Eric Holder’s former law firm, Covington & Burling LLP, represented 18 of the Gitmo detainees before he was appointed Attorney General.

Covington & Burling, home to such illustrious attorneys as David Remes of boxers or briefs fame,

has been defending Terrorists since 2004.  Particularly the Guantanamo Bay detainees.  They have filed amicus curiae briefs (no pun intended) before the Supreme and District Courts and generally hindered any attempt to move forward with their prosecution.

Byron York writes in today’s Washington Examiner:

To Charles Grassley, a senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the questions seem pretty simple. How many of the political appointees now in charge of terrorist detainee issues at the Obama Justice Department were, not too long ago, lawyers and activists working on behalf of those very detainees? Who are they? Have they removed themselves from cases involving their former clients?

So far, Grassley is having a hard time getting the information he wants. His problems started on Nov. 18, 2009, when Holder appeared before the Judiciary Committee and Grassley asked him to reveal which department lawyers had represented which detainees. Grassley is still waiting for an answer.

“He said something like, ‘I have to think about it,’ ” Grassley says. “He must still be thinking about it two and a half months later.”

Under the relentless assault of 911 families and other groups opposed to holding terrorist trials in New York, the White House is now looking for other locations to hold the trials.  Here’s a newsflash for Obama and Holder.  How about holding them in Guantanamo Bay?  At that brand new facility we built at great expense to the taxpayers.  It would have the added bonus of keeping them out of our country, away from our courts, prevent them from obtaining the rights that are afforded to U.S. citizens, and comply with international law.  D’oh

But instead they will probably scour the area around New York City to find another place.  Like Governors Island,  West Point or Stewart Airport.  Their ideology will prevent them from accepting the logical and legal solution unless we keep the pressure up.

More here and here

Heres a report on NY1

Listen to Schumer weasel out of his earlier support for trials in NYC.

The tipping point appears to have been Mayor Bloomberg changing his stance as reported here.

Here’s some background on recent developments in the fight to halt this travesty:

Michelle Malkin has more here.

911 Families check in:

Moving danger? So what if Obama is reconsidering moving 9/11 trials

Mr. Albert Oasan and Mr. Lester Toribio of NAMFREL participated in a voters education symposium at the University of the East on January 18, attended by about 200 Political Science and Legal Management students and faculty.

Concerns raised by the students during the symposium include the scenario of having failure of election and a possible back-up plan of the Comelec. The representative from the Comelec who also spoke during the event said in a worst case scenario, the plan is to revert to manual election. A comment was raised by a professor regarding NAMFREL’s presentation, which highlighted vulnerabilities of the system. He said NAMFREL is creating a skeptical or cynical picture of the status quo that instead of encouraging students to participate, they are being discouraged instead. NAMFREL responded that they are showing the harsh reaities and negative conditions to help convince people to action.

Click HERE for more photos.

The Student Council of Rizal Technological University, in cooperation with NAMFREL Mandaluyong, held a voters education symposium on January 12, attended by about a hundred students and faculty. Mr. Albert Oasan of NAMFREL discussed some of the problems currently faced by the country and how the youth can help solve them. He also discussed how NAMFREL started and its contribution to clean and credible election as part of citizens’ social responsibility to preserve democracy. Mr. Oasan called on the youth to participate in the coming election, specifically to get involved in NAMFREL. Mr. Terry Nolasco, NAMFREL Mandaluyong City chairperson, expressed his desire to partner with RTU students for the coming election.

Click HERE to see more photos.

After 70+ years of service the heroic FDNY fireboat Firefighter is scheduled to be retired from service.

This boat, a wonder of engineering, has special meaning to me personally.  Built in 1938, this was one of the first assignments my father had when he joined the fire department in that year.  Many years later his grandson, my nephew, served as Marine Engineer on this boat during its heroic efforts at the site of the World Trade Center attack of 9-11.  For days, the Firefighter, her FDNY sisters and even the retired fireboat John J. Harvey were the sole sources of water to douse the flames in the “pile”.  All the water mains in the area had been severed by falling debris from the collapsed towers.

Here is a video of this great boat:

More pictures of the Firefighter and her sisters are here and here.

As we prepare to bid farewell to a hero, a new fireboat has been launched for the FDNY and a second, named Firefighter II, is on the slips to replace her.

On September 11, 2009, the fireboat Three Forty Three was launched in Panama City, Florida.  Named to commemorate the 343 firemen lost on 9-11, the new boat has a great reputation to live up to.

“God Bless This Ship and All Who Sail Her”

FDNY Marine 9 website is here.

