An enigma, wrapped in a paradox, inside a jelly donut.
I’ve gotten some press (pun embraced wholeheartedly) from my Automattic coworker Lloyd Budd regarding the fact that I’ve recently begun contributing to WordPress 2.5. It’s been fun; I’ve learned a lot in a very short period of time. And yes, while WordPress 2.5 finishes baking, I am working hurriedly on a new design for WordPress.org.
Texas Republicans have worked overtime to make it harder for key Democratic voting groups to vote and be represented fairly. The redistricting games they’ve played are infamous. And for the Prairie View A&M University precincts, they put the early-polling place more than seven miles from the school.
So what did the students in this video do? They shut down the highway as they marched seven miles to cast their votes on the first day of early voting.
Last Night, 60 Minutes aired its repeatedly-delayed report on the federal prosecution of former Alabama governor Don Siegelman. I highly suggest watching the segment if you’re interested in Alabama politics—or if you’re interested in knowing more about the Bush administration’s platform of trickle-down corruption.
A few (unbelievable) points mentioned in the story, and a few I found after watching the segment:
The prosecution was handled by the office of U.S. Attorney Leura Canary, whose husband Bill Canary had run the campaign of Siegelman’s opponent, Gov. Bob Riley.
The government’s key witness, former Siegelman aide Nick Bailey, was facing 10 years in prison on extortion charges when he agreed to testify against Siegelman in exchange for a lighter sentence.
Fifty-two state attorneys-general, of both parties, have asked Congress to investigate the case.
It has been almost eight months since Siegelman’s trial ended, and the court has yet to produce a trial transcript—without which Siegelman is unable to appeal his conviction.
Evidence of e-mails sent between jurors on the case was found, including one reading ”Gov and pastor (Scrushy’s nickname) up s—t creek, all public officials are scum; especially this one; pastor is really a piece of work…they missed before, but we won’t…also keep working on (another juror).”
Karl Rove and others at the White House were subpoenaed to testify before Congress but they refused to appear. The Justice Department has refused to turn over hundreds of documents in the case.
On October 4, 2007, Judge Mark Fuller, the judge who presided over the Siegelman trial, issued an order stating that the case had no grounds for appeal. The same day, Fuller’s aviation company was awarded an $18.1 million contract from the federal government.
Clinton aide Harold Ickes says the rules should be changed for Michigan and Florida now that his candidate, Hillary Clinton, won the two supposedly-uncontested primaries. This is the same Harold Ickes that supported stripping the states of their delegates before Clinton had won in those states. It’s like the Democratic Party has our own little Karl Rove. Gross.
“What she has to do is get rid of the kneecapers that work for her, these press people whose main job seems to be punishing Obama or going after the press, to building a positive case for her,” said Matthews. “Her campaign slogan right now is don’t get your hopes up. That won’t work in America. You can’t diminish Obama and hope that you will rise from the ashes.
If I’d tried all day, I would’ve never come up with a better contrast between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama than the aforementioned “Yes We Can” video and this train wreck I just found on YouTube:
Barack Obama has won the popular vote in Alabama. I’m so proud that my streak of picking losers in presidential politics is finally over. Barack Obama has won the popular vote in my home state, and I’m happy to say that my mom and I got to help make it happen. Particularly nice: Obama won the most votes of any candidate in the state, including Republican winner Mike Huckabee (who only got 5,000 more votes than 2nd-place Clinton).
