Jeralyn Merritt

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It's Time to Vote

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 30, 2009, 9:59 pm
The Third Annual ABA Jornal Blawg 100 nominations are out. Voting has begun. TalkLeft has made it again, no small feat since 40 of the 100 are new this year and some past winners were dropped....
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Free Traders For Keynes

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 30, 2009, 3:16 pm
Drum writes:f free traders really want to keep protectionist sentiment tamped down, they'd be well advised to start supporting domestic policies that create jobs, bring down unemployment, and redu...
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Monday Afternoon Open Thread

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 30, 2009, 2:33 pm
Derek Jeter has been named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year. The Charlie Weis Era at Notre Dame is over. I am going to talk to Jeralyn about starting a TalkLeft Sports blog (e....
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Media Regurgitates Huckabee and Wayne Dumond

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 30, 2009, 2:19 pm
ABC is already moving from the Seattle suspect to Mike Huckabee's pardon of Wayne Dumond with "Huckabee Helped Set Rapist Free Who Later Killed Missouri Woman." ABC didn't seek out Wayne ...
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Inviting Ridicule

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 30, 2009, 2:16 pm
Ezra Klein can not get away with writing this: As the Internet becomes more and more pervasive and job applicants have a longer and longer paper trail, prospective employers are going to have to o...
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New CBO Report on Health Care Legislation (Excise Tax )

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 30, 2009, 12:44 pm
As BTD has been writing this morning, the new CBO report (pdf) is out crunching numbers on the proposed health care legislation. For those interested in the effect of the excise tax on high-end, small...
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CBO: Health Insurance Premium Assistance Bill Hindered By Exchanges

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 30, 2009, 12:06 pm
TPMDC spins (here's Ezra spinning) the CBO report on the effect of "health care reform" on insurance premiums: According to CBO, average premiums in the individual market would increase 10 to ...
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Political Bargaining And The Opt Out

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 30, 2009, 11:49 am
Jane Hamsher rails against those of us who support the opt out provision for the public option. It is amusing to me in the sense that single payer advocates rail against Hamsher and the rest of us for...
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How'd That Aspirational Peace Prize Thing Work Out?

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 30, 2009, 11:14 am
Remember the whole 'the Nobel Peace Prize is aspirational' line? Kevin Drum wonders how that work'd out? On Tuesday Barack Obama will announce a major escalation of the war in Afghanis...
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Village Catnip

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 30, 2009, 10:39 am
While they complain about Jon Meacham, what would the Village Bloggers do without him? I mean waving poms poms can only hold their audience for so long. Meacham provides them catnip. This is an O...
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Tiger Woods 9/11 Call And Here Comes Gloria

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 29, 2009, 11:02 pm
Here's the neighbor's 9/11 call in the Tiger Wood's case. And here comes Gloria Allred, who is getting ready to represent Rachel Uchitel. Rachel flew from NY to LA today where Gloria pi...
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Sunday Night TV : Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 29, 2009, 7:24 pm
On HBO now, the four hour Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert from October 29 and 30th. Just finished: David Crosby, Graham Nash, Steven Stills and Bonnie Raitt (Love Has No Pride). On now: Jackson B...
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Senate to Begin Health Care Debate Monday

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 29, 2009, 5:52 pm
The Senate will begin debating the health care bill Monday. The New York Times today has a long editorial on why it should pass, and opines the limited public option should not be an impediment: ...
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Tiger Woods: No Interviews

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 29, 2009, 2:13 pm
Tiger Woods has refused a police interview for the third time today. Smart move. He's under no obligation to talk to them. His traffic accident is under investigation and the Fifth Amendment appli...
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Fed. Judges Complain About Child P*rn Sentence Lengths

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 29, 2009, 2:05 pm
In hearings this year before the Sentencing Commission around the country, federal judges have been complaining about the excessive sentencing guidelines for possession of child p*rn. Judges, for...
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Sunday Football Open Thread

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 29, 2009, 10:03 am
Time for the professionals again. Here are picks for today's NFL slate: Houston (+3) over the Colts, the Browns (+13.5) over the Bengals, the Vikings (-10.5) over the Bears, Washington (+9.5)...
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Senate Report: Bin Laden Was Within Our Grasp

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 29, 2009, 8:30 am
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has a new report on Afghanistan. The report states categorically that bin Laden was hiding in Tora Bora when the U.S. had the means to mount a rapid assaul...
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Pakistan Official is David Headley's Half-Brother

