February 24, 2010 9:29 pm
Judicial Watch, “Judicial Watch Obtains Documents Regarding Congressional CIA “Torture Briefings””
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has received the first batch of documents from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) regarding congressional “Torture Briefings.” The CIA produced the documents pursuant to a previous court order in Judicial Watch’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the CIA (Judicial Watch v. Central Intelligence Agency, Case: 1:09-cv-01352). The court order stipulates that documents pertaining to congressional briefings on “enhanced interrogation techniques” must be provided to Judicial Watch by April 15. Additional documents are forthcoming.
According to the documents, previously marked “Top Secret,” between 2001 and 2007, the CIA briefed at least 68 members of Congress on the CIA interrogation program, including so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques.” The documents include the dates of all congressional briefings and, in some cases, the members of Congress in attendance and the specific subjects discussed. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who previously denied she was briefed by the CIA on the use of these techniques, is specifically referenced in a briefing that took place on April 24, 2002, regarding the “ongoing interrogations of Abu Zubaydah.” Zubaydah had been subjected to the enhanced interrogation techniques.
Judicial Watch article continues here.
February 24, 2010 9:28 pm
Fox News, “Pelosi Reasserts Claims On CIA Interrogation Techniques”
by James Rosen and Chad Pergram
Prodded by the release of dozens of declassified CIA documents, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reasserted her longstanding position about what she knew regarding the agency’s use of harsh interrogation practices.
“I have never been briefed by the CIA or anyone else on the subject of those interrogations, to the extent that they were being used,” the California Democrat told reporters Tuesday. “We were only briefed that there were lawyers in the Justice Department that thought they were legal, period.”
The comments marked Pelosi’s first foray into the controversy in nine months that pitted the top House Democrat against the nation’s premier spy agency. Responding to a lawsuit filed by Amnesty International and two other human rights watchdog groups, the CIA released several dozen documents detailing how the CIA handled suspected terrorism suspects and briefed lawmakers about it.
Fox News article continues here.
February 24, 2010 9:28 pm
February 24, 2010 9:27 pm
Times Online, “Stafford Hospital caused ‘unimaginable suffering’”
by David Rose
Patients were routinely neglected or left “sobbing and humiliated” by staff at an NHS trust where at least 400 deaths have been linked to appalling care.
An independent inquiry found that managers at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust stopped providing safe care because they were preoccupied with government targets and cutting costs.
The inquiry report, published yesterday by Robert Francis, QC, included proposals for tough new regulations that could lead to managers at failing NHS trusts being struck off.
Staff shortages at Stafford Hospital meant that patients went unwashed for weeks, were left without food or drink and were even unable to get to the lavatory. Some lay in soiled sheets that relatives had to take home to wash, others developed infections or had falls, occasionally fatal. Many staff did their best but the attitude of some nurses “left a lot to be desired”.
Times Online article continues here.
February 24, 2010 9:27 pm
February 24, 2010 9:26 pm
CBS News, “Harry Reid Says GOP Should “Stop Crying” About Reconciliation”
by Brian Montopoli
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters Tuesday that Republicans “should stop crying” about the possible use of the parliamentary procedure known as budget reconciliation to pass a health care reform bill.
Reid said reconciliation had been used 21 times since 1981, mostly by Republicans when they were in control of the Senate for the passage of items like the Bush tax cuts.
Under reconciliation, Democrats would need a simple majority in the Senate to pass legislation, as opposed to the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster.
“They should stop crying about reconciliation as if it’s never been done before,” Reid said.
CBS News article continues here.
February 24, 2010 9:25 pm
Fox News (AP), “Italy Convicts 3 Google Execs in Abuse Video Case”
An Italian court convicted three Google executives of privacy violations Wednesday because they did not act quickly enough to pull down a video that showed bullies abusing an autistic boy.
The case was being closely watched around the world due to its implications for Internet freedom.
In the first such criminal trial of its kind, Judge Oscar Magi sentenced the three to a six-month suspended sentence and absolved them of defamation charges. A fourth defendant, charged only with defamation, was acquitted.
Google called the decision “astonishing” and said it would appeal.
Fox News (AP) article continues here.
