All Hail, the Decider-in-Chief!

Oh, and FITZ

Update 10: Oil Prices Dip to Just Under $71 a Barrel (7 cents a pint)

So it comes as a relief to learn that Rove will be stripped of his policy portfolio, reassigned to focus exclusively on politics.
snip

When did he stop again?

Key question from last thread:

What about Rove’s security clearance?

(I didn’t ask it, but I think the answer is important.)

BK #5:

Stephen Parrish, CPA comment from previous thread

Yeah, I saw that earlier today on Think Progress and linked to it at the top of my post. Here’s Podesta’s closing point:

… Rove has now resigned his policy-making post and is focusing primarily on politics. Given Rove’s public intentions to make national security the focus of the 2006 elections, the White House should reveal whether Rove will be doing his political job while holding a security clearance.

I agree–what about Rove’s security clearance? I’d love to know the answer to that!

Today he is at best a Peking Duck.

you’re miles ahead of us, Taylor…. :~)

ccmask #4: the mental image of Rove being “stripped” just put a damper on an otherwise beautiful spring morning….

May I suggest that someone do a post on Melvin Laird’s pro-Rumsfeld editorial? Aren’t there any elderly
Auschwitz guards to speak of for Rummy?
Is Demjanunk still alive?

Eeeeewwww, punaise. What a horrific vision. –pressing delete now–

Was Rove actually spending much of his day doing policy stuff? I think, before his elevation to domestic policy guy, he was focused solely on the political implications of policy decisions (aside from actual electioneering). Since then, he’s been doing the exact same thing. And now with his “demotion”, he’ll still be doing the same, aside from maybe being on loan to the RNC.

What stands out, though, is, that over the past year, Rove has made poor policy decisions, but that he has made poor political decisions. Maybe his finger hasn’t been directly in every pie, but he has at least had a hand in the disasters of Social Security, Schiavo, Katrina, Harriet Miers, Dubai Ports, Immigration, and the worsening situation in Iraq.

speaking of corruption, another rethug in hot water…

A Washington watchdog called on the Justice Department today to begin an official investigation into whether Texas Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) received bribes from a San Fransisco defense firm in exchange for supporting earmarks that benefited the company, RAW STORY has learned.

A call and email placed for comment were not immediately returned.

Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington filed the complaint Wednesday. The group has “filed” repeated ethics complaints before — but the complaint against sessions was filed with the Justice Department, instead of simply being announced publicly. Ethics complaints must be filed by a member of Congress; Justice Department complaints can be made by anyone.

The group’s complaint also alleges that Rep. Sessions had substantive ties with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2….._0419.html

Too little too late.

Rove is a traitor to this nation, all Rove has to see is the same ole fear and smear thuggery tactics. The GOP do not GET IT. It is OVER for them in NOV.

Rove is as much as yesterdays news as Bush is. If the Dems are smart they will tie the Traitor Rove and Bush around every one their opponents.

Speaking of smell, could you please give some warning before linking me to a site like Human Events.

Thanks.

Anyone signing on now is essentially signing on to stonewall and defend for the next three years. And if the Dems take the House or even, dear God, the Senate, then the spokesperson has signed on to stonewall and defend in the face of investigations and perhaps impeachment proceedings. You have to be a sadomasochist to sign up for that, which leaves Jeff Gannon/Guckert as the only possible choice.

excuse my typos.

Politics IS policy for these fucks. Whatever. They need the Rovian slime machine going full-tilt to save their sorry asses in this election cycle.

Gosh, I hope he doesnt get indicted in the meantime…

emptywheel speaks for me:

Must. Stop. Blogging. Must. Do. Billable. Work.

I’m happy they are not bringing in new blood. Let the same Failures continue (and Rove is a presently a failure). His (and their) one marketing meme Safety doesn’t fly anymore. New blood might think up new strategies, Rove won’t and the old one won’t fly with the vast majority of the electorate. Tainted messengers with a tainted message. I don’t even think attacking Iran will help them (but that would be a long post, and not at the moment).

The only meme that matters is that they are ALL incompetent failures, and that is the one that is out there, and that isn’t going to change.

If I had to bet, I’ll go with the fact that they are all insane, that they think they have and are doing the “right” things both domestically and internationally, that no one has done anything illegal or even improper (whether Libby or Delay or anyone else). Like parents who beat their children for “their own good,” the psychology is no different.

Bobbyg – I think there should be a a late night FDL weekend contest where you get to pick a few lines from a song that you think best exemplifies ChimpCo and all repug land.

To get a head start, here’s my entry:

Band: Echo and the Bunnymen (Mary, they are a real band, the kanenchin joke notwithstanding)

Song: Seven Seas

Stab a sorry heart
With your favorite finger
Paint the whole world blue
And stop your tears from stinging
Hear the cavemen singing
Good news their bringing

…

Burning my bridges
And smashing my mirrors
Turning to see if you’re cowardly
Burning the witches with mother religious
You’ll strike the matches and shower me
In water games
Washing the rocks below
Taught and tamed
In time with tear flow

I got a John Ashcroft bootleg!

You know, it makes me wonder how long they will stonewall naming a replacement. The longer they take the more time goes by without having to face any music.

Fitzmas is coming! Rove is giving up a position that requires a security clearance cause breaking news is soon to come.

