Judge Samuel "Knee Jerk" Alito nominated to the Supreme W. Court

Hm.

So much for George W.'s weird-assed statement: "Harriet Miers is the most qualified person for the job."

Samuel Alito, known affectionately (by BushCo flying monkeys) as "Scalito," will be the second Italian Catholic from New Jersey on the Supreme Court.

So much for diversity.

Oh, by the way...

Judge Knee Jerk thinks a woman needs her husband's permission to abort a blastocyst.

A dissenting opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 947 F.2d 682 (3d Cir. 1991), arguing that a Pennsylvania that required women seeking abortions to inform their husbands should have been upheld. As Judge Alito reasoned, "[t]he Pennsylvania legislature could have rationally believed that some married women are initially inclined to obtain an abortion without their husbands' knowledge because of perceived problems--such as economic constraints, future plans, or the husbands' previously expressed opposition--that may be obviated by discussion prior to the abortion." Chief Justice Rehnquist's dissent from the Supreme Court's 5-4 [corrected] decision striking down the spousal notification provision of the law quoted Judge Alito's dissent and expressed support for Judge Alito's reasoning.

Ahem.

That includes you and your daughters, Republican women!





Whatever you do, don't touch that dial!

Any attempt to ignore George W.'s attempt to divert attention from his administration's flying monkey felons will be seriously frowned upon.

All Of Them Witches:What's In A Name?

"The name is an anagram."

Remember Rosemary dumping the Scrabble letters on the floor to solve Hutch's dying clue?

She thought the "name" was the title of the book Hutch had meant to send her (All Of Them Witches), but the "name" turned out to be an anagram of "Steven Marcato" (Roman Castevet).

Spooky, wasn't it?

Today's a most fitting day to explore some other interesting anagrams:

To be or not to be: that is the question, whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

And the Anagram:

In one of the Bard's best-thought-of tragedies, our insistent hero, Hamlet, queries on two fronts about how life turns rotten.

Even spookier...

That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind--
Neil Armstrong

The Anagram:

A thin man ran; makes a large stride, left planet,
pins flag on moon. On to mars.

And the spookiest...

RONALD WILSON REAGAN

The Anagram:

INSANE ANGLO WARLORD

And there's this...

ANAGRAM

The Anagram:

A Ragman*

*This is how the Devil is described in Bob Dylan's "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again" (1966) which begins:

Oh, the ragman draws circles
Up and down the block

Certainly something to think about on Hallowe'en.

Remember... Things aren't always what they appear to be.

Hallowe'en started out as an innocent harvest festival, which had to be demonized by the church in order to dampen its popularity.

Today, Samhain Hallowe'en is the no. 2 money-making holiday...

Second only to Yule Christmas.

Today's Sermon: Surrender, Kansas!

If you haven't been keeping up with the Kansas Board of Education's determination to make the God of Abraham part of its state science curriculum, you can google the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster for the backstory.

To make a long story short (editing out all of those annoying "begats"), the Kansas Board of Ed voted to give the God of Abraham-- and only the God of Abraham-- equal billing with the theory of evolution (and the scientific method) in its public school textbooks and required curricula.

But no one expected 2 science groups -- and a 3rd-- to "just say no" to the arrangement.

2 Science Groups Say Kansas Can't Use Their Evolution Papers

By JODI WILGOREN
Published: October 27, 2005

CHICAGO, Oct. 27 - Two leading science organizations have denied the Kansas board of education permission to use their copyrighted materials in the state's proposed new science standards because of the standards' critical approach to evolution.

The National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Teachers Association said the much-disputed new standards "will put the students of Kansas at a competitive disadvantage as they take their place in the world."

Competitive disadvantage...

Hm.

Copyright infringement means that those Kansas Board of Ed fundies can't just cherry pick tried and tested scientific content for their fictional science curricula without facing serious legal problems.

As for the innocent children depending on their states to offer classroom and laboratory subject matter that will prepare them for further post high school study and beyond (if they so choose)...

Fuggetaboutit in Kansas.

Those poor kids are fast becoming not just prime candidates for college admissions boards' famous circular filing systems, they're on the fast track to academic cocktail party joke status.

Sure, they can get into Kansas public community colleges and probably into the Kansas state university system, but if these fundies don't back off from this infinitely stupid God of Abraham Science Class crap, the name "Kansas" will soon become synonymous with "Application Denied."

Ask any kid from rural Texas who's been denied acceptance at major universities because their local school board didn't recognize the importance of outfitting their science labs with Bunsen burners.

It happens all of the time.

Wait a minute. Scratch what I just wrote about admission to the U of K system.

