LFR 15 YEARS!

I doubt that'll happen but that's what the Washington Times' Charles Hurt is reporting. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday unanimously opposed President Bush's most recent judicial nominee, signaling they intend to try filibustering his nomination. Unless I hear some quotes from Judiciary Committee Democrats, I won't put alot of weight into that speculation. That said, I wouldn't doubt that some senators would love to filibuster the nomination. Frankly, I can't picture the Democrats giving up that potential weapon on a circuit court judge, especially with rumors of John Paul Stevens retiring this summer swirling through Washington. "While his academic credentials are undeniably top-notch, he has largely devoted his legal talent to helping notch political victories for his party," Sen. Charles E. Schumer, (D-NY), said yesterday. So what? If you think that he'd bring his bias to the bench, then just say t...

According to this Strib article , "Erwyn Tinklenberg said Wednesday that he would support, but would not initiate, an effort to impeach President Bush." Tinklenberg's saying that there's other issues more important than impeachment but that impeachment is still worthwhile. That quote will turn independants against him. The justification that's now being given for impeachment by the lead moonbat, John Conyers, is the NSA's terrorist intercept program. At this point, it's only a point of contention that a law was broken. The Supreme Court hasn't said that it's a violation of the Fourth Amendment. The circuit courts that've ruled on similar cases have ruled in the Administration's favor. Even the FISA appellate court ruled that the President has "inherent constitutional power" to conduct warrantless intercepts. Furthermore, a panel of FISA judges testified at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Here's th...

Prior to Wednesday, Democrats could say that they didn't want to shut the NSA's TSP down, that they only wanted the "White House to follow the law." That facade is gone now that 71 Democrats and a Socialist filed an amicus brief to a lawsuit asking the courts to shut the program down. "It is very disturbing that, on the same day we learn that the NSA has been secretly collecting the phone records of tens of millions of Americans, we also learn that the Department of Justice has abruptly cancelled its investigation into the Agency's warrantless wiretapping program," said Rep. John Conyers, the ranking House Judiciary Democrat who is spearheading the initiative. "These developments clearly point to the urgent need for oversight and review of this program. Congress has failed to provide this critical oversight which has led us to the courts." Mr. Conyers would be a national embarassment if he weren't such a nobody. He was quick t...

That's the title of George Will's latest masterpiece . It couldn't be more direct. This should give every conservative pause should McCain make a presidential bid. Presidents swear to "protect and defend the Constitution." The Constitution says: "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech." On April 28, on Don Imus' radio program, discussing the charge that the McCain-Feingold law abridges freedom of speech by regulating the quantity, content and timing of political speech, John McCain did not really reject the charge: "I work in Washington and I know that money corrupts. And I and a lot of other people were trying to stop that corruption. Obviously, from what we've been seeing lately, we didn't complete the job. But I would rather have a clean government than one where quote First Amendment rights are being respected that has become corrupt. If I had my choice, I'd rather have the clean government....

That's my new nickname for John Murtha after reading his predictions in this AP article . Here's the whopper that caught my eye: Rep. John Murtha, a Vietnam veteran first elected in the anti-war fever of 1974, says American troops will be brought home from Iraq by 2007. Either President Bush will bow to public opinion or Democrats will have won control of the House of Representatives and increased pressure on the White House, Murtha, (D-PA), said in an Associated Press interview Thursday. Most likely, there will be a "tidal wave" that propels Democrats into the majority, said Murtha. He predicts Democrats will gain 40-50 seats, well more than the 15 needed for the party to gain control. Yeah, right John. And the day after that happens, I'll watch the skies for pigs flying. Nancy Pelosi thinks that Republicans have 50 vulnerable seats while the Democrats have a dozen. Michael Barone states that, at best, 30 Republican seats are vulnerable and that, hi...

