Let me be the first, Mr. Shields

to cheer the announcement that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will face a civilian trial in New York City.

I like it even better because it disturbs David Brooks, whose take on it is that, apparently, mass murder’s not a crime, according to his comments during the NewsHour earlier this evening.

As a plus, it makes Michael Mukasey nervous.

By bringing the alleged Sept. 11 conspirators to New York, the Obama administration risks making the city “the focus of mischief in the form of murder by adherents of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed,” Mr. Mukasey said.

In addition,

he said that trying the defendants in federal court risks disclosure of intelligence secrets

.

“I can’t see anything good coming out” of Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision, Mr. Mukasey said.

As a federal district judge, Mr. Mukasey presided over the criminal trial stemming from the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Although the defendants were convicted, Mr. Mukasey has said the experience persuaded him that federal courts were not equipped to handle sensitive terrorism trials.

Other judges disagree. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, who presided over the trial of “millennium bomber” Ahmed Ressam, has said that the federal courts could handle the security requirements of such cases.

Responding to an audience question, Mr. Mukasey said that if the defendants were to be tried anywhere in the U.S., the Southern District of New York, where he once served as chief judge, was the best venue.

“I’m a partisan of the Southern District of New York,” he said. “I know of no jurisdiction” where the prosecutors and judges were better prepared to deal with hardened terror suspects.

ANYTHING that “risks disclosure” of secrets from w/dick’s administration’s a serious bonus IMNVHO.
Families of the victims, survivors, and other prosecutors say it’s time to do this.

Jim Riches, whose firefighter son, Jimmy, died in the attacks, welcomed the decision.

“Let them come to New York,” said Mr. Riches, a retired deputy chief with New York Fire Department. “Let them get on trial. Let’s do it the right way, for all the world to see what they’re like. Let’s go. It’s been too long. Let’s get some justice.”

Mr. Riches has traveled to Washington, where he heard Justice Department officials discuss the case, and to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where he attended a hearing where he said Mr. Mohammed gloated over his role in the attacks. He said he would follow the trial no matter its venue, but now wanted to see Mr. Mohammed answer charges in court.

“My son died,” Mr. Riches said. “I want to speak for him. I’ll go wherever I have to go. I want to see these guys convicted.”

Both Brooks and Mark Shields suggest the 11-September-2001 attacks are not criminal acts but acts of war.
Brooks openly expressed fear that a trial would provide a bigger microphone for the terrorists’ message.

Um, David? Mark? Here’s a thought: by treating a confessed murderer like a murderer, rather than some special category of uber-devil, maybe, a trial in federal court minimizes the effectiveness of the terrorists’ intended message.

Attorney General Eric Holder speaks confidently of the possibility not merely of a fair trial but of a conviction, and says he will seek the death penalty. Now, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s status as a criminal defendant is a huge change from “enemy combatant,” and that’s one of those important steps back toward a civilized nation ours must make if we’re ever to shake off the taint of the Bush administration in the eyes of the world.

GOP Strategy: When in Doubt, Lie Louder

Especially about money.
I hate to admit it, but my Congressman is joining the chorus.

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) -The debate in Washington continues over healthcare reform.
Congressman Randy Neugebauer says he’s disappointed such a controversial and important bill passed with such a slim margin of only 5 votes, but he’s still hopeful Congress can make changes to it.

“This is huge federalization of healthcare in our country where a lot of the healthcare decisions are now going to be made by the government rather than the patient and the doctor,” said Neugebauer. One of his biggest problems with the recently passed House healthcare reform bill is the cost.

“It also creates huge new taxes; over 3/4 of a trillion dollars in new taxes. It causes premiums to go up for many of the Americans that already have healthcare today,” he said.

Fortunately, we know that these statements and others like them made by such Congressional stars as Michelle Bachman and John Boehner are actually spin, propaganda, and GOP talking points.

Those taxes? Not in evidence.

MYTH 9: Public option would be financed by tax hike

CLAIM: The public option is unaffordable because it would be financed by a tax hike or would otherwise be “costly to taxpayers.”

* Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich stated of the yet-to-be released Senate health reform bill that “nobody knows what this idea is. Nobody knows how it would work. And I think you have to raise a question. What if a big state like Texas opts out? Does that mean they don’t have to pay taxes on it?” He added, “Or are they going to opt out and pay for California and New York’s health care?” [Fox News' On the Record, 10/26/09]

* The Associated Press reported that “Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman says while he’s ’strongly inclined’ to vote to move Sen. Harry Reid’s health care plan to the Senate floor for debate, he would ultimately oppose the measure because it includes a public option,” adding that Lieberman said “he’s worried a public option would be costly to taxpayers and drive up insurance premiums.” [AP, 10/27/09]

REALITY: Public option financed by premiums — not taxes. Although the Senate has not released the text of its compromise bill, both the House bill and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee’s bill require their public options to charge premiums sufficient to cover administrative costs as well as the cost of enrollees’ benefits.

Bills’ tax revenues are used to cover expansion of coverage, with or without public option. The Senate Finance Committee’s bill, which does not include a public option, requires a tax on high-cost plans to cover the expansion of Medicaid and subsidies for lower- and middle-income Americans purchasing insurance. Similarly, CBO’s July 2 analysis of the Senate HELP bill shows that the bulk of cost is for subsidies for lower- and middle-income Americans purchasing insurance. And CBO found that the House bill’s proposed Medicaid expansion and subsidy provision for some families to purchase insurance through the exchanges would cost roughly $891 billion over 10 years, which would be “more than offset by the combination of other spending changes, which CBO estimates would save $427 billion, and receipts resulting from the income tax surcharge on high-income individuals and other provisions, which JCT and CBO estimate would increase federal revenues by $594 billion over that period.”

Facts about the bill? Well, first of all, the Senate hasn’t passed a bill yet. Second of all, the reconciliation of the two versions — and they’re as sure to differ as apples do from onions — hasn’t started yet. But what we do know, other than the odious Stupak Pitts amendment to the bill in the House, is that facts in evidence contradict the GOP claims:

CLAIM: GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER Former Majority Leader Bill Frist: “You hear a lot of people on the extreme say that socialized medicine is going to come in and control everything. … That’s not what’s in these bills.” [C-SPAN, 10/16/09]

CLAIM: ADD TO THE DEFICIT CNN’s Lisa Sylvester: “The House health care bill will cost $1 trillion over 10 years. Democrats say the bill pays for itself, offset by taxes on the rich and built-in health care cost savings. According to the Congressional Budget Office it will reduce the deficit by $109 billion.” [CNN, "Lou Dobbs Tonight," 11/9/09]

CLAIM: HARM SMALL BUSINESSES Small Business Majority Report: “Comprehensive healthcare reform… will reduce the cost to small businesses of providing health insurance to their employees” [The Economic Impact of Healthcare Reform on Small Business, 6/11/09]

CLAIM: KICK PEOPLE OFF THEIR INSURANCE FactCheck.org: Under Obama’s health care plan “nobody would be forced to drop his or her current insurance.” [FactCheck.org, 5/1/09]

CLAIM: CUT MEDICARE AARP: None of the health care reform proposals being considered by Congress would cut Medicare benefits. [AARP Website]

But Randy’s right.

Some people will have to pay more — because unfortunately, since the plan lets for-profit health insurance corporations continue to exist, nongovernmental entities will continue to extort higher premiums for poorer coverages from consumers.

That’s the American way, though, and the GOP champions profit uber alles in nearly every instance, so, um, what exactly is this particular whine about? I mean, even the US Chamber of Commerce hasn’t got a leg to stand on when it comes to the benefits health care reform offer the citizenry.

Personally, it wouldn’t bother me if the cost of a Hollywood bosom augmentation got to be $2 million per cup size and had to be all cash up front (pun intended); I’m just sayin’. (Might be some healthcare benefit to that, come to think of it. No more burst implants, fewer strained shoulders and backs … )

However, Lubbock Democratic Party Chair, (SIC) Pam Brink, believes this bill will benefit Americans, especially those who have trouble getting insurance because of pre-existing conditions.

“There will be an infrastructure of support for people’s lives that has been missing for many people for a long time,” said Brink. She thinks, in time, the plan will become widely accepted.

“Medicare has been very, very good for people and there was blowback to medicare back then too,” said Brink.

By the way, prostate cancer survivor Randy Neugebauer is my Congressional Representative. He’s a four-term Republican incumbent who has two challengers in the upcoming GOP primary.

To give you an idea of the political climate here in Lubbock, this is the story we got on local TV after the 2008 election.

Congressman Randy Neugebauer discussed the shift in power Wednesday. Voters overwhelmingly decided to keep Neugebauer in office, giving him 67% of the vote.
He had only positive things to say about the changes up in Washington. Neugebauer said, “Certainly, the republicans have been in majority but by-in-large it takes a lot of times bi-partisan support for a lot of the things we need to get done.”
Lubbock voters also shared their thoughts about the changes in Washington.
One said, “Hopefully, the blue dog dems will get up and make a showing.”
Another said “I’m definitely for the democrats and they of course won.”
One voter said, “I’m a little disappointed,” and another said, “It’s a big change.”

US Army Charges Ft. Hood Shooter

Thirteen counts of premeditated murder.
Under the UCMJ, if he’s convicted, he can face a firing squad. He will, more likely, face lethal injection if convicted. If this goes to courts-martial, chances are he will be convicted. It’s a safe bet, at this point, there’s more to the story than came out on the day of the shootings, though.

Here’s a thought: instead of more troops in Afghanistan, what about paying more attention to the needs of the troops and veterans here at home?

I support *all* the troops. I think they all need to come home safe — and stay safe after they get here.

In a perfect world the incredibly jacked-up rewards offered for Osama bin Laden would’ve produced him, by now. Since that didn’t happen, maybe what ought to is that foreign aid money for Pakistan, India, and neighboring countries be withheld until he, or his identifiable remains, is produced at some neutral site, like possibly The Hague.

Meanwhile, here’s another insight into the troubled life Major Hasan led:

Major Hasan also seemed to believe that his mosques could help him find a wife, preferably one of Arab descent, he told imams. Faizul Khan, the former imam at the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, Md., said he knew women who had been interested in Major Hasan because he had a good job. But he did not find any of them pious enough, the imam said.
Though Major Hasan told his cousins that he planned to marry sometime this year, he was not known to have ever had a girlfriend, relatives said.

It took seven minutes to kill a baker’s dozen and wound almost three times as many more. The weapon used appears to have been an FN Herstal 5.7 mm pistol — a caliber bigger than the Army’s M-16, but not so big that either the firearm or the spare magazines, of which the major apparently had more than one, would’ve been difficult to conceal in the current BDU uniform.

What was at the heart of his discontent? Religion? Loneliness? Some odd combination of the two?

Victory! ¡Basta Lou Dobbs!

Who says activism doesn’t work anymore? In response to unrelenting pressure from a coalition of organizations, the bigoted racist Radical Reactionary flaming idiot Lou Dobbs has been shown the door at CNN and it is about time.

Said CNN-US president John Klein: “With characteristic forthrightness, Lou has now decided to carry the banner of advocacy journalism elsewhere, somewhere far, far from here. We respect his decision, and could not be more delighted to see him gone.” Or words to that effect.

Said Lou Dobbs: “Whaa, whaa; whaa, whaa; whaa whaa.” Or words to that effect.

There is NO “Religion of Peace” — Not One.

No matter what you’re told by the preacher, the pastor, the priest, the imam, the ayatollah, the teacher, the choirmaster, the saffron-robed monk or the civvies-clothed nun. Not a one of these faith-based organizations out there really wants to promote peace, goodwill, love, and charity. Not. One. It’s not the fault of the religion. It’s the fault of the followers.

Some of whom I grieve with today in the aftermath of a shooting rampage in my home state that left, at last count, thirteen dead and thirty wounded, including the guy who apparently started it.

Some of whom we’ve all — those of us alive for 11Sep01, or 4Nov79, anyway — heard about as far back as we can remember.

Some of whom I heard about last night listening to the BBC.

The next day, a local organizer of the pageant, Stella Din, is devastated and embarrassed, telling Bloom that the rioting and the collapse of the event have “sent strong signals out to the international community that Nigeria is not a country to be taken seriously.” Nigeria’s newly democratic, pro-Western government had hoped that hosting Miss World would be an opportunity to showcase the country as it emerged from decades of military rule. Says Din, “We have blown our chances.”

A Christian from southern Nigeria, Din also expresses outrage that Muslims in the North plan to execute Amina Lawal. “Where I come from — I mean, any civilized nation — you don’t stone a woman … let alone a woman who has a little baby.”

Amina Lawal’s case is splitting the country. While the North holds fast to its intent to carry out her sentence, the government in the South insists that she will never be stoned. Bloom and Herrman restart their journey to the North to find Lawal and to explore the Islamic regions of the country where sharia, the Islamic code of law based on the Koran, has been embraced.

Some of them adopt a fairly proactive live-and-let-live point of view, and they’re usually derided as “backsliders,” “liberals,” “lapsed,” “fallen-away,” “lukewarm,” “agnostic,” or “inactive.”

