Poor Arlen Specter. He isn’t in charge any more so his old tactic doesn’t have quite the same punch.
As it turned out, the Senate judiciary committee didn’t really want to think about the FBI, either. So the senators hijacked their own hearing and talked about the pending subpoena showdown instead. A constitutional crisis pretty much always beats whatever’s on the agenda.
Arlen Specter, R-Pa., urged Democrats to “rethink” the subpoenas they have planned for Rove and Miers. Specter had to do a little dance that demonstrates the difficulty he and other Republican senators find themselves in. On the one hand, he wants Congress—in particular judiciary committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.—to make a deal with White House counsel Fred Fielding, who yesterday said Rove and Miers could testify, but only in private, not under oath, and without a transcript. On the other hand, Specter said that it would be “preferable to have the matter transcribed” and that his “own preference” is for a public hearing. He also said, “It’s obviously indispensable to find the facts about whether the Department of Justice acted properly or improperly” in firing the eight U.S. attorneys who were forced to resign last year.
Specter’s best argument was the long delay he says will ensue if the Democrats reject Fielding’s offer. If the clash over whether the Bush administration can assert executive privilege to defy congressional subpoenas goes to court—where the president said yesterday he’d be happy to take it—Rove and Miers won’t be testifying about anything to anyone for quite a while. “We’ll be looking at 2009, after the end of this president’s term,” Specter foretold, reminding his colleagues of the Clinton-era fight over executive privilege that began in 1995 and ended in a 1997 court ruling. Waiting two years would be bad because the way the Department of Justice dealt with the ousted prosecutors has been “a very very serious problem,” causing “a morale problem” and raising questions about how the U.S. attorneys who have continued in office “are going to function,” which is “of the utmost importance.” Specter seems truly conflicted: He appears to agree with Democrats that the Justice Department and administration behaved outrageously, but in the end he’ll bow to the White House and vote against the subpoenas.
We already know that White House officials lie like they breathe. Part of the trouble that AG Gonzales finds himself in today comes because he and his deputies made flagrantly false statements to Congress about subjects ranging from the US Attorney matter to FBI National Security Letters. They lie to their own press secretary.It’s an ingrained aspect of who they are. The thought that they would not lie to Congress when neither an oath nor a written record exist to prosecute a lie is simply ludicrous.
With that in mind, the White House’s “offer” would give Congress zero information that any reasonable person would consider credible. Either Specter is the kind of moron who accepts an opening bid from someone whose first offer is nothing or his maverick act is just another bit of rightwing kabuki.
Crust
I vote for kabuki. I can’t believe Specter has been front and center on the Attorney Purge issue — trying to fight subpoenas, claiming Schumer should recuse himself — when Specter himself has a good share of the responsibility for getting us in this mess in the first place. If Specter had any sense of shame he would be silent on this. He’s the one who’s responsible for inserting the measure in the Patriot Act that the White House exploited here. That’s true even if, as he claims, he didn’t know what his staff was doing.
p.lukasiak
apparently, when it came time for the voice vote on the supoenas, Specter opened his mouth but said nothing when Leahy asked for ‘yeahs’, and kept his mouth shut when Leahy asked for ‘nays’…
Nikki
You know, I enjoy trying to guess who posted the topic of the moment, Tim F or John Cole. I’m slowly beginning to discern the difference in their writing styles. John writes with a bit more passion; Tim is rather scholarly.
Zifnab
I think there’s a third option. Specter is a critic without a spine. He knows what is morally right and wrong. He knows what the Senate should be persuing procedurally and diplomatically, but he absolutely refuses to vote against his Republican fellows. So every time a debate breaks out, he’s either for the right thing and voting the wrong way or for the wrong thing and voting the right way, because he’s geniunely split on his loyalties.
CaseyL
That… has got to be about the most pathetic thing I’ve ever heard an adult do.
What a waste of space that man is.
Pb
Zifnab,
This is incredibly typical of them, too–party over country, get in line, etc. Even Pat Buchanan is the same way–and McCain and Hagel are worse.
28 Percent
You were right before you were wrong just like your hero Kerry! Specter does not have a spine because he knows that the right thing is to STAND BY THE PRESIDENT but he does not because he is scared of the polls. That makes him stupid too because everybody knows that polls all have a LIBERAL BIAS so the polls are not really what AMERICA wants.
