Photo appears to show Romney at Planned Parenthood fund-raiser

BS Hillary Clinton changes her mind on issues every morning!

Come on now, we here in MA. know all too well that Romney will say whatever needs to be said to get a vote. His role as governor here was a planned stepping stone to a presidential run, no more, no less.

Romney = Bush

Romney makes my skin crawl. What a slimeball.

Let's see... Hillary and Osama can play both sides of an issue within the same answer during a debate. But Romney's whereabouts 14 years ago is news to the El Lefto Globe.

Perhaps it would be easier to post what positions he hasn't changed.

I bet we can find some pictures of Romney naked too!!! He was only one or two months old at the time, but he probably flip-flopped on public nakedness since then....

So let me understsand the issue. A person makes a decision 13 years ago, and does not have the right to change their position as a result of additional information on the subject?
I guess we know where the Globe stands on this issue and candidate!

Let's see... Romney is a proven a flip flopper every day yet defended by right wing nit wits.

"Perhaps it would be easier to post what positions he hasn't changed."

Probably not.

name one

There you have it. It's worse than Watergate, Enron, Iran-Contra, and the bombing of Pearl Harbour. Forget WMD - *this* is the real news! I can see the unsettling headlines now: Aspiring Politician Changes Position!

Dog. Bites. Man.

Oh please, Romney is on YouTube both in 1994 and in 2002 speaking passionately about the proabortion position. There is also a youtube of Ann Romney with him. They are a bunch of hypocrites. When he decided to run for president around 2004, he decided to become prolife. He was also actively supporting the prohomosexual people having his campaign people march in the sicko Gay Pride parade and that was also in 2002. If you want the dossier on this guy go to www.massresistance.org. As a committed prolife person who has dedicated her life to this cause, there is not enough money in the world that would make me vote for this guy--I don't believe in rewarding liars. Yes, people can change their minds but you have to look at the timing.
Mass Citizens for Life is also a joke. When all of a sudden iin 2006, the Romney's gave MCFL (they were almost bankrupt) $15,000, MCFL decided he was prolife and they would support him. Another useless group.

Does anybody really want this lying phony to be President???? He is terrible. I just hope he gets enough votes in Iowa and New Hampshire to dump a bunch more of his money in before getting trounced. BYE BYE MITT

Mitt doesn't recall a lot of things, like what state he was a resident of when collecting a tax deduction for living in Utah while campaigning in Massachusetts for Governor. Oops, guess he didn't read that tax return before he signed it- he's not much into details. Don't go away mad, just go away Mitt!

If nobody changed their mind, there would be no use for debate or discussion of the issues. Perhaps some of you were lucky enough to have been born with all the knowledge that you'd ever acquire, but some of us (including Mitt) actually think about issues and are smart enough to know that we're not always correct. When we realize that, we change our opinions.

all this really shows is how messed up the american political system is. the candidates and their supporters spend billions of dollars trashing each other and digging up ridiculous information on each other trying to fit themselves and each other into perfect little molds nearly 2 years before the actual vote. it's american capitalism at its worst. they should be spending their time and money actually working for the issues they spend so much time talking about instead of campaigning.

Hey, Laurie, I think Mitt also years ago supported those problack people and their sicko black pride parade in D.C. So he's no flip-flopper on that. You know you was really solid on anti-gay stuff? Hitler. You're in grand company.

Hey, Laurie, I think Mitt also years ago supported those problack people and their sicko black pride parade in D.C. So he's not a flip-flopper on every wacky, liberal-extremist cause. You know who was really solid on anti-gay stuff? Hitler. You're in grand "dedicated my life to a cause" company.

I bought a used car from Mitt many years ago. It turned out to be a lemon and he wouldn't refund my $2300. Now he wants to rule the free world??

What is the big deal about Mitt Romney changing his opinion from pro-choice to pro-life? Are we all do that in our life time? Hopefully, the change is for the better. And I think Mitt Romney is smart enogh to change for the better. We are lucky to be born, but someone is not so lucky like us. Who would be the voice for the unborn babies???

He is entitled to change his position given the fact he is older and wiser than in '94. Has anyone heard the story of St. Paul a.k.a. Saul.

Mitt was good for Massachusetts and he'll be even better for America!

He is entitled to change his position given the fact he is older and wiser than in '94. Has anyone heard the story of St. Paul a.k.a. Saul.

Mitt was good for Massachusetts and he'll be even better for America!

I agree Tom Wang, if Mitt changed his mind - a big if - he changed it in a better way! go MITT!
Friggin Hillary - higher taxes, illegals amnesty, killing our freedom of speech, ALL of the commie liberals are for all three!
Mitt is the only candidate that CAN and WILL lead this country the way it should be led. GO MITT.

You pro Romney people sure are quick to give him a pass. Tell me, did you ever call John Kerry a flip-flopper? Yes, there are hypocrites here, it's just not me.

