Faith-based. The Bush administration’s faith-based initiatives were under scrutiny before the Supreme Court yesterday. Legal Times’ Tony Mauro was there, and describes the “amazing” hypothetical arguments in the church-state case. Money quote:
Several justices seemed to think that was an artificial distinction and taxpayers might have standing whether a congressional or executive-branch activity is involved. Clement struggled to define the difference, and when Breyer pinned him down with his hypothetical, it appeared that Clement may have taken his point too far by suggesting that taxpayers could not challenge even such an overtly religious program. But both Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito Jr. threw Clement lifelines. At one point, as justices tried to follow Clement’s answers, Alito pointedly asked him, “Are you arguing that these lines that you are drawing make a lot of sense . . . or are you just arguing that this is the best that can be done . . . within the body of precedent that the Court has handed down in this area?”
Hardball. Former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias alleged that lawmakers pressured the DOJ to fire him after he refused to speed up a probe of Democrats before last November’s elections.
It’s Official. The Straight Talk Express has backed out of the driveway. John McCain is in the running for the presidency. And like all important career announcements, he went to America’s source for news: (no, not Jon Stewart) David Letterman.
Messier. Apparently those least surprised by the shoddy conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center were the ones in charge. As far back as 2003, the officials received complaints about unsanitary conditions and substandard living quarters.
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