zed?

WOW! and I even read the post first!

Yay dakine!

Wow, the testimony must have been something to get the Compost to admit to their favorite preznit doing something lawless.

How to take back your flag:

http://freewayblogger.blogspot…..-flag.html

Maybe even your country too.

Hello Jane.

lawless thugs, grrr

but glad to see some Republicans with honor

‘Twas Mueller who convinced the Pres, … Think NG, Drivers License, …

I just finished reading lhp’s previous post. I really need to get some work done today, guys, so please keep the earth shattering revelations to a minimum,ok? ;-)

I am not surprised by any of this. These people have been blatant crooks from the beginning, starting with engineering the 2000 election.

Seriously, I was so riveted by Marcy’s live blogging and then all the stuff that came later that I did not get anything done until late in the afternoon. I had to work until midnight. This was even better than the Libby trial because so much came out so quickly.

watching reid now…

please, senator reid, end the occupation of iraq now! action, not kabuki is what i want.

Did someone give LHP the link to the Comey transcript in the previous thread?

Comey transcript

[Link repaired by mod]

Gnome de Plume @ 11

Seriously, I was so riveted by Marcy’s live blogging and then all the stuff that came later that I did not get anything done until late in the afternoon. I had to work until midnight. This was even better than the Libby trial because so much came out so quickly.

I got almost nothing done yesterday myself. Sigh. Nor today so far.

good morning!

i will clean the house today i will clean the house today

This is from Boston.com on the GOP/Warner Amendment Harry’s talking about right now. From the AP.

Reid said Reid-Levin has been withdrawn …

tommy yum @ 15

good morning!

i will clean the house today i will clean the house today

hahahaha. good luck!

Am I stating the obvious if I say that they poisoned Ashcroft thinking they’d have better luck with Comey?

I can’t believe that spin that comes out of the WH. Gonzo’s testimony proved he’s doing a good job. Wolfie’s crime isn’t worthy of getting him fired. Now, they are saying that it was OK to go to Ashcroft because his “brain was working”?

It doesn’t matter. The authority had been passed to Comey. And besides, Ashcroft refused to sign it too. What kind of defense is this? It’s disgusting no matter how you look at it.

Siun @ 17

Reid said Reid-Levin has been withdrawn …

wow.

what do you think this means?

One thing that occurred to me (from reading Glenn): if the reason that Comey could later feel that the legalities of the NSA program were now OK if the AUMF was the second justification for it, then it really makes it even more imperative that that Authorization be repealed/ended by Congress.

Can we impeach yet? We, the people, deserve/demand NOTHING LESS!

lest we forget–was it not Ashcroft who anointed himself with (holy?) oil when he assumed office as AG?

Feingold Reid cloture vote now!

Feingold has such crisp clarity. I would love to see him as President.

Mr. TJ was unexpectedly understanding that I hid from him and accomplished nothing during the testimony. I gave him the transcript last night, and I just gave him the You Tube link. I think I’m going to try to spread the You Tube link to everyone I know.

Who was the last person to see Falwell alive?
Solai @ 19

Am I stating the obvious if I say that they poisoned Ashcroft thinking they’d have better luck with Comey?

After yesterday’s testimony, I can imagine BushCrew taking out Falwell to get rid of him and his death floods the news covereage for at least a week.

no one is in the chamber – this will take a while

If I may go juvenile for a moment, Russ makes my heart go pitty-pat. Integrity and principles are so sexy. I guess because it’s so rare these days.

I don’t believe for one minute that when Bush said to do what they thought was right, that it changed anything about how the program was operating. That little show was a CYA, you know they always do what they want to after the correct mask has been put on.

Siun @ 17

Reid said Reid-Levin has been withdrawn …

Does anyone have a link to that? Or are we liveblogging CSPAN?

TJ – that was from Reid’s statement on the floor – I’ll look for more after the vote

Solai @ 19

Am I stating the obvious if I say that they poisoned Ashcroft thinking they’d have better luck with Comey?

There’s a long list of drugs that can induce pancreatitis:

Pancreatitis caused by drugs accounts for about 5% of all cases. Some drugs that are definitely related to pancreatitis include:

Azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine (Imuran)

Dideoxyinosine (Videx)

Estrogens (birth control pills)

Furosemide (Lasix)

Pentamidine (NebuPent)

Sulfonamides (Urobak, Azulfidine)

Tetracycline

Thiazide diuretics (Diuril, Enduron)

Valproic acid (Depakote).

Some drugs that are probably related to pancreatitis include:

Acetaminophen (Tylenol)

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (Capoten, Vasotec)

Erythromycin

Methyldopa (Aldomet)

Metronidazole (Flagyl, Protostat)

Nitrofurantoin (Furadantin, Furan)

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (Aleve, Naprosyn, Motrin)

Salicylates (aspirin).
pancreatitis

epu’d from previous thread…

I wonder if Lockheed is not supporting his decision to do so?

and the very end of yesterday’s hearing, someone (Leahy?) while praising Comey noted that Comey would not have been there without a subpoena.

*****************

I’m really curious about Gonzales’ attempt to pin the USA firings on McNulty, who claims to have had little input. Is it possible that McNulty was given the same message as Lam (I think it was her); i.e. that when Sampson handed McNulty the final list, McNutly was told that the firing instructions were coming from “the highest levels of the government” and that McNulty realized that “resistance is futile”.

It is amazing to me how they keep these things a secret. This took over three years to get out.
As I listened to Comey’s testimony it struck me how many people would have had some knowledge of this. Comney’s security detail, the agents in the Hospital command center, attorneys and staff at the DOJ, hospital staff, the Ashcroft family and on and on.
If we had an aggressive and competent press covering this administration, this would have seen the light of day much earlier.

old gold @ 36

It is amazing to me how they keep these things a secret. This took over three years to get out.
As I listened to Comey’s testimony it struck me how many people would have had some knowledge of this. Comney’s security detail, the agents in the Hospital command center, attorneys and staff at the DOJ, hospital staff, the Ashcroft family and on and on.
If we had an aggressive and competent press covering this administration, this would have seen the light of day much earlier.

A lot of people have known about this, but perhaps without such specific and dramatic detail. Naturally, the traditional media has never mentioned it, because that sort of thing just isn’t done, you know.

Elliott @ 28

Who was the last person to see Falwell alive?
Solai @ 19

Am I stating the obvious if I say that they poisoned Ashcroft thinking they’d have better luck with Comey?

After yesterday’s testimony, I can imagine BushCrew taking out Falwell to get rid of him and his death floods the news covereage for at least a week.

Or Falwell collapsing after seeing what had become of justice on the back of his pro-life, moral majority vote. What happened to the morals (or the majority)?

bushbehindbars @ 23

Can we impeach yet? We, the people, deserve/demand NOTHING LESS!

Maybe, maybe the Democrats will see fit to convene a committee to study appointing a special prosecutor who further investigate the issue for 3 and a half years and we’ll all know the full story in late 2010.

Impeachment = off the table.
Pre-emptive use of nuclear weapons against a country that does not threaten the USA = on the table.

therefore, further support for this passive, enabling disgrace of an opposition party = off the table, deal?

Re: Feingold-Reid:

Feingold-Reid:

Would require the president to begin redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq within 120 days of passage and cut off funding for the war on March 31, 2008. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama say they’ll vote in favor of cloture on the measure; John Edwards has already called for the redeployment of U.S. troops to begin immediately and to be completed within a year.

Of course the Leiberman for Leiberman party votes with the rethugs.

I’m watchng cspan on mute (at work). Not showing a vote yet. What’s going on?

If you go back and watch John McKay’s interview on local Seattle TV, you will hear him use the term “thug” repeatedly, emphatically and pointedly when he discusses his call from Elston. It is really powerful stuff. Here’s the clip:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c…..php#013981

p.lukasiak @ 35

I’m really curious about Gonzales’ attempt to pin the USA firings on McNulty, who claims to have had little input. Is it possible that McNulty was given the same message as Lam (I think it was her); i.e. that when Sampson handed McNulty the final list, McNutly was told that the firing instructions were coming from “the highest levels of the government” and that McNulty realized that “resistance is futile”.

I would go along with something like that, although he may honestly have been fed everything, a blind cut-out.

Solai @ 42

I’m watchng cspan on mute (at work). Not showing a vote yet. What’s going on?

it’s on CSPAN 2

The Warner Amendment:

(AP) A small group of Republican senators, led by Virginia’s John Warner, is coalescing around legislation that would threaten billions of dollars in U.S. aid to Iraq and make clear American troops will stay only as long as Baghdad lives up to its promises.

“The United States strategy in Iraq, hereafter, shall be conditioned on the Iraqi government meeting benchmarks,” a draft of the proposal says.

Solai – roll call going on.

Biodun – for more on Feingold-Reid and the presidentials (including some discussion of Clinton and Obama)see our post from last night.

old gold @ 36,

I completely agree with you, The press for the most part have been very negligent.

What’s goin’ on here? There are a whole raft of “No” votes from folks that I would have expected to vote “Aye.” WTF?

Just got back from reading Greenwald. Abu makes Ashcroft look as good as Bush makes Nixon look. I must admit to thinking impure thoughts when Ashcroft was hospitalized with pancreatitis. My dad had it and survived, as did a close friend, but I have known several others who died from it. It is a horrible and painful illness.

And then there’s the lame Cochran Amendment:

The Cochran amendment:

The measure, introduced by Mississippi Republican Thad Cochran, would simply call on Congress to pass a war funding bill that the president is willing to sign.

In Iraq today – 9 mortar rounds hit the green zone, wounding 6 and yesterday one hit, wounding 5 … 45 Iraqi’s were killed in a chlorine bomb attack in Diyala.

Note the green zone attacks – I suspect these will continue and get larger or more frequent. Green zone workers are now required to wear armor when outside I believe.

Siun @ 47:

Thanks. I’ve never visited the Lake at night.

Anyone know offhand what it takes to appoint a Special Prosecutor? Simple majority? Super majority? With DOJ being non-existent, who does it?

Rayne @ 44

OT but a comment for one you made on a thread yesterday about how some commenters seem to appear only when certain pols or topics discussed:

FWIW, I think you are spot on with that…

ATTAAAAAAACKKKK!

If now is not the time for torches and pitchforks at the White House, people, then I don’t know what the hell is.

Time to take out the trash, once and for fucking all.

What do you think the odds of this happening at WH presser today?
Q Tony, yesterday you dismissed bothering sick man as *what, he had an appendectomy, his brain doesn’t work?* Now, we know he was in IC, his wife had left strict instructions he wasn’t to be disturbed. How, in the light of all this, can you justify the strongarm technique of Card and Gonzales, especially since Ashcroft wasn’t legally AG at the time? Can you answer that, please?

Greenwald’s piece is stunning … wow!

So when do we get that special prosecutor?

ap @ 43

If you go back and watch John McKay’s interview on local Seattle TV, you will hear him use the term “thug” repeatedly, emphatically and pointedly when he discusses his call from Elston. It is really powerful stuff. Here’s the clip:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c…..php#013981

Thanks for bringing this back up. I’d seen it the first time, and as with re-watching Comey from yesterday, a 2nd viewing adds a lot.

Both McKay & Comey’s accounts made me think of the fact that Bushco is pulling this crap with highly trained investigators. It apparently never occurred to Karl & team that these intelligent professional skeptics might see through it, have suspicions, ask questions.

The hubris and arrogance of it all are almost as breathtaking as the total absence of decency and integrity.

Gnome de Plume @ 54

Anyone know offhand what it takes to appoint a Special Prosecutor? Simple majority? Super majority? With DOJ being non-existent, who does it?

Independent Special prosecutor law expired in late’90s/early “aughts,”
I believe now would require AG to appoint and give powers over similar to what was done with Fitz. Like THAT’LL happen with these guys. But IANAL.

From Leahy’s site

We will see this afternoon whether the Attorney General will comply with the Committee’s subpoena requiring him to produce to the Committee all of Mr. Rove’s e-mails in the Department’s possession related to the Committee’s investigation or whether our efforts to learn the truth will be met with more stonewalling. When the Attorney General was before us last month, I asked him whether he would provide Mr. Rove’s e-mails in the Department’s possession to the Committee without a subpoena. I did not hear back from him after the hearing or in response to a follow up letter I sent April 25th asking for a response. I hope that the Attorney General of the United States will comply with a duly issued subpoena of this standing Committee of the Senate acting in its oversight capacity.

So, what is next?

29 – 67
damn!

Warner amendment up now…

Cloture fails Y-29, No-67, Reid-Feingold withdrawn.

McConnell points out that the Surrender Date Bill was easily struck down…

Me @ 53:

Re Lake visits at night: I love Trex’s occasional daytime posts (we all know he’s an owl who’s also awake during the day). It’s just that I have too many things going on at night. I average about 4 hours at the Lake during the day. TMI, I know, in the scheme of things happening in our republic. My apologies.

Even Republics must be shaking their heads on this shameful act. If only there had been some some sexual act between consenting adults to spark their interest in investigating! If so, Republics would have had launched into detailed investigations long before now.

Siun @ 62

29 – 67
damn!

