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(WIL WHEATON dot VOX)
I’m not here to say that the government is always right, but when the government tells you to do something, I’m sure you would all agree that I think you all recognize that is something you need to do.
— Sen. Kit Bond (R-Missouri), explaining why his fellows had to lock arms with him and grant telecom immunity.
Akin thinks sending spam is a good way to keep his constituents informed…
Subject: Congressman Akin Fights High Gas Prices; More
From: Congressman Todd Akin <todd.akin@houseenews.net>
Reply-To: 1999884940.12611.142@houseenews.net
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 16:48:30 -0700 (PDT)
Dear Friends,
[self serving crapola deleted]
I can’t believe this empty suit is essentially running unopposed…
Ashcroft Flying High:
(CBS) Fishing rod in hand, Attorney General John Ashcroft left on a weekend trip to Missouri Thursday afternoon aboard a chartered government jet, reports CBS News Correspondent Jim Stewart.
In response to inquiries from CBS News over why Ashcroft was traveling exclusively by leased jet aircraft instead of commercial airlines, the Justice Department cited what it called a “threat assessment” by the FBI, and said Ashcroft has been advised to travel only by private jet for the remainder of his term.
“There was a threat assessment and there are guidelines. He is acting under the guidelines,” an FBI spokesman said. Neither the FBI nor the Justice Department, however, would identify what the threat was, when it was detected or who made it.
A senior official at the CIA said he was unaware of specific threats against any Cabinet member, and Ashcroft himself, in a speech in California, seemed unsure of the nature of the threat.
“I don’t do threat assessments myself and I rely on those whose responsibility it is in the law enforcement community, particularly the FBI. And I try to stay within the guidelines that they’ve suggested I should stay within for those purposes,” Ashcroft said.
Asked if he knew anything about the threat or who might have made it, the attorney general replied, “Frankly, I don’t. That’s the answer.”
Earlier this week, the Justice Department leased a NASA-owned G-3 Gulfstream for a 6-day trip to Western states. Such aircraft cost the government more than $1,600 an hour to fly. When asked whether Ashcroft was paying for any portion of the trips devoted to personal business, a Justice Department spokeswoman declined to respond.
All other Bush Cabinet appointees, with the exception of Interior and Energy with remote sites to oversee, fly commercial airliners. Janet Reno, Ashcroft’s predecessor as attorney general, also routinely flew commercial. The secretaries of State and Defense traditionally travel with extra security on military planes.
The Justice Department insists that it wasn’t Ashcroft who wanted to fly leased aircraft. That idea, they said, came strictly from Ashcroft’s FBI security detail. The FBI had no further comment.
Has anyone looked into why John Ashcroft started flying chartered government planes in 2001, just months before September 11, 2001?
More Republican spam found in my inbox. Unlike last time, this one is actually from my congressmen.
Subject: Akin Newsletter 3-19-08
From: Congressman Todd Akin <todd.akin@houseenews.net>
Reply-To: 1999909324.12748.2@houseenews.net
Date: 19 Mar 2008 11:45:05 -0700 (PDT)
Dear Friends,
I am pleased to announce my new web site and e-newsletter which will better serve you.
I’m pleased to announce that you’re a spammer and you will never get my vote.
This new e-newsletter with enhanced capabilities will let you know more quickly what is going on here in Washington, DC. This new technology will also increase the number of constituents I can reach on a regular basis and adds the ability to elicit direct responses on legislation and issues of the day.
By utilizing the new e-newsletter features we are able to communicate at a lower cost to taxpayers than ever before.
I hope that you will find this new e-newsletter easier to read, easier to respond to and most importantly more timely and informative. I am eager to hear from you as we take advantage of this new program.
I hope that you will find this new e-newsletter easier to read, easier to respond to - <sarcasm> I’m sure you won’t make available the email addresses of the respondents to other bulk emailers. </sarcasm>
Sincerely,
Congressman Todd Akin
Unlike the email from Mr. Akin’s colleague, this email doesn’t have any obvious misspellings.
This email was sent from the domain, politicalsystems.net with an email address in the houseenews.net domain.
