Scooter Libby, Casualty of War?
In “The Soldier’s Creed,” there is a particularly compelling principle: “I will never leave a fallen comrade.” This is a cherished belief, and it has been so since soldiers and chroniclers and philosophers thought about wars and great, common endeavors. Across time and space, cultures, each in its own way, have given voice to this most basic of beliefs. They have done it, we know, to give heart to those who embark on a common mission, to give them confidence that they will not be given up under duress. A process that yields up Scooter Libby to a zealous prosecutor is justice gone awry.
Mr. President, the one defining mark of your own moral outlook is the distinction between friend and foe, a refusal to be lulled into moral and political compromises. Your critics have made much of this and have seen it as self-righteousness and moral absolutism, but this has guided you through the great, divisive issues faced by our country over these last, searing years. Scooter Libby was a soldier in your–our–war in Iraq, he was chief of staff to a vice president who had become a lightning rod to the war’s critics.
[]
Scooter Libby was there for the beginning of that campaign. He can’t be left behind as a casualty of a war our country had once proudly claimed as its own.
I simply don’t have enough tears to shed for all the pain and suffering this nation has incurred since 9/11. I can’t even make my way to the casualties in Iraq. I’m just worried sick about the perils that Hugh Hewitt is gonna face in the elevator each day.
*sigh*
I think that Fearless Leader’s refusal to let military coffins be photographed has had a few unintended consequences, since some people do not seem to realize that “casualties of war” wind up, you know, dead.
As AL says, “Libby isn’t a fallen soldier. He’s a convicted felon. There’s an enormous difference.”
(h/t LG&M)
Update: And then Crazy Uncle Marty runs out of the attic with an axe…
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Hi Jane.
.
Jane!
(and free the zed!)
This Fouad Ajami character; just what kind of idiot is he? That has to be the lamest argument for Libby I’ve heard to date.
Jail with no television privilages I say!
Maybe a job in the prison laundry or kitchen peeling potatos.
That is, quite simply put, nuckin’ futs.
Who the hell is Fouad Ajami and why is he sucking up so hard ina an editorial?
I did like his acceptance of reality here though;
The Kool Aid must have been wearing off.
From the link, “Scooter, I said, has seen the undoing of his world, but he comes before a ‘just court in a just and decent country. I was joined by men and women of greater acclaim in our public life, but the petitions were in vain. Now the legal process has played out, Judge Walton has issued a harsh prison term of 30 months, and what will rescue this honorable man is the power of pardon that is exclusively yours.”
Mr. Ajami (and others) all seemed to feel that it was a just court in a just land — until things happened that they did not like. It IS a just court in a just land. Accept it! Scooter was guilty! He lied when he could have told the truth! His peers found him guilty — it was not an arbitrary decision!
Enough whining, already!
aah, poor scooter.
let’s all have a momemnt of silence and shed a tear or two of compassion for the poor guy.
after all, think of the aspens in the fall. the way they all turn color together …
Hi Jane!
Hope you weather’s nicer than mine, we’re melting here.
I like this part:
Poor, noble Scooter, so misunderstood, a victim of runaway justice! Boo-hoo.
Sojourner @ 8
Oy! Would that were the end of it.
AZ Matt @ 5
IIRC it’s called “KP” as in “Kitchen Patrol.”
And here’s the carefully-obscured-through-propaganda “common mission” that the Libby Lobby’s string-pullers on Wall Street and their representatives in government were working day and night to achieve, unbeknownst to the American people whose public offices they used and abused:
http://www.tomdispatch.com/pos…..ose_bases_
http://www.countercurrents.org/pilger080607.htm
Bustednuckles @ 7
* COUGH * speaker monkey * COUGH *
As far as I’m concerned Libby is damned lucky he’s not facing a firing squad or “a short drop and a sudden stop.”
30 months for perjury and obstruction of justice so his buddies could commit treason? That’s a slap on the wrist…
Course, this is just one of the beginning shots in what Jane said yesterday–Scooter’s new career as right-wing victim.
I wanna hear scooter say “It’s not fair! Mommy!” I’m waiting….
(Hi Jane!)
scooter learns about the realities of being ‘disposable’…
3, 505 real casualties, one fake one…
Why, why, why, should I. Lewis Libby be granted amnesty? Because he is a white Republican male? Because he has powerful friends in high places? Because loyalty to invididuals trumps patriotism to out country? Guess so.
Somebody please tell me that’s a parody.
Why aren’t any of these right-wing “patriots” calling for Scooter to step up and tell the truth. I don’t get it.
TiredFed @ 18
Let’s hope. The report was that he looked pretty pale at the sentencing (you were there, no?). Cause if he blinks, heads can fall.
burnspbesq @ 22
It’s the Wall Street Journal, they only do reality!
burnspbesq @ 22
It is. Of itself.
