Crossifre: Leaks, Probes & Politics

[Cush]

Carville starts out with David Kay and WMDs. Even quotes George Will "Why is so hard for this Admin to admit they might have been wrong?" (or something like that)

[eleny]

1. And of course it's a bi-partisan error

Pfui!

[CatWoman]

2. thought you could sneak one by me, huh???

:hi:

[Cush]

3. um

:evilgrin:

[proud patriot]

4. "Cruelty is at the heart of the republican party " Carville

:loveya:

[CatWoman]

5. Be a man!!!

go after the man, not his wife, sister or children!!!!!

[eleny]

6. go james go!!!

[proud patriot]

8. Man I love Carville

hahahahahahahahahahahahaa

[Minstrel Boy]

He was on fire!

Loving Carville more everytime I see him.

[Fuzz]

7. Ah the stupid Tucker does it again

Right after Carville just expressed sympathy and empathy for Rush, Tucker disparages Bustamante's sister. This after having JUST been offended that Democrats are 'gleeful' over Rush's problems.

Doesn't he even see the absolute STUPIDITY in what he is saying?

[eleny]

11. bring back novakula!

[Cush]

9. Guests are

Rep. Dan Burton, R-Indiana
Rep. Martin Frost, D-Texas

[CatWoman]

10. LOL -- watermelon dan

wonder if he will bring his rifle?? :D

[Cush]

12. watermelon dan?

what am i missing?

[CatWoman]

14. you'll love it

http://www.americanpolitics.com/110797BurtonPsycho.html

[eleny]

16. i'd love to hear james ask him...

in his lovely southern accent "shoot any watermelon's lately,, dan?"

[Cush]

13. Tucker: Dems are rushing to judgement

Arg, why don't they smack down the 3 decade bs???? The 1980's, 1990's, 2003....3 decades right there

[Caution]

15. yeh thats an extremely irritating argument

1989-2000

11 years, spanning 3 decades.

[CatWoman]

17. kick

there's a dupe floating around, and I don't want this thread to get lost :kick:

[eleny]

18. rapid fire coming up!

:kick:

[Padraig18]

20. I'll help

:kick: :hi:

[Cush]

19. At least Frost...

brought up the conflict of interest with Rove/Ashcroft....brought up the law that even talks about conflicts interest

Frosts' wife is a genral in ther army? cool

[eleny]

22. interesting about frost's wife

being a general in the army. burton jumped back in his chair.

[Catherine Vincent]

29. I heard that.

I'd be proud my wife was a General also. I missed it when scumbag Burton jumped back in his chair.

[skip fox]

21. The leaked phone call!! Listen to it here.

Immediately after Wilson's op-ed in the _Times_, he was known as the investigator sent to Niger on the behalf of the Vice-President. When Novak became interested to know how a Clinton appointee had be entrusted with such a mission, who would he have initally called?

Scooter Libbly, Cheney's Chief-of-Staff, or a staff member directly below Scooter. So he naturally calls Scooter, and Scooter was ready for him.

They talked about Wilson's editorial, why the State-of-the-Union Speech referred to Nigerian yellow-cake uranium and why Powell didn't mention it at the UN, and how Cheney had never heard of Wilson. Then Scooter explains, telling Novak that Cheney, the previous summer, had asked the CIA to look into the reports of uranium sales to Iraq from Niger and that it was the CIA who had sent Wilson. Then Scooter lets it drop, "Well, did you know Wilson's wife works at the Bureau? Let's see . . . yeah, right Valerie Plame. Word is that she was the one who had him sent to Niger." Novak's ears perk up (all he hears is "nepotism," missing the real insinuation: that Wilson put his wife up to having him sent because he had an anti-War agenda or because he was anti-administration and wanted to put the breaks on the rising crescendo of war rhetoric that fall). Novak checks spelling ("P-L-A-M-E"), thanks Scooter, hangs up. Checks second source, etc.

It's important to realize the purpose was to discredit Wilson as a maverick-with-an-agenda, getting his wife to send him on a mission the results of which would undercut Bush's bellicose rhetoric or make Bush pull back from his decision to invade Iraq.

Given the circumstance of the following summer (2003) when everyone was questioning the existence of WMD and then to have a key item in the President's State of the Union Speech undercut in a NY Times editorial-length letter, Scooter's plant was artful and effective, despite Novak's dull-witted interpretation (nepotism). I was clever without crushing anyone (Libby is more circumspect and pragmatic than Rove). The purpose was not primarily to inflict revenge upon Wilson, nor was it necessarily a warning to others who might take similar public stands, but to undercut an opponent who had momentarily risen in their midst. Bloodlessly, swiftly.


Coda: Wistful Thinking

I'm guessing Scooter Libby is spending the day with lawyers and staff, figuring out how to minimize legal and politial damage. Tomorrow he'll resign.

[GumboYaYa]

25. You and I agree 100% on this.

Scooter is a marked man these days.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

23. Did Martin Frost Just Say His Wife Is A General In The U S Army?

nt

[Cush]

24. um, Tucker

nice pants

[eleny]

27. didn't see your post! hee-hee n/t

[eleny]

26. was tucker really wearing pink pants?

jeez! get a tailor!

[Cush]

28. yup

[sleipnir]

30. Missed the end!!

What were the two quotes about at the end??? I love to see what those two pick to read on air?