Missouri senator wants to require using B.C. and A.D.
By CHRIS BLANK
Associated Press Writer
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Legislators have started a fight with Father Time — at least with his name tag.
Worried about a push to take the religious references out of time, a state senator has filed a bill that would mandate the use of B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini or “Year of our Lord”). Many historians and textbook publishers have switched to B.C.E. (Before Common Era) and C.E. (Common Era) as a nod toward non-Christians.
And that’s a problem, said Sen. John Loudon.
“There is an effort to sort of scrub our public institutions of acknowledgment of God,” said Loudon, R-Chesterfield. He said it would be costly to change dating systems — both financially and culturally.
He’s a Republican. <sarcasm>There’s a surprise.</sarcasm>
Loudon’s bill, which was also filed last year and this year has also been filed as a constitutional amendment, would make B.C. and A.D. the “official dating standard” of Missouri. It would also bar the state and public employees from using any other system in official capacities.
That would also seem to include public schools, which could set up a debate about whether textbooks could be used if they use B.C.E. and C.E.
Which may be a key motivation behind this insane legislation.
A spokesman for the Missouri School Boards’ Association said the group is uncertain how the measure would be interpreted. Brent Ghan said the requirement would have little affect if it were limited to documents created by school districts. But policing textbooks would be a different story.
“If that were the case, it could potentially be a costly item for school districts,” Ghan said.
Loudon said he’s not sure whether the bill would affect the textbooks school districts use but doesn’t see a problem with requiring books that use B.C. and A.D.
Loudon is unsure? He introduced the bill!
“Publishers that want it used in Missouri should stick with current standards,” he said.
Using B.C.E. and C.E. are the current standards!
(via Pharyngula)
HOUSE BILL NO. 213
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES CUNNINGHAM (86) (Sponsor) AND RUESTMAN (Co-sponsor).
…
(1) The report required in this subsection shall address the specific measures taken by the institution to ensure and promote intellectual diversity and academic freedom. The report may include steps taken by the institution to:
(a) Conduct a study to assess the current state of intellectual diversity on its campus, including diversity-related criteria used in admissions, scholarship awards, and hiring which shall include racial and gender diversity;
(b) Incorporate intellectual diversity into institution statements, grievance procedures, which may include filing a complaint directly with the governing board, and activities on diversity;
(c) Encourage a balanced variety of campus-wide panels and speakers and annually publish the names of panelists and speakers;
(d) Establish clear campus policies that ensure that hecklers or threats of violence do not prevent speakers from speaking;
(e) Include intellectual diversity concerns in the institution’s guidelines on teaching and program development and such concerns shall include but not be limited to the protection of religious freedom including the viewpoint that the Bible is inerrant;
(f) Include intellectual diversity issues in student course evaluations;
While they’re at it, they should seek to protect things like Holocaust denial and the belief the earth is flat.
More smegheadery from Missouri Republicans:
Two seek new stem cell vote
Two Republican legislators want Missouri voters to do an about-face on the issue of embryonic stem cell research by tossing out a constitutional amendment approved last month and replacing it with a strict ban on certain forms of research.
Republican? Why am I not surprised?
The proposed constitutional amendment, offered by Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee’s Summit, and Rep. Jim Lembke, R-Lemay, would remove all of the nearly 2,000 words of Amendment 2, which 51 percent of voters approved last month.
Matt Bartle and Jim Lembke don’t trust Missouri voters. Just because they find it difficult to comprehend a 2,000 word amendment, they assume others also have a hard time. And wasn’t 51 percent a mandate for George W. Bush?
Securing legislative support for the measure could be challenging. In the past, Senate Republican leadership has refused to bring similar human cloning bans to a vote on the floor. That hesitancy was due, in part, to deep divisions among Republicans over whether the research should be legal.
Senate Majority Leader Michael Gibbons, R-Kirkwood, said many legislators might be reluctant to once again take up the issue.
But Bartle said last month’s election could make it harder for legislators to smother the measure. He cited the fact that Amendment 2 failed in most counties in the state. It was pushed through by urban and suburban areas.
…Amendment 2 failed in most counties in the state. It was pushed through by urban and suburban areas. — So what? Are urban and suburban areas somehow less important than rural areas?
Matt Bartle and Jim Lembke really need to get over it and accept that Missourians have spoken on this issue.
Now Jim Talent is sharing his ill-gotten email list…
Subject: Jim Talent Stands for Small Business
From: “Lisa Goeas, Vice President, Political” <politicalemails@NFIB.org>
To: me
Dear James,
The stakes have never been higher for small business. That’s why the National Federation of Independent Business - the nation’s leading small-business advocacy association - wants you to know where Jim Talent stands on the issues.
[rest of email deleted]
I’m willing to give the National Federation of Independent Business the benefit of doubt and assume they got my email address thinking Jim Talent had permission to share my email address with other organizations. To be clear, Jim Talent does not even have permission to send unsolicited emails to me much less share my address with others.
See also:
And yet again…
Subject: Keeping America Safe
From: “Talent for Senate” <info@talentforsenate.com>
To: me
Dear James,
Labor Day is behind us and kids are returning to school, which means the election is just around the corner. I have been working hard for Missourians over the last four years in the United States Senate and I will continue working hard every day in this campaign.
Translation: “I’m working hard to get my ass re-elected despite voting with President Bush 93% of the time.”
One of the ways we are reaching out to voters in Missouri is through television advertising. You might have seen some of our ads on television. If you haven’t seen our ads yet or want to share them with your family and friends, I invite you to watch them on my website at www.TalentForSenate.com.
I watch very little local television and haven’t seen any of your television advertising. I guess I’ll have make my decision based on the actual records of the candidates — It looks like you’re SOL.
Our most recent ad discusses my commitment to keeping America safe. I believe this is the most important job of our government.
Mr .Talent, “keeping America safe” != “voting with the President almost all the time”
Here’s what I believe we need to do to protect America:
- Support the terrorist surveillance program
But only if there’s a Republican in the White House. Talent voted against a similar bill in 1996. It was wrong then and it’s wrong now, Mr. Flip Flopper.
- Continue tracking and monitoring terrorists’ finances
Who, exactly, is opposed to this?
- Secure the border to protect Americans
But not too secure, your buddies still want access to cheap labor, don’t they?
- Continue to improve our human intelligence capabilities in cooperation with our allies
All the intelligence in the world means nothing if it’s ignored when it doesn’t jive with the Bush Administration’s world view — remember Iraq?
Elections matter. They are bigger and more important than me or my opponent. This election is in your hands and I hope to earn your trust and vote on Election Day.
Yes, elections matter (at least, for now), which is why you’re not getting my vote, Mr. Talent.
Thank you so much for taking the time to become more informed on my positions on the issues.
<sarcasm>And thank you for the spam.</sarcasm> — Another reason you’re not getting my vote.
Sincerely,
Senator Jim Talent
Here we go again…
Subject: An important choice in November
From: “Talent for Senate” <info@talentforsenate.com>
To: me
Dear James,
Election Day is just 67 days away, and I’m working hard each and every day to tell Missouri voters about my accomplishments in the Senate and the issues I’m fighting for as your Senator.
In the Senate I’ve been working to:
[list of dubious "accomplishments" deleted] — Wow Jim, You’re really going out on limb, anti-meth, for lower heallth care costs — I bet you like puppies and kittens, too.
And you actually admit you support warrantless domestic spying…
These are just a few of the issues I’ve been working on in the Senate, but much more remains to be done. I’d like to continue changing Washington and making it work for Missouri’s common sense values.
Yes, we all know you’ll work hard to make the Senate a rubber stamp for Goerge W. Bush.
Thank you for taking the time to read this important email and for staying informed about the issues and differences in this election. Please visit www.TalentForSenate.com today to learn more or to sign up to get the latest email updates.
Thank you for wasting my time and computer resources by sending unsolicited bulk email.
Sincerely,
Senator Jim Talent
The Korean War must have been fun.
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