"So Long Scooter, We're Through With You ..."

To steal from ''Yankee Doodle Dandy' for a moment ...

"So long Scooter, we're through with you ...We'll have nothing to do with you ..."

No, I. Lewis "Scooter:" Libby isn't a jockey who was accused of throwing the English Derby, he was a member of the Bush Grindhouse, Vice President Death Vader's Chief of Staff who assisted outing a covert CIA Agent Valarie Plame, for the purpose of political retribution, lied about it, covered it up and was convicted of Perjury and Obstruction of Justice

(However, one of his accomplices, The Commander Guy, commuted his sentence, before Little Scooter had to really worry about if he would get see the aspens turning again)

Karma came a'vistin' to Scooter Libby today;

Former Cheney Aide Libby Disbarred

"When a member of the Bar is convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude, disbarment is mandatory," the three judges wrote in their order. "This court has held that obstruction of justice and perjury are crimes of moral turpitude. Since respondent was convicted of each of these offenses, as the Board concluded, disbarment is mandatory under D.C. Code.

Jane Hamsher, from Firedoglake, has a pretty good idea;

Kind of seems like some old time military "cashiering ceremony" is in order with a formal parade, where they call the miscreant out and break his sword and force him to leave.

I guess we'll have to settle for future disbarring in New York. Sets a nice precedent.

Hmmm... Can we expect a blizzard of new letters from the pen of Mary Matalin? Will she be seeking "Disbarment Funds" for the Scooter? Maybe Fred Thompson can chip in, write a few notes when Matalin cramps up, or make a few calls.

I wanted to link to the website - ScooterLibby.Com- but, apparently, they've taken it down and, rather ironically, the first Ad listing on the former link is for "Mini Power Scooters" (you can go here to see a partial listing of what was on it)

Oh, how the petty and twisted fall ...

Then again, it's a little more than eight-months to wait for the Christmas Pardon List


It's Another Scooterpalooza

Sidney Blumenthal: Libby and the White House book club - While Cheney's former aide prays for a presidential pardon, Bush and Rove hold forth in their neocon salon, and the cover-up continues

Breaking News! Domestic Spying Injected Into Libby Trial - Trial In Chaos; Justice Dept. Gave Libby Lawyers Prospective Jurors Personal Info; Fitzgerald Livid As Emails, NSA Wiretaps, Financial Records Found In Defense Lawyers' Briefcase

Top Ten Cloves: Reasons Tim Russert Didn't Ask Scooter Libby About Joe Wilson and His Wife

Breaking News - White House Bombshell: "VP Could Be In His Last Throes" - Libby Verdict Has Bush, White House Urging Cheney Into Rehab; Sources Claim 'Can't Be Trusted He Won't Break"; Iraq Comments "Last Straw" and "Were Not An Enormous Success"

Libby Trial Update - The Scooter and Cheney Show Theme Song

Breaking News! - Miller To Leave 'Times' With Movie Deal In Hand; Signs On To Star In Memento Sequel; Not Sure If She Will Continue Freelancing For Bush Admn.

UPDATE

Thanks to eagle eyes (and/or trusty links) of ZappoDave, the Libby Defense Fund website it still running!

Larisa Alexandrovna: Scooter disbarred...

Blue Girl: More good news!

Retro Garlic ... We Told You So!

Well, things have been moving along this week like an Alberta Clipper.

'Tis the season, and in our world that means a bevy of Bush Grindhouse scandals (and if you are having a hard time keeping track of them all, Keith Olbermann has started a new feature - Bushed - on his 'Countdown' program ).

And today, we have the opportunity to go Retro Garlic, and a short Retro it is.

With a prolonged drumroll earlier this week, breath was held to see if I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby would be on the list for a Presidential Pardon, being he - hint, hint - announced he was dropping the appeal of his trial, and would ride as a convicted felon, until ...

This had many-a-pundit, as well as a good chunk of the blogosphere, salivating that the Bush Grindhouse's brick wall would come down, and The Commander Guy would have to comment on the treasonous scandal his staff engaged in - the exposure of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame.

Alas, it didn't come.

Ahh, but The Garlic held on to its' skin, kept our powder dry, not seeing this as a condition the Bush Grindhouse would break its' pattern of lying, stonewalling, and obfuscation.

From The Garlic, on Monday;

"And, for all of you waiting to hear The Scooter, or The Bush Grindhouse, spill their guts, now that the appeal process is over, think again.

There's still the matter of Valerie Plame's possible lawsuit and, no doubt, they will continue to clam-up, citing that "litigation", if the Wilson's can revive their case, after it was thrown out last summer."

From Think Progress today;

What did Perino say in the gaggle? The Washington Post reports Perino found another convenient excuse to punt on answering about the White House’s involvement in the Plame leak. Perino said that she hadn’t spoken to Bush yet, but she cited the Wilson’s ongoing civil case as a reason not to comment:

I did talk to our counsel’s office because I forgot that there is a civil case that is pending on this issue. I did forget. The Wilsons have filed a case in civil court, it was dismissed, and they are on appeal."

And, even if the Wilson's announce they are dropping their appeal, the Bush Grindhouse will mow through legal cases, as many as they have to (and don't rule out the Hauptmann Case) to find something they can hid behind and stay silent.

