King George to assert power...Dems to block Alito...Business as usual

Good Morning....well, it looks like GW is pretty pissed off at the world again, and wants to assert his powers as "president"...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush set limits yesterday on White House cooperation in three political disputes, saying he is determined to assert presidential prerogatives on matters from domestic eavesdropping to congressional inquiries into Hurricane Katrina.

In a midmorning news conference, Bush told reporters he is skeptical of a proposed law imposing new oversight on his use of the National Security Agency to listen in on electronic communications. He also said that he will block White House aides from testifying about the slow federal response to Hurricane Katrina, and that he will not release official White House photos of himself with former Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff....

...The president was similarly adamant about not allowing top aides to testify about Hurricane Katrina. Bush, who has moved on several fronts over the past five years to strengthen the power of the presidency, said it would be damaging to him and future presidents if aides feared providing candid advice....

...On the issue of NSA eavesdropping on overseas communications to or from US citizens, Bush said he is concerned about Congress writing a new spying law because it could force the government to provide details and clues about a top-secret program used to hunt down terrorists.

''There's no doubt in my mind it is legal," Bush said. Democrats have accused Bush of breaking the law by authorizing the spying program without approval from Congress or the courts....

And so the Imperial Presidency continues to roll on and grow unchecked.

Or does it? My senators here in Massachusetts are calling for a filibuster of the vote to confirm Judge Alito. There's little hope that it will succeed though, thanks to such traitorous "democrats" as Joe Lieberman, Zell Miller, Ben Miller, Dianne Feinstein, etc., etc., etc.....

WASHINGTON -- Breaking ranks with Democratic leaders, Senators John F. Kerry and Edward M. Kennedy yesterday vowed to lead a filibuster against the Supreme Court nomination of Samuel A. Alito Jr., forcing their colleagues to decide whether to join a high-stakes -- but likely fruitless -- attempt to use Senate rules to block the judge's confirmation.

The move by the two Massachusetts Democrats intensifies pressure on other Democratic senators, who have been torn between appeasing their abortion-rights supporters and risking condemnation for attempting to block a vote on a judge with impressive credentials and majority support in the Senate.

''Judge Alito's confirmation would be an ideological coup on the Supreme Court," Kerry said. ''We can't afford to see the court's swing vote, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, replaced with a far-right ideologue like Samuel Alito."

The Alito nomination has turned into a nightmare for Democratic leaders, who have almost uniformly opposed Alito, but resisted taking the more radical -- and hotly disputed -- step of mounting a filibuster. Under Senate rules, 41 senators can tie up debate indefinitely, blocking a nomination.

Lastly today, there's a new poll out that shows a majority of Americans believe that bribery is the common way of life in Washington DC. I'd say to that: "Well, DUH!"

WASHINGTON -- Many Americans view the bribing of lawmakers by lobbyists in Washington as business as usual, and public disapproval of Congress is at a 10-year high, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll.

Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed said bribes are ''the way things work in Congress," compared with 16 percent who said corruption is isolated, the poll found. Sixty-one percent said they disapprove of the job Congress is doing, up from 39 percent a year ago.

In the past three months, former lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to conspiracy to corrupt public officials in a continuing federal investigation and former Representative Randy Cunningham, Republican of California, pleaded guilty to taking bribes to help a defense contractor.

While 36 percent of those surveyed blamed each party equally for corruption, 28 percent said Republicans were more likely to take a bribe and 13 percent said Democrats were more likely to be corrupt. Republicans have majority control of both chambers of Congress.

The poll also found dissatisfaction with the way President Bush is doing his job. Forty-two percent said they approve of the way he is doing his job, compared with 51 percent who said they disapprove. Bush's approval rating is up from 35 percent in October.

So, there you go. Some things to think about today. And if you're reading this from outside the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do take the time to call your representatives in Congress and urge them to support the filibuster!