Sad Day for Americans and Civil Liberties

Congressional Democrats have struck a deal with the liberty grabbers in the White House that gives immunity to the law-breaking telecom companies that have been tapping phones without any judicial authorization.

This is a sad day for our country. I guess it's okay for some companies to break the law. As long as and deprive citizens of the due-process and freedoms that we put in place by the founders of this great country.

Telecom companies have been doing phone taps for years. The only difference is the lack of evidence and judicial approval. The companies knew they didn't have court permission to tap the phones.

They knew their actions were illegal. They should be held accountable.

*Update* Obama provides his support for this hideous piece of legislation.

Friday's Tidbits

I guess nothing surprises me anymore. Because of last week's historic Supreme Court decision, the Bush administration is seeking to "rewrite" the evidence they have against the detainees.

Another case of over-zealous cops. They waltz into this guy's house at 3am, go upstairs, wake him up to tell him his door is unlocked.

Scott McClellan says that Bush and Cheney wanted him to lie about Libby's role in the CIA leak case.

Fake conservatives are angry at Obama for not taking taxpayer money to fund his campaign. What???

Israel endorses John McCain.

Obama takes a whopping 15-point lead in the Newsweek poll.

Israel Preparing to Attack Iran

As I've been mentioning pretty frequently, the war drums are beating very loudly over there in the Middle East. Israel has been clamoring for an Iranian war recently. They are now doing a war exercise to simulate an Iranian war. The President has also been hinting about the need to attack Iran. However, they haven't been given the cooperation from Congress and the American people that they've been seeking. Regardless of the fact that most Americans do not want another war, we all know that if Israel goes to war, we'll be involved in some capacity.

Russia is warning against an attack on Iran. The Iranians themselves say that their response will be meaningful and significant. Is this really in our interest?

Brace yourselves Americans. We're being led into another war. It will be interesting to see how this will be presented to us. Will this really make us safer and stronger? Surely, this one has more to do with Israel's security than ours.

More Proof that Oil/Gas Prices are Inflated

Okay. For any other industry, for any other product sold and distributed worldwide, this news would mean a significant decline in prices. However, the oil and gas industry is allowed to ignore all tangible facts before them and "speculate" themselves to higher prices and therefore, higher profits. The normal rules of supply and demand do not matter.

Check the news today:

SUPPLY
Saudi Arabia announces it will increase production by 200,000 barrells per day.

DEMAND
Americans drove 4.5 billion miles fewer in April.

Significant amounts of supply is being added to a market with significantly less demand. Again, in any other industry and with any other product; according to basic economic principles, this would cause lower prices.

Don't hold your breath.

Tanker Deal Back in Play

You know, this story has infuriated me since it came out. People wonder what's happening to good American jobs and question why the dollar keeps losing value against foreign currency. Then, we attempt to award a foreign company a $35 billion dollar Air Force contract that may grow up to $100 billion.

Seriously. Are these folks really this stupid? Do they honestly wonder what's happening to our jobs and why the euro is outperforming the dollar when we send $100 billion dollars of U.S. taxpayer money to Europe? Estimates show that if award this contract to a domestic supplier, we could add almost 44 THOUSAND new jobs.

Now, they say that Americans will benefit because some new jobs will be created in the South. But given our current economic conditions, shouldn't we decide to keep these "in house"?

Olbermann's Research into Gas Prices

Thanks to the guys over at Crooks and Liars, I ran across this gem. This is probably the most detailed and comprehensive take on the gas and oil prices that I've seen. It echoes much of what I've said already. However, Keith has been able to provide the gap in why things are much different now than a few years ago.

A powerful lobby, a few pieces of bad legislation and a cooperative administration makes for a "perfect storm" of anti-capitalistic practices and the highest energy prices the world has ever experienced.

Another good point articulated here is that alternative energies will not help us at all until we rid ourselves of the speculators that have selfishly and severely harmed our country's economy. They'll simply "speculate" with the other energies to artificially drive up the price.

War on Terror Update for Thursday

I'd be the first to agree that removing Saddam from power is good for the world. It helps remove a tryrannical dictator and installs democracy. However, we now know that he had no associations with Al-Qaida. But, what he did have was plenty of oil that he wouldn't allow Western countries to access for almost 40 years. We removed that troublesome Saddam, now the oil companies can slime their way back into Iraq. This time they have no-bid contracts. I'm sure that Bush and his oil cronies had nothing to do with this decision. Oil was the last thing on their mind when they went to war with Iraq. Yeah right. Doesn't matter, the oil companies still say there are supply problems. They must raise prices!! They'll rake in more crazy profits. We'll still pay more at the pump.

Two-star Army general accuses the White House of authorizing "systematic and illegal" torture practices in Abu Ghraib. Wonder what he would say about our secret prison ships, or the people that we hid from the Red Cross when they were checking out our conditions. History will not judge this very nicely.

More mis-management of our nuclear arsenal. The Pentagon says that over 1,000 critical nuclear components are missing.

Ahmadinejad says he won the standoff over his nukes. Given the fact that Kim Jun Ill has yet to verify that he stopped his nuclear program, that would make us 1 for 3 against the Axis of Evil. Good stats for baseball. Bad stats for the prevention of nuclear chaos.

Wednesday's Tidbits

Cal Thomas gets on Fox News on portrays Michelle Obama as an "angry black woman". He says all the black women on television today are "angry". I guess he only wants Aunt Jemima types that stick to washing clothes and serving pancakes. According to Cal, if you're black and have a strong personality, you're considered angry. Thankfully, not everyone is buying Cal's worn-out and archaric goods. Michelle Obama holds a 9 point favorability lead over Cindy McCain.

Judge Andrew Napolitano opines on the Supreme Court Gitmo case. He says it's a good day for American law. Wherever the government goes, the Constitution follows. The government cannot switch the Constitution on/off by sending people to Cuba. I agree with the great judge. This IS a fabulous day for our country.

A must see documentary on/about black men in America.

Al Gore proves to be another liberal hypocrite. He demands that we reduce our energy consumption or we'll destroy our planet. Meanwhile, at his house, he cranks up the A/C and leaves his lights on a bit longer.

Another case of police brutality. This time in Memphis. Again, when are we going to demand that our law enforcement officers actually follow the laws they are enforcing?

Livni blasts Olmert. Looks like she is beginning her campaign for the Prime Minister spot.

Medical tests prove abuse and torture happened to detainees in Guantanamo and Iraq.

John Stossel opines against the War on Drugs and factually destroys several myths. Hey, until we make illegal Valium and powder cocaine possession/distribution equal to other drugs, we will always have the discrepancy in arrests and sentencing.

Here Comes the Regulators....Finally!!!!

Okay. After a steady increase of gas and oil prices for over 2 years without relief, the regulators now believe it is the time for them to get involved to protect the American consumer.

"He suspects that something other than supply-and-demand is at play. He wouldn't rule out speculation or manipulation". You think???

This shows how a new administration will immediately drive down prices for consumers. The Bush administration is obviously very friendly with the oil companies and have shown a great reluctance to do anything to prevent them from manipulating oil and gas prices and putting a stranglehold on our economy. I don't have confidence in this guy. He should have acted long ago. Hopefully, the new President's guy will show a more proactive nature when it comes to this.

All you have to do is check the IEA website and look at the numbers. Production is at an all-time high. Supplies are level. Demand is normal. However they are "speculating" that demand will be much higher 20 years from now. They're making us pay for that today and are keeping the difference. Hence the record profits.

You hear all of the pundits demand to drill in ANWR and off the coast of Florida. Hey, that would be fine if the oil industry followed the rules of supply and demand. Increased supply won't help if they still "speculate" us to higher prices. The Saudi's say they'll increase production to the highest point ever. Speculators still raise the price. Always a reason to go up. Never a reason to go down.

Let's run the speculators out of town and we can regain control of our country's economy. However, we'll need new leadership that actually cares in order to make this happen.

So Much for Obama's Problem with "Hard Working Americans"

According to recent polls, Obama holds a lead in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida. All of these are battleground states that are very important to winning the presidency. Hillary supporters and Republican race-baiters have said for months that Obama has a problem with white, working class voters. Of course, this is garbage. He has won several states with very small African-American populations during the primaries. These were simple fear tactics used to divide our country.

Same goes with the Latino vote. Obama is up by more than 35 points on McCain!!! That runs very contrary to the myth that Latinos will not vote for black candidates. The guy's message of positive change resonates across the board.

Israel and Hamas Announce Truce!!!!

