BobbyG @ 167

BTW, Glenn Greenwald has a great slap-down of the traitor John Yoo today.

Why is he still at Berkeley?

As an example for students to see what would happen without the law?

BTW Berkeley’s Boalt School of Law also is quite famous for having that Creationist, Philip E. Johnson as an Emeritus Professor. He wrote the infamous “Darwin On Trial”, which is perhaps the model of the types of trials that were envisaged for the “enemy combatants” held at Gitmo. It was all “Prosecution”…in which Johnson acted as both the District Attorney and JUDGE. The evidence was contrived and bogus, fake experts were brought forth, words taken out of context and redefined, and evolution and “naturalism” (i.e. Science) was basically blamed for every evil in the world…from communism and Naziism…to child abuse and incest.

If one reads the “manifesto” of the Discovery Institute of these neo-Creationists (the call themselves “Intelligent Design”) one discovers that they have a very wide program that goes well beyond ending the teaching of evolution. In fact they wanted to institute all of society based on “Christian” doctrine….including law, government, the Arts, Education, Science, and so on.

It’d be interesting to see if John Woo was brought in by Phil Johnson…or some group that Johnson was responsible for placing in their posts.

I have some questions. When were the memo’s, about the information flow chart, that Whitehouse quoted dated? Did AGAG’s memo expanding flow of information come before or after the Libby case was in full swing? When did Ashcroft initate the increase in information flow? Depending on when this happened it might be a little interesting. Just a thought.

I think Whitehouse said that the memo was written AFTER Gonzo’s previous testimony…which would mean that it was after the trial, but before the verdict. But given the number of people receiving reports from the DOJ in the Executive Branch (including the OEP) the liklihood that Cheney was briefed on Fitz’s investgations seems most likely.

BigMitch @ 115

He was trying, obviously, not to assert executive privilege. The real deal for me is this: Did W call Mrs. Ashcroft? (I think that is a fair inference from Comey’s testimony.)

I disagree. I think he WANTED to claim executive privilege on this one. Only one problem… he’s not the executive, and therefore can’t claim privlilege.
That’s what the whole “I’ll check to see if I can answer that for you.” was all about.
Now he runs back to Bush and sAys “You need to claim EP on this so I don’t have to answer this.”

But he was WH Counsel at the time. That’s where his assertion of Executive privilege comes in. But if Bush didn’t send him…tyhen it gets sticky…because Cheney cannot usurp that power, and Gonzo can’t assert that his own determinations as to what was “in the service of the President” involved “discussions with the President”. In fact, his actions might have been without the authority of the President…and therefore NOT COVERED BY EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE.

No way around this…either he was authorized by Bush to do this…or he wasn’t. He can clam up about what the “discussions and advice WERE” but not direct orders and actions.

Here’s my logic:

The FBI was involved – it’s domestic.

It wasn’t the TSP – the only domestic spying program ‘confirmed’ by the president.

It was ‘other intelligence activities’ – for which Comey and Ashcroft had an OLC Opinion against.

So, there is a Second Domestic Spying Program – not confirmed by Bush – involving ‘other intelligence activities’ that the OLC found ‘not legal.’

It was this Second Program that was the subject of the Hospital Visit. Additionally, it was the Second Program that bothered the senior staff at DoJ so much that they were willing to resign en masse. In fact, there was Great Dissent on the Second Program.

But, when asked if there had been any dissent on the Program in prior testimony, Gonzo had said, “I don’t believe there was any dissent on the Program confirmed by the President.”

DiFi said: “Something’s rotten in Denmark.”

The Second Program is a Domestic Spying Program that we don’t know about, but it must be Bad if Comey and the Staff were ready to leave over it.

What’s the big secret?

I think that I recall that Abu said the “other Program” was not confirmed…he didn’t say it wasn’t “authorized” by Bush. By “confirmed” I think he meant a program known to members of Congress. There was the “terrorism surveillance program” and then there was this “other one”…one that would cause half the DOJ (and FBI) to resign if implemented.

I suspect that this was a widescale “domestic surveillance” program on those that opposed the war on Iraq…not so different in intent to his recent Executive Order on asset forfeiture.

After all, if you are going to charge people with aiding and abetting “insurgents” then you’d better have the intelligence to find out who is providing them with “propaganda”!

Oh, and don’t worry about whether such evidence will stand up in court…simply make it an Administrative function…and keep the evidence “secret” so that nobaody can actually fight it!

During the campaign for the 2000 election, I recall seeing videotape of Geoorge Bush being interviewed, and he basically summed up his entire philosophy with the phrase, “The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward.”

I remember being outraged at the time, since his whole history up to that point had pretty much consisted of taking risks, failing bigtime, and then having someone from Daddy’s circle clean up his mess. In other words, never any consequences for Georgie. I thought at the time that that was all I ever needed to know about the man. And he’s proved me right, in spades.

He’s still running his life, and our country, the same way. Think, especially, Iraq. It occurs to me that airing that videotape would be a very powerful and effective tool to use against him at this time.

Does anybody know where to find it, and don’t you think the Dems should use it?

Aside from that, my entire philosophy can now be summed up as, “Impeachment is the only option.”

I think the committee should ask Mrs. Ashcroft to answer that question for them if Mr. Ashcroft hasn’t already.

somehow i think they might have some trouble getting mr. ashcroft to testify before the committee.

Ok, start your incineration of me now…. 1,2,3 GO!