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 06:26 PM

Plame Testifies Before Congress Today: She Confirms She Was "Covert" - Calls Outing a "Travesty"
By Greg Mitchell
Editor & Publisher

Friday 16 March 2007

Washington - Valerie Plame told a congressional committee today that she indeed did work in a "covert" status at the CIA, and referred to the "travesty" of the disclosure of that by administration officials and the media.

"I know I am here under oath, and I am here to say that I was covert," she said, disputing claims to the contrary.

Finally, today, she got to tell her story before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, where Democrats are eager to explore the circumstances of her outing and how the White House responded to the leak of her identity.

Rep. Henry Waxman, the chairman of the committee, kicked it off, by revealing what the CIA had cleared for him to state. Despite long claims by conservatives, she was indeed a "covert" agent, the CIA said, and "undercover," despite not being abroad at the time of her outing.

Plame then said she was honored to testify and "grateful for this opportunity to set the record straight."

She said she had served her country "honorably and as a covert agent" until her name was exposed in the media "after a leak by administration officials." Both the CIA and Plame declared that she was "covert" on the day Robert Novak outed her in a column in 2003.

****

Outing of CIA operative for political revenge by Cheney. Yeah, no scandal there either right?

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:27 PM

Lift the Curtain
By Bob Herbert
The New York Times

Thursday 08 March 2007

Neglect, incompetence, indifference, lies.

Why in the world is anyone surprised that the Bush administration has not been taking good care of wounded and disabled American troops?

Real-life human needs have never been a priority of this administration. The evidence is everywhere - from the mind-bending encounter with the apocalypse in Baghdad, to the ruined residential neighborhoods in New Orleans, to the anxious families in homes across America who are offering tearful goodbyes to loved ones heading off to yet another pointless tour in Iraq.

The trial and conviction of Scooter Libby opened the window wide on the twisted values and priorities of the hawkish operation in the vice president's office. No worry about the troops there.

And President Bush has always given the impression that he is more interested in riding his bicycle at the ranch in Texas than in taking care of his life and death responsibilities around the world.

That whistling sound you hear is the wind blowing across the emptiness of the administration's moral landscape.

U.S. troops have been treated like trash since the beginning of Mr. Bush's catastrophic adventure in Iraq. Have we already forgotten that soldier from the Tennessee National Guard who dared to ask Donald Rumsfeld why the troops had to go scrounging in landfills for "hillbilly armor" - scrap metal - to protect their vehicles from roadside bombs?

Fellow soldiers cheered when the question was raised, and others asked why they were being sent into combat with antiquated equipment. The defense secretary was not amused. "You go to war with the Army you have," he callously replied, "not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time."
'
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/030907F.shtml

****

Walter Reed out-patient facility, sending troops back that are wounded, cutting the VA budget in time of war. But, there's no scandal there right?

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:29 PM

I could go on for hours. This is the most scandalous corrupt filthy White House in history.
It's actually so bad that it's beyond impeachment. Skip the impeachment and head to trails for treason.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 06:31 PM

sally you stupid shit isn't saturday the night you go around burning down orphanages? get lost you moron.

no wait you should be heading to dc for the big right wing demo tomorrow. they'll need you to get their numbers up to the usual 5 or so....

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 06:47 PM

we got 20k today sally. you and your mom and ...well i guess that's about it really need to get there to help out michelle and the eagles..hahahahaha

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 07:02 PM

yes go pull out a few of your own molars with pair of pliers or something.

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 07:13 PM

rjsnj,

Do they have Police Dogs at Guantanamo? Heinrich Himmler had the concentration camp dogs (German Shepards) trained to lunge for the private parts of inmates. There were some pretty grotesque scenes. KKKarl probably has a scrap book with pictures that depict the carnage. He most likely shared it with gonzo.

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 07:16 PM

yeah, the troll is probably going to polish his monkey.

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 07:18 PM

I wonder if they hanged KKKarl's father as a War Criminal.

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 07:25 PM

hey sally here is a few numbers for you and the eagles to try and replicate...good luck...schmuck.

Police in Los Angeles said 5,000 to 6,000 protesters turned out for an anti-war rally there.

Earlier in the day, the group that organised the vigil, Christian Peace Witness for Iraq, held a service at Washington's National Cathedral that was attended by 3,500-4,000 people, organisers said.

Spain's protests were the largest in Europe, with some estimates putting the number of people taking part at 100,000

more than 3,000 people protested peacefully in Istanbul, Turkey, and about 1,000 in Athens.

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 07:27 PM

Orangutan,

Did you post that article the other day that talked about the mysterious collapse of Building 7 of the WTC where they mentioned that the building contained Enron evidence, WorldCom evidence and evidence on many many cases? All the evidence got blown up can, go figure.

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 07:35 PM

Frosty Elephant sure is doing his oppositional research today. Hopefully he learns how to construct a rational argument.
****

orangutan, I wouldn't hold my breath. He is a frosted moronic cow pie collector.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 07:37 PM

I wonder if they hanged KKKarl's father as a War Criminal.
****

I don't know about KKKarl father's but he should be hanged as a traitor.

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 07:38 PM

Do they have Police Dogs at Guantanamo?
****

John, that is one of the abuses. They did the same at Abu Ghraib. Oh you remember that where we were torturing women and children! No scandal there though!

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 07:40 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.

Posted by gregg on March 17, 2007 at 04:57 PM,

I knew that!

**********************************************

O m G, I am so stuffed. I'm a klutz in the kitchen, therefore, I don't fuss a lot when cooking. I guess that's why I like the boiled (crock pot) dinners. Corned beef and cabbage, with potatoes and carrots cooked separately, holy cow. The corned beef was so falling-apart-tender and the cabbage was so sweet cooked while nestled up to the corned beef. Woooo!

I remember my first time I had real corned beef. At my former significant others families home. Her mother told me the corned beef was on the stove and to help myself. Hey, small house, cafeteria-style, no big deal. However, in the mean time someone had put the platter of corned beef on the table, but left a plate of fat trimmings on the stove. Hey, I didn't know, I never had real home made corned beef, I'm not Irish and neither was my mom. So, yep I helped myself to a piece of the fat.

I thought everything was going okay, tasted great you know, until I was asked why I was eating the fat. Of course then it dawned on everyone of the inadvertent (I think) switch. Well, my girl friends sister like laughed until she wet herself(not quite). I really didn't know that it was that funny, but apparently...

Anyway, I felt pretty embarrassed, but unusually for my mom, we didn't know never tried cooking it. Then later I was thinking, much later, that the sister that supposedly had everything must not have had too much to laugh about if something that benign induced such uproarious laughter. A year, or so, later she was divorced, but I didn't realize this at the time we were raucously, albeit humorously, enjoying our St. Patty's Day dinner.

Oh, well, I still enjoy the St. Patrick's Day cuisine. Maybe even more now that I don't eat the fat. I hope the laughter fills their hearts to the extent that my stomach is full with the feast of the day.

All have a good night.

100

davidual on March 17, 2007 at 07:42 PM

we got 20k today sally. you and your mom and ...well i guess that's about it really need to get there to help out michelle and the eagles..hahahahaha
****

20k just in DC even in terrible weather where many plane flights were cancelled. We had 10L in LA and I still don't numbers from SF. This is just ANSWER coalition.

UFPJ will draw at least one million across the country.

MOVEON will draw more on Monday.

That's just here not counting international where there also was protests.

Yeah, Michelle Nazi and the Eagle dropping drew 100. That's an improvement from 24. They are on a roll ... LOL. Bunch of right wing baffoons carrying the master Bush's water.

101

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 07:44 PM

How is everyone tonight?

102

Marine on March 17, 2007 at 07:46 PM

atrios came up with the concept of the friedman unit . this piece has an amazing amount of references for predictions on when the iraq adventure would be over...

so many wrong guesses it takes away your breath

103

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 07:49 PM

That is the case you were counting on Fitz proving but, Richard armitage, a carreer bureaucrat with the State Department outed that bimbo. Don't you read the news?
****

Hey frosted elephant crap, get the sh*t out of your mouth. Even Fitzgerald said later that it was a travesty of justice that only Libby was convicted. There is a big difference between guilt and what can be proven in a court of law.

The only bimbo is you. You are dumb ahole frosted right wing troll.

Since the DNC won't bounce you for good it;s clear that we must all answer your lies.

Get lost frosty the clown.

104

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 07:49 PM

lots of snow here marine ( foot and a half or so ) but it is really pretty and fun to mess around in.

105

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 07:50 PM

The VA budget is being cut because the WWI vets are nearly all dead and WWII guys are leaving fast. It would be stupid to finance the VA for patients are no longer alive. There is no scandal there.
****

Again more lies. The VA budget is cut because Bush is robbing from Peter to give to Paul. He doesn't care that there are vets who can't receive the care they need once they are too wounded to fight. You right wingers are despicable slime.

106

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 07:51 PM

The oil is in the hands of the Iraqi's, the US hasn't stolen any of it. no scandal there
****

Again wrong Frosty the clown. The US is definitely pressuring their stooge Maliki to get the american oil companies PSA's. That would give them 70% of the profits over the next 30 years. But I don;t expect a dump ass troll like you to read.

Frosty you can try to contradict everything I said but it just makes you look stupider than you already are.

107

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 07:54 PM

You are living in a fantasy world of "Scandals" that put altogether do not ammount to even a days worth of Clinton sleaze.
****

the only sleaze on this blog is you - Frosty the sleaze bag.

108

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 07:55 PM

How is everyone tonight?
****

Just wonderful Marine. Digging out from 1/2 foot of nasty snow and ice.

109

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 07:56 PM

Department of Injustice
By Paul Krugman
The New York Times

Friday 09 March 2007

For those of us living in the Garden State, the growing scandal over the firing of federal prosecutors immediately brought to mind the subpoenas that Chris Christie, the former Bush "Pioneer" who is now the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, issued two months before the 2006 election - and the way news of the subpoenas was quickly leaked to local news media.

The subpoenas were issued in connection with allegations of corruption on the part of Senator Bob Menendez, a Democrat who seemed to be facing a close race at the time. Those allegations appeared, on their face, to be convoluted and unconvincing, and Mr. Menendez claimed that both the investigation and the leaks were politically motivated.

Mr. Christie's actions might have been all aboveboard. But given what we've learned about the pressure placed on federal prosecutors to pursue dubious investigations of Democrats, Mr. Menendez's claims of persecution now seem quite plausible.

In fact, it's becoming clear that the politicization of the Justice Department was a key component of the Bush administration's attempt to create a permanent Republican lock on power. Bear in mind that if Mr. Menendez had lost, the G.O.P. would still control the Senate.

For now, the nation's focus is on the eight federal prosecutors fired by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. In January, Mr. Gonzales told the Senate Judiciary Committee, under oath, that he "would never, ever make a change in a United States attorney for political reasons." But it's already clear that he did indeed dismiss all eight prosecutors for political reasons - some because they wouldn't use their offices to provide electoral help to the G.O.P., and the others probably because they refused to soft-pedal investigations of corrupt Republicans.

In the last few days we've also learned that Republican members of Congress called prosecutors to pressure them on politically charged cases, even though doing so seems unethical and possibly illegal.

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

****

Yeah, no scandal here.

110

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 07:57 PM

but at least he was out of our country for awhile:

Editorials
Latin test: Bush's trip earns a low grade

Saturday, March 17, 2007
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It is hard to say if President Bush's seven-day visit to five Latin American countries improved or worsened U.S. relations with that region.

He visited Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico, yet went with such a weak hand to play and so little to offer that it might have been better if he had stayed home.

bush next stop...Novaya Zemlya

111

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 07:59 PM

The GOP is the Sargent Schultz party. Remember him from Hogan's Heroes - the somewhat rotund German prison guard that seen no evil, heard no evil. Yeah, the GOP sees no scandal anywhere.

Now if it's some minor thing that a Democrat does, oh well that's a big scandal.

The GOP is full of crap and so are their craps.
They are the bimbos and whores that are stealing from the american people and the world.

112

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 08:00 PM

Well I have to tell you, the VA isn't doing so well with those budget cuts and they were never justified with declining WWI and WWII numbers. Instead, a reduction in the cost of services rendered was used to justify a decreased budget. It didn't happen the way that it was supposed to happen and now the only way the nation can keep the promise made to all the veterans out there is to increase the budget.

This isn't a surprise, not for those who live in this part of the world. Funding of the VA has been an issue for decades, long before we got involved in Iraq. It was obvious to everyone that the Iraq War would require an increased budget for the VA. I can't say why it wasn't increased. Maybe those making the decisions lacked experience leading combat missions. That might explain why they failed to prepare for the worst.

113

Marine on March 17, 2007 at 08:04 PM

Sargent Schultz. I knew they reminded me of someone. Now I remember who. Thank you for refreshing my memory rjsnj.

114

Marine on March 17, 2007 at 08:08 PM

gregg,

I assume Novaya Zemlya is in Russia or the Ukraine. I don't think he will be welcome in Russia. Novaya Zemlya = New Land

115

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 08:09 PM

Sargent Schultz. I knew they reminded me of someone. Now I remember who. Thank you for refreshing my memory rjsnj.
****

Marine, that's the GOP - I see nothing, I hear nothing, I know nothing ... yeah right! As one scandal after another is revealed they act as if nothing is going on.

116

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 08:19 PM

The GOP is full of crap and so are their craps.

That reminds me of one of Winston Churchills famous quotations.

"A riddle inside a mystery wrapped in an enigma".

The GOP changed it to "A lie inside a bigger lie
wrapped in crap". They are so proud that bush is so articulate. He's about as articulate as a dead frog.

117

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 08:23 PM

By the way, no one in NJ hears anymore about Menendez and corruption. Christie, the GOP attorney, drummed that up right around election time. That putz Kean Junior lost anyway.

Christie is at it again. It's election time for the state assembly and once again he's crying corruption, corruption over 100 Xmas gifts and the like. What foolishness! The GOP takes a country to war on false premises, abuses the troops but we should care about 100 dollar Xmas gifts. Oh yeah, the NJ GOP is also on Corzine's back because he may have paid for his girlfriend's (Karla Katz's) condo. Ummm GOOPERS that was a personal gift ... the last I checked it's not against the law to give gifts when they come out of your own money. Utter GOP trash.

118

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 08:24 PM

All told with all of the protests over 1 million people will show up. How many are showing up for the pro-war bunch ... 100! Impressive ...

119

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 08:26 PM

Maybe those making the decisions lacked experience leading combat missions. That might explain why they failed to prepare for the worst.
****

Marine, you mean like the President who was AWOL and the Vice President who got 5 deferrments from Vietnam. Ahhh, those "leaders".

The VA was improved vastly under the Clinton administration. Then along comes Bush and he decides to defund the vets. The reason ... he doesn't care about them or anyone else for that matter.

120

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 08:29 PM

They are so proud that bush is so articulate. He's about as articulate as a dead frog.
****

John, if he was just a baffoon that couldn't put a sentence together I could stand it. The problem is that he's a dangerous baffoon with an extreme right wing ideology. His ideology is extreme in all regards both domestic and foreign.
He's surrounded himself with people of a similar ideology and they continue to do harm even in the face of the reality that their policies do not work.

121

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 08:33 PM

I don't like what these people have done to our image in the world. It's obvious from Bush's reception in South America that we are not looked upon kindly, and close to home. We can't accomplish what we might like to with this wounded image.

Protests like those that "welcomed" Bush in South America have become common place around the globe. Nations we once worked closely with are resisting instead. As for the war on terrorism, if anything it has increased the likelihood that we may be attacked and has most certainly led to an increase in the occurance of overseas attacks on U.S. military and government personnel, in addition to increasing the same for U.S. journalists and civilians abroad.

With 53,000 casualties being generated from the war itself we can hardly say that we have accomplished the mission we set out to do when first we were concerned with preventing another U.S.S. Cole disaster, or even another 9/11. We have most certainly lost more as a result of our involvement in Iraq than we have gained. The real war on terrorism being fought in Afghanistan and elsewhere is another story, but just barely.

The war on terrorism in Afghanistan and elsewhere has been hurt by the Iraq War. Resources that would have been useful in combatting elements of terrorism in Afghanistan and elsewhere have instead been diverted to Iraq. This has left our overall mission underfunded, short on personnel, and short on supplies.

Tunnel vission has plauged our population and our politicians. This is a side effect of the Fog of War, that psychological disorder caused by excessive fear. The sad thing is that these sad little men and women self-generated the very fear that caused the tunnel-vision that has left our nation without a clear victory to celebrate following the attacks of 9/11.

I imagine that we would not be the nation we are today had the same happened following the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor. Had we divided our efforts then between Japan and China the outcome would likely have resembled that which we see today. Oh, how foolish we can be.

122

Marine on March 17, 2007 at 08:33 PM

He visited Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico, yet went with such a weak hand to play and so little to offer that it might have been better if he had stayed home.
****

gregg, it wwould have been better if he just stayed there. Isn't he building a bush fortress in Uruguay so he can hide out after he gets out of office?

123

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 08:35 PM

As for the war on terrorism, if anything it has increased the likelihood that we may be attacked and has most certainly led to an increase in the occurance of overseas attacks on U.S. military and government personnel, in addition to increasing the same for U.S. journalists and civilians abroad.
****

Marine, I agree with you. The best way to fight terrorism is cooperation. That's why I say that Bush & bunch are extreme right wingers even in foreign policy. They are unilateralists. They are also imperialistic and use the myth of spreading Democracy to cover advancing the interests of multinational corporations.

124

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 08:39 PM

Concerning the protests this weekend, they are following a different pattern than before. ANSWER and UFPJ are having separate protests. The protests are in many cities across the country rather than concentrating on just one city.

UFPJ is planning over 1000 protests the next two days. So if an individual protest is smaller than the ones in the past that is expected. When all the heads are counted, it will over one million in this country.

Also, for the first time, there are significant protests planned on college campuses. Yes, young people are finally getting engaged in this process. It's their future that is being squandered away by the GOP.

125

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 08:47 PM

Good blog Michael Link. I learned a lot about the case from the attached timeline of the case.

From what I have read, these attorney firings were all about what Karl Rove meant when he said “...selectively replace them...” (the U.S. Attorneys). Mr. ‘Rove around accountability’ wanted to wait to fire people like a squirrel holding a nut in its mouth. Waiting to use his ability to fire people to push back on the judicial process against future corruption investigations that might threaten the never make any mistakes Republican Party officials. I wish President Clinton has never started this type of firing because it appears others want to build on his political ideas.

talkingpointsmemo.com documents on January 6, 2005, White House Deputy Counsel David Leitch emailed Kyle Sampson, then at the Justice Department...