The Working Families Party, part of the axis of corruption in democrat politics, is headed to trial tomorrow in Staten Island.

From the NY Post:

‘Enough already,” Jus tice Anthony Giacobbe sternly said yesterday at the Richmond County Supreme Court on Staten Island. He was admonishing attorneys representing the Working Families Party and its for-profit corporate arm, Data Field Services, for suddenly disclosing hundreds of pages of documents that they should have supplied long ago.

Lie, hide, obfuscate.  It’s the ACORN way.

Not satisfied with returning the state of our national security to a level befitting their disastrous pre 9-11 policies, the democratic senatorial campaign committee released an attack ad which used the World Trade Center as a backdrop to an image of Scott Brown while they accused him of supporting greed.

Reminiscent of the Ward Churchill charge that the towers were filled with “little Eichmanns” the latest usage reinforces the lefty image that the towers were a symbol of greed and those that perished in them deserved their fate.

It is an absolutely despicable meme and so inherent to their thinking that they blindly include these images without the slightest thought to how they will appear to the families who lost their loved ones in the horrible attack.

The sooner these people can be voted out of offices where they can do more harm the better.

More here, here and here.

To support Scott Brown against the people who would dare smear the heroes of 9-11 go here.

The Commonwealth Foundation has called for an independent investigation of Michael Mann the Hockey Stick Czar separate from the Penn State ongoing investigation.

You might remember Michael Mann’s starring role in the Climategate video:

More here!

And now it comes out that Michael Mann was awarded $500 Million of Your Money as part of the stimulus bill!

How much more of that money went to frauds and hoaxes?

What could possibly go wrong when you diddle making a decision until the depths of winter, then expect 30,000 troops to miraculously appear on the battlefield?

It’s the logistics, stupid!

Graduating Sociology students of the University of Sto. Tomas held on December 9 a forum on the automated election, attended by representatives from NAMFREL, PPCRV, and Comelec. Mr. Albert Oasan of NAMFREL discussed issues concerning the automated process and Namfrel’s role for May 2010, and how the youth could get involved.

The forum was attended by about a hundred students from the College of Arts and Letters (Sociology, Psychology and Political Science). Some of the concerns raised by the students include ballot rejection by the machines due to incorrect markings, and the roles of NAMFREL and PPCRV in the coming election.

Click HERE to see more photos.

Mass Communication students of St. Scholastica’s College in Manila organized a voters’ education forum entitled “Auto-Boto: Alam mo ba kung paano at sino?” on December 7. Representatives from NAMFREL, Lente, PPCRV, Political Arena, and Comelec spoke at the event, attended by more than a hundred college students. Some of the students’ concerns addressed by the speakers were the legality of the candidacies of Presidents Arroyo and Estrada, the issue of non-replacement of ballots when a mistake is committed by the voter, and youth participation in the coming election through organizations like NAMFREL. The organizations represented in the forum said they welcome volunteers from the youth sector.

Click HERE to see more photos.

Jose Rizal University in Mandaluyong had their Voters’ Education Program on December 5, organized by the Dean for Student Affairs, the student council, some faculty members, and NAMFREL Mandaluyong City chair Mr. Terry Nolasco.

Mr. Albert Oasan and Atty. Moses V. Florendo gave the talk for NAMFREL. They discussed youth participation in elections, youth empowerment and students’ involvement through election monitoring groups like NAMFREL. One of the students’ concerns was how to trust the electoral system when irregularities have happened in past elections. Atty. Florendo urged the students to not tolerate similar things that could happen, to be involved, and to trust themselves that they can help bring credibility to the system.

Click HERE to see more photos.

As part of their NSTP week, San Beda College conducted on December 4 a Voters’ Education Forum. San Beda professor and NAMFREL Manila chairperson Albert Oasan was one of the organizers and speakers. Along with fellow NAMFREL volunteers Ms. Corazon H. Ignacio and Atty. Moses V. Florendo, they talked about the significance of youth participation in the coming election and how they could get involved even those who are not yet of voting age. About 200 freshmen and sophomores attended the event. Some of the students raised their concern on the possibility of failure of election, which was addressed by the Comelec representative present by stressing the importance of vigilance by all Filipinos.

Click HERE to see more photos.

On December 4, NAMFREL Secretary General Eric O. Alvia briefed students of the Entrepreneurs School of Asia on the importance of participating in and safeguarding the 2010 automated presidential elections. In his presentation, Mr. Alvia explained to the students how ensuring the credibility of the elections could have a positive effect in the political, social, and economic situation of the country. A number of students volunteered for NAMFREL after the briefing.

