Pelosi: Members Are Taking Votes ... You Don't Know What You're Voting On
In his review of the Wikileaks material on Afghanistan, Marc Ambinder notes that John Kerry referred to "serious questions about the reality of America's policy toward Pakistan and Afghanistan."
Will it raise skepticism in Congress? Absolutely.…
Leaving Las Vegas
I'm at the airport well in advance of my flight to leave Netroots Nation, and thought it overdue to check in, since I've been so quiet all week.
This year's Netroots Nation--the fifth (I've attended all of them)--felt utterly familiar, like…
Netroots Nation: Close Gitmo and Use the Legal System
Liveblog coverage of today's panel discussion, Close Gitmo and Use the Legal System at Netroots Nation 2010. Panelists featured are Adam Serwer, Matthew Alexander, Rep. Jerry Nadler, Vince Warren, and your very own emptywheel, Marcy Wheeler.
Surveillance, Spying, and Racial Profiling in Obama Era
I'm watching a panel on online surveillance with Safir Ahmed (who edited Anatomy of Deceit and all of Markos' books), Josh Gerstein, Farhana Khera, Michelle Richardson, and Adam Serwer.
Safir starts with a question about what has changed.
Gerstein:…
Closing Gitmo: Unintended (?) Consequences
As you all presumably know, I've been in the city of sin all week, doing two days of training and then, yesterday, attending some really good panels at Netroots Nation.
One highlight of the week for me will surely be my panel Saturday at…
Final Jeopardy Answer: Something That Doesn't Obstruct or Impede Justice
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MaryAlex, I'm going with - "What is getting a prosecutor fired for not complying with your political agenda?"
The investigation (not of the U. S. Attorney firings despite misleading headlines) into the Iglesias firing is done. bmaz is ready…
Shocking Result In Dannehy US Attorney Purgegate Scandal!
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bmazThe results are in from the Nora Dannehy DOJ investigation into the US Attorney firings by the Bush/Cheney Administration. And, shockingly, the Obama/Holder Department of Justice just cannot find any conduct, not one single instance, worthy of criminal prosecution.
FDL Talks Intelligence Contracting with Tim Shorrock
The Washington Post has been turning lots of heads this week with a big series on intelligence contracting. But we here at FDL have been talking about it for years, not least when we hosted Tim Shorrock--who wrote the book on intelligence contracting,…
Limp Daily Caller Attacks Journolist (Again) and Spencer Ackerman
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bmazAbout a month ago, the semi-irrelevant "FishbowlDC" and Tucker Carlson's self indulgent sandbox "Daily Caller" impressed themselves by scalping Dave Weigel from his position at the Washington Post. Fresh off the closest thing to a victory these…
The Contractors Causing Chaos but Not Out and Out Corruption
I'm beginning to agree with Rayne's comment of the other day that the only explanation for the length of the WaPo series on contractors is to please the Pulitzer committee. The other most (perhaps more) likely explanation for the style of the…
An Anonymous Government Official Doesn't Want You to Know that Lockheed Works for NSA
Tomorrow and Wednesday, the WaPo will continue its series on the Intelligence Industrial Complex. It will describe the contractors in the BWI/Fort Meade area that contribute to the NSA's surveillance programs. According to the DNI's Director…
WaPo Top Secret Story: Why Not Nominate God to Be Director of National Intelligence?
I trust you will all read Dana Priest and William Arkin's story on the unwieldiness of our Intelligence Industrial Complex. It is good, insofar as it focuses needed attention on a huge problem.
But boy is it itself unwieldy. Today's overview…
Ombud Distress
Everyone's in a big tizzy about OmbudAndy's capitulation to the New Black Panther Party scandal machine in his column this weekend.
Thursday's Post reported about a growing controversy over the Justice Department's decision to scale down a…
The Intelligence Industrial Complex Prepares for War
In my review of Tim Shorrock's important Spies for Hire, I summarized one of the most important parts of the narrative he tells in the book.
Shorrock describes, for example, [Mike] McConnell’s key role in the formation of the Intelligence…
America's Dilemma: Teachers or Food
Remember that important NYT story from early this year describing the growing number of Americans whose sole income consists of food stamps?
About six million Americans receiving food stamps report they have no other income, according to an…
The Wishing Well: Is Macondo the Mouth of Hell Silenced?
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bmazFor the first time since Macondo, the Mouth Of Hell, first blew out in a fiery explosion on April 20, killing eleven men in the process, BP seems to have the well under control and there appears to be no hydrocarbons leaking into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Did Jay Bybee Accidentally Admit that CIA Experimented on Abu Zubaydah with Sleep Deprivation?
Pages 100-102 of the Jay Bybee Transcript are worth reading closely, not least for the way Jay Bybee tries to shift the focus of discussion on torture from "severe physical or mental pain or suffering" to "prolonged mental harm" to avoid the…
Jay Bybee Suggests He Wouldn't Recuse on Ghost Detainee Case
When Jerry Nadler asked Jay Bybee whether or not it would legal to disappear someone for three years, the Appeals Court Judge refused to answer, saying he might have to rule on such an issue.
Nadler: Let's assume you had been asked the question,…
Jay Bybee Admits CIA Had No Approval for Water Dousing, Diapering
On May 26, the House Judiciary Committee interviewed Jay Bybee about the circumstances that went into the Bybee Memos authorizing torture. Here's the transcript of that interview.
I'm going to read them in depth, but for now I wanted to…
Karl Rove's Self-Delusions Hit New Heights--Forgets He Outed Valerie Plame
Okay, this is one for the ages.
Karl Rove is out today with what is presumably an excerpt from his book, revealing his biggest mistake. He doesn't verbalize what that mistake is, really. Rather, he bitches about a list of Democrats.
But…