Of following the law . After all the huffing and puffing over USA Today's article , you'd think that these phone companies had broken the law. That isn't the case. In fact, according to Paul Butler, a former terrorism prosecutor, the Supreme Court has ruled that the government collecting phone numbers alone doesn't violate a person's Fourth Amendment rights because there isn't an expectation of privacy. PERIOD. Further, Patrick Leahy's rant notwithstanding, there's a law on the books from 1994, called the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act that says in its opening its purpose: to make clear a telecommunications carrier's duty to cooperate in the interception of communications for law enforcement purposes, and for other purposes. That Leahy would go off on such a rant today is inexplicable since he surely voted on this legislation. What's the likelihood he'll use the excuse that he wasn't p...

According to this NY Times article , all isn't well between Dean, Chuck Schumer and Rahm Emanuel. Check this out: In a heated meeting last week, Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois and Senator Charles Schumer of New York, challenged Mr. Dean on his 50-state program, saying it was undercutting Democratic hopes of taking back the House and the Senate , Democrats said. They warned that Mr. Dean was squandering an opportunity by sending money to parties in states that are a long way from becoming Democratic. Democrats informed about the meeting described it as contentious and said Mr. Emanuel left abruptly when Mr. Dean declined to agree. Mr. Emanuel, in an interview, said he had left the meeting to cast a vote in Congress. He described their differences as a "fundamental difference about short-term versus long-term objectives, it is not hostile." But in an interview, he said that he and Mr. Schumer, in their meeting with Mr. Dean, had drawn comparisons bet...

Byron York has a new update on the Plame CIA leak case that makes Patrick Fitzgerald look more than a little incompetent. Here's the heart of the article: Perhaps the key moment in the descent happened last February in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton. Fitzgerald was there, along with the Libby defense team. Libby's lawyers had asked Fitzgerald to produce evidence that Valerie Plame Wilson was a covert agent at the CIA. They had also asked for an assessment of the damage, if any, caused by the exposure of her identity. In papers filed with the court, Fitzgerald refused both requests. Now, in the courtroom, Judge Walton wanted to hear Fitzgerald's reasons. "Does the government intend to introduce any evidence that would relate to either damage or potential damage that the alleged revelations by Mr. Libby caused, or do you intend to introduce any evidence related to Ms. Wilson's status and whether it was classified or she was in a...

According to this Bill Sammon article , Tony Snow isn't letting the Agenda Media get away with their misinformation campaign. Here's a sampling of his first rebuttals: "CBS News misleadingly reports that only 8 million seniors have signed up for Medicare prescription drug coverage," Wednesday's missive said. But 37 million seniors have coverage. ---------- On Tuesday, the White House railed against USA Today's misleading Medicare story. "USA Today claims poor, often minority Medicare beneficiaries are not enrolling in Medicare drug coverage," the press office complained. But by April, more than 70 percent of eligible African Americans, more than 70 percent of eligible Hispanics, and more than 75 percent of eligible Asian Americans are enrolled or have retiree drug coverage. Thank God for Tony. This is the best hiring in ages. No longer will reporters get away with their misinformation because Tony is an admitted "information...

That isn't just my opinion. It's the title of Martin Frost's article on FNC's website . Here's a glimpse into the article: According to Third-way, "Americans are optimistic about the nation's future and their own; (Democratic) messaging is not. Americans see our society as a basically fair one, where hard work is rewarded; progressives emphasize obstacles to middle-class success." The study faults Democrats for always attacking the wealthy, noting "the middle-class aspires to wealth and doesn't see big business or the wealthy as enemies." It adds that Democrats "downplay the strengths of the American economy" and fail to inspire conviction that America can continue to lead the world. This analysis is right on the money but it's missing the point. Today's progressives don't think at all like that. Moonbats like Katrina van den Huevel, Ted Kennedy and Bernie Sanders think that American society is unfair an...

That's the message Bill Frist is sending to the American people in this AP article . Republicans moved Wednesday to have the Senate spend most of the next two weeks reconsidering an immigration bill that faltered just before Easter over whether to let millions of illegal immigrants remain in the United States. "We're ready to start the process," Sen. John McCain, (R-AZ), said Wednesday after emerging from a meeting with a few other Republicans in Majority Leader Bill Frist's office. Frist, (R-TN), said he would continue talks with Minority Leader Harry Reid, (D-NV). He added, however, that debate would begin early next week on amendments even though he and Reid have no agreement on how to proceed with the bill. It sounds like Frist got the message that border enforcement is the top priority with the GOP base. Appearing on Bill O'Reilly tonight, Frist said that there would be a strong enforcement component to the bill. I'm still skeptical at t...

