From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

The New Jersey race for U.S. Senate became a little more crowded yesterday with the addition of a serious third-party candidate to the official ballot.

Jason Schuerer, 39, a Mercer County Libertarian, announced yesterday he was approved by the New Jersey Division of Elections to be included on the November ballot.

Schuerer will face-off against Democrat incumbent Sen. Frank Lautenberg and Republican Richard Zimmer. Also in the running are Socialist Sara Lobman and Independents Daryl Brooks and J.M. Carter.

Schuerer, of West Windsor near Princeton, is a private money manager for Wachovia. He previously ran for state assembly in the 14th district.

Campaign manager Lou Jasikoff, said Schuerer had been invigorated by Ron Paul’s presidential campaign and was running on a “platform of common sense.”

“We’re aiming to be the purple party,” Jasikoff said. “When it comes to personal liberties, Jason is more democratic than what the Democrats stand for. From a fiscal standpoint, we’re what the Republican party claims to be.”

More from the New Jersey Libertarian Party’s page.  Scheurer [note correct spelling] has a small website up from his previous campaign for the 14th district state legislature.  Jason Scheurer for Senate website is up, but a placeholder promises content coming July 4th.

Record prices have prompted a slew of bills to curtail the role of investors, but traders say they could backfire:

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Fed up with soaring oil prices and a chorus of people blaming Wall Street speculators, Congress is considering a host of rules aimed at limiting the inflow of investor money into oil contracts.

But oil traders urge caution. While more disclosure is a good thing, they say making it harder for speculators to invest in oil futures could have the opposite effect intended, and send prices higher.

In light of oil’s phenomenal climb from under $50 a barrel to nearly $140 in less than 18 months - and the public belief that Wall Street traders were behind the rise - Congress is awash in bills that attempt to limit the role of speculators. Several have bipartisan support and could soon become law.

“In two days, the price of oil rose $16,” said Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., at a joint hearing of two Senate panels on oil speculation Tuesday. “Did I miss something, was there some war in the Middle East?”

Read More…

http://wnd.com/…

Two new directives signed by President Bush establish sweeping authority for federal executive departments and agencies to establish a coordinated “framework” to collect and retain biometric data on U.S. citizens identified as “known and suspected terrorists,” without requiring public or congressional disclosure of the procedures.

Although the directives run over 1,700 words in length, Congress is not mentioned once, nor is there any specification of how the coordinated “framework” will be disclosed to the public.

WND contacted the White House press office for comment but received no return call.

The directives also do not specify any procedures for citizens to challenge their inclusion in the biometric database or any resulting consequences, such as restricted travel or additional government surveillance.

How is it that something so large can be put into place without the say of Congress? Obviously while the executive branch is given funds by the legislative and not all ways in which the money will be spent can be tagged by them you would think something this intensive would get some nod from those who hold the purse and pass law. But no. As we have seen time and time again from Lincoln to G.W. Bush the executive branch thinks itself supreme and obviously above the law.

I suspect that this will be challenged right quick by the EFF and/or ACLU and if we’re lucky it’d be shot down.

http://blog.wired.com/…

Arlen Specter, the Republican leader of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Wednesday demanded an independent investigation into “Spygate.”

The announcement came three years after it was first disclosed President Bush had authorized a secret electronic eavesdropping program on Americans without warrants in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks.

But Specter wasn’t referring to that.

Instead, the Pennsylvania senator is demanding an inquiry into the New England Patriots’ secret videotaping of opposing NFL coaches’ signals on the sidelines — an affair sports writers have dubbed “Spygate.”

We are not making this up. Specter said such behavior, a violation of NFL rules, is damaging to the sport. Call it Specter’s own Patriot Act.

“It’s really an insult to the people who follow it,” Specter said. He added that the Patriots “owe the public a lot more candor and a lot more accountability.”

The league has fined the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick $750,000 each. The team’s video assistant has turned over to the NFL eight tapes of opposing coaches giving signals during games.

Apparently real-world warrantless spying isn’t as egregious as snooping on opposing NFL coaches.

Specter and other lawmakers initially talked tough when The New York Times disclosed Bush’s spying program in 2005. “There is no doubt that this is inappropriate,” Specter said at the time.

But Congress, including Specter, eventually passed the Protect America Act, which allowed government officials to eavesdrop in the United States on telephone conversations and  e-mails without warrants, if the target of the surveillance is “reasonably believed” to be overseas.

