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(Photo via MSNBC by Freddie Lee of AP.)
If Bob Novak were any further up Fred Thompson's ass, Thompson would be tasting the Brylcreem. That's right — Fred came a courtin', and Republicans all over the country are salivating at the prospect of a candidate with name recognition that people don't immediately loathe on sight because he once had a speaking part in a Tom Clancy movie and now he plays a lawyer on teevee. (Ooooooooh! Sort of makes you giddy, doesn't it. Especially if, say, Romney's poll numbers are giving you the vapors.)
Rumor has it that Thompson has been gadding about the Beltway, pressing the flesh and eating lots of expensive cocktail weenies at the Mayflower Hotel. (Which does, I must say, have a lovely restaurant for a power breakfast.) And he's already hired Mark Corallo to start dropping quotes for him in the papers (Payback for putting Thompson's name on the "raise funds for Scooter" potluck bonanza? One does wonder…) — nothing like creating the buzz before you officially decide you need one. Yes, Thompson and Novak want you to think that Republicans are kicking their heels with glee at the prospect.
Well, some Republicans. I did a little tour through the wingnut blogosphere so you didn't have to, and the Ace of Spades implies that Thompson is a Hooters fanboy, if you know what I mean. (Sure, Ace is a bit on the rude side in talking about Thompson's current wife –#2 if you are keeping score — so be forewarned if you click thru. Any remaining questions? I'm sure Margaret Carlson could fill you in, if she were so inclined.)
Whatever you do, do NOT miss this photo of Fred Thompson. Classic. (Albeit, too much gel bronzer used for contouring those craggy cheeks.) But my favorite vignette about Fred Thompson has to come from this old Achenbach column, wherein the former Senator is called "a lead actor in search of a plot." I'd say that just about sums it up.
MSNBC has a bit of a rundown of some of Thompson's professed issue positions. The NYTimes reported earlier on a study of Thompson's voting record, put together in detail by Congressional Quarterly. A whole lot of information to take in there, let me tell you. But since he has yet to perform the requisite Republican candidate genuflect before James Dobson and Jerry Falwell, no word if these are set in stone — or if there are stone tablets to follow.
All this "Thompson may run for President" speculation has to be a bit depressing for the Thompson already in the race. Geesh, those Republicans, sure know how to pick 'em, don't they?
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S U N L I G H T !!!
someone called him southern fried Raygun…
funniest first sentence EVER!!!!
But wait a minute… what about all this conservative venom about those “liberal Hollywood values”? Isn’t Thompson “out of the mainstream American values”?. Oh, that’s right… I forgot. Hypocrisy is best served daily and repeatedly with the Republicans.
Wow. The Republicans A-team consists entirely of bench warmers. And didn’t you love McCain’s “Dukakis moment?”
landofthefree @ 3
right up there, uh, ahem…
Could this push Martin Sheen into the race?
Shorter chimpy: “Rich oil men who own war companies, making war in oil countries!!!……Any questions?”
OT interesting comment by Josh Marshall regarding Bush (I was inspired to post this gem of a comment while listening to Bush’s rhetoric get a little louder during his press conference):
a little more here.
Sittin’ in the church office reading the opening line . . . you should have posted a spew alert!
If it weren’t for this community and a few others on line, my sense of humor would have been drowned in despair over what has become of the country.
HMMMMMMM how to work the chimperor pharaoh into the seder tonight . . . will have to work on that one.
Reminds me of how I felt about Reagan’s candidacy – “you’ve got to be kidding, who would ever vote for a bad actor, fascist governor?”
Ed*ard Teller @ 6
/rimshot from snare drum
well played, Ed*ard!
For whatever it is worth, the WPost has parked one of the Presidential race reporters, Michael Shearer, in Nashville.
When you read this, can’t you just imagine a little bird popping out of a door in Freddie’s forehead to tell you what time it is?
Peterr @
7
LOL
a remarkable lack of softballs from the press, followed by a not so remarkable lack of candor in W’s answers.
I’m not a big Fred Thompson fan, but I have to admit that I kind of like the no-nonsense style of New York District Attorney Arthur Branch. Can Thompson run for President as his TV character?
Chimp: “Setting a timetable sends mixed signals.” Uh, no, it says were getting the hell out.
Frank Probst @ 17
Reagan did, yee haw!
I heard Fred on the Tea V a couple of weeks ago. He scares me. He scares me because I can see him being elected by my fellow Americoned.
John Rudy Newt is toast, leaving…Fred? He has a certain presence that is going to connect with the same morons that gave us Ronnie.
As close as Josh has come to live blogging:
The president just refused to answer the question of what role Bush ‘loyalty’ should play in hiring and firing US Attorneys. He didn’t allow follow up. No answer.
Great opening line, truly one of the best ever.
realworld @ 18
“Mixed signals” must mean “Bush screwed up, but he’s too stupid to realize it and too narcissistic to acknowledge it.”
Bush’s policy: Let’s send our underequipped, undertrained and overworked soldiers to fight them over there, so we can leave our borders unprotected and our treasury bankrupt over here.
Whoa – “you’ll find us working together…” What’s the sound of a vacuum-based bubble rapidly growing? I’m listening, not watching – Is there a visible sign from the press of their going along with his wan attempts at jokes?
