RNC Hiring Rove Protege To Dig Oppo Research On Obama
The Republican National Committee is hiring one of the party's toughest oppo-researchers -- former Karl Rove protege Tim Griffin, who was also at the center of the U.S. Attorney scandal -- to dig into Barack Obama's past and unearth info to damage his general election candidacy, a senior Republican operative confirms to me.
Griffin played a lead role in the GOP oppo operation during the 2004 campaign, unearthing info that damaged John Kerry's presidential bid. According to the senior GOP operative, who's familiar with Griffin's past work, he was instrumental in unearthing a videotape of a 1971 interview that Kerry did in which he appeared to confirm that he renounced his medals to protest the Vietnam War.
The video was subsequently used in an ad by the Swift Boat Vets, whose work was renounced by McCain. The McCain campaign -- and the RNC -- declined to comment on Griffin's hiring.
"Griffin is basically going to consult for the Republican National Committee on working out Obama's vulnerabilities," the senior Republican said, somewhat euphemistically. "The hope is to do to Obama what folks successfully did with John Kerry."
Griffin tends to describe his own work in fairly bellicose terms. "We think of ourselves as the creators of ammunition in a war," Griffin once said. "We make the bullets."
Regular TPM readers will know Griffin from another prominent role, one that's central to the U.S. Attorney scandal. After his 2004 oppo service, Griffin went to work at the White House as an aide to Karl Rove. In December 2006 he was quietly installed as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas in what later was revealed to be part of the Attorney Purge. Griffin later withdrew his nomination.
Robert Novak had a one-line mention of Griffin buried in his column today, but only reported that his hiring was imminent, with no sourcing.
More on this soon.
Scum is as scum does.
May 22, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Evil does as evil is . . .
May 22, 2008 11:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Griffin will probably focus on Ayers, Wright, Rezko, the Million Man March (which Obama attended), and paint him as a liberal. He'll try to dig up Obama's college papers in order to find a distortion of his record. He'll probably do the Clinton playbook on this.
They'll run ads with Obama next to Osama bin laden in order to get the repetition "Obama-Osama" into the minds of voters. They'll play up the gun angle, the gays angle, the abortion angle, and the liberal angle as well.
May 22, 2008 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Painting him as a liberal won't be the only thing. I feel quite sure we'll be getting subliminal and probably not-so-subliminal messages that Obama is a scary BLACK man. Black. Blackety blackety black black. They'll stop just short of the n-word, but when the n-word is used by one or another of their supporters, they'll be absolutely faux outraged.
May 22, 2008 11:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
Faux Outrage is indeed looking to be the hottest genre of the coming season - they've been testing the water with it quite a bit already. None quite as public as the Cunningham incident in February - as even some of the slower analyst types in the media were keen on the technique there. It's been constrained to local news level since but there's quite a pattern when you look for it in regional feeds, etc.
Being the type to Monitor this sort of activity as it were, I'm actually surprised we haven't seen any sort of new technique emerging as of yet. That they're pulling someone like Griffin in, proudly no less, doesn't speak well of their coming arsenal in terms of being effective strategically.
One would think that the prolonged Writer's Strike earlier in the year would have given at least one of them pause regarding the public's tolerance for Endless Reruns.
May 22, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Your use of italics is biting, appropriate, and damn funny too.
I agree, that this campaign is beginning to get a retro feel to it, with guys like Griffith, and the RNC running "SF Disco" ads....
I just don't see it working this time. With endless war, $4 gas, and America basically taking it in the pooper, people are less in the mood for bullshit this year.
May 22, 2008 11:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, and let's not forget the "reverse racism" charges we can expect. And "playing the race card." Whatever you do, don't have a drinking game where you have to take a shot every time the Republicans charge Obama with playing the race card, else your liver will never make it to November.
May 22, 2008 12:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Faux Outrage...Like when Obama was finally outraged by the words of Rev Wright, even though he'd been spewinging them for the past 20 years...that kind of faux outrage?
May 22, 2008 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Esentially telling the truth about Obama (sans the Osama part).
May 22, 2008 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Not this time, not this year"
May 22, 2008 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. I know Obama will make a compelling positive case to the people that they should focus on the issues, not this crap.
