UPDATE: “I think for the sake of the nation, Attorney General Gonzales should resign.”–Sen. Charles Schumer NEW YORK TIMES Editorial The Failed Attorney General During the hearing on his nomination as attorney general, Alberto Gonzales said he understood the difference between the job he held — President Bush’s in-house lawyer — and the job he wanted, which was to represent all Americans as their chief law enforcement officer and a key defender of the Constitution. Two years later, it is obvious Mr. Gonzales does not have a clue about the difference. He has never stopped being consigliere to Mr. Bush’s […]
HIZZONER ’07: Jesus In It To Win It
BY MICHAEL CURRIE SHAFFER INQUIRER STAFF WRITER It’s not easy to be a minor mayoral candidate. The insiders mock you, the media ignore you, and the public has never heard of you. About the only time you get mentioned in a newspaper is on filing day, when some curious journalist sees your name, scratches his head, and wonders just who the heck you are. Like right now. So, for the record: Queena Bass and Jesus White — the self-styled Davids facing five Democratic Goliaths in this mayoral primary — both say they have a “calling.” White [pictured, right], who described […]
SHOCKER: Patriot Act Misused! Constitution Abused! Private Lives Of 143,074 In The Homeland Spied Upon!
WASHINGTON, March 9 — The F.B.I. has improperly used provisions of the USA Patriot Act to obtain thousands of telephone, business and financial records without prior judicial approval, the Justice Department’s inspector general said today in a report that embarrassed the F.B.I. and ignited outrage on Capitol Hill.The report found that the bureau lacked sufficient controls to make sure that its agents were acting properly when they obtained records using administrative subpoenas [AKA, National Security Letters, or NSLs], which do not require a judge’s prior approval. And the report found that the bureau does not follow some of the rules […]
Fox News Is Afraid Of Obama, VERY AFRAID
Not so much a news as an incredible simulation.
HIZZONER ’07: Did Brady Fumble At The Goal Line?
BY DAVE DAVIES/DAILY NEWS You can lose an election at the ballot box, and sometimes you can lose one with the slip of a pen. Mayoral candidate U.S. Rep. Bob Brady failed to list his city pension on the financial-interests statement he filed with his nominating petitions Tuesday, leaving him open to a challenge that could potentially end his campaign. “It may well be an error,” Brady campaign spokeswoman Kate Philips said late yesterday, “but it was not a purposeful omission. We plan to file an amendment.” But that may not be enough if another candidate challenges Brady’s candidacy in […]
Pro-Gun State Senator Embroiled In Shooting Death
GREENSBURG – At first, it looked like suicide in the suburbs, with a twist: The 14-year-old boy found dead in the woods behind his home one morning last July had been killed with a state senator’s pistol. But investigators have been unable to rule out an accident – or foul play. It didn’t help that the senator’s son, who had a five-minute phone conversation with the victim late on the night of the shooting, stopped talking to police as the investigation wore on and refused to testify at an inquest. Now, the case has turned into a battle of father […]
Joe Mamma, ‘Millionaire Crimefighter,’ Pleads Guilty
BY JOHN SHIFFMAN INQUIRER STAFF WRITER A Philadelphia egg-processing factory owner who made a name for himself offering high-dollar, high-profile rewards for unsolved crimes pleaded guilty yesterday to a gun charge and agreed to plead guilty to expected tax charges. Joseph Mammana, who has been in federal custody since November, used checks written from his factory to the Citizens Crime Commission and Sam Katz for Mayor to evade federal income taxes, authorities said. Mammana, 46, agreed to plead guilty to failing to pay taxes on roughly $400,000 in 2005 income and underreported income from 2000 to 2004. Those charges are […]
HIZZONER ’07: Evans Gets Black Clergy Endorsement
BY MICHAEL MATZA INQUIRER STAFF WRITER With an amen chorus of supportive preachers responsively shouting, “He is the man!” Philadelphia mayoral candidate Dwight Evans last night received the endorsement of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity, an influential group representing 300,000 parishioners in the politically active world of Philadelphia’s black churches. In a crowded field of candidates, including three African Americans, the group’s nod can provide a boost, particularly if the race is close. “We need a man with vision… and a passion to improve the whole city, not just the downtown, but the whole town. We need a […]
GAMBLOR: Anti-Petition Craps Out In Kangaroo Court
But the quick, conclusive ruling by a Court of Common Pleas judge was a victory for the two casinos that have been awarded licenses for giant slots parlors along the Delaware River. The judge upheld a claim that the petition organizers, who submitted paperwork with 27,000 signatures, actually had collected fewer than 7,000 valid signatures of registered voters. “We’re pleased that the judge saw that the claim that there were 27,000 signatures was false,” said Richard Sprague, the Philadelphia lawyer and SugarHouse casino investor who handled the case. “It really was a bad play by those so desperate to knock […]
HIZZONER ’07: Who Bum Rushed The Show?
It seems that page after page of Milton Street’s petitions are in what looks like exactly the same handwriting. Could this mean that the mayoral brother’s circle of acquaintances includes people who share a unique penmanship style? Or could it be that they were…like…phony? Apparently the officials in the elections office have spent much of the past half-hour guffawing over the documents. More importantly as far as the election goes, judges have a tendency to frown upon such sorts of petitions–such as those submitted in 2004 by presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who was soon bounced from the ballot. MAYORPALOOZA: You […]
An Amendment To Be
The Amendment Song is a Memphis Soul style parody of the popular Schoolhouse Rock! song “I’m Just a Bill,” even going so far as using the original singer, Jack Sheldon. It is briefly shown as a replacement for Itchy & Scratchy on The Krusty the Clown Show in the episode “The Day the Violence Died.” MORE
THIS JUST IN: Jury Finds Scooter Libby GUILTY
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Lewis “Scooter” Libby, a former senior aide to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, was found guilty on Tuesday of four of five counts of obstructing justice, lying and perjury during an investigation tied to the Iraq war. Libby was found innocent of one count of lying to the FBI in the probe surrounding who leaked the identity of a CIA analyst in 2003. He faces a maximum of 25 years in prison. His defence attorney, Theodore Wells, said Libby would seek a new trial and if denied that would appeal the conviction. Critics of President George W. […]