Exposed: More lies by the lying liars

[Gentle Giant]

What a news day this is starting out to be. Fuck fire-bombing a Danish embassy; isn't it time the masses in this country unleashed their anger at the White House. I'm not saying fire-bomb the building but how about a sustained protest until the Administration tells a single truth about something? The revolution lives!!

'Superiors' authorized leak, Libby said to testify
By Carol D. Leonnig, Washington Post | February 10, 2006

WASHINGTON -- Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff testified that his bosses instructed him to leak information to reporters from a high-level intelligence report that suggested Iraq was trying to obtain weapons of mass destruction, according to court records in the CIA leak case.

Cheney was one of the ''superiors" I. Lewis ''Scooter" Libby said had authorized him to make the disclosures, according to sources familiar with the investigation into Libby's discussions with reporters about CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson. But it is unclear whether Cheney instructed his former top aide to release classified information, because parts of the National Intelligence Estimate were previously declassified.

The disclosure in a legal document written by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald demonstrates one way in which Cheney was involved in responding to public allegations by Plame Wilson's husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, that the administration had exaggerated questionable intelligence to justify war with Iraq.

In a letter written in January and released in court papers filed by Libby's defense Monday, Fitzgerald wrote that Libby testified that his ''superiors" authorized him to disclose information from the National Intelligence Estimate to reporters in the summer of 2003. The National Journal first reported on its website yesterday that Cheney had provided the authorization. The intelligence estimate is a classified report prepared by intelligence officers for high-level government officials, and some parts are declassified in a summary and available to the public.

Lea Anne McBride, Cheney spokeswoman, declined to comment on the vice president's role in Libby's discussions of the intelligence estimate, referring calls to Fitzgerald's office. Fitzgerald's spokesman has declined to comment on the probe.

Libby was indicted in October on charges of obstruction of justice, perjury, and making false statements in the course of the investigation. Fitzgerald has been trying to determine since January 2004 whether administration officials knowingly disclosed Plame Wilson's identity to reporters to discredit Wilson's allegations, a possible violation of law. Plame Wilson's name first appeared in a syndicated column by Robert Novak in July 2003, eight days after her husband publicly accused the administration of relying on questionable information about Iraq's weapons program to justify the war.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy said the information about Libby's testimony exposes a possible hypocrisy within the Bush administration as it seeks to punish those who leak politically embarrassing information about secret CIA prisons and warrantless spying, but encourages leaks aiding the administration's political strategy. ''These charges, if true, represent a new low in the already sordid case of partisan interests being placed above national security," he said in a statement. ''The vice president's vindictiveness in defending the misguided war in Iraq is obvious."


Abramoff tells reporter of contacts with Bush
E-mail message posted on Internet
By Jim VandeHei, Washington Post | February 10, 2006

WASHINGTON -- President Bush met Jack Abramoff almost a dozen times over the past five years and invited him to Crawford, Texas, in the summer of 2003, according to an e-mail message the lobbyist wrote to a reporter last month.

Bush ''has one of the best memories of any politicians I have ever met," Abramoff wrote to Kim Eisler of Washingtonian magazine. ''The guy saw me in almost a dozen settings and joked with me about a bunch of things, including details of my kids."

In an interview last night, Eisler confirmed the contents of the e-mail and said he recently provided portions of it to the liberal Web log ThinkProgress because he thought he was dealing with a fellow reporter.

The blog then posted the contents of the Abramoff-Eisler communication.

In the e-mail, Abramoff scoffs at Bush's statements that he does not recall ever meeting the disgraced lobbyist and former top Bush fund-raiser. ''Of course he can't recall that he has a great memory!" Abramoff wrote. Eisler, an editor for Washingtonian, said in the interview that the disgraced lobbyist was the source of his exclusive report last month that at least five photographs of Bush with Abramoff exist. Abramoff showed him the pictures, Eisler said. Abramoff has told others he will not release them publicly.

Bush has said he does not recall ever having met Abramoff or having posed for pictures with the Republican lobbyist at official events or parties.

The White House has refused to release the pictures or to detail Abramoff's contacts with officials over the past five years.

The White House press secretary, Scott McClellan, said yesterday that ''what the president said still stands."

''Mr. Abramoff is someone who was involved in wrongdoing," McClellan said. ''He acknowledged that himself. He is being brought to account." Abramoff would not comment last night.

Abramoff pleaded guilty last month in a bribery and corruption scandal that has rocked the Republican Party and threatened the careers of several legislators and aides. No evidence has emerged that Bush or his top White House aides did anything improper to aid Abramoff or his clients, according to people familiar with the investigation.

In mentioning the invitation to Texas in 2003, Abramoff appeared to have been alluding to a private barbecue Bush hosted for big fund-raisers at Broken Spoke Ranch, down the road from the president's compound near Crawford, on Aug. 9 of that year. About 350 Republicans who had raised at least $50,000 each for Bush were invited.

Abramoff was member of the exclusive group of top Bush fund-raisers known as the Pioneers, each of whom raised $100,000 or more for Bush. So it would not have been unusual for him to be invited to the barbecue. McClellan said that the photographs are no different from thousands Bush takes each year with visitors, supporters, and even reporters and that it would not be unusual for the president to not recall meeting Abramoff.

Eisler said Abramoff did not grant him permission to release the contents of the e-mail and is upset that he did.


28 agencies reported levee woes day Katrina hit, documents show
By Lara Jakes Jordan, Associated Press | February 10, 2006

WASHINGTON -- Twenty-eight government agencies, from local Louisiana parishes to the White House, reported that New Orleans's levees were breached on Aug. 29, the day Hurricane Katrina roared ashore, according to documents released yesterday.

A timeline of e-mail messages, situation updates, and weather reports, pieced together by Senate Democrats, indicates that the Bush administration knew as early as 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time about levee failures that would lead to massive flooding of the city and its surrounding counties, or parishes.

Senate Democrats said the documents raise questions about whether the government moved quickly enough to rescue storm victims once they realized the levees had broken.

A White House spokesman, Trent Duffy, said President Bush and his top aides were fully aware of the massive flooding and less concerned about whether it had been caused by levee breaches, overtopped levees, or failed pumps. All three were being reported at the time.

''We knew there was flooding, and that's why the number one effort in those early hours was on search and rescue and saving life and limb," Duffy said.

Shortly after the disaster, Bush said, ''I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." He later said his comment had been meant to suggest that there had been a false sense of relief that the levees had held.

The Bush administration has said it knew definitively early Tuesday, the day after the storm, that the levees had been breached.

Their information, they said, was based on an Army Corps of Engineers assessment.

Democrats said the documents showed there was little excuse for the federal response.

''The first communication came at 8:30 a.m.," said Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. ''So it is inexplicable to me how those responsible for the federal response could have woken up Tuesday morning unaware of this obviously catastrophic situation."

The first internal White House communication about levee failures was issued at 11:13 a.m. on Aug. 29 in a ''Katrina Spot Report" that was issued by the Homeland Security Council. ''Flooding is significant throughout the region and a levee in New Orleans has reportedly been breached, sending 6-8 feet of water throughout the 9th ward area of the city," the internal report said.

The documents were released on the eve of Senate testimony by the former Federal Emergency Management Agency chief, Michael Brown, who is sometimes considered the public face of the government's response to Katrina's devastation.

Brown, now a private citizen, has said his Katrina-related communications with Bush and other top White House officials no longer fall under executive confidentiality protections. This may be a signal that his testimony will assign blame elsewhere.

Brown quit FEMA on Sept. 12 after he was relieved of his onsite command in the Gulf Coast, and left the federal payroll on Nov. 2. He testified in front of a House investigation panel in September.

[Solo Jazz]

LoL.

What's that old joke? How do you know when a Politician is lying? When his/her lips are moving, of course!

I think the mistake is to associate lying as unique to one political entity. In sum, THEY ALL LIE!

...the truth is out there...

[Scott Dolan]

Originally Posted by Solo Jazz

I think the mistake is to associate lying as unique to one political entity. In sum, THEY ALL LIE!

Finally, we find something to agree about. And agree 100% at that.

Now if you and I could only convince most of the others on this site of that.

[Gentle Giant]

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

Finally, we find something to agree about. And agree 100% at that.

Now if you and I could only convince most of the others on this site of that.

Some lies keep your wife from wringing your neck. Some lies result in thousands of people dying.

[lynn]

It must be beyond the scope of some folks' comprehension to admit that this administration has done everything it possibly can, including repeatedly bypassing if not breaking the law, to secure more power for it's ideological tribe members. Sure politicians lie. These guys happen to be pathelogical criminal liars. Even their own republican party members are getting a wiff of the rotting fish and not liking it.

[Gordon B]

Originally Posted by Gentle Giant

What a news day this is starting out to be. Fuck fire-bombing a Danish embassy; isn't it time the masses in this country unleashed their anger at the White House. I'm not saying fire-bomb the building but how about a sustained protest until the Administration tells a single truth about something? The revolution lives!!

How peeved are you that the political thread generating the most hits this week isn't about Bush or Republicans?

Everybody, stay on message. Political threads that aren't about Bush or his cronies are to be shunned.

[Scott Dolan]

Now Gordon, that is absolutely incorrect. It's not so much that they should be shunned, it's just that the majority of the folk here don't have the slightest understanding of anything political outside of the hate Bush realm.

For example, today we could talk about the controversial meeting that will take place between Hamas and Russia. But the kiddies can't understand the discussion because they can't hate Bush for it, nor express that hatred.

We could talk about the slowly recovering Japanese economy. But, there's no way to hate Bush for that. So, no kiddies.

We could talk about the pros and cons of globalization. Although, there may somehow be a way for them to hate Bush for that.

[Gordon B]

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

We could talk about the slowly recovering Japanese economy. But, there's no way to hate Bush for that. So, no kiddies.

The Yen went nuts yesterday when it was announced that mahinery orders jumped 6.8%, about 4.5 times what was expected. The Japanese economy is showing signs of life.

[RBS]

Originally Posted by Gordon B

The Yen went nuts yesterday when it was announced that mahinery orders jumped 6.8%, about 4.5 times what was expected. The Japanese economy is showing signs of life.

LET'S GO METS!

[Monte Smith]

No way to hate on Bush and discuss the Japanese economy?? When did the Japanese economy start going as bad as last week's sashimi? About the time someone's father started barfing on their leadership, I think. I don't want to have to connect all the dots. George H.W. Bush, barf, the Carlyle Group, etc.

[Gentle Giant]

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

Now Gordon, that is absolutely incorrect. It's not so much that they should be shunned, it's just that the majority of the folk here don't have the slightest understanding of anything political outside of the hate Bush realm.

For example, today we could talk about the controversial meeting that will take place between Hamas and Russia. But the kiddies can't understand the discussion because they can't hate Bush for it, nor express that hatred.

We could talk about the slowly recovering Japanese economy. But, there's no way to hate Bush for that. So, no kiddies.

We could talk about the pros and cons of globalization. Although, there may somehow be a way for them to hate Bush for that.

Wanna talk about the Japanese economy? Start a thread. Wanna talk about Russia and Hamas? Start a thread, to which I'll probably controbute I do have concerns about that.

This thread is about some of the administration's many blatant lies that are coming back to bite them in the ass. That's what I want to talk about here in this thread.

[Gentle Giant]

Originally Posted by Gordon B

How peeved are you that the political thread generating the most hits this week isn't about Bush or Republicans?

Everybody, stay on message. Political threads that aren't about Bush or his cronies are to be shunned.

This ain't a competition. If no one wants to talk about the administration's record of deceit that's fine with me. But it personally gets me so angry that I need a place to vent, and this is it.

[Gary Sisco]

One thing's definitely true: At the beginning of the war'n'turror, Rumsfeld very openly said that the gubmint would be doing some lying to the people. That's about the last true thing he's said.

[Scott Dolan]

Originally Posted by Gentle Giant

Wanna talk about the Japanese economy? Start a thread. Wanna talk about Russia and Hamas? Start a thread, to which I'll probably controbute I do have concerns about that.

This thread is about some of the administration's many blatant lies that are coming back to bite them in the ass. That's what I want to talk about here in this thread.

Nah, this thread is about two things:

1. Politicians being politicians. Something that has gone on since before you were born, and something that will continue to go on long after you leave this Earth.

2. Yet another way you can bash Bush, a favorite hobby of yours and many others around here. What does it really amount to? What does it really accomplish? Nothing. But it must make you feel better since you constantly indulge in it. I'm not sure why we can't just have a Bash Bush thread for all of you to post these stories in and weep and gnash teeth amongst yourselves.



There is a hell of a lot more going on out there in the world. There is a great deal more to politics than sitting around whining about how pissed off you are at Bush.

I have started threads on other subjects before, but they don't last long because there are so few people here who are able to contribute to them. It's embarrassing really, but I guess Gary really is right about the "depth" of political thought and insight that exists in this country.

Sad......

[frank m]

There is nothing more important to me, outside of my dogs and family, than what Bush and Co. are doing to this country and its constitution. a friend of mine has held the opinion that they'll so screw everything up that it will be a hell of a long time until a Republican is elected again.

I'm not so sure, given that more than half the people in this country have IQ's low enough to believe them. Remember, Hitler was elected.

[Scott Dolan]

Only 15 posts until Hitler is mentioned.

That might be a new record.

Hold on to that IQ tightly, frank.

[frank m]

It's not quite an argumentum ad hominem. More like a sneer ad hominem.

[tristano's ghost]

Nice editorial in the New York Times today about Bush's ever-growing abuse of presidential power:

We can't think of a president who has gone to the American people more often than George W. Bush has to ask them to forget about things like democracy, judicial process and the balance of powers -- and just trust him. We also can't think of a president who has deserved that trust less....

DOMESTIC SPYING After 9/11, Mr. Bush authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on the conversations and e-mail of Americans and others in the United States without obtaining a warrant or allowing Congress or the courts to review the operation. Lawmakers from both parties have raised considerable doubt about the legality of this program, but Attorney General Alberto Gonzales made it clear last Monday at a Senate hearing that Mr. Bush hasn't the slightest intention of changing it....

THE PRISON CAMPS It has been nearly two years since the Abu Ghraib scandal illuminated the violence, illegal detentions and other abuses at United States military prison camps. There have been Congressional hearings, court rulings imposing normal judicial procedures on the camps, and a law requiring prisoners to be treated humanely. Yet nothing has changed. Mr. Bush also made it clear that he intends to follow the new law on the treatment of prisoners when his internal moral compass tells him it is the right thing to do....

THE WAR IN IRAQ One of Mr. Bush's biggest "trust me" moments was when he told Americans that the United States had to invade Iraq because it possessed dangerous weapons and posed an immediate threat to America. The White House has blocked a Congressional investigation into whether it exaggerated the intelligence on Iraq, and continues to insist that the decision to invade was based on the consensus of American intelligence agencies....

Like many other administrations before it, this one sometimes dissembles clumsily to avoid embarrassment. (We now know, for example, that the White House did not tell the truth about when it learned the levees in New Orleans had failed.) Spin-as-usual is one thing. Striking at the civil liberties, due process and balance of powers that are the heart of American democracy is another.

The last two sentences nail it. This administration has left the realm of "spin" and "they all do it" well behind; how it defines its power actively threatens the very nature of our system of self-government. It's amazing to me that a stalwart conservative like Georgia Rep. Bob Barr, who actively led the drive to impeach Clinton, could be booed so heartily the other day by a "conservative" crowd simply for saying that the president should be held accountable to the law.

The hysteria is less from the so-called "Bush haters" and more from the "Bush lovers" who never question anything he does, no matter how blatantly it may violate the law, and who attack even their own ideological kin for daring to suggest that he is not, in fact, king. I thought we settled this about 225 years ago, y'know?

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by frank m

It's not quite an argumentum ad hominem. More like a sneer ad hominem.

More like sneer ad argumentem, since what Scott is snearing at is not you but your Hitler comparison. And Hitler rose to power not by electoral majorities but minorities. His Nazi party managed to be the balance of power in some weak coalition governments. Hitler was appointed to dictatorship, not voted there.

[frank m]

like Bush. That makes it all the worse for us. Lots of Germans didn't know that's what they were getting when they voted. We did.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by frank m

like Bush. That makes it all the worse for us. Lots of Germans didn't know that's what they were getting when they voted. We did.

I know, frank. I know. First they came for the al Qaeda members. And because I was not an al Qaeda member, I said nothing.

[frank m]

I respect your intelligence. That is so obviously silly as to be beneath you.

[Monte Smith]

Then to keep your good opinion, I apologize and withdraw my remarks. I gotta go call my nephew anyway, he's ten today. I'll be back on later. Fucking Nazis.

[Scott Dolan]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

I know, frank. I know. First they came for the al Qaeda members. And because I was not an al Qaeda member, I said nothing.

Then they came for the liberlas, and I said nothing.

Man, we're really hitting all the worn out cliche's today.

Goddamned Sundays.

[Scott Dolan]

Republicans represent big business.

Democrats represent the common man.

[Scott Dolan]

Clinton lied and nobody died.

[Scott Dolan]

Bush stole the election.

[Scott Dolan]

The Constitution guarantees a seperation between church and state.

[Scott Dolan]

Democrats only voted for the war because they were lied to.*













*my personal fave seeing as it doesn't exactly speak volumes about the intelligence of the average democrat.

[Scott Dolan]

Where's lynn when you really need her?