Tag: Karl Rove

Morning gifts…

Morning gifts…

Thanks, Liam!!!

Top White House aide Rove resigns

Ok, so someone please tell me: Does “executive privilege” extend to former employees as well? Please say “No.” Please?

By the way, in case you haven’t heard, September 15 is the next march on Washington.

September 15
Mass March in Washington DC!

Come to Washington DC on September 15 for a large antiwar protest timed to coincide with the report by General Petraeus on the “Surge” in Iraq.

(If you want to do this, you’re welcome to crash here.)

It’s theoretically possible that a group from my congregation will go. I still have the signs I made last time, waiting downstairs.

Just thought I’d share. Happy Monday!

Comment from Joan:

Sorry, but despite what you think executive privilege is not about protecting Rove or any other employee or former employee. By it’s very nature, executive privilege is about protecting the EXECUTIVE and since Bush is still in office he can still use it to block anyone talking about something he said or ordered or had anything to do with at all.

Further bummer – I imagine he’s just freeing his time up to hand pick and polish our NEXT executive. He’s evil, pure and simple from the 8th dimension.

Oh, that’s a nice way to wake up…

Oh, that’s a nice way to wake up…

I don’t have time to post everything I’m thinking right now. A proper post is coming after I deliver my kid to school this morning.

But…

I can’t resist sending up a silent (or maybe not so) prayer to whatever force operates in and around our nation’s capitol, and hope we finally got the bastidges:

Rove, Gonzales discussed firings, e-mails show

Story Highlights:
• In e-mails, Gonzales and Karl Rove talk of U.S. attorney shakeup
• Discussion took place while Gonzales was still White House counsel
• White House has said idea came from Harriet Miers, who followed Gonzales
• Rove, Bush’s political adviser, says Democrats “want to play politics” with issue

Oh, please? Pretty please???

It’s too soon for dancing in the streets…

It’s too soon for dancing in the streets…

…but at least I know my ballot isn’t one of the ones waiting to be counted.

I sat on the fence for several days, my absentee ballot in my hot little hands, but I ultimately decided to go with the electronics. So that’s one less paper ballot to be counted overall.

Still, I can’t get excited yet. With both the governor’s race and the senate’s within 100k of each other, we’re probably not going to know for sure until Thursday at the earliest. So, while I’d just love to crow about taking back the House AND the Senate, I need to wait just a little bit longer.

I’ll definitely feel a WHOLE lot better in January, regardless of the final outcome, but I can’t help worrying that if Ehrlich pulls this one out, we Democrats will somehow be punished for putting up such a close race.

Don’t forget, either: A lot of damage can still be done in the month and a half between now and the end of the current political year. We’re not out of the woods yet.

Looking forward to hearing the Rove spin on this…

Ok, NOW I have a reason to dance in the streets!

No, it isn’t because…

Rumsfeld to Step Down as Defense Secretary
Bush Taps Former CIA Director Robert Gates as Successor

President Bush today announced he is replacing Donald H. Rumsfeld as secretary of defense, saying a “fresh perspective” is needed at the Pentagon to deal with the war in Iraq. Read more…

Wa-HOO!!!

I was looking to confirm Maria’s crow about Robert Ehrlich (see Google News here: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=ehrlich&btnG=Search+News), but this goes way beyond just being happy about the Governor’s race. For the record, I think she’s right, and Steele will look foolish if he doesn’t concede to Ben Cardin before the end of the day.

Considering the sleazy last-minute political move of shipping in homeless people to hand out inaccurate information designed to confuse voters who weren’t clear on the concept (Yes, Steele is a Republican, and no, it doesn’t matter one bit that he likes puppies), I think we just proved that some people at least get the concept.

Proud to say, I’m a resident of a fully Blue state once again!

YAY!!!!!!!

I should NOT be awake right now…

I should NOT be awake right now…

Oh, and because I simply can’t resist – I hope this is true: Rove Informs White House He Will Be Indicted [Turns out not to be true, unfortunately. Truthout.org is a propaganda site. See this: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/13/washington/13cnd-leak.html] (Thanks to Liam for posting the link.) Maybe there’s a little hope out there in the midst of this Pandora’s Box we’ve got open right now…

A couple more things I forgot last night, in the haze…

First up, while we were stuck in traffic last night, heading down to see Midsummer, I tuned in to Marketplace in the middle of this story:

A mom’s road back to work is often bumpy

At least I’m not alone.

