What's Isikoff up to here?

[Cocoa]

This is old news. Despite what Isikoff says, it was widely known (though lamentably little discussed) that Gonzalez was laying the groundwork for Bush going to Iraq without Congress. For example, I repeatedly made reference to this fact when arguing on DU that the Iraq War Resolution was less significant in our going to war than people were saying.

But what is Isikoff doing here? Is he inoculating Bush/Gonzalez against this issue, knowing that dems are going to raise it at the confirmation hearing?

Or is he protecting his own profession, realizing that soon the public is going to get clued into yet another of the press's massive failures?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6732484/site/newsweek/

<snip>

The existence of the memo, titled “The President’s Constitutional Authority to Conduct Military Operations against Terrorists and Nations Supporting Them,” was first reported by NEWSWEEK in the fall of 2001. But its contents—including the conclusion that Bush could order attacks against countries unrelated to the 9/11 attacks—were not publicly available until late this week when, with no notice to the public or the news media, the memo was posted on an obscure portion of the Web site of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel. (There is nothing on the site calling attention to the memo. It is was simply added to a list of previously published memos posted for the calendar year 2001.)

More…

[UTUSN]

1. What It Shows about GONZALEZ Is That He's a Non-entity

Notice that in all the news items relating to Alberto GONZALEZ, it is never HE who writes the important memos, or does the VETTING of KERIK-------it is his OFFICE. The big boys do the heavy lifting in the back suites, while GONZALEZ, who LEAHY and SHUMER say is "VERY NICE", does the houseboy shuffle. After all he was one of eight siblings, the first to go to college, who STILL MAINTAINS CONTACT with them despite having risen to the heights(wow!). He is SO NICE!

And John YOO is destined to freeze in Hell (DANTE sez Hell is ice, not fire). Since Hispanic organizations like La Raza and FAKE minority spokesmodels like Ruben NAVARRETTE give SO MUCH CREDIT to Shrub for placing THREE minorities (persons) in (puppet) positions, they ALSO ought to give credit to the Dems, LEAHY, SHUMER, Sen.CLINTON, without whose support the nominations couldn't possibly go forward. They are willing to trade 3 wingnut jobs for MILLIONS of social program beneficiaries under Dems.

Take note of the REAL players, the ones who write the memos that GONZALEZ yes-mans-to: John YOO, Jay BYBEE, Douglas FEITH, Brad BERENSON.

[seemslikeadream]

2. War is Golden for the Bush Administration

As soon as the BNL case broke, President Bush I moved to throttle the investigation. He appointed lawyers from both Cardoen and Matrix to top Justice Department posts--where they supervised the officials investigating their old companies. Meanwhile, White House aides applied heavy pressure on other prosecutors to restrict the range of the probe--especially the fact that Bush cabinet officials Brent Scowcroft and Lawrence Eagleburger had served as consultants for BNL during their pre-White House days as spear-carriers for yet another secretive international front that profits from war, weapons, etc., etc.: Kissinger Associates.

Which brings us to the judicial appointment. One of the White House aides who unlawfully intervened in the BNL prosecution was a certain factotum named Jay S. ByBee. Last week, said factotum was nominated by the current warmer of the Oval Office seat, George W. Bush, to a place on the federal appeals court--a lifetime sinecure of perks and power. Well done, thou good and faithful servant!

And the commodities connection? President Pretzel's relentless hissy-fit for war on Iraq has of course goosed the price of gold enormously--and that's set Bush Family coffers a-clinking. How so? In the waning days of his failed presidency, Bush I invoked an obscure 1872 statute to give a Canadian firm, Barrick Corporation, the right to mine $10 billion in gold from U.S. public lands. (U.S. taxpayers got a whopping $10,000 fee in return.) Bush then joined Barrick as a highly-paid "international consultant," brokering deals with various dictators of his close acquaintance. Barrick reciprocated with big bucks for Junior's presidential run. And in another quid for the old pro quo, last year Junior dutifully approved Barrick's controversial acquisition of a major rival. (Barrick is also one of the biggest polluters in America, by the way.)
http://www.counterpunch.org/floyd02152003.html

[Robbien]

3. Well, the memo was given to Leahy this week

Since a Democrat now has his hands on a very damaging memo they knew it wouldn't be long before the public became aware.

I expect Isikoff wanted to get the White House official spin in print to mitigate whatever damage will come from the Democratic party.

One can only hope the DNC gets its act together and uses the situation wisely.

[Lefty48197]

4. Isikoff is the skid mark

on America's bvd's.