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LA Stories

March 30, 2007 9:07 AM

Sorry to have been so secretive about my shoots last weekend in Los Angeles…but here's what I was working on.

Today on Good Morning America we brought you the story of Obama's best friend from high school, an older brother-figure whom he called "Ray" in his memoir "Dreams From My Father." Ray is in actuality Keith Kakugawa, a convicted felon who, homeless in L.A., sleeps in a beat-up Mazda.

You can read more about it HERE or watch the FREE VIDEO HERE.

I have to say, I did much hand-wringing when it came to describing the tale as a tragedy that may say something about the promise and pitfalls of being black in America. After all, there are plenty of homeless, many in poverty, and a host of of felons whom aren't African-American. But black men are disproportionately represented in those groups, and it seems silly to pretend otherwise. We can discuss the sociological reasons for it separately, but to act as if there's no significance to the fact that it's Obama's best friend from high school now on the streets of LA, as opposed to Hillary Clinton's or Rudy Giuliani's…well, that seems irresponsible. If John McCain, for example, had a best friend from Vietnam who was now homeless, that would be of some sociological importance, since so many Vietnam vets are homeless. Same with Obama.

ANYway….

Tonight on Nightline, an interview with the auteurs behind the film "Grindhouse" -- Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. You can read the WHOLE TRANSCRIPT OF OUR INTERVIEW HERE…

Lots to chew on there…

What do you think?

-- jake

March 30, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

"Swift-boating David Iglesias"?

March 29, 2007 4:31 PM

Last week on World News with Charles Gibson, we played a brief sample of a radio ad run by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee against Rep. Heather Wilson, R-NM. Ousted U.S. Attorney David Iglesias has accused Wilson of asking inappropriate questions about sealed indictments regarding an investigation. The ad even included Iglesias's testimony.

You can hear that DCCC ad HERE

Today a group called "New Mexicans for Honest Courts" began running a radio ad in that state against Iglesias. Linda Chavez Krumland, a Wilson donor and a delegate to the 2004 Republican National Convention,  is listed as the chairman of this group. Liberal bloggers are referring to this ad as "Swift-boating David Iglesias."

You can listen to the "New Mexicans for Honest Courts" ad HERE.

The script reads: "Former US Attorney David Iglesias wonders why he was fired. He says it was politics. Well, let's look at the facts.

"Iglesias brags he won a huge corruption case but he cut sweetheart deals with those involved and then lost 23 of 24 counts at trial.

"NOT GUILTY!

"In 2004, three thousand suspect voter registration forms turned up. But Iglesias did nothing even when a crack dealer was busted with them -- and even when political operatives took the Fifth and refused to testify about their fraud. David Iglesias just looked the other way. No wonder a criminal defense lawyer just praised him. He let her client walk.

"While he looked the other way on fraud, Iglesias did prosecute a girl for putting bubble gum on a speeding ticket. And he did find time to take dozens of taxpayer-funded junkets around the world. Meanwhile his own prosecutors criticized him. And a former state supreme court judge publicly called him an ingrate.

"Now Iglesias is even trying to play the race card. David Iglesias. He still can't figure out why he was fired. C'mon David, isn't it obvious?"

-- jpt

March 29, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

White House Dinner

March 29, 2007 9:15 AM

These reporters' balls where the President is feted are always such surreal affairs, with reporters and policymakers and stars mingling in an immense ballroom, the wine and liquor of pre- and post-ball parties adding to the Lewis Carol feel of it all. Strange.

Last night the President, as always, cracked wise while the entertainers -- two gentlement from "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" -- got Karl Rove to rap. You can see some of this HERE. The verve and gusto with which Rove threw himself into the rapping was truly unexpected and bizarre.

-- jt

March 29, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

Justice weighs in on that study....

March 28, 2007 5:13 PM

from Bryan Sierra, Justice Department spokesman:

"This so-called study is absurd. It contains absolutely no Justice Department data or statistics, but is merely an accumulation of news articles -- which at best indicates that the media covers some corruption cases more than others. The Justice Department does not release any information about criminal investigations, just criminal charges, so the ‘science’ behind this ‘study’ of investigations is nothing more than a guessing game by the authors – a glorified Google search of news articles, subject to the whims and bias of the search terms entered by the authors. We have yet to find any evidence that this study was conducted according to academic or scientific standards, much less, any evidence that it has ever been published in any recognized publication. For your information, the Department of Justice does not keep statistics on the political affiliation of individuals investigated, charged or convicted of public corruption.”

-- jt

March 28, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Rebuttal

March 28, 2007 12:47 PM

On the other hand, THIS WEBSITE takes issue with the Shields/Cragan report…

"Just a few Google searches found several instances of Republican elected officials who were investigated by the Department of Justice but which were not included in the authors' data set. My quick search revealed 6 Republican elected officials or candidates who have been served with subpoenas or had their offices searched as part of federal investigations." These include former Georgia Lieutenant Governor candidate Ralph Reed and Ben Stevens, the Alaska state senate President and son of Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.

