Bush To Get Probed, Cheney President For A Few Hours

JetBlue Tries To Have It Both Ways, Gets Burned Instead

Apparently JetBlue couldn't take the rightwing pressure after the Falafel Factor went after them for sponsoring YearlyKos. They relented to Bill O and backed down. But then they tried to turn it around. Not only has this angered progressives, they still haven't placated the rabid rightwingers that watch O'Reilly's show.

From Kos:

Okay, so JetBlue, after deciding to resist Bill O'Reilly's pressure last night, just decided to back down. Let them know what you think about that.

corporatecommunications@jetblue.com

As for my part, I'm cancelling my JetBlue American Express card and will be looking at alternative options for my future travel. Too bad. Unfortunately, JetBlue just told me (and the rest of us) that they accept O'Reilly's bullshit smears.

What's really interesting about this whole affair is that the most aggressive pushback is coming from Hillary Clinton's camp. JetBlue may have just exacerbated their PR problem, but at least we're seeing that the days when Democrats would've followed suit are behind us.

Update: Oh, and JetBlue advertises with Fox. You see, it's okay to support the likes of Ann Coulter.

Update II: JetBlue wants me to note that they didn't pull the tickets they donated to the event. So the sponsorship remains, but they are too afraid to let anyone know that they donated those tickets.

Doesn't this seem the worst of all worlds. Will right wingers be appeased considering that JetBlue is still giving yKos free tickets? Way to piss off everyone...

They had it right the first time, saying that they'd be happy to sponsor events from all ends of the ideological spectrum. That'd be more than fair enough.

Right on Markos, too bad the PR and corporate brass were too thick-headed to stick to their initial decision. I love that airline, but this mishap puts a bad mark in my book for them.

A Little Lighter Sense

The infamous Shoe Bomber Richard Reid used matches in an attempt to light a bomb implanted in his shoe a few years ago. This crazy action prompted another by the Congress at the time. Cigarette lighters were to be confiscated, but you could still bring matches on-board just as Reid had done. The Transportation Security Administration followed this ridiculous law for years, until they concluded this month that the rule was a waste of time and a waste of millions of dollars to dispose of the confiscated items.

From The Chicago Tribune:

Lawmakers said that if Reid had used a lighter, instead of matches, he might have been able to ignite the bomb, but Kip Hawley, assistant secretary for the Transportation Security Administration, said Thursday that the ban had done little to improve aviation security because small batteries could be used to set off a bomb.

Matches have never been prohibited on flights.

The policy change, which is to go into effect Aug. 4, applies to disposable butane lighters, like Bics, and refillable lighters, like Zippos. Torch lighters, which have thin, hotter flames, will still be banned.

Security officers have been collecting some 22,000 lighters a day nationwide.

So come August 4th, bring all of your lighters to airport, and wave them in the faces of the "security officers" and shout "nah, nah, nah, nah nah" at them. Or something grown up and responsible like that. Just make sure the lighters have less than 3.4 oz of fluid, or else they'll still take it away. That goes for such explosives as water, toothpaste and hair gel, you know, the dangerous stuff.

Project Phin's Quest To Save The World

The episode is a little bit twisted, but the point gets across that we need to do something about having more clean energy and fighting Big Oil....even if it takes celebrity appearances.

CREW Files Ethics Complaint Against Vitter

There has to be accountability for elected officials who screw up. Senator David Vitter is a prime example of a morally bankrupt politician that says and preaches one thing while doing the exact opposite. He "came clean" when his name was about to be released by the DC Madam, Deborah Palfrey. But the whole story is still buried and he denies many of the other allegations about him. Instead of apologizing he went on the offensive, disgracing his constituents and playing them as fools in the process. So the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington decided that they wanted to see the Senate investigate him so we can get to the bottom of the mess, take the appropriate action and move on.

From CREW:

Today, CREW filed a Senate Ethics complaint against Senator David Vitter (R-LA). We asked for an investigation into whether he violated the Senate Rules of Conduct by soliciting for prostitution. The complaint can be found here.

On July 9, 2007, it was revealed that Sen. Vitter's telephone number was included in the so-called "D.C. Madam," Deborah Jeane Palfrey's, list of client telephone numbers. Sen. Vitter confirmed that he had sought Ms. Palfrey's services, saying in a statement, "this was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible."

Two other women also have alleged that Sen. Vitter engaged the services of prostitutes. According to Jeanette Maier, the "Canal Street Madam," Senator Vitter visited a New Orleans, Louisiana brothel several times in the mid-1990s and a woman who worked as a prostitute under the name of Wendy Cortez has claimed that several years ago, Senator Vitter was a regular client of hers.

