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(I had to say that again just to irritate MEC. Now she'll have that song in her head the rest of the day.)
So much going on that it's tough to decide what to focus on. I had to put up that nice calming picture of Superior again, just to settle myself down. Let's see what's all happening, here, there and everywhere; y'all know about Goodling and Paulose because Christy and Jane have done chapter and verse on that already, so I'll try to look at some other stuff (but don't be surprised if some Paulose-related stuff shows up anyway):
-- Charlie over at Across the Great Divide points out Michelle Malkin being silly and racist, and then asks why she's being syndicated in allegedly-respectable daily papers.
-- Mark Gisleson of Norwegianity is all over the Rachel Paulose story like Dennis Hastert at a Shoney's buffet line.
-- Speaking of Princess Rachel: John Kelly, the guy from DOJ who had tried and failed to keep the top aides in her staff from quitting their management jobs (they ran the office for her as most political appointees aren't equipped to do that themselves), has been sent down by Gonzales to babysit her so the office (once one of the best and most stable USA offices in the nation) doesn't totally fall apart under her.
-- Tommy Thompson, unlike the other serious Republican candidates for president, isn't a dirty old amoral horndog like Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, or Newt Gingrich. Oh, wait -- scratch that. Ah, well, at least the Republicans still have Fred Thompson, who has always behaved himself. Oh, wait -- scratch that, too. (And no, I don't care how much money Mister Three Percent Mitt Romney has -- he's not a serious candidate.)
-- It's getting harder and harder for the industry shills to deny global warming.
-- Dog bites man. Sun rises in East. Orrin Hatch transmits lies. Ho hum, says a Salt Lake City columnist -- it was just a boo-boo on Orrin's part, I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it; move along, nothing to see here.
-- Tild presents us with a poser: Who's the America-hatin' Terraist-lovin Commie Symp here?
-- And what would life be without small furry graceful carnivorous animals to bless us with their presence?
So what's happening in your neck of the woods today?
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Ok, I’ll do it.
Oil Field Guy!
Jane!!!
cold and rainy
Morning, all.
Has anyone composed a schematic of all the bad stuff going on in the Justice Department, naming names, positions, their involvement, quotes? It would come in handy. Sort of like the NCAA bracket sheets, lol
You might want to re-read that Tribune article; the headline was as awful as you say, but the actual text was fairly harsh. Always remember, the guy who writes the article probably had no say over the headline…
It’s like a little club of asses, there in the Justice Dept. And they all have prior connections.
Sun just starting to break through clouds on SF peninsula. Were predicting rain (which we need), but looks like it will pass us by.
Meanwhile I’m trying to catch up on the USAttys news since I was out on business all week.
fo’ shizzle, there’s drizzle in Berkeley, not unwelcome.
Hey, everyone!
I’ve just finished dissected the Strib article here: Princess Rachel gets a babysitter.
rxbusa @ 8
The thing to bear in mind about all this — and why this is making the wingnuts screech like holy water on a vampire — is because it’s damned tough to believeably spin this as “Democrats picking on Republicans”.
For all but eight of the past twenty-six years, the Republicans have controlled the USA posts. They’ve not only appointed Republicans as USAs, but the USAs themselves get to pick their staffers, who — unlike the USAs — don’t go away when the White House changes hands.
This is Republican-on-Republican violence, people.
What about Paulose’s background? I’m surprised her school classmates aren’t writing in to Josh.
35 degrees and raining in south central Texas today!
karen allen @ 5
Karen, I’d love to see that.
I’d also like to see a chart (over time) of critical posts in the DOJ/DOI/ US Judiciary for:
Federal public lands
Indian “trust” territories
Federal leases for oil/energy/minerals/timber
Criminal investigation/prosecution of fraud/crimes by oil/energy/minerals/timber lesses
Federal environmental/ food safety regulation (EPA, USDA, Dept Ag, FDA)
Criminal investigation/prosecution of environmental /food safety crimes
Federal administrative law regarding resources/environment/health (USA’s and Federal jurists in DC)
Whole lotta megacorp wealth hidden behind those job titles.
