NYT Rich calls out Bushco-"it's every liar and lawyer for themselves."

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/24/opinion/24rich.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

Eight Days in July

By FRANK RICH

PRESIDENT BUSH'S new Supreme Court nominee was a historic first after all: the first to be announced on TV dead center in prime time, smack in the cross hairs of "I Want to Be a Hilton." It was also one of the hastiest court announcements in memory, abruptly sprung a week ahead of the White House's original timetable. The agenda of this rushed showmanship - to change the subject in Washington - could not have been more naked. But the president would have had to nominate Bill Clinton to change this subject.

When a conspiracy is unraveling, and it's every liar and his lawyer for themselves, the story takes on a momentum of its own. When the conspiracy is, at its heart, about the White House's twisting of the intelligence used to sell the American people a war - and its desperate efforts to cover up that flimflam once the W.M.D. cupboard proved bare and the war went south - the story will not end until the war really is in its "last throes."

Only 36 hours after the John Roberts unveiling, The Washington Post nudged him aside to second position on its front page. Leading the paper instead was a scoop concerning a State Department memo circulated the week before the outing of Joseph Wilson's wife, the C.I.A. officer Valerie Plame, in literally the loftiest reaches of the Bush administration - on Air Force One. The memo, The Post reported, marked the paragraph containing information about Ms. Plame with an S for secret. So much for the cover story that no one knew that her identity was covert.

In July 2005, there are still no W.M.D.'s, and we're still waiting to hear the full story of how, in the words of the Downing Street memo, the intelligence was fixed to foretell all those imminent mushroom clouds in the run-up to war in Iraq. The two official investigations into America's prewar intelligence have both found that our intelligence was wrong, but neither has answered the question of how the administration used that wrong intelligence in selling the war. That issue was pointedly kept out of the charter of the Silberman-Robb commission; the Senate Intelligence Committee promised to get to it after the election but conspicuously has not.

The real crime here remains the sending of American men and women to Iraq on fictitious grounds. Without it, there wouldn't have been a third-rate smear campaign against an obscure diplomat, a bungled cover-up and a scandal that - like the war itself - has no exit strategy that will not inflict pain.

[SpiralHawk]

1. What about the White House and Rove's sexual orientation?

ala Jeff Gannon?

From the article:

"...As Joshua Green reported in detail in The Atlantic Monthly last year, a recurring feature of Mr. Rove's political campaigns throughout his career has been the questioning of an "opponent's sexual orientation."

[sam sarrha]

13. yup.. first Texas governorship was stolen by Rove posting fliers on cars

in every fundi church parking lot in texas that his appoint was a lesbian and was going to cram a gay agenda down everybody's throat...:wow: :hide: :yoiks:

[Cha]

18. Zactly! I was thinking.."here is

the definition of chutzpah."

[napi21]

2. I am very impressed that a lot of the media didn't fall for the trick!

We all knew what this "early" nomination was, but I really was afraid that the media would fall for the trick, and switch their attention.

Well, Karl, THEY DIDN'T!

The scary thing is...What whill they try next????

[flpoljunkie]

3. Thrilled Rich pointed out Senate Intel Committee's failed promise to get

to the "question of how the administration used that wrong intelligence in selling the war" after the election, but conspicuously has not."

Time to email or call Chairman Roberts and the members of the Senate Intelligence Committee and urge them to complete Phase II of the investigation Roberts agreed to in February, 2002--that is, "how the administration used that wrong intelligence in selling the war."

http://intelligence.senate.gov/members.htm

[napi21]

8. I already did that, and also asked my 2 Pub Senators!

Guess what? They claim they have no idea what I'm referring to!!!!

If email cost $$, I'd STOP! It's really wasted keystrokes!

[flpoljunkie]

15. The Senators are very well aware of the emails they're receiving re this

and they will be well aware that Frank Rich brought it up in his column.

It is significant that Frank Rich brought this up. No one else in the mainstream media has--let alone the New York Times.

Let's not miss the opportunity to hold their feet to the fire.

[countmyvote4real]

5. * will reveal that he is gay.

Not that I would care, but that seems like the only thing that will snatch the "Rove leak/Iraq lie" story from the jaws of media (even as MSM refuse to connect those dots in their reportage) is something as shocking as this.

On second thought, I think one of the twins will be sacrificed and disappeared. There is nothing more compelling to MSM as young white woman gone missing.

