Patrick Leahy

Minnesotans disgusted by insipid Twins-Yankees TV commentators might find comic relief in civil libertarians’ online kibbitzing about U.S. Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, who last week voted to renew the Patriot Act without reforms in the Senate Judiciary Committee. In so doing, Minnesota’s senators committed the legislative equivalent of calling a plainly fair ball foul [...]

Republicans and Democrats have been sniping about the USA Patriot Act ever since Congress passed the law in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks to try to forestall another such disaster. But now, it’s the Democrats who are sniping among themselves about it.

Al Franken envisioned himself becoming President of the United States a decade ago in his book, “Why Not Me?” And today, for a time, he was president — of the U.S. Senate. It’s a temporary task that’s rotated among the senators, and Franken’s turn happened to come this afternoon at a historic moment, just as [...]

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar told the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting today that her office’s evaluation of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is being done by “unpaid interns and volunteers in Minnesota.” Updated after the jump.

After announcing that he’d be switching parties, longtime Republican Sen. Arlen Specter met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to discuss committee powers, according to the Washington Independent.

Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will cooperate with a “truth commission” proposed by Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy to look into possible unlawful conduct by the Bush administration, the Washington Independent reports. This morning reporter David Weigel caught up with Gonzales after a forum on Republicans and the Hispanic vote and posed the question.
Gonzales’ reply: