"Trivial Policy Ideas"
Scottie McC may have written a book that confirms what we DFH bloggers have been saying for years. But make no mistake. Scottie McC is still deeply in denial about how bad--and dishonest--a President George Bush is.
Can't Gitmo Dirty - The Penultimate Straw
I want to bring attention to something that really sank in for me yesterday morning and that a few people are starting to pick up on, but not many, and not nearly enough. First the Cheney Administration sacked the military judge that had the gall to allow even a shred of due process to the detainees, and now they have effectively sacked the military lawyers that had the temerity to seek it. This was a knowing and intentional play to deny counsel.
EW's Trash Talk - Agony In Defeat Edition
There is a lot going on out there, so consider this a somewhat open thread to yammer at will.The first item os business is the passing of Jim McKay. Also on the plate are the Belmont Stakes and Big Brown's run at the Triple Crown, and the Canadian Grand Prix.
What Happened to the Other Half Million?
Federal Prosecutors are closing in on former NRCC treasurer Christopher Ward. But the story, thus far, appears to be different than the one the NRCC is telling.
It's Not about the DNC--It's about the GOP
Obama's move to have the DNC reject lobbyist money--while welcome--is as much about campaign strategy as it is his own ethics.
Mukasey's Whack-a-Mole Mortgage Fraud Approach
What's the logic behind Mukasey's localized strategy to investigate mortgage fraud?
KSM Refuses Lawyer Because of All the Legal Same Sex Marriage in the US
KSM says he doesn't want a lawyer because same sex marriage is permitted in the US. Do you think it's worth telling him that, in 48 states, he's wrong?
The DHS Report on Maher Arar
Marty Lederman links
to the DHS OIG report on Maher Arar's transfer to and subsequent torture in Syria. It's really really ugly reading, even though they've obviously redacted a lot of the paragraphs that ought to reveal the decision making process by which we decided sending Arar home to Canada or even to Switzerland so instead sent him to be tortured (many of the redacted paragraphs are marked with "U's,"
Whitehouse: Bush's Lies "Rot the Very Fiber of Democracy"
Sheldon Whitehouse's speech on Bush's lies to bring us to war.
Phase II Report Working Thread
The SSCI has released (finally) the remaining reports on Iraq intelligence. I'm printing them out and beginning to read. If you want to read, too, use this thread to talk about what you've found.Report on how Bush and Cheney said things that the intelligence didn't supportReport on how Dougie "stupidest fucking guy on the planet" Feith set up his own intelligence shop to bypass the professionals For a background, here's McClatchy.
Fitzgerald to Conyers: "Okay, Now I'm Ready to Talk"
Patrick Fitzgerald sure seems to be sending Congress a message that he can now talk about the evidence revealed in the Rezko trial that Karl Rove tried to get him fired.
The JAG Dismisses the Unitary Executive
Golly. The JAG doesn't think much of John Yoo's unitary executive theories.
DOD Contract Goes to Known Money-Launderer
Gaith Pharaon was a key player in the BCCI scandal--the Saudi playboy who schmoozed the people in the US who allowed BCCI to purchase banks in the US. Apparently, we're now back in business with him, buying oil for Bagram Air Base.
Goldwater and Kennedy, or Lincoln and Douglas?
McCain envisions Goldwater and Kennedy. Obama envisions Lincoln and Douglas. What does that say about their conception of their own campaigns?
Bush's DOJ: Okay, Maybe We Won't Imprison Siegelman for 30 Years
Siegelman's prosecutors just gave up their appeal to keep Don Siegelman in jail for 30 years.
John Yoo v. Alice Fisher and Michael Chertoff
The Yoo Torture Memo claims that OLC had consulted with the Criminal Division about which statutes would not be applied to the military during the conduct of war:
The Criminal Division concurs in our conclusion that these canons of construction preclude the application of the assault, maiming, interstate stalking, and torture statutes to the military during the conduct of a war.
Did Condi Speak with Bush about Rove's So-Called Innocence? Or about the NIE?
Along with the transcripts of Bush and Cheney's interviews with Fitzgerald, Waxman is asking for the unredacted interview transcripts of a bunch of people who had conversations with Bush and/or Cheney about the leak. Most of them are people whose conversations with the President and Vice President wealready knew about. The exception is Condi. What kind of conversation did Condi have with Bush and Cheney about the leak?
Waxman Closing in on Dick Cheney for Outing Valerie Wilson
Waxman comes awfully close to telling Michael Mukasey that if he continues to withhold the Plame-related documents Waxman has requested, he will be deliberately covering up for the President.
Fieger Acquitted of all Charges
Though there was no question that Fieger reimbursed employees for their donations to john Edwards, the government could not prove that Fieger knowingly broke the law.
Novak, That's Because the Trial Wasn't about YOUR Leak
Poor Novak. Scottie's book is cutting through the narrative that he cultivated so carefully about the CIA Leak case.