I heard this on Fox News today and I was flabbergasted I tell you, flabbergasted!

Jon Scott: Take you to the Nation’s Capitol now as we look live at the White House. That building is reeling after the conviction of Lewis (Scooter) Libby the former Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. This, along with the Walter Reed Army Medical Center Scandal and investigations into the mass firing of U.S. Attorneys, how will the Bush Administration handle all of this intense scrutiny? Joining us now, Jane Fleming, she is a Democratic strategist and Executive Director of Young Voter PAC and John Hancock, he is a Republican strategist. Welcome to both of you.

Jane Fleming: Thank you.

Jon Scott: John, dark days at the White House?

John Hancock: Well every administration goes through its trouble and this is a troubling time at the White House but I will tell you that the President has responded very effectively, particularly to the Walter Reed situation, putting the bipartisan commission together is a very good move and the I think you’re going to see this White House come out of this much more stronger and ready to lead our nation.

Jon Scott: Jane, Mary Matalin says only in this day and age could a guy like Sandy Berger stuff documents in his socks, walk out, you know, get busted for it and wind up with no jail time. And Scooter Libby winds up facing maybe a few years for getting, in her words, “confused about when he told stories to certain reporters.”

Jane Fleming: He didn’t get confused. Karl Rove knew about this, Dick Cheney knew about this, and Scooter Libby, who was the highest ranking White House official, he’s at the assistant to the President, [ed note: She has misspoken, Scooter Libby was with the Vice President’s office, not the President’s office and how can an assistant be the highest ranking White House official?] knew about this. It is a major problem. He outed a secret service agent [ed note: Secret Service Agents are part of Treasury, not CIA] and he put lives at risk. Not only hers, but others as well.

Jon Scott: But Fitzgerald said that the outing of the agent was actually done by Richard Armitage, a guy who was, although he was in the administration, was an opponent of the Iraq war.

Jane Fleming: That’s actually not true. And I know that that is a talking point that’s out there now, but that’s actually not true. [ed note: What!?! Bob Novak, the recipient of the outing says that Armitage did the outing. Armitage says Armitage did the outing. Is she perhaps referring to Scott’s statement that Fitz said Armitage was the leaker? Doing a Google search on fitzgerald armitage plame we find many articles stating categorically that Fitzgerald knew that Armitage was the actual leaker, he may not have come out and said it, but this only applies if she was stating that Fitz saying it was not true. If she’s saying that Armitage wasn’t the leaker then where’s her proof? She just states “That’s actually not true” and that’s it. No more. Ms. Fleming: You need to back up statements like that. Mr. Scott: Why didn’t you call her on that?] Most important is how Bush is reacting to this. He actually told an aide when he heard the news to put out a statement expressing sadness for Libby. What the statement should be saying is condemning his behavior and living up to the word that Bush said months ago when this story first broke, that he would make sure that anyone that had anything to do with this leak would be fired and brought to justice. He has not done that. [Ed. note: He didn’t have to fire Libby, Libby resigned. Libby was tried and convicted. Armitage is no longer with State and will not be charged. What more does Ms. Fleming want? Oh, I know, she wants the Vice President and Karl Rove fired and tried as well. Not gonna happen lady. Fitz said yesterday that he doesn’t see any more charges coming out of this investigation.] He should condemn the behavior and make sure to get to the bottom of this case.

Jon Scott: John, what’s your reaction to that?

John Hancock: These people are amazing. The double standards the Democrats employ are absolutely amazing. Where was this rhetoric when Bill Clinton was committing perjury? Where was this rhetoric when Sandy Berger was stuffing those documents into his clothing? The reality here is that it is important to find good people to work in government and the President, by and large, has done a tremendous job bringing highly capable, qualified, professional individuals into this government…

Jane Fleming: {interrupting] Katrina, that’s high…

John Hancock: …that’s why you see our economy doing… it’s why you see our economy…

Jane Fleming: {interrupting} Katrina’s a great example. He does bring in the people who have the knowledge they need to make sure… look at Abu Ghraib, look at Katrina, look at the Walter Reed scandal. There are [sic] scandal after scandal that the White House has got to respond to that they don’t.

