How many freakin' scandals are gonna crawl out of this administration before there are any consequences to these people? Bush is starting to make Nixon look good. He certainly is more creative than Nixon in the ways he finds to circumvent/castrate the Constitution.

Makes you wish for a good old fashioned sex scandal...

I appreciate the attempt at balance and temperance, but of course this is no departure from everything we already know about Bush and his administration. Ideology and partisan politics above all else.

Makes you wish for a good old fashioned sex scandal...

No problemo.

Is it possible to subpoena the President? Just a parliamentary question.

Does this republican party do everything in excess?

After all the different "binge"-gates it's amazing we had to wait til 2007 for a purgegate.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/012983.php

There won't BE many allegations of Republican voter fraud... Democrats mostly charge Republicans with voter suppression. And to create the sense that, once again, all the bad things happen on both sides, Republicans assert voter fraud on the part of Democrats.

How about the fact that Timothy Griffin, the Karl Rove protege, who replaced Cummins in Arkansas has been responsible for wiping out the voting rights of 70,000 citizens before the 2004 election? See Greg Palast's piece for more.

I am very relieved that GWB is so concerned about voter fraud within the USA. This should allay all fears that his concern for democratic principles extends only feom Damascus to Baghdad to Tehran.

He went down down down
and the devil called him by name
he went down down down
hangin' onto the back of a train
he went down down down
this boy went solid down

Strike up the special committee, appoint the house prosecutors, get this show on the road already.

And crank up the Tom Waits -- we need some impeachin' theme music!

I guess the question is who replaces Gonzales once he resigns so he can spend more time with his family?

Any cases of being insufficiently zealous in uncovering alleged Republican voter fraud?

Oh, but Republican would never do fraud!

I like the idea Tom Waits prominent on the impeachment soundtrack.

(Xenos - if you like music to slit your wrists to, give Tom Russell a listen. Just as dark and disturbing as Tom Waits, but a better voice.)

There are three ongoing scandals at the justice department, a study showing the large number (379) of justice department investigation of Democratic candidates, the illegal use of NSL's, and finally the firing of eight U.S. Attorney's. They are usually reported and thought of seperatly, but even when mentioned together I have not seen it reported or considered how all three might scandals might work in harmony in a very bad way.

Imagine every democratic candidate being a candidate for investigation, and investigators being able to use NSL's to examine, without subpeona or oversight, credit cards, email, internet logs, and other private data. And then realize that U.S. Attorneys who resisted pressure to indict democrats and leaving republicans like Duke Cunningham alone were fired for not getting with the program.

It makes Watergate look like a tempest in a teapot. This is a very dangerous time for democracy instigated by people who think they have a right to power not necessarily based on law, constitution or fair elections.

I guess the question is who replaces Gonzales once he resigns so he can spend more time with his family?
Posted by: Old Hat on March 13, 2007 at 12:51 AM |

Since Bush likes to hire people from Texas, maybe Kinky Friedman is available. He couldn't be any worse then Abu Gonzales.

The Post's article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/12/AR2007031201818_pf.html

Another Day, Another Scandal

Corpus Juris at Watching Those We Chose is doing a damned fine job of staying on top of the various scandals at Justice.

The Washington Post also has a big story...

Firings Had Genesis in White House
Ex-Counsel Miers First Suggested Dismissing Prosecutors 2 Years Ago, Documents Show
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/12/AR2007031201818.html

If you want an impeachment soundtrack... how about starting with Neil Young's Let's Impeach the President? Sing along at home:

"Let's impeach the president for lying
And leading our country into war
Abusing all the power that we gave him
And shipping all our money out the door

He's the man who hired all the criminals
The White House shadows who hide behind closed doors
And bend the facts to fit with their new stories
Of why we have to send our men to war

Let's impeach the president for spying
On citizens inside their own homes
Breaking every law in the country
By tapping our computers and telephones

What if Al Qaeda blew up the levees
Would New Orleans have been safer that way
Sheltered by our government's protection
Or was someone just not home that day?

Let's impeach the president
For hijacking our religion and using it to get elected
Dividing our country into colors
And still leaving black people neglected

Thank god he's racking down on steroids
Since he sold his old baseball team
There's lot of people looking at big trouble
But of course the president is clean

Thank God"

I'll tell you "the latest on Purgegate", and certainly "The White House was deeply involved".

The entire media, mainstream or otherwise, won't talk about it in the context of the scandal of corrupt or politically inspired stuffing of the Federal prosecutors' staff.

This was the firing of Federic Black, US Attorney for the Territories (Marianas, Guam, etc.), upon receipt of a purchase order from Jack Abramoff, by Bush, the exclusive holder of such authority.

This was the firing of Federic Black, US Attorney for the Territories (Marianas, Guam, etc.), upon receipt of a purchase order from Jack Abramoff, by Bush, the exclusive holder of such authority.

Interesting:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/the-next-abramoff-shoe-to_b_13469.html

If you move Patrick's take back a little further,
didn't it seem ridiculous the Republican swagger in early 2006, even in the face of horrible unpoularity?

I submit they always expected to use their unchecked power to push politics through government. Coordinated and timely investigations was a key component. Probably in a PowerPoint somewhere. They expected to have regional Democrats embroiled in unsubstantiated scandals come campaign time. It was one of the levers they would pull to tilt a tight national race.

And with charges laid, they could commence with the accompanying NSL fired defamation leaks, as needed. Intimidation 101.

But some USA's didn't play ball. And the political situation got way worse. And then a Foley-tide swamped the damn plan. And they couldn't use their trump.

The firings were largely personnel vendetta purgings - for scuttling Rove's election plans.

Rovey got angry. And the Number One November loser struk back.

Scooter down. Alberto and Harriet on their way. Cheney wounded. Waxman stalking Rice.

Gotta think Rove pays soon.

Gonna be lonely in that White Room.

More on Fredrick Black:

Bush removal ended Guam investigation: US attorney's demotion halted probe of lobbyist

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/08/08/bush_removal_ended_guam_investigation/

These guys sure have a way of shitcanning US attorneys who cramp their style, don't they?

Sampson warns the White House that there will be a backlash over the dismissals but nobody sits down and formulates a cohesive, believable response.

