Iraq’s Parliament recesses for month-long break. U.S. Forces/Iraqi civilians don’t get the memo.
Legislators joked and chatted, showing no sense of urgency about breaking a deadlock between Sunni and Shiite Muslims over national reconciliation as Iraq’s Parliament held its final session Monday before a monthlong recess.
Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani closed the final three-hour session without a quorum […]

The Nation reports that the Bush administration is outsourcing most of the country’s intelligence gathering to private contractors:
Over the past six years, a quiet revolution has occurred in the intelligence community toward wide-scale outsourcing to corporations and away from the long-established practice of keeping operations in US government hands, with only select outsourcing of certain […]

I woke up this morning and read “Truman’s Take” on immigration issues and the mayor’s race (It was easy to find since it linked to Freddie’s Blogosphere for Briley post). In it, Truman childishly labels (literally) Briley’s most recent stance on immigration reform as “An obviously insincere effort.” Sure he’s entitled to his opinion, but […]

It looks like Alberto Gonzales will indeed be making history. Apparently, the last time a cabinet officer was impeached was 1896. And because he believes that justice is a partisan sport, Alberto Gonzales appears to be next.
According to Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Washington, 1st District), who is sponsoring the resolution [.pdf] directing the Judiciary Committee to […]

Bill Clinton just finished addressing the DLC convention. When he speaks to a crowd like this, addressing all the pressing issues facing the country today - iraq, the economy, the incompetence of cronyism and abuse of power, the rising tide of public opinion against globalization, poverty, diplomacy, the military - as well as […]

I’m not sure what party she belongs to, but pretty Blue, a blue tick hound hit by an car and left for dead, needs your help. She was found, all skin and bones, by a Good Samaritan. A visit to the vet determined that she suffered from broken ribs, a cracked pelvic bone, and a […]

Apparently, I’m not supposed to like the Democratic Leadership Council. Too moderate. Too pro-business at the expense of the needs of the people. Too willing to dismiss the progressive wing of the party. But in a room full of public servants, it’s hard not to feel excited about the democratic process in general and, more […]

Senators, I believe you will find him in the lobby. And when you do perhaps you should ask him, now that Alberto Gonzales’ testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary committee on Wednesday has been contradicted by James Comey, F.B.I. Director, Robert S. Mueller, John Negroponte, and several senators, what was really discussed in his […]

Some notable endorsements for David Briley from around the blogosphere:

sam davidson (Sam Davidson)
My Quiet Life (Chris Wage)
What’s the Matter with Tennessee? (Alan Coverstone)
SharonCobb (Sharon Cobb)
Nashville for the 21st Century (Sean Braisted)
Enclave (S-townMike)
Music City Bloggers (Roger Abramson; N.B. MCB is a group blog.)
High Holy Mass of Contradictions (Kate O’)
Salem’s Lots (John Hutcheson)

And, of course, our own.
Alan […]

Today, a federal judge in Scranton, PA ruled against the City of Hazleton in a landmark challenge (Lozano v. City of Hazleton) to local ordinances aimed at punishing landlords, employers, and people perceived to be immigrants.
In a 206-page opinion, U.S. District Judge James Munley said the act was pre-empted by federal law and would violate […]