Oh Yeah ...There'll Be Hard Karma A'Comin' ...

A short follow-up to last night's Yoo's Crossing.

Cheney's Cheney was also before the committee yesterday, and, if you didn't think David Addington was a royal asshole before the day began, you couldn't avoid thinking that by the time the sun set.

Just being labeled "Cheney's Cheney" covers a great deal.

I mean, that is the apex of assholiness!

Bush Policy Authors Defend Their Actions

The testimony from David S. Addington, chief of staff to Vice President Cheney, and John C. Yoo, a former senior Justice Department lawyer, was light on new details but heavy on rhetorical disputes with members of a House Judiciary subcommittee. Both witnesses avoided direct answers to a host of questions about their roles in preparing the legal ground for harsh interrogation tactics while arguing that such methods had been crucial in preventing another terrorist attack on U.S. soil after Sept. 11, 2001.

And Dana Milbank really nailed it, in his "When Anonymity Fails, Be Nasty, Brutish and Short";

He had the grace of Gollum as he quarreled with his questioners. In response to one of the chairman's questions, he neither looked up nor spoke before finishing a note he was writing to himself. When Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) questioned his failure to remember conversations about interrogation techniques, he only looked at her and asked: "Is there a question pending, ma'am?" Finally, at the end of the hearing, Addington was asked whether he would meet privately to discuss classified matters. "You have my number," he said. "If you issue a subpoena, we'll go through this again."

Think of Addington as the id of the Bush White House. Though his hidden hand is often merely suspected -- in signing statements, torture policy and other brazen assertions of executive power -- Addington's unbridled hostility was live and unfiltered yesterday.

This lead Phillip Carter, in his Intel Dump column to notice "Crikey. No wonder they kept Addington in the shadows; public advocacy is clearly not his gig."

No, hardly.

He looked like a small child, refusing to eat his broccoli, and was going to sit there at the table, glowering, being nasty, cleverly, without actually using the language, saying, over-and over "Fuck you, I'm not eating that fucking broccoli ...!" ... For as long as it took, before Mommy and Daddy caved (and if this 110th Congress will be known for one thing, it is caving).

Tim F., over on Balloon Juice, sums that up pretty well, in his "Your Government In A Nutshell";

Fundamentally, the reason why Bush officials like Yoo and Addington show such total contempt for Congress is also the answer to the question that Conyers asked John Yoo: a rule without a penalty is no rule at all. If Congress won’t enforce the law when the President breaks it, then why should he pretend the law is there? For all intents and purposes it isn’t. Yoo’s answer to Conyers, then, is to lean back, smirk and ask what are you going to do about it?

Both sides of that conversation know the answer: nothing. Maybe Conyers will hold another hearing and invite another Bush official to crap on his desk.

When these cretins finally leave office (Yoo's out already, a law professor, if you can believe that!), you probably don't want to be standing next to them, or, even be in the same room with them ...

There's some seriously hard karma coming their way, and it will be absolutely ugly ...


Bonus Addington Assholiness

Think Progress: Addington won’t talk about torture because ‘al Qaeda may watch C-SPAN.’

Mustang Bobby: Torture? What's That?

Dan Froomkin: Contempt of Congress

Kate Klonick: Quote of the Day: Vice President Is a "Barnacle" on the Legislative Branch

John Cole: Priorities are Straight

Developing Story! A Livid Cheney Moves To Place Chertoff Guts Under Wraps

Future Intestinal Prognostications To Be Kept Secret; Brings In Former U.N Ambassador For Extra Tongue Lashing

Against the backdrop of a report shedding light of Vice President Dick Cheney's Energy Task Force, as well as new intelligence reports regarding Al Qaeda readying to attack the United States again, as well as a new, extraordinary move by the Bush Grindhouse in claims of Executive Privilege, an incident has come to light, over national security, involving Cheney, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton.

In yet another example of the unprecedented and extraordinary secrecy the Bush Grindhouse has conducted the nation's affairs, sources tell The Garlic that Cheney is citing, since gases are formed in a person's "gut", re Chertoff's "gut feelings", and gases being a form of energy, this would fall under Cheney's Energy Task Force and any information from it would be classified and unavailable for any overview.

Last week, before the Homeland Security Secretary gave his now infamous interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, that he was repeatedly badgered and harassed by the Vice President's office.

There was a rumor circulating on the Hill that Chertoff was merely suffering from indegestion, that he had a upset stomach, but that Cheney, along with his Chief of Staff David Addington, made repeated visits to Chertoff, seeking more and more information from Chertoff's gut.

Sources tell The Garlic that, on a subsequent visit by Cheney and Addington, former Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton was accompanying the pair and, after entering Chertoff's office, Bolton could be heard, very loudly, screaming, yelling and berating Chertoff.

The White refused to comment on the story, indicating that they would invoke Executive Privilege regarding their refusal to comment, but did issue a statement that they are not anticipating exposing any covert CIA agents over the Chertoff Gut matter.













"Hey There! ... Hi! ... Yeah, Fuck You! ... Executive Privilege! ...How Ya Doin'! ...We Don't Have To Say Anything! ...Hey There! ... Blow It Out Your Ass! ... Executive Privilege! ..."

Send In The Clowns ... It's Wednesday And All Good Things Must End ... Cheneypalooza! ... ' Leaving No Tracks'

Don't you love farce?
My fault I fear.
I thought that you'd want what I want.
Sorry, my dear.
But where are the clowns?
Quick, send in the clowns.
Don't bother, they're here.

Nothing like going out with a bang.

On the day that we end our Cheneypalooza, and the new series, started Sunday, by the Washington Post, "Angler - The Cheney Vice Presidency", offers its' final installment, we get this;

White House, Cheney's Office, Subpoenaed

Sniff ... Sniff ... You smell that? ... Could be another Cheneypalooza coming over the horizon ... Or, perhaps, a new Bushapalooza will be served up.

Today's Installment: Leaving No Tracks

Stay Tuned

Links

Cheney Aide Explains Stance on Classified Material

Rules? For Fools.

Dick Cheney: No Fish Left Behind, Or Alive

"I Am Spartacus" ... The Bush Grindhouse and Cheneypalooza

Red Rover, Red Rover, Send Dickie Right Over ... Its' A Cheneypalooza!

Note:

We quoted from "Send In The Clowns", a Stephen Sondheim tune from "A Little Night Music". This writer always disliked - intensely - this song, done by many, many big-time artists until ... Until it was heard by the incredible - and our all-time favorite - male jazz vocalist, Mr. Bill Henderson, who, by far, offers the definitive rendition of this song.

Bill Henderson

A Little Night Music

Update

Cheney and the National Security Secrets Fraud

Cheney Unbound
(I wonder if Broder had to go out across the land, talking to "real Americans", to come up with this mea culpa)

Update II

The imperial vice presidency; New details about his secret mission to expand the power of the president show that Cheney, at the end of his career, refuses to loosen his grip.














Two of the stars of Cheneypalooza - Cheney, and Cheney's Cheney

It's Monday, And The Cheneypalooza Is Rolling On! ... ' Pushing the Envelope on Presidential Power'

Lots going on today ... Earthquake at 30 Rock, as news anchor Brian Williams takes a big tumble... Michelle Maudlin, and others in the Freak Show, are stirring up trouble (but nothing that can't be handled by a cutting, on-the-money post by Larisa Alexandrovna) ... And CNN flunks geography

Take all that in but don't let our Cheneypalooza pass you by ... Or the new series, started yesterday, by the Washington Post, "Angler - The Cheney Vice Presidency"

Over the next four days, The Washington Post will present an in-depth investigation of the vice presidency of Dick Cheney, the most influential and powerful man ever to hold the office. The stories will examine Cheney's largely hidden and little-understood role in crafting policies for the War on Terror, the economy and the environment.

(Considering all of Cheney's underhandedness in building an Imperial Presidency, it is rather fitting that his Secret Service code name is/was "Angler")

Today's Installment: ''Pushing the Envelope on Presidential Power'

Links

FDL Book Salon Welcomes Glenn Greenwald

They'll Break the Bad News on 9/11

More Cheneypalooza! 'A Different Understanding With the President'

"I Am Spartacus" ... The Bush Grindhouse and Cheneypalooza

Red Rover, Red Rover, Send Dickie Right Over ... Its' A Cheneypalooza!