I hope that our side shows that "this time" we are willing to go tow to tow on oppo research; every lobbyist McCain has ever been in bed with should be a household name. His long and checkered career should be fertile grounds for such work.
May 22, 2008 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Unfortunately the MSM and the general public are programed believe that it takes a smear to counter a smear which quickly devolved into same old same old politricks.
I think what Obama has to do is kind of like those drunken martial art grandmasters in old Asian movies. Remember those- they just have this amazing sense of the coming attack and they counter with the most elegant and economical of moves that is both awesome to the observer and bewildering to the attacker they don't even realize they've been hit and dying of massive internal bleeding.
Kind of like that. Obama is very capable of delivering the verbal "Five Finger Death Punch."
May 22, 2008 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
At the beginning of this election season, no one was buying what the republicans were selling, no one would believe one word that came out of a republican's mouth.
It only took the swiftboating of Obama by Hillary Clinton that lent legitimacy to the crap, which showed the republicans which lines work the best.
Now unfortunately, thanks to Hillary, Obama has a much more difficult road.
May 22, 2008 9:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Griffin,
Go for it, you &%*@#!@-head.
Unless of course you will be distracted from your serious and important work by being subpoenaed repeatedly to testify on the US Attorney scandal.
May 22, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Did anyone else see John Oliver on the Daily Show when he went to the political consultants' award ceremony? Hilarious...he showed a video of all the decent people these folks have been paid big bucks to slime. The look on the faces of people in the crowd - all political consultants - was priceless. They couldn't believe someone would show up at their awards ceremony and call them out for being scumbags!
May 22, 2008 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
You got a link? That sounds like good stuff
May 22, 2008 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Unbelievable! I've seen that twice now and those assholes of creation congratulate themselves for being lying assholes and subverting our goddamn democracy! They should be hung as traitors, frankly.
I really believe that fucking with elections in a democracy should be treason and a hanging offense, until some future SCOTUS does away with capital punishment, cause this one ain't.
May 22, 2008 11:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah! Screw that 1st Ammendment thing!! Hang them all!!! Maybe that should be you guy's Campaign slogan:
"The 1st Ammendment, if I get rid of it, they can't say mean things about me (even if they're true)!"
May 22, 2008 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
"The video was subsequently used in an ad by the Swift Boat Vets, whose work was renounced by McCain. The McCain campaign -- and the RNC -- declined to comment on Griffin's hiring."
Why do you let McCain "decline" to comment on Griffin's hiring?
If this were the Democrats doing this sleaze, the press would be shouting questions at them as theyu board the bus. When it's McCain, the press let's McCain "decline" to discuss things that are inconvenient for him. Funny, "declining to comment" doesn't work for the Dems.
May 22, 2008 11:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, one reason could be that the RNC and the McCain campaign are prevented from working togrther by that silly law thing. You know, the one HRC had to keep giving money back because of. Why would anyone be expected to comment on staff additions to an organization they are legally barred from associating with?
May 22, 2008 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
But I thought Rove's map said Hillary was the rightful nominee!
May 22, 2008 11:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
That would have been their wish, so they would'n spend much money in the investigation. Now that Obama is ALMOST the nominee they have to be on big money cause now they have to dig deeper.
May 22, 2008 11:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
And that's why they sent Griffin to Arkansas with a prosecutor's badge in the first place. Kinda give s the lie to their whole little scheme there now doesn't it.
May 22, 2008 12:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Same old, same old.
This time, we're ready.
May 22, 2008 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
You can say that again.
May 22, 2008 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Same old, same old.
This time, we're ready.
May 22, 2008 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hillary supporters defecting to McCain should be offended by this. How dare these Republicans act as if Obama is the de-facto nominee? How do Republicans plan on winning when they alienate defecting Hillary supporters this way?
May 22, 2008 11:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Is that kool aid in your avatar?
May 22, 2008 11:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, sweetie.
May 22, 2008 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
They would be insulted if Clinton's aim were actually to win the nomination, instead of preventing Obama from winning the GE.
May 22, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama may want to rethink not using David Brock's services. This guy is a professional hit man.
