1. reasons #1 & #2 why air America is a failure.

jeff at 3:43PM on Mar 7th 2007

2. Wow, yeah pretty much. It does. However, I still think it's absolutely hilarious that you all are stilling holding onto the fact that Iraq didn't have weapons of mass destruction. If they didn't, then how on earth did Saddam Hussein commit genocide on the Kurds?????????? Aside from the fact that he was harbouring terrorists... and you realize that Iraq was a "peaceful" country simply because Saddam Hussein ruled it with an iron fist... Kind of like Joseph Stalin. hmm.... What am i missing here? Honestly???

oh and just an fyi... before we invaded Iraq, satellite imagery picked up Russian trucks being loaded with (something... WMD perhaps?) and driving off to Syria... so isn't it possible that considering Saddam Hussein DID use WMD with the Kurds and others don't you think that Iraq actually DID have WMD and we simply gave them too much time to get it out of the country? Just some food for thought.

Quincy Q. at 3:54PM on Mar 7th 2007

3. Cenk is being thick here and using a straw man.
If "leaking" Valerie Plame's identify was a crime then Armitage would have been charged with it.
It was perjury that Scooter Libby was convinced of not "leaking" Valerie Plame's identify.

http://decision08.net/2007/03/06/at-least-someone-on-the-left-isnt-spinning/
"I don’t think the verdicts found that anyone leaked classified information. That charge was never brought. The jury repeatedly was instructed that Mrs. Wilson’s actual employment status, that is, whether it was covert or classified, was not before them."

BTW, can I use Ben's idiotic Duke Lacrosse defense for this?
http://www.theyoungturks.com/story/2007/1/10/125915/580
Keith Olbermann has no idea what happened in the Scooter Libby perjury case. Neither does Joe Wilson. Ditto for Jon Stewart.
And neither do I. Nor does anyone else, save Scooter Libby or Tim Russert, though they appear to disagree.

I do not believe this. I am just pointing out how bad Ben's argument was.

Paul L. at 4:18PM on Mar 7th 2007

4. Talk about obtuse. If you are going to mischarterize a quote at least paraphrase it, don't actually play the quote. No one is saying that Armitage should be prosecuted. THERE WAS NO CRIME HERE. THERE WAS NO ILLEGAL LEAK.

No one should have been prosecuted and no investigation should have been conducted. Plame was not a covert agent within 5 years of the event. Furthermore, you can't be guilty of leaking someone's name if that information is already public knowledge, that is the point of bringing up Armitage.

To couch an entire argument on that misrepresentation shows why no one listens to you guys. Plus the focus on Armitage as a Bush supporter is just another straw man people with no argument have to use. If Bush only had supporters working at the State Department or CIA he would have had to fire 95% of the people working there. Talk about two useless organizations that have put cushy government jobs in front of the nation's interests.

Also calling the Powerline guys clows shows just what you guys are about. None of you can hold a candle to them intellectually, but watching you argue that you could would prove the point.

Peter at 5:50PM on Mar 7th 2007

5. These guys are totally right. I'm really getting fed up with how apathetic and ignorant these conservatives are. I don't understand how they can defend this administration, why are'nt americans banding together and demanding that this deceptive bush adminastration be impeached and brought to justice. Not only are the blood of our american soldiers on his hands but they ruin this successful womans career. You people defending the conservative PIGS obviously have no ounce of empathy, and you stand back and wonder why do all these hostile factions want us dead. The conservative's have shown us they are racists and bigots and if you wannabe conservative defenders think thats O.K. and YOU are the moral majority according to your leader, then I sense the beginnings of civil unrest.

jason at 9:07PM on Mar 8th 2007

6. All I can say is Rush is a putz and he will always be a putz.

Tammy at 10:39AM on Mar 9th 2007

7. I agee with Jason. Great job!

Tammy at 10:41AM on Mar 9th 2007

8. Quincy, it is possible he still had some limited chemical weapons that hadn't yet gone bad from a while back, but you can't erase all evidence of labs and programs to generate weapons of the scale that is relevant. So while it is conceivable that some chemical weapons were transfered to Syria, that is
A) conjecture,
B) not sufficient in terms of showing the level of threat the administration was claiming.

As for how Saddam used weapons on the Kurds, read some history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction
That was back in the 80s. Most of the weapons have verifiably been destroyed or have become inert.

The whole Wilson thing specifically dealt with nuclear weapons, not chemical weapons. This was the point the Bush administration was trying hardest to push because it has the most resonance with the public. Valerie Wilson was covert and she was outed. As far as bringing an indictment, Fitzgerald would have to be confident that he could prove (beyond a reasonable doubt) that those who disclosed her name
A) were supposed to have access to the classified information
B) new she was covert
C) purposely leaked her name

It is unclear whether any of the leakers would satisfy these criteria, and more importantly it would be difficult to prove as much. However, that does not mean it wasn't a crime. Even given Armitage being the first to leak, the others' LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY is to not say anything on the matter. Journalists contact multiple sources to confirm information and do not print such information without confirmation. I would suggest that in the case of Libby and Rove it is likely that they purposely leaked the info and knew that Wilson was covert, but I don't know all of the specifics of who said what when. From the statements that Libby made and the testimony I've heard, the case of perjury was quite clear and so Fitzgerald made an indictment and got a conviction.

TG at 5:27PM on Mar 12th 2007

9. Just to clarify for Peter,
Yes she was covert. That has been confirmed and had worked overseas within the past 5 years: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerie_Plame

One leak (by Armitage) does not make the information public knowledge. See my previous post for further argumentation on the matter. Also, though Armitage may have been under Powell who had some disagreements with Bush, Armitage has not really spoken out against Bush, and was appointed by Bush. Not that the point would really be relevant anyway.

TG at 6:06PM on Mar 13th 2007