Fables of the reconstruction

Drilling is Very Popular

I just want to highlight one thing: Offshore oil drilling is very popular with the public.

Pew Research Center Poll. Feb. 3-9, 2010. Adults nationwide.

"As I read some possible government policies to address America's energy supply, tell me whether you would favor or oppose each.

First, would you favor or oppose the government ... [a]llowing more offshore oil and gas drilling in U.S. waters":

                        Favor                Oppose        Unsure
                            %                            %                    %

 2/3-9/10         63                     31                     6               

4/14-21/09     68                     27                     5        

...

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Aug. 13-17, 2009. N=1,001 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.5 (for all adults).

"To address the country's energy needs, would you support or oppose action by the federal government to ...  [i]ncrease oil and gas drilling"

                            Favor                Oppose        Unsure
                                %                            %                    %

8/13-17/09         64                     33                    3               

5/31-6/3/01       67                     29                    3        

When you talk about punching hippies, remember that a politician's first job is to do things that maintain public support for him/her personally and his/her policies. One of the cheapest and easiest ways to do that is to announce things that sound like you agree with the popular position, but in fact you don't commit yourself to any irreversible course of action. If hippies agreed with the sixty-some percent of Americans who are in favor of drilling, then we'd all be jumping for joy, but it would still be an announcement with no content. If there were times you could legitimately say "just words" about Obama, it would be in this case and in the case of the executive order on abortion.

Obama Executive Order on Offshore Oil Exploration: Everything, and Nothing, To All People

NYTimes:

President Obama today proposed allowing oil and gas drilling for the first time in large swaths of water off the East Coast, in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and potentially off Alaska. ...

The plan calls for exploration in areas from Delaware to off the coastline of central Florida, while keeping the East Coast from New Jersey northward closed to oil and gas development. But actual drilling would only take place after detailed study of the regions, which could take years.

Predictably, some of my fellow liberals freak out. Digby calls it "Too Fine", compares Obama to Gen. McClellan and thinks the administration is "believing their own hype" and wants to appeal to Republican members of Congress. John Cole is befuddled:

Seriously- what is the point in offering up something that is going to INFURIATE the left wing of the party without even seeing if the Republicans will play ball (PRO TIP- THEY WON’T).

StrangeAppar8us at Rumproast, on the other hand, has a take I agree with, "Chill, Baby, Chill: Obama Lifts Ceremonial Ban on Hypothetical Oil Reserves." (I only wish I could improve on that title.) Booman says:

[N]o climate change bill worth shit is going to pass thru this Congress without making some major concessions to the energy industries and that states and politicians who protect those industries. Obama's announcment begins to give a clear picture of what those concessions will be. But his announcement isn't triangulation. His agenda is passing the climate change elements of the bill, not the carbon producing elements.

To me, this is classic Obamaism. He parcels out rhetorical gifts to all parties and portrays himself as the reasonable one, the grownup in the room. He also gives himself outs:

The administration also plans by 2012 to hold a lease sale 50 miles off the coast of Virginia and one in the Cook Inlet in Alaska, if the government determines it can be done in an environmentally responsible manner and does not interfere with military activities there.

Obama pledged to protect areas vital to tourism, the environment and national security and to be guided by scientific evidence. ...

Doesn't "guided by scientific evidence" remind you of his pledge to listen to the generals with regard to the decision to withdraw from Iraq? Dude didn't get to where he is by being reckless.

Then he gets to the point of this exercise:

Obama addressed those who will "strongly disagree" with this decision by saying the announcement is part of a broader strategy to move from an economy run on fossil fuel and foreign oil to one that relies on domestic fuels and clean energy. ...

The president also addressed those who argue the policy does not go far enough, such as House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), who criticized the proposal, saying it defies the will of the American people by keeping the "vast majority" of offshore energy resources off-limits. ...

Obama said the United States has less than 2 percent of oil reserves but more than 20 percent of world consumption. "Drilling alone can't come close to meeting our long-term energy needs, and for the sake of our planet and our energy independence, we need to begin the transition to cleaner fuels now," Obama said. ...

House Natural Resources Committee ranking member Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) said the administration "is attempting to pull the wool over our eyes."