Maurice Hinchey, the NY moonbat, won't be happy with this AP article . The Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility, or OPR, sent a fax to Rep. Maurice Hinchey, (D-NY), on Wednesday saying they were closing their inquiry because without clearance their lawyers cannot examine Justice lawyers' role in the program. "We have been unable to make any meaningful progress in our investigation because OPR has been denied security clearances for access to information about the NSA program," OPR counsel H. Marshall Jarrett wrote to Hinchey. Hinchey's office shared the letter with The AP. Jarrett wrote that beginning in January, his office has made a series of requests for the necessary clearances. Those requests were denied Tuesday. "Without these clearances, we cannot investigate this matter and therefore have closed our investigation," wrote Jarrett. The NSA intercept program is highly classified so this comes as no surprise. ...

That's the headline of Dan Balz's and Matthew Mosk's Washington Post article . I suspect that that'll be one of the most compelling storylines in this fall's elections. Blackwell, who will face Democratic Rep. Ted Strickland in November, is now the third prominent African American on a statewide Republican ballot this fall. In Maryland, Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, whose candidacy has benefited from his friendship with two Republican National Committee chairmen, is the party's nominee to fill the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes. In Pennsylvania, former Pittsburgh Steelers star Lynn Swann is challenging Democratic Gov. Edward G. Rendell. As more black voters see the qualifications of these three men, the more they'll start giving strong consideration to the GOP. While I don't expect any of these candidates to earn 50% of the black vote, I do expect their candidacies to put a scare into Democratic strategists nationwide. ...

According to the Washington Times' Amy Fagan , a deal has been reached to extend some of President Bush's tax cuts. Republican leaders in Congress yesterday agreed to a $69 billion bill on tax-cut extension, which could be approved by both chambers by the end of the week, handing President Bush one of his top tax goals. The House is expected to vote late today on the extension package, and Senate Republican leadership aides said yesterday that they hope the Senate will follow suit tomorrow or Friday. I can't stress how important this extension is, not just because it's smart policy, but because it's a morale booster to GOP activists back in key House districts. It's also important to start notching up political victories going into the fall campaign in terms of changing the headlines. If the GOP congress starts getting things done, the Agenda Media will be forced to cover those accomplishments. Still, it's important to note how important th...

President George H.W. Bush invented that phrase during the 92 campaign but it's today's Democrats that suffer from that dreaded disease, this NY Times article notwithstanding. Here's a sampling of this article's idea of the Democrats' vision: "What the Democrats still don't have is a philosophy, a big idea that unites their proposals and converts them from a hodgepodge of narrow and specific fixes into a vision for society," Michael Tomasky, editor of the liberal journal The American Prospect, wrote in a much-discussed essay in the May issue. A broader vision, many of these analysts say, will help the Democratic Party counter the charge, so often advanced by Republicans, that the Democrats are merely a collection of interest groups, labor, civil rights, abortion rights and the like, each consumed with their own agenda , rather than the nation's. John Podesta, who heads a center-left research group, the Center for American Progress...

Who Knew? Who knew? I'll bet most of you didn't? The AP's Ron Fournier is reporting that there are actual hawks in the Democratic Party not named Joseph Lieberman. To be fair, Evan Bayh used to be a hawk before he developed presidential aspirations. Then he was forced into aligning himself more with the MoveOn.org doves. As party leaders struggle to develop a concise, consistent message for the congressional campaigns, Democratic rank-and-file voters are motivated largely by their opposition to the Iraq war and their desire to see Congress investigate Bush. This is a main reason why Evan Bayh has, at times, sounded positively dovish. Bayh's a smart politician who's noticed that the MoveOn.org philosophy is spreading. Bayh's proof is the primary challenge that Lieberman's attracted. It wouldn't surprise me if we learned that he's 'moderating' his war views to avoid a primary fight. While voter...

