May 23, 2006

TGIT...

I am going to make this my best Tuesday, ever!

47 Comments:

Blogger jan said...

Hope you slept well :)

8:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

When, OH When, will it finally be Fitzmas? We'll be watching the news...

Good thing about your name-most other names wouldn't rhyme so well ;-)

8:24 AM  
Blogger jan said...

I sleep in my Fighting Irish shirt. I haven't washed it. I'm afraid it will wash the mojo out. It's gotta be Fitzmas soon :O

8:27 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good luck Mr Fitzgerald, not that you will need it.
Thank you for helping us take back our country.
"Tar Babies Unite!"

8:38 AM  
Blogger jan said...

BY JAMES GORDON MEEK
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON - Two top CIA officials will bolster prosecutors' charge that Vice President Cheney's chief aide lied to them, court papers show.

Prosecutors say disgraced Cheney chief of staff Lewis (Scooter) Libby learned CIA spy Valerie Plame's identity from, among others, agency officials who will be called to testify at his trial for perjury, false statements and obstruction of justice.

The U.S. alleges he learned about Plame from one of the CIA officials when he went after dirt on her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson. Wilson shattered a pillar of President Bush's rationale for war - that Iraq was seeking to build a nuclear weapon.

Both CIA officials - including a top architect of the 2003 Iraq invasion - discussed Plame with Libby a month before columnist Robert Novak blew her cover in July 2003, prosecutors charge.

Libby has said journalists told him about Plame - not Cheney or the six witnesses named so far by prosecutors.

Until recently, the CIA officials' identities were kept secret by special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, who did not name them in Libby's October indictment.

But subsequent documents allege Libby asked top CIA official Robert Grenier on June 11 why the agency sent Wilson to Niger to see if Iraq tried to buy uranium. Grenier replied that Plame was an agent and "believed responsible" for arranging her husband's trip.

The other official was Craig Schmall, a CIA briefer whom Libby complained to about the Wilson trip on June 14, court files allege.

Grenier, the CIA's station chief in Islamabad, Pakistan, helped stage the successful U.S. attack on the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks.

He then joined the CIA's Iraq Issue Group, hatching operational plans for invading Iraq.

"Bob had to go to lots of White House meetings in the runup to the war," said one colleague.

The source expressed surprise that Grenier would have discussed Plame with Libby.

This year, as CIA Counterterrorist Center chief, Grenier oversaw the failed missile strike aimed at Al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman Al-Zawahiri. Shortly afterward, Grenier was demoted.

But Vince Cannistraro, a former CIA counterterrorism chief, said Grenier lost his job over his "concerns about aggressive interrogations [of terrorist detainees] at secret sites."

8:56 AM  
Blogger FBI said...

After a restless night, it's great to hear from our Fitzie.

Fitzie, I saw you on the tellie yesterday (reruns) -- handsome as ever -- made me yearn for another Press Conference!

You and your team are awesome!

9:11 AM  
Blogger jan said...

It's oh so quite...

9:39 AM  
Blogger SP Biloxi said...

Well, the smurf Libby is caught in his lies..."The U.S. alleges he learned about Plame from one of the CIA officials when he went after dirt on her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson. Wilson shattered a pillar of President Bush's rationale for war - that Iraq was seeking to build a nuclear weapon." Lies do catch up on people like the little soldier..The idiot should have taken a plea bargain.. And for someone that is a lawyer, someone should strip the little soldier of his law degree and retake the bar exam.. Dumb like doorknobs...

9:43 AM  
Blogger SP Biloxi said...

In other news. From Thinkprogress:

"Writing in this weekend’s Washington Post, prominent conservative fundraiser Richard Viguerie criticized “Bush’s base betrayal.” Yesterday, the White House responded by emailing around previous quotes of Viguerie’s criticisms of Ronald Reagan. Viguerie responds, “That is standard operating procedure for this White House: Put the spotlight on the president’s critic, rather than respond to the critic’s arguments.”

I guess that there is no love for the Gerbil!!!

9:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bush may be losing his base, but the Repuglicans still think they have a good chance of being re-elected in November!

10:01 AM  
Blogger SP Biloxi said...

Boy, you are cheery today countrysunshine!!! I guess it is endorphins that is making you cheerful!!!

