None Dare Call It Art

Tonight I thought we might all benefit by visiting an art gallery. If you are in New York any time soon you should visit the New York Public Library's main Fifth Ave. branch. It has put up mugshots of several well known administration figures. The Daily News has a slide show. In the alternative, the AP has a video story.



UnitedOffensiveIII's "liner" notes after the break.

Mug shots' of Bush, Cheney featured in library exhibit

The New York Public Library is displaying an unusual set of photographs: images of Bush administration officials doctored to make them look like police mug shots.

The half dozen pictures were created by two Brooklyn artists, Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese, as part of a privately financed exhibit called "Line Up" in the landmarked public space on Fifth Avenue.

Also in the mug shot gallery are images of Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Bush adviser Karl Rove, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

The dates on each image match days when each official spoke about Iraq in ways the artists consider criminal - with sound clips of them speaking, along with a camera flash going off and a prison door closing.

Some have criticized the library for displaying political satire in an institution that receives public funding.

Matthew Walter, spokesman for the New York Republican State Committee, said: "It is simply inappropriate to have political attack in the form of egregious doctored photographs of the president and other high-ranking officials who have dedicated their lives to public service in a taxpayer-funded building frequented by schoolchildren and the general public."

The library said the exhibition "has no political agenda."

The photographs are part of a larger exhibit called "Multiple Interpretations: Contemporary Prints in Portfolio at the New York Public Library," which will be up through Jan. 27.

The library has a long tradition of collecting political satire and caricature, library spokesman Herb Shaer said Friday.

"It's the mission of the library to document what's happening in the culture, and this is an artist's response to what's happening to the world around them," he said.

There's more: "None Dare Call It Art" >>

Karl Rove's Shop Conducted Briefings At 15 Agencies

The Washington Post's R. Jeffrey Smith reports that last year Karl Rove's office

conducted 20 private briefings on Republican electoral prospects in the last midterm election for senior officials in at least 15 government agencies covered by federal restrictions on partisan political activity, a White House spokesman and other administration officials said yesterday.

The previously undisclosed briefings were part of what now appears to be a regular effort in which the White House sent senior political officials to brief top appointees in government agencies on which seats Republican candidates might win or lose, and how the election outcomes could affect the success of administration policies, the officials said.

As you may recall earlier this month the Office of General Counsel launched an investigation into allegations that General Services Administration chief Lurita Doan violated the Hatch Act by conducting one such briefing at her agency.

Of course, Doan is but another sad victim of partial memory loss epidemic among loyal Bushies appearing before Congress. Known as "Alberto Gonzales' Disease" this terrible malady affects loyal Bushies like Doan, D. Kyle Sampson, and Gonzales who have had recent contact with Karl Rove and J. Scott Jennings. This tragic disease targets the memories of otherwise normal public officials depriving them of the ability to recall events occurring during their official duties.

There's more: "Karl Rove's Shop Conducted Briefings At 15 Agencies" >>

Go, Go, Go. Go, Go, Go Gonzales

TPM points us to the WSJ where they have a story on the Renzi investigation. It looks pretty bad for Renzi but even worse for AG Gonzales. Here's the tidbit that jumped out at me:

The case could add fuel to the firestorm over the Bush administration's firing of federal prosecutors late last year. Paul Charlton, the U.S. Attorney who had been overseeing the case, was among those dismissed at the behest of the White House. A spokesman for Mr. Renzi dismissed as "a political hatchet job" the suggestion that Mr. Charlton's firing was connected to the probe of Mr. Renzi.

Let's face it. They fired eight - some were political favors for Rove/Cheney but, mostly, these were cover for getting rid of the problem children like Lam and Charlton who were exposing real corruption in Republican party.

There's more: "Go, Go, Go. Go, Go, Go Gonzales" >>

"He's our No. 1 crimefighter"

--White House spokesperson Dana Perino on Alberto Gonzales Friday.

[cross-posted from Lost Chord]

There's more: ""He's our No. 1 crimefighter"" >>

Gonzales Is Done

Today, Gonzoles had an "if we lose him" moment that has sealed his fate. TPMuckraker is reporting (from CNN) that Rep. Adam Putnam (FL-12) has called for Gonzales to resign.

CNN is reporting that Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL), the Chairman of the Republican Conference and the number three in the House Republican leadership, has said that Gonzales should resign.

He is the water carrier for Bush and has been Florida's Republican hack on just about every issue. Believe it or not, he has voted with the President more than RNC chairman and Florida Senator Mel Martinez!

If Gonzales has lost Putnam, I'd expect an announcement by the end of the day or on the Saturday Presidential Radio address.

There's more: "Gonzales Is Done" >>

Two Republican Representatives Have A Bad Week.

First, last Friday the home of Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) was searched by the FBI as part of the Abramoff probe. He then resigned his seat on the House Appropriations Committee.

Then on Thursday, a business tied to Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Az.) was raided by the FBI. He immediately resigned his position on the House Intelligence Committee.

Gee, I wonder if somebody at Main Justice has decided to throw a couple of Republicans under the bus to prove they are really on top of Republican corruption. Land of Enchantment over at ePluribus Media (see link above) has the same thought. If we are legitimately wondering, the reputation of the Justice Department is in the ditch. It is going to take a long time for us to recover from the foul stench currently emanating from the Alberto Gonzales lead Justice Department.

There's more: "Two Republican Representatives Have A Bad Week." >>