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The Daily Muck
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger intends to sue the federal government for its decision to block California from reducing its greenhouse gas emissions faster than under the president’s emissions-reduction plan. The governor, who no longer drives Hummers, stated that "it's another example of the administration's failure to treat global warming with the seriousness that it actually demands.” Meanwhile, Henry Waxman (D-CA) has called on the Environmental Protection Agency to “preserve and produce all documents relating to” the decision to block California’s efforts to go green. (Reuters)
Blackwater now faces a new suit from the estate of an Iraqi man gunned down by Blackwater guard who opened fire on “innocent bystanders in and around Al Watahba Square in Baghdad on Sept. 9.” The suit on behalf of the victim, who was the father of a newborn daughter, “alleges that heavily armed Blackwater mercenaries, known in company parlance as “shooters,” fired without justification and killed five civilians, including Mr. Albazzaz, who was standing outside his rug store.” (Center For Constitutional Rights)
Rudy Giuliani took the written, photographic and electronic record of his eight years in office — more than 2,000 boxes -- with him when he stepped down as Mayor under an unprecedented agreement that didn't become public until after he left office. The AP reviewed Rudy's years as mayor and discovered a pattern of secrecy, where City Hall withheld requested information from public groups and journalists and the mayor's own whereabouts were deliberately hidden, especially during his extramarital affair. (AP)
Two hundred and fifty-six people once held in Iraqi prisons -- and who were released without ever being charged with a crime -- have filed suit against a US military contractor for their alleged torture between 2003-2004. The former prisoners are asking for millions of dollars in compensatory and punitive damages against CACI International Inc. of Arlington, Virginia. (AFP)
A military judge declared Osama bin Laden's former driver an "unlawful enemy combatant," which will allow the driver to be tried on war crimes charges in May before a military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The driver has denied being a member of al Quaida or taking part in any attacks, and was hoping to get prisoner of war status under the Geneva Conventions. (BBC)
Republicans in both houses of Congress take top honors in pork for 2007. According to preliminary reviews by Taxpayers for Common Sense, Senators Ted Stevens (R-AK) ($502 million in earmarks) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) ($773 million in earmarks) are the Senate’s two biggest sponsors of “pet projects.” In the House, Reps. Bill Young (R-FL) and Jerry Lewis (R-CA) produced the most earmarks. (AP)
Clinton insiders have expressed concern that the Bush administration “possesses detailed knowledge of her movements - and her husband's - over the past seven years.” Bill and Hillary’s “long-term surveillance by an Executive Branch agency controlled by the opposing political party” is under the control of Michael Chertoff, a “longtime Clinton nemesis dating back to his work as a Republican lawyer on the Senate's Whitewater investigation in the 1990s.” (Huffington Post)
A Harvard School of Public Health research team believes that there is no evidence to prove that routine airport security measures make air travel any safer. The study was especially critical of searches of shoes. Asked the researchers: "Can you hide anything in your shoes that you cannot hide in your underwear?" (Reuters)
Comments (11)
gus smith wrote on December 21, 2007 10:05 AM:No we do not need a second Bush. This guy is too secretive, too combative and too autocratic. Time for a thoughtful person who puts America first.
mac2151 wrote on December 21, 2007 10:45 AM:Rudy's city records stealing makes Sandy Berger look like a small time chump.
pwapvt wrote on December 21, 2007 11:04 AM:If you can't find Rudy's city records to read, there's always the 2002 Tom Robbins/Village Voice series on Rudy appointee Russell Harding. You'll have Bette Davis eyes by the time you finish it.
Bernie Kerik wasn't the only MISTAKE? that Rudy made.
"Clinton insiders have expressed concern that the Bush administration “possesses detailed knowledge of her movements - and her husband's - over the past seven years.”
Hers and everybody else's that buschco might consider an evildoooer.
there's a certain amount of arrogance in paranoia, but in her case it may be warranted.
Anonymous wrote on December 21, 2007 11:23 AM:If there was something to know about the Clintons through Secret Service records, you bectcha it would already have been leaked by BushCo.
