Right Round, Baby, Right Round...

...Like a record, baby, right round-round-round...

Finally sensing a huge shift in public sentiment about the ongoing occupation of Iraq from their DC fishbowl, the Bush and Cheney administrations are cranking up their weakening Wurlitzer in the attempt to make their media monkeys dance:

President Bush, ratcheting up a fight with Congress over Iraq, accused Democrats on Friday of conducting a political debate on the war while delaying action on money to upgrade equipment and give troops a pay raise..."It is time to rise above partisanship, stand behind our troops in the field, and give them everything they need to succeed," Bush said in the Rose Garden after meeting with veterans and military families.

The monkeys, bless their little hearts, seem to have heard that tune before, and are - at least nominally - pushing back, with of all things, fact:

Despite Bush's suggestion that the bill is a must-pass measure that would pay for critical war programs, the legislation is not an appropriations bill that feeds military spending accounts. Called the defense authorization bill, the legislation is a policy measure used by Congress to influence the management of major defense programs, set goals and guide the 2008 military spending bill...The bill is needed, however, to authorize military pay raises. Congress typically does not finish the bill before fall, and the pay raises are applied retroactively.

Pointing out fallacies in a Bush statement? Not that it's difficult to do, but be still my heart...Next thing you know, they'll be giving the Democratic response equal time....Oh my goodness! Bless their little hearts again:

"The partisan attacks by President Bush only demonstrate his administration's unwillingness to work with Congress to give our men and women in uniform the support they deserve, including a new direction in Iraq," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

But, ultimately, the cute little prancing primates can't resist cantering to the beat, setting up the future movement of goalposts set to occur in September...

Meanwhile, the White House said it has not changed the timetable for assessing progress in Iraq and that September remains the next critical timeframe for judging the course of the war. A day earlier, a top general said a solid judgment may not come until November. ..The officer, Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, suggested Friday that his comments may have been misinterpreted. Another general, Maj. Gen. W.E. Gaskin, commanding in a province touted as a model of progress — said it would take two years before Iraqis can be self-sufficient in running their government and security forces...And yet another general, Maj. Gen. Richard Lynch, who leads the 3rd Infantry Division — said his area of responsibility south of Baghdad may need through summer 2008 to consolidate recent gains. Gaskin spoke to Pentagon reporters by video conference from Iraq. He said coalition efforts "have turned the corner ... broken the cycle of violence in Anbar." But, he added, "you cannot buy, nor can you fast-forward experience. It has to be worked out."

...And allowing fellow Republican organ grinders to not really say anything at all:

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters Friday that September is still a critical date for members of Congress to assess the war's progress...When asked whether he would be satisfied to wait until November, McConnell said "September is the month we're looking at."

However, it may be that they are not all reading from the same sheet music...From Tony Snow, a.k.a Baghdad Bob, a.k.a Twisty Tony:

White House press secretary Tony Snow said...the administration was not trying to move the goal posts for assessing the buildup, from September until November.

versus:

Republicans in particular have thought that, if substantial gains could not be found by September, then Bush would have to rethink his military strategy, which relies on 158,000 U.S. troops..."I'm not optimistic," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said of the September assessment. She spoke after attending a classified briefing Thursday at the Pentagon by Gen. David Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the top U.S. diplomat in Iraq.

We've come a ways from the Judith Millers of the media world prancing around, cheering on the misleading of a nation, while spreading misinformation...Not that there isn't still a ways to go, mind you...

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It's Just Too Hot For Fat Old Iraqi Politicians To Work In August. Poor Babies.

The AP is reporting that the Iraqi Parliament is taking the month of August off. Tony Snow feels sorry for the Iraqi lawmakers, "You know, it's 130 degrees in Baghdad in August."

I wonder how many American kids are going to die while the Iraqi Parliament goes to the beach? I wonder if Tony Snow will have any sympathy for them?

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What Tony Snow Says Dick Lugar Thinks Compared To What Dick Lugar Says Dick Lugar Thinks

I just found this over at TPM. I am posting it for two reasons. First, the substance. It is startling to compare what Tony says Sen. Dick Lugar thinks with what Dick Lugar says he thinks. Tony Snow proves once again that he is Tony Snow.

Second, this video provides an example of what can be done with a little inexpensive video capture hardware and software. Josh Marshall and his team are to be commended. Here they are showing all of us the way forward. Of course, Marshall's approach to blogging is often ground breaking.



Doc Larry, what does it take to accomplish what Josh Marshall has done in producing this video? I really like his toys.

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Tony Snow Is At It Again

Remember last week when Tony Snow said the Bush White House email policy was modeled on the Clinton email policy, when it wasn't. Well Tony's at it again. According to ThinkProgress at today's press briefing he was shocked, shocked I tell you, that the Senate Judiciary Committee would subpoena documents concerning the President's surveillance program. Tony said Senate's conduct was outrageous because Congress was kept “fully informed all along the route.”

Sadly, but not surprisingly, Tony's claim is false. For one Jay Rockefeller, one of the members who was briefed, said the briefings were inadequate.

