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The DNC, the DCCC, the DSCC and all the 08 presidential candidates think they deserve money today because George Bush commuted Scooter Libby's sentence. Yet none of them are saying what needs to be said -- that his act is obstruction of justice, pure and simple.
We anticipate that John Conyers (and hopefully others) will be having hearings to investigate this criminal conspiracy and when they do, Marcy Wheeler and I will be in DC covering them. Unlike critically stupid and willfully ignorant hacks like Tim Noah and David Brooks, we're actually cognizant of what has happened and capable of discerning the truth. We need your support to do that.
We published Marcy's seminal book on the subject, Anatomy of Deceit, with donations made by people on this blog. We likewise financed our groundbreaking coverage of the Libby trial in Washington DC with your contributions, which heavily influenced the media's reporting on the event (and to imagine what things would have been like without the blogs, as Digby always says just think "Whitewater.") We are at a very important time in our history and if the voices of outrage at the administration's flagrant lawbreaking are going to be raised it isn't going to be reported in the MSM (have a look at the AP article where the reporter doesn't even seem to understand that the "commutation" was a deliberate attempt to give Libby the right to plead the 5th and remain silent, something we explained very clearly yesterday).
Where else is that kind of information going to become available to the public?
Today MoveOn is calling for Dick Cheney to be subpoenaed to appear before congress to answer questions in the matter, and if he refuses to answer these questions, they are demanding he be impeached. The MSM thinks this is silly and whimsical. We don't. If that's what it takes to rout out the corruption in the system and get some accountability back into government, then that's what has to happen. And if you think our work is important in that process, that our ability to bring you the analysis of lawyers like Christy Hardin Smith and Jeralyn Merritt and of experienced Plame bloggers like Swopa and Marcy Wheeler who serve as the institutional memory of the story, then please hit the PayPal button and help us to continue. We want to be there to tell the story, to encourage members of congress to have the courage of their convictions, and to cover these investigations as they unfold.
We've done it. We'll continue to do it. Please help to make it happen.
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zed?
Friday’s coming Janie, I have been overdue for a donation anyway.
Jane I agree wholeheartedly, but the way to get more people to see it, IMHO, is to equate the CRIME “obstruction of justice” with the SIN of “bearing false witness”.
I’m in.
Sending a couple hundred this week via snail mail!
Thank the goddess for Jane, Marcy, and everyone at FDL!
Me, too - Thursday is banking day and Pay Pal donation day. Thanks for all that you do.
Just threw in $15. Wish I could give more but we may be needing to replace the car this summer.
The AP hasn’t understood very much in the last few years.
I’m still trying to get out of April’s hole. (It’s a matter of keeping things from getting worse. But payday is Friday, and maybe I can come up with extra.)
Tonight is pay-the-bills night. FDL is on the list.
Meanwhile, over at Balkinization, Sandy Levinson hit the nail squarely on the head. The last two sentences are priceless.
http://balkin.blogspot.com/200.....anoid.html
Always glad to help Jane. Just wish I could do more. Keep fighting.
Does anyone have a link to a list of talking point rebuttals for all of this? I’m tired of trying to explain it to the wingnuts who are celebrating today, and it would be easier just to be able to cut and paste when they keep hitting the same myths over and over. (Yeah I know, it’d be the lazy way to go, and I’ll probably come up with my own list when I have more time, just thought there might already be one or two out there.)
BTW, has anyone heard from Judge Walton since The Commuter let Shooter’s lil Scooter off the hook?
Jane!
I agree, I’m disgusted with the Democrats for treating this as a fund-raising opportunity instead of going to the heart of the issue. I also got an email from Chuck Schumer asking that I sign a petition saying that Bush’s conduct was “outrageous”, like that’s going to do anything. These people are acting more like teenagers on a street corner trolling for signatures than real leaders.
We have an imperial dictator occupying the White House. We have one political party that endorses criminal acts, and another political party that is paralyzed by fear from doing anything. For a topping we have a corrupted news media that serves to maintain the status quo. There’s very little light in this dark tunnel.
Seeing the photos at the top of this post is one small bit of light. It puts the hard work being done on the blogs in an historical perspective that can be hard to see from the inside, or as a close bystander. Thanks for all the hard work. Nothing short of (metaphorically) burning the established media institutions to the ground will change things for the better.
I’ll do snail mail also. I wish I could have chipped in sooner but sometimes life gets in the way.
It is interesting to compare media coverage of this with their media coverage of clinton - it is hard to remember the level of concern about obstruction of justice and avoiding the appearance of conflict of interest that was common just a few years ago.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/f.....gewanted=4
Froomkin for those waiting is now up.
I think I can pony up some cash.
The Bush that stole Fitzmas
another take…
Why does this make me feel like an elderly village storyteller? :)
A nice compliment, nonetheless. And a cause that I’m grateful to the FDL community for supporting so passionately.
Thanks, everybody. As you can see we have absolutely no BlogAds at all right now. I struggle with them all the time, they just won’t promote a blog with a large female readership (we were the only major blog that didn’t get the SICKO advertisement). They are also insisting that we take Chevron banner ads before they’ll promote us and put us on their front page, which I wouldn’t do. So we really are dependent on our readers to support what we do, and every time we ask, you really turn out. On behalf of the FDL crew thanks so very much.
Gotta be there, you know?
Good observations Jane. I was wondering when someone would speak to the obvious when the dust settled.. Now that we are regaining our clarity about what happened, maybe we can ID the next best steps to saving our country.. This is one of those steps..
Thanks Jane..
JAne,
Just chipped in $150.00, use it where you need it. And Thank You for your hard work and get well too!
checking my credit card limit…
Max Weber premised his work on social contracts and justice by declaring that to have a revolution, it is essential to have those in power join. It can start at the grassroots, but it cannot be sustained and ultimately triumph there.
I am not calling for a revolution, because I believe the Constitution, the amendments, and the federalist papers are the most elegantly written documents for governments and social contract in the history of mankind. That, of course, is not a profound statement because most would agree with that. But, to start the impeachment process, there must invariably be those in power, and I am not talking about the democrats, but those in power, Bush’s party, that finally say enough is enough and get on board. And I think the MSM needs to play a role. The blogosphere, as great and critical to the health of this country, does not reach the level necessary to effectuate change like an impeachment. Not yet. It may be in a few years, but by that time impeachment will be a moot point. WaPo, NYT, some other newspaper of record must take a stand for impeachment to have a chance.
Will do. Thanks for cashing some old checks I thought might have been lost.
Been waiting for Froomkin. Hi ho.
$50.00 today, more later. Wish everyone knew about the fantastic coverage at the Lake. Whatever it takes, no matter how it ends, you have allowed us to know the truth. That truth is that no matter how they frame this case, everyone here knows that Scooter Libby obstructed justice to protect the White House!! Jane, Christy, Marci all of you, thank you.
Jane Hamsher @ 22
thank you for everything you do… and for giving us something to contribute to that will REALLY provide accountability…
wish it was more, but will do what i can.
I’m confused. You are Ladies and gents of the lake and we are definitely Ladies and gent pups.
Question
If Sara Taylor and Meirs are subpoenaed and they don’t work for the administration, why cant they be arrested if they don’t show up?
Or any of them who no longer are with the admin.
Can you post how the money breaks down? Who gets paid what? What are the travel expenses? Is the money equally distributed? You know, a follow the money kind of thing. Not that I don’t trust FDL to make wise use of the funds, but I think it sets a good example to be open about it. I’m not really crazy about “trust us” ideology these days.
Jane Hamsher @ 22
Jane, what are Chevron banner ads?
Jane Hamsher @ 22
Why do you think gender is such an issue? Aren’t we progressives? Yeegads!
I would like to make a modest proposal, to wit: that we begin to refer to a certain convicted felon of ill repute not by either his legal name or his nickname, but by his assigned Federal Prison ID, i.e.,as
Prisoner 28301-016
So, what has Prisoner 28301-016 been doin’ lately?
blog reactions to Libby on CNN now
After you have donated to Jane and Marcy’s Washington, D.C. Fund, please read the following:
I have a report from my Representative’s local office in Fremont, CA. (Rep. Pete Stark)
NO one but me has called his office over the past hour to:
1. demand Rep. Stark to stand up stand up for the rule of law and make a public statement denouncing Bush’s action as obstruction of justice.
2. ask Congressman Stark to push for a full Congressional investigation of this travesty and must move forward with impeachment immediately if the administration fails to cooperate with the investigation.
3. Join other Bay Area Reps, like Lynne Woolsey and Barbara Lee in supporting Kucinich’s H.R. 333 - (effective numbering, btw; 333 gets HALF the job done - and when they impeach Bush, the “666″ will be complete!) to IMPEACH DICK CHENEY.
If you live in CA-13 (East Bay Area, CA) please take the time to call Pete Stark’s local office. They need to hear constituents’ OUTRAGE..
Thank you.
REP. PETE STARK
DISTRICT CA-13
39300 Civic Center Dr.
Suite 220
Fremont, CA 94538
510-494-1388
510-494-5852 (fax)
Since AAR just got rid of their news room - maybe you can do a contract relationship with them on an exclusive of the libby hearings.
