|
|
We the People:
Sign the Center's Online Petition
Urging Senator Kennedy to Clear His Name
On November 14, 2003, the Wall
Street Journal published an internal U.S. Senate memorandum dated April 17,
2002, written to Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) by one of his staff members. The
memo details a request by Elaine R. Jones, President and Director-Counsel of the
NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, to delay Senate action on all judicial
nominees to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit until the then-pending
University of Michigan affirmative action cases were decided by that court. This
request was anything but innocuous, as Ms. Jones was participating as Counsel in
the University's undergraduate case.
While it is clear that Ms. Jones crossed all ethical and professional boundaries
when she made the request, Senator Kennedy has refused to discuss what actions
he or anyone else took to fulfill Ms. Jones' request. All we do know is that
Judge Gibbons, then a nominee to the 6th Circuit, was not confirmed until after
the case was heard.
Please click the link below to sign the petition urging Senator Kennedy to clear
his name in what appears to be a gross abuse of power to "obstruct justice" in
one of the most important civil rights cases in more than 25 years.
To sign the petition,
click here.
Confirmation Watch:
Democrat Memogate: The Gang That
Can't Shoot Straight
Just when we thought members of the
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- couldn't
possibly shame themselves or the Senate any more, they did. Several times. With
no end in sight.
Shame, as a public function, is limited by the number of people paying
attention, currently few. Shame also requires susceptibility to such emotion,
not currently evident in the Judiciary Committee. That's expected through the
initial stonewall phase. Media and public attention on most government scandals
starts haltingly and builds slowly, as more and more dots are connected, usually
by journalists with the noses of truffle pigs, also currently in short supply.
To read more,
click here.
Confirmation Watch:
Center Urges Attorney General
Ashcroft to Investigate Content of Judiciary Memoranda
In a letter to U.S. Attorney General
John Ashcroft, the Center for Individual Freedom this week asked that any
criminal probe into how some Judiciary Democrats' collusion memoranda regarding
judicial confirmations were obtained and "leaked" include a thorough examination
of the memos' content and a complete investigation into the unethical and
potential illegal conduct they may evidence.
The Center's letter follows an announcement yesterday by Senate Sergeant-at-Arms
Bill Pickle that he is forwarding his report on how the memos were obtained to
the Department of Justice for possible criminal prosecution. In addition, last
week, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee wrote to General Ashcroft asking
for such a criminal investigation to be done by a professional prosecutor.
"Now that members of the Senate and Sergeant Pickle have appealed directly to
the Attorney General, any investigation should include addressing the real issue
these memos have presented -- their content."
To read more,
click here.
Freedom Line: Guest Commentary
We Didn't Mean Our Pockets...
By Erin Murphy
Much to taxpayers' dismay, the
recent revelation that we may get stuck with the bill for the reckless driving
of former Rep. Bill Janklow (R-SD) has reaffirmed the age-old adage that what
goes around comes around.
Janklow, who is currently serving a 100-day jail sentence for second-degree
manslaughter and reckless driving after he collided with and killed a
motorcyclist in August, now faces a civil wrongful death suit that could well
result in a sizable verdict. But because he was driving home from a speech to
Korean War veterans at the time of the accident, the Justice Department
concluded that Janklow's actions were "official business" within the scope of
his duties as an elected official. Thus, under the Federal Tort Claims Act,
Janklow's employer -- the federal government -- must pay any verdict, meaning
that taxpayers will ultimately foot the bill.
To read more,
click here.
Campaign Finance Reform:
Starting the Climb Back up the
Slippery Slope
It seems so obvious: "Congress shall
make no law ... abridging freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the right of
the people to peacefully assemble..." According to the Merriam-Webster
Dictionary, "abridge" means "to reduce in scope: diminish." It's difficult to
understand how the authors of the First Amendment could have been more plain.
Nevertheless, in 2002, Congress passed and the President signed the Bipartisan
Campaign Reform Act (BCRA). Among the many provisions of the new law, one
specifically bars certain groups from engaging in political speech in the days
leading up to an election unless they adhere to strict federal regulations. BCRA
provides that if their message mentions any federal officeholder, corporations,
unions, and non-profit organizations cannot advertise on television or radio for
30 days before a primary election and 60 days before a general election unless
they use federally regulated "hard dollars."
To contact your senators,
click here.
CFIF
History & Civics Quiz:
Question of the Week
How old must the Vice President of the United States be?
(a) at least 25 years old
(b) at least 30 years old
(c) at least 35 years old
(d) there is no age restriction on the Vice Presidency
For the correct answer,
click here.
Jester's Courtroom: Tales Stranger Than Fiction
Featuring bizarre and sometimes humorous real
life stories from the courtroom.
Suing to Sit at the Table
A Los Angeles lawyer and
self-described "better than average blackjack player" is betting that the courts
will get him back to the tables in Las Vegas. Ernest Franseschi, Jr., is suing
MGM and its casinos after he was allegedly thrown out for being too lucky.
Franseschi claims that officials at the MGM Mirage ejected him because he was
winning thousands of dollars at a high-stakes blackjack table. He also accuses
the casino of surreptitiously photographing him while gaming. Franseschi
believes MGM circulated his picture to other "Sin City" gambling establishments,
leading to his alleged banishment from three more casinos on the same day.
The complaint, filed in a California Superior Court, claims invasion of privacy,
defamation and alleged transgressions of California's unfair business practices
laws. Franseschi is seeking $74,000 in damages and wants MGM to be forced to
include a disclaimer on its California advertising that reads, in part: "It is
the policy and practice of MGM Mirage particularly to target skillful and/or
winning players and bar such persons from gaming at our properties; only losing
and/or unskillful players ... are not subject to being targeted to be barred
from MGM Mirage casino properties."
An MGM spokesperson familiar with Franseschi's lawsuit said: "This lawsuit has
no merit we are confident we will prevail." He added, "We, like any other
business, reserve the right to refuse service."
Source: Reuters
To read more,
click here.
Since many of these gems do not attain national attention, the Jester welcomes
you to share with us your favorite wacky stories from a courtroom near you!
Please be sure to provide the source. You may e-mail us at
mailto:info@cfif.org
Notable Quotes:
Quote of the Week
Democratic Presidential Candidate
John Kerry Trying to Explain His Vote Against Funding for U.S. Military and
Rebuilding Operations in Iraq:
"I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it."
For more Notable Quotes,
click here.
Do
you have a notable quote you'd like to share with the Center, e-mail it to
mailto:info@cfif.org
Be sure to provide us the source of the quote.
Ray's Cartoon Corner:
Ray's
Cartoon Corner
Visit "Ray's Cartoon Corner,"
the lighter side of CFIF's website. The Corner is a good place for freedom
lovers and free market advocates to go to catch up on the latest social,
economic and political issues affecting individual freedoms and rights through
the humorous medium of editorial cartooning. The cartoons are drawn by Ray
Gardner, a self described free market conservative and thirty-something
cartoonist who lives and works in Phoenix, Arizona.
To view Ray's latest
cartoons,
click here.
As a non-profit,
501(c)(4) corporation, the Center for Individual Freedom relies upon the
generous private financial support of individuals, associations, foundations
and corporations. Please consider becoming a proud supporter of the Center
today. To donate online, please
click here.
You may cancel your subscription at any
time by visiting here.
|