Of course anyone has the right to change their mind. However when that person changes their opinion conveniently to sway the support of a large, narrow minded political group (in this case the bible-weilding, red-neck, southern neo-cons) Supporting a person like this is disturbing at best and dangeous at worst.

This Guy has been on a mission for the oval office long before he lost to Ted Kennedy 13 years ago. It began with his father's failed bid in Michigan. Beware of the silver spoon elitists who have all the money and think they can solve the worlds problems. Romney is an out of touch, Ken-doll look alike who, if elected, will get us all nuked.

John Kerry is just an idiot - who threw his undeserved purple heart away during an anti-war rally. He too is for higher taxes, illegals amnesty and anti-freedom of speech! All the liberals, including the Boston Globe are anti-constitution! Which makes them unpatriotic!

May I bring up a question is that who was Massachusetts only governor that did not get pay for four years at the service? It is Mitt Romney. He has done a lot of good things for Massachusetts. I don’t know many people have not seen that. If we have the gut to cite his un-great side, why don’t we have the gut to say about his good side? He has more good things than bad things. We are fortunate to have him as former governor of Massachusetts to run for president. Many other candidates have tried to dig up his pass, but they don’t see real bad things about him. Beside, he is changing from pro-choice to pro-life. If he were bad, then it is good reason to support somebody else outside Massachusetts, but he is a good person, I don’t see why we support somebody else beside Mitt Romney, because he has done a lot of good things for Massachusetts.

Ya know what? So what.

Running the country is running a "business". And a global one at that. Say what you want about Mitt.....he's probably the best "qualified" person for the job. Too bad you don't get to be president based soley on qualifications (which is how most people get their jobs).

Alan C...if the globe is so terrible, why are you reading it? I don't read the Herald because I think that it is garbage.

Are you like Romney and play both sides of every issue. Romney was a phony governor and we do not need another phony president.

...I can't wait to vote for Mitt Romney for President of the United States of America....he talks Presidential....he looks Presidential....all the other so-called candidates promise a generous serving of 'pie in the sky' rethoric that is so old and lame...gimme a break....the former Governor of the great State of Massachusetts has solid solutions to propel America to prominence again...in our lifetime....he believes "In God We Trust"....I love that....Vote for Mitt Romney....as the next President of these here United States!!

Hi Artie,
You may know about Mitt Romney more than me, but you should give some kind of explain why accusing him “phony governor”. What tasks did he do that below average? And what tasks did he do that above average? Can you cite some examples? Is that how our bosses judge our performances base on our tasks? Why do we judge Mitt Romney differently?

He's like something out of Wild Palms.

Romney is just too slick. He could probably come up with a good explanation for being at a KKK rally.

And "looking presidential" is probably the worst reason to vote for anybody. Jeez. Who are you people?

Type your comment here...

Mitt Romney is a brilliant business man with experience in turning states, businesses and the Olympics around financially. He is a fiscal conservative and a well educated, decent and humane man. No scandals in his past for the media to thrive on so they try to find any tiny things to nit pick from his younger years. His support for abortion when he was younger is OLD NEWS!! He has admitted it and stated it was a mistake. Y'all say you want another Ronald REagan. Well, I lived in California when he signed a very strong abortion bill, but later said he regretted it and conservative American's let it go. Why not Mitt????

Tom,
For one, Romney raised taxes (yes, fees are taxes) and corporate taxes to raise 500 million in revenue to balance the budget and then claims he never raised taxes. Two, he disappeared for the last 18 months of his term to run for President (didn't he complain about Kerry doing the same). Three, kept employing illegals for a year after being exposed. Four, killed the GOP in Massachusetts, Bashes Massachusetts even though it is where he has raised his kids and was elected Governor. Must I keep going?

Tom, I know all you Romney kool aid drinking phony conservatives will make excuses for him, but Romney is a joke.

It is clear that the negative comments come from Dems. Think, Teddy changed his mind many how many times? Remember his stories about the Mary Jo incident? He also changed his mind about Joan, getting an annulment after all those years and kids, BS. How much did he pay $$$$$$ the Archbishop? Kerry must have also paid $$$$ to the same CHURCH LEADER, he got his annulment after only 2 kids, and half as many years of marriage as his leader, Ted ! Both change their minds and morals every day! As for Mrs. Clinton, I would like to call in Monica! She knows Bill better than the Hill.

Bob, you're talking about personal lives. Stick to the issues, not some silly attack on the pols' personal lives. Romney's politics are the issue here, not Bill Clinton's affair. It's funny -- watch how quickly Romney drifts to the center should he get elected. That would be another 'flip'. Oh yeah, he doesn't have a chance -- no real worries there.

Someone should explain to the rest of the country that 2 days after he's elected president, Romney will start campaigning to be UN Secretary General or whatever job he perceives as his next step and stop giving a f*k about the job he was elected to.

