Login HereAnd just guess what is being served with the fine whine at Casa de GOP? Thats right, impeachment is on the table! Yep, the news of the foibles of Elliot Spitzer had been public less than 24 hours and the Republicans are seriously threatening impeachment.
State Republicans threatened on Tuesday to impeach New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer if he does not quit over a sex scandal that has raised questions over whether he could face criminal charges.
The threat added to pressure on Spitzer, a Democrat and former state chief prosecutor who made his name fighting white-collar crime on Wall Street, to step down after a report that he hired a high-priced prostitute.
Wow. That was fast. Those Republicans are serious about maintaining the integrity of government. So, what is it that has caused the righteous defenders of honesty, integrity and the rights of the public to throw down impeachment onto the table so quickly?
"If he does not resign within the next 24 to 48 hours, we will prepare articles of impeachment to remove him," said Assembly Republican Minority Leader James Tedisco.
"We need a leader in place that has the support of people on both sides of the aisle," Tedisco told Reuters.
The NYT story indicates that the basis for such an impeachment is found in their, and the Wall Street Journal's, editorials:
"He betrayed the public and it is hard to see how he will recover from this mess and go on to lead the reformist agenda on which he was elected to office."
The Wall Street Journal said Spitzer had shown his lack of restraint in overly aggressive tactics as attorney general, making "extraordinary threats" to entire firms and to those who criticized his pursuit of high-profile Wall Street figures.
"The stupendously deluded belief that the sitting Governor of New York could purchase the services of prostitutes was merely the last act of a man unable to admit either the existence of, or need for, limits," it said in an editorial.
Almost all who read here have been wondering for a long time "just exactly what in the world does it take to get impeachment on the table"? Well, now we know. If you don't have "support of people on both sides of the aisle", impeachment is on the table. If you "betray the public", impeachment is on the table. "Overly aggressive tactics as attorney general" place impeachment on the table. When the head of the executive branch is "a man unable to admit either the existence of, or need for, limits", impeachment is on the table.
Take a look at this list (as always, thank you Hugh) and explain to me how in the world that Elliot Spitzer's impeachment is on the table, but that of George Bush, Dick Cheney, Michael Mukasey, Alberto Gonzales, Michael Chertoff and the rest of the merry band of torture, war and snooping magnates is not.
Marcy is right, you guys like to chat up the Passion of the Spitz a lot. Because the earlier thread is getting awfully long, consider this a forum for all things Spitzer related. By the way, as a parting shot, I just have to ask what the hell was Spitzer thinking? A hooker in the Mayflower Hotel? Crikey, did he jog over to the Watergate for a little third rate office burglary too? Moron.
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Premature….”impeachment” is common among Republicans. Personally, I think that until there is evidence that Eliot’s Mess involved a blowjob in the Governor’s Mansion, everyone should withhold judgment.
Although, seriously, there does seem to be a concerted effort to force Spitzer to resign quickly, just as there was a maelstrom around Clinton when the Monica news broke - perhaps the legal case against him is not as strong as the leaks would indicate?
Republicans.
Oh, I think a good criminal defense lawyer is going to go to town on this baloney. The government already appears to have three different stories on the genesis of the case, depending on which “leaked story” you believe. They have a first rate clusterfuck fending off a competent inquiry/discovery by a good lawyer. so far, the only charge i can see that would hold up is a traditional solicitation misdemeanor charge, but that is only available under state law. This looks bad so far, but there isn’t squat that I have seen so far that is going to stick to Spitzer criminally.
But they’re being shrill! And they’re overreaching! They have to be bipartisan! This will cost them dearly at the polls!
Won’t it?
That’s what I keep hearing whenever the subject of impeaching Bush comes up, anyway.
I wonder what could possibly be different about this case?
great title bmaz. It’s all about the scandal. tell the dumb-masses Spitzer’s behaviour is so egregious he ought to be impeached and they’ll believe ‘em.
impeachment is a purely political process. and so, why do we not use it?
if i were Spitzer, i’d make my resignation contingent on the resignation of Vitter and Craig. the rethugs don’t care about Craig. Spitzer would be doing them a favor. it’s political. keep it political.
