When will Obama use his awesome skills of triangulation by bringing Dick Cheney into his administration?

Joe Barton says wind is a finite source? And, windmills cause the wind to slow down? I did not know that. Enough science class for me today.

Too big a clash of egos.

Listening to democracynow. Patrick Cockburn talking about Yemen: 60 million weapons for a country of 20-something million people.

With all his holdovers still in place, what evidence do you have that Cheney ever left?

Probably. I guess Cheney is just making sure that Obama will play forward the policies of the previous administration. So far it seems to be working.

Amazing. And to think, if wind is a finite source, then we are worse off than I thought.

Goodness! What a way to start the day.

Reading about “idiots in office!”

Sounds like the makings of a Broadway musical…comedy.

If only the wind in the Senate were a finite source.

Actually, we only need enough wind to last until May, 2011 according to this: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/01/BA8V1AV589.DTL&feed=rss.news
Whew. I feel better now.

Glenzilla argues that the purpose of a change at the top of the U.S. govt is to woo the other side to existing policies. That seems to be working too.

Scott Horton’s up on democracynow, talking about the dismissal of the case against the Blackwater guys.

Ha. And, we could get out of Afganistan if we put a gas pipeline to congress.

On a per-capita basis, Yemen had the second most heavily armed citizenry behind the United States, with 61 guns per 100 people.

Horton sez it looks like DOJ wanted to sabotage its own case.

Cockburn’s figure for Yemen was a lot higher.

” The Secret Service is investigating after an effigy of President Obama was found hanging in the hometown of former President Jimmy Carter. ”
_______________

Missed anything about Republicans in the news account of this incident. In fact, it doesn’t mention who might have done it. How do you know Republicans were involved? Aren’t you making an assumption based on zero factual input? Pretty much makes you into an ignoramus, doesn’t it?

Did he say why they would want to sabotage their own investigation?

Horton sez the dismissal puts the U.S. in breech of its international obligation.

Again.

Like I said a week ago, we need a new law holding those in the position of enforcing justice to pay the price of the crime if they intentionally screw up enforcing the law properly.

Mornin’, BT, pups

Well, the first work day of the new year shows not much has changed in the zany world of politics. I guess my vision of politicians cold booting their brains when the big ball in Central Park dropped didn’t work out.

I’ll have to listen to it again in the replay, but I do remember that he said that they didn’t want to prosecute it. My guess is that would open up a can of worms about the whole contracting mess.

The actual misconduct was that the DOJ used statements given under amnesty to prosecute. Pretty blatant.

Graymail. Eric Prince is threatening to spill the beans on a whole bunch of delicate operations.

So, kind of pretending to prosecute, but using tainted evidence so that no one gets in troube?
Why the DOJ needs to get cleaned up. I’m not an attorney, but even I can figure out some things.

Does he have a death wish? For himself, I mean.

Emptywheel covered it:
Blackwater Charges in Nisour Killings Dismissed

Yes. You should listen to the whole segment. Horton mentions all the other DOJ scandals and the fact that Holder is continuing W’s track without blinking.

I’m sure Prince has his bases covered.

Yes, but it’s interesting to have Horton weigh in too. He has an important voice in this area.

Morning all. Sounds like DOJ used the same trial strategy that they used for Ted Stevens.

The DOJ screw ups timeline and “who” benefits would make a nice timeline. Marcy are you here reading?

Hmmm… Ted Stevens…

AIPAC…

Horton said that.

I don’t dispute that, but is it correct?

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL2834893820070828

Agreed. Unfortunately by the time democracynow is on, I’m in the office, and often I forget to watch/listen at lunch or after work.

Thanks for the link. It was the source I was looking for.

Having said that, I suppose that any estimate in a country like Yemen would be a wild guess. Still no excuse for Cockburn not using the usual stats, or if he doesn’t, explaining why.

Off to the vet.

US KIA Irak: 4,372

US KIA Afghanistan: 953

Iraki and Afghan casualties: estimates vary to over 1.5M

US MBS 2010: 372

Be good to yourselves, and all other living things.

Namaste

No US KIA in Irak in Dec. 2009

Good news for a change.

Hope all is well with the “fasting” kitteh.

Tom, did the nail in your head cause this?

Do you think this judge will find it unconstitutional when the congress mandates that we buy health insurance?

do not feed

Christy Harden Smith started to address some of the DOJ politicizing concerns that screw up cases here.

It is worth rereading. The comments have some good content too.

Jim DeMint Still Standing Firm Against TSA Nominee Erroll Southers

“What I want is a few hours of debate on Mr. Southers to fix the nation back on security and get politics, especially union politics, out of our security apparatus.”

Jack of Asses.

twarnt Mormons

New post up…

Do you think this judge will find it unconstitutional when the congress mandates that we buy health insurance?

The weight of legal opinion I’ve read so far is that it is constitutional, unfortunately. IANAL, obviously, and the arguments for and against are pretty convoluted. It would be good if one of our resident lawyers like bmaz would weigh in or point us to some good discussions of the issue.

On edit: I probably will retire this year and jump from employer insurance to Medicare. At the moment retirement feels like jumping out of an airplane and hoping the chute will open.

I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more about this. Maybe it will go to the Supremes. How and what kind of power the congress has. They should figure it out ahead of time and save us some money not having to go to court.
Regarding retirement, I’m actually thinking of applying for SS early, just in case. Gawd, so much is just a crap shoot these days.

Well, I am going to be 67 this month so as of a year ago I can get full SS. I understand that there is a point at which you live long enough that the reduced benefits from taking it early average out. I wasn’t really ready until about the past year, when job changes made getting outta here more attractive. After the economy went in the tank and some of my nest egg went with it, I decided to hang on for awhile. Being off for two full weeks over the holidays made getting up and out (in the snow) much less appealing.

Back to Blackwater. David also has a post about the Bungling:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/01/BA8V1AV589.DTL&feed=rss.news

Maybe it will go to the Supremes.

What I have read is that it is unlikely the Supremes will agree to hear it. But who knows? I am more interested in what the negotiations behind closed doors in lieu of a conference will produce. I don’t have any confidence it will be good.

Shiver me timbers. Brrrrr.

Yeah, really cold here and another 3 – 4 inches forecast on top of the 8 or 9 we already have.

There are only a few things that occur behind closed doors of which I approve.

Umm…I think you pasted the wrong link. That one goes to Biblical scholar’s date for rapture: May 21, 2011

LOL. Me too.

Oh, thanks. Sorry. Here’s the correct link for the DOJ Bungling:
http://news.firedoglake.com/2010/01/01/doj-bungles-case-against-blackwater-guards-in-nissour-square-massacre/

To avoid major problems it might be wise for the conference committee to consider some changes to the final bill to avoid the mandate and yet make insurance easily available/affordable. But, that’s a hard call to make since it would mean a lot fewer people would have/get insurance.

Still, if there’s no public option it would be easy to claim the mandates are illegal and need to be taken out.