Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In light of the Bush administration’s obstinacy, this is what passes for progress: “European and U.S. delegates on Friday agreed to move controversial emission targets to a document footnote, opening the way for the 189 nations at the U.N. climate change talks to approve a roadmap for international action…. ‘This is a compromise. We can live with this. It’s in a footnote,’ German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said, referring to the 25 to 40 percent range for cuts.”
* John Tanner has resigned from his position as chief of the Civil Rights Division’s voting section. It’s effective immediately. It’s also about time.
* On a related note, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) responded to Tanner’s overdue resignation: “[U]nder Mr. Tanner’s leadership, the Justice Department essentially took positions that disenfranchised minorities and the elderly. The departure of Mr. Tanner presents an opportunity for a fresh start of the Voting Section. I urge the Bush Administration to take this opportunity to take politics out of voting rights enforcement by appointing a new chief with a commitment to the letter and the spirit of the Voting Rights Act.” I’m not counting on it.
* Mark the day on your calendars — Republicans didn’t filibuster today, in large part because the bill doesn’t go very far: “The thousands of Americans facing foreclosure because of ballooning interest rates on their variable-rate mortgages would get help from the federal government under legislation overwhelmingly approved by senators Friday. The legislation, approved 93-1, is the Senate’s first attempt to deal with the looming subprime mortgage crisis through stand-alone legislation. The bill would allow the Federal Housing Administration to guarantee refinanced loans for tens of thousands of borrowers who are delinquent on payments because their mortgages are resetting to sharply higher rates from low initial ‘teaser’ levels.”
* It’s extremely disappointing, but it appears that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is going to allow the FISA bill with retroactive immunity for telecoms to move forward in the Senate. Russ Feingold and Chris Dodd are vowing a filibuster. Stay tuned.
* Once the tax breaks for the oil companies were protected, Republicans allowed the Senate to legislate: “The Senate passed the first increase in automobile fuel economy standards in three decades Thursday night, as a comprehensive energy bill finally cleared the chamber after months of negotiations. The vote was 86-8.”
* The House’s vote yesterday on banning torture was a big step in the right direction (despite Republican opposition), but Dan Froomkin has a good piece today on the likely Bush veto.
* No info for you: “Last week, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and ranking member Arlen Specter (R-PA) sent Attorney General Michael Mukasey a detailed list of questions about the Justice Department’s knowledge of the CIA’s torture tapes’ destruction. They were also eager to learn the details of the Justice Department’s joint investigation with the CIA. Today, Mukasey gave his reply: no.”
* I’ve been meaning to mention this all week: “Political operatives in the Department of Labor are using federal reporting requirements to undermine trade unions and conduct a “political misinformation campaign” against them, a report released yesterday charges. While the Bush administration has generally relaxed federal regulations, the department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards has done the reverse, beefing up disclosure rules, staff and investigations of union leaders and members.” Scott Lilly has much more.
* New Jersey is poised to become the first state to abolish the death penalty since the Supreme Court allowed states to reinstate it 30 years ago.
* I guess he had to lawyer up eventually: “Jose Rodriguez, the CIA’s ex-operations director who ordered the interrogation tapes destroyed in late 2005, has hired one of Washington’s most prominent criminal attorneys.” He hired Bob Bennett, the ultimate DC lawyer.
* Bad news for Inspector General Stuart Bowen? “Bowen’s office has also been roiled by allegations of its own overspending and mismanagement. Current and former employees have complained about overtime policies that allowed 10 staff members to earn more than $250,000 each last year. They have questioned the oversight of a $3.5 million book project about Iraq’s reconstruction modeled after the 9/11 Commission report. And they have alleged that Bowen and his deputy have improperly snooped into their staff’s e-mail messages.”
* Digby: “People and societies don’t just wake up one morning to find they no longer recognize themselves. It’s a process. And we are in the process in this country of ‘defining deviancy down’ in ways I never thought possible. We are legitimizing torture and indefinite detention — saying that we will only do this to the people who really deserve it. One cannot help but wonder what ‘really deserves it’ will mean in the years to come as we fight our endless war against terror.”
* And finally, the American Bar Association Journal this week drew widespread disgust when it named Alberto Gonzales its “Lawyer of the Year.” It wasn’t necessarily a compliment — the ABA meant that Gonzales was the biggest “newsmaker” in the legal community. Regardless, given the outrage, the journal has issued a clarification: “We appreciate the feedback we’ve received, and we’re acting on it. So that there can be no confusion, the term ‘Lawyers of the Year’ has been changed in the headline and story to ‘Newsmakers of the Year.'” An improvement, to be sure.
Anything to add? Consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.