Republicans always win the elections in the last hour, it seems. That’s when the cheating clicks in.

off topic a bit, but check out the story that the CIA has asked the justice department to investigate the leak of “possiby classified info” on the cia secret prisons aka torture centers as reported in the WA Post last week.

it’s another job for super-Fitz!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200…..0bQ–

72% reporting Kaine by 3.85%

Very close- but encouraging.

67% of the precincts- Kaine by 3.7%

Kaine 51%
Kilgore 47%
56% precincts reporting in VA

this proves it: RNC= RICO

“Due to a problem with Electronic Voting Machines in Los Angeles County, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was told he had already voted when he showed up at the polls today to cast his ballot in the Special Election that he himself declared for California today”

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001990.htm

Aquino was a psyops expert in the military for many years

Narcissists. Frist is a classic, continues to defend his Schiavo diagnosis. I heard he was a jerk in the OR, throwing tantrums and playing Doctor is God.
They are busy posturing and playing their cloak and dagger games, they don’t need no stinkin’ laws. They run the Senate, they run the house and don’t you forget it. Poor things, their “I am the Powerful Oz” routine is sending them right down the drain, and they can’t even see it coming.

I don’t think Fitzy has to do much more here than wait, one of these bozos might just “Lott” Cheney right out to the MSM.

Pathetic.

new thread

Oops, almost forgot. Here is the link to Aquino’s website. http://www.xeper.org/maquino/index.html.

The article written with Vallely is called “MindWar” (you can’t make this stuff up). I esp like the article just below called “Pyschological Operations: The Ethical Dimension.”

Be sure to snoop around the rest of the site a bit. It really doesn’t get much stranger (or more pathetic).

Daily Kos is reporting VA Gov returns:

Results:

Precincts: 16.03 percent reporting

Kaine (D) 42.82 — 182,053
Kilgore (R) 55.65 — 236,053
Potts (I) 1.47 — 6,235

Remember, urban areas always report

Has anyone seen Aquino’s Satanist web site? The link is from Digby. It immediately made me think of this secret occult group called the Thule Society, of which one Rudolf Hess was supposedly a member. So for the fun of it I googled “Thule Society” and this came up in the number 2 spot. Could not believe it.

I have always scoffed at theories of satanic conspiracies to take over the whole wide world so that white people can turn into godlings as just too much paranoia, but having seen this cat Aquino’s web site (I mean is he really for real, and is can this be the same guy who wrote the mindgames paper with the General?) I am perhaps a little more open minded.

So here is the link: http://www.cephasministry.com/nwothule.html

Valley Girl

It all happened apparently at the meeting that Cheney held with gooper senators last week to argue for a “torture exemption” for the CIA.

Apparently Cheney shared the Gulag info with the senators (staff had been excluded)- and according to Lott, the information went directly to the WP- so Lott thinks that a gooper senator was responsible for the leak.

We now know that the CIA immediately called justice and reported a leak of classified information.

Apparently- if Cheney shared that info with gooper senators who do not have appropriate security clearance- it may be a crime.

Today, of course, Frist and Hastert signed a letter to their respective intelligence commitees calling for an investigation.

cole- regarding frist signing the letter- all I know is what i saw and heard on CNN- they said Frist, after hearing Lott’s pronouncement, then really dragged his feet in signing the letter to urge the investigation but just did one hour ago- and then they showed a picture of him with a zillion light bulbs going off as he signed it. I could be wrong but I could have sworn that is what they said during Blitzer’s Situation Room- and I guess he was the one who lott was originally talking too when he made his remarks?

The Senate GOP has regular Tuesday noon meetings. Usually Cheney is present but doesn’t participate. High-level GOP staffers may be present.
Last Tuesday Cheney called for a “closed meeting” and they chased out the staffers. Cheney passionately laid out the case to oppose McCain’s anti-torture amendment.
Slight problem: legally, a closed Senate meeting of a political caucus carries the same weight with NSA and CIA as a secret fraternity meeting at Indiana University. Not all Senators have high-level security clearances (I understand few do) so if Cheney blabbed about “State Secrets”, he massively violated security regulations.
Oh well…

valley- i can field that too as I have the tv on right now- cheney met with republicans on the hill and ordered their staff members out of the room and proceeded to tell urge them to support the exception for torture- what we didnt know until now was that he also told them about the secret CIA prisons.

Poll: Libby Indictment Hits Major Nerve

WASHINGTON – The recent indictment of Vice President Cheney’s top aide has struck a nerve with the American public. Four in five, 79 percent, said the indictment of former Cheney aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby on perjury and other charges is important to the nation, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Pew noted that in September 1998, 65 percent said.
(snip)
Most Americans, six in 10, say they do not think the news about Libby’s indictment has gotten too much coverage.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200….._leak_poll

rwcole: last thread you quoted:

“Lott said that much of the information contained in the Post report — which stated that the U.S. was holding terrorist suspects in secret CIA jails overseas — was discussed at a meeting of Republican senators last Tuesday.”

Help needed: is there specific info as to what the meeting was about and who was there? I am having a hard time taking in the details (no TV here either).
-

rwcole, I work nights so I jest saw some a the colloquy of this mornin’ involvin’ the intellectual history of the early constitutional period. The letters beween John Adams and T. Jefferson remain one of the most amazing glimpses inta the physiology of pure thought that we have from the Enlightenment. I’m not certain that there is a single issue in the ongoin’ political dialectic in our history that isn’t engaged in these communications (except, ironically enuff, slavery).

This doezn’t add anythin’ ta the immediate topic but I sure wish we were at a time that we could all jest call time out and go back and reread these letters fer guidance…but we’re way past the moment when we could effect political change SAFELY.

spotted several “i voted” stickers on co-workers today (l.a. county). a sight not seen in previous elections…usually mine is met with blank stares and “there’s an election?”. the times they are a’changing.

What’s the point of asking Fitzgerald to investigate this? I don’t get it. Assuming it’s false, how does it advance the case?

I agree — we shouldn’t be urging Fitzgerald to waste his time. It should just be a talking point in responding to these bozos in any forum:

“Have they taken their information to Fitzgerald yet? Do you need his address? His phone number? He’s got a website, y’know.”

“Oh, and one more thing … tell them to read up on the penalties for making false statements and obstructing justice before they go. Scooter Libby can tell you, Fitz takes that stuff seriously.”

Raw Story says that Frist signed the letter AFTER denying that he signed it- as I read the story.

I would hope that Wilson would have a BIG lawsuit against Fox News. By airing Vallely’s claim that this occurred in the Spring of ‘02 (an impossibility) Fox should meet the standard for slander by a news outlet (i.e., reporting with reckless disregard for the truth or falseness of the allegation). Maybe a jury can award Wilson the whole Fox network as damages!

RAWSTORY is reporting that Frist signed the letter, then tried to deny it to the press…

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/….._1108.html

To clarify: I think the “Wilson brokered a Uranium deal” story was originally a Rove move, but is now circulating on its own despite, or perhaps because of, its absurdity, like a twisted version of that old “Save NPR” email that just won’t die.

I think the Vallely thing is really hard to call — six months ago I would have said that neither Rove nor Libby would put something that stupid into play, but now I’m not so sure.

I think that the “French Connection” bit is probably the work of a lone nut who is bitter because he has two first names. The author of the article that Jane quotes (James Lewis) implies that Watergate was a vicious and successful smear campaign by the CIA committed against a poor, innocent Richard Nixon. Then again, I think that’s what Rove believes…

The Italian forgeries became French forgeries because “French” is worse than “Italian” and because Joe Wilson speaks fluent French.

OT: I just heard that turn out is really heavy in Democratic LA County, but light here in deep red Orange County. Hmmmm.

sukabi- you are probably right- atleast I hope you are.

Quick note- too funny- I have cnn on in the background and Frist was caught so off guard by Lott’s pronouncment that he thought a republican was responsible for the secret prison leak that he didnt want to formally sign off on the investigation that HE AND HASTERT CALLED FOR! hahahahaha But just an hour ago he was basically shamed into it and there were like a hundred photographers there!!!

Woo hoo!!!

They are now talking about a rift between the VP and the preznit

Anyone seen exit poll results for Virginia? Huffington released results for New Jersey hours ago- but nothing that I have seen for Virginia.

Well Stacy, they might try to lie under oath… but being believable after all this time – and with their background it’s doubtful that they would be successful…

2 more for perjury and obstruction – do you think that’s in these guys plans? There is no way they would appear before the grand jury with their story.

CNN now says that the CIA informed the justice dept last week that the gulag story represented the leak of classified information- last week!

