asked why he's pursuing a diplomat so aggressively rove said "he's a democr...

[dajoki]

here's a very good article that shows vindictiveness and hatred of this administration. http://ktla.trb.com/news/nationworld/nation/ktla-na-leak18jul18-lat,0,5891639.story?coll=ktla-news-1

[tanyev]

1. Apparently it's OK to compromise our national security

if you are doing it to damage a Democrat. Sigh.

[dajoki]

2. they were preparing for 2004 re-election

wilson's op-ed piece came out during these preperations and they were campaigning on the war in iraq. i feel that article is a must read.

[greekspeak]

3. Of course it is. So what if some CIA "Pencil Pusher" is outed if it means

one less godless, commie, pinko, Bush hating, freedom hating, terra loving, whiny, unpatriotic, pot smoking, France-loving librul on the street?

[dajoki]

7. you left out the tree huggers

i'm one and i feel slighted. how could you forget us?:shrug:

[Garbo 2004]

4. Remember the guy who early on quit the Administration and said that

everything there is about politics? Not policy, not substance, everything is driven by politics.

Although Wilson wasn't previously a Dem, he sure ain't supporting the Repubs now.

Still suspect some of these "leaks" to the press are spin though. Wilson publically exposed the lie of the Niger claim, showing that intel was "fixed" to suit the policy. They didn't want the entire bogus nature of their Iraq WMD claims unraveling. Rove's motivation may have been politics but others I suspect had a deeper motivation in putting a shot across the bow those pesky CIA folks who were naysayers on the Iraq WMD claims.

[tanyev]

5. Oh, yes. John DeIulio, the first director of the Office of

Faith Based and Community Initiatives.

On Monday we learned that in a forthcoming Esquire story John DiIulio, former Bush director of the White House Office Of Faith-based and Community Initiatives, says that politics, not policy run the Bush White House, that speeches come first and policy is hastily and sketchily constructed later, that Bush is kept on the short leash of far right preconceptions of the world that often don't jibe with reality, and that fear of Karl Rove prevents staffers from providing him with news from the real world that might contradict his extreme, conservative vision.
http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/DiIulio.html

[Garbo 2004]

8. Yup, that's the one. Thanks. n/t

[priller]

9. He also coined my favorite phrase for BushCo: "Mayberry Machiavellis"

Ha ha!

[dajoki]

12. LOL

love that phrase.:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[UrbScotty]

6. I think one of the EPA higher-ups did that.

I think he was Christie Whitman's #2 or #3.

[skip fox]

10. Hubris + hatred = conspiracy!

Rove will godown in Plames

The more we learn, the more it seems as though Rove orchestrated the leaking. Today we learn in the NYT that he was rabidly out to get Wilson, a bit rabidly even for some WH staffers. This weekend we learned Cooper probably had more than the two named sources (Rove and Libby) he gave to the grand jury. We also know Rove was the primary source for Cooper and Libby one of his confirming sources. We so know there were at least 6 primary contacts (incl. Miller, Cooper, Novak, and Pincus) as reported. We also know that there were at least two different primary sources (Libby for Novak and Rove for Cooper) and maybe more (remember Miller's source did not explicitly release her, but Cooper's gave him an explicit waver). And we know that 3 contacts confirmed their stories with one or more other "high administration officials." Therefore, there were minimally 9 calls/contacts. All this with every thing we know about Rove strongly suggests coordination, collusion, and/or conspiracy.

Anyone in the administration who discovered the Plame-Wilson-Niger connection would have taken the information to the world master of personal assassination: Rove. (I'm guessing the VP's office first learned the information since they would have felt somewhat responsible for Wilson's trip to Niger. I'm also guessing the topic of leaking the Plame information was discussed at an emergency meeting of the White House Iraq Group). With 6 original calls, Rove would have to make sure that no two officials tried to act as a primary source for a single reporter (it would appear too eager) He would make sure the primary contacts pitched the information in an off-hand manner, not as the main subject, to make the contact think the source is trying to do him or her a favor ("Don't go too far out on this Wilson thing, I don't want you burnt."), etc. He would also have insured that no two official had exactly the same pitch. Then he would have to arrange for a number of officials (probably 3-4) would be ready and willing to confirm the story. Some of the confirming sources could be primary sources for other reporters, but JUST DOING THE NUMBERS one realizes that there had to be at least 4 officials involved and that they coordinated the leak (and maybe later their responses to the prosecutor).

Therefore an indictment appears likely for Rove and 3 others. In addition, Rove will either be indicted for or censured for his role in the coordination.

Rove would have more to coordinate! To establish guidelines like: No source should call another's contact, Pitch the information off hand, not as the main subject, Make the contact think the source is trying to do him or her a favor ("Don't go too far out on this Wilson thing, I don't want you burnt."), etc. AND Rove would have had to field a group of officials to support the sources stories.

And then we haven't even begun to ask the question of how Rove got the information. (Doesn't leaking the information to him also constitute a crime?) Did Plame give information to officials as one report suggested? Why did Ashcroft recluse himself? (This rings of possible involvement of Cheney or W.) Did Rove have the proper clearance prior to becoming Deputy Chief of Staff to have seen the material? Or were other federal laws broken to the effect that classified information was used for political purposes? Etc.

I think the great thing we have going for us on this case is Patrick Fitzgerald. By all accounts a fine prosecutor.

[dajoki]

11. i hope you're right about fitzgerald

right now i'm taking the i'll believe it when i see it attitude. this administration has gotten away with way too much to count them out.