by Tom McClusky
February 10, 2009
POSITION: ADMINISTRATOR, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
NOMINEE: Lisa P. Jackson
BIRTH DATE: February 8, 1962 in Philadelphia, PA; adopted a few weeks later and raised in New Orleans, LA
EDUCATION:
Master’s in Chemical Engineering 1986, Princeton
Bachelor’s Chemical Engineering summa cum laude 1983, Tulane
by Tom McClusky
February 9, 2009
POSTION: SOLICITOR GENERAL
NOMINEE: Elena Kagan
Born: April 28, 1960
Occupation: Dean of Harvard Law School and Charles Hamilton Houston Professor of Law at Harvard University.
Education: BA summa cum laude, Princeton University, 1981; MPhil, Worchester College, Oxford, 1983; JD magna cum laude, Harvard Law School, 1986
Clinton White House: 1995-1996 associate counsel to the President; 1997-1999 deputy assistant to the President for Domestic Policy; 1997-1999 deputy director Domestic Policy Council.
NOTE: From 1986 to 1987 Ms. Dean Kagan served as a judicial clerk for Judge Abner Mikva on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. From 1987-1988 she also served as a judicial clerk for Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Dean Kagan briefly served as a staff member for Michael Dukakis’s presidential campaign. During the summer of 1993 she served as Special Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee to work on the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
HOMOSEXUAL ISSUES
Gays in the Military
“Last year candidate Barack Obama repeatedly opined that students should have military service opportunities on campus. However, President Obama’s nominee for solicitor general, Harvard Law School Dean Elena Kagan, believes the military should be barred from campus. In fact, she fought all the way to the United States Supreme Court, trampling on students’ constitutional rights all the way there, in order to deny qualified students the opportunity to serve our country . . . Kagan’s staunch ideological opposition to the military and providing qualified students the opportunity to serve puts her well outside of the mainstream. Even Bill Clinton, who dodged a military draft during Vietnam, signed the law Kagan opposes, the Solomon amendment, with overwhelming congressional and public support.
Solomon, simply put, seeks to facilitate voluntary military service by asking colleges and universities to allow students to meet with military recruiters on campus and to participate in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). Schools whose policies or practices obstruct students from taking part are ineligible for federal funding.
Yet, Kagan, who has categorized the law as “immoral” at a 2003 Harvard student forum, argued in support of the position of the Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights, the so-called FAIR coalition, claiming elite schools have a right to taxpayer largesse while simultaneously barring the military – a radical view the Supreme Court unanimously struck down . . . Yet, leftwing views like Kagan’s still disparage the sacrifices our military makes and cause real, quantifiable harm to students and to our nation at taxpayer expense. According to Harvard’s annual financial statements, the school received $473 million of our hard-earned dollars during the 2003-4 school year, while FAIR, with Kagan’s help, won an injunction against the military in the Third Circuit. Harvard took another $511 million during the following school year and, for 2005-6, $517 million more as the Supreme Court heard and rejected FAIR’s claims.
Even Ruth Bader Ginsberg, a former American Civil Liberties Union lawyer and centerpiece of the liberals’ high court coalition, couldn’t find a way to justify these spurious, anti-student claims and recognized Congress’ ability to condition taxpayer spending.” Flagg Youngblood, “Solicitor General Flimflam,” The Washington Times, January 30, 2009.
Hate Crimes
Believes courts should support hate crime laws and that when reviewing regulations of speech, courts could “evaluate motive directly, they could remove the lion’s share of the First Amendment’s doctrinal clutter.” Elena Kagan, Private Speech, Public Purpose: The Role of Government Motive in First Amendment Doctrine, 63 U. Chi. L. Rev. 413, 516 (1996).
“In her 1993 University of Chicago Law Review piece, she wrote that proposed regulations on hate speech and pornography failed to adhere to the fundamental First Amendment principle of viewpoint neutrality – that the government cannot favor certain private speakers or viewpoints over others. Her 1996 article on government motive in First Amendment cases has been cited more than 115 times – an enviably high number for a secondary source. In that article she declares that “the application of First Amendment law is best understood and most readily explained as a kind of motive-hunting.” David Hudson, Jr., “Solicitor-general nominee: impressive First Amendment resume,” FirstAmendmentcenter.org.
On Questioning of Presidential Nominees
“Kagan herself has called for the Senate to use confirmation hearings “to engage nominees in meaningful discussion of legal issues.” In her 1995 review (62 U. Chi. L. Rev. 919) of Stephen L. Carter’s The Confirmation Mess, Kagan argues that the “critical inquiry” that the Senate should conduct on a Supreme Court nominee “concerns the votes she would cast, the perspective she would add (or augment), and the direction in which she would move the institution.” Kagan draws as “the fundamental lesson of the Bork hearings … the essential rightness-the legitimacy and the desirability-of exploring a Supreme Court nominee’s set of constitutional views and commitments.”
Although Carter’s book and Kagan’s review focus heavily on Supreme Court nominees, they also address DOJ nominations (especially Clinton’s 1993 nomination, subsequently withdrawn, of Lani Guinier to be AAG for Civil Rights), and Kagan’s view of the Senate’s role applies fully to those (and other executive-branch) nominations. That, of course, is hardly surprising, as the case for careful scrutiny of the legal views of DOJ nominees, even if combined with greater deference to the president, seems widely accepted.” Ed Whelan, “Obama’s SG Pick Elena Kagan,” NRO’s The Corner, January 7, 2009.
MISCELLANEOUS
Despite being asked to be America’s Solicitor General, who argues cases before the Supreme Court, Ms. Kagan has never argued before the Supreme Court. In fact, she has never litigated a case to verdict or trial.
by David Prentice
February 6, 2009
POSITION: Director of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
(a.k.a. Regulatory Czar)
NOMINEE: Cass R. Sunstein
BIRTH DATE: September 21, 1954
EDUCATION:
J.D., magna cum laude, 1978, Harvard Law School
B.A., 1975, Harvard
FAMILY: Wife- Samantha Power, Professor of Public Policy, Harvard; Daughter, Ellyn, from previous marriage to Lisa Ruddick
EXPERIENCE:
Fall 2008-present, Director of Program on Risk Regulation, Harvard Law School
1992, elected member of Academy of Arts & Sciences
1990 elected member of the American Law Institute
1987, 2005, 2007, Visiting professor, Harvard Law School
Fall 1986, Samuel Rubin Visiting Professor of Law at Columbia Law School
1983-2008, Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago
1981-2008, Professor of Law, University of Chicago Law School
1980-1981, Attorney-advisor, Office of Legal Counsel, Department of Justice
1979-1980, law clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall of the Supreme Court
1978-1979, law clerk for Justice Benjamin Kaplan of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Author of numerous books and articles regarding law and society, including the regulation of risk, the nature of rights, judicial decision-making, and numerous features of administrative, environmental, constitutional doctrine, and the relationship between law and human behavior.
ON END OF LIFE ISSUES and RATIONING HEALTH CARE
“I urge that the government should indeed focus on life-years rather than lives. A program that saves young people produces more welfare than one that saves old people.”
[Source]
ON ABORTION
“I don’t think it should [be overruled].”
(from interview, talking about Roe v. Wade)
[Source]
“Well, we don’t want to fall in the trap of reading the Constitution to do whatever is good. This is the activist fallacy…”
[Source]
ON CLONING
“The right to research,” says Cass Sunstein…”Is a frontier issue and interesting and not yet resolved.” He argues that ”this is not an outlandish constitutional claim.”
[Source]
“Many of the arguments for banning both forms of cloning are based on ignorance, myths, and speculation.”
Retrieved January 30, 2009 from:
[Source]
ON GLOBAL WARMING
“Might well inflict catastrophic losses”
“Of course, any such projections involve a lot of guesswork, and reasonable people can differ. If global warming turns out to be either abrupt or greater than anticipated, it might well inflict catastrophic losses, leading to extremely serious problems for the United States and China alike.”
[Source]
ON GAY MARRIAGE
“The prohibition on same-sex marriage turns gays and lesbians into second-class citizens”
[Source]
POLITICAL DONATIONS
Cass Sunstein
$500, Obama, Barack (D), 10/18/07
$2,300, Clinton, Hillary (D), 7/27/08
$1,000, Obama, Barack (D), 10/31/08
by Tom McClusky
February 3, 2009
Position: Secretary of Defense
NOMINEE: Robert Michael Gates
BIRTHDATE: Born: September 25, 1943 (age 65)
PERSONAL INFORMATION: Boy Scout & Eagle Scout; (Former president of the National Eagle Scout Association), 2007: Time Magazine named Gates as one of the most influential people,
2008: Named one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report
Political party: Independent/ Republican
EDUCATION: Georgetown University (Ph.D. Russian and Soviet History), Indiana University (M.A. History), College of William & Mary (B.A. European History)
FAMILY: Spouse Becky Gates (Married 1966); Two Children: Bradley & Eleanor
FRC SCORECARD: N/A
EXPERIENCE:
1966: Recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency as a graduate student at Indiana University
1967-1969: Intelligence Officer, United States Air Force
1969: Central Intelligence Agency
1974: White House National Security Council (President Ford)
1979: Central Intelligence Agency: Director of the Strategic Evaluation Center
1981: Central Intelligence Agency: Director of the DCI/DDCI Executive Staff
1982: Deputy Director Central Intelligence Agency (President Reagan)
1989: National Security Advisor to the President (President George H.W. Bush)
1991: Director of Central Intelligence Agency (President George H.W. Bush)
1993-1999: Lecture Circuit
1999-2001: Interim Dean of the George Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A & M University
2002-2006: President of Texas A & M University
December 18, 2006: 22nd Secretary of Defense
BOOK: 1996, Gates’ autobiography, From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider’s Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War.
AWARDS/DECORATIONS:
National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal (2 awards)
Distinguished Intelligence Medal (3 awards)
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary Alumni Association – Alumni Medallion
Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor (First Non-Corps Honoree) – Texas A&M University
George Bush Award (2007) – George Bush Presidential Library Foundation
COMMENTS/NOTES HOMOSEXUALS IN THE MILITARY
Secretary Gates has not expressed a personal opinion on President Obama’s proposal to repeal the law which excludes homosexuals from the military. In March 2007, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sparked controversy by telling the Chicago Tribune, “I believe that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts. I do not believe that the armed forces of the United States are well served by saying through our policies that it’s OK to be immoral in any way.” Gates responded in an interview on the Pentagon Channel, saying, “Now look, you know I think personal opinion really doesn’t have a place here. What’s important is that we have a law, a statute that governs ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ . . . That’s the policy of this department, and it’s my responsibility to execute that policy as effectively as we can. As long as the law is what it is, that’s what we’ll do.” [Source]
According to National Public Radio, “Senior Pentagon officials privately said the defense secretary summoned Pace to his office after the comments came to light, and demanded he put out a statement.” Pace did so, stating, “In expressing my support for the current policy, I also offered some personal opinions about moral conduct. I should have focused more on my support of the policy and less on my personal moral view.” Three months later, Gates announced he was replacing Gen. Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs rather than renominating him, expressing concern about a “divisive ordeal” that would have focused on the “past rather than the future.” [Source]
In the spring of 2008, it was reported by Politico that “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced to intervene with Defense Secretary Robert Gates in order to get Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s domestic partner on a military flight for a congressional fact-finding trip to Europe. . . Under House guidelines, members of Congress may take their spouses with them on military flights,” but “military officials were apparently unwilling to consider Azar a ‘spouse.’” A Pentagon spokesman insisted that the travel rules are set by the House, not the Pentagon, and that the decision to waive the normal spousal requirement rested with Pelosi, not Gates: “Secretary Gates honored a request from Speaker Pelosi to make an exception to the House rules.”
Secretary Gates was also the named defendant in a court case seeking to overturn the law barring homosexuals from the military, but the Department of Justice actually handled the case in court. On June 9, 2008, the First Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the current law in Cook v. Gates. [Source]
by Tom McClusky
February 2, 2009
POSITION: DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
NOMINEE: David Ogden
Born: November 12, 1953
Family: Wife, Anne Harkavy, and three children.
Occupation: partner at the Washington, D.C. firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, co-running the firm’s Government and Regulatory Litigation Practice Group.
Education: B.A. summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, 1976; J.D. magna cum laude in 1981 from Harvard Law School
Clinton White House: 1994-1995, Deputy General Counsel and the Legal Counsel for the United States Department of Defense; 1995 – 1997, Associate Deputy Attorney General in the United States Department of Justice; 1997 – 1998, Counselor to the United States Attorney General; 1998 – 1999, chief of staff to the United States Attorney General; 1999 – 2000, Acting Assistant Attorney General; 2000 – 2001, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Civil Division in the United States Department of Justice.
On Abortion
In a brief for the American Psychological Association in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, he wrote: “Abortion rarely causes or exacerbates psychological or emotional problems. When women do experience regret, depression, or guilt, such feelings are mild and diminish rapidly without adversely affecting general functioning. The few women who do experience negative psychological responses after abortion appear to be those with preexisting emotional problems ….”
Ogden also wrote: “In sum, it is grossly misleading to tell a woman that abortion imposes possible detrimental psychological effects when the risks are negligible in most cases, when the evidence shows that she is more likely to experience feelings of relief and happiness, and when child-birth and child-rearing or adoption may pose concomitant (if not greater) risks or adverse psychological effects ….”
[Source]
Opposed Parental Notification by 14-year olds
In Hartigan v. Zbaraz, 484 U.S. 171 (1987), Ogden co-authored a brief for the American Psychological Association arguing that parental notification was an unconstitutional burden on 14-year old adolescent girls seeking an abortion. Excerpts:
“There is no question that the right to secure an abortion is fundamental.” (p. 10).
“By any objective standard, therefore, the decision to abort is one that a reasonable person, including a reasonable adolescent, could make.” (p. 11).
“[E]mpirical studies have found few differences between minors aged 14-18 and adults in their understanding of information and their ability to think of options and consequences when asked to consider treatment-related decisions. These unvarying and highly significant findings indicate that with respect to the capacity to understand and reason logically, there is no qualitative or quantitative difference between minors in mid-adolescence, i.e., about 14-15 years of age, and adults.” (p. 18).
[Source]
Miscellaneous Abortion filings
In Rust v. Sullivan, 500 U.S. 173 (1990), Ogden served as counsel to People for the American Way, the National Education Association, and others supporting petitioner’s claim that abortion is a method of family planning that should be eligible for federal funding.
In Scheidler v. National Organization for Women, 537 U.S. 393 (2003), Ogden co-authored the brief for the respondent NOW and several abortion clinics. They sought permanent injunctive relief under RICO, which was originally aimed at fighting organized mob crime, against pro-life protestors from Operation Rescue and the Pro-Life Action League. Available on WestLaw as 2002 WL 31154781.
See also Gonzales v. Oregon, 546 U.S. 243 (2006), where Ogden served as counsel of record on behalf of law professors filing an amicus brief supporting Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act and opposing the Ashcroft Directive barring assisted suicide. Available on LexisNexis as 2004 U.S. Briefs 623.
On Homosexuality
In Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003), Ogden served as counsel of record for the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, and the National Association of Social Workers filing an amicus brief in support of the defendants.
”Of course, families headed by gay couples may encounter particular issues and challenges, much as families of racial and ethnic minority group members, low-income families, and single-parent families do.” (p. 21).
“Although a shift in public opinion concerning homosexuality occurred in the 1990s, hostility towards gay men and lesbians remains common in contemporary American society. Prejudice against bisexuals appears to exist at comparable levels. Discrimination against gay people in employment and housing also appears to remain widespread. The severity of this anti-gay prejudice is reflected in the consistently high rate of anti-gay harassment and violence in American society.” (p. 23-24). [Source]
On Gays in the Military
In Watkins v. United States Army, 875 F.2d 699 (9th Cir. 1989), Ogden filed an amicus brief on behalf of the American Psychological Association. In it, APA argued “(8) prejudice against lesbians and gay men in the Army is likely to be reduced by encouraging contact between homosexuals and heterosexuals; and (9) there was no rational basis for the Army’s exclusion of gay people.”
[Source]
On Strict Scrutiny for Gay Rights Claims
In an article for the APA, Ogden called for “strict scrutiny” of claims by homosexual persons. American Psychologist, Vol. 46, No. 9, p. 950-956 (September 1991).
[Source]
Pornography and Obscenity
Opposed the Children’s Internet Protection Act of 2000
In United States v. American Library Association, Ogden served as counsel of record for an amicus brief filed on behalf of fifteen library directors in support of the Association.
“As a condition of receiving federal funds, Congress has – with the Children’s Internet Protection Act … – insisted that public libraries affirmatively censor constitutionally-protected material. By demanding that libraries be censors and devote resources – not to facilitating – but to interfering with patrons’ pursuit of information and ideas, Congress has subverted the role of librarians and public libraries and violated the First Amendment rights of library patrons.” (p. 3).
CIPA “impairs the ability of librarians to aid patrons seeking information.” (p. 11).
[Source]
Challenged the Child Protection and Obscenity Enforcement Act
Ogden represented several communications trade associations challenging provisions of the Child Protection and Obscenity Enforcement Act of 1988. He convinced the court that requiring producers of pornographic materials to personally verify that models were over age 18 at the time the materials were made would “burden too heavily and infringe too deeply on the right to produce First Amendment protected material.” American Library Association v. Thornburgh, 713 F.Supp. 469, 477 (D.D.C. 1989).