OOO – LI Times to Bush: How will they follow us home from Iraq? What does that say about the people charged with protecting us here?
Bush: Homeland Security is working hard. It’s HARD to protect the country. I applaud those who are protecting us.
Bush is rambling about how the only way to protect America is to prevent terrorists like the 9/11 terrorists any safe haven.
I wish someone would ask the followup question: “does that mean your policy is to invade any country that might have the potential of housing any terrorists?”
And this question, “what about Afghanistan?”
RevDeb @ 10
Hmmm . . .
“And there came a President who knew not Washington, Jefferson, or Lincoln . . .”
Helen @ 26
Woot! High time for a question like that!
Shorter Bush: (gibbers unintelligibly, drools on tie)
The CIVILIZED WORLD!
Peterr @
7
Don’t toy with me Peterr.
One of the big negatives to Thompson running is that cable TV won’t be able to run any of the “Law & Order” reruns that he was in. (Equal time and all that.) That’s going to have a significant impact on my daily life. I’m going to have to spend more time watching substandard “CSI” reruns. Won’t anyone think of the people?
Frank Probst @ 33
Doesn’t bother me. I’ve seen every L&O at least 3 times. My loyalties have already switched to CSI.
NPR’s Neil Sheehan recounting the press conference like he’s going to use the report as part of his resume for appplying for work with the GOP.
Yes, I loved chip’s contrast of the Mideast and the civilized world. I’m sure that will play well over there.
eCAHNomics @ 34
Nooooooo! The only one of those that I can watch on a regular basis is the so-bad-it’s-good “CSI: Miami”. Sample dialogue:
Anorexic blond with fake boobs, to lip-gloss-wearing medical examiner: “Are you going to test his D-N…[looks at cue card]…A?”
Hey. Don’t step on my guilty pleasures & I won’t step on yours.
Josh Marshall has a brilliant response to Bush’s latest news conference.
I agree with Josh and it is my fervent hope that our Democratic leadership picks up on his recommendation. Here it is:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c…..013415.php
“The Democrats need a more frontal response to the lies the president is now telling about Iraq funding. The president, of course, wants to force this into a discussing about funding for soldiers — readiness, health care, armaments, etc. That’s funny given the president’s atrocious record on these issues. But whatever. He’s a liar. What’s new? But here’s the key. The public overwhelmingly supports a timeline for leaving Iraq. Overwhelmingly. Every poll shows this. For the first time the Congress has passed a law to do just that — to put a time limit on our presence in Iraq. So the Democrats are on the side of a timeline for withdrawal (very popular) and the president is for staying in Iraq forever (not popular). And the president says he’s going to veto that bill. The president is vetoing the Iraq timeline bill. Why? Because he supports staying there forever. Public wants a timeline. Democrats pass the law. President vetoes the law. Any Democrat is a fool who doesn’t start every comment on this story with, “The president is vetoing the bill to set a timeline to get out of Iraq.” They have to say it over and over and over. It’s accurate. It cuts politically. And to overcome the president’s ability to spread lies about this it has to be said over and over and over. So who’s going to say this more clearly?”
Frank Probst, I don’t want his DA character, I want that Navy commander from Hunt for Red October:
“This shit will get out of hand. It will get out of hand and people will die.”
If thats the best the Goopers have to offer we should take the Whitehouse in a cake walk.
You just have to love the cynicism of the GOP – how many times (going back to Warren Harding, for Chrissakes!) have they cast the role of President and wooried about the particulars later: Reagan, Chimpy, now Thompson and, to some degree, Romney…
leinie @ 40
Maybe we can have all of his characters have a debate.
Listening to bushie pressers is like watching a spoiled rotten kid whine repeatedly to parents why he should get his way. The badgering brat keeps at it & at it until the parents cave in & everyone else present want to smack both the kid & the parents.
Frank at 43 — Mwahahahahaha! Good one!
Indeed, that first line was a doozy! Thanks for the laff!!
Frank @ 43: I’d reply, but I’m too busy cleaning the coffee of the desk.
Nicely done.
Bustednuckles @ 41
No kiddin’ Their candidates s*ck! Unless Chuck Hagel enters the race, they are screwed. They can push this war all they want but that 30% ain’t gonna get these pro-war Repubes elected.
Fascist wing of the supreme court falls one vote short:
“If the decision sowed widespread claims of victory, it left behind a prominent loser: Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who argued vigorously in a dissenting opinion that the court never should have reached the merits of the case or addressed the question of the agency’s legal obligations.
His dissent, which Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. also signed, focused solely on the issue of legal standing to sue: whether the broad coalition of states, cities and environmental groups that brought the lawsuit against the environmental agency four years ago should have been accepted as plaintiffs in the first place.
This was the issue on which the coalition’s lawsuit had appeared most vulnerable, given that in recent years the Supreme Court has steadily raised the barrier to standing, especially in environmental cases. Justice Scalia has long been a leader in that effort, and Chief Justice Roberts made clear that, as his statements and actions in his pre-judicial career indicated, he is fully aboard Justice Scalia’s project.”
