I know I have some popcorn around here somewhere.

I dunno, but it seems to me that Pelosi's plan to reduce the corruption in DC shouldn't include installing a former judge impeached for bribery.

It sounds a lot like cleaning up my health care plan by selecting Dr. Kevorkian as my health care provider.

"physics geek"--you nailed it-LMAO

How about this rationale: Pelosi's nuts!

Well, I do think that a better selection would be appropriate. However, the following points:

1. That was a LONG time ago, nearly 20 years.
2. Robert Gates, the new DOD, had some issues with MANIPULATING INTELLIGENCE, if you recall. Iran-Contra, to be exact. Given that, are you willing to give equal weight to this?
3. In the time since - 1992 - he has served with distinction. (Same with Gates, BTW).
4. People CAN learn their lesson, sometimes (Don't know this time, but again, 14 years of good service since being re-elected).

Finally -

"Going to the smear" - isn't a way to make sure you get good government, it is a way to discredit people.

This doesn't say anything about the type of job Hastings has done in the last 14 years. It isn't an evaluation of his intelligence, his knowledge, an acknowledgement that he HAS had the role of "the second-ranked Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence."

So he has knowledge.

At any rate, it would be great if your analysis of Pelosi's decision inlcude Hasting's past a factor - but not to the only use as a hatchet job.

And again - the EXACT points that you would discredit Pelosi - or this particular decision - for this, apply to Bush's appointment of Robert Gates.

It looks like a bad decision to me.

When they are cleaning up corruption are they including William Jefferson, Democrat-Louisana?

I believe it has to do with personalities. Harman and Pelosi supposedly cannot stand each other. Thus, Pelosi will not do anything to benefit Harman.

In other words, personal dislike is more important that eliminating corruption.

"At any rate, it would be great if your analysis of Pelosi's decision inlcude Hasting's past a factor - but not to the only use as a hatchet job"

Ah, the shoe's on the other foot...

"vagabond"--naaw-he had "cold" cash.

I believe the answer is very straight-forward: The party of "new ideas" is simply bringing back the old guard. Their hayday was getting out of Vietnam, driving Nixon from office, etc and they haven't had much fun since them. Guys like Hastings bring back the good old days. Watch for more of the old Left (what's left of them) to now be back in vogue.

GC

When they are cleaning up corruption are they including William Jefferson, Democrat-Louisiana?
Posted by: VagaBond

He's already under investigation, but Hastert stopped investigators from raiding his Congressional office. Also, he's about to get into a
runoff election this December against Democrat Karen Carter.

JC: "Robert Gates, the new DOD, had some issues with MANIPULATING INTELLIGENCE, if you recall. Iran-Contra, to be exact. Given that, are you willing to give equal weight to this?"

Yes. It's a crappy appointment intended to aid the executive in its extraction from the war.

I was for the invasion, but regardless, I think we need to finish the job. I don't think Bush committed any war crimes. Gates is about how to NOT finish the job, but get the hell out. With political cover.

Bad idea.

Hastings is a bad idea.

A question for Jay -- Do you have a link or quote from Pelosi saying she plans to appoint Hastings?

anyone...?

"I find my opinions are in the minority."

-On the contrary. Your opinions are from the majority -of the most often ignored.

"race trumps integrity"

Coming from a source that tends to have nothing less than fawning coverage of Condi Rice -well, that's rich. Care to come up with one thing Rice did not fuck up in both her tenures as National Security Advisor or Sec. of State?

August 6th PDB? Mushroom cloud scenarios? Lebanon?

I wish someone that lives close to old "pucker puss" (lee Lee) would stick a "link" up his stupid ass. (be careful of his nose)

Everything I've read says that Hastings will get the post as a payback to the Congressional Black Caucus. Pelosi made Harman ranking member of the Intelligence Committee over Sanford Bishop of Georgia (who had seniority and is a member of the CBC) in January 2003 and now she has to pay for the sin of appointing a "moderate" who supported the wiretap program by letting the disgraced Hastings take over.

Ok, I've read the post you linked and the two articles linked therein, and this is the language used to describe Pelosi's "plan":

Nonetheless, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has told colleagues she plans to replace Harman with Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D-Fla.) when the 110th Congress convenes in January 2007 - WaPo

Hastings, some Democrats say, may be in line to become chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, should Democrats take over the House in November - MiHer

So we have some unnamed people saying she plans to do this, maybe. Pretty thin.

That being said, it does seem like she might do it to get back in good with the Black Caucus, whom she pissed off by getting Dollar Bill Jefferson removed from Ways and Means (there you go, Vagabond). I think it's a terrible idea, and that it would be better for Pelosi to renew Harman's appointment as long as she promises to be tough on the administration with regards to domestic surveillance, etc.

The real question here, it seems to me, is what the hell should the Democrats do about the Black Caucus? They get pissed of when a crook gets bumped from committee, and now they want another crook appointed to chair as payback? They need to reevaluate their stance vis a vis corrupt or indicted caucus members. Note that there is some disagreement in the caucus; Lewis and Rangel pushed for Jefferson's removal.

I found this in the Miami Herald - Wednesday Nov. 8, 2006.

Yet only Hastings has been mentioned as a committee chairman and that has created controversy among critics who used his past to warn against electing Democrats. In 1988, Hastings was impeached and removed from his federal judgeship amid allegations of misconduct, including conspiring to take a bribe.

Pelosi reportedly has told lawmakers that she plans to oust Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., the ranking Democrat on the committee, and replace her with Hastings, who is second in line. A third candidate has also been named, Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas.

Asked Wednesday about Hastings, Pelosi gave no indication as to what she was thinking -- but she didn't rule out skipping over Harman.

''The Speaker of the House and the minority leader, on the first day of Congress, appoint a whole new Intelligence Committee each term,'' Pelosi said on CNN. ``Sometimes they reappoint the same people. Sometimes they don't, but there is no seniority on the Intelligence Committee.''

She hasn't confirmed it, but she hasn't denied it either, so for discussion purposes I'll buy into the idea that it is her plan until we hear otherwise, and stick with my previous comment that it's a bad idea.

Hastings may well have been "boy scout good" for the 18 years since his impeachment, but he needs to continue to pay the price for his deeds, and lose this opportunity, imho.

The Congressional Black Caucus is pushing for Hastings - really hard and in no uncertain terms. Of course Pelosi can pass him up, but there'll be a price to pay for that. He is technically next in line.

This was an interesting WaPo article on the situation.

Lee, that's two times now you've actually made sense in the last week or so. Of course, 2 out of 50 comments ain't great, but STOP IT!!

Yeah, I certainly don't agree with the choice. I am sure there are plently of competent people who don't have criminal backgrounds.

Jay, I know it might be hard for you to fathom - but the left isn't beholden to all that is Democrat. While there exists a percentage that support it blindly and stupidly, you'll find it much less prevalent and acute than in the minds of neo-cons like yourself.

mantis: "The real question here, it seems to me, is what the hell should the Democrats do about the Black Caucus? They get pissed of when a crook gets bumped from committee"

There is no reason the blogosphere should not be bi-partisan on this issue. It seems to me this is what we're best at.

We disagree on where to draw the power-bribery line, depending on if we are more market or more state oriented.

But this is just plain bribery. Let's jump up and down and yell.

This will likely be Pelosi's first real knuckle-up decision as majority leader. I would guess that it's far from decided as yet.

I think there's got to be a limit to how hard the CBC can howl if Hastings is snubbed. They have to think of their own credibility as well.

I'm a Dem-supporter, but that doesn't blind me to the issue here. Hastings' appointment would be no more and no less than politics as usual (i.e. Hastings' transgressions don't make him a national security hazard per se) - but I don't like it. If Pelosi can't dodge this bullet, what CAN she do?

Just doing the cold hard political calculations from Pelosi's perspective is a real brain-buster in itself.

Well, let's see here. The Black Caucus is pissed at Pelosi because she threw a black criminal, who accepted around $100,000 in bribes, out of his committee assignments. To appease them, she's thinking of appointing another black criminal, who accepted $150,000 in bribes, was impeached by his peers, including Pelosi, and also seems to have some very shady employment practices with his current assignment.

What to make us this?

