Bush Puts Partisan Politics Ahead of National Security
The revelation that Karl Rove was the source who leaked Valerie Plame's identity as a CIA agent to Time's Matt Cooper probably comes as a surprise to exactly nobody. After all, dirty tricks have been the hallmark of Rove's political career since he was a teenager.
As this story continues to unfold over the next few weeks, Republicans are going to try to parse every word Rove ever uttered about the case. They're going to dissect every letter of relevant law trying to find a loophole to prove that Karl Rove is innocent.
But let's make one thing perfectly clear: Rove's secret outing of Valerie Plame put partisan politics above the security of our nation. He chose to reveal Plame's identity as a CIA agent, with no thought to the consequences to American national security, simply because it provided an opportunity to smear her husband.
And this is part of a pattern. When Democrats proposed creating the Department of Homeland Security, Republicans fought it until they saw a partisan advantage to exploit in the 2002 elections. When the September 11 Commission was trying to get the facts about the terrorist attacks on our soil, the administration fought them every step of the way.
And the war in Iraq is a disaster today because President Bush and his team have consistently chosen to score political points instead of doing the right thing.
And that, ultimately, is what this is about. It's about an administration that chose to ruin a woman's career, expose a CIA agent, and smear an ambassador's name all for the sake of spreading more lies about a threat that never existed.
The Bush administration will do anything -- absolutely anything -- to further its partisan politics. Don't you wish they'd put that kind of effort into protecting America?
Comments (24) «
UNBELIEVABLE!
Can we get everyone riled up about this or what...
I think we got um!
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here's the days news from here, don't be distracted while the hearings are going on about THE PUBLIC BROADCASTING SYSTEM! WATCH C-SPAN!
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Again I bring to your attention Hawaii's 2 Democrat Senators, (both voted for drilling in Alaska. The 'akaka' bill is named after Sen. Akaka.)
TODAY...Sen. Inouye is part/chair of the hearings now deciding if...
AS IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED...
"ALL FUNDING BE CUT TO PBS AND NPR
BECAUSE THEY ARE, LIBERAL, AND UN-BALANCED."
Sen. Inouye says he supports funding. But today had almost no questions to ask of the person's testifying. (These hearings are going on right now and the outcome's are undecided, I urge you to watch them on C_SPAN because they effect the funding to go digital to keep us all connected.)
*~*
This is about the AKAKA BILL still pending. and is all published in the forum...
http://www.democracycellproject.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=771
(SNIP)
The group known as Hui Pu said it wants OHA to sponsor hearings immediately to air all points of view on the Akaka Bill. Hui Pu feels opposition to the Akaka bill has been silenced by OHA's spending of thousands of dollars of state money to publicize only support for the Akaka Bill.
"There are many voices out there and there is only a one-sided story that is being told right now and its not pono (good)," said Andre Perez, of Hui Pu. "We reject the Akaka bill because we refuse to sell our ourselves, our keiki (children) our aina (land) and our resources."
(SNIP)
in my humble opinion...
There is no-one who has any power that will be able to stop this steam-rolling of the Hawaiian people. Unless someone somewhere begins to care about this issue the Hawaiians will lose there ability to right any wrong that may have happened to them. During the election, Kerry said he supported the AKAKA BILL in an effort to gain votes, when he was informed that the bill didn't reflect the native hawaiians true stand, Kerry stopped 'talking' about it. I still see no-one caring about this enough to educate themselves on this issue and further even understanding that as a SOVEREIGN NATION, when the US came in and took Hawaii, it is de'kine (Like) the US coming in and jailing and killing, Queen Elizabeth and all the BRITISH Royality, telling them they could no longer, worship, marry, govern, speak Hawaiian, own their own lands and on and on and on... It's a long story but suffice it to say...
The AKAKA BILL would make Hawaiians, NATIVE AMERICANS...
NATIVE AMERICANS WITH NO TREATIES UNDER THEIR BELT! No Nothing!
WE ALL KNOW HOW THE INDIANS WERE TREATED,
THE HAWAIIANS WERE TREATED SO BAD THAT IT IS STILL A SECRET!
PLEASE EDUCATE YOURSELVES ABOUT THESE AMERICANS.
read all about it...
http://www.democracycellproject.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=771
POSTED REALLY AT 10:06AM HAWAII TIME
I still say that the DNC should post an image of Rove on their homepage with the caption, "IS THIS MAN A TRAITOR?" The caption should double as a link to the latest updates on this sordid affair.
