Robert Novak reports: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has indicated he is too busy to answer letters from Democratic congressional leaders about his firing seven U.S. attorneys involved in probes of... [More]
March 3, 2007
March 7, 2007
A Thought About Presidential Pardons
As is so often the case, Digby is right. I realize that constitutionally a president's ability to pardon is absolute and unchecked, but... If a president can pardon the most... [More]
March 13, 2007
About Those Attorneys (With Multiple Updates)
While I was off skiing at Killington this weekend, the story about the purge late last year of numerous US Attorneys broke wide open. When Josh Marshall over at TPM... [More]
When the Subpoenas Start Flying, Remember This
Carpetbagger reminds us of precedent: Let’s take a moment to remember exactly what Burton was up to a decade ago. Most memorable, however, was the famously unhinged chairman of the... [More]
Power Corrputs
Another piece of the puzzle falls into place: According to a study published by communications professors Donald C. Shields and John F. Cragan (available at ePluribus Media), nearly 80% of... [More]
Rule of Law
Josh Marshall: I'm not sure if it's more a matter of entertainment or just grim confirmation, but it is worth cataloging all the Republicans who are now willing to come... [More]
March 15, 2007
Congressional Research Service Weighs in On US Attorney Replacement
The Library of Congress' nonpartisan CRS was asked to look into the history of US Attorney replacement over the past 25 years. Here's what they found: At least 54 U.S.... [More]
Quote of the Day
Via Andrew Sullivan, Scott Horton: What is at stake here? The issue is enormous. It is whether the criminal justice system will be turned into a partisan political tool...There is... [More]
Another Gonzales Scandal?
You've got to be kidding me. National Journal’s Murray Waas has uncovered a second major scandal implicating Gonzales: Shortly before Attorney General Alberto Gonzales advised President Bush last year on... [More]
ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE: E-Mails Show Rove's Role in U.S. Attorney Firings (Multiple Updates)
You've got to be kidding me. A few days ago the White House was claiming that, within the White House at least, the idea of the prosecutor purge was all... [More]
Questions
You know, if we followed standard criminal justice procedures with terrorism suspects, including interrogations without torture and trials open to the public, questions like these might not be necessary: Is... [More]
March 19, 2007
Updating The US Attorneys Scandal
Looks like the story advanced significantly over the weekend. First up, from today's WaPo, yet another sign of a direct tie between the aggressive investigation of Republican scandals and the... [More]
Instantaneously And Without Limits
Glenn Greenwald continues to push the warrantless wiretapping story forward. Is this the America you want to leave for your children? In essence, the FBI and our nation's telecommunications companies... [More]
March 20, 2007
The Conservative Revolt
Via Huffington Post: Four prominent conservative thinkers are set to launch a campaign "to restore checks and balances and civil liberties protections under assault by the Executive Branch," arguing that,... [More]
Gonzales to Go?
Some signs suggest it may happen today. First, from ThinkProgress: Gonzales was supposed to appear before a House committee on Thursday to discuss the Justice Department budget and other issues... [More]
Patrick Fitzgerald on White House "Undistinguished" List
This is so laughably stupid it hurts: U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald was ranked among prosecutors who had "not distinguished themselves" on a Justice Department chart sent to the White... [More]
New, Improved FBI Procedures! Now With No Paper Trail Required!
No wonder principled conservatives are up in arms today. Take a look at what the FBI has decided to do: The FBI, which has been criticized for improperly gathering telephone... [More]
The USA-8
Kevin Drum comes up with the new name for the US Attorneys scandal: The USA-8. Consider it adopted. The overview of the massive document dump by TPM Muckraker is still... [More]
About Executive Privilege
Atrios provides a key reminder: Any executive privilege claims can only theoretically potentially limit the scope of questioning, not prevent them from testifying at all. Working for the president doesn't... [More]
More on Executive Privilege
Glenn Greenwald, as is his wont, digs deeply: it is crystal clear (just as it was when Bill Clinton sought to invoke "executive privilege" to resist Grand Jury subpoenas to... [More]
March 21, 2007
The USA-8, Cont'd
As people continue to sift through the latest set of documents, there are plenty of updates to pass along today. But for those of you pressed for time, there's really... [More]
Exectutive Privilege
Whoops. Ed Henry on CNN: I think also, another thing to look at, I followed up a question about executive privilege. You heard Tony Snow at the end there saying... [More]
David Brooks is PISSED!
Tomorrow's NYT: Prosecutors, like other professionals, develop a code of honor to help them steer through the gray areas. This code of honor consists of a series of habits and... [More]
March 22, 2007
OK, I'll Bite....
Tony Snow: There’s another principle, which is Congress doesn’t have the legislative — I mean oversight authority over the White House. [CNN, 3/22/07] First, the White House is under no... [More]
More Attorneys, More Scandals
Tip of the iceberg, people. Tip of the iceberg. The leader of the Justice Department team that prosecuted a landmark lawsuit against tobacco companies said yesterday that Bush administration political... [More]
FBI Violations May Number 3,000, Official Says
Trust us, they said. We'll never abuse the provisions of the Patriot Act, they said. We only want what is best for you, they said. We only want to protect... [More]
March 23, 2007
They Can't Even Get The Cover-Up Right
For those of you looking for hard evidence that the Justice Department is withholding information from Congress, this is it. And once again, it shows just how inept these people... [More]
In Your Name (Updated)
This morning, the Washington Post broke its long-standing prohibition against publishing anonymous op-eds so that it could let one of your fellow Americans tell his story. This is your government,... [More]
Connecting the Dots, One By One
Just out from McClatchy: The administration's interest in replacing some U.S. attorneys, in voter fraud and in voting rights has sometimes had a political tinge, however. Bush has acknowledged hearing... [More]
Well This Certainly Explains Why They Waited Until Friday Night To Dump The Docs
Alberto Gonzales, 10 days ago: ''I knew my chief of staff was involved in the process of determining who were the weak performers -- where were the districts around the... [More]
March 24, 2007
The USA-8: The Story Continues To Unfold (Multiple Updates)
When I went to bed last night, news about a new 3,000+ 280+ page document dump from the Dept of Justice had just broken, and within just the first few... [More]
Repeat After Me
US Attorney's serve at the pleasure of the president. The law does not.... [More]
At The Pleasure of the PRESIDENT
Anonymous Liberal makes a very interesting and under-reported point. In fact, this is the first time I've seen it made anywhere: As Marty Lederman points out, the relevant statute–28 U.S.C.... [More]
NYT: Police Spied Broadly Before G.O.P. Convention
Shades of the 1960s in this story from the NYT: For at least a year before the 2004 Republican National Convention, teams of undercover New York City police officers traveled... [More]
March 27, 2007
Gonzales Flees Own Press Conference?!?
I'm not a lawyer, but when you behave like this, it doesn't do much to convince people that you are innocent. Don't have time for the video? This image will... [More]
March 28, 2007
Like a Katamari of Scandals
Kyle Sampson, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales former Chief of Staff, is set to testify under oath tomorrow before the Senate on his role in the rapidly evolving US Attorneys scandal.... [More]
March 29, 2007
The Sampson Hearings
Just an FYI... TPM Muckraker is doing a blow by blow account of today's hearings. I'll be busy most of the day, but hope to be back later to provide... [More]
March 30, 2007
Tilting the Scales
Joseph D. Rich was chief of the voting section in the Justice Department's civil right division from 1999 to 2005. Here's what he has to say in today's LA Times:... [More]
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