(This is another pic taken by my spouse the train nut. It's also what the Wilsons will be doing soon. Very soon.)
News train! Chuggity-chugging over hill and plain.
Brings the news to every lug.
Chuggity-chug, chuggity-chug, chuggitty, chuggitty,
chuggitty, chuggittty, chuggitty-chugging along.
There’s a bunch of whining wingnuts begging Bushie for a pardon;
A fake Obama scandal giving Klansmen such a hard-on;
A lively CPAC show for a studly male 'ho.
Get alooooong train! Get along.
Lotta interesting news this week, and not just from Feingold, Reid and Schumer throwing down the gauntlet to Bush with regard to the Iraq withdrawal. Too much, in fact, for even the Mule News Train to carry it all. But hop on and check it out anyway!
- Remember how Jane and Marcy, in their last PoliticsTV.com Libby trial video, called for John Conyers to take Fitzgerald up on his call for Congress to look into the material his investigation of the Plame case has turned up? Well, gueeesssss whaaaaat? No sooner had the words left their lips, than this happened:
Aides to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Congressman John Conyers, D-Mich., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said they were engaged in discussions Tuesday about the possibility of holding immediate hearings and subpoenaing Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald to provide details of his nearly four-year-old investigation, and the evidence he obtained regarding the role Vice President Dick Cheney and other White House officials played in the leak of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson. …
[...]
An aide to Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said Tuesday that the senator is still determined to investigate the flawed intelligence that the administration used to convince Congress and the public to back the Iraq war.
The Levin aide said the senator will likely seek testimony from Libby, Cheney, and senior members of the White House who played a role in the Plame leak, and that it "makes sense" to fold the issues surrounding the CIA leak case into the hearings about pre-war intelligence since they overlap with the leak case.
[...]
… Fitzgerald said he may be inclined to share the evidence he collected over the course of three years with lawmakers if they ask for his documents.
At least one member of Congress has indicated that he will likely take Fitzgerald up on his offer. Congressman Maurice Hinchey, D-NY, who has led the effort among Democrats in Congress to expand the CIA leak probe, said the guilty verdict returned against Libby does not go far enough in settling questions surrounding Cheney's role in the case, and that he intends to call for a criminal probe to pursue charges against the vice president.
Ahhhh. And of course Waxman's got his own plans, including having Valerie Plame testify before Congress about all of this. Music to my ears.
- Here's another nice news tidbit: Democrats plan to a) fix the broken AMT by b) undoing a good chunk of Bush's 2003-free-money-for-rich-people tax cut scam. Republicans, predictably, are whining.
- You call this "supporting the troops", George? Axed US Attorney David Iglesias was essentially fired for (get this) being in the Reserves:
Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY): One of the reasons that they said– that the Justice Department said– that you had a performance problem, was that you were an "absentee landlord". Just to get the record clear here: isn't it true that you served in the Navy Reserve which required you to serve your country approximately forty days per year?
Fmr. U.S. Attorney David Iglesias: That's correct sir. In fact, I took my call from [Director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys] Mike Battle (the call where Battle informed Iglesias he was fired) ironically on Pearl Harbor Day as I was coming back from Navy duty in Newport, Rhode Island. I'm required to serve at least 36 days per year. Sometimes I add a little extra duty so it probably averages out to 40, maybe 45 days of duty per year.
Schumer: Didn't the Department know you were a Reservist when they recommended you for U.S. Attorney position in the first place?
Iglesias: I'm very proud of my Navy service and it was on my resume– featured very prominently.
- Speaking of the scandal of the fired US Attorneys, a shout-out to excellent local Minnesota blog Minnesota Campaign Report for digging up The Strange Case of Rachel Paulose, who the Bush Junta and Norm Coleman tapped to replace longtime and respected US Attorney Tom Heffelfinger last year.
- In order to combat the right-wing bullfeathers brigade's lying out their butts about the Libby trial, Media Matters has put together a handy list of all the revived lies the GOP/Media Complex is pushing. Read it, know it, love it and most importantly, USE IT. Send it to friends and family. Cite it in calls to radio and TV call-in shows. Mention it in letters to newspapers and magazines. You know what to do.
- By the way, Media Matters also has the goods on the GOP/Media Complex's efforts to invent a fake Obama "scandal" to go with the fake Clinton "Whitewater scandal" of the 1990s, where the only real scandal was how they showed themselves to be tools of and stenographers for the Republican Party.
- Something all the conservatives agitating for a pardon for Poooor Widdle Scooter ignore is that Bush would be violating guidelines and practices set down by his own Justice Department if he does pardon Libby.
- Well, well, well. Interesting how the homophobic conservative movement seems to love its self-hating gay male prostitutes and porn stars. First James "Jeff Gannon" Guckert, now Matt Sanchez, king of the CPAC escorts. (Oh, and now he's going the "liberals made me gay" route to explain his career. Isn't that just extra-special?)
And that's all for now, as the News Train goes chugging away. Drop a comment or two in the thread if you've got something the News Train missed — or if you just want to kick back and chat. Chug chug chug chug!
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ESTEN!
Hi y’all! I have been missing the Lake as of late…new job and all. Good to see all of you still here. : )
“It’s also what the Wilsons will be doing soon. Very soon.”
Yes. It’s going to be soo sweet.