"President Obama's rhetoric conveys support for increasing American oil and natural gas production, while the reality is he's proposing a plan that will close more areas to drilling than it opens, and the few areas still available won't be open for years," Hastings said.

So let's see. This decision:

1. Is an executive order

2. allowing exploration, not drilling,

3. which will take years,

4. which may be unsuccessful in finding oil,

5, if it finds oil it may not be profitable to drill for it,

6. will require another executive order to permit drilling, and

7. may be reversed at any time by another executive order.

The net effect is to make a meaningless gesture that is in line with public opinion, which (at least in  polls by Pew in February '10 and the WaPo in August '09 ) favors drilling by almost 2/3rds. Obama's announcment isn't meant to lure conservative legislative votes on the merits. It's also certainly not hippie punching - it's only the self-absorbed hippies who think it's all about them.

It's an effort to show the public that he's willing to "do something" about foreign energy dependence (never mind that what he's doing will have absolutely zero effect in terms of making us energy indepedent, which is a chimera anyway). It's something for the media to use as balance in stories about climate change regulations (e.g., "yet President Obama has ordered more offshore oil exploration"). Possibly, it'll make Republicans look even more extreme when they oppose it. (E.g., Heritage Foundation - my source for all policy things wingnut - goes with: "Don’t Be Fooled by Obama’s Offshore Drilling Announcement".) Possibly, it will influence some of the voters in key states and Congressional districts where he needs support. But mainly, this is an effort to use symbolism to control the top-line narrative about the administration's priorities on jobs, energy prices, national security, and environmental protection. As StrangeAppara8us says:

I’m just enthralled by how much political leverage/public outrage one can manipulate by starting a fight over the Free Space on the Bingo Card.

Father of Dead Marine Ordered to Pay Lawyer's Fees for "God Hates Fags" Group

Lovely:

Lawyers for the father of a Marine who died in Iraq say a court has ordered him to pay legal costs for the anti-gay protesters who picketed his son’s funeral. The protesters are led by Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan. The father, Albert Snyder of York, Pa., had won a $5 million verdict against Mr. Phelps, but it was thrown out on appeal. On Friday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, in Maryland, ordered Mr. Snyder to pay the costs of Mr. Phelps’s appeal. The United States Supreme Court agreed earlier this month to consider whether the protesters’ provocative messages, which include phrases like “Thank God for dead soldiers,” are protected by the First Amendment.

The bill comes to $16,500. 

A fund has been set up to help Snyder pay the court costs. None of the money will go to attorneys, who are representing him pro bono. To contribute, go to www.matthewsnyder.org. Or send a check payable to "Al Snyder Fund" to the following address:

Barley Snyder LLC

100 East Market Street

York, PA 17401

Local Programming: Drinking Coffee Liberally in Mt. Airy Tomorrow

Sunday, March 28st, 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Drinking (Coffee) Liberally Mt. Airy
Mt. Airy Drinking Liberally meets at Infusion Coffee + Tea (7133 Germantown Ave.), from 12:30 until 2:30 PM.

Reframing That Overton Window

curv3all:

I’ve been thinking: you know, the prospects for more and better liberal policies would be faring much better today if the health care legislation had been defeated and, instead of the positive momentum and narrative of victory, there was wall-to-wall media coverage of Republicans gloating, tea partiers partying and a raft of stories about some or all of the following: (1) how the Democrats tacked too far left, and must return to the center; (2) how Obama’s administration was a failure; and (3) how bad the Dems would get slaughtered in November, and Obama in 2012, etc.

My guess is that the conclusion drawn from that would be that all Democratic legislators, and some Republcans, better hurry up and work together to pass a public option.  Stat.  And that, in general, Republicans better start cooperating with that loser Obama.

Darn. Missed it by that much.

Sign of the Banking Times

Who uses checks anymore? Apparently, far fewer people. From my bank:

Watch Winston the Bulldog Chew Front Bumper Off a Patrol Car

Not shown: He also chewed off both front tires. I think it's a testament to the Chattanooga police force that they didn't shoot the dog and that that they managed not to cackle watching this happen, as I did.

Water is Wet

Shocking:

Osama bin Laden has threatened that al-Qaeda will kill American captives if the United States executes self-avowed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed or other members of the terrorist network in U.S. custody.

