“Have we forgotten what happened to America on 9/11? Have we forgotten who did it? Have we forgotten those who protected and gave them a safe haven?”

In response, we could easily ask our own rhetorical questions:

Have we forgotten that the attacks of September 11, 2001 took place almost a decade ago? Have we forgotten that the people responsible for organizing those attacks, and the people who gave them a safe haven, have not yet been captured, after all these long years of war in Afghanistan? Have we forgotten that they’re now in Pakistan, not Afghanistan?

The decision about whether we continue a war today is best made according to current realities, rather than the enshrinement of the reality of one day years ago as the only thing that matters. A 2001 mentality cannot prevail in 2010.

Personally, I have a domestic need, as most other people do, to feel safe within my own country, unafraid of attack from without – and filling that need is not without cost.

Too right that is. According to the War Resisters’ League analysis of the federal budget, 48% of the federal budget is spent directly or indirectly on the U.S. military. Military costs take a huge bite out of the American budget. American levels of military spending are unmatched around the world: the U.S. spends nearly eight times more on its military than any other country on Earth. The United States has enough nuclear warheads to turn every other nation on the planet into the semblance of Swiss Cheese.

The letter writer speaks of feeling safe within his own country. Is he really safe? Not one of us is completely safe: life is a postponed death sentence. We’re all headed for destruction one way or another. It’s possible to speak of relative safety from attack, and compared to other countries the United States is quite safe. India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Liberia and Uganda have suffered under attacks much more serious than any attacks on the United States. Per capita deaths from attacks on U.S. soil are miniscule. Death rates from malnutrition in America are much, much higher than death rates from attacks on the United States.

But the letter-writer nailed the issue on the head: his need isn’t for real security from attack. His need is to feel safe. His need is not to be afraid. But there is no number of weapons that can take away fear. There is no military budget that can make someone feel safe. Humans have large imaginations and a great capacity for fear that can be stoked by theater as much as by reality. As long as television stations and movie theaters and newspapers tell us how unsafe we are, and as long as politicians take to the microphone and tell us how much we have to fear an attack, we will be afraid and we will feel unsafe.

My advice to the writer of that letter: if you want to feel safe, if you want feel unafraid of attack, stop tuning in to the people who are stuffing fear and insecurity into your ears. Turn off your FOX News. Go outside. Look up at the sky. Pick a flower.

By gum, that doesn’t cost a thing.

Lindsey Graham says he doesn’t understand what the problem is. After all, he says, “We’ve all got Social Security cards!”

When Social Security cards were introduced, Americans were told that the number would only be used for delivery of Social Security benefits and nothing else. Not for identification, not to be required for any paperwork, not for your taxes, not for tracking purposes. Watch for the new assurances, assuredly to be eroded.

What Senate Judiciary Chair Patrick Leahy Has the Time to Announce in Committee

There are two things I should note. One, I was a couple of minutes late coming in here. It was Senator Franken’s fault, because Mrs. Franken makes some of the greatest pies in the world, and I was coming by and one was sitting on the table in the back. And it’s saying “Hi!” as I walked by. Thank Franni; it made no sense for the diet but it was well worth the stop. It was great pie.

And also want to, I sometimes can be horrible talking about grandchildren, but I want to congratulate a grandfather here [patting ranking Republican Senator Jeff Sessions on the shoulder to applause]. Alexa was born yesterday afternoon, 8 pounds and something? I yield to the senator from Alabama for anything he wants to do….

Have you registered her to vote yet? Brian was so kind to let me know about the surgery and now the delivery is OK. I’ve said before that if I knew the grandkids would be such a joy I’d have skipped the kids and gone straight to the grandkids, but they are a joy. I’d heard for years and years and years. I came to the Senate at the age of 34, so I heard from my colleagues talk about that and I never thought that was real, but when about 12 years ago they arrived and I had four more since, wonderful time. Now when Senator Hatch, he told me… how many grandchildren, Orrin, do you have? Thirty-seven!

I was at a dinner with Justice Scalia the other evening, and I was bragging about grandchildren, and he says, “Patrick, how many do you have?” And I said, “Five.” And he said, “I got thirty!” Anyways, so, anyhow.

