by TChris

Is the FBI fighting a war against terror or a war against dissent? The LA Times reports on FBI documents showing that the agency "has spent resources gathering information on antiwar and environmental protesters and on activists who feed vegetarian meals to the homeless" -- not exactly prime targets in a "war" designed to protect the country from terrorist attacks.

The FBI justifies this war against protest by defining "terrorism" to include crimes against property, at least if the crime is politically motivated (a caveat that might save shopliter Claude Allen from being labeled a terrorist). As TalkLeft argued here, that definition distracts federal law enforcement from a meaningful attack on terror. But even accepting that any politically motivated crime constitutes terror, the FBI has shown less interest in true domestic terrorists who are motivated to bomb abortion clinics and gay bars, choosing instead to spy on Americans who are merely exercising their right to protest.

by TChris

When Helen Thomas recently asked President Bush why he really wanted to go to war, the president took issue with her premise, denying that he wanted a war. A British memo makes clear (yet again) that Bush wanted nothing but war.

During a private two-hour meeting in the Oval Office on Jan. 31, 2003, he made clear to Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain that he was determined to invade Iraq without the second [UN] resolution, or even if international arms inspectors failed to find unconventional weapons, said a confidential memo about the meeting written by Mr. Blair's top foreign policy adviser and reviewed by The New York Times.

Back by demand. After watching last night's show which think was the best of the season by far, I wasn't sure anyone would want to discuss it. But, I've gotten a request, so here it is.

by TChris

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear Salim Ahmed Hamdan's plea for federal court review of his indefinite detention as an enemy combatant. TalkLeft background regarding Hamdan's case is collected in this post. Linda Greenhouse previews the arguments here.

Before the Court considers whether Hamdan is entitled to habeas corpus relief, it must decide whether it has jurisdiction to hear Hamdan's case. As TalkLeft predicted here, the Bush administration is arguing that the Detainee Treatment Act stripped the Court's ability to hear requests for relief from Guantanamo detainees -- including those, like Hamdan, who filed a petition before the DTA took effect.

Having participated in the Fourth D.C. Circuit's resolution of Hamdan's appeal, Chief Justice Roberts recused himself, raising the possibility of a 4-4 tie. Greenhouse asks an intriguing question: does a tie favor the exercise or the loss of jurisdiction?

Crooks and Liars has the video and the transcript of Markos of Daily Kos on Reliable Sources. Great job, M. He talked about the impact of political bloggers and the embroglio over Washington Post's three day blogger, Ben Domenech.

As for Domenech, the NRO has been investigating other pieces he wrote (all prior to 2002) and finds more unusual similarities.

by TChris

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel takes on Wisconsin's Jim Sensenbrenner, who wants to take away the sentencing discretion that the Supreme Court handed to federal judges with the Booker decision:

He mustn't. The old system straitjacketed judges too much, such as Utah's U.S. District Judge Paul Cassell, known as a hard-line conservative. He lamented from the bench that he had no choice but to put a first-time offender in prison for 55 years for dealing marijuana. Justice demands that judges be allowed to exercise discretion. Otherwise, you may as well replace him or her with a computer program.

The Journal Sentinel recognizes that judicial discretion is an essential balance to prosecutorial discretion.

by TChris

The Justice Policy Institute released a report (pdf) that explores the impact of "drug free zones" on racial disparity in the criminal justice system. This recap is from the Drug Policy Alliance, which commissioned the report:

Although intended to provide a safe haven for youth, drug-free zone laws do not deter drug activity within prohibited zones. While not achieving the intended goals, these laws contribute to unacceptably high levels of racial disparity in the use of incarceration and subject people of color to stiffer punishment than whites engaged in similar conduct. Several states are considering proposals to either eliminate or narrow the scope of the drug-free zone laws, in order to enhance public safety and minimize unintended consequences.

by TChris

Chuck Plinton killed himself after he was kicked out of the University of Akron for drug dealing. The case was built on the word of a paid informant and on a police officer's belated claim that Plinton had provided an unrecorded confession. Plinton's tragic story illustrates the danger of relying on paid snitches.

The informant, Richard Dale Harris, 35, was a career criminal and a paid operative of the Summit County Police Department. Among the long list of people he had fingered was his own sister. He claims he ratted on her to save her children from her.

The police paid Harris $50 for every drug buy he claimed to make. He told the police he'd purchased from Plinton twice, but Plinton's work records at the University showed that he was signed in at his job on the other side of the campus when the buys allegedly occurred.

by TChris

The Washington Post tells us that U.S. Family Network, a nonprofit "created to promote a pro-family political agenda in Congress," has instead promoted the financial interests of Edwin and Wendy Buckham, who pocketed more than a third of the organization's receipts. Edwin Buckham helped found the organization while he was working as Tom DeLay's chief of staff. Is anyone surprised that Jack Abramoff plays a key role in the story?

The group's revenue was drawn mostly from clients of Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to its records. From an FBI subpoena for the records, it can be inferred that the bureau is exploring whether there were links between the payments and favorable legislative treatment of Abramoff's clients by DeLay's office. ... The group appears to have served mostly as a vehicle for funneling corporate funds to DeLay's advisers and financing ads that attacked Democrats.

Edwin and Wendy paid more than $3,000 a month to DeLay's wife over a three year period. Abramoff's clients understood that pleasing the Buckhams would please DeLay.

Our sincere condolences to Senator Robert Byrd.

Emma Byrd died Saturday after a long illness. The Byrds were married 69 years. She was 88.

"Erma and I are complete and whole, a total that is more than the sum of its parts," Byrd said of his wife on their 65th wedding anniversary in 2002. "In my life, Erma Ora Byrd is the diamond. She is a priceless treasure, a multifaceted woman of great insight and wisdom, of quiet humor and common sense."

Emma Byrd, may you rest in peace.

I've got miles to go before I blog today, so here's a round-up and space to discuss. Tomorrow the Senate begins debating dastardly changes to our immigration laws. We are a nation of immigrants and it would be great if every blogger wrote a post today or tomorrow about how their ancesters, grandparents or parents, whatever the case may be, got here. We could get a great meme going on this, especially if readers added their stories in the comments. I intend to write mine tonight -- I'm going to the office to now to try and locate a picture of my great-grandfather.

Ok, first news, then blogs:

News:

• Former Gov. George Ryan's corruption trial is in jeopardy - two jurors hid criminal backgrounds
• Tom Trancredo's move from House pest to cultist
• Scalia speaks in Switzerland: Detainees have no rights. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the Hamden case Tuesday.
• Medical marijuana returns to the 9th Circuit Monday
• Killing and Torture in Baghdad

Both the AP and the LA Times are reporting that today's pro-immigrant march in Los Angeles turned out 500.000 people.

Saturday's march was among the largest for any cause in recent U.S. history. Police came up with the crowd estimate using aerial photographs and other techniques, police Cmdr. Louis Gray Jr. said.

...."Enough is enough of the xenophobic movement," said Norman Martinez, 63, who immigrated from Honduras as a child and marched in Los Angeles. "They are picking on the weakest link in society, which has built this country."