Letters to the Editor
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new law with teeth
As Glenn has demonstrated, the reason these public official can lie with impunity is because they face no consequences for it. A new law needs to be passed, that requires gov't officials to be considered under oath when ever speaking to the press. If they tell a lie to the press, they get prosecuted for perjury. The punishment needs to be a mandatory minimum, like a year or more in jail. If they faced real consequences for deceiving the public, they'd be less likely to do it.
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"a richer set of understandings."
That pretty much sums up the neo-con view of reality, doesn't it?
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I don't think Galloway was actually a critic back then
Glenn... Additionally, Di Rita's claim that the briefing program constantly included critics of the administration is just false. The examples he cites -- Joe Galloway...
Maybe by 2006 or so he started to have doubts.
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For richer... or for poorer.
...' a richer set of understandings.' WTF is that. Suffering succortash.
"Until that expectation is altered, the behavior will continue unchanged." Amen, Glenn. You keep at it.
I'm vectoring out of here (plus, practicing my military jargon too.)
10/4,
bah.
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Remember this ...
Remember this story as the administration drums up support for war against Iran (or Syria, for that matter). Remind your conservative friends about how the war propaganda is spread, and how false it has and will turn out to be (Iraq WMD, non-existent Al Qaeda links, and now Iranian weapons in Iraq, and nuclear facilities in Syria).
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Impunity
And, considering that the Mainstream media, with the likes of Chris Matthews leading the way, will turn back to analyzing every word of Rev. Wrhite by Wednesday of this week, the Bush Administration fully intends to get away with it again.
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Oh yes
Now you know why the White House will do anything to keep the e-mail files from being examined by anyone. There must be tons more of this kind of stuff in those "lost" e-mails.
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Justice had better be on its way
CNN's Reliable Sources. Heh.
In the words of Di Rita, "I don't know anything." He just works here, you know, as the Pentagon communications guy.
Now Di Rita works for BofA? Making millions, no doubt?
Glenn, you are ably stacking up the evidence in the people's case against BushCo. Bravo!
I, for one, will forward this information along to Senator Kerry once my blood pressure returns to semi-normal Bush presidency levels.
Thank you for your service, Glenn.
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Any admissions by the parties?
Nice work, Glenn.
I'm astonished that, in all of the documents you have quoted and/or referenced, unless I'm wrong I have yet to see any acknowledgment by the parties that the program was likely illegal. It's not like it was some obscure statute, because as you pointed out, the Armstrong Williams affair was recent.
I've been constrained by work from examining the document dump myself - have you seen any such admissions, or efforts to conceal these actions?
Such statements don't go to culpability, of course - ignorance of the law is no excuse - but would go to proof.
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Larry Di Rita should be indicted.
Since the Congress has explicitly banned the use of government funds for propaganda purposes of this kind, any use of government facilities or materials for this project violated the US Code.
Even if there was no punishment indicated in the law where the Congress banned propaganda, there IS a punishment listed in the section of the US Code that bans the appropriation of government property for banned uses:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00000641----000-.html
641. Public money, property or records
Whoever embezzles, steals, purloins, or knowingly converts to his use or the use of another, or without authority, sells, conveys or disposes of any record, voucher, money, or thing of value of the United States or of any department or agency thereof, or any property made or being made under contract for the United States or any department or agency thereof; or
Whoever receives, conceals, or retains the same with intent to convert it to his use or gain, knowing it to have been embezzled, stolen, purloined or converted—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; but if the value of such property in the aggregate, combining amounts from all the counts for which the defendant is convicted in a single case, does not exceed the sum of $1,000, he shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
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Excellent as usual...
Excellent reporting as usual Glenn. Frankly this is what your next book should be about - taking your numerous posts and blowing open the broken media establishment and role as a propaganda tool of the government. In short, the failure of the "third estate".
There's a ton to be said there, as you've shown, and it really is the key to our failing democracy. There will always be shmucks like Di Rita and our only hope of knowing it is a strong press.
Keep up the good work.
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Mr. Greenwald,
The Generals are being paid to lie for the Emperor, who has no clothes. Is this a surprise?
You have a confessed War Criminal heading up the executive branch in Washington, and the possibility that Continuiuty of Government conditions are in effect and that the Constitution has already been superseded. Few seem to care that Bush is responsible for killing 100s of thousand of people in Iraq and elsewhere. Perhaps it is because the dead are so far away, and the death and devastation is not visible. Bush, at this point, appears to be a law unto himself, and no one is willing to challenge him. Congress is complicit, and by extension so are 'we the people'.
Would 'the people' be concerned if they were aware that Bush was involved in the planning and execution of 9/11? Would they care if Bush had enabled the killing of Americans on American soil, to advance his ascension to the throne?
The elephant in the room is 9/11. I challenge you and any of your readers to view this 2 and a half minute video clip, and then claim that we know the whole truth about 9/11. The people can put a stop to the abuses of this president. They need to know why they should.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=877gr6xtQIc&feature=related