The Democratic Party

U.S. Attorney Round Up

Posted by Michael Link on March 16, 2007 at 05:44 PM

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There's a lot of good stuff being written about the controversy around the firing of U.S. attorneys. Here's a sample...

The New York Times has an excellent editorial about "fumbling attempts to explain the purge of United States attorneys," concluding:
The United States attorney purge appears to have been prompted by an array of improper political motives. Carol Lam, the San Diego attorney, seems to have been fired to stop her from continuing an investigation that put Republican officials and campaign contributors at risk. These charges, like the accusation that Mr. McKay and other United States attorneys were insufficiently aggressive about voter fraud, are a way of saying, without actually saying, that they would not use their offices to help Republicans win elections. It does not justify their firing; it makes their firing a graver offense.

Talking Points Memo, which has done some incredible journalism on the controversy, released a detailed timeline that puts it all in perspective. The most interesting?
May 11, 2006
- The LA Times reports that the investigation of Cunningham has expanded to include Representative Jerry Lewis (R-CA), House Appropriations Committee Chairman.
- Sampson emails Mier's deputy William Kelly, writing that they need to discuss: "The real problem we have right now with Carol Lam that leads me to conclude that we should have someone ready to be nominated on 11/18, the day her 4-year term expires." Sampson also mentions a need to discuss "Tim Griffin for E.D. Ark."

Andrew Sullivan makes the point that the White House might be stuck with Gonzales, no matter how badly they might want him out, simply because all the Bush people have baggage:

If Gonzales is cashiered, as now seems likely, who will replace him? McNulty is just as implicated. A figure above the fray? Bush can't risk it. Miers? A no-go. The replacement will tell us a great deal about how scared the Bush people are of real, independent scrutiny. Which may leave them with the option of ... going back to where they started and keeping Gonzales, whatever the fallout.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Government (CREW) asks an interesting question: "Did White House staffers violate Presidential Records Act by using outside e-mail addresses to conduct business?"

And Craig Crawford reminds us "that at least three of Bush’s longest-serving and closest confidants are at the center of this dispute."

Comments (334) «

Then maybe they all should go?

SandyH on March 16, 2007 at 06:20 PM

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If nano-particle installed into these bacteria, then bacteria micro robert that combinations produces to become controlled remote controlled to be able ! Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Indonesia, Mayalia, Egyten, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, UAE must develop biotechnological and nano-technical changed viruses these bacteria, or bacteria Micro Robert that combinations destroy, if this too strong should to increase and prevent so uncontrolled increase! The Technologies would be away-cut environmental protection Technologies of the world, would have inconceivably large application possibility in environmental protection, environmental re-establishment, MILITARY DEFENSE, the economic trade ! I WISH THAT ALL EVEIL, BAD NATIONS, ISRAEL, The USA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, UK, FRANCE, EUROPEAN UNION, RUSSIA, CHINA, JAPAN, BRAZIL will be to Burned to Dust in the NUCLEAR GENETIC WARS !

CHANGE on March 16, 2007 at 09:29 PM

frankly I am getting very fed up. this whole attorney firing thing is bad but WE ALREADY KNOW THAT BUSH LIED TO TAKE US TO WAR AND HE IS STILL SENDING PEOPLE TO DIE FOR NOTHING. how much more of this shit are we supposed to tolerate? it's time to cut the funding and bring the troops home. IF WE REALLY SUPPORT THE TROOPS WE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO BRING THEM HOME. they have been on several tours and don't have the equipment they need. how can anyone say bush is pro-military>? how could any military person have a drop of respect for him? the cowardly little bastard is not sending 20,000- he's upped it to 25,000. he does whatever he wants. he thinks there are no consequences to his actions. he is insane. NOT ONE PERSON HAD TO DIE OR BE MAIMED IN IRAQ. NOT ONE PERSON. NO ONE HAD TO LOOSE A LOVED ONE OR COME HOME MISSING LIMBS WITH PTSD.Why doesn't the media ask him about this at EVERY FREAKIN opportunity? "Bush- there were no WMDs. do you realize that no one had to die or be hurt in Iraq? do you ever loose a minute of sleep over it?" they should ask him this EVERY F$CKING DAY OVER AND OVER AND NOT LET HIM SLINK AWAY AND SAY "I'm not going to answer that question." I am really getting sick of this crap.

Sadie on March 17, 2007 at 05:07 AM

the media is partly to blame for letting this war start. now they should take some responsibility and expose the SOBs for what they are. they should relentlessly stay on his back and MAKE HIM be held accountable. oh yeah, there's Keith O and a few others but I think the majority of the media just want ratings.

Sadie on March 17, 2007 at 05:10 AM

and I know that these hearings and legal proceedings take time but WE HAVE GOT TO KEEP THE BALL ROLLLING AND GET OUT OF IRAQ. WE HAVE LOST. I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT FOR AT LEAST 3 YEARS AND I BELIEVE IT. and we have no other choice than to impeach the whole inner circle. back when the DOWNING ST. memos came out- I thought "this is it." and that was what???? almost 2 years ago????? it just gets deeper and deeper. WHEN IS IT GOING TO END? does the world have to end to put a stop to this insanity? and bush and cheney will just hide in some secret bunker somewhere and crawl out like cockroaches to reign again.

Sadie on March 17, 2007 at 05:14 AM

if I ever got close enough to the chimp, I would ask him these questions. but I will never have that chance.WHY AND HOW DID WE GO TO WAR? this is not a dead issue.
DAVID GREGORY-GET YOUR ASS UP THERE AND ASK HIM IF HE LOOSES ANY SLEEP ABOUT THIS WAR! ASK HIM WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WMDs!!! ASK HIM HOW HE WOULD LIKE TO BE IN A WHEELCHAIR WITHOUT LEGS OR ARMS BECAUSE SOME RICH ASSHOLE OUT FOR PERSONAL REVENGE LIED!!!! DO IT!

Sadie on March 17, 2007 at 05:18 AM

I couldn't sleep so I am up at 5 am ranting.
but I'll bet the chimp is sleeping just fine.
there is only so much I can do from here.
PLEASE DEMOCRATS AND THE MEDIA! WAKE THE F$CK UP AND DO YOUR JOB!!! every day you wait more people are dying!
IMPEACH BUSH AND BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW!
THIS WAR IS A NATIONAL DISGRACE!
CUT THE $$$$$$$!!!! YOU HAVE TO!!!

Sadie on March 17, 2007 at 05:21 AM

The fact that President Clinton replaced nearly all of the U.S. Attorneys when he took office does not tell us anything about the merits of President Bush's decision to replace a handful of them in mid-term.

The New York Times has an excellent editorial about "fumbling attempts to explain the purge of United States attorneys," Previous presidents have retained holdovers and only replaced them gradually. This allowed continuity of leadership within the U.S. Attorney offices during the transition. It's false to claim that Clinton's action was "completely normal." In fact, what Clinton did was unprecedented.

In fact, the New York Times editorial page blasted Clinton for his departure from past precedent. Since the NYT is historically to the left of Stalin the editorial is quite telling. Here is what the Times said on March 26, 1993:

"Any hope that the Clinton Administration would operate a Justice Department free of political taint -- or even the appearance of political taint -- grew dim yesterday when the White House confirmed that it would dismiss the U.S. Attorney investigating one of its chief Congressional allies.

When Attorney General Janet Reno first announced the blanket dismissal of about 70 United States Attorneys who are Bush Administration holdovers, her aides said she might exempt those who needed to wrap up significant investigations. But yesterday the White House. . .removed most of that fig leaf on an exception.

President Clinton's spokesman, George
Stephanopoulos, said that some top prosecutors who are tied up in trials would be allowed to complete them, but most others would have to go. Their investigations would be continued by lower-ranking staff attorneys.

Those booted out would include U.S. Attorney Jay Stephens of the District of Columbia who. . ."is not in the middle of a trial." But Mr. Stephens is in the middle of an investigation of irregularities in the House of Representatives and a detailed financial auditing of one of the most powerful House Democrats, Dan Rostenkowski, chairman of Ways and Means.

Mr. Stephens, who is known to enjoy cases with political overtones, is just the lawyer to credibly investigate Congressional Democrats, but the Clinton Justice Department won't be waiting for his recommendation for or against prosecution.

Traditionally, Attorneys are not turned out in a sweep like other Presidential appointees. To avoid the appearance of political justice, they are retained until the President is ready to exercise his undoubted right to replace them.

The unseemly rush to clean out Republican investigators even before the Administration has filled most top slots at Justice looks awful in an area where appearances count heavily. Until the White House gets its fingerprints off the department, there can be no start on the promised regime of justice above politics at Justice."

Gunslinger on March 17, 2007 at 12:10 PM

we be here now.

what is with the weirdness from CHANGE?? is this poster related to the person named spare change the street people in the haight were always asking me about in 1967??

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 04:10 PM

john, if i could be in new mexico right now i would. been to tucson some but i hear new mexico is nicer.

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 04:13 PM

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 04:04 PM,

Wow! Thousands of WMD's in New Mexico. Oh, that's right we can do that 'cause we lead the free world. Hya!

It's nice in New Mexico now, but what summer? I guess you get used to the 100 degree days, huh? I dunno. I don't mind the cold, and I like the seasonal changes, but once it gets below 20 degrees, fuggitaboutit.

davidual on March 17, 2007 at 04:22 PM

Good afternoon all,

The bad weather made it impossible to get to DC. The ANSWER Coalition protest was no doubt messed up by the weather. Sadly, there will be more opportunities.

Tomorrow is the United for Peace and Justice protest in NYC. I'll be there!

There are over 1000 protests scheduled throughout the country today and tomorrow:

http://www.unitedforpeace.org/

moveon is holding vigils on Monday March 19:

http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/index.html?action_id=79

Please find an event in your area and get out there.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 04:27 PM

Time to check the CB & C, peel some potatoes and get them cooking. Yumm-yumm I'm not irish, but man this stuff is good. It sure smells good cooking in the crock pot. See ya.

I'll leave ya with a repost My God, weird stuff, maybe Gregg, but man can Ian Anderson play?

davidual on March 17, 2007 at 04:28 PM

More evidence of where the American public is at from Newsweek:

Q4. All in all, do you think the United States is making progress or losing ground in its efforts to establish security and democracy in Iraq?

Making Progress: 29%
Losing Ground: 61%
Don't know: 10%

Q5. In general, do you favor or oppose President Bush’s decision earlier this year to increase the level of U.S. troops in Iraq?

Favor: 32%
Oppose: 64%
Don't Know: 4%

Q6. Do you favor or oppose Congressional legislation that would require the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by the fall of 2008?

Favor: 59%
Oppose: 34%
Don't Know: 7%

****

Let's face it, the Chimp should be impeached for starting this war based on lies. The Dems are doing a disservice to the country by not taking him on. I can add other reasons why Bush should be impeached.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 04:33 PM

Iraq Milestone: 1460 days. Our 4th longest war.
by shock
Sat Mar 17, 2007 at 01:01:07 PM PDT

"Five days or five weeks or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last any longer than that. It won't be a World War III." --Donald Rumsfeld, 11/2002

"... could last six days, six weeks. I doubt six months." --Donald Rumsfeld, 2/2003

"We will, in fact, be greeted as liberators. . . . I think it will go relatively quickly... (in) weeks rather than months." --Dick Cheney 3/2003

"... from a historical basis, Middle East conflicts do not last a long time." --Dan Quayle, 10/2/1990 (reported in Esquire, 8/1992)

The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it. --George Orwell, Polemic, 5/1946, "Second Thoughts on James Burnham"

1,460 days. (48 months or 208+ weeks.) And counting...

It has now been 1,460 days since we invaded Iraq. As of yesterday, we have now surpassed the ("official") length of our (own) Civil War (4/12/1861 through 4/9/1865).

When I wrote about us passing the WWII landmark last November, I was cautiously optimistic that, by this landmark, our pullout would be under way. Alas, I should have known better.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/3/17/151124/764

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 04:35 PM

Ratfight: Sampson Turns On Gonzales
by blueness
Sat Mar 17, 2007 at 10:42:59 AM PDT

Well, well. Looks like D. Kyle Sampson, the uberambitious Bushrat selected as blame buddy for the burgeoning US Attorneys scandal, is declining to demonstrate the requisite "loyalty to all Bushes" expected of all courtiers in the George II regime.

As pronounced by soon-to-be ex-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Sampson's role was to creep into exile after Abu had publicly spanked him for providing "incomplete information" to senior Justice Department officials testifying about the firings before Congress.

But Friday night, in a statement released by his attorney, Sampson signaled that he's not playing. In direct contradiction to Gonzales, Sampson said he withheld nothing, misled nobody; that he resigned solely because he failed to "organize a more effective political response" to the scandal.

Oh-oh. The rats are turning on each other.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/3/17/125821/526

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 04:41 PM

But during yesterday's Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing on the Plame leak, we learned from James Knodell, the director of the Office of Security in the White House, that the process was ignored.

WAXMAN: Federal regulations require that any person who has knowlege of the loss or compromise of classified information has an obligation to report to the the White House Security Officer...Are you aware if there has been any investigation that ever took place in the White House about the release of this classified information?

KNODELL: I am not. [...]

CUMMINGS: Let me ask you a few questions, because in answering some of the Chairman's questions, you left me shocked. And I want to make sure I heard you right. Are you saying with regard to this case that is, the outing of Valerie Plame Wilson, there is no report?

KNODELL: Not in my office there is not.

CUMMINGS: And are you also saying there was no investigation?

KNODELL: Not by my office. [...]

WAXMAN: Do you know whether there was an investigation at the White House after the leaks came out?

KNODELL: I don't have any knowledge of an investigation within my office.

WAXMAN: Ever?

KNODELL: I do not.

WAXMAN: Because the President said he was investigating this matter, was going to get to the bottom of it. You're not familiar that any, you're not aware that any investigation took place?

KNODELL: Not within my office, sir.

And when did the White House explain that they had a process for investigating leaks of classified information? In October, 2003, while responding to questions about the Plame leak:

There is a process that the administration has in place to address the leak of classified information. Make no mistake about it, the President has always held the view that the leaking of classified information is a very serious matter. And the process was followed.

Apparently not.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 04:42 PM

An egregious attack on the U.S. justice system
by Ed Kociela | Mar 17 2007 - 11:41am | permalink
article tools: email | print | read more Ed Kociela

This could be George Bush's Watergate.

E-mails released this week are not matching up to statements made by the administration regarding the dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys last year.

Several stand out.

In a message from D. Kyle Sampson to his then boss, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, a strategy is concocted to throw off opposition to the appointment of Tim Griffin, a GOP loyalist with ties to presidential adviser Karl Rove, as a new U.S. attorney in Arkansas.

