Blogressive January 5, 2005
Did Bush eavesdrop on a CNN reporter? (And her husband, a Kerry advisor?)
Now this is an interesting chain of events:
On Tuesday, MSNBC.com published a transcript of an Andrea Mitchell interview with James Risen, one the reporters who broke the NSA wiretapping story, with this tantalizing exchange:
Mitchell: Do you have any information about reporters being swept up in this net?
Risen: No, I don't. It's not clear to me. That's one of the questions we'll have to look into the future. Were there abuses of this program or not? I don't know the answer to that.
Mitchell: You don't have any information, for instance, that a very prominent journalist, Christiane Amanpour, might have been eavesdropped upon?
Risen: No, no I hadn't heard that.
Source: ameriblog.com
This line of inquiry was enough to raise eyebrows in the blogosphere. Why did Mitchell focus on CNN's Amanpour? If she were just tossing a name out there, why not choose more of a household name or someone from her own network? Was Andrea Mitchell on to something?
Speculation only increased when Ameriblog noticed that the transcript was changed sometime yesterday. The new transcript omitted references to Amanpour:
Mitchell: Do you have any information about reporters being swept up in this net?
Risen: No, I don't. It's not clear to me. That's one of the questions we'll have to look into the future. Were there abuses of this program or not? I don't know the answer to that
Mitchell: You are very, very tough on the CIA and the administration in general in both the war on terror and the run up to the war and the war itself ? the post-war operation. Let's talk about the war on terror. Why do you think they missed so many signals and what do you think caused the CIA to have this sort of break down as you describe it?
Source: msnbc.com
Later yesterday, NBC explained the change:
"Unfortunately this transcript was released prematurely. It was a topic on which we had not completed our reporting, and it was not broadcast on 'NBC Nightly News' nor on any other NBC News program. We removed that section of the transcript so that we may further continue our inquiry."
Source: mediabistro.com
If the possibility of spying on journalists isn't chilling enough, consider that Amanpour lives in London with her husband James Rubin. Rubin is currently the anchor of World News Tonight in London. He served as the chief spokesman for the State Department under President Clinton and was a chief foreign policy spokesman for Wesley Clark's presidential campaign and then as a senior advisor for national security affairs for John Kerry's presidential campaign. Any eavesdropping on her phone could have easily included some of his conversations.
Is this the next big scandal? Or tin-foil hat time?
Source: ameriblog.com
McLellan will support his mother... but Bush is still his Daddy. McLellan will support his mother... but Bush is still his Daddy.
Press Secretary Scott McLellan's mother, Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn. is running for Governor, against Republican incumbent Rick Perry, as an independent. This puts McClellan in the uncomfortable position of spinning for a man who has already endorsed his mother's rival:
"'The president will support the Republican nominee (for Texas governor), and it's pretty clear the Republican nominee will be his friend Rick Perry,' McClellan said Tuesday. The White House spokesman has a different pick in that race: his mother, Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, who is running as an independent. 'My mother cares deeply about Texas, and she has my full support,' McClellan said."
Does Scotty, who has been an integral part of her campaigns in the past, now have the perfect excuse to jump ship?
"McClellan, before joining the White House staff in 2001, ran his mother's 1996 campaign for Texas railroad commissioner and her 1998 comptroller's race. He said he has no plans to vacate his lectern in the West Wing to help her campaign this year."
There you go. He wouldn't lie to us, would he?
Blogettes Fragments from headlines and blogs you may have missed
Blogometer
The hottest topic in the progressive blogosphere.
Miner coverage
Shame on the Boston Herald for climbing the slippery slope of religion with this headline yesterday: America's Prayers Answered. Can't wait to see how the editors pull off that retraction.
Quotable
"I'm not smart enough to debate you point to point on this, but I have the feeling that about 60 percent of what you say is crap "
David Letterman to Bill O'Reilly. Video available at crooksandliars.com.
Bucs cheerleaders dance to "Rock You Like a Hurricane" during halftime of game against New Orleans Saints. "On Wednesday afternoon, a Buccaneers' spokesperson apologized for the song, calling it an oversight and saying it was not their 'intent to offend anyone.' The team officials noted the song was part of a dance routine the cheerleaders have performed to all season. He says the song, 'Rock You Like a Hurricane' will no longer be played at games against the Saints." Bucs cheerleaders dance to "Rock You Like a Hurricane" during halftime of game against New Orleans Saints. "On Wednesday afternoon, a Buccaneers' spokesperson apologized for the song, calling it an oversight and saying it was not their 'intent to offend anyone.' The team officials noted the song was part of a dance routine the cheerleaders have performed to all season. He says the song, 'Rock You Like a Hurricane' will no longer be played at games against the Saints."