Vladi G
Maybe one of the reasons he’s trying to head this off is because it may just come out that he was in on it the whole time, and he’s been lying about being bamboozled by a staffer. He’s been trying to play Mr. Innocent for months now, and the more hearings we have, the more likely we are to hear that he’s not so innocent after all.
Fledermaus
Specter’s been playing this game for the last six years. Bush does something indefensible, Specter hems and haws and vows to oppose it or water it down or whatever. Then quietly, when the vote is taken, he goes along with the rest of the GOP. That bastard should thank his lucky stars that he is not up for re-election until 2010
CJ_n_PA
There is a third possibility. Perhaps there may be some embarrassing revelations about Specter. What if the clause added to the PATRIOT Act was not slipped in by some staffer but instead discussed and approved by Specter? Do you think he would want that exposed?
Dreggas
How can someone live with themselves after basically kneeling before Bush and kissing his hand then doing his bidding?
Mr Furious
Somebody remind Specter that this whole fucking fiasco is his fault (USA PATRIOT Act provision inserted by HIS staff), and to kindly sit down and shut the fuck up.
I’ve had enough of his fretting and posturing.
Tsulagi
What can you say about Specter that hasn’t already been said? He’s the Senate’s concern troll.
Gotta hand it to these guys, when push comes to shove they stay in character. At Bush’s presser this week he was every bit the little spoiled brat stamping his feet. Later, almost as spine free you have Specter strengthening the case why there is a new verb with his name on it.
It’s the work of those super secret gay Democrat covert operatives planted years ago into the Republican staff pool to now make their Pub bosses look stupid. Just ask Hastert.
mrmobi
You don’t mean the Poles, do you? Just kidding.
First of all, no one said anything about Kerry, although he is a hero. Just saying.
Umm, Specter is a Senator, not a lackey. He is supposed to serve the people of his state, Democrats, Party of Torture, Independents, even muslims.
He clearly feels that the Attorney General has lied to congress, but he advocates caving on this. That makes him a loyal Party of Torture member and an endangered species in his re-election bid. While I don’t think that he is as craven as some here, it would be a good thing if the voters of his state reject his support of the worst administration in our history.
Americans want an end to blind party loyalty. They want accountability in government. They want competence. They want this war to be over. They don’t believe the Presidents bullshit about the War on Terror.
By the way, I really like you use of capital letters. It is a proven fact that when you say things that are patently false, they become true if you SHOUT. Good work.
Pb
On the one hand, I’m glad this scandal got uncovered, even if that’s what it took. On the other hand, if it really was inserted by Specter’s staff without his knowledge, then why wasn’t that staffer fired? I figure, if that staffer was fired, then he might go public with what he knows–so either Specter was in on it, or he’s covering for his GOP buddies (party over country), or both.
And incidentally, where does Specter find these crooks, how long does he expect his “I’m an ignorant patsy” routine to hold up, and who could it possibly be winning him points with? Oh well, it’s better than prison, I suppose.
The Kid
28 percent
Do your knuckles hurt every time you slouch down to the local general sundries store to get your vittles and monthly copy of “Stay at home Soldier” magazine?
mrmobi
Thanks, Pb. Fixed.
Da Bombz Diggity
I am in fierce disagreement with Arlen Specter. The United States of America should rest on PRINCIPLES first and foremost. Whether it takes two years to ten years, I want justice to overcome. Former US Attorney, Bud Cummins, who is a devout republican, but also one of the attorneys fired for what the administration called “performance based” reasons and what the Congress wants to investigate said:
I agree whole heartily, the white house would have you think that this is a far left conspiracy to taint the Bush administration, but nothing could be further from the truth. This is about restoring respect and civility to our government, whether we have to investigate democrats or republicans. Republicans, like Gingrich, did themselves a disservice by not investigating the Clinton administration on firm foundation. A sex scandal is hardly important. Even Gingrich was having a sex scandal at the time that he was leading the move to impeach Clinton. Now, the ball is in the democrats’s court, and they are finding damning evidence to screw the republicans with. Well, tough. These lawmakers need to stop staying along party lines and do what’s best for the country, not only for their hombres.
p.lukasiak
because that staffer was given the job as a US Attorney for Utah…. (the position that Gonzales’ chief of staff was supposedly going to get, btw….)
AkaDad
Codename: The Lavender Mafia
Pb
Well, he’s half-right. It’s definitely “a problem about individuals who have been put in to, uhh positions of responsibility that didn’t understand the responsibility they were given”. But it’s also definitely “a republican problem”. However, I wish them all the best–weed out all of those people, and there won’t be much left of the upper ranks of Republican party, but the party and the country will be better for it.
