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Republicans in Congress do not trust their president to protect them. That alone is sufficient reason to withhold statements of support for Gonzales, because such a gesture could be quickly followed by his resignation under pressure. Rep. Adam Putnam (Fla.), the highly regarded young chairman of the House Republican Conference, praised Donald Rumsfeld in November only to see him sacked shortly thereafter.
But not many Republican lawmakers would speak up for Gonzales even if they were sure Bush would stick with him. He is the least popular Cabinet member on Capitol Hill, even more disliked than Rumsfeld was. The word most often used by Republicans to describe the management of the Justice Department under Gonzales is "incompetent."
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The saving grace that some Republicans find in the dispute over U.S. attorneys is that, at least temporarily, it draws attention away from debate over an unpopular war. But the overriding feeling in the Republican cloakroom is that the Justice Department and the White House could not have been more inept in dealing with the president's unquestioned right to appoint — and replace — federal prosecutors.
The I-word (incompetence) is also used by Republicans in describing the Bush administration generally. Several of them I talked to cited a trifecta of incompetence: the Walter Reed hospital scandal, the FBI's misuse of the USA Patriot Act and the U.S. attorneys firing fiasco. "We always have claimed that we were the party of better management," one House leader told me. "How can we claim that anymore?"
The role Novak plays among the GOP elite — when they are afraid to broach a subject to one another, they all broach it to him. When it reaches critical mass and he realizes they need to speak with one another about the problem, he publishes. This is a very important column today. It could be the beginning of the end if the elite GOP on the Hill start to share with one another what they've shared with Novak.
I mean, I hate the guy, but it's important to understand his role in the party.
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jane . . .
and TEDDYSF 2 ;-)
fitz!!
hi !!
Oh they’ll always have Lieberman.
In the not too distant future…
You’d think that it would have dawned on these guys a long time ago that GWB is in the GWB-protection and promotion business — and nothing else. He doesn’t give a rats ass about the party. He already knows he’ll be cosseted by the big money boys after he leaves office.
He’s got his, and that’s all that’s ever really mattered to him.
Oh Goody! Teddy, this is so cool!!
And just what *is* his role—a greasy little rat? A contract hit man? After all, he publishes and they dispose….
Attaturk @
5
hippo birdie, dr turk!
Marcy is all over the two Waxman letters today:
link
Teddy San Fran!
TSF, nice post!
Novak wants it to be all about the I word.
But it is really all about the C word.
Corruption.
Gonzales aide to invoke Fifth Amendment
link
Monica Goodling, a senior Justice Department official involved in the firings of federal prosecutors, will refuse to answer questions at upcoming Senate hearings, citing Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination, her lawyer said Monday.
See also:
link
(in TPMm comments)
“Ms. Goodling’s announcement assures the WH that every MSM hack with a cellphone camera will want to be in the hearing room. My guess is that FDL should extend the lease on the Libby Crash Pad and start asking for more contributions.”
Happy Birthday Fez Man.
Goodling Press Release, Letters to Judiciary Committees
7 pages, two pages press release, 5 pages of letters to committees from Goodling’s lawyers.
All right Teddy!
Congratulations on hitting the “show”, TeddySanFran!
Blue Dido @ 8
My husband likes to say that Novak plays Renfield to Cheney’s Dracula, scuttling around the DC looking for bugs and rodents to devour.
I can’t wait to see the connection between the $140,000 for ‘Cheney’s office furniture & computers’ and the $140,000 (pre-negotiated) for the Duke-Stir.
Actually, it’s a great name for that boat, considering that now the “Duke” is in “Stir”!
On last thread someone had a link to a WorldNetDaily article by Jerome Corsi (of Swift Boat “Fame”) on how the DoJ refused to prosecute in Texas for child abuse/pedophilia at the youth justice center. Big scandal down here. Can we say Abu is under the bus?
Alicia @
20
The boat, when purchased from two flamboyant DeeCee gays, was named BuoyToy. Not sure why Duke changed the name….
“How can we claim that anymore?”
Now, there’s a self-deluded asshole if ever there was one.
I agree that this is an important column. Novakula is and always has been a tool of the repugs. However, pushing the meme of incompetence is a diversion from the willful and intentional perversion of government that this administration has perpetrated.
We can’t let them get away with the few bad apples (i.e. The Bush Admin) argument. They’ve been slowly building this over the last year through the “press,” so repukelickins can reclaim the moral high ground in the next few elections cycles. “It’s not us, it was just that crazy Bush Admin. We’re the real repubs!”
Our current Constitutional Crisis was and continues to be caused by REPUBLICANS, through and through (and the enabling Dems). The Republican principles are wrong. Always have been and always will be. Give them unfettered power, and it will always lead to this. The principles (hey, it’s a dog eat dog world, go get what’s yours) guarantee this end result.
Do not let repubs succeed in separating themselves from the Bush Admin!
Thanks for the birthday wishes. I’d bow but I’m goin’ commando.
“Evangelical Christian” on your resume before you can be a political appointee of Our Messiah’s Administration?
Apparently, this Monica Goodling went to undergraduate school at “Messiah College.”
It is amazing how many of these names are prominent in the evangelical community. I would love to see some application for appointments submitted by some of these USA’s. I’ll beet Evangelical is an important hiring criteria.
Messiah College description from their parent organization:
All of which both verifies and explains Jon Stewart’s theory that he does indeed thrive on the blood of freshly killed puppies.
Attaturk @ 5
“Next Sunday A.D…..”
RevDeb @ 24
Atrios has another example of a Republican moving away from the standard script:
link
When Hacks Stop Hacking
Wingnut Terry Jeffrey just now on CNN:
It’s not good, apparently her lawyer is trying to suggest they’re building a perjury trap for people in the Justice Department. But the truth is, Wolf, Congress – its Judiciary Committees – they have oversight over the Justice Department. It is inexcusable for people in the Justice Department to take the 5th amendment to avoid testifying in Congress. People there must go testify. There’s no question about it.
Tug @ 28
And can only be stopped by a Writ of Douchebaggery.
Brit Hume going nuts over Webb having a weapon….. In other news, Brit still not talking about how VP Cheney shot his buddy last year.
as long as he helps hide the criminal behavior of these co conspirators, it is going to be great. he will help them all lose elections, and put their faith in abu to get them through this little indiscretion of following bushwa and shooter down to the sea in ships
Yay, Teddy. As odious as Novak is, he does make a good barometer of the Republican whining within (and outside of) the Beltway. Interesting that they would all be blaming Bush for their woes, and not take any responsibility whatsoever for enabling him — or is it that Novak wouldn’t take responsibility for anything, ever, even if others actually are? It’s never sure with him, is it?
