The random political thoughts thread (Part Deux)

[Not Afraid]

Soon, we'll have our Certified Records Manager on line and, I'm sure he'd be happy to comment.

[€uroMeinke]

I agree with Alex. Expecting all email be retained is stupid. The Hatch Act in the electronic era is also stupid and contributed to this mess.

The amount of email is becoming humanly impossible to read. We should require our officials to read their delivered mail (i.e. SPAM removed by software not humans) and make a judgement as to it's importance and whether or not in need be retained.

The RNC was stupid to lose the emails in such an arbitrary fashion (or so it has been characterized to me) the should have a regular process of purging and retaining and stick to it. To the extent they didn't they'll take a well deserved hit for that that ill make them look suspicious regardless if any smoking gun were to be found.

[innerSpaceman]

Oh, hard to do? Tough.


Rove and his cohorts purposely do all their business over laptop email systems so their dirty work won't be uncovered. Government attracts crooks, and I believe drastic measures must be taken to thwart them.

Let them meet in dark alleys if they want to cheat the American people who pay their salaries, and subvert the Constitution they or their bosses are sworn to uphold. Tap their email, their cellphones, and equip them all with internal monitoring devices that record every frelling word they say as long as they are in office or work for an elected official.

Fvck their liberties. Their kind have abused power for generations, for centuries. As we attain the technology to reign them in and/or make their deceptions as difficult as possible, I say we use it to the full extent.

[€uroMeinke]

I don't want to take away their liberties, because I ant to retain mine. The various internet and email policies at my work place made me implement my own RNC solution. I don't want to have to be fired because someone sent me an off-color joke, or mention something that someone else could construe as immoral or offensive.

[Alex]

I can understand a "**** the government" point of view. I don't really understand it in conjunction with the progressive role for government you've previously expressed a preference for.

Government may attract crooks but so does treating everybody like a crook because the sane people aren't going to go anywhere near it.

[wendybeth]

Well, as the Government has no problem snooping into my business (we're in a war, dammit!) and goes to great lengths to circumvent and ignore existing privacy laws, I really have no problem whatsoever with inconveniencing them with regards to documents. I do have to say I was wrong about this administration: previously, I'd thought they hadn't learned a thing from history, but the events of Watergate seem to have taught them a thing or two.

[Alex]

Here's the really stupid thing: there was absolutely nothing wrong with the firings.

They should have just said (more diplomatically) "these people work for me. They're political appointments. I can fire them anytime I want for pretty much any reason I want. So bugger off. If you want to change things so they aren't political appointments any longer then get to work but remember that the last time -- In 1975 -- it was Republicans that tried to do that and the Democrats who thought it vital that they remain political offices."

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

I don't really understand it in conjunction with the progressive role for government you've previously expressed a preference for.

But oftentimes, when it comes to the government, I just like posting mad.


Sorry if it wasn't obvious I was angry. Perhaps we need a Rant smiley?

[Alex]

Ok, so when you're posting mad you're not expressing your true opinions?

It was clear you're angry, I just don't see how that impacts the apparent disconnect.

[wendybeth]

I believe there is a certain protocol that was not followed, not to mention that the firings were so ****ing blatantly political that even the Repubs are embarrassed. Come on, devil's advocacy aside- do you really believe they went about this the proper way? This administration has pulled off more boners like this than any in recorded history, mostly because they wrongly believed to have a public mandate, or religious one if you really want to get right down to it, and now they are scrambling to extract themselves and do damage control. If they didn't do anything wrong, what's the big deal?