"No matter how paranoid or conspiracy-minded you are, what the government is actually doing is worse than you imagine." - - - William Blum

November 01, 2005

As Juan Cole emphasized in the following post yesterday, this subject should be in the crosshairs of every Progressive blogger:

Libby Replaced by Scandal-Ridden Aides

Vice President Richard Bruce Cheney replaced his indicted chief of staff, Irving Lewis Libby on Monday with two problematic figures-- David Addington and John Hannah.

As Jonathan Landay and Warren Strobel note, Addington is the author of legal memos justifying torture of prisoners held by the US abroad, in direct contradiction of US treaty obligations under international law. I guess Cheney thinks the authors of the US constitution were appalled by cruel and unusual punishment only if American authorities committed it in North America. In reference to Addington, the Washington Post published an editorial recently calling Cheney the Vice President of torture.

Hannah was a point man in spreading the disinformation produced by Ahmad Chalabi and the Iraqi National Congress about Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction.

So, the Veep showing his deep disdain for the American public with these appointments of Libby's replacements. Both of them have so disserved it that they should be made to resign, not promoted.

John Stewart was brilliant Monday night on the attempt of the Bush administration to take the spotlight off Libby's damage to national security with its next supreme court nominee. I hope the blogosphere keeps its eyes on the Libby story. And I should think this is an issue that should concern all bloggers, whether on the left or the right. Cheney's and Bush's aides damaged our national security for petty political purposes, and they are making an assault on key provisions in the US constitution.


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