Rats indeed.I saw this meme come around when that flak Richard Perle,one of the BIGGEST chearleaders for the Iraq war, stated that the plan was fine,it was the incompetent way it was carried out was the problem.
Yeah, they have been trying to weasel out from under Bush for awhile now.
Leahy weighs in on Goodling. He uses the word “criminal”.
A lot.
thinkprogress link
Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) responds to news that Gonzales aide Monica Goodling will invoke the Fifth Amendment:
“It is disappointing that Ms. Goodling has decided to withhold her important testimony from the Committee as it pursues its investigation into this matter, but everybody has the constitutional right not to incriminate themselves with regard to criminal conduct.
“The American people are left to wonder what conduct is at the base of Ms. Goodling’s concern that she may incriminate herself in connection with criminal charges if she appears before the Committee under oath.“
I really believe this Novak column is the sound of Capitol Hill rats deserting the BushCo ship, thus my email to Jane last nite, which she kindly felt deserved a front-page appearance.
Each congresscritter must independently believe the CEO President is destroying the brand, and yet none of them will confront one another with the news. Novak, his slimy self, got several of them (”the cloakroom”) to share their deepest concerns; having reached critical mass, he pushes the “Publish” button.
Just as effective as that lad attending the parade who turned to his parents and said, too loud, “But the Emperor has no clothes!”
PS When Novak uses a phrase like “highly regarded” he’s speaking about a source.
A little late with this, but I was at work. Regarding the 60 Minutes interview with John and Elizabeth Edwards last night…
Some say…
RevDeb @ 24
Incompetence is their redemption meme: “please, please give us another chance to do it all again, correctly this time.”
No fuckin way.
Nice, Teddy.
ccmask @ 32
And not much talk at all of Repug Congressman Hostettler trying to bring a 9mm Glock onto an airplane in his briefcase, I’ll bet….
Thanks TeddySF for such an important
and first rate post.
The News Hour’s second story is all about how much explain’ Gonzales has to do to before Leahy’s committee.
Gee, thanks Jim, nice of you to report this.
*xyz @ 13
and the other C word: criminal
Nice to see you name in lights, TSF!
Jon Stewart reaching out to Novak– cracks me up still.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..mp;search=
greenwarrior @ 43
Hey, that one is even better.
If I were Adam Putnam, I would hire a food taster.
TeddySanFran @ 39
Amen. From your fingers on the keyboard to . . . .
mrsmarks@19: that sounds about right. Scuttle, scuttle….it all adds up to scuttlebutt. Wink, nod, gossip, destroy a career.
Of course, in the case of Gonzales, I don’t object so much.
You’d think Novak would be radioactive,but noooooooooooooooooo.
Unfortunately, the Bush administration’s performance goes beyond incompetence. Incompetence merely implies inability. That’s not what we’re dealing with here; rather, we see the radical manipulation of the Federal Government for partisan political purposes, even when the law forbids it.
The best word I can think of to describe it is “malevolence:” malevolence towards Democrats; malevolence towards the Constitution, malevolence towards Government in general, and malevolence towards anyone who stands in their way.
Bob in HI
Bob Schacht @ 50
And think about what it is going to take to clean this up IF we get the opportunity to do so. It boggles the mind.
Novak always gets pounded, and deservedly so, when his column appears. Now Rep. Darrell Issa of California has decided to folow in his footsteps as he defends the firing of Carl Lam. This is his blog in San Diego with the results one might expect:
Issa’s blogging lesson
I’m gonna be sick. John Yoo is on the News Hour. Talk about guilty party. HE should be frog marched.
I do love it that he needs to spell out the I-word (incompetence) since there really is already an I-word (impeachment). In that regard, this column may have served to shut down Hagel’s weekend heresy.
Kinda like picking through fresh dung to learn your prey’s eating habits: foul and smelly, but ultimately necessary and worthwhile.
AZ Matt @ 52
I see he got both barrels, appropriately..
RevDeb @ 53
Since when is Yoo an authority on anything but giving Bush/Cheney whatever they wanted? This guy is a highly-trained, well-experienced sophist.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 34
Rove got them to trade their institutional pride so that they would have dominion forever over the farthest horizon; now the GOP is looking at being a permanently regional party. How pissed must they be at their end of the bargain?
montag @ 56
Who wrote the memo trying to legally justify torture. Well beyond sophist. He’s a war criminal.
Hey, Teddy!
It’s good to see you on the front page!
And you make a good point. We should be carefully watching these interesting bellwethers, since so much of what’s really going requires talent in Kremlinology to figure out.
It was also interesting to see Joe “Boris” DiGenova come out slamming Gonzo — slamming him for “inaccurate” testimony to Congress is just the delicious hypocritical icing on the rancid cake baked at home by wifey “Natasha.”
It’s also interesting to see Jerome Corsi up to…something…implicating Gonzo in the TYC sexual abuse of minors judicial scandal.
The important point in all of this is not that any of these people are CREDIBLE pundits, oh no. It’s important in the way that paying attention to weather advisories is important when tornadoes are on the way.
at the outset — i think this is a very
cogent observation about novak’s role — sort
of the viser to the powers-that-be, to
determine, in this particular case, whether
enough dissent has fomented within the elites’
chamber-pots to definitively demand that
dubbya toss gonzo. . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
s e g u e
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*xyz says:
March 26th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Leahy weighs in on Goodling. He uses the word “criminal”.
A lot.
thinkprogress link
Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) responds to news that Gonzales aide Monica Goodling will invoke the Fifth Amendment:
“It is disappointing that Ms. Goodling has decided to withhold her important testimony from the Committee as it pursues its investigation into this matter, but everybody has the constitutional right not to incriminate themselves with regard to criminal conduct.
“The American people are left to wonder what conduct is at the base of Ms. Goodling’s concern that she may incriminate herself in connection with criminal charges if she appears before the Committee under oath.“
heh.
. . .i was epu’d on the last thread on this, but
this is significant on several fronts:
d. kyle sampson, the AG’s former chief
of staff, has indicated that he will
speak, under oath, to the committee
about various matters related to purge-gate. . .
we now know that mr. sampson will likely say,
under oath, that he did not mislead mr. gonzales.
tantalizingly, he may say quite a bit more.
so, we now know that the other putative “fall-
person” for mr. gonzales, ms. goodling, will not go
quietly. her invocation of the fifth will likely
simply be a precursor to an agreement under which
she will ultimately testify, in return for immunity.
it is an unusual sign — and not an encourag-
ing one — for the target, at least, when
one of the target’s lawyers — his senior
lawyer, in this case — decides to invoke
a fifth amendment privilege against self-
incriminantion.
i write this because it suggests, to me, that
the target, here mr. gonzales, is going to have
quite a bit of difficulty asserting that he
simply followed good faith legal advice he
sought and received from his staff, related
to the dismissal of the eight u.s. attorneys.
we already know that various public documents
contradict mr. gonzales’ earlier claim that he
“wasn’t very involved” in the decision to
ask for the resignations of these eight u.s. attorneys.
all of this is shaping up very badly for mr.
gonzales — but is quite predictably — almost
uncannily — providing much “noisy cover” and
precious time-delays, for messrs. rove and cheney.
more here.