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 28, 2009, 5:21 pm
It turns out David Headley, aka Daood Gilani, the former DEA cooperator now indicted for terrorism in Chicago and suspected of playing some role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, is the half-brother of the ...
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Saturday Afternoon Open Thread: The Heat is On

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 28, 2009, 1:22 pm
Via Politico: The chairman of the House’s top investigative committee said he will review Secret Service security practices after the agency allowed an uninvited couple into the Obama administr...
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Russian Train Crash Caused by Bomb

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 28, 2009, 1:04 pm
The crash of the Russian train yesterday going from Moscow to St. Petersburg, killing at least 25 and injuring 100, was the result of a bomb. The key suspects for investigators would be "either mil...
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U.S. "Black Jails" Still Operating in Afghanistan and Iraq

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 28, 2009, 11:17 am
The New York Times reports on two "black jails" still being operated by the U.S. military in Afghanistan. It has interviewed several released detainees whose accounts are similar. They had no access t...
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The Tim Tebow Memorial Saturday College Football Thread

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 28, 2009, 10:33 am
Tim Tebow has been the most polarizing figure in college sports for the past few years. Of course for a Gator fan like me, it's easy. He's been a great, great COLLEGE football player (though n...
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Tiger Woods Released From Hospital, Alcohol Not Involved

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 28, 2009, 8:29 am
Tiger Woods is out of the hospital. His injuries were not serious. He did hit a tree and a fire hydrant. Alcohol was not a factor. The rumor mill: He may have been Driving while Ambien'ed or ...
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Friday Night Open Thread

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 27, 2009, 7:41 pm
Who went shopping today? Who shopped online? The more ads I see, the more I want to just hoard my money. I did succomb to a few items, one of which wasn't on sale. I hope I'm done. I think the...
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Should "Good People" Be Prosecutors?

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 27, 2009, 12:32 pm
George Washington Law Professor Paul Butler has a new book out, Let's Get Free: A Hip-Hop Theory of Justice. It's a book about why the U.S. is wrong to lock up so many people, and how we can s...
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The Benefits of Trying 9/11 Defendants in Federal Court

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 27, 2009, 10:23 am
Thomas Wilner, who represented some of the Guantanamo detainees in their babeas cases in the Supreme Court has an op-ed in todays' Wall St. Journal explaining why the Obama Administration made the...
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WSJ: Lou Dobbs Supports Amnesty For Undocumented Aliens

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 25, 2009, 8:55 am
I guess he really is running: Mr. Dobbs, who left the network last week, has said in recent days that he is considering a third-party run for a New Jersey Senate seat in 2012 Mr. Dobbs twice menti...
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A Pre-9/11 Mentality

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 25, 2009, 8:48 am
Via Media Matters -- Bush Press Secretary Dana Perino -- "We did not have a terrorist attack on our country during President Bush's term." Where's Rudy when you need him?
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Wednesday Morning Open Thread

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 25, 2009, 8:07 am
The top recommended diary at Daily Kos: You have raised your flag in protest against a troop increase in a war the President, as a candidate, called a "war of necessity." The President didn't...
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Ruth Marcus Echoes The Village Blogosphere In Call To Dems To Drop The Public Option

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 25, 2009, 8:01 am
Our good friend John Amato critcizes WaPo's Ruth Marcus for urging Democrats capitulate on the public option. I have a problem with John's criticism for two reasons. First, Ruth Marcus does no...
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Tuesday Night Open Thread: DWTS Finale

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 24, 2009, 6:50 pm
The winner of Dancing With the Stars will be named tonight.It's between Donny Osmond, Mya and Kelly Osbourne. Technically, the best dancer is Mya, but there's something off-putting and co...
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John Gotti Jr. Jury Says Deadlocked Again

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 24, 2009, 6:37 pm
The Government ought to give John Gotti, Jr. a rest. After 9 days of deliberations in a 4th retrial, the jury announced it was deadlocked. But the Judge gave them the dynamite charge, rather than let ...
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Frontline Special Tonight on Credit Card Industry

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 24, 2009, 6:19 pm
Tonight on PBS, Frontline airs The Card Game, a report on the consumer loan and credit card industry: In a joint project with The New York Times, Bergman and the Times talk to industry insiders, lo...
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Washington Post to Close National Bureau Offices

