Video: Cute birds

But what is with that car? Read the rest of this post...

Judge who struck down individual mandate has ties to Movement Conservatism

Via Steve Benen at The Political Animal, we are pointed to the following about Judge Henry Hudson, the Federal judge who overturned the mandated-purchase provision in Obama's health care reform bill:

Judge Hudson was first appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1986 to be US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and in 2002, George W. Bush appointed him to serve as district court judge for Virginia’s Eastern District.

According to disclosure forms, Judge Hudson reported collecting “dividends” totaling anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 from Campaign Solutions over a five year period of 2003 to 2008. Campaign Solutions later acknowledged that Hudson has owned stock in the firm since it was founded.

Campaign Solutions has a long record of working with conservative organizations and Republican candidates, including none other than Ken Cuccinelli. ...

Along with Cuccinnelli, who was elected Attorney General in 2009, Campaign Solutions worked for John McCain and Bush’s presidential campaigns, the notorious Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, and the Judicial Confirmation Network (since renamed the Judicial Crisis Network). In fact, Campaign Solutions was behind the establishment of the JCN, which was founded to support George W. Bush’s conservative judicial nominees and coordinate activities right-wing organizations, especially with Religious Right groups, although the JCN has since changed its name and works to oppose the confirmation of Obama’s nominees.

In 2008, The New Republic found that the JCN “publicly consists of two employees, a post box, and a website” and was “originally created in November 2004 by Becki Donatelli, a Republican PR doyenne who chairs Campaign Solutions (the firm used by Bush-Cheney ‘04, McCain 2008, the RNC, the NRCC, and even the 527 Vets For Freedom).”

About Donatelli, Sam Stein at the Huffington Post notes that:

The president of the firm, Becki Donatelli, is the wife of longtime GOP hand Frank Donatelli, and is an adviser to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, among others.

But back to Judge Hudson. According an Alliance for Justice backgrounder (pdf):

In 2007, Judge Hudson published a memoir, “Quest for Justice: From Deputy Sheriff to Federal Judge…and Lessons Learned Along the Way.” The Washington Post reported the following excerpt from the book:

“During my early years as a prosecutor I was narrow-minded and at times offensively self-righteous,” [Judge Hudson] writes … “I lied to the General Assembly and the Fairfax County Bar Association when I told them unequivocally that I had no intention of seeking a federal judgeship,” the former Fairfax judge writes. “Perhaps lied is too strong a term.”

The book received positive reviews from noted conservative commentators, including Oliver North.

SO WHAT do we have here? Ignore the connection to health care reform — that's just the glitzy headline. The real connection, and the real story, is the connection to Movement Conservatism:

1. Judge Hudson is a career Movement activist, a founder of Movement organizations, a person supported at every step by Movement activists and their organizations, a man elevated to the U.S. District Court by a Movement president, who was himself made president by Movement Conservatives activists on the U.S. Supreme Court.

2. Hudson lied to gain his position, as many Movement Conservatives have done, including, to all appearances, prominent sitting justices. He's in the "anything to win" crowd, filled with people who have been "anointed by God" to bring God to the country. People, in other words, whose self-assigned goodness transcends the need for conscience.

This is what the nation is facing; not some low-level corruption, the washing of a few thousand beans among friends with a health-care bug in their pants. But one more encounter with a radical revolutionary Movement whose cause is "just", whose God is severe, and whose conscience has been carefully chloroformed.

They've been at this since the 1970s, relentlessly pushing the ball down the field, one generation after another. And as Judge Hudson proudly shows us, they're at it as we speak.

See what you get when you poke into one corrupt little rathole? You get the history of the the last forty years.

GP

UPDATE: Media Matters highlights Judge Hudson's "20 years of active service to the Republican party" here. Read the rest of this post...

Reid filing for cloture on DADT and DREAM tonight

Votes expected late Friday, early Saturday. Read the rest of this post...

House to vote late tonight on tax deal

From HuffPost Hill:

Late, late tonight (tomorrow?), the House will take up an amendment to slightly reduce the estate tax portion of the Obama-GOP tax cut deal. It could pass, depending on how hard leadership whips Blue Dogs. If it does, Republicans say the deal is broken and they'll bolt on final passage, meaning Democrats would need to pass it on their own. If they do, the game of chicken heads back to the Senate. If they don't, who knows what happens next. After several hours of recess, Rules Committee Chair Louise Slaughter said members will be allowed to vote against the underlying bill even if an amendment to the bill's estate-tax provision is approved. Previously, if the estate-tax amendment carried, the entire bill would have gone to the Senate immediately without another vote on final approval. Several Democrats who supported the amendment but not the overall package had objected to being forced to vote the same way on both items.

"I think the issue will be voted on tonight and I think hopefully before midnight," John Larson tells HuffPost Hill. "The question is whether it will pass amended or unamended -- that will be a very close vote."

Read the rest of this post...

Report: US trying to build conspiracy case against Assange

Oh it's a conspiracy, alright.

Federal prosecutors are looking for any evidence WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange conspired with a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst suspected of leaking classified government documents, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.

U.S. Justice Department officials were trying to determine whether Assange encouraged or helped Private Bradley Manning extract classified military and State Department files from a government computer system, the newspaper said.

If he did, officials believe Assange could be charged as a conspirator in the leak, not just as a passive recipient of the documents who then published them, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the case.

Read the rest of this post...

WikiLeaks: Chevron negotiated oil drilling contract with Iran

When you are confident that you're above the law, you don't care much about the law. If true, would this really surprise anyone? The Guardian:

The US energy firm Chevron negotiated with Tehran about developing an Iraq-Iran cross-border oilfield in spite of tight US sanctions, according to the Iraqi prime minister in leaked diplomatic cables.

Nouri al-Maliki's claim, reported in the cables, that Chevron was in discussions with the Iranian government will raise eyebrows in Europe and other parts of the world where international companies have come under significant pressure from Washington to end investments and other financial dealings with Tehran.

Chevron declined to either confirm or deny that it had been in contact with Iran, and confined its reaction to a statement saying it had not done, and would not do, anything in violation of US law.

Read the rest of this post...

Report: Mortgage note request may have led to credit downgrade

This is a very strange story that could be a lawsuit waiting to happen against Bank of America. If accurate, the mere request to Bank of America to know who actually owns the mortgage note has resulted in a hit to one customer's credit rating. This may be an isolated issue or it could be part of a larger practice of punishing any consumer who dares ask questions in this Wild West mortgage system. Click through to see the perfect payment history and more details of this bizarre case. Read the rest of this post...

Julian Assange bail confirmed by high court

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had been granted bail by the Westminster magistrates court, but that was appealed (see below for more on who made the appeal). The British high court has now ruled in Assange's favor, confirming the granting of bail. Release is expected soon.

The Guardian:

Britain's high court today granted bail to Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who is wanted in Sweden for questioning over allegations of rape.

Mr Justice Duncan Ouseley agreed with a decision by City of Westminister magistrates court earlier in the week to release Assange on strict conditions: £200,000 cash deposit, with a further £40,000 guaranteed in two sureties of £20,000, and strict conditions on his movement. ...

There was an early sign that the day would go in Assange's favour when Ouseley said: "The history of the way it [the case] has been dealt with by the Swedish prosecutors would give Mr Assange some basis that he might be acquitted following a trial."

Looks like Assange was given the Bradley Manning treatment:

Assange has been held in solitary confinement, released from his cell for only one hour a day, and his mail has been heavily censored, according to his supporters.

As to who made the appeal, it seems the Swedes were not the perps in this instance, but the Brits themselves:

Meanwhile, it emerged that the decision to seek a remand in custody for Assange was taken by the British authorities and not by prosecutors in Sweden.

Add those last two quotes together, and we're in full Enemy of the State territory. Thank God we have those freedom-loving anti-government Tea-types standing tall in this country.

GP Read the rest of this post...

Broadband prices dropping around the world except the US

Even worse, the companies that are gouging US consumers are probably going to get their wish as the Democrats appear to be folding on Net Neutrality. Each day it's more and more of a challenge to find reasons to support Democrats. The differences between the two parties when it comes to engaging the corporate world is so small.

Obama's meeting with American CEO's had to be one of the most naive moments of his term as president. As I said the other day, it is often not in the financial interest of these executives to add jobs in the US. We all know how they worship at the altar of the almighty dollar so there is more incentive to either cut jobs or move them offshore. Doing either (or both) helps show a better bottom line which often drives the stock price. One of them (Boeing's CEO) even talked about building more jobs offshore in India following the meeting. Brace yourself for a lot more of that. (To be fair to Boeing, they also said they may hire four to five thousand workers in the US due to exports in 2011. That is still thousands fewer than they fired recently.)

Whatever happened to Democrats that fight for the middle class? We must be fools to support a party that supports this garbage.

A new study suggests that the United States could do better when it comes to home ISP prices. The Technology Policy Institute's latest survey of the global high speed Internet market finds that US residential broadband subscription rates have "remained fairly stable" over the last three years, rising by just two percent.

That's good, of course, since they didn't go way up. But residential broadband prices have fallen in most other countries, the paper notes—in some instances by as much as 40 percent.

The survey also found that prices in the United States for "triple play" plans are some of the most expensive among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member nations.

As a reminder, we pay €35/month for a 100MB fiber optic connection that also includes unlimited phone calls around the world plus TV channels. Even with the lousy exchange rate (which makes makes many countries look closer to the US) it's a deal. What a scam. Read the rest of this post...