RevDeb @
24
Agreed. In contrast to the actual skulduggery afoot in the Department of Injustice, “incompetence” is actually a high compliment.
Mrs.K8 @ 59
Interesting to watch them starting to eat their own. We are watching the beginning of Republican Cannibalism.
angie @ 44
hilarious! thanks!
RevDeb @ 62
I guess the appropriate description of that would be “deliciously ugly.” :)
RevDeb @ 62
I don’t suspect this will be rated PG so don’t let your children watch. It will too much for them.
Douchebag!
Hmmm. Anyone else get the impression that Goodling’s decision to take the 5th was unknown to the Bushies prior to her press release?
Folks, let’s put our heads together, in the best emptywheel, Jane, ReddHedd et al. fashion.
You can only take the 5th Amendment protection against self-incrimination if your testimony may incriminate you — that is, if there is the possibility that you may be held criminally liable for some conduct.
What are the possible crimes that Ms. Messiah College/Regent Law School (!) could have participated in committing?
Obstruction of justice?
Interference with federal prosecutions?
Writing statements for Gonzo to say before the cameras that have proved to be false, and therefore may constitute misinforming Congress?
Something else?
Inquiring minds want to know.
More at the WaPo: Gonzales’s Senior Counselor Refuses to Testify
and NYT: Justice Official Won’t Testify on Prosecutor Firings
1,466 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND..
Citizen Hamsher and the Firepup Patriots:
“It could be the beginning of the end if the elite GOP on the Hill start to share with each other what they’ve shared with Novak.”
Indeed, a huge split in the fascist party…that is why I have been yellin’ at the top a my lungs that this thing is movin’ at warp speed and we need to be callin’ for impeachment inquiries and special prosecutors.
I will restate my fantasy scenario: Cheney resigns (or dies) due to health concerns, impeachment inquiries in the House begin, mass resignations of cabinet and sub cabinet folks under investigation gut the day to day operations of the Executive, the Chimpenfeurer resigns in a snit to evade impeachment, Pelosi is sworn in and declares that her first act will be to nominate Al Gore for VP and upon his confirmation she resigns to run in the special election for her old House seat.
The result is that we will get almost 10 years of Al Gore and the fascists (and their fellow corporatists in the Democratic Party) will be set back 150 years.
KEEP THE FAITH AND YER EYES ON THE TARGET!!!
Frank Probst @ 67
Kind of the impression I got too.
They are going to try and spin this like a centrifuge.
Abu interview in NBC Nightly News, coming up…
TeddySanFran @
54
Teddy! Comment above would make a great p.s. addition to the front page post (I’m talking about moving your comment to the post itself).
Another Monica, another presidency in tatters. Whodathunkit?
TSF @ 57
Rove got them to trade their institutional pride so that they would have dominion forever over the farthest horizon; now the GOP is looking at being a permanently regional party. How pissed must they be at their end of the bargain?
Ah, the Faustian bargain. You get what you ask for, but not the way you wanted it, and it’s always less that you were led to believe it would be. (They can have permanent domination, but only in the South. And even then they may not have all of it.)
NorskeFlamethrower @ 69
i like it a lot!
Rats…
The thing about the rat race is even if you win,
you are still a rat…Lily Tomlin
Novak is trying to misdirect the public into believing that the issue is incompetence, and that the sober doucebags of the right are shocked, shocked about it all.
Poor theatre of misdirection. Make the issue incompetence and some of the 2008 re-election cannon fodder might survive, by railing against it.
Pull for Waxman. This is not about incompetence, THAT was Katrina. It is about greed and theft and deceit and cover up and god knows what else.
Ain’t nobody gettin re-elected in no close race with that on the minds of folks, no sirree.
Even the bumpkins can get outraged now and then. Keep it up Rover…if Novak is the best dissembler that you’ve got, I think we are going to do OK.
Teddy quoting Novak above:
“Several of them I talked to cited a trifecta of incompetence: the Walter Reed hospital scandal, the FBI’s misuse of the USA Patriot Act and the U.S. attorneys firing fiasco.”
Interestingly enough, no mention of Katrina, Iraq, Iran and the whole Patriot Act its own self.
RevDeb @
24
My thoughts exactly. There’s a short list of these (it was just incompetence, be bi-partisan, Clinton did it too, yes but in time of war…, and maybe two or three others) that they drag out every chance they get. It doesn’t mean squat.
If you are trying to pervert our democracy the fact that you are doing so incompetently is a distraction, not a defense. Would you vote to acquit an attempted murder suspect because they repeatedly stabbed their victim in the right side of their chest, or a would-be rapist because they got tangled up in their jock strap and accidentally shot themselves in the foot?
–MarkusQ
Prof @ 68
erh — howza’ ’bout the flip-side:
“if ya doesn’t sez nuttin’,
ya can’t be charged wit’ perjury. . .”
that is — this ship has been holed below
the water line so many times lately, and,
as novak hisssself points out, the president
isn’t about makin’ patches — so, her
lawyers decide it is gonna’ be better to
try to salvage my life, post-gonzo for
ms. goodling, on her own. . . ‘cuz damn sure
no one’s gonna’ be lookin’ out for her. . .
Golly, the worst for Alberto & his fam is attacks on his credibility!!! There are any words for this bs.
RevDeb @ 62
Interesting to watch them starting to eat their own. We are watching the beginning of Republican Cannibalism.
I’ll be happy to pass them the mustard and catsup.
Trenchant debut TSF!
“~}
Now let’s help Max find the missing contracts…
Puesto @ 27..What is even better is that she got her law degree from Regent University. That’s Pat Robertson’s school in Virginia. Now why would a nice fundie girl like Monica need to take the 5th to avoid lying to Congress. I’m shocked!!
“attacks on my credibility have really pained me – and my family”. (ABU quote)
douchebag – when your personal definition of “credibility” is based soley upon how well you serve George W. Bush, said “credibility will be attacked.
And rightly so.
OHHH, I hadn’t seen this last part yet.
HT Crooks and Liars.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/
Good point, TeddySF — Novak is a canary in the mine.