[sam sarrha]

10. they will end up drawing straws.. ... everybody is doomed it wont matter

[tinfoilinfor2005]

20. yeah, and one of them is sort of blonde

so she will be the perfect choice. I can see it now...Jenna on the back of a milk carton, "Last seen with fat rat type looking character with thinning hair and wire rimmed glasses."

[mikelewis]

12. The funny thing is, had Bush actually nominated a Wacko...

His ploy may have worked better. He nominated Roberts and though he's definitely not a person I agree with, he's definitely not Janet Rogers Brown either. Had he nominated a more contentious person, they may have actually deflected a lot more attention away from Rove. Instead, Roberts is precieved by the sheeple as boring so the only thing left is the scandal. If I were Bush and wanted to get the press off of Rove, I'd have nominated James Dobson. Actually, if he had nominated Dobson, he'd get confirmed real quick because half of the Democratic party would have had a heart attack and the other half probably would have moved to Canada.

[ClassWarrior]

14. Roberts actually IS a Wacko... He just doesn't come across as one.

Hence the effect you describe.

NGU.

[bleever]

19. Hi, CW. You got any recommended reading on Roberts?

Thanks!

NGU.



(And I'm grilling bratwurst tonight.)

[ClassWarrior]

32. Nothing specific, Lil Bro...

Just the stuff everybody's heard: He's a Ken Starr acolyte, he's a former corporate liar, his wife started a branch of Feminists for Domination...

Sounds pretty Whacko to me. But gee, doesn't he look like a stand-up guy?? :loveya:

(Jealous about the brats - I'd have been doing the same, 'cept for severe thunderstorms passing thru...)

NGU. :patriot:

[bleever]

34. So far we know his connections and employers, but SURPRISE there's

little to indicate anything about judicial philosophy.

Although, yesterday a thread popped up about some of his work preparing memos for Justice from 1982 to 1988 may contain his own thinking. What do you bet we have a fight over release of those documents?


And yes, he's very presentable. :eyes: But maybe the uncanny resemblance to Major Frank Burns is more than skin deep.

[ClassWarrior]

35. Nice. Judge Frank Burns...

:evilgrin:

Cookin' out this eve - in 100 degree weather!

NGU.

[FredStembottom]

23. Are you kidding????

If Dobson were nominated, 3 maybe 4 Dems. would oppose it and the others would vote to confirm.

I look forward to the day Democrats once again have strong reactions to outrageous, criminal, treasonous and just plain moronic actions by Republicans - but that sure as hell ain't now!

And why? Apparently I'll be going to my grave never knowing what secret keeps the Dems. in D.C. acting (or NOT acting) like they do. I read political books, mags, web-sites voraciously and feel no closer to understanding why the Dems. don't take the HUNDREDS of opportunities (sheer criminality fer cryin' out loud!) handed to them everyday by the Repubs. and RUN WITH THEM!

Something....something stops them. Something quite bad. Something we don't know, yet. They actually support and explain-away the sheer, freaking CRIMINALITY that surrounds them. Over and over for years and years. This is waaaaaaaaaay, waaaaaaaaaay beyond mere spinelessness. It's there. The something. It's big. And it stops them, every time.

[mikelewis]

29. yes, I was kidding

and chill out. It takes time to take down a bull. You have to stab him many times before he dies. The stabbing is going on right now in California and Ohio and Washington D.C. Didn't anyone ever tell you, "The revolution will not be televised." You need to chill out then sit back and watch. You're about to see history.

[FredStembottom]

33. Well, actually, I wasn't upset

I just think the Dems. act like people under threat. Maybe it was the anthrax letters giving them the unspoken message: Go along or you can disappear.

I am seeing people with more than a spine problem - and am frustrated to still not know what that problem is.

[Peace Patriot]

36. Paul Wellstone. Anthrax. Secret dossiers. Black ops. Many smears.

Stuff coming out of nowhere. Look what happened to former Dem Sec of State Kevin Shelley in California, one the few honest election officials in the country, and one of the best--after he sued Diebold and demanded to see their source code. Mysterious, thin accusations appeared, that evaporate upon inspection, trumpeted through the news monopoly press (started with that rag, the SF Chronicle). The new Dem Party state leaders back away from him like he has the plague. Fear! Trembling. Also, quite a lot of bipartisan corruption at the county level on the big business of electronic voting machines.

A Democratic county election official, Connie McCormack (Los Angeles)--close personal ties to Diebold, advocate of paperless voting--led the charge against Shelley, to get rid of this honest man, who had announced that he was the "new sheriff in town" on election reform--after the prior Sec of State, Repub Bill Jones, and his chief aide, Alfie Charles, had gone to work for Sequoia. Shelley frowned on that sort of thing; banned it in his office, and was trying to ride herd on various kinds of corruption and lack of transparency--with many county election officials preening themselves with expertise on all the esoterica of electronic voting, lording and ladying it as "professionals" over the dumb voters, and looking to even better-paying jobs like Bill and Alfie got in the private sector.

Shelley's gone! Forced to resign because of no money--no legal fund to defend himself with (tells you something about Shelley), and NO SUPPORT from his cowardly, corrupt (some of them) fellow Democrats. And Arnold gets to appoint his own pet Sec of State.

Fear, yeah. That's part of it.

See Amayllis' post on the hogfest at the Beverly Hilton, sponsored by Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia, planned for this August. Connie McCormack is a featured speaker.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x380340

Now think about Defense spending, and what-all might be going down with that one, as to corruption and fear.

I pity most human beings who are caught in the whirlpool of this ravaged democracy--even some of the politicians. And it makes the courageous ones even more amazing--John Conyers, for instance. And we citizens have been asleep and negligent for too long. I think we did awaken on November 2, 2004, and DID throw the Bush Cartel out, only to find out that we aren't allowed to do that.

And THAT is what we MUST do something about NOW, while the power over election systems still resides at the state/local level. That is our job. Restoring our right to vote.

Also, word of mouth and education. There is a desperate need to break through the illusions and delusions that are being foisted upon people by the news monopolies--starting with the lies about the war, and including their falsification of the exit poll data (Kerry won) on everybody's TV screens on election night.

Although my eyes have been opened to the bipartisan corruption, and to the burden of fear that weighs on many political leaders, I have great faith in the American people. I won't quote you all the stats. Here are just two:

58% of the American people opposed the Iraq war BEFORE the invasion. Feb. '03. (I'll never forget that stat.)

and, 63% of the American people oppose torture UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. (May '04)

The vast majority of Americans just don't buy the relentless fearmongering. Pretty savvy people, it seems to me--sticking to their beliefs in justice and peace, and lawfulness, despite all.

That's the America I know and love. And it's still here. And we are the majority.

[FredStembottom]

37. Thanks, PP - Now we're gettin' somewhere.

It's just that I am all done with the "spineless Democrats" mantra - even though I have said it a thousand times myself. We have now zoomed right past the point at which even a jellyfish of a politician would have found his/her spine. National Security is now at risk!

It has to be some kind of massive fear - or as you point out - corruption. Or both. Or both plus some third thing we haven't considered enough, yet. Like class distinctions.

I am increasingly considering the class factor in my "thought experiments". And (unfortunately) it fits. They are millionaires - and trust fund millionaires at that in so many cases. I don't think anyone in our government has even _known_ someone like me (truckdriver)in generations. And that makes them very uncomfortable with the thought that someone like me (and the millions like me)should have more input into their little world.

And look what the Republicans have accomplished! A freakin' miracle! One where it is no longer necessary to even pander to the lower classes. Just fake it on a few wedge issues of no real consequence and just like magic the lower classes vote the upper classes fondest dreams (and then some!) into reality - AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE and to their own demise!

I don't think this miracle is lost on wealthy, sequestered, gated-community Democrats either. It doesn't consciously occur to them to just-enjoy-it, but the will to overthrow the miracle is kinda _undermined_, somehow.

"I'll help the lower classes rebel...um...oh...I dunno...tomorrow er something."

:dilemma:

[jayctravis]

27. It's very possible that they were expecting the Democrats to

blow their tops whatever nominee he put out. Remember for like two days the news was all "Bush's nominee likely to be the beginning of rancorous partisan fighting..." The Administration was probably hoping for loud screeching to show how the Right that we would hate any reasonable person he put out and the scrap would erase Rove from the headlines. Unfortunately the response from the Democratic side seemed to be..."Eh, not who we'd choose, but not horrible. Now back to Rove..."

[mikelewis]

28. That would be cool...

He throws us a guy who represents everything we hate but our leaders step out and say no big deal. No outrage, no diversion. The internet doesn't freak out because our leaders aren't freakin out. The press won't stick with a political story unless the net is buzzing about it so there's really nothing to report. It's kind of a ballsey move, we are a jumpy crowd after all. They'd almost have to have an indictment before they started the war over SCOTUS unless they plan on letting him in. I don't know, with the President floundering in legal limbo and his numbers tanking, they may be able to put up a much more effective fight if they wait. It's possible and there really isn't a down side. They appear reasonable and noncontentious, all the while, Rove twists in the wind as the only story. If true, that would be very cool.

[calimary]

4. God Bless Frank Rich! He really gets it. The big picture, everything.

And he's gotten it for a long time now. He and Paul Krugman are not fooled. Neither is Bob Herbert. THANK GOD for them. And yes, it's good to see that this scandal hasn't been completely swept under the rug by every transparent manipulation designed to distract and change the subject. They were forced to come straight back to the Plame scandal, weren't they? Because more details have emerged that at least some of them can't ignore.

We just have to stay on it, ourselves, and stay on our reps, and on our media to demand they keep their focus where it belongs.

[Tin Man]

21. Rich scores a bullsize!

Superbly constructed and concisely written - oughta be pasted onto storefront windows and mailboxes across the nation.

[msongs]

6. sen. diane feinstein has been fooled...or goes along willingly :-(

seem that she is an active accomplice in the whole fraud. Now she is diverting attention with her support for the anti flag burning amendment.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[bvar22]

16. Feinstein SOLD out long ago....

She no longer represents her constituency or the Democratic Party. She is a WILLING accomplice in the Republican Crimes against America.

[indie_voter]

7. excellent!! n/t

[rodeodance]

9. in the Watergate case, there were some good Republicans with integrity

--now in the Bush case-there are none. this came across in the waxman hearing the other day.

[acmavm]

11. Another very important point:

<snip>Mr. Bush was surely not scared off by Gonzales critics on the right (who find him soft on abortion) or left (who find him soft on the Geneva Conventions). It's Mr. Gonzales's proximity to this scandal that inspires real fear.
<snip>

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

31. Of course Gonzales is deeply involved, and it sounds like he did his part

As a good little gwb loyalist to obstruct the investigation.

As White House counsel, he was the one first notified that the Justice Department, at the request of the C.I.A., had opened an investigation into the outing of Joseph Wilson's wife. That notification came at 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 29, 2003, but it took Mr. Gonzales 12 more hours to inform the White House staff that it must "preserve all materials" relevant to the investigation. This 12-hour delay, he has said, was sanctioned by the Justice Department, but since the department was then run by John Ashcroft, a Bush loyalist who refused to recuse himself from the Plame case, inquiring Senate Democrats would examine this 12-hour delay as closely as an 18½-minute tape gap. "Every good prosecutor knows that any delay could give a culprit time to destroy the evidence," said Senator Charles Schumer, correctly, back when the missing 12 hours was first revealed almost two years ago. A new Gonzales confirmation process now would have quickly devolved into a neo-Watergate hearing. Mr. Gonzales was in the thick of the Plame investigation, all told, for 16 months.

Finally, a sliver of light shows at the end of this tunnel. MKJ

[Cha]

17. Frank Rich, Richly wove Every

slimey detail into this ONE Article.

Brings back so many memories.

"But the president would have had to nominate Bill Clinton to change this subject." :D Go Frank!

[Pallas180]

22. Yeah, I loved that line too...B. C. will have schadenfreude from this -

[ClayZ]

24. Frank Rich is an AMERICAN HERO!

This article fills me with the hope of my youth, the trust of my motherhood and the dreams of my grandchildren.

It is the magic door opened and the candles lit on the cake.

Frank Rich is a word smith and a truth teller.

May he live long and never run out of gumption!


WHOOOO HOOOO!

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[PurityOfEssence]

25. "a pervasive culture of revenge" pretty much says it all

These are unscrupulous powermongers; they have nothing to do with anything except the protection of wealth and privilege of the few.

As if that's not bad enough, they're so greedy and shortsighted that they'll fuck the future of the country off which they feed just for momentary advantage.

ANYONE who supports these people is a traitor-lover or a damned fool.

[DeepModem Mom]

26. It was somehow simply thrilling to read this amazing piece of writing. nt

[bejammin075]

30. A Bill Clinton nomination!!

That would be a novelty. Justice Clinton. Does the Big Dog still have his law liscense?