Kris Schultz

Please become a citizen cosponsor of Senator Edward Kennedy's RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE campaign in the U.S. Senate.

Yesterday, Senator Russ Feingold called for an official censure of President George W. Bush for his illegal wiretapping, and you can join him as a co-sponsor by signing up HERE.

Here is an excerpt of Senator Feingold's email from yesterday:

This week, I will introduce a resolution in the Senate to censure the President. The reasons for censure are clear: the President authorized a program that illegally wiretaps American citizens, on American soil, without a court order; he also actively mislead the public and Congress on the existence and legality of the program.

Congress can no longer stand by and allow such disregard of the Constitution, the rule of law, and two branches of government to continue. Censure is an appropriate first step in demanding accountability from a President who disregards the rights and freedoms on which our country was founded.

Every American wants to fight terrorism and fight those who wish to do our country harm. We all stand together in that fight. Every American wants the government to be able to wiretap terrorists, and we can under current law! However, this President, or any President for that matter, cannot decide which laws they will obey or cherry-pick which articles of the Constitution they will uphold - and this President continues to do just that. He must be held accountable.

I am learning what this day is about, as I don't know if I've ever heard of this commemoration before. Now that I am getting more involved in the Women's Information Network in DC, I am learning many things I'd missed out on before in Kentucky, etc. I meant to post this research yesterday: Read THIS great backgrounder on the history of Women's History Month, which also links to THIS about International Women's Day. And find events HERE which commemorate this day.

But in my opinon, it's not truly belated, as EVERYDAY is a woman's day.

They were the Governor Jesse Ventura of this year's Oscars.

I love rap, and I love it that they won on many levels. How else we gonna get rap on NPR?

But I am sad that Dolly Parton lost. I love Dolly. Three things I need more of in my CD/MP3 Collection (and I do have lots of rap in there): yodeling, polka and Dolly Parton. I am comin' out the closet about all three.

Congrats to George Clooney, who gave the classiest acceptance speech. Up yours, Bill O'Reilly.

But CRASH wins best picture? Give me a break. My five fans know that I would not have put it in my top five in 2005. Top 10, yes, but not top five. I think Brokeback Mountain was robbed. I wish Jake G coulda won too. And more for Brokeback. I am sad.

So I hope the win for Crash does what the voters wanted: open up a big dialogue on race issues. I share the underlying sentiments that all too often our frustrations and steriotypes are only spoken behind closed doors, not out in the open. I've thought about trying to write about my own thoughts on race relations, but I do fear that what I would say might be taken out of context. I understand the overarching fears behind our lack of a dialogue. There are so many strong feelings and so many chances for misunderstandings all steming from a basic misunderstanding of a differing perspective. But I think Oprah did the best job on this when she hosted the CRASH cast last summer, and I know she was pulling for a Crash win. So I do hope that the millions more people who will now see it will reconsider their deepest negative steriotypes and grow in a bigger, more inclusive perspective. But I was hoping the same for gay marriage. I wish we could expand perspectives on both issues.

But I stand by my previous statements - Crash is too over the top and in your face in ways that are too implausible to make it the best picture. I know, me picking subtle over in your face? But Brokeback was robbed.

Here is a complete reprint of the Center for American Progress talking points on the new revelation that the President was in fact fully briefed about potential Hurricane Katrina related levee breaks before the hurricane hit.

No Questions Asked
March 2, 2006
Yesterday the embattled residents of the Gulf Region received yet another slap in the face as the Associated Press released a leaked video of high-level government meetings before Hurricane Katrina. The tape reveals that the President was fully aware of potential catastrophe when the Hurricane reached the Gulf Coast region. On the tape, government officials insistently warned the President and others of ensuing havoc, and even the maligned former FEMA director Mike Brown had the foresight to predict the coming atrocities if the Superdome were used as a refuge. Nevertheless, despite incontrovertible evidence, the White House stands by its 228 page report entitled, “Lessons Learned”, where the Administration admits few mistakes but concedes no failure.

The video confirms that the White House was well-informed, but failed to act. The video reveals an administration that was given all of the facts prior to the Hurricane’s landfall, yet their incompetence proved the biggest obstacle in protecting the residents of the Gulf Coast Region. Even after the Hurricane Bush insisted, “I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees.” This we now know is patently false.

Even in the face of indisputable evidence, the White House denies that it knew of the serious nature of the storm. They failed to take appropriate action and continue to blame others. It does not matter whether the Administration is talking about Iraq, Social Security, Health Care or Katrina – it is never wrong.

The White House has not budgeted enough money for emergency preparedness, and their solution to the failures of Katrina is inadequate. President Bush’s budget cut "funds for state and local programs by nearly 10 percent. Despite a promise to make the levees stronger in New Orleans, the Bush budget called for a 34 percent cut on the construction budget for the Army Corps of Engineers" and a 13 percent cut to flood prevention. The White House solution to Katrina problems is to create more levels of bureaucracy. They would create local offices of DHS which would replicate the regional FEMA offices that, when managed properly, worked fine.