Khmer Rouge torture commander accepts responsibility

It's not going to bring anyone back but at least former S-21 torture prison commander is recognizing his role in one of the most horrible crimes in modern history. When we visited Cambodia a few years ago, it was still a highly dysfunctional country that still included former Khmer Rouge fighters at all levels of government. It's a country that could not move forward, always stuck with reminders of those horrible times. Our first taxi driver recounted a story about his father being severely beaten and tortured and the stories on the ground never end. And then there are the victims of landmines, injured decades after the war. It's such a beautiful place but awful at the same time.

For us, during our visit, we were following the news from America as Bush & Co. built their plans for war in Iraq. It was infuriating to listen to those people talk about chemical weapons and torture as though what the US did and supported in Southeast Asia never happened. How would they have known though since the most bloodthirsty of the lot weren't there?

It's long overdue and the crimes are unimaginable but at least it's being done.

Duch, 66, is being tried by a U.N.-assisted genocide tribunal for crimes against humanity, war crimes, murder and torture. An estimated 1.7 million Cambodians died under the 1975-79 communist Khmer Rouge regime from forced labor, starvation, medical neglect and executions.

"I am criminally responsible for killing babies, young children and teenagers," Duch told the tribunal, never mentioning if he had personally carried out such killings. He referred to photographs he was shown by the tribunal of a technique executioners used to kill child victims by bashing their heads against tree trunks.

"The horrendous images of the babies being smashed against the trees, I didn't recognize it at first. But after seeing the photographs I recalled that it had happened," Duch said. "It was done by my subordinates. I do not blame them because this was under my responsibility."

Obviously the US torture was not as extensive as Cambodia, but still, when will the US decide to face up to it's recent history of torture? We can and should do better. Read More......

Roberts, Scalia, Thomas and Alito: What's the problem with buying judges through elections?

Today, a majority of the Supreme Court ruled that, yes, judges should recuse themselves from cases involving their major political funders. The decision came in a West Virginia case where one of the justices was elected with the help of a $3 million contribution from one of the defendants. The justice heard the case anyway.

But, the conservatives don't have a problem with the practice of buying judges. In their view, it seems unfair to undermine the influence of major donors:

Chief Justice Roberts, writing for himself and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr., said that “the standard the majority articulates — ‘probability of bias’ — fails to provide clear, workable guidance for future cases.”

He followed this observation with a list of 40 numbered questions that “courts will now have to determine.” Among them: How much money is too much money? Must the judge cast the deciding vote? Do contributions from trade associations or interest groups count?

“Today’s opinion,” Chief Justice Roberts wrote, “requires state and federal judges simultaneously to act as political scientists (why did candidate X win the election?), economists (was the financial support disproportionate?) and psychologists (is there likely to be a debt of gratitude?).”

You'd like to think the patina of judicial impartiality would matter.

And, then, there's Scalia:

Justice Scalia, in a separate dissent, said Monday’s decision illustrated a larger jurisprudential problem.

“The court today continues its quixotic quest to right all wrongs and repair all imperfections through the Constitution,” Justice Scalia wrote.

“Should judges sometimes recuse themselves even when the clear commands of our prior due process law do not require it?” he asked. “Undoubtedly. The relevant question, however, is whether we do more good than harm by seeking to correct this imperfection through expansion of our constitutional mandate in a manner ungoverned by any discernible rule. The answer is obvious.”

Yeah, not so obvious to Scalia. He's such an authority on ethics that he went hunting with Cheney even while the court was considering a case involving Cheney:

Vice President Dick Cheney and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia spent part of last week duck hunting together at a private camp in southern Louisiana just three weeks after the court agreed to take up the vice president's appeal in lawsuits over his handling of the administration's energy task force.

While Scalia and Cheney are avid hunters and longtime friends, several experts in legal ethics questioned the timing of their trip and said it raised doubts about Scalia's ability to judge the case impartially.

But Scalia rejected that concern Friday, saying, "I do not think my impartiality could reasonably be questioned."

Right. Read More......

Beijing Olympics changed everything

Freedom from censorship is just around the corner. NY Times:

The software, which manufacturers must install on all new PC’s starting July 1, allows the government to update computers regularly with an ever-changing list of banned Web sites.

The rules, issued last month, ratchet up Internet restrictions already among the most stringent in the world. China regularly blocks Web sites that discuss the Dalai Lama, the 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square protesters, and the Falun Gong, the banned spiritual movement. But free-speech advocates say they fear the new software could make it even more difficult for China’s 300 million Internet users to access uncensored news and information.

“This is a very bad thing,” said Charles Mok, chairman of the Internet Society, an advocacy group in Hong Kong. “It’s like downloading spyware onto your computer, but the government is the spy.”

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Gallup: Conservatives, Republicans, and churchgoers all support repealing DADT

Gallup:

Americans are six percentage points more likely than they were four years ago to favor allowing openly gay men and lesbian women to serve in the military, 69% to 63%. While liberals and Democrats remain the most supportive, the biggest increase in support has been among conservatives and weekly churchgoers -- up 12 and 11 percentage points, respectively.

The finding that majorities of weekly churchgoers (60%), conservatives (58%), and Republicans (58%) now favor what essentially equates to repealing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy implemented under President Clinton in 1993 is noteworthy for several reasons. First, the data show that these traditionally conservative groups are shifting on this issue, supporting it to a far greater extent than they support legalized gay marriage. Second, it suggests the political playing field may be softer on this issue, and President Barack Obama will be well-positioned to forge ahead with his campaign promise to end the military ban on openly gay service members with some support from more conservative segments of the population. To date, it is estimated that more than 12,500 servicemen and servicewomen have been discharged under the policy, including more than 200 since Obama took office.

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More bodies, Air France wreckage found

The difficult search is collecting more pieces to the puzzle. To follow up on John's post last night about the families, I know a little about such situations. My brother had been killed by a drunk driver and due to the nature of the accident, they were unable to confirm that it was him for days. Even though all evidence pointed to it being him my parents had to provide detailed records to confirm with the coroner. Without that final confirmation, we all also held out hope that somehow it was all just a big mistake. It was an awful period for us as a family so my heart really goes out to the families involved here. (My brother would have been 50 yesterday.)

It's sad news but still a relief to know for sure. CNN:

Sixteen bodies have been recovered from last week's crash of an Air France jetliner in the Atlantic Ocean, Brazil's military announced Monday.

The Brazilian navy and air force said they have found nine bodies in the wide search area around where the Airbus A330-200 went down. The crew of a French vessel taking part in the search has found seven bodies, military officials told reporters Sunday evening.

Air France Flight 447 disappeared over the Atlantic early June 1. The jet was en route to Paris, France, from the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro with 228 passengers and crew aboard.

The bodies were found floating about 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) from the Brazilian coast. Items found in the same area Saturday were confirmed to have come from the jet, including pieces of the aircraft's wing section, luggage and a leather briefcase containing an airplane ticket with a reservation code for the doomed flight, Brazilian air force spokesman Jorge Amaral told CNN.

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The Third Way on health care is, of course, the wrong way

Today, Mcjoan at DailyKos got a look at Third Way's plan for health care reform. "Third Way" is one of those groups that has no real constituency, grassroots or membership, but is beloved, for some reason, by the traditional media and people on Capitol Hill. Mcjoan reports that Third Way is clearly trying to kill the public option -- something that undermines the true progressive approach to health care reform, while only benefiting the insurance industry. Without a public option, the insurance industry will never be reined in. Ever. McJoan dissects the Third Way proposal -- and blasts it:

This leaked draft [pdf] of their upcoming policy paper shows that they're not even going for a hyper-incrementalist watering down of the public option--they're trying to kill it. Here's their premise:

Whether health care reform should include a "public plan" is an issue that now threatens to fracture the emerging consensus on health reform. If left unresolved, the debate over a public plan could derail the broader reform agenda while other pressing issues central to reform are put on hold.

The proponents of a public plan seek the right goals—to broaden access and lower costs. But there is a very real danger that an overly intrusive public plan can ultimately undermine these very goals and destabilize the private-sector coverage that middle-class Americans—i.e., Harry and Louise—depend on and are largely satisfied with.

They actually invoke Harry and Louise again, which is fitting, since Harry and Louise were a creation of the insurance industry, much like this plan seems to be. In the event that Third Way forgot, "proponents" of the public option include President Obama, one of the key Senate leaders on the issue, and the largest voting bloc in the House of Representatives. It's not a fringe group of DFHers who want a solid public option. It's the consensus of the majority of Democrats. And the President.

Nonetheless, Third Way seems committed to doing the dirty work of the insurance lobby from the "left."

Note to all: Third Way is not a progressive group.

We've know that there are Democrats on Capitol Hill who are almost programmed to screw up health care reform. They're aided and abetted by groups like Third Way. The group's Honorary Senate chairs are Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Evan Bayh (D-IN), Tom Carper (D-DE), Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO). Not exactly cutting edge leaders on progressive issues.

We've said repeatedly that we will call out those who are trying to undermine real health care reform. Put Third Way on that list. I have a feeling the progressive bloggers will be writing a lot more about this group over the next few days. Adam Green already weighed in.

The battle for real health care reform is just starting. And, any Democrat or Democratic allied group that does the insurance industry's dirty work will be exposed. Read More......

A coup in the NY State Senate: Two Dems. defected, turning control back to GOP. This has major implications for marriage equality in New York.

Just got a call from a friend in New York who told me, "There's a coup going on in the State Senate. No one knows what's going to happen, but it's probably bad for marriage equality."

This is a major, unexpected development.

According to the New York Times, two Democratic Senators defected to the GOP today:

Democrats appeared to have lost their majority in the State Senate on Monday in what would be a stunning and sudden reversal of fortunes for a party that has controlled the chamber for barely five months.

A raucous leadership fight erupted on the floor of the Senate around 3 p.m., with two Democrats, Pedro Espada Jr. of the Bronx and Hiram Monserrate of Queens joining the 30 Senate Republicans in a motion that would displace Democrats as the party in control.

It was a noisy and acrimonious scene on the floor of the Senate as Senator Thomas W. Libous, a Republican from Binghamton and the party’s deputy leader, shouted for a roll call vote, and Democrats attempted to stall the vote by asking to adjourn the session.

All 30 Republicans stood with their hands raised, signaling a vote for a change in leadership. Mr. Espada and Mr. Monserrate joined them, each raising his hand. It appeared that Republicans had won the vote by a 32-to-30 margin. If the Republicans were to retake the chamber, Dean G. Skelos, of Long Island, would likely be the new majority leader.

The Times noted that it was not clear if the same-sex marriage bill was part of the reason for these defections. But, the defections do impact the chances of getting a vote on that legislation. The GOP leaders blocked a vote in the last session and, undoubtedly, would again.

Stay tuned. It's really never a dull moment in Albany. Read More......

And now, even more GOP drama: Palin is back on

The on again, off again, back on again and then off yet again story continues. She's back and on again. Maybe.

In another sign of the sway that Sarah Palin and her supporters in Palin Nation hold over the GOP, NRCC chief Pete Sessions is working behind the scenes to get Palin reinvited to the big GOP fundraiser tonight, GOP sources say.

It’s the story of the day that GOP leaders have been battling over who’s to blame for the fact that Palin was “snubbed” when she was mysteriously disinvited from the big fundraiser, which is for the two Congressional committees, the NRCC and the NRSC. Politico laid the blame on NRCC chief Sessions, claiming he didn’t want her to upstage keynote speaker Newt Gingrich, prompting a round of bitter finger-pointing.

