Please, don't buy into the Administration's arguments.
Leaving troops in the lurch? Not to much
The showdown between the president and Congress over funding the war in Iraq has led to a common, White House-generated myth: a veto will put the troops in jeopardy, denying them necessary resources. “Congress continues to pursue these [withdrawal] bills, and as they do, the clock is ticking for our troops in the field,” Bush [...]
Tags: Iraq War Funding, Supplemental
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There's certainly a growing line of past and present White House staffers who are getting invites to a grilling.
House Dems Want Former Abramoff, Rove Aide for Questions
Much to the chagrin of the White House, House Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) wants to hear from Susan Ralston. Jack Abramoff's former personal assistant, Ralston became Karl Rove's assistant in 2001, where she was his "implant" at [...]
Tags: Henry Waxman, Karl Rove, Susan Ralston, Jack Abramoff
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I'd say Condoleezza Rice is pretty much like a festering splinter in Henry Waxman's finger. You can run, but you can't hide.
Waxman To Rice: Your Days Of Blowing Off My Letters Are Over
At the heart of the CIA leak scandal was a false claim, made by President Bush in the infamous 16 words from his State of the Union address, that Iraq had sought uranium from Niger for a nuclear device. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) has been trying for years to [...]
Tags: Niger Uranium, Condoleezza Rice, Henry Waxman
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I'm not sure having the support of the President is exactly a GOOD thing these days!
Gonzales Going The Way Of Rummy?
Dana Perino gets slamed upside the head with Victoria’s Helen Thomas Special Cast Iron skillet today at teh Whitehouse press briefing. I love these kinds of questions that point out the W, Rove and Co. hypocrisy very obviously: Victoria. Q How can we have confidence in the President’s 100 percent support for Secretary Gonzales, the [...]
And, the smart money says the President support may be waning:
White House Privately ‘Frustrated’ And ‘Impatient’ With Gonzales
Publicly, the White House continues to claim that President Bush supports Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Today, Press Secretary Dana Perino said the President “has confidence in” Gonzales and “believes the attorney general can overcome the challenges that are before him.” Privately though, reports indicate that the White House is frustrated with Gonzales. On March [...]
Tags: Dana Perino, Press Briefing, Alberto Gonzales, Donald Rumsfeld
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Time to truly tie up as many of the loose ends as possible in the U.S. Attorneys purge. It's all making perfectly good sense, but it ain't over yet!
Justice Firings and the ‘08 Vote
Are the justice firings tied to the ‘08 vote? It’s certainly looking that way. Yesterday Ginny posted here about the OP/ED by “Joseph D. Rich, chief of the voting section in the Justice Department’s civil rights division from 1999 to 2005,” in which Rich says, “As the 2008 elections approach, it is critical to have [...]
Tags: U.S. Attorneys, Attorney Purge, 2008 Elections
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He must be so proud that so many people admire him.
Rove's Approval Rating Edges Up...To 21 Percent
A fun number in this week's big Gallup poll: Karl Rove's favorable rating has edged all the way up to 21%. That's a two point gain from last November, when his rating was mired at an abysmal 19%. Strikingly, less than half of Republicans -- 42% -- see Rove favorably (though that number does dwarf the 22% who see him negatively). Maybe his MC Rove performance [...]
Tags: Gallup Poll, Karl Rove, MC Rove
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Hillary has a plan in the works. Will it be enough to jump-start a campaign that has her trailing in the early polls?
Hillary and the Insurance Companies
Hillary Clinton hasn't yet released details of her universal healthcare plan, but Karen Tumulty reports this line from the healthcare debate in Las Vegas last week:Clinton warned that her plan will spark a "big political battle" [...]
Tags: Hilklary Clinton, Universal Healthcare
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Yet another one bites the dust. He hadn't been on the job long at all!
Anti-contraception family-planning appointee resigns.
Eric Keroack, appointed in November by President Bush to oversee federal family planning programs, has resigned. Keroack was a nationally known advocate of abstinence until marriage who had worked for a Christian pregnancy counseling group that opposes contraception. Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards responded, “It’s a good day for women’s health. … The Bush administration [...]
Tags: Eric Keroack, Family Planning
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Straight from the horse's mouth:
Gonzales: "I Am Fighting for The Truth"
Inspiring words from the AG: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, amid a growing clamor for his resignation, acknowledged Friday confusion about of his role in firing eight U.S. attorneys but said he doesn't "recall being involved in deliberations" over which prosecutors [...]
Tags: Alberto Gonzales, Kyle Sampson, U.S. Attorneys, Attorney Purge
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And answers. Via the Left Coaster and commenters.
Say What? House Agrees To Private Testimony from DOJ Officials
...Why in Gawd's name was this deal struck? There is not even an executive privilege claim here. What am I missing? This seems supremely [...]
Tags: DOH, Department of Justice, Judiciary Committee
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Another couple of WH staffers are packing up and leaving.
Two Top-Level Aides Leave White House
White House political director Sara Taylor and Peter Wehner, the head of strategic initiatives, will both be leaving the White House soon, according to Washington Wire. Their departures "could further complicate life for [...]
Tags: Sara Taylor, Peter Wehner, White House, Bush Administration
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This is MOST unusual. I've been around news organizations and polls for years and have NEVER seen anything like this.
FNC's Interesting Poll Questions
An e-mailer notices that "Fox News asked some very curious questions in a poll released yesterday."It asked, "do you think [...]
UPDATE: Guess who's gonna talk about this tonight? Yup. Keith Olbermann:
Tags: Fox News, Poll Questions
Tags: Keith Olbermann, Countdown With Keith Olbermann
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NOT! This one will leave you shaking your head in wonder and amazement.
Today's Must Read: who will emerge as the most shameless hack of the Bush administration? A little known Bush appointee at the Fish and Wildlife Service vies for the title [...]
Tags: Bush Administration, Fish and Wildlife Administration, Julie MacDonald
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Trouble for the Giuliani campaign.
9/11 Families And Firefighters: Giuliani Was "Part Of The Problem"
Rudy Giuliani's White House aspirations are inescapably tied to Sept. 11, 2001 -- for better and for worse. While the former mayor of the nation's largest city was widely lionized for his post-9/11 leadership -- "Churchillian" was one adjective, "America's mayor" was Oprah Winfrey's assessment -- city firefighters and their families are renewing their attacks on him for his [...]
But, wait, there's more trouble bubbling up. A bad case of Alberto Gonzales memory lapse:
The hot news item this morning is that Rudy Giuliani was told back in 2000 that Bernie Kerik was suspected of having ties to organized crime. Giuliani made Kerik New York Police Commissioner anyway. Last year Giuliani testified under oath to a grand jury that he remembered receiving no such information. (Republicans never remember anything [...]
Tags: Rudy Giuliani, 2008 Presidential Campaign, 9/11
Tags: Bernard Kerik
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From "The Politico", some most interesting comments and analysis about the future of the GOP.
Republicans Fear 2008 Meltdown
Republicans across the country are warning that increasing public discontent toward President Bush, the Iraq war and the GOP brand in general threatens to send the party's 2008 campaign planning into a tailspin. Already, the problems are having [...]
Tags: 2008 Campaign, Republicans, President Bush, Iraq War
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It's the politician versus the reporter. Topic: Iraq. Who wins? Decide for yourselves. Crooks and Liars provides video clips and a full transcript.
Michael Ware to Joe Lieberman: “We’re only talking about the surface”
Lieberman comes on the Situation Room with his violence blinders on to support his Republican pals on the Iraq war—and responds to Ware's report from yesterday. Ware responds to Holy Joe later in the show. Lieberman: So, I — I don't — I can't directly dispute Michael Ware's overall picture, but [...]
Tags: Joe Lieberman, Michael Ware, Iraq War, Wolf Blitzer, Situation Room
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The five words that pretty much explain it all.
And why, exactly, did they fire all of those prosecutors?
I listened to most of Kyle Sampson’s seven-hour hearing yesterday, but a mere five words stood out for me: the prosecutor purge “wasn’t scientific or well-documented.” It explained so much of the Bush administration’s style of governing. There were some compelling developments yesterday, and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was in worse shape at the end of [...]
Tags: Kyle Sampson, Alberto Gonzales, U.S. Attorneys, Attorney Purge
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Interesting note from the Chicago Tribune's Washington Bureau. Pretty much a pre-emptive strike on a Presidential Photo Op.
Bush warned against politics at Walter Reed
President Bush is scheduled to be in full photo-op mode with a visit Walter Reed Army Medical Center this afternoon to talk with injured troops recovering from wounds sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan, a visit also meant to highlight his administration's attention to fixing the deplorable bureaucratic and residential problems some of the wounded were subjected to. Sounds pretty straightforward, doesn't it? But in Washington, politics complicates everything. A Democratic-leaning organization called the National Security Network just issued this [...]
UPDATE: From the same source, word that the President behaved well:
At Walter Reed, Bush eschews the partisan
Tags: Waler Reed Army Medical Center, George W. Bush, National Security Network
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We haven't posted much about the recent incident involving the British Navy personnel being snatched by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Supposedly, they had crossed into Iranian territory. Today, there's another videotaped "confession" from one of the Brits. And there's a strange photo that's been released. Via FireDogLake blog, let's dig deeper into THAT part of the story. It's fascinating.
In this image made available by the Ministry of Defence in London, Wednesday, March 28, 2007, a GPS device shows the location of the incident involving 15 Royal Navy personnel, as seen from a Royal Navy helicopter over the merchant vessel in the Shatt al-Arab waterway on Sunday March 25. Vice Admiral [...]
Tags: GPS, British Navy, Iranian Navy, Brits Captured
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Arlen makes an excellent point in this post from early this morning. At first, I was certain that it was simply an early-morning error as USA Today transitioned into today's headlines. But, in checking the site again just now (10 am CDT), not much has changed. There IS a link to the Sampson story, but it's WAY down the page. That's it. And that's poor editing, my friends.
USA Today doesn’t think the US Attorney scandal or Iraq are big enough news
I just went to USA Today’s website, and there’s zero mention of the big stories that are rocking Washington. No mention of Kyle Sampson, no mention of Alberto Gonzales, no mention of the US Attorney firing scandal at all. No mention of the Senate passing the Iraq bill, and only one mention of Iraq and has [...]
Tags: USA Today, Alberto Gonzales, Kyle Sampson, U.S. Attorneys, Attorney Purge
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Let's run a little history lesson past everyone, shall we? Pay attention now, class. Mr. Booman has the floor.
