Cheney getting ‘bum rap’ on CIA program, ex-officials say

Former Vice President Dick Cheney is getting a "bum rap" over reports that he ordered the CIA to withhold information about a secret counterterrorism program from Congress, two former U.S. intelligence officials told CNN Monday. According to both officials, any intelligence program of “great sensitivity” is first approved by the White House after a series of meetings

Share

Sonia Sotomayor: How Republicans Will Go After the Judge

When Sonia Sotomayor heads to Capitol Hill for the start of her Supreme Court confirmation hearings on July 13, she’ll find two groups of players awaiting her: the Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats, who arguably have the easy job to flatter and protect President Obama’s pick , and the panel’s Republicans, whose primary task is to goad her into saying something inflammatory or indiscreet. To that end, the seven Republican Senators have prepared four lines of attack. They will express concern about Sotomayor’s comments that a “wise Latina, with the richness of her experiences would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion” than a judge from a more homogeneous background.

Share

How Health-Care Reform Could Hurt Doctor-Owned Hospitals

Even as Congress struggles with how to pay for health-care reform, the White House keeps doing it its best to accentuate the positive. Last week, Vice President Joe Biden hosted the country’s three largest hospital trade groups as they announced they will accept $155 billion in Medicare and Medicaid cuts over the next 10 years

Share

How the Republicans Will Go After Sotomayor

When Sonia Sotomayor heads to Capitol Hill for the start of her Supreme Court confirmation hearings on July 13, she’ll find two groups of players awaiting her: the Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats, who arguably have the easy job to flatter and protect President Obama’s pick , and the panel’s Republicans, whose primary task is to goad her into saying something inflammatory or indiscreet. To that end, the seven Republican Senators have prepared four lines of attack

Share

Bush-era wiretap program had limited results, report finds

Federal agents found much of the information produced by the Bush administration’s top-secret warrantless surveillance program vague and difficult to use, a sweeping review of the program found. Then-President George Bush and other top administration officials have said the program was a critical tool in preventing terrorist attacks. However, a report Friday by the inspectors general of the CIA, the Justice Department, the Pentagon and other agencies found that some FBI and CIA agents were frustrated by the secrecy surrounding the program

Share

Africans reach out to Obama via text messages

The text messages address various issues and come from all over the African continent. From the personal: “Obama, as a young lady I dream of being the president. U r a huge encouragement.” To cries for help: “Dear president, Darfur firing again…waiting for peace through the change u promised.” To calls for intervention: “Encourage African leaders to improve the quality and access to education for citizens.” The messages, from Ghana, Sudan and South Africa respectively, were among more than 5,000 sent to Barack Obama during his first visit as president to sub-Saharan Africa as president

Share

Report: Domestic surveillance program relied on flawed analysis

The highly controversial no-warrant surveillance program initiated after the September 11 terrorist attacks relied on a "factually flawed" legal analysis inappropriately provided by a single Justice Department official, according to a report to Congress on Friday. The report was compiled by the inspectors general of the nation’s top intelligence agencies, the Pentagon and the Justice Department. The report, mandated by Congress, provides fresh context to information previously leaked in press accounts and buttressed by both congressional testimony and books written by former officials involved in the surveillance effort

Share