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NY lawmaker seeks to prevent Bush pardons of “cronies”
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-New York and chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, has authored a resolution demanding that President Bush refrain from issuing “pre-emptive pardons of senior officials in his administration during the final 90 days of office.”
The resolution, Nadler says, is in response to Bush’s “widespread abuses of power and potentially criminal transgressions against our Constitution.”
The goal, he says, is to prevent “undeserved pardons of officials who may have been co-conspirators in the president’s unconstitutional policies, such as torture, illegal surveillance and curtailing of due process for defendants.”
“This resolution declares that we will not tolerate a last minute attempt by President Bush to shelter his cronies - cronies who may well be guilty of serious criminal offenses - from the full force of the law,” says Nadler
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Bush: I was for change also
The final exchange on Thursday in Peruvian TV journalist Raul Tola’s interview with President Bush:
Tola: One last question Mr. President. (President-elect) Obama said in his campaign slogan that change is the main thing for America.
Bush: El cambio.
Tola: El cambio, yes.
Bush: You know, when I campaigned for office I said I was for change. Everybody who campaigns is for change. And that’s a very effective slogan, and he ran a very effective campaign. And the American people spoke loud and clear. And now it will be his turn in two months to assume the great honor of being president. And I want to help him, and help his team transition into office. It’s going to be very important that he be given a good start. And that’s what we’re going to do.
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Florida Senators Concede World Series Defeat
Florida Sens. Mel Martinez and Bill Nelson have another reason to be sad about Tampa Bay’s loss in this year’s World Series. The two lawmakers lost a bet with Pennsylvania’s senators over the outcome.
They ponied up the goods on Thursday, providing Pennsylvania Sens. Arlen Specter and Bob Casey with Cuban pastries, smoked fish, copies of a Spanish cookbook and a box of citrus. (The spoils, with a block of Philadelphia cream cheese apparently thrown in for good measure, are pictured at right.)
The Philadelphia Phillies won the series four games to one, their second championship in 126 years. The Tampa Bay Rays, an expansion team created in 1998, have yet to win a World Series.
That didn’t stop Martinez from taking a parting shot at his colleagues from up north.
“I’m happy to share some of Florida’s finest delicacies with the senators from Pennsylvania,” he said in a statement. “Perhaps this will enlighten my colleagues as to why the Phillies choose to hold spring training in Florida every year.”
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The late Jim Mattox
Former Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox, whose death was announced Thursday, at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August.
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Inaugural parade presidential reviewing stand
Here’s an update on construction of the reviewing stand in which Barack Obama will watch the Jan. 20 inaugural parade after he becomes President Barack Obama.
And here, from the Washington D.C. Office of Property Management website is the official “project description.”
“This project will involve the construction of the presidential inaugural stand, mayor review stand, and press stand. The Office of Property Management in collaboration with the Secret Service has developed the scope of work for this project. The District has been charged with constructing the presidential inaugural stand since President Johnson’s inauguration.”
Schedule Design: Winter 2008 Construction: Fall 2008 Projected Completion: Winter 2009
(Yes, it would be good to get it done by Winter 2009)
Budget: $2.8 million
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Cornyn will lead GOP effort to pick up more seats
Republican senators today elected John Cornyn of Texas to lead the National Republican Senatorial Committee over the next two years, continuing the national ascendancy of a Texan who hasn’t even started his second term in office.
He’ll lead the national effort to recruit candidates and raise money so Republicans can defend their Senate seats and pick up some new ones in 2010. As a result, Cornyn will spend a significant amount of time traveling the country to raise money for his party.
“There is simply no time to waste, and I will work as hard as possible in my capacity as NRSC chair to help move our party forward,” Cornyn said.
Cornyn also announced that Rob Jesmer, who managed his re-election victory this year over Democrat Rick Noriega, will be the NRSC’s executive director.
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Bush’s preferred traveler program
Speaking to employees of the Department of Transportation, President Bush gave a wry wink to the presidential perquisites he will soon be losing.
“I want to thank you very much for the great job you are doing to make sure that across America our railways and highways and airways are working to keep our citizens moving. You have done a terrific job, as far as I am concerned,” declared the president. “The past eight years I have not seen a traffic jam, waited for an airplane, or had my bags lost.”
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Congress 101 for Incoming Representatives and Senators
Tom Rooney says he was ambushed by an unfamiliar feeling as his plane descended toward Washington on Sunday.
All of a sudden, the incoming Palm Beach congressman was nervous.
“I wasn’t expecting to be nervous and it just happened,” he admitted.
Although he had made the trip several times while seeking to unseat Rep. Tim Mahoney, it was his first trip to the city since winning the election on Nov. 4.
“Coming up as the congressman-elect was a totally different ball game,” he said.
Rooney, who has never held elected office before, won just over 60 percent of the vote, helped along by reports that Mahoney paid at least $121,000 to a former mistress to prevent a lawsuit.
He and his wife, Tara, were picked up by a Marine officer at the airport, kicking off a jam-packed week of orientation events for new members of Congress.
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Olivia de Havilland honored at White House
It was National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal day in the East Room at The White House.
Watch as acting legend Olivia de Havilland drops by to pick up her medal.
Among other honorees: Stan Lee, former president and chairman of Marvel Comics, and Texas sculptor Jesus Moroles.
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G20 Summit planning
What’s it like to plan a meeting of most of the world’s major leaders? Take a look.
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Rep. Nadler - thank you, thank you and did I say THANK YOU!
For standing up to the Bush Administration and trying to supersede the Bush Administration’s tricks to avoid what used to be the “rule of law” in the United States.
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50 minutes does not fit the definition of gracious hospitality, even in Washington.
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I’ll bookmark your site! :-)) Keep up a good work! :-))
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MARTIN FOR U.S. SENATE
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