The Grapevine

[DOGS THAT BARK]

was quite intersting last night--

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

In Monday's hearings, Massachusetts Democrat Ted Kennedy expressed concern over an "academic study," which he said showed that Supreme Court Nominee Samuel Alito ruled against individual rights in 84 percent of his dissents ? arguing that "average Americans have had a hard time getting a fair shake" in Alito's courtroom.

National Review reports, however, that Kennedy himself commissioned the study by liberal University of Chicago law professor Cass Sunstein. What Kennedy did not mention is that in addition to his statistical conclusions, Professor Sunstein also found that "Judge Alito's opinions are carefully reasoned, well-done, attentive to law, lawyerly, and unfailingly respectful to his colleagues," adding, "the law, fairly interpreted, could well be taken to support" Alito's view.

Iraq's Terror Ties?

Saddam Hussein's regime trained thousands of radical Islamist terrorists in the years leading up to the U.S. invasion... that according to documents recovered in Iraq. The Weekly Standard reports the documents show that elite Iraqi military units directed secret terrorist training across the country. The training camps turned out some 8,000 terrorists between 1999 and 2002 and Intelligence officials believe some of these terrorists are responsible for recent attacks in Iraq.

Officials also say the documents may represent the tip of the iceberg ? just 2.5 percent of some 2 million documents have been thoroughly examined by U.S. intelligence. But despite urging from House Intelligence Committee chairman Pete Hoekstra, the documents have yet to be released to the public.

?Greatest Terrorist in the World??

Calypso singer-turned-civil rights activist Harry Belafonte has called President Bush ?the greatest terrorist in the world" during a television appearance with Venezuelan strong man Hugo Chavez. Belafonte, a UNICEF good will ambassador who once called African-American members of the Bush administration "black tyrants" and "house slaves," led an American delegation that met with Chavez for six hours on civil rights issues.

Belafonte told Chavez that millions of Americans support the Venezuelan revolution, "No matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush says."

View from Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's top cleric has called the War on Terror, "a war against our creed." Delivering a prayer at Mount Arafat, Isam's most sacred site, grand mufti Sheik Abdul-aziz al-Sheik declared, "Oh, Muslim nation, there is a war against our creed, against our culture under the pretext of fighting terrorism. We should stand firm and united in protecting our religion." The Sheik added, "Islam's enemies want to empty our religion from its contents and its meaning. But the soldiers of God will be victorious."

 

[Chadman]

Does anyone else think that we need to be pressuring Saudi Arabia more than we are regarding the "War on Terror"? Clearly, there are many terroristic connections in that country, and the top cleric pretty much takes a different public tack than the top family there, for the most part.

I would assume we will need a different administration - one that does not have a Bush name attached to it - to make any real progress in that area. By that I mean fighting terrorism and links in Saudi Arabia. Don't you guys think?

 

[gardenweasel]

c`mon,dtb...cut teddy some slack....

the guy just wrote a children`s book...

come to think of it,so did tookie williams....

wonder what else they have in common?.... :mj03:

 

[djv]

Worry more about Iran. To late for Saudi bush gave them a pass.
Iran always was a bigger threat then Iraq. Iraq is second class.

 

[ImFeklhr]

?Greatest Terrorist in the World??

Calypso singer-turned-civil rights activist Harry Belafonte has called President Bush ?the greatest terrorist in the world" during a television appearance with Venezuelan strong man Hugo Chavez. Belafonte, a UNICEF good will ambassador who once called African-American members of the Bush administration "black tyrants" and "house slaves," led an American delegation that met with Chavez for six hours on civil rights issues.

Belafonte told Chavez that millions of Americans support the Venezuelan revolution, "No matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the
greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush says."

"

This Belafonte character is out of his mind. There probably aren't millions of Americans who can even find Venezuela on a map, let alone have well thought out opinions regarding South American politics.

And even among those who have formed opinoins about this nutball Chavez, I would have to wager at least half were against his regime. :jerkit:

 

[djv]

Be-careful with this Chavez dude. There are to many in South America buying his B S. Spells trouble down the road. We need to find away to slow him down. Standing on side line not doing a thing is not the answer.

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

todays addition--

Off the Witness List

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

By Brit Hume



Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

An Alito critic who was hastily dropped from the witness list this week is complaining that he was done in by "half-truths and innuendoes" on the Internet. Stephen Dujack was set to detail Alito's relationship with the controversial conservative group Concerned Alumni of Princeton, but was asked not to testify after senators learned he'd once compared factory farming to the mass murder of Jews during the Holocaust.

