Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Don't Lose Sight
Holy smokes! Bush nominated someone for the SCOTUS! Whoopee. The Republicans are thrilled because they're hoping that this will take the attention away from "Rovegate." We can't let that happen!
For those of us that can still remember the late nineties (Republicans have conveniently forgotten), it's hard to forget the persistence of the Republican noise machine as they fought tooth and nail to keep the Lewinsky affair in the public's eye. Every single day there was a new Republican suit on television reminding the public that the President had lied about a blowjob. Well, as I've indicated before, it's time to rev up the Democratic noise machine. Every day there needs to be a Democrat on the television reminding us that Karl Rove and possibly "Scooter" Libby, outed a CIA operative and put lives in danger just to try and discredit a critic. Every day there needs to be a letter in the newspapers around America reminding the public that a trusted member of the White House staff broke the law. Every day there needs to be a phone call to the talk radio hosts reminding them that George Bush had the opportunity to do the right thing and stick by his word to fire anyone involved and he has so far chosen not to.
Just today, the Wall Street Journal provided more proof that a crime did indeed take place.
The question still remains though: What did George W. Bush know and when did he know it. The way I see it, there are three possible answers to this question. They are as follows:
So basically, Bush either knew, was lied to, or didn't care. Don't let anyone forget. In the upcoming days and weeks it is likely that the media focus will shift to the battle over Bush's SCOTUS nominee. It is up to us to keep the pressure on the administration and keep this crime in the public's eye. As Republicans attempt to paint any Democrat opposing Judge Roberts as an obstructionist, it is important that this not get lost in the shuffle. This is Bush's blue dress.
For those of us that can still remember the late nineties (Republicans have conveniently forgotten), it's hard to forget the persistence of the Republican noise machine as they fought tooth and nail to keep the Lewinsky affair in the public's eye. Every single day there was a new Republican suit on television reminding the public that the President had lied about a blowjob. Well, as I've indicated before, it's time to rev up the Democratic noise machine. Every day there needs to be a Democrat on the television reminding us that Karl Rove and possibly "Scooter" Libby, outed a CIA operative and put lives in danger just to try and discredit a critic. Every day there needs to be a letter in the newspapers around America reminding the public that a trusted member of the White House staff broke the law. Every day there needs to be a phone call to the talk radio hosts reminding them that George Bush had the opportunity to do the right thing and stick by his word to fire anyone involved and he has so far chosen not to.
Just today, the Wall Street Journal provided more proof that a crime did indeed take place.
- A classified State Department memo that may be pivotal to the CIA leak case made clear that information identifying an agent and her role in her husband's intelligence-gathering mission was sensitive and shouldn't be shared, according to a person familiar with the document.
A special prosecutor is investigating whether Bush administration officials broke the law by intentionally outing a covert intelligence operative. Investigators are trying to determine if the memo, dated June 10, 2003, was how White House officials learned that Valerie Wilson was an agent for the Central Intelligence Agency.
News that the memo was marked for its sensitivity emerged as President Bush yesterday appeared to backtrack from his 2004 pledge to fire any member of his staff involved in the leaking of the CIA agent's name. In a news conference yesterday that followed disclosures that his top strategist, Karl Rove, had discussed Ms. Wilson's CIA employment with two reporters, Mr. Bush adopted a different formulation, specifying criminality as the standard for firing.
"If someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration," Mr. Bush said. White House spokesman Scott McClellan later disputed the suggestion that the president had shifted his position.
The memo's details are significant because they will make it harder for officials who saw the document to claim that they didn't realize the identity of the CIA officer was a sensitive matter. Patrick Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor, may also be looking at whether other crimes -- such as perjury, obstruction of justice or leaking classified information -- were committed.
The question still remains though: What did George W. Bush know and when did he know it. The way I see it, there are three possible answers to this question. They are as follows:
- Bush (or one of his aides) asked Rove about his involvement and Rove lied. - In my mind, this is grounds for dismissal. Anytime you lie to your boss about your involvement in a crime, you should be fired.
- Bush (or one of his aides) asked Rove about his involvement, he admitted to being involved, and the administration covered it up - In my mind, this is grounds for impeachment. If the President of the United States is complicit in covering up a crime that risked the security of the nation and the lives of Americans, he should be impeached immediately.
- Nobody in the administration even bothered to ask Rove about his involvement. - This would mean that McClellan lied and Bush doesn't give a shit if someone in his administration breaks the law. While this may not be grounds for impeachment, it shows the arrogance of an administration that believes itself to be above the law.
So basically, Bush either knew, was lied to, or didn't care. Don't let anyone forget. In the upcoming days and weeks it is likely that the media focus will shift to the battle over Bush's SCOTUS nominee. It is up to us to keep the pressure on the administration and keep this crime in the public's eye. As Republicans attempt to paint any Democrat opposing Judge Roberts as an obstructionist, it is important that this not get lost in the shuffle. This is Bush's blue dress.
