Alberto Gonzales Tells the Tale We've Been Waiting For

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emptywheel
Neither and or I, and obviously, I can't really speak for Andy, but I'm confortable saying that neither Andy or I would have gone there to take advantage of someone who was sick. Um, Andy and I both, in fact, talked about the importance of satisfying ourselves as we talked with General Ashcroft that he was in fact competent.
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What Jane Mayer Tells Us about Warrantless Wiretapping

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emptywheel
Jane Mayer's latest piece describes how much work went into last week's Executive Orders ending the use of torture. Which offers key lessons about the work we need to do to make sure he also ends warrantless wiretapping.
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Jay Rockefeller Told Us What Russell Tice Just Confirmed, Years Ago

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emptywheel
Russell Tice basically confirmed, once again, our suspicions: that the warrantless wiretap program was basically the government operating TIA under a new name. Strangely enough, Jello Jay Rockefeller (of all people) already told us that--and he told Dick Cheney too. Maybe that's why Jello Jay was acting so squirrely about the program the other night.

Feingold Sez: No More Clusterfuck Senate Appointment Processes

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emptywheel
Russ Feingold will introduce a Constitutional Amendment designed to prevent the clusterfucks of the Caroline Kennedy and Rod Blagojevich sort: mandating popular elections to fill mid-term Senate seats.

Change Pixie Dust We Can Believe In

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emptywheel
Man oh man, Greg Craig is not doing Obama any favors as White House Counsel. In this installment, he apparently told (probably) Senator Whitehouse or Feingold that he believes in Pixie Dust.
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al-Haramain: the Dead-Enders Misrepresent Their Appeal to Dismiss the Need to Wait for Obama

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emptywheel
To dismiss the concern that Obama has not yet weighed in on the al-Haramain case, the dead-enders asking for an appeal claim that that appeal has nothing to do with issues that Dawn Johnsen and Eric Holder have raised about the warrantless wiretap program. But to do so, they misrepresent both their appeal and Judge Walker's order.

Three Data Points on Blagojevich

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emptywheel
Three items of note in the Blago trial: Edward Genson, Blago's attorney, has quit after Blago repeatedly ignored his advice. Blago's wife Patti was fired from her day job. And Fitz has gotten four tapes from his investigation released to the IL state senate for use in the impeachment trial.
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Obama's Executive Privilege Order and the House Judiciary Committee Lawsuit

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emptywheel
Obama's EO may give us access to evidence Bush has been withholding. But it won't give us everything we need to ensure proper oversight of any and all presidential administrations.

Working Thread on WH EMails "Compliance"

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emptywheel
Much of this is Greek to me--and it'll take a while to upload it all--but I'm sure MadDog and WO can make some sense out of what the Bush Administration says is proof they're complying with requirements to save their emails. Copy Set Inventory Copy Tapes Damaged Tapes

The "Obama" Support for Stay Pending Appeal in al-Haramain

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emptywheel
The Obama administration has, in theory at least, supported Bush's motion to appeal Judge Vaughn Walker's al-Haramain decision. But that's with an administration that doesn't have a DOJ yet.

How to Prove Intentionality of Domestic Surveillance?

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emptywheel
The FISCR has stressed that its ruling did not rule on whether or not

Dick Still Complaining that His Beloved Firewall Didn't Get Pardoned

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emptywheel
Boy, let's hope this continues: Dick bitching about Bush's refusal to pardon Libby. Maybe--just maybe--these two will finally start taking each other out.

Whitehouse: We Have to Look Back

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emptywheel
Sheldon Whitehouse argues that we must look foward, but we also have a duty to look backwards to understand what happened, as well.
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Emptywheel to Senator Whitehouse: We Only Have 7 Weeks to Indict Bush

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emptywheel
I reminded Sheldon Whitehouse yesterday that the clock is ticking on Bush's illegal wiretapping of American citizens. Hopefully, the reminder will spark Senate Dems to counter Bush's efforts to run out the clock on their actions.
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Obama Gitmo Draft Executive Order Working Thread

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bmaz
As I indicated in comments, I have a copy of the supposed final draft of Obama's Executive order on Guantanamo. Perhaps I will append the main post later, but i want to get it up now. Especially since William Ockham reports that the ACLU has beat me to the punch. That is what I get for actually driving home and opening a bottle of wine for my wife I guess. Go figure.

More Comments from Reid, Progressive Media Summit

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emptywheel
We have to look back. We are increasing the funding for investigations, we're even considering having a select committee to go back and look at these things.
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