Goss in the Cold: A Scandal Skedaddle?

posted by David Corn on 05/05/2006 @ 5:25pm

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A bolt out of the blue? Or a bolt?

Porter Goss's sudden announcement of his departure from the CIA is puzzling. The former Republican chairman of the House intelligence committee and ex-CIA case officer offered no reason for vacating the CIA directorship, and there was no successor ready to go. News of his resignation came during a brief joint appearance at the White House by George W. Bush and Goss on Friday afternoon (the traditional time slot for putting out bad news). And--whaddayaknow--no pesky questions from journalists. This has led to the obvious speculation: was it the hookers?

I'll get to the (potential) hot stuff in a moment. But consider this: The CIA has been a mess for years--especially after 9/11. Former CIA officials routinely say that morale is lousy and that employees have been fleeing the agency, many of them alienated by the heavy-handed Goss regime, regarded as too close to the White House. One former CIA official recently told me that the retention rate for new analysts and case officers has plummeted. Many are leaving after a year. Private contractors routinely troll the CIA cafeteria, luring away the best talent they can find. ("We'll pay you more, contract you back to the agency, and you won't have to deal with those damn bureaucrats.") And there is a war still going on. The Bush administration has yet to declare al Qaeda defeated. In fact, Osama bin Laden is continues to make his videos.

The CIA beset with problems, Americans dying overseas--why would Goss give up this crucial post at a critical time before a replacement was in the wings? What sort of patriot is this?

And--I'm getting closer to the sex angle--there's already turmoil on the Seventh Floor of CIA HQ. Kyle "Dusty" Foggo, the CIA's executive director (who was put in that post by Goss), has been under investigation by both the CIA's inspector general and the FBI. Foggo, the No. 3 man at the CIA, was a regular at a poker game hosted by Brent Wilkes, a businessman tagged by federal prosecutors as a coconspirator in the bribery case that landed Republican Representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham in jail. The CIA IG is examining whether Foggo helped one of Wilkes' companies win a CIA contract for providing bottled water, first-aid supplies and other items to CIA officials in Afghanistan and Iraq. According to he San Diego Union-Tribune, critics have claimed the CIA overpaid for this contract.

Did Foggo help Wilkes, his best friend since the late 1960s, bilk the CIA?

That may be the least of it. Last week--here it is!--the Wall Street Journal reported that the feds are investigating whether Wilkes and Mitchell Wade, a defense contractor who pleaded guilty to giving Duke Cunningham more than $1 million in bribes, supplied Cunningham with prostitutes, limos and hotel rooms (a dangerous combination). The Journal wrote, "Besides scrutinizing the prostitution scheme for evidence that might implicate contractor Brent Wilkes, investigators are focusing on whether any other members of Congress, or their staffs, may also have used the same free services, though it isn't clear whether investigators have turned up anything to implicate others." Other members of Congress. That's something to ponder.

Wade reportedly has confessed that he did periodically arrange for a limousine to pick up Cunningham and a hooker and ferry them to a suite at the Watergate Hotel or the Westin Grand. Wade also said that Wilkes participated in the ply-Duke-with-sex scheme.

What's this got to do with Porter Goss? Maybe nothing. But here's the reason for speculation. Wilkes did hold parties and poker games for CIA officials and lawmakers, including members of the House intelligence committee. (Goss has been a CIA director, a lawmaker, and a member of the House intelligence committee.) Wilkes was pals with Foggo. (As CIA executive director, Foggo manages the CIA on a day-by-day basis for Goss.) So might Goss know anything about (a) a rigged contract; (b) bad behavior at Wilkes' poker bashes; (c) the non-recreational use of prostitutes; (d) all of the above or something we cannot even imagine? The Foggo-Wilkes-hooker links are certainly quite sketchy at the moment. But--to put this in perspective--they are firmer than some of the intelligence the Bush administration used to claim Saddam Hussein was in bed with bin Laden.

Did Goss attend those poker games? Does he have a connection with Wilkes? Is there a bad movie in all this? Some initial reports have suggested that Goss left the CIA after losing a bureaucratic turf fight against John Negroponte, the director of national intelligence. But if Goss had a good explanation for his decision to bail, he could have shared it--even on a Friday afternoon. And if the reason is just old-fashioned anger over losing some of his power, he could have orchestrated a smoother transition. What led to his abrupt resignation should not be a top secret.

His departure is not necessarily a loss for the CIA. He brought in aides who were assailed as political hacks. Weeks ago, the Washington Post reported that the White House officials had asked the CIA to tell them the political affiliations of senior CIA officials. (Why would the White House want that information?) Representative Jane Harman, the senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee, pointing to all the experienced hands who have left the agency after Goss took over, recently complained that "CIA is in a free fall." And Goss has hardly inspired confidence--in the agency or his own leadership. Last year, he said in a public speech that he was overwhelmed: "The jobs I'm being asked to do, the five hats that I wear are too much for this mortal. I'm a little amazed at the workload."

Well, Goss is hanging up those five hats--and prompting suspicion that there are other shoes (or high heels) to drop.

Comments (93)

It would be a real shame if Goss had to leave the CIA because of some hanky-panky at the Watergate.

There were much better reasons to get rid of a political hack who no real qualifications to be DCI in the first place. Mr. Corn points to several of these.

Posted by Jack Rabbit at 05/05/2006 @ 6:00pm
To Rio Bravo:

Please click here [fallacyfiles.org].

Posted by Jack Rabbit at 05/05/2006 @ 6:12pm
Mr. Korn ignores the past history of the CIA, which is a history of one failure after another.

One of the problems with the CIA today is that so many of its agents seem to be chummy with an extreme left-wing magazine like "The Nation." ...

And what kind of "progressives" are friends with CIA agents? Doesn't this bother any of you sincere progressives?

Posted by RonS at 05/05/2006 @ 6:44pm
Posted by RIO BRAVO 05/05/2006 @ 5:56pm

thats great, but this is about goss and company...

Posted by ibbleblibble at 05/05/2006 @ 7:01pm
What happened to "it's his personal life, doesn't effect his job" and "why are you guys so obsessed with sex?"?

Oh, right....wrong Administration.

Posted by Mask at 05/05/2006 @ 7:22pm
He resigned immediately from a kinda important post. While it does nothing to speculate (though it's fun), it also does no good to believe that this is a run of the mill resignation. Sumpin's up, MASK. Even doughboy McClellan didn't hightail it out of town as DC was getting set for an evening of tequila.

Posted by tjbehrens1 at 05/05/2006 @ 7:31pm
To Mask:

What happened to "it's his personal life, doesn't effect his job" and "why are you guys so obsessed with sex?"?

Oh, right....wrong Administration.

There are two problems with that. First, Mr. Clinton and Ms. Lewinsky were engaged in behavior that, while tacky, wasn't against the law. However, last I checked, procuring the services of a prostitute is against the law.

Second, Mr. Goss is caught up in a lobbying scandal. How and why he or Mr. Foggo got caught up in it, I don't know. What was going on here is that some lobbyists were procuring the services of the prostitutes as a favor to a half dozen or a dozen congressmen. That is a more serious matter in itself than the president or a congressman banging an intern (with her consent, of course) in the back room.

Posted by Jack Rabbit at 05/05/2006 @ 7:55pm
Jack,

What about Barney Frank and his apartment?

Posted by john maasch at 05/05/2006 @ 8:12pm
John,

See my note to Rio Bravo. We're talking about Porter Goss. If Mr. Frank did something as horrible as you are suggesting, then perhaps that is a matter that should not have dropped at the time. However, whatever happened in that case does not excuse any one's conduct in this one.

Posted by Jack Rabbit at 05/05/2006 @ 8:17pm
Mask: What happened to "it's his personal life, doesn't effect his job" and "why are you guys so obsessed with sex?"?

Oh, right....wrong Administration.

Way to go, Mask. Great conjuctive example of calling an apple an orange and grasping at straws.

Posted by fromredbird at 05/05/2006 @ 8:26pm
Rio, Hey little fella..what's all of the fuss about the Kennedys, in a post discussing "Pooter" Goss? I'll just betcha that "Pooter" took a little bit o' money, (and maybe a little bit o' booty) from the lobbyist dirtbag crowd. It's getting really stinkish around here. Break out the Febreze.

Love always,

bloppy

Betcha!!

Posted by bloppy at 05/05/2006 @ 10:22pm
Just love the irony, ya'll....

I didn't care if Clinton got hoovered by his intern...as long as he kept "triangulating" and signing those GOP bills to get re-elected....and I don't care if Porter dips his wick in a working girl either....or that Barney Frank's boyfriend ran a brothel from their apartment.

Given that track record of sex-capades, Goss will get a top spot at UNESCO and be a featured commentator on CNN before its all over!

Posted by Mask at 05/05/2006 @ 10:56pm
To Mask:

What is really ironic is that it appears to be something like this that trips up Goss when he really wasn't fit to be DCI in the first place.

I've heard a few idea today about how Goss fits into "hookergate"; the best ones deal with his time as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. We'll wait and see what comes of this. I'm more interested in the connection between the lobbyists and the congressmen than what Goss might have to do with this.

Posted by Jack Rabbit at 05/05/2006 @ 11:22pm
the only irony here is that rule of law, bring honor and decency back to government, sex is a sin hamster conservetives are criminals and leachers and liars.

as cpt demonstrates everytime he posts here and as liberty demonstrates everytime he files a tax return.

and as rummy demonstrates everytime he authorizes a new round of torture.

as ol gee dubya demonstrates everytime he taps a phone without a warrent.

as little dick domonstrates everytime he mistakes a seventy year old man dressed in blaze orange for a mindless cage raisied wing clipped quail and shoots him...

in the face

Posted by Will C. at 05/06/2006 @ 12:02am
(the list goes on and on)

Posted by Will C. at 05/06/2006 @ 12:02am
you think a democrat from louisianna is liberal?

Ha Ha Ha Ha

Posted by Will C. at 05/06/2006 @ 02:08am
Now what are the actual facts about Porter Goss again, the guy both republicans and Democrats praised when Bush announced him as the CIA head?

I think "praise" is a bit of an exaggeration. The Democratic leadership didn't want to be seen stalling on an appointment that is critical to national security, but they certainly didn't throw the guy a ticker-tape parade when he took the job either! Most were concerned that the guy was too partisan to be objective, but thought that causing a ruckus over yet another example of cronyism wasn't worth the anger of the voting public. This was before Katrina, you know.

For a sense of the Democratic dissension, here's what Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D) said to Goss at the time: "Having reviewed your record closely, I have a number of concerns about whether your past partisan actions and statements will allow you to be the type of non-partisan, independent and objective national intelligence adviser our country needs."

Rockefeller also called Goss' nomination a "mistake."

Hardly praise! But yes, there were Democrats who spoke in favor of him, but usually in the sort of election year "we need to move quickly to keep America secure" kind of rhetoric that masks any true opinion.

But you wanted facts...

Fact 1: Porter Goss was the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee for eight years and was responsible for legislative oversight of the intelligence community prior to 9/11 and up to, and including, the decision to invade Iraq.

Fact 2: Porter Goss made Kevin Foggo the Executive Director of the CIA.

Fact 3: Foggo was a twenty-year veteran of the CIA when Goss appointed him as Executive Director. Prior to that point, he lacked the senior-level headquarters posts normally served by Executive Directors prior to their promotion. Instead, he served in Management General Services, overseeing various stations' funds, accounting, and contracting.

Fact 4: Foggo best friend from college, Brent Wilkes, received lucrative CIA contracts from Foggo.

Fact 5: Wilkes, a GOP fundraiser and defense contractor, has been implicated in bribing Rep. Cunningham, Rep. Hunter, and possibly Rep. Lewis to obtain millions in government contracts.

Fact 6: All three of these people worked closely with Porter Goss throughout his career in Congress, and occupied positions very similar to his own. It seems difficult to believe that a contractor with such success influencing other chairmen would shy from attempting the same with Mr. Goss, who was chairman of a very influential committee.

Fact 7: Last week, it has beenlearned that Wilkes provided prostitutes for Cunningham, and possibly other members of Congress.

Fact 8: Mr. Goss, a former member of Congress, has resigned from his post at the CIA without a press conference, offering no reason for the resignation.

Again, as Corn pointed out, the links being drawn here between these facts may be tentative, but they really don't seem implausible.

Posted by Krith at 05/06/2006 @ 03:41am
I've often wondered in the past couple of years why the CIA was allowing itself to absorb all the blame for the Iraq War lies. I mean, it has been literally, "Oh, I only said that thing that a moron could see was a lie because the CIA told me to." from everyone from Powell to Rummy to Cheney to Shrub. Now, the CIA is nothing if not political. I've been expecting shit like this to hit the fan. The Agency at first was pressured to fit the intelligence into the policy and then it was blamed by the pressurers for providing the goofy info it was forced to sculpt. It's payback time from one set of loony rightwingers to another. And Goss won't be the last...

Posted by bookmanjb at 05/06/2006 @ 07:44am
The business sections of most papers read like a police blotter. Much of the political news does too. Indignation on the Right when a Democrat is involved, on the Left when a Republican is caught. Then repeat the cycle. Nothing ever happens to change it. "Reforms" are a joke. Count the times the defense industry has promised to follow propsals for cleaning up the contracting mess. Just as bad or worse than in the early years of the military industrial complex. Too late. By now, the system R us. At least, most of us.

Posted by donescobar at 05/06/2006 @ 08:42am
DONESCOBAR:

You are of course right. But there is the matter of degree. When someone from the Center-Right (there has been no one left of that in the upper tier of government since the Depression.) gets caught with their hand in the cookie jar (or their hot dog in someone else's donut), the firestorm of rage from the Right dwarfs the reaction of the Left to war lies (Iraq), treason (Irangate), the largest robbery in the history of the world (S&L Crisis), etc. The difference in scale of the crimes is stupendous. One hears NOTHING from the Right about the thousands of lives ruined by the major Republican donors who ran Enron. None of the outrage and pornographic vitriol that the RUMOR of financial shenanigans by Billary generated greet the almost daily revelations of humungous theft and fraud that emanates from Heaven, um, I mean, Wall Street. One can see this absurdly tilted scale on a more quotidian level when you hear the typical outraged rant of a conservative at the news of a welfare cheat. The resounding silence the same Righty accords corporations that overcharge the taxpayer multi-millions is deafening.

Posted by bookmanjb at 05/06/2006 @ 09:35am
To Rio Bravo:

Since you either didn't click the link above or, if you did, didn't get the point, this is for you.

Red Herring [fallacyfiles.org]

Alias:

* Ignoratio Elenchi ("ignorance of refutation", Latin)

* Irrelevant Thesis

Type: Informal Fallacy

Etymology:

The name of this fallacy comes from the sport of fox hunting in which a dried, smoked herring, which is red in color, is dragged across the trail of the fox to throw the hounds off the scent. Thus, a "red herring" argument is one which distracts the audience from the issue in question through the introduction of some irrelevancy. This frequently occurs during debates when there is an at least implicit topic, yet it is easy to lose track of it. By extension, it applies to any argument in which the premisses are logically irrelevant to the conclusion.

Exposition:

This is the most general fallacy of irrelevance. Any argument in which the premisses are logically unrelated to the conclusion commits this fallacy.

Please read more at the link.

Here's another one for you:

Tu Quoque

Translation: "You, also" or "You're another" (Latin)

Type:

* Argumentum ad Hominem

* Two Wrongs Make a Right

Example:

"Q: Now, the United States government says that you are still funding military training camps here in Afghanistan for militant, Islamic fighters and that you're a sponsor of international terrorism.� Are these accusations true? �

"Osama Bin Laden: �At the time that they condemn any Muslim who calls for his right, they receive the highest top official of the Irish Republican Army at the White House as a political leader, while woe, all woe is the Muslims if they cry out for their rights. Wherever we look, we find the US as the leader of terrorism and crime in the world. The US does not consider it a terrorist act to throw atomic bombs at nations thousands of miles away, when it would not be possible for those bombs to hit military troops only. These bombs were rather thrown at entire nations, including women, children and elderly people and up to this day the traces of those bombs remain in Japan. The US does not consider it terrorism when hundreds of thousands of our sons and brothers in Iraq died for lack of food or medicine. So, there is no base for what the US says and this saying does not affect us.�" Source: "CNN March 1997 Interview with Osama bin Laden"

Exposition:

Tu Quoque is a very common fallacy in which one attempts to defend oneself or another from criticism by turning the critique back against the accuser. This is a classic Red Herring since whether the accuser is guilty of the same, or a similar, wrong is irrelevant to the truth of the original charge. However, as a diversionary tactic, Tu Quoque can be very effective, since the accuser is put on the defensive, and frequently feels compelled to defend against the accusation.

Please read more at the link.

Another very common example of Tu Qoque is to bring up Clinton's peccadillos when the subject is something done by Mr. Bush or one of his aides.

You seem quite prone to this sort of logical fallacy. Now that you've had your error pointed out, please try to avoid it in the future.

Posted by Jack Rabbit at 05/06/2006 @ 10:20am
Addendum to Rio Bravo:

The second link:

Tu Quoque [fallacyfiles.org]

Posted by Jack Rabbit at 05/06/2006 @ 10:22am
BOOKMANJB And you are right on the matter of scale. Problem is,as you point out, that no one from the Left has been in high levels of govt since the Depression, so it will take another disaster (economic or other) of that impact to return a touch of socio-economic decency to DC. BUT, after so many years out of power and practice, do such people still exist? A look at the Democratic party is not encouraging. Like an army, you can't perform what you haven't rehearsed.

Posted by donescobar at 05/06/2006 @ 11:10am
What was the ogre FBI directors name who resigned a week before 911?

What if Porter Goss is resigning because some disaster is about to make the CIA look very bad?

Now, as for hookers, you take all these very powerful guys, they got money and power, why dont girls like them? George Bush, women around the world rate him a 2 or a 3, whereas Bill Clinton rated a 10 nearly 100% of the time.