That means, it's time to Cue up Que Sera Sera...

Links

Al Karmen: Being There

The Democratic Party: White House Still Won't Answer Libby Questions

Think Progress: White House Offers Convenient New Excuse For Not Talking About Plame Leak

Associated Press: Bush Pardons, Commuted Sentence

Well, That Wasn't Much Of A Wait ...

If Scooter Libby leaves that Christmas stocking hung, it may end up with not much more that a piece of coal in it.

'Cuz that Christmas Presidential Pardon sure ain't flying down the chimney this year!

The Department of Injustice released their 2007 List of Pardons today, and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was not among the 29 names getting their holiday orgasm, their golden "I Got Away With It" certificate.

No doubt, the holiday eggnog in the Libby abode must be heavily rummed-up, and, perhaps, tasting a bit clumpy this evening.

What's an ass-kissing, law-breaking, CIA-covert-agent-exposing convicted felon have to do around this place to get a little love from his Compassionate Commander Guy ex-boss?

Like Tessio, in 'The Godfather", The Scooter must have been thinking "Hell, he can't do that ... It screws up all my plans ..."

Now, Little Scooter has to sit around, probably with Mary Matalin getting all in his face, constantly badgering him with drafts of new fundraising letters, listening to publishers tell him his previous books suck, but "if you write about what you did", which has to tempt the Mrs. Scooter to be barking in his ears, "Screw them, take the money!", keeping his steely pluck, relying on all his experience as a dedicated civil servant, and wait until next year to get his freedom.

Maybe Fred Thompson will drop out of the race (rather than waiting, about another two months, to be booted out of it, embarrassingly, with numbers that would only look good on a golf card) so he can be by his buddy's side, putting the arm on all those neocons to kick up a few bucks for the Little Scooter.

Wouldn't be surprised either, to hear news that Cheney was brought into the hospital -again - with a broken defibrillator.

Cheney has to be sitting around, stewing, the picture of a Looney Tune cartoon, his oversized head throwing off buckets of sweat, thinking about is this the time to say 'fuck it", and just issue the pardon himself.

Fox News will have to file away all that B-Roll, tape over the sappy soundtrack, book new talking heads for all the appearances they had the Little Scooter pegged for - across their Freakshow line-up (but, they will put him on with Chris Wallace anyway, lest they have to listen to him piss-and-moan about not getting anyone to come on his show).

Boy, sure wouldn't mind being the package of Sweet'N Low on the table, the next time Scooter and Judy get together for coffee

Bonus Scooter Links

Jane Hamsher: Poor Scooter, Always a Bridesmaid…

Breaking News! Fox Bounces The Juice and Brings In The Scooter; OJ Out, Libby In, As Fox Looks To Make Lemonade Out Of Their Lemons; Reagan Snares Cheney Aide For “If I Leaked ...” Special; No Hush Money But Donation Made To Defense Fund

Top Ten Cloves: Things Overheard Last Night At Scooter Libby Fundraiser


Scooter, you'll need to keep that pondering pose for, about, another year ...

Phil Rizzuto ... Great As He Was, The Scooter Didn't Always Have His Wheels On The Ground

Though he was before my time, and, growing up in Boston, I wasn't an audience to his long broadcasting career, but there was a twinge of sadness on hearing the news that former New York Yankee shortstop Phil Rizzuto passed away.

He won an MVP award (1950), played on the powerhouse Yankee teams that won 10 American League pennants and nine World Series championships, including five consecutive WS titles.

He also had his number retired by the Yankees and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

And, when the TV show What's My Line premiered on February 2, 1950, Phil Rizzuto was the very first "mystery guest."

But perhaps, his bigger legacy came in the broadcast booth, shooting into the lexicon, the excited "Holy Cow!", and being die hard pinstripes.

And in his long broadcasting career, Rizzuto was also known for his penchant for gaffes, or not getting the facts correct, or, as the NYT put it "Over four decades in the Yankee announcing booth, Rizzuto transformed himself from a conventional announcer with a distinctly New York voice into an often comic presence."

One such occasion I was witness to.

I was living in Connecticut and could pick up the Yankee games.

It was a hot Saturday, around 1992 or 1993, and I can't remember who the Yankees were playing ...It was an away game, and, at one point, around the third-or-fourth-inning, a Yankee player hit a long fly ball to left field, that the leftfielder caught right in front of, but not quite against the wall, for the third out.

Rizzuto, all excited, called it a homerun ... Then quickly fell silent, and befuddled, as the opposing team was trotting off the field ... Rizzuto was aghast, wondering, on air, why they were leaving the field ... His broadcast partner (who I can't remember) broke the news to him that the ball was caught ...

Rizzuto vehemently disagreed, claiming the ball "was outta here" ...

They went to commercial break with Rizzuto arguing with this partner that it was a homerun

Upon returning from the commercial break, Rizzuto was still not totally convinced, saying "I coulda sworn that ball was outta here ..."

Way to go Scooter ... Say hello to the Mick for us ...


Bonus Links

Phil Rizzuto

Phil Rizzuto for The Money Store

Phil Rizzuto Quotes