‘morning, all! How’s life been treating ya?
It’s a lovely sunny day here — already above 40 and the snow we got two weeks ago is not long for this world.
Fox being dumped by Dems on CNN now…
hoooo boyeeeee !
Buy popcorn futures.
I wonder what this country would be like if this post was the way the networks opened their Evening News programs.
JimD @ 8
A waaay better country.
This morning’s L.A. times urges us to “keep reporters from being G-Men“:
“It’s worth giving a dozen Tim Russerts or Judy Millers a get-out-of-jail-free card to protect the ability of reporters like Priest and Hall to do their job. That’s the real lesson of the Libby trial.”
Another WaPo outrage:
Gonzales Tries to Mollify GOP Critics on Firings, FBI Missteps
“GOP Critics”.
Not Talking Points Memo, which owned the USAttorney story for days.
Not Russ Feingold.
Not Patrick Leahey.
Must.Reduce.Blood.Pressure.
Is it me? Am I the only one who sits in amazement that AG ‘Gonzo’ Gonzalez actually believes these words — responding to the latest tempest and budding abuse of authority scandal regarding the FBI breaking the law:
Is he faking it? Is he not smart enough to know that his feigned insular world just won’t sell? It won’t even sell to an intelligent Republican, which I know there are many. Can it?
Is the kool-aid drinking that wide spread? Is this guy for real?
And –
I’m sorry, as I do love MY country… BUT I can’t help but laugh when Chavez — probably a rascal himself — just digs at our Naked Emperor.. I mean, Emperor Bush asks for it.
It is too bad the MSM can’t get the Chavez attacks correct, the AP leading a story today calling Chavez’ attacks “Anti-American.” To me, they are not anti-American but anti-Bush. There is a big, big difference.
South Orange County Democrat @ 10
Of course what the LAT conveniently leaves unsaid is that Russert and Miller were and are zampolit shills for the Bush Junta and the neo-cons.
Hey shooogarp!
How’s the new work going?
Make no mistake, this is deliberate on the media’s part. ABC News was telling its viewers last night that Hugo Chavez was orchestrating all the protests and that everyone in Latin America would just WUUUUV Bush if it wasn’t for
those meddling kidsHugo Chavez!Watching the credit card senate hearings on CSPAN… very interesting and glad to see that the bank ex’s were sworn in!!
Also had my youngest college kid sit and listen to the testimony of the first panel by citizens… since he had to move back in because he could not make it on his own. It was interesting to hear his input and how the credit card companies are flooding the university students.
The rules are:
Click on link then click on blue circle. Use the rules below.
This is going to do your head in, but it can be done.
Apparently this is an IQ test given to job applicants in Japan: “Everybody has to cross the river”.
The following rules apply:
Only 2 persons on the raft at a time
The father can not stay with any of the daughters without their mother’s presence
The mother can not stay with any of the sons without their father’s presence
The thief (striped shirt) can not stay with any family member if the Policeman is not there
Only the Father, the Mother and the Policeman know how to operate the raft
To start click on the big blue circle on the right.
To move the people click on them. To move the raft click on the pole (with the red knob) on the opposite side of the river.
http://freeweb.siol.net/danej/riverIQGame.swf
petedownunder @ 9
Awwww, that’s sweet of you. :-)
More on the growing US Attorneys scandal:
WaPo—”The Right Way to Manage US Attorneys” by Abbe David Lowell.
There is a lot more to this story than just the 8 recently fired people. Look at the record since Bush took office, everybody who left and why. Look at investigations that were suddenly stopped in corruption cases, an odd coincidence don’t you think?
Probably plenty of other cases like Iglesias where there was pressure to go after Democrats on flimsy or no evidence.
And yes, they can say they’ll let Congress back into the picture because they have already succeeded in stopping the most important corruption investigations. So now they don’t care.
Puesto @ 12
I’d like to see a poll taken among informed Latino-Americans on who their favorite Latin American leader is and why. Alaska villages are right now receiving benefits of their second load of heating fuel courtesy of Chavez’s efforts – Gracias, Amigo! – for what has become a long, fairly cold winter up here.
Chavez and Bolivia’s Morales resonate strongly among Latin America’s indigenous peoples, and in the USA among our indigenous peoples who are informed on the history of Castilian-Anglo rule over ALL Latin American countries, save Haiti.
twolf1 @
5
I am so thrilled about this. I just can’t figure out what they were thinking in the first place. I can understand the desire to reach FOX viewers, but they’d have to be brain dead to think they’d get anything like a fair shot.
I had done some promos for the upcoming FOX debate that thankfully will never be. You can see them at Scrutiny Hooligans if you’re so inclined.
Oh my! The Rachel Paulose business is interesting. Stay tuned on that one.
katymine @ 16
Interesting, isn’t it, that you never hear the Fundie preachers out there railing against this sort of thing? They’re right there when it comes to attacks on gays or women who want to have sex without getting pregnant or VD, but are oddly silent when it comes to the real problems in our society.
Puesto @ 12
And compare the way Bush is welcomed in all of South America to the way Clinton was welcomed in Viet Nam. The whole world knows he’s a disaster!
Did FDL (or another blog) break this story (fired AUSs)? More kudos to blogs for seeing national implications in what was flying under the radar as news of only local interest.
Hopefully the days of allowing congressional witnesses to testify without being sworn in is over.
Also I remember watching a hearing during the 109th Congress where the “support our troops republicans” stressed how unnecessary it was to regulate the legal loan sharks that operate outside of most military bases. Wankers!
The question of the Gonzales 8 is what about the other 100 or so who did bow to pressure.
Question…. rumors that Rick Renzi AZ CD-01 was near indictment prior to the Nov election which still has not occurred.
Was it not Old Jack who said that 50-60 Repugs could be involved in that so called growing corruption scandal?
Were those pressured NOT to investigate?
Where indictments not served prior to Nov to keep it out of the election cycle?
Terry Olson @ 22
Oh, yes. Especially since Heffelfinger himself has come out to condemn the recent firings.
Does anyone have a link or info about the YKos benefit tonight in NYC with Marcy?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Kathryn in MA @ 25
Actually, TPM and Muckraker’s been the go-to guys on this. But at least one locally-oriented blog has picked up on the local angle — don’t be surprised if other regional blogs follow.
Am I the only one desparately hoping tht Bush immediately pardons Scoots?
C’mon George, you can do it. Break all the rules, show me the hypocrisy, send your 30% base into orgasmic pleasure.
AND, open Scoots up for congressional testimony – and testimony in the Wilsons’ civil case. The civil case has a *huge* hurdle upcoming when it must oppose Motions for Summary Judgment based upon immunity/privilege. C’mon George, be the Decider – you can do it. Just follow your natural instincts – screw it up.
I’ll then be very happy.
Jim Jenkins at 21—
Those ads are hilarious.
Highly recommend.
EPU’d downstairs, & belongs better here anyway:
Hey, I gotta question folks, if you could distract the little ones w/ somethin’ for a sec.
Evidence:
-Nobility Personified Gingrich teasing about possible run for Prez-ship.
-Same fella issuing pre-emptive announcement that he had a lil’ affair, nothing much, just a lil’ fling, back when that other, really disgusting guy was being impeached. Move along folks, nothing to see here, no big deal…
-During this same week, a -ahem-, how do we say this(?), certain procuror of forbidden delites practicing her craft over some considerably time in the D.C. area, um, teases the newsers with thots of “out-ing” a bunch of [?former? customers].
I can hear my old static-y tv now. “WHICH of these things will you be talking about tomorrow?” Or all of them? Are they related? I dunno. I just read the news…….
Linkies:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..ich-affair
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories…..5671.shtml
I don’t want to see it happen jayt, but I think it will. It’s so like the decider to throw aside precedent just because he can.
Kathryn in MA @ 17
This is going to melt my brain.
egregious @ 32
Thanks egregious! I had a lot of fun putting them together but was thrilled to find that they were obsolete when I woke up this morning. My friends at Scrutiny Hooligans decided to post them anyway :)
Puesto @
12
Hello, Puesto – When Abu says we HAVE TO believe him – reminds me of W – we HAVE TO believe him, too. And they have been quite serious about exercizing all sorts of authority, haven’t they?
OMG…. Universities get financial benefit for endorsing specific credit card companies for their students……
Universities are getting paid to allow credit card companies solicit their students.
Love Claire MacCaskill…she sure is drilling the bank ex’s….. they sure are weaseling
egregious @
19
Off topic -
egregious – have you read this?
Nonprofit drug company dream now a reality
Former executive quit job to get needed drugs to Third World countries
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17540025/
Old Corporal Rod Majors, or is that Matt Sanchez sez in his view, the Democrats are represented in the new movie “300″ by the decadent and gender-bending Persians.
Xerxes Pelosi is leading the fight against the brave and vastly outnumbered and brave Leonidas Bush.
-GSD
NinjaGoat – i’m stuck – still stuck since yesterday.
Kathryn in MA @ 41
And you say that just as I finish.
Sorry.
Has any one done a count the last couple of weeks of how many news stories have had some form of the line:
“This language was placed in the XXXX legislation but no one noticed.”
It seems to me Hillary has been a Senator for some 7 years, and Reid, and Pelosi, etc., etc..
Last time I checked, these people were drawing a paycheck. Russ Feingold seems to be the only one who can hold his head high in this regard.
Why is he the only on who appears to be on duty? Like, on the FOX Nevada Debate fiasco, are these Dems actually reading a few blogs and inside writing to get some threads and clues?
Or — and, I find this hard to believe — are they really in such an insular world they are our “benighted” leaders? I think they are faking it. I think they are advised on every minor theory and thread questioning the authoritarian movement but choose to stick their head in the sand.
“Who knew?” is starting to get real, real old.
What a surprise. And we, the U.S., lit the fuse.
BAGHDAD – Iraq’s prime minister appealed Saturday for international help to sever networks aiding extremists and warned envoys from neighbors and world powers that Iraq’s growing sectarian bloodshed could spill across the Middle East.
re: Nevada Democratic Party dancing with FAUX comedy cahnnel.
yesterday after noon i read on Kos about the Dems cancelling on fox beign official. so: i called the Nev. Dem. Party to thank them. well; the clearly very vexxed gentelman that answered the phone had not heard of the develpoment. he asked me where i had heard of this; i told him about the ‘intenets’ about Kos. he thanked me and hung up.
of course being the stickler for courtesy that i am, i called back to thank him. very funny.
702 737 8683 . . . if you have any extra minutes on you cell or what not.
Thanks Stephen—
I had not yet seen this article.
Will check it out.
Phoenix Woman,
How lucky you are to be married to a “Train Nut”. My wife is married to one too! *g*
I do not blame the neocons and the Republicans for what’s going in Iraq, and the tinderbox that is the Middle East. That’s what these guys do. No. My fury and rage is reserved for my party, the Democrats.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 44
Doesn’t this phase apply….
“No one would anticipate”…..
As in…. airplanes… or civil war…. or…
Has anyone here commented yet on the New York Times promoting (?) Gore basher Katherine “Kitt” Seelye to be their “Web Political Correspondent”?
Media Matters is looking into it.
Latest FaBlog: Fait Divers — The Calista Effect
David E’s FaBlog: Now with Extra Snark!
Hi ET…. AK weather was the hit of the evening Phoenix news….. since we hit the boring 80-90 nothing interesting here so we hear about everyone else weather….
Enter the “Sentence Scooter” Contest:
- Provide the funniest, most fitting sentence for Libby.
- First prize is a $100 Amazon gift certificate.
- Deadline to enter is Sunday night, March 11.
Kathryn in MA @ 37
I guess “Have to” means… Or we’ll get our jack booted goons to snatch your bank records and telephone call list.. See what kind of dirt we can get on you to maybe send to someone like Bill O’Reilly or Roger Ailes.. Maybe even get one of the head Goon’s — Rove — operatives, like, say, the US Attorney for Eastern District of Arkansas to find some Federal charges to harass you with..
“Authoritarian” can’t happen here, can it.
As Sinclair Lewis said, around 1935 –
This is some iceberg:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/10/21556/5045
The Middle East is fast becoming a massive “trail of tears”.
There’s the developing story: Angry crowds hunt Bush as protests mark start of Latin American tour. Of course, the massive security regime attending this intrusion on the Latin American people shields der Shrubbenfuehrer from any exposure to their sentiments or their astute observations about him and his egregious crimes against humanity.
katymine @ 52
Mrs. ET and I were whining about the continuing wind and cold yesterday evening on our way into Anchorage to watch the first night of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, when the sunset got all unbelievably beautiful on us, and we stopped whining.
Jim Jenkins @ 36
Really good stuff.
AngryOne @
53
Bedpan duty at Walter Reed, for the next 5 years.
-GSD
LS @ 55
They were commenting POSITIVELY about Cerberus on NPR’s Marketplace yesterday! I’m thinking of re-writing ATC’s ditzy news jingle in a minor mode, very darkly…
Millinerywoman: I dunno. Write to Marcy herself, that’s my suggestion.
And so we are left with fall guy Libby. No Rove, no Cheney, no Bush. Great. Just great.
katymine, We have a couple of financial advisers who do radio time for us middle class. One of them has said repeatedly that the credit card companies border on illegal practices.
What they do to our kids at college is predatory.
alank @ 57
But ABC says that Hugo Chavez is behind it all! They’d all WUUV Bush if not for him!
GSD @ 60
Bedpan duty is NOT enough (RN for 34 yrs knows)
Grave digger at Arlington cemetery would be more fitting life sentence.
We hear lots of complaints about what the Bible says about adultery and the other sex stuff. The Capitalist Cultists never seem to be too keen on the Biblical injunctions against usery.
If so that would make South Dakota a modern day Sodom.
-GSD
Oklahoma kiddo @ 63
You forget the civil suit the Wilsons are planning.
AND the hearings Waxman will be holding.
AND John Conyers and Maurice Hinchey’s own plans.
Oh, no, Scooter’s not the only one. Just the first.
So. If another country were to attempt to occupy Oklahoma, kill our people and steal our resources, and I were to resit them, then I would be an extremist?
Uncle Lou Dobbs loves to feed the “demonize Chavez” meme.
Love Lou’s populist economic rhetoric, but deep down he’s still an elitist winger.
-GSD
Oklahoma kiddo @ 69
That’s correct -you and that trouble maker Hugo Chavez.
Phoenix Woman @ 68
I’m thinking more along the lines of criminal prosecution. And I do not overlook the civil aspect of things. And I also recall the collection issue. Thinking of OJ here. ;0)
Oklahoma kiddo @ 69
You’d be Al-Qaeda in Oklahoma! Ain’t that sweeet!
Wingers love to demonize Chavez. He’s one of the few latinos whose name they can pronounce.
What I expected from Fitzgerald upon a solid Libby conviction was additional indictments. I am at once, disappointed.
NinjaGoat @ 42
Oddly enough, I just got all the people across the river. Thanks for sharing game. Clever.
Boohoo, Chavez won’t play Monopoly with us.
HyoooGo Chav—ez. He’s one of them there trouble makers.
-GSD
“AP’s journalists in Afghanistan are trained, accredited professionals working at an appropriate distance from the bombing scene. In democratic societies, legitimate journalists are allowed to work without having their equipment seized and their images deleted.”
Welcome to the Bush Junta lady.
-GSD
NinjaGoat @
42
Aaack!!
If someone is responsible for knowlingly committing a felonious act against me or my family, civil dispension alone will not placate me.
Puesto, #54 – now you got it!
Oklahoma kiddo @ 75
Me too, buddy, me too. Frustrating that Wingers had d*ckhead Ken Starr route through Clinton’s underwear drawer, and we gotta fight fair over life and death issues. I wish we had our Ken Starr equivalent to similarly and relentlessly f**k up their ballgame.
Oklahoma kiddo,
I’m disappointed too. Thought the same thing.
But I watched nearly every moment of the Watergate hearings.
Our Congress has the power to take this on.
The question is: Do they have the character?
Chavez dismissed Bush’s promise of fresh aid. “The imperial chief has come making ridiculous and laughable offers to try to break the movement we have inspired,” he told the crowd.
See, Republicans and comedy do mix.
-GSD
Boston1775 @ 84
At this point I am dubious. ;0)
LS @ 55
My theory for Joe Lieberman’s active subversion of the Democratic Party is that he wants to have a seat at the Cerberus or Carlyle table.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 75
OK Kiddo – my impression is Fitz has gone as far as he can go. To get Bush or Cheney, Congress holds hearings, Fitz testafies, and there you go.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 69
only if you’re not a republican. every one else is an extremist. except joe lieberman.
… this is where “thinking” in newspeak will get you.
Boston and OK Kiddo:
Starr did what he did by breaking the law — and even then didn’t do much more than waste $100 million of our money. Fitz is staying within the law.
And it’s not over yet — note how the Democrats are as one calling on Bush not to pardon Libby. By doing so, they’re pointing out Libby’s ties to them.
Nope, this is not over. Not even close.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 86
So I guess Waxman and Conyers’ new subpoena power is just so much chopped liver to you?
Go look at the news above.
This is some iceberg:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/10/21556/5045
Its all about the money. Privatization is code for steal the money. Nobody could have anticipated that they would get caught.
Kathryn in MA @ 88
That’s exactly it — and since the Democrats are now in the majority, they have subpoena power. If they subpoena you, you are bound by law to show up, same as if a judge did it.
Furthermore, as Atrios has pointed out, lying in front of Congress is a crime — and if anyone thinks that John Conyers or Henry Waxman are the types to let Republicans slide on this, they need to get their heads examined — or to learn more about Waxman and Conyers.
ANCHORENA PARK, Uruguay – President Bush refused Saturday to be baited into verbal battle with Venezuela’s outspoken Hugo Chavez. But Bush did give his Latin American foe a gentle, if indirect, dig.
Bush drew only a quiet contrast with his fiery nemesis, who is increasing his stature in the region with colorful attacks blaming U.S.-style capitalism for poverty and inequality in Latin America at every turn. Bush said he favors a more tranquil form of engagement with his neighbors to the south.
“I would call our diplomacy quiet and effective diplomacy,” Bush said
“My message to the people in our neighborhood is that we care about the human condition and that we believe the human condition can be improved in a variety of ways,” the president said.
How would this play out?
The Ecuadoran military tries to kick out Correa and as the democratically elected president of Ecuador he asks for assistance from the democratically elected president of Venezuela who intervenes with his newly refurbished military.
How would the sulfurous one respond?
The AMT issue is really important to change the focus of the tax debate. The issues of tax fairness and widening distribution of income are the way to get people focused on economic issues and away from terrorism.
David Walker, the comptroller of the currency, is on the road talking about the long-term fiscal health of the economy. It is not a pretty picture, what with the huge debt to other countries, and the unwillingness of the politicians to face up to the coming pressures of social security and medicare.
Other people are writing about the effect of loose piles of cash running to the trillions chasing huge returns at the expense of the citizenry. Better we should tax those people, and remove the speculative cash that threatens our retirement. Thinking about money is hard, not nearly as interesting as politics, but that is the real reason we need to pay attention to the politics.
I’m tired of wingers whining that we have much more urgent concerns than this “fiasco”. THERE IS NOTHING MORE URGENT than getting to the bottom of all this.
Some times gentle persons of the same basic persuassion are wont to agree to disgree on some things. ;0)
katymine @ 27
I agree with you about Renzi (of course), but for that matter, was Jefferson of Louisiana ever officially charged yet? Or is this another case of all hat, no cattle. It surely had enough publicity, and I’ll agree it looked really bad, but where are the official charges?
Seems like there is more of a backstory to WalterReedGate than previously announced: the hospital had a facilities management contract with an outside firm that just happens to be…you guessed it…a Halliburton Subsidiary. Apparently the Army was strong-armed into granting the contract of saying no thanks.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..82_pf.html
New video from Ava:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/10/115734/752
Are there those who think that Cheney and Rove are just as criminally guilty as Libby. Beside me, of course?
Oklahoma kiddo @ 102
Good Heavens, no! Libby was just a bad apple giving everyone a bad name.
Exactly Phoenix Woman. The new Dem power is barely 2 months old and they can’t just snap their fingers for a magical Presto! to placate the screaming for justice action. The first 100 hours was devoted to passing important much needed bills which they did.
What part of Hugh’s huge long list of just the major scandals (close to 90 at last glance) they need to investigate did some people either miss or perhaps ignore? The knowledge is getting out there – albeit slowly – and amongst the crush our Congress has to deal with in reality everyday, but many of these upcoming hearings should be on C-Span for all of America to tune in to.
We need some patience not negativity. None of this is going away as long as we are breathing either.
As for me, I haven’t see a lot of satisfactory results from my party, the Democrats, since last November. Many Democrats are complicit in the Iraq war and what is happening in the Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East.
It has been my observation over time that Reuters has much more objective substance in their sentences to construct an article.
On our Naked Emperor’s visit to Latin America, they had this to say, which does not lay “anti-American” at Chavez’ feet:
In my book, anyone who is anti-Emperor Bush, is Pro-American. It is too bad the Corporate State of America based press can’t run the risk of alienating their corporate sponsors and compose objective sentences to tell the story.
If they did, likely they would be faced with harassment investigations by the FBI “data mining” and giving them over to the political hacks who have new US Attorney placards on their desks.
This is how the slow “creep” of Authoritarianism works.. Of course, you are not a “patriot” — wrapped in the flag — if you do not use subjective slams in your sentence structure to tell the story of Chavez, who was elected by some 63-65% of his populace. And, in Venezuela you are REQUIRED to vote, or you can’t renew your drivers license and other civic membership things such as that..
If we had such a law here, Emperor Bush and his Corporate ilk would be in big trouble. Why do you think they don’t want convicted felons to vote in most states? Keeps the rif-raf from participating in the process.. Like is not done in Venezuela..
I do not like socialism as an economic model. But, if that is what the people of Venezuela want, why do I care? I also do not like monopoly/oligopoly protectionist policies as an economic model either.
I have yet to have someone explain to me why it is in MY COUNTRY’s best interests to hate a socialist Venezuela.. Am I supposed to have a bleeding heart for Exxon’s obscene profits the last few years?
I have been supporting my party, the Democrats for over forty years. And let me say that generally speaking, I am disgusted with my party. Particularly the DLC and the likes of Rahm Emanuel, Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman and others.
Puesto @ 12
It’ll be very interesting to see how they portray it when the next president is sworn in, and so much of this supposed “anti-American” sentiment melts away.
thwart @ 95
With words.
I’ve been watching his transformation of the Venezuelan Army in particular, since early 2006. Chavez served as an officer in the Venezuelan Army for 17 years, where he was more politically active than most officers, at least in terms of left-wing political contacts. Having been educated among the officer class of the country, he is aware of the Castilian-based, right-wing politics of the officer class and US-dominated training models used for both officers and NCOs.
He’s trying to re-create the Army and Venezuelan armed forces on a socialist-based training model, directed more toward community-based activities than to activities designed to support the moneyed class’s power structures. It is a long-term program.
The Venezuelan military is in no way preparing to intervene in situations such as the one you hypothetically supposed above.
Puesto @
43
EEEK! All they have to do is ask their freakin’ staffs to read them and highlight anything questionable. Fire the people who miss it. How hard is that?
I know that the republicans snuck language in bills in the middle of the night in the 109th, but come on.
Oklahoma kiddo @
69
see, that’s just it! If we commit our troops, we better have a real damn reason beyond lies and ineptitude and lack of diplomacy, otherwise they are fighting people who are trying to protect their homes and families and country. I would bet anyone of us would become a part of the resistance/insurgency were it to happen to us and ours.
This doctrine of invasion and occupation is nothing more than one of imperialism, greed, theft and raw, horrid death and we should have no part of it.
They engineered this civil war in Iraq.
BFF Musharref and his kin are providing the Taliban and we wanted Afghanistan to become “an empty place”.
They never meant to spread democracy, they meant to control.
How can this so-called Commander in Chief have the right to commit such heinous acts?
/rant (for now)
Right on OK-Kiddo..
“Who knew?” is starting to get real old. Bill, after bill, after bill over the last 6 years. These guys — Dems — need to be called on it. Especially, now that they have committee power for hearings, etc.
The two things which seem to have “Legs” are the political hacks as US Attorney’s fiasco and now the FBI “data whacking.” Like you local police department, who rely on your local District Attorney for guidance, this is a very dangerous duo — Speaking Authoritarian-wise.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 107
Terry Olson @ 110
Snuck language into bills in the middle of the night, scheduled votes on 500-page bills four hours after they were finalized, entirely rewrote bills in conference… the list goes on. Much as I would favor refusing to vote under those conditions, it put Dems in the position of not voting for a huge block of stuff that really needed to pass (since Dems actually care about having a working government) or risking that there were some poison pills in there, plus the promise that
Fox Newsthe GOP propaganda channel would vilify them endlessly.I don’t like it, but under the circumstances, I give them a bit of slack. If anything like that were to happen now, when pure evil isn’t in charge of Congress, then they’d deserve to be righteously slammed.
TPMuckraker — “They have muck, we have rakes.” has a table posted http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002722.php to display the fired US Attorney’s involvement in investigations of Dems vs. Repugnican’s
Very interesting, indeed.
On the “US Attorneys who weren’t fired” front, TPM also raised some questions about the flimsy “investigation” of Menendez in NJ just before the election, and whether it was a result of similar pressure on the US Atty from the GOP High Command.
angie @ 111
seems so obvious to me too. i continue to be amazed that anyone would continue to be fooled by their rhetoric. i can’t find ANY evidence that they have ANY respect for democracy – and lot’s of counter-evidence.
if only we could break through on this myth…
Oh, engine-e-eer! Phoenix Woman! I have a few cars to hitch onto to your choo-choo. (I hope this isn’t FDL’s version of Huffit because while Huffit might huff, it just don’t chug.)
Baggage Car: While the face of George Soros has been peering out at us all week from the front page of FDL in the FT ad, the MSM is reporting a little investment of his. He just bought into – - wait for it – - Halliburton – - wait – - wait – - never mind, I haven’t got a clue.
Sleeper Car: This is now old news but no one is talking about it, for obvious reasons. You know that artist who paints bloated people? Fernando Botero. When he read about Abu Ghraib he became so enraged he poured out over 80 paintings and drawings that have since exhibited in major museums around the world – - but nowhere in the US until now. Finally, they on view at UC Berkeley until March 25. If there were an entrance fee this show would be well worth it, but it’s FREE, so go.
Doubledecker: Recycled from the trainyard downstairs but it shouldn’t be missed. Photos of FITZ visiting his cousins in Ireland from 1975, 1985 and 2001. And for those who hankered – - If the kilt FITZ.
Caboose: Here it comes, the best for last, from oregondave, a firedog fete. “What happens? One blog puts more boots on the ground than any commercial news operation. The writers bring more background, savvy and commitment to the case. And they dominate in coverage of a big news event. Journalists themselves use it to keep up and get their bearings.”
Redshift @ 115
krugman started the ball rolling with this column.
maybe everyone’s already read this column… but just in case, thought i’d give the link again.
Like the juror from tne Libby asked; ‘where were the other guys, Cheney and Rove’? Disgusting.
Redshift @ 115
and he perhaps, succumbed. There could be more…
To go back to Hugh’s post last night on energy– I had an argument with a military person I very much respect before Gulf War I and he insisted that it was in our national security interests that we fight that one. I argued that we should not wean, but get ourselves, off our addiction to oil. He laughed. I did not.
It’s time. The people of Asia need our friendship and partnership, not our bombs. Our people deserve to live in peace with them, not to fight the ancient and amazing civilization there. What of Africa? Why do we neglect them so?
The USA is so young in the whole scheme of things. Can’t we learn from others and from history?
selise @ 116– how I wish.
Redshift @ 115
This was a notorious tactic from Karl Rove’s days in Texas when Emperor Bush was just another coke-head trying to develop a foreign policy based on the ever so successful my-dick-is-bigger-than-yours which he is being jeered for around the world now..
Of course, this is another strategy of the Emperor’s propaganda machine “Fox-aganda” — Blame the person — Chavez — and you don’t have to debate the issue — rich class imperialism among our poor neighbors south of the border..
Classic Rove — How can you listen to the point of a “raving socialist?” Tune his message out or you are not “wrapped in the flag.”
Our benighted Emperor controls the dialogue. Rove and Goebbels have been using this technique for 80 years or more. Control the dialogue. Oh, and Lou Dobbs, too.
That should read: ‘like the juror from the Libby trial asked…’ (multi-tasking here) ;0)
selise @ 116
Oh, they’re promoting “democracy” all right. From their actions in this country, it’s clear they believe that “democracy” means that you have elections, and the right people win. “Will of the people” doesn’t really enter into it — they’re so easily confused, you know.
selise @ 118
Thanks, I’d forgotten that was where it started.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 105
Well, I for one have decided I will not vote for anyone for any office that voted for the AUMF in Iraq. I live in a state that does not matter for the next election term, since one of my Senators was elected last year and the other is running for President. Both are Repugnicans, and I won’t vote for them either, but for those Dems that are running for re-election next year in other states, some did vote for the AUMF, and they are incumbents that basically have not shown good enough judgement to deserve re-election (IMHO), either as Congressperson or Senator. This may be a way to get rid of some incumbents who are not worth their salt. The only thing that bothers me about my theory is, by my own theory, that would take out the best person we have, the one that has basically changed the landscape on thinking about the war, Murtha. For him, I’d make an exception. Maybe there are some more out there worth exceptions. But, although I like Edwards, I have decided not to except him because he’s a lawyer and should know better than to sign a blank check. I reached this conclusion because Hillary kept saying she signed the bill, but didn’t think the Prez would use it. How dumb is that for a lawyer! I couldn’t help but draw the same conclusion for Edwards and even Kerry at that point. In short, there has to be some sort of line drawn beyond which no good candidate should go without serious repercussions. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. If Gore won’t run, I’ll probably accept Richardson. Otherwise, I may end up in “undercount” territory.
The Bush family’s idea of Democracy is oligarchy and plutocracy. And the Republicans are not alone in this attitude. Many Democrats, and the DLC in particular, also subscribe to this perverted view of what ‘Democracy’ should mean.
Shez @ 104
Could Hugh’s list be permanently posted somewhere on FDL so that we could refer to it from time to time or possibly add to it?
hackworth @
83
My thoughts from a year and a half ago…
CandL has a great quote on the Bill Maher show from a General who, evidently, was one of the first to implement Emperor Bush’s Iraq strategy. This from General Paul D. Eaton
I just cannot stomach ever watching Fox-aganda News, but I would love to hear what some of those propaganda whores do with this quote..
Naahh! I just cannot stand the pain of watching Fox-aganda.. I’ll wait for the write-ups on blogs this weekend.
Hey! BIG DOIN’S UPSTAIRS!
Howie and Jane are breaking ground again. Blue America Speaker’s Bureau.
OT–
Bush tries to make a friend in Uruguay to counter his nemesis Chavez. From the NYTimes:
LS @ 55
Kathryn in MA
The link to KOS is extraordinary. Kathryn how long have you been formulating that theory about Lieberman?
Just last week, I was pointing that new Congressman, whose first bill is to stop war profiteering in Iraq, to the privatization of Walter Reed.
How old/new is this knowledge?
I agree that Libby has a lot more to come, and all of those associated with him in his criminal behavors have more to come too. They are already making huge mistakes.
I suspect the Judge listens to the news and reads the paper and will note the “Instant Pardon” talking points that surfaced almost before the jury finished counting their votes. Some judges do not take kindly to that sort of thing. It can factor into the pre-sentence work-up, particularly since the talk is nothing at all about his being sorry, having feeling of regret toward his victims, or respecting the Jury. These things get considered at sentencing.
Congress can make Libby Dance because around anything entered into evidence in the trial, he has no 5th Amendment Rights now — he is a convicted felon, and on this evidence he can no longer incriminate himself. It will be contempt of Congress if he refuses to truthfully answer questions. And just as they locked up Judy till she dealt with her contempt of court — they can lock Scooter up on the same claim. Not done all that often, but it has been done. Moreover I think one of the exceptions to Executive Privilege is questions about criminality, and Scooter does not work for the Government anymore anyhow.
Waxman’s announced Hearing topic is very interesting — he wants to know what the White House did to protect the Wilsons and to stop the leaks and prevent damage to ongoing CIA operations? He also is interested in how highly classified materials and information were treated inside the WH. That is a devil of a question, and it sure passes muster as having legitimate legislative intent. Remember those documents classified with Cheney’s own security classifications? Treat as if … Top Secret? Cheney has refused to file required reports on classification, declassification. Waxman may have a fix here on Cheney’s own private Executive — and the trial documents may be his avenue into it all.
Apparently Rockefeller and Levin in the Senate are interested in possible violations of the National Security Act of 1947 on the part of Libby, Cheney and Rummy, Wolfowitz,and Feith in setting up the Office of Special Plans that reported only to the VP. They want to discuss this in depth with Libby. Also very very interesting as an approach.
I suspect a good deal of thought has gone into this — this is what we will do if Fitz gets his convictions. Well, he got em.
OKK and others of short patience.
Why did Fitz bring charges of obstruction of justice and perjury against Little Scooter? Is it not because he threw “sand in the umpire’s eyes”? Libby obstructed the march toward justice. He still has not spoken the truth, the essential element for bringing any further indictments. IIRC, neither Cheney nor Bush were sworn when they spoke with the special prosecutor, and they lie twenty times before breakfast. Remember, Fitz said the investigation was inactive. He did not say it was closed. He certainly left the impression with me, as I watched his news conference, that he’d be cooperative with any congressional action, as appropriate.
Optimism does not come easily to me either, but I am holding on to hope that this refractory and potentially fatal infection in the nation’s governance will yield to air and light brought by Conyers, Waxman, Leahy, and even Schumer. But every organ is infected, and it will require much time and mighty effort to clear them.
The DailyKos quote on Cerbrerus-Gabriel is quite incredible.. Quite!
LS @ 55 makes an understatement when saying “iceburg” !!
This would seem to have legs, and be very broad.
The Bush pardon train is going to have to have many cars to carry all of the Republicans needing pardons. Porr little Bush is going to get terrible writers cramp signing all of them. Perhaps his handlers should use paper with his signature already printed. We all know he doesn’t bother to read them.
Sorry PW OT Ireland 19 Scotland 18 Six Nations Back to Lurk.
My suggestion for ’supporting the troops…’
A modest proposal for the disposition of the Libby sentencing…
This is a good time to remember two classic Bush campaign sloagans:
“You know where he stands.”
“Steady leadership for times of change.”
Any Republicans still buying into those?
All Aboard!
GSD @
70
Hugo has actually read some books (other than ones about ponies). He also gave the Emperor of Japan a hug! (all George HW Bush could manage to do in Japan was to blow groceries all over his own lap).
The quote : “Fitzgerald said he may be inclined to share the evidence he collected over the course of three years with lawmakers if they ask for his documents.” sounds so unlike Fitzgerald.
Oklahoma kiddo @
94
For South America we offer “Shucks and aws”.
-GSD
AngryOne @ 53
I was figuring for Cheney and Libby and Shrub: bedpan and floor scrubbing and toilet cleaning at military hospitals, in the wards with amputees and brain injuries. Better yet, bedpan and cleaning duty in Iraq.
Phoenix Woman,
Thanks for a great and meaty post!
P J Evans @ 143
i believe that those three would not be welcome at any of our military hospitals. who would trust them?
If one introduces the concept of “chopped liver”, does that then permit me to propose the idea of ‘hogwash’ as a rebut?
.
Am I being overly optimistic in thinking that Sr. Chavez would be more aggressive in countering Bush attempts at coups against populist Latino governments? Given Bush’s weakened state and the despicable history of US intervention in the region, I would like to think that US aided golpes will be more vigorously confronted.