| Clinton Antics Will Make Bill and Hil the Next American Idles Posted: 31 Mar 2008 01:48 AM CDT The amateurish ploys of the Clinton campaign are, at this point, so self-destructive that they seem tragic. We should all know that Bill Clinton is one of our most charismatic Americans. I found...     |
| A Crop of House Candidates Worth Taking a Look At Posted: 31 Mar 2008 01:48 AM CDT There is relatively little attention being paid to this year's fight for the House of Representatives, since Republicans have no chance retaking the chamber in November. Even more important, most...     |
| Posted: 31 Mar 2008 01:38 AM CDT JOHNSTOWN, Pa. -- Taking his last question at a "town meeting" here on Saturday, Barack Obama encountered an issue he neither expected nor welcomed: abortion. The eloquent senator from Illinois, who...     |
| Age as an Asset: McCain's Appeal To Boomers Posted: 31 Mar 2008 01:00 AM CDT Echoes of the famous cry, "Don't trust anyone over 30," rebuke the boomers who took it as words to live by. Not only are many of them closing in on 60, they may soon be asked to put their trust in a...     |
Monday, March 31, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
| Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:43 PM CDT Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |
| In Pa., She's Got a Friend in Murtha Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:42 PM CDT Washington Post |
| McCain Guru Linked to Subprime Crisis Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:30 PM CDT The Politico |
| Leahy Calls for Clinton to Quit Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:29 PM CDT Wall Street Journal |
| Donations from Subprime Industry Become Liability Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:23 AM CDT Wall Street Journal |
| McCain, Romney Reunite at Utah Fundraiser Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:21 AM CDT Deseret Morning News |
| Clinton Lays Out Health Care Premium Cap Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:20 AM CDT New York Times |
| Obama Pushes Tougher Oversight Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:19 AM CDT Wall Street Journal |
| Clinton Details Ideas, Stresses Unity in N.C. Appearance Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:19 AM CDT Fayetteville Observer |
| An Obama-Bloomberg Ticket? No Cheers from the Mayor Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:17 AM CDT New York Times |
| As Candidates Warm to Bush Tax Cuts, Economists Warn of the Effects Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:16 AM CDT Washington Post |
| Ex-Congressman Disputes Clinton's Boasts on Legislation Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:15 AM CDT The Hill |
| Obama Rewrites Rules of Online Fundraising Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:14 AM CDT Washington Post |
| Puerto Rico Governor, Obama Superdelegate, Faces 19 Counts Posted: 28 Mar 2008 04:10 AM CDT Associated Press |
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
| Clinton Seeks to Soften Impact of Misstatement Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:11 AM CDT New York Times |
| Clinton: Wright 'Would Not Have Been My Pastor' Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:11 AM CDT Pittsburgh T-R |
| McCain Outlines Plan for Housing Crisis Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:09 AM CDT Wall Street Journal |
| In Obama's Message, Foes See Old Liberalism Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:09 AM CDT Washington Post |
| Obama's Foreign Policy Ideas Fire Up Rivals Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:08 AM CDT Wall St. Journal |
| Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:07 AM CDT Chicago Tribune |
| Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:07 AM CDT The Politico |
| Why Are Dems Ducking Gun Control Issue Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:04 AM CDT McClatchy |
| Dem Challengers Do Not Yet Believe in Obama Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:01 AM CDT The Hill |
| Republican Jewish Group Wants McPeak Canned Posted: 26 Mar 2008 12:00 AM CDT The Hill |
| Clinton Evokes Themes of Sisterhood, Motherhood Posted: 25 Mar 2008 04:06 AM CDT Philadelphia Inquirer |
| Posted: 25 Mar 2008 04:05 AM CDT Wall Street Journal |
| Indiana Shapes Up as State of Parity for Democrats Posted: 25 Mar 2008 04:03 AM CDT Washington Post |
| Bill & Chelsea Criss-Cross Indiana Posted: 25 Mar 2008 04:02 AM CDT Indianapolis Star |
Clinton Camp Calls for Explanation of Obama's Negative Politics
Posted: 25 Mar 2008 04:00 AM CDT
The Hill
Ridgway gets the boot again in court
'Automatic delegates' win a round
A judge on Tuesday blocked an attempt by a Republican to force his party to follow party rules.
Judge Glenn Iwasaki of the 3rd District Court denied Mike Ridgway a temporary restraining order to stop the state and Salt Lake County Republican Party from appointing so-called "automatic delegates" to vote at the county and state conventions.
Delegates wield a lot of political power, because they decide which two candidates in a race advance to the primary or, if 60 percent or more support one candidate, make that person the party nominee in the general election.
But Ridgway isn't giving up yet.
"I have no choice in my mind but to continue to press forward," Ridgway said shortly after the denial. He said he believes the judge was sympathetic to his cause.
He said he will continue to push the court to stop the state and county Republican parties from "consistently" violating party rules against appointed delegates. Ridgway has challenged the practice at both state and party conventions for years.
Party leaders believe they aren't breaking any rules. However, they admit there is some "ambiguity" to the party's delegate appointment rules, State GOP Vice Chairman Todd Weiler said.
Weiler said the state party constitution leaves delegate allocation up to the county parties.
Appointed delegates are typically Republican elected officials, like the county surveyor and GOP legislators. Other appointed delegates include the county party officers and executive committee members.
In the past, Ridgway said, Republican party leaders and elected officials did not get automatic delegate status, and it shouldn't be any different now.
"When you start giving perks to high-level important people you corrupt the process," Ridgway said. "If you can't even choose your own representative to the state Legislature, because that choice is already made for you by party leaders ... then why do we live in America?"
Ridgway is already preparing for a future win. Tuesday night he urged all Republicans attending caucuses to vote on an extra state and county delegate, so everything is cleared up before state and county GOP conventions in May.
If a judge eventually rules in his favor, 58 precincts would get to vote for one more county and state delegate, he said.
Ridgway said the local automatic delegates are worse than the "travesty" the Democratic Party has with superdelegates, who can vote for any presidential candidate no matter who Average Joe Democrats vote for at the polls.
"In the Republican Party, it's not just a travesty, it's unethical because the bylaws don't let them do it," Ridgway said.
E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com
Monday, March 24, 2008
Attorney Peter Stirba on KSL's Nightside Project
US Supreme Court to hear Utah case.
Here is the link
http://nightside.ksl.com/?nid=29&sid=2927395
The Captain
Bayh Points to Electoral College Votes as New Measure
Posted: 23 Mar 2008 10:26 PM CDT
New York Times
Stirba and Associates to argue before the US Supreme Court
Supreme Court agrees to hear Utah case involving searches
The case from Utah also will test whether the officers who conducted the warrantless search may be sued by the person they arrest.
Six years ago, an informant contacted police to tell them he had arranged to purchase drugs from Afton Callahan at Callahan's trailer home. Wearing a microphone provided by police, the informant entered the trailer, made the deal and signaled police. They entered the trailer without a warrant and arrested Callahan for possession of methamphetamines.
Utah courts ruled that the evidence that was seized from Callahan's home could not be used against him. Other courts have allowed prosecutions to go forward under similar circumstances.
Callahan then sued the officers for violating his constitutional rights. A federal judge ruled the officers could not be sued because there is disagreement in the courts over whether the search is illegal.
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver said the lawsuit could proceed because the officers should have known that people have a right in their home to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Even Billionaires like Mitt Romney have honey-do’s!
The Park City Home Depot crew and I just spent the last half hour or so helping Mitt Romney with some home repair projects. It’s not unusual for me to meet and help celebrity customers up at the Park City Home Depot, but because I’m a political junkie today was a special day. Mitt came in dressed in casual jeans and work shirt and needed some power tools to address some projects at his Park City Retreat. I guess the Romney's are celebrating Easter in Park City. We hooked him up with some Ryobi power tools and necessary hardware accessories. I left work around 4pm and walked out to the parking lot and we talked about the current situation in the presidential race. We shook hands and saw him get into a Black Jeep Cherokee. I have a white Cherokee and he followed me out of the parking lot. His car was not a new model, just like any other car. As I looked in my review mirror I was thinking to myself, man this guy was a serious candidate for President of the United States. In any event, all I can say was he was very nice and just a normal guy. Well this for sure made my day.
The Captain
Friday, March 21, 2008
Obama's Explanation Won't Fly in Long Run
Posted: 21 Mar 2008 01:44 AM CDT
In his hour of political need, Barack Obama went to his base -- the media. He delivered a speech about the nation's racial divisions that couldn't possibly get anything but lavish praise from the...
The Crapshoot of Presidential Politics
Posted: 20 Mar 2008 05:00 PM CDT
This week's detour into the murk of racial politics underlines that it's going to be a long, hard slog on the Democratic side. The next opportunity for Democrats to resolve their deadlock will come...
