Via the Internet Scout:

U.S. Congress Votes Database
http://projects.washingtonp ost.com/congress/

While many people may eventually become aware of how their elected officials in the U.S. Congress voted on a particular bill or resolution, this database created by the Washington Post will allow them to find out rather quickly. Utilizing a variety of authoritative data sources (such as the web site of the Senate and the Library of Congress's THOMAS site), the database contains the results of every vote cast in the Congress since 1991. Visitors can look at vote results in a variety of different ways, such as particular Congress or a particular individual. Recently, they also added a selection of "Votes by Type", such as those cast on impeachments, treaties, and vice-presidential tiebreakers. Additionally, the site contains a RSS feed of recent votes by each member of Congress.

This goes out to all of you out there stuck somewhere between the Friday low watermark, the anticipation of the late afternoon news-dump, or "happy hour."

Call this a non-Alito news item roundup for today's must reads.

First, Bob Herbert on The Lawbreaker in the Oval Office: (a TimesSelect post from yesterday, but the link takes you to alternative access):

No one expects very much from Mr. Bush. He's currently breaking the law by spying on Americans in America without getting warrants, but for a lot of people that's just George being George. Forget the complexities of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or even the Fourth Amendment's safeguards against unwarranted (pun intended) government intrusion into matters that we have a right to keep private.

On his frequent trips home to his ranch in Texas, the president likes to ride his bicycle. He's not studying the Constitution.

Turns out the Prez' numbers haven't changed since last year's low:

The poll shows that, as with views of congressional leaders, Washington's controversies have not had an impact on opinions of the president. Bush's approval rating has not changed since December (38% approve/54% disapprove).

Much more from Pew Research.

We need to ask ourselves one essential question.  Are we really living in a Democracy that is deserving of that noble title?  

When machines are devised by corporations and used by our government that can be purposefully hacked without a trace to alter the Democratic process, are we living in a true Democracy?  The Diebold Corporation doesn't make mistakes like that by accident.  Let us not forget that they are the ones who make the ATM machines that you get your pocket money out of.  Can you imagine?

When your President begins a campaign of torture against his enemies, is he living by the principles set forth by our Founding Fathers?  You can sugar coat this one as much as you like, but the Vietnamese torturing our boys in Vietnam was wrong - even in war.  Just like it was wrong for our government to authorize and implement these evil tactics in this pseudo-war.

This and other articles on propaganda are available at Mind Your Noodle

In an in-depth investigation by Andrew Buncombe this weekend, a link was discovered between the Lincoln Group and the intense propaganda smear campaign that sunk John Kerry's bid for presidential election.  

President Bush has admitted to authorizing the NSA to spy on American citizens.  But many are asking why.  He already had powers to run emergency wire taps for a period of 72 hours before getting secret court authority.

Jason Galde explains why at Mind Your Noodle

This and many other articles on propaganda are available at Mind Your Noodle

Many would argue that spying on Americans is a necessary evil when faced with threats of terrorism.  However, when we dissect that theory, it becomes terrifyingly evident that we are cutting off our own nose to spite the face.  By removing the Constitutional rights we enjoy, including our right to privacy, we are essentially unraveling the fabric of our nation and everything that it stands for.

This and other articles on propaganda are available at Mind Your Noodle

On Monday, December 5th, 2005 Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld gave a speech at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced Studies.

The goal of this speech was rather direct, especially for Rumsfeld, who often requires an interpreter so that the rest of us can understand what he's really saying most of the time.  Rumsfeld broke from character a little to ensure the public that things in Iraq are going great, despite the negative poll numbers caused by all the "pessimistic... elites in our country."

Have you ever wondered why the word 'liberal' has developed into a naughty word these days?  Find out why at "Training the Beast" by Jason Galde.

