Politics

I’m too discouraged to post on political topics too often, but here are two things I want you to see.

Target may like to pretend it’s the hip alternative to Wal-Mart and K-Mart, but they have decided that their pharmacists are allowed to decide whether to fill prescriptions for emergency contraceptive pills (such as Plan B) based on their religious beliefs. That’s crap. You’re either a pharmacy or you’re not. Leave that stuff to the churches who are already abusing their tax-exempt status to interfere in our lives. As I said to James, apparently religious freedom is the only right left.

Via Ed Winkleman, I learned of an excellent series on the group blog Obsidian Wings about the debate over habeas corpus and torture currently being conducted in the Senate. Well, not really conducted, since they’re trying to ram this stuff through with minimal debate. The idea that the Senate is talking about secret trials and repealing habeas corpus for any group at all (Magna Carta, anyone?) is appalling.

Remember, after World War II, a number of German and Japanese officials and military officers were executed for the things many Republicans, including Dick Cheney, are advocating. Check out this op-ed from the Washington Post for more on the topic.

In a perfect world, these people would be hauled before The Hague. We’ll see.

In Germany, the entrance to the Reichstag (parliament/legislature) building is right there on a street, where taxis and bicycles ride by (but no private cars), and regular people can walk right up and say hello to the top leaders walking out to their black chauffured cars.

Reichtag eastern entrance

Reichstag eastern entrance, with a line visible where the Berlin Wall once stood. The Marie Elizabeth Lüders Haus is in the background.

The British are a bit more paranoid. Their embassy is on a public street, but it is closed to all vehicular traffic, with police and barricades at either end of the block.

British Embassy in Berlin

Harriet Miers and George Bush, still from an AP video

For a couple of minutes, I had a post up about Harriet Miers, the new Supreme Court nominee, being a board member of Exodus Ministries. According to Law Dork, via Wonkette, this is not the “Freedom from homosexuality through the healing power of Jesus Christ” organization, but a Dallas based-organization which “seeks to encourage ex-offenders, to reunite them with their families, and to empower them to become self-sustaining, productive, Christ-centered members of society.” No word yet on what they do with non-Christian ex-cons.

Still, this is one of the least qualified people I have seen in a while being nominated. The employment section of the Washington Post story is pretty underwhelming:

Experience: 2004-present, White House counsel; 2003-2004, White House deputy chief of staff for policy; 2001-2003, White House staff secretary; 1995-2001, chairwoman, Texas Lottery Commission; 1972-2000, private law practice; 1992, president, Dallas Bar Association; 1989-1991, member, Dallas City Council; 1985, president, Dallas Bar Association.

According to Atrios, even some right-wingers thing she’s a joke.

James heard about the nomination today and said, “She can’t possibly get approved.” My response was, “Justice Thomas. There is nothing you can’t get on the Supreme Court these days.”

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) uses a cell phone camera to record the Senate Judiciary Committee mark-up hearings to discuss the nomination of John Roberts to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill, September 22, 2005. From (L-R) are: Hatch, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Arlen Specter (R-PA), and Ranking Senate Judiciary Committee Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT). (Larry Downing/Reuters)

Our senators have turned into the woman that annoys me at my local bagel place by checking her email on her phone while she’s supposed to be working the cash register. She once just took calls, but now she uses a little keyboard on her phone.

More from the Washington Post here.

[via Wonkette

Don’t miss this video of Jon Stewart with his guest Bernard Goldberg. This makes me look forward to right-wing guests on The Daily Show, rather than dreading having to listen to them.

I like what Tom Moody has been saying about the Rove/Plame affair. Meanwhile, the Iraqi prime minister we’re propping up just visited Iran and laid flowers at the grave of Ayatollah Khomeini.

From the invaluable Ray Sanchez at Newsday

Since 9/11, the aviation industry has received $18.1 billion for security from the federal Department of Homeland Security, according to the Washington-based American Public Transportation Association. By contrast, mass transit has received just $250 million.

Americans take public transportation 32 million times a day — 16 times more often than they travel on domestic airlines. About 4.5 million riders use the New York subway every weekday.

Of course, the MTA is probably too incompetent to spend the money they are given. Since 9/11, they have been given $600 million in state and federal funds for security improvements. They have spent $30 million, with very little to show for it. Most has been spent on planning and consultants.

Updated: I fixed the $300 million number. It is $600 million.