GOP Senator Arlen Specter blames Bush for judges
not being confirmed

Bush is trying to make himself relevant again by complaining that Congress is being mean by upholding its constitutional duty to vet and confirm federal judges. And we all now how bent out of shape Bush and the Republicans get whenever anybody tries to do what the Constitution tells them to do. But what's funny as hell is that members of Bush's own party are basically calling him a liar and telling him to shut up. That's what happens when you're no longer relevant.

From AP:

Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the Judiciary Committee's ranking Republican, said Bush's rhetoric was strong considering there still was hope for getting some nominees confirmed during the final year of Bush's presidency.

"A war of words is not productive," Specter said in a telephone interview.

While he said he understands Bush's frustration, the White House must shoulder some of the blame, Specter said, noting that Bush ignored five recommendations to fill a vacancy on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals submitted to him by Virginia Sens. Jim Webb, a Democrat, and John Warner, a Republican.

"It's pretty fundamental that you listen to Republican senators," Specter said.

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Americablog/~3/185884505/gop-senator-arlen-specter
-blames-bush.html

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A Moment From The Debate Last Night

I'm not exactly sure why "the natives were restless" when John Edwards merely pointed out an inconsistency between what Senator Clinton said on two different occasions about the same issue, but I have a pretty good idea why Wolf "So Poor And So Black" (remember that one?) Blitzer was trying to hurry up Edwards and not let him finish what he was trying to say.

Anyway, I thought you'd like to take a look (and to help, click here).


video details and more



Read The Full Article:
http://liberaldoomsayer.blogspot.com/2007/11/moment-from-debate-last-night.html

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Finally, the impressions of the Democratic debate
really matter

The NY Times’ take.There were a lot of winners at tonight’s Democratic debate. And this[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.reachm.com/amstreet/archives/2007/11/16/finally-the-impressions-of-the
-democratic-debate-really-matter/

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Question of the Day: Mood Music

It's Friday Music Edition, one of my favorite QOTD's to do. 

Unfortunately even after all the chkdiscs, defrag's viral scans and everything else, videos still seem to lock up my computer randomly. (and I sincerely appreciate all the help MS and Kane tried to give me, but I am going to need to get someone over.  I give up.)

So if you would be so kind, try & do each video on a separate reply, because then I can pull them up individually and actually watch them.

Caveat:  A special thanks to Renee for making an adorable QOTD Tuesday, and Durrati for taking Thursday.

Thanks, my friends for picking up my slack, I could not shake the throes of depression and write anything of merit.

I am an incredibly plain spoken person... except when I'm not.  The more important something or someone is to me, the harder the words come sometimes, because I just fear saying it wrong, or putting too much of myself on the line.

Music speaks for me a lot.  Even when I am not being circuitous, I often find a song will reflect my mood, the essence of how I am feeling better than my words.  You all know how often I throw lyrics or videos in replies, heh.

Of course, any song will never match your situation exactly because they cannot unless you write them, but i digress.

Anyway, I was still hard pressed this morning to find a suitable music question, when I realized I didn't need to. More on that below.

I hurt a dear, dear friend this week, with my walls and protectionism, an amazing person I adore and admire.  I may have fucked up the friendship permanently. So in lieu of waxing mushy, begging forgiveness and telling him I love him and miss his friendship, and risking being ignored or unforgiven, I went with the song. I keep those kind of letters unsent, chickenshit me.

(of course minus the boy/girl relationship part, as like I said, no song gets it exactly right, but you can mourn a lost friendship as deeply as you would a lost love... but this isn't that kind of thing.)

video details and more

So anyway, I didn't want to drag you all into my depression (wanna talk late house payments, unemployment, dimentia mil, bill collectors, walking on eggshells to not have my family implode, etc, I am your girl, atlas-ette trying to hold up the world...but lets not go there, shall we?) and pick sad songs, or sorry songs...

then I realized I could keep it simple.

What music speaks for your mood today?

Its wide open. 

Anything at all.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.myleftwing.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=19743

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GTL’s NFL Picks - Week 11, 2007

The GTL’s NFL Picks - Week 11Last Year: 159-104 (.605)Last Week: 6-8 (.429)This Year: 91-53 (.632)NOTESOkay, everybody’s played nine games now and the playoff possibilities are beginning to narrow a bit. There are no Week Eleven byes this weekend, meaning EVERYBODY plays and meaning this is a very important weekend for many fans and [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://guntotingliberal.com/?p=2122

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Morning Thread

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/bRuz/~3/185750349/2007_11_11_archive.html

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BREAKING: Reid shuts down Bush recess
appointments during Thanksgiving

Now who's relevant? A statement from Senator Harry Reid (and more background on this issue here):

The Senate will be coming in for pro-forma sessions during the Thanksgiving holiday to prevent recess appointments.

My hope is that this will prompt the President to see that it is our mutual interests for the nominations process to get back on track.

While an election year looms, significant progress can still be made on nominations.

I am committed to making that progress if the President will meet me half way.

But that progress can?t be made if the President seeks controversial recess appointments and fails to make Democratic appointments to important commissions.

As Democratic leader, I recommend nominees to the President for many important commissions like the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

These independent agencies are required by law to have Democratic representation.

As a result, the President has a statutory obligation to honor my recommendations and move on them in good faith.

And, up until recently, the President has generally discharged that obligation.

In the last several months, however, the administration has been stalling progress on Democratic appointments.

This problem existed before the August break.

In an effort to solve it, I worked hard to confirm over 40 administration nominees in exchange for a commitment by the President to make progress on a number of important commissions.

When we reconvened after August break, I also worked to quickly move on the President?s new Attorney General.

