Robert Novak’s column today reports that President Bush is “secretly” planning to engage US forces in yet another war, this time by sending in US special forces to help the Turkish Army eliminate the Kurdish guerillas attacking Turkey from Kurdish Iraq.
High-level U.S. officials are working with their Turkish counterparts on a joint military operation to suppress Kurdish guerrillas and capture their leaders. Through covert activity, their goal is to forestall Turkey from invading Iraq.
Suppose you’re the last remaining semi-rational person in the Administration — oh, say, the Secretary of Defense — and the President asks you to gather support for this secret military intervention. Which of the following would you do?
A. Send Congress’ favorite Under Secretary of Defense, Eric “you’re a traitor if you ask me any questions” Edelman to give the briefing to Congress, because he’s so respected there?
B. Make sure Karl Rove is in the loop, because he never leaks national security information, especially to Bob Novak?
C. Make sure Novak hears that everyone is shocked, shocked at how isolated and delusional Bush has become.
D. Make sure Congress feels they were duped, again, because Bush never mentioned that the US surge forces he wanted to secure Baghdad would be used to intervene between Kurdish Iraq and Turkey.
E. All of the above.
Someone in the Administration is sending a message that they think President Cheney Bush is nuts. Wonder who?
Of course, if you’re a Democrat and have been writing “withdrawal” legislation with exceptions that allow Bush to retain and use US troops to discourage neighboring countries from violating Iraq’s borders, you might want to think twice about how much discretion you’d want to give the Bush/Cheney Regime after you’ve given them 160,000 US troops to play with.
Photo by AP, Novak on Meet the Press, October 2003, via Chicago Tribune.
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caw caw?
None of the above.
It’s time to find a way to have the Pretzlenit committed to a mental institution.
A good morning caw to scarecrow, and a good morning pat to the pups.
Now that’s funny!
_MS
Hey, Rev. How you feeling? Going to make your Tues flight?
Good morning, Scarecrow!
Perhaps this is something Brown & Bush as discussing on “Golf Cart One”.
Kathryn in MA @ 4
Hopefully the last vestiges of the cold that followed the URI are leaving. Yes, I will be on the flight. Yes, I will be feeling better.
Thanks for asking.
Going to the Cubs/Mets game with a certain Incan (Aztec?) God on Sunday at Wrigley Field!!!!!
How good is that?
Turf wars between Front President Bush and Back President Chee-knee?
scarecrow – you see gates behind door “E”?
So, who was President while Cheney was having his ticker tuned?
I’m getting the feeling that the Pretzlenit loved to play the game Stragego when he was a kid but never finished one game. He’d just throw the pieces off the board when it wasn’t going his way and start another game.
Whoa! (Incan)
Mike Leavitt is busy dissembling about Schip on Washington Journal. But we can’t afford to save the children…
If life was fair, lightning would strike all these liars! I guess there isn’t that much spare electricity in the universe.
Regarding A, Edelman is probably going in front of the Armed Services Committee to brief them on draw-down plans because the Senate, and I bet Bob Gates too, want to make sure he gets a little clearer on the concept of Congressional oversight and what it means for him in particular.
Regarding the overall story: Turkey is a long-standing ally. The Kurds are pretty much the only people in Iraq who like us. Keeping them from coming to all-out war is a good thing. Whether this is the way to do it I don’t know, but it doesn’t exactly fit the Bush / Cheney expansionist model of military action as you imply.
Good morning scarecrow. In case you or any of the pups around here were thinking of visiting the Bush White House, please don’t wear jeans or short skirts. Dignity is back in DC:
New signs are posted around the White House indicating a new strict enforcement of the dress code, the Washington Post reported Thursday. The code applies to all visitors and staff members, including tourists.
Some tourists are finding the strict clothing restrictions at the White House un-American.
The forbidden items include jeans, sneakers, mini-skirts, t-shirts, tank tops and absolutely no flip flops.
oops. Stratego. We had a set when I was kid. War games were not my thing.
ccmask @ 15
This is disgraceful. Tourists wear jeans, and t-shirts and besides this, that House belongs to us. If Bush doesn’t like the visitors, HE can leave.
Can the Undead truly save the Living?
selise @ 9
Who knows? But this is a very strange column, and it’s obvious Novak thinks the plan is uh “risky.” Yet no one else reports on this, so you have to ask how Novak got the story, and from whom.
I wish I didn’t think this way. I used to be normal.