But GOP sources say that Sessions right now is working the phones to try to get Palin to attend, after all. The Hill, in what seemed like an answer to the Politico piece, reported that the real culprit behind Palin’s disinvitation had originally been NRSC chief John Cornyn.

In addition to working to ensure that Palin does come, Sessions plans to stress party unity in his speech tonight. “Together, we are showing America that we are a unified party with the best solutions to create jobs and grow our economy,” Sessions will say, according to an advance copy sent my way.

Party unity or party chaos? Read More......

Guantanamo detainee, held for seven years, describes the torture he endured. And, he is sure it was torture.

ABC News secured an interview with Lakhdar Boumediene, who was held in Guatanamo for over seven years. He was arrested in Bosnia in the weeks after September 11th and eventually handed over to the U.S. military. Boumediene won his case before the U.S. Supreme Court against the Bush administration and was freed by a federal judge. He talked to Jake Tapper (video of the interview here). The U.S. did torture:

Boumediene said the interrogations began within one week of his arrival at the facility in Cuba. But he thought that his cooperation, and trust in the United States, would serve him well and quicken his release.

"I thought America, the big country, they have CIA, FBI. Maybe one week, two weeks, they know I am innocent. I can go back to my home, to my home," he said.

But instead, Boumediene said he endured harsh treatment for more than seven years. He said he was kept awake for 16 days straight, and physically abused repeatedly.

Asked if he thought he was tortured, Boumediene was unequivocal.

"I don't think. I'm sure," he said.

Boumediene described being pulled up from under his arms while sitting in a chair with his legs shackled, stretching him. He said that he was forced to run with the camp's guards and if he could not keep up, he was dragged, bloody and bruised.

He described what he called the "games" the guards would play after he began a hunger strike, putting his food IV up his nose and poking the hypodermic needle in the wrong part of his arm.

"You think that's not torture? What's this? What can you call this? Torture or what?" he said, indicating the scars he bears from tight shackles. "I'm an animal? I'm not a human?"

More confirmation of the very disturbing practice of torture at Guantanamo. That place has to be shut down. It's a symbol of everything that was wrong under the Bush/Cheney regime. V Read More......

Credit rating system is completely wrong

Leave it to this industry to find creative ways of launching new problems. I know that this isn't exactly new news but this story about how to improve your credit rating reminded me of how ridiculous that business is. Cutting up cards or paying off cards or not using cards is bad for consumers if they want a strong rating. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. Paying late (or never) does make sense but the credit card business is yet another part of the banking industry that could stand to be updated. Why should consumers be penalized if they do their best to get out of the credit web? See what you are doing wrong even if you think you are doing the right thing. Read More......

It's hard to be bipartisan with catty, petty Republicans like Iowa's Charles Grassley

Obama keeps talking bipartisanship, as John notes below. But, Iowa Republican Senator Charles Grassley exposed the level of his pettiness (and bitchiness) over the weekend. He launched a catty attack on Obama via Twitter;

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley says that President Barack Obama "got nerve" to go sightseeing in Paris while telling lawmakers it's time to deliver on a health care overhaul.

Grassley, the top Republican on the Finance Committee, is key to any bipartisan health care deal. Using Twitter — the Internet-based social connection service allows users to send mass text messages called "tweets" — the Iowa Republican issued two angry "tweets" Sunday morning as the president wrapped up an overseas tour.

For months Obama had left the details of health care legislation to Congress, then inserted himself firmly into the debate in recent days, including using his weekly radio address Saturday to declare "it's time to deliver" on health reform.

Grassley's first tweet: "Pres Obama you got nerve while u sightseeing in Paris to tell us 'time to deliver' on health care. We still on skedul/even workinWKEND."

Seriously. That is the GOP's point man in the Senate on health care reform. He's that petty for the world to see. And, it's only going to get worse.

Good thing the health care bill allows for 51 votes. Because, the Republicans aren't going to play ball -- despite what Obama and Senator Max Baucus think. Read More......

