119 and counting: Glenn Beck loses 3 more sponsors

By GottaLaff

My pal StopBeck has some more good news he wants to share with us:

Today, we are announcing three additional sponsors that have pulled their advertisements from Glenn Beck’s show: Weight Watchers, George Foreman Cooking and Sylvan Learning.

These additional sponsor losses bring the total number of sponsors to drop Beck to 119.

Many thanks to all those participating in this effort! Your tweets and emails are truly having an effect. Keep at it!

Statements from these three advertisers follow:

George Foreman Cooking advertisements began appearing on Glenn Beck’s show on February 11. After being notified about the presence of these advertisements and Glenn Beck’s incendiary rhetoric, George Foreman Cooking advised that they were pulling their ads. Their statement:

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. George Foreman Cooking adheres to a set of media buying guidelines for syndicated programming and for local stations that promote inclusion and help our company reach a broad range of diverse customers. Placement of ads in connection with any program that is contrary to this purpose is in violation of this policy. We have so reminded our advertising agency and have been assured of strict adherence to our policy.

Sylvan Learning advertisements began airing on February 16. On February 17, they advised that they were pulling their advertisements. Their statement was short and sweet:

“Sylvan Learning does not support Glenn Beck’s political views. Sylvan will exclude future Fox News Channel commercials from The Glenn Beck Program.”

Weight Watchers advertisements aired several days on Glenn Beck’s show in the U.K. (prior to the past 9 days of sponsor-less shows). After reaching out to Weight Watchers, they advised that the advertisements were run in error and would no longer appear. Their statement:

Thank you for contacting us. We apologize if we offended you in any way. The ad that ran in the “Glen Beck” program was unintentional as it is not a part of our media buy. Thanks again for sharing your perspective.

Sincerely,

Vicki Taylor
Corporate Affairs Representative
Weight Watchers International, Inc.

StopBeck has more here.

Why, I do believe I'm tearing up over this news... without even using any Vick's!

"CPAC organizers were plainly embarrassed by the results" of straw poll

By GottaLaff

Via Taegan:

Politico: "CPAC organizers were plainly embarrassed by the results, which could have the effect of reducing the perceived impact of a contest that was once thought to offer a window into which White House hopefuls were favored by movement conservatives."

Because, you know, the attendees didn't already embarrass themselves before the straw poll results were announced.

SPOOF: Sarah Palin's Irish cousin disowns her

By GottaLaff

We were so punk'd!

Niall O'Dowd of The Irish Central has commented that Irish Central was taken in by a spoof.

Original post:

The original Irish Central' article seems to have been scrubbed, but here is what Democratic Underground managed to salvage:

Sarah Palin has one living Irish relative – and he wants nothing to do with her.

Neither does CPAC.

Reverend Simon Lathrop is a Church of Ireland pastor living in the midlands of Ireland, and recently Palin campaigners have contacted the cleric seeking to enlist his support for her future endeavors. Lathrop, however, dislikes his cousin's politics and is rather embarrassed by his link to Palin. In the past he has even attended anti-American rallies, according to newsfromireland.com.

"In the last few months, I have been inundated with calls from genealogists who said they were acting on behalf of an American family trying to trace their roots,” Lathrop told the site.

“The intensity of it got me curious and when I probed further I discovered that the people who are searching were connected to the Palin campaign.

"They told me that they were trying to establish some Irish credentials for her in the build up to the campaign, but I have told them that I have no interest in being used as some sort of electoral pawn.”

Apparently the Irish are a lot sharper than the Tea Tantrumers and many Rushpublics. They won't be played for fools, and they haven't even met her yet.

As I mentioned, the full article is no longer available. Wonder who got to 'em?

Here's a little more via PalinQuestions:

Lathrop does not intend to help his relative achieve her political ambitions.

Lathrop went on to tell the newspaper, "I wish the lady all the luck in the world, but if she is in favor of hunting and shooting and warmongering, then I for one will not be welcoming her and will not be encouraging the Irish to vote for her if she runs in 2012," he said.

Lathrop is gracious, however, and is willing to have tea with Palin.

Ouch.

Well, you know what they say: You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your relatives.

But you sure can quit 'em. It must run in the family.

I feel a new Spurny McJilted Facebook post coming on....

VIDEOS- Harry Reid: Dems will use reconciliation to finish healthcare in 60 days

By GottaLaff

Harry Reid is finally reconciled to using reconciliation:

Democrats will finish their health reform efforts within the next two months by using a majority-vote maneuver in the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said.

Reid said that congressional Democrats would likely opt for a procedural tactic in the Senate allowing the upper chamber to make final changes to its healthcare bill with only a simple majority of senators, instead of the 60 it takes to normally end a filibuster. [...]

