Chickens are Coming Home to Roost

Judith Miller departs New York Times

Stephen Brook
Thursday November 10, 2005

MediaGuardian.co.uk

Judith Miller, the New York Times journalist who went to jail to protect a source, has left the paper with an undisclosed severance package after weeks of controversy.
In a letter to the editor published in the paper, Miller - who was criticised for her role in a Bush administration intelligence leak scandal - said she had resigned because she had become the news herself.

``I am honored to have been part of this extraordinary newspaper and proud of my accomplishments here - a Pulitzer, a DuPont, an Emmy and other awards - but sad to leave my professional home,`` wrote Miller, who spent 28 years at the New York Times.

``But mainly I have chosen to resign because over the last few months, I have become the news, something a New York Times reporter never wants to be.

``Even before I went to jail, I had become a lightning rod for public fury over the intelligence failures that helped lead our country to war.``

Miller spent 85 days in jail for refusing to reveal her source for the information that Valerie Plame, the wife of a government critic, was a CIA agent. She was released after she admitted her source was the vice-president chief of staff, Lewis ``Scooter`` Libby, who has been charged over the incident.

Miller was also criticised for reporting in the build-up to the war that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, a false claim that boosted the case for war.

The New York Times executive editor, Bill Keller, who had criticised her in a staff memo, told staff he did not believe she had an improper relationship with Mr Libby but that he was troubled by an incident where she might have misled her bureau chief.

The New York Times, which had refused to publish Miller`s letter as an opinion page column, said she would have been unable to remain reporting for the paper due to her profile.

``We are grateful to Judy for her significant personal sacrifice to defend an important journalistic principle,`` said Arthur Sulzberger Jr, publisher of the New York Times, in Wednesday`s statement. ``I respect her decision to retire from the Times and wish her well.``

Miller, 57, said in an interview with the paper that she was a ``free woman,`` from the ``convent of the New York Times, a convent with its own theology and its own catechism. Referring to her role in reporting that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, Miller said the solution to the problems generated by reporters relying on intelligence that turned out to be faulty was ``more reporting``.

``The answer to bad information is more reporting. I regret that I was not permitted to pursue answers. The right of reply and the obligation to correct inaccuracies are also the mark of a free and responsible press.``

Miller spent more than 85 days in jail, more than twice as long as any other American journalist has spent incarcerated on similar charges.

``Though some colleagues disagreed with my decision to testify, for me to have stayed in jail after achieving my conditions would have seemed self-aggrandizing martyrdom or worse, a deliberate effort to obstruct the prosecutor`s inquiry into serious crimes.``

The veteran reporter, who said she had received multiple job offers since her resignation, will post replies to criticism of her conduct on her website, JudithMiller.org.

``I also leave knowing that the Times will continue the tradition of excellence that has made it indispensable to its readers, a standard for journalists, and a bulwark of democracy,`` she wrote.

Re: # 97

Feroz...
``I honestly think that they deserve better this crew.``

Clichés are in fact verities, and this one is no exception: ``People get the government they deserve.``

Here’s a short paragraph from an essay posted on AlterNet today. You can get the entire article at this URL:

http://www.alternet.org/story/27639/

“Scott Ritter, former U.N. weapons inspector for Iraq`s weapons programs, recently spoke in a public forum about the U.S. crimes done to Iraq: ``This is about a failure of not only the Bush Administration but of the United States of America, and we have to look in the mirror and recognize that, well, all the Bush Administration did is take advantage of a systemic failure on the part of the United States as a whole…”

Amen, Brother Scott.

Q: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the dumbest of them all?

A: Guess.

re: arjun_m

Arjun, thanks for the replies.

I guess, the method of getting them out might be a case of semantics as long as we get them out. I hope that you are right; these people have caused too damage to the United States and to the nation, where I onced lived and still love. Americans are some of the kindest and most generous people, I have met and I honestly think that they deserve better this crew.

Ciao

President Bush can control the damage to his presidency caused by the indictment of Scooter Libby if he takes prompt action. I am reading Joe Wilson`s book, The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies that led to War and Betrayed my Wife`s CIA Identity. The book was published in 2004 and is so a little outdated considering the unraveling of the grand jury investigation. In it, he observed a couple of times that President Bush is more loyal to his aides than they are to him. Now is the time for him to dump the `expendable trash` to clean up his White House. First and foremost, he should admit to the American people that mistakes were made by his administration. If he honestly squares up with the American public, he can at least try to boost his sagging popularity. It will be difficult for him to turn the corner if he doesn`t come out clean with the people.

The continuing investigation of Karl Rove may open up a Pandora`s box. If the investigation was allowed to move up a notch higher, it`s anybody`s guess where it would stop.

Mohammad Gill

#93 by ferozk on October 31, 2005 7:05am PT


One question; what is the sentiment in the nation, outside the Evengelical base, on over turning Roe v. Wade (1973)?


