AM Feed - April 27: Rove Makes Fifth Trip to Grand Jury
Hot Topics
- Yesterday Karl Rove made his fifth appearance testifying before a grand jury in connection with the Valerie Plame leak. Now he only needs a couple more stamps on his frequent visitor card to earn a free cup of coffee. Rove stayed for several hours of questioning over new issues that had developed in the case since his last testimony. At issue is a conversation Rove’s lawyer had with a reporter at Time which revealed that Rove may have leaked Plame’s identity to Time reporter Matthew Cooper in 2003. The investigation into the leak had been ongoing for over a year before Rove revealed his conversation with Cooper. Bush’s powerful senior aide claims that he simply forgot about it. [link]
- The Senate Finance Committee announced an investigation into the tax returns of the 15 largest oil companies over the last five years. Prompted by skyrocketing fuel costs and record corporate profits, the committee is seeking to gain an accurate understanding of the financial outlook of these companies. The last time the panel requested such tax documents involved Enron. [link]
- In not at all unrelated news, Exxon Mobil announced a gain in quarterly profits from this time last year. Exxon raked in $8.4 billion in net income for the first quarter of this year – a steep increase from the $7.86 billion in net income it secured during the first quarter of the previous year. [link]
- And speaking of corporate corruption, former Enron CEO “Kenny Boy” Lay took the stand in his own defense during his trial in Texas. Lay grew heated and outright nasty during his time on the stand, snapping at the US attorney over the issue of an outstanding $7.5 million debt Lay still owes Enron. Lay stated that he tried to live by Enron’s code of ethics, but that he couldn’t remember signing it every year, allowing, “I’m just not sure. If the document was sent to me, I’m sure I did.” [link]
Quote of the Day
“Of course the implication that there was something wrong with the war plan is amusing almost.” – Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, 4/24.
Morning Snark
- Yes, there’s really nothing more amusing than the thought of a botched war plan. It’s comedy gold. Wasn’t there a Seinfeld episode about that or something?
Comment
- The Democrats have been criticized for not having an overriding philosophy which would catch the public’s eye and heart. What about the simple philosophy: We will always try to do the right thing, to vote for the right thing even if it jeopardizes our political future. I can enumerate many instances where the right thing to do was overlooked in favor of election politics. In the current situation, where they have lost both houses, doing the right thing is a win/win move. They have everything to gain . They can’t lose what they have already lost.
— Louis Allen Apr 27, 12:18 # - I would like to use this opportunity to urge everyone reading this to pledge to boycott ExxonMobil and all the other big rapacious oil corporations by patronizing Citgo when you go to the gas pump. True Majority has a simple way of determining the nearest location of local Citgo gas stations whereever you live in the U.S. Citgo is a Venezuelan state-run oil company that’s not only cheaper price-wise, but the profits go directly to meeting the needs of Venezuela’s impoverished citizenry. Unlike our “leaders” here in the U.S., Venezuela has a President, Hugo Chavez, who respects real democracy and works for the people, rather than the rich parasitical elites. Let’s stop further enriching these Big Energy leeches here in the U.S. and reach out to Chavez who is also sending discounted heating oil to indigent Americans to weather the harsh winter cold. That’s right, our gov’t is so pathetic that pragmatic politicians have cut a deal with Chavez to do what most of our politicians refuse to do – take care of needs of the poor. Let’s revolt against these energy profiteers like Ken Lay and ExxonMobil’s CEO Lee Raymond and stand with those who really have our best interests at heart.
— John Apr 27, 12:27 # - Louis, your suggestion for a good democrat party philosophy is right on. I’ve always felt that it was already the tacit philosophy of the party because of its platform to assist those of our citizenry who need assistance, but perhaps it should be trumpeted LOUDER across the nation. The Republican Party surely is known now as the party that solely and obviously serves the business lobby to the detriment of every other interest in the nation. I thought trickle down economics was a dead issue but not with them.
And to John and everyone else there’s an e-mail circulating on the internet that is calling for the boycott of Exxon. I think people may heed it this time around, especially given the obscene pension given to Raymond.
— jen Apr 27, 12:39 # - Democrats need to stick together, act decisively, simplify message and attack, attack, attack. We need to do whatever is necessary to get the voting public behind impeachment NOW!
— Gay B. Phillips Apr 27, 12:47 # - And if Rove is indicted in the Plame affair, as I suspect he will be, there’s one more nail in the coffin – Democrats need to seize on this issue of ethics and not let it die like the republicans in congress did with the lobby reform legis. Their behavior is despicable and it’s an issue we should run with.