“President Bush is “secretly” planning to engage US forces in yet another war, this time by sending in US special forces to help the Turkish Army eliminate the Kurdish guerillas attacking Turkey from Kurdish Iraq.”
This is not another war, but an entirely predictable result of the orginal Iraq invasion. Call it Iraq 2.0.
RevDeb
Risk!
Twain @ 17
Scarecrow @ 19
These people have so skewed the concept of “normal,” I don’t know what that is anymore.
mack @ 21
Didn’t play that one. Hated Monopoly. Way too into greed.
This Administration has a strange concept of dignity.
The visitor dress code is the least of their offenses.
What a creep he is. No sneakers? That is un-American, for sure. It just never stops.
RevDeb @ 24
I only remember Battleship? You just drop bombs or troops at random into places you can’t see and hope you hit something.
ccmask @ 26
Guess he’s afraid of the dirty hippies.
ccmask @ 15
Do they have a nun standing at the door with a ruler measuring how many inches above the knee the skirt is? I think not, see it could be worse.
Scarecrow @ 27
Sort of like a primitive “Shock and Awe?”
-MS
The objective of Risk is to conquer the world.
Gutsy moves either win or result in catastrophe.
Of course, in real life, it is much harder to clear the board and start over when things don’t work out.
Sometimes I think the NeoCons are waiting for their Maker to do just that.
Good Morning Scarecrow and firepups,
Gee, and I wonder where this overwhelming dread I feel is coming from, could it be the insane Mr. Bush?
Will Gates save the world? Can he last through the rest of this administration? I don’t know how he can get up and go into work every day.
that was a crackin’ good post last evening, btw.
Jane was on CNN last night — waiting for the video and/or transcript. It was after 11:00 p.m. EDT. Anyone catch that?
Well, the dress code will cut down on some of those pesky amerkins hanging around nosing into things. Maybe they will go shopping or something constructive like that. Humph.
ccmask @ 15
*ahem* Isn’t there a picture of Bush circulating the toobz wearing flipflops and shorts and such at the WH?
Oh, I get it. Don’t do as I do. Do as I say.
Dictator-in-chief
RevDeb @ 24
‘
Would it surprise you to learn that Risk and Monopoly were Bill Gates favorite games?
Turkey is a rather strange country with regard to its relationship with the US and Israel. They want to stamp out the Kurds… something rather common in that region… who want their autonomy.
Read Sibel Edmonds about Turkey. The islamists are rising in Turkey so I see some trouble for secularists there.
The US has a huge base there which was used to threaten the USSR and now to threaten the ME.
I am so tied of all this militarism. When will someone rational put these people to pasture?
weekly congressional hearings update.
two big ones this week:
Wednesday
10 am – House Oversight and Government Reform
Hearing on The Tillman Fratricide: What the Leadership of the Defense Department Knew
Witnesses: Donald Rumsfeld, Gen. Myers, Gen. Abizaid, Gen. Brown, Lt. Gen. Kensinger, Lt. Gen. McChrystal
Thursday
10 am – Senate Judicary
Preserving Prosecutorial Independence: Is the Department of Justice Politicizing the Hiring and Firing of U.S. Attorneys? – Part VI
Witnesses: Karl Rove, Scott Jennings
i’m running a bit behind this morning and wont get the complete list posted until a bit later today. check back on this thread, or click on my name for the link. sorry for the delay!
All of them.
TRAITORS.
selise @ 38
Thanks Selise. I think Karl and Scott would at least have the courtesy of letting you know whether they’ll show up, after all the trouble you went to to announce their invitation.
Thursday is my birthday. I’m looking forward to a red faced Karl and a Jennings on the side. yummmmmmm.
Novack and Karl Rove go way back Novack has other sources in the White House but he would run any story critical of the White House past Rove. Unless like the imigration issue the story violated his conservative principles.
Going to war does not bother conservatives much but leaking what was clearly meant to be a secret plan might kill the plan. This suggests Rove leaked it. Now how crazy must Bush be acting if even his brain is jumping ship?
Scarecrow @ 27
i played lots of monopoly and battleship – but my favorite board game was probably risk. i blame them for why i turned out so gung-ho violent.
Elliott @ 36
It would seem a foregone conclusion.
Scrabble was and is still my favorite (except for spider solitaire!)
