I think that what the WH has done is to split the programs, as mentioned. Both are SAP (special access programs) which means that even revealing the existence of a program that is SAP means instant jail time.

Make no mistake, Mueller and others understand the threat to them, and so do the questioners. If Mueller says, “No, it was another program,” he goes to jail, put there by the Administration.

What’s even more fun is that the gang of 8 isn’t approved for some of these SAP programs.

The president has the authority to declassify whatever he wants, and presumably Gonzales is using that authority. Hamsher described AG as “selectively declassifying” material to bolster his case.

There’s something really ugly being hidden here. And it’s quite a chess game going on, too, since lots of people, Senators, Congressmen, and civil servants, know things that they can’t say in public.

We should put them on record as opposing any change in the status quo in Iraq. Weshould make them admit that Iraq Government Benchmark #1 is to write a law that letsour OIL companies rip off their profits.

And, even if we get rid of the DLC, we then have to win an election during which the whole”You lost Iraq” meme will be played at full volume. It will take real guts for a nominnee tostand up to the lies the media and sell-outs like Liebereman will throw at them.

So, yes, I’m outraged. And, I am not at all certain that we can pull this one out. If Hillary gets in, we will have something like 36 years of the country being run by two families whose “pater familiases” are joined at the hip. That’s not a democracy in my book…….

We absolutely NEED a non-DLC set of candidates nominated!

Cut to the chase. There was an illegal program he admits existed. We need to go after that.

And not only did Bush authorize this illegal program and run it for 6-months…he continued to attempt to IMPOSE it after the DOJ told him that it WAS ILLEGAL. Even after the Gang Of Eight told them that they had serious issues with the program when they were FINALLY informed of its scope. Bush even tried to get the non-acting AG, under sedation, to put his signature on it.

AND when he couldn’t…they got it ILLEGALLY AUTHORIZED (unless there are secret Executive Orders out there changing the authorization system) by the President to keep it running.

AND they attempted to run with this ILLEGAL LAW until the Acting AG Comey, Ashcroft, and FBI Director Mueller as well as Senior staffers in their Departments threatened to resign en masse.

Then, and only then, did Bush back down.

And then he announced that all these articles in the NY Times and Washington Post were in error…announcing a “revised program” (the TSP)…which was NOT what these articles were actually about (for all it’s flaws). He thus lied about the content of the actual program in operation to the Public and most of Congress.

But the Gang of 8 were restrained from telling their fellow members in Congress the difference between the ORIGINAL OPERATION and the revised announced” program. But someone should tell these Congresspeople that they can, in fact, reveal this information…as it deals with illegal activities. In fact they are compelled to do so as government officials.