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(Photo of home plate at dusk via PartsNPieces.)
The New York City Bar Association has stepped up to the plate:
The Bush administration is trying to evade responsibility for problems at the Guantánamo Bay prison by falsely blaming defense lawyers, the New York City Bar says.The president of the group leveled the criticism on Friday in a letter asking Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales to abandon a Justice Department proposal to limit lawyers’ access to the nearly 400 detainees at the prison....
In his letter to Mr. Gonzales, the bar association’s president, Barry M. Kamins, said, "This is an astonishing and disingenuous assertion."
"Blaming counsel for the hunger strikes and other unrest is a continuation of a disreputable and unwarranted smear campaign against counsel," the letter said.
The department wants to narrow the definition of “legal mail” and set a three-visit limit on face-to-face meetings once a detainee agrees at an initial meeting to let a lawyer represent him.
Good for them. I'm awaiting a similar reaction from the ABA -- if anyone has seen one, please link it up in the comments below. We cannot on the one hand say that we stand for basic principles of fairness in jurisprudence, in the right of representation for the accused, and on the other hand say that an accused at Guantanimo is entitled only to a drive-by defense and whatever rights we happen to be in the mood to give them that particular day as the mood strikes us. The hypocrisy of decrying just this sort of governmental tactic in other nations as a false front that belies preconceived verdicts -- and then practicing it in these quasi-judicial forums at Guantanimo is not lost on dictatorships and despots around the world.
And it is well past time that our principles and our deeds were brought back into alignment. It is incumbent upon lawyers of conscience to stand up and say so -- we are defined not by the words we mouth, but by our deeds. And allowing the Bush Administration to define who we are without standing up to say that it is wrong marks us as acquiescing to and agreeing with their misinterpretation of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the principles on which this nation was founded. Shame on anyone who stays silent knowingly in the face of injustice and turns a blind eye to the perversion of the rule of law.
Big kudos to the NYC Bar for making that point very plainly in their response to this.
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Corruptible…or disposable.
Christy!
Hello Jane:
Hope this meets you well.
Christy!
Great post. This proposal is an outrageous violation of Constitutional principles. What happened to “all men are created equal”?? You have rights only if you’re an American or not deemed an enemy combatant? The Bush administration is simply shameless–those people are desecrating everything this country is supposed to stand for.
another great cathc christy…abu torture is part of their plan to conquer from within
I posted this downstairs, the old epu and it is relevant here;
perris @ 122
perris @ 124
as I say, it’s another reason they can’t get rid of abu torture, there is not one other person who would get approved by congress and senate that would make the bizzare and novel decisions and claims this attorney general is making
they have to hang on to him as long as humanly possible if they are to complete their coup
we are under seige, the legacy of reagan and Bush senior installed this administration in a bloodless coup and though we might be able to regain our government they will do as much harm as possible to make it harder to return us to the state of world influence we enjoyed before the coup
ABA President responds to DOJ
Pardon my ignorance, but why does homeplate have that shape?
Christy! Jane! Trex! Phoenix Woman!, Fitz, of course! and all the other obligatory exclamations of early commenters. This is my fav blog. Love the community.
I fear the next edition of ‘Profiles in Courage’ will not have any references to the ABA.
The ABA, like so many of our nation’s venerable institutions, lost their way after 9/11.
Biodun @ 88
Just getting to the Lake.
More troubles looming for “the boy-king and his political minions” (a phrase I stole/borrowed from Christy):
ABC News’ Brian Ross revealed tonight that the list of customers of an alleged Washington-based prostitution service includes White House and Pentagon officials as well as prominent attorneys.
“There are thousands of names, tens of thousands of phone numbers,” Ross said. “And there are people there at the Pentagon, lobbyists, others at the White House, prominent lawyers — a long, long list.” Ross added that the women who worked for the service, potentially as prostitutes, “include university professors, legal secretaries, scientists, military officers.”
