2008: A Look Back at the Year that Wasn't

January: Hillary's Big Comeback
February: Fannie Mae Doing Fine
March: Withdrawing Troops from Iraq
April: Mid-East Peace
May: The End of the World
June: US-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement
July: Russia Joins the World Trade Organization
August: Michael Phelps Loses Bid For Olympic Gold Medal Record
September: US Troops Leave Iraq. Again.
October: Economy Surges
November: The Bradley Effect Strikes Again
December: UN Mandate Expires; US Troops Withdraw. Again.

Israelis Ram Boat Carrying Medical Volunteers

From CNN:

An Israeli patrol boat struck a boat carrying medical volunteers and supplies to Gaza early Tuesday as it attempted to intercept the vessel in the Mediterranean Sea, witnesses and Israeli officials said.

Former U.S. Representative from Georgia, Cynthia McKinney, was on board.

Inauguration Approaching

CNN is warning us today that the metro DC area is going to be chaos for the inauguration. Oh really CNN? So I should just cancel my hotel reservations and not show up for the biggest event in DC since the 1960's? No. The ACI will report from ground zero of this historic event. And its correspondents will do it with smiles on their faces.

Marley & Me Breaks Record

"Fox 2000 Pictures' comedy movie 'Marley & Me' has broken a box office record, earning $14.5 million in ticket sales, such amount that makes it the highest grossing film to ever open on December 25. The flick, co-starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, breaks the previous record of $10.2 million set by 2001 biographical film about legendary boxing champion Muhammad Ali, titled 'Ali.'"
Congratulations, Team Aniston, but you're boring. Muhammad Ali- not boring.

NPR Reporter Keeps it Classy. For Real.

NPR correspondent Ketzel Levine was laid off by NPR this year while working on a series of interviews discussing the current economic woes across the nation. Levine had worked at NPR for over 30 years. Her final piece for NPR started with workers in Chicago and concluded with the news of her own layoff. I just happened to be in the car driving a stupid distance and caught the piece while taking a break from the Ipod. Best of luck Ketzel. NPR's audience will miss you.

Troopers in Alaska are Classy

Police in Alaska apparently waited until after the election to serve an arrest warrant to Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol's boyfriend/baby daddy Levi's mother despite having everything they needed well before the election. Meh.

Can the President Take Back a Pardon?

Wikipedia:

Isaac Robert Toussie (born c. 1972) is a Brooklyn, New York real estate developer convicted of fraudulently obtaining mortgages from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. On December 23, 2008, Toussie was granted a pardon by President George W. Bush; however, this pardon was revoked the following day, amid controversy over its apparent impropriety.

Can George W. Bush revoke the pardon?
Did the pardon have anything to do with Toussie's father donating $28,500 to the RNC? Here is a photo of President Bush with Toussie's donating dad.

Cherry Tree Crossing

What happened at Cherry Tree Crossing? The sheriff's department got a call that a stolen dark SUV in the neighborhood was carrying drugs and weapons. The description of the vehicle presumably didn't include a tag number. Three deputies attempted to pull over Justin Elmore in his not-stolen SUV. In the words of Sheriff Ronnie Strength:

There was one patrol car in front of the suspect vehicle and another behind it. The deputy in front of the SUV exited his patrol car and was approaching the SUV when the subject backed into the patrol car in the rear and then drove forward in the direction of the deputy. The officer fired his weapon into the direction of the suspect's vehicle striking the front windshield and into the front passenger window as the suspect passed next to the deputy.

The sheriff at the time of the press conference did not know how many shots were fired. (Isn't there a form that gets filled out when a deputy fires a weapon? Isn't number of shots important information? When will the sheriff know how many shots were fired?) Is there a bullet hole in the windshield? The hole in the driver's side window is very apparent. Are they still calling it self-defense even though shots were fired as the car drove by? What is the policy when a person evades a traffic stop this way? Is it policy to shoot the driver? Is there a policy?

The sheriff tells the press that there is video and that "the video will tell the complete story on exactly what happened. We will not release it. I'm gonna leave that up to the GBI. The video is evidence and it will be up to them at what time they will release it."

The GBI has since announced that they will not release the video. Don't we pay for those dashcams? Why can't we see the video? Wouldn't it be helpful for people who fear the police to see that this shooting was justified? Wouldn't it be good to clear the shooting deputies' names by showing the video? Does the GBI think the video is just too gruesome for our innocent eyes? We need the protection of the GBI, but is shielding us from unpleasantness the protection we need?

Blessed Are the Glaucoma Sufferers?

Does Augusta allow medical marijuana? Were we ahead of California on this one?
If you haven't applied for the Porter Fleming grant yet, here's an area of research that might be fruitful.
From the city code:
Sec. 3-7-33. Marijuana.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to
manufacture, compound, mix, cultivate, grow or
otherwise prepare or produce, sell, barter, smoke,
exchange, give away, dispense, distribute, leave
with, dispose of, deliver, administer, prescribe or
offer to do any of them, possess or have under his
control any marijuana, except for bona fide med-
ical or scientific purposes, or for the bona fide
purpose of applying marijuana for such medical
or scientific purposes.
(2)
Medical purposes include only such uses
as may be prescribed or authorized in the
course of his professional practice by a
person authorized by law to practice med-
icine, dentistry or veterinary medicine, or
by any other person authorized by law to
treat sick or injured human beings or
animals.
(4)
Scientific purposes include any use for
research, instruction or analysis.

Christmas Movie Time

"Jesus is not somewhere up in the clouds swinging in a hammock."

Aimee Mann's Christmas Carol

Check Your Stocking, America

President Bush was here!

Innocence Project Saves Christmas!

From their website:

Steve Barnes is spending the holidays with his family this year for the first time in two decades, and he still can’t believe it’s real.

“Christmas was always one of my favorite holidays,” he said. “I would help my Mom decorate the tree and we’d spend the holiday all together as a family.”

But in 1989, Barnes went to prison in upstate New York for a murder he didn’t commit. For 20 years, he spent the holidays in a prison cell, and his family didn’t celebrate much either, he says.

“Christmas is a depressing day in prison. They lock you in your cell early on Christmas Eve so the officers can go home to be with their families,” he said. “Those of us with families were wishing we could be with them, and I know it was even harder for the guys with nobody on the outside.”

This year is different. DNA testing obtained by the Innocence Project proved Barnes’ innocence, and he was freed two days before Thanksgiving. He helped his mother decorate the Christmas tree, and he’ll be ringing in 2009 with a new life ahead of him. On January 25 he will turn 43 years old, and his friends are planning to throw him one big party to celebrate the 20 birthdays he missed.

“I was a walking dead man. In order to get parole, I had to admit guilt, and I couldn’t admit to something I didn’t do,” Barnes said. “Now, after 20 years, it feels like a miracle to spend the holidays with the people I love.”

Donate online today to help the Innocence Project free the innocent in 2009. All gifts in December will be matched dollar for dollar by a group of Innocence Project donors.

I Can't Believe I Have Christmas Patriotism

Merry Christmas, everybody. You, too, Robin Williams.

W's Last Minute Great Ideas for America

Tim Dickinson writes for Rolling Stone:

In its final days, the administration is rushing to implement a sweeping array of "midnight regulations" — de facto laws issued by the executive branch — designed to lock in Bush's legacy. Under the last- minute rules, which can be extremely difficult to overturn, loaded firearms would be allowed in national parks, uranium mining would be permitted near the Grand Canyon and many injured consumers would no longer be able to sue negligent manufacturers in state courts. Other rules would gut the Endangered Species Act, open millions of acres of wild lands to mining, restrict access to birth control and put local cops to work spying for the federal government.

"It's what we've seen for Bush's whole tenure, only accelerated," says Gary Bass, executive director of the nonpartisan group OMB Watch. "They're using regulation to cement their deregulatory mind-set, which puts corporate interests above public interests."

Weekend Update

Franken Pulls Ahead

According to the unofficial running tally being conducted by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Al Franken has pulled ahead of Norm Coleman in their Senate race recount. The Star Tribune is also offering live streaming video from the canvassing board. In the two minutes it took me to write this, Franken's margin has increased from 251 to 254. Make that 256. And counting.

Bus Meeting

A public hearing for Augustans to speak about proposed cuts to service and increased fares to the people in charge of Augusta Public Transit and any other public officials who made it down there was held at May Park on Thursday afternoon. Commissioners Brigham, Hatney and Mason and Administrator Russell showed up. I didn't see Mayor Copenhaver- he may have gotten hung up at his three o'clock ribbon-cutting.
The chairs on the gymnasium floor were filled and more people sat in the bleachers. Possibly many more people would have been there if the meeting had been scheduled differently. One speaker estimated that a hundred to a hundred and fifty of his fellow bus-riding ASU students would have attended if the meeting had been earlier so they could have taken the bus home from it. (Mr. Johnson of the APT say he scheduled it late in the day because earlier in the day people are working. When asked why not on a Saturday, he said people are working on Saturday. Seems an ironic concern since he proposes ending Saturday bus service.)
Here's a sampling of the many points made:
Some people take three buses to get to work, a trip that with the new proposed fares will be $9 a day. Fares for disabled riders who need assistance are also scheduled to go up- some as high as $9 one-way. People new to Augusta expressed surprise at how bad our transportation system is. Why is transit always the thing that gets cut? Wouldn't the system make more money if it performed well enough to attract new riders? Most cities' public transit rider numbers went up when gas got expensive, but not Augusta's. Why doesn't Augusta have a park and ride program? Transportation is the number one need for senior citizens. Most riders make under $14,000 a year. Instead of paying for more studies, why not implement some of the recommendations from past studies? One woman hasn't been able to get to church in five years (there are already no Sunday buses). The advertising on the buses could be better. The system still is not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act from 1990. Why doesn't Augusta seek the grants out there for transit? Public transit is essential to becoming a world-class city. A nun said she just could not believe the city would do this to the poor and handicapped. Where's the planning?
The commission will discuss transit- according to the administrator, sometime in mid-January. Save the date-ish.

Did Bush and Cheney Legalize Waterboarding?

Carl Levin of Michigan says, "you can't just suddenly change something that's illegal into something that is legal by having a lawyer write an opinion saying that it's legal."

Welcome Austin Rhodes

Nice to see Augusta's opinion maker/giver/haver, Austin Rhodes, stopped by. Here's my attempt at southern hospitality. If you'll come over for a Dollhouse party, I'll offer you some Ben and Jerry's.

Britain to Pull Troops from Iraq This Summer

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced yesterday that all British combat forces will leave Iraq by the end of July. A few hundred personnel will remain behind to help train Iraqi security forces.

Because I'm a Whore for Hollywood and Myspace is My Main Informant

Come On Down! (MySpace Exclusive)

Georgia and the Death Penalty

There's another push in the state to allow courts to sentence people to death without a unanimous jury. This attempt is sponsored by Republican state Rep. Tim Bearden in the wake of the Nichols trial.
From the AP:

The Georgia House has twice passed proposals over the last two years to allow judges to
impose a death sentence if one or two jurors vote against it. Both plans failed in the Senate
amid concerns it would put too much power in the hands of a judge.
Georgia would also become the only state with the death penalty to have a "hybrid" system that factors in both the jury and judge's decision, said Richard Dieter of the Death Penalty Information Center."Georgia would have the only statute in the country like this, and it could lead to the argument that it's cruel and unusual because its purpose is to get more death sentences," he said. "The more out of line to the rest of the country it is, the greater the risk that it could be overturned."

Georgia is tied for sixth in number of state executions. (We're tied for ninth in most people released from death row for innocence. Troy Davis, if they decide to look into it, could put us into eighth.) For 2007, the average murder rate of death penalty states was 5.5, while the average murder rate of states without the death penalty was 3.1

Let's Build Some Stuff or Tear It Down

Really? "Kids with zero building or tool-wielding skills have used grid beam systems to create working electric cars"? Sheldon Greaves, Ph.D. reviews the book "How to Build with Grid Beam. A Fast, Easy, and Affordable System for Constructing Almost Anything." It's like playing Erector set. All kinds of stuff, like wartime bridge-building and artificial hearts.
If innovative, affordable construction doesn't float your boat, maybe you'll like this instead- Administrator Fred Russell today recommended to the Richmond County Commission that the next SPLOST fund include eight million dollars to buy and demolish Regency Mall. I didn't catch what they plan to do with it after that. And eleven million dollars to pay off the ten million dollar loan the city took out to demolish Gilbert Manor.

Obama Announces Environmental Team

From Talking Points Memo:
Steven Chu, a physics Nobel laureate, is his new energy secretary. Carol Browner, the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, is the head of a new policy council to coordinate climate, environment and energy issues. And Lisa Jackson, the chief of staff for New Jersey's governor, is head of the EPA.
"My administration will value science," Obama said, in what sounded like a pointed reference to his predecessor. "We will make decisions based on facts."
Obama went on to describe combating global warming as "a leading priority of my presidency and a defining test of our time."

Let 'em Work, Let 'em Live

There will be a hearing on Thursday, December 18 to discuss proposed changes to Augusta Public Transit. On the table are fare increases coupled with service cuts. Nice one-two punch.
The fares threaten to go up from $1 to $1.50 and there will no longer be transfers; a transfer will mean paying the fare in full again when getting on the second bus. Adding that up, someone going to their (do ya think maybe low-paying) job on the bus with one transfer five times a week will face their costs going from $13.50 a week to $30. A yearly increase of $858. Let's keep in mind that Georgia in its infinite Wisdom, Justice and Moderation taxes income on workers earning down to below poverty level.
Hopefully the rider doesn't have to work on Saturdays. If funding cuts stand, APT will also stop running buses on Saturdays.
What can we do to stop this? It would mean property owners taking the hit of an $18 a year increase in taxes per $100,000 worth of home value. Can we handle that? If you think you can, call your commissioner and come out to the hearing Thursday 4:30-6:00pm at May Park Community Center (622 Fourth St. Augusta). May Park is the one across from the jail.
Commissioners' numbers and map of districts here. Can't hurt to call Deke, either.

You Can't Be Catholic and Pro-In Vitro Fertilization

The Vatican releases Dignitas Personae, a set of guidelines for dealing with modern medical advances.

Iran Reveals 'Nuclear' Site

Iran recently revealed its nuclear program to the world.

Local Perspective on the Financial Industry Bailout

Because of certain regulations written into the $700 billion banking industry bailout, small, private banks are having a difficult time accessing the allocated money. But this isn't the only issue small banks are having with the bailout. From the AP:

Finally, the ICBA has raised concerns about a measure governing the capital injections that would let the Treasury Department "unilaterally amend" the program. For example, Congress could require banks that have received government money to do more lending, Merski said.

"That's a bit concerning," said Dan Blanton, chief executive of Georgia Bank & Trust, based in Augusta, Ga. "If they decide they want to change the rules after you've taken the money ... you have to live with it."

Harold Bloom on How Multiculturalism Blows

I'm still sore about Westobou. So much money earmarked for art and culture went to it. Money that was meant to be for community enrichment. They hired out of town acts and charged for almost all events.
The featured big-ticket event, though, was free and played in the commons every night of the festival. "Slow Dancing," three screens of projected video portraits of dancers, was shown in other towns for people to see on the way to ballet or opera. Was Westobou right to categorize it as dance? I don't think people expecting to watch tennis would consider seconds-long clips of assorted serves from players around the world adequate.
It's a red flag when backers carry on about how multicultural it is to portray not only ballerinas but also foreign people in exotic outfits. Bodies moving unnaturally slowly does draw one in. Also interesting to watch in super slow motion- water balloons.
It would be great if someone with something interesting to do for Augusta would apply for the Porter Fleming Grant. Let the money do what it was meant to do- "contribute annually to the educational, literary, artistic, scientific, historical, musical, and cultural enrichment of the lives of the residents of the City of Augusta and the geographical area immediately adjacent thereto." Deadline January 31.

Who Throws a Shoe? Honestly!

President Bush made an unannounced trip to Iraq today. At a press conference, an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at him.

Bit of Good News for the Local Area

Augusta's middle-class housing market has been ranked 7th by Forbes Magazine.

Bush's Legacy and American Justice

Glenn Greenwald as interviewed by Bill Moyers:

Let’s just quickly describe in the most dispassionate terms, as few of euphemisms, as possible, where we are and what has happened over the last eight years. We have a law in place that says it is a felony offense punishable by five years in prison or a $10,000 fine to eavesdrop on American citizens without warrants. We have laws in place that say that it is a felony punishable by decades in prison to subject detainees in our custody to treatment that violates the Geneva Conventions or that is inhumane or coercive.

We know that the president and his top aides have violated these laws. The facts are indisputable that they’ve done so. And yet as a country, as a political class, we’re deciding basically in unison that the president and our highest political officials are free to break the most serious laws that we have, that our citizens have enacted, with complete impunity, without consequences, without being held accountable under the law.

And when you juxtapose that with the fact that we are a country that has probably the most merciless criminal justice system on the planet when it comes to ordinary Americans. We imprison more of our population than any country in the world. We have less than five percent of the world’s population. And yet 25 percent almost of prisoners worldwide are inside the United States.

What you have is a two-tiered system of justice where ordinary Americans are subjected to the most merciless criminal justice system in the world. They break the law. The full weight of the criminal justice system comes crashing down upon them. But our political class, the same elites who have imposed that incredibly harsh framework on ordinary Americans, have essentially exempted themselves and the leaders of that political class from the law.

They have license to break the law. That’s what we’re deciding now as we say George Bush and his top advisors shouldn’t be investigated let alone prosecuted for the laws that we know that they’ve broken. And I can’t think of anything more damaging to our country because the rule of law is the lynchpin of everything we have.

Here is the entire interview. The quoted part (from Crooks and Liars) is in the second video.

Things Americans Agree On

Right on, party people.
Much more at Alternet which got it from Yes! Magazine.

67% Favor public works projects to create jobs.
73% Say corporations don’t pay a fair share of taxes.
76% Support tax cuts for lower- and middle-income people.
71% Say unions help their members; 53% say unions help the economy in general.
80% Support increasing the federal minimum wage.
59% Favor guaranteeing two weeks or more of paid vacation.
65% Believe same-sex couples should be allowed to marry or form civil unions.
70% Support restoring habeas corpus rights for detainees at Guantanamo.
58% Believe a court warrant should be required to listen to the telephone calls of people in the U.S.
59% Would like the next president to do more to protect civil liberties.
90% Favor higher auto fuel efficiency standards.
75% Favor clean electricity, even with higher rates.
72% Support more funding for mass transit.
64% Believe the government should provide national health insurance coverage for all Americans, even if it would raise taxes.
81% Oppose torture and support following the Geneva Conventions.
76% Say the U.S. should not play the role of global police.
86% Say big companies have too much power.
74% Favor voluntary public financing of campaigns.
66% Believe intentional acts are likely to cause significant voting machines errors.
80% Say ex-felons should have their voting rights restored.