Clearly, the activities we discussed raised profound oversight issues…I feel unable to evaluate, much less endorse, these activities…without more information…I simply cannot satisfy lingering concerns raised by the briefing…

ThinkProgress reports that the former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Bob Graham said his briefing was inadequate. From the Miami Herald:

…Graham recalled being summoned to a classified briefing by Vice President Dick Cheney in late 2001 or early 2002. He was informed about a presidential directive that let the National Security Agency eavesdrop on overseas calls that moved through U.S. communications lines — not people speaking on the phone inside the United States.

… [D]uring his chairmanship of the Intelligence Committee in 2001 and 2002, [Graham] said, “I was not notified that they were going to abandon the FISA process and utilize warrantless intercepts of conversations.”

Should we be surprised that Snow is lying on this topic. He is simply repeating the Fox News Network/ Republcian party line previously announced by his old running buddy, Brit Hume.

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Tony Snow Blames Clinton Administration For White House RNC Email Scandal

We know four things about Tony Snow. First, he is beloved by the White House Press Corp because he is one of their own. Second, he has cancer. Third, he takes every possible opportunity to blame Bill Clinton for any and every White House failure. Fourth, as Jon Stewart recently demonstrated he is more than willing to lie, boldly and with out the slightest shame.

He seems sure the people in the press corp will never challenge him when he lies. He's right. After all Tony is beloved and has cancer. It just wouldn't be right to point out when Tony is lying. That is the job of a comedian, not an official white house stenographer.

Yesterday while answering a question about the RNC email scandal Tony Snow told the assembled press corp that the White House just followed the pattern established by the previous administration. Think Progress has the video.

Guess what, when asked by Raw Story's Michael Roston the Democratic National Committee took exception.

"That's simply untrue," Stacie Paxton, a spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee, told RAW STORY in a Tuesday phone call. "Clinton White House officials did not have DNC e-mail accounts."

Any bets whether this Tony Snow fib makes the national news? If it does I would wager the Press will report it as fact and ignore the DNC denial. Nobody in the national media will actually investigate. I guess we will only hear about this new Tony Snow lie from the comedians. After all Tony is beloved and he has cancer.

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Tony Snow v. Tony Snow

Tony Snow argues with himself about the US Attorney scandal. Don't these guys realize we tape all this stuff. Enjoy.



Jon Stewart, June 14, 2007

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George Bush--"Follow Me Boys. We've Got 'Em On The Run."

At today's presser Tony Snow told Helen Thomas that President Bush was on the front lines in the War in Iraq.

This comment invokes the image of George W. Bush holding his M-16 as he leads his unit through a hail of insurgent bullets. One of his young comrades is hit. The President stops to give assistance. Bullets are flying all around. The young soldier says, "Go on Mr. President, save yourself, I'm done for."

The President lifts the young soldier to his shoulders in a fireman's carry. As he carries the wounded man to the aid station, he fires both his and his fallen comrade's M-16s, one in each hand, Rambo style. Attacking islamofacist insurgents fall by the dozens.

Another classic Tony Snow comedy riff. I picked this one up at Talking Points Memo.

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Tony Snow--Are You Kidding Me?

I am sorry. I put up the wrong humorous video. I meant to put up a clip of the unsurpassed comedy of Tony Snow.

Here is today's edition of Tony's routine. He is answering questions about whether putting people in Gitmo without trial and throwing away the key might be considered a handicap in our efforts to encourage democracy world wide.



If you can't understand the tape TPMmuckraker has transcribed Tony's take:

Are you saying that detaining people who are plucked off the battlefields is an assault on democracy? Are you kidding me? You're talking about the people who were responsible for supporting the Taliban, somehow detaining them is an assault on democracy?

Yes Tony, picking people up on suspicion and throwing them in prison for life without trial is a threat to Democracy. It sure makes us look like we don't care at all about the rule of law.

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Tony Snow Talking About Executive Privilege

This is just too good not to post.

Tony Snow - Op-Ed - St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 29, 1998 :

(HEADLINE: "Executive Privilege is a Dodge")

Evidently, Mr. Clinton wants to shield virtually any communications that take place within the White House compound on the theory that all such talk contributes in some way, shape or form to the continuing success and harmony of an administration. Taken to its logical extreme, that position would make it impossible for citizens to hold a chief executive accountable for anything. He would have a constitutional right to cover up.

Chances are that the courts will hurl such a claim out, but it will take time.

One gets the impression that Team Clinton values its survival more than most people want justice and thus will delay without qualm. But as the clock ticks, the public's faith in Mr. Clinton will ebb away for a simple reason: Most of us want no part of a president who is cynical enough to use the majesty of his office to evade the one thing he is sworn to uphold -- the rule of law.

In the next few days Tony Snow is going to be yammering about the President's right to claim executive privilege in this case. I wonder if he will remember what he said back in 1998.

Tip of the hat to Glen Greenwald at Salon for the Snow quote. Read the whole article. It concludes:

For better or worse, not only the right-wing noise machine, but also our nation's media elite, decreed long ago that when "executive privilege" is invoked for anything other than safeguarding national security or other state secrets, it is a corrupt tool designed to stifle The Truth. Here, it is being invoked by Bush to prevent his political advisor and White House counsel -- with no relationship to national security matters -- from testifying as to the reasons why the administration fired 8 U.S. attorneys and then lied about what they did repeatedly.

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