Wisconsin Supreme Court will not review voter I.D. case

This moves the process forward. Only a U.S. Supreme Court ruling can over turn this now.

From WKOW:

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has refused to take up of appeals of rulings blocking a new state law requiring voters to present photo identification at the polls.

The court did not explain why it was not taking up either appeal (League of Women Voters and NAACP) in separate orders issued Monday.

Four of the seven justices had to agree to take the cases for the high court to hear them.

Two separate state appeals courts last month had asked the court to take up the appeals and consolidate the cases in order to speed resolution.

The photo ID requirement was blocked by two separate Dane County circuit court judges last month. A trial in one of those cases began Monday

Barney Frank “We are gonna need a bigger Bailout”

No word yet on a reach around from Frank

BLOOMBERG

Frank Is ‘Open’ to Increasing U.S. Bailout’s Size (Update1)

Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) — House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank said he would consider expanding the $700 billion financial-rescue fund, and expects the Obama administration will soon address banks’ toxic assets.

“I am open to that if they can demonstrate the need for it,” Frank told reporters in Washington today when asked if he’d approve a request to enlarge the Troubled Asset Relief Program. “I do think they will be addressing fairly soon the question of what you do about the bad assets” on banks’ balance sheets, he said.

Frank’s remarks indicate a growing recognition among lawmakers that President Barack Obama’s economy team will need more than the $350 billion of TARP that has yet to be committed. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said last week he “would not be surprised” at a request for an increase.

Frank said he expects to begin working with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner “immediately” on rules to stabilize the banking system, including a plan to buy soured mortgages.

Congress this month released the remaining $350 billion of TARP funds to the Obama administration. Frank and other congressional leaders have faulted former President George W. Bush and his Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson for not using the initial $350 billion released in October to stem foreclosures and spur lending.

Frank said he’d consider releasing more funds if the Obama administration showed “that there is a problem, that what they’re doing is helping alleviate the problem and that they’re doing it in a way that is supportable.”

Administration officials and banking regulators are considering ideas including setting up a “bad bank” to remove the toxic assets curbing banks’ ability to make new loans. Geithner, who was sworn in yesterday as Treasury secretary, last week pledged “much more substantial action” on a “very dramatic scale” to repair the financial system.

Leader of UN General Assembly and Sandinista leader invites Obama to UN

STAR ONLINE

Obama invited to address United Nations

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. General Assembly president, a former minister in a left-wing Nicaraguan government, has congratulated Barack Obama on being elected U.S. president and invited him to address the assembly.

Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann sent Obama a letter this week suggesting that he address the other 191 U.N. member states “at his convenience after assuming his new functions,” assembly spokesman Enrique Yeves told reporters on Friday.

Obama, a Democrat, takes office on Jan. 20 following his Nov. 4 election victory over Republican John McCain.

The U.S. president always addresses the General Assembly at its annual general debate in September, but is not limited to then. Outgoing President George W. Bush spoke on Thursday at an assembly debate on dialogue between different religions.

A U.N. official said he could not immediately recall a case of a General Assembly president sending a similar letter to a newly elected leader and suggested D’Escoto wanted to show readiness to work with the new U.S. administration despite his anti-American reputation.

The invitation comes after years of strained ties between the United Nations and the Bush administration, partly centering over the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, which former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said was illegal.

D’Escoto was foreign minister in Nicaragua’s Sandinista government in the 1980s, when it was battling a U.S.-backed Contra insurgency. In a 2004 interview he described former U.S. President Ronald Reagan as “the butcher of my people” and said Bush was Reagan’s spiritual heir.

сверлить младенца сверлить (Drill Baby Drill)

No not our illustrious House Speaker. The Russians are set to take advantage of Pelosi’s folly

   

RUSSIA TODAY

Russia plots course in race for the Arctic

Russia’s Security Council is set to meet to work out the country’s strategy in the Arctic. The region contains an estimated 25 per cent of the world’s remaining oil and gas. Russia is among those keen to claim it.

According to the United Nations’ Law of Sea, any state with an Arctic coastline that wishes to stake a claim to the region must lodge its submission with the UN’s Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

And that is exactly what Russia intends to do.

