by TChris

The Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit did the Constitution no favors today by upholding presidential power to detain Jose Padilla indefinitely. TalkLeft background on Padilla is collected here.

A federal appeals court ruled today Jose Padilla, the so-called "dirty bomber," can be held forever in jail as an enemy combatant and never allowed to defend himself at trial, although he is an American citizen and was arrested in this country.

The decision was authored by Judge Michael Luttig, widely feared to be the president’s choice to replace Justice O’Connor. If the president hasn’t yet decided on a nominee, he may be tempted to reward Luttig for this unprecedented and dangerous expansion of presidential power.

by TChris

They don't have an effective public voice. Many will say that they deserve to suffer the consequences of their own actions. Advocates for the drug addicted nonetheless remind us that people who were trying to get their lives together in New Orleans shouldn't be ignored now that their support systems have been destroyed.

Among the estimated 1 million people left homeless by Katrina are thousands of drug abusers and alcoholics, some who have never been in treatment but many who have been torn from recovery programs.

by TChris

Half of the practicing attorneys in Louisiana lost their offices. The evidence room of the Orleans Parish Criminal Courts building is under water. Congress is allowing federal courts headquartered in New Orleans to set up shop elsewhere, but it's not so easy for Louisiana's state courts to relocate.

At emergency meetings in Baton Rouge, prosecutors and defense attorneys are debating how to alter laws that give judges authority only in stretches of Louisiana where courthouses have been destroyed.

Other problems will confound Louisiana's legal system. Will defendants who can't receive a speedy trial because of the hurricane be entitled to a dismissal? How long will they remain in pretrial detention while prosecutors rebuild files and police try to recover evidence that may have floated away?

by TChris

Having demonstrated his complete incompetence at yet another job -- this one a bit more important than heading the International Arabian Horse Assocation -- Mike Brown will go home and treat himself to a margarita.

"I'm going to go home and walk my dog and hug my wife and, maybe get a good Mexican meal and a stiff margarita and a full night's sleep. And then I'm going to go right back to FEMA and continue to do all I can to help these victims," Brown said.

Poor Brown can't get a good margarita in New Orleans. Brown denies that he's being demoted. The denial seems true; he's being hidden instead.

Brown, lambasted for the government's sluggish response to the hurricane, said he would remain as FEMA's head, directing the agency's nationwide operations out of Washington.

Since 9/11, the president has wanted us all to be afraid of terrorists. In reality, we should have been afraid of Mike Brown.

by Last Night in Little Rock

CNN Breaking News e-mail just sent this alert: "FEMA director Michael Brown being sent back to Washington; Homeland Security Director Chertoff to announce new leader for on-the-ground Katrina relief efforts, senior administration official tells CNN."

Update: It is now posted on CNN.com. CNN itself says he's history: "He wasn't the right guy for the job." Bob Franken reports he's not out; just moved back to Washington. Congress wants his head. The White House wants him to prepare for other disasters. (Typical!) Coast Guard Vice Admiral Thad Allen takes over.

Another update: MSNBC is reporting with video that he is out. The NY Times take on it.

"Brownie, you're doin' a heck of a job."

And so it goes.

by Last Night in Little Rock

Arkansas' population grew 3% last week.

Today, the Arkansas Supreme Court issued an order permitting displaced lawyers from Katrina to practice in Arkansas as reported in a blurb from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Update: The order is now yet on the Arkansas Supreme Court's website.

posted by Last Night in Little Rock

Below are the lyrics to "Sweet Neo Con" by Mick Jagger on the just released "Bigger Bang" CD and previously referred to here:

by Last Night in Little Rock

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports today that three Federal Emergency Mismanagement Agency contractors were arrested for looting in Plaquemines Parish as reported here.

The contractors were allowed to take food and drink from a Family Dollar Store, but they decided to take toys and clothing and loaded the cab of their truck.

by Last Night in Little Rock

Remember VP Dick Cheney's profanity to Sen. Leahy? "Go f**k yourself" on the Senate floor, unexpurgated on WashingtonPost.com?

Cheney got it back during a press conference in Gulfport, MS where a citizen off camera shouted it at him as reported on crooksandliars.com and Raw Story with links to the video.

As promised, here's another open thread. I'll be back Saturday night to resume regular posting. Major thanks to LNILR and TChris for helping out yesterday. I only brought a powerbook G4 with me on this trip, since my regular laptop seems to have died, and I can barely operate a Mac. That's another reason I'll be really glad to get home. Linking on this machine is beyond tedious, there's no right-click button for cut, copy and paste and the delete key works like a backspace instead of a delete key. On the plus side...does anyone have one?

by Last Night in Little Rock

On Daily Kos, a site that never ceases to amuse, it is reported that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reamed out a CNN commentator in Nancy Pelosi b*tch-slaps CNN commentator where she suggested the CNN Commentator go on the White House payroll if the commentator was going to keep mindlessly parrotting the White House line.

Pelosi always was one of the strongest Democrats, but she seemed like a lone voice in the woods. Perhaps others will get a spine and start to speak up.

by Last Night in Little Rock

It is reported on at least three websites, Time magazine, New Republic, and The News Blog that Federal Emergency Mismanagement Agency Director Micheal Brown padded his resume.