Tag: jerry nadler

Racism, Lies and Impeachment

Over the weekend and into the start of this week, the Liar/Racist/Sexual Assaulter-in-Chief has resorted to racist rhetoric and lies. He escalated his racist attacks on House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-MD), the city of Baltimore and Mr. Cummings’ district to include MSNBC host Reverend Al Sharpton. At the signing of the 9/11 Victims Compensation …

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Rick Scott Literally Swift Boating The Health Care Debate

As she so often does, digby makes a great catch. The health care debate is being partially highjacked by a major right wing donor, who also just happens to be a former health care industry executive. And the corporate media are helping him along.

The article comes from Mother Jones:

You’ve probably seen the ads. Ominous voice-overs warn you about how health care reform “could put a bureaucrat in charge of your medical decisions, not you.” A massive bulldozer with “government-run insurance plan” written on the side crushes your health care “choices.” Canadians and Britons relay horror stories of their experiences dealing with health care in those nightmarish socialist dystopias.

The ads are the product of a multimillion-dollar ad campaign designed to derail health care reform-especially what’s been dubbed the “public option,” which would set up a government-run plan to compete with private insurers. The man behind this ad blitz is the person who might be Public Option Enemy No. 1: one-time hospital executive and longtime Republican donor Richard Scott.

Back in March, Scott spent $5 million of his own money to set up a nonprofit called Conservatives for Patients’ Rights. The group aims to be the command center for the right’s fight against Democratic reform efforts. With the major interest groups-including hospital companies, pharmaceutical companies, and doctors-that have opposed reform in the past holding their fire this year in order to have a seat at the legislative table, Scott’s group has filled the anti-reform void. According to an estimate reported by the Associated Press, around $15 million has already been spent on ads favoring the Democrats’ plan, and  $4 million has been spent to oppose it. Much of that $4 million has come from Scott and CPR, and he’s claimed his group will spend as much as $20 million.

Of course, as the article points out, and as is true “Harry and Louise” style, Scott’s group doesn’t say it opposes health care reform. Of course not. It does want reform, it’s just a matter of the details. Of course, when you get into the details of the details, it’s really about derailing real reform. And the ad is, according to Media Matters, simple based on lies.

Congressman Nadler to hold hearings on State Secrets

Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York is to hold hearings on state secrets.

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), who chairs the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties subcommittee of the House Judiciary committee, will host hearings Thursday to examine how to curb abuse of the privilege, while protecting true state secrets.

As a candidate, Obama criticized President Bush for being too quick to invoke the privilege. But since taking office, his administration has angered civil libertarians by likewise invoking it in cases involving warrantless wiretapping and renditions.

Testifying at Nadler’s hearings will be Patricia Wald, a retired federal judge; Asa Hutchinson, the former GOP congressman from Arkansas; Ben Wizner of the ACLU; and Andrew Grossman of the Heritage Foundation.

The left was critical of President Bush’s use of state secrets privilege as a matter of principal.

It was understandable why, Bush was such a reactionary President that invoked the states secret doctrine way too often and without transparency. One of Obama’s critiques of Bush was that he had ignored public disclosure rules.

 ‘Secrecy in the name of security’ can not overshadow the importance of open government—

regardless of who is in power we need to be wary when the government can arbitrarily claim to withhold evidence in civil cases because information could jeopardize national security.    

The Constitution. What’s it to you?

You may have heard that NY CD-08 resident Adam Sullivan is challenging Rep. Jerry Nadler in the Democratic primary, but you may not know why.

Why would someone challenge such a well-established and well-liked progressive like Rep. Jerry Nadler?  What could possibly be gained in such an audacious move?

Until this spring, Adam Sullivan had nothing but respect for the liberal Congressman, believing he was well represented by Rep. Nadler in his progressive voting record and outspoken criticism of the Bush administration.  However, after lobbying and then meeting with Rep. Nadler on the central issue of impeachment, Sullivan concluded it was time for the Congressman to face a challenge.

Adam Sullivan is calling into question Rep. Nadler’s intransigent refusal to support Rep. Robert Wexler’s call for impeachment hearings and Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s Articles of Impeachment on President Bush (H. Res. 1258) and Vice President Cheney (H. Res. 799/333).  Sullivan believes that Rep. Nadler, as the Chairman of the important Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, is in a position of influence and should be working with his Judiciary Committee colleagues Tammy Baldwin, Steve Cohen, Keith Ellison, Luis Guttierez, and Robert Wexler to move impeachment proceedings forward.