Just looking at the Griles/ Sampson /Fredrici /Norton /Taylor connections points to hunderds of billions….
_____________________________________
rxbusa @ 8
Wet fog turned to drizzle overnight here near Baker Beach - still drizzly.
sick, I know, but Republican on Republican violence makes me smile…
I saw my first Obama ‘08 bumper sticker yesterday in San Antonio.
karen allen @ 12
A Kos diarist stated last week that she knew Paulose in college, and that the wingnuttia didn’t take hold until later, when she became a hardcore RW Christian.
Phoenix Woman @ 11
Somewhere I saw that one of the Judiciary Cmtes was going to look into the mass resignations in Minneapolis but it was a dead link. Know anything about that?
This “Saturday Afternoon”?
Saturday afternoon,
When your head is feeling fine,
You can ride inside our car;
Saturday afternoon, Saturday afternoon.
I will give you caps of blue,
and silver sunlight for your hair;
All that soon will be,
is what you mean to see, my love;
Won’t you try?
Won’t you try?
I do care that you do see!
It’s the time to leave my lady;
Yes it is, I know;
Round about and everywhere,
Sunshine instead of snow!
Times can change,
It’s what I say is true;
All is true,
I’ll come through for you,
I’ll come through for you, my love;
Won’t you try?
Won’t you try?
Won’t you try?
Saturday afternoon,
Yellow clouds rising in the noon,
acid, incense and balloons;
Saturday afternoon,
people dancing everywhere,
Loudly shouting “I don’t care!”
It’s a time for growing,
and a time for knowing love;
Saturday afternnoon,
Saturday afternoon
celebrating dad’s 85th b-day this weekend. he stipulated no gifts, so I did an end-around by making a donation to the Joseph and Valerie Wilson Legal Supoort Trust in his honor.
Kirk Murphy: Those schematics would fill an entire room, wouldn’t they.
karen allen @ 5
One of the things brought up in the Strib piece is that Paulose is putting the focus on high-profile, high-emotional-content crimes like drugs and child porn, and drawing resources away from things like prosecuting slumlords.
karen allen @ 21
Yes -
they’ve emptied an entire Treasury :(
punaise - That’s just an act of beautiful patriotism. What a son!
Charlie over at Across the Great Divide points out Michelle Malkin being silly and racist, and then asks why she’s being syndicated in allegedly-respectable daily papers.
And the Sadly, No!sians are lamenting the lamentable Fred Hiatt’s lamentable decision to allow KATHLEEN FUCKING PARKER?? to write an editorial for the Washington Post.
Following his LGF/freeper/dittohead column maligning Madame Speaker Pelosi, has Fred decided that the Post is best served by going after the 30 percenters?
Happy Birthday to Punaise’s dad. Today is my Aunt Shirley’s 88th birthday. I am giving her an orchid. I think the only news she watches is ET. So a Wilson donation wouldn’t mean much. What a nice idea, though.
Consider Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Syria. The Israeli government (not Pelosi) released a statement saying Pelosi had agreed to convey a message to Syria. When the Bush administration objected, the Israeli government then released a statement, to the effect, “Nancy Pelosi is a bad woman.” Doesn’t BushCo realize that their sophomoric manipulations are apparent to most people?
On this US Atty thing, I keep coming back to the question of what the other 85 did to not be fired. That is even scarier territory, but it seems like the stories are starting to come out…like the reversal of the NH phone jamming and Georgia Thompson’s case being thrown out because “the evidence is beyond thin.”
Anything that goes to the Washington DC Court of Appeals is sort of doomed, because the judge there is a loyal (and Mormon) Bushie.
rxbusa @ 18
It’s over at TPM, but their link is to a Media News Group story which is hiding behind a pay wall. I’m guessing the story might be over at the Pioneer Press site, since they’re in Saint Paul and MNG owns them. I’ll go look.
Gnome de Plume @ 26
Must be parents day! We are here in the hospital in Lynchburg with my father-in-law post heart surgery. We made an Easter dinner complete with bunny napkin holders and flowers that my bride harvested before the freeze last night. They even let us bring are doggies up the the ward to cheer folks up.
punaise @ 20
Gawd! If I did that for my parents I’d be disowned. I’m happy you fell closer to your tree. And happy birthday to your dad!
So what’s happening in your neck of the woods today?
Sadly…off the top of the news: http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/04.....offenders/
karen allen @ 29
And Israel bombs Gaza again.. as angie said, fish in a barrel.. coincidence? you decide.
In school we were reminded of major government corruption using examples such as Teapot Dome, Watergate and such. These will be replaced in history, relating to Corruption, by “The Bush administration”.
Phoenix Woman @ 30
And here’s the Pioneer Press story. I’ve e-mailed the link to TPM (they no doubt are subbed to MNG, but forget that most of us aren’t).
Lou Costello @ 33
I saw that. Sad.
karen allen @
5
I think Danny Casolero would have called it The Octopus.
-GSD
Nice PW @10.
“I’ve just finished dissected the Strib article here: Princess Rachel gets a babysitter.”
Anybody else still have Sunday school teacher on their resume at 33?
Thomas Griffith was appointed to the DC Circuit Court, which hears appeals from the US District Court and reviews the decisions of a number of administrative agencies. Griffith is a Mormon and a loyal “Bushie”. How would you like to go up against Griffith against Bush for an honest decision?
Whoops, I intended to quote a different Karen Allen comment above. Sorry.
Last paragraph of Star Tribune Paulose article:
“Former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Sandy Keith warned Paulose at the ceremony that she would come under criticism because she is a woman “and you’re too young.” But Keith added, “I know you’ll surround yourself with outstanding and experienced people to help you carry out these duties.”
And let’s not forget, people you can preach at & quote the Bible to, while casting their constructive comments as disloyalty. No wonder these “outstanding & experienced people” wanted to get away from her…
Phoenix Woman @ 37
Well, we’ve already got mass arrests of foreigners. Now we’re starting with the ghettos full of undesriables too.
Smells like something.
-GSD
karen allen @ 29
I’d love to see a focus on US admin law judge and DC District/Appellate judge appointments under ShrubCo - and see what industry each nominee was selected to
representuhprotectuh “judge”.Phoenix Woman @
10
Oh, goody! This is far better than Monica quitting.
Marie Roget @ 42
Actually, that’s the last paragraph of the first page. The last paragraphs of the second page mention the various people besides the three top managers who have had to bail from their jobs because of Princess Rachel.
Terry Olson @45: At least we still have Paulose to kick around.
Well, I’m heading out for lunch. Y’all behave yourselves, y’hear? I’m putting the internet on the shelf above the fridge so you can’t break it.
Have fun and don’t be hitting your little brother, ‘kay?
Phoenix Woman @ 46
Thanks. I noticed mistake after the “edit comment” went bye-bye…
Monica Goodling was Gonzales’ lawyer, but she never bothered to take the Bar exam.
Phoenix Woman @ 37
“It’s not an ideal solution.”
Quote from official.
“Jial is much way better than this.” An offender living under the bridge.
Words fail.
File this under…I’m shocked, SHOCKED I tell ya!
And no, I don’t care how much money Mister Three Percent Mitt Romney has — he’s not a serious candidate.
What about Huckabee? I think it’s going to come down to Huckabee after all the adulterers garrote each other. The ticket is going to end up being Huckabee/Barbour. Two southern governors. Outsiders, going to clean up that mess in Washington! Just like dear old Ronnie!
Unless Hagel runs. Then, who knows.
karen allen @ 50
So, she can’t be disbarred? That’s a shame.
Phoenix Woman @ 36
thanks!
I am so sorry i missed the Jerry Nadler thread. He is a favorite of mine.
He is terrific in person and I have always enjoyed his direct no nonsense way of speaking. No beating around the bush for him.
Phoenix Woman @ 48
I’ll just have the ghost of the best cat ever (*sniff*) jump up there and knock it down for me!
Cleter @ 54: Goodling was working as an executive in the Justice Department, which is composed of lawyers, hundreds and hundreds of them. But she was never required to take–and pass-the Bar exam. Just didn’t have the time, ya know. This speaks volumes about the professionalism of the Gonzales Justice Department.
This is analogous to a surgeon performing surgeries, but he never bothered to pass a Board exam to get Board-certified.
Watertiger is here. She baked pear pie. Mmmmm.
OT reading “The American Chemical Society Terminates The Membership Of Chemists From Iran” notice on Counterpunch begs the question:
Why are over 8% of our employable chemists unemployed?
I saw Phoenix Woman’s link over at dailykos to Paulose’s resume:
http://judiciary.house.gov/Med.....070319.pdf
It’s about half way through the list.
What is interesting is the career arc. She worked in a USA’s office (1999-2002) or when she was 26-28 and a year at Williams & Connolly. Next, she landed a job at Dorsey & Whitney (October 2003-December 2005) where her highlights were “successful representation of Republican party in election lawsuit; defense of faith-based health care program; corporate litigation.” You can see where this is going. In January 2006 she joined the DOJ as Senior Counsel to Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty and Special Counsel for Health Care Fraud. She wasn’t there 2 months before she was named to her current position as Interim USA in Minnesota.
karen allen @ 58
Is that unusual? How many lawyers in the Clinton DOJ sorta couldn’t be bothered to take the bar exam?
I LOVE the link to the pix of the women in head scarves. I bet now they will claim it was just a windy day and they didn’t want to ruin their hairdo.
Is it physically possible to ‘hoist yourself on your own petard’?
cleter @
54
But can she be arrested??
I am curious about the quoted wording of Goodling’s resignation letter. It has been quoted that she says she is submitting her resignation to the Office of the Attorney General. It does not say she is resigning from the Department of Justice. Apparently, her lawyers won’t release a copy of the letter. What exactly was her job title? Did she hold more than one job title? I don’t know why, but I feel something is amiss.
Lou Costello @ 64
What IS a petard anyway?
Phoenix Woman @
36
No workie, PW.
And good for you Punaise!
LS @66: When Kyle Sampson resigned as Chief of Staff to Alberto Gonzales at the Dept. of Justice, he didn’t resign from the Department. He just resigned from his title. He still works there. Goodling could have done the same thing.
What IS a petard anyway?
Come on Cassie…Click my last link or Google search it yourself. You can trust Wikipedia more then the neocons tell ya!
Lou Costello @ 64
Is it physically possible to ‘hoist yourself on your own petard’?
McCain to Stake Bid On Need to Win in Iraq
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....id=topnews
——
He’s toast.
karen allen @ 69
That was my thought, which means that she cannot accept legal defense money. Is that true?
petard is also firecracker and/or doobie in French slang
karen allen @ 40
What an ideal place for the Hon. Judge Griffith to protect Rocky Mountain energy/mining/timber/ megacorps.
To maintain their honesty, Federal Judges also go on
vacationsseminars to posh resorts and listen to megacorps’ pet legal theorists tell the US Federal judges that regulation is bad.The
incredibly cushy vacationslearned seminars inaustere surroundingsmegacostly resorts were purchased by “non-profit” legal think tanks…the “non-profit” legal think tanks just happen to recieve lavish donations from the most profitable megacorps: energy, pharma, war, opinion control, “financial”.
By some strange coincidence, the independent legal think tanks financed by the wealthiest megacorps have all discovered the Founding Fathers despised the British East India Corporation but secretly loved megacorps.
The Fathers left goodies for the megacorps scattered through the Constitution like Easter Eggs, and the think tanks are just there to help the megacorps fill their platinum baskets.
Federal Judges are there to trim back the shrubbery of law and regulations so all the Easter eggs go home with the megacorps.
Amazingly enough, our impartial Federal Judges return from their industry-sponsored vacations and “find” against Federal regulations
- regulations from the agencies that just happen to make policies regulating the megacorps buying the judges’
vacationslearned seminars -and their learned opinions.
jayt @ 71
Yep. I’m tellin’ ya, watch out for Huckabee. The outsider-governor meme is a powerful one. Ask President Reagan. Or President Clinton. Or President Carter. The insider congressman thing? Ask President Dole or President Kerry or President McGovern how well that one worked for them.
Marie Roget @ 42
Too young, probably, though not because of her age per se but because she can’t have had the time to get the experience the job requires.
But “because she is a woman”? Yeah, like Carol Lam and Margaret Chiara came under criticism because they were women. Not. They were very highly regarded in the regions to which they were assigned.
Miss Rachel is coming under criticism because she’s patently unsuited for the job. I’ve been the target of sexism often enough to get really angry when somebody deserves criticism and claims it’s sexism when she gets it. It undermines legitimate grievances and makes life more difficult for other women.
Noam Chomsky says in TomDispatch recently:
The results of an attack on Iran could be horrendous. After all, according to a recent study of “the Iraq effect” by terrorism specialists Peter Bergen and Paul Cruickshank, using government and Rand Corporation data, the Iraq invasion has already led to a seven-fold increase in terror. The “Iran effect” would probably be far more severe and long-lasting. British military historian Corelli Barnett speaks for many when he warns that “an attack on Iran would effectively launch World War III.”
Jane Hamsher @
59
Pear pie? I’ve never had that. Good for you and Watertiger!
And PW, darlin’? pppbbbbthththththth!
Re. Orifice Hatch’s claims.
Yes
! Carol Lam made campaign contributions while she worked in the US Attorneys Office! According to the Center For Responsive Politics the Federal Elections Commission records this donation by Lam.
Contributor: LAM, CAROL C MS
LA JOLLA,CA 92037
Occupation:U S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
Date: 1/3/2000
Amount: $1,000
Recipient: Campbell, Tom (Republican candidate for Senator)
And DESPITE her contribution Gray Davis appointed her to the State Judge position for Vista, Ca. It appears that some people believe in bipartisanship and that one’s involvement in the political process can be trumped by meritorious performance. Unfortunately those people are not in the Bush Administrations DOJ or a sitting Senator from Utah! Bush later appointed Lam head of the DOJ Attorney’s unit in San Diego. I wonder if Arnold can appoint her to an open State Judge position…maybe she could try some of these white collar crooks that are replete in the Bush lobbyist cabal network.
It makesyou wonder what Orrin’s hiding? Was he in the same prosecutorial jurisdiction as Duke Cunningham and Lam?
FWIW -
Interesting that DoJ fenced off Judiciary Nom info.
Found something about replacing O’Connor that said Sampson was part of selectioners. Used google for Sampson Federalist Society connection.
This is at the bottom, but there’s plenty of sordid info prior:
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.....0208726476
Terry Olson @ 77
yummmmmmmm….yawn. morn’in pups.
This story has legs - and the Lake’s commenters broke the story:
[above also posted to TPM document dump thread @ 2:17 AM. Others had noted 2-9 was “only resumes”.
Facts make the case, but the stories convince the public.
Whole lotta stories in them resumes.
Glad Palouse’s is getting
inkpixels.]Hugh @ 61
Hello lolo, hello moto. Got to take my car in, I’ll check back later.
What the heck is “faith based health care” on a wing and a prayer?
This relates to the “Everything is good if you’re a Republican” post: I live in Mike Ferguson’s district. He has plenty to worry about. He came within something like 3000 votes to be beaten by Linda Stender, who I volunteered for last fall. He won in the suburbs where I live. Everyone around here works for Big Pharma, the telcoms and the financials. Yet, there wasn’t a single newspaper in his district that endorsed him. He is a conservative Santorum like Christian. But I think he won on the tax issue. People around here pay the highest property taxes in the nation. Nobody I talked to was looking forward to paying more or having their industries slammed by the Democrats.
The hot button issues when I canvassed were corruption and the Iraq War, with a lot of trepidation about taxes thrown in for good measure. So, it’s no wonder Ferguson is voting with the Democrats. He’s very close to getting the boot in 2008 and he knows it.
Israel Air Force helicopters fired into the northern Gaza Strip early Saturday, killing a Palestinian militant and wounding two others in what local residents described as the fiercest exchange of fire between Israel Defense Forces troops and Palestinian militants since a November truce.
Can someone describe to me exactly what a “Palestinian militant” is?
Eureka Springs @ 85
My first thought was about the Christian Scientists. My second was about Bush appointee W. David Hager, who among other things tells women that the best treatment for premenstrual syndrome is to pray to Jesus and read the Bible.
“hoist by his own petard” is one of those terms which is essentially meaningless, as the only way to do it would be to put a harness on a mortar shell, drop it down the barrel, and be lifted up when the fuse ignites the propellant.
the conservapedia definition of hoist(ed) by his (one’s) own petard is:
what happens whenever anyone who is a liberal, didn’t vote for George W. Bush at least twice, or believes the world is older than 6,012 years old opens their satanic mouth.
Totally OT_ heehee, oh man you guys have got to see this! I just watched the new South Park episode called The Fantastick Easter Special- in which Bill Donohue gets what’s comin’ to him. Oh, Jeez, my ribs hurt!
Terry Olson @ 84
“here we are in
Camp Granola”
Oklahoma kiddo @ 87
Some guy protecting his home…
PhoenixWoman and Terry Olson @68:
You can read the Pioneer Press article by googling Pioneer Press and the story is entitled:
U.S. attorneys’ revolt heard all the way to Capitol Hill
But it doesn’t say much more than the Strib article. Just that Senate Judiciary Cmte may or may not investigate…they’re looking into it.
conniptionfit @ 90
Does that rock or what?
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/50192/
Eureka Springs @ 85
When a wingnut ignorant of reproductive biology and public health diverts Federal revenues to obstuct citizens’ access to these services.
Ed*ard Teller @ 88
Back in the day, a petard was one of the devices used by sappers to undermine the walls of cities and fortresses under siege. Sometimes the petard blew up prematurely, whereupon the sapper was hoist (i.e. blown sky-high) by his own petard. That was the sense Shakespeare meant when he wrote the line: Instead of destroying the target, your weapon destroys you.
kirk murphy @ 94
ding :(
MEC @ 88
Oh, yes, the christian man who was sued for divorce by his poor wife, who complained of being awakened repeatedly by her husband anally raping her. The good Doctors’ defense: “I couldn’t tell the difference”. The Doctor is an Obstetrician/ Gynecologist, by the way.
kirk murphy @ 95
Like defending the pharmicist for not allowing a single woman to fill her prescription for birth control or for any dispensing of Plan B.
Eureka Springs @ 85
I’d say Faith Healing, forbidden birth control and your basic lack of modern medicine. Or if they do? heavy constraints on it. so yes…wing and a prayer.
Someone posted this video link early today:
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/sto.....id=5189901
Watching former Chicago USA Pat Collins become speechless w/anger @ the end of the statement below makes me wonder what other USAs might say about Gonzales, were they free to do so :
“It bothers me to no end that a 35-year-old guy can evaluate Pat Fitzgerald and call him mediocre when he doesn’t know the first thing about being a public servant,” said Collins. “And when the attorney general came to town last week and was sitting next to Pat, had every opportunity to put his arm around Pat and say, this is one of the best guys I got– he said nothing.”
Thanks for the links about Tommy Thompson. He got a free ride from the press the first time around but thanks to Madison.com and a few others, I think he spent all his good will. He won’t get a free ride this time.
Hey…is it true what I hear about meal service on the new Minnesodie Airlines? It’s pot luck..rows 1-7 bring rolls and coffee, rows 8-12 bring the hot dishes and 13-15 bring the green jello desert?
hizzhoner
Hola! Kobe likes to pose for pictures.
(my apologies for the quality of the photograph - had to use my cell phone.)