The NYPD is compiling an enormous and permanent computerized database of these encounters between innocent New Yorkers and the police while President Obama has failed to appoint even one person to his Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board designed to investigate such infringements.

Tags: Barack Obama, Bob Herbert, Mike Isikoff, New York Police Department, New York Times, Newsweek Declassified, NYPD database, Obama Administration, PATRIOT Act, Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, racial profiling, Rahm Emanuel

Shutting down Democratic and progressive structures that do not toe his line is exactly what Obama and his right hand man, Rahm Emanuel, have done since the election. This modus operandi was apparent even before the 2008 general election to those paying attention. Only a strong voice and accumulated power by progressive interests will be able to make headway in the face of it now.

Tags: 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Rhm Emanuel

Lost in the blizzard like white out of other concerns by the push by the Obama Administration and Congress to handwrap a huge present for the rapacious healthcare insurance industry, has been intelligent coverage of breakdown of Barack Obama’s naive and feckless judicial policy and the emerging harm to the US Federal Court system it portends.

Tags: Barack Obama, Federal Courts, judicial nominations, Obama judicial policy

It sure looks like a Bush flunkie just wasted the back-up retirement fund a lot of Americans are going to need in hopes that it might get John McCain elected.

Tags: Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation

John McCain, still looking for some claim to leadership, 167 days later.

Tags: , John McCain

Without prompting, Reid offered this explanation on Lieberman at the Progressive Media Summit:

What were we going to do with Joe Lieberman? I know how to count votes. That’s been my occupation since 1998. One vote in the Senate means a lot. I was upset with some of the things he said in the campaign.

Lots of people out there–and it’s not pretty.

Today is the day. Now is the time. Change is in the air. Marcy is on the ground, we will update as she checks in. Consider this an open thread for anything you have to say. Spill your thoughts, emotions and hopes. Post any breaking news you see that I, and all of of us, might need to know. Change is here!

I present to you Senator Al Franken.

Tags: Al Franken

Thursday I described The Ugly Legal Optics Of Harry Reid’s Burris Battle. There is a new cloud dimming the already ugly optics. An article that just hit the website of the Chicago Sun Times reports Harry Reid already had his heavy ham fisted hand deep in Illinois state politics well before Blagojevich was arrested.