Brennan Center Press Clips
A calendar year of the Brennan Cener for Justice staffers and core issues covered, quoted and mentioned in the media. Links to articles, videos and audio have been made available when possible. We are presently working back through our clips to get everything up. The rest of 2008 coming soon. Thank you for your patience.
Week of August 18 – Wendy Weiser is quoted in a Politico article on legislation to allow voter registration drives in VA facilities. Despite the fact that Republicans have yet to sign on, "it shouldn't have any partisan tinge to it," she says. Wendy also spoke to NPR's Alex Cohen about the latest challenges to voter registration around the country. The Erie-Times News reports voters should get a chance to look at ballots before the election. "Every ballot gets a test like that. Unfortunately, the vast majority of times, that test is on Election Day. Then it's too late," Norden said. Larry Norden also on Lou Dobbs, discussing the latest problems with Diebold voting machines. AP covers the Brennan Center's efforts to defend New Jersey's Clean Elections pilot program against a recent campaign of misinformation. A new, disputed political attack ad is clearly express advocacy and violates federal election law, says Laura MacCleery to the Huffington Post. Donations to 527 groups are up 27% over the last presidential race, says the Washington Independent. One danger, says Laura MacCleery, is that because these groups aren't regulated by the FEC, "there won't be a lot of good information [on their spending] until it's already too late". America, the National Catholic Weekly, quotes Michael Waldman on the myth of voter fraud in Indiana and other 2008 voting challenges. And the Christian Science Monitor sheds light on Ali Almarri's continued detention, including his one phone call to family per year. Says Jonathan Hafetz, his client "has consistently denied any allegations of wrongdoing and maintained his innocence. If the government has the evidence they say they have, the question is why don't they charge and try him. Their failure to do so speaks volumes about the weakness of their case."
Week of August 11 – Laura MacCleery and Jafreen Uddin with an op-ed in Roll Call on how public funding and Clean Elections could help prevent future scandals and restore people's confidence in Congress after the Ted Stevens' indictment. The Wall Street Journal covers the increasingly contentious issue of voter registration, citing the Brennan Center's numbers and quoting Wendy Weiser. Election Assistance Commission Chairwoman Rosemary Rodriguez praises Better Ballots in her interview with the National Journal, and the Houston Chronicle cites the report as well. And WBAI radio with Erika Wood on encouraging people with felony convictions to register once their voting rights have been restored.
Week of August 4 – This week the BC urged a Supreme Court review of the WV judge who refused to recuse himself from a case involving his $3 million campaign contributor. See coverage in the National Law Journal (twice), AP, Charleston Gazette, and ABC News. The NY Times runs an editorial supporting public financing in Connecticut. The Syracuse Post Standard runs an editorial citing Erika Wood's report Restoring the Right to Vote. The Nation mentions our upcoming Student Voter Guide in a piece on the obstacles that keep young voters from reaching the polls. Laura MacCleery sets the record straight in New Jersey, saying that the decision to strike down the "millionaire's amendment" does not mean that public funding is in jeopardy. Aziz Huq and Garth Schofield have a piece in the Washington Independent, looking at the Hamdan and Karadžić trials side by side. And Emily Berman appeared on WORT to talk about the district court decision that could force Miers and Bolten to testify.
Week of July 28 – Wendy Weiser quoted in Politico and in UPI, on the lawsuit in New Mexico challenging restrictions on voter registration drives. James Sample adds his voice to a report on money in judicial races in the Chicago Tribune. USA Today with Rebekah Diller's op-ed on increasing court fees and fines in Florida. The Wall Street Journal cites the Brennan Center's regarding voter registration drives.
Weel of July 21 – Sunday's NY Times runs an editorial specifically dedicated to the case of Ali Almarri, saying it "raises critically important issues for a free society." Larry Norden's and Margaret Chen's new study, "Better Ballots" debuts with page one coverage in USA Today, (here too), and the NY Times, with a follow-up NY Times editorial a few days later. Larry also had radio interviews across the country. And AP covers Thursday's filing in New Mexico, challenging the state's restrictions on voter registration drives, with brief mention on Politico as well.
