Ah Hamdi...

Yes its' true--they've got nothing on Hamdi.

This is the guy they went to the supreme court over--the one they kept in solitary for two years. As it turns out, they've got nothing on him and are letting him go rather than give him any of the dure process rights the SCOTUS insisted he had. For those of us who watch and care about this sort of thing, it reveals a level of governmental deception and callousness that it's actually hard to grasp. The decision to release him is both deeply telling and
deeply troubling--suggesting that the administration really was engaged in a power grab. Terrifying to think about what might have happened had the the Hamdi question been presented a few terms earlier when nerves were just a bit more frayed. (See e.g the Patriot act.) What a perfect object lesson in the dangers of excessive executive authority...



The New York Times > Washington > U.S., Bowing to Court, to Free 'Enemy Combatant'

Unqualified Judge Re-Nominated: Shame on democrats

A rabidly pro-prosecution judge just got re-nominated to another 14 year term despite the dramatic and unusual finding by an independent screening panel that he was unfit for the judiciary.

Welcome to 14 more years of gratuitously shattered lives…

The New York Times > New York Region > Brooklyn Democrats Back a Judge the Reform Panel Would Not

It's good to be a prosecutor

Gotta Love This: The Brooklyn DA's son--himself an Assistant District Attorney gets a skate for crashing his county owned car into an embankement. Oh did I mention the empty beer bottle in the car and the reports of earlier drinking?

I can just imagine how many of these cases Kevin Hynes has himself refused to dismiss. After all he, his daddy, and his ilk, are 'tough on crime' unless it's perpetrated by an insider--then, amazingly there's insufficient forensic evidence.

In any other context, this would be called a 'circumstantial case'. But when it's an ADA--a hallowed law enforcement official--then it's called a 'no case'.

For shame!

The New York Times > New York Region > Ex-Prosecutor Avoids Charge of Drinking

Presidential Money and the Tightwad Talking Heads...

Even with his newfound millions, Bill Clinton isn't keeping pace with the old money Bushes...
My quick search of the Federal Election Commission Reports on individual contributions has George H.W. Bush personally outspending Clinton by a 5 – 1 margin.

Here’s a quick review of which former president gave to what:

Clinton has given:

1000 bucks to
ROSS, MICHAEL AVERY Arkansas House
PRYOR, MARK LUNSFORD Arkansas Senate
HATHORN, MICHAEL CARL Arkansas House

While H.W. has ponied up:

1,000 bucks to
GROWPAC
BUSH, GEORGE W General Election
CORNYN, JOHN Texas Senate
LAZIO, RICK A NY Senate
SUNUNU, JOHN E NH Senate
HUTCHISON, KAY BAILEY Texas Senate
JANKLOW, WILLIAM S.D. House
GIULIANI, RUDOLPH W ---
ALLEN, GEORGE Virginia Senate
COLLINS, SUSAN M Maine Senate

PLUS:
2,000 to: BUSH, GEORGE W (Primary)

AND:
5,000 to: REPUBLICAN PARTY OF FLORIDA

Wanna know what your friends and neighbors are giving or not giving…
Individual Query - Normal Search

Meanwhile, if you were wondering whether the punditocracy put any money where their big mouths are:

AnnCoulter: A bigmouth with a lot of strong opinions, ain't given nothing to nobody…
Same with Bill O’Reilly…
Pathetic that these big talkers won’t open their own wallets.

At least Al Franken shows the courage of his convictions…he’s given the full two grand to Kerry.

Kentucky Prosecutors Allowed to Oppose Right to Vote...

'Cause you never know what mischief those ex-felons can wreak in the voting booth.

Lexington Herald-Leader | 09/07/2004 | Steps added for restoring felons' voting rights

Don't Mess With Texas

Here a judge frees a 76 year old man who confessed after being tortured...

State District Judge David Wilson, who dismissed Coney's charges, investigated and found that the sheriff of Angelina County at the time and his deputies used physical force to extract confessions, often crushing prisoners' fingers between jail cell bars. When Wilson questioned Coney, the prisoner held up two twisted and bent fingers. "I remember the sheriff well," Coney said.


CBS News | Judge Frees Man Jailed 40 Years | August 20, 2004 09:18:27

Brad's Bird Bit...

My friend Brad Klein, a brilliant man, fantastic editor, and bird enthusiast contributes this piece on the 90th anniversary of the extinction of the passenger pidgeon.

The Next Big Thing: Endangered: Show #501 (September 03, 2004)

My Latest Slate Piece...

Outlining the indigent defense crisis in Mass, and suggesting that it's about time to look at establishing an adequately funded state-wide public defender system...

Sure to piss off my new colleagues on the assigned pannel.

Public Offenders - Why criminals in Massachusetts are getting out of jail free. By David Feige

Money Maps

If you haven't seen this yet, it's worth a look...

The City Maps

Speeches

THIS IS FROM ZELL MILLER'S OWN WEBSITE.
Really...

To quote him--March 1st 2001--on John Kerry:
"John has worked to strengthen our military, reform public education, boost the economy and protect the environment. Business Week magazine named him one of the top pro-technology legislators and made him a member of its "Digital Dozen."

Astonishing....

Speeches