Wow. How the mighty mites do fall. Texas Monthly cover story on Tom DeLay – Don’t Let the Door Hit You …

Bush has been demoted from a lame duck to a chicken with the bird flu.

-GSD

Sorry I must clarify, I’m off topic, I was thinking about Scotty, not Rove. The longer they don’t have a new press liar the longer they don’t have to answer pressing questions.

Epu’d from last thread. (was wondering why it suddenly got so quiet)

My goodness this is fun.Watching Bushco come apart is much like an Indy racer smacking the wall at 240mph. Spinning in the air, cartwheeling,throwing parts all over the track,sliding upside down with fluids spraying everywhere.Bouncing off the infield wall, only to come to a grinding halt.Smoking and steaming with NO MORE GO.

Rove will rally every American that is SICK to death of these bastards to the polls in Nov.

Rove is the kiss of death to the Rethugs, Look at how much damage Rove has done to the Republican party already?

Think Rove? Think FIGHT !

Remember that Rove was “put in charge” of the recovery in the Gulf States after Hurricane Katrina…no, he has definetly lost his mojo too, not just Bush…it’s Rove who has lost it.
You mentioned all the policy disasters that have happened starting with Social Security…and remember, Fitz still has the bastard in his sights…

Okay, now my initial reaction when I read about Rove’s “giving up his policy position so that he can spend more time with his spinmeisters” was more or less the same as your, Taylor. With the GOP in apparent turmoil and midterms coming up, they’re looking to Rove to rally the troops, raise some cash, and generally get the Republicans’ collective ass out of the sling it’s in.

Then, it occurred to me… between rumblings that Fitzgerald may be making final preparations to ask the grand jury to indict Rove, and the fact that former governor Ryan out here in Illinois was just convicted on all counts in the fraud case that Fitz put together against him, might the whole “relinquishing of policymaking duties” thing possibly be a bit of panic on the part of the Bush administration? It sounds like the deck was stacked against investigators/prosecutors in the Ryan case a hell of a lot more than it seems to be in the Plame case, after all.

I mean, unless Rove has been cooperating with Fitzgerald to the point where he’s been given virtual immunity, I can’t see that they’d exactly be unconcerned with what Fitzgerald might still do in terms of further indictments. And if I were Scott McClellan, I’d be lying in my bed at night twitching uncontrollably at the thought of having to face the press corps following a Rove indictment. He’s appeared on the verge of spontaneously combusting a hell of a lot of the time lately as it is.

It’s just a thought, and admittedly not much more than half-assed speculation on my part, but I was wondering if anyone else here had been thinking along these lines at all. I ask much more out of curiosity than out of any sort of delusions of Eureka!-esque grandeur. ;^)

Harriet Miers could have been the last straw for the wing-nuts. But it’s likely that Human Events and other conservatives, including Bush, will be trying to give hope to the base that things are about to turn around, giving them renewed hope for November. It’s about trying to get Republicans jazzed to vote. They aren’t right now.

hanging up the Fitzletoe…falalalala

uh, so who’s gonna be the katrina reconstruction czar that kkkarl so successfully oversaw.

It’s the Dance of the Lemons going on at the White House. I think it is time to put a free exit loop under the gate……

Uh… Clem.

I fervently hope that your speculation is correct…it is what I thought too, in my life without bushco fantasy world that I have created in order to stay sane.

So now we have Dan Savage, the man that George W. Bush’s closest media advisor, Dan Bartlett, listens to for ideas on his commute home from work.

Well, Savage was calling for the death of 100 million Muslims. So now we see the final solution for the terrorist threat rearing its ugly head.

I think someone might want to ask both Bush and Dan Bartlett why they find the advice from this genocidal lunatic to be needed.

Tweety Bird Matthews might also want to chime in on why he listens to and likes Savage.

(Snip)

Summary: On April 17, Michael Savage called for “kill[ing] 100 million” Muslims and referred to the alleged Duke rape victim as a “drunken slut stripping whore.”

-GSD

Perhaps Savage has been offered the spot vacated by Fudgie McLellan.

OT and somewhat snarky, but what the heck…

Top 10 Signs a Republican is in trouble

10. They hire Bob Woodward to ghost-write a book for them.

9. They have Karl Rove’s direct line and cell numbers on their speed-dialer.

8. They book an interview with Lush Rimbaugh.

7. They hire a squad of PR flacks.

6. Jack who-ov?

5. They hire a platoon of criminal defense attorneys.

4. They turn State’s evidence.

3. They start filing 1040X’s with the IRS reporting bribe income they forgot about.

2. They start talking about Bubba Clinton.

1. Dubya says, “You’re doin’ a heck-of-a-job!”

GSD – never Dan, always Michael Savage! Dan’s the gay sex columnist who also started the ITMFA (Impeach the motherfucker already) movement

I’m with you Punaise: Must. Stop. Blogging. Must. Do. Billable. Work.

Before I go off to support myself, two thoughts.

I still think Karen Hughes is the only one left who will stand at that podium and lie like a rug day after day and not feel the least bit bad about it. So much for the “I need to go back to TX” stuff — now she’s regularly in the Middle East! That’s a bit further away from TX than DC.

Unless they can bring along some 20-something kool aid drinker, but even then, the loyalty thing isn’t there.

