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December 09, 2009 ABC NIGHTLINE

Text messages are the new lipstick on the collar, the mislaid credit card bill. Instantaneous and seemingly casual, they can be confirmation of a clandestine affair, a record of the not-so-discreet who sometimes forget that everything digital leaves a footprint.

This became painfully obvious a week ago when a woman who claims to have had an affair with Tiger Woods told a celebrity publication that he had sent her flirty text messages, some of which were published. It follows on the heels of politicians who ran afoul of text I.Q., including a former Detroit mayor who went to prison after his steamy text messages to an aide were revealed, and Senator John Ensign of Nevada, whose affair with a former employee was confirmed by an incriminating text message. From the New York Times

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Sen. Bernie Sanders joined Dylan Ratigan on MSNBC's Morning Meeting to discuss his decision to block the confirmation of Ben Bernanke for a second term as Chairman of the Federal Reserve. From Sen. Sanders site--Sanders Blocks Bernanke Confirmation:

December 2, 2009

Sen. Bernie Sanders Wednesday placed a hold on the nomination of Ben Bernanke for a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve. “The American people overwhelmingly voted last year for a change in our national priorities to put the interests of ordinary people ahead of the greed of Wall Street and the wealthy few,” Sanders said. “What the American people did not bargain for was another four years for one of the key architects of the Bush economy.”

As head of the central bank since 2006, Bernanke could have demanded that Wall Street provide adequate credit to small and medium-sized businesses to create decent-paying jobs in a productive economy, but he did not. He could have insisted that large bailed-out banks end the usurious practice of charging interest rates of 30 percent or more on credit cards, but he did not. He could have broken up too-big-to-fail financial institutions that took Federal Reserve assistance, but he did not. He could have revealed which banks took more than $2 trillion in taxpayer-backed secret loans, but he did not.

(Video of Obama's announcement and nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor)

The NRA will not be happy, but Judge Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed today to be the first Latina on the Supreme Court. That's a beautiful thing. Rush Limbaugh and Pat Buchanan will be rolling in their racism over this vote.

PFAW:

By a vote of 68 to 31, the Senate today confirmed Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court. People For the American Way Executive Vice President Marge Baker issued the following statement:

“The confirmation of Sotomayor is a historic step for the nation and a triumph of the American way. The efforts by the NRA and the far right to sabotage her nomination failed badly, with a large majority of Senators uniting to confirm her today. Those Senators will not regret their votes.

Talk Left has the vote count:

The vote was 68-31. In addition to all Democrats and Independents (with the exception of Ted Kennedy, still absent due to his health), 9 Republicans also voted in favor - Voinovich, Bond, Martinez, Alexander, Graham, Collins, Snowe, Gregg and Lugar.

Back in our C&L Time Machine:

Look who's calling Sonia Sotomayor a 'racist': The Right's leading bigots

Pat Buchanan wonders if the nation will survive having 135 million Hispanics

Bob Shrum explodes over Pat Buchanan's racism as Limbaugh uses MLK against Sotomayor

Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub: Reagan Years: A contrarian's view

Newsifact: Desperate bin Laden tries to counter Obama's message to Islamic world with "Joe the Terrorist"

JSOnline: A congressional committee is investigating whether the Food and Drug Administration gave undue influence to chemical makers after several recent reports revealed how government regulators relied heavily on industry lobbyists when considering the safety of the controversial chemical bisphenol A. (h/t swimgirl)

MyDD: Now *that* was mindless obstruction

Lean Left: Battle Without Honor or Humanity

Angry Bear: It Was 20 Years Ago Today...

So the JCN is raising millions, right? They might want to use some of that haul to "revise" their website:

In addition, JCN works to ensure that the confirmation process for all judicial nominees is fair and that every nominee sent to the full Senate receives an up or down vote.

I suspect that their mission will look a bit different now that Obama is nominating the judges.

I don't blame them for being slow to memory hole -- when your organization is an astroturf shop run out of a PR office, staff allocation issues crop up. On that note, I suspect that Media Matters Action Network will prove a valuable resource over the next months.

Vagabond Scholar: The Torture Flow Chart.  And waterboarding isn't "simulated drowning."  It's drowning. 

Peace Action Blog: Senator Kerry's hearing with soldiers on Afghanistan

Kansas Jackass: GOP asshats still blocking Sebelius confirmation

Prose Before Hos: Greg Mankiw's naive analysis of Obama's $100 million budget cuts

Right Wing Watch: Let the hate crimes freakout begin

HOLY CRAP: burkha-logic...The Stinque Zombie Bible...Theocracy in California public schools...Runnning amok in FLA. public schools...Jim Wallis, Lefty?...Saudi government upholds child marriage...Proof of virginity...God's will...Art reflects life...As a Man Pisseth...Is Lying a Traditional Value?

January 15, 2009 MSNBC Rachel Maddow Show

Eli Lake says Republicans intend questioning CIA director-designate Leon Panetta nomination on the basis of his possible involvement in the Clinton administration's illegal rendition activities.

Put aside the glaring hypocrisy of right-wingers suddenly deciding such renditions might be a bad thing after protesting vigorously for eight years that they were an essential and excusable tool in the War On Some Terror. Put aside the hypocrisy of leftwing pundits who are suddenly using the term "extraordinary rendition" where before they had no problem calling an illegal spade a spade.

It's still a good question.

Panetta should face questions like these, and he shouldn’t do what CIA director-designates often do when receiving them, which is offering answers in closed sessions. The public is owed a reckoning about the torture that was done in its name, no matter who was president when it occurred. Just because committee Republicans are being selective and obnoxious about this doesn’t invalidate the principle.

Illegal is illegal, and I for one am heartily sick of those who change their stance on that depending on whether or not "their" guy did it. It's not simply all about closing Gitmo.

Crossposted from Newshoggers