One Scandal per Administration? No.
I wrote a long comment in Kagro X's latest impeachment post arguing that we need to demonstrate the systematic, ongoing corruption of the Republican party. Until we can show how often the Republicans have brought back discredited flunkies to pick up their corrupt plans where they left off, it will be difficult to show the importance of impeachment--the one recourse citizens have to ensure that these flunkies never return again.
Libby's Motions
Yesterday and today, we've gotten more news that Libby's defense team is requesting all manner of stuff. ReddHedd explains that this is normal operating procedure, not to read too much into it. And while I'll cede to RH's expert judgment on legal issues, I wonder whether there isn't something more going on.
After all, this is only nominally the "Libby Defense Team." In reality, Libby's team of lawyers is attempting to ensure
Where Is Abu Zubaydah?
Am I the only one who is disturbed that our government has disappeared all the Al Qaeda leadership rather than dealing with them transparently?
I just finished James Risen's new book in which Abu Zubaydah features prominently. First there's the anecdote where, a few days after Abu Zubaydah's capture and transfer to Thailand, Bush asked Tenet what kind of intelligence they had gotten from Zubaydah.
Child Support Is a Pro-Life Issue
Mark Schmitt has an important post up about Republican cuts in child support enforcement in the Budget bill. I agree with him that cutting enforcement funds for child support is about the most churlish short-sighted thing you can do.
And it worked. In 2004, 51% of child support was paid. From 18% to51% is a huge transformation.
Which Came First, Daou's Triangle, or the Egg?
I'm not sure I buy it.
Lefty blogosphere is agog over Peter Daou's latest assessment of Democratic woes. And while I absolutely agree with Daou's description of the predominance of a Republican narrative...
Matthews, Moore, Murtha, and the Media:What's the common thread running through the past half-decade of Bush'spresidency? What's the nexus between the Swift-boating of Kerry, theSwift-boating of Murtha, and the guilt-by-association between Democratsand terrorists?
The Incredible Story of Mahdi Obeidi, Part Five
Summary: In this series of posts, I examine some funkiness regarding the story of Mahdi Obeidi, the Iraqi nuclear scientist who claimed to have buried a nuclear centrifuge under his rose plant. In part one, I lay out a timeline for his story. Parts two and three examine some problems with the materials he turned over.
The Incredible Story of Mahdi Obeidi, Part Four
Overview: In this series, I examine some funky aspects of the story of Mahdi Obeidi, the Iraqi scientist who hid nuclear blueprints and centrifuge parts under his rose bush. The first post provides a timeline of Obeidi's story. The second and third posts raise several problems with Obeidi's story: the explanation for how the materials were preserved is unlikely, the blueprints don't match details we know of said blueprints, and the
The First Amendment, WaPo, and Native Americans
We've been hearing a lot from journalists and newspapers about the First Amendment of late. "It's under assault! They're coming after the journalists! Defend the First Amendment!" Now I don't want to dismiss those complaints (and will return to Phelps' article in the near future).
But it goes without saying that, when the same newspapers crying about their First Amendment rights shut down the voice of their reader, the proclaimed concerns
Risen Makes Editors Sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement
The increasingly indispensible NY Observer Off the Record reports this week that James Risen required his NYT editors to sign a non-disclosure agreement before they could see the manuscript for his book. And they didn't see the manuscript until after they decided to run the wiretap story.
When they decided to send the long-gestating N.S.A.
Why Did We Go to War against Iraq?
According to Atrios' timeline, we've now entered the first phase of a long process that will end in war:
Winter/Spring - The clone army of foreign policy "experts" fromconservative foreign policy outfits nobody ever heard of beforesuddenly appear on all the cable news programs all the time, frowningfuriously and expressing concerns about the "grave threat" that Iranposes.
Reading Comprehension Can Be Fun
Summary: In this post, I review Jason Leopold's claim that Bush authorized domestic surveillance before 9/11. Leopold relies heavily on a December 2000 document to make his claim and cites it out of context. He includes three other sources to support his claim, but these sources are talking about different programs, not the domestic surveillance program James Risen first exposed.