Engaging the services of a prostitute violates both District of Columbia and Louisiana criminal law.

Following the law isn't the most favorite pastime of David Vitter and other "morally superior" people, it is time to teach them a lesson.

It's Not The Steam Pipe's Fault

The world is an inter-connected place, so there is no reason to believe that the explosion near Grand Central on Wednesday was an isolated event. The papers have mentioned the Gramercy Park explosion from 1989, but it is more of a side note than a beginning of an in-depth look at whats going on with our infrastructure. Reading the DMI Blog this morning, Elana Levin's "When Infrastructure Attacks" put the big picture on display with great style. Loved the title too.

From The DMI Blog:

I should probably explain this blog post's title. When chasms in the earth open up near Grand Central the media tends to report it. Even Fox. But what you won't see in the media by and large is a discussion of why it is that these accidents take place. Sure they'll explain how the explosion was caused by water hitting an antediluvian steam pipe but they just won't make the connection between the lack of investment in our country's infrastructure and things going kablooie. You see it takes money to keep any locality running. And localities get that money through our taxes.

Infrastructure is quite literally crumbling beneath our feat and to paraphrase Rick Perlstein "it's not the terrorists, it's the tax cuts". You see you can't have modern society without infrastructure, like emergency services, a working sewage system and a power grid. And if your only goal as a society is to cut taxes eventually you are left with asbestos covered steam pipes from 1924 that explode and kill people - and yes, damage business interests.

One thing I really like about Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC is that his plan seriously addresses infrastructure as a long term investment for our city. As a major economic engine for the country we all need to be concerned about NYC having ongoing access to clean water, the ability to safely meet (and reduce) our need for electricity, and get all of our roads into safe condition, just to name a few tasks highlighted in the plan. It's not just NYC that needs to plan ahead- it's the whole country.

The problem with the country and infrastructure is that there is a trend starting to form that privatizes the repair of America's wires and pipes. It's a free-market libertarian's dream but a nightmare for the rest of us. As Elana said in the post, our money goes a lot farther when it is collectively put together for the common good. When companies propose to fix infrastructure for profit, its the bottom line that comes before the common good.

President H.W. Bush signed an Executive Order allowing for the privatization of infrastructure back in 1992. It is already happening with our highways. The more our pipes fall apart, the greater the demand of corporate America to seize the opportunity to increase their profits. With an Administration hell bent on destroying the capabilities of our government and cities that are desperate to fix the problems that can't be fixed without federal dollars (excluding cities like New York with large tax bases).

The Congress needs to draft legislation to appropriate money to fix our infrastructure so that we can keep on having the civilized society that we enjoy. Repairs can also make the system more energy efficient as well. And we won't have to worry about market-based solutions that provide access to customers that only increase returns such as what is starting to happen in the Telecom industry in relation to rural customers where it is more expensive to reach them, the same thing can happen with wires, steam and especially water.

Larry King Can Dance, Nice Figure Too

This might not be what you want to see in the morning, but its damn funny. Anderson Cooper let an embarrassing photo-shopped flash animation of Larry King in a bikini on the air last night.

White House: "We Are Above The Law"

It is no longer a case of assuming that the Bush Administration will circumvent the legislative branch and the Constitution when Democrats put Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress for not testifying. An anonymous Op-Ed in the Washington Post today by a senior Bush official signaled that they would not allow the Justice Dept to file charges against Miers or anyone 'protected' by the White House when Congress requests it.

From RawStory:

Under law, a contempt citation by the House or Senate must be submitted to Washington, D.C. US attorney, who then brings the charge to a grand jury.

"It has long been understood that, in circumstances like these, the constitutional prerogatives of the president would make it a futile and purely political act for Congress to refer contempt citations to U.S. attorneys," the anonymous Bush official added.

George Mason University professor of public policy Mark J. Rozell called the administration's stance "astonishing" in the article.

"That's a breathtakingly broad view of the president's role in this system of separation of powers," Rozell told the reporter. "What this statement is saying is the president's claim of executive privilege trumps all."

And the President believes he trumps all, from Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi to the Constitution and our rule of law. It is obvious that he will stop at nothing to get his ends achieved, even if the means consist of acting as an authoritarian dictator. Meanwhile Harry Reid whines that the President isn't above the law. Well Harry, that's my job and others of us who can type but do not have the power to throw the bastard out of the White House.

Pelosi needs to start bringing charges against him and Reid must collect the votes to convict Bush and Cheney of their crimes against our Republic. If they do not, our democracy is just a pathetic joke.