Representation of Pornographers
Ogden represented Playboy Enterprises, among others, seeking an order forcing the Library of Congress to use taxpayer funds to print Playboy Magazine’s articles in Braille against the express wishes of Congress. American Council for the Blind v. Boorstin, 644 F.Supp. 811 (1986). Ogden represented Playboy Enterprises seeking an injunction against the inclusion of Playboy in a list of pornographic magazines that would potentially be included in the Meese Commission report. Playboy Enterprises, Inc. v. Meese, 746 F.Supp. 154 (D.D.C. 1990). Ogden represented a mail-order pornography distributor with a nation-wide business who complained of an allegedly unconstitutional multi-district prosecution strategy by the Department of Justice. P.HE., Inc., v. United States Department of Justice, 743 F.Supp. 15 (D.D.C. 1990) and United States v. P.H.E., Inc., 965 F.2d 848 (10th Cir. 1992).
Ogden has filed numerous amicus briefs in pornography and obscenity cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, including Knox v. United States, 510 U.S. 375 (1993) (on behalf of the ACLU and others); Fort Wayne Books, Inc. v. Indiana, 489 U.S. 46 (1989) (on behalf of mail-order pornography distributor P.H.E., Inc.); Virginia v. American Booksellers Association, 484 U.S. 383 (1988) (on behalf of the Freedom to Read Foundation); Pope v. Illinois, 481 U.S. 497 (1987) (on behalf of the ACLU and P.H.E., Inc.). See also Meese v. Keene, 481 U.S. 465 (1987) (on behalf of Playboy Enterprises, Inc., and the American Booksellers Association).
On Judicial Activism
“Sen. Sessions: I was concerned about your comments on judicial activism or the meaning of our Constitution and how it ought to be interpreted in an article you wrote back in July 1986 concerning the Bowers case in Georgia . . .
‘Constitutional interpretation cannot be limited to ascertain the way a particular law would have been viewed by the Framers. While constitutional principles do not change, the society and individuals in whom they are applied do, and our knowledge about that society and those individuals improves with time.’
Then you noted the changing social context is as much a part of the constitutional issues to be decided as the statute itself because to ignore it is to fail in the court’s basic task, adapting the great outlines of the Constitution to the particular problems of each generation, and then you went on to make some other comments.” Hearing before the Committee on the Judiciary, 106th Congress August 4, 1999.
[Source]
Tobacco Litigation
Was a major player in the Clinton Administration’s efforts to profit from the numerous court cases against tobacco companies and releasing a statement on the day the suit was announced [Source]. He also testified before Congress in 2001 stating he believed the government had a strong case because of the tobacco industry’s “long-standing conspiracy to defraud the American public.”
[Source]
by Tom McClusky
February 1, 2009
During the campaign there was a lot of talk from the Obama campaign that he would usher in a new era of open and honest government. In fact on the ethics page of his website there is this little tidbit:
Sunlight Before Signing: Too often bills are rushed through Congress and to the president before the public has the opportunity to review them. As president, Obama will not sign any non-emergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days.
Then how does he explain the Lilly Ledbetter Act, which Heritage correctly describes as a payoff to trial lawyers? According to the Congressional website THOMAS the Lilly Ledbetter Act was passed by the Senate on January 22, then passed by the House of Representatives on January 27 and signed into law by President Obama two days later.
I searched the White House website and there was no five day “waiting period” before President Obama signed the legislation into law, and certainly no explanation that this trial lawyers’ dream of a bill is “emergency” legislation.
There is a section of the White House website on the bill that asks for comments – but I am told by people in the White House it did not go up till two hours AFTER the bill was signed!
by David Prentice
January 30, 2009
POSITION: SCIENCE ADVISOR
AND Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
AND Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)
NOMINEE: John Holdren
BIRTH DATE: March 1, 1944 Sewickley, PA, grew up in San Mateo, CA
EDUCATION:
Ph.D. in aeronautics/astronautics and theoretical plasma physics 1970, Stanford University
M.S. in aeronautics & astronautics 1966, MIT
B.S. in aeronautics & astronautics 1965, MIT
FAMILY: Wife Dr. Cheryl E. Holdren, a biologist; two children and four grandchildren
FRC SCORECARD: NA
EXPERIENCE:
June 2005-present Director, Woods Hole Research Center, Falmouth, MA
1996-present Harvard University
1973-present University of California-Berkeley
1972-1973 California Institute of Technology
1970-1973, 1973-present as consultant, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
1969-1970 Stanford University
1966-1967 Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, Sunnyvale, California
Brief Professional CV at Harvard
And Woods Hole Research Center
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
1994-2001 Member of Clinton’s President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)
Member National Academy of Sciences
Member National Academy of Engineering
ON EMBRYONIC STEM CELL EXPERIMENTATION and CLONING
“AAAS worked to increase support for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, too, by issuing a statement decrying the President’s second veto of the initiative, which had twice passed in the House and Senate, with votes from Republicans and Democrats alike. Association staff later teamed up with stem cell pioneer James Thomson to publish an op-ed that appeared in the Washington Post and at least nine other newspapers.”
Welcome Letter from John Holdren, AAAS Chair & Alan Leshner, AAAS CEO; AAAS 2007 annual report
[Source]
Holdren’s views on another controversy, embryonic stem cell research, also are likely to run contrary to those of Bush, who has restricted U.S. funding to minimize the number of embryos destroyed to create new colonies of cells.
Holdren has already said he thinks the research should advance without the funding restrictions, said David Baltimore, the 1975 Nobel Prize winner who is now a biology professor at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
[Source]
“The President has again vetoed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, which would expand federal support for embryonic stem cell research. AAAS, the world’s largest general scientific society, stands with a broad coalition of Americans spanning all parties and faiths that supports this bill.
The scientific consensus is that embryonic stem cell research is an extremely promising approach to developing more effective treatments for devastating conditions like diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and Parkinson’s disease. The bill would mandate that such research be allowed to compete for federal funding while following strict ethical guidelines.
The Executive Order is not a substitute for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. The new approaches addressed by the order are still in the early stages of development and appear to already be eligible for NIH funding. AAAS strongly believes that it is only through federal support of diverse avenues of stem cell research, including especially embryonic stem cell research, that we may better understand the potential value and limitations of each approach.
During his tenure the President has acknowledged that it is a critical time for the American scientific enterprise, therefore it is disappointing that he has chosen to maintain restrictions on such a promising area of research. AAAS will continue to support the interests of scientists and patients in fostering medical progress.”
AAAS statement, 20 June 2007
AAAS supports human experimental cloning
“We believe that cloning for research purposes, where stem cells are extracted for further study, holds great promise for contributing to human health and dignity by developing effective treatments or cures for people whose daily lives are challenged by serious diseases and injuries that cause great suffering and premature death. On the other hand, AAAS has endorsed a legal ban on efforts to clone human embryos for reproduction.”
AAAS statement on March 7, 2005:
Other AAAS Policy Statements
ON GLOBAL WARMING/CLIMATE CHANGE
“The extent of unfounded skepticism about the disruption of global climate by human-produced greenhouse gases is not just regrettable, it is dangerous.”
[Source]
“Global warming is a misnomer. It implies something gradual, something uniform, something quite possibly benign, and what we’re experiencing is none of those,” Holdren said a year ago in a speech at Harvard. “There is already widespread harm … occurring from climate change. This is not just a problem for our children and our grandchildren.”
[Source]
Advised Al Gore on the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.”
[Source]
Dr. Holdren’s resistance to dissenting views was also on display earlier this year in an article asserting that climate skeptics are “dangerous.”
[Source]
MISCELLANEOUS
“In 1980 Dr. Holdren helped select five metals – chrome, copper, nickel, tin and tungsten – and joined Dr. Ehrlich and Dr. Harte in betting $1,000 that those metals would be more expensive ten years later. They turned out to be wrong on all five metals, and had to pay up when the bet came due in 1990.”
[Source]
A John Holdren Reader (selected slides, videos, & writings by Holdren)
[Source]
In 1995 he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, for which he served as chair of the executive committee from 1987 to 1997.
Some consider Holdren to be intolerant of dissenting viewpoints.
[Source]
by Tom McClusky
January 28, 2009
We have a new contender for my favorite Congressman of the 111th Congress, not sure if this is in time for Wesley Snipes though (my new nominee for Treasury Secretary):
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 2009
New Bill Would Eliminate All IRS Penalties and Interest for U.S. Citizens
Congressman John Carter to introduce “Rangel Rule” Legislation Wednesday
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Rep. John Carter (R-TX) will introduce new legislation tomorrow to eliminate all penalty and interest charges by the Internal Revenue Service against U.S. citizens. The bill is designed to provide the same treatment for all U.S. taxpayers owing back taxes as that enjoyed by House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY).
by Tom McClusky
January 27, 2009
POSITION: DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE
NOMINEE: James Steinberg
Born: May 7, 1953.