The majority leader said that while Democrats have a number of options, they would likely use the budget reconciliation process to pass a series of fixes to the first healthcare bill passed by the Senate in November.

For more on what this process takes, watch the video from the Rachel Maddow Show here.

And here are Ezra Klein and realist Lawrence O'Donnell (aka Debbie Downer) discussing reconciliation, along with the public option, with Keith Olbermann:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

O'Donnell explains what this will really take, in great detail.

Who has socialized health care again? Sarah Tripps up

By GottaLaff

Shannyn Moore has the yummy details about how Preachy McDeathPanel's grandson is covered by socialized health care.

Hyp. O. Crite.

Here is the proof, in part:

Shannyn has Moore.

See what I did there? Wink.


Oh, and did you hear? She lost the big CPAC straw poll.

At 31% Ron Paul wins CPAC straw poll, Palin? 7%

By GottaLaff

Just in via CNN:

Ron Paul won the CPAC straw poll.

Via Greg Mitchell:

Fox anchor says "amazing how much support Ron Paul has, I've never seen a politician with such a strong organization." No, not a joke.

Poor Mitt Willard Romney. His winning streak is over.

Results via Mike Madden:

Straw poll at #CPAC10:

Ron Paul wins with 31%,
Mitt Romney 22%,
Sarah Palin 7%,
Tim Pawlenty 6%,
Mike Pence 5%,
Newt Gingrich 4%.

Losey McSevenPercent comes in third. And Newtie? Yeah, no.

Then again, these things don't mean much. But it is fun to snark about.

VIDEOS- CPAC: All the Breitbart lunacy you can stomach

By GottaLaff

Kerfuffles, shouting, sour-faced name calling, rants... Breitbart just can't seem to keep from losing it on a regular basis.

First, this from Dave Weigel (story here):



Next, this from Mike Madden at Salon:

Breitbart yells, defends ACORN investigation: The conservative media honcho says -- loudly -- it doesn't matter whether ACORN aided any real prostitutes.

And what's with the crazed fast-motion head shaking?

You have to admit, he gets all the attention he wants, and, as KagroX puts it, with gusto:



UPDATE: Here's one more, courtesy of my Twitter/Blunt pal, Tommy Christopher and Colby Hall, both of Mediate:



What an ego Breitbart has. If only he earned the right to have one.

Evan Bayh: "A filibuster should be reduced to 55 from 60"

By GottaLaff

Evan has a piece in the New York Times about why he's leaving the Senate.

Oh, and just Bayh the way:

Today, the mere threat of a filibuster is enough to stop a vote; senators are rarely asked to pull all-nighters like Jimmy Stewart in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”

For this reason, filibusters should require 35 senators to sign a public petition and make a commitment to continually debate an issue in reality, not just in theory. Those who obstruct the Senate should pay a price in public notoriety and physical exhaustion. That would lead to a significant decline in frivolous filibusters.

Filibusters should also be limited to no more than one for any piece of legislation. Currently, the decision to begin debate on a bill can be filibustered, followed by another filibuster on each amendment, followed by yet another filibuster before a final vote. This leads to multiple legislative delays and effectively grinds the Senate to a halt.

What’s more, the number of votes needed to overcome a filibuster should be reduced to 55 from 60. During my father’s era, filibusters were commonly used to block civil rights legislation and, in 1975, the requisite number of votes was reduced to 60 from 67. The challenges facing the country today are so substantial that further delay imperils the Republic and warrants another reduction in the supermajority requirement.

Now that he's leaving, he gets it.

Governors in D.C. vow to press ahead with healthcare reform

By GottaLaff

Hey, somebody's gotta do it, and do it now:

The nation’s 50 governors pledged Saturday not to wait for a federal healthcare fix to start enacting reforms of their own.

Despite continued unemployment and tens of billions of dollars in state budget deficits that a majority of the nation’s governors are facing, how to provide better healthcare at lower costs is taking center stage at the three-day National Governors Association winter meeting in Washington [...]

Governors Association Vice Chairman Joe Manchin III (D-W.V.) repeatedly cited the need for any federal law to give the states flexibility in implementing certain reforms, including individual insurance coverage mandates.

In addition to sharing their individual state experiences and hoping to learn from one another about various reform proposals, the governors said they were looking forward to the opportunity to hopefully influence the federal debate ...

As for Congress's glacial pace and endless (mis)handling of pushing legislation through:

“Congress, they talk about it,” said Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-Mont.). “And worse yet, when they talk about it, they say, ‘Maybe what we ought to do is kick it all out to the states and see if they can figure this out.’ Well, we’d be more than happy to figure this out, but the only time they listen to us is when we come to town. And by the way, Congress is on vacation.”

Oh, suh-nap!

VIDEO- Rachel Maddow talks Public Option, Reconciliation; Whip List- Has your senator taken a stand?

By GottaLaff

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Now that you're up on the latest, it wouldn't hurt to take action:

Some bold senators started a letter calling on Majority Leader Harry Reid to pass the public health insurance option through "reconciliation," which only needs a simple majority in the Senate.

Information on how to contact your representatives here.

Name		Status
Sen. Daniel Akaka	HI	Unknown
Sen. Max Baucus	MT	Unknown
Sen. Evan Bayh	IN	Unknown
Sen. Mark Begich	AK	Unknown
Sen. Michael Bennet	CO	Supporter
Sen. Jeff Bingaman	NM	Unknown
Sen. Barbara Boxer	CA	Supporter
Sen. Sherrod Brown	OH	Supporter
Sen. Roland Burris	IL	Supporter
Sen. Robert Byrd	WV	Unknown
Sen. Maria Cantwell	WA	Unknown
Sen. Benjamin Cardin	MD	Unknown
Sen. Thomas Carper	DE	Unknown
Sen. Robert Casey	PA	Unknown
Sen. Kent Conrad	ND	Unknown
Sen. Christopher Dodd	CT	Unknown
Sen. Byron Dorgan	ND	Unknown
Sen. Richard Durbin	IL	Unknown
Sen. Russell Feingold	WI	Unknown
Sen. Dianne Feinstein	CA	Supporter
Sen. Al Franken	MN	Supporter
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand	NY	Supporter
Sen. Kay Hagan	NC	Unknown
Sen. Tom Harkin	IA	Unknown
Sen. Daniel Inouye	HI	Unknown
Sen. Tim Johnson	SD	Unknown
Sen. Ted Kaufman	DE	Unknown
Sen. John Kerry	MA	Supporter
Sen. Amy Klobuchar	MN	Unknown
Sen. Herb Kohl	WI	Unknown
Sen. Mary Landrieu	LA	Unknown
Sen. Frank Lautenberg	NJ	Supporter
Sen. Patrick Leahy	VT	Supporter
Sen. Carl Levin	MI	Unknown
Sen. Blanche Lincoln	AR	Unknown
Sen. Claire McCaskill	MO	Unknown
Sen. Robert Menendez	NJ	Supporter
Sen. Jeff Merkley	OR	Supporter
Sen. Barbara Mikulski	MD	Supporter
Sen. Patty Murray	WA	Unknown
Sen. Bill Nelson	FL	Unknown
Sen. Ben Nelson	NE	Unknown
Sen. Mark Pryor	AR	Unknown
Sen. Jack Reed	RI	Supporter
Sen. Harry Reid	NV	Unknown
Sen. John Rockefeller	WV	Unknown
Sen. Bernie Sanders	VT	Supporter
Sen. Charles Schumer	NY	Supporter
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen	NH	Supporter
Sen. Arlen Specter	PA	Supporter
Sen. Debbie Stabenow	MI	Unknown
Sen. Jon Tester	MT	Unknown
Sen. Mark Udall	CO	Unknown
Sen. Tom Udall	NM	Supporter
Sen. Mark Warner	VA	Unknown
Sen. James Webb	VA	Unknown
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse	RI	Supporter
Sen. Ron Wyden	OR	Unknown

Candidates: Elaine Marshall (NC)

120 House members signed.

Read the full letter they've signed on to...

