The Godfather Part VI and V

This isn't really that funny. Not least, because it's so true, but also because any joke that needs 'a little background' is almost certainly not very amusing in the first place. It's also a political joke, so enough said. Pray though, will you indulge me just this once...

The video below is mash-up of scenes from the Godfather and James Comey's testimony before congress last week. He was asked to describe the events of March 3 years ago, which followed a DoJ decision not to sanction a warrentless NSA wiretapping program the Whitehouse had ordered. As acting Attorney General at the time, Comey explained, there were aspects of the program that he was uncomfortable with, so he couldn't sign off on it. However, that didn't really go over well at the Whitehouse. So they decided to go over him. Trouble was, 'over him' meant the AG, and the AG at the time, John Ashcroft, was seriously ill in hospital. Well, when your wiretapping privileges are on the line, all standards of decency and decorum go out the window apparently, because Bush dispatched his enforcers - chief of staff, Andy Card, and then Whitehouse counsel, Alberto "Fredo" Gonzalez - to 'talk' to the ailing AG about over-ruling Comey's decision.

So, that's how Comey found himself racing - blue lights literally flashing - to the hospital to defend his integrity, his authority - not to mention his boss - from Bush's wise guys. And now that you've made it through all of that here's a better longer account, which outlines (on page two) who James Comey is, and thereby, just how damning these revelations are.



After the bar update:
First, the full Comey testimony is here.
Second, somewhere out a-drinkin', it occurred to me that I didn't finish the story. So, Card and Gonzalez met with the out-of-it Ashcroft, and he (to his enormous - can't believe I'm saying this - credit) sat up in bed and said no, Comey's the AG now, so what he says goes. When, a few days later, it appeared that the Whitehouse was going to go go ahead, regardless of what the DoJ thought, the whitehouse was informed that Ashcroft, Comey, and Robert Muller (then head of the FBI) all intended to resign over the matter. Following that, Bush himself intervened, and they ended up making a settlement, the details of which are sketchy.

So lets repeat that last bit again - Ashcroft, the AG, the deputy AG and the head of the FBI all intended to quit, because they could not conscience this move. That is, three committed, movement conservatives, were ready to quit over the warrantless wiretapping program, because they thought it was wrong. We've heard bits and pieces of this before - for three years the rumours over this 'affair' have flown thick and fast - but finally, the sordid details have come to light.


Politics schmolitics,

- Mr. Ed