UPDATE ~ Democrats won’t filibuster Gonzales nomination News
UPDATE ~ Democrats won’t filibuster Gonzales nomination

[JURIST] Following up on a story reported earlier [JURIST report] today on JURIST's Paper Chase, Senate Democrats said Tuesday they will not try to filibuster the nomination of Alberto Gonzales [White House biography; JURIST Newsmaker] as attorney general, although they are expected to delay a final vote until at least Thursday. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid [official website] confirmed that Democrats would not stand in the way of a final vote on Gonzales following a weekly planning session. Reid said a substantial number of Democracts, likely between 25 and 30, would vote against Gonzales however. Democrats were expected to delay the final vote until Thursday to prevent President Bush from mentioning it in his State of the Union address Wednesday night. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Dreyfus convicted of treason

On December 22, 1894, Jewish French army officer Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of treason in a court-martial trial that prompted worldwide allegations of anti-Semitism. Dreyfus was later cleared. Learn more about the case of Alfred Dreyfus and read an English translation of the famous public letter J'Accuse...! by novelist and Dreyfus partisan Emile Zola.

US passed Embargo Act, banning foreign trade

On December 22, 1807, the Embargo Act was passed at the urging of US President Thomas Jefferson. The act barred trade with any foreign nations in an effort to avoid American entry into the Napoleonic Wars of Europe. However, the act proved unenforceable and was replaced with the Non-Intercourse Act, which barred trade with France and Great Britain. Learn more about the Embargo Act of 1807 from Monticello.org