“attacks on my credibility have really pained me – and my family”. (ABU quote)
Maybe Abu should have thought about that before he decided to lie repeatedly to Congress.
Memo to the GOP:
You have choice — you can save the Republican Party, or you can save George W Bush. You cannot do both.
greenwarrior @ 77
I noticed the same thing– including no mention of Afghanistan and the tall one.
Um, perhaps it is that the thug boyz and girls are worried about ‘08 as Jane referenced in her earlier post. They never thought we would win in November despite all their plotting and evil machinations, and they just can’t bring themselves to admit that they have completely screwed up and conspired to do so since 2000.
* my response to Abu– Your attacks on our Constitution, torturing POWs, and spying on us have really pained me.
c’est incroyable!
-ck- @ 89
How can they make a choice like that when the Republican Party is owned byt the Bush family. Their heads are going to explode.
Great site to view documentaries online….
http://best.online.docus.googlepages.com/
Scarecrow @
87
More like a vulture on the windowsill.
-GSD
Prof @ 68
Of course, I should use her proper name, since the President may be involved:
M-O-N-I-C-A
What crimes? The mind boggles.
Note: h/t Punchy in comment at TPM Muckraker
Extra credit research: Click link for photo of Monica Goodling.
PS. Problem irrelevant, but in all picnic photos she is standing or sitting next to a man one year older than she named Richard Parker, who graduated from the Robertson School of Government, 1998.
Yes, that Robertson. Regent University was first founded by Pat Robertson as Christian Broadcasting Network University.
Prof @ 68
If they all got together to write Abu’s and McNulty’s replies to Congress and they knew they weren’t true, that would be conspiracy.
If she knew of an attempt to mislead Congress by others, and materially benefitted from that knowledge (promised promotion or preferential treatment in the department, etc.), then that could form the basis of a misprision of felony charge.
But, the interesting line is: “because the above-described circumstances present a perilous environment in which to testify….”
That could mean that a question out of the blue from someone on the committee could open up other avenues of questioning about something quite illegal of which we know nothing right now.
Another possibility might be that this is a peremptory feint, and the next move will be an assertion of executive privilege, something the administration won’t do until they’ve tried the obvious first move.
Is Hagel being set up as the ‘good George?’
the ‘George’ ‘we’ always wanted?
The ‘good George’ who will take Iran down ‘effectively?’
or
Is Hagel antiwar with Iran (in ways Hillary, Obama, Edwards are not?)
Steve @ 84
Yeah.
Anybody got an email addy for Regent’s Alumni Association? You’d think somebody should let them know that one of their own is defiling that sparkling clean image of the value of an education at that institution.
Cough. That last sentence was really painful to write.
Is it just me, or do the gods have a strong sense of irony in all this? First the USA thing in general, which reeks of the Saturday Night Massacre, then the 18 day gap, now a latter day Monica? Honestly, if I’d been reading this as a novel, I’d have come close to tossing it away a few times for being derivative and obvious.
Not to mention the fact that Novak as a character is SOOOOOO over the top.
angie @
90
Novak has such a bad memory. Perhaps we should send him the list? How long is it now? last I saw, it was nearly 100 scandals/failures of the Bush Administration, starting with his appointment by the Supreme Court.
I got a thank you for the donation postcard from the Wilsons today by regular mail….I thought that was pretty nice.
RevDeb @
24
I wonder if this isn’t a matter of “payback’s a bitch!” Seems to me Novakula may not think he’s being stroked and preened enough.
greenwarrior @ 78
Yeah, I thought “trifecta” was significant under-counting. Is there such a thing as a dodecahedrafecta?
TeddySanFran @ 102
An incompetent listing of incompetence.
-ck- @ 89
Or, hopefully, either!
Attaturk @
26
Happy birthday! This is the second happy birthday wishes in one day. I believe the other was “Peterboy.”
Mrs. K8 @ 97
It was pretty damned painful to read, too. :)
TEDDYSF!
So good to see you headlining. Congrats! Now to read the post.
The Republican Party is tearing itself to shreds. Look at their standard bearers these days. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villany.
Delay, Limbaugh, Coulter, Inhofe, Rove, Romney, Malkin.
They are unlikeable and they can’t do anything right anymore.
-GSD
Who is the Puppeteer?
Froomkin link
Wonder if Rush Limbo down there in gator land is going to send up a
supply of his illicit feel good painkillers to those Rethugs eatin
each other as the ship goes down. Jake likes the phrase “deliciously
ugly.” He won’t bother to read their entrails. The Gods are
destroying them. The only sane Republican out there Hegal
speaking the cleansing truth word IMPEACHMENT deserves to be
praised.
TSF @ 102: well, if we are counting only Walter Reed, FBI’s misuse of USA Patriot Act, US Attorneys firing fiasco, Katrina, Iraq, Iran, and the Patriot Act, our count comes to seven. That would be a heptafecta. But I like your dodecahedrafecta better, as it leaves us room for five more. May I nominate Plame-gate for the count?
TeddySanFran @ 104
It’s curious that there’s a choice. Bush can’t run again and has possibly damaged the Republican Party of years to come. If you’re a GOP office holder and plan to remain one, throwing in with Bush seems spectacularly wrong
Badwater @ 103
A googolfecta.
Bustednuckles @ 85
bwahahahaha!
TiredFed– methinks they do need Hugh’s evergrowing list. It’s sorta like Pinocchio’s nose, you know? I’d love to see someone put it up on an easel on the House/Senate floor soon.
And do it over and over.
Oh, and happy birthday Attaturk!
Ann in AZ @ 105
What, are you wearing a miniskirt?
Renee in Ohio @ 38
I turned on the radio last night and it was tuned to the station here that airs the Matt Drudge program on Sunday nights. He was playing Katie’s questions in a continuous stream. No Edwards voices, just Katie’s saying some say blah blah blah, some say blah blah blah some say blah blah blah, on and on. It was relentless, and I sat there with my mouth opened wondering how they answered that one or that one or did she even ask any meaty questions. And then I started talking out loud saying WHO said that.
Drudge didn’t make a coment after the long stream and I then turned the station. But it was very weird. And if his point was making the Edwards look bad, it failed.
Phoenix Woman @
29
Ah, someone else is a fan of MST3K!!!!
Blue Dido @ 111
Hugh’s list of scandals reaches almost 100 — shall we call it a centifecta to leave room for those yet unrevealed?
RevDeb @ 62
Interesting to watch them starting to eat their own. We are watching the beginning of Republican Cannibalism.
Ohh, I missed it. When did Boris come out in the daylight?
Completely OT, but I know you are out there, fans.
Paging Balrog to the white courtesy phone, Balrog, to the white phone.
H/T Maru at WTF is it now.