Fox emailed reporters to cast doubt on climate change

Media Matters has the goods on Fox News, again.

In the midst of global climate change talks last December, a top Fox News official sent an email questioning the "veracity of climate change data" and ordering the network's journalists to "refrain from asserting that the planet has warmed (or cooled) in any given period without IMMEDIATELY pointing out that such theories are based upon data that critics have called into question."

The directive, sent by Fox News Washington managing editor Bill Sammon, was issued less than 15 minutes after Fox correspondent Wendell Goler accurately reported on-air that the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization announced that 2000-2009 was "on track to be the warmest [decade] on record."

This latest revelation comes after Media Matters uncovered an email sent by Sammon to Fox journalists at the peak of the health care reform debate, ordering them to avoid using the term "public option" and instead use variations of "government option." That email echoed advice from a prominent Republican pollster on how to help turn public opinion against health care reform.

Read the rest of this post...

US still planning Afghanistan troop reduction in July

According to the White House "Daily Guidance," at 11:45 AM ET, "the President will deliver a statement to the press on the Afghanistan-Pakistan Annual Review in the Brady Press Briefing Room."

Karen DeYoung at the Washington Post got a look at that "Annual Review" -- and it appears that the U.S. will start bringing troops home in July. But, there are caveats:

A White House review of President Obama's year-old Afghan war strategy concluded that it is "showing progress" against al-Qaeda and in Afghanistan and Pakistan but that "the challenge remains to make our gains durable and sustainable," according to a summary document released early Thursday.

Taliban momentum has been "arrested in much of the country and reversed in some key areas, although these gains remain fragile and reversible," the five-page summary said.

The review, it said, indicated that the administration was "setting conditions" to begin the "responsible reduction" of U.S. forces in Afghanistan in July.

I hope the administration continues to set the conditions. This war has gone on way too long already. It needs to end. Read the rest of this post...

Thursday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

Big day ahead on Capitol Hill.

The House will vote on the Obama/McConnell tax deal. Unclear what's going to happen. Watch to see what amendments are brought to the floor. The White House and Senate Republicans want the Senate bill to pass in the House with no changes. We'll see if that happens.

That was quite a win in the House on the standalone DADT bill. Our margin of victory increased by 35 votes since the earlier DADT vote in May. Now, let's see if we can pick up two or three votes in the Senate. Time is running out. Majority Leader Reid has to get the DADT bill to the floor -- and the GOPers can't play games. Yesterday, during the House debate, there was a lot of squawking from Republicans over the process. And, many cited the recent comments of General Amos. Expect that same strategy in the Senate. Consensus is that Rep. Gohmert (R-TX) was the leading homophobe during yesterday's debate. I thought Rep. Duncan "YMCA" Hunter was particularly obsessed with all things gays.

The Senate is going to begin debate on the START Treaty today. Then, the Senate will move to consideration of the Omnibus bill, which includes the money to run the government (and a lot of GOP earmarks.) There is time to consider the DADT bill. Don't believe anyone who says there isn't.

The President will speak at the White House Tribal Nations Conference this morning. Later today, he'll make remarks on the new report of the Afghanistan war.

We're under a Winter Weather Advisory today here in DC, expecting 1 -3 inches of snow. Read the rest of this post...

WikiLeaks: BP experienced similar blowout in Azerbaijan 18 months before Deepwater

If a prosecutor is building a case against BP for the Gulf of Mexico disaster, this might be of interest. There's a pattern that is hard to miss.

Striking resemblances between BP's Gulf of Mexico disaster and a little-reported giant gas leak in Azerbaijan experienced by the UK firm 18 months beforehand have emerged from leaked US embassy cables.

The cables reveal that some of BP's partners in the gas field were upset that the company was so secretive about the incident that it even allegedly withheld information from them. They also say that BP was lucky that it was able to evacuate its 212 workers safely after the incident, which resulted in two fields being shut and output being cut by at least 500,000 barrels a day with production disrupted for months.

Other cables leaked tonight claim that the president of Azerbaijan accused BP of stealing $10bn of oil from his country and using "mild blackmail" to secure the rights to develop vast gas reserves in the Caspian Sea region.

Also of note related to BP are serious allegations about stealing $10 billion of oil. Read the rest of this post...

Halliburton pays $250 million to have Cheney bribery charges dropped

This doesn't sound suspicious at all.

Nigeria's anti-corruption police have dropped charges against Dick Cheney, the former US vice-president, over a multi-million dollar bribery case after the energy firm Halliburton agreed to pay up to $250m (£161m) in fines.

The move followed the intervention of ex-president George Bush Sr and former secretary of state James Baker, according to Nigerian press reports.

The country's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it met officials representing Cheney and Halliburton in London last week after filing 16-count charges relating to the construction of a liquefied natural gas plant in the conflict-ridden Niger delta.

Read the rest of this post...