Another criticism? "Relying only on newspaper publications for such data is certain to introduce biases into the results. Not only might some stories simply be overlooked, but not all investigations make it into the paper. ...Another potential for bias is the classification of a person as being the subject of an investigation. It is the reporter, and not the U.S. Attorney, who categorizes whether someone is 'under investigation.' Reporters leap to those conclusions; U.S. Attorneys do not say it. ...my bet would be that investigations of one party's officials by the government when the other party is in power would be generally more likely to be publicly revealed."

-- jt

March 28, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Political profiling?

March 28, 2007 11:59 AM

The underlying allegation in the US Attorneys controversy is that US Attorneys were encouraged by the Bush administration to investigate and prosecute Democrats and discouraged from doing so with Republicans.

Now…some data as to that charge.

Professors Emeritus Donald C. Shields of the University of Missouri - St. Louis and John F. Cragan of Illinois State University have published excerpts of A STUDY OF THE BUSH JUSTICE DEPATMENT which presents data of U.S. Attorneys' federal investigations and/or indictments of 375 elected officials.

Their conclusion is that the Bush Justice Department, particularly when it comes to probes of local officials, is engaging in "political profiling."

Comparing the party affiliation among local officials -- 50% Dem, 41% GOP, and 9% Ind.-- with the prosecution rate, the professors conclude that Bush-appointed "U.S. Attorneys across the nation investigate seven (7) times as many Democratic officials as they investigate Republican officials, a number that exceeds even the racial profiling of African Americans in traffic stops."

With statewide officials, the ratio is close -- 36 Democrats and 30 Republicans (Appendix B). With local offices the disparity is much greater -- 262 Democrats to 37 Republicans (Appendix C:)
This makes a total of 298 Democratic officials investigated for 67 Republicans.

"We believe that this tremendous disparity is politically motivated and it occurs because the local (non-statewide and non-Congressional) investigations occur under the radar of a diligent national press," the study states. "Each instance is treated by a local beat reporter as an isolated case that is only of local interest. The real Pulitizer Prize-winning story is the extent of the politicization of Justice Department investigations and/or indictments of local elected and office-seeking Democrats vis-a-vis their Republican counterparts across the nation."

Comments?

-- jt

March 28, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

The quick Sam Fox

March 28, 2007 11:52 AM

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee was today scheduled to vote on the nomination of Sam Fox of Missouri to be Ambassador to Belgium. Democrats have opposed Fox's nomination because he was a major financial backer ($50,000) of the Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth, which attacked Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., in his 2004 presidential bid.

"U.S. ambassadors need to be both responsible and credible, and Mr. Fox's support for an organization known to have spread falsehoods illustrates neither," said Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. "The fact that Mr. Fox refused to apologize for his behavior during his nomination hearing reinforces my belief that he would not be an acceptable representative for the position of U.S. ambassador."

Minutes ago, the White House withdrew Fox's nomination. This announcement was followed by an email from Dodd's presidential committee urging subscribers to email the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to oppose Fox's nomination. 

-- jpt

March 28, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Obama in the Grindhouse

March 27, 2007 10:02 AM

The questions are coming for the junior Senator from Illinois -- and they are not pleasant.

Is he all sizzle and no steak? ASKS THE AP.

Does he make rookie mistakes? ASKS THE ROOKIE POLITICO.COM.

Is he too aloof and not enough of a fighter? ASKS THE LOS ANGELES TIMES.

For me, in the answers seem to be NO, YES, and as of right now YES.

What say you?

-- jake

March 27, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

California Dreamin'

March 26, 2007 12:32 PM

Sorry so late getting blogging this a.m…Was on a red eye flight from LA, landing in DC at 6 this morning, so am a little bleary-eyed.

What was I doing out in LA? Two interviews, both interesting, one politics and one entertainment…. Stay tuned for more on each…

Friday it came out that the creator of the brilliant but scathing anti-Hillary YouTube ad had actually lived with the press secretary of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, despite claims by him and his campaign to have only the most "attentuated" of ties to the ad-maker…MORE ABOUT THAT HERE…

What say you? Does the Obama campaign have a veracity issue? Is the media (me) jumping on a story that is meaningless? Something in between? Please weigh in…

Seacrest out --

jake

March 26, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

If you see us in the club we'll be acting real nice

March 23, 2007 9:54 AM

"When Timbo is in the party everybody put up their hands," sings hip-hop impresario Timbaland in "GIVE IT TO ME." "I get a half a mil for my beats you get a couple grand."

Well, at least one grand. For Chillary.

Which is to say that TIMBALAND is hosting a $1,000-a-head fundraiser in Miami on March 31 for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY.

And former President Bill Clinton will be in the hizz-ouse.

Contest for our readers: find the Timbaland lyrics Sen. Clinton will least likely want to be asked about.

Will the party feature Timbaland's "Sex Beat (interlude)"?

"Ahh... it's time to slow it down for a bit
Like this
Oooh, ahhhhhh
I call this here... take off your drawers music...
See I don't disrespect no woman
As long as she don't disrespect me, see what I'm sayin?
I would never call a girl, that B word
Never call you no hoe
All I wanna do is lick on your toe
And, pull off your, tight Girbauds
Ahhhhhhh, huh"

Or how about "Naughty Eye":

"Been boning girls in the Scooby Doo Van (Doo Van)
"Chicks been missing since the Summer Of Sam (Of Sam)…"

Or how about "Smoke In Da Air (feat Static)," the most off-color LYRICS from which I can't even print here...

