While Supplies Last...

YOU DON'T KNOW DICK Action figure dressed in jeans or Urban Camo pants, Shotgun, T-shirt and Retractabe kick spike shoes.
$29.95

Did I Do That..?

Cheney aide's notes identified CIA agent

Fitz & Spitz...

a bumper sticker I saw in a dream last night.

R.I.P...

Kenneth McCabe.

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

And if you come, when all the flowers are dying
And I am dead, as dead I well may be
You'll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me.

And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread above me
And all my dreams will warm and sweeter be
If you'll not fail to tell me that you love me
I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.

I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.


And one last one for the road...

May those who love us, love us;
and those who don't love us,
may God turn their hearts;
and if He doesn't turn their hearts,
may he turn their ankles
so we'll know them by their limping. ;)

Explosive Emails..?

Boom!

I Work For The People...

The Beat Goes On...

The beat goes on.
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain.
La de da de de, la de da de da.

"Today, defense lawyers are also expected to file a motion asking U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton, who is presiding over the case, to dismiss all charges against Libby.

La de da de de

On Friday, Fitzgerald and the defense attorneys are scheduled to argue at a court hearing whether Fitzgerald should have to provide Libby with classified material and information about reporters and administration officials questioned in the investigation." Wa. Po.

La de da de da.

It Is Snowing...

but the tireless members of my grand jury and staff will not be deterred from serving their country once again today. America, ya gotta love it!

Do You Ever Feel Like Staying In Bed...

with your blanket pulled over your head? Feverish 103 degree out of the box thinking over President's Day made a new man out of me.

Happy Tuesday - Vente Vanilla Latte, Advil and a salt water gargle to the rescue.

So much time, so little to do...reverse that. ;)

Getting Warmer...

Allah Is Great And Merciful...

just please find me a soft bed somewhere between D.C. , Manhattan and Chicago the commutes are taking their toll.

Live Long And Prosper...

Very Special Agent John C. Eckenrode.

You were a delight to work with and we could not have done it without you. Good luck in the private sector and make sure that pocket watch the Bureau gave you isn't ticking. ;)

The Family Jewels...

are red, white and blue and a greymail defense won't save you, Scooter.

The charges of perjury, false statements and obstruction of justice against you are black and white.

Peacock/Turkey

Consolidated Response to Team Libby's Discovery Motions.

Out Of Touch...

but not out of tune - Cheney Walks The Line

CSI Kenedy County Texas...

reads like Mayberry RFD. Ain't no city slickers or media types gonna tell them how to do their job.

Quick facts - Population 407 - 1,457 Sq. miles - 0.3 persons per square mile

In related news - "Cheney is in a 'state of meltdown' over shooting his friend and the political fallout it has caused."

Meltdown, huh? Ice or molten tin?

Whittington Shooting Schmooting...

Brit Hume and our friends at FOX News might want to ask Dick some hard questions about how he shot himself in the foot with this Special Prosecutor:

"Cheney told investigators that he first learned about Valerie Plame Wilson and her employment with the CIA from Libby. Cheney testified that Libby told him that several reporters had contacted him in July to say that Plame Wilson had been responsible for arranging her husband's trip to Niger to investigate the Niger uranium claims"

He lies about as well as he shoots.

Let The Sun Shine In: Vice President Dick Cheney directed his aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby to use classified material to discredit a critic of the Bush administration's Iraq war effort, the National Journal reported on Thursday. Court papers released last week show that Libby was authorized to disclose classified information to news reporters by "his superiors," in an effort to counteract diplomat Joe Wilson's charge that the Bush administration twisted intelligence on Iraq's nuclear weapons to justify the 2003 invasion.

More Cartoons & Buffoonery...

Iran vs. Germany - Which one is the the Prophet Mohammed?

Karl Rove vs. Norway in the Rose Garden yesterday.

Sympathy For The Devil..?

Graphic: New Abu Ghraib photos released
Winning their hearts and minds - one at a time.