Southern Republicans vs Auto Workers

Rachel Maddow asks, "anybody else looking forward to the day when being a union-busting Southern senator who crusades against good wages for American workers on principle is itself an antiquated concept?"




Here is the Wikipedia entry on the Textile Strike of 1934- Ms. Maddow's recommended reading. Augusta's mentioned.

Bla... The Governor

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

G. Gordon Liddy's Election Day Show

Here's John McCain's William Ayers. As far as I know, only David Letterman asked McCain about his connection with G. Gordon Liddy. Liddy calls McCain a close friend and held a fundraiser for McCain, which McCain attended, in his home. Liddy was the mastermind of the Watergate break-in and served time for burglary. He, as he writes in his autobiography, had planned to "get rid of" a journalist. In his after-prison life as a radio talk-show host, he advised callers how to shoot federal agents- in the head because they wear bullet-proof vests.




This flashback was brought to you by Media Matter's list of Most Outrageous Comments of 2008.

How W Wants to Be Remembered

Bless his heart.



Sure, he rescued the economy. Why not? Wasn't he our first MBA President (Harvard)? Is Deke our first business school mayor (ASU)?

Will a Court Hear Evidence of Georgia Death Row Inmate's Innocence?

Read the entire article at Atlanta Progressive News:

(APN) ATLANTA – A three judge panel of the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday met to decide if they will allow Georgia death row inmate Troy Anthony Davis to file a new round of federal appeals.
The judges spent over an hour questioning Davis’s attorneys and the State to determine if Davis has sufficiently answered the two following questions:
First, given the evidence available Tuesday, is it likely a jury would not convict Davis? Second, did Davis exercise due diligence in providing new evidence?
Additionally, if the answer to the first question is yes, can Georgia carry out an execution if the answer to the second question is no?

"This is not a clear cut case," Judge Rosemary Barkett said Tuesday. "The witnesses have injected a great deal of doubt [about Davis’s guilt]."
Barkett indicated during arguments Tuesday it would be her "personal preference" to see the witnesses in a court of law.

[Sylvester] Coles, who is one of two witnesses who have not changed his original testimony, appeared with Davis in the Burger King parking lot the night of the murder. Coles went to the police the day after the murder and implicated Davis.
"It seems police were so anxious to get somebody that they didn’t pursue Coles," Barkett suggested.

Tuesday’s hearing is just the latest in a string of developments that have drawn international attention to the case.
Davis has had three scheduled execution dates and three stays of execution since July 2007. Most recently, Davis was set to die on October 27, 2008, after the Supreme Court of the US denied his certiorari petition.
But the Eleventh Circuit jumped in on October 24 and issued a stay of execution.
Davis filed his brief requesting a second federal habeas petition on November 10 and the Georgia Attorney General’s office filed its response November 14.

It is unclear when the Court will issue a decision. Attorneys for Davis said Tuesday that it could take anywhere from a matter of days to a couple of months.
If the Court rules for Davis, then he could ask the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia for an evidentiary hearing, which would allow witnesses to testify and to be questioned in court.
Should the Court rule with the State, a new execution date could be set within a matter of days after the decision.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights Turns 60

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations 60 years ago yesterday.

Obama, You Do Not Want to Wake Up with this One

It's hard to leave Comedy Central with just one treat.

Chocolate NewsWednesdays 10:30pm / 9:30c

Quit While You're Ahead

More Funny Videos
Comedians on Tour

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Mike Huckabee on the Daily Show

This is just a really satisfying interview. God bless Jon Stewart.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 1

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 2

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Greetings Austin Rhodes!

All this time (two months now), I've been under the impression that we have very few readers. I mean honestly, our initial goal was to reach at least the greater Augusta area, but it's been an admittedly slow start. However, none other than Metro Spirit columnist and WGAC 580 radio show host Mr. Austin Rhodes himself, Augusta's conservative darling, honored the Augusta Citizen-Investigator by writing a whole column for this week's Metro Spirit about us. Aside from the typical Austin Rhodes ramblings, his column, primarily responding to Jill's piece for the Land of the Blind blog, was not overly incendiary, aside from the point where he expressed his wish that Jill's mother had had an abortion instead of giving birth to her. This came right after quoting my joke about escaping the Sarah Palin rally alive two weeks ago. After missing the joke there, he went on to complain about how Saxby Chambliss is too liberal. Too liberal. Apparently Mr. Rhodes hasn't really looked at Senator Chambliss' record. I find it hard to believe that someone like Mr. Rhodes didn't do his research though.

We 'damn liberals' really are the enemy Mr. Rhodes, aren't we?. We are the enemy. Maybe that is what America needs right now. A war between the liberals and conservatives, a war between ideologies. I guess it would be a... civil... war? Or, and this one might be hard to handle for you Mr. Rhodes, maybe instead of all the divisive rhetoric, and both sides have plenty to offer, we could try to work together to find a common ground. We don't all have to agree all of the time, but we don't have to get all bent out of shape when we disagree. We should be able to work together to find compromises that we all can live with. We are all Americans and this country was founded on a handful of ideals that should at least form the basis for these compromises. The founders of this nation didn't agree on everything either, but they were able to put together what became one of the strongest nations on the planet. Shouldn't we try to keep it that way?

Does the FBI Have Jurisdiction in DC?

I'm not saying Blagojevich isn't crooked, I'm just saying I wish we could have had the FBI bugging Dick Cheney's and George Bush's home phones and arresting them and giving press conferences telling us all what they said. Why didn't we get a little of that action? Didn't they commit crimes? Wasn't there some hocus pocus with Cheney and some sweet no-bid contracts? Voter suppression? Firing attorneys for polical reasons? Spying on citizens? Illegal war? Corruption and greed in politics is eternal, but Bush and Cheney chewed up the constitution and killed many, many people. Let's bug their phones. We have a couple more weeks.