On Friday, Ross broke the news that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Randall Tobias had frequented the escort service. Ross added new details to that story tonight, recounting how he asked Tobias in a telephone interview “if he knew any of the young women, their names. He said he didn’t remember them at all. He said it was like ordering pizza.” Under President Bush, Tobias oversaw a program helping men in poor countries “develop healthy relationships with women.”
(snip)
Kathleen
Now this would have possibly stirred the previous Republican controlled congress to investigate “COLLECTIVE B J’S”. Oh wait a minute they may be part of the collective.
Just remember, every time the Bushies point a finger at some scapegoat or fallguy, three more fingers are pointing back at Bush, Rove, Chee-knee.
Ira Glass’s This American Life had a great show on Habeus Corpus and Guantanamo Saturday.
Worth the listen
http://www.thislife.org/
OT Tony Snow on C Span choking up and thanking Press for support and singing the praises of his medical care. I wish Tony the best. I also wish that millions of people who don’t have health insurance had the same medical care that Tony has.
perris @ 5 - Why else would they squander all our assets, all our surplus and then borrow more money then in the history of planet earth without any plan of revenue recovery?
They do it because the assets and surplus are flowing into their, and their cronies, personal accounts.
Speaking of Gonzo and how rotten-to-the-core he is, did anyone else hear that he was heckled on the Harvard Law campus when he recently attended his 25th Reunion there? I’m glad my Alma Mater stood up in loud protest, like they did to a previous Fascist back in 1934 to another prominent alum, “Putzi” Hanfstangl.
lots o’ pix from A28: http://freewayblogger.blogspot.com/
keep scrolling…
Hmmm . . .
Rove gets five bites at the apple with the Plame grand jury, but lawyers for the Gitmo detainees get only three? That just doesn’t seem fair.
Perhaps it means that the folks using “alternative interrogation techniques” will also be limited to three “interviews” with their subjects. Naaa . . . probably not.
Perhaps the lawyers could find a workaround. Maybe switching clients after every three meetings, then swapping notes. “I’ve had my three interviews, so now it’s someone else’s turn. Here are my files.”
What a crock! And to think we once could hold ourselves up to the world as the example of due process, fair play, and legal rights for all.
VJB @
7
I believe it has that shape because the sides of the “pointed” end are actually at right angles to first and third bases (which are square bags, of course) thus the baselines come to home plate at right angles.
And did everyone see the unassisted triple play that the Rockies pulled on the Braves on Sunday? Only the 13th time in history that’s happened (and the second that Chipper Jones has hit into).
Ok, we return you to your regularly scheduled programming.
OT–but definitely related:
From AP:
Perris@5– this old and well-used quote can’t be repeated too often:
if Facism ever comes to the US it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross–Sinclair Lewis 1935
Adhering to the Geneva Convention and the rule of law is not cost-effective. Think of the savings we’ve reaped: no more tedious human-rights cataloging, no more awkward criticism of behavior by regimes who are also our creditors. It’s just easier all around.
Christy “Shame on anyone who stays silent knowingly in the face of injustice and turns a blind eye to the perversion of the rule of law.”
Yes Yes Yes
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
Badwater @ 13
So, when they have sucked the US dry, where are they planning to go next? The ME doesn’t seem to be working out quite as they’d planned, but there’a a lot about this I don’t understand. I would expect that they would have their next project planned, though.
Wo Deacon,
Can you edit your post to close the italics? Either [/em] or [/i], thanks.
trying to close tag
VJB @ 19
and here we are today
are we in time to save her?
we don’t have much time that is for certain
Another SCOTUS decision this morning. From AP:
Diane Rehm show discussing “congressional legislative options and strategies related to the war in Iraq. Send in your questions comments drshow@wamu.org. Call 1-8oo-433-8850. Lots of folks calling from Texas anyone from FDL getting through?
kathleen @ 21
When they came for the Jews
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.
I think that one should be included.
Mae @ 12
Same here. A close friend who’s between jobs w/no health insurance just received an emergency room bill (we rushed her there vomiting, fever throught the roof) for $1,703. No, she doesn’t qualify for MediCal…
Oh, those “socialist” Canadians!