"They were fired for poor performance." "Fired for not pursuing voter fraud." "The White House wasn't/was involved." "It started from complaints." "It originated with Meiers 2 years ago."

Whether from hubris, stupidity or laziness, it's another indicator of how incompetent this administration is.

And for Christ's sake let's get some mileage out of the Timothy Griffin appointment, his ties to voter fraud, and being Rove's buddy. Seems like that would have legs.

Gonna be lonely in that White Room.

The bound-to-happen hearings on Halliburton relocating to Dubai so they can sell shit to the Iranians are going to be fun!

Dubai - the cornerstone of the retirement plan.

Be a lot of room at the Halliburton Hotel for this merry bunch. A round of pardons, a hardy High Yo Petrol, and they're jetting into the sunset, checking the cash bags.

Wonder what Dubai's extradition policies are?

"Purgegate"?!? Can't we just retire the suffix? It's continued use is a cliche, and it desensitizes every scandal.

After congressional investigations get underway and the real dirt starts to fly, I want to see a follow-up to the Newsweek poll of Jan, 24-25, 2007...

"At this point in time, do you personally wish that George W. Bush's presidency was over, or don't you feel this way?"

Wish It Was Over 58%
Don't Feel This Way 37%
Unsure 5%

canucklehead >"...Wonder what Dubai's extradition policies are?"

The suspects have to get there first of course.

And then there is the little matter of their military (or lack there of)

"All successful revolutions are the kicking in of a rotten door." - John Kenneth Galbraith

Bloomberg reports that Rove was "added to a list of administration officials the panel's investigators want to interview" in both the House and Senate Judiciary committees.

Kevin, there were two named in the story. The next sentence:

Senator Pete V. Domenici, Republican of New Mexico, was among the politicians who complained directly to the president, according to an administration official.

And further in the article:
The narrow loss by a Republican in the Washington State governor’s race in 2004 produced similarly politically pointed charges.

It leaves no doubt that they were talking about Iglesias & McKay, who are both named elsewhere in the article.

Sampson was suggesting that Gonzales exercise his newfound appointment authority to put Griffin in place until the end of Bush's term. "There is some risk that we'll lose the authority, but if we don't ever exercise it then what's the point of having it?

The justification for putting this power in the Patriot Act was so U.S. Attorney’s could be appointed quickly on an interim basis to keep the justice department running at high efficiency during the war on terror. Among the many things I hate about dealing with this administration is that you cannot trust them or treat them like adults. You cannot give this administration any leeway to do anything you might consider good for the country in a normal persons hands. From enabling the president to wage war if Iraq did not allow inspectors in (which they did, and found themselves at war anyway) to allowing him flexibility to solve a potential problem in the justice department, everything gets perverted to serve the political needs of a group of sociopaths.

Sampson: "There is some risk that we'll lose the authority, but if we don't ever exercise it then what's the point of having it?"

Right, Patrick, I was just musing over this line, too. It somehow summarizes the entire Bush administration experience. Anything that wasn't done for political purposes had to be done on the "principle" of being something they could do!

Nancy Pelosi's comment that "impeachent was off the table" now looks like one of most stupid utterances ever by a politician of either party.

Don't know. Circumstances change. And what's off the table can come back on. Impeachment is much like war. That is, if you have to do it, it's best to look as though you're doing it as reluctantly as possible (Republicans have looked too slavering at the bit for both - largely cause they were!). Impeachment popularly pushed, perhaps up from one of the state houses would seem the best thing all round.

Karl Rove so tricky
spun webs now out of control
payback's such a bitch

Karl Rove had the USA's fired
He felt that their thinking was tired
To first serve country
Not first the PARTY..
For this he will soon be retired

Bush is starting to make Nixon look good. He certainly is more creative than Nixon in the ways he finds to circumvent/castrate the Constitution.

Posted by: Matt in Eugene

He's closing in on Reagan's record and he did claim to wish to advance that 'legacy'.

'The big prize here for Bush’s foreign policy is not the acquisition of natural resources or the enhancement of U.S. security, but rather the lining of the pockets of the defense contractors, the merchants of death who mine our treasury. But because the arms industry is coddled by political parties and the mass media, their antics go largely unnoticed. Our politicians and pundits argue endlessly about a couple of billion dollars that may be spent on improving education or ending poverty, but they casually waste that amount in a few days in Iraq.' - Robert Scheer, 'Ike Was Right'

It makes Watergate look like a tempest in a teapot. This is a very dangerous time for democracy instigated by people who think they have a right to power not necessarily based on law, constitution or fair elections.
Posted by: patrick

"Our government... teaches the whole people by its example. If the government becomes the lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy."
--Louis D. Brandeis

It's important to remember that the allegations of voter fraud in Washington state were thoroughly tried in state courts and it turned out it was the Republicans who were committing perjury by filing false affidavits about voters.

In one case an entire condominium building of voters had their ballots challenged by a false affidavit stating that no voters lived at that address.

It is definitely not a case of "there might have been something there if it had been investigated". The whole thing was gone over with a fine-tooth comb, lengthy trials were held, and in the whole state the Rs could not dig up the 200 cases of voter fraud that they needed to overturn Gregoire's gubernatorial victory.

post 9-11? splurge
iraq roiled up? then surge
a lost election? purge

Kevin: "The New York Times has the latest on Purgegate ..."

Purgegate. Memogate. Plamegate. Travelgate. Contragate. Koreagate.

Can we please -- please!! -- make an effort to dispense with the terribly annoying habit of conflating every every real or perceived Beltway political scandal with the Nixon administration's Watergate debacle, by simply attaching the suffix -gate?

The inappropriate inference reflects either a lack of imagination and lazy journalism (or both). Besides, the now-merging multiple scandals of the Bush administration are threatening to make Watergate appear like petty larceny in comparison.

what's so great about honesty
when we could be cheating
somebody

What I am interested in this morning are the names of the other lawyers who Sampson and Miers wanted to appoint. We know Tim Griffin. Who were the others? Where they political operatives?

When are people going to stop using the "-gate" suffix? It's been mis-used to the point of trivialization. This is actually quite serious.

Stop using "-gate".