Take a look at how Rumsfeld uses statistical propaganda to twist the truth.  In an essay entitled "We Can See Clearly Now", essential spin techniques are broken down so that you can understand the dynamics of Rumsfeld's unique choice of language.

www.MindYourNoodle.com

So we can follow the timeline:

1.  Late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning the news comes out that Woodward had, in fact, heard about Valerie Plame's working for the CIA from a Non-Scooter Admininstration Official (for which I would love to coin the acronym NSAO, but it now appears that it was Stephen Hadley, which consigns my not so clever acronym immediately to the dustbin of bloggery).

2. In the original WaPo story from Wednesday morning Libby's lawyer is quoted already trying to use this to discredit the prosecutor, saying that Fitzgerald had claimed in his press conference on indictment day that Scooter was the first administration official to talk to reporters.

3. Said talking point makes its way quickly into the SCLM Day 2 round of stories on the new development. Tony Locy and Pete Yost of the AP declare Woodward Claim on CIA Leak Disputes Charge:

Bob Woodward's version of when and where he learned the identity of a CIA operative contradicts a special prosecutor's contention that Vice President Dick Cheney's top aide was the first to make the disclosure to reporters.

The WaPo itself, in an article by Carol D. Leonnig and Jim VandeHei, explains that Woodward Could Be a Boon to Libby:

Woodward testified Monday that contrary to Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald's public statements, a senior government official -- not Libby -- was the first Bush administration official to tell a reporter about Plame and her role at the CIA.

And USA Today chimes in a similar Reporter's account could help Libby's defense.

There's only one problem with all this wonderful stenography.  

(Cross-posted at Dailykos, MyDD, My Left Wing and Booman Tribune)

I just wanted to let everyone know about UpstartTV, our new scoop powered web community.  Our goal is to use the democratic nature of scoop to give independent writers, actors, and producers the same opportunity to thrive that sites like Dailykos, MyDD and Booman Tribune have given to bloggers.

Instead of creating a "liberal" TV network, we believe that the way to combat the problems with the mainstream video media is to create high-quality, competitive video online.  This will keep the overhead low and allow decisions to be made democratically by the community at large.  And without the restrictions of having to work though a traditional TV network, we can create shows that cater to smaller, more dedicated audiences.  

Soon enough people will have so many ways to find and view video other than cable that we will be able to compete on an even(or close to) digital playing field with anything else out there.  

We also have a financial plan that will allow popular contributors to make a living off their work.  We want our content to be as good as it can be.  We want it to compete with the best TV has to offer, and we will work with our contributors to make that happen.

Please come and check out the site.  We are still working out some  bugs and some layout issues, and we are in an idea sharing pre-video phase, but any help or feedback from people, especially members of other scoop communities would be outstanding.

A major failing of the news media is the inability to assert itself as a referee, as custodians of the facts. Todd Gitlin notes:

Reporters and editors are credulous, fearful, and flatly bamboozled. Timid about getting out ahead of a public they respect more when it is "conservative" (read: rightwardly radical) than when it is liberal, they bend over backward to accommodate spin doctors. They grant officialdom the benefit of the doubt. They fear risking independent judgment, which they have defined as occupational hubris. They are terrified of missing out on the perks of access. They fear that detailing the anatomy of official distortion will turn off readers and viewers.

So when a major news outlet decides to detail "the anatomy of official distortion," it is worth noting.

Buried and scattered within an MSNBC story about the newest dismal poll for Bush are the following interesting tidbits:

... the CIA leak scandal seems to be taking a toll on the administration, with nearly 80 percent believing the indictment of Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, is a serious matter ...

...Libby was indicted by special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in the CIA leak investigation.

... The CIA leak investigation also seems to be dogging the Bush administration. Seventy-nine percent think that Libby's indictment is a serious matter. (Libby has since resigned from the administration.)

.. Democratic pollster Jay Campbell of Hart Research notes that Americans are paying attention to this CIA leak investigation. "They think there is something real here," he says. "This is a really big deal."

These, in their entirety, are the references to the CIA leak.

A media controlled by liberals and remorselessly-biased  in favor of them would have covered this event on its front pages and during the first five minutes of its evening newscasts. It would be mentioned for days in conjunction with the polls that show how abysmally unpopular George Bush and the GOP are.

(Via Ethereal Fire)