Politics – Page 408 – Shall Not Be Questioned

Tom Knox Campaign Headquarters Robbed

Apparently during today’s election, Democratic mayoral candidate Tom Knox’s headquarters was robbed by a gunman:

Two armed gunmen robbed a Knox campaign office in the 4600 block of Frankford Avenue. Police say the robbers were wearing red “Knox for Mayor” t-shirts when they entered the office.

Investigators say one robber showed a gun in his waistband and demanded money from the workers.

I guess if you’re a criminal, it’s safer to rob the campaign headquarters of a candidate has steadfastly supported gun control, than it would be to risk that the guy you pick off the street might be one of the 32,000 people in the city with a license to carry a concealed pistol. 32,000 in a city that size are still pretty good odds, but it would have been a pretty sure bet that no one in Knox’s campaign was strapped.

Gonzalez Sucks Round III

You know when you make John Ashcroft look good, it’s time to think about resigning.

Comey testified Tuesday that when he refused to certify the program, Gonzales and Card headed to Ashcroft’s sick bed in the intensive care unit at George Washington University Hospital.

When Gonzales appealed to Ashcroft, the ailing attorney general lifted his head off the pillow and in straightforward terms described his views of the program, Comey said. Then he pointed out that Comey, not Ashcroft, held the powers of the attorney general at that moment.

Gonzales and Card then left the hospital room, Comey said.

“I was angry,” Comey told the panel. “I thought I had just witnessed an effort to take advantage of a very sick man who did not have the powers of the attorney general.”

Now, as civil liberty violations go, I never thought this program was a big one. But I think there are legitimate questions as to its legality. This was a pretty low tactic on the part of Card and Gonzalez.

Bush has stood solidly by his longtime counselor’s side; calls for Gonzales’ resignation have waned in recent weeks.

Bush’s loyalty is admirable, but it’s hurt him politically. He’s held on to people far too long after they have become liabilities for him, and Gonzalez is just the latest example of this.

Philadelphia Iraq Question

On the ballot currently in today’s Philadelphia city elections:

CHARTER CHANGE QUESTION 7 (Bill No. 060849)

â€œShall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to state the citizensâ€™ view regarding the mission served by U.S. troops in Iraq and that the citizens of Philadelphia urge the United States to make year 2007 the time to redeploy U.S. troops out of harmâ€™s way in Iraq?â€

The ballot measure was passed 72% to 29%, or thereabouts.Â Now keep in mind that Republican turnout in this election was way way down.Â The shocking thing to me is that close to 30% of people, mostly Democrats, in Philadelphia actually voted no.Â I thought this would pass a lot more overwhelmingly. Â But still, a fantastic victory for the folks who want the whole Iraq project to be for naught.

Personally, I have a suggestion: Why don’t we have the troops who are actually fighting the war vote on whether or not they want to come home, or complete the mission?

Stop & Frisk, Here We Come!

Michael Nutter, at this point, appears to be walking away with the Democratic nomination for Mayor of Philadelphia.Â By a healthy margin, too.Â This means that he will be the next Mayor of Philadelphia.

Gonzalez Sucks Round II

Gonzalez wants to criminalize attempted copyright infringement:

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is pressing the U.S. Congress to enact a sweeping intellectual-property bill that would increase criminal penalties for copyright infringement, including “attempts” to commit piracy.

“To meet the global challenges of IP crime, our criminal laws must be kept updated,” Gonzales said during a speech before the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington on Monday.

What is an attempt to commit copyright infringement exactly? And why are Republicans pushing for these draconian copyright protections? Most of the people who benefit from these are core Democrat constituencies.

I’ll put my biases here up front, I believe in much weaker copyright laws than we currently have, but I also don’t think this is good politics for the Republicans. Also, we have this:

Create a new crime of life imprisonment for using pirated software. Anyone using counterfeit products who “recklessly causes or attempts to cause death” can be imprisoned for life. During a conference call, Justice Department officials gave the example of a hospital using pirated software instead of paying for it.

In addition, it’s also calling for expanded civil asset forfeiture for DMCA violations. It also requires the RIAA to be notified by homeland security “when CDs with ‘unauthorized fixations of the sounds, or sounds and images, of a live musical performance’ are attempted to be imported.” I guess because terrorists aren’t as big a threat to the American way of life as copyright infringers. Seriously, when college kids who copied a song start getting thrown in federal prison for years, and have their lives ruined, something has gone horribly off the rails. I can’t blame Gonzalez for enforcing the laws Congress has already passed, even though I don’t agree with them, but asking for more is simply unconscionable.

