The most damning info in Woodward's book

[JPJones]

"In the summer of 2002, Bush approved $700 million worth of "preparatory tasks" in the Persian Gulf region such as upgrading airfields, bases, fuel pipelines and munitions storage depots to accommodate a massive U.S. troop deployment. The Bush administration funded the projects from a supplemental appropriations bill for the war in Afghanistan and old appropriations, keeping Congress unaware of the reprogramming of money and the eventual cost."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17347-2004Apr16_3.html

Misappropriation is to government officials as tax evasion is to mobsters.

This calls for a GAO investigation. If any House Repubs refuse to go along with it, the TV ad in November could be, "Why did X block an investigation of the diversion of money from the hunt for OBL? Doesn't X want to know why OBL is still at large (or why it took three years to capture/kill OBL, depending on the October surprise)?"

[HFishbine]

1. Hmmm

Good point!

[KittyWampus]

26. Very Good Point

:kick:

[Nite Owl]

2. But will the Democrats even go along?

I hate it when they are on tv and you hear them refuse to say Bush* is a liar or they say something like "let's not go there". We got to get the dems to do something first.

[papau]

8. They tried in 80's w/ Reagan - Media/GOP wraps Flag & says Dems Bad

Dems are willing to put survival of the US as a less than top priority (Dems are too fond of freedom).

The GOP way -Treason - violating the Constitution - is the right way to go in the face of evil threating monied right wing folk in Central America, 'cause you know that if "left wing folks" or "Christains who are not conservative" win in Central America - the next thing they will destroy is the United States. And Our Media has no outrage - at least for the rights of the non-rich - and just says to any who object - "well, what would you do - you have no plan except to leave "them" alone even when you have to admit they threaten our way of life - isn't that right?"

Today we get "Who cares about no WMD, who cares that there was no terrorists coming to America from Iraq with Saddam - or even being inspired to say bad about the US under Saddam, you know we are better off without Saddam, and to leave Iraq now would produce a terrorist state, so isn't Bush great for not leaving, and you really have no plan - right? Your talk of treason and Constitution is just political and class warfare against the kindly rich that provide us all with jobs, right?"

So, Will the Democrats even go along with a request to check if the Constitution has be violated - well, with our media, would you?

This 04 election is the tipping point - if Bush "wins" - I fear the US - at least as to the freedoms under the Constitution that we pretend it has - will cease to exist, and our kids will need to get used to some lesser and fewer rights as the rich codify their control.

And I do not expect any help from the media in this battle.

[IndianaGreen]

3. Cheney and Bush committed a felony by violating the Anti-Deficiency Act

Don't laugh about the name of the law, this is one statute with teeth!

Believe it or not, it is a felony! It violates the Anti-Deficiency Act, which forbids the government from spending funds for purposes for which they were not appropriated.

If Bush did this, then he committed an impeachable offense. If Cheney did it, then he committed a felony and should be prosecuted.

Remember the name of the law: Anti-Deficiency Act

[jumptheshadow]

22. I thought you were joking at first

It would surely be ironic if that corrupt and narcissistic pair went down because of a law named the Anti-Deficiency Act.

[Zeke]

4. Sh_____T!!!!!!!!

Did Woodward know about Bush's plans two years ago and say nothing?!

If yes, then Woodward's hands are drenched in blood of dead Americans and Iraqis who could have lived if he'd blown the whistle on Bush Inc!

Was keeping quiet and selling his book more important!?

[robbedvoter]

5. Thank you! Think of it BEFORE spending a dime to enrich the court jester

I am so angry to see this book advertised on Buzzflash!

[Zeke]

6. He Knew!!!!!!!

And he kept silent!

He sent how many Americans to their death!?

He could have blown the whistle on Bush, got the THE SCOOP, and then still written his book and become an American hero again ala Nixongate.

But instead, he sent Americans to their death over a lie!

[Mel]

13. You got that right!

I've said it before and I'll say it again I don't trust Woodward! and NO, I won't buy his book I can check it out from the library. Woodward knew and didn't do a damn thing!! :mad: :grr:

[JPJones]

7. Woodward could have found out much later

Maybe one of his sources told him while he was writing the book. This isn't about Woodward anyway. This is about a corrupt administration.

If you doubt Woodward, be sure to read the whole Wash. Post article. There is enough info in there to hammer the neocons for months to come.

[robbedvoter]

9. Media whore of the year - 2003 deserves every benefit of the doubt - NOT!

Why are you defending W's court's jester?
Did you read "10 days in September"? "Bush at War"?

[JPJones]

12. I've read Bush at War, and so has Wes

Bush at War is one of the best sources to show that Wolfie et al. were planning for Iraq on Sept. 12, 2001 (at least). Clark quotes from the book often. Woodward is a Republican, but his articles and books have done a lot for the Democratic cause. It's the message, not the messenger.

[robbedvoter]

28. As long as you don't pay for his drivel.Waiting for White House to attack

Woodward as a liar. What? They didn't? geez, why? Could be that all titles are "Iraq war planned AFTER going in Afghanistan? As in "It was the Afghanistan map, not Iraq's at Camp David that day" talking point?
Does anyone notice how Woody tries to undercut Clarke: "They neglected 9.11 because they were obsessed with Iraq?' A little diversion? No?
here's a thread you may want to check out:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1427969

[skooooo]

10. i hope they nail Bush with this...

...the whole lot of them have ripped this country off for decades.

[IndianaGreen]

11. See post #3 Anti-Deficiency Act: a real law, with real teeth

Al Capone did not go to jail for being a gangster, he went to jail for not filing a tax return.

Anti-Deficiency Act (despite its funny-sounding name) is a law with teeth. It is a felony to spend money for purposes for which Congress did not appropriate them. I hate to use the big words, but they are big for a reason.

One catch: Someone in Congress will have to ask the Justice Department to investigate of what Woodward said in his book did in fact occurred.

[Mel]

14. Your right IndianaGreen

I figure, I can be PO'd at Woodward but still the deal is to get * or Blackheart!
There's the rub 'someone in Congress' it doesn't have to come from the Majority does it? I don't think so but the thing is, it would go to Asscroft do I trust that to get looked at fairly NO.

[IndianaGreen]

15. All it takes is one letter from one member of Congress

to get the ball rolling.

It also takes people like us, to tell everyone we know that if what Woodward's book says is true, then Cheney violated the Anti-Deficiency Act--a felony! Bush's crime is that he told Cheney to commit a felony--an impeachable offense.

[buycitgo]

16. screw the impeachment! get him up before a grand jury!

not that there's any precedent for it, or anything

how sweet would THAT be?

[SEAburb]

19. I'm with you. The hell with impeachment , it's too late for that

Grand jury criminal investigation is what I want to see for Bush, Cheney, Rummy, and Condo.

Unlike some at DU I don't see Bush getting re-elected. That, along with repug controlled congress make impeachment a waste of time and resources. But if Bush was to get re-elected, if a grand jury indictment was issued, it would force the congress to take action on impeachment.

[Mel]

17. thanks IndianaGreen

that's what I thought "All it takes is one letter from one member of Congress"
consider me rolling the ball and spreading the word!

Anti-Deficiency Act, that is a goofy sounding name :eyes: if gets rid of these gangsters then I don't care what it's called!
I know some say let's just vote them out I understand that but the thing is I don't want them to be able to re-group and come back into the peoples Our Government again! They should of never gotten in, in the first place and the only way they got in was by stealing the election! I want to see them all frog marched out of the WH they are criminals that hate democracy!
People are freaking dying this isn't about a BJ this is serious! serious! it's a matter of life and death.

[IndianaGreen]

18. I used to work under the Anti-Deficiency Act, here are the provisions...

Remember that a felony conviction is enough to put Cheney in jail ($5,000/2 years) for each violation, and it is all you need to impeach Bush.

Sec. 1341. - Limitations on expending and obligating amounts

(a)

(1)

An officer or employee of the United States Government or of the District of Columbia government may not -

(A)

make or authorize an expenditure or obligation exceeding an amount available in an appropriation or fund for the expenditure or obligation;

(B)

involve either government in a contract or obligation for the payment of money before an appropriation is made unless authorized by law;

(C)

make or authorize an expenditure or obligation of funds required to be sequestered under section 252 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985; or

(D)

involve either government in a contract or obligation for the payment of money required to be sequestered under section 252 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

(2)

This subsection does not apply to a corporation getting amounts to make loans (except paid in capital amounts) without legal liability of the United States Government.

(b)

An article to be used by an executive department in the District of Columbia that could be bought out of an appropriation made to a regular contingent fund of the department may not be bought out of another amount available for obligation

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/31/1341.html

Sec. 1350. - Criminal penalty

An officer or employee of the United States Government or of the District of Columbia government knowingly and willfully violating section 1341(a) or 1342 of this title shall be fined not more than $5,000, imprisoned for not more than 2 years, or both

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/31/1350.html

[troublemaker]

23. Have you cited the right section?

What's posted here isn't really on point.

[troublemaker]

24. On brief review...

SUBCHAPTER III > Sec. 1341. doesn't seem to have anything to do with this controversy. (This is about limiting expenditures to amount appropriated... maintaining appropriated amount as absolute spending cap... preventing the executive from borrowing money Congress won't appropriate, etc..)

Anyone out there an Iran-Contra expert? I'm sure some of these issues came up at least tangentially, and I'm guessing the (then) Democratic Congress probably put in some helacious new laws covering Iran-Contra style abuses.

[IndianaGreen]

25. If Congress did not appropriate money for Iraq invasion, but did for...

Afghanistan, and Cheney moved $700M appropriated for Afghan reconstruction and used it for Iraq war preparations (without Congressional approval to do so), that makes this a violation of Anti-Deficiency Act.

I doubt that the money was transferred in one shot, it would have been too easy to see 700M being withheld at the OSD level and then being spent under another appropriation. What probably happened is that the money was transferred in small amounts, or never allocated in the first place.

The question is that if Congress appropriated the money for Afghan relief/operations, there is a Treasury Warrant out there for that amount. Someone must have reported to OMB how that money was spent. If there is no Treasury Warrant for appropriated funds, then that means that the conspiracy goes to OMB (Mitch Daniels), to the Office of the President itself!

[JPJones]

27. Let's try to keep this issue alive

until someone notices.

[ulTRAX]

20. Bin Laden Gets a Holiday Courtesy Of Bush

JPJones wrote: Doesn't X want to know why OBL is still at large (or why it took three years to capture/kill OBL, depending on the October surprise)?"

By diverting resources from Afghanistan to an unwise and illegal war with Iraq, Bush gave Bin Laden a 12-18 month holiday. I'm sure they felt they could mop up in Iraq and get OBL before the election... just as they felt they could pass an irresponsible tax cut and call it a stimulus program knowing the economy would rebound without an stimulus.

[bobthedrummer]

21. Campaign contributions of post-war contractors/mercenaries

http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/resources.aspx?act=contrib

[JPJones]

29. kick for 60 Minutes