Inside DOJ's Civil Rights Dept's Descent into Oblivion

Bob Kengle, who spoke with TPM last week, has an indepth post this week. It's searing in its look inside the politicization that has gutted the DOJ, and in particular, the Civil Rights division.

This is Scandalous

But, then what else would we expect from the DOJ.

Media Musing

I realised something after watching last night's 'premiere' of Bill Moyers' new PBS show (It's quite good, watch it if it's available in your area.... good incisive examination of the news media in the modern day.) I was thinking about it later on, amid reading all the posting inspired by the 'special' that ran earlier in the week, and about what a lousy job the media has done covering Bu$hCo and how defensive and/or oblivious they are to that lousy job.

They've been conned, and they don't want to admit it. Oh sure, some are true believers (smell the brimstone?), the Faux Newsies and such, but the vast majority have just been conned. They went assuming that the Bushies wanted to good things, get things done, etc, the usual 'workings' of govt. Being Repugs, they expected a certain amount of sludge and corruption.

But this (mis)administration was different. They weren't interested in anything but enriching their buddies, making the government bathtub-drownable, and frying Saddam's ass. And every action they've taken has been aimed at one of those objectives, or at HIDING their aim at one of those objectives.

And now it's all unraveling. About half of that is due to their inate hubris, and about half to the fact that for four of the six years of the Bush regnum they were completely unchecked and unexamined by Congress. And now, with some oversight from Congress, the wheels are starting to come off. And given the general level of competence amongst these people, the expectation that they could do anything and get away with it, and the anger of the opposition, the lid is coming off, loudly and fast.

And the MSM is still in denial. They COULD NOT have been so completely conned, that would shatter their self-images. But THEY WERE, and when they finally cross the bridge over denial, the backlash is going to make the current shouting from us in the blogosphere seem like the sussuration of a gentle spring breeze.

DC Madam Claims First Victim

Randall Tobias, a State Dept Honcho, in charge of International Development, resigned today. I'll point you to TPM for the details; they're well worth the trip!

Americablog spouts off too :)

DC Madam Claims First Victim

Randall Tobias, a State Dept Honcho, in charge of International Development, resigned today. I'll point you to TPM for the details; they're well worth the trip!

Then Put Her Ass in Jail

Or if the Bushies won't enforce a contempt citation, start impeachment procedings left and right. Unbelievable.... Condi "Exxon Valdez II" Rice says she's "not inclined" to honor the current Congressional subpoenas.

Congress Tells Bush To Stuff It

Despite threats of vetoes and enough bluster to generate a Chicago snowstorm, both Houses of Congress approved the supplemental Funding bill, complete with requirement to begin leaving Iraq by Oct of this year, with final withdrawal to be completed by next March. The troops are funded... back to you, Dumbfuck.

If he IS incoherent enough to veto this AND blame the Dems for 'starving' the troops, this is what Congress should do: send him back a tougher bill. The first re-try should have a 9 month deadline (Mar was 12 months, when the bill started out); second, 6 months; third 3 months. And they must hammer home the point that they have fulfilled their duty.... they funded the troops; it's that loon in the Oval Office that's defunded them.

Rudy The (Monumnetally Tone Deaf) Fear Monger

I was going to post something about Giuliani's idiot speech, but Hunter beat me to it. He covers all the points I was going to make, but probably better. The fun part:

Yes. If a Republican is elected, they can "anticipate" terrorist attacks. You know, perhaps because staff members with their "hair on fire" are warning them of the high risk of terrorist attacks. Perhaps because staff members are trying to educate them in vain about a recent ongoing history of terrorist attacks. Perhaps because somebody practically staples a memo to the Republican President's forehead dramatically entitled, in a large and bolded font, "Bin Laden Determined To Strike in U.S." MAYBE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

Yes, the recent history of Republican "anticipation" of terrorist attacks is certainly something I'd be pinning my ass to, if I were a Republican running for President.

I was pondering over this last night, as a matter of fact, so let's think about this for a minute. Under six years of President Bush, there have been major terrorist attacks on two American cities, public-safety-threatening electricity blackouts artificially created by major energy corporations in an effort to extort the recipients of that electricity, deficits that have reached crisis proportions, criminal indictments of Republican congressmen nationwide and even of Republican White House staffers, one of Americas "crown jewel" cities was in large part destroyed and its population turned into refugees battling a national government response that ranged from incompetent to absent, the defacto suspensions of habeas and other Constitutional rights, the international diplomatic isolation of America, and there have been two major wars, both ongoing.

So a Democratic administration could, in theory, see major terrorist attacks on two American cities, electrical blackouts and corporate criminal extortion of our electrical grids, further massive deficits, criminal indictments of Democratic congressmen nationwide and of White House staffers, the destruction of another major city, encroachments upon various Constitutional rights, the continued international isolation of the nation, and start one major war...

... and they'd still suck less than Bush.

Goodling Subpoenaed

The House Judiciary subpoenaed Monica Goodling and apparently has offered her immunity. This will be fun.

Times Weighs in on Renzi

From the NYT:

Congressman Rick Renzi, an Arizona Republican, was locked in a close re-election battle last fall when the local United States attorney, Paul Charlton, was investigating him for corruption. The investigation appears to have been slowed before Election Day, Mr. Renzi retained his seat, and Mr. Charlton ended up out of a job — one of eight prosecutors purged by the White House and the Justice Department.

The Arizona case adds a disturbing new chapter to that scandal. Congress needs to determine whether Mr. Charlton was fired for any reason other than threatening the Republican Party’s hold on a Congressional seat.

Mr. Renzi was fighting for his political life when the local press reported that he was facing indictment for a suspect land deal. According to The Wall Street Journal, federal investigators met unexpected resistance from the Justice Department in getting approval to proceed and, perhaps as a result, the investigation was pushed past the election.

More Rovemania

TPM has more coverage on Rove's penetration of the whole administration for political purposes. Holy Hatch Act, Batman.

Update: WaPo has coverage.

Bush Loves Gonzo

I'm just going to point to Froomkin on this......

Renzi Case Getting Weirder

TPM has coverage of unfolding drama in the Renzi proto-scandal (is there going to at least one scandal for every Repug before this is over?- wouldn't bet against it!)

Bye Bye Boris

Boris Yeltsin died yesterday. I don't have any deep feelings about him, but I think he got far too much credit and far too much blame for the events that transpired in the USSR/Russia under his watch. He was a man of great courage and great failings, and was, in many ways, both the wrong man and the best man to be in his place in his time. Putin certainly hasn't been a big improvement, now has he?

mcjoan at dKos has a good summation/obit.

McGovern Stomps Cheney

This is too delicious.... the old warrior just bitchslaps Big Dick into next week.

In the war of my youth, World War II, I volunteered for military service at the age of 19 and flew 35 combat missions, winning the Distinguished Flying Cross as the pilot of a B-24 bomber. By contrast, in the war of his youth, the Vietnam War, Cheney got five deferments and has never seen a day of combat — a record matched by President Bush. [...]

We, of course, already know that when Cheney endorses a war, he exempts himself from participation. On second thought, maybe it's wise to keep Cheney off the battlefield — he might end up shooting his comrades rather than the enemy.

And the money shot:

It is my firm belief that the Cheney-Bush team has committed offenses that are worse than those that drove Nixon, Vice President Spiro Agnew and Atty. Gen. John Mitchell from office after 1972.... Indeed, as their repeated violations of the Constitution and federal statutes, as well as their repudiation of international law, come under increased consideration, I expect to see Cheney and Bush forced to resign their offices before 2008 is over.

UHOH!!

Look out Carl! Here comes the OSC! Is Fitz available?

Via Americablog.... David Iglesias filed the Hatch Act complaint that started this.

Cornyn In Trouble?

My favorite Senator, John Cornyn, R-Tx, appears to be in some trouble (of course, most Repugs up for re-election are in some trouble.) It's way too early to get excited, but this could be great news. The man is a toxic dump of bad attitudes, lack of knowledge, and totally party loyalty (think: Bush-lite.) His ouster would be a great boost to getting the country back on its feet (and show that maybe my birth state is showing some signs of returning to sanity.) About the only thing that would make me happier would be Imhofe biting the bullet; he's Cornyn without the polish (and half the intellect!)

David Halberstam Dies

Author David Halberstam died today in a car crash while on his way to interview legendary NFL QB Y.A. Tittle. Halberstam was a great writer, probably best known for his book on the Kennedy 'team', The Best and The Brightest. He will be sorely missed. Altho he had turned his attention to sports history in recent years, his commentary on current events was thoughtful and insightful. He certainly had no doubts that we had moved from the Best and the Brightest to Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest.

Update: Glenn Greenwald reminisces.

I Guess I'm Scum.....

... cuz I think we should get out of Iraq as soon as possible. So, according to Dana Perino, and assumedly, Dumbfuck himself, I am a bad person.

Media Reform

Another of my bugaboos is the consolidation of the media in this country. It's far too concentrated for the good of the 'public'. I live in LA. All three network 'affiliates' in the market are not affiliates, but network owned and operated. At least one of them owns, and cross programs (mostly news) with a former independent channel. (On the plus side, since Orange County and L.A. are a combined broadcast market, we have four PBS channels!) One of the non-network stations is owned by Tribune Company, so it's a side marketer for the only major daily newspaper in town (both, of course, owned by a faceless out of town corporation.) We have the usual collection of Clear Channel radio stations, with a few local O&O stations. But the overall view is one of corporate control by a bare handful of corporations. No wonder the quality of reportage, particularly, hard hitting investigative reportage, has dwindled.

jamess at dailyKos has a post today on MORA, H.R. Bill 109-3302. the Media Ownership Reform Act. Let your Reps and Senators know you support this bill. It doesn't go far enough for me (I'd go back to the old rules of one tv station/paper/radio station, and prevent existing entities from buying other ones in the same market... and limit cross ownership of broadcast, cable, and satellite interests), but it's probably as good as we're going to get till Rupert Murdoch actually transforms into the Jonathon Price version of Murdoch from the Bond flick "Die Another Day" and starts a war with China.

Oh yeah, bring back Judge Green and break up Ma Ball (now SBC) again! :)