The Sinking of the Lusitania & The Message in a Bottle

The Sinking of the Lusitania & The Message in a Bottle

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The RMS Lusitania, a British ocean liner was owned by the Cunard Steamship Line Shipping Company. It was a competitor of the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company, commonly known as the White Star Line. White Star was famous for it’s luxury flagship, the RMS Titanic. The Cunard ships were not as fast as the White Star ships which could make a transatlantic trip fast enough to provide weekly service between Liverpool & New York. As a result, Cunard had three ships…

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Bush Administration’s Protection of Big Tobacco

Bush Administration’s Protection of Big Tobacco

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The former head of the Justice Department legal team responsible for the government’s lawsuit against the tobacco industry has disclosed gross political interference by the Bush Administration to protect the tobacco defendants in the case. Sharon Eubanks led the Justice Department team suing the tobacco industry and had been with the Justice Department for twenty two years before retiring in December. She recently went public with the disclosure of political meddling involved in the Tobacco lawsuit and says she did…

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More Big Corporation Insanity – The Undeserved & Excessive Compensation of Washington Mutuals CEO

More Big Corporation Insanity – The Undeserved & Excessive Compensation of Washington Mutuals CEO

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The Associated Press reports another scandalous salary and bonus paid to a CEO at the expense of employees and shareholders. Washington Mutual’s CEO Kerry Killinger was paid more then $18 Million last year in salary, stock. options and compensation. He also had use of the bank’s corporate jet for his personal use as well as a bonus of $4.1 million. Of course, during the same period, the Seattle based company cut 10,000 jobs and the company struggled with loss of…

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The Latest Duck & Dodge Tactics of The Bush White House Over the Firing Scandal

The Latest Duck & Dodge Tactics of The Bush White House Over the Firing Scandal

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The furor over the political hatchet job done to the fired U.S. Attorneys will not be swept under the rug like the previous Republican Congress was always able to get away with. Now that some balance of power has been restored the facts are going to be exposed. I’ve reported my views about this before. (3/17/07) but the facts keep creeping closer and closer to George Bush and Karl Rove. The Bush Administration supporters have made two excuses for their…

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Preaching by the Unqualified – The Prodigal Son

Preaching by the Unqualified – The Prodigal Son

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Let me begin with a clear warning that what follows is preaching and, worse, preaching by someone wholly unqualified to preach to anyone. But, blame it on the fact that last Sunday my wife and I went to church in Scottsdale and the reading was from Luke.15:11, Jesus famous parable about the prodigal son. The homily by the priest that followed this reading seemed uninspired. I confess to having mentally excused myself from listening any more and to indulge in…

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Lord Acton, Karl Rove, The Bush White House & the Hazy Memory Defense for Firing U.S. Attorneys

Lord Acton, Karl Rove, The Bush White House & the Hazy Memory Defense for Firing U.S. Attorneys

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Lord Acton (John Emerich Edward Acton 1834-1902) is oft quoted for his profound observation: "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." This is the real reason behind the firings of the United States Attorneys – the corruption of power. It is also the explanation for abuse of authority by the Republican Congress and the Bush Administration we have had to endure since their taking office. The Bush Administration gained power through the huge financial support given to it and Republican…

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Senator Barack Obama, His Buddy Joe Lieberman & Tort Reform – a Poisonous Mix

Senator Barack Obama, His Buddy Joe Lieberman & Tort Reform – a Poisonous Mix

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Barack Obama is a hot political item these days. He seems to be taking the political scene with a tsunami like wave of public approval. But, should Democrats, and especially plaintiff trial lawyers, jump on his presidential band wagon? Rolling Stone Magazine, in an interview about him, pointed out: "What Obama stands for, if anything, is not yet clear. Everywhere he goes he is greeted by thrilled crowds, trailed constantly by a reporter from the Chicago Tribune who is writing…

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General George S. Patton’s Principles of War Apply to Legal Trials

General George S. Patton’s Principles of War Apply to Legal Trials

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Alan Axelrod’s book Patton provides a picture of this complex military genius. I have noted General Patton before in this blog: 3/8/07 and 12/6/06. As I read this book, I see many of Patton’s principles of leadership and war which contain ideas that can be applied to trial lawyers and trials. Even though there is a modern abhorrence In the legal profession to compare trials to anything adversarial I think the comparison is appropriate in light of the historical view…

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Pope Benedict says No to Married Priests and Remarried Catholics

Pope Benedict says No to Married Priests and Remarried Catholics

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Early in his term Pope Benedict presented himself as someone different than what his past arch conservative views had shown him to be. But now he has made it obvious that he hans’t changed his views at all. In a 131 page document, the Pope has announced the continued adherence to the Vatican’s ban on communion for divorced Catholics who remarry and has delegated to Bishops to decide if Catholic politicians should be denied communion if they support abortion or…

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The George W. Bush Library & Secrecy

The George W. Bush Library & Secrecy

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I’ve complained about the obscene plan to raise half a billion dollars for a George Bush presidential library before. See "A Five Hundred Million Dollar George W. Bush Library" But, now Congress appears to be doing something about it. Rep. Harry A. Waxman (D CA) and others have introduced HR 1254 the "Presidential Donation Reform Act of 2007" which would require disclosure of donors to presidential libraries. It is a bipartisan measure which should improve its chances of passing as…

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