Adam Fields (weblog)

Suffolk County interracial couples woken up by doorbell at 3 in the morning find a cross burning on their lawn.

Classy.

http://1010wins.com/topstories/local_story_326142851.html

A followup with a possible explanation:

"There’ve been at least two Istook Amendments before this one. But the phrase is most commonly associated with an amendment Istook tried to get attached to a number of bills in the mid-90s that would have placed tough restrictions on political advocacy by tax exempt organizations that receive federal funds.

Here’s an example that illustrates the issue — and I preface this with a warning that I’m sure I’ll be oversimplifying or getting some nuances of the issue wrong.

Planned Parenthood may receive a federal grant for, say, doing an STD awareness program or doing free STD testing in low income areas. Planned Parenthood also does public advocacy on behalf of birth control and sex ed. and abortion rights. The federal grant is dedicated specifically at that one program while the advocacy work is funded by foundation grants or private contributions or whatever.

Istook would say, all money’s fungible. So same difference. The federal government is actually funding Planned Parenthood’s lobbying on behalf of reproductive rights.

Let’s set aside for the moment whether his argument makes sense. If you were really interested in this issue — as Istook clearly is — you’d be very interested in seeing the tax returns of the organizations in question to see if they’re really segregating the money as they say they are."

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_11_21.php#004079

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml%3Fi%3Dexpress%26s%3Dhayes111704

(Registration required. Use bugmenot. On a side note, I installed the bugmenot firefox extension, and it’s GREAT – totally effortless.)

In addition to the abortion provision, it seems that Rep. Ernest Istook of Oklahoma inserted the following provision:

"Hereinafter, notwithstanding any other provision of law governing the disclosure of income tax returns or return information, upon written request of the Chairman of the House or Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service shall allow agents designated by such Chairman access to Internal Revenue Service facilities and any tax returns or return information contained therein."

TPM notes:

"The provision was slipped into the bill at the last moment. And, at least on the Democratic side, no one was told about it until some Dems caught it at the last moment.

Senate Republicans quickly backtracked, calling the provision a mistake or snafu and insisting they knew nothing about it. You can see some of the back-and-forth that took place on the Senate floor in this AP piece at CNN."

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_11_14.php#004074

Nice.

I mean, consider the source, but this seems like helpful advice, if
you’re into that sort of thing.

http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/features/aliens/61245