Siun, any idea why so many D’s voted No? Perplexing to say the least…

Gnome de Plume @ 54

Anyone know offhand what it takes to appoint a Special Prosecutor? Simple majority? Super majority? With DOJ being non-existent, who does it?

actually this is another legacy of the repubs’ clinton fetish, the demise of the independent counsel’s office. when it was time to renew authorization of this watergate-era reform, few dems had the stomach for it after ken starr.
not incidentally, this of course opened the way for the truly unchecked abuses in the bush administration.

tommy yum @ 15

good morning!

i will clean the house today i will clean the house today

if you get done early, I will be happy to help you clean the senate.

Dakine – a lot of Ds since we have the majority. I’ll add the roll call as soon as we get it.

snowbird42 @ 61

From Leahy’s site

We will see this afternoon whether the Attorney General will comply with the Committee’s subpoena requiring him to produce to the Committee all of Mr. Rove’s e-mails in the Department’s possession related to the Committee’s investigation or whether our efforts to learn the truth will be met with more stonewalling. When the Attorney General was before us last month, I asked him whether he would provide Mr. Rove’s e-mails in the Department’s possession to the Committee without a subpoena. I did not hear back from him after the hearing or in response to a follow up letter I sent April 25th asking for a response. I hope that the Attorney General of the United States will comply with a duly issued subpoena of this standing Committee of the Senate acting in its oversight capacity.

So, what is next?

Yeah, that’s yesterday, and no papers, no response. What’s next? Can’t they just go over and take the papers?

Am I correct that until some kind of a money bill passes, the admnistration does not have the funds it needs to pursue the war?

Siun @ 71

Dakine – a lot of Ds since we have the majority. I’ll add the roll call as soon as we get it.

It included a lot of D’s that I thought were against this mis-begotten war and all of its attendant foolishness.

ken melvin @ 8

‘Twas Mueller who convinced the Pres, … Think NG, Drivers License, …

What what what? Pls explain.

Fern – they have money for the interim and can move funds from other accounts so they will not run out of cash and be forced to bring troops home. In fact, W made it clear he would move money as needed – raid on social Security anyone?

old gold @ 36

It is amazing to me how they keep these things a secret. This took over three years to get out.
As I listened to Comey’s testimony it struck me how many people would have had some knowledge of this. Comney’s security detail, the agents in the Hospital command center, attorneys and staff at the DOJ, hospital staff, the Ashcroft family and on and on.
If we had an aggressive and competent press covering this administration, this would have seen the light of day much earlier.

Well, just think how long it has taken for stuff that all of us who have been getting our news from alternative sources have known for years (manipulated intelligence on Iraq WMD’s, for example) to bubble up to the msm surface.

Of course, I still wonder where the outrage is on that one and many other stories of Republican and Bush administration countless transgressions hidden in plain sight. Everyday I wake up I have to ask myself if I’m the one who’s insane. Then I log onto FDL and realize I’m not alone. I really hope you all aren’t fig newtons of my imagination.

GeorgeSimian @ 20

I can’t believe that spin that comes out of the WH. Gonzo’s testimony proved he’s doing a good job. Wolfie’s crime isn’t worthy of getting him fired. Now, they are saying that it was OK to go to Ashcroft because his “brain was working”?

It doesn’t matter. The authority had been passed to Comey. And besides, Ashcroft refused to sign it too. What kind of defense is this? It’s disgusting no matter how you look at it.

Yes! And the Preznit saved the day by single-handedly reauthorizing NSA program deespite the fact that both the Act and his authorization are unconstitutional! What a guy!!

HI everyone, Can’t stay but wanted to make sure everyone saw this Video from Brad blog.

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4551

Remember all the missing emails from DOJ to Rove? Greg Palast, an american working for the BBC, has a bunch of then and they explain the connection between Rove and the firing of the USAs and the placement of hacks in key states. It’s about 2008!!!

twolf1 @ 63

Warner amendment up now…

Wake me when it’s over.

Zzzzzzzzzz . . .

Siun @ 76

Fern – they have money for the interim and can move funds from other accounts so they will not run out of cash and be forced to bring troops home. In fact, W made it clear he would move money as needed – raid on social Security anyone?

Okay, so Congress sitting on their hands is not a solution.

Edited for an additional thought – it also means that anything congress passes is pretty much pointless. Bush can veto or ignore and continue to reatively fund his war. Is de-authorizing the war the only solution?

Warner Amendment – if Iraq says that the U.S. should leave – we will leave – sounds good to me – why are D’s against?

Anyone want to explain what Greenwald’s main point was? Salon’s ads are evil and I don’t even bother trying to get through them to read his posts anymore.

laurie9 @ 22

One thing that occurred to me (from reading Glenn): if the reason that Comey could later feel that the legalities of the NSA program were now OK if the AUMF was the second justification for it, then it really makes it even more imperative that that Authorization be repealed/ended by Congress.

DING!

dakine01 @ 55

FWIW, I think you are spot on with that…

I went and double-checked; the one in question only shows up here at FDL, and only when two candidates are mentioned, and always with the same kind of commentary.

It’s not my blog, mind you, so it doesn’t matter what I think. But IMO, it’s one thing to have an opinion about candidates AND to be engaged in the topics that affect progressives, but another to show up solely to attack specific candidates. That’s the kind of stuff people may be paid to do, you know?

The Liebercrats and Reaganites are trying. (Very trying.) I wonder who the 60,000 suckers ‘delegates’ are.

A third party? This could be the time
Voter discontent with Democratic and GOP presidential contenders drives a Web-based move to field a bipartisan pairing. A Bloomberg campaign is rumored.

[snip]
Unity08.com, created in part by former political operatives for the 1976 Ford and Carter campaigns, thinks it has the answer.
[snip]
The group’s backers include Angus King, former independent governor of Maine; Hamilton Jordan, President Carter’s chief of staff; and Doug Bailey, longtime Republican political consultant and a co-founder of the Hotline political news digest.

With 60,000 delegates already signed up online, Bailey anticipates 2 million or more delegates to the virtual convention — many driven by whatever decisions are made in the major parties’ early primaries and caucuses, which begin in January.

“We anticipate, frankly, at that point a lot of people will be very upset over the choices that were made, a lot of buyer’s remorse,” Bailey said. “The country confronts too many serious issues at the very time its political train has sort of left its tracks. You can’t get anybody to work with anybody …. We can’t afford four more years like that.”

Now this is truly disgusting and signed by DiFi

Right- wing radio host Rush Limbaugh recently received an invitation from Congress to speak at the 2007 Summer Intern Lecture Series. The letter states that the lecture series is specifically “for interns to hear prominent members of government speak about their personal experiences in public services.” Rush said he plans to “ponder this invitation” and sarcastically remarked, “Do you realize what a golden opportunity this would be for me to have access to these young skulls full of mush and to go up there and just give them our agenda here, folks, of things that we talk about each and every day?
Think Progress

Where’s redhead been??