Not that GOP'ers and righty bloggers didn't know that already but now the AP is reporting it , too: Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic nominee for president in 2004 and a possible contender in 2008, told a firefighters' union Monday that he had "serious reservations" about the nomination of Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden to head the CIA. "I'm very troubled by the nomination because he is one of the main supporters representing Donald Rumsfeld who helped to put in place the programs of spying on Americans and has been one of the biggest defenders of it," Kerry said. Not only is John Kerry a buffoon but he doesn't even get his facts straight. Word out of Washington is that Hayden isn't a big fan of Rumsfeld. Then he knowingly misrepresents the NSA intercept program as "spying on Americans", infering that it's similar to J. Edgar Hoover's spying on MLK, Jr. It's typical Kerry blather. "We ...

When Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter gavels the hearing to order, Democrats will try and paint Brett Kavanaugh as a far right wing extremist. This Washington Post article quotes Chuck Schumer as saying: "The White House is trying to push through an ideologue" and that the ABA statement "raises real questions about Kavanaugh's suitability as a judge". That's what they'll focus on in public but Kavanaugh's past is what's most likely got the Democrats' goat. This paragraph from the Washington Post article tells the real story: Kavanaugh clerked for Justice Anthony M. Kennedy in 1993 and 1994 and then returned to work for Starr, who had been named independent counsel in the Whitewater investigation. Some Democrats saw the wide-ranging probe as a political vendetta against Clinton, but Kavanaugh, and Starr, pushed into new territories after the Lewinsky scandal broke. Much of the Democrats' mistrust of Kav...

After reading Allan Lengel's article in this morning's Washington Post, I'd say that the noose is almost tight around William Jefferson's neck. A wary Northern Virginia investor agreed to cooperate with the FBI in a public corruption investigation of Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-LA) and wear a "wire while engaged in face-to-face meetings with the Congressman," according to a court document filed yesterday. The woman also recorded telephone conversations, as did the FBI through court-authorized wiretaps, the document said. The woman is identified only as a "cooperating witness" in the document, but people familiar with the case previously have identified her as Lori Mody, 42. The disclosures provided new insights into the mounting case against Jefferson. In the past few months, two people have pleaded guilty to bribing the eight-term congressman to promote iGate Inc., a Kentucky-based high-tech company that sought broadband business in A...

That's the message King Banaian at SCSUScholars thinks Michelle Bachmann sent to Mssrs. Krinkie, Knoblach and Esmay at this past Saturday's CD-6 Convention. The Strib seems to have noticed that message, too. Here's a sample from King's article: Let me begin with the conclusion: Elections are about winning. You may know this by the famous quote of Finley Peter Dunne, "Politics ain't beanbag." But what it means is that it's not meant for the soft at heart; it's damn hard work and it requires one to ignore competing goals at times. Here's a taste from the Strib's article: Plowing through a field that included two of the Legislature's most prominent leaders, state Sen. Michele Bachmann easily captured the Republican Party's endorsement and almost certainly its nomination for the open U.S. House seat in the Sixth Congressional District. --------------- Bachmann, who won in part by mobilizing Christian c...

DNC Chair Howard Dean, appearing on ABC's This Week program, has told this little fib: Now, on Stephanopoulos' show, he had Howard Dean, since Pelosi went out there and talked about the plans that she as speaker-to-be had in the Washington Post, well, that set the table for the Sunday shows to go get all these guests, the Democrats talk about what they're going to do. So it was Howard Dean on Stephanopoulos. Stephanopoulos said, "Is Ken Mehlman right, or is impeachment off the table?" DEAN: They just make that stuff up over there I think at the RNC. I'm sure there are going to be investigations because we're going to stop the culture of corruption. But we've got some big things on our plate, and we're going to need to deal with those before anybody starts talking about impeachment. Dean's fibbing bigtime on that. There's no way he doesn't know that John Conyers has 36 co-sponsors for impeachment right now. I fi...