Speaking of convicted Felons, how ironic is it that terminally fluff-headed Paris Hilton is being tossed back into the hoosegow today, after a brief respite at home…Now, how do the wingnuts crow about deserved justice being met, no special exemptions for class…and in the next breath tell their followers that Scooter deserves a break and a pardon? They will delight in and relish her comeuppance, while beating the drum for Scooter? Don’t think so.
TiredFed @ 18
Hi, TiredFed. Nice to met you in DC.
O the tragic stoicism evident in that accompanying photo!
The yet-unajudicated ” “covertness” ” of Mrs. Wilson!
The remarkable lyricism of his [c’mon Fouad, you might as well write “His”] novel “The Apprentice!”
I can’t go on … but you can believe Ajami does. The thing is longer than a certain infamous minstrel number that I recently saw for the first time. And just as degraded.
interesting to see that the ron paul krewe hasn’t migrated over to this thread (yet?)
Casualty in the war against the Constitution and the Rule of Law…..
PeterK @ 25
yes, but I can’t be sure he doesn’t always look like that. he usually doesn’t see the light of day since his (former) boss is not allowed out when the sun is shining.
Dear wingnuts,
This is not rocket science.
A white-collar criminal defense lawyer (remember, this is the guy whose greatest achievement as a lawyer was convincing Bill Clinton to pardon Marc Rich!) lied to the FBI. Repeatedly. He also lied to a grand jury. Repeatedly.
If he doesn’t go down, the rule of law means nothing.
Is that simple enough for you?
Hey Jane.
I don’t know what to say about these people.
I remember when that punk Domenech got busted for serial plagiarizing, I went to a wingnut site to engage in a little schadenfreude. The comments section was full of cribbed quotes from WWI poetry or some shit, talking about “go gentle into that long night, faithful warrior.” Mind-blowing. I read only one comment along the lines of “wait…isn’t stealing wrong?”
It’s always been clear to me that the real enemy to these people is…us.
Jane Hamsher @ 29
was an honor and a privilege to meet you, and then to meet Marcy. well, you can imagine.
Don’cha just love how to this guy Cheney “became a lighting rod to the war’s critics” by some kind of cosmic happenstance that is not at all related to anything he did?
“Party of personal responsibility,” only for people who are not rich, white Republicans.
Couldn’t agree with you more. The decision to ban photos of the caskets is just another layer of bullsh_t heaped on the American Public by this Mis-Administration. If we could pile 3,505 caskets in a heap on the lawns of each of the members of the Congress, Media, State Capitals, School House Lawns, perhaps we could get the population to wake up and demand that their elected officials do something about the BushCo Criminal Enterprise. I am both outraged and broken hearted at what my Country has become at the hands of these Criminals… I am disgusted
Meanwhile, this “Soldiers Creed” is Hollywood bullshit. Sure, it’s nice to think you won’t get your ass left behind but the truth is there is always a breaking point where it’s not worth it to try to recover a dead body at the expense of live troops. There were 78,750
Missing and Unaccounted for in WWII.
TiredFed @ 32
From what I’ve seen of him on TV and in photos he generally looks pretty relaxed and composed. It was almost eerie, during the trial, no hint of guilt or worry in anything I saw. In contrast, I thought some recent photos of him showed some strain. But that doesn’t necessarily predict anything, of course.
Redshift @ 36
IOKIYAR
tommy yum @ 34
Yep. The only dishonest (as opposed to delusional) statement in the piece is that the war Libby is a “soldier” is in Iraq. It’s not; he’s a fallen soldier only in the war against you and me. And if these people had their way, the destruction of the rule of law would just be “collateral damage” in that war.
Gotta give ya’ credit Jane, you can sure pick ‘em.
‘Course there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of lackies for BushCo.
It is strange the disconnect from reality that these idjits seem to desire.
You want to hear about a soldier left behind? Col. Ted Westhusing was surely left behind. If you don’t know his story, read T. Christian Miller’s Blood Money. Equating Libby to this honorable man is sacrilege.
“Casualities of war” includes both dead and injured, not just dead. Just to add a pedantic note.
Did they think Cheney’s sneering condescension would win friends and influence people?
His rendition of ‘father knows best’ leaves me cold.
If it sails like a duck…Quack?
Worried about “premature cloture”? Some nice snark by millbank here.
If I write like Fouad Ajami, will get thousands of dollars from the right-wing money machine?
I’m not saying I’d do it. I’m saying I’m tempted. Hell, I don’t have writing talent, I’m not a professional anything when it comes to politics or history but I can blather with the best of them.
Nah, I can’t do it. Because if it means I have to compare Scooter to a CASUALTY OF WAR, pardon the shouting, then I have to say I’m just not up to it.
These people are in an alternate universe.
Bustednuckles @ 42
They make their own reality, remember? (forget which WH hack said that, but it was memorable and right on.)
lee5 @ 40
sorry, what is IOKIYAR? I’m slow today.
You think that op-ed is good, you should read Marty Peretz’s blog post recommending it. Here’s an excerpt:
“The rabbis tell us that some people earn their life in the hereafter with one act. Scooter Libby’s act–long and painstaking–was to defend the American people from the further terrors like those unleashed on us on September 11. No one but God can grant him the hereafter. It is only the president who can pardon him. Which is what he should do.”
http://www.tnr.com/blog/spine?pid=115735
OT but it appears Tuckery is being pre-empted by the “Breaking News” that PARIS HILTON IS GOING BACK TO JAIL!!!
At least they seem to finally be recognizing that she’s in a jail and NOT in prison.
PeterK @ 50
It’s Okay If You’re A Republican
IOKIYAR=It’s OK If You’re a Republican
PeterK @ 39
He’s uplifted by his martyrdom.
It’s O K I‘m A Republican
PeterK @ 50
It’s OK If You Are Republican
I know I’m going to be too slow but what the hell
I’ts OK If You Are A Republican.
dakine01 @ 13
I think KP has been OS’ed. (”Outsourced”.)
PeterK @ 49
It’s a great way for a bunch of draft-dodging spoiled brat mofo’s to convince other people to do their bleeding and dying for them.
The RNC must have left over purple heart bandaids from their 04 convention. Maybe they should wear them in solidarity with Scooter.
Brisingamen @ 57
Whoops, wrong acronym! Sorry about that folks.
seanflynn @ 44
Good point. 25,000 plus real casualties, one fake one…
cosmosis @ 62
Don’t get me started!
Oliphant cartoon on Scooter, W, and Darth!
FYI, Replay of investigation of NASA, hearings just started on cspan1.
Shamefully OT to Dak and Raven. Forty years ago today graduated from basic and was put on a bus to Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. Gonna be a combat engineer. Don’t remember Scooter being there but then I’m a tad older. But Scooter’s a soldier, alright…..
Oh. My. God.
The stench of stupid roils off this piece of spoor; I don’t even know how Ajami sits up to take nourishment each day, so incredibly bereft of processing capacity he is. I find the willful ignorance so insulting to those who’ve actually paid a price beyond commuting to the office of the OVP.
David @ 51
wow … that is really teh crazy sh*t …
It’s
OK
If
You’re
A
Republican
IOKIYAR
David @ 51
Thanks, David. Added above. That’s just nuts.
Bearpaw @ 61
Maybe that should be the punishment for all these Republic apologists and war mongers, serving KP in Iraq for the active troops.
what can you expect from someone named fouad? This is a perfect reason why we need stricter immigration laws!
Thanks all for the quick reply. Actually, I’m making a list of FDL acronyms, etc. There are quite a few. I guess I’ll put it out there before long, maybe it would be useful for newcomers.
These people are crazy.
There are guys drunk-dialing their old girlfriends who show more self-restraint.
Ed*ard Teller @ 64
Your posting of the Liberty Vid was interesting. I was in Korea when they took the Pueblo and so much of it reminds me of that except that they didn’t railroad the Captain like the did Bucher.
weeping over Scooter invites a double entendre:
SOB
Jane nailed it in a post the other day:
The fact that a couple of U.S. soldiers are missing right now in Iraq — with the likelihood that they have been or will be tortured, killed, and dismembered — only underscores the moral repulsiveness of this claim for Scooter.
Still trying unsuccessfully to process this visually, but it would make a great epitaph!
I love that one.
Good job.
retirin’ in five @ 68
Yea, like Newt, Darth, GW. . . sheeet.
spurious @ 79
Good one. Of course, one might ask if he NOTICED that the war lost its luster.
Dang it, blew the HTML badly.
Preview is my friend.
Wow – you guess sure get a lot of milage out of the ol’ “fitzmas” routine – get real – it never came and this conviction is not going to resolve any of the issues.
24/7 fitzmas coverage, all the time, almost always wrong – but it was worth a kolfax, righ?
LOL
I meant to add, the GOP probably has this motto tacked on a wall somewhere, just like “The Economy, Stupid” for the Clinton campaign in ‘92.
A little OT, but since you are all so willing: what is FWIW? Somebody used it the other day.
when you mock scooter, a true casaulty of war, you mock, no! You haul Eve off the brontasaurus.
You haul her down with the snake in her hand and you are stained with her sin.
Rayne @ 70
kinda sounds like Larry Johnson’s take at No Quarter on Tom Maguire “You are wrong on so many levels that the english language needs a new word to describe a vacuous twit like yourself.” It gets better.
raven @ 82
I rolled in a little behind the times. I spent Christmas and New Year’s 76/77 in basic but don’t think I saw any of these guys during that time. And there were a fair amount of fellows in their twentes then…
Swopa @80:
Considering what has turned up (the body in the canal?) I think those missing men are already dead.
I alternate between anger, anguish, and nausea…I would love to see the entire bunch impeached.
Rayne @ 69
:~)
Scooter is a causer of war, not a casualty of war.
Scooter is a liar, a felon, and a fraud, judged to be so by twelve properly chosen jurors who listened carefully to the testimony offered at trial and the instructions from Judge Walton.
Scooter is a soon-to-be-disbarred lawyer, who knowingly disregarded the canons of his profession, who intentionally dishonored the court he pledged to serve, and who sought to evade the constitution he had sworn to uphold.
Scooter is an embarassment.
PeterK @ 88
FWIW, it’s for what it’s worth. ^_^
PeterK @ 88
Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth”
Somethin’s happenin here. . .
from the previous thread:
Ed*ard Teller @ 90
Big Mitch never responded. I’ve known Mike Gravel for 34 years and this is the first time I’ve seen him accused of what appears to be a claim of anti-Semitism. I’ve seen Big Mitch post at fdl a couple of times in the past, and he didn’t respond then to queries about claims he made. Sorry for being a concern troll and sorta OT, but I can’t abide with Big Mitch’s assertion about a person with whom I’ve been on first-name basis for decades, especially because I don’t regard Big Mitch as a troll.
PeterK @ 88
For What It’s Worth
‘milage’? ‘kolfax’?
Did somebody let Ajami in here?
PeterK @ 76
we have one somewhere, but of course I don’t know where it is and can’t find it now. wait a few minutes and one of the regulars will tell you about it.
OT, USA’s in the news:
In a move that could signal his hopes to replace the late Sen. Craig Thomas, the U.S. Attorney for Wyoming, Matthew Mead, has resigned, effective immediately.
wapo linky
dakine01 @ 91
Not at Campbell, Munsani, Vihn Long, Sa Dec. . .
Toles cartoon on Scooter underlying crime!
can Scooter serve out his time as a guide at the new Creation Museum?
Eh. Meh. Gehd.
Bustednuckles @ 84
so is the edit button …. stays live for 5 mins after you post
AZ Matt @ 103
Thanks, that hit the spot!
Mods — clean up on Aisle 52…
Fouad Ajami is on the Council of Foreign Relations for crying out loud. Is it too much to ask that membership in such organizations be limited to patriots?
Time for the rest of the Council to call on Ajami to resign.
lee5 @ 101
wapo linky
Oh great. I think Mead was a member of the DOJ-USAG’s Native American Issues Subcommittee; he spoke at a Native American law enforcement event along with Heffelfinger when Heffelfinger was still USA-MN. Unlike the other NAIS members who were dismissed, this one will be encouraged to stay away from serving the Native American constituency.
PeterK @ 106
De nada!
Rayne @ 99
Righ
*sigh*
Must. Not. Feed.
Rayne @ 100
aren’t those the telltale signs of a hoax? misspelled words, bad grammar, typos, etc. or worse. hmmm.
Mabel’s Wig Shack @ 89
Just wet my pants.
My personal trainer, whose husband is an officer in Iraq and is about as conservative as they come, said right after the verdict:
“He lied to the FBI” with a look of complete disgust in her eyes.
Case closed. Guilty. Some people get it, even if the paid propagandists don’t.
I can’t wait for Irve to flip on the cabal; you know Harriet won’t let him serve time on their behalf. When he flips — and he will, he must — watch how fast the regime’s adherents turn on him: “who you gonna believe, a four-time convicted felon or the Vice President of these United States?”
They are championing the pardon to protect the regime; when Scooter flips to avoid jail, they’ll be the first to disown him.
It’ll happen. Pass the popcorn.
egregious @ 113
Some folks are just infected by beltway blindness.
“There are none so blind as those who will not see”
Jonathon Swift(?)
TeddySanFran @ 116
I hope he’ll flip … but guessing there’ll be sime fuckery to keep him away from serving any time. If he were really scared, he would have turned by now. Maybe SCOTUS will find some way to step in and just shut off the appeals process …
so is the edit button …. stays live for 5 mins after you post
Tried that, got an error message.
He lied under oath to a Grand Jury.
He betrayed the identity of a covert operative to the news media which resulted in the gutting of an entire covert operation concerned with nuclear proliferation in Iraq and other countries.
Prison’s too good for him, but that’s as good as it’s going to get…more’s the pity.
Brisingamen @ 119
But there was no underlying crime, G Gordon said so!
PeterK @ 83
What luster!?
spurious @ 115
yeah, wasn’t that a wonderful visual? Mabel you crack me up.
