Once again, the Rude Pundit says it all:
And the most disheartening thing of all was how little was mentioned, in the cruel march to the death chamber, of how the ex-wife of one of Williams’ alleged victims, Albert Owens (whose family is entirely fucked-up in conflict over the execution), called for support of Williams’ efforts to redeem himself for his gang-building past: “I, Linda Owens want to build upon Mr. Williams’ peace initiative. I invite Mr. Williams to join me in sending a message to all communities that we should all unite in peace. This position of peace would honor my husband’s memory and Mr. Williams work.”
A call for peace to honor the dead? What fuckin’ country does Linda Owens think she’s living in? Not in George Bush’s America, where more must die in Iraq to make sure the dead are honored. And certainly not in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s California.
Well, it didn’t take Bill Frist long to start threatening to use the nuclear option again:
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Sunday he is prepared to strip Democrats of their to ability to filibuster if they try to stall Samuel Alito’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
“The answer is yes,” Frist said when asked if he would act to change Senate procedures to restrict a Democratic filibuster. “Supreme Court justice nominees deserve an up-or-down vote, and it would be absolutely wrong to deny him that.”
In recent weeks, Senate Democrats have questioned whether Alito, a federal appeals court judge, has the proper judicial temperament and ideology to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
Several Democrats have said that Alito’s views on issues such as voting rights and abortion could provoke a filibuster unless he allays their concerns about his commitment to civil rights. Alito’s confirmation hearings begin Jan. 9 in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
I can’t believe that Frist isn’t being a little more cautious now that it appears Americans are turning against the Republican party. Does Frist really want to deny the filibuster to a possible Republican minority in 2006 or 2008? I’d imagine that there are at least a few senior Senators who would like to play things a little more cautiously, on the off-chance that the Democratic party picks up a majority in the Senate.
Finally, some good news for people forced from their homes by Hurricane Katrina:
A federal judge ruled Monday that a program that is putting tens of thousands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees up in hotels must be extended until Feb. 7 — a month beyond the cutoff date set by FEMA.
U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval said victims must be given more time in hotels because FEMA cannot guarantee that all applications for other aid, such as rent assistance or trailers, will be processed by the agency’s Jan. 7 deadline.
