City Council also to pursue Kilpatrick's removal from office
By Zachary Gorchow and Naomi R. Patton
Free Press Staff Writers
May 13, 2008

The Detroit City Council has just voted to launch a two-track effort to remove Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick from office by both beginning its own process and asking Gov. Jennifer Granholm to oust him.

The vote was 5-4 as the council made an historic move to topple a mayor.

A delicate majority in favor of removing Kilpatrick managed to hold together overnight.

Voting yes were Council President Ken Cockrel Jr and Councilmembers Sheila Cockrel, Brenda Jones, Kwame Kenyatta and JoAnn Watson. Voting no were Council President Pro Tem Monica Conyers and Councilmembers Barbara-Rose Collins, Martha Reeves and Alberta Tinsley-Talabi.

Both processes are expected to take months. The council set an initial public hearing for its removal hearings of June 13.

The independent attorney hired by the council to assist with its investigation, Bill Goodman, estimated that it would take two months for the council to complete removal hearings and then – if the council actually votes to oust Kilpatrick – another year for the mayor’s appeals to play out in the courts.

How long it will take Granholm to determine Kilpatrick’s fate is unclear. Despite today’s vote, the council must still submit to the governor’s office a formal sworn statement requesting she remove Kilpatrick from office.

The law giving Granholm the power to remove elected local officials does not give a timetable for action.

The last time a governor conducted removal hearings on a local official was 1982 – for a West Bloomfield Township official accused of public drunkenness. Gov. William Milliken ordered the official to quit drinking or be removed.

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Mon May 12, 2008
By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS, May 12 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon ratcheted up the pressure on Myanmar on Monday, saying he was extremely frustrated by the junta's slow delivery of aid to more than 1.5 million victims of Cyclone Nargis.

"Today is the eleventh day since ... Nargis hit Myanmar," Ban told reporters. "I want to register my deep concern -- and immense frustration -- at the unacceptably slow response to this grave humanitarian crisis."

In his most critical comments on Myanmar's military government to date, Ban said that despite repeated attempts to contact the junta's senior general, Than Shwe, he had been unable to speak with him and had sent him a letter.

"We are at a critical point," he said. "Unless more aid gets into the country very quickly, we face an outbreak of infectious diseases that could dwarf today's crisis."

"I therefore call, in the most strenuous terms, on the government of Myanmar to put its people's lives first. It must do all that it can to prevent this disaster from becoming even more serious."

U.N. humanitarian affairs chief John Holmes told reporters a problem with visas for U.N. relief officials had improved somewhat. He said a total of 34 Myanmar visas were being granted to U.N. aid workers, though more would be needed.

France's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Jean-Pierre Lacroix raised the issue at a meeting of the Security Council. He told reporters that Paris fully supported Ban's statement about the government of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

"We share that frustration," he said. "If there is no progress (on aid delivery)...we will again raise that issue in the Security Council and will consider submitting a text."

Western diplomats said the French were considering asking the 15-nation council to adopt a nonbinding statement calling on Myanmar to lift all restrictions on foreign aid workers.

But if Myanmar continues to ignore international appeals, Paris might want the council to go a step further and adopt a legally binding resolution, the diplomats said, adding that the council might return to the issue on Tuesday.

BRITAIN, FRANCE BACK BAN'S CRITICISM

Last week, France called on the council to invoke a U.N. concept known as the "responsibility to protect" to authorize foreign delivery of aid shipments to Myanmar's population without the junta's authorization.

However, a number of countries, including Britain, said this concept was conceived for situations like genocide or war crimes, not natural disasters.

British Ambassador John Sawers, the Security Council's current president, said some members felt Myanmar's humanitarian crisis was not an appropriate issue for the council. Diplomats say China, Russia, Vietnam, South Africa and Indonesia were among those.

Western members of the Security Council strongly disagree.

"The cyclone there 11 days ago took tens of thousands of lives, but the inability to get aid through is risking hundreds of thousands of lives," Sawers said.

He also condemned Myanmar senior general Than Shwe's refusal to speak with Ban Ki-moon.

"I think it's shocking, frankly, that at a time of natural disaster like this, when the whole international community under the leadership of the United Nations is lined up to help, that the leaders of that country are not prepared to engage in discussions as to how that help can best be deployed."

