There is something ideological amiss in this (via Seattlepi.com):

Ruling against a suit brought by the Building Industry Association of Washington, a federal judge on Monday upheld the state of Washington’s 2009 energy efficiency building code.

U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan rejected the BIAW’s claim that the code conflicted with federal law. The code sets energy efficiency requirements for new homes, and is designed to reduce energy use and the energy bills of Washington households.

The BIAW sued Washington over energy standards that, they claim, exceeded the Federal regulations. But shouldn’t the BIAW be suing the Feds, claiming that energy efficiency is a States’ Rights issue?

Huh…these Wingnuts are hard to figger-out sometimes.

The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment has had the force of international law since mid-1987. The U.S. joined the club by signing it in 1988. The treaty received ratification in 1994. This treaty is, under Article VI paragraph 2 of the U.S. Constitution, the “supreme Law of the Land.”

Convention (Article 1) prohibits torture, defined as:

…any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity.

The treaty grants NO exceptions to the prohibition on Torture…not even under the “Ticking Time Bomb” scenario (from Article II):

(2) No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat or war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.

One of my disappointments with the Obama administration has been a lack of prosecution for those who justified, authorized, and undertook torture. The lack of action wasn’t unexpected…just disappointing.

So we have alleged criminals living free: the “deciders” George W. Bush (who has, remarkably, confessed to authorizing waterboarding in his autobiography) and Dick Cheney, the “justifiers” like Professor John Yoo and Judge Jay Bybee, and those who actually administered torture.

There may never be domestic prosecutions of these alleged criminals, but at least for the highest profile of the alleged criminals, there is now more to fear while traveling outside the U.S. than being hit in the face with a shoe (via Reuters):

Former President George W. Bush has canceled a visit to Switzerland, where he was to address a Jewish charity gala, due to the risk of legal action against him for alleged torture, rights groups said on Saturday.

Bush was to be the keynote speaker at Keren Hayesod’s annual dinner on February 12 in Geneva. But pressure has been building on the Swiss government to arrest him and open a criminal investigation if he enters the Alpine country.

Criminal complaints against Bush alleging torture have been lodged in Geneva, court officials say.

The fact is Switzerland has no choice but to consider prosecution. As a signatory to the Convention, Switzerland is bound by Article 5:

Each State Party shall likewise take such measures as may be necessary to establish its jurisdiction over such offences in cases where the alleged offender is present in any territory under its jurisdiction and it does not extradite him pursuant to article 8 to any of the States mentioned in Paragraph 1 of this article.

So George Bush cannot travel much outside of the U.S., except, apparently, to Canada…seems like a pretty trivial punishment for committing crimes against humanity.

The punishment could be much worse. As John McCain pointed out in 2007:

…some Japanese were tried and hanged for torturing American prisoners during World War II with techniques that included waterboarding.

“There should be little doubt from American history that we consider [waterboarding] as torture otherwise we wouldn’t have tried and convicted Japanese for doing that same thing to Americans….”

I’ve been posting these things on Hominid Views every Friday night since late May of 2006, but now that Goldy has gone Big Time, I guess they can go here. Enjoy!

Newsy: Mandatory gun bill in South Dakota.

The Full Ginsburg: Eric Cantor balances the budget:

Egypt:

• Ann Telnaes: Time for President Obama to let go.
• Newsy: Anderson Cooper and crew attacked in Egypt
• Ann Telnaes: Muburak’s body language.
• Mark Fiore: Autocrat action figures.
• Stephen: Egyptian people ask Anderson Cooper to step down… (via TalkingPointsMemo).
• Ann Telnaes: Mubrack won’t seek reelection, but won’t resign.
• Maddow: The whole world is still watching.
• John Bolton Tells Greta ‘El Baradei Is A Dilettante’ (via TalkingPointsMemo).
• Cenk: Conservatives bringing Sharia law to America!!!
• Newsy: Is wider Arab revolt a media creation?
• Rove: Egyptians are more Western then the rest of them Arab heretics. (via TalkingPointsMemo)
• Cenk and Will Bunchponder the right’s increasingly nutty attacks on President Obama (via Crooks and Liars).
• Obama speaks on Egypt.

Jon does Bill Gates (via TalkingPointsMemo).

ONN: al Qaeda populating U.S. with peaceful decoy Muslims.

Bush for Gay Marriage:

• Newsy: Barbara Bush for marriage equality.
• Young Turks: Barbara Bush for marriage equality.
• Tina Dupuy: Watch that grammar!

Greenman: What the ice cores tell us:

Cenk: Sarah Palin on “Mr. Caribou” and guns.

Jon does Michael Steele and Michael Steele (via Political Wire).

Glenn Beck…Cracking Up:

• Young Turks: Glenn Beck’s insane ‘Marxist–Communist’ theory.
• Young Turks: Glenn Beck’s crazy Muslim Caliphate conspiracy.
• Glenn Beck doubles down on crazy (via Crooks and Liars).
• Sam Seder explains Glenn Beck.
• Cenk: Who writes Glenn’s checks?
• Even some Neocons think Beck is a “panic monger” (via Crooks and Liars).

Newsy: “Top Gun” footage in Chinese military drill video.

Sam Seder: Move over John Edwards…National Enquirer fingers John Boehner for extramarital affair:

ONN: Congressman caught “horsing around”.

Stephen does Dr. Paul Offit (vaccine book author) (via OneGoodMove).

Sarah on rumors that Todd hangs out with hookers (via Mediaite).

Cenk: The very crazy week in Republican “Ideas”.