"Ask the senators to give Tim a chance∑then we can tell them we'll look for other candidates, ask them for recommendations, evaluate the recommendations, interview their candidates, and otherwise run out the clock. All of this should be done in 'good faith,' of course," the e-mail, which was published in the Washington Post, says.

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/6155

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 04:43 PM

Valerie Plame Stands Tall
by Brent Budowsky | Mar 17 2007 - 11:35am | permalink
article tools: email | print | read more Brent Budowsky

First. I spent a number of years of my life working on the Intelligence Identities Protection Act with its original sponsor, then-Sen. Lloyd Bentsen.

Second. It should now be clear even to the most rabid partisan apologist for Bush administration wrongdoing that Valerie Plame was a covert operative, that her identity and status were classified, and that she had performed abroad within the last five years.

Third. I know and admire Valerie Plame and consider her an American hero, an American patriot, and an invaluable national resource in defeating global terrorism who has been compromised by shameless and despicable acts, by partisans and ideologues.
article continue

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/6153

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 04:44 PM

Yo, Republicans, Micromanage This
by Bob Geiger | Mar 16 2007 - 12:56pm | permalink
article tools: email | print | read more Bob Geiger

You've got to hand it to Republicans: When they get a word or phrase that they want to push into the public consciousness, they not only repeat it with unparalleled discipline but the parroting of the nonsensical phrase du jour starts at the very top of the party and goes right on down to your local GOP dogcatcher.

"Cut and run" was useful to them for a long time until they discovered that they were accusing the vast majority of the American people of being cowards -- so they dropped that one after voters used the last election to tell them to shut the hell up. The latest word you hear coming out of every Republican's mouth is "micromanage," as in the Democrats in Congress are trying to "micromanage the military" when it comes to the disastrous effort in Iraq.

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/6138

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 04:45 PM

2007 world's warmest winter on record
By Reuters
Published: March 16, 2007, 4:22 PM PDT
TalkBack E-mail Print del.icio.us Digg this

This has been the world's warmest winter since record-keeping began more than a century ago, according to the U.S. government agency that tracks weather.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Thursday that the combined global land and ocean surface temperature from December through February was at its highest since records began in 1880.

A record-warm January was responsible for pushing up the combined winter temperature, according to the agency's Web site,

"Contributing factors were the long-term trend toward warmer temperatures as well as a moderate El Nino in the Pacific," Jay Lawrimore of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center said in a telephone interview from Asheville, N.C.

http://news.com.com/2007+worlds+warmest+winter+on+record/2100-11395_3-6168168.html

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 04:46 PM

Investors to press U.S. Congress on global warming
17 Mar 2007 17:25:39 GMT
Source: Reuters
[-] Text [+]
Alert Me | Printable view | Email this article | RSS [-] Text [+]

By Timothy Gardner

NEW YORK, March 17 (Reuters) - Joining a rising corporate chorus itching to sink money into clean energy projects, big investors will press the U.S. Congress on Monday to pass laws attempting to tackle global warming.

The dozens of investors include Merrill Lynch , The Capital Group, which manages $850 billion in mutual funds, and the California Public Employees Retirement System, the largest U.S. pension fund, said a source at Ceres, a Boston-based coalition of investors and environmentalists.

"Investors are seeking strong legislation with tangible greenhouse gas reduction targets," said the source.

The United States is the world's top emitter of gases from smokestacks and tailpipes that scientists link to global warming. Mandatory emissions cuts could give investors confidence to put more money in low-carbon alternative energy, like wind and solar power, and other technologies.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N17254457.htm

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 04:48 PM

frankly I am getting very fed up. this whole attorney firing thing is bad but WE ALREADY KNOW THAT BUSH LIED TO TAKE US TO WAR AND HE IS STILL SENDING PEOPLE TO DIE FOR NOTHING.
****

That's why the chimp should be impeached now.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 04:50 PM

It's Simple: Bush's ProsecutorGate = Nixon's "Saturday Night Massacre"
by RJ Eskow | Mar 16 2007 - 10:36am | permalink
article tools: email | print | read more RJ Eskow

The latest rightwing propaganda smokescreen for covering up political misdeeds is this one: Clinton fired Federal prosecutors, too. And they serve at the President's pleasure. The real historical parallel for this scandal isn't Clinton's routine action, however. It's the infamous "Saturday Night Massacre," when Nixon wanted the special prosecutor investigating GOP crimes to be fired. When the Attorney General refused and resigned on principle (remember when Attorneys General had principle?), Nixon fired his successor for refusing and finally got someone who'd do the job for him.

That was the beginning of the end for Nixon's Presidency, and rightfully so. Ethical leaders in both parties were forced to acknowledge the pattern of lawlessness underlying his behavior, and his resignation took place the following year.

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/6136

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 04:51 PM

Chlorine Gas Sickens 356 in Iraq Bombing
By Sameer N. Yacoub
The Associated Press

Saturday 17 March 2007

Three suicide bombers driving chlorine-laden trucks struck in the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Anbar province, killing two policemen and forcing about 350 Iraqi civilians and six U.S. troops to seek treatment for exposure to the gas, the military said Saturday.

The attacks came after back-to-back bombings last month released chlorine gas, prompting the U.S. military to warn that insurgents are adopting new tactics in a campaign to spread panic.

Just after 4 p.m. Friday, a driver detonated explosives in a pickup truck northeast of Ramadi, wounding one U.S. service member and one Iraqi civilian, the military said in a statement.

That was followed by a similar explosion involving a dump truck south of Fallujah in Amiriyah that killed two policemen and left as many as 100 local citizens showing signs of chlorine exposure, with symptoms ranging from minor skin and lung irritations to vomiting, the military said.

Less than 10 miles away, another suicide bomber detonated a dump truck containing a 200-gallon chlorine tank rigged with explosives at 7:13 p.m., also south of Fallujah in the Albu Issa tribal region, the military said. U.S. forces responded to the attack and found about 250 local civilians, including seven children, suffering from symptoms related to chlorine exposure, according to the statement.

Insurgents have detonated three other trucks carrying chlorine canisters since late January.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/031707A.shtml

****

Bush's escalation is already a failure.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 04:56 PM

Rousing, Emotional Start for War Protest
By Steve Vogel and Clarence Williams
The Washington Post

Saturday 17 March 2007
Arrests made at White House; storm might trim weekend turnout.

Dozens of demonstrators, many of them Christian peace activists, were arrested outside the White House late last night and early this morning as part of a protest against the war in Iraq.

About 11:30 p.m., police began handcuffing the first of about 100 protesters who had assembled on the White House sidewalk to pray in a planned act of civil disobedience.

The protesters were part of a larger group that had assembled at the Washington National Cathedral for a service on the fourth anniversary of the start of the war. From the service, demonstrators marched through the wind, cold and dampness to the White House.

The demonstration began a weekend of protest that is to include a march on the Pentagon today. Last night's event, which was sponsored by more than two dozen religious groups, was not part of today's antiwar rally at the Pentagon.

Those who were arrested had been among almost 3,000 people who assembled at the cathedral at 7 p.m. for a rousing, emotional service that lasted more than 90 minutes.

Participants, whom the cathedral staff numbered at 2,825, heard speakers including Celeste Zappala of Philadelphia, whose son was killed in Iraq in 2004.

"I am here tonight as a witness to the true cost of war," she said, "the betrayal and madness that is the war in Iraq."

"We lay before God the sorrow that lives in all of us because of the war," she said.

Last night's procession was sponsored by Christian Peace Witness for Iraq.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/031707Y.shtml

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 04:57 PM

david i love the music alot. it was the video with the guy walking around the kitchen i meant to say was weird not the sounds.

