More From the Justice Department on Jawad »

Since writing my last post, I received this from Tracy Schmaler at the Justice Department, responding to my earlier request for comment on the habeas corpus case of Mohammed Jawad:
We have informed the judge in this case that we will not contest the writ of habeas corpus and that we are not detaining Jawad in [...]

Government Takes a Different Tack in Jawad Case »

Late this afternoon, as expected, the Justice Department filed its brief defending its claim that it can continue to hold Guantanamo detainee Mohammed Jawad, even though it hasn’t produced any admissible evidence that he committed a crime.
But instead of arguing that the government has the right to detain him pending the filing of criminal charges, [...]

Frank Threatens Banks With a Return to ‘Cramdown’ »

As voluntary mortgage modifications have failed to keep pace with foreclosures, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said Wednesday that it might be time to bring back the stick of bankruptcy reform. That proposal, which would empower homeowners to escape foreclosure through bankruptcy, was passed in the House in March, but didn’t survive [...]

Feinstein, Cardin Take On Aerial Hunting »

Big day for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on the gun-control front. First she introduced a bill to prohibit foreign felons from buying firearms; now she’s pushing a proposal to end the practice of hunting from airplanes. Co-sponsored by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the bill aims to close a loophole in the ban against aerial hunting [...]

Easy Money? »

Anyone want to take precious metals investor Jason Hommel up on this offer?
I, Jason Hommel, promise that I will give $100,000 to the first person who can prove to my satisfaction that Barack Obama, acting as president of the United States, [...]

And Now, Roy Blunt »

Mike Stark does another round of ambush interviews with Republican Congressmen, a tactic I’m not really comfortable with, but one that’s shaking out some truly strange opinions about Barack Obama’s citizenship. An exchange with Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), who is running for Senate in Missouri:

BLUNT: What I don’t know is why the President can’t produce [...]

Public Option Still a Sticking Point in Health Care Debate »

Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) (cooper.house.gov)

It’s become a predictable sticking point surrounding the Democrats’ hopes to revamp the nation’s health care system: The creation of a government-backed insurance plan as an affordable alternative to private coverage.
Liberal Democrats have insisted the option be included to keep private companies honest, while Republicans have insisted that it be scrapped [...]

A Push to Keep Guns From Foreign-Convicted Felons »

Perhaps emboldened by a rare victory over the gun lobby last week, a group of liberal senators introduced legislation Wednesday to prevent people convicted of felonies overseas from owning firearms.
The proposal attempts to close a loophole created by a 2005 Supreme Court decision, which found that the prohibition on gun ownership applies only to felons [...]

‘Gang of Six’ Not Quite the Voice of the Nation »

As select members of the Senate Finance Committee race to finalize their health reform bill before August recess, it’s worth noting just how few Americans those lawmakers represent.
The so-called “gang of six” consists of Democratic Sens. Max Baucus (Mont.), Jeff Bingaman (N.M.) and Kent Conrad (N.D.); and GOP Sens. Charles Grassley (Iowa), Mike Enzi (Wyo.) [...]

ACLU’s German Reacts to Napolitano’s Embrace of Fusion Centers »

In her big speech in New York today, Janet Napolitano, the secretary of homeland security, praised the so-called “fusion centers” that serve as hubs for intelligence produced by federal agencies to be shared with local and state law enforcement. Fusion centers are a “a critical part of our nation’s homeland security capabilities,” Napolitano said. That’s [...]

Obama Loses Ground With Public on Health Care »

New York Times/CBS News Poll: “President Obama’s ability to shape the debate on health care appears to be eroding as opponents aggressively portray the effort as a government-takeover that could limit Americans’ ability to chose their doctor and course of treatment, according to the latest.”
“Obama continues to benefit from strong support for the basic goal [...]

Obama Approval on Health Care Similar to Clinton »

The new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds just 41% approve of President Obama’s handling of the health care reform effort, which is nearly identical to Bill Clinton’s scores from 1994, when he failed to get Congress to pass health-care reform.
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Cut the Deficit, But Don’t Raise Taxes or Spend Less »

This tease from the forthcoming New York Times/CBS News poll shows the difficulties lawmakers face when dealing with the nation’s problems.
“Most Americans continue to want the federal government to focus on reducing the budget deficit rather than spending money to stimulate the national economy… Yet at the same time, most oppose some proposed solution for [...]

Large Majority Wants Health Care Reform »

A new Time magazine poll finds that 46% of Americans said it was “very important” that Congress pass major health reform in the next few months, and an additional 23% said it was “somewhat important.”  In contrast, just 28% find the immediate effort either not very or not at all important.
In a separate question, [...]