Guest blogged by Winter Patriot
According to a late-night e-mail from Larisa Alexandrovna, Raw Story is currently featuring an article by Jason Leopold which starts like this:
The investigation into who leaked the officer’s name to reporters has now turned toward a little known cabal of administration hawks known as the White House Iraq Group (WHIG), which came together in August 2002 to publicize the threat posed by Saddam Hussein. WHIG was founded by Bush chief of staff Andrew Card and operated out of the Vice President’s office.
Fitzgerald’s examination centers on a group of players charged with not only selling the war, but according to sources familiar with the case, to discredit anyone who openly “disagreed with the official Iraq war” story.
The group’s members included Deputy White House chief of staff Karl Rove, Bush advisor Karen Hughes, Senior Advisor to the Vice President Mary Matalin, Deputy Director of Communications James Wilkinson, Assistant to the President and Legislative Liaison Nicholas Calio, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby – Chief of Staff to the Vice President and co-author of the Administration’s pre-emptive strike policy.
Rice was later appointed Secretary of State; her deputy Hadley was made National Security Advisor. Wilkinson departed to become a spokesman for the military’s central command, and later for the Republican National Convention. Hughes was recently appointed Undersecretary of State.
Several members of the group have testified before Fitzgerald’s grand jury.
Read more here.
No kidding. There’s a lot more to the story and you can read it here.
You gotta love her, don’t you? Larisa Alexandrovna not only gave us a heads-up when Jason Leopold’s article hit the net; she also contributed research to the article! So: three cheers for Larisa Alexandrovna! Hip Hip … no, seriously: Read more here.
Cheney Cheney quite contrary?
How does Tricky’s garden grow? 😛
I wonder if Cheney wasn’t the target the whole time……..and they won’t tell anyone if they have evidence to convict him or not….
Doug
You can bet there won’t be a lot of noise about this in the media, so how about giving them a helping hand? Spread the word yourself with some help from The Whispering Campaign.
For a one-page, large-font, printer-ready version of this article, click here: Leak Investigation Turns To Vice President’s Office by Jason Leopold with Larisa Alexandrovna
For a wide variety of easy-to-print articles, click here: psstpsstpsst.blogspot.com.
It’s a great way to spread the news beyond the blogosphere: just print out some of these articles and leave copies where other people will find them.
For a special treat, hang around and watch as others pick them up and read them.
Being The Media has never been easier. Or more fun.
Hey Winter, I’ve hung a few of them up at the local Wally Mart (shudder to go in there)
OT, but wasn’t it under Repub Presidents that these attacks on the middle class happened
1. major fuel price hikes
2. took away deduction for installment loan interest
3. now, maybe mortgage interest
(probably a lot more kinda tired yet)
Did anyone hear about the two gay irishmen ? Patrick Fitzgearld & Gearld Fitzpatrick…..
check out this site
http://www.nydailynews.com/fron...p-302744c.html
Lemmethink_Not,
U R IGNURT
Was Dick Cheney involved in the leak that outed Valerie Plame? Uh…does Dolly Parton sleep on her back?
Las Vegas isn’t allowed to take bets on the outcome, so here’s one amateur pundit’s odds on how this will play out, assuming Fitzgerald finds Cheney was involved:
a) Unindicted co-consiprator: EVEN MONEY
b) Indictment for treason: 10-1 AGAINST
c) Indictment for conspiracy: 3-1 AGAINST
d) No indictment or other action: 5-1 AGAINST
Here are the predicted odds for Bush’s response if the outcome is a, b, or c:
a) Fires Fitzgerald, pardons everyone: 5-1 AGAINST
b) Accepts Cheney’s resignation, appoints a moderate (McCain?) as v.p.: 7-5 IN FAVOR
c) Says, "Let’s wait for a trial": 10-1 AGAINST
d) Resigns himself: 20-1 AGAINST
e) Blames everything on Karl Rove: 2-1 AGAINST
What a tangled web they weave!
Andrea Mitchell IDs Colin Powell’s role in Plamegate
It’s getting better all the time!
Winter Patriot (and to Brad too!),
Thanks for your blogpost. I (along with everyone else) will keep a sharp eye on this as it unfolds.
However, I must make a note here.
Ever since the March end of life issue with Terri Schiavo, the Republicans have since done a very good job of killing themselves.
Please note that this is done IN SPITE OF THE DEMOCRATS, NOT BECAUSE OF THEM.
So, while we cheer this process of destruction on, perhaps we should now also move to encourage Democrats to start taking the lead again.