What Senate Judiciary Chair Patrick Leahy Does Not Have the Time to Announce in Committee

Next week we’ll be holding an oversight hearing at which leadership from the Justice Department and the FBI will be asked to explain how the FBI program of lying about terrorist plots in order to spy on innocent Americans came to be, how those responsible will be held to account, and what changes the FBI has made to ensure that such abuses of Americans’ constitutional rights will not be repeated. ]]> http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2010/03/11/patrick-leahy-agenda-pie/feed/ 5 http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2010/03/11/senate-judiciary-votes-to-lessen-but-continue-cocaine-sentencing-disparity/ http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2010/03/11/senate-judiciary-votes-to-lessen-but-continue-cocaine-sentencing-disparity/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:42:34 +0000 Jim http://irregulartimes.com/?p=17761 In a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting earlier today the disappointment on Dick Durbin’s face was unmistakable as he outlined the parameters of a deal on S. 1789, a bill that for months had been stalled in committee, a bill that until this week (see previous version here) would have eliminated the 100-to-1 sentencing disparity between the draconian crack cocaine laws and the relatively lax powder laws for powder cocaine:

What is my position? My position is for one-to-one equity and equality in sentencing. But in order to get things done, you have to be prepared to make mutual concessions, and that is what we have done. What we are going to propose to the committee today is to accept an amendment from Senator Sessions that sets the threshold for a five-year mandatory minimum at 28 grams, which is roughly the equivalent of one ounce. This would establish a crack-powder ratio of not 100-to-1 as in current law but 20-to-1… in exchange, Senator Sessions will agree to withhold his other amendments in relation to mandatory minimum sentencing and felony simple possession. We will all commit, in the course of this agreement, to oppose additional amendments to the bill and work to move this bill through the Senate on an expedited basis…. I know this agreement is not everything you would like. Frankly, it isn’t everything I would like either.

In exchange for lessening but preserving the inequality in sentencing between crack (a drug disproportionately used by poor people) and powder (a drug disproportionately used by rich people), Senator Jeff Sessions and the Republican caucus agreed not to filibuster the bill on the floor of the Senate or destroy it with poison-pill amendments. Senator Durbin and others in favor of equity (such as Senators Ben Cardin and Arlen Specter) were put in a position of accepting a lower level of discrimination or getting no improvement at all.

Senator Orrin Hatch displayed the intellectual depth of the obstructionist Republican group when he justified sentencing disparities for crack versus powder cocaine, citing a study showing rats exposed to cocaine were more violent than rats given heroin.

The active clause of the resolution read simply:

Pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1544(c)), Congress directs the President to remove the United States Armed Forces from Afghanistan–

(1) by no later than the end of the period of 30 days beginning on the day on which this concurrent resolution is adopted; or

(2) if the President determines that it is not safe to remove the United States Armed Forces before the end of that period, by no later than December 31, 2010, or such earlier date as the President determines that the Armed Forces can safely be removed.

Only 65 members of the House of Representatives voted in favor of the legislation – 5 Republicans and 60 Democrats. 189 Democrats voted against a withdrawal from Afghanistan – more than three times the number voting in favor. How did your Representative vote? Check the roll call vote below to see.

Those voting YES on Roll Call 98:

Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) / Rep. John Campbell (R-CA) / Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA) / Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) / Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) / Rep. William Lacy Clay, Jr. (D-MO) / Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) / Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY) / Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) / Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR) / Rep. Michael F. Doyle (D-PA) / Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-TN) / Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) / Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) / Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) / Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA) / Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) / Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) / Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) / Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) / Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) / Rep. Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) / Rep. Timothy V. Johnson (R-IL) / Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) / Rep. Walter B. Jones, Jr. (R-NC) / Rep. Steve Kagen (D-WI) / Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) / Rep. John Larson (D-CT) / Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) / Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) / Rep. Dan Maffei (D-NY) / Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) / Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) / Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) / Rep. James P. McGovern (D-MA) / Rep. Mike Michaud (D-ME) / Rep. George Miller (D-CA) / Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) / Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA) / Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-MA) / Rep. David R. Obey (D-WI) / Rep. John W. Olver (D-MA) / Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) / Rep. Donald M. Payne (D-NJ) / Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) / Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) / Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) / Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) / Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA) / Rep. Linda T. Sanchez (D-CA) / Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) / Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) / Rep. Jose E. Serrano (D-NY) / Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) / Rep. Fortney (Pete) Stark (D-CA) / Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) / Rep. John Tierney (D-MA) / Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY) / Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-MA) / Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez (D-NY) / Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) / Rep. Diane E. Watson (D-CA) / Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) / Rep. Lynn C. Woolsey (D-CA)

