Scooting Out of Prison Time

The judicial system should not take this too personally. Dubya flips off everyone, then waves the flag in their face. Then he laughs about it like the Riddler in Batman.

Dubya, Dubya, Dubya...What can we say at this point, Dearest Readers. Not only does Dubya lack good manners, he has now gone on to perform one of the more tasteless acts he could be responsible for in American history, considering Scooters role in the war on Iraq.

Dubya just commuted the lawful (and standard) sentence imposed by Judge Reggie Walton, a Bush appointee! Let us not forget special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was also a Bush appointee. At the same time, Gonzo and Bush are yelling for stronger federal sentencing standards. Just not for their fall guys...

Can you imagine what a slap in the face that must have been for some of the nation’s most respected legal scholars, the ones on the bench and practitioners of the courtroom. The lawyers involved were some of the best in the country, even if Prissy did make fun of Scooter's team...

Here in OH-HI-O, it was just another crack of the Massah Boosh's whip. He let us know a long time ago that he is going to be the decider of whomever. And that he (and KKKarl) will chose to decide their fate.

Prissy is amazed to see those who thought the power of the law was on our side assume such this powerful government-gang of neocon mob rule, would succumb willingly to the rule of law.

Dubya blew off long held standards of Federal sentencing guidelines. He did this to America as a whole as most were against pardon or commutation. 70% of Ohioans were outraged at the commutation.

Running numbers like this, will the GOP attempt to steal yet another election? They should not, as they well know, it is very difficult to steal a landslide.

Prissy promises you citizens of all political stripes these days are very concerned about this and they will be watching the elections process carefully.

Watch out Canada, who knows what is next. These guys are loose cannons...Let's hope Ms Palfrey can help them along in the struggle to be righteous to the nation.

The violence George Bush and friends have stunned us all with knows no bounds. You see, they are so dangerous because they have no boundaries. They never have and in their minds, they never will. Now do you understand?

What can you do? Well, like it or not we all will have to get out in the street as well as hold town hall meetings and demand representatives attend. Send them an invitation, if they fail to come-mark their spot so media can note that. No rest for them, they are failing this country remarkable in its depth of tragedy. America, we must put a stop to this and use every avenue it takes to make them either represent us, or leave office.

Replace these old fools with someone qualified for the job, for there can be no question in the mind of anyone aware of this situation that malfeasance runs wild and untamed. David Shuster* slams Bush and Tucker explained the situation very well. He appears a bit angry since like the rest of us, understands what really went on. And we want justice. It is as American as the 4th of July.

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Midnight Special Update: Prissy heard from Ms Palfrey and she has instructed her attorney to send us the phone lists. Looking forward to working on that, Dearest Readers. You will be the first to know.

An illegal war, potential 911 negligence at best, Gonzo's DOJ won't take them down. But a sex scandal? And away they go...Jeane Palfrey at a recent press conference with her lawyers. Thanks to Suzie-Q for the picture

Transcript of the last part of our Jeane Palfrey interview:

Ms Palfrey: "Can you imagine scandal after scandal after scandal coming out every week, every two weeks, this one, that one? It will collapse the administration. That’s why the injunction is not being lifted. There is no reason for Judge Kessler at this point in time, in my opinion, to be continuing this injunction. The ban should be lifted and I should be free to release those records en masse at this moment.

But because of the fact that once these records are released en masse to a multitude of responsible investigators and journalists, be they independents or mainstream, the truth will be gotten to. And in those records there are probably twenty, thirty, fifty, a hundred, possibly more Randall Tobiases, Dick Morrises, Harlan Ullman -- and yes, the name Dick Cheney has been touted on more than one occasion. In those records. Can you imagine? It will be Watergate times all those people.

And look what Judge Kessler said. She isn't fooled about what is going on here. Judge Walton was threatened for following long held conservative legal standards of justice. That is a tragedy, obviously done by republicans, who so vehemently went into attack mode on behalf of Scooter.

Judge Kessler wrote: At oral argument, the Government was asked whether the List contained the telephone numbers of unindicted co-conspirators. After a significant silence, Government counsel agreed that the answer to the courts question was “yes.” One cannot help wondering why the government has exhibited such a strong interest in protecting a list containing the telephone numbers of unindicted co conspirators, i.e. the women who the Government alleges provided the illegal sexual services and the men who the Government alleges sought and obtained such illegal sexual services.

