Obama Picks RIAA's Favorite Lawyer For Top DoJ Post 766
The Recording Industry of America's favorite courtroom lawyer, Tom Perrelli, who has sued individual file swappers in multiple federal courts, is President-elect Barack Obama's choice for the third in line at the Justice Department. CNet's Declan McCullagh explores the background of the man who won the RIAA's lucrative business for his DC law firm: "An article on his law firm's Web site says that Perrelli represented SoundExchange before the Copyright Royalty Board — and obtained a 250 percent increase in the royalty rate for music played over the Internet by companies like AOL and Yahoo," not to mention Pandora and Radio Paradise. NewYorkCountryLawyer adds, "Certainly this does not bode well for CowboyNeal's being appointed Copyright Czar."
Re:Quick! (Score:1, Interesting)
I think that we're probably going to see people defending Obama himself rather than his decision. I personally voted for him and generally support him (at least more than McCain), but I abhor this appointment.
On what basis do you abhor this appointment? You're not judging counsel by the client they represent. No, of course you're not, that would be silly, wouldn't it?
Re:Quick! (Score:5, Interesting)
On what basis do you abhor this appointment?
I can't speak for marc.andrysco, but personally I abhor it because this particular counsel has shown that they are not above outright lying to the court.
A lawyer's first responsibility is to the court, not the client. They are supposed to represent the client to the best of their ability, but not at the expense of the court. The simple fact that this particular lawyer has had at least one of the judges recommend sanctions speaks volumes about just what kind of morals they have.
Re:And so it begins (Score:5, Interesting)
Only one thing will fix our broken democracy at this point -- revolution.
Things will have to get pretty fucking bad before the average American bothers to turn off American idol and vote -- let alone come up with the wherewithal to alter or abolish the Government.
It's all the same (Score:1, Interesting)
One pair of arms is like another
I don't know why or who's to blame,
I'll go with you or with your brother
It's all the same, it's all the same.
This I have learned:
That when the light's out,
No man will burn with special flame,
You'll prove to me before the night's out,
You're all the same, you're all the same.
So do not talk to me of love,
I'm not a fool with starry eyes,
Just put your money in my hand,
And you will get what money buys!
One pair of arms is like another,
I don't know why or who's to blame,
I'll go with you or with your brother
It's all the same, it's all the same.
Re:Quick! (Score:3, Interesting)
I helped campaign for him on the weekends with my sister... got on stage when he came to Newport News and was on the tv, and got to shake his hand and stuff...
But in VA, you don't need a permit to own a gun (actually, sales records are destroyed 30 days after purchase), but I already had my concealed carry permit.
I spent most of the first 2 years out of college working in politics -- Palin was the only one of the candidates I haven't met. I voted for Obama anyway, while having an RNC card in my wallet, because I figured that he would list a little more to the right later one, average out, and would probably be quite alright. I wasn't about the hype, I just want someone sane and relatively moderate (slightly leftish is alright) after all the bullshit we've all had to deal with the last few years.
Re:Quick! (Score:3, Interesting)
Don't be so paranoid.
I'm more paranoid about Albany than I am about Washington. The State Senate just got taken over by the Democrats. The State Assembly regularly passes more gun control laws but they were always dead on arrival in the Republican State Senate. Now they will be rubber-stamped and the NYC'ers will seek to impose their gun control regime on the rest of the state.
The worst part is I actually like what Governor Paterson is trying to do to fix our budgetary woes. Problem is that he'll sign any gun control legislation that the Legislature passes and I suspect he's going to screw over Upstate and appoint Kennedy to Clinton's seat when she gets confirmed. I really hope that I'm wrong about the latter but I know I'm right about the former....
I disagree! He's an overachiever (Score:2, Interesting)
You've gotta hand it to Obama -- the guy's really good! It normally takes a few years to achieve this much scandal but he's not even in office and he has corruption (Blogo's relationship to Chief-of-staff Emmanuael, Bill Richardson, David Rubin), controversial chairmanship appointments (such as this one) AND backpedaling on stated policy (withdraw from Iraq), etc.
That's at least one term's worth of scandal squeezed into a month.
Pass the popcorn, this is going to be entertaining in a can't-look-away-from-the-car-crash sort of way.
Re:#ifndef MOD_FUNNY (Score:1, Interesting)
To be fair though, it cuts both ways. For example, a few weeks after Obama won, a "Conservative" buddy of mine has suddenly figured out that the 2001 PATRIOT Act and the 2007 FISA/Torture act might apparently have some slight problems with them.
Back on topic, remember all the troll mods for the guys pointing out the Obama Telecom immunity vote in July?
Re:Oh boy this should be fun (Score:3, Interesting)
If Chimpy McBushitler had done this, it'd be business as usual on /.
But now that his O'ness has done it, I'm looking forward to a really entertaining read.
Yeah, the old slashdot standby:
"Waaah! If X had have done Y, slashdot would be up in arms about it, but not if Z had done Y!"
Meanwhile, back in reality, slashdot has a pretty consistent response to Y, regardless of whether X or Z did it. Get over your martyr complex.
Re:Quick! (Score:4, Interesting)
And any Lawyer that nearly gets sanctions for getting caught lying to courts...
