Wall Street Journal: Lawyers say investigation into CIA leak widens to probe 'broader conspiracy' surrounding Iraq

Ok, I think I just peed my pants.

Raw Story excerpts from the story here. Read More......

Open thread

It's beginning to look a lot like treason... Read More......

Cheney, missing now more than ever - so is he ill, or has he had a falling out with Bush

Will Bunch argues for "falling out." Read More......

Special Prosecutor looking at Cheney?

Oh man, oh man, oh man.

A developing story from the Huffington Post:

The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg are working on stories that point to Vice President Dick Cheney as the target of special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation into the leaking of CIA operative Valerie Plame's name.

I called it 5 days ago, baby :-)

(I will not count my chickens, I will not count my chickens...) Read More......

Matt Lauer seriously ticks off Bush

UPDATE: Oh my God, Matt Lauer did not just say "Mission Accomplished" to Bush during this interview!

Chimpy angry at mean reporter.

It was such a lovely photo op -- President Bush and his wife joining the volunteers building a house in Louisiana. The perfect backdrop for an upbeat interview, live on NBC's Today Show.

But then Matt Lauer had to go and pull back the curtain and ask: Isn't this all just a empty photo op?

What ensued was an unusually testy interview, with Bush waving off more questions than he answered, chiding Lauer for quoting too many Democrats in his windups and making it clear that he would have been much happier fielding questions about the charitable nature of the American people than about politics.

Also being covered by Crooks and Liars. And they've got video! Read More......

Two more designs in the AMERICAblog shop

I created a new variation of the "God is a Democrat" shirt - this one says "God is a Democrat and she's pissed":



And I've now added two versions of "Satan is a Republican" - one version simply says Satan is a Republican:



The other adds "and he voted for George W. Bush".

Read More......

NBC's Fineman: White House in civil war over Karl Rove

Get your popcorn:

HOWARD FINEMAN, NBC CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That‘s the point of the lance of this whole thing.

Right now, my sense, in reporting this, Chris, is that the Bush family, political family, is at war with itself inside the White House. My sense is, it‘s Andy Card, the chief of staff, and his people against Karl Rove, the brain.

MATTHEWS: Right.

FINEMAN: And that runs through a whole lot of things, whether it‘s Harriet Miers or Katrina. But it all starts with Iraq.

And some submerged, but now emerging divisions within the administration over why we went into that war, how we went into that war and what was done to sell it. There are people are out for Karl Rove inside that White House, which makes his situation even more perilous.

My understanding, from talking to somebody quite close to this investigation, is that they think there are going to be indictments and possibly Karl Rove could be among them, if not for the act of the leaking information about Valerie Plame, then perhaps for perjury, because he‘s now testified four times.

And there are conflicts between what Matt Cooper told the grand jury and what Rove evidently told the jury himself. And Patrick Fitzgerald, the prosecutor, is an absolute stickler for detail who has no political axe to grind here, other than keeping his own credibility. Having put Judy Miller in jail, having gone to the lengths he had, my understand is, he has got some people here, not only Rove, but perhaps Scooter Libby, the vice president‘s chief of staff.

MATTHEWS: I also get the sense he reads the law book. He doesn‘t care about the politics.

(CROSSTALK)

FINEMAN: That‘s what I meant. That‘s what I meant. He doesn‘t care about the politics.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you, you just raised a curtain-raiser for me. I didn‘t even know this.

You believe that the fight between those who may be headed toward indictment, the vice president‘s chief of staff, Karl Rove, there is a war between them and the people who are going to survive them, Andy Card, etcetera.

FINEMAN: Yes.

Read More......

Bush recants acceptance of responsibility for Katrina mess

It's Karl Rove's firing all over again.

You'll recall that Bush first said if anyone on his staff had anything to do with leaking Valerie Plame's name they'd be fired. Then when Rove's attorney said it was Karl, Bush changed his story to "anyone convicted of a crime" would be fired (which put to rest lingering concerns of whether the White House would keep prison inmates on its payrolls - phew!)

Well, today Bush backed off his previous mea culpas for his disastrous handling of the Katrina mess. Earlier Bush took responsibility for the mess. But now, according to Reuters, he's only taking responsibility if the GOP Congress finds that he did anything wrong.

As he has in the past, Bush said if a congressional investigation finds the federal government was at fault in the initial response to Katrina, he would accept responsibility.

"I do my job as best I can. One of the things that we do is we respond to crisis. And as I told the people, if I didn't respond well enough, we're going to learn the lessons," he said.

IF he didn't respond well enough? You mean, Bush still believes it was the right decision to stay on vacation for 3 days into the disaster? Bush still thinks he did nothing wrong? Bush still thinks Brownie did a heck of a job? Bush has reached no conclusions whatseover about how the relief effort went? And more importantly, so Bush didn't take responsibility for the disaster several weeks ago when he did his speech down in New Orleans, and CLAIMED he did take responsibility.

Or more likely, Bush did take responsibility and now he's recanted. Or to put it another way, Bush was for taking responsibility before he was against it.

Perhaps what Bush meant was that he'll take responsibility if he's convicted of a crime. Well, that day may be coming soon. Read More......

Poll: 50% say Congress should consider impeaching Bush if he lied about Iraq

And the hits just keep on coming.

The poll was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs, the highly-regarded non-partisan polling company. The poll interviewed 1,001 U.S. adults on October 6-9.

The poll found that 50% agreed with the statement:

"If President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should consider holding him accountable by impeaching him."

Read More......

BREAKING: Frist earned tens of thousands of dollars on stocks OUTSIDE of the blind trust

Still think God isn't a Democrat? Read More......

How do you spell "Indictment"? S-c-o-o-t-e-r

It seems VP Cheney's chief of staff, Scooter Libby, "forgot" to tell the Grand Jury about a key conversation he had with Judith Miller about Valerie Plame.

Oops. Read More......

Washington Univ. using student funds to promote homophobia

Let the homophobic professor use his own Web site to promote his homophobia, but using a school Web site, that's absurd. And if the school has an non-discrimination policy that includes sexual orientation, it might even be cause for a civil rights suit.

Or, an enterprising student or professor could launch their own parody Web site with the EXACT same words the anti-gay professor is using, but insert the word "black," "Jewish," and "Latino" instead of "homosexual" in the text, then we'll see how long Washington University is a proud defender against "censorship."

I'm waiting for the radical right bigots to get all up in arms: "Why don't you tolerate our intolerance?!" Read More......

God is a Democrat

At least he is according to our newest AMERICAblog t-shirts! :-)

I'm trying to create new shirts and bumper stickers and more for the upcoming holidays. And in view of the recent string of bad luck for the Republicans, the "God is a Democrat" thing just seemed appropriate (I was going to launch these the day Karl Rove was indicted, but I just couldn't wait!). Oh, and while the images below may make the logos look blurry, they're not - it's simply a matter of shrinking a massive image file to fit on this blog, it makes things blurry. The logos are crystal clear images.

These are the latest models (and remember, AMERICAblog get a nice percentage of each sale):

God is a Democrat (we have t-shirts, mugs, etc.)



And the classic AMERICAblog logo:

As a bumper sticker...



On a mug...



And we have shirts and more. Read More......

Bono spokesman says U2 is NOT doing a fundraiser for Santorum

Funny, Newsmax says they are. But spokespeople for Bono make it clear U2 isn't. Read More......

When George writes back to Harriet

He talks crap:

"I appreciate your friendship and candor. Never hold back your sage advice," he wrote. "P.S. No more public scatology." Whether Bush was referring to Miers' rough-and-tumble time as chairwoman of the Texas Lottery Commission or something else isn't clear. Scatology refers to "the study of or preoccupation with excrement or obscenity," according to Webster's dictionary.

That's an awfully big word for W. He might not even know what he meant. Read More......

John McCain ♥ Darwin

What will we tell the children?!

Arizona Sen. John McCain, a potential 2008 presidential candidate, speaks to children and young adults about making virtuous choices in his latest book, Character Is Destiny: Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult Should Remember.

The book, the fourth the Republican senator has written with co-author Mark Salter, tells the stories of 34 historical figures and lesser-known "heroes"....

McCain also seeks to illustrate "idealism" through a chapter on abolitionist Sojourner Truth; writes about "curiosity" with a look at Charles Darwin...

Uh oh, teaching American children actual science? What are you, some kind of terrorist?

(Hat tip to Bad Attitudes blog) Read More......

Prepare to Die. HHS Secretary Leavitt says chances of bird flu pandemic "very high"

I believe him when he says this because sure, it's been widely discussed for years now so why is the US at the bottom of the list for readiness of industrialized countries? Why is the US preparing to have supplies for 2% of the population when Europe varies from 20%-40%? Most estimates believe that up to 25% of the population could be hit by the virus, so why is Team Bush so far behind? Why does the GOP hate America? Read More......

Another reason we don't love Joe Lieberman

From Kos. Read More......

Texas Republican Congressman Brady Arrested on DUI

Hey, maybe he'll be President some day - George didn't win when he ran for Congress and look where he is now. Kevin Brady - future President! From CNN:

U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady was arrested and charged with driving under the influence while in South Dakota, according to a published report.

