Would Kerry have won the election if Miller came clean sooner

Judith Miller is a scumbag.

From the Fitzgerald press conference

QUESTION: In the end, was it worth keeping Judy Miller in jail for 85 days in this case? And can you say how important her testimony was in producing this indictment?

FITZGERALD: Let me just say this: No one wanted to have a dispute with the New York Times or anyone else. We can't talk generally about witnesses. There's much said in the public record.... I would have wished nothing better that, when the subpoenas were issued in August 2004, witnesses testified then, and we would have been here in October 2004 instead of October 2005. No one would have went to jail.

I think I'm going to vomit.

Why Rove is STILL screwed

Because he's Official A

From the AP

Friday's indictment says "Official A" is a "senior official in the White House who advised Libby on July 10 or 11 of 2003" about a chat with Novak about his upcoming column in which Plame would be identified as a CIA employee.

Late Friday, three people close to the investigation, each asking to remain unidentified because of grand jury secrecy, identified Rove as Official A.

It's just a matter of time...

Text of indictment

Here ya go!

In case you don't have time to read through everything, here's a summary from AMERICAblog

5 counts for Libby:

1 count obstruction of justice
2 counts of perjury
2 counts of making false statements

Lied to FBI agents on Oct 14, Nov 26, 2003.
Committed perjury on March 5 and 24, 2004.
Engaged in obstruction of justice by impeding investigation.

Summary of indictment:

Beginning in late May 2003, two months before actual column by Novak in July 2003, Libby began acquiring info about trip to Niger by Wilson. The CIA decided on its own initiative to send Wilson to Niger after an inquiry by the VP. Libby lied about conversations he had with Tim Russert, Matt Cooper and Judith Miller. Prior to July 14, 2003, Valerie Wilson's employment status was classified, her affiliatilon with CIA was not common knowledge. Revealing the agent's status has the potential to damage the national security, risk lives of that agent and other agents, damage national security.

Scooter Libby endangered national security.

"Without the truth our criminal justice system cannot serve the nation or our citizens." - Patrick Fitzgerald, today.

Alleged false statements and perjury:

Misrepresenting what it is he actually did and said with relationship to Tim Russert and Matt Cooper.

On the first false statement count:

Knowingly lied to FBI agent. Libby said that during a conversation with Tim Russert of NBC News Russert asked Libby if Libby was aware Wilson's wife worked for CIA. Libby well knew this statement to the FBI was false. When Libby spoke to Russert, Russert did NOT ask Libby if he knew the wife worked at the CIA or that reporters knew it.

Second false statement count:

Libby knew his statement about Matt Cooper was false, Libby confirmed for Cooper that Wilson's wife worked for CIA.

Perjury 1: ?

Perjury 2: Matt Cooper

I'll be doing alot of typing when I get home later.

LIBBY INDICTED

Oh, it's FITMAS day!

What's better than Karl Rove being indicted. Rove STILL under investigation and "Scooter" getting the axe.

Fitzgerald is really going to put the squeeze on Libby now which is not good news for the White House (remember, Fitzgerald requested all information on those forged Niger documents from the Italians).

UPDATE: Scooter Libby's been indicted on three charges: perjury, obstruction of justice, false statement. A total of five counts.

Patrivk Fitzgerald will hold a press conference at 2pm. Lawyers representing Joe Wilson will hold a press conference at 3pm

Fox News reports that Libby has handed in his letter of resignation

Sources revealed that David Addington is set to take over as advisro for Cheney

From The NY Daily News

The White House was lining up replacements for two top aides yesterday in case they are indicted in the CIA leak investigation, sources said.
The term for the grand jury probing the unmasking of CIA spy Valerie Plame expires today, setting the stage for a decision in the two-year investigation.

The White House was on edge as President Bush's political guru, Karl Rove, and Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis (Scooter) Libby, awaited word whether they will be indicted for leaking Plame's name to reporters.

A source familiar with Bush's worst-case plans said he would likely tap ex-GOP Chairman Ed Gillespie to replace Rove if he is indicted.

Also under consideration is bringing back former White House political director Ken Mehlman. He is the GOP chairman and is considered to be valuable to the Republicans for the upcoming midterm congressional elections.

If Libby is indicted, Cheney counsel David Addington will replace him as chief of staff, sources close to the Cheney's office say. Addington is another longtime Cheney aide who worked for him at the Pentagon.

"I wouldn't want to be Karl Rove, but I'm not sure if they have him," said a source familiar with the probe. "Libby is a different story. It looks bad for Scooter."

Plame update

Here's the latest

From The New York Times

Associates of I. Lewis Libby Jr., Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, expected an indictment on Friday charging him with making false statements to the grand jury in the C.I.A. leak inquiry, lawyers in the case said Thursday.

Karl Rove, President Bush's senior adviser and deputy chief of staff, will not be charged on Friday, but will remain under investigation, people briefed officially about the case said. As a result, they said, the special counsel in the case, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, was likely to extend the term of the federal grand jury beyond its scheduled expiration on Friday.

As rumors coursed through the capital, Mr. Fitzgerald gave no public signal of how he intends to proceed, further intensifying the anxiety that has gripped the White House and left partisans on both sides of the political aisle holding their breath.

Mr. Fitzgerald's preparations for a Friday announcement were shrouded in secrecy, but advanced amid a flurry of behind-the-scenes discussions that left open the possibility of last-minute surprises. As the clock ticked down on the grand jury, people involved in the case did not rule out the disclosure of previously unknown aspects of the case.

White House officials said their presumption was that Mr. Libby would resign if indicted, and he and Mr. Rove took steps to expand their legal teams in preparation for a possible court battle.

Among the many unresolved mysteries is whether anyone in addition to Mr. Libby and Mr. Rove might be charged and in particular whether Mr. Fitzgerald would name the source who first provided the identity of an undercover C.I.A. officer to Robert D. Novak, the syndicated columnist. Mr. Novak identified the officer in a column published July 14, 2003.

The investigation seemed to be taking an unexpected path after nearly two years in which Mr. Fitzgerald brought more than a dozen current and former administration officials before the grand jury and interviewed Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney to determine how the identity of the officer, Valerie Plame Wilson, became public.

Mr. Fitzgerald's spokesman, Randall Samborn, declined to comment.

Stayed tuned.

Rove and Libby are so screwed

Oh, it's been a long week for the Bushies and things don't look any brighter as we head into the weekend.

From The Raw Story

The prosecutor investigating the outing of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson has secured at least one indictment in the case from a majority of the 23 grand jurors, lawyers and intelligence officials close to the case said Wednesday.

The final outcome of Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's 22-month federal probe is expected to end Friday with indictments of White House officials. The situation remains fluid, however, and several new scenarios have developed over the past 48 hours that could delay an announcement, lawyers close to the probe said late Wednesday.

[...]

The Chicago-based prosecutor has obtained new information from officials targeted in the leak probe, who are now interested in entering into plea discussions, they added.

Fitzgerald intended to announce that he had secured indictments against I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, and Karl Rove, President Bush's deputy chief of staff, Wednesday afternoon as well as two people who work outside of the administration, those close to the case said.

But his office was contacted late Tuesday by attorneys representing figures outside the White House, lawyers said, who expressed interest in entering into plea talks with the prosecutor. Several have agreed to enter into last-minute plea negotiations with Fitzgerald in exchange for providing testimony that could result in criminal charges being brought against additional officials inside the White House, they added.

Rove was offered a deal when his lawyer met with Fitzgerald Tuesday, but did not accept, the sources said. Fitzgerald has sought indictments to charge Rove with perjury and obstruction of justice, they asserted.

An eleventh-hour deal could help Fitzgerald "build a strong case against some very senior officials in the office of the vice president," one attorney said.

"Mr. Fitzgerald is extremely thorough," the lawyer remarked. "He had advised Judge [Thomas F.] Hogan more than two weeks ago that there was a strong possibility that some defendants may be inclined to cooperate at the last minute."

Fitzgerald's spokesman, Randall Samborn, told RAW STORY he could not comment on the latest news because it has not been made public.

"I'm sorry," Samborn said. "I cannot offer you any guidance on this."

