What If Trials Prove Torture Wasn't Necessary?
If KSM can be tried in civilian court, that means there's enough evidence to do so that is untainted by the torture done to him. Doesn't that suggest the torture was unnecessary?
Call on Dems to Vote for the Fourth Amendment over Fishing Expeditions
As I explained yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a classified briefing on the PATRIOT Act on Thursday.
Classified Hearing on: the PATRIOT Act and Related Matters
Thursday 10/29/2009 – 2:30 A.M.
HVC-301
Full Committee
By…
HJC Schedules Its "Get Democrats to Cave on PATRIOT" Hearing
The House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a classified hearing on the PATRIOT Act on Thursday. Will the House Dems cave the same way the Senate Dems did after such a classified hearing?
Prosecutors Attack Innocence Project Journalism Students
A new chapter in heavy handedness has been penned with the current tactics of the Cook County Attorney's Office taken against Northwestern University journalism students participating in the Medill Innocence Project.
What Did Dick Give Judy to Go Pro-Torture?
Judy Miller must think she's smarter than Susan Crawford. Crawford, after all, while still convening authority for military commissions in Gitmo, admitted that Mohammed al-Qahtani had been tortured. And by that, she was referring to the treatment…
McCain Rediscovers His Passion for Screwing Us with Bad Telecom Policy
The last time John McCain tried so hard to screw Americans with bad telecom policy, his close lobbyist escort on a telecom donor's plane was offering to share a blankie with him.
But that bad telecom McCain is back in action, introducing a…
Trash - Jerkin Crocus Edition
I dunno about you, but I have had enough of that Ayn Rand crap; time to let loose. Here at Casa de Bmaz that means margaritas and rock and roll. Let yer hair down and let's get down to some football.
Mark Sanford Goes Galt
Clearly Jon Meacham and his deputy editors at Newsweek could use a refresher course in compelling journalism from their sister ship test proctors at the Stanley Kaplan Corporation. Newsweek, you see, has just seen fit to publish a lengthy interpretation…
Little Legal Recourse For Artists' Rage Against Musical Torture
One of the obvious questions from the announcement of the musicians Rage Against Musical Torture, and one that several people have been asking, is what avenues of legal recourse do the musicians have? It turns out remarkably few, if any. Here is why.
More Insane Rantings from the Crazy Man in the Attic
Someone let Dick "PapaDick" Cheney out of his undisclosed location last night--they even gave him an award for being a "keeper of the flame." In spite of the fact that the press is covering it as another serious attack from Cheney, I find it…
Rage Against Musical Torture
Close Gitmo Now goes after the government's use of music in torture.
Rahm's Greg Craig Campaign
Yet another story suggesting Rahm is making Greg Craig the scapegoat for the Administration's stumbles on torture.
Rattner's Bailout
Steve Rattner's narrative of the auto bailout provides a heroic story of how the banksters pulled off the Chrysler and GM bankruptcies. But it also betrays the continued ignorance of the banksters about their own industry.
Durham's Investigation and the Non-Exempt IG Files
Apparently, there are non-exempt CIA IG documents that are part of John Durham's investigation into the destruction of the torture tapes.
Ezra: Workers Don't Understand So an Excise Tax Will Work
Ezra has another "workers don't understand" post arguing for the benefit of the excise tax to fund health care.
There's good reason to think that if health-care costs can be tamed, wages will rise. But one of the big problems in health-care…
More Proposed Oversight from John Conyers
John Conyers has submitted three more bills designed to increase versigh tof the executive branch.
House Judiciary Committee to Propose PATRIOT and FISA Reforms
John Conyers, Jerry Nadler, and Bobby Scott just introduced bills that will provide needed reforms to PATRIOT and FISA while reauthorizing most of the sunsetting authorities this year.
From the Committee press release, the PATRIOT bill does…
The Generals Recommit to Closing Gitmo
A group of generals and veterans are ratcheting up the pressure on Congress to close Gitmo.
Christie's Taxpayer-Funded Mets Games
There's one more detail in that NYT article that deserves attention: Christie was apparently charging you and I for his personal trips to Mets games.
Get The Lead Out: Crime Reduction In America
Mark Kleiman describes in his book "When Brute Force Fails" how the exposure to lead in a society may be the single biggest factor affecting the crime rate. It is an important discussion point.
