Entries by emptywheel

No Longer Operative

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It looks like we’re approaching the point where some hack stands up and explains that the claim that any disagreements were not about the domestic wiretap program is no longer operative.

Documents indicate eight congressional leaderswere briefed about the Bush administration’s terrorist surveillanceprogram on the eve of its expiration in 2004, contradicting swornSenate testimony this week by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

[snip]A Gonzales spokesman maintained Wednesday that the attorney general stands by his

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Did Harman Approve of the Illegal Domestic Wiretap Program?

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Well, that was quick work. Yesterday I suggested that the Gang of Eight who purportedly attended the March 10, 2004 meeting at which Alberto Gonzales claims to have developed consensus that they should ignore James Comey’s concerns and continue to tap American citizens anyway might have some enlightenment to offer about what went on at the meeting.

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Cheney Got the Keys to DOJ … But Did Rove?

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One more detail about the Ashcroft and Gonzales guidelines on contacts between DOJ and the White House. While the latter explicitly gives Cheney the authority to communicate with DOJ about ongoing cases, I don’t believe it gives Karl Rove–or any of the people who work in Office of Political Affairs save its head–that authority.

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Cunningham, CIFA, and Cheney, a New Chronology

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In light of the news that Alberto Gonzales granted Cheneypresidential powers to snoop into ongoing investigations in May 2006, I thoughtit was time to update my chronology of the CIFA side of the Cunningham scandal.September 2002, then Deputy Secretary of Defense for Counter-Intelligence Burtt establishes CIFA to oversee counterintelligence units of the armed services; consulting on the new agency was James King, recently retired director of National Imagery and Mapping Agency

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Changing the Rules

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DiFi has a habit of using hearings to introduce new allegations against DOJ and she has done so again today. Here’s Christy’s version of the interchange:

Read to you what has been dropped from the earlier addition of the DOJmanual. (1) restriction on bringing a voter fraud case close to anelection.

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Time to Talk to the Gang of Eight

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Alberto Gonzales gave a closed-door briefing to the House Intelligence Committee recently and offered an excuse for barging into ICU to try to get Ashcroft to override Jim Comey. Silvestre Reyes, at least, seems satisfied with Gonzales’ explanation.

But Reyes said he was satisfied with Gonzales’ explanation and cautioned against drawing conclusions.

“When there are issues of national security at stake, I thinkcertainly one should not question the motivation of individuals,” Reyestold reporters.

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Crappy Product, Crappy Marketing Company

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As many of you know, I used to do work for the auto industry. And I can assure you, the single most important thing Ford could do to turn itself around would be to fire its long-time ad company, J Walter Thompson. Everyone knows it, too, in all parts of the world.

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Judy Finally Gets Her Wingnut Welfare!!

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A reader sent me the full text of this Judy Miller interview of Shimon Peres in Murdoch’s newest plaything. The interview itself is nothing exciting. After all acting a stenographer of other people’s thoughts is what Judy does best, which means her stenography is only ever as interesting as Judy’s source.

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Globalization and Terror and More Obstruction at DOJ

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Kudos to Congressman Bill Delahunt. He seems to be on a lonely crusade to get the US Government to treat all kinds of terrorism the same. He has been criticizing DOJ for its sloppy treatment of the terrorist Luis Posada Carriles; DOJ botched its case of immigration violations and Posada effectively went free.

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