Harry W. - Before And After...

Jon Stewart: "we're going to downgrade the condition of the story from 'Incredibly Hilarious' to 'Still funny, but, mmm, now a little sad.'"

FOX: Does anyone care how Cheney is feeling?
Boys will be boys - Dick Cheney and Sadaam fondling cold hard steel.

I Am Irish...

so I can ask this question: Mr. Cheney how many drinks did you have on the afternoon of February 11th?

Mr. Vice President, be a man and answer truthfully or we will have to ask Mr. Whittington, Ms. Armstrong, Amb. Willeford and the Secret Service detail.

Thank you for your cooperation.

UPDATE: Cheney's hunting host lobbied White HouseMSNBC - 1 hour ago... ... "There may be a beer or two ... she said, "but remember not everyone in the party was shooting.". ...
Screen shot of scrubbed story.
Uh huh, and I find it queer that MSNBC has scrubbed that quote from a piece online - either they are doing a separate story or under pressure from the most powerful man in the world.

Born Yesterday..?

In my line of work you learn how to read between the lines.

Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren said at least one deputy showed up at the ranch's front gate Saturday night and asked to speak to Cheney, but was turned away by Secret Service agents.

Zahren said there was some miscommunication and that arrangements had been made for the vice president to be interviewed Sunday morning. The VP, in the field, with the shotgun and a snort of Jameson.

UPDATE 2-15: Cheney admits drinking alcohol before shooting.

Reunited And It Feels So Good...

How Sweet It Is - Appellate Court to Hear Judy Miller Phone Records Case
If all else fails I will order them online for $89.95.

Happy St. V Day...

Time: How Cheney Stalled The Press
VP's Press Office Mum
The Daily Show: “The Vice President Is Standing By His Decision To Shoot Harry Whittington”...
Letterman's Top 10: Cheney Excuses: #4. "I thought the guy was trying to go 'gay cowboy' on me"

Shady Deals in Smoky Rooms...

have been replaced by email in this day and age - Abramoff Close Ties to Rove - and I have seen some very interesting ones between friends...Patience is a virtue in this far reaching case of greed, corruption and influence peddling. Remember Jack is cooperating. :)

In Theaters This Summer...

an Oliver Stone film based on true events.

Stripped, weaponless, alone and only ten desperate seconds ahead of Dick Cheney!

Plot Summary: A group of men are on a bird hunting trip in Texas. One of the party Harry Whittington, a millionaire attorney from Austin refuses to give a gift to the most powerful man in the world - the Vice President of the United States. Dick is offended...

Soundtrack by the Toyes - featuring Smoke Two Joints

This film is not yet rated.

53 Felonies..!

That perks me up faster than a Venti Mocha Latte. Anything over fifty and I am impressed - hats off to Ohio's AG Jim Petro!
Indictment in coin scandal

Thomas W. Noe, the coin dealer and prominent Bush and GOP contributor whose $50 million state coin investment sparked one of the biggest scandals in Ohio state government history, was indicted today. Noe used a “Ponzi” scheme to fabricate profits within the state’s questionable rare-coin investment.

The charges include engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, 11 counts of theft, 11 of money laundering, 8 of tampering with records and 22 of forgery. Noe could be sentenced to a maximum 175 years in prison.

Is it just me or is there a pattern starting to develop here?

Clap Your Hands If You Believe...

Abramoff Says He Met Bush 'Almost a Dozen' Times

Take the poll. The results may surprise Karl, trust me.

Global Warming...

is a misnomer - Global Climate Change is more accurate.


Shout out to Prospect Park in Brooklyn USA. - It is good to be home today.

Talk To The Hand...

Democrat and Republican Call on Fitzgerald: Probe Cheney in leak

If any politicians inside the Beltway want to call and offer me advice in this case - my direct line is 555-1212. Yeah, right!

"Senator George Allen (R-VA) expressed confidence in Fitzgerald, whom he called "a very articulate, professional prosecutor." FYI, his father coached the Redskins, that is too cool!

