by TChris

One might hope that senators, trying to decide how best to allocate federal funds to rebuild the gulf coast, would consult with urban planners, environmentalists, public health officials, and other experts in relevant fields. Instead, most of the "consultants" advising the senators are lobbyists.

"I was basically shocked," said Ivor van Heerden, director of a hurricane public health research center at Louisiana State University. "What do lobbyists know about a plan for the reconstruction and restoration of Louisiana?"

by TChris

If Karl Rove is indicted, will he lose his job?

The evolution of Mr. Bush's statements on the CIA leak case indicate how loath he is to lose the man he has described as his political "architect." Early on in the controversy over the disclosure of Ms. Plame's identity, the president vowed to fire anyone involved. Later, after testimony implicating Mr. Rove became public, Mr. Bush expressed a looser standard, saying he would remove aides who committed crimes. Last week, amid speculation that Mr. Rove might face charges from special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, Mr. Bush wouldn't say whether he would remove an aide under indictment.

Maybe, like Brownie, Rove will resign, only to be hired back on contract to investigate what the administration "did right and what it did wrong" regarding Valerie Plame.

by TChris

Karl Rove talked to James Dobson about Harriet Miers before her nomination was announced. Dobson has been telling his followers, with a wink and a nudge, that he has the inside skinny on Miers (information he "probably shouldn't know"). Dobson won't reveal his source or the precise content of his intelligence. At least, he won't reveal it without a subpoena. The New York Times reports,

Senator Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania Republican who is chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and several Democrats on the committee said Sunday that they were considering calling the evangelical conservative James C. Dobson to testify on what he has been told about Harriet E. Miers, the president's Supreme Court nominee.

Dobson isn't entitled to have double-secret information about Miers. Specter has it right:

Snow began falling in downtown Denver a few hours ago. 12 inches are predicted to fall here by Tuesday - 18 inches in the mountains. It's a big one. I-70 leading to Vail and Aspen already shut down.

The storm hovered Sunday west of Denver, closing Vail Pass and downing power lines for about 2,000 customers around Breckenridge, Silverthorne and Keystone. Xcel Energy spokesman Tom Henley said it was not clear how long those customers would be in the dark, as repair crews - like most other travelers - were stuck in traffic.

Normally, I'm not snow-crazy, but the first storm of the year is exciting. The clean, white snow, the chill in the air, pulling out the winter clothes - this is just my favorite time of year. Then, in two days, it will be 70 degrees again.

Update: It was a grey day and a gloomy, wet storm. But Denver didn't get it as bad as some places.

[Update: (TL)] The three officers have been arrested, charged with battery and released pending further court proceedings.

Update: Crooks and Liars has the video.

*****
by TChris

Police officers in New Orleans were recently caught on tape beating an intoxicated man.

The APTN tape shows an officer hitting the man at least four times in the head Saturday night as he stood outside a bar near Bourbon Street. The suspect, Robert Davis, appeared to resist, twisting and flailing as he was dragged to the ground by four officers. Another of the four officers then kneed Davis and punched him twice. Davis was face-down on the sidewalk with blood streaming down his arm and into the gutter.

Saddam Hussein's trial will begin October 19. Knights Ridder reports on the rules of the Iraq tribunal trying Saddam Hussein:

Once the court is finished with the first case, Saddam will likely face another trial for allegedly committing similar crimes in other communities, mostly Shiite Muslim and Kurdish areas, the official said. ....If he is sentenced to death in the Dujail case, he will also begin his appeals process, the official said. Should he lose his appeal, he'd be executed 30 days later. That could occur, the official continued, "before all the cases have been decided."

Who made the court rules?

The FBI is considering relaxing its pot-smoking policy. Don't get excited though, its not a policy aimed at current smokers or the general public, but one of its hiring policies. Apparently, some really good candidates have been disqualified from working for the agency due to smoking pot in college.

The change would ease limits about how often - and how many years ago - applicants for jobs such as intelligence analysts, linguists, computer specialists, accountants and others had used illegal drugs.

The change wouldn't apply to actual FBI agents.

Avedon Carol at Sideshow weighs in on last week's policy study (pdf) which said Dems can't win unless they become more centrist and less left.

I'm sick and tired of being told the base is too far left. What does the base believe in? Universal health care, universal education, safe and fair employment, a healthy economy that provides good jobs, regulation to prevent corporations from defrauding us, care for our environment.

I like Jane Hamsher's and Empty Wheels' latest theories on RoveGate, as summed up by Mark Klieman at HuffPo, who says, and I agree, they would make a great legal novel, but I see one problem with calling Judith Miller's notes "missing" or "suddenly discovered" or concluding that Miller hid them and may be facing a perjury charge.

Go back to her subpoena. It only asked for notes and documents from July 6 to July 13. It didn't ask for notes from June 2003. From the Court of Appeals decision:

... on August 12 and August 14, grand jury subpoenas were issued to Judith Miller, seeking documents and testimony related to conversations between her and a specified government official “occurring from on or about July 6, 2003, to on or about July 13, 2003, . . . concerning Valerie Plame Wilson (whether referred to by name or by description as the wife of Ambassador Wilson) or concerning Iraqi efforts to obtain uranium.”

When Fitzgerald agreed to limit Miller's testimony to conversations with Libby about Plame, Miller turned over the notes from the requested time period, redacted to reflect only such conversations.

Deepak Chopra, writing at Huffington Post, says Justice Grows to the Left. On Harriet Miers, he makes this excellent point:

In Ms. Miers we seem to have someone who is a blank slate, but whose private inclinations are tolerant, cautious, compassionate to the underprivileged, and politically flexible. On the surface her nomination is unfair, in that she seems to have a private agreement on ideology with the President and no public trail; therefore, she is immune to being examined. Matters are made worse by Pres. Bush's wink-and-a-nod comments implying that she has her marching orders and will be a loyal foot soldier. That demeans both Ms. Miers and the Court itself.

If indeed her flaw is rigid loyalty to the right wing, we are no worse off than if the President had nominated another Scalia. But if Miers grows to the left, which is to say, if she begins to empathize with America's vast, diverse population instead of the rich white males who have determined her fate so far, the country will be well served by her.

Digby has two fabulous guest bloggers this weekend - Jane Hamsher of FireDogLake and Tristero. Jane's RoveGate writing has been top notch.

Two more RoveGate bloggers to read every day: Tom Maguire of Just One Minute and Empty Wheel of The Next Hurrah. [Addition: Needlenose is another one.]

Regarding Karl Rove, this blast from the past by Murray Waas that appeared in the March 4, 2004 American Prospect is well worth re-reading:

by TChris

According to CNN, the recent terrorist threat to the New York City subway system originated in Iraq. If this turns out to be true, the president's professed strategy of "fighting the terrorists there so we don't have to fight them here" has been a dud. We didn't have to fight Iraqi terrorists anywhere until the president invaded Iraq, creating a new threat to national security.