Name		Status
Rep. Neil Abercrombie	HI-01	Supporter
Rep. Gary Ackerman	NY-05	Supporter
Rep. John Adler	NJ-03	Unknown
Rep. Jason Altmire	PA-04	Unknown
Rep. Robert Andrews	NJ-01	Unknown
Rep. Michael Arcuri	NY-24	Unknown
Rep. Joe Baca	CA-43	Unknown
Rep. Brian Baird	WA-03	Unknown
Rep. Tammy Baldwin	WI-02	Supporter
Rep. John Barrow	GA-12	Unknown
Rep. Melissa Bean	IL-08	Unknown
Rep. Xavier Becerra	CA-31	Unknown
Rep. Shelley Berkley	NV-01	Unknown
Rep. Howard Berman	CA-28	Supporter
Rep. Marion Berry	AR-01	Unknown
Rep. Timothy Bishop	NY-01	Unknown
Rep. Sanford Bishop	GA-02	Unknown
Rep. Earl Blumenauer	OR-03	Supporter
Rep. John Boccieri	OH-16	Unknown
Rep. Dan Boren	OK-02	Unknown
Rep. Leonard Boswell	IA-03	Supporter
Rep. Rick Boucher	VA-09	Unknown
Rep. Allen Boyd	FL-02	Unknown
Rep. Robert Brady	PA-01	Supporter
Rep. Bruce Braley	IA-01	Unknown
Rep. Bobby Bright	AL-02	Unknown
Rep. Corrine Brown	FL-03	Supporter
Rep. G. Butterfield	NC-01	Unknown
Rep. Lois Capps	CA-23	Supporter
Rep. Michael Capuano	MA-08	Supporter
Rep. Dennis Cardoza	CA-18	Unknown
Rep. Russ Carnahan	MO-03	Unknown
Rep. Christopher Carney	PA-10	Unknown
Rep. Andre Carson	IN-07	Supporter
Rep. Kathy Castor	FL-11	Unknown
Rep. Ben Chandler	KY-06	Unknown
Rep. Travis Childers	MS-01	Unknown
Rep. Judy Chu	CA-32	Supporter
Rep. Yvette Clarke	NY-11	Supporter
Rep. William Clay	MO-01	Supporter
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver	MO-05	Supporter
Rep. James Clyburn	SC-06	Unknown
Rep. Steve Cohen	TN-09	Supporter
Rep. Gerry Connolly	VA-11	Unknown
Rep. John Conyers	MI-14	Supporter
Rep. Jim Cooper	TN-05	Unknown
Rep. Jim Costa	CA-20	Unknown
Rep. Jerry Costello	IL-12	Unknown
Rep. Joe Courtney	CT-02	Supporter
Rep. Joseph Crowley	NY-07	Unknown
Rep. Henry Cuellar	TX-28	Unknown
Rep. Elijah Cummings	MD-07	Supporter
Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper	PA-03	Unknown
Rep. Artur Davis	AL-07	Unknown
Rep. Susan Davis	CA-53	Supporter
Rep. Lincoln Davis	TN-04	Unknown
Rep. Danny Davis	IL-07	Supporter
Rep. Peter DeFazio	OR-04	Supporter
Rep. Diana DeGette	CO-01	Unknown
Rep. Bill Delahunt	MA-10	Supporter
Rep. Rosa DeLauro	CT-03	Unknown
Rep. Norman Dicks	WA-06	Unknown
Rep. John Dingell	MI-15	Unknown
Rep. Lloyd Doggett	TX-25	Supporter
Rep. Joe Donnelly	IN-02	Unknown
Rep. Michael Doyle	PA-14	Supporter
Rep. Steve Driehaus	OH-01	Unknown
Rep. Chet Edwards	TX-17	Unknown
Rep. Donna Edwards	MD-04	Supporter
Rep. Keith Ellison	MN-05	Supporter
Rep. Brad Ellsworth	IN-08	Unknown
Rep. Eliot Engel	NY-17	Supporter
Rep. Anna Eshoo	CA-14	Supporter
Rep. Bob Etheridge	NC-02	Unknown
Rep. Sam Farr	CA-17	Supporter
Rep. Chaka Fattah	PA-02	Supporter
Rep. Bob Filner	CA-51	Supporter
Rep. Bill Foster	IL-14	Unknown
Rep. Barney Frank	MA-04	Supporter
Rep. Marcia Fudge	OH-11	Unknown
Rep. John Garamendi	CA-10	Supporter
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords	AZ-08	Unknown
Rep. Charles Gonzalez	TX-20	Supporter
Rep. Bart Gordon	TN-06	Unknown
Rep. Alan Grayson	FL-08	Supporter
Rep. Al Green	TX-09	Supporter