Sorry to blogwhore and go OT. but Maru is very snarky.
http://maruthecrankpot.blogspot.com/
Ann in AZ @ 101
I don’t think so. His fortunes lie with the repugs. The dems won’t give him the time of day. He’s just the messenger doing his job for the mob.
Well, well, well.
Josh has just posted a link to Laura Rozen — and the news that contracts between the sleaze-machine corporation MZM and the federal government have been purged from federal databases.
http://www.warandpiece.com/blogdirs/005883.html
a bad Scentifecta
TeddySanFran @
22
Maybe I’m stating the obvious, but I’ve always suspected the trail through the DukeStir’s previous owners will lead through a secret hallway to White House trysts between Jeff Gannon and the Costume Wearer in Chief. I mean, why does no one ever talk about that boat and its former name and where it came from? It seems just the kind of nasty crap (oh, look! it’s teh gays!) that the rats in the D.C. media like to dish. I wonder if it’s the dog that didn’t bark in this case.
But what I really wanted to say is:
I love the title of this thread.
And if you’re a “democratic” officeholder, positively Liebermanesque. Must be the principles.
emptywheel @ 118
Ohh, I missed it. When did Boris come out in the daylight?
Heh Heh…
DIGENOVA: Listen, anything you can do to avoid a constitutional crisis. The thing that supports Lanny’s position is, here you have the attorney general and Paul McNulty, the deputy, giving inaccurate, incomplete, inconsistent, incomprehensible answers as to why these people were fired. Under those circumstances, the Democrats’ questions are perfectly logical.
Now, there’s also a little Kabuki theater here on the part of the Democrats. They want to pounce. They have subpoena power. And they’re going to take advantage of a situation. But the truth is, when you have the type of incompetent performance by an attorney general, which this administration has had to suffer through over the last month, this is what happens.
This is what happens when you don’t have adults in cabinet positions and when you have a deputy attorney general who makes absolutely inaccurate statements before a congressional committee. I mean this requires oversight. Absolutely, but it doesn’t require a constitutional confrontation.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRA…..le.01.html
TSF @ 102 and 103
Good ones. Still laughing!
montag @ 106
Well, now I feel better. As the Germans like to say, “Geteiltes Leid ist halbes Leid.”
[translation: “Shared suffering is halved suffering.”]
Back in the 1980s I thought Novak was a fairly good, albeit conservative, journalist. He was one of the few DC columnists who left DC and went out in primary states, for example, to knock on doors and talk to citizens. Yeah, he was a big Reagan fan, but he hadn’t gone around the bend toward the Radical Right.
Does anyone else remember this? If so, does anyone remember when/why he turned totally to the dark side?
Cranky
Prof @ 94
Well, now, then, let’s just look at a few other things.
1. Monica graduated from law school 8 years ago, and I suspect that her Christian legal education and orientation toward bringing Christ into government didn’t give her the most lucrative career before she signed on with DOJ.
In other words, I doubt very much that she is financially loaded.
2. Her lawyer, however, is from one of the biggest law firms in the world, known to insiders by its two-word name: Akin Gump. Her lawyer?
John Dowd, a specialist in “White Collar Criminal Defense” according to Akin Gump’s website:
He has been a lawyer for 42 years; he is about 66 years old; he makes a bundle of money for every minute he is on the telephone, talking with his nervous 32-year old client, or working out immunity deals with a Congressional committee.
I wonder who pays his bill.
Or does he do this just as part of his free services, pro bono publico?
Cozumel –
Thanks for being so quick on the draw with the Boris quote.
I was off trying to dig it up for Marcy, and cursing my memory lapse…
TeddySanFran @ 73
Well, there can be no doubt Big Bill Clinton’s Monica looks saintly compared to Bush’s Monica and a lot more fun.
heh
Mrs. K8 @ 131
Former day trader ; ) Gotta be FAST! LOL
jayt @
85
Just heard it on hardball replay right now. Scum sucking pig is da Gonzo.
Ann in AZ @ 157
Yoo was also on PBS NewsHour tonight, but was questioned together with the guy who won the Hamdan S.Ct. case. The latter made Yoo look foolish.
it wouldn’t have occurred to me to wonder who is paying the new Monica’s legal bills.
any pools on whether she’ll wear a blue dress to the hearing?
TeddySanFran @ 103
The Art of War, 101 — when your enemy is cornered, with no hope of escape or survival, they will fight like wild beasts. If you give them a means of escape, they will abandon the field and run for their lives.
In this case, if the GOP has a stark choice: save the Party or save Bush — impeachment becomes the easiest thing in the world.
If there is no hope of saving either, it will be total war for the next two years.
Prof @ 130
Important dots, really. Unlike, say, Cathie Martin (who presumably still has her lawyers sticking around from the Libby trial) her husband doesn’t run the FCC replete with all the under the table goodies he must be getting.
Particularly given their argument–that this is a fifth amendment to avoid perjury trap rather than a fifth amendment to avoid self-incrimination (though Pat Leahy isn’t fooled). That is, they’re not offering her testimony, which would be a relatively short and cheap transaction. At least they aren’t, yet.
Just following the money i.e. who is paying the new Monica’s legal bills should yield some vewy vewy interwesting information.
Sounds like the Monica 5th is a stonewalling tactic only.
Her lawyer argued that putting her on the stand would expose her to the same perjury trap that Scooter Libby experienced. He is co-opting administration talking points. This is basically the same reason Rove and Meirs are using.
This is not good. It will be used by every lawyer now to keep WH and DOJ staff from complying with congressional subpoenas.
For the lawyer types out there. Can the fifth be used to refuse to appear before congress and refuse to answer any questions, or is there a possible contempt of congress if it is used to resist a subpoena?
Of course a parade of aides standing before congress and pleading the fifth dozens of times in front of cameras might finally drive home how corrupt this administration is for joe six pack.
Cozumel @ 133
“Former”?
Did you learn that lesson the hard way?
;-)
Billing rates in D.C. for the heads of litigation reach how high? Someone have a number?
Thus M-O-N-I-C-A is being defended at what cost?
And who is paying for that defense?
Rep. Adam Putnam (Fla.): also known as “The Howdy-Doody-looking nimrod.”
Mrs. K8 @ 140
Yep : ( Strictly mutual funds now ; )
Cranky Observer @
129
Back well before Ray-guns too office, Novakula (and his then partner Rowland Evans) had the column “Evans and Novak.” I believe Tip O’Neill christened them “Errors and No Facts.” Novak has not changed his spots.
Am watching Abu talking to Pete Williams. He’s still using the “underperforming” meme about the fired Us attorneys. Boy, are they going to be p*ssed!
He’s using a lot of “do not recalls”, “as far as I know”. He’s learned his lessons well at BushCo but this interview is not going to improve his position with the Congress critters. He’s using the “trust me” defense and there’s “nothing in the documents”. Also, “I’ll fire people” — yeh, just like GWB did with the Plame leak.
He sounds dumb as a box of rocks. What a tool.
Although Novak changed his faith, having converted from Judaism to Catholicism in 1998. I read somewhere that he is an Opus Dei member, very odd for a convert.
weird logic at play:
i refuse to potentially incriminate myself in a criminal matter.
and by pleading the 5th i will not incriminate anyone else.
therefore no crime?
Gonzales: “Our public corruption record has been tremendous.”
The man is insane.
iirc Rowland Evans was batshit insane and Novak was the more reasonable one. Wretched column though, sort like reading William F. Buckley without the thesaurus.
-ck- @137
“The Art of War, 101 — when your enemy is cornered, with no hope of escape or survival, they fight like wild beasts. If you give them a means of escape, they will abandon the field and run for their lives.
In this case, if the GOP has a stark choice: save the Party or save Bush — impeachment becomes the easiest thing in the world.
If there is no hope of saving either, it will be total war for the next two years.”
I’ve said this before here, but I think it bears repeating, especially with British sailors in Iranian hands: In my mind, the two most important things to consider right now are to roll back two provisions of the “Patriot” Act. That Bush can declare martial law and that he can declare anyone an enemy combatant. I think we’re perilously close to attacking Iran. And I think we get closer and closer the more we zero in on the administration’s criminality. Some kind of very shiny object. It doesn’t seem far to go from attacking Iran, to us being attacked (or being mock-up attacked), to martial law. With no habeas corpus, martial law would look particularly ugly. I’ve contacted my rep in Congress about this. I would be thrilled to see these two provisions rolled back before they’re used on us.
Alice Fisher!
Alice Fisher!
Alice Fisher!
She who heads the DoJ Criminal Division; she who knows and hobnobs with all the criminals. Where is her name in this?
LindaR @ 147
well to be fair their record of public corruption has been tremendous. :-][-:
AZ Matt @
52
I can’t wait to find out (from Howie Klein?)who will be running against Issa. I will have a new mission in life.
1,466 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND..
Citizen Cranky Observer:
“…does anyone know when/why he turned totally to the dark side?”
Novakula has been on the dark side since before there was light…he came outta the krypt with his buddy Evans in the 1950’s. He’s been a true American Nazi for a LONG time.
KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, THESE FOLKS HAVE BEEN AROUND SINCE JESUS WAS A PFC!!!
Mabel’s Wig Shack @ 136
Blue dress would be too much to hope for.
OT
The repeal of the Specter amendment to the Patriot Act is passing in the House with a veto-proof majority.
TSF @ 118: just back from dog-walk. Why think small (or few, to be grammatically precise)? Let’s go for broke and say millifecta, in Latin. Or in Greek, the vague and general: myrifecta (=enormous, unspecified number, as in myriads).
They just announced that John Yoo is going to be a participant in a discussion of Gonzo and Monica Goodling on Hardball.
What is wrong with this statement from Gonzo on his NBC interview [paraphrasing]:
“I know the reasons the attorney’s were fired. But, if I find out there was some other reasons put forth by others for them to be fired, I will take swift and decisive action.”
Hmmm.. I know, but I don’t know if the real reason was that. The real reason may be something else, put forth by someone else. So, my scapegoat is going to be _______________ Ooops! She just pleaded the 5th… Next, my scapegoat will be _______________ And on, and on…
Gonzo: [Paraphrasing] “My credibility has been questioned. I came with nothing but my credibility, and I will leave with this credibility.”
How could someone actually look forward to life with credibility after working for Our Naked Emperor for 10 years or more?
Ann in AZ @ 156
The centrifuge is warming up.
That didn’t take long.
Ann in AZ @ 158
He wasn’t on the earlier broadcast. They just shoehorned him in. Gonna be sick again. This guy is a war criminal.
Puesto @ 159
Methinks he doth protest too much!
Yoo is asked to comment on Monica’s use of 5th Amendment. “You can’t blame her! She saw what happened to Libby when just one misplaced word can get you convicted of perjury in a federal court.”
LindaR @ 149
He makes it worth my while to get up in the morning.
Ann in AZ @ 161
How marvelously *cough* non- *cough* partisan.
Yoo sez it’s okay for the WH to advise DoJ of complaints about USAs. Sez what happens then, at DoJ, that’s important.
Keeping Rover outta the fire.
The press release from John M. Dowd of Akin Gump law firm, attorney for little miss M-O-N-I-C-A explained that even the innocent need a lawyer, and may need to plead the Fifth Amendment becuase of the unfair political agendas that some Senators may have.
Furthermore, he observed:
(Oops, just lost the link to the Akin Gump document, which is open as a PDF file on my computer.)
Indeed. Look how Lewis Libby became ensnared by his most truthful and accurate testimony.
TeddySanFran @ 147
It was around that time that he started being a obvious right wing wacko. Jew to RC is an odd switch in religion.
Uh oh – here we go:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/n…..E_ID=54861
Embattled AG now accused in sex scandal ‘cover-up’
Attorney General Gonzales among officials who allegedly ignored abuse of minor boys
What is it with these people and young boys?? And with NOT prosecuting pedophiles????
I mean, is it the power thing? Or just their cruel sadistic nature that insists they NEED to HURT people?
Gonzales (and a few other people) need to do TIME over this one.
Ann in AZ @ 163
no he din’t!
“just one misplaced word”???
^&%$#
Oh, that distasteful and uncivil Libby circumstance!! Smelling salts, please.
Robert Raben is doing well in critically thinking Gonzo’s interview…says after that interview he thinks someone should tell him just to quit talking for awhile. Then he went on to say so now this is his fourth story. Either he’s unaware and incompetent, or… Too bad I’m not a good enough typist to have caught the rest.
greenwarior made a very important point earlier in thread.
Congesss must strip Bush of his authority of declare Martial Law
and declare American citizens enemy combatants ASAP. We the People of this country need to be protected from the harm this
President can further inflict upon us.
Steve @ 167
I read somewhere — Blumenthal?? — that it was a well-attended sumptuous ceremony, attended by DC RC elite.
Ann in AZ @ 163
I actually threw my shoe at the TV when he said that.
Yoo pushing immigration as the reason for dismissal.
Tweety shooting him down, then letting him off.
Umm, not only does Howie Klein have a new thread, he’s giving away money…
Rex Babin cartoon about serving at the pleasure of the President: Such Pleasure!
