The other day I praised E.J. Dionne for his column embracing an open debate on principles, in that case, between Democrats and Republicans regarding the Supreme Court. Today Dionne writes a column criticizing conservative Republicans for fighting for their principles in the Florida GOP Senate primary coming up in 2010:

When Charlie Crist, Florida's popular governor, announced this week that he would run for the U.S. Senate, it was the best news the Republican Party had had in an otherwise unpleasant year. The problem for the GOP is that its right wing quickly decided that the good news was very bad news indeed. . . . Florida will be one of the clearest tests of whether rank-and-file Republican voters are more interested in doctrinal purity, or in winning -- even if it means nominating an Obama hugger.

(Emphasis supplied.) Define "winning" E.J.? Do the actual policies matter anymore? After all, Florida is not Massachusetts. Or more interestingly, Connecticut. Because, columns like Dionne were written about the Democratic Connecticut primary in 2006, when Ned Lamont challenged "sure fire winner" Joe Lieberman. Back then, progressive blogs did not much appreciate being attacked by the Media for fighting for their principles (they had principles back then.) Today they join the pile on. As in the 2008 Presidential primary, the progressive blogs find themselves in tune with the Establishment. More . . .

Adam Davidson, one of the hosts of NPR's "Planet Money" just conducted a bullying, appallingly stupid interview with Elizabeth Warren that's worth hearing just for a glimpse into just how glib and superficial journalists can be.

Davidson accuses Warren of stepping beyond her bailout watchdog role to advocate for her "pet issues" (Davidson isn't specific about what Warren's "pet issues" are but presumably he is referring to Warren's advocacy for consumers in a number of areas from credit cards to mortgages).

When Warren points out that the financial crisis will "not be over until the American family begins to recover" and that the financial crisis does not "exist independently" from problems experienced by American families (skyrocketing foreclosure rates, high debt levels on credit cards), Davidson sarcastically interjects "that's your crisis." [More...]

KTTV has the latest video of an LAPD officer administering a needless blow (this time a kick to the head) to a prostrate suspect who, by the time the officer reached him (this time at the end of a high speed chase), wasn't resisting arrest.

Video of the arrest from a hovering media helicopter showed Rodriguez dropping to the ground with his arms and legs spread before officers reached him. The first officer to reach him approached the prone suspect with his gun drawn, then kicked him in the head. He and another officer jumped on top of the suspect, and one officer struck the man several times while trying to handcuff him.

Rodriguez leaves his car about ten minutes into the twelve minute video. [more ...]

The days are longer now.

This is an Open Thread.

Ideally, trial judges are neutral and unbiased. Their job is to apply the law as best they can, without favoritism, to assure both parties in the case before them of a fair trial. In our less than ideal criminal justice system, it is nonetheless easy to find judges who favor the prosecution in subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle ways.

Fortunately, it is rare to find a judge who is willing to violate the law to help the prosecution. It is still more rare for a judge to be charged with a crime for her judicial misconduct. Felony charges filed against Mary Waterstone, formerly a judge in Wayne County, Michigan, raise serious questions about when, if ever, a judge is above the law.

[more ...]

An FBI Agent who interrogated Abu Zubaydah before the CIA took over testified at a congressional hearing today. He said torture doesn't work. He said he got useful information from Zubaydah before the CIA took over and began using abusive techniques.

Soufan said his team had to step aside when CIA contractors took over, using simulated drowning, sleep deprivation and other harsh methods. He said those techniques caused the prisoner to "shut down."

Sen. Lindsay Graham called the hearings a "political stunt."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked whether "we would have this hearing if we were attacked this afternoon."

Sounds like something Jack Bauer would say.

President Obama has reversed course and decided not to release hundreds of photos depicting prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib and other prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan.

His military advisors have convinced him the release of the photos could be damaging to the troops now serving. He's going to let the courts decide the matter.

But the court already decided and ordered the release of the photos. The Government already sought review and was denied. The Defense Department had agreed to release the photos by May 28 as part of a lawsuit filed years ago by the ACLU.[more...]

Via the new site The Stimulist: It wasn't BBC that won the top award for radio at the Sony Radio Academy awards in the UK this week, it was Electric Radio Brixton, a prison radio station. The Guardian has the story:

[The station] won four prizes, including two prestigious gold awards. Run by the Prison Radio Association (PRA), most of the station’s music and speech output is produced and presented by prisoners. With a tagline of ‘making waves behind bars,’ it broadcasts 24 hours a day, but only inside the prison walls.”

I bet it's better than the Christian-oriented prison radio stations we get in this country.

In Boston, Assistant US Attorney Suzanne Sullivan admitted withholding evidence that a cop changed his story in a gun case and begged the Judge at a hearing yesterday not to impose sanctions against her.

It only came to light because the Judge reviewed her notes of interviews with the cop.

She's been a federal prosecutor for three years and was a state prosecutor for 11 years before that. She's a member of the United States Attorney's Organized Crime Task Force. In other words, she's no rookie and she knows the law.

The Judge, while noting she has admitted the mistake and that it was not intentional or strategic, has taken the matter under advisement, stating it's hardly the first such lapse in the Boston U.S. Attorney's office: [More...]

If Justice Breyer had his way, lawyers and litigants would be able to get a decent meal when a federal judge recesses for lunch.

"Every federal courthouse could have something called a citizens advice bureau," he suggests. "Not necessarily legal advice—'What's your problem?' 'Maybe you ought to see a doctor, I don't know,'" he joked. He thinks that serving tasty food helps, too. "It's important to have a good restaurant in a building."

The quality of advice dispensed by a "citizens advice bureau" would likely depend upon whether a Democratic or Republican administration hired the advice giver. Good food, on the other hand, is a bipartisan joy. [more ...]

Is charging for online content the wave of the future for newspapers? The Denver Post thinks so. Media News Group which owns the paper and 53 others, made an announcement today that it will cease providing free online access to the papers.

The MediaNews memo said, "We continue to do an injustice to our print subscribers and create perceptions that our content has no value by putting all of our print content online for free. Not only does this erode our print circulation, it devalues the core of our business -- the great local journalism we (and only we) produce on a daily basis."

Seems very short-sighted to me. Fewer online eyes means fewer clicks for advertisers which will lead to decreased ad revenue. There must be a better answer.

The news has been thoroughly depressing today. Time to tune it out and watch TV. It's American Idol and the finale of the Biggest Loser for me (I''m rooting for Mike.)

DWTS will drop someone tonight, I hope it's not Melissa. By the way, my pal Jesse Csincsak (photo here) from the Bachelorette has a petition going to land a spot on DWTS next season. I think he'd be great, I hope you will go over and sign.

What are you watching tonight? If the answer is nothing, feel free to discuss other topics -- especially if you have something positive to report.