Proof? His governorship of MA

Mitt Romney is just another borrow and spend conservative. At some point they will have to raise taxes to pay the deficit...unless they toss the election so the democrats will have to.

Anyone who says that conservatives are fiscally responsible has been asleep the last six years. Sound asleep.

But who you going to believe....me or your lying eyes.

All I hear from Republicans is:

Bill Clinton had his affairs
Ted Kennedy had his affairs and, of course Chappaquidik
John Kerry didn't serve 'properly' in Vietnam

What about:
Rudy G having his affairs
Mitt banging his wife in her early teens based on his religious custom
Newt Gingrich having affairs while his wife was in hospital with cancer
Plenty of buggering by the Republicans in Congress

You guys don't even know what to support. What are your values?

don't forget where Mitt was during the Vietnam war! France, on a deferment!

Kevin,

And by "banging his wife in her early teens based on his religious custom" I take you to mean "remaining a virgin until he got married based on principles of responsibility"?

Back when he ran for Governor, wasn't there actually a question about what state he was a resident of? He said he was a resident of Utah when he was running the Olympics, and then when it developed he needed to be a resident to run for Governor, he said he had actually been a resident of Massachusetts all the time,

He will say anything to get elected, truth be damned.

He recently says learning about stem cells--not his immediate bid for higher office after MA--led him to reverse course in his late 50s and embrace life on such short notice.

1. A 3 lb. midterm is a pretty big stem cell. Why did it take stem cells to change his mind? (Clue to non-MA residents: it's not about abortion. Mitt Romney doesn't give a sh*t either way about abortion as an issue. He does give one about winning an election.)

2. His official position these days is: he supports stem cell research.

Whatever concerns you about the future--economy, immigration, guest workers, taxes, abortion--Mitt is, once in office, guaranteed to just blankly look right through your issues you cared about, and why you voted for him. Business needs cheap workers, you know.

"Oh, that. Uh, well... .", he'll impishly smile. "Yeah, I know. It is a problem. Yessirree. But I understand your concern."

Just to make sure I have this straight, the Globe's story is:

"Candidate photographed at event for cause he supported at the time"

Is that the story? Seriously?

I hope the liberals here can take a step back and not look at the politics of Mitt Romney for a moment here and see this "story" for what it is, propaganda. If this photo had been taken after Romney changed his mind on abortion then there would be a story here. This is just an extremely thinly veiled attempt at calling Romney a flip-flopper.

If this were happening to a Democrat I hope the conservatives would come to the same conclusion. News papers shouldn't get involved in politics, they should report on it. That's why I hate it when papers endorse candidates, it makes their reporting suspect.

JC,

How do you know he was a virgin before he was married? These religious jerks talk a big game but, time and time again, they have been proven frauds.

Anyone who believes the END OF THE WORLD is a good thing shouldn't be allowed to hold public office.

For you Republican/Conservatives who had control of Congress from 1995 until 2006 and the White House from 2000 on, a President who vetoed ONE spending bill....here is what GAO Comptroller General David Walker said about the state of our government:

“The federal government’s total liabilities,” Walker explained, “translates into a de facto mortgage of about $455,000 for every American household and there’s no house to back that mortgage. In other words, our government has made a whole lot of promises that, in the long run, it cannot possibly keep without huge tax increases.”

And You want to scream about tax and spend liberals? You make me sick. You truly are the worlst losers ever

Watch it:

In his speech, Walker said, “I have become increasingly frustrated by the widespread myopia, tunnel vision and self-centeredness in Washington DC.”

Illustrating Walker’s point, President Bush — while discussing the economy yesterday — did not reference the Treasury Department’s new report. “Rather, he touted the economic merits of tax cuts. ‘I’ll veto any tax increase,’ he said.”

UPDATE: Andrew Sullivan writes, “The Cost of Bush: $32 trillion.”

Filed under: Economy, Budget

Posted by Faiz December 18, 2007 11:47 am

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Judge orders hearing on CIA torture tapes.

AP reports:

A federal judge has ordered a hearing on whether the Bush administration violated a court order by destroying CIA interrogation videos of suspected terrorists.

U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy rejected calls from the Justice Department to stay out of the matter. He ordered lawyers to appear before him Friday morning.

In June 2005, Kennedy ordered the administration to safeguard “all evidence and information regarding the torture, mistreatment, and abuse of detainees now at the United States Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay.”

December 18, 2007 11:33 am | Comment (42)

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Posted by Amanda December 18, 2007 11:33 am

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O’Reilly names Petraeus his person of the year.

With debate over who will be Time’s “Person of the Year,” Fox News host Bill O’Reilly yesterday decided to preempt the announcement and name his own Person of the Year — Gen. David Petraeus. Watch it:

No word on whether O’Reilly is part of the Petraeus for President movement.

UPDATE: Last week, the National Review editorialized in favor of Petraeus for “man of the year” while Hugh Hewitt chimes in today in the general’s favor as well. December 18, 2007 11:06 am | Comment (72)

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Posted by Amanda December 18, 2007 11:06 am

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Scandal-Infested Ted Stevens Doles Out Earmarks For ‘Rodent Control’

stevensor4.jpgCurrently, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) is under investigation by the FBI for his relationship with Alaska energy company Veco, whose CEO pled guilty to bribing government officials, including Stevens’ son Ben Stevens. The FBI is also investigating Stevens’ use of earmarks to reward his friends. This summer, FBI agents raided Stevens’ home in Alaska, the first ever raid of a sitting senator’s home.

Yet such scrutiny apparently hasn’t changed the behavior of Stevens, who added $88 million in “earmarks and directed spending” to this year’s omnibus bill. Some of his earmarks include:

– $113,000 for “rodent control”

– $975,000 for berry research

– $825,000 for “alternative salmon products”

But one particular earmark deserves special attention. Roll Call reports:

That total includes nearly $3.5 million for the Alaska Sealife Center — which is being investigated by the FBI, Department of Interior and the Internal Revenue Service as part of their inquiry into Stevens.

The SeaLife center is at the heart of the FBI’s criminal investigation of Stevens. The Bureau is examining whether Stevens directed funds there to benefit his friend and longtime business partner Trevor McCabe, a former aide to the senator. In 2005, Stevens directed millions of dollars to the SeaLife Center, which then paid over $500,000 to McCabe to buy a parcel of his land.

By directing additional millions to the scandal-ridden SeaLife Center this year, Stevens is effectively thumbing his nose at the FBI investigators — a move worthy of his inclusion as one of the top ten ethics scandals of 2007.

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Filed under: Ethics

Posted by Ali December 18, 2007 10:17 am

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Fox analyst: Lieberman’s endorsement is MoveOn’s fault.

Fox political analyst Bob Beckel mourned last night that Sen. Joe Lieberman’s endorsement of John McCain is “the price…us Democrats pay for MoveOn.org and others who drove Joe Lieberman out of the party,” said Beckel. “They campaigned against him actively and raised money against him and he was beaten in the Democratic primary. … Now we’re paying the price and all I can say is ‘a pox on their house.’” December 18, 2007 9:45 am | Comment (84)

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Posted by Faiz December 18, 2007 9:45 am

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ThinkFast: December 18, 2007 »
ricebushc.jpg

Some FBI agents are challenging the CIA’s description of al Qaeda captive Abu Zubaida “as an important insider whose disclosures under intense pressure saved lives.” They say his “credibility dropped as the CIA subjected him to” waterboarding and other “enhanced interrogation” measures.

A USA Today/Gallup Poll found that Americans gave the president, congressional Democrats, and congressional Republicans unfavorable ratings “by more than 2-to-1 margins.” “While Bush’s ratings have been poor for most of the past two years, the two parties in Congress hit new lows in the poll.”

The House passed a massive year-end omnibus spending bill last night after the White House said it was “encouraged” by what the Democrats had produced. The Washington Post reports that the omnibus bill “has cut all funding for continuing development next year of a new nuclear warhead.”

The Politico reports that some Senate Democrats are exploring ways to replace Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, “believing he’s no longer physically up to the job.” “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is not in favor of such a move.”

“Americans could save $1.5 trillion in healthcare costs over the next decade while covering the uninsured and improving overall quality,” according to the Commonwealth Fund. “But it would take widespread reforms to root out inefficiency, not to mention higher tobacco taxes and other levies.” expand post »

The FCC “is pushing ahead to pass a rule today that would allow more consolidation of local media ownership in the nation’s largest cities, despite the fresh threat of a legislative rebuke and continued protests from advocacy groups.” Watchdog groups say FCC Commissioner Kevin Martin is “is rushing” the rule “through without adequate public comment.”

A consortium of 14 of the world’s largest coal producers will announce today the location of a new coal-fired electric plant that will capture and store its carbon emissions. However, the Energy Department, which is supposed to pay for much of the work, “called the announcement on a location ‘inadvisable’ and seemed to distance itself from the plans.”

Iraqi leaders criticized Turkey for bombing Kurdish militants in northern Iraq with airstrikes that they said had left at least one woman dead. The Turkish army sent soldiers about 1.5 miles into northern Iraq in an overnight operation on Tuesday.

And finally: Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist “was seen out in front of the White House Monday on a Segway.” Frist is said to be filming a new commercial for Coca-Cola, which puts him at odds with former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, who promoted Pepsi.

What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section. « collapse post

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Posted by Think Progress December 18, 2007 9:01 am

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Judge orders WH to reveal Christian leader visits.

