Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

It’s Personal Now

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's mad. Reid Calls Bush a 'Loser'. And it looks as if it has something to do with this:

Two weeks ago, Reid essentially called Bush a liar when Vice President Cheney said he agreed with Senate Republicans about changing the filibuster rule. Reid said that violated a commitment Bush had made to stay out of the fight. Reid said that it “appears he was not being honest.”

I missed that comment when it happened, although I inferred it (cf. The Telling Detail).

Actually, it's much worse than mere lying. Bush lies to us all the time, and few professional politicians take it personally, more's the pity. Politicians lie, and others live with it. But what this story is about is breaking your word, delivered eye-to-eye in private. Senators see that as much worse than lying to the public.

Posted in Politics: US | 2 Comments

Three is a Convenient Number to State

First Draft – Got Any Threes? notices that we sure seem to be catching a lot of third-ranking al Qaeda leaders.

Of course, there could be all sorts of explanations for this: ties, replacements, fudging….

(Apologies to those offended by Snarks).

Posted in 9/11 & Aftermath | Comments Off on Three is a Convenient Number to State

Update — GOP Rises Above the Lowest Depths

Further to House GOP Sinks to New Low, I see via the wonderful Carpetbagger site that, Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) has decided to revise his committee's records to remove the multiple inaccurate and slanderous descriptions of Democratic amendments.

(Example: an amendment to exclude bus and taxi drivers from criminal liability for transporting a child across state lines, on the theory that ordinarily they would be unaware of her destination was reported as a bill to “exempted sexual predators from prosecution if they are taxicab drivers, bus drivers, or others in the business of professional transport”.)

The act is gone; the stench lingers.

Posted in Politics: The Party of Sleaze | 14 Comments

Broadcast Flag Dead

Public Knowledge writes:

Public Knowledge is pleased to announce that The U.S. Appeals Court for the D.C. Circuit this morning threw out the Federal Communications Commission's order establishing the so-called “broadcast flag.” In a unanimous opinion, the court agreed with our argument that the FCC exceeded its authority in creating this broadcast flag scheme. Judge Harry T. Edwards, writing for the court, said: “In the seven decades of its existence, the FCC has never before asserted such sweeping authority. Indeed, in the past, the FCC has informed Congress that it lacked any such authority. In our view, nothing has changed to give the FCC the authority it now claims.” This was a case that Public Knowledge organized and financed. We're still looking for help to pay for the case, so please take the opportunity, if you haven't, contribute to PK or become a member. It's easy. See here: http://www.publicknowledge.org/membership-drive-200504.

We couldn't have done it without the help of our co-plaintiffs, Consumers Union, Consumer Federation of America, Electronic Frontier Foundation, American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, American Association of Law Libraries, Medical Library Association and the Special Libraries Association.

Posted in Administrative Law | Comments Off on Broadcast Flag Dead

David Howarth, MP

It's David Howarth MP – Thank You Cambridge! (Cambridge Liberal Democrats).

4000 majority! That's huge by British standards. David told me he would win when I saw him a few months ago, but every good politician believes that.

In his acceptance speech, David said: “This has been an extraordinary campaign, an extraordinary day, and an extraordinary result. Cambridge has rejected Tony Blair's war, his tuition fees, his council tax, and his 'third way'.”

David Howarth Liberal Democrat 19,152 44% (+18.9% from 2001)

Anne Campbell Labour 14,813 34% (-11.1%)

Ian Lyon Conservative 7,193 16.5% (-6.4%)

Others 2,411 5.5%

TURNOUT 43,847 62% (+1%)

Congratulations! (Now get a better photo on that web page, please).

Posted in UK | 1 Comment

Texas to Require Cheerleaders to Wear Burqas

Texas cheerleaders would have to wear burqas under legislation passed by the Texas House.

Well, not really. But just about: Texas targets 'sexy cheerleading'. And who knows what the Texas Taliban plans next?

Has the Texas legislature nothing better to do? Did they conquer poverty while I wasn't looking?

Posted in Politics: US | 7 Comments