Rumsfeld's Bible Briefings

By GottaLaff

In my Frank Rich post, there was a link to the article discussed here, but here it is again, in case you missed it. Good lord (no pun):

A must-read GQ piece reveals never-before-seen cover sheets from former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's top-secret intelligence briefings, which feature Bible passages thematically selected to correspond with war events. Despite objections within the Pentagon to the cover sheets, these reports were distributed daily to a limited group, including the president.

Frank Rich: "They are seriously creepy."

Other key tidbits from the piece:
Rumsfeld played a significant role in delaying parts of the administration's response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster areas.

Rumsfeld was among a group within the administration who successfully fought a recommendation to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA).

President Bush was hesitant and slow to act on the dismissal of Rumsfeld even when counseled to do so by his close advisers.

Who wants to throw Rummy into a not-so-padded cell at Gitmo? Hands? It's unanimous.

Bush Failure To Disclose Waterboarding Appears To Violate Law

By GottaLaff

BushCo can't so much as sneeze without violating the law. Here we go again, via Sam Stein:

According to the testimony of two high-ranking Democrats and recently declassified CIA and Justice Department documents, the Bush White House failed to disclose the use of waterboarding until roughly half a year after it was first deployed. [...] But it is worth restating and highlighting again because, if accurate, it appears to constitute a violation of law by the former White House.

As documented by the Congressional Research Service, the President is required to ensure "that the congressional intelligence committees are kept 'fully and currently informed' of U.S. intelligence activities, including any 'significant anticipated intelligence activity.'" The basis of this is the 1991 Intelligence Authorization Act, which places a statutory obligation on the President to not just keep relevant committees "fully and currently informed" but to disclose "any significant anticipated intelligence activity."

"The requirement to report significant anticipated activities means, in practice, that the committees should be advised of important new program initiatives and specific activities that have major foreign policy implications," reads language accompanying the FY 1991 Intelligence Authorization Act. [...]

[S]ix months appeared to pass between the waterboarding of Zubaydah and the moment when Democrats were briefed on the matter. [...]

So it seems plausible that, in the fall of 2002, members of Congress were either told only that the government was considering or planning the use of waterboarding or were kept in the dark entirely about the technique. Both Pelosi and Graham insist that latter is true. And if that is, in fact, the case, it would seem to place the Bush administration outside the law requiring disclosure of intelligence activities.

But by all means, let's not look back, just forward.

Obama's intelligence intelligence

By GottaLaff

Call me crazy, but I'm guessing that Obama actually pays attention to PDBs. Via Think Progress:

CNN reports that President-elect Barack Obama has a “hearty appetite for intelligence.” Obama is receiving intelligence briefings on all seven days of the week, “exceeding the six days given to President Bush.” Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell jokingly wondered aloud whether “there’s a little bit of competition” between the men.

Oh, that wacky, zany Mike McConnell. He's a chuckle-a-day, isn't he, with his little quips? Why, a little friendly competition between #s 43 and 44 is downright hilarious! Especially the part where, on one of the six days that Bush actually had someone read him a PDB (being that he's illiterate), he ignored it!

Isn't that a freakin' knee-slapper? Are we doubled over with laughter yet? There's nothing funnier than someone who gets briefed six out of seven days, rejects the contents of one of the most significant PDBs ever, and oops! on the seventh day the U.S. gets attacked! What could be more hilarious?

Hey, here's a funsy little quip of my own...I'm "wondering out loud" if we can impeach Six-Day-Bush.

Oh, and I guess Obama wins that little competition. Hands down.