And don’t forget — the R scandals began with our governor here in CT — John Rowland, who had national ticket hopes, and whom H.W. called “my adopted son.” He just got out of prison on a plea deal and other investigations are ongoing. Oh, and he’s living in a house owned by Frank Luntz. Seriously. for his house arrest.

GSD– read that stinker by Michael Savage this morning and yelped aloud. It makes it clear as day where the trolls get their nasty nourishment.

SAVAGE: There are too many RDDBs [red-diaper doper babies, Savage’s term for people supposedly raised by Marxist parents] in high places and in the media and in the courts for us to stand up to this fanatical enemy. And so unless the RDDB is reined in somehow or taken out of power, we’re going to die as a nation. I swear to God that’s what people are saying to me. And these are intelligent people, wealthy people. They are very depressed by the weakness that America is showing to these psychotics in the Muslim world. They say, “Oh, there’s a billion of them.” I said, “So, kill 100 million of them, then there’ll be 900 million of them.” I mean, would you rather die — would you rather us die than them? I mean, what is it going to take for you people to wake up? Would you rather we disappear or we die? Or would you rather they disappear and they die? Because you’re going to have to make that choice sooner rather than later.

This is a great story here, folks….

snip
Rumsfeld must have been the last person in the United States to admit that there was an insurgency going on in Iraq. And today one has the impression that Shiites and Sunnis would have to dress up in the blue and the grey and have at each other with cannons and muskets over stone walls for Rumsfeld to admit there is a civil war.
snip
Longer story here: http://www.iht.com/articles/20…..eenway.php

Ben Domenech to replace Scotty!

Rove’s gone, too! Check this out:

Here’s the Reuters/FT take:http://news.ft.com/cms/s/
6715863…00779e2340.html

My take is that in the ongoing war between Rove and Cheney in “Who Can Offer Up The Best Deal To Fitz?”, Cheney just trumped whatever cards that Rove had played with Fitzy — and Rove now has to spend more time with his lawyers.

Also, if Rove really does lose his inside access to the Bush Bunker, then his ability to out-deal Cheney is severely weakened. No more tidbits like the 250 e-mails will be coming from the Rove camp — not unless Rove keeps his hand in by bribing the right persons on Cheney’s staff.

Meanwhile, a poem for the occasion:

Our Fitzy, Who art a Badass,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy kingdom come by nailing scum
Who thought they were in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily Bushwacks,
and forgive them their trespasses,
as they forgive those that trespass against them (in other words, nail them to the flipping walls, please!).

For Thine is the law court,
And the power,
And most importantly the subpoena power,
Forever and ever, Amen.

EPU -
Here’s my entry – One Tin Soldier

Listen, children, to a story
That was written long ago,
Bout a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley-folk below.

On the mountain was a treasure
Buried deep beneath the stone,
And the valley-people swore
They’d have it for their very own.

So the people of the valley
Sent a message up the hill,
Asking for the buried treasure,
Tons of gold for which they’d kill.

Came an answer from the kingdom,
“With our brothers we will share
All the secrets of our mountain,
All the riches buried there.”

Now the valley cried with anger,
“Mount your horses! Draw your sword!”
And they killed the mountain-people,
So they won their just reward.

Now they stood beside the treasure,
On the mountain, dark and red.
Turned the stone and looked beneath it…
“Peace on Earth” was all it said.

Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won’t be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after….
One tin soldier rides away.

T-

The FBI is seeking to go through the files of the late newspaper columnist Jack Anderson to remove classified material he may have accumulated in four decades of muckraking Washington journalism.

Anderson’s family has refused to allow a search of the files of the reporter, who had long feuded with the FBI and had exposed plans by the CIA to kill Fidel Castro, the machinations of the Iran-Contra affair and the misdemeanors of generations of congressmen.

His son said that to allow government agents to rifle through the papers would betray his father’s principles and intimidate other journalists and that family members were willing to go to jail to protect the collection.
http://www.iht.com/articles/20…..derson.php

Observation: saving the weakling — and everybody else — in the white house means keeping them out of jail and The Hague, which means keeping both houses of congress. Or failing that at least one. I doubt that anybody’s even going to try and rehabilitate junior’s standing — not getting impeached is the best they can hope for.

What I strongly suspect we are seeing is Rove about to concentrate on exporting his patented all-out no-holds-barred campaigning style to races across the country. Distract from junior’s problems with local smears against Dem candidates in an effort to hold on for another two years. Using primarily religious issues, I would guess, since immigration appears to be a non-starter…

Off to do billable work…

hmm– forgot to credit the source. Media Matters.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200604190001

Rove will be indicted or plead to lesser charges as the result of a deal for cooperating. Those are the only two scenarios to expect. Players at Rove’s level don’t get a free pass – secretaries and clerks get free passes for cooperating.

Have some faith. I have previously posted (a long time ago) that Federal investigations often take years – the Ryan case took 8 years or so to get to its denouement.

Be patient. But be happy. Don’t get sidetracked by Chimpco’s actions, whether it is the result of insanity (as I believe), some non-psychotic form of delusion, or just a plan to go about “business as usual.”

You would be surprised (I was and still am) at the equinimity with which some people face Federal criminal investigations and prosecutions, right up to the guilty verdict and through the sentencing.

For those looking for the ‘Decider’ machine that alway halts…
Got a clue from Wonkette. (Wikipedia has it.)

It’s defined as NOT a Turing machine. Beyond that a little technical for me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decider
…
“In practice, a machine that always halts can be implemented as a programming language with restricted flow control instructions, so that no program (i.e. description) will ever cause the machine to enter an infinite loop.”
…
umm…Ininite Loops are generally regarded as NOT a good thing. (Except as Apple HQ)

We all have to think like old time Kremlinologists now whenever the WH does something. To me, it makes no sense, since policy in the WH was merely one wing of the electoral politics operation. What substantive “policies” did Karl Rove actually concern himself with? Does anyone know? So, a mystery, wraped in riddle, etc. So this move, which concerns a distinction without a difference points to something up with Fitzgerald, or Abramoffgate, or something. But it is all tea leaves, and may mean nothing.

Shez – good point. No press whore gives ‘em a chance to regroup, get back on the same page, generate new false messaging. Sorry folks, no questions today.

Rove, like Bush, enjoys preaching to the choir. His recent speech in Houston was certainly that.
That kind of insulation – will make you stupid.

That would give a reason for the Shiavo debacle. They over-played their hand.

I third that! The security clearance is a key question.

To follow up on Josh Marshall’s comment (things are so bad at the White House, the level of denial and secrets to be kept), here’s a freakily prescient statement from Richard Reeves in 2002 (on Bush’s Presidential records order, which closed the records) http://www.fas.org/sgp/congres…..eeves.html :

The Nixon-Kissinger emphasis on secrecy combined with the Churchill impulse of both men really led to their destruction. Nixon… was detemined to govern by suprise, which he did with brilliant manuevers to circumvent the checks and balances written into the Constitution.

But that kind of surprise requires great secrecy and the secrecy requires level upon level of lies. In the end no one, including Nixon himself, knew the truth… Everyone was spying on everyone else to try to figure out what Nixon was actually doing. The military…was tapping White House phones, collecting the garbage in waste baskets and photographing the papers in Kissinger’s briefcase each night. The papers and film were delivered to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs…who had installed a spy in Kissinger’s office.

Go read http://www.prospect.org/vicesquad (brought to our attention here by wesgpc) and see if Mr. Reeves and Josh haven’t nailed it altogether. You wouldn’t want to bring someone new into this kind of mess with anything short of a time-honored initiation ritual…

” It’s Rove to the rescue. To save the weakling in the White House, because if the Democrats take the House the Democratic leaders will be so far down Bush’s presidential pie hole he won’t be able to suck soda through a straw.”
Ms. Marsh, I think your above words are the explanation. In addition to all of the “today” problems hitting the WH, I believe they are actually now starting to really sweat the possibilities of either house going Democratic this November. And the WH knows that they’re in deep doo-doo if either house changes. How will Rove fare as a “roving” political operative?
Well, some parts of Rove are very smart…but other parts show me a real dunder-headed-ness. Various republican candidates will scratch around for issues to campaign on…and Rove will try to help getting those issues into catchy slogans. We’ll see how Rove does. I think, at best, he’ll have mixed results.
Ghostman

Here’s a fabulous article from
Sidney Blumenthal -
Walking the White House plank

In white-collar criminal investigations, individuals who fall under the gaze of a prosecutor fit into one of three categories: witness, subject or target. Rove’s attorney has suggested that Rove is simply a witness. But that is untrue. He is a subject. A subject is someone the prosecutor believes may have committed a crime and is under investigation. If the prosecutor decides he has accumulated sufficient evidence to prove guilt, he will change the designation of that person from subject to target and then indict him or her.
Having successfully completed his most extensive investigation and prosecution, ending with the conviction of former Governor Ryan, Patrick Fitzgerald returns to the unresolved case before him. The federal grand jury considering his evidence began meeting again this morning. Karl Rove remains a subject–for now.

http://commentisfree.guardian……plank.html

I think you all read too much into the machinations. They are a desperate dying regime. I would bet a lot (been doing a lot of betting lately haven’t I – and yes god does play dice with the universe) that they are simply throwing shit against the wall and doing whatever comes to mind. No grand plan or scheme. Just the desperate acts of desperate men and women.

Shorter me: You give them way too much credit.

Hmm… didn’t see Phoenix Woman’s comment. I’m very skeptical that Cheney is offering Fitz anything, but that’s definitely a hypothesis worth considering. In any event, if Rove thinks that his own indictment is all ready to go as soon as Fitz feels like he’s properly milked Libby, Rove could very well be doing this to spend more time with his lawyers. We’ll find out soon I think.

Here’s a great bonus quote from Feinmanregarding Josh Bolten. Interstingly, even though it is a calculated move, Rove has faced a first ever–a demotion. Whether indeed it is or not, there is a perception.

“Nor is he likely to make wholesale changes in his foreign policy and defense team. Bolten can rearrange the deck chairs all he wants to on domestic and economic policy. But the Axis of Believers — Cheney-Rummy-Rove-Condi – remains. The more the media and its band of Republican allies complain, the more dug in Bush will become. He’s as stubborn as Slim Pickens in “Dr. Strangelove:†He’d rather ride Rummy to Armageddon than seem to concede that Iraq was a botched project.”

Also, read on with a UK Brigadier General slamming the US “shoulder-holster” generals who are acting out John Wayne and Rambo fantasies.

Also, Ibrahim Al Jafaari will not step aside. Seems the lemmings don’t want to keep piling off of Bush’s cliff.

-GSD

“…universeplays dice with the EPU.” I hate when I kill my own jokes (whether you think they are funny or not).

I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again:

George W. Bush – WarP resident

~

Please. The only policy the Bush WH cares about is politics. Policy has never been important in this administration. That’s been said over and over again the past five years by career government employees. This “move” means nothing.

Ooops. Dan Bartlett, Michael Savage=Dan Savage.

Sorry Dan Savage.

-GSD

Hmm. The day after Rove/Bushco see that Fitz can roll an operation from bottom to top-take 8 years doing it and get a conviction on EVERY charge, is the day of a new ’shake-up’. They are shaken-up all right, real shaken-up.

I smells me some chickenhawks getting real sweaty.

As to Savage–stunning that he is still carried by numerous networks.

if bush is now a lame duck, it means he’s been promoted, since he used to be a piece of chicken shit

There’s little doubt as to the meaning of Rove’s role change. Frankly, given the shambles of a policy plan being run by this administration, the calculation was that Rove could better serve the Republican Party in full campaign mode.

Truthfully, why use Rove as a policy advisor when his real talent is as a political strategist (hack). While I enjoy thinking he’s getting a bit of a spanking, I don’t buy it.

Bush is trying to demonstrate to Republicans up for reelection that he has their backs and is moving to help get them reelected…and how better to demonstrate that than getting Karl Rove focused on a strategy for the Party.

The architect hasn’t been cast aside as a lowly carpenter…he’s being asked to build something out of nothing…and he’s pretty darn good at that.

more observations here:

http://www.thoughttheater.com

The GOP has just put a traitor who is under investigation in charge of the 06 mid-term campaign.

Does it get any sicker then this? never mind don’t answer that question:(

Taylor, thanks for two great posts and threads, as per usual. Really appreciate your willingness to comment after you post.
Somewhat OfT, but very important, imo from the next hurrah this morning.
“Sorting out the Generals”
by Sara
“In my mind, only one General counts, at least in this debate, and that is the five star guy, General of the Army, George C. Marshall. About two years ago on a blog I asked Wesley Clark if they still taught Marshall’s doctrine at West Point — and I meant that as a tough question, and he said they did.
I keep trying to push history into this dialogue — and perhaps this is an opportunity. When November 11, 1918 happened, George C. Marshall was a very junior Lt. Colonel, temp appointment, serving on General Pershing’s staff, and responsible for pushing an occupation division or two into the Moselie Valley — with no planning, and no military doctrine for any sort of occupation. Marshall spent a little more than six months reading the reports from a botched occupation, and breifing Pershing and then passing orders back down the chain of command.
What Marshall was witnessing of course was the rise of the Freikorps in Germany, parts of which morphed into the National Socialist Workers Party (otherwise known as NAZI at a later date) — and along with historians such as Walter Laqueur (See Young Germany — late 1950’s) he identified the core of the problem. In 1920 and 21 what Marshall was witnessing was the loss of the victory of combat arms because the victors did not know how to restore normal politics.
What’s important to comprehend is that George Marshall comprehended this in the early 1920’s — and from his “Major” position he worked to deal with what he understood as problems. He pressured Pershing to do what became the “Hunt Report” — the history of American Military Occupation 1775 -1922. When he taught at the War College — he used Hunt as textbook and problems to resolve — how do you do an occupation and accomplish political objectives? By 1934 he was more influential, and got the Army to commission a drafting commission to take up Hunt, and write a military doctrine and then an Army Manual for how to do it. Between 1934 and 41 it went through five editions and revisions. What happened in Germany post 1945 was according to this 5th revised edition of Marshall’s plan and one must understand that is not referenced to post 1948 Marshall Plan matters.
Doctrine: Marshall believed that no officer or soldier who had been blooded in combat should be used in occupation. For Germany in 1945 he trained 6000 officers, about 3500 NCO’s and about 120 thousand troops specifically for the “Military Government of Germany” and none of them were combat soldiers….”
http://thenexthurrah.typepad.c…..t_the.html

Totally OT – Site Meter has house.gov visiting.

Hmmm…

OfT, but Plame related….
“Carving Out a Defense”
by emptywheel
“Must. Stop. Blogging. Must. Do. Billable. Work.
But I can’t resist the subpoena Libby’s team has given to Judy (thanks to Jeralyn for making it available). ….”
http://thenexthurrah.typepad.c…..t_a_d.html

Thank God, they’ve finally gotten rid of Scotty. I still get physically ill seeing that whore’s pudgy face. I hope he dries up and disintegrates, like the little nugget of bird turd that he is.

As for Rove’s “demotion,” I’m crossing my fingers that this means indictment is imminent.

Also OT – Valerie Plame a guest at this year’s White House Correspondents Dinner? Wouldn’t that be interesting . . .

http://www.editorandpublisher……1002382755

(Sorry about cutting and pasting the url, but the html formatting wasn’t working.)

