zed?

Is Gonzo making Ashcroft look like he was a competent AG?

JUSTICE!

and COFFEE!

and now off to work…

Christy I saw footage of flooding in W. VA last night, were you guys OK?

I was worried about you

The US doesn’t have a functioning government. It has a propaganda mill for the preservation of one man and one man alone.

6 years, not bad. 6 years to shatter one of the greatest experiments in world history.

-GSD

House Dems need to be held accountable, too — for investigating these crooks and liars to the bitter (for them) end. If they let up on these people, then they should be terminated in the ‘08 election.

EPU’d

Lou Costello @ 103

Jesterfox @ 49

Questions for Gonzales:
1) Who ordered the insertion of language into the Patriot Act re-authorization that allowed you to replace USA’s without Senate approval.
2) Why was this insertion kept secret?
3) Why was the person who inserted the language rewarded with a position as an USA?
4) When did the president ask you to replace some or all USA’s?
5) What did the president give you for criteria for selection of USA’s to fire.
6) Who else had input into this process and what criteria did they add?
7) What did the president give you for criteria for selection of replacements for the USA’s.
8) Who else had input to this process and what criteria did they add?
9) Who, besides the president, was involved in formulating and approving these lists?
10) Where are the approval documents?
11) When did the president approve the firings?
12) Where is the president’s approval document?
13) Why do you continue to act as the president’s council, instead of the Attorney General of the people of the United States?
14) How have you advised current USA’s to deal with the implications that they have become the prosecutorial arm of the Republican Party?
15) How many current and past cases have been put in jeopardy because of the appearance of political interference in the investigation or prosecution?

etc…

I’ve got one question for AGAG: “Can we see your diploma?”

That and what about the Texas JUVENILE SEX SCANDAL?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_9_GGmdiZM

Christy, could you please post something irrelevant and not compelling once in a while? How the heck are the rest of us going to get anything done if you keep hooking us? As I read the Gonzales statement, I kept trying to picture the group gathered around the table, crafting this deathless prose. I do think I detect the heavy hand of Karen Hughes with Rovian overtones. And you hafta wonder what made them sit back in their chairs, saying, “There. We nailed it!” Ah, in Wonderland, anything can happen. Hi ho, hi ho.

(Pls pardon OT… EPU’d)
——————————
Feeling adventuresome? Interested in who else is in the FDL community, and where they are? Maybe get in touch with them via anonymous message?

Check out this earlier FDL post.

Hope to see you on our unofficial FirePup map.
——————————
OBTW, too many map pins say “Independent.” I’ve a mind to delete them all. Watch the legend beneath the map.
——————————
(Further Off-OT): I predict that the FDL server will be sllloooowww during Gonzo’s testimony Tue 4/17. To try a FirePup chat that doesn’t impact this server, open a 2nd window and send it to http://gabbly.com/firedoglake.com .

lhp at 4 — We live up on a hill, so we’re in very good shape. No flooding at our house, but the rivers and creeks in the area are definitely pretty high at the moment. Most of the flooding was in other areas of the state, though.

Based upon the record as I know it, it appears that Alberto Gonzales is the worst attorney general of all time, breaking the record of John Mitchell. As far as I know.

Morning, Christy. Anybody think Bush will take questions today?

Badwater @ 2

Is Gonzo making Ashcroft look like he was a competent AG?

I must admit to a vauge disquietude at the switch, along the lines of ‘be careful what you wish for. . . ‘ Ashcroft was SO bad, it was hard not to feel relieved. But by then we had enough info to be uncertain about celebrating.

you let other people make the decision who to fire

Memo from the Annoying Grammar Weasel: whom to fire.

Wolfowitz won’t resign. Ditto Gonzales. Bush, Cheney, Rove, not a chance. It’s like your deadbeat brother-in-law along with all his loser buddies camp out in your house sponging off you & won’t leave.

Badwater @
2

Is Gonzo making Ashcroft look like he was a competent AG?

So it would seem. Ashcroft was a wingnutty kook, but as a former governor he at least had a modicum of administrative competence. Gonzales is just a clown. A sad, sad, clown.

two mail servers were used by the Republican National Committee and two Bush-Cheney 04 web sites: georgewbush.com and gwb43.com. The two mail servers are: 10 mailscan1.smartechcorp.net and 10 mailscan2.smartechcorp.net. The IP addresses for the two servers are: IP addresses are 64.203.97.101 and 64.203.98.245, respectively. Because they both have a “10″ priority that means that they backed each other up.

Another reader contacted Sen. Patrick Leahy’s office with detailed technical information on how to retrieve the missing e-mails from the servers involved in White House, Justice Department, and RNC inter-communications. That individual was given a brush-off by a Leahy staffer. If Leahy and his staff are waiting for the Bush administration to come up with the missing e-mails, they are sadly mistaken. Leahy’s staff needs a course in what phone calls to pay attention to. In the case referred to above, he and his staff flunk the test for Computer Forensics 101. this from WMR

He’s really going hard for the incompetence dodge. “I take full responsibility, but I’m not responsible for the firing of some of the most important employees I manage because I assumed my staff were doing a good job and signed whatever they put in front of me.”

Can there be any response to that other than “why should the taxpayers pay you a salary for a job that you’re obviously not doing?”

Redshift at 18 — Good summary. Pathetic, isn’t it?

Can the taxpayers get back the money Abu G collected in salary during his tenure?

GSD @ 5

The US doesn’t have a functioning government. It has a propaganda mill for the preservation of one man and one man alone.

6 years, not bad. 6 years to shatter one of the greatest experiments in world history.

-GSD

settle petal.
things do look a bit grim
but
you’re not dead yet.
not likely to be either by the look of it.

not improper
seem to be the words of the moment.
wolfowitz is using it as well.

hiding behind propriety
sheesh!

I’m tellin ya, they’re setting Gonzales up to take the fall. He’s going to resign, and the whole spin on this is going to be about poor, dumb, out-of-his-depth Alberto, rather than a systemic effort by the administration to game the entire DOJ.

ironranger @ 15

Wolfowitz won’t resign. Ditto Gonzales. Bush, Cheney, Rove, not a chance. It’s like your deadbeat brother-in-law along with all his loser buddies camp out in your house sponging off you & won’t leave.

In the case of Wolfowitz, at least, it fortunately isn’t Bush who makes the decision to fire him, it’s the World Bank board. According to the New Yorker article, his attitude toward the board has been “I’m not going to bother to ask them because they almost always approve what the World Bank president decides anyway.” I can’t imagine he has much goodwill with them.

Hey, Redshift (@18), great minds think alike!!

Like Rummy used to say…‘Go with what you’ve got!’
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/4/15/114515/619
*or something like that. With McCain goodness inside.

quote and comment taken from TPM’s document thread. It’s important to remember that they are trying to get us to focus on the process rather than the reasoning. This was about prosecuting Dems for political hay, pushing bogus voter fraud lawsuits to reduce Dem turnout, and most imprtantly, getting Carol Lam off her important investigation.

set 7 p36

email from Tasia Scolinos, on talking points for the congressional hearing with the 6 foired prosecutors is this quote

“Right now the coverage will be dominated by how qualified these folks were and
their theories for their dismissals. We are trying to muddy the coverage up a bit by
trying to put the focus on the process in which they were told – I suspect we are going to
get to the point where DOJ has to say this anyway. First, it is true. Second, we are
having morale problems with our other US Attorneys who understand the decision but think
that these folks were not treated well in the process.”

That attempt to muddy the waters by focusing on process, not the substance of why the attorneys were fired, has been a key strategy of the administration in their attempt to cover-up what happened. They continue muddying the waters today.

Posted by: MWS
Date: April 13, 2007 12:55 PM

Wolfowitz will need a job soon. Maybe he can be Attorney General.

Badwater @ 2

Is Gonzo making Ashcroft look like he was a competent AG?

Bush is making Nixon look like an ethical POTUS.

cleter @ 22

I’m tellin ya, they’re setting Gonzales up to take the fall. He’s going to resign, and the whole spin on this is going to be about poor, dumb, out-of-his-depth Alberto, rather than a systemic effort by the administration to game the entire DOJ.

I have no doubt that’s what they’re trying to do (well, other than Bush, who no doubt still thinks that nobody gets to tell him what to do.) I don’t think Leahy and Conyers are likely to stop there, though; too much has come out now that makes it clear Gonzales didn’t act alone. They might have gotten away with it if they’d had the sense to make him a sacrificial lamb a month ago, but not now (at least I hope now.)

Second, we are having morale problems with our other US Attorneys who understand the decision but think that these folks were not treated well in the process.”

Yeah, because they have been labeled as partisan-hacks in the minds of many now. Every step they take will be scrutinized for the whiff of political partisanship.

They deserve the scrutiny even if they aren’t total Kool-Aid drunk loyal Bushies.

Heckuva job.

-GSD

I simply must highlight costello’s post and jesterfox’s resoinse..the post is too good and I don’t want it to get lost so soon

Questions for Gonzales:
1) Who ordered the insertion of language into the Patriot Act re-authorization that allowed you to replace USA’s without Senate approval.
2) Why was this insertion kept secret?
3) Why was the person who inserted the language rewarded with a position as an USA?
4) When did the president ask you to replace some or all USA’s?
5) What did the president give you for criteria for selection of USA’s to fire.
6) Who else had input into this process and what criteria did they add?
7) What did the president give you for criteria for selection of replacements for the USA’s.
8) Who else had input to this process and what criteria did they add?
9) Who, besides the president, was involved in formulating and approving these lists?
10) Where are the approval documents?
11) When did the president approve the firings?
12) Where is the president’s approval document?
13) Why do you continue to act as the president’s council, instead of the Attorney General of the people of the United States?
14) How have you advised current USA’s to deal with the implications that they have become the prosecutorial arm of the Republican Party?
15) How many current and past cases have been put in jeopardy because of the appearance of political interference in the investigation or prosecution?

etc…

I’ve got one question for AGAG: “Can we see your diploma?”

That and what’s about the Texas JUVENILE SEX SCANDAL?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_9_GGmdiZM

man, these questions need to be highlighted and sent to sir waxman and sir leahy

Just saw this on Time.com…

In what could prove an embarrassing new setback for embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on the eve of his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, a group of influential conservatives and longtime Bush supporters has written a letter to the White House to call for his resignation.

