Marcy Wheeler is an independent journalist writing about national security and civil liberties. She writes as emptywheel at her eponymous blog, publishes at outlets including Vice, Motherboard, the Nation, the Atlantic, Al Jazeera, and appears frequently on television and radio. She is the author of Anatomy of Deceit, a primer on the CIA leak investigation, and liveblogged the Scooter Libby trial.
Marcy has a PhD from the University of Michigan, where she researched the “feuilleton,” a short conversational newspaper form that has proven important in times of heightened censorship. Before and after her time in academics, Marcy provided documentation consulting for corporations in the auto, tech, and energy industries. She lives with her spouse in Grand Rapids, MI.
It’s clear that Republicans are determined to delay as long as possible both Eric Holder’s nomination and turning over the OLC opinions authorizing illegal activities. It almost makes you think they’re trying to delay the time when a neutral party can prevent their “get out of jail free” schemes, huh?
In a superb piece of reporting, the Trib describes three Jackson-connected fundraisers who not only met with Blago on October 31–the date when Blago was first recorded being offered a half million to appoint Jesse Jackson Jr.–but who hosted a fundraiser tied to JJJ’s candidacy on Saturday.
The last 7-10 days have given us multiple Congressional hearings, press conferences, statements by belligerent bloviating blowhards, outrage, fear and uncertainty in the public over the precarious state of the American auto industry. Last night it all culminated in a shameless show by Senate Republicans who decided to crater the world economy instead of agreeing to provide what, at least by current Washington standards, is a nominal loan to American automakers. Today the reality of their action, actually lack thereof, has already set in.