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S/SW blog philosophy -

I credit favorite writers and public opinion makers.

A lifelong Democrat, my comments on Congress, the judiciary and the presidency are regular features.

My observations and commentary are on people and events in politics that affect the USA or the rest of the world, and stand for the interests of peace, security and justice.


Monday, February 16, 2009

Something is not right. . .

[2/14/09]

Bush leftovers -- The Justice Department's (Office of Public Responsibility) report about John Yoo and Steven Bradbury, of torture memo fame, has yet to be released, according to emptywheel's (2/14) post. Former officials in the Bush administration are still working to get the report sent to Congress, which has had the request in for some time. The author refers to a source leaked story by Michael Isikoff.

Republican "bipartisanship" -- In a related matter it turns out that there is no whistleblower protections for federal workers in the stimulus bill, ProPublica (2/13/09) reveals. And it was Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins who reportedly axed the provision.

Leadership failures -- Mother Jones put the current economic crisis situation this way: "Locked into the Bailout State," adding "the greed and self-indulgence of our financial overlords in the face of an economic cataclysm is, unsurprisingly, inciting anger and contempt."

Say "Goodbye to all that" -- The Commerce department will likely be headed by a Democrat. Andrew Sullivan at the Daily Dish exposes "The Census Canard" (2/12/09). To quote:

Again this is not a real issue. It's an issue driven by the paranoid GOP base. The census has not been removed from the Commerce Department's purview, as Ambers explains below. And past censuses have long been conducted with coordination from the White House staff"

Scandals -- At ProPublica's "This week in Scandals: TARP's Midlife crisis and more" (2/13/09), read the latest regarding these stories:

  1. Market Crisis -- background first, then the latest.

  2. Maddoff's Long Con -- He has made a deal and his wife's withdrawals were revealed
  3. Detainee Treament -- regarding the claim of state secrets.

Today's post is one of my regular Monday rants. Though I swore I was going to try to forget about stories from the right, they are too numerous. So I am putting them out and letting them go.

See also Behind the Links, for further info on this subject.

(Cross-posted at The Reaction.)

My “creativity and dreaming” post today is at Making Good Mondays.

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