This is historic. The rumors that have been floating about Israel and Hamas announcing a truce has been confirmed. Effective tomorrow, a cease fire will be put in place. Hopefully this will lead to daily peace for both the Israelis and the Palestinians. Israel has already successfully negotiated peace with Jordan and Egypt. They are also offering olive branches to Lebanon. Even Syria is optimistic that a peace agreement with Israel can be made.

This is a momentous occassion and very long overdue. Of course, there will be people on both sides who will be opposed to peace at whatever cost. Some people are simple too invested in the pain of others. Hopefully, the people of peace can be kept at bay until a more solid plan is put in place.

I pray that the people of Israel and Palestine will be patient and diligent enough to work through the difficult times and allow the process to work.

Bigots Coming out of the Woodwork

Yes, we have came far in this country. I can go all day on the mounds of evidence that proves the fact that today's blacks are much better off than their parents. Although there is still work to be done as far as our drug laws and sentencing, systematic and institutional racism has been severely diminished. You can look around almost any industry and find blacks who are leaders and/or significant contributors.

However when it comes to being President, the bigots cannot tolerate it. This is too much for them to handle. First, his campaign was completely dismissed. Then, he was labled as being farther to the left than Mao. When that didn't work, they stop pretending and begin other well known tactics. No way they'll tolerate a black guy being President. Like Michael Richards said, "50 years ago, we'd have you upside down"!!!! A few other notable political pundits and politicians have joked about Obama being assassinated.

Later, you begin to see the emergence of code language. Pat Buchanan calls Obama "exotic". Rush Limbaugh enjoys Obama comparisons to Curious George (I laughed at the joke without realizing Curious George was a monkey!). Dolls, t-shirts and other items with Obama dressing like a monkey are being sold across the country.

Now, some folks in Texas have cut to the chase and publicly denounced the idea of a black guy being President. President of the NAACP okay. President of the United States, HELL NO!! I guess they would prefer if we kept our ambitions to an acceptable minimum.

This is another reason why I support the candidacy of Barack Obama. Although we differ on the size and role of government, this moment in history is too important. Our children's hopes and dreams shouldn't be limited by racist bigots who only want to see blacks in subservient positions. An efficient and successful Obama presidency would set a great example across the country. Black youth will have visual and physical confirmation that they can accomplish anything they want in this country. Skeptical whites will realize that their fear of black leadership is unsubstantiated.

Monday's Tidbits

Seven years and a trillion dollars into the War on Terror, we now turn our attention to capturing Osama bin Laden. Afghanistan is now saying they'll challenge Taliban fighters that cross into Pakistan. More on this later.

The Saudi's announce that they will pump more oil than ever before. You would think that this announcement would reduce the price of oil. Now watch as the oil companies make every attempt to keep the gas prices high. Guess, I spoke too soon. Oil is now at an all-time high. I guess they'll never use supply and demand as a market indicator. Meanwhile, electric bills are expected to increase by 28% by the end of the summer.

Black conservatives are gravitating towards Obama's historic campaign. Guys like J.C. Watts and Armstrong Williams feel the same way that I do. This campaign is much too important to end up on the wrong side or to campaign against. Heck, they're all liberals anyway.

The "road-map" to peace backed by the United States calls for no additional settlements in Palestinian territories. Condi Rice is saying that Israel's new settlements in the West Bank isn't helping the peace process. You don't say. Israel yawns and decides to build 2500+ additional homes. Guess the people that are already there don't matter much.

Tim Russert Dies

Our country took a loss today. One of the best journalists in the business had a heart attack and died today. My prayers go out to the Russert family. Clearly, he was a class act.

Sunday mornings will never be the same. God bless you Tim.

Friday's Tidbits

Contrary to what's been circulated amongst Republicans, China is NOT drilling off the coast of Cuba.

One of the best columns you'll read about Republicans and the way they deal with the Obama candidacy. According to Frank Schaeffer, history will not remember them fondly.

Prayers go out to the folks in Iowa who are suffering from major flooding.

Defendant in death penalty case is upset to find out that the judge and prosecutor were sleeping together.

How long until this becomes required for Americans? "Re-education"? Wow. I guess the government thinks that since they're paying for it, they can boss you around.

R. Kelley acquitted of all 14 charges levied against him.

Suicide bomber blows himself up at a prison in Kandahar. All 800 prisoners escaped including all Taliban and Al-Qaida fighters that were being held there.

Taken out by a Stop Sign

I was parked near one of these cars today. I gotta tell you. I'd rather spend another $30 to fill up my tank and get to know the guys at the gas station than own one of these cars. Who wants a car that you can bench press or get toppled by a pair of middle school cheerleaders?