May 22, 2008 11:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
But that's the thing - if Obama gets into smearing McCain, he won't be running the kind of campaign he wants to run.
One of the things that people like about Obama is that he makes his own decisions, and doesn't dust off the traditional playbooks. He doesn't poll-test his responses. So, whether you like what he says or not, you'll know what he really thinks.
Don't sweat the GOP smear campaign. I guarantee Obama and his squad have already considered this angle. It's been hard for me to learn to trust his campaign's judgment, because I've been steeped in conventional attack-dog gutter politics. I've learned, though - and I like the new stuff much better. :-)
May 22, 2008 11:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Easier said now than two days before the election,
when Fox is going 24/7 with "Are Obama and Osama Secret Best Friends?" coverage... when the guy who claims he slept with and bought crack from Obama in college is doing the Morning Show Circuit... etc etc.
May 22, 2008 12:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Are Obama and Osama Secret Best Friends?" coverage...
Dude, I missed that one. It must've been on the same time as MSNBC aired the "Olberman vs. Matthews, winner gets to be Barak's butt buddy" cage match.
May 22, 2008 1:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
SFCWallace you are a moron. What kind of hateful life did you have as a child to make you like this? Must have been really bad. You're pathetic.
May 22, 2008 2:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why do you say that? Simply because I don't agree with you? None of my statements are any more acerbic than the ones I'm responding to, they're just from a different perspective. I love the "tolerance of the left."
May 23, 2008 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let's see:
His adopted dad was Muslim, and Obama attended a Muslim school as a small child in Indonesia.
Rev. Wright
He sometimes wears / does not wear a flag pin.
Rev Wright
He either opposes abortion, or wants to kill babies (depending on how you view his "present" vote)
Rev Wright
RezcoRezcoRezo
Rev Wright
Did I miss anything?
May 22, 2008 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
What about Rev Wright?
May 22, 2008 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
You left out: blah blah blah something about Michelle, blah blah blahty blah blah...
;)
May 22, 2008 11:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, it is gaining traction:
"What began as a demonstrably false attempt to cast Obama as a Muslim has now metastasized into something far more threatening to the likely Democratic nominee. The spurious claims about his faith have spiraled into a broader assault that questions his patriotism and citizenship and generally portrays him as a threat to mainstream, white America."
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10546.html
Then there is his position on democracy with Florida and Michigan.
But just drink some more kool aid.
May 22, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
O, we're back to: OSAMA HUSSEIN Barack X Trotsky Obama - the country's first Black Power Christian Muslim Terrorist Communist Presidential candidate.
Uh huh.
May 22, 2008 11:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Don't forget his atheist anti-Jewish Mormon leanings, learned at his Roman Catholic madrassa.
May 22, 2008 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obviously, your definition of "traction" needs work. If something has to metastasize into a larger, more general smear, the particular smear (Muslim background, in this case) isn't getting traction. (Well, outside of Appalachia, anyway.)
Tell us about Obama's views on democracy WRT FL/MI, please. Then, tell us about the noble, selfless war Clinton has waged since last summer to make sure Florida and Michigan's votes counted. Tell us about the pledge she heroically refused to sign. Tell us about the interview she gave with NPR where she said, "It's clear this election [Michigan is] having absolutely must count, and votes must not be ignored."
Then, hop back in your teleporter, and come back to THIS universe. Bring some souvenirs to pass out (tapes of Al Gore's inaugural address, etc.).
May 22, 2008 11:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Troll droppings. Just step around.
May 22, 2008 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
This young man has delivered a delightfully campy romp through the seedy underbelly of the American psyche. I'm reminded of of the absurdist art movement as I read these posts, or perhaps even the Dadaists themselves. Indeed, it is easy to cast Gotalife as a George Grosz, challenging the foundations of trolldom just as Grosz challenged the foundation of the art world. The inexplicable product placement of over-sugared children's drink Kool-Aid only adds to the wonderfully non-sensical contributions of this prolific performer. "Oh Yeah," gotalife.
May 22, 2008 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
O you diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin't -
This is even more fun, Troll Critic.
May 22, 2008 11:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Beautiful! The TrollCritic 4000 update works perfectly!