What's he going to do with U.S. captives otherwise? Tuck them in and read them bedtime stories, I guess.

Rep. Pat Murphy to Appropriations

Local boy makes good.  This will help him a lot in holding his seat.

Philadelphia Can Breathe Easier Tonight

Susan Finkelstein, the West Philly woman who offered to have sex with a guy if he gave her Phillie's World Series tickets, has been convicted of attempted prostitution. The prosecutor, who is a Yankees fan (no shit!), says it was a good use of resources. 

"Because We Couldn’t Get It Through Congress, That’s Why."

Obama in Iowa:

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  What about the public option?

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s not in it.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Why not?

THE PRESIDENT:  Because we couldn’t get it through Congress, that’s why.  So they -- let’s -- there’s no need to shout, young man, no need to shout.

Thirty-two people -- 32 million people are going to have health insurance because of this legislation.  That’s what this work is about.  (Applause.)  So that’s what’s going to happen.

Now, I want to just make this point.  This legislation is not perfect, as you just heard.  (Laughter.)  This young man is dissatisfied with an aspect of it, which is fine.  I mean, that’s part of what democracy is about.  But what this is, is a historic step to enshrine the principle that everybody gets health care coverage in this country, every single person.  (Applause.)

And it’s absolutely true -- it’s absolutely true this is a middle-of-the-road bill.  This isn’t single-payer, which some people wanted.  It’s also not what the Republicans were looking for, which was basically to deregulate the insurance industry, arguing that somehow this would cut down costs -- something that defies the experience of everybody who’s dealt with an insurance company out there.  (Laughter.)

So, yes, this is a common-sense bill.  It doesn’t do everything that everybody wants, but it moves us in the direction of universal health care coverage in this country and that's why everybody here fought so hard for it.  (Applause.)

This is the reform that some folks in Washington are still hollering about, still shouting about.  Now that they passed it -- now that we passed it, they’re already promising to repeal it.  They’re actually going to run on a platform of repeal in November.  You’ve been hearing that.  And my attitude is:  Go for it.  (Applause.)

Single payer is the only solution that makes sense. Anything that takes us down the road toward it is something I support. Now that the "middle-of-the-road bill" has become law, it will take years for the pressure to build to make it better, to take the next big step toward single payer. But if the "middle-of-the-road bill" had died, I think it would have taken us decades to get to the point we are today. 

But who knows? Maybe we can add on a public option plan before the exchanges kick in in 2014. Or maybe we can move the effective date up to 2012. As the President says, we have the framework, but we have to complete the building.

Lie Down With Dogs

HA Ha!:

Dear Arthur,

This will memorialize our conversation at lunch today. Effective immediately, my position as a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute is terminated. I appreciate the consideration that delays my emptying of my office until after my return from travel next week. Premises will be vacated no later than April 9.     

I have had many fruitful years at the American Enterprise Institute, and I do regret this abrupt and unexpected conclusion of our relationship.     

Very truly yours,     

David Frum

What tools.

That's Why I Say Hey Man, Nice Shot

Eric Cantor is flailing. He says:

that a bullet flew through a window of his campaign office earlier this week, and he has received threatening emails – but he wouldn’t say they were in reaction to passage of the heath care overhaul.  

Probably because they weren't.

“I’ve received threats since I assumed elected office, not only because of my position but also because I am Jewish,” Rep. Eric Cantor said in a statement.

He really went there. Okay, Eric, let's assume you're not lying about this also. Just play along, I know it's ridiculous. Do you think the people who hate you for being Jewish are registered Republicans or Democrats? Hmmm, let's see. I'm guessing they're not Democrats.

The Virginia Republican also said he wouldn’t release any of the emails because “I believe such actions will only encourage more to be sent.”

Plus, they have nothing to do with health care and they're probably all racist garbage that obviously were not sent by liberals.

Now we have some facts from the Richmond P.D.:

The building, which has several tenants including an office used by Congressman Eric Cantor, was unoccupied at the time.

A Richmond Police detective was assigned to the case.  A preliminary investigation shows that a bullet was fired into the air and struck the window in a downward direction, landing on the floor about a foot from the window.  The round struck with enough force to break the windowpane but did not penetrate the window blinds.  There was no other damage to the room, which is used occasionally for meetings by the congressman.

