An Oil Spill Runs Through It: Montana Suffers
Another Pipeline Rupture

The AP dropped more bad news on a state already reeling from Exxon’s Yellowstone spill:

A newly discovered oil spill in northwestern Montana went unreported for a month before a neighboring landowner complained to the Blackfeet Indian Tribe, federal regulators said Monday.FX Drilling Co. never reported the spill, estimated to be between 420 and 840 gallons, to the tribe or to the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA spokesman Joe Vranka said.

A fossil fuel company lying to the public about a spill — who could believe it?

This should be another the nail in the coffin for TransCanada?s proposed tar sands pipeline into the U.S. ? see As America?s ?Last Best River? Suffers Through Exxon Spill, Experts Warn of Risks from Keystone XL Pipeline.

The narrator of A River Runs Through It says:

Like many fly fishermen in western Montana where the summer days are almost Arctic in length, I often do not start fishing until the cool of the evening. Then in the Arctic half-light of the canyon, all existence fades to a being with my soul and memories and the sounds of the Big Blackfoot River and a four-count rhythm and the hope that a fish will rise. Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of those rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.

Now we are all haunted by oil.

Read The Full Article:
http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/07/19/272803/an-oil-spill-runs-through-it-mont
ana-pipeline/

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The Banks Are Still Robo-Signing

Remember that whole thing about the banks using armies of Wal-Mart castoffs and entry-level employees to sign affidavits attesting to the legitimacy of complicated mortgage documents without knowing any of the contents inside? Remember how they took[...]

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/firedoglake/fdl/~3/vYIh-cl91gg/

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Testimony of Rupert and James Murdoch

Testimony from Rupert and James Murdoch regarding their role in the phone hacking scandal continues:

7:24 AM PT: Asked how payments were possible without invoices or are made to people who are not employees. James Murdoch "doesn't know the exact arrangements" since he "doesn't do that myself."

7:34 AM PT: James Murdoch welcomes a judicial review of journalistic ethics and says all their employees receive a "code of conduct" about ethical and legal behavior. Says they have no plans to open a new Sunday tabloid although all options are open.

7:44 AM PT: "I have no knowledge" seems to be the British version of "I don't recall" because James Murdoch is saying it a lot. Rupert Murdoch says they were never guilty of "willful blindness." On what advice they were given for today, it was "basically to tell the truth."

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/V3chgeiJGK0/-Testimony-of-Rupert-a
nd-James Murdoch

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Republican insiders smear Bachmann

If this hit piece (screen shot below) from Tucker Carlson's rag is any indication of the zeitgeist among Washington Republican insiders, then the GOP political establishment is completely flipping out about Michele Bachmann's surge.

According to the "report," Michele Bachmann's "stress-related condition" is that she's a migraine sufferer, and her "heavy pill use" is taking medication to combat the ill-effects of migraines. This, the publication suggests, makes her unqualified for the presidency. And they think it's such an important story that they told it without using a single named source:

Sources who spoke to The Daily Caller said they did so because they are terrified about the impact the condition could have on Bachmann?s performance if she actually became president. They also worry that the issue could blow up in the general election campaign, giving President Obama an easy path to re-election. [...] TheDC agreed to provide the sources anonymity because they were providing information only a select group of people could know, at great professional risk.

If that doesn't fit the textbook definition of a political smear, then I don't know what does. A couple of people go off-the-record to say she has migraines and suddenly it's a huge scandal proving she's not qualified to be president? Are you kidding me?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this to defend Michele Bachmann. Lord knows, she's repellant. But Republicans must really be afraid Markos was right, otherwise they wouldn't be going after her like this.

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/Htqqbp4XniY/-Republican-insiders-s
mear-Bachmann

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Mitt's Hillary Problem

Why Mitt Romney's fundraising haul from maxed-out big donors could spell trouble down the road.[...]

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Talking-Points-Memo/~3/3hsT4OB5mj0/mitts_hillary_p
roblem.php

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Elizabeth Warren Sidesteps Question About
Possible Run in Conference Call, Praises President's Choice To Head CFPB

Click here to view this media

In a conference call yesterday afternoon, Elizabeth Warren sidestepped the question of whether she's running for the Senate seat from Massachusetts.

"I?ve been hard at work setting up this consumer agency, working 14-hour days," she said. "I can't remember the last time I had a day off. My plans include taking my grandchildren to Legoland. That's as far as I can see right now. I have to get back home to Massachusetts."

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee seems to take that as a maybe, since they're already sending out a Draft Elizabeth Warren email.

Warren said she supported President Obama's choice of Robert Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

"I don?t want to hurt this agency. That?s what matter most to me. If I?m drawing fire to the agency, that?s it. I want to do what works for the agency," she said. "This is the White House strategy, and I?m 100 percent behind it."