*************************************
G.O.P. "TO DO" LIST FOR TODAY
~Videotape Santorum's impacted hemorrhoid and send to Bill Frist for diagnosis.
~Grocery store: Buy two loaves lily white bread, large bag Ore-Ida freedom fries, and hemorrhoid cream for Rick. And some veal cuts, just to screw with PETA.
~Lunch at LaSalle today with Rupert from The Tobacco Institute. He's thrilled that we gutted the tobacco settlement, so press for a huge contribution to RNC-2006.
~Rove's distracted by the Plame affair. Make sure he instructs the Fox News posse by tomorrow what their talking points will be on Sunday.
~Score two bags oxycontin from Rush. See if he has any ecstasy connections.
~Cheney mouthed off again. Ask The Heritage Foundation to spit out a white paper supporting his "last throes" gibberish. (That "Dick muzzle" quip by Hastert was hilarious -- one can’t help but picture the gimp scene from Pulp Fiction.)
~Gas up the Hummer, collect Exxon campaign contribution while there -- this check's in six figures!
~Make fun of the neighbor's new hybrid car. "Does it run on starlight and pixie dust? Do you plug it into a rainbow?"
~Loan DeLay's boys in Texas a few RNC paper shredders, and make sure they're spewin' confetti by tonight, damnit!
~Exploit the London deaths in next month's fundraising letter. Key themes: Clinton/Kerry/Kennedy "would negotiate with terrorists," question Dem's patriotism, tie in flag burning amendment and 9/11.
~Fabricate rumor on Lawrence O'Donnell and transvestite prostitute, leak to Drudge. Call in the boys who trashed McCain, sic ‘em on anyone pushing the Rove-Plame connection.
~Send a mock sympathy card to the Time's Judith Miller. "You're going to jail so that Karl Rove might not. SUCKER!!!" What a rube...
~Call Katherine Harris, see if Duke Cunningham can crash at her place if he's kicked off Wade's "Duke Stir" yacht.
~Help Condi prep Dopey for tomorrow's meeting with Prime Minister Balkenende. Make sure he doesn't publicly confuse the Dutch and Danish again, for Christ's sake!
~Check if Jeff Gannon's free tonight. Stop by Walgreens for merlot and a box of day-glow rubbers.
I still say that the DNC should post an image of Rove on their homepage with the caption, "IS THIS MAN A TRAITOR?" The caption should double as a link to the latest updates on this sordid affair.
*************************************
G.O.P. "TO DO" LIST FOR TODAY
~Videotape Santorum's impacted hemorrhoid and send to Bill Frist for diagnosis.
~Grocery store: Buy two loaves lily white bread, large bag Ore-Ida freedom fries, and hemorrhoid cream for Rick. And some veal cuts, just to screw with PETA.
~Lunch at LaSalle today with Rupert from The Tobacco Institute. He's thrilled that we gutted the tobacco settlement, so press for a huge contribution to RNC-2006.
~Rove's distracted by the Plame affair. Make sure he instructs the Fox News posse by tomorrow what their talking points will be on Sunday.
~Score two bags oxycontin from Rush. See if he has any ecstasy connections.
~Cheney mouthed off again. Ask The Heritage Foundation to spit out a white paper supporting his "last throes" gibberish. (That "Dick muzzle" quip by Hastert was hilarious -- one can’t help but picture the gimp scene from Pulp Fiction.)
~Gas up the Hummer, collect Exxon campaign contribution while there -- this check's in six figures!
~Make fun of the neighbor's new hybrid car. "Does it run on starlight and pixie dust? Do you plug it into a rainbow?"
~Loan DeLay's boys in Texas a few RNC paper shredders, and make sure they're spewin' confetti by tonight, damnit!
~Exploit the London deaths in next month's fundraising letter. Key themes: Clinton/Kerry/Kennedy "would negotiate with terrorists," question Dem's patriotism, tie in flag burning amendment and 9/11.
~Fabricate rumor on Lawrence O'Donnell and transvestite prostitute, leak to Drudge. Call in the boys who trashed McCain, sic ‘em on anyone pushing the Rove-Plame connection.
~Send a mock sympathy card to the Time's Judith Miller. "You're going to jail so that Karl Rove might not. SUCKER!!!" What a rube...
~Call Katherine Harris, see if Duke Cunningham can crash at her place if he's kicked off Wade's "Duke Stir" yacht.
~Help Condi prep Dopey for tomorrow's meeting with Prime Minister Balkenende. Make sure he doesn't publicly confuse the Dutch and Danish again, for Christ's sake!
~Check if Jeff Gannon's free tonight. Stop by Walgreens for merlot and a box of day-glow rubbers.
Maybe the DNC should send out an e-mail asking people to WRITE EDITORIALS about the Rove Scandal. It's easy for anyone to get upset about how a politician will put politics before our safety.
That way, we could easily get more national press coverage without spending valuable funds that could be used on the Supreme Court battle(s).
More sniping... I think the DNC can do better.
Re: Iraq - do you really think that this:
"And the war in Iraq is a disaster today because President Bush and his team have consistently chosen to score political points instead of doing the right thing."
Will result any useful dialogue? It only serves the purpose or miring the issue further.
This is really shameful at a time when the DNC can provide a voice of moderation and reason.
More sniping... I think the DNC can do better.
This is really shameful at a time when the DNC can provide a voice of moderation and reason.
Posted by kurtg on July 11, 2005 at 04:47 PM
__________________
You are kidding right?
The Republicans tried to impeach Clinton because he lied about having sex.
Rove has screwed alot of people and without their permission.
IF MY DEMOCRATIC PARTY DOESN'T STAND AND DELIVER PRETTY SOON (THE HELL WITH MODERATE) WE WILL HAVE LOST EVERYTHING OUR FORE-FOUNDERS FOUGHT FOR!
NOTE: the hearings today to remove all funding from PBS and NPR because they are liberal and un-balanced!
posted really at 11:16AM Hawaii time
IMHO, this is EXACTLY the kind of thing the DNC needs to do. Urge all D Senators and Reps. to call for the immediate revocation of Karl Rove's national security clearance. If it were anyone else s/he'd have been fired already. But he has clearly - as before - put politics ahead of our national security.
Democrats are stronger on national defense. We defend what is great about the nation.
Right on Eric. We have to keep exposing the lie-machine that is the GOP, and how their lies are hurting our efforts in the War on Terror, as well as pretty much every other facet of life in the US.
We need to HAMMER THEM NONSTOP about the Rove leaks and their many lies (which were caught on tape) to attempt to cover this up. We can win big on this one while at the same time eliminating a threat to our safety in the inner circles of power in Washington.
Finally, the MSM is talking about this. It's all over the networks on tonight's news. It's probbly the first time most people have even heard about Wilson and Plame.
What exactly was the damage done to Plame's cell? This should be the message we get out to the voters.
Our Middle Eastern intelligence units were compromised, and we lost contacts that cannnot be replaced in the current climate of unrest in the region. Our troops in Iraq were put at risk just as the invasion got underway....that's treason.
And certainly many ordinary people who were informers for us in places like Eygpt and Jordan may have be killed. What was the cost in human lives and intelligence for this partisan act?
This is not a political issue; it's a national security issue. And that's why Scott McClellan is clamming up. Cheney controls the War Room in the White House. so the strategy was all his. Rove was just the minion who came up with the dirty trick. I wouldn't be surprised if Miller is in jail right now because she knows where and when it all started. This runs deep.
And two years is a long time for even Bush not to have tripped over the truth. So you can bet he decided to keep quiet....maybe after consulting with his White House counsel, Mr. Gonzales? That would make them both accessories to a high crime. No wonder Scott kept quiet today at the White House briefing?
The Special Prosecutor has bigger egges to fry than Novak or Rove?
This may be our last stand. If the Bush admin. and Rove walk away from this without any accountability, they will know they are above the law.
KARL ROVE: WHO HIRED THIS GUY?
It should come as no surprise that Karl Rove is the perpetrator of the disclosure of Valerie Plame’s role in the CIA. Rove has proven himself, on several occasions, as a master character assassin, fact manipulator and career saboteur. In a Texas gubernatorial election, Rove planted a listening device in his own office and insinuated that the Democratic opposition was responsible. He did not call the FBI or any legal authorities until after he notified the media. This ploy caused the eradication of the Democratic advantage in that election. Insofar as the board of elections and the FBI hierarchy in the state of Texas are headed by Republicans, there were no reprisals.