Source: tampabays10.com
Pastoring can get you arrested... especially if the alleged pastoring is involves oral sex and the pastoree is an undercover cop. "Lonnie Latham, senior pastor at South Tulsa Baptist Church, was booked into Oklahoma County Jail Tuesday night on a misdemeanor charge of offering to engage in an act of lewdness, police Capt. Jeffrey Becker said. Latham was released on $500 bail Wednesday afternoon. Latham, who has spoken out against homosexuality, asked the officer to join him in his hotel room for oral sex. Latham was arrested and his 2005 Mercedes automobile was impounded, Becker said. Calls to Latham at his church were not immediately returned Wednesday. When he left jail, he said: 'I was set up. I was in the area pastoring to police.' " Pastoring can get you arrested... especially if the alleged pastoring is involves oral sex and the pastoree is an undercover cop. "Lonnie Latham, senior pastor at South Tulsa Baptist Church, was booked into Oklahoma County Jail Tuesday night on a misdemeanor charge of offering to engage in an act of lewdness, police Capt. Jeffrey Becker said. Latham was released on $500 bail Wednesday afternoon. Latham, who has spoken out against homosexuality, asked the officer to join him in his hotel room for oral sex. Latham was arrested and his 2005 Mercedes automobile was impounded, Becker said. Calls to Latham at his church were not immediately returned Wednesday. When he left jail, he said: 'I was set up. I was in the area pastoring to police.' "
Source: channeloklahoma.com
Descent and upright citizens win one. Intelligent Design extinct in Dover. "Dover's much-maligned school policy of presenting "intelligent design'' as an alternative to evolution was officially relegated to the history books Tuesday night. On a voice vote, and with no discussion beforehand, the newly elected Dover Area School Board unanimously rescinded the policy. Two weeks earlier, a judge ruled the policy unconstitutional."
Source: livescience.com
Bush is giving a tiny fraction of Ambramoff-tainted money to charity. His favorite philosopher, Jesus Christ, could not be reached for comment. "President Bush is donating $6,000 in campaign contributions linked to Abramoff to charity. He is donating money raised from Abramoff, his wife and a Native-American tribe he represented. But that’s a small fraction of the amount of money raised for Bush by Abramoff, which is at least $120,000 and potentially much more." Bush is giving a tiny fraction of Ambramoff-tainted money to charity. His favorite philosopher, Jesus Christ, could not be reached for comment. "President Bush is donating $6,000 in campaign contributions linked to Abramoff to charity. He is donating money raised from Abramoff, his wife and a Native-American tribe he represented. But that’s a small fraction of the amount of money raised for Bush by Abramoff, which is at least $120,000 and potentially much more."
Source: thinkprogress.com
Jon Stewart will host the Oscars. "The new host will also use some of his own 'Daily Show' writers to help with material. This is standard operating procedure at the Oscars, where the writing staff is usually divided into writers who work with the host and writers who work on everything else, with the occasional free agent (Bruce Vilanch comes to mind) moving between the two camps. Stewart, who was born Jonathan Stewart Liebowitz, once told "60 Minutes" that he dropped the name Liebowitz because it 'sounded too Hollywood.' " Jon Stewart will host the Oscars. "The new host will also use some of his own 'Daily Show' writers to help with material. This is standard operating procedure at the Oscars, where the writing staff is usually divided into writers who work with the host and writers who work on everything else, with the occasional free agent (Bruce Vilanch comes to mind) moving between the two camps. Stewart, who was born Jonathan Stewart Liebowitz, once told "60 Minutes" that he dropped the name Liebowitz because it 'sounded too Hollywood.' "
Source: latimes.com
Now the military hates America. "Support for President Bush and for the war in Iraq has slipped significantly in the last year among members of the military’s professional core, according to the 2005 Military Times Poll. Approval of the president’s Iraq policy fell 9 percentage points from 2004; a bare majority, 54 percent, now say they view his performance on Iraq as favorable. Support for his overall performance fell 11 points, to 60 percent, among active-duty readers of the Military Times newspapers." Now the military hates America. "Support for President Bush and for the war in Iraq has slipped significantly in the last year among members of the military’s professional core, according to the 2005 Military Times Poll. Approval of the president’s Iraq policy fell 9 percentage points from 2004; a bare majority, 54 percent, now say they view his performance on Iraq as favorable. Support for his overall performance fell 11 points, to 60 percent, among active-duty readers of the Military Times newspapers."
Source: militarycity.com