I have no problem with someone who's willing to represent Hitler in Hitler v. Cute Puppies, or anyone, we do have a right to representation. But that's going too far.
Disprove the first sentence and my objections to him go away.
Re:I'd like to say that I'm surprised here, but... (Score:1, Interesting)
you can rest assured that very very VERY little of that was given by your average citizen
The site you linked to said he received $656 million or 89% from individual contributions [opensecrets.org].
Re:And so it begins (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Hey, Libertarians! (Score:4, Interesting)
3% of the country pulled off the revolution at its founding.
Some ppl from Ohio have a message for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bew_9GeuGA4 [youtube.com]
I am not part of their movement or any movement, but I am
watching and waiting for the time to get out of the cities.
I am not fighting, I am hiding, and they will be looking
for ppl like you not me, so good luck to you with your
insults to the Paultards as you call them.
The hour is late and the bell tolls for thee.
Re:Hey, Libertarians! (Score:3, Interesting)
If you'd watch the video you'd know I meant it for all of the US.
Not just for him, and the only reason I say it "might" not be
me is I have already planned to run and hide.
If you read "all" of what I wrote you will see that I am
not a fighter but someone that plans to hide.
Yes, I will be well armed, but I know that no man is an island
and I do not plan on being apart of what is coming in ANY way.
If you have one shred of intelligence you will take all of my
sentences apart instead of just the ones that offend you.
And most of all watch the video and think about it.
You got a warning, its more than most will get.
Re:I'd like to say that I'm surprised here, but... (Score:1, Interesting)
too true.
I was looking forward to a campaign with a more level playing field, but it isn't surprising that Obama decided to renege on his promise when he saw an edge.
Likewise we shouldn't be surprised that he reneges on more promises now that he's entering office.
Welcome the new Boss, same as the old Boss.
Re:Presidential responsibility (Score:3, Interesting)
Obama originally wanted John Brennan, who IS qualified by virtue of his experience at the CIA. But rumors of his appointment pissed off the left-wingers. Apparently having worked at the CIA at any time during the Bush administration is considered a disqualifier by the extremes of the party. Obama was unwilling to stick up for his desired choice against his base, so he picked Panetta instead.
There are a couple of ways to look at it. One is that Obama wimped out, or that he's politicizing intelligence after criticizing Bush for doing exactly that.
The more Obama-friendly view is that he's picking his battles, and that intelligence experience is not required for agency heads. There was a story on NPR the other day that noted that previous heads of the CIA, widely regarded as successful, also had no intelligence experience upon starting the job. For example, Bush 41.
Pick your poison :-)
Re:Quick! (Score:3, Interesting)
Why do you think they are idle?
Why do you think can't 'hold' a 'regular' job in the private sector?
I was in the private sector for over 20 years, not I am a government employee. I work very hard, and with the most dedicated and knowledgeable people I have ever worked with.
I suggest you study up on the numbers.
1) most government work is done ontime and at or under budget.
2) In the private sector there is about 1 success for every 100 projects, in the government there is about 1 failure for every 1000 projects.
The issue is that in the private sector, the companies get to tout success and bury failure, in the public sector the media specifically touts the failures.
All this is document in fiscal reports.
Another issue is that in the government, if you like your job you don't have pressure to move 'up or out'. I work with people that have had the same job for 10+ years. The tools have changes, but it's the same thing. These people have a vast set of knowledge about the way things work. Very valuable.
Before anyone says anything. I come in at 6, take my lunch between 10 and 11.
I leave between 5-6.
Re:Figures (Score:2, Interesting)
Anyone can bring a suit to invalidate a law as unconstitutional, so that is a failure of the people of this country if they chose not to object to being subjected to this law.
Also, its funny you bring up the patriot act. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_PATRIOT_Act [wikipedia.org]
As only ONE Congressional member voted against it. ONE. 488 members of congress in the house and senate and only ONE man ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russ_Feingold [wikipedia.org] ) expresses his duty to vote against something he disagrees with. One man expressed concerns that it was wrong, but voted for it ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Leahy [wikipedia.org] ), the rest either abstained or voted for it. It won by a landslide, with overwhelming support from both sides.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Sensenbrenner [wikipedia.org] was the one who introduced it. Not the Bush administration, but a congressman. The president CANNOT introduce bills, he can have his staff write them all he wants, doesn't make anyone introduce them. Guess what? You can write them too. Again, noone has to introduce them.
One person has a 10^-9 chance to make a difference on the presidential election
One man has a 10^-6 chance in congress.
So who do we blame? The man we have the least chance of actually having made a difference on picking, and the man last in line to sign his name to something all the shit that 488 other people saw and said "sounds good to me" went and handed him.
Then we have 12 others that say "Meh, lets not bother even taking a review of it" in SCOTUS. 501 people failed if the government failed. Not 1 man last in line to approve. 501.
Blame the proper people.
Re:I'll take that up and defend Obama. (Score:3, Interesting)
Bruce, I am really glad to read your post here. There are only a handful of people who could raise a sound, well articulated platform around this and you are one of them. It is a question of judgment of course, but I personally believe that the Internet communities who have helped Obama reach the presidency would mobilize on the fundamental issues around corporate vs public interests. Over the past couple of years, I have witnessed as a larger proportion of Internet users, even those who are not much computer literate, have awakened to these issues.