Thursday, March 20, 2008
H.B. 493 or Ridgways Law signed by Governor
Enrolled Copy H.B. 493
1 STALKING AMENDMENTS
2 2008 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Lorie D. Fowlke
5 Senate Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 The bill modifies the Criminal Code regarding the elements and penalties for the offense
10 of stalking.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This bill:
13 < amends the definition of "course of conduct" to include contacting a victim by any
14 means, acting through third parties, and sending or delivering items to the victim;
15 < includes as an element a victim's fear for the victim's own safety or the safety of third
16 parties;
17 < defines "emotional distress";
18 < includes stalking by electronic communication as an offense;
19 < expands the reference to other parties whom the victim may fear for so the reference
20 includes any third party, rather than only immediate family; and
21 < provides that the defendant may not claim as a defense that the victim did not give
22 the defendant actual notice that the course of conduct was unwanted by the victim
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Carrie Towner & Stirba and Associates
Carrie L. Towner
Carrie Towner brings over 20 years of prior business experience to Stirba & Associates with her law degree from the University of Utah. She serves as the firm’s managing associate and assists in the firm’s specialty areas of municipal law, personal injury, business litigation, governmental entity defense, and healthcare law.
As a medical administrator, she directed the multi-office start-up and operations for the only Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic in Alaska. Her background with physicians, hospital administration, and Medicaid audits lends practical professional experience to the firm’s practice of healthcare law. Prior to law school, Carrie started her own successful business, which she continued to operate during her first year of law school.
Latest Sightings from the Captain
 | Social Security Issues A PRIVATE ALTERNATIVE TO SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY Private accounts for disability benefits would allow workers to provide their own benefits, say Pamela Villarreal and Alan Lin... NATIONAL CENTER FOR POLICY ANALYSIS |
 | Federal Spending & Budget Issues If Medicare had to be accounted for like a company pension fund, it would be underfunded by $34 trillion, say observers... FORTUNE MAGAZINE |
 | Taxes Cutting the tax rate on capital gains benefits the economy, says Mark Bloomfield... WALL STREET JOURNAL |
 | Health Issues COMPETITION SOLVES HEALTH CARE A market-based system would unleash the power of innovation and competition in health care, say observers... NEW YORK SUN |
 | Social Issues A BOY NAMED SUE, AND A THEORY OF NAMES The old stereotypes for children with odd names no longer hold up, say observers... NEW YORK TIMES |
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Ferarro gets the Axe from Hillary
Geraldine Ferraro Leaves Clinton Camp After Saying Obama Is Where He Is Because He's Black
Obama in the Driver's Seat, but Florida and Michigan Fights Loom
Posted 03/12/2008 ET
Updated 03/12/2008 ET
Updated 03/12/2008 ET
Outlook
- The principal cause for Democratic dismay and Republican hope in the presidential race is the bitterness among Democratic voters as a result of the Obama-Clinton competition. Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) has been a passionate favorite of black voters, who say they will not vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) if she "steals" the nomination. To a lesser extent, white Clinton voters are saying they could never support Obama.
- Such internal anger usually fades once the nominee is actually selected. Nevertheless, the racial nature of Democratic struggles worries party insiders. The racial divide on the Obama-Clinton dispute is widening, helped along by Geraldine Ferraro's recent comments (see below).
- Democratic leaders are still absolutely determined that the nomination will be decided before the delegates convene in Denver the last week in August. Since neither Obama nor Clinton will be able to get a majority of delegates after the primaries (even after possible re-votes in Michigan and Florida), the super-delegates must name the winner on the basis of which candidate has the momentum. Obama has the edge, but his nomination is not certain.
- Nobody absolutely rules out the possibility that Denver could become the first truly contested Democratic convention since Chicago in 1952. But it surely would be ugly, with possible credentials fights. Republicans can only pray that this happens.
- Conservative resistance to Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) as Republican nominee is predictably fading, but the McCain campaign has serious problems. It has neither a policy nor an organizational plan for a general election campaign. McCain needs to be convinced that he cannot continue with his primary election mantra.
- Obama and Clinton have joined McCain in supporting the earmark moratorium proposed by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C) as a budget amendment, opposed by the Senate leadership of both parties. The "task force" of Republican senators named by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to solve the earmark problem is actually an abandonment of the issue.
- Supreme Court oral arguments on 2nd Amendment gun ownership rights also have the GOP missing the boat. The Bush Administration, reflecting the position of Justice Department career lawyers, takes an equivocal position on individual gun rights while Obama has taken a stronger pro-gun position than President Bush's official stance. The saving grace is Vice President Dick Cheney's unprecedented pro-gun intervention in his constitutional role as President of the Senate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)