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The Daily Muck
Donald Rumsfeld’s “snowflakes” (memos in which he sprinkled his brilliant musings to his staff) include references to Muslims as people who avoid “physical labor,” and advice to his minions that they “keep elevating the threat,” and “link Iraq to Iran.” Another “snowflake,” (he produced 20 to 60 each day) urged military analysts to “talk about Somalia, the Philippines, etc. Make the American people realize they are surrounded in the world by violent extremists." A former Rumsfeld aide complains that journalists are now seizing on only a few “snowflakes” in an avalanche of more than 20,000. (Washington Post)
As we reported earlier this week, the State Department is forcing employees to fill open positions in Iraq. In a town-hall meeting yesterday, those employees voiced their ire, with one employee saying, "I'm sorry, but basically that's a potential death sentence and you know it. Who will raise our children if we are dead or seriously wounded?" Not to be outdone, the administrator running the meeting compared the dissent over the policy to America's former acceptance of slavery. (AP)
Erik Prince has a new boss. The Department of Defense’s Reconstruction Operations Centers is taking over control of the State Department’s security convoys. But the Reconstruction Operations Center is outsourced through a $475 million contract to the British firm Aegis. This means that Erik Prince now will answer to Aegis CEO Tim Spicer, the guy who used his “mercenary army to launch a counter-coup of the government of Sierra Leone” and “plotted the overthrow of the authorities in Equatorial Guinea.” (Wired)
Lifelong Rudy buddy Bernie Kerik is facing new accusations, this time from his lawyers. They accuse him of welching on $200,000 in legal bills that he ran up during his latest criminal investigation. (Smoking Gun)
The Bush administration wants you to think twice before blowing the whistle. A six-month investigation by the Center for Investigative Reporting, in collaboration with Salon, reports that federal whistle-blowers, instead of receiving legal protection from whistleblower laws, typically face efforts to silence them and bury the issues they have raised. (Salon)
Speaking of silence, federal agents are investigating allegations that Blackwater illegally exported firearms “silencers” to Iraq. Criminal penalties for smuggling silencers can bring up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $1 million per count. (MSNBC)
Here's a surprising group calling from retroactive immunity. A letter sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee advocating protection for telecom firms was signed by: former AG John Ashcroft (admittedly, now an AT&T lobbyist), former Deputy AG James Comey, Jack Goldsmith and Patrick Philbin. (Washington Wire)
Since Alberto Gonzales declared victory over white collar crime in July, it is just about time for a postmortem on the Justice Department's Corporate Fraud Task Force. The American Lawyer has taken an exhaustive look at the task force's success (no easy feat, given the government's unwillingness to publish statistics on these investigations). They find that the government obtained a good number of guilty pleas, but that most of that success comes from local U.S. Attorneys without assistance from the national Task Force. More interesting? The drop off in investigations since Bush's reelection: from 357 indictments between 2002-05, to only 26 in the next two years. (Law.com)
The Hillary-Chinatown connection continues to simmer, with two conservative bloggers filing complaints against her with the Federal Election Committee. The complaint is based on recent articles in the NY Times and LA Times accusing Clinton's fundraisers of collecting money from dishwashers, and in some case, reimbursing those donors. (Politico)
Good to know that some things can still shock. A Freedom of Information Act has given Cox News access to internal discussions about a 2005 super junket involving 34 travelers, one Air Force 737, and plenty of stopovers in beach resorts. At the time, one State Department official referred to the trip as the most "egregious" boondoggle she had seen in 27 years. (Cox News Service)
Watchdog organizations are trying to get the Appropriations Committees to strip earmarks for BAE and ProLogic, both firms that are undergoing federal investigations. The firms are slated for a combined $59 million this year in earmarks. (The Hill)
Comments (11)
Anonymous wrote on November 1, 2007 9:59 AM:I'm assuming then that Rumsfeld's plan to invade Iraq with 80% fewer troops requested by military leadership is also a misunderstood snowflake?
And what about his 100% lack of plan for what to do after? Also a snowflake.
