Blogwatch

Who was the first newshound to sniff out Veep Dick Cheney's stealth efforts to exempt the CIA from Senator John McCain's bill banning inhumane treatment of U.S. detainees? BALKINIZATION'S Marty Lederman, a law professor who back in January started parsing Justice Department memos that seemed geared to "identify the legal limits, if any, that apply to interrogation techniques used by the CIA." When Cheney finally asked McCain last week to support such an exemption, other blogs were prompted to weigh in. "We are not fighting a normal enemy," posted THE HOUSTON CONSERVATIVE. "McCain needs to shut up and go home."