Dennis Kucinich on Automotive Bailout:
“We Cannot Let America Descend to a Second Rate Power.”

So, a few of my political heroes (including Chris Dodd) are backing the automotive industry bailout. Kucinich passionately delivered several valid reasons on why the bailout should take place in the video above snatched from yesterday’s House debate; he also, frankly, said some crazy things (e.g. “There shouldn’t be any disagreement that the American workers are able to make a good product.” Not the best argument when it comes to American cars, is it?) I’ve yet to make up my mind about the bailout, but I can say it makes a great deal more sense than last month’s $700B+ Wall Street bailout.

Still wondering where all this money will come from, though. Taxpayers? The Federal Reserve? China? …the moon? My money is on the moon; it hasn’t failed us yet.
Go, moon, go!

Love In The Year 3000, $700B Bailout In The Year 2008

Sheesh! What a sad week for the U.S! Here’s a brief rundown of what’s going on with Wall Street.

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Hello, Congressman Peter DeFazio! Best five minutes you’ll spend learning about why the $700B Wall Street bailout would stink for everyone (except Wall Street).

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The B-52s – Love In The Year 3000

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And hello, again, Congressman Chris Dodd! New York Magazine offers a great breakdown of Dodd’s Paulson rebuttal, which details why the government shouldn’t simply hand over almost $1,000,000,000,000 (that’s what a trillion looks like!) to Henry Paulson and company, no questions asked.

3. Minimize conflict of interest: “Treasury intends to hire large asset management firms to organize the purchases of the ‘toxic’ assets as well as their sale. However, many of these firms, such as PIMCO and Blackrock, have large positions in the same assets … The Treasury proposal largely ignores this issue.”

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In other news, apparently there exists a site titled “ChrisDoddIsMyHomeboy.com.”
They’re selling t-shirts and other wares.

Must. Resist. Temptation.

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Barack Obama’s Position On FISA Bill Based On Enormous Gamble

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis – The Proposition #1

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Okay, so the FISA bill passed. Barack Obama supported it. People have other issues to contend with. It’s time to move on, right?

Well, no, it isn’t. Obama posted an explanation to his position on FISA over a week ago (reprinted here on The Huffington Post). The following excerpt worries me most (emphasis added):

Given the choice between voting for an improved yet imperfect bill, and losing important surveillance tools, I’ve chosen to support the current compromise. I do so with the firm intention — once I’m sworn in as president — to have my Attorney General conduct a comprehensive review of all our surveillance programs, and to make further recommendations on any steps needed to preserve civil liberties and to prevent executive branch abuse in the future.

My question is simple: what happens if Obama loses? What are the implications of this bill if John McCain “triumphs?” People can point to Obama’s donation numbers, grassroots support, poll results, momentum, etc, all they want, but what happens if, come election day, John McCain wins?

In short, the FISA bill will grant McCain the power to do almost anything he desires with regards to domestic surveillance. Remember what Chris Dodd said about “illegal, unwarranted, unchecked domestic surveillance?” Yeah, well imagine that in the hands of John McCain. Imagine it across every conceivable communication platform — telephone, Internet, GPS units — and the picture begins to look quite grim. Terrifyingly so.

I support Obama. I will continue to support Obama. However, I deeply fear the repercussions of this bill under a McCain administration over the course of four years. I can only guess as to what other liberties Obama will surrender in the upcoming months with the promise of amending past wrongs once elected.

Needless to say, I’m less than comfortable.

Kind intentions aren’t something I typically put much stock in.

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Senate Passes FISA Bill, Satan Does The Charleston

As an update to this morning’s entry, I’m saddened to report the Senate passed the FISA Bill.

Taken from Salon:

Prior to final approval, the Senate, in the morning, rejected three separate amendments which would have improved the bill but which, the White House threatened, would have prompted a veto.

I’m also saddened to report that Obama voted “yes.”

Hello, disillusionment.

Congressman Of The Hour: Senator Christopher Dodd vs The FISA Bill Of Doom

Political officials. You elect them. Sometimes their efforts are commendable. This series documents such efforts.

Shearwater – The Snow Leopard

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Every four years I wait for the end of the world.

Between the months of July and November I set my television to C-SPAN, brew coffee by the gallon, and wait. This is not a declaration of clairvoyance, but rather a grounded belief in probability and distribution analysis. Why such pessimism? Because, and this is important, the time to capitalize off the current congressional administration’s ineptitude/indifference is running short, and every industry — from health care, to big oil, to telecommunication — wants to a) get away with as much as possible while they still can, and b) ensure that avenues allowing for significant exploitation of the public remain open indefinitely.

Enter Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd. He’s vocally opposed the FISA bill (explained below) from the onset. Dodd’s recent speech served as caveat to the Senate, encouraging its members to consider the numerous, negative consequences their constituents would face were the bill to pass.

Mr. President: I rise—once again—to voice my strong opposition to the misguided FISA legislation before us today…this legislation includes provisions which would grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that apparently have violated the privacy and the trust of millions of Americans by participating in the president’s warrantless wiretapping program. If we pass this legislation, the Senate will ratify a domestic spying regime that has already concentrated far too much unaccountable power in the president’s hands and will place the telecommunications companies above the law.

And let me make clear, at the outset of this debate, that this is not about domestic surveillance itself. We all recognize the importance of domestic surveillance – in an age of unprecedented threats. This is about illegal, unwarranted, unchecked domestic surveillance.

And that difference—the difference between surveillance that is lawful, warranted and that which is not—is everything.

And there you have it, folks.

Retroactive telecom immunity + unlimited, legalized spying = a castrated democratic state.

Godspeed, Senator Dodd. Hopefully they’ll hear you out.

[Visit Senator Christopher Dodd's Website, Buy Shearwater]