Former Democratic Sen. John Edwards is still running for president, even though his wife’s cancer has returned, he announced today. But he’ll still have to overcome that deadly YouTube video of him primping and brushing his hair to the tune of "I Feel Pretty." Meanwhile, the creator of the Orwellian, anti-Hillary Clinton video was outed today. Philip de Vellis was a strategist with Blue State Digital, which has ties to Sen. Barack Obama. He said he did the video on his own time and without any knowledge of the Obama campaign or his employer (which says it fired him).
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
David C. Iglesias (in photo), the former U.S. attorney from New Mexico, wrote a commentary in the New York Times explaining about how politics factored into the Justice Department decision to fire him — and why it shouldn’t have.
Even though U.S. attorneys are appointed through a political process, he wrote, they are supposed to be insulated from politics, and politics are supposed to play no role during their tenure. "Little did I know that I could be fired for not being political," he wrote.
He said that Rep. Heather Wilson and Sen. Pete Domenici, Republicans from New Mexico, called him about a corruption case involving local Democrats. He said he was evasive with Wilson, because attorneys are prohibited from talking about indictments, and he told Domenici that he didn’t think he would file charges before the November election.
"A few weeks after those phone calls," he wrote, "my name was added to a list of United States attorneys who would be asked to resign — even though I had excellent office evaluations, the biggest political corruption prosecutions in New Mexico history, a record number of overall prosecutions and a 95 percent conviction rate."
Meanwhile, both the Senate and House Judiciary committees have now authorized the issuing of subpoenas to summon Karl Rove and other officials to testify under oath about the dismissals.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger dismissed Rush Limbaugh and other conservative critics on NBC’s “Today” show, saying: “All irrelevant. Rush Limbaugh is irrelevant. I am not his servant.”
Schwarzenegger called Limbaugh’s radio talk show Wednesday and explained that his comment wasn’t a personal criticism but was about what it takes to govern.
“What is important is that I bring both of the parties together and make things work to serve the people,” he said. “This is what I do, and this is why I pay very little attention if someone criticizes me or calls me, you know, that I’m turning left and that I’m selling out or whatever. I have to stay focused on results.”
Limbaugh said he understood, noting: “You’re going to do what you’re going to do regardless what anybody says.”
Posted by Ross Stewart
Good for Republican and Democratic lawmakers for rebuking the FBI this week for its abuse of power. Their outrage is warranted.
A Justice Department inspector general revealed in a report earlier this month that the FBI had been illegally and improperly gathering thousands of telephone, e-mail and financial records of Americans and foreigners. Then the Washington Post reported last weekend that these improper practices occurred despite concerns raised by bureau lawyers and managers.
As Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., asked during a House Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday: “If what was done was done by a private-sector individual, wouldn’t the FBI be arresting them? Wouldn’t the U.S. attorneys be prosecuting people who played fast and loose with these rules?”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
For those wondering how teachers feel about their working conditions, here are some results from a 2006 teacher working conditions survey, sponsored by the Kansas National Education Association, among others.
Among the findings for the Wichita district, where half of teachers responded:
– 61 percent said administration isn’t doing anything to reduce the amount of routine paperwork teachers must do.
– 58 percent said the noninstructional time provided for planning and conferences, etc., is insufficient.
– 51 percent said they need additional help in dealing with students with disabilities and closing the achievement gap.
– 72 percent agreed that “my school is a good place to work and learn.”
Posted by Randy Scholfield
