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”?!?
Expect Harry Reid to actually do something? He’s not as leader, he’s a puppet. I swear, I am beginning to think that, if there ever were enough support for Feingold’s censure resolution, he would vote w/the repbs…just like Lieberman would.
Tell it, Madman!
I’m not sure the decpitation of a 14 year old girl on the Capitol steps would wake either Congress or a large segment of the American populace from their stupor. Maybe if she was white, blonde and pretty.
I think she has to be a virgin too.
Absolutely.
Before I read your post, my first thought was that she’d have to be pregnant so all the RTLers would be up in arms!
I think she has to be a virgin too.
A Christian Virgin who was saving herself for her future husband.
It has been demonstrated beyond the slightest hint of a shadow of the possibility of a doubt that the current Dem leadership, and the vast majority of the members (with a few exceptions), lack the gonadal fortitude to do anything more significant than shake extensively and pee on the floor when the Republicans strike. This is obvious to those of us who follow politics and care about the health and survival of the Republic.
Unfortunately the majority of the progressive populace, with the exception of the blogosphere, seems disinclined to notice this and very quick to make allowances. I therefore conclude that the situation vis a vis the leaders will need to become MUCH more obvious AND much less admitting of excuse before the general public determines to become an INVOLVED public and REPLACE these spineless wonders — and replacement is the only possibile solution. There is no known technique of inflating these guys that’s permanent; they’re essentially unweighted weebles. They wibble and wobble but they won’t stand up… and all the electoral and constituent viagra in the world can’t help what ain’t there.
That being the case, I’d rather the leadership sat and quivered than did anything which might later give them any sort of “well, we did this and this and this but it just wasn’t enough” cover.
Plus at this point I really think these guys could screw up peeing on the floor; it’s impossible to imagine the political careers of either Feingold OR Conyers being able to survive the onslaught of suddenly involved Bloviator democrats, so again… keep `em away and let them all get voted out.
Reid is a Republican in all but name. It’s that simple.
You write:
“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.”
I am surprised.
Surprised that ANYBODY would think that Butch has the power to “authorize” anything other than what’s for lunch.
If THAT.
It’s not Butch.
It’s ButchCo.
PLEASE!!!
Remember that.
Attack Butch, who is only a game show host…a talking head (Hell…he even wears a WIRE. Just like the REAL [fake] newscasters.), and the producers escape scot-free.
To control ANOTHER front man.
McCain, this time.
FUCK Butch.
Go after Cheney, Rove and Rumsfeld.
Get the ROOTS of the weeds.
Not the sprouts.
AG
Dems sure as hell don’t listen to their constituents.
If we had a viable third party, the current dems would be toast.
I’m mostly a lurker, but I hang out at a couple of dozen major left-wing sites…a few million of us all say the same thing; the dems are spineless at best, and part of the big-money system.
I sometimes think things have to get so bad that we will have no choice but to overthrow our current system to get back to a true constitutional government, with real rights for all, like our founders intended.
Well, someone better do something because George is all but marching us into World War III. Iran is next nad you better believe that this will lead to attacks here. We need to get the warmongers out NOW!.
Read this WaPo Article titled
“Us Military is Studying Strike Options In Iran”. Is there no stopping these lunatics?
This? It ought to do it.
They fucking admit themselves Bush/Cheney/Libby leaked classified information.
So in reality Bush didn’t declassify the information; he’s purported authorization for Libby to leak the info just amounted to a declassification in Addington’s opinion.
I think we got ’em.