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What happens when you show a little spine up front? Via the WaPo:
...Theodore B. Olson, the former solicitor general, was said to be a White House favorite for the post. But talk of his possible nomination provoked a preemptive strike from Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), who threatened that Senate Democrats would block the nomination.
That may have doomed Olson's prospects to replace Gonzales, according to several conservatives who talked to Washington Post reporters Michael Abramowitz and Dan Eggen over the weekend. One insider said that in spite of his outstanding legal credentials, Olson, who represented Bush in the Supreme Court fight over the contested 2000 election, would be seen by senators voting on his confirmation as "very political."...
This was the appropriate response, swiftly rolled out, firmly communicated, and designed to take advantage of the weakened posture of the Bush WH on legal and ethical matters. Thanks to Karl Rove's master plan for the political shop's domination being exposed for all the world to see in the overreach on the USAtty firings, the Bushies are in no position to dictate bad choices for the DOJ.
Good on the Democratic leadership for taking this step.
As David Neiwert pointed out earlier, the tendency toward gaining applause from the Beltway punditocracy for making concessions is a crap strategy. Democrats win when they show some spine where it is called for -- in this case, to block Olson who was wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong for rebuilding a DOJ that has been systematically infiltrated and skewed from the inside out by partisan Republican hackery. Decisions at the DOJ ought to be made according to the facts, the evidence and the law -- not based on how to maneuver a case for electoral advantage. Period.
When called out publicly by the Democratic leadership -- and not in the usual genteel "behind-the-scenes so as not to cause a fuss" way -- the Bush Administration folded like a deck chair under a bloated elephant.
(Photo via MReece.)
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Morning Christy!
Christy!!
What do you think of this guy, Christy?
Lucky me.
Morning, Christy!
Good morning Christy.
So what else *are* the Dem congress critters doing? It’s quiet out there, despite it being half way into September already.
“When called out publicly by the Democratic leadership – and not in the usual genteel “behind-the-scenes so as not to cause a fuss” way — the Bush Administration folded like a deck chair under a bloated elephant.”
another all-time Christy classic
Decisions at the DOJ ought to be made according to the facts, the evidence and the law — not based on how to maneuver a case for electoral advantage. Period.
Truly true words.
Was is it that this needs to be spelled out?
Are we ever going to get to the truth of how the DOJ has been corrupted?
Or is it naive of me to want to know the hows and whys and should we focus more on just fixing the problems.
you know what congress needs to do?
they need to float a list of candidates the president is allowed to choose from
they can say;
“if the president has another person in mind he can ask us to add that person to the list to which we will either aquisse or decline….we will not waste the countries time in a confirmation process that is doomed before it begins
therefore, if the president intends on floating a candidate that we have not considered he must ask us to place that person on the list…if it is not a political appointee, if the candidate has integrity and has shown their reputation honoring the rule of law we will gladly place that candidate on the list
anyone not on the list will not be confirmed”
done
I don’t know a lot about Mukasey. What I do know is that he has a reputation for having a fairly independent streak, that he’s a stickler for legal precedent — for the most part anyway, in his courtroom — and that he’s more of an old-style conservative as opposed to a partisan above all else type of conservative.
LHP did a great piece for us on him a couple of weeks ago that I highly recommend. She’s much more familiar with him having practiced in SDNY for a while.
Elliott @ 8
Heh. It’s a wonderful quote.
However, it mystifies me that they don’t take the positive results from doing this and continue to do it. Normally when a behavior is rewarded, the subject will repeat the behavior :-)
CNN
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Iraq’s Interior Ministry has revoked the license of Blackwater USA, an American security firm whose contractors are blamed for a Sunday gunbattle in Baghdad that left eight civilians dead.. .
“We have revoked Blackwater’s license to operate in Iraq. As of now they are not allowed to operate anywhere in the Republic of Iraq,” Interior Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf said Monday. “The investigation is ongoing, and all those responsible for Sunday’s killing will be referred to Iraqi justice.”
Christy Hardin Smith @ 11
and the democrats need to make it clear that the ONLY type of nominee that will be confirmed is someone who IS independent of the administration, his politics and his will
THAT IS REQUIRED for this office
raven @ 13
Can’t wait for Blackwater’s response. Any predictions, Raven?
peanutbutter @ 7
Diane Benson, who is challenging the totally corrupt Don Young for his US House seat, is holding a press conference in Anchorage this morning, where she will contrast growing poverty in Alaska to Young’s largesse toward wealthy, corrupt contributors, calling for the House to take action regarding Young’s ethics:
I call upon Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio, Chairwoman and Representative Doc Hastings of Washington state, Ranking Republican Member of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to consider opening an investigation into the conduct of Representative Don Young of Alaska in the matter of the insertion of an earmark for a major Don Young contributor into House legislation after that legislation had passed Congress. This change, unprecedented in nature, appears to be unethical in the most obvious sense of that term.
Under the rules of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, the general public, and particularly, constituents of a possibly unethical Member may inquire to the committee on matters such as this, and request that you consider the matter.
I’ll be reporting back here and at Howie’s place on how that goes locally. I’m hoping the firepups can help us pressure the House Ethics Committee (Standards and Official Conduct) to do their job. I’m not aware of ANY GOOPer congressperson who has yet been investigated by that internal group since the Dems took control. Young would be as good a place as any, actually the best, place to start looking under the rocks.
But it would take some spine, eh?
Before we split our pants taking bows over getting rid of Olsen for someone who may not be all that much better, how about Reid and Pelosi announcing they will impeach Bush and Cheney if they bomb Iran?
kdh22 @ 15
Raven,
Do you think the revocation of a License To Kill will actually mean anything?
demi @ 18
Different targets.
Prediction - a new Iraqi Interior Minister by Wednesday…business as usual Thursday.
Murtha’s giving a speech to the Press Club on Petraeus and the future of Iraq
CSPAN 1
Did someone say spine?
kdh22 @ 15
They quickly agree to to be acquired by Ignite! Inc. and resume operations.
Ed*ard Teller @ 20
…and the current Interior Minister will go the way of Bush’s Anbar ‘ally’ of last week?
Ed*ard Teller @ 20
And it will be used as further evidence of the lack of cooperation by the Iraqi government. And they won’t sign their oil over to us either, ungrateful wretches.
Ed at 17 — Before you start throwing out overinflated comparisons, why not take another look at the post? The kudos was for executing a tactic appropriately in the right way at the right time. It happens rarely enough that some carrots were in order. Because, frankly, when something good happens we ought to point it out so that it is repeated. Some kudos were in order — and I, for one, would rather dole one out when it is earned than sitting around pissing and moaning in every freaking post, thanks.
Ooh, dear! 39 degrees when I got up at 0400. 33 degrees now at 0600, and falling - clear sky. Frost on the deck. Time to pick the rest of the zucchini and the cabbages today.
Badwater @ 23
That was my prediction. Kinda like a corp filing Ch 11 bankruptcy. The day after, they continue with a new name.
ET at 27 — I found that shredding my zucchini and freezing it in 1 cup portions makes for easy zucchini bread in the dead of winter. Just FYI…
Badwater @ 23
they can try to become the official Iraq army, this insuring the plunder of Iraqi resources
it will be a stroke of genius if it works
There’s still some spine to be shown over the AG nomination.
Leahy and Schumer can play good cop / bad cop on this one. Schumer says ‘talented nominee, shown lack of undue deference’; Leahy says ‘until we know what was going on at DOJ, even a favoured nominee can’t begin to fix it.’
The WH subpoenas have to be answered, and the investigation needs to have some finality before Bush gets his new man. The aim of the investigation was never simply to drive all the rats off the DOJ ship: the aim was to plug the leaks that are making it sink.
As for Blackwater, you have to wonder if its mercs could take over the Green Zone if it so desired.
Surprise surprise surprise!!!!
RE: Spine and the AG @daily kos; Young in Alaska, a recent promotion to Senator:
FYI, a long debat @daily kos in response to EW and others on the floating of Olson’s name.
