House Judiciary Committee Hearing on Executive Power and Its Constitutional Limitations
10:00am EDT

This will be shown on C-Span 1 TV

Links:  C-Span 1 - follow link on home page
   From afterdowningstreet.org:

KPFA & Pacifica Radio will air Friday's hearing from 9:00AM - 1:00PM EDT streamed live at pacifica.org and kpfa.org and on the air at KPFA (Berkeley), KPFK (Los Angeles), KPFT (Houston), and others TBD.

Do not recommend this diary.  Recommend Live Blog Mothership: Petraeus & Crocker to keep it on the Recommended list.

Its the "end of the year scolding", starting at 10:00 am EST:

"The president will talk about the good, bad and the unfinished when it comes to legislation," White House press secretary Dana Perino told reporters in a conference call Thursday morning.

In his opening remarks, which are expected to last eight minutes, he also will urge Congress to work in 2008 on important legislative matters, and not to be swayed by the fact that it's an election year. ...

Live Blog 2 is up.  Recommend this diary to keep it on the list, but go and participate in dharmafarmer's diary!

Today's event is the Heartland Democratic Presidential Forum

On Saturday, we go to Iowa for a Democratic Presidential candidates forum hosted by a group called the Center for Community Change. This LIVE event will give grass-roots organizers a chance to question five of the leading presidential candidates.

WYFP (What's Your Fucking Problem) is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, share advice, pootie pictures, favorite adult beverages, and anything else that we think might help. Everyone and all sorts of troubles are welcome. May we find peace and healing here.

Won't you please share the joy of WYFP by recommending?

The Senate Judiciary Committee is meeting now and has already voted 11-8 to send Mukasey's nomination to the Senate Floor for confirmation.  C-Span3 is showing the proceeding, and can be viewed here

I received the following robocall earlier today:

Hello, this is Catherine.  I'm calling from the US Chamber Of Commerce because we need your help.

Some in Congress are trying to dramatically change the SCHIP health care program.  Instead of focusing on health care coverage for America's poorest children, they want to expand coverage to families making over $80,000/year, a massive government expansion.

Under this law, more than a million people will move from private insurance to government-run health care.  

Just a moment of your time can help stop this.  Please contact Congressman Randy Kuhl at 607-776-9142.  Urge him to continue his fight to keep SCHIP funding for our poorest children.  If you don't speak to a live person,  please leave a message.

This message brought to you by the US Chamber Of Commerce.

The hearing is titled "Private Security Firms in Iraq" will cover "the mission and performance of Blackwater USA and its affiliated companies in Iraq and Afghanistan and to review whether the reliance of the U.S. government on private security contractors is serving U.S. interests in Iraq".  It is being held by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee; chaired by Henry Waxman.

The hearing will address three key questions: (1) Is Blackwater's presence advancing or undermining U.S. efforts? (2) Has State Department responded appropriately to the shooting incidents involving Blackwater forces? (3) What are the costs to U.S. taxpayers for the reliance on Blackwater and other private military contractors?

*List of admonitions:

Please do not rec this diary - the main Liveblog is the only one to rec.

No pictures - not a one and yes; this includes you.

Please reply to the first comment only with transcriptions.

New diaries usually pop up when the comments get to around 250.

The hearing is being streamed via C-Span3.  Additional media links are included in the first "liveblog" diary.

Gen. David H. Petraeus, commanding general, Multi-National Force, and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker discuss the details of their report on the military and political situation in Iraq. They testify before a joint hearing of the House Armed Services Cmte. and the House Foreign Affairs Cmte.

Ryan C. Crocker, United States Ambassador to Iraq
Gen. David H. Petraeus, Commanding General, Multi-National Force - Iraq

The hearing is being streamed via C-Span3 and MSNBC and CNN (follow link).

promoted by DemFromCT. Sorry for sleeping in on the debate open thread!

