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[Thad]

Sorry, Guild, not playing the "trip all over each other explaining the obvious while Guild sits back and doesn't bother to support his own opinion with anything" game.  You first.  Why is it a GOOD idea?

[sei]

"Because we use oil for plastic, transportation, and production.  Why don't we just take it, if all it does is sit there waiting for us to exploit it?"

[LaserBeing]

But it's NOT just sitting there, free for the sploitin'. It's locked deep in the underworld, guarded by the giant twin-headed Orthrus of Enormous-Expense and Ecological-Impact.

[Brentai]

For to obtain to it you must at first rend open the Earth.

Inside this study I coincidence to like the bank of the piggy more over the pennies.

[Saturn]

But it's NOT just sitting there, free for the sploitin'. It's locked deep in the underworld, guarded by the giant twin-headed Orthrus of Enormous-Expense and Ecological-Impact.

And there's probably just as much of it IN AREAS THAT THEY CAN ALREADY DRILL IN THAT AREN'T IN THE FROZEN HELLSCAPE THAT IS ALASKA

[Thad]

ABC: Since the DoJ has taken a pass on punishing anyone for the attorney firings (and discriminatory hirings), six of the fired attorneys are suing.

This may not go anywhere -- recall the Plame civil suit being thrown out.

[Thad]

Department of the Interior in bed with big oil -- literally.

The report says that eight officials in the royalty program accepted gifts from energy companies whose value exceeded limits set by ethics rules — including golf, ski and paintball outings; meals and drinks; and tickets to a Toby Keith concert, a Houston Texans football game and a Colorado Rockies baseball game.

The investigation also concluded that several of the officials “frequently consumed alcohol at industry functions, had used cocaine and marijuana, and had sexual relationships with oil and gas company representatives.”

...I'm trying to avoid picking on the obvious target, but there's a post on page 1 that's as relevant now as it was six weeks ago.

[Kazz]

so, that thing that absolutely everybody assumes is going on?  it is.

[Thad]

NYT: Federal Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly (best known for giving Microsoft a slap on the wrist for its antitrust violations) has ordered Cheney to preserve his records as part of the Presidential Records Act (Cheney, you'll recall, had tried to exempt himself under the argument that, as the tie-breaking vote in the Senate, he's not a member of the Executive Branch).

I'm curious as to whether Cheney will actually comply.  On the one hand, this administration has repeatedly flouted the law and refused to comply with similar judicial requests.  On the other, Cheney's going to be a private citizen come January, and won't have the same power to stonewall then that he does now.  An Obama administration certainly won't protect him, and while McCain might, I don't think Cheney should count on it.

[Romosome]

Department of the Interior in bed with big oil -- literally.

The report says that eight officials in the royalty program accepted gifts from energy companies whose value exceeded limits set by ethics rules — including golf, ski and paintball outings; meals and drinks; and tickets to a Toby Keith concert, a Houston Texans football game and a Colorado Rockies baseball game.

The investigation also concluded that several of the officials “frequently consumed alcohol at industry functions, had used cocaine and marijuana, and had sexual relationships with oil and gas company representatives.”

...I'm trying to avoid picking on the obvious target, but there's a post on page 1 that's as relevant now as it was six weeks ago.

Why do I get the feeling that even though the NYT has this story, it's not going to have any real impact and joe blow is either never gonna hear about it or just shrug their shoulders?

[Thad]

The recent economic collapse dominated the news all week and probably will next week too.

Now, The Daily Show DID give us a possible picture of things to come -- the Republicans have been hammering the Democrats for not caving enough on offshore drilling last Tuesday, and they're citing numbers from the Mineral Management Service to support their point.  I don't really expect Obama to do any retaliatory campaign commercials to that talking point, but I expect we'll hear about it if anyone asks about it in an interview or in the debates.  In fact pretty much any question on the McCain/Palin drilling policy is likely to elicit a response referring to the oil industry scandal.

[Thad]

Stevens acting like a dick on the stand.  Clearly he knows this is no way to endear himself to the jury and just can't help it.