In other news:

CEO 101

From WSJ:

"Testifying in his bank-fraud trial, former Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay admitted that he violated loan provisions restricting stock purchases but said it was unintentional and would have been corrected had the banks notified him..
The government has charged Lay with fraud and misrepresentation for allegedly using personal loans from three banks to purchase Enron stock, in violation of the bank agreements. The bank-fraud trial is being held before Judge Lake — i.e., a “bench trial” — while the jury deliberates the central charges against Lay and Jeff Skilling.
Lay’s lawyers maintain that he wasn’t aware of the loan restriction and, in any case, the violations are of a civil, not criminal, nature.
Yesterday, Lay testified that his largest lender, NationsBank (now part of Bank of America), aggressively solicited his business. He said, “By the mid-’90s or so, Enron was doing well enough, Linda and I were doing well enough, that we were looked at as a good target.”
How’d Lay end up with second trial on bank fraud charges? In 2004, Lay moved for a separate trial from Skilling and Richard Causey, the company’s former chief accounting officer, on the grounds that there was little similarity between most of his charges and theirs. In what some observers say was the worst possible outcome for Lay, Judge Lake denied the motion on Enron-related counts, but ordered a separate trial for Mr. Lay on bank-fraud charges related to his personal finances. Causey was a defendant in the case until December, when he pleaded guilty to securities fraud."

Folks, let's recap.., Lay wasn’t keeping up to speed on the off-the-books partnerships, and didn’t know Enron was collapsing, and he was unaware of the restrictions on $75M in loans, it was the autosignature's fault and ….
Can someone tell me what are CEO’s supposed to know a lot about???

10:16 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

According to Mr. Fitzgerald's office this is not Patrick's blog. I called again today & was told this is not the blog of Patrick J. Fitzgerald. SPB is spreading some false information. Roger Rancourt all but admitted yesterday that this is not Mr. Fitzgerald's blog. I stand by my assertions that this a faux blog.

10:21 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you Charles...
We must all unite to become one America again.

10:22 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

who cares...
it works for us.

10:23 AM  
Blogger SP Biloxi said...

*******LOL*************

Got this via email from Bill Mitchell, the cartoonist on CNN..
The cartoon of the day titled:

The Decider's Brain & The Special Counsel’s Nose

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/analysis/toons/2006/05/17/mitchell/index.html

10:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm sure it does work for some of you, but some are gullible enough to believe this stuff is coming from Mr. Fitzgerald. That is deception and to me that is as bad as what you are wanting Libby, Rove and whoever else is on your hit list sent to jail for. Deceiving the simple minded is a crime against the weakest among us.

10:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I figure if I make enough phone calls I will finally reach someone who cares enough to at least force a disclaimer to this blog and possibly stop the threats and intimidation of anyone who dares disagree with the faithful.

10:33 AM  
Blogger teak said...

anon.--do you have a blog? If you do, why don't you post the link, and we will visit it.

We will respect your views.

10:36 AM  
Blogger FBI said...

LMAO on the cartoon SPB!

But your URL did not work for me.

However I did find it here:

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/
analysis/toons/2006/05/17/
mitchell/index.html

10:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think I will call too and complain. Even if it is real it is inappropriate for a Special Prosecutor to associate with it and for federal employees to be spending time on it.

I really doubt the DOJ would allow for such a thing to exist from within their ranks. It certainly could not exist in the corporate world for employees to do this and I would think the DOJ has a higher standard to maintain.

All of this could be avoided if a statement was put on the home page disavowing any relation to the SP. Or change the name to something unrelated to the SP.

10:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have been shown disrespect, threatened and attempts at intimidation have been aimed my way. That is what attracks me to this blog. I love a challenge. No, I don't have a blog.

10:40 AM  
Blogger SP Biloxi said...

ChimpCoulter:

Sorry about out the URL. I had cut and paste what Bill Mitchell sent to me.. Glad you looked it.. That cartoon hits close to home.. Fitz is sniffing through evidence of Porkrind like a bloodhound...

10:45 AM  
Blogger SP Biloxi said...

Not so good news for the Gerbil:

Less than half of Americans satisfied with 9/11 investigations

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Less_than_half_of_Americans_satisfied_0523.html

11:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jan, good article TY.

Clarice, meet the good Doctor, Dr. Evil, Clarice.

11:07 AM  
Blogger jan said...

Shhhhhhh, I'm at work :)

You're welcome.

11:17 AM  
Blogger SP Biloxi said...

*********LOL****************

From Thinkprogress:

And finally: The Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature recommended that “Oregon legislators and staff members should not be drunk while performing their official duties.” “The new policy was suggested by Steve Doell, president of Crime Victims United, who said he and another member of the group noticed alcohol on the breath of at least one legislator at the end of the 2005 session while they were advocating tougher drunken-driving penalties.”

Now, I wonder if this law will pertain to the Gerbil..What is amazing is that he still yearns for the bottle and there is no law like this on him!! And notice that the Gerbil doesn't visit the state of Oregon? Gee, I wonder why???

11:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

May 23, 2006
For Democrats, a Scandal of Their Own
By CARL HULSE

WASHINGTON, May 22 — Democrats' plans to make Republican corruption a theme of their election strategy this year have been complicated by accusations of wrongdoing in their own ranks, leading the party to try on Monday to blunt the political effects of the unfolding case against Representative William J. Jefferson.

Democratic leaders sought to distance the party from Mr. Jefferson, the Louisiana Democrat who has been accused by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. In doing that, the leaders tried to draw a distinction between the accusations against him and what they said was a much broader pattern among Republicans of trading legislative influence for campaign donations, trips and other perks.

11:38 AM  
Blogger FBI said...

From Businessweek Online:

The Snooping Goes Beyond Phone Calls
How the government sidesteps the Privacy Act by purchasing commercial data


Furor and confusion over allegations that major phone companies have surrendered customer calling records to the National Security Agency continue to roil Washington. But if AT&T Inc. (T ) and possibly others have turned over records to the NSA, the phone giants represent only one of many commercial sources of personal data that the government seeks to "mine" for evidence of terrorist plots and other threats.

The Departments of Justice, State, and Homeland Security spend millions annually to buy commercial databases that track Americans' finances, phone numbers, and biographical information, according to a report last month by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress. Often, the agencies and their contractors don't ensure the data's accuracy, the GAO found.

Buying commercially collected data allows the government to dodge certain privacy rules. The Privacy Act of 1974 restricts how federal agencies may use such information and requires disclosure of what the government is doing with it. But the law applies only when the government is doing the data collecting.

"Grabbing data wholesale from the private sector is the way agencies are getting around the requirements of the Privacy Act and the Fourth Amendment," says Jim Harper, director of information policy studies at the libertarian Cato Institute in Washington and a member of the Homeland Security Dept.'s Data Privacy & Integrity Advisory Committee.

...

But in the face of the uproar over the issue, others on Capitol Hill are pushing for more government data collection. House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) is drafting legislation to require ISPs to amass information about users' Web-surfing habits to assist government investigations. Executives at companies that fail to comply could be subject to up to a year in prison.

***********************************

God help us all!

11:42 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Federal officials tell ABC News they already "have enough evidence to arrest" Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA) but will wait until a grand jury in Virginia returns a formal indictment. Charges are expected within four to six weeks on allegations Jefferson took bribes in exchange for his official help with a telecommunications contract in Africa.

11:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Self Portrait - June - 2005

Long auburn hair with the classic purity of enduring Gaelic beauty. Wow.

11:50 AM  
Blogger SP Biloxi said...

It is just a big huge mess with the NSA and domestic spying issue.. The 21st century "1984" Orwell's book.

"Official G" was in Fitz's neighborhood:

From Crooks and Liars, an excerpt:

Bush's Speech in Chicago

"Bush: Our goal by the way, is to have every American to have an electronic medical record, by the way, with the guarantee of privacy."

It brings to mind what he said about court orders and wiretaps.

"Bush: When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so...."

Then there's this breaking story today about the personal data records of 26.5 million veterans being stolen:
"Department of Veterans Affairs data analyst who improperly took the material home, Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson said on Monday..."

11:56 AM  
Blogger SP Biloxi said...

******LOL*******************

The joke of the day about Pat Robertson. From Thnkprogress.org:

"2000 lbs. Weight 76-year-old Pat Robertson claims he can leg press thanks to his “age defying protein shake.”

"Clay Travis at CBS Sportsline notes “That would mean a 76-year-old man broke the all-time Florida State University leg press record by 665 pounds over Dan Kendra. 665 pounds. Further, when he set the record, they had to modify the leg press machine to fit 1,335 pounds of weight. Plus, Kendra’s capillaries in his eyes burst. Burst.”

I would believe that if the Gerbil stayed away from the bottle...

12:28 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wrong About Rove?

By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 23, 2006; 7:54 AM

I reported yesterday (and if you missed it, start paying attention!) that the liberal Web site Truthout.org was standing by its claim that Karl Rove had been secretly indicted in the CIA leak case, despite strong denials by the White House aide's lawyer and spokesman.

Why the Rove team would lie about information that, if true, was certain to come out soon was never quite clear. More than three dozen mainstream journalists checked on the Truthout report but could not confirm a word of it.

Now Truthout has backed off, at least partially, from the story by reporter Jason Leopold, who has had some credibility problems in the past (as he acknowledges in a new book) but has also worked for such news outlets as the L.A. Times and Dow Jones.

Marc Ash , the site's founder, writes:

"On Saturday afternoon, May 13, 2006, TruthOut ran a story titled, 'Karl Rove Indicted on Charges of Perjury, Lying to Investigators.' The story stated in part that top Bush aide Karl Rove had earlier that day been indicted on the charges set forth in the story's title.

"The time has now come, however, to issue a partial apology to our readership for this story. While we paid very careful attention to the sourcing on this story, we erred in getting too far out in front of the news-cycle. In moving as quickly as we did, we caused more confusion than clarity. And that was a disservice to our readership and we regret it."

Um, what exactly does that mean? That the story was wrong? That they're not sure whether it was wrong? That it was right but published too soon?

Salon's Tim Grieve put that question to Ash, "and his answer seemed to be a pretty unequivocal no. Although Rove's lawyer and his spokesman have both said that Leopold's story was false, Ash said that Truthout still believes that Patrick Fitzgerald, Karl Rove and Rove lawyer Robert Luskin participated in a 15-hour plea-negotiation session at Patton Boggs last Friday; that Fitzgerald gave Rove's lawyers a copy of an indictment charging Rove with perjury and lying to investigators; and that Fitzgerald told Rove's lawyers that their client had 24 hours -- or 24 business hours -- to get his affairs in order."

Luskin, you may recall, said he was taking his cat to the vet that day.

"So why apologize for the story? Leopold's story quoted 'sources close to the case' who predicted an indictment announcement last week, and Ash told us that Truthout 'hoped and felt strongly' that Fitzgerald would announce Rove's indictment on Friday. That it didn't happen was a cause for concern, Ash said.

"In addition, Ash said that he's uncertain about some of the events leading up to and following the meeting that supposedly happened last Friday at Patton Boggs. Ash said he isn't sure now when the grand jury voted to indict Rove, although he said he remains confident that it did so before last Friday. He said that he isn't sure what's going on now to warrant keeping the alleged indictment under wraps, although he suggested that it must mean that Rove's team is cooperating with Fitzgerald somehow."

"A new paradigm in yellow journalism: Make a wild assertion on any day, and if ever it come to be true, your reporting is fully affirmed. Anything more egregious than a parking fine on Rove's part, now, will validate the original Truthout story."

12:31 PM  
Blogger FBI said...

"Bush: Our goal by the way, is to have every American to have an electronic medical record, by the way, with the guarantee of privacy."

Very convenient for their spying programs...

Heard a rumor that GJ is meeting tomorrow...

12:33 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Out, out damn truth!
May 23, 2006 07:09 AM / Media .
As more and more information comes in on the Jason Leopole-Truthout Karl Rove indictment non-story, it looks more and more like the story was without truth. Sources within the Patrick Fitzgerald investigation into the CIA leak case tell us Rove wasn't indicted 10 days ago and may not be indicted. If an indictment is to come, it has not come yet. The case, they say is incomplete.

12:34 PM  
Blogger SP Biloxi said...

"Heard a rumor that GJ is meeting tomorrow... " Ummm.. so I heard.. Sounds like good news.

