George Bush faces a political lobotomy

[Why Syzygy]

if it is proved that Karl Rove, the man they call the President’s Brain, betrayed a CIA agent

http://www.sundayherald.com/50930

THE White House is in trouble.

...
The possible loss of the presidential brain has nothing to do with trauma or neuro-surgery, of course. In the case of George W, that would be a waste either of a half-brick or operating theatre time. George W, what with the walking and the smiling, is so busy he has other people do his thinking for him. When he needs a brain, he hires one. That would be Karl Rove, deputy chief of staff.

...
As a result, Bush has leaned heavily on Rove. As a consequence of an addiction to the smear, that support may be about to crumble. To put it another way, Rove, under examination by a grand jury, could be looking at fines of $50,000 and up to 10 years in prison under the America’s Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982. And all, allegedly, because Rove did not like an article written in the New York Times by a certain woman’s husband.

...
This is, nevertheless, Bush’s right-hand man. He is battling charges that he took petty revenge on a valued agent who ought, even now, to be fighting the “war on terror”. Not very patriotic, is it? Not even very edifying when you consider that all Plame’s husband, former Senator Wilson, had done was to expose a lie based on a set of forgeries. Then again, it was a White House lie, a presidential lie, one of the many absurd lies that made the Iraq war seem justifiable in the court of US public opinion. It is Rove’s purpose in life to defend such lies. Richard Nixon’s strategists tempted fate to their cost with the motto, “Don’t get caught”. Bush’s brain has operated on the principle that you don’t use one lie when a dozen will do.

...
That doesn’t mean the affair will be easily brushed aside. The yellow-cake nonsense was one of the lesser fantasies offered up to prepare the world for all the corpses the Iraq Survey Group has estimated, very conservatively, at 25,000. Another attack on America could cause public opinion to draw the same conclusion, in the worst of circumstances, as that drawn by a majority of Britons in the aftermath of the assaults on London. Don’t treat us as idiots, of course there is a connection between terrorism and Iraq. You created it.
For now, in any case, let’s hope Karl Rove is a worried man, and his boss with him.

24 July 2005

[I Have A Dream]

1. Hey, good post, votesomemore! n/t

[seafan]

2. Link? n/t

[Why Syzygy]

3. Thanks . added n/t

[seafan]

6. Sadly, Americans are the last to figure it out. Great piece, thanks. n/t

[Diane R]

4. Excellent article n/t

[scarletwoman]

5. "Waste... of a half-brick" -- hilarious!

One gets the feeling this writer doesn't much care for our dear leader.

Great piece, thanks for posting it!

sw

[Why Syzygy]

7. Boot it up

:kick:

[skip fox]

8. I don't see how "Bush's brain" tumor, Rove, avoids multiple charges.

After we learned on Friday that there were 11 contacts, and we realize that there were at least 3 initial sources (Liddy, Rove, and the source who refused to specifically release Miller), we realize that such an operation had to be "coordinated." Then we realize the world master of such coordination about leaking information to hurt a political opponent just happens to be right there in the administration . . . Well, it wouldn't be as hard as rocket science for someone like Rove, but he would have definitely received the tack of coordinating the leaks (making sure no initial source spoke to another initial sources primary contacts, which would seem too eager; being clear that the information be released in a fairly nonchalant manner; rounding up a few administration officials beyond the primary leakers to be ready to confirm the story if a reporter calls; etc.)

Beside leaking, then, he lead a conspiracy to leak. As we learned Friday from Bloomberg that his testimony, as that of Cheney's aide Scooter Libby, is at variance with at the testimony of at least 2 reporters (Novak and Cooper--I hear of one more today, Pincus?) who had no reason to lie. Therefore both of them may well face perjury charges.

And guess who would have coordinated the cover up? Beginning with that stupid story of primary sources hearing Plame's name from reporters (trying to obscure the issue), and the ridiculous story of Plame's identity being well know in the beltway (to which only two reporters claimed knowledge: Novak and GANNON--yes, he's in this story too, probably because Rove thought that the public would believe that if even this unknown reporter heard about it it must be true . . . And doesn't that have Rove's fingerprints all over it???)

Therefore: leaking, leading a conspiracy to leak, perjury, leading a conspiracy to perjure by suborning others' perjury, etc.

And there are, as we we're told on Meet the Press this a.m., there are other laws like a 1917 security act that was broken, a law which made leaks of such information a felony.

There's no way out, not even for this crew, shy of dramatically breaching the constitution with a radical act that this congress, such as it is, will never stand for.

[Why Syzygy]

9. uh huh

Conspiracy. Name of the game.

And now that I think. What IF this goes to the Supreme Court? eh?

What will Roberts do?

They are busier than a cat in the sandbox covering their shit. eh?

Stand back.