Differences between the 1995 government shutdown and the 2007 government showdown. Bill Clinton: great communication skills and decent popularity. George W. Bush: no communications skills and polling in the crapper. Plus, no one believes a thing he says anymore. Newt Gingrich: weird looking dude that scared people. Nancy Pelosi: nice grandmother. The 1995 shutdown closed our national parks. The 2007 showdown would close down a very unpopular war. The Republicans were pushing the envelope with their mandate. The Democrats are struggling to carry out the bare minimum of their mandate [....]
Tags: Government Showdown, Government Shutdown, 1995, 2007
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Oh, yes. Before the day gets away from me. This was NOT a good day in Iraq.
Bombing Spree in Iraq Kills 100
Multiple bombings in and around Baghdad killed at least 100 people Thursday and may cast doubt upon the efficacy of the U.S.’s “surge” strategy to crack down on insurgent violence. A double suicide attack happened at a Baghdad market, while three explosions claimed at least 40 lives earlier today in [...]
Tags: Baghdad Bombings, Iraq War, Iraq Violence
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Just down the road a piece, it's Louisiana. I hesitate to post about this story, because it puts a troubled state in a very bad light. Still, it's important enough that you all need to read about what appears to be an ugly case of racism.
Did Gary Taylor, age 16 at the time, shoot 13-year-old Timothy Weber in Louisiana in 1975? A white mob launched a violent attack on a school bus filled with black students. Weber was hit by a bullet while standing near the bus. Taylor was on the bus, but he had no gun, and there's reason to believe that a gun that was eventually recovered from the bus (but never actually linked to the shooting) was planted long after Taylor's arrest. Taylor is black, and he's consistently denied that he shot Weber, who was white. Race and an inept lawyer play ugly roles in [...]
Tags: Louisiana Murder, Gary Taylor, Timothy Weber, 1975
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Some staffers are really digging their own political graves by trying to circumvent the White House email system. It's going to be tough to explain away what's reportedly been happening. Not up to speed on this one? Think Progress has what you need to know.
Waxman Reveals New Evidence Showing White House Use Of Partisan E-mail Accounts
U.S. News reported recently that several White House aides “said that they stopped using the White House system except for purely professional correspondence. … ‘We knew E-mails could be subpoenaed,’” said one aide. In a new letter to White House counsel Fred Fielding, House Government and Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman reveals new e-mail communications [...]
Tags: Henry Waxman, Fred Fielding, White House Email, Government and Oversight Committee
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Okay, folks. I wonder just who in the White House let THIS one slip by! More importantly, is the President SO out of the loop that he didn't know ANY of the allegations against his visitor? Oooops!
White House Unconvincingly Claims It Was Unaware Oval Office Guest Oversaw Mass Civilian Killings
On Monday, President Bush hosted in the Oval Office the co-chairs of a U.S.-Russian commission on missing soldiers. Human rights groups were outraged that Bush agreed to host the Russian chair, Gen. Vladimir Shamanov, who has been “accused of overseeing some of the most notorious atrocities against civilians during the brutal second war in [...]
Tags: Vladimir Shamanov, U.S.-Russian Commission on Missing Soldiers
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Quite the little bout with confusion during Kyle Sampson's Senate testimony today. Seems the proverbial left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing. Or, did they?
Kyle Sampson Testimony, Part IV
***BREAKING: The Senate GOP has objected to the Judiciary Committee hearing continuing during open business on the Senate floor. It's a procedural maneuver allowed under the rules. The Judiciary Committee will be in recess until further notice.*** ***Back up and running again. Well, "confusion in the cloak room" is a new one on me. *g* [...]
UPDATE: Steve Soto has a great line in this post over at The Left Coaster. I'm loving his final line of copy!
Senate Conservatives Stop Sampson Hearing
Tags: Kyle Sampson, Senate Judiciary Committee, Alberto Gonzales
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No man's land. That's what seems to exist between the Congress's Iraq Supplemental Bill. The President is over <----- here. Congress is over --------> here. And the poor White House press flak is stuck in the middle.
Iraq Supplemental: Bush Offers "Compromise"; Agree With Me Or Else
In today's press briefing, David Gregory asked Dana Perino, Acting Press Spokesperson for the White House, if there is room for compromise with the Congress on the Iraq supplemental bill. In marked contrast to the Decider's defiant uncompromising statements, Perino flatly stated there is room for compromise and tried to frame [...]
Tags: Iraq Supplemental Bill, David Gregory, Dana Perino
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Politcos pay attention to Iowa because of the early caucus system. I grew up there and still have family there. The caucuses are a fascinating insight into "living room politics", since many of them are held in the living rooms of private individuals. Iowans, generally, have always impressed me as having their collective heads on pretty straight. Thus, the appeal of Giuliani and McCain is baffling to me. Rudy doesn't exude family-friendly values and McCain has been sticking his foot in his mouth more often than not in recent days. Still...
Giuliani Leads Tighter Race in Iowa
In Iowa, Rudy Giuliani leads the Republican presidential field with 25% support, according to a new Zogby telephone poll. However, Sen. John McCain "is within striking distance" at 19%, and Mitt Romney [...]
Tags: Giuliani, McCain, Romney, Zogby, Iowa
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Our children are pretty much grown and on their own, so this "fear factor" wasn't quite the issue when they were young. Still, we worried and watched more than OUR parents did. The days do seem to be gone where parents can let their children wander the neighborhood with no cause for concern. But, is the fear as real as it seems to be or are we all falling victim to something sinister?
In the New Terrified America, many parents think that pedophile sexual predators lie in wait around every corner, hoping to snatch their kids away. Some parents won't let their kids play outside [...]
Tags: Pedophiles, Parenting, Sexual Predators
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One of the best things about blogging is that readers are (usually) welcome to post comments in response to the blogger's opinions. It appears that a lot of bloggers read only blogs that support their position. That's one reason I try to scan through posts on several blogs that don't currently line up with my feelings. Good case in point comes today from the Say Anything blog where Rob posts from North Dakota with what I consider to be a valid question. Read the comments on his blog and feel free to jump in, either here or there.
Hey Democrats, What Happens After We Leave Iraq?
Here’s something I haven’t heard anyone ask the Dems. If they should get their way and we pull our troops out of Iraq, what happens next in that country and the middle east in general? What happens next when the Iraqis are left on their own to defend their new government against terrorists and insurgent armies funded by Syria and Iran and Islamic extremist groups around the globe? What’s our strategy for preventing Iraq from [...]
Tags: Iraq War, Syria, Iran, Islamic Extremists, Say Anything
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Alberto ain't gonna be pleased. Keith Olbermann and Countdown apparently planning full coverage of Sampson's appearance on the Hill today. Here's a clip and link from their email update today.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales wrongly stated he was not involved in discussions about the firings of federal prosecutors, his former chief of staff told the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday. "I don't think the attorney general's statement that he was not involved in any discussions of U.S. attorney removals was accurate," testified Kyle Sampson, who quit this month as Gonzales' top aide. "I remember discussing with him this process of asking certain U.S. attorneys to resign." Sampson said Gonzales attended a crucial meeting on the firings Nov. 27, 10 days before [...]
Tags: Kyle Sampson, Alberto Gonzalez, Keith Olbermann, Senate Judiciary Hearing
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I'm not sure about this move. My last couple of vists to C.C. haven't been marked by any evidence of over-staffing. In fact, just the opposite was true.
A new plan for layoffs at Circuit City is openly targeting better-paid workers, risking a public backlash by implying that its wages are as subject to discounts as its flat-screen TVs. The electronics retailer, facing larger competitors and falling sales, said Wednesday that it would lay off about 3,400 store workers -- immediately -- and replace them with [...]
Tags: Circuit City, Job Losses
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Remembere how incredibly tight security was (theoretically) at the Super Bowl this year? Back kto the drawing board for Homeland Security.
Security for the Super Bowl, held in Miami, Fla., on February 4, was so tight that no potential threat could possibly have penetrated the multiple layers of defenses surrounding the event. But, it seems, half a dozen pranksters not only penetrated the event but demonstrated that [...]
Tags: Super Bowl, Homeland Security, Hackers
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Yes, subject yourself to Rove Rapping. Karl Rove. But, shade your eyes. The brilliance is blinding.
At the annual Radio/Television Correspondents' Association Dinner last night, comedians Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood of Whose Line Is It Anyway? brought Karl Rove up on stage for a tribute rap song. Not as good as Colbert's roast of President Bush last year, but it's pretty damn funny to see Karl try to get down [...]
Tags: Correspondents' Dinner, Whose Line Is It Anyway, Karl Rove, Rap
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You just HAD to know something was fishy about the President's "blogger quotes" in yesterday's speech.
The story behind Bush’s Iraqi bloggers
In a speech to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association yesterday, the president added a new point to his standard remarks about the war in Iraq. Hoping to prove that Iraqis are beginning to see “positive changes,” Bush said, “I want to share with you how two Iraqi bloggers — they have bloggers in Baghdad, just [...]
Tags: National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Iraqi Bloggers
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Time to act like adults, sit down, and work out a compromise. The Dems in Congress are making progress. Now, they just need to complete the deal.
The Senate has passed the Iraq War supplemental bill by a vote of 51-47. I will post the roll call as soon as the Senate Clerk does. The bill will now move to a conference between the House and Senate, as the Senate bill has several amendments that must be reconciled with the House bill. The benchmarks and timetables survived and passed the Senate despite the President's promise to veto any bill that contains them. We elected the Democrats to put an end to the war and they have done [...]
Tags: Iraq War, Supplemental Bill, Veto
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Paging John McCain. Please pick up the white "truth phone", please.
"Every day is worse than the previous day."
Ampersand with an incredible round up of horror stories from Iraq, including the story that brought you the title quote for this post, which is from an interview with the Iraqi who lead the smashing of Saddam Hussein's iconic bronze statue. A majority of Iraqis are constantly worried and limit their activities, far too many of them personally [...]
Tags: Iraq War, Saddam Hussein, Horror Stories
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Mark who? Mark Foley.
Foley Criminal Investigation "Still Active"
Six months after resigning from Congress, former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley remains under criminal investigation for sexually explicit Internet communications with underage boys but has not been charged, authorities said Wednesday. "I can't really give any more detail other than to say we're still in the preliminary investigative stance and we are [...]
Tags: Mark Foley
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The punches just don't come much harder than this....
National Review: Be Gone Gonzo
The National Review calls for the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales: "We do not need more evidence . . . to reach a conclusion about the suitability of Alberto Gonzales for the leadership of the Department of Justice. . . His claim not to have been involved in the firings suggests that he was [...]
Tags: National Review, Alberto Gonzales, Department of Justice
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This is a position of honor and respect that we simply must reclaim.
We're Number One Number Seven!
