As the Bush administration winds down, Democrats and historians are concerned about what information (documents, emails, etc.) might be deleted, destroyed, or withheld before they leave office. ProPublica’s Kristin Jones has this brief review of which documents are and are not protected from destruction by the Presidential Records Act of 1978.
Document Shredding 101
Posted: November 24, 2008 in Beltway Drama, Bush AdministrationTags: Beltway Drama, Bush Administration, Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, History, Presidential Records
1
Vatican Newspaper to John Lennon: We Can Work It Out
Posted: November 24, 2008 in MusicTags: John Lennon, Music, The Beatles, Vatican
VATICAN CITY–The Vatican’s newspaper has finally forgiven John Lennon for declaring that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, calling the remark a “boast” by a young man grappling with sudden fame.
The comment by Lennon to a London newspaper in 1966 infuriated Christians, particularly in the United States, some of whom burned Beatles’ albums in huge pyres.
But time apparently heals all wounds.
“The remark by John Lennon, which triggered deep indignation mainly in the United States, after many years sounds only like a `boast’ by a young working-class Englishman faced with unexpected success, after growing up in the legend of Elvis and rock and roll,” Vatican daily Osservatore Romano said.
For the record, these were Lennon’s original comments which created the firestorm back in 1966:
“Christianity will go. We’re more popular than Jesus now. I don’t know which will go first, rock ‘n’ roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It’s them twisting it that ruins it for me.”
No word yet on whether L’Osservatore Romano plans to offer similar comments about the Lennon songs “Imagine” and “God.”
“Sprinkles make the cupcake, don’t you think?”
– CNN Chief National Correspondent John King
Mitt Romney: “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt”
Posted: November 21, 2008 in EconomyTags: Economy, Is It 2012 Yet?, Mitt Romney
If Mitt Romney is the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, this New York Times op ed he wrote pretty much guarantees he’ll lose Michigan.
Public Relations Fail
Posted: November 21, 2008 in Beltway Drama, Economy, Humor, Sarah PalinTags: Beltway Drama, Big Three, Economy, Humor, Sarah Palin
I don’t know what’s worse, the CEOs of the three American car companies going to request a multibillion dollar bailout on Capitol Hill while flying on private corporate jets to travel to Washington, or Sarah Palin giving an interview after pardoning a Thanksgiving turkey while other turkeys are being slaughtered behind her.
Musical Chairs for Secretary of State
Posted: November 20, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: Bill Richardson, Department of State, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, John Kerry, Richard Holbrooke, Secretary of State, Senate, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
The Boston Globe is reporting that John Kerry is expected to take over as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee in the new congress, with Joe Biden vacating the spot to assume the vice presidency. If this is true, it means he will not be Secretary of State (Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson have interviewed for the job, Richard Holbrooke has lobbied for it).
58
Posted: November 19, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: Al Franken, Jim Martin, Mark Begich, Norm Coleman, Saxby Chambliss, Ted Stevens
That’s the Democrats’ count in the Senate now that Ted Stevens has conceded the race to Anchorage mayor Mark Begich. He’s the state’s first Democratic senator since Mike Gravel back in 1981.
But amazingly, the 2008 campaign is not over yet. The Minnesota Senate race between Al Franken and Norm Coleman is razor-thin and the recount is about to begin. In Georgia, because no candidate broke the 50 percent mark, the top two candidates (incumbent Saxy Chambliss and challenger Jim Martin) have to go to a runoff election scheduled for early December to settle it once and for all.
If Al Franken is able to turn around the 200+ vote deficit and Jim Martin pulls off an upset, the Democrats hit the big 60.
Icepicks and Nukes 