Stephen Views the News March 5, 2009
http://stephenviewsthenews.blogspot.com/
* Sitting Shiva – This is not a reference to one of the supreme Hindu gods, often depicted meditating in the lotus position. The term is used in the context of Jewish tradition. It denotes a one week period of grief and mourning following the burial of a deceased, when family members gather in one place and receive visitors. I thought of this tradition as the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held its annual coven in Washington D.C. last week. What is now the heart, core and soul of the Republican Party gathered to… well, I am not sure. Some of the leading speakers included Ann Coulter, Joe the Plumber and the whining star of the gathering, Rush Limbaugh, spokes model for the Republican/Conservative movement in America. The CPAC attendees desperately cling to an ideology launched in the Ronald Regan years that ultimately imploded during the George W. Bush years. The most recent incarnation of conservatism has been abandoned by the vast majority of the American people. The abandonment was not capricious. It earned its demise by yielding utter and complete failure. Let me count the ways:
Anti-unionism, unregulated free markets, deficit spending stapled to tax cuts for the wealthy, denial of science, ignorance of the needs of a deteriorating infrastructure, unconstitutional merging of church and state, abandonment of the needy and less fortunate in our society, policies that encourage greed and corruption, encouragement of a neocon philosophy that preaches preemptive war and imperialism and the promulgation that health care is a privilege, not a right. This is by far a complete list. I am confident that history will write a more comprehensive account of this movement that we now mourn and which has left us with considerable grief and bereavement.
How wide is the disconnect between CPAC ideologues and Main Street America? The Republican response to President Obama’s address to congress is telling. The person chosen to present the “other side” was Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. Frank Rich, writing for the NY Times, made the following observation: “But like all zealots, Jindal is oblivious to how non-zealots see him. Pleading “principle,” he has actually turned down some $100 million in stimulus money for Louisiana. And, as he proudly explained on “Meet the Press”, he can’t wait to be judged on “the results” of his heroic frugality. The state of Louisiana ranks fourth in children living below the poverty line and 46th in high school graduation rates. The well-being of the majority of Americans was never a consideration of Reagan or Bush or Bush. The well-being of the “royalty” of society was the premise and the policy. The ultimate widespread failure of the policies is apparent to almost anyone not part of the CPAC clique. Governor Jindal, you are far from being a hero AND you do not walk among heroes.
* The Guiding Light of hypocrisy ~ I was against it before I did it even though I am against it – Few can forget the homophobic Colorado mega-church pastor Ted Haggart resigning in disgrace when it was revealed that he was having a homosexual affair. It is even easier to remember vocally anti-gay Idaho Senator Larry Craig attempting to drop his Fruit of the Looms in a public restroom. It should come as no surprise that a recent study found that conservative states in the union, the Red states that want to ban the sale of vibrators, dildos and sexually explicit material, have a higher incidence of visiting pornography sites on the internet than the citizens of the heathen Blue states. “Those states that do consume the most porn tend to be more conservative and religious than states with lower levels of consumption, the study finds… Eight of the top 10 pornography consuming states gave their electoral votes to John McCain in last year's presidential election.” I have often wondered how the holy rollers know what I should not be doing in the privacy of my own home. They certainly cannot be accused of not doing their homework. Now, just shut up and take a cold shower!
* Cynics of Green Energy ~ naysayers say no more – If anyone still believes that green energy solutions are impractical, unaffordable or unrealistic the prophets of profitability, also known as the Mafia, have spoken. “Italian police… arrested mobsters, businessmen and local politicians who allegedly used corrupt practices and bribes to gain control of a project to build wind farms in Sicily… Police in Trapani said the local Mafia bribed city officials in nearby Mazara del Vallo so the town would invest in wind farms to produce energy.” When the Mafia assumes the roll of lobbyist it is pretty certain that the business venture makes cents (sic). We are not talking about pie-in-the-sky idealists. Where is America’s own Al Capone when we need him?
