I was perusing the vast internets and happened across this at the CNN Ticker. It’s Bill Clinton (gawd help us, Clenis is LOOSE!) on the campaign trail with Hillary addressing the pardon of Scoots. What caught my attention was this regarding Clinton:
. . . . . . . a flurry of last-minute pardons issued as he left office in 2001 — particularly his absolution of fugitive financier Marc Rich — sparked largely partisan outrage. Critics alleged that the pardon of Rich was linked to contributions raised for Clinton’s presidential library by Rich’s ex-wife . . . . . . . . Rich fled to Switzerland in the 1980s to avoid racketeering, tax evasion and fraud charges stemming from illegal oil trades with Iran. Libby, who represented Rich from 1985 to 2000, told a House committee in 2001 that prosecutors “misconstrued the facts and the law” in pursuing the tax evasion charges. . . .
When I read that I heard Jon Stewart go off in my head with that double-eye rubbing, head shaking woopphtt!!
That’s what the Big Dog meant when he said “the facts were different” in relation to the pardon of Libby vs Rich. Uh-huh; Mr. Rich is quite the scoundrel. Another reason not to vote for Hillary.
I also stumbled across some interesting stuff from Sanders Research out of the UK investigating Marc Rich, Scoots, and the Wilson family….not all tied together necessarily.
Well, fuck. The blogosphere is abuzz with this news. First there was ‘this news’ :
Former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby cannot delay his 2 1/2-year prison term in the CIA leak case, a federal appeals court unanimously ruled Monday.
Then started checking around the blogosphere on the coverage: Americablog, firedoglake, TPM, the Agonist, and a few other favorites. Get to work and find THIS!
God-fucking-damnit! All hell needs to break loose over this. Libby stood trial, he was tried – the jury found him GUILTY! He was sentenced. He appealed on a particular question regarding going to jail; he was denied that appeal . . . . . and finally – THIS! Joe Sudbay (Americablog) posted this from Jeffrey Tobin on CNN, (CNN’s legal analyst) who stated:
“This is a complete departure from the usual procedure. Scooter Libby is getting a very special brand of justice. He is getting enormous privileges that are not available to ordinary criminal convicts.”
From Josh Marshall: House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) reacts to Bush’s move as “inconsistent with the rule of law.” An update to the original reads: “And a staffer from his committee tells us that they’re looking to have a hearing on this as soon as next week.”
Josh also has updates with reaction from Reid, Pelosi, and Schumer. Like Chuck Schumer said: “As Independence Day nears, we are reminded that one of the principles our forefathers fought for was equal justice under the law. This commutation completely tramples on that principle.”
More later…….
[Update - 17:38] Just checked with Larry Johnson – colleague of Valerie Plame. He’s not ‘in’ so his blogmate has this up for now.
Filed under: Politics
Update from Friday: “The U.S. Embassy’s top military official in Cyprus has been found dead in a wooded area north of Nicosia, the island’s capital, an embassy official said Monday.”
I’m not sure of the orientation of this blog, but someone is tying it to the Iranian government. Per their ‘about’ statement:
There is no limit to the topics appearing on American Thinker. National security in all its dimensions, strategic, economic, diplomatic, and military is emphasized. The right to exist and the survival of the State of Israel are of great importance to us. Business, science, technology, medicine, management, and economics in their practical and ethical dimensions are also emphasized, as is the state of American culture.
There are approximately 300 or so new laws which go into effect today; some, according to the official page, went into effect immediately or on an earlier date. Per the official bill page:
ENGLISH – OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – Amends existing law to declare English to be the official state language; to provide that English is the sole language of government, subject to exceptions; to provide that specified actions shall be in English, subject to exceptions; to provide exceptions; to provide for the return of specified funds to the state General Fund; to provide duties for state agencies; to provide duties for the State Controller; to provide the State Board of Education rulemaking authority governing the use of foreign languages in the public schools; and to provide for recognition of specified constitutional rights.
We could have had this instead…..
.….. with exceptions for those places without three or more floors.
- Well now, this might prove to be interesting:
A senior U.S. diplomat stationed in Cyprus has gone missing, the United States embassy said on Saturday.
[Update July 1st: From Reuters - still missing.... "Cyprus is considered a very safe location for diplomats with attacks against foreign embassy staff rare."]
- From ‘Inside Iraq’ - the blog by Iraqi journalists working for McClatchy, who are based in Baghdad and outlying regions.
«I always wondered why it was called the “Green” Zone rather than the “any other colour” Zone – it had neither any green grass nor any other outstanding greenery – so why “green“?»
- From the Institute of Religion and Democracy comes a piece written by James Tonkowich, entitled: Drawing the Line on Human Dignity which ends with this:
“President Bush’s veto of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act draws a line for ethical medical research that is in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings about the sanctity and value of human life as well as human industry and science. “
Yes, this is the same president who while having “sanctity and value of human life” invades another country based on lies, slaughters the citizens of that country under the pretext of ’saving’ them from the monstrous dictator who previously ruled their lives, and ushering in democracy…..
Mr. Tonkowich also cites George Weigand, who I truly find disingenuous.
Filed under: Politics
From MSNBC:
The vote, on an amendment to a 2008 spending bill for the Treasury Department and executive branch agencies, was defeated 217-209.
“We are pleased to see a bipartisan majority reject this political stunt,” said Cheney spokeswoman Megan McGinn.
What!?!
217-209…..’bipartisan majority’ – 8 votes…… 217 against versus 209 for – that’s leaning a bit towards “a squeaker.” Rejecting a political stunt – kinda like the one where a CIA agent was ‘outed’ but not really ‘cuz we had no clue she was really Joe Wilson’s wife!’
Or as Digby says this morning:
“If any of the Dem contenders make it, we will have a president who speaks normal English, in complete sentences and responds to questions fluently and with real meaning. I can’t tell you what a relief that will be after these last six years of alien gibberish and bizarre, robotic responses that everyone has been pretending are normal ways of speaking.”
Eggactly!
I’m still psyched from the other day protesting Gonzales being in town on some bullshit gang reasons – Boise, he should’ve gone to Nampa and Caldwell.
While at Winco , bought a couple of Idaho Statesmans for the front page picture and happened to see the The Press Tribune and saw this picture. It was “Today’ s Photo.”
There’s my jolly fat self off to her right.
Filed under: Politics
Heather just called and said my picture is splashed on the front page of the newspaper. Of course, there’s a bit about Diane’s ’shout out’ to Gonzales’ rep. More prominent is the woman who was standing next to me. She was r-o-w-d-y!
Diane’s response:
Boisean Diane Roberts, a member of the Idaho Peace Coalition who led the protesters in the songs and chants, had a more colorful response. What she called Gonzales can’t be printed in the newspaper.
“Just put ‘chicken’ and the four little dots,” she said. “Everybody in Idaho will know what I meant, believe me.”
Yep….that’s Diane. Of course, it doesn’t mention that I just happened to yell the same thing so the young man obviously heard it in stereo.
There’s also a couple of blips from KTVB about the protest.
[Update] From Fort Boise.…