Family: Wife, Sherburne B. Abbott, and two children.
Work history: A clerk to a federal judge; an aide to Senator Edward M. Kennedy on the Senate Armed Services Committee; and an analyst at the RAND Corporation in California. He held several top national security positions in the Clinton administration, including State Department chief of staff and director of the department’s policy planning staff. Until 2005, he was vice president and director of foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington. He is now dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas but has remained at the center of the Democratic Party’s shadow foreign policy establishment. NY Times bio
Education: J.D., Yale Law School, 1978; B.A., Harvard University (Phi Beta Kappa and John Harvard Scholar), 1973
Clinton White House: From December 1996 to August 2000, he served as deputy national security advisor to President Bill Clinton. During that period he also served as the president’s personal representative (“Sherpa”) to the 1998 and 1999 G-8 summits. Prior to becoming deputy national security advisor, he served as chief of staff of the U.S. State Department and director of the State Department’s policy planning staff (1994-1996), and as deputy assistant secretary for analysis in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (1993-1994).
Abortion
“James B. Steinberg, President Obama’s nominee to be the next Deputy Secretary of State, claimed in written testimony to the Foreign Relations Committee that Congress cannot constitutionally restrict taxpayer funding to perform or promote abortions. Mr. Steinberg stated that the Mexico City policy, which bars taxpayer funding of abortions overseas, ‘is an unnecessary restriction that, if applied to organizations based in this country, would be an unconstitutional limitation on free speech.’
Steinberg’s opinion is in direct contradiction to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has already definitively decided the matter in Rust v. Sullivan in 1991. The court’s majority opinion concluded: ‘The Government has no constitutional duty to subsidize an activity merely because it is constitutionally protected, and may validly choose to allocate public funds for medical services relating to childbirth but not to abortion.’
Steinberg’s statement was made in response to a question about President Obama’s efforts to repeal the ‘Mexico City policy,’ which bars organizations that receive funding from the State Department to agree to ‘neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations.’” Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) blog, referring to written questions he submitted to the nominee.
[Source]
On the Bush Doctrine of Preventive Force
“Preventive military force has a role in managing today’s security challenges. Understanding that role is step one; establishing agreed standards for its use is step two; and implanting these standards in an effective institution is the third step. The Bush administration got the first step right, and the logic of its arguments builds toward the second. But it has gotten step three wrong. Unilateralism is not the only alternative to the Security Council. Regional organizations and a new coalition of democratic states offer ways to legitimize the use of force when the council fails to meet its responsibilities.” James Steinberg and Ivo Daalder, “Preventive War, A Useful Tool.” Los Angeles Times, December 4, 2005.
Helped Craft Obama Doctrine On Negotiating with Hostile Countries
“Advisers to Sen. Obama play down charges from conservatives that there is a downside risk if U.S. efforts to engage Iran fail to halt Tehran’s nuclear program immediately. They stress that any overtures would be made only after extensive deliberations inside Washington, as well as with U.S. allies. But they said such an initiative would unify the international community on Iran, while shifting the blame for any failure to resolve the nuclear issue squarely onto Tehran. ‘There are no guarantees diplomacy will succeed, but you also know that if it doesn’t you’ve strengthened your hands with other people,’ said Mr. Steinberg, who served as deputy national-security adviser from 1996 to 2000.” Jay Solomon, “Obama’s Mideast experts Emphasize talks,” Wall Street Journal, June 16, 2008.
On Nuclear Weapons, Guantanamo and the International Criminal Court
“On the military side, Washington must begin devaluing nuclear weapons. The United States can’t uninvent them, and will need some nuclear capability for the foreseeable future. But if we want Iran and North Korea to give them up and for China and Russia to limit their arsenals and prevent proliferation, we must take steps of our own: canceling new weapons programs – like the nuclear bunker buster, ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and mounting a massive global campaign to secure loose nukes and nuclear materials. Finally, don’t hesitate to stand up for our values: democracy, the rule of law and human rights. But remember that the best way to get others to share them is by example, not coercion. Close Guantanamo. Join the International Criminal Court.” James Steinberg, “Enough: Americans Should Lead by Example, and start by closing Guantanamo Bay,” Newsweek. January 1, 2008.
Miscellaneous
A voracious reader, fly fisherman, runner and workaholic who often rises before dawn to run several miles before getting to the office. He has several marathons under his belt. Was struck by a car while running in Los Angeles but has recovered from his injuries. NY Times bio
by David Prentice
January 26, 2009
POSITION: SECRETARY OF ENERGY
NOMINEE: Steven Chu
BIRTH DATE: February 28, 1948, St. Louis, MO
EDUCATION: AB in Math and BS in Physics 1970, U Rochester
Ph.D. in Physics 1976, UC-Berkeley
Postdoctoral fellow UC-Berkeley 1976-1978
FAMILY: Wife, Jean Chu, two grown sons, Geoffrey and Michael, by a previous marriage
FRC SCORECARD: NA
EXPERIENCE:
Director, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Aug 2004-Jan 2009
Professor of Atomic Physics and Biological Physics, UC-Berkeley, 2004-2009
Nobel Prize in Physics, 1997, co-winner, “for development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light”
Member of the National Academy of Sciences, elected 1993
Professor of Physics and Applied Physics, Stanford University, 1987-2008
Head of Quantum Electronic Dept., AT&T Bell Labs, 1983-1987
Technical Staff, AT&T Bell Labs, 1978-1983
STATEMENTS ON GLOBAL WARMING:
In speeches to organizations around the globe, Chu has delivered a consistent message. “Stronger storms, shrinking glaciers and winter snowpack, prolonged droughts and rising sea levels are raising the specter of global food and water shortages. The ominous signs of climate change we see today are a warning of dire economic and social consequences for us all, but especially for the poor of the world,” Chu has said. “The path to finding solutions is to bring together the finest, most passionate minds to work on the problem in a coordinated effort, and to give these researchers the resources commensurate with the challenge.”
[Source]
Chu, in a prepared statement, called the challenges of climate change “a growing and pressing problem” And he said that continuing dependence on oil represents a threat to the U.S. economy and security.
[Source]
On Gas Prices
Mr. Chu has called for gradually ramping up gasoline taxes over 15 years to coax consumers into buying more-efficient cars and living in neighborhoods closer to work.
‘Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe,’ Mr. Chu, who directs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in September.”
On Alternative Energy Sources
Coal
“What about other energy sources? Big Coal won’t be very happy if Dr. Chu gets confirmed as head of the DOE-he’s really, really not a big fan. “Coal is my worst nightmare,” he said repeatedly in a speech earlier this year outlining his lab’s alternative-energy approaches.
If coal is to stay part of the world’s energy mix, he says, clean-coal technologies must be developed. But he’s not very optimistic: “It’s not guaranteed we have a solution for coal,” he concluded, given the sheer scope of the challenge of economically storing billions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions underground.
Nuclear Power
Worried about radioactivity? Coal’s still your bogeyman. Dr. Chu says a typical coal plant emits 100 times more radiation than a nuclear plant, given the flyash emissions of radioactive particles.
That doesn’t mean nuclear power is much better. “The waste and proliferation issues [surrounding nuclear power] still haven’t been completely solved,” he said. A big part of the Department of Energy’s job is to oversee nuclear weapons and waste storage. And the Obama campaign made clear that increased reliance on nuclear power will require finding a “safe” way to dispose of radioactive waste.
Renewable Energy
How about renewable energy? Dr. Chu already had a taste of Washington power-brokering, in a briefing with current Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman and Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson. He pitched them on the idea of an interstate electricity transmission system to be paid for by ratepayers. That would solve one of the biggest hurdles to wide-spread adoption of clean energy like wind and solar power.
[Source]
by David Prentice
January 23, 2009
POSITION: SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
NOMINEE: Thomas J. Vilsack
BIRTH DATE: December 12, 1950 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
EDUCATION:
Bachelor’s degree 1972, Hamilton College in New York
J.D. 1975, Albany Law School
FAMILY: Wife Christie Vilsack; two sons, Jess and Doug
FRC SCORECARD: NA
EXPERIENCE:
Of Counsel, Des Moines office of Minneapolis-based law firm Dorsey & Whitney, May 1, 2007
Candidate for President, Nov 30, 2006-Feb 23, 2007
Governor of Iowa, 1998-2005
Iowa State Senate in 1992
Mayor of Mount Pleasant, Iowa in 1987
ON ABORTION
“A Catholic who supports abortion rights”
“I oppose abortion, personally. I don’t like abortion. I believe life does begin at conception.”
[source]
Vilsack vetoed a waiting period for abortions and signed a health insurance regulation law without the right to sue he had sought.