Well, perhaps Jefferson wasn't a big enough criminal to warrant Pelosi's support? You gotta get over that 100K mark to get important assignments. Or maybe Hastings gave her some of his loot and Jefferson did not?

Or perhaps the Black Caucus is more interested in promoting members of their own race, regardless of qualifications and/or criminal record at the expense of the well being of this Nation?

I think some final conclusions include the following:

Nancy Pelosi is a power hungry beast who puts the hardline Republican leadership to shame in terms of not tolerating a single dissenting voice.

Black Americans have no shame whatsoever, at least the ones in Hastings district as they would continually elect a crook who was impeached by Congress.

The Black Caucus is more interested in race, mainly their own, than they are in the United States of America.

And last but not least, the Democrats will step on their dicks enough over the next two years that the 2008 elections may usher in the same old worthless Republican bums that just got thrown out of office.

Congressman/Disgraced Judge Hastings might have a surprise coming if he gets the chairmanship: the Justice Dept could refuse to give him a security clearance to see top level intelligence data.

He's a security risk. He was removed from the bench for bribery, among other things.

Someone disgraced and removed for taking bribes has NO PLACE on an Intelligence Committee.

No clearance = no chairmanship.

Will the Democrats EVER get over their obsession with race? The rest of us have moved on.

Jay Tea, I think it's time to go to a registration system around here. There's very little that passes for responsible discussion any more. It's the only way I can think of to scrape these jerks off our shoes.

You guys plug away, day after day, and have one post after another turned into a mudfight incited by a handful of obnoxious creeps like Lee and a few others who obviously get pleasure in deliberately annoying others in complete anonymity. This has been going on far too long. You have something to say and you work hard to say it. You should have the right to moderate the discussion and get rid of the Asshole Fedayeen.

It's time to clean house before all the grownups leave for more civil places.

What would be the point of a registration system? They can easily ban users without one.

This could just be a trial balloon Pelosi's floating to see what reaction it will get. Hopefully she'll be dissuaded from this terrible decision.

How could a convicted felon become a Congressman?

Oh that is right, he was never convicted of any crime, his case was dismissed.

"the Justice Dept could refuse to give him a security clearance"

Lovely thought but it'll never happen. They refuse to locate and prosecute national security leakers - you really think they'll take preemptive action against a *potential* security risk?

"Oh that is right, he was never convicted of any crime, his case was dismissed."

Yes, but he was impeached - and he challenged the impeachment, and the impeachment was upheld.

He was impeached in the House and tried and convicted in the Senate both under the majority control of Democrats at the time, you ignorant twit.

Ah Barney,

Yes, he was impeached by a vote of I believe 400 to 3, yet we really should believe that he's innocent? More people in congress believe in the tooth fairy than the thought that Hastings is innocent. Expect of course the OJ jury, I mean the Black Caucus.

What's there been, something like 3 federal judges impeached in the last century? I'm sure he was framed. And I'd like to ask where Mark Furman was during this whole ordeal?

Apparently Pelosi is considering other options as well (from the WaPo pearl found by Oyster above)

Pelosi has floated the notion of naming the intelligence committee's third-ranking Democrat, Texan Silvestre Reyes, who is Hispanic, but that's not flying with the black caucus. "The CBC would not look kindly on that," caucus spokeswoman Myra Dandridge told The Post's Jonathan Weisman. "The first order of business of the CBC chairman would be to protect his members, and Alcee Hastings has the seniority, the knowledge and the experience to be chairman of the intelligence committee."

The Democrats have a chance to set a good example - let's see if she makes the right (and difficult) choice.

Well, at least we know Hastings is experienced with covert operations, like taking bribes and such.

Pelosi and company have 2 short years to get
their program up and running. If not they will
just be dust in the wind...Lee ol white eye
you do speak with forked tongue!!

I am sorry but this is a non-issue. When someone gives me a good reason of why soldiers heads are being blown off to protect a country of Iraqis I have never met, and aren't here fighting crime or protecting our borders, then Pelosi has every right to appoint this man and give off the same shady reasons for her decision. We can't go nuts over the black caucus (which most people didn't even know was a committee until yesterday), when we spend $8 Billion a month occupying a foreign country none of us care about.

And reply with some bs saying you care about Iraqis or freedom, so I can reply and tell you to adopt one of them since half the children in Bagdad are now homeless.

Bush said we're going to war, now its up to HIM to clean it. You don't ask your neighbor to wipe your bum when its dirty, Dems shouldn't have to help Bush clean his mess. They should help America, but last time I heard it was Bush's call in being in Iraq, not Pelosi. I think Dems and repubs are both corrupt but the person takes the dump, is the person that has to pick it up. That is an issue, not the black caucus everyone is going to forget about on Friday.

Oh by the way, let's not forget that the current Deputy National Security Advisor, Elliott Abrams, pleaded guilty to crimes concerning his involvement in Iran-Contra. He was pardoned by Bush 41 and then appointed to high-level intelligence posts by Bush 43.

Politicians, left or right, are all the same.

Memo to Nancy Pelosi. Megan says, although you are about to become Majority Leader, the Iraq is Bush's to deal with. So kindly leave him alone to figure things out and we'll get back to when it's over.

Megan, how old are you?

JC "3. In the time since - 1992 - he has served with distinction. (Same with Gates, BTW)."

Well hell I guess you will be praising Foley 10 or so years from now. After all the dems reelected (what was it 5 more times) the one guy after he slept with a page so the dems are going to give Foley a few years to do the right thing right?

Oh wait ummm he resigned in disgrace.

The overwhelming tone I'm seeing is "So-n-so did this and that". So it's tit-for-tat? If Republicans make inept decisions the Dems are obligated to follow in-kind?
It's a heck of a way to "lead"...

Regardless of your political standing here, Hasting is an absolutely ridiculously bad choice, and I hope Speaker Pelosi realizes that before she commits to it.

Hastings was found not guilty of the criminal charge (conspiracy to accept a bribe) that led to his impeachment. He sued in federal court to have the impeachment indictment overturned. The court ruled in his favor. So while he was accused of misconduct, he was also acquitted of the charge. And although he was impeached, that impeachment was later found to be unjustified and improper and was over-turned.

It could be that both the jury over-seeing the bribery case and the court over-seeing the impeachment case were wrong. But the bottom line is that he was, many long years ago, cleared of the charges against him and the impeachment was ruled improper.

I've not read all of the comments above, but here's a clue: Harman is Jewish and has been suspected (even by the FBI) of being "too close" to Israel. Read: possible connections to Israeli espionage.

Megan, I hope there comes a day that YOU need a hand, and people treat you according to your own theory...
You need a bank loan? No way, you're the one who didn't make enough money, dumbass...

You get in a car accident? Sorry Megan, you're the idiot who crashed... lay there and bleed to death.

Need to get your kitten out of a tree? You're the ignorant uncaring person who let your cat outdoors in the first place!

Childish.

Jay..I have come to learn that you, as you have posted, respond from your "gut"..well welcome to November 9th 2006....The Dems do not take over for a couple of months. The same folks in the House that headed committees before the election..ah well still head the committees...It has yet to be determined If Rep. Pelsoi will be the speaker...
I remember your "gut" feeling about the election.

I love irony..Dems racists? Do you really believe that the majority of non-whites citizens vote Dem because they are stupid?...If race was not an issue for Republicans there would be more black and brown faces elected from your party...
...on social issues such as gay marriage black and brown members of catholic and penticostal religious oppose it. However, they rightly see the Republican party as a party that gives a nudge nudge wink wink to them...

So please demonstrate how superior your party is to the Dems when it comes to race..
..and remember perhaps..just perhaps..your "gut" is as wrong on this issue as it was on your prediction for this election..
...How about you preface your opinion as "speculation" until after the fact?

See the Dems are concerned about lobby/self interest baggage..and Harmon has some...not a lot but some...
...ah Black Elk...to use the name of one of the great tribal leaders of the 19th century is like Dick Cheney pretending he knows the military..
..and if you are going to use his name...know his words..

"The soldiers did go away and their towns were torn down; and in the Moon of Falling Leaves (November), they made a treaty with Red Cloud that said our country would be ours as long as grass should grow and water flow."
Black Elk

Megan:

When someone gives me a good reason of why soldiers heads are being blown off to protect a country of Iraqis I have never met, and aren't here fighting crime or protecting our borders,

Yes, I've often felt that there weren't enough SOLDIERS on my street stopping crime.

We'll have to remember, unless we as a nation are protecting close personal friends of yours, it's simply not worth it.

then Pelosi has every right to appoint this man and give off the same shady reasons for her decision.

Wow, you know, I was going to point by point your post, but it's just too warped for me to bother.

Esmense

You have shown your extremely shallow knowledge ( as in almost none ) of anything to do with impeachment and trial in the Senate. The House of Representatives impeaches. If impeached the accused then stands for a trial before the Senate. The Senate then holds a trial( the House appoints prosecutors called managers ) and sitting a whole the Senate determines guilt or innocence. The court system does not enter into it in anyway. There is no appeal system described by the Constitution for an impeachment. Removal from office is the the penalty for a conviction. He was removed from the Federal bench after conviction of accepting a bribe to affect his rulings in a case before his court. Those are the facts. If your wiki says something else someone is trying to spoof you.

Yet again I missed a blockquote on the third paragraph of my last post. That's Megan's statement, the last paragraph is mine.

If the Democrats want to clean up the "culture of corruption" then why is Nancy Pelosi even being talked about for a leadership position? Or is breaking federal election laws only a bad thing when Tom DeLay does it?

why soldiers heads are being blown off to protect a country of Iraqis I have never met, and aren't here fighting crime

Megan,
Here are three words you need to learn:

Posse
Comitatus
Act

esmense,
You only got it half right. While a District Court judge did rule that the Senate could not impeach him for a crime for which he had been acquitted, the Supreme Court had ruled in a previous case that the courts had no jurisdiction over Senate impeachment hearings, so the inpeachment stood.

Nice try, though.

esmense (re: Impeached or not)

From Wikipedia - for what it's worth. This was my source in stating that he appealed and the inmpeachment was upheld.

Impeachment

n 1989, Hastings was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives for bribery and perjury. The Democratic-controlled Senate convicted Judge Hastings of accepting a $150,000 bribe in 1981 in exchange for a lenient sentence and of perjury in his testimony about the case. He became only the sixth Judge in the history of impeachment in the United States to be removed from office by the United States Senate.

His impeachment was remanded back to the Senate by Judge Stanley Sporkin after Hastings filed suit claiming that his impeachment trial was invalid because he was tried by a Senate committee, not in front of the full Senate, and that he had been acquitted in a criminal trial. But the Supreme Court ruled in a similar case, regarding Judge Walter Nixon, who had also been impeached and removed, that the courts had no jurisdiction to review Senate impeachment procedures. A lower court found crucial distinctions between the two cases, since Nixon had been convicted in a criminal trial, and a certified record of his conviction was available to submit to the full Senate as probative evidence of his conduct. Hastings, on the other hand, had been found not guilty in a criminal trial, so Sporkin ruled he had a right to trial by the full Senate and not just by a committee. Sporkin stayed his ruling pending Supreme Court review. The jurisdictional issue prevailed on appeal, and Hastings' impeachment and removal were reinstated.

The Senate had the option to forbid Hastings from ever seeking federal office again when it removed him, but did not do so.

What makes y'all think that Nancy Pelosi will be Speaker of the House? From what I hear she has Steny Hoyer and Jack Murtha, among others, breathing down her neck.

Also, those old guys on the Dem side of the House have been waiting to get their chairmanships back for a while now. I can't imagine that they are going to let that little lady from San Fran tell them what to do if she is elected as their leader.

Perhaps I see you confusion. First off, its Wiki. Learn to use a reliable source. Their wording is awkward and more than a little confusing. What they meant was the District Judge had no jurisdiction as the Constitution does not provide any appeal process. That is what the appellate court instructed. Thus it is as if the judge never ruled on anything to do with it. The impeachment conviction stands. He was removed from the Federal bench. I am going off memory but that has happened to 5 Judges ever. 225 years and 5 Judges. Did I mention that Democrats were the strong majority in both House and Senate? Yeah its that bad.

Check what the Congress is planning to slip through in its remaining days.

http://www.deccan.com/home/homedetails.asp#Nuke%20bill%20still%20on%20track

Help India with it's nuke program? With so many Muslims living there? Why does this make me nervous.

Are we outsourcing our nuclear technology now? Computer companies have outsourced their help desk for years and that's a mess. Can you imagine what outsourcing nuclear technology will do?

By the way, China had a record US$23.8 billion trade surplus in October.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Business/HK10Cb05.html

I have never bought into that 'culture of corruption' tag the Dims labeled the GOP . After all they still have among their ranks T Kennedy, KK Byrd, Barney Frank, Wm Jefferson, H Reid etc. I know the Dims do not like to acknowledge facts, but there were 42 Klinton cronies convicted during his reign plus 28 people/organizations audited by the IRS. Klinton himself was disbarred from the courts. It's really works out well when you can turn a blind eye to your sins by pointing at others.

Did I mention that Democrats were the strong majority in both House and Senate?

Not only that, but the impeachment was led by none other than Rep. John Conyers.

Help India with it's nuke program? With so many Muslims living there? Why does this make me nervous.

Because you're a jackass, maybe?

Are we outsourcing our nuclear technology now? Computer companies have outsourced their help desk for years and that's a mess. Can you imagine what outsourcing nuclear technology will do?

We're keeping our nuclear plants here, not "outsourcing" them. However the deal allows US companies to build nuclear facilities in India for Indian use, and will allow sales of technology and fuel sources, in exchange for a bunch of things we want from India regarding its nuclear program, like letting IAEA inspectors into its civilian facilities, strengthening security, continuing its moratorium on nuclear testing, etc. There are valid objections that this will allow India to make more bombs than they could otherwise, but your stupid notions about outsourcing are, well, stupid.

And very off topic.

Mantis, Sean,
And to agree/reinforce Mantis, these plants will be safer and unable to lead to a weapons grade materials (not that India can't make them now), a huge improvement over India's current local capacity.
Plus, it will allow US companies to stay current for when the US eventually gets over it's nuclear phobia.

"When someone gives me a good reason of why soldiers heads are being blown off to protect a country of Iraqis I have never met,"

I wonder how many Americans met any of the English, or French, or Jews, or Chinese in WWII, or WWI, or Korea, et al.

Everything after that, I just stopped reading.

And, yeah .. it is amazing how the left comes out of the shadows, now.

"So please demonstrate how superior your party is to the Dems when it comes to race.."

I think the issue, at hand, is not that the Reps are better than Dems as far as race is concerned. I think the Dems have historically been better at race-baiting, as a matter of fact.

And, why is it that when an african-american goes republican the Dems trot out the "Uncle Tom" BS.

Why is it that when a Dem gets upset, some political figure ends up in black-face?

The Dems ARE better with regards to race as long as that particular race votes for them.

It's called pandering. Whereas the Reps are guilty of pandering, they simply do not have it down to the exacting science that the Dems do.

Whatever. When Lee is the one making the most sense, that is a frightening thing (no offense, Lee).

The Dems won Congress. Fine. Time to put your money where your mouths are. But, I think the more calmed discussions which have been seen the last couple of days are akin to the behavior you'll get from any 5 year old when you finally give up that cookie they've been crying for. Temporary relief, but it ain't no cure.

I have to agree with mantis also. The India deal is fine.

Apparently the BDS cloud has lifted from some. ;-)

Megan isn't one of them, btw.

Mantis may be to the left, but I don't ever suffered from full fledged BDS.
Disliked? Check
Disagreed with? Check
Opposed at the polls? Check (I think)
Attributed magical power and/or satanic origin? No

Did I mention that Democrats were the strong majority in both House and Senate?

Not only that, but the impeachment was led by none other than Rep. John Conyers.
--------------------------------------------------
THis shows how bad the dem's rule in the house is going to be. This guy Hasting must have been really bad that Conyers and the dems had to impeach him. Now Pelosi wanted to make him chairman of the intelligence committee. Not a good sign at all.

No one has EVER CLAIMED that Pelosi has EVER HAD any intelligence. That is why she leads the Dimocrats.

I agree with Ozzie, if peloshi is going to clean up the corruption in congress she has to go after T Kennedy, KK Byrd, Barney Frank, Wm Jefferson, H Reid, and the latest fair haired boy Obama + many more dim's first to have any credibility. Obama has Already been identified in crooked real estate deals. She also needs to root out all of the traitors that have endangered the lives of every American by providing National Security Secrets to the terroists. Get on with the cleanup and use Clorox to do it to avoid further contamination and leave no smell. Otherwise she's simply another lying democrat.

Still smiling and laughing about the election. Now the dim's have to put up, or shut up, or they bury the party forever.
Now if Chaney will resign and the president put Steele in as VP the 08 election will be even more fun.

I won't be holding my breath for any of the contract items to be stated much less completed, other than 'we're going to take from you for the common good' canceling the tax cuts which involves her getting her hands on more of my money. I guess I can afford the extra dollars per year again since I was paying it before the tax cuts. I don't know about the additional 20-25% they're going to add on after eleminating the tax cuts. Everyone with money in the stock market is nervious. They're scared of another phony stock market boom like the 90's where the only ones that ended up with any money were the big company players with two sets of books. A lot of them are now guest at the hotel of many bars. Can the families of 4 making $40,000 per year afford the additional $4,000 they'll have to shell out every year?

As for the congrssional black caucus. Why is that not a racist organization? Bet you can't organize a white caucus. If not the KKK isn't racist. Is Byrd still a Grand Kleagle? Like the Hells Angel or Marines, once a Grand Kleagle always a member of the KKK.

Speaking of not cleaning house, Byrd's slated for Appropriations.

Actually, that's good. The Reps were spending WAY too much on crosses to burn.

Jay Tea:

I think his new name is Al "CIA" Hastings.

Not a good pick, Nanc. Nancy doesn't yet realize that it was a big, quick shift from the center that's paying for her new decor. And that if she continues to go too left, the drapes will become our tablecloth and we'll eat her up just as we did the right last Tuesday.

This has all the makings for a third party. Call it the Center Party. Or, call it the Republican Party with center Dems joining in and the Born-Again Party splintering off.

I still haven't heard any good reasons why Hastings should become chairman.

"an someone -- anyone -- explain the planned rise of impeached former federal judge Alcee Hastings to head up the House Intelligence Committee over more-senior member Jane Harman in a way that does not sound like the crassest form of race-pandering?"

Glad to Jay, although it saddens me that it has come to this on this site. But I am going to try and be civil and explain this for my republican friends and some libs on Wizbang.

First and foremost; -as a previous poster tried to explain- Hastings, a life tenured Federal Judge, was prviously acquitted of conspiracy and perjury charges by a jury. For him to have been impreached-I don't care if it was repub or democrat-was a travesty. There was not even the required two thirds majority coming out of the impeachment trial committee, and a man who I think has more legal knowledge than you Jay-Arlen Specter-voted for acquitting Hastings before the matter even came out of committee.

So now that we have those little facts out of the way, let me say this: I think it's rather amusing that the bigoted partisans on this site, fail to see that their own President was charged with driving under the influence-a crime that could have killed someone-yet find it necessary to attack Hastings. Your guy became President for crying out loud! And yet, you would deny Hastings a House Committee because of something that happened almost twenty years ago. Forgetting of course, that he was elected to congress by your fellow citizens. Oh, that's right, they are mostly black, so I guess that doesn't count.

I am glad to see Lee et. al. being gracious and actually agreeing with repubs you on this issue of Hastings. Good for them, I guess this is a part of the new spirit in Washington; or, maybe race really does trump ideology. Personally, I think you are all a bunch of hypocrites, and the wine from your grapes aren't fit for the wino on the street cause they are so sour.

So you can b*&%h and moan all day long about the dems pandering to race, blah blah blah.-As if the bad perm lady isn't the personification of affirmative action - Bottom line,we hold both houses and you don't.-Finally some checks on the frat boy- And I will be dancing on your graves until my feet get tired.

