Snowpening day

ESPN:

The Red Sox postponed their home opener against the Tampa Bay Rays because of the prospect of heavy rain and high winds.

And the season opener between the Kansas City Royals and White Sox scheduled for Monday has been postponed because snow is in the forecast.

Down in Cincinnati, they have this to contend with:

Probably a good thing the Reds aren’t playing tomorrow... with that snow accumulation and colder temps.

Remember when they played baseball in the spring?
 

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Rockefeller wants massive Presidential cyber-grab, Snowe signs on

Spotted by Joanna:

Should President Obama have the power to shut down domestic Internet traffic during a state of emergency?

Senators John Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) think so.  On Wednesday they introduced a bill to establish the Office of the National Cybersecurity Advisor—an arm of the executive branch that would have vast power to monitor and control Internet traffic to protect against threats to critical cyber infrastructure...

The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 [SEE NOTE* - o.g.] gives the president the ability to “declare a cybersecurity emergency” and shut down or limit Internet traffic in any “critical” information network “in the interest of national security.”  The bill does not define a critical information network or a cybersecurity emergency.  That definition would be left to the president.

The bill does not only add to the power of the president.  It also grants the Secretary of Commerce “access to all relevant data concerning [critical] networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access.”  This means he or she can monitor or access any data on private or public networks without regard to privacy laws. - Steve Aquino, “Should Obama Control the Internet,” Mother Jones, April 2, 2009

Gee, seems like only yesterday that all those lefties (and a number of righties, to give them credit) were fulminating about Bush’s post-9/11 power grabs!  This looks pretty grabby to me, and whaddaya know, a Democrat wrote it:

“...from our water to our electricity, to banking, traffic lights and electronic health records—the list goes on,” Rockefeller said in a statement.

Not much limit there.  (Traffic lights?)  Dear Senator Rockefeller:  A “network” isn’t necessarily “the internet,” and good administrators already know enough to keep the “critical stuff” separate.  A law that required such separation might be a good idea (just to help the smart people keep the bean counters and suits under control), but your bill ain’t it.

Instead you wrote yet another bad bill which massively- and unnecessarily-  extends executive power, and here comes Snowe, eager to sign on as a co-sponsor.

Snowe echoed her colleague, saying, “if we fail to take swift action, we, regrettably, risk a cyber-Katrina.”

Ooooh, rhetorical overload!  If it happens (as Joanna asks) do we get FEMA to sort things out?  Give me a f*ckin break!

Oh, and if you work in IT, you’ll find this little provision (which the MJ article missed) quite “interesting,” too:

SEC.7:  LICENSING AND CERTIFICATION OF CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS.

(a) IN GENERAL.— Within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall develop or coordinate and integrate a national licensing, certification, and periodic recertification program for cybersecurity professionals.

(b) MANDATORY LICENSING.— Beginning 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, it shall be unlawful for any individual to engage in business in the United States, or to be employed in the United States, as a provider of cybersecurity services to any Federal agency or an information system or network designated by the President, or the President’s designee, as a critical infrastructure information system or network, who is not licensed and certified under the program.

Looks like a whole bunch of techies are going to have to get certified.  Makes you wonder which “education” lobbyist bought Senator Rockefeller, doesn’t it?

I won’t go further at enumerating the problems with this bill.  For public reaction, the Mother Jones comment thread is a good place to start.  (I imagine there will shortly be some technically interesting comments at Slashdot, Ars Technica, and the Register.)

Anyway, I believe this one qualifies Olympia for another point.  Done!

Elsewhere:

Previously:

Related, in a “more bad legislation” way:

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“...and you’ll TAKE it!”

Via:  Ace, crossposted at DP

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Who says it will take THAT long?

CNN Political Ticker:

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich is warning of a third party mutiny in 2012 if Republicans don’t figure out a way to shape up.

“If the Republicans can’t break out of being the right wing party of big government, then I think you would see a third party movement in 2012...”
...
“Remember, everything Obama’s doing, Bush started last year,” he said.

Via: Instapundit

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“We bring der World– New Order!”

Via:  DP

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The List: Republicans voting for HR.1388

HR.1388  A bill entitled “The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, an Act to reauthorize and reform the national service laws.”

Fresh from their exercise in unconstitutional “bipartisanship,” the Usual Suspects join a bunch of other clowns to take the next step toward compulsory national service:  $5.7 billion for the Army of O.

Two stages on this one:  First, the Senate version:

S.277  A bill to amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to expand and improve opportunities for service, and for other purposes.

Sponsored by Ted Kennedy, 42 co-sponsors including seven Republicans.

Republican co-sponsors for S.277*:

S.277 was dropped when the House passed its version first.  Which brings us to the Senate vote on HR.1388.^[1]

Usual suspects (listed in order of score):

Newbies:

I might be inclined to give the Newbies a bit of a pass this time, as some people like the Americorps program, and because the Senate deleted^[2] the House bill’s creepy “mandatory service” language before passing it.  But beware, gang, you’re on notice!

Elsewhere:

Previously:
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The list: Republicans voting for S.160

S.160 : A bill to provide the District of Columbia a voting seat and the State of Utah an additional seat in the House of Representatives.

Contrary to the Constitution on its face (Justice Department lawyers agree,^[1] although Eric Holder doesn’t want to hear it^[2]), designed to give the House two more guaranteed Democrat votes.  Sponsor: Joe Lieberman,^[3] 19 co-sponsors including three Republicans.

So which Senate RINOs voted for this piece of trash?

Usual suspects:

Newbies:


(WaPo link via Instapundit.)

Previously:
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