Siun @ 62

29 – 67
damn!

damn. haven’t they been reading Tom Shaller?

there’s not enough pandering to the base… we want our congress to end the occupation of iraq – now!

So far it sounds like a straight party line vote on Warner.

Heirofpatriots – no ad on the Salon link, so go ahead and read – it’s worth it.

ccmask – Redd is at a convention with Mr Redd and hopefully having a blast!

TJ @ 13

Did someone give LHP the link to the Comey transcript in the previous thread?

Comey transcript

TJ, there was an extra http in that link. This one should work.

Have been out of the news loop for three days. Just found out that Paul McNulty resigned. I had predicted this several months ago (Bill Kristol and David Frum were just too excited by this AG scandal) and had asked attorneys or anyone else here at FDL who would know how his resignation would effect the upcoming A*P*C Rosen/Weismann ESPIONAGE trial?

Will McNulty’s resignation “cast clouds” over this trial? Will it take any of the punch, power or justice out of the espionage trial?

Knew this would likely happen, (some told me that I was jumping too far ahead). Kristol must be tickled yellow!

Jayt – Warner funds the war and gives W waivers of any benchmarks as I understand it.

Siun @ 91

Heirofpatriots – no ad on the Salon link, so go ahead and read – it’s worth it.

ccmask – Redd is at a convention with Mr Redd and hopefully having a blast!

thanks.

Elliott @ 34

Solai @ 19

Am I stating the obvious if I say that they poisoned Ashcroft thinking they’d have better luck with Comey?

There’s a long list of drugs that can induce pancreatitis:

Pancreatitis caused by drugs accounts for about 5% of all cases. Some drugs that are definitely related to pancreatitis include:

Azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine (Imuran)

Dideoxyinosine (Videx)

Estrogens (birth control pills)

Furosemide (Lasix)

Pentamidine (NebuPent)

Sulfonamides (Urobak, Azulfidine)

Tetracycline

Thiazide diuretics (Diuril, Enduron)

Valproic acid (Depakote).

Some drugs that are probably related to pancreatitis include:

Acetaminophen (Tylenol)

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (Capoten, Vasotec)

Erythromycin

Methyldopa (Aldomet)

Metronidazole (Flagyl, Protostat)

Nitrofurantoin (Furadantin, Furan)

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (Aleve, Naprosyn, Motrin)

Salicylates (aspirin).
pancreatitis

True, they can cause pancreatitis but not with such certainty that one would administer them in order to cause pancreatitis.

re: Warner amendment: I guess it would only be worth supporting if it requires that the Iraqi’s actually vote as to whether or not the U.S. should stay.

GWB *loves* Iraqi elections – purple fingers! democratic process! smells like freedom!

Jayt – precisely. Cheney already told us the Iraqi Parliament’s call for the US to leave didn’t count coz they weren’t really real …
makes you wonder.

snowbird42 @ 87

Now this is truly disgusting and signed by DiFi

Right- wing radio host Rush Limbaugh recently received an invitation from Congress to speak at the 2007 Summer Intern Lecture Series. The letter states that the lecture series is specifically “for interns to hear prominent members of government speak about their personal experiences in public services.” Rush said he plans to “ponder this invitation” and sarcastically remarked, “Do you realize what a golden opportunity this would be for me to have access to these young skulls full of mush and to go up there and just give them our agenda here, folks, of things that we talk about each and every day?
Think Progress

Notwithstanding the unspeakable absurdity of such an invitation, the letter specifically states the speakers are to be “prominent members of the government.”

WTF – WTF – WTF – WTF???????????? What is UP with this woman??

Auuuuurrrgghhhhhhh!!! I gotta get off the Net before I truly lose what marbles I have left.

re: Warner amendment: I guess it would only be worth supporting if it requires that the Iraqi’s actually vote as to whether or not the U.S. should stay.

given that a majority of the Iraqi parliament has already signed a petition telling the US to leave in six months, what’s the point?

Warner amendment withdrawn…

Warner withdrawn. 52 affirmative, no cloture.

52 Y 44 N cloture on Warner amendment

doesn’t get cloture

much stronger vote than Feingold-Reid …

Cochran up now – the give W everything he wants amendment

Comey really needs to be more forthcoming about the “classified” nature of the NSA spying. Remember this all occured at the start of the 2004 election campaign season, and since we all know Evangelical Ashcroft would probably never deny Bush the chance to spy on ANYONE if it related even remotely to Islamic terrorism, then what was it about this WH request and pressure that made Ashcroft refuse, in such determined fashion, to sign-off on it?

My tin-foil hat is crackling again, this time it is telling me that this had much more to do with some type of pernicious Rovian program that would allow them to somehow spy on Democratic candidates and Democratic party operatives without any legal scrutiny, then they could change it all back again once they had all the dirt and strategic info they wanted, and no one outside their loopwould ever know any better.

Where was Rove in this Card/Gonzales armtwisting event? If he was with them in some sort of meeting any time shortly before they left for the hospital, one might assume that politics was central to their desperation. And of course we know what Rove’s job is..

But, surely, those noble Republican freedom defenders would never use our national intelligence system to spy on their political adversaries… would they?

Comey could dispell this conspiracy theory with a carefully worded response, without exposing any state secrets. If he knows for a fact that there was a political agenda, not a security agenda, then he’s part of the cover-up.

Thad Cochran would have you believe that all the troop deaths are due to the dems failure to pass a spending bill…

Rayne @ 85, whispering behind hand

dakine01 @ 55

FWIW, I think you are spot on with that…

I went and double-checked; the one in question only shows up here at FDL, and only when two candidates are mentioned, and always with the same kind of commentary.

It’s not my blog, mind you, so it doesn’t matter what I think. But IMO, it’s one thing to have an opinion about candidates AND to be engaged in the topics that affect progressives, but another to show up solely to attack specific candidates. That’s the kind of stuff people may be paid to do, you know?

are you including PJ @ 86?

yesterday I was reproducing one of Glenn Greenwalds major insights, that the old political categories of left and right are askew right now, and we can think of the politcal landscape as neo-con and anti-neo-con, or War Party and everyone else.

Greenwald is respected and linked to by the site’s proprietors, so there is my appeal to credentials, ok?

So I’m an anti-neo-con, I oppose the actions of the War Party, they have wreaked untold devastation, and H. Clinton is a neo-con and would govern as one, and her nomination might result in defeat for the beloved (D) party.

Obama (Joe-Bama) was mentored in the Senate by Lieberman, and may or may not be a neo-con, but he isn’t what many fervently believe him to be.

And those two factotums aren’t my only concerns – I also think Cheney engineered 9/11!

MODS!!! over here!

Rayne @ 85

dakine01 @ 55

FWIW, I think you are spot on with that…

I went and double-checked; the one in question only shows up here at FDL, and only when two candidates are mentioned, and always with the same kind of commentary.

It’s not my blog, mind you, so it doesn’t matter what I think. But IMO, it’s one thing to have an opinion about candidates AND to be engaged in the topics that affect progressives, but another to show up solely to attack specific candidates. That’s the kind of stuff people may be paid to do, you know?

That or some of the folks who never seem to engage while a thread is up top but always leave “provocative” comments in EPU land.

OMG–Tony Snow actually said that about Ashcroft in ICU? Is this the Tony Snow who gets all weepy about his own and his mother’s cancer? OMG.

Reid calls for voice vote on Cochran Amendment – says “we’re all going to vote for it”

getting text of Cochran amendment now …

They need to not have a Memorial Day recess. There are too many awful recess appointments W could make.

Please, no recess!

djinn @ 96

True, they can cause pancreatitis but not with such certainty that one would administer them in order to cause pancreatitis.

And Ashcroft’s pancreatitis was caused by gallstones, an common cause of the painful condition.
But I think BushCrew is capable of anything, and yesterday they went Borgia as far as I’m concerned.

despairing @ 108

OMG–Tony Snow actually said that about Ashcroft in ICU? Is this the Tony Snow who gets all weepy about his own and his mother’s cancer? OMG.

Yep, same guy. IOKIYAR.

That’s how they operate.

“Estrogens (birth control pills)”
ya think maybe Ashcroft was trying to keep his wonderful singing voice from changing from a baritone into a bass?

“an account of Bush administration lawlessness so shocking it would have been unbelievable coming from a less reputable source.” — great quote!

Comey is my new hero! Fitz or Comey for AG in ‘08…or better yet (I’m so tired of politicians in both parties) Fitz/Comey in ‘08

Siun @ 109

Reid calls for voice vote on Cochran Amendment – says “we’re all going to vote for it”

getting text of Cochran amendment now …

WTF?

was he trying to provide cover for all the D senators voting to give bush his blank check for war? please tell me i am wrong. i have this awful feeling this is all kabuki.

snowbird42 @ 61

From Leahy’s site

We will see this afternoon whether the Attorney General will comply with the Committee’s subpoena requiring him to produce to the Committee all of Mr. Rove’s e-mails in the Department’s possession related to the Committee’s investigation or whether our efforts to learn the truth will be met with more stonewalling. When the Attorney General was before us last month, I asked him whether he would provide Mr. Rove’s e-mails in the Department’s possession to the Committee without a subpoena. I did not hear back from him after the hearing or in response to a follow up letter I sent April 25th asking for a response. I hope that the Attorney General of the United States will comply with a duly issued subpoena of this standing Committee of the Senate acting in its oversight capacity.

So, what is next?

Impeachment should be next for anyone refusing to follow the law. One after the next.

corry342 @ 70

tommy yum @ 15

good morning!

i will clean the house today i will clean the house today

if you get done early, I will be happy to help you clean the senate.

Hilarious!

selise @ 115

Siun @ 109

Reid calls for voice vote on Cochran Amendment – says “we’re all going to vote for it”

getting text of Cochran amendment now …

WTF?

was he trying to provide cover for all the D senators voting to give bush his blank check for war? please tell me i am wrong. i have this awful feeling this is all kabuki.

Selise, I do to. Are we watching ourselves being sold down the river?

yknow, the truly hideous consequence of not pursuing impeachment is it raises the threshold for pursuing it against members of future administrations to impossible heights.

impeachment: use it or lose it.

If you get a chance watch the videos on Bradblog
Did you realize that Inglesis was the Tom Cruise character in “A Few Good Men” http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4551

Hot Flash,

It wouldn’t be the first time, nor, I fear, will it be the last.

Trying to find out – can’t see the text yet on the Senate site but they are all voting Aye.

RevDeb @ 110

They need to not have a Memorial Day recess. There are too many awful recess appointments W could make.

Please, no recess!

How many of them have to remain in Washington to prevent any more recess appointments? Or, better still, can’t they pass an emergency bill that temporarily eliminates recess appointments? Surely Bush’s blatant abuse of the current law justifies changing it until he and Cheney are GONE, hopefully much earlier than he and Cheney expect (GO, Dennis K!)

They should also also add a clause preventing “midnight insertions” and making it a felony to serriptitiously change laws after arguments are done on the floor.

Boxer, Fiengold, Leahy, Menendez, Sanders, Whitehouse, Dodd voting no on Cochran

dmg @ 119

yknow, the truly hideous consequence of not pursuing impeachment is it raises the threshold for pursuing it against members of future administrations to impossible heights.

impeachment: use it or lose it.

Like the story about Aunt Mary. She drank a bit, you know, and eventually died of it and complications. Someone asked at the funeral, “Did she ever go to AA?” “Oh no!” was the shocked respone, “she was never *that* bad.”

RevDeb @ 121

Hot Flash,

It wouldn’t be the first time, nor, I fear, will it be the last.

i am charlie brown trusting lucy to hold the football for me this time.

Siun @ 122

Trying to find out – can’t see the text yet on the Senate site but they are all voting Aye.

WHAT!!!!

JEP @ 123

RevDeb @ 110

They need to not have a Memorial Day recess. There are too many awful recess appointments W could make.

Please, no recess!

How many of them have to remain in Washington to prevent any more recess appointments? Or, better still, can’t they pass an emergency bill that temporarily eliminates recess appointments? Surely Bush’s blatant abuse of the current law justifies changing it until he and Cheney are GONE, hopefully much earlier than he and Cheney expect (GO, Dennis K!)

They should also also add a clause preventing “midnight insertions” and making it a felony to serriptitiously change laws after arguments are done on the floor.

They can’t pass any bill. period. They can adjourn, I think, without formally recessing. Anyone know for sure?

JEP @ 123

RevDeb @ 110

They need to not have a Memorial Day recess. There are too many awful recess appointments W could make.

Please, no recess!

How many of them have to remain in Washington to prevent any more recess appointments? Or, better still, can’t they pass an emergency bill that temporarily eliminates recess appointments? Surely Bush’s blatant abuse of the current law justifies changing it until he and Cheney are GONE, hopefully much earlier than he and Cheney expect (GO, Dennis K!)

They should also also add a clause preventing “midnight insertions” and making it a felony to serriptitiously change laws after arguments are done on the floor.

