[GOP Corruption]

The Superfecta of Sleaze

As Sandra noted in comments below, Scooter Libby plead "not guilty" this morning. This is bizarre for a number of reasons. Most obviously: he is guilty. How he dodges this is beyond me. But this also sets up a potentially administration-destroying trial that will at the very least drag on for weeks and continue to embarrass Bush and Cheney. Surely Libby knows there's a pardon waiting for him, so why not just take one for the team?

The WaPo is also reporting that Rove may get shoved out. This, too, seems like a no-brainer. In his official capacity, Rove is extraneous, and in his actual capacity--puppet master--he doesn't need to be on the payroll or even on the premises. A phone and DSL line and he's ready to seemlessly transition into the "private" sector.

(Last night, NPR reported an interesting thing that now makes me think Rove won't be indicted. Apparently it's kosher to lie like a cheap rug to the grand jury for your first three visits if you then "correct the record" on your fourth--which is what Rove did. No perjury nor even, apparently, obstruction of justice--which creates a hell of a loophole. You can obstruct justice for a year and then "correct the record" for a stay-out-of-jail card.)


But that's just politics. In the most disturbing recent news, it turns out the CIA has a network of secret prisons scattered across the globe.

The CIA has been hiding and interrogating some of its most important al Qaeda captives at a Soviet-era compound in Eastern Europe, according to U.S. and foreign officials familiar with the arrangement.

The secret facility is part of a covert prison system set up by the CIA nearly four years ago that at various times has included sites in eight countries, including Thailand, Afghanistan and several democracies in Eastern Europe, as well as a small center at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, according to current and former intelligence officials and diplomats from three continents.

This defies comment, except to say that if the CIA feels it needs to have secret prisons, gentle Americans probably don't want to know what goes on in them.

Finally, the last item on our superfecta is that ultimate go-to man in the administration, Mikey "Fancy Pants" Brown (link is a .pdf). As Katrina was slamming New Orleans?

From Cindy Taylor, FEMA's public affairs hack on the day of the storm (Aug 29): "My eyes must certainly be deceiving me. You look fabulous -- and I'm not talking about the makeup!"

Brown's reply: "I got it at Nordsstroms [sic]. Email McBride and make sure she knows! Are you proud of me? Can I quit now? Can I go home?

Two days after the storm, we have this exchange between Brown and Marty Bahamonde, one of the only FEMA employees in New Orleans:

Bahamonde: "Now I am going to vomit, laughing and swaying simultaneously is not recommended...."

Brown: "If you'll look at my lovely FEMA attire you'll really vomit. I ama [sic] fashion god."

Good ol' Brownie. You know, he did a heckuva job.