The Texas Republican was pulled over by a state trooper Friday night for a problem with the tail lights of his vehicle, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Brady voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment. Last time I checked Kevin, no one died when homos married in Massachusetts. Drunk driving, you bet people die. Good to know your priorities are in the right place. Your Texas constituents must be so proud of you right now.

UPDATE 1: This guys Brady sounds like a real winner. Someone evidently wants him dead. From the comments, here's an odd story from KHOU:

Dozens of residents gathered under tight security at First Baptist Church in Deweyville on the Texas-Louisiana border to talk with Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives. Many said their homes are uninhabitable and the only power they have comes from generators.

U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, who wore a bulletproof vest under his dress shirt, attended meetings in Jasper, Newton, Deweyville and Buna on Monday with plans to visit Orange, Vidor, Kountze and Woodville on Tuesday. Brady spokeswoman Sarah Stephens said Brady had received a death threat but wouldn't elaborate. She said the Texas Department of Public Safety asked him to wear the vest.

As Brady stepped up to the church altar, four DPS troopers lined up in front of the lectern, separating the congressman and other federal officials from the rural residents who say their needs have been neglected.

What the hell is it with these Texans? Between DeLay, Bush and now this one, these guys could put most drama queens I know to shame.

UPDATE 2: Also from the comments, this guy Brady is in the House leadership and is one of Bush's close allies. From Brady's Congressional Web site:

Brady holds the leadership post of Deputy Whip and serves on the Ways & Means Committee in the seat formerly held by past Ways and Means Chairman Bill Archer and the 41st President George H.W. Bush. Congressman Brady also serves on the Joint Economic Committee and House Policy Committee.
...
Most recently, Congressman Brady served as the White House's point man in the successful passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, which is projected to create 16,000 new jobs for Texas.
...
Prior to his election to Congress, Brady worked as a Chamber of Commerce executive for 18 years including Beaumont, The Woodlands area and Rapid City, South Dakota. A former city councilman, Brady served six years in the Texas House of Representatives, earning distinction as on of the Ten Best Legislators for Families and Children and a state leader in victim's rights. In 1994 he was named one of the year's Five Outstanding Young Texans along with present day U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. He is also an original Hometown Hero of The Woodlands.

Chamber of Commerce executive? That's all it takes to get into Congressional leadership these days? Is that any better than exterminator? I'm not sure... Read More......

Harriet really Hearts George

I think she like likes him. Okay, they are a creepy pair:

"You are the best governor ever - deserving of great respect," Harriet E. Miers wrote to George W. Bush days after his 51st birthday in July 1997. She also found him "cool," said he and his wife, Laura, were "the greatest!" and told him: "Keep up the great work. Texas is blessed."

Well, this explains a lot. She thinks he's really cool. He appoints her to the Supreme Court. Read More......

Open Thread

Just watched the "George the Builder" photo-op from Louisiana on the Today Show. Bad enough that he's the first thing I saw this morning. But, it was a reminder of how just plain scary it is that he is our President. Read More......

Bolton blocks UN envoy from discussing human rights violations

Who would have guessed that Bolton would have turned out to be such an ass? In an attempt to make some kind of point that nobody else can really see except himself, Bolton teamed up with perennial human rights supporters China, Russia and Algeria to stop the briefing that was requested by Kofi Annan. China, who has recently discovered the classic US option of playing the leave-no-oil-dictator/torturer/murderer behind card has been making every effort possible to work with thugs that even the West won't touch, such as the government of Sudan. Is this what Bolton and the wingnuts are trying to accomplish? More trading partners for China instead of human rights accountability?

Nicely played. Oh what a breath of fresh air at the UN and I can see the peaceful results right around the corner. Right next to the crushing victory in Iraq. Read More......

How much more incompetence can the US afford? Where are the Senate investigations?

No, not FEMA and not the energy policy either. As previously mentioned, the Allawi-puppet government laundered US money, buying shoddy military equipment worth only a fraction of the amount paid and then after bilking US taxpayers of one billion dollars, they disappeared. Politicians in the US have been up in arms over corruption in the UN, specifically regarding the oil-for-food scandal which is disgusting. (Of course, the US politicians also tend to overlook the involvement of Americans and the look-the-other-way attitude of US officials during the ripoff.)

Where are the Senate investigations for scamming the US taxpayers for $1 Billion? Couldn't we use that money for heating houses of the poor this winter? Couldn't that money have been used for Katrina clean-up? Couldn't that money have played a small roll in keeping down the deficit? Does the right care at all about a scandal and loss of a billion dollars or are they afraid that this will once again point out just how incompetent Team Bush really is? Read More......

Bush visits New Orleans again, for 8th time

Pathetic. Read More......

Open thread

I'm catching up on the first season of 24. I heart TiVO. Read More......