Dujack was defending the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals for building an ad campaign around a similar comparison from his famous grandfather, author and vegetarian Isaac Bashevis Singer after critics complained that one of Singer's literary characters, not the author himself, had used the Holocaust analogy. But in a new Los Angeles Times op-ed, Dujack writes that not only did his grandfather believe in the comparison and Dujack agreed with him.

Long-Winded Lawmakers

Opening statements in the Alito confirmation hearings took place on Monday, but one might not have recognized that Senators had moved on to question and answer sessions from watching the hearings over the past two days. New York Democrat Chuck Schumer talked for 75 percent of his allotted Q&A time Wednesday, while Massachusetts Democrat Ted Kennedy talked for 69 percent.

On the other side of the aisle, Ohio's Mike DeWine talked for 72 percent of the allotted time, while South Carolina's Lindsey Graham talked for 65 percent. But by far the biggest abuser was Delaware Democrat Joseph Biden ? who began his 30-minute interrogation yesterday with a 13-minute opening "question" and talked for 78 percent of the allotted time. Biden continued his windy ways today speaking for 68 percent of his time.

Terror Investigation vs. Personal Privacy

Sixty-five percent of Americans think investigating possible terrorist threats is more important than protecting personal privacy. That according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll, which also shows that 48 percent are worried that President Bush won't go far enough to investigate terrorism because of concerns about constitutional rights.

What's more, while 64 percent of respondents believe federal agencies are intruding on some Americans' privacy rights, 49 percent of those say those intrusions are justified. Forty-six percent think they're not justified.

Big Brother Bush?

The president of Democrats.com has had enough of the administration's "spying" on Americans so he's offering to pay volunteers to spy on the administration. Bob Fertik, who also founded Women Leaders Online and the anti-war Web site AfterDowningStreet.org, writes that phone records for anyone in the U.S. can be bought for just $110 and has offered to reimburse volunteers who buy the records for prominent Republicans like Alberto Gonzales, Karl Rove, and John Ashcroft.

Fertik says, "I know there are people who think it's wrong to behave like Republicans," but adds "If we don't take action ourselves, Big Brother Bush will never stop watching us."

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

Thursday, January 12, 2006

By Brit Hume



Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Thursday announced the formation of the "Clean House Team" to "address the Republican culture of corruption" on Capitol Hill. Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, who is praised in the press release for a commitment to a high ethical standard, will head the task force.

But as it turns out, it was reported back in May that Clyburn took a trip to the beautiful Northern Mariana Islands in the Western pacific back in 1997... that trip paid for by none other than the disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

New Numbers

Fifty-eight percent of Americans think the president should have the power to authorize electronic surveillance inside the United States without a warrant. Fifty-seven percent believe the country would become more vulnerable to terror attacks if the Patriot Act expired. And an astounding 61 percent said they are willing to give up some personal freedoms if it meant reducing the threat of terrorism... that number remaining steady over the last four years.

Sixty percent of those questioned said they wouldn't mind having their international calls monitored. Yet despite these numbers the poll shows that a significant number of Americans are worried that their civil liberties are being threatened with 29 percent reporting they are very concerned, 30 percent saying they're somewhat concerned.

Falling Fatalities

Despite recent criticism of President Bush's policies on mine safety, the number of mining fatalities in the United States has dropped every year President Bush has been in office, according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration. In fact since 2001 mining deaths have averaged 63 per year, 30 percent lower than during the Clinton administration.

The trend hasn't been reflected in much of the news coverage. After the Sago mine tragedy, for example, a New York Times editorial argued that the president has littered the Interior Department with biased representatives from the coal, oil and gas industries ? impeding safety in the mines.

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

more from the grapevine--

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

?Outsourcing? Torture

The man heading a European investigation into allegations that the CIA is operating secret prisons in Europe Tuesday accused the U.S. of ?outsourcing torture? and said that is ?worse than torturing people yourself.?

But in submitting his interim report to the Council of Europe Tuesday, Swiss Senator Dick Marty admits there is no proof or even hard evidence these secret facilities actually exist. Marty blamed the lack of solid evidence on the failure of European governments to support his investigation. The State Department dismissed the report as nothing new.

Alito Scarred?

Supporters of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito may have considered his Senate confirmation hearings as a series of scurrilous Democratic attacks on Alito's character that drove his wife to tears. But those attacks seem to have backfired. According to a new Gallup poll, public support for Alito ticked up by 10 percent after the confirmation hearings, up from 49 percent before the hearings to 54 percent in the week after the hearings concluded. Those opposed to Alito's confirmation stayed steady at 30 percent.