Happy “Take Out the Trash Day”!
From the AP:
Ah, I wonder how all those friends of Jack are going to enjoy this lovely weekend? Chatting with their favorite lawyers, perhaps?
Gee, if they really think Scooter is a ‘casualty of war’, maybe Scooter should do his thirty months in Iraq or Afghanistan. Just so it’s clear to them what a ‘casualty of war’ actually is.
Recall that Bush, in the build-up to the Iraq War, said that “Freedom is God’s gift to humanity.” Bush speaks of that ‘freedom’ often. The problem is that the only ‘freedom’ that Dubya believes in is the oxymoronic ‘Freedom to Comply’. This is the ‘freedom’ he seeks to ’share’ with the world as leader of the ’sole super power’ in the world. There is no freedom in compliance. Bush the lesser does not choose to believe this so the world is as it is.
so, I keep seeing noise about bush commuting scooter’s sentence rather than pardoning him. Supposedly this will keep his option to take the 5th and hence not have to testify either in court or in front of congress.
Is this real? Can chimpy commute rather than pardon? What’s this based on? anyone know?
Our problem isn’t Inside the Beltway, it’s inside the Beltway that is going to save this country.
Our country is an insane elite that is as likely to live in NY or Houston as much as DC.
Bustednuckles @ 119
bummer … I use edit all the time …
TiredFed @ 88
kinda sounds like Larry Johnson’s take at No Quarter on Tom Maguire “You are wrong on so many levels that the english language needs a new word to describe a vacuous twit like yourself.” .
Idiot Wind, but that’s two words. Bob Dylan:
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your mouth,
Blowing down the backroads headin’ south.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
You’re an idiot, babe.
It’s a wonder that you still know how to breathe.
I think my personal favorite of the Libby letters was the doctor who wrote one on official HHS stationary, which essentially means the taxpayers paid for his attempt to get Scooter off the hook.
TeddySanFran @ 114
I hope you’re right Teddy. I really, really do; but this group of eels has just slithered away from soo much, already. I honestly don’t know if it will ever catch up with them. Iran-Contra never actually caught up with the Regan administration.
johnSwifty @ 130
A whole lot of pardons helped that along as well.
Realist @ 131
At least the moron outed himself in doing this, along with the rest of the propagandizing letter-writing supporters of Libby, so that we can identify which ones are most suspect and not to be trusted with even a penny.
Someone needs to remind Republics that in their recent history they viewed lying under oath to be a high crime and misdemeanor. Defending Scooter now might cause people to view the Republic Impeachment of Clinton as a political stunt.
watch out … looks like lute is setting himself up not to get the war czar job. can’t be telling the truth now … wapo link
I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, convicted felon, consummate liar, writer of warmongering policy insisting on the use of pre-emptive force, founding member of Project for the New American Century (PNAC) that urged then-President Clinton to attack and invade Iraq in January of 1998, betrayer of CIA NOC agent Valerie Plame Wilson, that Scooter Libby?
AZ Matt @ 5
jail with TV would be even greater punishment
raven @ 119
That is rich. One felon sticking up for another.
punaise @ 136
All Paris all the time? Or a little Britney and Lindsay tossed in for variety sake?
Marcy covers this at TNH: TNH
From AP via NYT’s:LINK
raven @ 95
Oh, that’s a good one. The rest of the words are good, and remarkably up to date!
Bob in HI
That is rich. One felon sticking up for another.
Yea, and Tweety was creaming in his jeans about what an icon Liddy is.
johnSwifty @ 131
this rock/hard place take from EJ Dionne today is popcorn-worthy as well.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..01864.html
agree with Mr Swifty, though…..keeping fingers crossed, but….
“Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.”
Benjamin Franklin (I think)
punaise @ 138
Yeah, with FOX news playing all the time at full volume and no way to turn it off. God knows what that would do.
punaise @ 137
But only one channel.
Peterr @ 125
hmmm. I’m beginning to enjoy these Friday news dumps. Abramoff chums get to sweat over the weekend. Gonzo gets to wonder if he will have a job on Monday. Monica gets to worry over what to wear if Pat Leahy invites her up to chat.
Bob Schacht @ 140
Unfortunately, so is “Eve of Destruction”
dakine01 @ 131
I really hope you are right about Libby flipping! Although I believe this is doubtful!
It is such a crime that Libby is the only one that was targeted for the crime against Plame and National Security!
punaise @ 138
Endless loops of Nancy Grace, Dateline’s “To Catch a Predator,” Law and Order, and the old Dragnet series.
“Just the facts.”
I want Scooter to hear that in his sleep as he dreams of Fitz in the role of Joe Friday.
Bob Schacht @ 140
Montery
TiredFed @ 145
chum in the water as the sharks circle.
