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Politifact calls bullshit on Scott Walker claim

June 22, 2014 by AZ BlueMeanie

Some of the “usual suspects” who comment on this blog took exception to my post on “the goggle-eyed homunculus now serving as local sales director of the Koch Industries subsidiary once known as the state of Wisconsin,” Governor Scott Walker. Ducey’s dicey pals: Scott Walker ‘John Doe’ probe docs.

Echoing their boy Scotty, they claim the probe is resolved and over.

Note: all Defendants claim they are innocent — “I was framed I tell ya!”

Politifact (yes, I know) looks at Scotty’s claim and rates it “False” (like everything our “usual suspects” post in the comments). Scott Walker says probe into his campaign finances is “resolved”:

Republican governor and potential 2016 presidential candidate [Scott Walker] said the John Doe probe had been resolved and that two judges had said it was “over.”

Sixth Circuit schedules same-sex marriage appeals for argument on August 6

June 22, 2014 by AZ BlueMeanie

We are waiting on the Fourth Circuit and Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals to issue opinions any day now in the same-sex marriage appeals argued earlier this year.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear same-sex marriage appeals from Idaho and Nevada in September.

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, in an unusual move, has scheduled all four same-sex marriage appeals pending before that Court for argument on August 6, 2014. Sixth Circuit sets oral arguments in same-sex marriage cases from four states:

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has formally scheduled arguments in all of its pending same-sex marriage cases, for August 6.

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The court is hearing cases from Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky, and two from Ohio. The arguments are set to begin at 1PM on that day, and last for over three hours.

Prosecutors closing in on Chris Christie ‘Bridgegate’ scandal

June 19, 2014 by AZ BlueMeanie

While I’m on the subject of Republican governors under investigation by prosecutors, here is an exclusive report by Scott Raab and Lisa Brennan at Esquire. The Prosecutor Is Closing in on Gov. Christie:

Paul Fishman, the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, wades through the sewage of Christie’s stewardship. Two sources with intimate knowledge of the case say Fishman’s pace is quickening — he has empaneled a second grand jury, and the U.S. Justice Department has sent assistant prosecutors and FBI agents to work the case.

“What’s taking the most time,” according to one source, “is separating what’s viable from all the bad stuff they’re finding that may not be viable.”

Fishman’s challenge is to nail down specific criminal charges on several fronts — the diversion of Port Authority money to fund New Jersey road and bridge projects; the four-day rush-hour closures of George Washington Bridge lanes in Ft. Lee; and a web of real-estate deals spun by David Samson, long a Christie crony, when he chaired the PA’s Board of Commissioners as Christie’s appointee. (One such deal, a stalled office-tower development in Hoboken, New Jersey, is central to a claim that Christie’s lieutenant governor told the town’s mayor that the state would withhold Hurricane Sandy relief aid from Hoboken if the mayor didn’t sign off on the development project.)

Ducey’s dicey pals: Scott Walker ‘John Doe’ probe docs unsealed by court

June 20, 2014June 19, 2014 by AZ BlueMeanie

The candidate from the Center for Arizona Policy (CAP), “Cathi’s Clown” Doug Ducey, is also supported by the bag man for “Kochtopus” dark money campaign money laundering, Sean Noble, who was at the center of the largest “campaign money-laundering [scheme] in California history.” Dark Money Groups Pay $1 Million in Fines in California Case.

So it comes as no surprise that Cathi’s Clown was endorsed earlier this week by “the goggle-eyed homunculus now serving as local sales director of the Koch Industries subsidiary once known as the state of Wisconsin,” Governor Scott Walker. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker endorses Doug Ducey for Governor. (h/t to Charles Pierce at Esquire for his descriptive language).

Cathi’s Clown might want to reconsider his Walker endorsement with news breaking out of Wisconsin this afternoon. Ducey’s dicey pals just got a whole lot dicier — some of this taint might rub off on him. Prosecutors accuse Scott Walker of running ‘criminal scheme’ during campaign:

Prosecutors accuse Gov. Scott Walker of personally overseeing a sweeping “criminal scheme” to illegally coordinate fundraising and campaign activity among conservative groups in a broad effort to help him — and Republican senators — beat back recalls in 2011 and 2012, newly released court documents show.

Dick Cheney has forfeited any right to comment on Iraq

June 18, 2014 by AZ BlueMeanie

Back in March, President Obama Called For Releasing the Senate Torture Report. In April, Senators voted to declassify the Senate Torture Report. A month ago, we were still waiting. Feinstein Wants CIA To Speed ‘Torture Report’ Release:

It’s been well over a month since the Senate Intelligence Committee voted 11 to 3 to declassify and make public the executive summary and findings of its “Torture Report.”

But it’s not likely that will actually happen anytime soon.

The reason? The CIA — the very agency skewered in the 6,200-page report for its interrogation and detention of more than 100 terrorism suspects from 2001 through 2008 — has been given the job of deciding what to leave in and what to take out of the summary and findings.

And the CIA seems to be in no great rush to finish that job.

“I was told by the White House chief of staff [Denis McDonough] that it’s probably not until July,” said Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein when I asked her Wednesday when the CIA’s vetting of the documents would be complete.

“I’m in discussion with Director [of National Intelligence James] Clapper to see if we can’t move that up,” the California Democrat added.

And is she comfortable with the CIA doing the vetting? “Not particularly, no,” Feinstein said, “but I’m comfortable with Director Clapper’s oversight.”

The Senate Torture Report should be released without any further delay after Dick “Darth Vader” Cheney, a principal architect of the unnecessary and illegal war in Iraq and the central figure in the Bush administration’s illegal torture and prisoner rendition program, penned this opinion with the Spawn of Satan, Liz Cheney, in Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal today. The Collapsing Obama Doctrine: Rarely has a U.S. president been so wrong about so much at the expense of so many.