"I think this calls into question in terms of Fitzgerald's investigation of the conduct of the vice president and others," Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) said. "I think he has to look closely at their behavior."

Very interesting Timeline of leak.

PS: Seriously, anyone with relevant information or who wants to come forward and testify or...cut a deal - call the DOJ anytime and ask for Fitzgerald, Patrick Fitzgerald.

I Shot The Lawyer...

but I did not shoot no Prosecutor.

Oh, no, oh. Cheney Shoots Lawyer - News Held for 24 Hours

Often alcohol or drugs are contributing factors in these types of domestic violence cases. I will look into it.

Also, I am relieved that he didn't kill the guy since we all know that Dick is a lover, not a fighter and he deserves a lot more than a manslaughter plea.

I Am No Saint...

and now I will have to change my jogging route.


The Observer

"He is the relentless scourge of mobsters, terrorists, corrupt city bosses and even the White House. Paul Harris profiles Patrick Fitzgerald, the tenacious workaholic special prosecutor, who gives George Bush sleepless nights, and who has now turned his sights on the former Telegraph tycoon Conrad Black"

"On fine days, when the icy blasts that give Chicago its Windy City nickname are not too strong, a lone figure sometimes exits a plush downtown house. The man, tall but unstriking, jogs a short distance to the shore of Lake Michigan. There, he runs a narrow path between the deep blue of the lake and Chicago's jagged-toothed skyline." <more>

The Real Deal II - Bush/Abramoff/Rove Photo

"In the picture, President Bush is talking with Chief Raul Garza of the Kickapoo tribe of southwest Texas.

The NY Times, which published the photo, reports:[The picture] leaves unanswered questions about how Mr. Abramoff and the tribal leader, whom he was trying to sign as a client, gained access to a meeting with the president on the White House grounds that was ostensibly for a group of state legislators who were supporting Mr. Bush’s 2001 tax cut plan.

The photo of Abramoff with Bush at a private meeting undermines White House claims that any meetings between the two occured at “widely attended” holiday parties. The White House has confirmed the picture’s authenticity.

Time Magazine has more details on the meeting: Talking about the photo, Abramoff has told friends, “I was standing right next to the window and after the picture was taken, the President came over and shook hands with me, and we chatted and joked.” A photograph of that scene as described by Abramoff was shown to TIME two weeks ago."

FYI, I am busy watching the Olympics with my friend Joe Biden and he said I could just copy and paste this text straight from ThinkProgress if I reformat it and fix their typos. Also, I stand by my the "other" photos of Bush and Abramoff here.

And if you are curious as to where more photos are or what happened to them read this.

My John Hancock...

Any graphologists out there - Tell me something I don't know?

Dick...

Cheney Role Risks Political Fallout

Regarding the Wall Street Journal: Sorry I don't read rags. I recommend the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

I Am Humbled...

An Ode to Patrick Fitzgerald

Quick! Refer Them To Customer Service...

Senators Ask AT&T, Sprint Nextel And Verizon, If They Spied On Americans...

Imagine Peace...

Best Opening Ceremony I have ever seen.

And don't you just love the new AT&T ads?


Have a great weekend!

Food For Thought...

for conspiracy theorists, insomniacs and Scooter's eyes only - the Jan 23rd letter...

Curiouser and Curiouser...

...and a nice end of week wrap up here at Firedoglake where I pinched this graphic.

My Apologies, Conrad...

but I am a little preoccupied here in Washington. I am both sorry and impressed that you noticed I just swoop in for the press conferences and to fluff my lines.

Good Journalism...

is an asset to our country's greatness and so is Elizabeth De la Vega.

CNN's Bill Schneider has my respect as well.

Libby, Abramoff, Brown sing like birds
Their rendition of 'It Wasn't Just Me' is Play of the Week
Here in Washington, the halls are alive with the sound of music...<more>

I Often Struggle...

to see the good in all people.