A bullet was fired into the air and came down with just enough force to break glass in a building he shares with a bunch of other people and Cantor expects us to believe it was intentionally fired at his office? What a stupid lie.

Pope Personally Covered Up Case of 200 Child Rapes by Priest

These are the people dictating sexual morality to us:

Top Vatican officials — including the future Pope Benedict XVI — did not defrock a priest who molested as many as 200 deaf boys, even though several American bishops repeatedly warned them that failure to act on the matter could embarrass the church, according to church files newly unearthed as part of a lawsuit.

Church officials never reported the rapes committed at the school for deaf boys in Wisconsin to civil authorities. The boys and their parents who went to the police were brushed off. A secret canonical trial was halted after the rapist wrote personally to Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, asking that he not be "put on trial because he had already repented and was in poor health." He died a free man and still a priest in 1998.

Oh, also: Someone owes Sinead O'Connor an apology.

The Party of No

Ridiculous children. All of them deserve to be spanked, but they'd only enjoy it.

Winning is Fun

(Via DougJ at Balloon Juice.)

Today's Poster

Source: Driftglass.

Health Care Reform Bill is Now Law

President Obama just signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Local Programming: Drinking Liberally Center City Tonight Upstairs @ Jose Pistola's

Tuesday, March 23rd, 6 - 9 p.m.
Drinking Liberally Center City
Drinking Liberally will meet at the upstairs bar of Jose Pistola's, 263 S. 15th St. (between Locust and Spruce Streets), Philadelphia, PA 19102. Beer specials all evening.

Join the Shooting Liberally Philadelphia Facebook Group
Like shooting or want to learn how to handle a gun? Sign up for the Facebook group here to get announcements about future events, see pictures from prior outings, and participate in the discussion.

Send In Your Event Suggestions
Forward any area events for the week to the Philly DL organizer by Sunday to have them included in the weekly email.

About Us
Drinking Liberally is a project of Living Liberally, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization which builds progressive community through social networks and events. Founded in 2003, Living Liberally has 344 chapters across the country. The Center City Philadelphia chapter of DL was started during the 2004 election and has met every Tuesday night since.

Digging Out My Hope Poster, Putting It In the Window

HR 3590 passes.

Local Programming: Drinking Coffee Liberally in Mt. Airy Tomorrow

Sunday, March 21st, 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Drinking (Coffee) Liberally Mt. Airy
Mt. Airy Drinking Liberally meets at Infusion Coffee + Tea (7133 Germantown Ave.), from 12:30 until 2:30 PM.

McCain and Lieberman Propose Bill to Strip U.S. Citizens Suspected of Terrorism of All Rights

Via Eric Martin, Marc Ambinder says:

A close reading of the [Enemy Belligerent Interrogation, Detention, and Prosecution Act of 2010] suggests it would allow the U.S. military to detain U.S. citizens without trial indefinitely in the U.S. based on suspected activity

He's wrong. The bill does not "allow the U.S. military to detain U.S. citizens without trial indefinitely". It requires it. It's not optional.

Section 2(a) of the bill (pdf):

MILITARY CUSTODY REQUIREMENT.—Whenever within the United States, its territories, and possessions, or outside the territorial limits of the United States, an individual is captured or otherwise comes into the custody or under the effective control of the United States who is suspected of engaging in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners through an act of terrorism, or by other means in violation of the laws of war, or of purposely and materially supporting such hostilities, and who may be an unprivileged enemy belligerent, the individual shall be placed in military custody for purposes of initial interrogation and determination of status in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

(Emphasis supplied.)

This means that anyone, U.S. citizen or not, who is simply suspected of engaging in terrorism or "of purposely and materially supporting such hostilities" must be turned over to the military.

I know I am using italics a lot. I think this warrants it.

Section 3(b)(3):

A individual who is suspected of being an unprivileged enemy belligerent shall not, during interrogation under this subsection, be provided the statement required by Miranda v. Arizona (384 U.S. 436 (1966)) or otherwise be informed of any rights that the individual may or may not have to counsel or to remain silent consistent with Miranda v. Arizona.

