February 9, 2007 – Capitol Hill Blue

The blogosphere looks at Richardson

February 9, 2007

By KATE NASH and KATE NELSON

What they’re saying online and elsewhere about Gov. Bill Richardson:

Smoke this

Mediagirl.org says Richardson will do well in his presidential bid _ until someone points out that he wants to decriminalize marijuana.

But that’s not true _ the part about decriminalizing pot, that is. Not really. Richardson said he supports a bill making its way through the New Mexico Senate to legalize marijuana for medical purposes only. Seriously ill patients have to qualify for the program.

Scooter: Damn that multitasking

February 9, 2007

By HAL BROWN

Number two’s number two claims he was too distracted and too busy to remember.

This seems to be “Scooter” Libby’s defense.

It reminds me of his bosses explanation (read “defense”) as to why he shot his friend in the face.

“I was too busy thinking about blasting some helpless quail to think about the most important rule of hunting.”

Don’t get me started on number one who couldn’t quit manage an expeditious exit from an elementary school class when told about the 9-11 planes.

It’s all about multitasking.

A reign of error on Capitol Hill

February 9, 2007

By DOUG THOMPSON

Here we are, nearly a month and 10 days into the Democratic reign of error on Capitol Hill, well past the vaunted “100 hours” of legislative activism, and the legislative branch of the federal government is, as usual, mired in gridlock.

Pentagon guilty of ‘inappropriate’ intel work

February 9, 2007

By JoANNE ALLEN

A U.S. watchdog agency has concluded a Pentagon office conducted intelligence work in the build-up to the Iraq war that was not illegal but was inappropriate, U.S. defense officials said on Thursday.

Democrats in Congress have alleged the unit, under former U.S. defense policy chief Douglas Feith, a strong advocate of deposing Saddam Hussein, twisted intelligence information to suggest links between Iraq and militants from al Qaeda.

Bearing the burden of Iraq

February 9, 2007

By DAN K. THOMASSON

Not long ago while perusing reports of the daily slaughter in Iraq, I noticed that one of those killed in action was a 48-year-old enlisted man with five children.

What, I asked myself, is a man of that age with those responsibilities doing in this fight? We didn’t take those men in World War II. Then it occurred to me. He was either a member of the National Guard or the Reserve.

Bush’s vodoo economics

February 9, 2007

By ANN McFEATTERS

President Bush’s spending blueprint for the rest of his term is what his father used to call “voodoo economics” — cut taxes, increase spending on the military and balance the budget — with a lot of devils in the details.

A call for universal health care

February 9, 2007

By STEVEN N. ROUS

The Providence Journal

Two of the most pressing problems facing America are health care, with more than 46 million people uninsured, and our voracious consumption of automobile fuel. I would like to suggest a way to address both problems. I empathize deeply with the uninsured; I am a doctor.

Chapter Four – The Searing Summer Sky

February 9, 2007

By ROB KEZELIS

This is the fourth of five chapters. It is highly recommended that you read it aloud to loved one in bed. Kids, too. If you haven’t read the first three chapters, start here.

As with every Persian Fairy Tale, there is but one way to begin the story:

Air Pelosi

February 9, 2007

By DALE McFEATTERS

New House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is nothing if not combative.

Even as she was being elected speaker, she unsuccessfully tried to oust her No. 2, the current House Democratic leader, Steny Hoyer, in favor of her own candidate. She forced her fellow Californian, Jane Harman, off the House Intelligence Committee, where Harman was in line to become chairman. Then she got into a fight with the powerful and senior-most House Democrat, John Dingell, by trying to carve out a chunk of his turf from his Energy and Commerce Committee.