MSNBC = Evaluate, Adapt And Overcome....

Feb. 13, 2006 - Outed CIA officer was working on Iran, intelligence sources say - Raw Story

May 1, 2006 - MSNBC confirms: Outed CIA agent was working on Iran

"RAW STORY's Larisa Alexandrovna broke the story earlier this year, which went unnoticed by the mainstream media...."

At least until MSNBC took Stephen Colbert's performance to heart and begin searching for hard news on the internet.

The BBC Rocks..!

and rolls.

MSNBC Video - Worst: 'Fair and balanced' - Countdown with Keith Olbermann

BBC - Profile: US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald

In his blog, "From the Desk of Patrick J. Fitzgerald", Mr Fitzgerald describes himself as a long-time opponent of corruption, listing among his interests rugby and "prosecuting evil doers". "I grew up in Flatbush, kept my nose clean, went to law school," he says.

"Now that I am in Chicago and D.C. I have found... the rampant graft and corruption to be a travesty - a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham."

[Note: This story was updated at 0809 GMT on 16 March, 2007, removing three quotes mistakenly attributed to Mr Fitzgerald. We regret the error.]

WASHINGTON POST - GET THIS!
Those enterprising British journalists! A profile of Patrick Fitzgerald posted on the BBC's Web site yesterday linked to, and quoted from, what it described as the Very Special Prosecutor's blog: "In Chicago and D.C. I have found . . . the rampant graft and corruption to be a travesty -- a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham."

Yeah . . . you guessed it. The blog? Not really his. "I think it is widely recognized to be a parody," said the prosecutor's spokesman Randy Samborn, adding that Fitz, sadly, does not have a blog.

Oh, and the hilarious "travesty of a mockery" line? A quote from Woody Allen's "Bananas."

MSNBC.COM - BANANA NEWS DU JOUR
The BBC, in profiling Patrick Fitzgerald yesterday, quoted from what it said was the Special Prosecutor's blog: "Now that I am in Chicago and D.C. I have found... the rampant graft and corruption to be a travesty - a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham."The Washington Post this morning, pointing out that the quote is obviously from Woody Allen's "Bananas" and the blog itself is, of course, a fake.

SLATE - TODAY'S PAPERS

The Post's Reliable Source reports that a profile of Patrick Fitzgerald posted on the BBC's Web site yesterday quoted from what it said was the prosecutor's blog: "Now that I am in Chicago and D.C. I have found ... the rampant graft and corruption to be a travesty—a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham." The line is actually from Woody Allen's Bananas and the blog is, of course, a fake.

MEDIA BISTRO - AFTERNOON ROUNDUP

The Reliable Source ladies report that the BBC was had by a fake Patrick Fitzgerald blog.

DC BLOGS* - SPECIAL NOTE:

"Many of the posts by the anonymous writer of From the Desk of Patrick J. Fitzgerald are witty, thoughtful and, it turns out, so good that it has left some convinced that Fitzgerald actually wrote the blog. For the latter point thank the BBC, which profiled the U.S attorney in a story on its Web site. It’s a fine profile, even if it pulls quotes from the fictional blog in the mistaken assumption that the blog has been penned by the real Fitzgerald. See the BBC story here."

"With the conclusion of the Libby case, From the Desk of Patrick J. Fitzgerald closed. If you didn’t follow this blog, it’s important to note that, for its humor, this writer was on a mission. It included criticisms of press coverage as well as respect for what Fitzgerald set to accomplish. The BBC gaffe adds a period to the point. In a note, the writer of the blog offered a reaction:

My apologies to the BBC for fooling them too…I always thought the Brits had a higher aptitude for dry wit.

Isn’t reporting factual information the number one rule of journalism? This not so flattering oversight by the BBC only reinforces the point made repeatedly on this blog: to a large degree the MSM was complicit in the selling of the War in Iraq by both their actions and inaction.

During the investigation and throughout the trial, the true colors of many publications and reporters became glaringly apparent — partisan, factually incorrect, sloppy and some might say corrupt.

If not for Joe Wilson’s Op-Ed and Fitzgerald’s investigation, the American public may never have learned this glimmer of truth on how this Administration repeatedly lied, deceived and then tried to hide the truth of why it went to war with Iraq.

This goes way beyond the sixteen words in the State of The Union Address. This is also about the millions upon millions of words not written and tough questions never asked by the media. I hope there are many lessons learned from this.

