The Daily Muck

Remember when there were lots of U.S. Attorneys to be fired? Here’s the story of another who made the list. John L. Brownlee is the U.S. Attorney for Virginia; he settled a huge federal case against Oxycotin. On the final day that the drug company could accept a settlement deal, Brownlee received a call suggesting that he give the company a few more days to decide. The only problem is that the call came from Michael Elston, then chief of staff to DAG McNulty. Brownlee ignored the suggestion. Eight days later, he appeared on the firing list. (Washington Post)

A 2004 Inspector General report into the Klamath River incident found no evidence of Dick Cheney’s involvement. Reasonable people can disagree as to why that is; of course, one former official with the IG’s office thinks it is hard to find evidence of involvement when no one is looking for it. She says that throughout the inquiry, the office never asked for any information on the Vice President. (Washington Post)

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Georgia will implement its voter identification law starting in September, following the Georgia Supreme Court’s refusal to reconsider a lawsuit that contends the voter ID law would place an undue burden on voters. Georgia voters will be required to show ID in a September special election. (Boston Globe)

States are finally showing showing signs of reigning in the conflicts of interest presented to individuals assigned to oversee their election processes. One problem that need fixing: five secretaries of state (who oversee elections) were on Bush’ last reelection campaign. Here’s another: five states have had voting officials go immediately into lobbyist positions for the voting machine industry. (NY Times)

A recent study has confirmed that Florida voting machines are still flawed. The machines can be easily manipulated to show different results, and there is only a low probability that tampering will be detected. Better be careful about picking poll workers for the next election. (Associated Press)

Despite the Bush administration’s claims that al Qaida in Iraq is the root cause of instability in Iraq, senior military American officials say it is in fact the Shiite militias that pose the main threat. While President Bush has made dubious claims that al Qaida in Iraq has “the same people” that were involved in the Sept. 11 attacks, military officials point to the intense Shiite militia fighting in southern Iraq, where al Qaida in Iraq has little to no presence. (McClatchy News)

Some highlights of the ethics bill the House passed yesterday include an earmark rule that would require lawmakers to disclose the project two days before a vote and certify immediate relatives will not benefit from the earmark, a rule banning House members from flying on private planes, and a two-year ban on lobbying after a senator has left office. And of course, a pledge to hate Jack Abramoff forever for ruining all the fun. (Boston Globe)

The Journal of the American Medical Association, recently claimed that force-feeding prisoners at Guantanamo violates medical ethics. Currently, 20 detainees who are on hunger strike are force fed their meals. (NY Times)