Welcome to The Now

Well, I just saw the President's State of the Union speech . Some quick points: Next speech, he may want to do some research on some of his topics. Either that, or forget about mentioning things like poverty , disaster recovery , education and energy . His form of Social Security "reform" will not happen. At all. The government beancounters didn't factor in permanent tax cuts when they made their calculations and projections. Ipso-facto: a permanent tax cuts could actually do more harm than good. Maybe you shouldn't have let your most aggressive non-elected proponent get arrested on the night of your big speech. Lastly, when did the creation of animal-human hybrids become an issue? Did he use his comic books as a reference for this speech? I think you can some up the President's speech this way: " Give me the limittless power I need to protect you ."

Ok, so the Democrats plan to extend debate and shoot down the Alito nomination both failed. Time for a look into the whole thing. I'll refrain from examining the Republicans right now because the party has basically been in lockstep with the President since 2000. There are going to be a few surprises with them and I don't see anyone there fighting for Bush's spotlight in the next two weeks; not with tonights SOTU address, the warrantless wiretapping issue and the Abramoff Scandal still looming. So I'm going to dig into the Democrats a bit. Let's start with the cloture vote (the vote to extend debate on whether Alito should be a Justice). A "yes" meant end debate, a "no" meant continue. It went like this: Akaka, Daniel K. (D-HI) Yes Baucus, Max (D-MT) Yes Bayh, Evan (D-IN) No Biden, Joseph R., Jr. (D-DE) No Bingaman, Jeff (D-NM) Yes Boxer, Barbara (D-CA) No Byrd, Robert C. (D-WV) Yes Cantwell, Maria (D-WA) Yes Clinton, Hillary Rodham (D-NY) No Con...

At 58 (for) and 42 (against) , Samuel Alito becomes President Bush's second confirmed judicial nominee and future Supreme Court Justice.

Coretta Scott King ( 1927-2006 ).

Japan will be leaving Iraq in May . Keep in mind that most of their troops weren't doing the fighting, they were doing the rebuilding. Which means we ("we" being the "liberators") will have 550 less pairs of hands in helping to rebuild the country. Who's gonna pick up that slack?

India's gain is, unfortunately, America's loss: Dell is opening 5,000 new jobs over there . So let me get this straight: Over the past...what, 20 years(?) American-run or American-based companies have fired or shortened their workforce. Most of these jobs are considered "Middle America" jobs like autoworkers and clerical staff . The people who are fired are told that they need to find another skill or trade, but the way the job market is, that leaves either computers or fast food. So if you're over 40, and you thought you had job security until retirement, you've just been handled a virtual stomach punch. You either have to hunker down and learn computers from scratch (assuming that you had little to no exposure at your old job) or bury your pride and work at the local Burger Flipper under a teenager that just made supervisor. Let's say most of these people (regardless of their age) actually beat the odds, go to TESST and get a couple of certificates. The...

The following has an illustration that clearly explains the "Abramoff Scandal." Learn who took what from whom, and why knowing this is crucial to knowing the difference from "legal campaign contribution" and "outright bribery."

According to a survey taken in D.C., half of those polled agreed that doctors should be able to perform assisted suicides. I understand how sensitive an issue this is for most people; they don't want their doctors to determine who lives and who dies. Some don't want them to "let go" of a patient who may become a potential organ donor. I'd hate to think some doctors would do such a thing in the name of harvesting fresh organs. As for the live/death angle, doctors decided that everyday: if a car crash puts two people in mortal danger, the doctor has to make a choice on who to help first. I'm can only assume how they make that determination, and whether they use the same criteria for every accident /injury, or take it on a case-by-case basis. I will say this: I think if a person is in a situation where assisted suicide comes up, someone other than the doctor should be involved in the decision. I would suggest a qualified medical professionals and one family memb...

I know how hard it is to decipher some of the legal and political speak that goes on in Washington, D.C. Luckily, the 90's rap Group SNAP was able to translate Bush's defense of warrantless wiretapping (among other things) through one of their old songs : I've got the power hey yeah heh I've got the power Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah-eah I've got the power Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah-eah Gettin' kinda heavy It's gettin' it's gettin' it's gettin' kinda hectic It's gettin' it's gettin' it's gettin' kinda hectic It's gettin' it's gettin' it's gettin' kinda hectic It's gettin' it's gettin' it's gettin' kinda hectic Like the crack of the whip I snap attack Front to back in this thing called rap Dig it like a shovel rhyme devil On a heavenly level Bang the bass/ turn up the treble Radical mind day and night all the time Seven to four...

