It’s really sad when you think about it. During the Bush years, Patrick Leahy was a man that stood on the side of privacy. Now that a Democrat is in the White House, he stands on the side of spying: A Senate proposal touted as protecting Americans’ e-mail privacy has been quietly rewritten, giving government […]
Ummmm – ok? In the waning days of the lame duck session, the Senate had the opportunity to pass theDomestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act. Aimed at creating “a comprehensive, victim-centered approach to addressing the sex trafficking of minors,” the bill is “the first of its kind to deal with young trafficking […]
There is a ton of outrage going on over the Justice Department’s brief filed in a challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act, and that outrage is rightfully so. But there is something lacking in the discussion that has emerged – the fact that there are still a lot of unfilled positions in the DOJ. […]
TPM has dug up a CBS report from 1986 when Jeff Sessions, the now ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, was rejected by the Senate for a court appointment over his racial views. How’s that for the Republicans trying to “reach out”.
From The Hill: Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) will take over the ranking member position on the Senate Judiciary Committee after striking a deal with his more senior colleagues over the weekend, sources confirm to The Hill. Sessions and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) reached the deal that will allow the Alabama Republican to take over for […]
Here’s another example that if you want a job in government you need to make it your first job ever: {[}]lt;p>Senators might want to hold David Ogden’s confirmation hearing after the kids go to bed. That’s because the man in line to become No. 2 at the nation’s top law enforcement agency was once a […]
The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved new legislation creating a form of “copyright cops” to go after file swappers and people who violate intellectual property laws. Under this bill, they can now seize any computers involved in the infringement. So will they go after McCain for his constant use of music without consent?
And now we have an Attorney General who is in lockstep with the White House: In his second day on the job, Attorney General Michael Mukasey leaped into the political fray, telling a key Democratic senator he opposes his electronic surveillance plan and would recommend the president veto it if it is passed. In a […]
This will be so much fun: The Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney’s office Wednesday for documents relating to President Bush’s warrantless eavesdropping program. Also named in subpoenas signed by committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., were the Justice Department and the National Security Council. The four parties have until […]
I swear there are just not enough hours in the day, so let me do a quick catch up. First we have the Senate Judiciary Committee issuing a subpoena to former Rove aide Sara Taylor, while the House Judiciary Committee is issuing one to Harriet Meirs. Regarding this matter, John Conyers said, “Let me be […]