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| Harry Reid throws down the gauntlet | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 1 2005, 01:03 PM (1,650 Views) | |
| Jack Frost | Nov 1 2005, 01:03 PM Post #1 |
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Bull-Carp
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Harry Reid took the Senate into a closed session--a very unusual move--to discuss Iraq intelligence and released the following statement. This past weekend, we witnessed the indictment of the I. Lewis Libby, the Vice President’s Chief of Staff and a senior Advisor to President Bush. Libby is the first sitting White House staffer to be indicted in 135 years. This indictment raises very serious charges. It asserts this Administration engaged in actions that both harmed our national security and are morally repugnant. The decision to place U.S. soldiers in harm’s way is the most significant responsibility the Constitution invests in the Congress. The Libby indictment provides a window into what this is really about: how the Administration manufactured and manipulated intelligence in order to sell the war in Iraq and attempted to destroy those who dared to challenge its actions. As a result of its improper conduct, a cloud now hangs over this Administration. This cloud is further darkened by the Administration’s mistakes in prisoner abuse scandal, Hurricane Katrina, and the cronyism and corruption in numerous agencies. And, unfortunately, it must be said that a cloud also hangs over this Republican-controlled Congress for its unwillingness to hold this Republican Administration accountable for its misdeeds on all of these issues. Let’s take a look back at how we got here with respect to Iraq Mr. President. The record will show that within hours of the terrorist attacks on 9/11, senior officials in this Administration recognized these attacks could be used as a pretext to invade Iraq. The record will also show that in the months and years after 9/11, the Administration engaged in a pattern of manipulation of the facts and retribution against anyone who got in its way as it made the case for attacking Iraq. There are numerous examples of how the Administration misstated and manipulated the facts as it made the case for war. Administration statements on Saddam’s alleged nuclear weapons capabilities and ties with Al Qaeda represent the best examples of how it consistently and repeatedly manipulated the facts. The American people were warned time and again by the President, the Vice President, and the current Secretary of State about Saddam’s nuclear weapons capabilities. The Vice President said Iraq “has reconstituted its nuclear weapons.” Playing upon the fears of Americans after September 11, these officials and others raised the specter that, left unchecked, Saddam could soon attack America with nuclear weapons. Obviously we know now their nuclear claims were wholly inaccurate. But more troubling is the fact that a lot of intelligence experts were telling the Administration then that its claims about Saddam’s nuclear capabilities were false. The situation was very similar with respect to Saddam’s links to Al Qaeda. The Vice President told the American people, “We know he’s out trying once again to produce nuclear weapons and we know he has a longstanding relationship with various terrorist groups including the Al Qaeda organization.” The Administration’s assertions on this score have been totally discredited. But again, the Administration went ahead with these assertions in spite of the fact that the government’s top experts did not agree with these claims. What has been the response of this Republican-controlled Congress to the Administration’s manipulation of intelligence that led to this protracted war in Iraq? Basically nothing. Did the Republican-controlled Congress carry out its constitutional obligations to conduct oversight? No. Did it support our troops and their families by providing them the answers to many important questions? No. Did it even attempt to force this Administration to answer the most basic questions about its behavior? No. Unfortunately the unwillingness of the Republican-controlled Congress to exercise its oversight responsibilities is not limited to just Iraq. We see it with respect to the prisoner abuse scandal. We see it with respect to Katrina. And we see it with respect to the cronyism and corruption that permeates this Administration. Time and time again, this Republican-controlled Congress has consistently chosen to put its political interests ahead of our national security. They have repeatedly chosen to protect the Republican Administration rather than get to the bottom of what happened and why. There is also another disturbing pattern here, namely about how the Administration responded to those who challenged its assertions. Time and again this Administration has actively sought to attack and undercut those who dared to raise questions about its preferred course. For example, when General Shinseki indicated several hundred thousand troops would be needed in Iraq, his military career came to an end. When then OMB Director Larry Lindsay suggested the cost of this war would approach $200 billion, his career in the Administration came to an end. When U.N. Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix challenged conclusions about Saddam’s WMD capabilities, the Administration pulled out his inspectors. When Nobel Prize winner and IAEA head Mohammed el-Baridei raised questions about the Administration’s claims of Saddam’s nuclear capabilities, the Administration attempted to remove him from his post. When Joe Wilson stated that there was no attempt by Saddam to acquire uranium from Niger, the Administration launched a vicious and coordinated campaign to demean and discredit him, going so far as to expose the fact that his wife worked as a CIA agent. Given this Administration’s pattern of squashing those who challenge its misstatements, what has been the response of this Republican-controlled Congress? Again, absolutely nothing. And with their inactions, they provide political cover for this Administration at the same time they keep the truth from our troops who continue to make large sacrifices in Iraq. This behavior is unacceptable. The toll in Iraq is as staggering as it is solemn. More than 2,000 Americans