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Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 21:23:46
Hillary!
She announces her re-election campaign for U.S. Senate, but the 2008 overtones are evident. This should be good for, what, a dozen or so posts from the pathological Dr. Strangelove?The tease
We get news releases. And, after 33 years, something tells this is more news release hype than "reality." But, for the guy who was monitoring waistlines on Riverfest photos, this one could be for YOU:
Hot Springs , AR , May 31, 2006 : RealityRox , A Reality Based Touring and Film Production Company will bring the PinUp Tour – featuring the Playboy Playmates to Smyly’s Crab Shack in Hot Springs, AR on July 1, 2006. The National Tour will be filming live at the event to showcase the venue located on the banks of Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs for an upcoming National Release.
Sorry. That's all the details you get from us.
Oklahoma wins round in pollution case
U.S. Magistrate Sam Joyner today rejected motions filed by Arkansas poultry companies that would have prevented Oklahoma from taking soil and water samples from chicken farms as part of its pollution lawsuit against the companies.
Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson said they will begin taking the samples as soon as they can. Arkansas Attorney General Mike Beebe, who has tried to intervene in behalf of the poultry companies, had no comment.
This episode is the latest action in Oklahoma's ongoing lawsuit against 14 Arkansas poultry companies, which contends that waste from their chicken farms is polluting Oklahoma's waterways.
Why we like Barney Frank
This is a few days old, but worth repeating, a statement by U.S. Rep. Barney Frank on the FBI search of Congressman William Jefferson's office.
(Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I disagree with the bipartisan House leadership criticism of the FBI's search of a Member's office. I know nothing specifically about the case, except that the uncontroverted public evidence did seem to justify the issuance of a warrant.
What we now have is a Congressional leadership, the Republican part of which has said it is okay for law enforcement to engage in warrantless searches of the average citizen, now objecting when a search, pursuant to a validly issued warrant, is conducted of a Member of Congress.
I understand that the speech and debate clause is in the Constitution. It is there because Queen Elizabeth I and King James I were disrespectful of Parliament. It ought to be, in my judgment, construed narrowly. It should not be in any way interpreted as meaning that we as Members of Congress have legal protections superior to those of the average citizen.
So I think it was a grave error to have criticized the FBI. I think what they did, they ought to be able to do in every case where they can get a warrant from a judge. I think, in particular, for the leadership of this House, which has stood idly by while this administration has ignored the rights of citizens, to then say we have special rights as Members of Congress is wholly inappropriate.
Unimpressed
Republican Jim Lagrone is unimpressed by Secretary of State Charlie Daniels' review of performance by the company providing Arkansas millions in voting machinery and software.
Full release from Lagrone on the jump.
The master's voice
A press roll-out is scheduled tomorrow and then public availability Saturday for an audio guided tour of the Clinton Library narrated by the former president himself. This will be a presidential library first -- tour narration by the commemorated president. It will cost $3, in addition to normal admission, to rent a device to listen to the programThe mighty Huck
The most read liberal blogger, Daily Kos (full text follows, but there's lots of reader comment at the link) has this to say about the next man from Hope (key word "scary"):
When people look at the GOP field for 2008, they worry about McCain or Allen or even Romney.
You want to know who the strongest GOP candidate would be, the one that would make me lose sleep at night?
Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
The guy is a scary good politician and the more Republican voters see him around the country, the more support he'll get.