National Defense Authorization Act

Obama Administration Pushes Back On Liberal Criticism Over NDAA's 'Indefinite Detention'

Ryan J. Reilly | January 6, 2012, 9:30AM

The Obama administration thinks many in the liberal blogosphere are mistaken in their belief that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed by the president on New Year's Eve authorizes the indefinite detention of citizens captured on U.S. soil.

Many progressive and libertarians have argued that the NDAA codifies the president's ability to detain a U.S. citizen captured on American soil until the war on terrorism is declared over. The administration believes that the NDAA doesn't specifically allow for the indefinite detention of American citizens, but concedes that it doesn't specifically ban the practice either.

A senior administration official maintained in an interview with TPM that the NDAA "changes nothing" about the legal question of whether the government could allow for the indefinite detention of U.S. citizens captured in the United States.

Read more »

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Barack Obama, Carl Levin, Counterterrorism, FBI, Guantanamo, Indefinite Detentions, Justice Department, National Defense Authorization Act, Obama Administration

Don't Ask Don't Tell

Responding To Pressure, Pentagon Will Release DADT Report One Day Early

Rachel Slajda | November 22, 2010, 10:38AM

Responding to pressure from pro-repeal senators and gay groups, the Pentagon is releasing its study on how to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell before its Dec. 1 deadline -- one day before.

The Washington Post reports that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered the report be released on Nov. 30.

"He wants to ensure members of the Armed Services Committee are able to read and consider the complex, lengthy report before holding hearings with its authors and the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said in a statement.

Read more »

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Carl Levin, Don't Ask Don't Tell, John McCain, Robert Gates

Don't Ask Don't Tell

Gates Calls For DADT Repeal In Lame Duck As Levin And McCain Discuss Stripping It

Rachel Slajda | November 8, 2010, 9:40AM

Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters in Australia on Sunday that he would like to see Don't Ask, Don't Tell repealed in the lame duck session of Congress.

Asked if he saw any prospect for repeal of the policy in the lame duck, Gates replied, "I would like to see the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, but I'm not sure what the prospects for that are and we'll just have to see."

Read more »

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Carl Levin, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Gay Rights, John McCain, Robert Gates

Don't Ask Don't Tell

Reid On DADT: 'I Think It's Something We Could Work Out' In Lame Duck

Rachel Slajda | November 3, 2010, 5:14PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said today that it is his "goal" to pass the Defense Authorization bill -- and with it, repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell -- in the Senate's lame-duck session, but warned that it'll be a tough squeeze.

According to The Hill, Reid said today that being able to pass the massive, traditionally must-pass funding bill will depend on Republican cooperation and support.

"The problem we have with the defense authorization bill is that it takes a while to get done," he said. "If we can get some agreement from the Republicans that we can move the bill without a lot of extraneous amendments, I think it's something we could work out. That would be my goal."

Read more »

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)
Topics: Carl Levin, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Gay Rights, Harry Reid

Blackwater

NYT: Blackwater's Shell Companies Won Millions In Secret Contracts

Rachel Slajda | September 6, 2010, 12:29PM

According to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Blackwater has created 31 shell companies in order to win military and CIA contracts without revealing its notorious name.

Chairman Carl Levin released a chart of the subsidiaries to the New York Times last week. According to the Times, at least three of the companies have been awarded secret contracts. One official said Blackwater, now called Xe Services, and its subsidiaries have been paid $600 million in classified government deals since 2001.

Read more »

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)
Topics: Blackwater, CIA, Carl Levin, Contractors, Xe

Goldman Sachs

Goldman Prepares Aggressive Defense Over Emails Showing Firm Made Money Betting Against Its Own Mortgage Products

Ben Frumin | April 26, 2010, 10:12AM

Goldman Sachs is preparing an aggressive defense of emails released over the weekend by Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), which appear to show that the investment bank made money betting against the mortgage market -- and mortgage securities that it was selling to investors.

The emails, Goldman shot back yesterday, were "cherry-picked" from "the 20 million pages of documents and emails" provided to a Senate subcommittee.

Read more »

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Carl Levin, Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein