I assumed from the first time I heard about this motion that it was going to end up in SCOTUS. No matter who won 2nd Circuit, I don't think it should end there. This is such an important issue of balancing privacy rights vs. government transparency and accountability. This is really important stuff.

Now why do you suppose Robert Luskin went to the trouble of orchestrating a limited hang-out in the NYT and WaPo yesterday?

The WaPo reveals that they had an hour-long interview with Karl Rove earlier this month--at which he tried to spin his role in the US Attorney firings. Apparently, though, his spin was debunked by documents the WaPo received.

Via Murray Waas, writing at The Hill, we have at long last fresh news on the Rick Renzi corruption case in Arizona. As you will recall, Renzi's indictment was a critical prong in the greater US Attorney firing scandal, specifically as to Arizona US Attorney Paul Charlton.

Remember Tim DeChristopher? He's the University of Utah student who last December gave us all an early Christmas present when he wrapped up 22,000 acres of our Federal land, thus protecting it from Bushie auction to Big Carbon. Tim showed up at Bush's "last great gift to oil and gas", the Bureau of Land Management's giveaway auction in Utah, where he entered the high bid on almost one-sixth of the public land at risk.

Three Republican-appointed judges have upheld most of the convictions of Governor Don Siegelman--while throwing out two counts of Mail Fraud. Their arguments aren't very convincing.

So we get transcripts and documents after the interviews are over. No one hold your breath.

The House Judiciary Committee will question Karl Rove and Harriet Miers regarding two distinct but interrelated subjects: the USAtty firings and the Siegelman prosecution. As Marcy reported, the questioning will be done on the record, transcribed and given under penalty of perjury. More importantly, the committee will also receive all of the documents they've been requesting for quite some time prior to the testimony, including a number of missing e-mails.

A federal Judge has ordered the US Attorney's Office in NY to turn over the Grand Jury materials from the Eliot Spitzer investigation to the New York Times. DOJ is appealing. Spitzer was never charged with a crime. Many suspect that the search warrant applications may turn out to be tainted and that SOMEBODY did a political hit job on Spitzer.

Mikey Isikoff (surprise!!!) has the exclusive (!!!) read of what Fred Fielding is now trying to assert for Rove: Executive privilege. For the first time. With no specific review of whether or not Rove's actions--particularly as they relate to pursuing a witch hunt against Governor Siegelman and attempting to get Patrick Fitzgerald fired while investigating Bush's orders to go after Joe Wilson--merit "executive privilege," Fielding is now asserting executive privilege. And Isikoff is such a crack journalist, he doesn't notice the change in stance!!! Welcome to old ways in Washington DC!