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The Daily Muck
The Justice Department is pursuing the leak from government officials to The New York Times' James Risen. A former government official called before a grand jury regarding the case has confirmed that he was shown phone records that prove some in the government had conversations with Risen as he was reporting on the CIA, as well as the National Security Agency's program of warrantless eavesdropping. The department is pursuing the sources for Risen's book "State of War," and articles he wrote for the Times. (New York Times)
The Bush administration has plans to implement a new advanced domestic spying system, employing technology formerly used for the likes of mapping and disaster response. Congress has responded critically, claiming that there's no proof that the program will not be used to violate citizens' privacy. The Department of Homeland Security wants to use the program for enhanced satellite imagery and chemical detection, among other monitoring abilities. (Washington Post)
Bill Clinton's charity, credited with raising millions for causes like disaster response and poverty relief, is now accused of accepting funds from a Chinese Internet company closely associated with the Chinese government. Alibaba Inc., now running Yahoo in China, carried a government-mandated post on the Yahoo China homepage calling for citizens to point out any Tibetan activists involved in the recent riots. This comes after Clinton's wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton, has called for President Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies of the upcoming Beijing Olympics. (Los Angeles Times)
Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL), used public financing to send a letter to constituents to denounce the vote by Berkeley, California's city council (2,000 miles away) that called for a shunning of military recruiters in the city. The $3,113 for the mailers has been called illegal by those deeming it a campaign tactic. (Orlando Sentinel)
Federal prosecutors are urging that legal proceedings at Guantanamo Bay speed up. Pentagon officials have voiced disappointment at the slow pace of cases as the number of detainees facing charges mounts. (New York Times)
Two former officials at the Army Space and Missile Defense Command in Huntsville, Ala., have pleaded guilty in federal court for accepting bribes from defense contractors. The officials were found to have directed earmarks to select subcontractors. (Wall St. Journal)
Weeks after his resignation, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson is under fire for pushing legislation that would have made it easier for lenders to supply loans to risky borrowers, as well as ignoring warnings from HUD officials that his actions were "ill-advised policy" as a national housing crisis emerged. (Washington Post)













As for the Clinton charity, it is quite doubtful the Clintons were aware of the interconnectivity that links the "bad guys" in China to their charity.
ANy organization like that is managed by so many layers of underlings, that the names on the door, are typically separated by six degrees of administration, and thus the Clintons shouldn't be held accountable personally.
Now that the connectons are known, they shold do something to mitigate the situation, but I, for one, dobt very seriously that Bill or Hillary would have agreed to the deal, while their surrogates are not so particular, nor as diligent in terms of who they take donations from.
The old cliche' "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" is applied quite rigorously at that level, but it would seem that, in a 21st Century internet world, that cliche' has become radioactively arcane because of these very kinds of connections.
April 14, 2008 10:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Bush/Cheney Administration continues to solidify its totalitarian police state and Clinton's charities are what make everyone all a-twitter.
Get real!
There won't be a Democratic President if Bush/Cheney are not stopped. There won't be a Constitution. It will be declared to not apply in the current state of war (or some other excuse).
New DOMESTIC Spy Satellites.
Criminal Investigations against the Press for reporting on criminal, unconstitutional activity carried out by the administration. Torture - freely admitted to.
April 14, 2008 11:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes. They want this to happen before the November elections. There must be a successful prosecution using the kangaroo courts, excuse me, "Military Tribunals" soon. The illegal, unconstitutional, grossly inhumane nightmare at Guantanamo must be shown to be a good thing.
But let's focus on the Clenis instead...
April 14, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Shouldn't an investigation be focused on the criminality of a situation and not on the one who exposed the illegal acts? Why Risen? Is it because they who committed the crimes hold the cards? Seems as though this administrat5ion only knows abuseof power.
April 14, 2008 2:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please correct this:
One broaches a subject.
One breaches security, hence privacy.
April 14, 2008 2:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I tried changing my handle from v popvli
April 14, 2008 5:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
I tried changing my handle from v popvli to SPQR and the only thing that seems to have happened is that half of my "recent comments" have disappeared from my profile. Any clues on this latest glitch, TPM?
April 14, 2008 5:18 PM | Reply | Permalink