So What Happened? Did Rover Really Roll Over?

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TruthOut Update on the Rove Indictment Story

Here's what we now know: I spoke personally yesterday with both Rove's spokesman Mark Corallo and Rove's attorney Robert Luskin. Both men categorically denied all key points of our recent reporting on this issue. Both said, "Rove is not a target," "Rove did not inform the White House late last week that he would be indicted," and "Rove has not been indicted." Further, both Corallo and Luskin denied Leopold's account of events at the offices of Patton Boggs, the law firm that represents Karl Rove. They specifically stated again that no such meeting ever occurred, that Fitzgerald was not there, that Rove was not there, and that a major meeting did not take place. Both men were unequivocal on that point.

We can now report, however, that we have additional, independent sources that refute those denials by Corallo and Luskin. While we had only our own sources to work with in the beginning, additional sources have now come forward and offered corroboration to us.

And...We also learned the following: The events at the office building that houses the law firm of Patton Boggs were not in fact a very well-guarded secret. Despite denials by Corallo and Luskin, there was intense activity at the office building. In fact, the building was staked out by at least two major network news crews. Further, although Corallo and Luskin are not prepared to talk about what happened in the offices of Patton Boggs, others emerging from the building were, both on background and off-the-record. There were a lot of talkers, and they confirmed our accounts. We do have more information, but want additional confirmation before going public with it. (Indeed readers, Prissy saw them staked out while in D.C.)

THE 24 HOUR THING: We reported that Patrick Fitzgerald had, "instructed one of the attorneys to tell Rove that he has 24 business hours to get his affairs in order...." That does not mean that at the end of that 24-hour period, Fitzgerald is obliged to hold a press conference and make an announcement. It just means that he has given Rove a 24-hour formal notification. Fitzgerald is not obliged to make an announcement at any point; he does so at his own discretion, and not if it compromises his case. So we're all stuck waiting here. Grab some coffee.

Boo-hoo that's all for now...maybe he's in custody and Fitz will make the announcement after he is slated (booked- We can dream, can't we?) Prissy will keep you posted. How much more can America take? Prissy can tell you this-the law is supposed to work-Rove has clearly and repeatedly made serious infractions-along with the rest of them. Rove's lawyer and Mark Corallo have a history of lying on behalf of their client.

Prissy knows some historians who are thinking the only way we will rid ourselves of the Dubya is if he is bodily removed from the office. Surely, they will not ignore the indictment by a Grand Jury... or will they? Did they?

Come on Fitz, do you want this to happen to your loyal bloggers?

Christian Science Monitor German 'CIA' used reporters as informants

The debate echoes those surrounding the Valerie Plame case in the US, and revelations that the CIA used polygraph tests to investigate leaks about secret prisons in Europe. That debate could flare up again, following an ABC News report this week that the FBI is seeking to obtain reporters' phone records to pinpoint leaks about the prisons and warrantless wiretapping.

German politicians and press advocates alike are wasting no time responding to the allegations and the resulting outcry. On Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel's administration ordered the BND to quit spying on reporters. "This includes especially, but not exclusively, a ban on using journalists as sources for the service," said government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm.

In the last few days, the German press association and a number of politicians have demanded that the 170-page report, prepared by former chief federal justice Gerhard Schäfer, be made public. Mr. Wilhelm initially had said it wouldn't be released. But Norbert Röttgen, who chairs the committee that commissioned the investigation, promised Tuesday that it would. A final decision is expected later this week.

Well, Germany really is a democracy. Dubya doesn't understand democracy never goes out of style.

New 940 Montreal Woman soldier the 17th Canadian to be killed during Afghan mission

Harper told the House of Commons that the woman was killed today in combat with Taliban forces near Kandahar. No other details were released

Prissy is thinking the mission there is unclear and it is time to call the troops home from there too. Poppies growing everywhere, warlords and Marines negotiating because politicians who do not live with the consequences of the policy they create- refuse to negotiate.

Besides, watch Loose Change if you still think we need to be in Afgahnistan. Ask the Russians what their experience was.

