Big Economic Summit in Europe

The leaders of 20 nations are gathered in the Netherlands to try to find ways to cooperate in combating what is now a world-wide economic downturn.

The British Broadcasting Company has a good "special report" page they are updating throughout the summit.

BBC NEWS | Special Reports | G20

What Else is in the News? - Sunday Open Thread

So there is a lot of other news from the week I didn't cover in my blog. Use this entry if you would like to mention some news you discovered on your own you think others would be interested in taking a look at.

At the right, I shared some articles I found interesting but didn't have time to wrtie about. Leave me a comment, and don't forget to include the constitutional principle the current is event is related to!

Seattle's Homeless have one less option on Saturdays

It is always the poor and disadvantaged that suffer the most in hard economic times. Unfortunately sometimes it goes unnoticed because it isn't "news" that the poor are having a hard time. (Not as much as the new news that the middleclass, upper class, and businesses are taking a hit.)

So, it was nice to see some coverage in the Seattle Times this week. It is sad news however, sadder even that it seems like this place had to close down for a lack of volunteers.

Seattle's Saturday Kitchen closes its doors after 25 years

Obama announces plan for Afghanistan

Obama's team had been conducting a review of our policy in Afghanistan for the past weeks and months. The President finally announced his policy this week.

I have a rather mixed opinion of his policy, but for now at least, I'd like to hear your opinions and thoughts - so let me hear them.

Obama Sounds Cautious Note as He Sets Out Afghan Plan - NYTimes.com

Some State Governments take on Washington, D.C.

What if you are unhappy with what Congress and the President are doing? One answer is look to make change at the state and local level. It is an old argument in America? How much power should the federal government have, and how much authority do states have to resist?

This was an argument that the Framers dealt with in Philadelphia in 1787, Hamilton and Jefferson sparred about in the early republic, that tore the Union asunder in 1861, and continues to this day. In the 20th century, the federal (national) government won most of the important battles and became much more powerful than the states. However, that doesn't mean the pendulum of power cannot swing back to the states.

Here is an example of what some states are doing in asserting States' rights authority in a fight against national actions that are unpopular in their parts of the country.

States rebel against Washington | csmonitor.com

Some states may shun stimulus funds - At least six governors have said they may refuse money, but will they face a backlash?

What is up with Mexico's Drug Dealers, and is all this a treat to the U.S.?

National Public Radio is doing pretty extensive coverage of the increase in violenc among the drug cartels in Mexico. They are striking fears in a lot of people's hearts, and spreading their reach into the United States.

Cartels Fueling Violence In Mexico Take Root In U.S. : NPR
From NPR's' website:
Mexican Drug Cartels In The U.S.
The presence of Mexican drug cartels in U.S. cities is expanding. Mexican cartels have long had links to marijuana-growing farms in California, and are widening their reach into the Pacific Northwest and the Eastern United States. They also are involved in producing methamphetamines in the United States. The FBI has reported that the Mexican cartels deal only in wholesale distribution in the U.S. -- and farm out street sales to various U.S. gangs. This map shows locations of cartel activity in the United States.

Obama's Press Conference

Obama speaking at his second prime-time press conference.

What did you think of the topics and answers discussed tonight?

Update - 9:23 pm: Obama dealt with a lot of complicated issues tonight, but I continue to have a lot of faith in his ability. This mess we are in would be hard for anyone to deal with, but I think his leadership instincts are good, and the general directionof his policies is a good one.

Tonight, he defended his actions forcefully, but not arrogantly. Personally, I'd like to see him pushing for even more radical action, more money spent on the stimulus bill, and more relief for the middle class and the poor. It will be money well spent because it will keep families afloat, and the middle and lower classes are much more likely to spend the money on things they need, thus giving our overall economy a boost.

The government probably should also take temporary control of some of these financial institutions we are spending billions of dollars to keep alive. It doesn't have to mean the government is running the companies, but they can oversee and regulate the business more closely until they get back on their feet.

Don't listen to the people who are screaming about this being socialism - they are necessary measures, brought on by a crisis, that will save and strengthen our market-based economy, while minimizing the suffering of our fellow citizens.

Strip-Search Case Tests How Far Schools Can Go

Thank goodness for the Fourth Amendment! When you read stories like this one, it really brings home to you how important our Constitution is.

Hopefully, it will be interpreted by the Supreme Court in such a way that no other public school student will have to submit to the extreme invasion of privacy that Savana Redding experienced in middle school.

Read the article, and give me your reaction. What sorts of restrictions should the Court place on searches by school officials? Keep in mind the following things as you consider your response:

1. The wording of the Fourth Amendment, which was written by Madison's committee long before public schools existed in the United States.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

2. The Court ruled in 1985 that school officials have more latitude to conduct searches than do police. (But this seems so far out of line I'm surprised the case was even appealed to the Supreme Court.)

3. The Court may well decide to write an opinion on this case which much more clearly spells out how the Fourth Amendment applies to public school students.

Anyway, read the article - I think you will be shocked by the extent of the search school officials conducted on Savana Redding.

Strip-Search Case Tests How Far Schools Can Go - NYTimes.com

Should "hate crimes" receive stiffer punishment?

When someone is convicted of a crime, in this case assault, they are punished according to the law. But should those who attack someone else out of hate for their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, etc. receive stiffer punishment?

That is what the law in Washington provides for. Some argue that hate speech (and hateful motives in crimes) should not be a factor in sentencing and the law because of the free speech provisions of the First Amendment. Others believe the laws are reasonable and necessary to protect groups that are the targets of such attacks.

Check this short story out from the (online!) Seattle P-I and let me know what you think.

Hate crime charges filed in anti-gay attack

Is Tim Geithner doing a poor job as Treasury Secretary?

This is about a 6 minute discussion by a panel of journalists about the financial crisis and whether it is fair or not to blame Tim Geithner:

Watch CBS Videos Online

My opinion:
1. I think Geithner has definately done a poor job of public relations - I think few will dispute that.
2. I was skeptical of Geithner and lead economic advisor Lawrence Summers being chosen by Obama. I think they have both been too closely with the Wall Street establishment and economic theories that favored massive deregulation. Both of these things contributed largely to the mess we now find ourselves in, and I'm afraid they are not willing enough to propose the radical reform and change that is needed.

The counter-arguments, as I see them, are 1) Coraggio's economic ideas are too radical; and 2) we need people in these positions that are intimately acquainted with the world of high finance and Wall Street.

3. It is too early for Obama to ask Tim Geithner to resign. Just because he has mismanaged a few things, we don't know yet that they are major mistakes that will impact the broader economy. Furthermore, Obama's overall economic plan has not had time to work. As of this Sunday morning, we still owe Obama's team the chance to do it's job.

Bottom line: Having said all that, I think time is running out on Geithner to show the nation he is the best man for the job. He has to both perform well, and demonstrate that he cares about ordinary Americans, and not just the desires of Wall Street and the banking system. He will have his chance this week when he announces more details about the banking rescue plan.

Stay tuned.

New Information on innocent people being held in Guantanamo Bay

For over six years I watched with a deep sadness as the Bush administration tore up our Constitution and the basic values this nation stands for. I followed closely all of the reports of illegal wiretapping, torture, detention of prisoners with no due process, and a deception of the American public about why we went to war in Iraq. Because of the public's fear of another terror attack, we looked the other way as things were done in our name that were a betrayal of our values, principles, and beliefs.

Even though I feel as though I've heard it all before, I'm still shocked and angered to hear one more official detail the extent to which executive power was abused.

This time it is Lawrence B. Wilkerson, a Republican who was a top aide to then Secretary of State Colin Powell. He describes in the Seattle P-I, that we have knowingly held innocent men in the prison for years in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Can you imagine being in prison on a faraway continent for seven years simply because an invading army had little knowledge of your people and culture and couldn't tell the good guys from the bad guys? According to Wilkerson, when it became apparent that an innocent man was being held with real terrorists:

"It did not matter if a detainee were innocent. Indeed, because he lived in
Afghanistan and was captured on or near the battle area, he must know something
of importance."

He contends that Dick Cheney and then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney refused to release prisoners that they knew were innocent because it would have been an embarassment and "a black mark on their leadership."

Wilkerson is speaking up this week because Cheney has been mouthing off on cable news - telling viewers that the Obama administration is making America more vulnerable to a terrorist attack.

"I'm very concerned about the kinds of things Cheney is saying to make it seem
Obama is a danger to this republic," Wilkerson said. "To have a former vice
president fearmongering like this is really, really dangerous."

And it is scary to me that there are still people in this country that will listen to Cheney and believe him, even though his arrogance and self-righteousness in conducting the war on terror squandered all of the good will the world had for us in the days and weeks following the 9/11 attacks.

Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent

What's the Deal with AIG?

Update 1 (different video) below:

Ok, this is a tough one to explain, but here goes.

Brief Summary:
American International Group (AIG) is a big financial company that insures the investments of other financial institutions such as banks, mortgage companies and the like - it would have gone bankrupt a few months ago if the government had not loaned/given AIG billions of dollars in bailout money to stay in business. It was revealed over the weekend that some of that taxpayer money ($165 million) was given out in bonuses to executives working for AIG.

Why are people upset?
1) AIG is one of the companies responsible for encouraging (and insuring) the high-risk loans caused our economy to tank.
2) Once the government started giving bailout money to AIG, someone ought to have stopped them from paying large cash bonuses tothe executives.

Who is at fault? What can be done? Here are some articles as well as a short video of Obama speaking about the AIG bonuses from this week:

AIG’s Bonus Blow-Up: The Essential Q&A - http://www.propublica.org/article/aigs-bonus-blow-up-the-essential-qa-0317

Lawmakers target ‘outrageous’ AIG bonuses csmonitor.com

Update 1: Different video of the President commenting on AIG bonuses. Should be easier to view:

Politics of language: For Obama, the right 'words matter'

Ah, politics.

The same tools and tactics that are used in marketing and advertising are used in politics. Check out how the Obama administration has learned to use language to sell its programs and policies.

And of course this did not begin with Obama. In our previous administration we didn't have POW's, but "enemy combatants". There wasn't any torture by the U.S., only "enhanced interrogation techniques." You get the idea. So do all the politicians.

Citizens, beware.

Politics of language: For Obama, the right 'words matter' - San Jose Mercury News

Seattle Post-Intelligencer - R.I.P.

Well the print edition at least. The economy is really hurting the newspaper business, and a healthy democracy should have plenty of news sources that citizens can choose from in order to stay informed.

Newspapers provide much more in-depth news than is presented on an evening television news program. Are the on-line versions an adequate substitute? There are definately pros and cons, but one big downside is that there will be many fewer reporters staffing the P-I's web site.

Plus, there is something about a newspaper - very portable, you can easily browse through it and find information you might miss otherwise.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer to go Web only - msnbc.com

What led to the Seattle P-I's demise?

As Dow falls, cable-news channels judge Obama

Oh, I love anything that bashes cable news shows. Last week, Jon Stewart got everyone talking when he highlighted all the bad financial advice financial news network CNBC has given out in the past couple of years. This article gets to the point a lot of people are making - with 24 hours a day to fill up, the cable news networks insert a lot of stuff that is not hard news, but instead promotes personalities and stories that fall more in the category of "iinfo-tainment".

They have a right to broadcast what they like, it's a free press. But you and I also have a right to turn it off and find find better sources of news.

As Dow falls, cable-news channels judge Obama Seattle Times Newspaper

Words Matter

Words matter.

Especially when those words define the legal status of an individual. For all of the years that the Bush administration waged a "war on terror," it detained people it claimed were dangerous in places like Guantanamo Bay. They claimed these detainees had no due process rights under U.S. law because they were being held outside of the United States. They also claimed that the Geneva Accords and other international law did not apply to them because they were not "prisoners of war".

In other words, calling them "enemy combatants" allowed the U.S. government to hold these prisoners without trial, or any other basic rights or procedures that we as Americans believe are essential to a system of justice.

Finally, the Obama administration has announced that it will cease to use this term. It may seem trivial, but in this case, it is an important step back toward living up to our ideals of constitutionalism.

BBC NEWS Americas US drops 'enemy combatant' term

U.S. Won’t Label Terror Suspects as ‘Combatants’ - New York Times

The Death Penalty in WA State

Washington State is scheduled to execute an offender for the first time in years. What are your thoughts about use of the death penalty in our state and in our nation.

The story:
Clock ticks down to Brown's execution after appeal fails

Some commentary:
Should Washington state kill the death penalty?

Washington state must abandon the death penalty

Fewer Rights in Troublied Countries

Pakistan and Afghanistan are seen by many (including the Obama administration) as the most important nations in the fight againsst terrorism. Al-Queda and the Taliban operate in the mountainous border between the two nations.

Instability in those countries will have a direct impact on the U.S., and therefore, the political troubles of these nations are very much our concern. Here are two developments that highlight some of the difficulties in those nations.

Crackdown on Protests Continues in Pakistan - NYTimes.com

Afghan Court Backs Prison Term for Blasphemy
The case, against a student journalist, has alarmed news media and rights organizations in Afghanistan and abroad.