* Drug efficacy ~ serious side effects – Last week, and on many previous occasions, I have noted evidence of congressman selling their vote to special interests. This week we learn about another hooker in pinstripes and silk cravat posing as a U.S. Senator. “The pharmaceutical industry that long has benefited from Sen. Orrin G. Hatch´s (R-UT) legislative efforts has directed large sums of money to a charity he helped found - and still raises money for - while also hiring the Republican lawmaker's son as a lobbyist.” This week our government begins exploring ways to reduce the outrageous cost of health care in America. Unless the decision makers such as Hatch are publicly and broadly exposed for their financially symbiotic relationship with the special interests that play a significant role in the high cost of health care, the American healthcare system and the economy will remain on life support. Ostensibly, Hatch represents the citizens of Utah. Among his extra-state constituents are pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Schering-Plough Corp., Eli Lilly and Co., Barr Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca Pharm LP, and Sepracor. Other Hatch “constituents” include medical equipment suppliers and health care providers. I suggest that the next time you want to write a letter to your congressman, drop it off at your pharmacy. It will get there faster.
* Taxpayers ambushed ~ the cavalry is coming – It was announced this week that the Obama administration will overhaul how government contracts are awarded that would save about $40 billion dollars a year. The new rules “would make it more difficult for contractors to bilk taxpayers and make some half-trillion dollars in federal contracts each year more accessible to independent contractors.” This would be a refreshing change to no bid, no oversight contracts. Such policy reached its nadir in Iraq where billions of U.S. dollars were funneled through insider private no-bid contractors – much of it unaccounted for, much of it wasted on projects never completed or completed projects that are unsafe and in disrepair. To complete the picture, many of these same private contractors are U.S. companies that set up off-shore corporations to avoid paying U.S. taxes. If Obama can have an impact on what we now know has been a pervasive breakdown in our federal government, my November vote will have been well cast.
* We can have a lead role in oversight ~ the audition is now – “For every foreclosure in a neighborhood, home values drop by an estimated 1%. Credit Suisse says that if judges have the ability to write down mortgages, it will stem the tide of foreclosures by 20% and it won't cost the taxpayers a single dime… President Obama says that allowing bankruptcy judges to write down mortgages is an important part of his plan to arrest the downward spiral of the foreclosure crisis.” HOWEVER, corporation-favoring Republican and Democratic members of Congress and bank lobbyists are trying to stop that. The banks want to unload their bad loans on taxpayers. We should not let this happen. The website Firedoglake.com is providing a petition to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanding that bankruptcy judges be allowed to write down mortgages. Pelosi and congress gave in to the banks and their lobbyists in 2007 when this idea was first proposed. If more and more citizens voice their opposition to “Congress for Sale” there is some chance that our democratic process will avoid total bankruptcy. If we do nothing, then nothing is what will be accomplished. Below is the comment I made on the petition that I signed:
It is beyond time that citizens take back our government - a government that our elected representatives sold to the highest bidders. If you refuse to represent the interests of the American people then we will work to ensure that you experience the unemployment line. Yes - that long line that your sellout to special interests helped create. Congress is draped in disgrace and the American people are suffering the consequences. Perhaps it is poetic justice since we elected you. Shame on all of us!
* Being our own lobbyists - President Barack Obama said: "the special interests and lobbyists ... I know they're gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this: So am I." One of the tasks and great challenges that Obama is taking on is health care reform. The special interests and lobbyists present major opposition and will attempt to influence the Obama administration and congress. One of the ways that the American people’s interests and voices can be heard on health care reform is through petition. Congress must know that we are paying attention and have expectations. MoveOn.org is providing a petition that will be sent to your representative and senators. Over 200,000 concerned citizens have already signed the petition. If you are concerned about the state of your own health care, the future health care of your children as well as the tremendous drain that the current system has on our economy, you may want to add your name. Consumers Union provides a similar petition.
* It is said that power corrupts, but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power.” David Brin
“Corruption and hypocrisy ought not to be inevitable products of democracy, as they undoubtedly are today” Mahatma Gandhi
Free Obama button, free shipping: https://pol.moveon.org/obamabuttons/?rc=homepage
Free Obama/Biden oval sticker, free shipping: https://pol.moveon.org/barackstickers/
Get yours today and show where you stand.
Today: Emailed and called a new contact about finding housing for MoveOn trainees coming to Chicago later this month. Invited three people to join mybarackobama.com. Edited and uploaded photos from Tuesday's calling party event for attendees to see.
500,000 Young Voters for Obama (click me, I'm a link) »
We're spinning up a massive program to register half a million young voters in swing states. If you donate $12 or more to help get this program going, we'll send you a hip Obama T-shirt for free, with free shipping, too.