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By Dana Milbank
The Washington Post
Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Dispatches from the twilight of a presidency:

7:13 a.m.: The South Lawn. President Bush, determined to dispel doubts about his relevance, grants an early-morning interview to Robin Roberts of ABC News's "Good Morning America." Joined by the first lady, he fields hard-hitting questions about . . . the White House grounds. "It's a beautiful place," the president discloses. "In the spring, the flowers are fantastic. In the fall, the -- it's just such a -- kind of a place that's so fresh. In the winter, of course, it's got a lot of snow. [Laughter.] Summer is real hot, but it's -- we love it out here. It's beautiful."

* * *

7:58 a.m.: By e-mail, the White House Communications Office sends out its "Morning Update." It lists two events on Bush's schedule for the entire day: a "Social Dinner in Honor of Cinco de Mayo" and, an hour later, post-dinner entertainment. To react to the main news of the day -- thousands of deaths from the cyclone in Burma -- Bush sends his wife out to make a statement. She criticizes the Burmese government for its failure "to issue a timely warning to citizens in the storm's path" and "to meet its people's basic needs." Reporters, too tactful to draw parallels to New Orleans, quiz her instead about daughter Jenna's wedding, and the names of future grandchildren. "George and Georgia, Georgina, Georgette," the first lady says.

* * *

12:39 p.m.: The White House Briefing Room. On the podium, the understudy to the understudy to the substitute to the understudy to Bush's first White House press secretary is giving a sparsely attended briefing on what he knows about Burma blocking relief efforts ("I am not aware of that report"), about the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to a Burmese dissident ("no announcements at this point"), and about word that the Saudi crown prince is dying ("I have not seen those reports"). The news of the day thus dispensed with, the questioning turns to why West Point allows its graduates to play pro football immediately but the Naval Academy does not.

* * *

Eight months before the end of his second term, President Bush is forgotten but not gone. Power has shifted to Congress, attention has moved to the campaign trail, and the White House seems at times to be just going through the motions. For many reporters who remain on the White House beat, it has become a time to phone it in -- literally.

Four minutes after the scheduled start time for yesterday's White House briefing, only 14 of the 49 seats were occupied -- and the 14 included flamboyant radio host Lester Kinsolving, who sat in the Bloomberg News seat; Raghubir Goyal of an obscure Indian American publication, who occupied the New York Times chair; and a foreign journalist in the back row, perusing the White House's Cinco de Mayo dinner menu. Though attendance eventually swelled to 28, many of the nation's leading news outlets left their chairs empty, among them National Public Radio, the Washington Times, the New York Daily News, the Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, the Boston Globe, the Baltimore Sun, the Chicago Tribune and the Politico.

The White House regarded the briefing with an equal level of ennui. The press secretary, Dana Perino, was away, having given the commencement address on Saturday at her alma mater, Colorado State University at Pueblo. White House aides left vacant three of the five seats designated for their use. Behind the lectern, Perino deputy Scott Stanzel took 20 minutes to exhaust all questions from the diminished field of questioners.

Stanzel began with the news that the United States had provided a whopping $250,000 to relief efforts in Burma -- a figure one reporter termed "a drop in the bucket." After just 12 minutes of questions about gas prices, Iraq and Iran, the reporters in the front rows had had their fill. Stanzel turned to Goyal, who wore a sparkling silver blazer and asked a question about India, then one about the governor of Louisiana.

Reporters busied themselves with personal tasks: rubbing eyes, cleaning eyeglasses, reading the newspaper, fiddling with BlackBerrys or studying the blank pages of their notebooks. One of the deputy press secretaries, Gordon Johndroe, rested his chin in his hand. There was nothing left to be said -- which was the cue for Kinsolving, who demanded to know Bush's view on the disparity in pro-football eligibility for players from the military academies.

Stanzel punted. "I'm not sure that that is something that he's occupied his time with," the spokesman said.

Of course not. He has been busy preparing for the Cinco de Mayo dinner. And the session with "Good Morning America," where Roberts pressed Bush on his daughter's wedding at the ranch.

"So, what have you done to make it special there?" the anchor asked. "I know that it's always special at the ranch, but for this wedding?"

"We put a giant cross made out of Texas limestone that will serve as the altar," the president replied.

"That's beautiful," Roberts said. She went on to note that a beagle named Uno, the 2008 Westminster Kennel Club's Best in Show, would visit the Rose Garden later in the day.

"Uno is coming," Laura Bush confirmed.

Roberts was impressed. "Big day here at the White House," she said.

Or what passes for one nowadays.

