Nothing like a nice Watergate like mess for the summer of 2004

[59millionmorons]

Bush's next headache will come on March 5 when Senate Sergeant-at-Arms William H. Pickle is likely to announce the GOP staffers committed a crime. Can you say special counsel?

THIS FROM JOSH MARSHALL-Talking Points

Now here's where this gets interesting. The report from the Sergeant at Arms is coming down the pike really soon. (Let's call it the Pickle pike.) And most of the Republicans on the committee seem to agree now that this is a criminal matter, at least in the sense that there were probable illegalities committed. It's hard to see how that won't lead to a criminal referral when the report comes in.

So say a referral is made to the Justice Department. If that happens, how can they not appoint a special counsel? Not only is the issue at hand inherently political, but the political appointees at the DOJ work with the White House Counsel's office and the Judiciary Committee Republicans to plan and coordinate strategy for judicial nominations. The whole issue here is whether their colleagues on the Senate staff side were purloining Democratic staff memos to aid that planning. It seems like a classic case where the folks at Justice would need to recuse themselves.

Now we come to the White House Counsel's office. Remember, what we're talking about here is planning and strategizing on how to get judicial appointments through the Senate confirmation process. On the Republican side that involves Senate staffers, people at Justice, and the White House Counsel's office. Indeed, the whole process is quarterbacked out of the Counsel's office.

We already know that at least two Senate staffers accessed and archived the Democratic staff memos for more than a year. We know that thousands of documents were involved. And we know that the contents of at least some of those memos were leaked to conservative journalists. Those memos provided invaluable assistance in planning strategy on the Republican side.

How likely is it the existence and/or contents of those memos were discussed in the regular meetings Senate staffers held with members of the White House Counsel's office to plot strategy for getting through their judicial nominees?

And if a special counsel is appointed ... well, you see where this is going.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/

[maddezmom]

1. Pickle Pike!! LOL

this will get very interesting, wonder how many folks were involved in the coverup?

[Qutzupalotl]

2. Wonder if he goes by Bill Pickle.

Just kidding. Actually very good news, and he should be proud of what he's doing.

[On the Road]

3. This is Getting Good!

I will never forget being a clueless apolitical college freshman and waking up one morning to my roommate looking at the front page of the Charlotte Observer and going: "Wow! Wow! Wow!" The Watergate-era headline:

"MASSIVE GOP SPY NETWORK UNVEILED!"

What are the odds of seeing a similar headline today?

[blondeatlast]

7. And SCOTUS made Nixon turn over the damning tapes!!!

Sitting-effing-President had to turn over damning evidence!!!

Back in the good ole days, sigh...

Sadly, the odds are slim to none. Back then the Press had an iron spine and earned the title Fourth Estate.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. I'll never forget the summer of '73

those hearings were gold.

[59millionmorons]

5. This may not be gold

But would make a nice issue for the summer to keep the WH off it's message.

[maddezmom]

6. yes it will...but not only the WH

Frist and Hatch, it'll be fun to watch them squirm.:evilgrin: