From Juan Cole's Informed Comment:

"I have it from a source I consider reliable that the order for the arrest of Muqtada al-Sadr in early April, 2004, which came as such a surprise and threw the country into chaos for two months, came from Dan Senor. Senor is said to have acted on instructions from Neoconservatives in the Pentagon, and to have kept Paul Bremer, his putative boss, out of the loop. Bremer was presented with a fait accompli.

I understand that one can debate whether a water cooler approach is realistic or whether backdoor through the Supreme Court is the only option.

But I'd thought I would post this nonetheless.

Nope.

I am not a Christian but that woman is getting crucified.  If anybody deserves a seat at the table with Jesus it's her.

Muqtada is a wannabee, she is the real deal.

The polarization is killing me.  The anger is killing me.  I know I have to draw lines or they'll just keep taking more and more rights but I'm getting uglier each day.

Maybe I need to just let them have it.  Maybe Kerry is wrong and I have to just blow up to get it over with.  I have a feeling he appraised the upside of a legal challenge with the downside "to the party" or maybe he's scared of the rage he sees all around him--or maybe he was afraid that the focus on Iraq would get neglected by a protracted battle.  I'll try to ask him someday.

from FOX NEWS

"Oct. 26: A judge ruled that state election officials will not be required to process incomplete voter registration forms for the presidential election. At issue are registration forms from voters who do not check a box confirming they are American citizens, even if they sign an oath swearing they are citizens."

I dunno if this matters at this point but I thought I would throw it out as a heads up.

TARHEELS/NORTH CAROLINIANS:

There is NO straight party ticket voting for the presidential election.  You can do a straight party ticket vote for all other races but you MUST physically choose a presidential candidate.

I'm gonna try to limp out there from Durham assuming my fuel pump doesn't die.

Will try to report back on the happening.

Nope.

Don't believe me?  It's true--I heard it on Fox!

Commerce Secretary Evans spun madly on Fox when a Foxur(i)nalist hit him with what was a pretty damn good question regarding outsourcing.

And he was doing great spin, really good...insourcing...new word...but then, he said that "protectionism caused the Great Depression."

He didn't say, "what if we'd had more export markets in 1930, or a Marshall Plan to save the Weimar Republic?"

He also didn't talk about hot money or colds, flus, or sneezes that markets can give each other today.

He didn't say peep about FDIC or margin limits or such.  Nor whispered anything about debt deflation.

I practically spit out my diet Coke at the pizza joint where I was watching.

UPDATE

OK. Evans may get a pass if he meant to say "exacerbate" instead of "cause..."

a word about Smoot-Hawley

But he did not say "exacerbate."

I had seen another statement out of Sadr camp that led me to believe he was looking for an out by making a good guy bad guy distinction between Allawi and another official who was involved in negotiations.... UPDATE: AFP also running the story... UP 2: BBC and Al Jazeera also have it...by the way, what's the Al mean? Also, retiring Repub Congressman Bereuter on record as saying war was a mistake.

OK. I think this may be the most important news article I've ever read. Which is why I stole it from Salon.

Byrd goes on the record but I cannot figure out whether he says:

Some Dem Senators hugged the canvass on the war for reelection's sake e.g. they were cowards,

or,

Some Dem Senators pulled their punches even if they had doubts,

or,

Some Dems really drank the Kool Aid that was touted as intelligence e.g. victims of a lie,

or,

All of the above.

If your a Dem Senator and you believe the intel, then you're not laying down for reelection's sake. But he says that some Senators said, "let's change the subject."

Sparked by the upset over Herseth's vote, reading this article (and I think the Herodotus of 3000 AD will be quoting Byrd extensively), the question finally crystallized:

Does the Democratic Party have the courage to fight bare knuckled on grave matters of state, when such act would lie at the height of unpopularity?

There comes a point when reelection needs to go out the window, otherwise the legislative branch of government does not function as a check and balance against the executive branch. At that point, when the citizen tells me to get real, I have to say there's no point, it's over, go home. War would be one such point.

With the country as split as it is, there's not going to be a moment when reelection is not going to be an issue. I don't like the idea of a desire for reelection cobwebbing the decision making process inherent to rebuilding national security.

Am I missing something?

Why do you think Byrd didn't buy it when others did? The memory of Vietnam aiding his metabolism? The clarity afforded from a freedom from worry about reelection?

You can check your voter registration and get maps to your polling site here:

click me

Links to many of the candidates but not the judges...

vote for me

Newspapers

Extra, Extra!

Don't forget we got Court of Appeals and one Supreme Court seat; listen to some judges! And click on the home page when you're done.

Here come the Judge!

Check your county party website for voting ID requirements as they may differ from county to county

NC Dem mothership

Carolina News14 1 2 03

Hunter's diary alone carries a power that these links don't provide. But they contain details that will amaze you further:

How much did the manufacturer offer the Lakeys initally?

How many hours per day did Edwards work to build his case against the manufacturer?

What did Edwards do when Hurricane Hugo struck?

Guess what Sen. Faircloth called Edwards before he lost to Edwards?

Who was the young boy of which Edwards spoke in his closing remarks, excerpted below?

Mr. Fabulous kicked me.

"What?"

"Let's get married," he said.

"You have me confused with Britney Spears," I replied.

I was yelling for this the night before.

Seriously, email your House rep and support this.  I'd love to get monitors from the UN involved.  Then we could all buy them beer and make them sing karaoke!

Here is SCOTUSblog link (kept by a law firm www.goldsteinhowe.com/blog/index.cfm

You have to click HTML Links along the top of the case page. Syllabus is a summary; opinion is the court's decision and it is case law; concurring opinion is an opinion that agrees with the decision but for different reasons; dissent is dissent, where usually Thomas or Scalia thunder away.

When you read an opinion, think Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion. The Rule(s) is the law used in application to a set of facts to guide one to one's conclusion. Lawyers: chime in!

from the Antiwar.com site

"I declare martial law!" "You can't!" "I can!" "Cannot!" "Can!"

Allawi ready to flex, but Uncle Sam says, "check yourself before you wreck yourself!"

The soon-to-be-Baghdaddy discovers that being the Big Dog, and being the Pimp of the Nation is not one and the same thing.

Seems that The New Boss is constitutionally-while-it-lasts barred from declaring martial law.  Those of you who have bought a house know what I say: read the damn contract before you sign it.

Now, I'm not saying that he should be able to earn himself a spot on Fox's Toughman, but this little exercise in clarification doth not polish the image of autonomy for the New Boss, doth it?

For that matter, what is Allawi CinC of, anyway?  And, with apologies to Colin Powell and his Pottery Barn rules, what happens if the pot shards say, "get the fuck out?"

No matter, as it may be possible for the New Boss to say "no, it's not a cookie.  It's just baked flour, chocolate chips and some butter and milk!" But in the meantime, Allawi's still eyeballin' those platform shoes in the CPA bazaar window: "No, I didn't specifically say martial law meaning martial law..."

Addenda:

POGO has met the enemy, and it is Ashcroft!

POGO sues to retro-retroactively declassify the heretofore declassified but now classified shit concerning the FBI Translation Unit being for rent.  You need to be jacked in to www.discourse.net if you ain't already.  Froomkin is the go to guy for the legal shit.

Oh, and Washingtonniene may be fine (hint, search engine for Jessica Cutler, then Wonkette), but Sibel Edmonds is supafly!  Call Her Justice Edmonds.

Anonymous hits the Yahoo front page

Have you noticed that if it wasn't for folks like Sy Hersh, I wouldn't even bother reading the paper?  AFP picks up on Imperial Hubris.

Meanwhile, at a blog I can't remember, Anon is being dissed for a Pat Buchanan on Crystal Meth conclusion that War against Islam is The Only Real Option Left.  

Seems that our desk jockey truly believes that Diplomacy with Islam is Permanently Shot to Shit.  

Somebody issue a Presidential Directlve to Kidnap Anon's Ass to a Secret Detention Center run by the AFSC.  Or, to Dharmasala.  Or to EPCOT Center, or somewhere.

Marisacat rules.

It's in the New Iraqi Constitution.  That, and because she's given me a steady stream of well deserved 4s, means I don't have to give you losers a tip jar.

Also, check out John Dean's latest on his interview with the recently departed Sam Dash at www.commondreams.org.  Dash has penned a history of the laws limiting search and seizure from the Magna Carta to today.

And in case you didn't hear, Sibel Edmond's hearing on the gag order imposed under the state secrets privilege successfully invoked by Ashcroft was again postponed on the 14th.  

Johnson was kidnapped over the weekend by militants in Saudi Arabia. They've threatened to kill him in a few days unless Saudi al-Qaida prisoners are freed.

He grew up in a small New Jersey town, where people still recall a clean-cut young man with varied interests -- including running track, playing chess and driving fast cars.

One neighbor describes Johnson -- who went by the nickname "Eagle" -- as "one of the greatest kids" she knew.

Johnson's family says his mother still has not been told about his capture, due to her fragile health.

www.discourse.net is must-read blog.  The blogmaster is a professor of law.  First class analysis.

The link will take you to an analysis of the Bybee Memo.  This is a memo that Ashcroft refused to give to the Senate Judiciary Committee (the hearing where Biden bared his teeth).