Rep. Gene Green	TX-29	Supporter
Rep. Raul Grijalva	AZ-07	Supporter
Rep. Luis Gutierrez	IL-04	Supporter
Rep. John Hall	NY-19	Supporter
Rep. Debbie Halvorson	IL-11	Unknown
Rep. Phil Hare	IL-17	Supporter
Rep. Jane Harman	CA-36	Supporter
Rep. Alcee Hastings	FL-23	Supporter
Rep. Martin Heinrich	NM-01	Supporter*
Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin	SD-01	Unknown
Rep. Brian Higgins	NY-27	Supporter
Rep. Baron Hill	IN-09	Unknown
Rep. Jim Himes	CT-04	Unknown
Rep. Maurice Hinchey	NY-22	Supporter
Rep. Ruben Hinojosa	TX-15	Unknown
Rep. Mazie Hirono	HI-02	Supporter
Rep. Paul Hodes	NH-02	Supporter*
Rep. Tim Holden	PA-17	Unknown
Rep. Rush Holt	NJ-12	Supporter
Rep. Mike Honda	CA-15	Supporter
Rep. Steny Hoyer	MD-05	Unknown
Rep. Jay Inslee	WA-01	Supporter
Rep. Steve Israel	NY-02	Unknown
Rep. Jesse Jackson	IL-02	Supporter
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee	TX-18	Supporter
Rep. Hank Johnson	GA-04	Supporter
Rep. Eddie Johnson	TX-30	Unknown
Rep. Steve Kagen	WI-08	Unknown
Rep. Paul Kanjorski	PA-11	Unknown
Rep. Marcy Kaptur	OH-09	Supporter
Rep. Patrick Kennedy	RI-01	Supporter
Rep. Dale Kildee	MI-05	Supporter
Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick	MI-13	Supporter
Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy	OH-15	Supporter
Rep. Ron Kind	WI-03	Unknown
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick	AZ-01	Unknown
Rep. Larry Kissell	NC-08	Unknown
Rep. Ron Klein	FL-22	Unknown
Rep. Suzanne Kosmas	FL-24	Unknown
Rep. Frank Kratovil	MD-01	Unknown
Rep. Dennis Kucinich	OH-10	Unknown
Rep. James Langevin	RI-02	Supporter
Rep. Rick Larsen	WA-02	Supporter
Rep. John Larson	CT-01	Unknown
Rep. Barbara Lee	CA-09	Supporter
Rep. Sandy Levin	MI-12	Unknown
Rep. John Lewis	GA-05	Supporter
Rep. Dan Lipinski	IL-03	Unknown
Rep. Dave Loebsack	IA-02	Unknown
Rep. Zoe Lofgren	CA-16	Supporter
Rep. Nita Lowey	NY-18	Supporter
Rep. Ben Lujan	NM-03	Supporter
Rep. Stephen Lynch	MA-09	Unknown
Rep. Dan Maffei	NY-25	Supporter
Rep. Carolyn Maloney	NY-14	Supporter
Rep. Betsy Markey	CO-04	Unknown
Rep. Ed Markey	MA-07	Supporter
Rep. Jim Marshall	GA-08	Unknown
Rep. Eric Massa	NY-29	Unknown
Rep. James Matheson	UT-02	Unknown
Rep. Doris Matsui	CA-05	Supporter
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy	NY-04	Unknown
Rep. Betty McCollum	MN-04	Unknown
Rep. Jim McDermott	WA-07	Supporter
Rep. Jim McGovern	MA-03	Supporter
Rep. Mike McIntyre	NC-07	Unknown
Rep. Michael McMahon	NY-13	Unknown
Rep. Jerry McNerney	CA-11	Unknown
Rep. Kendrick Meek	FL-17	Unknown
Rep. Gregory Meeks	NY-06	Supporter
Rep. Charlie Melancon	LA-03	Unknown
Rep. Mike Michaud	ME-02	Supporter
Rep. George Miller	CA-07	Supporter
Rep. Brad Miller	NC-13	Supporter
Rep. Walter Minnick	ID-01	Unknown
Rep. Harry Mitchell	AZ-05	Unknown
Rep. Alan Mollohan	WV-01	Unknown
Rep. Dennis Moore	KS-03	Unknown
Rep. Gwen Moore	WI-04	Supporter
Rep. James Moran	VA-08	Supporter
Rep. Scott Murphy	NY-20	Supporter
Rep. Chris Murphy	CT-05	Supporter
Rep. Patrick Murphy	PA-08	Supporter
Rep. John Murtha	PA-12	Unknown
Rep. Jerrold Nadler	NY-08	Supporter
Rep. Grace Napolitano	CA-38	Supporter
Rep. Richard Neal	MA-02	Unknown
Rep. Glenn Nye	VA-02	Unknown
Rep. Jim Oberstar	MN-08	Supporter
Rep. David Obey	WI-07	Unknown
Rep. John Olver	MA-01	Supporter
Rep. Solomon Ortiz	TX-27	Unknown
Rep. Bill Owens	NY-23	Unknown
Rep. Frank Pallone	NJ-06	Unknown
Rep. Bill Pascrell	NJ-08	Unknown
Rep. Ed Pastor	AZ-04	Unknown
Rep. Donald Payne	NJ-10	Supporter
Rep. Nancy Pelosi	CA-08	Unknown
Rep. Ed Perlmutter	CO-07	Unknown
Rep. Tom Perriello	VA-05	Supporter
Rep. Gary Peters	MI-09	Unknown
Rep. Collin Peterson	MN-07	Unknown
Rep. Chellie Pingree	ME-01	Supporter
Rep. Jared Polis	CO-02	Supporter
Rep. Earl Pomeroy	ND-01	Unknown
Rep. David Price	NC-04	Supporter
Rep. Mike Quigley	IL-05	Unknown
Rep. Nick Rahall	WV-03	Unknown
Rep. Charles Rangel	NY-15	Unknown
Rep. Silvestre Reyes	TX-16	Unknown
Rep. Laura Richardson	CA-37	Supporter
Rep. Ciro Rodriguez	TX-23	Unknown
Rep. Mike Ross	AR-04	Unknown
Rep. Steve Rothman	NJ-09	Supporter
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard	CA-34	Supporter
Rep. C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger	MD-02	Unknown
Rep. Bobby Rush	IL-01	Unknown
Rep. Tim Ryan	OH-17	Unknown
Rep. John Salazar	CO-03	Unknown
Rep. Linda Sanchez	CA-39	Supporter
Rep. Loretta Sanchez	CA-47	Unknown
Rep. John Sarbanes	MD-03	Supporter
Rep. Janice Schakowsky	IL-09	Supporter
Rep. Mark Schauer	MI-07	Supporter
Rep. Adam Schiff	CA-29	Supporter
Rep. Kurt Schrader	OR-05	Unknown
Rep. Allyson Schwartz	PA-13	Unknown
Rep. David Scott	GA-13	Unknown
Rep. Robert Scott	VA-03	Supporter
Rep. Jose Serrano	NY-16	Supporter
Rep. Joe Sestak	PA-07	Supporter*
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter	NH-01	Supporter
Rep. Brad Sherman	CA-27	Supporter
Rep. Heath Shuler	NC-11	Unknown
Rep. Albio Sires	NJ-13	Unknown
Rep. Ike Skelton	MO-04	Unknown
Rep. Louise Slaughter	NY-28	Unknown
Rep. Adam Smith	WA-09	Unknown
Rep. Vic Snyder	AR-02	Unknown
Rep. Zack Space	OH-18	Unknown
Rep. Jackie Speier	CA-12	Supporter
Rep. John Spratt	SC-05	Unknown
Rep. Pete Stark	CA-13	Unknown
Rep. Bart Stupak	MI-01	Unknown
Rep. Betty Sutton	OH-13	Supporter
Rep. John Tanner	TN-08	Unknown
Rep. Gene Taylor	MS-04	Unknown
Rep. Harry Teague	NM-02	Unknown
Rep. Mike Thompson	CA-01	Supporter
Rep. Bennie Thompson	MS-02	Unknown
Rep. John Tierney	MA-06	Supporter
Rep. Dina Titus	NV-03	Unknown
Rep. Paul Tonko	NY-21	Supporter
Rep. Edolphus Towns	NY-10	Supporter
Rep. Niki Tsongas	MA-05	Supporter
Rep. Chris Van Hollen	MD-08	Unknown
Rep. Nydia Velazquez	NY-12	Supporter
Rep. Peter Visclosky	IN-01	Unknown
Rep. Tim Walz	MN-01	Unknown
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz	FL-20	Unknown
Rep. Maxine Waters	CA-35	Supporter
Rep. Diane Watson	CA-33	Supporter
Rep. Mel Watt	NC-12	Supporter
Rep. Henry Waxman	CA-30	Unknown
Rep. Anthony Weiner	NY-09	Supporter
Rep. Peter Welch	VT-01	Supporter
Rep. Charles Wilson	OH-06	Unknown
Rep. Lynn Woolsey	CA-06	Supporter
Rep. David Wu	OR-01	Supporter
Rep. John Yarmuth	KY-03	Supporter