That would be too sensible. I often think that our team does not intend to win.

Senate Dems are caving. WTF.

Elliott, I think they’re capable of much evil as well, but….pancreatitis? Maybe Ashcroft was really stressed out and drinking heavily.

dmg @ 119

yknow, the truly hideous consequence of not pursuing impeachment is it raises the threshold for pursuing it against members of future administrations to impossible heights.

impeachment: use it or lose it.

that’s an extra good one

despairing @ 108

OMG–Tony Snow actually said that about Ashcroft in ICU? Is this the Tony Snow who gets all weepy about his own and his mother’s cancer? OMG.

Is it true that “Tony Snow” translates as “Tariq Aziz” in Farsi?

RevDeb @ 124

Boxer Fiengold Leahy, Menendez, Sanders, Whitehouse voting no on Cochran

and i think i heard kennedy vote no!

thank you very much, my senator!

(NOT everyone is going to vote “yes”, harry)

selise @ 126

RevDeb @ 121

Hot Flash,

It wouldn’t be the first time, nor, I fear, will it be the last.

i am charlie brown trusting lucy to hold the football for me this time.

No, they will not do that to us again. Torch time. Hey, Norske, you up yet?

JEP @ 123

RevDeb @ 110

They need to not have a Memorial Day recess. There are too many awful recess appointments W could make.

Please, no recess!

How many of them have to remain in Washington to prevent any more recess appointments? Or, better still, can’t they pass an emergency bill that temporarily eliminates recess appointments? Surely Bush’s blatant abuse of the current law justifies changing it until he and Cheney are GONE, hopefully much earlier than he and Cheney expect (GO, Dennis K!)

They should also also add a clause preventing “midnight insertions” and making it a felony to serriptitiously change laws after arguments are done on the floor.

OH! is Abu staying on until a recess, then he resigns, so that GB can appoint his successor, can that happen? Does it work that way? Oh my

“The second Republican proposal to be considered, sponsored by Mississippi Republican Thad Cochran, expresses the “sense of the Senate” that lawmakers should approve a war-funding bill that Bush can sign by the end of next week.”

Y 87 N 9

selise @ 126

RevDeb @ 121

Hot Flash,

It wouldn’t be the first time, nor, I fear, will it be the last.

i am charlie brown trusting lucy to hold the football for me this time.

that doesn’t come with the greatest odds.

new thread.

djinn @ 131

Elliott, I think they’re capable of much evil as well, but….pancreatitis? Maybe Ashcroft was really stressed out and drinking heavily.

He does not drink.

As Governor, he vetoed a bill that would have allowed liquor sales on Sundays, and another act that would have permitted a smidgen of alcohol in candy.

Siun @ 137

“The second Republican proposal to be considered, sponsored by Mississippi Republican Thad Cochran, expresses the “sense of the Senate” that lawmakers should approve a war-funding bill that Bush can sign by the end of next week.”

Y 87 N 9

Is a “Sense of the Senate” resolution worth the paper it is printed on?

One more thing about this being kept a secret for three years. Why din’t we hear about this when Gonzo was being considered for Attorney General? It seems to me that this episode should have been brought to the Senate’s attention during the confirmation hearings.
Although I generally admire Comey, I think he should have shared this sordid tale much sooner.

oops – was that just the cloture vote on Cochran …

gonna have to wait for the Senate site to update to get this sorted out

dakine @107

That or some of the folks who never seem to engage while a thread is up top but always leave “provocative” comments in EPU land.

another FDL tea party faux pas, apparently. Do you wear special little party hats or something while typing?

seems to be a bit of a groundswell on this thread that impeachment should be ‘on the table’, something my two favorite candidates would never advocate.

djinn @ 131

Elliott, I think they’re capable of much evil as well, but….pancreatitis? Maybe Ashcroft was really stressed out and drinking heavily.

Pancreatitis can strike anyone. My dad did not have any of the lifestyles that typically cause the flair up. His doc said his acute case was just bad luck or bad genes.

I am not watching so please tell me what’s going on, my blood pressure is getting dangerous here. Thank you.

nope – Cochran passed … down the river? you bet!

AT JTA(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

McNulty, central to AIPAC case, quits

The deputy U.S. attorney general who indicted two former AIPAC staffers on classified information charges resigned.

Paul McNulty was the U.S. attorney in eastern Virginia in August 2005 when he indicted Steve Rosen, the former foreign policy chief for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and Keith Weissman, its former Iran analyst, under a never-used 1917 statute that criminalizes the receipt of classified information. Within weeks he was promoted to deputy attorney general.

McNulty resigned Monday after being embroiled in weeks of controversy over the firing of at least eight U.S. attorneys. McNulty testified in February that the White House was not involved in the firing of the attorneys. When it was revealed that senior White House staff had indeed played a role, McNulty said he had not been adequately prepared by Justice Department staff.

In his resignation letter Monday, McNulty said he wanted to enter the private sector to fund his children’s college education.

Boxer talking now wanting to resolve questions on amendments to the Water Bill.

dakine01 @ 141

Siun @ 137

“The second Republican proposal to be considered, sponsored by Mississippi Republican Thad Cochran, expresses the “sense of the Senate” that lawmakers should approve a war-funding bill that Bush can sign by the end of next week.”

Y 87 N 9

Is a “Sense of the Senate” resolution worth the paper it is printed on?

this i believe is why it simply doesn’t matter.
dems who voted for it can simply say, hey we sent him a bill he COULD have signed. so our repub brethren are merely indicating their support for what we’ve already done. and will be happy to send him again.

the worst sort of semantic play — a waste of time, and pure politial posturing.

twolf1 @ 105

Thad Cochran would have you believe that all the troop deaths are due to the dems failure to pass a spending bill…

What, and you’re not buying it?

djinn @ 131

Elliott, I think they’re capable of much evil as well, but….pancreatitis? Maybe Ashcroft was really stressed out and drinking heavily.

Actually, he’s a Tee-totler, but stressed, I guess!

HotFlash @ 135

selise @ 126

i am charlie brown trusting lucy to hold the football for me this time.

No, they will not do that to us again. Torch time. Hey, Norske, you up yet?

I could use a blast of the north wind

I remember feeling very disconcerted when Alexander Haig became the “moderate” person in the Nixon Admin during WG. Now I have that feeling about Ashcroft. I never thought I would have sympathy for this man and never thought he would be seen as standing in the way of Bushco.

Hotflash, I know that. But if serving in the Bush administration is not enough to drive a teetoler to drink, I don’t know what is.

Gnome, certainly didn’t mean to imply that everyone who has pancreatitis is a drinker. Most cases are related to gallstones, as Elliot says above.

Kerry’s post at DKos does not explain why this happened:

Siun @ 137

“The second Republican proposal to be considered, sponsored by Mississippi Republican Thad Cochran, expresses the “sense of the Senate” that lawmakers should approve a war-funding bill that Bush can sign by the end of next week.”

Y 87 N 9

old gold @ 142

One more thing about this being kept a secret for three years. Why din’t we hear about this when Gonzo was being considered for Attorney General? It seems to me that this episode should have been brought to the Senate’s attention during the confirmation hearings.
Although I generally admire Comey, I think he should have shared this sordid tale much sooner.

You do remember hearing about the FBI investigation into the leak about the NYT’s story on domestic spying yes? You do remember the White House’s anger over that leak?

You also recall Comey’s testimony yesterday that mentioned questioning by the FBI on this topic? You also remember Senator Rockefeller’s handwritten note from his safe expressing his concerns about the program, about which he could not discuss because it was classified?

How do you know with absolute certainty that Comey didn’t try to get this out without earning himself a trip to Gitmo or a case buried under greymail and eventually thrown out?

As I read the transcript, Bush promised Comey and Mueller some critical improvement in his domestic spying program. The new arrangement was worked out over about the next three weeks, while Bush kept illegally doing business as usual. The DOJ’s top staff were then satisfied, backed down from resigning en masse, and signed off on whatever spying programs this constitutional crisis was about.

And the MSM regards this as a one-day wonder, a tiff about a guy a little woozy after an “appendectomy” [according to a desperately disgusting Snowjob].

Two points among the many: One, Comey and Mueller prepared for a fist-fight or worse between Card’s Secret Service team and Comey’s FBI security detail. Over whether to allow Gonzales to move the pen in the drugged AG’s hands while he “signed” the EO re-authorizing an illegal domestic spying program. An “authorization” without substance also because Ashcroft was not then acting as AG. We’re well beyond Nixon territory here; this is the behavior of a junta.

Two, how do we know Bush kept any of his promises to reform his spying programs in line with the DOJ agreement? And if so, for how long? He has already withdrawn his reluctant commitment to comply with FISA regarding the one publicly acknowledged program.

The Comey incident was before the 2004 re-election. What would have happened if half a dozen top DOJ’ers had resigned that spring, over the President’s serial illegal acts, and the spying program had been outed earlier?

HotFlash @ 156

My WAG is that the Ds figured it’s a straw vote, meaningless in real-world terms, and they would like to send the Pres a war-funding bill. Just not the one that Cochran and Shrub have in mind. I’d prefer that they all had voted no, though. (I start thinking Reid has a clue and then he does something like this, and I see again that he’s another DLC talking-point buyer.)

sporkovat @ 144

another FDL tea party faux pas, apparently. Do you wear special little party hats or something while typing?

Ha-ha, funny, aren’t you droll.

Apparently you have no ken as to the subject of the cross-post conversation dakine and I were having.

Sporkovat @ 144

And your two favorite candidates are?
Since you’ve already made it clear that you don’t care what anyone here thinks, you might as well enlighten us.

old gold @ 36

It is amazing to me how they keep these things a secret. This took over three years to get out.
As I listened to Comey’s testimony it struck me how many people would have had some knowledge of this. Comney’s security detail, the agents in the Hospital command center, attorneys and staff at the DOJ, hospital staff, the Ashcroft family and on and on.
If we had an aggressive and competent press covering this administration, this would have seen the light of day much earlier.

Amen.

Gnome de Plume @ 54

Anyone know offhand what it takes to appoint a Special Prosecutor? Simple majority? Super majority? With DOJ being non-existent, who does it?

that’s a great question. seeing as how DOJ would have to appoint an Executive Branch Special Counsel, and that seems kinda unlikely, wouldn’t it be up to Congress to appoint its own? this moves things into the realm of impeachment. the courts and DOJ (sans Gonzales) can pick up the pieces later.

Topanga-lib @ 79

HI everyone, Can’t stay but wanted to make sure everyone saw this Video from Brad blog.

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4551

Remember all the missing emails from DOJ to Rove? Greg Palast, an american working for the BBC, has a bunch of then and they explain the connection between Rove and the firing of the USAs and the placement of hacks in key states. It’s about 2008!!!

And, more than that, the e-mails apparently show up the Repubs for what they are in private. Nobody’s gonna like ‘em when those e-mails come out in the light of day.

Okay, that tears it. I believe this is a Republic talking point now that I have seen it uttered so frequently:

“Weren’t Ashcroft and Comey obligated to go to the courts when they saw the Whitehouse breaking the law as they understood it? At best, they just covered their own butts by getting out and at worst were complicit in their silence.”

Or this variant:

“Kinda wondering why Comey didn’t think all this was important enough to mention to his good buddy Schumer at the time that AG was in the confirmation process … surely the incident at the hospital was a clear enough indicator that Gonzalez was no more qualified to be AG than Monica Goodling is.”

It’s all the victim’s fault, isn’t it? Nevermind this was a classified program that could get somebody thrown in Gitmo for divulging, nevermind that the media was completely cowed as evidenced by the NYT’s sitting on the story for a year at the White House’s demand, nevermind that Senator(s) already knew how bad this was yet were barred from disclosing anything about it. But Comey or Ashcroft were supposed to rescue us from domestic spying.

I think Comey did the best he could against thugs armed with some of the most powerful weapons in the world. I don’t know about Ashcroft, but he did an awful lot for a guy flat on his back with pancreatitis in ICU.

dakine01 @ 107
Rayne @ 85

I went and double-checked; the one in question only shows up here at FDL, and only when two candidates are mentioned, and always with the same kind of commentary.

It’s not my blog, mind you, so it doesn’t matter what I think. But IMO, it’s one thing to have an opinion about candidates AND to be engaged in the topics that affect progressives, but another to show up solely to attack specific candidates. That’s the kind of stuff people may be paid to do, you know?

That or some of the folks who never seem to engage while a thread is up top but always leave “provocative” comments in EPU land.

aww. not all of us! I’m always behind and leave cogent and intelligent comments on old threads. once in a while, someone actually reads them ;)

Quzi @ 114

“an account of Bush administration lawlessness so shocking it would have been unbelievable coming from a less reputable source.” — great quote!

Comey is my new hero! Fitz or Comey for AG in ‘08…or better yet (I’m so tired of politicians in both parties) Fitz/Comey in ‘08

be still my heart

McCaskill and Webb both voted against the Reid-Feingold. After the netroots went to back for them both, they have already forgotten us.

The Gonzales-Card-Comey hospital room drama exemplifies a continuing theme for this administration: It was completely unnecessary.

The President himself could have used his authority to conclude he did not need the DOJ to sign off on his program(s). (Which would have documented his personal accountability, rather than leave it to be implied by his actions.) Alternatively, he could have temporarily changed course while he negotiated with his chief legal advisers. That is, temporarily resort to Plan B while his people sorted out a better way to execute Plan A.

Rather than take that mature, informed, savvy route, Mr. Bush tried to bully his way through, committing further illegal acts. Only when faced with a Constitutional crisis in the spring of an election year — the concurrent resignations of the top lawyers at the DOJ and the Director of the FBI — did Bush finally back down.

After the dust settled, with his domestic spying program(s) purportedly put on a sounder legal footing (because of his promises to do things differently), Mr. Bush replaced, fired, or marginalized the lawyers who put the law before his will. Was that just another application of his or Mr. Cheney’s doctrine of pre-emptive warfare?

What else don’t we know about? What problems have not come to light because of principled resistance and threatened disclosure?

(Speaking of Mr. Cheney, where do he and Mr. Rove fit into these machinations? They didn’t come up in Mr. Comey’s testimony, but they are never more than a hand-to-elbow’s length away from Mr. Bush.)

TiredFed @ 166

aww. not all of us! I’m always behind and leave cogent and intelligent comments on old threads. once in a while, someone actually reads them ;)

Oh sweetie, dakine and I weren’t talking about you. You must know that.

We have some interesting commenters that only show up at specific times, and then only to say what are now very predictable things. Looks almost like a kind of outreach effort initiated by an organization rather than an individual.

There are FDL folks who have very clear convictions about certain candidates or issues, having made them known repeatedly. But they also participate in broad range of posts, and they may also participate in other blogs’ comments. It’s the very tightly focused ones that are iffy, IMO.

Hmmmmm… appendectomy…. general anesthesia… brain not working. Yep! Makes sense to me! And I’m sure to others as well, including Tony Snow. After all, he’s had major abdominal surgery.

P.S. I knew a surgical orderly who loved his job because of the conversations he’d have with his drugged-up patients. Made money off of stock tips, too!

Maybe someone should ask Snow what he signed while he was in the hospital, high on painkillers, after major surgery.
[/snark]

Rayne, are you thinking of the four-letter troll at TNH also?

The key word to descibe Bu$hCo GOPers is:

THUGS.

That is how I have thought of them for years.

And that is exactly what they are.

Nice to see more of the country starting
to catch up on this obvious, but shocking fact.

TiredFed @ 167

Quzi @ 114

“an account of Bush administration lawlessness so shocking it would have been unbelievable coming from a less reputable source.” — great quote!

Comey is my new hero! Fitz or Comey for AG in ‘08…or better yet (I’m so tired of politicians in both parties) Fitz/Comey in ‘08

be still my heart

No pubs. No, no, please. Unfortunately, they have lost all credibility with me and cannot be trusted, IMO. I’m sorry to have to tar decent people with the brush of the radicals, but those who’ve been tarred need to take a hard look at their party and what the radicals have done to it and the nation. And REPUDIATE them outright! Just as we would repudiate our own party had they done this to us and to the children of this nation.

More courage on the right is necessary and long overdue.

I’m sure I’m EPU’d here – something’s wrong, I can tell. I am in EPU Hell.

Kelley @ 168

McCaskill and Webb both voted against the Reid-Feingold. After the netroots went to back for them both, they have already forgotten us.

Yup. Boy how they can let you down. I’m going to go ahead and vent here even though I’m EPU’d. I don’t care.

Crappity crap. At least Dean hasn’t let us down. The villified, forgotten Dean. The one who started it all, he’s still in there pitching. I still love you, Howard.

Mandrake—come on upstairs and join the party.

current thread

IMPEACH! We cannot let this behavior stand. Doing nothing in light of this shocking incident sets a dangerous precedent for future administrations. Where is the outrage in Congress?!

(epu’d – but hope this basic frame gets out)

Attorney General Ashcroft was not merely ill – he was delirious.

Snow: Ashcroft Wasn’t That Ill, It Wasn’t Like ‘His Brain Didn’t Work’

Really, Dr. Snow?

Comey had a message.

When Card and Gonzales came a callin’ on Ascroft..

bringing sweetness and mercy

to his ICU bed.

Attorney General Ashcroft was clinically delirious.

[Temporarily out o’ his gourd.]

Georgie’s frantic for a “Get out of jail free” law for his domestic espionage.

That’s why “FISA reform” keeps oozing out of the Rethug’s agenda.

Abu Gonzales and Card waited to ask Ashcroft’s OK…

until the Attorney General was delirious

and had formally delegated his official powers .

Diagnostic criteria for 293.0 Delirium Due to.. Medical Condition]

A. Disturbance of consciousness (i.e., reduced clarity of awareness of the environment) with reduced ability to focus, sustain, or shift attention.

B. A change in cognition (such as memory deficit, disorientation, language disturbance) or the development of a perceptual disturbance that is not better accounted for by a preexisting, established, or evolving dementia.

C. The disturbance develops over a short period of time (usually hours to days) and tends to fluctuate during the course of the day.

D. There is evidence from the history, physical examination, or laboratory findings that the disturbance is caused by the direct physiological consequences of a general medical condition.

Ashcroft had been in intensive care at George Washington University hospital for “over a week” before Gonzales and Card paid him a visit. Mrs. Ashcroft had banned “all visitors and all phone calls.” Comey described Ashcroft’s condition on the day of Card and Gonzales’s visit:

Mrs. Ashcroft was standing by the hospital bed, Mr. Ashcroft was lying down in the bed, the room was darkened. And I immediately began speaking to him, trying to orient him as to time and place, and try to see if he could focus on what was happening, and it wasn’t clear to me that he could. He seemed pretty bad off.

Ashcroft’s chief of staff also personally requested that Comey “not resign until Mr. Ashcroft was well enough to resign with me. He was very concerned that Mr. Ashcroft was not well enough to understand fully what was going on.”

[h/t TP]

orientation

Awareness of one’s location in the continuum of time and space and of the identity of one’s self and familiar others.

Also: disorientation, oriented, oriented x 3, oriented time three, oriented in all spheres, oriented to time, place, and person

And this may have been stated…whatever it was they wanted a signature on was so important that a)Aschcroft and Comey and Mueller and many in the DOJ were ready to resign en masse over it.b)Gonzo, Card, Addington, Cheney and Bush felt it was soooo important they get a signature from the DOJ on it,important enough so that they went to an ICU at nighttime to get it from a sick man.

WTF type of program was deemed this critically important by both sides that warranted this type of opinion/comment/behavior and action? This is something even more sinister than I think we can imagine.