I've been pondering the "Aspens turning" note to Judy Miller

[BlueStateBlue]

I've heard from the talking heads in the past few days that journalists and their sources often communicate in code. Ok.

But why was this communication so broadly publicized? Was the real message actually intended for someone else? For many others??

Things that make you go hmmmm......

[Skink]

1. Do you dispute the foliage.

You have been warned. And don't woory about the rain it was nothing. Come to New england.

[lovuian]

3. It was a warning and a threat and it was in code!!!

Just like Valerie Flame!!!

[unblock]

4. do not be swayed by colorful leaves. they drop like hammers after a delay

come to texas.

[ninkasi]

18. That was good...

I hope he does drop...I don't care where bug-man spends his years of incarceration. He is,as we used to say, le creme de le crap.

[unblock]

2. count me in the "our group is flipping" camp

i think certain key people are now talking freely to fitz.
i mean REALLY talking.

i'm on pins and needles waiting for the hammer to fall!

[BlueStateBlue]

6. That's what I think, too. n/t

[Bumblebee]

5. it was a private letter to her but he had to assume Fitz was

going to find out about it, although not necessarily that she would allow the NYT to publish it right away.

[sandnsea]

7. The leaves have turned

Because their roots connect them. I think he knows somebody had flipped and was telling her there isn't any point in her protecting him anymore because he knew somebody was going to flip. Their roots connect them? Maybe Mary Matalin's roots to James Caville being stronger than Matalin's dedication to Cheney. Maybe a whole cluster of people flipped. Maybe he was telling her the entire WHIG group flipped on Rove, or somebody, because the WHIG root connections were stronger than loyalty to Rove. Something like that I bet.

[Lexingtonian]

8. Knowing these people

it was just a stupid attempt to sound poetic and laid back. Irving was writing a letter to a professional writer, after all.

[longship]

9. NY Daily News says "senior WH official"

Matalin is now #1 on my hit parade as the turn coat. (It was Fleischer until this evening. This damned case is changing hour-by-hour.)

Is Matalin a senior WH official? It just seems to me that SWHO would be somebody on the level of Rove/Libby/Hadley, not Matalin.

So what do all think of this NYDN story? Fact? Conjecture?

All I know is that if it is Libby, Crashcart and Bandar Boosh are in big trouble.

[InkAddict]

10. Think about that too!

They're not called "quaking" aspens for nothin'! HEHEHE - Pass the Popcorn!

The largest living organism is a colony of aspens weighing in a 6,600 lb. It has derived from a single tree, and the rest are clones - Code named "PANDO." http://www.fs.fed.us/newcentury/organism.htm

The language (New Century?)on this explanation is "fascinating

Geesh, and I thought it was the multi-tenacled OCTOPUS! http://www.fiu.edu/~mizrachs/octopus.html

Pando Ski Resort's in MI; Pando is also a very WILD and dangerous section of the Bolivian rainforest filled with aboriginal Indians

FIND OTHER CLUES HERE IN OLD BALLADS?: "http://www.gurman.org/ashgrove/

Bear with me cause I've been wearing my tin foil hardhat as I harvest up the Black Walnuts against the coming famine. I hear the shells burn good too! Just someone tell me how to get the indelible stains off my hands!!!! Out, Out Damned spot! - Lady MacBeth

[Neil Lisst]

11. Translation: "Judy-Judy-Judy! You give me WOOD!"

She and Scooter both creep me out.


Seriously, I think he meant that are deeply, deeply in this together. Whether he was laying the wood to her or she was giving up the aspen to him is yet to be seen.

it's fresh out of the oven, I just made it!
http://www.webcomicsnation.com/neillisst

[Justice Is Comin]

12. The roots had nothin' to do with it.

The Aspens turn because of the chlorophyl stupid.

[Dangerously Amused]

13. The "Roots."

I agree with the other master sleuth DUer (whose name I unfortunately cannot recall) who figured that the "Aspens" are the group of Cons who met in Aspen shortly before Libby's letter was written to discuss what the hell to do now, and the fact that they "turned" is a signal that they are no longer trying to protect their leaders... since the jig is pretty well up anyway... and they are going to cover their own asses now.

Beyond that, I think the "turning in clusters because their roots connect them" is basically saying, "Look Judy - everyone connected to this at our "root" level (underground) is turning, and if you keep up with our original plan then you will get nailed by them too, because there is stuff about your involvement out there. So the only way to save your butt now is to come forward and testify." Which is why Judy "suddenly" realized that she was free to testify, and much to her shock discovered a notebook - right in her very own office - which contained very damning information about those she was previously trying to protect.

[liam_laddie]

15. Aspen Institute

Actually, it might refer to this organization which meets, at least
in summer 2003, in Jackson Hole, WY. Many neocons and other
pre-human life forms belong to this group, so Libby's reference may be to some of "them" turning, whatever that could indicate.
Check out <www.aspeninstitute.org>
Veddy interesting, Holmes...

[beltanefauve]

17. I wish I could find the link to this

but in Aspen there was a conference of well-heeled Conservatives who were grumbling "off record" about Bush and his "presidency". And who reported this? None other than BOB NOVAK!

[wtmusic]

14. I can't take poetry by anyone named "Scooter" seriously

maybe it's just me :shrug:

[lateo]

16. Maybe this has something to do with it?

Aspen Institute
http://www.aspeninstitute.org/


Just for kicks and giggles I did a google search for "aspen" + "freemason".

This Aspen Institute kept popping up.

[BlueStateBlue]

20. But why make the statement so PUBLIC??? n/t

[lateo]

23. Maybe it wasn't meant to be public...or...

maybe it was meant to be disinfo...

[Hubert Flottz]

19. Clearly the guy either wanted to activate a terraist cell, OR...

to throw the "root" to that reporter lady!

[Tower]

21. Cheney's coded note:

"Out west, where you vacation... do you want me to have you fucking killed?! I could you know- I could kill a regular person and get away with it! Or maybe just have you locked up in Gitmo as one of those 'enemy combatants'. You like dogs? They're gonna like you! Keep your f'ing mouth shut!

Sincerely,

Dick Cheney"

[Bozita]

22. "He sleeps with the fishes" -- Chris Matthews last night

He showed the text of the aspen statement three times. Gave his take on it, too ... three times.

[marions ghost]

24. so what was his take on it?

n/t

[BlueStateBlue]

25. Yeah, he said "sleeps with the fishes" over and over again

Essentially called the administration a bunch of mafiosos.

Interesting, no?