What I am interested in this morning are the names of the other lawyers who Sampson and Miers wanted to appoint. We know Tim Griffin. Who were the others? Where they political operatives?

Even though I am not a lawyer, I was approached in 2004 with the prospect of being the US Attorney for New Hampshire. [I am a Bush Pioneer, Ranger level three, having raised slightly more than $176,000 from 1999 to 2004]

At the time, I told my good friend Harriet Miers that I had other obligations. Not only was I knee-deep in personal problems, but that my request for a pardon for violating several SEC laws in the mid-1990s was still being processed and I did not want to have to answer questions from local reporters. The local media in the Northeast does not roll over and suck eggs quite as obediently as the Washington Press Corps, in case anyone did not already know.

This "scandal" is nothing more than a tempest being brewed in a teapot made by the liberal media. How convenient that, not five minutes after you howled for the head of the innocent Mr. Libby and got it that you liberals found yourselves with the basic ingredients to whip up another non-scandal to keep your palpitating little hearts all aflutter.

What's next? Are you going to insinuate that the Secretary of State signed a treaty with the Oneida Indians without first getting the Senate to debate the treaty for 24 hours?

Bah!

Let's see -- an illegal war, outing a CIA covert operatives name, purgeing attorneys that won't attack your political opponents, massive fraud and corruption in contracts, Katrina, Walter Reed, approving torture, gutting habeas corpus, etc. etc. etc.

If the democrats do not impeach Cheny, Bush et al. the impeachment means nothing. Even if it is on their last day in office -- they must be impeached to preserve the Constitution. Any one of these offenses is a "high crime and misdmeanor."

Without the impeachment of Bush, Cheney et al., future presidents can be assured that anything short of cold-bloodedly gunning down a Girl Scout on prime time television is not impeachable!

Even though I am not a lawyer, I was approached in 2004 with the prospect of being the US Attorney for New Hampshire. [I am a Bush Pioneer, Ranger level three, having raised slightly more than $176,000 from 1999 to 2004]

Ranger level three? Does that come with a decoder ring?

I love the first line, though. Goodness knows the US Attorney should be a political operative, not an actual, you know, attorney.

Maybe there's just something weird in my coffee this morning.

Goodness knows the US Attorney should be a political operative, not an actual, you know, attorney.

Do you have a point? Of course a political appointee is a "political operative." This is not the civil service, you know. As difficult as it is for liberals to understand, Bill Clinton did not stock the courts or the politically appointed positions within the US government with Republicans. Why are you shocked that a Republican administration hires Republicans? Oh! Is that a crime now? Sound the alert! Ring the warning bells and shout it from the rooftops in your dingy little town! Call the FBI! Call the phone cops! Call the rent-a-cops down at the shopping center! A Republican put a Republican in a political appointment position! Gaaaack! Call the New York Times and ask for an above-the-fold front page story complete with a screaming headline and a picture of a white man in handcuffs!

Maybe there's just something weird in my coffee this morning.

There are hallucinogenic mushrooms everywhere. Stop eating them like candy. Why are all liberals on drugs?

Has anyone seen this report on a 79% to 18% differential in the Bush administration's investigations of state and local politicians?

I'm just curious how the numbers change when you look at indictments, trials, and convictions.

Norman you are out of your mind and out of your league. Ever since Herbert Hoover right up through Bill Clinton, Presidents have worked hard to make sure the Department of Justice's US Attorney system was staffed with capable individuals dedictated to enforcing the laws in an evenhanded manner. Even John Ashcroft told David Iglesias to stay out of politics.

Why should US Attorneys be different than say Rangers third class. Well, they are responsible for enforcing the laws. If they are perceived as being anything but evenhanded the entire system of justice could and probably will break down. There have been exceptions over the years. The excesses of J.Egger Hoover were largely kept quiet during his lifetime. John Mitchell was kicked out off office fast once his problems became known.

You wanta go back to the days of Al Capone. Gangsters buying judges. Murders on every street corner. Baghdad by the Hudson. Just keep undermining the Rule of Law.

Toast Here is the link. http://www.epluribusmedia.org/columns/2007/20070212_political_profiling.html

Read the attachments as well. The article is not as well fleshed out as I would like. I have a lot of questions for Shields and Cragan, but that is a different story.

Norman you are out of your mind and out of your league. Ever since Herbert Hoover right up through Bill Clinton, Presidents have worked hard to make sure the Department of Justice's US Attorney system was staffed with capable individuals dedictated to enforcing the laws in an evenhanded manner.

No, the person who is "out of their mind" is the person who believes Janet Reno and Jamie Gorelick were "competent."

I believe Mr. Reno (pun intended!) failed to adequately investigate whether or not China paid for the 1996 re-election of Clinton/Gore. I believe Mr. Reno (I'm hilarious!) will go down as the greatest fraud and charlatan who ever held the position of Attorney General, bar none.

Jamie Gorelick? Thanks for the memories, toots.

Bwah hah hah hah hah hah hah!

"But which voter fraud are we talking about? Presumably one of the cases is that of John McKay, the Seattle U.S. Attorney who was insufficiently zealous in digging up dirt....." - Drum

In the absence of any proof, let's just speculate on the partisan possibilities. It's so Kevin.

Tell me Kevin, why are you suddenly obsessed now with this (much needed) judicial house cleaning. Is it because your wonderful representatives have been unsuccessful in:
A. Withdrawing from an (improving) Iraq. (hey be sure to let us all know when you finally put together a plan)

B. Bringing any charges of anything against anybody in this admin. despite four years of incessant whining on all of the illegalities.

C. Addressing UHC.

D. Addressing their own corruption (hey, congrats on William "ice box" Jeffersons new appointment, crime does pay when you're a Democrat)

Of course, I believe your representatives are more focused on 2008 now, as long as Fox News is not involved. LMAO on that one.

Even though I am not a lawyer, I was approached in 2004 with the prospect of being the US Attorney for New Hampshire. [I am a Bush Pioneer, Ranger level three, having raised slightly more than $176,000 from 1999 to 2004]
Posted by: Norman Rogers on March 13, 2007 at 9:22 AM

Moderators,
You might need to look up this person's IP address for congressional investigators as a potential witness to subpoena. : )

"Just keep undermining the Rule of Law." - Ron

Hey, speaking of the rule of law, how's Sandy Berger doing?

And if we can use William "ice box" Jefferson as a recent example, shouldn't Berger be up for a high level appointment?

Moderators,
You might need to look up this person's IP address for congressional investigators as a potential witness to subpoena. : )

Intimidation will not silence me! I am a Republican, sir! I cannot be killed, I cannot be moderated and I cannot be silenced!

This is outrageous! So typical of you crazy, drooling lefties to try to moderate away the voice of reason.

Where is the thanks and the appreciation that I so richly deserve for pointing things out to you?

Norman Rogers is neither out of his mind or out of his league, Mr. Byers. He is a parody troll. You are quixotically out of your depth, in your shrill, doctrinaire responses to his schtick.
PS. Thank heavens for Norman Rogers, has anyone else dared to notice the absence of AH, al, egbert, Frequency Kennneth, mhr etc? Please let Norman Rogers be the Thurston Howell III (amusing, erudite, drunk) voice of conservatism...

Posted by: Terry on March 13, 2007 at 9:28 AM
Without the impeachment of Bush, Cheney et al., future presidents can be assured that anything short of cold-bloodedly gunning down a Girl Scout on prime time television is not impeachable!

A new poll was released this morning showing that 38% of Americans think that Girl Scouts are terrorists and should be eliminated by whatever means necessary.

Mr. Jay:

B. Bringing any charges of anything against anybody in this admin. despite four years of incessant whining on all of the illegalities.

Sir, please do not bait the liberals. They will cite the convictions of Mr. Safavian and Mr. Libby, and a whole host of other embarrassments to refute you. A better point to have made would be to say that "no one has indicted the Vice President for anything as of noon today."

"Posted by: Terry on March 13, 2007 at 9:28 AM
Without the impeachment of Bush, Cheney et al., future presidents can be assured that anything short of cold-bloodedly gunning down a Girl Scout on prime time television is not impeachable!"

Actually that was already established by the Clinton Admin. and the aforementioned Mr. Janet Reno in Waco, TX in 1993 wherein the then US President and the Attorney General thought it was best to kill 74 men, women and children because of a small weapons violation. Just FYI.

From the recent WaPo and NYT revelations, it appears to me that Miers is being set-up to take the fall to protect Rove.

Best advice to Harriet: don't hire Libby's lawyer.

Please let Norman Rogers be the Thurston Howell III (amusing, erudite, drunk) voice of conservatism...

Typical left wing hippie fringe dweller! Thurston Howell III was NEVER inebriated on national television. Can't any of you think for yourselves and actually produce facts and analysis?

Didn't think so! Thank God I am here, free from moderation, to tell you how things really work.

Norman,

Mr Libby was a targeted hit to save themselves from complete embarassment in investigating a crimeless activity.

And in regards to Mr. Safavian, why does the left hate Iranians? And if we can look towards Mr. William Jefferson as an example, shouldn't Mr. Safavian be appointed to a nice committee seat?

Or how about Mr. Murtha accepting bribes from Arabs and then continuing his "distinguished" career? Their judicial pursuits are a little confusing.

How did a Ranger Level 3 not end up in Iraq working for the CPA? You could have been running a province at least. After all,that designation was all the qualification one needed to get a high paying job with lots of travel.
I understand the Army is paying a 19-24 year Ranger veteran a $150,000 bonus for a 6 year re-enlistment. Go for it Normie.

The news is getting around. From Google News:

White House considered firing all 93 US attorneys
Daily Report, GA - 15 minutes ago

White House had weighed firing all US attorneys Justice Dept. aide ...
San Francisco Chronicle, CA - 1 hour ago
Seven US attorneys were fired Dec. 7 and another was fired months earlier, with little explanation from the Justice Department. ...

No justice at Justice with Gonzales in charge
Palm Beach Post, FL - 10 hours ago

White House mulled firing all prosecutors
Houston Chronicle, TX - 1 hour ago
By LARA JAKES JORDAN and DEB RIECHMANN AP Writers. © 2007 AP. WASHINGTON — The chief White House lawyer floated the idea of firing all 93 US attorneys at ...

W. House Mulled '04 Prosecutor Purge
TIME - 1 hour ago
WASHINGTON—The chief White House lawyer floated the idea of firing all 93 US attorneys at the start of President Bush's second term, but the Justice ...

Mr Libby was a targeted hit to save themselves from complete embarassment in investigating a crimeless activity.

straight from Fauxnews talking points to your drooling mouth.

Conservatards: millions strong, united by one shared brain.

Poor Mr. Jay:

Actually that was already established by the Clinton Admin. and the aforementioned Mr. Janet Reno in Waco, TX in 1993 wherein the then US President and the Attorney General thought it was best to kill 74 men, women and children because of a small weapons violation. Just FYI.

Actually, the Texas Rangers (not the baseball team!) determined that:

In total, the Texas Department of Public Safety, led by the Texas Rangers, recovered more than 300 firearms from the Branch Davidian compound. In addition, a number of live grenades and more than 300 grenade components were uncovered. Hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition were also seized. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms investigated David Koresh for conduct involving: the illegal manufacture of machine guns and the illegal manufacture and possession of destructive devices. The FBI report provides evidence that the Davidians' arsenal did indeed include weapons unlawfully manufactured. The weapons listed include semiautomatic firearms illegally modified to fire in full automatic mode, as well as grenades and silencers. All of these weapons were unlawfully possessed.

No one who knows the facts would argue that the Branch Davidians failed to register their weapons in Texas. Whose side are you on? You're not making any points that advance the Republican cause today.

How did a Ranger Level 3 not end up in Iraq working for the CPA? You could have been running a province at least. After all,that designation was all the qualification one needed to get a high paying job with lots of travel.

I was never asked, actually. But had I been asked, my numerous personal problems and my felony convictions would probably have precluded me from accepting the Presidency of Iraq (interim, of course.)

DonJoaquinOz,

Correcto - Even our mighty Professor Emeritus, Scotian, has been taken in and for a long ride by this parody troll - However, Norman did indeed slay the all night music critic, formerly at this site. My Mr N. Rogers remain in this neighborhood.

After all, he only attained third class status - Such a piker.

"Mr Libby was a targeted hit to save themselves from complete embarassment in investigating a crimeless activity."

"straight from Fauxnews talking points to your drooling mouth." haha

Well let's see here; Mr. Richard Armitage is the one responsible for revealing the identity of the CIA's most famous desk jockey and he has yet to be charged with anything. Why? Because the desk jockeys identity was not classified.

And furthermore, her fraud of a husbands report actually indicated that Saddam had, on one occassion, approached officials in Niger re: commercial interests. Now let's see what Niger could offer in the way of commercial exports:

Could it be soybeans, no. How about microwave ovens, no. Oh I know, maybe Uranium!

"No one who knows the facts would argue that the Branch Davidians failed to register their weapons in Texas. Whose side are you on? You're not making any points that advance the Republican cause today." - Norman

So, Norman are you saying that the Branch Davidians crimes justified their deaths at the hands of the US Administration?

Should we start killing everyone that manufactures and fails to register weapons?

The left doesn't even want to do that in Iraq, but they seem to be all for it here in the "Land of the Free".

I'm Norm's love child.

Daddy, please love me!

Well the personal insults have begun, marking the time in the debate where those on the left have become confused and must run towards the DNC for fresher talking points. Run along.

Mommy! I make poopy!

So, Norman are you saying that the Branch Davidians crimes justified their deaths at the hands of the US Administration?

No, I'm telling you to stop giving the liberals red meat! Can't you see that your arguments and your points are weak and easy to refute? Unlike my own, which are rock-solid and have yet to be assailed in a substantive manner.

Can't anyone play this game? I see that we have people stealing handles now that I am bringing the truth to this feckless blog! Spoof away, liberals! I am here to explain how things work, and if you don't like it, too bad!

Clinton! Clinton! Clinton! Clinton! Clinton! Clinton!

Moderator! Moderator!

You MUST protect the sanctity of the blog and remove the insults and the spoof posts! I will not have my posts reside alongside the pollution that a few silly hippies have thrown up in a vain attempt at silencing me!

"No, I'm telling you to stop giving the liberals red meat!"

Most of them are vegans Norman. PETA doesn't allow the left to have red meat, unless its Christian.

Typical! Just as soon as someone with talent and the ability to express themselves shows up, the blog dissolves into unfunny spoof posting and a golden opportunity to explain how things really work slips away. Somewhere, there is a person sitting on the fence who would have read my comments and joined the Republican Party, forever abandoning any notion of becoming a "liberal."

Were it not for the pathetic attempts of Mr.Jay, the hooks and jabs thrown at me by my detractors, and my own personal problems, I might have accomplished something today. You, as a group, might have been entertained. You might have learned a great deal about how people like me really think.

Alas, it has all come to naught.

"You might have learned a great deal about how people like me really think." - Norman

That actually is a scary proposition.

Hey, Jay..
How many parrots in your family tree?

Seriously, the yellowcake in Niger was actually controlled by a French consortioum and not exclusively by the government of Niger.
Our sudden conversion to "Freedom Fries" notwithstanding, I would argue that under that circusstance it would have been impossible for Hussein to aquire the yellowcake he needed.
On the other hand I like to provoke both sides of the "WMD; no WMD arguement by pointing out that Hussein may have had WMD components that could not be shown because of the fingerprints of American and European corporations all over them.
Would be embarrassing to find components were supplied by one of the Repugs biggest supporters wouldn't it?
It has been said so many times that it is accepted as fact that Hussein posed a major threat to us and his neighbors if he aquired WMDs but I don't know that is absolutely true. I would have created a disturbiing situation for the Israilis and created a bad situation since they would undoubtedly attack Iraq again as they did in destroying the French built reactor which it considered capable of producting fissionable material for Husseins's bombs.
But governments worse than Hussein's have possessed nukes for years without provoking a wor. Whats different.

Schumer holding a press conference on the purge on CNN now.

Well, Mr. Jay! You reveal your true self--a non-Republican attempting to confuse the liberals.

The most salient point is this, courtesy of the NY Times:

March 24, 1993
Attorney General Janet Reno today demanded the prompt resignation of all United States Attorneys, leading the Federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia to suggest that the order could be tied to his long-running investigation of Representative Dan Rostenkowski, a crucial ally of President Clinton.

Who is throwing that in the face of the liberals? ME, that's who. Not you, Jay. ME!

This will silence opposition. That's how it is done and you should all take care to learn from the way I finish arguments. Case closed. Next thread, please!

Back on topic, has it crossed no ones mind but mine that the replacement of the US Attorney in Little Rock was motivated by the desire to have an operative that would begin operations against Hillary Clinton?
I mean she has to have a skeleton in her closet: an unpaid parking ticket. Chelsea smoked pot in college, she wasn't a virgin when she married Bill or some equally dark secret...........

Oxymoron:

Chelsea smoked pot in college, she wasn't a virgin when she married Bill or some equally dark secret...........

First of all, when the Clintons left Little Rock, Miss Chelsea was in grade school. Had she been high on anything stronger than cookies and milk, I would be absolutely shocked and appalled. Second, Chelsea did not marry Bill Clinton, Hillary did. As for an "equally dark secret," well, as we all know, Hillary Clinton is actually a man.

Thank you, next idiot please.

Haha. Liberals don't eat meat. Haha. I'm so clever. Haha.

Jay on March 13, 2007 at 10:34 AM:

Mr. Richard Armitage is the one responsible..

One of the ones.

..for revealing the identity of the CIA's most famous desk jockey..

Famous because she was outed as CIA operative, Cut-n-Run Jay...And her 'desk' was nuclear nonproliferation.

...he has yet to be charged with anything. Why?

Libby was convicted of lying and obstruction of justice. Hard to charge anyone with a crime when you are being blocked from investigating if one took place.

Because the desk jockeys identity was not classified.

And you know that exactly how, Cut-n-Run?

And furthermore, her fraud of a husbands report..

Actually, Joe Wilson didn't give a formal report, because his findings matched the report given by the US ambassador to Nigeria. He was debriefed by the CIA, who decided that it wasn't necessary for him to file a formal report. Please do try to get your information from somewhere other than Rush Limbaugh's ass, Jay.