That's essentially the agenda that Nancy Pelosi announced last week if Democrats announced last week. Here's a glimpse of that agenda : House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said in an interview last week that a Democratic House would launch a series of investigations of the Bush administration, beginning with the White House's first-term energy task force and probably including the use of intelligence in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. Pelosi denied Republican allegations that a Democratic House would move quickly to impeach President Bush. But, she said of the planned investigations, "You never know where it leads to." For those conservatives who plan on sitting out this election to send a message, think about what message you'll be sending. That message would essentially be "I didn't get what I want so I'm quitting. I'm letting the Democrats impeach President Bush. I'm letting the Democrats lose the war on Islam...

Minnesota Politics Guru at Minnesota Politics has an interesting post up: In the Sixth Congressional District, Republicans have endorsed wacko Michelle Bachmann. Assuming she runs a campaign based on teh evil gay and nuking Iran (which is likely), and assuming that the DFL candidate is strong enough and has enough sense to forcefully call her on it (which is always a question), then the DFL could win this one. A campaign that stresses the real issues facing this country, such as the huge budget deficit, the failure of our policies in Iraq, the troubles facing the middle class in terms of the economy, and the extremism of Bachmann could win. Please throw Michelle into that briar patch. Polling on the gay marriage issue is running 70-30 or thereabouts against gay marriage. If the Democrats want to run on that issue, they'd be well advised to run it in CD-5, not CD-6. As I've said in the past, the people who've characterized Michelle as extremist will be dis...

That's how Harry Reid is characterizing his role in getting "The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act passed" in the Senate. The truth is that Ted Kennedy was blocking the bill . Kennedy relents & Child Protection Registry Act passes You may have heard that the Senate passed the Child Protection Registry Act, which had been held up for two years, and that is thanks to all Factor viewers and listeners who got in touch with Senator Kennedy's office. Senator Kennedy, as we reported, was holding the bill up, but this week after hearing from you, he stopped his delay tactics and the Senate unanimously passed the bill. What this means is that, for the first time, local police will be able to access a central database that will list all people convicted of abusing children in the USA. That will make it much easier for police in your neighborhood to protect your children. Here's how Harry portrayed it : Reid was instrumental in getting the b...

This afternoon, at about 2:45 CT, Michelle Bachmann got the MN GOP CD-6 endorsement to succeed Mark Kennedy in representing me in Washington. Michelle won 56% on the first ballot, 59% on the second ballot before going over the 60% magic mark on the third ballot. Check out King's report at SCSUScholars for a comprehensive report on the actual goings on at the CD-6 convention. Congratulations to Michelle on winning the endorsement. I'm certain that you'll do us proud in the U.S. House of Representatives. Just keep standing for the things you've campaigned about and we'll be satisfied. It's also worth noting that Jay Esmay established himself as a future force to be reckoned with if he decides to run for the Minnesota legislature. From all that I've read from this weekend, his supporters were the second most energized behind Bachmann's. I met Jay at the Benton County Convention & I must say that I'm impressed with him. Let me j...

Yesterday, Chuck Canterbury, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police issued a press release about the Kennedy crash scandal. Here's the key portion of that statement: Chuck Canterbury, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, sharply criticized the management of the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) for their mishandling of two high profile incidents involving Members of Congress. "First, we had Representative McKinney attack a police officer, and now we allegedly have Representative Kennedy narrowly miss striking a police cruiser before crashing into a security barrier," Canterbury said. "In both cases, Capitol Police management favored politics over protocol." I appreciate Canterbury's forthrightness. Management has to scrap their 'protect the politicians' policies and start acting like real law enforcement officers. Their protections weren't a big deal in a pre- 9/11 world but they're totally unacceptable i...

The DNC and state Democratic Party officials plan on challenging a ruling on Indiana's new law requiring a photo ID to vote. National and state Democrats are planning to appeal a federal court ruling upholding Indiana's new law requiring a photo ID to vote. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean told The Associated Press that the law will keep some people from voting. But supporters of the new law, including Indiana Republican Party Chairman Murray Clark, say the state's voter identification law will help secure elections in Indiana. Indiana Democratic Party executive director Mike Edmonson says it's important to appeal the ruling to make sure every voter gets a chance to cast a ballot. A federal judge ruled last week that the state's law should stand. The appeal hasn't been filed yet, and isn't expected to affect the May 2 primary election. Why would anyone object to picture ID's for anyone wanting to vote? The voter reg...

