Best of the Web Today - March 20, 2007
By JAMES TARANTO
Plamnesia--II
Yesterday we noted that Kerfuffle Gal Valerie Plame testified she did not know whether she was a "covert" CIA agent as defined under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act in 2003, when her supposedly secret identity surfaced. Reader Jim Lucas makes a crucial point that we missed:
The Intelligence Identities Protection Act makes it a federal crime to intentionally reveal the identity of an agent whom one knows to be covert. So how can anyone be accused of knowingly revealing Valerie Plame's identity as a covert agent if Valerie Plame herself didn't know if she was covert according to the law?
That pretty much settles the question, doesn't it? If Plame's status was secret even from herself, how could "leaker" Richard Armitage or "perjurer" Scooter Libby possibly have known?
The U.S. Attorney Scandal, Explained!
We haven't written much about the foofaraw over the Bush administration's firings of eight U.S. attorneys, because we don't understand the issues involved. But a reader calls our attention to a transcript of "Washington Week," which explicates some of the issues:
Gwen Ifill: One more question for you, Doyle, on this point, which is there has been much back and forth about whether this is something which is unprecedented--this firing. Whether it is okay for the president to do it, because after all, as Tony Snow said repeatedly today, these people serve at the pleasure of the president. Is there a precedent for it?
Doyle McManus: Well, there is and there isn't. This one of those awful things where you go back into the history and everybody is still arguing about what the history means. Look, it's always been a bit of a tradition that when the White House changes in party, when Richard Nixon was succeeded by--who was that? No, that was Gerald Ford. When Gerald Ford was succeeded by Jimmy Carter, when Bill Clinton was succeeded by--when Clinton took over, and when President Bush took over from Clinton, at that point it's pretty much customary for the U.S. attorneys in place to submit their resignations. Now, Republicans are arguing that Janet Reno under Bill Clinton went farther and demanded the resignations, but even then Bill Clinton didn't fire everybody.
This is different. It's in the middle of a term. It's within the president's right to do it. That's technically true. But what even some conservative Republican legal specialists are worried about is this: are we sliding toward a politicization of that job of U.S. attorney? There's always been politics involved. Senators get involved. But are we sliding towards--and that was what was, of course, ugly in those e-mails.
Alexis Simendinger: Yes. And I think we should add, too, that we're talking about eight individuals who were appointed--politically appointed by the president of the United States. They were chosen by this president, so we're not talking about him being concerned about Democratic holdovers or some other president's choices. We're talking about his own choices.
To sum up:
1. It was OK for Bill Clinton to fire 93 U.S. attorneys, because he "didn't fire everybody." But it was not OK for Bush to fire eight of them.
2. Firing U.S. attorneys of the opposite party is fine, but firing U.S. attorneys of your own party is evidence of "politicization."
Makes sense, doesn't it?
Attash's Attacks
"An alleged [sic] key al-Qaeda operative with close ties to Osama bin Laden told a military hearing at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that he organized the attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 U.S. sailors in 2000, according to Defense Department transcripts released yesterday," reports the Washington Post:
Walid Muhammad bin Attash, also known as Tawfiq bin Attash, became the second high-value detainee in recent days to stand before U.S. military officers and take responsibility for major attacks against U.S. interests, barely challenging allegations against him. In a brief hearing on March 12 that was closed to the public, bin Attash also was said to have claimed responsibility for an al-Qaeda operation that led to the nearly simultaneous detonation of two truck bombs at the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, killing more than 200 people and injuring thousands.
The Attash transcript, in PDF, is here. The Cole and African embassy attacks were among the few in which Khalid Sheikh Mohammed did not claim involvement.
Don't Worry, Your Kid's Bus Driver's a Terrorist
From the Associated Press:
Suspected members of extremist groups have signed up as school-bus drivers in the United States, counterterror officials said yesterday in a cautionary bulletin to police. But an FBI spokesman said, "Parents and children have nothing to fear."
