This story in this morning’s Post about Green Zone authorities putting out ‘tip sheets’ about visiting Democratic lawmakers that read like they were written by the RNC is a really big deal. It’s all par for the course for this administration, how they’ve politicized every branch of the government and every agency, eroding democratic institutions in American while they pretended to build them in Iraq. In fact, from the start the White House tried to stock the Green Zone and the US occupation authority with GOP operatives. But I thought that had changed a little. This latest incident, though, should trigger a number of forced retirements and resignations.
I’ll still stick to the point that the real news of significance for our democracy are the oppo research sheets Green Zone authorities are circulating about visiting Democratic lawmakers. But this is a pretty choice moment too …
But even such tight control could not always filter out the bizarre world inside the barricades. At one point, the three were trying to discuss the state of Iraqi security forces with Iraq’s national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, but the large, flat-panel television set facing the official proved to be a distraction. Rubaie was watching children’s cartoons.
When Moran asked him to turn it off, Rubaie protested with a laugh and said, “But this is my favorite television show,” Moran recalled.
Porter confirmed the incident, although he tried to paint the scene in the best light, noting that at least they had electricity.
“I don’t disagree it was an odd moment, but I did take a deep breath and say, ‘Wait a minute, at least they are using the latest technology, and they are monitoring the world,’ ” Porter said. “But, yes, it was pretty annoying.”
Best technology, monitoring the world. I guess at this point we’re just living in a Waiting for Guffman movie or Best in Show.
Freed from the need to keep his silence, Karl Rove has written a piece on the Bush presidency. Verdict: Best president ever.
I believe history will provide a more clear-eyed verdict on this presidentâs leadership than the anger of current critics would suggest.
President Bush will be viewed as a far-sighted leader who confronted the key test of the 21st century.
He will be judged as a man of moral clarity who put America on wartime footing in the dangerous struggle against radical Islamic terrorism.
Tom Tancredo calls for an end to federal aid for Katrina survivors, says that it’s “time the taxpayer gravy train left the New Orleans station.” That and other political news of the day in today’s Happy Hour Roundup.
The battle to see which Republican presidential candidate can appoint people to key positions just before they are exposed in career-ending personal transgressions or criminal acts, or both, just keeps chugging along. Tonight, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani tries to get back in the game. But after Mitt Romney’s success with Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), it’s just hard for the others to compete.
The thin gruel Giuliani’s come back with looks like a sign of how Romney now dominates the contest.
Tonight, Barry S. Edward, organizer of Rudy’s Reagan Day Dinner fundraiser in Pinellas County, stepped down from his position after his criminal record of extorting sex and trafficking in stolen state computers was revealed.
Edwards called the 1998 arrests “old news”, but decided to step down because “I’m not relevant and I shouldn’t be the story.”
Explaining the incidents, the Miami Herald writes …
The two criminal incidents involving Edwards were unrelated, and occurred within months of each other in 1998.
According to a Florida State University arrest affidavit: Edwards was first charged after a 19-year-old FSU political science intern claimed Edwards, then an adjunct professor, plied him with beers, trolled briefly for prostitutes, watched ”heterosexual” pornography and then exhorted him to masturbate in a game.
The intern said Edwards threatened him with bad grades if he didn’t ”get into it.” He declined to press charges. Edwards said the claims were ”lies” but he didn’t ”want to revisit it.” Edwards was fired from FSU.
Shortly after his extortion arrest, state Capitol police then arrested Edwards on charges of theft, burglary and dealing with stolen property after the cops said he stole at least $10,000 worth of computer equipment from offices of the Florida Legislature.
The student later decided not to press charges and Edwards was allowed to plead ‘no contest’ in the computers case.
It’s always good to seek out the larger lesson behind a political scandal. So in this case, it seems to be, If you’re a Republican and you want to misbehave sexually, make sure it’s with a chick.
Late Update: Also, make sure you’ve got a Democratic governor.
When Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested, his first instinct was to blame the police for trying to “entrap” him. When Craig held a press conference this week to defend himself, his second instinct was to blame The Idaho Statesman for causing him undue stress.
Ezra poses a hypothetical that I’ve been pondering the past few days: what if, instead of lashing out, Craig’s crisis-management strategy had simply been based on the truth?
