DON’T IMPEACH INDICT., What should be done with Bush?

Yes I know that, and you’re doing a beautiful job of it.

You're lucky, JC. Maisky has never once busted my chops. Sometimes I think he doesn't like me.

awwww....geeee.....dont feel bad, little girl. Ill give you your fair share of abuse, too!

OooooHH!! The fish, I love to get hit with the fish. Hit me with the fish!

Guys,

That is, maisky and stoirmeil, and anyone else paying attention.

When you have forgot what you’ve been talking about. It’s time to log off and reflect for a while. Besides, I think its time I got dressed.

Talk on you later

JC

PS- You can hit me with a fish anytime. AS long as you through in some frys. Or should I say chips?

If you don’t already know, on the 17th of this month, thousands of patriotic Americans, from over 43 states, will be standing in front of the Pentagon. The overall theme of the protest is to impeach Bush and Chaney…

You can rest assured… I will be there.

PS… So what do you think, should I bring my Hockey helmet to this one…

JC

Speaking as a patriotic American, You make me Proud! Just the hockey mask should be enough.

If vengeance is mine, say it the lord.
I don’t think impeachment, is nearly enough punishment, for the BUSH CORPORIT CRIME CARTELL! Why even hell, would be too good for them.

JC

After weeks of denials by the White House about the political agenda involved in the firing of 8 US Attorneys, the true extent of the Shrub Syndicate's dirty politics is beginning to emerge.

From CNN:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An e-mail from the Justice Department's Kyle Sampson in March 2005 laid out a simple formula for evaluating whether the 93 U.S. attorneys should stay or go.

On a chart given to then-White House Counsel Harriet Miers, Sampson -- chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales -- listed attorneys in three categories:

"Bold = Recommend retaining; strong U.S. attorneys who have managed well, and exhibited loyalty to the president and attorney general.

"Strikeout = Recommend removing; weak U.S. attorneys who have been ineffectual managers and prosecutors, chafed against administration initiatives, etc.

"Nothing = No recommendation; have not distinguished themselves either positively or negatively."

Sampson was in charge of deciding which U.S. attorneys would be removed in a shakeup last year. Eight prosecutors were eventually removed. Sampson resigned from his post Monday, just as the e-mails he wrote were released publicly.

The e-mails show how closely officials in the White House and the Justice Department coordinated in deciding which names to include for firing, as well as the method and timing of the announcements. (Read Sampson's e-mail exchanges with administration officials - pdf)

The White House disclosed Tuesday the shakeup was first proposed by then-White House Counsel Harriet Miers, who wanted to replace all 93 U.S. attorneys with "fresh blood" after President Bush's re-election in 2004, spokesman Tony Snow said.

In a three-page memo dated January 1, 2006, Sampson noted the practical and political obstacles of dismissing U.S. attorneys.

"Wholesale removal of U.S. attorneys would cause significant disruption to the work of the Department of Justice," he wrote. "Individual U.S. attorneys often were originally recommended for appointment by a home-state senator who may be opposed to the president's determination to remove the U.S. attorney."

But Sampson concluded, "None of the above obstacles are insuperable," suggesting instead "the replacement of a limited number of U.S. attorneys," not the wholesale changes Miers wanted.

He then went on to recommend three U.S. attorneys for dismissal: Margaret Chiara of Michigan, Henry "Bud" Cummins of Arkansas and Carol Lam of California.

From the winter through the fall of 2006, Miers and Sampson traded e-mails, adding names and outlining the political fallout that might result from the prosecutors themselves and their congressional allies.

One e-mail involved efforts to replace Cummins with Timothy Griffin, a former aide to top White House official Karl Rove. (Read documents on Griffin's nomination - pdf)

"We have a senator problem," noted Monica Goodling, a Justice Department liaison to the White House, over Cummins' pending dismissal. The August 18 e-mail also suggested a possible "confirmation issue with Griffin."

Word of Cummins' pending departure and Griffin's nomination was leaked to an Arkansas newspaper in late August, one memo notes.

About a month later, on September 13, Sampson placed Little Rock-based Cummins on the list of U.S. attorneys "in the process of being pushed out."

Miers thanked him four days later, but noted she had not had much time to focus on the issue. "Things have been crazy," she wrote.

Two months later there still was no decision from the White House on the final "cut" list. In a November 15 memo, Sampson urged Miers to reach out to Rove's office as a "pre-execution necessity I would recommend."

Messages anticipate 'political upheaval'
He added, "I am concerned that to execute this plan properly we must all be on the same page and be steeled to withstand any political upheaval that might result. ... If we start caving to complaining U.S. attorneys or senators then we shouldn't do it -- it'll be more trouble than it is worth."

Three weeks went by and Sampson was getting anxious waiting for the "green light" from the White House counsel's office.

Finally, on December 4, William Kelley, Miers' deputy, gave the word: "We're a go for the U.S. attorney plan. WHU leg (office of legislative affairs), political (office), and communications have signed off and acknowledged that we have to be committed to following through once the pressure comes." (Read how officials dealt with the reaction - pdf)

A detailed memo outlined each U.S. attorney to be let go, and the names of key senators or party officials from the prosecutors' home states who would be informed.

Talking points were suggested to help "prepare to withstand political upheaval." Such points included that "the administration made the determination to seek the resignations (not any specific person at the White House or the Department of Justice)."

