Obama on Palin’s Casual Dismissal of Habeas Corpus

During her RNC speech, Gov. Palin made a snide (and plainly false) remark about Obama’s desire to maintain the writ of habeas corpus: “Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America — he’s worried that someone won’t read them their rights?” Obama the law professor struck back recently, giving Palin a lesson on Constitutional Law. Maybe in Alaska they don’t teach that kinda stuff.

Now, let me say this,” Obama continued, “first of all, you don’t even get to read them their rights until you catch them. So, I don’t know what, they should spend more time trying to catch Osama bin Laden and we can worry about the next steps later. Hah!  I mean, seriously! These folks.

“Catch ‘em first!”

Obama said his position on this “has always been clear.  It has always been clear. If you’ve got a terrorist, take ‘em out. Take ‘em out. Anybody who was involved in 9/11 –- take ‘em out.”

But, the former constitutional law professor argued, “What I have also said is this: that when you suspend habeas corpus — which has been a principle, dating before even our country, it’s the foundation of Anglo-American law — which says, very simply, if the government grabs you, then you have the right to at least ask, ‘Why was I grabbed?’ and say, ‘Maybe you’ve got the wrong person.’

Obama Taps Armstrong as VP!

Just kidding.  Though adding the Texan to his ticket would bring much-needed attention to his increasingly overshadowed VP choice (hint: it’s not Sarah Palin), Barack Obama has not, in fact, named Lance Armstrong his running mate.

But here’s an even better bit of news (albeit one many Americans will ignore): At age 36, the 7-time Tour de France winner is reported to be planning a cycling comeback in 2009.  Fittingly enough, 36 just so happens to be the age of the oldest winner in Tour history – Firmin Lambot, who conquered cycling toughest feat in 1922.  Should Armstrong be able to compete at anywhere near his past level, he will further cement his status as the greatest cyclist the world has ever known.

Rumors of a return to competitive cycling had been swirling since August, when Armstrong finished second in the Leadville 100, a grueling race held at an altitude of 12,600 feet through the mountains of Colorado.   Though ancient by cycling standards, Armstrong, who retired in 2005, has managed to stay in shape through a combination of running a sub-3 hour marathon in each of the last 3 years and maintaining a steady diet of chasing around Olsen twins.

According to Velonews (though subsequently denied by all parties involved), Armstrong will join Team Astana, widely regarded as one of the top teams in the sport.  Sadly, Astana does not have the same all-American image of Armstrong’s former team, Team Discovery Channel, which was forced to disband when its sponsor declined to renew its contract.  However, in joining Astana, Armstrong would be reuniting with his former Team Discovery director Johan Bruyneel and partnering with 2007 Tour winner Alberto Contador – a logical move for someone looking to get back to the top of his game.  Or Armstrong might just be a Borat fan who took it one step too far – Astana, after all, is the capital of Kazakhstan.

As a big-time fan of endurance sports (I was one of 12 people to watch Versus’ 3-week coverage of this year’s Tour), I am pretty pumped.  But I can’t help feeling Lance is risking his reputation by pulling a Jordan (or a Clemens, or a Favre).  What is it about America’s elite athletes that prevents them from walking (or riding) away at the top of their game?  Both Jordan and Clemens tarnished their images but making one return too many – I’d hate to see footage of Armstrong walking his bike up the Alps splashed all over ESPN.  Yet should he succeed, forget best cyclist ever – he’ll be the best athlete ever, in any sport, period (sorry Michael Phelps).

Its a risk, but the competitor in me says Lance should go for it.  Let’s remember, the guy conquered cancer.  I’d say he has a fighting chance.

The Conzz’s Sports Lounge 9/8/08

http://theconzz.blogspot.com/

This edition of The Conzz’s Sports Lounge provides a full breakdown of my thoughts on the Jets week 1 victory over the Miami Dolphins, as well as a quick assessment of how the Jets are affected by the Tom Brady situation.  Hope you enjoy.

Letterman’s Top 10 from 9/5/08

Friday night’s “Top Ten” list was “Top Ten Ways to Make the U.S. Open More Exciting” (“Late Show with David Letterman,” CBS, 9/5).

10) “Ten ball boys, nine uniforms.”

9)  “Extra point awarded for nailing opponent in the Adam’s apple.”

8)  “Ball replaced with ready-to-hatch ostrich egg.”

7)  “Uh, cookies?”

6)  “Bring in some of them Olympic beach volleyball babes.”

5)  “Make Federer even more Federerer.”

4)  “Two words: electrified net.”

3)  “Players must begin match with blood alcohol levels of .10.”

2)  “Get Andy Dick to spice up the Gatorade.”

1)  “Even though she has no experience, put Sarah Palin in the finals.”

The economy: How does that work, again?

Do not ask Sarah Palin.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/08/palin-makes-her-first-gaf_n_124792.html
As reported by the good people at Huffington Post:

Speaking before voters in Colorado Springs, the Republican vice presidential nominee claimed that lending giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had “gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers.” The companies, as McClatchy reported, “aren’t taxpayer funded but operate as private companies. The takeover may result in a taxpayer bailout during reorganization.”

People tell me they are voting for Palin not because of the policies she supports but because they share the same beliefs. Well, what Sarah Palin believes is wrong; her nonsensical statements, made without prompt or assistance, prove it.

Tax-Exempt Churches Getting Greedy

As part of their tax-exempt status under IRS regulation, churches are prohibited from endorsing political candidates. A number of justifications present themselves on behalf of this IRS regulation: the undue influence of religious organizations on the political process, the fear that these tax-exempt and difficulty-to-regulate organizations become financial vehicles for political candidates, and the fact that these organizations enjoy a privilege few organizations as large and numerous do: tax exempt status. Some churches, however, disagree:

Declaring that clergy have a constitutional right to endorse political candidates from their pulpits, the socially conservative Alliance Defense Fund is recruiting several dozen pastors to do just that on Sept. 28, in defiance of Internal Revenue Service rules.

The effort by the Arizona-based legal consortium is designed to trigger an IRS investigation that ADF lawyers would then challenge in federal court. The ultimate goal is to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out a 54-year-old ban on political endorsements by tax-exempt houses of worship.

“For so long, there has been this cloud of intimidation over the church,” ADF attorney Erik Stanley said. “It is the job of the pastors of America to debate the proper role of church in society. It’s not for the government to mandate the role of church in society.”

Here’s the thing about the last sentence by the ADF attorney: it’s false. There’s even this rule we have- commonly called the establishment clause- that says so. Religion both benefits (free-exercise clause) and is hurt by (establishment clause) the provisions of the First Amendment. If it intends on wrapping itself in the First Amendment’s protection of free speech, it must also acknowledge that there is a provision of the Amendment that deals uniquely with religious organizations. Just as the free-exercise sought to stop unnecessary government involvment from stifling religious expression, the establishment clause attempts to prevent unnecessary religious involvment from poisoning politics. It works both ways. So before  ADF cries foul about its sorry situation, it should be mindful of the implications of its fight against the First Amendment. Maybe they’ll pay taxes next year.

Well, Now We Know

….what Live Free or Die was doing between the hours of 12 and 6:30am on Friday night/Saturday morning:

Authorities say they’ve arrested a man who broke into the home of two California farmworkers, stole money, rubbed one with spices and whacked the other with a sausage before fleeing.

Fresno County sheriff’s Lt. Ian Burrimond says 22-year-old Antonio Vasquez was found hiding in a field wearing only a T-shirt, boxers and socks after the Saturday morning attack.

He says deputies arrested Vasquez after finding a wallet containing his ID in the ransacked house.

The farmworkers told deputies the suspect woke them Saturday morning by rubbing spices on one of them and smacking the other with an 8-inch sausage.

Burrimond says money allegedly stolen was recovered.

No more worrying for Roxanne.

LPGA Listens to the Conzz

The LPGA has decided to rescind its penalty provisions regarding the English only rules:

Facing anger from lawmakers and bewilderment from sponsors, the LPGA Tour backed off plans to suspend players who cannot speak English well enough to be understood at pro-ams, in interviews or in making acceptance speeches at tournaments in the United States.

The policy has generated a storm of bad publicity since it was announced last month.

LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens said she would have a revised plan by the end of the year that would not include suspensions, although fining non-English speakers remains an option.

“We have decided to rescind those penalty provisions,” Bivens said in a statement. “After hearing the concerns, we believe there are other ways to achieve our shared objective of supporting and enhancing the business opportunities for every tour player.”