The whole Plame mess is less about Rove...and more about the war

[MichiganVote]

It's the way in which the Bush Admin. led and reled the US into this needless war with Iraq that is at the heart of this current scandal. Can't you feel them trying to scamper away from the truth as fast as they can?

Why can't the Democrats introduce legislation to "undo" Bush's premptive war powers?

[wake.up.america]

1. Is there anyway to have a shrink declare Bush clinically insane?

[MichiganVote]

2. Sure. Give him a mental status exam and when he is asked,

who is president of the united states and he answers that he is, we fail him Simple.

[oioioi]

3. Yep...

I just posted this in another thread, but here's my 2c...

It's documented that Cooper called Rove and the line is that Rove "confirmed". Regardless of the wishful thinking around here, this seems a weak case for indictment.

I still see nothing to refute the idea that Judy protects the original source and no indictment happens for the leak itself. They might get obstruction or perjury based on GJ testimony, probably for some lesser players, and maybe even Rove, but any prosecution except for the leak itself would still kill the the Plame story and keep the focus on petty revenge for the op-ed.

If they can avoid the leak being pinned on a WH figure, then the whole story fades to gray. To lay this out fully, the media must have a public prosecution which presents the Plame story and WH motivations for the outing from a witness stand on TV.

The big story is exactly why they chose to blow Plame's cover in the first place. It's been posited here that this is much bigger than paying back Wilson for his op-ed.

There are echoes of "Rathergate" spin here. Forgery and distraction from the main issue (WMD intel) and attention on the lesser scandal (WH leak / Op-ed payback). These people are not stupid, they have contingency plans, damn good lawyers and they're playing for keeps.

Nothing I've read so far refutes the suggestion that Judith Miller is the principal buffer. To accept otherwise is to believe that Judy really is taking a stand "on principle". Personally, I don't buy this, although I could be wrong - I'm unclear on some points, particularly who Judy is alleged to have told, and why her testimony would have revealed that we don't already have an understanding of.

At this point it seems common knowledge that that Rove was up to his neck in outing Plame, and the motive-du-jour is payback for Wilson's op-ed. Unless there's documentary proof or confirming testimony, there will be no big story.

It's a great yarn, but there's no way they are going to get to the WH on the stuff which seems to be out so far, unless of course Fitzgerald has something else implicating the WH that isn't yet being discussed publically. This seems to be a very real possibility, however nothing that's out now suggests they will get an indictment on the WH. If they get Rove or Cheney, then the potential is that this rises to Watergate proportions. The stakes are pretty high.

If there's no indictment for the leak, there's no public scrutiny of exactly why Plame was outed and the consequences of same and the whole WMD intel fixing story gets swept under the carpet.

[teryang]

4. Right this is a sanitized proxy campaign

...in a greater struggle for power. It signals that certain factions in the Washington power game are diverging from the imperial freight train. The gains secured by ruling elites from the election coup d'etat, 911 and war in the form of tax windfalls, government subsidies, globalization, and other inequitable treatment against the public interest are secured. The war and the mythology surrounding its fraudulent genesis are no longer cost effective.

The politically correct struggle takes place in a sanitized legal investigation into who leaked information and compromized "national security" in a very limited scope. Whereas, the real crimes of this administration are in the realm of treason and Nuremburg. This however is unacceptable fare for mainstream American journalism.

[oioioi]

5. Sounds right

One thing's for certain, whoever has them by the short and curlies does not represent a democratic faction.

Business as usual.

There will be a back room deal - it's probably already cut. No impeachment unless they are stupid enough to fight it out (which they aren't).

The outcome is already known by the insiders.

[wli]

6. yes, and in the meantime

We get screwed with PATRIOT etc.

[oioioi]

7. the political takedown of Bush/Rove...

They have passed their use by date.

Time to start prepping the 08 candidate. Watch for somebody to start promising to "restore honor and dignity" to the White House.

:eyes:

[wli]

8. empty gestures

That would just be lip service without actively undoing all the unconstitutional legislation and policies, screwing with the courts and police, and so on. And you can bet your money that even the democrats won't bother.

I have a feeling that some kind of desperation drove this. A storm is brewing.