Supreme Court rejects legal challenge to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." It's time for Presidential leadership.

Today, the Supreme Court punted on its chance to overturn "Don't Ask, Don't Tell":

The Supreme Court on Monday turned down a challenge to the Pentagon policy forbidding gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, granting a request by the Obama administration.

The court said it will not hear an appeal from former Army Capt. James Pietrangelo II, who was dismissed under the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

The federal appeals court in Boston earlier threw out a lawsuit filed by Pietrangelo and 11 other veterans. He was the only member of that group who asked the high court to rule that the Clinton-era policy is unconstitutional.

In court papers, the administration said the appeals court ruled correctly in this case when it found that "don't ask, don't tell" is "rationally related to the government's legitimate interest in military discipline and cohesion."

Well, we all know that government interest isn't rational at all. And, our friends in the Obama administration know that, too.

It's time for Obama to step up. He doesn't have to wait for legislation, although legislation to overturn DADT should be passed ASAP. Obama is the commander-in-chief. He has tools at his disposal to prevent further discharges. He can issue an Executive Order according to a study by the Palm Center. If Obama wants to make a real statement during LGBT Pride Month, instead of just a proclamation, taking action to prevent further discharges under DADT would be a good one -- a very good one. Read More......

The goal isn't to be bipartisan. The goal is to pass effective health care reform that helps everybody.

This administration has a bit of a fetish about bipartisanship. Let's hope that they have a bigger fetish about passing a bill that benefits ALL Americans.

Obama has said repeatedly he wants a bipartisan bill. Although the Democratic-controlled Congress might be able to pass health care legislation with little or no Republican support, such a measure would be less widely accepted and less sustainable over time, Baucus and others have said.

But Obama's increased involvement appears to be diminishing chances for bipartisanship, not improving them. Grassley and other Republicans were also angered when Obama released a letter last week coming down strongly in favor of a new public insurance plan.

Of course the Republicans are upset that Obama is pushing a public insurance plan. They'd be upset if Obama breathed. These are the same people who voted, to a last one (minus three), against the entire stimulus package. They're not here to be helpful. And they're certainly not here to betray their friends in the insurance industry. Team Obama needs to hold firm. They need to lead. And that's what Obama started doing in the past week on health care reform. And that's why the GOP is so upset. Because when Obama leads, when Obama sticks to his guns, when Obama keeps his campaign promises, it makes it all the harder for the Republicans, at 20% and shrinking, to come back to power.

Obama needs to stop trying to broker deals with 20% of the population. Because when that happens, we risk giving 80% the shaft. Read More......

GOP drama continues: Republicans don't want Palin to upstage President Gingrich

Tonight's the big, big, big Republican fundraising dinner here in D.C. It'll be the biggest gathering of haters and losers in one place at one time since the GOP convention.

You may remember the controversy a couple months ago when Sarah Palin was invited to be the keynoter, but said she wasn't. So, the GOP dumped her -- and replaced her with their leader, Newt. That was fun enough.

But, there's been a round two. She was re-invited, then re-dumped. All to protect Newt's fragile ego:

Sarah Palin’s on-again, off-again appearance at Monday night’s gala GOP fundraising dinner is off — again.

After being invited — for a second time — to speak to the annual joint fundraiser for the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Palin was told abruptly Saturday night that she would not be allowed to address the thousands of Republicans there after all.

The Alaska governor may now skip the dinner altogether, and her allies are miffed at what they see as a slight from the congressional wing of the Republican Party.

The reason given for the snub, said a Palin aide, was that NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions was concerned about not wanting to upstage former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the fundraising gala’s keynote speaker.

And, there is that other new controversy over whether Palin used GIngrich's words in a speech. That would be a problem if she gave his speech right before he did. Read More......

