I just stumbled on an interesting trivia, Larry. I watched part of Roger Donaldson's The Recruit, and caught the scene where Pacino explains the types of cover the CIA has to the new recruits. When he got to NOC, he really spelled it out in terms of the mortal risks taken by agents in this category.

I wanted to think that I found another film whose script writers slipped in something of historical significance. But heck, The Recruit was released in January of 03, six months prior to Novak's Mission to Niger story. Maybe clairvoyance - but at least Novak should have known!

Let's hope these bastards are nailed on the email issue.

Neoboho

be still my beating heart

Is there any indication that Fitzgerald conducting any additional investigation? My understanding was that he had stated pretty definitively that he was done. Has he appeared in front of any DC grand jury recently?

sPh

Greenwald has a nice piece on the WH propensity to “misplace” emails and documents that have been subpoenaed. I’m sure the shredders and hard drive erasers are overheating down at RNC headquarters.

In 20 months the whole Bush gang will be out of office. It would take at least that long for the wheels of justice to slowly turn enough to convict any member of the administration of any crime more serious than a parking violation. So, it just isn't going to happen. And, the new Democratic President will, as all of his predecessors have done, drop any investigations into that gang of criminals.

An impeachment can be done faster, but by now we surely know that the Democrats in Congress will not go that way. The Bush gang is safe.

Hoppy in Sacramento

The Bush gang doesn't want Rove or Miers to testify before Congress while under oath. The reason they give is becasue lying to Congress is already against the law and people can be prosecuted without the oath.

Gonzales and McNutly lied to Congress, why haven't they been charged?

Who would charge them? Who would prosecute them? Who would charge Rove or Miers if they lied to Congress?

The Bush gang has been lying with impunity for 6 years, and apart from Libby, have yet to be held accountable in any meaningful way.

These questions aren't rhetorical.

"Did Patrick Fitzgerald know this? It appears the answer is no."

What are you talking about? I remember in his closing that he specifically stated there were emails missing, you could almost see the "nudge nudge wink wink, mr. incoming chairs with sopeona powers" act he was laying out.

He had a very narrow scope and IMHO I think he knew his name was on a list somewhere.

EDIT: I think that explains why his office never leaked too.

I'm not so sure - if Imus can be removed this quickly, there's hope.

Tom

Here's what Fitz said at the end of the trial:

"If information comes to light or new information comes to us that would warrant us taking some action, we'll, of course, do that.

Sure sounds like what's happening here...

That stankhole Novack is at it again, dancing on the dead ethics of journalism in the right-wing rags. Their darlings are fawning over Novack's latest pig slop. He's actually gone so far as to label a Bush appointee a Democratic beholden petboy. This good lackey he presumes is salivating at telling Waxman what he wouldn't tell the GOP senators years ago.

Funny how these newspapers have no sense of history. Funny how they don't realize we'll remember their hands and ink in this matter of lying to the people.

Time to brush off the phone and call the Senate Intel Committee tomorrow and check in on Joshua Bolton and Michael Hayden's responses to the Oversight Committee.

Brother Larry J. You rock as usual.

Well, I believe the list of executive branch people that can be impeached is extensive.

Tom

Tom;

ok, now the Dems have less than 2 years to make this Bush gang pay for their sins, and seeing how long its taking to get anything accomplished so far, they better get their ass in gear and kick this up a notch or this gang will get away scott free.

On another note, the Dems are one death or other circumstance from losing the Senate.

RE: Clock ticking on Impeachment

WRONG

All they need to do is make Bush sweat enough to resign. Tricky Dick resigned, and HE was one tough SOB, much tougher than Bush could ever dream of being. Same with Cheney. The guy says the most audacious things yet goes unchallenged. I bet John Stewart would have him piss his pants.

It's going to come down to GOP saying who's gonna get tossed overboard, them or Bush. There's NO way GOP can survive Bush digging in. Not for 2008, 2010 or beyond. Not now that he's upped the ante with the lives of 25000 more troops by extending tours. The fact he's playing this game is just now sinking in to the general public:

"Oh, that's why he's pitching a fit about running out of money, when he wasn't. He was figuring on blowing a bunch and THEN some."

They got the goods now, how do you think that is going to play out?

See a pithy tongue-in-cheek visual that skewers Karl Rove and the Bush administration's disregard for accountability...here:

www.thoughttheater.com

Neoboho,

It is hard to entertain that Novak didn't know better -- particularly when he said himself that he received a phone call from a high-level CIA staff person asking/telling him NOT to use Plame's name.

That should have been enough of a "hint" for him to realize that there was an issue of national security involved.

However, Novak decided it was more important to risk national security and the identity of a NOC and her cover-organization than it was to keep his mouth shut.

That's why I believe Novak should have been charged with treasonous and traitorous actions against the country -- along with Bush, Cheney, Armitage, Libby.