October 19, 2007

The Comedic Stylings Of Your Elected Officials

Even in the grimmest of times there's plenty to laugh about in Washington, and a number of lawmakers proved that the case this week at the Funniest Celebrity in Washington contest.

Politicians and the reporters who cover them get to be funny on purpose for one night a year with proceeds going to a worthy cause. This year's beneficiaries were VH1's Save The Music Foundation and the Institute of Musical Traditions, and contestants included The Nation's David Corn, the Washington Post's Eugene Robinson and Rep. Loretta Sanchez, sister of 2006 champion Rep. Linda Sanchez.

Wednesday night's winner was Joseph Randazzo of The Onion. No fair, we say, because -- hello -- The Onion. (Also, he lives in New York!) We prefer to think of the first runner-up as the rightful champion: the senior senator from Pennsylvania, Arlen Specter.

Continue reading "The Comedic Stylings Of Your Elected Officials"

Posted at 5:00 PM
Posted to: Arlen Specter, Barack Obama, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Congress, Democrats, Dick Cheney, John Kerry, Senate, WH 2008
Share via

September 19, 2007

Bring Us The Body... Of Case Law

A bloc of 42 Republicans -- and Joe Lieberman -- have rejected a vote on an amendment that would restore habeas corpus rights to terrorism suspects. (See reports on how the vote went down here, here and here.)

The Senate rejection leaves the question of constitutionality to the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to weigh this matter in the coming term anyway. Several of the justices -- quite possibly a majority -- are disturbed that the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 strips terror suspects of the right to appeal their detention.

This most fundamental of rights may only be suspended during invasion or insurrection, per the U.S. Constitution, no matter if the accused is a foreigner or a citizen. The further we get away from the 9/11 attacks -- the very reason for this shadowy system of justice -- the more uncomfortable the justices seem about the entire military detention process. Several have struggled with the squishy boundaries of what the "war on terror" even means. This may explain the court's unprecedented June reversal of its own decision not to hear the petitions of two prisoners challenging their detentions.

Continue reading "Bring Us The Body... Of Case Law"

Posted at 4:11 PM
Posted to: Arlen Specter, Bush Administration, Congress, Constitution, Detainees, President Bush, Senate, Supreme Court, Terrorism
Share via

September 17, 2007

Bush Nominates Mukasey For Attorney General, Still Sore Over Gonzales

UPDATED.

As expected, President Bush formally announced his nomination of retired federal judge Michael Mukasey to take the helm at the Department of Justice -- but not without an indirect jab at his critics over the resignation of the previous attorney general, Alberto Gonzales.

Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn this morning, Bush said, "When [Mukasey] takes his place at the Justice Department, he will succeed another fine judge." Recalling Gonzales' resume as a Texas Supreme Court judge, White House counsel and AG, Bush continued, "This honorable and decent man has served with distinction."

If that was a message to Gonzales' many critics in the Beltway, the president then narrowed his remarks to critics on Capitol Hill. "The attorney general takes on an important responsibility for the country. It is vital that the position be confirmed quickly. I urge the Senate to confirm Judge Mukasey promptly," he said.

Continue reading "Bush Nominates Mukasey For Attorney General, Still Sore Over Gonzales"

Posted at 12:48 PM
Posted to: Alberto Gonzales, Arlen Specter, Attorney Scandal, Bush Administration, Congress, President Bush, Senate, Terrorism
Share via

September 05, 2007

Could Larry Craig Really Reverse His Plea? Jiminy!

After a week of being the target of assorted scatological and sexual jokes, Idaho Republican Larry Craig is embarking on a damage-control offensive to clear his name and keep his job.

The senator appears to have realized -- about a month too late -- that he had a pretty good shot at beating that disorderly conduct charge. Ditto the fact that attorneys are generally good to have around when you're tussling with the police. Under the recently retained advisement of top-flight legal eagles Stanley Brand and Andrew Herman, Craig is fighting a Senate Ethics Committee complaint and reconsidering his announced resignation.

"Stunning" is a word being bandied about a lot today. Even though Pennsylvania Republican Arlen Specter was one of the first to pick up on the bailout clause in Craig's resignation speech, hardly anyone else believed Craig might try to finish out his term. Craig's already suffered enough embarrassment for a lifetime; it may now be his turn to shame the Republicans who abandoned him.

Continue reading "Could Larry Craig Really Reverse His Plea? Jiminy!"

Posted at 4:51 PM
Posted to: Arlen Specter, Congress, Larry Craig, Senate
Share via

August 21, 2007

Cheney Removes Himself -- Again -- From Executive Branch

CORRECTED.

Less than two months after Dick Cheney reversed course on the claim under a congressional threat and much ridicule, the vice president is once again severing himself from the executive branch of government -- this time to defy a subpoena.