...actually indicated that Saddam had, on one occassion, approached officials in Niger re: commercial interests.

If Wilson's such a fraud, then why do you give such credence to what he found?

Oh...and why did the White House later retract those 16 words pertaining to yellowcake spoken in Dubya's State of the Union if Wilson was such a fraud?

Cut-n-Run Jay, you are so weak. Please try harder next time.

Why did Sampson resign? Did he want to spend more time with his family? Bwah.

Who is throwing that in the face of the liberals? ME, that's who. Not you, Jay. ME!

March 1993 ? Wasn't that just after the Clinton administration started ?

I think it's understood that when new president takes office he will replace the previous president's appointees with his own guys...(especially if the previous president was from a different party)

In fact, Bush Jr. replaced all of Clinton's appointess with his own..Now he's firing them and smearing their records..

Mr. grape_crush--

You and I can form an unholy alliance against the silliness of Mr. Jay and refute him. Your reasons for doing so? Unknown to me and irrelevant. My reasons for doing so? I cannot have "pseudo-conservatives" throwing red meat to liberals when I am perfectly able to destroy their arguments with one post.

(See me post at 11:03 AM--perhaps my best post ever, and that's saying a lot.)

You're either with us or you're against us--form the unholy alliance with me, temporarily of course, and we shall hold forth on the topic at hand...

...join me...

March 1993 ? Wasn't that just after the Clinton administration started ?

Try over two months AFTER the inauguration, which was held onJanuary 20, 1993, dingbat!

Next idiot, please. Smart ones, if you would be so kind. If I am going to be engaged in the ritualistic destruction of liberal arguments while forming an unholy alliance against a "conservative" pretender like Mr. Jay, I do NOT want to have my time wasted. Let's be quick about it, and no one is to bring up any of my aforementioned personal problems or do any of that "spoof" posting.

The most salient point is this, courtesy of the NY Times... March 24, 1993...

No big shakes. Presidents appoint new U.S. attorneys at the beginning of their first terms. When did Bush's first term begin? Uh-huh.

Try over two months AFTER the inauguration, which was held on January 20, 1993, dingbat!,?

So what ?

How does this make my point wrong ?

Bush Sr. appointees were replaced by Clinton appointees...and they were approved by the senate.

No one complained when Bush Jr replaced the Clinton appointees...

Apples and oranges.

I'm officially nominating Norman for a Webbie in the category of Best Parody Troll.

The most salient point is this, courtesy of the NY Times:

Of course, Dubya did the same thing in 2000. And Reagan as well...

More telling is this Congressional Research Service report, which has a nice table at the end listing US Attorneys who left office after serving less than a full four-year term (pages 9 and 10).

According to the report, there have been eight attorneys in the time period of 1981 to 2006 who have left office prematurely due to reasons other than entering public office, private practice, or death..

..which is why the dismissal of 7 US attorneys in a brief time period appears odd historically. It appears odd politically due to how Dubya's administration went about doing it, who the replacements were, and the shifting reasons given for Dubya replacing his own appointments.

Case closed.

Hardly, you glorious parody. Attorneys don't liked to be messed with.

"Purgegate"?

How are supermodels involved?

According to the report, there have been eight attorneys in the time period of 1981 to 2006 who have left office prematurely due to reasons other than entering public office, private practice, or death..

Did Hillary Clinton have a hand in their demise?

My original points stand and have yet to be even remotely refuted. Hillary Clinton ordered the firing of the US Attorneys in order to try to keep Dan Rostenkowski out of the hoosegow. It didn't work! There's your rule of law, liberals.

Next!

As far as a scandal goes, there is less to this one than the Valerie Plame affair.

Norman Rogers, you are really pathetic. Go back to your basement and crawl under the table. What a loser!

Crisis.
What's a crime family to do?

Norman Rogers, you are really pathetic. Go back to your basement and crawl under the table. What a loser!

[rolling eyes]

That was so creative. Well, you got me. I guess I will do just that. Oh, wait a minute--I have a finished basement that is quite nice. I even have a bar in my basement with a pool table, dart board and a pinball machine. How nice for me to have to "go back in my basement" while you pathetic losers fail to refute my arguments. I think I'll fix myself a cocktail and enjoy a little game of cat and mouse with that rascally silver ball!

Next idiot, please.

...Waco, TX in 1993 wherein the then US President and the Attorney General thought it was best to kill 74 men, women and children because of a small weapons violation.

Ya know Jay, your incessant and deranged defense of David Kouresh and his cult and their role in the murder of ATF agents and the 74 men, women and children to which you refer is really disgusting and pathetic. I don't know if you truly believe this or are simply baiting - either way you're a waste of human skin.

"DonJoaquinOz,

Correcto - Even our mighty Professor Emeritus, Scotian, has been taken in and for a long ride by this parody troll - However, Norman did indeed slay the all night music critic, formerly at this site. My Mr N. Rogers remain in this neighborhood.

After all, he only attained third class status - Such a piker."
Posted by: thethirdPaul on March 13, 2007 at 10:32 AM

??? Excuse me? Mighty Professor Emeritus??? What have I ever done to deserve *THAT* description? I'm just a long winded opinionated Celt that is willing to share his opinions with others here; the idea that I am some kind of noted respected voice here is still something I find hard to comprehend each and every time someone makes such a comment.

As for Normie taking me for a ride, I'll go along with that but I really don't think it was all that long of a ride as he hardly makes it difficult to recognize just how heavy his programming is and how closed he is to any input that does not operate under the underlying premises of that programming. Whether he is a parody troll or some other kind or even is actually as he appears to want us to see him as does not really matter to me, what matters is how disconnected from reality and the fact based planet Earth and on that score he isn't even within our local galactic cluster.

