Grab your torch and pitchfork!
Where's the hue and cry?
For years I've been asking myself when the American people (those with a reasonable level of critical ability, that is) are going to wake up to the terrible governance, the outrageous dissembling, the dismantling of the Bill of Rights, the obliteration of America's global reputation, the unmitigated gall of the Bush administration. And for years, I've been amazed at the deaf ears turned toward those who tell the truth about the power-crazed, and mostly unelected government in Washington, DC. Even today, 24 hours after Valerie Plame Wilson testified under oath, before a committee of the House of Representatives, that her covert employment by the C.I.A. was revealed by a crass and reckless White House in 2003, the traditional media are missing the really important part of the day's testimony. After Plame Wilson's testimony, a pair of Washington officials bellied up to the front table, one of whom was Dr. James Knodell, director of the Office of Security at the White House. Dr. Knodell's testimony comes down to this: the White House never, ever lifted a finger to determine the source of the leak. Not even for five minutes did they bother to search for the culprit. And, of course, once the criminal investigation was launched, at the behest of the C.I.A. (the injured party that employed Plame Wilson), the White House dummied up and hid behind their old saw that they would do nothing to interfere with an ongoing investigation, least of all mount a co-eval investigation of their own.
So, the Office of the President, the keeper of the Constitution, defender of the Homeland, protagonist of Evil, didn't even break a bead of sweat to find out who had compromised national security in the exposure of an undercover agent. We all, now, know why, from testimony, under oath, in a court of law. I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, his boss, Richard "Deadeye Dick" Cheney, Karl "Turdblossom" Rove, his boss, George "W" Bush, and several others close to those at the top, were responsible for leaking this patriot's name. Why, indeed, would anyone who had perpetrated such a venal crime choose to investigate themselves, leading to the concommitant exposure of their intrigue to a country divided almost 50-50 along party lines.
I can't say as I blame them. But I can certainly hold their feet to the fire now, since Rove and Cheney still hold the highest security clearance. Does this country want to spend another minute with those two cupping our lives in their hands? Of course, everyone knows that if Rove and Cheney lost their security clearance, there'd be no Executive Branch left--"W" will most assuredly not know what to do without their input.
So, now we have crimes layered upon crimes. The crime that was committed when the President promised the country that he'd get to the bottom of the leak story is superimposed on the crime of allowing liers to continue to be privy to the deepest secrets this country possesses, which in turn is a crime plastered over the underlying one of revealing classified information, and knowingly revealing the identity of an undercover agent of the C.I.A.
If ever there was a time, it would be now, to grab your torch and pitchfork.
For years I've been asking myself when the American people (those with a reasonable level of critical ability, that is) are going to wake up to the terrible governance, the outrageous dissembling, the dismantling of the Bill of Rights, the obliteration of America's global reputation, the unmitigated gall of the Bush administration. And for years, I've been amazed at the deaf ears turned toward those who tell the truth about the power-crazed, and mostly unelected government in Washington, DC. Even today, 24 hours after Valerie Plame Wilson testified under oath, before a committee of the House of Representatives, that her covert employment by the C.I.A. was revealed by a crass and reckless White House in 2003, the traditional media are missing the really important part of the day's testimony. After Plame Wilson's testimony, a pair of Washington officials bellied up to the front table, one of whom was Dr. James Knodell, director of the Office of Security at the White House. Dr. Knodell's testimony comes down to this: the White House never, ever lifted a finger to determine the source of the leak. Not even for five minutes did they bother to search for the culprit. And, of course, once the criminal investigation was launched, at the behest of the C.I.A. (the injured party that employed Plame Wilson), the White House dummied up and hid behind their old saw that they would do nothing to interfere with an ongoing investigation, least of all mount a co-eval investigation of their own.
So, the Office of the President, the keeper of the Constitution, defender of the Homeland, protagonist of Evil, didn't even break a bead of sweat to find out who had compromised national security in the exposure of an undercover agent. We all, now, know why, from testimony, under oath, in a court of law. I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, his boss, Richard "Deadeye Dick" Cheney, Karl "Turdblossom" Rove, his boss, George "W" Bush, and several others close to those at the top, were responsible for leaking this patriot's name. Why, indeed, would anyone who had perpetrated such a venal crime choose to investigate themselves, leading to the concommitant exposure of their intrigue to a country divided almost 50-50 along party lines.
I can't say as I blame them. But I can certainly hold their feet to the fire now, since Rove and Cheney still hold the highest security clearance. Does this country want to spend another minute with those two cupping our lives in their hands? Of course, everyone knows that if Rove and Cheney lost their security clearance, there'd be no Executive Branch left--"W" will most assuredly not know what to do without their input.
So, now we have crimes layered upon crimes. The crime that was committed when the President promised the country that he'd get to the bottom of the leak story is superimposed on the crime of allowing liers to continue to be privy to the deepest secrets this country possesses, which in turn is a crime plastered over the underlying one of revealing classified information, and knowingly revealing the identity of an undercover agent of the C.I.A.
If ever there was a time, it would be now, to grab your torch and pitchfork.
posted by The Subversive Archaeologist at 12:19 p.m.
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