Earlier on a post Christy mentioned that justice was served. The courts did an honorable job including the appeals court. Unfortunately the president decided to ignore the court system.
Eureka Springs @ 35
more please
totallynext @ 37
What is up with that anyway? No more newsroom?
I can’t make the MC/Visa button work, and I’m not a fan of Paypal. Guess it’s time for good ol’ snail mail. I’m in for $100.
JPL @ 38
Justice was served. Unfortunately, Bush chose to send the dish back to the kitchen.
Elliott @ 39
the story’s spin: only blogs care. will bush’s JAR go up?
For goodness sakes send your financial support to FDL in DC now!
$50 for the lads and ladies of the Lake, lurkers, leaders and the law.
Jane Hamsher @ 21
I’m gonna contribute, but is there anything we can do about the lack of BlogAds? Doesn’t seem right that my favorite blog is having such a problem!
Eureka Springs @ 44
ugh. to the first, and yes! to the second
and thanks
totallynext @ 37
aar is becoming ridiculous
“sammy and army”, two right wing nuts are on in the morning and then rebroadcast at 8 oclock
and it’s all I can take to keep that that guy that replaced sam on the radio for more then 5 minutes
Who doesn’t want to advertise to women? That needs to change, pronto.
In the meantime, many thanks to those who jump in to bridge the gap allowing the FDL crack team to be where the action is.
I love the live blogging.
Speaking of confusion, perhaps someone with more litigation experience than me (Christy? LHP?) can explain something that has been bugging me for some time.
We keep hearing that one of the effects of, and perhaps the motivation behind, the commutation of Libby’s sentence was to keep him from spilling his guts and implicating others in the Plame outing and the subsequent cover-up.
My problem is this: I can’t see how anything Libby might say at this point in time is potentially useful. I mean, aren’t convicted perjurers the easiest witnesses on earth to impeach? Isn’t it a two-question cross?
Q: Mr. Libby, isn’t it true that you were convicted of lying to the FBI and to a Federal grand jury?
A: Yes.
Q: Is there any reason for this jury to believe that you’ve done anything other than lie, lie, and lie some more in your testimony in this case?
Fun tickets are on the way. Thanks all.
Donations from FDL readers made it possible for FDL to do the best live-blogging ever during the Libby trial — setting the standard for good reporting and commentary. And there are many more important hearings coming up over the summer and fall. Thanks to all for your contributions and continuing support.
I always wonder on the revenue from the Book @ Amazon? Can you not do the same deal form Barnes and Noble they are a Blue company. Amazon is not.
On the AAR news room - heard On Sam Seder “Seder on Sundays” not sure - but it did make a little sense to down size overhead. For the most part they compiled AP stories and read and the local channels usually use a source - like CNN radio news, etc.
But I think it would be cool to get a gig from the Blogs for news - since it seems to be the accurate source with no spin.
Also - Ring of Fire is starting their goleft.tv thing - could be really good for Marcy to get spots on there/
burnspbesq @ 49
It would be Fitzgerald’s job to weave Libby’s revised story in with other evidence and testimony.
On their own, most of the prosecution witnesses in the Libby trial had significant credibility issues — e.g., Grenier didn’t initially recall telling Libby about Plame, Ari Fleischer claimed he didn’t leak to Walter Pincus, and let’s not even talk about Judy Miller. But in combination, it made for compelling proof that Libby was lying.
Just blogs care…okay - from the site log of FDL:
FDL average page views,
Per Day 68,865
Last Hour 6,199
Today 55,177
This Week 482,055
KOS/TPM/Thinkprogress/Americablog…???
That is a lot of We the People!
burnspbesq @ 50
Yes, but there is a certain “perry Mason” quality when a witness recants prior perjury.
People come in recantng prior fibs to investigators all the time. Convictons are obtained using their testimony on a regular basis.
The founder of Whole Foods might be libertarian but with all the great posts on Organic Food, I’m surprised they won’t chip in. Same with Trader Joe’s..
Jane,
First time donar. Long time lurker and commentator.Am sending all I can spare via snail mail. Thanks for all you do.
Per C-Span poll: 71% think it will hurt Bush politically.
Okay. Made a donation. You guys are doing so much of the heavy lifting for all of us!
Now then. How do we get your work/our work expanded into the world where people do not read blogs?
Someone suggested that Soros should start a newspaper. And/or MoveOn. Not instead of blogs, but as an extension of same.
Take that, Foxy Murdoch!
Did the Amazon deal crash and burn?