I just read Christy's article today on Firedoglake. Here is an excerpt:

Two From CIA Said To Testify Libby’s Lying

"This pretty much puts a damper on the whole "I heard it from a reporter" hogwash — let alone the "my memory has a lot of holes in it, because this was not an issue that was important to me" malarky. One wonders what the next morphing of the Libby defense will be — because two separate witnesses with whom Libby spoke about putting the screws to Joe Wilson, including finding out dirt on Wilson’s wife, makes the whole "tangential issue" argument look silly and disengenuous. Two words that you never want associated with your defense tactics in front of a jury, I can tell you that, especially when imprisonment is on the line."

"But I wanted to ask this again: what was this Administration, and in particular Scooter Libby and Karl Rove and who knows who else, doing playing so fast and loose with secrets for which they had no valid "need to know" basis? And why is it again that Karl Rove maintains his job with a full security clearance to this day? Any other person on the planet would have already had it yanked months and months ago.
Now there’s a question for Tony Snow today. Any takers?"

http://www.firedoglake.com/

And that is the million dollar question.. Why is Porkrind's security clearance card yanked from him? If were me, the dog tag (security card) would have been yanked from me from the get go if I spelled trouble!!!

12:43 PM  
Blogger teak said...

SPB, so they know that W. spied for political reasons and has been spying on certain reporters for sometime?

12:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Clarice likes it here, yes?

12:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The case, they say is incomplete

Are you a comedian or what-cause that's a good one!!
If KR isn't indicted -then Fitz doesn't know the law and I am damn sure he knows it better than I-and I know they should all be indicted if we go according to the law. If we don't then this isn't a democracy with liberty and justice for all-or is that OK by you, ANON?

PS- I sign anon since I rather not offend my dear friends eyes here on this post. I don't mind offending anon-he/she is the reason this country is in such dire straights.

12:49 PM  
Blogger SP Biloxi said...

Teak,

Yes, the Gerbil has... Keep your eye on other scandals that will come about that link to the Gerbil... Yes, he has been spying on the reporters for some time.. Why do you think that Gonzo now wants to arrest reporter who leak classified information...

12:51 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Who is Clarice supposed to be here?

1:01 PM  
Blogger SP Biloxi said...

Looks like the GOP candidatws are treating the Gerbil like he has a disease. From WSJ, an excerpt:

Backing Away From Bush
Some Republican Candidates Avoid
Ties With Unpopular President

"President Bush goes to Pennsylvania tomorrow to campaign for embattled Republican House members in the Philadelphia suburbs. But one of the candidates isn't expected to be there.
Mr. Bush "is really doing poorly in our state," says Rep. Curt Weldon, explaining why he won't be on hand and hasn't asked for the president's help. "I've got to win this by myself."

It isn't easy leading your party to victory when a lot of people aren't eager to follow. With Mr. Bush's job-approval ratings skidding as low as 30% in national polls, more Republican candidates face risks in associating closely with him. That is forcing the White House and Republican advisers to improvise a strategy for success."

1:22 PM  
Blogger jan said...

Anonymous 12:50,

Stop, I'm blushing ;}

1:36 PM  
Blogger SP Biloxi said...

Roger,

Little by little the house of cards are falling. The smurf Libby should have taken a plea bargain from the get go. No one can help him now.. Some of the GOP candidates are treating the Gerbil like he has AIDS.. The GOP candidates are distancing themselves from the Gerbil for campaigning for them becuase his his plummeting polls.. The Gerbil's brain Porkrind will be out of the picture and coming soon is Dead Eye Dick.. And definitely frogmarch for the smartest guys in Enron.. It is in the bag for Berkowitz and team. The bottle will certainly be the Gerbil's mistress to yearn to alot! Watch the Gerbil become the man wandering the earth with no means of support when his crew, Porkrind and Dead Eye Dick are out of the picture! Just the Gerbil and his bottle to yearn for.

2:19 PM  
Blogger airJackie said...

Ok Fitz what are you up to that I don't know. We'll talk later.

8:27 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ok Fitz what are you up to that I don't know. We'll talk later.

Yeah Fitz, spill the beans.

9:40 AM  
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8:42 PM  

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