Congestion Pricing: It's Not Dead Yet

It's been a rough few days for the Mayor. A friend of mine saw him nail down three glasses of wine at a trendy Upper East Side restaurant earlier this week. But all is not bad for the Mayor at the end of this week. Bloomberg's pet project arose from the grave again yesterday as state legislators made a deal that rests more power for the city council and the special commission being set up to examine all the details.

From The Daily News:

The agreement in Albany, which came after days of roller-coaster negotiations, stopped short of granting Bloomberg blanket authority to impose his ambitious congestion pricing plan.

But it gave the city the green light to start setting up the system - without collecting tolls just yet - while a state commission decides if there's a better traffic-busting idea out there.

The City Council and Legislature also would have to sign off. Mayoral aides said they were confident the commission would see it Bloomberg's way, and the Council and Legislature will follow.

Silver remains a tough customer for the press, stating that nothing is certain. The commission could cut out a lot of Bloomberg's ideas over the next few weeks and months. Although I am a fan of this effort, I think it would be good to practice a little power-sharing in New York City when it comes to our Mayor. We already know too well the devastating effects of an omnipresent chief of the city.

The Unofficial College Republican Convention Tour

Absolutely hilarious. When push comes to shove, the tough-talking youngsters would rather fight the war from home while our troops are forced over to Iraq to support these ideologues and their crazy notions about the world. Congrats to Max for making this clip.

Diane Sawyer Apologizes For Unfair Treatment Towards Harry Reid

It is a rare moment in the mainstream media for a journalist to apologize for their errors, but Diane Sawyer admitted her mistake today for incorrectly saying that Harry Reid was filibustering. Apparently she forgot what the term means, even after all of her years covering Washington. Thankfully she remembered later on and fessed up to her mistake.

From Media Matters:

On the July 19 edition of ABC's Good Morning America, co-host Diane Sawyer apologized for her false assertion -- documented by Media Matters for America -- regarding Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) plan to hold an all-night Senate debate prior to the July 18 cloture vote on a Democratic proposal to withdraw troops from Iraq.

On the July 17 edition of the program, Sawyer said that Reid "vows to filibuster, talking all night to close out all topics besides a vote on Iraqi troop withdrawals." In fact, by extending the Senate session throughout the night, Reid did not "vow to filibuster," as Sawyer reported; rather, he highlighted the Republicans' blocking of an up-or-down vote on the proposal. Indeed, it was the Republicans who opposed the Democrats' effort to end debate on the legislation and move to a simple majority vote. In her on-air statement, Sawyer clarified that Reid had actually "held the all-night debate to protest the threat of a filibuster from the Republicans. ... You wrote me. You were right. I was wrong. I apologize."

Congratulations Diane, I hope your example of honesty will be mirrored by all of your colleagues. Of course, that is probably just wishful thinking on my part. Too bad the trend in traditional media outlets is to screw up and move on.

FEMA Trailers: Killing Them With Kindness

FEMA's response to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has already been proven as a disaster to compliment the destruction of Mother Nature. Now Congress is examining one such example where the trailers that were brought in to house refugees were contaminated with high levels of cancer causing formaldehyde. Just one more disgrace after another for the Bush Administration and its agencies that are supposed to help people.

From The Gavel:

At 10:00 a.m. the Oversight Committee will hold a hearing, “FEMA’s Response to Reports of Toxic Trailers.” The Committee will hold a hearing investigating formaldehyde levels in FEMA trailers provided for victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes and FEMA’s response to these reports. The Committee will hear from current residents occupying FEMA trailers, experts who are familiar with the health impact of formaldehyde, and from FEMA Administrator Paulison. Formaldehyde is a chemical used in paint and adhesives, and is classified as a “known carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Reports of high formaldehyde levels found in FEMA issued trailers and FEMA’s response raise serious public health concerns.

Chairman Waxman:
“Another FEMA official wrote, the office of general counsel has advised ‘We do not do testing, because it would imply FEMA’s ownership of this issue.’ Early in the process, due to the perseverance of a pregnant mother with a four month old child, FEMA did test one occupied trailer. The results showed that their trailer had formaldehyde levels 75 times higher than the maximum workplace exposure levels recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The mother evacuated the trailer. FEMA then stopped testing other trailers.”

If only we had oversight like this with the Republican Congress before the disaster ever happened. Perhaps then those trailers wouldn't have been introduced in the first place. FEMA used to be such an amazing agency and now its a national and international disgrace. One of the reasons America became so great was that the government took care of its citizens and helped them to achieve a better life. Now they help poison them with carcinogens, how wonderful.