Karl Rover, Karl Rover, send Mehlman right over...

Ok, so pretty much everyone admits that Karl Rove is the man who outed CIA agent Valerie Plame. Now what? Will there be a swift apology by Bush and the firing or resignation of Rove? Does Iraq have uranium?

Enter RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman...

Mehlman released a statement today calling the attacks on Karl Rove "partisan", and proceeded to present "facts" to back up the statement that Rove didn't mean to out Valerie Plame, but was just trying to "discourage a reporter (Cooper) from writing a false story based on a false premise..."

One problem with Mehlman's "facts" is that they are lies.

Along with the "facts" in Mehlman's statement are some real facts (truths):

• "Fact": Cooper's own email claims Rove warned of potential inaccuracies in Wilson's information

Truth: The fact that Rove warned Cooper about inaccuracies doesn't mean that there were any.

• "Fact": Wilson falsely claimed that it was VP Cheney who sent him to Niger...

Truth: In his Op-Ed, "What I Didn't Find In Africa" Wilson says that officials at the CIA claimed Cheney's office had "questions about a particular intelligence report" and agency officials wanted Wilson to "travel to Niger to check out the story so they could provide a response to the vice president's office". At no point in the article does Wilson claim to have been PERSONALLY asked by Cheney to report to him.

• "Fact": Wilson denied his wife suggested he travel to Niger, but documentation showed she proposed his name.

Truth: Yes, she may have proposed his name, but she did not have the authority nor ability to personally send him since she was not in charge of the case. A fair interpretation would be that though she may have suggested his name, those in power knew that he was well trusted by the first president Bush and by the PM of Niger. Why not use someone who already has the contacts and know-how to get to the relevant information?

• "Fact": Wilson's report on Niger had "thin" evidence and did not change conclusions of Analysts and other reports.

Truth: Rove was the "government official" calling Wilson's work "thin" and shoddy. Need I say more? No, but I will anyway: Wilson's statement didn't change any conclusions because they were in agreement with him. George Tenet himself stated in a July 11, 2003 press release that the famous "16 words should never have been included in the text written for the president". Why not? Because they were not true, they were "facts". This gives credibility to Wilson's statement that there was no reason to believe that Iraq was trying to purchase uranium from Niger. No shoddy work here Rove, just facts with (no quotation marks).

• "Fact": Sens. Roberts, Bond and Hatch all dismissed Wilson's Claims.

Truth: Who asked them? Who cares what they think? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

• "Fact": Wilson tied to the 2004 Kerry Campaign for President

Truth: Wilson donated $1,000 each to Al Gore and George W. Bush Jr. for the 2000 presidential campaign. Wilson worked for Bush's daddy. Partisan? Nah. At least not until...May and Sept. of 2003 when Wilson donated a total of $2,000 to Kerry's campaign coffers, but this was after an unnamed source (Rove) had tried to discredit him and his wife's cover as a CIA agent was blown. Wilson was a career diplomat with friends on both sides of the isle until the Bush White House tried to destroy him. I can't say I blame him for fighting back any way he could. Besides, this has no bearing on the either the "facts" or the facts. Wilson's work on the Iraq/Niger connection was well before his work with the Kerry campaign.

Basically, Mehlman's press release is just another attempt to smear Wilson's name and to point the finger away from the White House, Bush and Rove. Guess what? It ain't workin'.

In Wilson's own words: http://www.alternet.org/stories/19271

In Mehlman's own words: http://www.rnc.org/News/Read.aspx?ID=5620

London, or how things haven't changed in the least

Recently George Bush stated that American troops must defeat terrorists abroad before they attack us at home. I guess it looked good on paper, but Thursday's attacks in London made that statement sound just plain ignorant. Guess what? The terrorists HAVE taken the fight overseas. For years they have been in countries all over the world planning and plotting to do the very thing they did in London...and they did it and will do it again, Iraq war or not.

Bush is so simplistic in his understanding of war and of human nature that he completely misunderestimates the human condition, and frankly, the intelligence of the American people. Since when does a war in one country preclude a war in another? American troops are in both Afghanistan and Iraq- does that mean we can't send them to Iran if the need arises? (and I'm sure the need will arise...but we will save that for another post)

The US invasion of Iraq is completely irrelevant to the war on terror. Period. Until someone, somewhere in a position of influence and power either realizes this or takes the necessary steps to implement this ideology, we are wasting lives, time, money and resources on a battle we will not be able to win because it is a battle against common sense.

Already he has simplified the personalities and ideals of the terrorists as "evil" and has said "we will spread an ideology of hope and compassion that will overwhelm their ideology of hate". So simple and yet so completely wrong. Ok, I agree with the whole evil thing, I mean, anyone who would bomb innocent civilians is evil...unless the bombers are American troops, and then it is perfectly understandable. See, not so simple- if they do it and it is evil, why can our people do it and we write it off as "a mistake" or flat out lie and say that the terrorists place innocent civilians in areas where they are hiding so that women and children will be killed just to make American troops look bad.

Bush is spreading the "ideology of hate" by not focusing on Afghanistan and finding the one true evil we can do something about- Osama Bin Laden. The world was behind the USA when we invaded Afghanistan, but as time went on and he began his push to invade Iraq at the expense of the Afghan people, he lost momentum and respect. It is time to save face and refocus on Afghanistan and Bin Laden- send in more troops, find him, put him on trial and let's begin to rebuild the credibility of the good ol' USA.

to blog or not to blog...

...that is the question I have pondered to some extent. Well, to be honest, I have pondered it for approximately three minutes twenty-two seconds. I'm a busy woman, what did you expect? The conclusion, at least until I am distracted by some other bright, shiny object is, "what the hell!"

Why blog? A plethora of reasons actually, all as inane as the next...

Because I have an internet connection and I may as well use it for something other than vainly searching for the cute Norwegian guy I met in Paris a few months ago.

Because I want my voice heard. I mean, I've gone 36 years on this planet being quiet and polite and look where it has gotten me- (gestures to vast emptiness).

Because maybe, just maybe, Brad Pitt will read this and decide he must have me...now...and he will offer me a 14 karat diamond ring to prove it.

But most of all because if there are 50 million people in the world who actually think George Bush's Right Wing agenda is the way to go, then there must be at least as many people (and probably gazillions more) who think it isn't, and hopefully we can generate some interesting discussions on the matter.

For me there is no greed, no hunger for power, no" God told me to do it" agenda for doing this. I have no degree, no money (just ask the bill collectors) and fewer connections than most. What I do have to offer is a view of the world untainted by fundamentalist beliefs or a Neo- Con need to rule the universe. And most importantly, unlike the President, I can ride a bike without falling over, I can correctly pronounce the word "nuclear", I have a better sense of humor and most of all, I have a better grip on reality.

Feel free to respond, comment and disagree, but remember: don't name call (I'll cry), or make "Your Mamma is so fat...." jokes. Also please try to refrain from making racist comments, because that is so Strom Thurmond, and Strom is dead...

Thanks for listening.