From the University of Kansas system website:

KS Board of Regents Curriculum

* English: 4 units required
At least one year of English or language arts must be successfully completed for each year of high school.
* Natural Science: 3 units required
At least one year must be in chemistry or one year must be in physics. Students must successfully complete three years of natural sciences such as: - Biology
- Advanced Biology
- Chemistry
- Physical Science
- Physics
* Mathematics: 3 units required
Students must successfully complete three years of mathematics at the Algebra I level and beyond.
* Social Sciences: 3 units required
Satisfy this requirement by completing three years of social sciences such as U.S. History, U.S. Government, world history, or world geography.
* Computer Technology: 1 unit required
One year of computer technology (basic computer/software skills) is required.

Ahem...

Competitive admission to KU schools

The school you are interested in may have more rigorous and competitive admission standards.

Kiss Med School goodbye, parents: Behold! I send you out as sheep...

Republican Evolution

Then and now...







Evolution: It's not just a 'science thing' anymore.

This Week'sBackside Of The Bell CurveWinner!

The Future Star Of A
Deliverance Remake?

I. Lewis "Scooter"
Libby

Squeal like a what?


The first Plamegate grand jury has spoken:

Count 1: Obstruction of Justice
Counts 2-3: False Statements
Counts 4-5: Perjury

You don't do 18 months in Danbury Minimum Security Prison for 5 felony indictments, which can only mean...

It's time for Scooter to start squealing.

Fredo W. Bush and Cover For Me Cheney sent Scooter some seriously coded messages in their statements today:

President Bush on Friday called the ongoing legal proceedings "serious" and said "we're all saddened by today's news." (Watch Bush's reaction -- 1:08)

Speaking to reporters from the south lawn of the White House, the president said Libby has "worked tirelessly on behalf of the American people," and he cautioned that "in our system each individual is presumed innocent and entitled to due process and a fair trial."

Got that, Scooter? This is SERIOUS, Dude, so keep your damned pie hole shut. OK?

"Scooter Libby is one of the most capable and talented individuals I have ever known," Cheney said in a statement. "He has given many years of his life to public service and has served our nation tirelessly and with great distinction."

Cheney said he wanted to remind everyone an indictment doesn't mean the subject is guilty.

For the exact wording of the indictments, visit Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald's website.

And remember...

The Watergate case wasn't cracked with only the first grand jury. It takes time to get the rats to start eating each other.




Interesting. Scooter either squeals to the Special Prosecutor, or he squeals doing hard time.


Margo Channing: Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night.

Indictment(s) Announcement Imminent!

Got your Plamegate Scorecard ready?

Just remember...

A continuing investigation of KKKarl Rove is a good thing!


The big IF: If everyone in the White House claims that Cheney is innocent (but he's indicted as an un-named co-conspirator), wouldn't that just scream that they're all part of the conspiracy?

While you're waiting...

While you're waiting for the grownups to wake up and start your Fitzmas festivities (the unsealing of those long-awaited BushCo indictments, stocking stuffer surprise indictments, and general merrymaking), read my weekly column, The Blog Box, a weekly look at what's going on in the blogosphere.

The link is in the sidebar.

I'll be back later today with this week's Backside Of The Bell Curve winner!

Hallowe'en update:

It looks like Trick Or Treating isn't going well for one family...







My advice: Don't let this happen to you! Choose your Hallowe'en masks wisely.

Mr. Sulu is gay.

And?

So what?

When will news like this stop being a big hairy deal?

Star Trek star George Takei comes out

Actor George Takei, best known as Mr. Sulu on the classic TV series Star Trek, comes out of the closet in the new issue of Frontiers.

And no Romulan cloaking device jokes, please.

The real burning question: How the hell does a 68 year old man look so damned young?



Answer: Plastic surgery is your friend.

And another BushCo flying monkey bites the dust.

So long, Harriet.

At least you got a personal makeover as a parting gift...

BEFORE

After






George W., however, took a licking but may not keep on ticking after tomorrow's indictment announcement...




Bush: If I had a functioning family,
I'd cry, "Mommy!"


When cornered, Republicans eat their own.



Today's lesson: Never play poker with Harry Reid.

So many Republican masks, so few heads!

Don't you just hate it when you have to choose from a host of horrific Hallowe'en masks because you only have one head?

This year's truly scary Hallowe'en masks...













Choose wisely! And avoid Republican-infested neighborhoods: they don't believe in the healing power of full-size Hershey bars! I mean it, damn it! Been there. Learned that the hard way!


From grab-asses and gas gougers and money grubbing Republicans and House votes that go bump in the debt... Protect us!

All masks courtesy of The Costumer.

Is this KKKarl Rove's idea of how to say good bye to the White House?

If so, I'm sure more than a few military personnel and veterans would like to have a word with him...

Out back or in an alley, perhaps.




Deputy chief of staff and presidential political adviser Karl Rove jokingly salutes, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005, as he walks from the White House. Lawyers representing key White House officials expected Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald to decide as early as Wednesday whether to charge I. "Scooter" Libby, who is Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff and Rove in the leak of a CIA officer's identity. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

Hm.

I wonder why KKKarl didn't employ his usual salute...





This is how Karl Rove feels about The United States Of America. Any questions?

Plamegate Scorecard!