[source]
ON CLONING AND STEM CELLS
“Several years ago we limited medical research involving nuclear cell transplants [cloning] at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. At the time we never dreamt that new treatments dependent upon such transplants would be developed so quickly. Well, they have been, and as a result we should revisit our ban on nuclear cell transplants. We should remove the restrictions and allow life saving treatments to be administered to Iowans here in Iowa rather than forcing them to leave our state.”
From 2006 state of the state address
[source]
[NOTE: there have been no treatments developed from nuclear transplant cloning, or from embryonic stem cells; no stem cells have even been obtained from nuclear transfer cloned human embryos.]
“Scientists should pursue embryonic stem cell research”
“New discoveries require us to think differently and approach things differently,” Vilsack said. “Several years ago we placed on a ban on certain types of medical research involving nuclear cell transplants because we never dreamt the treatments resulting from that research would develop so quickly into life-saving treatments, but they have.”
[source]
[NOTE: no treatments have been developed using embryonic stem cells, and no clinical trials have yet been approved by the FDA or any foreign regulatory body.]
[Update: the FDA has now approved Geron to begin experiments on patients using embryonic stem cells, starting in the summer of 2009.]
ON HOMOSEXUAL SPECIAL RIGHTS and SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
In April 2000, the legislature repealed Vilsack’s order banning discrimination in state employment against gays lesbians, and transexuals; Vilsack vetoed that and in the fall 22 legislators sued, charging he exceeded his powers-a state judge declared Vilsack’s order invalid.
[source]
“I don’t think you necessarily have to redefine marriage to do it. A civil union set of rights would honor that,” Vilsack said. “Marriage is already defined and we don’t need to change it.”
[source]
The Constitution should not be amended to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
[source]
Hosted Governor’s Conference on LGBT Youth. (Feb 2006)
[source]
ON GLOBAL WARMING
“… We’ve been ignoring global warming. We’ve been saying it’s not a problem or, … we don’t think it’s scientifically proven. Well, the reality is, the rest of the world knows it’s a problem and we can’t provide any moral leadership until we recognize it’s a problem.”
[source]
The government should regulate greenhouse-gas emissions.
[source]
MISCELLANEOUS
Vilsack was abandoned at birth and placed in a Roman Catholic orphanage. He was adopted in 1951 by Bud and Dolly Vilsack, who raised him in the Roman Catholic faith.
In 2005, Vilsack established Heartland PAC, a political action committee aimed at electing Democratic Governors. In the first report, he raised over half a million dollars.
by Tom McClusky
January 23, 2009
If you have been reading Tony’s Daily Updates then you know we have been less then happy that the U.S. Senate Republicans have for the most part been making themselves comfortable to be in the Minority for a looong time. They have largely been silent on a number of President Obama’s more controversial nominees, ensuring that the millions of American citizens they represent also have no voice in the U.S. Senate. For those displaced citizens a new website now gives everyone a chance to vote for who will be the White House Farmer
You Can Vote For White House Farmer
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin has three residents in the running so far to be recommended as the White House farmer, if President Obama decides to create that position.
Several groups are behind the campaign to have the Obama family plant an organic garden on the White House grounds for use by the first family and also for food pantries that could use some of the produce.
Plans call for the nominees submitted as of January 31st to be narrowed to the top three vote-getters, who will be recommended to the president for the job.
Wisconsin residents among the 20 people nominated include Claire Strader of TroyCommunity Farm at Troy Gardens in Madison, Dela Ends of Scotch Hill Farm near Brodhead and Steve Haak of the Haak Family Farms in Belleville.
On the Net: www.whitehousefarmer.com
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Since the position does not actually exist maybe you might just want to make your voice heard on what kind of dog the Obama’s should get.
If President Obama needs someone to train the new dog on how to roll over, I know quite a few Senators who can help.
by Tom McClusky
January 21, 2009
POSTION: TREASURY SECRETARY
NOMINEE: Timothy Geithner
Born: Brooklyn, New York, August 18, 1961.
Family: Wife, Carole M. Sonnenfeld, and two children.
Occupation: Partner 9th president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In that role he also serves as Vice Chairman of the Federal Open Market Committee
Education: M.A. in international economics and East Asian studies from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies in 1985
Clinton White House: Geithner joined the Department of Treasury in 1988 and worked in three administrations for five Secretaries of the Treasury in a variety of positions. He was deputy assistant secretary for international monetary and financial policy (1995-1996), senior deputy assistant secretary for international affairs (1996-1997), assistant secretary for international affairs (1997-1998). He was Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs (1998-2001) under Treasury Secretaries Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers. In 2002 he left the Treasury to join the Council on Foreign Relations as a Senior Fellow in the International Economics department. At the International Monetary Fund he was director of the Policy Development and Review Department (2001-2003)
NOTE: “An examination of the record of IMF and World Bank performance in developing countries shows that, far from being the solution to global economic instability and poverty, these two international institutions are a major problem. For one thing, their lending practice deters growth because the money they loan removes incentives for governments to advance economic freedom, and breeds corruption. For these reasons, the vast majority of recipient countries have been unable to develop fully after depending on these institutions for over 40 years.” Ana I. Eiras, “IMF and World Bank Intervention: A Problem, Not a Solution.” Heritage Foundation. September 17, 2003.
On the 2001 and 2003 Tax Cuts
Nominee Geithner has little published on his view of how the tax cuts during President George W. Bush’s Administration helped the economy or if they should be repealed. During the campaign, candidate Obama vowed to repeal the popular tax cuts – though it appears that might now be delayed:
“Aides to President-elect Barack Obama suggested on Sunday that he wouldn’t immediately implement a pledged rollback of tax cuts for the top tier of American income earners, because of the worsening economic outlook. . . During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Obama economic adviser William Daley suggested that the incoming administration would reconsider whether to quickly increase taxes for Americans earning more than $250,000 per year. . . David Axelrod, an Obama political strategist who was recently named as one of the president-elect’s senior White House advisers, also suggested during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” that Obama was considering delaying the tax increase, but he did not elaborate.
In that appearance, and another on ABC’s “This Week,” Axelrod publicly confirmed that Geithner was slated to head the Treasury Department, pending formal nomination and approval by the Senate. . . Axelrod declined to answer questions about Geithner’s role in some recent policy decisions made during the financial crisis, including one not to provide federal aid to Lehman Brothers. He said Geithner has served as “an early warning system in terms of the need for greater regulation, and has been ahead of the curve on a lot of these issues.” Cam Simpson, “Obama Aides Suggest Rollback of Bush Tax Cuts Could Be Delayed,” Wall Street Journal, November 23, 2008.
On the Current Financial Crisis and Financial Bailouts
“Timothy Geithner, 47, has had a seat at the table since the credit crisis erupted in August 2007 and eventually sparked the deep economic downturn the nation is facing now. As a result, at least until his confirmation hearing, he’ll be criticized for having a major role in a government response that hasn’t always instilled confidence in financial markets – even if it prevented a wider financial meltdown. As the Fed’s man on Wall Street, Mr. Geithner was a key architect of the $30 billion bailout to prevent the bankruptcy of Bear Stearns Cos., leading to charges the government was stoking moral hazard. He shaped the Fed’s lifeline to investment banks that followed, and was among the officials involved in assessing the implications of the troubles around Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers Holdings, American International Group and numerous other firms (from Wachovia to Citigroup) that have come under market pressure.” WSJ Blog, Who is Timothy Geithner? November 21, 2008.
Personal Tax Negligence
“Obama said Wednesday that the disclosures that Geithner had failed to pay $34,000 in taxes between 2001 and 2004 were embarrassing, but added that Geithner’s “innocent mistake” shouldn’t keep him from taking the helm of the new administration’s urgent efforts to revive the economy. Several Republicans agreed that Geithner would get Senate approval and said their party had little appetite for a partisan fight at a precarious time for the economy.” Associated Press, “Geithner slowed, not stopped by tax problems,” January 15, 2009.
“I have a new story on what is, for some senators at least, the most frustrating thing about Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner’s tax problem: Geithner can’t explain why he did it. Members of the Senate Finance Committee know Geithner failed to pay self-employment taxes during his time at the International Monetary Fund. They know the IMF had repeatedly informed Geithner, as it had all its employees, of his obligation to pay that tax. They know Geithner signed documents saying he would pay the tax. And they know Geithner accepted IMF reimbursement for Social Security and Medicare taxes that he had not, in fact, paid. Geithner paid part of his obligation after a 2006 Internal Revenue Service audit, and the rest of it after he was nominated to become treasury secretary. In all, he paid $42,702 in back taxes and interest. But why did Geithner, who had been a high-ranking official at the Treasury Department before joining IMF and would go on to head the New York Fed, make those mistakes? Senators got a chance to ask him in person last Tuesday after committee leadership broke the news to them in a hastily-called meeting . . .”Since their meeting with Geithner was the first time that most senators had heard of the problem, their questions were not terribly detailed; several of the queries were along the lines of “What were you thinking?” And Geithner’s answers were not terribly satisfying. “He can’t offer a specific reason,” says another source familiar with what went on at the meeting. “He doesn’t really have an answer. He just didn’t know.” Byron York, Geithner Can’t Explain His Failure to Pay Taxes, NRO The Corner, January 19, 2009.
