Former DHS Child Porn Official a Sex Criminal?

Frank Figueroa, a Dept. of Homeland Security agent, is scheduled to stand trial today on a charge that he exposed himself to a girl in a mall. Figueroa used to run the department’s “Operation Predator,” a program to fight sex crimes against children.
This comes on the heels of the arrest of DHS officer Brian J. Doyle, who was picked up for allegedly trying to prey on a child via the Web.
What the hell is going on at DHS?

Posted on Apr 6, 2006 READ MORE  | 114 READS

McCain Withers Under Questioning of ... Jon Stewart

The “Daily Show’s” “fake news” interview exposed Sen. John McCain’s far-right hypocrisies better than most interviewers in the traditional media. (video)
Even the AP asks whether McCain has gone hard right.

Posted on Apr 6, 2006 READ MORE  | 58 READS

Democracy in Iraq Not a Priority in U.S. Budget

Money that Bush earmarked for programs to build up Iraqi political parties, media outlets and human rights groups is now going toward security.  Another example of how the reality of democracy-building is so much messier than the fantasy.

Posted on Apr 5, 2006 READ MORE  | 23 READS

The Architects of War: Where Are They Now?

Think Progress presents a then-and-now credit roll of the major architects of the Iraq war.
Stunning part: Most of the people responsible for the debacle have been promoted or given medals.

Posted on Apr 5, 2006 READ MORE  | 13 READS

Landrieu Threatens White House to Get Levee Funding

The Louisiana senator says she will hold Bush’s executive-branch nominees hostage until he agrees to more funding for the Katrina-ravaged state.
(This was the woman whom Anderson Cooper famously chewed out, saying she was out of touch in the wake of the hurricane. Guess she toughened up since then.)

Posted on Apr 5, 2006 READ MORE  | 28 READS

Anger at Lieberman Turns ‘Evil’

Sen. Joe Lieberman, the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, shushed an unhappy crowd so many times at a recent appearance that it reminded a blogger of a certain infamous “shusher.” (video)

Posted on Apr 5, 2006 READ MORE  | 22 READS

Kerry Calls for Iraq Pullout Deadline

In the N.Y. Times, the former presidential candidate calls for two deadlines: May 15 for the Iraqis to form a unity government, and a date later in the year for the U.S. to pull out.

Posted on Apr 5, 2006 READ MORE  | 98 READS

Feingold Favors Legalizing Gay Marriage

Watershed moment: A credible presidential hopeful stakes out the high moral ground—and the progressive left political ground—on homosexual marriage. He calls a pending Wisconsin amendment against same-sex marriages “a mean-spirited attempt” to single out gay men and lesbians for discrimination.

Posted on Apr 5, 2006 READ MORE  | 106 READS

GAO: Bush’s Abstinence Plan Hampering AIDS Efforts

Countries with AIDS epidemics actually have to cut the money they spend on treatment in order to conform to Bush’s requirements for spending on abstinence programs, reports the government watchdog.
But it’s all good, because this way, God isn’t being offended by people having sex before marriage.

Posted on Apr 5, 2006 READ MORE  | 34 READS

Homeland Official Charged in Internet Child Seduction Case

Homeland Security Dept.‘s deputy press secretary allegedly tried to seduce a Florida sheriff’s detective who he thought was a 14-year-old girl.
Troubling for two reasons: (a) This shows the moral fiber of the people entrusted to spy on Americans; (b) this shows the incompetence and foolishness of the people entrusted to secure our borders—this kind of sting is the oldest trick in the book.
UPDATE: More details on the official’s alleged criminal actions.

Posted on Apr 4, 2006 READ MORE  | 41 READS

Jeb Bush Calls Immigration Debate ‘Hurtful’

The Florida governor calls the anti-immigration “chest pounding” of politicians hurtful to him and his Mexican-born wife, Columba. Hats off to Jeb for breaking ranks on this one.
Funny how it can take personal, familial experience for right-wingers to show some compassion on social issues. (See: Dick Cheney, father of a lesbian, breaking ranks with Bush on gay marriage.)

Posted on Apr 4, 2006 READ MORE  | 6397 READS

Homeland Security Scaremongering Graphics Are Unintentionally Hilarious

We laughed so hard that tears welled up as we scanned the suggested meanings behind these new emergency info-graphics. (Check out the source of the graphics at the U.S. Dept. of H.S.)
This is the same agency that brought us the roundly mocked color-coded terrorist threat advisory system.

Posted on Apr 4, 2006 READ MORE  | 89 READS

Mass. Pushes Mandatory Health Insurance

In what would amount to the country’s first universal coverage plan, the Massachusetts Legislature approved a bill that will require all its residents to buy health insurace or face legal penalties.
How did they finally eke out a winning strategy for such a long-sought goal? The program is modeled on the state’s policy on auto insurance.

Posted on Apr 4, 2006 READ MORE  | 60 READS

Saddam Charged for 1980s Gassing of Halabja

The Iraqi tribunal charged Hussein on Tuesday with new criminal charges—steming from the late 1980s gassing that allegedy left 5,000 civilians dead. (more)

Posted on Apr 4, 2006 READ MORE  | 38 READS

Time: Card Was Pushed Out

The newsweekly reports about Bush’s recently departed chief of staff: “Card did not want to go. But he ‘heard the tom-toms.’ ”

The magazine also writes that Card’s replacement, Josh Bolten, has “less disdain for the press and more interest in policy.”

Posted on Apr 4, 2006 READ MORE  | 19 READS