Perverting justice for politics

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Josh Marshall, Talking Points Memo

... the White House has now taken the unprecedented step of firing at least four and likely seven US Attorneys in the middle of their terms of office -- at least some of whom are in the midst of corruption investigations of Bush administration officials and key Republican lawmakers. We also know that they're taking advantage of a handy provision of the USA Patriot Act that allows the White House to replace these fired USAs with appointees who don't need to be approved by the senate.

And one of the replacements, who will remain until Bush is out of office:

So who's Griffin and what experience does he bring to the job?
Well, top of the list seems to be his stint at the White House where he worked for Karl Rove doing opposition research on Democrats.
...
Back in 2000, when he was in charge of digging up dirt on Al Gore, he apparently had a poster hanging on the wall behind his desk which read: "On my command - unleash hell on Al."

Another result of passing the U.S.A.P.A.T.R.I.O.T Act without reading it. [edit: Apparently it was in the reauthorization, not the original Act.]

More, with links to the relevant law.
Diane Feinstein spoke about it today.

[Ibby]

I'm telling you, American Democracy is dead.

[xoxoxoBruce]

There's many more surprises to come. The administration will be ruthless, in their waining days, to build absolute power into the Monarchy... er, Presidency.

[Happy Monkey]

It looks like Arlen Specter snuck it in during the conference committee at te request of the DOJ.

[Irie]

Anyone see Bush on 60 minutes saying he didn't care what Congress thought he should do about the war, and that he had "made up his mind"? (I'm sure that took long.)

Also, did anyone else read that this current Congress had worked 14 less days in 2006 than the "Do Nothing Congress" of the 40's? I can't find the link anymore...

[Happy Monkey]

Well, the last Congress. The current Congress hasn't worked 14 days yet.

[Beestie]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Well, the last Congress. The current Congress hasn't worked 14 days yet.

Taking last Monday off to watch a football game that started well into the evening was a pretty interesting way to kick things off.

But I'm sure they have already come up with a nice retroactive justification for it by now.

Originally Posted by Ibram

I'm telling you, American Democracy is dead.

Good thing we're a Republic.

[Ibby]

Yes, but one that's supposed to have some voting power.

Speaking of the topic... remember the tests done by the Midwestern college proving something like 20% of the death row inmates of a state prison innocent based on old DNA evidence being halted from ever being done again at another prison... ever.
Can't have any more innocents being kept from being murdered by the state now can we?
Might make a DA look bad... truth hurts huh?

[Beestie]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

U.S.A.P.A.T.R.I.O.T Act

So are the dems going to yank that law out of the books by the roots first chance they get or are we stuck with it?

[Happy Monkey]

A lot of them voted for it - twice - including Feinstein. I suspect that the best we can hope for is chipping at it as individual outrages come to light.

I hope they get rid of it retroactively and make right any wrongs done under it. Justice.

[Beestie]

Just tell me which prez candidate promises to repeal it and they gets my vote.

And something else if they don't.

As long as it is ALL of BOTH of them.