Earlier today, a federal judge ordered the Secret Service to “disclose records of visits by nine prominent conservative Christian leaders to the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney’s residence.” U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth wrote that “The most that can be said is the Secret Service acts as if the White House has legal control over these records. Upon closer inspection, however, even this proposition seems suspect.” Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington have been seeking the records since the fall of 2006. December 17, 2007 9:30 pm | Comment (202)

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Posted by Matt December 17, 2007 9:30 pm

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Dodd filibuster threat causes Reid to withdraw FISA bill.

“Senator Chris Dodd won a temporary victory today after his threats of a filibuster forced Democratic leadership to push back consideration of a measure that would grant immunity to telecom companies that were complicit in warrantless surveillance.” Watch it:

A Reid aide tells Greg Sargent that “Reid refused to jam this bill through the Seante because he believes it’s an important bill that deserves to be debated thoroughly.” FireDogLake writes, “Well played, Senator Dodd.”

UPDATE: Sen. John Rockefeller (D-WV): “I’m disappointed legislation to modernize and improve FISA will now have to wait until January. As I’ve said many times, it is one of the most important bills before Congress, and one that should not be rushed in the final hours before Protect America Act expires.”

UPDATE II: Harry Reid’s statement here. December 17, 2007 8:14 pm | Comment (79)

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Posted by Think Progress December 17, 2007 8:14 pm

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Bob Kerrey: Barack Obama ‘Spent A Little Bit Of Time In A Secular Madrassa’

This evening on CNN’s The Situation Room, former Sen. Bob Kerrey asserted that Barack Obama had spent time “in a secular madrassa” and argued this was a “tremendous strength” for Obama:

I’ve watched the blogs try to say that you can’t trust him because he spent a little bit of time in a secular madrassa. I feel quite the opposite — I think it’s a tremendous strength. Whether he’s in the United States Senate or whether he’s in the White House, I think it’s a tremendous asset for him.

Watch it:

Note to Kerrey: Barack Obama never attended a “secular madrassa” — an inherently contradictory term because a madrassa is, by definition, a religiously-based school. The claim that Obama attended a madrassa didn’t come from blogs, but rather from right-wing outlets. Insight Magazine, a right-wing magazine tied to the Washington Times, first reported in January that Obama attended an Islamic madrassa school as a 6-year-old child. Fox News then amplified the smear.

CNN, the network on which Kerrey appeared today, debunked the Obama smear in January. CNN’s Senior International Correspondent John Vause traveled to Indonesia, visited the school that Obama attended, and reported it was a public school that did not focus on religion.

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Filed under: Ethics, Religion

Posted by Think Progress December 17, 2007 7:34 pm

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Bush knew — Iran NIE edition.

President Bush has said he first learned that there was new intelligence on Iran’s nuclear program “in August” when DNI Mike McConnell told him “we have some new information.” The White House later revealed that Bush was told at that time that Iran’s nuclear weapons program “may be suspended.” Gareth Porter of IPS News writes that “it now appears” that “Bush likely knew about that intelligence as early as February or March 2007,” months before the White House has conceded. December 17, 2007 7:28 pm | Comment (46)

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Posted by Faiz December 17, 2007 7:28 pm

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Bush Claims ‘We Have Fabulous Health Care’ Compared To ‘Other Systems Around The World’

During a Q & A following his speech on the economy in Fredericksburg, VA today, President Bush declared that “we have fabulous health care in America“:

I’m going to tell you something — we have fabulous health care in America, just so you know. I think it’s very important — before people start griping about the health care system here — and of course there’s always grounds for complaint — just to compare it with other systems around the world.

Bush may not be aware, but U.S. health care has already been systematically compared to other systems around the world. In many cases, the results are not good for Americans.

In 2002, the U.S. spent more on health care per person than other industrial countries like Britain, Canada, France, and Germany. But unlike those countries, which have universal health care systems, there are roughly 47 million Americans who lack health coverage.

In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) did a comparative assessment of the health systems of 191 countries. The WHO found that in terms of the five measured performance indicators, the U.S. ranked 37th:

The U. S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance, the report finds. The United Kingdom, which spends just six percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on health services, ranks 18th . Several small countries — San Marino, Andorra, Malta and Singapore are rated close behind second- placed Italy.

In his recent documentary, SiCKO, Michael Moore illustrated clearly how U.S. health care ranked far behind much of the industrial world. Watch a clip:

As Paul Krugman has noted, American health care “at its best is the best in the world,” but for millions of Americans “it’s all too easy to fall through the cracks in our system.”

Filed under: Health Care

Posted by Matt December 17, 2007 5:54 pm

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Coulter’s latest book flops.

Ann Coulter’s latest book, If Democrats Had Any Brains They’d Be Republicans, “hasn’t caught fire with book buyers,” according to data from Nielsen BookScan. “The title spent just four weeks on The New York Times’ best-seller list–compared with 12 for her previous book–and has sold 97,000 copies in the last 10 weeks. … Coulter’s last effort, Godless, sold 233,000 copies over the same time span, according to BookScan.”

Digg It! December 17, 2007 5:02 pm | Comment (136)

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Posted by Satyam December 17, 2007 5:02 pm

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Lieberman: I Endorsed The Only Candidate Who Wanted My Support »

This morning, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) made news by crossing party lines and endorsing Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for president. Announcing his support, Lieberman said he backed McCain because the Arizona senator is “a leader who can break through the partisan gridlock.”

Today on MSNBC, Lieberman admitted that McCain was the only ‘08 presidential candidate who sought him out, telling MSNBC’s Monica Novotny that “not one of the Democrats asked for my support”:

NOVOTNY: Well, it is unusual, as you know, for a Democrat or an independent Democrat, as you call yourself, to endorse a Republican. Did you consider any of your Democratic colleagues?

LIEBERMAN: Well, I did. I mean, to have full disclosure, not one of the Democrats asked for my support, which may be a story in itself. John McCain and I are friends. He did ask for my support.

Later in the interview, Lieberman admitted he wouldn’t have supported a Democrat anyway. “I think it’s obviously because I have such a different view of foreign policy,” said Lieberman. Watch it:

Lieberman’s right that he has a “different” view of foreign policy. Lieberman and McCain oppose withdrawing troops from Iraq, while the overwhelming majority of the American public supports it.

As Matt Stoller notes, Lieberman’s endorsement “means that they must think [he] has appeal to Republican primary voters, and given his strong support from Republicans in Connecticut and constant praise from George Bush and Dick Cheney, Lieberman probably does.” A Research 2000 poll conducted recently showed that Lieberman’s foreign policy views have caused him to lose support among Democrats and Independents in his own state.

UPDATE: Lieberman told the New Haven Register:

There’s no question that at times I think some of the Democrats look at me sort of like the… eccentric uncle, perhaps even the odd uncle at the family gatherings: ‘We like him, but every now and then he says things that makes us wonder.’

Ari Melber has more.

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Transcript: expand post »

NOVOTNY: Well, it is unusual, as you know, for a Democrat or an independent Democrat, as you call yourself, to endorse a Republican. Did you consider any of your Democratic colleagues?

LIEBERMAN: Well, I did. I mean, to have full disclosure, not one of the Democrats asked for my support, which may be a story in itself.

John McCain and I are friends. He did ask for my support. Of course, I know it’s unusual for even an independent Democrat to endorse a Republican, but I think the stakes in this election are so big, the challenges we face here at home and abroad, particularly the threat of Islamist terrorism, that I think you got to put party behind the interest of the country and who you think is the best candidate. […]

NOVOTNY: Senator, I have to ask, because you brought it up. You mentioned that none of the Democratic candidates asked for your endorsement.

LIEBERMAN: Right.

NOVOTNY: Did you have someone in mind? Had someone asked, would you have gone in that direction?

LIEBERMAN: No. I just think it’s noteworthy. And I think it’s obviously because I have such a different view of foreign policy. « collapse post

Filed under: Politics

Posted by Think Progress December 17, 2007 3:55 pm

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Reid wants full Senate to see wiretapping docs.

In a letter to Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) requested that the full Senate be briefed on documents pertaining to the legal justifications for the administration’s warrantless wiretapping progam. With the Senate debating FISA reform, Reid says “it is of critical importance that all Senators…have an opportunity to review these key documents themselves.” Previously, only the Senate Intelligence and Judiciary Committees have had access to the documents.

Read Reid’s full letter here. December 17, 2007 2:40 pm | Comment (74)

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Posted by Matt December 17, 2007 2:40 pm

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Does John Bolton Owe President Bush An Apology?

mittbush35.gifIn the current issue of Foreign Affairs, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee criticized the Bush administration’s unilateral foreign policy, arguing the “Bush administration’s arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad” and has pit “us against the world.”

In response, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney rushed to defend Bush, stating, “we ought to be saying thank you to the president for keeping us safe these last six years.” Romney even said that “Huckabee owes the President an apology.”

The right wing joined Romney in attacking Huckabee. Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said Huckabee would serve conservatism better “if he focused his criticisms on the Democrats” and that Bush “has kept us safe.” The National Review and neconservative Victor David Hanson also slammed him.

But Huckabee wasn’t the only one criticizing Bush’s foreign policy this weekend. Former U.N. ambassador John Bolton ripped President Bush in an interview with Der Spiegel. Bolton said Bush is excessively “moderate,” subsequently “putting US national security at risk“:

“His foreign policy is in free fall. The president is acting against his own judgement and instincts [and is] under the influence of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,” he told the magazine. Mr Bolton said Ms Rice was the dominant voice on foreign policy and that she was a channel for the views of liberal career bureaucrats in the foreign ministry.

“[Bush] does not supervise her enough. That is a mistake.” “North Korea will, for example, now keep its nuclear weapons. And the Iranians have got a signal from our own intelligence services that they can do whatever they want. “I am not as confident as the intelligence services that Iran has stopped its nuclear weapons programme.”