Week of July 14 – The Nation's Katrina vanden Heuvel mentions Michael Waldman's book A Return to Common Sense in her post on the need for electoral reform. The Executive Director also appeared on The Verdict with Dan Abrams on Wednesday to talk about Executive Privilege. Scott Lehigh at the Boston Globe uses his 4th of July column to write about the importance of habeas corpus, quoting Jonathan Hafetz on the inherent unfairness of Combat Status Review Tribunals (CSRTs). The 4th Circuit ruling in the Almarri case attracted press attention from CNN, Reuters, Washington Post, New York Times, NPR, and an editorial in the NY Daily News, among others. The Brennan Center was also named in editorials both in the New York Times and the Sarasota Herald Tribune on the importance of post-election audits to verify electronic elections. The Brennan Center's report on Recusal Standards was quoted in the National Law Journal discussing the decision of the California Chief Justice to launch a public discussion of the role of judges in the face of rancorous judicial elections. And then James Sample on Law.com.
Week of June 23 – The Boston
Globe, ran an editorial praising Erika Wood's "compelling"
report, "Restoring the Right to Vote." There was also an editorial in
the Washington
Post supporting the right to vote for people with felony convictions. AP
covers the disappointing "no-match, no vote" decision in Florida,
quoting Justin Levitt: "The ruling puts thousands of real Florida citizens
at risk this November based on bureaucratic typos. Also,
Week of June 16 – In a rush to finalize regulations for executive agencies before Bush leaves in '09, "the process has become a joke," writes Laura Abel in her piece in The Politico. Case in point: the mistakes and unanswered questions in new regulations governing H2-B visa oversight. Laura MacCleery and Andrew Stengel in their Albany Times Union piece on Paterson's campaign finance reform. Jonathan Hafetz summarizes the Boumediene Supreme Court decision for SCOTUS blog. David Udell in the Gotham Gazette piece on fees and fines imposed on convicted defendants, regardless of their ability to pay. Michael Waldman posts on the CNN blog discussing Obama's decision to opt out of public funding for the general election, a system clearly in need of repair.
Week of June 9 – Supreme Court decisions regarding habeas were much in the news, and Jonathan and Aziz were quoted often. Newsweek ran an exclusive interview with Mr. Hafetz, the New York Times quoted him here and the AP here The Nation also ran Mr. Hafetz's take, "Supreme Court Deals Death Blow to Gitmo," while Aziz Huq discusses the Court's decisions at altmuslim. Larry Norden was quoted in a Rocky Mountain News article discussing problems surrounding the review of Colorado voting systems by state officials. Michael Waldman's Fix the Vote presented a Universal Voter Registration in a Newsweek Web Exclusive. Mr. Waldman also posted an article at AlterNet entitled "Flunk the Electoral College: Getting Rid of the Exploding Cigar of American Politics," which has ignited a hearty debate in the comments section. In a New York Times article piece on a NY justice's decision to order pay raises for the state's judge, the reporter quotes James Sample.
Week of June 2 – BC Press Clips staff on vacation.
Week of May 26 – Emily Berman in The New Republic on Ashcroft's recent assertions of privilege. She writes: "Working in the Bush administration really does mean never having to say you're sorry—or, indeed, anything else you don't want to for that matter." Emily was also on Air America on Tuesday to discuss executive privilege. Brennan Center's "strange bedfellows" brief on behalf of the Rutherford Institute, CREW, and Judicial Watch supporting the subpoenas of Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolten covered by AP. AP's article on Ali Almarri (quoting Jonathan Hafetz) is picked up across the board: New York Times, CBS, CNN, FOX, Forbes, Chicago Tribune, Newsweek, Internat'l Herald Tribune, and the Boston Herald. And the arguments over Almarri's access to TV news and phone calls continue, reports AP. Aziz Huq writing in the Washington Independent on a recent decision by the Canadian Supreme court that could sway our own Supreme Court decide what to do about Guantanamo. The Charleston Gazette cites Erika Wood's "Restoring the Right to Vote" heavily in its editorial calling for reforming felony disenfranchisement laws.
Week of May 19 – Aziz Huq on The Nation's website unpacking the right, and wrong, course of action after more than six years of holding detainees at Guantánamo. The Toledo Blade cites the Brennan Center's research in its editorial against Missouri's recent efforts to require proof of citizenship to vote. The St. Petersburg Times quotes Justin Levitt in its coverage of Florida's "no-match-no-vote" case. Justin and "The Truth About Voter Fraud" are also mentioned in this Alternet investigation on the strategy to pass voter ID laws across the country, and this opinion piece in The Columbia Missourian.