Today, Sen. Reid will address the gas price issue, which is a good start. However, I still feel like it’s a "day late and a dollar short." He should have taken this on right after his election as Democrat leader.
Such a combination [of Republicans shooting themselves and Democrats growing spines] would win elections, starting next year.
What do you think, WP? Shall we also add such a focus? Right now, the Dems are "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory" [quote from US News and World Report].
But with the help of the Whispering Campaign, VR and Brad Blog, maybe, just maybe, we could possibly see a Democratic Revolution next year.
Kindly help to comment.
Sincerely Yours,
MrBlueSky
Bellevue, WA
The "Bushido" regime has suvived and thrived much longer than I ever thought I would. Americans seem so very slow to come around. I hope I isn’t to late.
Whoo hoo! I want to check in here when this all lands in Joe Wilson’s lap. This is going somewhere that’s for sure, but not where you rank kool aid drinkers hope.
We have noticed how the neoCons march in cadence and lock step. They take orders from the top and are extremely reluctant to act alone or from the bottom up. They act from the top down. That is their modus operandi. I am not saying that is wrong in and of itself, I am just saying it is a strong characteristic of the neoCons.
So while it is clear that Cheney had a commanding role, as did bu$hit, the REAL ISSUE is a matter of being able to get EVIDENCE.
This prosecutor seems to be like Judge John Sirica who handled the Watergate scandal.
I think that is why Ashcroft was let go … he made the "mistake" of appointing Fitzgerald. Actually it was the best thing, and maybe the only good thing he did as AG.
So, the issue is gathering evidence. If the Special Prosecutor finds evidence he will move on it. So we must wait to see how much slime dripped off the WHIG (RAW STORY’s name for the White House Iraq Group).
We won’t have to wait too long. I say 10 to 14 days.
#6 Terri in S FL …….I’m laffin
With the track record of this group no one could doubt the complicity. The proof will be tough to find. Hopefully the in fighting in the White House will begin to implode. Crooks never trust each other and usually turn on one another.
…Rita … please explain your comment " but not where you rank kool aid drinkers hope."?
tell us where you thunk it’s gunna go…
MMIIXX,
Its gunna go where Limpballs tells her its gunna go
re: #9 from MrBlueSky: I can’t speak for Brad but I will tell you what I think.
Personally I am not much in favor of the Democratic Party per se. I do support some Democrats individually but on the national level I am not impressed by what the party does. Nor am I fooled.
Senator Reid can "address the gas issue" all he likes, but in the meantime he’s supporting the Supreme Court nomination of a totally shameless Bush crony who has never even been a judge! Am I wrong? Or did he in fact suggest the appointment?? IMHO they should save abbreviations like WTF for times like these. In other words, I see a speech on gas prices as a distraction, not as any indication of a suddenly-growing spine.
Did you notice how many major Democratic politicians stood up with Cindy Sheehan this summer, and how many disappeared on the weekend of September 24? Well I did and it didn’t surprise me at all. In my view, unless the Revolution can take over the Democratic Party there’s no point trying to work for or within the Democratic Party.
Or maybe it’ll be clearer if I put it this way: To me, the Democratic Party apears much more often to be part of the problem than part of the solution. So IMHO one of our biggest unsolved problems is: What are we going to do about that? I might change my mind someday but today I tend to think we should bury it. Others are welcome to disagree.
As for The Whispering Campaign, its objective is to publicize stories that the big media would prefer to ignore. It tries not to support any political candidate or party, and for the most part it does a good job of that. It doesn’t mind criticizing political parties or candidates, however, as it does in this piece:
‘Centrist’ Donkeys: Elephants In Disguise by Lucinda Marshall
Winter #17
"This is a 2 party system.
The winners and the losers.
The winners are made of two groups – The republicans and the democrats.
The losers are the rest of us."
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
MrBlueSky:
No one will be elected unless the machines are taken care of.
Don’t focus on side-distractions like Fitzgerald too much…..Focus on these two things
Stop tom Feeney’s horrible election bill and SHUT DIEBOLD DOWN TODAY!
CHECK WITH EVERY BOARD OF ELECTION YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE YOU WEREN’T PURGED!!!!!!! THEY ARE PURGING VOTERS.
Watch Tom Delay and his cronies fall down and get hauled off
That’s it. PAPER BALLOTS AND OPEN AUDITS, OR NO ELECTIONS FOR ANYONE!
Doug E.