Republican Fact Sheet:
You gotta make the government bigger before you can make it smaller.
You gotta bankrupt the government so you can drown it in a bathtub.

Social Safety Net? Not needed, Pick yourself up by the bootstraps and enjoy lower taxes.
Big companies need lower taxes and the ablity to pollute at will, so they can compete in the marketplace and create more jobs (overseas).

Outsourcing provides cheaper goods. Everybody wins. (See next for replacement job.)
Keep St Ronnie’s command, McDonalds is a manufacturer (good place for your new job) and ketchup is a vegetable.

No minimum wage needed. The market takes care of everything.
We do crony capitalism, no bid contracts, and Halliburton because they are the best at gettin’ the job done. Market (Get er done!)

Fight ‘em there so we don’t have to fight ‘em here. We’re fightin a round the clock, never endin’ WOT.
Eyerak is chock full o terrists. Wasn’t before but it is now? So what? We drew ‘em all in there to killem there, dummy.

Spyin on terrists, spyin on mericans who might be terrists. Its a good thing Protectin the people.

Democrats are sleazy, cheatin’, baby killin’ flip floppers and chicken shits who hate America.

Goodbye Scott McClellan, we hardly knew you and liked you less. On your tombstone it will read: “Dead? That’s just wild speculation.” More than that it will not say due to the ongoing legal proceeding.

The man tapped to fill the policy vacancy of Herr Rove is none other than a Brooks Brothers Brownshirt from the infamous 2000 election “peoples riot”.

Whew, looks like they have the clam rakes out to find people low enough to fill these empty suits spots.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000416.php

-GSD

having house.gov visiting on sitemeter simply means a House staffer is looking at this blog … interns have plenty of time on their hands … I’m sure many of the political types on the Hill skim thru blogs …

OT–Can’t you just see Laura (lump o’stepford boyfriend killer) sitting in a darkened room in the West Wing with an ice bag on her head and an aromatherapy machine at full blast with that comforting and signature scent o’ crawford emanating from it? (conjures up the smell of baking cowpies in the hot texas sun and of carrion being pecked by vultures)

What a burden she must bear– “everyone’s so mean to my sweet widdle Georgie. whew, I sure am glad that Microsoft guy did the official state dinner for that Chinese guy– I just wasn’t up to it, sniff, sniff. It’s hard work being the Deciderer’s best lump and lunch is gonna be hard enough– maybe I should do Chinese take-out and give the new chef the day off. After all, I had to go out on the porch and welcome all those weird families on Monday and I am tired. And now Scottie dear is leaving, who’s gonna rub my feet? First Gannonball had to go and now my sweetums.”

moi #55

thanks sooo much for the Blumenthal link !

have been so torqued up over Iran, wasn’t paying close enough attention to the Libby filing to catch the ‘Rove as Subject’ line

EPU has a point about dying regime and lack of ideas. Their smear campaign on Murtha was a such a retread of Kerry and Cleland, that is as if they had a form for it. Fill in the name and the war. Sorry to repeat myself, since I’ve said that before.

The job against the six dissenting generals is weak work, very weak. IMHO. What are the lines?
1) Never mind that retired generals have been active in US politics and policy ever since the country began, THIS time it endangers civilian control.
2) They had a chance to give input during active duty and they didn’t so they have lost their credibility
3) They had a chance to give input during active duty and they did but lost, so they are WATBs, and should get over it and move on.
4) If they were really serious, they would still be on active duty where they could make a difference by convincing RumDum that they are right.
And my favorit (laid out in plain English by Laird and Co. today)
5) The Islamic terrorists don’t understand dissent and debate, so therefore we can’t have any since of that, they will interpret it as a sign of weakness (and how they interpret “signs†determines whether we win or lose).

I guess they need Rove to introduce more shock and awe, and low smears and mud and racism and fear into the mix. But will the retreads are getting so thin, I wonder if there is enough for him to work with.

They need new material or a new audience. The audience is pretty much set. So they need new material, but I haven’t seen any for awhile. Immigration seems like their Hail Mary pass play. Boredom with the same dog and pony show could be deadly.

In practical terms, the move of Rove means nothing, because there has never been any policy work in this administration; everything is driven solely by politics (as earlier domestic policy adviser John diIulio so clearly stated.) Consequently, I wouldn’t bet on it meaning that he’s lost access to anything he needs to fight back against Cheney.

I think the only possible meaning is that they think Karl is likely to get indicted, and they think “indicted political operative Karl Rove, who doesn’t work for the White House any more, really!” will do less damage than “indicted deputy chief of staff Karl Rove.”

“Is Rove Stepping Down to Save Mehlman’s Arse?”
by emptywheel
http://thenexthurrah.typepad.c…..eppin.html

George W. Bush, The Great Decider called Karl Rove “The architect.”

I found another man who was considered “the architect” too.

Please click here…especially you Whitehouse trolls. You might start to learn something by coloring outside of the lines drawn by the “architect”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Speer

-GSD

via Altercation — a site that speaks for us:

http://www.draftgore.com/

I think that as much as the Republican faithful – all 27 of them – want to cast the latest changes as the beginning of a Bush resurgence, they are probably the only ones who actually believe that changing the faces we see every day will make a dime’s worth of difference in how Bush – and the GOP – is perceived by the growing majority of people.

I keep hearing that the generic polling that has Democrats 15 points ahead of the GOP on the question of “who do you want to control Congress†narrows considerably when put to a specific race, which translates to meaning that the possibility that the Dems can take the majority is a pipe dream on the part of Democrats. I see the logic in that assumption, but I’m not sure that it will continue to hold true as we move closer to November.

The danger that I see for Democrats is in being portrayed as reveling in Bush administration failures, because the consequences of his failures equal more death and injury in Iraq, and continued suffering in places like the Gulf Coast. The triangulation will be that we are happy about the consequences, and that means we hate America.

People are tired of the negative, and if we play the game the way the GOP and Rove want us to, the negative fatigue will translate into low turnout, and low turnout is likely to mean that the GOP hangs onto the majority.

I am not suggesting that we be the Pollyanna party, but if we get caught in the “Democrats have no plans, they just hate Bush†trap, we might as well ask them to just bury us once and for all. Talking about what our plans are is enough of a contrast to what people well know is the current reality. It’s enough to ask, “Had enough?†and then move into the Democratic vision for America, because people already know what the “enough†is.

Someone has convinced Bush that moving Rove off the main stage will take the heat off, but the only ones who really believe that are the dwindling faithful; the problem is that it isn’t going to work.

wesgpc @78:

And my favorite (laid out in plain English by Laird and Co. today)
5) The Islamic terrorists don’t understand dissent and debate, so therefore we can’t have any since of that, they will interpret it as a sign of weakness (and how they interpret “signs†determines whether we win or lose).

Ah, a retread of the Vietnam-era classic “They don’t allow protests in Russia! Those protesters should go over there!”

John Casper – Good link. I agree with it, but I’ve always believed the repug goal has been the Cult of the Party rather than the Cult of Chimpy (my communist vs. fascist totalitarian dichotomy meme of prior threads).

IMO, what this means is that Bush & Cheney are worried about this Nov and the consequences of a Dem majority in either the house or senate.

They are unleashing the attack dog and his scorched earth switfboat campaign tactics. How will the DC Dems leadership and their consultants respond? Will the Dems run a campaign for change and accountability or run their classic campaign? Will the electorate fall for the FUD factor once again or demand change?

We’ll know sooner than later. The Dem primaries this summer will be instructive.

Hugh,

On your tombstone it will read: “Dead? That’s just wild speculation.â€

Beauty, that. Actually I’ve been a secret admirer of Scottie’s for, oh, about ever since Ari Fleischer oozed his way out. With Ari, you had this feeling he was going to start hyperventilating and screaming at the drop of a camera. Scottie is a whole ‘nother level of press fighter–he’s a coprophiliac vacuum, and he makes it actually not worth watching White House press conferences. The reporters and viewers who attended the briefings would have been more productive if they had played tiddlywinks during Scottie’s conferences. Now that’s an accomplishment.

The box that Bush and Rove and Mehlman are in now is quite apparent too.

They have basically been about push-back with character assassination. That works great when you are riding at 90% in the polls, but as the number of people supporting the Whitehouse drops–the more likely that more voters are going to get swept-up in the character assassination drag-net.

So with Bush ar somewhere around 33%-37% that is a lot of people who are cowards, traitors, Bush haters, America haters, appeasers, apologists, capitulators, weaklings, Un-American, Saddam loyalists…etc.

Everytime they strike out now, they are striking at a larger and larger portion of America. It is also akin to painting oneself into a corner.

Good luck Karl, George and Kenny-Boy.

-GSD

From http://www.calendarhome.com

Number of days between now and the day George W. Bush leaves office.

* Note that number of days calculated is between noon of the first date to noon of the second date *

April 19, 2006 and January 20, 2009

1007 Days
= 24168 Hours
= 1450080 Minutes
= 87004800 Seconds

cbl
My pleasure, it brought a smile to my face and I just had to share.
Especially that part about meeting the GJ today.

The thing I found most amusing in this morning’s radio coverage was “experts” talking about “wanting a new public face” as an explanation for both Scotty and Rove. I mean, who ever sees Rove speaking for the administration, except at closed-door Republican events? Maybe if you’re a reporter who’s far enough into the tank that you cover those events you could think that, but the idea is just ludicrous to anyone else. (Though honestly, I think the real reason was that said reporters were just too lazy to come up with different reasons for two personnel actions that happened at the same time.)

Bush “Won’t Fire Rumsfeld Because It Would Be The Equivalent Of Firing Himself.â€

Ari Fleischer, spinning like a Dervish. The selfless Fudgie McLellan has offered the American people a great gift.

“The American people are going to give the President a second look here in his sixth year because he’s engineering these changes,†Fleischer said. “That’s helpful. He needs the country to give him a second look.â€

If that is good spin, I would hate to see what James Carville is saying.

-GSD

Anne

“I keep hearing that the generic polling that has Democrats 15 points ahead of the GOP on the question of “who do you want to control Congress†narrows considerably when put to a specific race, which translates to meaning that the possibility that the Dems can take the majority is a pipe dream on the part of Democrats.”

This is an extremely valid point. If the Dems hope that they can stand by and do nothing and expect the Repubs to self-destruct this Nov, they have not learned anything from all the recent electoral defeats.