BTW, since this might be my last post on Wizbang-I knnow the hosts have been itching to ban me-I just want to say from the bottom of my heart: Reading your posts have been a real education in what can happen to a country when it's citizens are blinded by ideology, and ignorance. My only wish is that none of you are teachers or have any influence over young impressionable minds. Because honestly, I don't think we can take another generation quite like you.

Enjoy the pastures for the next two years.

There are certain caveats in Hastings' case, the most significant being that he was acquitted in court. No, this doesn't prove his innocence, but it is at least as noteworthy as being convicted in the Senate, which is not generally in the business of holding trials. One could also consider that Hastings has paid his debt by being removed from office, and that the Senate had the right to forbid him from ever holding elective office, but declined. As far as his ability to get a security clearance, I think you're all forgetting that he's been on the Intelligence Committee for some time, so I'm assuming he's already got clearance.

That all being said, there's no question that he's an unattractive choice to head the committee. But I think the people who have supported Tom DeLay for so long are in no position to criticize a leader for playing politics. And politics is what this is, not corruption. Hastings is under no investigation, there are no corruption allegations against him, and he's been duly elected by his constituents. No one ever said the Democrats would totally transform Washington., and no decision would ever be made for political reasons. I'd like to see it kept to a minumim, but it's just a reality that a congressional leader keeps the caucus together by appeasing various factions. The culture of corruption had to do with congressmen actually taking bribes, which is a whole different kettle of fish.

As for Jefferson, there's nothing the Dems can do about him right now. I'm sure they'd like him to go away, but they can't just kick him out. They'd have to vote to expel him, and that's hard to do when he hasn't even been tried yet. You may have noticed that Bob Ney didn't leave until he was good and ready, depited the fact that the Republican leadership wanted him gone. And Pelosi removed Jefferson from Ways and Means while he was under investigation, before he was even charged, which I believe is unprecedented in the House. It's a little inconsistent to criticize her for caving in to the Black Caucus on Hastings without even acknowledging that she went against the Black Caucus on Jefferson.

And Ozzie, that "42 Klinton kronies" thing is absolutely not true. How do I know? Because I researched it, rather than just repeating the lies I read on blogs.

Susan, Murtha and Hoyer are lining up to oppose each other for the majority leader job, not the speakership. They are not opposing Pelosi.

And finally, bobdog, I apologize that you had to be exposed to ideas that don't support your own beliefs. Perhaps if you stuff cotton in your ears and put on blinders, you'll be safe from the others. You may have noticed that this thread has been relatively civil in tone.

Wow FN, the truth comes out. Such vilious bile. I won't miss your sanctimonious, race-baiting crap.

So Pelosi and Harman are in a cat fight, and that trumps national security, I suppose.

Good, at first I thought the Dems. might be serious about national security!

As a physcal conservative but by no means a republican all I can say is let her appoint this crimminal. As for the reason from what I understand it is not race pandering. It is payback because Harman did not tow the libtardian line as much as the queen of botox would have liked.

Hastings appointment only helps get rid of the libtardians in two years.

Now it will realy be the CONgress

Pelosi Has Informed Colleagues That She Intends To Force Harman To Step Down, Replacing Her With Rep. Alcee L. Hastings Of Florida, The Second Most Senior Democrat On The Intelligence Panel." (Greg Miller and Richard Simon, "Harman Resists Push Off Spy Panel," Los Angeles Times, 5/18/06)

This was the source that I saw. I don't have access to the archives but was able to find the quote elsewhere.

Also, Hastings' was conviction was overturned on a technicality.

From the Wikipedia issue...
The jurisdictional issue prevailed on appeal

Is there anything funnier than someone like field negro accusing people of race based politics?

The entire existance of the black caucus is the furtherment of blacks regardless of qualifications and past history. Christ, they'd nominate Jengis Kahn for a committee assignment if he was black.

So long knucklehead and don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way to dancing on our graves.

An impeached judge should not head an Intelligence committee. He has proven he can be bribed. Just imagine the media's indignation if this guy was a Republican.

And as someone who works in the intelligence/security field, it is truly frightening. The Democrats should think about the message it sends.

Field negro, don't let the door bump you on your sanctimonious ass on the way out.