Friday, June 02, 2006

Slippery Slopes

Mikaela says:
I know Marjorie's all excited because I used the S-word, but unfortunately, this ain't no day of skiing.

Nope, it's just a typical news day during these troubling times:

  1. Fundraiser for Bush is downgraded from "Pioneer" to "Outlaw."
  2. First phone records, now e-mail trails... Worried yet?
from Democracy Now

Ohio GOP Fundraiser Pleads Guilty To Laundering For Bush Re-Election
In Ohio, a former Republican fundraiser has pleaded guilty to illegally funneling thousands of dollars into the campaign to re-elect President Bush. On Thursday, Tom Noe admitted he used several conduits – including Ohio politicians and former aides to Gov. Bob Taft -- to funnel around $45,000 dollars to the President’s campaign. At the time of his indictment, Noe’s case was described as the largest campaign money-laundering scheme since new campaign finance laws were enacted in 2002. Noe was named a “Pioneer” by Bush’s campaign for raising over $100,000 dollars.

US Gov Asks ISPs For Web-Surfing Data
The US government has asked Internet service providers to keep the records of the Web-surfing activities of their customers. The government says the records would be used solely for efforts against terrorism and child pornography. FBI Director Robert Mueller and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales reportedly made the request at a meeting with a group of senior executives representing the country’s major online firms. Executives who attended the meeting told the New York Times they were also asked to retain records about whom their customers exchange e-mails with, but not the contents of e-mail messages.