A wide majority of the public supports abortion rights..The bible-thumpers are in a minority...That`s why Clinton can openly declare support for abortion rights to be a litmus test but Dubya can`t do the opposite.

Now Dubya has gone and nominated Sam Alito...so that makes it Scalia,Thomas and Alito against Roe(if Alito gets confirmed)..

Even if Roe gets overturned, the matter then goes to the states..and a majority of states will make abortion legal...So let`s hope the left doesn`t get caught up in this court fight and fall for Dubya`s bait..


Let me something - if Rove is implicated and indicted, will the trail lead to Chenny and if it reaches Chenny, will it also rope in Bush? Is there a will to push this investigation to the limit and see, whose fingerprints can be identified?


See my post below...Patrick ``Bulldog`` Fitzgerald won`t stop until he gets to the bottom of this..He`s known for that from what i`ve read.. I, for one, couldn`t care less what charge he uses to nail these lying sacks of shit...If they can get Capone for not paying his taxes...

If this goes upto Cheney, he`ll resign...Cheney is expendable...He`s poor health means he won`t run for president and I don`t think he wants to either...If Rice doesn`t want to run for pres/VP in 08, she might accept the VP job to replace Cheney.

I know this for a fact...Mark Warner, the dem governer of Virginia, is planning a run for president..He`s already soliciting contributions, but under the radar..

PROSECUTOR PLANS ON CALLING CHENEY AS WITNESS IN OPEN COURT; EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE FIGHT LOOMS

**Exclusive**

Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald is planning to call Vice President Dick Cheney as a witness in the trial of Lewis Libby, the DRUDGE REPORT has leaned.

But the high stakes move could result in an executive privilege showdown between the White House and Fitzgerald, a top government source said Sunday.

``If Mr. Fitzgerald is going to demand a public recounting of conversations between the vice president, or even the president, and his staff, on matters he, himself, has acknowledged are `classified,` executive privilege will obviously be invoked.``

Fitzgerald has made it clear to lawyers involved in the case that he prefers Cheney appear as a witness in open court.

``Mr. Fitzgerald is starting from the position that this should not be done on remote or videotape,`` the well-placed source said.

Fitzgerald and Libby`s attorney Joseph Tate discussed possible plea options before the indictment was issued last week, TIME magazine reports in new editions. But the deal was scotched because the prosecutor insisted that Libby do some ``serious`` jail time.

Developing...

Re: # 91

Thanks, Arjun. Your post really helped. I think that you assessment on the ``Bible Thumpers`` is accurate and the next SC nominee, will cater to their pet issue - abortion. I guess, that will be bad for the rest of the nation.

One question; what is the sentiment in the nation, outside the Evengelical base, on over turning Roe v. Wade (1973)?

Let me something - if Rove is implicated and indicted, will the trail lead to Chenny and if it reaches Chenny, will it also rope in Bush? Is there a will to push this investigation to the limit and see, whose fingerprints can be identified?

Ciao

An excerpt from an article in the Nov. 1 Asia Times:

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/GK01Aa02.html

Smoking guns and red herrings
By Elizabeth de la Vega

The Grand Jury supervised by US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has returned an indictment charging Vice President Dick Cheney`s top aide and reputed ``alter-ego``, I Lewis ``Scooter`` Libby, with perjury, obstruction of justice and false statements to a grand jury.

The charges relate to leaking the name of a Central Intelligence Agency operative, Valerie Plame.

But this indictment does not end the story; rather, a close reading suggests that these charges are most likely merely a chapter in a long and tragic story. Here, from a former federal prosecutor, are thoughts about four things we should expect, six things we shouldn`t and one question we should all be asking.

ferozk:

There`s plenty of blood in the water and the media sharks are all over it. Today`s Meet the Press with Tim Russert had ZERO white house officials. I`m sure he tried to get the chief of staff Andy Card or Dan Bartlet or some other apologist but my feeling is they are crapping bricks and not very inclined to meeting the press right now. The spin cycle will beging next week. It`s too early to hunker down till thanksgiving/christmas.

About Dubya`s politics: The first thing a troubled president would do is run to his base. The bible thumpers in Dubya`s ``base`` don`t care about the CIA leak or the 2K dead soldiers more than their # 1 issue: abortion. My sense is that Dubya will appoint someone who`ll make them really really happy...another scalia or thomas..or worse..

The most interesting aspect of yesterday`s indictment is that Rove hasn`t been cleared. This can only get interesting over the next few months.

No one, of course, can say just how all this will play out - whether Libby will be convicted, whether there will be other indictments, or whether we`ll see the thing expand to include the invasion and occupation of Iraq. I, for one, hope that the entire Iraq issue becomes central.

Following is an excerpt from an article in The Asia Times. The URL will take you to the full article.

