Karl Rove: That's Why They Call It a Limited Hang-Out
Now why do you suppose Robert Luskin went to the trouble of orchestrating a limited hang-out in the NYT and WaPo yesterday?
Senator Al Franken!
Senator Al Franken has the proper manners of a party stalwart.
House Adds $2 Billion to Cash for Clunkers
The House just put another $2 billion into the wildly popular Cash for Clunkers program; presumably, the Senate will follow suit before they leave today.
From the comments made during the House discussion on this, it sounds like the program was wildly more successful than even reported yesterday--largely because (in spite of an arguably crappy design) it is working to do what it's supposed to:
A Fusion Center Before Its Time
The military infiltration of peace groups in Washington makes me worried that the spy ring now being prosecuted in San Diego was used as a model for the expansion of fusion centers.
How Many Reporters Does It Take to Cover a Beer Summit?
NYT took three reporters to liveblog the beer summit. AP took eight to write their article on it.
"Three Reporters," Is Right
Athenae notes that the NYT had three people--three reporters!!--live-blogging the "beer summit."
Seven Days, 250,000 Cars
The Cash for Clunkers program has already supported the trade in of 250,000 cars.
WaPo: Rove Spins His Role in US Attorney Firings
The WaPo reveals that they had an hour-long interview with Karl Rove earlier this month--at which he tried to spin his role in the US Attorney firings. Apparently, though, his spin was debunked by documents the WaPo received.
The CIA Doesn't Want You to Know about Tom Cruise's Lobbying for Scientologists
The CIA doesn't want you to know that its top-secret PDB sessions include discussions of what Scientologists have gotten personal meetings with the Vice President's Chief of Staff.
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?