I'm not sure why people believe two teams have to be in the same division to have a rivalry. I think an important component is what's happened between the teams when they meet on another. Does the trash-talking go up? Does it get a little more physical than normal? Do the calm guys and jokesters of the team turn into bulldogs? If "yes" is the answer to at least two of the three above, then you have the makings of a rivalry. In in the Wizard's case , I welcome it. For more than 20 years, I've endured pure basketball hell as the franchise has gone through constant coach-changes, comical draft choices and trades that defy all reason and logic. The brief Jordan Era came and went so fast there's virtually no sign #23 was even in D.C. So Abe finally hunkered down and got a real GM instead of playing "wheel of loyalty." Of course, he still hired Eddie Jordan to coach first, but old habits die hard. Then they got a legit franchise player (on the rise! Wh...

Sen. Arlen Specter finally gets around to asking Attn. Gen. Gonzales about that wiretappin' thing. Hopefully when Gonzales answers, he'll explain why the Bush Administration is now supporting the very reasoning they originally shot down .

During the Kansas lovefest - where President Bush pleaded his case for his warrantless wiretapping - questions were asked and answered. Among them, education: Q Hi, I just want to get your comments about education. Recently, $12.7 billion was cut from education , and I was just wondering how that's supposed to help our futures? (Applause.) THE PRESIDENT: Education budget was cut -- say it again. What was cut? Q Twelve point seven billion dollars was cut from education, and I was just wondering how is that supposed to help our -- THE PRESIDENT: At the federal level? Q Yes. THE PRESIDENT: I don't think that -- I don't think we've actually -- for higher education? Student loans? Q Yes, student loans. THE PRESIDENT: Actually, I think what we did was reform the student loan program. We're not cutting money out of it. In other words, people aren't going to be cut off the program. We're just making sure it works better. Part of the reconciliation package, I think s...

If Alito gets confirmed, does it mean that this type of impeachment talk will fade, or greater louder?

As Ford announces more layoffs , I wanted to remind everyone that only 35% of American rate the economy favorably .

Would a group of people who have been publicly exposed as susceptible to taking bribes and favors for votes be considered trustworthy? How safe would you feel knowing that one golf trip could mean the difference between having a secure police bill pass or fail because it may adversely affect some lobbying group? I can't say I'd trust anyone who did business with Jack Abramoff. I definitely wouldn't trust them to provide a secure America. Nevertheless, that's the strategy Karl Rove is pushing . And considering this is coming from the guy who said that CIA agents are "fair game," I'd be even more skeptical.

What President Bush lacks in multitasking (and governing) he makes up in PR. Or at least, he really tries . With pretty much every official who isn't connected or a part of the executive branch saying that his warrentless wiretapping is illegal, Bush has decided to take his case to the people...in his grand tradition of saying he is right mulitple times in front of a patriotic backdrop. In this case, he's going to the NSA (where last time he was riding his bike ). Sounds like someone has been watching "Ron Burgundy" one too many times.

That's the number of states that have given President Bush a job approval rating higher than 50% .

The Washington Post shut down their online blogging . Go here to find out why. If it's true, then the Post has just proved exactly who they're doing news reports for. UPDATE : The dangerous comments that lead to the shutdown can be found here . UBER UPDATE : Jim Brady takes your questions , and explains that there are other venues than that one blog.

Osama bin Laden has a new tape (hasn't this guy heard of DVDs?) in which he warns of future attacks and offers a truce . Notice which media outlet uses what angle. I think both are important, as the fact that bin Laden seems to be paying attention to the polls.

Sen. Trent Lott is pushing to be the Senate Majority Leader again. I was listening to his press conference on c-span.org and it went something like: "I don't like what Democrats are doing by being obstructionists, but I'll gladly ally myself with them to get my position back." Considering Bill Frist is preparing for a presidential run (I can't believe he's serious about this; I mean what has he done? Who knows him outside D.C.?), Lott might just get his wish.

How can Scott McClellan talk about the defending the nation when he can't remember the what's going on with the so-called "Axis of Evil" members?

Particularly when the things they are forgetting has to deal with corruption. Two GOP member of note: Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay and Sen. Rick Santorum .

So I'm looking to see how the two political parties are addressing reform in light of the Abramoff Scandal. Here's what happened when I put in "republican" in Google and clicked on www.GOP.com . They asked me for money . The rnc.com homepage? All Alito, All the Time . Party Platform? It's based on a speech President Bush gave in June 2004 (keep in mind that he's been President since 2000). The Democrats' front page? On their " org " site it's a little bit of everything: Congressional Reform , Katrina Relief , Fund Raising . Even an invitation to host a State of the Union Party . So if you're looking for the "Issue of the Week" vs. "How We See the Country," well, you know which party is doing what.

Some info about the new Transformers movie. Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg are behind this, so I'm guessing it'll have lots of explosions and characters with daddy issues? Seriously, rumors say Spielberg mentioned it being about "a boy and his robot." Yikes. Someone please get Steve a copy of the cartoon's first three seasons.

The thing that makes me upset about this "it's OK to spy on Americans without a warrant" thing is that instead of giving the American people a concise and comprehensive explanation on why it's legal, the Bush Administration just uses the " well, the other Presidents before Bush did it " logic. I think Al Gore's speech on Monday really set the tone. He managed to put the issue in a context that Joe Citizen could understand. President Bush and his people had the opportunity to react with reasoning and logic of their own. Well, they squandered it. Instead, they attack the messenger (again) instead of debating the message. And as usual, their attempts to do so backfire in the face of facts and reality .

Apparently marrying for money isn't a bad idea . Though I'd have to say it would be good if couples also had some kind of interest or attraction to one another.

Many North VA youths are flocking to this locale for rest and relaxation. If anyone in the area has a chance to check it out. Let me know what you think.

Is this biting political satire? Maybe. But it's still funny.

On a special weekend Dime, Marc Stein laments about NBA stars Steve Francis (Orlando Magic) and Ron Artest (Indiana Pacers) individually. For different reasons, Francis and Artest haven't been the boon their respective teams had hoped for. Marc doesn't address an obvious yet far-fetched solution: trade Francis for Artest. Yeah it's crazy. And Indiana will have to give up someone else (Austin Croshere, perhaps?). But hear me out: 1. Orlando gets a guy who plays defense, can score, and has the ability to play/guard three different positions (shooting guard, small forward, power forward). Artest will provide the Magic with a defensive intensity they never had. His versatility would allow the team to go small and still be effective. As for his behavior, what two people to better pair him up with then Grant Hill and Desmond Howard? Put a "must do at least three community outreach projects with Hill and Howard a month" in Artest's contract, and the guy will be quoti...

It's not easy coming off the bench when you believe in your heart that you are a starter in the NBA. But was obvious from their record (and performance of late ) that the Washington Wizards needed a shakeup . Coach Eddie Jordan said that the team needed to refocus on defense and hustle plays . I agree that the best way to get those two things is to get someone like Michael Ruffin (defense and huslte) and Calvin Booth (hustle) in the starting line-up. But that meant benching Antwan Jamison (no defense) and Brendan Haywood (pseudo defense and little hustle). I'm not surprised that Jamison and Haywood are upset. I remember quite vividly all those times Jamison beat on my Maryland Terps when he was in North Carolina. And Haywood has been a starter since the infamous Michael Jordan Era. But look at Haywood's stats . The guy's never cracked an 8-rebound average. How can a seven-footer who averages 20+ minutes not average at least 8 rebounds a game? Even if you tried to argue...

Fox News jumps on the " Iran is Next " bandwagon, comparing it to Iraq (where we've yet to find WMDs, by the way).

Cheney said awhile back that the President's "skip the courts" warrantless wiretap tactics were legit ( really ?) because they could prevent terrorist attacks . I guess he wasn't talking about Chicago ; that guy is getting 160 years for his little tribute to Timothy McVeigh .

If this document is valid, and President Bush did OK warrantless wiretaps before 9/11 (he used 9/11 and the Patriot Act as validation for his actions) then the President has much to answer for.

Wanna buy someone's cell phone records? Even a celebrity's ? You can go here or here . It will cost you, but (for now) it's perfectly legal.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is leading the charge against Iran . Now why would she make such a move while the American media is caught up in the Alito hearings? She knows no one will be paying much attention. And her boss' handling of Iraq has severely hurt our credibility abroad . UPDATE: Dick Cheney and John Kerry chime in.

The Daily Princetonian gives its take ( here , here and here ) on how the Alito hearings are effecting their campus.