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 04:57 PM

gregg, I didn't know you were in the Haight. I was raised in San Francisco and in the 1950's I used to go listen to the Beatniks read poetry. I had moved on by the 60's but my mother still lived in SF until 1977. Great town.

davidual, Albuquerque is at 5,000 foot elevation so it is much cooler than Phoenix and Tucson. It may get to 100 a few days during the summer, but like they say, it is a dry heat. July through August we get these hellaceous thunder storms. Lightning hit really close to my house last summer and blew out the circuits in my motor home, blew out my doorbell transformer and my irrigation controller. Strange.

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 04:58 PM

Military Support for GOP Is in Free Fall
By Bonnie Erbe
US News and World Report

Wednesday 14 March 2007

Pardon my tardiness. While searching online for interesting political tidbits, I came across a two-month-old story of towering significance that received a paltry amount of media exposure. The Los Angeles Times reported in January that the Military Times's annual poll of active-duty service members found support among them for the Republican Party is dropping significantly. So significantly, in fact, that the 30-year trend of "Republicanization" of the military has reversed and is in a free fall.

The Times reported on a one-year decline of 10 points from 56 to 46 percent from January 2006 to January 2007 among active-duty service personnel who self-identify as Republicans. The year before, a 4-point drop cut Republican identification from an all-time high of 60 percent.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/031707F.shtml

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 04:59 PM

Thousands demostrated in Washington, and across the country, in advance of Tuesday's four-year anniversary of the invasion. Thousands marched to the Pentagon in the footsteps of an epic demonstration four decades ago against another divisive war.

...hopefully they will succeed in levitating it this time. and for those of the x,y and z generations:

Armies of the Night (1968) is a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning nonfiction novel written by Norman Mailer and sub-titled History as a Novel/The Novel as History. Mailer essentially creates his own genre for the narrative, split into historicized and novelized accounts of the October 1967 March on the Pentagon.

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 05:04 PM

rjsnj,

You always dig up the best dirt. Now if we can get the Services to de-evangelize we would be in good shape.

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 05:05 PM

No WH Investigation Into Plame Leak: Waxman Demands Answers
by MediaFreeze
Sat Mar 17, 2007 at 10:29:22 AM PDT

In testimony given today before the house oversight committee, James Knodell, Director of the Office of Security at the White House, revealed that the the administration had never launched an internal probe to determine the source for the outing of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame in 2003. In addition to revealing a deep reluctance on the part of the administration in determining the party responsible for the leak, Knodell's testimony directly contradicted a prior statement from President Bush promising a full internal probe.

Rawstory: White House official: No probe launched into Plame leak

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:06 PM

Good cartoon from Bob Geiger:

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/6160

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:07 PM

You always dig up the best dirt.
****

John, it's so easy with the filthy GOP - they just ooze dirt!

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:08 PM

Trolls shouldn't call themselves such nasty names.

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 05:10 PM

Sen. Patty Murray: "We are fighting a war with no cause"
Washington Senator dares to speak the truth. The needless troop deaths in Iraq are a waste.. From enlistment to retirement, this administration has failed our troops.

Sen. Patty Murray: "We are fighting a war with no cause"
By Bob Geiger
Posted on March 8, 2007, Printed on March 17, 2007
http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/geiger/48987/

Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) went to the floor of the Senate on Tuesday and said something I really admire. I respect her words because she made a statement that falls, for some incredibly dumb reason, right into that category of words we dare not speak.

"In truth, we are fighting a war with no cause," said the Washington Senator.

http://www.chimpsternation.com/forum?c=showthread&ThreadID=480

****

Well yeah Senator, that's why we are asking you to fund a redeployment out of iraq.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:10 PM

Trolls shouldn't call themselves such nasty names.
****

LOL ... consider it an electronic noise.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:12 PM

By the way, the ANSWER coalition rally in LA was large - over 10,000. There is another rally in SF. UFPJ rallies just started today as well - there will be over one thousand. I would well over a million people will be protesting iraq. So, I hear the pro-war types drew about ... 100. Wow, what a showing! It's better than the 24 they drew in January.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:14 PM

chimps trying to get us into another European War. He is pissing off the Germans and the French hate our guts because the repigs consider them lower than dog crap.

I'm just protecting you from Iran after I bomb them

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 05:16 PM

Oh yeah, in January we drew over a half a million for the anti-war rally. What did the pro war rally draw ? About 24 ... their main objective was to protest Jane Fonda. What a bunch of baffoons.

The bad weather made it impossible for many people to come to DC today. There were over 3000 yesterday at a Christian Peace rally. There will be at least 100,000 in NYC tomorrow. Over 10,000 in LA today.

Yep, the pro-war types drew a whole 1000 idiots ... the Eagles droppings bunch. I am impressed. Snore!

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:18 PM

He is pissing off the Germans and the French hate our guts because the repigs consider them lower than dog crap.
****

Repigs are all POS's and Bush/Cheney are the two biggest POS. Their right wing groups such as move forward america are a bunch of hateful twits. Their pundits such as Coulter and limpballs are vile pigs. Their trolls are morons and their blogs suck - particularly sludge drudge and freeper blogs.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:22 PM

The Bush administration is the biggest bunch of criminals ever to occupy the White House. Not only should they be impeached but they should be serving time in prison.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:23 PM

U.S. odd man out in climate consensus

By Louis Charbonneau
Sat Mar 17, 2:04 PM ET

POTSDAM, Germany (Reuters) - A consensus on the need to protect the world's environment is emerging among rich and developing nations, but the United States remains at odds with other countries on key points, Germany said on Saturday. ADVERTISEMENT

Environment ministers of the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations, and officials from leading developing countries, were meeting to prepare for a June G8 summit where they plan to discuss specific targets for protecting the environment.

"On two issues, the United States were the only ones who spoke against consensus," German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel told reporters at the end of the two-day meeting, which he chaired on behalf of Germany's G8 presidency.

****

Of course! The reason is that we criminal GOOPERS in the WH. The rest of world gets it only the criminal GOOPERS do not and they never will. Boot the bums out and lock them up.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:25 PM

'Swift Boat' Figure Joins Romney

By Chris Cillizza and Matthew Mosk
Saturday, March 17, 2007; Page A05

The primary funder of an independent group that raised questions about the résumé of Sen. John F. Kerry during the 2004 presidential election has signed on to raise money for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's GOP presidential campaign.

Bob Perry, a Houston home builder, is named as a member of Romney's Texas Leadership Team in an invite for a fundraising event in Dallas on March 26.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/16/AR2007031601987.html
****

Well, well, well ... Mitt Romney, ann coldsore's favorite candidate, hired the chief swift boat liar for Bush. These swifties never produced their military records though Kerry did! There is a good reason as a couple of them were dishonorably discharged! Swift boat liars for Romney ... that ends his run.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:27 PM

Ann Coulter Responds to DKos Advertiser Awareness Campaign
by VolvoDrivingLiberal
Sat Mar 17, 2007 at 12:39:48 PM PDT

All significant corporate and organizational advertisers, with the exception of one, have now pulled ads from www.anncoulter.com. This was the result of a successful advertiser awareness campaign launched on DKos, which then snowballed throughout the progressive blogosphere.

In an article published on right-wing propaganda outlet Cybercast News Service entitled Bloggers Celebrate Ann Coulter Backlash
Coulter had this reaction:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/3/17/141853/193

Good laughs ... ann coldsore bugs out ...

