In today's L.A. Times, the "redemption" of John Ashcroft and fantasizes that the same image rehab may one day happen for George Bush.
Talk about your Extreme Make-Over!
I'll save the discussion of the validity of Ashcroft's "hero" status for another day -- although it speaks volumes about the extent the Bush administration has defined deviancy downward that acting to protect the Constitution instead of undermining it is seen as a heroic act of courage, and a sign of remarkable integrity.
Was it the president?
James Comey, the former acting AG in question, that Bush called Ashcroft's wife to get Vito and Pussy -- sorry, Gonzales and Card -- into the ICU. So he was clearly in on the plan -- if not leading the plan -- to maneuver around the Comey roadblock by trying to get a deathly-ill man to sign off on his spy program. When NBC's Kelly O'Donnell asked the president last week if he'd authorized the high-ranking goon squading of Ashcroft, he .
Twice. Isn't that something Congress should be looking into?
Sure, a is richly deserved.
Hell, the impeachment of Gonzalez is . But the real story is whether the president actively flouted the law and the Constitution in order to keep the more damning aspects of the NSA program under wraps. Aspects that remain hidden to this day.
So let's not get distracted by the rehab of John Ashcroft -- or even by the well-deserved lionization of James Comey. Let's keep the spotlight on the White House -- and keep up a drumbeat about the need for Congress to quickly bring in Vito and Pussy -- damn, Gonzales and Card -- and ask them: who in this imperial, out of control, and lawless administration sent you to put the squeeze on Ashcroft?
Yeah, I had a momentary warm and fuzzy for Ashcroft until I remembered all the harm he either did or enabled.
The best I can figure is he was so sick, so out of his own mind, that defending the Constitution sounded good to him. Sedated, too.
When he woke up, he probably had regrets.
By: anotherplayaguy on May 22, 2007 at 04:24pm
Flag: [ ] Ms. H - Agreed, but with all due respect, you're missing the big story, it's still buried way down in the posts - Congress will give Bush a bill with no withdrawal timelines?
Vichy America has just been born.
This is what needs the full spotlight. Gonzalez isn't going away anytime soon, but this bill could get thru without a lot of discussion unless we really scream about it. Take a look at 6 pages of angry posts - this is a lot more important right now.
The Dem leadeship apparently doesn't have any backbone, but if they still have feet, now is the time to hold them to the fire. One more word about "bipartisanship" or "compromise" on this and we'll all have to shoot ourselves.
By: openeyes on May 22, 2007 at 04:37pm
Flag: [ ] SAY WHAT?
!! The Prez of the US of A in cahoots with the legislative and judicial branches?
? NO TRUE Patriot would do or stand by while this happened!!
NOT in the USA! Someone wave the flag and say it ain't so. By: queeraz on May 22, 2007 at 04:40pm
Flag: [ ] When all is said and done, the film version of the Bush years is going to make "All The President's Men" look like a Ben Stiller/Owen Wilson comedy.
It will have to be in black and white, because that's the only hues the neocons seem capable of understanding. What a world. By: getoffthecross on May 22, 2007 at 04:43pm
Flag: [ ] Mr.
Ashcroft has demonstrated a greater respect for the law than his successor. Mr. Goldberg is welcome to take that as a vindication of Mr.
Ashcroft's character. But to extrapolate that into some potential vindication of the Bush Administration is the sort of logic that Peter Pan used to revive Tinkerbell. By: nelsonc on May 22, 2007 at 04:48pm
Flag: [ ] Exactly, Arianna.
There needs to be a great hue and cry about this matter, from Congress and public. If this is not the last straw, there is no hope for this country. Bush's typically nonsensical, arrogant non answer to the reporter was; "There's been a lot of speculation about that, so I am not going to comment".
I yelled "Answer the question, you @#$% * and stop the speculation!"
Granted, Gonzales is a weasel, but he would not have had the gumption to come up with this by himself. It is obvious that either Cheney, Rove, or Bush put him up to this.
Have we become so numbed to one outrage after another from this administration? Ho, hum, another day, another impeachable offense. Congress MUST get to the bottom of this.
By: CARTERJ on May 22, 2007 at 04:49pm
Flag: [ ] Good question, Ariana. But if we learn it was Shrub who ordered Gonzo Card to put the sqeeze on Ashcroft, does anyone seriously believe the Democratic leadership in Congress would do anything about it?
I had great hopes in this Congress last November, but I'm beginning to think it just wants to bitch about BushCo; not actually do anything about its shenanigans.