have lost their lives. Over 90 Americans have paid the ultimate sacrifice this month alone – the fourth deadliest month since the war began. More than 15,000 have been wounded. More than 150,000 remain in harm’s way. Enormous sacrifices have been and continue to be made. The troops and the American people have a right to expect answers and accountability worthy of that sacrifice. For example, 40 Senate Democrats wrote a substantive and detailed letter to the President asking four basic questions about the Administration’s Iraq policy and received a four sentence answer in response. These Senators and the American people deserve better. They also deserve a searching and comprehensive investigation about how the Bush Administration brought this country to war. Key questions that need to be answered include: o How did the Bush Administration assemble its case for war against Iraq? o Who did Bush Administration officials listen to and who did they ignore? o How did senior Administration officials manipulate or manufacture intelligence presented to the Congress and the American people? o What was the role of the White House Iraq Group or WHIG, a group of senior White House officials tasked with marketing the war and taking down its critics? o How did the Administration coordinate its efforts to attack individuals who dared to challenge the Administration’s assertions? o Why has the Administration failed to provide Congress with the documents that will shed light on their misconduct and misstatements? Unfortunately the Senate committee that should be taking the lead in providing these answers is not. Despite the fact that the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee publicly committed to examine many of these questions more than 1 and Ѕ years ago, he has chosen not to keep this commitment. Despite the fact that he restated that commitment earlier this year on national television, he has still done nothing. At this point, we can only conclude he will continue to put politics ahead of our national security. If he does anything at this point, I suspect he will play political games by producing an analysis that fails to answer any of these important questions. Instead, if history is any guide, this analysis will attempt to disperse and deflect blame away from the Administration. We demand that the Intelligence Committee and other committees in this body with jurisdiction over these matters carry out a full and complete investigation immediately as called for by Democrats in the committee’s annual intelligence authorization report. Our troops and the American people have sacrificed too much. It is time this Republican-controlled Congress put the interests of the American people ahead of their own political interests. jf |
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| Dewey | Nov 1 2005, 01:08 PM Post #2 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Harry Reid couldn't put politics aside for the good of the country if his life depended on it. |
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"By nature, i prefer brevity." - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, p. 685. "Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you." - Anonymous "Oh sure, every once in a while a turd floated by, but other than that it was just fine." - Joe A., 2011 I'll answer your other comments later, but my primary priority for the rest of the evening is to get drunk." - Klaus, 12/31/14 | |
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| JBryan | Nov 1 2005, 01:09 PM Post #3 |
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I am the grey one
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Democrats are simply desperate to get the spotlight back on pre-war intelligence now that the Fitzgerald investigation turned up no red meat and the Alito nomination is forcing the whole thing off the radar screen. Nice bit of political theater but don't expect it to amount to very much. |
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"Any man who would make an X rated movie should be forced to take his daughter to see it". - John Wayne There is a line we cross when we go from "I will believe it when I see it" to "I will see it when I believe it". Henry II: I marvel at you after all these years. Still like a democratic drawbridge: going down for everybody. Eleanor: At my age there's not much traffic anymore. From The Lion in Winter. | |
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| apple | Nov 1 2005, 01:11 PM Post #4 |
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one of the angels
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Jack. ... we ain't idiots |
| it behooves me to behold | |
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| Jolly | Nov 1 2005, 01:21 PM Post #5 |
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Geaux Tigers!
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Spot on. |
| The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.- George Soros | |
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| Jack Frost | Nov 1 2005, 01:25 PM Post #6 |
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Bull-Carp
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Something's going on.... Recent poll has people saying that integrity and ethics has declined since Bush became President--by a margin of 3 to 1. Declined! From when Clinton was President. jf |
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| Jolly | Nov 1 2005, 01:32 PM Post #7 |
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Geaux Tigers!
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Most people couldn't name either one of the two cabinet secretaries indicted (Cisneros and Espy) under Clinton, if you held a gun to their heads. Reid's stuff was whistling in the wind, and a sop to the faithful.... |
| The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.- George Soros | |
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| George K | Nov 1 2005, 01:59 PM Post #8 |
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Finally
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Or remember that Clinton himself was indicted OOPS! I mean Impeached For suborning perjury and perjury. Chuck Schumer talking about ethics, and his staffers go dumpster diving to get the SS# of a Republican Candidate to obtain a credit report?
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| Kincaid | Nov 1 2005, 02:07 PM Post #9 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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People, by and large, are stupid and rely on the MSM for the opinions they regurgitate. |
| Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006. | |
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| kathyk | Nov 1 2005, 02:23 PM Post #10 |
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Pisa-Carp
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That's certainly the only way to explain Bush's popular support (of the past), and support for this travesty of a war, isn't it. I love watching you guys minimize this stuff (squirmy, squirmy) - just like you did when I first brought up the Rove/Plame issue in the Piano Forum two years ago - remember that, when I posted it in the wrong forum? I swear I took more flak for that egregious error, but the subject took plenty, too. Several of you utterly poo poohed that there was a modicum of truth to the allegations, and took Rove diversion (that Plame was not covert) hook line and sinker. Welp . . . I guess that one didn't just go up in smoke as you predicted, did it? Well, I must admit, I do share your belief that there were WMD; just not in Iraq, . in this administration. And we have seen the beginning of the implosion. I like the idea of a reverse mushroom cloud. |
| Blogging in Palestine: http://kksjournal.com/ | |
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| JBryan | Nov 1 2005, 02:28 PM Post #11 |
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I am the grey one
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I can't speak for anyone else but I'm not squirming. And the Plame/Rove matter turned out to be exactly the nothing we said it was. They just managed to get someone for false statements (possibly) during the investigation. The original thesis put forth by Joe Wilson and swallowed whole by you still has no evidence to support it. |
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"Any man who would make an X rated movie should be forced to take his daughter to see it". - John Wayne There is a line we cross when we go from "I will believe it when I see it" to "I will see it when I believe it". Henry II: I marvel at you after all these years. Still like a democratic drawbridge: going down for everybody. Eleanor: At my age there's not much traffic anymore. From The Lion in Winter. | |
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| kathyk | Nov 1 2005, 02:30 PM Post #12 |
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Pisa-Carp
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And black is white and up is down and. . . . :rolleyes: |
| Blogging in Palestine: http://kksjournal.com/ | |
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| Kincaid | Nov 1 2005, 02:38 PM Post #13 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Kathy, You're just mad because I don't like your sink. |
| Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006. | |
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| JBryan | Nov 1 2005, 02:39 PM Post #14 |
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I am the grey one
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Okay, just for grins, tell me what part of the Fitzgerald investigation turned up evidence in support of the conspiracy theory retailed by Joe Wilson. |
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"Any man who would make an X rated movie should be forced to take his daughter to see it". - John Wayne There is a line we cross when we go from "I will believe it when I see it" to "I will see it when I believe it". Henry II: I marvel at you after all these years. Still like a democratic drawbridge: going down for everybody. Eleanor: At my age there's not much traffic anymore. From The Lion in Winter. | |
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| Jack Frost | Nov 1 2005, 03:01 PM Post #15 |
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Bull-Carp
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There's plenty of evidence that Libby and Rove set out to leak to reporters the fact that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA and it is a very reasonable inference that they did so to discredit or even blackmail Wilson. the only reason there have been no indictments to date based on that behavior is that Fitzgerald--who is clearly beyond reproach himself--has not found probable cause that either Rove or Libby knew that Plame was a COVERT CIA operative, a necessary element of the relevant statute. The fact that a prosecutor doesn't find probable cause to hand out an indictment on a specific crime does not mean there was "nothing" going on. I would expect a President to hold his staff to a much higher standard when it comes to matters of national security. The mere fact that Libby and Rove were talking to reporters about the identity of a CIA agent for political reasons should be sufficient grounds for W to dismiss them, even if their behavior does not rise to the level of a crime. jf |
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| kathyk | Nov 1 2005, 03:06 PM Post #16 |
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Pisa-Carp
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Aw, I thought you did like my sink, but not me. Or was it the other way around? (Honestly, I don't know how anyone could not like that sink). JB, I have not been following Wilson's so-called conspiracy theory; I haven't paid a whole lot of attention to what he's been saying since the story first broke. So, I can't speak to that. As far as what I believe, I think Reid's statement sums it up well. There's been wholesale deception, corruption and abuse of power in this administration since 9-11. 9-11 was the springboard the neo-cons had always dreamed of to justify overthrowing Iraq and growing democracy in the middle east. Call it a conspiracy if you want. What I see is a small circle of people with unprecedented power who were willing to go to nearly any length to carry out their ideological scheme. Finally, it's unravelling, and I'm feeling very confident that although the tip of the iceberg has only just emerged, the rest will be revealed - all in good time. Hehe - I like this Fitzgerald guy a lot! |
| Blogging in Palestine: http://kksjournal.com/ | |
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| JBryan | Nov 1 2005, 04:02 PM Post #17 |
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I am the grey one
