Inside the Beltway. . . and Out

Don't believe the Republican spin that this is just a matter of forgetting something in grand jury testimony.

Read the indictment for yourself.

Dick Cheney's chief of staff Scooter Libby was indicted on five counts: obstruction of justice, two counts of perjury, and two counts of making false statements (what Martha Stewart went to jail for).

You would expect it on Fox News, but we also are seeing it on CNN, MSNBC and the networks. Republicans are trying to get on all the shows this morning to minimize the upcoming indictments.

Reports indicate Cheney's Chief of Staff Scooter Libby will be indicted today and that Karl Rove likely will be indicted in the near future.

Republicans on TV, all using the same talking points, are trying to minimize the impact by saying the indictments likely won't be for a "real crime" but something like obstruction of justice, or misleading the grand jury by not remembering some detail that came up later.

No matter how they spin, this is a big deal.

The White House likely will pressure Libby either to plead to a lesser charge to avoid a trial, at which their strategy of lying about why we were invading Iraq would be laid bare, or to stall the trial until after next year's mid-term elections.

The growing public disapproval of Bush's war in Iraq and his botched nomination of Meiers for the Supreme Court have weakened him significantly. The indictments of top White House officials will hopefully be the final nail in the coffin.

Tom DeLay's indictments on money laundering charges, likely indictments of Karl Rove and Scooter Libby and possibly others, the SEC investigation into Sen. Frist's stock sale, and the growing public disapproval of Bush's handling of his war in Iraq, among other things, have effectively frozen Washington, DC.

Bush's brain Karl Rove and Cheney's chief of staff Scooter Libby could be indicted today or, more likely, tomorrow. Lots of speculation in the media and inside the Beltway, but no concrete news.

The Washington Post today reported that Rove's lawyer "is engaged in a furious effort to convince the prosecutor that Rove did not commit perjury during the course of the investigation."

The revelation that Cheney told his chief of staff of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity, and apparently lied to the world about it on Meet the Press, has put increased pressure on Scooter Libby. He may have lied to the grand jury to protect Chency, and now may be indicted for it.

Like Watergate, that brought down Richard Nixon, the coverup is even worse than the crime. Same with Martha Stewart. She went to jail because she lied to federal authorities about what she did; she didn't go to jail for what she actually did -- selling her stock based on non-public information.

If Rove and/or Libby or anybody else is indeed indicted, it will be hard to imagine Bush accomplishing very much in his remaining three years.

While the White House is frozen by the likely indictments of its senior staff, the House of Representatives is already pretty much frozen by the indictments of now-former Republican leader Tom DeLay. Several members are jockeying for position, such as Republican Rep. John Boehner (Ohio) and others, who may challenge Rep. Roy Blunt (Missouri) for DeLay's old job. Of course, DeLay is trying to intimidate them, vowing he will beat the rap and return to his post. No House Member wants to go for DeLay's job if he's coming back.

And in the Senate, the SEC investigation of Republican Leader Bill Frist's sale of stock in a company controlled by his family just before the release of bad news has distracted him and left the Senate somewhat adrift.

So, despite Republican control of all branches of goverment, not much is getting done inside the Beltway. And maybe that's not such a bad thing.

Biketoberfest in Daytona was wonderful.

We rode every day -- several times up and down Main Street to see and be seen, but also around Florida. We rode up to St. Augustine and over to the Gulf Coast, and all around the area, visiting Harley dealerships and seeing the sights. We also visited the Daytona International Speedway, but not surprisingly, they wouldn't let us ride on the track! We rode through several swamp areas, but we didn't see any gators.

We hung out at some of the famous biker bars, like Boot Hill Saloon, and generally had a good time with fellow motorcycle riders.

The vendors didn't have it so good, however, because of the love-hate relationship between them and the City of Daytona. Daytona loves to collect the fees, but they hate to see the bikers come to town. The vendors in years past were open all week, but this year, they were prohibited from opening until Thursday. Despite pleas to the city that Hurricane Wilma may cause many to leave early, the City refused to allow them to sell anything until the official opening.

Vendors outside Daytona, such as those up Route 1 in Ormond Beach, didn't have those restrictions and fared better. It may be that Daytona Bike Week ends up moving up and down the road outside of town, given the unfriendly reception provided by the City.

The weather was great -- lots of sunshine -- until Friday night, when the rain moved in. Saturday was so-so. We left on Sunday under cloudy skies. The hurricane hit just after we left. We got rained on the whole way home.

All in all, a great bike week.

Today has been tough. It's always tough for me on the first day back in the office after being out for more than a day or two, but today has been particularly difficult. I love my job, and I was pretty busy today, but I'd rather be riding.

I won't be able to completely forget everything inside the beltway, but early tomorrow morning we're roaring up the Harley and heading for Daytona for Biketoberfest.

The weather HAS to be better there than here in DC, where we haven't seen the sun since I don't know when.

We are joining up with a couple of friends in the morning and riding the local roads through Virginia and the Carolinas. We'll stop for the night in South Carolina and finish the journey Sunday. We'll ride all over Florida and have fun all week, and then head back next Sunday, arriving home on Monday.

Biker bars don't usually have much Internet access, so I don't know how much posting I will be able to do, but by the time I return I am sure lots of good things will have happened inside the beltway, and out.

The Washington Post is reporting that Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist has received a subpoena to turn over personal records and documents as the SEC steps up its investigation of his sale of stock in the company founded and controlled by his family.

After fighting for years to hold the stock, saying it was not a conflict of interest, suddenly Frist changed his mind and sold the stock, saying he wanted to avoid a conflict of interest. By coincidence, he expects us to believe, the company within days of his sale reported it would not meet its growth targets and the stock dropped significantly.

By selling his stock in the family company ahead of the release of bad news, Frist avoided a big loss. Hmmm. Selling to avoid a loss. That's exactly what Martha Stewart did. Her lies about it put her in jail.

Interestingly, Frist admitted being "contacted" by the SEC, but he failed to mention receiving a subpoena. According to Senate rules, since the subpoena deals only with personal records and nothing related to his official work in the Senate, Frist doesn't have to disclose it to his fellow Senators. (Does he think they won't read about it in the papers?)

Frist is yet another example of the Republican culture of corruption. America deserves better.

Best DC Steakhouse: Capitol Grille, Pennsylvania Avenue at 6th Street

Best Pineapple Martini: Capitol Grille

Best Seafood Restaurant: The Wharf, King Street, Old Town Alexandria

Best Motorcycle: Harley-Davidson

Best Motorcycle, specifically: Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic

Best Chardonnay under $10: Bogle

Best Chardonnay under $15: Edna Valley

Best Chardonnay under $30: Jordan

Best Virginia Winery: Linden

Best Vodka: Grey Goose

(Hmmm. I'm detecting a drinking theme here.)

Best Drink for Drinking with Friends: "Strip and Go Naked" In a large pitcher, mix one large can of MinuteMaid brand frozen lemonade mix, two cups vodka and four beers. Pour the beers in gently so you don't create too much foam. It doesn't sound like it would be good, but it is. Tastes like lemonade, but packs a punch.

I don't know about picking me up on a dreary, rainy day, but compiling this list has made me want to go have a drink now.

To be continued. . . . . . .

Congress is out of town, the federal government is closed, but I am at work. What's wrong with this picture?

Kind of a lazy, rainy weekend, and a mostly cloudy day today, but the air is beginning to feel more fall-like.

But stuff keeps happening inside the beltway.

Karl Rove In Deeper Trouble Than We Thought

Newsweek is reporting that an e-mail the White House didn't previously disclose may put Rove in even more hot water. Associated Press also has a story on the missing e-mail and Rove's now-obvious lie to Bush that he wasn't involved in leaking Valerie Plame's identity. Rove's likely indictment has crippled Bush.

Stealth Christian Rally Gets Rained Out

A $3.4 million rally designed to attract 100,000 young people to DC got only 5,000 or so attendees because of heavy rains this weekend.

The festival, designed by Oregon evangelist Luis Palau, was a religious event, but he didn't want attendees to realize it until they got there. He would have no choirs in robes or any religious trappings. Instead, he planned to draw young people with rock bands and skateboard and bicycle stunt performers. Once inside, he would then try to convert them to his brand of Christianity.

The rain limited the crowd to the already-faithful, so no converting took place. Palau was not happy with the rain, and vowed to get to the bottom of it when he gets to heaven.

"I'm perplexed that the Lord would allow this rain to come and despite all our prayers -- it's still coming," Palau, 70, said in a midafternoon phone interview from the Mall. "I do not doubt the goodness of God. When we get to heaven . . . we'll find out why this happened."

I have no problem at all with anyone believing any religious thing they want to, or believing nothing at all. I do have a problem with someone trying to trick young people into believing something.

The Washington Post's Reliable Source column noted that former Attorney General John Ashcroft -- who did a lot of damage inside the beltway and out when he was here -- was pulled aside for special screening Wednesday morning at National Airport before boarding the Delta Shuttle.

It's good to see that Ashcroft is flying commercial again like the rest of us. Remember, Ashcroft stopped flying commercial two months before 9/11 because of a "threat assessment" which he refused to clarify.

Karl Rove, Bush's closest advisor, may be indicted soon, if any of the rumors circulating inside the beltway turn out to be true.

Reuters is reporting today that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is expected to send letters to people notifying them if they are targets, and Raw Story is reporting that Rove's attorney will no longer deny Rove is a target.

Bad news just keeps piling up for the worst president ever.

Ever notice how the Bible-thumping conservatives who don't want you to see something -- like a particular movie, or the mannequins in the window of the new Victoria's Secret store at Tyson's Corner Mall -- end up generating more publicity for what they don't want you to see than the original thing could possibly have generated on its own?

They never learn.

Every time the holier-than-thou crowd complains about something -- or protests something -- people in America rightly take offense and ask "who are these people to tell me what I can and cannot see and do?"

Telling someone they can't see something only makes them want to see it.

The complaints of a handful of local conservatives -- who apparently thought their complaints and boycott threats would shut down the store -- have generated stories on four local DC TV stations, the Washington Post, and other local media. The new Victoria's Secret store is getting tons of free publicity and raking in the dollars.

They just never learn.

The additional money laundering indictments against Republican Tom DeLay likely will be additional nails in his political coffin.

Republicans are moving on. DeLay is now out of his big office suite in the Capitol, moving to a regular office across the street with the rest of Congress.

Some Republicans are still being polite to him out of fear of what he might do -- you are always cautious dealing with a cornered rat. Some are circling the wounded DeLay like hyenas. But most are trying to distance themselves from him. It's fun to watch.

DeLay probably won't be Republican Majority Leader again -- there's just too much baggage now with the multiple indictments for money laundering, the ongoing investigation in to his dealings and international trips with disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and just the notion that Congress is tired of being under his thumb for so long.

But DeLay's immediate problem is winning re-election. He got only 55% of the vote last time -- before any indictments. If his challenger puts up a good race, DeLay may not even be coming back to Washington, much less back to power.

Unfortunately, his legacy will live on -- at least for a while.

This past Friday, the Administration announced the capitol mall biohazard sensors had detected tularemia in the air over a week ago.

Anyone in lobbying and public relations knows if you want to minimize news coverage of a story, you release it to the media late on a Friday.

Were the Bushies afraid of more bad publicity about their failures?

Were you sick last week? I was. I work near the mall, and travel regularly to and from Capitol Hill. I had the symtoms tularemia produces -- fever, chills, joint pain, headache. My neighbor, who also works near the capitol mall, had the same symptoms at the exact same time.

I trust the tularemia was not the result of terrorist activity. But I have no confidence in Bush's ability to respond, especially while they are operating in damage control mode trying to improve Bush's image and recover from the lowest approval ratings ever.