TPM: Lam is the Linchpin

[longship]

Carol Lam, the fired US Atty who brought down Duke Cunningham, may be the key to the whole USA scandal.



From Talking Points Memo, Josh Marshall very well may have the key to bringing the whole house of cards down on ChimpCo. This scandal is going to balloon bigger. Much bigger.

Josh cites a McClatchy Washington Bureau article which misses the connection to the Lam investigations of Cunningham and some very well placed GOPers, like CA-Rep Jerry Lewis. Josh suggests a theory that ChimpCo's goal may be more focussed than a few US attorneys who wouldn't prosecute Democrats for wrong-doing. There may be some real obstruction going on here. As if any of us doubted it.

From Josh's post:

Lam's firing has always been at the heart of this. I've had a lot of people ask me why we devoted so much virtual ink to this story so early. But the truth is that by rights Lam's dismissal should have sounded alarm bells for everyone on day one.

What people tend to overlook is that for most White House's a US attorney involved in such a politically charged and ground-breaking corruption probe would have been untouchable, even if she'd run her office like a madhouse and was offering free twinkies to every illegal who made it across the border. Indeed, when you view the whole context you see that the idea she was fired for immigration enforcement is just laughable on its face. No decision about her tenure could be made without the main issue being that investigation. It's like hearing that Pat Fitzgerald was fired as Plamegate prosecutor for poor deportment or because he was running up too many air miles flying back and forth from Chicago.

I really think that this is the key to the whole affair. Lam was always a high visibility part of this. If the Senate doesn't subpoena her, and all those surrounding this case, they may hit a target, but they won't cut to the core of the matter. All the other firings may be mere frosting on the cake. This is the real meat.

Read more at TPM.

Oh! And it was really nice to see Josh on Countdown w/ KO tonight. I wonder why they didn't go into the Carol Lam issue tonight. Maybe tomorrow. I understand that Keith is going to cover this story *BIG* *TIME* on tomorrow's show. It's nice to see that there's a real muckraker on major media.

On edit: If this post is worth a recommend, please kick it with a short post.
Secondary edit: Clarification on McClatchy article.

[robinlynne]

1. The prosecutor fired who was investigating Abramoff in the Marianas is an identical situation,

as was the prosecutor investigating Halliburton. Both were fired before Lam.

[longship]

3. BING!!!!!!

This is clearly a much more egregious obstruction of justice than the Saturday Night Massacre, which was precisely the event of the Watergate scandal that drove the House of Representatives to initiate impeachment proceedings against Richard Nixon.

If Congress does not see this as a clear an unambiguous impeachable offense, I don't know what is. Furthermore, there's even a paper trail as wide as an Interstate Highway already in the public record. Talk about smoking guns...

I think we all need to initiate a mass call-in to congress for the following:

1. The immediate appointment of a special prosecutor.
2. Hearings in both the Senate and the House judiciary committees.
3. The introduction of a priveleged resolution in the House to determine if impeachable offenses have been committed by the AG, or any other officer of the executive branch.

This is, by far, the clearest and most unambiguous impeachable offense of this administration. There needs to be fast, and sure action.

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

4. "the clearest and most unambiguous impeachable offense of this administration"...

Maybe so, but "Shock and Awe" is still at the top of my list.

[longship]

5. Remember Watergate?

It was the firing of an indepedent prosecutor that started the impeachment of Nixon. 50,000 telegrams hit congress that Saturday night, almost all calling for impeachment. Before then, impeachment was but a whisper from only the most active of politicals. This is precisely the type of event that can provide the tipping point. The public does not like an administration using the system of justice to obstruct justice.

If I were you, I'd keep my eyes and ears open the next few days. Some big things are going to happen.

Oh... And by the way, a telegram or two wouldn't hurt.

[hang a left]

12. Telegrams!

What a great idea. We should start a telegram campaign involving the left leaning sites and blogs.

http://www.itelegram.com/telegram/send.asp?recCountry=US

[bluescribbler]

31. Obstruction of Justice of the highest order

I just wrote to Congressman Markey, telling him that it's high time he introduced, or cosponsored Articles of Impeachment.

[EVDebs]

41. Nixon's Articles of Impeachment list...

http://watergate.info/impeachment/impeachment-articles.shtml

In Article 1 we have #4 and #6

abusing the CIA (that's a given with the WMDs) and obstruction of justice is what this stuff with the US Attorneys is all about...

[Dems Will Win]

21. I know a lot about this scandal and started a detailed thread that explains why Lam was fired

The GOP stole $700 Million in Defense contracts and there are 15-20 GOP congressCrooks who are convictable like the Dukester, that's why...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x408673

[lyonn]

27. All this info about bushies getting rid of troublesome U.S. Attys.

brings to mind when Clinton was being investigated on Whitewater on down, how some thought Janet Reno was too lenient with his prosecutors, mostly Starr, and yet he knew he couldn't mess with anything close to reprimanding Reno. Also, the Waco mess and the FBI's part in it. He stayed out of it for obvious reasons. This is how I remember it anyway.

Bushies have no problem with twisting arms. Think Plamegate, etc.....

Get the subpoenas out gang and get some answers. The repubs have swept a whole bunch of dirt under the rug in the past 12 years.

[cyberpj]

34. Patrick Fitzgerald anyone? IMMEDIATELY! nt

[loudsue]

9. I hope Olberman brings that up, as well.

There is a pattern here of a MAJOR cover-up of republican wrong-doing going on, and it needs to be exposed.

:kick::kick::kick:

[rox63]

19. Olbermann had Josh Miller from TPM on his show last night

Commenting on this scandal. So he's on top of it.
Firing up the popcorn popper... :popcorn:

[Supersedeas]

44. there is a history...there is a pattern

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

2. Gee, I think I'll Recommend this thread...Here's #1

This will be on the Greatest page, so fast...Maybe it's there already?

Off to the GP...In less than 4 minutes. Wow! (edited to add)

[saltpoint]

6. K&R

[Catamount]

7. Well worth it--Great post -Thanks

Can't wait to see how this develops.
K&R

[KharmaTrain]

8. Lewis & Hunter Were In Her Sites

And she was squeezing up Wilkes that could have led to who was at those card/hooker parties he threw...like the former CIA head, Porter Goss. Get rid of Lam, get rid of the problem. So simple...even a caveman was too smart to think of it.

It's great to see Josh but he didn't promote Talking Points Memo. He's had this scandal nailed from the outset.

There's definite obstruction here and also in the New Jersey situation...and Gonzo and booshie will blame others....the corporate media will try to accept this answer and even more slime will come out.

[mmonk]

18. .

[Supersedeas]

46. the whole damned investigation needs to be brought to light

[ClayZ]

10. The stuff of camel's backs and straws! K and R

[longship]

11. Maybe TPM ought to stand for "Tipping Point's Memo"

Clearly Josh has this one nailed.

[Pachamama]

13. They claim that the Attorney's were fired for poor performance - Carol Lam proves that this is a lie

Her prosecution of Randy Duke Cunningham is proof of that lie! If anything, her prosecution of him was a stellar performance and they are soooo afraid of where that was going to lead...

[bonito]

14. K&R

[DemReadingDU]

15. morning kick

[wicket]

16. Mmmm....I love the taste of popcorn in the morning!

:popcorn:

[Hubert Flottz]

17. Josh must read DU...

Where we've been kicking this idea around since last week.

[Roland99]

20. Rove/Miers/Gonzo to U.S. Attorneys: "How *dare* you prosecute us for our crimes"

Bring 'em down!!

[EVDebs]

22. Related DU posting at...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=408673&mesg_id=408673

Hookers, the Watergate hotel, GOP finance and moneylaundering...

[Babel_17]

23. The firings were the culmination

of a process that sought to politicize the attorney generals and, in at least one extremely important instance, to remove an AG that was causing harm to the republican party. K&R

[rateyes]

24. K & R

:kick:

[my_pet_wolf]

25. K&R n/t

[Disturbed]

26. A few Dems have called for Gonzo to resign.

Will the House start Impeachment of Gonzo? I think not.

[LSK]

28. K&R

[dwp6577]

29. Stay on the offensive Dems...

These boneheaded,criminals are going to get desperate and do something really stupid.

I know, I know...I'm talking really STUPID!

[grannylib]

30. WE TOO must stay on the offensive. This is OUR country. WE are the ones

supposedly represented by Congress. WE MUST MAKE THEM DO THEIR JOBS...WE ARE THE BOSSES! DAMMIT!

So let's not be complacent here...we must keep up the pressure with LTTEs, phone calls and e-mails and snail-mail and faxes to representatives, senators, media outlets, media whores, the whole gamut.

We have to take responsibility as well...so let's step up and git 'er done and KEEP on gettin' 'er done until these FUCKERS GO DOWN.

[bluescribbler]

32. K&R

Rec #64

[cyberpj]

33. kicking with a short post -

as asked.

Man oh man oh man.......

Thank God for the Internet(s)!!!

[Holly_Hobby]

35. This information was available in 2005

It's really a shame that the PTB on DU can't open their mind enough to at least leave posts alone from harmless sources except the MSM. What exactly are they afraid of? If things are going to change in this country, we need to stop being so damned intimidated by what people say/think about us. It's too late to worry about our damned egos.

Daniel Hopsicker nailed this in 2005.

Daniel Hopsicker had a world exclusive on this in November, 2005:
http://www.madcowprod.com/11302005.html

...

A (highly preliminary) total of almost $700 million earmarked for national security going to “defense contractors” which just a few years earlier didn’t exist which provide services the Pentagon didn’t ask for or presumably need.

...

December, 2005:
http://www.madcowprod.com/12072005.html
http://www.madcowprod.com/12192005.html

May, 2006:
http://www.madcowprod.com/05112006.html

November, 2006
http://www.madcowprod.com/11012006.html
http://www.madcowprod.com/11072006B.html

February, 2007
http://www.madcowprod.com/02212007.html

March 8, 2007
http://www.madcowprod.com/03082007.html

Everything you ever wanted to know about Carol Lam and what her impeccable investigations uncovered.

[Morgana LaFey]

36. Good post

as to your concerns, please note there's money involved -- advertising money. Money talks, just like everywhere else, I guess.

[Holly_Hobby]

43. Thanks, and you're right

Money is the motivator.

Hopsicker's articles tie in with Sibel Edmonds and her statements about international drug running. Only Hopsicker isn't under a gag order.

[gristy]

37. THIS explains the meme that they wanted to fire all of them

Firing a bunch of them takes the heat off of this story. That they really weren't looking to single out any USA. They wanted to get rid of Lam. They HAD to get rid of Lam. The only real question was how many other USA's would they need to purge to keep the focus off of Lam.

[Nothing Without Hope]

38. K & R!!!!!!!!! n/t

[benny05]

39. I'm going to say something here

I don't have a linky handy, but Senator Dianne Feinstein, who at times really irks me, spoke about Lam in a session LONG before TPM picked up on this. I'm guessing 3 weeks ago as I was watching C-SPAN one day and saw Feinstein giving one example and another, but not in political terms, about the great work of Lam and how she knew Lam was already fired.

The firings happened actually a few days after Feinstein's speech. But MSM did not say anything, and I was glad Marshall took this up. I am always wondering why such things as such a surprise to the MSM, and times to the progressives, but I didn't write anything either here. TPM finally picked up on this Adminstration's many escapades.

Thus, I just want to say it's a good thing to read this, but really, not much surprised me here. It was coming months in advance, and at least 2-3 weeks ago. Why almost no Dem supported her is beyond me, but I'm aware that sometimes a crisis has to happen to make these issues come to light.

:bounce:

[NastyRiffraff]

40. I realize I'm late but...K&R

Everyone should read this post, to see what's really going on.

[Kablooie]

42. The problem is Bush is shocked, shocked, and knew nothing about it.

Unless we get a physical piece of paper with his signature on it he will simply shuffle around his stooges, send a few off to the big house, and no one will be able to touch him .... again.

If Nixon hadn't kept his tapes, he wouldn't have gone down either.

It's 100% physical proof, or nothing.

[garybeck]

45. Uh, don't they keep saying,

that the prosecutors serve at the discretion of the President? So that means if they are fired it is the wish of the President. How could they hire or fire anyone without his knowledge/approval, if it is supposed to be his discretion?

they are digging a deep hole.

he can claim ignorance now, that's fine, because he may have to contradict himself soon.