So far, Romney and the right wing have been completely silent on Bolton, despite their criticisms of Huckabee. Although Bolton and Huckabee’s attacks on Bush come from different perspectives — Huckabee says Bush is too arrogant and Bolton says he is not arrogant enough — they both agree that the President’s foreign policy has made America less safe.

Will Romney — who thinks Bush has been “keeping us safe these last six years” — also demand an apology from John Bolton?

Filed under: Terrorism

Posted by Satyam December 17, 2007 2:00 pm

Permalink | Comment (57)

Judge rules White House logs are public in Abramoff case.

The AP reports:

White House visitor logs are public documents, a federal judge ruled Monday, rejecting a legal strategy that the Bush administration had hoped would get around public records laws.

The ruling is a blow to the Bush administration, which is fighting the release of records showing visits by lobbyist Jack Abramoff and prominent religious conservatives.

The records are created by the Secret Service, which is subject to the Freedom of Information Act. But the Bush administration has ordered the data turned over to the White House, where they are treated as presidential records outside the scope of the public records law.

U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth said logs from the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney’s residence are subject to public records request.

Earlier this month, the Bush administration tried to argue that the Secret Service records were “highly sensitive” and could not be “publicly revealed.” December 17, 2007 1:56 pm | Comment (45)

Filed under:

Posted by Amanda December 17, 2007 1:56 pm

Permalink | Comment (45)

Right wing attacks CBS for ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ story.

On CBS’s 60 Minutes last night, correspondent Lesley Stahl reported that “discharges of gay soldiers” due to the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy “are dropping dramatically.” In the report, Stahl told the story of Army Sergeant Darren Manzella, who was “told to go back to work” after revealing to his battalion commander that he was gay. Speaking to CNSNews today, Matt Barber of Concerned Women for America attacked CBS for airing the story:

“If the bleeding-heart lefties over at CBS News and the SLDN really want to do something to support our troops and help the military, they should abandon their attempts to radically alter and undermine the armed forces, pipe down, put a cork in it and let our brave fighting men and women win this war on terror,” he added.

Andrew Sullivan notes how the 60 Minutes report “reveals that, in fact, wartime is the period when gay discharges routinely decline.” December 17, 2007 1:30 pm | Comment (36)

Filed under:

Posted by Matt December 17, 2007 1:30 pm

Permalink | Comment (36)

Get out by 2009.

Recently, President Bush announced an endless, “enduring” U.S. presence in Iraq. The most recent CBS/NYT poll asked, “how much longer would you be willing to have large numbers of U.S. troops remain in Iraq?” Nearly 50 percent responded that troops should be out in less than a year, and nearly 25 percent want withdrawal in under two years:
iraqduration223.gif

“As you can see, virtually nobody in the United States wants to see American troops remain in Iraq for longer than five years,” writes Matt Yglesias. December 17, 2007 1:01 pm | Comment (92)

Filed under:

Posted by Satyam December 17, 2007 1:01 pm

Permalink | Comment (92)

Dodd: “We Say To President Bush, We Would Never Take ‘Trust Me’ For An Answer” »

The Senate today began debate on a FISA bill that would overhaul the rules for electronic surveillance and provide retroactive immunity for telecom companies that participated in the Bush administration’s illegal spying efforts.

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) took to the Senate floor and protested the bill today, arguing that that Congress should not reward the President’s “favored corporations” for betraying “millions of customers’ trust.”

In response to the White House’s insistence that the telecomm’s actions were legal, Dodd explained, “[W]e say to President Bush that a nation of truly free men and women would never take ‘trust me’ for an answer, not even from a perfect president — and certainly not from him”:

If this disastrous war has taught us anything, it is that the Senate must never again stack such a momentous decision on such a weak foundation of fact. The decision we’re asked to make today is not, of course, as immense. But between fact and decision, the disproportion is just as huge.

So I rise in determined opposition to this unprecedented immunity and all that it represents. I have served in this body for more than a quarter-century. I have spoken from this desk hundreds and hundreds of times. I have rarely come to the floor with such anger.

Watch it:

The bill brought to the floor by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) requires courts to “throw out lawsuits alleging that telephone companies broke the law by participating in warrantless surveillance.” Dodd and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) have proposed an amendment that would strike this retroactive immunity provision “and leave it to the courts to determine whether the telephone companies acted properly and therefore deserve immunity.”

Firedoglake has more on today’s debate.

UPDATE: Feingold’s remarks are here.

UPDATE II: Cloture passes, 76-10.

Digg It!

Transcript: expand post »

So here we are–facing a final decision on whether the telecommunications companies will get off the hook for good. The president’s allies are as intent as they ever were on making that happen. They want immunity back in this bill at all costs.