Our government is in need of nothing short of an exorcism, but Congress is too friggin' timid to call in the priest! By: kickass on May 22, 2007 at 04:49pm
Flag: [ ] Did anyone, literally anyone, envision a time when John Ashcroft might look good as Attorney General, even if only by comparison?
Could this have been sold as plausible fiction five years ago?
By: criminallysane on May 22, 2007 at 04:51pm
Flag: [ ] What does it matter? I mean really. Impeachment won't happen for any of them.
They have already proven that they WILL NOT obey any law that gets in their way. What the hell is the use? Is it gonna stop them?
HELL NO! It won't even slow them down. Face it, there is NOTHING that can be done by ANYONE that will make any difference whatsoever.
Bush will attack Iran. Rove will rig the 2008 elections. Gonzo will continue to give cover to the White House for any lawless endevor they desire.
This country, Iraq, Iran, and probably a great part of Syria will be in ruins by the time Bush leaves(if he decides to do so). If there is one thing these criminals have learned, it's that the bigger the crime, the easier it is to get away with. Even with a cowardly Democratic Congress.
I've had it. Toronto, here I come. By: hopeless277 on May 22, 2007 at 04:55pm
Flag: [ ] The truth in this matter must NOT remain hidden from we the people .
.. if our nation as a democratic republic is to survive.
At the core of these activities is the Bush 43 aka big oil/neocon/Christian Right cabal pursuing global military dominance.
This pursuit of global military dominance is being carried out under the justification that securing access to Middle East oil IS a strategic objective of the United States.
What the big oil/neocon members didn't foresee is that George W.
would be as incompetent and straight-out dumb as he has proven to be. By: hglindquist on May 22, 2007 at 04:59pm
Flag: [ ] Forget it, hopeless. Unless you are young enough to give 20 years of productive service to its economy and have a plan in writing to accompany your immigration request, Canada doesn't want you.
Your best hope is to marry a Canadian citizen. By: kickass on May 22, 2007 at 05:09pm
Flag: [ ] I love it! The president of our country basically pleads the fifth and no one blinks (except here on huff post)!
His response to NBC's Kelly O'Donnell was that of a guilty man.. he avoided answering the question and then had the nerve to go into his whole diatribe about "there are people who want to attack us.
." He obviously ordered his "boys" to that hospital and this congress needs to take action. Enough is enough!
If you need to prove the smallest possible illegal act to get the impeachment ball rolling- do it! Gonzalez and Card had this conversation with a drugged Ashcroft in a public hospital in FRONT OF Ashcroft's wife. That alone is illegal!
Get this freaking snowball rolling. I will continue to write to my two senators and my representative(as I do everyday) and beg them to impeach this president and vice president. I urge everyone to do the same.
I dont know what else we can do, short of a revolution but something needs to be done! By: moevass on May 22, 2007 at 05:09pm
Flag: [ ] There's only one person devious enough to order couple of goons to a sick man's bed--Dick Cheney. I suspect history will eventually show how feeble-minded Bush was controlled by Cheney.
And this is not some conspiracy mind-set. Time-after time when some scandal surfaces about this administration, Cheney's finger prints can be detected all over it. Cheney is the true power behind the throne.
According to Mark Knoller, a CBS reporter, Bush has spent 25% of his presidency on vacation, easily beating Ronald Reagan's previous record.(!) But not to worry, little Georgie, uncle Dick will take care of everything.
By: opus110 on May 22, 2007 at 05:20pm
Flag: [ ] Can it be any wonder...
why I Heart ya SOoooo, dearest Arianna!
One has to dislike Bu$h, because he ignores the contemplation of others pain, because he exalts dicord and deceit as duty, because the men whom he most admires are tyrants whose glory is in mischievously causing innocent men, women and children to die. By: dap on May 22, 2007 at 05:21pm
Flag: [ ] It is so infuriating the arrogance of these criminals, and especially for the the no.
1 criminal who seemed to finally have learned to find his inner "Rove"...
Of course he was in on it. Just like so many other instances where they know they are suspect and actually exposed, but they don't care.
But it wont always be that way.
I start to feel like some of your bloggers who have lost hope and are talking Toronto such; I don't blame them,- but this is America, and we find a way to turn the page. It is an inner faith thing that is bigger then all of us. It will arrive soon, but not soon enough, and I believe that Bush and his cronies will be found to be the criminals they truly are one way or another.
.. AND I bet because of their idiocy and foolhardiness, it will a product of their own doing.
Lord, it just can't happen soon enough...
So much is already destroyed. By: castlerider on May 22, 2007 at 05:21pm
Flag: [ ] Of course he sent them. Should Congress investigate?
