This Bud Is For You Mental Midgets Of The Media
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bmazThere are three irreducible minimums emanating from the arrest of Henry Louis Gates at his home in Cambridge Massachusetts. First, it was an illegal and unconstitutional arrest. Second, it may or may not (my inclination is not, at least at the outset) have been a racially motivated moment. Third, it is an event that has become embedded in the national consciousness from which the nation could learn and
No, DiFi, the Competition Is with Canada (and Mexico)
DiFi seems to think CA is losing its Toyota plant to KY or MS. More likely, however, CA will lose its Toyota plant to a place where health care costs are cheaper: Mexico and Canada.
Megan McArdle Thinks I Should Pay $72,000 More for Breast Cancer
Usually, Jane's slap-down of concern trolls talking about breast cancer stands by itself. But in this case, I'm going to pile on Megan McArdle's attack on a public option in the name of breast cancer survivors, because McArdle's basically arguing that I should be thankful my insurance company had to pay $72,000 more for my breast cancer treatment.
Basically, for me, it all boils down to public choice theory.
CIFA Lives?
It sounds like the military continues to spy on peace activists.
Madni's Coffin Flight Rendition
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bmazAs Andy Worthington indicated in a comment last month, the rights group Reprieve has been working up a report on Guantanamo detainee Mohammed Saad Iqbal Madni and his rendition. Reprieve announced today the formal start of proceedings in the case.
Missing the Deployed Military for the Trees
In his post on the story that Cheney wanted to use the military to capture the Lackawanna Six, Scott Horton somewhat bizarrely claims that the October 23, 2001 memo was written (seemingly exclusively) for the kinds of actions Cheney envisioned. But we know it was also written to authorize domestic surveillance.
Dodd and Conrad: The Appearance Of Impropriety
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bmazBoth Connecticut's Chris Dodd and North Dakota's Kent Conrad steadfastly deny any knowledge or fact of preferential treatment in their real estate loans from Countrywide Mortgage, but the fact the story keeps hanging around is disquieting. And apparently it has been doing quite a bit more than hanging around, there have been hearings and testimony.
The Yoo Tumor
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bmazJohn Yoo is a cancer on the Constitutional body politic of the United States, and he won't go away. For some inexplicable reason, Carrie Johnson, and her editors at the Washington Post, have decided to fluff the one man self rationalization and obfuscation tour Yoo has been on as of late:
Crazy Pete Hoekstra's Pre-Emptive Disavowal of C Street
Is Crazy Pete Hoekstra named in Chip Pickering's chronicle of his hypocritical affair?
The Libby Non-Pardon: From the Department of Pre-Spin
Here's the factual story about Bush's decision not to pardon Scooter Libby.
Sexual Harassment Claim or Attempt to Silence?
Why is the military spokesman in Gitmo accusing the best reporter in Gitmo of harassment?
Suspension of Posse Comitatus for 9/11 Anniversary?
Note what the NYT doesn't tell you: Dick Cheney was trying to impose military rule just in time for the first anniversary of 9/11.
ACLU Torture Tape Working Thread
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bmazNew filings by the ACLU. Dissect and discuss.Here andHere.
Speed Freak$: Wall Street's Fast & Furious MOTUs
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bmazEvery day there is a new reminder that the only thing thing that changed on Wall Street as a result of the financial meltdown is that the "too big to fail" entities got bigger through consolidation and they now have all of the taxpayer's wealth instead of just most of it. Here is today's installment of hyper-greed.
Media Failure: Gates And Crowley Need To Personally Lead
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bmazPresident Obama, with his response to a question about the Henry Gates arrest taken at Wednesday night's prime time healthcare press conference, set the nation off on a discussion of race and law. Unfortunately, the discussion has cleaved and both sides fell into regrettable, and sadly predictable roles. We are missing the important lessons the moment should be teaching us.
Road Trip Friday
Turns out my family seems to be convening on the East Coast this weekend. So McCaffrey the MilleniaLab are road tripping out to join them today.
bmaz has the keys and I've stocked up the liquor cabinet (so you all can bust in there and feel like you're pulling over a fast one on more again).
The Bush Fairy Tale on the Libby Pardon
Time has allowed a bunch of Bush partisans to put a nice spin on his non-pardon of Libby.
Henry Louis Gates' Contempt Of Cop
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bmazAt tonight's nationally televised press conference, a reporter asked President Obama a question about the July 16 arrest of famed Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates. Obama set off a firestorm by defending Gates; but despite the righteous words, Obama may have hurt Gates with his words.
A New Mission for the WH Press Corps
If Obama refuses to tell us what health industry insiders have access to the White House, then why can't the White House press corps tell us?