Countdown to BBC srubbing story from website … t - minus…”

Randall, nice save! I could have been fired over this, thus ruining my current visit in Ireland. I have a bottle of Jameson with your name on it, buddy! And who is Woody Allen? ;)

Take A Deep Breath...

reflect on why we can't all get along AND why MSNBC keeps using this source?!

MSNBC: Rove's legal team expects decision 'at any time'

MSNBC's Shuster = Rocket Scientist...

"Last night, MSNBC’s David Shuster took a look at recent court filings by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald and suggests that Karl Rove is likely to be indicted." [more]

David, NASA is holding on line two.

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.

MSNBC's - The Daily Show...

Chris Matthews is always good for a laugh, especially when it concerns Judy Miller.

Keith - is he in the running for tonight's "Worst Person in the World" or "Worst Fair & Balanced"?

On a more serious note..?

AG Finally Gives Junkyard Dog Prosecutor a Bone

"Good job," Gonzales said, extending his trembling hand to Fitzgerald.

Walk, Don't Run...

The post from Firedoglake below reminds me of a story I often tell young prosecutors. ;)

“Two U.S. Attorneys, one a very special prosecutor and the other a young and eager legal eagle, are standing on top of Capitol Hill and looking down at a herd of evildoers on Pennsylvania Avenue stretching as far as the eye can see -- all the way to the White House.

Randall says, 'Hey Fitz, what do you say we race down there and convict one of those evildoers?' And Fitz says, 'No, Randy, let's walk down there — and convict them all.'”

Guilty?

It was my impression in the courtroom (and MSNBC confirms, based on courthouse sources) that there are three new separate questions, all about Count 3, the Cooper false statement charge.

At one point, I believe Walton said (and others who heard it confirm that this was their impression as well) that the jury has reached a unanimous decision regarding the fact that Libby lied. Walton had issued some instruction, however, that they need to decide that he lied on October 14th and November 26th dates (both FBI interviews), but now says he should have used the word "or" instead of "and" — i.e., if the jury all agrees that Libby lied on either of these dates, they have reached a unanimous guilty verdict. (The indictment itself says "and.")

However, there seems to be some confusion — do they all agree on one date, or do some agree on one and not the other? Thus the defense and prosecution are arguing about language to use before they present it to the judge.

We only got 5 minutes warning about the hearing. I was standing at the door to the court when the prosecution came barelling down the hall. I pulled open the door and just stood back. In retrospect, I think they knew when they got the question that they had him.

I watched Scooter throughout the proceeding. No smiles now. He seems to have moved off into appeal land. Mrs. Libby was not in the courtroom, but was standing outside the overflow courtroom when we came out into the hall.

We won't know the contents of the questions until tomorrow, but we'll be back in the courtroom at 9:30 am. Looks like we might be getting close.

Talkleft -- New Jury Note

Are You Ready For Some Audio..?

MSNBC has video/audio clips from Scooter's grand jury testimony. And I do not endorse the product advertisements that cue beforehand.

Release The Hound...

Ann Coulter unleashed and howling at the moon...again.

Free the Fitzgerald One!

"The exact same people who are now demanding prison for Libby for not remembering who told him about Plame are the ones who told us it was perfectly plausible for Bill Clinton to forget that Monica Lewinsky repeatedly performed oral sex on him in the Oval Office. Even if chubby Jewish brunettes aren't your type, be honest: Which of the two events would stand out more in your memory?"

"So why is there a trial? Because there is no penalty for using the threat of imprisonment as a political weapon against conservatives. Ask Tom DeLay or Rush Limbaugh.

If Libby were a Democrat, we would know the sexual proclivities of everyone in Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's office, Judith Miller would be portrayed as a "stalker," Tim Russert's cat would be dead, and the public would know about every toupee at MSNBC.

Republicans don't have to kill cats to bestir themselves to defend their own from rank partisan persecution. But it never happens.

People who attack conservatives never have to worry about their own dirty laundry coming out. All they have to worry about is whether People magazine will use a good picture of them in its "Sexiest Man Alive" issue."

"You want to protect the borders, cut taxes, fight Islamic fascists and put up Ten Commandments monuments? Get her name. Find out about Patrick Fitzgerald what we'd know if he were Ken Starr. If you won't defend your own champions, conservatives, then don't sit back and wonder why so few people want to be your champions." <caution - more>

It's A Good Thing...

"What is so interesting about [former New York Times reporter] Judy Miller, is that the curtain is going to essentially be lifted on the relationship of one of the key reporters that reported the intelligence that Iraq was seeking uranium and about her relationship with the Bush administration...."

"It's going to pull back the curtain on whether there was anything unseemly in that relationship, whether Judy Miller followed journalistic principles. It's also going to pull back the curtain on how the Bush administration was able to use the media , in this case Judy Miller, to put stories on the front page of the New York Times, underscoring the idea that Saddam Hussein was interested in nuclear weapons, how that frightened the American people, how that helped the Bush administration make the case for war."

"In particular, in this trial, Judy Miller is adding to the prosecution argument that after a criminal investigation began into the leak of a CIA operative, that [former Cheney chief of staff] Scooter Libby when he testified said he learned about it from reporters. Judy Miller's testimony is going to, in fact, show that he had that information before the crucial conversations where he said he learned it and that he was taking that information and giving it to reporters like Judy Miller." -MSNBC

I Ran Into NBC's David Gregory...

in Wesley Heights today.

He was with his soft on the eyes, yet tough as nails wife Beth Wilkinson--minus the couple's four-year-old and 2 year old twin toddlers--at Chef Geoff's, the upscale eatery owned by MSNBC chief Washington correspondent, and soon-to-be mother of twins, Norah O'Donnell and her husband.

She may lay out his trousers in the morning, but I suspect Beth does their taxes, never loses an argument and serves up the really tough questions through his proxy.

"During her tenure at the Department of Justice, Wilkinson was appointed principal deputy of the Terrorism & Violent Crime Section and a prosecutor on the trial team in U.S. v. McVeigh and Nichols.

Wilkinson served in the United States Army as an assistant to the general counsel of the Army for Intelligence & Special Operations. While in that position she was selected to serve as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Florida to assist in the U.S. v. Noriega case. Wilkinson joined the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Wilkinson twice received the Attorney General's Exceptional Service Award, the only two time recipient in the history of the Department of Justice." <more>

P.S. - I usually don't notice such things, but I had the better table.
P.P.S. - Norah, Patrick and J. are nice names, yes? ;)

The White House: This Reporter’s Beat

How To Win Friends & Influence People..?

Have I pissed off some people and their keepers?

Plame Leak(s)

"Besides Cooper, and Novak, other journalists cited in the January 22, 2004, subpoena include: Knut Royce and Timothy M. Phelps from Newsday; Walter Pincus, Richard Leiby, Mike Allen, Dana Priest and Glenn Kessler from the Washington Post; John Dickerson, Massimo Calabresi, Michael Duffy and James Carney from Time magazine; Evan Thomas from Newsweek; Andrea Mitchell from NBC's "Meet the Press;" Chris Matthews from MSNBC's "Hardball;" Tim Russert and Campbell Brown from NBC; Nicholas D. Kristof, David E. Sanger and Judith Miller from the New York Times; Greg Hitt and Paul Gigot from the Wall Street Journal; John Solomon from the Associated Press; and Jeff Gannon from Talon News." <more>

Did I do that?

Extra Strength Tums = Sec. Def...

Gen. Batiste: Rumsfeld ‘Served Up Our Great Military A Huge Bowl of Chicken Feces’

Raw Story: Today on MSNBC, retired General John Batiste — former commander of the First Infantry division in Iraq — said that it was “outrageous” Rumsfeld was still in charge of the Pentagon. Batiste added, “He served up our great military a huge bowl of chicken feces, and ever since then, our military and our country have been trying to turn this bowl into chicken salad.” <Watch it>

FUBAR = Compost Happens

Happy Saturday...!

Are Wheaties God's gift to man or what?

Here are the .pdf's of yesterday's filings made to Judge Walton - you can read them over breakfast. ;)

My brief

Libby's brief

PS: Scooter really needs to see a doctor about that memory problem of his and also consider eating a big bowl of Yellowcake Reality every morning.

"Mr. Libby may have been confused or may have misrecollected facts in good faith, and did not act with a specific intent to give false testimony. Only with such context will the jury appreciate that Mr. Libby did not need to attack Mr. Wilson personally to rebut his allegations, because the administration had clear factual support for its position that Mr. Wilson’s criticisms were wrong."

UPDATE: 1:00 PM EST - MSNBC BREAKING NEWS - yawn -

Libby lawyers oppose Cheney notes as evidence
Defense attorneys argue vice president’s ex-aide hadn’t seen document

My guess is that everyone slept in today.

Sometimes I Just Have To Laugh...

MSNBC Resorts To "Tea Leaves"- Prosecutors may have more on Rove

...then Firedoglake drinks the tea - Countdown To Ecstacy

They should all have a big helping of Jason Leopold if it is accuracy they desire...the timetables may get juggled, but this journalist gets his facts straight and has my respect.

Fitzgerald to Frogmarch Rove