The Government Dodges and Weaves on al-Haramain
The government still wants to have its state secrets and its claim of innocence in al-Haramain.
Obama Announces Socialism!
Given the agony over the role of the Administration in GM 2.0, you'd think Obama had just declared bankruptcy.
Dan Froomkin: Anachronistic Voices
Dan Froomkin says newspapers have to stop speaking in fuddy duddy. I'm glad someone from the industry is finally making this point.
Richard Clarke Reminds Cheney and Condi of Their Incompetence
Richard Clarke thinks Cheney and Condi should stop using their lack of preparedness for 9/11 as an excuse for breaking the law in response.
CIA: Congress Shouldn't Get Records of Our Crimes
The CIA doesn't want the Senate Intelligence Committee to get the records of its torture.
Bush's Approved Torture ... in 2003?
Bush is proud to describe how he approved of torture. But news reports suggest he put that approval in 2003.
Roland Burris: "Fred Is Dying on the Vine"
In the Roland Burris-Rob Blagojevich transcript that got released earlier this week, Burris' law partner, Fred Lebed, is mentioned as a key player in their discussions. That's critical because, by the time of the conversation, Lebed may have already done Blago a big favor--getting his wife hired.
Decision Day On al-Haramain (updated)
It is decision day for the gunslingers at the al-Haramain corral. If you recall when we last left this little vignette, exactly one week ago today, Judge Vaughn Walker had just issued a fairly terse ruling giving certain instructions to the parties. Both parties were given one week, until today, May 29th, to produce written responses to the court. al-Haramain's is in, and it is very interesting.
Carl Levin to Cheney: You've Got Nothing
Carl Levin better watch out for Liz "BabyDick" Cheney and her cries of "libel!" Because he just called her Daddy a liar. But I'm most interested in how the specific denials he gave about the content of the documents Cheney wants fleshes out the information in the May 30, 2005 Bradbury Memo on efficacy.
The Politics of Car Dealers
Thanks to Nate and KO for debunking the claims about political favoritism in which car dealers get closed under the Chrysler and GM bankruptcies. There's one more important point on this: car dealers are disproportionately the biggest donors from the industry.
Cheney's So-Called Recidivists
There's a number of impressions I get from the DOD "report" on the number of Gitmo detainees who have joined terrorists groups, including al Qaeda, since being released. First, while it appears to be what ABC billed it as--the report showing 14% of the people freed from Gitmo purportedly returning to the fight, the one that was used to scare the Senate into refuse funding for Gitmo--it looks fairly laughable.
Liz Cheney: Calling My Daddy a Torturer Is Libelous
I just got home and am wiped out (bmaz kept me out partying in NYC), so I thought I'd throw this up for discussion.
BabyDick says:She hasn't seen the memos she's convinced show torture was effective (no mention of whether she saw the IG report which says torture isn't effective)She still ignores the part of Admiral Blair's statement that shows we only got general info from torture--like the 10 pieces of intelligence
What Pelosi, Rockefeller & Harman Could Have Done
There has been an ongoing discussion for the last few weeks or so about the briefings that congressional leaders were allegedly given regarding the Bush/Cheney torture program and what Congressmembers like Pelosi, Rockefeller, Harman and Graham could have done to fight the malfeasance of Bush and Cheney. This post will explain what they could have done.
Why Did Tenet Create a False Record on the Day After He "Quit"?
Did Condi Rice and George Tenet build plausible deniability into Bush's written endorsement of torture.
CIA: Focus on the Beatings, Not the Incompetence
fatster linked to this CQ article, quoting a former CIA ops officer admitting the CIA dissembles to Congress--and suggesting the CIA likes this controversy, because it makes them look tough.
"The interrogations controversy has served the CIA bureaucracy," Jones asserted. "A top goal of bureaucracy is to look busy, and whether one agrees with the interrogation methods or not, the impression given is that the CIA is both busy and aggressive."
Jones added:
Dick Cheney's Torture Kabuki
A look at how Cheney scammed the system to implement torture.
As Goes the Chevy Volt, So Goes America?
Yes, I'm being a bit cruel, posting this the week that GM will probably declare bankruptcy. But that may make the question more apt.
As I told you all a million weeks ago, I had the opportunity to drive a mule version of the Chevy Volt around GM's Tech Center about a month ago.
Wood v. Kagan on Executive Power
According to a story by Charlie Savage, if we want to hold the line on executive power, we had better hope Obama doesn't pick Elena Kagan to be the next SCOTUS justice.
Feingold's Opposition to Indefinite Detention
Russ Feingold makes a great argument against indefinite detention.
Richard Shelby Contradicts the CIA and Everyone Else
Richard Shelby just shredded his own story about the CIA briefing on torture.
