(Warning: The above YouTube may cause serious laughter. Please remove all liquid from the vicinity prior to viewing.)
Did you hear the one about Bob Novak, Victoria Toensing, and a desperate attempt at reputation rehab?
Mark Mansfield, Hayden's public affairs officer, e-mailed me next: "At CIA, you are either a covert or an overt employee. Ms. Wilson was a covert employee." (emphasis mine, but directly quoted from Novak's column today)
Well, so much for the attempt at muddying the waters, Bob. You'll pardon me if I find your word, the word of Rep. Pete "never met a bad news report I couldn't suppress" Hoekstra's word, or the word of Victoria "Goldwater Girl" Toensing less than credible. There's always back-up singing for David Hasselhoff, though. Could be a step up from the political hackery gutter for you…
Related posts:
Spotlight
Support this site!
Subscribe to the newsletter
Advertise on Firedoglake
Send
us your tips
Make us your homepage
About Firedoglake
Advanced search
zed-dom?
Christy!
’scuse me whilst I carve a notch in the keyboard…
There’s always back-up singing for David Hasselhoff, though. Could be a step up from the political hackery gutter for you…
But how would he play in Germany?
Christy!!!
Novakula who?
ok – back to work for me.
Any subpoena’s issued yet this mornin’?
And we’ll nominate Nancy Pelosi as the overt agent…
Oh god, it’s the Hoff. (Top mondegreen: ‘Secret Asian Man’.)
I couldn’t help myself. This video and Bob Novak had to be linked together. It was clearly fate that led me to it this morning.
hehehehehehehe
That and an overwhelmingly evil streak…
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c…..013586.php
Josh Marshall reports that Kyle Sampson will go back up to the Hill tomorrow for a “voluntary follow-up interview.”
Reading between the lines – what does this mean?
Is Sampson trying to line up his story with Gonzalez because Gonzalez and his team have decided on a strategy for his upcoming testimony?
Or is Sampson ready to dish more dirt in order to pull his prior testimony out of perjury land – similar to Karl going back to the GJ several times?
Last word 8 now reported dead in the Iraqi Parliament bombing. On NPR Condi Rice’s reaction: there will be good days and bad days. The Secretary of State is apparently still on vacation, from reality.
Gonzales.
I don’t know, Christy. That’s a pretty deep gutter. He’d need a stepladder, or maybe even a cherry-picker to get out of that one.
Although, to be fair, I’m sure Novak knows several folks at the White House who know all about cherry-picking.
“Interrupted by a man crouching at my feet” kinda sets the stage, huh?
Christy Hardin Smith @ 9
evil’s OK…in moderation that is!
Biodun @ 12
Got it. Can I still call him Abu?
Liz Cheney seems to have a lot of time on her hands. Time enough to compose op-ed pieces for Fred Hiatt’s li’l propaganda operation.
Since Liz is obviously looking for things to do, maybe Daddy could use some help searching for emails over at the White House.
Wasn’t Hillary a AUH2O gurrl? Perhaps the Senator still is (Iraq).
Christy Hardin Smith @ 9
“hehehehehehehe”?
I always thought it was “Bwwwaaahhhaaahhhaaahhhaaahhhaaha!”
Condi has become an anachronism- a babbling idiot of a secretary of state who continues to mouth four year old platitudes and lies as a substitute for doing anything.
The truth is- Clusterfuck ain’t doin a damn thing about Iraq- the new “stratergy” is just the OLD stratergy in new bottles. He’s got a new general- and wants to imply that the problem was the old general- who was the most brilliant man walking the earth until he left.
This pathetic herd of rats is lining up- talkin out of one side of their mouth while they argue for a space on the lifeboats out of the other. The ship is SINKING- and the captain’s DRUNK!
Loo Hoo @ 14
With a humpback who answered to the name I-gor.
Hugh @ 11:
As I said last thread: It’s time for Madame (no, make that Ms.) Rice to make another junket to the Middle East.
ADDITION: Maybe this time she’ll also stroll through the Shorta Market in Baghdad on a Sunday. Might as well: The Green Zone is not safe anymore. Actually, has never been safe. To say differently: The Green Zone has always operated under the illusion of security.
*xyz @ 16:
By all means…*g*
Condo Leasa will ride a tank through the Green Zone ta prove how safe it is.
Kyle Samson :== Alexander Butterfield?
(Be still, my foolish heart)
“Leahy has not issued any subpoenas, but permission by his committee Thursday would give him authority to require testimony from all eight of the fired U.S. attorneys and several White House and Justice Department officials named in e-mails made public as having had roles in the firings.”
AP
*xyz @
10
Mmnn, strong with that one, the Kool-Aid is. Sampson has probably been ‘tasked’ with laying the foundation. It sounds like poor Alberto is going to need every ounce of help he can get!
What is Senator Clinton’s prescription for peace in the Middle East? I’m thinkimg it’s time to get down to issues.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 18
Yeppers. At Wellesley at least, IIRC
Christy,
How does one get the Hoff to do a parody? Of himself? The unintentional comedy in this is OFF teh scale.
Sen Leahy has a statement up at the Judiciary Committee website re: subpoenas.
http://judiciary.senate.gov/me…..it_id=2629
John McCain and Lindsay Graham could get a better price today at the “slightly damaged rug sale” in Bagdad.
You can’t make this stuff up. Every day there’s something disclosed from all corners about this corrupt and criminal administration. From AP:
Who are the shareholders of WaPo? And don’t they care that Fred Hyatt is turning the paper into a laughingstock?
