"Fourthbrach" Cheney backs down from "outside the executive branch" argument.

Well Cheney - who we lovingly now call "fourthbranch" for obvious reasons - and his lawyers seemed to have backed down. They will not put forward their ridiculous argument of being outside the executive branch in order to avoid oversight from the National Archives watchdogs.

That is certainly a good thing yet they still refuse to subject themselves to oversight on different grounds. Namely that:

The executive order on classified national security information -- Executive Order 12958 as amended in 2003 -- makes it clear that the Vice President is treated like the President and distinguishes the two of them from "agencies." The executive order gives the ISOO, under the supervision of the Archivist of the United States, responsibility to oversee certain activities of "agencies," but not of the Vice President or the President.

Which is patently false. As Spencer Ackerman notes in the above link, and as I noted in my previous post, the Executive Order mentions "agencies" as subject to the order, and defines "agencies" to also mean "entities" within the executive branch that handle classified material. i.e. The President and Vice President.

Public Pressure, along with criticism and incredulity from the media and even normally reliable conservative commentators no doubt pressured the Vice President to give up its first argument. The Vice President hates to bring attention on himself and his office and the hubub over this argument was bringing a lot of it his way from the media.

Yet his second (and hopefully final) argument holds no water under even the most basic scrutiny.

For the love of God, just allow the ISOO (The National Archives' Information Security Oversight Office) to do their damn job!!

Roundup

My roundups have tended to be pretty long lately. Long as in way too much comment attached. Kind of defeats the purpose of it being a roundup (which are meant to be short).

With this in mind, I will try and keep it short and sweet....unless I really have to add something! lol

- Less than a day after Republican Senator Dick Lugar breaks ranks with the President over Iraq, another Republican signals his call for a change in Iraq strategy

He feels we do more harm with our presence than good, and that we withdraw troops 'gradually' and 'responsibly.' What exactly does he mean by gradually and responsibly? It's vague enough to encompass a long time...He needs to clear this up more. For now I say: Good. But I am a little weary.

- Bush cites Israel as model for Iraq

*sigh* There is sooo much wrong with that statement....

First, don't hold the nation most Arabs (including Iraqis) see as an enemy and oppressor of Palestinians as a model for an Arab nation. Yeah I wonder how that one will fly in Iraq and in the middle east.

Second...well is Israel really what "success" would look like?

President Bush held up Israel as a model for defining success in Iraq, saying Thursday the U.S. goal there is not to eliminate attacks but to enable a democracy that can function despite violence.

I guess it is. Lowering the bar would be an understatement!!

- New Fox News poll finds that American would trust Democrats more than Republicans in case of WWIII

Jeez what a silly, transparently jingoistic question meant to elicit a strong response for the Republicans (only on Fox News...), yet it backfired hard! The GOP should see ill omens from this poll. Plus...How stupid is this question!! One more time: Only Fox News.

- Global poll finds deepening distrust of the United States

Jeez, I wonder why?.......What has been going on the past 6 years....I dunnno.

- A poll with good news (finally). Polls show Liberal ideas gaining with young people

Get the young people now and you have a good lock on most of them for the rest of their political lives. Along with already having a good lock on the African American vote, and consolidating it's appeal to Latinos for at least a generation....

Well the Democrats are on the road to consolidating itself once again as the majority party in the US for at least a generation. To be clear, Hispanics have been a lot more willing
than others to vote for the GOP: 40% voted for Bush last election!! (a high)

But you have to understand: When loud and powerful elements in the GOP are regularly on TV blasting immigrants, blasting your culture and people, demonizing them, assigning the ills of society on the backs of people you still feel a close affinity to...well, you are going to remember it and you are going to turn away from the party that demonizes you, and go to the party that embraces you.

The GOP is sealing its electoral fate with its demonization efforts. The Latino population is the fastest growing...we will be an ever increasing force to be contended with and the GOP is bending over backwards pushing Latinos into the arms of Democrats. That's what happens when you allow bigots and racist to define your party and lead its direction.


- Speaking of Racism Among Republicans and Conservatives -

What many conservatives say on the records (in some cases) or when they think they are among like-minded folks.

Scary. And infuriating.

Choice Excerpt:

The conversation ebbs back to friendly chit-chat. So, you're a European, one of the Park Avenue ladies says, before offering witty commentaries on the cities she's visited. Her companion adds, "I went to Paris, and it was so lovely." Her face darkens: "But then you think--it's surrounded by Muslims." The first lady nods: "They're out there, and they're coming." Emboldened, the bearded Floridian wags a finger and says, "Down the line, we're not going to bail out the French again." He mimes picking up a phone and shouts into it, "I can't hear you, Jacques! What's that? The Muslims are doing what to you? I can't hear you!"

That's not even the worst of it.


- Stealth racism stalks the Deep South

It's always infuriating to come upon people who delude themselves into thinking that all racism is essentially over (I had a Republican roommate once so I know from personal experience that the delusion exists). The reasons are transparently self-serving: Acknowlege that racism is still a significant problem in America and all the sudden it's a little harder to bash minorities. It's harder to argue that: "Hey, slaves have been free for a long time, and the Civil Rights Act was passed a few decades ago...And they still haven't progressed. It's all their fault."

As we know, the world is a little more...hostile.... than the utopia they have in their minds that is present day American. Things have improved a lot, but come on, get real.

- A former speech writer and aide to JFK pens his "dream speech" for a Democratic candidate for President

A very moving "speech." Very uplifting. JFK was considered a great orator, and this was one of the men behind many of those great words.

No joke, I actually choked up at certain points and especially at the end of the speech. (Not an easy task).

When reading it, it's best to imagine your favorite candidate speaking it: Imagine his or her mannerisms, his/her voice, even imagine the reactions of the audience at certain points (applause), in order to better read it.

Personally, when I read it, I imagined the great orator himself - JFK - speaking those words.

...Though I may seem a cynic at times. At heart, I am an optimist. I have hope for the future and truly want to contribute to that better world.