Little blurb about Repuke vindictiveness--esp. interesting to Clark fans

[joeybee12]

The outing by senior administration officials of Valerie Plame, an undercover C.I.A. counter-terrorism expert and wife of Bush critic and former ambassador Joseph Wilson, is undoubtedly the signature example of contemporary GOP vindictiveness. But there are others. For instance, there is Eric Massa, until recently on the majority staff of the House Armed Services Committee, chaired by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.). Massa was a lifelong Republican whose first taste of politics was serving as a page to candidate Ronald Reagan during the 1976 presidential race. But before joining the committee staff, Massa had served in the armed forces, where, among other things, he was a top aide to Gen. Wesley Clark (Ret.) during Clark's tenure as NATO supreme commander. The two were close, so when Clark came to Washington in early October to meet with Democratic congressional leaders at a private residence a few blocks from the Capitol, Massa walked over to say hello. But as the former comrades-in-arms greeted each other warmly on the street just outside the event--Massa never went inside, say other attendees--Republican operatives stationed nearby noticed his presence, and reported back to his staff director, Robert Rangel. Soon after, sources tell "Who's Who," Hunter and Rangel repeatedly told Massa that, given his friendship with Clark, he could no longer work at the committee, but when reporters from a few big-name newspapers heard the story and began calling around, Hunter claimed that Massa had never actually been fired. Fed-up, Massa resigned. No one from Hunter's office was available for comment. Contacted by WW, Massa commented, "I don't hold ill will for anybody. This is about issues, and Clark the man, and I'm going to do everything I can to get him elected."

[Punkingal]

1. "Republican operatives stationed nearby..."

I have to confess that statement gives me chills. Do they have operatives everywhere a Democratic candidate goes?

[joeybee12]

4. Yup, I bet they do

They're pretty creepy, and I don't think people realize how low they are and basically how hard we have to fight back.

[mikehiggins]

11. That question

scares me.

Why would you even doubt it?

Clark probably gets more attention than, say, Lieberman, because the Bush League has to worry that some of their own people may feed him inside information based on just the kind of past relationship that got that staffer canned.

That's my point, by the way, about avoiding the proposed demonstrations in NYC next September. It will take just one of these people throwing a beer bottle on national tv to justify the kind of police riot this nation hasn't seen since the junta seized power from Allende.

These people are out there, and you don't have to be paranoid to know you have enemies.

[david_vincent]

2. "Republican operatives"?

Is that like "SS men"?

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. You know, these people just piss me off so much

that I can't even put it into words sometimes. Like now.

So petty, and so utterly terrified of anything outside their "orthodoxy" that anything that goes out of line is immediately eliminated.

[joeybee12]

5. You're absolutely right, but guess what--they're still in power!

Is that what it takes to be the majority party?

[Rowdyboy]

6. Give 'em 4 more years

and you won't be able to recognize this country.

[joeybee12]

9. I don't think they need four years--four months is plenty for

the likes of these guys!

[Dogmudgeon]

7. Yo! Joey!

Could you provide a link?

No, I'm not trying to engage you in a "link war". I liked the blurb, and would like to add it to my "files" ... kind of an "armory" I started keeping shortly after Theft 2K.

Great post, in any event ... thanks!

--bkl

[joeybee12]

8. It was from the Washington Monthly--Josh Marshal's TPM blog has a link

this blurb is part of a longer article.

Have fun.

[TacticalPeek]

10. Link at this thread:

DU thread