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The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)
Fun Boy Three
1981

I see a clinic full of cynics
Who want to twist the peoples' wrist
They're watching every move we make
We're all included on the list

The lunatics have taken over the asylum


The lunatics have taken over the asylum

No nuclear the cowboy told us
And who am I to disagree
'Cause when the madman flips the switch
The nuclear will go for me

The lunatics have taken over the asylum


The lunatics have taken over the asylum

I've seen the faces of starvation
But I just can not see the point
'Cause there's so much food here today
That no one wants to take away

The lunatics have taken over the asylum


The lunatics have taken over the asylum

The lunatics have taken over the asylum
Take away my right to choose

The lunatics have taken over the asylum
Take away my point of view

The lunatics have taken over the asylum


The lunatics have taken over the asylum
Take away my dignity
Take these things away from me

The lunatics have taken over the asylum
The lunatics have taken over the asylum


Take away my family
Take away the right to speak


The lunatics have taken over the asylum
Take away my point of view
Take away my right to choose

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By Zachary Gorchow and Naomi Patton
Free Press Staff Writers
May 2, 2008

A top aide to Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick warned the City Council today that Kilpatrick will implement “drastic cuts” in services [NB: What services? We don't have any services anymore, you witling!] if the council doesn’t approve a proposed deal to sell the city’s half of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.

Deputy Mayor Anthony Adams told the council the mayor would not support selling bonds to patch the $65-million hole in the 2007-08 fiscal year budget if the city doesn’t sell its half of the tunnel to a new authority run jointly by the cities of Detroit and Windsor. Under the deal, the city would transfer title on its half of the tunnel to the authority and the city of Windsor would in turn provide Detroit with $75 million.

But Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel said she wouldn’t bow to scare tactics. Cockrel said the deal may make sense, but is so complex and said the administration continues to provide information about it in a piecemeal manner at the last minute.

“I’m not going to get bullied into a transaction no matter how conceptually great it may be,” she said.

Adams responded that he wasn’t bullying anyone.

“I’m speaking to the hard fiscal realities in our city,” he said.

That prompted Cockrel to retort that instead of threatening to cut city services, the mayor should start “with all the family and friends with all the contracts in city government.”

Adams said he wanted to know what contracts to which Cockrel was referring.

“We’ll have that for you real soon,” Cockrel shot back.

In other work on the budget, Auditor General Loren Monroe told the council today he is concerned the budget's projected revenues are based on revenues such as the tunnel sale; a $25-million credit from the Police and Fire Retirement System pension fund; $22.3 million for the sale of surplus city-owned property; and $194.8 million in casino taxes.

The sales transactions have not be finalized, city officials have not completed negotiations for the pension fund credit, and the projected casino revenues were "overstated" by about $12.9 million, Monroe said.

When asked by Cockrel if the inclusion of these projected revenues in to the mayor's proposed budget really "translate in to a possible deficit," Monroe was noncommittal. The mayor’s office has said it expects the 2007-08 budget to end balanced, but the council’s Fiscal Analysis Division has projected a $113-million deficit.

Monroe said the budget "would be kind of risky based on those assumptions."

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By BEN EVANS
1 May 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Judiciary Committee threatened Thursday to subpoena former White House adviser Karl Rove if he does not agree by May 12 to testify about former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman's corruption case.

In a letter to Rove's attorney, committee Democrats called it "completely unacceptable" that the Republican political strategist has rejected the panel's request for sworn testimony even as he discusses the matter publicly through the media.

"We can see no justification for his refusal to speak on the record to the committee," the letter states. "We urge you and your client to reconsider ... or we will have no choice but to consider the use of compulsory process."

Committee Democrats are investigating whether Rove and Republican appointees at the Justice Department influenced Siegelman's prosecution to kill his chances for re-election. It is part of a broader inquiry into whether U.S. attorneys were fired for not aggressively pursuing cases against Democrats.

Siegelman, a Democrat who served one term as governor after being elected in 1998, was convicted in 2006 on bribery and other charges and sentenced to more than seven years in prison. He was recently released on bond pending appeal.

Last year, Alabama attorney and one-time Republican campaign volunteer Jill Simpson, told the committee under oath that she heard conversations among GOP operatives in 2002 suggesting that Rove was pushing the Justice Department to pursue a conviction against Siegelman. She also has said Rove asked her in 2001 to find evidence that Siegelman was cheating on his wife.

Rove, who frequently worked in Alabama politics before orchestrating President Bush's White House campaigns, has denied having anything to do with the case. In a recent magazine article, he called Simpson a "complete lunatic" and said he had never heard of her.

The career prosecutors who handled Siegelman's case also have denied any political influence.

Thursday's threat marks the latest development in a lengthy standoff between President Bush and Congress over testimony from current and former White House staffers.

The committee has issued or threatened subpoenas to more than half a dozen administration officials and is suing White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former presidential counsel Harriet Miers for refusing to comply with subpoenas on the U.S. attorney firings.

The White House has generally maintained that their testimony is off-limits from congressional oversight under executive privilege.

Rove's attorney, Robert Luskin, maintains that Rove must defer to that position. But as the White House has offered on other matters, Luskin wrote the committee this week that Rove would discuss the Siegelman case on the condition that his comments not be under oath and not be transcribed.

Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., and several other lawmakers rejected the offer, saying such an interview "will not permit us to obtain a straightforward and clear record."

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By ARON HELLER
The Associated Press
Friday, May 2, 2008

JERUSALEM -- Police questioned Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Friday in an investigation of campaign donations by a U.S. citizen - the fifth high-profile probe involving the Israeli leader whose popularity has badly suffered because of the repeated charges of corruption.

Olmert's office predicted he would weather the latest storm, but it threatened to further weaken his hold on power and potentially derail peace talks with Palestinians.

With a court-imposed gag order limiting information about the investigation, it isn't clear what allegations police are looking into, but Israeli law restricts how much politicians can get from donors. Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's son, Omri, is in jail for receiving donations that far exceeded the ceiling.

Olmert was questioned under caution, indicating police believed their interrogation could result in an indictment. If Olmert was indicted, he would have to resign. A decision on formal charges was at least months away.

Investigators arrived at Olmert's official residence in Jerusalem at midmorning and questioned him for 90 minutes, police said. Police would not disclose further information, citing the gag order.

Olmert's office said the questions dealt with donations raised by an American citizen between 1999 and 2002, before Olmert became prime minister. The money was meant to finance elections for the mayorship of Jerusalem and primaries in Olmert's former political party, Likud, the office said.

Olmert, a former Jerusalem mayor, was elected prime minister two years ago and heads another party, Kadima.

"The prime minister answered all of the investigators' questions on the subject, and will continue to cooperate with all legal authorities to the extent he is required to do so," the statement from Olmert's office said.

Another statement from Olmert's office Thursday said he "is convinced that with the discovery of the truth in the police investigation, the suspicions against him will dissipate."

Olmert is already a suspect in several corruption affairs involving real estate deals and questionable political appointments. He has been questioned several times in the past by police but has never been charged.

Labor party lawmaker Shelly Yachimovich, a member of Olmert's governing coalition, called the scope of charges swirling around the prime minister "unprecedented" and said he should suspend himself immediately.

"It has been proven beyond any doubt that the prime minister can't be under serial investigations and also suspected of crimes and also lead the country," she told Israel Radio.

Gideon Saar, a lawmaker in the opposition Likud, which has a big lead over Olmert's party in opinion polls, urged Labor to quit the Olmert-led government of "serial suspects" - a move that could cause the government to fall and force early elections.

"Olmert is the most-investigated prime minister in the history of Israel, and he is surrounded by people whose are related to the greatest number of criminal affairs in the history of Israel," Saar said.

Yoel Hasson, a Kadima lawmaker, came to Olmert's defense.

"From past experiences, we know that all the investigations started with a lot of noise and ended with nothing," he said. "The political system should not get hysterical and take brash political actions that will unsettle the government."

Israel's attorney general has ordered two criminal investigation into suspicions that Olmert acted improperly while he was trade minister. He is also suspected of improprieties in the purchase of a house in Jerusalem.

In November, police recommended closing another case involving allegations that he tried to steer a government bank sale in the direction of supporters.

Some of Olmert's close political allies have also had legal troubles. His finance minister had to step down under embezzlement suspicions, and another - now the country's vice premier - was convicted of sexual misconduct for forcibly kissing a female soldier.

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our flourishing economy

Bush Fixes Economy Whines About Congress

Dorkus W. Dildo had a press conference today, in his garden. He is very rich and has an entire hospital to attend to him and bombs anything that makes him confused and no matter what crime he does, he never gets sent to prison, so he is exactly like ordinary poor Americans like you. Bush Junior has heard about how maybe the "economic" is a problem, so he told those losers who still have to act like he's important — you know, the White House correspondents — that he "figured out" what was wrong and guess what, it's Congress, which has Democrats.