Donate & get your T-shirt (click me, I'm a link) »
-- from MoveOn.org
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
See another shot of the T-shirt on someone's Flickr »
Democracy is not a spectator sport. Volunteer today to help put Senator Obama in the White House. There is too much at stake to sit on the sidelines!
Today: Attended three-hour MoveOn.org calling party for Obama -- called Democrats in Midwestern swing states and asked them to step up and volunteer at their local campaign office. Took photos at party. Emailed two people and asked them to donate a small amount through my fundraising page. Invited several people to join mybarackobama.com.
According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 28 hours of TV each week. If you haven't yet volunteered to help the campaign, can you find one hour a week to help Obama win this election? C'mon, just one hour a week?
You can use this web site to locate volunteer opportunities and activities.
How about writing a short letter to the editor of your newspaper? Reference one of their recent articles on the campaign or a candidate, and tell the editor what you think of it. You can do this from home in 20 minutes.
You could take a friend or family member and spend a couple hours on a Saturday afternoon helping register voters. It's fun and rewarding.
Not working? Sign up to be a Nov. 4 election judge in a local precinct.
Two evenings a week, spend 30 minutes making phone calls for the campaign.
Get involved through MoveOn.org. I've volunteered with them on two previous elections. They are very well organized.
Attend a rally or potluck for Obama with other people in your area.
Think of what is at stake here. There are tons of different ways you can help. So come on, pick one and just do it. Every single volunteer makes a difference, and together we can change this country for the better by putting Barack Obama in the White House.
Democracy is not a spectator sport. With your help, Yes We Can win this election!
MoveOn at Ten By Christopher Hayes - July 16, 2008
..Perhaps the most damning criticism leveled at MoveOn is that by creating a clear and easy outlet for people's frustration and angst, the organization delivers people a false sense of accomplishment. In other words, MoveOn can be tremendously successful without being effective. Consider the vaunted petition, MoveOn's bread and butter. In 1998 a petition with 100,000 signatures would make any politician sit up and take notice, but over time the value has been degraded as more organizations have learned how to leverage the Internet....But the episode highlighted the difficulty of the situation MoveOn increasingly finds itself in. Over ten years the organization has developed a reliably confrontational posture toward the Republicans in power. It's a necessary feature of an organization that needs to raise money constantly, a rational reaction to the GOP's debased leadership and the expression of a deep and genuine sentiment among its silent majority members, who have simply had enough. But the frustrations of the past two years with a Democratic Congress struggling to deliver any of the things MoveOn members want have served as a teachable moment. In interviews with nearly two dozen of MoveOn's regional coordinators, when I asked what they saw as MoveOn's role in a future Democrat-dominated Washington, they gave without exception the same answer: hold the politicians accountable. "One of their mottoes that really resonates with me is that democracy is not a spectator sport," says Sandy Tracy, the retired schoolteacher. "Average people have elected their officials and sent them off and let them be. We're now paying the price for that."..
..Perhaps the most damning criticism leveled at MoveOn is that by creating a clear and easy outlet for people's frustration and angst, the organization delivers people a false sense of accomplishment. In other words, MoveOn can be tremendously successful without being effective. Consider the vaunted petition, MoveOn's bread and butter. In 1998 a petition with 100,000 signatures would make any politician sit up and take notice, but over time the value has been degraded as more organizations have learned how to leverage the Internet..
..But the episode highlighted the difficulty of the situation MoveOn increasingly finds itself in. Over ten years the organization has developed a reliably confrontational posture toward the Republicans in power. It's a necessary feature of an organization that needs to raise money constantly, a rational reaction to the GOP's debased leadership and the expression of a deep and genuine sentiment among its silent majority members, who have simply had enough. But the frustrations of the past two years with a Democratic Congress struggling to deliver any of the things MoveOn members want have served as a teachable moment. In interviews with nearly two dozen of MoveOn's regional coordinators, when I asked what they saw as MoveOn's role in a future Democrat-dominated Washington, they gave without exception the same answer: hold the politicians accountable. "One of their mottoes that really resonates with me is that democracy is not a spectator sport," says Sandy Tracy, the retired schoolteacher. "Average people have elected their officials and sent them off and let them be. We're now paying the price for that."..
Friends, the following was received today from MoveOn.org and I am posting it to share the information. At the bottom you will find a link to access Barack Obama's speech earlier today. All my best, Rhonda
Dear MoveOn member,
Three big things happened on Iraq this week. They could mean the beginning of the end of the war.
But since the media have mostly ignored them, I wanted to make sure you saw what's going on.
Here's the scoop:
Iraqis want U.S. Troops out. No one was expecting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to speak up in favor of withdrawal—after all, he's close with the Bush administration. But with elections in Iraq coming up, and a great majority of Iraqis opposed to a prolonged U.S. occupation, Maliki can't afford to toe the Bush line. So he's surprised everyone by standing up this week for a timetable for troop withdrawals and a date certain to end the war. The LA Times headline reads, "Iraqi prime minister advocates withdrawal timeline."1
As a result, the "endless war agreement" Bush has been pushing fell through. Since January, hundreds of thousands of us pushed Congress to stand up to President Bush's proposed treaty with Iraq, which would have tied the next President's hands and made it much harder to get out. This week, the Washington Post reported that that agreement has fallen through—Iraqi leaders are putting their feet down and demanding a much shorter agreement.2
And now even the Pentagon is considering faster timelines. According to reporter Michael Hirsh at Newsweek, "a forthcoming Pentagon-sponsored report" will recommend a big drawdown of troops—suggesting "that U.S. forces be reduced to as few as 50,000 by the spring of 2009, down from about 150,000 now."3
In other words, it's now clear: Most Americans are for a timeline, and so are most Iraqis. And even experts in the Pentagon agree.
For his part, Barack Obama is using these developments to hammer home the point that John McCain and President Bush are now isolated in their resistance to any kind of timeline for withdrawal. He wrote an Op-Ed in the New York Times yesterday that reaffirmed his commitment to a timeline that would have all combat troops out of Iraq in 16 months.
It concludes, "Unlike Senator McCain, I would make it absolutely clear that we seek no presence in Iraq similar to our permanent bases in South Korea. . . [F]or far too long, those responsible for the greatest strategic blunder in the recent history of American foreign policy have ignored useful debate in favor of making false charges about flip-flops and surrender. It's not going to work this time. It's time to end this war."4
It's important that we all work to get the word out about these developments. You can even start by just forwarding this email. Most Americans still don't know that the Iraqis want us out. And that may be the single most important fact to share at this point in time.
I'm always shocked when someone points out that it's been six years since we first started working together to prevent an Iraq war. This week, we're turning a corner in that fight. Bush's permanent war agreement has fallen through. The Iraqi politicians are speaking up. And if we keep working together, we just might see the remaining holdouts in Washington coming around as well.
Thanks for all you do,
–Eli Pariser
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3939&id=13247-9214852-zR1aCex&t=1
Sources:
1. "Iraqi prime minister advocates withdrawal timetable," Los Angeles Times, July 8, 2008. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3940&id=13247-9214852-zR1aCex&t=2
2. "U.S., Iraq Scale Down Negotiations Over Forces," Washington Post, July 13, 2008. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3941&id=13247-9214852-zR1aCex&t=3
3. "Who Says Less Troops?," Newsweek, July 21, 2008. http://www.newsweek.com/id/145848
4. "My Plan for Iraq," Barack Obama, New York Times, July 14, 2008.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3942&id=13247-9214852-zR1aCex&t=4
The Illinois senator said politics too often seems “trapped in old, threadbare arguments” that he called “caricatures of left and right.”
I think we can all agree that immunizing the telecommunication companies for any past or future crimes is reprehensible. It is also likely that the reason for Democratic support of this bill on the hill is that many Senators and Congressmen knowingly allowed the lawbreaking to occur. Passage is a Cover Your Ass measure not just for the Telco's and The White House but also for members of Congress.
Today MoveOn.org distributed a mailing to it's supporters (of which I can be counted) demanding that Sen. Obama filibuster the FISA bill that is now in the Senate if the telecom immunity provisions are not removed.
The problem here is that we all live in the real world - a world where if Sen. Obama is seen to be taking orders from MoveOn.org or DailyKos then he looses credibility. It doesn't really matter what the right thing to do is at that point. The republicans, assisted by the main stream media, will start their engines and proclaim from now until election day how Sen. Obama is not a leader. They will say - what happens if America gets attacked and MoveOn demands that President Obama negotiate with the attacker as cities burn. Tell me it won't get that ridiculous.