Well, that's a relief!
Hey, Do You Recognize Me?
The Financial Times has a rather stunning op-ed by far-left billionaire George Soros, advising America on Mideast policy:
The Bush administration is again committing a blunder in the Middle East by supporting the Israeli government in its refusal to recognise a Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas. This precludes any progress towards a peace settlement at a time when such progress could help avert conflagration in the greater Middle East. . . .
Both Israel and the US seem frozen in their unwillingness to negotiate with a Palestinian Authority that includes Hamas. The sticking-point is Hamas's unwillingness to recognise the existence of Israel, but that could be made a condition for an eventual settlement rather than a precondition for negotiations.
Of course, Hamas not only refuses to recognize Israel but calls for Israel's total destruction. Seems to us this is more than a "sticking-point."
Not Too Sharp
Atlanta's WSB-TV reports on a crime gone wrong:
A suspect in a knife attack was crushed to death by a cement truck as he tried to run from a group of witnesses. . . .
When a group of men began chasing the suspect he jumped onto the running board of a passing truck.
He lost his grip and was killed when he fell under the wheels of the multi-ton truck.
Police are still trying to identify the man.
Whoever he is, one thing's for certain: He's as much of a hero as Rachel Corrie.
Billions Will Die!
An article about "global warming" in the Age of Melbourne, Australia, includes this prediction:
"Before this century is over, billions of us will die and the few breeding pairs of people that survive will be in the Arctic," predicted James Lovelock, a renowned environmental scientist.
This is a bit like predicting that tomorrow the sun will rise and a comet will strike Europe. The first part of the prediction is safe, the second is wildly far-fetched.
The Things People Will Do for a Free Upgrade
"Airline Moves Dead Body to 1st Class After Woman Dies in Economy Cabin on International Flight"--headline, Associated Press, March 20
It's New Jersey, After All
"Crook Is Newest Judge in Burlington County"--headline, Courier-Post (Cherry Hill, N.J.), March 19
For or Against Child Labor Laws?
"Minor Employee Takes Stand"--headline, Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.), March 20
Generalissimo Francisco Franco Is Still Dead
"Franco-Ontarian Poet Robert Dickson Dies"--headline, CBC.ca, March 20
What Would We Do Without . . . Oh, Look! A Squirrel!
"Studies Focus on Wandering Thoughts"--headline, CBC.ca, March 20
News You Can Use
"Find Explosives? Call 911, State Police Urge"--headline, News Journal (Wilmington, Del.), March 20
Bottom Stories of the Day
o "No Drunk Driving-Related Crashes in Milwaukee County Saturday"--headline, WISN-TV Web site (Milwaukee), March 18
o "Princess Di's Brother Visits Exhibit"--headline, TownHall.com, March 19
o "Mom-to-Be Switches Docs, Hospitals"--headline, Wausau (Wis.) Daily Herald, March 20
o "Duct Tape Doubted as Miracle Wart Cure"--headline, Chicago Tribune, March 20
Un Goofo Grande
Mitt Romney committed a paso falso the other day when he spoke to a group of Cuban-Americans in Miami:
When he mistakenly associated Fidel Castro's trademark speech-ending slogan--Patria o muerte, venceremos!--with a free Cuba, listeners didn't laugh. They winced.
Castro has closed his speeches with the phrase--in English, ''Fatherland or death, we shall overcome''--for decades. . . .
Romney's fumble demonstrates the potential snags for state and national politicians trying to navigate the Cuban-American community of South Florida.
Ever since Ronald Reagan enthralled exiles by crying, ''Cuba sí, Castro no,'' in a landmark 1983 visit to Little Havana, politicians have clamored, with mixed success, for the Spanish-speaking vote.
It's not so different from the candidates who court Broward County's heavily Jewish retirement condominiums, offering residents a free nosh and delivering their best schtick.
And if you do go to Broward, Gov. Romney, try to avoid the slogan "Arbeit macht frei."
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