The American Trial Lawyers Association

Today's top story - A military team sent to evaluate electrical problems at U.S. facilities in Iraq determined there was a high risk that flawed wiring could cause further "catastrophic results" — specifically, the electrocutions of U.S. soldiers. The team said the use of a required device, commonly found in American houses to prevent electrical shocks, was "patchy at best" near showers and toilets in the facilities. There also was widespread use of uncertified electrical devices and "incomplete application" of electrical codes in buildings throughout the country. At least three U.S. service members have been electrocuted in Iraq while taking showers in the six years since the U.S.-led invasion of the country. About a third of the inspections so far have turned up major electrical problems. About half of those problems have since been fixed, but the military says that at least 65,000 facilities still are still waiting to be inspected. The problems described in the report went beyond shoddy wiring. The team said "ammunition, dirty laundry and other combustibles touching or in close proximity to potential electrical fire sources" created a high risk for troops in their living quarters.


In other news – A federal judge yesterday threw out the conviction of former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, paving the way for other political prisoners across the country to appeal on the same grounds. The judge has now turned the tables on the prosecutors in the case, and has announced that they will all be investigated. The rare move to turn the investigation on the prosecutors themselves puts six federal lawyers, accused of mishandling evidence and witnesses, in the awkward position of becoming potential defendants in a criminal trial. The Justice Department would usually examine accusations like this internally, but U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said that he has no faith in such an investigation after seeing so much "shocking and disturbing" behavior by the government. And he's right to say this. Over the last 8 years we've seen the Justice Department go after the political enemies of the GOP, hire applicants based solely on their political affiliations, and draft memos making illegal activities legal. Attorney General Eric Holder is on the right track now, let's just hope that continues.


And finally today, the FDA was recently given the authority to regulate tobacco products in the US, a move that is supposed to reduce the health risks of smoking and the cost that imposes on society. However, a new study reveals that nonsmokers are actually costing the economy just as much money, by living longer lives. Supporters of the FDA bill cited figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that smokers cost the country $96 billion a year in direct health care costs, and an additional $97 billion a year in lost productivity. However, smokers die some 10 years earlier than nonsmokers, according to the CDC, and those premature deaths provide a savings to Medicare, Social Security, private pensions and other programs. Vanderbilt University economist Kip Viscusi studied the net costs of smoking-related spending and savings and found that for every pack of cigarettes smoked, the country reaps a net cost savings of 32 cents. So the next time you see someone smoking a cigarette, instead of giving them advice on why they should quit, you should instead thank them for saving the country so much money. With today's economy, we need every penny that we can get.

Labels: Conviction, Death, Electrocution, Farron Cousins, Health Benefits, Iraq, Political Prosecution, Smoker, Smoking, Social Security, Ted Stevens, Wiring

Earlier this week, it was reported that the diaper-wearing, prostitute-loving GOP senator David Vitter had a bit of a temper tantrum at a DC airport. Vitter was late for a flight from Washington to New Orleans, and when he arrived at the gate, he was told that he wasn't allowed to go through the security door leading to the plane. After setting off the security alarm, the Louisiana senator proceeded to dress down an airline employee who told him entering the restricted area was forbidden. He invoked his standing as a senator, delivering a "do-you-know-who-I-am" tirade. After the airline worker announced that he was going to get security, Vitter said that they would probably be impressed by his senatorial pin. However, when the worker acted and actually went to security, Vitter quietly slipped away. The TSA has since announced that they will be investigating the matter, and Vitter could be facing fines or other punishments for his infantile tirade. Of course, given his perverted history, any punishment inflicted could actually make him do something like this again.


In other news, Fox News' Sean Hannity has some interesting things to say about torture. Hannity invited Meghan McCain on his show to talk about a court filing by 9/11 defendants detained at Guantanamo Bay. The group of detainees had admitted in the past that they were "terrorists to the bone." Hannity asked McCain why we would want to extend any rights to these people, and before she could even answer his question, he went into a soliloquy about his views on torture, which are apparently rooted in his Christianity. Hannity said of Osama bin Laden, quote, “I don't have any problem taking his head sticking it underwater and scaring the living daylights out of him and making him think we're drowning him… and I'm a Christian.” I'm not quite sure I follow Sean's logic on this one. If he's relying on his faith to justify torturing – which the Bible described torture in numerous different areas – but this argument doesn't hold any water today. In order to base his argument on this, he would have to assume that the world hasn't changed over the last two thousand years, and contrary to what Republicans actually think, it has.


And finally this week, the man who dubbed Vice President Joe Biden a socialist last September for arguing that paying taxes is "patriotic" appears to have some government redistribution ideas of his own. Newt Gingrich, often cited as a Republican prospect for president in 2012, says the state should consider paying teenager girls not to get pregnant. He also says that states should consider paying teenage girls who become pregnant to take prenatal vitamins to forestall paying additional health expenses for neonatal care down the road. Along with his remarks about pregnant teenagers, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives also said that state legislators should consider paying poor children to read and individuals not to smoke. His other ideas include giving tax breaks to grocery stores that open in the inner city; giving bonuses to food stamp recipients who buy fruits and vegetables; and making students walk to school if they live close enough. Admittedly, some of these ideas really aren't that bad, but paying teenagers not to get pregnant? Come on, Newt. How about we actually take that money and put it into sex ed classes, that teach the use of contraceptives. That way it doesn't look so much like we're bribing students to wear condoms.

Labels: Airport, Christianity, David Bitter, DC Madam, Farron Cousins, Fetish, Jesus, Newt Gingrich, Pervert, Pregnant, Prostitute, Sean Hannity, Sex, Smoking, Teenager, Teens, Tirade, Torture