• Hot Off The Presses - Politics, Schmolitics

    a disinclination on the part of the authorities to use any legal process

    Former CEO Says U.S. Punished Phone Firm A former Qwest Communications International executive, appealing a conviction for insider trading, has alleged that the government withdrew opportunities for contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars after Qwest refused to participate in an unidentified National Security Agency program that the company thought might be illegal.Former chief executive Joseph P. Nacchio, convicted in April of 19 counts of insider trading, said the NSA approached Qwest more than six months before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to court documents unsealed in Denver this week. Details about the alleged NSA program have been redacted…

  • Mini-Posts

    links for 2007-10-14

    Giuliani, Gays and Values Voters | The American Prospect I’d already read some of the articles linked to this story from TAP – but some are new to me. (tags: Giuliani Republican Election President Anti-Gay Anti-Abortion) Generation Next — Religion on Campus The Barna Group’s survey of young evangelicals – and how young Christians are starting to skew leftward in their attitudes toward the enviironment and social policies (tags: Abortion environment homosexuality Politics Barna)

  • Hot Off The Presses - Politics, Schmolitics

    Krugman: Where’s the Compassion in Conservatism?

    This interview with Paul Krugman is fascinating – why is it, after all, that right-wing ideologues seem to lack empathy or compassion for people less fortunate than they are? Mostly, it’s about race, and a lot of of it is about “get your hands offa my stack, Jack.” Conservatives keep their ilk in line by attacking anyone that criticizes them out of all proportion to the criticism – and as Krugman notes, in conservative circles, you can say anything about a liberal or a Democrat, no matter how untrue it is, and never be called on it. But say something…

  • Hot Off The Presses - Politics, Schmolitics

    Moar Chikins Comin Home 2 Roost, Plz

    That earlier note about Fitzmas? This is a story that will keep on giving, as it wasn’t just screwy prosecutions in Alabama, it was Mississippi, Wisconsin, and probably lots and lots of other places… anywhere that state justice officials took calls from the White House, probably. Not that it couldn’t happen in a Democratic-controlled state – I live in Illinois, and the recent trial of a former (Republican) governor generated a lot of controversy. But in tit-for-tat, the Republicans in the IL General Assembly are forever trying to get some dirt to stick on the current Democratic governor, Blagojevich. The…

  • Blogs Wot I Read - Dear Mom - Hot Off The Presses - Only in Utah...

    The Salt Lake Tribune Obituary Notices: Scrooge

    Mom used to love reading the obits in the Salt Lake Tribune – especially the ones best described as “over the top.” I wonder what she would have made of this one? For my part, it’s a sad, even tragic story… and whoever felt they needed to mention that the subject “drifted from his standards” should be ashamed of themselves.  Because? Ew. Also, HIV and “Aids” are not two diseases, they are the virus that causes the disease, and the disease itself. This man sounds like a lovely, talented person – how sad that he had to reject himself in…

  • Hot Off The Presses - Politics, Schmolitics

    Hurry, Fitzmas?

    Oh pleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseletitbetrueletitbetrue, we can has Fitzmas cheer? Rove Linked to Alabama Case – TIME A Republican lawyer claims she was told that Karl Rove — while serving as President Bush’s top political adviser — had intervened in the Justice Department’s prosecution of Alabama�s most prominent Democrat. Longtime Alabama G.O.P. activist Dana Jill Simpson first made the allegation in June, but has now provided new details in a lengthy sworn statement to the House Judiciary Committee. The Committee is expected to hold public hearings on the Alabama case next week as part of its investigation of possible political interference by the…