PATRIOTs and State Secrets Live Blog

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emptywheel
Go here to watch the live stream of the House Judiciary Committee mark-up of the PATRIOT Act renewal and a new bill on State Secrets. Right now they're in a quorum call, with very few Dems present. (16 members present--I guess no one much cares…
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Break with the Bankers

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emptywheel
If you put Eliot Spitzer and Digby together, I think you get one of the best reads on yesterday's election: it's time to focus on breaking up the banks.
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Buying Off Victims of Illegal Wiretapping at $3 Million a Pop...

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emptywheel
The government has agreed to pay Richard Horn--who was illegally wiretapped when working as a DEA agent in Burma--$3 million to settle his suit.

Does Cheney's CYA Document Include False Justifications for Torture?

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emptywheel
Comparing the versions of the Cheney CYA document suggests that the version Cheney wanted was targeted towards those who wanted to sustain the torture program.

Justice Denied: Voices from Gitmo

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emptywheel
ACLU just put together a video of some of the detainees who mistakenly ended up at Gitmo. The whole video is quite good--but these two lines should be read by all Americans. Moazzam Begg: My experience of America prior to this was everything…

Still in the Rendition Business?

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emptywheel
One of the planes used in extraordinary rendition had a liaison with British helicopters in Birmingham, UK in early October.
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WaPo, I Hate to Say I Told You So...

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emptywheel
Back in July when I tried to get the WaPo to correct something, the reporter in question attacked me personally. It turns out I was right.
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Isikoff Doubles Down on His Anonymous Leak from Cheney's Lawyer

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emptywheel
Michael Isikoff seems undaunted that Cheney's interview undermines the tale that Cheney's lawyer told Isikoff. Isikoff is still going to repeat O'Donnell's tale uncritically.

Cheney's Betrayal Made an IIPA Charge for Libby Possible

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emptywheel
There is one important implication of the way Cheney hung Libby out to dry: it would have made an IIPA charge against Libby possible, if not for the inconclusive nature of Judy Miller's testimony.
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If It's [Was] Friday, It Must Be State Secrets, Hiding Abuse of Power, in the 9th Circuit

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emptywheel
Eric Holder is shifting his state secrets cover up strategy, along with his shiny new policy.
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Trash Talk: Big Dick Edition

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emptywheel
Hey, if ya got it swing it; and that is exactly what the Big Dick in the White House did between January 2001 and January 2009. Obviously I am not talking about Georgie Boy Bush. I'm talkin Cheeeney (as Chris Matthews insists on pronouncing…

Why Did Terry O'Donnell Tell Michael Isikoff What Cheney Refused to Tell Fitzgerald?

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emptywheel
Why was Cheney willing to leak stuff to Mike Isikoff but not state it to Pat Fitzgerald?

The Email Question

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emptywheel
Surprise surprise. Fitzgerald asked Cheney whether he used email, too.

Bush's July 7, 2003 Discussion about Wilson

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emptywheel
Cheney revealed a meeting with Bush at which Wilson was discussed. And right after that, Rove talked at the senior staff meeting about hitting back at Wilson.

The Taxpayers Paid Dick Cheney's Personal Defense Attorney to Obstruct Any Inquiries Into His Crimes

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emptywheel
Did you know that you and I paid one of Dick Cheney's personal defense lawyers for the last two years of the Bush Administration?