Scarecrow @ 40
haha.
it will be very interesting to see what they do.
and i am looking forward to seeing rumsfeld testifying under oath.
kinmo @ 41
Happy Birthday. Many really important people were born about the same time, including egregious. I also expect that Karl Rove and Jennings are just as likely to show up at your B-day party as the hearing. So be prepared.
Scarecrow @ 32
I caught most of it. She’s was on as the liberal blogger up against some smarmy 20-something conservative (Blooey?) who looked like he had a bad dye job.
The host, whoever he was, tried a couple of gotcha points with her which she took care of but he did the same for the conservative who did the hem and haw and gee I dunno act.
A little earlier in the show, they also covered the Max Blumenthal tape on drafting College Republicans and actually did note the blatant hypocrisy and how inane the responses were from the war cheerleaders.
selise @ 46
“There are known lies, and unknown lies, and lies about known and unknown lies, etc . . . “
This from Novakula’s piece:
Preznit Doubledown/Cheney thinks there is no problem on earth that cannot be solved by US military power-even if it pisses off the only ally we have in Iraq itself.
Novak has a lot of sources including those in the State Dept. No way this comes from Rover.
Is Novak finally coming to grips with the neocan idiocy that is Bushco?
Starting Monday morning reading Robert Novak is against my sensibilities, but I’ve done it and can’t say I’m surprised. Bush won’t be satisfied until WWIII has broken out in the Middle East, war profits are guaranteed for decades & ultimately the West has domination of the oil fields.
Scarecrow @ 19
i need a remedial class in media interpretation – with a primary focus on karl rove and dick cheney. sort of a kremlinology for today.
things come undone says
July 30th, 2007 at 5:47 am
“Going to war does not bother conservatives much…”
This seems untrue in context. REAL conservatives would have no part of this entire war (and the side issues), having no interest in “nation building.” The neo-cons rationalize this horrible affair as (among other things) our God-given right to export “democracy” to other parts of the world which would not otherwise have the “opportunity” to live under the “banner of freedom.”
As tho’ this administration had the slightest clue of what democracy was…
-MS
dakine01 @ 48
Thanks — Jane was opposite Blooooey once before. Another wingnut welfare recipient.
Last night one of the news channels showed Bush and Brown in the golf cart. Bush teasingly pointed it towards the media as if he was going to run them other. As a momma, if my son pulled that stunt, there would be consequences for his immature behavior. What are Bush’s consequences? Brown didn’t look as though he was amused.
Elliott @ 36
I’ve also read that Gates had a habit of asking his dates in college what their SAT scores were (he preferred 1600 girls). Geek small talk, I guess.
Board games were out @ our house, card games in. Played cribbage & canasta w/my Dad, p*ker w/my brothers, cousins, & uncles.
On Christy’s snake oil thread yesterday afternoon I was hoping to get some betting going on who will show up @ the SJC hearing Thurs. or not, & the reasons why not.
This is where a youth wasted in gambling for buttons & paper clips leads…
nonplussed @ 13
G’ morning everyone. Just a quick one and then back to packing….
Leavitt seems to fly under the progressives’ radar. He is such a Bush water carrier, and there is a little issue about pandemic flu preparedness – not – that is being lost. He’s anti-universal health, anti public health, anti policy that advocates for preventive health, anti affordable prescription drugs, etc. He needs much more watching and testifying in front of certain Congressional committees.
Novak has a lot of sources including those in the State Dept. No way this comes from Rover.
Maybe Rice? It would be payback for the Cheney guys leaking the story about Saudi’s dissappointing US in Iraq, just before Rice and Gates head to Saudi Arabia.
JPL @ 55
He has done that at other venues – I believe he tried to hop in construction equipment and try to steer for reporters – anyone remember something like a John Deere factory tour episode?
Scarecrow @ 58
Guess they have to go hold the royal hand since Bush dared to criticize the kingdom. I am tired of my tax dollars paying for these useless trips for Condi.
kinmo @ 41
It’s my birthday too. I can’t think of a better gift!
N=1 @ 59
I remember that, Caterpillar
angry_cyclone @ 61
Happy birthday to you both. Hope you get your wish.
I share a birthday with Emily Bronte and Ahnold.
Lindy @ 64
Ahnold will have to make a new movie: “Triplets”
ccmask @ 15
It’s amazing. Why don’t they send out engraved invitations inviting our ridicule?
Maybe DOJ has their Regent grads and there’s some etiquette Nazi from Bob Jones U. in the WH?
