01.01.09
In the news …
- Michael Newdow is back in the news, having filed his quadrennial lawsuit to prevent any reference to God in the inauguration of President-Elect Obama: Lawsuit seeks to take “so help me God” out of inaugural. Newdow will be remembered as the California doctor and self taught lawyer who managed to get a California court to rule against the Pledge of Allegiance due to the words “under God”, a ruling which was eventually overturned by the Supreme Court. Interestingly, the court never ruled on the merits of the case, but dismissed it and reversed the California decision because Newdow had no prudential standing to bring it.
- In what looks to be the most expensive inaugural extravaganza ever, leaders from DC, Maryland and Virginia seek help with an expected $75 million in costs.
- Obama is raising record amounts for his inauguration although not on the level of contributions to his campaign. With a little digging, you can find the list online of individuals as well as those who are bundling contributions. It makes for interesting reading. Who knew there were so many unemployed and self employed wives with $50,000 laying around they could give for this cause?
- Meanwhile, Gaza is once again the origin of missile attacks that Israel won’t take lying down
- Cuba is marking a subdued anniversary.
- The Blagojevich scandal keeps on giving
- And Moscow turns off the heat for the Ukraine
There’s more … but how much can a person take? Happy New Year and the beat goes on!