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Susan Ralston: Traitorgate, Abramoff scandal, AND election theft witness?

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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 03:05 PM
Original message
Susan Ralston: Traitorgate, Abramoff scandal, AND election theft witness?
Susan Ralston, former assistant to Karl Rove, has testified again to the new grand jury convened by Patrick Fitzgerald, regarding how calls to Rove were logged by the White House.

She was also Jack Abramoff's personal secretary.

And in looking for a photo, I was reminded of another photo from a year ago:




There she is, with Rove, at his bank of computers, monitoring precinct-level returns on election night. Many of us wondered at the time what in the world Rove would be doing with all those computers, and why it was important in the wee hours of election night for him to be "monitoring" results on the precinct level. (Not to mention that running this campaign-related operation from the WH dining room was technically illegal.)

If she knows simple facts that lay out the timeline and activities of key players in the CIA leak case and the Abramoff scandal that are of use to prosecutors in untangling lies and inconsistent testimony, there is a good chance that this is also the case with regard to the theft of the 2004 election.

What was she doing for Rove that night? What were her duties? What kinds of data was she handling? Simple questions like these could end up having the kind of explosive impact for the election theft story that her testimony about the WH call-logging procedures may be having for the CIA leak case.



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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 03:07 PM
Response to Original message
1. She's Zelig
You're so right about running the campaign from the WH dining room - WTF?
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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 03:13 PM
Response to Reply #1
5. Here's another picture of her, with some background.
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Supersedeas Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 10:20 AM
Response to Reply #5
54. Here colar has a certain flare to it...for a Bushbot that is
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ClassWarrior Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 08:43 AM
Response to Reply #5
74. .
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electropop Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 02:21 PM
Response to Reply #1
67. Editing the returns.
The GAO report describes just how easily the voting machines are hacked. The boiler room operation implemented the hacking.
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autorank Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 03:11 PM
Response to Original message
2. "What was she doing that night?"
Edited on Mon Nov-28-05 03:12 PM by autorank
Great intuitive post. This really opens up a can of worms. Very interesting and provocative.

What was she doing there? Helping Rove when he called up the networks and gave the the word. Rove to MSM: "I don't give a shit what it takes, you assholes better come up with "final" final National Exit Poll that shows Bush winning. You hear me. I'll f'ing bury you if you don't."
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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 03:17 PM
Response to Reply #2
6. She must know a great deal about who Rove was talking to, and
what the whole point of the computer bank was.

Just to be the first guy to know how the election would turn out? I don't think so.

There was a BBC article from last year that mentioned this curious set up, and wondered about how it might relate to the late, drastic shifts in the vote totals towards *.


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eppur_se_muova Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 04:40 PM
Response to Reply #6
16. There was a BBC article from last year ...
There was a BBC article from last year that mentioned this curious set up, and wondered about how it might relate to the late, drastic shifts in the vote totals towards *.

Hmmm...do you still have that link?
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Patsy Stone Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 04:47 PM
Response to Reply #16
18. Here's the BBC article
Edited on Mon Nov-28-05 04:51 PM by Patsy Stone
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3987237.stm

"Pressure and pranks

By the time election night came around, Mr Rove was in the White House, where, unusually for a political adviser, he has an office.

He set up computers in the Old Family Dining Room and started tabulating results. He had set up a massive network of contacts, not just in state capitals, but individual districts and precincts to monitor turnout and support.

Early exit polls quoted by media seemed to give Mr Kerry the edge, but colleagues said Mr Rove indicated right away that they did not tally with his information.

He used his own data to put Ohio and Florida in the Bush column - bringing cheers from the president and his family when he went into the Roosevelt Room and told them."

It made me so crazy, I wrote to Rachel Clarke asking if she saw anything out of the ordinary. I expected no response and received none.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Welcome to DU! :hi:
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eppur_se_muova Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 04:52 PM
Response to Reply #18
19. Thanks for the link!
Didn't expect it so fast!
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Patsy Stone Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 09:35 PM
Response to Reply #19
36. You're welcome
DU is nothing if not hard to keep up with. Blink and you miss it. That's not always true, however, because this post is about five hours late. :)
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SpiralHawk Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 06:18 PM
Response to Reply #18
25. While America's Corporate media gave this WH boiler room zilch
coverage.

As usual. The so-called press fails the citizenry, and licks dreamily at the BushCo boots.
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Patsy Stone Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 09:37 PM
Response to Reply #25
38. Nothing to see here...
Just move along. So many unanswered questions still remain, and will remain, from this evil administration.
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shanti Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 01:51 PM
Response to Reply #38
64. exactly - she's not singing
they'd off her first, and she DOES know ALL the secrets.
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KoKo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 08:42 AM
Response to Reply #18
51. Hi, Patsy Stone....I remember your post on this..
there was a thread where you asked if you should write Rachel Clarke and you did.

I still think this is odd. Glad you reposted this article. We might be able to use it at some time when all the election fraud starts to finally come out. What's that old saying: "One Picture is Worth a Thousand Words?" :eyes:
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meow2u3 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 02:33 PM
Response to Reply #6
69. Does this have anything to do with Peter King's offhanded comment
back in November, after the elections?

You know, the one that goes, "It's all over but the counting, and we'll take care of the counting." They took care of the counting, all right--they rigged the freakin' election!
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blm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 04:30 PM
Response to Reply #2
14. Man, you nailed Rove perfectly - I can hear him say every word.
.
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autorank Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 07:31 PM
Response to Reply #14
30. Thanks...
Lately I've been known to "channel" TIA. Maybe Rove is crossing wires with me;) ....the Horror...the Horror
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izzie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 03:11 PM
Response to Original message
3. The web grows just as I knew it would.
When Bush played with the SEC and got away with it you just knew what type people he hung around with.
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papau Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 03:12 PM
Response to Original message
4. Fitz has gotta ask about WHY "monitoring precinct-level returns"
He does sort of have permission to go where the investigation leads him.

I can only hope he uses some imagination and gets this covered by his people.
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Tiggeroshii Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 09:50 PM
Response to Reply #4
40. Think he might even take over the Abramoff probe as it grows? n/t
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druidity33 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 03:18 PM
Response to Original message
7. Ralston....
how many times has she testified? Do we know how long each deposition was? Where would i find info like that?
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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 03:28 PM
Response to Reply #7
8. There are some details in todays Rawstory article.
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Testimony_from_Roves_former_assistant_may_1128.html

It mentions one other round of testimony, though I seem to recall hearing that there may have been two prior appearances by her.

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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 04:02 PM
Response to Original message
9. An interesting observation from Peace Patriot, re: Abramoff & HAVA:
From PP's post on another thread:

'An interesting tidbit in this article: S. Ralston was Abramoff's personal secretary prior to working for Rove (proper training for Bush's WH, it seems to me), and in that role "communicated with Rove on Abramoff's behalf on tribal affairs." I'm hoping someone will make the link among Rove, Abramoff and Rep. Bob Ney on Ney's sponsorship of the HAVA boondoggle for Bushite electronic voting machine companies (our new, private election system, with "trade secret" software and no paper trail). HAVA came up as the bill into which they wanted Ney to dump a tribal favor (that's how they shook down the tribe). Ney didn't do that particular favor, but I'm much more interested in who got shook down, bribed, lavishly lobbied, etc., in the corruption of our election system, and, of course, in the uses that that corrupt election system were put to, in 2004.'


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x176157#176180
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Peace Patriot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 04:27 PM
Response to Reply #9
12. Thanks, Bleever! I was posting the same thing below, with some new
thoughts, just as you were posting this.

So much info has been coming out in the last few days, all at once, that I'm overwhelmed, and I already can't remember where I read the Abramoff-Ney-HAVA thing (just yesterday), or where I may have filed it. I'm sure it'll turn up. Anybody else see it? It was a major news source of some kind. Could probably retrieve it by googling "Abramoff HAVA."

