Judiciary Committee

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Senate Panel OKs Kagan
 Senate Panel 
 OKs Kagan 

Senate Panel OKs Kagan

Supreme Court nomination now goes to full Senate

(Newser) - The Senate Judiciary Committee voted today to approve Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court. The 13-6 vote sends Kagan's nomination to the full Senate, where she's expected to be confirmed as early as next week to succeed John Paul Stevens. Just one Republican, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, joined...

GOP Girds for Supreme Court Battle
GOP Girds
for Supreme Court Battle

GOP Girds for Supreme Court Battle

Research team seeks 'crazy opinions' to hurt Dems in 2010

(Newser) - Lacking the votes to block President Obama's Supreme Court pick, Republicans have a gang of researchers digging up prospective candidates' "crazy opinions" to hurt Dems in the 2010 midterm elections, a GOP aide tells Politico. But knowing that Obama's pick will likely be a woman or Latino or both—...

Judge Pleads Guilty, Avoids Sex Crime Trial

Kent headed to jail, but won't lose job without impeachment

(Newser) - US District Judge Sam Kent pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice today, as part of a deal that will allow him to duck a messy trial on sex crime charges, the Houston Chronicle reports. He then retired from the bench. “A trial would have been long, embarrassing, and difficult...

Todd Palin Defies Subpoena

Refuses to testify in Troopergate probe

(Newser) - Sarah Palin's husband will not comply with a subpoena demanding he testify before a panel of Alaska lawmakers investigating Troopergate. He and anyone else who refuses to compy with the subpoena cannot be held in contempt until the full state Senate reconvenes in January—after the presidential election. 

Dems Demand Torture Memos
 Dems Demand Torture Memos

Dems Demand Torture Memos

Anger erupts over secret approval for extreme interrogation techniques

(Newser) - The disclosure by the New York Times of secret Justice Department memos greenlighting the use of torture techniques on terror suspects has triggered an uproar on Capitol Hill. Democrats have demanded to see the memos, which authorized head-slapping, sleep deprivation, freezing, a near-drowning technique called water boarding and other painful...

Bush Aide Stonewalls Senators
Bush Aide Stonewalls Senators

Bush Aide Stonewalls Senators

Rove snubs Judiciary Committee; 29-year-old staffer pleads for sympathy

(Newser) - Karl Rove didn't show up, but the White House sent a 29-year-old aide to field Senate Judiciary Committee questions about the US attorney firings today. Scott Jennings, the first administration figure to testify while still in office, followed the path laid out by ex-boss Sara Taylor in refusing to answer...

Domestic Spying Probe Reaches West Wing

Frustrated Senate committee doles out subpoenas

(Newser) - Patrick Leahy came out swinging against the Bush administration's "sweeping assertions of secrecy and privilege" today, issuing subpoenas to the White House, Dick Cheney's office, the Justice Department, and the NSC. The documents demanded by the Senate Judiciary Committee relate to the warrantless wiretapping of terrorism suspects and the...

Justice Dept. Aide Ties Rove to Firings

Disputes Gonzales statements on his role in dismissals

(Newser) - Alberto Gonzales was more deeply involved in the dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys  than he has admitted, and Karl Rove had a direct role in the firings, according to dramatic testimony by the attorney general's former chief of staff yeasterday, reports the Washington Post. Kyle Sampson claimed he briefed...

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