Miscellaneous
If successfully confirmed by the U.S. Senate and if Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee Charlie Rangel (D-NY) refuses to step aside, that would mean the two people most responsible for crafting U.S. tax policy will both be admitted tax cheats, both claiming “lack of knowledge of the law” as an excuse. [source]
by Tom McClusky
January 21, 2009
As a fellow lefty it is easy to see how this comment could be taken out of context – though in truth with the current President could it be a sign of things to come?
WASHINGTON (CNN) — As his first official action after being sworn in, President Barack Obama signed three documents Tuesday, including a proclamation declaring a day of national renewal and reconciliation.
“I’m a lefty. Get used to it,” Obama quipped as he signed his name. “I was told not to swipe the pen.”
The past three presidents signed similar reconciliation proclamations upon being sworn in.
by Tom McClusky
January 19, 2009
POSTION: 44th President of the United States of America
NOMINEE: Barack Obama
Born: Honolulu, Hawaii (yes that IS part of the United States), August 4, 1961
Family: Wife, Michelle, and two children.
Occupation: 44th President of the United States, January 20, 2009; U.S. Senator for the state of Illinois, January, 2005 – November, 2008; Illinois State Senator, January, 1997 – November, 2004
Education: Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School magna cum laude 1991
SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE
On Roe v. Wade and promoting abortion
“Throughout my career, I’ve been a consistent and strong supporter of reproductive justice, and have consistently had a 100% pro-choice rating with Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America. When South Dakota passed a law banning all abortions in a direct effort to have Roe overruled, I was the only candidate for President to raise money to help the citizens of South Dakota repeal that law. When anti-choice protesters blocked the opening of an Illinois Planned Parenthood clinic in a community where affordable health care is in short supply, I was the only candidate for President who spoke out against it. And I will continue to defend this right by passing the Freedom of Choice Act as president.” Obama Statement on 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Decision, January 22, 2008.
Supports forcing private insurers and using federal taxpayer money to pay for abortion“Senator Obama believes that reproductive health care is basic health care. His health care plan will create a new public plan, which will provide coverage of all essential medical services. Reproductive health care is an essential service – just like mental health care and disease management and other preventive services under his plan. And private insurers that want to participate will have to treat reproductive care in the same way.” Sen. Barack Obama’s RH Issues Questionnaire, December, 2007.
Parental Consent on issues of abortion
Opposes , also supports giving the sometime abortifacient, Plan B, to young girls. SOURCE Sen. Barack Obama’s RH Issues Questionnaire, December, 2007.
Voted against stopping ne’er-do-well adults taking minors across state lines for an abortion:
S.Amdt 4335 to S.Con.Res. 70, Roll Call 08-S71, March 13, 2008.
Voted against parental notification of minors who get out-of-state abortions:
S.403, Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, Roll Call 06-216, July 25, 2006.
On taxpayer funding
Voted for increasing taxpayer funding for destructive embryonic stem cell experimentation: S.5/H.R. 3, Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, Roll Call 07-127, April 11, 2007.
Voted for increasing funding to Planned Parenthood and similar clinics by $100 million: S.Amdt. 244 to S.Con.Res 18, Appropriation to expand access to preventive health care services, Roll Call 05-75, March 17, 2005.
Opposes Hyde Amendment
(a provision barring the use of federal funds to pay for abortions)
“Obama does not support the Hyde amendment. He believes that the federal government should not use its dollars to intrude on a poor woman’s decision whether to carry to term or to terminate her pregnancy and selectively withhold benefits because she seeks to exercise her right of reproductive choice in a manner the government disfavors.” Sen. Barack Obama’s RH Issues Questionnaire, December, 2007.
Opposes federal support for pregnancy care centers
Sen. Barack Obama’s RH Issues Questionnaire, December, 2007.
Supports full funding for the United Nations Family Planning Fund (UNFPA)
(Evidence shows UNFPA subsidizes coercive abortions)
S. Amdt. 2708 to H.R. 2764, Roll Call 07-320, September 6, 2007
Supports subsidizing international abortion agencies
S.Amdt. 2719 to H.R. 2764, Roll Call 07-319, September 6, 2007
NOTE: Senator Obama co-sponsored the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) in the 109th and 110th Congresses and vowed to an audience at a Planned Parenthood rally that passing FOCA would be the first thing he would do as President (SOURCE.) FOCA would overturn hundreds of state laws on the books that limit abortion. (SOURCE.)
MARRIAGE AND HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA
Voted against the Marriage Protection Amendment: S.J.Res. 1, Roll Call 06-163, June 7, 2006.
Opposes the Defense of Marriage Act:
“Well, it is my strong belief that the government has to treat all citizens equally. I come from that, in part, out of personal experience. When you’re a black guy named Barack Obama, you know what it’s like to be on the outside. And so my concern is continually to make sure that the rights that are conferred by the state are equal for all people. That’s why I opposed DOMA in 2006 when I ran for the United States Senate.” Transcript of LOGO debate on August 9, 2007.
Voted in favor of the Federal Hate Crimes Act: Thought crimes amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization that would establish federal “hate crimes” for certain violent acts based on the actual or perceived race, religion, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation of any person. S. Amdt. 3035, Roll Call No. 07-350, September 27, 2007.
For allowing gays in the military:
“Senator Barack Obama pledges to end Don’t Ask Don’t Tell – and to help reinstate gays and lesbians kicked out of the military due to this policy” HRC Backstory
Supports special rights for homosexuals
Obama believes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Obama sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Obama ’08 Campaign Flyer.
ON JUDICIAL LITMUS TESTS
“(J)udicial philosophy should be weighted more seriously than such evaluations. We need somebody who’s got the heart, the empathy, to recognize what it’s like to be a young teenage mom. The empathy to understand what it’s like to be poor, or African-American, or gay, or disabled, or old. And that’s the criteria by which I’m going to be selecting my judges.” Obama on Judges, Supreme Court, MSNBC, July 17, 2007.
Voted against confirming Samuel Alito (January, 2006) and John Roberts (September, 2005) for the Supreme Court.
MISCELLANOUS
Pro-Abortion payback?
Dawn Johnsen, former NARAL legal director, nominee for Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Legal Counsel.
Ellen Moran, named White House communications director. Emily’s List is a national political action committee that only supports female candidates who favor taxpayer funded abortions and oppose a partial-birth abortion ban.
Melody Barnes, former Emily’s List board member, named director of the Domestic Policy Council.
Thomas Perrelli, the lawyer who represented Terri Schiavo’s husband Michael in his efforts to starve his wife to death, as associate attorney general.
by Tom McClusky
January 18, 2009
POSTION: Vice President of the United States of America
NOMINEE: Joseph Biden
Born: Scranton, PA, November 20, 1942
Family: Wife, Jill Tract Jacobs, and four children.
Occupation: Vice President of the United States January 20, 2009; U.S. Senator for the state of Delaware, January 3, 1973 – January 15, 2009
Education: Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law in 1968
Chairmanships in Congress: Foreign Relations: January 2007-2009/June, 2001 – January, 2003/January 3, 2001 – January 20, 2001. Judiciary: January, 1987 – January, 1995.
SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE
On Roe v. Wade
“I strongly support Roe v. Wade. . . That’s why I led the fight to defeat Bork, Roberts Alito, and Thomas.” 2007 South Carolina Democratic primary debate, MSNBC April 26, 2007.
On protecting the unborn child or minors in cases of abortion
Voted against defining the unborn child as eligible for SCHIP: Amends the definition of the term “targeted low-income child” to provide that such term includes the period from conception to birth, for eligibility for child health assistance. S.Amdt. to S.ConRes.70, Senator Allard Amendment, Roll Call 08-S81, March 14, 2008.
Voted against stopping ne’er-do-well adults taking minors across state lines for an abortion: S.Amdt 4335 to S.Con.Res. 70, Roll Call 08-S71, March 13, 2008.
Voted against parental notification of minors who get out-of-state abortions: S.403, Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, Roll Call 06-216, July 25, 2006.
Voted against the Unborn Victims of Violence Act: Bill makes it a criminal offense to harm or kill a fetus during the commission of a violent crime. S.1019/H.R. 1997, Unborn Victims of Violence Act, Roll Call 04-63, March 25, 2004.
