"The political crisis in America today is not betwen the Left and the Right, but between a numerically small but extremely dangerous, very wealthy, well-connected, and powerful cabal of extreme rightwing radicals and the rest of the country.
At the moment, the cabal's wealth and connections are all but impervious, give or take an Abramoff or two. But their power, that's a different story, that's where you and I come in. We have to vote. Yes, it's quite conceivable that Bush will ignore Congress and launch an invasion or nuclear assault on Iran despite a hostile Democratically controlled Congress that forbids it. But at least we can help elect that Congress and, if he ignores their wishes, make the point even more explicit to the unconvinced that we are no longer living in anything remotely resembling a working democracy.
* everyone is pointing to this article in the Wapo called "Ties to GOP Trumped Know-How Among Staff Sent to Rebuild Iraq" about how people like simone ledeen, and only people like simone ledeen, ended up dominating the CPA and fucking up iraq. for some reason the headline on the frontpage of wapo is "U.S. Missteps in the Green Zone." atrios: " impeach them all... impeach them all now..."
* everyone is making fun of krauthammer's "Then there is the larger danger of permitting nuclear weapons to be acquired by religious fanatics seized with an eschatological belief in the imminent apocalypse and in their own divine duty to hasten the End of Days."
tristero for example.
* Ron continues his devastating work on armitage with this terrific post: " Armitage Hearts Musharraf"
* jeralyn picked up strobel's iran reporting and adds:
"Larisa at Raw Story has been writing similar reports for a long time."* a commenter at EW's:
"Good morning readers of The Next Hurrahgrain of salt - but it sure does feel like something is going on. what will the headline be next month? 'Leopold Vindicated' or 'Leopold, Laughing Stock'?
This is my first time commenting here. I feel it necessary to do so today. There will be a new wrinkle in this investigation soon, however, I cannot say whether it will help or hurt. I can tell all of you unequivocally that Jason Leopold, the reporter, has obtained raw copies of Grand Jury testimony that will likely see him having reported accurately on Karl Rove's truly being indicted and the after-the-indictment deal hammered out between the prosecution and Mr. Rove's attorney. I believe the letter to Mr. Luskin Mr. Leopold obtained will confirm that. But more importantly, in my opinion, the grand jury testimony that Mr. Leopold has--and may I add that whoever provided it to him did so illegally--has some very, very interesting information about VP Cheney and a certain individual at the CIA who used to work for John Bolton. If Leopold prints this story and provides copies of the testimony it will add yet another layer to this drama.
I speak about this based on second hand information. I know Mr. Leopold has been in Washington the past two weeks authenticating documents. Perhaps Mr. Leopold does not realize that the Beltway rivals Los Angeles as the gossip mecca of the US. Some of the attorneys and US Congressman he has been speaking with have thus shared his information with others.
I have not seen any of the materials first hand, but if what one of my Democratic aides to a particular Midwest congressman says is true all hell is about to break loose.
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I will state it again. I have had zero communication with Mr. Leopold and I have never met or spoken with him before. But if anyone here lives in DC or works in DC they would know it's an open secret that Leopold has some sort of documents."
12 comments:
The upper echelon of the administrative branch has been committing the biggest-penalty crimes on the books since the first week, yet none have been called to account, even when under court order to cease and desist.
A great many people are certain the Bush administration was annointed and appointed by God, and will move mountains to make sure there isn't a scratch on 'em. Life should be so good to you and me.
So the question isn't whether Leopold has the goods and what he has, but does it matter?
P.S. Nice job on this, Luke!
uranus: "So the question isn't whether Leopold has the goods and what he has, but does it matter?"
it might matter if fitz has the goods :-)
We hope so. I wish I didn't care about this story, and had all the time back I've spent reading about it. It isn't that it could operate as a gateway to further investigations that fascinates me. What's remarkable is that the most secretive presidency in history is so up front and out there with certain of the highly illegal things it does. Am I supposed to believe they're powerful because they evade prosecution? It's highly psychological, and I admit I've been hypnotized.
Like domestic abuse, there was never anything to think about. Shit or get off the pot, Fitzgerald.
the difference between Leopold and someone like Corn or Isikoff or Woodward is that Leopold will report the news if he has it rather than wait to break it wide open with a book.
And no matter how many times Leopold gets knocked down, criticized, roasted over the coals, or beaten to a pulp, he just keeps on fighting, keeps on digging. Is it about Leopold or about the truth? Maybe it's both but at least it's also about the truth. With Corn, Isikoff, and even Woodward it's about more money in their pockets
I admire Leopold for staying the course. Any man deserves vindication if he was wrongfully accused.
stanly - i agree. good luck to him.
i agree w/everyone above especially Uranus's 'Shit or get off the pot, Fitzgerald.'
i mean, really--it's long past due. i've lost a lot of faith in what i used to think of his integrity.
LEOPOLD VINDICATED! (but will we ever know, will we the people ever find out the truth before he disappears down some black hole?)
I'm as impatient as the next person to see Fitz lower the boom, but I'd rather he take his time and catch the whole GD lot of them, in one swoop, in October.
I think Leopold has been right on all along and it does not at all surprise me that John Bolton's name pops up here. He has always been my fave for culprit numero uno.
Better yet, I'm banking on conspiracy charges against the whole dastardly WHIG, that handful of snakes.
I owe John Bolton one thing. I discovered the blogosphere, chasing down stuff on him. It's a whole new world and a whole new tool.
Peace, ya'll
P.S. Does the name Fred Fleitz ring any bells as the person who used to work for Bolton? He was on loan to Cheney from Bolton, during the Niger forgery hayday and curiously, the single author of the similarly fraudulent recent Congressional Report on Iran's nuclear threat.
Someone who is in the know about Beltway gossip and regulary speaks with congressional adies is Steve Clemons. he would be pursuing Bolton info.
kathleen - yeah - fleitz is dodgy.
ftr - i asked both sibel, and mathieu if bolton's name ever came up - and they both said 'no'
ftr - i disagree with 'shit or get off the pot' - which isn't to say that i necesarily think that he's a golden boy. but if he's beavering away trying to get cheney, i'm more than happy with him doing what it takes (altho of course i wish it happened yesterday)
Bolton's name came up when the House Intel Committee reviewed the phone records between his office and Flietz in Cheney's office. They were cooking the State Dept. memo and including the 16 words.
The administration refuses to give over the NSA Intercept requests Bolton made and he was questioned about the Plame case, but lied about it on his questionaire. Sounds fishy to me and retaliating against critics is his modus operendi. I could be wrong of course, it's a hunch thing.
kath - i'm hunchin with you
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