I'm disappointed. Every self-respecting enemy belligerent, even unprivileged ones, know the Miranda warnings. This section should have read:

A individual who is suspected of being an unprivileged enemy belligerent shall be provided with the following statement:

"We can do anything we want to you, and no one can stop us. We can rape you, we can burn you, we can kill you. And we're going to enjoy it."

At least that would have the virtue of honesty, if no other.

After the initial detention:

The bill asks the President to determine criteria for designating an individual as a "high-value detainee" if he/she: (1) poses a threat of an attack on civilians or civilian facilities within the U.S. or U.S. facilities abroad; (2) poses a threat to U.S. military personnel or U.S. military facilities; (3) potential intelligence value; (4) is a member of al Qaeda or a terrorist group affiliated with al Qaeda or (5) such other matters as the President considers appropriate. The President must submit the regulations and guidance to the appropriate committees of Congress no later than 60 days after enactment.

To the extent possible, the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Team must make a preliminary determination whether the detainee is an unprivileged enemy belligerent within 48 hours of taking detainee into custody.

The High-Value Detainee Interrogation Team must submit its determination to the Secretary of Defense and the Attorney General after consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.  The Secretary of Defense and the Attorney General make a final determination and report the determination to the President and the appropriate committees of Congress.  In the case of any disagreement between the Secretary of Defense and the Attorney General, the President will make the determination. 

An "unprivileged enemy combatant" is anyone who is not a "privileged combatant"; i.e., anyone not in uniform. In other words, any civilian labeled "enemy combatant" is automatically an "unprivileged enemy combatant". 

How long may such person be held? Section 5:

An individual, including a citizen of the United States, determined to be an unprivileged enemy belligerent under section 3(c)(2) in a manner which satisfies Article 15 of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War may be detained without criminal charges and without trial for the duration of hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners in which the individual has engaged, or which the individual has purposely and materially supported, consistent with the law of war and any authorization for the use of military force provided by Congress pertaining to such hostilities.

Forever.

Local Programming: Rally For Jobs + Molly Ivins Play

Friday, March 19th
11:45 a.m.
Rally for GOOD JOBS with AFL-CIO President Trumka
Big Wall Street banks brought on America’s worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. While their actions destroyed Americans’ jobs, homes and hope, the Big Banks got billions in taxpayer bailouts—and went back to business as usual. They gave their execs about $145 billion in 2009 pay and bonuses, and now they’re spending millions lobbying to kill financial reform. America is 10 million jobs in the hole. It’s time for Wall Street to pay to create the good jobs we need. Join us to take this message right to one of the biggest, baddest banks of all. Rally at Paine Plaza, 15th & JFK, across from City Hall. For more information, contact the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO at 215-665-9800.

8 p.m.
"Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins" Play Opens Friday Night
Philadelphia Theatre Company presents "Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins". Molly Ivins was a controversial liberal journalist and political writer, known for books such as "Shrub: The Short But Happy Political Life of George W. Bush" and "Bushwhacked". The play stars Kathleen Turner. We have a number of events coming up in association with the world premiere of this play, including a talk-backs with Kathleen Turner and the playwrights. Call 215.985.0420 or visit PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org for tickets.

SEPTA's Fame

see more Epic Fails

I Didn't Think It Was Possible to Drive Ann Althouse Crazier Than She Already Is

But this makes her nuttier:

 

That photo might look familiar to some of the Philly liberal crowd. Hilarious.

11th Circuit Affirms $20,000 Sanction Against Orly Taitz

I sense jail for contempt of court is coming for someone:

California attorney and “birther” proponent Orly Taitz must pay $20,000 in sanctions, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday.

In the two-page decision, the appeals court states that after considering Taitz’ arguments, “we find them unpersuasive and therefore affirm the district court’s sanctions judgment.”

Taitz has said she has no intention of complying with the court's order. I presume that she will next seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Local Programming: Drinking Liberally Center City Tonight @ Jose Pistola's

Tuesday, March 16th, 6 - 9 p.m.
Drinking Liberally Center City
Drinking Liberally will meet at the upstairs bar of Jose Pistola's, 263 S. 15th St. (between Locust and Spruce Streets), Philadelphia, PA 19102. Beer specials all evening.

Phonebank for Health Care Reform with Organizing for America All Week
We’ll be phone banking Monday through Friday from 10 am to 1pm and 4pm to 7pm at the Organizing for America office at 123 S. Broad Street, Suite 820. Please be prepared to use your own phone, if necessary. Contact Andrea at 267-949-7367 with any questions.