The law expired in February after lawmakers deadlocked on whether to grant immunity to telecommunications companies being sued for assisting Bush in carrying out the administration’s secret spying program before it was legal.
The Protect America Act’s expiration means surveillance must be authorized by a secret intelligence court if the wiretap is physically planted on U.S. soil.

Still, President Bush maintains that, as commander in chief, his administration has warrantless spying powers regardless of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Again, we’re not making up this story.

Or total fucking tool? This really is just disgusting. At least the whole baseball drug thing it was related to the whole war on drugs thing which many people still oppose. This is related to an extreme breach of the Constitution and public trust which the executive branch not only hid from the public and the other branches of government but blatantly lied about. This asshole is more concerned with a fucking sporting event then the American people or even his own person and family. How does he think the ex-New York governor got caught?

And yet this jackball will get reelected.

May 9, 2008

Dear Sir/Madam:

A U.S. Census Bureau Field Representative tried contacting you recently to obtain some information for the American Community Survey (ACS). However, our Representative, Edward Marcus (201) 927-4763 has been unable to reach you. Because of the importance of this survey, we would appreciate you telling us how you can be contacted. You may do so by completing the information below and returning it in the enclosed postage paid envelope, or by calling the Program Supervisors, Ms. Nina Heggs or Arkadiy Khaimov at 212-584-3479 or 1-800-991-2520 ext. 43470.

This survey is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau to provide current information on subjects like income, education, commuting and housing. Your efforts help provide current information needed by your community, county and state, as well as the Nation, to plan programs at all levels. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts this survey under authority of Title 13, United States Code, Section 141 and 193. Section 221 of the Title 13 requires that sample households participate in the survey.

Please be advised that Census staff are available to conduct an interview when it is most convenient for your household, including weekends. If the best time to contact your household is after 9:00 p.m. or before 9:00 a.m., our staff is always available!

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. All information you provide is confidential and will be seen only by sworn U.S. Census Bureau employees. Your participation will make a valuable contribution in providing timely and useful data for generating public policies.

Sincerely,

Lester A. Farthing

Regional Director

Sworn U.S. Census Bureau employees? Why should I trust them anymore then the politicians who swore to uphold the Constitution and fail? Seems obvious to me government employees don’t have a great track record of upholding their sworn duties. Along with the above letter I received some exerpts from Title 13 of the United States code.

• Chapter 5 > Subchapter II > Section. 141. - Population and other Census information
  • (a) The Secretary shall, in the year 1980 and every 10 years
    thereafter, take a decennial census of population as of the first day of
    April of such year, which date shall be known as the “decennial census
    date”, in such form and content as he may determine, including the use
    of sampling procedures and special surveys. In connection with any such
    census, the Secretary is authorized to obtain such other census
    information as necessary.
• Chapter 5 > Subchapter V> Section 193. - Preliminary and supplemental statistics
  • In advance of, in conjunction with, or after the taking of each
    census provided for by this chapter, the Secretary may make surveys and
    collect such preliminary and supplementary statistics related to the
    main topic of the census as are necessary to the initiation, taking, or
    completion thereof.
• Chapter 7 > Subchapter I > Section 214. - Wrongful disclosure of information
  • Whoever, being or having been an employee or staff member referred
    to in subchapter II of chapter 1 of this title, having taken and
    subscribed the oath of office, or having sworn to observe the
    limitations imposed by section 9 of this title, or whoever, being or
    having been a census liaison within the meaning of section 16 of this
    title, publishes or communicates any information, the disclosure of
    which is prohibited under the provisions of section 9 of this title, and
    which comes into his possession by reason of his being employed (or
    otherwise providing services) under the provisions of this title, shall
    be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or
    both.
• Chapter 7 > Subchapter II > Section 221. - Refusal or neglect to answer questions; false answers
  • (a) Whoever, being over eighteen years of age, refuses or willfully neglects, when requested by the Secretary, or by any other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of the Secretary or authorized officer, to answer, to the best of his knowledge, any of the questions on any schedule submitted to him in connection with any census or survey provided for by subchapters I, II, IV, and V of chapter 5 of this title, applying to himself or to the family to which he belongs or is related, or to the farm or farms of which he or his family is the occupant, shall be fined not more than $100.
  • (b) Whoever, when answering questions described in subsection (a) of this section, and under the conditions or circumstances described in such subsection, willfully gives any answer that is false, shall be fined not more than $500.

Other then the prepaid envelope there was another copy of the Census 2010 brochure.

These guys are persistent.