The White House says President Bush never directed the Justice Department to fire a U.S. attorney, and that concerns about the performance of certain prosecutors were appropriate.

As Sampson suggested back in January 2006, Chiara, Cummins and Lam were among the eight fired prosecutors. In Arkansas, Cummins' post was filled by former Rove aide Griffin on an interim basis, but he said last month he would not seek Senate confirmation because of the "partisan circus" surrounding the firings.

The reaction on Capitol Hill to the dismissals was mixed. Deputy White House Counsel Kelley told Sampson and Miers in a December 8 memo of "disgruntlement" in Nevada. Republican Sen. John Ensign "is very unhappy about the decision" to let U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden go, he said.

But in New Mexico, Kelley reported, Republican Sen. Pete Domenici was "happy as a clam" and offered to quickly provide names of possible replacements.

John,
It's good to see folks standing up against the Bush gang, whose lawlessness becomes apparent to more folks every day. The hockey helmet may come in handy--I recall being the object of a police club while marching in LA as part of a contigent of Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Fortunately, I saw the blow coming, and used my Air Force parachute training to miniimize the impact.

QUOTE (John Clements @ 15-Mar-2007, 08:02 AM)
As some of you may know. Like last year. I was planning on renting a kilt, and going to McCarthy’s St Paddy’s day party. But I’m afraid I’m going to have to amend that, because St Paddy’s day conflicts with a huge impeach Bush demonstration in Washington, which I will be attending instead. Hey, maybe I’ll wear the kilt to that?

Question everything,
JC


Hi all,

The march on the Pentagon Saturday for me was a little disappointing, at least as far as the turnout was concerned… I’m sure it was lower then I'd had hoped for, because of the sleet storm in the North East corridor. I my self almost didn’t go, based on the icy conditions on my own street, but once we got on the NJT, it was pretty much clear sailing to and from Washington.

Unlike the demonstration I went to in January, there seemed to be a lot more young people at this one, and there was also a large contingent of, “right wing neo-fascist’s biker type,” apposing us. But, fortunately it didn’t get out of hand, although I must admit that I was itching for a fight, since I believe that it’s going to come to that anyway. You know it wouldn’t surprise me at all, if the biker boys weren’t just mercenaries, being paid by this administration. Not that I have anything against bikers in general, I use to be one myself.

I’m sorry to say that I didn’t wear a kilt, or a Hockey helmet to the demonstration, but none the less, I'm glad I went! Anyway, I hope you all had a good St Paddies day.

Later,
JC

With the political flap over US attorney firings, The Republican position on Executive privilege has undergone a "transformation".

Tony Snow, now and then:

"We feel pretty comfortable with the constitutional argument."
-- Tony Snow, 3/20/07, on the White House's use of "executive privilege" to keep top aides from testifying to Congress about the U.S. attorney firings

VERSUS

"Taken to its logical extreme, that position would make it impossible for citizens to hold a chief executive accountable for anything. He would have a constitutional right to cover up."
-- Snow, 3/29/98, on President Clinton's use of executive privilege

Yes I saw that Black House press conference. When Tony tow the line Snow, supposedly took a broad side, from the I don’t how they stand themselves, press corps.

Bush, being a given, I didn’t think that I could dislike anyone more, then the last White House Press guy. Who’s name I rather not say, because he might be to close to my blood line…

And here it comes…

But, this guy Snow takes the cake, and I’m sure just about anything else he can lay his hands on!


Push back!
JC

This was forwarded to me by a friend in California, a letter from another Presidential hopeful. I think she feels rather strongly about the Iraq fiasco. Text take from: http://kucinich.us/


It Is Time To Take A Strong Stand
Submitted by Elizabeth Kucinich on Sat, 2007-03-24 18:07. Iraq
Today as the Democratic leadership celebrates the passage of HR 1591, Dennis and I are in mourning. We mourn the deaths of those who have passed and those whose lives are now on the line, both in the military and civilian Iraqis. We mourn the destruction, the ecocide. We mourn with families in Iraq and the US who will see more death and devastation. We mourn the callous and calculated political spin cloaking the Congress's hawkish support of war with the rhetoric of peace.

Congressman Kucinich voted NO. Standing firm with him on this NO vote were 13 Democrats: John Barrow [GA], Dan Boren [OK], Lincoln Davis [TN], Barbara Lee [CA], John Lewis [GA], Jim Marshall [GA], Jim Matheson [UT], Michael McNulty [NY], Michael Michaud [ME], Gene Taylor [MS], Maxine Waters [CA], Diane Watson [CA], and Lynn Woolsey [CA].

I would like to thank Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace, Code Pink, Gold Star Mothers and all those other organizations who have worked so valiantly in recent years to raise awareness about what is going on in Iraq and to end the war. We would also like to thank the other 13 Democrats who voted against the additional Administration's appropriation request of $120 billion.

$120 billion for an escalation of the war, the privatization of Iraqi oil assets and a possible extension of the war into Iran. And the President said he will veto this because it's not enough. By showing such a weak position against the Administration and the war, the Democrats have thoroughly undermined whatever bargaining position they could have had.

Americans must be heard. It is time to take a strong stand for the end of the war and for peace. It is time to return to the town halls of America to develop a powerful movement for change.

In peace and with love,
Elizabeth Kucinich