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The Daily Muck
It's a bad time to be a government leaker (of a certain kind, at least). Last week, the FBI executed a classified search warrant against a Justice Department lawyer on the grounds that he might have leaked information about the government's warrantless wiretapping program to The New York Times. (Newsweek)
A top-secret document listing a log of calls monitored by the NSA is the crux of a lawsuit that has been labeled by some experts as the strongest case against the administrations warrantless wiretapping program. So how does the charity that has been wiretapped know about this secret document? Well, some aides at the Treasury department accidentally handed it out amid a collection of press clippings. Whoops. (Associated Press)
Sen. Nelson (D-FL) has sent a letter to the Interior Secretary, and he wants to know why the Everglades are no longer listed as an area in "environmental danger." More importantly, he wants Todd Willens to be fired. Willens, who pushed for the removal of the Everglades despite the recommendation of scientific evidence, is a former aide for Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA). And when under Pombo, Willens managed to take an overseas trip sponsored by Jack Abramoff. (St. Petersburg Times)
Congressional Quarterly has a profile of Scott J. Bloch, the head of the Office of Special Counsel who is endeavoring to make prosecutions of Hatch Act violations cool again. (Congressional Quarterly)
The Justice Department has requested that the House ethics committee stop its investigation of Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) for fear of interfering with the government's case against the indicted lawmaker. The House, which isn't too fond of ethics reviews in any case, has assented. (Roll Call)
New legislation that requires lawmakers to disclose their support for earmarks has had the effect of increasing the stature of individuals who are able to attach their name to funds. Which encourages those lawmakers to support more earmarks in order to build a reputation among their peers. Which means more earmarks. Which is exactly what we were going for with those ethics reforms. (NY Times)
We wrote last week that Iraq was complaining that their U.S. counterparts were not selling them weaponry that they were eager to buy. Maybe its because about 30% of the guns given to Iraqis -about 190,000 AK-47s and pistols- are currently unaccounted for. (Washington Post)
Comments (6)
Jay wrote on August 6, 2007 10:40 AM:RE: FBI raid against possible NSA program leaker
If this happened last week, why are we learning about it two days after the unconstitutional FISA law passed the house and the Senate? Did Newsweek sit on this story? Did FBI use yet more unwarranted wiretaps to secure a warrant for this guy's personal effects?
carol lam wrote on August 6, 2007 10:51 AM:Congress must protect whistleblowers who expose government corruption. Period. We can't let this man, or you, Jesselyn, become the scapegoat for Abu's new powers. It already sounds as though Gonzales is painting Tamm as a traitor, and we know the 25% will carry that drumbeat, ignoring the real traitors in our midst.
Let's rally behind the whistleblowers and demand exposure of all of this administration's secret programs.
Keep comparing Libby's treatment to that of Tamm as the story progresses. Never let up on telling people the truth.
_not all of Congress has quit fighting, and neither will we, I hope.
Senate Judiciary Committee I imagine that the Senate Judiciary Committe may be quite interested in this case. It is a pity (and scarcely a coincidence?) that the Senate is in recess. The committee, after all could offer Mr. Tamm full immunity from prosecution after he takes the Fifth.
I cannot imagine The New York Times publishing their story without at least double-sourcing. One wonders who else may be caught up in dragnet.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/6/81143/73736
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The Canary in the Coalmine is available for purchase at patriotictruthteller.net
sc - profit What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? - Jesus
Rick wrote on August 6, 2007 12:20 PM:"It's a bad time to be a government leaker" - or at least to be a suspected of it. Perhaps it's enough that he's just not a loyal bushie.
johnnydoughey wrote on August 6, 2007 1:04 PM:Re:A top-secret document
Isn't the Aug. 15th court date with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals just to see if the case will be thrown out due to the gov't secrecy regs?
BlueInTexas wrote on August 6, 2007 2:06 PM:Even if it isn't, the guys in charge will undoubtably go to higher quthorities. This info will not reach the light of day, because the powers that be ARE the powers that be, and We the People no longer have a say in important matters like the Bill of Rights...
Any chance Anon is Tamm? The subject of the FBI raid?
dill wrote on August 6, 2007 11:14 PM:weird timing for last week's bill being urged so greatly to be past then merely a couple days later an American's house is raided.....