Seriously, what rock did Ann Coulter crawl out from under and more importantly why is she the darling of the GOP and FOX News?

Ann Coulter on Muslims at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) here in D.C. today as reported by Max Blumenthal(who writes for The Nation and The Huffington Post):

"I think our motto should be post-9-11, 'raghead talks tough, raghead faces consequences.'" (This declaration prompted a boisterous ovation.)

Coulter on killing Bill Clinton:(Responding to a question from a Catholic University student about her biggest moral or ethical dilemma) "There was one time I had a shot at Clinton. I thought 'Ann, that's not going to help your career.'"

Coulter on moderate Republicans: "There is more dissent on a slave plantation then amongst moderates in the Republican party."

Coulter on the Holocaust: "Iran is soliciting cartoons on the Holocaust. So far, only Ted Rall, Garry Trudeau, and the NY Times have made submissions."

Coulter on the Supreme Court: "If we find out someone [referring to a terrorist] is going to attack the Supreme Court next week, can't we tell Roberts, Alito, Thomas and Scalito?"

After Coulter's speech, Blumenthal approached Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist in the CPAC exhibitor's hall, "I asked him what he thought of Coulter's characterization 15 minutes earlier of Muslims as "ragheads."

His reply? "I wasn't there so I better not comment."

The Brad Blog has the Audio

I would prosecute Ann for jay-walking if given the chance. And Senator Frist, don't forget you are judged by the company you keep.

Let The Games Begin And END...

I love the opening ceremony of the Olympics. I smiled when I read the following:

"Eight women carried the Olympic flag: Italian actress Sophia Loren, Chilean writer Isabel Allende, American actress Susan Sarandon, Nobel Peace-prize winner Wangari Maathai of Kenya, and three Olympic medal winners. They were Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco, Manuela Di Centa of Italy, and Maria Mutola of Mozambique. The eighth was Cambodian human rights activist Somaly Mam."

I know Isabel, she lives just outside of San Francisco. And yes, she is the niece of Dr. Salvadore Allende (this Wikipedia entry is wrong when it states "who apparently committed suicide during the coup") the democratically elected President of Chile who was assassinated by General Augusto Pinochet, with support from the U.S. Government and American corporate interests in 1973.

The brutal regime of General Pinochet is a perfect example of what can happen to good people when bad people in Washington ignore the rule of law and subscribe to an "ends justify the means" mentality under the guise of "patriotism" and "national security." Personally, I call them criminals.

Let The Sun Shine In...

New York Times: I. Lewis Libby Jr., the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, told a grand jury that he was authorized by his "superiors" to disclose classified information to reporters about Iraq's weapons capability in June and July 2003, according to a document filed by a federal prosecutor.

Associated Press: A former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney told a federal grand jury that his superiors authorized him to give secret information to reporters as part of the Bush administration's defense of intelligence used to justify invading Iraq, according to court papers.

Washington Post: Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff testified that his bosses instructed him to leak information to reporters from a high-level intelligence report that suggested Iraq was trying to obtain weapons of mass destruction, according to court records in the CIA leak case.Cheney was one of the "superiors" I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby said had authorized him to make the disclosures, according to sources familiar with the investigation into Libby's discussions with reporters about CIA operative Valerie Plame.

Reuters: Vice President Dick Cheney directed his aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby to use classified material to discredit a critic of the Bush administration's Iraq war effort, the National Journal reported on Thursday.Court papers released last week show that Libby was authorized to disclose classified information to news reporters by "his superiors," in an effort to counteract diplomat Joe Wilson's charge that the Bush administration twisted intelligence on Iraq's nuclear weapons to justify the 2003 invasion.

Democracy Now: We speak with investigative journalist Murray Waas who reports that Lewis "Scooter" Libby - Cheney's indicted former chief of staff - testified he had been "authorized" by Cheney and other White House "superiors" to disclose classified information to journalists to defend the Bush administration's use of prewar intelligence in making the case to invade Iraq.

From the Desk of Patrick J. Fitzgerald: Justice will prevail.

I Could Barely Sleep...

last night - wound up pretty tight in anticipation of taking the Grand Jury out for another spin today and one too many Red Bulls.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the media will be out in force today so I am going to wear my new dark blue three button Zegna, a white Brioni shirt w/ French cuffs (I figure anything French is good luck) and a perfectly matched Charvet tie (I know this because the sales clerk chose it...I am color blind). And since you don't go to the prom wearing dirty underwear (life wisdom an English professor once taught me) - boxers - 100% cotton, made in the U.S.A., no starch ;)

Photos Of Bush And Abramoff..?

You asked for them, yes?


Mr. President, never met him, no?
Click photo to enlarge.

You Know It...

Clues Right Under My Nose...

the whole time. Doh!
Cheney Spearheaded Effort to Discredit Wilson
"The way I remember it," the CIA official said about that first meeting he attended in Cheney's office, "is that the vice president was obsessed with Wilson. He called him an 'asshole,' a son-of-a-bitch. He took his comments very personally. He wanted us to do everything in our power to destroy his reputation and he wanted to be kept up to date about the progress."

Mr. Potty Mouth, in the EOB, with the fatal temper.

Cheney 'Authorized' Libby To Leak Classified Information

Loud And Clear...

Washington Times: Bush is spying on American-American phone calls IN THE US


"Hello dahling...yes, we understand. We will blow up
Petticoat Junction's water tower immediately"

Heck Of A Job...

This is some party loyalty for you...Friends to the end!

"Former disaster agency chief Michael Brown is indicating he is ready to reveal his correspondence with President Bush and other officials during Hurricane Katrina unless the White House forbids it and offers legal support."

Like A Hole In The Head...

DeLay Placed On Subcommittee Overseeing Justice Dept Handling Abramoff Investigation…

The House Of Cards...

is swaying. I sense a game of 52 pickup real soon.

GOP CHAIRMAN IN HOUSE SENDS 51 QUESTIONS TO ATTORNEY GENERAL

The Republican Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) has issued 51 questions to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on President Bush's warrantless wiretap program.

Combined with a move by the chairman of a House subcommittee on intelligence, and hearings in the Senate, the move is likely to signal that Republicans are not going to swallow the President's justification for the surveillance, and may be a precursor to hearings in the House.

PDF of letter/questions - here

Heaven Smiles...

Today mourners left flowers at the tomb where Coretta Scott King now rests beside her husband, the white stone of her tomb inscribed with a passage - “And now abide Faith, Hope, Love, These Three; but the greatest of these is Love.” First Corinthians

The Devil Went Down To Georgia...

He was looking for a soul to steal
And he was in a bind
'Cause he was way behind
And was willin' to make a deal...

AND the second coming of J.C.

A Man Can Dream On A Cold Winter Day...

Surf's Up!

This is NOT Coney Island.

Howard Kurtz...

Eavesdropping on Congress

Poignant column in today's Wa. Po.

"The cable nets all made a great show of 'covering' the Senate Judiciary hearing by carrying the AG's opening statement, then maybe a question or two from Arlen Specter. Then they trotted out their legal analysts to talk about the meaning of the hearing, which by then must have been eight or nine minutes old. The hearing became video wallpaper as the cable talkers talked. They never even got to Pat Leahy, the panel's top Democrat, meaning that only Republican voices were heard. Gonzales essentially got a free ride."

Attention: White People Of Europe...

Get busy!

The Most Reverend and Looney Pat Robertson: Europe committing "racial suicide."

Pat Robertson said, "Europe is right now in the midst of racial suicide because of the declining birth rate."

Are You Talking To Me..?

Where's My Subpoena?
Valerie Plame, Scooter Libby, and me.

Fitz knows all, John Dickerson... ;)

FireDogLake is very adept at connecting all the dots. I could use more people like her on my staff.

A Chip Off The Old Block...

Wow! President Carter's son to run for U.S. Senate in Nevada. I think it is high-time that we had more "old fashioned values" here in Washington - you know good government, honesty, integrity, respect for other people's point of views and yes, even a little lust in the heart might be healthy.

IMHO, Jimmy still has it.

"Under the Bush administration, there's been a disgraceful and illegal decision — we're not going to the let the judges or the Congress or anyone else know that we're spying on the American people," President Carter told reporters. "And no one knows how many innocent Americans have had their privacy violated under this secret act."

"It's a ridiculous argument, not only bad, it's ridiculous. Obviously, the attorney general who said it's all right to torture prisoners and so forth is going to support the person who put him in office. But he's a very partisan attorney general and there's no doubt that he would say that," Carter said. "I hope that eventually the case will go to the Supreme Court. I have no doubt that when it's over, the Supreme Court will rule that Bush has violated the law."

The former president said he would testify before the Judiciary Committee if asked.

"If my voice is important to point of the intent of the law that was passed when I was president, I know all about that because it was one of the most important decisions I had to make."

Your voice is very important to many many people, including me.

Is Nothing Sacred..?

Not Marty McFly!? Brokeback To The Future.

One Ringy Dingy...

Have I reached the party to whom I am speaking?

BIDEN: Let me very precise.

GONZALES: OK.

BIDEN: I have not heard of NSA saying to the Intelligence Committee, "We are binding ourselves as we engage in this activity under the minimization procedures of 12333, as well as other statutes." I'm unaware that that's written down or stated anywhere or been presented to the Intelligence Committee. Can you assure us that has been done?

GONZALES: No, sir, I can't assure you that.

BIDEN: Can you assure us, General, that you are fully, totally informed and confident that you know the absolute detail with which this program is being conducted? Can you assure us you personally can assure us that no one is being eavesdropped upon in the United States other than someone who has a communication that is emanating from foreign soil by a suspected terrorist, Al Qaida or otherwise?

GONZALES: Sir, I can't give you absolute assurance of the kind that you've asked for.

BIDEN: Who can?

ERNESTINE: Here at the Phone Company we handle eighty-four billion calls a year. Serving everyone from presidents and kings to scum of the earth. (snort) We realize that every so often you can't get an operator, for no apparent reason your phone goes out of order [snatches plug out of switchboard], or perhaps you get charged for a call you didn't make or we listen to your calls. We don't care. Watch this [bangs on a switch panel like a cheap piano] just lost Peoria. (snort) You see, this phone system consists of a multibillion-dollar matrix of space-age technology that is so sophisticated, even we can't handle it. But that's your problem, isn't it? Next time you complain about your phone service, why don't you try using two Dixie cups with a string. We don't care. We don't have to. (snort) We're the Phone Company!

Who Is This Helen Thomas..?

Helen and Scott went head to head today over the warrentless domestic spy program.

Q: Does the president think he should obey the law? He put his hand on the Bible twice to uphold the Constitution. Wiretapping is not legal under the circumstances without a warrant.
MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, I guess you didn't pay attention to the attorney general's hearing earlier today, because he walked through very clearly the rationale behind this program.
Q There is no rationale --
MR. MCCLELLAN: And Helen, I think you have to ask --
Q -- (inaudible) -- the law.
MR. MCCLELLAN: I think you have ask are we -- well, he's not -- are we a nation at war.
Q That's not the question.
MR. MCCLELLAN: No, that is the issue here.
Q The question is, the point is, there are means for him to go to -- get a warrant to spy on people.
MR. MCCLELLAN: Enemy surveillance is critical to waging and winning war. It's one of the traditional tools of war.
Q But he says he doesn't have running room --
MR. MCCLELLAN: The attorney general outlined very clearly today how previous administrations have used the same authority --
Q That doesn't make it legal.
MR. MCCLELLAN: -- and cited the same -- and cited the very same authority.
Q (Inaudible) -- they broke the law, that's too bad.
MR. MCCLELLAN: And we're going to continue doing everything we can --
Q You know what happened to Nixon when he broke the law.
MR. MCCLELLAN: -- within our power to protect the American people.
This is a very different circumstance, and you know that.
Q No, I don't.