Pardon my ignorance, but why does homeplate have that shape?
math geeks unite!
doin’ my best to promote the name for this president’s legacy: bushie-gate (I even think the lower-case “b” adds to the meaning.)
bushie-gate! bushie-gate! bushie-, bushie-, bushie-gate!
From Mr. Sampson’s lips — “loyal Bushies.”
On another OT note, wonder how Mr. Snow will field the Tobias R. resignation following the news that he “ordered pizzas” more often than one who’s promoting abstinence and respect for women ought. I’m guessing a flat-out, oft’ repeated “no comment.”
Mae @ 27
yes!
When they came for the Iraqi’s, the people in Darfur, Rwanda, Tibetans, 3 million Polish people were killed by Hitler…lots of people around the world to add to that list.
Speak out
kathleen @ 21
Then They Came for ME! Remember that tomorrow: May 1st ~ International Labor day
VJB @
7
I think the pointed shape helps the pitcher locate the strike zone. Theoretically it should also help the umpire, but I doubt he can see it well from behind the batter and catcher. This discrepancy between what the pitcher and batter see and what the umpire sees is undoubtedly the cause of many arguments, but somehow the umpire always wins.
eg -
I checked out your blog and that of the RMF………most excellent work!
Will get some green in the mail shortly. Could you maybe post sometime what various amounts of $$ will buy for your endeavors? I know it is considered wh*orebl*gging but you could put it on your site & mention here several times to go look see? ‘Haps the Ladies of the Lake would not mind your doing it to that extent?
kathleen @ 31
Kathleen, I am not sure I understand you
when the first Bushie sings in the springtime, happy, happy May Day must be here !
tomorrow is also Law Day
Waccamaw at 34,
Thank you for that excellent suggestion, I will develop something over at the site.
I don’t advertise here, would rather be a humble commenter.
Re: #28-
Was it “sociali*t” that tripped the filter, Mods? Just so I asterisk its use in the future…
zig alert!
egregious @ 23
Whoops! Sorry. Ran out of time to edit. I’ll try to be more judicious in italic use next time. :)
socialist would never trigger the filter–not on this blog!
cbl @ 36
there will be a play called “springtime for boyking”
there will be some people trying to make money selling too many shares thinking the play will fail
however it will be so ludicrous the play will prevail on broadway
true
could someone with moderator ability please close the italics?
perris @ 43
oops, hard refresh and they’ve been closed, thanx
Amazing stuff, Christy.
I swear, this administration has an endless supply of tactics that surprise me. Just when I think they can’t possibly be more unjust, more corrupt, and have more disdain for democratic principles and human life, they lower the bar yet again.
I hope the ABA will be able to prevent Gonzo’s DOJ from continuing to strip away all rights for prisoners.
Incidentally, I heard on the radio the other day that on May 8, “The Honorable Alberto Gonzales” will be speaking at the Detroit Economic Club. The topic he will focus on, curiously enough, is “priorities and operations at the Department of Justice”. If I didn’t have to work, I’d buy a ticket and get in just to see if I could ask about his priorities, which seem to have nothing to do with justice whatsoever.
Perris @ 5..In my more paranoid moments I have thought the same thing. Who would benefit from discrediting our current form of government? Historically it would be the mega-corp-fascists. The shrink the government to the point to where it could be “drowned in a bath tub” crowd. The current and most dangerous group are the christianists. The only way for their vision of the “Theocratic States of America” to arise is for the majority of the population to give up on our current form of Constitutional government. They are well on their way. Public services are decreasing, the infra-structure is going to hell, the treasury is broke and the military is broken. When the middle and lower middle class whites are really hurting, the Populist backlash will be lead by the religious right.
Biodun @ 41
actually it does, spam filter sees soCI*LISt
o/t over at raw story -
‘THEY SOLD OUT THE WORLD FOR AN F-16 SALE’
Former CIA official alleges Cheney, Libby lied to
Congress about Pakistani nukes: Developing.