It depends on whether all these investigations will get us labeled as a do nothing Congress incapable of legislating as we're too busy investigating or we show we do both, investigate and actively push legislation forward.
I haven't kept track of it, but what has this Congress pushed through that's actually been signed into law?
I'm on active duty and today I bought my first t-shirt emblazoned with the words, Support the Troops.
Stop the War Now."
I purchased it out of desperation and not because of its wisdom. Stay the course sucks, there is no real discussion on how to turn this into a strategic victory (either a three state solution or a Shiite/Kurd military victory over the Arab Sunnis)so what's my option but to go with the only other alternative on the table?
Pull out, game over, call it quits and just like Vietnam those lives lost and dollars spent were for nothing.
This Memorial Day I'm going to the graveside of my uncle who lost his life in that other failed venture. I will be wearing my new t-shirt, but it's not because it's the best solution, but the option that's better than the current strategy.
By: Robert59 on May 22, 2007 at 05:21pm
Flag: [ ] hopeless277 is right! All this bitching and moaning, including November '06, are amounting to a hill of beans! Arianna, you might want to pay attention to openeyes blog.
This truly IS the story of the last two days. Oh, and openeyes..
., it's 7 pages, and counting, and I'm disgusted and confused too. More to follow.
-ralph By: only1Demvoter on May 22, 2007 at 05:28pm
Flag: [ ] why isn't anyone asking Mrs.Ashcroft if the president called her and if so, what he said? By: radarcat on May 22, 2007 at 05:28pm
Flag: [ ] The President of the United States knowingly went ahead with a wiretap program that was deemed illegal by the Justice Department and in doing so, knowingly attempted to subvert the constitution by trying to get Ashcroft and not the acting AG to sign off on it while he was in intensive care.
If this is not a high crime or misdemeanor, I don't know what is. Does the President have to stomp on the skull of puppies for someone to take notice?
Someone needs to ask the President what his primary duty is.
If his answer is to protect the people of this country, he should be shot on sight. The primary duty of the President of the United States is to uphold and defend the constitution!!
By: ManagedChaos on May 22, 2007 at 05:31pm
Flag: [ ] We don't NEED to find out. We already know what kind of man Bush is. Whether he ordered it or not, we can take comfort in that he would order it with absolutely no apologies or remorse.
By: Heath on May 22, 2007 at 05:34pm
Flag: [ ] Don't let Comey off too easy. From my reading of Glenn Grenwald, it seems that Comey didn't forces substantive changes to the program to make it more constitutional. Instead they made changes to the justification of the illegal wire tapping, to make the program more justifiable, and not clearly illegal even by Ashcroft's standards.
Whether or not this program are legal is still up for debate.
Assuming debate is still allowed in this country. (it is as of this post) By: antiquelibertylover on May 22, 2007 at 05:39pm
Flag: [ ] I believe that, whatever his medical status, Mr.
Ashcroft had the presence of mind to point out a simple fact that escaped Card and Gonzales; Ashcroft was not the Attorney General at that moment.
Clearly Card and Gonzalez couldn't grasp that basic concept, or were playing so fast and loose that they just didn't care.
By: nelsonc on May 22, 2007 at 04:48pm
Actually, as has been pointed out in a legal analysis I was reading (sorry I can't remember where or I'd put up the link), what they were probably doing was attempting to get a signature that they could use to bamboozle other people/entities (like the telecoms), which is evidently worse legally than trying to coerce Ashcroft.
If so, they didn't care whether it was legal or not. I'm surprised they didn't attempt to forge it - probably would have if Comey et al. hadn't been standing there.
By: eserafina42 on May 22, 2007 at 05:41pm
Flag: [ ] All the shrill screaming from the rafters will not produce any truth telling from the Administration until the subpeonas are delivered and argued in court. The democrats have to stop playing the chasing after windmills game and get on with it. By: BlueGeneralist on May 22, 2007 at 05:42pm
Flag: [ ] ManagedChaos: But 'The Man' already said (in late '05) " It's JUST a goddamned piece of paper" !
! Why SHOULD HE understand his primary function?
More to follow.
-ralph By: only1Demvoter on May 22, 2007 at 05:43pm
Flag: [ ] HOPELESS277 is right! Its the way I feel and have felt for a long time. I continue to yell IMPEACH every chance I get, but it is obvious that these criminals dont care about how many times they get caught and will continue to get away with everything.
Everyone is sitting back "waiting" for 2008; why???
It will not make one bit of difference since as we can see, this group of thugs has the power, money, and arrogance to do WHATEVER they want, including steal elections. I am married, so if KICKASS is right, I cant go to Canada..
. dammit! Australia here I come!
!??
?
News RSS