In the memo, Leitch relays to Sampson questions from Karl Rove who, according to Leitch's colleague at the White House counsel's office Colin Newman, is curious "how we planned to proceed regarding US Attorneys, whether we were going to allow all to stay, request resignations from all and accept only some of them, or selectively replace them, etc."

Evidently, Karl Rove views justice on corruption as against the Republican Party’s agenda...and those who bypass the U.S. Law loyal to the Republican Party’s agenda. Rove is a disgrace to his own party and to any party of these United States.

Rove nothing but helps Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney do some kind of political wake dance around the graves of our soldiers to avoid Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney accepting any accountability for this war.

He’s not helping his party or Mr. Bush, he’s only helping himself to see how far he can go at trying to outsmart the rest of us, including members of his own party now.

This man leaked the name and CIA affiliation of a covert agent because he knew or didn’t know then that because of the wide leak of the chain of identities the CIA would then not be able to release more information on how much intelligence in Iraq was gathered and reported. He either intimidated the CIA itself to be silent or he wasn’t smart enough to know he did it when he did it. Ask him to his face like he pushes his politics in front of ours. Was he or wasn’t he smart enough to know the damage he would do?

126

ElizabethJW on March 17, 2007 at 08:52 PM

I think Waxman hit on the right remedy for Rove. There should be an investigation into whether Rove misused his security clearance. If so, it should be revoked. That's the right line of investigation to pursue especially given that the Bush administration admits they did not follow the procedures that should be followed when a leak occurs.

127

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 08:59 PM

The Plame Leak Chart
Submitted by davidswanson on Sat, 2007-03-17 14:11. Congress | Evidence

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4283

128

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 09:12 PM

Who else did the Bush DoJ target?
by Kagro X
Sat Mar 17, 2007 at 02:48:01 PM PDT

As predicted, part of the fallout of the scandal surrounding the political dismissal of U.S. Attorneys around the nation is that every public figure under federal investigation on charges of public corruption (or anything else, for that matter) is now able to credibly claim that they're the target of a partisan witch-hunt, and call the integrity of their local U.S. Attorney into question. After all, given what we've learned in the past few days, if you're still on the job with this "administration," you're highly suspect. People will want to know how far and how often you've bent over backward in service to the Karl Rove agenda.

David Kurtz at TPM has picked up on the theme, finding the seeds of doubt being cast about the activities of the U.S. Attorney in Pittsburgh.

TPMmuckraker also has a letter from one of the dismissed U.S. Attorneys, Bud Cummins of the Eastern District of Arkansas, which makes the same observation:

[T]he public must perceive that every substantive decision within the department is made in a neutral and non-partisan fashion. Once the public detects partisanship in one important decision, they will follow the natural inclination to question every decision made, whether there is a connection or not.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/3/17/162828/967

129

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 09:14 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%

130

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 09:17 PM

FL-10: Dems target Young's seat
by kos
Sat Mar 17, 2007 at 10:14:15 AM PDT

Rep. C.W. Bill Young is one of those Republicans that shouldn't have an easy re-election every two years. His is a 51 percent Bush district, so evenly matched. Yet in his 38 years in the House, only once he got less than 65 percent of the vote. Democrats have simply given him a pass year after year after year.

But that is about to change. Part of it is that much of the low-hanging fruit was taken in 2006, so we have to look at districts like FL-10 for the next wave of pickup opportunities. But more so is Young's involvement and lack of efforts to protect our veterans.

Young’s name has come up in the investigation of recently exposed patient care problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital. Young said he became aware of problems during his almost weekly volunteer visits to the hospital with his wife and repeatedly contacted Lt. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley, the former commander of Walter Reed.

Young said he used his role as an appropriator to push to fund a new lab at Walter Reed and a new phone system at Fort Carson in Colorado to make it easier for patients there to make appointments.

But Democrats have seized on Young’s statement last week at a House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing that he “did not go public with these concerns, because we did not want to undermine the confidence of the patients and their families and give the Army a black eye while fighting a war.”

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/3/15/181716/734

131

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 09:18 PM

Prepare your nostrils for the smell of roasting chicken hawk.
by sassykathy46
Sat Mar 17, 2007 at 04:46:28 PM PDT

Brace yourselves. I am going to bring up the unmentionable: impeachment. Yeah yeah, I've heard that the Democrats don't have the votes. I beg to differ - last week has changed the entire political scene.
sassykathy46's diary :: ::

Nearly everyone in America is far more aware today than last Saturday that this Administration is more in need of impeachment than any other in American history. Last week it became painfully obvious that both intelligence and justice have become politicized in the last six years of Republican misrule. I am a regular peace demonstrator and I thought there was a noticeable change of the public mood last night at a demonstration I attended. I noticed that we demonstrators encountered a far more enthusiastic reception than I have ever before noticed. We also encountered fewer negative responses in the form of the ocassional finger or sneer. The Senate vote might be iffy but, impeachment proceedings begin in the House where members tend to be in closer touch with the pulse of the electorate and a vote there would be much closer than in the Senate.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/3/17/175842/915

132

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 09:24 PM

So here's where y'all are.

Extra Star added to CIA Wall of killed covert agents due to Plame name leak:

THE CIA MEMORIAL WALL

The Pugs blew a 20 YEAR multi Billion Dollar network because diaper boy had a hissy fit, and ended up KILLING an undercover CIA agent.

Typical, when the Political Policy managers are running the show rather than the Government Policy managers.

This CHILD is insane.

133

DPD on March 17, 2007 at 09:26 PM

The Pugs blew a 20 YEAR multi Billion Dollar network because diaper boy had a hissy fit, and ended up KILLING an undercover CIA agent.
****

dpd, at the very least, Rove should lose his security clearance. I think Valerie Wilson will win a civil lawsuits against these thugs.

I am not sure any of them will be convicted for treason though I am sure that some of them are responsible for that death. Maybe there really is a good reason why Bush is building a fortress in Paraguay ...

134

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 09:30 PM

It looks to me like certain members of the White House and the Republican Party elect thought they could use the Judicial Branch to go along with their secret political plans behind these firings but could not use them in that manner. Because the few members of the judicial branch foolish enough to go along with them were emailing everyone like the politics behind it wasn’t a secret.

Isn’t that just like some Republican officials...to think they can pull the wool over the publics eyes as far as corruption cases go through our very own Judicial system? In a lot of ways it’s the same old, same old.

It was a mistake of the past Republican Congress to have allowed this new 502 provision to happen at all or at least without some kind of restrictions on it. That was also part of the usual mistake of the Republican elect not to recognize the ethics in doing things. Like the ethics behind when Clinton fired all 93 attorneys, at least he did it with notifying the Senate Committee on the Judiciary so they could watch and monitor what he was doing before and after.

135

ElizabethJW on March 17, 2007 at 09:36 PM

Maybe there really is a good reason why Bush is building a fortress in Paraguay ...

Posted by rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 09:30 PM,

Just imagine Poppy's security after he leaves office. It will take, literally, a 15,000 man force to protect this man. However, one cannot help imagining, WHY protect him? The only answer I can think of is precedence; ex-president and all. Other than that I'd say send him to Baghdad.

lurk.

136

davidual on March 17, 2007 at 09:40 PM

bush has a military base adjacent to his property in Paraguay on the Uruguay border. They are probably Blackshirts (Nazi Brownshirts) sent there to protect their fuhrer.

Many of the leading Nazi criminals fled to Argentina after the war. Looks like bush will follow the pattern.

137

Johnedwrd on March 17, 2007 at 09:49 PM

Thanks for mentioning The CIA Memorial Wall, DPD. This adds to my theory about how smart Rove is or isn't, doesn't it?

138

ElizabethJW on March 17, 2007 at 09:50 PM

You are confused, US Attornies do not work for the Judicial Branch - they work for the executive branch - they work for the President.
****

Another frosted lie. They work for the Attorney General. The AG and the US attorneys under him are expected to be non-political. Bush and his crime family consigliore Gonzalez tried to use the attorneys as political hachet men. Thus the scandal.

139

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 09:53 PM

Wal-Mart drops bank charter request
LA Times
From the Associated Press
March 17, 2007

Stymied by a phalanx of opponents including big banks and unions and dogged by conflicting messages about its intentions, Wal-Mart withdrew a bid for a banking license Friday.

The world's largest retailer withdrew its application to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for a bank charter after nearly two years of what it called "manufactured controversy."

It was the Bentonville, Ark.-based company's fourth unsuccessful attempt since 1999 to open a bank after previous efforts in Oklahoma, California and Canada were stopped by regulators or lawmakers.

****

Ain't that a shame ... not!

140

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 09:55 PM

Posted by ElizabethJW on March 17, 2007 at 09:36 PM

ALL U.S. Attorneys serve a 4 year appointment. Clinton DID NOT "fire" anybody, and in fact only replaced around 74 immediately because those people submitted their resignations, the rest were kept on until the Senate approved ALL of them with the exception of Michael Chertoff, who (with Clinton's blessings) was kept on due to being involved in a complicated case in New Jersey involving a DEMOCRAT.

Reagan appointed replacements for the Carter era, Bush I kept a few Reagan holdovers, and Clinton kept the ones who weren't approved, if they didn't want to leave until a Senate confirmation hearing for the new guy or gal was conducted.

Once Chimpy showed up ALL were gone, as is the usual rule, but there was NO Congressional oversight, so it was an easy breezy for them.

What's different about THIS situation is that the targeted US Attorneys were chosen for purely political reasons. THAT IS CRIMINAL (Look up the Schackman Decree).

Short History

141

DPD on March 17, 2007 at 09:58 PM

Bush Fear mongering dis-information example
FBI: Extremists Seek School Bus Work

Austin-American Statesman
By LARA JAKES JORDAN

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — Suspected members of extremist groups have signed up as school bus drivers in the United States, counterterror officials said Friday, in a cautionary bulletin to police. An FBI spokesman said, "Parents and children have nothing to fear."

Asked about the alert notice, the FBI's Rich Kolko said, "There are no threats, no plots and no history leading us to believe there is any reason for concern," although law enforcement agencies around the country were asked to watch out for kids' safety.

The bulletin, parts of which were read to The Associated Press, did not say how often foreign extremists have sought to acquire licenses to drive school buses, or where. It was sent Friday as part of what officials said was a routine FBI and Homeland Security Department advisory to local law enforcement.

Bush criminality

Holly crap! The cows are exploding again! Look out for poison gas spraying toy airplanes! Weapons Of Mass Destruction! The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! Quick, under the covers!

****

Yeah so why release such news if parents have nothing to fear. Every time the Bush crime family gets into hot water they start with the fear mongering. It's always the same pattern - here's some scary news but don't worry about it because we don't think it's true.

142

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 09:58 PM

And The Attorney General works for the President.
***

No kidding you figured that out. The AG is expected to be non-political. But not with the Bush crime family. They use the AG as a political hachet man.

Frosty, you can keep trying to contradict me but you are just making a jerk out of yourself. I have no desire to converse with you. Get it!

143

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:04 PM

A brutal day with chlorine bombs in Iraq
by Joe Sudbay (DC) · 3/17/2007 11:52:00 AM ET
Discuss this post here: Comments (74) · digg it · reddit · FARK · · Link

Four years later:
Three trucks rigged with chlorine bombs exploded in the insurgent stronghold of Anbar province Friday, in the latest efforts by insurgents to use the toxic chemical to boost the lethal power of their attacks, U.S. military officials announced Saturday.

The U.S. officials said at least 350 people and seven U.S. soldiers were injured and two policemen were killed in the attacks. As many as 10 civilians may have been killed in two of the blasts near Fallujah, said Col. Sami Jabara, a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior.

Labels: Iraq

144

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:05 PM

Iraq: focusing on the wrong things
by AJ in DC · 3/16/2007 08:34:00 PM ET
Discuss this post here: Comments (51) · digg it · reddit · FARK · · Link

The Pentagon finally admits that Iraq (or, as the report says, "some elements of the situation in Iraq) faces a civil war. The report comes to conclusions similar to those of the Iraq NIE, saying, basically, that things are really bad and "big challenges remain." Well, then.

The most telling information, though, is not the number of attacks but rather the measures of civil society. I think we're basically past the "blame the media" point, wherein the news apparently was hiding the true utopia in Iraq, but at this point I'd argue it's actually the reverse: that by focusing primarily on attack numbers, the media obscures the fact that Iraq as a whole has ceased to be any kind of functional state. I mean, how often do you see this kind of information on your TV:
[J]udges who don't succumb to the myriad threats against them often fear handing down guilty verdicts against defendants with ties to insurgent groups or militias . . . the Iraqi prison system remains overcrowded, and correctional services are "increasingly infiltrated by criminal organizations and militias" . . . The economy, too, is crippling Iraq's ability to recover . . . Inflation in 2006 averaged 50 percent. And while estimates of unemployment range from 13.4 percent to as high as 60 percent, a January 2007 survey by the U.S. military's Multi-National Division-Baghdad found that only 16 percent of the city's residents say that their current income meets their basic needs. And the daily power situation remains dismal . . . the number of daily hours of power in Baghdad was 6.6 in the last quarter of 2006 . . .
Those are stunning numbers. Inflation at 50%. Fully 84% of the population don't have the income to provide for basic needs. Fewer than 7 hours of power every day (which isn't just a matter of refrigeration and air conditioning, remember, that means businesses can't function).

And they blame the U.S. for all of this.

Two thirds of Iraqis say that conditions for peace and stability are worsening. They're right.

145

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:06 PM

Please ignore the outed CIA agent, and the perjured Attorney General, behind the curtain
by John Aravosis (DC) · 3/16/2007 03:42:00 PM ET
Discuss this post here: Comments (154) · digg it · reddit · FARK · · Link

Surprise! Terrorism is everywhere! Be afraid! Change the story! From the Associated Press:
Suspected members of extremist groups have signed up as school bus drivers in the United States, counterterror officials said Friday, in a cautionary bulletin to police.
Then read the next line:
An FBI spokesman said, "Parents and children have nothing to fear."
Is it The Onion or the FBI? You decide. Either way, yet again, sounds like another total lie in order to change the subject from outed CIA agents, from perjured Attorney Generals, from bigoted real generals, from convicted top aides, from disastrous wars, and more.

146

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:07 PM

Watch Valerie Plame's testimony, highlights of this morning's hearing
by John Aravosis (DC) · 3/16/2007 03:15:00 PM ET
Discuss this post here: Comments (73) · digg it · reddit · FARK · · Link

Plame opening statement (all courtesy of PoliticsTV)

http://www.politicstv.com/blog/?p=1878

In case you missed it ...

This was a the testimony of a dedicated public servant whose career was destroyed by Vush, Rove and Cheney over a petty poltical revenge.

147

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:09 PM

Germany Continues Its Pursuit of CIA Agents
By: Nicole Belle @ 1:40 PM - PDT

Der Spiegel: (h/t Barbara)

The US is not happy about Germany going international with its hunt for the CIA agents responsible for kidnapping Khaled el-Masri. American diplomats vented their anger in meetings with German government officials.

The case of Khaled el-Masri has managed to drive a wedge between Washington and Berlin. The German investigation into what exactly happened to the German citizen Khaled el-Masri, and who was responsible, is becoming an increasingly prickly thorn in the side of Germany-US relations. Indeed, after a Munich court issued arrest warrants against 13 CIA agents at the end of January for complicity in his kidnapping and subsequent torture, high-ranking US diplomats sought to convince the German government not to expand the search for the perpetrators internationally, German government sources have told DER SPIEGEL.

Following the Jan. 31, 2007 issuing of the arrest warrants, US diplomats spoke with foreign policy advisors of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to express Washington's displeasure that the case was being forwarded to Interpol, the international police organization that facilitates policing cooperation among 186 member countries — including the US and Germany.
****

They should issue arrest warrants for Bush and Cheney. Oh well ... it won't happen but if there was any justice it should.

148

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:11 PM

Valerie Plame’s opening statement: “I was a covert officer.” So says Gen. Hayden
By: John Amato @ 12:11 PM - PDT

Waxman's hearing started today and Valerie took the stand. She explained her role in the CIA and what it means to be covert and says her cover was blown. Plame described the moment when she realized she was outed. Taylor Marsh: "Today, Valerie Plame Wilson spoke in public before Rep. Waxman's committee, describing the day her husband came in and dropped the newspaper on the bed and said: "He did it." There's much more in the clip….

Update: As Christy says…"Apparently, Victoria Toensing still wants to argue what the meaning of "covert" is. But according to Gen Hayden, current head of the CIA, Valerie Plame Wilson was a covert CIA agent at the time that her name was published by Robert Novak."

149

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:13 PM

Bush "Pugnacious" As GOP Strategists, White House Allies Call For Gonzales Resignation
President Bush is the main force holding up the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, GOP sources say tonight. CBS News reports:

Republicans close to the White House tell CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod that President Bush is in "his usual posture: pugnacious, that no one is going to tell him who to fire." But sources also said Gonzales' firing is just a matter of time.

The White House is bracing for a weekend of criticism and more calls for Gonzales to go. One source tells CBS News he’s never seen the administration in such deep denial, and Republicans are growing increasingly restless for the president to take action.

Also tonight, CNN's Suzanne Malveaux reported: "Wolf, I have to tell you, I've spoken to a lot of people who are friends of those here at the White House and GOP strategists. They want Gonzales gone. They're putting a lot of pressure on this president. One of them said, look, Gonzales has a constituency of one, and that is the president. But tonight, Wolf, White House officials who I've spoken to say that that is exactly the person who's saving his job, that the president does not intend to let him go." More

150

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:14 PM

Posted by davidual on March 17, 2007 at 09:40 PM

Interesting, that just sparked a nerve back in the old "Way Back" Machine. The Pugs CHANGED the Secret Service laws so that former Presidents DO NOT get life-time protection when they decided to pay the President $400K per year, rather than $200K. The trade off was ONLY 10 years of Secret Service for the Ex-Prez and his wife,(NOTHING for the kids once they hit 18), which could be extended by the sitting President as need be.

(Or, for that matter, DENIED).

The Pugs thought it was "too expensive" to pay for a small crew to guard Lady-Bird for the hundred (or so) years they have been doing it, so they decided to fork out the money up front so they can "cut Government spending" on the books only.

(Which, of course, gives them more money to steal).

151

DPD on March 17, 2007 at 10:14 PM

Rove Joins Gonzales as a Target
The new e-mails showing Karl Rove's early involvement in the decision-making over the firing of U.S. attorneys are inconclusive on the central question underlying the dismissals: did President Bush or his top advisers put their own political interests ahead of the public interest? But on Capitol Hill, where ill-will toward the White House is growing by the day, lawmakers are more interested in learning who, if anyone, lied to Congress — and these e-mails will only further raise suspicions and keep investigators digging.