Jon Scott: John Hancock and Jane Fleming…

John Hancock: This White House is responding effectively.

Jon Scott: We have to say good-bye. Thank you both.

Comments?

Breaking….

Libby verdict to be read at noon Eastern, 11 Central…

Guilty on four of five counts, the Cooper charge (Count 3) not guilty.

Fitzgerald’s Libby site.

He will appeal for sure.

Tom at JustOneMinute has lots and lots – scroll down…

Pelosi:

“Today’s guilty verdicts are not solely about the acts of one individual.

“This trial provided a troubling picture of the inner workings of the Bush Administration. The testimony unmistakably revealed – at the highest levels of the Bush Administration – a callous disregard in handling sensitive national security information and a disposition to smear critics of the war in Iraq.

Fitz doesn’t see any further charges being filed in this matter.

I’m looking for Harry Reid’s press release on this. Found it.

“I welcome the jury’s verdict. It’s about time someone in the Bush Administration has been held accountable for the campaign to manipulate intelligence and discredit war critics. Lewis Libby has been convicted of perjury, but his trial revealed deeper truths about Vice President Cheney’s role in this sordid affair. Now President Bush must pledge not to pardon Libby for his criminal conduct.”

It’s Casimir Pulaski day and here in Illinois the kids are off school. I didn’t get this day off school when I was a kid, this one’s new…

Casimir Pulaski was a Polish Cavalry general who is widely considered the “Father of the American Cavalry” (source) He worked with General Washington to train up the American Cavalry. Casimir Pulaski’s birthday was March 4th and his birthday is celebrated on the first Monday in March.

Chicago has the largest Polish population outside of Poland and honoring a Polish Revolutionary War Hero here makes sense. Chicago also has a major road named after him.

One thing I noticed, here in Illinois his name is pronounced Poo-lass-key but in New England I noticed that the name is pronounced Poo-lass-sky. How would you pronounce it?
**changed the pronunciation “words” to make it clearer**

Linked by Basil’s Blog. Thanks.

To all our Jewish friends, Happy Purim!

From the Purim on the Net website:

Purim is the most festive of Jewish holidays, a time of prizes, noisemakers, costumes and treats. The Festival of Purim commemorates a major victory over oppression and is recounted in the Megillah, the scroll of the story of Esther. Purim takes place on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar, the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar. This year (2007) Purim begins at sundown on the 03rd of March

We’re watching For Your Consideration this evening, a movie about the Oscar buzz surrounding three actors in the film Home for Purim, a 1940’s period piece…

My sister’s mother-in-law, “S” is in the hospital. She had breast cancer, and was in remission, but the cancer has returned and metastasized. It is now lurking everywhere.

Please pray that “S” remains comfortable and can finish all her business in her remaining time with us.

Via the “magic” of the Inline Trackback and Pingbacks plugin (works with WP 2.1) by Slobokan of Slobokan’s Site O’Schtuff trackbacks show up right on the front page of a post here at Musing Minds.

Link to this post from yours and send a trackback ping to

Friday Open Trackback Party

and lets have a party!

I’ll feel really bad if there isn’t even one trackback….

Spring Ahead the clocks 2 a.m. 3/11/07

March is certainly coming in like a lion this year. I was awakened by a thunder and lightening storm at 3 a.m. this morning the driveway was coated with hail and slush and it’s currently raining with more thunderstorms to come.

A seven-year-old girl was killed in a tornado in Missouri this morning. Our prayers go out to her family and friends.

More tornadoes are possible, blizzards in North Dakota and Minnesota.

The entire saying is

In like a lion, out like a lamb

Hopefully this means that we will be having wonderful weather at the end of March and into April for a wonderful Easter.