I was going to title this "Harman is the Dead Fish in the Mail", but I thought it was too derivative. Besides, if I'm going to join this fabulous conspiracy theory feeding frenzy, I'm using my own metaphor. This story isn't a can of worms; its a semi-trailer of worms: CIA, FBI, Gonzalez, Harman, AIPAC, illegal wiretapping, NYT, and on and on. Its the X-files come to life, minus the aliens. Its like trying to figure out why a bar-room brawl broke out in a dicey bar on the bad side of town - impossible, but lots of fun. I came to DKos to be serious, but I cannot resist this food fight.
Tinfoil hat on: my money is on Rahm.
People talk about the timing of this coinciding with the torture investigation of the CIA. But, since there are so many players, there are other coincidental things going on - like the shoving match between Obama and Netanyahu. This got some mention in drational's Horse's Head thread:
In a comment by "slaney black" in the Horse's Head thread:
It could be a warning shot to pro-Israel Dems not to get too friendly with Netanyahu. This would mean it was leaked by the White House or foreign service. Or more likely, it's pushback against dropping the AIPAC spy case. This would more likely come from career DoJ/FBI.
If you don't think that fishing in the intelligence swamp in Washington is going to hook more than a few AIPAC-Likudniks, you need a remedial course in lobbying and spying. In fact, my "theory" has already been proposed by "super390" in the Horse's Head thread:
Now what happens if a black president is willing to sacrifice members of his own party to get to the truth of how both parties served Israel, Cheney, and his bi-national neocons? The far right can't think Obama is part of a conspiracy of Jews anymore, they can't deny that Cheney was a partner to a Zionist conspiracy, they can't deny that both Democrats and Republicans should go to jail - but the latter were far more powerful officials, and they can't deny that Bush's wiretapping program was leading to corruption and even treason.
Then we will have more investigations, and Cheney and Abramoff and DeLay will keep popping up, and the ties between the far-right foundations and the Bush regime and GOP fundraising will be uprooted, one after the other. We will regain our ability to be an honest broker in the Middle East as Arabs watch those they accused of being Israeli puppets in handcuffs.
Most Washington observers are still in the thug mindset of the Bush-Cheney years, where nothing was subtle and even the cooked intelligence wouldn't have fooled a four-year old. But, Obama and his crew are beginning to get my respect as players (not saying I like all their policies, but I do respect their skill). This Harman thing could be a case study in opportunistic political brilliance. It puts their opponents on the horns of a dilemma. Defend Harman and you further tar yourself with the neocon-Likud brush; attack Harman and you are shooting one of your own people. Ha. Ha. Ha.
I am not going to recap the story and theorizing thus far. But there is one point I want to emphasize. A lot of people see Porter Goss as an instigator of this story, and thereby think this fracas is the neocon gang targeting Dems. But, what if it was just a screwup by Harman that Rahm jumped on with alacrity?
In "leveymg"s diary "The Larger Scandal Behind Harman-AIPAC - Israeli Spying in the U.S.", he says"
One thing I couldn’t quite figure out is why Jane Harman, an old Washington hand in the spy game, would talk on the phone about doing favors for AIPAC with a known Israeli espionage figure, reportedly Naor Gilon, who was "FO-3", the foreign intelligence officer in the Larry Franklin case. She must have known such a chat would be intercepted by the NSA, particularly as the phone call reportedly occurred only a few months after Larry Franklin had been arrested for sharing classified information with two AIPAC employees.
It's widely known that NSA and FBI have been legally surveiling the Mossad Office in the Israeli Embassy for years. Decades. If Harman was overheard as part of that tap, she should have known better. If Harman indeed had this conversation with the Mossad Chief in DC, it's no surprise she was kicked off the House Intel Committee. That would have been a brazen and stupid thing to do.
Harman may have forgotten that FISA law had been previously amended by the USA-PATRIOT Act so that authorized taps follow the suspected person, and do not just apply to any particular land-line telephone number, as they did in the dark ages when FBI agents had to climb telephone poles to affix taps to specific lines.
Very confusing, yes.
So confusing in fact that Jane Harman may have been caught in a trap of her own making. See, Jane had been one of the most effective advocates in Congress for expanding NSA domestic wiretapping. That is, until it was used against her. There’s gotta be some kind of Genie who dispenses such rough payback.
As a member of the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party, I couldn't be happier that a fascist thug like Harman gets what she deserves. I also want to see AIPAC and Joe Lieberman play defense for a change. I want to see them run scared. If Rahm can make them do it, then I say Obama is a genius. He has found the strategic jugular of the militarist/black ops/neocon world: the illicit commerce between the Likudnik spy shop/money machine and the dictator wannabees (of both parties) in this country. Just by squeezing this pressure point, he can gain the maneuvering room he needs.
Also, the politics is surreally hysterical. Cheney and Harman both demanding that secret transcripts be released. Harman outraged that she was caught by a LEGAL wiretap. The whole GOP trying to make themselves as invisible as Alberto Gonzales. The whole thing screams of a "false flag" operation that has been done correctly!
Bottom line, with tinfoil on it: Harman screwed up. Karma is a bitch. Rahm, who is trying to get the Likudniks (both in D.C. and Israel) back into their cages, sees an opportunity to send them and their Blue Dog surrogates a real message. Its a twofer (or maybe a threefer, counting Gonzalez).
That's my theory. I heard it on my tooth radio, and I believe it.
SAFE CONDUCT PASS: I am usually smart enough to stay out of the Israeli-Palestine shooting gallery/minefield. Please grant me the courtesy you would any escaped lunatic wandering into the middle of a battlefield. The King of Hearts thanks you.