ARTICLES and ANSWERS 2020

Link to Congressman’s Brother Is Said to Have Bribed School Official – New York Times

Link to NASA checking Atlantis’ heat shield – Human Spaceflight – MSNBC.com

Link to Nice timing: Sosa hits 600th HR — vs. Cubs – Baseball – MSNBC.com

Link to State Farm accused of Katrina racketeering – U.S. Business – MSNBC.com

Link to Top U.S. nuclear envoy to visit North Korea – Focus on North Korea – MSNBC.com

More than 800 hacker attacks, virus outbreaks and other problems

Link to DHS acknowledges own computer break-ins – Security – MSNBC.com

WHITE HOUSE 2008

SENATE 2008

GOVERNOR 2008

GOVERNOR 2007

SPECIAL
ELECTIONS 2007

Link to Scientifically based animation of 9/11 attacks a challenge for CS servers

Link to Reuters AlertNet – Last year one of worst ever for refugees-UNHCR chief

Link to WP: A mystery of fish mortality – washingtonpost.com Highlights – MSNBC.com

Link to Superbugs spreading among urban poor – Infectious Diseases – MSNBC.com

Link to Care for Iraq wounded a national shame – Second Opinion – MSNBC.com

Link to Fleeing Gazans languish in tunnel to Israel – Focus on Israel/Palestinians – MSNBC.com

2 mosques hit in apparent retaliation for bombing that killed at least 87

Source: 2 mosques hit as Baghdad blast toll rises – Conflict in Iraq – MSNBC.com

About 100 evacuated from nearby homes; parked cars catch fire

Link to Fire sweeps Philadelphia warehouse – U.S. Life – MSNBC.com

Link to Bush to Veto Stem Cell Bill – washingtonpost.com

Link to ‘Hot’ gas is hot topic in courts and Congress – Oil & Energy – MSNBC.com

Link to Cadbury to cut jobs as drinks sale nears – International Business – MSNBC.com

Link to Army weighs longer tours in Iraq – Conflict in Iraq – MSNBC.com

Link to S.C. treasurer charged with cocaine distribution – Politics – MSNBC.com

Link to 78 Killed by Bombing at Baghdad Mosque – MSNBC Wire Services – MSNBC.com

Link to Mortar Rounds Hit Baghdad’s Green Zone – MSNBC Wire Services – MSNBC.com

Link to Reuters AlertNet – CHRONOLOGY-The deadliest bomb attacks in Iraq

Link to Portman to step down as Bush budget chief: reports – MarketWatch

The Use of RNC E-mail Accounts by White House Officials and Possible Violations of the Presidential Records Act

"Chairman Waxman releases a report detailing the use of RNC political e-mail accounts by 88 White House officials. Senior advisor Karl Rove sent and received at least 140,216 e-mails on his RNC e-mail account, more than any other White House official, including over 75,000 e-mails communicating with individuals using official ".gov" e-mail accounts. Deposition testimony from Susan Ralston, Mr. Rove’s former executive assistant, provides evidence that the White House Counsel’s office may have known in 2001 that Mr. Rove was using his RNC e-mail account for official correspondence but took no action to preserve these official communications."

Click here to learn more about the report.

Documents and Links

• Investigation of Possible Violations of the Presidential Records Act
•  Deposition of Susan Ralston
•  Errata Sheet for Deposition of Susan Ralston

Link to Girl, woman drown in Texas flooding – Weather – MSNBC.com

Link to Boy, 11, killed by bear at camp site – U.S. Life – MSNBC.com

Link to UPDATE 2-U.S. home builder index lowest since Feb 1991 – NAHB | Bonds News | Reuters.com

Link to Western powers lift Gaza embargo | Israel and the Middle East | Guardian Unlimited

Employers can legally reduce salary, fine workers for infractions

Link to Watch your step — pay-docking ahead – Your Career – MSNBC.com

4,500 people may have been exposed during procedures, authorities say 

Link to 3 hepatitis C cases tied to NY anesthesiologist – Infectious Diseases – MSNBC.com

Link to Security worsens in eight African states – Africa – MSNBC.com

Link to USNews.com: Political Bulletin: Monday, June 18, 2007

Link to N Korea reactor close to shutdown: US – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Link to Ethanol could keep price of gas high – Oil & Energy – MSNBC.com

Link to EU Tries to Clear Constitution Hurdle – WSJ.com

Link to Microsoft Buys Stake In Chinese TV Maker – Forbes.com

Link to VOA News – 7 Children Killed in Strike on Al-Qaida Hideout

Link to US denies prior knowledge of abuse | | The Australian

Link to Petraeus: Iraq ‘Challenges’ to Last for Years – washingtonpost.com

Link to GE, Pearson talk joint bid for Dow Jones – Business – MSNBC.com

Link to U.S. poised to lift Palestinian embargo – Focus on Israel/Palestinians – MSNBC.com

The idea of Father’s Day was conceived by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Wash., while she listened to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on a farm. A day in June was chosen for the first Father’s Day celebration – June 19, 1910, proclaimed by SpokaneÂ’s mayor because it was the month of Smart’s birth. The first presidential proclamation honoring fathers was issued in 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Father’s Day has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it permanent.

Click Here to read facts about Fathers

Link to 35 killed in Afghan bus blast – Focus on Afghanistan – MSNBC.com

Link to Memo details plan to topple Laos regime – Asia-Pacific – MSNBC.com

Link to Iraq War – Photos, Multimedia & News – International News – New York Times

Link to Second Sunni Mosque Is Blown Up in Basra – New York Times

Link to Nifong broke conduct rules, committee finds – Duke lacrosse scandal – MSNBC.com

Link to WP: Iraq contractors face mounting losses – washingtonpost.com Highlights – MSNBC.com

Link to Missing GIs’ ID cards found in Iraq – Conflict in Iraq – MSNBC.com

Link to Poor Dad: The Inequity of Father’s Day – Newsweek Business – MSNBC.com

Link to Suicide risks seen at two veterans hospitals – Military Affairs – MSNBC.com

Link to Gates makes surprise stop in Iraq – Conflict in Iraq – MSNBC.com

Link to Tentative agreement reached on immigration – Politics – MSNBC.com

Link to Data stolen from 64,000 Ohio gov. workers – Security – MSNBC.com

Link to Dallas: 1st Big City With Openly Gay Mayor? – Newsweek Politics – MSNBC.com

Link to Woman dies in ER lobby as 911 refuses to help – More Health News – MSNBC.com

Link to Gaza Strip spirals toward civil war – Focus on Israel/Palestinians – MSNBC.com

Link to Minarets on Golden Dome destroyed – Conflict in Iraq – MSNBC.com

Link to Reuters Business News: Boeing sees 28,600 new planes over next 20 yrs – MSN Money

Link to South Africa faces shutdown as strike intensifies – Forbes.com

Link to Clinton Gets Spielberg Endorsement | World Latest | Guardian Unlimited

Link to The Gate: Breaking: Subpoena En Route To Harriet Miers (06/13/07)

Link to Talk of attacking Iran escalates tensions | csmonitor.com

Link to Foreign Policy In Focus | The Elephants of Missile Defense

Link to United Press International – NewsTrack – Top News – Soldier missing five days at Texas base

Link to Bush takes immigration case to GOP – Politics – MSNBC.com

Link to 7 Afghan police killed in friendly fire – Focus on Afghanistan – MSNBC.com

Link to 2 Iraqi bridges bombed in 2 days – Conflict in Iraq – MSNBC.com

Link to Shuttle’s mission extended for repairs – Human Spaceflight – MSNBC.com

Link to Marines blame N.C. base’s water for health ills – More Health News – MSNBC.com

Link to New York’s terror worries expand to trucks – U.S. Security – MSNBC.com

Link to Bush setback on ‘enemy combatants’ – U.S. Security – MSNBC.com

Link to Specter to vote against Gonzales – Politics – MSNBC.com

Link to Flooding, landslides kill dozens in China – Weather – MSNBC.com

Link to Court to investigate vaccine link to autism – Mental Health – MSNBC.com

Link to What’s a CEO worth? Millions … and then some – U.S. Business – MSNBC.com

Link to Bomb collapses Iraqi overpass – Conflict in Iraq – MSNBC.com

Link to Soldiers struggle to find therapists – Mental Health – MSNBC.com

Link to Colin Powell: Guantamano should be closed – Politics – MSNBC.com

Link to WP: Military sees longer Iraq stay – washingtonpost.com Highlights – MSNBC.com

Link to WP: Dems, NRA reach deal on gun bill – washingtonpost.com Highlights – MSNBC.com

Link to $3 Gadget Produces Safe Drinking Water – Newsweek: Project Green – MSNBC.com

Link to 6 shot dead in Wis. – Crime & Punishment – MSNBC.com

By Patricia L Johnson

For lack of a better word it will suffice to say the justice system in the U.S. totally sucks.  It is biased, prejudiced and unfair.  

