Depressing
by digby
This is really disappointing. And it makes me wonder if I was punk'd after all.
The Center For Constitutional Rights has a fact sheet on state secrets ,here. For the administration that has made its most fundamental pitch for change on the basis of transparency, this is really quite a blow.
Update: For those of you who don't want to believe that the Obama DOJ did this, read this:
"Is there anything material that has happened" that might have caused the Justice Department to shift its views, asked Judge Mary M. Schroeder, an appointee of President Jimmy Carter, coyly referring to the recent election.
"No, your honor," Mr. Letter replied.
Judge Schroeder asked, "The change in administration has no bearing?"
Once more, he said, "No, Your Honor." The position he was taking in court on behalf of the government had been "thoroughly vetted with the appropriate officials within the new administration," and "these are the authorized positions," he said."
If this person wasn't authorized to say this, I would expect that he will be fired for lying to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. I would be quite surprised if that's the case. The guy isn't an idiot.
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