Constitution

ashcroft just might find Dean to his liking

This entry was posted in ashcroft CAPPS II Constitution dean Democracy Domestic Terrorism Election 2004 Libertarianism on by

I have had little to say about the current democratic aspirants and probably won’t say much more until there are fewer to deal with.
However, anyone supporting a national ID card in this age of MATRIX and the PATRIOT ACt deserves a hot poker applied to some tender area of their anatomy.
Dean Campaign site:

I will nominate federal judges with outstanding legal credentials, records of professional excellence, and demonstrated commitment to the constitutional principles of equality, liberty, and privacy.

Dean in March 2002:

Fifteen months before Dean said he would seek the presidency, however, the former Vermont governor spoke at a conference in Pittsburgh co-sponsored by smart-card firm Wave Systems where he called for state drivers’ licenses to be transformed into a kind of standardized national ID card for Americans. Embedding smart cards into uniform IDs was necessary to thwart “cyberterrorism” and identity theft, Dean claimed. “We must move to smarter license cards that carry secure digital information that can be universally read at vital checkpoints,” Dean said in March 2002, according to a copy of his prepared remarks. “Issuing such a card would have little effect on the privacy of Americans.”
Dean also suggested that computer makers such as Apple Computer, Dell, Gateway and Sony should be required to include an ID card reader in PCs–and Americans would have to insert their uniform IDs into the reader before they could log on

A national ID card seems to be contrary to any meaningful idea of liberty and privacy.
Via Metafilter.

Some Folks Should be Downsized

This entry was posted in Capitalism Constitution Democracy Domestic Terrorism Drug Laws Economics Law Enforcement Libertarianism on by

Kevin Drum notes that:

every state except Nevada and Nebraska is seeing a shift from high paying industries, which are losing jobs, to low paying industries, which are gaining them.

If you haven’t noticed this phenomena open your eyes.
Now, I am deeply concerned about this trend and feel badly for the people who are living this transition (and working my but off to make sure (delay?) it does not happen to me.
On the other hand there are some folks that have jobs that should not exist and I apologize in advance for wishing ill on these people. Prosecuting attorneys, federal agents, police officers and anyone else involved in supporting this kind of stuff need to be sent immediately to jobs in low paying industries. Positions as Wal-mart clerks may be too good.
The latter link is via Talkleft.

Plame Grand Jury

This entry was posted in bush Constitution Democracy Election 2004 Federal Government Iraq on by

From Time:

Sources with knowledge of the case tell TIME that behind closed doors at the E. Barrett Prettyman federal courthouse, nearby the Capitol, a grand jury began hearing testimony Wednesday in the investigation of who leaked the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame to columnist Robert Novak and other journalists.

I’d sure like to see the results packaged up and delivered to the people well before November.
Via Atrios.

A Proper Response to the SOTU

This entry was posted in bush Constitution Democracy Domestic Terrorism Election 2004 Federal Government on by

James Landrith has cosigned Jonathon Wilde’s fine response to the SOTU reading:

It is a spectacle millions watch on air with tremendous involvement and pointless excitement, but is ultimately an act of fakery.
Message to politicians:
I don’t want your ‘strengthening of the economy’. You have screwed it up enough already.
I don’t want your ‘sanctity of marriage’. It’s not your business.
Quit trying to define everything as right or left. The world is not binary.
….

Do go read the rest. His summation should be constantly visible to every politician.

Drug Benefits for Seniors Corporations

This entry was posted in Business US Capitalism Constitution Democracy Economics on by

Skimble quotes generously from this WSJ article and I give you just this little bit:

The program is supposed to encourage employers to retain prescription-drug coverage.
But companies are entitled to the subsidy regardless of how much of the cost they pick up themselves. As a result, it does nothing to halt the current rush by some employers to shift more costs to retirees.
In fact, benefits consultants are designing employer-sponsored prescription plans to save companies more money by unloading costs on their former workers without losing out on the new subsidy.

It makes me feel just so good to know that whatever part of my taxes is not going to support a Nevada swimming pool is going to help the bottom line of some government supported corporation.
Via Sisyphus Shrugged.