Like watching a car wreck...

No Child Or Criminal Left Behind...

U.S. starts new H-bomb project
Scientists are working on first new U.S. H-bomb project in 20 years.




Agencies seeing decreased funds in Bush 2007 budget, by percentage:
Corps of Engineers -41.3
Housing and Urban Development -29.9
Education -28.5
Environmental Protection Agency -4.9
Interior -2.4
Commerce -2.2
Energy -1.8
Justice -0.6 - I need a bigger budget.

AG Gonzalez Under Oath..?

This hearing is a travesty. It's a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham.

Alberto Gonzalez is a lawyer, a patriot and our Attorney General and he would never lie to Congress. I trust him, don't you?

GOP SENATORS WON'T PUT GONZALES UNDER OATH

This morning, AP's headline reads "Gonzales to Answer Eavesdropping Questions."

Americablog has some biting commentary and questions for my boss and your AG at the Illegal Spying on Americans Hearings today:

"Hmm. He may "answer" the questions, but there's nothing to say his "answers" will be truthful. In fact, given the history of Gonzales testifying before Congress, it's safe to assume he will lie. And does anybody really think that the Bush Administration wasn't spying on their political enemies and the media?"

1. Attorney General Gonzales lied under oath to the US Senate last year about the Bush administration's spying-on-Americans program. Why did he perjure himself then, and why should we trust his testimony now?

2 Can Gonzales and the Bush administration guarantee that their eavesdropping never intentionally or unintentionally captured communications of American political opponents or US journalists?

3. If the Bush administration is so confident that it has the power under the constitution to continue spying on Americans, then will it let the FISA court review its domestic spying program in order to determine if the domestic spying is illegal or unconstitutional?

"The Price Of Being Brown In America..?"

If you haven't done anything wrong, what is the problem here?

Steelers Prevail...

and in their honor I will post the following list that someone forwarded to me:

You Know You're From or In Pennsylvania If:

You've never referred to Philadelphia as anything but "Philly." And New Jersey has always been "Jersey."

You refer to Pennsylvania as "PA" (pronounced Pee-ay). How many other states do that?

"You guys" is a perfectly acceptable reference to a group of men & women.

You know how to respond to the question "Djeetyet?" (Didyoueatyet?)

You learned to pronounce Bryn Mawr, Wilkes-Barre, Schuylkill, Bala Cynwyd, Duquesne, New Tripoli, Tunkhannock, Punxsutawney, Tamaqua, Susquehanna, Allegheny, and Monongahela.

You know what a "Mummer" is, and are disappointed if you can't catch at least highlights of the parade.

The first day of buck and the first day of doe season are school holidays.

You can use the phrase "fire hall wedding reception" and not even bat an eye.

You can't go to a wedding without hearing the "Chicken Dance," at least one Polka and either an Italian song (sung in Italian,) or "Hava Nagila."

At least 5 people on your block have electric "candles" in all or most of their windows all year long.

You know what a "Hex sign" is.

You know what a "State Store" is, and your out of state friends find it incredulous that you can't purchase liquor at the mini-mart.

You own only three condiments "salt, pepper and Heinz ketchup".

Words like "hoagie", "crick", "chipped ham", "sticky buns", "shoo-fly pie", "pierogies" and "pocketbook" actually mean something to you.

You can eat cold pizza (even for breakfast) and know others who do the same. (Those from NY find this "barbaric".)

You not only have heard of Birch Beer, but you know it comes in several colors: Red, White, Brown, Gold.

You know several places to purchase or that serve Scrapple, Summer Sausage.

TGIF..!

It's almost Miller time! I was heading out the door after a long and fruitful day and week until SP Biloxi brought this article to my attention so I thought I would post it for all to see.