She said pointedly that "the people who are trying to prevent this agency are the Republicans. We wouldn?t have this agency if it wasn?t for this president. They like the old system, with seven different agencies for consumer protection, nobody responsible and accountable to the American people. I?m saving all the rocks in my pocket for Republicans.?

Warren said that having a nominee "frees us up to have a big political discussion, or, if you like, fight. We are now able to have a free and open discussion about this agency. The Republicans want that fight. We can now have that fight in a full and vigorous way, at high volume."

She warned that Republicans are counting on the word about the new agency "not drifting back to their constituents at home" and asked bloggers to keep writing about it. "There are still very powerful Republican senators who think crippling this agency is important," she said.

I asked if the new bureau would be addressing consumer arbitration, an area rife with abuse. "We have a responsibility to review the impact of arbitration. What I?ll say is, watch this space," she said.

To a question about Sheila Bair's recent statement about the size of the mortgage fraud problem, she responded, "I?ll stand with Sheila Bair on this one. She testified three weeks ago that we still don?t know the depth of the problem. I think that says it all. We don?t know. She said millions of mortgage could be affected by this? I have to agree with her."

Saying "change comes from people pushing on many different pieces," Warren was very positive about the potential for keep the CFPB accountable to the people.

"In the hiring, it?s been very important to me that two things happen simultaneously. We?re here to serve American families ? not the banks, not Congress. We come to that position from a variety of backgrounds," she said, citing the wide and varied expertise of the new agency employees.

"For instance, we?re not going to hire just one group of economists who all have the same view. That carries with it the risk of intellectual capture. We?ve increased the odds that we?ll stay on mission.

"I spent a lot of time thinking about this," she said.

Read The Full Article:
http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/warren-sidesteps-question-about-possi

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Elisabeth Warren Sidesteps Question About
Possible Run in Conference Call, Praises President's Choice To Head CFPB

Click here to view this media

In a conference call yesterday afternoon, Elizabeth Warren sidestepped the question of whether she's running for the Senate seat from Massachusetts.

"I?ve been hard at work setting up this consumer agency, working 14-hour days," she said. "I can't remember the last time I had a day off. My plans include taking my grandchildren to Legoland. That's as far as I can see right now. I have to get back home to Massachusetts."

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee seems to take that as a maybe, since they're already sending out a Draft Elizabeth Warren email.

Warren said she supported President Obama's choice of Robert Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

"I don?t want to hurt this agency. That?s what matter most to me. If I?m drawing fire to the agency, that?s it. I want to do what works for the agency," she said. "This is the White House strategy, and I?m 100 percent behind it."

She said pointedly that "the people who are trying to prevent this agency are the Republicans. We wouldn?t have this agency if it wasn?t for this president. They like the old system, with seven different agencies for consumer protection, nobody responsible and accountable to the American people. I?m saving all the rocks in my pocket for Republicans.?

Warren said that having a nominee "frees us up to have a big political discussion, or, if you like, fight. We are now able to have a free and open discussion about this agency. The Republicans want that fight. We can now have that fight in a full and vigorous way, at high volume."

She warned that Republicans are counting on the word about the new agency "not drifting back to their constituents at home" and asked bloggers to keep writing about it. "There are still very powerful Republican senators who think crippling this agency is important," she said.

I asked if the new bureau would be addressing consumer arbitration, an area rife with abuse. "We have a responsibility to review the impact of arbitration. What I?ll say is, watch this space," she said.

To a question about Sheila Bair's recent statement about the size of the mortgage fraud problem, she responded, "I?ll stand with Sheila Bair on this one. She testified three weeks ago that we still don?t know the depth of the problem. I think that says it all. We don?t know. She said millions of mortgage could be affected by this? I have to agree with her."

Saying "change comes from people pushing on many different pieces," Warren was very positive about the potential for keep the CFPB accountable to the people.

"In the hiring, it?s been very important to me that two things happen simultaneously. We?re here to serve American families ? not the banks, not Congress. We come to that position from a variety of backgrounds," she said, citing the wide and varied expertise of the new agency employees.

"For instance, we?re not going to hire just one group of economists who all have the same view. That carries with it the risk of intellectual capture. We?ve increased the odds that we?ll stay on mission.

"I spent a lot of time thinking about this," she said.

Read The Full Article:
http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/warren-sidesteps-question-about-possi

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Rupert and James Murdoch testifying before
Parliament, face "uncertain future"

Big day in London. Rupert Murdoch just started testifying before Parliament in the News Corp. phone hacking scandal. He's there with his son, James. Testimony is being heard before The Commons culture, media and sport committee.

The Guardian is liveblogging the hearings in Parliament. CNN and MSNBC will provide live coverage of Murdoch's testimony. Watch MSNBC here. Looks like even FOX viewers will be seeing it. No doubt, that gang will be in overdrive to defend their master.

Meanwhile, a headline at the Washington Post informs us, Scandal creates uncertain future for Murdochs:

As revelations have tumbled forth, British newspapers and American commentators have speculated that James could be the next News Corp. executive to be forced out.

