sneaky, sly and downright dirty move by WH!-reregistered as independents.

[rodeodance]

> http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110707R.shtml
Maneuver Gave Bush a Conservative Rights Panel
By Charlie Savage
The Boston Globe

Tuesday 06 November 2007

Washington - The US Commission on Civil Rights, the nation's 50-year-old watchdog for racism and discrimination, has become a critic of school desegregation efforts and affirmative action ever since the Bush administration used a controversial maneuver to put the agency under conservative control.

Democrats say the move to create a conservative majority on the eight-member panel violated the spirit of a law requiring that no more than half the commission be of one party. Critics say Bush in effect installed a fifth and sixth Republican on the panel in December 2004, after two commissioners, both Republicans when appointed, reregistered as independents.

"I don't believe that was meant to be evaded by conveniently switching your voter registration," said Commissioner Michael Yaki, one of the two remaining Democrats.

The administration insists that Bush's appointments were consistent with the law because the two commissioners who reregistered as independents no longer counted as Republicans. The day before Bush made the appointments, the Department of Justice approved the move in a memo to White House counsel Alberto Gonzales's office.

[ClassWarrior]

1. Heard this on Democracy Now! today.

Fascism is on the march. But resistance is NOT futile.

NGU.

[Union Thug]

2. Which is another reason why progressives have to get into the fight..

the actual fight - the dirt, the propaganda wars, etc. Any politician that says that they will "rise above the fray" will fail - either to get elected or to find any small degree of relevance should they happen to get elected.

[MagickMuffin]

3. Su-rprise, Su-rprise, Su-rprise

The WH has been trying very hard to dismantle the Civil Rights Dept. This is just more icing on the cake.

I knew after the 2000 (S)election when they disenfranchised all those voters in Florida when they refused to acknowledge the civil rights complaints and nothing was done about it, I knew right then and there this was going to become a quagmire.

Who says the republicons aren't racists?? They are racists to their cores.

[SpiralHawk]

4. "Smirk, smirk, smirk" - Commander AWOL & Republicon Homelander cronies

[VP505]

5. Add this to the

long list of wrongs that need correction from congress that will likely never be addressed. You know, because they just can't squeeze it into their busy schedule of recesses, important debate and votes condemning things said by organizations that some don't like.

[Glorfindel]

6. Good Lord...where's LBJ when we need him?

Democrats can't win by always playing by the rules and then going "tut-tut" when the Repukes don't. If we don't find backbone SOON, I fear it will be too late. Things have reached the point that defeating the Repukes by any means necessary is not only desirable, it's mandatory. We need to out-Rove Rove.

[flordehinojos]

7. all honors should go to poppy's covert "dirty-tricks" CIA trained hands ..

even when he claims, as he did to Chris Wallace, that he is, "...a kind of a clamer, quieter old guy... kinder, gentler..." in the next breath he admits that ... it doesn't mean i've lost interest in it... he is still ..."looking for that charge which he admits he gets in his speed boat, and i might add that i am damn well sure also in keeping his covert hands in the cookie jar of politics, particularly the politics that is going to shore up his' and his sonny's dictatorship!

[fooj]

8. Spot on.

Know your BFEE.

[laylah]

9. I read this earlier...

and we are surprised WHY????? They all suck. They hate our system of freedom and I hope their hubris catches up to them soon so that I might celebrate!

[Senator]

10. This Is Something Even The Dopey DC Dems Could Actually DO Something About

All they need do is make it clear that a Cong. Committee is going to call Angry Abby Thernstrom to testify about her part in this obvious fraud on the US Gov't, then cite her for contempt for whatever drivel she mumbles.

It might even make a nice test for inherent comtempt.

But I wouldn't hold my breath for even such a minimal level of reprisal.

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