In the paper biz, I’d imagine a huge part of your valuatiuon is credbility, and over the past 6 years, theirs has tanked. Even tweety said so.
There are still some fantastic reporters doing great work, but if the place continues to whore itself to the neo-cons, I’d imagine they’ll start ditching ship. Then what?
I can’t imagine any good reason for Hyatt to be running that place.
Picking up the theme from the last thread, this is another case of partisan Washington hacks who construct their own private reality and then curse any fact that doesn’t fit with it.
squirrel hiller @ 32
That’s as may be, but y’know when you factor in how expensive it is to remove human bloodstains, it’s a wash.
Hey johnSwifty:
Long time no see at the Lake. Maybe you’ve been here when I haven’t. And vice-versa.
Why hasn’t Robert Novak been indicted for treason? [CHS edit: no prison rape jokes. It’s not funny. Period.]
Who knew that Novakula, Hoekstra and Toe-stink would still be trying to sell that old canard that Valerie was just a soccer-mom whose team played at the CIA?
Kinda like those folks who are always trying to re-fight the Civil War…oops, since that is one of the Repugs primary political principle, I guess I should use a different analogy.
How about: Kinda like sayin’ Up is Down, In is Out, Wrong is Right…oops, there’s another one of the Repugs primary political principles.
Dagnabbit! I’m stuck here ’cause every stupid analogy seems to be a Repug primary political principle.
Who knew?
S.O.S. from MA @ 36
“That’s as may be, but y’know when you factor in how expensive it is to remove human bloodstains, it’s a wash.”
ha, very punny, but, sadly true.
Biodun @ 37
Hey Biodun,
I’ve had some big projects this quarter. Unfortunately I live in the world where budgets are approved for new fiscal calendars and the early bird gets the worm.
As such, I am deathly afraid of the Lake. As you know, once you fall in, it is so very difficult to climb back out. The water is too fine!
What is this BS by Novak? Covert, undercover and clantestine all mean about the same, dont’ they? Does the CIA have a special dictionary with their own definitions in it?
“It’s OK to talk about her, she’s only covert,” it’s not OK to talk about her, she’s undercover.”
I don’t get it. No rehab possible with Toensing, Novak et al.
Urban Pirate -
I have long suspected several WaPo key players are involved in a selling short gambit
wiki
no finance geek to date has disabused my illiterate ass of that notion
We’ve got nearly two years left of this particular band of criminals in the White House. We’re gonna be treated to “investigations” the whole damned time- and new discoveries- and crimes and shit where the gold oughta be.. We’re gonna discover over and over again that these bastards traded political power for campaign cash- turned the power back into cash- and repeated as necessary. The entire six years has been a grand attempt to buy political power with YOUR money!!!!
They stole yer wallet to finance stealin more from ya.
They made up a fuckin story about Iraq to allow the oil companies and para military companies to make billions off a war that was always a joke.
If these be christians- send me pagans please!
HI Christy,
Thanks for the laugh. I needed it this morning. The front page of the NY TImes made me furious with their article about voter fraud.
Here is a choice piece of hooey from the piece:
“Mistakes and lapses in enforcing voting and registration rules routinely occur in elections, allowing thousands of ineligible voters to go to the polls. But the federal cases provide little evidence of widespread, organized fraud, prosecutors and election law experts said.
“There was nothing that we uncovered that suggested some sort of concerted effort to tilt the election,” Richard G. Frohling, an assistant United States attorney in Milwaukee, said.”
Well, of course they didn’t find much voter fraud. All they looked at was Democrates and minorities. It’s the GOP who have been supressing and subverting the vote for years. And there is lots of documentation. Just ask Conyers and the Black Caucus.
Guess this is just another example of the DOJ doing a job for Bush administration. Now we are all free to go back into the voting booth like good little God fearing automitons and be fooled again. What fun.
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04…..ref=slogin
Thanks for letting me get this off my chest, Christy.
I feel better.
Remember the concept of the “big lie”?
A lie so big that people cannot believe it isn’t true – because who would dare be so crazy as to lie so boldly and outlandishly?
Well, I think the Bush administration is breaking ground on the “big crime” concept.
The administration is breaking the law with total abandon while relying on the fig leaf of executive powers for cover.
The administration’s lawbreaking is so audacious and comprehensive that it has caused many to believe that the administration cannot actually be breaking the law – there must be some explanation, some exception that explains the disconnect between the law and the administration’s behavior(and for this, the administration usually hangs their hat on deceitful/disingenuous unitary-executive type protection claims).
What Novak, Krauthammer, and Toensing keep trying to sell is that, while Plame may have been “covert” in casual sense in which that word is often used, nevertheless she was not covered by the IIPA because she was not “covert” in the strict sense of that law. That’s their story and they’re sticking to it.
But, no matter how thin you slice it, it’s still baloney. Here is how the IIPA defines “covert”:
And:
(i) IIRC, there was testimony at the Libby trial that Plame’s association with the CIA was “classified.”
(ii) Plame herself subsequently testified to Congress she had served outside the United States during the five years prior to Novak’s publication of her affiliation with the CIA.
Hugh @ 35:
Reminder from Sid in Salon:
Building a political state is precisely constructing their own private reality. The federal government is everybody else’s reality.