LS @ 58
Last time I checked MSNBC poll late last night… 148k votes and 71 percent.. same as cspan
i’m sending what i can - i owe the lake bigtime for its excellent work… keep it up please! oh and thanks loads ;o)
dreamcatcher @ 35
I couldn’t hope to remember that string of numbers. How about “Scooter the Perp?” I can keep that straight in my head.
Just blogs care:
KOS:
Average Per Day 438,746
Last Hour 33,623
Today 312,894
This Week 3,071,225
Brooks and Dionne on NPR. Brooks “this whole thing was a farce”
Brooks “level of hypocrisy was astounding”
LS @ 59
Which means it already has, to my way of thinking. Heckuva job, George. Heckuva job.
Howard Dean on CNN re: Libby commutation…
re: donations - What was the deal with putting “.07″ at the end of the donation? Or am I confusing my blogs? (Sorry, brain is on pause today for some odd reason)
EvilDrPuma @ 64
Or by always using the modifier: ” . . . and today, convicted felon Scooter Libby . . .”
Not for the first time, it occurs to me we need a style sheet/cheat sheet/lexicon of phrases that we all use, all the time.
Hugs, Dr. Lakoff!
KestrelBrighteyes @ 70
it earmarks it fer that lake. . .right? I hope so, I just paypaled one with the .07.
Brooks “people don’t really care about it”
puppethead @ 15
Pity no one was there when Lomonaco and I met for the first time in Prettyman Courthouse and then tore into a bunch of court filings like some people tear into chocolate cake. It was hysterical.
Jane Hamsher @ 21
I may even hate the oil companies more than I love firedoglake, so I’m in for $50 instead of the $25 I can afford right now. God bless you, Marcy, Swopa, Christy, egregious, Jeralyn and everybody else behind Vaster Books and the Plame House!
We heard the news yesterday about Libby on a right-wing Christofascist radio station, playing the right-wing Christofascist Hugh Hewitt show, while driving through the right-wing Christofascist town of Glennallen. Gotta go put a whole bunch of Copper River sockeye salmon into some brine before I crank up the smokehouse.
Dick Cheney controls Bob Woodward.
Brooks “this is a small minor story”
Bluetoe @ 73
Brooks can kiss my hairy white ass.
As I was waking up this morning, I heard Juan Williams being interviewed on Morning Edition re the Libby commutation. He seemed to go on at some length about the differences between a commutation and a pardon but, to quote Jane above, “the reporter doesn’t even seem to understand that the “commutation” was a deliberate attempt to give Libby the right to plead the 5th and remain silent.” I was still emerging from sleep but I sat straight up in surprise at that obvious omission! I’m not 100% sure of this because of my semiconscious state, but perhaps someone could get a transcript of that segment. Given the length of it and it being a “special report,” it might be a good idea to point out that Juan Williams, expert though he claims to be, just did not “get” the most important difference in the story. Or maybe he did, and chose not to report it??
I can’t help thinking were responding to yet
another outrage like kids banging on our drums but when all is said and done they do
what they want to and the pardon is next.Discouraging!
Bluetoe @ 73
Translation: We are telling people they don’t care about it, and because they are essentially unwilling to think for themselves, then by God, they don’t care about it.
Okay, totally hyped on Caribou Coffee Cooler. I’ll shut up now.
Emptywheel, still interested in doing a talk in Mason?
Ed*ard Teller @ 75
Damn, it won;t let me see the pix!~
Jane Hamsher @ 22
No Chevron ads?
Oh, but Jane, imagine the fun . . . I’m laughing trying to picture the reactions of some of the FDL regulars to Chevron advertising at the Lake.
More seriously, this might be a good topic for a future post.
You also might want to ask George Soros where your check is. Obviously, someone’s dropped the ball.
twolf1 @ 68
please tell us… did he use the words “obstruction of justice” and “coverup”?
Donations: I’m in.
raven @ 82
Come on, Raven, join fdl’s facebook group.
Ed*ard Teller @ 86
I am in the FDL Facebook, but the page says it is unavailable at the moment.
For what it’s worth, shrub’s poll numbers are back in freefall mode (is it possible to fall from the sub-basement?)… CBS 27%
http://www.pollingreport.com/BushJob.htm
in
Can’t donate until Friday, but you can bet I will send all I can possibly spare. Thank God for FDL.
Bluetoe @ 81
Yeah, but I’m postponing by Lansing stuff until I figure out my DC stuff. A Tale of Two Capitols, don’t you know.
But if it’s any consolation, I’m making Jennifer wait as much as I am you. You’re in good company.
