Jay Bybee Suggests He Wouldn't Recuse on Ghost Detainee Case
When Jerry Nadler asked Jay Bybee whether or not it would legal to disappear someone for three years, the Appeals Court Judge refused to answer, saying he might have to rule on such an issue.
Nadler: Let's assume you had been asked the question,…
Jay Bybee Admits CIA Had No Approval for Water Dousing, Diapering
On May 26, the House Judiciary Committee interviewed Jay Bybee about the circumstances that went into the Bybee Memos authorizing torture. Here's the transcript of that interview.
I'm going to read them in depth, but for now I wanted to…
Karl Rove's Self-Delusions Hit New Heights--Forgets He Outed Valerie Plame
Okay, this is one for the ages.
Karl Rove is out today with what is presumably an excerpt from his book, revealing his biggest mistake. He doesn't verbalize what that mistake is, really. Rather, he bitches about a list of Democrats.
But…
Former WellPoint VP Liz Fowler to Implement Health Care Oversight
Remember Liz Fowler? The former WellPoint VP whom William Ockham noted was the literal author of the health care reform bill?
I'm sure you'll be thrilled to learn that WellPoint's former VP will be in charge of consumer issues and oversight…
You Have a Right to Speedy Trial ... Unless They Need to Torture You First
Judge Lewis Kaplan has basically concluded that if the government can persuasively argue that government believed the torture necessary at the time, then they can torture a detainee as long as he still has intelligence value without infringing on the detainee's right to a speedy trial.
We Are All South America Now
At the point in the World Cup when five South American teams had made it to the knockout round and European teams like Italy and England performed badly, I wondered whether this year's Cup would be a kind of revenge on the IMF. All these South…
Right Wing Finally Talking about Rule of Law
Don't get me wrong. I'm happy that--after all these years--someone on the right is calling out Presidents Bush and Obama on their abuse of power (watch the video to hear Andrew Napolitano complain about Obama's targeting of Anwar al-Awlaki).
Nader:…
Omar Khadr Condemns the Military Commissions
Carol Rosenberg, recently freed from her arbitrary banning at Gitmo, posts this picture of a statement Omar Khadr read aloud in court today explaining why he wants to boycott any further proceedings. [my transcription; I've added punctuation…
Obama Comes to MI to Celebrate Korean Technology
Let me start by saying I'm thrilled the Obama Administration has focused stimulus and energy efficiency funds to support a number of new battery plants in and around Michigan. For all my complaints about the Obama Administration, it has used…
As April Strawberry Blossoms into Perfect Citizen
A number of you have asked what I make of Siobhan Gorman's latest story describing a program called "Perfect Citizen" that aims to monitor and map out attempted cyber-intrusions of our critical infrastructure.
Before I say anything about…
Spooky Timing
I assume this is a coinkydink. But oh what a coinkydink it is.
Sergei Tretyakov, a high-ranking Russian spy whose defection to the United States in 2000 was regarded as one of the most significant coups against the Russian government since…
Was the Real Target of the Spy Sting Russian Official #1?
It appears the White House may have gotten itself caught in the kabuki it played with the press on the Russian spies now swapped for some spies in Russian custody. But the timing of the kabuki suggests the target of the spy sting may not have…
Bob Corker Kills the Catfood Commission
The catfood commission (aka Obama's deficit commission) is dead.
Well, it must be, right?
After all, that great figure of Beltway-corporatism-posing-as-moderation, Bob Corker, has decreed that we shall pass no legislation during a…
Tory-Speak on the Torture Inquiry
I seem to be one of the biggest skeptics about the torture inquiry David Cameron announced this week. Among other things, I worry that Cameron intends to pressure plaintiffs who allege they were tortured into a mediated settlement to prevent…
DOD Allows Carol Rosenberg to Return to Gitmo Next Week
There are two pieces of good news in this McClatchy story reporting that Carol Rosenberg, one of four journalists banned from Gitmo because she published the previously reported name of Omar Khadr's first interrogator, Joshua Claus, will be…
One Percent of All Americans Will Have Lost Unemployment by Month's End
More than one percent of all Americans--3.3 million people--will have lost their unemployment benefits by month's end if Congress doesn't pass an extension of long-term benefits.
The Labor Department estimates that about 1.7 million have lost…
Apparently, Reporting on Right Wing Death Squads Is Now Material Support for Terrorism
We've discussed the recent SCOTUS decision that ruled the government can charge people engaging in First Amendment activities with material support for terrorism. Even groups trying to teach terrorist organizations to engage peacefully might…
Huge Brass Balls and A Burn In The Bay: BART Shooting Verdict
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bmazToday was a good day for Michael Rains and his client Mehserle. But a bad day for the City of Oakland. Now the night comes.
Obama Administration Grants Europeans Rights Americans Don't Have
You know what happens when your elected representatives fight for your privacy? Counterterrorism investigators actually grant you some!
At issue is SWIFT--the database that tracked most international money transfers which the Bush Administration…
Did Bad Journalism Make the Country Love Torture?
One of the key takeaways of a study a number of people are buzzing about--showing that a majority of the country has generally opposed torture--is that six months after Obama became president, that changed.
Using a new survey dataset on torture…
