White House keeps dossiers on political enemies

[medeak]

White House keeps dossiers on more than 10,000 'political enemies'

Spurred by paranoia and aided by the USA Patriot Act, the Bush Administration has compiled dossiers on more than 10,000 Americans it considers political enemies and uses those files to wage war on those who disagree with its policies.

The “enemies list” dates back to Bush’s days as governor of Texas and can be accessed by senior administration officials in an instant for use in campaigns to discredit those who speak out against administration policies or acts of the President.

The computerized files include intimate personal details on members of Congress; high-ranking local, state and federal officials; prominent media figures and ordinary citizens who may, at one time or another, spoken out against the President or Administration.

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_7625.shtml

[shoelace414]

1. Didn't Nixon keep a list like this?

[Nite Owl]

4. That was my first thought too

And wasn't it daddy * that had a part in that? Remember something like that from Kitty Kelly's book.

[Greeby]

6. Yup, his enemies list

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon_enemies_list

Look at No.13 (note this is what Colson sent to John Dean)

John Conyers, congressman, Detroit: Coming on fast. Emerging as a leading black anti-Nixon spokesman. Has known weakness for white females.

"Known weakness for white females"? Only in the fevered racist brain of a Republican, could that be considered a bad thing ;)

[FreedomAngel82]

32. Oh brother

Looks like Conyers still has it going on though. I wonder if he's on Bush's little black (no pund intended) list. LOL Barbara Streisand? WTF is that about?

[VaYallaDawg]

18. Dan Schorr (CBS) always claimed it was his life's

greatest achievement, being in the top 100 on Nixon's enemies list.

[Skidmore]

24. These are old Nixon people in this administration

many of whom thought they were done wrong the first two times around--with Watergate and Iran-Contra. None of them have learning curves.

[shoelace414]

33. they think the problem first time around was

the Leaks to the press and recording things (paper and audio tape). if they didn't leave a trail (evidence), it would have been fine.

[HereSince1628]

2. Interesting, I seemed to remember Nixon also had an enemies list

But 10,000? I am betting if you have 10000 or more posts on DU your name is on the bloody list.

[etherealtruth]

10. That's my recollection as well ...

Sadly the Chimp makes Nixon "look good"

[William769]

3. Only 10,000?

[lutefisk]

31. I'd guess closer to 200 million, at this point. n/t

n/t

[Captain Hilts]

5. I hope they've got a file on me! nt

[C_U_L8R]

7. So did Heinrich Himmler

Monkey See.. Monkey Do.
These thugs in the White House make me ill.

[medeak]

8. "big brother at it's most extreme"

We’re talking about Big Brother at its most extreme,” says one White House staffer. “We know things about people that their spouses don’t know and, if it becomes politically expedient, we will make sure the rest of the world knows.”

[Matariki]

14. this explains so much

i always wondered what the used to blackmail or threaten ALL of congress and the senate to go along with them. Bet it goes a long way to explain John McCain. Hell, maybe even John Kerry's strange behavior.

[...of J.Temperance]

15. I completely agree with your comments, I've always felt

That Bush Inc. was blackmailing people into giving in to them. It had to be something like blackmail, the way people just cave and also how frightened a lot of people seem to be, sometimes you can just see the fear in their eyes.

They blackmail people into submission and they blackmail them into mediawhoring and they blackmail them into silence.

MONSTERS.

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. Yes this much was hinted by a US Senator in a talk

some years back, off the record

[FreedomAngel82]

36. Wouldn't surprise me

And I also think McCain still wants to be president. Especially since he visited Jerry Falwell lately.

[ComerPerro]

9. How long before this gets dismissed as "standard practice"

You'll hear it pretty soon:

"All Presidents do this"

[karynnj]

11. Nixon redux

I wonder how many people are honored to be on both lists.

[electropop]

12. Is this where they got the info on Plame?

These guys need to be impeached and fast.

[libnnc]

13. Hope he spelled my name right. n/t

[Perky]

16. I have a problem with this article

No quotes for attribution about an enemies list and no denials or statemnts in response for the WH.

I wonder if CHB even askes the WHite House for comment. If they didn't this is poor journalism.


I am not saying their leads are wrong....but you have to ask those who have been accused for comments....That's journalism 101.

[sweetheart]

17. how paranoid

Wow the arrogance and egotism to even "have" an enemies list, when in
public life charged with the goodwill of *all* the people. It is a sign
of how low they've become, grovelling mud maggots, worming through
snake shit, proving that tiny snake shit worms really are lower than
a snake's ass.

Why would anyone in a fair and just nation be worried to challenge the
status quo, so what are these radicals who claim to be conservatives.

Language devalued, neoliberals, and due to this affiliation of the
separation of economics and people's oversight, republicanism, hiding
corruption, keeping enemies lists. And all around their houses are
watchtowers like minus morgal, empty soulless eyes defending tryrrany
and its agents.

Paranoid... an enemies list. In a more honourable time of human kind,
such a list would have a gentleman thrown out of politics altogether
for relegation, resignation. Rather it is now seen as a baddge of
honour, an institutional paranoia list.

NUCLEAR WAR! BOO! They have a lot to be afraid of.

