Indefinite Detention? But I Have Soccer Practice at 4: U.S. Politics 2012

color me naive but it's still amazing & creeped out to me that "secret opinions" are possible

no doubt there's a long ass history of these things throughout the cold war. or maybe not! i rly don't know.

doesn't mean it's grounded in law

shoot first, write law later lol

ha otm

thx for the legal links btw, thought there might be something unique aspect of treason charges/circumstances that would allow the in absentia thing but I guess not

although it isn't clear to me why they didn't just convict him of treason in absentia (this can be done, yes?), revoke his citizenship, and THEN kill him.

There's no trial by absentia in the US, also:

"volunteering for service in a foreign military" = grounds for revocation of citizenship

Only if we are currently belligerents with that foreign military, or you happen to be an officer or Non-Comm - you have to give that position up but you don't actually have to be discharged.

The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration under the Freedom of Information Act seeking the release of the Justice Department legal opinion in the Awlaki case. (The department has declined to provide the documents requested.)

color me naive but it's still amazing & creeped out to me that "secret opinions" are possible

no doubt there's a long ass history of these things throughout the cold war. or maybe not! i rly don't know.

― Critique of Pure Moods (goole), Monday, January 23, 2012 1:34 PM (54 seconds ago)

hey on the bright side people have the opportunity for definite acquittal, ostensible acquittal, and indefinite postponement

Oh and an XP to myself and clarification for shakes -- declaring yourself an enemy combatant through joining up with Al Qaeda or their All-Yemeni B-Team is enough (in my mind) to count as willfully giving up your citizenship. A judge might need a bit more convincing but probably not by much.

TBQH I also thought for a long time that for some of the high crimes like double murders and treason and stuff you could be tried in absentia, dunno why. I blame British television.

declaring yourself an enemy combatant through joining up with Al Qaeda or their All-Yemeni B-Team is enough (in my mind) to count as willfully giving up your citizenship

mm yeah no

damn Alfred you are right - renunciation of citizenship takes some official hoops I didn't realize one had to jump through: http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_776.html

Think I'll take a break from this thread for a few more years...

Too late, we've ordered a drone strike on your location.

You might miss and take out one of the rest of us instead

and no army will defend our dead

http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/arkansas_democrat_childs_cat_killed_liberal_written_on_dead_body

jfc

what the FUCK

fuuuck

tho in mind of b-face self-scratcher girl and the suicide census worker with "fed" on him, i think i'd like to see more info discovered about this

I am pretty certain that was done by someone's idiot children

a banner day for weird shit:

An aide to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) resigned Monday after he was arrested for battery following a bizarre incident in which his wife alleged he rolled her up in a carpet, beat and kicked her.

that's the guy on the shortlist for vp nom right?

the aide would be a pretty good pick imo

That cat story is bad enough, then you get to the Republican pointing to his military service in his condemnation. I think you can chill with the talking points, bro.

Pelsoi: I'm going to be Speaker again.

where did you guys talk about the state of the union?

GOP primary thread, tho not much talk, really.

fitting

i had better use for the evening ... watching old Colin Baker-era doctor who episodes.

yeah i was getting drinks with friends, mercifully

I kinda watched it while writing something about music for my local alt-weekly. Just read the annoying Washington Post (likely Fred Hyatt written)take on the speech. They grumble that Obama's proposed tax changes would unfairly benefit manufacturers over other businesses; and that he won't propose a higher gas tax and other user fees in order to deficit. They liked Mitch Daniels rebuttal speech because he focussed on the debt, but then the W. Post acknowledged that the Republicans have not offered "responsible proposals to pay for the nation's needs." Oh brother.

I liked the Buffet Rule thing Obama said: those earning 1 million or more have to pay at least 30% in taxes, but that's mostly just reelection talk.

in order to cut the deficit

Washington Monthly blogger (and Obama cheerleader) Steve Benen is leaving that site to become a producer for “The Rachel Maddow Show” and an MSNBC contributor.

just what MSNBC needs to blunt their skeptical edge

I liked the SOTU, and thought there was a lot of good substance in it, beyond the Buffett rule thing that the media focused on. For instance, reform of Senate rules to allow certain types of business to be conducted by majority vote, a shift in emphasis from deficit cutting to infrastructure investment, education reform ideas, immigration reform, and lots of other things.

Those ideas were nice and the speech was carefully crafted though to start off with the gung-ho America's military is the greatest stuff. Everything seemed carefully selected to respond to Republican candidates attacks.

If this moves us one step closer to beatdowns on the floor of the House and Senate, I am all over it:

In a heated hearing Wednesday on Capitol Hill, Democratic Congressman Henry Waxman called upon the billionaire Koch brothers to be subpoenaed over their alleged monetary interests in the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. Republican Congressman Ed Whitfield angrily cut off Waxman. “We’re not going to be subpoenaing the Koch brothers … because the Koch brothers have nothing to do with this project,” Whitfield snapped.

“Point of order!” Waxman exclaimed. “You cut me out in the middle of a sentence!”

“Your time was up, Mr. Waxman!” Whitfield shot back. “We are going to recess this hearing for ten minutes and then we’re going to come back.”

“Are you calling the Koch brothers during the recess?” Waxman sniped.

“If you want to talk about that, let’s talk about the millions of dollars the Obama administration gave companies like Solyndra and people like George Kaiser and other campaign bundlers,” Whitfield fumed.

“Why are you interrupting members and then you take unlimited time for yourself?” Waxman responded.

“I’m the chairman! And I’m telling you right now we’re going to recess for ten minutes!” Whitfield boomed, before storming out of the hearing.

Waxman is the shit

Some grade-A trolling by Waxman there.

solyndra thing was ok but whitfield shoulda gone "no i'm gonna call your mom"

“Are you calling the Koch brothers during the recess?” Waxman sniped.

boom, tough actin' tinactin.

the Koch brothers certainly DO have a financial interest in Keystone XL, of course, and i'm sure Whitfield knows that.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/01/25/blogs/obama-brewer/obama-brewer-blog480.jpg

sorry, here's some context:

PHOENIX — President Obama’s visit to Phoenix got off to a rough start on Wednesday afternoon when Air Force One was met by Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona — she of the book “Scorpions for Breakfast,” in which she accuses the Obama administration of turning a blind eye to illegal immigration because migrants will help Mr. Obama register more Democratic votes.

Mr. Obama stepped off the plane and was greeted by Ms. Brewer, who handed him a handwritten letter in an envelope that she later said was an invitation to discuss the “Arizona comeback.” The two had an intense exchange for several minutes; at one point Ms. Brewer pointed her finger at Mr. Obama.

...At one point, the two seemed to be talking at the same time, seemingly over each other. Mr. Obama appeared to walk away from Ms. Brewer while she was still talking.

are they... about to kiss

The rightwing take:

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/thou-shalt-not-write-bad-things-about-obama_618603.html

Two Republican govs say Obama was mean to them in person (for things they wrote about him)

about to hurl
xp

Disappointed to find out Scorpions for Breakfast isn't a cookbook ;_;

I think you're looking for To Serve Scorpions.

One of my friends just posted the following on Facebook. RIP America:

I avoid politics on social media but I wanted to relate something to you. My son had an eighth grade history assignment in which they're studying how our government works. They were instructed to watch the State of The Union speech and write about two topics brought up in it.

He told me that some of the students brought letters from home saying they did not like Obama in their household and would not allow their child to participate in this homework assignment.

that's easy to fix: F's for non-participation

I mean, no one said they had to ENDORSE Obama, just write about what he talked about!

those kids should get Fs

lol xp