Ya Can't tell the players without a scorecard!

When Special Prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, announces the grand jury's decision(s), circle W for Witness, I for Indicted, and WTF for What The Fuck happened? How the hell did this BushCo ho skate?


Dan Bartlett W I WIF

Claire Buchan W I WIF

George W. Bush W I WIF

Andrew Card W I WIF

Dick Cheney W I WIF

Ari Fleischer W I WIF

Alberto Gonzales W I WIF

Stephen Hadley W I WIF

John Hannah W I WIF

Israel Hernandez W I WIF

Karen Hughes W I WIF

Bob Joseph W I WIF

Adam Levine W I WIF

I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby W I WIF

Scott McClellan W I WIF

Catherine Martin W I WIF

Mary Matalin W I WIF

Jennifer Millerwise W I WIF

Colin Powell W I WIF

Susan Ralston W I WIF

Condoleezza Rice W I WIF

Karl Rove W I WIF

David Wurmser W I WIF


The big IF: If everyone in the White House claims that Cheney is innocent (but he's indicted as an un-named co-conspirator), wouldn't that just scream that they're all part of the conspiracy?

In Memoriam

Rosa Parks,
Seamstress
1913 - 205

1956



With President Bill Clinton,
Presidential Medal Of Freedom
presentation,
1996



With Vice President, Al Gore,
Congressional Medal Of Honor
presentation,
1999

2001

"A living icon for freedom in America"
US Senate, 1996

Requiescat in pace.

Cheney Knew.

Funny... how Irving Lewis "Scooter" Libby's notes on his meeting(s) with VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY have suddenly surfaced, just as the special prosecutor's grand jury is completing its work.

Funny... how Judith Miller's notes on her conversation(s) with Libby regarding Ambassador Joseph Wilson's wife turned up AFTER she realized she was facing criminal obstruction of justice charges.

Funny... how George W. Son Of Out-Of-The-Loop went from "This is background noise" to "This is a serious investigation" faster than a speeding bullet last week.

Funny... how the New York Times finally joins the reindeer games and breaks this story...

Cheney Told Aide of C.I.A. Officer, Notes Show

By DAVID JOHNSTON, RICHARD W. STEVENSON and DOUGLAS JEHL
Published: October 24, 2005

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 - I. Lewis Libby Jr., Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, first learned about the C.I.A. officer at the heart of the leak investigation in a conversation with Mr. Cheney weeks before her identity became public in 2003, lawyers involved in the case said Monday.

Funny...

NOT.

Martha Stewart was convicted for giving false statements (not under oath, mind you) during the investigation of a crime she wasn't charged with.

I expect no less for The Dick.

And I don't give a rat's ass that Cheney is fingering George Tenet as his source on Valerie Plame.

Anyone who believes that Tenet decided to out a covert CIA agent (thereby jeopardizing 20 years of WMD investigation and contacts) and waltzed into the vice president's office to do so-- on his own-- is seriously whacked.

Quick!

Time to divert, inveigle, and obfuscate!

But what could possibly knock this story off the front page?

Hm.

Time to indict Rush Limbaugh for serious background noise drug crimes!

Nothing less will do.

Today's burning question: What did George W. Bush know and when did he know it?

Do these people have a secret?

Yep, they have a secret, all right...




File this under: Right out of Central Casting.

Christian Halloween Costumes?Get real, Grant!

You can't make this stuff up.

From Grant's Graceland...

“Top Ten Suggestions For Christian Halloween Costumes”

10. Wear a giant tuna costume, carry a calculator and a loaf of bread and go as "the multiplying loaves and fishes."

9. Go as a pair of gnashing teeth, play a continuous tape of nails on a chalk board and say, "Give your life to Jesus, or get used to it!"

8. Put a sign around your neck that says "Walter", then wear a Wok as a hat and say, "If I keep my eyes on Jesus, I can wok on Walter."

7. Sneak up to the door, ring the bell, and then hide in the bushes, leaving only a Trick or Treat bag, an empty pair of tennis shoes, and a sign reading "Sorry - Got Raptured."

6. Go as a python with a squashed head. Let 'em look it up.

5. Wear a black suit, pull along a casket and greet neighbors with the words, "Hi, I'm here to take you to church. You want to go your way now, or my way later?"

4. Dress up as a yellow and black striped leaf and ask them if they beeleaf in Jesus!

3. Hide in a big basket with a miners' light on your head. Then when someone opens the door, jump out and say, "I'm tired of hiding my light under a bushel, how about you?"

2. Wear a wedding dress, and use zombie makeup. When someone opens the door say, " Why not try Church? It's not just for weddings and funerals any more!"

1. Put an Uncle Fester light bulb in your mouth and say, "My friend is the real light of the world, want to hear about Him?" Note: this may take some practice, but boy is it impressive!

Or...

*

You could wear whatever you want to wear, amass a pillow case full of candy loot, and celebrate All Hallow's Eve like a normal person.