Where are their “saner heads” who understand the PR risk for this? *g*
Scarecrow @ 58
If not Condi, then perhaps a senior level State Dept type who still hasn’t quit but is disgusted with Cheney’s strongarm tactics and utter disregard for any non oil-based alliance.
A little OT – Someone wrote a letter to the editor today in the Philly Inquirer … they suggest a monicker for Snarlin’ Arlen that is similiar to the infamous F.U. or Friedman Unit … they called it SLS .. Specter’s Last Stand .. in regards to his actions regarding AGAG .. while it doesn’t have the appeal of FU .. I give the guy an A for effort
Joe Klein’s conscience @ 68
He’ll always be Haggis to me
(thanks emptywheel)
No sneakers, flipflops, tank tops, jeans, mini-skirts, t-shirts for wh visitors? Ah, wouldn’t that include a huge percentage of their voting base? Another brilliant idea coming out of the adm. I wonder if rove came up with this one too.
The Turk-Kurd dispute is longstanding and has been at risk from the get-go of erupting into all-out war. And, yet again, we will be arming both sides.
It does have a Nixonian “secret invasion of Cambodia” ring to it doesn’t it?
ccmask @ 15
Is a burka requirement next?
N=1 @ 59
Yes, remember, but thought it was at the Caterpillar factory in Peoria.
There was also the business of playing with the remote-controlled weapons robot out in CA, where he drove one straight at a reporter, weapons pointed at him.
Re: Battleship – great way to teach kids how to use spreadsheets
Elliott @ 69
If there’s a moniker that denotes talking out of both sides of your mouth, Specter deserves it…
I’m not surprised that he’d try to aid Turkey against the Kurds, he’s still pretending he’s five throwing rocks at cars.
I love spreadsheets…
selise @ 38
Is Rummy gonna show up? Its too bad the hearing Wednesday is before the House Armed Services Comm. I’d rarely see it be the Senate. I want to see Webb destroy Rummy. Webb has got to be one of the most PO”ed people in Washington over the whole Tillman afair. There are probably a whole lot of people he wants to give the Bush treatment to right about now.
I’m doing one right now, in fact.
ironranger @ 70
Bush is adamant – only presidential seal ankle socks and crocs will do. ;^)
By way of DK: NYT says Cheney sent Gonzalez to Ashcroft’s bedside, which makes me wonder if Schumer has proof of that.
Kevster @ 71
It’s a warning to the Kurds that the US will not tolerate extremism across the Turkish border and a notice to Turkey that we will support them only so far, but will not stand for an invasion. By interposing ourselves we control the situation better.
Lindy @ 81
I’m blanking on the timeframe. If it was Cheney and it was about data mining, was it data mining about Wilson and Plame?
ironranger @ 70
Including, you know, the elderly. A lot of them have to wear sneakers for comfort. Way to make new friends.
Sort of a common theme here, making new friends, also by driving vehicles into reporters.
But I thought we liked the Kurds. After all, they’re the “other Iraq.” The success story in Iraq.
Michael in Park Slope @ 53
I stand corrected Neo Cons have no problem with war, but where are all the real conservative voices against the war?
The real conservatives don’t critize Bush much because they put the office of the Presidency above their own convictions. How can Democracy work if people keep puting the office of the president above their own will as the people?
Hey N=1,
Did you find a place to move into today? [Sorry OT, please don’t smite me, Scarecrow. We can’t let our own people go homeless.]
egregious @ 83
That speaks volumes right there. Wasn’t there a visitor’s center being built for the White House too? I wonder if this is just to keep anyone who isn’t “royalty”off the premises entirely.
The White House isn’t supposed to be an exclusive freaking clubhouse.
N=1:
Hope things are going better.
If this is so, I find it a disgrace and barbaric. This is a an age-old feud between the Turks and the Kurds. For the U.S. to get involved in such a way, it is worsening the matter. It is not only immoral, but barbaric.
ironranger @ 70
It would definitely include their daughters, one of whom wore jeans and a jean jacket to Buckingham Palace to meet the queen.
The WH clothing restrictions remind me of banks that “require” ID and a thumbprint, but strangely enough if you’re white they never make you do it.
Some people will be let in, and others excluded. Rules are for the little people.
ccmask @ 79
well, sh!t, so am i – using the graphing wizard, too!
Phoenix Woman @ 91
Good one, PW.
Bloooey, eh? Or this guy?
Kathryn in MA @ 93
I haven’t gotten into that yet, but I really want to. Some day. I need to be taught though.
Sorry, I have to quote Juan Cole almost in full on this:
N=1 @ 83
I’d say that was probably a part of it…a small part. Knowledge is power, and what better way to quell your opponents than to know their every move?
What’s up with all of the “POLITICO” shit on Washington Journal this morning?
LibertyLee @ 82
Just like we’re doing with the Shia and Sunnis?
UN inspectors to visit Iran nuclear site
A group of UN atomic inspectors was set to arrive in Iran on Monday to visit a heavy water reactor that is one of the key Western concerns over the Iranian nuclear programme, officials said. SNIP
mui @ 97
So my question. Is ChimpCo exercising the “Salvador option” in Kurdistan too?
New Chomsky: There Will Be a Cold War Between Iran and the U.S.
Things come undone @ 85:
You are, of course, absolutely right. We do need to champion rational principle (the constitution) over party affiliation. I seem to recall a (VERY) few conservative voices dissenting against the Decider’s war, albeit without much enthusiasm… Maybe Buchannan?
-MS
Marie Roget @ 75
Janus?
RevDeb @ 105
Why is Robert Novak still able to write articles that make it into one of the Nations mainline newspapers? And why would we trust Novaks intentions? This is a journalist who was part of the Bush administrations successful efforts to out an undercover CIA agent whose job we know was- WAS to protect our nations National Security by gathering information about WMD’s. Novak should be in jail based on undermining National Security, not have his questionable reporting on the front pages of a newspaper.
If the Official Secrets Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_Secrets_Act is applied sparingly and appropriately in the U.K. why not here in the states? This act or a similar act could be used to jail reporters or administration officials who access classified intelligence (Kenneth Pollack “allegedly US Go 1 in the A*P*C/Rosen espionage investigation)
http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iow…..astan.html or classified information (Robert Novak/ Valerie Plame/Wilson) and use it to undermine the country or make up reports about WMD’s that have no evidence to back up very dangerous and life threatening claims(Judy “I was fucking right” Miller)
In the A*P*C espionage case Steve Rosen was “allegedly” taped saying that he was sure glad that the U.S. had no “Official Secrets Act” as he was being given classified intelligence from reporters and administration officials.(the indictments are at this website)
http://www.newsfollowup.com/aipac.htm
When the media is used (as we know it is) to pass classified intelligence into the public realm to out undercover agents whose work might be standing in the way of an administrations regime change agenda or the MSM is “allegedly” used by foreign governments (A*P*C Rosen espionage investigation) and lobbying groups to promote unnecessary wars these avenues should be shut down SHUT DOWN. These reporters who clearly have other interest rather than honestly shining the light on critical issues that the public needs to know (we did not need to know about Valerie Wilsons work). These reporters or government officials need to be in jail (at the very least removed from writing for mainline newspapers and coming onto the MSM (Judy Miller on Hardball) spewing questionable statements?
Who can trust reporters who have demonstrated that their intentions are very twisted and result in hundreds of thousands of deaths, inuries, and displaced? (Judy Miller on Iraq) and undermining National Security (Robert Novak)
ironranger @ 70
No sneakers, flipflops, tank tops, jeans, mini-skirts, t-shirts for wh visitors? Ah, wouldn’t that include a huge percentage of their voting base? Another brilliant idea coming out of the adm. I wonder if rove came up with this one too.
It’s the “Fernando” White House.
It’s better to look good than to be good.
Hmmm, two faces, two mouths, Janus it is for me, RevDeb.
2nd Scarecrow a.m. post is upstairs.
Scarecrow Upstairs
kinmo @ 99
I would say, equal time for weenies.
LibertyLee @ 82
Some in our government may think we control the situation…
the military age population of Turkey is larger than the US military age population, and they live next door
Their military is about a million now, with possible fourteen million “draft age” citizens and they live next door.
The US does not control the situation.
egregious @ 87
Room for me and a friend of an FDL commenter is boarding the cats – dogs, no. And job – still on hold….Did get a PayPal link on my blog and found a last minute mover. Anyone care to foster a dog?
Wordsmith @ 95
Nope, this guy. He’s one of the Heritage Foundation hatchlings.
Well, at least we know that no one in the Whitehouse trusts anyone anymore.
This is just what they have built for themselves and they are getting just what they deserve.
I realize how pathetic these people have become when it turns out that Rove is still obviously obsessing about convincing the rank and file the Rove was not responsible for the electoral massacree in 2006 even though much was made of how Rove had taken the helm and was the steady hand guiding the party to victory using his Rovian magic.
These fucking clowns are ruining everything and now the two factions in Iraq that weren’t against us, Kurd and Shiite, may now be rethinking their relationship with the US now that we have seemingly become BFF with the Saddam-Baath wing or Iraqi Sunnis.
-GSD
Scarecrow @ 27
I rather enjoyed Risk originally. Then, in my Air Force days someone brought on a game called (I think) “Nuke ‘Em”. It was a rather sarcastic, humorous, and all-out game of nuclear war (with biological warfare subs too). You played with special decks of cards with cute little cartoon images on them of ICMBs or the favored cruise missile, plus you had your cities and cards that would indicate how many died in each attack. You would “launch” a cruise missile card that would get passed from player to player during each turn until the person who launched it decided it was at its end point, then “poof!”, that person flipped a card and learned of their losses.
It really was a fun game (in a sick way) and was done up in a nice gallow’s humor sort of way (it was during the Cold War and we were all at the tip of the nuclear spear). Anyone else recall that game? I’m pretty sure it was called “Nuke ‘Em”…
Twain @ 17
So much for Dubya being the Jacksonian populist.
Of course, I’m sure that there will be an exception for Bush’s attire when he does his laps on his bike or jogs. Hard to think how he’s going to do this in Bruno Magli shoes.
Also don’t many of the athletes he “greets” for photo ops come in uniform. And what about visiting diplomats in their inappropriate cultural attire?
cinnamonape @ 117
And of course exception will be taken to the twins and their boyfriends. Personally, I think Laura’s couture dresses revoltingly inappropriate and so might other “War Time” presidents.
Regal is just the word for Laura. *Gasp* And the “The white cashmere suit speaks of wealth and prestige in every inch of its elaborate embroidery and its precious fabric.” *more gasp*!
njr @ 112
It’s not a question of number of troops but the correlation of forces and willingness to use them.
Jane (nyc) @ 66
Oh! I get it…the rule is exclusively for “staffers and visitors”…the resident inmates of the White House won’t have to abide by these rules, of course. These are for the “peons”
Bush can continue to wear his same black T-shirt, matching shorts, and shoes (note…this uniform never changes). And Jenna and Babs Jr. can continue to dress slutty. And the rule will probably allow those “cleavage” revealing gowns that simply drive Tweety into ecstatic convulsions.
And who knows what Rove and Gannon get to wear!
Kevster @ 71
Not to mention that such an action would require a Joint Congressional Resolution.
And ASFAIK we’ve NEVER been attacked by Turkish Kurd independance/autonomy groups.
cinnamonape @ 122
I don’t know whether Negroponte or Kissinger is advising, but it stinks. And I feel we need to tell our congress critters it stinks.
Stir it up and then sell weapons to all sides.
Sicko
cinnamonape @ 121
All I own are flip flops and several pairs of winter boots. Have worn both in the halls of the halls of Washington D.C.
i’ve only scanned this thread, so please forgive if this was posted earlier – its just too delicious to not cut & paste here.
every sunday the ny times mag has a column called “questions for …..”
2 weeks ago the questions were for novak. unfortunately, the article is behind the times’ “premium” curtain, thus, only a short excerpt below. (also the link if you care to pay to read the whole thing.)
yesterday’s mag had 2 particularly good letters written in response. (also below)
The Way We Live Now: Questions for Robert Novak; The Plame Game
July 15, 2007, Sunday
By DEBORAH SOLOMON (NYT); Magazine
Late Edition – Final, Section 6, Page 17, Column , 738 words
It has been four years since you were catapulted into the headlines for outing the C.I.A. officer Valerie Plame in your syndicated column, yet the story lives on, most recently in the uproar over the commutation of Scooter Libby’s prison sentence. Would you like to see him pardoned? Yes. I don’t see how you can have obstruction of justice when there is no underlying crime.
