Did George Bush Break the Clean Air Act?
The Clean Air Act does not allow the EPA Administrator to take cost into account when he sets new standards for things like ozone levels. Now, as Henry Waxman's Oversight Committee makes clear, on several occasions, the EPA Administration changed his preferred policy to one much less beneficial for the environment after speaking to the White House.
CIA Once Again Buries Information on Abu Zubaydah's Torture
The CIA prevented DOJ's OIG from interviewing Abu Zubaydah for their report on detainee interrogation methods. As when they destroyed the tapes of Abu Zubaydah's interrogation, CIA seems to have been intent on preventing any evidence of what they did to Zubaydah from coming out.
DOD and Torture Declassification Timing
Do you think it's a coincidence that DOD first provided its declassification comments to the DOJ IG report on torture in the weeks after Jim Haynes left, just three days before DOD declassified the Yoo torture memo?
Out of Scope: The DOJ IG Report
The scope of DOJ's IG report on torture says as much as the rest of the conclusion: when DOJ appealed to the National Security Council to resolve the problems created by CIA's and DOD's use of torture, those appeals went nowhere.
Main Core
Radar provides an explanation for what so offended Jim Comey about the warrantless wiretapping program. They were using the warrantless wiretaps to collect information for a database called Main Core, which is basically a database of anyone the federal government considers potential enemies of the state.
You Can't Clean the Stench Out of the Straight Talk for Lobbyists Express
McCain seems to think getting rid of active lobbyists from his campaign, one year in, will cleanse the campaign of the stench of impropriety. But how do clean the stench off the policy positions formulated in the last year, when the lobbyists had ready access to McCain on the Straight Talk for Lobbyists Express? McCain's policies will always be the policies of the lobbyists of his campaign, whether or not they've left of "retired" from lobbying.
Virginia and Tom Davis' Plan to Save the GOP Brand
Tom Davis has some interesting things about how to save the Republican party. But as I read it, I kept thinking about how Davis retired this year because he couldn't risk running in his suburban DC district filled with a bunch of defense contractors and other government employees.
John McCain's "Green" Credentials Were Developed by an ACTIVE Energy Lobbyist
As it turns out, one of McCain's many lobbyist staffers--the first to be weeded out by McCain's new vetting process--has been lobbying the Senate about the same kind of energy technologies that John McCain is using to claim he is pro-environment.
The 9/11 Detainees Want Hartmann Disqualified, Too
In thoroughly unsurprising news, the defense attorneys for the 5 9/11 High Value Detainees (including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Ramzi bin al-Shibh) have moved to either have the charges against their clients dismissed or, at least, have General Hartmann disqualified as Legal Advisor to the Show Trials.
Duke Cunningham Bribery Ring: Two Down, Two to Go
Tommy K got a pretty tough sentence yesterday for bribing Duke Cunningham. But will we every learn just why he was allowed such a generous plea deal?
Happy Friday Night News Dump
Hans von Spakovsky complains that poor little Hans was treated unfairly in the ordeal of being prevented from re-nomination to the FEC because he made it harder for brown people to vote.
One Very Special Disclosure Survey
The McCain campaign is finally doing the work to ferret out all the improper conflicts of interest from among McCain staffers. But that still leaves the most troubling source of potential conflicts un-revealed--the conflicts in Cindy McCain's massive portfoiio of financial investments.
Are We Giving Saudi Arabia Nukes?
You tell me. Is giving Saudi Arabia nuclear technology, without, in exchange, getting the Saudis to increase oil production, a reasonable deal? Because that appears to be what Bush plans on doing while he's in Saudi Arabia.
The Brilliance of the Edwards Endorsement
By getting Edwards' endorsement when and in the manner in which he got it, Obama undercuts much of the leverage Hillary has to bargain for concessions from Obama.
And Since We've Been Talking about Contracting, Secrecy, and Spying...
Given today's report from the Cyber-Security Initiative, it sure sounds the Administration has a lot of work to make the Initiative do what it's supposed to do.
Grandson of Nazi Enabler Decries Talking to Nazis
It really seems like George Bush ought to avoid suggesting that talking to Nazis is a bad thing, since his family's fortune derives from Granddaddy Bush's ties to the Nazis.
Preview: Book Salon on Spies for Hire
Tim Shorrock's book, Spies for Hire, shows how the Bush Administration and Mike McConnell have handed over the keys to our privacy to CEOs interested in fighting "Islamofascists" and making lots and lots of money.
Clement's Departure
By leaving at the beginning of June, Paul Clement will avoid having to defend the Administration in its fight against Congress' subpoenas, as well as its Gitmo show trial.
It's Not Just McCain's Advisors with Financial Ties to Evil Dictators; It's His Wife
If Cindy McCain would just release her tax returns, we could all help her and her husband try to meet the standards John McCain claims to support on the campaign trail.
Conyers to Rove: No, It's Not an Open Book Test...
Gosh, Karl Rove seems to lack confidence he can answer the questions HJC might ask of him. I wonder if that's because he knows they will have a whole lot of material to ask about?