-------

Off topic: Did you guys know that Sibel Edmonds info on Amer-Turkish Assoc. spying, arms dealing and corruption--with big Bushites on that board--was also being investigated by Valerie Plame? I didn't. Just found out, in the context of today's damnable Sup Ct turn-down to Sibel. (I figured Turkey for the likely first choice border with Iraq, of Bushite operatives trying to plant WMDs in Iraq for Judith Miller to "find.") (The WMD-planting theory of Traitorgate was that Plame and her WMD counter-proliferation network stumbled upon their nefarious scheme and foiled it, or helped foil it, or knew about it, and that's why they outed her, and then, in addition, outed her whole network; and maybe why the Brits chief WMD expert David Kelly was killed three days after Plame was outed.)
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AntiFascist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 05:14 PM
Response to Reply #9
20. Has anyone noticed Tom Feeney of Florida....

also being "lobbied" on those trips to Scotland?
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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 11:28 PM
Response to Reply #20
42. Hey...I noticed that, but I just now realized
how that fits in to the connect-the-dots puzzle.

Great observation. Any links to share?

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AntiFascist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 12:48 AM
Response to Reply #42
46. Hi Bleever!!!!

See my post over here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2273695&mesg_id=2278366

The March 9th LAT article was emailed to me on March 10th, so I cut and pasted parts of it. Michael Moore has a posting about that article, but I'm not sure he included the entire thing.
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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 12:46 PM
Response to Reply #46
59. Abramoff, Feeney, and Ney.
What a nexus of scandals!

From your other post:

"The Times reported Wednesday that the lobbyist, Jack Abramoff, arranged trips that included golf junkets to Scotland for Republican Reps. Tom Feeney of Florida, Robert W. Ney of Ohio and of Texas. All three filed travel disclosure statements listing the National Center as the sponsor of those trips."

/snip/

"Feeney had not previously been tied to the Abramoff controversy.
A year after the Ney trip, Abramoff was headed back to Scotland on
a chartered jet with Feeney."


WTF? Back to Scotland? It is, as you point out, a burgeoning center of computer design and research.


Very interesting. Great catch.
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AntiFascist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 06:21 PM
Response to Reply #59
72. Thanks....
Edited on Tue Nov-29-05 06:32 PM by AntiFascist
the article also mentioned:


Also on the trip with Feeney were Reed and two congressional aides —

Mark Zachares and Bob R. Brooks Jr.


I wonder if they could be pursuaded to talk, or if there could be any other whistleblowers, like the programmer Clint Curtis who was hired by Feeney to hack the evoting systems? (on edit: allegedly)

http://www.bradblog.com/ClintCurtis.htm

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hedda_foil Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 11:26 PM
Response to Reply #9
78. Abramoff's former lobbying firm represents DIEBOLD!!
I just found out today that Traurig-whatever does the lobbying for Diebold in New York and Illinois ... which should mean they rep Diebold in large states all over the country ... at a minimum. The possibility of a connection is far from remote.
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Peace Patriot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 04:08 PM
Response to Original message
10. BINGO!
And get this. Ralston was Abramoff's personal secretary, prior to going to work for the liars and war criminals in the White House (as personal ass't to Rove AND "special ass't" to Bush). As Abramoff's secretary, she was the conduit to Rove on tribal matters (--not charged with anything in that case). Rep. Bob Ney was one of the two chief sponsors of the so-called "Help America Vote Act-HAVA" (--the one that brought us Bushite corporation controlling the tabulation of our votes with "trade secret," proprietary prorgramming code), and it was INTO that bill--HAVA!--that Abramoff wanted Ney to dump one of his tribal favors (--that was the shakedown, and Ney apparently balked, so it never happened).

And guess who shows up at Rove's elbow on election night, in front of a bank of computers?

Abramoff to Ralston to Rove to Ney? HAVA, as the toxic landfill into which to dump dirty deeds? Did Rove nix it, because the HAVA scam was just too important to him, to put it at risk for such a side game?

Diebold and ES&S fed their numbers to an AP computer (which I remember being described as completely insecure), from which they were fed to the news monopolies, who then ALTERED their exit polls to FIT Diebold's and ES&S's secret formulae. We know that much. But was there another stop along that route, say, right there in that photo, where Rove was flipping little percentages, here and there, from Kerry to Bush, and THEN sending it on to the news monopolies? Who would know?

