Bob Ney Gets What He Deserves

Bob Ney, with all his pleas for leniency, was sentenced to 30 months in prison this morning. That's about 3 months more than the prosecutor recommended.

Read More: cleveland.com: Weblogs

 

Update 11:11 A.M.

Ney will also serve 2 years on probation upon his release as well as pay a fine of $6,000. He did get into a prison alcohol rehabilitation program like he had requested and will most likely serve his sentence in a Morgantown, WV federal prison.

Read More: TPMmuckraker

Bob Ney: The Clark Bars Made Him Do It

Bob "blame it all on alcohol" Ney is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow and he's asking for leniency. As a former resident of his district I've got to say that I don't think he deserves it.

Today his lawyers gave the judge 95 pages of letters from Ney's friends and family asking for a lighter sentence and recalling fond memories of Ney, including such things as his love of Clark bars (thus the title).

Read More: cleveland.com: Weblogs

Blackwell Is Just Another Sore Loser

This is disgusting but I wouldn't be able to cover it as well as these people did...

• Buckeye State Blog
• Plunderbund
• Columbus Dispatch
• Toledo Blade

West Virginia Cops Record Race Of Those They Pull Over

In an effort to study racial profiling the state of West Virginia is ordering all policemen to record what they believe to be the race of the people they pull over, whether or not a ticket is issued. The reports will be compiled and the results will be released to the public sometime next year.

Read More: WTRF-TV – News for Wheeling, West Virginia and the Ohio Valley

I've Been Linked To By A Hate Group

The question of the day: What do you do when a hate group links to your website?

The Westboro Baptist Church has linked to a recent post I did criticizing their recent protest at Ted Strickland's inauguration. The post was commented on by a member of the Phelps family, which makes up about 80% of the "church's" membership of around 100 people.

You can find the link on their "Current WBC News" page with the link text:

God hates Strickland - He's turned Ohio over to the fags - - watch the wrath of God deal with you hags! - 2007-01-12

Read More: Current WBC News

Reuters Issues Correction On Al Gore

Al Gore didn't say that he wasn't going to run for President after all, just that he wasn't planning on a run.

(Correcting to clarify that Gore did not rule out running for president but said only he did not plan to run. Changes headline.)

Source: CORRECTED: Gore says he has no plans to run in 2008 | Politics News | Reuters.com

The 125 Ton Joyride Vehicle

This was just too good to pass up.

Two Ohio teenagers left a low security juvenile detention center in the middle of the night and decided to go on a joyride... in a train.

12 miles later they stopped the train and gave themselves up, just shy of a device that had been set up to derail the train and avoid a collision with another train.

Read More: The Columbus Dispatch - Local/State

Bush To Finally Let The FISA Court Do Its Job

George is finally giving up control over the warrant-less wiretapping program and handing it over to the secret FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance) court.

Why did it take so long and why did the judicial branch just stand back and let it happen?

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration has agreed to shift course and let a secret but independent panel of federal judges oversee the government's controversial domestic spying program.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court will have final say in approving wiretaps on communications involving people with suspected terror links, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Wednesday in a letter to the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Since Jan. 10, when the court began overseeing the program, at least one request has been approved to monitor communications of a person believed to be linked to al-Qaida or an associated terror group.

In his letter to Sens. Patrick Leahy D-Vt., and Arlen Specter R-Pa., Gonzales wrote that "any electronic surveillance that was occurring as part of the Terrorist Surveillance Program will now be conducted subject to the approval of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court."

Source: Secret court to govern wiretapping plan - Yahoo! News via Ohio Daily Blog (And make sure you check out his pictures from Jennifer Brunner's inauguration.)

Kucinich On "Tucker" Right Now

Presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich is on the MSNBC program Tucker right now discussing the war in Iraq and the FCC.

Obama's In. Anyone Surprised?

Barack Obama has finally gotten around to forming an exploratory committee. The announcement was made through a video and transcript posted to his website. The big announcement is below and the full text can be found by following the "source" link.

And that's why I wanted to tell you first that I'll be filing papers today to create a presidential exploratory committee. For the next several weeks, I am going to talk with people from around the country, listening and learning more about the challenges we face as a nation, the opportunities that lie before us, and the role that a presidential campaign might play in bringing our country together. And on February 10th, at the end of these decisions and in my home state of Illinois, I'll share my plans with my friends, neighbors and fellow Americans.

Sound's like the announcements coming on the 10th of February.

Source: A Message from Barack | Obama Exploratory Committee

Webb To Deliver Democratic Response To State of the Union

Recently elected Senator Jim Webb of Virginia will be delivering the democratic response to the State of the Union address on the 23rd.

Read More: CNN.com - CNN Political Ticker

Al Gore Not Running In 2008?

Well my favorite not quite candidate for the presidency doesn't seem to be running according to Reuters. Mr. Gore says his plan's are focused on "a different kind of campaign" against global warming.

• Official Website on An Inconvenient Truth
• AlGore.com