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 24, 2009, 6:06 pm
The Washington Post announced today it will close its bureaus in LA, NY, and Chicago on Dec. 31. "At a time of limited resources and increased competitive pressure, it's necessary to concentra...
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Obama To "Finish The Job" In Afghanistan

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 24, 2009, 4:53 pm
NYTimes: President Obama said on Tuesday that he will announce his decision on how many more troops to send to Afghanistan next week, and that it is his intention to “finish the job” that began ...
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Media Darling

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 24, 2009, 4:21 pm
Matt Taibbi: Needless to say nothing like that went on in the Hillary press corps, or more especially in the McCain plane, where the more likely back-of-the-plane recreation was a reporter musing out ...
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Report: David Headley Cooperating in Chicago Terror Probe

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 24, 2009, 8:09 am
The Chicago Tribune reports that terror suspect David Headley, aka Daood Gilani, is cooperating with authorities and providing information about the Mumbai terror attacks of November, 2008. David C...
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Inmates Raise Fish for Whole Foods

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 24, 2009, 1:59 am
Coloradans buying tilapia from Whole Foods in Colorado Springs can take an extra bit of pride in knowing who is raising the fish for the vendor supplying Whole Foods: Inmates at Arrowhead, a minimum s...
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Monday Afternoon News and Open Thread

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 23, 2009, 2:42 pm
As Sewers Fill, Waste Poisons Waterways, a really gross story on NY sewer problems in the New York Times. NY Times Editorial on how police are using GPS devices as surveillance tools without court ...
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Lou Dobbs Considering a 2012 Presidential Run

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 23, 2009, 1:59 pm
Former CNN anchor Lou Dobbs says he is considering a 2012 Presidential run. In the meantime, he may seek the Senate seat of Democrat Robert Menendez. The only way I see for Dobbs to run for Preside...
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Mandates, Subsidies, The Public Option And Stupak

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 23, 2009, 10:51 am
Back in the Summer, Paul Krugman wrote: To grasp the problem, you need to understand the outline of the proposed reform (all of the Democratic plans on the table agree on the essentials.) Reform, ...
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Passing A Health Insurance Assistance Bill

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 23, 2009, 7:05 am
As Jeralyn notes, Beltway Dems, eager to declare "victory" on the health care issue are preparing to deal away the public option. What will be interesting to me is what will they come for next from th...
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Sunday Night Open Thread

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 22, 2009, 8:11 pm
The Iron Chef finale or the Americn Music Awards? I'm watching both, but I'd rather be watching Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters. (No spoilers please until the West coast has had ...
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Dems Express Willingness to Alter Public Option

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 22, 2009, 7:26 pm
Are Democrats really willing to forego the public option? Sounds like it. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the chamber's second-ranking Democrat, acknowledged he was open to changing the bill...
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Algeria Tries, Acquits Two Released Gitmo Detainees

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 22, 2009, 6:51 pm
Faghoul Abdelli and Mohamed Terari spent six years at Guantanamo, were ordered released in 2006 and returned to Algeria in 2008. They were charged with crimes in Algeria and acquitted this week....
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The Conversion of Terror Suspect David Headley: Ask the DEA

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 22, 2009, 9:17 am
The Chicago terror charges against David Headley, formerly Daood Gilani, and Tahawwur Hussain Rana are interesting for a number of reasons. They are particularly big news in India, where FISA surveill...
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Ft. Hood Suspect Paralyzed From Chest Down

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 22, 2009, 8:30 am
Major Nidal Hasan had his first hearing in the Ft. Hood murder case. The hearing was held in the hospital. His lawyer says he is paralyzed from the chest down, incontinent and in severe pain. He wi...
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Saturday Night Open Thread

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 21, 2009, 8:33 pm
I'm totally into watching AMC's remake of The Prisoner. If you get Comcast On Demand, all six episodes are available for free, to watch any time. I watched four hours last night. Skippy has th...
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Sanders Witholds Promise To Vote For HCR

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 21, 2009, 8:32 pm
Bernie Sanders shrewdly gets in the act: I voted to proceed on health care reform because our current health care system is disintegrating and must be reformed. While I voted to proceed to the hea...
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How NOT To Bargain

Jeralyn Merritt posted an article on - Nov 21, 2009, 4:55 pm
TPM's David Kurtz provides a great example of how NOT to bargain on HCR: Schumer is This isn't one where you get to just pick up the ball and take it home with you. You still have to play...
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About Me

Criminal Defense Attorney, legal analyst, blogger, based in Denver, CO.

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