Da Bombz Diggity
Pb, I agree. It’s a shame that the republicans who are in cohorts with the Bush administration and those within the Bush administration are so corrupt. But, I have said that if the shoe were on the other foot, the democrats would probably be as corrupt. You know, “absolute power corrupts.” What sort of predetermined the deleterious actions of this administration was the incomplete results of the 2000 election, where many believe that the election was stolen.
Mr Furious
[slaps forehead] Shit! I forgot all about that over the last week. Grrrrrrr… Blood. Starting. To. Boil….
Give Arlen a double helping of STFU.
Pb
The shoe was on the other foot for decades, and the Democrats still weren’t as corrupt, so I’m not buying it. Power tends to corrupt, but some are more susceptible to it than others–it’s like the difference between handing The One Ring to Bilbo, or to Sauron.
28 Percent
You do not know what his true feelings are, you only know that he says one thing one time and another thing later you do not know which one is true. I would think that would make you like him, you like flip floppers, don’t you? =)
When you said “Party of Torture” at first I thought you meant the Islamofascists but I see that you mean that you think the Republicans are a Party of Torture. You try to paint them black but you who support baby-killing are the Party of Death which is worse I ask you?
28 Percent
The Kid – you do not know me, you only stoop to ad hominem attacks because you cannot beat my ARGUMENT. Stay in school next time!
Thanks for playing!
28 Percent
You are so right there is nothign that Bush does that Democrats have not done too but they pretend they are white as the driven snow (not that they would drive anywhere it kills the planet right? heh) But the problem does stem back to the 2000 election because if there had not been so much that gave DemonocRats a foothold to question the election they would not have been so emboldened since then. Now the clock is running out and you see them getting stronger because they know Bush will go soon. It will be a shame if America does not summon the WILL to reject TIMETABLES and keep this great leader until his JOB is DONE.
Fruitbat Jones
Christ. The geeks have gone LOTR on this blog. Cant wait for the Harold Potter references that are sure to follow.
mrmobi
I really like that, Pb!
Aaron
A full blooded Democracy is a beautifull and precious thing. and the line between it and Dictatorship can be a fine and exceedingly fragile one. If honest non-political prosecutors are replaced with Republican party aparatchniks, then justice has been replaced with a Republican hit squad and we have no democracy, only dictatorship.
Equality under the law was A priciple of our founding fathers and a core princple of our country. Unfortunatly its not a Republican value.
chopper
i believe that actually was inserted into the ‘give whiskey and car keys to teenagers act’ of 2004.
BONGZILLA
It will be a shame if America does not summon the WILL to reject TIMETABLES and keep this great leader until his JOB is DONE. Even if that takes until 2010. OR 2012. OR LONGER. Because we aren’t DONE until our President SAYS WE’VE BEEN DONE!.
Zifnab
For decades, the Republicans have been trying to gerrymander the judiciary. As President, Bush discovered he didn’t have to. It’s kinda disturbing like that.
But with the stress we’ve put our governmental infrastructure through, I do have to give our Founding Fathers a round of applause. Seriously, I can’t imagine another system that could handle this much shit thrown at it and still at least pretend to function.
RSA
Yeah, it’s pretty much inconceivable that anyone could do a better job of honest government than the Bush crowd. Bush really wasn’t kidding about the soft bigotry thing.
mrmobi
Re: Specter. I only know that he protests when the administration over-reaches, and then folds when it comes to action. Also, he, or his staff, secretly inserted a provision in the Patriot Act which subverts the proper operation of our government by giving the President a power he did not have before. Actions speak louder than words.
Actually, I am a flip-flopper. I originally supported the Iraq Invasion (based almost entirely on Colin Powells’ testimony at the UN). I should have been paying closer attention, as should you. Fool me once, etc.
The larger point here, though, is what is wrong with changing your views on a subject?
Are you pleased that our national discourse has been reduced to simplistic “talking points” like “flip-flopper” when there are real, serious issues which don’t get addressed?
Einstein said the the definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Isn’t that exactly what we are doing in Iraq?
You don’t know me. I’m against abortion and for a woman’s right to control her own body. But, since you ask, you are worse, along with your “abortion is the worst evil” mentality. Being a citizen in a democracy doesn’t necessarily include being a good Christian, or even believing in God, and you, 28 percent, are not a good citizen. I don’t think you even know what democracy means.
