Don't Gag Ma Bell
Congressman Dingell notes that the government continues to gag Ma Bell. Why should we give her immunity so long as Dick Cheney won't let her talk.
Is Dem Turnout So High Because They Like Us ... Or Because We're Spending Money?
Why is Democratic turnout swamping Republican turnout?
Why Bush Is So Desperate to Get Bradbury Approved
Bush has traded 84 nominations in lieu of getting Steven Bradbury approved. But few people seem to understand why Bush is so desperate: So long as Bradbury remains at OLC, two things will happen. Bradbury effectively gives the Bush Administration carte blanche to break the law--and protection for having broken the law in the past. Since AG Mukasey won't prosecute anything that OLC (and therefore Steven Bradbury) has sanctioned, the Administration is guaranteed it can do what it wants so long as Bradbury is there.
The NRCC Meltdown: An Introduction
I haven't commented on the FBI investigation of the NRCC treasurer, Christopher Ward yet because, well, because this damn FISA bill is taking all my time.
Top House Republicans were told in recent days that a former employee of their campaign committee may have forged an official audit during the contentious 2006 election cycle and that they should brace for the possibility that an unfolding investigation could uncover financial improprieties stretching back
Working Extra Hours Is Extra-Constitutional
I guess I shouldn't be surprised that, according to the Tuesday through Thursday Republicans and the Most-Vacation-Ever President, working extra days is extra-constitutional.
Mukasey Oversight: HJC Edition, Part Two
Mukasey on deferred prosecutions, torture, and contempt.
Mukasey Refuses to Say Whether He Was Instructed Not to Enforce Subpoenas
Michael Mukasey just refused to respond to Robert Wexler's question of whether he "had been instructed" not to enforce the subpoenas on Miers and Bolten.
Mukasey Oversight: HJC Edition
Michael Mukasey once again answers for Dick's lawbreaking.
Arlen "Scottish Haggis" Specter Enumerates Bush's Law-Breaking
Scottish Haggis started making a list yesterday of the statutes
Is This Why Rosenberg Recused?
The AP reveals that prosecutors in the Alexandria US Attorney's Office--including the lead prosecutor in the Moussaoui case--did know of the torture tapes in early 2006, before Moussaoui was sentenced.
The lead prosecutor in the terror case against Zacarias Moussaoui may have known the CIA destroyed tapes of its interrogations of an al-Qaida suspect more than a year before the government acknowledged it to the court, newly unsealed documents indicate.
The documents, which
Feingold Slaps Down Bond's, Mukasey's, and McConnell's "Tired Accusations"
Senator Feingold noticed the same thing I noticed today: Republican opponents of his amendments are mischaracterizing his amendments.
[Bond] referred to our concerns that somehow the rights and privacy could be affected by this bill as "tired accusations." I object to that characterization. I think that this is clearly the kind of thing we should be worried about and debating, but I'll tell you what is a "tired accusation"--the notion that somehow
First Abu Ghraib, and Now Siegelman
60 Minutes is attempting to spike their Don Siegelman story. Funny, this isn't the first story that is politically damaging to the White House that 60 Minutes has attempted to spike.
FISA Debate Liveblog
Russ Feingold tries to save the Constitution.
McConnell and Mukasey Tell Half Truths
One benefit of the process the Senate is using to develop a FISA bill is that, by rejecting the SJC bill then considering amendment after amendment that had been part of the SJC bill, we begin to learn what the government really plans to do with its wiretapping program, as distinct from what it has said it was doing.
Recall.
White House Writes Pre-Emptive Signing Statement on Exclusivity
A summary of the Mukasey/McConnell letter to Congress.
More FISA Debate
More FISA debate, just trying to keep discrete threads.
FISA Debate Liveblog
Three amendments up, no votes today. The first two Feingold amendments prohibit bulk collection and reverse targeting. The third, with Dodd, is immunity.
Feingold on Reverse Targeting
Director of Intelligence has testified that reverse targeting is violation of 4th amendment.
Notes Senator from GA has said reverse targeting is possible.
[Placing declassified documents in record]
This confirms that when FBI has interest in American, up to FBI whether to seek a warrant.
Doesn't Hillary Have Anything Better to Do?
In a matter of 22 hours, Hillary has had two campaign events that are only tangentially about the fact that almost half of all delegates will be awarded today. Yesterday, she once again very generously offered to unilaterally decide to reinterpret our Clusterfuck vote, all in the name of democracy. And today, smack dab in the middle of the biggest election day this side of November 4, Hillary has challenged Obama
Jello Jay Advocates Illegal Spying on Americans
In his opposition to a Feingold FISA amendment designed to remove any incentive the government has to abuse the new FISA program, Jello Jay sanctions the illegal collection of US person data.