Category: Politics

Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Politics, Society

Palinprudence: My First Amendment Rights are Threatened by Criticism

Elections are rarely fun for constitutional law scholars to watch. Both Democrats and Republicans mutilate the Constitution to fit into neat political pitches and soundbites. However, Gov. Sarah Palin has reached a new low with her interpretation of the first amendment as threatened by criticism of her views in the media. Palinprudence is to Jurisprudence but Palintology is to Paleontology. Just as Palin believes man walked with dinosaurs, she appears to believe that free speech demands that people allow her to speak without contradiction.

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Academia, Bizarre, Politics, Society

“Coming Out Day”: California Kindergarten Teacher Has Kids Sign Pro-Gay Pledge Cards

Tara Miller, a teacher at the Faith Ringgold School of Arts and Science in Hayward, California is under attack this week after parents learned that she asked her kindergarteners to sign card pledging to support gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people. Putting aside how much a 5-year-old would know about transgender people, Miller wants the cards filled out as part of National Ally Week.

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Environment, Politics, Society

Bush Seeking To De-Regulate Environmental Protection

After years of de-regulation led to the current financial meltdown, the Bush Administration is now promising to re-regulate the industry. However, it is quietly moving to de-regulate environmental protection laws. These regulatory changes violate a core tradition in American politics. At the end of an Administration, sitting presidents have declined to make major changes or issue new policies that bind the incoming president. Here, Bush is seeking to rollback on environmental rules to cause years of delay before any new president can fully protect the environment.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Politics, Society

Bush Arrested for Hanging Obama in Effigy

Ok, not that Bush. This was Hunter Bush, 21, of Lexington, Kentucky who was arrested with Joe Fischer, 22, a UK student, for hanging an effigy of Barack Obama from a tree. The charge was for disorderly conduct, though it is unclear why these men were arrested while a recent example of hanging Palin was not made into a criminal matter.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Politics, Society, Torts

Shocking the Noble Boy: McCain Supporter Shocks Nine-Year-Old Boy with Electrified Campaign Sign

Just days after a McCain supporter in Ohio shot a teenager for knocking over his sign, Shawn Turschak of Chapel Hill, North Carolina shocked a nine-year-old boy after electrifying his campaign sign to protect it. What is unbelievable is that the police will not charge Turschak for this reckless act. In this case, the boy was carrying an Obama sign, but the boy’s father, Andrew Noble, insists that he just wanted to see how the sign was put together and was not trying to tear it down.
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Bizarre, Columns, Constitutional Law, Politics, Society

Will Alaskans Stand Up to Stevens – Now?

Below is today’s column in Roll Call where I discuss the Stevens conviction and the dismal state of the Alaskan delegation. The voters in Alaska will have a increasingly difficult time claiming to espouse “small town values” and “law and order politics” when they routinely reelect corrupt politicians.

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Bizarre, Politics, Religion, Society

Elizabeth Dole Accuses Opponent of Being “Godless” to Save Sinking Campaign

Sen. Elizabeth Dole appears unwilling to simply run on her faith. She is now running an ad that accuses her opponent state Sen. Kay Hagan of being “godless” because she was seen in the company of atheists at a fundraiser. Hagan is now taking legal action to stop the political ads. Despite a cultivated image of Southern charm, Dole has now shown that she will sink to any low to get reelected. However, Hagan will have a very tough time getting a court to regulate political speech.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Politics, Society

Shooting the Wise Guy: McCain Supporter in Ohio Shoots Teenager Who Knocked Over Campaign Sign

Kenneth Rowles, 50, was charged in Ohio with felonious assault after he shot at two teenagers who had knocked over his McCain campaign sign. Patrick Wise, 16, had kicked the sign and then ran to a waiting SUV. Rowles fired a rifle three times at their fleeing SUV, hitting the vehicle all three times and wounding Kyree Flowers, 17.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Politics, Society

Busted at the Fill-A-Buster: State Senator Arrested After Videotaped Stuffing Payoff into Bra

I am not sure which is worse, the criminal charge or the video for Democratic State Senator Dianne Wilkerson. In a video to be shown at her trial for bribery, Wilkerson is shown allegedly stuffing a $1,000 cash payoff into her bra during a meeting at an aptly named restaurant — the Fill-A-Buster.

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Bizarre, Courts, Politics, Society

Ex-Judge Apologizes for E-Mail Comparing Obama’s Election to Holocaust

An ex-judge has apologized after the McCain campaign and Republicans denounced her email sent to Jewish voters in Pennsylvania suggesting that presidential candidate Barack Obama taught members of a community group “to commit voter registration fraud.” She also compared a vote for Obama ignoring “the warning signs in the 1930s and 1940s.”

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Bizarre, Politics, Society

Video: Family Denounces Obama as Children Make Monkey Sounds

If you wonder how this country still raises guys like the two neo-Nazis who wanted to kill Obama (while living with their grandparents and reading Guns-n-Ammo), take a look at this video. Here we have a family chanting “No ‘Bama” while the children make monkey sounds. Note the adults look directly at the older girl making monkey sounds and say nothing.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Politics, Society

Police Arrest Two Neo-Nazis Planning Assassination of Barack Obama

Two men have been charged with threatening Barack Obama and planning his assassination. allegedly also planned to kill 102 black people. The two suspects two suspects—Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tenn., and Paul Schlesselman 18, of Helena-West Helena, Ark.— are both skin head, white supremists.

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Bizarre, Congress, Politics, Society

JPMorgan Chase Executive Admits that Bailout Will Be Used Not To Make New Loans But to Buy Other Companies

For those who opposed the massive bailout, a report in the New York Times may be little surprise.  A reporter was able to get into a telephone conference call with JPMorgan Chase to hear executives discuss the $25 billion it received from Congress.  Just four days after the bailout, JPMorgan Chase’s chief executive, Jamie Dimon held the conference call during which an executive admitted that Chase has no intention to use the money to make new loans but instead will use it to try to take over other companies.

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