Apparently Sam Alito was coached on how to answer questions for these nominee hearings. But if he was coached by those with a particular mindset, say those who support the President's warrentless wiretapping methods , there is a problem. If true, it means Alito (regardless of how he personally feels) was coached to support something that could become a future Supreme Court case (the President himself has already welcomed any Congressional investigation ). This is, at the very least, a conflict of interest. It also raises the question of whether Alito is an independent thinker or merely a judicial funnel for the Bush Administration's policies and politics.

An interesting and creative take on how President Bush likes to cheerlead one good thing (here the economy) while facing some bad news (the warrantless wiretapping).

Did Republican Senator Lindsey Graham really bring Sam Alito's wife to tears ?

Think about these guys the next time you complain about you job. Speaking of which, President Bush's job approval is at 44% .

Naturally, C-SPAN is covering the Alito hearings. What's just as entertaining as the Senator (who are either grilling Alito or throwing him softball questions ) are the callers (Democrat, Republican and Independent). One caller said something to the effect of, "Alito has a wife and a daughter. He's couldn't be discriminatory towards women." That sounds logical on the surface, but couldn't you make the same case for Freddy Krueger ?

Once again, the people running FEMA prove they don't know what's going on . They would have been better off outsourcing the hotel deal back to the American Red Cross instead of biting off more than they could chew (and enduring the inevitable toothache). Here's hoping things get worked out for the Katrina victims involved, who God knows have been through enough.

Don't be surprised if you hear alot about or from President Bush this month. As the has-been explains : We don't celebrate Presidents' Day until February, but at the White House, every January is Presidents' Month. No other time of year is so stacked in a president's favor . January is the time when the executive branch proposes what the legislative branch will spend the rest of the year disposing. In the coming year, the Bush White House will try to bill a hundred speeches as "major." But the one that matters most needs no extra billing: the State of the Union address, now scheduled for Jan. 31. The press often covers the State of the Union as a back-to-the-wall, death-defying event . That's the treatment Bill Clinton got when he had to face Congress a few days after the Lewinsky scandal broke in 1998. The year before, he appeared split-screen alongside the verdict in O.J. Simpson's civil trial. In truth, the State of the Union is the easiest spee...

Sam Alito's views on wiretaps differ from the mainstream . I'd say that's cause for concern. If for those that want to sparse the meaning of Alito's comments, well, isn't that entering Bill Clinton's "what 'is' is" department?

Slate writer Dana Stevens wonders why Heather Graham can't do better (despite her upcoming show ). It may have something to do with television's proclivity to repeat hits instead of diversifying their programming . I think it's a tad deeper than that. Let's forget for a minute that everytime we get a "Friends" or "Seinfeld" we also get numerous copycats. Or that shows like "My Wife and Kids" and "Freaks and Geeks" are overlooked until syndication. I can some up Heather's problem in two words: Cameron Diaz . Check out Stevens' description of Graham: "Not even the Hollywood logic that casts Winona Ryder as the "plain" sister in Little Women can ignore the fact that Graham is a stone fox, angel-faced and impossibly pneumatic ." Couldn't Diaz also fit that bill as well? Or Charlize Theron , even? I call it the "Lucy Theory." Named after the famous Lucille Ball . You see, famous redheads are ...

Don't count on Sam Alito getting much support from the Black Community. He had a chance to make a good impression, but he blew it .

It seems that Osama bin Laden is still giving Abu Musab al-Zarqawi his marching orders .

Apparently President Bush doesn't need to worry about breaking the new anti-torture ban, or any other law he's signed, because of a little-known proviso .

The Abramoff Scandal may not be Watergate , but it proves that politicians don't study history (otherwise they would have avoided it).

According to those polled by SurveyUSA, 75% believe that members of Congress are only in it for themselves. 61% believe that Congress are dedicated public servants. 76% think Congress member only care about getting reelected. Read 'em all to get a better picture.

In a recent WashPost article, they mentioned how Supreme Court Justice wannabe Sam Alito once defended Robert H. Bork , ex-Supreme Court Justice wannabe. He said: "I think he was one of the most outstanding nominees of this century. He is a man of unequaled ability, understanding of constitutional history, someone who had thought deeply throughout his entire life about constitutional issues and about the Supreme Court and the role it ought to play in American society." Of course, Bork is the same person who said, "You almost began to want to put the [Berlin] wall back up," when asked about the influence of pop culture on East Germany . Not exactly the guy I'd want to be connected to if I wanted to be one of the most powerful judges in the country, but whatever.

House Republicans want Tom DeLay to go . Looks like someone is freaked out by the recent polls calling for a Democratic-controlled Congress .

