Last year President Bush proposed a Social Security privatization plan–workers could divert some of their payroll taxes into private savings accounts–as a way of heading off a financial crisis in the Social Security program at some point in the future. In Bush’s view, making workers more responsible for their retirement needs would reduce the burdenContinue reading “On Social Security Privatization”
Category Archives: Politics
On former President Carter and Wiretaps
Did President Bush violate the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act when he authorized wiretaps without court authority? Former President Jimmy Carter has a unique perspective on the issue–he was the President that signed FISA into law when it was passed in 1978. Said Carter, “If my voice is important to point of the intent of theContinue reading “On former President Carter and Wiretaps”
On Senator Kerry's Filibuster
Massachusetts Senator Kerry today called for a Senate filibuster of Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito. I don’t know how the votes will break down, if the Democrats will have enough votes to hold off a cloture vote. If the cloture vote to end debate fails, would the Republicans then unleash the nuclear option, rewritingContinue reading “On Senator Kerry's Filibuster”
On What the White House Knew
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction of New Orleans President Bush and his advisors stated repeatedly that no one could have predicted that a Category-4 hurricane could breach the levees protecting the city, that no one could have predicted the flooding and the devestation the city suffered. Recently released documents prepared by the DepartmentContinue reading “On What the White House Knew”
More on Bush and al-Jazeera
David Keogh and Leo O’Connor go on trial in London on January 24th. Their crime? Violating Britain’s Official Secrets Act by passing around a top secret memo about a meeting between Prime Minister Tony Blair and President George Bush. This is a story that has received very little traction in the American press–first, because theContinue reading “More on Bush and al-Jazeera”
On the President and His Vacations
It’s now official–the President has spent a full 365 days out of his not-quite five years as leader of the Free World on vacation, clearing brush off his Texas ranch. This article from the Washington Post passes no judgment on the President’s hobbies, but the question needs to be asked–aren’t there better, more important thingsContinue reading “On the President and His Vacations”
Still More on Writing Letters
Today, for reasons unknown, the Raleigh News & Observer reprinted my letter they had published on Christmas Day. Not sure why, maybe they liked it a lot. 😀
More on Writing Letters
Today, Christmas Day, the Raleigh News & Observer published my letter on the President’s illegal domestic spying program. Color me happy. 🙂 Among the other letters published in today’s paper I do like this quote from Randy Balot: “We are fighting a two-front war. In the Middle East are the Islamofascists. In the United StatesContinue reading “More on Writing Letters”
On Wiretaps
I saw this on John S. Drew’s LiveJournal: “When you see this, post it.” Which I’m doing. 🙂 “Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires — a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we’re talking about chasing down terrorists,Continue reading “On Wiretaps”
On Writing Letters
Yesterday I mailed off a letter to my Congressman, Representative Brad Miller. As I mentioned a few days ago, Representative Miller has sent me e-mails on occasion, and I decided to write to him about the recent revelations regarding the President’s decision to flaunt the courts and the Constitution and institute illegal wiretaps on personsContinue reading “On Writing Letters”