Sara... Sara... Storms Are Brewin' in Your Eyes.

That Harriet Miers would not want to testify before Congress, doesn't surprise me at all; she's just another typical Bush crony who will do whatever her master wishes. Sara Taylor confuses me.

Patrick Leahy seems reluctant to serve her with a Contempt of Congress citation because she supposedly wants to testify. As I understand it, or at least the last I heard, if she doesn't testify, it will be because of the demands of the White House. I have to wonder if she's afraid of the White House, or is she just using them as cover for her covering for them? This involves the White House, so we know there's a game. The question is, "What IS the game?"

I wonder what's really going on in Taylor's head. Does she look at the Libby pardon and believe that she'll be protected just as he was if she refuses to cooperate and is cited by Congress? Or does she believe she has more to fear from White House reprisals if she does cooperate? They can't take her job since she doesn't work there any longer.

I remember a Monica Lewinski interview after Clinton's impeachment was done where the interviewer asked her something about Ken Starr. Monica first said she wasn't aloud to talk, and when pressed a bit, being asked what he could do, she took on this look of absolute terror, and said something to the effect of, "You have no idea what he might do." Ken Starr is one thing; Karl Rove is another.

We've seen what these bastards have done to get back at Joe Wilson. I wonder what threats they may have made against Taylor and her family? Gitmo maybe? This is really bugging me.

Bush: The Life Death of the Party

I'm not sure how many people are like me, but before Glenn Greenwald moved here -- Glenn Greenwald - Salon -- he was one of my daily must-read bloggers. He's extremely knowledgeable regarding constitutional law and an excellent writer, having recently published his second book.

In his most recent arcticle, which for some reason appears twice, he quotes Canadian Ian Welsh of the Agonist, from one of Ian's recent posts (see another post here.) Ian definitely seems to be in some agony as he writes about the decline of American values, and the world's increasingly poorer view of our country and our policies. You can check out this decline in another of Glenn's posts here.

I've often likened Bush's foreign policy behavior to that of a second grade playground bully, looking for weak little first grades to beat up and then running and hiding behind his fellow bully sixth grade friends. And when he's not doing the bully act, he acts like a spoiled baby, holding his breathe till he turns blue in the hopes that he'll get his way. It seems the world agrees with me at least somewhat.

Fuckin' W... He makes me so damn angry, I'm almost speechless. The 4th of July is supposed to be a celebration, when Americans show pride in our country and government. Instead, this fuck, has turned everything upside down and inside out and made this whole week one of mourning. The Libby pardon, is just the latest exhibit of his total disregard for everything American and his continuing efforts to destroy this country. Don't "misunderestimate" the damage this treasonous, criminal creature will do in the remainder of his term. Speaking of his term...

Brace yourselves for 2008 folks. Dale makes the prediction, and I TOTALLY agree, that W will not leave office. Someday, one day, I hope to write my own post on the subject. For now I will just say that there's a long trail of evidence backing up this prediction. The Libby pardon is just the latest piece of such evidence.

I Picked a Bad Time to Quit Drinking

And JP picked a bad time to retire. I've always liked this guy, but I think his recent posts are some of his best ever. It's not hard to believe that he just couldn't keep still after W pardoned Libby. Outrage has it's effects.

Toward the end of our party on the 4th, someone brought up the Libby pardon. It wasn't "the Republican," so no one went over the deck railing, but as soon as I started talking, I started looking in my cabinet for a wine glass. I held off till I calmed down before finally giving in and having a few glasses during the fireworks and after the cleanup was done. All in all though, I managed to behave myself. I'm back on the wagon since, and after the hangover I had, I think I might stay there.

The REAL Scooter Libby Pardon Press Release

One of the simple truths in life as we now know it, is that George W, rarely, if ever, tells the truth about his intentions and what he's doing. Remember, this is the guy who among other things, declared National Parks Week while cutting National Park funding, and signed a deficit reduction bill that gave out more in tax cuts than it took back in budget cuts. He always means the opposite of what he says. So, let's take a closer look at his press release from yesterday regarding Scooter Libby's pardon, and see what really meant.

The United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today rejected Lewis Libby's request to remain free on bail while pursuing his appeals for the serious convictions of perjury and obstruction of justice. As a result, Mr. Libby will be required to turn himself over to the Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his prison sentence.

What he really meant was:

Activist judges, in a silly attempt to uphold the rule of law, today shafted Scooter Libby just for doing what we all do here in the White House all the time. As a result, poor Scooter's supposed to go to the big house, where he might be forced to squeal.

I have said throughout this process that it would not be appropriate to comment or intervene in this case until Mr. Libby's appeals have been exhausted. But with the denial of bail being upheld and incarceration imminent, I believe it is now important to react to that decision.

What he really meant was:

Did you really expect me to keep quiet and stay out of this? Come on; Ya'll knew I wouldn't.

From the very beginning of the investigation into the leaking of Valerie Plame's name, I made it clear to the White House staff and anyone serving in my administration that I expected full cooperation with the Justice Department. Dozens of White House staff and administration officials dutifully cooperated.

What he really meant was:

I made it clear from the start that no one was to say jack shit, while trying to look cooperative. They all did a heckuva job at it too.

After the investigation was under way, the Justice Department appointed United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzgerald as a Special Counsel in charge of the case. Mr. Fitzgerald is a highly qualified, professional prosecutor who carried out his responsibilities as charged.

What he really meant was:

But someone in Justice fucked up big time, and we got this loose cannon, Fitzgerald in there, who thought he was supposed to do a real investigation. Gonzo shoulda fired him too, dumbass.

