Molly Ivins: You can't not care

[Dudley_DUright]

Now it's getting funnier and funnier. There is an elephant in the living room and we're sitting around having a conversation about whether there's an elephant in the living room.

"I think there's an elephant in the living room."

"Well, there's a lot of elephant poop around, but that doesn't prove there's an elephant in the living room."

The entire Republican Party is shocked (!) anyone would think that Karl Rove (!!) would leak a story to damage a political opponent. Oh, the horror. And Karl has always been such a sweet guy. Just to give you an idea, one time Rove was displeased with the job done by a political advance man and said, "We will f--- him. Do you hear me? We will f--- him. We will ruin him. Like no one has ever f---ed him!" (From an article by Ron Suskind). And that was a guy who was on his side.

more...

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=19367

[AmBlue]

1. Love Molly...

<snip>

We are living in a time when our government is investigating an organization that stands for the highest and best American ideals. And claiming the mantle of patriotism while they are about it. This is cuckoo -- and such an idiotic waste of the FBI's time and the taxpayers' money that whoever thought up this idiocy should be fired yesterday.

But even that is superseded by what lies at the heart of Plamegate, and that is lying in order to get this country into war. If the Washington press corps had a memory bank longer than 10 minutes, they could have exposed this years ago: the lies so often directly contradict one another. Before the war, the CIA was such a wussy organization it kept trying to downplay weapons of mass destruction in Iraq: After the war, it was all the CIA's fault, they had exaggerated the weapons of mass destruction. And so on and so on.

The trouble with piling lies on top of lies is that we can't even agree on facts anymore. I read the right-wing commentators, and it's not that we're not on the same page -- we're not even in the same library. They read the Downing Street memos and convince themselves they don't mean what they say. I really don't understand: Is it that hard to admit you're wrong when you're wrong? Is it that hard to admit that the invasion of Iraq has been a disaster? Isn't it self-evident?

If you support someone politically, you are not required to believe they are perfect. Did I think Bill Clinton had a sleazy affair while he was president? Yes. I just didn't care. I didn't think it had anything to do with the way he was running the country. You can't dismiss this. You can't not care about lies and war. Not if you care about American soldiers.

[Rose Siding]

2. Rarely do we see anyone point out this important truth

The Rove WH has been messing with the CIA, manipulating public perception since '02.

Before the war, the CIA was such a wussy organization it kept trying to downplay weapons of mass destruction in Iraq: After the war, it was all the CIA's fault, they had exaggerated the weapons of mass destruction

Another great one from Molly :loveya:

[hvn_nbr_2]

8. The press is too stupid, lazy, incompetent, scared, or bought out to...

notice that. But somehow, I don't think it has escaped notice at the CIA. It may well be that certain folks at CIA are itching to administer a good :spank:

[William Seger]

3. I remember in 2000...

... Molly warned people to pay no attention to what Bush said, but pay very close attention to what he actually did. Damn, did she have his number.

[Martin Eden]

9. Too bad more people didn't listen to Molly

... or read her book Shrub, which (before the 2000 election) detailed the horrors of his Texas governorship.

In the introduction to her next book, Bushwhacked, she wrote:

I wouldn't have had to write this one if y'all had read the first one."

[Catfight]

4. "Sludge-for-brains O'reilly" couldn't have been put any better. nt

[Jack Rabbit]

5. Well done

(All other lies are) superseded by what lies at the heart of Plamegate, and that is lying in order to get this country into war. If the Washington press corps had a memory bank longer than 10 minutes, they could have exposed this years ago: the lies so often directly contradict one another. Before the war, the CIA was such a wussy organization it kept trying to downplay weapons of mass destruction in Iraq: After the war, it was all the CIA's fault, they had exaggerated the weapons of mass destruction. And so on and so on.

The trouble with piling lies on top of lies is that we can't even agree on facts anymore. I read the right-wing commentators, and it's not that we're not on the same page -- we're not even in the same library. They read the Downing Street memos and convince themselves they don't mean what they say. I really don't understand: Is it that hard to admit you're wrong when you're wrong? Is it that hard to admit that the invasion of Iraq has been a disaster? Isn't it self-evident?

We're being lied to by the regime and their self-appointed spokesmen in the media and the blogsphere all at once.

[EVDebs]

7. And 'Plame-gate' is all about Whistleblowing, and the response to it

Joe Wilson blew the whistle on Bushco. He, via his wife's 'outing', was retaliated against. Now we have a 'reporter' in jail for refusing to disclose her source--not to protect a whistleblower mind you but to protect those who retaliated !

Last night I watched the Daily Show and Carl Bernstein was encouraging leaks of classified material as essential to our democracy, while buddy Bob Woodward just sat there with his jaw to the floor ! Funniest part of the show but it went right over everyone's heads. Oh well. I believe classified material in most cases SHOULD remain classified; whistleblowers believe that too, and only blow the whistle when the situation warrants it. This is the reason one of the judges opinions from this case calls the retaliation against Wilson 'the plot against Wilson'. The classified nature of what was leaked was DIRECTLY related to US national security as it related to both Wilson's wife and her role in covert activity.

It seems odd in todays' brave new world that Philip Agee and George W. Bush have changed places. I hope Poppy is proud.

[Why Syzygy]

16. Yeah

I used to feel kinda sorry for Judith. A journalist actually does have the right to not reveal "sources".

The more this story line plays out, though, the more I am certain that she has a skeleton in the closet to protect herself.

It's inconceivable that anyone would put KR before their own peace and safety.

Which brings to mind ... Let us not forget. It is doubtful that KR would lay grand plans. He is too low and dirty for the overhead.

What makes more sense is that he has a "task-master" who sets the agenda and then tells KR to get to work to make it happen.
A prostitute if you will.

Hopefully he's just screwed his last egg.

[Burried News]

6. Molly - you rock.

" Actually, we are missing the point here. The point being that Joseph Wilson is merely one of the many people who provided one of the by now innumerable pieces of evidence that this administration lied about why we went to war in Iraq. When former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill wrote that Bush planned to invade Iraq from the day he took office, the administration went after O'Neill. When Richard Clarke disclosed that the Bushies wanted to use Sept. 11 to go after Saddam Hussein from Sept. 12 on, they went after Clarke. They went after Gen. Zinni, they went after Gen. Shinseki and everyone else who opposed the folly or told the truth about it. After they got done lying about weapons of mass destruction and about connections to Al Qaeda, they switched to the stomach-churning pretense that we had done it all for democracy. Urp."

Quite a list of Patriots. Wonder if Zinni is interested in running for President of the Republic?

[rucky]

10. I believe the proper term was "ratfuck"

wasn't it???

[roseBudd]

12. yes, I have your Karl "Rat Fucker" Rove right here...

Go to http://bushcheated04.com to see more

[Nothing Without Hope]

11. The perfect complement to Molly - two great CARTOONS

on our dear Mr. Rove by Tom Tomorrow and Jen Sorensen:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1940513

[senseandsensibility]

13. Unfortunately they can not care

They have many years of practice. I love Molly, but the people who really need to read and listen to her never will.

[cornermouse]

14. A real winner.

kick.

[electron_blue]

15. thank you!

I had a reality-quake earlier today when I read an article in a newsjournal about how Bush asserted he'd fire anyone who leaked information. I thought -wtf? did I just imagine that Rove admitted this? Was this some wild interpolation on my part?

Yes, Molly - HOW COME THEY ARE ALLOWED TO PRETEND HE DIDN'T LEAK THIS?