Pundit Kitchen explores the relationship between lobbyists and politicians.
Friday, April 02, 2010
Obscene Salaries
If there was any doubt in your mind as to why Wall Street has a serious disconnect with the rest of America, this should settle that doubt. It seems that hedge fund managers have set a new record in incomes. The top 25 hedge fund managers made over $25.3 billion last year. Here are the top four earners:
David Tepper..........$4.0 billion
George Soros..........$3.3 billion
James Simons..........$2.5 billion
John Paulson..........$2.3 billion
At a time when millions have lost their jobs and are existing on a pittance from unemployment income, and millions more have no income because their unemployment benefits have run out, this is just obscene. It shows just how out of whack our economic system has become.
And I don't want to hear how these men deserve to pay lower taxes. Personally, I think we need to raise taxes on anyone making over a million dollars a year. And anyone making over a billion dollars should have their taxes raised substantially.
Ain't capitalism grand? Millions of people suffer so a few can have obscene incomes.
Roeder Given Harshest Sentence Possible
The American anti-choice terrorist, Scott Roeder, had already been found guilty of murdering Dr. George Tiller as he attended a religious service at his local church. The law said he was to be sentenced to life in prison. The only real question was whether he would be eligible for parole after 25 years or after 50 years. At Roeder's age, 52, the 50 years before qualifying for parole would virtually assure that he would never be released from prison.
The prosecutor and Tiller's family spoke up for the longer sentence. Attorney Lee Thompson spoke for Tiller's family saying, "He's committed an act of terrorism, a heinous, atrocious, cruel murder planned, plotted and devised for years and years and designed and executed solely for the purpose of executing someone with whom he disagreed." Prosecutor Nina Foulston said, "I believe he should be given the longest sentence possible."
For his part, Roeder still doesn't think he has done anything wrong. He thinks that murder is an appropriate response to someone who disagrees with his religious beliefs. He told the court, "You have the power to acquit and if you were to obey the higher power, God himself, you would acquit me. . .The blame for George Tiller's death lies more with the state of Kansas than with me."
Then Roeder launched into a 40 minute anti-choice diatribe. Finally the judge cut him off, saying, "I'm sorry, I'm not providing you a forum for an all-night dissertation on the political debate on the issue of abortion." The judge then gave him the maximum penalty of 50 years before becoming eligible for parole consideration.
The sentence was appropriate, and I agree with the victim's family who said, "The crime was cruel and heinous not only because it took our husband, father and grandfather, but because it was a hate crime committed against. . .all women and their constitutional rights." That is true. While George Tiller was the immediate victim, the crime was directed at all women to deny them the right to control over their own bodies.
I can't feel sorry for Roeder. Anyone who can walk up to an unarmed stranger, put a gun to his head, and pull the trigger doesn't deserve the sympathy of decent people. He has the right to his own religious views, just like everyone in America, but he doesn't have the right to murder anyone to promote those views.
Trying to force others to adopt your own views through violence and fear is terrorism, and that's what Roeder is -- a terrorist. He has made his own bed and now he must lay in it -- for at least 50 years. That's justice.
A Strange Time To Get Mad
I found the following post at the blog of Yellowdog Granny. It makes a whole lot of sense and I think it deserves to be repeated again and again. The more people that read it, the better off this country will be. It points out just how strange the current teabagger rage over health care reform really is. Here is the post:
You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President. You didn't get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate energy policy.
You didn't get mad when a covert CIA operative got outed.
You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act got passed.
You didn't get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us.
You didn't get mad when we spent over 600 billion(and counting) on said illegal war.
You didn't get mad when over 10 billion dollars just disappeared in Iraq.
You didn't get mad when you found out we were torturing people.
You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.
You didn't get mad when we didn't catch Bin Laden.
You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.
You didn't get mad when we let a major US city, New Orleans, drown.
You didn't get mad when we gave a 900 billion tax break to the rich.
You didn't get mad when the deficit hit the trillion dollar mark.
You finally got mad when the government decided that people in America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick. Yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, are all okay with you, but helping other Americans. . .oh hell no!
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Warrantless Wiretapping Ruled Unconstitutional
Thank goodness the courts have finally made a ruling on the constitutionality of wiretapping without a duly authorized search warrant. When our Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution, they were aware of the awesome power of government and the ability of government to interfere in the affairs of private citizens. That is why they made sure that government must show probable cause and obtain a search warrant before violating the privacy of ordinary people.
George Bush evidently didn't read that part of the Constitution, because he decided he didn't have to follow it. Shortly after 9/11, he (with the backing of Congress) authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on people (including U.S. citizens) without getting a search warrant. He cited national security as a concern in doing this.