Click HERE to see more photos.

Mr. Albert Oasan of NAMFREL spoke on the 2010 automated election and Namfrel’s role, in a voters education symposium on December 1 conducted by the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, Manila. The symposium, with the theme “2010: Will there be clean and credible automated election?,” was also attended by representatives from the COMELEC and AKBAYAN youth. About 300 students attended the event.

Click HERE to see more photos.

On 28 November 2009, Ms. Corazon H. Ignacio, head of NAMFREL’s Project Committee, spoke on the topic “Making Our Vote Count” at the National Disability Forum of AKAP Pinoy. The goal of the forum was to educate the members of AKAP Pinoy — composed of PWDs (Persons with Disabilities) — on their role and rights with regard the 2010 automated election. Speakers from IPER, Task Force 2010, and COMELEC also made presentations. The symposium was attended by more than a hundred AKAP Pinoy members from all over the country.

Click HERE to see more photos.

On November 27, Atty. Moses Florendo and Mr. Albert Oasan of NAMFREL spoke in  La Consolacion College on the role of students and the significance of youth volunteerism in the coming presidential election. About 200 students and professors from La Consolacion and San Beda College attended the said event.

Click HERE to see more photos.

Mr. Albert Oasan of Namfrel was one of the guest speakers at a symposium held on November 23, 2009 in UP Los Baños. Sponsored by the Department of Social Science, the symposium was attended by more than 80 public school teachers (elementary and high school) as well as college students.

Mr. Oasan presented the history of Namfrel, the 2010 automated election, and Namfrel’s role in the coming election.

Click HERE for more photos.

The YouthJAM (Youth United for Truth, Justice, Accountability and Meaningful Change) together with the Baliuag University student council conducted a Voters’ Education seminar with the theme: “A call to engaged citizenship” at Bahay na Bato in Baliuag University Bulacan on 21 November 2009, 1-5pm, aimed to give students information on the automated election and to persuade them to involve their selves in the election. Almost 200 college students attended the said event.

Together with other invited speakers, Ms. Cora Ignacio, head of the Voters’ Education Committee of Namfrel gave her speech. She discussed substantive democracy and why elections are relevant to preserve democracy.

Click HERE for more photos.

The La Concordia College in Sta. Ana Manila invited NAMFREL for their Voters’ Education with the theme: “Empowering the young voters, building their futures.” This was held on 20 November 2009, 2-5pm at the La Concordia College Auditorium. More than 100 college students with college faculty attended the seminar. This is to educate the students on the automated election and how they can get involved in the election process.

Mr. Albert Oasan and Atty. Moses V. Florendo, members of the Education Committee of Namfrel, gave the talk. Mr. Oasan oriented the students on the automated election while Atty. Florendo talked about youth involvement in the election. 97 college students signed up as volunteers for NAMFREL during the event.

Click HERE for more photos.

The Lancet, a once respected and prestigious British Medical Journal, has sold its credibility and its reputation cheaply once again.

The last time was when it developed and published a fake survey of Iraq war deaths at the behest of George Soros.  That survey was proven to be wildly in error.

Skip forward to 2009 and the Lancet is at it again!  This time hyping the medical benefits of fighting mythical global warming.

Just as in the earlier fake research, the global warming cabal is refusing to make the details of their work known to the public and other professional organizations. Why the secrecy?  Perhaps because it is all mystical.

The pattern of faking, lying, publicizing, and cover up, is endemic to the hard left in the world.  For them the ends justify the means and the prospect of controlling every aspect of life for all the billions of people in the world is a goal too great to allow plebian matters like truth to get in the way.

The Lancet appears to have decided that it is no longer a publication interested in truth, a sad requiem for a medical journal.

This time around the funding is from the Wellcome Trust, another ‘philanthropic’ trust overtaken by radical lefties.

They must have had to stretch a bit to fit the faux Global Warming agenda into their mission: “funding research to improve human and animal health“.  Although that is not too difficult for an organization that has a Sanger Institute!

Perhaps their global warming suggestions will enable them to practice more of the eugenics Margaret Sanger was a proponent of?

After all, take away the Man and there can be no Man Made Global Warming!

Surprise, Surprise:

Obama Science Czar John Holdren Involved in Climategate Scandal

Who’s Who of the Fraudsters is here.

Now Hugo Chavez and the South American Socialists are demanding a piece of the action!

More Interesting Links:

Climategate:  How They All Squirmed

Climategate reminds us of the liberal-left’s visceral loathing of open debate

Climategate: why it matters