Patterico's Pontifications

9/20/2007

Yale Law School Grudgingly allows Military Recruiters

Filed under: Education — DRJ @ 10:05 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

Recognizing that it is the right thing to do it could lose funding, Yale Law School will allow military recruiters on campus:

Yale Law School will end its policy of not working with military recruiters following a court ruling this week that jeopardized about $300 million in federal funding, school officials said Wednesday.

Yale and other universities had objected to the Pentagon’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that allows gay men and women to serve in the military only if they keep their sexual orientation to themselves. Yale Law School had refused to assist military recruiters because the Pentagon wouldn’t sign a nondiscrimination pledge.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Yale on Monday, rejecting its argument that its right to academic freedom was infringed by federal law that says universities must give the military the same access as other job recruiters or forfeit federal money.”

(more…)

Surveilling Alaska

Filed under: Politics — DRJ @ 6:23 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

Unlike the Bush Administration’s other surveillance programs, here’s a government surveillance program liberals will like love:

“The FBI, working with [businessman Bill Allen,] an Alaska oil contractor, secretly taped telephone calls with Sen. Ted Stevens as part of a public corruption sting, according to people close to the investigation.

***

Allen, a wealthy businessman and Stevens’ political patron, agreed to the taping last year after authorities confronted him with evidence he had bribed Alaska lawmakers. He pleaded guilty to bribery and is a key witness against Alaska legislators. He also has told prosecutors he paid his employees to renovate the senator’s house.”

It’s hard work being an informant in a public corruption sting:

“Allen testified in federal court last week that he called several people at the FBI’s behest. “It’s been a lot of work,” Allen said of his efforts for the FBI.

A judge had previously ruled that Allen could not discuss politicians under investigation.”

— DRJ

Post Taken Down

Filed under: Blogging Matters,General — Patterico @ 4:23 pm



I took down a guest post that Justin Levine wrote and published earlier today. I don’t really want to defend or criticize the post. It’s enough to say that when I saw it, I decided that it was not appropriate for my site. I told Justin that I took it down and he understands and is okay with it. I thought I owed readers an explanation for why a post suddenly disappeared; hence this short post.

P.S. Thanks to Tim Blair for creating the blog headline writing style that I stole for the headline above.

Somebody get John Dean an interview with Olbermann

Filed under: General — WLS @ 11:55 am



[Posted by WLS]

It’s obvious that the dirty tricksters in the Justice Department are at it again, even after Gonzales’s departure.

It what can only be described as a purely partisan witch-hunt intended to harass a Democrat office seeker, the US Attorney in the SDNY has filed a criminal complaint against Norman Hsu.

The timing of this is too transparent to be merely coincidental.

On Monday Michael Mukasey was nominated to be Attorney General. Mukasey was a federal prosecutor at the same time as Rudy Giuliani in the SDNY, and Mukasey and Giuliani were both partners in Patterson Belknap in New York after departing the Justice Department in the late 1970s.

Mukasey has contributed money to Giuliani’s Presidential campaign, and was then picked from obscurity to become AG.

It’s possible that Clinton might now have to surrender large sums of campaign contributions on the basis unfounded, tinfoil-hat allegation that they are the proceeds of specified unlawful activity under both the Money Laundering and RICO statutes. She may have no choice but to accept public funding of her campaign.

It’s clear that the GOP is positioning itself to steal another election in 2008.

(more…)

Does it Help our Enemies and Hurt Americans when Congress Debates Surveillance Programs?

Filed under: Politics,Terrorism,War — DRJ @ 11:50 am



[Guest post by DRJ]

National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell says it does and will:

A debate in Congress over eavesdropping on terrorism suspects will cost American lives by exposing intelligence techniques, the Bush administration’s spy chief said on Thursday. At a congressional hearing, National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell faced sharp questioning from Democratic lawmakers who deeply mistrust surveillance programs which the administration put in place after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks.

He said debate over the programs was important to ensure authorities had proper tools to fight suspected terrorists, but that the open discussion would also help U.S. enemies. “What this dialogue and debate has allowed those who wish us harm to do, is to understand significantly more about how we were targeting their communications,” McConnell told the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee.

Asked if debates had cost U.S lives, he said, “They will.”

“And the reason is: The intelligence business is conducted in secret. It’s conducted in secret for a reason.

Debate is important in our society but I would feel better if members of Congress debated to make the process work better. Instead, it seems like many debate to make themselves look more important.

— DRJ

Hillary Clinton Tries to Prove Herself to the Liberal Left

Filed under: Politics — DRJ @ 11:36 am



[Guest post by DRJ]

… by voting against a Senate resolution expressing support for General Petraeus that specifically repudiates “the unwarranted personal attack on General Petraeus by the liberal activist group Moveon.org.”

… and by calling Vice President Cheney “Darth Vader.”

She needs one more for a hat trick. My guess is it will involve criticism of President Bush.

— DRJ

A Professor’s Farewell

Filed under: Real Life — DRJ @ 7:04 am



[Guest post by DRJ]

If you want to be a better person, read this WSJ article about the last lecture from Carnegie Mellon University computer-science professor Randy Pausch.

H/T Instapundit, of course.

— DRJ

Pants Suit Dry Cleaner Closes

Filed under: General,Scum — Patterico @ 5:37 am



The dry cleaner who was sued for $67 million for losing a pair of pants has closed down the store. Apparently the strain of litigation got to them and the store lost revenue as a result. They still own another store and will concentrate their efforts on that one.

(Via aunursa.)


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