Rape to Republicans:

• Jon and Kristen Schaal on new definitions of rape (via TalkingPointsMemo).
• Cenk: Republicans try to redefine “rape”.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

Via The Wall Street Journal:

Like father, like son. Libertarian-leaning Rep. Ron Paul (R., Texas) is known in the House as a frequenter lone dissenter on bills. Today, his son, freshman Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.), voiced the only “nay” vote on a measure that outlaws aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft.

The vote shows a stunning lack of vision…coming from a opthamologist (albeit one who is self-certified).

I guess this is satire…right?

In a strong rebuke of President Obama and his domestic agenda, all 242 House Republicans voted Wednesday to repeal the Asteroid Destruction and American Preservation Act, which was signed into law last year to destroy the immense asteroid currently hurtling toward Earth.

It’s getting hard to tell….

Update: Okay…here’s a quiz. Is this satire, or real news?

A state lawmaker from Marietta (GA) is sponsoring a bill that seeks to do away with Georgia driver’s licenses.

State Rep. Bobby Franklin, R-Marietta, has filed House Bill 7, calling it the “Right to Travel Act.”

In his bill, Franklin states, “Free people have a common law and constitutional right to travel on the roads and highways that are provided by their government for that purpose. Licensing of drivers cannot be required of free people, because taking on the restrictions of a license requires the surrender of an inalienable right.”

Find the answer here.

I like it! I think I’ll demand (as a free person) my right to fly military jets “provided by [my] government.” Anyone up for an exciting trip to Whidbey Naval Air Station this weekend? Navigation skills a plus.

Goldy goes to work! It’ll be interesting to see if he has the time and interest to visit his buddies at Drinking Liberally tonight. Or maybe he wants to show up but Dominique has sent him off to cover some PTA meeting in Longview….

With or without Goldy, please join us tonight for an evening of politics under the influence at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. We meet at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E.. We start at 8:00 pm, and sometimes even earlier for dinner.

Not in Seattle? There is a good chance you live near one of the 209 other chapters of Drinking Liberally.

In what may be a sign of End Times, Democrats and Republicans will commingle at tonight’s State of the Union address by President Obama. So please join us tonight as we prepare for the Rapture with an evening of politics under the influence at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. We meet at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E.. We normally begin at 8:00 pm, but show up at 6:00 this evening to catch the whole SOTU.

I heard that Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-ME) will sit with Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). I’m hoping that Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA-01) will sit with Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC-02) to offer him assistance with any impulse control issues that might arise…. It is just a vicious rumor that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) will be with Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA-04). But I know Graham isn’t that type. I mean, he’ll sit with another Senator.

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY-09) will sit with Rep. Peter King (R-NY-03), apparently in pursuit of some sort of cold war-style mutual restraint:

Not in Seattle? There is a good chance you live near one of the 209 other chapters of Drinking Liberally.

Please join us tonight for and evening of politics under the influence at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. We meet at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. beginning at 8:00 pm. Or stop by around 7:00 pm and join some folks for dinner.

Not in Seattle? There is a good chance you live near one of the 234 other chapters of Drinking Liberally.

Please join us tonight for and evening of politics under the influence at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. We meet at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. beginning at 8:00 pm. Or stop by earlier and join some folks for dinner around 7:00 pm.

Not in Seattle? There is a good chance you live near one of the 237 other chapters of Drinking Liberally.

(And there are 40 more links to media from the past week in politics at Hominid Views.)

Please join us tonight for the first evening of politics under the influence in 2011 at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. We meet at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. beginning at 8:00 pm. Or join some of us for dinner around 7:00 pm.

Not in Seattle? There is a good chance you live near one of the 236 other chapters of Drinking Liberally.

Please join us tonight for another evening of politics under the influence at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. We meet at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. beginning at 8:00 pm. Or join some of us for dinner around 7:00 pm.

Not in Seattle? There is a good chance you live near one of the 235 other chapters of Drinking Liberally.

Please join us tonight for another evening of politics under the influence at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. We meet at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. beginning at 8:00 pm. Some of us will be there even earlier for a quiet dinner.

Not in Seattle? There is a good chance you live near one of the 235 other chapters of Drinking Liberally.

Please join us tonight for another evening of politics under the influence at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. We meet at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. beginning at 8:00 pm. Some of us will be there even earlier for a quiet dinner.

Here is an interactive holiday song from Roy Zimmerman. Decisions, decisions:

Not in Seattle? There is a good chance you live near one of the 235 other chapters of Drinking Liberally.

The Podcast is back after a long (and maybe, not so productive) sabbatical. Goldy and friends open up the ‘cast with a discussion of the Obama tax compromise cave-in, described by one panelist as the“worst messaging disaster…in a long time.” After some major meandering and bitching, Goldy seamlessly segues into levy equalization for Washington State. The panel imagines ways to give Red Washington the government they voted for.

The podcast plows into a deep issue: What does it say about Seattle that 3 or 4 inches of snow invokes “soul searching?” Or is this simply a pathology of a certain Editorial Board (member). Naturally this raises the question, should Goldy run for City Council in 2011? From local politics to an international man of mystery, the panel tackles the ethical, political, legal and corporate revenge ramifications of the Wikileaks leaks for publisher Julian Assange.

Goldy was joined by Peace Tree Farm’s N in Seattle, Effin’ Unsound’s & Horsesass’s Carl Ballard, DailyKos uber-blogger Joan McCarter, and Seattle Drinking Liberally co-host Chris Mitchell.

The show is 48:48, and is available here as an MP3:
[audio:http://www.podcastingliberally.com/podcasts/podcasting_liberally_dec_7_2010.mp3]

[Recorded live at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. Special thanks to Confab creators Gavin and Richard for hosting the Podcasting Liberally site.]