Why do anti-American right wing perverts have to pay for sex?

Posted by conshame at 05/06/2006 @ 11:48am
Louie Freeh

Posted by conshame at 05/06/2006 @ 11:51am
CON,

You don't think Bill paid for sex...take one look at Hillary...he paid dearly,... and also, impeachment was a high price to pay in lieu of legacy..

Posted by john maasch at 05/06/2006 @ 11:55am
very nice indeed , Jack

Posted by johannesrolf at 05/06/2006 @ 12:08pm
You don't think Bill paid for sex...take one look at Hillary...he paid dearly,... and also, impeachment was a high price to pay in lieu of legacy..

Posted by JOHN MAASCH 05/06/2006 @ 11:55am

apparently you have never known love.

Posted by Will C. at 05/06/2006 @ 12:11pm
Bill Clinton, unlike Porter Goss and his anti-American conservatives, did not have to pay for sex.

Bill Clinton didnt need hookers. What youre saying is nonsense. Look at you, trying to say Bill Clinton had to pay for sex. That is BS. Bill Clinton is probably the sexiest man of all time.

What a disgrace this Porter Goss, is.

What disaster is about to make the CIA look worse than FEMA, again, and directly tied to the idiocy and subversive policies of George Bush, as carried out by the traitor Porter Goss.

This is terrible.

Posted by conshame at 05/06/2006 @ 12:13pm
COSNAME wrote: Why do anti-American right wing perverts have to pay for sex?

You forgot an important qualifier:

Why do anti-American right wing FAMILY-VALUES perverts have to pay for sex?

Posted by bookmanjb at 05/06/2006 @ 12:17pm
You know, I've never liked Hillary; I think she's cut from the same expediency-first mold as Slick Willie. BUT don't you just LOVE the way Red-Staters like John Maasch think about her in terms of sex. When you read right-wing essays about her, the fanatical hatred of her is laced with soft- and hard-core porn images as well as lots and lots of scatological imagery. I think their problem is that the idea of a tough, smart woman wielding power triggers their ever-present latent (and often not-so latent) sado-masochistic desires. In a frenzy of denial, they then revel in the most disgusting fantasies of Hillary that they can summon up. It's loathsome, but it sure is fun to watch.

Posted by bookmanjb at 05/06/2006 @ 12:26pm
Yes, and what woman in America would not burn her dress in a second if it had the slightest stain of Porter Goss squirt on it? Could Porter Goss ever wash out? I really doubt it - lets get real.

What disaster, about to hit the CIA, is Goss stepping away from?

Posted by conshame at 05/06/2006 @ 12:27pm
Here's one for you, John Maasch:

Argumentum ad Hominem [fallacyfiles.org].

Please note specifically the following:

An Abusive Ad Hominem occurs when an attack on the character or other irrelevant personal qualities of the opposition--such as appearance--is offered as evidence against her position. Such attacks are often effective distractions ("red herrings"), because the opponent feels it necessary to defend herself, thus being distracted from the topic of the debate.

Posted by Jack Rabbit at 05/06/2006 @ 12:28pm
To ConShame (and others):

What disaster, about to hit the CIA, is Goss stepping away from?

We could be following the wrong scent. Some of the talk elsewhere since last night has centered around the idea that Goss lost a power struggle with John Negroponte. Negroponte is said to have complained that Goss is not a "team player."

Goss? Not a team player? A political hack like Goss is nothing if he is not a team player. My guess is he was playing for the wrong team.

The following report, which appeared Monday on TomPaine.com, is very interesting:

Iran Intelligence War By Robert Perry

In a replay of the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction charade, neoconservative supporters of George W. Bush are pushing the U.S. intelligence community to take a more alarmist view about Iran's nuclear program--only this time, the nation's top spy John Negroponte is resisting the pressure unlike former CIA chief George Tenet.

Tenet joined in Bush's hyping of the WMD evidence about Iraq--famously telling the President that the case was a "slam dunk." But Negroponte is defying hardliners who want a worst-case scenario on Iran's capabilities. Instead, he is citing Iran's limited progress in refining uranium and their use of a cascade of only 164 centrifuges.

"According to the experts that I consult, achieving--getting 164 centrifuges to work is still a long way from having the capacity to manufacture sufficient fissile material for a nuclear weapon," Negroponte said in an interview with NBC News on April 20.

"Our assessment is that the prospects of an Iranian weapon are still a number of years off, and probably into the next decade," said Negroponte, who was appointed last year as the Director of National Intelligence, a new post that supplanted the traditional primacy of the CIA director as the head of the U.S. intelligence community.

Read more at the link. While the rest of the Bushies are playing the same game in Iran as they did in Iraq and expect lies and distortions to work a second time, Negroponte is saying something else. One might conclude that it is Negroponte who is not the team player.

It's not Bush's team any more. Goss thought it was, but he found out too late that he was on Negroponte's team.

First, let's consider what Goss was supposed to do at the CIA, and did to some extent. He was supposed to weed out people who were "disloyal" to Bush. What that means is that Bush and Cheney didn't want analysts around who would tell them anything other than what they want to hear, regardless of the facts. They want to go to war against Saddam, they need a reason, then the analysts better get in line and give them that reason. If it turns out to be a lot of moonshine, they'd better take the fall for being "wrong." Goss' mission was to emaciate the CIA and make it sycophantic toward policymakers.

Enter John Negorponte. Negroponte is no angel. He has no problems with mass murder. He helped facilitate death squad activities in Central America during the Reagan years. However, it is entirely possible that he thinks that if one is going to do that kind of thing, one had better have good intelligence and not a CIA that thinks its duty is to tell the policymakers only what they want to hear.

Negroponte may be a thug, but he isn't a stupid thug. You can't just send death squads into villages and wipe out people unless you know that it's actually going to hurt the leftist guerrillas. Otherwise, you're just murdering people for a dubious purpose. To do that, Negroponte wants good intelligence. That means he wants professionalism at the CIA.

An emaciated CIA serves no useful purpose to anybody, except to really foolish tyrants who just want to extort oil from the Middle East by threatening to drop bombs on it. Look where that's gotten us. Even if we did needed to go to war against Iran, we couldn't do it. We're tied up in Iraq. We are tied up in Iraq for reasons that had nothing to do with national security because those stupid tyrants did not want to hear that it had nothing to do with national security.

Negroponte could be like Kissinger. Kissinger is a brilliant mind with no moral compass. Could you imagine Kissinger putting up with Porter Goss at the CIA? Not on your life. That could be what Negroponte is thinking.

Posted by Jack Rabbit at 05/06/2006 @ 1:00pm
Another possibility (ain't this fun) is that Goss simply Michael-Brown-ed his mission. He's not exactly blessed with brains or competence. They sent him in there to ideologically clean house and he's got his clock cleaned by the old hands. The Mary McCarthy firing blew up in his face, for example. In the end, he got the classic: "You're doin' a great job, Gossie! Now get the fuck outta here, you dipshit."

Posted by bookmanjb at 05/06/2006 @ 1:15pm
Re Goss firing: Probably lost out in political in-fighting with Negroponte who basically smelled out that Goss, despite his putative intelligence background(just what did he do anyway?)was just another Repub. shill from the House Congressional cess-pool. Perhaps Negroponte warned the Bushmen that appointing a stooge to the spook-palace would ruffle enough feathers there so as to encourage even more embarassing leaks. Bushies also were aware of the role that CIA played in the Nixon impeachment. I think it is now clear that the Bush Admin. is unraveling---My own prediction is that if Rove gets indicted by Fitzgerald, there will be some kind of internal coup wherein the Repubs force Bush to resign for say, "ill health" or "mental Strain", aka booze and coke. pmurphy

Posted by petermurphy at 05/06/2006 @ 3:02pm
Re Goss firing: Probably lost out in political in-fighting with Negroponte who basically smelled out that Goss, despite his putative intelligence background(just what did he do anyway?)was just another Repub. shill from the House Congressional cess-pool. Perhaps Negroponte warned the Bushmen that appointing a stooge to the spook-palace would ruffle enough feathers so as to encourage even more embarassing leaks. Bushies also were aware of the role that CIA played in the Nixon impeachment. I think it is now clear that the Bush Admin. is unraveling---My own prediction is that if Rove gets indicted by Fitzgerald, there will be some kind of internal coup wherein the Repubs force Bush to resign for say, "ill health" or "mental Strain", aka booze and coke pmurphy

Posted by petermurphy at 05/06/2006 @ 3:12pm
Will any of the material brought up here ever be properly investigated by truly independent prosecutors? I dare say we need about a thousand Patrick Fitzgeralds.

If there is truth to these suspicions/conjectures; then losing a job should be the least of this scoundrel's worries, eh?

It's ironic/weird. We have all these agencies with all this investigative/surveillance prowess...but "our own" government isn't able/willing to get to the bottom of all this apparent corruption.

We are spending hundreds of billions of dollars on a "war on terrorism" while ignoring the likelihood of criminal incompetence/negligence and/or outright corruption in the highest halls of power of "our own" government. Kinda makes you wonder who/what really owns our governmet?

