The Inspector General's report on the FBI's abuse of national security letters to obtain phone records using made-up terror emergencies was released today and is available here. The ACLU weighs in, "OMG, 2000 Emergencies That Never Were."

On a lighter note, legendary fashionista and journalist Blair Sabol, often called the Abbie Hoffman of 7th Avenue, whose irreverent and biting Village Voice columns (that were always right-on target) I never missed in the late sixties and early seventies, and who now is a friend of mine in real (not online) life, has been writing a column the past few months, "No Holds Barred" for the New York Social Diary. Her latest is on the Fox News blonde anchors, "Blair's Blondes." [More...]

I need to do some sports blogging. But here is a funny thing, Ezra Klein, PUMA?

There's a difference between letting Congress lead as a strategy and being unable to lead Congress. WH is teetering now.

Apropos of the Village Dem meltdown:

This is an Open Thread.

It is still morning on the West Coast. Unfortunately for me, I am in the cold Northeast.

This is an Open Thread.

Polls close in Massachusetts in 2 hours. I'm told that there is no exit polling going on so we'll have to see the vote count to see how it went. Of course, no exit polls means everyone gets to spin the results anyway they want.

Unfortunately for me, I won't get to spin until late tonight, as I am at the airport right now waiting for my flight. I think Jeralyn is arguing a motion this afternoon.

Give us your spin here.

This is an Open Thread.

You may have missed it but there is an election in Massachusetts today. The weather. Bad news for Coakley, Zogby predicts Coakley win.

At Sports Left, boxing, PEDs and the Pacquiao-Mayweather contretemps are the topic this morning. Also see Thom Hauser's great piece on the subject.

Via Atrios, Harold Ford continues to amuse:

The interview - granted under the condition that the questions be limited to his rationale for running, and not issues - comes at the end of a rocky first week of buzz surrounding his potential candidacy [. . .] "This race isn't about feet, it's about issues," he said of ribbing he has taken on the web and elsewhere of his regular pedicures.

(Emphasis supplied.) This is an Open Thread.

Last year I wrote this on Martin Luther King Day:

Whether marching for peace, for justice or for human rights, there's a unifying feeling and spirit of hope that change has come and will continue.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.

Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter From a Birmingham Jail

Let's make this an open thread for your hopes of change in the coming Administration.

Rather than complaints, I'm interested in hearing from those who think we've made substantial progress towards these goals in the last year. Anybody?

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

There's so much TV to watch tonight. Continued news coverage of Haiti, the Golden Globes, the premiere of "24 Season 8," a new Next Iron Chef, Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters.

Whether you are watching or just online, here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

Update: Looks like the House is gearing up to accept the Senate bill if they lose in MA Tuesday. [More...]

I went 3-0 (Saints (-7), Over (57) in the Saints game, Colts (-6.5)) yesterday and am now 6-1 in the NFL playoffs. In less than an hour, the Cowboys and Vikings kick off in the Metrodome. I like the Vikes (-3) and the Over (44.5). In the late game, I like the Jets (+7) and the Under (42.5).

At SportsLeft, Tim Tebow, Anti-Choice Republican, is the new topic of discussion.

This is an Open Thread.

It's still morning on the West Coast. Anyway, Sports Left is up, and to give you a flavor of what that blog will be like, I link to one of my favs, Bill Simmons:

If we ever figure out the whole "gambling on the Internet" thing, how much fun would it be if there was a Web site that allowed us to bet on props and things-happening-in-the-moment wagers? For instance, we see that shot of [Cards kicker Neil] Rackers, and 20 seconds later the following prop goes up … "Neil Rackers attempts a field goal of under 40 yards on this drive: Makes it (-250), misses it (+200)." [-] and we could wager on it in real time.

This is a great idea and can be applied to Reality TV as well. Of course Reality TV would have to go live but with the gambling proposition, even I would watch it. So there is a flavor of what Sports Left will be discussing (not only . . .)

This is an Open Thread.

BTD and I are both busy at work today. Some other things going on:

The ACLU on the hacking attack on Google (which prompted it to tell the Chinese government it would no longer censor on its behalf):

[W]hen you design information architectures around providing law enforcement with people's personal information, that can open up significant security gaps that become vulnerable to exploitation by hackers.

See this Computer World article.

The Supreme Court may have banned video from the Prop 8 trial, but Firedoglake is there and Marcy Wheeler is live-blogging.

The Immigration Policy Center says granting TPS (Temporary Protected Status) to Haitians is now an urgent matter.

The AP reports a tentative deal on the health care bill Cadillac Tax.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Busy day.

Open Thread.

The teenage Somalia pirate gets hit with new charges. Former Qwest CEO Joe Nacchio loses his bid for a new trial. A profile of David Raskind, the federal prosecutor likely to try the Khalid Sheikh Mohammed trial.

American Idol begins tonight with the results of the tryouts in Boston. The new season of "24" starts Sunday.

Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.