Join the Shooting Liberally Philadelphia Facebook Group
Like shooting or want to learn how to handle a gun? Sign up for the Facebook group here to get announcements about future events, see pictures from prior outings, and participate in the discussion.

Send In Your Event Suggestions
Forward any area events for the week to the Philly DL organizer by Sunday to have them included in the weekly email.

About Us
Drinking Liberally is a project of Living Liberally, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization which builds progressive community through social networks and events. Founded in 2003, Living Liberally has 345 chapters across the country. The Center City Philadelphia chapter of DL was started during the 2004 election and has met every Tuesday night since.

Delicate Flowers

Philly Forecast

The bad news: It's going to rain until Tuesday afternoon. The good news: The rain will keep some of the St. Pat's Day idiots off the streets.

Clarence Thomas' Wife Runs Tea Party Group

As Oliver Willis says, of course she does.

Reminder: Spring Forward

Check all your clocks. Set them forward one hour if you haven't already.

Sen. Reid's Wife and Daughter Seriously Injured in Crash

What a nightmare this would be for anyone with a partner or children:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's wife and daughter were being treated in a hospital Thursday for serious injuries they sustained when their vehicle was rear-ended by a truck, a spokesman said.

Reid's wife, Landra, 69, broke her back and neck in the accident, Reid spokesman Jim Manley said.

She and the couple's adult daughter, Lana, were being treated at Inova Fairfax Hospital in suburban Virginia. Neither woman's injuries appeared to be life-threatening, Manley said.

''While driving on a Washington, D.C., highway, their vehicle was rear-ended by a semi-truck,'' Manley said in a statement.

''Mrs. Reid has a broken nose, broken back and broken neck. Lana has a neck injury and facial lacerations. Both Mrs. Reid and Lana are conscious, can feel their extremities, and according to doctors their injuries are non-life threatening,'' Manley said. ''Sen. Reid has been to the hospital and appreciates the support he and his family are receiving from Nevadans and his colleagues in the Senate.''

And of course he can't just stay at the hospital; he had to then go back to work. If I were him, I couldn't concentrate.

Area Woman Supports Jihad, Is Idiot

Jihad Jane? More like Margaret Mitty:

A woman from Montgomery County who used the online nickname of "JihadJane" has been indicted for conspiring to provide support to Islamic terrorists with whom she allegedly plotted to kill a Swedish artist.

Prosecutors accused Colleen R. LaRose, 46, of offering to use her American looks and identity to help foreign terrorists. She was arrested last October but her incarceration was kept secret until today.

American and foreign government used the time to sweep up a terrorist network in Ireland, according to news media in that country. The Irish Times said seven men, most from other nations, were arrested as part of a plot to murder a Swedish cartoonist who drew controversial images of the Prophet Muhammad.

I also like the fact that Ms. LaRose's other alias was "Fatima LaRose". Nothing like using your own name as your cover. Easier to remember that way.

Whether I am right or not about her being just a thrill-seeker, she's going byebye for a long time. Enjoy federal prison, Coll.

Update: Here again is the evil supervillian, disguising herself in the most cunning manner possible:

 

How did they catch her? Nice animal print, by the way. Isn't that haraam, though? I'm not even going to ask about the eyebrows. As much as I want to. Cruella.

Cops Tracked Sprint Customers' Locations 8 Million Times in 1 Year

ACLU:

At a security and surveillance conference a few months ago, the Sprint electronic surveillance manager admitted that law enforcement was making such extensive use of [the cell phone tracking capability] that Sprint had set up essentially a Web portal for law enforcement to go to, to ping cell phones to find their location based on GPS. He said that that website had been used eight million times over a one-year period.

Yikes.

Local Programming: Support These Philly Beer Bars

Pennsylvania's autocratic liquor laws in action:

Based on a complaint from someone the State Police refuse to identify, three teams of officers converged last Thursday on the three bars, run by Leigh Maida and her husband, Brendan Hartranft. Checking their inventories against the state's official list of more than 2,800 brands, the cops seized four kegs and 317 bottles, totaling 60.9 gallons of beer, according to police calculations.

