Can the Feds Hear Your Phone Calls?

Did the government eavesdrop on Associated Press reporters? No. G-men subpoenaed the records of phone calls, the numbers of calls to and from AP reporters. Unsavory, but entirely legal. 

But is the Federal government capable of recording and listening to all your phone calls, or are we talking through our tinfoil hat? It’s your call:

“Are all telephone calls recorded and accessible to the US government?” Glenn Greenwald, The Guardian

“Is the U.S. Government Recording and Saving All Domestic Telephone Calls?” Bruce Schneier, Schneier on Security

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100 Years

On March 3, 1013, the day before Woodrow Wilson’s Inauguration, American women paraded on Washington’s Pennsylvania Avenue and demanded the right to vote.  They didn’t get it until August 18, 1920.

Whose Sequester Is It, Anyway?

It must be tough for Speaker of the House John Boehner (R, OH-8) to blame the Sequestration meat ax on President Obama when he voted for it. Moreover, the stupid budget deal is the unruly pet idea of that great GOP intellectual Paul Ryan (R, WI-1), Chairman of the House Budget Committee and failed Republican Vice Presidential candidate:

Marco Rubio Takes to Drink

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) was stuck with the Republican response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address last night. His dry-mouthed dive for a drink was the highlight of his dismal desperation demo:

@AlbertBrooks: I didn’t see Marco Rubio’s speech but I just got a residual check.

“Marco Rubio’s ‘water bottle-gate’ moment,” Lucy Madison, CBS News

“Marco Rubio’s Nervous Sip of Water Is the Only Thing Anyone Will Remember About His State of the Union Response,” Leah Beckmann, Gawker

“Botella de agua de Marco Rubio inunda las redes (Marco Rubio’s bottle of water flooded the networks”), La Opinión

Sen. Marco Rubio’s swig of water during GOP rebuttal goes viral,” Marc Caputo, Miami Herald

“Water under the bridge? Rubio slips and sips; his GOP speech response goes viral,” Ken Thomas, AP via Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Everyone On Twitter Made The Exact Same Joke About Marco Rubio’s Water Break,” Andrew Kaczynski, BuzzFeed

“Marco Rubio’s Gulpgate,” Alex Rogers, TIME blog

“How Marco Rubio is trying to turn his sip slip into a political win,” Sean Sullivan and Aaron Blake, Washington Post

“Marco Rubio’s Water Break: Jokes Not Drying Up Online,” Alyssa Newcomb, ABC News blog

Senator Rubio made light of the episode, but a question remains: Awkward pause or product placement?

General Petraeus: ‘I’ve Got a Secret’

David Petraeus, retired four-star general and married man of 37 years, stepped down as CIA Director on Friday, admitting to an unwise extramarital affair. President Obama accepted his resignation.

Upon learning that a government official committed adultery, the American people had two questions. The first: “So what?” Expect plenty of questions from Republican congressmen, though, particularly those who’ve been caught in bed with women not their wives.

 Everyone has a second question ….

President Romney Demands Financial Disclosure

The Transition Team website for President-Elect Willard Mitt Romney had a sneak preview yesterday, and Political Wire’s Taegan Goddard saved a few screenshots before it went dark again. Looking for a job in the Romney Administration? “Government service is not for everyone,” warns the site, which also cautions:

“The financial holdings and sources of income for most applicants under serious consideration must be disclosed for review for possible conflicts of interest, and any conflicts must be remedied by divestiture, creation of special trusts, etc.”

This from a man who refused to release his own tax information.

Like his economic policies (tax cuts for the rich, corporate deregulation), Mr. Romney appears to have cribbed this from George W. Bush. The Bush transition site language is identical.

This is sad news for Rafalca Romney, a galloping favorite for Cayman Islands Ambassador. Told to turn over tax returns, Rafalca replied “Whoa!”

America, You Done Good

We voted. Now we can get back to work.

Someone go tell that obstructionist, Tea-Party, do-nothing Congress.

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November 6, 2012

Election day. Go, vote.

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Romney to the Rescue!

At a campaign stop storm relief event last Tuesday in Kettering, Ohio, ex-financier Mitt Romney rolled up his sleeves, hitched up his blue jeans, and accepted donated cans of soup and bottles of Gatorade on behalf of Hurricane Sandy victims on the East Coast. Of course, Mr. Romney’s campaign really bought $5,000 worth of those groceries at Walmart, and the Red Cross and other aid agencies discourage such well-intentioned but unhelpful in-kind donations.

FDR Explains It All To You

FDR returns to describe the Romney-Ryan campaign.  Exactly.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt: “Address at the Democratic State Convention, Syracuse, N.Y.,” September 29, 1936. Full text here.

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