Plus: Delegates Donna M. Christensen (D-VI) and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).

* Separate letters were sent by Reps. Joe Sestak, Martin Heinrich, and Paul Hodes.

Click here to view the House members.

John Dingell, longest-serving lawmaker in Congress, will seek reelection

By GottaLaff

FYI:

Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) said he intends to seek reelection this fall, when he'll be 84 years old.

Down side:

The Michigan Democrat ascended to a perch atop the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, where he did much to shepherd away exceptionally stringent emissions standards for his home state auto industry.

Up side:

The Michigan liberal has long been an advocate of healthcare reform, as well, leading House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to play a special role in the House debate of health reform legislation over the past year.

Leahy To Hold Hearing On Free Pass To Yoo And Bybee

By GottaLaff

I was in tears yesterday when I heard the outrageous news about John Yoo and Jay Bybee wriggling out from under a prison sentence for their part in legalizing torture.

But there is good news. It comes from Senator Pat Leahy, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Commitee:

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing to examine the Office of Professional Responsibility Report on the Office of Legal Counsel, Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced today. The report was released to Congress today.

The hearing will be held Friday, February 26, at 10:00 a.m. Witnesses will be announced in the coming days, and the hearing will be webcast live online.

I will be watching.

One hearing won't do it, but maybe, possibly, hopefully it will open the door to much more... at the very least, disbarment.

More details here.

********

All my previous posts on this subject matter can be found here; That link includes one specific to only Fayiz al-Kandari's story here. Here are audio and video interviews with Lt. Col. Wingard, one by David Shuster, one by Ana Marie Cox, and more. My guest commentary at BuzzFlash is here.

Lt. Col. Barry Wingard is a military attorney who represents Fayiz Al-Kandari in the Military Commission process and in no way represents the opinions of his home state. When not on active duty, Colonel Wingard is a public defender in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

If you are inclined to help rectify these injustices: Twitterers, use the hashtag #FreeFayiz. We have organized a team to get these stories out. If you are interested in helping Fayiz out, e-mail me at The Political Carnival, address in sidebar to the right; or tweet me at @GottaLaff.

If you'd like to see other ways you can take action, go here and scroll down to the end of the article.

Then read Jane Mayer's book The Dark Side. You'll have a much greater understanding of why I post endlessly about this, and why I'm all over the CIA deception issues, too.

More of Fayiz's story here, at Answers.com.H/t: VNDNBRG

VIDEO: "Genius" 14-year-old speaker is back at CPAC, makes lame teleprompter joke

By GottaLaff

This Jonathan Krohn kid has always given me the creeps. His delivery is way too slick:

"For the record, I am not using any teleprompters today because I loaned them to President Obama," he said to laughter.

Okay, once and for all: This is one of the stupidest memes since the genesis of memeology. How it persists in light of HandNotes McAlsoToo is beyond comprehension.

Let's review: When you give a big important speech that will be watched by the entire world, "winging it", or even attempting to memorize it, would be reckless and not too wise.

Every word, every syllable is parsed. Experts in any given field use notes for speeches. Who wouldn't?

HandNotes McAlsoToo herself should, and does, use notes when she gives a prepared talk. Memorizing that much is cumbersome and time-consuming, especially for someone who must repeatedly address crowd after crowd on any number of topics.

Nor would I want the president of the United States to spend his valuable time and energy studying words instead of the urgent issues at hand.

And guess what? Teleprompters allow the speaker to keep his nose out of a pile of papers, so that said speaker can address his/her audience directly. We teach that in basic acting/speech/cold reading/you name it. It's common knowledge and common sense. It's not exactly an audience pleaser to continually show nothing but the top of your head to your viewers.

However, question and answer sessions are quite another matter. Thorough knowledge of multiple subjects is mandatory. Answering questions off the cuff, being well-prepared, engaging your questioners all require a head full of facts and information.

A few notes might be helpful for occasional reference, although it's preferable not to use one's palm when there is so much paper available.

Paper: Acceptable. Palm scribble: Unsuitable and unprofessional, even for a 14-year-old in a ninth grade Public Speaking class.

Got that Teen Genius? You gave a 2 minute quippy intro. Political leaders give substantive, full-length, informative speeches. If you have to pat yourself on the back for getting through 120 seconds without a teleprompter, then maybe you should brush up on your memorization skills... and your stand-up routines.

Quickie: Yoo v. Tiger edition

By GottaLaff

Today's Quickie:

There was a lengthy three-person panel discussion about Tiger Wood's apology worship on the Tee Vee Machine this morning, preceded and followed by extensive reporting on the subject.

There were no panels, three-person or otherwise, about our Department of Justice [sic] allowing torture architects John Yoo and Jay Bybee to skate.

Manufactured contrition for serial boinking monopolizes the air waves. The complete lack of contrition (or consequences) for war crimes gets a brief mention.

Such is the state of the news [sic] media... and our justice system.

That was today's Quickie. Was it good for you?

A Paint Job & New Zip Code, but Same Guantanamo

By GottaLaff

A sign stands in the snow outside the Thomson Correctional Center,
Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009, in Thomson, Ill.

My dear friend and always hero Lt. Col. Barry Wingard, who represents Gitmo detainee Fayiz al-Kandari, has written another op-ed that he graciously permitted me to cross post here.