That's okay Samborn. No need for guidance as I think we're in the right direction here. Is it possible that I'm feeling sick again? I might have to call out tomorrow.

Truck bill long overdue

Hopefully this is only the first step a the trucking industry in Connecticut has a long history of failures which the state needs to straighten out as soon as possible before someone else gets hurt.

From The Hartford Courant

The state Senate on Wednesday took the first steps toward closing a loophole in state law, passing a bill that requires the state to be notified when a commercial truck owner drops its insurance.

The loophole came to light after the July 29 crash of a dump truck on Route 44 at the bottom of Avon Mountain. Four people died, including a father of five.

An insurance company said later in a lawsuit that the trucking company had not renewed its liability insurance, prompting officials to ask why the state Department of Motor Vehicles was never notified.

Insurance companies now must notify the state if an individual's insurance for a privately owned car is canceled, but there is no similar provision for trucks.

The bill would require the truck owner - not the insurance company - to notify the DMV. It mandates that commercial owners can be charged with a Class D felony if they knowingly allow the operation of a vehicle without proper insurance. If convicted, the owner could face imprisonment of up to five years and a maximum fine of $5,000.

Seems like indictments WILL be handed down today afterall

From a good and reliable source

An hour ago I was contacted by a U.S. government official close to the Fitzgerald case. This person told me that there WILL be indictments announced later this afternoon, and the Special Prosecutor will hold a press conference tomorrow.

MERRY FITZMAS!

UPDATE:Okay, I can relax now. Seems like they did put it on hold till tomorrow. They guys at Crooks and Liars just got off the phone with Fitzgerald's office and got the lowdown.

I just got off the phone with Fitzgerald's office and the person I talked to was very cordial even after a long, hard day. I was told it would be highly doubtful if anything happened tonight. I asked for permission to print that and was told I could.

Oh, I waited this long, what's another day.

CIA leak case expanding

Oh, this is getting good.

This comes to us courtesy of Pat Lang at turcopolier.typepad.com. I've found Richard to always be on target in my experience.
Larry Johnson
Two top White House aides are expected to be indicted today on various charges related to the probe of CIA operative Valerie Plame whose classified identity was publicly breached in retaliation after her husband, Joe Wilson, challenged the administration's claim that Saddam Hussein had sought to buy enriched unranium from Niger, acording to federal law enforcement and senior U.S. intelligence officials.

If no action is taken today, it will take place on Friday, these sources said.

I.Scooter Libby, the chief of staff of Vice President Richard Cheney, and chief presidential advisor, Karl Rove are expected to be named in indcitments this morning by Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald.

Others are to be named as well, these source said. According to U.S. officials close to the case an bill of indiictment has been in existence before October 17 which named five people. Various names have surfaced such a National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, yet only one source would confirm that Hadley was on the list. Hadley could not be reached for comment.

But letters from Fitzgerald, notifying various White House officiials that they are targets of the investigation, went out late last week, a former senior U.S. intelligence official said.

Although most press accounts emphasized that Fitzgerald was likely to concentrate on attempts by Libby Rove and others to cover-up wrongdoing by means of perjury before the grand jury, lying to federal officials, conspiring to obstruct justice, etc. But federal law enforcement officials told this reporter that Fitzgerald was likely to charge the people indicted with violating Joe Wilson's civil rights, smearing his name in an attempt to destroy his ability to earn a living in Washington as a consultant.

The civil rights charge is said to include "the conspiracy was committed using U.S. government offices, buildings, personnel and funds," one federal law enforcement official said.

Other charges could include possible violations of U.S. espionage laws, including the mishandling of U.S. classified information, these sources said.

Gulf Coast Wage cut overturned

Good job Democrats and labor unions! The Gulf Coast wage cut was an ridiculous in the first place and needed to be overturned.

From Rep. George Miller via TPM Cafe

It was announced today that the President will overturn his Gulf Coast wage cut on November 8. This was a direct result of intense pressure from Democrats and labor and religious leaders.

Every single House Democrat has been on record since September in opposition to the President's wage cut. I recently wrote on this site about an unprecedented Joint Resolution I introduced last week that would have forced a vote in Congress to overturn the President's wage cut. That vote would have had to happen - you guessed it - not later than the week of November 7. With the support of every House Democrat and 37 House Republicans, we would have won that vote. Boxed in by that embarrassing scenario, the White House chose to reverse itself.

