Exploitation: How a "Recidivist" became a Double Agent
The Republicans are at it again: collecting lists of former Gitmo detainees they deem to have "returned to combat" and using those lists to fear-monger against transferring prisoners out of Gitmo.
Here's the report the Republicans on the…
91% Fewer Terrorist Sympathizers with Twice the Cash and 48% More Surveillance
A number of people have pointed to this report showing that the terrorist threat is grossly overblown. Not only does it show that Robert Mueller was overselling the risk of Muslim-American radicalization in the early days of of the War on Terror,…
Rohrabacher Chairs Hearing on Balochistan, Pronounces it "Balookistan"
Demonstrating the tact, cultural sensitivity and deep research skills of today's Congressional Republicans, Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) chaired a hearing Wednesday for the House Committee on Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation…
Lanny Breuer's Theory of Chatting Accountability for CEOs
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This whole video is worth watching. Eliot Spitzer, former US Attorney Mary Jo White, and Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer discuss financial crimes, with SIGTARP head Neil Barofsky moderating. I was fairly…
Eric Schneiderman: Foreclosure Settlement "Down Payment"
Given that we're talking about some relief for homeowners who are so far underwater that they've completely lost the value of the down payment they paid on their homes, I thought NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's use of the phrase "down…
If Ron Wyden Hasn't Seen Awlaki Memo, There Has Been Inadequate Oversight
As MadDog noted and Ellen Nakashima reported, Ron Wyden is getting cranky that DOJ won't even show him--a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee--the OLC memo authorizing the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki.
There's one basic thing the letter…
Conferring Immunity from Justice, Barack Obama Becomes "The Great Vaccinator"
Ronald Reagan was The Great Communicator. Lyndon Johnson's anti-poverty efforts were aimed at realizing The Great Society. Barack Obama's presidency is moving toward greatness, as well, but not in a good way. At seemingly every turn, Obama has…
Bank Bailout Day, February 9, 2012
I may or may not have more to say about this.
But I'm thinking of declaring this Bank Bailout Day, a holiday of the stature of President's day.
Forty-nine states, every one but Oklahoma, as well as federal regulators, will participate in…
Santorum to "Plant His Flag" in Michigan
Watch the latest video at video.insider.foxnews.comWatch the latest video at video.insider.foxnews.comI think there are two reasons that Rick Santorum is enjoying another surge in the GOP Primary Reality Show, having won all three…
Osama bin Laden: "The ship of Ali Abdullah Saleh is the only ship we have"
In May 1999, some Yemeni al Qaeda affiliates planned a series of car thefts to fund a rescue attempt of one of their members who had been sentenced to death. The Yemeni government discovered the plot and raided an al Qaeda safe house. Osama…
William Welch Probably NOT One of the Attorneys Who Engaged in Gross Prosecutorial Misconduct in Stevens Case
As Ryan Reilly reported, Judge Emmet Sullivan is moving forward with his plan to release the scathing report on the Ted Stevens prosecution showing the prosecution was "permeated by the systematic concealment of significant exculpatory evidence."
Back…
One-Third of Americans Known to Have Been Killed in Drone Strikes Were US Servicemen
I agree with Greg Sargent. It is depressing (though I find it unsurprising) that a majority of Democrats support drone strikes on American terrorist suspects overseas.
The Post has just released some new polling that demonstrates very strong…
Not So Great Expectations: Paying the Price of Hubris in Iraq, Afghanistan
Developments over the past few days on several different fronts are coming together in a way that outlines just how arrogantly the US conducted the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and how the consequences of that hubris are now diminishing the…
Short Sale at the White House?
I haven't had much time to cover the ins and outs of the foreclosure settlement, which has been genuinely imminent for two weeks, but which is faltering now on banks' refusal to be sued for anything. My guess is that Eric Schneiderman's indefinite…
9th Circuit Prop 8 Decision: Equal Protection NOT At The End Of The Rainbow
The highly anticipated Ninth Circuit decision on the appeal from Judge Vaughn Walker's groundbreaking opinion in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now captioned "Perry v. Brown") has arrived! IT IS A VICTORY for supporters of marriage equality and…
My Lady Parts Will Be Voting This Year
A funny thing happened when I wrote that I was excited that Trevor Thomas might run for the 3rd Congressional District because he was involved in one of the most exciting underdog victories progressives have had in recent years.
A local Democratic…
World Approach to "Peace" in Syria: Arm Both Sides
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The carnage in Syria continues unabated, with government forces shelling citizens, especially in the city of Homs. Qatar's minister for international cooperation described Sunday's…
Scary Car Broker Plot and the Fifth Amendment
I've always been skeptical of the Scary Car Broker Plot--the suit against a bunch of used car brokers and others based on the claim that the entire thing is a money laundering operation for Hezbollah. At the core of the complaint is the allegation…
Pete Hoekstra Mocks His Asian-American Neighbors
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When I first saw Crazy Pete Hoekstra's racist ad, I thought the woman in it--who is supposed to depict a Chinese woman who speaks English well--looked more Thai or Laotian than Han Chinese. And while Hoekstra…
Administration Complains that Others Are Bringing Transparency It Refuses To on Its Drone Strikes
In a quote for a WaPo story on the Administration's credibility problems on its Afghanistan claims, a senior Administration official complained that their Afghan plans got leaked before they wanted them to.
There are people at every piece of…