Serious people are trying to solve serious problems, and you and your ilk yell, “Baby Killers!” This encapsulates your idea of citizenship, I think. You are willing to watch this magnificent democracy severely damaged because your religion says that “fertilized egg” = “fully functional human being.”
You are a tool of a very powerful and very corrupt government which doesn’t care about you, your family or your precious unborn. Shame on you.
Apologies to all, this kind of shit gets my dander up.
Darrell, D'Souza, DeLay and Strauss
It’s just a piece of paper. And sometimes we just have to tear it up a little. As Giuliani has said, “Freedom is authority”. He’ll have to crack alot of heads, but eventually, we’ll all be safe again.
Darrell, D'Souza, DeLay and Strauss
Well, a good more than 28% disagree with you on that. More like 58% think you atheists don’t belong here.
mrmobi
By “here” do you mean “alive?”
mrmobi
The new Party of Torture slogan. Soon to be accompanied by “Freedom is Slavery.”
28 Percent
Oh no you will not fool me into changing my name that easy. The other 30% are RINOS and they don’t count. If there were more votes for the decent folk then we could be 100% but until then we will have to stay the SILENT MAJORITY but do not fear we WILL BE HEARD
mrmobi
With your name, you’ve got to be a spoof, but I’ll bite.
Good to see you have such respect for our country and its’ founding documents.
I’ll paraphrase Dwight Eisenhower (that moonbat), who, when asked about security, said, “If people want absolute safety, they should go live in prison.”
You sound like a prison guard yourself.
Fuck you, and it mean that in the most “civil” way possible.
Darrell, D'Souza, DeLay and Strauss
You’re not alive if you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. It’s in the Bible.
How often do you get out of your cubicle, freedom lover?
Since it’s a “living” document according to you moonbats, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the future Scalia-majorities interpretation of that concept.
Hey, y’all keep speaking truth to power when Rudy is running things. Times Square is as safe as any prison.
RSA
I take comfort in the knowledge that a just and merciful God will punish the average atheist’s 70-odd years of apostasy by having demons fuck him over for billions and billions of years–oh, what the hell, let’s just make it eternity. That’ll teach ’em.
HyperIon
It defies belief that Specter’s staff can insert language that he does not now about. But it also defies belief that senate members vote on bills that they have not ever read.
In the first case I am forced to conclude that Specter is incompetent. Idiots happen, ya know. But if the entire senate is incompetent….um, what to do now?
Getting rid of Specter and Gonzales and Bush is not going to improve the reading comprehension/attention to detail of senate members.
IMO the system is broken. and we are screwed.
mrmobi
My bible is the United States Constitution, which is probably the greatest political document ever written. It isn’t perfect, and it is a living, evolving document, but we liberals don’t like small-minded cretins like you talking about “tearing it up a little.” It deserves great respect. You are unworthy of it.
We liberals believe that everyone has a full place in society, even sociopathic fascists like you. Belief in God has nothing to do with it, as is clearly indicated by the founding fathers.
Although I would prefer that the Party of Torture nominate Newt Gingrich, I would be very, very happy if the nominee is Rudy Guiliani. He isn’t quite pre-disastered like Newt, but he’s corrupt, authoritarian, and quite the adulterer, for a bald guy. He even tried to cut off his wife’s health insurance while they were divorcing. Nice. He’s perfect for you guys.
Every day, for a 3 to 6 mile run, you authoritarian prick. I do love freedom, and like you guys are always saying, “Freedom isn’t Free.” Unforturnately, since you can’t read, you don’t really understand what “Freedom” means. You should learn to read, I recommend it to you. Start with “The Federalist Papers.” You will discover that you are living in the wrong country. I recommend North Korea for you buddy. They’ll let you torture as much as you want. Women, kids, whatever. It’s perfect for you.
I repeat President Eisenhower, if you want complete safety, go to prison. You certainly sound like you belong there.
Darrell, D'Souza, DeLay and Strauss
A)
B)
You are either a spoof, or very confused about A or B or both. Let’s make it simple for you. Please point to the “living” context of the Commerce Clause in A and B. Your pop interpretations aside, it is you liberals who have been tearing up the Constitution. Now you get all frayed when Scalia and Yoo want to stitch it back together.
Heh, if freedom is running a couple of miles, they’ve got tracks for you at the pen. You can lift some weights also and commiserate with the other low-life.
