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The Daily Muck
Via War and Piece: The ACLU has accused a subsidiary of Boeing of facilitating torture by providing services to the CIA for secret overseas flight. (Associated Press)
The LA Times connects former US Attorney Thomas Heffelfinger’s record to his appearance on Kyle Sampson’s firing list. The verdict? Heffelfinger was concerned with protecting the voting rights of Native Americans.
Tim Griffin is set to resign Friday as interim U.S. Attorney for Eastern Arkansas, according to local congressional staffers. (Arkansas Times)
The Hill is reporting that House conservatives intend to block the Senate immigration bill based on a constitutional rule that revenue-related bills to originate in the House. According to an unnamed aide, “a number of people in the House are dying to be fingered as the person who killed [the Senate bill].”
The ethics probes that proved so costly in the midterm elections are still plaguing the Republican Party. Currently, six GOP lawmakers are under some form of investigation, according to Democrats. Meanwhile, two Democrats are also being investigated for ethics violations. (Associated Press)
Think Progress is continuing on the trail of Sen. Ted Stevens. In what seems like an attempt to prevent the Senator from influencing potential investigations, the administration blocked Stevens from having any say in the selection of the most recent Alaska U.S. Attorney.
A Saudi man took his own life in his cell at Guantanamo Bay yesterday, making him the fourth detainee in the past year to do so. (Washington Post)
The Center for Public Integrity investigates how the American military has begun borrowing controversial tactics from Israel, including targeted killing of insurgents and extreme interrogations tactics that include torture.
The CIA has brought in plenty of fresh faces over the past six years, with over half of the workforce hired since 9/11 and roughly 15% of the workforce hired in the past two months. (USA TODAY)
The request of D.C. Madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey to delay her criminal case was not taken up by the Supreme Court yesterday. Palfrey insisted that she could not afford to adequately defend herself because her funds had been frozen a concurrent civil case. (Associated Press)
Scooter Libby’s friends are worried that he will head straight to jail following his sentencing conference in June. (US News)
Sen. Clinton defended her decision to accept rides on the private jet of contributor Vinod Gupta. Clinton claimed that she acted within the scope of Senate ethics rules, and refunded Gupta the equivalent of a first-class ticket for each trip. (Associated Press)
An FBI agent testified yesterday that there was “no doubt” that he could identify Jose Padilla’s voice on wiretapped phone calls. The agent, who interrogated Padilla in 2002, was not allowed to say how he could be sure without a recording of his conversation five years ago for comparison. (LA Times)
Comments (10)
Derek wrote on May 31, 2007 10:52 AM:Can anyone answer a question of mine I've been trying to figure out? WHAT will happen to McNulty after Goodling's allegations of perjury? Is there anybody looking into it? What is the procedure, even, for proceeding in that direction? Is there any possibility of inquiry and possible justice?
I have first hand experience with McNulty, and I know exactly the ethically-challenged hack he is. I pray there will be some sort of justice.
Kimberly wrote on May 31, 2007 11:42 AM:I notice that there has been little attention paid to the fact that Fred Thompson's team has been in contact with Tim Griffin for a top post on Thompson's campaign staff.
Guess what that indicates as to the kind of tactics Thompson expects to employ to get elected.
Samsara wrote on May 31, 2007 11:46 AM:A new definition of Red States.
http://icasualties.org/oif/WndByState.aspx
MsInformed wrote on May 31, 2007 12:39 PM:What new spook will take Griffin's place?
MsInformed wrote on May 31, 2007 12:41 PM:Oh, I see...the female preggers spook. Spook or real lawyer? Anyone have 1st hand knowledge of her?
davis13 wrote on May 31, 2007 12:52 PM:Thompson for President!! lol. He was more than happy to lend his name to a defense fund for that traitorous little weaseld*ck "Scooter" Libby.
Now that Fitzgerald has confirmed that Plame was covert let the rightwing nutcases spin that.
Tod wrote on May 31, 2007 1:20 PM:What I wonder is: how did we let our justice system slip through our fingers and into the hands of conspiring men/women? I worry whether the majority of the laws/policies passed the last 7 years will be reversible. The Military Commissions Act is a shame, and shame on Special Agent Russell R. Fincher for his testimony. How are we expected to believe Fincher has no doubt to the voice recording of Mr. Padilla when he has no record of his interrogation with Mr. Padilla 5 years ago?
davis13 wrote on May 31, 2007 1:28 PM:"What I wonder is: how did we let our justice system slip through our fingers and into the hands of conspiring men/women?"
Tod wrote on May 31, 2007 1:34 PM:9/11.
Amen. Maybe my real question is: how are we going to do anything about it? The system is rigged, it seems, and voting won't fix our problems, they have that too. Oh well. Pessimism sounds laudable at this point.
modmom wrote on May 31, 2007 1:46 PM:on Griffin:
Breaking: RF Kennedy, Jr. Says USA Griffin Under Investigation
Fri May 04, 2007
Tonight in Montpelier, Vermont, Greg Palast announced that he received a phone call this evening from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. that US Attorney replacement Timothy Griffin, Rove's former assistant, is under investigation for election fraud.
More.......
Palast published this on Griffin in March:
Timothy Griffin, Karl Rove’s assistant, the President’s pick as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Griffin, according to BBC Television, was the hidden hand behind a scheme to wipe out the voting rights of 70,000 citizens prior to the 2004 election.
Key voters on Griffin’s hit list: Black soldiers and homeless men and women.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/5/4/221338/5335
Targeting voters where race is a factor is a felony crime under the Voting Rights Act of 1965.