Geologists estimate there are around 10 billion tonnes of fuel equivalent in the Arctic seabed – the same as Russia’s total oil reserve.

The country’s specialists want to prove that the Lomonosov ridge, a vast underwater mountain range that runs underneath the Arctic, is an extension of the Siberian continental shelf.

Should they succeed – it would be the icing on the Arctic cake. But whether Russia’s claim cuts any ice with the UN is anybody’s guess – as the other contenders will certainly not give up without a fight.

“The challenge for Russia is that its Arctic neighbours have long started to formulate their own Arctic strategy, while Russia needs a great deal of inter-ministry and inter-departmental coordination in order to come up with a solid strategy in terms of diplomacy, geology and economy. It’s for that reason that the Security Council wants to set up some very specific goals and then an action plan,” political analyst Mikhail Troitsky said.

Successful expedition

In August 2007, Russia’s Arktika expedition scored a spectacular success. It achieved the first crewed descent to the North Pole’s ocean floor, bringing fame and recognition to the crew.

But it also began a 5-way tug of war.

Russia, Canada, the USA, Norway and Denmark are now fighting for the right to claim the ocean bed as their own.

And while the subject matter may be ice cold – the debates are heating up.

“Canada’s government understands the first rule of Arctic sovereignty: use it or loose it,” Canada’s PM Stephen Harper has said.

John Kerry facing election tonight whips out the DailyKos view

Good Greif Kerry you lost in 2004 LET IT GO

WBZTV

Kerry Race Headlines Primary Day

BOSTON (WBZ) ― Four years after losing his party’s bid to unseat President Bush, John Kerry is asking Democratic voters to back him for another term in the Senate.

Kerry faces his first Democratic challenger in 24 years in Tuesday’s primary election in Massachusetts. The winner of the race with Gloucester attorney Ed O’Reilly will square off in November against Republican Jeff Beatty, a former CIA official.

U.S. Rep. John Olver of Amherst is challenged in the Democratic primary by Stockbridge attorney Robert Feuer. 
 
Secretary of State William Galvin says he expects voter turnout to be low, because there is only one statewide race.

Polls are open until 8 p.m.

Obama on gun control in 2004

Maplight. Shining a light on Congress’ Cockroaches

While websurfing found this article. Make sure to go to Maplight below. They show who backed what bills and who gave the Senator or Congressperson money for their campaigns.

ABC NEWS

The turmoil on Wall Street is fueling political attacks, but so far it’s done nothing to help consumers with credit problems. A bill that could help has stalled in Congress and ABC7 takes at look at a local organization that is tracking that bill and the money behind it.

 

The bill is the Credit Card Holder’s Bill of Rights. It would prevent credit card companies from doing things like jacking up interest rates retroactively. Maplight.org is a non-profit organization that tracks congressional legislation. They also track political contributions.

In a converted two-bedroom apartment in Berkeley, Maplight.org is following the money.

Some of the interesting finds

MAPLIGHT.ORG

Barack Obama

Attorneys & law firms	$21,111,908
Retired	$15,837,737
General commerce	$8,865,265
Schools & colleges	$6,900,164
Security brokers & investment companies	$5,063,939
Business services	$3,033,992
Civil servant/public employee	$2,881,575
Democratic/Liberal	$2,742,809
Book, newspaper & periodical publishing	$2,595,116
Real estate	$2,409,952

Nancy Pelosi

 

 

Attorneys & law firms	$224,150
Pro-Israel	$146,490
Retired	$125,100
Building trades unions	$125,000
Lobbyists & Public Relations	$111,650
Life insurance	$104,250
Commercial banks & bank holding companies	$82,100
Real Estate developers & subdividers	$75,700
Security brokers & investment companies	$75,150
Mortgage bankers and brokers	$60,600

John Murtha

Defense electronic contractors	$401,200
Lobbyists & Public Relations	$255,650
Attorneys & law firms	$194,990
Hospitals	$167,350
Defense aerospace contractors	$124,400
Data processing & computer services	$123,150
Computer software	$114,300
Defense-related services	$98,250
Retired	$94,250

Charlie Rangel out as Ways and Means and Chair ?