Tangentially, watching the debate the other night I saw the same flaws in McCain.  He CLEARLY must know by now, SOMEbody must have told him, that his condescension and disdain toward Obama are hurting him, but he just couldn't control himself.  I never really believed all the talk about his temper and lack of self-control until recently.

[Arc]

Stevens' verdict is...

GUILTY ON ALL SEVEN COUNTS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO5oOhurEUs

Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Senate Republican in history and patriarch of Alaska politics, was found guilty of all seven felony charges for making false statements.

...

Judge Emmet G. Sullivan deferred sentencing until after Feb. 23, when a hearing is scheduled on further motions. Stevens faces up to five years in prison on each count.

Sentencing will be held on January 26th. Republican. Up for re-election in a week. Alaska. Series of tubes.

[Thad]

...So if he still manages to get reelected (this IS Alaska we're talking about), that means Palin chooses his replacement, right?

[Arc]

Only if he steps down, which he stated won't be the case. Otherwise, he would need to be voted out of the Senate with a two-thirds majority by his peers. It's possible that he may only be fined instead of imprisoned. Even if all of this occurs, Palin can't appoint herself to the Senate. Instead, she would have to step down, and then have her Lieutenant Governor (then Governor) appoint her to the Senate.

That said, he'll lose. He was trailing or tied in the latest polling. This is what happens when you nominate someone in the primary who has already been indicted, Alaska GOP. This is what happens when you find a stranger in the alps!

[Thad]

Only if he steps down, which he stated won't be the case. Otherwise, he would need to be voted out of the Senate with a two-thirds majority by his peers. It's possible that he may only be fined instead of imprisoned.

So convicted felons can still serve?

Even if all of this occurs, Palin can't appoint herself to the Senate. Instead, she would have to step down, and then have her Lieutenant Governor (then Governor) appoint her to the Senate.

Not what I was thinking.  She doesn't want to be a Senator anyway (she still thinks she can be President); I was just thinking that anybody she picks is bound to be bad news.

That said, he'll lose. He was trailing or tied in the latest polling. This is what happens when you nominate someone in the primary who has already been indicted, Alaska GOP. This is what happens when you find a stranger in the alps!

Yeah, Renzi had the good sense to announce he wouldn't be running for another term when he got those 35 indictments.  That's the only reason the Republicans have any shot at keeping Arizona's First District (the Fightin' First!) -- but I'm still giving the edge to Kirkpatrick in that race.

[Arc]

AZ-01 & AZ-03 are looking smexy.

So convicted felons can still serve?

Yes, from prison if need be. The only requirements are age, years of citizenship, and residence.

[Kazz]

Can't imagine it would work any other way.  Or else every congressional Democrat would be found guilty of, uh, conspiracy to conspire.

[Ted Belmont]

About fucking time.

By this time, media reports indicated that Senate Candidate 1, an advisor to the President-elect, was interested in the Senate seat if it became vacant, and was likely to be supported by the President-elect. During the call, ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated, "unless I get something real good for [Senate Candidate 1], shit, I'll just send myself, you know what I'm saying."

ROD BLAGOJEVICH later stated, "I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain. You hear what I'm saying. And if I don't get what I want and I'm not satisfied with it, then I'll just take the Senate seat myself." Later, ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated that the Senate seat "is a f-ing valuable thing, you just don't give it away for nothing."

[Kashan]

About fucking time.

By this time, media reports indicated that Senate Candidate 1, an advisor to the President-elect, was interested in the Senate seat if it became vacant, and was likely to be supported by the President-elect. During the call, ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated, "unless I get something real good for [Senate Candidate 1], shit, I'll just send myself, you know what I'm saying."

ROD BLAGOJEVICH later stated, "I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain. You hear what I'm saying. And if I don't get what I want and I'm not satisfied with it, then I'll just take the Senate seat myself." Later, ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated that the Senate seat "is a f-ing valuable thing, you just don't give it away for nothing."

I love his quotes about hating Obama for not being corrupt.