I count six witnesses in that photo (including Ralston), but they wouldn't necessarily know what Rove was doing on his keyboard, and wouldn't likely rat on him if they did. (I have to tell you, my thought was: Are these people still alive?)

I tend to think that the fiddle occurred in the state central tabulators, pre-programmed for certain percentages of the flip from Kerry to Bush. It's my theory that that's why they had to do Ohio--blatant, overt voter suppression on election day--because the pre-programmng wasn't sufficient to handle the size of the Kerry win. But it's just a guess. I'm not a computer expert; shouldn't have to be, to understand how my vote is counted; but my guess is that pre-programming, with an internal or remote trigger of some kind, is a lot safer than same day insertion of code. (Internal modem connections, back to the private company, are one of the big security problems with these electronic voting machines.)

Also, I feel like Rove wouldn't have let cameras in the room, if that was what he was doing (unless he did it on a dare, or something--hubris?) ('Watch me @#$%^% your liberal democracy right before your very eyes, and you can't catch me! Neeyah, neeyah, neeyah!')

Anyway, I feel like we're now getting many of the "dots" before us; they're all in a jumble, and we can't yet make sense of it all, or see the connections, but we will.

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sunnystarr Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 10:11 AM
Response to Reply #10
53. Correct my memory if I'm wrong ...
Edited on Tue Nov-29-05 10:19 AM by sunnystarr
Wasn't it Grover Norquist who arranged for Ralston to work for Rove in order to keep him informed?

on edit: found this -


Norquist had a deal with Susan Ralston, who until recently was the assistant to Karl Rove. An unnamed Republican lobbyist recently told Salon.com: "Susan took a message for Rove, and then called Grover to ask if she should put the caller through to Rove. If Grover didn't approve, your call didn't go through."

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_6_36/ai_n6137425

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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 12:49 PM
Response to Reply #53
60. Correct! Norquist wasn't just in the loop, he was key to the access
that people got to Rove.

Strange that Rove let Norquist screen his calls...unless that was Rove's plan, to keep his hands clean.
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electropop Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 02:26 PM
Response to Reply #53
68. Rove-Norquist-Abramoff-Ralston
WOW! That's quite a cabal.
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RedOnce Donating Member (519 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 04:19 PM
Response to Original message
11. Excellent points! Interesting photo...
She is obviously in tight with Rove - reaching across while he is talking on the phone.
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Peace Patriot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 04:29 PM
Response to Reply #11
13. Yup! There goes New Mexico! Tweak, tweak! (n/t)
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Peace Patriot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 04:31 PM
Response to Reply #13
15. Or...could she be turning his screen away from the camera?
Hm-m-m. (Has anybody tried to zoom in on the papers before him, or the bit of screen we can see?)
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RedOnce Donating Member (519 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 04:45 PM
Response to Reply #15
17. Rove has no computer - only a three ring binder.
Ralston has the laptop in front of her.

Which would mean that Rove has to be relaying any instructions to others verbally or in writing. She appears to be leaning right and forward to pick up a paper that is in front Rove.
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loudsue Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 05:41 PM
Response to Reply #15
22. She's reaching for a styrofoam coffee cup...
you can see her hand encircling it.

:kick:
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RedOnce Donating Member (519 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 06:13 PM
Response to Reply #22
24. Could be...not that it is a big deal, but it looks more like
she is lifting the top right corner of a piece of paper to me. The shadow forms a curve from her fingers down to the desk.
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In Truth We Trust Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 05:17 PM
Response to Original message
21. Paper Ballots NOW! Hand Counts NOW!! IMPEACHMENT NOW!!!
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NoSunWithoutShadow Donating Member (363 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 07:42 PM
Response to Reply #21
31. In Andy's memory, voter verified paper ballots. -eom
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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 12:09 AM
Response to Reply #31
43. I'll second that.
To Andy:

I want to see this burglary exposed. For this country, and Andy and his inspiration to push on until everyone trusts their votes like they trust their banks.