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:28 PM

rjsnj,

I know exactly how you feel. We just have to rid Washington of the Nazi thugs.

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 05:29 PM

Around a 100 eagle dropping repigs showed up today at DC. Yeah, I am impressed. How many of these pro war Repigs will show up tomorrow in NYC? Yeah I am so worried that the pro-war movement is gaining momentum. LOL

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:32 PM

Speech at "March on the Pentagon"
by Mayor Rocky Anderson
Sat Mar 17, 2007 at 02:19:49 PM PDT

Dear Kossacks,

Below is the speech I gave at the "March on the Pentagon" this afternoon in Washington, DC, alongside thousands of other Americans who are calling for an end to the abuses of power, heinous human rights violations, breaches of trust, and violations of international and domestic laws and treaties by the Bush administration. Working together, we can pressure Congress to hold this administration to account, to ensure the presidency can never again be held by one who so blatantly defies the laws of the land and the traditions that form our nation's identity.

Warm regards,
Rocky Anderson
Mayor Rocky Anderson's diary :: ::

Remarks of Mayor Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson
The Pentagon
Washington, D.C.
Rally for Impeachment
March 17, 2007

As patriots, we love and support our country – and we will not support a President who harms our nation and its people.

Our love for our nation – our regard for our Constitution – brings us here today to call for the impeachment of a President who has done, and continues to do, such tremendous harm to our country.
We have always been proud to distinguish ourselves from nations that kidnapped, disappeared, and tortured people. Now, under the Bush administration, we are becoming like them.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/3/17/171444/490

****

Rocky
Rocky

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:32 PM

Rocky Anderson:

No more war in Iraq.

No more movement toward war in Iran.

No more justification of killing and torture by God-is-on-our-side religious nonsense.

No more wars of aggression.

No more violations of the United Nations Charter.

No more violations of human rights treaties.

No more torture.

No more kidnapping and disappearing of people.

No more trampling upon our Constitution.

No more warrantless wiretapping of American citizens.

No more lies to Congress and the American people.

No more conveying of government propaganda by the complicit corporate media.

No more destruction of the rule of law.

No more timidity by Congress.

No more Dick Cheney or George Bush in the White House.

No more silence by the American people.
****

Impeach Da Chimp
Impeach Da Chimp
Impeach Da Chimp

Oh yeah, the big macho chimp did what he always does when protesters come to town ... he high tailed it out of there. Coward! Liar! Barbarian!

Impeach Da Chimp now.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:35 PM

I know exactly how you feel. We just have to rid Washington of the Nazi thugs.
****

John, check out Rocky Anderson's speech.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:36 PM

Around a 100 eagle dropping repigs showed up today at DC

Were the blackshirts wearing Swastikas on their arms or "SS" on their lapels.

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 05:36 PM

We are here to say to a mostly complacent, complicit, incredibly irresponsible Congress, impeach these men who have betrayed and harmed us all. We are here to say NO MORE.

-- Rocky Anderson

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:37 PM

By the way, move forward america is an organization founded by Nazi KKKarl Rove.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:40 PM

Global Warming Drives up Food Costs?
by biscobosco
Sat Mar 17, 2007 at 01:20:01 PM PDT

Bondad's excellent diary "Why are food prices spiking? " shows that falling food production causes rising food costs.

But why are crop yields falling? Comments in the diary discuss that global warming is a big contributor:
Global warming goes against the grain - Toronto Globe and Mail, Feb. 24, 2007, projects:

for every 1-degree Celsius increase in temperatures above the mid-30s during key stages in the growing season, such as pollination, yields fall about 10 per cent.

(Affecting places like the US midwest.)
But per Reuters, March 16 it's already happening:

Global warming has cut about $5 billion worth of the world's most commonly grown grains over 20 years

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/3/17/151642/513

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:44 PM

WMDs found in Iraq: terrorists and their chemical weapons!
by Larry McAwful
Sat Mar 17, 2007 at 12:51:10 PM PDT

The chemical weapons used by terrorists in Iraq are, specifically, chlorine gas bombs. Granted, these chlorine gas bombs are made from chlorine brought by USUK occupation forces to purify the water, because there's so little potable water in Iraq these days, on account of our having blown up the infrastructure when we attacked Iraq.

According to the BBC, three chlorine gas bombs have killed eight and injured hundreds, including six U.S. troops. Al Qaeda it ain't, but whoever's doing it wouldn't be doing it if we hadn't invaded and occupied the country in the first place.

Mission accomplished.

****

Impeach Da Chimp

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:45 PM

Walnut Creek, California on Saturday 3/17

Anti-war protesters march through Walnut Creek
Jason B. Johnson, Chronicle Staff Writer

Saturday, March 17, 2007

(03-17) 12:52 PDT WALNUT CREEK -- More than 1,000 people chanting "Hell no, Bush gotta go!" and singing protest songs marched through downtown Walnut Creek today to denounce the war in Iraq.

Protesters from throughout Contra Costa County and as far as Sacramento gathered at the Walnut Creek BART station late this morning before marching through downtown to Civic Center Park to hear speeches and sing protest songs.

"This is four years we've been in a needless war and most people would rather forget about it and go play soccer on Saturday," said Peter Gassner, 42, who marched with his 5-year-old son, Arin, on his shoulders. "If there were one million people out here, this war would stop."

Several cars honked in support of protesters carrying signs calling for the impeachment of President Bush and urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to push Congress to stop financing the war. If anyone observing the demonstration supported the president, they kept their views to themselves.

****

This is just one of 1000 protests throughout the country. Do the math, oh not the trollies as I know that's too hard for them, there will be at least one million people protesting the iraq occupation this weekend. That doesn't even count the number of people who will come out on Monday for moveon vigils.

Okay the pro-whores got 100 eagle droppings out this time ... yeah I am so not impressed.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:49 PM

Were the blackshirts wearing Swastikas on their arms or "SS" on their lapels.
****

John, they were wearing the GOOPER emblems ... pretty much the same as swastikas.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:51 PM

If Congress DID believe the President's lies, then when it became clear that he HAD lied, Congress was obligated to immediately impeach him and try him for treason.
****

Impeach Da Chimp! It's the right thing to do.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:54 PM

Warming temperatures damage cereal crops, report says
By DON THOMPSON Associated Press Writer
Article Launched: 03/16/2007 03:50:16 PM PDT

SACRAMENTO- Warming temperatures over the past quarter century have cut production of cereal crops worldwide by millions of tons and caused annual losses of roughly $5 billion, according to a study released Friday.

The news wasn't completely dire. The report from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory also said the damage has been offset by production gains from genetically modified crops and better farming techniques. Researchers also said they did not account for farmers making their own adjustments to cope with the rising temperatures.

"The warming we've already experienced since 1980 (about 0.7 degrees Fahrenheit) is having a major impact on the production of crops," the lead author, David Lobell, said in a telephone interview. "It is true that the impacts of climate change have been relatively small compared to the overall increase because of technology."

The study from the Livermore, Calif.-based lab is the first to examine how much global food production has been harmed by climate change, Lobell said.

The study estimated that the global temperature increase from 1980 to 2002 means 40 million fewer metric tons of barley, corn, rice, sorghum, soybeans and wheat are produced around the world each year, leading to an annual loss of $5 billion.

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_5453985

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:57 PM

rjsnj,

Rocky Anderson's speech is great. I am thinking of deluging my Congresspersons with it. I am even considering sending it to the Albuquerque Journal as an LTE. I am sure they won't report on it as a news story.

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 05:58 PM

· The Energy Diet
· Impact for Christians
· What is global warming?
· What you can do
· Key Resources and Organizations
How global warming goes against the grain

By Martin Mittelstaedt, Globe and Mail

The place where most of the world's people could first begin to feel the consequences of global warming may come as a surprise: in the stomach, via the supper plate.
[Read the article and link to their Climate Change series]

Global Warming likely to increase hunger: Hits the poor hardest

Climate change (or global warming) is already affecting and will dramatically impact food production patterns. Scientists also say that global warming causes larger and fiercer storms. As we witnessed in Indonesia and the Gulf Coast, those with few resources are typically hardest hit.

http://www.pcusa.org/hunger/features/climate.htm

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 05:58 PM

what's that noise ...

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:02 PM

Iraqi Women Silenced
By Andrea Buffa
TomPaine.com

Thursday 15 March 2007

Remember how the U.S. invasion of Iraq was supposed to liberate the women?

Normally not the subject of news stories, Iraqi women made headlines in three sensational stories last month. First there was the Sunni woman who accused Iraqi police officers of raping her. Since most of the Iraqi police are Shia, the issue became a sectarian row, with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki firing a top Sunni official who had the audacity to say the rape charge should be investigated.

In the same month, a woman suicide bomber killed more than 41 people at a college in Baghdad, one of the largest attacks by a woman suicide bomber since the war began. And finally, there is the ongoing story of four women who face the death penalty in Iraq, at least one of whom could be executed any day now. Human rights groups, such as Amnesty International, have questioned these women's trials for their lack of transparency and fairness, as well as a potential absence of legal representation.

Rapes, bombings, death sentences, and a discriminatory legal system; it is one of the unspoken facts of militarism that women often become the spoils of war. The Iraq war has been a disaster in many ways, but none so extreme as what it's done to Iraqi women.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/031607P.shtml

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:03 PM

Simple math on American KIAs
by Paul Goodman
Sat Mar 17, 2007 at 02:10:06 PM PDT

I have heard so much blather about the surge "showing signs". Did you know that 2007 is shaping up to be the worst year ever in terms of American KIAs?

My source is the website Iraq Coalition Casualty Count.

Simply stated there are 365 days this year. We have had 76 of them. 210 Americans have died in action.

365 days per year / 76 days * 210 deaths = 1008 deaths per year.

The previous yearly totals were:

Year US Deaths
2003 486
2004 848
2005 846
2006 821
2007 210
Total 3211

The previous record was 848. 1008 is a lull? America is truly finished if we buy that logic.

The death rate is at its highest AND the Shi'ites are laying low. They are hoping that BushCo will disappear and the next President will turn Iraq over to the Shi'ites and get out. They won't lay low forever. It's their country, they will always be there. We will not.

Get the troops out now.

****

Blather yes ... that's all that the GOOPERS and their idiotic trolls are good for.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:05 PM

Military Suicides in Iraq
by sobieraj
Sat Mar 17, 2007 at 02:00:05 PM PDT

Military casualties are often talked about. Yet nearly 4% of US Military casualties are suicides.
sobieraj's diary :: ::

I found it very saddening today when I updated our listing of Military Suicides in Iraq. The vast majority of the military suicides in 2006 were less than 25 years old, though several were over 40. It was hard to imagine the despair they must have felt, before they became another, "non-combat related fatality". They couldn't fathom going on one more patrol, one more mission. Many were on leave outside the theater of operations. The thought of going back was a thought they couldn't contemplate even one more time.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/3/17/165744/682

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:05 PM

So why is it that Republicans like pollution? I think I should market to the idiots pollution in a can. It will be a real hit with right wing moronic koolaid drinking trollies.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:06 PM

White House Backs Away From Miers Scapegoating
By: SilentPatriot @ 6:23 AM - PDT

Surprise Surprise. When this scandal first broke earlier this week, the White House tried to dismiss it away as a simple mismanagement mistake and laid blame on former White House counsel Harriet Miers. Now that they has been caught lying red-handed about where the original plan to purge the attorneys came from, they're quickly backing away from the claim that it was all Miers' fault. How can anyone believe a word they say anymore? Let alone defend them? I wonder where the next set of lies will lead us.

NYTimes:

The White House backed away today from its earlier assertions that the former White House counsel, Harriet E. Miers, was alone in hatching the idea to fire United States attorneys early in 2005.

“It has been described as her idea but … I don’t want to try to vouch for origination,” Mr. Snow said, according to The Associated Press. “At this juncture, people have hazy memories.”

The White House had said earlier this week that Ms. Miers, who succeeded Mr. Gonzales as White House counsel, initiated the idea in early 2005 of replacing all the prosecutors.

Mr. Snow said again Thursday that Ms. Miers had first proposed the dismissals, but Mr. Snow acknowledged in an interview that the e-mail shifted the time line earlier than the White House had previously said. Read More…

There you have it; the entire White House is now shifting timelines and claiming the Libby defense. I've got my TiVo set already, Karl. Me and Jack are waiting for your showdown with Leahy.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:08 PM

rjsnj,

I just sent the Albuquerque Journal a copy of the speech and I said "we must get rid of the cancerous regime in Washington, DC. Rocky Anderson is the Mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah and I salute him".

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 06:09 PM

Democrats: Restoring Accountability One Bill At A Time
By: SilentPatriot @ 5:03 AM - PDT

(Guest blogged by Logan Murphy)

The Democrats are proving they can multitask with the best of them. While our attention has been drawn toward countless scandals, hearings and investigations, Congress has been hard at work restoring accountability and transparency to our government.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/03/17/democrats-restoring-accountability-one-bill-at-a-time/#more-15334

****

And there's alot of accountability to restore with right wing moronic GOOPERS running the country into the ground.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:09 PM

Gonzales Implicated In Another Scandal
By: SilentPatriot @ 7:03 PM - PDT

As if the prosecutorial purge scandal wasn't enough, Alberto Gonzalez will be called to answer even more questions about his role in blocking an investigation into the warrantless wiretapping program. Keith provides some context.

Download (5889) | Play (4977) Download (2187) | Play (3131)

CBS is reporting Gonzales' days are numbered. How can he possibly survive this? And how long until we hear the "Clinton did it too!" defense?

Greenwald has more: Gonzalez's unprecedented efforts to block a FISA investigation:

Last July, it was revealed that the Office of Professional Responsibility in the Justice Department — the office "responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct involving Department attorneys" — repeatedly attempted to investigate whether DOJ lawyers acted improperly concerning their role in the President's warrantless eavesdropping program, but finally stopped their investigation because the President refused to give them the security clearances they needed to conduct the investigation.

Yesterday, Murray Waas reported in National Journal that it was Alberto Gonzales who advised the President to deny those clearances even after Gonzales "learned that his own conduct would likely be a focus of the investigation." The investigation which they blocked "would have examined Gonzales's role in authorizing the eavesdropping program while he was White House counsel, as well as his subsequent oversight of the program as attorney general." Read more…

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:10 PM

Why are right wing trollies so moronic? Maybe it's because they love pollution. They drink arsenic and lead for breakfast and inhale smog for dinner. The fools are all brain damaged.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:12 PM

Will Al Gore Host Live Earth Concert On The Capital Lawn?
By: SilentPatriot @ 3:30 PM - PDT

(Guest blogged by Logan Murphy)

He will if Harry Reid and Olympia Snowe have anything to say about it.

