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Big Time Cover Up
From Murray Waas of the National Journal (subscription):
Vice President Cheney and his chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, overruling advice from some White House political staffers and lawyers, decided to withhold crucial documents from the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2004 when the panel was investigating the use of pre-war intelligence that erroneously concluded Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, according to Bush administration and congressional sources.
Cheney had been the foremost administration advocate for war with Iraq, and Libby played a central staff role in coordinating the sale of the war to both the public and Congress.
Among the White House materials withheld from the committee were Libby-authored passages in drafts of a speech that then-Secretary of State Colin L. Powell delivered to the United Nations in February 2003 to argue the Bush administration's case for war with Iraq, according to congressional and administration sources. The withheld documents also included intelligence data that Cheney's office -- and Libby in particular -- pushed to be included in Powell's speech, the sources said.
The new information that Cheney and Libby blocked information to the Senate Intelligence Committee further underscores the central role played by the vice president's office in trying to blunt criticism that the Bush administration exaggerated intelligence data to make the case to go to war.
You think now we can maybe have a real Congressional investigation?
Maybe a few Contempt of Congress citations?
Maybe a Congress that can do its damn job of asking questions and serving the function of being a check on the power of the Executive branch?
It's time for the Congress to impeach Richard Cheney. Now. Not in 2007. Now.
FROM TPM Cafe:
Tip of the Iceberg
By Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY)
From: TPMCafe Special Guests
Last night I went on Hannity and Colmes to talk about my recent call to expand the Fitzgerald investigation to look at a possible White House conspiracy to deceive Congress. Mr. Hannity wanted to make a big joke out of my contention that the CIA leak issue is "only the tip of the iceberg." But I'm quite serious.
Many around Washington are expecting indictments to be handed down tomorrow on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Those are serious crimes; make no mistake. But I think the real question before America is this: were the actions in question part of a larger, deliberate, effort to quash dissent and march the country into war? That's why I've called for the Special Counsel's investigation to be expanded.
Specifically, I've asked that Mr. Fitzgerald seek answers to three pressing questions: whether the CIA leak incident was part of a larger, deliberate effort to deceive Congress into authorizing war in Iraq, who exactly was involved, and whether any of their actions were criminal. If a larger, intentional effort was indeed underway - as evidence is tending to show that it was - that amounts to a criminal conspiracy.
It'll be interesting to see what happens with Fitzgerald's announcement tomorrow - certainly, the Washington landscape will change radically if Rove and others are forced to step down. But indictments or not, the findings of this grand jury have primarily shown us one thing: that we need to know more about the actions of this White House in the run-up to the war in Iraq.
Oct 27, 2005 -- 05:27:06 PM EST
THE CULTURE OF CORRUPTION ROLLS ALONG--AS WELL AS THE WHEELS OF JUSTICE...
Major Republican Donor Indicted in Ohio By JOHN SEEWER, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 12 minutes ago
TOLEDO, Ohio - A coin dealer and major GOP donor at the center of a scandal in Ohio state government was charged Thursday with illegally funneling $45,400 in contributions to President Bush's re-election bid.
Tom Noe was accused in a federal indictment of giving money directly or indirectly to 24 friends and associates, who then made the campaign contributions in their own names. In that way, he skirted the $2,000 limit on individual contributions, prosecutors said.
"It's one of the most blatant and excessive finance schemes we have encountered," said Noel Hillman, section chief of the U.S. Department of Justice's public integrity section.
Calls to the White House and Noe's attorneys were not immediately returned. Prosecutors said the Bush campaign has cooperated with their investigation.
Noe also is under investigation over an ill-fated $50 million investment in rare coins he managed for the state workers' compensation fund. Noe has acknowledged that up to $13 million is missing, and Ohio's attorney general has accused him of stealing as much as $6 million. No charges have been filed in that case, though state officials say they plan to do so.
Prosecutors would not reveal the names of the people to whom Noe gave money to contribute or say if any of them would be charged. The indictment said Noe and those who gave his money to Bush had conspired together to violate the contribution limits.
Two people who received just over $20,000 from Noe recruited others who then gave money in their own names, the indictment said.
The coin dealer personally contributed more than $105,000 to Republicans, including Bush and Gov. Bob Taft, during the last campaign.
An investigation into Noe's coin investments led to ethics charges against Taft for failing to report golf outings and other gifts. The governor pleaded no contest in August and was fined $4,000.
U.S. Attorney Gregory White said prosecutors were negotiating Noe's surrender with his lawyer.
Noe's attorney, Bill Wilkinson, said in a statement that Noe's surrender was complicated by the fact that Noe was in South Florida and that many courthouses there were still closed because of Hurricane Wilma.
If convicted, Noe faces up to 15 years in prison and fines up to $950,000.
Noe's surrender was complicated by the fact that Noe was in South Florida and that many courthouses there were still closed because of Hurricane Wilma.
Posted by: Fe at October 27, 2005 09:18 PM
How neoconvenient.
p.s. Bounty is the quicker picker upper.
Hey Monkey:
Hope you and yours are all OK -- how's the electricity?
Chuck in Houston
I hope Florida_Dem and Marc Trager are OK too and any other folks in South/Central Florida.
Chuck in Houston
Off topic, but here is a letter I just sent to a local paper. I didn't think about it too much, just wrote it out because I am just so tired of the corruption. This time it's the bloody oil companies:
Dear Editor,
Money, money, money—the oil industry is absolutely rolling in it: record breaking profits this quarter—the largest ever in history. Exxon and Shell together posted over 19 billion dollars this past quarter, and Exxon’s already astronomical profits increased another 75 percent. You and I are paying at the pump to give them this profit—some may argue, “Hey, that’s just free market capitalism”. But if it’s free market capitalism, then why did the Republican Congress pass, and President Bush just sign, an energy bill that gives these same companies over 12 billion dollars of our tax dollars! This isn’t a free-market system, it is an outrageous tax give a-way to an industry that has used all of its power to fight against fair, diverse markets, as well as to fight against environmental and safety regulations. Why should these price-gouging, global-warming, and polluting industries receive corporate welfare with our tax dollars? If you can think of much better uses for that money (developing alternative, cleaner, domestic fuels; healthcare; education; hurricane reconstruction), then talk to the Republican party, which is steeped in the oil business. It is no coincidence that corruption reigns in the majority party now—there’s simply too much money to be made. The oil companies have invested heavily in these political candidates, and it has surely paid off.
Regards,
Beth
Oh, and I also have best wishes for Monkey and those in southern Florida.
Chuck in Houston for Beth:
I work in the oil industry, but nonetheless I agree. There is no reason to provide tax-payer incentives for increased production under the current pricing scenario. Doing so is a travesty of capitalism. DeLay is no friend of capitalism. He, and his fellow travellers, are just friends of cronyism and corruption.
Chuck in Houston
Posted by: Beth at October 27, 2005 10:38 PM
Fantastic LTE, Beth!