Bugliosi testifies at House Judiciary against Bushent

‘Oil from algae’ promises climate friendly fuel

A liquid fuel made from plants that is chemically identical to crude oil but which does not contribute to climate change when it is burned or, unlike other biofuels, need agricultural land to produce sounds too good to be true. But a company in San Diego claims to have developed exactly that – a sustainable version of oil it calls “green crude”.

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Cara Italia: Can Italy Save America?

Can Italy help us?

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THOUSANDS MARCH in WASHINTON!

American’s fed-up with the war, the President and the economy marched on Washington Saturday to promote a return to the Constitution and a more limited,conservative government.

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Kucinich to present impeachment to House Judiciary Committee

Elton Gallegly has responded to impeachment requests that he will keep our views in mind if the issue of impeachment comes before him. Now he has his chance. Read below, this may be exciting news:

Kucinich to Present Impeachment Case to Panel

By Molly K. Hooper, CQ

Democratic leaders have agreed to give Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich a day before the House Judiciary Committee to make his case that President Bush ought to be impeached for allegedly lying to Congress in order to get approval to invade Iraq.

Kucinich, D-Ohio, has introduced three impeachment resolutions — one against Bush, HRes 1258, and two against Vice President Dick Cheney (H Res 333, H Res 799) — all of which have been referred to committee and then ignored.

On Thursday, Kucinich complied with a rule requiring him to give notice before filing another article of impeachment, which he intends to do on July 14. Earlier Thursday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif., said Judiciary Chairman John Conyers Jr. , D-Mich., likely would review the matter before his committee.

Kucinich contends that Pelosi’s blessing demonstrates the desire on Capitol Hill to hold the administration accountable for allegedly lying to Congress.

“When Congress is reminded that a case for war was made based on information that has been categorically proven to be untrue, Congress will then want to reflect on its power and responsibility,” Kucinich said.

But Democratic House leaders downplayed the possibility of actual impeachment proceedings. “It is my expectation that there will be some review of it in the committee,” Pelosi said. “Not necessarily taking up the articles of impeachment, because that would have to be voted on the floor, but to have some hearings on the subject.”

“The chairman may be holding hearings. Whether he holds impeachment hearings would be another question,” Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer , D-Md., said Thursday.

A good follow-up action would be to fax in to the House Judiciary members directly telling them your thoughts. Here are their names and fax numbers:

MEMBERS WHO VOTED TO IMPEACH CLINTON FOR ORAL SEX:
Fax them this
Ranking Member: Hon. Lamar Smith (TX) Phone 202-225-4236 . *Fax: 202-225-8628
Hon. James Sensenbrenner (WI) Phone (202) 225-5101
Hon. Howard Coble (NC) Phone (202) 225-3065 . *Fax: (202) 225-8611
Hon. Elton Gallegly (CA) Phone (202) 225-5811 . *Fax (202) 225-1100
Hon. Bob Goodlatte (VA) Phone (202) 225-5431 . *Fax (202) 225-9681
Hon. Steve Chabot (OH) Phone (202) 225-2216 . *(202) 225-3012
Hon. Chris Cannon (UT) Phone (202) 225-7751 . *Fax (202) 225-5629

Others on the Judiciary Committee:

Baldwin (202) 2256942 has supported impeachment hearings.
Berman (202) 2253196
Boucher (202) 2250442
Cohen (202) 2255663
Conyers (202) 2250072
Davis (202) 2269567
Delahunt (202) 2255658
Ellison (202) 2254886
Fenney (202) 2266299
Forbes (202) 2261170
Franks (202) 2256328
Gohmert (202) 2261230
Gutierrez (202) 2257810
Issa (202) 2253303
Jackson Lee (202) 2253317
Johnson (202) 2260961
Jordan (202) 2260577
Keller (202) 2250999
King (202) 2253193
Lofgrin (202) 2253336
Lungren (202) 2261298
Nadler (202) 2256923
Nadler brooklyn 718- 9960039
Pence (202) 2253382
Sanchez (202) 2261012
Schiff (202) 2255828
Scott (202) 2258354
Sherman (202) 2255879
Sutton (202) 2252266
Wasserman Schultz (202) 2262052
Waters (202) 2257854 has supported impeachment hearings.
Watt (202) 2251512
Weiner (202) 2267253
Wexler (202) 2255974 has supported impeachment hearings.

Senators that voted to allow FISA telecom immunity

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110th Congress - 2nd Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

Vote Summary

Question: On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 6304 )
Vote Number: 168 Vote Date: July 9, 2008, 02:47 PM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Bill Passed
Measure Number: H.R. 6304 (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 )
Measure Title: A bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to establish a procedure for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence, and for other purposes.
Vote Counts: YEAs 69
NAYs 28
Not Voting 3

There are quite a few senators taking in heavy contributions from the telecom industry, needless to say:

Grouped By Vote Position

YEAs —69
Alexander (R-TN) Allard (R-CO) Barrasso (R-WY) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Coleman (R-MN) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Craig (R-ID) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC)	Dole (R-NC) Domenici (R-NM) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Feinstein (D-CA) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hagel (R-NE) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Inouye (D-HI) Isakson (R-GA) Johnson (D-SD) Kohl (D-WI) Kyl (R-AZ) Landrieu (D-LA) Lieberman (ID-CT) Lincoln (D-AR) Lugar (R-IN) Martinez (R-FL) McCaskill (D-MO)	McConnell (R-KY) Mikulski (D-MD) Murkowski (R-AK) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Obama (D-IL) Pryor (D-AR) Roberts (R-KS) Rockefeller (D-WV) Salazar (D-CO) Shelby (R-AL) Smith (R-OR) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Stevens (R-AK) Sununu (R-NH) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA) Webb (D-VA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wicker (R-MS)

