Defense Contractor Mitchell Wade was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison today for paying almomst two million dollars in bribes to former Congressman Randolph "Duke" Cunningham. Cunningham is serving an eight year sentence.

Wade cooperated with prosecutors, providing evidence against Cunningham and others and pleaded guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence in his own case. [More...]

Former "private investigator to the stars" Anthony Pellicano today was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, despite the fact that the Probation Department recommended 5 years. Last month the judge sentenced one of his co-conspirators, lawyer Terry Christianson, to 3 years despite Probation recommending home detention.

Background on the case is available from our past coverage here.

Bump and update: Our local news is reporting Sen. Salazar has been offered and accepted the cabinet position of Secretary of the Interior.

The speculation now turns to who Gov. Ritter will name to replace him. Top names mentioned: Reps. Ed Perlmutter and Diana DeGette , Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Colorado House speaker Andrew Romanoff. My choices: Diana DeGette, followed by Ed Perlmutter. [More...]

The New York Times and Washington Post report Caroline Kennedy has now told New York Governor David Paterson she'd like to be the new Senator from New York.

Several people are questioning her credentials and whether she's sufficiently experienced for the position.

Caroline Kennedy is a Columbia Law graduate and co-author of two books: In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights in Action and The Right to Privacy . In addition, [More...]:

MSNBC's David Shuster will get his own show at 6:00 pm ET, now that David Gregroy has Meet the Press.

Like Jane at Firedoglake, I like Shuster and think he's a good reporter. He was terrific during the Scooter Libby trial.

Congrats, David. And thank you MSNBC for providing a non-conservative evening lineup. With David, Keith and Rachel, we've now got a real choice.

Discussing the SCOTUS' 5-4 decision that state law fraud claims are not preempted by federal labelling statutes, Ann Althouse notes:

This is one of those cases where state law is preserved, yet no one extols the values of federalism. No one even says the word "federalism," as the liberal Justices decide in favor state power, and the conservative Justices worry about "non-uniformity." The tort plaintiffs will be able to go forward with their case, and the cigarette companies must take their lumps.

Sounds like Prof. Althouse thinks some results oriented votes were cast in that case. I imagine they were. It reminds me of my dispute with Prof. Althouse over Bush v. Gore.

Speaking for me only

lilburro has a new diary on the intelligence community and the Obama Administration. Well worth the read.

This is an Open Thread.

The Democratic Strategist is publishing a series of white papers on Democratic electoral goals in the near future. Ed Kilgore (PDF) discusses the prospects for 2010. It is a good piece but, imo, buries the lede:

The “reaction versus realignment” debate over the implications of this year’s Democratic victory continues to percolate through the mainstream media and the blogosphere. For the record, I agree with Paul Starr’s assessment that it represents a “realignment opportunity” that could either succeed, fail, or hang in suspended animation, depending in no small part on the Obama administration’s governing ability (in conjunction with a Democratic Congress).

(Emphasis supplied.) No small part? Kilgore is the master of understatement here. It is, in my view, almost entirely dependent on the performance of the Obama Administration and the Democratic Congress. Obama will either be FDR or Jimmy Carter politically, imo. I doubt there is a middle ground. More . . .

Human Rights Watch released a report Sunday on the quality of criminal justice in Iraq.

This 42-page report documents how thousands of defendants in Iraq wait months or even years before facing a judge and hearing charges against them in the Central Criminal Court (CCCI), and cannot pursue a meaningful defense or challenge evidence against them. A US-Iraq security agreement that takes effect at year's end will transfer detainees held by the US-led Multinational Force to Iraqi jurisdiction, adding to the court's cases.

The 42 page report is available here (pdf).

Among the findings: [More...]

In his discussion at FDL, Paul Krugman wrote:

. . . I should say that I don’t buy the idea that inequality and stagnant wages, bad as they are, are responsible for the financial mess. You can have a fully employed economy producing disgusting luxury goods rather than middle-class necessities; it’s not nice, but it can work.

Perhaps that is true regarding the financial crisis, but is it true regarding our economic crisis? In the modern American economy, as Krugman himself notes, consumption is 70% of GDP. Even if the long term goal is to increase savings (also known by economists as "investment"), in the short term, can we have an sustainable economic recovery that does not cut income inequality and reverse wage stagnation? More . . .

Denver hasn't dipped to 15 degrees below zero since 1901. Wind chill factor is 36 below. I didn't even open the door today.

Our homeless shelters are operating above capacity. The Rocky Mountain News reports the Salvation Army may cut services despite increased demand due to lagging donations.

Yet, Senator-elect Mark Udall and his competitor broke fundraising records this year, taking in $20 million between them. At his first fundraiser for 2010 last week, Sen. Ken Salazar raised $400k in one night.

Politics over charity? Priorities, anyone?

Michael Isikoff of Newsweek scores a huge exclusive, NSA warrantless wiretap whistleblower Thomas Tamm's story, in his own words.

Exhausted by the uncertainty clouding his life, Tamm now is telling his story publicly for the first time. "I thought this [secret program] was something the other branches of the government—and the public—ought to know about. So they could decide: do they want this massive spying program to be taking place?" Tamm told NEWSWEEK, in one of a series of recent interviews that he granted against the advice of his lawyers. "If somebody were to say, who am I to do that? I would say, 'I had taken an oath to uphold the Constitution.' It's stunning that somebody higher up the chain of command didn't speak up."

[More...]