Tangled Webs

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Illegal Wiretaps

There's a bunch of buzz in the blogosphere about James Comey's testimony before the Senate today. In that testimony, he concluded:

Comey testified as follows:

(i) that he, OLC and the AG concluded that the NSA program was not legally defensible, i.e., that it violated FISA and that the Article II argument OLC had previously approved was not an adequate justification (a conclusion prompted by the New AAG, Jack Goldsmith, having undertaken a systematic review of OLC's previous legal opinions regarding the Commander in Chief's powers);

(ii) that the White House nevertheless continued with the program anyway, despite DOJ's judgment that it was unlawful;

(iii) that Comey, Ashcroft, the head of the FBI (Robert Mueller) and several other DOJ officials therefore threatened to resign;

(iv) that the White House accordingly -- one day later -- asked DOJ to figure out a way the program could be changed to bring it into compliance with the law (presumably on the AUMF authorizaton theory); and

(v) that OLC thereafter did develop proposed amendments to the program over the subsequent two or three weeks, which were eventually implemented.

Yeah. So?

No, seriously. This is all old news. The fact that it's testimony before Senate gives it a bigger megaphone but it's certainly not new news. I agree that it's a serious (and impeachable) offense, but to date no one has shown the balls to do anything about it. Why should they now?

On a related front, PBS has a Frontline tonight on illegal wiretapping. I'm sure it will cover the same territory plus more. And I'm sure it will make the case that the government illegally wiretapped. The question remains. When will someone be held accountable?

Crazies in the Box

A few days ago, I wrote about the predictions of an attack on Iraq. In that post I speculated that either a) there never was a plan for an attack and a bunch of reporters got it wrong or b) there was a plan for attack and it was stopped.

Now there appears to be some (albeit weak) confirmation that there may have been an attack and it was stopped by the new Centcom commander:

Fallon, who was scheduled to become the CENTCOM chief Mar. 16, responded to the proposed plan [overlapping three carriers in the Persian Gulf, allowing an aerial bombardment of Iran] by sending a strongly-worded message to the Defence Department in mid-February opposing any further U.S. naval buildup in the Persian Gulf as unwarranted.

"He asked why another aircraft carrier was needed in the Gulf and insisted there was no military requirement for it," says the source, who obtained the gist of Fallon's message from a Pentagon official who had read it.

Fallon's refusal to support a further naval buildup in the Gulf reflected his firm opposition to an attack on Iran and an apparent readiness to put his career on the line to prevent it. A source who met privately with Fallon around the time of his confirmation hearing and who insists on anonymity quoted Fallon as saying that an attack on Iran "will not happen on my watch".

Asked how he could be sure, the source says, Fallon replied, "You know what choices I have. I'm a professional." Fallon said that he was not alone, according to the source, adding, "There are several of us trying to put the crazies back in the box." [emphasis mine]

If true, thank god an adult finally got into a credible position to rein in the idiots who've been running the war.

War Czar

Despite having a Sec Defense, a National Security advisor, a Sec State and a President, we now have a "war czar"

After a frustrating search for a new "war czar" to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, ABC News has learned that President Bush has chosen the Pentagon's director of operations, Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, for the role.

What a bunch of crap.

As Atrios mentioned, he'll have to go through Senate confirmation which gives everyone a chance to reboot the Friedman Unit machine (hey! we've got a new war czar! give em' a chance!). If Dems confirm him it will also be a bit of a support for ongoing operations.

Feingold-Reid

The amendment requiring immediate withdrawal will come before the Senate tomorrow.

It will be very interesting to watch how the vote turns out. For Dems, who has the guts to follow the will of the people? Which Dem candidates will vote for/against? For Republicans, how strong is the lizard brain desire to go off the cliff with Bush? We shall know manana.

Need to Know

This is one of those things I think everyone needs to know about, especially if you have pets.

The Humane Society of the United States estimates that every year middlemen known as "Class B" animal dealers round up about 18,000 dogs and cats through flea markets and free-to-good-home ads, and then sell them to laboratories and university research labs.

In the process, it says lost pets are rounded up, too.

Now that Congress has undergone a change in leadership, the animal advocacy group hopes lawmakers will make it illegal for "Class B" dealers to sell "random source" cats and dogs to research labs.
source

First Impressions

I've been Youtubing a lot lately but this is too good not to share. A powerful short film.

RIP Falwell

I didn't agree with him on virtually anything, but I never wished him dead. Too bad.

Awash In Terrorists

One of the chief meme's of those who support the Iraq war is the idea that if we leave Iraq, it will become awash in terrorist. The latest is an terrorist "expert" who claims Iraq will become a terrorist Disneyland if we leave.

Does this really make any sense?

Iraq has a long history of secularization. The Shiites hate al Qaeda as do the Kurds. Insurgent Sunni's have had ongoing battles with al Qaeda types inside Sunni territories. So what would make anyone think that Iraq becomes a terrorist haven? Even with Iranian influence in Iraq, does anyone really think that Iranians want a rogue terrorist nation next door? Iran is a fundamentalist nation. Yet even they have only used "terrorism" as a military tactic in their war with Israel, hardly a "disneyland for terrorist" nation and hardly al Qaeda. And how about Syria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia? Do they really want instability in the form of a terrorist-Afghan-like country in the heart of the Middle East?

