Lighting up our torches at Liberal Street Fighter
Anybody who’s paid attention to the Bush Administration, to the nasty political tactics pursued by Bush and Cheney and Rove, isn’t suprised to find out that the President himself authorized the leaks to reporters that led to the destruction of Valerie Plame’s covert status. Now, though, it’s official, spelled out in a pleading filed by Patrick Fitzgerald in response to Scooter’s frantic greymail attempts to get his traitorous ass off the hook.
As to the meeting on July 8, defendant testified that he was specifically authorized in advance of the meeting to disclose the key judgments of the classified NIE [National Intelligence Estimate] to Miller on that occasion because it was thought that the NIE was “pretty definitive” against what Ambassador Wilson had said and that the Vice President thought that it was “very important” for the key judgments of the NIE to come out. Defendant further testified that he at first advised the Vice President that he could not have this conversation with reporter Miller because of the classified nature of the NIE. Defendant testified that the Vice President later advised him that the President had authorized defendant to disclose the relevant portions of the NIE. Defendant testified that he also spoke to David Addington, then Counsel to the Vice President, whom defendant considered to be an expert in national security law, and Mr. Addington opined that Presidential authorization to publicly disclose a documentamounted to a declassification of the document.
Republicans and their winger supporters are trying every angle they can think of to defuse the impact of this revelation, up to and including the idea that the NIE was declassified because JOE WILSON was the leaker, and the Bush Administration had no choice but to release the information to undo the damage. That they had NO choice except to destroy the secrecy to SAVE the secrecy, or something like that.
So what are we hearing from the Democrats over this latest outrage in a long line of outrages? Harry Reid was quoted:
“In light of today’s shocking revelation, President Bush must fully disclose his participation in the selective leaking of classified information. The American people must know the truth.”
Senator Reid, sir, perhaps you might have some impact if you did more than give weak, wavery-voiced occasional denunciations before reporters’ microphones. How about you stand up for the country, stand up for your constituents, stand up for the rule of law and the US Constitution and corral your caucus into supporting Senator Feingold’s Censure Resolution? (Thousands of Americans have gone HERE to voice their support). Senator Harkin has offered his support, and is gathering support from his constituents. Senator Boxer has also offered support. When are the rest of you going to do something, take a stand, actually use the rules of the Senate to force the Republicans on the record as supporting this budding King, this out-of-control zealot who claims to speak for God, who has the people’s lawyers asserting that he rules by fiat? Is one Censure Resolution TOO MUCH TO ASK?
The Bush Administration has run amok for too long. Yes, they have all the branches of Congress. Yes, they are nasty, effective political infighters. Yes, actually getting up off all fours might be politically risky, but the Democratic Party will NEVER gain the trust of the American people if they continue to demonstrate that they are afraid to even offer a perfectly reasonable rebuke of a law-breaking Chief Executive. To continue to refuse to stand up only leads creedence to the frightening assertion from the right that the Presidency has the power of the Unitary Executive. Perhaps that’s the problem. Perhaps you and the other leaders of the Democratic Party actually believe your consultants when they advise you to just lay low, that the Republicans will collapse. Perhaps you want that power in the hands of a Democratic President? Is that what you’re up to?
People are fed up with Washington … BOTH parties. One is corrupt, war-mongering, the other is … cowardly and war-mongering. Not much there to garner confidence, is there?This is an opportunity to save yourselves from your own myopia. This is a gift on a silver platter, layed before you on a bed of rose petals, carried in on the back of a White Buffalo, led into the room by an honor guard of the finest and most honorable youths the land could find. WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED? If the Democratic Party REALLY wants to sweep back into power, DESPITE the reckless apportionment of districts you stupidly colluded with the Republicans in creating, you need to prove you can fight.
President Bush’s crimes are far above and beyond those of President Nixon. You know what they are. You badly misread the public if you don’t understand that more and more Americans are frightened and disgusted and scared by the events of the last five years. What’s it going to take Democrats? When do you stop kissing their feet and stand up and fight? Does Bush have to decapitate a 14 year old girl on national television on the steps of the Capitol before you say “ENOUGHT”?!?