Drational argued against Reid’s move as falling for a decoy. Opinions, please? Especially Drational, if he is reading.
It was at
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/9/13/75537/9811
BTW but not OT, Young in Alaska.
The AP via the NYT this AM is reporting that “Senator Don Young” is under investigation. Congratulations Alaska, a third senator! may he bring you much joy for as long as he lasts.
Google the good Senator Young, and you’ll 238 entries/incidents (or whatever they are called) for the ‘Senator’.
Who has the authority to do anything to get Blackwater out of Iraq? They work for us. If Bush wants ‘em there, they will stay there. Since when do we do Anything the Iraqis want?
bg @ 34
as I mentioned before, it might be a strategic move to legitimize blackwater as a government army…the official army of Iraq to which they will enjoy the entire treasure of Iraq as their budget
it will put us in the greatest danger of all time, open for attack from Iraq
Christy Hardin Smith @ 29
We make this stuff the kids started calling “zingy cheesy” when they were little - shredded zucchini, parmesan and a cream/flour sauce. Tres rich! We’ve got enough for maybe two of those. Next year, I’ll try your idea. ETette has turned veggie, so we’re eating more, storing less than usual this year.
that’s decoy, not decot.
and the Young link is
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09.....laska.html
“VECO helped organize fund-raisers for Senator Don Young, who has also come under scrutiny in the investigation.”
BlueStateRedHead @ 33
perris @ 35
The 51st united state. Or, as I prefer to call it, Secured Retirement
ack never mind…
BlueStateRedHead @ 33
ROFL. Somebody turn on FAUX News quick and get a screen-shot of the next logical step - Sen. Don Young (Dem - AK)…
pseud at 31 — Agree with that wholeheartedly!
ET,
I’m still not getting a photo on Diane’s ActBlue site, thanks.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 26
Rarely, indeed. I’ve got a huge pile of carrots and almost no one to give them to. Hey, Senators: They’re free — all you’ve got to do is stand up and be counted.
Oh well, if no one shows up, there’s always carrot cake.
egregious @ 42
I’ve written to them 2x about this, and Howie said he’d mention it to the staff next time he talks to ‘em. could you e-mail me on how you did it last year, ’cause I can’t find a way to do it from their editing control panel.
Christy @ 26
I don’t see it as an overinflated comparison although I guess I do piss and moan. I see us in fairly deep doo doo with nothing much being done about it. Maybe there’s nothing we can do. That would make us grateful for small blessings.
Ed at 45 — It’s just the first small victory that I’ve been able to find in a while, and I needed to do a little “boo yah” about it. *g* I just keep repeating, in my best egregious voice, “it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” Keeps me sane in rough water…
pseudonymous in nc @ 31
A good plan. Let’s see how they decide to handle this, if a comprehensive strategy like the one you describe is implemented for a change.
IMO it is imperative to the rebuilding of DOJ integrity & credibility that the SJC & HJC hearings on the USA firings toughen up, get some teeth and a spine to them. Enforce those subpoenas!
Good morning, Christy - great post!
It is refreshing to see that not only did Reid and other Democrats come out with their teeth showing regarding Chertoff and Olson - but shocking that Bush responded the way he did. I find it fascinating that this bully President, who loves to create partisan confrontation (and I believe would have succeeded in getting either Olson or Chertoff confirmed) decided to back off. He picked Mukasey instead of picking a fight.
BTW, drational at dKos has a good diary about this topic. He’s imploring us to contact the SJC members and ask them to tie Mukasey’s confirmation to special prosecutors to investigate the politicization of the DOJ. Drational also provides the contact phone numbers for Democrats on the SJC. We all might want to take a few minutes today to pick up the phone and push this idea.
Another commenter in drational’s diary, Dallasdoc, suggests that Leahy hold up confirmation hearings until the WH complies with subpoenas for data and stops blocking Rove and Miers from testifying. I’m curious what you think about that idea.
(On a lighter OT note that refers to my post yesterday morning, the art festival I attended yesterday was terrific, and early reports indicate they raised over $180,000 for a crisis intervention organization. Terrific news!)
because W. is the master of sovereign nations!
Ed*ard Teller @ 20
Scarecrow: have you seen this from The Agonist, Ian Walsh’s stomping grounds?
Has this nominee ever run anything? Bringing in a judge to run one of the largest organizations in the world could be a disaster if he has no management experience and ability.
I was just reading over on another blog about how Hope can be thought of as an act of will, rather than being determined by objective conditions in the world.
Inspiring, good medicine.
Dialog between CHS & Ed brought that to mind. Credit where do, grounds for some faint hope.
Nader in Washington Saturday: “The impeachable offenses of Bush outnumber any other list of impeachable offenses of any US president,” Nader said. “Not only did he and Cheney violate their oath of office to uphold the constitution and the laws of the land, but they proceeded to impose a practice of torture, to arrest thousands of Americans without charges and throw them in prisons without lawyers…. They spied on millions of Americans randomly without judicial approval. How many more impeachable offenses do those spineless, gutless, hapless Democrats need in the Congress.”
Get me rewrite!
On the Today Show this morning:
Gotta go soon. Was hoping for more feedback from morning pups on putting pressure on the House Ethics panel re Don Young’s Coconut Road illegal caper.
pseudo:
Leahy and Schumer can play good cop / bad cop on this one. Schumer says ‘talented nominee, shown lack of undue deference’; Leahy says ‘until we know what was going on at DOJ, even a favoured nominee can’t begin to fix it.’
Did Schumer and Leahy actually say those things (paraphrased or otherwise)?
rw at 51 — He has been a lawyer in private practice in between working as an AUSA and a judge. You do a lot of staff management when you do trial work — and a lot of running a million things at once both as an attorney and as a judge. He was Chief Judge for a while, so he would have been running the whole court system in his jurisdiction as well — that would include managing staff, other judges, security personnel, scheduling, priorities, etc. — so, yes, he’s run things.
See LHP’s article for more background on this.
Ed*ard Teller @ 44
How *I* did it? LOL! I am just the humble fundraiser and have nothing to do with how ActBlue assembles their site.
rwcole @ 51
He was not just a judge, but Chief Judge of the circuit, which carries with it administrative responsibility. I’ll leave it to the lawyers among us to describe just what it entails.
Redd,
Thanks
Schumer loves the guy- put his name on a list to be considered for the supreme court.
cahuenga @ 53
Sorry to say this, but enough Democratic Party DINOs and petty functionaries hate Ralph Nader so much, they’d use that quote as another reason NOT to impeach.
I want to know what LHP is going to do with the nickel she won from her law partner.
Ed*ard Teller @ 61
Well of course they hate him. After all, he’s been right about absolutely everything all along.
Please be assured this was an aberration by Reid & Co. will not happen again.
Randroid Scum!
cahuenga @ 63
That may be overstating his case a bit. OTOH, he’s reputed to be a lousy tipper in restaurants around DC.
on the next page from the above link in the WaPo print edition, Fred Hiatt’s take on the nomination……which truly has to be seen to be believed:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....01146.html
Bush “cowed” by Reid. Oh my.
You’re absolutely right to give the Dems props for standing up to the Olson possibility, Christy. Let’s reinforce that spine whenever we can. There are Republicans who are persuadable, but when they see the Dems wimp out, they think: “If they can’t fight Bush, how can they fight terrorists?” Oh, and BTW, Dems, whenever Bush talks compromise, he’s Lucy holding the football — ie. he’s certain to yank it away.
‘Morning all. I am madly sucking down my coffee. Up too late last night as usual. (that circadian rhythm change isn’t working yet for me.) It’s nice to read some halfway good news for a change.
Some are a little pissed that if Gore had has even 10% of Ralphie’s votes in florida there would be no Clusterfuck presidency..