PeterK @ 143
No, that wouldn’t be punishment for Libby as he’s true believer so Faux Noise would suit him just fine. That would be a punishment for most of US but that’s cuz we actually use our brains for something other than a hat rack.
dakine01 @ 153
I know, but 30 months straight of it would have an effect even on him, I think.
PeterK @ 152
PeterK @ 152
Not really. Don’t forget, he comes from a WH and office that ONLY plays Faux Noise and requires it to be on the TV when they check in their rooms when traveling.
When I read about Paris Hilton being led away screaming and sobbing this morning, I just put Irve in her place in my evil mind’s eye.
Leahy readies subpoenas on warrantless wiretapping…
punaise @ 137
Amen to that.
Lost in editville
MSNBC showing and hour long “Skank back in Tank” after KO. Make Scooter watch that!
Bush’s tummy ache…
Do you think he thought he might have been poisoned ala Axlexander Litvinenko?
twolf1 @ 158
Ready . . .
Aim . . .
Bay State Librul @ 159
Easy
AZ Matt @ 141
So they’re worried about the Constitution only now?
punaise @ 136
Let him dry out for a couple of months. Then hit him with any channel featuring commercials.
twolf1 @ 157
It’s Rawstory. Somebody pass the salt, please.
Bay State Librul @159 — not poison — alcohol — I’d bet the Idiot-in-Chief went on a bender last night.
Alice @ 108
They won’t. Look at the Wikipedia article on the CFR, which contains statements such as the following:
The CFR may be non-partisan, but they sound like New World Order guys to me. I don’t think you’ll find many progressives there.
Bob in HI
raven @ 160
It showed up for me.
Bay State Librul @ 161
Probably he was looking for an excuse to barf on Putin, just like Poppy.
raven @ 161
Too good for him.
Death by Melamine Chicken!
Peterr @ 166
Doh!
lee5 @ 127
The recent upgrade has had some strange bugs. The edit works fine for me, but the refresh sometimes takes 20 seconds or more, sometimes freezes, and I have to reload the page. That had never happened before the new look.
Mac Powerbook G4, OS 10.4.9, Safari
wtlloyd @ 27
I would like them both (Scooter and Paris–what a dream couple that is) to check in at the Jose Padilla trial to see just how lucky their are habeas corpus applies to them…
This he-man soldier talk makes me hurl. Even Christopher Buckley (yes, that CB) wrote about his visit upon an aircraft carrier and that he was not worthy to carry the pilot’s helmet much less use phrases like “locked and loaded, huh!”
No such humility to be found among chickenhawks.
spurious @ 162
and only for this purpose.
spurious @ 162
That’s so…quaint.
Bearpaw @ 164
Business meeting is scheduled and its on the agenda
SeamusD @ 173
I have same config but with Firefox, and get problems but only occasionally (not with refresh, tho).
dakine01 @ 154
IF (please please please) Irving Scooter does go to jail…….I kinda wonder whether he’s gonna still be a “true believer” when he gets out. He’s only human, after all.
Oh…..what am I SAYING. He worked for the Antichrist.
Must be this 90 heat going to my head.
But when Wells brought this up at the sentencing hearing, I thought Judge Walton’s reaction was “that dog won’t hunt.”
I got the impression that between Fitz and the Judge this case is pretty much appeal proof?
twolf1 @ 156
I will never forget the faces of Senators Kennedy, Chaffee, Voinovich, Biden, Kerry and others during the John Bolton nomination hearings. They brought up how they had demanded the NSA intercepts having to do with this wire taping program and how they had been refused. All of the above mentioned Senators were pissed and worried about the Bush administrations refusal to turn these overs. Bolton was arrogant and smug during the hearing.
There were rumors that this “secret” wiretaping program had been used to tape UN Kofi Anan, and possibly some of Colin Powells negotiations with Iran quite some time ago.
Supboena power! Go Leahy!
AZ Matt @ 139
Not appointed by the President or confirmed by the Senate? Cow manure. He was appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate to be U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
TiredFed @ 175
linky SJC Bus Mtg
cosmosis @ 61
Perhaps we should just start sending out boxes of purple heart bandages to people like Scooter, the WSJ, Hugh Hewitt, etc.
Amilius @ 125
Naw, when bushie speaks of freedom, he means freedom from oversight, freedom from regulation, freedom from taxes, freedom from guilt and shame, freedom from having to serve out your term on the Texas National Guard, etc.
Bob in HI
this has probably been on fdl earlier, but is there somewhere (short of Pacer, which I don’t have access to at the moment) one can read what the Libby lawyers filed today?
“Libby isn’t a fallen soldier. He’s a convicted felon. There’s an enormous difference.”
Yeah, but there’s just ignorant grunts. Scooter is one of US!