But more importantly than that - if the message of the campaign is that it cannot be owned by the special interests, the reason why public financing was bypassed, then MoveOn must be looked at as a special interest as well. It does not matter that they are on our side.
MoveOn.org should know better. In this election climate, when everything a candidate does, when everyone a candidate associates with is judged by thoses voters who are not definiately in your column - This was a blunder. They have forgotten that MoveOn is not exactly the white knight of the undecided voter. They should be working the Senate, working the campaign behind the scenes, educating the public!
They are forgetting that in order for Sen. Obama to show his leadership - he has to be elected!
With friends like these...who needs enemies.
This past Sunday at 11:30a I met up with a group, most of whom had never met before, for a bakesale in support of MoveOn.org's efforts to get Barack elected. The organizer, Ilona, had already set up a table and by the time we were all done, it was brimming with ginger cookies, many kinds of chocolate-chip cookies, a plum crisp, brownies, and much more.
Lots of people stuck around after everything was set up, most chatting about how they had put off baking until late the night before, in order to avoid the heat. Many took a turn working behind the table, which was mobbed at times by people coming back from the Temescal Farmer's Market and the Pool. Business was brisk, especially after two girls showed up with fresh lemonade! They clearly had lots of experience, as part of their set-up involved putting colorful chalk signs on the sidewalks leading to the bake- and drink-sale.
I hope we get to do this again. It was both fun, and successful. We raised $530 within a couple hours!
This from talkingpointsmemo.com
MoveOn, the advocacy group supporting Barack Obama, has decided to permanently shutter its 527 operation, partly in response to the Illinois Senator's insistence that such groups should not spend on his behalf during the general election, I've learned from the group's spokesperson.MoveOn's decision, which will dramatically impact the way it raises money on Obama's behalf, is yet another sign of how rapidly Obama is taking control of the apparatus that's gearing up on his behalf. By shuttering its 527, MoveOn is effectively killing its ability to raise money in huge chunks from labor unions, foundations, and big donors who would give over $5,000. The decision doesn't mean MoveOn will stop spending on Obama's behalf. Instead it will raise money exclusively with its political action committee, whose average donation is below $50 and will even be raising money with things like bake sales starting this weekend.The move could also make it tougher politically for John McCain and the GOP to benefit from 527s, which can raise money in unlimited sums, on his side. While he has generally disapproved of such activity, he recently said that he couldn't control negative ads by such groups. "The hope is that Republicans will match this, so that the voices of ordinary Americans can drive this election," Hogue said.
MoveOn, the advocacy group supporting Barack Obama, has decided to permanently shutter its 527 operation, partly in response to the Illinois Senator's insistence that such groups should not spend on his behalf during the general election, I've learned from the group's spokesperson.
MoveOn's decision, which will dramatically impact the way it raises money on Obama's behalf, is yet another sign of how rapidly Obama is taking control of the apparatus that's gearing up on his behalf.
By shuttering its 527, MoveOn is effectively killing its ability to raise money in huge chunks from labor unions, foundations, and big donors who would give over $5,000. The decision doesn't mean MoveOn will stop spending on Obama's behalf. Instead it will raise money exclusively with its political action committee, whose average donation is below $50 and will even be raising money with things like bake sales starting this weekend.
The move could also make it tougher politically for John McCain and the GOP to benefit from 527s, which can raise money in unlimited sums, on his side. While he has generally disapproved of such activity, he recently said that he couldn't control negative ads by such groups.
"The hope is that Republicans will match this, so that the voices of ordinary Americans can drive this election," Hogue said.
MoveOn's latest ad, titled "Not Alex" is another take on McCain's "stay in Iraq 100+ years" comments. While I think some versions of criticism of McCain for these comments miss the mark and overplay the hand, I think this latest ad is an interesting angle to take -- though it may not be direct enough. It's a heart-string-puller, to be sure, but the core of it is the real problem with McCain's stance, which is "With what military?!"
McCain is trying to squirrel out of his "100+ years" comments by drawing comparisons (variously) to post-war Germany, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, etc. But, what that "answer" misses out on is that our military is at its lowest enlistment and morale levels in modern history -- and maybe of all time -- and is already spread too thin by things like worldwide presence in the very places McCain is trying to say, "Hey, we did it there, so why not one more place?" What MoveOn is responding with is a nuanced answer to that: you'd have to be counting on "Alex" and others for generations to come, and at this point you cannot count on families to support yet another long-term foreign presence on top of all the other ones we've already got, and especially for a purpose in which we do not collectively believe.
So, I'd say it's a pretty good ad, but I do wish it could be a little more direct. I know the confines of a 30-second clip restrict the amount of details you can give, but I think a nice change would be some direct response. Just come out and say it: "McCain's belief that our military can support yet another long-term foreign presence is based on old-school thinking, is out of touch with the majority of Americans, and assumes that generations of Americans are going to volunteer for military service at levels they simply may not be willing to do -- in large part because of the mistaken policies that McCain wants to prolong." I'm pretty sure you can say that in under 30 seconds.
I got an email from MoveOn that there will be a bake sale this Saturday 6/21 at the Plaza in Socorro. I plan to bake up some goodies and be there for it. I hope you can help out by baking, helping, or just stopping by. Hope to see you there!
Dear MoveOn Member, This weekend, we're kicking off a history-making general election season with an event for the ages: nationwide "Hungry for Change" bake sales to raise money for MoveOn's innovative (and massive!) campaign to help elect Barack Obama and other progressives this fall. And everybody's chipping in to make this the biggest bake sale in history. There are grandparents making pecan pies and young kids selling sweets and lemonade. Heck, my mom's even whipping up her famous oatmeal tea cookies! These bake sales are one of the easiest and most fun ways to set progressives up for victory this fall. Can you help out by bringing something yummy to sell at the bake sale in Socorro?Here are the details: Host: Francie D—fellow MoveOn member Where: On the Plaza in Socorro (in Socorro) When: Saturday, Jun. 21, 2008, at 7:00 AMAnd here's the link to RSVP and tell the host what you're bringing: http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=47854&id=12888-5266779-tLHMFzx&t=5The money we raise will go to our cutting-edge campaign to elect Obama—and win enough seats in the House and Senate to give him the votes he needs to end the war, pass universal health care, and make real progress on the issues we fight so hard for. Even if you can't bake something, please sign up today to help staff the table, print out signs, or just come by to get dessert and meet some fellow MoveOn members. This event should be a blast—folks are still raving about how much fun the bake sales were in '04—so you definitely don't want to miss it. Hope to see you this weekend, and thank for all that you do.
I was just listening to POTUS '08 on XM, and heard an analyst posing the question of whether or not Obama's "brand" might be too strong. His theory was that since Barack has been doing such a great job of raising money and tapping into everyone's excitement, that the other places for them to focus their money and energy might be suffering. The specific example he used was MoveOn, saying that perhaps Obama was siphoning off excitement and funds.
I have to say, my first reaction to this is, "Fine with me." While I think MoveOn and other progressive-minded organizations can do some good in the general election, I much prefer the idea of Barack and his campaign directing money and activity more than any other organization. In fact, I think this actually better fits with Barack's overall approach to campaigning, candidate responsibility for messaging, etc. If he and his trusted advisors/associates are in direct control of what's being said and done, so much the better.
I do think that as individuals max out their contributions to the general election fund that MoveOn and groups like them will be the beneficiaries of whatever is left. And, that might be great, too, because of the official Obama campaign can get in front of the 527s who want to support it, then Barack can set the tone, define himself, and define McCain in the ways HE prefers and then the 527s can follow his lead instead of blazing their own trails -- ones with which Barack might not personally agree nor think are optimal.
I'm not sure where this myth came from that criminals cannot profit from their criminal activity.
First, there are are the speculative profitting by criminals. The two most prominent examples are Bush the Lesser and his VP. If Bush the Lesser has even the pre-Oz brains of the Scarecrow, two days before his term is up, he will grant Cheney a full pardon for all crimes. Then he will resign and let Cheney take office as President for one day and grant Bush a full pardon for all crimes. It still won't stop them from being prosecuted for international war crimes. As long as they don't kill anyone while quail hunting, golfing, or fishing, they should be safe from prosecution.
As to McClellan, he wasn't under oath when standing in the White House Press Room. Lying isn't perjury. As pointed out by a recent President, it's okay to lie if Hillary asks him if her pantsuit makes her hips look too big.