Bluebear2 #18 the old man says it better than I do — so what else is new?
Of Course evil Cheney had a role in outing Valerie Plame! It was probably his idea! That said what about Bush? He ALSO is involved according to George Steffaniopolis source! This was posted just after George made his remarks on ABC news!
The confirmation by George Stephanopoulos that the President and Vice President were involved in the conspiracy to silence the dissent on the weapons of mass destruction justification for war is absolutely stunning. Read George’s apparent words in This Week:
"Definitely a political problem but I wonder, George Will, do you think it’s a manageable one for the White House especially if we don’t know whether Fitzgerald is going to write a report or have indictments but if he is able to show as a source close to this told me this week, that President Bush and Vice President Cheney were actually involved in some of these discussions."
Lets begint the impeachment hearings! I wonder what kind of a president Hastert will be.
I pray to God, if there is ANY, ANY true Justice in America ANYMORE, that they ALL get indicted and imprisoned! ALL Of them and include insane evil PNAC group too! Along with Rove and Libby! Rove actually admitted outing her himself, when he said he told people it was Joe Wilson’s wife, even though he didn’t say her name, people could still figure out who he was talking about! IF Fitzgerald does NOT indict them ALL, he is UnAmerican, PERIOD! They just outed her to send message to FBI and CIA not to mess with them or they would put their lives in jeopardy! They ALL need to be imprisoned with NO, NO f-cking Deals! And no damn pardons either! And NOW before they murder more innocent people at home or abroad! AND WE MUST STOP BUSH FROM GETTING AUTHORITY TO CALL OUT GUARD FOR ANY REASONS! HE DOESN’T NEED MORE POWER BUT LESS! He is another murdering, fascist, evil, dictator like Hitler ONLY worse as he has bigger arsene! Get the whole damn evil, murdering lot out of there and NOW! They along with some gutless D’s and R’s are LITERALLY DESTROYING AMERICA AND WORLD! If Fitzgerald doesn’t indict Bush, Cheney and others over lies to take us to wars, war crimes, TREASON, and outing a CIA agent then HE IS UNAMERICAN AS HELL! Pray there is still JUSTICE in America! And that NOONE is above the LAW!
Winter #17, RIGHT ON! Soo true! And Gutless, Republican lite Harry Reid is a BIG part of problem! He suggested Miers and ALSO if he and equally gutless, corporate whore Hillary REALLY gave a shit about high gas prices, they would have introduced legislation demanding a cap on them or some other such legislation along time ago! Then ahole Reid has ad on all progressive websites urging people to talk to gas executives! Hell, WHY doesn’t he talk them into lower their prices!? Or doing the above! Then too many D’s supposedly running for President in 08 suck too! ALL are worthless, Republican-lite aholes! We DESPERATELY NEED A REAL DEMOCRAT IN OFFICE NEXT TIME AND HAVE FOR A LONG TIME! TOO MANY CORPORATE WHORES IN BOTH PARTIES ARE LITERALLY DESTROYING AMERICA AND WORLD! Some D’s and R’s alike ONLY care about getting re-elected and themselves! And to hell with rest of us! 80% of ALL politician’s ONLY represent top 5% of people and the rest of us suffer like HELL! Plus 80% of media is corporate owned too! Anyone see a pattern here? Let’s face it folks, we are living in a Corporate Police fascist state NOW! And it MUST end! 1. We MUST stop Bush from getting the authority to call out Guard or troops on own people UNDER ANY REASONS! PERIOD! We have another damn murdering Hitler on our hands folks and YES he is a murdering in more ways then one! Gulf, 9-11 involvement along with others, (get a free DVD @ http://www.reopen911.org) and lying about reasons for wars and also now outing a CIA agent on purpose to shut up opposition to illegal, immoral wars! And he/they couldn’t get by with what they have been doing if corporate whore DLC Democrats haven’t been siding with him/them AGAINST THEIR VERY BASE OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY! DLC DEMOCRATS SUCK AND NEED TO BE KICKING OUT OF PARTY! I agree totally with Winter 17! But we can try to change Democratic party from within, those that still want to stay and from without too! The problem is campaign finance! Too many corporate whores in D.C. and ALL over! U.S. Corporations are running America and world right into ground! Thanks to corporate media and politicians from both parties that put them above even our nation!
The fascists are more like the mafia then nazis, they use bankers, step on toes, break backs etc. are willfully incompetent and love money….
Which begs the question again Sue, Why has this notorious MAFIA MAN tied to Jack Abramoff dissapeared all of a sudden?!
Pay attention to things like this and bash Diebold’s head in until its splintering pieces of metal….WE do not need fake "democracy" anymore, and lewd rape in place of "freedom".
They also signed an order very recently to COVER UP any and all pardons granted by all past presidents…….DOES ANYONE THINK THERE MAY BE SOMETHING TO HIDE THERE? No shit…..Fitzgerald and co are probably looking over those pardons for various reasons….
Doug E.
Winterpatriot…Loved your comment about the state of the democratic party. I’m an optomist, deep down. So I want to throw out a hypothesis to ‘ya, hoping I’m right, but knowing the odds are slim. Harry Reid has a history of boxing..lots of my family members have boxed. So here’s my optomistic take on his suggesting Myers. He knows the weakness of his opponent…where they are most vulnerable. They are scared , not popular, and clearly more confused than ever. He faked the Myers support. They took it because they are no longer thinking. The conservatives are mad about not having a good fight with dems. over the nomination. I notice the democrats are pretty quiet about Myers, which makes me think it might be stategy. If it is, they out roved rove.
Doug E, I know we need to STOP Diebold but right NOW we need Bush and Cheney and rest indicted and impeached! Please email me and send me the info on bill you talked about about pardons! Our FIRST proirity should be making sure Miers is stopped, as the reason Bush wants her is in case he gets indicted, she would let him off! Probably along with Roberts and some others on Supreme Court jesters! But after that, we MUST stop him from getting power to call out Guard FOR ANY REASONS! He/they are fascists, period! And yes, they might be guilty of Gangland killing too! But first things first! We MUST stop Miers from being confirmed, plus STOP Congress from giving Bush power to call out Guard in ANY cases! Then work on dismantling Diebold,etc.
Sue, read this horrible piece of news then:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/...">Bush has installed SECRECY act on behalf of all past presidents.
Bush tries to force Cheney’s supreme court crony Scalia to BLANKET ALL DOCUMENTS, WHISTLEBLOWERS IN GOVERNMENT SECRECY!!!
At the same time they are attempting to make any criticism of Israel ILLEGAL with the Hate-crimes bill. DO YOU WONDER WHY THAT WOULD BE?
Hmmmm…..I sure as hell don’t. KEEP AHEAD OF THEM AND KILL THESE BILLS!!!!!
Doug E.
Link corrected: Secrecy laws on whistle-blowers attacked.
I think Reid suggested Miers because he thinks according to the ideological spectrum, instead of asking himself, "Is this nominee competent?"
He tells Bush, "Give us a moderate." Why? Because Democratic Senators have been "warning" the White House that they would vigorously oppose any nominee who 1) wanted to overturn Roe v. Wade, 2) opposed stem-cell research, 3) was weak on civil liberties, etc. etc. etc.
The whole focus was on liberal vs. conservative, not on qualified vs. unqualified. That’s what the debate has come down to on judicial nominees; I think it’s because extremists have taken over both major parties and have converted judgeships into political footballs.
"Don’t legislate from the bench!" cry Republicans (except when they want to halt a recount and put their own guy in the White House). "Don’t tamper with a woman’s right to choose!" cry Democrats (as if opposition to abortion is necessarily anti-woman).
Quick…someone tell me. Was Oliver Wendell Holmes a liberal or a conservative? How about Marshall? Frankfurter? Brandeis?
We get what we deserve, folks…because political ideology has become the first test for a nominee.
I agree with that Richard…….If Reid had been fighting for all us progressives, not some liberals or what not we would have gotten a BETTER choice than Miers. I bet Bush could have even nominated O’Connor’s sister, but Reid did just what you said.
Doug
Back to Plame-Gate for a moment
Some MSM reporters are telling the story without a lot of spin (link here). This is quite refreshing and hopeful.
I love Kool-Aid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fitzgerald is scary-smart–expect Cheney to be dangling from his testicles with his heart checked in at Bethesda before Traitorgate is all said and done
Get the traitors of Traitorgate
Cloud Burst
Allowing the spring blow to run its course
through mind and body,
the gale subsides
where stillness, still resides
in solace from the storm.
Examine your human frailty,
mighty soldier of the cause;
your delicate ego still has claws.
Fear digging at your heart,
clinging with hysterical cries,
screaming mania in no disguise
trying to claim domain
amid chaos and disordered pleas.
Yet calm remains
soul’s sovereign
to quench distress
within placid enduring strength
enough to absorb emotion’s outburst
and ponder clearing skies again.