The US has lost its place as the planet's new-technology powerhouse, according to an annual survey by the World Economic Forum. In the latest edition of the organization's Networked Readiness Index, the US has tumbled to #7 on the list of 122 countries. In the previous five surveys, the US had held the top position. "A deterioration of the political and regulatory environment in the US prompted the [...]
Tags: Networked Readiness Index, World Economic Forum
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Ah, well. Ain't this testimony just grand?
Bush "Administration" Goes Crazy Corrupt: The GSA
In what's become yet another festering boil of corruption on the "hind end" of the Bush "administration," General Services Administration (GSA) chief Lurita Doan was called on the carpet before the House Government Oversight committee today, where she put on her best "I don't recall" show for the incredulous panel. Watch the shameless Doan duck and dodge when she's asked to explain what in God's name she thought she [...]
UPDATE: This is getting more and more attention and top Dems are running with it already -
Yet another scandal has Karl Rove’s fingerprints all over it. I first read about this in the Washington Post a couple of days ago, but didn’t think that it would blow up into a big deal. Basically, Rove’s office of Political Affairs in the White House is being accused of cooperating with GSA chief Lurita [...]
Tags: General Services Administration, Lurita Doan, House Government Oversight
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Email to your heart's content.
Eschewing email (and accountability)
I mentioned this in passing earlier, and hope you’ll forgive the redundancy, but the fact that White House officials are largely giving up on their email accounts is of growing significance. Over the last week or so, we’ve learned that White House deputy political director J. Scott Jennings communicated with Justice Department officials about the appointment [...]
Tags: White House Email, J. Scott Jennings, Justice Department
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Sometimes, it doesn't take a lot of words to strongly make your point. The Speaker speaks -
Pelosi: Bush needs to "calm down"
Tags: Nancy Pelosi, Gorge W. Bush, Congress, Iraq War
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Talk about creating a negative work environment....
‘It’s open warfare over there’
About two weeks ago, we started hearing about the panic and paralysis that had taken over the Justice Department in the wake of the prosecutor purge scandal. “You have no idea,” said one Justice official, “how bad it is here.” How’s the nation’s federal law-enforcement agency doing now? Apparently, it’s getting worse — the New York [...]
Tags: Justice Department, DOJ, Alberto Gonzales, Kyle Sampson
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Bloggers are all over this story today. And, that is a good thing! Because there is no finer demonstration of rampant corruption than this.
Dragging The Oval Office Into The Mess
The fun part about this story is that 1) if what Josh has dug up is true, it ties the White House directly into the Duke Cunningham scandal; and 2) you can bet that Henry Waxman already knows all about it. If the Bush Administration allowed the federal contracting process to be used to funnel bribe money to Duke Cunningham through a bogus contract for the VP’s office, then quite frankly Dick Cheney and Alberto Gonzales should be impeached, and the Democrats should demand the appointment of a Special Counsel. It is nearly impossible for any of us to get our mental arms around the scope of possible illegality perpetrated [...]
Tags: Corruption, Duke Cunningham, Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzales, Henry Waxman
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First, the latest news, ripped right from the headlines.
Shiite militants and police enraged by massive truck bombings in the northwestern town of Tal Afar went on a revenge spree against Sunni residents there Wednesday, killing as many as 60 people, officials said. The gunmen began roaming Sunni neighborhoods in the city, shooting at residents and homes, according to [...]
Then, you have a U.S. Senator/Presidential Candidate who appears to be in denial about Iraq. Kudos to CNN for challenging his comments.
John McCain insists that things are getting better in Iraq. As his presidential campaign continues its tailspin, McCain is sounding more desperate -- and more delusional. Like his pal George Bush, McCain is blaming the media again, too. So, rather than just accepting the GOP criticism of the media (which NBC's Norah O'Donnell always does) CNN actually asked its reporter on the ground in Baghdad to dissect McCain's claims. The transcript doesn't do Ware's commentary justice. From CNN earlier today: [...]
UPDATE: Just realized (via Booman Tribune) that Crooks and Liars posted a video yesterday. Apologies for my not being more on top of things!
At the very least, this is truly going to haunt McCain for a LONG time.
McCain’s credibility on Iraq ‘has now been left out hanging to dry’
If there were any justice, yesterday’s edition of CNN’s Situation Room would be a campaign-altering moment that would dog Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for the next two years. In just a matter of minutes, he was exposed as a fraud. On Monday, McCain appeared on Bill Bennett’s radio program, toeing the right-wing line on “progress” in [...]
MORE: This is really getting good! Today, McCain's trying to back down from it all - but it ain't working -
Faced With Facts, McCain Denies His Own Straight Talk
Yesterday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) told CNN that that President Bush’s escalation in Iraq is going so well, “General Petraeus goes out there almost every day in an unarmed humvee.” On Monday, he told radio host Bill Bennett that there “are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods, today.” This [...]
Tags: Iraq War, Truck Bombings, Tal Afar, John McCain, Michael Ware
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The push is on -
MNBC Breaking News: Senate votes to keep withdrawal timetable in Iraq funding bill. Find out more at http://breakingnews.msnbc.com
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It's just one example (out of eight), but symptomatic of the issues that need to be raised in all the cases.
Having spent some time digging into the administration's stated reason for U.S. Attorney Carol Lam's firing, it's time to cleanse the palate with the reasons why we're so suspicious. So here we go. -- Lam was never confronted over her [...]