Elliot’s stupidity was putting himself in a position to allow the feds to make a federal case out of it.
The Repugs are hoping to shame him into resigning his seat … winning in a court of law is secondary, they’re aiming to take him down in the court of public opinion …
CNN is reporting that transition talks are already going on with the Lt. Gov’s office, so I think impeachment is just noise.
But it does take both parties to agree on impeachment before it can happen. Bush & Co are safe because neither side of the asle is interested. Spitzer is NOT safe, because the GOP wants him, the dems won’t be seen as soft on morals, and he’s made a lot of well-heeled enemies that nobody else really wants to cross.
Fwiw, I think criminal stupidity is a very good reason to resign.
Boxturtle (And he’s CERTAINLY guilty of that)
Larry Craig managed to brazen out the shaming - in a much more personally embarrassing fact situation, especially since his scandal involved a de-closeting (de-water-closeting? MUST….STOP…..JOKES!!!)
bmaz at 4 - yes, I would love to cross-examine the FBI and other law enforcement agents on the grounds for the search warrant and the wiretap authorization. In Canada, where there is an indictable offence, the accused has the right to a preliminary inquiry, where a judge decides if there is enough evidence for trial - is there such a thing in US federal procedure? It’s the best form of criminal discovery in our system, you can get a free crack at the witnesses the Crown puts up. Even if a “clean team” was sent in to do the investigation, the answers from the agents would lead in interesting directions.
the idea of joe bruno sitting in judgement on anyone’s morality is cosmically ironic.
LOL … comedy, hockey and s*x are the 3 things Canucks excel in …
nice one Bmaz! assuming a trip to LA is out today, eh?
sounds as if his wife is urging him to stay in… I think he should at least for now, until the smoke clears…
Yeah, that is called a preliminary hearing here; but, since it is a probable cause determination, you are not entitled to one if the charges are handed up by a grand jury, because that is held to be the requisite probable cause determination. I would like to get ahold of the GJ transcript, I bet there is a fair chance they screwed the pooch on the presentation. The real key will be the GJ transcript on Spitzer’s indictment (I still think there is a good chance that, if the Feds are going to charge Spitzer, it has already been done) either now or if/when it is done. This stuff just doesn’t all mesh together legally, they are going to bugger it up somewhere trying to contort a charge that is viable against Spitzer and covering their malicious corrupt tracks. If you punch enough of a hole into the GJ presentation, you can get it remanded and either demand that it be done by a preliminary hearing this time, or, alternatively seek to have defense friendly/exculpatory evidence presented to the GJ.
Spitzer fights for ordinary people, against the powerful, protecting the constitutional rights of citizens. Bush is completely the opposite. Big difference.
Yeah, i pushed a lot of stuff from yesterday morning and afternoon off until last night and I am screwed for today. Is a bummer, because it would be way cool to get you EW and others all together for cocktails. Another time soon I hope….
OT - bmaz, Horton has up a piece on The President’s Lawyers, starting with the heart of darkness, the OLC (did I mention I really think they should start impeachment asap with Bradbury?) and he ends up reaching the same OPR conclusion we did earlier.
http://harpers.org/archive/2008/03/hbc-90002595
Without even dealing with the general lack of teeth and inability to address the issues of the investigation, just on general principles.
Completely agree.
Thugs took their best shot through the newspapers. They’ve got nothing left. NYT’s ran a headline this am that Eliot was going to resign. Either that was a plant or spin to someone that he was close to an agreement with the U.S. attorney. If the GOP is launching impeachment threats, it sounds like the negotiations broke down. Sounds to me like the US Attorney is confirming what you said bmaz, he doesn’t want this going to trial.
