Snowy open thread

Nice snowfall here in DC. Not really sticking beyond the cars and the grass, but it's quite pretty. Snowing by you? Read More......

Time has "first photo" of Bush/Abramoff (with Rove, too)

Time Magazine has the first picture of Abramoff at the White House with Bush -- and they have the back story:

This meeting, however, was a relatively small gathering attended by some two dozen people, including Garza and another Indian tribal leader who was Abramoff's client. At least two tribes, the Coushatta of Louisiana and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw, contributed $25,000 each to the anti-tax group Americans for Tax Reform, which is headed by Grover Norquist, a well-known conservative ally of the White House. Garza, who is also known by his Indian name, Makateonenodua, meaning "black buffalo," is under federal indictment for allegedly embezzling more than $300,000 from his tribe. (More photos of him with the President are available on his website Makateonenodua.com).

Talking about the photo, Abramoff has told friends, "I was standing right next to the window and after the picture was taken, the President came over and shook hands with me, and we chatted and joked." A photograph of that scene as described by Abramoff was shown to TIME two weeks ago. Abramoff's lawyers have said that their client has long had photographs of himself with Bush, but that he has no intention of releasing any of them. Abramoff would not comment on the matter.

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Another open thread

Sorry, we're preparing for either a blizzard or nothing here in DC. Been getting the apartment cleaned up for the French visitor (and by the way, thanks for the many suggestions as to what to do in NYC - they're in the comments to one of the posts below, it's a wealth of info for anyone interested in what to do in NYC, it's great).

Anyway, I'm on the phone with Sony because - guess what?! I swear I don't even want to go there. I'm using my Mac to add this post, and it looks like I'm now going to get a crash course in using my Mac as the Sony is, again, dead. The big thrill this time is that the damn Sony is now a year and a week old, and you know what that means. Long conversations with Sony about why a computer that has never worked right is not really out of warranty if it's NEVER worked right. Oh joy.

Anyway, on hold with tech support now. Sigh.

So what news am I missing today while having my aneurysm? Read More......

WaPo reporters ignore conservative oppo. to domestic spying, buying GOP idea that it's a partisan issue

In their eagerness to cover the political message from top GOP leaders, two Washington Post reporters dutifully reported that the Bush team is going to make the domestic spying a political issue in the 2006 elections. Ironically, the GOP leaders, Cheney and Mehlman, announced their plans at a conservative gathering hosted by a conservative opponent of the Bush domestic spying program. The Post forgot to include that detail.

Yesterday, Jim VandeHei wrote how Dick Cheney first announced that they planned to make the domestic spying program a major issue in the 2006 elections. Vandehei highlighted the VP's political threat against Democrats. That, of course, fits right in to the narrative about the spy scandal coming from the White House that this is just a partisan squabble:

Vice President Cheney suggested last night that the debate over spying on overseas communications to or from terrorism suspects should be a political issue in this year's congressional elections.

Speaking to Republicans gathered for the annual CPAC convention, Cheney said the debate over the National Security Agency surveillance program "has clarified where all stand" on an issue that has drawn criticism from congressional Democrats and some Republicans.

Today, Dan Balz gave Ken Mehlman's speech that same treatment:

Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman yesterday accused Democratic leaders of wanting to deny law enforcement officials the tools they need to defend against terrorism and criticized them for challenging President Bush's program of warrantless surveillance of potential terrorists.

In a sharply worded speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference, Mehlman said Republicans do not question the patriotism of the opposition party leaders, but he added, "These are people we know love their country. The question is: Can they protect it?"

As both articles note, the speeches from Cheney and Mehlman were made at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). CPAC is sponsored by the American Conservative Union (ACU). The ACU is headed by David Keene. Keene is one of the conservative leaders who has publicly OPPOSED the White House domestic spying operation. Keene's statement was included in the press release put out by "Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances":

"The need to reform surveillance laws and practices adopted since 9/11 is more apparent now than ever. No one would deny the government the power it needs to protect us all, but when that power poses a threat to the basic rights that make our nation unique, its exercise must be carefully monitored by Congress and the courts. This is not a partisan issue; it is an issue of safeguarding the fundamental freedoms of all Americans so that future administrations do not interpret our laws in ways that pose constitutional concerns." -- David Keene, chairman, American Conservative Union

So, clearly, the opposition to the Bush domestic spying program is bi-partisan. Or as David Keene himself specifically said "this is not a partisan issue." But, you wouldn't really know that from the Washington Post's coverage. Balz tucked in one phrase in his story that said "Democrats":

have pointed out that the administration's covert surveillance program has even drawn challenges from some Republicans.

You need the Democrats to point out that Republicans oppose the domestic spying program? That fits again nicely in to the idea that this is a partisan issue.

How about the fact that the force behind CPAC has challenged the program? The idea that Cheney and Mehlman went to David Keene's conference to say they are going to make domestic spying a political issue against Democrats when David Keene has already spoken out against the program...now that's interesting...but not for the crack team of Washington Post political reporters. It's just easier to say the GOP will use the issue against Democrats. Read More......

Three More GOP members tied to Abramoff

Court filings show the roll of Abramoff-linked GOPers continues to grow. Add LaTourette from Ohio, Young from Alaska and Capito from West Virginia:

Two of the elected officials referred to in Friday's filings have been identified in published reports as Reps. Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio, and Don Young, R-Alaska. According to Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, the two representatives wrote to the GSA in September 2002, urging the agency to give preferential treatment to groups such as Indian tribes when evaluating development proposals for the Old Post Office.

LaTourette maintains he did nothing improper by advocating special opportunities for certain small businesses in areas known as HUBzones, or Historically Underutilized Business zones. His spokeswoman, Deborah Setliff, said that the letter was reviewed by Young's chief of staff and counsel and that it did not advocate any particular business over another.

A spokesman for Young did not return telephone calls.

Friday's filings by prosecutors refer to a third member of Congress, Rep. Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.Va. Her name appears in e-mails that suggest she was trying to help Abramoff secure a GSA lease for land in Silver Spring for a religious school.

Capito claims to know nothing about the effort. "The action taken by her former chief of staff was done without her knowledge, approval or consent," said her spokesman, Joel Brubaker. "She was not aware of any contact with GSA of any type on this matter."

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Open thread

Running around today, going off to some kind of home show at the convention center in DC. Should be interesting, or not.

Chat amongst yourselves. JOHN Read More......

Ciro Update

Hate Dems who act like Republicans? Support Ciro. Read More......

48 hours in NYC, what to do tourist-wise?

I have a friend visiting me from France this week, he arrives tomorrow right after our mini-blizzard, and I wanted to take him to New York City for 2 days. It's his first trip to the US (first time in a plane actually, which is kind of funny, because we forget sometimes that not everybody flies a lot), and he's REALLY interested in seeing Amurican stuff. Meaning, the culture, the way we live - top of his list for his visit is he wants to buy a hot dog at a hot dog joint, and he wants to visit an American grocery story and shopping center LOL. He is not, however, a big fan of going to museums.

So, with that in mind, we've got 48 hours in NYC, where should I take him?

I've already got the following in mind as possibilities:

1. Top of the Empire State Building
2. The village
3. Central Park
4. Ground zero (is there still anything to see, are there still memorials up?) - and either way, WHERE should we go, location wise?
5. Times Square at night
6. Broadway
7. Chelsea
8. The subway
9. A good diner
9. Coney Island/Brighton Beach (I love the neighborhood, reminds me of a Neil Simon movie)
10. I'm also doing a taping at Air America, so he gets to see that too. Read More......

Will Bush and Cheney campaign against GOPers who oppose domestic spying?

Thursday night, Dick Cheney -- who we learned this week authorized the leak of classified information for political reasons -- told a gathering of conservatives that the White House was going to make domestic spying a political issue in 2006. The meeting where Cheney made that declaration was hosted by David Keene, an opponent of the Bush domestic spying program.
Today, the New York Times is reporting that more Republicans are speaking out against domestic spying:

In interviews over several days, Congressional Republicans have expressed growing doubts about the National Security Agency program to intercept international communications inside the United States without court warrants. A growing number of Republicans say the program appears to violate the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the 1978 law that created a court to oversee such surveillance, and are calling for revamping the FISA law.

Will Bush, Cheney and Rove be campaigning against those Republicans this year? Read More......

Saturday Morning Open Thread

Not trying to get anyone too riled up so early on a Saturday, but what do you think was the biggest outrage of last week? There were so many. Read More......

Oh Ken

This is a person we know loves his country, the question is: Does he love men too? Read More......

Chicago Sun-Times reporter says Washington Times story "lifted" her quotes

Even for a religious cult-run newspaper, isn't plagiarism wrong? Or maybe it was authorized in the Iraq war resolution. Read More......