Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Scooter Libby Verdict - Maybe It's Just Me

As you know, I get all my right-wing talking points from the blogs that quote them. This allows the craziness to distill, and it comes to me without any of the leavening mendacity that a true expert provides. For example, the other day I read that the lack of bad news coming out of Iraq PROVES that the surge is working. "It may be working, but a lack of evidence is the opposite of proof," I countered. "No no, this is absolute proof!" my talking-point-quoting friends screamed. I'm guessing, based on the tone, that it originated with Hannity.

But the far more interesting adventure in logic this week has been the assertion that it's a travesty of justice that I. "Scooter" Libby has been convicted of lying to a Grand Jury. I suppose that point is arguable, but when you point out that Clinton got the same treatment they insist this is NOTHING like THAT.

"Lying to a grand jury about a crime is indeed a crime. A very serious one at that. But as MadelinesDad pointed out- there was never a crime to lie about." See, in right-wing world Valerie Plame wasn't even WITH the CIA, or she was the CIA spokesperson. She had a big CIA hat and everyone in town knew she was an agent. Bill Clinton, on the other hand, was covering up his Monica Lewinsky indiscretion because it would directly prove he had raped a half-dozen women in Arkansas.

"Fitzgerald was on a fishing expedition! He already had a leaker with Richard Armitage." I pointed out that it was possible for more than one government official to leak the same information, but this got me nowhere rhetorically. After all, Armitage is a traitor who has subsequently disagreed with the President about the war. And he probably drinks and beats his children. Get on that one, Drudge.

So the way I see it Libby obstructs investigation about national security breach at least equals Clinton obstructs investigation about blow job. What am I missing? How can these people twist logic so far to accomodate their talking points? Doesn't it hurt after a while?

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