But what they’re truly offering is secrecy in place of openness. Fiat in place of law.

And in place of the forthright argument and judicial deliberation that ought to be this country’s pride, two simple words from our president’s mouth: “Trust me.”

I cannot speak for my colleagues–but I would never take that offer, not even in the best of times, not even from a perfect president. I would never take that offer because our Constitution tells us that the president’s word is subject to the oversight of the Congress and the deliberation of the courts; and because I took an oath to defend the Constitution; and because I stand by my oath.

“Trust me.” It is the offer to hide ourselves in the waiting arms of the rule of men. And in these threatened times, that offer has never seemed more seductive. The rule of law has rarely been so fragile.

“It is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger…from abroad.” James Madison, the father of our Constitution, made that prediction more than two centuries ago. With the passage of this bill, his words would be one step closer to coming true. So it has never been more essential that we lend our voices to the law, and speak on its behalf.

On its behalf, we say to President Bush that a nation of truly free men and women would never take “trust me” for an answer, not even from a perfect president — and certainly not from him. […]

If this disastrous war has taught us anything, it is that the Senate must never again stack such a momentous decision on such a weak foundation of fact. The decision we’re asked to make today is not, of course, as immense. But between fact and decision, the disproportion is just as huge.

So I rise in determined opposition to this unprecedented immunity and all that it represents. I have served in this body for more than a quarter-century. I have spoken from this desk hundreds and hundreds of times. I have rarely come to the floor with such anger.

But since I came to Washington, I have seen six presidents sit in the White House–and I have never seen a contempt for the rule of law equal to this. Today I have reached a breaking point. Today my disgust has found its limit.

I don’t expect every one of my colleagues to share that disgust, or that limit. I wish they did–but had that been the case, we would never have come to this point. « collapse post

Filed under: Civil Liberties, Congress

Posted by Amanda December 17, 2007 12:13 pm

Permalink | Comment (162)

Fact-checking the FISA debate.

Sen. Russ Feingold’s office has put out a fact sheet on the Dodd-Feingold amendment to strike retroactive immunity. One common myth:

Myth: The bill’s provision is necessary to extend immunity to telephone companies that responded in good faith to a government request.

Reality: Existing law already immunizes telephone companies that respond in good faith to a government request, as long as that request meets certain clearly spelled-out statutory requirements. This carefully designed provision protects the companies and Americans’ privacy by encouraging the companies to comply with legitimate requests but not to comply with requests that don’t meet the requirements laid out in the law.

Read more here. December 17, 2007 11:51 am | Comment (12)

Filed under:

Posted by Faiz December 17, 2007 11:51 am

Permalink | Comment (12)

Tony Snow: ‘The Second War In This Country’ Is ‘The War On God’

tonyFormer White House press secretary Tony Snow is apparently attempting to remake himself into the image of Bill O’Reilly. In a series of recent public events, Snow has adopted the mantle of the right-wing’s perceived “secular-progressive” war on conservatives.

Last Friday in an address to the Academy of Leadership & Liberty at Oklahoma Christian University, former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow launched a rhetorical broadside against college faculties in America and mourned this nation’s “war on God.” Oklahoma City Friday reports:

The winsome and articulate Snow charmed his audience with wit:

“The average Iranian is more Pro-American than virtually any college faculty in this country.” And with serious talk about the war on terror and “the second war in this country, the war on God.” […]

Snow also said he loved being on a stage where he could say the word “God.”

So calamitous is this “war on God” that Tony Snow never once mentioned it from the White House podium when he served as Bush’s press secretary. The “war on God” is no more real than the right-wing’s perceived “war on Easter” and the “war on Christmas.”

Appearing on the O’Reilly Factor last Thursday, Tony Snow endorsed Bill O’Reilly’s purported war on Christmas:

I don’t think they’re going to beat Jesus. … You’ve mentioned the fact that you’re not allowed to have Christ at Christmas. I mean, I went to a Christmas store this week. It didn’t have anything about Jesus. It had all sorts of funny little ornaments in it, but nothing about the holiday. People are tired of that.

Being a phony champion for purported social conservative causes appears to be Tony Snow’s remedy for resuscitating his image following the Bush years.

Digg It!

Filed under: Ethics, Religion

Posted by Faiz December 17, 2007 11:01 am

Permalink | Comment (147)

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Alan C, "All the liberals, including the Boston Globe are anti-constitution!"? What about all the neconservative fascists who since 9/11 have promoted anti-constitutional things such as the Patriot Act, Military Commissions Act, John Warner Defense Authorization Act, secret military tribunals and prisons, enemy combatants, torture, arbitrary and indefinite detentions, martial law, denial of habeas corpus, etc.?

The truly pro-constitution patriots today are conservative non-interventionist libertarian Republicans such as Ron Paul, Mark Sanford, Pat Buchanan, and Andrew Napolitano. Visit http://www.ronpaul2008.com for more information.