This is a must-read:

The Illinois legislature this week advanced a measure that would strip Illinois Governor Pat Quinn of his power to sell the state's Thomson Correctional Center to the federal government. If successful, the measure could prevent the Obama administration from buying the prison to house detainees from Guantanamo Bay. Regardless of how this shakes out, one thing is clear: changing Guantanamo Bay's zip code does not advance President Obama's campaign promise to close the prison and provide due process to the detainees.

I represent Kuwaiti detainee Fayiz Mohammed Ahmed al-Kandari and will defend him if and when he is ever tried before the military commissions. Fayiz has been detained at Guantanamo Bay for over eight years. During this time, he has not stepped foot into a military courtroom nor has he seen the evidence supporting the criminal charges against him. For those who think criminal charges prove a detainee must have done something wrong, it's worth noting that another Kuwaiti citizen, Fouad al-Rabiah, was ordered released by a federal judge in September and finally returned home to Kuwait in October despite also being charged before a military commission.

Fouad's case in particular shows that the United States has made serious mistakes at Guantanamo. Fouad is a completely innocent man who was interrogated in "enhanced" ways resulting of course in false confessions that even his interrogators didn't believe. Yet the U.S. government brought charges against him anyway. Another Kuwaiti, Khalid al-Mutairi, was released after seven years when it was discovered that a clerical error reversed the last two digits of his identity number resulting in a complete case of misidentification.

During my most recent trip to Kuwait, I realized that closing Guantanamo - not relocating it - is paramount to Fayiz's return. In the Middle East, there remains a great sense of distrust of American policy regarding Guantanamo Bay. After nearly eight long years of waiting, the Kuwaiti people are concerned that their remaining citizens could be detained indefinitely if they aren't released soon. This distrust abroad will increase if Guantanamo detainees are sent to the United States rather than transferred to their home countries.

That's because the world perceives Guantanamo as more than cement blocks, steel bars and chain link fence. The Kuwaiti locals and government officials with whom I have spoken view the prison not as a geographical location, but instead as a manifestation of certain misguided principles and policies that the U.S. government should have long ago abandoned. By changing the name from Guantanamo Bay to the Thomson Correctional Center, the government is engaging in a simple rebranding exercise that will in no way fundamentally alter the global perception that U.S. detention policies are unjust. Case in point, some lawmakers and members of the media have already begun to refer to the Thomson Correctional Center as Guantanamo Bay North.

While right now detainees may only be transferred to the United States for trials, reports suggest that President Obama will seek approval to indefinitely hold some detainees at U.S. facilities such as Thomson. This continuation of President Bush's legacy would stand in stark contrast to our country's long-standing principles, the rule of law and Obama's rhetoric on the campaign trail.

The transfer of detainees to U.S. soil might be worthwhile were it truly the beginning of the end of Guantanamo Bay and its unjust detention policies. Unfortunately, if the U.S. government simply detains some prisoners indefinitely on U.S. soil, the nightmare will continue and the act of shuffling detainees will simply mark the end of a beginning.

Guantanamo Bay has proven itself to be a stunning failure. Of the 40 habeas cases reviewed in federal court, judges have ordered the release of 31 detainees. That means our government has wrongfully detained almost 80 percent of the detainees that have been fortunate enough to have a habeas hearing based on low evidentiary standards and no rules of evidence.

Changing the name and location of Guantanamo will not change the perceptions of injustice that prevail in Kuwait and throughout the world. Closing Guantanamo Bay in name and deed represents our best chance to change international opinion about what American justice truly is.

Lt. Col. Barry Wingard is the military attorney assigned to represent Fayiz al-Kandari. When not on active duty, Colonel Wingard is a public defender in Pittsburgh.

Thank you, Barry, for opening our eyes. You give us information and insights that we can't get anywhere else.

********

All my previous posts on this subject matter can be found here; That link includes one specific to only Fayiz al-Kandari's story here. Here are audio and video interviews with Lt. Col. Wingard, one by David Shuster, one by Ana Marie Cox, and more. My guest commentary at BuzzFlash is here.

Lt. Col. Barry Wingard is a military attorney who represents Fayiz Al-Kandari in the Military Commission process and in no way represents the opinions of his home state. When not on active duty, Colonel Wingard is a public defender in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

If you are inclined to help rectify these injustices: Twitterers, use the hashtag #FreeFayiz. We have organized a team to get these stories out. If you are interested in helping Fayiz out, e-mail me at The Political Carnival, address in sidebar to the right; or tweet me at @GottaLaff.

If you'd like to see other ways you can take action, go here and scroll down to the end of the article.

Then read Jane Mayer's book The Dark Side. You'll have a much greater understanding of why I post endlessly about this, and why I'm all over the CIA deception issues, too.

More of Fayiz's story here, at Answers.com.