The Center for Public Integrity looks at US spending habits in the war on terror and finds that, for members of the "Coalition of the Willing," human rights are not a precondition for receiving American support. Instead, countries like Djibouti and Ethiopia have found it more expedient to hire lobbyists to protect their interests rather than to address their human rights abuses.

The Democrats will have to compete with a busy legislative schedule and an uncooperative Republican party it they want to have a vote of no confidence (sub. req.) on Attorney General Gonzales before Memorial Day. (Roll Call)

This past April, the Pentagon proudly announced the capture of bin Laden advisor Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi. That excitement is now being undermined by the fact that the Pentagon acknowledges that they had already been holding al-Iraqi for several months, raising again the specter of “ghost detainees” and CIA black sites. (Salon)

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel covers Wisconsin’s 2004 voter fraud hunt from a new perspective: individuals who are living out their mistakes in prison. In this case, an ex-convict returns to prison for voting while on parole.

Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) has replaced his longtime chief of staff with Ron Rogers, a Sacramento political consultant. Rogers said he was looking forward to the opportunity, and included, “whether that's an 18-month or an 18-year assignment, I don't know.” We’re betting on the former. (Sacramento Bee)