by emptywheel
(About to board the plane to DC--may not check back until until much later today.)
Via Christy, I see Novakula has taken up defending the "victim" Lurita Doan. The column is basically an uncritical rehash of Doan's lawyer's response to the OSC report...
But the Jan. 26 meeting targeted no candidate for support, solicited no GSA employee for political activity and resulted in no follow-up. Doan's question actually was addressed to Jennings.
... salted with (presumably anonymous and on-the-record) quotes from Tom Davis. The column continues a comedy series Novak has been writing, painting Henry Waxman as the evil genius (this time, Novak labels the 5'5" Waxman as "intimidating").
But there's one thing to keep in mind. For longer than he has been writing this comedy series about the scary Waxman, Novak has been writing a series trying to suggest OSC is in the middle of a big battle with BushCo. It's not clear that's really true, though. Witness the way Scott Bloch backed off a recommendation to fire Doan in its final report. Further, Bloch has already said he's only going to pursue these political presentations if he has witnesses, as with the Doan case, complaining about politicizing comments.
And keep in mind the background. The investigation of Doan is not an isolated investigation. Rather, OSC is currently investigating Rove's other political presentations, Rove's use of GWB43 emails, and possible politicization of hiring at the DOJ. Rove Rove Rove. You think maybe there's a connection between Novak's sustained focus on OSC and the fact that OSC--if it investigates those three Rove-related issues honestly--might have to recommend Rove get fired?
I read this as another in a series of Novak columns written at the behest of Karl Rove. It's more about protecting Rove's surrogate (Jennings) than Doan, who they've obviously written off.
Posted by: William Ockham | June 04, 2007 at 12:35
This suggests that one of the Evil Karlulu's tentacles is so far up the inside of Novakula's hand-puppet, it is hard to tell where the slime ends and the sleaze begins...
Makes the Plame thing all the more intriguing.
Whoever can count themselves inside Novak's inner circle might also be easily counted, as co-conspirators in "The Plame-Outing Cover-up."
Beware the cornered beast...
Posted by: JEP | June 04, 2007 at 13:12
In Novak's defense, I think labeling the 5'5" Waxman as "intimidating" is a very fair characterization. A number of right-wingers have already lost their jobs because of his investigations.
Posted by: Frank Probst | June 04, 2007 at 13:15
ALICE IN WAXMANLAND?
"OFF WITH HER HEAD!!!"
Poor, prurient little Monica. That big old bully Henry Waxman just won't cut her a break, no matter how innocent her legal line-crossing might have been.
Someone on the right should do a medieval-setting parody of the Goodling hearings, with poor, innocent Monica G, like a lost little Alice in Waxmanland.
Imagine with me, for a moment...
...there's the bo-peepish, squeaky-voiced princess standing before the wicked Waxman, bald beneath his flowing powdered wig, slamming his over-sized gavel down whenever Princess Monica tries to "tell the truth" and defend herself...
Can't you see them now, just visualize the White Knights (HA!) Lungren and Davis and fat friar Cannon, along with the evil Bishop Issa, as they all stumble in. The knights are wearing oversized armor, clanking and rattling as they each come clumsily to her defense, compulsively leering at her cleavage as they take their turns pledging their lives to protect this damsel in distress.
In their Inquisitor's robes, "Democrat" Congressmen pick mercilessly away at her, with harsh, squawking, outrageous accusations that exaggerate her innocent acts of personal patriotism.
Her lip quivers, but she stands firm, chin up.
And when her lip begins to quiver, Sirs Dan and Tom, Bishop Darrell and fat old friar Cannon all come unglued, they rudely interrupt the Inquisition, waving their swords in the air at invisible adversaries, demanding the Inquisitors' tongues be cut out.
It would make for a true comedy of errors...
And to think, even after grovelling so publicly of late, Sir Davis still wants to be a Senator. If ever there was someone deserving of the George Allen treatment by "the blogs" it is Davis.
Posted by: JEP | June 04, 2007 at 13:35
EW: Did Team Libby file its paperwork this morning? About why we shouldn't be able to find out who's shilling for Libby?
Posted by: Frank Probst | June 04, 2007 at 13:40
EW, I know you were talking about Doan, not Goodling, but the act reamains the same.
No mater how you change the names of leading lady and the supporting cast of buffoons, it becomes hauntingly interchangable.
All these "Electra girls" like Goodling, Palouse and Doan used these same stereotypes to climb the Republican ladder, so it should come as no surprise that their tumble down from the heights should be similar, but in reverse.
It is sad to see such , misplaced, transparently sexist chivalry on the part of our lawmakers, but it was the tool very these women used to gather power "while-ye-may." Now that power grubbing is coming back to bite all of them.
Posted by: JEP | June 04, 2007 at 13:50
uh, what meeting is novakula talking about ???
IIRC, there was a powerpoint presentation that listed Democratic seats that were thought to be vunerable, and listed Repuglican seats that were thought to be hard to defend
the listed Democratic Seats were to be targeted, and the listed repuglican seats were to be defended
that's political activities, for a partisian gain, in a government office
maybe novakula was talking about some other laurita doan who lives on some other planet in some alternate universe
o0r maybe novakula was flat fucking lying
Posted by: freepatriot | June 04, 2007 at 14:56
Well, I'm glad Novakula is intimidated by people asking simple,straightforward questions. Shows that he gets it more than I ever dreamed!
Sunshine is an amazing thing.
Posted by: rxbusa | June 04, 2007 at 16:34
We were talking about an investigation czar -- looks the democrats have hired this attorney:
Preet Bharara is a 38-year-old Indian-American lawyer, who made his name prosecuting the bosses of the Gambino and Colombo crime families in New York. Former US Attorney --
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml? ml=/news/2007/06/03/wuselec103.xml
Posted by: Maeme | June 04, 2007 at 16:59