The e-mails show Rove was involved early on in figuring out which and how many U.S. attorneys would be fired. A Jan. 6, 2005, e-mail from one White House lawyer to another states that Rove wanted to know "how planned to proceed regarding U.S. Attorneys, whether we were going to allow all to stay, request resignations from all and accept only some of them, or selectively replace them, etc."

It's impossible to tell from this e-mail what position Rove took on the issue, only that he was interested in finding out what the plan was. But it does appear to fly in the face of White House attempts to distance top Administration officials from the firings. More

152

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:15 PM

Strategist Says Gonzales Is "Finished" -- Rohrbacher (R) says Gonzales should go
Pressure mounted on the White House Thursday to fire Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for the abrupt dismissal of U.S. attorneys. More Republicans called for his ouster, and one Republican strategist close to the White House told CBS News that Gonzales is "finished."

Congressman Dana Rohrbacher became the latest Republican to say Gonzales should go, reports CBS News White House correspondent Jim Axelrod.

"Even for Republicans this is a warning sign ... saying there needs to be a change," said Rohrbacher. "Maybe the president should have an attorney general who is less a personal friend and more professional in his approach." More

153

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:15 PM

Blumenthal: All roads lead to Rove
The Bush administration's first instinct was to shield Karl Rove from scrutiny when Congress began inquiring about the unusual firings of eight U.S. attorneys. Among the replacements, the proposed new U.S. attorney for Arkansas happened to be one of Rove's most devoted underlings, his head of opposition research, Tim Griffin, who boasted during the 2000 presidential election about the effectiveness of the negative campaign against Al Gore: "We make the bullets!" Griffin also posted a sign in his department at Bush headquarters: "Rain hell on Al!" A letter written by the Department of Justice in late February informed Congress: "The department is not aware of Karl Rove playing any role in the decision to appoint Mr. Griffin." Despite this categorical disavowal, a sheaf of internal Justice Department e-mails released this week to Congress under subpoena revealed Kyle Sampson, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' chief of staff, writing in mid-December 2006, "I know getting him appointed was important to Harriet, Karl, etc." Harriet, of course, was Harriet Miers, then the White House legal counsel.

(snip)

This effort began two generations ago with Richard Nixon's drive to forge an imperial presidency, using extralegal powers of government to aggrandize unaccountable power in the executive and destroy political opposition. Nixon was thwarted in the Watergate scandal. We will never know his full malevolent intentions, but we do know that in the aftermath of the 1972 election he wanted to remake the executive branch to create what the Bush administration now calls a "unitary executive." Nixon later explained his core doctrine: "When the president does it, that means it's not illegal." Karl Rove is the rightful heir to Nixonian politics. His first notice in politics occurred as a witness before the Senate Watergate Committee. From Nixon to Bush, Rove is the single continuous character involved in the tactics and strategy of political subterfuge. More

154

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:16 PM

I don't want to talk to you either cause you are dopey, but when you say dumb things I will continue to correct you.
****

Good! Then why don't you have a conversation with yourself jerkoff.

155

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:17 PM

Excerpts From E-Mails on U.S. Attorneys
Excerpts from e-mails regarding the firings of eight federal prosecutors, signed off upon by the White House legislative, political and communications offices:

"Tim said he got a call from Bud offering this idea: that Tim come on board as a special AUSA (assistant U.S. attorney) while Bud finalizes his private sector plan. That would alleviate pressure/implication that Tim forced Bud out. Any thoughts on that? Tim seemed relatively excited about that option this morning on the phone."

-- Aug. 24, 2006, e-mail from J. Scott Jennings, White House deputy political director to Kyle Sampson, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' chief of staff. The two were discussing the ouster of U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins' ouster in Little Rock, Ark., and his replacement, Tim Griffin. Jennings wrote from an e-mail address of "gwb43.com," which online tracking records show is registered to the Republican National Committee.

"We're a go for the U.S. atty plan. WH leg, political and communications have signed off and acknowledged that we have to be committed to following through once the pressure comes."

-- Dec. 4, 2006 e-mail from Deputy White House Counsel William K. Kelley to Kyle Sampson, Gonzales' chief of staff and copied to White House Counsel Harriet Miers. More

156

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:18 PM

It upsets me greatly that the Bush administration blamed the CIA for faulty intelligence, especially after Rove leaked the name and CIA affiliation of a covert agent. Because either Rove was smart enough to know, or not smart enough to know, that because of the wide leak of the chain of identities, the CIA would then not be able to release more information on how much intelligence in Iraq was gathered and reported.

At that point, the institution could not defend itself or inform the public more of what went on behind the Iraq war.

For all any of us know, Hussein wanted the international intelligence community to think he had weapons of mass destruction as a way to protect himself. Maybe Hussein was playing it like Israel plays WMD, saying maybe they have them, maybe they don’t. Maybe that’s what the CIA thought might have been what was going on but wasn’t sure, I don’t know.

All I know is that it was wrong for the White House to exploit the different levels of CIA confirmed information about Iraq to hide their decisions behind. The CIA’s job is information and only about information. What the White House does with those levels of information is the White Houses responsibility.

157

ElizabethJW on March 17, 2007 at 10:19 PM

Gonzales Chief Of Staff Rebuts Rove Claim That Clinton Purged Prosecutors Too
At a speech last week in Little Rock, Karl Rove described the Bush administration’s purge of federal prosecutors as "normal and ordinary," claiming that Clinton did the same thing. "Clinton, when he came in, replaced all 93 U.S. attorneys," Rove said. "When we came in, we ultimately replace most all 93 U.S. attorneys - there are some still left from the Clinton era in place. ... What happened in this instance, was there were seven done all at once, and people wanted to play politics with it."

But in an e-mail to Harriet Miers on Jan. 9, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's chief of staff Kyle Sampson (who resigned yesterday) admitted that the Clinton administration never purged its U.S. attorneys in the middle of their terms, explicitly stating, "In recent memory, during the Reagan and Clinton Administrations, Presidents Reagan and Clinton did not seek to remove and replace U.S. Attorneys to serve indefinitely under the holdover provision." More
****

It's so much fun when the liars are caught lying.

158

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:19 PM

DPD on March 17, 2007 at 10:14 PM,

You're right. I forgot about that change to ten years, for security, when the pay doubled for the president.

I'd still just as soon see him retire to Baghdad, Poppy, Cheney, Rove...oh, hell the whole damn administration.

159

davidual on March 17, 2007 at 10:26 PM

For all any of us know, Hussein wanted the international intelligence community to think he had weapons of mass destruction as a way to protect himself.
****
Elizabeth, many people thought that was exactly Hussein's tactics. He was basically blustering much like the one in Iran does today. Hussein was no threat to the United States.

Every weapon inspector from Scott Ritter to David Kay to Hans Blick said he had nothing. But, we all know from the Downing Street memos that Bush was determined to go to war. Paul O'Neil said that in the early days of the Bush presidency, he seen plans in Rumsfeld's possession for breaking up Iraqi oil amongst various american multinationals. It's clear they planned for a long time to overthrow Hussein and privatize the Iraqi oil.

160

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:27 PM

rjsnj, happy saint patty's day. this little green thing running around must be a troll.

got a nice solid snow up here today. the streams were already over their banks due to the rain we had so when this melts it should be quite dynamic.

161

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 10:29 PM

Gonzales Lied Under Oath, Said All Bush-Appointed Attorneys Would Be "Senate-Confirmed"
A little-noticed provision slipped into the Patriot Act in 2005 allows the President to appoint "interim" U.S. attorneys for an indefinite period of time, without Senate confirmation. On Jan. 18, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales assured the Senate Judiciary Committee that the administration never intended to take advantage of it:

GONZALES: "And so let me publicly sort of preempt perhaps a question you’re going to ask me, and that is: I am fully committed, as the administration's fully committed, to ensure that, with respect to every United States attorney position in this country, we will have a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed United States attorney." ...

But in mid-December, an e-mail by Gonzales's chief of staff, D. Kyle Sampson (who resigned yesterday), showed that the Justice Department clearly intended to skirt the Senate altogether and use the Patriot Act provision to appoint U.S. attorneys that would serve until the end of Bush's term. More

***

Even more Gonzo lies.

162

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:29 PM

the ag is trying to mend fences. bwahahahahahaha..

Gonzales Apologizes to U.S. Attorneys

- - - - - - - - - - - -

By DEB RIECHMANN Associated Press Writer

March 17,2007 | WASHINGTON -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, facing another tough week amid calls for his ouster, has offered a mea culpa to the nation's 93 U.S. attorneys for the way the Justice Department fired eight of their colleagues.

During the conference call, planned as a pep talk to raise morale at a Justice Department tainted by the firings and the FBI's misuse of the Patriot Act, Gonzales apologized for how the dismissals were handled and for suggesting there were problems with the prosecutors' job performances.

163

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 10:30 PM

Good evening, all.

Just stopping by.

I wonder if anyone has ever surveyed the troops in the field to see what they think the mission in Iraq is. Has the “Army Times” done such a survey?

For over five years now the Bush administration has stated one mission after another which is constantly changing. I'd really like to hear from those actually risking their lives as to what it is they think they must do in Iraq.

And I'm not talking about lofty goals like fighting for the American way of life or fighting them there so we don't have to fight them here. What specifically is the military mission in Iraq?

If the military mission at this point is to train and support the Iraqi troops till they decide to protect their own people, how can we ever measure this? Maybe I'm missing something here.

I'd really like to think that there was something our troops could do in Iraq that could be quantitatively evaluated. Is there a way to evaluate how many Iraqi soldiers are loyal to this new democracy and to each other? Can we evaluate how many will ever support the political situation President Bush forced on them?

I'm going to send a letter to the editor of the Army Times asking them to conduct such a survey. It's time to find out why all these soldiers feel they are being re-deployed every 12 to 15 months.

It's a huge sacrifice to ask of any armed force...to be separated from home and family for long periods of times over and over again. I want to hear from them what it will take for them to feel that the job is done. What do they think they must do before it is alright to leave?

The political forces in this country are stymied. The American people are at a loss as to what we can do to help the situation. It's obvious that only those directly involved day-to-day have the answer. We need their imput.

Many of those stationed in Iraq are citizen soldiers...National Guard and Reservists. They need to act as citizens as well as soldiers. As fellow Americans, our friends and neighbors, please tell us what can be accomplished in another four years of military surges that hasn’t be accomplished in the last four.

164

SandyH on March 17, 2007 at 10:31 PM

got a nice solid snow up here today. the streams were already over their banks due to the rain we had so when this melts it should be quite dynamic.
*****

Happy St Pat's to you gregg.

What a nasty day it was digging out from the snow & ice. Snow wasn't too bad but the ice was two inches deep on the ground.

165

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:32 PM

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, facing another tough week amid calls for his ouster, has offered a mea culpa to the nation's 93 U.S. attorneys for the way the Justice Department fired eight of their colleagues.
****

Not good enough! Gonzo must go.

166

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:33 PM

oh my goodness the temple of capitalism is getting on the al gore train...this leaves rush and coltface and the right wing nuts swimming in a smaller and smaller pond of stupidity:

Investors to press Congress on warming
Sat Mar 17, 2007 1:41PM EDT
By Timothy Gardner

NEW YORK (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 (MER.N: Quote, Profile, Research), 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.

you better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone for the times they are a changin

167

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 10:34 PM

not much you can do with ice that thick rjsnj cept use it in a martini mixer...

168

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 10:36 PM

evening sandy.

169

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 10:36 PM

not much you can do with ice that thick rjsnj cept use it in a martini mixer...
****

gregg, that's what I should have with it! Next time ...

170

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:38 PM

I'd really like to hear from those actually risking their lives as to what it is they think they must do in Iraq.
****

Hi Sandy,

The documentary The War Tapes may give you some insight though clearly it's not a survey:

http://thewartapes.com

Many of the troops that were interviewed think they are there merely to protect the corporations.
I am not sure they resent that universally bit I am sure some do.

171

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:41 PM

oh my goodness the temple of capitalism is getting on the al gore train...this leaves rush and coltface and the right wing nuts swimming in a smaller and smaller pond of stupidity:
****

Yes indeed gregg, yes indeed. Time is indeed a wasting. We must stop arguing with these foolish right wingers who are just protecting the oil companies and trying to discredit environmentalists on political grounds. The right hates environmentalists just as they hate unions because they perceive both as the political activist base of the Democratic Party.

172

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:45 PM

Well, time to say goodnight. It's time to protest the Bush junta tomorrow in NYC. Be sure to check the United for Peace and Justice web site as well as Moveon for protests in your area.

BBL

173

rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:46 PM

Rallies in Canada and U.S. protest Iraq war, Afghan mission
Thousands of demonstrators across Canada and the United States held rallies on Saturday to protest the fourth anniversary next week of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. The Canadian marches also took aim at the country's mission in Afghanistan.
Full Story:

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/03/17/protest-afghanistan.html

174

DemocratKickingAss on March 17, 2007 at 10:56 PM

2 children killed as bomber targets Canadian convoy
A suicide bomber targeted a Canadian military convoy in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, injuring a Canadian soldier and killing two children, a military spokesman said.
Two other civilians, a child and an adult, were wounded in the attack, said Canadian navy Lieut. John Nethercott. Full Story:

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/03/17/afghanistan.html

175

DemocratKickingAss on March 17, 2007 at 10:57 PM

Iraqis killed by chlorine bombs
19 bodies found in Baghdad, six in Mosul
• NEW: Pentagon on Saturday announces deaths of seven U.S. soldiers
• Three chlorine gas truck bombs explode in Anbar on Friday, U.S. military says
• At least 350 Iraqis sickened, two killed in attacks
Iraqis stand by the wreckage of a car bomb that exploded Saturday in the town of Mahmoudiya.
Full Story:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/03/17/iraq.main/index.html

176

DemocratKickingAss on March 17, 2007 at 11:00 PM

Posted by gregg on March 17, 2007 at 10:30 PM

gregg,

When is Gonzales going to act like a professional and quit pandering to those he has libeled? When is he going to apologize to the American people for being such a sanctimonious ass?

I find Gonzales' behavior with regards to nullifying habeus corpus and rendition, legalizing the spying of citizens without a court warrant, and his justification of Presidential signing statements that render laws passed by Congress useless as not in keeping with a free democratic society.

His conduct with regards to legalizing torture doesn't measure up to any standard of civilized society.

He is a disgrace to everything I hold dear. If he had any common decency, he'd resign and/or drink a cup of hemlock.

He obviously can't do either, so we are stuck with this ridiculous display of cowardliness for another 20 months. He is just another albatross that the people of this nation must carry on our shoulders till this administration bites the dust in January, 2009.

You wonder just how much more damage they have done to our democracy that hasn't come to light yet. Gonzales is acting so guilty that you know there is more revelations to come.

God give us strength to wait out these bastards.

177

SandyH on March 17, 2007 at 11:00 PM

Past U.S. attorneys outraged by prosecutor purge.

Gonzales apologizes.

Sampson Contradicts Gonzales Over Resignation

...and more, ...AND MORE (and this one is NOT to be missed...and the knives come out

THIS will get bloody. I Guess seeing Scooter get tossed under the bus, and Harriet being painted as the "INCOMPETENT IDIOT WHO ..." (oops I meant, ""Exceptionally Qualified Lawyer who should be on the Supreme Court...")

OOPS! I meant...

Criminals who are ALL connected to Little Prince Charmin...

They change stories quicker than Fast Johnny Double-Talk, ya know? Used to work wit Joey Coconuts, and Mugsy Da Pipe.

178

DPD on March 17, 2007 at 11:00 PM

Posted by gregg on March 17, 2007 at 10:34 PM

I hope this is a good sign. But as I recall the corporates all got on the universal health care train with Hillary and then left her at the station.

179

SandyH on March 17, 2007 at 11:02 PM

good for you rjsnj. catch some good food when its over...should be some real cheap corned beef meals in the pubs.

180

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 11:02 PM

sandy, they are like a pack of dogs. their loyalty is as good as the amount of money you are helping them make. if you run into a problem they will walk around your corpse as if they can't see it...like dogs do.

181

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 11:15 PM

Renewable fuels is an interesting concept.

A botanist at a nature preserve once explained to me how the native American praire grasses grew over 10 feet tall all the way from the Mississippi River to the Rockies at one time. If those grasses could be grown again and altered by scientists to use as fuel, we would be in the drivers seat so to speak.

I get disturbed with the idea of growing corn, a food source, only to use it as fuel for machines when there are so many starving people on this earth.

I guess that's why Europe decided to go nuclear energy...that and maybe they think there is going to be a shortage of drinkable water, too? You can't grow corn without fresh water especially when people need it, too.

What kind of jam have we humans got ourselves and all the other living things on this planet into with our greed for speed and quick profits?

182

SandyH on March 17, 2007 at 11:17 PM

Posted by gregg on March 17, 2007 at 11:15 PM

gregg,

I didn't know dogs would do that. I know they will attack as a unit if they sense fear or weakness.

Corporates or multinationals are in a real quandary these days. The Communists or the terris seem to hold all the cards on them.

183

SandyH on March 17, 2007 at 11:20 PM

Sandy, Repugs will eat their own just to save their own skins, and then skin the carcass of their fallen comrades just to have an extra skin.

Repug "LOYALTY OVER ALL"? HAH!! They'll throw anybody off the cliff if it's expedient.

With Bushco, Loyalty is a One-Way Street.

184

DPD on March 17, 2007 at 11:24 PM

goodnight folks. nice to see you all.

185

gregg on March 17, 2007 at 11:30 PM

'Nite, gregg.

186

DPD on March 17, 2007 at 11:34 PM

Posted by rjsnj on March 17, 2007 at 10:15 PM

rjsnj,

Maybe he should, but Junior never does what any adult would do. He treats the White House like it's a frat house. He can't sell out his brothers. Rumsfeld is still working out of the basement yet.

It's embarrassing that our government presents such a juvenile face to the rest of the world. Rohrbacher has a point. It’s a shame he can’t do anything more about it than any of the rest of us.

The Congressional Republicans babied Bush for six years giving him the latitude to do anything he pleased just like his parents did all his life. Bush thinks he can ignore the consequences of all this administration’s actions; and because of the way they set him up, he pretty much can.

187

SandyH on March 17, 2007 at 11:37 PM

Repug "LOYALTY OVER ALL"? HAH!! They'll throw anybody off the cliff if it's expedient.

With Bushco, Loyalty is a One-Way Street.

Posted by DPD on March 17, 2007 at 11:24 PM

DPD,

There is a condradiction here worth noting. The GOP has always been loyal to each other to a fault. They hold the ranks when there is an important vote even if they don't agree with it.

But where is Bush's loyalty to the GOP beyond his own administration? He's throwing them all under the bus and sacrificing everything Reagan gained for them, too. Their base is shrinking back to what it once was...bigots and big business.

Do you really think the Republicans have it in them to turn on Bush?

Look at how they can't even produce one viable Presidential candidate. They don't believe in themselves or their agenda anymore. The American public senses it and is repulsed by the ineptitude they now see in everything that the GOP did in the last decade.

We Democrats have always delivered on what we say we will do. While we occassionally fall down, we always get back up and straighten out any messes we or the Republicans make. The GOP is incabable of fixing anything.

It's such a stark contrast, especially now.

I'm going to call it a night, too. It was good to blog with you a bit.

St. Pat's Day was cold and snowy like it so often is. But it was also warm and friendly to be around others who care and live life so passionately.

The only Republicans I saw today were helplessly drunk and afraid of showing how lost they really are. The rest don't drink, which was lucky for the rest of us...more to go around.

Good night to you all.

188

SandyH on March 18, 2007 at 12:03 AM

G'Nite, Sandy

189

DPD on March 18, 2007 at 12:18 AM

G.O.P. Anger in Swing State Eased Attorney’s Exit

By CHRISTOPHER DREW and ERIC LIPTON
Published: March 18, 2007

ALBUQUERQUE, March 17 — The first whiff of something suspicious came when a 15-year-old boy received a voter registration card in the mail. Soon a second one arrived. Then his 13-year-old neighbor got one, too.

Neither boy had applied for the cards, and it looked as if their signatures and birthdates had been forged. It was August 2004, and the local authorities quickly traced the problems to a canvasser for a liberal group that had signed up tens of thousands of voters for the presidential election in this swing state.

State Republican leaders demanded a criminal investigation. And with the television cameras rolling, the United States attorney, David C. Iglesias, a boyish-looking Republican, promised a thorough one. “It appears that mischief is afoot,” Mr. Iglesias said, “and questions are lurking in the shadows.”

The inquiry he began, however, never resulted in charges, so frustrating Republican officials here that they began an extraordinary campaign to get rid of him that reached all the way to President Bush.

Mr. Iglesias was the target of fierce criticism by lawmakers and political operatives, more so than any of the other seven prosecutors whose dismissals have set off a furor in Washington, interviews and a review of Justice Department documents show.

Rated a top performer by department officials early in 2005, Mr. Iglesias was the last added to the department’s hit list. That occurred last fall soon after a group of lawmakers, including Senator Pete V. Domenici, Republican of New Mexico, complained about lax voter fraud prosecutions to Mr. Bush, who relayed those concerns to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales.

Several Republican leaders here insist that while their main grievances involved partisan issues, from possible voter fraud to corruption cases involving prominent Democrats, they also considered Mr. Iglesias too cautious and ineffective.

“If you watched felony events take place and you reported it to police, would you be happy if they didn’t do anything?” asked Allen Weh, the state Republican Party chairman, who said he complained to an aide to Karl Rove, the White House political adviser. “That is the kind of stuff that makes the average person’s blood boil.”

Mr. Iglesias defended his handling of the vote-fraud and other investigations, saying his critics did not have access to the findings that guided his decisions. He says the attacks occurred because state Republican leaders felt betrayed, figuring “We helped the guy get the position, he owes us some kind of fealty.”

Mr. Iglesias said he had believed that his bosses shared his view that United States attorneys should stay above the fray. “I thought I was insulated from politics,” he said in an interview. “But now I find out that main Justice was up to its eyeballs in partisan political maneuvering.”

Since his ouster, Mr. Iglesias has received support from other federal prosecutors, who say the department failed to honor its obligation to ensure that decisions about prosecutions are free of political taint.

“People who understand the history and the mission of the United States attorney and Justice Department — they are uniformly appalled, horrified,” said Atlee W. Wampler III, chairman of a national organization of former United States attorneys and a prosecutor who served in the Carter and Reagan administrations. “That the tradition of the Justice Department could have been so warped by that kind of action — any American should be disturbed.”

gop pimps will put their own kids on the street to get an advantage

190

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 06:55 AM

great frank rich column:

Frank Rich: The Ides of March 2003

Tomorrow night is the fourth anniversary of President Bush’s prime-time address declaring the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the broad sweep of history, four years is a nanosecond, but in America, where memories are congenitally short, it’s an eternity. That’s why a revisionist history of the White House’s rush to war, much of it written by its initial cheerleaders, has already taken hold. In this exonerating fictionalization of the story, nearly every politician and pundit in Washington was duped by the same “bad intelligence” before the war, and few imagined that the administration would so botch the invasion’s aftermath or that the occupation would go on so long. “If only I had known then what I know now ...” has been the persistent refrain of the war supporters who subsequently disowned the fiasco. But the embarrassing reality is that much of the damning truth about the administration’s case for war and its hubristic expectations for a cakewalk were publicly available before the war, hiding in plain sight, to be seen by anyone who wanted to look.

By the time the ides of March arrived in March 2003, these warning signs were visible on a nearly daily basis. So were the signs that Americans were completely ill prepared for the costs ahead. Iraq was largely anticipated as a distant, mildly disruptive geopolitical video game that would be over in a flash.

Now many of the same leaders who sold the war argue that escalation should be given a chance. This time they’re peddling the new doomsday scenario that any withdrawal timetable will lead to the next 9/11. The question we must ask is: Has history taught us anything in four years?

Here is a chronology of some of the high and low points in the days leading up to the national train wreck whose anniversary we mourn this week [with occasional “where are they now” updates].

March 5, 2003

“I took the Grey Poupon out of my cupboard.”

— Representative Duke Cunningham, Republican of California, on the floor of the House denouncing French opposition to the Iraq war.

[In November 2005, he resigned from Congress and pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from defense contractors. In January 2007, the United States attorney who prosecuted him — Carol Lam, a Bush appointee — was forced to step down for “performance-related” issues by Alberto Gonzales’s Justice Department.]

so much bullshit

191

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 06:58 AM

hey is alberto gonna be our next supreme court justice??hahahahaha

192

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 07:02 AM

bushworld:

Bomb Kills 4 U.S. Soldiers In Baghdad
Fifth Soldier Dies In Non-Combat Related Incident As Security Crackdown Continues
BAGHDAD, March 18, 2007

AP) A roadside bomb killed four U.S. soldiers patrolling western Baghdad, the military reported on Sunday, while another soldier died in a non-combat related incident.

The four soldiers died Saturday, the military said in a statement. Small arms fire followed the blast, wounding another soldier. The attack occurred as the soldiers were conducting patrols as part of a month-old security operation to end sectarian violence in the capital, the statement said.

So far this month, the soldiers' battalion had found eight weapons caches and two roadside bombs, as well as helping to rescue a kidnap victim, the military said.

Another soldier also died Saturday in a non-combat related incident, the military said in a second statement. The circumstances were under investigation, it said.

The victims' names were withheld pending family notification.

Separately, two policemen and two civilians were killed in other incidents Sunday in Baghdad, police said.

A roadside bomb hit an Iraqi police convoy in eastern Baghdad, killing two policemen and wounding five others, authorities said. Two vehicles were damaged.

Later, police said a mortar round landed near a house in central Baghdad, killing a civilian and wounding another.

In Shorja market, Baghdad's most popular central shopping district, a man tossed a grenade into a group of workers, police said. One worker was killed and another was wounded. The suspect escaped through a nearby alley, they said.

The Shorja market has been bombed several times, including a large truck bomb last month. But the area was turned into a pedestrian zone after a U.S.-Iraqi security crackdown began in Baghdad on Feb. 14.

Also Sunday, an abandoned hotel exploded in an industrial area of Fallujah, 40 miles west of Baghdad. Police said insurgents had planted bombs in the three-story building and then detonated it at dawn. Half of the building was destroyed.

Iraqi troops had taken over part of the building's roof as a base, police said. There were no reports of casualties.

In Diwaniyah, 80 miles south of Baghdad, fierce fighting erupted between U.S. troops and elements of the Shiite Mahdi Army, police said. There were no reports of casualties, and the U.S. military had no immediate comment.

Police also found an unidentified man's body with signs of torture, dumped in central Diwaniyah.

The U.S. military said U.S. troops captured 12 suspected militants Sunday in raids across Iraq.

The operations targeted members of al Qaeda in Iraq and others suspected of building and planting roadside bombs, the military said in a statement.

Five suspects were detained in Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad, the statement said. All were accused of involvement in car bomb and rocket attacks on U.S. troops, it said.

Ramadi is the provincial capital of Iraq's volatile western Anbar province.

Also in Anbar, troops captured three suspects accused of ties with al Qaeda in Iraq in Habbaniyah, 50 miles west of Baghdad, the military said.

In the capital, two men were detained for allegedly procuring bomb-making materials, the statement said.

And in Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad, two others were detained. They were accused of helping foreign fighters come to Iraq, as well as of involvement in roadside bomb operations, it said.

193

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 07:08 AM

l.a. times:

Gonzales' plight puts Bush at risk
Aides focus on keeping the controversy at Justice from spreading.
By Doyle McManus, Times Staff Writer
March 18, 2007

WASHINGTON — As more Republicans called last week on Alberto R. Gonzales to resign, President Bush's aides began to look beyond the attorney general and focus on preventing the controversy over the firing of federal prosecutors from spreading — and endangering Karl Rove, the president's top political advisor.

"This is not going to go away," warned Joseph E. DiGenova, a former U.S. attorney in the Reagan administration. "I'm sure the president is going to let it go as long as he can … but there's only so much bleeding he can take."

The fracas over the fired prosecutors reflects a larger underlying problem for Bush: His political standing as president, already battered by the war in Iraq and domestic missteps like the handling of Hurricane Katrina, has only continued to erode since his party lost control of Congress in November.

Initially, the dispute centered on the Justice Department, Gonzales and his top aides. But documents released last week suggested that Rove and former White House Counsel Harriet E. Miers were also involved in the decision to fire eight U.S. attorneys after the 2004 election. That brought the issue to the threshold of the Oval Office and prompted reporters to ask whether Bush had been involved.

"I want you to be clear here: Don't go dropping it at the president's door," White House spokesman Tony Snow said Friday when asked about Bush's involvement.

Although U.S. attorneys are presidential appointees who can be removed at the president's discretion, the firings have flared into a potentially damaging issue for the administration because of indications that they may have resulted from political pressure.

Gonzales and his aides initially told Congress that the prosecutors were fired because their performance was unsatisfactory. But documents released last week showed that officials also discussed whether the U.S. attorneys had been "loyal Bushies," in the words of one Justice Department e-mail.

Democrats, with their new majorities in the House and Senate, quickly jumped on the issue.

Bush's diminished popularity, combined with his administration's disdain for Congress' view of legislative prerogatives, have given the president a slimmer margin for error — even with members of his own party.

"You've got Republicans in Congress who have run out their string with him," said Norman J. Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the largely conservative American Enterprise Institute.

The shift to Democratic control has accelerated the controversy.

"Elections matter," Ornstein said. "If the Republicans were still in charge of Congress, even by one vote, the reaction to this would have been that it was just a personnel matter. The administration might still have had a problem, but it would have taken a lot longer to develop."

Several leading Republicans said they expected Gonzales to resign in the next few weeks.

nomopo-litical cap-a-tal

194

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 07:13 AM

for those who wake up with a crisp and crackling brain, try to grok this:

uhhh...wajasay?

195

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 07:16 AM

good morning

Iraq experts say draft oil industry law fraught with problems

[]
"There are many question marks hanging over this draft law," said Dhia al-Bakaa, former president of the Iraqi State Oil Marketing Organisation (SOMO).

"Why the timing? Why the hurry when we still lack political, economic and security stability," Bakaa asked a recent conference organised by the non-governmental Iraqi Centre for Strategic Studies.

"The Iraqi National Oil Company should have been restructured before the government endorsed the draft law, to allow INOC to develop the giant oil fields so that they would not face pressure and extortion in the future."

Issam Chalabi, an oil minister under executed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, said the bill did not take "into account our greater national interests."

It was adopted "to satisfy US President George W. Bush," who called on the newly installed Maliki government last June to restore electricity in Iraq, adopt a new investment law and restructure the oil industry, he said.

Chalabi also charged that Iraqi oil exports over the past four years have gone "unchecked and unaccounted for."
[]

196

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 07:35 AM

In the email, Leitch relays to Sampson questions from Karl Rove who, according to Leitch's colleague at the White House counsel's office Colin Newman, is curious "how we planned to proceed regarding US Attorneys, whether we were going to allow all to stay, request resignations from all and accept only some of them, or selectively replace them, etc." (talkingpointsmemo.com, detailed timeline of the case, January 6, 2005, White House Deputy Counsel David Leitch emailed Kyle Sampson, then at the Justice Department.)

From what I have read, these attorney firings were all about what Karl Rove meant when he said “...selectively replace them...” (the U.S. Attorneys). Mr. ‘Rove around accountability’ wanted to wait to fire people like a squirrel holding a nut in its mouth. Waiting to use his ability to fire people to push back on the judicial process against future corruption investigations that might threaten the never make any mistakes Republican Party officials agenda so they can make more mistakes if it benefits them.

I wish President Clinton had started this aggressive type of attorney firing because Karl Rove appears to want to recklessly build on Mr. Clinton’s political ideas without any type of oversight from our Institutions, Congress or the people.

It looks to me like Karl Rove and certain members of the Republican Party elect thought they could use the Justice Department to go along with their secret political plans behind these firings to avoid public corruption scandals but could not use members of the Justice Department in that manner. The few members of the Justice Department foolish enough to go along with the idea were emailing everyone like the politics behind it wasn’t a secret.

Karl Rove may also want a political control of these certain States for some reason, so lets keep an eye on these replacement attorneys before, during and after election time.

Karl Rove leaked the name and CIA affiliation of a covert agent and knew or didn’t know that the wide leak of the chain of identities would silence the CIA from being able to release more information on how much intelligence in Iraq was gathered and reported to the GOP. Ask him to his face like he pushes his politics in front of ours; was he or wasn’t he smart enough to know the damage the leak would do? Was he or wasn’t he smart enough to arrange the cover up for what the GOP should have known about Iraq or did it just happen accidentally from his stupidity?

197

ElizabethJW on March 18, 2007 at 07:36 AM

good morning fade. a nice steady 25 degrees here in the hudson valley with a foot and a half of snow on the ground. temp will probably be 80 this afternoon with iguanas running amok on the thruway...

198

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 07:37 AM

sorry, the link

McCain doesn't know what he thinks about condoms and HIV prevention. go home and take a nap, you freak!

199

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 07:41 AM

for some reason i really want al gore to run, win and undo everything bush has done. so when i read this in newsweek i feel hopeful even though i know its unlikely. also i'd like him to ask laurie david to ask larry david if he is ever gonna produce anymore "curb you enthusiasm episodes:)

Gore on the Un-Campaign Trail
Newsweek

March 26, 2007 issue - Since the documentary he starred in, "An Inconvenient Truth," won an Academy Award, speculation has only increased about Al Gore's potential entry into the presidential race. He is not taking any overt steps toward running, and that may be the cleverest strategy of all. A Democratic strategist sent Gore a memo sometime ago suggesting he announce, but forgo the traditional campaign trail and continue promoting the cause of global warming. He would be the nonpolitical candidate. Word came back: Gore isn't running. But in fact he is. Whether it results in an official run depends on what the field looks like six months from now. Laurie David, who helped bankroll Gore's film, and whose "personal fantasy" is that he run, says that when she presses him, he's always coy and says his cell phone is breaking up. "I believe him when he says he doesn't have any intention of running," David told NEWSWEEK. "But I also believe the door is not completely shut."

As part of his noncampaign, the former VP is returning this week to Capitol Hill for the first time since he left the White House to testify before the House and Senate about global warming. Gore will warn that the problem is accelerating so fast that any solution must be more than incremental. "The danger is they'll do some small fix that allows them to claim credit without facing up to the problem," says an adviser who did not want to be on the record seeming to disparage Congress.

A leading indicator of his intentions could be Gore's waistline. The theory is that slimming down will be a signal he intends to run. "He has lost a few pounds, and Hillary can read into that what she wants," says a longtime adviser who declined to be identified discussing his boss's figure. Gore has always been a voracious eater, and at 58, the pounds don't come off so easily. He is trying to be healthier, working out daily when he can.

Gore is also finishing a book that sure seems like a prelude to something. "The Assault on Reason," to be published in May, is about "the forces in society that are undermining democracy," says Roy Neel, Gore's chief of staff. The manuscript has gone through three rewrites in the past month because of new Bush administration scandals. Gore undoubtedly knows that he'd lose his iconic status the minute he got in the race. But Earth Day is coming up. Laurie David and Sheryl Crow will lead a college tour that will culminate with a rally in Washington. Perfect setting for a presidential announcement, but Gore won't be there. He'll be conducting a virtual reunion of the thousand "climate messengers" he has trained to carry on his crusade.

—Eleanor Clift

200

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 07:42 AM

fade, i read that bit about mccain. he needs to drop out of the presidential race and take a tenth grade health course.

i like the fact that gore is coming out with a book titled "the assault on reason", it ( i am sure ) will go directly to just the kind of make believe confusion mccain is offering about condoms.

for saying such dangerous and stupid crap st. mccain should be forced to do an entire meet the press session with both he and pumpkin head wearing ribbed condoms pulled down over their heads.

201

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 07:47 AM

morning gregg,

Where is Einstein when you need him?

202

Johnedwrd on March 18, 2007 at 07:49 AM

morning john. yeah i was trying to understand that thing but once they mention string theory and the geometry of the universe i go back to my dick and jane books.

203

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 07:51 AM

Posted by ElizabethJW on March 18, 2007 at 07:36 AM

Rove is not stupid. he knew exactly what he was doing. his failure is a result of the young staffers using email. Rove learned to never leave a chain of evidence from his Nixon years.

Rove also did not build upon anything Clinton did.

One thing is for sure, the American people don't give a shit. So, we pretty much get what we deserve. There were more protesters overseas than right here in the usa...and another hundred BILLION war dollars approved by our so-called "leaders" Friday. shell games.

DNC staffers were not in DC this weekend by design. There are WAY too many democrats who love this war.

204

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 07:52 AM

From what I have read, these attorney firings were all about what Karl Rove meant when he said “...selectively replace them...” (the U.S. Attorneys). Mr. ‘Rove around accountability’ wanted to wait to fire people like a squirrel holding a nut in its mouth. Waiting to use his ability to fire people to push back on the judicial process against future corruption investigations that might threaten the never make any mistakes Republican Party officials agenda so they can make more mistakes if it benefits them.

I wish President Clinton had never started this politically aggressive type of attorney firing because Karl Rove appears to want to recklessly build on Mr. Clinton’s political ideas without any type of oversight from our Institutions, Congress or the people, like Mr. Clinton used.

Karl Rove may also want a political control of these certain States for some reason, so lets keep an eye on these replacement attorneys before, during and after election time.

Karl Rove leaked the name and CIA affiliation of a covert agent and knew or didn’t know that the wide leak of the chain of identities would silence the CIA from being able to release more information on how much intelligence in Iraq was gathered and reported to the GOP. Ask him to his face like he pushes his politics in front of ours; was he or wasn’t he smart enough to know the damage the leak would do? Was he or wasn’t he smart enough to arrange the cover up for what the GOP should have known about Iraq or will he admit it just happen accidentally from his stupidity?

205

ElizabethJW on March 18, 2007 at 07:52 AM

Morning, Dems

Sunday lineup from Kos:

* Meet the Press: Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY); ex-Rep. Tom Andrews (D-ME); ex-House Maj. Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX); AEI's Richard Perle; Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA). Schumer to talk about US Atty purge; other four to discuss Iraq.

* Face the Nation: Defense Sec. Robert Gates; Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). Gates to talk Iraq, Walter Reed. Feinstein to talk about US Atty purge

* This Week: Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT); Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX); NSA Stephen Hadley; Unity 08 & L&O's Sam Waterson; roundtable of Time's Jay Carney, Donna Brazile, Claire Shipman, and George Will. Leahy v. Cornyn on US atty purge; Hadley to talk about Iraq

* Fox News Sunday: ex-U.S. attys Bud Cummins and David Iglesias; Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA); Sen. John Kerry (D-MA); Obama for America's Alyssa Mastromonaco.

* Late Edition: ex-NSA Zbigniew Brzezinski; Rep. John Murtha (D-PA); NSA Stephen Hadley; Gen. George Joulwan (Ret); NYT's Michael Gordon; Col. Pat Lang (Ret); James Carville; Candy Crowley; Human Events editor Terry Jeffrey. Given the guests, this week's Late Edition is all Iraq.

* Reliable Sources: TalkLeft's Jeralyn Merritt on Gonzales, Prosecutor Purge, and the role of the blogs. (mcjoan)

206

Cyn_NY on March 18, 2007 at 07:53 AM

morning fade and Elizabeth.

207

Johnedwrd on March 18, 2007 at 07:54 AM

Posted by ElizabethJW on March 18, 2007 at 07:52 AM

you are, once again, completely incorrect in your assertion that Clinton started this type of....

where are you getting your information?

The corrupt (EVIL) Bush administration is the first to use justice as a political cover. I refuse to go back to the basics.

You are wrong about Clinton. Please do your homework, or I will challenge your misinformation.

208

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 07:57 AM

Good morning, everyone.

Gonna be in the 40's today, with enough sun and wind to dry the sheets! I love it!

It's a great day for horn hunting too! Nothing like a walk in the woods.

Free-Speech Case Divides Bush and Religious Right

A Supreme Court case about the free-speech rights of high school students, to be argued on Monday, has opened an unexpected fissure between the Bush administration and its usual allies on the religious right.

209

Esmeralda on March 18, 2007 at 07:58 AM

good morning, Cyn and John

Tom Delay?

these talk shows are outrageous! no wonder people who rely on television are so ignorant!!

John: here's one for you

Bush's Shadow Army

210

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 08:00 AM

Matt Stoller from My DD on C-span one next. Now, that's a Sunday morning show I will watch.

211

Cyn_NY on March 18, 2007 at 08:03 AM

Great tip, Cyn! Thank you

Media coverage on the protests yesterday was sparse. We have a vigil today-tomorrow...My hour is committed.

I don't know why millions aren't hitting the streets. Apathy will destroy us before the Blackshirts and the Haliburton shadow patrol. By then, it will be too late.

Let's keep applying pressure to end these wars. Hopefully, we prevent Iran. Honestly, i don't think we will.

Let it bleed.

Peace

212

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 08:15 AM

Maybe they are hitting the streets anti-war another way.

Obama Draws 10,000 To Oakland Rally

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama attracted a crowd of 10,000 or more to downtown Oakland Saturday in his first Bay Area rally.

Having glided to the top tier of Democratic candidates on a message of hope, Obama told the crowd his campaign "is a vehicle for your hopes; it is a vehicle for your dreams."

213

Esmeralda on March 18, 2007 at 08:28 AM

good morning esmeralda and cyn. how much snow did you get cyn?

214

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 08:30 AM

Morning, Fade, Esme, gg, John and everyone else.

gg, we got about 8 inches, which isn't bad. How about you?

215

Cyn_NY on March 18, 2007 at 08:41 AM

While visiting my parents yesterday, my dad tried to tell me that my mom wouldn't let him pray for her. (she's atheist) I told him there is no way she can stop him and gave her a less than pleasant glare.
I thought of this passage:
Luke 8:10
He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,
" 'though seeing, they may not see;
though hearing, they may not understand.

Surgery tomorrow. Maybe having less lung will stop her smoking. Addict.

She can't stop me from praying. There's a whole big woods to explore today. The one I played in as a young girl.

The carpenter is sitting here waiting. I'm gonzo!

Enjoy the day, everyone!

216

Esmeralda on March 18, 2007 at 08:56 AM

Tom Delay?.....

I took a double take too. The MSM is hopeless. delay is a criminal and one of the pseudo-christian losers.

217

Johnedwrd on March 18, 2007 at 08:59 AM

morning CYN_NY

We haven't had precipitation now for some time. The SW is drying up. I heard that LA only received a little over two inches of rain this year where their normal is 11 inches. It's 41 here this AM.

218

Johnedwrd on March 18, 2007 at 09:02 AM

These attorney firings were all about what Mr. ‘Rove around accountability’ meant when he said “...selectively replace them...” (the U.S. Attorneys). Rove was waiting to selectively use the White House’s ability to fire people, a power which he thought was given to him by the past incompetent Republican Congress passing provision 502 without any limitations, that gave away firing power just like they gave away the war power.

Rove waited like a squirrel with a nut in his mouth for a time to fire people at a later time that he viewed was right, to disrupt corruption investigations of which he viewed threatening to his party’s political agenda during election time.

Rove interpreted this new provision as meaning that he could fire people without using any type of oversight from our Institutions, Congress or the people, like Mr. Clinton used in his dismissals. Rove thought he could aggressively and recklessly compete with the Clinton Administration. Now Rove will play the public on whether or not the President had any oversight in this and hide behind it either way.

219

ElizabethJW on March 18, 2007 at 09:04 AM

have a good day essie, I'll help you pray for your mother. Those woods sound great.

220

Johnedwrd on March 18, 2007 at 09:05 AM

The Valerie Plame scandal has already disappeared from my local paper, not one single word was published about this outrage. This crime goes directly to the heart of why there have been anti-war demonstrations all over the world this weekend. The Bush Administration used knowingly false information to promote this war and ruined the career and is still attempting to discredit the character and honor of Ms. Plame and her husband, former Ambassador Wilson. If ANY Democrat did this the republicans would be screaming for a public hanging. Instead all we get from the republicans is denials and more lies and slander. Disclosing the name of a covert CIA operative is treason according to former Pres. George H.W. Bush and all we have gotten so far is one scape-goat who was stupid enough to lie to the FBI and the Grand Jury. These "leaders" have told so many lies they are having trouble remembering which lies were to to who...............Good Grief what a mess Bush has made in our country's name. The media is focusing on the distraction of these fired attorneys and ignoring the Plame scandal. The fact that everything the Bush Administration does is politicall related is blatently obvious so this attorney business is more of a smoke-screen than anything other than political manuvering. It may be un-ethical and stupid but I doubt it's criminal where the Plame scandal is definitely criminal and immoral. But what do I know?

221

wldj on March 18, 2007 at 09:06 AM

Well, it's daylight. I have to go pick up the dog poop on my patio and mow the lawn. I really hate it when my mower splatters dog poop all over.

That is similar to what's happening with the bush administration. The poop is flying everywhere and it is getting deeper by the minute.

222

Johnedwrd on March 18, 2007 at 09:14 AM

That reminds me of that movie the "Mower Man". We are the mowers and the repigs are being cut and splattering all over.

223

Johnedwrd on March 18, 2007 at 09:16 AM

Hadley is on ABC telling the same old lies about Al-Queda being in Iraq during the attacks on 9=11. This fool along with all the other wrong neo-cons are still being recognised and given credibilty despite their failed records and policies. Nothing about the Plame scandal. Pitiful.

224

wldj on March 18, 2007 at 09:22 AM

wldj,

I sent Rocky Anderson's "Impeach Bush" speech to the Albuquerque Journal as an LTE. Let's just see if they print it. Their editorials seem to be middle of the road when it comes to political leaning. They do have several ahole national columnists from Washington, DC that are extremists in favor of asshole and vice asshole.

225

Johnedwrd on March 18, 2007 at 09:23 AM

wldj, your bringing up the CIA leak case on the attorney firing blog?

Karl Rove leaked the name and CIA affiliation of a covert agent and knew or didn’t know that because of the wide leak of the chain of identities, the CIA would be silenced in being able to release more information on how much intelligence in Iraq was gathered and reported to the GOP. Ask Rove in public, was he or wasn’t he smart enough to know the damage the leak of the CIA affiliation would do? Was he or wasn’t he smart enough to arrange the cover up for what the GOP should have known about Iraq or did it just happen accidentally from his stupidity?

Bush’s God only knows how Karl Rove might try to use the Department of Justice like he used CIA?

226

ElizabethJW on March 18, 2007 at 09:26 AM

I'll bet there will be very little on the peace marches, especially the one in Spain that drew 100,000 people.

I don't know what it's going to take to get our people upset enough to hit the streets with MASS demonstrations.

227

Johnedwrd on March 18, 2007 at 09:26 AM

wldj, your bringing up the CIA leak case on the attorney firing blog?

Bush’s God only knows how Karl Rove might try to use the Department of Justice like he used the CIA?

228

ElizabethJW on March 18, 2007 at 09:27 AM

As far as Gonzales is concerned he is not really the Attorney General his real job is still being Bush's personal attorney the AG gig is basically a cover for the Administration's true priorities. He has never been qualified to be the nation's top attorney but qualifications and competance aren't considered in Bush's political appointments. The only qualification needed is loyalty.

229

wldj on March 18, 2007 at 09:30 AM

cyn we got 16 to 18. but its gonna be above freezing today so that is nice.

230

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 09:32 AM

Seeing all the comments I thought this was being used as an open thread...sorry

peace

231

wldj on March 18, 2007 at 09:34 AM

Good grief Brit Hume is an ass. Ignorance of the law is not a valid defense no matter how it's spun.

232

wldj on March 18, 2007 at 09:37 AM

note to self, do all you can to defeat rommney:

Swift Boat Money Man Raising $ for Romney

Bob Perry, a Texas homebuilder and one of the primary funders of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, has signed on to raise money for the presidential campaign of former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.).

An invite to a Dallas fundraiser for Romney on March 26 includes Perry's name as a member of the governor's "Texas Leadership Team."

Perry's decision to side with Romney is meaningful on several different levels.

First, it likely means a significant financial windfall for Romney's campaign, as Perry carries one of the biggest financial sticks in a state full of them. Perry was the single largest political donor in Texas in 2006, giving $380,000 to Gov. Rick Perry's (R) reelection campaign alone (the Perrys are not related). While Bob Perry will not be able to write Romney any more than a $2,300 check, his willingness to fund third-party groups could play a key role as the campaign heats up.

Second, the Romney team is likely to paint Perry's decision as a slap in the face to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Back in 2005, Perry cut a $4,200 check to McCain's Senate reelection committee, which was subsequently transferred to McCain's presidential exploratory committee. Now, it's important to remember that McCain never claimed Perry as a formal backer for his presidential campaign, and the two would seem an unlikely pair given McCain's advocacy for legislation that would severely curtail the political activities of 527 groups like Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

Third is the symbolism of Romney linking himself to Perry. No single person is more closely identified with the Swift Boat Veterans and their controversial campaign to discredit John Kerry than Perry. While most Democrats decried the actions of the group as the lowest form of negative politics, many on the Republican side credit it with fundamentally altering the public perception of Kerry -- a transformation some say led directly to President Bush's reelection in 2004.

233

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 09:37 AM

Tom Delay looked like the moronic exterminator whoring and shilling so his new book sells that he is. Why is he not locked up where he belongs?

Richard Perle looks like the rotund and soft-handed civilian that knows nothing about military matters except what he's read in his library.

The Democrats looked intelligent and offered thoughtful and nuanced views, which were immediately interrupted. This is amazing to me, that Russert is still on the tube.

What a partisan shill poser. Tom Delay???? Unbelievable. Not one peek at a protest. Nothing. Nada.

We the people. What a quaint, archaic concept, eh?

234

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 10:14 AM

hi wldj--gregg and DPD proclaimed this as the open thread. So we got it straight from "control" and the headmaster.

how can we change the sunday lineup? at what point does the majority have a right to be heard on the public airwaves?

Face the Nation is about to begin, with Gates and "the big stink" at the justice department. Schieffer is a republic. He's at least open about it.

this is the only t.v. i watch. i don't know how people can stand it...all these commercials...so many drugs, who knew? Rozerem using Abe Lincoln and a rodunt to sell their product? now there is a very whorish ad for an album, applebees and a promo for tonight's show.

this is such an assault on the senses, no wonder people need the damned drugs. attention span of a gnat? well, this is the perfect breeding ground...

235

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 10:20 AM

this is the open thread. dpd cleared this decision yesterday just prior to dropping a corned beef the size of rhode island into a pot of boiling water.

236

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 10:32 AM

No I didn't. In fact it took me a while to find where everybody ran off to. Good decision none-the-less.

Wellll, kiddos, have a great week, I'll be back some time in the middle of next week. I'm going to Michigan for a few days and won't be anywhere near a 'puter. THEN the construction crew shows up (UGH), and I'll be losing my wall and therefore my cable connection for a while (but that won't happen until the "other" stuff is roughed in).

Be back in about 4 days.

237

DPD on March 18, 2007 at 11:18 AM

COMPARISON QUOTES:

They need no rhetoric. They speak for themselves.

"I hope I will see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won't have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them."---Rev. Jerry Falwell (see the section titled In Other Words).

"Secular schools can never be tolerated because such a school has no religious instruction and a general moral instruction without a religious foundation is built on air; consequently, all character training and religion must be derived from faith....We need believing people."---Adolf Hitler, April 26,1933, speech during negotiations leading to the Nazi-Vatican Concordat

"God wants me to run for president."---
George W. Bush, 2000 campaign statement

"I am convinced that I am acting as the agent of our Creator. By fighting off the Jews, I am doing the Lords work."---Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

Fighting Words
A Toolkit for Combating the Religious Right
by Robin Morgan

238

GOTV on March 18, 2007 at 11:38 AM

Nice quotes, GOTV and I love Robin Morgan's toolkit.

George Will made one too many baseball analagies today, and my head exploded.

They are discussing the "gays in the military" stuff, Donna Brazile ONCE AGAIN was ripping Democrats and Clair Shipman is very attractive.

Next up--the pretend DA from Law and Order to help usher in his fake boss, Fred Thompson. This is not making me feel any better.

Feeling queasy again...

239

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 11:44 AM

Tom Delay looked like the moronic exterminator whoring and shilling so his new book sells that he is. Why is he not locked up where he belongs?

Richard Perle looks like the rotund and soft-handed civilian that knows nothing about military matters except what he's read in his library.

The Democrats looked intelligent and offered thoughtful and nuanced views, which were immediately interrupted. This is amazing to me, that Russert is still on the tube.

What a partisan shill poser. Tom Delay???? Unbelievable. Not one peek at a protest. Nothing. Nada.

We the people. What a quaint, archaic concept, eh?

240

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 11:44 AM

Sood Morning, all.

"Crisis in Competence" is what George Will calls it. It's disgusting to everyone.

Democrats can't stand the graft, excuses, and assault on the Constitution/Bill of Rights. Republicans can't stand the lies, coverups, and ineptitude. The American people are sick of the everyday problems they face are being ignored by this BS Republican stonewalling and indifference to their concerns.

The Itraq occupation, death, and destruction rages on with no political solution being pursued because this administration has no credibility with anyone.

It's obvious that the Republicans can't govern. They don't care about managing the budget, the federal agencies, the military, or executing the law. What good are they?

Perhaps it's good that it reminds us of why our founding fathetrs declared independence from that crazy English King George and his arrogant Parliament. Anybody believe in reincarnation?

241

SandyH on March 18, 2007 at 11:48 AM

hi sandy,

no mention of the Plame or protest stories...

not relevant as the gay comments by the general that scattered into doubts cast on Democrats for their lack of a quick and easy answer.

more painting into a corner, while ignoring the big stories.

the whole issue of what is happening with the US Attorneys has been softened up, too, with more of the "Clinton fired blah, blah, blah"

why do these people still take the republic talking points and run with them? do they have incriminating evidence that they use to threaten the pundits with?

DPD, have fun! i neded that sentence with a preposition, just for you.

242

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 12:06 PM

Sandy,

i believe i'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy

Tom Waitts--i think

243

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 12:10 PM

DPD, enjoy your break.

fade,

I've been sending letters to the editor today. Maybe only the same people read these but at least the policy people in the media see them.

Of course they have incriminating evidence they can use against the pundits. The NSA has collected information on any of us who dare to speak up or who are in a position to do it. I can't wait someday to see what's in my dosier.

Sorry for all the typos. I celebrated my heritage yesterday in the typical sterotypical way.

fade, did you get an e-mail about a peace vigil for Monday at 11:30 am downtown? It's a really inconvenient time unless you work in the vicinity. I wish it was today. I stated my opposition to this misguided Iraqi incursion with a peace vigil. I guess it's fitting that we have now gone full circle...it only took four long years?

244

SandyH on March 18, 2007 at 12:28 PM

Bush Urged to Develop Overall Nuclear Arms Policy

By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 18, 2007

A prestigious scientific committee made up of retired nuclear weapons lab directors and former Defense and Energy department officials is recommending that, before the United States moves ahead on the development of new nuclear warheads, the Bush administration should develop a bipartisan policy regarding the size of the future stockpile, testing and nonproliferation...

//www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/17/AR2007031701372.html?referrer=email

I thought we had nuclear proliferation treaties in place when Bush took office. It was The Decider who decided to ignore them and now so do all the rest of the nations in the world.

We're back to square one when we didn't need to be.

245

SandyH on March 18, 2007 at 12:34 PM

yes, Sandy. i'll be at this one this afternoon

246

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 12:34 PM

fade,

Thanks. I didn't know this was today and tomorrow. They only sent me info for tommorow. I still have time to get myself down there.

Imagining Otherwise In Egypt
Opposition Campaign Embodying Bush Vision Now Lies in Pieces

By Anthony Shadid
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, March 18, 2007

CAIRO -- For two decades, politics in Cairo, the Arab world's greatest capital, had emulated the leadership of President Hosni Mubarak: occasionally tedious and rarely inspired...

