Peder D4

Discussion of politics and other odious things

Thursday, July 26, 2007

In other news...

the cats and I voted to impeach Harry Reid. What do you mean we don't have the authority?

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

The lay of the land

A map of the electoral map (as suggested by current polling) is found here. Looks like the 2000 and 2004 maps, don't it?

Thursday, July 05, 2007

If I was the suspicous sort...


I'd wonder if this wasn't a plant from one of her opponents. Still, very funny!

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Hypocrisy

(Via Instapundit) is this column about the hypocrisy of the Dems that are condemning Bush.
Pelosi had a much different understanding of fairness, justice and the importance of upholding the law back in 1999, when Clinton commuted the sentences of 16 imprisoned members of the Puerto Rican terrorist group FALN. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a resolution of disapproval, but Pelosi said she would have voted no had she been present for the tally. Pelosi was thus defending Clinton’s commutations of sentences received for seditious conspiracy, conspiracy to make bombs, bank robbery and illegal possession of stolen firearms, among other things. Between 1974 and 1983, FALN mounted numerous attacks against this nation’s police and military, killing six people and maiming many others.
Yep, this affair has (once again) shown that many on the left can't see any further into an issue than Bush's involvement. Once they get there, they run around and scream and bring no further analysis to an issue. Some self-awareness of this would go along way towards seeing them as trustworthy on big issues.
But...shouldn't we be asking the Bush administration (every administration really) to be better than the Clinton one?

Presidential powers - The Hillary Angle

With all of the anger and hysteria being thrown Bush's way, it's worthwhile to turn the memory machine back a few years.

Hillary, yesterday:

"And what we saw today was further evidence that this administration has no regard whatsoever for what needs to be held sacred. And when I'm president we're going to get back to cherishing the Constitution, upholding the rule of law and putting forth the best values of America for the entire world to see again."

Yes. Because the Clinton Presidency was just one long celebration of the rule of law, with no perjury, no suborning perjury, no pardons for sketchy millionaires, no Chinese money finding its way into DNC coffers, no disappearing and reappearing law firm records, no Chinese businessmen comparing the White House to a subway that you have to pay to enter, no fundraisers at Buddhist temples... no, none of that.

That's right. The Clinton administration respected the "rule of law" by ensuring a high wall stood between the FBI and CIA on combatting terrorism, and determined that authorizing the Northern Alliance to hit Osama bin Laden's caravan would be unlawful because women and children were present. Yes, we all know how beneficial that dedication to the rule of law was...


Monday, July 02, 2007

Bush commutes Libby's sentence

Story here. Frankly, I think this is a terrible move. I've long thought that the whole Wilson imbroglio was very very oversold. The actual leak that got Plame's name in the news was from Richard Armitage, not Scooter Libby. Fitzgerald didn't deign to prosecute Armitage, which says something about the seriousness of the leak.
Libby was basically prosecuted for having different memories than a bunch of journalists, hardly a high crime. He was transparently convicted because members of the jury are upset with the administration. It was hard to see this as real justice being done.
But. It was also due process in action. A jury gave a verdict and a properly commissioned judge handed down a sentence. As much as I disagree with how it got there, we should respect the process. Bush's actions undermine that.
In the late 90's, conservatives argued that perjury was important and that being part of a political administration shouldn't protect someone from breaking the law. If we still believe that, we should be upset by this. I did and I am.
Update: The counter argument here.