NPR reporting torture memo = disbarment?

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday May 05, 2009 · 2:38 PM PDT

2009/05/05 · 14:38

The Bush Justice Department lawyers responsible for the memos authorizing torture will be referred to bar associations for potential disciplinary action, according to a report today from National Public Radio. They also report that the findings will not recommend criminal prosecutions.

The Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility has been conducting a review of the actions to see of they were a violation of the lawyer's ethical responsibilities.

The three most prominent lawyers who could be affected by this are John Yoo, Jay Bybee, and Steven Bradbury.

NPR says their report is based on two sources who are familiar with the draft report.

terjeanderson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday April 07, 2009 · 8:04 AM PDT

2009/04/07 · 08:04

Vermont this morning became the 4th state to allow marriage for same-sex couples, as both the Vermont House and Senate voted to override the veto of Governor Jim Douglas (R-Out-of-touch). By doing so, Vermont became the first state in the country to enact marriage equality without being required to do so by court order.

As expected the Vermont state Senate easily exceeded the required 2/3rds requirement for a veto override, voting 23 to 5 shortly after 10 a.m. this morning. This vote reflected the earlier 26-4 vote in favour of the measure in the Senate. (One Senate Republican – Bill Doyle - who had voted for the bill switched to support the Governor’s veto – presumably in solidarity with his governor, while 2 of the bills supporters were not able to be there for the vote, including Ed Flanagan, the only openly gay member of the Senate, and Phil Scott, one of the Republican supporters.)

The real drama was in the House of Representatives which just after 11 a.m. (eastern) voted 100 to 49 to override, barely exceeding the required 2/3rds.

(More details to follow soon)

terjeanderson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday April 02, 2009 · 6:18 PM PDT

2009/04/02 · 18:18

The Vermont House of Representatives Thursday evening voted for marriage equality by a 95 to 52 margin This vote follows a 26-4 vote two weeks ago by the Vermont Senate.

The House will vote again Friday morning on a "third reading" of the bill, which is routine and usually done by voice vote after a bill passes second reading. After the Senate agrees to minor changes made by the House, the legislation will go to Republican Governor Jim Douglas, who has said he will veto the bill.

Overriding the veto requires 20 votes in the 30 member Senate, and 100 votes in the 150 member House. While advocates are confident they have more than enough votes in the Senate to override a veto, the House vote on an override is more difficult to predict.

terjeanderson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday March 23, 2009 · 2:37 PM PDT

2009/03/23 · 14:37

This afternoon (Monday, March 23) the Vermont State Senate passed S. 115, legislation for civil marriage equality by a vote of 26 to 4.

The 23 Democrats in the Senate voted for the bill by a 22 to 1 margin, while the 7 Republicans split 4 to 3 in favour of the bill. (In how many states would a majority of Republicans vote for marriage equality?)

(Unfortunately, both of my State Senators were among the votes against the bill - Republican Vince Illuzzi and Democrat Bobby Starr - reflecting the conservative nature of the rural Essex-Orleans Senate district they represent in the Northeast Kingdom. I guess my thoughtful letters to them didn't make a difference.)

terjeanderson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday March 20, 2009 · 10:55 AM PDT

2009/03/20 · 10:55

Marriage equality for lesbian/gay Vermonters moved one step closer this morning (Friday) as the Vermont State Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation (S.115) authorizing same-sex marriage in the state.

WCAX-TV - Senate committee approves gay marriage

The unanimous 5-0 vote on S.115 surprised some observers, as it included a "yes" vote from Republican Kevin Mullin, a generally conservative Senator representing Rutland County, where opposition to the bill has been particularly vocal. Mullin offered an amendment in committee to hold a statewide advisory referendum on the issue (defeated 4-1) prior to voting for the bill.

It is expected that the full Senate will take up and pass the bill Monday afternoon (March 23), sending it to the House of Representatives, where final approval is expected by the middle of April.

terjeanderson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday March 05, 2009 · 4:19 PM PST

2009/03/05 · 16:19

Vermont's legislative leaders today announced plans to move quickly on a vote to enact marriage equality, promising to pass legislation allowing same-sex couples to wed by the end of the legislative session later this spring.

Speaking at a press conference today at the state Capitol in Montpelier, Vermont Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin, and House Speaker Shap Smith said that they were putting a marriage equality bill on the "fast track." Virtually all political observers in the state say that allowing same-sex marriage has majority support in both houses of the legislature (with more than 2-1 Democratic/Progressive majorities in each house, and even with the support of the Republican leader of the House.)

WCAX-TV: Vt. Lawmakers to Push Gay Marriage

Burlington Free Press : Leaders vow to pass gay marriage bill

If the legislature passes the legislation (as expected), the fate of the bill will be in the hands of Republican Governor Jim Douglas, who can sign or veto the legislation, or let it become law without his signature (believed by many observers to be the likeliest outcome).

terjeanderson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday January 28, 2009 · 1:15 PM PST

2009/01/28 · 13:15

According to the Associated Press, Iceland is about to make history by having the world's first openly lesbian Prime Minister.

Openly gay woman is Iceland's 1st female PM

Johanna Sigurdardottir has been selected to take the PM's job by the two left-leaning parties that will form the new government following the collapse of the current conservative government headed by former Prime Minister Geir Haarde. The existing coalition government fell last week following massive public protest resulting from the country's severe financial and economic crisis. As a result, a new government will be formed with a coalition of
Sigurdardottir's Social Democratic Party and the Left-Green alliance.

(For great analysis and background on Icelandic politics, please check out susie dow's excellent summary of Icelandic politics from several days ago.

terjeanderson for Daily Kos

Community

Friday November 14, 2008 · 10:27 AM PST

2008/11/14 · 10:27

(From the diaries. Assuming this is confirmed, Leahy would be the first Senate Democrat to publicly announce his opposition to Lieberman's retention of his committee chairmanship -- kos)

Senator Patrick Leahy has just finished (12.45 EST) a call in show ('Vermont Edition") on Vermont Public Radio. (Diary now updated with transcribed quotes.)

In response to a caller ("Bill from Ripton") who raised the question of Joe Lieberman's status, Senator Leahy clearly stated his opposition to Lieberman retaining his chairmanship.

Money quote #1: "I’m one who does not feel somebody should be rewarded with a major chairmanship after doing what he did.."

Money quote #2: But I felt that some of the attacks that he was involved in against Senator Obama .... I thought they went way beyond the pale, that they were not fair, that they were not legitimate, that they perpetuated some of these horrible myths that were run about Senator Obama

Money quote #3: I would feel that had I done something similar that I would not be Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the next Congress

terjeanderson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday November 01, 2008 · 3:19 PM PDT

2008/11/01 · 15:19

Over the last few days when looking at the photographs of people standing in line at early voting sites across the country, I've been reminded of so many pictures I've seen of election lines before - lines of voters from throughout the world, voters who have had to fight for the fundamental right to vote, voters for whom standing in line is perhaps the easiest part of everything they've had to do to bring about change.

First I thought of this famous picture of people in Soweto lined up to vote in South Africa's first post-apartheid election.

terjeanderson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday October 21, 2008 · 12:20 PM PDT

2008/10/21 · 12:20

The highly respected Pew Research Center for the People & the Press today released an astonishing poll showing a 14% Obama lead over McCain. The was done Oct. 16-19 with a national sample of 2,599 registered voters.

Pew Poll: Obama's Lead Widens

Among all registered voters, the margin was 52-38%, among "likely voters" the margin remains the same: 53-39%.

This lead is double from a week ago (Oct 9-12), when Pew showed a 7% lead (49%-42%) for Obama among likely voters - compared to an end of September 49%-43%, and a mid September poll tied at 46%.

But the real good news goes much deeper than the race horse numbers - the poll shows fundamental strength for Obama on virtually every issue and attribute, and underlying problems for McCain on multiple fronts.

terjeanderson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday October 09, 2008 · 4:54 PM PDT

2008/10/09 · 16:54

Clearly the Republicans have decided that they're going to try to turn ACORN into a Willie Horton-type symbol for this campaign.

Not content to simply launch a coordinated campaign of voter suppression across the country, the Republicans have decided that they are going to use ACORN to accent their politics of racial fear.

By raising the spectre of a grassroots anti-poverty group with roots in minority communities (ACORN) somehow flooding the voter rolls with thousands of fake voter registrations (especially from communities of colour), the Republicans are attempting to spread fear that minority groups are trying to steal the election for Obama. This is nothing more than another one of their "guilt by association" tactics against the "community organiser" Obama.

As is becoming increasingly clear from the ugliness voiced by the crowds at Republican rallies, the McCain/Palin/RNC campaign have decided that the only way they can win is by feeding the basest instincts of voters who are frightened and angry. Turning that fear and anger onto Obama specifically and African-Americans in general is the basis of their campaign.

terjeanderson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday October 06, 2008 · 3:10 PM PDT

2008/10/06 · 15:10

“I think the corruption on Wall Street. That’s to blame. And that violation of the public trust. And that contract that should be inherent in corporations who are spending, investing other people’s money, the abuse of that is what has got to stop,”
Sarah Palin on "Hannity and Colmes", September 17, 2008

Guess where Sarah Palin was today?

Campaigning in Naples, Florida, including headlining a fundraiser. A fundraiser held at the home of John "Jack" Donahue, co- founder and Chairman of Federated Investors, a financial services company.
$10,000 per person reception organized for Sarah Palin in Naples

If that name rings a distant bell in your head, maybe it is because in 2005, Federated Investors paid a $72 million fine to the SEC for unethical trading practices.

Newer
Older

RSS

NPR reporting torture memo = disbarment?

Vermont passes gay marriage, legislature overrides Governor’s veto

Gay marriage passes in Vermont legislature 95-52

Vermont: Gay Marriage passes State Senate 26 to 4

Marriage Equality in VT: Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approves gay marriage

Marriage equality moving forward in Vermont legislature

World's first (openly) lesbian Prime Minister to be named in Iceland

Senator Leahy publicly opposes Lieberman chairmanship

Why we stand in line to vote - a historical photo essay

New Pew Poll - 53% - 39% among "likely voters"

Right wing attacks on ACORN: The Willie Hortonization of Voter Registration Activities

Sarah Palin: fundraiser today at home of corrupt, SEC-fined Wall Street investment company executive