Middle East Oct 28, 2005

Where chaos is king By Mark LeVine

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GJ28Ak02.html

``Even with the blowback from the chaos Bush has unleashed now creeping towards Karl Rove`s office in the White House and beginning to encircle Vice President Dick Cheney, we need to consider what other means this administration might have used to achieve three of its most important goals in Iraq:

Its first goal has long been to retain a (much reduced) military presence in that country for the foreseeable future. The administration is on record as saying that it will leave if asked to do so; but the continuing chaos and conflict, largely sparked by the continued presence of US troops, ensure that the desperately weak government in Baghdad`s Green Zone, which is unlikely to survive without American protection, won`t make such a request.

Its second goal is to ensure a predominant role for US companies in the development, production and sale of the country`s vast reservoirs of oil. Indeed, the few documents made public from the Cheney Energy Task Force revealed that concern over losing Iraq to European oil companies, combined with China`s insatiable thirst for petroleum and fears that it would increasingly encroach on America`s sphere of economic dominance, were important reasons for the war.

If the world really has entered an era of zero-sum competition over its remaining oil supplies, Iraq is a prize worth shedding a lot of blood to secure - and chaos, whatever the ensuing pain, a strategy potentially worth pursuing.

The administration`s final goal has been to continue the wholesale, disastrous privatization of Iraq`s economy - something that, as the World Bank warned, was unlikely to be accepted by the people of any Middle Eastern country who possessed the wherewithal to resist.

It is obviously harder for people to resist when their lives have been thrown into chaos. In fact, most of the Middle East has avoided succumbing to American pressures to adopt the kind of large-scale, structural-adjustment reforms that have spread increased poverty and inequality across the global south. As key members of the Bush administration saw the matter, Iraq could do for neo-liberalism in the Middle East what Chile did for it in Latin America.

The vast majority of Iraqis are, of course, opposed to each of these goals. Yet the constitution on which they just voted - being essentially an American-brokered document - carefully avoided addressing any of these concerns. It is hard to imagine that such an end would have been possible in a more peaceful environment where Iraqis had the public space and time to debate these important issues, particularly when polling shows that upwards of 80% of them are opposed to the presence of US troops and to the policies they are enforcing.

Perhaps Juan Cole has best summarized how and why chaos has become a defining dynamic in Iraq: ``Iraq was,`` he said recently, ``like a treasure in a strongbox ... The obvious thing to do was to take a crowbar and strike off the strongbox lock.`` ``

Re: # 88

Arjun, Scooter is gone; but not convicted. Rove`s indictment is still detabateable and the press in Washington (and the United States) refuses to smell the blood and follow up the trail, to where it is leading. Democrats are still confused and still sounding and pretending to be the better halves of the Republicans.

I have been out of the mainstream of the Republican politics for nearly six years now, but my instincts tell me that if the Bush ship of state is doomed, it will be doomed, when the right wing of the party scuttles it itself. The Miers nomination and the rabid conservative attack on Bush`s choice, might be the harbringer of this eventuality. There is an open revolt in the GOP and even so, I am certain if the democrats can gain any political traction out of the GOP`s miseries.

You are placed in a better vantage point than I to judge the mood on the street, being in the United States, but my impression is that there is a general sense of disillusionment of both the political parties in the popular perception. Since 2004 elections, the democrats have not done anything to seperate themselves from the GOP`s policies. Rove`s indictment might mean his resignation, but the damage will limit itself to only that possibility.

In any case, the mid-term elections are only a year away and it will be interesting to see if the Democrats can wrest the Congress from the Republicans. Bush is already a lame duck president, mostly due to his administration`s fumbling of the response to Katrina and Wilma. Again, I am not in the United States so I really do not know what the ``feel`` is, but from what I am reading, the American public response is still lethargic to the crisis.

Ciao

Scooter`s gone...Next stop: Rove..

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In anticipation of the increasing possibility of indictment(s), Republicans are planning the following strategies to control the aftermath, accordng to Yahoo!News. Nobody knows what is coming but planning for the worst is not a bad idea. Another setback for the President is Harriet`s withdrawl from nomination from the Supreme Court.

• Any indicted White House officials would immediately step down, and Bush would quickly name their successors. If Rove is indicted, more than one person might take over his many responsibilities.

• The president and other White House officials would limit their public comments on the case. Outside interest groups and allies would do most of the talking.

• Whenever possible, Bush and other administration officials would try to change the subject. Among the issues the president plans to put atop his new agenda are spending restraint, tax changes and immigration. In addition, Bush`s foreign policy advisors have discussed launching a more visible presidential effort to prod Israel and the Palestinians toward peace, one official said.

• The White House would try to insulate Bush from the scandal allegations. Officials would argue that the president has not been accused of any direct involvement in the leaking of information in the CIA case or subsequent efforts to minimize the political damage. Although it is not yet clear who would coordinate the defense, several advisors said they expected Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman would be heavily involved. One official said former Cheney aide Mary Matalin was another likely participant. Neither Mehlman nor Matalin could be reached for comment.

Mohammad Gill

Antiwar.com blog

Lotsa interesting information.