Voice of America Case Against Former Enron Top Executives Goes to Jury

Berkowitz also attacked Skilling's use of the 9/11 terrorist attacks as an excuse for selling Enron stock. Prosecutors contend that Skilling sold stock to get his money out of the failing company even as he assured investors that all was well. Berkowitz said, "Mr. Skilling used our nation's tragedy to cover his tracks. That is offensive and he should not get away with it."

The federal prosecutor reviewed evidence with the jury that he said proved both Lay and Skilling had lied to analysts, investors and their own employees about the health of the company. Berkowitz said, "They withheld the truth and they put themselves before investors."

Berkowitz concluded by saying, "You cannot buy justice."

Spiegel Eavesdropping on America

None of this data is destroyed, as millions of new information sources are added to the pool each day. The implication is clear: Someone who may not attract attention today could quickly end up in the sights of the NSA's data miners tomorrow.

This spying on the normal communications of Americans, uncovered last week in the daily newspaper USA Today, has sparked a wave of outrage. The story has proven earlier statements made by the Bush administration -- defending itself against allegations of overzealous wiretapping -- false. It's now clear that the practice hasn't only affected a small number of clearly suspicious individuals. The latest revelations about the government's practice of spying on average Americans have even prompted some of Bush's most loyal supporters to express doubts about what the government is doing. John Boehner, Republican majority leader in the US House of Representatives, is demanding a full investigation into the scope of the highly classified program. Senator Arlen Specter, head of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, wants to subpoena senior executives at several US telecommunications corporations, who have been consistently silent on the matter until now. A furious Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy fired angry question in the direction of the president: "Are you telling me that millions of Americans are involved with al-Qaida?"

Bush, who approved the NSA's actions, has been forced to defend the program. "We are not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans," Bush said. But to many US citizens, that's exactly what it appears like the government is doing. It hasn't help that the president has refused to reveal the details of his administration's intelligence activities, claiming that it would "only help the enemy."

Hey Dubya, Prissy wasn't "talkin' to al-Qaida"- so try again.

Zaman from Turkey- since American news refuses to report 'Have Bush Give Mothers News of Their Sons' Deaths

While six more US soldiers were killed in the last two days in Iraq, the anti-war front in the US did not stand silent on Mothers’ Day, either.

Susan Sarandon, 1995 Best Actress Oscar winner, also made a statement challenging US President George W. Bush, saying; she cannot imagine spending Mothers’ Day in a more befitting way as she read aloud two letters, one of which she wrote, addressed to the US President and his wife Laura Bush.

Sarandon called upon Laura Bush to be responsible for informing mothers about their child’s death in the Iraq War. She went on to say that these mothers pray to hear the voices of their sons in Iraq once more; Bush should have his wife inform them that they will never receive a phone call from their sons again.

"I don't want any more moms to grieve for a child lost in this unjust, unnecessary war in Iraq," said Cindy Sheehan, who won herself the title, “peace mother”, and voiced her opposition to a war on Iran. Sheehan and her supporters camped for a month in front of the Bush ranch in Texas drawing the world’s attention; becoming the symbol of the Civil Peace Movement last year after her son died in the Iraq War. Once chaining herself to the bars of the fence surrounding the White House, Sheehan has often been arrested for her protests. The struggle of Cindy Sheehan, the “Rosa Parks” of the anti-war movement in the US, will be made into a movie in which Susan Sarandon will play the lead role.

Mercury News Iraq's incoming PM to unveil cabinet

The U.S. has focused its effort on training a broad-based army and police force as part of its eventual exit strategy, which hinges on the two services eventually taking control of the country's security.

Rumsfeld refused to say if there would be a major U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq by year's end.

"I can't promise it," Rumsfeld said of the 132,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who testified with Rumsfeld before a Senate subcommittee, was asked whether U.S. troops could withdraw completely from any of Iraq's 18 provinces within the next three months.

"No, sir," Pace replied.

That Pace-always dutiful to poor leadership, regardless of right and wrong.