Apgraham wrote on December 21, 2007 11:32 AM:Shoes can have metal parts, sufficient to make a handy shiv. (We're not talking Maxwell Smart here). Putting them through the conveyor exposes them to stronger E-rays, giving a better chance of detection. You wouldn't want the same radiation strength on passengers, and yet you want the walk-through gate to be sensitive enough to catch remaining metal. Most people with shoes would set off the alarm, thus reducing the throughput of the security system to less than snails' pace.
dkm wrote on December 21, 2007 11:56 AM:That's why the shoes come off.
On the Romney quest for the nomination, I recently heard that he is planning to show off his business acumen in his advertisements. Anyone with an interest in stopping him might mention to anyone else who takes it seriously that Romney made his money in the world of finance. These are the people who got rich pushing subprime mortgages on people who are now losing their homes. These are the people who got rich buying companies, firing thousands of workers and then selling the companies. I wonder how much the famous base would appreciate knowing that. One could have a lot of fun going through Romney's record and finding out specifically who suffered so that he could get rich.
vjb wrote on December 21, 2007 3:02 PM:Ahnold should simply say, together with the other 17 governors affected by this decision, that his state will defy the decision and sue the pants off the EPA and its Director. Treble damages. RICO. Woot!
SPENCER wrote on December 21, 2007 5:46 PM:the LA Times has a great article on the EPA chief neglecting his own staff in turning down the CA waiver and a Cheney connection thrown into the mix:
2turk wrote on December 21, 2007 11:34 PM:http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-epa21dec21,0,7077099,full.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california
Rudy Julie Annie is too top secret about everything. He hides behind a veil of secrecy because he needs to be a god-damn sneak to conceal his inclination for dishonesty.
We do not want or need this pompous criminal liar in the White House. He will fleece the U.S. Treasury worse than pResidunce bu$h. His conception of government is an institution that is there for the sole purpose - to make me filthy rich.
We have had enough of that for a life time.
woody, tokin librul wrote on December 22, 2007 4:45 PM:A Harvard School of Public Health research team believes that there is no evidence to prove that routine airport security measures make air travel any safer. The study was especially critical of searches of shoes. Asked the researchers: "Can you hide anything in your shoes that you cannot hide in your underwear?" (Reuters)
This confirms my long and firmly held suspicion that the imposition of 'security' measures at airports were directed far more at cowing and bullying the travelling public than at 'security.'
Spotty Dog wrote on December 24, 2007 4:11 AM:As Naomi Klein points out, authoritarian regimes seize upon crises to ram through oppressive/repressive/suppressive measures that wouldn't pass without the pressures of the crisis to camoflage the true intents and consequences of the objectionable measures...
There is something in the blankly stupidly, antagonistic stance and demeanor of the uniformed TSA "agents" as they grope and poke at the passengers that betrays the intimidation factor that underwrites and rationalizes the entire enterprise.
On SHOES:
Recently went through three different TSA screens on three legs of a long flight: The level of scrutiny was different (or indifferent) and the screeners are clearly held to different standards. The TSA system is only as good as its weakest link, and well, that's not very comforting (if you believe TSA measures offer any pre-emtive protection).
On RUDY:
The man is slimy. He cheats on his wife. He is a former US Attorney who hires a mafia-tainted, corrupt ex-cop to be his prison head and police commissioner (the mob musta loved that one). His children don't respect him. He bullies the weak and inflates his achievements to impress. Why am I not surprised by his activities to suppress the truth about his governance of NYC by removing documents.
The only reason he has had a shot at the Repo nomination is: 1. Eddie "Mitt" Haskell 2. Lazy Fred 3. John "The SOLD sign says it" McCain
But then there's Mike Huckabee who makes moonie eyes at the evangelicals and they swoon. Rudy thinks he can hold on to and two-time his liberal past while getting the Christian Right to do the nasty with him. But I guess he forgets that his ex-wife and kids now hate him.