Surely there must be SOME people who work for CIA/FBI/DIA/NSA/Justice Department et al who actually CARE about truly maintaining our national security more than they do about sucking up to their bosses to further their careers?!? Or have people like Porter Goss driven all of them from their jobs???

PS

I love the way Jack Rabbit dealt with the troll trying to throw sand in our eyes. Bravo!

Posted by Nick Lento at 05/06/2006 @ 4:24pm
"Posted by JACK RABBIT 05/06/2006 @ 12:28am | ignore this person

Kinda like cons posts. I understand. I also think to be with Hillary and Hillary staying with Bill is either love or expediance...the countryu may oneday decide..

Con says Bill is the sexist man alive and I say Hillary is the unsexist women alive...and Bill pays everyday with her....

Will,

I have been fortunate to know the deepest kind of love...I have seen almost none here, especialy from your key pad...mostly harshness and self righteousness, from my point of view...I think you are the sameas the very people you despise so eloquently here, the opposite pole of the magnet so to speak.

Posted by john maasch at 05/06/2006 @ 4:40pm
Nick,

"It's ironic/weird. We have all these agencies with all this investigative/surveillance prowess...but "our own" government isn't able/willing to get to the bottom of all this apparent corruption. "

or may be there is no real corruption and it is all left wing paranoia and anti American hate Bush fodder? Possible?

Posted by john maasch at 05/06/2006 @ 4:44pm
Posted by JOHN MAASCH 05/06/2006 @ 4:44pm: or may be there is no real corruption and it is all left wing paranoia and anti American hate Bush fodder?

Perhaps. Certainly the conviction (and confession) of Duke Cunningham for taking several million in bribes was the result of left wing parania and anti-American hate Bush fodder.

Mr. Maasch, you really do live in your private reality.

Posted by orwell2005 at 05/06/2006 @ 5:20pm
Mr. Corn, I think you do yourself a disservice when you feed all the democratic conspiracy nuts without evidence to back up your assertions. Lets be honest about the possible motivations of the president, which are manifold.

Posted by nattiebumpo at 05/06/2006 @ 5:47pm
I have been fortunate to know the deepest kind of love...I have seen almost none here, especialy from your key pad...mostly harshness and self righteousness, from my point of view...I think you are the sameas the very people you despise so eloquently here, the opposite pole of the magnet so to speak.

Posted by JOHN MAASCH 05/06/2006 @ 4:40pm

I don't love you john. That might be why you don't feel any love from me. But then of course, you wouldn't know that as you once again obviously have never known love.

Posted by Will C. at 05/06/2006 @ 6:15pm
The use of prostitutes to entertain congressmen (assuming that such things did happen - and I don't see that Mr. Corn is plainly making that alegation) is not just evidence of bribery, but could imply an attempt to blackmail congressmen (as J Edgar Hoover was reputed to have done on more than one occasion). The bases for blackmail could include not only sexual misbehavior but also unauthorized revelation of classified information if the pillowtalk was recorded.

Posted by rexrobards at 05/06/2006 @ 6:20pm
Mr. Maasch:

Almost every one of your posts which follows the latest neo-con debacle mentions Bush-hate, left wing paranoia or anti-American feeling. Like clockwork. I don't expect to convince you of anything. I don't even expect you to keep an open mind; from your many posts I see that is too much to ask. You're not going to convince very many people on this blog of your point of view either. Unless they already think that way (Liberty, Barry25, CPT et al.) Your reaction to Porter Goss is worse than predictable. It's boring. I'd rather read CPT discussing aircraft; that was at least somewhat informative.

Computers use a lot of electricity. Save yourself some kilowatt hours and some money. Save me from your cookie cutter responses. Give it a rest.

Posted by Rapaport at 05/06/2006 @ 6:23pm
Hey Rio Bravo

Next thing you know Cheney will have a few cold ones, shoot someone in the face and the cops won't get to talk to him until 18 hours after the incident !

I empathize with your rage brother :-)

Posted by monger at 05/06/2006 @ 8:24pm
Gee Rio, sounds like a swell time for all. Sorry you had to walk across the "full" Quik Stop parking lot to attend the "celebration" Maybe next time, you could just "sit still" in your stanky reclino-chair, and view the festivities on the TV. I'm tellin you, its a whole lot easier on the joints.

Love is extended, (to your sorry skeleton)

Bloppy

Posted by bloppy at 05/06/2006 @ 10:15pm
Will,

"I don't love you john. That might be why you don't feel any love from me."

None expect, nor missed.Your posts done indicate any in any direction..

Posted by john maasch at 05/06/2006 @ 11:18pm
Posted by RAPAPORT 05/06/2006 @ 6:23pm | ignore this person

Ah, another stereo type fullfilled, congradulations..another left wing kook sounds out...

Posted by john maasch at 05/06/2006 @ 11:19pm
None expect, nor missed.Your posts done indicate any in any direction..

Posted by JOHN MAASCH 05/06/2006 @ 11:18pm

Sure maasch, that's why you said "I have seen almost none here, especially from your key pad". It obvious from you first statement that you did expect find some love here. But that's Ok, please continue to contradict yourself.

It just makes it more and more apparent that you have never known love.

Posted by Will C. at 05/07/2006 @ 12:39am
It's late Saturday night, wasted at a hospital benefit where I was served meat served with meat gravy with a side of meat (is the hospital just trying to increase their patient load at the benefit) and a single drink ticket (all for the low, low price of $190) so WTF do I care what I post at this point:

The real danger is not that there is a potential scandal involving big men in important positions in DC. The problem is that the scandal could bring together sexual services, sexual positions, real political clout and men unaccustomed to receiving such gratification. Porter Goss and friends, although not found on the Top 100 Least Sexy Men list, are found on the Top 100 Least likely to have had sex in the last 20 years list. Hell, the man's name is Porter Goss--he'd have to have a mug like George Clooney to even entice a hooker over to his gloom-mobile for a little pay for pull.

But returning to the part of me that is still slightly adult this evening, let's agree that he was in trouble and that he did Bush a huge favor by skeedaddling out of town. We'll chat about it a little on the Sunday morning drone shows, a little more when they throw a zombie into the post as his replacement, then we'll go back to the peaceful, ignorant sleep of the no-nothings.

The amazing thing when we look at our nation's history is that it is chock full of incompetence. The list of great presidents pales in comparison to those who deserved total beatdowns by the political enemies of their times. The list is worse at the lower ranks. Goss is another stiff to be thrown onto the pyre; more will follow in the next couple of years. Yet it will only get worse until we have the opportunity for a full enema in DC.

To those who "run for office" for their keep, I say for the vast majority of Americans, "You're welcome. Thanks to us, those who work longer and harder than those throughout the rest of the world, you are enabled to be the total fuck-ups you are. Please follow our lead if you like, working for the big picture rather than the enhancement of our investment portfolio, working because we care rather than because we profit, working for the benefit of those less fortunate than we rather than to become those more fortunate than we. It's a simple thing, really. It's called ethics, and it didn't use to be foreign to American leaders. Next time you're on one of your many extended vacations, just ask us. We'll provide a refresher course for a nominal fee. The cost is merely your commitment for the rest of your term to serve the interests of the citizens of the United States of America."

Nighty-night. Here's hoping for a better and better-tasting tomorrow.

Posted by tjbehrens1 at 05/07/2006 @ 12:46am
NY Daily News: "It's all about the Duke Cunningham scandal," a senior law enforcement official told the Daily News in reference to Goss' resignation. Duke, a California Republican, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison after pleading guilty in November to taking $2.4 million in homes, yachts and other bribes in exchange for steering government contracts.

Goss' inability to handle the allegations swirling around Foggo prompted John Negroponte, the director of National Intelligence, who oversees all of the nation's spy agencies, to press for the CIA chief's ouster, the senior official said. The official said Goss is not an FBI target but "there is an impending indictment" of Foggo for steering defense contracts to his poker buddies.

One subject of the FBI investigation is a $3 million CIA contract that went to Wilkes to supply bottled water and other goods to CIA operatives in Iraq and Afghanistan, sources said.

In a hastily arranged Oval Office announcement that stunned official Washington, neither President Bush nor Goss offered a substantive reason for why the head of the spy agency was leaving after only a year on the job.

href=http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/415304p-350961c.html

Posted by dloberk at 05/07/2006 @ 03:43am
Goss is linked directly to Cheney and the Plame leak...count on it!

July 7, 2004 Porter Goss: Cheney Cat's Paw by Ray McGovern

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/mcgovern.php?articleid=2944

He has long shown himself to be under the spell of Vice President Dick Cheney, and would likely report primarily to him and to White House political adviser Karl Rove rather than to National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

What was actually happening was clear to intelligence analysts, active and retired. We Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity were not the only ones to expose it � as clearly and as often as the domesticated U.S. media would allow.

But what about CIA alumnus Porter Goss, then in his sixth year as chairman of the House intelligence oversight committee? Republican party loyalist first and foremost, Goss chose to give an entirely new meaning to "oversight." Even when it became clear that the "mushroom cloud" reporting was based mostly on a forgery, he just sat back and watched it all happen. Like Br'er Fox, he didn't say nothin'.

Goss, who has a long history of subservience to Cheney, could be counted upon to play the Cheney/Gingrich/et al. role himself.

The report due out this week by the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating intelligence performance regarding the long-sought-after Iraqi weapons of mass destruction is said to be scathing in its criticism of CIA. No problem. This too will help keep the focus where the White House wants it � the more so since committee chair and Republican stalwart Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) can be counted on to do whatever Cheney and Rove tell him to do.

Goss on 9/11

With respect to the various investigations into 9/11, Goss was thrust into the limelight by Cheney, who initially opposed any investigation at all. In February 2002, Cheney went so far as to warn that if Congress decided to go ahead with an investigation, administration officials might not show up to testify. When folks started talking about the need for a genuinely independent commission, though, Cheney acquiesced in the establishment of the congressional joint committee as the lesser evil and took reassurance from the fact that Goss could be counted on to keep the lid on � and, when necessary, run rings around co-chair Sen. Bob Graham, (D-Fla.).

Porter Goss performed that task brilliantly, giving clear priority to providing political protection for the president. Goss acquiesced when the White House and CIA refused to allow the joint committee to report out any information on what President Bush had been told before 9/11 � ostensibly because it was "classified."

In June 2002, Cheney called Goss and Graham to chastise them for a media leak of sensitive information from intercepted communications. A CNN report had attributed the leak to "two congressional sources," and Cheney was livid.

Goss admitted to being "chagrined" over Cheney's call. He and Graham promptly bypassed normal congressional procedures and went directly to Attorney General John Ashcroft, asking him to investigate the leak. Little thought apparently was given to the separation of powers between the executive and congressional branches, or the fact that Congress has its own capability for such investigations.

Next thing you know, the FBI is crawling all over Capitol Hill, questioning members of the joint committee that is investigating the FBI, CIA, et al., and asking members of Congress to submit to lie-detector tests. Shaking his head, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) noted the ludicrousness of allowing the FBI to build dossiers on lawmakers who are supposed to be investigating the FBI. He and others joined those pushing for the creation of an independent 9/11 commission.

That Goss and Graham could be so easily intimidated by Cheney speaks volumes.

My take:

ROVE & GOSS both worked for Cheney.

Cheney & Rumsfeld both set up the WHIG.

Cheney instructed Libby to leak Plames identity to the press.

Cheney and Goss were directly involved in the planning and implementation of 9/11.

Cheney was in the Washington bunker, while Bush was at the school.He was in command. Scholars for 911 Truth point out http://www.scholarsfor911truth.org/... that Secretary of Transportation, Mineta Confirm this. Others point out he was also conducting numerous military drills that day that did confuse land workers.

Mineta's testimony is devastating," observed James H. Fetzer, Ph.D., McKnight Professor at the University of Minnesota.

"It pulls the plug on the Commission's contention there was no advance warning that the Pentagon was going to be hit."

According to Secretary Mineta's testimony, which is in the public domain, when he (Mineta) arrived at an underground bunker at the White House (known as the Presidential Emergency Operations Center), the Vice President was in charge. "During the time that the airplane was coming in to the Pentagon", he stated, "there was a young man who would come in and say to the Vice President, 'The plane is 50 miles out.' 'The plane is 30 miles out.'

"And when it got down to, 'The plane is 10 miles out,'" Mineta continued, "the young man also said to the Vice President, 'Do the orders still stand?' And the Vice President turned and whipped his neck around and said, 'Of course the orders still stand. Have you heard anything to the contrary?'" One way to construe these remarks could be that the orders were to shoot down the plane.

The scholars suggest that that is an implausible interpretation. The Pentagon, they observe, may be the most heavily defended building in the world. If the orders had been to "shoot it down," then no doubt it would have been shot down. Moreover, there would have been no apparent reason for the young man to have expressed concern over whether or not "the orders still stand." Shooting it down, under the circumstances, would have been the thing to do.

Posted by plunger at 05/07/2006 @ 07:39am
Karl Rove INVENTED the White House Iraq Group (WHIG) for one purpose. TOTAL MESSAGE CONTROL.

Rove is a genious...an evil genious.

He can only be effective when he knows literally everything. He is the REALITY CREATION ARCHITECT.

At any given time he can take a set of actual facts and use each of them to stitch together a totally false reality.

Rove knew that the truth was the enemy of their conspiracy to conquer the Middle East (the PNAC plan). His job, every single day, is to convince you, me and the rest of the world that you didn't just see and hear what you just saw and heard...or if you did, it doesn't mean what your logical mind is attempting to tell you - because "we're in a post-9/11 world now" and black is white.

Karl Rove is the single most destructive force in the US Government...the enabler of the entire evil scheme...THE ARCHITECT.

The scheme includes 9/11 as the essential pretext. "9/11" ... how clever, Karl! Only someone with American sensibilities would select the number we have all memorized to call in the event of life threatening emergency as the date for this evil....

KARL ROVE.

The war plan to invade Iraq was written BEFORE 9/11. The Secret Energy Task Force meetings that Cheney had with Ken Lay and the other OIL HOGS during which they all decided how to divide up the oil fields of the Middle East...all of that was BEFORE 9/11.

Now you see why Cheney insisted the substance of those talks remain SECRET.

All of their schemes and conspiracies REQUIRED 9/11 as the essential trigger.

Cheney outsourced the implementation of the FALSE FLAG OPERATION to Mossad...the FALSE FLAG experts. This explains why over 200 Mossad agents were operating in the United States prior to 9/11. This explains why five of them were arrested, having been observed filming the planes hitting the towers and their subsequent collapse - celebrating our worst nightmare.

9/11 was not a bad day for those involved in the Conspiracy. It was their shining moment...their PRETEXT.

One of them washed out...couldn't cope with the guilt. Ari Fleisher had to be replaced, and disappeared. Not dead, but out of sight.

The outing of Plame was designed to destroy the best WMD intelligence the US had at its disposal regarding Iraq. Plame knew for a FACT that Iraq had no WMD. It was HER JOB to know. Therefore Rove perceived Plame (the truth) as his WORST ENEMY, and conceived of a plan to silence her. Rove is the individual who insisted that Wilson be sent to Niger.

GUARANTEED.

This was the only way to launch a smear program which appeared to be aimed at Wilson, but was intended solely to shut down the entire Brewster Jennings operation and bury their WMD evidence.

THAT IS ALL ROVE.

He invented WHIG:

The group's members included Rove, Bush advisor Karen Hughes, Senior Advisor to the Vice President Mary Matalin, Deputy Director of Communications James Wilkinson, Assistant to the President and Legislative Liaison Nicholas Calio, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

Every single one of these individuals is a co-conspirator in a concerted effort to defraud America into committing its troops and its treasure to invade a foreign country to the sole benefit of BIG OIL AND ISRAEL.

The pending invasion of Iran is the next phase of the very same conspiracy. Karen Kwiatkowski let us know that Larry Franklin had set up an IRAN desk in the midst of the Pentagon's IRAQ planners. Larry Franklin has pled guilty for passing Top Secret Iranian Intelligence to AIPAC (Israel). Israeli Generals were free to come and go from the Cheney/Rumsfeld Office Of Middle East Invasion whenever they pleased, without need to sign the guest register.

IT'S ALL THE SAME CONSPIRACY.

9/11 - Afghanistan - Iraq - Iran - Syria.

READ THE PNAC.

A "New Pearl Harbor" was a REQUIREMENT for its implementation.

Rove is running the entire PsyOps Machine to enable it.

Hang them for TREASON.

http://dailydocket.blogspot.com/2006/01/propaganda.html

But whereas Hitler was a true master of propaganda, and his minister a far less talented functionary, today the situation is reversed: our propaganda minister is the master, and our leader his functionary. Karl Rove is so confident of his strategy that he now announces it to the public! In January of this year,

Rove noted that we face "a ruthless enemy" and "need a commander in chief and a Congress who understand the nature of the threat and the gravity of the moment America finds itself in."

Here's more:

"[T]he people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

-- Karl Rove (oops!) Hermann Goering

Posted by plunger at 05/07/2006 @ 07:39am
Rove ran ALL of the White House Strategy.

Bush did exactly what Rove recommended.

The reason Rove and Hadley are not names found on the Libby trial witness list is because they are going to be indicted themselves.

This was NOT all about discrediting Wilson. Rove also knew that there was evidence within Plame's organization that could put the lie to the WHIG's faux intelligence claims to lie us into a war. The Bush Doctrine (a Rove invention) calls for "premptive strikes." Rove decided that Plame's organization needed to be taken down in order to implement their plan. Rove identified that Wilson should be sent to Niger and then used to out Plame to close down the WMD intelligence unit.

Sound far fetched?

More far fetched than lying us into war?

More far fetched than bringing down a skyscraper on mere voice command (like WTC 7)?

More far fetched than the story that a cave dweller destroyed the United States as we knew it?

Rove was the Architect of ALL strategy�including 9/11.

THEY ALL KNEW.

Put them under oath.

Ask them about EVERYTHING.