IMO, this Nov is not about a 10 point plan like the Contract with America. Its going to be an emotional, gut level election. Passions are inflamed. I believe the Dems need to come out swinging with a “had enough, we’re not going take it anymore” campaign that rallies the elctorate for change. But that means standing up to the Rovian switboating that will be there in spades. And fighting like this is the last stand. People will respect that spirit and jump on board the change bandwagon. Unfortunately, the current crop of Dems don’t have track record of doing that and so far show no such inclination.

OT…
The Harris Poll:

In answer to the question “If the election for Congress were being held today, would you be voting for the Republican candidate or the Democratic candidate?” showed only a 4 point Dem advantage (37-41) between Repub and Dem candidates — down from a 9 point difference in January. What happened to the double-digit advantage I’ve seen reported in other polls? If this is not simply “statistical noise” maybe the Dems need to be doing something other than cowering in a corner afraid of their own shadow and (especially) Karl Rove.

John Podesta at Think Progress brought up an interesting unanswered question today…has Karl Rove lost his security clearance?

Signs?

…..Signs, signs, everywhere there’s signs
Fuckin’ up the scenery, breakin’ my mind
Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign….

Five Man Acoustical Jam Band (or Tesla).

The DC Dems have had some acheivements –

The GOP House Immigration Bill made Felons of all illegal immigrants; in December, they wanted to change that to Misdemeanors, but the Democrats voted against all criminalization.

Now, if they can get on message and block the Iran insanity.

Random Note — Neil Young has a very political new album in the can, including a song titled “Let’s Impeach the Preznit.”

new thread — an undead Vietnam hawk squawks.

Please… a moratorium on the use of the word “meme”.

breaking on the crappy wannabe CNN:
possible bomb in airport- i think atlanta. perfect diversion. fear, fear, fear.

and rove is giving a press conference with a nat. republican logo and a DHL LOGO on the front of the podium?? what’s up with that?

oh, EPU, you are so funny. that “when I was in a younger universe” idea was hysterical. we always get it, even if u mistype. some day, I will have to post some Thomas Jefferson quotes. back in that time, spelling was kinda optional.

bkrily

dunno– but here are some of DHL’s slogans:

We move the world. DHL

Yellow. The new Brown. DHL

Competition. Bad for them. Great for you. DHL

Hard to choose one. So I will merge them. We bomb the brown world to eliminate competition– courtesy of bushworld brought to you by Karl Rove.

“Lame duck” won’t do. How about “pressed duck”?

DHL = Dept. of Homesick Losers

Sonate at 95 —
I think the discrepancy you are seeing is all about how the question is asked. When asked generically, who would you prefer to run Congress — D or R? People overwhelmingly say D. But when it changes to would YOU vote D or R, it’s usually about even between the parties. They hate the Rs in Washington, but they like the R that represents them.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/…..IAGN61.DTL

Watch out! Bush is desperate

my first reaction to Rove’s ‘loss’ of his policy role was that it is a Fitzgerald cause, that it would be unseemly to lose that position by forced resignation upon indictment.

no other explanation really makes sense. after all, Rove could do GOP strategy 24/7 and still officially hold the policy job, and no one would be the wiser.

yes, this shakeup is because of Fitz, with a supposed GOP PR bonus that is mostly bogus and entirely temporary. either way, Rove continues his plotting against democracy.

Dead Duck, , because “lame duck” doesn’t begin to cover Bush’s unmitigated collapse.

I cant see why one of you dudes hasnt started a DRAFT RUSH LIMBAUGH for press sec movement. A good chance to get him off the air and perhaps give him a job he deserves as Bush goes down in flames.

ttul
Bal

How about “Ruptured” Duck?

To me, Rove’s apparent demotion must reflect a belief in the White House that he will be indicted. This places a little distance between The Decider and him.

Here’s the new phrase you have been looking for.

It’s not “lame duck” but rather the

“extinct do do bird” president.

“We’re in deep do do bird now.” – King George Bush the 1st.

I posted this diary at dkos. What should I do with the fundraising letter we got from the RNC? Let me know, and we’ll dooo (dog doo) whatevever the highest vote totals tell us…

-sg

You guys are missing the point. you have to ask yourself “What’s behind what’s up front?” What is being obscurred? What and why is there a diversion here? So McLellan’s leaving, Rove’s job title is changing. So what? McLellan’s peanuts, a sacrificial cutout, Rove isn’t going to do anything different than he’s ever done. These guys are not dumb – or rather the guys running this little dog and pony show are not dumb. They got elected and re-elected twice. You think that was a fluke? Either through dishonesty, lies, payoffs, calling in all the markers, fiddled voting machines, or whatever, they still did it. They are just now starting to wind up their machine for an assault on the Nov elections. An old Navy term comes to mind: “Standby for a ram.” and I don’t mean a goat.

Let’s never forget for a second that Karl Rove, now that he’s officially ‘on the case’ for the mid-term elections, will be pulling every sneaky trick in the book, from initiating ‘whisper campaigns’ to inventing disingenuous talking-point “reframings” to planting juicy-but-bogus stories for reporters to make fools of themselves with.

Bush’s team knows that losing the House to the Democrats in ‘06 would be tantamount to opening the door to impeachment. If you don’t think they’re going to do ANYTHING they can to prevent that, you haven’t been paying attention for the past six years.