Suspicionless Forced DNA Submission Ruled Unconsitional

The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled that the right of privacy extends to blood samples:

A federal appeals court on Thursday declared unconstitutional a 2000 law that requires federal prisoners or those on supervised release to give blood samples for the FBI’s DNA databank.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the first federal appeals court to address the federal DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act, said requiring convicts to give blood for a criminal database is a violation of their Fourth Amendment rights against illegal searches.

On its face, this appears to be a good ruling. Although this kind of issue hasn’t gotten much media play, it’s growing increasingly important as our ability to gather and store data from human tissue continues to grow.
Several months ago quite a few men in Louisiana submitted DNA samples in conjunction with an ongoing murderer investigation. After a suspect was caught, there was a dispute as to whether the government could keep these samples. Does anyone know how or if that controversy has been resolved?
Via Say Uncle.

RTB in the News

The Knoxville News Sentinel has an article on Rush Limbaughtomy’s coverage of Limbaugh’s fall from ESPN:

Rush Limbaugh’s verbal fumble is proving to be an online touchdown for Knoxville resident Barry Bozeman.
Bozeman, 57, operates a parody weblog on the Internet about the controversial commentator.
And you can probably guess Bozeman’s political persuasion by the name of his Web page – rushlimbaughtomy.blogspot.com.
In generally conservative East Tennessee, it may come as a surprise that Knoxville is home to a “Dittohead Recovery Zone,” as Bozeman calls his page. “I’m really just interested in hacking them off,” Bozeman said Thursday of Limbaugh followers, the self-described Dittoheads.

Some good publicity. But Barry, where did this come from?

“One of the biggest problems with liberals is we are too tolerant,” he said.

Isn’t that one of the hallmarks of being liberal?
FYI, any media members wanting to run exclusive stories on this weblog can contact me at the e-mail address in the upper right corner!

They’re coming After Arnold

First, the groping accusations, now this:

ABCNEWS obtained a copy of an unpublished book proposal with quotes from a verbatim transcript of an interview Schwarzenegger gave in 1975 while making the film Pumping Iron.
Asked who his heroes are, he answered, “I admired Hitler, for instance, because he came from being a little man with almost no formal education, up to power. I admire him for being such a good public speaker and for what he did with it.”
He is quoted as saying he wished he could have an experience, “like Hitler in the Nuremberg stadium. And have all those people scream at you and just being total agreement whatever you say.

That last sentiment isn’t a mindset I like to see in potential government leaders.
I’m no Schwarzenegger supporter, but the timing of the release of these stories on the eve of the election is suspicious–it’s almost as if by design.
On the other hand, the abbreviated nature of this campaign season really helps Schwarzenegger, as he’s able to maintain considerable support on name recognition alone by avoiding the pitfalls and scrutiny of a long campaign. So I guess it cuts both ways.
Whatever the case, I’ll be happy when the recall circus is over. The unending coverage is growing wearisome.

Senator Graham Out?

This type of headline presents a possible explanation into why Senator Bob Graham’s presidential campaign never got anywhere:

Graham Tells Colleague He’s Out, but Campaign Aides Says He Remains in Race for President.

It always helps to be on the same page.
Nothing against Graham, but it’s time to start whittling down the field and this looks to be the first step. A debate among ten people isn’t a helpful exercise in trying to sort through the field.
Graham’s support numbers are so small that this, if true, won’t prove to be a notable boost to any of the remaining contenders.
UPDATE: This story says Graham is still in and merely rethinking his strategy and staff composition. As confused as things appear there, that’s probably a good idea

Volunteer Tailgate Party: Vol. XII

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls of all ages.

I present to you a snapshot of life in the Volunteer Blogosphere:

A long post about a review by Eugene Genovese of “America’s God”, Genovese’s own career, strict constructionism, and 19th century Christian doctrines about slavery.

Maybe a weak case? I don’t know. But if the case isn’t weak, let the chips fall where they may, of course.

My participation in raising money for the American Heart Association.

Another daughter post.

The blackout across Italy yesterday shares a common theme with the recent USA blackout: the French.

