by emptywheel
I don't usually link to Wonkette. But I can't resist, for two reasons. First, because I'm writing a book about a crime for which I believe Dick Cheney holds the ultimate culpability.
That, and I'm listening to the book, 31 Days, which is, among other things, about how a young Dick Cheney, during the Nixon-Ford transition, developed a life-long fixation on reclaiming unlimited executive power for the Presidency. A lot of the book--really, one of the central issues of the book--describes the fight over who owned Nixon's papers and whether it was right for Al Haig to try to spirit them out of the White House while no one was looking.
He was a pretty smart lad, young Dick was. Learned some lessons he would never forget.
You see, this is the Naval Observatory--where Dick and his wife the harpie live. And that truck? It belongs to the Mid-Atlantic Shredding Services.
This is the approved method of desposing of Government Documents.
Isn't that bit of real estate really beautiful?
Posted by: Jodi | October 30, 2006 at 17:31
jesus, a truck?
what's he shredding, a staffer?
Posted by: emptypockets | October 30, 2006 at 17:47
Come on, Dick! Don't shred the papers! How can we subpoena stuff that doesn't exist??! You'll never provoke a constitutional crisis if you've already destroyed the evidence.
Now, obstruction of justice? I'm pretty sure there's something about shredding docs that might help us with that.
Posted by: smiley | October 30, 2006 at 17:50
smiley
Which says what's in the papers is worse than the obstruction charge.
It'll be interesting to see how many obstruction of justice charges on OVP can generate.
Posted by: emptywheel | October 30, 2006 at 18:02
The thing about both the government documents and the beautiful real estate is they belong to us and not him.
Posted by: Kagro X | October 30, 2006 at 19:06
If he really believed all this shizzle about the unlimited power of the unitary executive, why bother shredding the docs? I mean, isn't this what "unlimited executive privilege" is all about?
Executive Uber Alles, Dick! What are you afraid of?
ew: I can think of three, right off the top of my head:
1. energy task force investigation (shredded)
2. WHIG WMD intel stovepipe (shredded that too)
3. l'affair du Plame... can't shred what Fitz already has...
ps it was 35 degrees in Eugene, OR when I woke up today. brrrrr. Hope you folks in MI are enjoying your balmy fall weather.
Posted by: smiley | October 30, 2006 at 19:42
better read than shredd
Posted by: punaise | October 30, 2006 at 19:47
Speaks volumes about how the administration really feels the election will go. At the very least Dick isn't taking any chances.
Posted by: Dismayed | October 30, 2006 at 20:54
"He was a pretty smart lad, young Dick was. Learned some lessons he would never forget."
Is he smarter than Patrick?
Posted by: Ardant | October 30, 2006 at 21:04
Ah yes, 7 days before the elections, do you think that THIS time Dick has decided a day-after plan is a wise move? Do you suppose this is his first shred or is he a regular guy?
Posted by: mainsailset | October 30, 2006 at 21:04
A first motion in limine from Fitzgerald has come in. It's to exclude evidence, comment and argument about the government's charging decisions - both with regard to not charging anyone, inluding Libby, with disclosure of classified information crimes and with regard to not charging anyone else with obstruction-type charges.
It's substantively pretty unrevealing, though there are a couple of interesting things, including a fairly clear suggestion that Fitzgerald has made an immunity deal with some witness(es). Obvious candidates are Fleischer and Martin.
Unclear to me is whether this is it from the government, or if more motions in limine are going to roll in. Also unclear whether Libby's defense is going to file any of them today, though I would assume so.
Posted by: Jeff | October 30, 2006 at 22:18
A couple of the most interesting things in the various motions in limine filed this evening from Libby's defense is in the one seeking to exclude evidence about the reporters' fights to keep from testifying, including Miller's jail stint and exchange of letters with Libby. For one thing, it turns out that Libby was questioned about contacts with David Sanger and Evan Thomas, as well as the reporters we knew about. I wonder how investigators knew about Sanger. Thomas wrote a piece in Newsweek about Libby in June 2003. The other thing is that it notes that when Libby had his July 12, 2003 conversation on the phone with Matt Cooper, both Cathie Martin and Libby's personal assistant Jenny Mayfield were present.
Also, Fitzgerald apparently argued at the September 28, 2006 CIPA hearing that Libby thought he could lie about his conversations with impunity because he assumed they would not cooperate with the investigation. This is an issue a number of people have raised; and Libby's defense is going to vigorously contest letting it in evidently.
Posted by: Jeff | October 31, 2006 at 00:52
emptypockets,
you made me laugh this Halloween morning.
"a staffer"
Or his wife!
:)
my bad
Posted by: Jodi | October 31, 2006 at 09:08
No, I don't think he's shredding *a* staffer. Given the conduct of the OVP, I'd bet his entire staff got called to an emergency meeting to an undisclosed location...
Posted by: Jason | October 31, 2006 at 17:55
"And I guess that was your accomplice in the woodchipper." -- Marge Gunderson, "Fargo"
Posted by: emptypockets | October 31, 2006 at 19:04
Dick and Lynn are getting ready for Nancy Pelosi's process servers, likely to arrive next Tuesday Evening.
Posted by: Sara | November 03, 2006 at 01:21