From the AP, James O’Keefe’s lawyer is now saying not only was he not trying to bug Landrieu, they weren’t even trying to tamper with the phones.
Michael Madigan, O’Keefe’s lawyer, said Wednesday that his client was not trying to wiretap or interfere with Landrieu’s phones, but he would not explain why O’Keefe was there. He also would not say whether O’Keefe was working for someone or was on his own.
”The truth will come out,” said Madigan, a Washington lawyer who represented Sen. Howard Baker, the Republican who famously asked during the Watergate investigation, ”What did the President know and when did he know it?”
An interesting take from TPM Reader SR …
Maybe it’s just because I’m a poli sci major turned lawyer, but that moment when he turned to the Supremes and took them directly to task for
Dred Scott IIthe Citizens United opinion, and then watching the majority look completely taken aback as the other branch of government stood up, looked at them and cheered actually stunned me a bit.
When Obama criticized the Citizens United decision, Justice Alito shook his head and appeared to say “not true.” Watch.
10:34 PM: I’m probably not the best judge. But I’m not sure this live McDonnell live speech works. Even though it’s always a little underwhelming watching like the Minority Leader speaking from a closet in the Capitol. But why are we listening to this speech? Who is he speaking to? Weird.
10:38 PM: All this McDonnell’s friends seem to be black.
10:49 PM: Pretend president.
11:03 PM: TPM Reader BL thought it seemed a little funny too: “Looking at the “other guy” talking tonight, it had the feel of a late-night infomercial. The African-American lady apluading on the left, the Asian guy nodding approval on the right. There was even a guy dressed in some military uniform wildly clapping. I was waiting for the 1-800 Number to call before midnight tonight. ”
11:10 PM: TPM Reader AF agrees: “The audience looks like they’re at an infomercial. Hooray for the ginzo knives!”
10:11 PM: One of the weirdest things about tonight has been watching John Boehner’s reactions to the president.
10:19 PM: Lot of Republicans snarking Obama, just not yelling. Even Republican SCOTUS Justices. We’ll bring you more on that shortly.
10:30 PM: When does that Jindal guy speak?
9:50 PM: “All this was before I walked in the door.”
9:51 PM: He’s got some fire.
9:53 PM: Boo Senate, Boo Senate.
9:54 PM: Nelson and Lieberman sitting together in axis of weasels.
9:56 PM: TPM Reader JT chimes in: “Someone in the WH speechwriting office, or communications shop, or on the political team, told him to be the “real” down-to-earth Barack, not the cool, distant, aloof Barack. I think that’s what the KD reader was feeling with the “interactivity.” As a Dem dying, like those House members, to cheer, I’m loving this advice. I’m ready to start challenging my friends again when they say that they’re down on this presidency. If that was even a tertiary goal of this SOTU, it worked.”
9:59 PM: I should have registered earmarks.com.
10:01 PM: Message one: Jobs. Message two: Senate sucks.
10:02 PM: “Not run for the hills.” That should be the key message of the evening.
10:03 PM: I think one of the key things the president and the White House were trying to do with this speech is show the president doesn’t feel beaten.
10:05 PM: Sheesh, how’d Al Franken get to seat with the Joint Chiefs?
9:32 PM: “I do not accept second place for the United States of America.”
9:33 PM: House lovefest continues.
9:34 PM: Good speech, but the soundtrack? I dunno.
9:35 PM: Listening to this litany, I’m reminded how Republicans are on the wrong side — just politically, let alone on policy — of most signature issues in a populist economic moment. I think there were zero Republicans standing up on any part of Obama’s financial reform agenda — something that polls exceedingly well in addition to being good public policy.
9:38 PM: TPM Reader KD asks: “Is it just me or are these things getting more and more informal and interactive?” I think that’s probably right. Though we won’t have a real president until they take the mic off the podium and fully Oprah it up.
9:42 PM: Jobs, jobs, jobs.
9:44 PM: Health care is so 2009.
9:45 PM: I’m watching on MSNBC and as Obama speaks on Health Care Reform they’re slowly panning across each of the senators who did the most to torpedo it.
9:46 PM: “This problem is not going away.”
9:47 PM: I’m a little curious why so many Republicans are standing for Obama’s invocations on the importance of Health Care reform.
9:02 PM: Pre-released remarks about Health Care Reform seem fairly restrained and bland.
9:06 PM: Entering the phony everybody likes each other phase.
9:16 PM: See the full text of tonight’s speech.
9:18 PM: Maybe everybody could feel better if they just left the hall and found a few bankers to string up? Sort of everybody get it out of their system.
9:20 PM: Did any Republicans stand and applause for the bank tax?
9:21 PM: Guess the earlier decision to keep all this good stuff secret wasn’t such a good idea.
9:22 PM: Just reminded what a wanker John McCain is. Need to remind myself every once in a while.
9:25 PM: Wait, Republicans are whooping and cheering for the jobs bil? Tax cut on high income earners?
9:26 PM: Eric Cantor and John Boehner don’t have the right facial gestures for when the camera pans on them.
9:28 PM: It’s always hard to remember the precise way things happened before. But the Dems seem particularly eager and antic in their cheers. Not what you’d expect from a Democratic party supposedly so down on the president. And I’m not saying they’re not. They are. But I wonder whether there’s not some level nervous energy, wanting to get excited.
I heard Mara Liasson on NPR earlier this evening saying she had been wracking her brain and couldn’t think of a SOTU address where the President was “facing a more difficult political landscape.” Oh, please.
Bill Clinton in January 1998 gave his SOTU just 10 days after the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke to a Congress where both chambers were controlled by the opposition party and in the same room where he would be impeached within the year.
Or what about President Bush’s 2007 SOTU, just after his party had shockingly lost control of both chambers of Congress and with his lame duck administration deep in turmoil?
Not even a close call.