What would happen if Larry Craig came out as a gay man, apologized for his tortured life in the closet and the unseemly things his personal conflicts made him do, and then said that, nevertheless, he’d always been a good and dedicated senator to the people of Idaho, and he meant to retain his seat and keep fighting for the upward redistribution and failed wars (or whatever) that first turned him onto public service?
He might lose the next election, of course. But maybe he wouldn’t. And maybe he’d tap into an unexpected wellspring of libertarian attitudes and relative tolerance. Why not try?
To be sure, this approach has far more merit than, say, the wide-stance strategy, but in this case, I’m hard pressed to see how it would have helped. Indeed, absurd rationalizing probably made matters worse, but I suspect the truth would have led Craig to resign anyway.
For one thing, he pleaded guilty, which effectively sealed his fate. For another, Craig may still be in denial about his sexual orientation, and probably isn’t anywhere close to being able to come out of the closet.
Moreover, as unfortunate as this may be, homophobia is still a major problem in today’s Republican Party. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) gets caught up in a prostitution scandal, and the party establishment says it’s “unfortunate.” Craig gets caught up in a gay-sex scandal, and the GOP leadership calls it “unforgivable.” As Josh put it, “If you’re a Republican and you want to misbehave sexually, make sure it’s with a chick.”
As for Ezra’s point that Craig could point out how reliable he’s been on “fighting for the upward redistribution and failed wars,” but that leads to Craig’s other problem: he’s from Idaho, where a conservative governor can appoint a conservative replacement to advance the same conservative agenda.
With that, I might add one small caveat to Josh’s maxim: If you’re a Republican and you want to misbehave sexually, make sure you come from a state with a Democratic governor.
Henry Waxman still wants the private White House emails staffers used to circumvent the Presidential Records Act. Yesterday, Justin Rood reported that the Bush gang isn’t exactly anxious to cooperate with the investigation.
The White House will not identify a private company which appears to be involved in the disappearance of millions of White House e-mails.
The company was responsible for reviewing and archiving White House e-mails, a White House official told congressional staff in May, according to a letter yesterday from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif. Congressional investigators asked then for the name of the company and “have repeatedly requested” the information since then, according to Waxman.
They are still waiting for an answer, the chairman wrote to White House counsel Fred Fielding. […]
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel declined to tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com the company’s name or explain why the White House would not provide it to Congress.
Nothing suspicious about that. Nothing at all.
Waxman asked the White House to come up with the company’s name by Sept. 10. We’ll see how that goes.
Apparently, on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina ravaging the Gulf Coast, conservatives have decided they’ve grown tired of the topic.
GOP presidential hopeful Rep. Tom Tancredo (Colo.) said Friday it is “time the taxpayer gravy train left the New Orleans station” and urged an end to the federal aid to the region that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina two years ago. […]
“The mentality that people can wait around indefinitely for the federal taxpayer to solve all their worldly problems has got to come to an end,” said Tancredo.
That would be the same federal government, of course, that neglected the victims before the storm hit, as the storm hit, after the storm hit, and for the two subsequent years that followed. Indeed, for all the rhetoric we’ve heard, as of this week, “none of the 115 ‘critical priority projects’ identified by city officials” for publicly funded rebuilding efforts “has been completed.” Of the $34 billion “earmarked for long-term rebuilding,” less than half “has made its way through federal checks and balances to reach municipal projects.”
What’s more, it’s not just Tancredo. Over at Townhall, John Hawkins offered this jaw-dropper.
Two years after Katrina, everywhere you turn, there are people carping, whining, and kvetching. Just why hasn’t the pity party for the citizens of New Orleans run out of booze and chips yet? […]
Let me tell all the citizens of New Orleans something that should have been told to them 18 months ago: it’s time to stop playing the sympathy card and get over it.
Nobody is owed a living for the rest of his life because he had a bad break two years ago. Yet, we still have people affected by Katrina who have FEMA paying their rent. How sad and pathetic is it that these shiftless people are still leaching off their fellow citizens? Since when is being in the path of a hurricane supposed to give you a permanent “Get Out of Work Free” card?
If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t believe it.