I figured that Bush would nominate more controversial figures from the start, like Chertoff, so that the Senate would get tied up in their denunciations and acting AG and Bush stooge, Paul Clement, would be the defacto permanent AG.

Think about the possibility of bring an appellate judge in as AG. Wouldn't that then give Bush and Co. the chance to throw someone too nutty for the AG confirmation into a position of power for future calling in of favors?

"...people who have cosmic goals that they are intent on achieving by cataclysmic means" (gotta love that phrase) - but are you sure he wasn't talking about george & dick?

is the best news I've heard all day. It would be like Harriet Miers holding hands with the Ghost of Katrina.

I wonder if Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, and Alito have received their phone calls yet?

Republican Appointment away from district judges being the butt of jokes in the GOP backroom conferences------"A district judge/court ruled what? HA HA. We'll see about that. I lay 5-4 odds it doesn't stand."

Another member of daddy's team? Good grief, how long is the 60-year-old-leadership virgin going to keep going back to his daddy's well to help him out of trouble?

You've got be kidding...Ted Olsen for AG? Let's pray for his nomination as the confirmation hearings would be great theater.

Tiberius? Joe? Anyone?

Remind me why "9/11 changed everything" so drastically that we had no choice but to abandon the most basic and precious Constitutional precepts of our democratic republic -- habeas corpus, warrants before searches, right to counsel, on and on.

Tell me again why this self-destruction doesn't achieve EXACTLY what neo-conservatives say they believe al Qaeda and its allies desire -- the abolition of the freedom that sets us apart from other societies.

Thank our lucky stars that truly patriotic and truly strict constructionist Americans continue to resist demolition of our Constitution.

"Another member of daddy's team? Good grief, how long is the 60-year-old-leadership virgin going to keep going back to his daddy's well to help him out of trouble?"

In defense, there's really nothing unusual about going back to the last time your party was in power to fill vacancies. It's just that the last time a Republican was president before Bush 43 was Bush 41.

is too valuable as a closet "republican" to nominate. Or is it that Conneticuit has a Dem for a governor who would replace LIEberman with a clear thinker and really FUBAR Bush's agenda...

Who's the judge gonna get to ENFORCE his decision? The DOJ? Shit, people, Bush just does what he wants to do law or no law. 'Judges' that don't tow the party line are likely to end up on an extended European vacation....courtesy of the CIA. Welcome to Facism. Jump on in, the brown shirts are FREE!!!!

and the bastards threw him to the wolves. I think he is just trying to get back at his "friends" in the Congress. After all he will be retiring on a very nice pension with extraordinary medical benefits. What's he got lose by a little needling. He'll be at home back here in Idaho. The place is full of pervs who go to fundamentalist and LDS churches.

"A U.S. district judge in New York today struck down portions of the new-and-improved Patriot Act, ruling that the act 'offends the fundamental constitutional principles of checks and balances and separation of powers'"

You bet it offends! And what a sorry country that there is this law known as the "Patriot" Act.

Thank you, judge, for your voice of reason and sanity.

Without reading any of the postings, here's what I heard from I watching most of the committee hearing. Although come next spring there has to be some draw down and mission realignment because of not having the force structure to simply replace the outgoing surge troops, the Repugs and some Dems will see the report as positive, contrary to the more negative press reports. The commission members clearly believe that the Iraqi Army is making significant progress, thus the “surge is working.”

The commission strongly criticized the national police force and the Ministry of the Interior and recommended that control be decentralized, giving the provincial governments more power. They pointed out that border, infrastructure and oil pilfering security need considerably more support and priority. They believed that the Army had a secular view and the police a sectarian Shi’a one that would require a major overhaul and were not that confident that the new ministry secretary was making much of a difference over his predecessor although the firing of many police chiefs was a good sign.

The commission's recommendation on American mission realignment would shift our troops to other jobs within Iraq and that a sizable force would be required for some time. It seemed to me that considering the commission generals and admirals spent most of their time in Iraq being led around and briefed by coalition forces, that the commission was speaking on behalf of Gen. Petraeus even though they are quote an independent commission.

Surge supporters are going to use the commission report to bolster their position that we can still win in Iraq. Those of us opposing the surge and wanting us to withdraw from Iraq are not going to be helped all that much by the commission findings.

Sorry wrong Grieve thread.

Remind me why "9/11 changed everything" so drastically that we had no choice but to abandon the most basic and precious Constitutional precepts of our democratic republic -- habeas corpus, warrants before searches, right to counsel, on and on.

Where are the usual suspects? Well, I’ll play devil’s advocate…

On 9/11, the enemy struck our cities killing 3,000 civilians in an act of unprovoked aggression. This enemy is unlike any we’ve ever faced: they plot, they adapt, and they belong to no particular country. They are everywhere and nowhere.

9/11 was, in part, a U.S. failure. Agencies did not share information with each other that could have prevented the attacks due to “privacy” concerns. Technology and communication have changed, and law enforcement was fighting this new enemy with one arm tied behind its back.

We need new tools to fight the enemy, and the Patriot Act is one such tool:

The law allows our intelligence and law enforcement officials to continue to share information. It allows them to continue to use tools against terrorists that they used against -- that they use against drug dealers and other criminals.--President Bush, March 2006

Furthermore, the Patriot Act, passed with near unanimity, has safeguards to prevent abuse including: 1) high-level approval for sensitive requests like library and medical records, 2) limits on retention and dissemination of documents and 3) audits by the Inspector General. And there has not been a single substantiated violation of civil liberties under the Patriot Act.

The Constitution is safe. And now, with the Patriot Act, we can be, too.

Ew, did I just come up with a slogan for the Patriot Act?

-

http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/patriotact/

http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2005/December/05_opa_682.html