Reuters:

"Former U.S. Vice President and environment crusader Al Gore still has some pull in Washington, D.C. — getting a venue for a rock concert.

The former Democratic presidential candidate had wanted to highlight the need to address global warming by staging one of seven worldwide "Live Earth" concerts on the National Mall in the U.S. capital on July 7.

But two events already are scheduled for that day on the Mall so Gore reached out to a close friend in Congress, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, to use the front lawn of the Capitol — albeit a much smaller area.

Reid of Nevada and Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine have introduced a resolution in the Senate offering the Capitol grounds for the event. It would also have to pass the U.S. House of Representatives." Read more…

I can't think of a better place for Al to throw a party, can you? The only thing that might be louder than the concert is the sound of oil lobbyist's heads exploding all across DC. Learn more about Live Earth here.

****

There you go a concert for the right wing trollies.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:13 PM

It seems she has a problem with Gen Hayden calling Valerie a covert agent..And where has her wingnut husband Joe DeGenova been? I haven't heard or read anything about him in a long while…

****

Waxman cleaned the floor with GOP rag Victoria Toe-Stink:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/03/16/waxman-v-toensing/

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:14 PM

Gonzalesgate: The Emails Tell The Story
By: SilentPatriot @ 1:22 PM - PDT

Using the recently-disclosed internal White House/DoJ emails, Keith connects the dots and produces a cohesive narrative that shows how intimately involved the White House was in the politically-motivated purge of insufficiently loyal and partisan USAs.

Download (4403) | Play (3669) Download (1769) | Play (2455)

"'In good faith, of course.' Of course."

TPM has a helpful timeline as well.

(Nicole) UPDATE: PfAW explains why, when it comes to US Attorneys, loyalty was a one way street .

An Op-Ed in today's New York Times examines what the excuse "insufficiently pursued allegations of voter fraud" really means:

In its fumbling attempts to explain the purge of United States attorneys, the Bush administration has argued that the fired prosecutors were not aggressive enough about addressing voter fraud. It is a phony argument; there is no evidence that any of them ignored real instances of voter fraud. But more than that, it is a window on what may be a major reason for some of the firings.

The United States attorney purge appears to have been prompted by an array of improper political motives. Carol Lam, the San Diego attorney, seems to have been fired to stop her from continuing an investigation that put Republican officials and campaign contributors at risk. These charges, like the accusation that Mr. McKay and other United States attorneys were insufficiently aggressive about voter fraud, are a way of saying, without actually saying, that they would not use their offices to help Republicans win elections. It does not justify their firing; it makes their firing a graver offense. Read more…

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/03/16/gonzalesgate-the-emails-tell-the-story/

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:15 PM

I just sent the Albuquerque Journal a copy of the speech and I said "we must get rid of the cancerous regime in Washington, DC. Rocky Anderson is the Mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah and I salute him".
****

John,

Rocky Anderson draws quite a beat. He made basically the same speech in January 2007 when we drew over 1/2 million people to the capital mall.

Oh yeah in all fairness I must mention that the pro-warers drew 24 people to protest Jane Fonda.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:17 PM

I think World Court should go after should go after this admininstration for ignoring global warming. We are so far off base and will not cooperate with anyone on the planet regarding this issue. Maybe the World Court can get their attention by charging bush and cheney with Crimes Against Humanity.

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 06:17 PM

Yet another GOOPER scandal. Bush never investigated the leak:

James Knodell, director of the Office of Security at the White House, told a congressional committee today that he was aware of no internal investigation or report into the leak of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame. The White House had first opposed Knodell testifying but after a threat of a subpoena from the committee yesterday he was allowed to appear today.

Rep. Waxman recalled that President Bush had promised a full internal probe. Knodell repeated that no probe took place, as far as he knew, and was not happening today. Rep. Elijah Cummings said all of this was "shocking."
Waxman said that Knodell's office's lack of action was a "breach within a breach." Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton called this a "dereliction of duty."

Rep. Waxman at one point said that he regretted not being able to put up a video of the president promising a full probe but added, "I guess we will leave that to The Daily Show."

—-

Chairman Henry Waxman:
“Right after the Novak column appeared, there was an outrage that this was disclosing a covert agent… the White House still has not initiated an investigation, am I correct in that statement?”

Dr. James Knodell
“That’s correct.” via The Gavel

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:18 PM

KNODELL: I am not. [...]

KNODELL: Not in my office there is not.

CUMMINGS: And are you also saying there was no investigation?

KNODELL: Not by my office. [...]

WAXMAN: Do you know whether there was an investigation at the White House after the leaks came out?

KNODELL: I don't have any knowledge of an investigation within my office.

WAXMAN: Ever?

KNODELL: I do not.

WAXMAN: Because the President said he was investigating this matter, was going to get to the bottom of it. You're not familiar that any, you're not aware that any investigation took place?

KNODELL: Not within my office, sir.

And when did the White House explain that they had a process for investigating leaks of classified information? In October, 2003, while responding to questions about the Plame leak:

Apparently not.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:18 PM

Curveball, the Defector Whose Lies Led to War
By Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz
ABC News

Tuesday 13 March 2007

(Photo: ABC News)

The Iraqi defector known as Curveball, whose fabricated stories of "mobile biological weapons labs" helped lead the U.S. to war four years ago, is still being protected by the German intelligence service, an ABC News investigation has found.

Intelligence sources, who provided ABCNews.com with the first known photo of the man, say he has been resettled in a small town near the Munich headquarters of the German service, which has continued to honor its original commitment made when he fled Iraq in 1999.

Curveball's false tales became the centerpiece of Secretary of State Colin Powell's speech before the United Nations in February 2003, even though he was considered an "unstable, immature and unreliable" source by some senior officials at the CIA.

Powell told ABC News he is "angry and disappointed" that he was never told the CIA had doubts about the reliability of the source.

"I spent four days at CIA headquarters, and they told me they had this nailed," Powell said.

Behind the scenes at the CIA, however, a former senior official says he was trying to keep the Curveball information out of the Powell speech.

"People died because of this," said Tyler Drumheller, the former chief of European operations at the CIA, who has written about it in a new book, "On the Brink." "All off this one little guy who all he wanted to do was stay in Germany."

Drumheller says he personally redacted all references to Curveball material in an advance draft of the Powell speech.

"We said, 'This is from Curveball. Don't use this,'" Drumheller says. Powell says neither he nor his chief of staff Col. Larry Wilkerson was ever told of any doubts about Curveball.

"In fact, it was the exact opposite," Wilkerson told ABC News. "Never from anyone did we even hear the word 'Curveball,' let alone any expression of doubt in what Secretary Powell was presenting with regard to the biological labs," Wilkerson said.

Drumheller also says he met personally with the then-deputy director of the CIA, John McLaughlin, to raise questions about the reliability of Curveball, well before the Powell speech.

****

The scandalous lies Bush used to go to war.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:19 PM

Gonzales Pleads the Ken Lay Defense
By Glenn W. Smith
t r u t h o u t | Guest Contributor

Saturday 17 March 2007

With no apparent shame, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales pleaded the Ken Lay defense, also known by his own prosecutors as the "Aw, shucks" defense or the "deliberate ignorance" defense in his explanation of the political executions of United States attorneys by his office and the White House.

Gonzales tried to avoid any responsibility in the growing scandal by using the word "responsible" while ducking its consequences. He said, "I accept responsibility for everything that happens here within this department, but when you have 110,000 people working in the department, obviously there are going to be decisions made that I am not aware of in real time."

The late Kenneth Lay of Enron fame attempted this during his federal trial. So did former WorldCom exec Bernard Ebbers. When Lay tried it, federal prosecutor Kathryn Ruemmler said, "Over and over again, Lay chose not to ask hard questions. He did so trying to stick his head in the sand, and the law says you cannot do that."

In the WorldCom case, prosecutors mocked Ebbers for claiming he was an accounting ignoramus who didn't know about the fraud his underlings were committing. Juries didn't buy it with Lay, and they didn't buy it with Ebbers.

Now Gonzales faces the hopeless task of convincing his own criminal prosecutors that principles that apply to other defendants should not apply to their boss - him. He won't face this awkwardness in a courtroom, yet. He's not charged with anything. But what will he say to them in the hallways of the Justice Department?

Gonzales is trying to explain away the explosive revelations in the US attorneys scandal. The White House, including President Bush, chief conspirator Karl Rove and the DOJ, have been forcing the resignation of federal prosecutors they themselves appointed, but who follow the law rather than the partisan political directives of the power-mad hacks in charge of the government.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/031707B.shtml

****

GOOPERS using the Kenny Boy defense ... didn't work as I recall.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:20 PM

Whose Oil Is It, Anyway?
By Antonia Juhasz
The New York Times

Tuesday 13 March 2007

Today more than three-quarters of the world's oil is owned and controlled by governments. It wasn't always this way.

Until about 35 years ago, the world's oil was largely in the hands of seven corporations based in the United States and Europe. Those seven have since merged into four: ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and BP. They are among the world's largest and most powerful financial empires. But ever since they lost their exclusive control of the oil to the governments, the companies have been trying to get it back.

Iraq's oil reserves - thought to be the second largest in the world - have always been high on the corporate wish list. In 1998, Kenneth Derr, then chief executive of Chevron, told a San Francisco audience, "Iraq possesses huge reserves of oil and gas - reserves I'd love Chevron to have access to."

A new oil law set to go before the Iraqi Parliament this month would, if passed, go a long way toward helping the oil companies achieve their goal. The Iraq hydrocarbon law would take the majority of Iraq's oil out of the exclusive hands of the Iraqi government and open it to international oil companies for a generation or more.

In March 2001, the National Energy Policy Development Group (better known as Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force), which included executives of America's largest energy companies, recommended that the United States government support initiatives by Middle Eastern countries "to open up areas of their energy sectors to foreign investment." One invasion and a great deal of political engineering by the Bush administration later, this is exactly what the proposed Iraq oil law would achieve. It does so to the benefit of the companies, but to the great detriment of Iraq's economy, democracy and sovereignty.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/031507P.shtml

****

Bush's war to steal iraq's oil ... no scandal there I suppose ...

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:22 PM

Overblown Personnel Matters
By Paul Krugman
The New York Times

Monday 12 March 2007

Nobody is surprised to learn that the Justice Department was lying when it claimed that recently fired federal prosecutors were dismissed for poor performance. Nor is anyone surprised to learn that White House political operatives were pulling the strings.

What is surprising is how fast the truth is emerging about what Alberto Gonzales, the attorney general, dismissed just five days ago as an "overblown personnel matter."

Sources told Newsweek that the list of prosecutors to be fired was drawn up by Mr. Gonzales's chief of staff, "with input from the White House." And Allen Weh, the chairman of the New Mexico Republican Party, told McClatchy News that he twice sought Karl Rove's help - the first time via a liaison, the second time in person - in getting David Iglesias, the state's U.S. attorney, fired for failing to indict Democrats. "He's gone," he claims Mr. Rove said.

After that story hit the wires, Mr. Weh claimed that his conversation with Mr. Rove took place after the decision to fire Mr. Iglesias had already been taken. Even if that's true, Mr. Rove should have told Mr. Weh that political interference in matters of justice is out of bounds; Mr. Weh's account of what he said sounds instead like the swaggering of a two-bit thug.

And the thuggishness seems to have gone beyond firing prosecutors who didn't deliver the goods for the G.O.P. One of the fired prosecutors was - as he saw it - threatened with retaliation by a senior Justice Department official if he discussed his dismissal in public. Another was rejected for a federal judgeship after administration officials, including then-White House counsel Harriet Miers, informed him that he had "mishandled" the 2004 governor's race in Washington, won by a Democrat, by failing to pursue vote-fraud charges.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/031207O.shtml

****

Ah yeah, no scandal there I suppose ...

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:23 PM

Guantanamo Is Not a Prison
By Karen J. Greenberg
TomDispatch.com

Thursday 08 March 2007
11 ways to report on Gitmo without upsetting the Pentagon.

Several weeks ago, I took the infamous media tour of the facilities at Guantanamo. From the moment I arrived on a dilapidated Air Sunshine plane to the time I boarded it heading home, I had no doubt that I was on a foreign planet or, at the very least, visiting an impeccably constructed movie set. Along with two European colleagues, I was treated to two-days-plus of a military-tour schedule packed with site visits and interviews (none with actual prisoners) designed to "make transparent" the base, its facilities, and its manifold contributions to our country's national security.

The multi-storied, maximum security complexes, rimmed in concertina wire, set off from the road by high wire-mesh fences, and the armed tower guards at Camp Delta, present a daunting sight. Even the less restrictive quarters for "compliant" inmates belied any notion that Guantanamo is merely a holding facility for those awaiting charges or possessing useful information.

In the course of my brief stay, thanks to my military handlers, I learned a great deal about Gitmo decorum, as the military would like us to practice it. My escorts told me how best to describe the goings-on at Guantanamo, regardless of what my own eyes and prior knowledge told me.

Here, in a nutshell, is what I picked up. Consider this a guide of sorts to what the officially sanctioned report on Guantanamo would look like, wrapped in the proper decorum and befitting the jewel-in-the-crown of American offshore prisons… or, to be Pentagon-accurate, "detention facilities."

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/030907O.shtml

****
Revoking habeaus corpus, violations of the geneva conventions, violations of human rights ... no scandal there huh.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:24 PM

Another Grim Week in Iraq
The New York Times | Editorial

Saturday 10 March 2007

On Sunday in Basra, British troops stormed an Iraqi intelligence office and found about 30 prisoners, some of them tortured. Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki was outraged - not at the torture, but at the raid that halted it. Soon British troops will be leaving Basra, leaving Mr. Maliki and his security forces free to do as they please.

On Monday in Baghdad, a suicide bomber attacked a row of bookstores, killing 20 people. The White House insists that Baghdad is growing more secure, as the extra infusion of American troops ordered by President Bush begins to take up positions in threatened neighborhoods. And on it went. On Tuesday, sectarian attacks killed at least 118 Shiite pilgrims. Then on Thursday, The Times reported that the day-to-day commander of American forces in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, was recommending that those extra 21,500 combat troops - plus the 7,000 support troops Mr. Bush somehow forgot to mention - stay on into next year. On the same day, General Odierno's boss, Gen. David Petraeus, said that even more American troops could be needed in the near future.

Anyone who wanted to believe that all Mr. Bush was seeking was a short-term security push - as part of a larger strategy to extricate American troops from this unwinnable war - now needs to face up to a far less palatable reality. What is under way is a significant and long-term escalation. The Army cannot sustain these levels for more than another few months. And as long as Iraq's leaders refuse to make significant political changes, the civil war will continue to spin out of control.
****

Over 3000 americans dead, over 30000 wounded, over 70000 iraqi dead and for what ... bush's oil war ... no scandal there huh ...

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at

U.S. Attorney Round Up

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