The fraud trial of Enron's Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling begins in Houston tomorrow. The Judge has said he expects jury selection to take one day.

The two are the biggest fish in a federal probe of the fallen Houston-based energy giant that has produced criminal charges against about 30 people. They were the only chief executives Enron ever had and were chief architects of its storied rise during the 1990s.

Remember the "Marlboro Man" Marine? He's now 21 and home from Iraq, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The photo of the 'Marlboro Man' in Fallujah became a symbol of the Iraq conflict when it ran in newspapers across America in 2004. Now the soldier has returned home to Kentucky,where he battles the demons of post-traumatic stress.

....The man in the photograph is James Blake Miller, now 21, and he is an icon, although in ways [Dan] Rather probably never imagined. He's quieter now -- easier to anger. He turns to fight at the sound of a backfire, can't look at fireworks without thinking of fire raining down on a city. He has trouble sleeping, and when he does, his fingers twitch on invisible triggers. The diagnosis: post-traumatic stress disorder.

How did the Marines' react to him becoming a recognizable symbol? They asked him to leave Fallujah to ensure he didn't die and become a public relations nightmare.

by TChris

Senator Frist wants to be President Frist. Not long ago, Frist believed he could secure his party's nomination by pandering to religious extremists. To that end, Dr. Frist thought it appropriate to question the conclusion drawn by Terry Schiavo's physicians that Schiavo was in a persistent vegetative state. Frist was wrong (basing a diagnosis on a videotape rather than an in-person examination turns out not to be a prudent way to practice medicine), but being wrong on the facts has never deterred the religious right from pressing forward. Why, then, has Frist again backed away from an extreme position of importance to the religious right?

On ABC's This Week, Sens. Joe Biden and Barak Obama were critical of the Democrats' filibuster plan, but Biden said he will vote for it "one time."

Keep the faxes going. It's not over. And go for the phones Monday morning. You can use these toll-free numbers (and ask for the Senators by name): 888-355-3588 or 888-818-6641.

Fax numbers are here or use Save The Court's form and they'll send it for you.

The next time I shop at Target I will be thinking about this article in the Washington Post.

In the past few years, the retailer has taken a lead role in teaching government agencies how to fight crime by applying state-of-the-art technology used in its 1,400 stores. Target's effort has touched local, state, federal and international agencies.

Besides running its forensics lab in Minneapolis, Target has helped coordinate national undercover investigations and worked with customs agencies on ways to make sure imported cargo is coming from reputable sources or hasn't been tampered with. It has contributed money for prosecutor positions to combat repeat criminals, provided local police with remote-controlled video surveillance systems, and linked police and business radio systems to beef up neighborhood foot patrols in parts of several major cities. It has given management training to FBI and police leaders, and linked city, county and state databases to keep track of repeat offenders.

Target considers it's assistance "corporate giving." I'd much rather it gave to social service agencies that help the poor and its customers and called the program "community giving."

Think good thoughts for Bob Woodruff, who along with his cameraman, have been seriously injured in Iraq after being hit with an explosive device. ABC will release more details later today. [via Crooks and Liars.]

More from the AP:

The two journalists were with U.S. and Iraqi troops near Taji, about 12 miles north of Baghdad, when the device went off, ABC News President David Westin said. Both suffered serious head injuries and underwent surgery at a U.S. military hospital in the area, the network said.

Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt were wearing body armor and helmets, but were standing up in the hatch of the Iraqi armored vehicle when the device went off. No one else was hurt in the explosion, the network said.

Newsweek has a five page article, The Palace Revolt, on how former prosecutor James Comey and former Office of Legal Counsel head Jack Goldsmith bucked Cheney and Addington over the Administration's torture policy. An excellent read.

They were loyal conservatives, and Bush appointees. They fought a quiet battle to rein in the president's power in the war on terror. And they paid a price for it. A NEWSWEEK investigation.

[hat tip Patriot Daily.]

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales came to speak last week at Georgetown. Check out the pictures.

In Gonzales' speech, he attempted to justify the warrantless NSA surveillance program of U.S. citizens. During the course of the speech, the students did something both ballsy and brave-- They got up from their seats and turned their back on him.