From the timing, my guess is that they bushwacked Eliot with this on Monday morning to exert maximum pressure to get a resignation. Maybe they should have gone to Eliot first, before going public?
Spitzer’s reputation is gone. The guy was beyond stupid, but he still has some options.
If he were a Republican, he would
hide, pay a treatment center to say that he admitted himself for treatment for alcoholism or prescription pain killers.He could say that he admits he has a problem and he’s seeking professional help. That’s the smart play and he should make it. I’m concerned his ego may not allow him to even take that meager step. I’m not sure about the political landscape in New York. I’m interested in what state Democrats want him to do. His wife has to make a decision about staying with him, but I’m not sure that should impact his decision about his job.
Gates live on the TeeVee announcing that Fallon is out and Martin Dempsey is in as head of CENTCOM. War mongering bastards.
Not to go OT, but the timing with Darth’s ME trip is certainly interesting.
This is just an educated guess, but my bet is that they told Spitzer some time Friday the lowdown on what was happening.
Phred, you know me better than that! There is no “OT” with me, I have never met a thread I didn’t bust up one way or another…..
Thanks.
Fallon is really out?
DOJ led the way, but the military is starting to lockstep. You will shake your pompoms or else. *sigh*
I agree. He had the weekend to think it over, and was ready to act Monday. Supposedly, he was offered a no-prosecution agreement if he resigned but I haven’t seen any comfirmation about that.
When he resigns, he should ask Vitter and Craig to “do the right thing” as well.
Boxturtle (Like that will happen)
What, General Jack D. Ripper wasn’t available?
I would worry if I were in Iran. But what the hey! It will get the oil companies profits up higher!
I think it was this Esquire article that junior didn’t like The Man Between War and Peace
March 5, 2008, 5:02 PM
Emphasis mine.
By the way folks, I want to give a shout out to our own “Mary” Muldaur (not to be confused with Maria Muldaur) and her rendition of “Cheney At The Oasis”
Absolutely outstanding!
BTW, that’s a great title you came up with for this one…
So, with your kind indulgence then, with Fallon out of the way, Darth gets to pack his big stick in his luggage and tell his little ME chums that if they don’t start to play ball to help out our economy, well then we’ll just have to go secure some new oil fields for our very own, heh heh, we’re sure the Iranians won’t mind). Fallon’s ouster is ominous.
Mary, if that day job doesn’t pan out, maybe you can write an album with a political bent for Weird Al ; )
Pot, meet Kettle, Part 3,492: The US blasts China for torturing
Porter’s article on Fallon was in March 2007. It was hardly less of a challenge to Bush/Cheney than the Esquire piece. Why is Fallon going now? Bush/Cheney’s position hardly seems stronger now, after multiple humiliations at the hands of Iran and our intelligence agencies, than it was then.
I feel like a complete hypocrite whenever our government blasts others for human rights violations. I didn’t use to feel that way. Thanks, W!
Boxturtle (Why is giving a hooker a spanking illegal when waterboarding isn’t?)
I’m taking a guess that he knows something that has happened or is about to happen and is morally or practically against it. Likely involving Iran and Cheney’s upcoming trip to the M.E..When a military man reaches that point with the civilian leadership, right or wrong he must resign.
Boxturtle (I would hope that he speaks out afterward, but most seem not to)
Sex and power are mutually dependent. Like food and warfare, guns and oil, can’t have one without the other; the more of one, the more there is of the other. “Power” of course is relative; the opiate-effect comes from having a lot more of it than you used to have.
But the Mayflower? Apart from being half a block from the offices of K Street lobbyists who would like nothing more than to obliterate the careers of every senior Democrat in America, it’s reputation is as the virtual Prostitutes’ Hilton. (Despite the GOP’s having attempted to move “the business” out to the ‘burbs, so as to pretend that they had cleaned up DC.) Meeting up at the Mayflower is like joining the proverbial Japanese guided tour of Bangkok’s sexiest nightspots. It could not be more obvious or stupid. The arrogance of power, perhaps.
The “impeachment” argument, apart from giving us the best guffaw since the GOP claimed that the Terminator would give California a fiscally sound governator, should remind Democrats of how well-oiled is the GOP spin machine. It is ethic-less, ruthless, tireless, and apparently has endless funds with which to make mischief.
Here’s an idea. Now that the writers’ strike is over, the Dems should hire the best wordsmiths they can find. Pay them whatever they want. And flood the airwaves with well-turned phrases and evidence of GOP hypocrisy and lies and destruction - about, oh, Iraq, the budget deficit, defense spending, domestic spying and corrupt lobbying clout. Remind the voters what real crimes are all about, and why the Dems deserve to take the helm of the ship of state.
What goes unnoticed is BushCo has undermined the diplomatic efforts of Canada and other European allies as well.
Now, when we point to equal rights and the rule of law as beacons of strength and prosperity, America’s example is held up to ridicule our beliefs … not so long ago, it used to reinforce our arguments …
Sweet and sour Jesus, Bush and Cheney are going to launch a third war? This is complete madness.
They’re intentionally starting as many fires as possible for the next administration. God only knows what an attack on Iran would do to oil prices (as just one spoke on their spectacular swan song clusterf*ck) and the death-spiraling economy.
Thanks phred - people named Weird Al tend to seek me out.
31 - next thing you know, they’ll also be holding Congressional hearings on email and internet providers collaborating on the destruction of free speech and democracy by giving Govt access to …
Never mind.
I would hope Fallon gets to have his views aired in the public forum very soon, Cheney is up to no good.
Perhaps Richard Clarke, Wesley Clark and others will encourage him to do so.
Admiral Fallon, the lone voice against invading Iran, resigns on Tuesday before Cheney goes to Saudi Arabia on Sunday. That pretty much tells us what Cheney is going to say.
Note that Bush and Cheney told Saudi Arabia they were going to invade Iraq before they told Sec of State Colin Powell (or Congress, I think).
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories.....2067.shtml
“But, it turns out, two days before the president told Powell, Cheney and Rumsfeld had already briefed Prince Bandar, the Saudi ambassador.
”Saturday, Jan. 11, with the president’s permission, Cheney and Rumsfeld call Bandar to Cheney’s West Wing office, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Myers, is there with a top-secret map of the war plan. And it says, ‘Top secret. No foreign.’ No foreign means no foreigners are supposed to see this,” says Woodward.
“They describe in detail the war plan for Bandar. And so Bandar, who’s skeptical because he knows in the first Gulf War we didn’t get Saddam out, so he says to Cheney and Rumsfeld, ‘So Saddam this time is gonna be out, period?’ And Cheney - who has said nothing - says the following: ‘Prince Bandar, once we start, Saddam is toast.’”
After Bandar left, according to Woodward, Cheney said, “I wanted him to know that this is for real. We’re really doing it.”
But this wasn’t enough for Prince Bandar, who Woodward says wanted confirmation from the president. “Then, two days later, Bandar is called to meet with the president and the president says, ‘Their message is my message,’” says Woodward.
Prince Bandar enjoys easy access to the Oval Office. His family and the Bush family are close. And Woodward told 60 Minutes that Bandar has promised the president that Saudi Arabia will lower oil prices in the months before the election - to ensure the U.S. economy is strong on election day.
Woodward says that Bandar understood that economic conditions were key before a presidential election: “They’re [oil prices] high. And they could go down very quickly. That’s the Saudi pledge. Certainly over the summer, or as we get closer to the election, they could increase production several million barrels a day and the price would drop significantly.”
…
Beyond not asking his father about going to war, Woodward was startled to learn that the president did not ask key cabinet members either.
”The president, in making the decision to go to war, did not ask his secretary of defense for an overall recommendation, did not ask his secretary of state, Colin Powell, for his recommendation,” says Woodward.
But the president did ask Rice, his national security adviser, and Karen Hughes, his political communications adviser. Woodward says both supported going to war. “
If these guys are “morally or practically against” something, I wish they would choose less oblique ways of expressing their opposition. What, was the Esquire piece Fallon’s doing, a pretext for getting himself out of the way? Or was it really a “poison pen piece” that created the pretext?
How far away from the Mayflower is the St Regis (where he could have gone for an interesting cup of coffee)? (Sometimes I think I’m losing my marbles, sitting here at my computer learning all about what goes on in DC hotels.)
Kind of worrisome news about Fallon. Must look up Dempsey. Why would they be doing this now, however discredited? Because they work according to the logic of pushing back hard, maximally, all the time, no matter what, even as things get worse — always the maximum push, never any self-doubt.
I hadn’t even thought of that until you typed it. Canada is just too nice to us. If I were Canada, America would LEAD the report of human rights abusers. We may not be the worst, but Bush has done more damage to the cause of Human Rights in his 8 years than all the other countries put together. The only thing we haven’t done yet is summary executions after military trials with secret evidence…but we’re working on that, check back this time next year.
Boxturtle (Why not just lock ‘em up with the general prison population? That would save a lot of money on trials and executions. Amad, meet Big Bubba. he’s your cellmate)
This puts Cheney’s trip to the Middle East in a whole new light.
The real question is probably who did Cheney ask? And who did he task with coming up with the plan anyway.
Fallon’s resignation needs to hit the airwaves big time. It signals that Big Dick and Little George are playing in the dry woods with a big box of matches - and a gallon of gasoline. They’re going to give Congress a reason it can’t refuse about why US troops need to be stationed permanently in the Middle East. The world be damned.
Bandar, who blocked the BAE investigation.
Do you think Cheney had a payload loosed over the UK as a present to the Saudis?
Just a bad joke, like pretty much everything this administration does.
If the Congressional Dems have any gonads, they’ll bring Adm. Fallon in to testify as to the reasons for and maneuvering behind his premature resignation. In closed session if necessary. I’m not holding my breath.
A few weeks ago, I remember reading somewhere (no idea where, anyone else remember this?) that BushCo was trying to get Fallon out of the way before the summer. That if they were successful, they would have time to start something with Iran, in time for McCain to be elected as the next War President. If I had a better memory or was handier with teh Google, I would find it, but alas, neither is the case.
I try never to expect people to act like they aren’t human, and usually I am not disappointed.
We can knock the Republicans for their corruption and misdeeds, and that is fair enough, but we really look stupid when we expect the Democrats to all be as pure as Snow White.
I look at it like I look at boats.
A boat might look fine when you inspect it on the water, and then you pull it out the water or dive under it, and then if it is
a wooden craft, you might find rot, or swollen and falling out knots, etc.
A steel craft will rust.
An aluminum one will corrode.
Copper clad bottoms have their own problems as well.
It seems that the parts generally out of public view are the ones you have to worry about.
The only craft you can be reasonably sure not to be surprised at are fiberglass boats.
So where are the fiberglass politicians? In any party?
Where is Jesus?
Canada used to deport refugees that came across the U.S. border, back to America but a Canadian High Court ruling stated that is now inhuman, given America’s policy to deny aliens protection under civil law and even torture/deny habeas corpus to non- citizens.
Thank you, Bush, Cheney, AbuG, Mukasey … and thank you Schumer, HoJo, Reid & Pelosi for being complicit in the undermining of America’s laws and values …
He goes every spring now.
I’ve stopped counting carriers, too. I just can resuscitate the feeling of alarm I felt two years ago, or wrap my mind around the possibility of an attack on Iran after the NIE and the denouement after our anti-Ahmedinejad campaign. Tell me I’m right.
They are limited by their own honor and oaths. The US military is under CIVILIAN leadership. Ultimately, the generals must obey their civilian leaders. If they cannot, they must resign. By oath and honor, they cannot refuse a direct order in any other way.