The poll also found that only one in three Americans believe Alito would vote to reverse Roe v. Wade.

Scalia's Sojourn?

And speaking of the court, ABC's ?Nightline? Monday night reported that Justice Antonin Scalia missed the John Roberts swearing in at the White House because he was playing tennis and going fly-fishing at a resort in Colorado, courtesy of the conservative Federalist Society. The report mentioned only in passing that Scalia taught a legal seminar while on the trip, then quoted at some length New York University Law professor Stephen Gillers, who said the whole thing was unethical. While ?Nightline? identified the Federalist Society as conservative, it characterized Gillers only as an ethics expert.

In fact, Gillers is a left-wing Scalia critic who once described the prospect of Republican control of both the White House and Congress as a nightmare. As for Scalia, that seminar he taught in Colorado was a 10-hour course for more than 100 lawyers and law students, open to members and non-members of the Federalist Society. He received no fee for it.

 

[kosar]

as a series of scurrilous Democratic attacks on Alito's character that drove his wife to tears.

This is bullshit and it's things like this that make it hard to take this guy seriously. She did not cry because of 'Democratic scurrilous attacks.' She cried while a Republican was talking. He was basically giving a tribute to Alito and she was overwhelmed because of all the nice things the senator was saying about her husband.

 

[djv]

Chit does anyone think they were really tough on this guy. They should do better job when giving someone a job for life. I didn't here a tough question from the right side of the isle. If they are just going to kiss his ring why have the show. And thats all it seems to be a show for Senators. Waist of our money. It's so funny how Reb's have forgot the name of the lady candidate that they beat up with out even having a hearing. But that was a OK.

 

[bjfinste]

This is bullshit and it's things like this that make it hard to take this guy seriously. She did not cry because of 'Democratic scurrilous attacks.' She cried while a Republican was talking. He was basically giving a tribute to Alito and she was overwhelmed because of all the nice things the senator was saying about her husband.

Are you being serious? All I heard from the liberal media was how she had to leave during questioning because she was crying over how her husband was being treated.

If what you say is true, that is certainly interesting, to say the least.

 

[kosar]

Are you being serious? All I heard from the liberal media was how she had to leave during questioning because she was crying over how her husband was being treated.

If what you say is true, that is certainly interesting, to say the least.

Yes i'm being serious. Kennedy did his thing and the next senator up (forget who, but a Republican) basically was rebutting Kennedys nonsense and in the process went on and on about how great Alito is as a person and all sorts of other stuff. THAT'S when his wife started crying. They were actually tears of joy because of all the nice things he was saying. I was watching it when it happened, but I guess it's better copy to say the dems made poor Mrs. Alito cry.

 

[Chadman]

It was Lindsay Graham, Republican, who was doing the actual "Cry-Causing" histrionics. The same Lindsay Graham that coached the Alito's on how to act during the procedings before they started. Coincidence? Personally, I doubt it.

This situation is laughable. Alito himself certainly did not seem to think she was suffering too much, since he simply got up, walked past her and out of the room with her left behind at the end of the day. Mr. Compassion, eh? He was so worried about his poor wife that he blew her off and hit the road without so much as a handshake or nod. If your wife was honestly upset and crying in "support" of what you were going through, wouldn't you give her a hug or something? At least acknowledge her presence?

Come to think of it, I don't think some of you would. If Alito himself didn't care, why the heck should anyone else care?!?

 

[bjfinste]

Yes i'm being serious. Kennedy did his thing and the next senator up (forget who, but a Republican) basically was rebutting Kennedys nonsense and in the process went on and on about how great Alito is as a person and all sorts of other stuff. THAT'S when his wife started crying. They were actually tears of joy because of all the nice things he was saying. I was watching it when it happened, but I guess it's better copy to say the dems made poor Mrs. Alito cry.

Well I'll be. Damn liberal media strikes again.

 

[smurphy]

I guess some of the fresh pickings are rotten to the core. I read Brit Hume and have trouble keeping my laptop and coffee mug from sliding off the right side of my desk.

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

True there Smurph---but unlike the left sights Spy frequents- have yet to catch him chopping quotes--juggling #'s ect--he makes very few errors and has his facts before throwing them up.
He has made an error on a few occasions and has always acknlowedged it promptly--unlike many sites.

