Nominee for Attorney General, An Opponent to Civil Rights

The resounding sentiment about Alberto Gonzales, Bush's nomination for Attorney General, is that "he's better than Ashcroft," but Gonzales' pending appointment still has some human rights advocates on edge. During his tenure as White House chief counsel, Gonzales has helped to craft administrative doctrine that has justified the use of torture and usurped civil rights for detainees, as well as justifying government secrecy.

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Say good-bye to another species...

Dec 3, 2004 by Guest Blogger

First there was the news -- unsurprising, of course -- that environmentalists envision bad times ahead during the second term of the Bush administration. Bad times are officially here: Interior Department biologists have recommended against adding the sage grouse to the endangered species list, a determination that could wind up benefiting natural gas and oil producers but add to environmentalists' concerns.

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Secretary of Health and Human Services Resigns

Dec 3, 2004 by Guest Blogger

Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson has handed in his letter of resignation. Medicare Administrator Mark McClellan is considered his likely replacement.

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Spending Bill Highlights

Dec 3, 2004 by Adam Hughes*

Although the FY2005 spending bill won't officially be passed by Congress or signed by the President for a few more days, the bill is pretty much complete. For good highlights and assessments of the bill, check out the following two sources:

Senate Republican Policy Committee Summary
House Appropriations Committee Press Release

For the latest information on the tax return provision included in the spending bill, check out this Washington Post article.

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NYPD Commissioner to Head Homeland Security

Dec 3, 2004 by Guest Blogger

Bush has selected NYPD commissioner Bernard Kerik to head the Department of Homeland Security, replacing Tom Ridge. John Danforth, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, has submitted his resignation. According to the Associated Press, White House sources say Bush is not very far along in naming a successor. The resignation of Tommy Thompson as secretary of health and human services is also expected.

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A Look at the Remaining Cabinet

Dec 2, 2004 by Guest Blogger

The Associated Press evaluated the prospects for the remaining members of Bush's current cabinet. The article projected that Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, and EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt will remain in their posts, while the future of the other remaining cabinet members appears to be up in the air.

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The Faulty Science of Abstinence-Only Education

Dec 2, 2004 by Guest Blogger

A new report on federally funded abstinence-only programs produced for Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) found that teenagers are receiving factually incorrect scientific information about the risks of sexual activity and abortions. Here are a few examples from the report of incorrect or misleading information in education materials:
  • Abstinence-Only Curricula Contain False Information about the Effectiveness of Contraceptives. Many of the curricula misrepresent the effectiveness of condoms in preventing sexually transmitted diseases and

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Nebraska Governor to Head USDA

Dec 2, 2004 by Guest Blogger

Bush has nominated Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns to replace Ann Venemen as secretary of agriculture.

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Second-Term Appointments

The following is a compilation of second term political appointments. Data was gathered using the Library of Congress legislative tracking service, Thomas, and various news sources. This is not a complete list of appointments. To search for a specific appointment, try the Thomas Presidential Nomination search engine. Department of Agriculture Confirmed by Senate Mike Johanns, to be Secretary of Agriculture, replacing Ann Veneman, resigned. Michael J. Harrison, of Connecticut, to be an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, replacing Lou Gallegos, resigned.

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AD REFUSAL DEEMED VIOLATION

Dec 1, 2004 by Guest Blogger

A federal appeals court has ruled that the city's mass transit agency (MBTA) violated the First Amendment by refusing to put up a nonprofit's ads because they encourage the use of marijauna. The MBTA should have known that they can't deny ad space on the basis on content. In 2003, the same nonprofit, Change the Climate, sued the government over the placement of ads in terminals of Washington, D.C.'s Metro system. Judge Paul L. Friedman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the government’s attempt to censor the ads was illegitimate and constitutionally impermissible. He issued a permanent injunction against Istook’s appropriations rider, saying that, “there is a clear public interest in preventing the chilling of speech on the basis of viewpoint.” The injunction prohibits the enforcement of the law. As a result, Change the Climate and other groups can again display their ads — criticizing drug policies — on the subways and at bus stop shelters.

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