Wendy Gonaver is a Quaker from Pennsylvania and a lifelong pacifist as well as an instructor in American studies. She was ready to start teaching at Cal State when officials presented her a loyalty pledge to to “defend” the U.S. and California constitutions “against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” It is precisely the type of free speech and free exercise issue that Gonaver expected to teach about. She will not have the chance. When she declined the pledge, she was told that she could not teach in any public school in the state. It is the Cal State version of the Thomas More oath for teachers. Continue reading “California’s Thomas More Pledge: Cal State Fires College Instructor for Refusing to Sign Loyalty Oath”
Category: Politics
It was bad enough when polls of Iraqis were polled as overwhelmingly supporting attacks on U.S. personnel. Now, Iraqi officials have expressed absolute outrage at the suggestion that they should bear a small fraction of the costs of the war through cheap fuel for the U.S. military. Iraqi officials have said that the U.S. has a greater debt to pay Iraq and that the request is “immoral.” Continue reading “Iraqis Are Outraged at Suggestion that They Pay Part of War Costs Through Fuel”
A Tennessee couple, Robin and Michael Read, who lost their son in Iraq has sued an Arizona tee-shirt maker, Dan Frazier for selling anti-war tee-shirts with the names of dead soldiers (including their son). They are seeking $40 billion in damages in a class action lawsuit. Continue reading “Family of Dead Soldier Sues Tee-Shirt Seller in Class Action”
In Tarpon Springs, Florida, police has identified the body of a suicide victim as “D.C. Madam” Deborah Jeane Palfrey, 52. This is the second suicide associated with the case.
Just when it seemed that things could not be worse for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his former aide Crhistine Beatty, it did. Now emails released this week further establish a very compelling case that both lied under oath and spent millions in public funds to try to hide their role in the firing of a police officer as well as their affair. Continue reading “New E-Mails Strengthens Criminal Case Against Detriot Mayor and Aide”
While many of us have continued to call for a ban on earmarks as a core area of corruption and abuse, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) appears unrepentent — even after years of criticism directed against her for earmarks. In 2009, Clinton has demanded nearly $2.3 billion in federal earmarks — 300% received by any other senator. Continue reading “Clinton Seeks $2.3 Billion in Earmarks”
Ashley Alexandra Dupre is outraged. Outraged. After working as a high-priced prostitute and been advertised on the Internet for shopping Johns, Dupre was shocked to learn that an earlier video that she made with Girls Gone Wild is being marketed by the company. Unfortunately, it may not be possible for both Dupre and GGW founder Joe Francis to lose, but here’s hoping . . . Continue reading “Spitzer Prostitute Sues Girls Gone Wild”
The Bush Administration is continuing to claim that it can torture prisoners in violation of international law despite the so-called “torture bill” and pledge of the President to comply with international rules. Congress, which has protected the president from any criminal investigation, is again professing shock and outrage in the longest institutional imitation of Claude Rains in history. Continue reading “Bush Administration Re-Asserts Right to Torture”
Professor John Yoo has formally rejected a request from the House Judiciary Committee for his testimony, prompting a likely subpoena from the committee.
Continue reading “Professor John Yoo Refuses to Testify on Torture Memos”
Florida is continuing its struggle against the separation of church and state with a new promotion of religion: special license plates for the faithful. The legislature is considering a plate featuring a Christian cross, a stained-glass church window and the words “I Believe.” The sponsor of this unconstitutional measure is Rep. Edward Bullard who sees absolutely no difference between vanity plates and divinity plates. This is no doubt an effort to close the license gap with Iran, which has a “Honk if You Love Allah” plate. Continue reading “Honk, If You Love Jesus: Florida Extends State Advancement of Religion to License Plates”
Last week, the Senate took an unprecedented step asking the Justice Department to investigate the possible criminal conduct of a House member. The subject of this ignoble moment is Rep. Don Young. For many, it was a well-earned distinction for Young, who is often cited as the face of earmark corruption. However, this is different. Young is accused of effectively stealing millions of dollars for a campaign contributor by changing the words of an appropriations bill after it was passed by his colleagues. Continue reading “Fraud by Write-Out? Don Young’s Extra Ordinary Earmark”
As Hillary Clinton is being criticized for running a commercial against Barach Obama featuring Osama Bin Laden, a church in South Carolina has put up a sign “Obama, Osama, hmmm, are they brothers?” It is only the latest intervention of a church in the election in violation of federal law and perhaps the most moronic. Pastor Roger Byrd of the Jonesville Church of God insists that he will not take down the sign, which is less of a problem. It is the tax-supported church behind the sign that need to be changed. Continue reading “Osama and Obama: Church Fuels Obama Muslim Rumors”
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine), a member of the House Armed Services Committee comes out in an article in the Los Angeles Times in favor of the Feres Doctrine — a controversial rule that has effectively stripped military personnel of their ability to sue for even the most gross negligent acts by military doctors and managers. The article reports growing demands for the long-awaited termination of the doctrine. Continue reading “Duncan Hunter Comes Out In Favor of Infamous Feres Doctrine”
The presidential campaign may come down to Ahi Tuna and what Cindy McCain knew and when she knew it about her warm spinach salad. John McCain’s wife has been accused of including another woman’s recipes in her collection of “McCain Family Recipes.” She joins the wife of Jerry Seinfeld in the expanding field of recipe misappropriation. Continue reading “Tunagate: Cindy McCain Accused of Stealing Recipes”
Washington is considering a proposal to add greater transparency to government to allow the public to see material online that is largely the domain of lobbyists today. The idea is to give the public equal access to government as lobbyists, an idea that Paul Miller, past president of the American League of Lobbyists warns is dangerous. After all, Miller notes, “what’s next? Are we going to let the American people decide our defense policy, our trade policy, our immigration policy?” Perish the thought. Continue reading “Lobbyist Warns of Immiment Outbreak of Democracy”