Law.com Fitzgerald Leads Legion of Lawyers to Libby Indictment

Although a few of Fitzgerald's associates are prominent in their own circles, they haven't made headlines for their work on this case. With a few exceptions, they have remained behind the scenes, rarely interacting with other attorneys representing key players in the probe.

When asked what lawyers are assisting Fitzgerald on the case, Richard Sauber, attorney for Time reporter Matthew Cooper, responds, "I have no clue. I've only dealt with him." Cooper initially was held in contempt of court for refusing to reveal the confidential source with whom he discussed Plame, but later agreed to testify.

Floyd Abrams, attorney for New York Times reporter Judith Miller and the newspaper, concurred that he, too, dealt mainly with Fitzgerald. Miller served 85 days in jail before agreeing to testify about conversations she had with Libby regarding Plame.

Despite their low profiles in the matter, Roscoe Howard Jr., former U.S. Attorney for the District and current partner with Troutman Sanders, says the lawyers assisting Fitzgerald are good choices for the team. He says Swartz is especially qualified for the job, citing his extensive background.

Prissy promises these are not the kind of people who will not go the distance with this case-it is too clear cut to ignore. Prissy just cannot say when, except that it will be about time!

A must see film about 911. Prissy can tell you, it is startling to see the events all in a row...best seen in full screen (1 hr) 911 Loose Change 2nd Edition with extra footage

In These Times NSA Thwarts Whistleblower

Russell Tice has something to say, but there is no one he can talk to. He explained as much at a mid-February hearing before the House Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations. Tice is a 20-year veteran of the United States intelligence network, having worked for Naval Intelligence, the Department of Defense and, most recently, the National Security Agency, where he held the position of intelligence analyst and capabilities officer. He has intimate knowledge of the innermost workings of the intelligence community, and wants to tell Congress about an NSA program that, he says, is unconstitutional and possibly criminal.

“What [the American people] know about is Hiroshima,” he says. “What I’m going to tell you about is Nagasaki. I’m going to tell you about three Nagasakis.” He is gagged, however, by the non-disclosure agreement he signed before becoming privy to top-secret government activities.

“Anyone who comes forward is really made into a martyr,” says Beth Daley, Senior Investigator at the Project on Government Oversight, who works with whistleblowers. “It discourages other people from coming forward.”

It is common for whistleblowers working under the Bush administration to be called paranoid or some other mental impairment, as punishment for coming forward. Dubya seems to forget his smear 'till they fear list is really, really long...

Yale Alumni Magazine Terrorism and civil liberties

At the core of President Bush's sweeping claims to power as commander-in-chief is a metaphor: the "war on terror." Only last summer, Donald Rumsfeld denounced the term as misleading, and tried to convince the president to banish the "war on terror" from the administration's political vocabulary. He failed, but from a constitutional perspective, he had the better of the argument.

Terrorism is merely the name of a technique: the intentional attack on innocent civilians. But war isn't a technical matter. It is a life-and-death struggle against a particular enemy. We made war against Nazi Germany, not the U-2 rocket.

Once we allow ourselves to declare war on a technique, we open up a dangerous path, authorizing the president to lash out at amorphous threats without the need to define them. There are tens of millions of haters in the world, of all races and religions. All are potential terrorists, and all the rest of us are at risk of being linked to one or another terrorist band.

There is a second big flaw. By calling it a war, we frame our problem as if it involved a struggle with a massively armed major power. But modern terrorism has a very different genesis. It is more a product of the unregulated marketplace than massive state power.

Now you see why Yale doesn't brag about Dubya being one of their alumni.

WHISTLEBLOWERS NOW IS THE TIME, Please do the right thing! confidential witness

A confidential, secure and anonymous website to report knowledge of ethical or legal transgressions (e.g. corruption/bribery/extortion/etc.) by the government and/or judges.

LA Times Iraqi Demonstrators Take to the Streets

Fadila has also come under attack from local tribes, which accuse Gov. Muhammad Misbah Waili of involvement in the assassination of a local chief. A group of men dressed in police uniforms killed Sheik Hasan Jarih Karamishi, head of the Karamisha, a tribe from the marsh areas north of Basra.