Yes, "Government" was indeed interested in keeping it locked up, without really wanting to explain why.

Government in this case is Jeffery Taylor. He is the US Attorney for the District of Columbia. Hmm...about Taylor:

Gonzales appointed Taylor, and because normally the Senate has to allow in an approval process, they vett them. Taylor was appointed under a little section that the GOP of the 109th Congress slipped into the renewal of the Patriot Act, the AG can appoint US Attorneys into vacant-slots indefinitely (Senate cannot even remove them). The other person was Tim Griffin, the caging-lists guy in Arkansas. It was passed in the renewal in March of 2006.

Apparently, the ones they pick do law Gonzo's way. Most likely why he picked them, you saw what happened to honest republican U.S. Attorneys. Out they went, more about that later too.

Prissy thinks if republicans cannot police themselves, they should be disbanded similar to a fraternity gone bad.

Republicans like Ron Paul shouldn't be afraid to call themselves a Libertarian candidate. They should feel odd wanting to call themselves republicans considering the list of damages done to America under their reign.

Not that the enabling dems should get off lightly either. Prissy hears the dems have a hot new plan for success. We shall see...please tell Prissy it isn't a dems version of "Project for a New American Century."

**Prissy could not place Shuster at the time, but later realized it was he, during both times spent at the Scooter Libby trial. Apparently, he was paying close attention. Everyone else in the courtroom was too. And we all knew it was about being lied into the war. Scooter's lies helped people die, since Dick and Dubya's lies did make people die.

Scooter never had to lift a finger, it was just a little paperwork, chitchat and his job was done. Easy chitchat, which endangered a CIA spy, her family and her contacts spanning a 20-year career of distinguished service to her country. That was Scooter's noteworthy contribution to America.

The right wing leaning Columbus Dispatch is also the only major daily newspaper in town. Ironically known its uncanny polling ability to just about "name it" days before an election, even if the owners do not like the results-much to their credit. Commutation gets condemnation In Central Ohio (considered a bellwether state by political gurus)

The unfavorable view of Bush's action was backed up by 70 percent of the more than 240 respondents to the Hot Issue feature on Dispatch.com as of yesterday afternoon.

The minority of supporters often cited Clinton's grand jury perjury or his commutations.

The tired "Clinton did it!” get a new line. Prissy is tired of the Clinton's too, though she would have dinner with Bubba-but who would not? He is so charming, his wife kept him despite the very public philandering. Prissy has not met a man who was that charming, not yet.

CNN Flashback from 1999 Sen. Voinvich's closed-door impeachment statement

The very foundation of this nation is the rule of law not of men. The framers of our Constitution specifically provided Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution which states, "The President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

And...One who has committed high Crimes and Misdemeanors disqualifies himself from serving as President, Commander-in-Chief, and chief law enforcement officer. The President also represents much more than these titles and responsibilities. He is a symbol of the greatness of the American people. Presidential scholar Clinton Rossiter observed that the president of the United States is "the one-man distillation of the American people." And, President William Howard Taft described the president as "the personal embodiment and representative of their dignity and majesty."

By virtue of his own conduct, William Jefferson Clinton has forfeited his elected right to hold the office of president. I sincerely believe that this country can survive the removal of a popular president who has forfeited public trust. But, our country cannot survive the abandonment of trust itself.

Substitute "George Bush & Dick Cheney" for Bill Clinton, it works just as well, if not better. Prissy will certainly remind the Senator of his prior judgment and expect him to vote accordingly.

Senator Voinovich was smart in having no comment on the Libby commutation. Being a former prosecutor himself (and Prissy reminds him of this regularly) he should certainly know better than to support such nonsense for a criminal like Scooter.

NY Sun more trouble for Scooter by defense lawyers citing his case for their own clients. Ironic it will aid someone he calls an enemy. Libby Case May Aid Hamas Suspect

"There is so much good fodder in the president's statement," a law professor who specializes in sentencing issues, Douglas Berman of Ohio State University, said. "I think any very good defense attorney could and should look for ways to use the statement aggressively." The professor cautioned, however, that judges were still obligated to follow existing precedents.

The issue of enhancing a defendant's punishment on account of acquitted or uncharged conduct has been raised in several recent Supreme Court decisions but not definitively resolved. In an opinion just last month, Justice Scalia said the current sentencing system suffers from a "patent constitutional flaw" in part because of the continuing role "judge-found facts" play in determining a sentence's constitutionality.

