A recent ruling by the supreme court essentially guts the fourth amendment right to protection against unwarranted search and seizure of our homes. Now corporations have all the rights of people without even risking jail, risking termination or risking running out of time. Well, it is getting worse. Before the Republican National Convention, Sheriff Fletcher and the FBI used pre-emptive raids and pre-emptive arrests on basically no evidence.The justification was fear of terror. Now in the calmest no-fear time, one person, Carrie Feldman has been jailed for contempt of court for 12 weeks. There was no trial and no conviction, and it appears that there is no end to the jailing. So we, as a nation, have gone from 3 days of jailing without due process of law to 12 weeks and continuing. Anyone of us could now be held endlessly for not testifying about something that we know nothing about.
2012 Republican presidential candidate and occasional MN visitor will be headlining a Republican fundraiser in Iowa this Saturday. This is after his brief stop in MN.
Minnesota Governor and RGA vice chairman Tim Pawlenty will be the featured guest at the Iowa Republican party's "signature fall event," a further indication that he is exploring a 2012 presidential bid.
The event, to be held this Saturday, is the latest in a series of moves by Pawlenty that raise his national profile. He officially opened his political action committee, the Freedom First PAC, last week and has rounded up several former George W. Bush campaign advisers.
(MSNBC)
But here's the kicker. They originally asked Sarah Palin to headline the event!
Rachel Maddow reported this tonight and I'll post the vid if'n I can find it. The gist of Rachel's comment was that Palin didn't return emails and phone calls before they asked Timmeh. Once they settled on Mr. Backup, they also reduced the price to $25 a seat from some much higher price. Maybe because Timmeh Backup isn't as much of a draw?
The Iowa Supreme Court this morning unanimously upheld gays' right to marry.
"The Iowa statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution," the justices said in a summary of their decision.
The court rules that gay marriage would be legal in three weeks, starting April 24.
With that Iowa will become the first Midwestern state to allow gay marriage. Or will it?
"The decision made by the Iowa Supreme Court today to allow gay marriage in Iowa is disappointing on many levels," State Senator Paul McKinley, the Republican leader, said in a statement on The Des Moines Register's Web site. "I believe marriage should only be between one man and one woman and I am confident the majority of Iowans want traditional marriage to be legally recognized in this state."
He added: "Though the court has made their decision, I believe every Iowan should have a voice on this matter and that is why the Iowa Legislature should immediately act to pass a Constitutional Amendment that protects traditional marriage, keeps it as a sacred bond only between one man and one woman and gives every Iowan a chance to have their say through a vote of the people."
As I'm sure Senator McKinley is aware an amendment to the Iowan constitution requires both houses of the legislature to pass the amendment in two consecutive general assemblies (two year sessions) and then it must be approved by voters, so no earlier than 2012.
And there's more.
Iowa has no residency requirement for getting a marriage license, which some suggest may mean a flurry of people from other states.
Some suggest? There is no doubt that three weeks from now the Iowa road trip will be a very popular activity for many Minnesotans. And Missourians. And Illinoisans. And even probably some Nebraskans and Kansans.
December 4, 2007 - Des Moines, IA, NPR News/Iowa Public Radio Debate December 13, 2007 - Johnston, Iowa, Des Moines Register Democratic Debate
December 17, 2007 - Boston, MA
January 15, 2008 - Las Vegas, Nevada
December 1, 2007 - Des Moines, IA, Brown & Black Forum
December 1, 2007 - Des Moines, IA, Heartland Presidential Forum
December 4, 2007 - Des Moines, IA, NPR News/Iowa Public Radio Debate
December 10, 2007 - Los Angeles, California, CBS
December 13, 2007 - Johnston, Iowa, Des Moines Register Democratic Debate
January 15, 2008 - Las Vegas, Nevada
January 31, 2008 - California
September 26, 2007 - Hanover, New Hampshire
October 30, 2007 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
November 15, 2007 - Las Vegas, Nevada
December 10, 2007 - Los Angeles, California
January 6, 2008 - Johnson County, Iowa
January 15, 2008 - Las Vegas, Nevada
January 31, 2008 - California