By the way, I see Daddy Dearest in Grant's children's future.

File this under: Betcha Grant has a nifty wire hanger collection, y'all!

*All costume pics are from ScarePros.com.

Will the real "Mr. X" please step forward?

Remember To Tell The Truth?

3 people all claimed to be Mr. or Mrs. or Miss X, and the panel of celebrities asked questions to determine which one was the real Mr. or Mrs. or Miss X.

Well...

Michael Isikoff has revealed that Special Prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald might have secured the cooperation of the real Mr. or Mrs. or Miss X.

Prelude to a Leak

Gang fight: How Cheney and his tight-knit team launched the Iraq war, chased their critics—and set the stage for a special prosecutor's dramatic probe.

By John Barry, Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball
Newsweek

Some lawyers close to the case are convinced Fitzgerald has a mysterious "Mr. X"—a yet unknown principal target or cooperating witness.

Hm. Searching the Newsweek article for clues...

Cheney backed the elder Bush's vow to oust Saddam from Kuwait by force, over the objections of Colin Powell, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs, who favored negotiations, and over dire predictions of disaster from the CIA.

Behind the scenes, no one pushed the terror link harder than Libby. He urged Colin Powell's staff to include the (Muhammad Atta-Iraqi Intelligence) Prague meeting in the secretary of State's speech to the United Nations. But Powell wanted no part of it.

Libby turned to a Powell aide. "Don't worry about any of this," he said, according to someone who was in the room. "We'll get back in what you take out."

Powell refused to use the line, but Libby's audacity stunned everyone at the table.

Facts:

Colin Powell resigned from his job as Secretary of State on November 12, 2004.

Colin Powell's son resigned from his job as chairman of the FCC in January, 2005.

Colin Powell is writing a book.

Is Colin Powell Mr. X?

Stay tuned.

File this under: Do you swear To Tell The Truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

Today's Sermon: Bush League Basilicas

Bush league- a descriptive metaphor for minor league baseball teams' venues. Webster defines bush leagues as "leagues of professional clubs in a sport other than the recognized major leagues."

So, it stands to reason that...

Baseball is not the only organizational endeavor with major and minor league "players."

Consider academia, politics, the scientific community, and the entertainment industry. All have their stars, their up-and-comers, and their minor leaguers.

Now, add churches to the mix.

Suit Fuels Suspicion of Church in Alaska

By RACHEL D'ORO

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A recent string of lawsuits accusing Roman Catholic priests of molesting children has reinforced suspicions among some critics of the church that remote Alaska was a dumping ground for problem clergy. More...

12 priests have been accused of molesting children in remote parts of Alaska, and 4 are now facing law suits.

The Fairbanks Diocese serves 41 parishes spread out over more than 400,000 square miles. It covers Alaska's Interior, the North Slope and the western coast.

Church officials claim that priests actually ask to be transferred to the Siberia of Catholicism.

Maybe on Planet Oh Right Sure.

Patrick Wall, a former Benedictine priest and consultant for a Costa Mesa, Calif., law firm that has worked on more than 300 church abuse allegations nationwide, said rural Alaska was a prime place to send abusive priests, because of its isolation and because its cultural reverence for authority figures, such as elders and priests, meant parishioners would be less likely to speak up.

My questions:

Does the holy church have a list of bush league venues, where they can dump their bush league pedophile priests-- where the parishioners would be less likely to speak up?

If so, where might one send such "players?"

Butcher's Hollow, KY ("I was borned a coal miner's daughter.")

Daufuskie Island, NC ("Conrack")

Robstown, TX (Because I've been there and seen it)

Of course, there are many, many more venues in the US and worldwide where the church can easily dump its bush leaguers.

But that doesn't make the practice either "traditionally" acceptable or moral.

Thus Endeth Today's Sermon.

Go forth today, knowing that you may live in or near a bush league dumping ground.

Sound the alarm.

I mean it, damn it!


File this under: Behold! I send you out...

Ready for another "one witness" war?

George W. Wagthedog wants the UN to open a can of Whoop Ass^® on Syria...

Keep these little gems in mind when you hear the drum beat in the next few days:

1. "Furor" refers to 3 people: Bush; Rice; and Bolton.

2. The "report" of Syrian govt involvement is based on the account of a single witness (Remember Judith Miller's friend, Chalabi?)

(German Prosecutor, Detlev) Mehlis said he deleted the names when he learned the report would be made public, because he only had one witness.

While the U.N. findings did not directly incriminate Assad, the report cited a witness who said Assef Shawkat, the president's brother-in-law and Syria's military intelligence chief, forced a man to tape a claim of responsibility for Hariri's killing 15 days before it occurred.

3. John Bolton is either lying, terminally stupid, or both.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the flap was distracting the United Nations from the report's main findings, which he said showed "clear evidence" of Syrian obstruction of justice and "probable cause to believe that the assassination could not have been undertaken without the knowledge of senior figures in Syrian intelligence." --snip--

The report's substance "doesn't change no matter what version you have," he said.