As to the topic at hand, this is just another snowflake in the avalanche crashing down on Bushco and the GOP for a generation or more for their abuses of power and massive corruption. I always said that when things finally started to fall apart for this Administration that it would be a cascading failure as in the problems would cascade from one thing to the next just as we have been witnessing over the last few weeks from Walter Reed to Libby to these abusive Justice firings (and that they would contemplate firing all of these prosecutors in 2005 is highly unusual since the sole time such mass firings are normally done is when an Administration changes hands/parties and not when someone is reelected) underscores the problem with running a government the way Bushco has. Once the dam of silence and one voice/groupthink (one way to visualize things) springs multiple leaks the pressure becomes so intense it ends up shattering the dam if not plugged up fast enough, and when the leaks start showing up faster than can be plugged, well it is only a matter of time until the floods arrive.

This has always been what I have expected would happen if Bushco and the GOP were unable to secure long term total power, and Nov 2006 shattered that possibility, and considering that the new Congress is only 2 months old it is amazing to see how much has come out that was hidden for several years by the GOP Congress that shows exactly how partisan and abusive and corrupt Bushco really is and apparently the GOP Congress was fine with that, unlike the Dems and most rational people.

According to the report, there have been eight attorneys in the time period of 1981 to 2006 who have left office prematurely due to reasons other than entering public office, private practice, or death..

Norm has got to be a joke....Eight in 25 years versus eight in a couple of months ?

Hey Norm, I thought you supposed to be on your way to Iraq by now..

Well, Norman does provide comic relief from the far more serious events of the day - Iraq, Go Jayhawks, Global Climate Change, Go Jayhawks, Walter Reed, Go Jayhawks, the US Attorney purge, er, oh yeah, someone did mention that briefly.

Norman Rogers:
You have a finished basement, really? Wow, that's so cute. I thought you were homeless! What a maroon.

...join me...

Oooh...Too late for that now, I believe...

Maybe we can race our yachts later? Good fun, that.

Did Hillary Clinton have a hand in their demise?

*Sigh*...Just read the report. It lists the Reagan and Clinton appointees who were dismissed or resigned and the reasons why - pages 6 and 7.

Norm has got to be a joke....Eight in 25 years versus eight in a couple of months ?

How am I supposed to deduce how Hillary Clinton works?

Poor Scotian. He shows up just when I am forming an unholy alliance with grape_crush. No, Mr. Scotian, I respect you as a worthy adversary, but my die is cast and my fate is tied to whether or not grape_crush will join me in fending off the willful negligence of pretenders like Mr. Jay in order for me to show you all how things are supposed to work.

Last time I checked, the Democratic Party did not own the patent on "reality" but I think my post at 11:03, wherein I proved that the firing of US attorneys for political reasons originated with the inept Janet Reno has set off a firestorm in the ranks of liberals everywhere. Fire up those bongs and just try to refute me, you fools!

Bad dream..
Bad fucking dream...

Bunch of dirty-ass liberals chanting:

No more Abu!
No more Abu!
No more Abu!

I need to whack someone.
Where's my fucking shotgun?

Jay - the only meat you eat is American Hawk's tiny little tube steak.

Actually that was already established by the Clinton Admin. and the aforementioned Mr. Janet Reno in Waco, TX in 1993 wherein the then US President and the Attorney General thought it was best to kill 74 men, women and children because of a small weapons violation. Just FYI.

Stupid ass. The Davidians killed themselves. A bipartisan report confirmed that David Koresh, your child-raping hero, ordered his compound torched. That's what killed those cultists.

And FYI - they fired on the ATF agents trying to serve a subpoena lawfully.

Tell me - why do you hate law enforcement so much?

Dicely & Scotian. All the various voices of reason and sanity here. The real world based community in general.

I'll respect you guys if I wanna.

Applauding.

'In fact, the right's culture war was -- and is -- mostly bogus. Most of the deep societal changes it decried -- the decline of community, the loss of religious faith, economic insecurity, selfishness, social atomization, anomie -- cannot be blamed on liberalism: They are products of modernity itself and of the modern world's triumphant economic system, capitalism. (Daniel Bell pointed this out more than 30 years ago in his 1976 classic "The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism.") And those changes have been greatly exacerbated by the monopolistic, heck-of-a-job-Brownie, corporate-crony version of capitalism -- one loudly championed by, naturally, the GOP.'
The Coulterization of the American right/Gary Kamiya - http://www.salon.com/opinion/kamiya/
2007/03/13/coulter/

March 1993 ? Wasn't that just after the Clinton administration started ?

Try over two months AFTER the inauguration

Perhaps more relevantly, March 24, 1993 was less than two weeks after Janet Reno was confirmed as Attorney-General.

I think Harriet nailed it. ". . . things have been crazy."

Wouldn't it be great if she had a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court? Her superb judgment, her total dedication to the Will of Bush--we would have been well served, wouldn't we?

Last time I checked, the Democratic Party did not own the patent on "reality" but I think my post at 11:03, wherein I proved that the firing of US attorneys for political reasons originated with the inept Janet Reno has set off a firestorm in the ranks of liberals everywhere. Fire up those bongs and just try to refute me, you fools!

You know why you're being ingored? It's cause most posters here know you're truly stupid. Any idiot reading the quote you gave can see this. You quoted that Reno wanted to fire all attorneys, blah blah blah. Did she actually fire them? Are you saying that this particular attorney would not have been dismissed since there is a new administration regardless of the stupid motive you stated?

And FYI - they fired on the ATF agents trying to serve a subpoena lawfully.

fired on -- and KILLED four -- ATF agents.

Vernon Wayne Howell was a terrorist -- no more, no less. That wingnuts glorify him is all we need to know about wingnuts.

Did she actually fire them?

Yes.

Janet Reno fired all 94 United States Attorneys, a move unprecedented in American history, shortly after her appointment in March 1993. She stated that the replacement of all U.S. Attorneys was a "joint decision" with the White House. The liaison with the White House was the third highest ranking Justice Dept. official, associate attorney general, Webster Hubbell, who is now a convicted felon.

And I'm the stupid one? Hello, paging God, please pick up the brown courtesy phone, please. It's reality calling to smack you upside your head and remind you who's explaining the facts around here to whom.

It's happened before.

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00612F73C540C778EDDAA0894DB494D81&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fC%2fClinton%2c%20Bill

Jimmy Carter replaced the US attorney who was investigating the kickbacks at the Hahneman Hospital in Philadelphia, because a local Dem. politician asked him to.

