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Dems push Gonzales 'no-confidence' vote By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer 8 minutes ago WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats blistered Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Monday with debate on a "no-confidence" resolution, but President Bush and fellow Republicans shrugged it all off as a waste of time. No one predicted that the resolution would survive its test vote late in the day. But neither did Republicans or Democrats rush to defend Bush's longtime friend after he alienated even the White House's staunchest allies on a host of controversies — from the bungled firings of eight federal prosecutors to the handling of wiretapping...

WASHINGTON -- The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee said Monday he will vote for a no-confidence resolution against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, after long questioning the leadership and independence of President Bush's longtime friend. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania, said he's concerned like others in his party that the resolution, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, and up for a test vote later in the day, was a Democratic effort to embarrass Bush and prompt Gonzales to resign. But Specter has long said that Gonzales has exercised poor leadership on a host of issues... "If you ask Arlen...

I doubt if it will do any good, but I called both my U.S. Senators from Wisconsin to express my outrage that the Senate is wasting time with this stupid no-confidence vote regarding Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez. This vote will have no practical result, other than a photo op for the media. The Senate has already voted to confirm Mr. Gonzalez as Attorney General. Perhaps we can each demand that our Senators do what they were elected to do, what they swore to do, to protect and defend the Constitution.

WASHINGTON, (AP) -- Majority Democrats in the Senate are forcing their Republican colleagues on the record about whether embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should keep his job. No one is predicting that a symbolic resolution expressing no confidence in Gonzales will survive even the test vote Monday. Most Republicans are likely to vote no, dismissing the whole exercise as a ploy to embarrass President Bush. At a news conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, the last stop on a weeklong visit to Europe, the president reaffirmed his support for Gonzales, a longtime friend and legal adviser. "They can have their votes of...

It like a punchline in a bad joke. Whose approval ratings are lower than President Bush’s? Why Congress’ are! Congress’ approval ratings are at a low, low 29% now that’s a vote of no confidence from the American people. It spite of recent polls showing America's no confidence in this Congress, this group of Bush hating political opportunists are set to stage a vote of no confidence in the Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Having no evidence of wrong doing against Mr. Gonzales this Democratic controlled Congress has resorted to attempting to shame the attorney general from office. Gonzales should not...

<p>If only we had a system like Britain's, where an unpopular Prime Minister can be turfed out by a simple vote of no-confidence. Unfortunately, we're saddled with a Constitution that requires the difficult and time-consuming process of impeachment. And thus, sadly, we're stuck with W until January, 2009. That in a nutshell, is the complaint of Sanford Levinson, professor of law at the University of Texas at Austin.</p>

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Democratic senators will try to present a no-confidence measure on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to the full Senate on Wednesday in an effort to persuade President Bush to sack the outspoken Pentagon chief, Democratic aides said. Sen. Barbara Boxer of California was the first to move publicly on the measure, which will be attached to a defense appropriation bill, but Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada is expected to offer the proposal. Democrats in the House of Representatives are likely to offer a similar proposal, a senior Democratic aide said. The Senate's Republican leadership may prevent...

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Knesset on Monday that UN Security Council Resolution 1701 "will change fundamentally our strategic situation on the northern border." The war in Lebanon has demonstrated that "we will respond with force to every terror act, from the north or the south, from land or sea ... and that the State of Israel won't suffer any harm to come to its sovereignty or citizens," Olmert declared. According to the prime minister, the resolution's main achievement was that "the entire international community agrees that the terror state in Lebanon must be annihilated," he said. "The Security...

Unfair Labor Practice On December 22, 2005 NJSCA/FOP 200 Parole Officer State Representative Joseph Martin sent an email to the State Parole Board Chairman John D’Amico regarding three very serious labor related issues. Those issues involved the State Parole Board administration forcing parole officers to become essential status without negotiation, the recent epidemic of involuntary transfers against the negotiated contract, and the grievance procedure (a recent grievance decision in particular). Later that same day, State Parole Board Executive Director Michael Dowling scheduled a meeting with the Parole Officer State Representative for 12/23/05 at 9:00am. The following administration staff were present...

Canadians who for the last 15 or so years have been enjoined to celebrate a Politically Correct Christmas – no mention of Christ, Bethlehem, shepherds, angels etc., no wishing people "Merry Christmas" – are to be endowed this year with a purely political one. When the Liberal minority government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost a confidence vote in the Commons last Tuesday (171-133), this triggered an election set for Jan. 23, with a predictably bitter campaign raging right through the holiday period. Superficially, the present polls indicate the return of a Liberal minority government. If the vote were held...