So what the goopers in congress did today was damage control

“we want to know as much as anyone else who did this.”

A gooper investigation of itself would have no credibility and would be likely to compromise the investigation by justice- who would presumably need to assign another independant prosecutor to the case.

Hold onto your hats.

Come on folks, really!! Taday’s Swift Boat attack is not only an advance against new indictments, it got the media focus off the elections.

With the Frist debacle, and the “walking dead” old military cadavers comin’ out, I think we’re at the most dangerous moment…if the elections tanight are a sweep fer the good guys, we’re gunna see an attempt by the administration ta shut down Fitz and stop the nascent Senate investigations with an executive declaration of some kinda national emergency.

Hold on tight people, the election results will trigger whatever is comin’ down next and it ain’t gunna be pretty.

This story is fermenting somewhere… In a big vat, bubbling and vaporous.

We could see something like a godzilla or creature from the black lagoon crawl out :)

Stacy -

Probably, unless they were worried that he could pin perjury/false statements on them with other independent counter-evidence.

Look, Fitz has interviewed lotsa MSM reporters. Dude comes on Hannity and says Wilson outed his wife, I’d wanna have a little under oath talk with him about that.

—

Bobby G- you dont think these guys would just lie under oath? Please.

do we know if the Repug senators had security clearances to get this kind of info?

was Cheney bragging about the camps or was he arguing ‘the CIA does it too’ as part of an anti-CIA attack?

these guys are starting to trip over their own tails..you need a score card to keep it all straight :)

It may be that Poppy’s friends have decided that Cheney has to go- but that Clusterfuck can’t do it because of exposure to Cheney’s conservative supporters- so they’ll have the senate take the steps that get him out.

At the end- Clusterfuck will be in Asia and the gooper senators will say “who knew?”

depressed -

What’s the point? Maybe not much, other than to scare the crap outa these Gooper clowns who think they’re so goddamn cute. Vallely claimed on national TV that Wilson outed his wife himself. I’d like to have him repeated that allegation under oath.

—

We’re beginning to see talking heads ask “Why would the VP discuss secret info in a roomful of senators?”

This is getting interesting.

There is an outside possibility that goopers have decided that Cheney is going down- and that they are better off taking him down themselves and thus creating distance.

This seems pretty big.

finally saw the CNN blurb..haha

Repug Sens ‘can’t keep their mouths shut’ lol

What’s the point of asking Fitzgerald to investigate this? I don’t get it. Assuming it’s false, how does it advance the case?

When did the Italian Forgeries become the “French” Forgeries? Sacre Bleu!

I read Digby’s posting on the Remembering Generals. When did the religious right become so encompassing of all religions that they now include The Temple of Set? I know some right wing fundamentalists who don’t think that Catholics are Christians.

Maybe some of those Generals should be receiving some of that “Ethics” training that the White House is teaching. Since they didn’t pick up any “Ethics” teaching at West Point.

These must be the not-so-swift boaters

My outgoing snailmail tonight…

xxxxx xxxxxxx
xxxx xxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxxx
Las Vegas, NV 891xx

Patrick J. Fitzgerald
Special Counsel
Bond Federal Building
1400 New York Avenue, NW, Ninth Floor
Washington D.C. 20530

Dear Sir,

I read a news article today stating that Fox News show host Sean Hannity had just interviewed retired General Paul Vallely, whereupon Mr. Vallely stated that former ambassador Joseph Wilson voluntarily told HIM about his wife, Valerie Plame, and her classified CIA employment status in the spring of 2002 while awaiting a Fox TV appearance in Fox’s off-camera “green room.”

This is a most serious assertion, one having direct bearing on your investigation into the leaking of her identity. Consequently, Mr. Vallely should be required by your office to confirm, clarify, and expand on his claim under oath.

Respectfully,

xxxxxx x xxxxxx

—

McFelon link at crooks & liars

Just watched “The Daily White House Press BBQ,” with Scott McClueless.

Where? Do you have a link?

Frist is not a well man

Go dems- publicly calling on Bush not to pardon Libby- now they have to keep the pressure on. I have the news on and so far I havent seen them pick this up- and that’s no good. We need little Scotty McClellan to get hammered with this for the WH to feel the heat.

Sorry about the long link:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200…..NlYwM3MDM-

I certainly hope Vallely gets served by Fitz’s office.

In fact, given the gravity of the assertion he made, I will send a hardcopy letter requesting it:

Patrick J. Fitzgerald
Special Counsel
Bond Federal Building
1400 New York Avenue, NW, Ninth Floor
Washington D.C. 20530

Probably not necessary, but, worth a stamp.

—

jane: that is my opinion.

I emailed the MSM today…

“Fair and Balanced Discrimination”

http://rawstory2.com/other/rawstoryfoxnews.pdf

And sent them the PDF :)

Could well be a Rove or Libby move, but it’s awfully damn sloppy — sounds more like a free-lance “smear Wilson” move by those left on auto-pilot to me.

Here is one of the media matters links about fox folks saying wilson introduced his wife as “my covert cia operative wife” or something dumb like that….

http://mediamatters.org/items/200511040014

Media matters reported last week that Fox has made all kinds of nutty claims that they have folks who have been introduced to Valerie by her husband as “meet my covert CIA operative wife valerie plame”- its beyond stupid. Who would talk like that?

As media matters pointed out, why are all these people just appearing now?

Its almost laughable except that the GOP TV has millions of viewers and they are working 24/7 to a) minimize the indictment b) claim that valerie was never covert c) wilson is a liar and d) scooter did nothing wrong.

I am watching the News Hour and just saw a headline about Fox and a sexual harrassment lawsuit? Sounds good to me. I wonder if it includes O’Reilly and falafel?

Damnit, Adam, I had just about decided this was a Libby campaign. And now I wonder if it’s a Rove one again.

That is, I really think the Wilson-as-go-between would only work coming with Rove’s expert guidance. Because you’d need absolute message discipline to drown out the people like us who would point out all the evidence against it. Libby’s just not a good ratfucker.

Anyone staked out Fitz’ office lately? There’s weird stuff afoot, and I wonder whether he’s ready to call another presser?

For that matter, is anyone staking out Chalabi? I’m curious who all he meets with. I would even have gotten my ass to the AEI for Chalabi’s speech just to watch the networking if I lived in DC. After all, that’s where CHalabi, Harold Rhode, Judy, and Cheney met just a week after the Plame outing.

Those are really weak straws to base the future of the gooper party don’t ya think Adam?

emptywheel — I’ve read that analysis of yours before, and as usual I found it excellent. I agree with you about the plausibility of that being a Rove tactic, particularly because of it’s exquisitely-crafted deniability (e.g. “that’s not what Ari really said, people just misinterpreted”). What’s striking to me is that the talking point has resurfaced in the last couple of days in tandem with this bizarre Vallely canard.

Karen, I agree. These dopes think they’re SO cute. Swift Boating Kerry was easy, and risk-free. Vallely may end up sorry he opended his dumb yap. i would not wanna get in Fitz’s crosshairs.

—

I agree emptywheel.

I posted this elsewhere. It will work here as well.
=======

Here’s something for someone to look into and to ask MG Paul Vallely about.

Around May, 2003, he came on the “O’Reilly Factor” and told Bill that he had proof that Saddam’s “WMDs” had been moved to the Bekka Valley and that France had isssued passorts to senior leaders of the Ba’athist party. He told Bill that he would get back to him within two weeks. Needless to say, he didn’t show up within the two weeks, in fact, it was quite a long time before he came back onto “The Factor”. When he did, I didn’t recall him addressing his previous claims. With all due respect to the General’s rank, he is either a fool or a knave. I believe it is the latter and that holds for LTG McInerney too (the late COL John Boyd would probably be disgusted with him). Incidently, Vallely was on Hannity’s radio show yesterday and presisted in calling Wilson’s wife “Valerie Flame”.

Okay, I just read the Digby stuff (I second the recommendation), and I suspect the Libby wing believes there’s something relating to espionage coming down the pike.

I say that because these guys are firebreathing neos (and therefore would help Libby before Rove). And the only reason to slam Wilson IN THIS WAY is to undercut (again, or try to) the IIPA claim. Why go to the trouble of doing that (however badly) if Libby were really in jeopardy only for perjury?

Pachacutec: “I swear, these people must have been reading blogs on this stuff. Where did all these new talking points come from?”

You bet they are, and as blogs gain increasing credibility as sources of high quality news and analysis (ahem, JH & RH) not to mention the “wisdom of the group” (high-fives all ’round) they’ll have an increasing influence on MSM.

To quote the great philosopher T.H.X., “The audience is listening…”

Bobby G: I don’t think old senile Vallely realizes that Fitzgerald will be on him like white on rice. Vallely will have a subpoena by tomorrow morning.

Slightly off subject:

I just got a call from my mom working the polls in Walnut Creek, CA – they are so busy its the first break she has been able to take since the polls opened this morning. My parents have been working the polls for quite a few years now. She said it is the busiest they have ever seen it.

Just watched “The Daily White House Press BBQ,” with Scott McClueless.

Burn Baby Burn!!

“I would expect Vallely to be contacted by Fitzgerald quite soon.”
marky

****

Vallely better strap on the Depends for THAT encounter.

—

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9969037/

Transcripts from yesterday’s Hardball are up.

You would think they would expand their repetoire! Maybe

If Karl Rove is Bushs’ brain, then he must be flatlining!

How would this help Rove? By (if it had gone as intended) giving him democratic company in the defendants’ docket?

I wrote an extended Haloscan comment about how the command stucture of the GOP is in tatters, and about how quickly implosions come nowadays, relative to the Watergate days of yore.

Today I wish I knew where it was. Heh.

EW,
Wilson’s lawyer has already fired off several letters. Kerry’s response was a big fat zero.

CNN Lott Link

This is what Vallely bring to the table.
Lawsuit Threatened over Wilson-Plame Affair

obsessed

Not sure. Obviously this campaign, especially Vallely, is part of the planned response to the indictment (or, possibly, an imminent indictment of Rove for something more closely relating to the outing charges). I figure if it shows on Sean Hannity, then it’s part of a directed campaign.

But it’s starting off looking pretty pathetic. Now, I said that about the Swifties, too, so I don’t think I’m one to judge (although Wilson strikes me as much better at managing these kinds of things than Kerry). But I’m not sure how this helps anyone’s case (unless, again, there’s an IIPA or espionage charge coming down the pike).

Ok, you’ve gotta go to Digby’s place for some background on this guy, General Paul Vallely and then take a trip to Rigorous Intuition for some more background.

Very, very bad shit this guy is involved in – the stuff of nightmares and bad horror movies.

What?! We’re Leftys? I thought we were Middle of the Road.

Adam

Here’s a post that argues BushCo tried to make just that allegation the week before the Plame outing. That is, they weren’t pushing Plame so much as they were (briefly) pushing the “Wilson is a go-between for Iraq and Niger.” I suspect THAT story was a Rove campaign, particularly since Libby seems to have backed off of it with Judy.

are you really certain this isn’t Rove?

so you’re entertaining the idea that this whole thing is like the Rather/GWB draft-dodge ruse, with several different stages of misdirection?

I would expect Vallely to be contacted by Fitzgerald quite soon.

Actually, are you really certain this isn’t Rove? I can’t really tell whether this is a Libby-related campaign (although Tate’s off the case, and he’s the only one this ham-handed).

Or maybe it’s Team B wannabe ratfucker Andy Card.

The good news is that implosions happen very quickly.

Tweety just used Ron Reagan and Tucker (Stop Hurting America) Carlson as foils to do a Bill Moyers on Cheney, Bush, Treasongate and the case for war. And even Carlson mostly went along for the ride, because there’s no arguing with all the facts Tweety listed.

I swear, these people must have been reading blogs on this stuff. Where did all these new talking points come from?

They came from us in the collective lefty blogtopia. It’s dizzying for me to see.

Sean Hannity dragging out old General Paul Vallely this afternoon is pretty funny. Vallely is a paid analyst for Fox News. He served as Asst. Defense Secretary under Reagan. Vallely’s memory has been known to be faulty and selective for some time now. Apparently Hannity had trouble finding anyone else willing to prop up BushCo.

Just watched some of McClellan’s WH briefing today.

Must REALLY suck to be him these days.

OnTopic, the Swift Boating of Joe Wilson is gonna go nowhere.

—

What Planet are these “Sheeple from? Can’t someone invent a ship to take them all back!

Yeah Adam.. that’s not a new talking point.
Hmm.. can Vallely get a mulligan too?

It gets better — do a Google News search for “Plame” and sometime in the last 24-36 hours you’ll find some right-wing website running a story on how the purpose of Wilson’s 1999 trip to Niger was to broker a sale of yellowcake to Iraq.

No, seriously.

I think it traces back to an ambiguous statement by Ari Fleischer.