Voted for the Partial Birth Abortion Ban: S. 1692, Partial Birth Abortion Ban, Roll Call 99-340, October 21, 1999 (He did not vote on the one that became law in the 108th Congress.)
On taxpayer funding
Voted for increasing taxpayer funding for destructive embryonic stem cell experimentation: S.5/H.R. 3, Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, Roll Call 07-127, April 11, 2007.
Voted for increasing funding to Planned Parenthood and similar clinics by $100 million: S.Amdt. 244 to S.Con.Res 18, Appropriation to expand access to preventive health care services, Roll Call 05-75, March 17, 2005.
Voted for taxpayer funding of abortions on military bases: S. 2549, Roll Call 00-134, June 20, 2000.
Voted against banning human cloning: Motion to proceed for S. 1601, Roll Call 98-10, February 11, 1998.
NOTE: Senator Biden co-sponsored the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) in the 102nd and 103rd Congresses but has not since. FOCA would overturn hundreds of state laws on the books that limit abortion.
MARRIAGE AND HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA
Voted against the Marriage Protection Amendment: S.J.Res. 1, Roll Call 06-163, June 7, 2006.
Vote for the Defense of Marriage Act: H.R. 3396, Roll Call 96-280, September 10, 1996.
Voted in favor of the Federal Hate Crimes Act: Thought crimes amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization that would establish federal “hate crimes” for certain violent acts based on the actual or perceived race, religion, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation of any person. S. Amdt. 3035, Roll Call No. 07-350, September 27, 2007.
For allowing gays in the military: 2007 Dem. debate at Saint Anselm College June 3, 2007.
ON JUDICIAL LITMUS TESTS
“When I got to the United States Senate and went on the Judiciary Committee as a young lawyer, I was of the view … that the only thing that mattered was whether or not a nominee appointed, suggested by the president had a judicial temperament, had not committed a crime of moral turpitude, and was – had been a good student. … [I]t took about five years for me to realize that the ideology of that judge makes a big difference. That’s why I led the fight against Judge Bork.” Vice presidential debate between Democratic Senator Joe Biden and Republican Governor Sarah Palin. The debate was moderated by Gwen Ifill of PBS at Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Voted against confirming Samuel Alito (January, 2006), John Roberts (September, 2005) and Clarence Thomas (October, 1991) for the Supreme Court.
MISCELLANOUS
Voted against confirming Samuel Alito (January, 2006), John Roberts (September, 2005) and Clarence Thomas (October, 1991) for the Supreme Court.
100% in the Planned Parenthood Scorecard for the 109th Congress.
78% in the Human Rights Campaign Scorecard for the 109th Congress.
0% in the FRCAction Scorecard for the 110th Congress.
Was named a Face for the Future by Time magazine in his freshman senatorial year – in 1974
Joe Biden’s Greatest Hits
The vice president-elect has a reputation for being a lightning rod for controversy due to his penchant of speaking before thinking
His campaign imploded when he was caught plagiarizing from British Labour Party head Neil Kinnock. Rhetorical Question by Michael Crowley, New Republic, October 22, 2001
“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy, I mean, that’s a storybook, man.” Senator Joe Biden on Senator Barack Obama
In a June 2006 appearance in New Hampshire, the senator commented on the growth of the Indian-American population in Delaware by saying, “You cannot go into a 7-11 or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. Oh, I’m not joking.” SOURCE
“Better than everybody else. You don’t know my state. My state was a slave state. My state is a border state. My state is the eighth largest black population in the country. My state is anything from a northeast liberal state,” Biden describing how a Northern liberal could compete in the South.
“I have a record. The good news and the bad news is that I have a record. I have a bad reputation of saying what I think, but I’m going to continue to do that.” Sept. 24, 2007, appearing on The View.
On Rudy Giuliani: “Probably the most underqualified man since George Bush to seek the presidency… There’s only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun, and a verb and 9/11.” Oct. 30, 2007, at a Democratic debate.
Senator Biden on Senator Obama’s foreign policy experience:
“If the Democrats think we’re going to be able to nominate someone who can win without that person being able to table unimpeachable credentials on national security and foreign policy, I think we’re making a tragic mistake.”
“It’s a well-intentioned notion he has, but it’s a very naïve way of thinking (sending troops into Pakistan) how you’re going to conduct foreign policy. Having talking points on foreign policy doesn’t get you there.”
“I think he can be ready, but right now I don’t believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training.” SOURCE
by Michael Leaser
January 16, 2009
POSITION: PRESS SECRETARY
NOMINEE: Robert Gibbs
Born: March 29, 1971 in Auburn, Alabama
Occupation: Political consultant, most recently the communications director for Senator Barack Obama and Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign
Family: Married, one child
Education: B.A., North Carolina State University (majored in political science), graduated cum laude
Career: Robert Gibbs has spent his career working as a communications specialist in the campaigns of various politicians. Prior to becoming involved in Obama’s presidential campaign, he served as the communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. He served as the campaign spokesman for Fritz Hollings in 1998 and was the press secretary for Representative Bob Etheridge. He was John Kerry’s press secretary during his 2004 presidential campaign. He has worked with Obama since 2004.
On Homosexual “Marriage”
“One of the sponsors of the bill (Illinois Non-Discrimination Bill Senate Bill 2597, formally SB 101, which would give special rights in housing, employment and public accommodations on the basis of one’s sexual orientation.) is Keyes’ opponent Obama.
Robert Gibbs, spokesman for Obama, said Obama is against discrimination.
While Obama supports laws that guarantee basic rights to same sex couples, including recognition of domestic partnerships, Obama opposes gay marriage.
‘Our position on gay marriage is the same position held by John McCain and Dick Cheney, who are opposed to gay marriage, but are also opposed to a constitutional amendment that is unnecessary,’ Gibbs said.” [source (from Senator Obama's Senate campaign in 2006)]
On Homosexuals in the Military
“In a response to a question on the Web site Change.gov asking whether Obama would get rid of the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said: ‘You don’t hear politicians give a one-word answer much. But it’s yes.’
Gibbs on Wednesday expanded on his answer, saying, ‘There are many challenges facing our nation now and the president-elect is focused first and foremost on jump-starting this economy. So not everything will get done in the beginning but he’s committed to following through” with ending the policy against being openly gay in the military.’” [source]
Quotes about Gibbs:
“He’s the last person Barack talks to when he’s thinking about how to handle reporters’ questions,” says Linda Douglass, a campaign spokeswoman. “We call him the Barack Whisperer. He completely understands his thinking and knows how Barack wants to come across.’” [source]
“Robert is the guy I want in the foxhole with me during incoming fire…If I’m wrong, he challenges me. He’s not intimidated by me.” – Barack Obama [source]
“His aggressive communication skills; while close to Mr. Obama, Mr. Gibbs does not always share his boss’s steady temperament, and this has caused dust-ups during the presidential campaign. Mr. Gibbs’s friends say he is working at being calm under pressure, a vital skill for a press secretary who stands at the White House podium as the face of the administration.” – [source]
Quotes by Gibbs:
“I’ve always wanted to be in a position where as a staffer I could always speak freely and in an unvarnished way with whoever I was working for…I don’t think you serve somebody well if you don’t feel like you can.”
- On his reputation as one of the few people who can challenge Obama [source]
“It was requisitioned for a higher purpose. I have never gotten that back and I never had the illusion that I would.”- On the light blue tie hijacked by Obama for his 2004 convention speech. [source]
by Tom McClusky
January 15, 2009
Are you looking to see politicians stand up for what they believe in? Then I suggest you rent “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Otherwise here is an updated schedule for hearings and votes next week on HRH 
President-elect Barack Obama’s nominations. To watch the hearings as they are happening tune into the Committee websites or CSPAN.org
Timothy F. Geithner, nominee for Secretary of the Treasury
Hearing date: January 21st, 2009
10:00 A.M.
Location: Senate Finance Committee
Ray LaHood, nominee for Secretary of Transportation
Hearing date: January 21st, 2009
2:00 P.M.
Location: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Scheduled committee vote on Susan Rice, nominee for Ambassador to the United Nations
Vote date: January 23rd, 2009
2:30 P.M.
Location: Senate Foreign Relations Committee
James B. Steinberg, nominee for Deputy Secretary of the Department of State;
Jacob J. Lew, nominee for Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources of the Department of State
Hearing date: January 24th, 2009
2:30 P.M.