The two-page letter, written on stationery of the American Freedom Agenda, a recently formed body designed to promote conservative legal principles, is blunt. Addressed to both Bush and Gonzales, it goes well beyond the U.S. attorneys controversy and details other alleged failings by Gonzales. “Mr. Gonzales has presided over an unprecedented crippling of the Constitution’s time-honored checks and balances,” it declares. “He has brought rule of law into disrepute, and debased honesty as the coin of the realm.” Alluding to ongoing scandal, it notes: “He has engendered the suspicion that partisan politics trumps evenhanded law enforcement in the Department of Justice.”

So who gets to replace Gonzo? Any guesses? I’m thinking Harriet Miers.

EPU’d (wow, been wanting to write that for so long) — anyhow, from last thread, concerning Schumer saying he had kept Gonzales in the loop as far as others’ interviews: I think it was really good P.R. so the poor Webubwicans can’t say “you mean ol’ Democwatz, always pwain’ unfair.” If it took Gonzales weeks to work on his testimony and to come up with his pitiful non-statement, a day’s notice of some others’ testimony won’t help his case much.

big bob @ 17

… Another reader contacted Sen. Patrick Leahy’s office with detailed technical information on how to retrieve the missing e-mails from the servers involved in White House, Justice Department, and RNC inter-communications. That individual was given a brush-off by a Leahy staffer. … he and his staff flunk the test for Computer Forensics 101. this from WMR

Keep trying. They will have to pick a team of techies and will want to recruit the best. Expertise is highly distributed these days (unlike in my day in 1973 with the Watergate tapes) so they can pick brains from anywhere… Keep trying & Godspeed.

LnGrrrR @ 33

So who gets to replace Gonzo? Any guesses? I’m thinking Harriet Miers.

Former Connecticut Attorney General Joe Lieberman.

The two-page letter, written on stationery of the American Freedom Agenda, a recently formed body designed to promote conservative legal principles, is blunt. Addressed to both Bush and Gonzales, it goes well beyond the U.S. attorneys controversy and details other alleged failings by Gonzales. “Mr. Gonzales has presided over an unprecedented crippling of the Constitution’s time-honored checks and balances,” it declares. “He has brought rule of law into disrepute, and debased honesty as the coin of the realm.” Alluding to ongoing scandal, it notes: “He has engendered the suspicion that partisan politics trumps evenhanded law enforcement in the Department of Justice.”

The letter concludes by saying, “Attorney General Gonzales has proven an unsuitable steward of the law and should resign for the good of the country…

Time

ironranger @ 15

Wolfowitz won’t resign. Ditto Gonzales. Bush, Cheney, Rove, not a chance. It’s like your deadbeat brother-in-law along with all his loser buddies camp out in your house sponging off you & won’t leave.

Yeah, but you can’t impeach your bro-in-law.

We can — and should — impeach Abu, Chimp & Darth. And as John Dean has recommended, we should start the Abu impeachment process (maybe Leahy already has?) THIS WEEK. Even if he resigns.

perris, jesterfox, and others

fyi – the two guards accused in the Texas Youth Comm. scandal were finally indicted by a grand jury last week -

local DA, not USA

indictment link

Dallas Morning News – scandal links

‘Morning, Christy, FirePups! Vacation ends today, sitting in the airport now…

Which means I will be back in the comfort of my home, able to watch Abu G. fluff it up big time on my choice of CSPAN on cable or high speed internet.

And with my favorite wonky peeps here at the Lake!!

Timing could not be better, so glad that Abu needed this much practice before his appearance.

raven @ 37

The two-page letter, written on stationery of the American Freedom Agenda, a recently formed body designed to promote conservative legal principles, is blunt. Addressed to both Bush and Gonzales, it goes well beyond the U.S. attorneys controversy and details other alleged failings by Gonzales. “Mr. Gonzales is an incompetent fucktard who has presided over an unprecedented crippling of the Constitution’s time-honored checks and balances,” it declares. “He has soiled the Constitution with his foul, poo-covered hands, and brought rule of law into disrepute, and wouldn’t recognize honesty if it shouted “I’M HONESTY, BITCH! HONESTY! and slapped him upside the head debased honesty as the coin of the realm.” Alluding to ongoing scandal, it notes: “He has engendered the suspicion that partisan politics trumps evenhanded law enforcement in the Department of Justice.”

The letter concludes by saying, “Attorney General Gonzales has proven to be a ridiculous ass-clown in a administration that has taken ass-clownery to new heights an unsuitable steward of the law and should resign for the good of the country…

Time

Christy – I think the key word used by Gonzo that you bolded is ‘consensus’ : “Kyle Sampson presented me with the final recommendations, which I approved. I did so because I understood that the recommendations represented the consensus of senior Justice Department officials most knowledgeable.

We got tipped off to this concept by Metcalfe, the recently retired senior attorney whose Q&A was featured as a thread here over the weekend and elsewhere. As Metcalfe pointed out:

In other words, if it doesn’t really matter so much to you how well or efficiently a government activity is handled, just so long as it eventually is handled, then the thinking is: Why not handle it in the way that most effectively minimizes personal risk? What this breeds, of course, is an utter lack of individual responsibility — the very antithesis of good government.
***
He described what to many listeners was an absolutely astonishing process by which he and a small group of others within the Justice Department handled the matter of U.S. Attorney replacement. By all accounts, no one person was in charge (Kyle described himself as merely the “aggregator”), it operated strictly by “consensus” (a word that he wielded as if it were an indisputably favorable one), and the end result was something that even he could not fully explain.

Yet it became the “groupthink” recommendation to the AG, an unprecedented “hit list” to be endorsed uncritically, as if it were something upon which Gonzales could rely without thinking. (And with nary a paper trail, by the way, which, I can tell you is no small consideration.) One might ask: Exactly whose dispositive decision was it to include the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico (let alone the threshold question of why) on that final list?

The meaning and use of the word ‘consensus’ by Gonzo has to be absolutely wrestled to the ground and NOT be allowed to serve as a mechanism for blurring facts and personal knowledge or behavior.

http://www.law.com/servlet/Con…..LawArticle

Rayne @ 40

…And with my favorite wonky peeps here at the Lake!! …

WB Rayne, discoverer of Gabbly for Pups. Long time No C. We praise you virtually daily. CU tmw. Bring popcorn. LOL

Melikes the weasel. Methinks a picture of a weasel should be at the top of the Gonzo hearing threads tomorrow.

“Wolfowitz won’t resign. Ditto Gonzales. Bush, Cheney, Rove, not a chance. It’s like your deadbeat brother-in-law along with all his loser buddies camp out in your house sponging off you & won’t leave.”-ironranger

The Solution? We’ll have to be a bit sneaky here…to confuse the monitors at DOJ. Two words. First word: sounds like… “civil”. Second word: sounds like…”war”. It’s a slam-dunk, I tell ya.

Seriously, I’m really looking forward to the on-going testimony of these rascals. Every other qualifying statement they make can be added to a long list of replies guaranteed to really frustrate and exhaust the person on the other side of the table during a tax audit.

Muzzy @ 42

Christy – I think the key word used by Gonzo that you bolded is ‘consensus’ : “Kyle Sampson presented me with the final recommendations, which I approved. I did so because I understood that the recommendations represented the consensus of senior Justice Department officials most knowledgeable.

We got tipped off to this concept by Metcalfe, the recently retired senior attorney whose Q&A was featured as a thread here over the weekend and elsewhere. As Metcalfe ponted out:

In other words, if it doesn’t really matter so much to you how well or efficiently a government activity is handled, just so long as it eventually is handled, then the thinking is: Why not handle it in the way that most effectively minimizes personal risk? What this breeds, of course, is an utter lack of individual responsibility — the very antithesis of good government.
***
He described what to many listeners was an absolutely astonishing process by which he and a small group of others within the Justice Department handled the matter of U.S. Attorney replacement. By all accounts, no one person was in charge (Kyle described himself as merely the “aggregator”), it operated strictly by “consensus” (a word that he wielded as if it were an indisputably favorable one), and the end result was something that even he could not fully explain.

Yet it became the “groupthink” recommendation to the AG, an unprecedented “hit list” to be endorsed uncritically, as if it were something upon which Gonzales could rely without thinking. (And with nary a paper trail, by the way, which, I can tell you is no small consideration.) One might ask: Exactly whose dispositive decision was it to include the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico (let alone the threshold question of why) on that final list?

The meaning and use of the word ‘consensus’ by Gonzo has to be absolutely wrestled to the ground and be allowed to serve as a mechanism for blurring facts and personal knowledge or behavior.

.

In other words: “Shit happens.”

That’s his defense? Shit happens? America’s mightiest lawyer, the head of the Justice Department, couldn’t come up with a better defense than “Shit Happens” ?!

This:

“I know that I did not, and would not, ask for a resignation of any individual in order to interfere with or influence a particular prosecution for partisan political gain.”

However, the thrust of this problem is groups of prosecutions or “hands off” categories, not “a particular prosecution.” Herein is the lie.

Secondly, the obstruction of justice is hiding in plain sight. For example; It seems to me the Biskupic harassment prosecution against Georgia Thompson and Gov Doyle was obstruction of justice in that he publicized the prosecution instead of obeying the rule about keeping prosecutions out of the public arena.

And, it seems to me the same logic applies to the Iglesias firing if what the Albuquerque Journal says is true: Gonzalez said no, unless Bush tells him to. Bush then told Rove, who told Sampson, Gonzalez’ underling, to fire him.

Bush has the authority, but it is obstructing justice. Justice is a two edged sword. By hammering on one, you obstruct the other.

As for Sampson doing the job, after Gonzalez approved the list on November 27, ‘06, this makes Gonzo’s statement false testimony before Congress because there is a well established legal principle about a “superior” being accountable for the actions of his underling.

So, his written testimony has a false statement in it.

He should be impeached, even if he resigns this week. His retirement can be attacked via the impeachment process, and the House can finally get some procedural leverage instead of all these hollow subpoena’s the White House and staff will just ignore. This tact is just laughing all the way to SCOTUS. Bush 2000 redux.

Agh – lost comment. Briefly – have put myself on the map (thx, S.O.S. @ 9) and, on today’s topic, think the whole lot of folks in this sorry tale is incompetent enough to be unemployable, except at wingnut-funded “think” tanks, from which perch they’ll be busy disparaging the democratic administration trying to clean up this mess in two years.

cleter @
41

raven @ 37

The two-page letter, written on stationery of the American Freedom Agenda, a recently formed body designed to promote conservative legal principles, is blunt. Addressed to both Bush and Gonzales, it goes well beyond the U.S. attorneys controversy and details other alleged failings by Gonzales. “Mr. Gonzales is an incompetent fucktard who has presided over an unprecedented crippling of the Constitution’s time-honored checks and balances,” it declares. “He has soiled the Constitution with his foul, poo-covered hands, and brought rule of law into disrepute, and wouldn’t recognize honesty if it shouted “I’M HONESTY, BITCH! HONESTY! and slapped him upside the head debased honesty as the coin of the realm.” Alluding to ongoing scandal, it notes: “He has engendered the suspicion that partisan politics trumps evenhanded law enforcement in the Department of Justice.”

The letter concludes by saying, “Attorney General Gonzales has proven to be a ridiculous ass-clown in a administration that has taken ass-clownery to new heights an unsuitable steward of the law and should resign for the good of the country…

Time

Whitehead and Viguerie are big names in winger world.

Both Barr and Fein, are very right wing but also seem to have come to believe that the party serves the country and not the other way around.

Gonzo is being set up for the take down.

-GSD

here’s a very happy thought;

suppose abu torture is resigned (why do they get to say they resigned when they are fired?)

these neo fascists are nothing but slime balls, I am betting if bush doesn’t come through for abu, abu throws teh bushster under teh bus

one can dream, yes?

You know, Muzzy has hit it squarely on the head. further

” consensus of senior Justice Department officials most knowledgeable”

Conatins a huge whoppinh lie. They may have been Senoir DOJ officials, but they were hardley “knowledgable” about any criteria theat would have been releveant in an honest and ethical evaluation of USAs

I agree, GSD. Gonzo is being set up, so the whole scandal becomes all about him, him, him.

cleter @ 52

I agree, GSD. Gonzo is being set up, so the whole scandal becomes all about him, him, him.

I’m thinking he roles if it all gets laid to his doorstep

S.O.S. from MA @
43

Rayne @ 40

…And with my favorite wonky peeps here at the Lake!! …

WB Rayne, discoverer of Gabbly for Pups. Long time No C. We praise you virtually daily. CU tmw. Bring popcorn. LOL

Thanks, SOS! Nice to see you again! Can’t wait to bungee cord on the treadmill tomorrow morning in time for Abu; I suspect my blood pressure is going to need a good long walk while I listen to his bullsh*t testimony.

cleter @ 36

LnGrrrR @ 33

So who gets to replace Gonzo? Any guesses? I’m thinking Harriet Miers.

Former Connecticut Attorney General Joe Lieberman.

Yes, this works for them. If Conn is like most states, their Repug governor (I believe there is a Repug Gov) will appoint the 50th Repug in the Senate and there will be a Senate organizational rules fight; Eg. – Committee chairs, majorities, etc.

Lap dog Lieberman .. Instead of giving him a respectful handle like “Holy Joe” he needs to be tagged with Imus’ favorite label: Ho Joe… Joe Sixpack get’s this. Holy Joe is a facetious label the plebes don’t get.

But, the good news is: The fight to get Ho Joe confirmed under “advise and consent..” Or, is Ho Joe Reid’s Ho’ ??

Hmmmm… great theatre. May you live in interesting times.

Puesto @ 55

cleter @ 36

LnGrrrR @ 33

So who gets to replace Gonzo? Any guesses? I’m thinking Harriet Miers.

Former Connecticut Attorney General Joe Lieberman.

Yes, this works for them. If Conn is like most states, their Repug governor (I believe there is a Repug Gov) will appoint the 50th Repug in the Senate and there will be a Senate organizational rules fight;

it works for them on more fronts then one

he will seem even hamded as the attorney general which will set up his vice presidential run

perris @ 50

here’s a very happy thought;

suppose abu torture is resigned (why do they get to say they resigned when they are fired?)

these neo fascists are nothing but slime balls, I am betting if bush doesn’t come through for abu, abu throws teh bushster under teh bus

one can dream, yes?

Perris, why is this a happy thought? If Abu is gone, there is an excuse to stop investigating before we get to the bottom of this, and darlin’ there is much more puss to clean out of this infection.

More significantly, think ahead, who do we get after Abu. We did NOT TRADE UP when Ashcroft left. In fact things got much much worse.

Though I would like to point out that we have been giving Ashcroft too much credit in th elast two days. Don’t forget it was Comey’s influence that kept total corruption and anarchy at bay while he was DAG.

It astonishes me that this guy isn’t some poor dumb flunky, some junior-level twit. This guy is America’s Head Lawyer. He’s not the assistant manager of the Department of Justice mail room. He is in charge of the entire Justice Department.

OT #1 [Apologies, but I think this might explain the magic 29% wingnut number that the surveys seem to suggest is holding steady]

“69% CAN NAME THE VEEP: Americans’ knowledge of national and international affairs has changed little in two decades despite the emergence of 24-hour cable news and the Internet as major news sources. People surveyed in February were slightly less able than those polled in 1989 to name the vice president, their state’s governor and the president of Russia but slightly more able to answer other questions correctly about national politics, according to a poll released Sunday by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Of the 1,502 adults survey in February, 69 percent correctly answered Dick Cheney when asked who was the vice president, compared with 74 percent who correctly responded Dan Quayle when the same question was asked in 1989. Two-thirds correctly named their state’s governor in February compared with three-fourths who got that right in 1989. ” AP via Yahoo! News: “Knowledge unchanged by new news outlets”

When Alberto leaves, I want to be attorney general. I intend to work just as hard as he has to meet his responsibilities to his boss(es) and (oh, yeah) the nation:

1. Confirm me.
2. Swear me in.
3. Start writing me paychecks.
4. I’ll delegate all authority.
5. Call me if you have any questions.
6. I won’t be able to answer them.

The Blithering Idiot defense that Gonzo is pursuing is just not gonna hold up and he can “rope-a-dope” all he wants with non denial denials but at the end of the day he will be demonstrated (again) to be a disgraced liar.

Why on earth does the WH want to go through with this? If they think that even if Gonzo resigns this matter will end they are mistaken. The fact that Gonzo is claiming that he wasn’t involved in the firings in a meaningful way is only going to increase the heat on Rove and Miers to testify.

Another Executive Privelege war is about to start.

His op-ed in the Post, “Nothing Improper,” had 53 pages of comments the last time I looked. All negative. I am sure that must be some sort of a record. It has been removed from the Opinion page.

perris @ 53

cleter @ 52

I agree, GSD. Gonzo is being set up, so the whole scandal becomes all about him, him, him.

I’m thinking he roles if it all gets laid to his doorstep

“I think he roles..” NO WAY! He has Stockholm Syndrome, which is how the Boy Emperor and his Mentor, Rove, have always pick their lackeys.

Ever look them in the eye for that vacuous stare? They all have it. Like a fundy hitting your door with some pamphlets. The lights are on, but no one is home.

If they are not complete whores, to the core, they never make the cut. Look at Harriett Meirs if you need blatant evidence.

Ho Joe is so nicely ironic a nickname. Howard Johnson’s was such an iconic American eatery, who could object? but zings him with that no-no word “ho”.

daveb99 @ 62

His op-ed in the Post, “Nothing Improper,” had 53 pages of comments the last time I looked. All negative. I am sure that must be some sort of a record. It has been removed from the Opinion page.

wow…I hope someone saved those comments…I am POSITIVE he read them too

clem @ 60

When Alberto leaves, I want to be attorney general. I intend to work just as hard as he has to meet his responsibilities to his boss(es) and (oh, yeah) the nation:

1. Confirm me.
2. Swear me in.
3. Start writing me paychecks.
4. I’ll delegate all authority.
5. Call me if you have any questions.
6. I won’t be able to answer them.

You missed one.
7) Hire a bunch of kool-aid drinking College Republican Opposition reasearcher loyal Bushy pioneers to pollute DOJ long term.

At what stage in the Watergate mess did AG John Mitchell sink beneath the waves?

Where are we now in Watergate terms? What was the interval between AG Mitchell’s flameout and Nixon’s flameout?

nobody thinksabu torture will fold when his carrer is laid to waste?

I don’t give him the credit you guys are giving him, I say he shrivels like a raisen

More sad times in Muckville on the Potomac.

George Tenet’s new book, due out on the 29th is reportedly not going to make Deadeye Dick, Wolfie the Comblicker or the Stupidest Man of the Fucking Planet very happy.

Do I hear 25% approval ratings?

-GSD

my eyes and ears will be peeled for every obtuse and/or vague phrase…

cbl @ 39

perris, jesterfox, and others

fyi – the two guards accused in the Texas Youth Comm. scandal were finally indicted by a grand jury last week -

local DA, not USA

indictment link

Dallas Morning News – scandal links

THX…interesting timing.

work, catch later

laurie9 @
6

If they let up on these people, then they should be terminated in the ‘08 election.

With extreme prejudice.

Pat_AlexVA @ 66

clem @ 60

When Alberto leaves, I want to be attorney general. I intend to work just as hard as he has to meet his responsibilities to his boss(es) and (oh, yeah) the nation:

1. Confirm me.
2. Swear me in.
3. Start writing me paychecks.
4. I’ll delegate all authority.
5. Call me if you have any questions.
6. I won’t be able to answer them.

You missed one.
7) Hire a bunch of kool-aid drinking College Republican Opposition reasearcher loyal Bushy pioneers to pollute DOJ long term.

However, the Rove strategy only works from a position of total dominance. It doesn’t work when there’s not hand picked big daddies around to make them feel good about themselves.

That’s why the whole machine is smoking and spitting out gears now.

These lackeys will start to get pushed out by Americans who believe in the rule of law, not the rule of Bush.

-GSD

Gonzo will take over Halliburton, or some thinktank where he can dream up some more of his crap.

Redshift @ 18

He’s really going hard for the incompetence dodge. “I take full responsibility, but I’m not responsible for the firing of some of the most important employees I manage because I assumed my staff were doing a good job and signed whatever they put in front of me.”

Can there be any response to that other than “why should the taxpayers pay you a salary for a job that you’re obviously not doing?”

Gonzo’s management style mirrors the Preznit’s. Republicans, you must be so proud.

Kool-Ade complaint. I think that only the original spelling should be allowed for us true Kool-Ade drinkers.

*The original spelling of KOOL-AID was Kool-Ade, but the name was soon changed to its popular modern-day spelling. *The seven original KOOL-AID flavors

cleter -

March 1, 1974 Grand Jury Indicts

* John Mitchell
* H.R. Haldeman
* John Ehrlichman
* Charles Colson
* Robert C. Mardian
* Kenneth W. Parkinson
* Gordon Strachan

for conspiring to hinder the investigation. Nixon is named by the Grand Jury as an unindicted co-conspirator

1,487 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND..

Citizen Hardin Smith and the Firepup Patriots:

In the last thread, looseheadprop gave us a glimpse of what the options are for Congress to establish an investigatory mechanism like a special prosecutor to coordinate the ongoing probes into all the criminal activities that are floating on top of our constitutional system like the sludge in Prudhoe Bay.

I am afraid that only a few in Congress are aware just how dangerous this situation is. There needs to be a well thought out and coordinated strategy between the House and Senate leadership and they hafta get crackin’ on doin’ whatever it takes to get the leash offa Fitzgerald.

So can you spend some time or get down with looseheadprop and game out the various options our congress critters have with regard to special prosecutors and existing prosecutors like Fitz. I am concerned about impeachment only as a tactic to enable a full court press of criminal investigations so that none of these bastards are ever able to see the light of day outside of prison.

KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, WE OWE IT TO HISTORY!!

ND USAtty Drew Wrigley on local rightwing radio this morning pushing back against the Denby Dairy Farmer on the ICE invasion of their family dairy farm business.

Now that the rock’s been turned over on the firings of eight USAs for what seem strongly corrupt and political purposes, is this a piece of the other 84? Go along to get along? ICE cases on illegal immigration for political gain?

Sure would make a good talking point for RepubliCONs in the 2008 election, now wouldn’t it… does connecting the dots show a developing picture nationally? How’s it look in your neighborhood?

Guitar_Playing_Bastard @ 72

laurie9 @
6

If they let up on these people, then they should be terminated in the ‘08 election.

With extreme prejudice.

GPB, your violent subtext concerns me.

Executive Privilege can’t stop a criminal investigation.

And, the rats appear to be cornered…tomorrow Gonzo either fesses-up or gets smoked-out.

At this point, ‘Send ‘em to Gitmo’ Gonzales is but a speed bump in road to the collapse of BushCo.

After tomorrow – all eyes on Bush/Rove/Miers!

This is a good description:
“The ‘Willy Loman’ of American presidents, George W. Bush”.

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/6821

cleter@46

In other words: “Shit happens.”

That’s his defense? Shit happens? America’s mightiest lawyer, the head of the Justice Department, couldn’t come up with a better defense than “Shit Happens” ?!

Correct. That’s because there is no legitimate defense for what he/they’ve done.

I Gonzo goes, nobody gets confirmed. Think recess appointment or never submit one.

Ah, the House is back in session (yes!). Besides Gonzales tomorrow, does anyone know of any other potentially interesting hearings this week? I love watching the government at work …

For a little window into the direction the world will be heading. Read this article.

Eastern powers are forming new alliances and are growing less and less concerned about what the US says or does.

Those that claim they are cementing the US in the position of Lone Superpower are actually hastening the collapse of said superpower.

India, Pakistan, China, Russia and of course Iran are working together quite well these days.

The US, not so much.

-GSD

Gonzo made a false statement in writing to Congress.

He said he never released someone for a particular prosecution. Yet, if the Albuquerque Journal is correct, his underling, Sampson, did: Iglesias, at the behest of Domenici.

Thus, as Sampson’s superior, the legal principle of superiors having no protection from the misdeeds of underlings seems to hold.

It seems to me: Lying to Congress is a crime. A prosecutor should be able to be appointed with a grand jury to look into this. It can get very, very broad from there.

Now, Domenici might be someone who would “roll.” Or, at least point some very big fingers at Rove.

Question: Can Rove be impeached?

cleter @ 36

LnGrrrR @ 33

So who gets to replace Gonzo? Any guesses? I’m thinking Harriet Miers.

Former Connecticut Attorney General Joe Lieberman.

This guy may have an inside track. Jeffrey Brauch, Dean of Regent University’s Law School would fit right in. Coming into the office he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage, as so many of his former students already know the ropes at DOJ….

GSD @ 86

For a little window into the direction the world will be heading. Read this article.

Eastern powers are forming new alliances and are growing less and less concerned about what the US says or does.

Those that claim they are cementing the US in the position of Lone Superpower are actually hastening the collapse of said superpower.

India, Pakistan, China, Russia and of course Iran are working together quite well these days.

The US, not so much.

-GSD

Toward the end of NYT article on Wolfie, mentions that Europe is diverting more of its poverty relief funds away from U.S. dominated WB. All part of the same gradual isolation of the lone superpower.

Let’s not forget that Bush doesn’t have a rubber stamp anymore.

-GSD

big bob @ 17

two mail servers were used by the Republican National Committee and two Bush-Cheney 04 web sites: georgewbush.com and gwb43.com. The two mail servers are: 10 mailscan1.smartechcorp.net and 10 mailscan2.smartechcorp.net. The IP addresses for the two servers are: IP addresses are 64.203.97.101 and 64.203.98.245, respectively. Because they both have a “10″ priority that means that they backed each other up.

Another reader contacted Sen. Patrick Leahy’s office with detailed technical information on how to retrieve the missing e-mails from the servers involved in White House, Justice Department, and RNC inter-communications. That individual was given a brush-off by a Leahy staffer. If Leahy and his staff are waiting for the Bush administration to come up with the missing e-mails, they are sadly mistaken. Leahy’s staff needs a course in what phone calls to pay attention to. In the case referred to above, he and his staff flunk the test for Computer Forensics 101. this from WMR

With all of the talent, connections, and lines of communication that the FDL community has I think big bob deserves more than just a “keep trying” comment.

Surely there must be one or more Fire Pups with a means of ensuring that the important technical info is received by Leahy and received ASAP.

Since the theme of Gonzo’s opening statement seems to be “I Am Totally Incompetent”, I would love to see a senator say something like this:

“Mr. Gonzolas, as the person who is in charge of the department responsible for enforcing federal laws for the entire country, do you realize that IGNORANCE OF THE LAW IS NO EXCUSE?”

Christy…good detective work on getting Luskin to confirm that many of the emails that Fitz wanted to examine were materials that were on the external e-mail server that Rove used and were deleted.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/…..ng-emails/

Thus there is good evidence that the WH used these servers to avoid preserving records as required by the Presidential Records Act.

Fitz would be uninterested in purely political communications…but would be concerned about documents that related to the leaking of a covert agents identity. Those were NOT materials that related (except in a very tangential sense) to the activities relating to the campaign. The related more directly to the rationales for the Iraq War, foreign intelligence gathering, use of classified/declassified materials and efforts to deal with critics of the use of intelligence…as such they should have been preserved. They should have been preserved.

But Rove used his gwb43 server to avoid that scrutiny. Fitz somehow seemed to know that there were records missing (perhaps he has the partial record of the communications using this site from another individuals email or a hard-copy from a recipient)?

That’s why he knew about the gap.

So this whole Gonzalez fiasco DOES relate to the Fitzgerald investigation of the Plame leaks!

cleter @ 67

At what stage in the Watergate mess did AG John Mitchell sink beneath the waves?

Where are we now in Watergate terms? What was the interval between AG Mitchell’s flameout and Nixon’s flameout?

Mitchell had resigned as AG in early ‘72 to run CREEP, then quit that post in July of 1972 to “spend more time with his family”, which, of course, included loose cannon Martha, his wife. In September of that year, the Washington Post – in its prior incarnation as a newspaper – named him as one of those who controlled an illegal slush fund.

I’d say that we’re at about that stage now, but it took two more years for everything in Watergate to unfold, so I’m not sure where that leaves us…

big bob @
17

two mail servers were used by the Republican National Committee and two Bush-Cheney 04 web sites: georgewbush.com and gwb43.com. The two mail servers are: 10 mailscan1.smartechcorp.net and 10 mailscan2.smartechcorp.net. The IP addresses for the two servers are: IP addresses are 64.203.97.101 and 64.203.98.245, respectively. Because they both have a “10″ priority that means that they backed each other up.

Another reader contacted Sen. Patrick Leahy’s office with detailed technical information on how to retrieve the missing e-mails from the servers involved in White House, Justice Department, and RNC inter-communications. That individual was given a brush-off by a Leahy staffer. If Leahy and his staff are waiting for the Bush administration to come up with the missing e-mails, they are sadly mistaken. Leahy’s staff needs a course in what phone calls to pay attention to. In the case referred to above, he and his staff flunk the test for Computer Forensics 101. this from WMR

That’s disturbing. Any Leahy/Waxman folks that might stop by here….WHAT UP?!?

Ed*ard Teller @ 89

LnGrrrR @ 33
So who gets to replace Gonzo? Any guesses? I’m thinking Harriet Miers.

cleter @ 36
Former Connecticut Attorney General Joe Lieberman.

This guy may have an inside track. Jeffrey Brauch, Dean of Regent University’s Law School would fit right in. Coming into the office he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage, as so many of his former students already know the ropes at DOJ….

Crikey, that’s brilliant! Although, I’m still thinking Lieberman, because that allows for a “bipartidan” soin that defuses the politicalization angle of the scandal.

Someone asked earlier on this thread, “Can Rove be impeached?”

The answer is yes if…..Rove is an employee of the government instead of the Republican party. (Any federal official can be impeached. The definition of “official” usually excludes members of Congress.)

But…is Rove still on the government payroll at this time??

Britain to announce they are abandoning the phrase: “war on terror”.

Says it empowers many disparite groups and also they say that it won’t be won militarily.

Tea drinking cowards! Scone eating appeasers!

-GSD

Muzzy @ 42

The meaning and use of the word ‘consensus’ by Gonzo has to be absolutely wrestled to the ground and NOT be allowed to serve as a mechanism for blurring facts and personal knowledge or behavior.

Haven’t made it all the way through the comments yet, but if the USAs serve ‘at the pleasure of the president’, who else should be making these decisions anyway?

I totally screwed up the comment at 97, in my vain attempt at avoiding a ziggurat.

cleter @
11

Based upon the record as I know it, it appears that Alberto Gonzales is the worst attorney general of all time, breaking the record of John Mitchell. As far as I know.

Mitchell actually had some levels of competence beyond being a crook. Kleindeist same. Meese was pretty much incompetent but had competent folks around him. AGAG? Not so much of any of the above.

STTP in Ohio @ 84

cleter@46

In other words: “Shit happens.”

That’s his defense? Shit happens? America’s mightiest lawyer, the head of the Justice Department, couldn’t come up with a better defense than “Shit Happens” ?!

Correct. That’s because there is no legitimate defense for what he/they’ve done.

Remember, passive voice has been shown to work best: Mistakes were made; Shit was happened.

I agree 100%. But, let’s keep an eye on the bigger picture. This is what you get when you turn the government over to people who want to drown it in the bathtub. This isn’t about Bushism; it’s about Republicanism.

Lord these third world types, Iraqis and Iranians, are playing Bush like a fifty cent banjo. Only thing troublesome is the prez hates to have his phony cowboy masculinity questioned. Does this make the big rat more dangerous?

AP – Cabinet ministers loyal to the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr resigned on Monday to protest the prime minister’s refusal to set a timetable for an American withdrawal, raising the prospect that the Mahdi Army militia could return to the streets of Baghdad.

Let me get this straight. A guy whose sole trial experience is second chairing one civil trial….the gofor…..is responsible for the performance reviews of the U.S. Attorneys. Gee Lyle the AG was still using you as a grunt. Sampson should be outraged. This is pathetic.

1,487 DAYZ AND THE KILLN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND..

Citizen Hardin Smith and the Firepup Patriots:

big bob’s post @17 reinforces my fear that our elected leadership doesn’t quite get it yet. Can you and looseheadprop and a few others in the FDL legal cadre putcher heads together and come up with some ideas about how Congress could go about herding this whole contaminated herd of political pigs into jail?

KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE GOD DAMNED AMMUNITION!!!

Mutant Poodle @ 95

cleter @ 67

At what stage in the Watergate mess did AG John Mitchell sink beneath the waves?

Where are we now in Watergate terms? What was the interval between AG Mitchell’s flameout and Nixon’s flameout?

Mitchell had resigned as AG in early ‘72 to run CREEP, then quit that post in July of 1972 to “spend more time with his family”, which, of course, included loose cannon Martha, his wife. In September of that year, the Washington Post – in its prior incarnation as a newspaper – named him as one of those who controlled an illegal slush fund.

I’d say that we’re at about that stage now, but it took two more years for everything in Watergate to unfold, so I’m not sure where that leaves us…

We’re way beyond that. With more info coming out on violations of the Hatch Act and widespread destruction of evidence of those violations, we’re beyond Alexander Butterfield’s revelation of the Nixon WH taping system. In a way, because of the widespread violations and because of the Bush WH’s retention of the main perp – Rove – this is completely new territory. But there is no reason whatsoever to believe things will NOT come unraveled very, very fast if congress asks the right people the right questions soon.

Unlike Watergate, which was a DC area break-in followed by a WH coverup, the ramifications of the US Atty firings effect several states. Investigative reporting from places like Milwaukee, San Diego, Albuquerque and others keeps fueling curiosity on this outside the beltway, so the situation is unique, and potentially very volatile.

ThinkProgress and Laura Rozen report the following:

McNulty goes job searching

cleter @
36

LnGrrrR @ 33

So who gets to replace Gonzo? Any guesses? I’m thinking Harriet Miers.

Former Connecticut Attorney General Joe Lieberman.

I say again, it won’t be Lieberman. He is smart enough to know that after 1/20/09, he would be even more irrelevant thatn he is now. He will be anyway if the ‘08 elections break correctly but he wants to give the impression of power and being a power broker. He loses all if he becomes Abu’s replacement.

GSD @ 91

Let’s not forget that Bush doesn’t have a rubber stamp anymore.

Just so. After Gonzales–and there
will be an “after Gonzales,” one way or the other–Bush has to push his new nominee through a Democratic-controlled committee to even get him/her to the floor. That committee is in no way obligated to put up with more of Bush’s shit, and attacking the Democrats for three subsequent weeks in his radio addresses will help him not one damned bit.

Urban Pirate @
28

Badwater @ 2

Is Gonzo making Ashcroft look like he was a competent AG?

Bush is making Nixon look like an ethical POTUS.

Heck, Dan Quayle is looking like Einstein up next to this guy. And at least we could have had all kinds of fun razzing Marilyn Quayle about embracing serpents.

cleter @ 36

LnGrrrR @ 33

So who gets to replace Gonzo? Any guesses? I’m thinking Harriet Miers.

Former Connecticut Attorney General Joe Lieberman.

I thought Orrin Hatch was nominating himself. But prosecuting folks for violating the ‘Hatch Act’ might get a bit confusing. Arlen ‘Humpty Dumpty’ Specter who wants to unscramle the scrambled eggs per ABC show with George S. yesterday would be good choice if he really is Humpty. Nifong or ‘Heck of job Brownie’ are likely to get serious consideration since this is the Bushco administration.

dakine01 @ 110

I say again, it won’t be Lieberman. He is smart enough to know that after 1/20/09, he would be even more irrelevant thatn he is now. He will be anyway if the ‘08 elections break correctly but he wants to give the impression of power and being a power broker. He loses all if he becomes Abu’s replacement.

Plus, as AG, he wouldn’t be able to go on Fox News and tsk, tsk at Democrats who are exhibiting sanity on the war in Iraq.

ironranger @ 15

Wolfowitz won’t resign. Ditto Gonzales. Bush, Cheney, Rove, not a chance. It’s like your deadbeat brother-in-law along with all his loser buddies camp out in your house sponging off you & won’t leave.

I once had to call the sheriff to get a “friend” out of my house whom I had taken in when he had fallen on tough times..

Another “Ooops” for the Deciderer

The problem for the White House is that this issue is well inside the firewall, and it seems to include not only Abu Gonzalez and Turdblossom, but the Deciderer himself.

Slightly off topic, I was delighted to see that Turdblossom’s visit to Oregon was protested.

Outside, about 50 protesters gathered on the corner near the hotel’s entrance, waving handmade signs as passing cars honked in support. Some came from as far as Eugene.

Police barred demonstrators from the hotel’s parking lot, but a group of 16 managed to find their way inside. They ate dinner at the hotel’s restaurant two hours before the event, then staged a mock arrest of a woman wearing a Rove face mask and a jail suit.

“We wanted to make sure Mr. Rove had a proper Northwest greeting,” said Linda Wiener, from Vancouver.

cleter @
67

At what stage in the Watergate mess did AG John Mitchell sink beneath the waves?

Where are we now in Watergate terms? What was the interval between AG Mitchell’s flameout and Nixon’s flameout?

Mitchell had left DoJ prior to everything going crazy. He had resigned to run CREEP and it wasn’t until well after the electikon that it all fell to sh*t for him. We are approximately at the point of early ‘73 when the Senate Select Watergate Committee hearings took place (Sam Ervin and bunch). It sitll had 18 months to go before Nixon resigned.

cinnamon

So far, the scope of the use of the RNC blackberry/laptop network has been limited to the firing of the USA’s.

But, there’s no reason NOT to suspect it was the Primary coordinating system for:

- stonewalling SSCI Ph I Report
- burying SSCI Ph II
- the 16 Words
- Outting Valerie
- the Foley cover-up
- Abramoff’s 285 White House visits
- Katrina jokes
- Gloating over the Corker ad
- arm-twisting for votes on torture and surveillance
- Hillary gossip
- the LACKEY MSM Press

and so much more!

Why limit the Blackberry Cluster to just the WH and DoJ?

Those devices came from the RNC – they could have found their way into any area of government they have an interest in controlling.

Those missing e-mails contain the Dialog of the Fleecing of America, and not just the politicization of the DoJ.

That network is/was Corruption Central.

“Bush is making Nixon look like an ethical POTUS.”

My bumper sticker during the 2004 election was:

Satan 2004

shooogarp @ 119

“Bush is making Nixon look like an ethical POTUS.”

My bumper sticker during the 2004 election was:

Satan 2004

Stop settling for the lesser evil!

Look at the way Gonzales reviewed death penalty cases as legal counsel to then-Texas Governor GW Bush and ask yourself on what basis one might expect him to devote more time and attention to managing the DOJ.

The arrogance of the ignorant, or the ignorance of arrogant?

President Nixon Bush.
Now More Than Ever.

shoopgarp – ironranger

I thought I was the only one, thank you.

The Fourth Reich is spinnig out of control. Makes me nervous.

Porpaganda works…especially on the ignorant:

SURVEY: Daily Show/Colbert Viewers Most Knowledgable, Fox News Viewers Rank Lowest
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/…..knowledge/

Re radiofreewill @ 118:

Yep. And the Wax-Man’s all over ALL the Exec department’s, turnin’ over those rocks.

Damn. I shoulda bought popcorn stock when you guys first suggested it.

shoogarp: Yup, that works if the sheriff does his job. I’m hoping that our dems know how to be a crack swat team.

GeorgeSimian @ 32

Just saw this on Time.com…

In what could prove an embarrassing new setback for embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on the eve of his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, a group of influential conservatives and longtime Bush supporters has written a letter to the White House to call for his resignation.

The two-page letter, written on stationery of the American Freedom Agenda, a recently formed body designed to promote conservative legal principles, is blunt. Addressed to both Bush and Gonzales, it goes well beyond the U.S. attorneys controversy and details other alleged failings by Gonzales. “Mr. Gonzales has presided over an unprecedented crippling of the Constitution’s time-honored checks and balances,” it declares. “He has brought rule of law into disrepute, and debased honesty as the coin of the realm.” Alluding to ongoing scandal, it notes: “He has engendered the suspicion that partisan politics trumps evenhanded law enforcement in the Department of Justice.”

again, much more on this, here. . . and,
i trust groups like these about
as far as i can throw ‘em — but i think
about this one — they are clearly right.

i must say, it is deeply unfortunate that
while firedoglake, and talkingpointsmemo and
talkleft, among many others, have been offering
these sorts of wise, majestic, principled, ideas
for a very long while — it takes an eve-of-des-
truction-moment to bring these supposedly-true-
patriots forward — here, now, finally
pointing back to our long-espoused-traditions
of ordered liberty, and a nation governed by
the rule of law (not men), that until now,
were uninterrupted for some 220 years. . .

“but i will take help — from whatever
quarter it is offered”, here — as this is
a moment of truly historic significance. . .
and i think they finally sense it, too.

alberto must go. go now. and “let the
wise and honest repair, to nominate his
successor” — one patrick fitzgerald(?). . .

nah, he’s too smart to want the job. . .

but i can dream. . .

Schumer just said they’re interviewing Kyle Sampson AGAIN this afternoon.

OleHippieChick @ 128

Schumer just said they’re interviewing Kyle Sampson AGAIN this afternoon.

he’s been just one very popular
girl at this particular sock-hop, no?

he he!

Lou Costello @ 124

Porpaganda works…especially on the ignorant:

SURVEY: Daily Show/Colbert Viewers Most Knowledgable, Fox News Viewers Rank Lowest
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/…..knowledge/

There’s a general trend there that is at least as interesting as the headlined item: except for TDS/Colbert viewers, consumers of print media (including the Internets) are almost inevitably better informed than consumers of TV.

The stupid box sucks out your brains, guys. Just admit it. Or at least watch TDS.

Badwater @
2

Is Gonzo making Ashcroft look like he was a competent AG?

I just got chills. And not the good kind.

nolo @ 129

OleHippieChick @ 128

Schumer just said they’re interviewing Kyle Sampson AGAIN this afternoon.

he’s been just one very popular
girl at this particular sock-hop, no?

he he!

OH yes! His dance card is almost full.

OleHippieChick @
128

Schumer just said they’re interviewing Kyle Sampson AGAIN this afternoon.

Rove’s little Rove may be out-Roving Rove.

-GSD

P.S.

McNulty is looking for the escape hatch.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 123

The Fourth Reich is spinnig out of control. Makes me nervous.

Yes it is, and it should (make you nervous).

Desperate people do desperate things, and these are desperate people with immense power.

what is the penality for destruction of the emails?

cbl @
39

perris, jesterfox, and others

fyi – the two guards accused in the Texas Youth Comm. scandal were finally indicted by a grand jury last week -

local DA, not USA

indictment link

Dallas Morning News – scandal links

Want to know how utterly devoid of humanity the fundies are? A lot of them were asking what the big deal was in the scandal. Those punks were all criminals, who cares what becomes of them.

I’m an atheist, but the only thing I could think of when I’d see this bile was…

Jesus wept.

katherine graham cracker @ 135

what is the penality for destruction of the emails?

Well, IANAL but it seems like it would fall under the Obstruction of Justice umbrella.

big bob — Do you have any other source for that information other than an anonymous report to WMR? Because what I am hearing directly from staffers on both Judiciary committees is that the Dems and GOP members alike are pushing for forensic study of a lot of the hardware and that the WH caved over the weekend and will be turning that over to a mutually agreeable outside third-party investigative team for analysis.

Lou Costello @ 124

Porpaganda works…especially on the ignorant:

SURVEY: Daily Show/Colbert Viewers Most Knowledgable, Fox News Viewers Rank Lowest
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/…..knowledge/

It surely worked in 2000 and 2004. And it’s still doing the job with the wingnuts and the GOP and probably a few indies and Dems. Wonder of it’ll work in 2008? Some would argue the the at least two of my party’s front runners for the Democratic nomination for prez are engaged in propaganda as far as the Middle East is concerned. And are the Democrats poised to cave in the matter of a timetable?

Oklahoma kiddo @
123

The Fourth Reich is spinnig out of control. Makes me nervous.

We know that with this Bush/Cheney circus “send in the clowns” means that some country gets bombed.

-GSD

Lying to Congress:

“I know that I did not, and would not, ask for a resignation of any individual in order to interfere with or influence a particular prosecution for partisan political gain.”

Where, if the Albuquerque Journal is correct, his underling, Sampson, responding to Bush/Rove who were responding to Domenici and the head of the NM GOP, did “ask for the resignation” of Iglesias to attempt to influence a particular prosecution of a Democrat.

This is the lie to Congress.

LJ/Aquaria @ 136

Want to know how utterly devoid of humanity the fundies are? A lot of them were asking what the big deal was in the scandal. Those punks were all criminals, who cares what becomes of them.

I’m an atheist, but the only thing I could think of when I’d see this bile was…

Jesus wept.

Religious fundamentalism of any stripe is a terrific watering hole for sociopaths and all-around creeps.

In his April 15 Washington Post piece (”Nothing Improper”), Gonzales resorts to the dual defenses of revisionist history and hazy memory. President Bush’s Attorney General summarized his case:

“To be clear: I directed my then-deputy chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, to initiate this process; fully knew that it was occurring; and approved the final recommendations. Sampson periodically updated me on the review. As I recall, his updates were brief, relatively few in number and focused primarily on the review process.
During those conversations, to my knowledge, I did not make decisions about who should or should not be asked to resign.”

Sadly for the soon-to-be former Attorney General, that statement directly contradicts his primary assertion from his on March 6th screed in USA Today. He must have made “decisions about who should or should not be asked to resign”, because as Gonzales wrote then, “they simply lost my confidence.”

“While I am grateful for the public service of these seven U.S. attorneys, they simply lost my confidence. I hope that this episode ultimately will be recognized for what it is: an overblown personnel matter.”

For the full analysis, see:
“Gonzales’ Dueling Op-Eds.”

EPU’d from Easter:
——————————
And LO! And so it came to pass that it was blog-commented on the Holy Day of the Bunny, that verily the “BeGonezalez” drumbeat accelerateth. I hereby repeateth and reiterateth my prediction of yore that Prince Alberto will be in the can prior to the advent of April the 17th.

The probability of that event is undeniably increasing, neh? :)

Oklahoma kiddo @ 139

Lou Costello @ 124

Porpaganda works…especially on the ignorant:

SURVEY: Daily Show/Colbert Viewers Most Knowledgable, Fox News Viewers Rank Lowest

embedded link

It surely worked in 2000 and 2004. And it’s still doing the job with the wingnuts and the GOP and probably a few indies and Dems. Wonder of it’ll work in 2008? Some would argue the the at least two of my party’s front runners for the Democratic nomination for prez are engaged in propaganda as far as the Middle East is concerned. And are the Democrats poised to cave in the matter of a timetable?

It truly is distressing that of the three best “news” programs on the air today, two are on Comedy Central and the other is hosted by a recovering sportscaster who still dabbles in the playbox.

BillE @
85

I Gonzo goes, nobody gets confirmed. Think recess appointment or never submit one.

I definitely bet on a recess appointment. Someone who would be a flashpoint trigger. Probably Harriet.

EvilDrPuma @ 130

There’s a general trend there that is at least as interesting as the headlined item: except for TDS/Colbert viewers, consumers of print media (including the Internets) are almost inevitably better informed than consumers of TV.

The stupid box sucks out your brains, guys. Just admit it. Or at least watch TDS.

::::WILD APPLAUSE:::::

It’s turning us into the Idiocracy of the movie, slowly but surely.

If Sampson’s ‘Love Me Two Times’ then Monica’s the wallflower.

—-
About ‘news’ consumption/knowledge – depends on the definition of ‘news’: WHO’S THE DADDY? would get high percentages (I’d need to see a list…)

That’s the 24hr method. It ain’t the Ludovico Method, but it works.

The only way to ‘win’ an attack on Iran is with nukes.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 138

big bob — Do you have any other source for that information other than an anonymous report to WMR? Because what I am hearing directly from staffers on both Judiciary committees is that the Dems and GOP members alike are pushing for forensic study of a lot of the hardware and that the WH caved over the weekend and will be turning that over to a mutually agreeable outside third-party investigative team for analysis.

Let’s not forget that the Bush/Rove position is really weakened these days. Any efforts by anyone to hide, obfuscate or game the system is a crime. Seeing what happened to Irve Libby, knowing that Deadeye Dick Cheney hasn’t even called him(Dick’s too busy shopping) and knowing that there now seems to be a pattern of allowing underlings to twist in the wind.

Are you willing to let your life be ruined by a felony conviction?

The rats are jumping off, one by one.

-GSD

CEO: I haven’t actually experienced a drop in that won’t leave but do have a sociopath brother-in-law that unfortunately we have had some business dealings with. After that there’s no way he ever sets a toe in our house. That is why it is easy to recognize the same characteristics & operating methods in the administration crime mob. I don’t see signs of a conscience in any of them.

Late to the party, but I had to read through and then keep up with the comments. Question: Is Sampson still communicating with his buddies? Can Gonzo find out what he says to Schumer?

OT
Rick Perlstein, senior fellow at the Campaign for America’s Future on WNYC just said that its ridiculous to have people who hate government run government.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 147

The only way to ‘win’ an attack on Iran is with nukes.

True dat. WWIII and M.A.D. …

From WarGames (1983) -
Joshua: “A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess?”

eCAHNomics @
153

OT
Rick Perlstein, senior fellow at the Campaign for America’s Future on WNYC just said that its ridiculous to have people who hate government run government.

Well, there goes 98.9% of THIS administration.

cleter @ 22

I’m tellin ya, they’re setting Gonzales up to take the fall. He’s going to resign, and the whole spin on this is going to be about poor, dumb, out-of-his-depth Alberto, rather than a systemic effort by the administration to game the entire DOJ.

Naturally. There is no reason for them to change their course of tactics now, because they are incapable of original thought and they are so deep in the hole, it would’t really make any difference. Just keep babbling lame excuses to the end, passing the buck, as long as it doesn’t stop at Cheney/Rove/Bush’s desk.

How ironic that there is a sliver of the population that still believe Bush is a man of his word. A man who says what he means and means what he says. Just like he meant it when he said he wasn’t going to let Rumsfeld go.

OleHippieChick @
128

Schumer just said they’re interviewing Kyle Sampson AGAIN this afternoon.

OK, now those are the good chills.

dakine01 @ 155

eCAHNomics @
153

OT
Rick Perlstein, senior fellow at the Campaign for America’s Future on WNYC just said that its ridiculous to have people who hate government run government.

Well, there goes 98.9% of THIS administration.

Of course. Put it in because of how nice & succinctly stated.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 149

The only way to ‘win’ an attack on Iran is with nukes.

that would be the neocon view of “win”.

in my view (and i bet, your’s) nuking iran would mean losing for both us and iranians.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 138

big bob — Do you have any other source for that information other than an anonymous report to WMR? Because what I am hearing directly from staffers on both Judiciary committees is that the Dems and GOP members alike are pushing for forensic study of a lot of the hardware and that the WH caved over the weekend and will be turning that over to a mutually agreeable outside third-party investigative team for analysis.

what christy wrote is EXACTLY what
i’ve been told by staffers, as well. . .

for what it’s worth. . .

They knew or at least had good reason to suspect an attack

From Msnbc

PARIS – French secret services produced nine reports between September 2000 and August 2001 looking at the al-Qaida threat to the United States, and knew it planned to hijack an aircraft, the French newspaper Le Monde said on Monday.

snip

Le Monde said the French report of January 2001 had been handed over to a CIA operative in Paris, but that no mention of it had ever been made in the official U.S. September 11 Commission, which produced its findings in July 2004.

Why was this report never cited by the 911 commission report?

Read the whole article here.

This in and of itself raises more important questions about why this administration didn’t act on this intelligence. Also if I remember correctly Tenet was said to be like a man with his “hair on fire” while trying to get the attention of the decision makers in the Bush administration. Was this report the reason for that? We need some answers here. I suspect some willful ignorance going on to get a reason for war. But hey I am sinical. perhaps someone less sinical than I could comment on this with more clarity.

EvilDrPuma @ 142

LJ/Aquaria @ 136

Want to know how utterly devoid of humanity the fundies are? A lot of them were asking what the big deal was in the scandal. Those punks were all criminals, who cares what becomes of them.

I’m an atheist, but the only thing I could think of when I’d see this bile was…

Jesus wept.

Religious fundamentalism of any stripe is a terrific watering hole for sociopaths and all-around creeps.

And Texas, if not most of the South, is proof of that. Yeah, we have crazies everywhere…but we have a whole lot more of the hate ‘em for God here. They can be so astoundingly vicious, while invoking the name of Jesus.

ironranger @
15

Wolfowitz won’t resign. Ditto Gonzales. Bush, Cheney, Rove, not a chance. It’s like your deadbeat brother-in-law along with all his loser buddies camp out in your house sponging off you & won’t leave.

Reminds me of the Randy Quaid character from Christmas Vacation.

big bob @
17

two mail servers were used by the Republican National Committee and two Bush-Cheney 04 web sites: georgewbush.com and gwb43.com. The two mail servers are: 10 mailscan1.smartechcorp.net and 10 mailscan2.smartechcorp.net. *snip*

The names of those servers sort of imply that they may just be spam filtering proxies ran by the ISP. Spam would be removed or flagged as spam and then passed on to the clients self-hosted mail server.

It is completely mind boggling that RNC was not archiving ALL of their mail. Email retention is a double-edged sword, it’s possible evidence but it’s also possible CYA material as well. The most compelling reason for a nest of vipers organization like RNC to archive everything is to keep tabs on what the winged monkeys underlings are up to.

The stated policy is to destroy everything after 30 days. But the stated policy often does not resemble what’s being practiced.

My take: somewhere there is a junior level techie who inexplicably seems to have been making about 5 times more than his position would warrant for the last several years. He has recently or will soon be involved in a tragic freak accident. Police will find no reason to suspect foul play.

Bush assault on military emails?

Heard a snatch of Bush’s speech this morning and he was talking about the damaging effects of military getting emails that are against the course of the war.

Methinks he’s once again doing his opposite-talk. What he really doesn’t like is our military getting out the truth about what’s going on right in the field. Is BushCo getting ready to shut down soldiers’ voices?

totally off topic, but a plea for help. Does anyone here do trust reconciliations for retainers with QuickBooks?

Another fantastic post, btw

We need to figure a way to ‘good-cop, bad-cop’ Rove. Rove’s the big enchilada.

Zee @ 146

BillE @
85

I Gonzo goes, nobody gets confirmed. Think recess appointment or never submit one.

I definitely bet on a recess appointment. Someone who would be a flashpoint trigger. Probably Harriet.

If Bush has his back to the wall on this and is forced to take Seedy’s resignation, what has he done in prior instances? He’s pushed back. The moment the Dems took over, he sent down nominations for three people who are industry shills for regulatory positions. And obvious ones, at that. And put two of `em in on recess appointments. More push-back.

My bet is that he would leave the position vacant long enough for the lower-level political appointees to near-destroy the place and every ongoing investigation, wait for Congress to adjourn, for fuckin’ Flag Day or something, and then recess-appoint someone like John Yoo or William Haines. Failing that, there’s always Barney, or his mother.

If Gonzales quits, there’s more trouble coming.

steambomb @ 161

This in and of itself raises more important questions about why this administration didn’t act on this intelligence. Also if I remember correctly Tenet was said to be like a man with his “hair on fire” while trying to get the attention of the decision makers in the Bush administration. Was this report the reason for that? We need some answers here. I suspect some willful ignorance going on to get a reason for war. But hey I am sinical. perhaps someone less sinical than I could comment on this with more clarity.

Is it cynicism if you’re right? I suspect you may have hit the nail on the head here. If Tenet wasn’t acting on this particular series of reports, then he was acting on something very similar. And the simple fact that these asswipe were looking for a way to parlay 9/11 into an excuse to conquer Iraq within days of the event speaks to their willingness to manipulate anything toward that end.

If we attack Iran, that will start the last world war.

Gnome de Plume @ 152

Late to the party, but I had to read through and then keep up with the comments. Question: Is Sampson still communicating with his buddies? Can Gonzo find out what he says to Schumer?

gonzales’ statment sez he is not
communicating with any of them. . .

dunno whether i believe that, but
if it is false, it is yet another
lie to congress. . .

on additional reflection, i do think
gonzales is telling the truth about
NOT talking to staffers, current, or
former — it is the lynch-pin of his
“incomplete information” defense — a
defense that schumer and leahy will
cut through, like a hot knife through
room-temperature butter, tomorrow. . .

Prairie Sunshine @ 165

Bush assault on military emails?

Heard a snatch of Bush’s speech this morning and he was talking about the damaging effects of military getting emails that are against the course of the war.

Methinks he’s once again doing his opposite-talk. What he really doesn’t like is our military getting out the truth about what’s going on right in the field. Is BushCo getting ready to shut down soldiers’ voices?

Didn’t hear it, but of course he’d want to shut down military email if he could. Any form of censorship works for W.

“Mr. Gonzales, ‘consensus’ means a decision in which everyone agrees. So I take it that you agreed with the reasons for firing these USAs?”

Consensus means that everyone decided, not that no one did.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 168

If we attack Iran, that will start the last world war.

And all the Rapture Rangers will rejoice.

From Time:

In what could prove an embarrassing new setback for embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on the eve of his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, a group of influential conservatives and longtime Bush supporters has written a letter to the White House to call for his resignation.

The two-page letter, written on stationery of the American Freedom Agenda, a recently formed body designed to promote conservative legal principles, is blunt. Addressed to both Bush and Gonzales, it goes well beyond the U.S. attorneys controversy and details other alleged failings by Gonzales. “Mr. Gonzales has presided over an unprecedented crippling of the Constitution’s time-honored checks and balances,” it declares. “He has brought rule of law into disrepute, and debased honesty as the coin of the realm.” Alluding to ongoing scandal, it notes: “He has engendered the suspicion that partisan politics trumps evenhanded law enforcement in the Department of Justice.”

The letter concludes by saying, “Attorney General Gonzales has proven an unsuitable steward of the law and should resign for the good of the country… The President should accept the resignation, and set a standard to which the wise and honest might repair in nominating a successor…” It is the first public demand by a group of conservatives for Gonzales’ firing. Signatories to the letter include Bruce Fein, a former senior official in the Reagan Justice Department, who has worked frequently with current Administration and the Republican National Committee to promote Bush’s court nominees; David Keene, chairman of the influential American Conservative Union, one of the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots conservative groups, Richard Viguerie, a well-known GOP direct mail expert and fundraiser, Bob Barr, the former Republican congressman from Georgia and free speech advocate, as well as John Whitehead, head of the Rutherford Institute, a conservative non-forit active in fighting for what it calls religious freedoms…

http://www.time.com/time/natio…..38,00.html

steambomb @ 161

This in and of itself raises more important questions about why this administration didn’t act on this intelligence. Also if I remember correctly Tenet was said to be like a man with his “hair on fire” while trying to get the attention of the decision makers in the Bush administration. Was this report the reason for that? We need some answers here. I suspect some willful ignorance going on to get a reason for war. But hey I am sinical. perhaps someone less sinical than I could comment on this with more clarity.

I believe the “hair on fire” was Richard Clarke, not Tenet.

What strikes me about this whole thing is that they keep repeating that the USAs serve at the pleasure of the President. It is so obvious that if that had been the true motivation and justification for the firings, they would have just had Bush remove them and replace them in the ordinary way. The fact that they went to such means to manufacture all those performance issues to justify the firings shows that they knew they were going to have to defend the firings at some point if anyone caught onto what they were doing. There was a document in the first dump where Sampson said something like what is the point of having the amendment to the Patriot Act if we don’t use it. When he testified, he said it only applied to one USA. Not true. They were going to take out as many as they could without drawing too much attention to it and use the Patriot Act provision to install permanent Republican USAs, and Rove is behind the entire plan. Their scheme got kiboshed when the USAs didn’t go quietly into the night…they are caught, caught, caught. The RNC emails are the ruin of this Administration. They will soon all be toast but, just like the USAs, they will not go quietly into the night… The diary on KOS yesterday about the 700,000 documents that exist in the Abramoff committee investigation that have not been released, must be made public. The cover-up of the 109th Congress on that issue holds the key to the roadmap of interlocking criminal activities using the RNC communications to do ALL their dirty work.

LJ/Aquaria -

the Texas Youth Commission horror -

in a letter from Bill Baumann, assistant U.S. attorney in Sutton’s office when they declined to prosecute the case. Baumann said that there was no “bodily injury” involved, and even intimated that the boys enjoyed it, so there was nothing to prosecute.

…”As you know, consent is frequently an issue in sexual assault cases. Although none of the victims admit that they consented to the sexual contact, none resisted or voiced any objection to the conduct. Several of the victims suggested that they were simply ‘getting off’ on the school administrator.”

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/…..aryId=1154

this is one of the times I am going to rely on the fabled stubborness of the Texas Rangers – I encounter 2 or 3 top level guys all the time at work – they are so not letting go of this one ;)

LJ/Aquaria @ 162

And Texas, if not most of the South, is proof of that. Yeah, we have crazies everywhere…but we have a whole lot more of the hate ‘em for God here. They can be so astoundingly vicious, while invoking the name of Jesus.

We have plenty of decent Texans around here, but they seem to be fighting against some nasty currents. By and large, I think it’s about time somebody messed with Texas.

Bobby G. enjoyed your Rutgers letter. A 1961 SHS grad here.

CHS – Your post is outstanding. It reminded me of KO’s special comments.

Fresh thready goodness, up and ready for the reading, gang.

New thread

Rocket Scientist @ 92

big bob @ 17

two mail servers were used by the Republican National Committee and two Bush-Cheney 04 web sites: georgewbush.com and gwb43.com. The two mail servers are: 10 mailscan1.smartechcorp.net and 10 mailscan2.smartechcorp.net. The IP addresses for the two servers are: IP addresses are 64.203.97.101 and 64.203.98.245, respectively. Because they both have a “10″ priority that means that they backed each other up.

Another reader contacted Sen. Patrick Leahy’s office with detailed technical information on how to retrieve the missing e-mails from the servers involved in White House, Justice Department, and RNC inter-communications. That individual was given a brush-off by a Leahy staffer. If Leahy and his staff are waiting for the Bush administration to come up with the missing e-mails, they are sadly mistaken. Leahy’s staff needs a course in what phone calls to pay attention to. In the case referred to above, he and his staff flunk the test for Computer Forensics 101. this from WMR

With all of the talent, connections, and lines of communication that the FDL community has I think big bob deserves more than just a “keep trying” comment.

Surely there must be one or more Fire Pups with a means of ensuring that the important technical info is received by Leahy and received ASAP.

If “another reader” wants to email me with contact informtaion at urban at stowe dot nu I’d be happy to try to pass it along to Leahy’s staff. I’m a constituent, and have called and written his office many times – always with good response.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 168

If we attack Iran, that will start the last world war.

I’m sure that 99.9% of all FirePups’ve heard this already, but

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” – Albert Einstein

Corruption may be “in the air”, but the task is to tie it to those most likely to have planned it, as well as those who may have carried it out. First on the list of suspects would be Mr. Rove. Keep digging.

Pade @ 180

Bobby G. enjoyed your Rutgers letter. A 1961 SHS grad here.

Wow. Check my blog post today (scroll down), I’ve hooked up with a former SHS classmate (we were in Dance Band together) who was class of 66.
.

big bob @
17

two mail servers were used by the Republican National Committee and two Bush-Cheney 04 web sites: georgewbush.com and gwb43.com. The two mail servers are: 10 mailscan1.smartechcorp.net and 10 mailscan2.smartechcorp.net. The IP addresses for the two servers are: IP addresses are 64.203.97.101 and 64.203.98.245, respectively. Because they both have a “10″ priority that means that they backed each other up.

Another reader contacted Sen. Patrick Leahy’s office with detailed technical information on how to retrieve the missing e-mails from the servers involved in White House, Justice Department, and RNC inter-communications. That individual was given a brush-off by a Leahy staffer. If Leahy and his staff are waiting for the Bush administration to come up with the missing e-mails, they are sadly mistaken. Leahy’s staff needs a course in what phone calls to pay attention to. In the case referred to above, he and his staff flunk the test for Computer Forensics 101. this from WMR

I thought I was the only one here who would admit to reading WMR. I saw his computerese descriptions too the other day and wondered why he was the only one publishing them and encouraging direct investigation of them.

S.O.S. from MA @ 185

Oklahoma kiddo @ 168

If we attack Iran, that will start the last world war.

I’m sure that 99.9% of all FirePups’ve heard this already, but

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” – Albert Einstein

I haven’t heard that. But I surely do appreciate what Mr. Einstein was saying. This is a ‘keeper’.

LS @
177

What strikes me about this whole thing is that they keep repeating that the USAs serve at the pleasure of the President. It is so obvious that if that had been the true motivation and justification for the firings, they would have just had Bush remove them and replace them in the ordinary way. The fact that they went to such means to manufacture all those performance issues to justify the firings shows that they knew they were going to have to defend the firings at some point if anyone caught onto what they were doing. There was a document in the first dump where Sampson said something like what is the point of having the amendment to the Patriot Act if we don’t use it. When he testified, he said it only applied to one USA. Not true. They were going to take out as many as they could without drawing too much attention to it and use the Patriot Act provision to install permanent Republican USAs, and Rove is behind the entire plan. Their scheme got kiboshed when the USAs didn’t go quietly into the night…they are caught, caught, caught. The RNC emails are the ruin of this Administration. They will soon all be toast but, just like the USAs, they will not go quietly into the night… The diary on KOS yesterday about the 700,000 documents that exist in the Abramoff committee investigation that have not been released, must be made public. The cover-up of the 109th Congress on that issue holds the key to the roadmap of interlocking criminal activities using the RNC communications to do ALL their dirty work.

I believe it was a commenter at KOS or TPM who remarked (paraphrase): If these guys served at the pleasure of the President, then he is the guy who has to fire them. He cannot be out of the loop. He has to know the circumstances and the justification. How else could they be fired if not by Bush? It is not a delegated responsibility. Gonzales is trying to make it sound as though he delegated it. He might actually get away with that part since he refused to do the firing without higher authority when Sen Dom made his request to dump Iglesias. But not Bush. He had the “pleasure”, so he is the one responsible.

Redshift @ 176

steambomb @ 161

This in and of itself raises more important questions about why this administration didn’t act on this intelligence. Also if I remember correctly Tenet was said to be like a man with his “hair on fire” while trying to get the attention of the decision makers in the Bush administration. Was this report the reason for that? We need some answers here. I suspect some willful ignorance going on to get a reason for war. But hey I am sinical. perhaps someone less sinical than I could comment on this with more clarity.

I believe the “hair on fire” was Richard Clarke, not Tenet.

Was it Richard Clarke referring to Tenet? Or was it Richard Clarke referring to himself?

Here is one of my favorite Einstein quotes:-

“A man’s ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.”

Maybe some of your lawyers can help me understand this:

Let’s suppose I was the CEO of a company, and had hired Gonzo to head my legal department. And let’s suppose that as the head of my legal department he had produced outcomes along the lines of what he has produced at the DOJ, and was offering the same kinds of “explanations”. It seems to me that I would not content myself with simply firing him for this kind of behavior. I would be thinking about a lawsuit to recover my losses, about malpractice, about misrepresentation, about failure to meet the terms of a contract.

So…

What recourse do we as citizens have with respect to Gonzales?

Who looks out for the interests of the individuals who make up the foundation of this country?

Doesn’t Bush have liability for failure to properly supervise his employee? What are the consequences for his failure?

Even if we don’t find hard evidence of criminal wrongdoing, can’t we pursue civil penalties and sanctions?

Or does working for the government absolve one of reasonable responsibility for performance?

I’m suprised you missed the biggest legalese loophole-slash-confession:
“While reasonable people may dispute whether or not the actual reasons for these decisions were sufficient to justify a particular resignation, again, there is no factual basis to support the allegation, as many have made, that these resignations were motivated by improper reasons,”
Translation: That is exactly what happened, but you can’t prove it yet.
I wonder what was on all those missing e-mails?

dude, 188

I thought I was the only one here who would admit to reading WMR. I saw his computerese descriptions too the other day and wondered why he was the only one publishing them and encouraging direct investigation of them.

I read WMR too. Wayne is a bit on the overheated side with some of his observations, but taken with at least a grain of salt, his offerings are often prescient. Also he seems to have sources in very sensitive positions, (esp. the CIA where he used to work) and they feed him with some good morsels. Some of them turn out to be duds, others blockbusters.

Caveat lector.

S.O.S. from MA @ 35

big bob @ 17

… Another reader contacted Sen. Patrick Leahy’s office with detailed technical information on how to retrieve the missing e-mails from the servers involved in White House, Justice Department, and RNC inter-communications. That individual was given a brush-off by a Leahy staffer. … he and his staff flunk the test for Computer Forensics 101. this from WMR

Keep trying. They will have to pick a team of techies and will want to recruit the best. Expertise is highly distributed these days (unlike in my day in 1973 with the Watergate tapes) so they can pick brains from anywhere… Keep trying & Godspeed.

thanks,, but all the digging in the world , will not over come the two party system , Who do not want the truth jest power!

“…recommendations represented the consensus of senior Justice Department officials most knowledgeable…”

What’s a consensus reccomendation?
Is it where you take a vote to determine what the tuth is?

In connecting the dots, what I want to know is -
if the U.S. Attornies serve ‘at the pleasure of the President’
why is it that Kyle Sampson and Monica Goodling were making the decisions?
Was the President even aware of THAT?

If not – why not?

Alberto Gonzales is scheduled to testify beginning at 10 am ET on April 17th before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Gee! Hope he does a better job than Sampson. *lips smacking*

mui @ 199

Alberto Gonzales is scheduled to testify beginning at 10 am ET on April 17th before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Gee! Hope he does a better job than Sampson. *lips smacking*

got my popcorn and soda pop ready. Front row seats at a train wreck make me a happy puppy

Prior to and under the Patriot Act provision sneaked into law in March 2006, it is the President who must decide who serves at his pleasure. The Attorney General has no such power in the Constitution or the {atriot Act. So a better question for the AG is, “why were you so lousy at usurping Presidential Powers in violation of the Constitution and Laws of the United States?” Both the President and the AG should be impeached for allowing underlings to do a job that the Constitution and law mandates they do themselves. I think it a high crime to allow Presidential powers to be usurped by unelected underlings. But, then again, this is a President seeking to rent out his Commander in Chief power for the rest of his term. Why aren’t we screaming bloody murder at the fact that the appointment of a War Czar, (horrible name in a Democracy), is a white flag from Bush? He’s given up and he’s inflicting a coup on the Presidency.

Lawyer Smith – great comment.

shooogarp @ 115

ironranger @ 15

Wolfowitz won’t resign. Ditto Gonzales. Bush, Cheney, Rove, not a chance. It’s like your deadbeat brother-in-law along with all his loser buddies camp out in your house sponging off you & won’t leave.

I once had to call the sheriff to get a “friend” out of my house whom I had taken in when he had fallen on tough times..

In Los Angeles County you have to go through an entire eviction procedure if your down trodden friend won’t leave….and God forbid if they have a minor child with them…..it can take forever. But eviction procedures for the White House residents sure sound like a good idea.

snakedoctor @
45

“Wolfowitz won’t resign. Ditto Gonzales. Bush, Cheney, Rove, not a chance. It’s like your deadbeat brother-in-law along with all his loser buddies camp out in your house sponging off you & won’t leave.”-ironranger

The Solution? We’ll have to be a bit sneaky here…to confuse the monitors at DOJ. Two words. First word: sounds like… “civil”. Second word: sounds like…”war”. It’s a slam-dunk, I tell ya.

Seriously, I’m really looking forward to the on-going testimony of these rascals. Every other qualifying statement they make can be added to a long list of replies guaranteed to really frustrate and exhaust the person on the other side of the table during a tax audit.

Weevil car?

Prairie Sunshine @ 165

Bush assault on military emails?

Heard a snatch of Bush’s speech this morning and he was talking about the damaging effects of military getting emails that are against the course of the war.

Methinks he’s once again doing his opposite-talk. What he really doesn’t like is our military getting out the truth about what’s going on right in the field. Is BushCo getting ready to shut down soldiers’ voices?

No, he’s getting ready to censor *our* emails to them.