Am I the only person who sees the hypocrisy in the President of the United States, George Bush, lauding John Kerry’s war record as, “nothing but admirable,” while paying Karl Rove a seven-figure salary to cast aspersions on that same valiant record? It was Rove who created the fictitious “Swift Boat Veterans Organization” for the sole purpose of slandering John Kerry’s war record and calling his proven patriotism into question. Has anyone done research regarding how many of those over-dressed, dark suits in the commercial were actually swift boat veterans? I find it ironic that Karl Rove’s election platform consisted largely of hawking family values and less intrusion by government in the daily lives of Americans while promoting the Patriot Act and blocking the legalization of gay marriage. Rove is an expert at inflaming the paranoia of and capitalizing upon the naivety of ‘red state’ America. It is a foregone conclusion that there will be no terrorist attacks in a cul-de-sac in Newark, Ohio but the prospect of a married gay couple moving next door adequately terrifies those who profess to have conservative moral standards.
This administration will be remembered in history as the most manipulative, corrupt and dishonest political body since Tammany Hall. This United States government is not concerned with civil rights, human rights or any rights guaranteed by The Constitution. They are the self-proclaimed governing body of a global economy. Public service is an ideal long forgotten. The harshest reality to be considered is that the survival of this entity which we euphemistically refer to as “the American way” depends upon the success of this corrupt system. All Americans must re-examine their patriotism as well as their morality and ask, “is this the face we want to present to the world?” –Quinn Stilletto; President, Unwantedchildren.com
Could this be the beginning of the unveiling of what this administration truly is? Shortly after winning the fall election, Newsweek wrote an article about this man and how he was going to build a Republican dynasty! This man has a noted history of playing dirty politics, dating back several years. Now we are supposed to just ignore what this man has done and not question his possible criminal intent? Karl Rove is a type of man that will get even, no matter what the cost.
We have an administration that has lied to the world; changed their reasoning for why we went to war in Iraq and now, we have a possible security leak, that could have cost someone their life. If this had happened while a Democrat was in office, the Congress would be screaming for impeachment proceedings. Palmer Batson
You know what I think? I think that once again, the media will let this go with little coverage. Someone high up in the DNC will speak up about it, and then quickly be accused of being either mean or unpatriotic. They will, in turn, bow down and apologize, and once again, the rest of us will sit back and say, "When will enough be enough?", and then not really do anything about it. IF WE CAN'T BRING ROVE DOWN WITH THIS STORY, THEN MAYBE THEY REALLY ARE UNTOUCHABLE!
IF WE CAN'T BRING ROVE DOWN WITH THIS STORY, THEN MAYBE THEY REALLY ARE UNTOUCHABLE!
Posted by Christopher on July 12, 2005 at 12:59 AM
christopher,
rove as i mentioned in an earlier post, on open thread, is w's wizard of oz. now, the curtain has been drawn wide open, it's rove and he's exposed...for what he is...the president's brain, mouthpiece, and maybe that was the buldge behind w's back? the democratic party owes it to all americans(1st) to take this squeaky oz public and make him squeak without his megaphone ...suggest the democratic party also burn the curtain too.
The Republican strategy is clear, clam up and wait for the MSM to get bored and go on to the Aruba story.
Top Democrats have to keep hammering this. Governor Dean needs to speak out. Don't let go of the Rove story.
faith1,
No, I'm not kidding. Somehow (and I'm guessing here) sniping works for right wing anal types as evidenced by the popularity of Rush, etc. However, it just doesn't work or sit well with moderate and educated people. Trying to emulate the Republicans in their acrid antics is a complete waste of energy, and will only hurt the DNC in the end.
More so, such tactics don't even work well for the Republicans all the time. As you mentioned Clinton, then you also know this is popularity soared during the impeachment hearings.
I saw the article in the Washington Post that the Bush admin offered "no comment" so far.
I do think that Dems should strongly voice the opinion that the Reps should clean thier own house, or the response will be to widen the investigation.
Despite being a minority of one on this thread, I still object strongly to the infamatory tone of the original post. It will only serve to insure the dems remain a minority party.
How did Rove get this info to begin with? Did he have the clearance? If not, I want to question who really is the source of the information. If he did, we're back to square one. Even though I want justice, let's all remember that you are innocent until proven guilty...even if you're Karl Rove. That brings me to my point...
