Jefferson Morley

JFK Lawsuit Tests Washington’s Culture of Secrecy

Last month dozens of public interest groups welcomed the election of Barack Obama with a call to reverse eight years of secrecy and restore openness in the executive branch.
It won’t be easy. While the non-profit National Security Archive and other groups are seeking an executive order to revitalize the Freedom of Information Act, the culture [...]

Supermajority Gone, Minnesota Keeps Recounting (Coleman up 303)

Republican Saxby Chambliss defeated Democrat Jim Martin in Georgia’s runoff election Tuesday, preventing Democrats from gaining a filibuster-proof “super majority” in the Senate. With 71 percent of precincts reporting, the race was called, The Hill reports, as Martin trailed 61 to 39 percent.

Coleman’s lead keeps shrinking

On Day Two of the Minnesota senatorial race recount, incumbent Norm Coleman’s lead shrank to 129 votes, the second straight day that Democratic challenger Al Franken gained ground on his Republican rival. “It’s only a snapshot in a process that hasn’t yet reached the halfway mark,” writes MnIndy’s Chris Steller, “but it’s a snapshot in which [...]

The Republican Crackup

It goes on and on.
New Mexico Independent reports that defeated U.S. Senate candidate Steve Pearce is telling party officials he is interested in running for the chair of the state Republican party, saying improbably that he wants to foster party unity. Problem is that six months ago, the right-wing congressman gleefully divided the party by [...]

Franken Gains in Day One of Minnesota Recount

Al Franken closed the vote count gap with incumbent Norm Coleman to 172 on Wednesday, the first day of Minnesota’s statewide U.S. Senate election recount, reports Minnesota Independent.

Two-Front War in Minnesota Recount

In the Minnesota recount, hope and fiction are battling it out in court and on the airwaves, according to our colleagues at Minnesota Independent.
A judge ruled that election officials in Ramsey County, which covers the city of St. Paul have to make public information about rejected absentee ballots, as requested by lawyers for Democratic [...]

Proposition 8 Protests Spread

California’s approval of a constitutional ban on gay marriage sparked street protests nationwide this weekend and not just in big cities on the East and West Coast but also, as the Center for Independent Media network is reporting, in places like Minneapolis, Albuquerque, and Lansing, Michigan.

Pawlenty Sees No Fraud in Minnesota Recount

While the Wall Street Journal editorial page and other conservative outlets accuse Minnesota Democrats of attempting to “steal” the U.S. Senate seat of incumbent Norm Coleman, Minnesota Independent notes that the state’s Republican governor Tim Pawlenty acknowledged on Fox News yesterday that there is no evidence of wrongdoing in the recounting of votes for Coleman and Democratic challenger Al [...]

Overlooked law may undo Bush’s last-minute regulations

As TWI’s Matthew Blake reported the White House is looking to ram through dozens of new regulations in the waning weeks of its final term. But Wendy Norris at Colorado Independent points out, via Politico, that a little known 1996 law could allow Congress to undo up to 90 last-minute regulations pushed through by the [...]

The Minnesota Recount Goes On

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie announced yesterday that he and four state judges will oversee the recount of votes in the U.S. Senate contest.
Incumbent Republican Norm Coleman holds a 206-vote lead over Democratic challenger Al Franken.
As Coleman’s margin has dropped by about 500 votes since Election Day, Republicans are stepping up their criticism [...]