,

"Shut up and explain how we could assist the FPs in finding *MORE* detainees"

/
emptywheel
Atrios points out the hypocrisy of our foreign policy as displayed in his Twitter stream. It reminded me of this: (02:26:01 PM) Manning: i dont believe in good guys versus bad guys anymore… i only a plethora of states acting in self…
,

NYT: All the News That's Fit to Authoritatively Quash

/
emptywheel
There are a couple of funny things about NYT's public editor Arthur Brisbane's article approving the NYT's decision to sit on news of Raymond Davis' CIA affiliation. Check out whom he consults for guidelines on what the NYT should or shouldn't…

Roger Ailes to Be Indicted?!?

/
emptywheel
Whoo boy. Think back to how loudly the mighty wurlitzer argued that Scooter Libby should not be indicted for lying. And imagine how much louder it will be if Roger Ailes--a cornerstone of Republican success--were indicted for telling Judith…
, ,

Bankster-Coddling Party Suffers "Electoral Meltown"

/
emptywheel
Everyone knew that Fianna Fáil was going to lose Friday's election in Ireland. But the results (still coming in because the Irish hand count their paper ballots and have an instant runoff voting system) are pretty stunning. Here's how Fianna…
, ,

Newt's Singeing Statement

/
emptywheel
Newt Gingrich, in a role that was probably cast years ago, now calls on Obama to be impeached because he refuses to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who plans within two weeks to announce if…
, ,

Did FBI First Request James Risen's Phone Records Using the CAU Program?

/
emptywheel
In Josh Gerstein's report on DOJ's collection of James Risen's phone and business records, he quotes University of Minnesota law professor Jane Kirtley saying that the government doesn't give reporters notice when it collects telephone or business…
, ,

George W Bush Won't Share Stage with Someone Who Has Harmed US Interests

/
emptywheel
Mark Knoller tweets: A spokesman says former Pres George W Bush cancelled a speaking appearance tomorrow to avoid sharing stage with Wikileaks' Julian Assange. Bush/43 was invited to address the YPO Global Leadership Summit in Denver tomorrow,…
,

Spain Will Investigate Gitmo Torture

/
emptywheel
The High Court in Spain has decided that it can proceed with its investigation of the torture that Lahcen Ikassrien alleges he suffered at Gitmo. A Spanish court Friday agreed to investigate a complaint by a Moroccan who said he was tortured…
,

The John Walsh-Liz Warren-Investors & Homeowners Cage Fight

/
emptywheel
I noted the other day that the Administration was floating a ridiculously small $20 billion Get out of Jail Free plan to excuse the banksters fort their foreclosure fraud. Apparently, the banksters think that $20 billion is just a "crazy figure"…
, ,

The Business Records and Classified (?) Emails of James Risen

/
emptywheel
Jeffrey Sterling's lawyers are throwing a number of interesting theories against the wall. In a filing demanding a bill of particulars (and presumably ultimately supporting a greymail defense),they demand to know which "defense information"…
,

When Militaries Conspire to Ignore the Will of the People

/
emptywheel
The story of the day is from Michael Hastings, fresh off winning a Polk Award for his reporting on the insubordination of key members of Stanley McChrystal's staff. In today's story, he describes how Lieutenant General William Caldwell ordered…
,

Vikram Pandit's Material Mistatements

/
emptywheel
It appears that Vikram Pandit's failure to disclose material problems with Citibank's valuation of its shitpile is another of the crimes we're supposed to look forward and ignore. Jonathan Weil looks at how one of the documents disclosed in…
,

FBI Gets Its Lone Wolf, Just in Time for PATRIOT Debate

/
emptywheel
This morning, the FBI arrested 20-year old Saudi citizen Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari on one charge of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. According to the FBI, Aldawsari had allegedly purchased all the ingredients to make an IED using…

Thousands of Spooky Americans Doing Who-Knows-What in Pakistan?

/
emptywheel
As I have followed the Raymond Davis saga, this passage from an early Jeremy Scahill story on the CIA/JSOC/Blackwater programs operating in Pakistan, has haunted me. The Blackwater operatives also assist in gathering intelligence and help…
,

HAMP II: The $20 Billion Get Out of Jail Free Card

/
emptywheel
A day after the Case-Shiller Index confirmed that the housing market is in a double dip, the Powers that Be (a subsidiary of the Masters of the Universe, currently CEOed by one Barack Obama) have floated their proposal for a mortgage fraud settlement. The…
, , , , , , ,

The New Obama Policy On Constitutionality Of DOMA & Boies/Olson Reaction

/
bmaz
The Obama Administration this morning made an abrupt and seismic shift in its legal policy and position on DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act). It is a change that will have far reaching and important ramifications, and already has in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger Prop 8 case.

Obama DOJ Stops Defending Defense of Marriage Act

/
emptywheel
Finally, some good news from DOJ: Eric Holder has just announced the government will stop defending DOMA. In the two years since this Administration took office, the Department of Justice has defended Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act…

A Tale of Three WikiLeak Stories

/
emptywheel
The NYT has gotten a lot of press for this story, detailing that Qaddafi's son, Mutassim al-Qadhafi, paid $1 million to have Mariah Carey to sing four songs at his New Year's Day party in St. Barts, and, the following year, another $1 million…

Rummy Lawyers Up ... To Defend Ordering Death Threats?

/
emptywheel
Josh Gerstein reports that the government has withdrawn from defending Donald Rumsfeld and others in the Jose Padilla suit Judge Richard Mark Gergel dismissed the other day. (h/t MD) The Justice Department under President Barack Obama has quietly…
,

It's Not the Pakistanis from Whom Papers Were Withholding Davis' CIA Affiliation

/
emptywheel
Glenn and I both complained after the US media admitted yesterday it had been sitting on the very obvious news that Raymond Davis was a spook. But I got a number of questions from people who seem to miss the point. Why did I argue for years…
Share this entry