Froomkin asks a couple of interesting questions, now that his column is up:
Walton was clearly taken aback by the reversal of Team Irving with regard to calling Cheney to the stand. Hmmmm . . . this bears consideration.
check is in the mail
thanks for your continuing efforts
Ed*ard Teller @ 86
yea, I did, I rejoined but they won’t let me use Raven so it’s my real name.
supposedly, this will work.
ixnay @ 42
I was able to contribute using my Visa card through the Paypal link. Give it a try.
Jane Hamsher @ 22
I just sent you a benjamin, JH. Also, I’m going to buy copies of Marcy’s and Glenn’s books for my dad and sister.
MARCY –
PLEASE go on camera today via PoliticsTV or webcam. It’s essential your literal voice be heard. You and Josh Marshall are cutting the path for “on-air” commentary — and though principally YouTube driven right now, that will become less and less an issue as TV-PC convergence continues.
YOU NEED TO BE ON CAMERA for many reasons:
(1) You have an excellent neutral-sounding presence for the camera - even if you show a point of view. That’s critical to engaging swingvoter audiences who are automatically repelled by a certain tonality that suggests “I am so much smarter than you are; if only you idiots paid attention”. But your continued presence outside Libby Courthouse established an excellent tone that’s engaging to more than just the built-in lefty crowd (we love you too!)
(2) Your content, of course. You have a gift not only for connecting the dots to seemingly disparate (or forgotten) things — and smootjly placing them into context, but also your’re a gifted “compressor” and expressor — able to comunicate facts, context, relevance, add a point of view, and convey “what’s next” all in about 3 minute packages.
QUESTION: What are the “obstacles” (per se), to your doing a nightly capsule TV report, either via PTV or TPM’s distributor “Veracifier” (NextNewNetworks) or via your own team at Next Hurrah or Firedoglake? If it’s TIME, understood. If it’s “nobody’s asked me”, then email me please.
Cheers to progressive media!
rhfactorUSA at gmail dotcom
Good post.
From Froomkin,
The Framers, ever sensitive to the need for checks and balances, recognized the potential for abuse of the pardon power. According to a Judiciary Committee report drafted in the aftermath of the Watergate crisis: “In the [Constitutional] convention George Mason argued that the President might use his pardoning power to ‘pardon crimes which were advised by himself’ or, before indictment or conviction, ‘to stop inquiry and prevent detection.’ James Madison responded:
“[I]f the President be connected, in any suspicious manner, with any person, and there be grounds [to] believe he will shelter him, the House of Representatives can impeach him; they can remove him if found guilty. . . .
“Madison went on to [say] contrary to his position in the Philadelphia convention, that the President could be suspended when suspected, and his powers would devolve on the Vice President, who could likewise be suspended until impeached and convicted, if he were also suspected.”
Torture King’s new clothes, and the little people who stood up to him and got in his face:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyo.....51425/1890
Jane - It is hard for me to understand why Blogads does not value a (largely) female readership. Advertisers in other media fall over themselves to market to women, and not just in fashion and movie magazines. Also, I disagree with the prior poster who suggested disclosure of your budget for this trip - I don’t ask Harpers to disclose anything when I buy their magazine, so I wouldn’t think of asking you to do the same - besides, the thought of having Drudge comb through the garbage outside of Plame House looking for your pizza receipts (if they didn’t do it already!) would be enough reason to trust your judgment.
I hear from a lot of people that they would appreciate some way to sign up for monthly donations to fdl. Hope there will be a way to make that happen in the future. I among others would be glad to contribute that way.
Thank you all so much for your support!
There are a lot of people working hard on this site who do not ask for or seek the spotlight, and it’s just a shame we are not yet able to pay them what their talents and efforts are worth (or even pay ourselves).
That’s aside from the active effort by Blogads to exclude Firedoglake from advertising buying. It’s a real problem and we’re working to address it, in our own way.
Of the seven top blogs on the Advertising Liberally network, six got the SiCKO ad, after SiCKO people contacted Blogads to place an ad (an effort that only began after people like John Amato of Crooks and Liars called the SiCKO people to make them aware of the advertising opportunity, something BlogAds should have been doing itself).
One of those top six blogs got no SiCKO ad. That was us. That happened because BlogAds, after accepting the call to place the order, apparently steered FDL out of the mix. This has been happening for months, as BlogAds has been excluding FDL because we would not sign the agreement for the Chevron banner ad.
FDL is not the last on that list of 7 blogs, either, just so you know. It’s very clear we were skipped over.
Oh, and BlogAds still got a 35% commission for the sales work others did on their behalf. Just so people know.
There’s a real problem with the funding of blo