Housing, Health Care and Harriet Miers
This has been a very busy week-- as I'm sure you have read by now, the Judiciary Committee reached an agreement in our lawsuit to enforce the subpoenas issued in the U.S. Attorney firings investigation. We will get access to the White House documents, Harriet Miers and Karl Rove will testify, and the Bush Administration's overbroad executive privilege claims have been rejected.
Much of the week, for me and a number of colleagues on the Committee, was also spent working on legislation to help families save their homes from foreclosure, which the House passed yesterday afternoon.
The other focus this week, which of course is always at the front of my mind, has been reforming our failed health care system. I joined President Obama at the summit he hosted on health care reform at the White House yesterday to discuss how we can make quality health care accessible and affordable for all Americans.
I'm in Philadelphia this weekend to continue the discussion on health care with the Physicians for a National Health Plan and PA for Democracy, but I'll try to post more about the work that we accomplished this week in between meetings.
Appreciate the work you are doing
And that you are very busy, but I would like to make comment on a matter dear to my heart.
Source
It doesn't matter how you slice it, it is still a shit sandwich.
When you rely upon violent thugs for protection from alleged violent thugs, what you have in fact decided upon doing is paying and obeying violent thugs. This is not protection, it is subjection.
Kick to the crotch, punch to the face, head slammed to wall, then floor, knees to the back, handcuff, then two more punches to the head, drag by hair to feet then out door.
End of video. Why? We see on camera the hallway during the entry, but not the exit from the cell. Why? Is it because the look on the Officers' Face would damn him in the eyes of any sane person? Or was the victim visibly injured? It is after all simple luck she did not receive a skull fracture. As valuable as the video is, UNEDITED video is what We, the People are due.
And We are due better policing than this as well. Note carefully the reactions of the Officer Trainee. He seems to me both surprised and confused by his seniors' violent behavior. This points out clearly that the attack was without cause.
Making comment on the incident is former Chief of the Seattle Police, Chief Norman Stamper
I have mentioned Chief Stamper, here, previously. To refresh the Chairmans memory, Chief Stamper was hired to clean up what was known as "The Fitsimons Stank" when it became impossible to ignore the fact that the Seattle Police routinely Lied in the conduct of official business. The death of the States "Grand Dame", under the knee of an Officer, wearing handcuffs, in the living room of her Son, who was then the State Gaming Commissioner, was the precipitant event. She was treated much as Malika Calhoun was in this video.
Let us carefully note Malikas' "Crime" was being in a car which her friend had borrowed from her mother... without asking. Put another way...Malika Calhoun was accused of being guilty of NOTHING.
Chief Stamper did a very good job for Seattle. For which he has not been properly thanked. I suggest that should the Chairman have an interest, Chief Stamper has some very interesting things to say on the topic of police abuse.
Thank you.
Frosted Flake
Postscript. Still can't seem to get arrested. If I can give a traffic ticket back without being arrested, then why doesn't everyone do it? What? Am I "Special"?
I don't want to argue with the Cops, I don't want to argue with the Judge, I don't want to argue. I want to talk to the People. As is my right. For some reason, the Cops want to handle this without a Jury. What makes it their call? And why do they care enough to have an opinion?
I am pushing.
Presidential Signing Statements Addressed
The President has addressed the matter of signing statements. This is an occasion to count blessings. It really does matter who the President of the United States is.
For those in doubt about this, there is counterpoint provided by John Yoo and Ari Fleischer. These two would look great wearing stripes. Not red stripes, this is America, and we don't do that. I mean two inch wide black and white stripes.
The respect for law derives from the protection it gives all of us, not from the fact that some can turn it against others. This respect is important, for without it, you get stuff like we got right here.
I appreciate this forum.
Frosted Flake
Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!
Basic research does it again!
The Electric Car is now (soon to be) more practical than the Gasoline Car!
March 12, 2009 (IDG News Service) Technology developed by MIT scientists that enable lithium-ion batteries to charge in seconds instead of hours ...
"Electric car batteries have a lot of energy so you can drive at 55mph for a long time, but the power is low. You can't accelerate quickly," said Dr Gerbrand Cedar, who devised the new battery.
"The ability to charge and discharge batteries in a matter of seconds rather than hours may open up new technological applications and induce lifestyle changes,"
In light of this dramatic and NEW technology, I have two suggestions.
1/ We have to make these batteries. Not let someone else sell them to us. The difference is the direction the money goes. Take a look at Oil. The oil flows toward us. The money flows away from us. We don't want to do that again with batteries.
2/ Auto Racing... is not a hobby. It is a high pressure technological development contest between everyone willing to participate. We should sponsor Electric Auto Racing. Of every sort.
I appreciate this forum.
Frosted Flake