OMG, MSNBC is going to pre-empt Joe Scar with a Paris special tonight. And now Tweety lede’s with Paris. Give. Me. A. F*cking. Break.
Phule @ 169
Christy has asked us to stay far away from any discussions that might concern the Secret Service. They take threats to their charges most seriously. Can we please stop this line of speculation?
SeamusD @ 171
I’m on the same setup and can’t get the tags to begin or end. Is there something I can set to make them work again like they did two days ago? Or are all you html literati writing the tags in yourselves?
twolf1 @ 156
Uh oh, someone’s going to have their subpoena gland stimulated…
Anyone see this?
WASHINGTON (AP) — A dozen prominent law professors are questioning whether Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald had constitutional authority in the CIA leak trial that this week sentenced former White House aide I. Lewis ”Scooter” Libby to prison.
Ken Starr to the courtesy phone!
Brisingamen @ 178
you wont believe the crap they threw back at Walton on the bail on appeal motion. Fitz’ appointment, the memory expert, even not being able to call Andrea Mitchell to refute her saying everyone knew about Valerie and then retracting it, and lots of greymail stuff. basically the kitchen sink. I’m sure Christy, Jane and Marcy will have something for us over the next few days.
punaise @ 137
Yeah, with restricted channels so that news is available only on MSNBC, PBS, and Democracy Now!
Bob in HI
Ed*ard Teller @ 188
The buttons have not been working so typing the “code” myself. Give me a couple of secs and I’ll go get a link that shows how to do it fairly simply…
dakine01 @ 188
Obviously, putting Dan Abrams in charge at MSNBC is working well.
oddmommy @ 184
did they file something today?
kathleen @ 181
Is it too much to hope for that these wiretaps may come back to bite them in the rear end, a la Nixon’s tapes?
do-si-do @ 189
retired general’s remarks “irrelevant”
Oops hit the submit button before putting in ohsofunny linky…enjoy
Tweety on the Skank like a duck on a june bug. Edwards, Sharpton. . .fucking kids fighting and dying and this is what this sorry ass motherfucking country cares about.
spurious @ 162
That’s right … NOW the constitution matters.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Bob Schacht @ 192
Bill Moyers permanent loop
Ed*ard Teller @ 188
Ed, give camino a try while the road is bumpy.
CNN’s Barbara Starr just cited Pace’s letter to the Libby judge as a factor, along with his statements wrt to gays in the military, in the decision to replace him. However, main focus was unwillingness to have his reconfirmation as CJCS turn into a theater to rehash all the opposition to the Iraq occupation.
What they need to say is that anyone connected to this war becomes a proxy for Bush.
TiredFed @ 195
if I had any brains, I could figure out how to post it over at my place. I will try later.
Ed*ard Teller @ 188
ET,
This is from Chris Clarke over at Pandagon Fairly easy and starightforward instructions for simple html…
Why does FDL hate Likud Israel America?
dakine01 @ 186
Jeepers…it isn’t everyday that you get to see a spoiled debuttante bawl like a baby….just the kind of hard investigative reporting I expect.
I expect Paris is having a harder time with the whole jail thing than with finding the latest designer shoes in size 11. Or not. I guess I’ll have to watch the news to find out.
raven @ 150
Good one!
Bob in HI
punaise @ 200
And those little eye-lid holder thingys like in A Clockwork Orange!
Funny how their concern for the Constitution goes from “It’s just a piece of paper” to Fitz “lacked constitutional authority.”
Last time I looked, Fitz was a Bush appointee and had been confirmed by the Senate…so how can he not have “Constitutional Authority?”
hey ET – did you catch NPR’s Talk of the Nation Science Friday today? It was broadcast from AK, re climate change impact.
Ah, wrt to Pace, Cafferty just making the point the WH is “gutless” in throwing Pace under the bus; “he’s expendable,” and no one is doing anything about this regime. He’s disusted.
“Everything’s off the table, and that’s why the Bush WH gets away with it.”
New thread…
TiredFed @ 195
I thought today was when they had to file their brief about why he should stay out of jail pending appeal, but i could be wrong.
From what I know without having read the brief, I think they have a serious uphill battle on appeal, if the appellate panel is going to do something like, you know, apply the LAW. Triall judges are usually given wide discretion in evidentiary matters….I don’t know exactly what the criminal standard is but they would at least have to make a strong showing that the stuff Walton kept out could have made a difference to the outcome. As far as there being a LOT of stuff, that makes no difference…..of course they are going to throw in every last kitchen sink they can find, that is what lawyers do on appeal.
FYI, new thread
Scarecrow @ 202
Reporter on NPR offered the one about the Libby letter, too. If that’s the buzz, wonder what it means?