Soon after, the government declared the muslim charity, the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, to be a supporter of terrorism. They then used that declaration to wiretap the phone calls between the charity and it's two American lawyers -- without getting a search warrant. After gathering evidence of the wiretapping, the victims filed suit against the federal government in 2006.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled on the case. He ruled that the victims had shown they had been subjected to warrantless wiretapping, and that the wiretapping was illegal under U.S. constitutional law. Although his ruling was on the issue of this one case, it could have a much broader effect.
The plaintiff's attorney, Jon Eisenberg, said, "By virtue of finding what the Bush administration did to our clients was illegal, he found that the Terrorist Surveillance Program was unlawful."
Sadly, the Obama administration had asked the judge to dismiss the case by invoking the state secrets privilege. Attorney General Holder had claimed the lawsuit might expose ongoing intelligence work. I must admit that argument is troubling, because it infers that the current administration is also violating the Constitution in the same way. Fortunately the judge didn't buy that specious argument. The government has not decided whether to appeal.
The plaintiffs had asked for $1 million each in damages. The judge has decided to hear more arguments before deciding on any damages.
I applaud the judge's brave and wise decision. The requirement to get a search warrant before violating the privacy of a person is one of our most important protections (along with habeas corpus and free speech) against government tyranny.
(The picture above depicts the signing of the Constitution.)
Teabaggers Against Social Security
Sometimes I think the teabaggers are trying to commit political suicide. It was easy for them to be against health care reform, because many people weren't sure what needed to be done and others were afraid they might lose what little coverage they already had. But there are other issues they are forwarding that a clear majority of Americans consider to be settled, and don't want them changed.
One of these is the issue of race. By allowing racists to enter the movement and loudly proclaim their vile beliefs, the teabaggers are turning off many Americans. Frankly, most Americans are embarrassed by America's racist past and are not about to countenance a return to those bad old times. Unless they are able to distance themselves from the racists, they will turn off a lot of Americans in November.
Another issue that a huge majority of Americans are in favor of is social security. The program has been around for a long time now and has served us well. This is a true "third rail" of American politics. A good way to lose support very quickly is to come out against social security.
That's why I was surprised to find some teabagger leaders coming out against social security (especially since many in the "movement" seem to be of social security age). Larry King had a couple of the movement's leaders on his show -- Dana Loesch and Wayne Allyn Root. They told King they were opposed to the health care reform because it was mandatory. King reminded them that social security was also mandatory, and both said they wanted to do away with that too. Here is the exchange:
KING: Would anyone turn away Social Security now? Would you do away with it?
LOESCH: I would, yes.
KING: You would?
LOESCH: Yes, absolutely.
KING: Would do you away with it, Wayne?
ROOT: I’d certainly like to. At best, I do away with it because I could find better ways to spend and save my own $15,000 a year.
I can't believe they are taking this position with an election only months away, but I hope they stick with it. I hope they ride the racism and anti-social security stances all the way to November, because I believe these stances will be the best gift the Democrats could get. The American people are simply not going to support these views.
(The picture above shows Franklin Roosevelt signing the Social Security Act into law.)
This Just Ain't Right !
This story has got me upset. I am astounded at this decision delivered by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. These misguided justices have decided that not only does the Westboro Baptist Church (Fred Phelp's group of idiots) have the right to picket and disrupt the solemnity of the funerals of U.S. soldiers who gave their life for their country, but the father of a fallen soldier must also pay the attorney fees for the church.
I know the court was just trying to uphold the principle of free speech and religious expression, but I think they have gone too far. There is also a right to privacy, and I think that should extend to the family of a fallen soldier. They should have the right to grieve with friends and associates without being subjected to the vile actions of people like those in the Westboro Baptist Church (pictured). The funeral of a loved one is one of the most personal and difficult things a person can experience.
No one is trying to deny the right of this church to picket and to say what they want. But the Constitution doesn't guarantee they can do this anywhere. There are limits to free speech. You cannot yell "fire" in a crowded theater, and you should not be able to disrupt a funeral. Not allowing the people to disrupt a funeral does not impinge on their right to free speech, because there are many many other places for them to picket and get their message across.
I almost never agree with Bill O'Reilly of Fox News about anything, but I do this time. O'Reilly also deplores the court's decision and has offered to pay the attorney fees for the soldier's family if need be ($16,510). But hopefully that won't be necessary.
The family is appealing the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the court has agreed to take the case. The court will decide whether free speech is the dominant issue in this case, or whether that right can be limited by the right to privacy and religious freedom of the fallen soldier's family.
I am a big supporter of free speech rights, even when that speech is offensive. But disrupting a funeral is over the line. There's just no excuse for that kind of behavior.
Shooting The Foot (Again)
Political Cartoon is by Mike Luckovich in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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