May 22, 2008 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Huzzah! Welcome, brother :)
If I might take an OT moment, I'd like to introduce everyone to the newest member of the TrollCritic Collective - the venerable TrollCritic 4000 :)
We're expanding our crew to offer increased coverage of this exciting campaign season, along with Point Coverage of the nail-biting action in the McCain 2008 Trolling Pro/Am Tournament as the season unfolds.
It's sure to be a griping season, and the TrollCritic Collective hopes to become your Number One Source of all the latest Trolliwood news and information as the action unfolds.
May 22, 2008 12:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Friends, you humble me with your praise. I can only dream of approaching the literate and literary brilliance of my esteemed colleague during my tenure here. My hat off to you dedicated readers, for it is you who are truly the heros of our time.
May 22, 2008 12:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm gonna die - this is too good to be true.
Two Troll Critics!
May 22, 2008 12:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh my God, I thought I had finally escaped your insufferably pompous presence on Bravo. Now you're baaaaaack to haunt me.
Well, at least you're serving a noble purpose now.
May 22, 2008 2:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's some great prose there. You're either channeling or are James Lipton.
That's the way to deal with troll-like posts.
May 22, 2008 6:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah...the facts!
May 22, 2008 11:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama has two black
May 22, 2008 12:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
No. I think you covered it. The bottom line is HE'S BLACK!!! Nothing else is going to matter to the primitive hominids who are susceptible to this garbage.
May 22, 2008 12:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't forget his bomber buddy Bill Ayers...
May 22, 2008 1:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Your comments—and I use the term loosely—are so ignorantly founded that they seem more like parodies of people who believe what you've written than that you believe them. I think you've found a way to criticize yourself with your self-reflexive bloviating. Nice.
May 22, 2008 6:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually they are usually parodies of the person I'm responding to. I try to take what they say and show how it looks from the other side. Sometimes there are a few here who will actually have an intelligent discussion of a subject. Most of the time it's just name calling like with you.
May 23, 2008 10:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
shooting blanks more like it. Team O will use the crativity and intelligence of so many that these folks won't even realize whats happened. the organization, the internet, the passion of millions upon millions of people directed at the independents versus rove (eww must wash hands.............) clowns. priceless.
May 22, 2008 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
woops not crativity or gravity for that matter but I meant to say CREATivity
May 22, 2008 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
These Tactics won't work this time..Barack has a team doing the same on McCain ! Believe me if there was dirt on Barack; The Clinton's would have leaked it by now...Now, YOU know that is the truth !
May 22, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
who's afraid of Karl's big bad understudy?
it's not going to work. Obama is not John Kerry, this isn't 2004, and it's especially not 2000 South Carolina.
May 22, 2008 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
I've already read about two very damaging items that have yet to make it to the MSM. One about Barack and one about Michelle.
May 22, 2008 11:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
And, golly, for you to say that, Otto, those items must be (1) really, really bad, and (2) true!
May 22, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, if you say so, it must be true. I guess we're just screwed.
May 22, 2008 11:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
OOOoooooooooooooooo - It's over, folks - we're
DOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooomed!
May 22, 2008 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Scoop us, please!
May 22, 2008 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Did you find those two very damaging items on the grassy knoll, Otto?
Larry Sinclair's BJ and coke snorting with Obama.
Or Michelle's so-called "whitey" speech at the church.
Those are so credible, why won't the corporate media cover it?
Quick, go ask Taylor Marsh!
May 22, 2008 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent.
Stand up and sign the petition for Florida, Michigan and Democracy by helping to make their votes count:
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/?splash=1&sc=2446
May 22, 2008 11:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Cleanup on aisle 9!
May 22, 2008 11:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, I have some nasty shit on you too, but I was waiting for your wedding night.
May 22, 2008 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes Otto, I know of the same stories. Barack, Michelle and the girls acting out the "Aristocrats" joke in Osama Bin Laden's bunker in Pakistan, along with Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright and Louis Farrakhan, who joined them on a drug-running, heroin-smuggling ring through Afghanistan, all whilst wearing Somali garb, an Iranian flag pin on his lapel, and chanting "Goddamn America (it's in the Q'uran)!" In bed.
May 22, 2008 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
They have been doing that all alone. Griffin is trying to save himself along with Rove. They are fully aware that a Democratic Department of Justice will investigate them to the fullest degree. Griffin along with Rove will fight like hell to get McCain elected with the hope that he will protect them from the "Big House". I think they will make a big mistake to count on McCain for help or protection, even if he wins...which of course there is little chance that he will. I hope those criminals will be ready to face real justice. Justice will come, sooner or later, that they can count on.
May 22, 2008 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
O yes, and o yes.
The DOJ is definitely getting investigated and I believe I read not long ago that subpoenas may be forthcoming for Karl Rove - yes?
Fuck Griffin, fuck Rove, fuck the Repuglicans.
May 22, 2008 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Stand up for Florida and Michigan and Democracy by helping to make their votes count:
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/?splash=1&sc=2446
May 22, 2008 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Pacta sunt servanda.
May 22, 2008 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
I actually agree.
The quicker they seat these delegates, and math-impaired Hillary supporters realize Obama still leads, the quicker we can end this and move on to McCain.
Seat FL and MI!
May 22, 2008 11:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dean already said they are going to be seated.
The only question is whether their delegates' votes will count and for how much, inasmuch as they broke the rules and then MI ran a perfect Saddam Hussein primary and let Hillary put her name on the ballot after she signed the pledge not to.
She broke her word, what a fucking surprise!!!!!!!!!!
May 22, 2008 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sign the petition.
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/?splash=1&sc=2446
May 22, 2008 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
No. Fucking. Way.
May 22, 2008 11:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
HTX, that's about 27 "F-Bombs" on one page. How about a different modifier every once in awhile?
May 22, 2008 1:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'll sign the petition if you admit that this is a politically craven stunt by Senator Clinton to prolong this melodrama. That her campaign was instrumental in the original stripping of Florida's delegates and that she AGREED with the punishment and that their contest did not count. And finally that Obama is not responsible for the events that led up to Florida's decision to move up their primary or the DNC Rules Committee's decision to impose the death penalty.
And you can't argue against these FACTS or your admission at anytime in the future.
Deal?
May 22, 2008 11:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes make Michigan's votes count. Give uncommitted votes to OBAMA!!!!! (he has John Edwards blessing).
(there goes Hillary's popular vote meme)
May 22, 2008 9:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think if Hillary's team had found ANYTHING to damage Obama so she could be the nominee she never would have doubted in use it.
May 22, 2008 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, d'uh.
Of course they would since they have literally pulled out every fucking appliance and thrown it and then gone on and thrown every piece of furniture in the house.
So bring it on, as the Monkeyinasuit who masquerades as our president so memorably said.
May 22, 2008 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
It is fitting that Griffin likened their strategy to arms dealers. Like gun runners in Africa that profit from the continuation of conflict and warfare, people like Rove and Griffin profit from the continuation of partisanship and division.
May 22, 2008 11:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
They actually "make" the bullets, is what he said. Looking into the eyes of a person like this would be like looking into the abyss.
May 22, 2008 11:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
This tactic will backfire, McCain will suffer from the attacks by his party not Obama. The people that would believe that dirt had no intentions of voting for Obama anyway. We will see that by November with millions of people in economic trouble, these tactics will be the last thing that matters to the voters that love America and want to see it united in order to resolve all of the important issues that must be addressed and resolved.
May 22, 2008 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's so cute...this pushing of the fledgling into the falling sky, Karl is sending little Timmy into the world much as Jeb Magruder gave Rove himself wings from the CREEP campaign for Nixon. (I'm not even joking, CREEP was the acronym.) Golly, Karl had such a brilliant burst away from the gate, hiring homeless vagrants to attend a DNC black tie fundraiser. Such a winning sense of humor, young Karl had!! (You can find the young creepster on You Tube - Rove/Nixon should do...)
So, Tim is from the new generation of clever comics. What fun!
May 22, 2008 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Kyle ought to be in jail.
May 22, 2008 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Word!
