The truth is out. The inaugural classical piece by Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriella Montero and clarinetist Anthony McGill was made to look live but was not. The music that America heard was a tape of a performance of “Air and Simple Gifts” by John Williams done days earlier. This version of a classical lip sync puts Ma and Perlman in the same category as Milli Vanilli and Ashlee Simpson.
Category: Congress
President Barack Obama issued four executive orders Thursday, including one requiring that the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay be closed within a year. It was a widely anticipated move. The question remains, however, what to do about the war crimes committed at the facility. In the meantime, the Republicans are demanding that Holder promise not to investigate war crimes as a condition for their votes for confirmation.
Continue reading “Obama Moves to Close Gitmo Prison While Republicans Move To Delay Holder Nomination”
In what must be one of the most embarrassing moments for a Chief Justice, Chief Justice Roberts gave President Barack Obama the oath for a second time on Wednesday in the White House map room. After a day of researching the question, the President’s White House counsel appeared to agree that he had not technically satisfied the oath due to an error by the Chief Justice. As I discussed recently on NPR, Obama is now the third president to taken the oath twice — joining Chester Arthur and Calvin Coolidge.
Continue reading “Obama Re-Takes the Oath”
Washington is electric this morning. It is morning in America as literally billions around the world celebrate the Inauguration of our 44th President.
Continue reading “OUR 44TH PRESIDENT”
Now this is a story that fits perfectly in our bizarre category. Rep. Steve King (R-IA) previously said that al Qaida would “be dancing in the streets” if Barack Obama were elected president “because of his middle name.” Now, he is again drawing criticism after reportedly calling it “bizarre” that Obama will use his middle name — Hussein — in his taking of the oath. He has asked whether the name has become a “double-standard” on who and when it can be used.
Continue reading “Rep. Steve King Calls Obama’s Use of Middle Name at Inauguration “Bizarre””
Former FBI Director Louis Freeh testified today that the Marc Rich pardon was “corrupt” and that Attorney General-designate Eric Holder allowed himself “to be used” by the Clinton White House in January 2001. I discussed today’s testimony on Countdown in this segment.
There has been little attention to a shocking figure placed on the Obama Inauguration: $170 Million. At a time of millions without work and a crumbling economy, it is fair to ask if spending that record amount of money sound the wrong signal to the country. One group, however, insists that this figure is inflated.
President-elect Barack Obama has pledged to greatly expand President Bush’s faith-based initiative program. He may would to consider a recent lawsuit where the Catholic church is accused of receiving a federal funding to assist sex trafficking victims but allowed to decline to provide contraceptive material or abortion services.
Continue reading “Catholic Church Sued for Faith-Based Program”
Politicians are heralding the actions of the pilots of the US Airways flight that landed in the Hudson River — an effort described as “miraculous” by Chelsey B. “Sully” Sullenberger, a former Air Force fighter pilot, has been with US Airways since 1980. As the lawyer for older pilots fighting to retain their benefits and rights, I will simply note that many of these same politicians have worked to have pilots over 60 years old fired and stripped of their benefit and seniority.
Continue reading “Sully Sullenberger: An Example of the Experience of Older Pilots”
Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. began on a high note this afternoon by acknowledging that waterboarding is torture — an admission that Mukasey refused to make. However, he did not commit to the obvious implication of that statement: he will enforce federal law and international law that makes torture both a crime and a war crime. I discussed the testimony on this segment of Rachel Maddow’s show. Continue reading “Holder Calls Waterboarding Torture — But Falls Short of Committing to Enforce the Law”
With congressional Democrats and the Obama campaign struggling to avoid the investigation and prosecution of torture, a Bush official just made it a bit more difficult. Susan J. Crawford has publicly admitted that they did engage in clear torture at Guantanamo Bay. With the hearings for Eric Holder on Thursday, the admission by Crawford could make the torture question hard to avoid. I will be discussing the Holder hearing on Countdown tonight.
Continue reading “Bush Official Admits That Administration Tortured Detainees”
A federal investigation has found that Bradley Schlozman, the former acting head of the civil rights division, made false statements to Congress and violated federal law in overseeing the agency’s civil rights division. However, he will not face charges in a continuation of the Bush Administration’s record of barring prosecution of its own officials.
Continue reading “Report: Bush Official Violated Federal Law in Overseeing Civil Rights Division and Lied To Congress — But Will Not Be Charged”
President-elect Barack Obama appears to be signaling that he is not inclined to investigate crimes committed by the Bush Administration. In an interview with ABC News program “This Week With George Stephanopoulos”, he picked up on the recent Democratic spin that we should all “look to the future and not the past” even if the past happens to contain war crimes committed by his predecessor. I just finished an interview on Talk of the Nation on which I debated the issue with Harvard Professor and former solicitor general Charles Fried. I also discussed the issue on MSNBC Countdown.
Continue reading “Obama Indicates That He Will Not Investigate Bush Crimes”
The confirmation of Eric Holder, Jr. is running into some trouble with the planned appearance of witnesses about his role in some of the infamous pardons by Bill Clinton. Some of the greatest abuse of the pardon power occurred in the final week of the Clinton administration, including his use of official power to benefit a family member with the pardon of Roger Clinton. Ironically, however, it is not the most abusive pardons that is attracting the ire of Republicans.
Continue reading “Holder Nomination Runs Into Opposition Over Clinton Pardons”
With the promise of unlimited spending, lobbyists and politicians are lining up for their share of the windfall. The good people of Edwardsville, Alabama do not intend to be left out. While only 194 living in the town, they are asking for $375 million, the equivalent of $2 million per resident.