*The AP is reporting that The White House and GOP senators have finally reached a compromise on the detainee legislation. It is disturbing to know that the use of systemized torture is something that even warrants negotiations, when torture is so clearly a violation of international law.
It will be especially interesting to see if the legislation will enable detainees to be convicted based on evidence they cannot see.
The specifics of the legislation are still not known; while we wait for more information I cannot help but think of Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA). Specter, 76, was initially steadfast in his opposition to Bush on the NSA wiretapping program, but ultimately caved and gave the program legitimization that it did not deserve.Stay tuned for updates.
*David Zirin, a left-wing sports writer (how often do you here of that?) has a fascinating piece for The Nation. (Web only) The New York Knick’s point guard, Stephen Marbury, has introduced a new shoe called the Starbury One.
Zirin explains what makes this shoe—and this athlete—so unique:
"What's ‘revolutionary’ about the new Starbury One--a reference to Marbury's on-court moniker--is that it doesn't cost as much as a plane ticket to Maui. The Starbury Ones are listed at $14.98.That's $14.98. Not $149.80. As William Rhoden recently wrote in the New York Times, ‘This is an industry in which star athletes encourage children to buy shoes for anywhere from $75 to $200.’”
*Deval Patrick’s appeal is not just in Massachusetts; he has gotten attention from national publications and blogs as well. Here, The Nation’s John Nichols has a glowing profile on the former Civil Rights Attorney, and even plays with the idea that Patrick could be the first black President. Patrick has also garnered support from the Netroots, as I noted in a posting for The Boston Globe’s Thinking Politics Blog earlier this week.
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