Rep. Gary L. Ackerman (D-NY) / Rep. Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL) / Rep. John Adler (D-NJ) / Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) / Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-LA) / Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA) / Rep. Robert E. Andrews (D-NJ) / Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-NY) / Rep. Steve Austria (R-OH) / Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA) / Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) / Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL) / Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) / Rep. John Barrow (D-GA) / Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-MD) / Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) / Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL) / Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) / Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) / Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-CA) / Rep. Marion Berry (D-AR) / Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL) / Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-CA) / Rep. Gus Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) / Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA) / Rep. Timothy H. Bishop (D-NY) / Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) / Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) / Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) / Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) / Rep. John Boccieri (D-OH) / Rep. John A. Boehner (R-OH) / Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL) / Rep. John Boozman (R-AR) / Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK) / Rep. Leonard L. Boswell (D-IA) / Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) / Rep. Charles W. Boustany, Jr. (R-LA) / Rep. Allen Boyd (D-FL) / Rep. Robert A. Brady (D-PA) / Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) / Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA) / Rep. Bobby Bright (D-AL) / Rep. Paul C. Broun (R-GA) / Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL) / Rep. Henry E. Brown, Jr. (R-SC) / Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL) / Rep. Vernon Gale Buchanan (R-FL) / Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) / Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) / Rep. G. K. Butterfield, Jr. (D-NC) / Rep. Stephen E. Buyer (R-IN) / Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) / Rep. Eric I. Cantor (R-VA) / Rep. Joseph Quang Cao (R-LA) / Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) / Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) / Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) / Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) / Rep. Christopher Carney (D-PA) / Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) / Rep. John Carter (R-TX) / Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) / Rep. Michael N. Castle (R-DE) / Rep. Kathy Anne Castor (D-FL) / Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) / Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY) / Rep. Travis Childers (D-MS) / Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-SC) / Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) / Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO) / Rep. Steve Ira Cohen (D-TN) / Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) / Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) / Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA) / Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) / Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) / Rep. Jerry F. Costello (D-IL) / Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) / Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-FL) / Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) / Rep. John A. Culberson (R-TX) / Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) / Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA) / Rep. Susan A. Davis (D-CA) / Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY) / Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-TN) / Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) / Rep. Bill Delahunt (D-MA) / Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT) / Rep. Charles W. Dent (R-PA) / Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) / Rep. Norman D. Dicks (D-WA) / Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI) / Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) / Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) / Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) / Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-OH) / Rep. Chet Edwards (D-TX) / Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers (R-MI) / Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN) / Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) / Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-NY) / Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) / Rep. Bobby Etheridge (D-NC) / Rep. Mary Fallin (R-OK) / Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA) / Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) / Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) / Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-VA) / Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) / Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) / Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) / Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) / Rep. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) / Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH) / Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA) / Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) / Rep. E. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) / Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-PA) / Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) / Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) / Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) / Rep. Charles A. Gonzalez (D-TX) / Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) / Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN) / Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) / Rep. Samuel B. Graves (R-MO) / Rep. Al Green (D-TX) / Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) / Rep. Parker Griffith (R-AL) / Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) / Rep. John Hall (D-NY) / Rep. Ralph M. Hall (R-TX) / Rep. Deborah DeFrancesco Halvorson (D-IL) / Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL) / Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) / Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS) / Rep. Richard (Doc) Hastings (R-WA) / Rep. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) / Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) / Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) / Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA) / Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) / Rep. Brian M. Higgins (D-NY) / Rep. Baron P. Hill (D-IN) / Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) / Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey (D-NY) / Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX) / Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) / Rep. Paul Hodes II (D-NH) / Rep. Tim Holden (D-PA) / Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) / Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) / Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) / Rep. Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA) / Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC) / Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) / Rep. Steve J. Israel (D-NY) / Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) / Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) / Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) / Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) / Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) / Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski (D-PA) / Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) / Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI) / Rep. Dale E. Kildee (D-MI) / Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI) / Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (D-OH) / Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) / Rep. Steve King (R-IA) / Rep. Peter T. King (R-NY) / Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) / Rep. Mark S. Kirk (R-IL) / Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) / Rep. Larry Kissell (D-NC) / Rep. Ron J. Klein (D-FL) / Rep. John Kline (R-MN) / Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (D-FL) / Rep. Frank Kratovil, Jr. (D-MD) / Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) / Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ) / Rep. James R. Langevin (D-RI) / Rep. Rick R. Larsen (D-WA) / Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA) / Rep. Steve C. LaTourette (R-OH) / Rep. Robert E. Latta (R-OH) / Rep. Christopher J. Lee (R-NY) / Rep. Sander M. Levin (D-MI) / Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) / Rep. John Linder (R-GA) / Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) / Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo (R-NJ) / Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA) / Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) / Rep. Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) / Rep. Frank D. Lucas (R-OK) / Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) / Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, Jr. (D-NM) / Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) / Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) / Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) / Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) / Rep. Connie Mack (R-FL) / Rep. Donald A. Manzullo (R-IL) / Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-TX) / Rep. Betsy Markey (D-CO) / Rep. Jim Marshall (D-GA) / Rep. James D. Matheson (D-UT) / Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) / Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) / Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) / Rep. Michael T. McCaul (R-TX) / Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) / Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) / Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) / Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) / Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC) / Rep. Howard P. (Buck) McKeon (R-CA) / Rep. Michael McMahon (D-NY) / Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) / Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA) / Rep. Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL) / Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY) / Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-LA) / Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL) / Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA) / Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL) / Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI) / Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC) / Rep. Walter (Walt) Minnick (D-ID) / Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-AZ) / Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV) / Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS) / Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) / Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS) / Rep. James P. Moran (D-VA) / Rep. Christopher Murphy (D-CT) / Rep. Scott Murphy (D-NY) / Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) / Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA) / Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) / Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) / Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) / Rep. Glenn Nye III (D-VA) / Rep. James L. Oberstar (D-MN) / Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) / Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz (D-TX) / Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY) / Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) / Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ) / Rep. Ed Pastor (D-AZ) / Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN) / Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) / Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) / Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) / Rep. Gary Peters (D-MI) / Rep. Collin C. Peterson (D-MN) / Rep. Thomas E. Petri (R-WI) / Rep. Joseph R. Pitts (R-PA) / Rep. Todd R. Platts (R-PA) / Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) / Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) / Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL) / Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) / Rep. David E. Price (D-NC) / Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL) / Rep. George P. Radanovich (R-CA) / Rep. Nick Joe Rahall, II (D-WV) / Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R-MT) / Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) / Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) / Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX) / Rep. David (Phil) Roe (R-TN) / Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) / Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) / Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) / Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) / Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL) / Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) / Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) / Rep. Michael A. Ross (D-AR) / Rep. Steven R. Rothman (D-NJ) / Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) / Rep. Edward R. Royce (R-CA) / Rep. C. A. (Dutch) Ruppersberger (D-MD) / Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) / Rep. Timothy Ryan (D-OH) / Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) / Rep. John Salazar (D-CO) / Rep. John P. Sarbanes (D-MD) / Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) / Rep. Mark Schauer (D-MI) / Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) / Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) / Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) / Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) / Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) / Rep. David Scott (D-GA) / Rep. Robert C. Scott (D-VA) / Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-WI) / Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) / Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) / Rep. John B. Shadegg (R-AZ) / Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) / Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) / Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) / Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC) / Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) / Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) / Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ) / Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO) / Rep. Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D-NY) / Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) / Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) / Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) / Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) / Rep. Vic Snyder (D-AR) / Rep. Mark Edward Souder (R-IN) / Rep. Zack T. Space (D-OH) / Rep. John M. Spratt, Jr. (D-SC) / Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) / Rep. John Sullivan (R-OK) / Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) / Rep. John S. Tanner (D-TN) / Rep. Gene Taylor (D-MS) / Rep. Harry Teague (D-NM) / Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE) / Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) / Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) / Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) / Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) / Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) / Rep. Patrick J. Tiberi (R-OH) / Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) / Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) / Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) / Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) / Rep. Christopher Van Hollen, Jr. (D-MD) / Rep. Peter J. Visclosky (D-IN) / Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) / Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN) / Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN) / Rep. Melvin L. Watt (D-NC) / Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) / Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) / Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) / Rep. Edward Whitfield (R-KY) / Rep. Charles Wilson (D-OH) / Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) / Rep. Robert J. Wittman (R-VA) / Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-VA) / Rep. David Wu (D-OR) / Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) / Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

Rep. J. Gresham Barrett (R-SC) / Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) / Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) / Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL) / Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA) / Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) / Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) / Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) / Rep. Bill Young (R-FL)

When religious fundamentalists use threats and intimidation to enforce censorship of ideas contrary to their strain of religious thought, I feel it’s important to demonstrate that their threats not only won’t work, but actually will backfire, leading to more of the comics they aspire to stamp out. That’s why Irregular Times features Mohammed Comic Strip #6 today.

Gawking eyes will ensure advertising,
allowing News Corp. to profit apace.
Free from content that is too incising,
its book will be judged fairly on its face.

But if we are just fans of MySpace pages,
will we create anything for ourselves,
or wait on the wings of others’ stages
and browse there through the books on others’ shelves?

Unsatisfied with space that entertains,
we can find a place in our own domains.

and Thyme, and Time.

What will you be putting in your garden this year?

These sets give thick screens in 3 dimenstions
designed for “home theater enthusiasts”,
seizing their remote controlled attentions
as spare time leisure boredom therapists.

9 billion dollars spent on gadgetry
while the real 3D world disintegrates
an elite few wrapped in technology
at platinum card special discount rates.

We search for work as the upper classes
hide behind their new pairs of dark glasses.