Rove Update

From the July 11 Newsweek:

Initially, Fitzgerald's focus was on Novak's sourcing, since Novak was the first to out Plame. But according to Luskin, Rove's lawyer, Rove spoke to Cooper three or four days before Novak's column appeared. Luskin told NEWSWEEK that Rove "never knowingly disclosed classified information" and that "he did not tell any reporter that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA." Luskin declined, however, to discuss any other details. He did say that Rove himself had testified before the grand jury "two or three times" and signed a waiver authorizing reporters to testify about their conversations with him. "He has answered every question that has been put to him about his conversations with Cooper and anybody else," Luskin said. But one of the two lawyers representing a witness sympathetic to the White House told NEWSWEEK that there was growing "concern" in the White House that the prosecutor is interested in Rove. Fitzgerald declined to comment.

When a prosecutor "declines to comment", someone's goin' up on charges if he can get the goods on 'em, if my experience in these matters means anything. This is getting better and better.

Beat 'em up

Have I said lately how much I love the Adgita Diaries? Well I do, especially when they take down a pompous blowhard like Cal Thomas so eloquently:

[. . .]

Softly and safely ensconced on his dominionist church pew Thomas enlightens us about Satanic Islam: "One reason for this difficulty is that radical Islamists see the United States as un-free and in bondage to rampant sexuality, female immodesty and a general distain for God. They believe they are the free ones." Fundi jerk thy self. Thomas, looking deeply into that black hole of his soul, sure makes it simple for us to understand--its all about sex.

Wanna bet Thomas is a bad lay, reverently employing the missionary position in prayerful revulsion? And, by the way when was the last time you saw a general distain for god outside the confines of this tiny blog site? It is a minority view and probably never will get as much attention as Janet Jackson's star-spangled boob amonst the sheepful faithful, who idolize the trinity: Bush, Cheney and Rove.

[. . .]

Hit 'em again.

In MyRoom

Feel like getting away from it all but have no place to go? Your problems are solved by Yamaha! Well.... Anyway, go see Gizmodo and then go read comments at EM411 such as:

Keeping someone locked up in your apartment has never been easier. Say goodbye to those pesky screams for help. Easy to clean, and reusable.

Ah, this modern age!

Truths

[. . .]

The president has no one to blame but himself. The color-coded terror alerts, the repeated John Ashcroft press conferences announcing imminent Armageddon during election season, the endless exploitation of 9/11 have all taken their numbing toll. Fear itself is the emotional card Mr. Bush chose to overplay, and when he plays it now, he is the boy who cried wolf. That's why a film director engaging in utter fantasy can arouse more anxiety about a possible attack on America than our actual commander in chief hitting us with the supposed truth.

If anything, we're back where we were in the lazy summer of 2001, when the president was busy in Crawford ignoring an intelligence report titled "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States" and the news media were more preoccupied with a rash of "Jaws"-like shark attacks than with Al Qaeda. The sharks are back, and the "missing girl" drama of Natalee Holloway has echoed the Chandra Levy ur-text. Even the World Trade Center is making a comeback, if we are to believe that the new Freedom Bunker unveiled for ground zero might ever be built.

[. . .]

Frank Rich in NYT. He makes some astute observations about the current situation.

A Gentle Reminder

For a gentle reminder of one of our primary purposes here in Left Blogistan, go see this groovy A/V at BushFlash. Thanks, 42.

DSM Update

Via, of course, the Sister:

Conyers and 51 Members File FOIA Request on Downing Street Minutes; Members Formally Seek Hearings in House

Representative John Conyers, Jr., (D-MI) House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member, along with 51 other Members today submitted a broad and comprehensive FOIA request to the White House, the Department of Defense, and the Department of State seeking any and all documents and materials concerning the Downing Street Minutes and the lead up to the Iraq war, RAW STORY has learned.

In addition, the Members also formally requested that the House Committees on Judiciary, Armed Services, International Relations, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence commence hearings on the Downing Street Minutes. [Link]

[. . .]

Et tu, Tony?

Heh. Even the Brits have had it with the Chimp:

Tony Blair is contemplating an unprecedented rift with the US over climate change at the G8 summit next week, which will lead to a final communique agreed by seven countries with President George Bush left out on a limb.

The alternative is to face a "catastrophic failure" of his plan to get concerted action to combat global warming, which he has long said is the greatest threat the world faces.

[. . .]

Doesn't Tony know global warming is 'junk science'? Oh, I'm laughing my ass off. The only ones who don't get it are the NeoCons, the Wingnuts, and the Jesus-freaks.

Hat tip and more detail: Melanie.

Wet Dreams

Pic courtesy of dKos via Maru.

So What's the Story on Bob Novak?

If I were the Special Counsel in the Plame deal, Bob "Douchebag for Liberty" Novak would be standing at rigid attention in front of me and singing like a little canary under threat of incarceration under the hoosegow. He'd have a lot more new body parts than a hip when I got done with him. Anyway, why isn't he facing jail time? This commentary in the LATimes asks the same question.

It was classic Novak: a hatchet job directed not at Plame, but at her husband, former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV. The firestorm that erupted has consumed millions of dollars in investigation and litigation costs and has wreaked havoc with the career not just of Plame (who had to leave the CIA) but of two reporters who were hauled into court and threatened with prison.

Novak's original intention, it seems, was to publicly damage Wilson, who had embarrassed President Bush by showing that he relied on false information to justify the Iraq war. Although Novak admits that he was asked not to publish Plame's name by a CIA official, he insists that he did not realize that he might be putting her in danger. Nevertheless, he showed little concern for safety or propriety until after the controversy erupted.

The disclosure of the name - in addition to violating the law against revealing the names of covert personnel - served no apparent purpose beyond that of retaliation.

Over the course of the investigation into the matter, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has gone after journalists such as Miller with a fury - winning findings of contempt against them for refusing to give up their sources.

Yet, there has been a conspicuous absence of any similar effort against Novak. This has led to speculation that either Novak has been given special treatment by a Republican prosecutor, or he has revealed his sources, or his sources have revealed themselves to the prosecutors.

In the interview, Novak refused to answer even the most basic question, such as whether "in general … you cooperated with investigators in the case." Novak insisted his lawyer had told him not to answer "until this case is finished." His reliance on his lawyer's advice is a rather feeble and perplexing defense.

I think I would gently remind the douchebag that his lawyer wasn't going to be the one doing the time.

They just hope nobody lights the damn thing while they're wrapped in it...

I like Margaret Carlson, but she's usually a little too polite. Not this time. From the LATimes.

It will soon be the Fourth of July again. Do you know where your flag is?

Why there it is, inside the Capitol, being waved around by members delighted to solve a problem that doesn't exist while ignoring ones that do. Last week, your House of Representatives voted, 286 to 130, to amend the Constitution to save the flag from being burned. The measure now goes to the Senate.

You say you weren't worried about flag-burning? That's why the folks in Congress make the big bucks and you don't.

If lawmakers wanted to do something really patriotic this Fourth, they might do their jobs. How about asking hard questions about the war, and beefing up the armor on those Humvees that keep getting blown apart? If Old Glory is so important, why have so few House members traveled to Dover to see it serving the high purpose of draping the coffins of the more than 1,700 soldiers who died for it?

Congress is proof of Samuel Johnson's adage that patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.

Even former Speaker Newt Gingrich is alarmed by how careless Republicans have been with their power. "When you are in the minority, you need to fight," he warned this week. "When you are in the governing majority, you need to produce." This from a man who in his day threw more cocktails than Molotov.

This Fourth of July, the flag will be flying over my parents' house in Pennsylvania. The country will be celebrating. But the sight of Congress doing its job would elicit more astonished oohs and aahs than any fireworks.

Boy, that's no shit. Margie goes into a lot more detail. Go read.

Blogwhoring

My weekly commentary is up at Pourquoi Pas.

