An Interesting Few Days for Al-Awlaki
How is it that the government has enough detail to put Anwar al-Awlaki onto the assassination list, but didn’t have enough to anticipate at least the Underwear Bomber attempted attack?
Author Archive for: emptywheel
Entries by emptywheel
TeaBuggerGate, Two: Some Questions and the Simple (But Inadequate) Explanation
Some Questions One way I’m trying to make sense of TeaBuggerGate is to isolate the details that don’t make any sense. Such as: Why was O’Keefe filming the apparent bugging? I raised this question in my first post on this. One of Landrieu’s staffers reported–and O’Keefe admitted–that filmed the interaction between the Landrieu staffer and […]
A Sure Sign Democrats Must Impose a Spending Freeze
Who’d a thunk it? When given a choice, voters are happy to impose higher taxes on those who have been getting rich while everyone else faces higher costs and stagnant wages. Yesterday Oregon voters delivered a huge victory for progressives by approving Measures 66 and 67, raising taxes on incomes over $250,000 and large corporations […]
The List of US Citizens Targeted for Killing (or Capture)
This Dana Priest article is interesting for the way it fleshes out the way the US is working in Yemen (primarily), Pakistan, and Somalia. But note this line, which she kind of buries in there. As part of the operations, Obama approved a Dec. 24 strike against a compound where a U.S. citizen, Anwar al-Aulaqi, […]
TeaBuggerGate, Part One
You’ve no doubt heard that James O’Keefe, the guy who broke some laws secretly filming ACORN employees, got busted yesterday trying to film some buddies bugging Mary Landrieu’s office. But I’m not as interested, for the moment, in O’Keefe as I am in his alleged accomplice, Robert Flanagan. You see, Flanagan is the son of […]
Bad Nelson, Bayh, and Lincoln Objectively Pro-Cornhusker Kickback
Thus far today, Ben Nelson, Evan Bayh, and Blache Lincoln have come out against passing health care reform through sidecar reconciliation. Of course that means they’re defending all the corrupt aspects of the Senate bill that proved to be so unpopular in MA, starting with the Cornhusker Kickback (and including the Louisiana Purchase that similarly […]
The Obama Chill: In 2012 Obama Will Run Against Democratic Congress
There’s a lot to say about Obama’s foolish call for a spending freeze in the middle of the Great Recession. But for now, consider the point that Chris Bowers is making: the spending freeze won’t happen. It won’t happen because Congress, whose remaining power in the era of post-Cheney has been reducted to clutching purse […]
GM's Dick Cheney and TARP Loans and Chinese Cars
Yesterday, GM announced that Ed Whitacre would stay on as CEO, meaning Whitacre had pulled off the same stunt Dick Cheney pulled in 2000 when Cheney searched and searched and searched only to discover he was the best man for the job. “I certainly didn’t come into this with that intention,” Whitacre, 68, told reporters […]
This Fed Chief Brought to You by Enron
Just wanted to throw two tidbits into the debate on Ben Bernanke’s reconfirmation. First, this quote, which needs no explanation. In the event that Bernanke isn’t confirmed, several sources say, Federal Reserve Board Vice Chairman Donald Kohn likely would be elevated to acting chair of the U.S. central bank. Bernanke would be entitled to stay […]
The Brits Buried Evidence on David Kelly's Death
Jeebus. Larisa just pointed me to this. A highly unusual ruling by Lord Hutton, who chaired the inquiry into Dr Kelly’s death, means medical records including the post-mortem report will remain classified until after all those with a direct interest in the case are dead, the Mail on Sunday reported. And a 30-year secrecy order […]
