Smijer offers his final words on Terri Schiavo.
Plame/Rove
The always readable Obsidian Wings is much more so today, as Hilzoy and Von both have pretty decent posts on the Plame/Rove nastiness.
He’s Picking Out a Thermos, For You
Rick Santorum is picking out a thermos for you, and not an ordinary thermos, for you. Why? Because Rick Santorum is “The Jerk“:
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) led a phalanx of Massachusetts politicians yesterday in demanding that the third-ranking Republican in the Senate, Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, apologize for blaming the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal on “liberalism” in Boston.
In an indignant, unusually personal speech on the Senate floor, Kennedy said that “Boston-bashing might be in vogue with some Republicans, but Rick Santorum’s statements are beyond the pale.”
Other Massachusetts Democrats quickly piled on. Rep. Edward J. Markey said Santorum should apologize for maligning “the courageous Boston parishioners who finally stood up to decades of an international Catholic Church coverup.”
Sen. John F. Kerry said the families of Massachusetts soldiers who have died in Iraq “know more about the mainstream American values of Massachusetts than Rick Santorum ever will.”
Rep. Barney Frank called Santorum a “jerk.”
I wrote about this over two weeks ago– it seems the MSM has finally caught up. Kudos to the Captain for playing this one straight:
Normally I would rather eat raw squid with mushrooms and beets than agree with Ted Kennedy and John Kerry. Neither of these men conducted themselves with much honor during their political careers. Both owe so many apologies to so many people that hearing them call for someone else to apologize almost makes me spit out my beverage over my laptop screen.
In this case, however, they’re right…
It is unfair in the extreme of Santorum to blame the scandals on the community of Boston, a community that indeed was victimized by the pedophiliacs and those who hid their crimes. Santorum’s remarks attempt to turn the blame away from the criminals and onto the victims. Those remarks were wrong three years ago, and he should have known better than to repeat them now. His spokesman, Robert Traynham, should also have known better than to keep digging the hole by blaming Harvard University for the sins of the Catholic priests and other clergy.
I wonder if Santorum’s continued block-headedness has anything to do with this:
Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum has gained slightly on State Treasurer Robert Casey, Jr., but still trails the Democratic challenger 50
Ebbers
I am going to have to disagree with the good people at Talk Left on this one:
WorldCom former exec Bernie Ebbers, 63 has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud. (Note: CNBC which first reported the sentence said 30 years, but later articles are saying 25, so I’ve changed it.)
This is a ridiculous sentence for a non-violent crime. The judge may have well as imposed the 85 years sought by the government – both are an effective life sentence.
I doubt he’ll go to a federal prison camp on a 30 year sentence. To put a 63 year old, first offender behind the walls at a medium security prison for an economic crime is cruel. Hopefully, he’ll be sent to a medical facility.
Let’s remember what Ebbers did:
As WorldCom’s chairman and chief executive, Mr. Ebbers was accused of orchestrating the largest corporate fraud in United States history, an accounting scheme that inflated the company’s profits by $11 billion over a handful of years.
The deception topped a wave of corporate scandals that devastated investors and prompted lawsuits and legislative reforms. Executives at several companies have gone to trial in the last year, with mixed results, and some are still waiting.
While it is technically true that no physical violence took place, there is no way to calculate the extent of the damage inflicted on ordinary citizens by this type of greed and fraud. It is probably a safe estimate to state that thousands of people had their lives ruined, pitched into economic insecurity and crisis, because of the actions of Mr. Ebbers and his cohort of thieves.
I, like Jeralynn, am displeased with the current status of the United States as incarceration nation, but what Mr. Ebbers did was inexcusable, flatly evil, and while not physical violence, a violence of sorts and an assault on the American public. He can rot in a low security prison until the end of his days, for all I care. Sorry.
Danforth for SCOTUS?
Here is an interesting petition:
Dear Mr. President:
With the recent retirement of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, you have a monumental decision before you. We urge you to make an appointment to the Supreme Court that would unify our nation, not divide it further.
We urge you to appoint former United States Senator John Danforth of Missouri to the U.S. Supreme Court.
We are a nation at war abroad, and a nation deeply divided on many issues at home. This is not the time for an appointment that would offend half the nation and potentially provoke a bitter and prolonged confirmation battle.
You have twice called on Sen. Danforth for important positions. Twice he has answered that call. We urge you to call on him again for the good of the nation. Mr. Danforth knows better than anyone that harm that can come from a bitter confirmation battle. There is little doubt that his sense of duty would require him to answer such a call.
Sen. Danforth is eminently qualifed and would be promptly confirmed by the United State Senate. He is an obvious choice for our nation in this time and place. We urge you to make him your choice as well.
Interesting. (Via WaveFlux)
Plame, Step #8 Re-Write
Ok- some blowback from the right over this version of Step #8:
8.) It was within the context of renewed media scrutiny of pre-war WMD intelligence and administration claims that Joseph Wilson’s op-ed piece appeared, and this led to a concerted effort by Republicans and the administration to discredit Wilson.
Let’s try this re-write:
8.) It was within the context of renewed media scrutiny of pre-war WMD intelligence and administration claims that Joseph Wilson’s op-ed piece
appearedwas published, and this led toa concertedan effortby Republicansmany Republicans and the administration to discredit Wilson.
Can we get consensus on that? OK- this one is even better:
8.) It was within the context of renewed media scrutiny of pre-war WMD intelligence and administration claims that Joseph Wilson’s op-ed piece appeared, and this led to an effort by Republican partisans, including some in the administration, to discredit Wilson personally, as well as efforts by the administration and others to refute Wilson’s charges.
Can we agree on that? And again, we are trying to word this so that we can achieve consensus on the basic facts as most everyone sees them.
Bush ‘Honesty’ Ratings
According to this NBC/Wall Street journal poll, Bush’s job performance rating has dropped slightly, as well as public perceptions that he is honest:
The survey, which was conducted from July 8-11 among 1,009 adults, and which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, finds that respondents, by a 49 percent-to-46 percent margin, disapprove of Bush