Was there NPR report this morning about how W already has a plan to get around yesterday’s SCOTUS rulings?
landofthefree at 3 and everyone else — glad you enjoyed the snark. *g*
Bustednuckles @ 41
That’s what CA Gov. Pat Brown thought, in 1966, about his Republican opponent, actor Ronald Reagan. As long as the Republican Party has a pulse, we can never rest.
Bustednuckles @ 41
A phrase maybe best not repeated.
OH. MY. F*CKING. GOD.
They are talking about the Libby trial and Valerie Plame’s outing on The View.
Local news item: USA in So NY prosecutions have dropped 32% in last year, concentrated in narcotics & organized crimes. First I’ve heard anything about USA in NYC. Description doesn’t sound like it’s connected to other USA scandals, but I don’t know anything about how to research this.
Peterr @
7
Only if he comes with the old West Wing script writer…..
Slightly OT – I’d forgotten about the Viet Nam war tax until I read this editorial by a political science prof from Univ of MI.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs…..68/OPINION
Imagine – making everyone pay for the war right now. What a concept.
Rayne at 54 — Oh lordy. With whom?
Dee @ 57
Imagine FUNDING the war as part of the regular budget. First things first.
Rayne @ 54
Is it Rosie vs. Hasselbeck?
Roberts has indicated he wants decisions based on narrow grounds.
That would seem to apply here. “What, all these entities joining together to correct policy? Nothing to see here.”
Barbara Walters expounding on journalists’ access and confidentiality of sources…
Bimbo blondie pushing right-wing talking point that Plame wasn’t covert.
I want to reach out and SLAP that stupid over-peroxided b*tch.
EvilDrPuma @ 30
And how about if we’d spent those billions and billions of dollars protecting the US of A on our own soil instead of funding the invasion and occupation of a country that had never attacked us? How much safer would we be today? Can you run the numbers on that, Mr. President? Do you think perhaps you wouldn’t be so absolutely certain in saying “they’re gonna hit us agin!” and drooling at the same time.
Great opener. I date myself by pointing out that it’s Brylcreem, not Brill cream. Here’s the jingle:
Bryyylllcreeeeem,
A little dab’ll do ya.
Bryyylllcreeeeem,
You’ll look so debonair.
Bryyylllcreeeeem,
The gals’ll all pursue ya,
They love to get their fingers in your hair.
I was a Vitalis man myself, but they didn’t have a jingle. Aren’t you glad?
OH. MY.
The bleach blonde is whining about “we have to rely on our justice system…”
Yah. RIGHT.
hee, hee, hee…
Is it just me, or is even the White Houe press figuring out Shrub has lost it?
off to clinic – back soon….
A voting day up here in Alaska today. Gotta leave for work and to vote NO on this:
Same-sex benefits advisory vote. This question asks whether the Legislature should propose a constitutional amendment to ban health insurance benefits for same-sex partners of public employees.
VOTE YES if you think same-sex health benefits should be banned.
VOTE NO if you think same-sex health benefits should remain available for state employees.
Go, Freddo!! Like the rest of the GOP pack of James Dobson nightmares, you’re doomed, doomed, doomed to fail. Mreanwhile I hope you like the taste of brylecreem.
Geez, at least Reagan had “King’s Row” to his credit. What’s Fred got, “Aces: Iron Eagle III”?
Ed*ard Teller @ 35
*sigh* – why I finally had to succumb to XM Radio, monopoly that they are.
eCAHNomics @ 59
BTW, that FY ended with a Federal budget SURPLUS (!!!), LBJ’s only one.
Pfew…that’s over. I damned near got a brick to take out the television.
Christy, it was just the 4 principals on the panel.
We should send each of them a copy of Marcy’s book by FedEx.
Rosie did get applause whenever she made a point about Cheney and Libby. Not certain why Hasselback is on except to be a f*cking useless zampolit or minder on the show.
Easterpig @ 64
Wonder why slick hair was ever a turn-on for chicks? I never got that, but of course, I was a child of the 70’s.
Frank Probst @
33
Uh, Reagan trashed the fairness doctrine,like, 20 years ago…
Rayne @ 54
Rayne, I admit I am hunting you down
My friend will look into the Chinese website. Incidentally, this pet food problem is not limited to the U.S. and Canada. Pet food was recalled in HongKong due to contamination recently. Pet owners were also notified in Taiwan of contaminated pet food. One of the contaminated brands distributed in Taiwan was Hill’s. Another brand from Thailand was recalled and killed a lot of cats and dogs a couple of years ago. My friend has now switched to a brand of pet food that comes from Australia.
Yes, and last federal budget surplus before Clinton, IIRC.
eCAHNomics @ 55
eCAHN—
THIS IS ALL THE SAME STUFF. Please do investigate. We talk about the U.S. Attorneys stuff pretty much every morning here so come back often and tell us what you and your friends are finding about S. NY.
Good luck!
Easterpig — Thanks much — fixed the spelling.
@ 69..What has happened to NPR is sad. It’s down to Dianne, Fresh Air and Cartalk. The Gooper hack may be gone but his legacy lives.
Rayne @ 65
Giving twinkies a platform on which to express “opinions” is always a bad idea…
Why are actors always ordered to STAY OUT of politics? Unless, of course, they are Republicans. From Reagan to Gopher to Schwarzenegger …. I can go on forever. And of all the actors who were/are in politics, only a handful are ever Democrats … and that was some time ago.
More hypocrisy from the GOP.
Rayne @ 54
Valerie Plame’s outing
Quick quiz: name the 3 most significant pieces of legislation associated with Fred Thompson’s name while he was 8 years (1994-2002) in the US-Senate. OK, maybe that’s too hard. Just name one single significant piece of legislation. Don’t bother to look in Wikipedia. Thompson’s most notable role in the Senate was to indulge in Manchurian Candidate fantasies that China was attempting to influence the 1996 elections, i.e. Thompson was an early convert to the anti-Clinton paranoia of the Republican party. Fortunately, China has been sucking up all of Bush’s budget deficits in exchange for a huge trade imbalance. Why would they have to exert themselves to influence US politics at this point?
mui @ 74
Sorry you had to hunt me down, mui. At least you knew to find me at FDL’s fresh thread…
;-)
Is the contamination problem of pet foods across Pac Rim the same kind, with wheat gluten? Or are there different contamination problems? Listening to NPR this morning it sure sounds like this stuff is in the human food chain; whoever it was they had on made it sound like it was no big thing (which to my suspicious, tin-foily mind means they were a lobbyist for an importer…).
Did you notice the “Democrat er Democratic party” bit?
Mmm…Brylcreem and Preparation H. A Repug’s cocktail weenie sauce recipe for those who are “heads and shoulders” above the rest.
Why McCain has gone apeshit: Kerry turned him down.
Shell @ 80
Well, and why do we accept that GOP stalwarts – businesspeople, for example – are so wise when it comes to the ways of gevernment? That’s always offended me – either someone makes sense, or they don’t. It’s standard practice to put down actors, or musicians, as not having any common sense, but that’s just a dodge from addressing real issues…
Anybody got a confirmed street address for ABC studios in NYC?
I’m seriously sending a copy of Marcy’s book if I can get an address. Will mail it to Bahbwa Wawa.
Christy’s feisty this morning!
Good morning, Jane! Hope you’re feeling well (and feisty yourself).
Jane Hamsher @ 89
Mornin’ Jane!
landofthefree @ 3
Absolutely! Great to get a good laugh in the AM.
I hope Thompson (or anybody) can take some of the wind out of Rudy’s sails. Rudy could be hard to beat in the general because so many people have bought into the “America’s 9/11 Mayor” bullshit.
egregious @ 76
Here’s the link to the full story. Has a lot of detail that I am not capable of understanding. Rationals seems to be that pursuing big white collar cases is labor intensive. One against KPMG has millions of pages of evidence. Also, some problem with death penalty cases in Brooklyn. Here’s the link, and after it, the one money sentence that I picked out on a quick read:
http://www.newsday.com/news/lo…..-headlines
Steve @
78
This is exactly my fear for 2009 and beyond. It will take years to recover some balance.
Cheney grabbed the Plumb Book the day after the election, I’ve read… maybe we should be asking Dems if they have some pages underlined yet regarding replacements…
jayackroyd @ 84
Posted it real time above. Guess that now’s not the right time for W to needle the Ds!
Christy, don’t you think that the Thompson Twins are going to pose a problem for themselves and the party?
As I understand it, Tommy was actively recruited by people who are unhappy with the rest of the field — and now Fred, whose only real claim to fame is acting like a Senator and a trophy wife with standard equipment, potentially muddying Brand Thompson.
???
I know next to nothing about Fred Thompson, but I know everything I need to know. He came out after the Libby Trial and spewed the party line about there’s no underlying crime, and Libby’s being railroaded, etc. That right there tells me that Thompson is willing to spin and lie to the American People in order to protect his friends over our constitution and system of justice. We need to hang Bushs’ stinking carcass of an administration around his neck, because America is all done with THAT kind of dishonest.
Jane Hamsher @ 89
I for one applaud her increased profanity.
What else do we know about Thompson? He’s more of a fiscal conservative than the nutballs running, but will the religion industry like him? What are his weakest points?
conniptionfit @ 97
Agreed!
motherlowman @
86
wasn’t he apeshit before that?
TexasBetsy @ 100
To a lesser degree of apeshittiness. Not quite Baghdad-market-strolling apeshit.
Mutant @87 –
You are correct. And, by and large, American businesspeople aren’t that bright. I know this — I worked with them for 30 years. Did they make money? Usually. But if they actually had a brain, they could have made a lot more.
I guess I just never worship any job per se. Just individuals. I am not one for saying, “Lawyers are icky. Ditto for used car salesmen.”
Guess I am old enough to have seen good people and horrid ones in most professions.
Rayne @ 88
I think Rosie would be more likely to read the book and talk about it on-air.
Barbara Walters is the queen of access “journalism”. That is literally all she does. I doubt anyone will change her mind about the issue of source protection.
Jane — I couldn’t help myself. And the potential for the Thompson twins to mudwrestle over who gets “brand Thompson?” Too good to pass up.
NPR’s Diane Rehm is interviewing on her radio show some Canadian journalist named Robert McNeil. Like I said, he’s Canadian, but he sounds pretty good. And the best part: Diane has shut up to let the Canadian talk about events since 9/11. Why doesn’t NPR hire journalists like him?
Tommy Thompson is the former governor of my adopted state and he left Wisconsin with a structural deficit that our current Dem Gov (Jim Doyle) is still struggling to dig out of, 5 years later. His command of the English language is, at times, pitiful (he’s a bein’, seein’, doin’, sayin’, tellin’ kinda guy…).
But, do not underestimate his ability in a state like Iowa or NH to connect with people. He’s a natural, unlike Shrub. Given the void that exists in the Rethugs right now, he might make a showing (3rd?) in Iowa and get some buzz. Then, reality will bite and he’ll run into the buzz saw called California and die due to lack of TV money, but he may get some media attention for a few weeks.
Thompson was the face and voice for a ‘PSA’ series on Plan D, iirc.
Christy Hardin Smith @
105
I read it and started scratching my head and thought “I’m gonna take shit for that one…wait a minute, I didn’t write it…”
Jane at 109 — hehehehe I’ll take that as a compliment. *g*
Jane Hamsher @ 109
But, Christy’s another liberal white female democrat, so it IS your fault – just like Barack Obama is responsible for whatever insane utterances come out of Harry Belafonte’s mouth.
Except, of course, that Christy is sane, and you agree with her.
But if it will make you feel better, we can give you shit about it, too.
motherlowman @
86
Speaking of stories..Somebody needs to kick John Kerry in tthe butt and get him a GOOD narration about the story of McCain approaching him to be his VP. Hang McCains’ sheer naked desperation to be powerful around his neck, and publicly jeer at him for all his contortions trying to be what he thinks the republicans want in a candidate this week. As a matter of fact we should have Kerry out there leading the charge as the “guy who knows all about flip flops”. Make the Republicans all eat their own shit and make everyone else LAUGH while they’re doing it!
rayne
The View
320 West 66th St.
New York, NY 10023
Hooters fan – Mayflower Hotel – where’s that D.C. Madam?
Rayne @
54
what are they saying?
Rayne @ 83
I think it was the same problem. Although I am not sure. It sounds like these were American brands distributed in HK, Taiw-, etc. The Hill brand was vet prescription of all things.
NPR! Tss. No big thing when pet owners around the world are finding that pet food is poisoned, right? No Rayne, no tinfoil hat. If he/she was not mad, they must be in the biz. The more I hear, the madder I get. From what I have heard, this is not the first time Mainland Chinese exporting agricultural products have used pesticides in a careless manner, and ended up poisoning some people in oh say, HK. Given the sh*t standards, why on earth did the FDA allow this importation of the gluten?!?
The Thai food problem was in 2004: Pedigree brand dog food recalled in Asia after illnesses reported. Don’t know if there was a connection.
http://www.rawstory.com/showar…../17902403/
If Kerry were capable of good stories, or had any nodding acquaintance with the obvious*, he’d be prez.
*Another VN vet who seems to have lost it in his middle age. His appearance before congress in the 1970s seems to have been the highlight of his career.
infoshaman @ 106
It’s probably Robert McNeil formerly of the McNeil/Lehrer Report from PBS. He retired a number of years ago to write a book. And yes, he was Canadian. So was Peter Jennings.
The View has been interesting lately:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yoOMJxT860
LS @ 114
Isn’t the Mayflower where Laura stays when she’s POed at W?
Oy. A little dab’ll do ya.
Heh. Loved the opening line.
What IS it with republicans and their need for a strict father figure? They’ve never grown up.
Rayne @ 88
ABC Television Network
147 Columbus Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10023-5900
This is for the news division and shows like 20-20
Think Progress points out that this “unacceptable” funding delay is much shorter than the last two delays:
conniptionfit @ 123
They all have spanking fantasies.
martha @ 107
Shrub was more of a natural than stiff Kerry and Gore, no?
Democrats better have a “natural’ too. Clinton is not.
conniptionfit @ 123
They think of Bush as a strict father figure? Either they are insane or it is a smoke screen to hide their rampant gathering of plunder.
the address I put up is the one for the View in the FAQ at the website, and is also the shooting studio for the show.
jayackroyd @ 113
Thanks for the addy, jay — I had an address for 77 W. 66th, didn’t know if that was the right spot.
Will send a copy to Rosie, but Rosie is the predictable one who’ll gladly promote it; wondered whether getting to the grande dame Walters would have been helpful. Or do I send it to Joy Behar?? Joy’s position was too close to that of dipsh*t mouthpiece Hasselbeck, couldn’t be discerned, although she rightfully asked some of the same questions that jurors asked (like where are the rest of the unindicted co-conspirators).
edit: gads, I still can’t believe I caught that segment on The View. I detest that show, have studiously avoided it (and all things ABC) and only caught it because my remote was acting squirrely. Yeesh. What other attempts to monkey with public perception are going on without our knowledge?
jayackroyd @ 125
All they do is lie, lie lie!
Thompson ?
frequently heard at chez cbl the last 6 years
and of course,
bonus tbogg link
more
Tommy Thompson declared his candidacy yesterday on talk radio — on April Fool’s Day.
He has Medicare D and Tom Scully hanging round his neck, flu vaccine shortages, the smallpox vaccine stockpiling and he facilitated the limitations on embryonic stem cell research.
He’s a senior partner at Akin Gump and then there’s this:
spychips link
and this:
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/gener…..x?oid=6190
Bush was absolutely awful taking questions today. He sounds scared and desperate. I’m glad Feingold and Reid are ratcheting up the pressure.
I wish there were a way for more people to see this press conference, in its entirety.
prarie sunshine:”Why does the Bush Administration hate we, the people?”
They don’t hate us, they don’t even have to hate us because we are their pawns, we make it easy for them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuNgBkloFE
jayackroyd @ 125
After four years, Bush still treats funding the war in Iraq as “supplemental.” Yes, that’s a term of art in the budget world, but it certainly speaks volumes about his approach to budgeting.
I’m guessing that the younger Dubya wasn’t all that great at managing his allowance, either. “But Dad, I need more money NOW.” Buying beer, buying an oil company, buying a baseball team, and now buying a war — it’s all supplemental to GWB.
It’s been four years, Mr. President. Don’t you think it’s time to . . . oh, what’s the word? . . . PLAN for your spending?
eyesonthestreet @ 127
Yep, the Dems have got to do better than Clinton…she’s not a “natural” by any stretch. Obama and Edwards have it, I think, of the top tier candidates. Joe and Jane Sixpack require a candidate with a “personality” they can, in some way, identify with. Obama and Edwards each have some of those characteristics (kids, blue collar, multi-racial). I completely agree with whoever (Paul Begala? ick…) who said that dozens of hard cold position papers just won’t cut it.
Is Forrest Gump the name partner?
eCAHNomics @ 93
Here’s the link to the full story. Has a lot of detail that I am not capable of understanding. Rationals seems to be that pursuing big white collar cases is labor intensive. One against KPMG has millions of pages of evidence. Also, some problem with death penalty cases in Brooklyn. Here’s the link, and after it, the one money sentence that I picked out on a quick read:
link
This is fertilizer.
Any time an office is down so many prosecutors, its production is bound to be affected, said Alan Vinegrad, a Manhattan attorney who served as Brooklyn’s U.S. attorney from 2001 to 2002.
Garcia’s office roster showed 218 attorneys but no vacancy information was available.
The vacancy rate is the bigger problem. Garcia should have over 250 AUSAs. Moral in those offices is atrocias.
EDNY built one of the best medicaide fraud units in the ocutry and now it has been dismantled. Except for some multi decade veteran career people in middlemanagement all the talent has fled those offices.
There was a heartbreaking article inthe Sunday NYTimes, about the end of the “swaggering Princes of Prosecution”, shorter version=the only independant USA left is Fitzgerald.
It basically called him the last of a dying breed. Made me very sad.
lhp—you still here? I woke up in the middle of the night with a thought in response to your question about the weekly meeting about judges. Why would this be important enough to have an upper level meeting every week.
What if they meet weekly to discuss the progress of every federal case of interest.
To review communication intercepts/nsa spying of their targets.
To develop short term plans for interference, bribery, and pressure.
To create list of new targets.
To review upcoming stepford candidates.
It’s a guess but wouldn’t all of that take a weekly high level meeting?
Think how much time we spent following a single court case.
Apologies to other readers who saw this material earlier, but I’ve been wrestling with this one and really want to get it out to lhp.
lhp@140
Is Garcia competent, or is he a Bushie?
Rayne @ 130
that’s probably the news division. I know someone who met with Jennings there, and I had the occasional Jennings sighting on the way to or from Lincoln Center.
Very polite fellow. He met them (the editor of the kids version of the Century and her boss) at the door. In all my visits to various corporate settings in the City, I’ve never had that happen.
lhp @ 140
Is it that MORALS are bad among the USAs in Garcia’s office, or that MORALE is bad?
Given the topic and tone of Christy’s post, just want to make sure which typo is correct.
;)
eCAHNomics @ 139
I wish…
Dowd– Monica Goodling’s attorney– is a big honcho at Akin Gump.
Photo caption
“And when I saw those lucious things on her I knew I had to dump the mother of my children and marry her.”
From the USNews article Teddy linked:
eCAHNomics @ 142
He is a Chertoff protoge. I nice ineffectual guy who does what his masters tell him. He is not himself evil, but not a guy I would want on my side in a knife fight.
No stones.
Peterr @ 144
Morale.
angie @ 134
Damn, angie, Tommy’s CNP??
He got recruited by the truly EVIL part of the Repug Party, then. He’s got the Heritage Foundation behind him. Hadn’t done my homework on him, so thanks.
Thanks for the scare. Jeebus. I have gooseflesh now.
So the question is, why Fred? who recruited Fred and why — is he a Plan B?
Steve @ 78
Scott Simon
lhp!!! comment for you just a few up #141 at 8:56FDL
martha @ 138
Well that makes two Democrats who know Clinton will not win, now can we convince the other democrats and the independents and 20% at least of left-leaning republicans, so we have a margin of error to win the Presidency, even if the GOP cheat at the voting tally?
It’s telling that the second Thompson announced, Giuliani’s support dropped by thirteen points. All of Thompson’s support comes directly from Rudy’s hide.
egregious @ 141
Well, that’s what I was wondering. I don’t know the answer, but if they are not proposing candidates….?
omitted, thanks mods
Actually Bush taking the position to veto the Congressional bill for funding the war is a definite way to end the war. It’s very widely known that money for the troops is in it self huge pork for the war spending scheme designed to keep the profiteering going for Bush and Company.
Mainstream media understands this and is avoiding hard questions such as redeployment of the troops is the alternative when the funds fall short. Obviously show the media greed rather than a media solution. Bush is trying to blame Congress when in fact America should face a fact this man George Bush failed to provide basic logistical support for years. Body armor, proper Humvee protection and utilization in man power, and building the confidence in the Iraqis to understand and build a culture for their own freedom. Now Bush turns one hundred and eighty degrees from years ago not admitting that all that time America did not have enough troops at the get go, hence gitmo and an unknown amount of mercenaries that are not reported and not accountable which will loose their pay checks when the veto happens. Hence even more chaos.
Face the fact these anti-American forces have had and incredible time to adjust to Americas military changes because of Bush failed strategy.
Instead only a few times America only gets snippets of the actual Arab influence. When America knows that a long time business friend ship with the Bin Laden family goes back decades and is obviously affecting the decider’s decisions. The real bias in Mainstream media and high level journalist are turning more and more into clowns as they continue to avoid the Bush and Company money funneling connection to the primer terrorist financiers the Arabs and the Bin laden family. What baffles me the most is how the Media can dig into Rudy Gullinani background and connection to organized crime yet fail to debate the monument conflict of interest Bush and Cheney have which is defined as treason in many circles.
The view of greater America is a background of industrial corporate connections that perpetuate the profiteering is the real concern of Bush and Company, not the troops. Reflect on Walter Reed Hospital, that is an abomination to the very ideal Bush supports the troops. Bush basically doesn’t give a hoot about war, the troops, or America’s welfare. Bush just cares to improve his family fortune and power through the manipulation of every resource tool Bush can use in our government. The glaring example is the “Discretion” needed for ethical conduct in the use of the U.S. Attorneys Office. Nowhere in the Mission Statement of the U.S. Attorneys office is it written that these individuals work at the pleasure of the president. America the President works for you and me and so do the U.S. Attorneys.
Investigations and public over sight can and will become so serious and troubling for the Republicans enough pressure will be on Bush and Cheney to resign and Pelopsi can very well become the first women president.
My standout memory of Fred Thompson is of him on the steps of the Capitol Building (I think). It was during the Clinton impeachment brou-ha-ha, and Fred was saying something to the television cameras (can’t remember what). It was a windy day, and all that stuck with me was the vision of his foot-long combover flapping in the breeze.
I see that now he’s had the good sense to cut it off.
lhp—they are meeting to figure out how next to intervene in existing cases. How to force people out. Who can be pressured using nsa material. Who can be given a “promotion” its exactly like the USAs.
I’m guessing here no breadcrumbs
Phoenix Woman @ 154
So, does that make Thompson the salking horse sent out to vanquish Rudy to make way for??? McCain? One of the others?
TeddySf and others
‘Reverend’ Dobson and his little pal Tony Perkins (Family Research Council) have already settled on Gingrich
recall Newt’s mea culpa of a few weeks back – pure Dobson orchestration
and I wish y’all could’ve seen Perkins at about the same time on Tweety – doing the Paso Doble (hips always touch) around the host’s questions about Gingrich’s morality
conniptionfit @
97
Some cableheads yesterday were saying that Fred didn’t even know Scooter, he just thought a wrong was being done, that’s why he got involved in the Irve defense fund.
Sounds to me like he was polishing his PNAC credentials and looking for an opportunity to hobnob at Matalin’s party with the neocons. Looks like it paid off, too.
cbl @ 161
Run, Newt, run!!!
New thread from Christy Hardin Smith.
A Requiem at Twilight
Sigh. It’s sad.
Rayne – some of us less informed hippies suspect Frist is blowing smoke up Thompson’s skirt and awaiting the inevitable crash where Dr Frist will swoop in and run with the org./infrastructure ol Fred has worked so hard to put together :)
Phoenix Woman @ 154
Giuliani HAD 13% of support to lose??
egregious @ 159
Except for the part where NSA material is used to blackmail them….? I cannot imagine that a judge would not blow the whitlse if that happened.
If you mean using to draw up a profile of a judge to figure out how to manipulate him or her, sounds like too much hard work and effort for this bunch of slackers.
But talking about how to force good, independant judges out and how to apooint and confirm Bushies, oh yeah, I think so.
Breadcrumbs. There are breadcrumbs, how to strew them on the Lake, I got to think about.
conniptionfit @ 123
Not just Republicans! Chris Matthews said yesteday that Fred Thompson’s “a Daddy.”
More tasty Abramoff stuff:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/4/3/113933/3566
TeddySanFran @ 168
This just underscores my idea that the Republican Party is the Child Party.
klyde @
146
Luscious, or ludicrous?
Whoops– I mistakenly said that Tommy had announced yesterday @ my 134 and it was Tancredo who did!
My apologies. Another nut in the race, though.
Peterr @ 7
Since Martin is somewhat lacking in voter appeal, how about Charlie as long as Candy is the VP or in some cabinet position? Come to think of it, she would be good in almost any position.
eCAHNomics @ 118
*Another VN vet who seems to have lost it in his middle age. His appearance before congress in the 1970s seems to have been the highlight of his career.
[Modnote: please take care to close your quotes. Preview can help, thanks]
Kerry’s highleftdcin72 @ 174
If Kerry were capable of good stories, or had any nodding acquaintance with the obvious*, he’d be prez.
*Another VN vet who seems to have lost it in his middle age. His appearance before congress in the 1970s seems to have been the highlight of his career.
[Modnote: please take care to close your quotes. Preview can help, thanks]
Kerry’s highlights are (in no particular order) are (1) marrying rich women (2) windsurfing (3) working out (4) buying and living in big townhouses (5) preparing to debate George Bush (6) like George Bush attending prep school and Yale College (7) hanging around 41 Ivy Street in 1972 in DC
eCAHNomics @ 59
This is a solid idea that is definitely worth pushing! Thanks for the link to the article.
TeddySanFran @ 168
tweety is a defacto rethug!
Dear effin’ God. If this election turns into Thompson v. Clinton, I’m moving to Canada. This time I mean it.
you know what? I’d like to see someone slip a little but powerful clause into a massive bill that know one reads all the way through that says: “no actors shall be permitted to run for public office anywhere, ever”. and by extension that covers an awful lot of territory.(sent from the governator’s state)
Fred Thompson for President! To mediocrity and beyond! The spiral continues.
Thompson stars on a TV show that features graphic scenes of dead bodies, moral relativism, and adult themes. “Law and Order” once featured a main character who was a lesbian (even worse, she was a lesbian who was so “normal” and “mainstream” that no one knew it until she mentioned it to Thompson’s character). If Thompson gets in, can we remind the morals police on the right of this?
now, remind me again, which one do I vote for? Tommy or Fred? I’m confused…
So if Fred gets elected Prez, what cabinet meetings will his wife sit in on? Discussions on the safety of silicone, perhaps? There are no doubt a lot of blondes with big racks that have felt under-represented until now in government. Perhaps Thompson’s wife would give them some measure of comfort.
Name recognition? Gallup today said not one in five knows he’s a politician, and two-thirds of Americans have never heard of him. Law & Order’s a popular series, but I’d be surprised if most people have seen even one episode. Popular series aren’t what they used to be; the days when Lucille Ball or Alan Alda or Bill Cosby commanded huge audience shares are long gone. As for the movie career, he was a grumpy middle-aged guy without much hair in about a dozen of them.
To me, it all bespeaks GOP desperation: please send us someone with first-rate right-wing bona fides and a relatively clean slate. That their messiah looks and sounds like a redneck sheriff cleaned up for company — perhaps not the ideal image for an ‘08 presidential run — seems to bother them not at all.
“An actor in search of a plot” – LOL!
This should be the new tagline for Thompson.
> If Bob Novak were any further up Fred Thompson’s ass, Thompson would be tasting the Brylcreem.
Not Brylcreem. It would probably be Rogain …
eCAHNomics @ 59
In fact tie it directly to a tax-increase on those top 5% income bracket that received tax breaks by Bush in 2002 and every year subsequently…and a special corporate tax on oil companies and those firms that receive US military and Iraq reconstruction contracts.
The war would end damn quick!
Good. Let ‘em roll out another B actor.
This time, perhaps the Dems will have the good sense to recruit OUR actor fer prez: Jack Nicholson.
Tell me you wouldn’t like to see Jack, spiffed up and spliffed up, debate this bag of wind Thompson on National tv ???
Then, after Thompson slithers back to Tenneessee, Jack could declare himself not a candidate, and appoint Kucinich as his proxy…..hahahahaha
Frank Probst:
I always enjoy the way Thompson’s DA character disses the US Constitution, and Civil Rights. It is my favorite thing to watch.
Is that what attracts you to Thompson’s character too???
My most poignant memory of Thompson was his comments/(lack of) action in the seemingly forgotten “California Energy Crisis”, a $32b Enron & Friends ripoff enabled by a compliant GWB admin. And just why is it Junior has never had to answer for that one?
But I digress. California’s “two ladies”, Feinstien & Boxer, both had repeatedly appealed to the WH w/pleas for intervention into what, by then, was obviously a scam of mammoth proportions. Both ladies said the WH never responded… period. In subsequent hearings, Boxer pleaded again for intervention: her state was being taken to the cleaners, simeoultaneously being told by Bush’s Energy officials it was their own fault… Ca. was to blame.
Fred Thomspon was asleep on the Senate floor during at this time. Finally, he awoke to comment thusly (from memory) in response to Boxer’s pleas:
“I’m tired of all this whining.”
My lasting impression: conservative sponsored corporate “free market” ripoffs were A-OK behavior… a natural functioning of the “marketplace”. Thompson’s response to a thriving multi-$b “in your face” ripoff was a Power Nap.
AFAIC, the mans’ an ass hole.