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There is no evidence to support the contention that Rove or Libby did anything but reveal Joe Wilson's wife as a CIA employee in the course of knocking down his lies. |
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"Any man who would make an X rated movie should be forced to take his daughter to see it". - John Wayne There is a line we cross when we go from "I will believe it when I see it" to "I will see it when I believe it". Henry II: I marvel at you after all these years. Still like a democratic drawbridge: going down for everybody. Eleanor: At my age there's not much traffic anymore. From The Lion in Winter. | |
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| JBryan | Nov 1 2005, 04:03 PM Post #18 |
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I am the grey one
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I hate to break it to you but this is going to fizzle just like the Fitzgerald investigation did. You will see. |
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"Any man who would make an X rated movie should be forced to take his daughter to see it". - John Wayne There is a line we cross when we go from "I will believe it when I see it" to "I will see it when I believe it". Henry II: I marvel at you after all these years. Still like a democratic drawbridge: going down for everybody. Eleanor: At my age there's not much traffic anymore. From The Lion in Winter. | |
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| Jack Frost | Nov 1 2005, 04:32 PM Post #19 |
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Bull-Carp
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You may be right JB, but the polls suggest otherwise. I think this has legs and Reid's statement today will bring this issue into focus for a lot more people. At some point, even those who supported the war at the outset, are going to wonder why it isn't going quite the way Cheney predicted. We don't need the State Department's plan for the post-war because we will be greeted as liberators. By the end of 2005, our friend and ally Chalabi will be running the country, the oil will pay for the restoration of infrastructure, and....well, it didn't quite go that way. jf |
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| Jack Frost | Nov 1 2005, 06:01 PM Post #20 |
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Bull-Carp
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BUMP up the important stuff.... jf |
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| Nina | Nov 1 2005, 06:15 PM Post #21 |
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Senior Carp
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I don't think the Fitzgerald investigation is going to fizzle. Far from it. |
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| greg | Nov 1 2005, 06:47 PM Post #22 |
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Middle Aged Carp
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Who was knocking down whose lies? :wacko: |
| "What do you think it is, stupid? It's a string for my lute." | |
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| apple | Nov 1 2005, 06:52 PM Post #23 |
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one of the angels
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some day some how... some way... some news story has just got to work for the left - maybe |
| it behooves me to behold | |
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| JBryan | Nov 1 2005, 07:15 PM Post #24 |
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I am the grey one
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The administration was knocking down Joe Wilson's lies. The article he wrote in the New York Times was full of them. He was lying to everyone who would interview him then and he is still lying today even after his lies have been exposed and thoroughly documented. As for his story that the administration was taking revenge on him or attempting to intimidate him by exposing his wife well that is just plain goofy. If someone is telling lies about you you expose the lies. People are intimidated or the subject of vengeance when they are telling the truth like the Clinton Administration did from day one. If you believe this cockamamy theory let me ask you this: Is Joe Wilson the only guy who has ever said something that was uncomfortable for the Bush Administration? Where are all the other "whistle blowers" that have been the objects of their intimidation or vengeance? Instead of the repeated pattern of abuse that characterized the Clinton Administration we have this one guy who happened to write an article attempting to debunk one small part of the case that was being made against Saddam Hussein and you would think the entire case for going to war rested on the words of this one guy. Where are all the other people who must have been intimidated? There certainly have been plenty who have come out against Bush. No, it is all just plain goofy and defies common sense. What is really amazing is the mileage this guy Joe Wilson has gotten out of this threadbare story. The Fitzgerald investigation? Dead, within two weeks unless something right off the wall suddenly comes to light. Mark my words. |
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"Any man who would make an X rated movie should be forced to take his daughter to see it". - John Wayne There is a line we cross when we go from "I will believe it when I see it" to "I will see it when I believe it". Henry II: I marvel at you after all these years. Still like a democratic drawbridge: going down for everybody. Eleanor: At my age there's not much traffic anymore. From The Lion in Winter. | |
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| apple | Nov 1 2005, 07:19 PM Post #25 |
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one of the angels
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jbryan is really smart, straight-thinker, no ax to grind... - those are my words (nice picture of your wife btw Jim) |
| it behooves me to behold | |
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I swear I took more flak for that egregious error, but the subject took plenty, too. Several of you utterly poo poohed that there was a modicum of truth to the allegations, and took Rove diversion (that Plame was not covert) hook line and sinker. Welp . . . I guess that one didn't just go up in smoke as you predicted, did it? 

6:28 AM Jul 11