Still Fighting

Activism

Say No to William Myers. The "nuclear option" debate does not exist in a vacuum. The need for a filibuster has occurred because Bush has nominated 10 people who do not have a history of being impartial judges of the law, but rather conservative activists. It's important for the American people to understand the need for the filibuster, as Republicans really are trying to stack the judiciary with extremeists. William Myers is one such activist, and we urge you to sign Ted Kennedy's petition expressing our outrage at this right-wing power grab.

News

Constitutional Concerns. We can all agree that the most important written document in this country is the Constitution. Presidents swear to uphold it. Judges interpret it. Most of us know the first few lines by heart. Tom DeLay certainly tries to appear concerned about it, as his most recent comments on Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy point directly to the Constitution. DeLay asserts that "Justice Kennedy [is] writing decisions based upon international law, not the Constitution of the United States? That's just outrageous. And not only that, but he said in session that he does his own research on the Internet? That is just incredibly outrageous." First, we're not entirely sure what decisions DeLay is referring to. We can only assume he means the Court's recent decision not to allow minors to be tried for the death penalty, but since DeLay isn't very forthcoming in proof or evidence, this is only a guess, at best. Second, what's wrong with the Internet? Surely DeLay doesn't think Justice Kennedy is going to www.freelegaladvice.com for his information, does he? Finally, DeLay wants the judiciary to be held "accountable" for their "activist and isolated" decisions. If DeLay is thinking about Kennedy, or any other Justice, in this regard (and we know he is, because last week he said "We set up the courts. We can unset the courts."), doesn't he realize that Supreme Court appointments are for life, as set down in the Constitution? Protecting the sanctity of the Constitution by violating the Constitution...that's an interesting approach, to say the least.

Disconnect. Let's be realistic - do you think that most people care in anything but an abstract and idealistic way that Terri Schiavo's feeding tube was removed or that Senate Republicans are threatening to remove the filibuster? Don't they have bigger concerns, like, say, the cost of gas? The average cost of a gallon of unleaded gasoline is 22 cents more than it was last November. Thanks to this "disconnect" between Congress and the real world, Bush's approval rating has plummeted. In reality, both parties are guilty of this, but the GOP, being the majority party, holds more of the blame, as they set the agenda. Yet we've heard precious little from Bush or Republican Congressmen about the economy, most likely because this isn't a problem they're going to solve. We don't mean it's unsolvable - merely that this administration's track record with the economy isn't good, and we're doubtful they have any interest in doing better. Look at the bankruptcy bill or the measure against class-action lawsuits to see exactly how Republican leadership feels about Joe Citizen.

Voter Reform. The Commission on Federal Election Reform has started hearing testimony on the way various states conduct their elections, and has already made it clear that there were problems in 2004. No kidding. Among the problems explained by the invited experts: "They told of absentee ballots that were never delivered. Of voters who were arbitrarily struck from the rolls. Of confusing and poorly designed ballots. Of long lines at the polls. Of inadequate funds to train poll workers. Some complained that polls are frequently inaccessible to wheelchairs. That bilingual assistance is lacking. That there are too few voting machines, especially in minority communities." There's more, but you get the general idea. You would think, in the 21st Century, that we'd be advanced enough to ensure that designated polling facilities have a wheelchair ramp, for example. You'd be wrong. Recommendations from the panel are not expected until September, but don't delude yourself into thinking we'll see much in the way of reform before the 2008 elections. Remember, every citizen is guaranteed a vote. Unless they can't get into the polling facility, or they've run out of ballots, or they were erroneously purged from the rolls...

Editorials

Letter from David Brock to Rupert Murdoch. We talked yesterday about the "Fox News Channel Sandstorm," and how the term "fair and balanced" hardly describes the station. Now, David Brock, president of Still Fighting favorite Media Matters, has written a letter to Rupert Murdoch, Chairman of Fox, contesting his recent comments that Fox News has no conservative bias. Brock cites several examples, and throws down the gauntlet to have an independent panel evaluate the cable news channel. Of course, it's highly unlikely that Murdoch will agree to this, and that just reaffirms Brock's point. Look, we obviously don't enjoy watching the FNC, but we don't deny that they have a right to broadcast. What we're arguing is the term "fair and balanced," (or even "news", for that matter) which would only be accurate if the scale was tilted approximately 84 degrees to the right. It's not even a question of a "conservative bias," but as Brock points out, there have been numerous examples of broadcasting misinformation. FNC has a responsibility to the American people to be up front about what they're broadcasting, particularily in light of being the highest rated cable news channel on television.

Energy Bill is Handout to Polluters and Oil Industry. Your Republican lawmakers are hard at work to ensure that energy fatcats are receiving a larger share of the pie, and not concerning themselves with a cleaner environment, according to the American Progress Action Fund. You can read why at the above link (and read more about the tax breaks here), but the bottom line is the same old song. Under Republican leadership, the rich keep getting richer, and the poor keep getting poorer. When are Americans going to stand up and demand better? In this particular case, whenever he's asked about rising gas prices, Bush claims that the solution is to pass his energy bill. As usual, he's just flat-out wrong.

Remember the Raise? We talked above about how the economy has gone downhill, and there's not much our administration has done about it. From globalization to deunionization, we've seen a steep rise in prices and a sharp drop in wages. Harold Myerson explains why in this editorial. It's important for us to understand why the economy's "recovery" is still now in its 11th month, with no real sign of improvement.