Fitzgerald Focuses on Missing White House Emails

"More than two dozen emails sent to various senior Bush administration officials between May 2003 and early July 2003 related to covert CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson and her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, are missing, and the special prosecutor investigating the case suspects that the communications may have been destroyed, according to high level sources close to the two-year old probe.

The sources, who are knowledgeable about Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation and have read hundreds of pages of grand jury testimony, said the emails in question were sent between May and July 2003 by I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove, then-Deputy National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, former CIA official Frederick Fleitz, former Cheney aide John Hannah, former Cheney National Security assistant David Wurmser, former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs John Bolton, and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card.

Fitzgerald also suspects that some emails sent to Vice President Cheney by Libby and senior officials at the CIA as well as Libby and Cheney's email replies during this time were not turned over to Fitzgerald's staff.

The sources added that Fitzgerald had learned about the existence of the missing emails during grand jury testimony given by key players in the case, some of whom are now cooperating with the probe in order to avert an indictment for their own roles in the leak. " <more>

I might even have a cigar tonight and by the way, I don't really drink Miller beer. ;)

In Neighborhoods Everywhere...

WANTED: A Few Good Men Or Women...

The way I see it the DOJ needs two more special prosecutors for both the Abramoff Scandal and the Domestic Spying Scandal. Does anyone agree?

Hecka Mecca Trouble Brewing...

in this crazy world of ours over some more "reprehensible" cartoons.

I am all too familiar in dealing with extremists both here in America and from the Middle East and somehow I don't find it too surreal that our State Department has risen to the occasion and come to the defense of angered Muslims...

Allah Hu Akbar and so is our State Department.

The Wheels Of Justice...

turn slowly. We are bringing Libby to trial in January 2007. Keep the faith. My job is to prosecute evil doers, not influence mid-term elections.


"I just saved a bunch of money by
switching my car insurance to GEICO."

Jack And James Went Up The Hill...

to fetch a pail of money.

Onward Christian soliders?

Reprehensible..?

This political cartoon has created a heated response from the Pentagon - Here's the letter the Joint Chiefs of Staff wrote to the Wa. Post....in response others say - "Maybe they should provide the body armor soldiers need to help avoid the sort of injury shown in the cartoon" and "It appears they [the Joint Chiefs] interpret cartoons as accurately as they do pre-war intelligence."

I fully support the brave men and women who are in military service to our country 110%, but until we afford them with the vehicle and body armor they require, an exit strategy and demand a fully funded VA for both their immediate AND long term needs and care our mission is NOT accomplished. As a nation we are kidding ourselves if anyone truly believes that our country honors its military and this war is a just cause.

In related news...Iraq, Afghan wars to top $400 billion President seeks to up Iraq spending $120b and wants $439b Pen

from the NYT:
A secret Pentagon study has found that at least 80 percent of the marines who have been killed in Iraq from wounds to their upper body could have survived if they had extra body armor. That armor has been available since 2003 but until recently the Pentagon has largely declined to supply it to troops despite calls from the field for additional protection, according to military officials.

Bush Is Addicted To Conflict....

and the military industrial complex.

Since our President gave me as an American the warning that I am "addicted to oil" and need to find new alternatives, let me counter with some advice for him - Mr. President your request for a $439.3B Defense Budget shows that you need to give peace a chance and learn how to play better with others.

A Hard Act To Follow...

Only 29% Of American Idol Viewers Stayed To Watch Bush State Of The Union...Yes, I was one of the 61% who found something more compelling - I dreamt I was plea bargaining with top aides in exchange for their testimony against "higher ups."

Moby Dick...

is only 750 pages, the King James version of the Holy Bible is 1293 pages, and War and Peace a mere 1424 pages.

In my line of work you shoot for the stars and hope for the moon. Regarding emails, phone records, memos, documents, briefings, etc. in this case - let's just say I snared the Milky Way and have been reading, reading, reading and reading, and then re-reading everything to read between the lines.

Reading is fundamental...

The State Of Our Union...

Cindy Sheehan a Gold Star Mom - Her side of the story.