PeteLumbis(dot)org – Blog

In North Carolina part of the election season is “early voting”. About a month or so before the actual election day North Carolina starts early voting.

There is at least one site in every county (sometimes more) that you can go to and cast an absentee ballot. This site is open roughly 9-5 every day until the election. You don’t even have to go to the site in your district!

This is probably the second best idea I’ve ever heard of for voting behind postal voting in Oregon where all elections are done by mail.

I don’t know who originally made this image but I’ve seen it a few places on the internet today and I think it sums up why net neutrality is important.

Holy shit! I’m reading this article in the Times about recently released legal memos from the Bush administration and this shit is scary.

The opinion authorizing the military to operate domestically was dated Oct. 23, 2001, and written by John C. Yoo, at the time a deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel, and Robert J. Delahunty, a special counsel in the office. It was directed to Alberto R. Gonzales, then the White House counsel, who had asked whether Mr. Bush could use the military to combat terrorist activities inside the United States.

The use of the military envisioned in the Yoo-Delahunty reply appears to transcend by far the stationing of troops to keep watch at streets and airports, a familiar sight in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. The memorandum discussed the use of military forces to carry out “raids on terrorist cells” and even seize property.

“The law has recognized that force (including deadly force) may be legitimately used in self-defense,” Mr. Yoo and Mr. Delahunty wrote to Mr. Gonzales. Therefore any objections based on the Fourth Amendment’s ban on unreasonable searches are swept away, they said, since any possible privacy offense resulting from such a search is a lesser matter than any injury from deadly force.

The Oct. 23 memorandum also said that “First Amendment speech and press rights may also be subordinated to the overriding need to wage war successfully.” It added that “the current campaign against terrorism may require even broader exercises of federal power domestically.”

Now, I’ve read all the terrible things over the last 8 years but I think this simple article scared me more than anything else I’ve read. This is how despotism starts. You can not honestly believe that you can merely “suspend” the foundations of the country in the name of national security.

Check it. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/us/politics/03legal.html

I was just thinking about the fact that Bush didn’t pardon anyone at the 11th hour. He commuted the sentence of two border agents, but that’s it. It was thought (myself included) that he might go as far to extend some pardons to Rumsfeld or Gonzales. Bush did neither, much to my surprise.

I think the reason why this is notable is that it shows just how much Bush believes in what he has done. I’ve disagreed with Bush on just about everything but farm policy (somehow) but I’ve never thought that Bush was necessarily some evil, nefarious being. This is not to say that I don’t think there are others that were out for purely personal gains, but I’ve always thought in some way Bush was above that. For all the things he did wrong, and for as strongly as I disagree with him, I’ve always had a sense that everything Bush did was what he genuinely thought was the best decision. I felt he always acted in what was, in his honest opinion, the best interest of the nation (again, I can’t stress enough that doesn’t keep him from being amazingly wrong). So, the tie in here, is that by not pardoning anyone from his administration he continues to hold to that stance. Sure, it might be a “challenge” to Obama, but I think it’s more than that. I don’t think Bush issued any pardons because he honestly didn’t think any were necessary. By pardoning anyone in his administration he admits fault. He shows that he’s wrong. He would show that he did something that wasn’t in the best interest of the country.

Again, I really can’t stress how wrong I think Bush has been, but you can see in the interviews he closed his presidency out with that he doesn’t really have any remorse for what he did. He always did what he perceived to be the best job he could do. If you hold this opinion with the conviction of which I believe Bush holds it the idea of issuing blanket pardons would never even cross your mind.

Rumsfeld didn’t commit war crimes, Gonzales didn’t commit perjury, Cheney didn’t obstruct justice. All the individuals acting under Bush were doing exactly what Bush though was best for America. That my friends, is amazing. I only wish I could have such confidence in the dinner I made for a friend, let alone in running a nation. We’ll see how Obama deals with past transgressions, but I just wanted to note my interest was perked by Bush’s silent exit today.

At some point during today’s inuguration during Tom Brokaw’s ramblings about how Dick Chaney looked like Dr. Strangelove he also said that “hats are back in fashion…been out of style since Kennedy didn’t wear a hat to his inuguration,” or something to that effect.

That’s right folks! HATS ARE BACK. PETE LUMBIS: Ahead of the curve since 2007!

OR

my plan to make a million dollars….

Read the rest of this entry »

Yes, international. Obama’s speech was epic.