Some of them adopt a fairly proactive do-good-for-others point of view, and they’re usually put down as “not following the inerrant scriptures.”

Some of them get right up in everybody’s grill preaching, and they’re usually showered with money.

Some of them go a few steps further, stoning women, throwing acid in girls’ faces for going to school, claiming the Bible has a place in science class.

They get to be rich and powerful members of their societies, by not just their social standards but eventually so much above the norm they get noticed outside their communities.

Some of ‘em start wars in the name of their version of God.

They wind up sainted, venerated, damn near worshiped in their own right.

You know what? They’re no holier than any other dictator, no more pious than Stalin.
They’re no more devotees of peace than Nikolai Ceaucescu was, or Francisco Franco.
They don’t care any more their fellow man than did Bull Connor or Mao.

Based on yesterday’s news out of Killeen/Temple/Copperas Cove / Ft. Hood, they have another fellow in their clique.

Thirteen dead, two handguns. Mental illness can come out of anywhere, anytime, and take down anybody.

Ft. Worth Star-Telegram Photo

Army Lt. General Robert Cone talks to the media about the shooting on base at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009. Cone said there were 12 dead and 31 wounded. Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Joyce Marshall.

There are real heroes on that post, and in its hospitals and those of nearby communities today.

AP Photo

Phlebotomist Sumer Mosley, second from right, takes a blood donation from U.S. Army Pfc. Jose Estrada, with the 411th Military Police Company at Fort Hood, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009, at Scott and White hospital in Temple, Texas. Estrada, said the he was prompted by the days events at Fort Hood near Killeen, Texas, after a mass shooting, to drive to Temple from the post to donate. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

I hope the death toll holds steady, and the shooter recovers enough to stand trial.

No, I don’t want the suspect waterboarded.
No, I don’t want the suspect tortured.
Yes, I want to know what the hell set him off on this … rampage.

Raymond Jessop has a purty mouth

Raymond Jessop has a purty mouth.

More From San Angelo: Confronting FLDS

Courage comes in many shapes and sizes.

Rebecca Musser, an attractive, poised blond in her early 30s who left the sect, testified Jeffs pressured her to marry again soon after the death of her spiritual husband, who was a church leader and Jeffs’ father.

“Within one month of his father’s death, he started marrying his father’s young wives,” Musser said during a hearing out of earshot of the jury.

Then in her mid-20s, she butted heads with Jeffs because she didn’t want to remarry, she testified in the trial of Raymond Merril Jessop, 38, a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

She testified that Jeffs told her, “I will break you. I will train you to be a good wife.”

Her testimony is important because she is a former member of the Mormon sect Warren Jeffs used as his own personal pedophilia playpen. She stood up to Jeffs when he came after her, and now she’s standing up to the defense attorney for the accused child rapist, Raymond Merril Jessop.

What trial? Graham had a really excellent post last week regarding the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints member’s trial in San Angelo.
I’d like to point to the San Angelo Standard Times’ coverage (they’re the local daily) of the ongoing matters in this trial.
Raymond Merril Jessop stands accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl at the Yearning For Zion Ranch, site of the Texas Children’s Protective Services / Department of Public Safety / Rangers’ investigation.
Houston’s Chronicle is doing a decent job keeping its readers apprised of developments in the trial as well.
The really good stories ought to come out of the Eldorado paper, a weekly; the editor was the first prospective juror excused last week.

(Crossposted to Corrente)

Comes Now The State Of Texas: FLDS member accused of rape, bigamy is brought to trial

Comes Now The State Of Texas….

With that ritual introduction, the first of twelve men charged with a variety of felonies has been brought to trial this week more than a year and a half after a dramatic raid near El Dorado, Texas on a cloistered compound belonging to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS). Raymond Merril Jessop, 38, whose religious practices included being “sealed in marriage” to and then allegedly raping multiple underage girls with the supposed goal of securing for himself a god-like existence in Heaven after death, is about to experience the here-and-now Earthly reality of being finely ground by Justice, West Texas style.

Candy from a baby: 60 Minutes on Medicare claims fraud

cross-posted from Graham Firchlis blog

In a segment tonight, October 24, 60 Minutes takes a look at fraudulent claims and our government health care system. According to the report, Medicare alone suffers $60 Billion in claims fraud annually, and Medicaid pays out another $30 Billion.

And now for something completely frivolous

posted by Graham Firchlis

“…the difference is why you drink.”