The Canadian House hits Paul Martin with a vote of no confidence, paving the way for Tory Stephen Harper.The House condemns the government for its arrogance in refusing to compromise with the opposition parties over the timing of the next general election and for its "culture of entitlement," corruption, scandal and gross abuse of public funds for political purposes and, consequently, the government no longer has the confidence of the House. --The Canadian House of Commons November 28, 2005    THOSE WORDS ended the reign of embattled Canadian Liberal party leader Paul Martin over a presumably outraged Canadian electorate. Canada's...

While the Radio Equalizer isn't sure how much liberal talk radio gloating has yet begun over Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham's guilty plea on bribery charges and subsequent resignation today, they might first look north. To Canada, that is, where the Liberal Party government has just fallen after losing a punishing, historic no-confidence vote in Ottawa's Parliament. There, an entire collection of rogue characters often called the Librano$, led by Prime Minister Paul Martin, have finally been held accountable for their sleazy "Sponsorship" funding scandal. From the CBC: ...snip...

TORONTO -- Opposition parties introduced a no-confidence motion Thursday that is expected to topple Prime Minister Paul Martin's government and force a parliamentary election campaign during the Christmas holidays. Canada's three opposition party leaders said their members would vote in Parliament on Monday to bring down Martin's minority government, claiming his Liberal Party no longer has the moral authority to lead the nation because of a corruption scandal. Opposition leaders forced the no-confidence vote after Martin rejected their demands to dissolve Parliament in January and hold early elections in February. The widely expected move followed a frantic week in Ottawa,...

BERLIN (AFP) - The German parliament is expected to pass a no-confidence vote against Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder at his request in a move aimed at triggering early elections this autumn. Schroeder, who is trailing badly in opinion polls and has failed to get Germany's languid economy moving, said in May he would seek the vote after the latest in a bitter series of state poll reversals. Although pollsters believe early elections could well put an end to his seven-year tenure, the embattled Schroeder has said he needs the vote to win fresh affirmation from voters. His spokesman Bela Anda said...

The U.S. dollar is getting a boost from the slide in the euro caused by voters' resounding rejection of a European constitution in France and the Netherlands. The respite from the dollar's three-year tailspin offers a bit of hope for travelers who are looking to hold down the shocking cost of a European vacation since the dollar lost nearly half its value against the euro at the end of last year. "Americans will eat out more in Paris, buy more Burberry coats in London and more diamonds in Amsterdam," said Bob Whitley, president of the U.S. Tour Operators Association. The...

Canadian politics, always so dependably and historically dull, rose this week into the realm of high drama. It featured a government that refused to resign, though it had been defeated in a crucial parliamentary vote. It presented disclosures of base bribery in high places that sounded like they came straight out of "The Godfather." Finally, it produced the astonishing spectacle of a prime minister stalling for time on the possibility that two political opponents, stricken with cancer, will either die or collapse within the next seven days and thereby save his government. All told, however, this gave the opposition one...

Associated Press 03/15/05CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences passed a no-confidence vote in President Lawrence Summers (search) on Tuesday, the latest setback for the embattled university leader who has come under fire for his managerial style and comments on women in science.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Embattled Harvard President Lawrence Summers braced for another contentious faculty meeting Tuesday, with debate planned on two motions -- one a vote of no-confidence, the other a milder rebuke for his management style and comments about women in science. Neither item would carry any official weight.

ALARM - Beginning of the meeting of debate with the Lebanese Parliament BEIRUT - the meeting of the Lebanese Parliament devoted to a debate of general policy opened Monday by one minute of silence to the memory of the ex-First minister Rafic Hariri, assassinated on February 14, noted the AFP. ALARM - More than 20.000 Lebanese gathered on the place of the Martyrs BEIRUT - More than 20.000 Lebanese were gathered Monday morning on the place of the Martyrs in the heart of Beirut, to the call of the opposition, indicated to the AFP an officer of the Lebanese...

MOSCOW (AFP) - Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov survived a vote of no confidence in his government after taking blame for poorly thinking out an unpopular social reform plan that saw pensioners stage protests across the vast country. AFP/ITAR-TASS Photo But the cabinet received only a marginal vote of support from a State Duma lower house of parliament which is run by the pro-Kremlin United Russia faction. Only 226 of the chamber's 450 deputies bothered to take part in the vote at all, with 112 of them voting in favor of the motion to censure the government, 20 voting against...