Many critics have unfavorably compared Edward Snowden to Daniel Ellsberg because he fled the country rather than stand trial. But Ellsberg now says that’s not a fair comparison because “The country I stayed in was a different America, a long time ago.”
Both as a rhetorical question and a real question I’m curious just what Ellsberg means by that. His basic argument is that he was able to stay out on bail and that wouldn’t have been an option for Snowden. On the other hand, the White House at the time was running a special operations team against Ellsberg out of the White House, including breaking into his psychiatrist’s office and at least some discussions of having him killed. So I’m not sure we can call those the glory days.
John Kerry’s wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, hospitalized in critical but stable condition.
Still no word from San Francisco on casualties in the Asiana Airlines crash at SFO some two hours ago, but reports from the scene suggest there are survivors. Remarkable considering the images of the burned-out plane on the runway.
Also remarkable: this is the first major commercial airline crash in the U.S. in more than a decade.
Multiple reports that Mohamed ElBaradei will become Egypt’s new Prime Minister.
Presidents of Nicaragua and Venezuela each express readiness to grant Snowden asylum.
Boy hit by stray Fourth of July bullet dies.
Here’s an interesting look at Morsi’s final days in office. ‘Isolated but defiant’ is the AP’s headline take. It seems to confirm the general sense that even ahead of the actual coup, Morsi had his hands on virtually none of the levers of state power. Beyond the crowds and the eventual military coup, his power had virtually collapsed.
For those who have eyes to see it, yet more evidence that the IRS ‘scandal’ to the extent it was about targeting conservatives, was basically a crock.
We’re going to be launching a books section at TPM later this year. But in advance of that, I wanted to tell you about a book I just read, After Tamerlane by John Darwin. Read More