Word!

-- Positive-J w/The Skillz that Pay Da Billz

March 23, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Harvard Abstinence

March 23, 2007 6:52 AM

So today we're TOLD that there's a new abstinence group at Harvard called True Love Revolution, with more than 90 members.

I'm surprised to hear that anyone at Harvard is having sex, quite frankly.

- jpt

March 23, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

On Elizabeth Edwards…

March 22, 2007 3:14 PM

We all wish her well. We all hope for the best. None of us want to judge what is a personal family decision.

But…but…

But we cannot pretend politics is not at play here.

From the decision to make the announcement together standing outside the location where he and his wife were married, to his decision not to discuss his future campaign plans until asked about it by a reporter, former Senator John Edwards, D-NC, made political calculations today.

This is separate and apart from his very personal and no doubt heart-wrenching personal decision….

But Edwards was announcing that his campaign for president will continue -- "strongly" -- despite the fact that his wife's cancer has spread.

And despite his previous comments that a return of her health troubles could keep him from the campaign trail.

Quite often, politics is a business of gut instincts and impressions.

People "like" candidates. Or they don't. They try to get a feel for them.

What will voters feel about Edwards' decision? What did they think about the couple's body language?

Putting themselves in his place, will voters think they would likewise continue with a 24/7 grueling job that requires a lot of travel?

How will women voters respond? Will Elizabeth Edwards' blessings for her husband's campaign be enough?

These are difficult questions, and none of us want to judge the Edwards family. We all pray to God she will recover 100%, and that is the most important thing…

But John Edwards is not like the rest of us, trying to make a personal family decision. He is running for president -- the frontrunner, in fact, in key early-caucus state Iowa.

People will discuss this decision, and how he came across. They will judge it.

What do you think?

-- jpt

March 22, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

Executive Privilege for me but not for thee?

March 22, 2007 12:58 PM

Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Illinois, is the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House. He of course made his bones working as an adviser to President Bill Clinton, who asserted "executive privilege" when trying to stave off investigations into his White House.

Emnauel told USA Today that this case, involving President George W. Bush, is different. "They've told us that the president wasn't involved here," Emanuel said. Karl Rove and others should have no problem testifying about what they did "unless the president was more involved than they're telling us."

The CHICAGO TRIBUNE BLOG points out that there's someone else who sees a difference between the Clinton claim of executive privilege and Bush's: then-columnist now-White House spox Tony Snow.
"Evidently, Mr. Clinton wants to shield virtually any communications that take place within the White House compound on the theory that all such talk contributes in some way, shape or form to the continuing success and harmony of an administration,'' Snow wrote in March 1998 for the Detroit News. "Taken to its logical extreme, that position would make it impossible for citizens to hold a chief executive accountable for anything. He would have a constitutional right to cover up."

At Wednesday's WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING, Snow was asked about this:

"So why were you wrong then and right now?" a reporter inquired.
"Because this is a not entirely analogous situation," Snow said. "I've just told you what we have, in fact, offered to make available to members of Congress. And what we are doing is we are holding apart confidential communications between advisors and the President. And that is pretty standard practice in White Houses."

Interrupted a reporter: "It's exactly what the Clinton administration talked about."

"Well, I'm not so sure," said Snow. "And I'll let others do the legal arguing on that. But the important point here is we're maintaining the presidential prerogatives and, at the same time, we're making available exhaustive -- we're offering basically to give them, exhaustively, communications that bear on this issue and also make the key players -- at least at the Justice Department and the people they said they wanted to hear from at the White House -- they're all going to be available. That's not a coverup. That is, in fact, a very open offer to get all the facts into the hands of the people who, presumably, want to figure out what the facts are."

-- jt

March 22, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

Double O Wednesday

March 21, 2007 9:50 PM

Though we defended Obama yesterday as having unequivocally opposed the Iraq war back in 2002, despite attempts by the Clinton folks to muddle the record (CLICK HERE), today we took a look at Obama's position on war funding. The record's a little different, CLICK HERE.

And then, as we were preparing to leave for the night, THIS STORY BROKE about the Obama techie behind that anti-Clinton YouTube ad.

Yowza.

-- jt

March 21, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Hillary, Gore, Access for Sale...

March 21, 2007 9:45 AM

(1) Stay classy, Clinton campaign!

Classy response (I'm being serious) by Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, to that horrifying anti-Hillary YOUTUBE VIDEO.

In an INTERVIEW with NY1 cable, Clinton said “I haven't seen it but I’m pleased that it seems to be taking attention away from what used to be on YouTube and getting a lot of hits, namely me singing ‘The Star Spangled Banner.’ Everybody in the world now knows I can't carry a tune. I thank heavens for small favors and the attention has shifted, and now maybe people won't have to tune in and hear me screeching about ‘The Star Spangled Banner.’”

Well played, Howard, Phil and Philippe.... Kudos.

(2) Gore on the Hill

Shades of "Miracle on 34th Street"?  Perhaps "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"?  Whichever movie cliché you invoke, former Vice President Albert Arnold "Al" Gore Jr.  will bring close to 500,000 postcards with him to a House global warming hearing this morning -- postcards from Americans demanding action on global warming:

"To my representatives in Washington D.C.," the cards read. "We must not ignore the climate crisis any longer. The impacts are clear and the solutions to the problem are within our grasp. Congress must take real action now to stop global warming."

On his website AlGore.com, the former Veep implores his supporters, "please reach out to Republican and Independent, as well as Democratic friends. One of our goals must be to make this issue one that transcends partisanship. While many of the solutions to the climate crisis will be found within the political system, there should be bipartisan and transpartisan agreement on the basic nature of the crisis and the sense of urgency that is appropriate for us to solve it."

The postcards, according to Gore's people, are printed on recycled paper. It is not yet known if Mr. Gore or someone else will be hauling in the bags of postcards. This will be the first time the popular vote winner of the 2000 presidential election has been back on Capitol Hill in any public way since the inauguration of his rival President George W. Bush in January 2001. Gore has received many invitations to testify before Congress but this is the first time he's agreed to do so. Why now? This is the first time since 2000 that Democrats control both the House and Senate and after the 2006 elections, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., asked him to come speak jointly to their respective bodies. Also, a source close to Gore says, there is right now meaningful legislation moving through the Senate to address climate change and popular opinion on the issue has shifted, making both lawmakers and the public more willing to hear what Gore has to say.

(3) Access for sale?

Tonight at the posh Northern Virginia manse of local real estate magnate Albert Dwoskin, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will host one of its most expensive events in recent memory -- $28,500 per couple -- featuring access to Pelosi and 10 powerful House committee chairmen.

The event will be one of the highest-dollar fundraisers since the McCain-Feingold campaign finance limits were enacted in 2002 and it opens Democrats -- who campaigned against the GOP's "culture of corruption" last November -- to charges of hypocrisy.

The 10 committee chairmen include Barney Frank of Massachusetts (Banking), John Conyers of Michigan (Judiciary), John Dingell of Michigan (Energy & Commerce), George Miller of California (Education and Labor), James Oberstar of Minnesota (Transportation and Infrastructure), David Obey of Wisconsin (Appropriations), and Ike Skelton of Missouri (Armed Services).

Let the games begin!
-- jpt

March 21, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Hillary v Obama, part VII

March 20, 2007 3:40 PM

The Clinton campaign has expressed much frustration over how Obama has been able to portray himself as an early and consistent opponent of the war in Iraq, as opposed to Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, who voted to authorize use of force in Iraq.

In fact, no less a political force than former President Bill Clinton -- not to mention Clinton pollster Mark Penn -- have been quoting from a New York Times report from 2004 in which Obama, asked how he would have voted, says "I don't know."

But is that the full story? We took a look…you can read all about it HERE and there's video to go with it…

What do you think?

-- jt

March 20, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

Reading the tea leaves up at the Senate

March 20, 2007 1:52 PM

A play in one act

Jake Tapper: Senator Grassley, do you still have confidence in Attorney General Gonzales?

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa: Ask me tomorrow.

Curtain

Fin.

-- jt

March 20, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Bong Hits 4 Jesus

March 19, 2007 9:48 PM

Joseph Frederick unfurled a banner "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" during a school event. His principal and nemesis, Deborah Morse, suspended him.

Now Morse v Frederick is a Supreme Court case!

Read all about it HERE, including some most interesting questions from the Justices asked during Monday's orals.

Free speech or just a loud mouth? Or both? Or neither?

- jpt

March 19, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

Power to the People!

March 18, 2007 11:22 AM

Much of Corporate America still operates as if there isn't an Internet. As if people worldwide can't come together to discuss the quality of various companies' products, their customer service.

That's an odd attitude, since so many other industries -- Hollywood, politics, journalism -- are well aware of the empowerment the Internet has afforded viewers, voters and readers.

Not everything everyone writes on the Internet is taken seriously, of course, nor should it be. But ask Dan Rather or George Allen if the Internet can affect how major industries operate.

Which brings me to...Sears, where America shops.

My Kenmore "elite" refrigerator broke a couple weeks ago. Just shut down. No more cold. We called Sears, where our condo's previous owners had purchased the fridge, and where the Sears repair services operator was only too willing to sell us a warranty extension for about $220 before setting up a time for the repairman to come by.

Now, here's where I erred. Before I said "yes," I should have Googled "Sears" and "sucks."

Because then I would have seen that quite a few Sears consumers have used the Internet to warn others not to ever trust the company.

Not least of whom is MALLIKA CHOPRA, daughter of the famous author and doctor Deepak.

There's also THIS ONE and THIS ONE and THIS ONE and THIS ONE and THIS ONE and THIS ONE and THIS ONE and THIS ONE and THIS ONE and THIS ONE and THIS ONE and THIS ONE and THIS ONE and THIS ONE and THIS ONE and THIS ONE...

There's even a Web site called "WhySearsSucks.blogspot"...

If I'd known all that -- if I had read those blog posts -- I might never have had to have gone through what has proven to be a very frustrating experience with Sears...

The Internet brings us an opportunity to do some proverbial town hall chat even in the era of globalization.

These many Web sites are full of consumer anecdotes from those who say the company does not particularly care about fulfilling its promises...

I invite you to share your corporate gripes with me.

And before you purchase anything major in the future, or sign up for a warranty, I suggest you do what I will do from now on: Google the company name and "sucks" and see how many malcontented consumers pre-exist....

See, for example, similar sites against Target, Walmart, and Best Buy.

What do you say?

-- Jake

March 18, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)

Boy on the Bus

March 16, 2007 1:09 PM

HERE'S THE FREE VIDEO OF OUR GMA REPORT on the return of John McCain's straight talk express.

-- jt

March 16, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Dateline: Mason City, Iowa

March 15, 2007 10:13 PM

Wondering what I'm doing in Iowa? I'm with stellar producer Max Culhane and we're covering, well...check out THIS DOT-COM STORY from the Straight Talk Express 2.0....

READ IT HERE

Will the earlier California primary up-end the retail politics of Iowa and New Hampshire? VIDEO HERE

Want to hear the Q&A from the interview with Senator Hillary Clinton, D-NY, that didn't make Good Morning America? Check out our PODCAST HERE

You really ought to give Iowa a try -- Hawkeye, Dubuque, Des Moines, Davenport, Marshalltown, Mason City, Keokuck, Ames, Clear Lake....

What say you??

-- jt 2.0

March 15, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Senator Clinton, unplugged

March 14, 2007 9:52 AM

This morning on Good Morning, America, we ran an interview with Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, in which she called for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's head.

"The buck should stop somewhere," Clinton said (CLICK HERE FOR MORE) "and the Attorney General -- who still seems to confuse his prior role as the president's personal attorney with his duty to the system of justice and to the entire country -- should resign."

I also asked her how this at all differed from the move in 1993 when he husband asked all 93 US Attorneys to resign.

"This is a great difference," she said. "When a new president comes in, a new president gets to clean house. It is not done on case-by-case basis where you didn't do something that some senator or member of Congress told you to do in terms of investigation into opponents. It is 'Let's start afresh.' Every president has done that.

"This happening now with this administration is actually quite rare," she went on. "There's been some research done that concluded it's hardly ever happens and it happened with so many people and it apparently was going to happen with more. We now are hearing stories that basially the White House wanted to change all the US Attorneys for political and personal reasons. I think this raises serious questions."

What should happen with Sen. Pete Domenici, R-NM, who is accused by the former US Attorney there have trying to improperly pressure him politically?

"I think there will be appropriate investigations by the Congress into all of these allegations. That's what should happen. We need to shine a bright light -- there needs to be accountablity."

The White House says these US Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president and can be fired at any time.

"There is maybe a technical correctness to that. but it hasn't happened," she said. "As I said there has been a study that went back and looked and this is extremely rare that a US Attorney is removed before his term his up because of political pressure on him, removed because he wont' follow a party line that should disturb everyone -- Republicans and Democrats."

Clinton added that "another issue I'm disturbed about with the Attorney General is the misuse of these national security letters, going after people's records without appropriate documentation and following the letter of the law. That's going right to the heart of privacy protections and constitutional protections that people deserve to have. This administration has kind of played fast and loose with the law for quite some time. And we are aware that they like to do things their own way, but now there's a Democratic congress and we're not going to turn a blind eye, we are going to hold hearings, we're going to try to get to the bottom of what happened because the American people deserve to know."

I also asked her about the comments by General Peter Pace that homosexulity is "immoral." Clinton has opposed the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, so I asked her if that law -- signed by her husband in 1993 -- was a mistake, and if homosexuality is "immoral."

"General Pace has clarified his remarks, but let's not lose sight of the fact that 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' is not working," she said. "We are being deprived of thousands of patriotic men and women who want to serve their country who are bringing skills into the armed services that we desparately need, like translation skills. And one can argue whether it was a good idea when it was first implemented, but we know have evidence as to the fact that we are in a time of war -- when we really need as many people as we can to recruit and retain in an all-volunteer army -- we are turning people away or discharging them not because of what they've done but because of who they are."

But is it immoral?

"Well I'm going to leave that to others to conclude," she said. "I'm very proud of the gays and lesbians I know who perform work that is essential to our country, who want to serve their country and I want make sure they can."

-- jt

March 14, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (42) | TrackBack (0)

Dodd, unplugged

March 12, 2007 6:44 PM

Not only will White House hopeful Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., appear on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart this evening -- but at chrisdodd.com he will allow fans to get a "backstage pass" to watch him in his hotel room and in the show's Green room.

How exciting!

-- jt

March 12, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

15-year-old Venison

March 12, 2007 10:00 AM

TThis morning we took a look at what Halliburton's move to the UAE might mean….Hundreds of millions of dollars in US taxes avoided? Unclear as of now…TAKE A READ HERE… or WATCH THE FREE VIDEO HERE…

Our big story today, though, is our exclusive TV look at the congressional "Animal House" -- the Capitol Hill hovel where four of the most powerful men in Congress live… sneak a dot-com peek HERE.