This thinking occurs when talking heads become the victim of their own spin. The need to have Iraq and terrorism closely related for electoral reasons has permeated strategic thinking. The war in Iraq is not about fighting terrorism. The war in Iraq is about 1) fighting an occupation and 2) a civil war between factions fighting for control of the country and it's oil. These factions are institutionalists who want to derive benefit from controlling a stable country and economy. Note the word "stable". That's who providing the insurgents, weaponry and money for the war. Those who are "terrorists" are merely exploiting the situation of profound anarchy that exists. It would seem to me that the second group to go (after the Americans) would be those other factions on the fringe who destabilize the competing parties.

As with Vietnam where we were incorrectly told that with the communists taking over Vietnam there would be a dominoe effect throughout the region and world, conservatives are wrong in their prognostications about the impact of a U.S. withdrawal. The sooner we get our heads screwed on straight, the sooner we stop bleeding into Iraq. And the sooner the competing factions do what they need to do, even if it's a civil war, to decide who is going to be the stable ruling faction in Iraq. It's a big prize for the regional powers, but has little to do with sponsoring terrorism that is promoted by small bands of nutbars who are little more than sociopaths with a cause.

Inflation Watch

Another report today on inflation that essentially says "there's no inflation except in things that are inflating". Take out energy and food and inflation is "tame". With food and energy, inflation is increasing. And remember, these inflation numbers include deflation in housing.

I guess it's a glass half full/half empty discussion that is mostly academic. It feels inflationy in my life. But where it matters is in how it affects people's behavior. If folks start to pull in their shopping horns due to economic pressure, the economy tanks. It's really that simple.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Iraq War Senate Vote

I understand that there was some nashing of teeth about whether to bring the Feingold-Reid get-out-of-Iraq-now amendment up for a vote. It has now been decided to put it up for a vote.

I think it's excellent on a policy level and a political level. It's time, again, for Senators to have to go on the record as supporting the war, or not. I continue to believe that Congress should continue to put bill after bill up for a vote requiring everyone to go on the record, particularly the Republicans (and conservative Dems). That's like putting them in a vice and squeezing. And it certainly doesn't hurt to present the boy-king with further bills to veto.

Paul McNulty Gone

Looks like Abu Gonzales has thrown another aide to the wolves.

I wonder what it's like to be a firewall for the firewall?

Counting Peas

This is the most ridiculous, among a lot of ridiculousnees, of stories about Bush:

"President Bush and his consigliere Karl Rove bet on who had read the most books in a year," reports UPI. "Mike McConnell, the director of national intelligence, told friends Rove won with 117 books and Bush was a close second with 104 books."

"Unhappy over his loss to his close confidant, Bush asked for a recount -- in words. And the president won by 1.7 percent."

That takes the cake. First off, I don't believe the SOB reads anything and these books he's "read" are books attributed to him as having been read. Second, for the Preznit to make such a stupid bet is nuts. Finally, to insist on winning like a small child throwing a tantrum until mommy finds away to placate him is purely infantile.

We truly have a baby-king in office.

Commentary

This guy is too funny!

Observation

This post is just a brief observation on the post below about Michael Barone's article on demographic changes in the voting public.

I had occasion several weeks ago to travel from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Central Valley very early in the morning .... around 5 a.m. In crossing the Altamont pass, which divides the bay area from the valley, I happened to notice the traffic. In reality, you couldn't not notice it. There was a four lane freeway (I 580) packed as far as the eye could see with cars, commuters, coming from the less expensive valley into the Bay Area to work. At 5 a.m. Who knows at what time this commute begins or ends, but it was a steady stream of thousands of cars. And mind you, this commute would have to be a minimum of one hour and as much as three hours one way. It was amazing to see how cheap petroleum has affected our living and working patterns. It also makes you wonder how long it can continue until/unless we solve the energy problem.

Love Child

And quote of the day. Rick Perlstein:

Now that Padilla's finally going on trial - an eventuality the government worked very, very hard to render impossible - the restrictions on reporters are unprecedented. Washington claims security concerns. Almost certainly, what they're really afraid of is embarrasment. If Geoge Orwell and Franz Kafka had a love child, it would look like the Padilla case. God forbid it should be exposed to the light of day.

Discussing the nonsense that is the Jose "dirty bomber" Padilla case.

Wrong Way

Labor Department data shows the U.S. Gini Coefficient is rising. If the current trend continues, then the American income gap will resemble that of Mexico by year 2043.
source

I figure by 2043 the "illegal immigrant" debate will be over.

The Monica Show

Just in case you missed it, the way is now fully paved for Monica Goodling to testify with immunity in front of Congress. Her testimony has the potential of being a "John Dean" moment or being a dud.

Investigative Journalism

Both parties are winking and nodding and giggling behind your back that the way to save jobs is to change the value of China’s money. It’s a brilliant cover for the bi-partisan banging the American worker received with the one-two punch of NAFTA and ‘Most Favored Nation’ trade status for China. There are 700 Wal-Mart plants in China — zero in the USA. Hillary Clinton was on the board of Wal-Mart when that shift went into full swing. No wonder she’s joining George Bush in talking about baloney like “exchange rates.”
source

This whole interview is interesting.

The New Demographics

A coworker sent a link to an interesting Wall Street Journal opinion piece. Worth a read.

The result is that these Coastal Megalopolises are increasingly a two-tiered society, with large affluent populations happily contemplating (at least until recently) their rapidly rising housing values, and a large, mostly immigrant working class working at low wages and struggling to move up the economic ladder. The economic divide in New York and Los Angeles is starting to look like the economic divide in Mexico City and São Paulo.

Blog Find

Sustainable Middle Class is a good blog. Check it out.

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