http://politisoft.com Contribute to Democracy Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:30:00 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en "Despite mounting outrage over the use of the DNA database, the government insists that DNA can play an essential role in fighting crime. The Home Office says that between April 1998 and September 2008 there were more than 390,000 crimes with DNA matches." http://politisoft.com/2009/05/04/police-to-destroy-dna-profiles-of-800000-innocent-people/ When asked if Georgia would be better off as an independent nation or as part of the United States, 43 percent of Republicans in the state selected independent nation, according to a poll published Friday. http://politisoft.com/2009/05/04/poll-almost-half-of-georgia-gop-think-state-should-secede/ John Yoo, the author of one of the infamous Aug. 1, 2002, "torture" memos that formed the legal basis for so-called "enhanced" interrogation techniques against high-level terrorist detainees, used a statute governing health benefits when he provided the White House with a legal opinion defining torture. http://politisoft.com/2009/05/04/how-a-health-benefits-law-was-used-to-write-the-torture-memo/ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is working to buffer lawmakers from federal investigators.Special legal protections for politicians encourage unethical conduct. http://politisoft.com/2009/05/03/speaker-pelosi-blocks-investigations-of-corrupt-democrats/ Hannity, why so quiet so suddenly? I'll contribute to this effort too. Olbermann doesn't need to be the only one. I'll pony up $10/second. Anyone else? http://politisoft.com/2009/05/03/8-days-of-silence-since-hannity-volunteers-to-be-waterboarde/ Reports circulating in Washington suggest that President Barack Obama may try to revive the military commission system for prosecuting Guantánamo detainees, which Obama himself criticized during the administration of his predecessor, former President George W. Bush. http://politisoft.com/2009/05/03/obama-may-revive-military-courts-reversing-campaign-promise/ O'Reilly Factor guest host Laura Ingraham presented clips of Al Gore's recent congressional testimony that had been edited to remove his statements that he donates the money he makes from his climate-related work to a non-profit organization. http://politisoft.com/2009/05/03/ingraham-uses-doctored-video-to-smear-gore/ Thousands of marijuana supporters are expected to gather this afternoon in downtown Vancouver to enjoy some ganja and protest Canada's drug laws, which prohibit smoking the green stuff. http://politisoft.com/2009/05/03/protesters-rally-for-million-marijuana-march/ Jack Kemp has died http://politisoft.com/2009/05/03/rest-in-peace/ Miss California Carrie Prejean lost the first prize in the Miss America Pageant because of her views on same-sex marriage. But, as the new spokesperson for the National Organization for Marriage, is a woman with capped teeth and new fake breasts really qualified to speak out against things "unnatural" ... http://politisoft.com/2009/05/03/miss-ca-tries-to-redefine-traditional-breasts-for-everyone/