The Bush DOJ is highly politicized, even after the removal of Alberto Gonzales.
They will continue to use prosecutorial discretion against Democrats and in favor of Republicans until they are replaced in January 2009.
<
p>Remember, they didn’t leak Vitter’s name. That was Larry Flynt’s doing.
laurelsays
to be able to draw a real connection between the spitzer thing and the recent breach in obama’s state department records. show a pattern of election-time politically motivated crimes by the gop. what is that we’re supposedly fighting a war on now? democratic process?
p>Obama will lose if he is as egomanical as his supporters.
theopensocietysays
The State Department incident was not some grand conspiracy and the Obama camgaign sounded a little ridiculous when they tried to make it into one, another example of the Obama campaign using the Karl Rove playbook of campaigning. The State Department incident was a couple of goofy contract employees doing what they should not have done, probably because they were bored. The system the State Department has in place for catching such behavior worked. The employees got fired. End of story. As for Spitzer, he broke the law and he was a hypocrit. I am so disappointed in him, but I am not sorry to see him go. He has himself to blame, and people should stop trying to find excuses for his behaviour.
laurelsays
some of the employees were fired, not all of them
2. until an independent investigation is completed, no one can say for sure if this was an organized, politically-motivated set of event, or as you say bored employees infringing on the privacy of American citizens (isn’t it nice to know just how many state dep’t employees are willing to do that? heck of a job, condi).
3. i have never defended spitzer’s alleged crimes. in fact i’ve called him a hypocrite. But that doesn’t mean that the Bush sdministration isn’t unfairly and with much bias examining the honesty of dem office holders.
p>I agree, until an independent investigation takes place, there is no evidence that “passport filegate” was politically motivated. Therefore, to imply it was politically motivated, which is what the Obama campaign and some supporters were doing on Friday, is irresponsible, particularly when candidate Obama claims he wants to bring people together. I even heard on NPR Friday morning Jack Beatty, a senior editor at the Atlantic Monthly and an “On Point” news analyst, imply that the Clintons were behind it all. His commentary was outrageous, but Jack Beatty seems to be enamored with Obama, and as a result, he has said a lot of not very analytical things lately. (Apparently Mr. Beatty had not heard that Hillary Clinton’s passport files had been breached as well.)
<
p>I also agree that the Bush administration has been unfairly targeting some Democratic politicians and misusing the DOJ for its own political purposes. Spitzer’s case, however, should not be used as an example of where that has happened. It makes the other cases seem baseless, given Spitzer’s outrageous and clearly illegal behavior, and the other cases are not baseless. In other words, it cheapens the argument that some of the Bush DOJ prosecutions have been politically motivated. A lot of regular folks think Spitzer should have been caught and should have been thrown out of office.
laurelsays
if he was politically assassinated, then say so. but he was definitely not assassinated. made my heat stop when i first read that…
nomad943says
I just repeated the title that the original author put out there. I had the same reaction đŸ™‚
geo999says
Suicide by cop? Possibly.
<
p>Self inflicted wound borne of arrogance and stupidity? Likely.
lasthorsemansays
on the keyword
14 characteristics of fascism!
Let’s push that number higher folks in this “post 911 world”.
<
p>I was amazed at the hatred the nation displayed towards this man. All in lock-goostepping unison.
Listen to Ralph Nader .. Learn ..
If you are paying attention Chuckie Schumer has his snout as deep into this as BushCo does.
They are ALL implicated ..
laurelsays
lay it our for us with some supportable, will you?
p>Key point, Stone’s letter was written after the investigation began, so he may have just gotten word about it on the grapevine and written the letter to give himself attention.
joeltpatterson says
The Bush DOJ is highly politicized, even after the removal of Alberto Gonzales.
They will continue to use prosecutorial discretion against Democrats and in favor of Republicans until they are replaced in January 2009.
<
p>Remember, they didn’t leak Vitter’s name. That was Larry Flynt’s doing.
laurel says
to be able to draw a real connection between the spitzer thing and the recent breach in obama’s state department records. show a pattern of election-time politically motivated crimes by the gop. what is that we’re supposedly fighting a war on now? democratic process?
peter-porcupine says
…to throw Progressives off the track?
<
p>Wasn’t it?
<
p>Obama will lose if he is as egomanical as his supporters.
theopensociety says
The State Department incident was not some grand conspiracy and the Obama camgaign sounded a little ridiculous when they tried to make it into one, another example of the Obama campaign using the Karl Rove playbook of campaigning. The State Department incident was a couple of goofy contract employees doing what they should not have done, probably because they were bored. The system the State Department has in place for catching such behavior worked. The employees got fired. End of story. As for Spitzer, he broke the law and he was a hypocrit. I am so disappointed in him, but I am not sorry to see him go. He has himself to blame, and people should stop trying to find excuses for his behaviour.
laurel says
2. until an independent investigation is completed, no one can say for sure if this was an organized, politically-motivated set of event, or as you say bored employees infringing on the privacy of American citizens (isn’t it nice to know just how many state dep’t employees are willing to do that? heck of a job, condi).
3. i have never defended spitzer’s alleged crimes. in fact i’ve called him a hypocrite. But that doesn’t mean that the Bush sdministration isn’t unfairly and with much bias examining the honesty of dem office holders.
theopensociety says
Two of the contract employees were fired and a third was disciplined As I said, the system worked.
<
p>I agree, until an independent investigation takes place, there is no evidence that “passport filegate” was politically motivated. Therefore, to imply it was politically motivated, which is what the Obama campaign and some supporters were doing on Friday, is irresponsible, particularly when candidate Obama claims he wants to bring people together. I even heard on NPR Friday morning Jack Beatty, a senior editor at the Atlantic Monthly and an “On Point” news analyst, imply that the Clintons were behind it all. His commentary was outrageous, but Jack Beatty seems to be enamored with Obama, and as a result, he has said a lot of not very analytical things lately. (Apparently Mr. Beatty had not heard that Hillary Clinton’s passport files had been breached as well.)
<
p>I also agree that the Bush administration has been unfairly targeting some Democratic politicians and misusing the DOJ for its own political purposes. Spitzer’s case, however, should not be used as an example of where that has happened. It makes the other cases seem baseless, given Spitzer’s outrageous and clearly illegal behavior, and the other cases are not baseless. In other words, it cheapens the argument that some of the Bush DOJ prosecutions have been politically motivated. A lot of regular folks think Spitzer should have been caught and should have been thrown out of office.
laurel says
if he was politically assassinated, then say so. but he was definitely not assassinated. made my heat stop when i first read that…
nomad943 says
I just repeated the title that the original author put out there. I had the same reaction đŸ™‚
geo999 says
Suicide by cop? Possibly.
<
p>Self inflicted wound borne of arrogance and stupidity? Likely.
lasthorseman says
on the keyword
14 characteristics of fascism!
Let’s push that number higher folks in this “post 911 world”.
<
p>I was amazed at the hatred the nation displayed towards this man. All in lock-goostepping unison.
joeltpatterson says
are Roger Stone’s. via TPM.
<
p>Part of who Roger Stone is.
nomad943 says
Listen to Ralph Nader .. Learn ..
If you are paying attention Chuckie Schumer has his snout as deep into this as BushCo does.
They are ALL implicated ..
laurel says
lay it our for us with some supportable, will you?
joeltpatterson says
from NYC freelance journalist Lindsay Beyerstein
<
p>Key point, Stone’s letter was written after the investigation began, so he may have just gotten word about it on the grapevine and written the letter to give himself attention.