It is time for Gonzalez to go.

“Stalinist System, Just Gussied Up a Bitâ€

Bitter has posted an article from Food and Wine talking about the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, and Pennsylvania’s ossified liquor laws in general.Â As much as it’s a problem for individual citizens, it’s an even bigger problem for restaurants and bars.Â As a citizen, I can go over to New Jersey to get liquor, beer, and wine I can’t easily get here.Â Â While I wouldn’t describe New Jersey’s liquor laws as the model of liberalism, they are certainly less draconian than Pennsylvania’s.Â Bars and Restaurants don’t have this option.Â Â As a condition of their liquor license, they have to buy from the state monopoly, which means you have your choice of wines and spirits that the state monopoly carries.Â Â There have been significant improvements in recent years in this regard, but the LCB is and will remain an antiquated system that ought to be abolished.

In other states, you can by wine, beer, and in some cases even hard liquor in supermarkets.Â I think only a fool would argue that these states have more alcohol related problems than Pennsylvania does. Â I think it’s high time our state legislators ended the state monopoly, and adopted liquor laws more similar to Arizona’s.

Tomorrow’s Election

Despite the fact that tomorrow’s election is a primary, it will essentially decide who will be the next Mayor of Philadelphia.Â If polls are to be believed, it will be taken by Michael Nutter.Â Despite the fact that I can’t vote in primaries, there is a ballot measure in regards to taxation that I will need to show up and vote against.

It’s basically about the Township of Middletown passing a 1% Earned Income Tax to help pay for schools, and offset property taxes.Â As it is, I already pay this tax to Plymouth Township, where I work.Â If it were to pass, it would just meant my money is going to the schools in my neighborhood rather than the schools where I work.Â I still plan to vote no, however, on the principle that I prefer property taxes in income taxes.Â I’ve never understood the objection to property taxes, personally.

Chucky and I Agree on Something

It’s not often I agree with Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), but in this case, I do:

While Schumer has been one of the agency’s most outspoken critics, he also says Congress should be saddled with part of the blame. He says creating the Department of Homeland Security was “one of the worst things” Congress did.

Yep.

Hat tip: Rand Simberg

Make it Hurt

As we await Mayor Street’s signature on several anti-gun ordinances recently passed by City Council, we’re faced with what to do about it. It’s not clear yet whether the city actually plans to enforce its new ordinances, or whether this will be window dressing as the election approaches, and soon forgotten about.

The big problem we face as a state is that Philadelphia incurs little in the way of cost for passing their own gun control ordinances. If they do try to enforce them, charges won’t hold up in court because of state preemption. But that won’t help keep folks out of jail, and the city will still be able to hassle gun owners. There will be lawsuits, but those will take a while to immediately hurt the city, and make it reconsider its actions.

What we ought to do is add a provision to the state’s preemption.

c) Penalties: Not withstanding any other provision of state or local law, any county, municipality or township creating or enforcing an ordinance or regulation in violation of Â§ 6120 (a) shall forfeit any appropriations from the state budget.

Or something along those lines. If there is a cost to the city of passing and enforcing these things that would be felt immediately, I think this nonsense would stop.

Did You Have to Pick the Nut?

I’m very happy to see that race is playing less of a role in Philadelphia elections, which has traditionally voted along racial lines. But man, do you people have to settle on Nutty Nutter?

Seriously, any of these guys is better than John Street. But can we pick someone who, I don’t know, doesn’t want to make police state tactics a regular routine for city authorities?

Nutter has drawn fire for his proposal to allow police to stop and frisk people suspected of carrying guns as a way to stem the rising tide of violence in the city.

Fattah and the other three candidates said Nutter’s idea might subject black residents to police abuse. Nutter responded that it’s “not about race, it’s about criminals,” adding, “as a person who’s been black for 49 years, I think I know a little bit about racial profiling.”

This white non-resident agrees that it would be wrong to profile blacks for stop and frisk. Actually, this white non-resident believe that it would be wrong to stop and frisk people of any color, because it’s not how this country operates. Terry stops were meant to allow officers to frisk suspects for their own personal safety. It wasn’t meant to be a generic tool for fighting crime.

Classical Values has more.