:toast:
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lovuian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 06:02 PM
Response to Original message
23. I'll add is she have a connection to Aragoncillo and where is he
you remember the spy that worked in Cheney's office passing information to the Phillipines... Ralston works for Rove is there a connection???

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indepat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 06:19 PM
Response to Original message
26. If but a few good men/women would only come to the aid of their country
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Independent_Liberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 06:19 PM
Response to Original message
27. Ooooooooo!!!!!!!!
I can't wait to see where this leads. Everything seems to be falling into place. Plame, Edmonds, Rove, Libby, Abramoff, DeLay, Hastert, Ney, Taft, Coingate, HAVA, Turkey, Aragoncillo, etc.
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Independent_Liberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 06:21 PM
Response to Original message
28. Ooooooooo!!!!!!
I can't wait to see where this all leads. Everything seems to be falling into place now. Plame, Edmonds, Rove, Libby, Abramoff, DeLay, Hastert, Ney, Taft, Coingate, HAVA, Turkey, Aragoncillo, etc.
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Independent_Liberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 06:22 PM
Response to Reply #28
29. Sorry for the double post.
I was having trouble earlier.
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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 08:11 PM
Response to Original message
32. Kick for the night crowd.
:kick:
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DoYouEverWonder Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 08:18 PM
Response to Original message
33. Nice catch
What Rove did at the WH that night, regardless of whether or not he interfered with an election, was a clear violation of the Hatch Act. Remember when Al Gore supposedly broke the law just by making a few fund raising calls from his office? What Rove is doing in the pic above goes way beyond that.

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Peace Patriot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 09:25 PM
Response to Reply #33
35. Good point! I hadn't thought of that! It never ceases to amaze me
how many laws these criminals break with impunity! It's mind-boggling. It's as if the "checks and balances" of the Constitution had been erased. It's an unrecognizable American government.
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texpatriot2004 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 09:20 PM
Response to Original message
34. Thanks Bleever for this thread. I wonder if the questions you
mention about the "election" night have been asked of Ralston?

That photo of Rove and Ralston is quite telling. Why the "illegal" set up of the computers to moniter the "results" at the precinct levels?
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seito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 09:36 PM
Response to Original message
37. This brings an old question to mind
What are they hiding?

Thanks Bleev :thumbsup:
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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 09:46 PM
Response to Reply #37
39. I KNEW you were gonna say that.
:)

Thanks, seito.

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pat_k Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 10:36 PM
Response to Original message
41. Other's I've wondered about
Back in mid-October, Bloomberg reported that Catherine Martin, Jennifer Millerwise, Jim Wilkinson had been questioned (bios below). Then there was a retraction on Wilkinson. It struck me as a bit strange at the time.

I've been speculating on whether any of these folks (Martin, Millerwise, or Wilkinson) could be cooperating. All have deep connections with the PNACons. Wilkinson could have had some exposure to reality during his tenure with Franks.

Any thoughts?

Here's some background.

From http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1017-02.htm

that Fitzgerald has questioned Cheney's communications adviser Catherine Martin and former spokeswoman Jennifer Millerwise and ex-White House aide Jim Wilkinson about the vice president's knowledge of the anti-Wilson campaign and his dealings on it with Libby, his chief of staff, the people said. The information came from multiple sources, who requested anonymity because of the secrecy and political sensitivity of the investigation.

From http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/TheNote/story?id=1236401

Please Note: Bloomberg News issued a correction to its story from Monday that former White House official Jim Wilkinson was questioned by Fitzgerald. According to Bloomberg, "Wilkinson has said he was not questioned."

Martin
Texas roots

2005 Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Communications Director for Policy and Planning

2001 to 2004 Assistant to the Vice President for Public Affairs.

Bio

Interesting mention in this article

Wilkinson
Texas roots "protege of Karen Hughes" jobs with Dick Army, Rumsfeld, Rice. Tasked with WHIG group's "A Grave and Gathering Danger: Saddam Hussein's Quest for Nuclear Weapons." (despite best efforts to gin up the case, director for counterproliferation Robert Joseph and Rice never published the paper because it "was not strong enough."