That being said- it’s important to remember that impeachment ain’t about grounds- it’s about votes- and they aren’t there.
petwrecker @ 65
A*P*A*C/Thhe lobby/PNAC boy…… so he responded predictably.
petwrecker @ 65
And thus Alan Greenspan confirms yet again that he lived & is living inside the disinformation bubble…
cahuenga
like the DFH’s who demonstrated in the 100’s of thousands against the war before it began, being right and forthright is the mark of the beast to both factions of the Republicrat Party.
go rot! Junya was in it for truth justice and the Randroid way!
rwcole @ 70
That meme is patently false.
It’s been proven time and again that third party candidates (Buchanan and Nader) had a greater negative impact on Bush than on Gore in Florida.
“When called out publicly by the Democratic leadership – and not in the usual genteel “behind-the-scenes so as not to cause a fuss” way — the Bush Administration folded like a deck chair under a bloated elephant.”
That’s the most correct and relevant thing I’ve heard or seen written in a mighty, mighty long time.
Elliott @ 21
thanks!
murtha just called for his own FU - just wait until after the primaries, and you will see many Rs jump ship (stop supporting bush’s occupation of iraq).
gee… i thought that was supposed to happen in september, which would be… uh, NOW!
Ed*ard Teller @ 66
he lives a modest lifestyle though, afik. Or at least used to.
cahuenga
That doesn’t make sense to me.
Gore lost by 500 votes- Nader took thousands.
The spine pic and your topic reminded me of an iconic line from the movie ‘This Is Spinal Tap.’
Ian Faith: “In the topsy-turvy world of heavy rock, having a good solid piece of wood in your hand is often useful.”
Can my party build upon this?
Did anybody see that Liar-man has registered himself as a Democrat, at least as far as CT voting goes? Does that mean that he now gets a D after his name instead of an I? That pisses me off more than anything at the moment, thinking about all the water he has been carrying for Bushco, esp wrt his committee leadership.
I am going to send pseudonymous in ny’s suggestion to my Senator. I hope people who have a Senator on the Judiciary Committee will also do it.
Biodun @ 54
barf bag, please
uh, huh!
From Salon’s War Room:
mukasey on msnbc
Now Dems, try this: We will not give you any more money for Iraq. We will not allow you to attack Iran either. We will fund all the diplomacy you want.
why are democrats even talking to republicans they should speak directly to the American public and leave media cretins out of it
when some schlub like fatfuck loudobbs or tweety the drooler asks a stupid question Democrats should give the answer to the question they want to discuss
cahuenga @ 75
man, do you guys know how many times the “Nader did it” argument has been thrashed out on these cyberpages?
Think of those poor high school kids of future generations who will have to write history papers on the subject….
rwcole @ 79
Buchanan took considerably more votes from Bush than Nader took from Gore. The existence of third party candidates in the race had a more negative effect on Bush than on Gore (.pdf).
petwrecker @ 85
More run out the clock strategy? Why not let justice continue to fall apart until January 2009?
Shrub looked and sounded drugged while introducing Merkasey
OT-Did you all see that Olbermann had emergency appendectomy? I swear, they are poisoning their adversaries. Not killing them, just get them out of commission for awhile.
Buchanan took considerably more votes
only because the ballot was confusing and people accidentally voted for him and the votes would have gone to Gore not the Bigot
rwcole @ 79
Gore won Florida in 2000 by about 30,000 votes. He lost by about two dozen lawyers and a few hundred spineless Party functionaries. Because most of the 30,000 not counted were by African-American voters, the Party raised no ruckus, unsure whether or not highlighting the continuing disenfranchisement of African-Americans in the Southeast and places like Ohio would drive whites and racist corporate donors even further from the Party. All of which led to Ohio 2004. Did somebody say “SPINELESS?”
oddmommy @ 90
And do you know how many times I was castigated on these very pages mere months ago for even hinting that Reid and Pelosi weren’t up to the task?
rwcole @ 79
If I remember correctly, Buchanan took a bunch in Palm Beach.
cahuenga, perhaps if Nader tried to redeem or remake himself, the way Gore has, you wouldn’t get piled on every time his name comes up on these pages. A lot of us used to admire the guy, after all he was Mr. Safety when there was no one. But now he comes across as a crank.