Location: Senate Foreign Relations Committee
by Chris Gacek
January 14, 2009
POSTION: Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel
NOMINEE: Dawn Johnsen
Education: summa cum laude B.A. in economics and political science, Yale, 1983; J.D. Yale, 1986, Article & Book Review Editor, Yale Law Journal
Family: N/A
Experience: law professor, Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington, 1998-present; Acting Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, United States Department
of Justice, Washington, D.C., 1997-1998; Deputy Assistant Attorney General, 1993-1996; Legal Director, National Abortion & Reproductive Rights Action League (currently
NARAL Pro-Choice America), Washington, D.C., 1988-1993; Law Clerk to the Honorable Richard D. Cudahy, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Chicago, Illinois, 1986-1987
Clinton White House: From 1993 to 1998 she worked in the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), including a stint as Acting Assistant Attorney General heading the OLC
Obama Campaign: After election, named to Obama transition’s Department of Justice Review Team.
Affiliations: American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, National Board Member; National Co-Chair of Project on The Constitution in the 21st Century; Co-Chair of Separation of Powers/Federalism Issue Group. NOTE: This group is the relatively new Leftist answer to the Federalist Society.
From her article on fetal rights:
“In recent years, however, courts and state legislatures have increasingly granted fetuses rights traditionally enjoyed by persons. Some of these recent ‘fetal rights’ differ radically from the initial legal recognition of the fetus in that they view the fetus as an entity independent from the pregnant woman with interests that are potentially hostile to hers.” D. Johnsen, “The Creation of Fetal Rights:…”, 95 YALE L.J. 599 (1986).
“Until recently, the law did not recognize the existence of the fetus except for a few very specific purposes.” D. Johnsen, “The Creation of Fetal Rights:…”, 95 YALE L.J. at 601.
“In thus treating the fetus, courts have glossed over crucial differences between fetuses and persons, and have lost sight of the interests that narrow legal recognition of the fetus traditionally has attempted to protect. They have ignored alternatives to equating the fetus with a person that would have more appropriately served their goals.” D. Johnsen, “The Creation of Fetal Rights:…”, 95 YALE L.J. at 610.
Granting rights to fetuses in a manner that conflicts with women’s autonomy reinforces the tradition of disadvantaging women on the basis of their reproductive capability. By subjecting women’s decisions and actions during pregnancy to judicial review, the state simultaneously questions women’s abilities and seizes women’s rights to make decisions essential to [*625] their very personhood. The rationale behind using fetal rights laws to control the actions of women during pregnancy is strikingly similar to that used in the past to exclude women from the paid labor force and to confine them to the “private” sphere.
D. Johnsen, “The Creation of Fetal Rights:…”, 95 YALE L.J. at 624-25.
On Alito Hearings:
We have squandered a rare opportunity for public education. The Senate’s focus on the formal status of Roe, while understandable, masks the extent to which the court has already gutted the right to choose and what the confirmation of Alito most immediately would mean for reproductive liberty.
D. Johnsen, Slate, “The Outer Shell: The hollowing out of Roe v. Wade,” Jan. 25, 2006.
On Reducing the Number of Abortions:
My point was that the kind of legislative initiatives that come out of the “Republican coalition” you were discussing does not actually accomplish a reduction in abortions. (And that the primary prochoice organizations do work hard toward that goal.) That may also well reveal that some (not all) such political forces are more interested in objectives other than reducing the number of abortions. Among them may be controlling the nature and understanding of motherhood and diminishing women’s equality and sexual freedom (and even where those are not objectives, they may provide strong influences). For the many who sincerely would like to reduce the number of abortions, that desire provides the basis for education about the true effects of the legislation and the possibility for instead forging common ground policies that promote pregnancy prevention and healthy childbearing.
D. Johnsen, Slate, “Reducing Abortions,” March 22, 2008.
In his book, Bearing Right, William Saletan notes that in the late 1980s, Dawn Johnsen and Marcy Wilder, top lawyers at NARAL, “drew a hard line on parental involvement” in abortion decisions. Saletan quotes an internal NARAL memo by Johnsen and Wilder: “In practice, both consent and notification laws amount to a parental veto power over a minor’s decision to an abortion. Do not, as part of an affirmative legislative strategy, introduce even a liberalized version of a parental consent or notification law.”
William Saletan, Bearing Right, p. 289 (Memo, Dawn Johnsen and Marcy Wilder to NARAL Staff and Consultatns, “Pro-Choice Legislative Strategy for Minor’s Access to Abortion Services,” 9/5/89).
by Tom McClusky
January 12, 2009
POSTION:U.S AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS
NOMINEE: Susan Rice
Born: Washington, DC. November 17, 1964
Family: Husband, Ian O. Cameron, and two children.
Occupation: Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Global Economy and Development at the Brookings Institute
Education: D.Phil. (1990), M.Phil. (1988), Oxford University; B.A., Stanford University, 1986
Clinton White House: Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (1997-2001); Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs, the National Security Council, the White House (1995-1997); Director for International Organizations and Peacekeeping, National Security Council (1993-1995)
Abortion
“Various interest groups and lawmakers issued statements today reacting to Barack Obama’s six-person national security team. Three advocacy groups for women weighed in positively on the three female nominees: Sen. Hillary Clinton, Dr. Susan Rice and AZ Gov. Janet Napolitano: Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richards, National Organization for Women president Kim Gandy and Emily’s List’s Ellen Malcolm.”
“Throughout her extensive career in international affairs, Susan Rice has consistently affirmed the responsibility to address the burdens of poverty around the globe and their impact on global health. In addition, she understands the important role the United Nations plays in promoting and protecting women’s health around the world, especially in developing countries. Susan Rice is a passionate and committed advocate for poor women and families around the world. We expect that she will work effectively with other countries to fulfill the UN’s development agenda, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) on maternal health, gender equality and AIDS reduction.” – Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richards.
“Reproductive health (abortion) is clearly and openly mentioned in the MDGs as a critical component of improving maternal health globally. The fifth of eight Millennium Development Goals is to improve maternal health. Two targets make up that goal: reduce by 3/4 the maternal mortality rate; and, according to the United Nations site about the MDG campaign, ‘achieve universal access to reproductive health care.’ This target clearly states, ‘an unmet need for family planning undermines achievement of several other goals.’” [source]
Genocide
“At an interagency teleconference in late April, Susan Rice, a rising star on the NSC who worked under Richard Clarke, stunned a few of the officials present when she asked, ‘If we use the word ‘genocide’ and are seen as doing nothing, what will be the effect on the November [congressional] election?’ Lieutenant Colonel Tony Marley remembers the incredulity of his colleagues at the State Department. ‘We could believe that people would wonder that,’ he says, ‘but not that they would actually voice it.’ Rice does not recall the incident but concedes, ‘If I said it, it was completely inappropriate, as well as irrelevant.’” Power, Samantha. “Bystanders to Genocide.” The Atlantic September 2001.
“History demonstrates that there is one language Khartoum understands: the credible threat or use of force. After Sept. 11, 2001, when President Bush issued a warning to states that harbor terrorists, Sudan — recalling the 1998 U.S. airstrike on Khartoum — suddenly began cooperating on counterterrorism. It’s time to get tough with Sudan again . . .After swift diplomatic consultations, the United States should press for a U.N. resolution that issues Sudan an ultimatum: accept unconditional deployment of the U.N. force within one week or face military consequences. The resolution would authorize enforcement by U.N. member states, collectively or individually. International military pressure would continue until Sudan relented. . . If the United States fails to gain U.N. support, we should act without it. Impossible? No, the United States acted without U.N. blessing in 1999 in Kosovo to confront a lesser humanitarian crisis (perhaps 10,000 killed) and a more formidable adversary.” Rice, Susan, Lake, Anthony and Payne, Donald. “We Saved Europeans. Why Not Africans?” The Washington Post. October 2, 2006.
On Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), nominee for Secretary of State, her potential counterpart at the State Department
“On MSNBC’s “Tucker” yesterday, one of Sen. Barack Obama’s top foreign policy aides, former assistant secretary of state for African Affairs Susan Rice, said of Clinton’s 3 am phone call TV ad, ‘Clinton hasn’t had to answer the phone at three o’clock in the morning and yet she attacked Barack Obama for not being ready. They’re both not ready to have that 3 am phone call.’” [source]
Miscellaneous
“During Bill Clinton’s second term, Rice played a major role in the decision to refuse Sudan’s offer to hand over Bin Laden. According to Richard Miniter, author of Losing bin Laden, Rice persuaded Sandy Berger to turn Sudan down because she doubted its credibility and was offended by its human rights violations. But our ambassador to Sudan argued far more sensibly for calling Khartoum’s ‘bluff.’ Mansoor Ijaz, who was involved in the negotiations with Sudan provides the same account. No doubt, Rice will urge Obama (in the unlikely event he needs urging) to rush into talks with Iran and Syria notwithstanding any reservations about their credibility and human rights records, on the theory of ‘why not; how can it hurt?’ But when offered the opportunity to take out the world’s leading terrorist — as opposed to appeasing rogue terrorist supporting states — Rice drew the line.” [source]
Family Research Council (FRC) champions marriage and family as the foundation of civilization, the seedbed of virtue, and the wellspring of society.