This wage cut was a mistake from the beginning and never should have been ordered. But today's news is a victory for workers in the Gulf Coast and all over America. The President chose to undermine workers' wages at a time when they needed the most help. Democrats had a better idea: pay people a decent wage for the hard they work do. Democrats will fight the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress every time they try to undermine American workers.

Case closed

Another chapter in the Rowland corruption saga comes to an end (thankfully).

From The Hartford Courant

After months of defiantly asserting their innocence, the central figures in a sweeping probe of state contracting corruption pleaded guilty Tuesday to bribery and tax fraud charges.

Onetime gubernatorial aide Peter N. Ellef and former construction executive William A. Tomasso now are likely to enter federal prison early next year, just as Ellef's ex-boss, John G. Rowland, is wrapping up his own year-and-a-day sentence.

Ellef faces up to 46 months and Tomasso 37 months.
Both also face the prospect of thousands of dollars in criminal fines and income tax, interest and penalties. They are scheduled to be sentenced in January.

Tuesday's guilty pleas close most aspects of an investigation that revealed a state contracting system in which contractors plied officials with gratuities - money, trips, champagne, cigars, even gold coins - in exchange for state business.

Lock 'em up!

It's over for Rove and Libby

Coming soon...


From The Raw Story

Fitzgerald has also asked the jury to indict Libby on a second charge: knowingly outing a covert operative, the lawyers said. They said the prosecutor believes that Libby violated a 1982 law that made it illegal to unmask an undercover CIA agent.

Libby’s attorney, Joseph A. Tate, did not return a call seeking comment.

Two other officials, who are not employees in the White House, are also expected to face indictments, the lawyers said.

The grand jury had not yet decided on whether to make indictments at the time this article was published. It appears more likely that the jury would hand down indictments of perjury and obstruction than a charge that Plame was outed illegally.

Those close to the investigation said Rove was offered a deal Tuesday to plead guilty to perjury for a reduced charge. Rove’s lawyer was told that Fitzgerald would drop an obstruction of justice charge if his client agreed not to contest allegations of perjury, they said.

Rove declined to plead guilty to the reduced charge, the sources said, indicating through his attorney Robert Luskin that he intended to fight the charges. A call placed to Luskin was not returned.

Almost wasted a sick day

Glad that I decided to come into work. No indictments today.

From the AP

The federal grand jury investigating the leak of a CIA officer's identity met for three hours Wednesday with Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald and adjourned for the day without announcing any action.

Fitzgerald is known to be putting the finishing touches on a two-year criminal probe that has ensnared two senior White House aides.

After the grand jury left for the day, federal prosecutors conferred for about an hour in the grand jury area of the federal courthouse.

There was no word on whether Fitzgerald planned to make any announcement or whether the grand jury planned to meet again.

The waiting is killing me!

Goebel resigns as head of NLDC

This was probably for the best for all parties involved.

From The New London Day

David M. Goebel resigned Tuesday as chief operating officer of the New London Development Corp., bowing to pressure from city and state officials who said his departure was necessary for the completion of the Fort Trumbull project.

In a letter submitted during a special meeting of the NLDC Board of Directors, Goebel thanked the board for “standing by me during the past few weeks of unrest regarding my position with the Corporation.”

“However, at this juncture, I consider it best for my family and myself if I back away from my commitment and no longer serve as the Chief Operating Officer,” Goebel wrote. “So, after more than fifty years in the work force of these United States I am going to retire.”

[...]

NLDC President Michael Joplin said after the meeting that the decision to step down had been Goebel's alone.

But when city councilors agreed to reverse a vote to sever ties with the NLDC last week, they made little secret of what the state had promised to secure in return: the departure of Goebel, whose blunt, all-business persona had drawn bad publicity, and who city councilors said had tended to act unilaterally, without informing the council of his intent.

