First Gitmo Detainee Brought To United States
The Justice Department has announced that they have for the first time brought a Guantanamo Bay detainee to the United States: Ahmed Ghailani, who was indicted in 1998 for al-Qaida bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed mored than 224 people. Said Attorney General Eric Holder, in a press release: “The Justice Department has a long history of securely detaining and successfully prosecuting terror suspects through the criminal justice system, and we will bring that experience to bear in seeking justice in this case.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will be speaking at 1 p.m. ET, advocating for the budgeting principle known as PAYGO (Pay As You Go) — that any new tax or entitlement policies should be paid for up front. Members of Congress, including the members of the Blue Dog Coalition, will attend the event. At 2:30 p.m. ET, he will meet with the Democratic members of the House Ways and Means Committee. At 4:30 p.m. ET, he will meet with Sec. of Defense Robert Gates, along with Vice President Biden.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden is having breakfast this morning with Sec. of State Hillary Clinton. At 11 a.m. ET, he will hold an event with representatives from national law enforcement groups, announcing their support for Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court. In the afternoon, he will meet with President Obama and Sec. of Defense Robert Gates.
Today: Democratic Primary For Governor Of Virginia
Virginia Democrats are going to the polls today to pick a nominee in this November’s election for Governor. State Sen. Creigh Deeds has taken a big lead in all the recent polls against former DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe and former state Del. Brian Moran. The polls will close at 7 p.m. ET. The morning has started off with a severe thunderstorm, which could depress turnout in a state that traditionally has super-low turnout in state primaries as it is.
NYT: Sotomayor Continues Ivy League Path To Supreme Court
The New York Times points out that Sonia Sotomayor continues in the usual pattern of Supreme Court nominees coming from Ivy League schools, in her case Princeton University and Yale Law School. “Whatever a nominee’s origins might be, does attending the same institutions shape them and their views, even subtly?” the Times asks. “Critics suggest that elite universities shave off the differences in backgrounds and contribute to a kind of high-level groupthink.”
Cantor: Pelosi Refusing To Meet With Me
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) complained to The Hill that Speaker Nancy Pelosi is shutting out Republicans, including himself. “I have been told that Speaker Pelosi doesn’t like to meet with Republicans,” Cantor said, adding: “I would say that is the case in my instance. I have put in requests to meet with her and have yet to be responded to.”
GOP Takes In $14 Million At Big D.C. Dinner
The national House and Senate Republican campaign committees took in $14 million at last night’s big Washington fundraiser, which featured Newt Gingrich as the keynote speaker. Sarah Palin was also prominently in attendance, but did not speak. And actor Jon Voight gave this exhortation to the GOP base, but only garnered mild applause: “Free the nation from this Obama oppression … Bring an end to this false prophet Obama.”