The Libby commutation is also expected to be raised when Salah's co-defendant, Ashqar, is sentenced in a few months. "If you consider the Ashqar case under what the president has said, there certainly seem to be a lot of reasons for leniency," Ashqar's attorney, William Moffitt, said yesterday. "I think you'll probably hear a lot about Mr. Libby and President Bush."

KOS from a military mom in Cleveland. ENOUGH

My son chose to be a soldier, but dammit, I'm going to be putting all the energy I can muster into persuading him NOT to remain in the Army when he has to make that decision in a few months. Because I'm sick of the majority of the people in this country sitting on their thumbs while our military is misused, abused, and destroyed by the wrecking crew that has hijacked our government. Slapping a yellow magnetic ribbon on cars is NOT "supporting the troops." Supporting the troops is demanding that they be utilized in a manner consistent with the US Constitution and international law, and common decency. They're not a bunch of little plastic green guys. And if the people of this country can't find it in themselves to stand up and say ENOUGH already, then this country is not one that is worth fighting and dying for. Sorry, General, I think we're going down, and people won't know it until it's gone, unless somebody takes them by the lapels and shakes them hard. And while the American people remain in this stupor, I've decided they're not getting my son, if there's anything I can do about it. They don't deserve him.

Guardian Russia issues new missile defence threat

The Kremlin's latest warning comes after two days of meetings between Mr Putin and George Bush at the US president's seaside family retreat in Kennebunkport, Maine. Ahead of the talks the Pentagon had incensed Mr Putin by announcing plans to place elements of its missile defence shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. Mr Putin has derided US claims that the system is aimed at dealing with rogue missiles fired by Iran and North Korea, saying it is actually aimed at Russia.

Last month Mr Putin suggested the US scrap its existing plans and instead share a Soviet-era radar station in Azerbaijan. During talks this week he went further - offering to work with the US administration over missile defence within the framework of the Nato-Russia Council, and promising use of another early-warning system in southern Russia.

Mr Bush's answer, however, was decidedly lukewarm. Although the president praised Mr Putin's offer as "innovative and strategic", he made it clear that Washington was likely to go ahead anyway with its missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. "As I told Vladimir, I think that the Czech Republic and Poland need to be an integral part of the system," Mr Bush said.

Most experts now believe that Russia will take active military countermeasures. They include targeting the US's new defence bases in central Europe with Iskandar missiles based in Kaliningrad. Russia will also upgrade its nuclear missile arsenal, put more missiles on mobile launchers and move its fleet of nuclear submarines to the north pole, experts predict.

Good job again, Dubya. Always choosing confrontation over cooperation with the menfolk. He runs from confrontations with women (think Cindy Sheehan). Prissy blames his mother...

Haaretz Olmert to ask AG Mazuz to close pullout protesters' criminal files

The subcommittee was told stories of youths who participated in protest activities, and were indicted over light offences such as "prohibited assembly," or "disturbing a police officer at work." The criminal records prevent the youths from serving in the Israel Defense Forces, and from finding work.

The example was given of a right-wing activist who was tried because he refused to show his identification card to a police officer.

Many of the indicted are the children of evacuated families, whose parents are unemployed and have not managed to readjust socially and economically to life after the pullout.

With 50% of Israeli youth finding a way out of doing the mandatory IDF service, they need all the help they can get.

Sydney Morning Herald Iraq like historic US war, says Bush

He was adamant he would stand up to calls to end the Iraq war before it was won. When Congress returns next week, Democrats plan to renew their campaign to bring troops home.

"Withdrawing our troops prematurely based on politics, not on the advice and recommendation of our military commanders, would not be in our national interest," he said.

"It would hand the enemy a victory and put America's security at risk, and that's something we're not going to do."

Mr Bush delivered his speech to the 167th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia National Guard, a unit that has sent troops to Afghanistan and Iraq - some for second and third deployments.

Dubya, all branches of the military despise you, but Prissy would have to say from her experience it is the Air National Guard that would get first place for that feeling...

Post to be updated later this evening.

Quotes of the Day

Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.--Albert Einstein

You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership.--Dwight D. Eisenhower

The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.--Faye Wattleton

Leaders shouldn't attach moral significance to their ideas: Do that, and you can't compromise.--Peter F. Drucker