Maybe he'll end up there yet. Waxman is on a tear -
May 22, 2008 11:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
The open hackery of the Republicans is pathetic. But more pathetic than that is the fact that this hack being put in charge of smearing Obama will not even be mentioned in the corporate media. The Republicans are scum and I wish somebody out there in the mainstream would just start saying so in plain English.
The Republican Party is nothing more or less than a vast collection of corrupt, lawless, would-be fascists who do the bidding of the greediest of the wealthy and big corporate interests. They should be smashed and forever put under the heel of the people. They represent the continued tyranny of the few over the many which is the exact opposite of the ideals and purpose of our nation. Plain and simple.
May 22, 2008 11:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well I guess this hiring will be what it takes to mobolize the dipshit vote. You know, Otto F's people.
May 22, 2008 11:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Lets not forget--Griffin, Rove and Cheney had the media in their pockets the last time and they were able to munipulate the media to get their word out. The media, other than Fox, that nobody watch, will not play along with their games this time. THE MACHINE IS BROKEN." These people are all discredited or already in jail for the crooks they are. Anyone who are fools enough to listen to these crooks would not be Obama supportes anyway, that is a fact.
May 22, 2008 11:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
If the congress is not wuss, they should throw the gauntlet and subpoena Rove and this oh, scary guy (Thanks Greg for the fear mongering) right now. Time Pelosi grew some balls.
May 22, 2008 11:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
All I can figure is that with every branch of Government & federal agency infiltrated by political operatives, the only hope we have for justice on every level, is a complete progressive Democratic majority. We can't really take em' down as long as they still have control (we'll get trumped at every turn). We need to win control, but the problem is once we win it back, any prosecutions will quite probably be spun by the MSM as political retribution.
It's just about the most depressing thing to think about.
I still don't know whether or not Bush can issue pardons in advance of prosecution??? Or whether or not he can issue said pardons for himself??? Anyone know the answers???
May 22, 2008 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
NOT THIS TIME! Obama will be ready for it and srike back hard at them...he is not going to be a wimp in this election. he will be on the high ground but solid when he needs to strike back back! has McBush commneted in the last couple of days on foriegn policy??? hell no....he is still wondering what the fuck hit him!
May 22, 2008 12:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rove's time is past. That crap works for a while, but eventually people start to catch on. We can only hope that the Republican playbook is the same one they've used for the past 30 years.
May 22, 2008 12:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Speaking of Rove... has anybody inquired as to whether or not his son (who turned 18 within the last year, i believe) has signed up to serve in Iraq?
I mean, granted, there's nothing leading me to believe that he possibly couldn't have, but it would be nice confirming my belief.
May 22, 2008 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good job on TPM TV, Greg -- you almost have a Richard Wright deadpan thing going on.
May 22, 2008 12:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Every single time they say anything bad about Obama, he should talk about who Griffin is; what his job is; his connection to Bush and the USAtty scandles, and his bullets comments. I don't expect he'll be around long.
May 22, 2008 12:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did any of us expect pond scum to stay in the pond? Not this person. He will do what his nature dictates, which is to slime anyone his bosses tell him to slime using any kind of goo he can get his hands on, legitimate or not.
May 22, 2008 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Griffin's appointment is actually good news in my view. He has a very sullied background that any enterprising 527 can catapult into some quite effective "attack the messenger" spots.
We know that the Repugs will be playing with coded racial language and all sorts of meaningless but sleazy innuendo. Griffin sitting in the center of it all gives progressives a solid target to shift the focus back on the mud-slingers.
Can you picture the grainy pictures of Griffin in the RNC war room talking about making bullets, sitting in front of the judiciary committee excoriating him, cozying up to Rove as his sidekick and recalling his sleazy path to the US attorney position in Arkansas and his eventual tearful withdrawal? It's all sitting there on a platter to be carved and served. Not this time indeed. Mr Griffin, welcome to the spotlight!
May 22, 2008 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
who cried and said public service is "not worth it".
May 22, 2008 12:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, Timmy's back and he's got an attitude after being screwed by the left. I'm shaking in my boots.
I have a bunch of info left over from the AG USA scandal about how Timmy inflated his JAG service on his resume. If I have time, I'll re-post it.