But you'll really want to see this spot for yourself, so watch the shorter Webcast video version of the story HERE. You can catch the longer, fuller story this evening on World News with Charles Gibson!

-- jt

March 12, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

YUB NUB!

March 10, 2007 12:30 PM

What a wonderful day today is...

In honor of the glory that is life, please enjoy the Ewok Celebration Song (with translation!!).

You can hear the original version HERE.

And a brilliant Craig Kilborn version HERE.

EWOK CELEBRATION SONG:

Yub nub, eee chop yub nub,
Freedom, we got freedom,

toe meet toe pee chee keene, g'noop dock fling oh ah.
and now that we can be free, c'mon and celebrate.

Yah wah, eee chop yah wah,
Power, we got power

toe meet toe pee chee keene, g'noop dock fling oh ah
and now that we can be free, c'mon and celebrate.

Coat ee chah tu yub nub,
Celebrate the freedom

Coat ee chah tu yah wah,
Celebrate the power

Coat ee chah tu glo wah.
Celebrate the glory.

allay loo ta nuv
celebrate the love

Glo wah, eee chop glo wah, ya glo wah pee chu nee foam,
Power, we got power, and now that we can be free,

ah toot dee awe goon daa.
it's time to celebrate.

Coat ee cha tu goo (Yub nub!)
Celebrate the light (Freedom!)

coat ee cha tu doo (Yah wah!)
celebrate the might (Power!)

coat ee cha tu too (ya chaa!)
celebrate the fight (Glory!)

allay loo tu nuv (3 times)
celebrate the love

Glo wah, eee chop glo wah.
Glory, we found glory

Ya glow wah pee chu nee foam,
The power showed us the light

ah toot dee awe goon daa
and now we all live free

allay loo tu nuv.
celebrate the love. 

(Courtesy of this website.)

-- jpt

March 10, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Obey Versus The "Idiot Liberals"

March 09, 2007 11:01 AM

Fascinating video of Rep. David Obey, D-Wisc., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, losing his temper when confronted by liberal activists who want him to cut off funding for the war.

WATCH IT HERE ON YOUTUBE

The activists want him to support legislation from the House "Out of Iraq" caucus -- which says it has anywhere from 80 to 100 votes in favor of ending the war this year, not likely next year as the appropriations bill offered yesterday by Obey and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., would do.

"That makes no sense," Obey says of the Out of Iraq Caucus legislation. "The liberal groups are jumping around without knowing what the hell is in (our) bill."

Obey, never known for his cool head, says ""I'm the sponsor of the bill that's going to be on the floor -- and that bill ends the war," Obey says, his voice rising. "If that isn't good enough for you, you're smoking something illegal!"

"If you guys quit screwing it up," he says, presumably angry at the House Out of Iraq Caucus and liberal activists, "we do have the votes to end the legal authority for the war that's the same as defunding it!"

"You got your facts screwed up!" Obey says. "We don’t have the votes! You see a magic wand in my pocket?!"

- jpt

March 9, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

People who need people

March 09, 2007 10:28 AM

The long-awaited interview by Dr. James Dobson of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Georgia, can be heard IF YOU CLICK HERE…

Or you can read all about it HERE…

The headline: Gingrich essentially admits cheating on his first wife, with wife number two, and cheating on his second wife with wife number three.

"There were times when I was praying and when I felt I was doing things that were wrong. But I was still doing them," Gingrich said during the interview. "I look back on those as periods of weakness and periods that I'm not only not proud of, but I would deeply urge my children and grandchildren not to follow in my footsteps."

But Gingrich said you can't compare his transgressions to those of former President Clinton…."The standard is: In a court of law should somebody who's popular get away with perjury?" Gingrich said. "And I drew a line in my mind that said, 'Even though I run the risk of being deeply embarrassed, and even though at a purely personal level I am not rendering judgment on another human being, as a leader of the government trying to uphold the rule of law, I have no choice except to move forward and say that you cannot accept felonies and you cannot accept perjury in your highest officials."
What say you?

-- jt

March 9, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

WAR!!

March 08, 2007 1:30 PM

Former Sen. John Edwards, D-NC, declares war on Fox News Channel… READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE…

Meanwhile, this morning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other Democratic leaders introduce a bill to end the war in Iraq… READ ALL ABOUT THAT HERE…

What do you think of these two developments?

-- jt

March 8, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

Company Town

March 07, 2007 10:00 AM

In this week's installment of our ABC News Shuffle podcast "Roud to the White House" series, Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, explains why he finds Ann Coulter's comments "disgusting," how former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is "mischaracterizing" his position on abortion, and why he goes to two churches on Sunday…among other issues….

Listen to the podcast on iTunes or BY CLICKING HERE.

Also, on Nightline last night we took a look at what the Libby investigation and trial shows about "Company Town" Washington, DC -- READ THE DOT-COM VERSION HERE …. Do you think media and policymakers in this town are too cozy?

-- jpt

March 7, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

Scooter as metaphor?

March 06, 2007 1:52 PM

Provocative statement of the day*:

Is I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby a metaphor for the Bush administration's credibility issues with the public?

Libby was convinced he was doing what was best for the republic. He aggressively made the case for war, went after critics, and seemed blind to the possibility that he was wrong.

His conviction today by a jury of his peers was not for leading the charge into war - it is for lying. For obstructing justice, for perjury, for false statements.

In the poetic sense, Libby does not face time for what he did -- the leaking of Valerie Plame's identity, pushing a case for war that turned out to be based on quite a bit of false information. He faces jail time for lying about what he did.

Some political observers -- not just liberals, either -- say that in a larger sense is what seems have hurt this administration so much with the public - false information, obstructing "justice" in the purest sense. Not waging the war, not for the missteps in fighting the war -- but for all the times when what the American people were hearing did not square with reality.

DISCUSS.

* As always, these are for discussion purposes and do not necessarily represent the views of the blogger.

-- jt

March 6, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

The Pearl Harbor Day Massacre

March 06, 2007 9:27 AM

One quick item on Giuliani…..Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report, points out helpfully today that while former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani leads in the polls, according to the good folks at Gallup, three-quarters of respondents were unaware of his liberals views on gays and abortion.

“His backers are mostly conservatives and evangelicals drawn by his 9/11 strong leadership," Cook says. "That support will melt like an ice cream cone in August once abortion, guns, gay rights, Vietnam draft, marriage to his second cousin, and infidelities come out.” This quote comes from the esteemed FINANCIAL TIMES which, like former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney ON CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING, mis-characterizes Giuliani's views on same sex marriage, saying that he supports it when, in fact, he backs only civil unions.

You can see some of our Giuliani coverage IN THIS FREE VIDEO or read about it HERE ON DOT-COM.

Today on the Hill we'll be following the House Judiciary Committee's look into the December 7 firing of seven U.S. Attorneys -- what's being called the Pearl Harbor Day Massacre.

Democrats allege that the U.S. Attorneys, all Republican appointees, were canned for being insufficiently partisan. For looking too closely into various GOP alleged shenanigans and not closely or quickly enough into Democratic alleged malfeasance.

Most potentially explosive -- the testimony of former New Mexico U.S. Attorney David Iglesias-- the model for the Tom Cruise characater in "A Few Good Men" -- who will say that last Fall Rep. Heather Wilson, R-NM, and Sen. Pete Domenici, R-NM, pressured him to speed up a corruption investigation of local Democrats allegedly to embarrass Wilson's congressional opponent. Wilson and Domenici DENY any pressure, though they acknowledge talking to Iglesias.

There's also THIS REPORT from an anonymous ex-U.S. Attorney that Michael Elston, the chief of staff to Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, made a “pointed comment that indicated that somehow anyone who talked might become more embarrassed if the story continued on. The inference was that they were holding themselves back from saying more about why people were fired - that it was likely the department was going to step up the defense of their actions. It could have been construed as friendly advice or a casual prediction. But I think it was expected that everyone would be told about the call.”

This comes the same day that in the NEW YORK TIMES the former Maryland U.S. Attorney Thomas M. DiBiagio claims that he was forced out in early 2005 because of political pressure stemming from the fact that he had been investigating whether associates of then-Gov. Bob Ehrlich, a Republican, had improperly used cash to promote legalized slot machines from gambling interests.

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

-- jpt

March 6, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Rudy thought that all good things comes to those what wait

March 05, 2007 10:38 PM

is former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani coated in Teflon?

We take a look at how this thrice-married supporter of abortion rights, gay rights, and gun control has become the darling of the GOP IN THIS DOT COM PIECE and in THIS FREE VIDEO.

How do you remember seeing Giuliani on 9/11? AT THE TIME, ON THAT HORRIBLE DAY, I WROTE:

"Americans huddled by their televisions for explanations, information, answers. Perhaps some were hoping for a reassuring word from the president. Perhaps some found some reassurance instead in the words of New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who appeared on TV and at press conferences, answering reporters' questions with an impressive combination of command and emotion. The city's primary election to replace him had been canceled because of the attacks; some supporters in New York may have hoped they would just cancel it for good."

Was Giuliani's leadership that day enough for you?

Or in the IMMORTAL WORDS OF SUPERTRAMP do you think Rudy's on a train to nowhere?

-- jpt

March 5, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Ah've come toooo fahhhr

March 05, 2007 8:40 AM

Make no mistake -- the "Bloody Sunday" civil rights heroes of 1965 were not only bravely marching for the right to vote -- they were in a way fighting for the right to be pandered to by politicians.
And that much, at least, has been accomplished.

Witness Sens. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and Hillary Clinton, D-NY, in Selma, Alabama over the weekend, which you can read about HERE.

Listen to a montage of Clinton in this iFilms clip (CLICK HERE) Clinton, raised in Illinois and representing New York, affected a sporadic but curious Southern drawl in her speech. “I” became “Ahhh,” “far” morphed into “fahhhr,” and “mayor” suddenly sounded like “mare.”

(You should note that Clinton's exhortation that "I don't feel noways tired" isn't quite as bad as it seems -- she's quoting "James Cleveland's great freedom hymn" which you can see HERE Still, the molasses that suddenly appeared in the senator's mouth was interesting. Though a former Clinton aide reminds me that Clinton lived for quite a spell in Arkansas, of course.)

And how about Obama? Well, he credited the "Bloody Sunday" civil rights marchers of 1965 with the fact that his parents -- a black African father, and white Kansas mother -- were empowered to fall in love and got married.

"They looked at each other and they decided, we  know that in the world as it has been it might not be possible  for us to get together and have a child, but something is  stirring across the country because of what happened in  Selma, Alabama, because some folks are willing to march  across the bridge. And so they got together and Barack Obama, Jr. was born. So don't tell me I don't have a claim on Selma, Alabama!”

Um….Obama was born in 1961; the Selma march was four years later.
Obama later said that he meant to be crediting the entire civil rights movement with their union, not just the Bloody Sunday marchers. He did reference other civil rights heroics in his speech, though not in that specific section.

What say you? Is this horrible? Wonderful? Amusing? Typical? Much ado about nothing?
-- jpt

March 5, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (24) | TrackBack (0)

Obama, Israel, and the Jewish Vote

March 04, 2007 12:36 PM

All Democratic eyes are on Selma right now, but something interesting happened Friday as well...

Seeking to assure supporters of Israel that he is as ardent a backer of the Jewish state as are rivals such as Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, and John Edwards, D-NC, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, delivered a very pro-Israel address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee of Chicago at the end of last week.

"Our job is to rebuild the road to real peace and lasting security throughout the region," Obama said. "Our job is to do more than lay out another road map. That effort begins with a clear and strong commitment to the security of Israel: Our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy. That will always be my starting point."

But now comes a very interesting blog entry by the pro-Palestinian blogger Ali Abunimah at The Electronic Intifadah, who alleges that Obama has changed to a far more stridently pro-Israel position as his national aspirations developed.

"The last time I spoke to Obama was in the winter of 2004 at a gathering in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood," Abunimah writes. "He was in the midst of a primary campaign to secure the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate seat he now occupies. But at that time polls showed him trailing.

"As he came in from the cold and took off his coat, I went up to greet him. He responded warmly, and volunteered, 'Hey, I'm sorry I haven't said more about Palestine right now, but we are in a tough primary race. I'm hoping when things calm down I can be more up front.' He referred to my activism, including columns I was contributing to the The Chicago Tribune critical of Israeli and US policy, 'Keep up the good work!"

As the campaigns compete for Jewish support, it would be political malpractice for rivals campaigns to not send this blog entry around to big pro-Israel donors.

March 4, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (27) | TrackBack (0)

Rudy McRomney?

March 02, 2007 8:41 PM

Attended the Conservative Political Action Conference these last couple days...Here's a silly little VIDEO WE DID FOR THE WEBCAST and HERE'S A MORE SERIOUS DOT-COM LOOK at the dynamic going on there...

have a good weekend,

jake

March 2, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Word

March 01, 2007 6:06 PM

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., dropped a little bomb on Letterman last night. VIDEO HERE ...

So McCain said something ELSE last night on Letterman other than just his presidential pre-announcement. READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE.

Meanwhile, over at the "virtual" headquarters of Sen. John Edwards, D-NC, there has been vandalism! CHECK IT OUT HERE.

What say you?

-- jt

March 1, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

You Can't Handle the Truth!

March 01, 2007 9:05 AM

Three morsels for morning consumption….

1) If you want to see more of my interview with Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, the first Marine seriously wounded in the Iraq war, who outed himself yesterday at a press conference where legislation was being announced to lift the ban on gays and lesbians serving in the military, check out THIS PIECE RIGHT HERE that we did for the World News Webcast yesterday.

2)  House Republicans will push for an unusual vote to protest Speaker Nancy Pelosi giving Rep. William Jefferson, D-Louisiana, a plum assignment on the House Homeland Security Committee. The explanation of this, per Pelosi's appearance on Larry King Live, is that Jefferson, who represents New Orleans, has been a critic of FEMA's reaction to Hurricane Katrina. 

Regular consumers of  Political Punch will recall our scoop (READ IT HERE) that as flood waters rose on New Orleans, Jefferson used National Guard troops to check on his property and rescue his personal belongings — even while New Orleans residents were trying to get rescued from rooftops. Last Summer we also covered the FBI probe of Jefferson's dealings, which you can read about HERE or watch HERE. That FBI probe is why Pelosi before the 2006 election removed Jefferson from the Ways & Means Committee, as she assaulted the GOP's "Culture of Corruption."

3) At a press conference yesterday, former US Attorney for New Mexico David Iglesias claimed that just before the elections in October two Congressman pressured him to speed up a probe of a Democratic legislator, presumably to impact the elections.

"I didn't give them what they wanted," Iglesias TOLD THE WASHINGTON POST, calling his reluctance a "political problem" that "caused them to go to the White House or whomever and complain that I wasn't a team player." Iglesias -- the model for the Tom Cruise character in "A Few Good Men" -- is the only one of 7 US Attorneys fired last December to publicly allege political reasons for his dismissal. Three dismissed US Attorneys were conducting probes of Republican officials; Democrats are saying they were fired for allegedly not being partisan enough.

Thoughts? Op-eds? Haiku? Accusations of liberal/conservative bias? All welcome.

-- jpt

March 1, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)