First, the state requires beer sellers to register their offerings by name by paying a $75 fee. There is nothing done to justify the registration; it only exists to raise revenue.

Second, more than half the beer seized by the State Police were actually on the approved list, but clerical errors and laziness on the part of the authorities meant is was confiscated anyway.

Third, the beers confiscated are sold all over town, and all over the state, but a complaint by an anonymous individual  (read: well-connected competitor) resulted in this couple's three great bars being raided.

My response was to run right out and have dinner at Resurrection Ale House. I recommend you pick one of the three places and give them your business:

Resurrection Ale House, at 2425 Grays Ferry Ave.; Local 44, at 44th and Spruce streets, in West Philadelphia; and Memphis Taproom, 2331 E. Cumberland St., Port Richmond.

Grind Exceeding Fine

A incisive argument via illustration about the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammad by taddy porter at bitch's place:

Let me explain with a little story about my friend T-.

T- is a working man in his late 40's, a father with three kids. He lives on the north side of Milwaukee, with wife and kiddies in a well maintained brick house in the working class neighborhood of Sherman Park.

To maintain home and hearth and feed three healthy teen agers, T- works more jobs than you can count.

He has a first shift job in a stamping plant on Milwaukee's South Side. After that, he goes to work cleaning offices in downtown Milwaukee. He runs a big floor buffing machine, looks kind of like a zamboni. He does this until 10 or 11 at night.

On weekends, he works at any number of sidelines. He has a snow plowing business. He details cars. He drives taxi. He cleans beer lines (a very lucrative craft, I might add). He mows lawns and does landscaping.

The point is, he is a solid citizen and works all the damned time.

In mid-January, there was a big snowfall in Milwaukee. To T-, that's money in the bank. Around midnight of a Friday, he was sitting in the cab of his Ford F-250, idling at the curb in front of his house, waiting for his helper to show up so he could get started plowing out his clients.

While he waited, he blew himself a big spliff.

At the psychological moment, an MPD TAC Squad cruiser rolled by. The TAC Squad are the heavies for the organs of public security in Milwaukee. They patrol the city late night to suppress threats to the public order. They observed a nimbo-cumulus cloud emerge from the passenger side of T-'s pickup and investigated.

The upshot was that T- was busted for smoking a joint.

The TAC squad lads bundled him into the back seat of the cruiser, wedged between a beefy Polish sergeant on one side and a beefy African-American sergeant on the other. For hours they drove him all over the county while they tried to persuade him to fall in with their plans as follows: they wanted him to make some crack buys for them. At the end of their shift, they would pay him $1000 for his troubles and release him without a stain on his character. It was their assumption, I guess, that any Black person knows where to buy crack. T- is Black and, so, ipso facto, just the man for the job.

T- declined to participate. First, he knew the offer of $1000 was bullshit. Second, he had no fucking idea where to buy crack. He's a working man. Third, he would not have gotten involved even if he did. These crack dealers tend to be bad hombres and its a smart fellow that steers clear of them.

None of this made the least impression on the TAC squad boys. They rode him around till sunup, denying him any contact with his family. In the morning, they took him to jail.

He did not see a magistrate until Monday morning. When he was brought before his honor, it turned out there was no charge or, at least, no charge paperwork, so he was released.

The point of this amusing anecdote is that, for working people, the requirements of the 14th amendment and other pertinent protocols are more often honored in the breach than as a matter of routine. So we don't appreciate being lectured by Mrs Greenspan and Chris Matthews and the rest of the millionaire gasbags on how the minions of the law are tied down like Gulliver by the uncallused wonder that is American justice.

Law enforcement will find a way to make its case, don't even trip. If they would go to those lengths with my friend just to turn over a few penny ante drug-dealers, imagine the schemes they can employ to convict Snuffy Smith. I mean KSM.

We got him. He's not going anywhere.

The idea is to punish him, not the Constitution.

That's some fine snark, right there.

Most of the Ones Who Voted for Him, Anyway

(Via P6.)

A Tale of Two Blogs

Love wins, bigots fume.

Blogger Jon Swift Dead

Shit.

(Via Kevin K.)

Sick as a Dog

Home with the croup, so here are some dogs in slow motion.

I-95 2010: May 2

Save the date.