The Washington Post today reminds us of Patriot Act II, drafted by the Justice Department lawyers in February, 2003 and submitted secretly to members of Congress. When news of the draft leaked, the Justice Department claimed it was just something being debated, not something intended to be introduced.

Why it matters now: It undermines Bush and Gonzales' claims that Bush didn't need Congress' approval or an amendment of FISA to engage in his warrantless electronic surveillance program, instituted in 2001.

Some background: Patriot Act II was officially called the Domestic Security Surveillance Act of 2003. The Center for Public Integrity still has the complete bill on their website, (text here, pdf) along with the control sheet (pdf) from the Office of Legislative Affairs showing that it was directed to House Speaker Denny Hastert and Veep Dick Cheney.

Don't give up on the filibuster. Even if we lose, it sends a powerful message, not just about Alito but about what we'll do if future uber-conservatives are nominated. And it's still possible, though a long shot, the Dems could pull it off. Pressure from constituents is key.

Sen. Edward Kennedy held a blogger conference call today about Judge Sam Alito's nomination and the filibuster plans. I couldn't make it but McJoan and at Daily Kos and Jane at Firedoglake have reports. Georgia100 at Daily Kos has the fax numbers. From McJoan:

He is encouraging you to contact your Democratic Senators, regardless of what they might have said so far, but specifically mentioned Senators Pryor, Lincoln, Cantwell, Murray, Baucus, Harkin, Levin, Bayh, Lautenberg, Menendez, and Lieberman. In addition, he said to keep the pressure on Republican Senators Snowe, Collins, Chaffee, and Stevens.

Senator Kennedy talked in particular about one thing that I think is critical to keep in mind as we approach our Senators, and for them to keep in mind as they are considering this vote. We need to overcome the media noise machine by letting our Senators know that in voting their conscience, and making it clear that they are voting on principle, on conscience, they will overcome the media noise machine calling them obstructionists. We can help them realize this by letting them know that we've got their backs. That they are voting our conscience as well, and that we will not forget their courage.

by TChris

Noting that bloggers on the left have lately been more vigorous in their pleas to elected Democrats to protect our country from Republican assaults, the Washington Post reports a "rift" between "liberal activists" and Democrats who want to appeal to a centrist electorate. The Post quotes Gov. Kaine: "You can get a lot done if you're not bitterly partisan."

Oh really? On the federal level, where bitterly partisan Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the Presidency, what can Democrats accomplish by remaining sweet and nonpartisan?

Liberal bloggers are echoing a centrist view: we do not want our Supreme Court to undergo a dramatic change of direction. We want our Court to adhere to a traditional understanding of the Constitution, one that safeguards individual liberties while maintaining an appropriate balance of power among the branches of government. We expect Democrats in the Senate to share that same concern, and to exercise their power to protect the Court and the Constitution. Preserving Justice O'Connor's seat for a centrist jurist is the immediate duty of Senate Democrats.

Medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby, afflicted with a rare form of adrenal cancer, was deported from Canada Thursday to begin serving a four month sentence in the U.S., and it could be his death sentence. He was taken into custody when his plane landed in San Francisco. The jail is refusing to provide him with marinol, a lawful prescription drug that is a synthetic form of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, that relieves the debilitating pain and other symptoms of his disease.

Steve Kubby, a cancer patient, began coming ill two hours after his 8:10 p.m. arrest following police refusal to provide Marinol, NORML spokesman D. Gieringer reported...."I'm really sick already," Kubby told Gieringer by telephone said from jail. "I'm gonna start puking my brains out."

"He says his guards laughed at him when he requested Marinol. Kubby says he hasn't had marijuana for half a day and has begun to experience all of the symptoms of his life-threatening disease -- nausea, headaches, swollen kidneys. He has chills and has not been able to get a blanket from the guards," Gieringer stated.

A little background from yesterday's news. Kubby had a prescription in Canada that allowed him to smoke up to one ounce of marijuana a day. The only charge against him right now--and the one he was arrested on--is a probation violation for which he would serve 120 days.