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Thursday :: April 27, 2006

Thursday Open Thread

We need more open threads to satisfy those of you who have something to say on topics other than those TalkLeft covered yesterday and today. Go for it, and I'll be back late this afternoon.

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Search Warrants Via E-Mail?

The National Law Journal reports:

A search warrant sent via e-mail to a computer in a police vehicle or maybe to a hand-held device such as a BlackBerry? All become possible under a federal rule scheduled to take effect on Dec. 1.

This brave new world of electronic search warrants and affidavits comes courtesy of Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure Rule 41(d)(3)(A), which simply states: "A magistrate judge may issue a warrant based on information communicated by telephone or other reliable electronic means."

TalkLeft contributor Last Night in Little Rock, being the 4th Amendment guru that he is, is quoted extensively in the article:

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Libby Judge Denies His Motion to Dismiss

Judge Reggie Walton today denied Scooter Libby's motion to dismiss the indictment based on a claim that Patrick Fitzgerald's appointment was constitutionally and statutorily improper. Tom Maguire has the 31 page ruling.

No suprise on this one.

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Wednesday :: April 26, 2006

Lyrics to Neil Young's Let's Impeach the President

Roger Friedman at Fox News posts the lyrics to Neil Young's song Let's Impeach the President, on his new Living With War album. He says the song will be performed as a "melodic, rocking, campfire ode" and calls it the "catchiest protest song since Country Joe and the Fish's anti-Vietnam ditty, "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die".

When Living with War starts streaming on neilyoung.com on Friday, my guess is the servers will overheat.

I will be featuring the full album player/streams on Friday on TalkLeft when they go live. So make sure to stop back. Also stop by Neil Young's My Space site. and the Living With War blog. Now here are the lyrics:

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Duke Accuser's Father: Assault by Broomstick

Megyn Kendall of Fox News is reporting that she spoke to the accuser's father who relayed to her that his daughter told him she was sodomized with a broomstick and isn't certain of the third player's identity.

Last week I predicted Gloria Allred would show up to represent the accuser. She's in New York tonight on Hannity and Colmes, talking about how the accuser needs excellent representaton.

Is she making a pitch?

Update: Two of the legal commentators on Greta's show just came out opining the accuser needs representation and suggested Gloria. One of them is in California, and said, "maybe she's [Gloria] is in that part of the country right now.] He knows she was on the H & C segment Allred a few minutes before he went on.

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Karl Rove: Subject or Target?

Continuing from my earlier post with differing reports about whether Karl Rove received a target letter: Let's not get sidetracked. Luskin could have an agreement with Fitzgerald that Rove will plead to an Information charging lesser offenses, and avoid an Indictment. If the grand jury is not going to be asked to indict Karl Rove, there's no reason to send him a target letter. He may not be a target of the grand jury, but he could still be a target of the investigation.

Example: Fitzgerald agrees to charge Rove by Information for false statements and/or perjury and forego obstruction of justice. Rove agrees to waive his right to be charged by indictment to guilty to the charge(s) in the Information, in exchange for an as-yet unspecified sentence reduction that's contingent upon Fitzgerald's determination of the value of Rove's cooperation when all is said and done.

Think Tony Rudy.

More about that here. Jason Leopold has supplemented his article on Rove's target status on the Truthout Forums:

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European Commission Report on CIA Secret Prisons Released

The EU Parliamentary inquiry into Ghost Air has concluded. Today they released their preliminary report finding there have been over 1000 secret CIA flights since 2001, that prisoners have been transported to countries that practice torture, and that European countries may have turned a blind eye.

Flight data showed a pattern of hidden operations by American agents, and they accused some European governments of knowing about it but remaining silent.

[Hat tip to commenter Scribe.]

Reuters reports :

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Karl Rove Testifies a Fifth Time Before Grand Jury


Karl Rove testified for the 5th time before the Plame grand jury today. Is he still trying to save himself or is he shoring up Fitzgerald's case against someone else? Is he singing about the belatedly turned over e-mails from Dick Cheney's office? Or about who provided the information to Bob Woodward's source about Valerie Plame Wilson?

I don't trust the MSM accounts today about the subject matter of his testimony -- they appear to be coming from Rove's camp. Naturally, they want us to believe Rove merely is clearing up details about his own involvement to show Fitz he did nothing wrong. I think it's too late for that. So does Jason Leopold, who writes today that Rove did receive a target letter from the grand jury. [Update: Sample target letter to grand jury witnesses here, background on target letter terminology here and here. Luskin has released a statement denying Rove was advised he is a target.]

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Woman in Wheelchair Dies After Jolted By Taser

by TChris

Emily Marie Delafield was swinging a couple of knives and a hammer, but the threat posed by the 56 year old woman was lessened by her confinement to a wheelchair. The police in Green Cove Springs nonetheless shot her with a Taser. She lost consciousness and later died at a hospital.

This commentator argues convincingly that Taser use -- particularly in Florida -- is out of control.

And even though Scottsdale, Arizona-based Taser, Inc--the company that created it--said it should never be used on children or the elderly, Florida leads the nation in deaths by Taser. The oldest victim to date? Ninety-five. The youngest? A 6-year old boy.

TalkLeft's coverage of the Taser controversy is collected here.

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Tuesday :: April 25, 2006

The Double Standard on Leakers

Murray Waas has a new article in the National Journal asking, Is There a Double Standard on Leakers? The answer is yes.

Murray reports that Sen. Pat Roberts, who praised the CIA's firing of an agent who reportedly disclosed classified information to WaPo reporter Dana Priest for an article on CIA secret prisons, has himself been a leaker.

Roberts now:

"[T]hose who leak classified information not only risk the disclosure of intelligence sources and methods, but also expose the brave men and women of the intelligence community to greater danger. Clearly, those guilty of improperly disclosing classified information should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Roberts three years ago:

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Greenwald: #1 on Amazon

Blogger Glenn Greenwalds' new book, How Would a Patriot Act, won't be released until May 15, but it is #1 on Amazon today. You can pre-order now.

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Tony Snow Accepts Press Secretary Job

Fox News anchor Tony Snow got a clean bill of health from his doctor and has accepted President Bush's offer to be his new Press Secretary.

President Bush will make the announcement tomorrow morning.

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