Boxturtle (And that’s as it should be.)
Before the Esquire piece?
When Fallon said, “Not on my watch,” would we invade Iran, he meant it. His watch is about to expire.
Fallon is the most visible and credible critic opposing more wars in the Middle East. He knows that war with Iran would make the occupation of Iraq look like the invasion of Grenada. Which means doing just that is likely to be a main topic Cheney wants to chat about.
Unlike Powell and Myers and their ilk, Fallon knows that there’s a limit to doing whatever the boss tells you, especially if it would stretch US armed forces - and America - beyond endurance.
“If they cannot, they must resign.”
Well, he’s resigning.
Last I saw, he was hanging out with George Foreman, grillin and chillin.
Last year he said there were “several of us…trying to keep the crazies in their box.”
Well, regardless, much of this “powering up” could have been avoided with impeachment hearings against Bush and Cheney for violations of FISA, and violating the geneva convention laws on torture. The fact that we did not do this, makes me oh, feel, pretty hopeless. Hearings would have continually put the focus on the wrongdoings of this administration. Winning or losing would not have been as important as having them as a background for the “war mongers”. We are very vulnerable to their manipulations now.
I’d say the crazies burned the box and got out. This is big news. He’s the first top commander to cry bullshit and resign before doing the dirty work. Congress needs to get his testimony on record NOW, before Cheney comes back from the Middle East.
Cheney won’t ask permission to go to war, he’ll start it first and tell Congress to Cheney itself or lose the election in November. Congress may still fall for that one; I don’t think the voters will. I think they’ll be looking for tar and feathers.
I recall reading that as well, but also don’t recall where.
Nor do I think it a coinkydink that the Cheney/Fallon fiasco is happening just before the Easter break, when minds and news coverage (about, oh, sex and a progressive Democratic governor) are elsewhere.
“Where is Jesus?”
Do we really want a plastic jesus? I don’t think we want a ‘turn the other cheek’ type of guy. My take would be someone like Adlai Stevenson.
I’m in exactly the same boat as you, phred. Rumors about Fallon going have been going about for several weeks, but damned if I can put my hands on it right now.
Jeezuz, this is one smart group of folks. Didn’t take more than two minutes for phred to connect Cheney’s trip with Fallon’s
having his ass finally handed to him on a platterresignation.So - unless I missed an earlier comment - might I suggest that the GOP/WH are going to grab onto Spitzer like a dog with a bone and shake the hell out of him. Just to distract from sh*t like, you know… .the sudden
f*ck you, Fallon! from WH/OV‘resignation’, with its implications for Iran.Oh, and Dick’s trip this weekend…
But pay no attention to the sh*t we pull! Focus your gaze on s*x! On impeaching a guy for s*x! Pay no attention to the falling Dow! Pay no attention to the Big Shitpile!
FauxNewz = Dem s*x, 24/7.
Iran?
Never heard of it.
There is a piece of good news from this. If David Paterson is governor of NY, besides being legally blind–probably an asset in Albany, and the 4th African American governor, he will be an Obama SuperDeeeee instead of one supporting Mizzzzz 3AM Redphone–Yo Burkle Where the Hell is Bill on that plane?”
I hope Spitzer fights this by aggressively going after the source of the information DOJ used to go after him–bank account mining by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication.
The serious story that is going to emerge but is slow is the continued vibrant corruption in DOJ using illeggal data mining of bank accounts via SWIFT in Brussels to gather information on potential targets where they set up what ammounts to an RSS feeed of any info on names they have listed to target from satellite wiretaps and banking data bases accessed on US citizens.
Aside from my firm belief that Spitzer’s dilemma is the fruit of the poisonous SWIFT Brussels bank database operated by CIA and commandeered by Cheney-Rove-Addington-Gillespie to target political opponents, perhaps Vitter’s more economical hookers from the DC Madam coupled with his indeminty as a Rethuglican protected him from any talk of sanctions or removal.
Andrea Mitchell ought to ask Mr. Andrea Mitchell about the use of SWIFT to start this investigation, since Greenspan was in on it from the beginning.
I wonder if Spitzer’s attorneys could leverge a threat to DOJ that they will move to discover DOJ’s use of CIA data bases through SWIFT to trigger the facade of an IRS investigation the media can’t see through. I’d advise Spitzer to tell the Republicans in Albany to go screw themselves and hang on.
The press, classy as always has been Spitzin out some classy and informative headlines though.
A History of Hookers and HO NO He Diunnnt!
Predict Which Pun the NY Post Will Choose for Tomorrow’s Spitzer Cover
NAILED
SCREWED
SPENT
RING STING
HOOK, LINE & SPITZER
STEAMROLLED
BLOWING OFF STEAM
LOVE POTION #9
A NIGHT AT THE SPITZ
AN EL’ OF A GOOD TIME
SPITZER SWALLOWS
I don’t understand what the outrage is of the MSNBC talkie head ladies that Spitzer would have been soliciting hookers (actually I think they solicited him) while busting him. They sure don’t understand the diverse benefits of CLE and OJT do they?
My hope is that, if the NY State Republicans pursue an impeachment of Spitzer, the NY legislature then performs a last minute bait and switch with the motion, substituting any of the latter names in place of Spitzer’s name.
That is exactly right. There is a whole lot of good that would emanate from an impeachment proceeding, of any top administration official; it does not depend on or require an ultimate conviction. Merely having the process would strengthen our democracy immeasurably.
quick correction, bmaz — I think that’s Part 3,492 to the 12th power.
Yeah, I know, EWs blogger software makes it tough puttin’ in the exponents.
I’ll admit, this defective memory of mine makes me crazy… So I just did a bit of hunting around. I still haven’t found the piece I saw, but ThinkProgress had this up on March 5th, based on a preview of the Esquire piece. I would guess that the piece I saw was like that, based on Esquire, but explicitly tied to both a BushCo last gasp and a booster shot to the McCain campaign… I’ll keep looking…
Heh, I’ve tried to figure out how to do exponents and the little interlocking double s that stands for “section” or “subsection” in legal cites. No clue…..
Watch Bush’s body language since that NIE was released, to undercut him and Cheney, back in Oct. The man looks unbalanced… I’m not a clinician, just a citizen. I’m not diagnosing; just sayin’ the guy doesn’t look well at all.
Now, what happens to people when they back themselves into corners?
Like old, hungry, wounded timber rattlers, they get ever more dangerous, and act in strangely risky ways.
re: fallon. i’m going back to watching where the carriers are:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/...../where.htm
rotl — wouldn’t surprise me in the least if DoJ kept the Spitzer thing under wraps until they could use it for cover. That’s typical for this administration. And I think I saw yesterday a comment that the USA in NY was “tearing his hair out” to get main DoJ to sign off on an indictment. My guess is DoJ knew what a useful decoy Spitzer could be for them…
Yes, Fallon needs to hit the airwaves.
Which means the GOP needs to fling a lot of sh*t, and conveniently, they’ve got Eliot Spitzer as their Bright, Shiny Object.
We’ll be told Spitzer’s sexcapades are more urgent than hearing Fallon.
Innertoobz outta start working with VoteVets to ensure Fallon is heard.
Great link, thank you.
Was the Esquire article a set-up to get rid of Fallon by portraying him as over-reaching?
Bob in HI
Oh, THOSE carriers. The floating ones with planes on them. Yep.
We need color coded Cheney alerts in shades of shit brown starting from baby poop and going to bleeding colon.
Does Junior read Esquire?
It’s a bug.
That feature requires a bit more coding than the interfaces can handle at present.
But (you could try (parens))
I say this mostly b/c I think we’re gonna be looking at really BIG numbers in coming months, and exponents would be so handy.
;-))
Use ^ to mean “raised to the power”
2^3=8
Parallel thought process on my end.