[ToolTex]

19. If a WH insider gave this info. This insider needs to give access info

to this database, if it is real. Make this address or access method available for one hour before they notice, and so many freepers will be stunned to learn they are enemies, that his political base would collapse in a day.

[WilliamPitt]

20. How long

will CHB be allowed to stand as an acceptable source?

[medeak]

21. wonkette said same

but then she's flattered she's on the list

http://www.wonkette.com/index.php

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. s long as they keep being ahead of the curve

and they have Will

Oh and lets ask a fair question you think the WHI is NOT keeping enemies lists?

What is more, you think they don't have a file on you?

I KNOW they have one on me, and I epxect it has grown over the last five years.

No I am not paranoid

File was opened in 1973 when my dad applied for immigration status at the US Empbassy... it was expanded when we were granted green cards, it was futher expanded when I applied for US Citizenship (and in between it most likely grew since I worked in a warzone for the war on drugs), then when I married a US Submariner it grew even further... and I am possitive when I started agitating against this war... it just keeps on grwoing. And if you think you don't have one, you are not paying attention. You are even more dangerous than I am.

[WilliamPitt]

26. I don't give a shit

about who may or may not have a file on me.

I give a shit about so-called news services floating bullshit from 'sources' with no attribution.

CHB burned us all real good two years ago with that story about Bush saying in a meeting that the CIA better tell him there were weapons in Iraq, or else he'd find someone who would.

Total crap. I'm not buying what they're selling.

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. That is your prerogative

so far what I have seen is the same pattern we saw with Nixon with the MSM picking up the story line that bush has or may have an alcohol problem some years after they first reported on it. Ha Aretz has also played the stories of Bush's instabilities for yaers, and been discoutned as well.

What is worst, I am sure that conversation took place, about the CIA... look this story up, a Military Intelligence Unit that was completely obliterated by the Third ID in the opening days of the war, for they were ON THE WRONG side of the line and did not identify themselves. Did I mention the General of the Third ID was removed from a combat commad? Oh that one was on the AP and yahoo news, as well as AFP... from having actually served MI units are not forward deployed of a main force... special forces are... the MI was the cover, if yuo know how to read betweeen the lines, for the team sent to get them weapons planted. No, my tin foil is fine by the way. THat operation failed, and the CIA cuold not find anybody to confirm them... ooops!

As to caring you should. If they should win this... you can expect, with the rest of the disidents (me included) to have a hell of a time finding a job in the new America... as a student of hsitory I know how represive governments deal with disidents, and that is one way... them lists make their way to the strangest of places.

[Walt Starr]

22. I would have bet my lsat dollar that the administration kept enemies lists

but since that was on CHB, I'd bet my last dollar they don't.

[AlCzervik]

25. See the players haven't really changed, they've just gotten older.

[FreedomAngel82]

27. Even more proof

that they can't do anything without lying, stealing, cheating, blackmail.

[grasswire]

30. it's been known for years..

...that Father Bush and then Rover kept lists of enemies. The Bush family is known for its habit of revenge.

And it is also known that the RNC has a huge opposition research department that works on behalf of Bushco. The person in charge of the RNC's opposition research during the campaign 2000 went on to be the spokesperson for John Ashcroft -- Barbara Comstock. A lot of information is detailed in an article in Columbia Journalism Review:

http://www.cjrdaily.org/archives/000609.asp


And here's a really interesting article on the parallel to the Nixon White House. http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2002/06/17/bush_watergate/print.html

[SeveneightyWhoa]

34. Oh no, not CHB again.

That site should be banned from DU. It's about as truthful as NewsMax.

[nadinbrzezinski]

37. How about Salon

here you go

http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2002/06/17/bush_watergate/print.html

Oldie but goodie

or is this too a fishwrap?

[NYCGirl]

38. No, that's an article based on FACTS. Unlike CHB, which is based

on guessing.

[nadinbrzezinski]

39. Ok, let me ask you something

have you tracked the number of stories they have published that later oh I don't Time and Newsweek have also picked up with NO ATRIBUTIONS... like the George may be drinking story line... adn he is an angry while man?

I am not defending these guys, but they seem to be ahead of the power curve. I know why many don't want to beleive them... I fully understand it, but I am afraid to a point this is denial, and it is not a river in Egypt. This administration is doing many of the things done by the Nixon White Hosue and they are also setting up the police state. I also realize most don't want to face this... Upton Sinclair's "It can't Happen Here" should be required readying now.

[NYCGirl]

40. When did Time or Newsweek pick up anything from CHB? Links? NT

[nadinbrzezinski]

41. a month ago

and you can search for this yourself... they were all over the place here... mostly I should get back to work and check on the oven

[NYCGirl]

42. That was the National Enquirer. NT

[nadinbrzezinski]

43. No we also had them in Newsweek and Time

go the archives, oh hells bells

Here you go

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9287434/

Read taht article carefully, in particular the aides who were quaking wondering who should break the bad news to Bush...

[NYCGirl]

44. As Will Pitt points out in another thread about CHB, people have been

aware of Bush's nasty temper for YEARS. So where's the article about him drinking again?

Edited to add: I even remember Ann Richards talking about W's temper when she was running against him for TX governor!

[Loonman]

35. Same thing they accuse Clinton of doing

Republicans have no integrity.