Week of May 12 – Larry Norden quoted in AP story on poor ballot design. Jonathan Hafetz quoted on upcoming military commission trials for five Guantanamo detainees in WNBC report. USA Today cites Brennan Center's "exhaustive"research on voter fraud in concluding voter fraud is not a problem at the polls. James Sample quoted in Charleston Gazette article discussing Ted Olson and the controversial West Virginia Supreme Court case that continues to undermine confidence in the state court's independence due to judicial elections. James Sample also quoted in New York Times piece on West Virginia judicial elections, and the photo scandal that brought down the state's chief justice Elliot Maynard. Andrew Stengel and Bethany Foster authored an editorial in the New York Daily News regarding NY state ethics violations and naming rights. Myrna Pérez on Air America to discuss voter ID laws in Indiana and Wendy Weiser on the radio to discussing the same, as well as in the Texas Observer.
Week of May 5 – Laura MacCleery and Andrew Stengel write in the Albany Times Union about Gov. Patterson's decision to collect the maximum amount allowed by state campaign finance laws, a staggering $56,000 per donor. They also contributed a Huffington Post piece on how to make-over the presidential public funding system. The Election Protection Hotline was a success on Tuesday, fielding hundreds of calls from voters in Indiana and North Carolina. AP ran two stories of the disenfranchised nuns, and quotes Myrna Pérez on other voting issues from the day. Gail Collins in the New York Times: "The laws are supposed to keep people from voting under assumed names, and while nobody seems able to demonstrate that ever really happens, they are demonstrably good at protecting the public from a 98-year-old ballot-wielding nun." Jonathan Hafetz's motion on behalf of Ali Almarri was covered by AP and the Peoria Journal Star. And on radio, Jonathan also appeared on Air America's Young Turks, WBAI, and the Peter Collins show to discuss the government's destruction of interrogation tapes in the Almarri case. Renée Paradis on WBAI "Wake Up Call" to discuss the IN primary. Myrna Pérez on the Black Politics show with Chris Owens on Air America this weekend.
Week of April 28 – Monday's Crawford decision was the big news. The Brennan Center and staff were appeared in no less then the New York Times, The Hill, AP, the LA Times, USA Today, and the Detroit Free Press. Justin Levitt posted a piece on the ACS blog. Michael Waldman appeared on the Brian Lehrer Show to explain the Crawford verdict, as did Justin Levitt on Counterspin. And Wendy Weiser debated WSJ columnist and voter-fraud-myth enthusiast John Fund on the Diane Rehm Show. On Other Fronts: The Brennan Center's filing on behalf of the Florida League of Women Voters was covered in the New York Times, AP, the Orlando Sentinel, the St. Petersburg Times, and radio stations in Florida. The Palm Beach Post quotes Wendy Weiser in its editorial: "At every step of the process, there's a hurdle in Florida." Emily Berman and Maggie Barron in Roll Call on executive privilege. AP picks up the story of our public funding victory in North Carolina. Jonathan Hafetz appeared on CNN International to discuss torture and waterboarding. Myrna Pérez appeared on Indianapolis radio show "Afternoons with Amos" to plug the Election Protection Hotline in time for that state's upcoming primary. Fritz Schwarz appeared on KPSI Palm Springs to discuss the paperback release of Unchecked and Unbalanced.
Week of April 21 – Erika Wood on restoring the right to vote to people with criminal convictions on the front page of Alternet. The Supreme Court heard the challenge to BCRA's "Millionaire's Amendment." Ciara Torres-Spelliscy previewed the case on the ACS blog and Laura MacCleery's analysis ran on The Nation's site. Aziz Huq quoted in a Washington Independent article on whether top Administration officials could be help culpable for their decisions to approve torture. Jonathan Hafetz appears in a piece in The Guardian regarding the CIA's destruction of interrogation tapes. Politico quotes Larry Norden on the fate of the Holt Bill. The Charleston Gazette reports on James Sample's "Fair Courts: Setting Recusal Standards" and its connection to West Virginia's own troubled judicial politics.