"The average person wants to know whether or not we know that they're paying higher gasoline prices and they're worried about staying in their homes," Bush said. Yes, that's a bunch of jumbled nonsense with a slight relation to the subject, so Consumer Confidence immediately plunged to its lowest level in nearly six years and consumer sentiment plunged to its lowest level in 26 years and inflation rose again and home prices are falling faster than ever with "no sign of the bottom" and the number of Americans who can even dream of affording a little vacation in the next six months fell to a 30-year low.

Said Bush Junior: "I repeatedly submitted proposal to help address the problems. Time after time, Congress chose to block them."

Nobody has any idea what he's talking about, or even cares about how he thinks he "repeatedly submitted proposal."

Congress and the White House did agree to send everybody in America a little bit of money, and those checks will start arriving this week. Many people plan to "splurge" by spending their Economic Stimulus money on the heating bill, or a 50-lb. sack of rice, or half a tank of gas.

Bush Says Congress Blocking Progress [CNN]

Too stupid to learn how to speak Yankistani let alone English, but can make $$$ hand over fist while we move and change jobs so we can afford gasoline.

Wonkette's so lovely.

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A high school student finds conservative bias in his American government textbook.

In my junior year of high school in New Jersey, my U.S. history teacher used the first week of class to preach his religious beliefs. He told students, among other things, that they "belong in hell" if they reject Jesus as their savior, that evolution and the Big Bang are ridiculous and unscientific theories, and that there were dinosaurs on Noah's Ark.

When I confronted him in the principal's office, he denied making the remarks. What he didn't realize was that I had recorded the classes. But even after I informed school officials what had happened, they ignored my concerns. So after more than a month, my parents and I took the news to the media.

At first, I was harassed and intimidated by other students. School officials ignored the harassment and even a death threat I received.

Only after the story became national news did the school district begin to take us seriously. After lengthy negotiations (and against continuing opposition from the school board), we finally persuaded the district to address the teacher's false and inappropriate remarks. The Anti-Defamation League was brought in to teach the faculty about the separation of church and state, and experts in the fields of church-state separation, evolution and cosmology came to our school to conduct assemblies.

After that, I thought I was done with controversy for a while. But now, in my senior year, I am back in the midst of it. In one of my classes, we use the 10th edition of "American Government" by James Q. Wilson, a well-known conservative academic, and John J. DiIulio, a political scientist and former head of President Bush's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. (2005). The text contains a statement, repeated three times, that students may not pray in public schools. In this edition of the text, the authors drive the point home with a photograph of students holding hands and praying outside a school. The caption reads: "The Supreme Court will not let this happen inside a public school."

I knew this was false. In fact, students are allowed to pray in schools; courts have ruled many times that a student's right to pray may not be abridged. What's generally impermissible is state-sponsored prayer, in which school officials lead prayer or students are called on or required to pray. It seemed clear to me that the purpose of the discussion in the textbook was to indoctrinate, not to educate.

Continued reading revealed numerous other instances of bias, as well as erroneous and misleading statements. For example, the section on global warming begins with a few well-chosen words to set the tone: "It is a foolish politician who today opposes environmentalism. And that creates a problem because not all environmental issues are equally deserving of support. Take the case of global warming."

The authors neglect to mention the growing scientific consensus on this subject. They dismiss those who are concerned about global warming -- that is, the overwhelming majority of scientists -- as "activists" motivated not by data but by "entrepreneurial politics." Those who deny or downplay it are described as "skeptical scientists."

Pointing out dissent within the scientific community is appropriate. Suggesting that the majority, but not the minority, is politically motivated is not appropriate. If a controversy truly exists, then the authors should not instruct students which side to "support."

I contacted a not-for-profit group called the Center for Inquiry. It enlisted support from scientists, including James Hansen, NASA's top climate scientist, and organizations, including Friends of the Earth and People for the American Way, to address concerns about the textbook.

What is most distressing is not that some public school teachers preach their religion, or that some authors put politics ahead of education. It is that it is so rare for anyone to call them on it. This text is widely used. Yet to my knowledge, no one has challenged these incorrect and misleading statements.

As Americans, we should stand up for our common values. We should champion education and settle for nothing less than the best. Our teachers should do the same and should not misuse their positions to promote their personal agendas.

Matthew LaClair is a high school student in Kearny, N.J.

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Capitol Launches Intra-Office Laser War?

12:53 PM on Fri Apr 25 2008
By Jim Newell

Thanks to Wonkette laser operative "A." for sending this photo from outside the House office buildings today. Apparently everyone on Capitol Hill is going to stop pretending to "fix the country" and play Laser War all afternoon instead.

Wonkette rocks.

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