Diane Gurien @ 38
EPU’d, anent the recent attempted whitewash (by the feckless Richard Cohen of the WaPo) of the Plame outing by claiming no crime was committed and that grandfatherly gossippy Dick Armitage was the only one who squealed, and that only to Admin tool and “Johnalist” Bob Woodward:
A bit OT, but since we’re sharing spew worthy links, try this if you need a laugh.
Ferrell as Bush on Global Warmings
rwcole @ 44
“If these be christians- send me pagans please!”
these are the kind of christians who have the inside of their bible cut out in the shape of an AK 47.
TiredFed @ 30
Sen Leahy has a statement up at the Judiciary Committee website re: subpoenas.
http://judiciary.senate.gov/me…..it_id=2629
Serious Senatorial Snark.
ok- now back to work – really – I mean it this time….
TiredFed @
26
ThinkProgress recently posted the following:
Senate Judiciary Committee authorizes subpoenas
Seated at the Washington Gridiron Club dinner on March 31, I was interrupted by a man crouching at my feet and dressed Air Force formal with the four stars of a full general.
OH, Margaret… Has there ever been a more blatant example of an opening line written by a man with his pants on the floor around his ankles?
Keep your filthy little fantasies to yourself, Bob. This shit is just plain embarrassing.
Go Pat!
President Bush and his spokespeople continue to tell the American people that the Attorney General enjoys his confidence and support, so the Attorney General must represent the standards this President expects.
rwcole @ 44
As far as I can see, these be not Christians.
Sure, that’s what they claim, but why should you believe them on this, when everything else they say is suspect (as you so accurately note)?
Peterr @ 56
When will Christians stand up and stop allowing Bush to pretend to be one?
She was really covert! No kidding! I am shocked. SHOCKED I tell you.
What is WRONG with these people?? Under the IIPA, there is a specific legal definition of “covert” that is very stringent in order to make prosecuting someone criminally for disclosing this information very difficult (since, after all, we’re still supposed to be a “free” society; 1st Amendment and all that), balanced against the needs of the intelligence community to keep us safe.
I don’t know whether Valerie Plame Wilson’s position at the time of the “outing” fits under that stringent definition, ie. whether anyone could be successfully prosecuted under the IIPA for it.
HOWEVER, she was indeed undercover, or “covert” in the more generally-understood dictionary definition of the term, and as such her status would of course be CLASSIFIED information, and as such, SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN REVEALED TO SCORE CHEAP POLITICAL POINTS BY HER OWN GOVERNMENT, endangering her, her family, her contacts, her co-workers, Brewster Jennings, and all our anti-proliferation intelligence. Anyone who did any such thing should, at the least, lose their security clearance, preferably be fired (after all, they all signed those non-disclosure agreements), and ultimately, if possible, be prosecuted.
And OF COURSE people at the CIA are either “overt” or “covert” — how could you be anything in between? It would be like being a little bit pregnant…
The primary issue facing us is, who do we want as our next president?
Oklahoma kiddo @ 60
… and how soon?
rwcole @ 44
And I think the recent ‘disappearance’ of any email that Karl Rove may have sent from his RNC accounts in direct violation of any laws requiring administration officials to keep *all* correspondence; well, that is certainly a harbinger of things to come as well. The only question I have for our legal eagles is what is the recourse?
These guys get a single tune and they play it to death. We will hear the ’stonewalling’ tune again and again. Things that shouldn’t be lost, will be. Answers that should be given, won’t be. Over site that is starting new, will be thwarted at every turn. What is the legal recourse?
Oklahoma kiddo @ 60
We want Gore, Feingold, Leahy, Waxman or Pelosi.
“Victoria Toensig, an expert in national security law . . . “
_______________________________________________
But, apparently not an expert in Directorate of Operations classification protocol.
Mebbe she should just shut the f**k up.
rebmarks @ 58
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I maintain that Plame was “covert” in the sense that that term is defined in the IIPA. (See my comment @47)
johnSwifty @ 62
We all know it… some are afraid to say it (fortunately, not too many FirePups in that number)… Investigation and Impeachment!
Slightly OT but still interesting – Read an article this morning about Lee Iacocca’s new book “Where Have All The Leaders Gone”. This is the man who was doing campaign commercials here in Michigan for Dick DeVos, a man who almost ran on the Repug ticket for president after he “saved” Chrysler. I had to share this quote from the first page of the book -
“We’ve got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we’ve got corporate gangsters stealing us blind and we can’t even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car.”
Badwater @ 57
When will the media quit turning to Robertson, Dobson, & Co. for the “Christian” viewpoint?
But in all seriousness, lots of folks are trying, but don’t have the kind of megaphone that gets enough attention.
So we keep trying.
S.O.S. from MA @ 61
… and how soon?
There must be a new vice president, first.
carolyn urban @ 63
Or Edwards.
Hugh @
11
Getting a sick feeling…I said a few days ago that this thing has the potential of becoming Fall-of-Saigon Evac plus Blackhawk Down.
Really, really hoping I’m wrong. Think I’ll put off reading the Green Zone Bombing story for awhile.
carolyn urban @ 63
I like what you’re telling us. ;0)
carolyn urban @ 63
You going to get one or all of them to run?
jayt @ 52
Serious Senatorial Snark.
ok- now back to work – really – I mean it this time….
yeah. me too. I really mean it this time. (NOT)
As far as the whacked editorial position of the WaPo–might it have something to do with college lending and the WaPo’s financial reliance/dependence on Kaplan Education?
Dee @ 70
How sweet it is! ;0)
There’ll be a new president in January of 09. In the meantime- we provide for your listening pleasure- the death throes of the current White House Occupant!
S.O.S. from MA @ 66
We all know it… some are afraid to say it (fortunately, not too many FirePups in that number)… Investigation and Impeachment!
THAT’S what I wanna hear! Thank you.
I bet we hear it more and more from stranger sources in the days to come. Eventually, even the most staunch Grand Old Republican’s must come to some level of realization that allowing the Bush Administration to slink off into the night will forever be a massive stain on the institution of our constitutional government. And that just isn’t good for business on either side of the fence (unless the business was always intended to be a new fascist state).
Oklahoma kiddo @ 60
you mean like NOW?
Texas Betsy @ 73
;0)!
rwcole @
44
I’d be delighted!
rwcole, what a great pleasure to introduce you to my friends in reclaiming
I doubt Leahy would run – he’s got his hands on the gavel again and a lot of important work to do. Feingold has already signalled that he will not run. Pelosi and Waxman, probably the same – they are both in a good place right now doing excellent work.
That leaves Gore. And Edwards, Dee, true.
And that’d be fine by me.
RNC/WH E Mails -
I have called and faxed both Senate and House Chairs advising them to tear a page from WH playbook and simply go around them -
go straight to the NSA
have been scouring toobz since yesterday – IANAL or a policy wonk but can not find anything that would prevent them from getting everything they need from NSA –
there are numerous statutory barriers to us as private citizens getting FOIA info from them – but all of them involve national security and methods – can’t find anything in Patriot Act, Privacy Act, or the other statutes that would pre empt a Congressional Chair
and, I’d play a little poker with them and tell ‘em I’d already been to the NSA ;)
Badwater @ 69
There must be a new vice president, first.
you are SO right.
OT- Sen. Kerry is wrapping up a speech on the senate floor, smacking down McCain for his VMI speech yesterday.
i The primary issue facing us is, who do we want as our next president?
___________________
Not really. With the time left, these bastards can still do a lot of damage.
The primary issue is getting rid of this one,
Or, at least, neutering him for the duration of term
rwcole @ 77
And also the plaintive wails of George H.W. Bush as he comes to terms with the notion that his dim oldest son has messed up the chances of Jeb or any other Bush ever becoming President.
Senator Kerry on C-Span 2. May be winding down.
Speaking of next president: Hillary is working hard on that. From AP:
Hispanic vote? Fat chance. Black vote? How fast can you say Obama?
TiredFed @ 79
Yes, maybe. ;0)
They’re Christians alright. Lest we forget, Christians have been kicking *ss in the name of Christ for two thousand years.
I still don’t see where the “confusion” is. A CIA lawyer says in no uncertain terms that she was covert. Hayden says he’s “comfortable” with that statement. At no point does Novak say that Hayden or anyone else connected to the CIA has ever said that she was NOT covert. As far as I can tell, they don’t even say that she MIGHT not have been covert. No one at the CIA seems to be at all confused about her status. The only debate seems to be about what Hayden TOLD various people about her status. There’s a big difference between saying that you didn’t say something and saying that something isn’t true. They can split hairs all they want, but even Novak says that a CIA lawyer has written that Plame was “covert”. Is there ANYONE at the CIA who says that she wasn’t? My only confusion is about Novak’s headline, because I don’t see where the confusion is here.
Senator Dorgan on C-Span 2 now.
Bear in mind that an official loses his/her pardonability in cases of impeachment, and impeachment requires only a simple majority vote in the House. Nixon preserved his pardonability by resigning prior to impeachment and was subsequently pardoned by Ford. I’m suggesting that Pelosi offer Bush and Cheney a twofer, and get them to hell out of there. Later on the World Court can have their way witht them.
Badwater @ 87
Indeed.
Lets have a round of a applause for the Extirpation of the Famiglia’s Political Seed.
TiredFed @ 31
I liked this Leahy thought:
Just beginning to . . .?
Re: Hispanic vote and Dems:
My bold. Hillary might have to learn to speak Spanish first. After all, in 2004, The Dunce got 44 percent of the Hispanic vote, probably because of his garbled Spanish, er, Mexican, as he once called the language.
squirrel hiller @ 51: these are the kind of christians who have the inside of their bible cut out in the shape of an AK 47.
Like this?
I read the whole column.
Its pretty clear what Novak is doing here and it is not trying to salvage his rep. He is, very clearly, just attempting to muddy the “covert status” waters even more.
He is jumping through a lot of hoops to get to his closing sentence:
This is a snarky quote, implying that Waxman, bullied his wat to the “covert” word while giving some cover to Hayden.
Once a douche.. always a douche.
1. This is off-subject, and I apologize, but: there has been a huge, no, a MASSIVE security lapse in the Green Zone today, and according to Mr. Hugh, our Sec of State tells us “there will be good days & bad days”????? Bullshit. Her sorry ass should’ve been PARKED in an emergency meeting of the National Security Council to get to the bottom of this news. Interviews with NPR are fine, but not when there’s just been this type of MASSIVE security problem over there.
What next? Sadly, I’ll tell you what’s next: “tomorrow”, (not in literal sense) tomorrow a massive bomb will go off in the Zone’s military barracks…filled with AMERICAN soldiers. Tomorrow, a bomb will go off at lunchtime in a cafeteria…filled with AMERICAN soldiers.
And all Condi can do is go on NPR radio talking about bad & good days??? These SOBs are going to get a bunch more of our boys killed while they sit on their asses. And yes, I’m pissed.
2. I’m better now- on this article, I am amazed at how these idiots keep playing political games over our intel personnel. As for Ms. VT, she helped write the laws….has she stopped to think that maybe the REAL problem, revealed thru the Libby matter, is that she did a pretty piss-poor job in the language of said statute? But I guess such honest evaluation is beyond her.
Ghostman
Lets have a round of a applause for the Extirpation of the Famiglia’s Political Seed.
Amen, brother. It can’t be soon enough. HW Bigot’s little brown one will have a turn though, I fear. He must be near 30 years old, by now.
TiredFed @
31
I Especially liked this portion. The kitchen is getting hotter.
IANAL but it seems to me he is laying some legal ground here for defending the pending subpoena.
Wigwam @ 93
start with Abu and Rove for practice. then move on to the big fish.
Frank Probst @ 91
Novak, Krauthammer, and Toensing are saying that there’s “covert” and then there’s “covert in the sense of the IIPA.” Even some commenters her seem to think that she might not have been covert in that stricter sense. I strongly disagree — see comments 64 and 47.
biff diggerence @ 95
Hey! I called dibs on “extirpation” a couple daze back, IIRC! :)
And to whomever said that it depends on some Goopers realizing that the Boy King is going down, truer words were never spake.
You watch — as soon as Himself loses a crucial vote by a margin that will prevent his veto, it will loose the Dogs of Impeachment throughout the land and all the inhabitants thereof. And that date is coming, and that date is accelerating toward us with each horrific death in Iraq and with each horrific revelation of the sins of the Bush Crime Family.
I love my country and its Constitution!
Meanwhile, MoDo is back, a little up to speed with her usual self:
(NYTimes link behind TimesSelect firewall.)
OFF TOPIC:
Why haven’t I seen THIS in any other newspaper today?
Report: Israeli jets almost fire on Continental flight
JERUSALEM — Israeli air force fighter planes scrambled Wednesday to intercept a U.S. airliner after it lost communications with air controllers, security officials said.
The Continental passenger plane was flying in from the United States when it lost contact. Following anti-terror procedures, two Israeli warplanes intercepted the plane and guided it back over the Mediterranean Sea until communications were restored, Channel 10 TV reported.
Houston-based Continental said the problem appeared to stem from difficulty in one Israeli air traffic controller handing off to another.
The flight, Continental Flight 90, was a Boeing 777 with 251 passengers from New York/Newark, spokesman Dave Messing said. The plane landed safely at Tel Aviv at 4:30 p.m., he said.
“Apparently prior to arrival, ‘air traffic control’ authorities believed they had not received all necessary communications from the aircraft according to regular arrival procedures,” Continental said in a prepared statement.
As a result, the Israeli air force contacted the aircraft and escorted it toward landing at Tel Aviv airport, the carrier said.
“After a brief review of the situation between the Continental crew and local officials, the aircraft was cleared for arrival and passengers deplaned normally. Continental is reviewing the circumstances to determine why Israel thought this arrival was nonstandard,” the company said in the statement.
Israeli media reported later Wednesday that the air force planes were close to opening fire on the airliner when it restored contact. The pilot was interrogated after landing.
In 1973, Israeli air force planes shot down a Libyan passenger plane that strayed over Israeli-controlled territory, killing more than 100 passengers and crew and triggering wide international criticism.
S.O.S. from MA @ 105
As do I.
No intentional plagiarism on extirpate, btw. I missed it.
Call the waaaaaaambulance: somebody’s not getting enough attention!!!
As if the DCI is supposed to jump when roots-impaired political nutjobs write letters.
Wigwam @ 104
I would expect that a “CIA lawyer” would understand this. That is, after all, their job. According to Novak, it was a CIA lawyer that wrote that she was “covert”. If someone is going to insist that she wasn’t “covert in the sense of the IIPA”, they should say why. And Toensing’s “Because I said so. And I knew Barry Goldwater.” doesn’t cut it.
TeddySanFran @ 109
I would assume they have a blanket policy about not answering hate-mail.
rwcole @
44
Which brings me to a couple of points I’ve wanted to raise anyway:
All federal elections should be paid for by the government-period. No opting out,and absolutely no corporate contributions.Individual contributions should be capped at $500 and indexed for inflation. Before the “we can’t possibly afford that crowd” gets going consider this. Lobbying by the tobacco industry cost the government (that’s us, remember?) 120 billion dollars alone.
In addition, the current system mandates fundraising virtually 24/7 if you plan on returning to your seat in the next election cycle(especially in the House). There’s literally precious little time to actually do their jobs.
Now onto big oil. The US ought to go into the refining business since the major players have such a problem keeping refineries open.
Seriously.
Declare it’s a matter of national security, which it certainly is, and find someone with a calendar to run it that will (get this novel concept) make more driving fuel in the summer months and more heating oil in the winter months instead of being so surprised every year at these entirely predictable events.
More MoDo (no more, I promise):
My bold. She probably meant to say “potency.”
(NYTimes link behind TimesSelect firewall.)
Biodun @ 106
This could explain why many Republican women are so frustrated. They have been deprived of the bristly excitement of hearing their men on the stump delivering great speeches for quite some time now. …
Which definitely explains why so many wimminz I know are so hot for Fitz, Feingold, hell even Waxman, Levin, Leahy, Kucinich, and many of the current Dem candidates. Crikey, even *I* will confess to a man-crush on some of ‘em. :)
rwcole @ 44
You rang?
(Is anyone else in the Lake Pagan?)
I’m getting very tempted to petition Themis for redress with regard to the current oathbreakers in office…
Victoria Toensing’s Congressional hearing “host,” ranking minority member GOP Rep. Tom Davis, will chat at WaPoO today at 2pm eastern. Questions accepted anytime.
TeddySanFran @ 116
What does it feel like to be one of the few rats left on the ship? Do you wonder where all of your friends have gone?
Breaking: Leahy, “They are liars, ” via TPM
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c…..013591.php
biff diggerence @ 108
No intentional plagiarism on extirpate, btw. I missed it.
Quite so. I think all of us here consider ourselves patriots and defenders of the Constitution. As far as the extirpation thingie, no worries; note the :) m’friend! :)
Frank Probst @ 110
Exactly!! It’s time for WaPo’s stable of wingnut columnists to put up or shut up. And, for Waxman to call Victoria back and ask her to show cause as to why she shouldn’t be cited for perjury. She claimed under oath to know for a fact that Plame is not covert in the sense of the IIPA. It’s time for someone to call her bluff.
BTW: at least twice now, Novak has waxed indignant that Waxman even hinted that Toensing’s testimony might be at odds with reality.
Does DOJ know what it is doing? Probably not.
From The Hill:
Link
lolo @ 118
Migod, I loves me some Leahy! MA goombye, VT here I come! :)
AzMatt,
thanks for that . fyi – Democracy 21 sent their letter 2 weeks ago
Frank Probst @
92
This whole thing is like walking through a carnival fun house of mirrors.
Is the CIA sticking (likely under pressure from Cheney?) to the story that because Plame’s status was classified, they can’t publically admit that she was “covert” in the real sense of the word? The lame rational being that they would never admit it, because a it might endanger her overseas intelligence contacts?
Does this sound plausible?
Senator Grassley is on the Senate floor..quoting a blogger named “Bluebird” *S*
The writer was deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs from 2002 through 2003 and principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs from 2005 to 2006.
The description of Liz Cheney at the end of her op-ed piece, no mention of who daddy is.
Oh man, a friend sent me something really scary. And I thought Ted Stevens was uh, uninformed.
I notice that OUR TeddySanFran was first in line to comment on Lizzie’s op-ed. Good Job!!
Way OT, and maybe even way over the line for FDL, but why not invite Lee Iacocca[sp] to book solon?
*going to hide in the corner now, and dodging the brickbats*
pseudonymous in nc @ 8
Don’t know what mondegreen means — but my husband (of Asian descent) really did think the chorus was “Secret Asian Man”. Always cracks me up when I hear the song.
mui @ 127
I notice that was filmed in front of the Alamo. Those folks were probably Bush supporters.
AZ Matt @ 126
Larry Birkhead?
Wigwam @
94
I did not know that, Wigwam. What positions within the admin are impeachable. Feel free to name names!
Also, does the house have to be public about an impeachment vote? Could they do in a way that would not give them time to resign? Who accepts the resignation, and could a resignation be refused in favor of impeachment?
Long as the world court can have it’s day…
Tried to send an email to the White House from its web page. I was curious to know how the press briefing would handle the missing emails. Got an “undeliverable” notice in return. Anyone else wanna try to send a note? comments@whitehouse.gov
From urban dictionary.com:
sofistic @ 129
No brickbat, but simply an observation. Generally speaking, I recall Jane saying early on that the book salon choices are designed to help give exposure to writers who are overlooked in the mainstream publishing and book review circles. Iacocca will not be overlooked, and will have no problems getting publicity for his thoughts elsewhere.
Undercover or covert, either way her identity was being concealed due to the sensitive nature of her work, and it’s national security implications. Exposing her thus ending her ability to continue her work in counter proliferation aimed at protecting our nation is treason. Someone get the blindfolds and the cigarettes.
Instead of splitting hairs over the question of undercover or covert, the question should be regular or menthol?
sofistic @
129
I thought he was dead.
laurie9 @ 130
A “mondegreen” is a mis-heard word or phrase in a song. It comes from a folksong about the “Bonnie Earl of Murray:”
“They have slain the Earl of Murray
and laid him on the green“
Some listeners misconstrue the italicized words into “and Lady Mondegreen.”
Thus, we have mondegreens…
Peterr @ 68
Peterr, I don’t know how to take Robertson down. I do know how to take Dobson down.
He began his Reichwing career near my home, and many the Dobson-bots (senior clergy) are still there: right in the LA media market.
And the Dobson-bots have names and addresses and private homes.
And they have lent their names to and purchased those very expensive names in fine neighborhoods with the proceeds from Dobson’s message of hate and intolerance for LGBT youth.
Dobson works closely with the senior GOP/Reichwing strategists, including weekly meetings.
He “offered up” LGBT youth to the wingers as another “threat”.
(The rethugs’ prime objective of simply looting the Treasury for the upper 0.5% didn’t do well in focus groups – or elections – so the Rethugs cloaked the goal in spurious “threats”.
War on Nicaragua. War on Grenada. We have enemies every where.
Here at home, loathsome enemies – the LGBT – are attacking our families.)
So Dr. Dobson told us as Reagan and Rethugs gained power:
the Reichwing needed the culture wars to divert us from their looting.
LGBT youth were Dr. Dobson’s sacrifices in the war….
the war to give more of the US Treasury to the uber-rich and the megacorps.
But many of those LGBT youth have grown up here in the Bay Area. Fine, articulate people – who still grieve for the family ties incinerated by Dobson’s hate campaigns.
And they can walk up to the front doors of the stately homes the Dobson-bots reside in…
With pictures of the loved ones who cast them out…
Because of Dr. Dobson’s “Christian” work.
Where he chose to leave out the “forgiveness” part.
Walking up to the Dobson-bots’ front doors with a camera crew isn’t pretty, but it is legal.
And human tragedy sucks in the media flies.
Can’t wait for the crew to start following LGBT Christians “orphaned” by their own families to visit Dr. Dobson’s clergy – in their family homes.
Call the cops – TV news story.
Shut the door on the Christian orphans – still TV news.
Bring them in and talk – less powerful TV news images. More powerful story line for video narrative.
Dr. Dobson is the pervert, not the LGBT youth.
Rev. Dr. Dobson willingly perverted his religion and “family values” to serve GOP one-party rule.
All of his paid clergy still earn money helping to destroy LGBT families.
All of his paid clergy have their homes because they’ve joined Dr. Dobson in his perversions; embracing his perversion has brought great material rewards.
Focus on the families of Dr. Dobson’s willing accomplices will tank his media cred.
Right wing preacher confronted by families he wrecked! Stay tuned for local news!
Can’t wait to see the Dobson-bots opening their front doors to meet the children from the families Dobson targeted for
destruction“Focus”.Thanks Biodun and Brisingamen, for the mondegreen definition. Now that you mention it, I recall a Late Nite thread here a while back on this topic, which I enjoyed at the time.
Gotta love Doonesbury this morning – President Pelosi — Doonesbury in Vermont
AZ Matt @ 116, who be Liz Cheney’s Daddy? Daddy War-buck$.
LooHoo@133
YooHoo, got your love note *g* EPU’d from late night.
lolo
Sally @ 143
He certainly has more “War-buck$” now than before!
laurie9 at 141 — You mean this thread? *G* (always happy to help with a snicker…)
OT
“Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame: A long way from Washington
By DEBORAH BAKER | Associated Press
April 11, 2007
SANTA FE — In this liberal-leaning tourist town known for its handmade turquoise-and-silver jewelry, Joseph Wilson has just bought his wife something special in a downtown shop: a red-and-blue pin that reads, “I’m not anti-Bush. I’m pro-intelligence.”
Wilson and his wife, outed CIA spy Valerie Plame, are finally getting a chance to unwind. Three weeks ago, they arrived at their new 4,600-square-foot hilltop adobe home and have traded in their Jaguar for a pickup truck. Their 7-year-old twins already have found new friends and spotted three snakes.
There’s a book deal in the works, a movie on the horizon, and a pending federal lawsuit that names Vice President Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and others.”
http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/60038.html
S.O.S. from MA @ 122
SOS from MA: you and me both. Love Leahy. My son and I ran into him a couple times coming out of our little village church. This was back when my son was a small guy and would wear a little bow tie to church. I’d nudge my son and say “There’s our Senator! Look him in the eye, hon, and shake his hand!” We never missed an opportunity to thank him for his efforts.
Novak’s and Toensing’s gnashing on this well-chewed bone seems to reveal only this essential truth:
Whoever drafted the IIPA, it bears little relation to CIA operations and personnel classifications; the law has proven unusable when operatives’ identities are actually revealed.
If Vicki played any part in drafting the law (which I seriously doubt) will she now confess to writing a BAD LAW?
Thought not.
Garry Trudeau joins me in thinking Pelolsi will do just fine as president.
TeddySanFran @ 132
A HUGE thank-you for my laugh of the day, TeddySanFran. Brilliant!
Brisingamen,
I’m not a Pagan, but I read the DaVinci Code and I saw the Wicker Man ;) I have nearly finished reading The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. I recommend it. It is a thought-provoking and enjoyable read.
I wish they would stop using this term, and say “betrayed” instead.
White House briefing is up I believe on CSPAN 1.
Fresh thread, up and ready for the reading for everyone. Good stuff from Tula today — do go and say howdy! Thanks!
FYI, new thread
new Tula thread…
Kirk @ 140
Sounds great!.
When I was in the midwest, our local school district had consultant interview various focus groups in anticipation of a property tax increase appearing on the ballot. I was one of several folks on a “clergy” panel. At the end of the discussion, we were asked if there was anything else any of us wanted to raise. I said “Yes, I’ve got something. In contrast to what you hear from the TV preachers, I would LOVE it if the schools taught more sex ed, more acceptance of gays and lesbians, and much much more than ‘don’t have sex’. GLBT kids are at a much higher risk of suicide, based not on their orientation but on the way society treats them, and I do not want to have to do another funeral for a gay kid who felt so ostracized that this was the only way he thought he could find peace.”
There was an “Amen” from one of the black preachers across the table, and nods from a couple of other white clergy. The fundies, OTOH, examined their shoes. Silently.
Put a face on it, and call hate for what it is. That’s what Vivian Stringer did to Imus, and I’d love to see it happen to Dobson.
Ben Sargent Cartoon on Bush
Luckovich on The Bushies
My favorite Leahy line,
“What has led the Administration…”
hackworth @ 152
WRT Wicker Man, did you see the original with Christopher Lee as the Lord of Summerisle, or last year’s pallid remake?
I am losing my mind but doesnt the word Covert a synonym of Undercover???????
—Synonyms 1. concealed, covert, clandestine, hidden
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/covert
Please compare:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/undercover
Are these people crazy ?
Thanks peterr! And good on you for carrying Jesus’ message where it most needs to be heard.
I’ve been asking around my LGBT activist friends, and there isn’t (yet) an organized campaign to bring the LGBT Chistians “orphaned” by Dr. Dobson’s hate preaching (and hate preachers) to their tormentors’ front doors.
They loved the campaign and tactic immediately, but are buried with other camapaigns. They also pointed out (and I agreed) the strongest campaigns self-organize. Their ideal was a campaign organzed by LGBT young adults “orphaned” by the hate preachers and by progressive Christian clergy. As I’ve not the honor of being in either category, I’m not the logical organizer.
But I’d be tickled to help with planning, trainings, etc as soon as any organizer asked…..
Best organizers I know got up one morning and said “No one else is getting this done – so I will.”
I love helping those new to organizing pick up the basic techniques – hope I get asked to the dance when planning for the “Dobsons’ orphans” campaign starts.
Peterr @ 158
Yesterday’s Raw Story had a picture of a frightened Iraqi girl, probably 2-3 yrs old crouching, crying, by a bloody wall.
I couldn’t read the front page because my eyes kept straying over to her eyes, looking right into the camera. Broke my heart and gave me nightmares.
I know humans have been doing horrible, unspeakable things to each other for eons, but I just don’t get it. I think I live in an alien universe. Who made up the ground rules in this hell-hole anyway and why haven’t we been able to change them in 50,000 years?
I don’t expect any answers. Just had to at least say something, for her sake.
For those of you wondering how one might combine Vonnegut, Gagarin, and the surgical treatment of premature babies here you go.
I try to make sense of this world in which hundreds of thousands of deaths make no sense except politically, while I try to save the lives of newborns one by one. This equation works better for those of us who are mentally ill. I don’t know how the rest of you are handling it.
In this hemisphere, so many resources have gone to military and space endeavors, while medical care, not so much. Wait…
If it’s all too much to handle, welcome to my world.
surfer—pretty good segueway between our comments.
kirk murphy—some of us are out here trying to carry out Jesus’ actual message about love your neighbor, love your enemy, heal the sick, blessed are the peacemakers, at some cost to the management.
AZ Matt @ 126
That’s because if it’s on the WaPo editorial page, the assumption is that you’re part of Dick’s extended family.
Hey Marcy
egregious @ 168
Hey there,
How’s the vodka treating you?
egregious @
166
Hi egregious — I’ve wanted to personally thank you for your good work for a long time. By the time I get an appropriate note written, things have moved on and the opportunity has passed. I’m with you in spirit tho’.
I love the smell of C-4 in the springtime.
Al Qaeda’s springtime offensive.
-GSD
Tis the season to lose all reason.
Marcy—off the hard stuff, but the wine is pleasant. A toast to your work. Are you following looseheadprop’s breadcrumbs re southern district of NY, she is sick. Hope somebody is picking up the raynes/reins here.
surfer, I’m still here and most grateful for your message. All such encouragement greatly appreciated, thank you!
egregious @ 166
egrgegious, I still believe the majority of Americans who describe themselves as Christian share the values that shine through in your work and peterr’s work.
The fact that the majority of Christian’s havent bought into the reichwings’ hate preachers gives me hope. And it clearly frightens the hate preachers’ funders – after billions spent attacking Americans’ progressive values, the vast majority of Americans still believe in feeding the hungry, helping the poor, housing the homeless, and caring for the ill and disabled.
The Reich’s once-mighty Wurlitzer has defiled our national discourse and disgraced our nation – but the majority of Americans kept their values despite the billions spent to destroy their values through fear and hatred.
Glad you and so many others do Christ’s living work while the hate preachers seek to pervert Christ’s message and pervert Christianity. They will fail – and people like you and peterr are two wonderful reasons for and exemplars of their ultimate defeat.
Matthew 25—the ultimate subversive text
egregious @ 172
Going to be. Lots of material with these Bushies.
Wigwam @ 65
Frankly, I think so too, but my point was not that she’s not covert under the IIPA, but even if that could not be proved, what was done to her (and to our country) was WRONG and contrary to their employment terms, and maybe even treasonous, and merits some punishment for the responsible parties. EVEN IF they plead stupidity rather than villainy — they should be stripped of clearance, fired, etc etc. because who wants someone so stupid working at high levels of government that they jeopardize our intelligence and by extension, our country?(Please, don’t get me started on GWB’s stupidity).
MArcy,
Left you a comment at TNH on Nelson’s going after DOJ. The was a story in The Hill today.
See my 121 on this thread.
*xyz @ 10
I think that’s the first cousin to “modified limited hang-out.” [Sorry, just a little inside joke for those of us ancient enough to remember Watergate. We have to have some rewards.]
Dang….!
There outta be a law against David Hasslehoff st!tting on the classics.
Dude, you are sooooooo not cool!
Christy –
Thanks for all the hard work. I have been a longtime “lurker” but wanted to add a comment to this one.
I feel there is something bigger going on with this. I think this is actually circling the wagons around Rove. I think, as many have speculated, that Rove made some kind of deal with Fitzgerald. I also have to think that the recently revealed “special rules” at the RNC for Rove’s e-mails may serve as a basis to vitiate any agreement. This is merely an effort by at least two of Rove’s closest allies in the smear machine (Novak and Toensing) to start claiming that IIPA does not apply to whatever will be coming out that Rove did.
I’d love your thoughts on this…