GOP columnist Bob Novak confirms that White House staffer Karl Rove leaked CIA agents name

So when is Bush planning on firing Karl as he promised? There's no longer any investigating dealing with Karl, so why doesn't he speak? Why doesn't Bush speak? Why does this guy still have a security clearance in a time of war? Are our war secrets of so little value to George Bush that a major security leak is now no big deal? Or is it only no big deal when it's Bush's own people doing the leaking? Read the rest of this post...

Karl Rove will speak to a Latino group in California on Wednesday. Let's remind everyone of where the Bush administration stands on Latino issues

Karl Rove is planning on address one of the largest Latino organizations, La Raza, tomorrow in California. In commemoration of the Bush administration's new-found love for the same Latinos they wanted to kick out of the country last week, with the help of a friend who put the following list together, let's take a way down memory lane, shall we:

Rove’s Outreach to Hispanic Voters

Today, Karl Rove will address the National Council of La Raza. Unfortunately, his grand strategy to attract Hispanic voters to the Republican Party is in jeopardy because of a revolt of House Republicans on immigration. Will the Bush Administration be able to go beyond their campaign rhetoric and really reach out to Hispanic voters? Accomplishing this task will require standing up to the right wing of the Republican Party. Unfortunately, Bush and his Administration have been better at talking the talk of reaching out than they have been of walking the walk.

THEN: Bush Campaigned in Spanish

In Davenport, Iowa: ''La Sueño Americano.” “Over a breakfast of burritos and beans at a neon-colored Jalapeño Mexican Cuisine in Davenport, Iowa, this summer, Bush spoke of his goal that everyone share in ''la sueño Americano.'' [The Miami Herald, 10/9/99]

In Los Angeles, California: Ingles y Mas: “As Bush addressed a crowd of 3,000 last week at the Latin Business Association in Los Angeles, he signaled his sensitivity. 'Ingles solamente' isn't the way, Bush said. Instead of English only, the goal is Ingles y mas, English and more. 'Children of any background should not be used as pawns in bitter debates on education and immigration.’'' [The Miami Herald, 9/9/99]

In Chicago, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia, Bush Sang the National Anthem in Spanish. "When visiting cities like Chicago, Milwaukee, or Philadelphia, in pivotal states, Bush would drop in at Hispanic festivals and parties, sometimes joining in singing 'The Star-Spangled Banner' in Spanish, sometimes partying with a 'Viva Bush’ mariachi band flown in from Texas." [American Dynasty, Kevin Phillips]

NOW: Bush Says the National Anthem Ought to Be Sung in English.

Bush: “I think the national anthem ought to be sung in English, and I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English.” [4/28/06]

THEN: Undocumented Mexicans Who Had Crossed Illegally Were “Hard-Working Citizens”.

Bush: “We share values with Mexico. They’re common values — values that unite people, whether they live in the United States or whether they live in Mexico. And what are those values? … The willingness to work hard. America is known for our ability to work hard. Think about the Mexican worker who walks 500 miles across a desert to find work. Those are hard-working citizens. We share that very important value of people willing to roll up their sleeves and work hard.” [White House, 9/6/01]

NOW: Terrorists, Drug Dealers, and Criminals Sneak into the United States.

Bush: “To defend this country, we have to enforce our borders. When our borders are not secure, terrorists, drug dealers, and criminals find it easier to sneak into America. My administration has a clear strategy for dealing with this problem: We want to stop people from crossing into America illegally, and to quickly return the illegal immigrants we catch back to their home countries.” [White House, 10/22/05]

THEN: Bush Floated the Idea of Amnesty.

Bush – as Part of an Effort to Woo Latino Voters – Floated the idea of an Amnesty. “Since arriving in Washington, President George W. Bush has persisted in believing that the GOP can engineer a major shift in US. electoral politics and seize a sizable chunk of a voting bloc that the Democrats have come to assume is solidly loyal. Using Cabinet picks and tailoring policy -- including floating the idea of granting an amnesty to more than 3 million Mexicans living in the United States illegally -- the president has continued with a high-profile effort to woo skeptical Latinos away from the Democrats.” [Washington Times, 10/1/01]

NOW: Bush Wavers on Comprehensive Reform

The Bush Administration Issued a Statement of Administration Policy in Support of the Sensenbrenner Immigration Bill – a Bill that Would Make Felons of Undocumented Workers.

Bush Shows Signs of Wavering on Comprehensive Reform. “Republicans both inside and outside the White House say Mr. Bush, who has long insisted on comprehensive reform, is now open to a so-called enforcement-first approach that would put new border security programs in place before creating a guest worker program or path to citizenship for people living in the United States illegally.” [New York Times, 7/5/06]

Republicans Predict Bush Will Abandon the Path to Citizenship. “But one Republican close to the White House, granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, predicted that Mr. Bush would ultimately abandon the idea of a path to citizenship.” [New York Times, 7/5/06]

THEN: Karl Rove Outlined a Strategy to Attract Hispanic Voters

Karl Rove Outlines the Strategy: “Mission and Goal” is to Attract Latino Voters. “The broad statistics and the doubts, though, aren't deterring the White House. Earlier in the year Karl Rove, the president's senior political adviser, told reporters in Washington that grabbing a bigger share of the Latino vote is "our mission and our goal" and that it will require the effort of all Republicans "in every way and every day working to get that done." [Washington Times, 10/1/01]

For Rove – It’s about the Math. “Rove sees the math as simple: For the president to get re-elected the Republicans need to keep competitive in voter-rich states such as Illinois, where an increasing Latino presence threatens to make the political environment friendlier for Democratic candidates, RNC campaign strategists tell Insight. Bush needs to ensure a win in Florida and focus on several smaller states where Latino numbers are gaining -- states such as North Carolina, Iowa and Oregon.” [Washington Times, 10/01/01]

Bush Political Operation Understands the Importance of the Hispanic Vote. "We got 35 percent of the Hispanic vote" in the last election, RNC spokesman Trent Duffy recently told Insight. ‘If we don't get that up to 38 or 40 percent, it's all over.’ Matthew Dowd, a Bush adviser in last year's election campaign, has chorused regularly in sessions with Rove that more must be done on the Hispanic front, White House sources say. [Washington Times, 10/01/01]

Rove Set the Strategy. “Going into the campaign, chief White House political strategist Karl Rove stated he wanted to increase the President’s share of the Hispanic electorate from 35% in 2000 to at least 40% in 2004.” [Washington Times, 11/10/04]

In 2004, Rove’s Political Operation Met its Goal for Attracting the Hispanic Vote. “In the 2004 election, the Hispanic vote really did matter—particularly in the race for the White House. An estimated 9 million Hispanics cast ballots—more than ever before. According to exit polls, President Bush won as much as 44 percent of the Hispanic vote—improving on the 35 percent he received in 2000 and breezing past the stated goal of White House senior adviser Karl Rove, who had said he’d be happy with 40 percent.” [Dallas Morning News, Editorial, 11/9/04]

NOW: Because of House Republicans, Rove’s Strategy is in Jeopardy

Immigration Threatens Bush Inroads with Hispanic Voters. “If Hispanics bolt the GOP because of immigration, it would erase the inroads George W. Bush has made in opening the party to the group, both as Texas governor and president. What's more, a strong Latino turnout could help Democrats win control of Congress in the November elections and change the landscape in the next presidential race.” [Dallas Morning News, 5/6/06]

House Republicans Jeopardize Bush’s Plans to Draw Latino Voters to the Republican Party. “By pushing English-only policies and tough measures against illegal immigrants, House conservatives are endangering President Bush's goal of drawing millions of Latino voters to the Republican Party and helping realign ethnic politics for years to come, according to an array of analysts and officials.” [Washington Post, 6/30/06]

House Republicans Are Blocking the Renewal of the Voting Rights Act. “The latest blow to Bush's efforts to woo Hispanics came last week, when a band of House Republicans unexpectedly balked at renewing the 1965 Voting Rights Act, partly because of a 30-year-old requirement that many local governments provide bilingual ballots. The revolt, which forced House GOP leaders to abruptly postpone a vote, came as House Republicans are stiffening their resistance to Bush's bid to allow pathways to legal status for millions of illegal immigrants while also strengthening borders and deportation efforts. [Washington Post, 6/30/06]

Bottom Line: The Rove Strategy Isn’t Working

According to the Latino Policy Coalition, Bush has a 28 percent approval rate among Latinos and the GOP Congress has a 23 percent approval rate. “Latino voters are making up their minds earlier in the mid-term election cycle and trust Democrats to do a better job than Republicans on issues such as health care, economic issues facing families, education and immigration, according to a survey released today by the non-partisan Latino Policy Coalition (LPC). The extensive survey, conducted by Lake Research Partners in 23 states across the U.S., also found Latino voters overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the job performances of both President Bush and the Republican-led Congress.”

Read the rest of this post...

Fight AIDS concert to feature two raging homophobes

Interesting discussion of this by Terrance and Keith.

Of course, this isn't the first time good people have used bad people to push their cause. The ONE campaign last year, led by Bono, used Pat Robertson to help push its cause. And the AIDS community has used Orrin Hatch to help get AIDS legislation passed - hell, even Jesse Helms started to get involved in the international AIDS crisis.

On a gut level, I obviously agree with Terrance and Keith - it's just downright creepy using two homophobes to help fight AIDS. But then again, I'm curious what you all think about the examples I gave above, about Hatch and Helms and Robertson. Is it ever okay to use a bad guy to help you do good? Would it be okay to get the religious right to help us protect the environment (a serious possiblity, by the way, exists for us working with them on this issue). It's an interesting, and difficult, question. Your thoughts? Read the rest of this post...

Novak, Rove and CIA spokesman all appear to have given different stories about Valerie Plame leak

Check this out from Novak:

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has informed my attorneys that, after two and one-half years, his investigation of the CIA leak case concerning matters directly relating to me has been concluded. That frees me to reveal my role in the federal inquiry that, at the request of Fitzgerald, I have kept secret....

When Fitzgerald arrived, he had a third waiver in hand -- from Bill Harlow, the CIA public information officer who was my CIA source for the column confirming Mrs. Wilson's identity. I answered questions using the names of Rove, Harlow and my primary source....

I have revealed Rove's name because his attorney has divulged the substance of our conversation, though in a form different from my recollection. I have revealed Harlow's name because he has publicly disclosed his version of our conversation, which also differs from my recollection.

Isn't that interesting. Read the rest of this post...

Bush gives senior staff a whopping raise, junior staff get nothing

Man, even in his own office the man screws the poor and pampers the rich.

President Bush’s most senior aides -- the ones who hold the coveted title of "assistant to the president" -- recently received a $4,200 cost-of-living bump-up in compensation and now earn a top pay rate of $165,200, according to an internal White House list of staff salaries. The list was compiled by the administration for the year that ended June 30 and is displayed both alphabetically, and by dollar ranking, below. Those at the bottom of the White House staff pay scale -- the folks answering phones and responding to the president’s mail, for example -- remain stuck at last year’s pay floor of $30,000, according to a year-to-year comparison of White House data obtained by National Journal.

And let me just add, $30,000 a year in DC sucks. It is a tremendously expensive city - not just real estate, which is astronomical, but food and more. This is pretty gross. Read the rest of this post...

Religious left is coming alive

Or so they say. I'm not convinced the religious left will ever get its act together. They just don't seem to know politics, or public relations, nor are they angry enough to be inspired enough to make a difference (our guys, silly people that they are, actually buy into all that Biblical stuff about loving thy neighbor - the religious right, on the other hand, has ignored all the love in the Bible). The most important trait the religious right has is its anger. Its hatred. I'm not saying it's a good thing, but it's what motivates all the religious right leaders and organizations, pure unadulterated hate. And it's a lot easier for them to get riled up to do something when they hate, than for our religious leaders to get motivated to do something simply because they love. You'd think that wouldn't be the case, but I fear it is. Or worse, perhaps hate simply works better in Washington.

Love is still better than hate. But in politics, it's more often hate than love that gets the leaders and the followers motivated.

Isn't that sad. Read the rest of this post...

Hooray! US budget deficit only $300 billion

Wow, look at me do cartwheels. Let's all celebrate that the team who blew the budget surplus from the Clinton years, is paying high interest rates because of the deficit and predicted a much rosier picture in the past has a $300 billion deficit. So we're supposed to be impressed with this pile of manure? We have really lowered the bar if this is a cause for celebration. Read the rest of this post...

Speaking of illegally spying on Americans...

I was doing a little Googling about SWIFT, the not-so super secret nerve center of international banking that the Bush administration is using to spy on the finances of Americans and foreigners without getting a court order. And I happened upon some other names associated with SWIFT, though not necessarily in the context of the Bush spy story:

...Payment systems like SWIFT, FEDWIRE, CHIPS and e-service producers such as BOLERO, Tradecard.

Now, again, the document I link to has nothing to do, at least as far I know, with the Bush domestic spying scandal. But since those other services are mentioned along with SWIFT, as though they're all brethren, it get me wondering about those other services in the context of Bush's domestic spying scandal.

Things that make you go hmmmm...

Anyone have anything to add? Read the rest of this post...

Why would a gay Republican want to be represented by this man?

I know, I'm breaking my "15 minutes of fame for Jeff Gannon/James Guckert and that's it" rule. But I think it's important, this time, as there is a really a serious problem in gay America when a gay Republican group chooses a self-loathing anti-gay male hooker as their mentor.

Many of you will recall that Jeff Gannon (aka James Guckert) is the very conservative, anti-gay, faux GOP "reporter" who visited the White House 200 times without having to get the proper clearances and who later turned out to be a male hustler.

Well, he's going to be speaking to the lead gay Republican group in New York state, and it's not clear why.



It's clear that the gay group thinks Gannon represents them as a "gay conservative," which is quite sad. Gannon only recently acknowledged being gay, he has a long history of writing incredibly anti-gay stories for far-right publications, he has been accused of repeated cases of plagiarism, and sometimes he just makes stuff up (like he did in a recent article claiming I ran an advertiser boycott of the local gay paper - totally untrue, but hey, facts are for liberals). Oh yeah, and his 8, or was it 9, male prostitution Web sites were uncovered where he was selling himself to men for $200/hr and $1200/weekend. Not that I have any problem with that, but don't go playing the homophobe during your day job and then be gay-for-pay at night. Not to mention, there's a difference between being an expert on gay sex and gay rights.

In any case, why would any self-respecting gay Republican (oxymoron, in my view) want to be associated with this guy? Surely, there are more normal, interesting, intelligent, and upstanding gay Republicans out there than Guckert? Unless this is all about having a hooker do a speech, just for the titillation factor (boys will be boys). That I can perhaps understand, though T&A; is more appropriate for a bachelor party than the meeting of the largest gay Republican organization in America. Read the rest of this post...

Adam Carolla hangs up on Ann Coulter

I've never been a great fan of Carolla, just not my thing, but he wins major points for this one. Read the rest of this post...

GOP to pass pro-gambling bill this week that gives Jack Abramoff what he's been lobbying for

How much more corrupt can the Republicans get than still trying to pass legislation for Jack Abramoff after the guy is already going to jail.

Why is Congress Playing Favorites on Internet Gaming Ban?

Support Berkley/Conyers/Wexler Amendment to Eliminate Hypocritical Horseracing and State Lottery Exemptions

Dear Colleague:

When the House considers the poorly-named Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act tomorrow, I will offer an amendment to eliminate the special exemptions contained in the bill. Regardless of your position on the issue, there is no reason for Congress to pick and choose which types of gaming should be exempted from what is being described as a ban on Internet gaming.

The bill's advocates proclaim the immorality of online gaming and shout that it will destroy our society - unless you are betting on horse races. They assert that the bill is neutral on the subject of interstate online pari-mutuel betting. But there is no getting around the fact that this bill very clearly and specifically states that online betting on horseracing is not prohibited.

The bill also includes another hypocritical exemption - for intrastate lotteries. This is highly ironic because this exemption is exactly what the notorious felon Jack Abramoff wanted when he reportedly orchestrated the defeat of a similar bill several years ago because it had no exemption for lotteries. Mr. Abramoff must be smiling about this turn of events.

My amendment would strike the horseracing and lottery exemptions from the bill. Members who say they oppose Internet gaming have a chance to prove it by supporting my amendment. Otherwise, this entire debate is a farce, because the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act before us does not completely prohibit Internet gambling.

Support the Berkley/Conyers/Wexler amendment.


Sincerely,


SHELLEY BERKLEY

Read the rest of this post...

Oh, now Chris Shays is worried about the Iraq debacle

The Washington Post takes a look at how the Bush war on terror is getting batted around by the Supreme Court, European allies and even the GOPers on the Hill:

"We are not a parliament, and when we function like a parliament we're unfaithful to the process and our system of government," said Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), who will preside over the Iraq hearing. "We hurt our country and both branches of government. If we had been more forceful . . . Abu Ghraib would have never happened."

There's another article in the Post that explains why Chris Shays seems so concerned about oversight and Iraq -- concerned enough to hold a hearing:

And in a potentially lively House session, Rep. Christopher Shays (Conn.), a moderate Republican who is in danger of losing his once-safe seat because of his strong support for the war, plans a hearing to evaluate the administration's "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq." The witness list includes David M. Walker, U.S. comptroller general, and national security analyst Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

It's an election year stunt for Shays because he's in trouble. So, elections do matter. But voters shouldn't be fooled by Chris Shays. Read the rest of this post...

Tuesday Morning Open Thread

Okay, let me get this straight. Because Bush and Putin are such close friends, Bush is going to tell Putin "in private" that he's worried about the Russian leader's anti-democratic policies. But, the White House National Securit Adviser Steven Hadley publicly announced that Bush would have this private conversation. That doesn't seem like very smart diplomacy...but nothing Bush does is smart diplomacy. According to NBC this morning, Putin's approval rating is 70%, that's twice as high as Bush's approval.

I'm sure our President will make us proud at the G-8. Read the rest of this post...

Rummy visits Afghanistan - scratches head and wonders what's happening

A resurgent Taliban? No, who could have guessed? Talk of cutting US troop deployments in Afghanistan during his previous visit? Guess what...not going to happen any time soon. The UK is sending more troops to Afghanistan and Bush is pleading with Italy to maintain their presence. I say we blame it on the Afghanistan government who has been forgotten and under-funded by the US because they really should have been able to rebuild without problem after years of civil war. Just look at how easy it is in Iraq.

Eikenberry said the Taliban are operating in areas where a weak government has created a security vacuum.

"It's not a question of the enemy being strong," he added. "It's very much a question in many instances of the institutions of the state of Afghanistan still moving slowly to stand up in governance and Afghan national security forces. But we very much have the momentum."

In later remarks in the interview, Eikenberry said the Taliban has been able to assert itself, particularly in the south.

"The Taliban is more organized than they were last year and they have more fighters in certain areas," he said.

Eikenberry would not discuss any plans to increase or decrease U.S. troop levels, which now stand at about 23,000. Last December, on his most recent previous visit to Kabul, Rumsfeld announced that U.S. troop levels would drop from 19,000 at that time to 16,000 by this summer.

In remarks to reporters in Tajikistan before flying here, Rumsfeld welcomed an expanded role by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Afghanistan, but also expressed worry that drug trafficking is helping bankroll the Taliban.

Read the rest of this post...

Is this how Bush supports democracy in the Middle East

Keeping a low profile while Egypt cracks down on dissent in the media? Maybe they say nothing because that's what they would prefer doing in the US, so they're living vicariously through Mubarak. And to think that people in the region are cynical towards the Bush administration and their talk of freedom and democracy. Where's Karen Hughes during this time of democratic turmoil?

The press boycott follows the recent sentencing of two journalists to a year in prison for the crime of defaming Mubarak and his family. It comes as lawmakers prepared to vote on a proposed new press law Sunday that would double libel fines and also allow the continued use of libel laws against critics of the president and journalists who write in detail about the finances of public officials.

In 2004, Mubarak had promised to do away with prison sentences for libel. "Nobody in Egypt will be imprisoned again for their opinions," Press Syndicate Chairman Galal Aref said at the time. But Ibrahim Eissa, editor of the independent weekly Al Dustour, and colleague Sahar Zaki are evidence that promise hasn't been kept. They were sentenced for an April article that outlined a lawsuit against Mubarak and his family charging the presidentÂ? his wife Suzanne and his son Gamal, presumed by many here to be Mubarak's heir apparent Â? of "wasting the government's resources," "squandering foreign aid," and turning "Egypt into a monarchy."

Read the rest of this post...