Obama calls for education reform

The teacher's unions are usually solidly behind Democrats in the world of politics because they usually offer prescriptions of more money and smaller class sizes to improve public schools. Obama, while supporting those things, has also spoken in the campaign and this week of his desire to see more experimentations with charter schools and increased accountability for teacher performance. These items often make the education establishment nervous. Check out these resources to see what you think about Obama's proposals:

Obama backs teacher merit pay, charter schools

Public education in U.S. falls short, Obama says

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Obama Signs Spending Bill as He Criticizes Earmarks - NYTimes.com

Presidents face tough decisions and have to live with the consequences. No one is particularly proud of the fact that Congress loaded up this bill with 9,000 pet projects (earmarks) at the request of individual members of Congress.

Obama campaigned against earmarks. He is making an exception by signing this bill. Should he have stuck to his principles and vetoed the bill or would that have made his overall fight to fix the economy more difficult?

Obama Signs Spending Bill as He Criticizes Earmarks - NYTimes.com

One of our Senators also had some misgivings about the bill: Earmarks: Cantwell sends mixed signals

Two Cheers for Obama!

Presidents certainly have to rely on Congress to get lots of big things done, but they also have authority to issue executive orders, rules, and policies for how to run the executive departments that have the force of law.

President Bush used (and in my opinion sometimes abused) these powers to promote his agenda. Today Obama reversed two troubling policies of the Bush years.

1. Obama reversed the restrictions Bush had issued on stem-cell research.
Obama Lifts Bush’s Strict Limits on Stem Cell Research

2. Obama also said that he will be much more cautious and conservative in his use of presidential signing statements.
Obama Says He’ll Cut Back on Tactic Bush Used to Sidestep New Laws
President Bush used these infamously to ignore provisions of certain laws Congress passed that his administration opposed. (For example, when signing the bill passed outlawing the use of torture, humiliating, and degrading treament of prisoners, he wrote in a signing statement that the CIA would not be bound by the rules of the law.)

Jerry Large | Homework hater's spiel makes sense | Seattle Times Newspaper

"Do your homework!"

Is this good advice? Are we helping to create a generation of well-educated students or are we wasting the time of young people and smothering their love of learning?
That is the subject of a recent column in the Seattle Times: Homework hater's spiel makes sense.

The article is a about a recent a lecture delivered by Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing.

As a teacher and a parent, I think there is a point to this article, but the reporting here is a bit simplistic - I suspect reading Kohn's books would point out that not ALL homework is bad, but that a lot of the stuff we teachers give out is unnecessary. (I made it a policy when I became a teacher years ago to avoid giving my students "busywork". I don't know how well I've adhered to that policy, but I try!)

Keeping in mind that U.S. Constitution saays that our government was designed to promote the general welfare and that our Washington State Constitution declares education to be the "paramount duty of the State", check this article out.

What are your thoughts on how well our education system is designed? Do you think it has lost its focus as the author cited in the article does?

No excuse to lose cool with teen

Jerry Large is a columnist with the Seattle Times. He posted a thoughtful commentary on the assault, by a police officer, of a 15 year old girl that had been taken into custody. (See previous post.) His article mainly deals with how adults should react to teens who are acting out, but for those of you looking for connections to constitutional prinicples, this case certainly deals with the "rule of law" and "due process." Can you explain how?

No excuse to lose cool with teen

Same-sex marriage back before California Supreme Court

The deal in California is basically this:

1. A year or so ago, the State Supreme Court ruled that California's ban on same-sex marriage was a violation of the California State Constitution (not necessarily the U.S. Constitution).

2. So, some 18,000 same-sex couples were married in the Golden State until a proposition was put on the ballot in November (Proposition 8) that amended the CA State Constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. And same-sex marriage became illegal in California once again.

3. This week however, proponents of gay marriage are before the Californai State Supreme Court again, this time asking the court to strike down Proposition 8 as unconstitutional.

Confused yet? Before you try to make up your mind, check out the information in the article below from the Christian Science Monitor. There are a lot of issues and arguments on both sides of the issue you may need to consider before being informed enough to understand this legal issue.

(I say "legal issue" as opposed to "moral issue", because whether or not your morals push you in one direction or another on this issue, you have to remember that we are a nation of laws, and the rule of law must be respected - even if the law is confusing and it is easy to let emotion get in the way on controversial issues. The complex system of checks and balances that exists within California State government must be kept in mind here. So, in my case, I think two adults that love each other and want to make a lifetime commitment to each other should be able to do so regardless of their sexual orientation. However, that needs to be done within the rule of law, in accordance with the California State Constitution.)

Same-sex marriage before California Supreme Court csmonitor.com

This news story from a California T.V. station also does a nice job of outlining the key issues involved in this legal battle:

Justified Use of Force or Cruel and Unusual Punishment?

There has been a lot of talk about the video recording of a teenage girl being brutally attacked by prison guards in a King County jail. Keeping in mind that the 8th Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, were these guards using reasonable force or did they violate this young prisoner's rights by using excessive force? Read the article(s) which has a link to the video of the incident.

Teen in jail-cell video calls attack "horrible" Seattle Times Newspaper

From last Friday: Video released in deputy's alleged assault of girl

Some definitions you may find helpful that I found on the web:

EXCESSIVE FORCE - A law enforcement officer has the right to use such force as is reasonably necessary under the circumstances to make a lawful arrest. An unreasonable seizure occurs when a law enforcement officer uses excessive force in making a lawful arrest.
Whether force is reasonably necessary or excessive is measured by the force a reasonable and prudent law enforcement officer would use under the circumstances.

From a draft U.S. government document, the following was taken:

Inmates are protected from cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth
Amendment of the United States Constitution. In order to prove a violation under
the Eighth Amendment, [plaintiff] must show that [defendant] unnecessarily and
wantonly inflicted pain on [him/her]. A use of force against a prison inmate
that was applied in a good faith effort to maintain or restore discipline is not
―unnecessary and wanton, but force applied maliciously or sadistically to cause
harm is unnecessary and wanton.

Poll: Obama's rating at all-time high - White House- msnbc.com

Poll: Obama's rating at all-time high - White House- msnbc.com

Check out the numbers here - how would you rate the President's performance so far?

Are we in a recession or a depression?

I suppose it is always easier to just say that we are in "tough economic times", but this article in today's Seattle Times tries to help us understand the difference between a recession and a depression

Will recession become the dreaded D-word? Seattle Times Newspaper

Gang membership up in Seattle, FBI says

Federalism at times requires the effective cooperation and coordination of federal, state, and local officials. In this case we see how the F.B.I. is helping the Seattle area get a handle on gang activity in our area:
Gang membership up in Seattle, FBI says Seattle Times Newspaper

Also of related interest:
Gangs: Once a member, it is difficult to get out
Pictured: Marcus Harden, a 6-foot-5 former Rainier Beach football star, is an intervention counselor at Seattle's Madrona K-8 school and mentors gang-involved youth.

More Shocking Details Uncovered

Wow. Just when I thought I had heard it all...

The extent to which the government under the Bush Administration was prepared to sacrifice the ideals of a free and open democracy were shown to us in more detail by two news stories that appeared today.

The first involves how many videotapes of waterboarding by our government were destroyed and the second about a legal memo written by the infamous John Yoo attempting to justify the President having the sole authority to overturn freedom of the press and put the nation under military rule after the September 11th attacks.

CIA Destroyed 92 Interrogation Tapes, Probe Says - washingtonpost.com

Extraordinary Measures

A new memo shows just how far the Bush administration considered going in
fighting the war on terror.

Bush-Era Anti-Terrorism Documents Made Public
from Politics - washingtonpost.com by R. Jeffrey Smith and Dan Eggen

The number of major legal errors committed by Bush administration lawyers during
the formulation of its early counterterrorism policies was far greater than
previously known, according to internal Bush administration documents released
for the first time by the Justice Department yesterday.

Let the Republicans Filibuster!

filibuster - the practice of refusing to surrender the floor during a debate to prevent the Senate from voting on a proposal.

cloture - a rule of the U.S. Senate stipulating that debate on a legislative proposal be cut off and the proposal voted upon by the full Senate if sixty members agree.

Why are the Democrats afraid of Republican filibusters in the Senate? If the Democrats have strong, sound legislation that will help this nation, they should not allow the threat of a filibuster cause them to water down and weaken a bill.

Below are a couple of commentaries suggesting this very thing. The arguments are well made and I hope the leadership in the Senate pays attention. The filibuster has it's place, and is an important tool for a minority that is being bullied by a majority, but if a minority of senators are holding up legislation that Americans approve of, their filibuster will not ultimatelly succed.

If 40 Senators are actually willing to mount a filibuster, against Obama's health plan, his housing plan, or any other legislation, they have that right. I think the battle should be joined. Americans want action from their government, and the spectacle of a filibuster might actually engage more of the public in the legislative process.

(And this works both ways - a few years ago, when Republicans were complaining that the treat of Democratic filibusters were preventing conservative judges from being confirmed they should have called their bluff - lets get these debates out in the open!)

Below are the well written commentaries. And if you have never seen the classic movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, you may want to check out the short scene of Jimmy Stewart as Mr. Smith, staging a one-man filibuster in the 1939 classic film.

Op-Ed Contributor - Make My Filibuster - NYTimes.com

Filibusters: The Senate’s Self-Inflicted Wound