“The state and NLDC, in this current arrangement of Dave resigning, have all lived up to what they said would happen,” Mayor Jane L. Glover said Tuesday. “I'm not gleeful that it had this conclusion. But yes, I knew the date, and the board of directors have followed through with what they told the city that they would do.”

Who is the mystery person?

From Think Progress

From the CBS Evening News, to air at 6:30PM:

CBS’ JOHN ROBERTS: Lawyers familiar with the case think Wednesday is when special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald will make known his decision, and that there will be indictments. Supporters say Rove and the vice president’s chief of staff, Scooter Libby, are in legal jeopardy. But they insisted today the two are secondary players, that it was an unidentified Mr. X who actually gave the name of CIA agent V alerie Plame to reporters. Fitzgerald knows who Mr. X is, they say, and if he isn’t indicted, there’s no way Rove or Libby should be. But charges may not focus on the leak at all. Obstruction of justice or perjury are real possibilities. Did Rove or Libby change statements made under oath? Did they deliberately leave critical facts out of their testimony or did they honestly forget? Some Republicans urged Rove to step down if indicted. Not a happy prospect for president Bush.

Any guesses on the identity of Mr. X?

UPDATE: This bit from the CBS segment is also interesting –

SCHIEFFER: John, I am very interested in Mr. X. Is there any clue or hint as to whether he be - maybe someone who outranks Libby and Rove or would he be a lower-ranking official?

ROBERTS: The best guess is that Mr. X, even though his name is not known and some people are just speculating on who he might be or she might be, is somebody who is actually outside the White House, and in that case would be of a lower rank that both Rove and Libby.

Oh, now I really feel sick. I'm calling out tomorrow right now.

Bill, you can just kiss 2008 goodbye

Wow, what a great week and it's only Tuesday.

From the Washington Post

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) was given considerable information about his stake in his family's hospital company, according to records that are at odds with his past statements that he did not know what was in his stock holdings.

Managers of the trusts that Frist once described as "totally blind," regularly informed him when they added new shares of HCA Inc. or other assets to his holdings, according to the documents.

Since 2001, the trustees have written to Frist and the Senate 15 times detailing the sale of assets from or the contribution of assets to trusts of Frist and his family. The letters included notice of the addition of HCA shares worth $500,000 to $1 million in 2001 and HCA stock worth $750,000 to $1.5 million in 2002. The trust agreements require the trustees to inform Frist and the Senate whenever assets are added or sold.

The letters seem to undermine one of the major arguments the senator has used throughout his political career to rebut criticism of his ownership in HCA: that the stock was held in blind trusts beyond his control and that he had little idea of the extent of those holdings.

If Frist keeps lying, he would be lucky if he gets re-elected.

Target letters sent. Press conference set for Thursday

CODE RED!

From the Washington Note

An uber-insider source has just reported the following to TWN:

1. 1-5 indictments are being issued. The source feels that it will be towards the higher end.

2. The targets of indictment have already received their letters.

3. The indictments will be sealed indictments and "filed" tomorrow.

4. A press conference is being scheduled for Thursday.

The shoe is dropping.

More soon.

I'd consider the Washington Note to be a reliable blog.

UPDATE 1: Hearing from insiders at cable networks that something is going to go down tomorrow and not Thursday. All the cable stations are cancelling guests booked for that day and Thursday.

Oh, I'm feeling sick. I think I'll have to take tomorrow and Thursday off...

UPDATE 2: David Corn explains why the indictments are sealed and bring up a very good point.

Speaking of the Daily News revelation, I noted in previous items that this story was significant. By reporting that Bush was informed by Rove of Rove's participation in the leak, the story suggests that Bush was a party to the White House's effort to promote the false spin that Rove was not "involved." Why would Bush aides spill the beans about Bush and Rove's early conversation about the leak if that would implicate the president? According to strong evidence I have obtained, the Bush aides who spoke to the Daily News were actually trying to help Bush by peddling the story that he had been upset by the leak and had upbraided Rove. (See? He did take appropriate action against a leaker; he made him feel really, really bad.) These leaks to the Daily News were a clumsy effort to distance Bush from the bad news that might be coming. These aides apparently did not realize that publicizing the Bush-Rove discussion would not protect Bush but instead ensnare him in the cover-up. They simply had not thought about that. It's yet another sign of incompetence within the Bush crew. (Hurricane Katrina and the Harriet Miers nomination--especially the sloppy handling of the questionnaire she had to present to the Senate--are other recent examples.) It is hard to believe that Bush aides and advisers could be so dumb. But perhaps that's what happens when desperation sets in.

FITZGERALD WILL SEEK INDICTMENTS

Story is still developing but sources close to the case say that he is going to seek indictments.

From the RAWSTORY

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has decided to seek indictments in the outing of Valerie Plame Wilson and has submitted at least one to the grand jury, those close to the investigation tell RAW STORY.

Fitzgerald will seek at least two indictments, the sources say. They note that it remains to be seen whether the grand jury will approve the charges.

Those familiar with the case state that Fitzgerald likely will not seek indictments that assert officials leaked Plame's name illegally. Rather, they say that he will focus charges in the arena of lying to investigators.

RAW STORY has not learned who Fitzgerald is seeking to charge. Reports indicate that of those fingered in the case, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, is in the most jeopardy. President Bush's Deputy Chief of Staff, Karl Rove, also appears to have given conflicting testimony to the grand jury.

Fitzgerald may also charge those who leaked Plame Wilson's name to reporters. Rove and Libby have not been identified as the sources in Robert Novak's July 14, 2003 column which first identified Plame as a covert agent and the husband of Joseph Wilson, a critic of the Administration's Iraq intelligence. Novak cited "senior administration officials" as his sources for the report.

In a later column, Novak said one of his sources was "no partisan gunslinger."

RAW STORY revealed last week that David Wurmser and John Hannah, both aides who worked with Cheney, were cooperating with Fitzgerald's probe. The story was later confirmed by the New York Daily News.

Both were purportedly involved in passing information about Plame. Last week, Hannah's lawyer told Newsweek his client "knew nothing" about the leak and is not a target of Fitzgerald's investigation.

Meanwhile, the White House is sidestepping questions regarding Vice President Dick Cheney's role in the CIA leak.

From The AP

The White House on Tuesday sidestepped questions about whether Vice President Dick Cheney passed on to his top aide the identity of a CIA officer central to a federal grand jury probe.

Notes in the hands of a federal prosecutor suggest that Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, first heard of the CIA officer from Cheney himself, The New York Times reported in Tuesday's editions.

A federal prosecutor is investigating whether the officer's identity was improperly disclosed.

The Times said notes of a previously undisclosed June 12, 2003, conversation between Libby and Cheney appear to differ from Libby's grand jury testimony that he first heard of Valerie Plame from journalists.

"This is a question relating to an ongoing investigation and we're not having any further comment on the investigation while it's ongoing," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said.

Pressed about Cheney's knowledge about the CIA officer, McClellan said: "I think you're prejudging things and speculating and we're not going to prejudge or speculate about things."

McClellan said Cheney — who participated in a morning video conference on the Florida hurricane from Wyoming, where he is speaking at a University of Wyoming dinner tonight — is doing a "great job" as vice president.

The New York Times identified its sources in the story as lawyers involved in the case.

Oh, FITZMAS day is coming...

Tomasso making a plea deal.

Could the Rowland corruption case be coming to a conclusion?

From the Hartford Courant

Peter N. Ellef, one-time top aide to Gov. John G. Rowland, and William A. Tomasso, an influential construction contractor, are expected to plead guilty as early as today to federal charges that they corruptly profited by steering millions of dollars in state contracts, several lawyers and other officials close to the plea bargain talks said.

Guilty pleas could signal an end to a four-year, wide-ranging corruption investigation targeting the highest levels of state government and resulting in a prison sentence for Rowland.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, which sources said was still being finalized Monday night, federal prosecutors will recommend that Ellef and Tomasso be imprisoned, perhaps for as much as three years. However, their lawyers would be allowed to argue for shorter sentences before Senior U.S. District Judge Peter C. Dorsey in New Haven.

Federal corruption charges against Ellef's son, Peter N. Ellef II, would be dropped under the terms of the tentative agreement, according to the sources, all of whom discussed the matter on the condition that they not be identified. One of the sources said the prosecution offer to drop the charges against the younger Ellef was a factor in persuading his father to forgo a trial and plead guilty.

Finally, the plea agreement would settle a civil lawsuit against the Ellefs, Tomasso, related businesses and other former high-ranking state officials brought by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in September 2004. Blumenthal said the suit is an attempt to recover millions of dollars that taxpayers lost as the result of corrupt Rowland administration contract awards.

Terms of the settlement of the suit and other financial penalties that could be imposed against the defendants and their companies were not available Monday night.

The younger Ellef confirmed late Monday that the charges against him could be dropped when the corruption case is closed, as early as today. He said he plans to be in court to watch his father plead guilty.

"Spare me son, please!" Whaa Whaa! How much taxpayers dollars was spent on this case? If the kid doesn't get locked up, he should be forced to sell everything but his clothes.

As you can tell, I have no sympathy here.

Maureen Dowd tears into Judith Miller

The NY Times is stupid.

Now, in order to read certain sections of the newspapeer online, you have to fork over cash which is a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because you no longer have to read the crap from David Brooks but it's a curse because you don't get the read the brilliant writings of Maureen Dowd like the piece she did on Saturday when she simply tore into Judith Miller.

Good for us that other sites on the internet are posting her piece. Check it out, it's a great morning read.

God bless you Rosa Parks

Words can't express the love I have for you and you're name and what you did for the Civil Rights Movement will never be forgotten.

May you rest in peace.

He's making a list, he's checking it twice...

we're gonna find out who is naughty or nice...
HAPPY FITZMAS!!!

CHENEY TOLD LIBBY ABOUT PLAME

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!

This is wild!

From the Raw Story

I. Lewis Libby Jr., Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, first learned about the C.I.A. officer at the heart of the leak investigation in a conversation with Mr. Cheney weeks before her identity became public in 2003, lawyers involved in the case said Monday.

Notes of the previously undisclosed conversation between Mr. Libby and Mr. Cheney on June 12, 2003, appear to differ from Mr. Libby’s testimony to a federal grand jury that he initially learned about the C.I.A. officer, Valerie Wilson, from journalists, the lawyers said.

The notes, taken by Mr. Libby during the conversation, for the first time place Mr. Cheney in the middle of an effort by the White House to learn about Ms. Wilson’s husband, Joseph C. Wilson IV, who was questioning the administration’s handling of intelligence about Iraq’s nuclear program to justify the war.

Lawyers said the notes show that Mr. Cheney knew that Ms. Wilson worked at the C.I.A. more than a month before her identity was made public and her undercover status was disclosed in a syndicated column by Robert D. Novak on July 14, 2003.

UPDATE:The New York Times just posted a story on this latest development and has more details

I. Lewis Libby Jr., Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, first learned about the C.I.A. officer at the heart of the leak investigation in a conversation with Mr. Cheney weeks before her identity became public in 2003, lawyers involved in the case said Monday.

Notes of the previously undisclosed conversation between Mr. Libby and Mr. Cheney on June 12, 2003, appear to differ from Mr. Libby’s testimony to a federal grand jury that he initially learned about the C.I.A. officer, Valerie Wilson, from journalists, the lawyers said.

The notes, taken by Mr. Libby during the conversation, for the first time place Mr. Cheney in the middle of an effort by the White House to learn about Ms. Wilson’s husband, Joseph C. Wilson IV, who was questioning the administration’s handling of intelligence about Iraq’s nuclear program to justify the war.

Lawyers said the notes show that Mr. Cheney knew that Ms. Wilson worked at the C.I.A. more than a month before her identity was made public and her undercover status was disclosed in a syndicated column by Robert D. Novak on July 14, 2003.

[...]

Lawyers in the case said Mr. Libby testified to the grand jury that he had first heard from journalists that Ms. Wilson may have had a role in dispatching her husband on a C.I.A.-sponsored mission to Africa in 2002 in search of evidence that Iraq had acquired nuclear material there for its weapons program.