"This tribal leader has a bad reputation, and it seems he was invited by the governor," said Hussein Adhab, a lawyer from Basra. "And while he was leaving he was killed, along with one of his followers. This tribe is known for its ferocity and power, and held the governor responsible for the killing of their chief. They took it personally."

On Tuesday, a band of armed Karamisha tribesmen assaulted a Basra police station, according to British military spokesman Maj. Sebastian Muntz, who is posted in Basra. Basra officials said that at least eight police officers died in the firefight. The tribesmen left the station before British troops could respond.

An oldie but goodie from Findlaw. Remember this next time Dubya thinks he can scream "state secrets" to protect himself. U.S. Supreme Court UNITED STATES v. NIXON, 418 U.S. 683 (1974)

4. Neither the doctrine of separation of powers nor the generalized need for confidentiality of high-level communications, without more, can sustain an absolute, unqualified Presidential privilege of immunity from judicial process under all circumstances. See, e. g., Marbury v. Madison, 1 Cranch 137, 177; Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186, 211 . Absent a claim of need to protect military, diplomatic, or sensitive national security secrets, the confidentiality of [418 U.S. 683, 685] Presidential communications is not significantly diminished by producing material for a criminal trial under the protected conditions of in camera inspection, and any absolute executive privilege under Art. II of the Constitution would plainly conflict with the function of the courts under the Constitution. Pp. 703-707.

Gonzo, your advice is a problem. Suits Dubya right for surrounding himself with yes Massah Bush men and women...

Moscow Times Putin Confers With Chirac, Merke

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday spoke over the phone with French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the Middle East situation and other issues, the Kremlin said.

The Kremlin press service said Putin and Chirac "discussed acute international issues, paying special attention to the situation in the Middle East."

"Both sides underlined the need to coordinate actions of the international community to provide humanitarian, financial and political assistance to the normalization of the situation and advancing the process of Mideast settlement," the statement said without elaboration. It said that the two leaders also discussed preparations for the summit of the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations set for July in St. Petersburg.

Traditional Catholic Reflections and Reports Christian Just War Theory and Moral Laxism:

Evil does not become good simply because one is doing it with a group of people or because a person with secular authority orders it. A Catholic, whether bishop or lay person, is morally prohibited from leaving his or her conscience or the Church's moral teachings on the doorstep of a battlefield. A declaration of war is not a moral carte blanche authorizing the Catholic to kill other human beings. It is but one of the conditions that must be strictly adhered to if the killing in a war is not to be murder.2 If there is unresolved moral doubt whether the just war standards are being strictly followed, the person is morally forbidden to kill or to support killing in this instance, regardless of the secular declaration of war.

Al-Jazeera Saudi king calls for female picture ban

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has told newspaper editors to stop publishing pictures of women as they could lead young men astray.

After a meeting with editors on Monday, the king was reported in the Saudi media as saying that "one needs to think if he would want his daughter, sister or wife to appear like that. Of course, no one would".

Newspapers have recently broken with tradition and published pictures of women with hair covered but faces showing. They had also begun to debate women's issues, such as being forbidden to drive and vote.

As you can imagine, Prissy has no love for men who insist on women being second class citizens anywhere on this Earth. Women contribute 80% of the world's unpaid labor. Hey, just like this blog ;-) They do this to women because we will often "work for love"- of country, in this case. This is for those kinds of conservatives...Thank you to Randy from Canada for this graphic

Anti-War Rise Up, Fellow Enemies of the State by Thomas R. Eddlem

But many Americans, according to poll numbers, are unconvinced that Bush's program to spy on everyone is a bad thing."Why," they always ask, "do I care if the government has a record of my phone call to my mother? And if you are not doing anything wrong, what's the big deal to you? It doesn't even take any of your time." The brainwashed need to be asked if they are dumb enough to believe they are any safer now that massive government resources are being used to comb through phone calls to their mothers. Of course, I don't want the government snooping through my phone bill for the same damned reason I don't want them walking into my house when I'm out. It's my house, and my phone bill. If government spies were to walk into your home while you were out and snoop around, I stress, they wouldn't take any of your time either. The principle is the same. Of course, we could probably find many Bush groupies would have no problem with even house searches – so long as they are "well-intentioned" – by their so-called "commander in chief." Forget about the Fourth Amendment, they advise.

I would think that my fellow Christian conservatives would shudder to surrender such a power to the president, if for no other reason than because Hillary Clinton could therefore one day wield such power. Not so. I've long known that much of the so-called "Religious Right" is so enamored with Bush to that they believe he is more infallible than the Pope in proclaiming Catholic doctrine when "the decider" uses the federal security apparatus.

What I didn't realize until recently is that they also suffer from the childlike delusion that Republicans will always run the White House.

Childlike delusions or a bunch of old men's fantasy of madness?

The LinkTHE JEWS OF IRAQ

The Link interviewed Naeim Giladi, a Jew from Iraq, for three hours on March 16, 1998, two days prior to his 69th birthday. For nearly two other delightful hours, we were treated to a multi-course Arabic meal prepared by his wife Rachael, who is also Iraqi. "It's our Arab culture," he said proudly.

In our previous Link, Israeli historian Ilan Pappe looked at the hundreds of thousands of indigenous Palestinians whose lives were uprooted to make room for foreigners who would come to populate confiscated land. Most were Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe. But over half a million other Jews came from Islamic lands. Zionist propagandists claim that Israel "rescued" these Jews from their anti-Jewish, Muslim neighbors. One of those "rescued" Jews-Naeim Giladi-knows otherwise.

In his book, Ben Gurion's Scandals: How the Haganah & the Mossad Eliminated Jews, Giladi discusses the crimes committed by Zionists in their frenzy to import raw Jewish labor. Newly-vacated farmlands had to be plowed to provide food for the immigrants and the military ranks had to be filled with conscripts to defend the stolen lands. Mr. Giladi couldn't get his book published in Israel, and even in the U.S. he discovered he could do so only if he used his own money.

The Giladis, now U.S. citizens, live in New York City. By choice, they no longer hold Israeli citizenship. "I am Iraqi," he told us, "born in Iraq, my culture still Iraqi Arabic, my religion Jewish, my citizenship American."

This man has a very interesting background and life story. Prissy recommends reading if you have the time. Puts a new light on the situation in Israel and Iraq.

Lew Rockwell Secret US Talks With Iran?

There is no doubt that Mr. Bush, like Mr. Nixon in 1973 will be facing powerful forces in Washington, including the neoconservative ideologues in his administration and the powerful Israel Lobby if and when he decides to engage the Iranians.

But like the anti-Communist Mr. Nixon, Mr. Bush would not be accused of "appeasing" the mullahs in Tehran but will be seen by most Americans as a leader who was trying to advance US national interests through diplomatic negotiations and by avoiding a costly war. Indeed, in Realpolitik terms, it is in both sides' interests to open a dialogue. Mr. Bush could certainly emerge as a "big winner" out of successful negotiations with Iran: He will be able to use Iranian influence among the Shiites in the region to stabilize Iraq (and Afghanistan) while Tehran's cooperation could help enhance US pressure on Syria and the Palestine's Hamas government.

Oil prices will drop and Mr. Bush could emerge as a "man of peace." That would be great for his "legacy" not to mention to his Republican party in the coming Congressional elections in November. At the same time, the Iranians will also win. They would be recognized by the US and its allies as a regional power, not to mention the American money and businesses that could start flowing into the country.

Bush, a man of peace? Sure-and Prissy has the Brooklyn Bridge for sale. Contact her should you be interested...

Quotes of the Day

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."-- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."-- Galileo Galilei

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."-- Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)

Why Peter Pace keeps shilling for the Bush administration instead of caring for his troops? From Star Wars: Episode VI- Return of the Jedi

Moff Jerjerrod: The Emperor's coming here?

Darth Vader: That is correct, Commander. And, he is most displeased with your apparent lack of progress.

Moff Jerjerrod: We shall double our efforts.

Darth Vader: I hope so, Commander, for your sake. The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am.