In June, Cheney's lawyers whipped out a novel -- and almost certainly wrong -- claim that as the Senate's tiebreaker, his office actually belongs in the legislative branch. At the time, he was resisting an executive order renewed by President Bush that their offices hand over reports on classified data to the National Archives. Red-faced officials eventually said they would back off of the bizarre claim.

But yesterday it resurfaced, in a letter [PDF] to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy.

Continue reading "Cheney Removes Himself -- Again -- From Executive Branch"

Posted at 5:40 PM
Posted to: Arlen Specter, Attorney Scandal, Bush Administration, Congress, Dick Cheney, Patrick Leahy, President Bush, Senate
Share via

August 01, 2007

McConnell Admits Spy Program Is Part Of Broader Effort

President Bush's critics have long insisted there is more to the administration's NSA spying program than anyone admitted, and new revelations from the country's top intelligence official now confirms some of those suspicions.

Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell said yesterday that the scope of the NSA's surveillance activities extended beyond the warrantless phone taps and e-mail monitoring that Bush described in December 2005.

In a letter sent yesterday to Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the Washington Post reports, McConnell wrote that the executive order Bush gave after the 9/11 attacks covered "a number of... intelligence activities" -- not just the wiretap program.

"This is the only aspect of the NSA activities that can be discussed publicly, because it is the only aspect of those various activities whose existence has been officially acknowledged," McConnell said.

Continue reading "McConnell Admits Spy Program Is Part Of Broader Effort"

Posted at 10:21 AM
Posted to: Arlen Specter, Congress, Mike McConnell, President Bush, Senate, Terrorism
Share via

July 31, 2007

House Dems Push Gonzales Impeachment; Specter Unhappy With WH Response

UPDATED.

Democratic Rep. Jay Inslee today laid out a case for forcibly removing Attorney General Alberto Gonzales from office, after filing a resolution [PDF] that would kick off preliminary impeachment proceedings.

"Americans of all stripes believe that we deserve an attorney general who will not allow the politicization of the judicial system," said the former prosecutor, flanked by other former officers of the law turned legislators. The attorney general should "respect the laws of privacy" and "be forthright with the American people and U.S. Congress," Inslee added.

If the resolution receives a simple majority, the House Judiciary Committee will conduct an investigation into whether Gonzales has committed any impeachable offenses, such as perjury.

The months-long investigation into the politically tinged firings of U.S. attorneys last year, and a related one into a secret surveillance program considered by many in DOJ to be illegal, has cast Gonzales in an unflattering light. He was elevated to the job from White House counsel in February 2005.

Democrats and Republicans alike have pushed for Gonzales to be fired or resign, but both the attorney general and President Bush, a longtime friend and career benefactor, have refused to give in. The White House has also ignored congressional subpoenas in the ongoing investigations.

Calling impeachment a "last resort," Inslee said that Congress' and the public's loss of faith in Gonzales was harmful to the judicial system and therefore to democracy. "Accordingly, I am here today with a number of colleagues to call on the Judiciary Committee in the House of Representatives to conduct a thorough investigation to determine whether articles of impeachment are appropriately lodged against the attorney general," the Washington lawmaker said.

Continue reading "House Dems Push Gonzales Impeachment; Specter Unhappy With WH Response"

Posted at 6:52 PM
Posted to: Alberto Gonzales, Arlen Specter, Attorney Scandal, Bush Administration, Congress, House, James Comey, John Ashcroft, Patrick Leahy, President Bush, Robert Mueller, Senate
Share via

July 26, 2007

Rove Subpoenaed As Specter Slams Dems' Special Prosecutor Request

UPDATED.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has ordered President Bush's chief political aide, Karl Rove, to testify in the U.S. attorney firings investigation. One of Rove's aides, Deputy Political Director J. Scott Jennings, was subpoenaed as well.

It is doubtful the White House will allow Rove and Jennings to testify under oath before the panel. The administration has used an executive privilege claim to rebuff Congress' demands for access to testimony and documents related to the firings.

But the evidence gathered so far by the committee has convinced a great many observers that the firings were politically motivated. Several longtime Bush allies have joined the chorus calling for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' ouster.

The Senate panel has yet to join its counterpart in the House in citing uncooperative White House or DOJ officials for contempt. To move past the executive privilege claim that will undoubtedly come in response to Rove's subpoena, the Senate committee will have to do so.

Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy said that the White House's refusal to accommodate Congress was an indictment in itself.

"It is obvious that the reasons given for these firings were contrived as part of a cover-up and that the stonewalling by the White House is part and parcel of that same effort," the Vermont Democrat said in a statement. "This stonewalling is a dramatic break from the practices of every administration since World War II in responding to congressional oversight."

The White House, as per usual, dismissed the subpoenas as a meaningless political stunt.

Continue reading "Rove Subpoenaed As Specter Slams Dems' Special Prosecutor Request"

Posted at 3:47 PM
Posted to: Alberto Gonzales, Arlen Specter, Attorney Scandal, Charles Schumer, Congress, James Comey, Patrick Leahy, Paul Clement, President Bush, Senate
Share via