I guess main reason I like his grapevine so much is we both have conservative views and most the info he reports on is not reported your major news outlets--

ala----

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

By Brit Hume



Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

After claiming that the Bush administration had no right to request information from its database in a government probe to monitor online pornography, popular Internet search engine Google says it will cooperate with the communist regime in Beijing in censoring the output on its Chinese search site... limiting results from such search terms as "democracy" and "human rights."

For example, a search for the outlawed religious group Falun Gong that turned up more than 3.5 million hits on the U.S. Google found just 537 in China -- most of which were government sites condemning the group. Google called its decision a necessary trade-off to allow Chinese users greater access to other information.

Nonpartisan NSA Report?

Democrats have made much of a report released last week asserting that President Bush broke the law in authorizing the National Security Agency to intercept phone calls from suspected terrorists overseas to the United States, noting the "nonpartisan" nature of the group that prepared it. But the Washington Times notes the author of the Congressional Research Service report, national security specialist Alfred Cumming, is not only a registered Democrat -- he served as staff director for the Senate Intelligence committee under since-retired Florida Democrat Bob Graham and contributed $1250 to John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign.

Joel the Joker?

Conservatives worked up by Los Angeles Times columnist Joel Stein's Monday article in which he said he does not support the troops in Iraq because he does not support their mission, may be taking the Times' columnist and his views more seriously than he does. Stein, after all, has acknowledged that after offending the New York Times' op-ed diva Maureen Dowd in an earlier column for Time Magazine, he apologized at length over the telephone.

Later, fearing that the apology had not succeeded, Stein considered sending Dowd a bottle of wine to make amends, but wound up sending her a case of Chardonnay, which she subsequently returned unopened. Stein claims, "I've since employed various people in Washington and New York to call me whenever Dowd is at a restaurant so I can have a bottle of unwanted chardonnay sent to her table."

Dubious Endorsement

Someone who does take his work far seriously is William Blum -- the author who made the news when Usama bin Laden recommended his book, "Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower," in that audiotape released last week. Bin Laden specifically praised Blum's claim that terrorism could be stopped if only the president would apologize to "all the many millions of victims of American imperialism."

Far from being repulsed by bin Laden's endorsement, Blum, who describes his life's mission as "slowing down the American empire...[and] injuring the beast," tells the Washington Post he was glad for the "good publicity,? calling it "almost as good as being an Oprah book."

 

[kosar]

True there Smurph---but unlike the left sights Spy frequents- have yet to catch him chopping quotes--juggling #'s ect--he makes very few errors and has his facts before throwing them up.
He has made an error on a few occasions and has always acknlowedged it promptly--unlike many sites.

Huh? You don't have to go any farther than this thread to find an example of him out and out lying.

 

[Master Capper]

It's hard to have fresh pickings when the fruits are spoiled because of partisan slanting

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

"Huh? You don't have to go any farther than this thread to find an example of him out and out lying."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Would you care to point them out to us--I am curious myself--

--new stuff--

Give Hamas a Chance

Former President Jimmy Carter says the U.S. shouldn't cut off aid to Palestinians just because their government is run by members of the radical Islamic group Hamas, saying, "Governments should recognize that administration and let them form their government."

Carter, who monitored last week's Palestinian elections, tells CNN that there's a "good chance" that Hamas will become a nonviolent government, saying the group told him they want to have a "peaceful administration."

Carter adds that he hopes the "people of Palestine, who already suffer under Israeli occupation" will not suffer because they are deprived of international aid.

Losing One Lobbying Link

Illinois Democrat Rahm Emanuel ? the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee who's made ethics a central issue in 2006 ? quietly switched campaign treasurers last month dropping a long-time friend who is also a federally registered lobbyist.

William Singer, a former Chicago alderman and one of Washington's most prolific Democratic fundraisers, has been Emanuel's treasurer since his first campaign in 2002 and the Chicago Sun-Times reports that he's officially lobbied Emanuel on at least one occasion since then.

A spokesman for the congressman says that with ethics issues heating up in the House, Singer was replaced for "obvious" reasons.

ACLU Assistance

Four Wisconsin inmates have turned to the ACLU to help them fight a newly enacted state law that would keep them from receiving treatment for their rare medical disorder. Their condition? "Gender Identity Disorder," which is treated with hormone injections to develop female characteristics.

The law prohibiting tax dollars from being used to fund hormone therapy or gender reassignment surgery took effect last week, but the inmates say cutting off their treatment amounts to "cruel and unusual punishment" and violates their right to equal protection under the law.

A federal judge has issued a temporary injunction against the state, meaning the inmates will continue their taxpayer-funded transition to womanhood at least until the next hearing in August.