What I learned from today's events...

[Plaid Adder]

The thing that spooks me most about the indictment and the press release is the timeline they lay out, in which it appears that every event that led up to the revelation of Plame's identity in the press was a direct response to what the Cheney team considered unfavorable media coverage of the case for war in Iraq. The timeline suggests a clear and repeatable pattern: a story breaks that challenges the case for war, Libby talks to Cheney et al about how they can best counteract it, Libby starts putting Valerie Plame's name around. Another story breaks, Libby has another conversation, later, rinse, repeat.

What does this tell you, apart from the fact that Libby had no problem compromising national security in order to smear Joe Wilson?

That manipulating the media for the specific purpose of holding together what everyone knew was a flimsy and bullshit case for war in Iraq was an acknowledged part of Libby's job description.

Yeah, we live in the age of Rove, we are used to this...so used to it that we forget that this is a HUGE part of the problem. If these assholes put HALF the thought into actually running the country that they do into playing their little media games, we would not be where we are right now. We need to cop to just how wrong and dangerous it is that the people who run our country have blithely accepted the idea that the truth does not matter, that all that matters is defending your lies.

What do we learn from Libby's indictment? Well, we knew it already, but can we step back for a moment and see it from the perspective of someone who still expects governments to make an honest and good faith effort to serve their people?

1. Everyone in Cheney's crew was very concerned that the case for war with Iraq might collapse. And that's because they knew how flimsy it was. That's where the urgency about discrediting Wilson came from.

2. So, they knew they had flimsy evidence to justify this war. Did this ever inspire them to question whether starting the war was a good idea? No. Obviously not. Because all they're thinking about, as we now learn, is how they're going to prevent Wilson from being taken seriously. Instead of, for instance, saying, gee, that claim might have been based on forged evidence? Let's look into that. I mean, wouldn't it be nice if we *didn't* have to go to war after all?

3. They wanted this war. They wanted it regardless of the evidence, they wanted it regardless of the necessity, and they wanted it regardless of the truth. They wanted it badly enough to screw Plame, Wilson, the CIA, national security, the country, and, ultimately, all of us in order to get it.

4. It was Libby's job, not to help us win a war, but to help us get into one. That's why he did this.

This indictment makes public the worst thing about this government: that they actively and with great zeal went looking for--and when they didn't find them, creating--ways to start a war even though none was necessary. When, if they were a decent government that was not insane and not corrupt, they would want to avoid war whenever possible.

We have always known that the Iraq war was something the administration wanted, sought, and finally got. We have always known that there was no reason we had to go to war, and that we have spent hundreds of billions of dollars and uncounted thousands of gallons of human blood not to achieve a greater goal, but simply because Dick Cheney and his gang wanted their war and Scooter Libby made a career out of making it happen.

We always knew that; but nobody believed us. It has been put out in the open now. The rest of the country is hearing it from someone other than us. And, miracle of miracles, our Democratic so-called leaders have started to speak up about it.

It is a good day.

Yee ha,

The Plaid Adder

[Political_Junkie]

1. Yes, it is a good day!

:) :party: :toast: :bounce: :woohoo:

[zonkra]

30. zonkra

i hope we can still feel the same way when the Smirking Chimp pardons Scooter and he's working as a consultant for Halliburton with Mike Brown and Judy Miller, and when, to use a baseball analogy, the Commissioner of Baseball is named Patrick Fitzgerald, subsequent to last minute "new information" conveyed by Turd Blossom's lawyer on behalf of His Fraudulency himself.

[Booster]

2. As usual, very well written and thought out. I'm sending this to

all I know. Thanks for posting.

[Carni]

3. Today was a step in the right direction

I won't lie I was disappointed that rove wasn't indicted but Libby is certainly a big very crooked fish.

First time in 30 years that a member of the whitehouse has been indicted?

Taken in perspective this is a very large deal.

It has been a day marking the start of some kind of justice IMO

Not all I had hoped for but a damned good sign!

Edited because my fitzmas *eggnog* apparently caused really bad typos

[SeattleGirl]

11. And first time in 135 years that a person STILL a member

of the white house has been indicted. The folks indicted in Watergate had left by the time they were indicted, as I recall.

[Carni]

14. Thanks for the ONE HUNDRED and thiry five year correction

I thought they said 35 years (assumed someone must have been indicted in watergate--didn't recall because I was about 9 when nixon resigned)

The bush admin and it's followers must really be proud lol

[NJCher]

25. not to mention "beautiful mind" Babs

The bush admin and it's followers must really be proud lol

I'll bet she's really proud of her baby.






Cher

[s-cubed]

4. I hope you had your dancing shoes on! n/t

[NashVegas]

5. I Feel Like 9/10 of the Democratic Congress Owes Us an Apology

for the IWR vote.

[sandnsea]

6. 1. PNAC 2. Truth is the Engine of Democracy

That should be in every blog and article and ltte until it's on every network, every night.

[emulatorloo]

7. kicking for your post n/t

[texpatriot2004]

8. Yes Plaid Adder it is a good day. nm

[Tatiana]

9. All roads lead to Cheney. We simply have to connect the dots. From MTP:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3080244/

<snip>

MR. RUSSERT: Now, Ambassador Joe Wilson, a year before that, was sent over by the CIA because you raised the question about uranium from Africa. He says he came back from Niger and said that, in fact, he could not find any documentation that, in fact, Niger had sent uranium to Iraq or engaged in that activity and reported it back to the proper channels. Were you briefed on his findings in February, March of 2002?

VICE PRES. CHENEY: No. I don’t know Joe Wilson. I’ve never met Joe Wilson. A question had arisen. I’d heard a report that the Iraqis had been trying to acquire uranium in Africa, Niger in particular. I get a daily brief on my own each day before I meet with the president to go through the intel. And I ask lots of question. One of the questions I asked at that particular time about this, I said, “What do we know about this?” They take the question. He came back within a day or two and said, “This is all we know. There’s a lot we don’t know,” end of statement. And Joe Wilson—I don’t who sent Joe Wilson. He never submitted a report that I ever saw when he came back.

I guess the intriguing thing, Tim, on the whole thing, this question of whether or not the Iraqis were trying to acquire uranium in Africa. In the British report, this week, the Committee of the British Parliament, which just spent 90 days investigating all of this, revalidated their British claim that Saddam was, in fact, trying to acquire uranium in Africa. What was in the State of the Union speech and what was in the original British White papers. So there may be difference of opinion there. I don’t know what the truth is on the ground with respect to that, but I guess—like I say, I don’t know Mr. Wilson. I probably shouldn’t judge him. I have no idea who hired him and it never came...

MR. RUSSERT: The CIA did.

VICE PRES. CHENEY: Who in the CIA, I don’t know.

MR. RUSSERT: This is what concerns people, that the administration hyped the intelligence, misled the American people. This article from The Washington Post about pressuring from Cheney visits: “Vice President Cheney and his most senior aide made multiple trips to the CIA over the past year to question analysts studying Iraq’s weapons programs and alleged links to al Qaeda, creating an environment in which some analyst felt they were being pressured to make their assessments fit wth the Bush administration’s policy objectives, according to senior intelligence officials. With Cheney taking the lead in the administration last August in advocating military action against Iraq by claiming it had weapons of mass destruction, the visits by the vice president and his chief of staff ‘sent signals, intended or otherwise, that a certain output was desired from here,’ one senior agency official said.”

VICE PRES. CHENEY: In terms of asking questions, I plead guilty. I ask a hell of a lot of questions. That’s my job. I’ve had an interest in the intelligence area since I worked for Gerry Ford 30 years ago, served on the Intel Committee in the House for years in the ’80s, ran a big part of the intelligence community when I was secretary of Defense in the early ’90s. This is a very important area. It’s one the president’s asked me to work on, and I ask questions all the time. I think if you’re going to provide the intelligence and advice to the president of the United States to make life and death decisions, you need to be able to defend your conclusions, go into an arena where you can make the arguments about why you believe what you do based on the intelligence we’ve got.

MR. RUSSERT: No pressure?

VICE PRES. CHENEY: Shouldn’t be any pressure. I can’t think of a single instance. Maybe somebody can produce one. I’m unaware of any where the community changed a judgment that they made because I asked questions.

more.....

[MADem]

40. And AWWWWW, gee, the White House has LOST THIER SHILL

They used to be able to get as much time as they wanted on MEET TIM RUSSERT, but lookie here http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3898804/ Old Mr. Potato Head isn't giving anyone from the White House a fawning fifteen or twenty minutes of airtime on Sunday to pound their little drum this week:

Sunday, October 30
Ken Duberstein, Hamilton Jordan, Leon Panetta, Michael Beschloss, David Broder, David Brooks, Judy Woodruff and William Safire

Trouble in the White House: Where does the Bush administration go from here? This Sunday's Meet the Press assembles three former White House Chiefs of Staff -- each with experience in political damage control: Ken Duberstein, Former Chief of Staff for President Ronald Reagan; Hamilton Jordan, Former Chief of Staff for President Jimmy Carter; and Leon Panetta, Former Chief of Staff for President Bill Clinton. They will be joined by Presidential Historian Michael Beschloss to discuss the Libby indictment, the Miers withdrawal, and other challenges facing the Bush White House.

Ya gotta wonder how pissed off ole Timmy must be--he fawned, he toadied, he pumped their agenda, and he was rewarded by Scooter, LYING ABOUT WHAT HE SAID!! It's like finding out a co-worker is telling everyone that YOU stole someone's lunch from the breakroom, when they have crumbs on their tie!!!

[beltanefauve]

45. Timmy's line up is still setting off my shit-detector, though

A former Reagan chief of staff, Hamilton Jordan, who's effectiveness was limited, IMO, Leon Panetta, who resigned from Clinton's staff after the first term, and LO AND BEHOLD, THREE CONSERVATIVE COLLUMNISTS! (Broder, Brooks and Safire), plus Judy Woodruff, another media whore!

[MADem]

46. Leon Panetta is one hyper sharp, smart sonofabitch

I've met him--that guy is tough as nails, sharp as a tack, and sees the forest and the trees. We had a fascinating discussion about military readiness and associated issues, and he NAILED the progression eight to ten years out. He anticipated a slew of BRACs, the methodology of the drawdown, some very precise details that had NOT EVEN BEEN FORMULATED at the time he was making his points. That guy is no fool, and I would want his counsel if I were in a tight spot.

What I find interesting is that Timmy isn't giving any WH insiders any time this week. Where is the obligato fawning interview? The "go ahead, ramble on, make statements that I will not challenge" weekly agony he usually puts America through?

The WH screwed him, mightily--and he is the guy who provides access to the CHURCH OF RUSSERT (props to MODO for that allusion).

I suspect that the next WH shill who winds up on his show is gonna get an asswhipping outside the confessional, in full view of the congregation!

[Tatiana]

48. We shall see, but I'm inclined to agree with you.

These are not the usual beltway whores. He could have had the likes of Joe DiGenova or Woodward on.

[WiseButAngrySara]

10. It is a good day, and this is an excellent post. K & R! .....n/t

[bluedawg12]

12. With their track record- guilty till proven innocent! n/t

[Gregorian]

13. GE. Halliburton.

Some of us knew before this man ever set foot in the White House that he would start a war upon his arrival. It's multifaceted. But any one of the facets suffices. Power and profit. The day he swore on that bible was the day I knew America was headed for war. You are so absolutely correct in what you said about hearing this from someone other than us. Of course it still won't sink in. Maybe a few will catch on. As long as there is money to be made, it will happen over dead bodies if need be. But not so easily with our vigilance. Thanks for your posts. I feel a sense of optimism. All is not lost. We are not in a political anechoic chamber. There is justice. I hope Americans begin to connect the dots. To see how our individual lives effect the direction of the country as a whole. And how our dependence on corporate production empowers. Our work is far from over. The media could have squashed this administration before it did it's damage, if they had desired. Just as a few got us into this mess, a few can get us out. There is hope.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

15. I, too, was disappointed others, including Rove, wasn't indicted.

I don't believe, it's all over yet...and I, for one, can't wait to find out what shit rolls downhill and how the mighty fall. Get out the popcorn, guys! Great column, Plaid. Yee ha, indeed!

[twaddler01]

19. I agree, there is hope

Sure, we will have many of those who don't believe it, maybe because they choose not to...however, I believe everyone reaps what they sow, they will get what comes to them. Sad thing is, it has to involve killing of our own people. But yes, there is still hope.

[ewagner]

16. Thanks Plaidder

nice perspective on a cool, Saturday morning. :hi:

[July]

17. Your first point.

According to the indictment, the Bush gang was digging into Wilson and Plame's lives BEFORE Wilson's op ed piece. I have yet to see this addressed anywhere, but I'm dying to know more.

[DirtyDawg]

18. Woodward's Suckup...

...thought it absolutely revealing of how Bob Woodward 'ramped up' his defense of the bush White House now that the truth is truly coming out. As Plaid is saying, the rest of us knew it all along, yet here we are with this bunch in power for another three-plus years. Can you imagine how much of a disaster this can be?

