this is an adventure

Ninth Circuit’s decision on “extraordinary rendition” dismisses the claims of the Obama Administration that the lawsuit in question “must be halted for national security reasons,” reversing lower court dismissal. In the case of ACLU vs. Obama, ACLU gets the first win, and “state secrets” defense favored by the new White House takes a palpable hit.

PA Senator “bluntly admitted that his decision was tied to his belief that he could not win reelection as a Republican next year,” With addition of Specter and Franken, jubilant Washington Democrats (PA grassroots less enthused) will have filibuster-proof majority for the first time since, well, Arlen Specter was elected. On cue, media fawns adoringly.

Terry McAuliffe’s YouTube channel uploaded three new videos in the past week. Brian Moran has aggressively courted backing from a coterie of liberal bloggers in Northern Virginia. A Twitter addict, R. Creigh Deeds regularly fires off tweets from his BlackBerry.

The Obamas made a big show of getting a family pet, the Portugese water dog Bo: “We all have to take turns walking the dog.” But the requirements of FLOTUS and POTUS schedules are pushing duties to others: “Perhaps the demands of dog walking and dog minding have been tougher than the president expected.”