DISPLAYING ABSTRACT – It has been four years since you were catapulted into the headlines for outing the C.I.A. officer Valerie Plame in your syndicated column, yet the story lives on, most recently in the uproar over the commutation of Scooter Libby’s prison sentence. Would you like to see him pardoned? Yes. …
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/…..abstract=1
Letters to the Editor, Magazine
Re: Questions for Robert Novak
Robert Novak says, “I don’t see how you can have obstruction of justice when there is no underlying crime,” which, of course, is exactly the point (Deborah Solomon, July 15). You can’t “see” the underlying crime if justice is obstructed in uncovering it. Novak says Scooter Libby didn’t lie, he just got “mixed up” and “confused”: “That’s why you need lawyers — to make sure you don’t get confused.” He fails to note, however, that Scooter Libby not only had lawyers, he was one himself. Novak then apparently contradicts himself, saying he was very careful, in his own testimony, not to fabricate anything, implying, of course, that he knows Libby did just that.
JG (name withheld by me)
Tarrytown, N.Y.
and this:
If there was no crime, why did so many people spend so much energy denying and hiding they were part of the chain that outed Valerie Plame?
CG (name withheld by me)
New York
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07…..s-t-1.html
jayt @ 108
It’s the “Fernando” White House.
It’s better to look good than to be good.
rofl !
no flipflops?
that oughtta do it…
mui @ 97
I find it odd that Novak is, yet again, disclosing Classified Information . I wonder if he considered that such disclosures might actually put our troops involved in such operations in DANGER.
The PKK guerillas will now view the US forces as a direct challenge to their ability to take sanctuary in Iraq. Even worse the Peshmerga, who helps harbor them will be brought into the battles to eradicate the PKK. Raids on safe-houses in Northern Iraq will be fought off by Peshmerga, resulting in casualties. This will be followed by protests, and a loss of support by Kurdish politicians.
This isn’t good at all…and one can expect that suddenly US Forces will be in a similar situation as they are with Sadr’s militias.
Wait, Novak is a “whistle-blower”….he hasn’t revealed troop movements and plans in a war zone…he’s trying to stop the error before it happens.
Maybe he’s finally realized something that Joe Wilson was trying to do (though Joe’s act had no risk to the troops…Wilson never revealed “invasion plans” or covert actions).
But it seems that Novak can’t ever do something that actually doesn’t have the risk or consequence of serious screw-ups. He had the same cavalier attitude about the exposure of Valerie Wilson’s CIA status and exposing her cover “Brewster Jennings”. I really do think he has a brain of a reptile sometimes.
Kevster @ 71
I sometimes think we learned nothing until I realize it has nothing to do with learning anything. The key purpose is to keep conflicts going, and going, and going. It is a basic NeoCon dogma.
Speaking of deluded nuts..sounds like a marketing phrase..HuffPo is saying is Gonzo masochist? As Bushs’ legal counsel in Texas..the only pardon went to a serial killer who murdered and tortured. Is Bush Sadist? Is this the perfect pervert fit? Gonzo has a very in love look when Bush is around. Wonder what Mark Foley is up to/in these days? Enquiring minds want to know.
finally!
here’s the link for this week’s list of congressional hearings. sorry for the delay!
selise @ 132
Yeah, we were just hanging here, waiting, tapping our feet… :)
Thanks selise!
newtonusr @ 132
haha! well, at least one person saw it!
i was unhappy to be late… mostly because i think if i don’t get the link in early, most people will miss it.
if i’m going to do it, might as well make as useful as possible to my fellow firepups.
WHAT will William Safire say now?
Could the monster created by Dr. Karl Rovekenstein be totally out of control…?
cinnamonape @ 121
Will they be showing cleavage?
Will they bicker like Hillary and Barack?
Enquiring minds want to know.
II’m waiting for legislation that will require us to pay for the war now, before Bush leaves office. Isn’t it time for those who say, I support the war, to actually have to give a little support.
Perhaps what we need is a “War Tax.” We might start by temporarly recinding all the tax cuts the president has made until the war is paid for in it’s entirity. We might even make it retroactive to the beginning of the war.
After all, who is going to pay for this adventure? Surely the president and the Republicans don’t want (or let it be known their intention is )have their children and grand children pick up the ticket.
Such a sur tax would not be popular. But the question is, “do you support the troops?” Who’s going to pay the bill?
Thinking more cynically I have to wonder if they’ve considered routes a Dem president might use to get our troops out of Iraq and are no stirring up trouble there to make it impassible, much as bridges were blown up around Baghdad.
It’s a lot of very fuzzy guesswork and probably best ignored.
We must keep our minds on neutering the Bush administration and removing that lump before it destroys America. After that it might not be clear sailing, but it will be easier.