This case has generated significant commentary and debate. Critics of the investigation have argued that a special counsel should not have been appointed, nor should the investigation have been pursued after the Justice Department learned who leaked Ms. Plame's name to columnist Robert Novak. Furthermore, the critics point out that neither Mr. Libby nor anyone else has been charged with violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act or the Espionage Act, which were the original subjects of the investigation. Finally, critics say the punishment does not fit the crime: Mr. Libby was a first-time offender with years of exceptional public service and was handed a harsh sentence based in part on allegations never presented to the jury.

What he really meant was:

Everybody but the good folks a Fox News has been bitching about this from all along. The rest of You couldn't leave it alone. We gave you a perfectly good fall guy, and you had to keep digging. Thanks to Scooter, no one, including him, got charged with a real crime, and now you want to fuck him. This is the very first time he ever got caught lying after years of doing a heckuva job at it.

Others point out that a jury of citizens weighed all the evidence and listened to all the testimony and found Mr. Libby guilty of perjury and obstructing justice. They argue, correctly, that our entire system of justice relies on people telling the truth. And if a person does not tell the truth, particularly if he serves in government and holds the public trust, he must be held accountable. They say that had Mr. Libby only told the truth, he would have never been indicted in the first place.

What he really meant was:

There's a lot of talk about testimony and evidence and a jury and all that, and that they found him guilty, but they weren't supposed to, 'cause all that stuff just applies to little people. They shoulda never even indicted him for just telling a few little white lies, 'cause people in my government aren't little people.

Both critics and defenders of this investigation have made important points. I have made my own evaluation. In preparing for the decision I am announcing today, I have carefully weighed these arguments and the circumstances surrounding this case.

What he really meant was:

Well enough of this shit; I'm the decider. I sat on the crapper and thought about it and decided I had to decide.

Mr. Libby was sentenced to thirty months of prison, two years of probation, and a $250,000 fine. In making the sentencing decision, the district court rejected the advice of the probation office, which recommended a lesser sentence and the consideration of factors that could have led to a sentence of home confinement or probation.

What he really meant was:

You know the sentence and you know it's fucked. Bull shit never shoulda happened.

I respect the jury's verdict. But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby's sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison.

What he really meant was:

Fuck the jury and fuck the judge, and fuck that thirty month sentence. I say Scooter don't have to do it.

My decision to commute his prison sentence leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby. The reputation he gained through his years of public service and professional work in the legal community is forever damaged. His wife and young children have also suffered immensely. He will remain on probation. The significant fines imposed by the judge will remain in effect. The consequences of his felony conviction on his former life as a lawyer, public servant, and private citizen will be long-lasting.

What he really meant was:

I left all the other shit, and you better be happy about that. Look, he and his wife and kids are gonna get looked at funny for who knows how long. He's gonna have to report to people, just like I did when I was staying out of 'Nam. The fine his friends are gonna have to pay for him should sound like a lot of money to most folks. And he's gonna have to keep a low profile for a while when he goes back to work for Dick.

The Constitution gives the President the power of clemency to be used when he deems it to be warranted. It is my judgment that a commutation of the prison term in Mr. Libby's case is an appropriate exercise of this power.

What he really meant was:

Just to keep all you fuckers of my back, let me remind you that there's a Constitution and it says I can do this.

Scooter Skates

I have no idea what all the blogger buzz is, and I didn't get to watch the end of Countdown to see if Keith had one of his patented rants, but I'm sure anyone with a brain in their head is livid. I'm actually shocked and surprised that it wasn't a full pardon. That W would pay lip service to, respecting the jury's decision, doesn't surprise me at all. So easily and fluidly do the lies flow forth after years of practice. I wonder if he even knows when he's lying anymore..?

Such total disregard for what Libby did. It's not just Libby, nor the crimes themselves that he committed, but the crimes of W, Dick and the rest, that he covered up. The unmitigated gall, the total lack of any moral compass, the high mindedness, the short sightedness and pettiness that these creatures exhibit enrages me. That he's sold so many on the notion that he's stupid, that he's a frat-boy, that he's just a stumble bum in over his head, shows the true depth of his, and his handlers, evil genius.

Joe Wilson called bullshit on one of his many lies, and in his pettiness, he took out his revenge on Wilson's wife. Somehow he felt entitled; to be above question. In their short sightedness and conceit, they refused to look beyond the outing of one individual, ignoring the fact that it was more than she they outed. They outed an entire covert network: agents, contacts, and all of their families and associates. No one with any hint of morality and values, would stoop so low as to put untold lives at risk, all for the petty end of attaining personal revenge.

Don't tell me you're a Christian, George. Don't tell me God talks to you. Not any God I've ever known. The only purity about you, is your evilness. What the fuck are you really doing? What are you really hiding?

This administration goes to such great pains to place as much distance between themselves and Bill Clinton as they can, proclaiming themselves to be the benevolent ones, here to put the country and the White House on a higher plain. I remember Bill being asked about his affair with Monica and him answering to the effect of, "I did it for the most despicable reason of all; I did it because I could."

Guess what, George, you treasonous bastard, you're worse than Clinton could ever hope to be. The fact that you could let Scooter skate, the fact that it's a power you didn't have to usurp to use, that for once the offense you commit may not be impeachable, doesn't make the action any less despicable. It may even make it more so.


Update


Well I'll be dipped. I wrack my brain and slave over my keyboard and come up with a catchy title, and what do I wake up to in the morning? This morning's Seattle PI headline.