It is safe to assume if two people commit murder and one is rich and one is poor, the wealthy defendant will receive a much lighter sentence than the individual that does not have the money to purchase adequate representation. 

Public defenders are provided for those that cannot afford a lawyer, but the fact is most public defenders have so many cases they really don’t have time to give you their best effort.

In all too many cases the end result will be a negotiated plea agreement because the courts are overrun with cases and judges don’t have time to listen to everyone’s case, so an agreement between the two opposing attorneys is encouraged and the judge simply reviews and signs the agreed order.

If you’re lucky or, unlucky enough, to actually stand before a judge and jury of your peers, remember jurors are simply average people and when you have a group of 12 people in any situation there is going to be one or two that are in control and will probably use their influence to sway the other jurors into their line of thinking.

As flawed as our system is, it worked for hundreds of years until we learned the power of the pen, or in this day and age, the power of a word processor.

The Whitehouse Press Release on June 8, 2007 indicated President Bush has added 9 people to his administration as follows:

President George W. Bush today announced that he has named nine individuals to serve in his Administration:

 

• The President has named J. Michael Farren to be Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President…
• The President has named William Burck to be Deputy Assistant to the President and Special Counsel to the President…
• The President has named Emmet Flood to be Deputy Assistant to the President and Special Counsel to the President…
• The President has named Scott Coffina to be Associate Counsel to the President…
• The President has named Amy F. Dunathan to be Associate Counsel to the President…
• The President has named Francis Q. Hoang to be Associate Counsel to the President…
• The President has named Al Lambert to be Associate Counsel to the President…
• The President has named Michael Purpura to be Associate Counsel to the President…
• The President has named Kate Todd to be Associate Counsel to the President…

Why does President Bush need NINE new counsels? 

Perhaps the answer is loopholes.  With enough legal loopholes our entire justice system can be overturned in no time at all.

An example of justice being overturned by a legal loophole is the pending motion before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia – United States of America v. I. Lewis Libby – also known as "Scooter Libby," Defendant.  CR. No. 05-394 (RBW)

When you can’t win a case using the law as a defense what do you do?  You challenge the law! 

Scooter Libby lost his case and has been sentenced to 30 months in jail for his wrongdoings. 

Twelve professors,

VIKRAM AMAR, RANDY E. BARNETT, ROBERT H. BORK, ALAN M. DERSHOWITZ, VIET D. DINH, DOUGLAS W. KMIEC, GARY S. LAWSON, EARL M. MALTZ, THOMAS W. MERRILL, ROBERT F. NAGEL, RICHARD D. PARKER, AND ROBERT J. PUSHAW

in an attempt to delay his sentence, have filed a Motion questioning the constitutionality of the appointment of Patrick Fitzgerald. 

ARGUMENT
THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL, CLOSE QUESTION ABOUT THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE APPOINTMENT OF A FEDERAL PROSECUTOR WHO WAS NOT APPOINTED TO THE RELEVANT POSITION BY THE PRESIDENT AND TAKES NO ORDERS FROM A DEPARTMENTAL SUPERIOR, EVEN IF THAT PROSECUTOR IS REMOVABLE AT WILL

Patrick J. Fitzgerald has been duly appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to serve as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. As this Court has recognized, however, that appointment was to an inferior office within the meaning of the Appointments Clause, and “he cannot be given duties that would elevate him to a ‘principal officer’” without a separate presidential appointment and Senate confirmation. 429 F. Supp. 2d at 43-44 n.15; see U.S. Const. Art. II, § 2, cl. 2.

U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton has scheduled a hearing for Thursday, June 14, 2007, on this matter.

With nine additional attorneys on the payroll (remember the American taxpayer is paying for these services) it will be interesting to see how many more ways the laws of our country can be challenged before this administration leaves office in January of 2009.

While you’re thinking about the Scooter Libby case, take into consideration the fact the media continually reports that Scooter Libby was Vice-President Cheney’s Chief of Staff but seldom acknowledges, as indicated in the Grand Jury indictment, that Libby was also employed as “ASSISTANT to the PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES.