But the notes, now in Mr. Fitzgerald’s possession, also indicate that Mr. Libby first heard about Ms. Wilson — who is also known by her maiden name, Valerie Plame — from Mr. Cheney. That apparent discrepancy in his testimony suggests why prosecutors are weighing false statement charges against him in what they interpret as an effort by Mr. Libby to protect Mr. Cheney from scrutiny, the lawyers said.

Click back often

You should have this website as your homepage.

She's toasted

Nice knowing ya!

You know things are bad when your political base starts a website dedicated to bashing your Supreme Court nominee.

Sullivan gets no respect

The Hartford Courant came out with an article detailing the relationship between Gov. Rell and Lt. Gov Kevin Sullivan and it seems like they don't get along too well.

From the Hartford Courant

Kevin Sullivan felt slighted once again.

It was the day of a special session at the state Capitol on the controversial issue of campaign finance reform. The top legislative leaders had gathered in Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell's office for a meeting, but Sullivan, the Democratic lieutenant governor and presiding officer of the Senate, had not been invited. The meeting had already started by the time Sullivan's office was finally notified at 9:15 a.m.

That oversight prompted Sullivan to write an extraordinary, eight-paragraph letter to Rell that detailed the incident and complained about "repeated last-minute invitations" to key meetings. The letter then segued into an unusual public discussion about the power of the governor and the limits of the lieutenant governor.

"In conclusion, I get that you are governor and I am not," Sullivan wrote. "I understand and accept that you and your staff get to call the shots. But I do not understand the pattern of disrespect from your office and your staff toward me and mine."

Rell's aides say the entire incident was an honest mistake by a staff member, but Sullivan refuses to accept that explanation.

"There are too many honest-to-goodness oversights," Sullivan said.

The incident typifies a series of public clashes between Rell and Sullivan over the past year, and it signals Sullivan's frustrating quandary: Once one of the most powerful figures at the state Capitol, he was promoted to insignificance 16 months ago and now faces an uncertain future.

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If Rell wins election to a full term as governor, Sullivan will be out of his $110,000-a-year post as lieutenant governor in early January 2007 - less than 15 months away. Sullivan, 56, does not have a fallback; he no longer holds a part-time post at Trinity College as the vice president for community and institutional relations.

He cannot go back to the state Senate because his seat is now filled, and the chances for Congress are remote with Democrat John B. Larson entrenched in a district dominated by Democrats.

Sullivan is in a tough position being a Democrat and the Governor being a Republican. He's basically out of a job in Jan 2007 and although it isn't too late to get in the race for governor, he'll have to jump into the mix with two candidates who have campaigned for the last year.

"It's still a long way from the big day," he says of the November 2006 election. "I have not said I'm not running. I have not said I am running. I have not made that decision. I don't need to make that decision" yet.

But few expect him to join the two Democratic mayors who have already spent months and raised millions for the campaign.

The real problem is tghat Sullivan has always been a big political figure in Connecticut and Lieutenant Governor is a relative quiet position where you really don't have much power (did anyone even notice Rell when Rowland was Governor).

Rep. Robert Farr, a veteran West Hartford Republican, said Sullivan is adjusting to a new political reality after serving in the majority for much of his career and leading the Senate for years. Life as lieutenant governor is different.

"You have no real power," Farr said. "All I can say is welcome to the minority. ... Kevin is a survivor. His career has ended more than once - or so they thought."

Farr noted that some at the Capitol once believed that Sullivan might be ousted by his own Democratic caucus as president pro tem, but he fought back against a challenge and emerged the winner.

Former state GOP Chairman Richard Foley said he is surprised that Sullivan has not jumped into the governor's race, adding that Jan. 1 is the latest that he could enter.

"I wouldn't mind being the only Hartford-area Irish candidate," Foley said of Sullivan. "I wouldn't mind being the lieutenant governor. ... If he's thinking about running, banging away at Rell is exactly what he should do."

Rell's spokesman, Rich Harris, said Rell would have no comment on Sullivan's political future.

Sullivan is considering non-political options, particularly in education.

"I need to figure out what the rest of my life will be - at least the next five years," he said. "In life, you have all these roads."

It's not too late for Sullivan to get into the election and personally, I'm surprised that he's not in the race now. If he's planning to make a run for it, why didn't he announce his intentions months ago?