinion piece, after all, it was allegedly “reporting.” Reporting Democratic talking points, maybe, but not the facts, or reality. At the very BEST, the number is now at 8.9%, and even that is pushing it (according to Eric Bolling on “The Five”).

These kinds of machinations by the Democrats are really mind boggling. It wasn’t so long ago that I would have bought this crap they are selling, being a dyed in the wool Dem and all. But no longer. I simply cannot understand how the Party that claims to be SO compassionate is CELEBRATING people giving up out of despair. How is that good in ANYONE’S world?

This does seem to be the Democrats’ MO, though. This kind of hoodwinking, that is. This instance has to do with the economy, riding a wave of glee on the backs of those who have given up. My good friend, CindyIndie, sent me an article about an issue in Texas that highlights more of this double-speaking machination that seems to be SOP. This one deals with their “concern” for minority presence and leadership in politics. The title gives a hint, “Opportunity Lost To End The White-Guy Streak.” Yes, and that opportunity was lost due to an appeal by the Democrats:

For a while there, before a three-judge federal panel did some three-judge federal paneling, the good and progressive people of Travis County (long self-congratulatory about their goodness and progressivity) seemed en route to ballot-box ethnic history.

[...]

This, of course, was all about Republican self-interest and had nothing to do with wanting to break the white-man streak in Travis County. But facts are facts, and regardless of why it happened (largely to stick it to longtime U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, a longtime white man), the map offered a solid possibility of electing an African American and two Hispanics to a five-person (up from the current three) Travis County U.S. House delegation.

To jack with Doggett, the GOP drew a Hispanic-heavy San Antonio-Austin district in which state Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, had a solid shot at beating Doggett in the Democratic primary. The map also brought into Travis County a multicounty, northward meandering district now represented by Republican Bill Flores of Waco.

The Travis County map also included a greatly rejiggered multicounty district in which former Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, a black Republican, had a solid chance of winning. The other districts in the county (also multicounty districts) most likely would have continued to have been represented by Republicans Michael McCaul of Austin and Lamar Smith of San Antonio, who self-identify as white men.

So Travis County could have wound up with two white guys, two Hispanic guys and a black guy. Sure, only one of them (McCaul) now lives in the county, but hey, ethnic history is ethnic history — even if the black guy (Williams) and one of the Hispanics (Flores) are Republicans (a concept that irks some of the local good and progressive.) (Click here to read the rest.)

Well, of course it is obvious why the Democrats claimed this would affect minority representation – because we all know that Black Republicans aren’t really black, and I assume that extends to Hispanic Republicans, too. Much better to have a paternalist White Guy represent your interests – they do so well with that. Just look at Women’s Issues and how well our Congress has handled that (e.g., equal pay is still a dream).

Honestly, I don’t know how in the world the Democrats could have even made this argument to the Panel with straight faces. Maybe they didn’t. Maybe there were lots of winks, guffaws, and “dontcha knows” thrown in there. Beats me. But apparently, it is a mindset that allows them to say these things, much like this pronouncement from The Hill’s “Signs” article:

[snip] Democrats have felt the swing in momentum.

Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) said the president’s chances for reelection have “improved” with the economy, while Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) says voters will see the president has things moving in the right direction.

“The economy is not where we want it to be, but it’s at least stable and slowly but surely going in the right direction,” Cummings told The Hill. (Click here to read the rest.)

Uh, yeah, just keep telling yourselves that. I suppose these folks also still believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, which they are presumably counting on to help ease our massive debt, which is now 100% of our GDP. Yeah, sure, the economy is doing GREAT! Just peachy! Just tell all of those folks who are first time filers for Unemployment, those who dropped out, and those who have lost their homes. I am so certain they will all agree with Levin and Cummings, aren’t you? Cough, cough. Uh huh. Maybe it is time for them to take off their rose colored glasses, and try looking at reality for a change. Just a thought. What do you think?

Cough. I could barely type that out.

I guess he will just have to drag himself off the golf course (he has already played 88 games in his short time in office). Who could forget this iconic picture of the adults in the room when Seal Team Six was going after Osama bin Laden, and Obama sitting there in his golf clothes (photo courtesy of geneveith.com):

So, while Obama is off vacationing in the sun and surf, he admonishes Congress to stay in town and get things worked out for the extended tax cuts, according to The Hill, while blaming the Republicans for everything (forgetting -again – that the Senate is controlled by Dems):

[snip] “We’re going to keep pushing Congress to make this happen,” Obama said. “They shouldn’t go home for the holidays until they get this done.”

The president called out congressional Republicans for stalling legislation aimed at helping create jobs and spur the economy.

“Unfortunately, too many Republicans in Congress don’t seem to share that same sense of urgency,” he said. “Over the last few months, they’ve said ‘no’ to most of these jobs bills. ‘No’ to putting teachers and firefighters back to work. ‘No’ to putting construction workers back on the job. And this week, they actually said ‘no’ to cutting taxes for middle-class families.” (Click here to read the rest.)

I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that it is a bit hard to take someone’s admonition to work harder when Obama has consistently been absent from the big decisions. He has been so busy campaigning on our dime, or hiding upstairs in his room, watching sports, that he is HARDLY in any position to criticize the working habits of anyone else. IMHO, that is.

I reckon while the rest of the nation is worrying about paying its bills, or where their next meal is coming from, or how they will be able to get toys for their kids, much less heat their houses, Obama will be kicking back drinking a Mai Tai with a cute little umbrella on the sunny sandy shores of Hawaii with this exhortation:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And if you can’t be happy with all that is going on in the nation, just do what Obama does – blame the Republicans!

Open Thread, have at it!

And that would be Obamacare. Specifically, the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a major part of the unread-before-passed-bill. You might know it better as the “Death Panels.” From The Daily Caller:

[snip]Frank, who announced Monday that he would retire at the end of his current term in office, became the 12th Democrat, and the 212th member of the House, to co-sponsor Tennessee Republican Rep. Phil Roe’s bill aimed at repealing the IPAB.

[...]

IPAB is a 15-member board, appointed by the president, scheduled to convene in 2014. In order to reduce per capita Medicare spending, the board will recommend levels at which Medicare recipients, including seniors, can be reimbursed for health care expenses.

In March, Roe told The Daily Caller the IPAB is the “real death panel” in the health care law, as compared to “end-of-life counseling” Obamacare provisions which former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin once deemed “death panels.”

“This one is the real baby right here — and most people missed this,” Roe told TheDC then. “What everybody was talking about, when you saw Sarah Palin and so forth, what they were talking about these advanced directives where you sit down and there’s sort of mandatory counseling — and Medicare paid for it. This IPAB got missed — and it’s the real death panel.”

Isn’t that pretty much what we had been saying? But wait, there is more:

“Basically, there’s a certain amount of money that’s allocated for Medicare spending each year,” Roe said in March. “Once you hit that amount that’s been appropriated, this board, this bureaucratically appointed board, can then decide, not based on quality or need, but based on strictly cost.”

According to Diane Cohen, the conservative Goldwater Institute’s lead attorney covering Obamacare, IPAB is the “most notorious” of all the bureaucracies the health care law created because it hands Medicare payment decisions over to an unelected board. (Click here to read the rest.)

Isn’t this incredible? I guess it should be no surprise given the numerous czars Obama has put in place making major decisions for us. They aren’t elected, either. Hell, they aren’t even vetted by anyone! But that the Democrats, and it was SOLELY the Democrats, voted to make this the law of the land is telling indeed.

Too bad Rep. Frank didn’t make this decision two years, and maybe states wouldn’t be saddled with fighting the Constitutionality of Obamacare. They wouldn’t have to be spending so much time and treasure trying to protect their citizens from the unilateral move of one party against all of the objections of its citizenry. Party Before Country rules the day far too often, as I have said, and this was no exemption. But maybe, just MAYBE, these people will finally start caring more about the country than whatever perks they might get for selling their souls for the benefit of the Party leaders.

And speaking of money, given all of the brouhaha paid to mere whispers of allegations over Herman Cain 24/7, you may be surprised to learn that former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Hillary Clinton backstabbing opportunist, is under investigation for a regarding allegations of paying off his mistress. Oh, yes, and it was not a small sum of money, either, as the Wall Street Journal reports:

A federal grand jury is investigating former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson over possible campaign-finance violations stemming from his 2008 presidential run, including allegations that he arranged for supporters to pay off a woman who planned to say they had engaged in an extramarital affair, according to people familiar with the inquiry.

Several of Mr. Richardson’s close associates have been granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for their testimony before the panel in Albuquerque, the people said. The panel is one of several grand juries in recent years to examine aspects of Mr. Richardson’s administration and campaigns.

[...]

The investigation comes at a difficult time for New Mexico Democrats, who are struggling to regroup after losing the governor’s mansion—Mr. Richardson couldn’t run again because of term limits—and a number of state legislative seats in 2010. The state is considered a key battleground in the 2012 presidential election and also may be crucial to control of the U.S. Senate, as both parties fight for a vacant seat now held by retiring Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman.

New Mexico Republicans benefited in the last election from grand-jury investigations related to the departing Richardson administration, said Brian Sanderoff, president of an independent polling firm in Albuquerque. If an indictment rekindles memories of alleged Democratic corruption, “it sure won’t help” Democrats in 2012, he said.

Uh, yeah – I imagine that won’t be too helpful to the Democrats in New Mexico. And now for that number:

[snip]The most explosive matter under investigation involves allegations by a former member of Mr. Richardson’s inner circle. That individual said Mr. Richardson’s political allies gave $250,000 to placate a woman who was considering suing the governor in 2007, exposing their alleged extramarital affair, according to people familiar with the federal probe. They said the woman was a state employee at the time that she allegedly became romantically involved with Mr. Richardson around 2004. The woman’s identity has not been disclosed, and the type of suit considered has not been confirmed. (Click here to read the rest.)

The article goes on, and I recommend you read the rest. You may recall, as I mentioned above, that Richardson threw Hillary Clinton under the bus so fast when he thought he was going to get some plumb assignment in Obama’s Circle that the bus didn’t even have a chance to leave skid marks (Commerce Secretary was the post for which he was being considered). So, if you wondered why he never showed up with all of Obama’s Chicago Thugs Cronies, it was a question related to contributions for his presidential run, and the possibility of links to some contracts he made. You know, just like Obama has done with our money to places like Solyndra, and a whole HOST of jobs in his Administration.

Doesn’t that kind of beg the question of if it kept Richardson OUT of Obama’s Administration to have even the question of a possible link between donors and contracts, why is it okay for Obama to have filled his White House with donors, or give our money to companies owned by his donors? Doesn’t make any sense to me. Maybe someone out there can fill me in.

Well, I will sure be interested to see how things shake out now that Barney has joined in to fight against the IPAB. Perhaps this is just the push we need to get this horrible law off the books, and do it RIGHT the next time, with thoughtful consideration, no handouts to Big Pharma, and the support of the majority of the people.

As for Richardson, couldn’t happen to a more deserving person, if you ask me. Sure would be nice if the media bothered to report on this the way they couldn’t WAIT to throw out mere rumors around Herman Cain, but I guess that is just too much to ask these days. Kinda like how they are gleeful over the new Unemployment numbers, until you read further down and find out WHY the numbers are lower. Even The Hill is guilty of that (and Eric Bolling said this morning that the new number is TOO low considering jobs created and files for unemployment, which I thought, too. It should be closer to 8.9%, not 8.6%.). Oh,and in case you missed why, it is because a big bunch of people just dropped out. They gave up. They just gave up trying to find work. THAT should be the headline, IMHO.

Wouldn’t it be nice if our politicians stopped playing politics with people’s lives? Yeah, though I am not going to hold my breath for that day. Anyway, consider this an Open Thread. What’s on your minds?

That said, there are still some news stories out today for our consideration. Russia is unhappy with us, and that can be a big problem, as this story indicates, Russia Threatens To Withdraw From Arms Control Deal With U.S.:

Russia threatened Wednesday to withdraw from the New START nuclear arms control deal with the United States and deploy missiles aimed toward U.S. defense installations in Europe in a harsh sign of the tension between the two countries.

In a prime-time televised speech, President Dmitry Medvedev, visibly upset over missile defense consultations with Washington, said that an early warning radar system immediately would be put on red alert close to the Russian border with Poland and that missiles and other weapons would be positioned in the country’s west and south to target U.S. sites in Europe.

“These measures will be adequate, effective and low cost,” Medvedev said in his speech. “If the above measures prove insufficient, the Russian Federation will deploy modern offensive weapons in the west and south of the country ensuring our ability to take out any part of the U.S. missile defense system in Europe.”[snip] (Click here to read the rest.)

Brrrr – is there a chill in the air? We might not be returning to another Cold War with Russia, but they sure aren’t happy with us.

Um, how does that bode for the US astronauts who hitched a ride into space with the Russians? I wonder if they could bum a ride home from the Chinese…

The Senate is about to get ready to add a bundle to the deficit, as The Hill reports in this article, Post-supercommittee, Senate Dems Ready To Move $400 Billion In New Bills:

[snip] All of the proposals, such as the extension of the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance, are popular but come with no agreement on how to pay for them.

Senate Democrats will go on offense next week by forcing Republicans to vote on extending and expanding the payroll tax cut, which accounts for $240 billion of the tab, according to Democratic and Republican aides. Lawmakers will take up the legislation after completing work on the Defense authorization bill.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has yet to announce an offset for the measure, but he has discussed matching it with a tax increase for millionaires. Such a vote would be intended to hammer home the message that Republicans are out to protect the rich, though it leaves Democrats vulnerable to arguments about class warfare. [snip] (Click here to read the rest.)

I’m not saying it isn’t a good idea to extend these policies, but we HAVE to figure out a way to pay for them. Close some tax loopholes, for instance. As I have noted, the Senate won’t pass a budget, and won’t allow the 20+ Jobs bills to see the light of day, but they will continue to play politics with our economy. Nice.

And speaking of Democrats, Rep. Gabriel Giffords suggested to the Super Committee a few days ago that they should cut the Congressional salaries. Giffords introduced legislation to this effect way back in January. It may not be that much on the face of it, but it would be a start.

And since Thanksgiving is all about gratitude, here’s a song by the same name by the incomparable, Earth, Wind, and Fire:

So what else is happening today?

The topic of his recent speech? How the Republicans will be GRINCHES if they do not pass pass the extension for Payroll Tax and Unemployment Benefits. This was one of the issues the Super Committee was supposed to undertake before their Super Fail.

Really? Yep, really – he said it:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Okay, maybe not just like that, but pretty close:

[snip] “Tell them, ‘Don’t be a Grinch.’ Don’t vote to raise taxes on working Americans during the holidays. Put the country before party. Put money back in the pockets of working families. Do your job. Pass our jobs bill,” Obama told the crowd of roughly 1,300.

“If Congress refuses to act, then middle-class families are going to get hit with a tax increase at the worst time. … We can’t let that happen. Not right now. It would be bad for the economy. It would be bad for employment,” Obama said. “Are they really willing to break their oath to never raise taxes, and raise taxes on the middle class just to play politics? [snip] (Click here to read the rest.)

This from the most partisan president I can recall in years. And never mind that the Senate refuses to even consider the 22 bills the House has sent on jobs, or that it hasn’t bothered to pass a budget in years. It is ALL the Republicans fault. Even though the Democrats control two houses. And never mind that Obama was AWOL from the whole proceedings.

As I understand it, one of the biggest sticking points for the Republicans was the increase in taxes the Democrats kept pushing, as opposed to closing loopholes, which is what the Republicans were pushing (as in, you don’t raise taxes during a recession). So, first it is the Republicans’ fault for not going along with tax hikes, and now it is their fault that tax extensions weren’t passed.

Oh, and never mind that Obama blew off everything his OWN committee suggested. Talk about a monumental waste of time. Hmmm – I wonder, did we pay those people to do that? Because if we did, that, too, was a waste of money. Even when Sen. Toomey presented some of the committe’s recommendations, the Democrats would hear nothing of it.

But the Republicans are the obstructionists. Got it? That is the message. And it was intended all along. This whole Super Committee was destined to fail from the get-go, to achieve exactly what Obama wanted: Talking Points.

I think Obama has elevated talking out of both sides of one’s mouth to an art form.

Meanwhile, Obama is all to ready to cut the budget in one area: Defense. Despite the plea from pleas from Defense Secretary Panetta that Obama not do this, Obama has threatened to veto any attempt to remove that trigger. Yes, Defense Secretary Panetta said to cut the budget by as much as is planned would have devastating consequences to our National Security:

[snip] During the months the super committee deliberated, Panetta consistently urged lawmakers not to reduce national security spending beyond the more than $450 billion already approved by Congress in August.

Panetta said he had made clear the Pentagon had a responsibility to help the United States get its fiscal house in order, but added his primary responsibility as secretary of defense “is to protect the security of the nation.”

The Pentagon’s ability to provide benefits and support for U.S. troops and their families also would be jeopardized if the automatic cuts are allowed to go into effect, he said.

“Our troops deserve better, and our nation demands better,” Panetta said.[snip] (Click here to read the rest.)

And to that, Obama essentially says, tough – blame it on the Republicans. It’s all their fault. Everything is all their fault. The Democrats are completely blameless in this discussion.

Got it. That’s the campaign in a nutshell. Evidently, we are supposed to have collective amnesia that the Democrats controlled all three houses for the first two years of Obama’s tenure. But hey – playing dirty is what Obama has done throughout his entire political career, from the very first run getting everyone thrown off the ballot to having divorce records of his opponents – Republican AND Democratic – revealed, to race baiting from early on in his career to this day. Check out this interesting video, which includes Obama from 1995. It is very telling indeed:

Click here to view the embedded video.

WOW. Just wow. Oh, and while it would take too long to go through everything he said, but unemployment in the African American community has increased to its highest level in 27 years since Obama too office. Just sayin’.

But that’s how he rolls. And I’m ready for him to roll on outta the White House. How about you?

Second is this one, which I sure hope is true, one way or the other: “Issa: If Holder Is Not ‘Doomed,’ The Obama Administration Is.” From your lips, Rep. Issa, from your lips…

Faithful reader Helenk informed me earlier that something crazy is going on in Iran. I suppose one can always make that case, but even more now, with claims that Ahmadinejad was arrested, along with an advisor, though Reuters refutes that claim.

Meanwhile, Breeze provided an article that claims Ahmadinejad’s media advisor WAS imprisoned. Wanna know why? Oh, you’re gonna love this:

[snip]According to the report, Javanfekr, the former caretaker manager of the daily Iran, has been convicted on publishing an article in the August 13 special edition of the newspaper deemed to be in violation of Islamic principles.

Okey dokey. Now I kinda wonder just what it was he said, don’t you? Hmmm.

Well, it is Monday. This seems like just the right tune for the day:

It’s an Open Thread, and now it’s all yours.

Or like this one: the OWS “protesters” took over an empty school building in Washington, DC. The building is on the National Historic Register. The police went in after them and dragged them all out, but still. This is not freedom of speech, but, and I am no lawyer, this seems to me to be a case of breaking and entering, trespassing, and who knows what other laws were broken in this commission? I am so over these people…

And then there is this little item from across the pond: “BBC’s Mr Climate Change Accepted £15,000 In Grants From University Rocked By Global Warning Scandal.” Now, I have no doubt that something is going on with the planet, and whether one wants to call it human made or not, I am not going to quibble with you about it. Frankly, I think we should all be good stewards of the planet on which we make our home and act as if to protect the Earth as much as we can. But still, when an environmental reporter is taking money from a university known for pushing global warming and doesn’t disclose that information, that is a problem. That doesn’t necessarily make the information he has reported wrong, but it can weaken the argument to learn the reporter took money from that same institution. Just sayin’.

Along those lines of crazy weather, there is one upcoming phenomenon that has not been reported on much, and that is this: “Earth Facing a mini-Ice Age ‘Within Ten Years’ Due To Rare Drop In Sunspot Activity.” Crap. As it is, after a light layer of sleet/slush on our deck last year made me want to move farther South, I don’t know what to do about a “mini-ice age.” Grand Cayman, anyone? Ahem. Anyway, the National Geographic puts it as the sun going into hibernation:

[snip] Three independent studies of the sun’s insides, surface, and upper atmosphere all predict that the next solar cycle will be significantly delayed—if it happens at all. Normally, the next cycle would be expected to start roughly around 2020.

The combined data indicate that we may soon be headed into what’s known as a grand minimum, a period of unusually low solar activity.

The predicted solar “sleep” is being compared to the last grand minimum on record, which occurred between 1645 and 1715.

Known as the Maunder Minimum, the roughly 70-year period coincided with the coldest spell of the Little Ice Age, when European canals regularly froze solid and Alpine glaciers encroached on mountain villages. (Click here to read the rest.)

Brrrrr. There’s a reason I moved back down South from Boston. Because it is cold as all getout up there in the winter, which also lasts a LOOONNNNNGGGGG time. And now we have this toward which to look forward? Yikes.

Along those lines, and since it’s Sunday, I think we could all use a little musical interlude, don’t you? Feel free to add on your own:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Which naturally brings to mind this classic:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dang, what a great group, and such an awesome song.

So, what’s on your mind today? Got any tunes playing in your head? Let’s hear them!

Steve Kroft’s explosive 60 Minutes report on rampant ‘legal’ congressional insider trading last Sunday provoked fury and heartache at an elitist political class spiraling out of control. I cannot claim to have romantic notions about any politician, but this latest disclosure is the final nail in the coffin. For politicians to use access to insider information to line their own pockets while sitting on or even trashing legislation that might adversely affect their personal profits is despicable. All the while, Wall Street continues to function like a giant Ponzi scheme. Representatives who claim to have our backs instead put us on the hook for irresponsible business practices and then profit from the same mistakes that cost average Americans their pensions.

We know that the regular rules do not apply to the “1 percenters.” Make no mistake; the 1 percenters refer to politicians as much as any “evil” banker since Congress counts at least 267 millionaires in their ranks. The message to those of us out here on the ground is clear: Take what crumbs we give you. Your voices will not be heard.

CBS’ 60 Minutes reported insider trading activity by four Republicans, including House Speaker Boehner, and only one Democrat, namely former Speaker and current Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Yet Throw Them All Out, Peter Schweizer’s book on which Kroft’s report is based, implicates plenty of Democrats, including Senator John Kerry who made a killing on pharmaceutical stocks in 2003 while on a committee influencing the same. But given the current nature of the fourth estate, with many reporters trading objectivity for access and a seven figure book deal, I am shocked such a story saw the light of day, balanced or not.

In Ms. Pelosi’s case, while House Speaker, she and her husband were offered very favorable terms in a credit card IPO. She likewise made a killing while sitting on legislation for two years that would have reduced her profit margin. For shame. Schweizer was condemned by Ms. Pelosi’s team as a “conservative writer” with an “agenda” even though Kroft stated that Schweizer’s research had been independently confirmed. Republican Rep. Spencer Bachus of Georgia, chair of the House Committee on Financial Services, basically bet against his own county in the financial crisis of 2008 and likewise made a killing in the market. There are now calls for his resignation.

As a result of Schweizer’s book, legislation is being proposed to stop the outrageous practice of legal insider trading by Congress. Let’s see how far it gets. It has been tried before only to die a quick death.

While Tea Partyers and the Occupy Wall Street crowds have gained some traction calling attention to perils of government overspending and greedy bankers, respectively, it is the Tea Party that has a more accurate perspective. Only through an irresponsible legislative body on both sides does other crooked activity flourish. It all rolls downhill.

Unfortunately, the truth of that message is obscured. The bulk of mainstream media helps to muddy the waters with biased coverage.

Most media outlets downplay reports of rapes, assaults, health hazards and filthy conditions at some of the OWS encampments around the country in what I assume is an attempt to glorify the movement. That same media has made a herculean effort to paint the Tea Party as right wing “extremists and racists.” Given the media’s predisposition for running interference for this President, as it did for his predecessor, it is not hard to glean their reasons for unfavorable characterizations of a group that targets government misbehavior rather than just the crooks on Wall Street.

In 2010, the Washington Post featured a story by a young woman who spent a year attending every Tea Party rally imaginable. She found scant evidence of racism, despite what the mainstream media, self-serving political operatives and frankly, anyone with a platform seems to imply. Likewise, there are OWS protesters with honest concerns and good motives who are not violent and do not defecate on cars.

Any grassroots movement is only as good – or bad – as those co-opting it. And it will only be deemed as good or bad as those who purchase ink by the barrel decide it can be.

Sarah Palin offered an op-ed in the Wall St. Journal in which she pointed out the need for “sudden and relentless reform” and bipartisan grassroots efforts to get it:

This call for real reform must transcend political parties. The grass-roots movements of the right and the left should embrace this. The tea party’s mission has always been opposition to waste and crony capitalism, and the Occupy protesters must realize that Washington politicians have been “Occupying Wall Street” long before anyone pitched a tent in Zuccotti Park.

Her suggested solutions:

We need reform that provides real transparency. Congress should be subject to the Freedom of Information Act like everyone else. We need more detailed financial disclosure reports, and members should submit reports much more often than once a year. All stock transactions above $5,000 should be disclosed within five days.

We need equality under the law. From now on, laws that apply to the private sector must apply to Congress, including whistleblower, conflict-of-interest and insider-trading laws. Trading on nonpublic government information should be illegal both for those who pass on the information and those who trade on it. (This should close the loophole of the blind trusts that aren’t really blind because they’re managed by family members or friends.)

No more sweetheart land deals with campaign contributors. No gifts of IPO shares. No trading of stocks related to committee assignments. No earmarks where the congressman receives a direct benefit. No accepting campaign contributions while Congress is in session. No lobbyists as family members, and no transitioning into a lobbying career after leaving office. No more revolving door, ever.

Not bad ideas. Then it is possible that politics may revert to being a public service rather than a path to millionaires’ row. I won’t hold my breath.

Grassroots – and bipartisan – fury is the only thing that may have an effect on our damaged political system, yet we cannot even seem to accomplish that, as demagoguery works to keep left and right busy tearing each other down, rather than seeing the true culprits here.

Self-serving political operatives and their cronies gin up all sorts of distractions to keep us focused on making enemies of one another, which keeps the attention off the more insidious crimes taking place behind closed doors.

As the late George Carlin once said, “You think you have choice in this country? Here is your choice: Leaded or unleaded. Decaf or Regular. Window or Aisle.” We are not encouraged to think critically to affect change, but rather to engage in what writer Robert A. Johnson called shadow projections – ‘I don’t have something because you have it. My life stinks because of you.’ It is a malaise that keeps us looking for bad guys, and gals, in all the wrong places. This generally leads to boxing with shadows, nothing more.

The halls of power offer a seductive siren song promising personal enrichment and influence. The protected political class, along with the irresponsible blokes in our financial sector had best beware the day that both sides let the smoke clear to see past the bread and circus distractions offered by those in charge. If America’s left and right ever figure out who the real criminals are, 60% of Congress will be out of a job. And the cronies they have long protected will likewise get a pink slip.

The chief executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac faced bipartisan outrage Wednesday over multimillion-dollar salaries and large bonuses at the seized housing finance giants, which still owe the government a combined $150 billion in the largest financial crisis bailout.

“Should you profit while the taxpayer is paying the bill?” asked Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

He summoned Fannie Mae CEO Michael Williams and Freddie Mac CEO Charles “Ed” Haldeman Jr. to testify before his committee. The hearing came a day after another House panel voted overwhelmingly to suspend large executive compensation packages at the two companies and align their salaries with that of government employees.

The total compensation for the top six executives at Fannie and Freddie for 2009 and 2010 was $35.4 million, with Williams and Haldeman receiving about half of that. Each of them could take home as much as $6 million apiece in salary and bonuses in 2011.

[...]

The salary and compensation were defended by Williams, Haldeman and Edward DeMarco, the latter of whom is the acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which has overseen Fannie and Freddie since they were put in a government conservatorship in 2008 because they were on the brink of failure. (Click here to read the rest.)

Below is an audio of some of the questioning by Rep. Darrell Issa, and Rep. Elijah Cummings, of these executives. They asked some pretty pointed questions, which, frankly, I think the executives did a poor job of answering:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I have to say, I loved when Rep. Elijah Cummings from Georgia mentioned that he sure would remember when he made a million dollars a year. Yeah, no kidding, especially when one is being paid with taxpayer money. I also loved when Rep. Cummings said these two entities had to be dragged along by Congress to do their work. You tell ‘em, Rep. Cummings!

It is just amazing the sheer lack of remorse these executives demonstrate, despite their utter failures thus far at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And they think they deserve bonuses for running the two further into the ground? Unbelievable.

And while I type, Energy Director Chu is also facing the music. He is testifying before Congress about the loan made to Solyndra (and presumably related loans). While this is ongoing, one statement Director Chu did make was this:

[snip] But he acknowledged that chances are dim for taxpayers to see their money returned as Solyndra goes through bankruptcy proceedings.

Asked how much money taxpayers might get back, Chu said: “Well, that remains to be seen. I’m anticipating that not very much.”

Well, that’s just great. Thanks, Director Chu. What a great director you have been for the DOE (snark). Like Holder, Chu cannot muster an apology for this debacle:

While declining to offer a personal apology over the situation, Chu expressed disappointment in the fate of Solyndra and said the buck stopped with him when it came to decisions made by the Energy Department about the company.

Chu claimed he was looking out for the taxpayer all along when reviewing the Solyndra finances.

“As the Secretary of Energy, the final decisions on Solyndra were mine, and I made them with the best interest of the taxpayer in mind,” Chu said in testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “And I want to be clear: over the course of Solyndra’s loan guarantee, I did not make any decision based on political considerations.” (Click here to read the rest.)

And like Holder, all evidence to the contrary as information continues to trickle out about Solyndra and the White House.

What a bunch of liars these Administration people are, and these executives from Fannie and Freddie would be laughable, if it wasn’t OUR money on the line.

Thank heavens the Congress is exercising its oversight. I hope they root out every little pertinent detail on both of these issues. I look forward to seeing the end result of all of this, don’t you? And it cannot come soon enough to suit me. How about you?

I have mentioned before that I had been following Rep. Gifford’s career long before that crazed madman, Jared Loughner, tried to kill her. I had been impressed by her joie de vivre, her passion, and her commitment to her people, be they “Democrats, Libertarians, or vegetarians,” as she said in one speech caught in the video below. The one time of note that she choose party over her constituents was her vote for Obamacare, which raised the hackles of many in her community.

Here is a good overview of Giffords, before the shooting, the shooting, and after, from Diane Sawyer’s interview:

Click here to view the embedded video.

But about Jared Loughner, when Diane Sawyer asked Giffords’ husband how they felt about him, he was clear that BOTH of them were sorry that the young man, who was clearly troubled, never got the help that he really needed. Not anger, not resentment, not hatred of him for what he had done to her, what he had TAKEN from her, just regret that someone was clearly suffering, without getting the help he needed. When Giffords was asked if she was angry about the shooting, she said, “No, no, no. Life. Life.” It’s just life – stuff happens. Wow, what a remarkable answer.

That said, there was also grief and sorrow for Giffords as she learned about the loss of the 6 people killed by Loughner that day, including a member of Giffords’ staff, and the 9 yr old girl. (The Boston Globe has a good write up of the special in case you didn’t get a chance to see it, and/or have trouble watching videos.)

One aspect I found to be particularly interesting was the use of songs in her therapy. One of the therapists mentioned that songs are stored in a separate part of the brain than language, even though they are made up of words. So by singing songs, it enables Giffords to access words she knew. Isn’t that amazing? Music really is an incredible gift in so many ways, spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically.

It is hard not to just be completely smitten by this courageous woman, her tenacity, her continued optimism and hard work to overcome this tragedy. Her smile lights up a room, and while the words are still slow to come, it is clear she understands what is being said to her.

And her husband, Mark Kelly, is no slouch, either. His devotion is evident, and his own accomplishments are just staggering. You may recall that Kelly was the shuttle commander for the Endeavour, and was aboard for its final flight.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I hope that Rep. Giffords will soon be able to string sentences together. I hope she will be able to go to Africa with Kelly next summer as they plan to do, an idea that clearly brought a huge smile to her face to consider. And I pray that, if she feels she is capable of returning to her seat in Congress, that she will be able to do so.

Gabrielle Giffords is truly a miracle in the making. Feel free to share thoughts or opinions on her recovery, or any other stories that are piquing your interest today.

So much of this program is disturbing, but what was disturbing about Holder’s testimony yesterday was his sheer and utter refusal to apologize to the family of Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry. He would not apologize to Agent Terry’s family. That speaks volumes about what kind of person Holder is, and it is not good, IMHO.

Here is Holder during the testimony on Tuesday. He says some general comments about how he regrets what the Terry family is going through, but one thing stands out. Listen:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Did you catch that? He refused to acknowledge any blame on the part of the “Fast and Furious” program for Agent Terry’s death. Wow. That is simply mind boggling.

Lest his life be forgotten, just a bit about who Agent Terry was from a statement his family made in June, 2011, at a Congressional hearing:

During BORTAC training, Brian was given a class room writing assignment. The assignment was to write something about himself that would give the instructors some insight as to who he was. He composed a poem that he entitled “If Today Is to Be the Day…So Be It” and I would like to read it to you so that you can have a better understanding of who he was:

“If you seek to do battle with me this day, you will receive the best that I am capable of giving.

“It may not be enough, but it will be everything that I have to give and it will be impressive for I have constantly prepared myself for this day.

“I have trained, drilled and rehearsed my actions so that I might have the best chance of defeating you.

“I have kept myself in peak physical condition, schooled myself in the martial skills and have become proficient in the applications of combat tactics.

“You may defeat me, but I’m willing to die if necessary. I do not fear death for I have been close enough to it on enough occasions that it no longer concerns me.

“But, I do fear the loss of my honor and would rather die fighting than to have it said that I was without courage.

“So I will fight you, no matter how insurmountable it may seem, to the death if need be, in order that it may never be said of me that I was not a warrior.” (Click here to read the rest, and there is so much more to his story, including serving as a Marine, and a police officer.)

And yet, Holder cannot find it in his heart to apologize to this man’s family for the loss of his life due to this insane program. Wow.

Another aspect of this whole fiasco was the outing of the ATF whistle blower. The person who outed that agent was none other than (former) Arizona US Attorney, Dennis Burke:

Former Arizona U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke, who resigned in August, admitted late Tuesday that he leaked a document aimed at smearing Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent John Dodson, an Operation Fast and Furious whistle-blower.

“Dennis regrets his role in disclosing the memo but he’s a stand-up guy and is willing to take responsibility for what he did,” Chuck Rosenberg, Burke’s lawyer, said according to NPR. “It was absolutely not Dennis’s intent to retaliate against Special Agent Dodson or anyone else for the information they provided Congress.”

[...]

The memo that leaked this summer ended up being an attempt by Justice Department officials to cast aspersions on Dodson — one of the leading ATF Fast and Furious whistle-blowers. Burke admitted he leaked the memo in a Tuesday afternoon letter to Justice Department Inspector General Cynthia Schnedar.

The memo was leaked to press and had the names of criminal suspects deleted — but kept Dodson’s name on it. Attorney General Eric Holder came under fire during Tuesday morning’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing when he wouldn’t answer any questions from Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley about the leaked memo, who was held accountable for it and how they were held accountable. (Click here to read the rest.)

First of all, I have to take umbrage with the characterization of US Attorney Burke being a “stand up guy.” A “stand up guy” does not reveal the name of the whistleblower while protecting the names of the criminals.

Second of all, a “stand up guy” does not attempt to cast aspersions on an agent who has served his country and who speaks out about a program that has cost the lives of numerous people, including at least one US agent.

No, a “stand up guy” supports the whistleblower, goes on record to support hat person, and acknowledges ones own complicity in the program, not throw someone to the wolves. Just sayin’.

This is still far from over. Eric Holder may have testified before Senate, but he left many questions still unanswered. Of course, I am not one bit surprised by that result, or lack thereof. Holder is hardly an honest broker, not when it comes to this program, or others that have occurred under his watch (previously reported here, e.g., this one relating to the New Black Panther Party).

Last I checked, 34 US House of Representatives have called for Holder to step down. I agree with them, he should. At the very least, he needs to apologize to Agent Terry’s family.

That’s what I think. What do you think?

(There is an upcoming benefit on November 12th to help Brian Terry’s mother travel to hearings regarding his death: rememberbrianterry.com.)

UPDATED: Senator Grassley is very upset with Eric Holder regarding his refusal to allow witnesses to testify:

Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley said Thursday that Attorney General Eric Holder is continuing to stonewall congressional investigation into Operation Fast and Furious. This time, Holder is refusing to provide 11 of the 12 witnesses Grassley and House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa have requested be made available for interviews.

“We have requested 12 Justice Department witnesses be made available for transcribed interviews,” Grassley said in a Thursday Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting. “Despite the department’s promises of good faith cooperation, only one witness has been provided so far — former U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke. The department has refused to schedule interviews with any of the other 11 witnesses. That’s not the good faith cooperation I was promised, and it is unacceptable.”

Grassley and Issa are demanding to know who was involved in crafting a February 4 letter to the Department of Justice sent to Congress, which contained claims — now understood to be false — that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives did not allow guns to walk into Mexico. (Click here to read the rest.)

Uh, yeah. So why is it they haven’t brought charges of perjury and obstruction against Holder yet? Any attorneys out there with the answer to that question?

And the number of US Representatives calling for Holder to resign has risen to 38 now. Seriously = why aren’t ALL Of them, Democrats, too, calling for it? His behavior as Head of the DOJ is doing real damage to this country, and they should care more about THAT than about party, and Obama’s freakin’ election.