For once, I've got to commend the AP for putting together a blistering attack on Patrick Kennedy's changing account of his accident. Text of statements on Rep. Patrick Kennedy's traffic accident: ___ Kennedy's first statement , released by his press secretary: "I was involved in a traffic incident last night at First and C Street SE near the US Capitol. I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident. I will fully cooperate with the Capitol Police in whatever investigation they choose to undertake." ___ Kennedy's full written statement : "Last Tuesday, the Attending Physician of the United States Congress treated me for Gastroenteritis. The Attending Physician prescribed Phenergan, an anti-nausea medication, which in addition to treating Gastroenteritis, I now know can cause drowsiness and sedation. Following the last series of votes on Wednesday evening, I returned to my home on Capitol Hill and took the prescribed amount of Phe...

Patrick Kennedy is checking himself into Rochester's Mayo Clinic for addiction to painkillers. Rep. Patrick Kennedy will enter rehab for addiction to prescription pain medication Friday evening after a highly publicized car crash near the Capitol. Kennedy, (D-RI), plans to seek treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The congressman was announcing his decision during a new conference Friday afternoon, then planned to travel to Minnesota later in the day. Kennedy, who has struggled with addiction and depression, said he had checked into the Mayo Clinic over the Christmas holidays and returned to Congress "reinvigorated and healthy." "Of course, in every recovery, each day has its ups and downs, but I have been strong, focused and productive since my return," Kennedy said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press. The congressman said he became concerned about his condition after the Thursday morning car accident. "I simply do n...

The first Iraqi soldier is due to graduate from Ranger Training School this morning . A former lieutenant in Saddam Hussein's army on Friday will become the first Iraqi to graduate from the Army's Ranger School, a 61-day training ordeal that pushes soldiers to their physical and mental limits in forests, swamps and mountains. "I have a big, huge faith in the future of Iraq and that's why I'm here,'' said Capt. Arkan, who was identified only by his first name to protect him and his family back home. I can't imagine fighting a strong Iraqi military would be a great recruiting tool for terrorists and insurgents. Col. Clarence K.K. Chinn, commander of the Ranger Training Brigade, said training international students has been a tradition since the school's founding in 1950. "Once an officer gets training in the United States, there's a loyalty toward this country,'' he said. "We want to build and strengthen our m...

Stocks were sent soaring today, with the DJI hitting a 6 year high . Stocks climbed Friday as a new report showing moderating job growth reinforced Wall Street's hopes that the Federal Reserve may soon end its series of interest rate hikes. Investors were upbeat about a substantial drop in employment growth after the Labor Department said U.S. employers added just 138,000 jobs in April, far less than estimates for a 200,000 gain. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.7 percent. ---------- Cooling oil prices also helped stocks to their gains, although some believe higher gasoline prices will pressure consumer spending and keep the economy from overheating. The Fed has said future rate hikes will depend on inflation data. In other words, the Bush economic plan keeps plugging right along and people's 401(k)'s keep getting fatter. Still, Democrats are sure to criticize it as putting a major squeeze on middle class families or that only millionares are benefitting...

That's what a lot of people are asking following Patrick Kennedy's car crash last night. Here's a key portion of Drudge's report: According to a letter sent by Officer Greg Baird, acting chairman of the USCP FOP, the wreck took place at approximately 2:45 a.m. Thursday when Kennedy's car, operating with its running lights turned off, narrowly missed colliding with a Capitol Police cruiser and smashed into a security barricade at First and C streets Southeast. "The driver exited the vehicle and he was observed to be staggering," Baird's letter states. Officers approached the driver, who declared to them he was a Congressman and was late to a vote. The House had adjourned nearly three hours before this incident. It was Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy from Rhode Island. While it's possible that we'll never know for certain, it'd take a ton of partisan kool-aid to think that Patrick Kennedy wasn't drinking last night. His car...