?My personal estimation is that the end result of this is that someone not named Murdoch will become CEO of News Corp.,? Michael Wolff, Rupert Murdoch?s biographer, said in an interview.

The inquiry revolves around the classic scandal questions: What did James and his father know, and when did they know it? As the chairman of News Corp.?s British media operations, James may have a role more direct and germane than that of his 80-year-old father. He took over an operation that was already beset by allegations of widespread phone hacking and has said that the problem was the work of a single, misbehaving reporter.

This just keeps getting better.

We'll keep track of what happens at the hearing. No doubt, Rupert, James and Rebekah will be very well rehearsed as they express faux contrition.

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/pQFZwxdL7f8/rupert-and-james-murdoc
h-testifying.html

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National Security Brief: July 19, 2011

– U.S. officials say that new al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is shifting the group’s strategy to place a higher priority on attacking the U.S. and Western targets.

– A study from the Counter Terrorism Center finds that the role of the Afghan militant group the Haqqani Network in “the spread of global jihad” may be underestimated.

– A Pakistani lawyer filed charges yesterday against the CIA’s former legal counsel John Rizzo for authorizing drone missile strikes in Pakistan’s tribal area that activists say killed mostly innocent civilians.

– NATO officials report Afghan forces have taken over security responsibilities in Afghanistan’s eastern Laghman province.

– U.S. government officials met with counterparts from the Libyan government of Col. Muammar Qaddafi to demand that the dictator step down.

– At a meeting in Brussels, European Union foreign ministers said they would push a new round of sanctions against Syria and urged progress on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

– In a new blow to the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Israel’s Housing and Construction Ministry approved the construction of 336 apartments in West Bank settlements.

– The Israeli navy intercepted a French boat carrying 16 pro-Palestinian passengers as the boat attempted to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza.

Read The Full Article:
http://thinkprogress.org/security/2011/07/19/272506/national-security-brief-july-
19-2011/

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Morning Briefing: July 19, 2011

RNC Chair Reince Priebus is alleging that President Obama committed a crime for filming a campaign ad in the White House. Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Bill Clinton also filmed ads at the White House. ?This letter is an embarrassment to the Republican Party, of which I count myself a part,? said Richard Painter, an ethics lawyer in President George W. Bush?s White House.

Former President Clinton would invoke the 14th Amendment solution to raising the debt ceiling ?without hesitation.” ?I think the Constitution is clear and I think this idea that the Congress gets to vote twice on whether to pay for [expenditures] it has appropriated is crazy,? Clinton said in an interview, saying he would “force the courts to stop me” from unilaterally raising the limit.

During a meeting with President Obama yesterday, billionaire investor Warren Buffet said the debt ceiling should be completely done away with. Buffet argued the debt ceiling is nothing more than an “artificial limit” that wastes Congress’ time. ?All it does is slow down a process and divert people?s energy, causes people to posture. It doesn?t really make any sense,? Buffet said during his White House visit to discuss charitable giving.

The conservative Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission leader Richard Land blasted candidate Herman Cain “for disregarding the constitutional rights of U.S. Muslims” yesterday. Noting “that the First Amendment allows for religious freedom,” Land “reminded Cain that as a Christian and an African American, he should have a special interest” in enforcing the constitution “in all communities.”

GOP senators are vowing to block former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray from heading the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Richard Shelby (R-AL) reiterated 44 Senate Republicans’ vow to filibuster any nominee for director until the president “addresses our concerns by supporting” what Shelby called “a few reasonable structural changes.”

Elizabeth Warren, who had been charged with helping set up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is reportedly considering running for U.S. Senate against Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA). In a recent MSNBC interview, Warren said she will “think” about challenging Brown but wants to take some time off first.

A year after its passage, the Dodd-Frank financial reform law is still under attack from the GOP, with two dozen bills currently in Congress seeking to dismantle it. While Republicans continue to block parts of the law and criticize it for creating uncertainty, bank profits and the stock market are up, and Dodd-Frank has been praised as “a clear win for investors.”

American mortgage lenders have continued the dubious foreclosure practices they promised to avoid earlier this year. According to a Reuters investigation, loan servicers have filed thousands of documents that appear to be altered or fabricated, and at least six are using robo-signers to sign thousands of documents they haven’t read or checked in order to speed up the foreclosure process.

U.S. officials have told the Wall Street Journal that al Qaeda will be shifting its targets to overseas. The new strategy better fits the “goals of al Qaeda’s leaders in Pakistan and affiliates.”

And finally: There are races for mayor and three commission seats in the small North Carolina town of Tar Heel, but no one is running. Nobody has registered as a candidate for the fall elections, so the ballots will be printed with blank spaces for voters to write in their choices for leadership of the town of 117.

For breaking news and updates throughout the day, follow ThinkProgress on Facebook and Twitter.

Read The Full Article:
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/07/19/272539/morning-briefing-july-19-2011
/

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