Probably because I've been pre-occupied with replacing what was stolen in my "home invasion" two weeks ago, I've spent untold hours lately checking out the latest electronics and prices at a wide array of online retailers and stores.

I have my favorites. {More...]

It is a bit of an obsession for me, but the mischaracterization of Bill Clinton's Presidency and the views of Senator Hillary Clinton still bothers me a great deal. Here is Poblano:

Likewise, as David Sirota notes, one can co-opt leftist rhetoric, enthusiasm and mindshare and implement a centrist agenda, as Bill Clinton arguably did.

Well make the argument then, as opposed to just spouting the line. Consider how Poblano defines Obama as a progressive:

. . . will be the name of the new blog I will be creating (Kidding, no new blogs until Jeralyn kicks me out.) Atrios writes:

Any time the phrase "what the blogs should do..." comes to mind you should probably not type it out. Start your own damn blog and do with it what you want!

I disagree with this. Bloggers write "What ____ Should Do" posts about everyone and everything and I really do not see why blogs themselves should be exempt from it. There should be no sacred cows - not the Media, not pols, not anyone - not even bloggers.

Speaking for me only. This is an Open Thread.

A statistical report from TRAC on federal prosecutions is out. It covers the month of August, 2008. It begins:

Greetings from TRAC. The latest available data from the Justice Department show that in August 2008 the government reported 13,566 new prosecutions. While down slightly (2.3%) from the previous month, this number is still 43% higher than a year ago. The overall growth in federal prosecutions is largely driven by continuing increases in immigration matters, which accounted for 54% of all new cases filed in August in U.S. Federal Court.

As for all prosecutions:

The largest number of prosecutions of these matters in August 2008 was for "Immigration", accounting for 54.4 percent of prosecutions. Prosecutions were also filed for "Drugs-Drug Trafficking" (14.1%), " Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major" (5.7%), "Other Criminal Prosecutions" (3.3%), "Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force" (3.1%), "Assimilated Crimes" (2.8%), "Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challen" (2.7%), "Other-Not Specified" (2.2%). See Figure 2.

He's having another one today, announcing that Paul Volcker (as Chair) and Austan Goolsbee will be part of a newly created Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Obviously these are respected names and the idea of an "Economic Recovery Advisory Board" is positively New Dealian. But, more than that, I think there is some good psychology to Obama trotting out every day to discuss the economy.

It sends a simple but powerful message - the light at the end of the tunnel is near - the nightmare years of the George W. Bush Presidency are almost over. It's a good message to send.

Speaking for me only

Lord Conrad Black (background here)isn't having a bad time at the Federal Prison Camp in Coleman, Florida . Nonetheless, he has some scathing comments about our criminal justice system and federal prosecutors in his recent commentary in the Times Online, titled "From my cell I scent the reeking soul of US justice." The most salient paragraphs are below:

US federal prosecutors, almost all of whom would be disbarred for their antics if they were in Britain or Canada, win more than 90% of their cases thanks to the withering of the constitutional guarantees of due process – that is, the grand jury as an assurance against capricious prosecution, no seizure of property without just compensation, access to counsel, an impartial jury, speedy justice and reasonable bail.

....The system is based on the plea bargain: the barefaced exchange of incriminating testimony for immunity or a reduced sentence. It is intimidation and suborned or extorted perjury, an outright rape of any plausible definition of justice.

On our misguided war on drugs [More...]

Naturally, HuffPo, but my good friend Al Giordano just can not give up on his dreams that Hillary at State is just a big confabulation of the Clinton Court:

Well, not to, ahem, torture any of you with the same message I've been pushing all week, but it does bear repeating: Nothing's a "done deal" until you hear it from the big man himself or his spokesmen speaking on the record.

He's still dreaming. Meanwhile, the NYTimes matter of factly reports:

Reports say:

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has agreed to stay on under President-elect Barack Obama, according to officials in both parties. Obama plans to announce a national-security team early next week that includes Gates at the Pentagon and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) as secretary of state, officials said. Retired Marine Gen. James Jones, former Marine commandant and commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Europe, will be named national security adviser, the officials said.

Unlike a lot of folks, I respect Bush 41ers like Gates. My one problem with this is that it sends the message that Dems can't do Defense. I would prefer General Wes Clark at Defense, but Congress would have to do a fix for that to happen (as a retired military officer, Clark is ineligible for the Defense post for 10 years after retirement. He retired in 2000.) I have no obvious eligible candidates for the job.

Speaking for me only

See also Greenwald, a true champion here, who took up the struggle in the face of STFUism. Brennan out:

John Brennan, President-elect Barack Obama's top adviser on intelligence, has taken his name out of the running for any intelligence position in the new administration. In a letter Tuesday, Brennan wrote letter to Obama that he did not want to be a distraction. His potential appointment has raised a firestorm in liberal blogs who associate him with the Bush administration's interrogation, detention and rendition policies.

In case people were wondering, THIS is why you do not wait to express your "concern" about issues and personnel.

Speaking for me only

For your commenting pleasure.

This is an Open Thread.

Apparently with no intentional irony, Josh Marshall writes:

You've probably noticed Mark Halperin's claim that the level of pro-Obama bias in the election coverage this year was so bad it was "disgusting." I'll leave it to others to analyze what "disgusting" means when deployed by someone who takes his journalistic cues from Matt Drudge.

(Emphasis supplied.) On taking cues from Drudge, Somerby wrote about Marshall:

NFL quarterback Michael Vick, serving his 23 month federal sentence for dog-fighting (background here), pleaded guilty to a similar charge in state court today. He received a suspended sentence, which now makes him eligible for a half-way house on the federal sentence.

It looks like the Judge insisted on one pound of flesh, so to speak:

Vick was taken to Virginia last Thursday after (Judge)Campbell rejected a request by Vicks' attorneys for him to plead guilty by videoconference.

From Kansas where Vick is serving his federal sentence to Virginia on "Con Air" usually requires an unpleasant stay at "the hub" prison in Reno, OK. Inmates are mostly in lockdown and encounter all sorts of unpleasant people along the way. (I'll spare you the stories I've heard about Reno over the years.) Same thing for the return. It's not likely to be a direct flight but another trip to Reno first. So unless Vick is receiving special transfer treatment, he has received an extra punishment for his state plea.