Posted by plunger at 05/07/2006 @ 07:40am
Yediot America (Israeli Newspaper), November 2, 2001. Google users enter: yediot america urban moving

Jewish Week. November 2, 2001. Stewart Ain. Google users enter: urban moving Israelis smiling took pictures on 9-11

ABC News20/20. ABCNews.com, June 21,2001. Google users enter : white van Israeli spies

Bergen Record (New Jersey). September 12, 2001. Paolo Lima. Google users enter: Bergen Lima five israelis

Posted by plunger at 05/07/2006 @ 07:42am
"Most people prefer to believe that their leaders are just and fair, even in the face of evidence to the contrary, because once a citizen acknowledges that the government under which he lives is lying and corrupt, the citizen has to choose what he or she will do about it. To take action in the face of corrupt government entails risks of harm to life and loved ones. To choose to do nothing is to surrender one's self-image of standing for principles. Most people do not have the courage to face that choice. Hence, most propaganda is not designed to fool the critical thinker but only to give moral cowards an excuse not to think at all."

Michael Rivera

Posted by plunger at 05/07/2006 @ 07:43am
http://www.selvesandothers.org/article_print.php?id_article=13772

Posted by plunger at 05/07/2006 @ 07:46am
With Goss out, Rove on the edge of indictment, the House really in play for November, etc., stop and think about who the next POTUS will be. Possibly, Nancy Pelosi. Shades of "Commander in Chief."

A double impeachment would do it and would be the logical outcome of all the news, included that in this blog.

Posted by adr at 05/07/2006 @ 11:18am
Porter Goss was assigned by George Bush to undermine Americas intelligence by turning it Conservative. Conservative is the weakest, most irrational, dumbest ideology there is, so what better ideology to order Porter Goss to shove down the throat of the CIA. Porter Goss didnt worry about the oath he took not to follow orders to undermine Americas security.

John Negroponte, he went over to Iraq, said what we need here is the Salvadoran Option. Whats that? Death squads to control the Sunni insurgency. Now Iraq has death squads controlling the Sunni insurgency - is John Negropontes Salvadoran Option working in Iraq?

John Negroponte said, back in the 80s, what we need for El Salvador is to have a Salvadoran Option. What is that? Death squads. Said it was necessary. We gotta torture the Salvadoran people. Otherwise they are going to do us in. Its for national security. He said if you dont go along with the Salvadoran Option for El Salvador youre a communist.

This same gang, under Reagan, Vice President George Bush, you had Representative Dick Cheney, you had special envoy Donald Rumsfeld. They all said, we gotta give Saddam Hussein weapons. Its for national security. You dont want us giving Saddam Hussein weapons, youre a communist. Trust us, we have secret information. We gotta give Saddam Hussein Anthrax, we gotta give Saddam Hussein VX nerve gas, Sarin gas, mustard gas, plague germs, smallpox, west nile virus, long range missiles, nuclear components, we gotta give him some agricultural credits to re-imburse him for buying all this stuff, because its for national security, if you question it youre unpatriotic. We need to send Donald Rumsfeld over there to shake hands, make absolutely sure that Saddam Hussein used the weapons of mass destruction we already gave him - to kill people with, so that we can then give him some more. Its for national security

Conservatives to this day say, but Saddam Hussein was our ally. Correction: he was your ally. He was Ronald Reagans ally. Speak for yourself. He was not our ally, he was not my ally.

Conservatives who voted for Ronald Reagan are directly responsible for voting for George Bush. Conervatives are responsible for the harm caused by their ideology. George Bushs policies are nothing but the natural evolution you would expect from such an ideology, therefore Conservatives must feel very ashamed of what they have supported.

Posted by conshame at 05/07/2006 @ 1:19pm
What happened to "it's his personal life, doesn't effect his job" and "why are you guys so obsessed with sex?"?

Oh, right....wrong Administration.

Posted by MASK 05/05/2006 @ 7:22pm

When you campaign on "family values" and morality, as did one George W. Bush, then it is reasonable to be held accountable for the campaign themes and slogans.

Or don't you believe in accountability?

Posted by ILOVEPHYSICS at 05/07/2006 @ 1:47pm
Drunk on the nauseating fumes of right-wing ideology to the point of full being fully de-cerebralized, JOHN MAASCH lumbers in to "defend" the right in the manner of a creepy automaton (05/06/2006 @ 11:18pm). That JOHN MAASCH knows absolutely nothing and abides by no logical framework as he ineptly imitates right-wing grunting points is a fixed feature of the universe to readers of this blog, one that is as predictable as gravity.

However, the marginally interesting turn of events is that MAASCH's increasingly bizarre, self-inflicted routs in his battles with the English language ... have come to ressemble James Joyce trying to do gangtsa' rap. Allow me to offer the following evidence:

None expect, nor missed.Your posts done indicate any in any direction..

Loveless he may be, as WILL C has astutely demonstrated; but the verbally blundering, brain-farting MAASCH may yet careen into a future of assembling hieroglyphic-style, avant-garde palimpests of meaning ...

Posted by GlennC.Lemon at 05/07/2006 @ 1:53pm
Posted by JOHN MAASCH 05/06/2006 @ 4:44pm: or may be there is no real corruption and it is all left wing paranoia and anti American hate Bush fodder?

Perhaps. Certainly the conviction (and confession) of Duke Cunningham for taking several million in bribes was the result of left wing parania and anti-American hate Bush fodder.

Mr. Maasch, you really do live in your private reality.

Posted by ORWELL2005 05/06/2006 @ 5:20pm

Don't forget the indictments of Scooter Libby and Frist! Or how about the expunging from the voter rolls of law-abiding african-americans who just happened to live in the same state where Bush's brother was governor?

Or the SCOTUS members voting for Bush in the case Bush v. Gore when their family members were part of the Bush team? Clarence Thomas' wife was already offered a job in the Bush admin. Think he was gonna vote against his wife's career?? And I believe it was Scalia's son who argued for Bush before the court.

Naw, no corruption whatsoever.

Posted by ILOVEPHYSICS at 05/07/2006 @ 1:57pm
ILOVEPHYSICS astutely writes,

When you campaign on "family values" and morality, as did one George W. Bush, then it is reasonable to be held accountable for the campaign themes and slogans. Or don't you believe in accountability?

Exactly. It is THE standard that they have sought out to be judged on, thus doing so is simply approaching rightwing sleaze bag chumps on THEIR chosen terrain ... and rubbing their noses in their disgusting failures that have injured our society.

Let's also recall that, along with auto-aggrandizement of their own sickening notions of morality, slobbering rightwing bimbos like Charles Krauthammer exhibited primitive chest-beating over the "Adults" taking the reigns of US foreign policy, circa 2001. "Adults": You know, Rummy, Condi, Wolfie, Feithie, Dick.

The only "Adult" we have since witnessed in this arena may turn out to be aligned with carnal Clarence "Long Dong Silver" Thomas' preferences for "mature" entertainment ...

Posted by GlennC.Lemon at 05/07/2006 @ 2:07pm
The dreaded, liberal MSM has already defined for us the reason for the CIA coup: No need to worry [tinyurl.com] informs us that Goss was an uncooperative boob who refused to give into Negroponte's reasonable requests for information and partnerships. Very possibly true. But nowhere in the article are we told why we should believe that Negroponte knows what he's doing. As listed well by CONSHAME, Negroponte's career is not actually stellar, his accomplishments few and debatable, and his decisionmaking a little shaky. Having all intelligence operations under his control, even if they operate in a larger, happier bubble, is no guarantee that we will have any better clue about the rest of the world.

Posted by tjbehrens1 at 05/07/2006 @ 2:55pm
"think about who the next POTUS will be. Possibly, Nancy Pelosi."

My guess if this happens, she will suffer the same fate as the TV version...canceled, abruptly. I can think of nothing that would be a better boon to the conservative future.

I will say this, The REPUBLICANS PARTY in Congress today,does not deserve to retain their lesdership of the House. There running of the place has shamed any conservative. The trouble is the Dems are worse, even out of power and one can easily see what they are going to do if the country is stupid enough to put them in charge. I am also in the camp of people who think that 2 years(06-08) of idiots like Conyers, Rangel, Waxman, Shelia J Lee, McKinney as chairman of committees may actually wake up the American people as well as the Republican Party...God knows they need it. 2 years of those Dems in charge should push them towards extinction, which was where they were headed before this group(republicans) in the last 4 years saved them from themselves by being worse democrats than the real ones..I may be buying beers in the short term...

Posted by john maasch at 05/07/2006 @ 3:22pm
"America's royal family .... exalted and protected."

Right RIO BRAVO... but may I ask WTF this has to do with Goss or the CIA? I have a feeling you have some sort of reading comprehension problem...

Posted by szlevi at 05/07/2006 @ 3:26pm
Am I the only one to notice that most of the Congresspersons that MAASCH is so terrified of are black? I guess I shouldn't talk. The corrupt liars that terrify me are Cheney, Rumsfeld, Perle, Bush, Scalia, et al... and they're all WHITE! Oh my god! I'm as much a racist as MAASCH!

Posted by bookmanjb at 05/07/2006 @ 4:31pm
I didn't realize most were black,...then pick your own dems or give me sometime so I can look up everyones race and makes sure I have the right amount....THIS IS WHAT WE MEAN BY IT NEVER ENDS HERE WITH YOU PEOPLE (can I say you people on this site when talking here?)...it doesn't matter...they are one cabal,...I guess the fact I didn't consider their race actually makes me ...not a racist, and the fact that you did, makes you...a quota dolt?

Wow, I have actually experienced the MLK moment of honor regarding of content of character and you run off with a Jesse Jackson moment...very interesting....

Posted by john maasch at 05/07/2006 @ 5:04pm
>>>>>Nick,

"It's ironic/weird. We have all these agencies with all this investigative/surveillance prowess...but "our own" government isn't able/willing to get to the bottom of all this apparent corruption. "

>>>>>>>or may be there is no real corruption and it is all left wing paranoia and anti American hate Bush fodder? Possible?

>>>>>>>>Posted by JOHN MAASCH 05/06/2006 @ 4:44pm

John,

You are obviously literate...and even sort of clever.

Has it occurred to you that the reason the Republican majorities in both Houses of Congress have blocked any serious oversight is because they are covering up for this administrations dirty deeds?

Possible?

Mind you, I am quite disgusted with the Democrats for being wayyyyyy too spineless in calling out the obvious de facto criminality. It's taken them all these years to figure out that a "culture of corruption" exists!?!

The difference between us is that my first loyalty is NOT to party or ideology. I want to see all the kickbacks, and sweetheart deals, and war profiteering be punished. These people should be doing long stretches in Leavenworth; not be eating high off the hog of porkbarrel legislation.

It's not a matter of "wings" right or left....at this point it's simple a matter of basic morality, ethics, and common human decency.

You evidently see the world as black and white. Bush is a saint and any who oppose him are, therefor devils...sorry, reality is not so simple.

The polls are showing that even some "conservatives" are now getting fed up with the legalized theft/war profiteering that has been going on.

This war in Iraq will go down in history as the most horrible mistake any American President has ever made...and it'll take a generation at best to clean up the mess.

Both parties at the establishmentarian level have been corrupted.

As rotten and evil as Bin Laden and his ilk are...they don't have the power to destroy America as a free democracy....only we can allow that to be done to ourselves BY OUR OWN GOVERNMENT...and from where I sit, Bush and what's behind him are the most proximate threat to our REAL national security.

If/When the full truth is told/exposed about all the details of how and why we were misled into this war I put it to you that Impeachment and removal from office will be the LEAST of Bush/Cheney's worries. If ALL the "beans" get spilt I believe they would both end up their days in a Ferderal prison.

We need a thousand Patrick Fitzgeralds to start cleaning up this corruption...then again, that wouldn't be so easy since much of the dishonesty and crookedness is actually LEGAL and built into the structure of the system as a whole.

Until we start seeing the majority of Democrats and a few Republicans calling for Impeachment and a fair trial in the Senate...America's national security is in deep peril.

Posted by Nick Lento at 05/07/2006 @ 5:27pm
look everybody...

i am not a big fan of the cia, but since the reforms of the 70's, and i may be wrong, but i think the agency was largely reigned in and improved...

when the pres and his handlers, however, went to the cia and asked for proof of something (wmd and hussein/al-queda complicity) rather than their professional opinion of the situation, then proceeded to silence, remote and demote any and all within the agency who continued to disagree with the administration's policy (to the point of outing agents whose spouses dared publically disagree with said excuse of an administration), i just cant buy the whole scapegoating bullshit fed to us by the current administration and its apologists.

if anything it appears the rank and file of the cia understood the reality aof the situation, reported it to the administration as they saw it, realized the administration was seeking no "truth" that disagreed with its preconcieved ideology, and have since suffered the consequences of some attempt at intellectual honesty and true patriotism. the agency was placed between a rock and a hard place by the incompetant neocon ideologues, used as a scapegoat for their incompetance, and now hung out to dry, to the detriment of our country and its security.

Posted by ibbleblibble at 05/07/2006 @ 9:14pm
Rio, I had no idea that you were elderly. (an earlier post by you suggests that).

Were you fishing for sympathy or understanding? I can appreciate your unrealized love for a "Catholic girl" in France over forty years ago.

However, friend, we have to deal with the "here and now".

Are you ready?

Love to you old man

Bloppy

Posted by bloppy at 05/07/2006 @ 10:36pm
Mashy, What is this "you people" stuff. Are you another species?

Love, love, love,

bloppy

Posted by bloppy at 05/07/2006 @ 10:37pm
Posted by NICK LENTO 05/07/2006 @ 5:27pm: John, You are obviously literate...and even sort of clever.

Nick, I think you must have missed the large majority of Mr. Maasch's posts.

Literate, you say. Here are the first two sentences from Mr. Maasch's recent post (Posted by JOHN MAASCH 05/07/2006 @ 3:22pm):

I will say this, The REPUBLICANS PARTY in Congress today,does not deserve to retain their lesdership of the House. There running of the place has shamed any conservative.

Literate? Um... No.

Clever? Well, I suppose that is a subjective opinion. What is "clever" to some people, is just plain stupid to others. But I can not recall much cleverness in the mindless postings of Mr. Maasch. Reciting non-factual right wing talking points, issuing continual ad hominem attacks, and showing a complete disregard for reality does not rise to the level of "clever" in my book. But, to each his own.

This war in Iraq will go down in history as the most horrible mistake any American President has ever made...and it'll take a generation at best to clean up the mess.

No. The war in Iran will go down in history as the most horrible mistake any American President has ever made...and it is not at all a given that we will even be able to clean up the mess.

Posted by orwell2005 at 05/07/2006 @ 11:01pm
i finally saw V for Vendetta...

great subversive movie...my current all time favorite

"people should not fear their governments. governments should fear their people."

great stuff!

Posted by ibbleblibble at 05/07/2006 @ 11:33pm
Yes Ibble, V is must viewing for all true patriots; and, again, it's not a matter of left v right...just common sense and common human decency.

Orwell, thanks for your quotes...I hadn't read every post; but still I ain't that picky in my standards for literacy. I take your point, cleverness is a relative term. So I guess you agreed with me on impeachment?

As for the war on Iran...you may be right; but I am not as cynical as that. We still have enough of a democracy left in America that the people, united, can still put things on a right track.

The "strength" of Bushism is brittle and shallow. No real sustainability. The Porter Goss fiasco is that heads this thread is just another case in point. The only conceivable "victory" for a Bushist agenda is one which results in human extinction...that's the "best" they can do. In any other scenario in which our specis survives (in the looooong run); people like Bush, Bin Laden, Cheney, Saddam etc will be regarded as mentally/spiritually ill and in need of great help.

Posted by Nick Lento at 05/07/2006 @ 11:55pm
"ou evidently see the world as black and white. Bush is a saint and any who oppose him are, therefor devils...sorry, reality is not so simple. "

No, I believe the world is grey...I supported Bush on many areas and not at all on others. The repubs got my votes for being strong on defence(and for being on the offence in the war on terror) and for being FISCAL CONSERVATIVES. They passed on the first one and fucked me on the second.

They (current crop) of repubs do not deserve the House leadership, but unfornuantely, the only thing worse would be to put Pelosi and the dems in charge..

we won't attack Iran but we will fund the shit out of a covert group of Iranians to do their own work. It is their country and they are in a great position to change with a little help from US and from MTV.

Posted by john maasch at 05/08/2006 @ 12:11am
Nick,

I don't see Bush as the crux of all evils, as does nearly everyone here...

Posted by john maasch at 05/08/2006 @ 12:12am
I don't see Bush as the crux of all evils, as does nearly everyone here...

Posted by JOHN MAASCH 05/08/2006 @ 12:12am

Crux of all evil's?

That's awful high billing for a retard.

Ha Ha Ha Ha

Posted by Will C. at 05/08/2006 @ 12:44am
Remember when the Kerick nomination blew up and everyone said "wow, I can't believe they even nominated this guy given his past...didn't they do a background check...what were they thinking?

What they were thinking was they would put forth a strawman, with no intention of having him confirmed, only to have their REAL choice (Chertoff) sail through the confirmation process.

Think real hard...have they done the same thing again recently?

When they put forth the name of Harriett Meirs...do you really believe their goal was to have her nominated? This is a tactic!

Who does Bush's Boss REALLY want to install at CIA after the Strawman is torched?

Since Bush's boss is AIPAC, it might be Joe Lieberman.

Always assume they are gaming you. ALWAYS.

They don't work for you.

Posted by plunger at 05/08/2006 @ 07:09am
I will say this, the Republican Party in Congress does not deserve to retain their leadership. Their running of the place has shamed any conservative.

Posted by conshame at 05/08/2006 @ 09:27am
Booze and hookers?

It's about time Republicans started partying like Democrats!

Posted by Zeddmen at 05/08/2006 @ 2:51pm
Posted by LVLIBERTY1 05/07/2006 @ 3:08pm

That post was nothing but insults and bumper sticker slogans.

Posted by ILOVEPHYSICS at 05/08/2006 @ 6:12pm
I thought it provided some very astute observations easily attributable to most of the leftist postings here. After all, the left relies upon rumor and innuendo to sustain most of it's energy. That energy being directed at hatred of Bush and conservatives.

Posted by LVLIBERTY1 05/08/2006 @ 6:49pm

and this differs from the right's clinton witch hunt in what way?

seriously, LL, shameless double standard hypocrisy here...

karma in action. at least the only way clinton's pecadillos cost the american taxpayer were in the taxpayer funded rebublican witch hunt (the real purpose of which was to paralyze government) that focused on his sexual habits in the 90's in order to investigate...an arkansas real estate deal in the late 70's, early 80's??????

shameful hypocrisy

Posted by ibbleblibble at 05/08/2006 @ 7:05pm
To IBB:

You know how the right wing views it.

When the Commander in Chief lies about war, he acting under his hidden constitutional authority and is a hero.

When he lies about love, impeach him!

Posted by Jack Rabbit at 05/08/2006 @ 7:51pm
Apparently, you have never know marriage.

Posted by MARYBRETBRAD 05/08/2006 @ 4:02pm

Nope. Never have.

but I've known women... and love

Posted by Will C. at 05/08/2006 @ 9:06pm
Posted by JACK RABBIT 05/08/2006 @ 7:51pm

32% and falling...the great awakening?

Posted by ibbleblibble at 05/08/2006 @ 9:22pm
Posted by LVLIBERTY1 05/08/2006 @ 9:20pm

thats it? you know how many pubs are going down over the next few years? i wager this is going to make those convictions (some of which were misdemeanors, by the way) look like small potatoes.

again, how did "did the intern fellate you mr. president?" relate to the whitewater real estate investigation? it did not. it was a politically motivated smear campaign aimed at paralyzing the clinton (non republican) presidency. at least in this case, the lurid sex is actually a factor in the illegality of the crime...

your arrogant, sanctimonious, hypocritical, right wing idols created a monster in the 90's thats going to eat them alive in the oughts.

again, you righties have no room to claim any rightious indignation in this case whatsoever...

THE RIGHT WING CRACKUP IS A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT TO BEHOLD!!!!

Posted by ibbleblibble at 05/08/2006 @ 9:35pm
Fifteen individuals were convicted as part of the Whitewater scandal, according to a web page called "Clinton Convicts."

http://members.tripod.com/~cbn2/convicts.html

Posted by LVLIBERTY1 05/08/2006 @ 9:20pm

yes... guilt by association. And after all those wonderful heartfelt pleas you made for the presumption of innocence concerning porter and jack and tom and bob and and Dr. bill...

Wait did I just use wonderful and heartfelt in a description of liberty.

BWaaaaaaaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHa

(sorry about that)

Posted by Will C. at 05/08/2006 @ 9:46pm
Shame, good job connecting the criminals of today with the criminal of yesterday, Reagan.

Posted by johannesrolf at 05/09/2006 @ 3:39pm
Well, if you are going to resign you might as well do it for reasons like he did and not for a huge failure right? If he thought he couldnt do the job and used this as an excuse woudlnt that actually be good?

Posted by smidj at 05/11/2006 @ 1:32pm
I didn't need to read the article to know that it was not a problem with hookers. Goss is not a Democrat.

Posted by wredner at 05/11/2006 @ 6:31pm
Goss is linked directly to Cheney and the Plame leak...count on it!

July 7, 2004 Porter Goss: Cheney Cat's Paw by Ray McGovern

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/mcgovern.php?articleid=2944

He has long shown himself to be under the spell of Vice President Dick Cheney, and would likely report primarily to him and to White House political adviser Karl Rove rather than to National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

What was actually happening was clear to intelligence analysts, active and retired. We Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity were not the only ones to expose it � as clearly and as often as the domesticated U.S. media would allow.

But what about CIA alumnus Porter Goss, then in his sixth year as chairman of the House intelligence oversight committee? Republican party loyalist first and foremost, Goss chose to give an entirely new meaning to "oversight." Even when it became clear that the "mushroom cloud" reporting was based mostly on a forgery, he just sat back and watched it all happen. Like Br'er Fox, he didn't say nothin'.

Goss, who has a long history of subservience to Cheney, could be counted upon to play the Cheney/Gingrich/et al. role himself.

The report due out this week by the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating intelligence performance regarding the long-sought-after Iraqi weapons of mass destruction is said to be scathing in its criticism of CIA. No problem. This too will help keep the focus where the White House wants it � the more so since committee chair and Republican stalwart Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) can be counted on to do whatever Cheney and Rove tell him to do.

Goss on 9/11

With respect to the various investigations into 9/11, Goss was thrust into the limelight by Cheney, who initially opposed any investigation at all. In February 2002, Cheney went so far as to warn that if Congress decided to go ahead with an investigation, administration officials might not show up to testify. When folks started talking about the need for a genuinely independent commission, though, Cheney acquiesced in the establishment of the congressional joint committee as the lesser evil and took reassurance from the fact that Goss could be counted on to keep the lid on � and, when necessary, run rings around co-chair Sen. Bob Graham, (D-Fla.).

Porter Goss performed that task brilliantly, giving clear priority to providing political protection for the president. Goss acquiesced when the White House and CIA refused to allow the joint committee to report out any information on what President Bush had been told before 9/11 � ostensibly because it was "classified."

In June 2002, Cheney called Goss and Graham to chastise them for a media leak of sensitive information from intercepted communications. A CNN report had attributed the leak to "two congressional sources," and Cheney was livid.

Goss admitted to being "chagrined" over Cheney's call. He and Graham promptly bypassed normal congressional procedures and went directly to Attorney General John Ashcroft, asking him to investigate the leak. Little thought apparently was given to the separation of powers between the executive and congressional branches, or the fact that Congress has its own capability for such investigations.

Next thing you know, the FBI is crawling all over Capitol Hill, questioning members of the joint committee that is investigating the FBI, CIA, et al., and asking members of Congress to submit to lie-detector tests. Shaking his head, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) noted the ludicrousness of allowing the FBI to build dossiers on lawmakers who are supposed to be investigating the FBI. He and others joined those pushing for the creation of an independent 9/11 commission.

That Goss and Graham could be so easily intimidated by Cheney speaks volumes.

My take:

ROVE & GOSS both worked for Cheney.

Cheney & Rumsfeld both set up the WHIG.

Cheney instructed Libby to leak Plames identity to the press.

Cheney and Goss were directly involved in the planning and implementation of 9/11.

Cheney was in the Washington bunker, while Bush was at the school.He was in command. Scholars for 911 Truth point out http://www.scholarsfor911truth.org/... that Secretary of Transportation, Mineta Confirm this. Others point out he was also conducting numerous military drills that day that did confuse land workers.

Mineta's testimony is devastating," observed James H. Fetzer, Ph.D., McKnight Professor at the University of Minnesota.

"It pulls the plug on the Commission's contention there was no advance warning that the Pentagon was going to be hit."

According to Secretary Mineta's testimony, which is in the public domain, when he (Mineta) arrived at an underground bunker at the White House (known as the Presidential Emergency Operations Center), the Vice President was in charge. "During the time that the airplane was coming in to the Pentagon", he stated, "there was a young man who would come in and say to the Vice President, 'The plane is 50 miles out.' 'The plane is 30 miles out.'

"And when it got down to, 'The plane is 10 miles out,'" Mineta continued, "the young man also said to the Vice President, 'Do the orders still stand?' And the Vice President turned and whipped his neck around and said, 'Of course the orders still stand. Have you heard anything to the contrary?'" One way to construe these remarks could be that the orders were to shoot down the plane.

The scholars suggest that that is an implausible interpretation. The Pentagon, they observe, may be the most heavily defended building in the world. If the orders had been to "shoot it down," then no doubt it would have been shot down. Moreover, there would have been no apparent reason for the young man to have expressed concern over whether or not "the orders still stand." Shooting it down, under the circumstances, would have been the thing to do.

Posted by plunger at 05/14/2006 @ 9:16pm

David Corn

Washington--a city of denials, spin, and political calculations. They may speak English there, but most citizens still need an interpreter to understand its ways and meanings. DAVID CORN, the Washington editor of The Nation magazine, has spent years analyzing the policies and pursuing the lies that spew out of the nation's capital. He is a novelist, biographer, and television and radio commentator who is able to both decipher and scrutinize Washington.

In his dispatches, he takes on the day-by-day political and policy battles under way in the Capitol, the White House, the think tanks, and the television studios. With an informed, unconventional perspective, he holds the politicians, policymakers and pundits accountable and reports the important facts and views that go uncovered elsewhere.

Check out David Corn's latest book, (co-written with Michael Isikoff and now available in paperback), Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War (Crown Publishers). For information, visit his personal blog at davidcorn.com.

Photo Credit: Michael Lorenzini

Goss in the Cold: A Scandal Skedaddle?

posted by David Corn on 05/05/2006 @ 5:25pm

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Goss in the Cold: A Scandal Skedaddle?

posted by David Corn on 05/05/2006 @ 5:25pm

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