I particularly noted Woodward's question - on Larry King - of why would they start their smear campaign against Wilson 'after' the war had been on for months? Hey Bob. Did you ever hear of 'impeachment'? Don't you get it? (of course he does, only now he's part of their 'defense' cabal...plus there's money to be made) They know what they did and they're prepared to do anything to keep the truth from coming out. Including ridiculing this investigation. But it won't work. Even David Brooks said so on The New Hour last night...he said that Fitzgerald's impassioned description of the wrongs done by Libby were certainly more than 'technicalities'...that that defense won't get it repigs'

[anitar1]

32. Woodward is a buffoon and an embarrassment IMHO.

He has nothing to offer and has not for many years. I seriously think he is losing more brain cells every day. The man has ridden on the Watergate story forever.He lives to be on camera and a bigger bore I've never heard.

[ScreamingMeemie]

20. It really turns the term "Compassionate Conservative" into an oxymoron...

Well, it would have if it already wasn't an oxymoron.


Goverment Gangsters is more like it.

[joytomme]

21. White House Dead Wrong

I watched a rerun last night of the CNN expose from last August called, "Dead Wrong". It was a recap of the lies that got us into the war in Iraq. It also showed the lack of demands from Congress for investigations into the claims being made by the White House. But I was struck with the memory of what Congress had authorized President Bush to do. And that was: Bush was empowered to mount an attack against Saddam Hussein IF Saddam refused to give up his WMD's.

As an editorial in this morning's NYT reminds us: No matter what transpires regarding Fitgerald's recent investigation or may come out in new investigations, we must never forget that WMD's were not found in Iraq.

The criminals in the White House can claim they are innocent until proven guilty if they like. But they have already been proven guilty. Congress never formally declared war. The authorization for war was based on a false premise attested to by Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and Richard Cheney. Claims made in front of the UN were known to be false at the time they were made. Wilson made his report in February 2002.

The guys have already been proven guilty and we know it. That's really important.

Joy Tomme
http://ratbangdiary.blogspot.com

[Patsy Stone]

22. It was a good day indeed.

I also believe that Fitz has more up his sleeve -- it ain't over yet. And, if the Dems take back Congress in '06, it's impeachment time.

[graywarrior]

23. Great thread.

Cheney is part of this. He knew, he planned it, he implemented it. How do you not pillowtalk with your bedpartner Scooter? All those visits together to CIA?

[iamahaingttta]

24. Let's not forget that...

I. Lewis Libby was one of the signatories of the Project for the New American Century.

http://newamericancentury.org/statementofprinciples.htm

One down, 24 to go...

[trof]

26. From the Nixon playbook:

The White House "plumbers" were able to keep the lid on things long enough for Nixon to be re-elected. It's all that mattered to them.

[t73rvo]

27. You have hit the nail on the head!!!!

[MellowOne]

28. Thank you for your insight, I enjoyed every word

It is a good day when the American public is hearing this from others than the Democrats. And people are talking about reasons for war, so yes, it's a very good day!

[Dora]

29. Right on the money.

Truer words were never spoken. Thanks for such a clarifying argument.

It is a good day.

[PapaJoe]

31. Outing an American Spy.

There also appears to be an effort to minimize the significance of revealing Plame's identity. Just been reading The Spy Handler by Cherkashin. So along with Ames and Hansen, let us add Libby and Company as enemies of the U.S.

[norml]

33. Like the Nazis & the Soviets, for the Cons it's all about the propaganda.

Corruption and incompetence is inherent in their ideologies because they are not reality based.

Because they built propaganda machines that (they thought) could cover for any corruption or incompetence on their part, their corruption and incompetence could only grow worse, as long as their propaganda machines were intact.

Their propaganda machines are their greatest strength, and their greatest weakness.

They are not part of the reality based community.

They squash feedback.

They walk off a ledge, thinking it's the most brilliant move they could make.

In their make believe world everything that happens is a brilliant victory for them, and a tragic blunder for their opponents.

In their make believe world they have all positive personal characteristics, and their opponents have all negative personal characteristics.

In their make believe world they can get away with lying about anything, and never get caught in a lie.

This is how propaganda works.

Ideas themselves mean nothing.

The behavioral conditioning of "us all positive/them all negative" is everything.

It works on the emotions, and on the subconscious.

Example: If a rude noise is sounded whenever a friend's name is mentioned, eventually you will wince whenever you hear that friend's name.

If the behavioral conditioning is strong enough, you will reject that friend, without really knowing why.

They lie and say "We just do what they do", but there is no main stream equivalent to the extremity of lies, insults, and misrepresentations that make up the whole of their propaganda.

On our websites we expose actual lies told by them.

On their websites all they can do is say we don't cover their talking points enough.

Don't let them trip you out.

Their propaganda has no reality.