Before kids, when I interviewed, generally speaking, I had the option to turn offers down. So far this time, I’ve been on two interviews, and I’ve been told twice I’m not right for the job. I suspect it’s because of my kids.

So what do I do? Lie? Tell them I have kids but I also don’t care?

I don’t want to freelance anymore. It’s a pain and the pay is insufficient to cover everything. But if I can’t get a job with the kind of pay I need to cover child care, then what’s the point in trying?

With all the fuss made about “family values” I’d like to see some fuss made to help *support* those of us who care about those family values. Lucky for me, my husband has a decent job. I can’t imagine what would happen if that wasn’t the case.

You know, for all the fuss we’ve made over the last 20 years about the improvements to life and work, how am I so much different from a woman in the 50s? I suppose the opportunities are out there, but if the companies aren’t hiring me, then they aren’t opportunities, are they?

On a related note: I ranted at a friend’s a few weeks ago about education and No Child Left Behind. It’s a sore point for me. Very sore. Having gone through a year of life with today’s kindergartener, I can say with certainty that 15 years down the road, we’ll see all the damage the current administration has done with this so-called insurance policy for kids. We’ll have fewer teachers, more kids to teach, and more kids falling through the cracks or dumbing down because the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many.

If you’re going to force kids to know the stuff they should *before* starting kindergarten, and you’re not providing proper advance notice to parents, there’s no way the kids will be able to catch up. I’m lucky (again). I can afford to send my kids to preschool (even if it’s a coop program and I have to be in class once a month). But how is it for the kids whose parents can’t afford preschool, but who can’t qualify for Head Start either?

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Don’t give me another damn tax cut. Better yet, don’t give yourself another tax cut. Go give the money to the programs (like Education) that need it! Regulate the industries where spending has gone out of control! Or find a way to mandate something for education for which you can actually afford to pay.

And you can start by making it possible for us women with children to find a place in the work force so we can afford to help pay for all this stuff!!!

Random comments…

Random comments…

I’m thrilled at Karl Rove’s reduced role, but I just can’t get excited about the lame attempt by a lame-duck administration to try and fix its problems. I’d expound but I just haven’t got the energy for indignation at this point.

Justice just ain’t gonna happen.

On the political front…

On the political front…

Got this message and submitted the petition. I strongly recommend you do the same.

Subject: The President Broke the Law

President Bush admitted to personally authorizing thousands of allegedly illegal wiretaps, and he doesn’t plan to stop. Circumventing the Constitution is serious business.

This is a big moment. People from across the political spectrum are standing together to protect the rule of law and the principles that are core to our identity as Americans.

Can you sign this petition to show Congress that Americans want a thorough investigation of the president’s secret wiretapping program?

Thanks!

I said it months ago here (July 8th, 2005 – way before the wiretapping issue broke). Funny how I can predict the future. Somewhere in the 27 comments I received was the implication that if we were good citizens, we wouldn’t have to worry.

Uh…

It isn’t getting better, especially with two Supreme Court justices on the switch. Roberts is already in, and in his very first ruling was one of three dissenting voices in an issue for which I side with the majority. With the possibility that Alito will also be seated, I think folks ought to be concerned. Cronyism, corruption and rank disregard for the Constitution – hallmarks of the current administration and many of the people in charge who helped put them in power.

Don’t know what I mean? See this Op-Ed in the Post (not related to the current administration, but the previous one), and their hope that they could smoke out some sort of dirt on the former secretary of housing and urban development:

A Fake Cisneros Scandal

The reaction from the Right, predictably, is full of conspiracy theories and anger because there was no there there, but that’s really been the hallmark of Clinton persecution since the 1990s.

All it amounts to is a justification and rationalization for continuing an investigation which should have ended years ago. No conclusive evidence has ever been found, but there *must* have been something. Riiiight.

Related Post articles are here, for historic record:

3/31/2005: Cost of Cisneros Probe Nears $21 Million Over 10 Years

4/21/2005: Cisneros Probe Faces Cut-Off

5/23/2005: Congress Won’t Stop 10-Year Cisneros Probe

10/24/2005: Release of Cisneros Report Ordered

10/29/2005: Special Counsel’s Value Is Upheld

At least Kenneth Starr knew when to quit.

In the meantime, here’s Karl Rove’s take on the 2006 elections: Rove Offers Republicans A Battle Plan For Elections

and more discussion on Alito’s nomination to the court: More Democrats Say They Will Oppose Alito

Still think your civil liberties can’t be trampled? Still believe the President has our constitution in mind? Still think the Patriot Act is for your protection?

Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.

Misc stuff, while I’m waiting for laundry…

Misc stuff, while I’m waiting for laundry…

I was watching the news while doing my daily mile on the treadmill when the Miers announcement was made on the news. I cheered. Out loud. There are a few things that would make me happier. Like the conclusion to this:

CNN.com:
Sources: Prosecutor focusing on Rove

Fitzgerald looking into possible perjury in CIA leaks probe

On Day 1400…

On Day 1400…

I’ve changed my home page.

I thought some recognition was in order.

Now, if the current administration would just employ the same effort into finding Osama Bin Laden and putting him out of business, I wouldn’t mind so much.

And has anyone noticed anything about the Karl Rove revelation? The outing of Deep Throat is garnering more press activity right now that this.

What hypocrites these mortals be.

“I don’t know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information,” Bush said in Chicago, where he was on a fund-raising trip. “If somebody did leak classified information, I’d like to know
it, and we’ll take the appropriate action.”

Bush said he is “absolutely confident that the Justice Department will do a good job.”

And that action would be…?


I spoke too soon…

I spoke too soon…

Transcript: McClellan Takes Reporters’ Questions

and

White House denials on Rove fall silent
Democrats call for Bush to fire adviser linked to CIA leak

Associated Press Updated: 8:17 a.m. ET July 12, 2005

And here, because I embedded the info in a comment:

PERMITS OBTAINED FOR SEPTEMBER 24!
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF IMPEACHMENT SUPPORTERS TO SURROUND WHITE HOUSE

Dear EW,

Legal permits have now been obtained on both sides of the White House for the mass demonstration on September 24. This will allow tens of thousands of supporters of the impeachment of George W. Bush to join with the antiwar movement and create a sea of protestors [sic] to surround the White House.

September 24 will be a day to bring your family, your parents, grandparents and children, and as many neighbors and friends as possible together with thousands of others in the the ImpeachBush movement’s most powerful display yet. It will be an opportunity to exercise your First Amendment right to demand that Bush, Cheney and other high officials be held accountable for their criminal conduct.

As we reported last week, recent polls show a dramatic spike in support for impeachment. According to most recent Zogby Poll, 42% of voters – 25% of whom consider themselves Republicans – would support impeachment if Bush lied about Iraq. The tide is clearly turning, but we need to work with ever-greater vigor.

ImpeachBush.org/VoteToImpeach is launching a massive advertising and publicity campaign to promote the September 24 Impeachment contingent at the White House demonstration. We will take out newspaper ads, radio spots, targeted media outreach, and print hundreds of thousands of leaflets, stickers, posters, lawn signs and other outreach materials.

The impeachment campaign will use the information from the Downing Street memos and other known sources that prove the Bush administration engaged in a pattern of lies and deceit to mislead Congress and the people.

We are asking everyone to make a donation to help in the advertising and publicity campaign. This is a huge grassroots effort. We depend on the people who believe in impeachment to fund this historic campaign.

To make a contribution, access the online donation form and the secure server, where you can also get information to write a check: [Dead link]

More than 500,000 people have voted to impeach at the web site VoteToImpeach.org [Dead link]. This has been a remarkable exercise in grassroots democracy. Let’s double that number in the months ahead. We can do it. Each day brings a larger section of the population to the same conclusion: the Bush administration lied. Each day more and more people become outraged at the spiraling death toll in Iraq. Each day, angry and outraged people demand that the elected officials of this country uphold the constitution and use the mechanism of impeachment to hold high officials accountable for their High Crimes and Misdemeanors. We can’t wait for the politicians – the people must act now to create a firestorm of support for impeachment. If you know someone or a few people who would also vote to impeach, encourage them to visit VoteToImpeach.org to cast their ballot.

— All of us at ImpeachBush/VoteToImpeach.org

Time to take a walk down Pennsylvania Avenue, methinks…

This is going to sound crass, so please forgive me in advance…

This is going to sound crass, so please forgive me in advance…

…and please understand that I think *any* life wasted is a crime….

But why is it that we’re suddenly so very shocked at the bombs that have gone off today? After all, there were decades when bombs went off in London, which got barely a notice on our own local news. But then, that was the IRA, and it was England’s problem. Nothing to do with us.

Now that we’re in the “War on Terrorism” the press is having a field day. Continue reading “This is going to sound crass, so please forgive me in advance…”

Theme: Elation by Kaira.
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