I suspect Mucus Mukasey is rather detached at this point. Luskin and Rove, though? I would be rather nervous…. I wonder how good Luskin is at creative writing?

There should have been a smiley at the end of my last comment.

I am tired of admiring the letters written by Democratic legislators.

I would like to see some orders issued to the sergeant-at-arms.

readerofTeaLeaves @83 in first thread on this story, to respond to your question (or were you kidding?)…anyway:

Not Neptune, but there is a cycle emerging which has correlations with the second Nixon Administration during the Watergate prosecutions in 1973 that took place in the aftermath of the break-ins. Archetypal energies are very rich, complex and multidimensional, but in one aspect, the kind of thing one would see is prosecution, judgment, facing the consequences of one’s actions. This is the configuration that I see as correlating with these current events. We will see more as the configuration becomes closer to exact. Interestingly, Rove has the same configuration impacting his birth chart, which I’ve had my eye on for some time. I thought back then that given the nature of the archetypal forces, Rove would again be having legal problems and would have a more difficult time escaping a reckoning this time. If Rove is going to face the consequences of his actions, this is the kind of vibration that it would occur under. In any event, even if he should escape prosecution, it looks like he’ll be going on a ”journey into the depths” which is typically a period of sturm and drang.

Did they see this coming? ….
simple test: Is Rove still out of the country?

Mantra for Bush’s Presidency:

“Conclusory and recursive”, to the point of obstruction

As opposed to simplicty, directness, and clarity

Leahy gave a return date of August 7th — he apparently plans to stick around during the recess. And with the Senate having pro-forma sessions he could probably take possession of the floor time at one of those sessions, and offer some comments regarding progress on this matter. C-Span would cover.

The date for the progress conference in the Judges chambers is the first day of the RNC convention. I would assume that if Leahy has not made any progress (or Conyers for that matter) they just might write the Judge another letter. An artful letter.

I’ve just finished reading both Jane Mayer’s and Philippe Sands’s Books, both of which offer the tragic narrative of experienced lawyers in the Pentagon — even in the White House, trying to head off the disaster that was the torture policy. All upstanding Republicans — the type that I suspect Judge Bates identifies with. I have no idea what Bates taste in film might be, but Sands sets the whole tragedy into the Spencer Tracy film, Justice at Nuremberg and essentially casts the many Republican Lawyers and Judges that had a sniff of all this, as players in that drama. (Sands is a law professor in London, but taught international law for years at NYU — he was involved with the Pinochet Case in London, and the Charles Taylor prosecution.) He sets the lawyers in the narrative into three rough groups, the Gun Ho for Torture group, the bystanders, and those who tried everything available to screw up the torture policy — and suggests watching the film to imagine the answer. Anyhow something tells me that this guy who does get about legal circles in DC, has perhaps had his effect. Reading the opinion I just had the feeling Bates had read Sands book, knows the film, and made his choice not to twist himself out of a difficult decision. Most of the script for the film is on the net, and I read it the other night, and there were passages in the opinion that just matched for me. Sands has recently testified before Congress, and he has been doing book discussions in DC Legal Circles in recent weeks.

Many the uses of a Spencer Tracy Film.

Oh yea — OT — that Republican Convention. Seems they will have competition. Ron Paul and Jesse Ventura are teaming up to have an “event” in the Target Center in Minneapolis the first three days of the convention, where I assume Bob Barr will be appearing. It is apparently something like a Libertarian Coronation Bash, but will be complete with rock music, dancing girls, laser light shows, and at least Ventura likes to arrive at such events in skin tight silver suits on a silver motorcycle. They are selling tickets for all events for seventeen bucks, show every night. Since so few Republicans apparently are coming to the RNC, it may be that Mathews and Olbermann will have to move their booth over to Minneapolis to find some excitement.

Now the Target Center is quite a bit larger than the Republican digs in the Hockey Arena in St. Paul, and they expect to fill it up every night.

You won’t find me there — I hate loud rock music. I think instead I will go to the State Fair, sit in the Beer Garden, watch the polka dancing, and watch Al Franken give his stump speech and hand out what I suspect will be apple fritters on a stick. In Minnesota it is traditional for Senators and Senate Candidates to attend the fair every day, stump speak, and talk to voters. 13 Days straight. Coleman is already complaining that the Convention will cut into his Fair time. Poor Normie.

And for the sake of History — the last time Minnesota had a national political convention was in 1892, again the Republicans. They apparently debated, but no one can find out whether they passed it or not — a platform plank in opposition to lynching, first ever offered for a national platform. Some of us wonder if an anti-lynching/anti-torture platform plank would be entertained by this upcoming event — and lots of people are thinking about signs that note the significance of 1892.

Well, should I try and find a phone number for the Ron Paul/Jesse Ventura lallapollusa and see if they have Blogger Arrangements? In many respects it could be more interesting than the canned Republican event. Perhaps Jane should write a formal Firedogs letter to Ventura expressing profound interest in live blogging the — what ever they are going to call it.

As to kilts — I think one of the Fair events is some sort of Celtic Games, things like log throwing or whatever they call it. The Fair is a wonder — a real throw back to Old Minnesota, yet always something new. No Queen, just princesses of milk and cheese and butter. The winner gets carved in a 200 lb chunck of sweet butter.

Did you see today that Cole, the RCCC Chair was advising new house candidates not to come to St. Paul? What happens if no one comes? What if not enough delegates show up to make a McCain Quorum? What are all those Republicans going to do about all the fancy parties that are planned? Who is going to pick up the tab if they go into debt? Hey Normie — call your friend Ted and suggest all the returned cash go to bail out the Twin Cities.

Thanks Pete. I looked at the website, and suppose the interesting bit would be the third night with Ron Paul’s big speech. They apparently have sold over 7000 tickets — Capacity is somewhere between 25,000 and 30,000 I think. I’ll check again tomorrow. I actually think it would be fun to cover everything except the McCain Convention — Al Franken at the Fair and Paul and Ventura’s do.

By the way, Ventura’s Independence Party has been very nice to the DFL this year. They have cross endorsed in the 6th and 2nd Congressional Districts — the one that counts is the 6th, where Michelle Bachman (today’s second worst person in the world) is Rep. We have a candidate appropriate to the district this year, El Tinklenberg was Commissioner of Transportation in Ventura’s administration, before that he was a DFL’er, and after Ventura was out, he reconverted to DFL status. He is also a Lutheran Supply Preacher (fills in when the regular pastor is sick or away) and has been preaching over that district for many years. (East End is Swedish Lutheran). In 2006 the Independence Party Candidate got 8-9% of the vote, and that was also Michelle Bachman’s margin of victory, so there is hope getting rid of her. Ventura is raising money and speaking for Tinklenberg. I think it is one of those potential turnovers no one is really paying much attention to.