Oh, there's all kinds of sluicy goodness going on at his last post. Something about liberals all being, ah, homosexual... or something like that...
Posted by DukeRevolution at January 8, 2006 05:12 AMThe comments, I mean. Not Steve's post.
Posted by DukeRevolution at January 8, 2006 05:14 AMONE TRILLION TO TWO TRILLION DOLLARS
...that's what the Iraq war is going to wind up costing the U.S. according to Nobel Economics Laureate Joseph Stiglitz and Harvard budget expert Linda Bilmes. Conservatives should like this estimate, since Dr. Stiglitz indicates that it is a "very conservative" one.
One trillion to two trillion dollars on a country with among the highest known oil reserves in the world. Imagine how many lives could have been saved had that money gone instead for such things as malaria and schistomaisis eradication, AIDS prevention, landmine removal, etc.
Posted by at January 8, 2006 08:03 AMlink in post above doesn't seem to work. Here it is http://www.hindu.com/2006/01/08/stories/2006010803491200.htm
Posted by at January 8, 2006 08:05 AMInteresting argument on powerlingblog.com in which the prosecuting attorney explains the wiretaping debate in line with more recent passed events.
In a nutshell, he compares the Supreme Court decision, which came out 7-2 (my two favorite jurists in the minority) which said that the MIRANDA ruling, although not directly found in the Constitution, was "constitutionally rooted" in it, which meant, that Congress could not limit whatsoever, this "jurist made rule".
He further argues, that Congress may not limit the powers of the presidency either, especially those that are not judicial "discovered" there, but for which are clearly stated there.
Which means FISA et al, and any congressional statute which limits the power of the president during time of war can be deemed "unconstitutional".
So now I know all of you liberals will be singing praises unto your brethern about the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution.
Again, I'm not a scholar on this issue, just one who is reading everything I can, and trying to cull through the bias BS that both sides give this issue.
(I will admit that I was fully and completely on Scalia and Thomas' side in that opinion, it was excellent reading. They remember, unlike the liberals on the court, their proper place in interpreting the constitution, not creating new law.)
Posted by carpediem at January 8, 2006 10:43 AMcd, if you were being honest, you would admit that the constitution explicitly says the president cannot decide what the laws are. If he tries to make laws or dictate what the law is, he is perverting the constitution - and is a law breaker.
Posted by Mary at January 8, 2006 01:27 PMWow, I didn't know the law on illegal spying had changed since the Nixon Administration. In fact, that was one of the counts against Nixon during the impreachment proceedings. So illegal spying is legal if Bush does it? Wow, I didn't know that either. Democrats, remember this when you take back the Presidency. It is okay, during a so-called war (or any other time), to spy on Americans, and that will include Republicans and the far-right. What fun that will be. We can snoop into the lives of Republicans, and use that information against them, if we so deem. Hell, we could even blackmail them.
Posted by Judith at January 8, 2006 05:21 PMThe spying, as you continue to call it, is for calls made to telephones listed and found on Al Qaeuda (sic) computers and telephones discovered in key investigations.
Mind you, Osama may have wanted a pepperoni pizza with extra cheese from the local pizza hut, or maybe not. I do suspect that it would be hard to hand a magistrate judge a list of a 100 telephone numbers and prove "probable cause" for each number, which is required for a warrant.
So, I guess, I'd rather they just keep looking for who, where when and how a dirty bomb might be located rather than if Dominoe's daily special is being illegally taped.
Oh, My God! They know I prefer Papa John's Family Feast over Pizza' Hut's BB'Q pizza....
(Actually, thats a tie, I like them both.)
(just in case the NSA is listening)