"If I had a Muslim summit, I think that I can speak credibly to them about the fact that I respect their culture," Obama said, "that I understand their religion, that I have lived in a Muslim country, and as a consequence I know it is possible to reconcile Islam with modernity and respect for human rights and a rejection of violence. And I think I can speak with added credibility."
- quoted by Newsweek journalist Richard Wolffe
Ht: Yuval Levin
Vice President Joe Biden, well-known for his verbal gaffes, may have finally outdone himself, divulging potentially classified information meant to save the life of a sitting vice president.
According to a report, while recently attending the Gridiron Club dinner in Washington, an annual event where powerful politicians and media elite get a chance to cozy up to one another, Biden told his dinnermates about the existence of a secret bunker under the old U.S. Naval Observatory, which is now the home of the vice president.
The bunker is believed to be the secure, undisclosed location former Vice President Dick Cheney remained under protection in secret after the 9/11 attacks.
Eleanor Clift, Newsweek magazine's Washington contributing editor, said Biden revealed the location while filling in for President Obama at the dinner, who, along with Grover Cleveland, is the only president to skip the gathering.
A fundraising letter from challenger Mike Gableman's campaign accuses incumbent Justice Louis Butler of being the "deciding vote" in a decision that resulted "in the release of [a sexual] predator into Milwaukee County." But the predator was never released.From the Wall Street Journal:
An ad paid for by a liberal group implies that Gableman got his lower court seat by writing checks to the then-governor's campaign. The ad provides no evidence, though, that anything unethical occurred.
Another ad, this one from a conservative organization, implies that the incumbent overturned a murder conviction despite overwhelming evidence of his guilt. But Butler based his ruling on new DNA evidence that undercut a key part of the prosecution's case.
The last time Badger State voters had a chance to vote on Justice Butler, in 2000, the then-Milwaukee County Municipal Judge lost by nearly 2-1 to then-state Supreme Court Justice Diane Sykes. But when a seat opened up on the high court in 2004 with the elevation of Justice Sykes to the federal Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Democratic Governor Jim Doyle appointed Judge Butler to the slot.Trying to make sense of the race buy focusing on the record, Americans For Prosperity informs us the Sam Adams Alliance* has launched a new website:
Liberals suddenly enjoyed a 5-4 majority on the court, and it swung sharply to the left. The court systematically dismantled the state's tort reform laws, eliminating caps on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice rulings. In another case, the court made Wisconsin the only state to accept "collective liability" for manufacturers in cases involving lead paint. Whether a company actually produced the paint became irrelevant to guilt or innocence.
Looking at the medical malpractice ruling, Judge Sykes noted in a speech that "the court's majority is making a political policy judgment, not a legal one." Also noticing were members of the state's business community, which has proceeded to finance an election challenge to Justice Butler. Many have rallied around the strong challenge by Burnett County Judge Michael Gableman, a former state prosecutor. In a campaign of dueling TV ads, opponents who often call Justice Butler, a former public defender, "Loophole Louis" have been criticizing his criminal jurisprudence.
Judgepedia.com, an online wiki-encyclopedia about all things related to America's judges and judicial system. Currently, the website is providing Wisconsin voters with detailed, easy-to-read information on the Supreme Court candidates and their court rulings.*Correction made. See comments.
Posted By: Bryant Marrero (3/7/2007 at 2:42:31 PM)I'm sure Mrs. Marrero is thrilled to have her past career choices posted in the comments section of a national magazine's website. It'll make for interesting conversations with all the neighbors and friends.
Comment: My wife used to be a stripper. Now she has graduated from college and earns over 250K as a realtor manager. Don't put all strippers down.