Tags: U.S. Attorneys, Carol Lam, Attorney Purge
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For once, the latest poll numbers don't target George W. Bush. Hillary Clinton moves to center stage today.
Poll: 50% Would Not Vote For Hillary
Ouch. A new Harris Interactive poll has some pretty unpleasant news for Hillary Clinton: A solid 50% of Americans say they would probably or definitely not vote for her if she were the Democratic nominee. The poll is an online survey, which does cast some uncertainty on its accuracy, though. Some other negatives from the poll: [...]
Tags: Hillary Clinton, Harris Interactive Poll
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No more shenanigans with U.S. Attorney appointments. Congress retrieves some power.
Soon, it will be on its way to the president's desk. And for those curious about the roll call, only 72 Republicans voted against. So both houses voted overwhelmingly to ensure Senate confirmation for U.S. attorneys. What a difference a [...]
Tags: U.S.A. Bill, U.S. Attorneys
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And I'm not surprised.
Tillman's family wants further investigation
The Tillman family is not satisfied: "Pat Tillman's family firmly rejected the Defense Department's findings into the former NFL star's friendly-fire death in Afghanistan, calling for congressional investigations into what they see as [...]
Tags: Pat Tillman, Friendly Fire
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Let's just make it "firing" and get it over with.
Alberto Gonzales Ignores Case of Sexual Abuse in Texas Boy’s Prison
Hat tip to Pursey. U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, went to Denver to talk about his Project Safe Childhood campaign. He met with law enforcement leaders and three local high school students. Reporters were of course, barred from asking questions. Embattled U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales pushed ahead in Denver today with one of his main [...]
Tags: Alberto Gonzales, Project Safe Childhood, Sexual Abuse, Texas Boys' Prison
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When the facts don't work in your favor, just change 'em. If it wasn't becoming so commonplace in the Administration, it would probably attract a lot more attention.
Report charges broad White House efforts to stifle Climate Change research
The Republican war on science continues. From ABC News: "Bush administration officials throughout the government have engaged in White House-directed efforts [...]
UPDATE: Along those same lines....
Bush Administration’s Secret Plan To ‘Gut’ Endangered Species Act Revealed
A 117-page document obtained by Salon.com highlights a “secretive plan” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to “gut” the Endangered Species Act. The law, credited with saving the American Bald Eagle from extinction, would “limit the number of species that can be protected,” curtail preserved acres of wildlife habitat, and “dilute legal [...]
Tags: Climate Change, Global Warming, ABC News
Tags: Endangered Species Act, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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That's the bottom line. Not enough to do the job. So, what happens?
Marines Face Involuntary Call Up to Iraq
A shortage of volunteers, according to the Administration, is the cause of up to 1,200 Marine reservists being called to Iraq next year. What happened to the plans for withdrawal? Is this a message it's not happening until we get [...]
Tags: Marines, Involuntary Call Up
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You know, the one who has your back. Everytime. Until....
Sampson To Set Off Fireworks By Saying That Gonzales Was Totally In The Loop
Sampson will set off some fireworks by contradicting a key assurance that Gonzales made to Congress and the American public last Tuesday that he was not in the loop during the long deliberations leading up to the firings. Gonzales probably spoke to Sampson 20 times a day, and had a [...]
Tags: Alberto Gonzales, Kyle Sampson, U.S. Attorneys, Attorney Purge
Well, now. Wouldn't this be something to watch?
Could the Senate actually pass a binding measure to bring the troops home?
Something extraordinary might happen this week. Apparently Mitch McConnel (R-KY), the Senate Minority Leader, will not, repeat not threaten a filibuster on the Senate’s upcoming Iraq vote. This means that instead of 60 votes to pass the bill, it will take only the usual 50 votes. Basically the legislation is an emergency funding package, requested by [...]
Further thoughts:
Here’s an interesting development. Jeff Zeleny writes for the New York Times: As the Senate opened debate Monday on a $122 billion Iraq spending bill, Republicans vowed not to allow Congress to impose a withdrawal date for American troops, but said they would rely on President Bush’s veto pen rather than procedural maneuvers to block it. Mr. [...]
Tags: Iraq Funding Vote, Mitch McConnel, Emergency Funding Package
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Yup. Gonzales tried to set the record straight, but really just muddied the waters more. It's really quite sad.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has been furiously working behind the scenes to shore up enough support to keep his job, but he hasn’t answered reporters’ questions since a press conference two weeks ago in which he claimed to be out of the loop. Yesterday, Gonzales endured an interview, this time with NBC’s Pete Williams. If this [...]
Tags: Alberto Gonzales, Pete Williams, NBC News, Attorney Purge
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That's all it is. Just routine. Move along. There's nothing to see here.
US Navy Conducts a Dress Rehearsal for Operation Iranian Freedom
Things aren't going well back in Washington. It's all Alberto Gonzales and the fired US attorneys, 24/7 on the cable news channel. What can the administration do to change the conversation? How about sending the US Navy to engage in a few maneuvers off the coast of Iran? DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The U.S. Navy on Tuesday began its largest demonstration of force in the Persian Gulf since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, led by a pair of aircraft carriers and backed by warplanes flying simulated attack maneuvers off [...]
Tags: Alberto Gonzales, U.S. Attorneys, U.S. Navy, Iran, Persian Gulf
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It really is. Stuck in a thankless job. And, now this...
The AP reports that WH spokesperson Tony Snow's exam yesterday showed his cancer has returned: [...]
UPDATE: Some Conservative bloggers are making a good point about the Tony Snow story. Sadly, they are correct about the tasteless comments from some Progressives. However, I'd argue that the author of this post is wrong in assuming the tacky and disrespectful comments are coming from folks who are the "core of the....Democratic party". Simply not true.
Tony Snow has just gotten what can only be described as a horrible diagnosis. And how are the "progressives" of the world reacting? Tony doesn't deserve a horrible death. However, Isn't it funny there is always a "but" or "another side" with these clowns? This guy sums up their hate perfectly: There's been [...]
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It's Spring Break week in our household. That means the kids are home for a few days. And THAT means I'm scrambling for free time to chase down blog posting material. So, just keep checking back and we'll try to snag the best of the best and keep you reading. In fact, we were out last night when Countdown aired. It's on the DVR, but hasn't been watched yet. Thank goodness for "The Internets" and Crooks and Liars -
Special Comment: Tom Delay’s Delusion of Grandeur
Keith Olbermann blasts the Bug Man, (one of the vilest men to ever roam the halls of Congress) after his Hitler quotes hit the Internets. Tom can't even perform a Google search let alone make any sense in his well researched book…I cower in fear of what the Hammer might say about me after this post…I'll let Keith explain [...]
Tags: Keith Olbermann, Tom Delay, Countdown, Hitler
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Take a break. Laugh a little.
HORN Funnies: The Top 8 Morons of 2006
Everybody needs a break for the George Wars once in awhile. So with that in mind, the HORN’s own Texas Ninja sent us this. TOP 8 MORONS OF 2006 1. WILL THE REAL DUMMY PLEASE STAND UP? AT&T fired President John Walter after nine months, saying he lacked intellectual leadership. He received a $26 [...]
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It's the "I" word - incompetence. And it's coming from both sides of the political fence these days.
It took a while, but conservatives start to notice Bush admin incompetence
Last week, the National Review’s Rich Lowry addressed an issue that it took him several years to notice: the Bush administration’s breathtaking incompetence. “[Bush] has made a few key bad decisions about policy and personnel, compounded them by not reacting quickly enough when things go wrong, and failed to create a sense of accountability in his [...]
Tags: National Review, Rich Lowry, Bush Administration
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Is that the translation of this ruling? It was wrong, but not negligent. What does that say to Tillman's family?
Investigation Finds No Negligence In Tillman Death
Investigators probing the friendly fire death in Afghanistan of former NFL star Pat Tillman found no criminal negligence, a government official said Monday. The findings end a yearlong inquiry into the conduct of members of Tillman's platoon who [...]
Tags: Pat Tillman, Friendly Fire
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Those opposing a deadline for getting our troops out of Iraq are continuing to butt heads with most Americans.
Poll: Nearly Six In 10 Back Congressional Troop Withdrawal Deadline
One more time...attention, Congressional Dems: The American public has got your back when it comes to supporting a Congressionally-imposed deadline for withdrawal from Iraq. Check out this new poll that's just been released by Pew Research: A solid majority of Americans say they want their congressional representative to support a bill calling for [...]
Tags: Iraq Withdrawal Deadline, Pew Research
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They'll just try ANYTHING to skirt the law and protect their own hide. Isn't it fairly obvious what's going on here?
Undermining The Executive Privilege Defense
The White House’s use of nongovernmental email accounts and servers to mask their political activities done on government time is about to blow up in their faces. It has been noticed by the media and congressional investigators that Karl Rove’s political operation inside the White House has this habit of using RNC and Bush/Cheney campaign email accounts and servers for ostensibly official business conducted inside the White House. In several email releases over the last week tied to the fired federal prosecutors cover-up, it has been noticed that [...]
And, the questions continue:
Karl Rove sends 95% of his emails through a Republican National Committee account? If he's spending 95% of his time on RNC business, shouldn't he be working there instead of the Oval Office? Laura Rozen wonders about the security [...]
Tags: Bush Administration Email, Alberto Gonzales, U.S. Attorneys
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An aide to Alberto Gonzales isn't going to talk at the upcoming hearings, using the Fifth Ammendment.
UPDATE:
Leahy: Why does Gonzales aide fear incrimination?
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) responds to news that Gonzales aide Monica Goodling will invoke the Fifth Amendment: “It is disappointing that Ms. Goodling has decided to withhold her important testimony from the Committee as it pursues its investigation into this matter, but everybody has the constitutional right not to incriminate themselves with regard [...]
Tags: Alberto Gonzales, U.S. Attorneys
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There's an interesting discussion on a couple of political blogs today, focusing on political TV. The bloggers are none too pleased with Chris Matthews and his guests on his weekly CNBC roundtable chat. Their point is well made. However, this clips seems (to me) to be fairly atypical. I've seen Matthews and guests frequently chastise the Bush Administration for its actions.
The Chris Matthews Show devoted four minutes to the prosecutor purge scandal over the weekend, which quickly worked its way onto YouTube. Glenn Greenwald called it “the most revealing” YouTube clip ever. Before watching it, I thought he was probably exaggerating. Then I saw it for myself. I know a lot of readers can’t watch online [...]
Tags: Chris Matthews, Glenn Greenwald
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Let's see now, if you pick the right districts, with enough of "certain" people, and mess with the voter registration information....hmmm. What could happen?