Their propaganda will be their undoing.

[glitch]

44. It has to be - what they offer nobody wants. nt

[corbett]

34. Regarding 2 & 3

When Cheney was Defense Secretary under the REAL President Bush, he wanted to have Saddam taken out. Furthermore, his stock options in Halliburton have risen to unseen heights of value because of the war and no-bid contracts.

[ClintonTyree]

35. Good gosh, how I long for the days.......

when the worst thing this country had to worry about was the President getting a BJ in the Oval Office! Remember those days? Now the entire world is in turmoil because some pin-head was installed as president and......ah, you all know the story, why repeat it?

The Clinton years; how remote and distant they seem now....the peace, the prosperity! :grouphug: Wasn't it grand? :applause:

[Q3JR4]

36. Anyone think that there is any chance in hell

that Libby will roll over on Cheney?

As always plaid adder, you rock.

:yourock:

[FighttheFuture]

43. No. Libby will likely get a Bush Pardon (Bush Specialty).

Just like poppy, pardoning people that might roll on them.

[Q3JR4]

37. delete

[ToolTex]

38. It is time for a real laws against Government lying. Propaganda by

government is illegal. Just because we expect politicians to lie, doesn't mean we can't prosecute them for it. We truly need laws against Rovian politics. Against such naming as the "Clear Skies" act, "Healthy Forest" act, "Patriot" act. We have truth in advertising laws, anti-propaganda laws, anti-slander laws, now we need and can demand "Truth from government," and "Truth from Politicians," laws.

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

39. Excellent summation. Thank you Plaid Adder. ..Re:#3...

3. They wanted this war. They wanted it regardless of the evidence, they wanted it regardless of the necessity, and they wanted it regardless of the truth. They wanted it badly enough to screw Plame, Wilson, the CIA, national security, the country, and, ultimately, all of us in order to get it.

Yes, yes, yes...and yes. Have a good day!

Nominated!

On Edit: Is there not one word for #3...TREASON??

[democrank]

41. I hope we get a freebie out of Fitzgerald`s hard work....

a hard core, in depth soul searching by the corporate media echo chamber. Had they all done their jobs, Bush`s rush to invade Iraq would have been a little tougher.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

50. If the media had done their jobs, * would never have come to power

The media whores shilled for him from the getgo of the 2000 campaign for president, letting him get away with anything he said and repeating ridiculous lies about Gore.

Almost everyone on DU knows Gore never claimed he invented the internet, but it's a fact to the average RW american.

Same thing with John Kerry's war record and * being a wartime deserter with connections.

It's hard to win when the playing field is always uphill for democrats.

[Demeter]

53. Don't Hold Your Breath Waiting for the Media to Repent

The Wall Street Journal was corrupted under Reagan's Morning in America--their editorial page praised the Mindless Moron and his gang of GOP (think Gingrich) while the front pages bled woe and inflation and business failures.

The New York Times went under the veil with Clinton. The number of trees sacrificed to smear Bill and Hilary and Chelsea by that rag is unconscionable.

Smaller local papers were bought by the dozen and homogenized by corrupt and corporate Right-wingers all during this time.

Those news magazines that didn't go out of business (Reader's Digest, US News, Time, Forbes) lost their minds and integrity starting in the 70's.

I don't know about the Washington Post--compared to some, it is rather factual.

I don't think this happened by accident.

[brainshrub]

42. Another great piece of analysis.

It's people like you that make DU worth visiting.

[haydukelives]

47. Kick

[madeline_con]

49. A Kick for the Adder!

:kick:

[blossomstar]

51. I thought it would be wonderful to have been so RIGHT; but

it just kind of leaves me feeling sick to my stomach, after all, I am an American and this shames all of us in front of the entire world. Now, when are they going to believe and acknowlege that the elections were stolen? and they most surely were... What dark days these are for America.

[jayctravis]

52. Right. It's so bad to see such ambition and energy

not used for Good.

Dammit...think if we'd put the 80 katrillion dollars we spent in Iraq into research and healthcare. Think where we'd be, and how uncrippled we'd be during the one of the worst natural disaster seasons we've had in recent memory. Why are we causing death and destruction when Earthquakes and Global warming does it anyway? Nature doesn't need help making life fragile. We should work to make everyone safer. Not from terrorists. From poverty and disease and fear. That terrorism thing will stop. That is what any chosen deity wants from us. God don't need money. We don't know the cosmic account number. Churches that absorb money and do not do good works are simply masturbating.

Whoa sorry...tangental rant.

:nuke: