ThinkFast PM: June 28, 2006
ThinkFast PM: June 28, 2006
Bad news for Internet freedom: the Senate Commerce Committee today rejected a network neutrality amendment, “handing cable and phone broadband access providers yet another victory.”
Chris Bowers criticizes Sen. Barack Obama’s speech on religion today for echoing the false narrative that progressives “are hostile toward people of faith.” American Progress’ Denis McDonough disagrees, saying of Bowers’ critique: “I couldn’t find it because he [Obama] didn’t say it.”
After the “[w]orldwide hysteria” over North Korea’s “imminent” missile launch, Defense Tech points out that it appears “clear that a world-class hoax had gone down.”
Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) lambasts a Justice Department official for the administration’s use of “signing statements” to get around laws the President doesn’t like.
“Poor Glenn Beck. While Glenn Beck is on the road having a mid-life crisis, the radio-turned-Headline News host’s ratings are sinking.”
And finally: A video that will make your skin crawl — a giant centipede in Venezuela snatching a bat right out of the air for dinner.
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Presidential signing statements are constitutionally based challenges to the Legislative branch trying to expand its power at the expense of either the Executive of Judicial branches of our Federal Government. Again, if you think you have a case, then file a case in federal court and take it all the way to the Supreme Court – that is the constitutionally provided way to address this situation. Democrats DON’T and WON’T do this, because they KNOW they will lose.
June 28th, 2006 at 7:28 pmMESH NETWORKING
There is a standard working its way through the IEEE that will hopefully become real starting next year. This standard will make it possible to build a new wireless Internet that works just like the current Internet except every Internet user acts as both a client and a relay station at the same time. This means that instead of Telcos buying the hardware that runs the Internet … each individual buys their part of the Internet infrastructure and the Internet connections are owned and controlled by no one. Every single Internet user can connect to each other through any one of many available local connections in the mesh.
Telcos use the OLD star model topology which is not how the Internet naturally works. The telcos and the lines they have put in the ground are no longer needed and are outdated. They are trying to take advantage of the “bribary congress” to change the very nature of the Internet to prevent it from being the decentralized network that it has always been simply so they can charge you extra money to go through their star topology gateways.
Let them bribe congress… we the people can buy the mesh routers for our homes, laptops, PDAs, etc… and completely cut ourselves loose from their greed. Their time is up and technology roles on.
June 28th, 2006 at 7:29 pmComment by Jason M. Hendler
/YAWN
what an expert you are.
June 28th, 2006 at 7:33 pmNice centipede… nice centipede…
June 28th, 2006 at 7:38 pm#4, Gerald,
Yes, it must be so boring for you, when you prefer to just approach situations emotionally. Having to actually address something through the proper channels takes long, hard boring thought and work, which is not the domain of the emotionally oriented, issue/cause based Democratic Party.
Why waste your time even commenting? You’ve added nothing to the debate, except that you aren’t interested, unless you can grandstand or demigogue.
June 28th, 2006 at 7:42 pmI’m so sick of the Specter shuffle. I wish he’d shit or get off the pot.
Quit dissembling Arlen, you old faker.
June 28th, 2006 at 7:43 pmJason, you may be in favor of presidential power to change laws unabated by congressional oversight now, but what if you have a president who isn’t as trustworthy, honest and forthright as Bush. What then, Jason?
June 28th, 2006 at 7:48 pmHere are the members of the committe voting on net neutraility. Take a moment from arguing with trolls and call them. The future of the internet is at stake.
Ted Stevens – Alaska
Hart 522 202-224-3004
John McCain – Arizona
Russell 241 202-224-2235
Conrad Burns – Montana
Dirksen 187 202-224-2644
Trent Lott – Mississippi
Russell 487 202-224-6253
Kay Bailey Hutchison – Texas
Russell 284 202-224-5922
Olympia Snowe – Maine
Russell 154 202-224-5344
Gordon Smith – Oregon
Russell 404 202-224-3753
John Ensign – Nevada
Russell 364 202-224-6244
George Allen – Virginia
Russell 204 202-224-4024
John Sununu – New Hampshire
Russell 111 202-224-2841
Jim DeMint – South Carolina
Russell 340 202-224-6121
David Vitter – Louisiana
Hart 516 202-224-4623
Daniel K. Inouye – Hawaii
Hart 722 202-224-3934
John D. Rockefeller IV – West Virginia
Hart 531 202-224-6472
John F. Kerry – Massachussetts
Russell 304 202-224-2742
Byron L. Dorgan – North Dakota
Hart 322 202-224-2551
Barbara Boxer – California
Hart 112 202-224-3553
Bill Nelson – Florida
Hart 716 202-224-5274
Maria Cantwell – Washington
Hart 717 202-224-3441
Frank Lautenberg – New Jersey
Hart 324 202-224-3224
E. Benjamin Nelson – Nebraska
Hart 720 202-224-6551
Mark Pryor – Arkansas
June 28th, 2006 at 7:51 pmRussell 217 202-224-2353
The Net Nuetrality issue should be no surprise to anyone. If a means is found by which people can bypass the existing channels of power/wealth, then the existing channels will try to reassert or maintain their influence by whatever means.
I wouldn’t even want to scratch the surface of all the rules subject to newspapers, TV, radio and cable by federal, state and local governments, which the internet bypasses. It is inevitable that those same rules will be applied to the internet, since it is evolving into a content broadcast medium, for news, entertainment and politics.
June 28th, 2006 at 7:52 pmSeems Rush Limbaugh an the Korean Long Dong2 have something in common this week.
June 28th, 2006 at 7:54 pmLoved the video of the insect eating the bat. Wouldn’t of believed it, unless I saw the video! I also wouldn’t of believed that a dyslexic drunk could become the President. Still confused how a dyslexic got into the Texas Air National Guard, who barely qualifed the Texas Air National Guard aptitude test (25 percentile). Giant bugs will stalk bats; and a mental midgets governs the remaining “super power”. Seeing is believing.
June 28th, 2006 at 7:56 pm#7, Bluedog49,
If ANY president over-reaches their constitutionally granted powers, one can:
1) file suit in federal court, appealling all the way to the Supreme Court
June 28th, 2006 at 7:56 pm2) the House of Representatives can impeach and Senate prosecute and remove
3) public can vote president out of office after 4 year term is over
4) national outcry could drive party to ask president to resign (as with Nixon)
Let’s see. The Korean missle is now seen as a hoax. The “Miami 7″ were just a bunch of Christian fanatic dipshits in a warehouse. Do you ever get the feeling we’re being played like a cheap violin?
June 28th, 2006 at 7:59 pmJason, thanks for the civics lesson. Can you think of any examples of over-reaching presidential power with this current administration?
June 28th, 2006 at 8:02 pmGlenn Beck sounds like a whiney girl, even with the voice deepening vocal effects applied by his radio engineer. Nobody takes this wannabe reichwing media clown seriously.
June 28th, 2006 at 8:06 pmglenn beck’s ratings – any wonder?
Stating that the Times is “fighting for the same thing that Al Qaeda wants,” Beck added: “[C]an you imagine The New York Times coming out and saying, ‘Hey, the ovens aren’t so bad,’ back in World War II? Can you imagine that? I don’t know; sure, there are some Jews in there, but I bet they might make some good pizzas in there too.”
http://mediamatters.org/items/200606280002
i can hardly stand to hear his promo spots on my XM/AirAmericaRadio
June 28th, 2006 at 8:16 pmNow, now, liberals. No more talk about Obama. Hillary is who you want, really. She is the best option for Republicans….oh, wait..darn.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:21 pmIf you want to know how well known SWIFT is in the Third World, read my post on the subject. Perhaps someone should also let Tony Snow know.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:23 pmAs for net neutrality, I do not care which side of the aisle you are on. We need real net neutrality. This issue is more important than bickering. Call your elected leaders!!!
June 28th, 2006 at 9:30 pmherman, might i suggest (from the “Paper…” thread) :
June 28th, 2006 at 9:37 pmin character – Herman, Favored Pupil of Christ
out of character – Herman B. Hayes
Helo Herman, I noticed you despise the word liberal, but just what about the current amount of Government spending by the GOP is Conservative? What about the President’s early claims he was against nation building is that a another Conservative principle in action? What was it about Gonzales V Oregon had to do with the Conservative principle of states rights? I’m sorry, where is the united Conservative front against Illegal Immigration? Social Theocrats really have no other choice than to abandon the GOP and form their own party now don’t they? Can you honestly call Liberals “Tax & Spend” anymore without maybe just wincing at the thought of the size of the Federal government due to the control of the Conservatives in Congress? Tell me what’s a social theocrat to do? Can you say Rudy? Sure i know you can. Thanks for stopping by.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:41 pmfor the cafferty fans:
June 28th, 2006 at 9:46 pmCafferty: Bush and his signing statements: He’s the Decider!
http://www.crooksandliars.com/posts/2006/06/28/cafferty-bush-and-his-signing-statements-hes-the-decider/
21– Excellent suggestion. I think that is a fine way to go about it.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:46 pmMash, great link. Love your website too! Let’s get together some time and have a drink , maybe Rain water and pure grain alcohol and discuss what Clemenceau had to say about war.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:50 pmSen Wyden (D-OR) has said he’ll place a “hold” on the telecomm bill until it gets a net neutrality provision, by which he appears to mean that he’ll filibuster it. Perhaps we should encourage our senators to support him.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:56 pmIt just makes me sick that this has turned into a partisan issue — I can’t help but think that was a key part of the telecomm industry’s strategy — but so be it, they can’t stop a filibuster without the Democrats.
After the “[w]orldwide hysteria†over North Korea’s “imminent†missile launch, Defense Tech points out that it appears “clear that a world-class hoax had gone down.â€
“There’s an old saying in Tennessee—I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can’t get fooled again.”— George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
June 28th, 2006 at 10:00 pm“Poor Glenn Beck. While Glenn Beck is on the road having a mid-life crisis, the radio-turned-Headline News host’s ratings are sinking.â€
This country is suffering from idiot fatigue.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:02 pmComment by the fly-man — June 28, 2006 @ 9:50 pm
I am all for grain alcohol mixed with anything! I’ll bring the rain water :)
June 28th, 2006 at 10:03 pmSenate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) lambasts a Justice Department official for the administration’s use of “signing statements†to get around laws the President doesn’t like.
*yawn* Um…Sen Specter? A little less talk, and a little more action. Mmmkay?
June 28th, 2006 at 10:03 pmglad you like it, herman… let’s see how it goes…
June 28th, 2006 at 10:05 pmi’ve noticed some are not attuned to the sarcasm -
that’s actually reasonable, these days…
I have to agree that Specter’s talk to action ratio is going downhill. I did vote for him in the last election, though, and I have not lost all faith yet.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:07 pm#22 – fly-man, have some grain alcohol and rain water while you sit down and enjoy Herman’s PARODY site. He’s good…
June 28th, 2006 at 10:08 pmSo.. because the missle was a hoax, is that why is was named TAEPODONG? I mean, is that a real korean word, or was it a little joke because the whole thing was a hoax.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:11 pmgood info at crooksandliars about this too:
Net Neutrality: Defeated by a Tie
time to walk the dog!
June 28th, 2006 at 10:15 pmhey! AL GORE on the daily show tonight
right?
#34, my TAEPODONG is FUELED and READY TO FIRE!
(Rush, pass the Viagra)
June 28th, 2006 at 10:16 pm“The Republicans put partisan politics aside and passed a bill that, although not perfect, addresses the important objectives of more tightly controlling the border, discouraging companies from hiring illegal immigrants and taking a balanced approach to the grand tradition of industrious immigrants risking everything to come to this Nation with the hope of finding a job and a better future . . . . The bill also emphasizes education and training for American workers to enhance our competitiveness in an increasingly global marketplace.
In a related initiative Bush reached a new accord with China to implement fair labor standards to better enable Americans to compete fairly . . . . And Bush reached a new trade accord with India in which, in return for the millions of jobs outsourced out of reach of American citizens, India agreed to procure several categories of goods and services from the United States . . . . ”
Just dreaming . . .
And by the way, we should do more of these stories which could have been under the Dems.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:23 pmI’m sorry if I didn’t get Herman’s shtick. I used to live in Texas and the stuff he has on his website is dead on believable. Also after reading protein wisdom a few times and if I’m not mistaken his spew is real,obviously I’m not reading enough to keep up with it all.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:32 pm32 — It is well within reason.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:33 pmWill HNN give Glenn’s slot to Ann Coulter? That’s an interesting thought to ponder. They seem to have a pressing need for right-wing blowhards right now, and AC is the queen of those.
http://www.sunstateactivist.org
June 28th, 2006 at 10:35 pmBRAND NEW SSA: BLOG
http://www.sunstateactivist.org
You do realize that we have a “Conservative Blowhards School of Anchoring”, right? Did you really think we would leave that base uncovered?