Link to Top military chiefs being replaced – Military Affairs – MSNBC.com

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 8, 2007

Personnel Announcement

President George W. Bush today announced that he has named nine individuals to serve in his Administration:

The President has named J. Michael Farren to be Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President. Mr. Farren recently served as Corporate Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the Xerox Corporation. Prior to this, he served as Under Secretary for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Earlier in his career, he served as Deputy Campaign Manager for the Bush-Quayle Re-election Committee and Deputy Director of President George H.W. Bush’s Transition Team. Mr. Farren received his bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University, his master’s degree from Trinity College, and his JD from the University of Connecticut.

The President has named William Burck to be Deputy Assistant to the President and Special Counsel to the President. Mr. Burck recently served as Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Staff Secretary at the White House. Earlier in his career, he served as Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Anthony M. Kennedy of the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Burck received his bachelor’s degree from Yale University and his JD from Yale Law School.

The President has named Emmet Flood to be Deputy Assistant to the President and Special Counsel to the President. Mr. Flood recently was a Partner at Williams & Connolly, LLP. Prior to this, he served as a Law Clerk to Associate Justice Antonin Scalia of the Supreme Court of the United States. Earlier in his career, he served as Law Clerk for Judge Ralph K. Winter, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Mr. Flood received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Dallas and his JD from Yale Law School. He received his master’s degree and PhD from the University of Texas at Austin.

The President has named Scott Coffina to be Associate Counsel to the President. Mr. Coffina recently served as a Partner at Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads in Philadelphia. Earlier in his career, he served as Assistant United States Attorney in United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and an Associate at Miller Alfano & Raspanti in Philadelphia. Mr. Coffina received his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and his JD from the University of Pennsylvania.

The President has named Amy F. Dunathan to be Associate Counsel to the President. Ms. Dunathan recently served as an Associate at Wiley Rein & Fielding, LLP. Earlier in her career, she served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Ricardo M. Urbina of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and as Senior Republican Counsel at the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs. Ms. Dunathan received her bachelor’s degree from Brown University and her JD from Georgetown University Law Center.

The President has named Francis Q. Hoang to be Associate Counsel to the President. Mr. Hoang recently served as an Associate at Williams & Connolly LLP. Earlier in his career, he served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Thomas B. Griffith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Deputy Chief of Police and SWAT Commander at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Mr. Hoang received his bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy, his master’s degree from Washburn University and his JD from Georgetown University Law Center.

The President has named Al Lambert to be Associate Counsel to the President. Mr. Lambert recently served as an Associate at Wiley Rein & Fielding, LLP. Earlier in his career, he served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Laurence H. Silberman, United States Court of Appeals, DC Circuit and Summer Associate at Patton Boggs, LLP. Mr. Lambert received his bachelor’s degree from New York University and his JD from Harvard Law School.

The President has named Michael Purpura to be Associate Counsel to the President. Mr. Purpura recently served as Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General at the United States Department of Justice. Earlier in his career, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii and as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Purpura received his bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy and his JD from the Columbia University School of Law.

The President has named Kate Todd to be Associate Counsel to the President. Ms. Todd recently served as a Partner at Wiley Rein & Fielding, LLP. Earlier in her career, she served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court of the United States and a Law Clerk to the Honorable J. Michael Luttig of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Ms. Todd received her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and her JD from Harvard Law School.

# # #

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 8, 2007

Personnel Announcement

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate one individual to serve in his Administration.

The President intends to nominate Thomas J. Barrett, of Alaska, to be Deputy Secretary of Transportation. Mr. Barrett currently serves as Acting Deputy Secretary of Transportation and Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration at the Department of Transportation. Prior to this, he served as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. Earlier in his career, he served as Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard. Mr. Barrett received his bachelor’s degree from Le Moyne College and his JD from George Washington University.

# # #

Link to Credit score ruling supremely disappointing – The Red Tape Chronicles – MSNBC.com

Link to U.S. trade deficit fell in April – Stocks & Economy – MSNBC.com

Link to FT.com / World – ‘CIA secret prisoner’ trial starts in Italy

Link to globeandmail.com: Factbox: secret CIA prisons in Europe

Link to E. coli can lurk at the beach – LiveScience – MSNBC.com

Link to New meningitis shot may end epidemics – Infectious Diseases – MSNBC.com

Link to West Nile deaths at highest since 2003 – Infectious Diseases – MSNBC.com

Link to Army general chosen to advise Bush on wars is skeptical about military buildup in Iraq – Politics – MSNBC.com

Link to Meat recall expands on E. coli fears – Infectious Diseases – MSNBC.com

Link to Diabetes drug to get ‘black box’ warning – Diabetes – MSNBC.com