New piece published exclusively over at BradBlog
By the way, you might be interested in a new piece I just wrote for BradBlog. It’s about how some of the US Attorney firings and replacements could potentially have a big impact on the 2008 Presidential election. Here’s a preview… When Justice Department and White House officials first tried to explain the US Attorney firings, [...]
Tags: U.S. Attorneys, Attorney Purge, Voter Disenfranchisement, 2008 Presidential Election
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It's not a particularly busy day out on the blogosphere, so let's venture into the uncharted territory that is - Conservative Bloggers! Several of them are busy trying to slap liberals around over the response to the latest stories out of Iran. Tred lightly, but enjoy...
Ok, Lefties: Why Are You so Silent, Now?
As Captain Ed points out, Iran says they are going to charge the captured British sailors with espionage...even if they did go deliberately and with malice aforethought into Iranian territorial waters, they went in clearly uniformed as regular military personnel [...]
Tags: Iran, British Sailors, Espionage
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It's truly time for somebody to jump into this debacle 9and start fixing it) before it becomes any worse.
Army deployed seriously injured soldiers.
Salon.com’s Mark Benjamin has a new report documenting how U.S. soldiers with debilitating injuries and other medical conditions, including female soldiers who were pregnant, were deployed for weeks to the desert training facility at Fort Irwin, California. “In some cases, soldiers were sent there even though their injuries were so severe that doctors had previously [...]
Tags: Military Training, Medical Conditions
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Second-worst job in the world (right behind White House Spokesperson) - being the poor fool who has to try to make the insurance industry look good after reports like this one -
In the insurance industry and in insurance litigation of claims, there is no phrase that is used with more stigma (and, frankly, misused at times by folks on both sides of the cases) than "bad faith." It is also the phrase that scares the bejeebers out [...]
Tags: Insurance Industry, Long-Term Care
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Texas-style executions.
Chart: Executions in Texas by Governor, 1976-2007
Recently it became clear that the Bush Administration fired two US Attorneys (federal prosecutors) after they refused to push for the death penalty in some cases because they believed it was morally wrong. President Bush has a long history of being very supportive of the death penalty, so I thought I’d create a chart to show [...]
Tags: U.S. Attorneys, Attorney Purge, Executions, Texas Executions
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I'm betting there are a number of embassy personnel who are keeping a wary eye on things in Baghdad today.
Rocket Infiltrates Heavily Fortified Green Zone
A rocket landed in Baghdad's heavily fortified international Green Zone on Monday, rocking the U.S. embassy but causing no casualties, witnesses said. U.S. embassy spokesman Lou Fintor would not say exactly where the rocket landed for security reasons but confirmed it had crashed into the sprawling international zone, which also houses [...]
Tags: Baghdad, Green Zone, Rocket Attack
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Well, the man DOES have good sources. And he frequently puts them to good use.
Novak's column is brutal this morning. Money quote:With nearly two years remaining in his presidency, George W. Bush is alone. In half a century, I have not seen a president so isolated from his own party in Congress - not [...]
Tags: Robert Novak, George W. Bush, Bush Administration
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What can you say? There is, apparently, no room for negotiating and that's not gonna change.
White House still supporting Gonzales.
Even though both liberal and conservative lawmakers, pundits, members of the media, and the American public are pushing for Gonzales’s resignation, the White House refuses to budge. “We are not negotiating,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. “We are where we are, which is where we were last week. I can understand why people would [...]
Tags: Dana Perino, Albert Gonzales, U.S. Attorneys, Attorney Purge
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Don't let anyone argue that the U.S. Attorney "purge" isn't really a "purge" or is not a big deal. They would be incorrect on both counts. Joshua Marshall helps us all traverse the tricky political landscape.
Given the amount of attention we've given to the US Attorney Purge, there's been no end of right-wing nutjobs who've written in asking just what the big deal is. In most cases, these are just attacks dressed up as questions. And I do my best -- not always successfully -- to ignore them. But interspersed in that mess of emails are a few who seem to be asking, genuinely, what the big [...]
Tags: U. S. Attorneys, Attorney Purge
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Coming off a busy weekend, I'm stiff, sore and the pollen has worked its nasty way into every inch of my sinuses. Somebody remind me next year to trim the bushes BEFORE they become covered with pollen! Ugh. I'm not a happy camper today. That being said, and since I'm already in a bad mood, consider this on the economy -
The Coming Mortgage Meltdown, pt. III: Impact
CBS Marketwatch wrote a story over the weekend titled, "Will Lemming Loans Drive US Economy Off the Cliff?" The story highlights the basic problems created by the current mortgage market. If all of the predictions below come true than we are in some serious trouble. However, I think the more likely scenario is some of the possibilities below will come true partially, meaning the mortgage market won't crash, but will instead limp along for longer than we would like. First, let's highlight the basic problem which is the continual [...]
Tags: Subprime Loans, Mortgages
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It won't help. They still won't communicate.
Alberto Gonzales Stands By Firing of Seattle Prosecutor
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales today defended the firing of Seattle U.S. Attorney John McKay, even though a month before the firing, his Chief of Staff, Kyle Sampson, wrote e-mails to the White House Counsel's office urging support for McKay to be named a federal judge, saying "it's highly unlikely that we could do better." Check the double speak. All of a sudden, Gonzales claims [...]
Tags: Alberto Gonzales, John McKay, Kyle Sampson
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