Wednesday, January 31, 2007

On the Sixteenth Day of Fitzmas: A Wrap Up (5:12 pm)

David Corn reviews the day’s proceedings.

update:

Jeralyn Merritt and Marcy Wheeler (Emptywheel) provide analysis for PoliticsTV.

Jeralyn at firedoglake provides a recap.

posted by Brian Zick | start the discussion

Molly Ivins We Will Miss You (4:55 pm)

Scarecrow at firedoglake reports the sad news that Molly has passed away.

posted by Brian Zick | 1 comment

Shorter Zbig Brzezinski: Bush Is Biggest Fucktard Ever and He Must Be Stopped (3:08 pm)

Steve Clemons has text of Zbig’s prepared testimony for tomorrow’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings.

1. The war in Iraq is a historic, strategic, and moral calamity. Undertaken under false assumptions, it is undermining America’s global legitimacy. Its collateral civilian casualties as well as some abuses are tarnishing America’s moral credentials. Driven by Manichean impulses and imperial hubris, it is intensifying regional instability.

2. Only a political strategy that is historically relevant rather than reminiscent of colonial tutelage can provide the needed framework for a tolerable resolution of both the war in Iraq and the intensifying regional tensions.

posted by Brian Zick | start the discussion

George Bush’s Idea of Funny (11:36 am)

Holly Bailey for Newsweek reports

As the engine roared to life, White House staffers tried to steer the press corps to safety, but when the tractor lurched forward, they too were forced to scramble for safety.”Get out of the way!” a news photographer yelled. “I think he might run us over!” said another. White House aides tried to herd the reporters the right way without getting run over themselves. Even the Secret Service got involved, as one agent began yelling at reporters to get clear of the tractor. Watching the chaos below, Bush looked out the tractor’s window and laughed, steering the massive machine into the spot where most of the press corps had been positioned.

posted by Brian Zick | 1 comment

Bush DoJ Turning Over (Some) Warrantless Wiretap Spy Docs to Congress (11:25 am)

Lara Jakes Jordan for AP reports:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Wednesday he will turn over secret documents detailing the government’s domestic spying program, ending a two-week standoff with the Senate Judiciary Committee over surveillance targeting terror suspects.

“It’s never been the case where we said we would never provide access,” Gonzales told reporters.
(…)
But the administration still won’t release other crucial documents that explain how FISA Court’s orders comply with the 1978 surveillance law that the court oversees, said Rep. Heather Wilson (news, bio, voting record), R-N.M., a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee. She said the deal to release the documents stems from a briefing in front of that panel last week, which included Justice Department officials, and left many lawmakers frustrated.

“We are playing hide the ball down at the Justice Department,” said Wilson, who has told House Intelligence Chairman Silvestre Reyes (news, bio, voting record), D-Texas, that she will support a subpoena, if need be.
(…)
“It’s important for us that they understand what we’re doing,” Gonzales said. “All they have to do is ask.”

posted by Brian Zick | start the discussion

Live Blogging from House Judiciary Committee Hearings on Bush’s Signing Statements (10:12 am)

David Swanson at AfterDowningStreet.org is documenting the hearings.

via Tracy Van Slyke

posted by Brian Zick | 1 comment

On the Sixteenth Day of Fitzmas (9:27 am)

Emptywheel documents today’s cross examination and redirect of Judy Miller, first here and then here.

update:
Emptywheel records Matt Cooper’s testimony.

update 2:
Emptywheel has more of Cooper’s testimony.

Jon Stewart explains the issues behind the Libby trial, and highlights the cast of characters involved with particularly apt descriptions.
Crooks and Liars has the video.

Emptywheel posts further cross examination of Cooper.

posted by Brian Zick | start the discussion

Joe Biden versus Joe Biden’s Mouth (9:09 am)

David Corn reports on Biden’s description of Barack Obama, whom Joe describes as a noteworthy individual in particular because he’s an “African-American who is articulate and bright and clean.”

update:
Josh Marshall has been on top of this story, and points to a bad transcription compounding Biden’s poorly considered choice of words.

I think that Dems looking at this have to see this statement as not a landmine but a friggin’ minefield, open to a series of very problematic and not unreasonable interpretations, even if some of the key points weren’t nearly as bad as they were portrayed in the Observer transcription.

update 2;
Digby quotes Obama’s reaction:

I didn’t take Senator Biden’s comments personally, but obviously they are historically inaccurate. After all, we’ve had presidential candidates like Jesse jackson, Shirley Chisholm, Carol Mosely Braun and Al Sharpton. They gave a voice to many important issues through their campaigns and no one would call them inarticulate