A-Φ
AZ Matt @ 1:40 pm -
In one of her afternoon TNH posts, Marcy includes a footnote from Judge Walton in an order he issued today:
Shorter Reggie: I Will Remember Your Interest in Public Service the Next Time Someone Really Needs It
twolf1 @ 157
YES!!!
(emphasis added.)
Bob in HI
punaise @ 210
I did! Ms. ET and I are cleaning the house, so we caught pretty much all of it. I love SciFri.
Bob Schacht @ 217
“worse than Watergate?” That was CNN question, and all the responses they read said “yes.”
Ok, here is my firefox error when a new thread is posted.
Error: junk after document element
Source File: http://www.firedoglake.com/wp-.....5144606.86
Line: 4, Column: 10
Source Code:
>——————————^
Stephen Parrish, CPA @ 216
yay Judge Reggie!
It is deeply worrying that Americans, and a Bush-appointed prosecutor, are being compared to the enemy, from whom Scooter needs to be rescued. This is dangerous rhetoric.
Bob @ 217
I saw that !!!!! FINALLY! Finally!
FIIIIINNANNLY!
Actually, since he isn’t in the military, he would merit the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom (the “Purple Heart” for civilians).
But perhaps he will get the Presidential Medal of Freedom instead.
Jane Hamsher @ 71
Jane – what might Scooter’s rabbi think of Scooter’s conduct?
Bay State Librul says
June 8th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Bush’s tummy ache…
This morning, from NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell….
“Aides admit the president is not operating at 100%”.
Fill in your own joke.
Scarecrow @ 219
Cafferty’s questions for today:
4 p.m.: Rep. Jerry Nadler says the actions of the Bush administration when it comes to NSA wiretapping are “worse than Watergate.” Is he right?
5 p.m.: What’s it going to take to bring the Iraq war to an end?
7 p.m.: Who will the American people ultimately hold responsible for the failure of the immigration bill?
respond here
punaise @ 200
DING!
Bob in HI
#221
Yes, and emptywheel seems to have a linky for the filing, too.
(Judge Walton has a high quality snark-generator, I must say.)
Re: Libby, Appeal, & Bail Pending Appeal
Everything I’ve seen makes me feel Judge Walton and Fitz have been especially careful to disarm anything Wells & Co. can come up with. And keep in mind the defense team has not been that hot anyway.
This is why Fitz even took care to point out the error created in the sentencing calculations by his arguments in court: because this could have been an appealable point if left uncorrected on Tuesday!
Walton told the defense on Tuesday he didn’t think they had anything but he had to let them try. Well, they insisted it seemed.
ET—
Is Diane running, because I don’t see her on blueAm.
egregious @ 231
I’m sorry, we’re getting out of touch! Yeah, Diane is running and I’m trying to convince her to go to YKos in August if we can raise the money. The Alaska Dems have asked me if I’m interested in going, but I’m not at all comfortable missing my mom’s 89th.
AS to BlueAmerica, I guess we should get cracking on setting a page up!
They had a response link. I doubt if my respose will be posted. It was ” Are you F’n Nuts?”
Of which “War” is Irving Lewis Libby a casualty?
The war on Reality? The War on Governmental Integrity? The War on Justice? There must be a pile of medals awardable, right?
If this drivel is any indication of the mentality of the wing-nut socio-pathic party, then this country is already a goner.
Might as well pack it up right now and save the time.
twolf1 @ 227
This is where the “alleged” wiretaping of Colin Powell and Kofi Anan may come out.
Stephen Parrish, CPA @ 225
Oy Vey! So let me try to understand. Different rules apply to Libby because of position, $$$$, and because those “connected at their roots” said so.
Really good message for our children! The whole world is watching!
In other words, Libby isn’t just a crook. He’s soldier in an army which is fighting against the legally constituted authority of the American state. Gee, I thought it was just another sleazy criminal case, but if Mr. Ajami says so I guess it’s a lot more serious than that: this is war! Now, obviously any one of Sgt. Scooter’s fellow heroes who wrote all those gushing beg-letters to the judge must also be part of this army which is at war with America.
And what does this imply for those of us on the pro-American side? Well, according to my admittedly vague understanding of the UCMJ, it means whenever we happen to see one of these fellows on the street, or should I say “on the battlefield,” we should demand that he surrender at once, and if he defies our command, we’re entitled to shoot him dead!
oddmommy @ 213
Typically, in the Federal system factual findings are reviewed for “clear error,” which means that the appellate court can throw out a finding of fact only if it has “a definite and firm conviction that a mistake was made.” In criminal trials, the appellant has the additional hurdle of the “harmless error” doctrine.
yellowdogD @ 4
Fouad Ajami infamously said “we can start withdrawing troops” after the capture of Saddam was announced (he said it on Charlie Rose).
Now, remember people, he’s a Middle East expert who teaches at John Hopkins University, so he is not to be questioned by us ignorant bloggers…