This'n'That; January 5th [Franken;reid;"The Letter";Limbaugh;Richardson;

Reid-A Candidate For Testicular Suspension Republicans will filibuster any attempt to seat Minnesota Democrat Al Franken when Congress convenes this week, Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn warned his Democratic colleagues last Friday. It was the latest salvo in the war of words touched off this week when Senate Majority Leader harry reid, D-Nev., suggested Franken was drawing near to clinching a victory — despite the fact that as many as 2,000 votes are uncounted and numerous legal challenges loom. "At this stage, it appears that Franken will be certified the winner by the State Canvassing Board,” a statement from reid’s office declared Tuesday. “We're keeping abreast of the situation and will make a decision with regard to Senate action at the appropriate point in the process." That statement drew a sharp rebuke from GOP leaders. “The American people will see right through harry reid’s crass partisan power grab,” says Ken Blackwell, who is a leading contender for the GOP chairmanship. “He wants to manufacture a filibuster-proof majority to push through his liberal agenda.” Cornyn, the new chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, left little doubt Republicans would fight any attempt to make a Franken victory appear a foregone conclusion by seating him early. Cornyn said he is confident that no Republican would cross the aisle to support seating someone whose election victory has not yet been formally certified. Doing so, he said, would cause “damage to the Senate and its reputation as an institution,” adding, “It would be a recipe for chaos.” Minnesota officials hoped to complete their recount by last Saturday, and will review ballot challenges today. They could declare a winner tomorrow. Legal challenges are likely to drag on for weeks. Since he wrote "the letter," harry reid has been my primary candidate for testicular suspension [for you 315ers, that means: Hung by the balls!!]. Read on...... A reid Attempt To Silence Limbaugh "The Letter," addressed to Mark Mays-CEO of Clear Channel Radio, was authored by reid and signed by 41 Senate democrats. It was reid's attempt to remove Rush Limbaugh from the airwaves through cancellation of his syndication contract with Clear Channel Radio. Yup, the same reid who lashed out at the radio show host earlier in Oct, 2007 and rounded up Democrat senators to sign a letter to Clear Channel boss Mark Mays, urging him to repudiate Limbaugh's "phony soldiers" comment, which was interpreted by some as an attack on soldiers who oppose the Iraq war. How the storyline changed!! At the suggestion of one of Limbaugh's regular 20Million weekly listeners, he put the letter up for auction on eBay. The auction lasted several days and fetched $2.1Million. The proceeds benefited Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, which provides scholarship assistance to Marine Corps and federal law enforcement dependents whose parents fall in the line of duty. Later reid, being the usual piece-a-crap that he is, attempted to claim credit for the auction idea: "What could be a more worthwhile cause?" reid asked on the Senate floor. "I think it's really good that this money on eBay is going to be raised for this purpose. When I spoke to Mark Mays, he and I thought this probably wouldn't make much money, a letter written by Democratic senators complaining about something. Never did we think that this letter would bring money of this nature," reid said. "Everyone knows that Rush Limbaugh and I don't agree on everything in life, and maybe that is kind of an understatement. But without qualification, Mark Mays, the owner of the network that has Rush Limbaugh, and Rush Limbaugh should know that this letter that they're auctioning is going to be something that raises money for a worthwhile cause." "Think of this, more than $2 million — that will really help," reid said. ***The "Mays-reid" conversation probably NEVER HAPPENED!! If it had I'm sure the tone was more akin to reid gettin' a "royal ass-chewin'!!"*** Interesting tidbit: A Hill source revealed that the original letter was written by a reid staffer on a Blackberry in a U Street Bar!! "The Letter" In It's Entirety ["The Letter" was written on reid's official Senate stationery, which makes it coersion and an ethics violation-Using a public office to attempt the ruin of another] [Dated] October 2, 2007 ***At the time we sign this letter, 3,808 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq, and another 28,009 have been wounded. 160,000 other awoke this morning on foreign sand, far from home, to face the danger and uncertainty of another day at war. ***Although Americans of goodwill debate the merits of this war, we can all agree that those who serve with such great courage deserve our deepest respect and gratitude. That is why Rush Limbaugh's recent characterization of troops who oppose the war as "phony soldiers" is such an outrage. ***Our troops are fighting and dying to bring to others the freedoms that many take for granted. It is unconscionable that Mr. Limbaugh would criticize them for exercising the fundamentally American right to free speech. Mr. Limbaugh has made outrageous remarks before, but this affront to our soldiers is beyond the pale. ***The military, like any community within the United States, includes members both for and against the war. Senior generals, such as General John Batiste and Paul Eaton, have come out against the war while others have publicly supported it. A December 2006 poll conducted by the Military Times found just 35 percent of service members approved of President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq compared to 42 percent who disapproved. From this figure alone, it is clear that Mr. Limbaugh's insult is directed at thousands of American service members. ***Acitve and retired members of our armed forces have a unique perspective on the war and offer a valuable contribution to our national debate. In August, seven soldiers wrote an op-ed expressing their concern with the current strategy in Iraq. Tragically, since then two of those seven soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq. ***Thousands of active troops and veterans were subjected to Mr. Limbaugh's unpariotic and indefensible comments on your broadcast. We trust you will agree that not a single one of our sons, daughters, neighbors and friends serving overseas is a "phony soldier." We call on you to publicly repudiate these comments that call into question their service and sacrifice and ask Mr. Limbaugh to apologize for his comments. The astericks [***] are mine, to indicate paragraph breaks; this site doesn't not support accurate grammar and composition. An added "point-to-ponder" for New Yorkers and for all of us as American voters: Among the 41 signatories to this smear letter were both of NY's co-senior senators: "Chuckie-Cheese" Schumer and Hillary "Rob'em" Clinton, plus [then] the senator from Illinois, barack hussein obama. What does this say about the ethics of those who will add their signatures to a letter smearing one with whom they disagree?? Boy, this will deter me from disagreeing with the power-elite..... NOT!!! By current political standards, this is an ancient issue.... I just bring it up to illustrate the lengths these four legislators will go to "get" those they oppose. ...And The Fallout Begins New Mexico Governor [and former Clintonista] Bill Richardson has withdrawn his name for consideration as the obama Secretary of Commerce. A federal grand jury is investigating how a California contributor to Richardson's political activities has mysteriously been awarded a NM contract valued at a million dollars plus. This was a "way-of-life" during "The Era of Clinton" and it'll be brought back with obama's "clinton-lite" cabinet!!! Til Nex'Time.......