What happens if you hit a tree or a stop sign? Hitting something like a fire hydrant will probably send you through the windshield. If you get hit by a truck, you're done.

These cars aren't the answer to our gas woes. We need new technology, not just microscopic versions of what we already have.

These European cars simply aren't practical over here. Things are bigger. The streets are bigger. Other automobiles are bigger. Our infrastructure just isn't compatible.

No thanks.

Cheney's Trade Tirade

VP Dick Cheney blasted Democrats for their trade policy. He said that Democrats are on a "destructive path" to protectionism.

Hey, VP Outsource. Go check out some cities in the Midwest and see how your free trade policies have affected them. During this administration's tenure alone my hometown of Muncie, IN has lost 3 major factories that employed more than half the town.

Take a trip to the local mall or grocery store. Where are all of those very low prices that we were promised because of NAFTA? Why hasn't the jobs that Americans lost been replaced by jobs from Mexico and Canada like they said would happen? Why are Canada and Mexico abusing the oil market like the sheiks over there in OPEC? Corporations are getting the cheap labor that they always seek. Where's the flip-side return for consumers and job-seekers that free?

Take a look at our dollar. We have lost more ground to foreign currency than anytime in recent memory.

Yeah, VP Outsource. I think that you guys have been paving a pretty good path to destruction yourself.

Fox News calls Michelle Obama "Obama's Baby's Mama"

This is getting crazy. I'm getting tired of this BS.

Yesterday, Fox News ran a clip calling Michelle Obama "Obama's baby mama". Unbelievable. Most people wouldn't imagine that something so disrespectful would be used to classify a woman who, according to all recent polls has a very good chance of being our First Lady in a few months.
"Baby mama" is a term that implies the "inconvenience" of having a child out of wedlock. It assumes no real formal ties, no relationship, no unity. It's almost as if they called her a whore on national television. From fellow blogger Too Sense:

"And it's really true. You can be an Ivy League grad two times over, married with two wonderful children, and some people still can't see you past the color of your skin to see you as a human being."

Using that term to identify a married, professional woman (let alone someone who will probably will First Lady) is disrespectful, condescending and a slap in the face to husbands and wives who have spent years working on their marriage. It is a slap to the children involved. For them to have the audacity to go out of their way to use that term so casually without merit and completely inapplicable, articulates how they devalue and discredit black family units. We're not husbands, wives, mothers and fathers. We're only a bunch of baby daddys and baby mamas.

This is much worse than describing their "knuckle punch" as a "terrorist fist-jab". This is a bigoted personal attack against black families in general.

This is more than partisan politics. They wouldn't dare use that term to describe Laura or Barbara Bush. Would they use it to describe Hillary Clinton? Why is it okay to use it with Michelle Obama?

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Detainees

This is huge. The Supreme Court just ruled in favor of the detainees in Guantanamo Bay. Their opinion is that they should be given the rights to challenge their detention. We cannot simply hold them without charges indefinitely.

According to the majority decision, the justices felt that our Constitution is applicable at all times, not only when convenient:

Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the court, said, "The laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times."

Our basic charter cannot be contracted away like this. The Constitution grants Congress and the President the power to acquire, dispose of, and govern territory, not the power to decide when and where its terms apply.... Abstaining from questions involving formal sovereignty and territorial governance is one thing. To hold the political branches have the power to switch the Constitution on or off at will is quite another. The former position reflects this Court’s recognition that certain matters requiring political judgments are best left to the political branches. The latter would permit a striking anomaly in our tripartite system of government, leading to a regime in which Congress and the President, not this Court, say "what the law is."

Beautiful.

Decisions like this help secure the rights for all Americans. The government cannot simply pick and choose when it wants to follow our Constitution. For the first time in years, our founders can stop rolling in their graves.

Slowly Becoming a Consumer Nation that Produces Little

It was announced today that our trade deficit jumped almost 8% in April. Almost across the board all of our exports are decling while foreign imports have increased. We are slowly becoming a straight consumer nation that buys everything while producing little.

We have outsourced our economy. This administration's facination with foreign trade (read: cheap labor) has produced a situation where other countries are bleeding our economy. We never see the lower priced products that the "free traders" also promise when selling this to the American public.

This is why we find factories across the country closing. This is why unemployment has jumped. We need to take a strong look at our exporting policies in order to save our country.