Consider for a moment that Hatfill is exactly the kind of right wing nutjob he appears to be, that he's got professional first-hand experience in weaponizing anthrax, and that this settlement is essentially bonus money for a job well done.

At the end of the day, those attacks put the fear of God in to the Democratic leadership, who proceeded to give Bush both the benefit of the doubt on war, and pretty much everything else his little black heart desired.

I think it just *looks* like a suit settlement.

Res Ipsa Loquitor.

Posted at June 29, 2008 10:46 AM in response to U.S. Settles for $5.8 Million With Scientist Accused In 2001 Anthrax Scare

Anybody who knows anything about Kerik knows that his mother (this isn't a smear of the guy, it's just true) was actually a prostitute.

Posted at May 5, 2008 2:34 PM in response to Sanchez: Kerik Was Focused on Busting Baghdad Whorehouses

Anybody heating the tar? Who's got some feathers?

Posted at April 10, 2008 1:18 PM in response to Today's Must Read

How long before we find out that the recently engaged Ms. Goodling has a little lesbian secret of her own?

Posted at April 2, 2008 3:46 PM in response to DoJ Investigators Probing Whether Goodling Fired Lawyer Due to Gay Rumors

Realize that Mr. Woo is simply a lawyer representing the interests of his clients; you know, the guys who wanted to have torture be 'nice and legal'.

Too bad for them it's simply not legal under current Federal Law:

TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 113C > § 2340A

§ 2340A. Torture

(a) Offense.— Whoever outside the United States commits or attempts to commit torture shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both, and if death results to any person from conduct prohibited by this subsection, shall be punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life.
(b) Jurisdiction.— There is jurisdiction over the activity prohibited in subsection (a) if—
(1) the alleged offender is a national of the United States; or
(2) the alleged offender is present in the United States, irrespective of the nationality of the victim or alleged offender.
(c) Conspiracy.— A person who conspires to commit an offense under this section shall be subject to the same penalties (other than the penalty of death) as the penalties prescribed for the offense, the commission of which was the object of the conspiracy.

It is absolutely amazing to me that nobody every cites the existing law on this, amazing.

Let's sum up: if you're a US citizen, either inside or outside the US, it's a Federal crime, punishable by 20 years in Leavenworth to commit torture. If you torture someone to death, congratulations! You're eligible for the death penalty!

If you conspire to commit torture, like half this administration did, you're eligible for the same accommodation!

I never understood that '9/11 changed everything' was a euphemism for 'we can break whatever law we want, just so long as we say '9/11' three times before doing it.'

No wonder they're so desperate to keep the debate focused on waterboarding and it's legality. If the discussion was on the heavier stuff they were clearly up to, why, we'd realize that our Government is being run by a bunch of totally amoral, criminal fuckwads.

For all their falsely pious morality, they sure don't seem to understand the basic difference between right and wrong.

Posted at April 2, 2008 12:55 PM in response to Today's Must Read