According to a recent study, a high amount of American casulaties could have been prevented if the soldiers would have had adequate armor . Armor for a conflict that top Iraq-rebuilders didn't see coming . A conflict that has a cost over $1 million .

Like he did the last time , the President decided to make more recess appointments. But this time, he's ruffled some feathers .

Homeland Security is opening private mail . I'm sure it has something to do with fighting terrorism, right? Right?

Before I mentioned how Rep. Murtha's comments might be used against him by Iraq War supporters and Murtha-haters. Well, it didn't take long. Apparently, the military is blaming Murtha for it's recruiting woes . Why is this just an outright lie? Because: 1. The military's recruiting has been falling before Murtha went public (which was about about a month ago). 2. Constantly changing deadlines (with regards to forming an Iraqi government) has made morale low. 3. President Bush's " Bad Boy " style of leadership has made an impression on many troops, who in turn have decided to take matters into their own hands. This also affects morale. 4. Sometimes, it seems that we don't know who we're fighting . There's many more, so I'll just say the military should check the facts before making outrageous statements likke that.

On thing that Sam Alito's supporters don't want to talk about is his desire to give Presidents more executive powers. Given that President Bush made himself a proviso to bypass the recent "No torture" clause that Sen. John McCain forced through, and that this idea came from Alito , it seems that Bush considers the hearings nothing more than a formality. But it says here that Alito is pushing for nothing more than executive steroids that future version of Congress will want to erode when the President is of a different party. And like real steroids, these executive steroids will only hurt the presidency in the long run. This idea from Alito should be soundly rejected by the Senate during his hearings.

If you listen to Vice President Dick Cheney, the answer is "yes." He told anyone who'd bother to listen that the warrantless wiretaps (the same ones Bush admitted using on American soil) would have prevented the terrorist attacks of 9/11 . Unfortunately for Cheney, he must be too busy giving fearmongering speeches to remember that there are laws that cover these scenarios (like the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act). But how can Cheney spread this fear on the same day that Bush is talking troop withdrawal ? Sounds contradictory to me.

Rep. John Murtha, a Democrat military hawk who once had the ear of Presidents during times of war and foreign conflicts and once of the most recent military politicians to had spoken against the War in Iraq, told Nightline that he was in the eligible age-range now, he wouldn't sign up . I see this as even a bigger blow than his call for reorganizing our approach to Iraq (which many incorrectly interpreted as a quick pullout). But I'm sure Murtha-haters will give this the ol' "See! I told you he was weak!" argument.

Much respect to Patrick Cranshaw, who passed recently .

One of my favorite movie lines comes from one of my favorite movies: Sam Raimi's " Army of Darkness ": Well hello Mister Fancypants. Well, I've got news for you pal, you ain't leadin' but two things: Jack and shit... and Jack just left town. That being said, here's ThinkProgress' take on "another Jack" who's leaving town... Jack Abramoff . Any politician who's ever lived in the West/Midwest seems to be on here; from Democrats like Dorgan to our own Commander in Chief. But Mr. Abra-kadabra may pull the greatest magic trick in politics -a plea bargin- seeing how he's pleading guilty an all .

Like most of America, I took a little break that thankfully coincided with the hoildays. So now I'm fresh and ready to bore and bewilder once more! Coupla things: 1. It the interest of keeping things light from time to time and showing my personal appreciation for one of the greatest toy/cartoons/comics of the 80's, I was trying to do character-based tributes to the Transformers for 2005 (the year the movie was set, BTW). I failed miseriably, but since a new movie is due between 2006 and 2007, I still have a chance to redeem myself. So when news is light and I don't have anything to ramble about, I'll just plug in a transded (Trasnformers Dedication). 2. I've been more political than anything here because basically I've checked other people's take on things and haven't agreed with them all the time. But I want to add more sports and entertainment commentary to balance things out. You've been warned! 3. Also on that note, relationship issues will ...

Coupla thoughts about last night's episode : 1. "Jesus Stick" is my favorite new phrase. 2. What happened to the bags of heroin that Sayid broke ? 3. Locke's life has been anything but a bed of roses; what was it about the Black Smoke/Lostzilla that he originally thought was beautiful? 4. You can argue that Eko's past (and combination with his endoctrination to the island ) is what helped kept him come during his encounter with the "security system." 5. Why aren't the Others ever afraid of the "security system?" Oh well; the show still has me hooked. :+)