How Hillary Turned Her Support for Welfare for Banks into an Auto Bailout Attack
For a campaign that has spent days insisting Bernie Sanders should not launch attacks against her, the Hillary Clinton campaign sure engaged in some dishonest hackery last night.
During the debate in Flint, Hillary attacked Bernie for "vot[ing] against…
Monday Morning: Put Your Pom-poms Down
A certain state governor (or his PR team) tweeted a bunch of smack last night during the Democratic presidential candidates' debate. Like this:
It is to laugh. Every decision made by this administration about Flint has been about money,…
There's More to the SPCMA Document
Long time readers likely know I've been obsessed with the decision, which as far as we currently know started in 2007 after Alberto Gonzales and (since returned as FBI General Counsel) James Baker left DOJ, to let DOD chain through US person…
Hillary Is Now Picking and Choosing Which Obama Accomplishments to Take Credit For
According to Hillary Clinton's latest campaign ploy, she deserves credit for domestic policies passed under Obama -- notably, ObamaCare -- but not issues -- in this case, trade deals -- she negotiated as Secretary of State.
She rolled out…
Alberto Gonzales Rejected DHS' EO 12333 Procedures in 2006
I'm lost down a rabbit hole of declarations relating to ACLU's FOIA on EO 12333 documents (through which John Yoo's Stellar Wind justification for Colleen Kollar-Kotelly was released). Arthur Sepeta, DHS' declarant, had to explain the withholding…
The Return of the Reagan Democrats
Donald Trump held a rally in Warren, MI today, a blue-collar, largely white suburb of Detroit in Macomb County. The county, as a whole, is famous for what Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg dubbed the "Reagan Democrats" after lifelong white…
Friday Morning: The Political is Musical
It's Friday, and that means more jazz. Today's genre is Afrobeat, which emerged in the late 1960s/early 1970s.
Nigerian musician Fela Kuti is credited as the genre's progenitor, though Fela maintained drummer Tony Allen was essential to style,…
Husband of San Bernardino Victim Agrees: Farook's Phone Unlikely to Yield Useful Information
Even before the government obtained an All Writs Act ordering Apple to help back door Syed Rezwan Farook's phone, it had arranged with a former judge to submit a brief on behalf of the victims of the attack, supporting the government's demand.…
Mirror Mirror and His Wall
I think I'm going to have to write a daily piece on how frantic insiders trying to squelch the populism of this year's election (Trump, especially, but also Bernie) are, at the same time, revealing a delusional lack of self-awareness.
Today,…
Thursday Morning: Don't Feel Bad
While I am sorry a family has lost their father, I can't mourn the bizarre passing yesterday of Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon.
McClendon had been indicted Tuesday for price fixing on real estate related to natural gas and oil development.…
Wednesday Morning: All the Range from Sublime to Silly
We start with the sublime, welcoming astronaut Scott Kelly back to earth after nearly a year in space -- 340 days all told. Wouldn't you like to know how these first hours and days will feel to Kelly as he regains his earth legs?
And then…
James Orenstein's Order Sets Up Congressional Hearing
As Rayne noted this morning, yesterday James Orenstein released his order stating that the government can't use the All Writs Act to force Apple to unlock the phone of a meth dealer, Jun Feng, who has already pled guilty. My favorite part of…
Tuesday Morning: Guidance to Be True
Now an oldie but goodie, this Fiona Apple ditty. The subtle undertow of irony seems fitting today.
Speaking of guidance...
Google's self-driving car went boom
Oops. Autonomous vehicles still not a thing when they can't avoid something…
That Time When John Yoo Deemed EO 12333 Optional (Working Thread)
I Con the Record has just released the May 17, 2002 letter John Yoo wrote to Colleen Kollar-Kotelly justifying Stellar Wind. This either lays out for the first time or repeats Yoo's claim -- which I first reported in 2007, based on a Sheldon…
Monday Morning: Swivel, Heads
Somebody out there knows what this tune means in my household. For our purposes this Monday morning, it's a reminder to take a look around -- all the way around. Something might be gaining on you.
Let's look...
Android users: Be more…
Why Did Apple "Object" to All Pending All Writs Orders on December 9?
As I noted the other day, a document unsealed last week revealed that DOJ has been asking for similar such orders in other jurisdictions: two in Cincinnati, four in Chicago, two in Manhattan, one in Northern California (covering three phones),…
Why Isn't Jim Comey Crusading against This Tool Used to Hide Terrorist Secrets?
Several times over the course of Jim Comey's crusade against strong encryption, I have noted that, if Comey wants to eliminate the tools "bad guys" use to commit crimes, you might as well eliminate the corporation. After all, the corporate structure…
Friday Morning: Afro-Cuban Coffee
I should just dedicate Fridays to different genres of jazz. Today feels like a good day for Afro-Cuban jazz.
This chap, Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez Grillo, who performed under the name Machito with his Afro-Cubans, was an incredibly important…
FBI Waited 50 Days before Asking for Syed Rezwan Farook's iCloud Data
Apple's motion to vacate the All Writs Act order requiring it to help FBI brute force Syed Rezwan Farook's iPhone is a stupendous document worthy of the legal superstars who wrote it. To my mind, however, the most damning piece comes not from…
Working Thread, Apple Response
Apple's response to the phone back door order is here.
(1) Apple doesn't say it, but some people at Apple -- probably including people who'd have access to this key (because they'd be involved in using it, which would require clearance) --…