2004 Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Communications.

2003 Director of Strategic Communications for General Tommy Franks at U.S. Central Command. At Central Command, Mr. Wilkinson coordinated the command's strategic communications activities throughout its 25-nation area of responsibility, including those related to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Mr. Wilkinson served as General Tommy R. Franks' principal spokesman and managed the U.S. military's public affairs activities in the region.

January 2001 through November 2002 Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Communications for Planning.

Managed the White House Coalition Information Center for the war against terrorism.

2000 Spokesman for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during the 2000 presidential transition.

From 1992 through 2000, Mr. Wilkinson worked in Congress for U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey

B.B.A. in finance from the University of Texas at Arlington and his M.A. from The Johns Hopkins University. Wilkinson also attended Weatherford Junior College in Weatherford, Texas, and Tarrant County Junior College in Fort Worth, Texas. Wilkinson also serves as an officer in the US Navy Reserves.

Millerwise

January 2005 named Director of Public Affairs at the CIA (back to Goss)

Deputy Communications Director for Bush-Cheney 2004.

2001 to 2003 Deputy Assistant for Communications and Press Secretary to Vice President Dick Cheney

2001 Assistant Press Secretary in the White House Office of the Press Secretary.

Regional Press Coordinator for the Republican National Committee's Victory 2000.

Mrs. Millerwise Dyck was the Press Secretary for Congressman Porter Goss (FL)

Served under Ari Fleischer at the House Ways and Means Committee, and on the staff of Senator Spencer Abraham (MI).

Degree in Business Administration and Political Science from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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Justice Is Comin Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 12:31 AM
Response to Original message
44. I kept suggesting not to forget that name
but nobody paid much attention to me.

She's the conduit all the conversations had to go through. She knows the whole ball of wax. She was to Rove what Libby was to Cheney.

Tinkers to Evers to Chance. BINGO Fitz. Thar's gold in that woman. Rove should be wearing maxi pads under his arms now.
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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 12:41 AM
Response to Reply #44
45. So she's kinda like...what? The mob accountant, who kept the books,
or some other functionary who has seen it all unfold.


"She's the conduit all the conversations had to go through. She knows the whole ball of wax."



:patriot:
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ClassWarrior Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 11:04 PM
Response to Reply #45
77. The whole enchillada.
NGU.


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WiseButAngrySara Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 01:26 AM
Response to Original message
47. Great post. I remember this photo from last year, and I found it to be
very suspicious then. I had no idea of who Ralston was at that time. Who are the other characters? They all look actively engaged, not just passively watching returns coming in. Why do you think they allowed for this photo to be taken if you (and others in this thread) believe this action to be illegal? (not talking about the possible/probable vote alterations ala Rove here)but to quote you:

"Not to mention that running this campaign-related operation from the WH dining room was technically illegal"
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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 12:52 PM
Response to Reply #47
61. It fits their pattern of committing their crimes in broad daylight on the
assumption that no one, NO ONE, would dare to mention the legality, for fear of marginalizing themselves and losing all access to the news, so tightly controlled by Rove.
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nolabels Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 02:13 AM
Response to Original message
48. So the knots do meet at the other end?
veddy interesting........
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rumpel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 02:50 AM
Response to Original message
49. Oh, that would be nice.
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BamaBecky Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 08:35 AM
Response to Original message
50. Ahh Woo Woo..................
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ClassWarrior Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 05:36 PM
Response to Reply #50
76. .
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Al-CIAda Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 09:18 AM
Response to Original message
52. Top Ten Things You Never Knew About Jack Abramoff
Top Ten Things You Never Knew About Jack Abramoff

**World Exclusive**
**Must Credit The MadCowMorningNews**
by Daniel Hopsicker



The MadCowMorningNews has learned that the same so-called "war cabal" being accused of selling a "bill of goods" to justify the war in Iraq also led earlier efforts to convince the American people of the necessity of going to war, in support of the Contras in the mid-1980's, and before the Gulf War under the first President Bush, and funded through the same methods and sources being investigated in the Abramoff scandals today.

