Congressman Conyers: Pre-Emptive War Against Patrick Fitzgerald

[understandinglife]

As if spin and character attacks were a viable justification for a massive breach of national security, Republicans have already decided to smear Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald rather than take responsibility for their own misdeeds. Prevailing wisdom expects grand jury indictments to be issued this week. Any criminal charges will likely reach deep into the White House.

Over the weekend, the GOP spin machine gave us a preview of what we can expect from the Republican Party when we finally learn who outed CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson.

The New York Times reports that “allies of the White House suggested Sunday that they intended to pursue a strategy of attacking any criminal charges as a disagreement over legal technicalities or the product of an overzealous prosecutor” and that, in what appears to be a coordinated Congressional and White House attack, “allies of the White House have quietly been circulating talking points in recent days among Republicans sympathetic to the administration, seeking to help them make the case that bringing charges like perjury mean the prosecutor does not have a strong case."

Before the Congress and the American people can consider the possibility of a White House cover up, it will have to penetrate the smokescreen of character assassination and RNC talking points. This sort of misdirection is nothing new to this White House. The weapons they will use will be the same used to defame Ambassador Joe Wilson; in the words of a Republican Congressional aide months ago, “it’s slime and defend.”

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More at the link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-conyers/preemptive-war-against-p_b_9427.html

And, to the link at Conyersblog.com:

http://www.conyersblog.us/archives/00000282.htm

He just keeps on leading on all the crucial issues.


Peace.

[cobaindrain]

1. well, it's already started on the right wing radio

Hannity launches some pre-emptive smear bombs

[nookiemonster]

4. Limbaugh did it too, as expected.

n/t

[cobaindrain]

8. this is uber desperation mode

really they've already resigned that something big is going to happen. The repugs are just hoping it's something huge(libby/rove) and not something enormous (cheney :toast:)

[nookiemonster]

21. Anything less than getting that bastard Cheney,

would be the ultimate letdown IMO.

[electropop]

25. Will it stop at Cheney?

I mean, where does the buck actually stop?

[nookiemonster]

26. I just think that Bush will pull some

shit, like "plausible deniablility".

Cheney's been running this crap since day one. I want him!! I wanna watch the PNAC go down in flames.

:evilgrin:

[madmom]

29. seems to me that I read somewhere that bush is responsible for

everything his underlings say and do whether he knows about it or not. so plausible deniability won't fly.

[Patiod]

36. Bush "responsible" = saying San Diego ckn resp for Padres loss

To quote SNL: "Saying Bush is responsible for anything in this government is like blaming the San Diego chicken when the Padres lose. He's just a big fuzzy mascot."

[Tiggeroshii]

28. I have a feeling it might be cheney. And if it is I wonder..

If it didn't work when Clinton tried to lie his way out of people's intrigue in him, what makes them think it would work with him?

[Ladyhawk]

2. I am so sick of Republicans and their smear machine.

This is getting so old. It even has its own slang term now: swiftboating. So, they're going to swiftboat Fitzgerald, huh? Are they going to swiftboat the entire grand jury, too?

[maximovich]

5. I Wouldn't Pass It By Them

Then we stomp on them with the truth.

[Ready4Change]

13. U know, that was the one thing I looked forward to when

Clinton left office and Bush entered. I thought "Well, at least the Republicans won't be doing 24/7 smear attacks any more."

Little did I know...

[Ladyhawk]

39. Haha...it only got worse, didn't it?

I was a political ostrich until shrub. I am not amused by the Republican smear machine.

[Ready4Change]

42. Never imagined it, but it did get worse.

And I've got a good imagination, too!

A lesson I learned in junior high was to never cave in to a bully, for it just emboldens them. I've now learned it clearly applies to politics as well.

Give 'em fits, Fitz. :thumbsup:

[INdemo]

18. Yep ..... and they will get away with it...

with the help of the media and their spinsters...

[rodeodance]

3. "overzealous prosecutor” "--seems to the aides were overzealous.

[jaxx]

11. Dubya's words will come back to haunt him again.

In contrast, Bush has publicly praised Fitzgerald's investigation, saying earlier this month that "he's doing it in a very dignified way."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/24/AR2005102401029.html

[smoogatz]

31. Overzealous in the sense that he actually appears to be doing his job

something Bushco must view with bafflement and alarm.

[kster]

6. K&R..NT

[MsKandice01]

7. I just love John Conyers

He's the one Democrat I can count on that is seriously paying attention to what's going on. He's the MAN!

[msongs]

16. the one and possibly ONLY... nt

[femrap]

34. Remember when he held those hearings in the basement of

the Capitol with Cindy Sheehan, Joe Wilson, Ray McGovern and Jon Bonifaz?

There were a number of other Representatives who came down to lend Conyers support. I wish they would act as a BLOC...maybe call themselves the 'Bloc for Democracy.' I want to see a HUGE GROUP working in Congress. I don't think the Senate is up for it...except mayber Boxer. Who else has a spine in the Senate? Kennedy. I am so tired of Reid and his squeaky little voice with his new little phrase for '06...'America Can Do Better.'

Again, if you feel like calling the Hill and giving some of the Dems a pep talk on FIGHTING FOR DEMOCRACY......here are the toll free numbers:

1-800-828-0498 or 1-800-247-2971

Thx.

[Gabi Hayes]

9. Time for the DRAFT!

Draft Conyers

[flying_wahini]

10. just remind rw's that Fitzgerald was appointed by Ashcroft......

[understandinglife]

15. No. He was appointed by Comey. Ashcroft had to recuse himself.

Here are some links you may find useful:

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc/index.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5147338


Peace.

[msongs]

12. wish the dems could coordinate talking points nt

[endarkenment]

27. I don't mind the lack of coordination

I do mind that I frequently hear Democrats *repeating* Republican talking points, and it is almost a given that they are completely unprepared to rebut these same points even when they have been in circulation for days and the internet is full of clear and simple fact-based rebuttals.

[ray of light]

14. He does come from an absolutely safe area you know!

And as minority leader of the judiciary committee he has the power behind him to keep doing what he's doing.

My suspicion is that this is not happenstance, but is planned.

[ThoughtCriminal]

17. Fighting fire with Gasoline

It's the only thing they really know how to do. They can't govern, they can't fight, they can't tell the truth, they can't solve problems.

[Demobrat]

19. So they are not even going to try to say they're innocent.

Just not guilty of anything very bad.

Fuck 'em.

They're doomed.

[Marnieworld]

20. Spin is not evidence

Say it with me
Spin is not evidence.

They can say whatever they want on TV. They can say whatever they want about the charges or the prosecutor but it's all powerless spin. Once there are indictments it is no longer political but judicial. The only court that matters is the federal court and the only thing that matters is the evidence available (if there is any) to defend these criminals. They are still fighting in the court of public opinion and let them because that fight is meaningless. Once their crimes are part of the court systems they can only watch and suffer.

Spin is not evidence.

[Gregorian]

38. Yep. I've been saying that all day. We're on the same wavelength.

Still I refuse to be optimistic. I'll believe this when I see it.

[endarkenment]

22. Good news!

This means that indictments, lots of them, are on the way! I celebrate the fait accompli that is demonstrated by the new Death Cult Marching Orders.

[hiley]

23. Conyers is excellent

He is the leader for truth.
criminal activities and smearing=gop
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=340&topic_id=245&mesg_id=245

[Ksec]

24. this is already in play with the Delay case

its their standard generic rebuttal

Most Americans now see through their tripe. Most are smarter than the thugs think they are.

[understandinglife]

30. Salon: "Long ago, Washington's political attack dogs resigned themselves

.... to the fact that they have nothing on special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald. The man is so squeaky clean that just about the only dirt besmirching his public record concerns long work hours that made him ineligible to adopt a cat. Later this week, the most powerful men and women in the country will sit helplessly on the sidelines as Fitzgerald decides whether to indict White House officials in the case of Valerie Plame, a clandestine CIA agent whose identity was leaked to the press by the Bush administration.

But as soon as Fitzgerald announces his decision, in a press conference, a walk from the grand jury room to the magistrate's office in U.S. District Court, or a posting on his Web site, the political détente will end. The knives will come out. It will be an all-out rhetorical war.

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The renewed focus on the actions of the White House in the marketing of the war is a narrative that many policy wonks and historians hope gains traction. For each fact known about the White House's work with intelligence -- such as the fact that Vice President Cheney made repeated visits to the CIA -- several unanswered questions remain. "If indictments are handed down it reopens that entire subject," says Joseph Cirincione, the director of nonproliferation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "Some books are hard to shut. And this one is about to pop back open."



From Plame Games by Michael Scherer on October 24, 2005

Link:

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/10/24/plame/print.html

And, this is a book that all of us, like the folk at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, want kept open until all the truth is known.


Peace.

[AspenRose]

44. They'll make crap up if they can't find anything

Hope Fitz is ready. He's a smart man.

[smoogatz]

32. Their agitation is music to my ears.

What's beautiful about any indictments brought in this case is that conviction is almost a sure thing. Any jury empaneled in DC is likely to be 80-90% African American. Bush's approval rating with African Americans is, given the margin of error, somewhere between 4% and zero.

Sean, Rush--can you say FROG MARCH?

[MellowOne]

33. It's so unbelievably hard to understand

How anyone wants a government that operates under such corruption. Just because it's their party, why would anyone with any sort of integrity want our government to be so evil.

[femrap]

35. I've noticed in our political culture that W and his neocons have

seemed to turn the political arena into something like a sports arena. I think Rove has used propaganda and manipulation techniques on the 'good ol' boys.' By 'good ol' boys' I mean (and I am being very general) white, not well-educated, working class (therefore losing self-esteem due to dwindling paychecks and jobs) with racist and sexist tendencies. And of course, they like guns since that tends to give them self-esteem.

These men, with the help of Rush, the Drug Addict, have been prodded into thinking that politics is a game to be WON or LOST...it has nothing to do with peoples' lives. And in the name of Winning, all tactics are acceptable. After all, politics is dirty. Lying is acceptable, smear tactics are fun and entertaining....it's all a game to them....until maybe someone in their circle is harmed in the Iraq war.

And because they are not well-educated, logic and reason have no place in their world....I find the only technique that works on them is ridicule. Of course, you gotta remember they have those guns right handy in their pick-up trucks.

[ninkasi]

41. It's simple

They don't have any sort of integrity. All they care about is winning, and they don't care whether their tactics are ethical or not.

[north houston dem]

37. Goddess bless Poppa Conyers

he leads us all.

[sunnystarr]

40. Hannity was attacking Comey today

he went over Comey's cases like "Pardongate" when he said it was a set up that Clinton would walk away from the Rich pardon and insinuated that Comey was paid off. He kept referring to Comey as Fitzgerald's good friend. He stated that Comey and Fitzgerald were "best" friends that socialize regularly. Then he called Fitzgerald's appointment "chronyism." I sat there peeing my pants cause I was laughing so much.

Hannity couldn't find anything more to say about Fitzgerald than "overzealous prosecutor" so he attacked Comey instead. It was so pitiful it turned into a comedy. They are soooooo freaked!

[understandinglife]

43. They will display their lameness for all it is as they try to diminish ...

.... Comey and Fitzgerald. We should all do everything we can to help them keep digging the hole they are already expanding and deepening. ;)


Peace.

[hiley]

45. Conyers wrote Bush again...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2179438&mesg_id=2179438

sign the letter:
http://www.conyersblog.us/archives/00000283.htm#comments

[populistdriven]

46. Conyers makes me proud to be a Democrat!

He is always leading the party on all the crucial issues.

[pacalo]

47. I hope Fitzgerald's findings puts a huge smile on Rep. Conyers' face

No one deserves to see justice done more than Rep. Conyers. I've never seen a more hard-working congressperson than he has been at representing the people's interests.