We, as Democrats, as intelligent people, as Americans, CANNOT let this crime go unpunished - no matter who is guilty. This is far worse than whatever President Clinton did or did not do, as it is a clear and direct violation of American law. We cannot compromise a Supreme Court seat for an investigation. We cannot negotiate one battle for this one. This must go through the judicial system and we must not lose track of that. The media has shown that they can ask the tough questions and they can make a difference. Let's finally get them on our side (with the exception of Fox - there's no turning them - besides they aren't credible anyway.)
I think one thing is crystal clear with this situation ... Democrats need to exploit this weakness for everything it is worth. This could easily be Rove's Achilles heel. He has historically been the most competently underhanded political player the 'pubs have ever seen and he has purposefully done a great deal of damage to the dems. It is time to fight back! Crucify this slimeball - no mercy!
How did Rove get this info to begin with? Did he have the clearance? If not, I want to question who really is the source of the information.
Posted by NoHoldsBarred
Lawrence O'Donnell Jr., the guy who revealed the Rove story in HuffingtonPost.com, asks exactly this question and surmises that Rove should not have had the necessary clearance to know of Valerie Plame, Bush's brain or not. In the summer of 2003 he was a White House domestic policy advisor. In that case, who told him is the question the prosecutor is trying to answer.
But, whether he had the clearance to know or not, his actions are ethically beyond the pale. So, I don't think it puts the situation out of front-and-center. You don't allow a loose cannon to go about spreading the names of CIA agents for political payback just because that revelation is not technically against the law.
How did Rove get this info to begin with? Did he have the clearance? If not, I want to question who really is the source of the information.
Posted by NoHoldsBarred
This question must be addressed by the administation or the whole matter will take on a life of its own. With a reporter in jail, the MSM feels they are compelled to follow this story wherever it leads.
Someone on the open thread yesterday suggested that the Plame indenity came from a report Colin Powell took with him to some meeting in Africa before the invasion. Condi and a variety of others were present at that meeting.
The simple explanation is that Cheney was running over to the CIA almost daily, and Bolton was feeding him any intel he requested.
While we are at it, who shot JFK? What really goes on in Area 51? Did Armstrong really walk on the Moon? Did any one really see the plane that hit the Pentagon? Who really shot JR?
I'm curious about something and maybe some of you can help me. You guys spend a lot of time talking bad about the opposing party, who likewise spends a lot of time talking bad about you. You guys talk about one party or the other being "in power". Could any of you clarify something for me? Do you not understand that both parties are in power? Democrats and Republicans control the country. All of the rest of us have little or no influence.
One party talks about how bad the other is, and frankly, I just don't get it. No party that I am aware of is not rife with hypocrisy. In fact, the very word "politics" suggests coruption, power, and greed in the minds of many many people. You're all bad. Your ideals are wrong and certainly the ways you try to achieve them are wrong, Democrats and Republicans alike.
There is a reason most people in this country don't vote. Did you guys know that was true? Check the numbers. On a federal level and often times on a state level, most people don't vote. Do know what that means? It means that no matter who wins an election, most people didn't vote for them. Do you know why that is? It's not because they are lazy, and it's not because they are apathetic. At least, not the majority of them. I understand that most of you will deny that, but how could you not? To admit that there is something fundamentally wrong with our system would put you guys out of influence. Most poeple, more often than not, who don't vote straight up refuse to. The reason? Because they have no faith in any of you, Republicans or Democrats. They do not trust you to have their best intrests in mind. They refuse to choose the lesser of two evils. In fact often times, there isn't a lesser evil. You are all awful.
So next time to you start spouting all of your "this is what's best for the country" catch phrases, keep in mind that you don't represent the country. Any of you. You only represent a small percentage of it, and it's getting smaller all the time.
I mean, why would anybody who has any real knowledge of how nations are born and die join a political party? What is wrong with you people?
What exactly was the damage done to Plame's cell? This should be the message we get out to the voters.
Plames "CELL" are you kidding me??? She's a mid level bureaucrat, an analyst, some self-aggrandizing paper pusher as just like her husband!
Our Middle Eastern intelligence units were compromised, and we lost contacts that cannnot be replaced in the current climate of unrest in the region. Our troops in Iraq were put at risk just as the invasion got underway....that's treason.
PUT THE KOOL-AID DOOOOOOOOOWN!!! This is political opportunism at its finest folks, thats all. Its also quite funny to see the Dims so concerned with the rule of law and special prosecutors, when just a few years ago to POTUS lied to a grand jury and nobody on THIS side of the isle gave a crap. Perhaps we should start a website out of this? Call it "movealong.org"?
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