The Nebraska Court of Appeals has reversed the decision of a Civil Service commission tfire an overweight officer, Christopher D. Parent. Parent, 52, is a 25 year veteran who was fired after questions were raised about his fitness in a combat shooting exercise and his failure to maintain a “high level of physical, mental and emotional conditioning.”
Category: Politics
Yesterday, Senate Banking committee Chairman Christopher Dodd took responsibility for inserting language into the federal stimulus bill that protected bonuses like the controversial AIG bonuses. A Treasury official has acknowledged that the Obama Administration pushed for the language. On Tuesday, Dodd denied have any role in inserting the language.
Continue reading “Senator Christopher Dodd Admits Responsibility For Inserting Language Protecting Bonuses”
President Barack Obama has proclaimed that the bonuses to AIG executives is “outrageous” but the “The buck stops with me.” The White House press corp again failed to ask the obvious question: what does that mean? When everyone is at fault, no one is generally accountable in the bizarre world that is Washington.
Continue reading “When Everyone is at Fault, No One is Accountable: Barack Obama Takes Blame for AIG Bonuses”
Courts routinely defer to legislative findings of fact, but this one may be a bit too ambitious. Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA), has introduced a resolution seeking to place the Lincoln-Obama bible on permanent display in the Capitol Visitor Center, a very good idea. However, the resolution includes the following line: “Whereas the Holy Bible is God’s Word.”
Continue reading “The Ultimate Legislative Finding of Fact: Congress Considering Resolution That Declares Holy Bible To Be God’s Word”
Congress is rushing to respond to the widespread public outrage over the $160 million in bonuses paid to American International Group (AIG) executives with taxpayer money. The most popular idea is to tax the bonuses, but such a retroactive tax would raise very serious legal questions. I discussed this issue on Countdown in this segment.
Continue reading “Congress Moves to Tax AIG Bonuses — But Is It Constitutional?”
A controversy has erupted over the request by the Rabbi of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinovitch, that Pope Benedict XVI take off his cross before a visit to the wall in May. Rabinovitch stated “My position is that it is not fitting to enter the Western Wall area with religious symbols, including a cross. I feel the same way about a Jew putting on a tallit and phylacteries and going into a church.”
Continue reading “Lose the Cross: Rabbi Asks Pope to Take Off His Cross When Visiting the Western Wall”
On behalf of the Turley Clan in the States and Ireland, Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
Adam Osman Mohammed, 32, insisted that if England denied his asylum application and sent him to Sudan, he would be killed. He can now say I told you so, except for the fact that he was promptly killed upon his arrival to his village in south Darfur.
Continue reading “English Refuse Asylum Plea and Deport Man to Sudan Where He Is Promptly Killed”
Don McLeroy, controversial Chair of the Texas State Board of Education, has recommended released his top choice of his recommended reading list: “Sowing Atheism” by Robert Bowie Johnson, Jr. — a book billed by creationists as disproving evolution and exposing the worldwide atheist conspiracy. When combined with the effort to create an advanced degree in “Creation Science” in Texas, the state will soon rival Iran and Saudi Arabia as a bastion of medieval thought.
Continue reading “Texas Chair of the Texas Board of Education Puts Atheist-Conspiracy Book on Recommended Reading List”
As China continues its runaway pollution policies, it has come up with a proposal that has the world scratching its collective head. China is proposing that it should still not be held accountable for its massive pollution rate or that fact that it has overtaken the United States as the world’s leading greenhouse gas producer. Instead, it insists that countries buying its goods should be charged for the carbon dioxide that it is producing.
Continue reading “China Proposes That Other Nations Should Pay For Its Pollution”
Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley has come up with the bailout for executives: suicide. Grassley suggested that AIG executives do the honorable thing and commit Seppuku. The problem is of course that ten of his colleagues immediately demanded $10 billion for the study of Seppuku techniques and the creation of Seppuku centers as part of the proposed second bailout bill.
Continue reading “The Ultimate Bailout: Senator Proposes Suicide Pact With Business”
We have been following the case involving “Hillary: The Movie” since it first came out during the last presidential campaign. The legal dispute over the film was always more interesting than the film itself — whether this is a film or a 90-minute campaign ad. Now, the Supreme Court is set to review the film. Citizens United v. FEC (08-205) raises a fascinating question of what constitutes political advocacy and what constitutes a documentary. The Court will hopefully not produce another “I know politics when I see it” standard.
Continue reading “Movie Night At Supreme Court: Justices Ready to Review Hillary: The Movie”
The New Mexico Legislature voted 24-18 to repeal the death penalty and replaced it with life without parole. Two other states — Kansas and Montana — may follow suit this month.
Continue reading “New Mexico Repeals Death Penalty — Kansas and Montana May Follow Suit”
The International Committee of the Red Cross added its considerable authority and voice to those who have called the Bush interrogation policies torture under international law. Now, Bush officials, bar groups, countless experts, and leading international organizations have all agreed that Bush ran a torture program prohibited under a variety of treaties. Those treaties require the United States to investigate and prosecute such acts as war crimes. Yet, President Barack Obama continues to block any such investigation in flagrant violation of international law.
Continue reading “International Red Cross Defines Bush Interrogations As Torture”
Recently, we saw the growing fight over canine Christians as religious organizations fight to augment their ranks with recruitment of other species.
Continue reading “Christian Recruiters Target Religious Rabbits in Race for Inter-Species Faithful”