The Commander Guy and Angler coordinate their watches so they don't miss out on Cheneypalooza

More Cheneypalooza! 'A Different Understanding With the President'

You can go off and watch Larry King fawn all over Paris Hilton, but the fun and festivities continue with our Cheneypalooza, as the Washington Post begins a series today, "Angler - The Cheney Vice Presidency"

Over the next four days, The Washington Post will present an in-depth investigation of the vice presidency of Dick Cheney, the most influential and powerful man ever to hold the office. The stories will examine Cheney's largely hidden and little-understood role in crafting policies for the War on Terror, the economy and the environment.

Today's Installment: 'A Different Understanding With the President'

It appears that contretemps of the Darth Vader man are far from their final throes.

Links

Rahm Emanuel To Cheney: Please Get The Heck Out Of The White House

"I Am Spartacus" ... The Bush Grindhouse and Cheneypalooza

Red Rover, Red Rover, Send Dickie Right Over ... Its' A Cheneypalooza!

Update

A New Cheney-Gonzales Mystery

Update No.2

Yes, well done, indeed, Juan Williams

Kristol Defends Cheney, Williams Says He’s Creating A ‘Secured Undisclosed Bunker Of His Mind’

A Vice President Without Borders, Bordering on Lunacy

Become a Cheney's Cheney ... Help The VP Build His Team, For The Most Gleaming of Brass Rings - Iran

We have a situation developing, with the Cheney side of our government all running around with puffed up tents in the crotch of their trousers, over the prospects of "hot conflict" with Iran, that there is talk of "insubordination against President Bush" and his wimpy diplomacy-first side of the government.

We'll set aside, for the moment, using the words "President Bush" and "diplomacy" in the same sentence.

Jackson Williams, on the Huffington Post, asked yesterday "Just who is Cheney's team these days, what with Scooter Libby headed to jail and Rummy off playing bridge? Well, the ranks have surely thinned as this blunder has gone on, but there is probably some recruitment of new blood taking place, too."

Where is the new blood coming from?

The Garlic, not wanting to be shown up as not supporting our troops, wants to lend a hand for this effort and has composed a Want Ad for the Office of Vice President, being that Monica Goodling resigned, and can't be sitting there any longer, wearing her BL armband (Bush Loyalist) when screening potential candidates.

Get yourself in the game, it's likely this position will be filled very quickly.

Position: Loyal, Hard-Nosed Neoconservative Yes-Man

Have you ever wanted to overthrow a foreign regime, start a war or tell a United States Senator to "go fuck yourself"?

Do you often find yourself sticking, obstinately, to a minority viewpoint, refusing to give in because you know, deep in your gut, you are correct - even when some panty-waist liberal is waving irrefutable evidence in your face?

If so, the Office of the Vice President has an exciting and rewarding career opportunity for you.

In the dynamic world of the nation's first "Shadow President", you will be in the vortex of domestic and world events, meeting with the nation's energy chiefs, or taking an overseas trips to berate foreign governments.

You may, at times find yourself holed-up in a genuine Secret Bunker, and you'll have the thrill of living through the Armageddon drills and running the country "the day after" with surreptitious weekend retreats.

And, you just may be on-board for the most gleaming of brass rings - Iran.

Qualifications

• Ability to write, bully, steal, fabricate, and/or otherwise generate intelligence supporting the Vice President's policies and vision
• Talent, in face of withering criticism, to be able to stay on message and repeat false claims
• No Conscious and no regrets in outing and exposing covert CIA agents
• Lying and the knack for placing blame on others are required skills for the position

*Internships and/or employment with the American Enterprise Institute or the PNAC is highly desirable

** All candidates, to be considered for the position, will be required to sign a waiver, indicating the acceptance of going to prison in order to protect the Vice President should such an occurance manifest in carrying out your duties in the Office of the Vice President.

Contact, with cover letter and resume, Chief of Staff (and the original Cheney's Cheney) David Addington at vice_president@whitehouse.gov


Bonus Links

The Trouble With Cheney: He's Dumb

Cheney Sets Up Shadow Government In Area 51

Libby Trial Update - The Scooter and Cheney Show Theme Song