I see the Rostenkowski/Clinton affaire was debated higher up the thread.

Perhaps more relevantly, March 24, 1993 was less than two weeks after Janet Reno was confirmed as Attorney-General.

Thank you, Mr. Dicely. I am so pleased that you would give me a piece of information that so utterly supports my position--Janet Reno, inept and incompetent, fired 94 US Attorneys after two weeks on the job at the behest of a convicted felon. She probably didn't even have her cheap drapes and her sweaty picture of Pete Rose up on the wall before she did the deed!

The unholy alliance with grape_crush has now become a partnership of destiny between you and myself--thank you, thank you so much. I regard you as an ally in my attempt to get liberals to listen to the voice of reason, which is, in case you didn't already know, just me.

Case closed, liberals! You are toast!

You can run along, spider.

I have won the day.

yancey: As far as a scandal goes, there is less to this one than the Valerie Plame affair.

that's why no one in the administration can keep their stories straight huh?

what a shock it must be for you to learn the a-g's c-o-s sampson resigned...

yesterday..

also..

gen. kiley resigns..in the walter reed scandal..

wonder who will be next?

and its only tuesday...

replacing attorneys as the beginning of a term: not unusual

replacing attorneys who didn't prosecute members of the opposing party to your satisfaction: highly suspicious

I guess all the trolls have fallen back to the last resort: when your guys do something wrong, just scream "Clinton" as loud as you can.

Thank you, Mr. Dicely. I am so pleased that you would give me a piece of information that so utterly supports my position

Norman, you're a tired old joke. Your position before was that Clinton had engaged in excessive delay in replacing the US Attorneys, having waited a whole two months after his inauguration. Now, apparently, its that the decision was made too quickly.

It seems that whenever information discredits your position, you claim a completely contrary position was yours all along. Sure, your over the top schtick was cute for a couple posts, perhaps, but underneath you're just another boring, dishonest troll.

For more on the White House connection and all the latest news, hearings, legal filings and other essential documents on the Bush DOJ prosecutor firings, see:
"The U.S. Attorney Scandal Documents."

As far as a scandal goes, there is less to this one than the Valerie Plame affair.

Yancey, even granting, arguendo, that this is true, so what? The two, both involving the same Administration and underlining its utter corruption and placement of personal and partisan interest above the law and national interest, are cumulative, not opposed, so it means absolutely nothing that, considered in isolation, one is "less" than the other.

Now, do you have anything to offer besides your reflexive, unsubstantiated, and entirely meaningless attempt to dismiss yet another Bush Administration scandal?

Thank you thank you for the link

Norman Rogers: Once again you show your stupidity by failing to look at the complete paragraph. The issue I raised was not so much whether she fired them but whether she would have fired them anyway because it's a new administration. Perhaps you can't comprehend complete paragraphs. In any case, it is astounding for you to suggest that Janet Reno fired all 94 attorneys because she wanted to get rid of one. WOW

Ya know Jay, your incessant and deranged defense of David Kouresh and his cult and their role in the murder of ATF agents and the 74 men, women and children to which you refer is really disgusting and pathetic. I don't know if you truly believe this or are simply baiting - either way you're a waste of human skin.

A word about Waco: I don't think any regular contributors here would question my liberal credentials. After watching a video documentary about the Branch Davidian disaster [Rules of Engagement] I was completely convinced that what took place was indeed a massacre of innocents. The important point is that the BATF ran amok. The Clinton administration was deliberately cut out of the loop by people in the FBI & BATF.

I highly recommend the video to everyone.

http://www.serendipity.li/waco.html

It seems that whenever information discredits your position, you claim a completely contrary position was yours all along. Sure, your over the top schtick was cute for a couple posts, perhaps, but underneath you're just another boring, dishonest troll.

Perhaps I am, but thank you for pointing out that, two weeks after taking office, an insane and deranged madwoman named Janet Reno fired the US attorneys based on a marching order from a convicted felon.

You can attack me, you can dredge up my personal problems, but my facts are a pillar of granite and cannot be disturbed.

And a tip of the fedora to Mr. Obscure--

Thank you for posting a link to information which clearly shows that Waco was the result of Janet Reno's insane and demented behavior.

Each and every one of you liberals is a foot soldier in my Army of truth. Mr. Obscure, you now outrank Mr. Dicely, but only by a small margin.

Thank you for posting a link to information which clearly shows that Waco was the result of Janet Reno's insane and demented behavior.

Actually, Norman, that's not what the information shows.

How about bailing on this tired act?

How about bailing on this tired act?

You first.

Kevin: "The New York Times has the latest on Purgegate ..."

Purgegate. Memogate. Plamegate. Travelgate. Contragate. Koreagate.

[snip]

Posted by: Donald from Hawaii

I too decry purgegate. It should be called 8-gate. I quote Donald to note that, given his list and considering Watergate, 8-gate would be the 8th gate.

Now I think that the suffix should not be used lightly

Straight is the gate.

"Important to Harriet and Karl! Inquiring minds want to know why."

Don't forget etc. You know that guy swings a BIG fucking dick in the White House.

…clearly shows that Waco was the result of Janet Reno's ….Norman Rogers at 1:19 PM

liberals! You are toast! Norman Rogers at 12:18 PM

Waco was the result of the religious nutcase and child molester David Koresh.

Mike,

You're a smart guy and I always look forward to reading your posts. But I strongly recommend that you seek out and find a copy of 'Rules of Engagement', the video documentary about Waco.

It wasn't Clinton, it wasn't Janet Reno. It was a cadre of lunatics in the BATF. It was a massacre.

….It was a cadre of lunatics in the BATF…obscure at 7:57 PM

I think I have to side more with obscure on this than Mike, although Mike is right that Koresh played a significant role in this fiasco happening as well as those hotheads within BATF that left their political superiors (Reno and Clinton) with their asses hanging in the breeze. While either alone could well have ended up with the same result having both in play at the same time provided a very nasty feedback reaction which made very/highly probable the disaster it was IMHO. Now, I realize I am doing a broad simplification here and that there is almost certainly points to quibble over, but I think this is a reasonable truthful/accurate overall summation if not the clear precisely truthful/accurate picture in detail.

Just my 2 cents on this one.