Let's talk about creepy

Diane Feinstein's (D-Cal) hubby gets $600m US Army contract. Are we the only ones creeped out by this? (BUZZ FLASH)

After reading this headline from Buzzflash, I read the article and then looked a little closer to make sure I knew who she was. I was sure she was a Democrat so I had added the "(D-Cal)" suffix to her name as I was quoting the headline. Then, in a moment of doubt before proceeding, I decided to go to her site to make sure she was indeed a Democrat.

The home page doesn't include the word Democrat. The Biography page doesn't either...hmmm. How about I just search the entire Diane Feinstein web site for the word? feinstein.senate.gov
Nice links to action by Democrats but never use of the word on her own site. Now I'm not jumping to conclusions or anything, it just took some work to make sure I knew who she was, especially after reading about some of her votes.

And now I read about her husband, and one just has to wonder.

Oh forget it, I'm being too kind. She votes for Gonzo, she votes for torture. She votes for Rice, she votes for the exteme of the right wing agenda. She votes for her husband getting a lucrative contract, she votes for the unnecessary death of innocent women and children and the heartbreak of thousands of American families built on the deaths of their sons and daughters which was all made possible through the lies of the administration and the gullible and complicit. Gullible is bad enough for intelligent, rich leaders who understand intimately the ways of government. Complicit is something much darker and with this news of Feinstein's relationship through her husband to the corrupt commerce of the Iraq defense scheme, one is obliged to cast her character in a very shady and oily light.

TEN QUESTIONS...click here

Ten Questions for Alberto Gonzales

1. Are there any circumstances under which you believe the President of the United States could legally authorize torture?

Alberto Gonzales approved a now-infamous memo which contended the president "wasn't bound by laws prohibiting torture and that government agents who might torture prisoners at his direction couldn't be prosecuted by the Justice Department." Despite the fact that the United States ratified the United Nations Convention Against Torture - which states "no exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability, or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture" - the memo stated the president had the authority "to approve almost any physical or psychological action during interrogation, up to and including torture." Once the memo was made public, Gonzales backtracked, saying the memo contained "unnecessary, over-broad discussions" about "abstract legal theories." He also said the policy was "under review, and may be replaced, if appropriate, with more concrete guidance addressing only those issues necessary for the legal analysis of actual practices." The Justice Department recently released a new memo redefining the U.S. stance on torture. The new policy, however, does not address the question of whether the president is entitled to disregard laws and treaties.

Carolina's Season Closes With Loss to Saints

The playoffs are not part of the story as Carolina finishes its season with a difficult loss to New Orleans. The Carolina Panthers made an amazing comeback in 2004, starting the season 1-7 before improving to 7-8 going into their final regular season game.

With 50 seconds remaining Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, they hoped they had one more comeback left in them. After driving 56 yards in five plays, kicker John Kasay attempted a 60-yard field goal attempt on the game's final play. But the kick was blocked, and the New Orleans Saints ended the Panthers season by a score of 21-18, knocking Carolina out of playoff contention in the process.