Bush Introduces Slate of FEC Nominations to Break Deadlock!

[Knightskye]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jgOXndrnNmSMN92M0Uh15YPkZ99wD90GF9U01

This could be it! They'll have a quorum and they can finally rule on McCain. :D

[Joseph Hart]

Fuck Cancer Cheeks!

[torchbearer]

Seems like the GOP would want to be stalling on this... I wonder if this is why the white house submitted a list that they knew would be unacceptable to the dems.

[AdamT]

Guaranteed there is something nefarious behind this.

[torchbearer]

There is a guy with a russian sounding name, on that list of nominees, that is the biggest problem with the Dems. Someone help me here with the name.

[Joseph Hart]

There is a guy with a russian sounding name, on that list of nominees, that is the biggest problem with the Dems. Someone help me here with the name.

Spakovsky
Spah cAv skee

[torchbearer]

Spakovsky
Spah cAv skee

Do you know what their beef is with him?
Is he KGB or something?

[Joseph Hart]

Do you know what their beef is with him?
Is he KGB or something?

No idea. Google search?

[torchbearer]

Here is one article on him:
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/29/spakovsky-supreme-court-voter-id-ruling-vindicates-the-bush-justice-department/

and some comments from the dem. undreground about him here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3255123


Nobody does compromise quite like the Bush administration.


If you're a regular reader of TPM, you're familiar with Hans von Spakovsky and in particular, Spakovsky's remarkable track record at the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. It is because of that record -- one of ignoring, marginalizing, and intimidating career lawyers in order to institute restrictive voting laws all over the country, a pattern amounting to "institutional sabotage" as one former career attorney there put it -- that Senate Democrats (Barack Obama and Russ Feingold in particular) opposed his nomination to the Federal Election Commission.

Spakovsky was one of four nominees -- two Dems and two GOPers -- to the commission. The other three were uncontroversial. Senate Republicans insisted that all nominees be voted on together, and the Democrats objected: Spakovsky would have to get his own vote. The Republicans refused, and there things have stood for more than four months. Without the necessary number of commissioners, the FEC has essentially shut down.

It is a problem that has a relatively simple solution: if the White House were to submit another nominee, that nominee would more than likely be quickly confirmed without much trouble.

Instead, the Bush administration proposed something different yesterday.

Spakovsky remains a nominee. Instead, the administration has submitted a new nominee to replace the current chairman, David Mason. Mason is one of the only two seated commissioners, and it just so happens that he's been creating a whole lot of trouble for John McCain lately.

In February, the McCain campaign notified the FEC that it was withdrawing from the public financing system for the primary. Although McCain had once opted in, his campaign said that it had never received public funds and so could opt out. The move meant that McCain would not be bound by the $54 million spending limit for the system.

But Mason balked. McCain couldn't just opt out -- the FEC had to approve his request before he could. And Mason also indicated that a tricky bank loan might mean that McCain had locked himself in to the system. That would be disastrous for the campaign, since the Dem nominee would have a tremendous spending advantage through August. So McCain's campaign has continued to spend away, far surpassing the limit already. The Democratic Party has filed a complaint with the FEC and has also taken the matter to court.

And now Mason is getting the boot.

more...

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/05/today...

[bcreps85]

Its simple, one of two things.

a) Dems won't be able to agree to it.

b) Dems will be able to agree, but they will be Bush hand puppets that will not do their job when it concerns going after a member of the GOP(ie McCain, Bush, Cheney).

[torchbearer]

Its simple, one of two things.

a) Dems won't be able to agree to it.

b) Dems will be able to agree, but they will be Bush hand puppets that will not do their job when it concerns going after a member of the GOP(ie McCain, Bush, Cheney).

+1. they got the Dems either way.
At least for a few more months.

[Knightskye]

Do you know what their beef is with him?
Is he KGB or something?

Something about when he served in the Justice Department and made some rulings about civil rights that the Democrats don't like, or something. They sure can hold a grudge. :D

[soapmistress]

Fuck Cancer Cheeks!

Oh my god. I'm laughing so hard right now. I can't believe you just said that, but it was funny.

[Knightskye]

Olbermann seems to think Bush wants to remove David Mason, FEC commissioner, because he disapproves of McCain violating FEC law.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLF2lLQ40L4

What do you guys think? :eek:

[acroso]

bumppp

[belian78]

this isnt ron paul grassroots material, i think it should be moved.

[Fields]

this isnt ron paul grassroots material, i think it should be moved.

Thanks for your great contribution to the thread.

As for the nominations. Bush wouldn't do anything to hurt McCain considering he endorsed him.

[Knightskye]

this isnt ron paul grassroots material, i think it should be moved.

It's something the grassroots should hear. And it could affect Ron Paul if the FEC makes a ruling. I don't think it should be moved. Why don't you suggest something that's actually off-topic to be moved? Or maybe join in the discussion? :rolleyes:


As for the nominations. Bush wouldn't do anything to hurt McCain considering he endorsed him.

Are you saying Bush is incapable of making a bad decision (by accident)? :D

[ryanmkeisling]

Oh my god. I'm laughing so hard right now. I can't believe you just said that, but it was funny.

That made me laugh so hard I fell over. I know its not PC but that was really funny.