Sorry guys. Selective sourcing is how the world works. You guys perfected it.
biggerbox wrote on November 1, 2007 10:17 AM:Rumsfeld's aide probably thinks it's unfair because, well, "who doesn't have the occasional racist, warmongering, fearmongering thought now and again?"
I'm sure the rest of the 'snowflakes' were full of peaceful, loving thoughts. Yup. Sure.
Anonymous wrote on November 1, 2007 10:20 AM:John Tanner is channeling Rumsfeld. Or is it the other way around?
TheraP wrote on November 1, 2007 11:18 AM:"surprising group calling for retroactive immunity"
Makes you wonder what happened *after* the famous meeting in the hospital room. What did they ultimately agree to? What crimes might they want to be protected from - themselves?
anonymouse wrote on November 1, 2007 12:16 PM:"State Department is forcing employees to fill open positions in Iraq."
Hmmm... I somehow do not recall employees of the State department out protesting all this time other folks were being sent to Iraq. I guess their jobs are more important than the deaths of other people, but they lose their enthusiasm when their own lives are in jeapardy...
Makes it pretty easy to go to war nowdays... just offer good paying jobs and the ability to send other folks to their deaths...
What a society we live in today... sad...sad...
johnnydoughey wrote on November 1, 2007 12:18 PM:"federal agents are investigating allegations that Blackwater illegally exported firearms “silencers” to Iraq. Criminal penalties for smuggling silencers can bring up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $1 million per count. "
Unless, of course, you are working for the "good guys" in which case, all behavior is legal...
Dee Illuminati wrote on November 1, 2007 1:06 PM:On DOS conscription:
I would like to see a repudiation of the word "coercion" in regard to Gitmo and US policy and bypass the other word in US policy. I feel this would allow some legislation to forward that would preclude torture and bypass the issue in the short term and 'improve' diplomatic status of the US with those whom want to support the US but find the current policy "repugnant."
I would also like to see some legislation expedited that would hold US contractors accountable in US courts under civillian law for "gross acts" of negligence and manslaughter.
I think that if the POTUS sucks it up at Miodnight in November of 2008 and proclaims immunity under his command then that would eliminate most litigation at Jr. level of command and allow the institutions charged with reconstruction and security in Itraq a 'new set of expectations' to offer as an alternative.
I feel for the DOS people whom are in the tradition of expecting diplomatic immunity to have been lowered into the fray of the above issues. It takes the basis of what their institution does, rule of law diplomacy and reduces it to an act of dissonance via practice. Diplomatic immunity and the rule of law seems at odds with the practice of detention without charges and coercion.
That said, somebody FORCED to serve in Iraq should be offered protection and that protection needs to be tempered with 'manslaughter' and 'gross negligence' instead of more political charged levels of crime in that the scenario on the ground makes it a difficult place to opperate.
It's a damn mess that has been created but the first step is to focus on the word: coercion and then create a framework more consistent with DOS institutional principles to deal with circumsatances where manslaughter or gross negligence is found.
The POTUS needs to step up and take the responsibility to navigate this nation to a point where collective DOD/DOS/DOJ efforts are more applicable.
Anon wrote on November 1, 2007 4:24 PM:Snowflake?
How about Sh__flake.
watercarrier4diogenes wrote on November 1, 2007 5:36 PM:Emptywheel looks at that letter here:
http://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/the_next_hurrah/2007/10/shorter-4-top-l.html
and links to Big Tent Dem's uncovering of the law firms (all with big telecom clients) that each works for. Also linked is Matt Stoller's article at OpenLeft on 'The Ashcroft Group' being one of "the new AT&T's" own lobbying firms. Who'da ever thunk...
Jane wrote on November 2, 2007 8:22 AM:Immunity: they did the crime for us, so why should they to the time?
Rethug theme song.
Clean house wrote on November 15, 2007 8:19 AM:State Department is forcing employees to fill open positions in Iraq."
Hmmm... I somehow do not recall employees of the State department out protesting all this time other folks were being sent to Iraq.
Dump them,let them work for some group like the Cuban or Venezuelan government where they have more freedom to choose their assignments. Hire new people who are not afraid to do whatever their job entails.They should be ashamed not to support our troops.