The Obama administration had been cleared to effect the deportation of cleared Guantanamo prisoner Abdul Aziz Naji by no less than the Supreme Court, who rejected a lower court order blocking the action. What hasn’t been reported thus far is the role of Congress, who was mandated to have advance notice of the transfer. Meanwhile, in Algeria, Naji told the press about torture and the drugging of prisoners at Guantanamo.

18 senators voted in support of an exit timetable, but there were still some notable senators who voted No. And we know why.

Bob Schieffer is sitting on a scoop he needs to share with the world, unless his rules for ‘off-the-record’ are the same as the late Tim Russert: everything is always off-the-record unless the newsmaker specifically grants ‘permission to use.’

Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee today urged Attorney General Eric Holder to stick to his initial determination that the alleged 9/11 plotters should be tried in civilian court, and not bow to partisan politics on what should be a legal determination.

Ron Jeremy beats Sarah Palin in the crib notes department

Dianne Feinstein recommends that the Pentagon review its use of extreme isolation as a form of interrogation.

Happy Monday and welcome to my on-going letter writing campaign for torture accountability under the law. For those who have not seen this series before, the way it works is as follows; every Monday I write a letter to the decision makers urging them to follow through on accountability for the apparent Bush Administration torture program. You get involved by either using the letter as the starting place for one of your own, or cutting and pasting it over your signature and sending it off.

Dianne Feinstein has joined the Fiscal-Scold-Seven to put her foot down on Social Security and Medicare: she won’t vote to raise the debt ceiling (required within a month or Uncle Sam defaults) without a law establishing a “bipartisan commission” that’s sure to ruin Baby Boomer benefits just as the Democratic coalition cracks over choice and Stupak.

Apparently the GOPs aren’t playing nice with Dianne Feinstein’s Senate Intelligence Committee investigation. They’ve taken their toys and gone home. But there’s a step she should take.

In the last few days, there has been a significant shift in the political winds in Washington towards real health care reform, with a robust public health insurance option at its heart. The last thing we need is someone nay-saying that reform won’t pass.

Why, then, is Senator Diane Feinstein doing just that, saying she’s not sure reform is going to pass? She should help us make history, not stand in the way!

Sign the petition urging Feinstein to stand up for Californians and America.