OT
*During an appearance on Rev. Al Sharpton’s radio show, syndicated radio host Tom Joyner suggested that he is among the crop of talent being considered to fill the void left by Don Imus’s radio simulcast on MSNBC.
“You’ll never guess who I got a call from yesterday – MSNBC,” Joyner told the civil rights activist, according to Richard Prince’s Journal-isms column. Sharpton said Joyner should accept the offer, stating: “Your numbers were always higher than Imus.’”
MSNBC rep Jeremy Gaines won’t comment on the network’s interest in Joyner. “We’re talking to a variety of people to fill in during the 6-9 am time slot over the next several weeks,” he said.
http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur33126.cfm
HotFlash @ 47:
Thanks. Actually that comment did go into moderation!
Mae @
12
“I wish Tony the best” That is my reaction until I remember that he is a very effective enabler for War Crimes and mass murder. It is very hard for me to wish anyone in this administration well when I see dead and maimed American soldiers and especially dead and maimed Iraqi children.
color me surprised #6,752,439
Wolfowitz wants $400,000 for which he’s eligible on June 1
Steve Clemons
cbl @ 52
Does he want it tax-free?
Steve @ 51
understand. No one deserves illness. But neither does the misfortune of the evil render them less accountable.
Also, the point about health insurance is an excellent one. How many people with cancer out there don’t have the resources that Tony does to “beat this thing”?
Steve @ 51
This is separate. I wouldn’t wish cancer on anybody, even those for whom I wish jail time and a fade into ignominous obscurity.
cbl @ 52
Wolfie’s still a Bushie.
oddmommy @ 54
A hell of a lot, I’m sure. Snow should be ashamed of himself (again!) for boasting about his treatment while others go without.
Mae, there are many people to add to the list of people who have had genocide
http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/dictat.html (ethnic cleansing) committed against them.
If you have not noticed that when reporting about genocides our media generally excludes these other genocides often only focusing on the 6 million Jews who were brutally murdered by Hitlers regime.
Even the so called “liberal” NPR is guilty of this. When they mention Hitlers massacre they only mention the 6 million Jews who were murdered. There were 3 million Poles, a Million gypsies and more, so many more targeted and murdered by Hitler.
It is both elitist and arrogant to not mention all of those killed in a genocide and not to report about present time genocides. How much do you see in our MSM about Darfur? Is Olbermann, Carlson, Lou Dobbs, Chris Matthews doing reports about Darfur? Hell no!
If if we were to really apply the “supposed” lessons about crimes against humanity in the form of genocides during the 21st century we would be out on the streets this minute in regard to what is taking place in Darfur.
http://action.savedarfur.org/c.....google_ads
So when we are adding to that list of who they came for there is a long line. THAT IS WHAT I MEAN
“While the victims of the Holocaust were primarily Jews, the Nazis also persecuted and slaughtered the members of other groups they considered inferior, undesirable or dangerous, including Poles and other Slavic peoples such as Russians, Belarusians and Serbs, Bosniaks,[32] [33] Roma & Sinti (also known as Gypsies), and some Africans, Asians and others who did not belong to the “Aryan race”; the mentally ill and the physically disabled;” homosexuals; and political opponents and religious dissidents such as communists, trade unionists, Freemasons and Jehovah’s Witnesses.[34]
The victims of the Holocaust were generally described by the Nazis as “undesirables,” “enemies of the state”, “asocial elements,” and “moral degenerates,” labels that went hand-in-hand with their term Untermensch (”sub-human”).
Our token Neocon/Bushie/Idiot…
Had this to say in the Globule yesterday
http://www.boston.com/news/glo.....democrats/
Christy, you and me both. I was encouraged by the report they did on signing statements a year or so ago. I have been waiting to see some action from them since then. I, too, have been wondering why there has not been more backlash from the state Bars or the ABA about the shameless trashing of our Constitution, the foundation of our legal system in which they play such an integral role. Where are they, indeed? I too hope someone will come up with a link which will give some comfort on this issue.
Is it just me, or does that home plate photo look like a dirty pair of men’s briefs?
Albatross @ 61
actually, a soled pampers…nicely folded I might add
Albatross @ 61
Also appropriate to the targets of the NYC Bar’s statement.
EvilDrPuma @ 55
I don’t wish cancer on anyone either, however, I am sorry he has returned to work. I think Dana is a lot less effective is pushing their immoral agenda. Needless to say this whole line of thinking causes ethical conflict. If Cheney had a stroke,(a real possibility) would I feel sorrow for him?
HotFlash @ 47
Thanks for the tip, HotFlash. Don’t want to give Mods more work…
Marie Roget @
28
My daughter had a biking accident last week. Knocked out for a couple of minutes(helmet on).
The ER bill was . . . . . . . $18,600.00.
My husband had a test for allergies. . . . the bill was for $1,500. We have to pay one third.
Imagine if that money could be put into other parts of the economy. Or into the infrastructure. Or into relief for Katrina victims. Or into true reconstruction of Iraq. Or into building a special prison for treasonous Bush adminstration “officials”.
I could go on but won’t.
Steve @ 64
My sorrow would be at the life and the power and influence that Cheney has squandered.
As for Snow back on the job, I can’t disagree there. The good news is that the bonfire has only gotten hotter while he’s been away. Have fun, Tony.
EvilDrPuma @ 57
kathleen @ 59
Kathleen. I understand your point, but your tone deeply disturbs me. Your comments, in fact are deeply hurtful. I am a student of Modern European history. The nazis murdered many people. Many millions of people have been murdered through horrible genocides, equally horrible to the holocaust. Darfur is equally horrible. The Khmer Rouge murders were equally horrible.
My point is that the poem that you quoted about the Nazi murders should have included the murder of Jews. Don’t forget that ALL Jews were slated for murder. With regard, for example to the Poles: Some Poles saved Jews. Many, many more were complicit with the Nazis.
In conclusion, I find your perspective skewed and disturbing.
We can separate sympathy for the human being from what they are doing in their professional life.
I am happy to see Tony Snow back at work and wish him well as a human being.
If the Vice President were to become seriously ill, I would indeed feel sorrow for him, while simultaneously working to get him over to the Hague.
Oh, Christy! I fear these are the same ilk that calculated a black man to be 3/5 of a white man, and a woman as nothing at all!
Those ‘detainees’ in Gitmo? Not considered (by the BushCo overseers) to be due the rights and privileges of ‘one of us.’ Niether are any of the rest of ‘us’ who don’t carry the rotely repeated ‘Party Before Country’ Ideology on the tip of our tongue.
To be accepted within the Hate Club, one must ’soil’ oneself and demonstrate grovelling Loyalty to the Leader. In BushWorld, this means disrespecting and abusing ‘them.’ According to John Dean in ‘Conservatives Without Conscience,’ authoritarians partake in this kind of activity ‘with glee’ when no one is watching - hence Talk Radio provides the perfect ‘unwatched’ pot for haters to boil in.
Gitmo and Abu Ghraib are but first glimpses of the Hells in the dungeons below the surface of ‘public’ scrutiny. Hate isn’t lightly held - it would burn out, if so. Hate must be constantly ’stoked’ to be kept going. To make people ‘flammable,’ one must ‘objectify’ them on a readily observable basis of distinction:
Gender, Race, Religion, Politics, etc
And then pour the emotion in - use all of your mouthpieces - Rush, Savage, Sean, Bill, etc - to chant the code words and
Keep the Hate Boiling, Boiling, Boiling…
One day, from a saner place in time, we’ll look back on this and *know* that Freedom must be guarded by All of US who value it - even in times of relative calm and prosperity - because the temptation for Ideologues to Control it for Their Own Purposes At Our Expense will always be there.
The Lake is an Oasis of Peace, Love and Understanding - a place where we can still gather peacefully and exchange information - similar to the ‘book memorizers’ of Bradbury’s ‘Fahrenheit 451′: not yet so extreme, but headed that way if we don’t rally enough awareness to change the tide.
Unfortunately, with Hate - it’s always worse than what you can ’see.’
sorry to say this, but with respect to Cheney the only thing that would bother me is the sympathy he would receive. I truly believe that man is a monster.
oddmommy @ 71
Everyone deserves justice. *wink
So the NY ABA stepped up to the plate. Good! Paul Kiel highlights today’s WaPo article about the politicization of the hiring process at DOJ over the past four years. The comments section of Kiel’s article quickly grasps the future problem. How does DOJ, after a Dem victory in 2008, deal with this huge ratpack of Regent U minions who have been quietly transforming the midlevel of DOJ since the Ashcroft days?
[Link repaired by Mod]
o/t
well here it is - via raw story
‘They sold out the world for an F-16 sale’
those senior Pentagon officials would be Cheney and Irving
wont they be serving “at the pleasure” of President Gore ?
cbl at 74 — You can color me shocked, shocked I say. I. Lewis Libby told a falsehood? Say it isn’t so. *g* And Vice President Cheney? Oh, no way. Ahem.
In Salon, an interesting report from the Tribeca Film Festival:
Ed*ard Teller @ 73
It will be difficult. They will use all of the “liberal” anti-discrimination laws to their full extent to hang on to their jobs. Bunch of parasites just waiting to cause further outbreaks of elephantitus.
Ed*ard Teller @ 73
If they are civil service, you can give them different responsibilities and within reason, transfer them to other locations. Perhaps less desirable than Washington.
From the same review above of the Tribeca Film Festival documentary:
Helpless Dancer @ 78
I suppose many of them will move on to jobs in the private sector, like being criminal defense lawyers for clerics caught doing this or that, or maybe they’ll get raptured up…
Perhaps in your journeys you could obtain some literature on the beauties of the Bering Straight in February.
cbl @ 75
And when he fires them watch for the howls of outrage from drudge and the riech wing rage machine. The compliant and complicit MSM will pick it up thus creating the first ’scandal’ of the Gore presidency.
Speaking of compliant and complicit anyone hear that mark halperin(sp?) formerly of ABC is now an editor and columnist at newsweek?
I am so tired of the “wait three years, then lay out my objections in a book” mentality of former Bush administration officials, most recently demonstrated by Tenet.
On the other hand, the latest link in the USA firings mess appears to be Todd Graves in KC, pushed out prior to the mass purge last Dec. Graves has no trouble speaking up, and doesn’t need a book deal to do it:
That statement was released last Friday. The article doesn’t give his whole statement, but describes some of the behavior that the AGAG DOJ might have found objectionable: not pursuing the Rovian white whale of voter fraud, saying nice things about Democrats (or at least refusing to say bad things), etc.
On the one hand, Graves is old news — he left a year ago. But now that more of the USA firings debacle has become public, he’s probably seeing his whole departure in a much different light, and he is not pleased.
Neither am I.
Busted—
Actually I was thinking Marianas.
Ed*ard Teller @ 81
Somehow I don’t think so. Their whole purpose is to transform our government into one that follows “Christian” precepts.
Busted @ 82
Or Yuma, El Centro, or El Paso in the summer?
Wolfowitz is negotiating his resignation from the World Bank according to Raw Story.
He wants a $400,000 bonus and a piece of paper sayin that he really didn’t do anything wrong to grease his way out the door….
I would favor a “fuck you” reply to Herr Wolfowitz.
OT, but holy crap, we’re getting pummeled with rain here in NW San Antonio right now. My street (on an incline!) is ankle deep in water, after only ten minutes, and one of my bushes out front is laying flat–it can’t bounce back up from getting hit so hard.
ET, linky no work.
We have just over 600 days left of the great american Clusterfuck.
LJ/Aquaria @ 89
It’s headed my way. I just hope there aren’t any tornados!! It’s floodin’ down in Texas..SRV.
Wolfie sayin “Lessn ya gives me half a mill and a letter- I ain’t leavin?”
Where did he learn such arrogance?
So what does Bolton know about running a world bank?
Ed*ard Teller,
are you following the USA Alaska story ?
rwcole @ 93
I’m thinking Cheney.