CNN.com – Bush acknowledges declassifying intelligence – Apr 10, 2006

I am so outraged right now I can’t see straight.

The worst part about this case is the lies and lack of candor. It was proven long ago that no real crime was commited. Valarie Plame was not undercover and had not been for many years. She was working as an intelligence analyst without undercover protections. Why did Bush and company just not let this be known and that would be that. Instead they lied. I just don’t get it.

There are two issues at work here, and so many people, mainly Republicans, miss the bigger issue.
The smaller issue is about Plame and the “damage done” to her cover.
http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/7/13/04720/9340
Even if she were a desk jockey (which she wasn’t) the fact is she still had an undercover identity with certain companies that have affairs in the Middle East, noteably Iran for one. Even if her own life wasn’t threatened by the revealing of her cover, her entire work with this company is compromised and the groups such as, oh, the Iranian government, have severed all ties with the public face of the company she posed to work for… meaning we have lost assets and sources of intelligence that would help us get vital information about, oh I dunno, how far Iran is on nuclear weapons.

But here’s the bigger issue: It doesn’t matter who or what Plame is or was or how much damage was done to her cover, Bush and more likely Cheney saw fit to declassify secret information on their own instead of going through standard proceedures, and for the purpose of revenge and extortion for speaking up against the lies and deceptions the administration put out there to connive us into a forgien war they wanted at all costs.

At the cost of our country’s reputation, world-wide goodwill we had after 9/11, the cost of personal liberty, our nation’s security, and the lives and limbs of thousands!
I don’t care about Valerie. I care about the fact that this administration is lying, deceiving, contorting, vengeful, and hateful to its own citizens and the Constitution they’re sworn to protect.

They are acting like they own the country, that they have carte blanche to do what they will as they see fit, completely forgetting that we are not their royal subjects but that they are servants of the people and the Constitution! We are their bosses, and they act like they own us, can do what they want, and aren’t answerable to us!!

I partially agree with you. This administration has shown its willingness to go outside of standard procedure on numerous occasion. The wire taping is another example of ths. I also agree that the war was wrong and unnecessary.

The only point I make about Plame is that she was not undercover in any way. She had not been undercover for years. There was no crime to investigate.

There needs to be a more balanced approach by both side. This adminstration shiould play by the rules and not go around procedure. You are right that they have lied, deceived etc. Yet, the other side needs to go after what is real, not imaginery crimes.

Sadly the Plame thing has become the lefts Lewinsky. Both cases were ridiculous. I don’t like this president or anything (literally anything) he has done. You mention it is mostly Republicans defending him. You are right to a point. However, true conservative can’t stand him. I am one of these. Just look up paleo-conservative or true conservative on google and you will find many from the right who do not like this president or his policies.

Big difference, and I’m sure you’ve seen the bumper stickers:
“When Clinton lied, no one died.”

I say “Republicans” because I do recognize the difference between Republican and conservative. I myself am very conservative. Smaller government (smallest possible, as dictated by the Constitution and encapsulated in the 10th Amendment,) an end to the welfare state, etc etc. I count myself as “Libertarian,” but I might also describe myself as Pre-Reagan-Republican.

The thing is, the current Republican Party is no longer the party people think it is. Not what it used to be. It has evolved into the Pro-Corporate-Oligarchy American Talibahn Party. Small government? Not any longer. The current Republican Party has had record spending, record deficet, and record protection of the uberrich and megacorporations at the expense of the small business and individual business owner. It cowtows to the Religious Reich and is owned by the corporations, oil, and fundamental Christians.

It’s OK to be a conservative. A “conservative” can be found in any party, even Democrats. But when one calls themselves a modern Republican, they ally themselves with the Neo-Cons and the party of religious oligarchy and “end times” promoters. People who are conservative and stand for the the ideals that the Republican party used to stand for before the early and mid-80′s, need to reform a new party that separates themselves from the Neo-Cons and religious fundamentalism that you have to kiss the butt of to get anywhere in the party. As poor McCain has discovered.

I’d vote for McCain in an instant, if he didn’t sell his integrity by kissing up to the Religious Reich as he’s been doing lately, because without them there’s no hope for anyone who calls himself a Republican to have a shot at the Presidency.

By the way, thanks for coming by and posting. =)

I think you and I probably agree upon a lot. I also consider myself a conservative who has left the Republican party. While I do have a strong Christian faith, I don’t find much that the Christian Coalition/Christian Right to be very Christ like.

I enjoy your site.

“I enjoy your site.”
Thank you very much! You realize that pegs you as a very weird person who obviously has no taste.