You guys think the gutter is the useful part of the road. No, you guys went off the road and reservation a long time ago if you think you’re upholding the Federalist Papers.
mrmobi
Only after they have beaten it to death first.
And for the record, Yoo thinks it’s ok to torture babies in front of their parents to get them to confess.
He’s and even bigger piece of shit than you are. But then, you named yourself after criminals to be and pieces of shit, didn’t you? You must be very proud.
Zifnab
Stop feeding the blatantly obvious spoof.
CaseyL
Not sure it’s a spoof ifit’s so obviously a put-on. More the Zombie Santa and Undead Easter Bunny: just someone having fun.
Darrell, D'Souza, DeLay and Strauss
The ignoble lie to the noble lie… That probably went over your head.
I’m as real as any of you. I mean, really, the Constitution is a “living” and “evolving” document! You believe that crap? Surely if we just fold it another way, the gay marriage clause will flop out?
I may be a little-bit sarcastic, but I’m not drunk on pop liberalism.
Chad N. Freude
Speaking of the Federalist Papers and the Constitution, you might want to see what that well-known ultra-liberal moonbat John Dean (yes, that John Dean) has to say.
Chad N. Freude
Sorry, the link didn’t work.
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20070323.htmlHere.
MikeF
Well, you obviously are really an ignorant fuck. Have you ever heard of CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS?
Darrell, D'Souza, DeLay and Strauss
Me, ignorant? Before they ship you back, I have only one thing to say:
EXACTLY
While the rest of the rift-raft here thinks it’s all relative, and ammendments are silly, Mr. Thomas Jefferson thought it would be standard operating procedure.
That f*ing wingnut…
You know, actually doing some work to ‘fix’ the Constitution. But you don’t see alot of ammendments lately, do you? In fact, you’ve never seen one.
Instead, we have judges re-mis-re-interpreting da Constitution, based on whomever is the flavor justice of the day.
Is that what The Founders intended?
I’m sure you find Scalia repulsive. Get used to it, because according to mrmobi, it depends on which team you’re on. Flavor of the week, as long as it’s a demorat.
Darrell, D'Souza, DeLay and Strauss
I have a new name for you. Pussy Maximus.
brendan
“Maybe one of the reasons he’s trying to head this off is because it may just come out that he was in on it the whole time, and he’s been lying about being bamboozled by a staffer. He’s been trying to play Mr. Innocent for months now, and the more hearings we have, the more likely we are to hear that he’s not so innocent after all.”
Ding ding ding!
Vladi G wins a kewpie doll.
That is EXACTLY what is going on here. The connection is between Specter and Hatch, who were pushing for Brett Tolman (sp?) for the Utah USA position, and the WH, which was pushing for Sampson.
He’d like that remain as quiet as possible.
Just my opinion of course.
Marty at booman has a different take.
MikeF
And here we go…Documents Show Gonzales Approved Firings
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales approved plans to fire several U.S. attorneys in a November meeting, according to documents released Friday that contradict earlier claims that he was not closely involved in the dismissals.
The Nov. 27 meeting, in which the attorney general and at least five top Justice Department officials participated, focused on a five-step plan for carrying out the firings of the prosecutors, Justice Department officials said late Friday.
There, Gonzales signed off on the plan, which was crafted by his chief of staff, Kyle Sampson.
lard lad
Oooooh, my head… where am I?
Why are my pants around my ankles?
My butt hurts…
Tim F.
For god’s sake people. If someone logged in with the tag I AM A SPOOF half of you would still bite.
I AM A SPOOF
I so have to try this!
So, who’s in that biting half?
Lit3Bolt
Yah, I’m a wingnut too! I hate gays, faggots, queers, homos, queens, sodomites, and fag-queen-queer-homos with equal abandon. I’m constantly on guard for ‘teh gay.’ It shows up in librul ideology. You libruls have undone the Constitution with your faggotry.
Right wing’s response:
Heh, you clearly are unworth my valuable troll time. Heh. Obviously, you are a librul with BDS and thus unworthy of any arguement I can concieve, which is truly fortune, since I cant come up with an articulate arguement.
Leftie:
Fuck off dumbass.
Right-wing:
Heh, thoose stupid libruls. You can’t respond to my incomprehensible strawman baiting arguements. Heh. Keep reading KosFAGGOT and Michael Moore the FATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT and AL Frankendemon haha Heh Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh..
Jeb Bush FTW in 2008!!!!111111