I’m actually quite surprised by this, but they’re on the floor!

Update: The DeMint Earmark Amendment - It Fails

I made a post a few days ago about Chinese hackers successfully breaking into some Pentagon computers and the incredible risk that it posed to US security. While I knew that the White House would address this in a timely fashion, I didn’t expect something to come this quickly.

From USA Today:

WASHINGTON — A sudden spike in the number of successful attacks against federal government information systems and databases has led President Bush to propose a multibillion-dollar response.

The number of incidents reported to the Department of Homeland Security rose by 152% last year, to nearly 13,000, according to a new government report. The security breaches, more than 4,000 of which remain under investigation, ranged from the work of random hackers to organized crime and foreign governments, says Tim Bennett, president of the Cyber Security Industry Alliance.

The increase and severity of data breaches prompted Bush to recommend a 10% increase in cybersecurity funding for the coming fiscal year, to $7.3 billion. That’s a 73% increase since 2004.

“The president’s put a lot of emphasis on this recently,” says Robert Jamison, undersecretary for national protection and programs at the Department of Homeland Security. “We’re concerned that the threats are real and growing. … We’re more vulnerable as a nation.”

Members of Congress and experts in the private sector say the government’s new is overdue.

Luckily, this seems like one security item that the Democrat majority wont vote against, though I wouldn’t put it past them to call for a compromise and throw in some completely unrelated project or try and tie in some FISA stipulations.

In the article there was some positive response from some key Democrats on this issue:

“There are more and more bad guys out there,” says Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., who chaired a Senate Homeland Security subcommittee hearing this week on government information security risks. In 31% of the infiltrations, he says, “agencies do not know who took the information or how much information was taken.”

Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., who chairs the House Homeland Security subcommittee with jurisdiction over the issue, says the Bush administration “has not paid nearly enough attention to cybersecurity” until this year. Now, he says, “they’re at least trying to move in the right direction.”

While I’m hopeful that this will go through with no problems, I wouldn’t put it past Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid to use some muscle and make things complicated.

Finally, this article closed with some pretty cool simulations that the government is trying to explore its security threats:

Practicing for attacks

To test security against about 100 possible attacks, the Department of Homeland Security today is completing a week-long series of simulations called “Cyber Storm II.” The event presumed a coordinated cyberattack on information technology, communication, chemical and transportation systems. Participants from five countries, nine states, 18 federal agencies and more than 40 private companies participated.

“They remarked somewhat sheepishly how much of a stretch this has been for them,” Greg Garcia, assistant secretary for cybersecurity at the Homeland Security Department, said Thursday during a tour of the event at Secret Service headquarters here.

Karen Evans, administrator for electronic government and information technology at the Office of Management and Budget, says part of the 152% increase in security breaches in 2007 was due to more accurate reporting, but she acknowledges that much of it represents a real rise.

Industry officials want a greater government role in preventing cyberattacks.

Bennett says, “With global attacks on data networks increasing at an alarming rate, in a more organized and sophisticated manner, and often originating from state-sponsored sources, there is precious little time to lose.”

I don’t think that I ever would have saw this one coming:

From USAToday:

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — Assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian plans to run for Congress, complicating a Michigan race that is expected to be among the most competitive in the nation.

The so-called “Dr. Death,” who was released from prison last year and remains on parole, will run as a candidate with no party affiliation for a congressional seat representing Detroit’s suburbs, an associate said.

“Jack is in great spirits, and he intends to do this. He just hopes for some honesty in government,” said Ruth Holmes, Kevorkian’s longtime jury consultant.

Kevorkian plans to focus on prison reform and bringing integrity to the government, Holmes said. She said the retired pathologist was not available for an interview and would make a formal announcement next week.

Kevorkian told The Oakland Press of Pontiac, Mich., which first reported his plans on Wednesday, that his campaign was in a “formative stage” and that he was running because “we need some honesty and sincerity instead of corrupt government in Washington.”

Does it seem odd that a felon can’t vote for federal office, but apparently can run for it?

Unfortunately, 57 members of the United States Senate weren’t OK with the idea of stopping the raid on Social Security. Instead of leaving the funds that go into Social Security in Social Security, the majority of the members of the Senate would rather spend YOUR money on pork barrel projects instead of preserving the retirement that you worked so hard to earn.

I guess I don’t blame the members of the Senate for voting Nay on this. After all, they have a nice pension that they get to look forward to when they leave its chambers. Furthermore, the money for their Social Security benefits are still there, they have nothing to worry about. In their eyes, raiding Social Security isn’t a bad thing, because it funds important projects, like “monuments to me” and “bridges to nowhere.”

Below is the list of members of the Senate who voted in favor of the DeMint amendment:

Please contact these members, especially if you live in their states and thank them for stopping the raid on social security.

However, I urge you to call each of the members listed below and express your concern, and demand an explanation for their vote.

Someday these guys will wake up. While I know why the Democrats voted the way they did, I cant for the life of me figure out why the 6 Republicans voted the way they did.

I’m hoping the earmark vote later this evening won’t have the same outcome.

UPDATE: Click Here for Latest On DeMint Amendment Failing

I think that at this point it’s really going to come down to Republicans deciding what is right and wrong. Here are a few articles that I have been reading to get the latest updates about what could happen tonight, or early tomorrow morning.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/12/AR2008031203704.html

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/13/earmark.vote/index.html

http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0308/GOP_accuses_Reid_of_breaking_word_on_earmark_vote.html

Check back every few hours, I’ll be keeping track of this debate as it goes on.

Update: DeMint Earmark Amendment is due up for roll call vote after Kyl Amendment, which is currently on the floor.