4. Condoleezza Rice is an asshat of the first order:

His (George W.'s) Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, said "there will have to be some way to ensure accountability for what has already been found here". (UK punctuation)

5. George W. has done this before. Will he get away with it again?

"Today, a serious report came out that requires the world to look at it very carefully and respond accordingly," he said.

6. Oh, see the multiple headlines...

US wants action against Syria in Lebanese killing

Bush: U.N. Hariri report 'deeply disturbing'

Furor over names deleted from UN Hariri report

US demands action on Syria report

SYRIA ON THE BRINK

Jitters in Lebanon as Syria braces for UN Hariri report

Syria Rejects Accusations in Hariri Probe

If the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand can spark a world war, who can say with any certainty that a single "witness" (or 2) can't wreak havoc when George W. needs another diversion? After all, he's done it before.


File this under: Can we really afford another war right now?

This Week's Backside Of The Bell CurveWinner!

The Man Who Laughs At The Rule Of Law

Former pest control engineer & US House majority leader

Tom
"The Bug Man"
DeLay


How could this week's winner be anyone other than The Bug Man?

Who else thumbed his nose at the very conscience of our nation (the rule of law) by grinning like a Deliverance banjo lover while being photographed and fingerprinted for two felony indictments?

Just look at his eyes...



The eyes don't match the shit-eating grin, do they?

Look again.

Real smiles are easily distinguished from fake ones because the eyes smile, too.

Remember When Irish Eyes Are Smiling?

Eyes smile, laugh, and frown along with the rest of one's facial features.

Tom "The Bug Man" DeLay and his cronies decided he should grin for the camera, in order to keep his political opponents from using his mug shot in future campaign ads.

Side note: Hey, Bug Man! It's still a mug shot!

That's why the eyes aren't smiling. He's an admitted phony, and the look in his eyes bears witness to that fact.

Would a man honestly humbled by his devotion to God, a man honestly awed by the blood shed of American patriots to preserve our laws, a man honestly respectful of the duty to honor our 12 good men and true jury system, purposely grin at our legal process, thereby reducing our full faith in the American court system to a political ploy?

Tom "The Bug Man" DeLay just did.



File this under: The clearest way to show what the rule of law means to us in everyday life is to recall what has happened when there is no rule of law.
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Curses! Scooped again!

How many times can Murray Waas humiliate the New York Times, The Washington Post, and every other major US newspaper?

In today's National Journal, Waas single-handedly shreds Judith Miller's "Oops, I had completely forgotten that I had met with I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby BEFORE Ambassador Joseph Wilson IV published his "What I didn't find in Africa" op ed. According to Ms. Miller, she found her notebook containing her own notes on that "Scooter" meeting.

Side note to Judith Miller: Chances are, Hon, that the prosecutor already knows the answer to the questions s/he asks you.

Waas, acting like the journalists of old, did one of 2 things: A.) he actually investigated the suddenly remembered notebook story and checked the Secret Service visitor logs, where he learned that Judith Miller had, indeed, met with Scooter at the EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING, ADJACENT TO THE FREAKIN' WHITE HOUSE; or B.) he got the scoop from someone in a position to know the facts.

Either way, Murray Waas has the goods on Judith Miller's half-told tale.

The rest of the olfactory-challenged news hounds have done nothing but publish book reports on Miller's version of events or speculate as to Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald's intentions.

Pitiful. Pure D pitiful.

I'll be back later today with this week's Backside Of The Bell Curve winner. Meanwhile, read today's Blog Box column (link in the sidebar).

File this under: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

Rove Fingers Libby

I'm usually not a fan of movies and novels, in which the plot revolves around the inevitable bad guy gang self-destructing to the point that one turns on another and gives the good guys enough evidence to break the case.

It's been done to death.

However, I must admit that I enjoyed reading that KKKarl Rove has now pointed his finger at Irving Lewis "Scooter" Libby and shouted, "He did it!"

This, of course, doesn't exonerate KKKarl, who cut his political teeth working for Donald Segretti (R, Convicted Watergate Guy). Even if the grand jury believes his new & improved story, he was still a source for the treasonous CIA covert agent leak.

Now, we learn that KKKarl and Scooter did discuss the CIA leak (which means that they both knew about it, and neither did the right thing by coming forward) before Robert Novak published Valerie Plame's name and covert status.

Rove Told Jury Libby May Have Been His Source In Leak Case
Top Aides Talked Before Plame's Name Was Public

By Jim VandeHei and Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, October 20, 2005; Page A01

White House adviser Karl Rove told the grand jury in the CIA leak case that I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, may have told him that CIA operative Valerie Plame worked for the intelligence agency before her identity was revealed, a source familiar with Rove's account said yesterday.

In a talk that took place in the days before Plame's CIA employment was revealed in 2003, Rove and Libby discussed conversations they had had with reporters in which Plame and her marriage to Iraq war critic Joseph C. Wilson IV were raised, the source said. LINK

Why have such a conversation in the first place?

I'm sure Scooter didn't seek out KKKarl and lament, "Oh, no! Some dastardly reporters told me that Ambassador Joseph Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame-- or Flame, is a covert CIA agent. This could seriously jeopardize national security!"

As Cicero quoted Cassius: Cui bono?

Who benefits from admitting this conversation took place?

Why, KKKarl, of course.

Blame Scooter. He must be a rogue staffer, a bad apple, a fraternity prankster... Who surely acted alone.

Isn't that what they always say?

The burning question, though...

Did the grand jury believe KKKarl?


File this under: It's not the crime; it's the cover up, stupid.

I'm not kidding this time!

Cue that Law & Order pizzicato!

I can't wait for the real mug shot pics!

Texas Court Issues Warrant for DeLay

By SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press Writer 12 minutes ago

AUSTIN, Texas - A Texas court issued a warrant Wednesday for former House Majority Leader
Tom DeLay to appear for booking, where he is likely to face the fingerprinting and photo mug shot he had hoped to avoid.

Bail was initially set at $10,000 as a routine step before his first court appearance on conspiracy and money laundering charges. Travis County court officials said DeLay was ordered to appear at the Fort Bend County jail for booking.

The warrant was "a matter of routine and bond will be posted," DeLay attorney Dick DeGuerin said.

The lawyer declined to say when DeLay would surrender to authorities but said the lawmaker would make his first court appearance Friday morning. LINK

Uh oh.



So, why not Travis County?

Hm. Something's up.


File this under: Show me the perp walk, damn it!

Bush Knew.

According to the New York Daily News, at least 2 sources have confirmed that "an angry President Bush rebuked chief political guru Karl Rove two years ago for his role in the Valerie Plame affair."

Hm.

"Karl is fighting for his life," the official added, "but anything he did was done to help George W. Bush. The President knows that and appreciates that."

Cough.

Let's revisit George W.'s statements to the public...

Sept. 9, 2003

Q (Dana Milbank) -- and, yet, his spokesman is saying that there's no internal, even, questioning of whether or not people were involved in this and he's just letting that be handled at the Justice Department, and letting it be more of a criminal investigation, as opposed to almost an ethical --

MR. McCLELLAN: Dana, I mean, think about what you're asking. If you have specific information to bring to our attention --

Q No, but you say that --

MR. McCLELLAN: -- that suggests White House involvement. There are anonymous reports all the time in the media. The President has set high standards, the highest of standards for people in his administration. He's made it very clear to people in his administration that he expects them to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. If anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration. LINK

Oct. 1, 2003

"I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it." (Source: October 1, 2003, Suntimes.com)

October 7, 2003

"I don't know if we are going to find out the senior administration official [who leaked the name]. This is a large administration and we have many officials. I don't have any idea. I would like to." LINK

June 10, 2004

THE PRESIDENT: That's up to --

QUESTION: And, and, do you stand by your pledge to fire anyone found to have done so?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. And that's up to the U.S. Attorney to find the facts. LINK

OK.

It's time to change this blog post's headline...


Bush Lied.


File this under: Whatever happened to that famous Republican mantra? It's The Rule Of Law.

Cue That Law & Order Pizzicato!

No, really. Cue it!

Listen To The Law & Order Pizzicato Refrain

DeLay Will Likely Be Booked This Week

DeLay's arraignment is set for Friday before state district Judge Bob Perkins in Travis County, Texas.

"Perkins believes that if God was charged with a felony, he would have to go through the booking process, too," said D'Ann Underwood, court coordinator for the judge.

Before Friday, DeLay, a Republican from Sugar Land, Texas, will likely spend about an hour being fingerprinted and photographed, she said. He'll also be required to state his attorneys for the record. LINK

Play it again.

Officials unaware of reporter's special status
NY Times' Miller wrote she had 'security clearance' for Iraq WMD reporting
Related Stories

By Jim Miklaszewski

WASHINGTON — Officials from the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon say they have no idea what New York Times reporter Judith Miller was talking about when she claimed to have been given a "security clearance" while she was embedded with a U.S. Army unit in Iraq in 2003. LINK

Play it again.

Journalism community turns on Times, Miller
By DAVID B. CARUSO
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK -- With a ferociousness usually reserved for presidents caught lying to the public, the journalism world has turned on The New York Times and its reporter Judith Miller, who only weeks ago was being lauded for her willingness to go to jail to protect a source.

A few media critics and academics suggested Monday that the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter should be fired. Times Executive Editor Bill Keller, in a memo to staff, expressed the hope that the public brouhaha would subside but did not disclose what further action, if any, the paper would take. LINK

Play it again.

CIA leak prosecutor asked about any Cheney role

By Adam Entous

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal prosecutor questioned New York Times reporter Judith Miller about whether Vice President Dick Cheney himself was aware or authorized her discussions with his chief of staff, Lewis Libby, about a covert CIA operative, Miller said on Saturday. LINK

Play it again.

Is It The Beginning Of The End?
(CBS) Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News anchor and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.

Nixon and his people had been thinking of little but Watergate and how to cover their tracks.

Which is why White House press secretary Scott McClellan's words about the current investigation into who blew the cover of that secret agent for the CIA had such a familiar ring. "The White House doesn't have time to let these things distract us from the important work at hand," he said.

Oh, sure. A special prosecutor is bearing down, the president's top people are being called before a federal grand jury on a regular basis — four times so far for Karl Rove — the investigation has revealed a vicious secret war between the White House and the CIA over who should take the blame for the wrong intelligence that took us to war, and it's just another day in the office? LINK

Play it again.

CIA leak probe 'widening to include use of intelligence'

By Caroline Daniel and Edward Alden in Washington

According to the Democratic National Committee, a majority of the nine members of the White House Iraq Group have been questioned by Mr Fitzgerald. The team, which included senior national security officials, was created in August 2002 to “educate the public” about the risk posed by weapons of mass destruction on Iraq.

Mr Fitzgerald, who has been applauded for conducting a leak-free inquiry, has said little publicly about his 22-month probe, other than that it is about the “potential retaliation against a whistleblower”, Joseph Wilson. After Mr Wilson, a former ambassador, went public with doubts about the evidence that Iraq was developing nuclear weapons, the name of his wife, Valerie Plame, a CIA official, was leaked to reporters.

The prosecutor has given no indication whether he will charge anyone in the case. At the weekend Judith Miller, the New York Times reporter jailed for 85 days after refusing to testify, provided new details about the scope of Mr Fitzgerald's investigation. She was asked “repeatedly” how Lewis “Scooter” Libby, chief of staff to Vice-President Dick Cheney, “handled classified information”. LINK

Play it again.

Abramoff Scandal Links GOP to Islamic Banks and Tyco Scandals

The other shoe is about to drop on the Republican leadership, now reeling from the indictment of House Republican Leader Tom DeLay and the imminent indictments coming down from the Plame Grand Jury.

Abramoff's influence-peddling operation out of the Greenberg & Traurig law firm are connected to multiple Washington scandals, the nexus of which is lobbying that either illegally benefited Republicans or which alledgedly cheated that law firm's clients.

What is less well understood is that Ambramoff also served as the registered Washington lobbyist for the Government of Pakistan and is a fixer for Saudi moneymen tied to al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups. Abramoff is further implicated in the financial looting of giant Tyco International, a case that has ties to the Bush Justice Department. LINK

Play it again.

Reed: Candidate denies seeking ouster of 10 House gambling foes

By JIM GALLOWAY

Using money from a gambling services company, Republican strategist (and candidate for office) Ralph Reed helped wage a direct-mail campaign against 10 GOP members of Congress who voted in favor of a ban on Internet gambling in 2000, according to The Washington Post.--snip--

ELottery was a client of Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a close friend of Reed's who is the subject of several federal investigations.--snip--

Robin Vanderwall, head of the organization, told the Post he got a call from Century Strategies and was told he would receive a check from (Grover) Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform. He was to deposit the check and write one for an identical amount and send it to Century Strategies.

"I was operating as a shell," Vanderwall was quoted as saying. "I regret having had anything to do with it."

Vanderwall was later convicted of soliciting sex with minors over the Internet and is now serving a seven-year sentence. LINK

Play it again... for good measure.

Cheney May Be Entangled in CIA Leak Investigation (Correct)

Actually, the headline should read...

Bush, Cheney, et al may face civil suit

In an interview yesterday, Wilson said that once the criminal questions are settled, he and his wife may file a civil lawsuit against Bush, Cheney and others seeking damages for the alleged harm done to Plame's career.

If they do so, the current state of the law makes it likely that the suit will be allowed to proceed -- and Bush and Cheney will face questioning under oath -- while they are in office. The reason for that is a unanimous 1997 U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling that Paula Jones' sexual harassment suit against then- President Bill Clinton could go forward immediately, a decision that was hailed by conservatives at the time. LINK

Whew!


File this under: Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

Tricky Dick Lives!

When Bloomberg.com publishes a story that suggests Tricky Dick Cheney is up to his evil eyeballs in the treasonous Plame CIA Outing Scandal, two questions come to mind:

1. Has someone already dropped a dime on the venomous Veep?

2. Is Bloomberg more concerned with protecting George W. Revenge and, therefore, tossing the Tricky Dick carcass to the jackals?

Hm.


What are you looking at,
you "major league asshole?"

Cheney May Be Entangled in CIA Leak Investigation, People Say

Oct. 17 (Bloomberg) -- A special counsel is focusing on whether Vice President Dick Cheney played a role in leaking a covert CIA agent's name, according to people familiar with the probe that already threatens top White House aides Karl Rove and Lewis Libby.