Gord's a genius!

Regarding the old man's post the other day:

[. . .]

I think Mr. Cooper and Ms. Miller are honorable in refusing to name their source, but, in this particular case, misguided. The nation deserves to know their source so we can get to the bottom of who thought so little of selling out intelligence agents and their sources that they would pull a cheap trick like that for political revenge. I think his initials might be K.R., and no, it's not Knox Rover. [my emphasis]

Well, what do I wake up and see this morning?

Frog Marching Rove Down Yellowcake Lane

Multiple people have emailed to inform me that on the McLaughlin Group Lawrence O'Donnell has claimed that the primary Plame laker was Karl Rove.

I've set the Tivo to record the next showing, but I can't as of yet verify this, but there you go...

I guess Ol' Yelladog is right:

I hate to cross swords with Gordon, mostly because he's almost always right . . .

It's called wisdom.

Future news

An interesting read:

(Associated Press, Nov. 8, 2006) The Democrats didn't waste any time after their landslide victory in Tuesday's midterm election that put them in charge, with huge margins in both the House and Senate.

The incoming Democratic chairs of the various investigatory committees announced that, as soon as the new Congress is sworn in in January, subpoenas will be going out to the White House for all documents relating to when and how the decision to attack Iraq was made; to how far up the chain of command the authorization for torture went; and whether Bush and Cheney and/or their subordinates lied to the Congress and the American People. Congressional committees also will be on the lookout for evidence of Administration involvement in war crimes, bribery and election fraud, Democratic officials said.

[. . .]

Wishful thinking, perhaps, but the 2006 election cycle is just around the corner and it is within us to make it happen. Read the entire article that also has an interesting take on the road to Impeachment of the Chimp and his co-conspirators.

Thanks to the Farmer for the link.

A word

On Sandra Day O'Connor: There goes one beautiful woman.

A word to Dem Senators: I swear, by everything I deem holy, if you screw the pooch on her replacement, I'm going to do everything I can to see you out in the next election. If it means donating to races in 40 states, campaigning aginst you, whatever it takes to see your ass out when you have to run for reelection. Do you hear me? DO NOT FUCK THIS UP!

Support the troops

Via Glen. This is how it's done, you Yellow Elephants:

[. . .]

Love him or hate him, Garry Trudeau, the man responsible for the "Doonesbury" comic strip, is doing his part to help wounded troops and their families.

Trudeau is donating all his proceeds from the sale of his newly released book "The Long Road Home: One Step at a Time" to the Fisher House Foundation. Also, Andrews McMeel Publishing, the book's publisher, is contributing 10 percent of its take from the book to Fisher House.

[. . .]

I'm Surprised He Still Has Those Kinda Dreams At His Age...

Paul Krugman:

A majority of Americans now realize that President Bush deliberately misled the nation to promote a war in Iraq. But Mr. Bush's speech on Tuesday contained a chilling message: America has been taken hostage by his martial dreams. According to Mr. Bush, the nation now has no choice except to keep fighting the war he wanted to fight.

Never mind that Iraq posed no threat before we invaded. Now it's a "central front in the war on terror," Mr. Bush says, quoting Osama bin Laden as an authority. And since a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq would, Mr. Bush claims, be a victory for Al Qaeda, Americans have to support this war - and that means supporting him. After all, you wage war with the president you have, not the president you want.

But America doesn't have to let itself be taken hostage. The country missed the chance to say no before this war started, but it can still say no to Mr. Bush's open-ended commitment, and demand a timetable for getting out.

Meanwhile, time is running out for America's volunteer military, which is cracking under the strain of a war it was never designed to fight.

So what would happen if the United States gave up its open-ended commitment to Iraq and set a timetable for withdrawal?

You'd like to know that, wouldn't you? Oh, I know that you do. Go read.

Chimpy Goes A-Courtin', and his Corporate Henchmen Too...

David Sirota's all over the latest SCOTUS developments like a cheap suit. Read what he thinks the Chimp will do here.

And then read why he thinks Big Corpora is creamin' its jeans here.

You can get to both articles by clickin' on his name. Limited time offer.

Update: David Corn weighs in as well.

Santa Maria's Real Claim To Fame

Santa Maria has gotten a bum rap lately, I think, for the simple reason that it's got the nearest county courthouse to Michael Jackson. Besides being the hub of one of California's most unique agricultural areas, and flanking Vandenberg AFB, it has been famous for many years as the home of a true California taste treat, the Santa Maria-style barbecue. From the LATimes:

For those who know Santa Maria barbecue, this will be no surprise. It is one of California's heritage foods, as much a part of the state's culinary soul as abalone and orange trees. On the Central Coast, you'll find it at restaurants, charity fundraisers, farmers markets and even stalls set up in random parking lots - basically anywhere a crowd of hungry people might gather.

First, a little history. Santa Maria barbecue is a throwback to California's rancho days. Traditionally, it was made by threading 3-inch-thick blocks of top sirloin on willow poles and then cooking them over long pits filled with smoldering coals of local red oak.

These days, rather than those monstrous top sirloin blocks, the meat is more likely to be tri-tip, which has the main advantage of coming in family-sized pieces of 2 to 3 pounds. The tri-tip began to gain popularity in the late 1950s when, according to Santa Maria legend, a local butcher named Bob Schutz started setting aside meat he had previously ground into hamburger.

This was a handy bit of timing, because that is just when Santa Maria barbecue was beginning to boom.

Though it had always been appreciated locally, during the 1950s its reputation was spread by the hordes of hungry pilots and other Air Force personnel who had trained at Vandenberg Air Force Base during and after World War II.

Somehow, despite such popularity, tri-tip has remained almost exclusively Californian. It is virtually unknown east of the Rockies. Last year, according to the National Cattleman's Beef Assn., 80% of the tri-tip sold in the United States went to California (add in the rest of the West and you've got more than 95%).

If you've ever been to a big Santa Maria barbecue, you surely have noticed the grills. These look like something dreamed up for a joint episode of "Emeril Live" and "Monster Garage," big as U-Hauls and tricked out with elaborate systems of pulleys and counterweights for adjusting the height of the grid. The meat is seared down low and then raised away from the heat to allow smoking.

Go read. There's a couple pages of background and several pages of recipes.

Mrs. G is from a little town just up the road apiece from Santa Maria. She grew up with this dish, and was surprised as all get-out when she moved to L.A. and couldn't find it anywhere, although in the intervening forty years it has spread far and wide around the state and beyond. She introduced me to it and I have eaten it many, many times, mostly outdoors, but not always. I firmly believe that the locals, the guys anyway, are not allowed to graduate from High School without displaying proficiency in whipping up a Santa Maria Tri-Tip. Every city park for miles around has the humongous grills, and every weekend finds them in use along with many that are towed almost anywhere. My mouth is watering so much right now I'm afraid I'm going to short out this thing, so Adios, amigos. Sometimes politics has to take a back seat to the pleasures of the flesh.

For a good introduction to our Central Coast, click here. And by all means, read this.

The crux of the biscuit

From the good folks at 12th Harmonic:

The Neocons seem to be feeling increasingly desperate these days, and they are right to be worried. If they had spent a bit more time philosophising and observing humanity and a bit less time furthering their own greed and looking for ways to subjugate humanity they might have realised a couple of things:

Firstly that you can only afford to tell big lies if you are intending to make a fast getaway. If you're planning on sticking around you can be sure your lies will catch up with you. Eventually you will be held accountable.

[. . .]

The Chimp administration is basically pulling a corporate raid of America. If they weren't so inept, they'd know how it works. Wham, bam, thank you, ma'am. Get in, drive the price of the stock up, grab the profits, and then get out before the shit hits the fan. Can't do that in government, assholes. Now ya gotta stick around and have it crash down around ya.

Friday Cattle Dog Blogging

"You're bothering me, dad!"

click to embiggen