I did this despite my own opposition to that nominee.

Even with all this hard work on our side, the commitments the administration made to me before August break were not met.

In the almost three months since that break, we have received no Democratic nominees to full-time commission positions.

For some, in fact, absolutely no discernable progress has been made.

With Thanksgiving break looming, the administration informed me that they would make several recess appointments.

I indicated I would be willing to confirm various appointments if the administration would agree to move on Democratic appointments.

They would not make that commitment.

As a result, I am keeping the Senate in pro-forma to prevent recess appointments until we get this process back on track.

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Americablog/~3/185862484/breaking-reid-shut-downs-
bush-recess.html

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BREAKING: Reid shut downs Bush recess
appointments during Thanksgiving

Now who's relevant? A statement from Senator Harry Reid (and more background on this issue here):

The Senate will be coming in for pro-forma sessions during the Thanksgiving holiday to prevent recess appointments.

My hope is that this will prompt the President to see that it is our mutual interests for the nominations process to get back on track.

While an election year looms, significant progress can still be made on nominations.

I am committed to making that progress if the President will meet me half way.

But that progress can?t be made if the President seeks controversial recess appointments and fails to make Democratic appointments to important commissions.

As Democratic leader, I recommend nominees to the President for many important commissions like the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

These independent agencies are required by law to have Democratic representation.

As a result, the President has a statutory obligation to honor my recommendations and move on them in good faith.

And, up until recently, the President has generally discharged that obligation.

In the last several months, however, the administration has been stalling progress on Democratic appointments.

This problem existed before the August break.

In an effort to solve it, I worked hard to confirm over 40 administration nominees in exchange for a commitment by the President to make progress on a number of important commissions.

When we reconvened after August break, I also worked to quickly move on the President?s new Attorney General.

I did this despite my own opposition to that nominee.

Even with all this hard work on our side, the commitments the administration made to me before August break were not met.

In the almost three months since that break, we have received no Democratic nominees to full-time commission positions.

For some, in fact, absolutely no discernable progress has been made.

With Thanksgiving break looming, the administration informed me that they would make several recess appointments.

I indicated I would be willing to confirm various appointments if the administration would agree to move on Democratic appointments.

They would not make that commitment.

As a result, I am keeping the Senate in pro-forma to prevent recess appointments until we get this process back on track.

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Americablog/~3/185862484/breaking-reid-shut-downs-
bush-recess.html

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Catholic Bishops: Be careful how you vote or
you're going to hell forever

Actually, there's an aspect to this that the bishops should be lauded for: Telling their parishioners to pay attention to other moral issues as well, such as immigration, just war and poverty - not exactly issues the Republicans excel at. From the Chicago Trib:

Bishops have drafted a similar document every four years since the 1976 presidential election, when concerns centered on Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe and recovery from the Watergate scandal. But the guidelines issued Wednesday for the first time spelled out possible consequences as well as giving much more nuanced instruction to the Catholic electorate than in years past.

Voters are implored not to support abortion-rights political candidates but also advised that views on abortion should not be the sole factor. Catholics should also weigh church teaching on such moral issues as immigration, just war and poverty, bishops said.

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Americablog/~3/185855663/catholic-bishops-be-caref
ul-how-you.html

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WELCOME TOM DELAY-- WILL YOUR NEW PAC DEFEND RAHM
EMANUEL

Tom Delay (R-TX) still isn't in prison and is still allowed to run around and do the same things that law-abiding citizens do. And his latest endeavor is a grassroots action and advocacy organization which he started with a Republican almost as crooked as himself, defeated Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, the far right kook who is as responsible for Bush's 2004 coup as Katherine Harris was for the 2000 coup.

The 501(c)(4) he launched yesterday is called the Coalition for a Conservative Majority and Delay and Blackwell will seek to raise money from right-wing donors, something Delay was always really good at.

CCM plans to establish several local chapters in major media markets throughout the country (a meeting of the Houston chapter, in DeLay?s political backyard, is scheduled for Nov. 27). CCM particularly is targeting those media markets where left-of-center advocacy groups and 527s are operating.

Through these chapters and Blackwell?s personal outreach, CCM plans to ?identify, recruit, train, inspire, activate and mobilize conservative activists to take specific action on policy issues and political causes? nationwide, according to an advance copy of the group?s brochure obtained by Roll Call.

Moving forward, DeLay will remain active in CCM, in particular as honorary finance chairman. DeLay has spent the past year building the foundation of the organization and preparing it for launch. Blackwell is serving as CCM?s chairman.

In addition to its physical presence and activity, which includes plans to make direct appeals to Members of Congress, CCM intends to have a strong Internet presence.

Chris Perkins is serving as CCM?s executive director and will be based in Washington, D.C., where he will oversee additional staff. Perkins formerly served as vice president of the now-defunct Free Enterprise Fund and previously worked at Americans for a Republican Majority, the political action committee DeLay ran when he served in the House.

I'm eager to see if the Blue America PAC and CCM ever go head to head in any battles. Our current project, holding Rahm Emanuel accountable for pushing Democrats to support Tom Tancredo's immigration position, would be a natural place but I have a feeling Delay's support for the reactionary immigration agenda Emanuel has embraced will not lead to him defending his old nemesis-- even if they are mirror images in so many ways. Meanwhile, here on the left is the Spanish language version of our newspaper ad in this week's Hoy. The English version is here. If you'd like to see Blue America continue fighting corrupt Beltway insiders like Tom Delay and Rahm Emanuel, please donate to The Accountability Moment at ActBlue.

Read The Full Article:
http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2007/11/welcome-tom-delay-will-your-new-pac.h
tml

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