Evidence surfacing in the widening scandal around Republican super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff indicates the cabal being lavishly funding in recent years though his efforts was originally supported through the infamous "off the books" Enterprise headed by Marine Lt. Colonel Oliver North, only partially exposed in the Iran Contra Scandal.

Con't-
http://www.madcowprod.com/10272005.html
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mopinko Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 10:28 AM
Response to Original message
55. thanks for bring up this picture. it pissed me off from day one
al gore got all that shit for a phone call, but this is all over the papers, and no one says a word. and yes, i believe they were changing vote totals a little here and there, in precincts, especially in, but not limited to ohio. not only violating the hatch act, but stealing the election, and no one does anything. i will be in heaven if that picture is an exhibit in his trial.
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understandinglife Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 12:02 PM
Response to Original message
56. Yes. That Picture!!
Edited on Tue Nov-29-05 12:03 PM by understandinglife
Super connection. Please consider contacting Jane Hamsher at firedoglake (janehamsher at firedoglake dot com) and send her a link to this OP.

Recommend.


Peace.
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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 01:07 PM
Response to Reply #56
62. Done. Thanks for the suggestion.

Peace to you, UL.
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Time for change Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 12:12 PM
Response to Original message
57. Great find bleever
If we had any kind of a decent news media, this should be all over the news for a long time - until we get some explanations.
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Norquist Nemesis Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 12:20 PM
Response to Original message
58. Well, in my experience if you want the truth talk with the secretary!
The secretaries know what's going on and how things get done.

I could've written some detailed how-to-be-underhanded books about a few of my former bosses.
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pat_k Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 01:48 PM
Response to Original message
63. More about Ralston
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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 01:57 PM
Response to Reply #63
65. A treasure trove of info!
Including this tidbit about Rove's "former" assistant:



"When the Plame affair went before a Federal grand jury, Ralston was compelled to testify, and had to leave the job with Rove," Anton Chaitkin wrote (http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2005/3233abramoff_indict.html) in the August 26, 2005, issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

/snip/

Marshall, being "a little unclear on whether Ralston still works for Rove," called (http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2005_09_18.php#006598) the White House September 21, 2005, and "was told that she's no longer his 'executive assistant'. When asked what her title was was told only that she now worked for him 'in a different capacity.'"



Not so "former" after all, eh?
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pat_k Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 07:54 PM
Response to Reply #65
73. She's certainly been a busy bee! n/t
Edited on Tue Nov-29-05 07:55 PM by pat_k
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bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 02:05 PM
Response to Reply #63
66. Also found via that source:
'Susan’s proximity to Rove puts her at the center of President George W. Bush’s domestic agenda. Rove helped engineer Bush’s first presidential victory. With a staff of 60, he’s running the President’s reelection campaign.

“It’s an incredible job,” Susan admits. “Think about it, I work in the White House for the President of the United States! And I get to work with one of the most influential presidential advisors in history.”

Currently, she’s also the White House Liaison to the Bush-Cheney ’04 (BC’04) campaign. As such, she has been very much involved in the reelection campaign. “I work on the coordination of all activities between the campaign and the White House, including the Republican National Convention,” she told Asian Fortune. “I spend 95 per cent of my physical time at the White House, but do go over to the campaign headquarters for meetings.”'



Whether or not this constitutes prima facia evidence that Bush-Cheney '04 egregiously violated the Hatch Act (that got Al Gore in trouble for making a few phone calls from the VP's office), it clearly establishes her central role in the re-election efforts in a very central, hands-on, nuts-and-bolts capacity.



http://www.asianfortune.com/aug04/Articles/PROFILE%20Susan%20RALSTON.htm
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KoKo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 02:55 PM
Response to Original message
70. kick............
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ClassWarrior Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-29-05 03:32 PM
Response to Original message
71. Awesome catch Lil Bro. Never Give Up.
B-):thumbsup:

NGU.


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ClassWarrior Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-30-05 01:14 PM
Response to Original message
75. WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?
Visualize IMPEACHMENT.

Never Give Up. B-)


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