We hope

It's getting towards the end of 2005 and all the pundits and the politicians are reviewing the year and see what happened. Then in their infinite wisdom they will make their sure fire predictions for the future, i.e. 2006. We are not going to do that. Instead we are just going to hope.

We hope that .....

W sees the errors of his ways and decides to be the president for all the people, not just the rich.

for the people of Iraq peace breaks out, the insurgency ends of its own accord and that they as a people decide to move forward towards democracy - while at the same time, asking us to please go away and take our weapons of mass destruction and Donald Rumsfeld with us.

Mr. Cheney cedes the power of ruling back to the president and decides that its time to go home to Wyoming where he can shoot rustlers to his heart's (or what's left of it) content.

the Democrats will get a backbone and find candidates who reflect the real concerns of the country and take back both houses of Congress.

2006 will be the year where all Americans can get affordable health care - even for preexsiting conditions - and that the country will become healthier as well as wealthier.

women wake up and realize that their rights and the rights of their sisters throughout the world are eroding and that they need to re-energise themselves to gain equality with their male counterparts.

all people regardless of sexual orientation, race, creed or nationality will learn to mind their own business and let people experience life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in their own way. If it doesn't interfere with how YOU live, its none of your business!

every one realizes that the price of freedom is to be forever vigilant and make sure that the government understands that it works FOR the people and not the other way around

people like Terry Schaivo will have the opportunity to pass away with dignity and without any interference from a congress and president wanting to play God ever again.

God will open the eyes of the foolish right wing Christians and make them understand that he is God to ALL peoples and not their particular whipping boy.

people like Bill O'Reilly will use their bully pulpit to discuss Real issues, rather than denigrate, obfuscate and insult people whose ideas differ with their own. We further hope that when Fox declares that there is a War on anything (i.e. Christmas) they really understand what War is about and not the annual quibbles about what to say that will separate church and state during the holidays. Why insult people?

carrying copies of the Bill of Rights and understanding the Constitution will become a trend during the next year.

instead of worrying about the Pledge of Alliegiance and the "under God Clause" contained therein, the pledge is replaced with all students in all schools reciting the preamble to the constitution each day. This way, we all understand what the country is all about.

W and his right-wing christian cohorts will realize that stem cell research is a gift from the Intelligent designer and that like all gifts, should be used and appreciated.

eavesdropping on americans will cease before its gets too out of hand

W and the gang stop lying and that a rash of truth breaks out.

that something like a brain and a conscience fall into Mr. Bush and he realizes how he has sold us out. We would like to think that there is still a chance for him to understand that he is NOT a sterling example of being an american.

American never declares a pre-emptive war ever again.

we actually catch the person who ordered the attack on us - Osama Bin Laden and his main captains - so that we Really begin to win this "war on terror"

all of you have an excellent 2006.

Tom Delay's Attempt to Destroy the Grand Jury

Rep. Tom DeLay's attorneys filed a subpoena Thursday seeking the testimony of grand jurors, including those who indicted the former House majority leader and those who rejected charges.

DeLay's legal team wants to prove prosecutorial misconduct by District Attorney Ronnie Earle, who they say "shopped around" the campaign finance case against DeLay to three different grand juries before finding one that would indict DeLay on money laundering and conspiracy charges.

State law prohibits prosecutors from attending grand jury deliberations, but the defense alleges that Earle unlawfully participated in the second grand jury's deliberations and tried to force those grand jurors to indict DeLay. Earle denies the allegations.

Grand jury testimony is secret and Earle does not have to release transcripts unless he's ordered to by a court, so the defense has asked Senior Judge Pat Priest to allow the grand jurors to testify.

DeLay's legal team points to a flurry of grand jury activity beginning with his initial indictment Sept. 28 on a charge of conspiring to violate state campaign finance laws in 2002.

A second grand jury considered the case after questions were raised about whether the appropriate law was used to indict DeLay. That panel did not indict.

Days later, a third grand jury indicted DeLay on more serious money laundering and conspiracy charges. That grand jury is still seated and is under oath not to discuss their proceedings.

Earle has said he went to the third grand jury after finding new evidence, which he didn't specify. In court documents, Earle maintains that the prosecutorial misconduct allegation is not a sufficient reason to violate grand jury secrecy.

Delay lawyer Dick DeGuerin said he would be prepared to argue the misconduct case at a Dec. 27 pretrial hearing with or without grand jury testimony.

"I don't think it's make or break, but it's very, very important," DeGuerin said. "We have other outside evidence to present."

Also Thursday, DeGuerin sought to delay the filing of court records in an appeal by Earle until after the December hearing.

The judge dismissed the conspiracy charge against DeLay that was linked to the state election code and part of the indictment charging conspiracy to launder money. Earle has appealed.

Once court records in that case are released to an appeals court, Priest loses jurisdiction and would have to wait to consider pretrial motions, including the misconduct claim, until the appeal is resolved.

"We don't want that to happen yet, until Judge Priest has an opportunity to rule on pretrial motions," DeGuerin said.

Earle has declined to discuss the case with reporters in recent weeks. A spokesman for Earle's office did not return phone calls seeking comment.

DeLay wants a quick resolution of the charges so that he can try to regain the powerful majority leader seat he was forced to give up when the charges were brought.

In a letter to attorneys last week, Priest said he probably wouldn't separate the charges because both arise from the same alleged offense and would involve "virtually identical evidence."

DeLay, 58, and two GOP fundraisers, John Colyandro and Jim Ellis, are accused of illegally funneling $190,000 in corporate donations to 2002 legislative candidates. Under Texas law, corporate money cannot be directly used for political campaigns, only for administrative purposes.

Money laundering is punishable by five years to life in prison. Conspiracy to commit money laundering carries two years.
-----------------------------

Sooo, Tom DeLay, in his attempt to keep his own sorry ass out of jail and hold on to his power in Congress, is even willing to destroy the Grand Jury system?! What happens if he succeeds?

This would mean that anyone sitting on a Grand Jury, no matter the case, must be aware that their discussions and deliberations are open to the whims and demands of the person that they have indicted. This is tantamount to dismantling the judicial order of this country as we know it.

It would seem to us that if there was improper presence or discussion during the deliberations then one of the Grand Jurors would be in the front of this line and pushing a judge or other Grand Jury to open an investigation.

DeLay will stop at nothing to satisfy his hunger for power, and this proves it. He knows he's done a very bad thing, and he's going to fry for it. He may not go to jail for it, but his political career is finished.

That's really all we should care about at this point. Take away a man's power when he has so much of it, and he's as good as dead anyway.

R.I.P. Bug-boy...

...TheScribes...