Blagojevich Arrested

Wasn't it exciting when the governor of Illinois got tough with Bank of America for stiffing the workers at that Chicago factory? Politicians sticking it to the corporations when the corporations stick it to the people? Well, what are the odds that now he gets arrested immediately? 10 to 1? Better? 1 to 10? I don't know how gambling works, but I think there was probably a 100% chance. Here's the story from the Associated Press.

He Keeps It Cool

Obama and Perdue

Barack Obama met with members of the National Governors Association last week. Obama promised tax cuts and more federal spending and told the governors he wants their input on the economic recovery.

American Bar Association Met in Atlanta

The American Bar Association litigation section met held their annual conference in Atlanta last week. They discussed providing publicly funded legal counsel for poor people in cases where basic human needs (shelter, livelihood, child custody, health or safety) are at stake. Canada, 45 European countries, and many other countries have been providing lawyers to indigent people in civil matters for decades.

Obama Supports Workers

200 workers lost their jobs unexpectedly last week at Chicago's Republic Windows and Doors. They are sitting in the factory until they get assurances of receiving their severance and vacation pay.
Senator Obama said at a news conference Sunday, "The workers who are asking for the benefits and payments that they have earned, I think they're absolutely right and understand that what's happening to them is reflective of what's happening across this economy."

Roger Ebert on Ben Stein

No, this isn't gay porn. Sorry John.

Minnesota Recount Update

As of 8:00PM last night there was one precinct remaining that had yet to turn in recount results for the Minnesota Senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken. According to the Minnesota Secretary of State's website, it appears Coleman has regained the lead, but there are over 3000 challenged ballots from each candidate. The election will be decided by those challenged ballots.

And He Finally Lost the Troops...

This soldier is all like, "Get away from from me Mr. President. Don't touch me!" And Bushie says "Hell naw, I needs my photo op!" And she's all like, "Well fine. Make it quick. I'm not gonna smile." And Bushie says, "That's cooooool with me!"

Barney Frank on the Auto Industry

Thank You 23/6 Yet Again...

Beginning of the End?

The Iraqi presidency council approved the US-Iraqi security agreement today, which will replace the UN mandate for our presence in Iraq. Under this agreement, US forces will be out of all Iraqi cities and towns by the end of June next year (a little over 6 months from now) and all US troops are to be pulled out of Iraq completely by the end of 2011. The agreement, while coming under the last days of the Bush administration, will allow at least the appearance of Barack Obama keeping his pledge to get the US out of Iraq. Just in time for reelection. As long as we uphold our end of the deal.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Local angle- Sheriff Ronnie Strength does not keep track of how many people we jail for drug offenses. But he does know that 76% of our inmates are black.

Neil Patrick Harris!!

Thanks Steph!!

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Sarah Palin's New Book- FREE

A link for literary snobs everywhere.

Youngs Turks on Sarah for Saxby

The estimated attendence for Saxby's rally at the James Brown Arena was 2000 (some say higher). A visual count by my friend found five African-Americans. He may have miscounted, but the number was low. Very low. Under one percent of visitors to a rally of one of the major political parties drawing almost exclusively white people in a city that is majority black people. What does that say?
Deke, the mayor of the people, couldn't make it to the rally. According to his office, he was away on personal business. But he did send his regards, which were conveyed at the rally.
How did Augusta vote in the runoff? Democrat. Jim Martin beat Saxby Chambliss 59% to 41%. It's always fun to look at the breakdown by precincts.

Is the NRA Dead?

We portray our country as the wild west full of "real Americans," but the U.S. population is actually 80 percent urban or suburban. And the reign of the NRA may be over. This from Alternet:

"Despite expending nearly $7 million in a national fear campaign, NRA-endorsed candidates lost 80 percent of their races against gun-control candidates. More than 90 percent of candidates endorsed by the NRA's nemesis, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, won their races. If 2008 was, in the NRA's own words, "arguably the most important year in its history," then the election results suggest that the gun group is arguably the most overhyped and impotent special-interest lobby in the country."

Thanks, Barack, For Rising Above Politics

I know we're all amazed by the "historic" victory of Obama, but I would like Obama for America to stop trying to sell me cheesy commemorative plates and calendars. Why should I send thirty-five dollars to support the DNC when Obama can't even make it to Georgia for a day to campaign for Jim Martin? Or as he's better known, the guy who's not Saxby Chambliss. What can my thirty-five dollars do more effectively for the Party than a Democratic senator in congress could do? What can possibly be better for the party than to have sixty senators? And what could have possibly been more effective in achieving that than for Historic Man to come out to Georgia, even if only for one day, to tell people that there's an election? Did anyone outside of Marietta vote? Whatever. No. I don't want a mug.

Some Better News

It looks like Al Franken might be pulling ahead in the Minnesota Senate recount. The recount shows Franken up by 2535 votes as of December 2nd at 8:00 PM. The only thing is that the page appears to show that Franken had a 2623 vote lead after the November 4th election, rather than Coleman with a 215 vote lead. I'm hoping this discrepancy is because they aren't including absentee ballots in the numbers. Otherwise, something fishy is up. But it is the Minnesota Secretary of State's official page, so I'll give the benefit of the doubt. So far the Coleman campaign has challenged 183 more ballots than the Franken campaign. The challenged ballots from both sides will most likely end up determining the outcome of the election, as 92.69% of ballots have been counted.

Georgia is so Embarrassing Sometimes

And depressing. Or is that just me? WJBF is posting runoff election numbers as they come in. They aren't pretty so far. Read em and seriously weep.
Update: I am so sorry, America.

Do You Know Where to Vote Tomorrow?

Your polling place for the run-off may be different from where you vote in the general election. Doublecheck here.
May I recommend the Jim Martin for senate, Jim Powell for public service commissioner, and Sara Doyle for judge on the court of appeals? May I? (Sara Doyle's opponent calls himself conservative and the Augusta Chronicle endorses him. Atlanta Journal-Constitution endorses Doyle.)

Palin Rally

Just left the Palin rally, I mean Saxby Chambliss rally, which was held at the James Brown Arena here in Augusta. People held signs with messages from "Saxby for my Future" to "Save my Gun." The crowd remained fairly mild mannered compared to some Palin stops, but we did get some nasty stares from nearby citizens. The stares came mostly due to our (Jill's) shouting of select phrases, such as reminders that Saxby voted against the GI Bill for military vets, and "Keep abortion safe and legal!" We didn't get knifed or shot after that, so I figure we did alright.

