January 27, 2007
Getting Juicy
Everything anyone ever suspected about the manipulation of the press by the Bush administration is all true. Cathie Martin spilled some of the beans yesterday in the Libby trial. She is a University of Texas (what a surprise!) and Harvard Law (class o' '93) graduate. Having worked under Mary Matalin, she was a senior public affairs official in Cheney's office when Joseph Wilson, enraged Cheney with his famous New York Times editorial "What I Didn't Find in Africa" , which contradicted the administration's claim that Iraqis had been sniffing around Libya for Yellowcake Uranium. Cathie, in keeping with the administration's reward system, has since been promoted to Deputy Communications Director in the White House.
The woman went to law school, she knows Scooter is on trial for lying (and not the myriad unethical behaviors in which he has participated over the years) , and she wisely saw fit to tell the embarrassing truth on the stand. Reportedly she twitched and wriggled and pulled at her hair.
Dana Milbank writes about her testimony:
"I suggested we put the vice president on 'Meet the Press,' which was a tactic we often used," Martin testified. "It's our best format." [Dak -- the administration's BEST FORMAT !?! -- another robotic institution topples]It is unclear whether the first week of the trial will help or hurt Libby or the administration. But the trial has already pulled back the curtain on the White House's PR techniques and confirmed some of the darkest suspicions of the reporters upon whom they are used. Relatively junior White House aides run roughshod over members of the president's Cabinet. Bush aides charged with speaking to the public and the media are kept out of the loop on some of the most important issues. And bad news is dumped before the weekend for the sole purpose of burying it.
With a candor that is frowned upon at the White House, Martin explained the use of late-Friday statements. "Fewer people pay attention to it late on Friday," she said. "Fewer people pay attention when it's reported on Saturday."
Martin, perhaps unaware of the suspicion such machinations caused in the press corps, lamented that her statements at the time were not regarded as credible. She testified that, as the controversy swelled in 2004, reporters ignored her denials and continued to report that it was Cheney's office that sent former ambassador Joseph Wilson to Niger to investigate allegations of Iraq's nuclear acquisitions. "They're not taking my word for it," Martin recalled telling a colleague.
And this is just the beginning Stay tuned. The folks at Firedoglake are blogging live from the scene every day.
Lest you think some of us here at Dakota are too delighted by the discomfort of sociopaths -- please note that lying hasn't been exposed and punished enough to put a stop to it. Lying is business as usual for this administration. Scooter got caught, but only for trying cover up lies. Hopefully we are beginning a process of peeling back the many layers of dishonesty and corruption, and bringing light to democracy once again.
Photo note: Looking at the center of a many layered succulent. We're counting on our friend Herman of Soekershof to identify it. It was found on the shelf at Whole Foods, but that's probably not it's native environment. The sticker on the side says "Desert Rose".
Posted by Dakota at January 27, 2007 07:35 AM