From Drake University in Iowa, airing this morning on This Week with George Stephanopoulos, carried by the ABC network affiliates.  Check local listings for the time in your local area. (pdf file)  

This forum is notable in that it is the first presidential forum that will specifically address gay issues.

The event is viewable on the Logo cable/satellite station and started at 9:00 pm EDT.  If you don't receive Logo, the debate may be viewed via their website. (follow the link on the home page)

Please unrecommend this diary and go to Diary #10.

The Senate will be debating H.R. 1585 - The Defense Authorization Bill.
Harry Reid has made one request of his colleagues:  allow a simple UP OR DOWN VOTE on the Levin-Reed Amendment, which would begin a phased withdrawal of US troops by the end of this year.

"Nope, not gonna do it," respond the Republicans.

"OK," Harry says, "bring in the cots and pack your toothbrush. We're going to have a debate for THIRTY HOURS, ladies and gentlemen."

You can watch on C-Span2 and also on C-Span Radio.

Yesterday, we learned about Guiliani's South Carolina Chairman and his cocaine troubles.  Today, we have another one to talk about - Robert Lichfield, one of Mitt Romney's Finance Committee's co-chairs in the state of Utah.  Lichfield is being sued by 133 plaintiffs - alleged victims of abuse in schools that Lichfield owns and/or operates.

Being affiliated with schools for troubled teens that allegedly employ highly-questionable discipline tactics, WWASPS have contributed greatly to Mr. Lichfield's wealth, (the plaintiffs claim millions); wealth that he has no trouble in spreading to republican efforts.   Not only is Mr. Lichfield an active Romney supporter/backer/co-chair, he has also contributed to several Republican candidates, Republican causes, the NRCC, and Bush/Cheney '04.  (a total of $1.01M during the 2002 and 2004 elections.)

Please do not recommend this diary!

And here's why you should not recommend this diary: we are trying to eliminate the "unrecommend" problem for multiple live-blog diaries.  The UID Liveblog did the (master) first diary, which currently occupies a rec list slot - subsequent liveblog diaries should not be recommended.  Therefore, please, in lieu of recommends for this diary, leave your recs on the master U.S. Attorney Firings liveblogging diary.

The hearing, "Department of Justice Oversight", is scheduled to start at 9:30am EST.  C-Span1 is scheduled to carry it from 9:30am to 10:00am; C-Span3 will carry the full hearing.  At 9:00 am, CNN said, and I quote, "See it live this hour".  

Viewing/audio options:
C-Span 3
Real Audio
Windows Media
CapitolHearings.org; follow directions.  (I have never used this service, so I can't speak for it.            bumblebums advises me that this service provides an audio link.)

No pictures please as a courtesy for dial-up users.  New diary starts when current one reaches around 250 comments.  Please recommend new diaries and unrecommend old diaries to minimize the number of Live Blog diaries on the Rec List.  

Short and sweet...

The Senate in currently debating Senate Resoultion 9.  Here is Live Thread #1 from earlier today, provided by Christian Dem in NC.    Republicans held the majority of the debate earlier.  Democrats, from my understanding, will hold the majority of the remainder.  This is supposed to be up for a vote this afternoon.

You can view it on C-Span2 or stream via this link.

Arlen Specter is speaking on the Senate Floor regarding his amendment to restore Habaes Corpus.

Red no more's diary:  Specter offers amendment restoring habeas rights! provides excellent background and commentary on the subject.

The amendment strikes the federal habeas corpus limitation imposed by the Military Commissions Act and the Detainee Treatment Act by restoring the rights of aliens detained within U.S. territorial jurisdiction to challenge their detention by filing writs of habeas corpus.

   The effect of the legislation will ensure that the federal courts of jurisdiction will have the opportunity to hear the nearly 200 habeas corpus applications currently pending on behalf of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The legislation restores jurisdiction and allows those cases to be decided on their merits. It also allows habeas corpus challenges to military commission procedures.