Monday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

Looks like this is shaping up to be the summer of health care reform here in DC. I keep reading and hearing that Obama is going to become much more engaged in crafting the legislation. He has to. No surprise, but the knuckleheads on Capitol Hill are already screwing it up. The insurance industry and drug companies are puppet masters over so many members of Congress. So Obama is taking charge to make sure we get the change he promised. Meanwhile, we're going to have to start naming the names of those who are selling us out -- members, staffers, lobbyists and anyone in the administration. The Democrats control D.C. -- if we don't get real health care reform, it's their fault.

So, let's this week started.... Read More......

Credit card delinquencies spike in first quarter

In addition to the massive pullback in credit spending, this industry has even more troubles. The industry lobbied hard to implement their dream plan and they got it. Congress is always ready and willing to pitch in for a cause as long as the campaign dollars come in. That this is the end result of bad policy is no surprise. That the Democrats have failed to do enough to stand up for consumers and bankruptcies is another. Have the banks properly padded their accounts to prepare for such a fall?

The delinquency rate jumped to 1.32 percent this year, from 1.19 percent in the first three months of 2008, TransUnion said. The statistic measures the percentage of card holders who are three months or more past due on their payments for cards bearing MasterCard and Visa logos, along with American Express and Discover cards.

The average total debt on bank cards also rose, jumping to $5,776 from $5,548 last year.

Balances typically rise in the first quarter, as holiday spending comes due, said Ezra Becker, director of consulting and strategy in TransUnion's financial services group. But retail sales results showed holiday spending took a steep drop. That likely means higher balances now reflect consumers using credit cards to pay for necessities, he said.

"You would have seen a much better retail season if people were spending on gifts," Becker noted.

The story has a lot of interesting analysis of what this all means in terms of spending and employment compensation. Until the next quarter figures are in there are bound to be questions but in a few months, more trends will be more obvious and easier to understand where we are in this recession cycle. Read More......

Alzheimer's breakthrough study

For anyone who has friends or family suffering from Alzheimer's, you are painfully aware of the difficulties with this illness. It's still early days but scientists are learning so much more about this every day. The Independent:

A scientific breakthrough in the understanding of how Alzheimer's disease may spread across the brain of elderly patients might lead to novel ways of treating senile dementia, scientists have announced.

A study has discovered that a key brain protein linked with Alzheimer's disease has infectious properties that allow defects in the protein to be transmitted through the brain and so leads to debilitating neuro-degeneration.

It is the first time that scientists have detected infectious properties in the so-called tau protein which causes aggregates of particles known as "neurofibrillary tangles" to build up inside the brain cells of Alzheimer's patients. The tangles lead to the disease's symptoms.

But the researchers emphasised that the discovery does not mean that the disease itself is infectious, only that the tau protein seen in Alzheimer's disease is able to convert otherwise healthy brain proteins into the defective form associated with the disease.

Read More......

Europe turns right in elections

Whether this is indicative of any real trend is another story but at least for the European parliament, the left was throttled. Even the unpopular Sarkozy had a good day as his center-right party crushed the Socialists. The interesting development in France was the success of the Europe Ecologie party who were just behind the Socialists. At least in France the results were fairly even between the right and left though it was the UMP (Sarkozy's party) who led all groups.

These elections appear to me as similar to an off year state election but without even a governor in play. Even that may be overstating the attention it receives. Today the EU Parliament is very weak compared to the internal politics of each member state and Brussels - Parliament, at least - doesn't have a strong reputation for achievement. Another 20 or 30 years and this may change but for the moment it remains the place for has-beens and do-nothings who are full of good reasons why nothing happens. Maybe this new batch will change everything. Maybe not.

Europe's mainstream centre-left parties suffered humiliation last night when four days of voting in the EU's biggest-ever election concluded with disastrous results for social democrats.

Results from the national rounds of the European parliament election across the 27 member states also showed support for centre-right Christian democrats diminishing in places, but nonetheless notching up handsome victories in several key states.

In Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and the Czech Republic, the centre right won the elections, with stunning defeats for the left in certain cases.

Read More......