The Political Chase

Richard Pryor

Richard Pryor. December 1, 1940 – December 12, 2005

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Senator Eugene McCarthy

Former Senator and presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy died today at the age of 89.

The Minnesota senator made his mark in the tumultuous 1968 campaign as a Pied Piper of the anti-Vietnam War movement that drove President Lyndon Johnson out of office. Vice President Hubert Humphrey went on to take the nomination that year and ultimately lost the presidency to Republican Richard Nixon.

Kidan to Enter Plea - Abramoff Pressured

Adam Kidan, a business partner with Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon, is near a plea deal with federal prosecutors in exchange for testimony against Abramoff, Rep. Robert Ney (R-OH), and congressional aides Tony Rudy and Neil Volz. Rudy is a former aide to Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) and Volz is a former aide to Ney. Congressman Ney has been told by prosecutors they are preparing a possible bribery indictment against him for activities related with Jack Abramoff.

To refresh your memory, Abramoff is under investigation by a federal grand jury, and also has been indicted, along with Kidan, in Florida for five counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy related to the purchase of a Florida business, SunCruz. Others in the Abramoff web that have been charged are Michael Scanlon and David Safavian. Safavian, criminally charged in September, was a senior White House official — Administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy — at the time of his arrest.

Prosecutors obtaining plea agreements from Scanlon and Kidan intensifies the pressure on Abramoff to enter into a plea agreement before his trial, related to the Florida charges, begins on January 9. Federal prosecutors expect a plea agreement with Abramoff to significantly enhance their Congressional and possibly Bush administration investigations. Representatives Ney and DeLay (rhymes so well it’s worthy of a poem) figure prominently in the Congressional investigations for their association with once powerful lobbyist Abramoff.

Tags: Jack+Abramoff, Politics, Tom+DeLay, Adam+Kidan, Robert+Ney, Michael+Scanlon, lobbyists

David Brooks - Must Have Taken His Meds

I just don’t seem to have sufficient self-control when it comes to David Brook’s column (sub. req.) There is little I can find to disagree with Brook’s column on Wednesday; he hammers the Republicans and Conservatives (isn’t that redundant). I thought I had the wrong columnist, if not the wrong paper. With one major exception, he’s almost lucid, but just short enough on lucidity to provide humor.

We can send all the politicians in Washington back to their respective homes, dispense with the military (with the exception of that tiny catastrophe in the Middle East), quit our jobs and wait for the direct deposits to hit the bank because there are no economic woes. And thank goodness, we’ve come to recognize, accept and live by the Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson dogma, and let’s throw Jimmy Swaggart in for the less moderate.

First, most of the issues that propelled conservatives to power have been addressed. Modern American conservatism was formed by people who wanted to defeat the Soviet Union, reduce crime, reform welfare, cut taxes, deregulate the economy and reintroduce traditional social values. All those problems are less salient today.

You got it right, June and Ward Cleaver are in charge now. I wonder if she wears her pearls with her ‘jammies?

Can you say Jack Abramoff and Tom Delay?

A lot of the energy that used to go into ideas is now devoted to defending Republican politicians. Many former conservative activists have become Republican lobbyists. (When conservatism was a movement of ideas, it attracted oddballs; now that it’s a movement with power, it attracts sleazeballs.)

Well, in this graf, David is not on target. I have to disagree, the Conservatives definitely still think differently. Does Oxford have a defined word that fits?

Conservatives used to live in a media world created by people who thought differently than they did.

And as for this, golly gee, wow! His single adverb gives great insight into what, how and why. But then again, George Bush has really changed the economy also. I’m not so sure that is at the top of the current talking points memo (or shouldn’t be). [Emphasis added.]

Technological change has really changed the economy

Let’s break the next graf down a little bit…”no obvious conservative standard bearer.” Ugh, isn’t that the same thing as absent leadership? And, isn’t that one of the talking points the GOP repeats ad nauseum as the most profound problem of that dastardly Democratic Party? Well, I suppose it’s okay for them – they rise to a higher standard.

The good news is that we are about to enter a political season with no obvious conservative standard bearer, leaving plenty of room for innovation. Also, the current conservative crisis has produced some new thinking.

“[T]he current conservative crisis has produced some new thinking.” It’s produced something, but do we really want to call it thinking, which implies positive, productive, thinking that benefits more than 0.5% of the population?

As far as Mr. Douthat and Mr. Salem are concerned, I was wondering if David could be a little more vague, but then there’s the consideration that maybe he can’t. Maybe all the elements to the fresh conservative agenda are plainly presented in these two sentences. And, my oh my, are we pleased to know that Brooks is responsible for the development of Mr. Salam. It’s just another example of unprecedented humility.

A few weeks ago, two young writers, Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam (my former assistant), unveiled a fresh conservative agenda in a Weekly Standard essay called “The Party of Sam’s Club.” These writers, 26 and 25 years old, are closer to the future than the party leaders.

Running Out of Steam - New York Times.

Viveca Novak Testifies to Grand Jury

Time magazine reporter Viveca Novak, was deposed today (Friday) by Patrick Fitzgerald, Special Counsel investigating the Plame Wilson CIA leak. Her deposition was motivated by Karl Rove’s attorney, Robert D. Luskin. Fitzgerald has renewed interest in a conversation Novak (not related to columnist Bob Novak) and Luskin had over drinks, in the first half of 2004. The actual date of the conversation, which is publicly debated, may be a critical element in Fitzgerald’s decision whether to indict Rove, or possibly others.

Robert Luskin, who was surprisingly deposed on the matter last week, alleges that Novak’s testimony is a key element in exonerating Karl Rove, President Bush’s chief political strategist and White House Deputy Chief of Staff. If you will remember, Rove appeared before the grand jury, whose term expired October 28, on four separate occasions. Karl had a little slip of memory and seemed to have forgotten about a conversation he had with Matt Cooper, Time magazine, in the summer of 2003. Rove and Cooper’s conversation has been a core element in Fitzgerald’s investigation.

Novak allegedly discussed with Luskin certain aspects of Matt Cooper’s testimony to the grand jury, which would have obviously been conveyed to Rove. Furthermore, if the elements of Cooper’s testimony had been inconsequential or irrelevant, why would Ms. Novak meet Luskin to discuss the matter?

Reiterating, Rove “forgot about” his conversation with Cooper when interviewed by the FBI in 2003 or before the grand jury in February 2004. IQ of 160 and the poor fellow can’t remember a blasted thing. A plethora of questions and scrutiny over that period of time, and Karl just happened to remember the conversation, like an epiphany, after Matt Cooper was subpoenaed and ordered to testify. 

Novak’s testimony may not be as exonerating as Rove’s lawyer Luskin professed to Fitzgerald. According to the WP, there are conflicts in Luskin’s allegations to Fitzgerald on the timing of the conversation between Luskin and Ms. Novak.

A source familiar with Novak’s account said she believes the conversation took place in March or May, and definitely took place after February 2004, when Rove first testified before the grand jury.

But one person close to the case said the conversation took place before Rove’s first grand jury appearance in February. This person said the conversation was not the event that led Rove to change his testimony.

Now we have another who-is-the-source question.

Fitzgerald had a three hour get-acquainted session with the grand jury prior to Novak’s deposition. Sounds like winding up rather than winding down.  Great! Now Wolf Blitzer has some filler for his very long show, The Situation Room, Chris Matthews can play hardball with greater intensity, and Saturday Night Live’s writers can stay on vacation.

Tags : Plamegate, Politics, Bush+Administration, Karl+Rove, CIA+Leak