CitizenSugar -- Breaking News, Together.

Do You Think the Roland Burris Affair Is Fair?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:30:47 -0800

We've all heard the tale by now: Illinois’s governor Roland Burris was appointed to replace President-elect Barack Obama as a US Senator, only he was appointed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was recently arrested by federal agents and accused of trying to sell the seat to raise campaign money. While most critics admit Burris is qualified, Democratic party leaders said they wouldn’t recognize anybody Blagojevich named.Burris went on The Early Show yesterday and dismissed his critics, saying his appointment was valid and even showed up for the Senate later in the day, only to be refused. He then announced he was rejected for the seat while lawmakers waited the gaveling of the 111th Congress into session. Burris's lawyers were quick to say an "extraordinarily arbitrary and unlawful process is afoot." The news today is that Burris is sitting down with Senate leaders and may be granted a seat, despite all the hoopla. Source

Do You Think the Roland Burris Affair Is Fair?

It's fair. Blagojevich proved he's untrustworthy and his pick shouldn't be honored.

It's unfair. Burris is being punished for Blagojevich's mistake.

Something else. See my comment below.

Should Caroline Kennedy Disclose Financial Records?

LibertySugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:00:55 -0800

If NY Gov. Paterson appoints Caroline Kennedy to the US Senate, not only will she avoid an election (for now), but she will also dodge a requirement to file a 10-part, public report filled with details about her financial assets, credit card debt, mortgages, book deals, and any source of payments over $5,000 in the last three years. Theoretically, Caroline could disclose the usual information in a gesture of transparency; instead, she says she will wait to comply with disclosure requirements until after she is chosen as senator, if she is chosen at all.

Little is known about Kennedy's personal finances, except for the assumption that she is wealthy. According to the New York Times, while working for the New York City Department of Education, she declined a salary, which exempted her from disclosure rules. While I can't blame anyone for wanting some privacy, I'm not sure she'll find much working as a US senator.

Since she's going to release them at some point if she gets the job, do you think Caroline should disclose her financial records now for appearance's sake?

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Front Page: Al Franken Clings to Lead in Endless Senate Race

CitizenSugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 07:40:25 -0800

The Minnesota Canvasing Board is prepared to award the final bundle of recounted votes, with Democrat Al Franken clinging to a narrow lead. But there's still no telling when the Senate race will actually be finished. — AP
In the West African country of Guinea, a previously unknown military group said they seized power and suspended the constitution in the hours following the death of authoritarian President Lansana Conté. — New York Times

Hillary Clinton formally took the $13.2 million loan she made to her presidential campaign off the books, helping ease her campaign debt and pave the way for her Senate confirmation as secretary of state. — Bloomberg
The state of California could be broke in two months, unless a budget deal is met. — AP

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Senate Seats: Caroline Wants NY's, IL Too Poor For Vote

LibertySugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:00:27 -0800

When word broke that Joe Biden's chief of staff would replace the senator from Delaware when he becomes VP, nobody paid much attention, but that's not the case when it comes to seats recently warmed by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Today, news broke that Caroline Kennedy indeed wants the soon-to-be-free seat once filled by her uncle Bobby, and now occupied by Hillary. After wrestling with a decision to enter the public spotlight, Caroline appears ready to carry on the Kennedy dynasty.

Meanwhile, embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich still has the sole authority to appoint Barack Obama's replacement. While state legislators try to impeach the governor, another option gaining momentum includes holding a special election to let voters determine who should represent them. To find out how much a special election would cost,

Georgia Senate Runoff Results: Chambliss vs. Martin

CitizenSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:58:54 -0800

Chambliss Won the Georgia Senate Runoff The Associated Press has called the race for Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss. He jumped out to an early lead Tuesday over Democrat Jim Martin in Georgia's US Senate runoff that attracted light voter turnout despite the contest's high stakes on the balance of power in Washington.

Front Page: Georgia's Runoff For US Senate Seat Underway!

CitizenSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:00:19 -0800

Today Georgians go to the polls to vote in the runoff for their US Senate seat. If Democratic challenger Jim Martin beats Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss, the Democrats will be one seat away from a 60-seat supermajority. — Atlanta Journal
After declaring a fiscal emergency in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged lawmakers to "get off of their rigid ideologies" and work toward solving the state's financial crisis. The Governor warned that California could run out of cash in two months. — LA Times

India's foreign minister has demanded that Pakistan arrest and turn over about 20 people wanted under Indian law as fugitives. Indian officials maintain that the planners of the recent attacks are at large in Pakistan and have demanded Pakistan take action. — New York Times
A cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe, caused by contaminated drinking water, has killed nearly 500 people. — BBC News
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What Should McCain Do Now? Dems Say: Mediate Standoffs

CitizenSugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:00:00 -0800

So what's Senator John McCain to do following his concession to President-elect Obama? Go back to work, of course.

Word is John McCain started addressing his next move and role in the Senate yesterday with his top aides after offering Obama his "goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together."

According Newsweek, Democrats want McCain to "mediate solutions to partisan standoffs on key legislation as he did to help avert a constitutional meltdown over judicial confirmations in 2005." Yesterday, Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer said there is a need for "old John McCain, a leader who worked in a bipartisan way."

On the flip side, Republicans are apparently reaching out to keep him in an effort to maintain tight Republican ranks during the next Congress. What do you think McCain should do now, and to what extent do you think he will carry out his promises to Obama?

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Dems Pick Up Five Repub Senate Seats, Races Still Unclear

CitizenSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:30:00 -0800

Democrats picked up the majority plus at least five seats in the Senate Tuesday by seizing seats from Republican incumbents in New Hampshire and North Carolina, while also gaining seats left by retiring Republicans in Virginia, Colorado and New Mexico.

The New York Times has a comprehensive Senate map with the state results as they come in, but at 4:30 EST on Wednesday Democrats had 56 seats and Republicans had 41. Fifty-one is considered a majority, but it could be a few weeks before Democrats learn the final stats.

Democrats are still short of the 60-vote majority that would enable them to push bills to a vote by overcoming filibusters.

Obama's Major Policy Address Mirrors Times Op-Ed on Iraq

LibertySugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:11:53 -0700

Moments ago, Barack Obama reinforced his plan for Iraq. In the major policy speech Obama said:

As president, I will pursue a tough, smart, and principled national security strategy. . . . I will focus this strategy on five goals essential to making America safer: ending the war in Iraq responsibly; finishing the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban; securing all nuclear weapons and materials from terrorists and rogue states; achieving true energy security; and rebuilding our alliances to meet the challenges of the 21st century. . . It is unacceptable that almost seven years after nearly 3,000 Americans were killed on our soil, the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are still at large.

McCain is set to answer the speech at a New Mexico town hall meeting at noon EDT.

The speech echoed Obama's op-ed in the New York Times yesterday. There, he repeated his belief that "we must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in." In case you missed the piece, for some of the highlights,

FISA: Does It Mean — For Illegal Surveillance Act?

LibertySugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:30:53 -0700

Yesterday the Senate voted to revamp government surveillance powers and grant retroactive immunity to telecom companies, thus ending all pending lawsuits filed to uncover the extent that Bush and the telecoms violated the Fourth Amendment prohibition of surveillance without warrants. Bush unsucessfuly tried to pass a similar bill under a Republican congress, but finally got what he wanted from the Democrats.

To the surprise of many, Barack Obama voted for the bill while Hillary Clinton opposed it. (John McCain was not there to vote.)

In a statement on her vote, Hillary explained:

In my judgment, immunity under these circumstances has the practical effect of shutting down a critical avenue for holding the administration accountable for its conduct.

Obama's base is inconsolable about its candidate's vote for the bill. Obama explained his rationale directly to his online supporters. To see what he wrote,

Front Page: KY Workplace Shooting, Divers Pull Bodies From Typhoon, Mortgage Aid Could Pass

CitizenSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:56:10 -0700

KY Workplace Shooting: An employee at a plastics plant in Kentucky opened fire after an argument, leaving six dead including the shooter. The CEO says the killings are just a "total shock." The incident began when an employee began arguing with a supervisor around midnight — he then shot the supervisor before opening fire in a break room. The plant employs around 150 people and makes plastic siding for homes.
Divers Pull Bodies From Typhoon: 100 divers search the wreckage of the capsized Philippine ferry, finding no additional survivors yet. When the seven-story ferry sunk in less than a half-hour during a powerful typhoon, the 800 passengers had little time to prepare, but the transportation undersecretary says she's hoping for "a miraculous air pocket somewhere in the ship." Only 62 of the 800 passengers have been found alive. The shipwreck could raise the typhoon's death toll to more than 1,300, with 329 people confirmed dead from flooding and landslides and more than 200 still missing.
Mortgage Aid Could Pass: The US Senate could pass a mortgage aid plan as soon as today. The massive foreclosure rescue bill cleared a key Senate test yesterday by an 83-9 margin, with both parties eager to help homeowners. The plan would let the Federal Housing Administration back $300 billion in new, low-cost home loans for about 400,000 distressed borrowers who would be considered too financially risky to qualify for government-insured, fixed-rate loans. Though it could pass vote today, President Bush is threatening a veto and Democrats are still fighting each other over key details, possibly delaying any final deal until mid-July.

Senate Questions Interrogation Methods, Study Proves Torture

CitizenSugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:00:13 -0700

"If the detainee dies, you're doing it wrong." So says John Fredman, then chief counsel to the CIA's counter-terrorism center, explaining in minutes of a 2002 meeting released yesterday, concluding that torture "is basically subject to perception". The minutes were released in conjunction with the Senate Armed Services Committee investigation into the origins of harsh interrogation tactics used on prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib.

In a hearing yesterday that spanned eight hours, US military lawyers revealed details showing how techniques like sensory and sleep deprivation and simulated drowning were modeled on training given soldiers on how to resist questioning. Chairman Carl Levin said that explanation "twisted the law to create the appearance of legality".

Correspondence brought to light in the hearing showed concern about such techniques as far back as 2002 with one quote saying, “if we mistreat detainees, we will quickly lose the [moral] high ground and public support will erode.” Then despite objections by military lawyers, then Secretary Donald Rumsfeld approved sensory deprivation, sleep disruption, water-boarding and stress positions. “Officially it is not happening,” Lt. Col. Diane Beaver said in the 2002 information, adding that commanders were concerned that the techniques would be discovered by the Red Cross. To see the White House response, and a new study proving torture,

Republicans Block Extra Taxes On Oil Companies

LibertySugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:50:00 -0700

Republicans Block Extra Taxes on Oil Companies Senate Republicans blocked a proposal to tax the windfall profits of the largest oil companies, despite pleas by Democratic leaders to use the measure to address America's anger over $4 a gallon gasoline. The Democratic energy package would have imposed a tax on any "unreasonable" profits of the five largest US oil companies and given the federal government more power to address oil market speculation. Republicans argued that an increased tax would increase imports.

Front Page: Hillary and Obama Meet, Zimbabwe Halts Opposition, Bush Overstated Iraq

CitizenSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:57:08 -0700

Hillary and Obama Meet: After fooling the entire press corps, Obama held a secret meeting with Clinton last night in Washington DC. Obama was scheduled to board the campaign plane after a rally in Virginia, and gave the press the slip, staying off the plane, and on the way to Washington. They met in a secret "third party" location and according to aides, “Senator Clinton and Senator Obama met tonight and had a productive discussion about the important work that needs to be done to succeed in November.” Clinton is planning to endorse Mr. Obama tomorrow at a farewell rally with her supporters in Washington.

Zimbabwe Halts Opposition: After detaining opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai for the second time in as many days, Zimbabwe's authorities have canceled several opposition rallies ahead of the June 27 presidential election run-off. The opposition party said they'd received a police letter that saying that "several future public rallies" were to be banned because of security fears, effectively silencing the only method the party has to communicate with supporters.
Bush Overstated Iraq: In a 170-page Senate committee report released yesterday, Senate Democrats and some Republicans concluded that President Bush and his aides built the public case for war against Iraq by exaggerating available intelligence on Saddam Hussein’s links to al Qaeda. The report includes five years of investigations by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence into the use, abuse and faulty assessments of intelligence leading to the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Senator Rockefeller, chair of the intelligence panel said, “The president and his advisers undertook a relentless public campaign in the aftermath of the attacks to use the war against al Qaeda as a justification for overthrowing Saddam Hussein," while a top Republican calls the report a “waste of committee time and resources.”

Senate Adds Billions of Domestic Programs to War Bill

LibertySugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:00:10 -0700

Eying its last chance to pass a spending bill this term, the US Senate has loaded up the Iraq and Afghanistan war funding bill with projects related and unrelated to the wars. Senate Leader Harry Reid's strategy includes separating the two types of funding, while recognizing that it will be difficult to overcome President Bush's looming veto.

The tangent projects, added by Senators of both parties, include:

$50 billion expansion of veterans benefits under the GI Bill
$100 million for local law enforcement to fight drug trafficking along the Mexico border
$50 million to track down child predators
$400 million for rural schools
$1 billion for heating subsidies for the poor
$350 million to fight western wildfires

The Senate's bill comes out to about $10 billion more than the $183.8 billion requested by Bush. Last year, President Bush was too busy objecting to a withdrawal timetable to worry about add-ons. Now that a timetable is off the table, the President is less worried about his flexibility and more focused on satisfactory details.

Is this a good way to legislate? If this is Congress' last opportunity to address crucial funding needs, like veteran benefits, should the legislative body just let the opportunity to pass because the president doesn't agree?

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Anti-Genetic Discrimination Bill Passes in US Senate

LibertySugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:00:40 -0700

Genetic discrimination is one form of discrimination the US Senate can agree to disagree with. The Senate has unanimously passed a preemptive anti-discrimination bill, which will prevent employers, unions, and health insurance companies from discriminating using genetic information. Only patients and doctors will have access to tests that reveal predisposition to diseases.

Besides protecting citizens, scientists believe the bill could save lives. With the legal protection, people will more likely pursue genetic testing, and improve their chances of surviving hereditary illnesses like cancer, diabetes, and heart diseases.

Health insurance companies, assured that their current practices would not be threatened, supported the bill, while the US Chamber of Commerce opposed it.

Is discrimination based on pre-existing health conditions, which is common practice today, that much different from discriminating based on a predisposition to a health condition? With the latest legal assurance, would you get your DNA tested to know which diseases you may face in the future?

Source

Was McCain Right to Oppose Equal Pay For Women Bill?

LibertySugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:45:00 -0700

John McCain opposed a bill today, which would have given women suffering pay discrimination more time to sue their employers. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both supported the bill, which was defeated by Senate Republicans. McCain said: I am all in favor of pay equity for women, but this kind of legislation, as is typical of what's being proposed by my friends on the other side of the aisle, opens us up to lawsuits for all kinds of problems. This is government playing a much, much greater role in the business of a private enterprise system.

McCain also said that what women really need is access to education and training, not access to the court system.Do you agree with McCain? If employers are not susceptible to lawsuits, do they have any incentive to close the pay gap? If women can't realistically turn to the courts to stop pay discrimination, something that does happen in the US, where can they turn?Source

Was McCain Right to Oppose Equal Pay For Women Bill?

Go McCain. The government needs to stay out of private businesses.

McCain is right. The bill doesn't pay women, it pays trial lawyers.

He's wrong, the law is necessary. If a women sues before retirement, she risks her job!

What is he talking about? Women with education and training suffer discrimination.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Front Page: Petraeus Testifies, Polygamy Compound Hits 500, Haiti Riots Over Food

CitizenSugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:51:09 -0700

Gen. David Petraeus, the top American commander in Baghdad, is currently testifying before the Senate, including all three presidential candidates. Facing questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Gen. Petraeus is expected to recommend a temporary halt in troop withdrawals and to explain more about Iran’s influence in Iraq. The three candidates will have opportunities to ask questions, which will highlight their positions on the war. The last time Gen. Petraeus appeared before the committees, the sessions lasted 10 hours. The session this morning has already been interrupted once by protesters.

The number of women and children removed from the polygamy compound in Texas has surpassed 500. Authorities say more than 400 children and 130 women have left the compound after raids stemming from a child abuse inquiry. State troopers are holding an unknown number of men inside as they search the 1,700-acre compound, and officials have been authorized to remove computers, DVDs, and photos in the search. Members of the sect believe a man must marry at least three wives in order to ascend to heaven.
Protesters in Haiti, angered by food prices, took to the streets of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The demonstrations forced businesses and schools to close as unrest spread from the countryside. During the protest someone called out, “we’re hungry!” Haitians are particularly affected by worldwide rising food prices. Eighty percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day. The price of staples like rice, beans, fruit and condensed milk has gone up 50 percent in the past year.

House Talks Surveillance in Secret, Senate Kills Earmark Ban

CitizenSugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:00:25 -0700

Moments ago at a campaign rally in Springfield, PA, John McCain told the familiar funny about laws and sausages, "the two things you don't want to watch being made." McCain was referring to last night's vote-and-dash in the Senate, combined with the House's rare closed debate on the surveillance bill. He said, "It's hard to do the Lord's work in the city of Satan." (John McCain! I've missed you! )

It was a big, big day of voting that lured all the big presidential-candidates/senators (is that like model/actress?) back to Washington yesterday. Obama and Clinton even had a friendly little convo on the floor of the Senate prior to voting to ban earmark spending for a year (McCain also voted for the ban), which ultimately failed. McCain said of the vote, "We're disappointed that only 29 members of the US Senate understand that the American people want us to stop this practice, which has led to corruption."

To eavesdrop on what happened in the secretive House,

Senate Votes to Block Iraq Funding. Strategic or Outrageous?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 06:00:25 -0800

Yesterday the Senate led by Democratic Senator Harry Reid, voted to advance a bill withdrawing funding to the war in Iraq. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that "a civil war rages" in Iraq and it's cost shouldn't be the responsibility of U.S. taxpayers.

"Americans need to start taking care of Americans. We cannot spend a half billion dollars every day in Iraq."

Where were the Republicans in this debate? That's where it gets. . . politicky. Though Republicans were expected to block the bill as they've done in the past, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell decided his party was joining in and voting with the Democrats — but for a different reason. McConnell said passing the bill past this hurdle will allow discussion on the,

"extraordinary progress that's been made in Iraq over the last six months, not only on the military side, but also with civilian reconciliation beginning to finally take hold in the country."

Is this a wise maneuver or does playing politics with the war hit too close to home?Source

Senate Votes to Block Iraq Funding. Strategic or Outrageous?

Outrageous and gross. This is exactly why people don't trust politicians.

Eh, it was just a procedural vote — and healthy debate is why we have a Congress.

Strategic. It's a brilliant move that will allow to have both sides heard.

Other. I'm fired up and I'll tell you in the comments.

Headline: Senate Expands Spy Powers

CitizenSugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:00:58 -0800

The Senate granted the White House a major victory this morning, by voting 68-29 to approve legislation that expands government surveillance powers. It grants legal protection to phone companies who allow government wiretapping without the requirement of warrants.

The vote, which some think threatens civil liberties, is hailed by Republicans as an essential measure to protect national security. Many liberal advocacy groups see the vote as another example of the Democrats’ fears of being seen as weak on terrorism. Debate surrounding the bill is a preview of controversy that will be increasingly relevant, including issues testing the president’s wartime authority such as secret detentions, torture, and Iraq war financing.

How did the presidential candidates vote? Senator John McCain voted in favor. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama did not vote on the measure.

Are you in favor of giving the government broader freedom to gather information? Are you surprised Clinton and Obama didn't vote?

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