The special counsel, Patrick Fitzgerald, has questioned current and former officials of President George W. Bush's administration about whether Cheney was involved in an effort to discredit the agent's husband, Iraq war critic and former U.S. diplomat Joseph Wilson, according to the people.

Fitzgerald has questioned Cheney's communications adviser Catherine Martin and former spokeswoman Jennifer Millerwise and ex-White House aide Jim Wilkinson about the vice president's knowledge of the anti-Wilson campaign and his dealings on it with Libby, his chief of staff, the people said. The information came from multiple sources, who requested anonymity because of the secrecy and political sensitivity of the investigation.

New York Times reporter Judith Miller, who has now testified twice before a federal grand jury probing the case after spending 85 days in jail for refusing to cooperate with Fitzgerald, wrote in yesterday's New York Times that Fitzgerald asked her whether the vice president ``had known what his chief aide,'' Libby, ``was doing and saying'' regarding Wilson, a critic of the war in Iraq.

I have to ask...

Would you believe that the Vice President (who was placed on the ticket in 2000 as the "grownup") had no idea what his Chief-of-Staff was doing when he and KKKarl Rove chaired all of those meetings of the WHIG (White House Iraq Group)?

Would you believe that the president and the vice president had no idea what was going on when they attended some of those WHIG meetings?

Would you believe that Libby and Rove acted independently when they investigated Ambassador Joseph Wilson and told no less than 6 high-priced reporters that Wilson's wife was CIA?

Would you believe that the White House wouldn't smear anyone and everyone who dared point out that the "evidence" presented before the invasion and occupation of Iraq was tainted?

Where's Agent 86 (Don Adams) when you need him?

Heaviest of sighs.


File this under: What did Tricky Dick Cheney Know and when did he know it?

Today's Sermon: Terminator Jesus Does Hallowe'en

Hallowe'en, for today's fascist fundies, is not just a reason to eat candy anymore.

From ghosties and goulies
and long-leggedy beasties
and things that go bump in the night...

Make that homosexuality, abortion, satanism and all the other wages of sin.

Meet Pastor Keenan, GAWD's little architect of Hallowe'en Haunted House kits guaranteed to eff up your children's psyches for eternity...




Pastor Keenan, Anjela, Jade and Blaze Roberts
(Look closely at their eyes.
That's right, he married a woman named Blaze,
who looks like she just got down off her stripper's pole)

And here's the info on the "kits" Pastor Keenan wants your church to buy:



Shake your city with the most “in-your-face,
high-flyin', no denyin', death-defyin',
Satan-be-cryin', keep-ya-from-fryin',
theatrical stylin', no holds barred,
cutting-edge” evangelism tool
of the new millennium!

Your church can buy the kit and construct sets to depict:

Homosexuality — No one is born gay. Genesis 1:27 says that God created man in His own image. Homosexuality is sin and is not just an alternative lifestyle.

* Abortion — It is not merely a surgical procedure or the removal of a mass of tissue. It is the taking of a human life!

* Suicide — The solution to your problems and depression is not found through ending your life. Let Jesus carry you through those tough times and be the strength you are searching for.

* Drunk Driving — The false highs and constant lows of alcohol are never more sobering than when you realize that you are a killer.

* Satanism — The occult is very powerful and not something to toy with. Jesus Christ possesses the only power greater than the kingdom of darkness.

* Hell — Hell is not an eternal party place. It is the home of never-ending torment, anguish and permanent damnation and separation from God.

* Heaven – Heaven is the eternal reward for those whose names are written in the Book Of Life. It is a place of exquisite beauty crowned by the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and His holy angels.

But Wait! There's More!

Some of the extra modules you can purchase for your quest for salvation...

* Gay Wedding ($45) — This energetic scene will give you another powerful weapon in your arsenal against the homosexual stronghold and the born-gay deception.

* Rave Scene — Youth culture often sees itself as wildly indestructible. The underground world of rave clubs and drug usage proves to be a deadly combination, and hell's demons rejoice.

* Gay/Lesbian Suicide ($45) — This scene creatively combines two cutting-edge issues into one script. The drama for the scene calls for a spiritual battle between the angel of the Lord and the demon tour guide.

* Mother's Womb Abortion ($65) — A young mother is miraculously given the opportunity to learn from her mistake upon being blessed with a visit by her aborted daughter at four different ages of life.

* Sex Scene Package ($45) – This scene deals with the out-of-control sexual appetite our youth are demonstrating in their dating lifestyles.

This is no Trick-Or-Treat joke.

This is a real, mega money-generating, scare-the-holy crap-out-of-you, religious horror show.

If you've ever wondered how hate crime perpetrators are made...

Now you know.

Heavy sigh.

Thus Endeth Today's Sermon.

To those who worship:

Go forth today and celebrate the joyous elements of your religion...

Instead of the fascist fundies' warped idea of hate, hell, fire, and brimstone.

To those who don't worship:

Run!

I mean it, damn it!

File this under: We've come for your daughter, Chuck.*


*My favorite line from Beetlejuice.