June 28th, 2006 at 10:38 pmAfter the November elections, if Bush has not ignited WWIII in attacking Iran, then the race for the 2008 presidential election begins! VP Al Gore actually won the election in 2000, but Bush cheated him out of the presidency, as well as some Democrats like Sen. Lieberman who stabbed Al in the back! In 2004 Bush cheated again, but Sen. John Kerry acted like he wanted to lose because he threw in the towel before the votes were even counted in Ohio! Many like myself believe that Kerry was a shill who was paid to lose, but if not he acted very stupidly during the campaign! There are forces at work in my Democratic party to crown Sen. Hillary Clinton as the de-facto nominee for the party, without asking core/base Democrats to agree to that, which is a big mistake! To sweeten the deal the DLC is grooming Sen. Obama to be her running mate! The problem with Hillary is that she is more Republican, than a true Democrat, so her being manuvered as the Democrat choice in 2008 has a smell of her being a shill too?!
June 28th, 2006 at 10:46 pmWe would be thrilled if you folks ran Hillary.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:56 pmIn 1968 the Democrat nominee for president was going to be Sen. Bobby Kennedy, but as I watched his speech after he won the California primary he was assassinated! The Dem leadership manuvered VP Hubert Humphrey into the nominee for the party, after Bobby’s death, at the Chicago Convention, but they never asked core Democrats opinion, so there was riots at the convention against Humphrey! If Democrats are forced to have Hillary in 2008, then there will be the biggest fight at the convention since 1968 > mark my words my fellow Democrats, it’s time to tell Hillary to bow out of the race for president in 2008!
June 28th, 2006 at 11:24 pm“We would be thrilled if you folks ran Hillary”
brothers and sisters can I get a “DUH!”?
LOL!
as far as I’m concerned “Hillary in ‘08″ should be copywright FOX News. I must have heard that phrase 100 times during Election ‘04. Of COURSE the right wants Hillary to run!! They are road tested and ready!! EVERY thing they EVER hit her over the head with is close at hand.
as far as I’m concerned ‘Hillary for President’ is the right’s PLAN.
They lay awake at night rubbing their hands together and praying for this.
It will be EVERYTHING-Gate ALL the time if Hillary runs.
you can count on it. McCain, Rudy and Hillary could have a three-way and every pundit in T.V.Land would be calling Hillary a Hoor.
Look in your heart, Skywalker, and you will know this to be true!
June 28th, 2006 at 11:55 pmEmails like this don’t come along every day. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing my response to this memorable screed by Ann Coulter’s agent.
June 29th, 2006 at 12:13 amit doesn’t do any good to call your congressman about net
neutruelity :(
All of congress is bought out and as everybody
June 29th, 2006 at 12:53 amknows they are all corrupted. they neither care
about anyone expect themselves and their
political contributions…. TOTALLY CORRUPTED!
…this memorable screed by Ann Coulter’s agent.
Comment by jurassicpork — June 29, 2006 @ 12:13 am
“In short, they [Democratics] do everything possible to steal or buy votes and everything possible to avoid a very American democratic debate.”
i did not know that… (think carson)
well, i certainly understand better how you come away with a headache after writing your own “screed”, Herman…
what is to become of us, and our United States of America? is it gone?
June 29th, 2006 at 1:08 amHah…wouldn’t it be funny if Hillary has the last laugh; and she actually wins over people hungry for the nostalgia of having money to buy food for their kids.
And this Jason guy…you seem so earnest in your posts, but really…at this point, how much more evidence, how many more people involved in providing false data admitting it was fixed to support going to war in Iraq, how much more do you really need?
It is this huge sticking point that causes me to refuse to believe anything bush touches. If a president and his puppeteers are willing to commit a country that is the world’s last “Superpower” to a war based on such light evidence of Saddam’s involvement in al aqaida, or WMD’s…then that president will do anything, ANYthing without consideration.
From this point, this presidency is no longer legitimate.
June 29th, 2006 at 1:24 amOne of the things needed urgently for the entire Congress is Term Limits on every elected and appointed positions in government! Senators should be limited to 2 six year terms in Senate; Representatives should be limited to 6 two year terms in the House – so up to 12 years max!
