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.

What explains the failure of the mainstream media to cover the purge scandal for so long, and so many other scandals? Do you think somebody just set up newspaper editors to cheat on their wives, and threatened to tell if the editors wouldn’t play ball when they come back some day and ask for something?

It wouldn’t be that hard to do, when you think about it. People wouldn’t talk about it.

Go back to Newt’s contract on America, and research the purchase of big newspapers and other media outlets then, and back a bit further just after Clinto beat Bush Sr.

These editors and publishers aren’t being threatened, THEY ARE THE ONES WHOMAKE THE THREATS!!!

Best example, right off the top, Tony Blankley and Sun M’Yung Moon.

We watched it happed right here in Kansas, a fairly balanced but slightly liberal newspaper editor in a nearby small prairie city (50,000 people) was replaced by a very conservative editor, despite the fact the writers and reporters were quite fair and balanced,in the real sense of the cliche’.

This was a well-orchestrated plan to take control of the media, and Clinton’s impeachment debacle was the first fruits of this industry-wide buy-out. If not for the blogs, and a few hardy, heartfelt souls like Molly Ivins, I can not imagine where we would be today…

As someone noted, George Will’s quote will come as a surprise to anyone who read his stuff circa 92-2000. Not that a double stadards are anything new to Will, but it would be fun to dig out some of his vicious stuff on Clinton and line it up against that quote.

Garrison Keilor coined the phrase, “The Republicans made their peace with hypocrisy long ago!”

Alas, just another diversion from the real issue.

People are dying, Democrats keep grandstanding while cutting Bush a big fat check to continue the war, and you all keep blahblahblahBLAH-ging about pointless things.

You give Rove way too much credit. He’s a nobody. Stop making him a somebody.

Sorry, but Rove’s was involved in the very foundation of the cabal that led us to war. If he’s guilty of anything else, it is that his political machinations guaranteed we would “elect” warmongers.

But I suspect his culpability goes much deeper than that. Until he is forced to testify under oath, I can only speculate.

The future will find their Grand Old Party sporting a sad and eduring footnote of shame, that historians will study then much like those today study The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Super-power, indeed!

People are dying, Democrats keep grandstanding while cutting Bush a big fat check to continue the war, and you all keep blahblahblahBLAH-ging about pointless things.

You give Rove way too much credit. He’s a nobody. Stop making him a somebody.

If Bush is so concerned about wasted time someone should point out that can be avoided by his co-operating with the Congress. Prompt and complete supplying requested information and speedy testifying by White House flunkies will lessen time wasted.

It wouldn’t be that hard to do, when you think about it. People wouldn’t talk about it.