There was an article in the CSM that I think hit on exactly how I feel about this election. It’s not that the world will end if McCain wins, it’s the bigger picture, the larger scheme of things. The continuing devistation to my belief in American politics.

I’ve learned that this election is about the heart of America. It’s about the young people who are losing hope and the old people who have been forgotten. It’s about those who have worked all their lives and never fully realized the promise of America, but see that promise for their grandchildren in Barack Obama. The poor see a chance, when they often have few. I saw hope in the eyes and faces in those doorways.

The article is pretty short, but a great read. check it

Tuesday night is the election. I’ve supported Barack Obama more than once on this forum and it’s pretty obvious if you’ve ever talked to me for more than five minutes where my politics lie. But anyhow, what I wanted to do here was give my predictions for Tuesday. I should preface these two maps with a few things. First, I don’t believe in “jinxing” it. At this point luck isn’t going to do anything. Second, both of these maps show Obama winning the election but this is not to say I feel comfortable. To be honest I’ve been very anxious for the last few days thinking about Obama losing. I really am not okay with that idea. It serious scares me. I don’t think that McCain is going to start a nuclear war or anything but it’s just depressing to watch the positive and good things about America slowly be chipped away. McCain will just continue chipping away at those liberties just as Bush has done. In the end, even if McCain wins America will make it through and be okay; I have faith that the country is resilient, it’s more about how much time will it take to fix all of the damage. Anyway, on to the predictions:
Read the rest of this entry »

This weekend I exercised my right to free speech through my Greenbacks.

First inspired (and reminded) by a post by my dear friend Thomas made the case for his donation to the Obama Campaign. This reminded me that I also needed to donate. Although I don’t have 100 bones to spare I did kick up a nice 20-spot to the good man on the Democratic ticket. I was going go give shortly before the FISA vote a few months back but Obama’s vote for it closed my wallet. Let’s consider this the reward for Biden’s debate performance.

Second I became an official member of the New York Chapter of the ACLU. This is my little protest against the NYPD. I really can’t express how little faith I have for an organization that prides itself on suspecting the citizens it is sworn to protect and working tirelessly at stripping their civil liberties. The NYCLU has been one of the leaders in standing up to the NYPD and bringing legal action against their questionable tactics. Hopefully my meager donation goes to help their good cause.

I don’t know if I’ve stated it here before, but I’m happy this year because I get to be a single issue voter*. For the first time in my life I can decide to support or not support a candidate based on one small issue that effects me. This year that issue is the internet. Since my career depends on people using the internet and for politicians understanding it for their policies I can vote against McCain since he doesn’t really know how to use “the Googles”. But recently the candidates took place in a (paper) science debate. I loved this gem.

John McCain:

I am the former chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The Committee plays a major role in the development of technology policy, specifically any legislation affecting communications services, the Internet, cable television and other technologies. Under my guiding hand, Congress developed a wireless spectrum policy that spurred the rapid rise of mobile phones and Wi-Fi technology that enables Americans to surf the web while sitting at a coffee shop, airport lounge, or public park.

Now this sounds legit. Let’s throw him a parade for his hard work and innovation! But wait, there’s more…

With the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Senate passed the first major revision to telecommunications law in 62 years which provided the foundation for much of the cell phone and Internet regulation over the next decade. The bill passed 81-18 and was signed into law by President Clinton. McCain voted against the act.

That’s right, the thing that McCain helped invent, he actually voted against.

At this point if you believe anything McCain says I have some ocean front property to sell you in Arizona.

*Disclamer: I’m not a single issue voter. I am voting against McCain for a very large list of reasons.
source.

There is a character by the name of Sean Tevis that is running as a Democrat for a seat as a state representative in Kansas. Although I don’t live in Kansas he seems like an interesting fellow truly looking to try and push for reforms and changes at the state level in Kansas. He also has a great little comic written based on XKCD.

Although he is a little lean on actual issues and platforms, he is running for a state position and you don’t normally see a lot of those on state rep sites. The thing that gets me about him is that he seems to be a truly genuine concerned citizen. As a person that has spent a lot of time thinking about running for political office some day Sean is a little on the inspiring side. He seems to be documenting about what I would expect any sort of political campaign I would ever mount to look like. Although I think my own aspirations are currently limited to the city council level, I do still have some interest in state politics, just not nearly as much as city politics.
Anyhow, he seems like an interesting guy and worth supporting. You should also read his blog, it’s really surprisingly human for a politician. I’m pretty sure I’m going to give him a few dollars, and I’d say you should too if you have the scrilla to spare.