June 29th, 2006 at 1:55 amAll retirement packages for members of Congress must NOT be available to them untill they become 65 or older, like the rest of Americans are forced to do on Social Security benefits! No free medical or dental after they leave Congress either, because they should have to pay out of pocket like average Americans are forced to do! Members of the Supreme Court should be limited to 20 years on bench, then replaced automatically! Presidents should be allowed only 1 4 year term in the White House, so they do not waste time and money on getting re-elected!
One of the things needed urgently for the entire Congress is Term Limits on every elected and appointed positions in government! Senators should be limited to 2 six year terms in Senate; Representatives should be limited to 6 two year terms in the House – so up to 12 years max!
June 29th, 2006 at 1:57 amAll retirement packages for members of Congress must NOT be available to them untill they become 65 or older, like the rest of Americans are forced to do on Social Security benefits! No free medical or dental after they leave Congress either, because they should have to pay out of pocket like average Americans are forced to do! Members of the Supreme Court should be limited to 20 years on bench, then replaced automatically! Presidents should be allowed only 1 four year term in the White House, so they do not waste time and money on getting re-elected!
KOREAN MISSLE
My favorite news story was CBS’s Schieffer asking the correspondent if a nuclear warhead was on the tip of the missle (while showing a satellite close-up of the rocket on the launch pad). The correspondent said there was a satellite on the tip, and then Schieffer waid, “well, will we have time to stop it if it comes our way?”
Hype, hypocrisy, hypocracy, hoopla, ha ha ha!
June 29th, 2006 at 2:34 ami’m digging the new video links you’ve been throwing up lately…
June 29th, 2006 at 7:48 am#3 Re: Mesh Networks
It’ll never work..
1> First off who pays for a connection to the cloud, and who doesn’t? I don’t want people using my internet for free.
2> With the major security problems of wireless networks now people have to be worried about spammers, child porn, and other scams. If someone is doing illegal stuff on your Access Point, the FBI knocks on your door.
While it all sounds nice, it will never work.
June 29th, 2006 at 9:04 amSigning Statements are a constitutional way for the president to prevent Congress encroaching on presidential powers? Please explain exactly how this is constitutional? But let me explain how I understand the constitution to work, of course my basis for thought is my education with the usual classes in the eighth grade, junior year in high school, college graduation requirements, reading extensively on the founders and the federalist papers.
The way I understand the constitution to work is that the legislative branch writes and passes laws, the executive enforces those laws and the judiciary interprets the constitutionality of the laws. Though the judiciary interpretation is not entirely clear in the constitution, it is pretty much accepted as fact since Marbury. Anyhow…the president has multiple avenues to stop the encroachment of his powers. He can veto a law as allowed by the constitution. Or he can send a test case to the courts to see how the courts view the constitutionality of the law. Right now the current president has done neither. He has a compliant partisan friendly congress, a pliable very conservative court, so why he does not do this is beyond me. The only explanation is that he has no regard for either or believes that he has the power to make law, which would make him be in violation of his oath of office to protect and defend the constitution.
To say that the dems have not tried to test those powers is being entirely disingenuous. The dems have no power in Washington right now. They can not call hearings or launch official investigations without the majority shutting them down. Give them power in November and see if they do launch a few investigations. But if they win either or both houses, my bet is that the congress will be shut down for security reasons.
June 29th, 2006 at 10:05 amI seem to be having comments disappear. Not mean or anything, just comments. What’s up? Can you email me?
June 29th, 2006 at 12:33 pmYou missed JABBS’ exclusive on the fact that Mitch McConnell admitted that Republicans knew about Gen. Casey’s plan before they voted on the similar Levin-Reed redeployment proposal — and it didn’t stop them from using the “cut and run” term over and over.
It’d be nice if thinkprogress, in its blog round-up, considered itesm from JABBS. Lots of timely, original stuff there. Buzzflash links to it all the time, and Daily Kos and Crooks & Liars have linked to it a bunch. But Thinkprogress hasn’t thus far. Help?
June 29th, 2006 at 2:46 pmObama may not have said that Progressives are hostile to people of faith but definitely some strawmen appear to be hostile. Although I applaud trying to energize Christian progressives, I wish he would avoid implying that Christians’ Persecution Complex had a foundation in reality.
June 29th, 2006 at 7:01 pm[...] Via Aravosis via TP via the inimitable David Attenborough, a Venezuelan centipede that eats bats. Great for ooking out squeamish coworkers. [...]
June 30th, 2006 at 9:40 am