A Little Less Meager Than The Other One

The chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, Saul Anuzis, is circulating a petition among Republican National Committee members to ban Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul from more debates.

"The chairman of the Michigan Republican Party said Wednesday that he will try to bar Ron Paul from future GOP presidential debates because of remarks the Texas congressman made that suggested the Sept. 11 attacks were the fault of U.S. foreign policy," reports the Associated Press.

Fancy that... Listen to what Ron Paul has to say... I think he's brilliant.

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The American Freedom Agenda’s (AFA) mission is twofold: the enactment of a cluster of statutes that would restore the Constitution’s checks and balances as enshrined by the Founding Fathers; and, making the subject a staple of political campaigns and of foremost concern to Members of Congress and to voters and educators. Especially since 9/11, the executive branch has chronically usurped legislative or judicial power, and has repeatedly claimed that the President is the law. The constitutional grievances against the White House are chilling, reminiscent of the kingly abuses that provoked the Declaration of Independence.

The 10-point American Freedom Agenda would work to restore the roles of Congress and the federal judiciary to prevent such abuses of power and protect against injustices that are the signature of civilized nations. In particular, the American Freedom Agenda would:

• Prohibit military commissions whose verdicts are suspect except in places of active hostilities where a battlefield tribunal is necessary to obtain fresh testimony or to prevent anarchy;
• Prohibit the use of secret evidence or evidence obtained by torture or coercion in military or civilian tribunals;
• Prohibit the detention of American citizens as unlawful enemy combatants without proof of criminal activity on the President’s say-so;
• Restore habeas corpus for alleged alien enemy combatants, i.e., non-citizens who have allegedly participated in active hostilities against the United States, to protect the innocent;
• Prohibit the National Security Agency from intercepting phone conversations or emails or breaking and entering homes on the President’s say-so in violation of federal law;
• Empower the House of Representatives and the Senate collectively to challenge in the Supreme Court the constitutionality of signing statements that declare the intent of the President to disregard duly enacted provisions of bills he has signed into law because he maintains they are unconstitutional;
• Prohibit the executive from invoking the state secrets privilege to deny justice to victims of constitutional violations perpetrated by government officers or agents; and, establish legislative-executive committees in the House and Senate to adjudicate the withholding of information from Congress based on executive privilege that obstructs oversight and government in the sunshine;
• Prohibit the President from kidnapping, detaining, and torturing persons abroad in collaboration with foreign governments;
• Amend the Espionage Act to permit journalists to report on classified national security matters without fear of prosecution; and;
• Prohibit the listing of individuals or organizations with a presence in the United States as global terrorists or global terrorist organizations based on secret evidence.

Thanks, arisbe...

“The controversy with the Attorney General is symptomatic of a more serious illness within this Administration – which is the desire for unchecked power,” said AFA Chairman Bruce Fein. “As fellow conservatives, we believe we have a greater responsibility than most to stand up to this particular Administration and demand that it respect the checks and balances established by the Founding Fathers. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, regardless of party affiliation, and we can no more remain silent to the abuses occurring under President Bush than we could if a President Clinton were in office. In advancing the American Freedom Agenda, we are all Conservatives, we are all Liberals, we are all Republicans, we are all Democrats. We are above all Americans who cherish the Constitution more than partisan advantage.”

Tonight is the GOP debate. Why let it go by without a healthy dose of octogenarian competition.

Here's how you can create your own Republican Buzzword Bingo card!

I'd love it if you could post your bingo in the replies!

I got a call from my parents today that confused me. They had cut out my letter to editor of the Huntsville Times... one that I had honestly forgotted that I had written.

At three in the morning early last week, I went onto the Free The Hops website to see how the battle was going in our state legislature for higher alcohol beer. I was dissapointed to find out that the bill had been voted down. I was disgusted when I read the reasons BEHIND voting it down, but the real kicker was when I read that the Huntsville representative had voted no.

Huntsville is a very progressive city, so it totally baffled me. With people moving here from all over the country, it seemed totally logical that our city would stand behind this move to allow the sale of beer beyond the strict margins that were previously assigned. I decided to send an e-mail to my representative to voice my frustration, but I was worried it would seem empty and shallow by his office... so I needed to give it some weight... and I CC'd it to the Editor of the Huntsville Times.

So... here's what I wrote:

( Text of the Letter behind the cut... )