I still feel sorry for the poor soldier in Kentucky who got an extra 20 years tacked on to his sentence so Timmy could claim a big win.
If the RNC re-hired Timmy, can Monica be far behind?
May 22, 2008 12:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yet as a reservist, as far as I can tell, he's only done that one midwest/Iraq tour.
Odd that Timmy can only be called once - while other reservists are called again and again.
Does he have some sort of special treatment?
May 22, 2008 2:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Given the timing, I think the only reason Timmy was called up was to enhance his resume. I've long suspect that his tour of duty was arranged by the WH.
I commented at the TPM Muckraker about how Timmy inflated his resume with his bogus claim of prosecuting more than 40 cases while serving with JAG.
In 2003, Griffin was awarded four medals including the National Defense Service Medal despite never having been called to active duty. Admittedly, Griffin went on a training mission in Hohenfels Germany in 2003 but my guess is the "mission" was more of a vacation at taxpayer expense.
May 22, 2008 8:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wonder if Fox will give Griffin a pundit or ("analyst") spot, too, to go with Rove's.
May 22, 2008 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Griffin is the guy who was responsible for caging in Florida. For those of you who don’t know what caging is, it is a way of keeping people’s votes from counting, especially those people who are most likely to vote democratic? He finds out who has moved or who is in the service and has the election board send them a registered letter, when the letter comes back because the person no longer lives there they are taken off the voter registration list and their votes are not counted. Look for Griffin to instigate race riots in the major cities. This guy is a real slime ball.
May 22, 2008 1:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey, it appears the good little McCain trolls are following orders. I've noticed more troll activitiy on all the liberal sites. Let's continue to ignore them.
Oh, maybe ol' Jake D will show up - altho I suspect McCain is too liberal for him.
May 22, 2008 1:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hopefully, Karl Rove and that Humungous forhead of his will be in jail pretty soon if John Conyers does his job so we won't have to worry about him. Senator Obama isn't worried about anything. He's human so I'm sure there mistakes, but nothing to derail his campaign. They're won't be any AFFAIRS like John McCain or DRUG USE like his mistress/current wife Cindy McCain.
May 22, 2008 2:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
To the left is what the frog-marching of Rove would/will look like.
May 22, 2008 2:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
As we learned the last time, from Rove's lips to Novak's column. It's a straight shot.
May 22, 2008 2:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
"More on this soon" would be good, Greg, as per Marcy Wheeler @ emptywheel/firedoglake (make sure to read comments, too):
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/05/22/if-you-cant-disenfranchise-brown-people-at-the-fec-disenfranchise-them-by-vote-caging/
May 22, 2008 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tim Griffin won't be doing any research, he'll just be sitting at a desk making up slurs and quietly slipping them to the media. His job has nothing to do with FINDING dirt, but rather COORDINATING lies and slander that the RNC, Republicans and conservative press can fling at Obama. All the while McCain will tout how above it all he is and won't do a damn thing about it.
May 22, 2008 2:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
This little dipshit looks like he's straight out of central casting...he can be fat fuck Rove's bootlick akin to the manner in which that vile pig learned at the cloven hoof of Donald Segretti. Griffin probably dreams of being the scheming cortex of some marionette nitwit pseudo president someday...aspiring to be like his boss.
May 22, 2008 2:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Johnny Mac has some "rattlin' bones" in his closet. His military career was marked with Daddy bailing him out of a few jams . Also his POW status as a warbling songbird is questionable. Check it out: USS Forrestal conflagration in 1969. Interesting!!!!!
May 22, 2008 5:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope he doesn't find out that Obama has fathered two black children.
May 22, 2008 11:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
With Griffin at the RNC and Rove stationed at FOX, how many salacious stories about Obama will actually originate from the DOJ?
May 23, 2008 12:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
SEEMS LIKE A "WOULD-BE" SMART WELL-PLACED GUY WOULD SEE THE FLYING SHOES, and get that message.
THAT MESSAGE went over the head of GWB, who still sees himself riding a white horse, waving a white flag, and going to the rescue of the poor downtrodden on the Middle East.
I just can't quit laughing . . . .GWB is such a fucking fool.
December 15, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink