With surprisingly little coverage from the media, Justice Clarence Thomas has amended his financial disclosure after Common Cause exposed his failure to report his wife’s income for many years — including her payments from conservative organizations.
Continue reading “Justice Thomas Amends Disclosure Forms To Reveal Wife’s Income”
Just when he probably thought that it could not get much worse than losing to the Packers in a home game, Rahm Emanuel has lost his fight to get on the ballot. The court just ruled that he is ineligible.
Continue reading “Court: Rahm Emanuel Not Eligible to Run for Mayor”
Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
In light of the all the hoopla about President Obama’s upcoming State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, I have been thinking of all of the ideas and issues that I would like the President to address in his talk with the country. Since I am a Bears fan and used to dreaming, here it goes.
Continue reading “State of the Union Wishlist”
Here is today’s column in the Washington Post on the controversy over Justice Scalia’s appearance on Monday in a Tea Party Caucus event for new House members. I view the issue as having broader implications for the Court.
Continue reading “Scalia and the Rise of the Celebrity Justice: Should Justices Have a Political Base?”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
The Marine Hospital Service was an organization of hospitals dedicated to the care of ill and disabled seamen in the U.S. Merchant Marine, U.S. Coast Guard, and others. The Service was created by an act of the 5th Congress and signed into law on 16 July 1798 by President John Adams. The Marine Hospital Service was the point of origin for the Public Health Service.
The government funded the hospitals by a tax on sailors’ monthly wages.
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
Next Tuesday, President Obama will deliver his 2011 State of the Union Address. Rep. Paul Ryan, Republican of Wisconsin and chairman of the House Budget Committee, has been selected to deliver his party’s “official” rebuttal. Not one to let a media opportunity slip by, Rep. Michele Bachmann, Republican of Minnesota and founder of the Tea Party Caucus, has decided that she, too, will deliver her own post-State-of-the-Union-Address address. Her speech will “supplement” Ryan’s GOP rebuttal with a “Tea Party” perspective. It will be webcast on the Tea Party Express Web site and will follow Congressman Ryan’s speech. Anyone wondering why Bachmann is planning to do this?
Common Cause has sent the letter below to Justice Clarence Thomas raising concerns over his failure to report his wife’s income in prior years. For full disclosure, I have conferred with Common Cause on this nondisclosure issue and participated as an independent expert in the press conference yesterday on the absence of binding ethics rules for the members of the Supreme Court.
Continue reading “Justice Thomas Accused of Reporting Violations”
I just participated in a press conference (with Stanford Professor Deborah Rhode) dealing with Common Cause’s letter (below) asking the Justice Department to look into alleged conflicts of interest related to Justices Scalia and Thomas in the Citizens United case. Common Cause identified extremely serious issues related to the participation of Scalia and Thomas in events organized by Koch Industries CEO Charles Koch as well as Ginny Thomas’ involvement in Liberty Central.
Continue reading “Should Scalia and Thomas Be Retroactively Recused From Citizens United?”
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley had a special message for non-Christian citizens immediately after his swearing in as governor: believe in Christ or do not consider me your brother.
Continue reading “Alabama Governor Tells Voters That They Need To Believe in Jesus To Be His Brother or Sister”
Ok, I’m confused. I know that China virtually owns this country by holding billions of our debt. However, I fail to understand the criticism of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for calling Chinese President Hu Jintao a “dictator.” Hu is the head of a government that arrests dissidents, censures news, restricts the exercise of religion, blocks access to information, and does not allow opposing political parties or viewpoints. What was Reid supposed to call him, a voice of freedom?
Continue reading “Reid Criticized for Calling Chinese President a “Dictator””
It is beginning to seem like “blood libel” has become the contemporary term of art. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) took the floor last night to compare the Republicans to Nazi propagandist Goebbels and their arguments to “blood libel.” Since Sarah Palin was just skewered over the use of the term, it will be interesting to see the reaction to this reference occurring just days later over national health.
Continue reading “Rep. Cohen Compares Republicans To Nazis and Calls Repeal Arguments to “Blood Libel””
In a discovery that is being called “the smoking gun,” Irish media is reporting that they have a 1997 letter from the Vatican warning Ireland’s Catholic bishops not to report all suspected child-abuse cases to police. This was from 1997 — less then 13 years ago in the midst of the scandal. This occurred during the tenure of Pope John Paul II.
Continue reading “Vatican Warned Irish Bishops Not To Report Child Abuse in 1997”
The Washington Post is reporting that the Afghan government is moving to tax U.S. aid to his country — notifying U.S. contractors that the government wants a piece of the aid given . . . to them. The Karzai government is taking this action over the objections of the Administration and conflicting U.S. law. It is also taking this action after Karzai has shutdown corruption investigations against his government. The Karzai family has been denounced as a virtual criminal enterprise with his brothers stealing anything that they can lay their hands on.
Continue reading “Biting The Hand: Afghan Government To Tax United States Aid”
As many of us expected, President Obama’s decision to block any investigation or prosecution of war crimes has led Republicans to rehabilitate George Bush’s legacy. The latest claim came from former Vice President Dick Cheney who previously boasted about the torture program in public — unconcerned about any prosecution from Attorney General Eric Holder. Now, Cheney is boasting that Obama has “learned from experience” that some of the Bush administration’s decisions on terrorism issues.
Continue reading “Cheney: Obama Has Adopted Bush Policies on Torture and Gitmo”
Hugo Chávez continues his assault on political and legal protections in Venezuela. In a move that has been denounced internationally, including by Amnesty International, Chávez demanded the arrest of Judge María Lourdes Afiuni after she granted bail to an accused banker. He is demanding 30 years in prison even though his prosecutors could find no bribe (as he originally alleged on the radio). Instead, they found “spiritual corruption” and threw her in jail with many convicts that she previously incarcerated.
Continue reading ““Spiritual Corruption”: Chávez Jails Judge Who Granted Bail To Banker”
