Nancy Makes Plans For The Future

My Way News - Pelosi Says She Would Drain GOP 'Swamp':

WASHINGTON (AP) - Franklin Roosevelt had his first hundred days. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is thinking 100 hours. Time enough, she says, to begin to 'drain the swamp' after more than a decade of Republican rule.

As in the first 100 hours the House meets after Democrats - in her fondest wish - win control in the Nov. 7 midterm elections and Pelosi takes the gavel as the first Madam Speaker in history.

Day One: Put new rules in place to 'break the link between lobbyists and legislation.'

Day Two: Enact all the recommendations made by the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Time remaining until 100 hours: Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, maybe in one step. Cut the interest rate on student loans in half. Allow the government to negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices for Medicare patients.

Broaden the types of stem cell research allowed with federal funds - 'I hope with a veto-proof majority,' she added in an Associated Press interview Thursday.

All the days after that: 'Pay as you go,' meaning no increasing the deficit, whether the issue is middle class tax relief, health care or some other priority.

You go, grrrrl!

Unbelievable!

My Way News - Bush Says He Can Edit Security Reports:

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush, again defying Congress, says he has the power to edit the Homeland Security Department's reports about whether it obeys privacy rules while handling background checks, ID cards and watchlists.

In the law Bush signed Wednesday, Congress stated no one but the privacy officer could alter, delay or prohibit the mandatory annual report on Homeland Security department activities that affect privacy, including complaints.

But Bush, in a signing statement attached to the agency's 2007 spending bill, said he will interpret that section 'in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority to supervise the unitary executive branch.'

So, in other words, if he doesn't like what he sees in the reports, he's free to change what they say?! This goes beyond the beyond, if you know what I mean. Any such report will therefore be unreliable and inadmissible as evidence in court. What gall!

And that's not all:

Bush's signing statement Wednesday challenges several other provisions in the Homeland Security spending bill.

Bush, for example, said he'd disregard a requirement that the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency must have at least five years experience and "demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management and homeland security."

His rationale was that it "rules out a large portion of those persons best qualified by experience and knowledge to fill the office."

He just wants to make sure people like Brown can be appointed again. Why limit the post to people who have been in the field for more than five years, right?

Another Nail In Hastert's Coffin?

Early Warning on Foley Cited by Former Aide - New York Times:
"WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 — A former Congressional aide said Wednesday that Speaker J. Dennis Hastert’s office knew about reports of “inappropriate behavior” by Representative Mark Foley far earlier than Mr. Hastert’s office has acknowledged."

Ah! Now That's More Like It!

My Way News - Voters Say Scandals Will Affect Votes:

With midterm elections less than five weeks away, the latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that about half of likely voters say recent disclosures of corruption and scandal in Congress will be very or extremely important when they cast their vote next month.

The poll of 1,501 adults, including 741 likely voters, occurred Monday through Wednesday as House Republican leaders came under increasing pressure to explain what they knew of sexually explicit messages from former Rep. Mark Foley of Florida to teenage pages.

More troubling for Republicans, the poll found that by a margin of nearly 2-to-1 likely voters says Democrats would be better at combatting political corruption than Republicans.

We can take back the House and Senate next month. It can happen. I just hope people stay awake long enough to make it happen.

Beyond The Pale!

Tennessee Guerilla Women: Fox News Portrays Foley as A Democrat:

Last night Fox News labeled Republican pedophile Mark Foley (R-FL) as a Democrat. Fox News told this lie on three separate occasions. You won't be surprised to learn that this deceitful tactic occurred on the fictional O'Reilly Factor.

Instead of 'Mark Foley (R-FL),' the disgraced child predator was pictured with 'Mark Foley (D-FL)' under his name.

Wow! So, in order to get rid of a real problem for the Repugs, they try to make people think the perpetrator is a Dem?! Fox News has taken double-think to a new high, er, low!

Quick! Put This Guy In Jail!

My Way News - Judge May Have Stymied Abramoff Probe:

WASHINGTON (AP) - The bribery investigation involving influence-peddler Jack Abramoff may have been stymied by a federal judge in Florida just as prosecutors began asking questions about the lobbyist's ties to the White House.

U.S. District Judge Paul Huck refused to delay Abramoff's prison sentence for fraud charges Thursday, rejecting a plea by the Justice Department's top corruption prosecutor, who said Abramoff was providing information about officials whose names hadn't yet surfaced in the case.

In the past month, the FBI has been pursuing leads about Abramoff's access to the White House and whether he was able to help lawmakers get Bush administration backing for their bills, according to someone familiar with the direction of the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity because of its secrecy.

The temperature in the White House must have been getting too high for Karl and friends. When was the last time a Federal judge refused to cooperate with the FBI? Hmmmmm.

Looking Better All The Time

Polls: Dems could take Senate - Politics - MSNBC.com:

NEW YORK - Five weeks out from the midterm elections, MSNBC/McClatchy polls, conducted by Mason-Dixon in eight states, show Democrats are in striking distance of taking control of the Senate. The Democrats are very likely to gain several Senate seats with some races still rated as toss-ups.

In the Senate, Democrats need to gain six seats to regain control of the chamber. Our polls show that this is certainly possible as five races are toss-ups, one now narrowly shows a gain for Democrats -- Pennsylvania -- and the party maintains control of Sen. Maria Cantwell’s Senate seat in Washington. In addition, other Mason-Dixon polls released Sunday indicate trouble for Republicans in three other GOP-held seats.

I'm beginning to feel that, like the situation in Iraq, the situation here for the Republicans is actually much worse than we are being led to believe. If that's so, this November will be a real turning point for the country. I sure hope so!