NAYs —28
Akaka (D-HI) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Byrd (D-WV) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Clinton (D-NY) Dodd (D-CT)	Dorgan (D-ND) Durbin (D-IL) Feingold (D-WI) Harkin (D-IA) Kerry (D-MA) Klobuchar (D-MN) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Menendez (D-NJ)	Murray (D-WA) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Stabenow (D-MI) Tester (D-MT) Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 3
Kennedy (D-MA)	McCain (R-AZ)	Sessions (R-AL)

George Bush heckled on July 4th at Monticello

Bush mentions that his birthday was 4th of July weekend, however he didn’t mention it was the day Thomas Jefferson died. Wonder what Jefferson would have thought if he learned what was to happen to the Constitution again this past week.

FISA, Bush, Republicans, and telecom immunity

Found this over at Brian Dennert’s blog at the Star. Certainly puts this issue in a plain and simple manner. I wonder what our local Congressional Representative Elton Gallegly will do to protect our rights now. Any thoughts on his concern for the Constitution?

Seven Republican Members of House Judiciary Call for Impeachment out of Duty to the Constitution

From Cheryl Biren-Wright on OpEd:

GOP Reps. Smith, Sensenbrenner, Coble, Gallegly, Goodlatte, Chabot, and Cannon after much deliberation put the Constitution and rule of law before politics. Rep. Lamar Smith stated, “As much as one might wish to avoid this process, we must resist the temptation to close our eyes and pass by. The president’s actions must be evaluated for one simple reason: the truth counts.” Read their statements below.

[note: please read full article for a complete understanding. short on time? skim 'til you get to the end]

Hon. Lamar Smith (TX) Phone 202-225-4236 . Fax: 202-225-8628 We should not underestimate the gravity of the case against the president. When he put his hand on the Bible and recited his oath of office, he swore to faithfully uphold the laws of the United States - not some laws, all laws.

As to the uniqueness of the office the president holds, he is a person in a position of immense authority and influence. He influences the lives of millions of Americans. When he took the oath of office, he swore to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

When someone is elected president, they receive the greatest gift possible from the American people, their trust. To violate that trust is to raise questions about fitness for office. My constituents often remind me that if anyone else in a position of authority - for example, a business executive, a military officer or a professional educator - had acted as the evidence indicates the president did, their career would be over. The rules under which President Nixon would have been tried for impeachment had he not resigned contain this statement: “The office of the president is such that it calls for a higher level of conduct than the average citizen in the United States.”

This will not be an easy task. In fact, it is a difficult ordeal for all Americans, but we will get through it. We are a great nation and a strong people. Our country will endure because our Constitution works and has worked for over 200 years. As much as one might wish to avoid this process, we must resist the temptation to close our eyes and pass by. The president’s actions must be evaluated for one simple reason: the truth counts.

As the process goes forward, some good lessons can be reaffirmed. No one is above the law, actions have consequences, always tell the truth. We the people should insist on these high ideals. That the president has fallen short of the standard doesn’t mean we should lower it. If we keep excusing away the president’s actions we as a nation will never climb upwards because there will be no firm rungs.

Hon. James Sensenbrenner (WI) Phone (202) 225-5101

…being a poor example isn’t grounds for impeachment; undermining the rule of law is.

When Americans come to Washington, they see the words “equal justice under law” carved in the facade of the Supreme Court building. Those words mean that the weak and the poor have an equal right to justice, as do the rich and the powerful.

The framers of the Constitution devised an elaborate system of checks and balances to ensure our liberty by making sure that no person, institution or branch of government became so powerful that a tyranny could be established in the United States of America. Impeachment is one of the checks the framers gave the Congress to prevent the executive or judicial branches from becoming corrupt or tyrannical…..

Hon. Elton Gallegly (CA) Phone (202) 225-5811 . Fax (202) 225-1100 This has been a very trying time. In a democracy, there are few more serious acts than to consider the possible impeachment of a president. I can tell you in true conscience it has caused me many sleepless nights.

I wanted to hear the evidence that would prove the charges were false. I believed that was the only fair way to proceed, and it was also my solemn constitutional duty and immense responsibility. I waited, I read, and I listened.

Mr. Chairman, I’m not a lawyer — one of the few on this committee — however, everyone that knows me knows I believe in the rule of law — believe the rule of law is fundamental to our society. A society without laws is anarchy. Societies that ignore the laws are condemned to violence and chaos.

That bothers me. My district is considered among the safest communities in the nation. We have fine police officers, which certainly helps, but every officer from the chief to the beat officer will tell you a low crime rate begins with citizens who obey the law. Every citizen must obey the law, every law.

He violated the Constitution. To condone this would be to condemn our society to anarchy. Mr. Chairman, I cannot and will not condone such action…

more

Congress struggles to come up with cool name for drug law

From The Onion, of course:

Dalai Lama Supports the Green Party

How about the Dalai Lama for President?

Free Speech provided by the US Military

very sad video of this whole mess:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frR0qklU1_o