Apparently most of my videos are too big for Blogspot to handle, so here's one of all the empty seats, and hopefully I'll get more up later.

More on Palin in Georgia

A story from Ms. Palin's hometown newspaper.

We should have some photos or video from the event posted before the day is out.

Pornstar or Democrat?

I actually called two of these by name...

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Shift in Voting Trends from 2004

From 236.com:

Macy's Parade Rick Rolled!!

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade got Rick rolled yesterday. And for the first time ever, Mr. Astley himself did the deed...

Is Obama the Great Forgiver?

Will Barack Obama really not prosecute for war crimes? According to the AP:

"Barack Obama's incoming administration is unlikely to bring criminal charges against government officials who authorized or engaged in harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists during the George W. Bush presidency. Obama, who has criticized the use of torture, is being urged by some constitutional scholars and human rights groups to investigate possible war crimes by the Bush administration.

"Two Obama advisers said there's little — if any — chance that the incoming president's Justice Department will go after anyone involved in authorizing or carrying out interrogations that provoked worldwide outrage."

I get that he wants everyone to come together, but since when is his or anyone's benevolence above the law? Is it morally, or even spiritually, arrogant to forgive crimes perpetrated against someone else? Would it be outrageously politically arrogant as leader of our country to allow torture done in the name of the United States to go unpunished? (We know that G.W. did, but we really didn't like it, did we? We tried to vote for the opposite, didn't we?)

Thomas More said a long time ago, “I would uphold the law if for no other reason but to protect myself.”

The Economic Bailout in Perspective

The current economic bailouts cost more than all of the following. Combined.



After all of that is added together there's still enough money left over to pay $1635.30 to all 305+ million people in the United States. And still have some money left over. Think about it.

You Going to See Sarah?

I totally am. She'll be at the James Brown Arena (he would have wanted it that way) at 8:30 a.m. Monday, December 1. Doors open at 7:30. It's free, but you have to RSVP. Saxby will have your email address, but you'll see HER. I hope she's back in her old Alaska clothes.

Go Visit Your Machine

Voting Machines Elect One Of Their Own As President

South Carolina GOP Chairman Running for RNC Chair

South Carolina GOP Chair, Katon Dawson, announced his candidacy for RNC Chair Sunday.
He's ready for a national position now that he resigned from Forest Lake Club, a country club with no black members (possibly because of the whites-only restriction).

Chambliss and the Unemployed

Last Thursday, Saxby Chambliss skipped the Senate vote on the Unemployed Compensation Act of 2008. What was he doing while the Senate voted on such an important piece of unemployment legislation? Campaigning to keep the job he was failing to do. Bonus: his campaign speech that day was focused on unemployment and the economy. He was one of only four Senators to skip the vote.

Elsewhere in the state, Wendy Whitaker is filing suit with the state of Georgia in an attempt to be removed from the sex offender list. How did she end up on the list in the first place? Consensual oral sex. When she was in high school.

Finally, outside of the state of Georgia, fivethirtyeight.com is projecting Al Franken to overtake Norm Coleman in their Minnesota Senate race recount by a total of just 27 votes. That's one ten thousandth of a percent! 538's electoral projection was only one vote off. Let's hope this projection is just as accurate.

Liberals Don't Like Bad Spending Either. Even When They Call it Cultural.

I get the sense that people really see any cuts in funding to the Greater Augusta Arts Council as tragic. Do we like to see tax dollars go to the Arts Council because it's good for business or because it brings culture to the people of Augusta?

How does it help business? As I remember Brenda Durant of the GAAC telling the commission, people go out to eat and drink after the events, thereby boosting the economy. If my tax dollars are going to help businesses, at least them them be businesses that provide their employees with healthcare, retirement, and vacations rather than restaurants and bars that don't even pay minimum wage (and turn drunk drivers out onto the streets- might be better not to rely so much on alcohol taxes).

And what cultural benefit do we get for our investment? The biggest expenditure is Arts in the Heart, which to me is like a county fair- the part where you walk around and buy trinkets and food- except that it charges admission.

If these cultural events are benefitting Augusta, doesn't that mean that the people should get to enjoy them without paying to get into them on top of funding them? Or at least that local talent is showcased? Even the Twelve Bands of Christmas is going with non-local musicians now, and the concert costs $20 advance or $25 at the door.

The biggest cultural splurge last year was on Slow Dancing for Westobou, the super-slow-motion video portraits of non-local dancers projected onto screens in Augusta Common. Brenda Durant of the Arts Council says the funding for Slow Dancing did not go through GAAC, but one of our city treasure chests was dipped into for it.

The Porter Fleming Foundation donated $25,000 (according to the Augusta Ballet, that's only about one-third the total cost) specifically to Slow Dancing (much, much more on Westobou overall). There is a new block of money since 2005 which is designated specifically for "excellence in the arts," but might they still follow the spirit of the foundation? Here from The Porter Foundation website: "The Foundation directs the Trustees of the Academy to 'contribute annually to the educational,literary, artistic, scientific, historical, musical, and cultural enrichment of the lives of the residents of the City of Augusta and the geographical area immediately adjacent thereto, composed of Richmond, Burke, Jefferson, and Columbia Counties in the State of Georgia, and Aiken and Edgefield Counties in the State of South Carolina.'" Since the videographer and his dancer subjects are not residents, the benefit must have been to the residents in the audience. The admission was free, but what did we get?

The Westobou Festival called the video "Dance," even while the brochure reads, "in a time where less than 8% of the population will see a live dance performance, it is imperative that we consider the best possible means to take dance to the people." Uh, the Augusta Ballet (and Mary Pauline McDowell, curator of the- dance? projected video?) presented the traveling slideshow. Couldn't they have done an actual performance? That would have been of cultural benefit to residents (and maybe the ballet company) of Augusta in a wonderful way. Instead of culture, we got a promo for culture.

Here's another excerpt from the Porter Fleming Foundation that they might want to re-read. "The grant will be made, preferably, to organizations supported by dues or voluntary contributions," (rather than those funded by taxes).

Maybe there were no more suitable candidates. Please, anyone with genuine educational,literary, artistic, scientific, historical, musical, or cultural contributions to make to Augusta, apply for this grant. Applications are due January 31.

Remember to Vote

From the AFL-CIO NOW blog:

"Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the anti-worker senator fighting for his career in a tight Georgia runoff election, is facing a subpoena to testify about his relationship with Imperial Sugar. As we’ve noted, Imperial Sugar—an ally and patron of Chambliss—is hoping to evade responsibility for a deadly sugar dust explosion that killed 14 workers last February.

"Yesterday, Chambliss responded to a question about the subpoena by swatting away a camera held by a volunteer (see video). Not only is he dodging a court order, but he doesn’t want to discuss his relationship with the company or his attacks on a whistle-blower who exposed the dangerous conditions at the Imperial plant.

"As Firedoglake reported, Chambliss received $21 thousand in campaign contributions this election cycle from the sugar industry."

Early voting information from the Richmond County Board of Elections:

"Advance Voting Week: Advance Voting will begin on Monday, November 24, 2008 and will run through Wednesday, November 26, 2008 at all three of the Advance Voting Sites in Augusta – the Main Office located at 530 Greene Street, Room 104, the Henry Brigham Center located at 2463 Golden Camp Road, and at the Warren Road Recreation Center located at 300 Warren Road. The hours for Advance Voting will be from 8:30 AM until 6:00 PM daily during the time period set for Advance Voting. Voters voting during Advance Voting Week are required to produce one of the six acceptable forms of photo identification in order to vote. Voters will not have to provide a reason for voting. Voting centers will not be open on Thursday, November 27, 2008 and Friday, November 28, 2008 in observation of the Thanksgiving Holidays."

Make it happen, people. Get Saxby out and Jim Martin in.

Obama on Unions

Senator Obama last year in Chicago:

"It's time we had a president who didn't choke when he said the word union. It's not that hard. Union. Union. Nothing happens when you say it--other than give people some inspiration and some sense that maybe they've got a fighting chance...

"That's why I was one of the leaders fighting to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. That's why I'm fighting for it in the Senate, and that's why I will sign that bill when I become president of the United States of America."

"I've walked picket lines before. I've got some comfortable shoes at home. If it's hot outside, then I've got a hat. If it's cold outside, I've got a jacket. But if you are being denied your rights, I don't care whether I'm in the United States Senate, or in the White House, I will make sure I am marching with you on the picket lines, because that's what I believe in--making sure that workers have rights."

In response to a question about EFCA from a worker, Obama replied, "I won't just wait for the bill to reach my desk. I will work actively as part of my agenda to make sure that it reaches my desk...

"Everybody talks a lot about unions when they're trying to get the union endorsements. And then the general election comes, and then there's not much mention of unions. And then you win the presidency, and then you just stop talking about unions at all.

"And as a consequence, you've got a lot of people all across America who could use a union, but they're never hearing about it, they're never encouraged to join, they're never given a sense that being part of a union--that's as American as apple pie.

"That's the reason we've got the minimum wage. That's the reason we've got the 40-hour workweek. That's the reason we've got overtime. That's the reason workers are treated fairly and safely on the job. Our children have to hear that. Everybody's got to hear it.

"And that's what the president can do is use the bully pulpit: 'Join the union--there's nothing wrong with it.' That's number one, because that sets the context for the debate in Washington."

Poor Bush

Ever get picked last at recess in grade school?

Appeals Court to Hear Troy Davis Case

On December 9, a federal appeals court in Atlanta will hear arguments for and against allowing Troy Davis to fight his death sentence in what is widely believed to be a case of mistaken identity. Read about it at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Urban Legend Haunts Michele Bachmann

236.com gets to the bottom of the urban legend that Michele Bachmann is Joe McCarthy's ghost.

Bill Clinton Campaigns for Jim Martin

Bill Clinton stopped in Atlanta today at get-out-the-vote rally for Jim Martin. The former President, after what seemed like forever, got on stage and spoke about his relationship with Jim Martin and the importance of getting out to vote in the run-off election on December 2nd (there is early voting too, so check with your local election officials for polling times and locations). He framed it not as a choice between Republicans and Democrats, and not as a battle to get to 60 Senate seats, but as a choice between building a bridge to a future, or building a "firewall," to use the Chambliss phrase, in front of that bridge. Despite some of his appearances earlier in the primary campaign season, at this event he seemed to be at top Bill Clinton form, the Bill Clinton that we grew to admire. So everyone, please get out and vote for the bridge, not the wall, and lets husk some corn together.

Cheney Indicted for Organized Crime

This is almost as good as Karl Rove in handcuffs. (Thanks for the world's funniest link, Josh.) Cheney has invested $85,000 in private prisons?! Can that be true? How much money does this guy have to put toward these good works?

Ted Stevens is O U T

The Associated Press says so and then The Nation said so, so it's true, right? Bittersweet but almost completely and absolutely sweet that Sarah Palin won't have a crack at squirming her way into Ted Stevens' empty-because-he's-in-prison senate seat. Welcome Senator Begich!

Emancipate the White Man

I'm not sure how Commissioner Brigham came to the conclusion that there are "black bigots" on the commission as he stated last night after the 2009 budget approval. Is Commissioner Beard racist when she defends the Lucy Laney Museum the same way that Brenda Durant defended the Arts Council- by saying it draws money to the town? (Deke Copenhaver joined her in saying that African-American history is the fastest growing segment in tourism.) The Arts Council and Laney Museum, after the compromise Commissioner Hatney suggested, came out even. Is that what Commissioner Brigham considered racist? Was it racist when Commissioner Johnson wanted to save Dowdy and Johnson Parks? I will assume that those parks are used by mostly black people in a mostly black district represented by a black commissioner. Is it racist of him to advocate for his own district?
Augusta either has race problems or it doesn't. If it doesn't, the offense that Mr. Brigham took at yesterday's meeting (his diversity and cooperative color-blind sensitivities were so injured that he refused to go to the legal session with the rest of the commission- I trust with no cut in pay) is groundless, and Administrator Russell was right to eliminate an entire department- the Human Relations Commission which dealt with discrimination.
If Augusta does have race issues, are both races suffering from racism equally or which is suffering more? I assume Mr. Brigham thinks that whites suffer more in the newly-approved budget. Whites are the minority in Augusta, after all. Is Jerry Brigham the last, brave, lonely voice for racial justice for whites in Augusta?
I won't even get into the ridiculous scenario that we have racial injustice favoring whites over blacks. That's just divisive and not good to talk about publicly. It would be pulling the race card.

Budget Day Budget Day!

I, apparently along with seven commissioners and a mayor (if I'm understanding the Spirit's blog on it correctly), missed the final budget hearing last week. I didn't get the memo that it had been moved from Thursday to Wednesday. They discussed law enforcement, the monster that along with the courts uses up seventy-six percent of operating costs according to budget mastermind Administrator Fred Russell. Mr. Russell, for whatever reason, did not discuss law enforcement when it was originally supposed to be discussed two weeks ago. So, the first hearing that promised to cover law enforcement, just didn't, and the meeting which actually did address it was moved up a day. Commissioner Bowles, one of the three commissioners who did make it to the hearing, told me he also almost missed it due to the quiet rescheduling.
What happened at this hard-to-get law enforcement budget discussion? Administrator Russell originally proposed a budget requiring a property tax increase of 1.588 mills and loads of cuts to public services. Mr. Russell said the cuts were regrettable and that the things being cut should not be cut but we are in such a terrible mess that it is unavoidable.
But, according to the Chronicle, last Wednesday, Sheriff Ronnie Strength saved us all from the scary property tax raises by granting his "blessing" to Mr. Russell's new (?,!) plan to make up for a 3.4 MILLION DOLLAR deficit by "adjusting expenses and revenues and throwing in $1 million from the reserve fund." Huh. So if that's Mr. Russell's budget idea, what was that hundred page thing we've all been looking at for the past month? Why was he saving his real plan for the very last meeting that no one went to?
Ok. Three and a half million dollars just got saved by adjusting expenses and revenues and using a million dollars of reserve funds. And where was that reserve fund when we needed it for public transportation and mosquito control and the battered women's shelter and health clinics? It was unavailable then, as I remember. It wouldn't be good management, as I remember. Well, now it's brilliant.
He has other amazing money-finding tricks. Here's one: move inmates out of Richmond County Correctional Institution and into Phinizy Road and Walton Way. That saves $780,000 a year. So why did we ever put inmates into RCCI? Was there a reason? If so, how is it ok to move them now? And if not, why did we ever do it the expensive way?
Here's another budget trick people may want to use at home: lowering fuel cost projections can save $723,000 a year! That's right, just assume things will be cheap and there's you a pile of money what you didn't have before. That is some high level outside-the-box city management thinking. Russell advises cutting public transportation by pretty much the same amount that was "saved" by adjusting fuel costs estimates and moving prisoners around. Why were those options not occurring to Mr. Russell then?
Oh, here's one more. "Projections for pay increases were also lowered by $343,120. Mr. Russell said he'd previously over-estimated the number of deputies due for raises." Oh. How is that? What is this man's job? How did he not know the correct number? And when did he learn it? Isn't Mr. Russell really kind of supposed to know these numbers? Isn't that very much his responsibility? Or did the sheriff's department supply the wrong numbers? As Sheriff Strength told me, "We're not in the studying business. We're in the locking-up business." What business is Fred Russell in?
Is this a political stunt or is this incompetence? It's worth watching either way. Go watch the commissioners vote this beauty in. I believe it's being voted on today, Tuesday November 18 at 2:00. Sure, you're supposed to be working then, but it'll be worth the afternoon off. Fred Russell will be drinking a Diet Coke and pacing around the room telling jokes like it's his party. Deke will be grunt-smiling. The commissioners will be confused. Augusta will be screwed. And you may get on TV!

Michael Vick's Sugarloaf House is for Sale

His Gwinnett County mansion and horses and yacht are for sale to pay off debts. Atlanta Falcons owner says Vick won't be returning to the Falcons.

Are You a Knology User?

In Georgia? Did you feel like you were being watched online over the summer? You were. NebuAd paid Knology to install some watching devices so they could target ads more effectively. They're being taken to court now for violating wiretapping statutes. The same wiretapping rules AT&T famously broke.
Read about it at Wired.

He Says He'll Close Guantanamo

And we get to stop torturing? And we get a puppy? I love New Daddy-elect.

Will Lieberman Keep his Committee Chairmanship?

Homeboy from North Dakota says he shouldn't.

Madame Secretary Clinton?

President-elect Obama apparently has offered the Secretary of State portfolio to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

TSA is a Waste of Money

A few months back, the Transportation Security Administration foiled a terrorist plot. That's right. The author of this post tried to carry two 5-ounce jars of jelly onto a plane in his carry-on bag, but TSA saved America from his nefarious plot to give some friends some huckleberry jelly. Bruce Schneier, a security expert who often discusses the pointlessness of many of TSA's regulations, similarly was plotting to enjoy some spaghetti sauce when he returned from a trip, but thankfully TSA foiled this plot as well. So, TSA is pretty good at foiling these terrorist plots. Thousands are squashed each day. Well then, what about the terrorists that use fake or no IDs, wear Osama bin Laden shirts, and look extremely nervous? “All right, you can go,” he said, pointing me to the X-ray line. “But let this be a lesson for you.”

Bush to Sign Flurry of Executive Orders in Coming Days

Included among them is one set to allow local and state law enforcement to collect intelligence on you, even when there is no suspicion of crime.

Baltic Dry Index Collapses

The Baltic Dry Index has dropped 98% this year. As if the economy wasn't doing badly enough, the world could be in for even rougher times than thought...

Naomi Klein on the Legality of the Bailout

(Here you go, boys. I know this woman is your grown-up version of Princess Leia or something.)

"According to Congressman Barney Frank, one of the architects of the legislation that enables the deals, 'Any use of these funds for any purpose other than lending -- for bonuses, for severance pay, for dividends, for acquisitions of other institutions, etc. -- is a violation of the act.' Yet this is exactly how the funds are being used.

"Then there is the nearly $2 trillion the Federal Reserve has handed out in emergency loans. Incredibly, the Fed will not reveal which corporations have received these loans or what it has accepted as collateral. Bloomberg News believes that this secrecy violates the law and has filed a federal suit demanding full disclosure."

Read it all at Alternet. Or if you're fancy, go to the source- The Nation.