February 24, 2010 9:25 pm
Yahoo! News (Reuters), “Russia says won’t back “crippling” Iran sanctions”
Russia will not support “crippling” sanctions against Iran, including any that may be slapped on the Islamic Republic’s banking or energy sectors, a senior Russian diplomat said Wednesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Moscow last week to press the Kremlin to back tougher sanctions against Iran over its suspected nuclear weapons project.
This week, Netanyahu called for an immediate embargo on Iran’s energy sector.
Yahoo! News (Reuters) article continues here.
February 24, 2010 9:24 pm
February 24, 2010 9:24 pm
CNBC (Reuters), “Obama Rejects Attackers’ Cries of ‘Socialism’”
President Barack Obama launched a vigorous defense of his economic agenda Wednesday, rejecting critics who call his policies “socialism” and insisting he aims to boost U.S. competitiveness abroad.
Speaking to the Business Roundtable, which groups some of the country’s top chief executives, Obama called for support of his administration’s efforts to overhaul financial regulation and create jobs.
Obama’s remarks were set against a backdrop of unease in the business community about his economic and budget policies as well as his legislative drive for healthcare, energy and financial regulatory reform.
“Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, I am an ardent believer in the free market,” Obama said in prepared remarks.
CNBC (Reuters) article continues here.
February 24, 2010 9:23 pm
The Washington Post, “GOP’s Brown branded turncoat for jobs bill vote”
by Glen Johnson
A month after being crowned the darling of national conservatives, Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts is being branded “Benedict Brown” for siding with Democrats in favor of a jobs bill endorsed by the Obama administration.
Like the four other GOP senators who joined him, the man who won the late Democrat Edward Kennedy’s seat says it’s about jobs, not party politics. And that may be good politics, too.
The four other GOP senators who broke ranks – Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, George Voinovich of Ohio and Christopher “Kit” Bond of Missouri – also were criticized on Tuesday. But Brown was the big target on conservative Web sites, talk shows and even the Facebook page his campaign has promoted as an example of his new-media savvy.
“We campaigned for you. We donated to your campaign. And you turned on us like every other RINO,” said one writer, using the initials for “Republican-In-Name-Only.”
The Washington Post article continues here.
February 24, 2010 9:23 pm
Rasmussen Reports, “Congressional Performance”
Voter unhappiness with Congress has reached the highest level ever recorded by Rasmussen Reports as 71% now say the legislature is doing a poor job.
That’s up ten points from the previous high of 61% reached a month ago.
Only 10% of voters say Congress is doing a good or excellent job.
Nearly half of Democratic voters (48%) now give Congress a poor rating, up 17 points since January. The vast majority of Republicans and voters not affiliated with either party also give Congress poor ratings.
Seventy percent (70%) of voters say Congress has not passed any legislation that would significantly improve life for Americans, up 10 points over the past month and the highest level of dissatisfaction measured in regular tracking in over three years. Only 15% say Congress has passed such legislation.
Rasmussen Reports article continues here.
February 23, 2010 2:04 pm
Breitbart (AP), “Cheney tests showed evidence of mild heart attack”
An aide to Dick Cheney says tests on the former vice president showed “evidence of a mild heart attack.”
Cheney was admitted to a Washington hospital on Monday after experiencing chest pains.
Aide Peter Long issued a statement Tuesday saying lab tests at George Washington University Hospital found “evidence of a mild heart attack.” Long said the 69-year-old Cheney underwent a stress test and a heart procedure.
He said Cheney was feeling good and was expected to be released from the hospital before the end of the week.
Cheney has a history of heart problems. The newly diagnosed heart attack is his fifth since age 37.
Breitbart (AP) article continues here.
February 23, 2010 1:49 pm
CNN, “Romney endorses McCain for re-election”
by Jeff Simon
Mitt Romney endorsed Sen. John McCain, one of the former Massachussetts governor’s main competitors for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, for re-election to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.
“Senator McCain’s record of service and sacrifice for America is honored by all,” Romney said in a statement. “But I believe that it is his core values of courage, faith and honor – forged in battle and confirmed by a lifetime of service to America – that make Senator McCain’s leadership in the United States Senate so necessary in these perilous times.”
Romney said it is “hard to imagine the United States Senate without John McCain.”
CNN article continues here.
February 23, 2010 1:49 pm
