Pentagon Charges the Third Detainee Who Was Water-Boarded
The trial of Abd al Rahim al Nashiri will test the ability of the Gitmo Show Trials to actually try someone we admittedly tortured.
DOJ's Attempt to Shield Obstruction of Justice
The DOJ is getting downright dangerous in its attempts to shield the President and Vice President's authorization of leaking of a CIA NOC's identity.
Fitzgerald's Successful Argument to Keep the Bush and Cheney Reports Out of Discovery
Back in the discovery period leading up to Scooter Libby's trial, Ted Wells made a valiant attempt--based on Fitzgerald's notice that he was going to include reference to the insta-declassification of the NIE--to get Bush and Cheney's interview reports in discovery.
But Fitzgerald refused, arguing those reports were Jencks material (meaning he'd only have to turn it over to the defense if he put Bush or Cheney on the stand in the
Those Democratic Committee Chairs Aren't COORDINATING, Are They?
I wonder whether DOJ told Waxman something in their refusal to respond to his subpoena that made him believe another Committee--say, HJC, investigating whether the President commuted Libby's sentence to protect his own ass--might have a better chance at getting the FBI reports from the Bush and Cheney interviews?
What Is Michael Mukasey Helping Dick Cheney to Cover Up?
The battle over the FBI reports on the Bush and Cheney interviews heats up.
Donate to Darcy Burner
Donate to Darcy Burner, because we need better Democrats.
The Obama & Olbermann Master Plan For Criminal FISA Prosecutions
Okay, the words "Master Plan" in the title are a joke. So is the idea of criminal prosecutions, by a future Obama Administration, for Bush era FISA violations that has been hawked, to the point of near belligerence, by Keith Olbermann both on his show and in a running flame war with Glen Greenwald. Here is why.
But What about Congressional Oversight?
Sy Hersh seems intent on pushing Democrats to start withholding funding from Cheney's illegal war-mongering in Iran.
The Barnacle Branch Still Evading Oversight
Once again, Dick Cheney is playing games to avoid oversight. Once again, what he's doing without oversight seems to be backfiring, making Iran stronger.
Are Cheney and Bush in a Lover's Quarrel?
Cheney and Bush seem to be squabbling more lately. Let's hope the squabbles get serious and they take each other out.
$5.8 Million for Hatfill. $0 for Valerie Wilson.
Steven Hatfill will no longer have to complain that he can't get a job anymore because he was once the leading suspect to be the anthrax terrorist. The government just signed a $5.8 million settlement with him, which includes a cash payment now and then $150,000 annual payments for the next 20 years.
Mukasey's Subpoena
Conyers just sent Mukasey a laundry list of a subpoena.
David Addington and The Barnacle Branch Exhibits
Remember how, in lieu of an opening statement, David Addington entered a bunch of "exhibits" into the record yesterday? Well, it looks like he entered them into the record to prepare for yet another pissing contest over the Barnacle Branch.
Confirmed: Final FISA Votes on July 8
Russ Feingold and Christopher Dodd managed to win us a 12 day reprieve on FISA.
HJC Testimony: Mr. Unitary Executive and Mr. Yoo, Two
Torture architects David Addington and John Yoo visit their buddies in Congress.
HJC Testimony: Mr. Unitary Executive and Mr. Yoo
Here's a post I did on David Addington's testimony at the Libby trial.
Here is John Yoo's prepared testimony.
Note this hearing is a Subcommittee Hearing--so it's Jerrold Nadler's baby, not Conyers'. That means a subset of HJC's better questioners will appear today: Nadler, Davis, Wasserman Schultz, Ellison, Conyers, Scott, Watt, and Cohen, with Franks, Pence, Issa, King, and Jordan for the bad guys.
Nadler:
Immunity Provision Invites Phone Companies to Cooperate with Illegal Government Programs
Feingold refutes the notion that somehow the telecoms got fooled into cooperating with Bush's illegal wiretapping program.
Why Does Senator Ensign Hate Foreclosed Homeowners ... and Veterans ... and Seniors ... and Telecoms?
I've got a call into John Ensign's Communications Director for confirmation now, but it sounds like John Ensign is the one Senator referenced in Harry Reid's statement last night and Dodd's statement a few minutes ago on the Senate floor. That is, because John Ensign has refused to a unanimous consent agreement on the housing bill, he is holding up everything the Senate is doing right now.
That means Ensign is preventing
About Reid's Potential Delay
As someone who badly wants a win or a delay in the FISA stampede, I caution against getting too excited by Harry Reid's suggestion that the FISA bill might be delayed until after the July 4 recess.
Trading our Constitution Away Based on the Word of Alberto Gonzales
The FISA bill is so bad, it treats Alberto Gonzales' assertion of legality as something worthwhile!