The image at john.hoke.org looks a little fishy. The “blackout area” is darker than the Atlantic Ocean to the East. I’d expect it to look more like the dark parts of thinly-settled Canada, to the North.

My thoughts on my first Dog Show, which I attended with friends this past weekend.

Despite my emotional trauma, a lot of people have been getting a kick out of my hitting-an-owl-with-my-car experience.

A report on the number of guns in Africa

A frightening and sobering physical experience.

A post about Rush Limbaugh–and the list I’ve started with his name.

I’m trying to get back into the swing after a vacation . . . this post is preparatory to the “Vacation Sum-Up” that is coming in a few days. I am also in the process of changing jobs. And I care nothing for J-Lo, whoever she is . . . I don’t think I’d recognize her picture.

Rush Limbaugh chose the wrong target for his first attempt at social commentary on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown. For a man who claims to be right 98.6%, it won’t be difficult for me to prove how wrong he really is.

A follow up to my first Rush Limbaugh post (following Limbaugh’s resignation).

Arnold is using his celebrity to exempt himself from scrutiny en route to becoming governor.

Will Rush go the way of Jimmy the Greek Snyder and Al Campanis for his racial remarks about Donovan McNabb on Sunday’s ESPN NFL Countdown?

A Rush Update.

Notes on the Knoxville election results.

tiz a story set in the summer of 1976, a simpler time when cb radios were the craze. its called “rondayvu with the fat chicks.”

A look at the process of obtaining a handgun carry permit in Tennessee.

The Chincoteague ponies survived Isabel without any human intervention, but the coast of the Carolinas was changed forever.

Conservative professors in the humanities often have to deal with a heavily left-leaning environment, but that’s not necessarily the case for us in the physical sciences. Still, you’ll find a dominance of overt liberals at some research institutions like NASA, while conservatives stay in the closet.

Hatamaran dreams of John Wayne’s new CD, but her husband out-does her by dreaming of being the grand marshal of the liquor hall at the Best Western. She ends her daily diatribe with a rant on health insurance.

Observations on an effort to increase the minimum wage for some workers in Memphis

A discussion of the sexual undertones of Jabba the Hutt’s court in “Return of the Jedi.” Includes some original artwork.

Some are sick of Bush, some are sick of lies, some are sick of the awesome amount of money they want from our pockets. . . . Granny is sick of the Pentagon and the U. S. Military abusing our troops.

Report: Kuwait has intercepted chemical and bio-weapons being smuggled from Iraq to Europe. How administration officials respond to the report will signal the story’s legitimacy, even if the initial responses say nothing substantial.

Beginning the adventures of our vacation. . . .

About a Joni Mitchell song, time, and Hefty contractor-grade trash bags.

Pre-Knoxville election predictions which were mostly within 1 to 2 points of the final tally.

Post-election commentary

Deconstructs former Ambassador Joseph Wilson’s claim to be “apolitical” on the issue of going to war with Iraq. Extensive links to evidence that Wilson is, in fact, a highly partisan left-wing anti-war attack dog.

A follow-up to the first post about the “apolitical” Joe Wilson, with extensive transcribed excerpts of a speech he gave in which he outlines a truly wingnut conspiracy theory alleging the Bush administration will start another war in 2004 to help Bush get re-elected. Links to the audio of the speech.

A discussion of whether the six reporters who know the identity of the alleged leaker who “outed” the allegedly covert CIA agent should reveal the name of the leaker–and why a weird mix of “journalism ethics” and media rivalry will play a role in deciding when and how the reporters tell what they know.

A follow up to “Should the Journalists Talk?” in which I suggest that the reporters should voluntarily reveal the name of the leaker sooner than later, in order to spare the nation from a prolonged scandal probe, and because it is ludicrous to assert that journalism ethics require or allow journalists to harbor felons.

Focuses on NYT Baghdad Bureau Chief John Burns’ explosive charges about competitors cozying up to Saddam. Lots of links.

Thanks to everyone who participated. The next Volunteer Tailgate Party will be hosted at Les Jones Blog.