What followed was the emergence of the Arab world's most ambitious democracy movement, coalescing in opposition to the taciturn Mubarak, now 78, a former air force commander who has ruled Egypt longer than any leader since Mohammed Ali, the 19th-century founder of the modern state. With its protests, banners and slogans, the largely secular, technically savvy movement represented what the Bush administration asserted was its vision of an effervescent Middle East, set to be transformed by U.S. strategy in Iraq and the world after the Sept. 11 attacks. Ironically, at almost every turn it was deep-seated opposition to American policies that rallied the protesters.

Today, that movement is in shambles....The government has crushed its momentum with impunity, deploying the ubiquitous security forces to arrest scores of activists, intimidate others and signal to the rest that it will no longer tolerate unsanctioned protest. Across the divide, the government's supporters and foes are unanimous in their belief that U.S. pressure for change, occasionally effective in the past, has now decisively subsided.

"The sense of powerlessness is complete," said Mohammed el-Sayed Said, a secular activist and writer who is trying to win permission to publish a new newspaper, the Alternative. "We're back to the status quo we wanted to liberate the country from."

The arc of Egypt's democracy movement is a story of the unraveling of American policy and the contradictions that always shaped it. In the end, activists and officials say, the Bush administration chose realpolitik over promise, courting allies such as Egypt in a region beset by conflicts in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, war in Iraq and the specter of an ascendant Iran...

Just like our nuclear proliferation commitment, the Bush administration stiffled and destroyed the work of decades of diplomatic and democratic forces in the region. The very movement the neocons said they championed was undermined by them.

Was it by design? It sure seems like it.

247

SandyH on March 18, 2007 at 12:56 PM

Here's the link to the story about Eygpt:

//www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/17/AR2007031701482.html?referrer=email

248

SandyH on March 18, 2007 at 12:58 PM

This is the way adults handle problems? Israel and the Bush administration fane any knowledge of why the terrorist hate us so much?

Olmert pans Palestinian peace talks

By JOSEF FEDERMAN, Associated Press Writer
Sun Mar 18

JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday ruled out peace talks with the Palestinians, saying contacts will be limited to humanitarian issues until the new coalition government explicitly renounces violence and recognizes
Israel's right to exist.

Speaking at the weekly meeting of his Cabinet, Olmert said he would boycott the new government and urged the international community to follow suit. The Cabinet overwhelmingly endorsed Olmert's position.

The rival Palestinian factions Hamas and
Fatah installed their new unity government on Saturday, hoping the alliance will end months of infighting and persuade the international community to lift a year of economic sanctions.

Israeli officials fear the new government will cause the tough international stance against the Palestinians to crumble. Israel and the U.S. on Sunday ruled out a resumption of financial transfers to the Palestinians.

But Norway announced it would lift sanctions, and Britain and the U.N. also signaled flexibility....

//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070318/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians

Is this Secretary Rice's idea of successful diplomatic strategy? She's just as effective as Rumsfeld was with the military. There strategy: let the violence surge on.

249

SandyH on March 18, 2007 at 01:04 PM

There is something that Israel has to accept and they have to accept it quit. The United States Government shall cease to side exclusively with Israel in this dispute the moment that Bush is out of the White House. Change is coming because the same old approach isn't working.

A resolution to this dispute is our goal. Americans and Israelis who support the current approach clearly want the dispute to continue. We'll make certain that Israelis and Palestinians have no choice but to reach an agreement by making all else impossible.

If this means that Palestine receive our support to ensure that Israel does not simply invade, then so be it. Israel is a power in the area, it is not the power in the area. All Israelis will learn to accept this one way or another.

250

Marine on March 18, 2007 at 01:31 PM

Most Americans understand the part that Israel has played in the advent of Middle Eastern terrorism. They see that this has come about as a result of emotions enflamed by Israel's reliance upon heavy handed approach to securing Israel. They now know that blatant racism is involved, because Israel has made no attempt to hide it. Law's that target Palestinians in Israel are no different than those that targetted Jews is Germany.

251

Marine on March 18, 2007 at 01:37 PM

Were Alberto Gonzales' Mistakes Really Mistakes??

If there is question as to whether Alberto Gonzales mistakes were intentional, then Alberto Gonzales should not remain in office. When Alberto Gonzales lies to the Congress, Alberto Gonzales should not remain in office. There should not be any question; for democracy's sake Alberto Gonzales must be removed from office.

The Attorney General's office is too high of a position to be guessing as to whether Alberto Gonzales does or does not know what he is doing. If there is reason to guess Alberto Gonzales does not know what he is doing, Alberto Gonzales does not deserve to have the Attorney General's position, as there is too much at stake for the Attorney General to not be able to fulfill the position without following political orders from the White House as the Attorney General is not a "Yes" man for the White House.

I was sickened listening to Republican Senator Cornyn this morning pleading on ABC's "This Week with Stephanopolis" that the Senate should not investigate the White House about the 8 U. S Attorney firings by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and that Alberto Gonzales deserves another chance without investigation. Did Alberto Gonzales give the 8 U.S. Attorneys another chance? Did the U.S. Attorneys deserve another chance?

The U.S. Attorneys were not members of the Republican EXTREME "culture of corruption", but were doing their jobs for the United States in a non-partisan manner, therefore the 8 U.S. Attorneys were unintentionally making life hot for the Republican EXTREME "culture of corruption" making the 8 U.S. Attorneys not deserve another chance, therefore Alberto Gonzales who is responsible to the people of the United States deserves investigation into his White House political command. The White House is involved up to their ears and Alberto Gonzales political decisions MUST be investigated thoroughly since Alberto Gonzales has chosen to represent the Republican Right Wing EXTREME in the White House, instead of the democratic republic of the United States, which is a tactic that was used by Hitler when he took over the democratic republic of Germany. It is apparent that the EXTREME Bush administration is trying to copy the genius of Hitler's take over of Germany in the United States.

The 8 U.S. Attorneys lost their jobs because of doing their job, as their digging was getting ready to explode even further Republican EXTREME "corruption". If the 8 U.S. Attorneys had only prosecuted Democrats for whatever, or Republicans who were not a part of the Republican EXTREME "culture of corruption" and kept a low profile cover for the Republican EXTREME "culture of corruption", they would still have their jobs, and the "rule of law" would be destroyed. Political prosecution of the law makes the "rule of law" of no effect except for persecution and tyranny.

It is a mistake to assume mistakes when a member of the Republican EXTREME "culture of corruption" is making the mistakes.

The Republican EXTREME "culture of corruption" actions show that anyone who is a part of the Republican EXTREME "culture of corruption" deserves another chance, and another chance, and another chance, and another, and another, and another adinfititum; but anyone who isn't a part of the Republican EXTREME "culture of corruption" does not deserve even a 1st chance. ["Culture of Corruption" Tom Delay was right back on the Right Wing talk show as if he isn't corrupt.]

A democratic Senate must do their job of applying balance in the political arena as far as the "rule of law" is concerned before the "rule of law" gets thrown out the window for Alberto Gonzales' aristocratic Republican EXTREME rule.

252

_MarthaA on March 18, 2007 at 01:37 PM

is there anything more delightful, delicious or delectable than have kkkarl rove bleating and whining about the politicization of the firing of the federal prosecutors? this little piggie made a career and i am sure alot of money out of politicizing every aspect of american life including the march to war....and leahy is gonna subpeona his ass and we are all going to watch the white house try to do the stonewall dance while bush's approval heads for single digits....heha!

Senate may subpoena White House aide Karl Rove
Sun Mar 18, 2007 1:03PM EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House political strategist Karl Rove and others will face Senate subpoenas this week if they do not agree to testify in a dispute over fired prosecutors that has put pressure on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to quit, a Senate committee head said on Sunday.

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee called for Gonzales to come to Congress to explain the dismissals of eight U.S. attorneys and clear up the varying reasons given for their firings. But they stopped short of seeking to compel members of President George W. Bush's staff to testify under oath.

The White House is in talks with Congress over whether to allow testimony by officials including Rove -- whose former aide had been selected to replace one of the fired prosecutors. The replacement helped fuel charges the firings were politically motivated.

But one way or another, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the Democratic judiciary chairman, made it clear he wanted the officials to testify at the Senate under oath.

"The final decision on putting on the agenda subpoenas is mine," Leahy said on ABC's "This Week." "And it will be on Thursday this week, among the subpoenas that will be voted on, will be one for Karl Rove and one for (former White House counsel) Harriet Miers, another one for her deputy."

bring it on

253

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 01:39 PM

sally, quick call joe lieberman and get him to jump to the republican party before the subpoenas are issued...hahahhahahaha.

oh and fuck yourself!

254

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 01:54 PM

Remember that those Arabs driven out of Israel were in fact the most recent inhabitants of the land. Their ancestors fought along side T.E. Lawrence and together they defeated the Ottoman persecuting them, as well as those Jews who lived along side them.

This conflict began as a cultural one. The British authorities in control of the Palestine Mandate did what they could to prevent this conflict from becoming a reality. They opposed a massive migration of European Jewish people for that reason, because they were of a different culture that clashed with that of indigenous Arabs and Jews.

For political reasons these European Jews, many of whom had used terrorist tactics in the Palestine Mandate and were thus considered terrorist organizations by British authorities, were given a nation to control. Those responsible clearly found it too much to oppose Jewish peoples in the region, regardless of their use of terrorist tactics, after what had happened in Germany. This one act guaranteed that the conflict we see today would be. It isn't likely that they expected it to continue so long, but only because they chose to not to consider the possibility.

When Israel gets control of itself they may be an important power in the Middle East. Until then they will remain a nuisance and an agrivator of local tensions culminating in terrorism. So long as our government sides exclusively with them we can be certain that anti-Americanism in the Middle East will continue. Luckily this won't continue much longer.

We've lost valuable friends in the Middle East to this alliance. We lost powerful military relationships in Iran and Syria. We've also given up potential relations with Egypt and Lebanon. We've also welcomed an anti-Americanism that never needed to come about.

Times, they are a changing. We will no longer allow our interests in the Middle East to be undermined by an Israeli government with no interest in compromise. If this is the approach Israel wants to take, then they can take it alone.

255

Marine on March 18, 2007 at 02:01 PM

I'm anti-stupidity. That's why I oppose the Bush administration.

256

Marine on March 18, 2007 at 02:04 PM

So if we are anti-American, as our retarded friend believes, then that means 70% of Americans are anti-American. Well, since this is a nation that believes in majority rule, it would appear that this notion is false. If indeed anyone here is anti-American, then it would be the individual here who supports a minority opinion.

257

Marine on March 18, 2007 at 02:09 PM

You all have a good day now.

258

Marine on March 18, 2007 at 02:17 PM

sally, i thought you said he would have switched by now? can you give us a projected date so when it doesn't happen we will have another failed prediction to pound you with?

259

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 02:33 PM

so sally you are withdrawing you previous prediction that the switch would come soon after the new congress convened ( some two months ago now ) and are saying that when a really important judicial nomination comes up joey will flip. so then i guess kkkarl and speedy are up the crick? oh by the way before a judicial nominee can even get to leahy's committee he or she has to get past one of schumer's four committees. but then with your brilliant deconstruction of global warming theory i guess you are figuring there will be alot of cold days in hell coming up.

must run my racist, homophobic, creationist troll so keep your knees loose.

260

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 02:52 PM

my sweet dear sally, your stories change as fast as bush's.

261

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 03:23 PM

Good afternoon, all.

It isn't likely that they expected it to continue so long, but only because they chose to not to consider the possibility.

Posted by Marine on March 18, 2007 at 02:01 PM

Marine,

This sounds like the same reasoning that got us into Iraq.

262

SandyH on March 18, 2007 at 03:38 PM

When global warming gets so bad that we are spending more per gallon for fresh water than gasoline, I suppose it won't matter if anyone thinks it's BS or not.

263

SandyH on March 18, 2007 at 03:45 PM

...quick call joe lieberman and get him to jump to the republican party before the subpoenas are issued...

Posted by gregg on March 18, 2007 at 01:54 PM,

This is comical, gregg, because I still believe that was the intent when Mr. Lieberman ran as an independent. However, if he does it now he leaves a definite stain permanently placed upon Mr. Bush's, and henceforth, Mr. Rove's legacy.

I'm not saying he will not still put on the clothes of his fortuitous career, but even if he does it will just nail the lid on the box a little tighter. This whole US Atty's issue is priceless.

Rove-in-a-box and bringing down the ship that his lies were the wind that set it afloat.

I agree...bwaaahahahahahahahahahaha!!

lurk-bbl

264

davidual on March 18, 2007 at 03:54 PM

sally i am so sorry we had a flood at the sally archive building and some of your greatest hits were lost. i see a little friend of yours is here today...please give him a tissue so he can wipe the snot that is running down his upper lip...you two are so cute in your lord fauntleroy outfits...did you mom take you both shopping together?

265

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 04:45 PM

Those Missing Politicians

There once was a time, when Politicians
Walked the streets of this great land!
They kissed kids blessing America’s future,
Shaking hands glowing on civilian diversity!

They debated our needs as patriot fathers.
But alas today, they are Corporate parents,
Among Country Clubs of greedy shame,
Lining pockets upon thousand dollar suits.

They have become secret fraternities parties,
Joined together, segregated monetary wealth.
They ask for ticketed pledges of allegiances,
Where they are shielded, from hard questions.

They have converted checks and balances to
Executive Privilege Presidential CEO power,
Where as our employer, they are this royalty,
A union bankrupting Constitutional fabric!

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, show US your closets,
Where American assets are sold “At Will”!
That profits rape the land of Katrina tears,
Leaving assurances gone, as insurance policies!

Sometimes right wing Conservative Republicans,
Hide as wolves behind Democrat-ic principles,
Putting on these Patriot Act faces protecting US,
Destroying privacy in Guantanamo abusive power.

American Constitutional Freedom and Democracy,
“God Bless America”, “Pledge of Allegiance”,
Protected “Bill of Rights” of “We the people”,
Where civilian voters are equality stockholders!

Part of Poem

I wish we had politicians, who where from the Middle Class, or from the poverty of reality!

266

dlesterpoet on March 18, 2007 at 04:48 PM

sally and his little friend buttons were all dressed up in their easter outfits heading for the gathering of eagles demonstration down at the wal-mart parking lot but they ended up making a wrong turn and were the star participants in the gathering of beagles ceremony instead. each was proud to serve as a symbolic fire hydrant for the cute little pooches and each got a nice red sash for their troubles and a nice golden shower!

267

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 04:52 PM

lester, instead of writing oneor two poems every day why don't you spend a week on really good one. Try and make it rhyme and watch your iambic pentameter.

Posted by FrostyEelpout on March 18, 2007 at 05:12 PM

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Instead of using all these posts every day, why do you know write about something that means something. I am sure you have sometimes to contribute to the forum that we can debate about! So do me a favor, write some rhyme using your iambic pentameter.

268

dlesterpoet on March 18, 2007 at 05:40 PM

...if I ever got close enough to the chimp, I would ask him these questions. but I will never have that chance.

The chimp is supposed to be putting on a show here in Kansas City at the GM plant on Tuesday. He's going to put on an act that he has always been for saving the environment by getting a photo op in front of the hybrid division.

I was hoping to round up a few to go demonstrate outside the plant.

Asked my brother-in-law, a union worker who has been trained on the hybrids if he was going to carry a sign. He laughed and said the union workers were going to wear t-shirts that said "Impeach Bush", but I think he was kidding.

269

WatchfulEye on March 18, 2007 at 05:41 PM

Edit
"I am sure you have sometimes to contribute "

I am sure you have something to contribute

270

dlesterpoet on March 18, 2007 at 05:42 PM

3,218 American youth killed in Iraq as of today.

271

WatchfulEye on March 18, 2007 at 05:45 PM

Posted by SandyH on March 18, 2007 at 03:45 PM

Even the Religious Evangelical Conservatives have started to drift away from the right wing on Global Warming, Guantanamo, torture, and other religious red blooded value systems.

272

dlesterpoet on March 18, 2007 at 05:52 PM

Posted by SandyH on March 18, 2007 at 03:45 PM

I think they should fire the entire Executive Branch and hold all new elections.

273

dlesterpoet on March 18, 2007 at 06:23 PM

saturday funnies, great Fiore

laugh. it's healthy.

274

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 07:00 PM

I think term limits are ggod, it keep red blood mixing in with the green blood!

275

dlesterpoet on March 18, 2007 at 07:25 PM

I agree term limits are necessaary. Then old dinosaurers like Teddy Kennedy would have to get a job wiping windshields at a Cap Cod gas station.

Posted by FreddiesAOK on March 18, 2007 at 07:24 PM
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Along with the whole Bush family! Bush was born there a Yankee!

276

dlesterpoet on March 18, 2007 at 07:27 PM

How's in going in the place open to all who go there. Ha. I was referring to here if some of you deviants can't figure it out. My good friend, Michael Savage, who may very well run for president, says hell is a place where you can't reason with anyone. Sounds like here doesn't it? Tell me something. Why is it you guys say anything you want and get a pass and one of our guys says something remotely out of the way and the press hammers it? You know it's true. You guys call Fox biased. You all have about four major networks backing you. That's a pretty good trade off I'd say.

277

BarryKivikrulz on March 18, 2007 at 07:29 PM

The Bush's left, so they did not have to pay Income Taxes!

278

dlesterpoet on March 18, 2007 at 07:30 PM

Four major networks backing the Conservative biased editoral views and CEO's that never show the extreme left picture. We have very few Liberal medias any more look at, who own them and censors them.

I am sure Michael Savage can show us more hate, and division.

279

dlesterpoet on March 18, 2007 at 07:36 PM

I wish we had politicians, who where from the Middle Class, or from the poverty of reality!

dlesterpoet on March 18, 2007 at 04:48 PM,

Actually, I think part of the problem in DC is the fact that for the past six years our "leaders" were reality impoverished.

280

davidual on March 18, 2007 at 07:48 PM

"God wants me to run for president."---
George W. Bush, 2000 campaign statement

"I am convinced that I am acting as the agent of our Creator. By fighting off the Jews, I am doing the Lords work."---Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

Posted by GOTV on March 18, 2007 at 11:38 AM

I was watching the A&E video "Mein Kampf" today and it occurred to me bush gets a lot of his stuff from Hitler's book. Sure enough. You answered my question.

I still say that chimp is the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler. It's downright frightening.

I am going to check for more quotes.

281

Johnedwrd on March 18, 2007 at 07:50 PM

yikes i go out to dinner and the place is over taken by assholes!

bring in the cleaners as soon as possible this is an infestation.

282

gregg on March 18, 2007 at 07:53 PM

Four major networks backing the Conservative biased editoral views and CEO's that never show the extreme left picture. We have very few Liberal medias any more look at, who own them and censors them.

I am sure Michael Savage can show us more hate, and division.

Posted by dlesterpoet on March 18, 2007 at 07:36 PM

You kidding me? He trashes Bush more than he does you guys!

283

BarryKivikrulz on March 18, 2007 at 07:54 PM

says hell is a place where you can't reason with anyone. Sounds like here doesn't it?

BarryKivikrulz on March 18, 2007 at 07:29 PM,

Damn, that sounds precisely like Poppy's White House.

284

davidual on March 18, 2007 at 07:55 PM

If you broungt in the cleaners you guys wouldn't be in here. Ha.

285

BarryKivikrulz on March 18, 2007 at 07:55 PM

THE U.S. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR FIRINGS: Is political advisor Karl Rove trying to play it dumb or smart?

These attorney firings were all about what Mr. ‘Rove around accountability’ meant when he said “...selectively replace them...” (the U.S. Attorneys). Rove was waiting to selectively use the White House’s ability to fire people, a power which he thought was given to him by the past incompetent Republican Congress passing provision 502 without any limitations, that gave away the firing power just like giving away the war power.

Rove waited like a squirrel with a nut in his mouth for a time to bury and fire people at a later time that he viewed was right, to disrupt corruption investigations of which he viewed threatening to his party’s political agenda during election time.

Rove interpreted this new provision as meaning that he could fire people without using any type of oversight from our Institutions, Congress or the people, like Mr. Clinton used in his dismissals. Rove thought he could recklessly compete with the Clinton Administration. Now Rove will play the public on whether or not the President had any oversight in this and hide behind it either way.

Karl Rove leaked the name and CIA affiliation of a covert agent and knew or didn’t know that by creating the leak, the wide leak of the chain of identities would silence the CIA from being able to release more information pre-war Iraq. Limiting how much intelligence in Iraq was gathered and reported to the GOP before the war to protect the identies leaked. Was Rove or wasn’t Rove smart enough to know the damage the leak of the CIA affiliation would do? Was he or wasn’t he smart enough to arrange the cover up for what the GOP should have known about Iraq or did it just happen accidentally from his stupidity?

Bush’s God only knows how far he might try to use the Justice Department like he used the CIA? I mean, what is he playing here, dumb or smart?

Perhaps Mr. Rove also has a future plan to place new Federal Prosecuting Attorneys in certain States where the new Democratic Majority resides in? Or where both Democratic and Republican Presidential Candidates reside in to protect his parties political interests?

286

ElizabethJW on March 18, 2007 at 07:57 PM

You used to be a decent guy, Gregg, but since I've been gone you've turned into a real you know what. This place has gone to hell in a hand basket since I've left.

287

BarryKivikrulz on March 18, 2007 at 07:57 PM

Later guys. Don't take any stained dresses.

288

BarryKivikrulz on March 18, 2007 at 08:00 PM

Now Clinton was a whole 'nuther story... he was doing what he though was best for his thumb-like penis.

FreddiesAOK on March 18, 2007 at 07:13 PM,

Mwaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! You really crack me up.
Gotta be jealous. Go bitch to Frosty, or Barry maybe they can help you with your complaint

289

davidual on March 18, 2007 at 08:01 PM

You kidding me? He trashes Bush more than he does you guys!

Posted by BarryKivikrulz on March 18, 2007 at 07:54 PM
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Enough said!

290

dlesterpoet on March 18, 2007 at 08:07 PM

laugh. it's healthy.

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 07:00 PM,

Hi, Fade. Great editorials! Big spender Poppy sure has whittled away all of that political capital, and that's the good news. The bad news? What he's left in his wake.

291

davidual on March 18, 2007 at 08:15 PM

Does anybody else on the blog find it difficult to talk about the Bush administration’s damage in brief statements and paragraphs while trying to maintain American public dignity?

It simply sounds like Rove and certain members of the Republican elect thought the Justice Department would go along with his political bashing plan and keep it a secret but the Justice Department did not keep it a secret. The few Republican employees at the Justice Department foolish enough to go along with the plan, without asking for any oversight, emailed everybody and did not keep it a secret! I think Rove got caught is what I think!

292

ElizabethJW on March 18, 2007 at 08:18 PM

You dems will always have that rock around you necks.

FreddiesAOK on March 18, 2007 at 08:18 PM,

It's the same rock that they tried to wrap around JFK's neck with Marilyn Monroe. The filthy minded compassionate conservatives have always had their minds in the friggin' gutter and always will. Take my suggestion, please, and go bitch to Frosty, Button, and/or Barry maybe they can assist you with your jealousy.

293

davidual on March 18, 2007 at 08:28 PM

Posted by gregg on March 18, 2007 at 07:53 PM yikes i go out to dinner and the place is over taken by assholes!

I think they are trying to learn how speak American again and are practicing here. The country voted them out of office and are sick of them by and large.

I think they represent the current White House administration well and I hope they keep at it and practice often with their friends and neighbors.

294

dorsano on March 18, 2007 at 08:31 PM

What are the better words to describe the firing of these U.S. Federal Prosecutor's than a political bashing plan?

Didn't Rove and his Republican elect friends with their nepotism opportunist attorney buddies politically bash these attorneys who were fired just like they bashed Ambassador Wilson?

Why did they have to give or hide a reason to fire them otherwise if they did not want to politically bash somebody?

295

ElizabethJW on March 18, 2007 at 08:32 PM

Pressure Builds Over Gonzales, Rove
By Michael Isikoff, Richard Wolffe And Evan Thomas
Newsweek

26 March 2007 Issue

At highly charged moments, attorney General Alberto Gonzales can seem placid, passive - at times, just plain out of it. In the summer of 2002, high-level Bush administration officials met to debate secretly a delicate issue: how aggressively could the CIA interrogate terror suspects? While the lawyers from Justice, Defense and the vice president's office hotly debated definitions of torture (at times discussing specific interrogation techniques), Gonzales, who was then the White House counsel, sat by and said virtually nothing. The attorney general's behavior was typical, say administration officials who have worked with him. His defenders say he likes to keep his counsel. Others wonder if he's ill prepared, insecure or simply has nothing to say.

Last week Gonzales's bland, what-me-worry? smile seemed to fade. He appeared slightly forlorn as he answered hostile questions from reporters at a hastily called press conference. He was asked about the role of the White House in firing a group of U.S. attorneys. "As we can all imagine," he began, "in an organization of 110,000 people, I am not aware of every bit of information that passes through the halls of the Department of Justice ..." He was aware, he said, that there was "a request from the White House as to the possibility of replacing all the U.S. attorneys. That was immediately rejected by me." The impression was that Gonzales was merely responding to the ill-considered scheme of his successor as White House counsel (Harriet Miers); that he, personally, had not been in the loop for a series of controversial decisions that have set off a congressional brouhaha over the dismissal of one U.S. attorney in the summer of 2006 and seven more in December.

Two days after that presser, however, the White House turned over newly discovered e-mails showing that Gonzales, while he was still on the job at the White House in January 2005, had "briefly" discussed the idea of firing U.S. attorneys. (A Justice Department spokeswoman said Gonzales had "no recollection" of that.) The e-mails showed that Kyle Sampson, then a top aide to Attorney General John Ashcroft and later Gonzales's chief of staff, talked about the possible purge of "15-20 percent" of the U.S. attorney corps deemed not to be "loyal Bushies." The e-mails also showed that Bush's chief political adviser, Karl Rove, had "stopped by" to ask a White House lawyer "how we planned to proceed regarding US Attorneys, whether we are going to allow all to stay, request resignations from all and accept only some of them, or selectively replace them, etc." Sampson warned that firing all the U.S. attorneys could cause political problems. "That said," Sampson wrote, "if Karl thinks there would be political will to do it, then so do I."

The e-mails inflamed lawmakers who have long felt misled or ignored by the Bush White House. At least two Republicans have publicly demanded Gonzales's firing or resignation. And Democrats who now control Congress want to know more about Rove and other White House officials. At the time Rove was asking questions, he was himself under investigation by a U.S. attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, the special counsel in the Valerie Plame leak case. (Last week Rove dismissed the controversy over his role in firing the U.S. attorneys as "a lot of politics.")

The controversy was in some ways Beltway political theater. Appointed for four-year terms, U.S. attorneys serve "at the pleasure of the president," but their loyalties have long been mixed. These high-profile prosecutors are sometimes protégés of U.S. senators and routinely have their own political ambitions and law-enforcement agendas. Tension between independent-minded U.S. attorneys and their nominal bosses at the Justice Department is the norm. Presidents are within their rights to remove prosecutors deemed to be poor performers or political mavericks.

But in two or three cases, the Bush administration may have gone over the line. In New Mexico the administration canned David Iglesias, a clean-cut former Navy lawyer who had been the model for the Tom Cruise character in the movie "A Few Good Men." Iglesias has told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he was getting political pressure from lawmakers to indict Democrats in a local corruption case before the November elections. In Washington state, the ousted U.S. attorney, John McKay, has said that he took heat from local Republicans for failing to bring voter-fraud charges in a deadlocked gubernatorial race.

As Congress probes deeper, real crimes, like obstruction of justice, may be exposed. But for now, the scandal is perhaps best understood as the late-term agonies of an unpopular president - made more poignant by the possibility that President Bush will have to dump Gonzales, one of his oldest friends in politics. And if nothing else, the flap is one more instance of administration bumbling.

Judging from the e-mails released last week, the White House knew a backlash was coming. In December, as the Justice Department was preparing to sack seven U.S. attorneys, Gonzales's chief of staff Sampson e-mailed Harriet Miers, "Prepare to Withstand Political Upheaval." Sampson warned that "U.S. attorneys desiring to save their jobs (aided by their allies in the political arena as well as the Justice Department community) likely will make efforts to preserve themselves in office. We should expect those efforts to be strenuous."

The message to be careful apparently did not sink in. Or perhaps, after six years of a Republican-controlled Congress, the Bush White House thought it could be highhanded with newly elected Democratic congressional leaders. In hindsight, the controversy might have been muted by a more straightforward approach to Congress.

Instead, a pair of senior Justice officials gave accounts to lawmakers that were, at best, incomplete. At a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, William Moschella, a top aide to Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, vigorously defended the firings of the U.S. attorneys as a purely managerial move that had originated within the Justice Department. He said nothing about any nudging from the White House. McNulty had earlier given similar testimony, saying the attorneys had been let go for "job performance" reasons, an assertion that infuriated the fired prosecutors. But the two Justice officials have told colleagues that when they saw the e-mail accounts showing the attorney-purge idea had originated in the White House, they were surprised and appalled. "I felt sick," Moschella told NEWSWEEK. "I basically saw my professional life flash before my eyes." Moschella and McNulty blamed Sampson. The attorney general's chief of staff had sat in as they prepped for their testimony and "never said a word," according to a Justice Department official who wished to remain anonymous discussing a private meeting. Sampson resigned last week. His lawyer, Brad Berenson, says Sampson believed he had "let the attorney general down," but that other senior Justice officials knew about White House involvement. "Kyle did not mislead anyone," the lawyer said.

The conflicting accounts have spurred congressional investigators to cry cover-up. Democrats are now pushing to get White House officials, especially Rove, on the witness stand. The White House will probably argue that it would set a bad precedent to allow congressmen to grill the president's personal advisers and rummage through their files. But since the White House has already started releasing confidential e-mails, it will have more difficulty making the familiar case for Executive Privilege.

The man chosen by the president to handle this delicate task - Fred Fielding, who replaced Miers as White House counsel last month - has plenty of experience. He was a young White House lawyer during Watergate in the Nixon administration and counsel to President Reagan during the Iran-contra scandal. Fielding, 67, is regarded as a savvy lawyer who believes in getting out ahead of a scandal. Fielding is also seen as a Washington establishment figure brought in to rescue Bush from the mistakes of his old Texas cronies, Rove, Miers and Gonzales.

One of Fielding's tougher tasks may be to push out Gonzales. It is doubtful that Bush himself will have the stomach for it. (According to the latest NEWSWEEK Poll, voters are evenly divided: about a third think Gonzales should resign, a third say he should stay on and a third are undecided.) As governor of Texas, Bush appointed Gonzales to be his counsel and then elevated him to become Texas secretary of State and then justice of the state Supreme Court. Bush sees Gonzales as a classic American success story, the son of Mexican immigrants who overcame childhood poverty. The president is personally close to Gonzales and his family. And he owes Gonzales a debt of gratitude: in 1996, Gonzales pulled off a skillful courtroom maneuver to allow Bush to escape jury duty in a drunken-driving case. Bush's lawyer made the clever argument that the governor had a conflict of interest, since he might be called on one day to pardon the defendant (a dancer at a local strip club). Had Bush gone through the normal jury voir dire, he might have had to disclose a 1976 DUI arrest, thereby jeopardizing his presidential ambitions.

There is one more catch to shoving out Gonzales: finding a replacement who can be confirmed by the Democratic-controlled Senate may be difficult. A former senior White House aide who is knowledgeable about current thinking inside the White House (but did not wish to be quoted discussing it) says that one of the few possible contenders is Bill Barr, who was attorney general in the Bush 41 administration. But any contender would have to want the job - in the last two years of a weakened administration - and President Bush can be touchy about any suggestion that he needs to be rescued by his father's former aides.

Recently, a trio of senators - Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy; Arlen Specter, the senior Republican on the committee, and Democrat Charles Schumer - sat down with Gonzales in his wood-paneled conference room to discuss the firings of the U.S. attorneys. Gonzales was initially combative and defensive. "Why do I have to prove anything to you?" he demanded at one point, according to a source who was in the room but does not wish to be identified revealing a private conversation. He insisted that only poor performers had been fired. "Everyone was in the bottom tier," he said. "Everyone?" asked Schumer. What about David Iglesias of New Mexico? (The department's internal evaluations had given Iglesias glowing marks.) Gonzales hesitated. "I believe so," he said, but he seemed uncertain. As the meeting was breaking up, Gonzales suddenly switched tacks and seemed to want to be cooperative. "How can we make this better?" he asked. "What can we do?" According to this source, the attorney general seemed to some in the room to be genuinely befuddled.

-------

296

_MarthaA on March 18, 2007 at 08:35 PM

ElizabethJW on March 18, 2007 at 08:18 PM,

That's what we all thought with the Libby indictment, but then Libby became the fall guy and is expecting a pardon in a year and a half. If there is one thing Poppy's presidency has shown it is the weaknesses of our government. We need to learn from our weaknesses in order to make our government stronger.

lurk-bbl

297

davidual on March 18, 2007 at 08:37 PM

Why did they have to give or hide a reason to fire them otherwise if they did not want to politically bash somebody?
Posted by ElizabethJW on March 18, 2007 at 08:32 PM

Elizabeth--the U.S. attorneys that were fired either prosecuted Republics or failed to prosecute Democrats. My questions about who was not fired remain.

The expectation that the attorneys deliver political booty was clear. Once again, though, Rovie and Harriet misunderestimated the integrity of the people involved.

The partisn hacks did not get the axe and i want to know who was promoted. And why.

298

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 08:45 PM

Mr. Sutton is rumored to be appointed to the federal bench, assuming the arbusto bubble doesn't burst first.

299

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 08:58 PM

Please view this Website, thefixersprague.com this is the Law Firm representing
Senator Fumo. I have 30 years of Court Documented Proof that
Attorney Richard A. Sprague of Sprague&Sprague is involved in Racketeering.And PUT HIMSELF ABOVE THE LAW TO FIX A CASE HE KNEW HE COULD’NT WIN LEGALLY!!!!!! Richard A. Sprague subverted, perverted, and contorted the Law of the Land to FIX a case for clients who were being investigated by the F.B.I. and the U.S. Attorney.
And his client Robert J. Rosenstein aka R/S Financial Corporation of Philadelphia,
Who never had a Banking License in Pennsylvania, who is the Father of
Rod J. Rosenstein U.S. Attorney of Maryland, with this Political Connection, you have free reign as a CRIMINAL, When Rod J. Rosenstein was hired by theU.S. Department of Justice, the investigations against his Father Robert J. Rosenstein mysteriously ceased.
Please view on the Website the cover-up between the Schuylkill County Courthouse,
Prothonotary’s office and Sprague’s Office with a lost Opinion, Peter J. Symons Jr, head of the Prothonotary’s office signs statement stating, lost/misplaced Opinion and called Pa. Supreme Court to Fax a copy. Well, an Intellius Report was done and the fax number turned Out to be a landline in Sprague’s Office, not a dedicated fax line, this number must be THE DIRTY DEEDS LINE.Also please view the Forensic Document Examiner’s Report Of all the altered dockets in the Prothonotary’s office in Schuylkill County, Pa. Also, view the West Law report on the not signed certiorari from the United States Supreme Court. Fake Court documents are being submitted from the clerk of
Courts office to (Thomson West Law and Nexis Lexis), They do not require that opinions, decisions , or any documents pertaining to court cases be certified from the court that forward said cases to verify authenticity.
I have been a Victim of Crime at the hands of Richard A. Sprague for 30 years,
In thefixersprague.com is just some of the Proof I have, I couldn’t fit 30 long dirty years
On my website, Richard A. Sprague was a previous President Judge of the Judicial Conduct Board of Discipline in Pennsylvania (over ethics, GOD HELP US ALL).
Richard A. Sprague has been and always will be a LEGAL TERRORIST!!!!!!!!

ANTHONY KOVALCHICK SENIOR, VICTIM OF CRIME AND CONSPIRACY

300

aksr on March 18, 2007 at 09:02 PM

i was looking at some video clips of the "counterinsurgency" of the freeperverse and noticed at least fifty demonstrators, some of whom were verbally aggressive and goading...

i won't soil the blog with their ilk. just noted that less than .01% of the total turnout got a lot of attention. how utterly sad they are still bitter and incapable of critical thinking.

all the more reason to bring our troops home. we don't need another generation of angry, bitter operational thinkers living in their illusionary past. poor things.

301

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 09:03 PM

ANTHONY KOVALCHICK SENIOR, VICTIM OF CRIME AND CONSPIRACY

302

aksr on March 18, 2007 at 09:04 PM

ANTHONY KOVALCHICK SENIOR, VICTIM OF CRIME AND CONSPIRACY

303

aksr on March 18, 2007 at 09:04 PM

hey stargazer man--is there some sort of planetary alignment responsible for this phenomenon?

dorsano, nice to see you.

anyone see this politicstv.com link before?

304

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 09:07 PM

Everybody in past administrations knows there is a difference between being dismissed from your position and being fired when the next administration comes along. Clinton dismissed all 93 attorneys at the beginning of his term like it was a part of the old administration bringing in the next administration.

So there is a big difference in dismissing these attorneys briefly and firing these attorneys with the government preparing a questionably long evaluated history in why these certain attorneys were targeted and fired.

Like I said, they did not have to give a reason or hide a reason to fire these prosecutors. Why did they want to? Obviously, they wanted to politically bash these attorneys. Why else, could there be? Tell me.

305

ElizabethJW on March 18, 2007 at 09:17 PM

hume humdinger

306

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 09:25 PM

dorsano will like this

307

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 09:35 PM

Lawyer to Appeal Pearl Case Conviction

- - - - - - - - - - - -

By SADAQAT JAN Associated Press Writer

March 18,2007 | ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- The lawyer for a man convicted of killing Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl said Sunday he will file an appeal using an al-Qaida lieutenant's recent confession that he beheaded the reporter.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who has claimed that he planned the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, claimed at a U.S. military hearing at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that he personally beheaded Pearl for being an Israeli intelligence agent.

[]

Sheikh and the three others -- Salman Saqib, Fahad Naseem and Sheikh Adil -- are in jail and have appealed their convictions.

"What we were saying for so many years in our trial, in the appeal, (is) that Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh is innocent and he has not committed that murder," Bashir said in the interview from the eastern city of Lahore.

308

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 09:41 PM

Evening fade,

The way I understand it, it is customary for US Attorneys to offer their resignations at the time there is a change in president. I think this is true of many other positions. The new administration has the option of leaving them in place or selecting new attorneys.

309

Johnedwrd on March 18, 2007 at 09:46 PM

hi john

it's not a difficult concept. the right wingnuts keep trying to complicate the issue. the folks getting fired are guilty of behaving in a way that represented we the people well, and the Rove machine poorly.

that was their performance issue. these lying bastids on t.v. have everyone watching thinking up is down and brit hume above illustrates that point perfectly. it is the downfall of truth to have these pigs controlling the message.

have i mentioned lately how much i hate them?

310

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 09:50 PM

anniversary tomorrow...four years of this war

all based on lies

i hate these people. my uncle died yesterday, and he lost his grandson, a marine, in Iraq. fortunately, he had Alzheimers and has no idea but the rest of us sure as hell do...

it is haunting to know what will never be. that should have been. multiply accordingly

Saturday's deaths brought to at least 3,217 members of the U.S. military who have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

311

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 09:55 PM

chimps "surge" isn't working worth a damn. Guess who's paying for his incompetence, arrogance and moronity.

Sunni insurgents, resilient despite the five-week security crackdown in the capital, killed at least six more U.S. troops over the weekend. A Sunni car bomber hit a largely Shiite district in the capital Sunday, killing at least eight people.

U.S. Troop Deaths Show Sunni Resilience

312

Johnedwrd on March 18, 2007 at 09:58 PM

I think Karl Rove leaked the name and CIA affiliation of a covert agent and knew or didn’t know that by creating the leak, the wide leak of the chain of identities would silence the CIA from being able to release more information to the public about pre-war Iraq intelligence. The CIA’s then having to protect the identities and activities leaked then limited the CIA’s ability to release to the public how much intelligence in Iraq was gathered and reported to the GOP before the war. (Information that could validate either Party's viewpoints about pre-war Iraq.)

So was Mr. Rove or wasn’t Mr. Rove smart enough to know the damage the leak of the CIA affiliation would do? Was he or wasn’t he smart enough to arrange the cover up for what the GOP should have known or knew about Iraq before the war or did it just happen accidentally from his stupidity?

In 2003, the same year as the leak, there were three names of agents added to The CIA Memorial Wall who were agents in Afghanistan. There is a star with a name that can not be published. For all we know, the star could represent one of Ms. Wilson’s partners...in maybe Iraq...

Bush’s God only knows how far Mr. ‘Rove around accountability’ might try to use and betray the Justice Department like he used and betrayed the CIA?

313

ElizabethJW on March 18, 2007 at 10:03 PM

disgusting, isn't it John?

sleep well and see you in the morning...i miss John Boy.

he must be in trouble.

goodnight John Boy.

314

fade2bluz on March 18, 2007 at 10:04 PM

In Baghdad, the most common sound you hear in the streets today is the insistent racket of small private generators.

The most common sight, apart from police and army roadblocks, are the black banners on walls and fences announcing people's deaths.

Iraqi commandos and US military advisors now patrol Haifa Street and the most common feeling you come across is a kind of slow-burning, gloomy anger.

These things represent a major failure of the hopes and expectations which many Iraqis entertained four years ago.

The generators are there because the Americans and successive Iraqi governments have failed to sort out the power situation. And the deaths happen because they have not established peace here.

'They will help us'

It is easy to forget how high the expectations once were.

"I don't like the feeling that my country has been invaded," a shopkeeper in Haifa Street told me, a day or so after the fall of Baghdad.

"But thanks to God that it is the Americans who have done this. They are the richest country on earth. They will help us."

But they did not. They did not even protect the ministries and public buildings and museums from being looted.

We filmed as people shouted "Do something!" at an American soldier, while thieves were running out with valuable medical equipment from the hospital behind us. He just shrugged his shoulders and turned away.

Iraqis were infuriated by the gross mismanagement and open theft that American contractors and Iraqi politicians carried out in the first year after the invasion.

They had little but contempt for the feeble administration of Paul Bremer, the American proconsul whose only previous senior job had been as US ambassador to the Netherlands. Iraqis hate bush

315

Johnedwrd on March 18, 2007 at 10:10 PM

Does anyone know of a free email service in Europe, I am thinking about going there and write. I have Hotmail and Yahoo here, but I keep getting told by people they emailed ne and I recieved nothing.

316

dlesterpoet on March 18, 2007 at 10:13 PM

Iraqis were infuriated by the gross mismanagement and open theft that American contractors and Iraqi politicians carried out in the first year after the invasion.

They had little but contempt for the feeble administration of Paul Bremer, the American proconsul whose only previous senior job had been as US ambassador to the Netherlands.

Another bush crony in action and American corporations robbing people blind like they get away with here.

317

Johnedwrd on March 18, 2007 at 10:13 PM

After military action was "completed" and the Iraqi government fell, bush obviously did not have a plan for rebuilding the country.

He has so many cronies working for him that they were too stupid to study how Eisenhower rebuilt Western Europe and MacArthur rebuilt Japan. I am sure there are volumes of information available. If bush and his gang had studied it and had a plan ready before the invasion, we wouldn't be in the position we are in today. Our poor military is just not trained for this type of action and shouldn't be expected to pull the full load and the blame for failure

The buck stops with bush. He was the failure for the umpteenth time in life. He continues to be an abject failure. When it is his time to meet his maker, he will most likely screw that up too and go south.

318

Johnedwrd on March 18, 2007 at 10:37 PM

Pessimism 'growing among Iraqis'
A new survey paints a pessimistic picture of Iraqis' confidence in their own government and in coalition forces. Full Story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6464277.stm

319

DemocratKickingAss on March 18, 2007 at 10:47 PM

Military: 7 U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq
The U.S. military on Sunday announced the deaths of seven more troops in Iraq, including four killed by a roadside bomb while patrolling western Baghdad -- the latest American casualties in a monthlong security crackdown in the capital.
Full Story:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070318/iraq_soldiers_070318/20070318?hub=World

320

DemocratKickingAss on March 18, 2007 at 10:48 PM

Maybe sometime you could post some statistics on how many evil bastards our guys killed each day.

And how do you know which ones are evil and which ones are just trying to find food and water?

Get real!

321

WatchfulEye on March 19, 2007 at 12:01 AM

Good evening,

I see that Iraq is still the #1 concern on the minds of most.

However, rising gasoline prices is where the real frustration is building. It will be the focus of most Americans in the coming weeks as they tie the two issues together again like the public did before the election. It's not going to be a good thing for Republicans.

But keep an eye on those subprime defaults. That could be the big story. Greenspan has gone way out of his way to warn those who are willing to listen that the economy is not healthy.

I'd also be concerned about Sadr's militias. They are laying so low, you know they are up to something.

I think the Shiites have decided to take a breather, regroup, rearm, and spend their time soliciting donations for others of a like mind around the Muslim world. The Sunnis are probably doing the same thing.

While Bush makes his show of force in Baghdad, it's obvious both Iraqi factions are busy working the angles. I assume those Iraqis who might still have the capability will use this time to pack up and leave. Refugees streaming out of a country is the worst sign possible for an occupying force. It indicates that civilans have no interest in coperating or participating to make things right again.

While the MSM reports on the slow down in daily attacks between the two sides in the capitol, you can't help but wonder if this is just what the insurgents wanted. The neocons think they have the rebels on the run? Some idiots never learn.

Let's hope Bush gets a bill soon that he can veto. I want to see him cut off spending of his own surge. He and the GOP will paint this as a sign of leadership and determination. The rest of the country will take it as another sign that he's stubborn and doesn't care about ending this continuing drain on our resources.

I love it when the other side points at protesters and call them Anti-American. It means they are frightened that the public is preceiving them as mainstream now.

Scarborough made an interesting point the other day that most people have no problem with racially integrated or gay couples...it's become mainstream in spite of everything the Right tried to do.

Hating this continuing Iraqi occupation has also become mainstream. Hating the GOP and all it's done to screw up the works is rapidly becoming the next trend. By next year's primaries, I'm not too sure any of the candidates will still want the Republican nomination.

And with that observation, I bid you all a good night.

322

SandyH on March 19, 2007 at 12:22 AM

Nice,

Great to see all the truth-seeking and fun-lovin' democrats on this KA thing. There is so much to exchange.

And the media might just matter:

How TalkingPointsMemo Beat the Big Boys on the U.S. Attorney Story
Paul McLeary

It's almost too perfect. A mainstream reporter mocks a story a blogger has been working to break, asserting that "it all makes perfect conspiratorial sense!", and that the blogger is "seeing broad partisan conspiracies where none likely exist," only to backtrack a few weeks later when the story explodes across the front pages of the major dailies.

If you wanted to force the issue -- and we would be surprised if some MSM-hating critic doesn't -- the episode illustrates perfectly how the Washington press corps ignores the blogosphere at its own peril. But the story, and its implications, are actually far more complicated -- and for journalism, heartening -- than that.

Still, the image is great. While the mocking reporter, Time magazine's Washington bureau chief Jay Carney, was busy dumping, via Times Swampland blog, on the story of U.S. Attorneys being fired across the country, Josh Marshall of TalkingPointsMemo, and two of his reporters at his offshoot site, TPMuckracker.com, Paul Kiel and Justin Rood, were busy reporting, using a variety of sources that had been largely untapped by the mainstream press.

To be fair, Carney wasn't dismissing the story out of hand, but his snark hardly masked his belief that Marshall & Co. were out on a partisan limb, hyping a story that just wasn't there.

As we now know, there is most definitely some "there, there," and the press has been all over the story for more than a week, discovering that the paper trail that led to the firings leads, on some level, to the White House. Many (including two Republican members of Congress) have called for Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez to step down, and the Democratic controlled Congress is licking its chops to hold hearings and issue subpoenas.

Despite his early misgiving about the story, on March 2 Carney finally came around, saying this his "hat is off" to TalkingPointsMemo and "everyone else out there whose instincts told them there was something deeply wrong and even sinister about the firings." And then came the words that bloggers have so longed to hear: "The blogosphere was the engine on this story," Carney wrote, "pulling the Hill and the MSM along...what happened was much worse than I'd first thought. I was wrong. Very nice work, and thanks for holding my feet to the fire."

www.cjrdaily.org/behind_the_news/how_talkingpointsmemo_beat_the.php

323

TomN on March 19, 2007 at 12:58 AM

buttons,

Is asking such a question moral behavior? Would Jesus have done it? I don't recall that he threw rocks at anyone.

Frosty,

The protestors here were mostly family members of those who have served in Iraq or military veterans.

It leads me to believe that those who are being asked to make the biggest sacrifice are not happy doing it even though they are resolved to stick it out for the sake of thoses still in danger overseas.

It was a quiet peace vigil. People came, paid their respects to the dead. and left flowers and candles.

I didn't see many old hippies but a lot of church groups and families. It wasn't the typical anti-war crowds you use to see in the 1960-70s. I guess that's because there isn't a military draft this time. The young people who were participating seemed to be part of organized groups that included their families.

Actually, the only old farts making a lot of noise that I saw were on the news tonight at the big demonstration in Washington, and they were on the pro-war side. They seemed to be angry not concerned.

324

SandyH on March 19, 2007 at 01:01 AM

Maybe the story is the MSM? A bit more from the above:

The most important part in keeping on top of the U.S. Attorney story while the mainstream media dragged its heels comes from the relationship bloggers have with their readers, one which mainstream reporters don't have. Marshall says that while readers send in relevant articles from local papers and news broadcasts, he and his staff don't accept everything at face value, and fact check it just like any news organization would. Where TPM benefits in the initial fact-gathering process is that the blog, like most blogs, has a more intimate relationship with its readers, who send in tips. "We have a readership of about 100,000 people," he says, "and that means that in any city around the country we've got a bunch of readers who are reading the local papers. So we'll often find out if something happens that's only reported in some small paper -- we basically have an intelligence gathering service that mainstream reporters don't have because they don't have the same kind of relationship with their readers."

Obviously, sites like TPMuckraker are few and far between, since most bloggers don't have the time and resources to spend all day reporting and checking out stories. But in a way, this model of reporting is a great example of straddling the divide between old school shoe-leather reporting and the more aggregate method of Web reporting. And with the U.S. Attorney story at least, TPM's staff was able to weave the disparate strands of information into a coherent whole -- well before most, if not all, of the big D.C. newsrooms. Just ask Jay Carney.

-feet to fire is not considered torture. Fires elsewhere, ?, maybe so.

325

TomN on March 19, 2007 at 01:08 AM

Posted by TomN on March 19, 2007 at 12:58 AM

Tom,

Since MSM reporters are no longer encouraged to develop leads and work up their own investigative stories, they tend to only react to what is fed to them. It's a innane way for a journalist to operate.

I imagine it's embarrassing for those at the traditional outlets to see others continue to operate from the blogsphere the way they were trained....but are not allowed to do themselves.

326

SandyH on March 19, 2007 at 01:09 AM

Hi Sandy,

Just switch channels when the BS congeals like this. What passes for desperation is generally meaness and greed and insecurity, as well as baseness.

Continue to let them have it in your steady and delightful and outraged words.

327

TomN on March 19, 2007 at 01:18 AM

Posted by SandyH on March 19, 2007 at 01:09 AM

Sandy, I saw this film a couple of days ago, from 2003, but it was some great interviews and reporting on MSM power in politics. Quite timely for now, should be the #1 priority of action as it affects all public discourse on the other pressing issues.

Orwell rolls in his grave
a film by Robert Kane Pappas

"A marvel of passionate succinctness, Robert Kane Pappas' docu critically examines the Fourth Estate, once the bastion of American democracy. Docu asks, "Could a media system, controlled by a few global corporations with the ability to overwhelm all competing voices, be able to turn lies into truth?..."
-- Variety
www.orwellrollsinhisgrave.com/

328

TomN on March 19, 2007 at 01:26 AM

A Conversation With Hervé Kempf
"How the Rich Are Destroying the Planet"
By Leslie Thatcher
t r u t h o u t | Interview

Thursday 15 March 2007
***
Since the collapse of the former USSR, it appears that capitalism no longer needs democracy - so antithetical to the oligarchy's objectives. Terrorism is the latest alibi to tighten security, criminalize dissent, expand surveillance and imprison the poor. "The hyper-rich will attempt to maintain their excessive advantages by force as they did after Hurricane Katrina, when armed forces were sent - not to help the drowning poor - but to hunt down looters.

"An ironic twist of history could even be an authoritarian government's use of ecological necessity as a pretext to persuade the people to accept a restriction of freedoms - without, however, touching [socioeconomic] inequality."

****
This predatory oligarchy is the main agent of the global crisis - directly, by the decisions it makes. Those decisions aim to maintain the order that has been established to its advantage and favor the objective of material growth: the only method, according to the oligarchy, of making the subordinate classes accept the injustice of the social situation. But material growth intensifies environmental degradation.

The oligarchy also exercises a powerful indirect influence as a result of the cultural attraction its consumption habits exercise on society as a whole, and especially on the middle classes. In the best-provided-for countries, as in developing countries, a large share of consumption answers a desire for ostentation and distinction. People aspire to lift themselves up the social ladder, which happens through imitation of the superior class's consumption habits. Thus, the oligarchy diffuses its ideology of waste throughout the whole society.

It's not the oligarchy's behavior alone that leads to deepening of the crises. Faced with opposition to its privileges, with environmental anxiety, with criticism of economic neoliberalism, it weakens public freedoms and the spirit of democracy.

A drift towards semi-authoritarian regimes may be observed almost everywhere in the world. The oligarchy that reigns in the United States is its engine, as it uses the terror that the September 11th, 2001, attacks elicited in American society.

In this situation, which could lead to either social chaos or dictatorship, it is important to know what it is right to maintain for ourselves and for future generations: not "the Earth," but "the possibilities of human life on the planet," as philosopher Hans Jonas calls them; that is, humanism, the values of mutual respect and tolerance, a restrained and rich relationship with nature, and cooperation among human beings.

To achieve those goals, it is not enough for society to become aware of the urgency of the ecological crisis - and of the difficult choices its prevention imposes, notably in terms of material consumption. It will further be necessary that ecological concerns articulate themselves as a radical political analysis of current relationships of domination. We will not be able to decrease global material consumption if the powerful are not brought down and if inequality is not combated. To the ecological principle that was so useful at the time we first became aware - "Think globally; act locally," - we must add the principle that the present situation imposes: "Consume less; share better."

www.truthout.org/docs_2006/031507E.shtml

329

TomN on March 19, 2007 at 01:37 AM

actually sally what i find disgusting is how far you have managed to stick your head up your own butt.

330

gregg on March 19, 2007 at 03:14 AM

*****I HAVE BEEN OFFICIALLY AUTHORIZED BY CONTROL ( DPD ) TO MOVE THE OPEN THREAD TO THE SECOND THREAD FROM THE TOP OF THE BLOG. WE WILL NOW BE OPERATING AT THE "MCCAIN, IN THE TANK OR UNDER THE BUS" THREAD.*****

331

gregg on March 19, 2007 at 03:16 AM

they'll all miss them once they are washed out fool. now get back to inventing ways of making sealing wax.

332

gregg on March 19, 2007 at 03:37 AM

333

gregg on March 19, 2007 at 04:02 AM

WE REALLY ARE USING THE "MCCAIN IN THE TANK OR UNDER THE BUS" THREAD WHICH IS RIGHT BELOW THIS ONE UNTIL A NEW THREAD GETS STARTED WHEN THE ADMINISTRATORS GET IN.

334

gregg on March 19, 2007 at 07:38 AM

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