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Fools
of the Week
Steve Stakem TheOrator Network April 1, 2004 Note: As I prepared my first official, for publication 'Fools of the Week' column, I had to look no further than - go figure - Capitol Hill. Senate Fool U.S. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) is making threats at President Bush again. The seemingly complacent, but otherwise angry and ireful 'Senior Senator' from the Mount Rushmore State is threatening to block all Bush judicial nominees. "We will not be able to move on the confirmation of judges until we are given the assurance that [Bush] will not recess appoint future judges, especially judges who have been rejected by the Senate," he said. On the surface this statement seems justified. However, it is both coy and full of hot air. Daschle makes it worse here, "the president's use of recess appointments to circumvent the advise and consent process puts a finger in the eye of the Constitution." He must be speaking to the useful idiots amongst the masses. Sen. Daschle, for a guy who took an oath to uphold the Constitution against enemies foreign and domestic, is on the latter end of that which he should be fighting to protect us against. According to Article II., Sec. 2 of the Constitution of the United States of America the president has the authority to nominate judges that shall be confirmed by a simple majority in the U.S. Senate. Not only have a number of Bush's more-than-qualified nominees been blocked by backwards Senate rules that allow the minority to have the upper hand, many have received enough votes for confirmation. With that said, Bush chose to exercise his constitutional authority to make recess appointments. In January Bush chose Mississippi Judge Charles Pickering to sit on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in MS. He followed that in February with the appointment of Alabama Attorney General William Pryor to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in GA. The president clearly exercised his authority under the Constitution. Daschle should back off and be fair about the judicial nomination/appointment process as outlined in the U.S. Constitution. By the way, the SD state motto is "Under God, the People Rule." Perhaps someone should remind Tom Daschle he isn't God, and he doesn't rule. Judicial Fools Earlier this week in an 11-4 vote the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals poured more fuel on the fire burning the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." Anyone at the third-grade reading level can understand this declaration. Apparently, almost a dozen morons with law degrees either cannot, or are purposefully violating that which they took an oath to uphold. The court ruling has suspended the 4th Amendment in the states of TX, MS and LA. Police in those jurisdictions can search homes and buildings for evidence without a search so long as they have a "legitimate law enforcement purpose," the ruling said. This flies in the face of the Bill of Rights, and the 11 judges who chose to abridge 4th amendment protections should immediately be called for impeachment hearings in the U.S. House of Representatives ... Ah, that's wishful thinking, right? Radio Fools The leftist Air America Radio made it's debut, ironically, one day before April Fools Day 2004. Perhaps they should have waited one day to start, it would have been more fitting. At least half the hosts are so-called "comedians." Al Franken takes the lead and spoofs on the successful Bill O'Reilly from Fox News with the 'O'Franken Factor', weekdays from noon to 3:00 p.m. Franken has his work cut out as he's on the air against O'Reilly, G. Gordon Liddy, and the Babe Ruth of talk radio, none other than Rush Limbaugh. Good luck Al. Another 'comedian' in the line-up is the hopelessly obnoxious Janeane Garofalo. Her sharp wit and uncanny ability to think logically should win over a whirlwind of listners ---- not. The overwhelmingly charming, funny woman airs against the likes of Ann Coulter, Michael Savage and Larry Elder. To her also, I say good luck. Garofalo's main competetion would run intellectual circles around her in any debate, any day. Her conservative counterparts are funny, too. For a "comedian," Garofalo sure doesn't have a sense of humor. By the way, have you ever heard of Marc Maron, Randi Rhodes and Lizz Winstead? You have now, just don't expect to hear much more. Therefore the question should be: Who is listening and for how long? For a good laugh, visit Air America Radio, it might not be around later. Partisan Fool: Who Is This Guy Fooling? Just a reminder: Last week's testimony before the 9-11 Commission in Washington introduced Richard Clarke, a decades-long partisan bureaucrat, to the world. He went from tastifying on the Hill to firing away at President Bush and key members of his administration right into the weekend, taking his innuendos, contradicting statements and all out lies to none other than NBC's Meet the Press hosted by Tim Russert. His assertions about the incompetence of Bush, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and others on terrorism go beyond hogwash. It was Clarke's job was to gather intelligence and coordinate plans to fight terrorism throughout the 1990's. Along with blaming the Bush administration for 9-11, he at least took some of the blame as he cried that he "failed" the American people. That's nice of Mr. Clarke to apoligize to everyone, but it misses the point. The key to the blame for the 9-11 attacks is the Al Qaeda terrorist organization. We've known that since 9-11 and fortunately we haven't had another attack since. That tells me the Bush team is doing it's job. Think people trust Clarke? Wait until Ms. Rice testifies before the 9-11 Commission. She's no partisan hack, and certainly no fool. She'll set the record staright to the dismay of Dick Clarke and the Dems on the Hill. Read the administration's take on Clarke's lies Steve Stakem is Founder and Managing Editor of TheOrator Network |