Mr. Siegelman Goes To Washington
The House Judiciary Committee wants to see Don Siegelman. I have not yet seen anything additional as to details, such as who other witnesses would be, exactly what Conyers hopes to accomplish, etc. Perhaps we should help the Judiciary Committee out and come up with a game plan for them. Any suggestions?
The New Colombian Gold and What the FARC Is Up With Weapons Dealers?
As you may recall, there is a lot of spooky intrigue raising it's ugly head lately in South America. The latest piece of this convoluted puzzle comes today with the announcement that the FARC uranium has been "found".
Sometimes You Eat The Bear, Sometimes The Bear Eats You - Stearns Thoughts
What was the the Bear Stearns takeover/bailout about anyway? Who really benefitted in the present? What does it portend for the future? I don't have these answers; but I have a lot of questions and the ground seems to be morphing so fast on this that not only are we not getting answers, the real questions are getting left behind in the wake. To paraphrase Wilson Pickett, we need to "slow this mustang down" and think about what has occurred and where it will lead us for the future.
Crewsing For A Bruising: The NSA Responds To EOP
Three days ago, Saturday March 22, we discussed the hard driving charge being mounted in DC District Court by the National Security Archive and CREW in relation to the destroyed missing White House emails. In that post, we dissected the Administration's pleading and support documents. Today, we do the same in relation to the reply pleading and supporting affidavit just filed by NSA/CREW.
What To Get Teh Woman Who Knows Everything
I am here to tell you, keeping this here car known as the Emptywheel blog well maintained, full of fuel and on the road is more work than it looks like. Marcy not only does that consistently day in and day out, she does it with a style, grace, competence and consistency that is unmatched in the blogosphere. The effort she leads here is not only informational and enjoyable reading, it is of demonstrated importance in the effort to expose and repair all of that which is currently broken in our government. So, if you have a couple of extra Euros, please contribute to keeping this the finest forum in the toobz.
Who Let The Dogs Out? The Hounds Of Hatfill and the Federal Rules of Evidence
Okay, earlier I made a mostly flippant comment on the dogs in the Hatfill case. Despite it being mostly in jest, that comment had what I consider to be a critical, if not the critical, point in it. From what it appears, the only bit of "evidence" (and I use that descriptor loosely here, and in the generic sense, because I don't think there was any proper evidence at all) against Hatfill that served as the basis for identifying him was that the dogs had alerted. How well does the dog scent evidence hold up to scrutiny? Not so well it turns out.
Feith Based Initiative At The Pentgon
The latest breaking news out of the Pentagon is that the US mistakenly shipped ICBM warhead nuclear triggering mechanisms to Taiwan in stead of the helicopter batteries that Taiwan ordered. When our government can't even keep track of our nukes and warhead triggers, Grover Norquist can pretty much pull the drain plug; the job of eviscerating the United States Government "down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub" is about complete.
Of Easter Eggs, Spitzer and Stones In Glass Houses
Ah, the constantly evolving case of Bungalow Eliot and all the Spitzer snitchers.
Hard Drives To Hell
Hard drives? Emails? We don't need no stinkin hard drives and email"! And that is pretty much what the Bush Administration has told Judge John Facciola and the DC District Court, not to mention you, me and the rest of the citizens the government is supposed to work for.
March Madness - Bracketology and Other Chides of March Trash Talk
Spring is in the air! And, thanks to the Bush EPA, a whole bunch of toxic substances are in the air with it. But, for the moment, lets leave the real work aside and get our swerve on again with the trash talk. There is a lot of ground to cover with March Madness in full swing, MLB opening day a heartbeat away, the stretch run in the NBA at hand and, my own pet favorite, the start of the Formula One Grand Prix season. So put the beer on ice, fire up the grill and, for godsakes, put a hat on! Play Ball!
WiFi Turkey
As I've mentioned a couple of times, I'm about to go to Kentucky for a week--and will have no WiFi (get it--WiFi Turkey?). Long time readers know that every time I go off-grid, something crazy happens--the last time, Alberto Gonzales resigned.
My predictions are one or more of the following will happen:At 1:20 today, a letter from Henry Waxman to Condi Rice, inquiring what State is going to do about three people
The Breach: McCain Dates, Not Obama Dates?
As you've no doubt heard, three second-rate burglars have been caught accessing Obama's passport files. The WaPo reports the tree days when his files were accessed:
State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the employees had individually looked into Obama's passport file on Jan. 9, Feb. 21 and March 14. To access such a file, the employees must first acknowledge a pledge to keep the information private.
Waxman Attempts to Plug Truck-Sized Loophole for Theft
Among those from whom Henry Waxman requested information on the ginormous loophole for contracting fraud is his old friend Lurita Doan. Any bets on whether she was the one who put a "get out of jail for overseas fraud" card in the new rule trying to prevent that kind of fraud?
One Corrupt Lawyer Disbarred
An entire party full of corrupt lawyers yet to be disbarred.
A three-judge panel on the D.C. Court of Appeals stripped Libby of his ability to practice law after he was found guilty last year of obstructing the investigation in the CIA leak investigation, WTOP radio reported.
Next up, Alberto Gonzales? Harriet Miers?
Tom Reynolds Won't Seek Re-Election
Tom Reynolds is set to announce he will not run for re-election. You think maybe this has to do with the investigation of how the NRCC came to lose $1,000,000?
Judge "Naughty" In Trouble with the Circuit Court
The judge who presided over Joseph Nacchio's trial is under investigation by his circuit court.
McCain Fails Test to Be Legislator, Much Less President
You guys already know about McCain's seemingly intentional conflation of Iran and Al Qaeda disguised as a serial gaffe (and if you don't then go read Blue Texan on it, because he's much funnier than I am).
Since I'm late to the party, all I can add is a link to that Quiz for Lawmakers I devised last year after Silvestre Reyes made the same gaffe.
"They're Not Businesspeople ... They Won't Spend a Dime on Management"
So says Republican campaign finance lawyer Cleta Mitchell of the NRCC. It's her excuse for why the NRCC didn't take very basic measures to ensure that Christopher Ward didn't steal from the campaign committees he worked with.
Whatever the excuse, the NRCC is now complaining, again, that they're victims and therefore it's very mean that the FEC will fine them for overstating their
Fighting about Fuck
SCOTUS wants to decide whether we're allowed to hear the words fuck and shit on the telly.
Nacchio Gets a New Trial
Joseph Nacchio gets a new trial. Perhaps, finally, he'll be able to reveal how the Bush Administration tried to force him to illegally wiretap Americans.
