q: why don't democrats in the u.s. senate call for the censure of the vice president, the president of the senate, on the grounds that he lied to the nation in a matter of national security?
Pudentilla has the answer and a lot more over at Skippy's.
Saturday, October 29, 2005
See what I mean?
Pudentilla has the answer and a lot more over at Skippy's.
Not far enough
Via the Alternate Brain Mail Bag from Crystal Patterson of Senator Kennedy's office:
Unfortunately, in order to keep an investigation going, there will have to be a Dem majority in Congress. We all know Fitzgerald's deal is done and no more indictments will come down. Rove will skate, the Chimp will skate, and they still have 3 more years to fuck this country to hell.
You don't think the press will investigate any further, do you? This whole Plame affair showed how deeply owned by the White House the press actually is. Pardon me, but I can't get as happy as everybody else over this. It should have gone farther. Say what you will about Fitz, but he must have seen a boatload of evidence pointing to the dishonesty of the Chimp administration during the run up to Iraq. If all he can do is indict Libby on perjury and obstruction charges, the status quo remains intact. Libby will become the Abu Ghraib-esque 'bad apple' and that will be the end of it.
Nothing has changed and nothing will change until this time next year. That is, if the Dems can manage to break the Repub hold on the Congress. Also too much to hope for in my book. I hope I'm wrong, but as the Repubs are crooks, the Dems are inept.
Maybe it is time to do a little apartment shopping while we're in Paris.
This Indictment Is Not the End
Senator Edward M. Kennedy
Today's an ominous day for the country, a new low since Watergate in terms of openness and honesty in our government.
This indictment is far more than an indictment of one individual. It's an indictment of the lengths to which Administration officials were willing to go to cover up their failed intelligence. It's an indictment of their distortions about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and their serious blunders taking us to war and their vindictive efforts to discredit anyone who challenges their misrepresentations.
As we know, Scooter Libby and Vice President Cheney withheld critical documents in the Senate's investigation of the use and misuse of intelligence and the abuse of power in the decision to go to war and in the management of the war.
These documents must be handed over, because the American people deserve answers.
That is why I'm urging the White House to hand over those documents
-- and asking you to join me in doing so. We need as many Americans as possible to join us in the next few days to show the White House that we are not letting this indictment be the end.
Click here to show this is not the end.
Cheney, Libby Blocked Papers To Senate Intelligence Panel - The National Journal, October 27, 2005
Unfortunately, in order to keep an investigation going, there will have to be a Dem majority in Congress. We all know Fitzgerald's deal is done and no more indictments will come down. Rove will skate, the Chimp will skate, and they still have 3 more years to fuck this country to hell.
You don't think the press will investigate any further, do you? This whole Plame affair showed how deeply owned by the White House the press actually is. Pardon me, but I can't get as happy as everybody else over this. It should have gone farther. Say what you will about Fitz, but he must have seen a boatload of evidence pointing to the dishonesty of the Chimp administration during the run up to Iraq. If all he can do is indict Libby on perjury and obstruction charges, the status quo remains intact. Libby will become the Abu Ghraib-esque 'bad apple' and that will be the end of it.
Nothing has changed and nothing will change until this time next year. That is, if the Dems can manage to break the Repub hold on the Congress. Also too much to hope for in my book. I hope I'm wrong, but as the Repubs are crooks, the Dems are inept.
Maybe it is time to do a little apartment shopping while we're in Paris.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Ewwwww!
So there I was...smell a war story yet?...innocently watching some pundits outgassing about Fitz's press shindig, when I hears Pat Buchanan say, "...but Rove is wounded...".
At that point, what sprang to mind - completely unbidden, you understand - was a visual of Turd Blossom slinking off into the weeds where he could whimper and lick the place where his ass used to be, like the cur he is.
That's almost as disturbing as the one I had about being forced to do a troika with Ann Coulter and Karen Hughes. Shudder.
At that point, what sprang to mind - completely unbidden, you understand - was a visual of Turd Blossom slinking off into the weeds where he could whimper and lick the place where his ass used to be, like the cur he is.
That's almost as disturbing as the one I had about being forced to do a troika with Ann Coulter and Karen Hughes. Shudder.
Hey! He really can talk!
I just watched Mr. Fitzgerald's press conference in the wake of the indictment. I'll sum up his basic statement briefly in my own inimitable style:
"We done run ol' Scooter's ass up fer lyin' his ass off four times an' tryin' to keep us from gettin' to the bottom of this shit one time." Breaking into a big smile, "Other than thet, all y'all fourth estaters kin go piss up a rope!"
This is the first time I've ever heard him speak at any length up close and personal. That guy is smart! He thinks fast, and talks fast and well. He stuck to the point at hand. He plays his cards so close to his vest you could probably read 'em through his shirt from behind.
I got a distinct impression from watching him of Michael Moriarty's character on the early Law & Order. Only with more hair.
"We done run ol' Scooter's ass up fer lyin' his ass off four times an' tryin' to keep us from gettin' to the bottom of this shit one time." Breaking into a big smile, "Other than thet, all y'all fourth estaters kin go piss up a rope!"
This is the first time I've ever heard him speak at any length up close and personal. That guy is smart! He thinks fast, and talks fast and well. He stuck to the point at hand. He plays his cards so close to his vest you could probably read 'em through his shirt from behind.
I got a distinct impression from watching him of Michael Moriarty's character on the early Law & Order. Only with more hair.
Helpless
Truth from Avedon Carol via PSoTD:
From the very, very beginning, I have always known that invading Iraq would be a disaster that couldn't be fixed. And that was even before I saw just exactly how very badly this bunch of criminals and maniacs would screw it up.
[. . .]
I know we have to get out. But even so, I didn't want to say these words.
[. . .]
Friday Cattle Dog Blogging
Princess Shayna hopes more than just one set of indictments will come of this whole Plame affair. If not, she believes the White House will escape this controversy relatively unscathed.
It's no wonder Bush doesn't recognize the International Criminal Court...
From New Statesman (UK)
This has the British Brass shittin' an' gittin'. One can only assume U.S. Brass is thinking about it as well.
Perhaps in addition to comparing Iraq to Vietnam, we should compare it to Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939.
And we know how that turned out. I doubt the world will come up with a Marshall Plan for us.
The question of legality deeply concerns the British military brass, who sought Tony Blair's assurance on the eve of the invasion, got it and, as they now know, were lied to. They are right to worry; Britain is a signatory to the treaty that set up the International Criminal Court, which draws its codes from the Geneva Conventions and the 1945 Nuremberg Charter. The latter is clear: "To initiate a war of aggression . . . is not only an international crime, it is the supreme international crime, differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." (my bold)
At the Nuremberg trial of the Nazi leadership, counts one and two, "Conspiracy to wage aggressive war and waging aggressive war", refer to "the common plan or conspiracy". These are defined in the indictment as "the planning, preparation, initiation and waging of wars of aggression, which were also wars in violation of international treaties, agreements and assurances". A wealth of evidence is now available that George Bush, Blair and their advisers did just that. The leaked minutes from the infamous Downing Street meeting in July 2002 alone reveal that Blair and his war cabinet knew that it was illegal. The attack that followed, mounted against a defenceless country offering no threat to the US or Britain, has a precedent in Hitler's invasion of Sudetenland; the lies told to justify both are eerily similar.
At Nuremberg, counts three and four referred to "War crimes and crimes against humanity". Here again, there is overwhelming evidence that Blair and Bush committed "violations of the laws or customs of war" including "murder . . . of civilian populations of or in occupied territory, murder or ill-treatment of prisoners of war". Two recent examples: the US onslaught near Ramadi this month in which 39 men, women and children - all civilians - were killed, and a report by the United Nations special rapporteur in Iraq who described the Anglo-American practice of denying food and water to Iraqi civilians in order to force them to leave their towns and villages as a "flagrant violation" of the Geneva Conventions.
This has the British Brass shittin' an' gittin'. One can only assume U.S. Brass is thinking about it as well.
Perhaps in addition to comparing Iraq to Vietnam, we should compare it to Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939.
And we know how that turned out. I doubt the world will come up with a Marshall Plan for us.
Not enough....
Yahoo News
I hear from the TV in the next room that he has resigned.
He'll probably cop a plea to keep the lid on the falsified data that led the administration to lie us into Bush's criminal war. I doubt it will go to trial, but you never know. If it does, Libby's life might be in danger.
I'm disappointed that this was the only indictment, but I'm glad they got one of the sonsabitches anyway. The investigation continues.
Vice presidential adviser I. Lewis "Scooter' Libby Jr. was indicted Friday on charges of obstruction of justice, making a false statement and perjury in the CIA leak case.
The five-count indictment accuses Libby of lying about how and when he learned about CIA official Valerie Plane's identity in 2003 and then told reporters about it. The information was classified.
Any trial would shine a spotlight on the secret deliberations of Bush and his team as they built the case for war against Iraq.
I hear from the TV in the next room that he has resigned.
He'll probably cop a plea to keep the lid on the falsified data that led the administration to lie us into Bush's criminal war. I doubt it will go to trial, but you never know. If it does, Libby's life might be in danger.
I'm disappointed that this was the only indictment, but I'm glad they got one of the sonsabitches anyway. The investigation continues.
Election theft
Amelopsis at Pourquoi Pas:
Maybe the MSM sharks might smell blood here too. It would be nice if we could declare a do-over on 2004.
...The latest critical confirmation of key indicators that the election of 2004 was stolen comes in an extremely powerful, penetrating report from the General Accounting Office that has gotten virtually no mainstream media coverage...
Maybe the MSM sharks might smell blood here too. It would be nice if we could declare a do-over on 2004.
Hope
From my esteemed colleague Jeff Huber over at Main and Central:
From your lips to God's ears, my man.
[. . .]
Hopefully for America, it's days of having an Emperor in the oval office are about to end.
And hopefully, America will remember that it needs to keep the executive branch of government in its box for as long as...
From your lips to God's ears, my man.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Another goes down
Cookie Jill at Skippy's:
Another Repub crook goes down. Today's GOP: the Party ofLincoln Corruption.
...a federal grand jury has indicted tom noe, the former maumee coin dealer suspected of laundering money into president bush's reelection campaign, mr. noe's attorney told the blade today... [my em]
Another Repub crook goes down. Today's GOP: the Party of
A short rope and a long drop'll work...
Go see why Ted Rall feels Bush is unimpeachable.
The law can't protect anybody anyway. All it can do is react after the fact, after the damage is already done. Eternal vigilance is our only shield against this evil government, and even that only sees malfeasance after black hearts have done their dirty deeds. And black hearts abound in this administration.
The more you look, the more you'll find that our Constitution has been subverted to the point of virtual irrelevance. The legislative branch has abdicated its exclusive right to declare war to the president, who was appointed by a federal court that undermined the states' constitutional right to manage and settle election disputes. Individuals' protection against unreasonable searches have been trashed, habeas corpus is a joke, and double jeopardy has become routine as those exonerated by criminal court face second trials in civil court. Our system of checks and balances has collapsed, the victim of a citizenry more interested in entertaining distraction than eternal vigilance.
Where evil men rule, law cannot protect those who sleep.
The law can't protect anybody anyway. All it can do is react after the fact, after the damage is already done. Eternal vigilance is our only shield against this evil government, and even that only sees malfeasance after black hearts have done their dirty deeds. And black hearts abound in this administration.
Paddle it yerself, Georgie. All yer rats done left...
From News For Real
I'm hopin' he fucks up so bad that he'll be removed from office by a crowd of scythe-and-pitchfork-wielding citizens. If we're lucky, they'll be Republican Senators and Congressmen afeared of having to find honest work after November '06. I wish them well in their job search. With no more political power, they'll be lucky to get jobs as Wal-Mart greeters.
For three more years America is going to be led by, not just a lame duck President, but a totally discredited President. In a poll taken yesterday 90% percent of those asked said they believed top Bush administration officials are guilty of either illegal or unethical behavior in the CIA leak case.
So where does that leave an un-indicted George W. Bush? There really are only two explanations and neither reflect well on him. First he can claim his closest aides conspired behind his back while he was otherwise occupied. I call that the "Exxon Valdez Defense," -- the captain was not at the helm when a careless crewman ran the ship of state aground. Unfortunately for Captain Bush that defense did not wash for the real captain of the ill-fated tanker. Because, you see, the captain is always responsible.
The other explanation is worse; that the President of the United States knew what was going on, maybe even participated in it.
What went wrong? Where were his handlers?
Busy. They dropped George's leash when handed subpoenas. Junior was unleashed and home alone.
It's a moment new to America, a leader who himself needs to be led, now unled. And the world watching. It's as if the police had come and dragged Edgar Bergen off stage in the middle of a show, leaving Charlie McCarthy, wide-eyed, mouth agape and slumped alone on his stool.
So, what now?
I'm hopin' he fucks up so bad that he'll be removed from office by a crowd of scythe-and-pitchfork-wielding citizens. If we're lucky, they'll be Republican Senators and Congressmen afeared of having to find honest work after November '06. I wish them well in their job search. With no more political power, they'll be lucky to get jobs as Wal-Mart greeters.
Semper Paratus
That means "Always Prepared". It's the motto of the U.S. Coast Guard, the one Federal outfit that did their job during the immediate aftermath of Katrina. One, out of way too many that didn't.
Please go read this article in Time.
Please read the article. I have always admired the Coast Guard. Remember, when it comes to rescuing people, they have to go out. They don't have to come back. They've also coxswained* a lot of Mike boats at various places like Normandy and Tarawa.
If I couldn'ta been a Marine, I'da wanted to be a Coastie.
Please go read this article in Time.
In Katrina's aftermath, the Coast Guard rescued or evacuated more than 33,500 people, six times as many as it saved in all of 2004. The Coast Guard was saving lives before any other federal agency--despite the fact that almost half the local Coast Guard personnel lost their own homes in the hurricane. In decimated St. Bernard Parish east of New Orleans, Sheriff Jack Stephens says the Coast Guard was the only federal agency to provide any significant assistance for a full week after the storm. Coast Guard personnel helped his deputies commandeer boats and rescue thousands. So last week, when two representatives from the U.S. Government Accountability Office came to ask how he would fix the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), he had his answer ready: "I would abolish it," he told them. "I'd blow up FEMA and ask the Coast Guard what it needs."
So how is it that an agency that is underfunded and saddled with aging equipment--and about the size of the New York City police department--makes disaster response look like just another job, not a quagmire? How did an organization that, like FEMA, had been subsumed by the soul-killing Department of Homeland Security (DHS), remain a place where people took risks? And perhaps most important, can any of these traits be bottled?
But perhaps the most important distinction of the Coast Guard is that it trusts itself. On the morning of 9/11, Allen, then commander of the Atlantic Area, was getting a physical in Portsmouth, Va. By the time he got back to the office, shortly after the second plane had hit the Twin Towers, a captain in New York had already closed his port. Another captain closed waterways around Baltimore and Washington. They didn't need to ask Allen for permission, and he, in turn, didn't need to ask his commandant for permission to position three large cutters in New York harbor.
That kind of decentralization is essential if a large organization is to move quickly, as any good CEO knows. But the rest of the government has been moving in the opposite direction, centralizing dozens of agencies into the giant DHS bureaucracy.
Please read the article. I have always admired the Coast Guard. Remember, when it comes to rescuing people, they have to go out. They don't have to come back. They've also coxswained* a lot of Mike boats at various places like Normandy and Tarawa.
If I couldn'ta been a Marine, I'da wanted to be a Coastie.
*If a boatswain (bos'n) likes boats, what does a coxswain like? Old joke.
Don't let the door hit ya in the ass, Hattie...
From the WaPo
Shooting at Fort Sumter was a victory for the Confederacy, too.
Bush is getting pissed off. Good. Never the clearest of thinkers, perhaps his judgment will be further clouded by this to the point where he says to his base, "You want a whackjob? I'll give you a whackjob!" And you just know he will.
As far as I'm concerned, BRING IT ON! I hope the Dems got the balls to deal with it.
Harriet Miers withdrew this morning as a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the Senate minority leader who supported Miers, called the withdrawal a victory for "the radical right wing" of the Republican Party.
Shooting at Fort Sumter was a victory for the Confederacy, too.
Bush is getting pissed off. Good. Never the clearest of thinkers, perhaps his judgment will be further clouded by this to the point where he says to his base, "You want a whackjob? I'll give you a whackjob!" And you just know he will.
As far as I'm concerned, BRING IT ON! I hope the Dems got the balls to deal with it.
Family values
We shouldn't be surprised:
Go see the King for more examples. Fucking the American people is a family buisness for the Bushies.
...the landfill took in six times the amount of garbage allowed by its permit - revenues that went straight to an investment firm owned by Marvin Bush and A. Scott Andrews, one of President Bush's largest campaign contributors. [my bold]
Go see the King for more examples. Fucking the American people is a family buisness for the Bushies.
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