— jen Apr 27, 12:53 # - To jen, Gay & Louis – I would like to get behind a real opposition party, but the Dems just aint it. The Repugs will steal the ‘06 “elections” just like they did in ‘04 and ‘02 and, of course, 2000 with the help of the corrupt Supreme Court. It’s those damned rigged e-voting machines… With machines that record votes for a Dem as a vote for a Repug a kind of electoral Aikido transforms progressive grassroots organizing to get out the vote and uses that to their own Republican advantage. We need a 60s redux with an enraged citizenry taking to the streets and making whichever corrupt corporate party in power, Dem or Repug, bow to our demands for integrity in government and accountablity, transparency, humane foreign policy, welfare for the needy, not the greedy, an end to incessant militarism, universal health care, reproductive choice, environmental sanity and beginning the herculean task of reining in runaway corporate power and abuse.
— John Apr 27, 13:13 # - Hi Rosalie, Mo and others – what is your take on this pathetic gov’t that takes our tax money and funnels it to the already wealthy? I know I’m mad as hell, but am greatly encouraged by the massive immigrant protests – maybe the people are finally taking the “red pill” and escaping the Matrix…
— John Apr 27, 13:23 # - read John Dean’s article on what may happen in the next several months.
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20060421.html
George Bush Is Becoming An Increasingly Dangerous President
John Dean is coming to Madison, WI this weekend. What question would you ask him? I will change my comment into a form of a question:
Bush will declare martial law due to public response of the use of tactical nuclear weapons on Iran and to prevent Jeb Bush from becomming President, given enough software in enough voting machines in enough states that are fixed by corporation(s) to ensure a Republican Congress and President in 2006/2008 as it no longer matters who you vote for or who counts the votes. The fix was in when the US Supreme Court refused to hear the 12th amendment to the US Constitution, no two people can be President and Vice President who inhabit the same state, in this case, Texas.
Also, this link to this internet video raises some interesting questions about 9/11
loosechange911.com
— karen boerboom Apr 27, 13:42 # - Thanks, Karen for the referral – I heard John Dean on “Democracy Now” this morning and he’s always got important things to say when he’s on Ian Masters’ “Background Briefing.” I saw Loose Change and I must say these folks (or fucks) in power are the personification of evil. Karen, keep the comments coming – I love the discourse!
— John Apr 27, 14:28 # - I think the folks protesting the immegration policies are true Americans. I wish the rest of us were brave enough to take it to the streets !!!!!!!!
I think Bush needs his employers (us) to decide that it’s time for him to go. We should be able to serve him his termination papers – he is responsible to our Constitution and us. He has failed on both accounts. WHAT MORE DO WE NEED to be true Americans like the founding fathers expected us to do?
And I haven’t bought gas from Exxon since they poured all of that oil on the shore of Alaska.
(I don’t shop at Wal-Mart either)
— MO Apr 27, 17:00 # - Yes, these people ARE the personification of evil, John, and I completely agree with the rest who’ve written above that it’s a sin we aren’t all out in the streets. Why the hell aren’t we? These guys make Nixon look like a walk in the park. Are people too consumed with consumerism, or simply spending all their time trying to get by financially that they ignore the facts and the many signs that all point to impending doom? Maybe they are all just stupid.
I have some Repug acquaintances who regularly send e-mails devoid of truth and not referenced in any way, and I haven’t gone with my gut and blocked them yet. I respond to each with factual information in attempts to educate them. They don’t want to know the truth. All they care about is that he claims to be a “Christian”. Were Jesus to come back, especially if he were of color-as originally-(God forbid) these are the very assholes who would crucify him all over again. I really don’t understand this mentality at all. The truth is screaming at the public daily, and still they don’t care. What does BushCo have to do to alienate the masses?
Marshall law is a distinct possibility, and this regime has certainly set itself up for exactly that.
I think everyone would be appalled if they read reports of all these crimes in our government happening in another country (especially one that’s Muslim), starting with the 2000 election.
— deborah Apr 27, 17:50 # - Cheers for Mo, I don’t and wouldn’t shop at greed infected Wal*Mart either.
— scott Apr 27, 23:00 # - Hi scott, good for you for boycotting Walmart.
— John Apr 28, 10:33 # - Hi deborah & MO, good to hear your thoughts and I’m glad you feel radicalized and are boycotting these egregious companies like Exxon and Walmart. There’s a cult of powerlessness that is gripping the country – people feel ineffectual and impotent and taking to the streets seems to be out of vogue among progressives. (undocumented workers and those who care about them excepted obviously) – stay strong folks!
— John Apr 28, 10:44 #
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