The timing of Spitzer was 100% under contol of the
DoJWH.They could have done this on March 4th, but the caucuses would have hidden it.
Why now?
What sh*t are these assholes pulling now, that they need cover for?
Fallon.
And what else?
According to Bushie, they are racing to the finish line…
He’s going out a winnah?
Use scientific notation, for example 1 trillion is 1E12, or if you prefer 1.E+12. After a trillion, I start to lose track of the zeros, I better brush up, eh?
That was a rhetorical question, I hope, Bob ;-))
As long at the convention is agreeable to others, that works like a dream.
Thought others might think I was getting a little too heavy into the smileys < @8^}</p>
FWIW, last week EW mentioned Bush trying to oust Fallon so he could go into Iran (March 6th, Viktor Bout comment thread). Still can’t find the bit about McCain though…
That’d be great if EW put the notation in a sidebar so everyone knows what we’re talking about ;-))
I find it easier to be accurate with exponents. Once I have to put in the n45u48m7444b34430ers, it’s easy to make an error ;-))
Maybe there are some other considerations in the fire-Fallon-send-Cheney-to-tell-the-midEast-to-Cheney-themselves-while-giving-us-more-oil ploy?
Bush went and reportedly asked for more oil. Bushco never, as far as I recall, goes into any conference type of thing without the outcome being known to them. My conjecture is that Bush went so he could say he asked for more production, but that the Saudis blew him off, as was (conjecture) agreed in advance.
IMO Bushco wants oil to be high to water our debts, and enrich the Saudis so that the Saudis will bail out our banks/shitpiles. The House of Saud also has been going off the reservation by talking to Syria, Jordan, and Palestine, and generally trying to make peace, since I don’t think the Saudis really want war with Shite Iran/Iraq They might let us do a proxy war for them, but the refugee, economic, and the chance of being drawn into the war themselves by bad Bushco planning, make a proxy war dicey.
I’ve got to laugh because the fact that the Democrats might draw out their primaries until mid June might save us from another optional war. My reasoning: Bushco does not overtly want to be seen as making war to muck with politics (although they did, and do). The primaries were supposed to be settled in March, ramp up for war until June, major war June through August (can’t last longer, no money, no troops, no equipment, and 60 days is all a President gets to do without Congressional approval, unless Kyl-Lieberman is invoked as authorization), draw down and ‘mission accomplished’ with election of John McSame September through December. By the Democrats running out the primary clock, Bushco has lost 3 precious months.
Too much tinfoil? Thoughts?
Steinn at Catdynamics will likely be keeping track and posting commentary on carrier positions–at least he has in previous waves of Iran worries. He’s a nice additional resource because in addition to their current positions, he generally notes which movements are rotations, how long the various carriers can stay out, etc.
HERE IT IS!!! Thank goodness C&L linked to their earlier post. Here’s where I saw the bit about McCain. Whew! I can now have a good night’s sleep tonight (well, sort of ; )
If the Democrats really do allow this to happen, what the heck are they good for? Nothing? Maybe Ralph Nader is right.
Disgusted,
Bob in HI
Insightful.
I’d not calculated the Dem primaries into the equation.
However, as we all know, the WH is fighting for time on all requests for info, etc, etc. Sooner or later it’s going to catch up with them if some (most likely diehard, old-school, pissed off Republican judge) tells them to either hand the stuff over, or they’ll be arrested for contempt.
Bmaz, could that happen… is it legally possible?
The other problem they face is sheer desperation as the meltdown of their ambitions turns to sh*t, they’ve lost the thoughtful part of the American faithful (see beliefnet.com), and they neocons are turning on one another.
Time’s running out and they’re being riskier and riskier. Spitzer’s a piker next to these guys.
From MSNBC:
I didn’t know that commanders needed to be approved by the Senate. Guess that doesn’t help much, though, does it?
Just read Josh Marshall’s Big Picture and the summary is: “Fallon’s Too Sane