Rangel Meeting Pelosi Tonight, Source Says
By Glenn Thrush

(The Politico) Embattled Charlie Rangel will meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to discuss ethics issues stemming from his messy personal finances and his failure to disclose income from a Dominican beach rental property, says a source close to the Rangel.

So far, the Harlem Democrat has rebuffed calls to step down as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, possibly a temporary move until a House ethics probe is completed.

UPDATE: Rangel will meet the speaker at around 5 p.m. in the Capitol — and will address a group of a Ways and Means Democrats afterwards, which some Democrats are interpreting the second meeting as a sign he will announce a change in his status.

Other people familiar close to Rangel say he has no intention of stepping down

Hillary supporter “I have no good words for that half-breed Muslin”

The democratic party is one big tent  (padded room)

TV 13 Florida

Obama Sign In Yard Stirs Up Neighbors

Wednesday, September 10, 2008 9:11:10 PM

BAREFOOT BAY – A sign in one Barefoot Bay yeard is stirring up a controversy.

Neighbors of Andy Lacasse say the sign, which says “OBAMA HALF-BREED MUSLIN [sic]” breaches the fine line between free speech and inappropriateness.
 
“I got nothing good to say about Obama,” Lacasse told News 13.

Lacasse put the sign in his front yard four days ago.

“If I see anybody touching that sign, I got a club sitting right over there,” Lacasse said.

The Korean War veteran said he was a registered Democrat until Obama won the nomination.

“That’s the Democratic Party. They’re nothing but a bunch of cutthroats. Like I always said, you show me an honest politician, I’ll show you an honest thief,” Lacasse said.

But Lacasse’s neighbors are not all content with letting him show his opinion where everyone can see it.

“When you use words in that nature, people tend to discount anything you have to say,” said Steve Rice. “If you’re going to attract attention, at least make sure your spelling is right.”

Rice was referring to the misspelling of Muslim. He lives a couple streets away and says everyone is talking about the sign. He said he has no problem with free speech. He just doesn’t think it’s appropriate to bring race into the issue.

Also , the sign is just plain wrong. While many people think Obama is Muslim, he is a Christian.

Rice dropped by the chat with Lacasse, whom he hadn’t met. They talked about campaign tactics and the fact Rice was a Clinton supporter.

“Are you happy what they did to her?” Lacasse asked.

“Of course not, but am I going to post a sign going after a race or group of people because of it? No, I’m going to say vote for someone else,” Rice replied.

“Look what he’s doing to Palin. Come on. He got people going to Alaska, looking for something to say bad about her,” Lacasse said.

Lacasse said he plans to put a even bigger sign in place of the small handmade one that is already there.

Gov. Ed Rendell “The GOP is telling the BIG lie”

LANCASTER

Gov. Ed Rendell Monday summed up Sen. John McCain’s campaign and the Republican National Convention last week with three words: “The Big Lie.”

 

Making his first remarks here since the GOP convention, Rendell convened a news conference Monday afternoon on the grass-and-concrete patio in front of Franklin & Marshall College’s Alumni Sports & Fitness Center, 24 hours before McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, were scheduled to appear for a rally.

Rendell, laughing during a lighthearted moment, called on the McCain campaign to suspend by Wednesday all ads he says are mischaracterizing Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama by indicating he plans to raise taxes on all Americans.

“What is going on is a deliberate campaign: I call it ‘The Big Lie,’ ” Rendell said. “Speaker after speaker after speaker created the impression in the American people’s minds that Barack Obama was going to raise their taxes. Television ad after television ad, you can’t hear a television ad without hearing Barack Obama’s going to raise taxes.”

Republicans immediately shot back Monday evening.

“I don’t hear many things he doesn’t want to raise taxes on,” said state Republican Party spokesman Michael Barley.

Rendell — surrounded by Lancaster city officials, including Mayor Rick Gray, local Obama supporters and former U.S. Sen. Harris Wofford — focused his attack on what he said are “lies” perpetuated by Republicans, including McCain and Palin, about Obama’s tax plans.

He even penned a letter that Abe Amoros, political and communications director for the state Democratic Party, will try to hand-deliver to McCain during the F&M event. The letter outlines Obama’s and McCain’s tax plans, then says: “I hope that you will stop misleading the American public about Barack Obama’s tax plan.”