Daily Archives: July 9, 2009

CIA concealed actions, lied to Congress

July 9, 200912:13 p.m.

ciasealHouse Speaker Nancy  Pelosi took heat for claiming in May that the Central Intelligence Agency intentionally misled her about the interrogation techniques it was using. But CIA Director Leon Panetta told the House Intelligence Committee that the CIA concealed “significant actions” from Congress from 2001 until late last month, seven Democratic committee members said. And House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, charged in a letter this week that CIA officials “affirmatively lied” to his committee.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Congress, Terrorism | Comments (51)

Red states aren’t all that family friendly

July 9, 20096:04 a.m.

xxxsign1“According to the Census Bureau’s Statistical Abstract, states that went Republican in November accounted for eight of the 10 states with the highest divorce rates in 2006,” columnist Charles Blow wrote. “. . . According to 2006 data from the Guttmacher Institute, those red states accounted for eight of the 10 states with the highest teenage birthrates. And, a study titled ‘Red Light States: Who Buys Online Adult Entertainment?’. . . found that subscriptions to online pornography sites were ‘more prevalent in states where surveys indicate conservative positions on religion, gender roles, and sexuality’ and in states where more people agree that ‘I have old-fashioned values about family and marriage.’”

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under American life, Religious right | Comments (66)

Open thread 7/9

July 9, 20096:03 a.m.

thread-comm69

By The Editors | Filed under Open thread | Comments (147)

Football playoffs not an issue for Congress

July 9, 20096:02 a.m.

bcsCollege football should have a playoff system. But is this really an issue for Congress? Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, held a antitrust subcommittee hearing this week on the fairness of the Bowl Championship Series. He is still upset that the undefeated University of Utah wasn’t selected for this past season’s BCS national championship game. Hatch complained that smaller conference schools are unfairly excluded, but the University of Nebraska’s chancellor responded: “There realistically is something Utah could do. They could play the schedule Nebraska played.”

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Congress, Sports | Comments (9)