Yoo just used the immigration excuse. He clearly hasn’t seen the email where Cathy Martin suggested the immigration excuse before the fact.
Never forget. YOO LIKES TORTURE, GAVE BUSH THE RATIONALE TO MAKE IT “LEGAL.”
angie @ 170
I always wondered whether Yoo was just some guy with extreme, rightwing bizarro legal interpretations, or someone who was intellectually dishonest. Now I think the answer is both.
Steve @ 167
I would think, if he’s a member of Opus Dei, that that would account for the wacko-ishness.
Great snark re the Politico on Think Progress.
Mabel’s Wig Shack @ 153
Went away for a minute, came back to shoot my precious latte through my nose. . . .
1,466 dayz and the killin’ goez on and on and..
Citizens RevDeb and Ann in AZ:
“…John Yoo is going to be a participant in a discussion of Gonzo on Hardball.”
Holy shit, they really are gunna take this to the wall…we gotta get Congress ta initiate impeachment inquiries right away for Abu, Darth Cheney and the Chimpenfeurer. It’s my understanding that with impeachment begun the executive is emasculated in ability to initiate many executive actions (like nominating successors etc).
They have decided to take their stand on Attorneygate out of fear of the rest a the shit comin’ right behind it…OK, in the words of our developmentally delayed leader, “Bring it on!”
KEEP THE FAITH AND HANG ON, THIS THING IS GOIN TA WARP SPEED!!
Mabel’s Wig Shack @ 139
I read elsewhere today that, if Monica is a federal employee, she is prohibited from accepting “gifts” of legal services.
Someone just posted this on TPMuckraker:
I’m not sure about the proposition, but it brings up a very interesting question…. If this $800 and hour lawyer has already run up hours, how about this gift rule? Anyone know about it?
I didn’t watch much of the Clinton/Monica stuff. It was just cheap political theatre to me, so I have no experience in this “Gift rule” posit.
Anyone?
I agree Scarecrow– it’s mind boggling that these so-called lawyers pretend to not get perjury/obstruction/the whole enchilada.
It is both, from the top down and the bottom up of this sick administration and enabling members of Congress.
Someone said today that Bushco was trying to influence the 2008 elections. Makes me wonder, after Rove and Bushs surprise at losing in 2006,if they had positioned the attorneys to throw the 2006 elections and the attorneys just didnt do it.
Marcy’s on the Swift Boating of Abu.
She’s fast and good!
Prof @ 142
All good questions. $900-1000/billable hour wouldn’t surprise me.
Is she related to the former Congressman from PA? She’s definitely not his daughter (doesn’t show up in his bio), but a niece, maybe. That might be a source of money. Maybe Comstock’s got a little spare cash over and above what’s needed for Scooter’s appeal?
Mel Sembler? (Will he end up bailing out the whole administration?)
The RNC paid a lot of Tobin’s legal fees. Maybe they’re footing some of the bill.
Mabel’s Wig Shack @ 153
LindaR @ 147
Gonzales: “Our public corruption record has been tremendous.”
The man is insane.
well to be fair their record of public corruption has been tremendous. :-][-:
All I could think of is the 298 Democrats investigated as opposed to the something like 67 Repugs and 30 or so Independents. Either the Democratic party is much more corrupt according to these figures, or there is something rotten in Denmark according to that recent study of the Justice Dept. recently.
Are you kidding me? What a choice of words. Sounds like a line from “Silence of the Pedophile Lambs.” S”tick around for the children.”
Hmmm…
Torture Yoo, torturer of law, implied that Monica Goodling was invoking the 5th to prevent herself from committing perjury before Congress, which sounds like a bit of a stretch to me. But that seems to be Dowd’s intention: listing all the convicted GOPerjurers doesn’t help your client’s case.
Will Christy be chiming in on this one? Does the 5th really give you the right to avoid lying under oath?
Ann in AZ said
When Martha Stewart was prosecuted, my friends thought I was loopy when I said if she had donated to Republicans instead of Democrats a case would never have been brought.
Watching Chris Matthews, he’s being a total jerk to Tom Vilsack’s very sweet wife.
Oh, I get it..
She is protecting herself, because if she tells the truth it will really be a lie, which is perjury… This is typical Rove-speak..
Hmmm…
pseudonymous in nc @ 194
Quote from above:
“The latter made Yoo look foolish.”
Then John Yoo will most likely be picked as next AG, don’t you think? He seems to have what it takes.
To KestrelBrighteyes: this is in the last thread, beware of what you read, as I found out.
“Incompetence” is being used as a very big smokescreen to draw our attention away from a systematic effort to erode our democracy by:
– politicizing the justice department and other government with authoritarian party hacks
– neutralizing our army in a draining lost cause
– building a private army of zealots. (Blackwater)
– stacking the judiciary with authoritarian zealots.
– allowing 9/11 to happen – even though it is the authoritarians who have most benefited from the terror created by this event
– pumping funds to support the destabilizing of the middle east using off the books funding (Iraq money dump)
- Severely eroding our rights via the patriot act and other executive action creep
etc. etc. etc
It is a slow and gradual strategy that works against the interest of most US citizens similar to the boiled frog parable. When part of the strategy is revealed, they cry “incompetence” while hoping we don not see the big long term picture. These are not isolated events. They are all part of a ruthless strategy.
Puesto @ 187
What about Libby? His defence was a gift.
If she is on leave does that allow a gift, or does she have to resign first?
yo, Teddy! a shout-out from the East Bay…
Pectopah @ 200
Libby resigned when he was indicted. Therefore, he was no longer a government employee.
If she’s on indefinite leave, she’s still a government employee.
Just saw on Countdown that the Monica attorney explained her taking the Fifth by writing that “even if she spoke the truth she could still face charges.”
Well, yeah…..
Not perjury charges, maybe, but charges.
*xyz @ 36
Leahy is becoming my new hero.
If he keeps going on this roll, I’d like to see him in a cabinet position in the new Democratic administration.
montag @ 202
I give her 48 more hours, tops. She’s still part of the DOJ right now, and her taking the fifth stinks to high heaven. They need to toss her overboard as soon as possible. I don’t think anyone had any idea she was going to plead the fifth. If they’d have known, they’d have gotten rid of her by now.
This entire “won’t testify to avoid perjury” business gets weirder and weirder the more I think about it.
What’s the logic of it? Testifying truthfully is the means to avoid any taint of perjury. What conditions would prevent her from testifying truthfully? Security matters? No. All she would have to say if that circumstance arose would be to say the matter was classified and she could not talk about it. If it were indeed a secure matter, she would be answering truthfully.
As looseheadprop (I think, or maybe Marcy) said, there are several conditions to the charge of perjury. All of them have to be met. The false statement has to be intentional, it has to be material to the matter at hand, etc.
So, what circumstance or set of circumstances would require her to lie? There are some reasonable circumstances where invoking the 5th makes good sense–where limited or insufficient questioning would give an erroneous impression of criminal involvement, or that the recounting of a series of events would logically lead to a finding of a high probability of guilt when no guilt was actual–being very near to the scene of a crime, but not a participant in the crime, for example.
She’s likely being called to describe the circumstances of the preparation of Gonzales’ and McNulty’s statements before Congress. Might she have guilty knowledge of a crime, without participating in it herself? Seems her lawyer ought to be able to find a way to make her case through testimony.
But, the WH is saying today that she doesn’t believe she’ll get a fair hearing, because the committee has already come to an incorrect conclusion about the matter. If that conclusion is indeed incorrect, it would seem that her truthful testimony would be an opportunity to correct the record.
*sniff* *sniff* What’s that smell?
[On edit, I would add it would, however, make perfect sense for her to invoke her 5th amendment rights if the questioning would lead to a presumption of guilt on charges other than perjury.]
RevDeb @ 24
I agree. The “idiot” theme, and the “incompetent” theme is just a joke. They are crooks. It just so happens they are idiotic, unamerican, incompetent CROOKS.
I don’t hate the guy. I just don’t see why his absurdly inside-baseball columns should be published on the op-ed page of the Washington Post.
They’d make for a decent right-wing blog, though.
LindaR @
149
Well, that’s true: as “public officials,” they are tremendously corrupt.
Fineline @ 77:
Pull for Waxman. This is not about incompetence, THAT was Katrina.
- Agreed. That was Katrina, and even some of those contracts were likely criminal (or hopefully new laws such as the cap on no-bid will help).
The Republican Party = the party of better Mis-Management.
Of course, in the minds of people like Dick Cheney, what they have accomplished in six years in the White House has been a roaring success, with the “culture of corruption and deceit” Republicans having “managed” to divert billions of dollars of taxpayer money into the bank accounts of their Republican crony pals, whether in the defense industry, right-wing religious organizations or their own pockets.
A roaring success…in their warped and twisted way of thinking. A disaster for our democracy, but a roaring success for those out to destroy our great nation’s fiscal health and constitutional principles. Hell, it almost makes a person nostalgic for the “good ol’ days” of the Nixon administration. Compared to the “culture of corruption and greed” Republicans in the White House today, Richard Nixon actually had some principles about him, and some honorable Republicans serving beside him. But, alas, the racists, the homophobes, the religious fanatics and the corporate greed-meisters took over the Republican Party and corrupted it to its core.
Hat Novak? Yes, for good reason:
Those aren’t jowls, they’re the creases bush’s balls have left on his face….
RevDeb @
62
Interesting to watch them starting to eat their own. We are watching the beginning of Republican Cannibalism.
Lily Tomlin once said that even if you win the rat-race you’re still a rat. In this case, even if you’re a rat leaving a sinking ship, you’re still a Republican.
Ann in AZ @
163
I know it’s garbage, but still…shiny object mental candy…just what ‘word’ does he have in mind? Ah fugeddaboutit. Why should I care what any of those war criminals and their apologist journalist friends have to say.
Novak wants everyone to think it’s just plain old incompetence. Note his phrase “the president’s unquestioned right to appoint — and replace — federal prosecutors.” It’s just more of the same old excuse making in order to hide the real crime behind the incompetence.”
RevDeb @
62
I have been waiting six years for the GOP to start eating its own. I am going to enjoy the last two years of BushCo.
NOVAKULA!
*xyz @ 13
Absolutely…when cornered these guys routinely fall back on ineptitude meme but this, as Josh Marshall has so eloquently pointed out, is about deliberate political interference with the justice system. This is about a c word: Criminal activity.
When Attorney General Alberto Gonzales spoke to NBC News’ Pete Williams in an interview on Monday about the controversy surrounding the firings of U.S. attorneys, his brain leaked. He tried, but blew it. Huge. On the kind side, he has always been in over his head. Like Brownie with Katrina (and now Griffin and Arkansas), Gonzales is a loyal conservative and old friend rewarded with a cool job. And in his interview with Williams, like Brownie, he was clueless. Unprepared. And like Brownie, he should have resigned in the first few days, let someone else clean up the mess, and faded into the sunset and shadows.
He’s closer to Bush than Brownie, saved Georgies ass once, and mistakenly thinks Bush still owes him one. I guess he hasn’t realized getting the Attorney General gig was the pay-back and he “ain’t got” anymore IOU’s. I’d love to be a fly on the wall the day GW tells him.
But it is what it is, was what it was, and he found himself all miked up for the interview (damn those lights are hot!) and, channeling King George to the best of his psychic abilities, he stumbled myopically forward, clueless of what the darkness held, and managed to not only hit but face-plant into every obstacle in his path.
Excerpted from the transcript:
———begin transcript
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales: “Our record in public corruption at the department is extremely strong. And I think if you look at the record, you’ll see that whether or not you’re a governor, whether or not you’re a member of Congress, whether or not you’re a deputy secretary at a — a Cabinet agency, whether or not you’re a local official, whether or not you’re Republican, whether or not you’re Democrat, we have an obligation.”
—–end excerpt of transcript…. Blah, blah… restart transcript—–
“If I find out that, in fact, any of these decisions were motivated, the recommendations to me were motivated for improper reasons to interfere with the public corruption case, there will be swift and — there will be swift and decisive action. I can assure you that.”
Williams: Meaning people would be fired?
Gonzales: Absolutely.
—–end of transcript
Does he realize it’ll be him? He just told mom “I didn’t keep the stray kitten and it’s definitely not in the clothes hamper in my closet!”
I’d love to be a fly on that wall.
“we always have claimed we are the party of better management.”
How true.
They managed, under Reagan, to run up more debt than all the presidents before him.
How could they top that?
By having Bush run up more debt that all the presidents before him.
Now, since that includes Reagan, think how scary that is.
Enough with the memes.
EVERYTIME you hear that tired old refrain about how the Republicans are the better “National Security party”, state Walter Reed, Bullet proof vests and HUMVEE armor.
Everytime you hear them call themselves the party of fiscal management, state you need to excuse yourself, you are about to wet your pants in abject laughter.
We have the opportunity to reduce this criminal organization called the Republican Party to the fate of the Communist Party in the old USSR: A 100 or so old farts marching around outside the White House, moaning about “the good ol’ days.”
Let’s see to it, shall we?
But, at the very same time, ask yourself if YOUR Senator, YOUR Congressman or woman, are joining in the beating of the war drums against Iran.
If so, wake TF up.