PREFACE:

A group of distinguished intelligence and military officers, diplomats, and law enforcement professionals delivered an urgent message this morning to the chairman and the ranking minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, calling on them to hold the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey until he takes a clear position on the legality of waterboarding.

Their message strongly endorses the view of former judge advocates general that waterboarding "is inhumane, is torture, is illegal.” The intelligence veterans added it is also a notoriously unreliable way to acquire accurate information.

They noted that the factors cited by the president and Mukasey as obstacles to his giving an opinion on waterboarding can be easily solved by briefing Mukasey on waterboarding and on C.I.A. interrogation methods.

Yesterday U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton ruled that five reporters must reveal their sources for stories they wrote about anthrax "person of interest" Steven J. Hatfill.  As both a "leaker," and as the object of smear campaigns leaked to the press (and in which the press was complicit), I am very conflicted over this issue.  The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which has been a huge ally to me over the years, said that the Hatfill ruling will have "horrifying" repercussions for reporters.  So below is my attempt do distinguish between "leaking" (disclosures to the media designed solely to smear, e.g., Army scientist Steven Hatfill, nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee, Army Captain James Yee, myself . . .) and "whistleblowing" (disclosures to the media that are in the public interest, e.g., Joe Wilson, Coleen Rowley, Ann Wright, myself . . .)

"Retired FBI agent and congressional candidate Coleen Rowley will discuss her suggestions for improving the effectiveness of the War on Terror as well as her experiences inside government bureaucracy. She will be joined by Ray McGovern and Michael German.

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/

Radio Stations: http://www.coasttocoastam.com/...

The program airs from 11PM to 2AM tonight.

Coleen Rowley has a new article/memo up at Consortium News.

Working with a group called Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS), she has crafted an assessment of America's current safety that is devastating.

For example--Bush announced that he would create a Dept of Homeland Security after all within hours of Rowley's June 6, 2002 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Commission.

The announcement seemed timed to relegate to the "in-other-news" category the disturbing things reported to the Senate earlier that day about the mistakes made during the weeks prior to 9/11.

more...

Whistleblowers applaud one of their own. Washington, D.C., May 15, 2007.

In my previous diary, I provided an overview of last week's gathering of truthtellers in Washington, D.C., for "Washington Whistleblower Week." Today's diary offers additional details and photos of the event, far too big to cover in a single diary.  

Despite the danger of more reprisals, whistleblowers came out of the shadows last week to demand stronger legal protections for government workers who disclose wrongdoing that threatens national security or the public welfare.  Repeatedly, insiders and former insiders said they fear for the future of our nation if nothing is done to protect future truthtellers; any that escape the ongoing purge, that is.

Although WWW received scant mainstream media coverage, organizers say the week was a success for the solidarity it generated among long-isolated whistleblowers. But, don't expect them to settle for that. These are, after all, folks who individually took on the entire U.S. government on principle.

It was everything whistleblowers had promised - and more, and less.  Washington Whistleblower Week captured the attention of the New York Times, prominent activists and at least some members of Congress. Often at the last minute, a diverse coalition of individuals and nonprofit groups cobbled together a week of activities designed to enlighten the public, and sometimes themselves, about the plight of public service whistleblowers.

Through testimonies poignant and often shocking, WWW participants learned about the persecution of individuals who took a courageous stand against wrongdoing that undermined the public welfare. Shunned and isolated by their agencies, the whistleblowers suffered in silence, typically for years. But, they are isolated no more. At last week's unprecedented gathering, whistleblowers forged bonds that promise to make them a powerful, united voice against government abuses of power.

Next week, an avalanche of scandals will descend on Capitol Hill as dozens, and possibly hundreds, of government whistleblowers simultaneously deliver to Congress disclosures of government waste, fraud and abuse, including many that have never been told publicly. The mass disclosure of wrongoing is unprecendented and sure to create consternation among administration officials.

Whistleblowers are coming from all over the country to Washington, D.C., to take part in the Congressional tribunal, and other activities, both public and private. DKos readers who live in the DC area, will have a rare opportunity to support their your local whistleblowers, including DKos own Jesselyn Radack), at a book signing scheduled for Monday evening (May 14). New and familiar faces are among those participating in discussion panels to be broadcast Monday on CSPAN. The familiar faces include Jeffrey Wigand, the "Insider," and Coleen Rowley, TIME Magazine's Person of the Year.

These days, no one is surprised to see a whistleblower, seated at a hearing table, grimly providing Congress with details of the latest scandal. But, what if hundreds of whistleblowers converged on Capitol Hill, all at once, to share their stories of government waste, fraud and abuse? Wouldn't that be a sight to see?

Well, it's happening. Whistleblowers are coming to DC from all over the country for "Whistleblower Week in Washington," a weeklong event (May 13-19) to advocate government reforms and to honor truthellers.  Scheduled activities include workshops, seminars, panel discussions, public appearances, and private get-togethers, topped off with a tribunal on Capitol Hill where truthtellers will share disclosures of government wrongdoing and to urge Congress to pass new whistleblower legislation.  Disclosures can cover any administration (this is a bipartisan effort), but should include many new revelations of wrongdoing in the Bush administration. More than 40 nonprofit and whistleblower groups have expressed their support.

This promises to be an historic event, and it needs your help.

BY LARRY C. JOHNSON, RAY McGOVERN, RAY CLOSE, DAVID C. MacMICHAEL, and COLLEEN ROWLEY (Steering Group, Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity [VIPS])

MEMORANDUM FOR: Speaker of the House | Senate Majority Leader

SUBJECT: Denouement on Iraq: First Stop the Bleeding

In the coming weeks a Congress that is willing to assert its prerogative as a co-equal branch of government has a unique opportunity to stop the needless deaths and maiming of U.S. troops in Iraq and bring them home in an orderly way this year. To do that, it must use its constitutionally mandated authority—the power of the purse. Although the president, vice president, and their most ardent supporters blindly insist that victory is a troop surge away, the current U.S. military commander on the ground, General David Petraeus, concedes that no military victory is possible. Victory will only be secured through a political solution. The question is not whether U.S. troops will remain permanently in Iraq. The vast majority of Americans agree that the U.S. presence in Iraq is temporary. The real question is how many more Americans will be killed and wounded in a civil war that pits Sunnis against Shias.

Cross-posted from Minnesota Campaign Report - but this analysis can be done pretty much anywhere :)

The National Journal (subscription req'd) recently dug into disbursement records for Congressional and Senate candidates in the 2006 election to answer an interesting question:  How much did a given candidate spend on each vote he or she eventually received?  Alternately, how efficiently did candidates spend their hard-earned warchests?

Three quick things in today's diary:

An update on the call to action by Juan Cole on Elliott Abram's use of the CIA Publications Review Board to censor a former CIA official's criticism of the administration's Iran policy.

A parallel problem - Wolfowitz must be removed as head of the World Bank!

Last: Coleen Rowley, TIME person of the year, 9/11 FBI whistleblower and MN-02 democratic candidate needs your help to retire her campaign debt, as does Sen. Becky Lourey. Rowley has campaign memorabilia for sale on eBay.com.

USA Today has just published a series of three articles about whistleblowers - including Sibel Edmonds, Russ Tice, Mike German, and Coleen Rowley - and the costs they endure for trying to do their duty, including banishment, humiliation, and often their careers, homes and marriages.

The government's best and only strawman argument is:
"When classified information is printed in the newspapers, it's not just Americans who read it... It's also America's enemies."

Of course, most whistleblowing is done INTERNALLY and only bursts out into the public domain when all other channels are exhausted.

Thanks to USA Today for at least publishing this series - but see if you spot the difference between their description of Sibel's whistleblowing ("shoddy translations") and Sibel's description (narcotic activities, illegal arms sales, money laundering, and terrorism related activities overlap and become one including espionage and the senior members of congress, State Dept and the Pentagon)

I realize everyone is hustling to get out of town or prepare for the onslaught of visitors coming to town, so I will keep this brief.  I will make it easy for you to help someone who has helped all of us.  All you have to do is Before you go, help Coleen Rowley.  

If we don't help women like her, we can bet on getting more women like Jean Schmidt (see the diary below this one).

Don't recognize the name Coleen Rowley? Follow me over the flip...

There are a lot of heroes in this election - there is a lot of credit to share for our great victory.  The bulk of it, I feel, is due to the candidates who stepped forward and put their names up for consideration, in districts red and blue, contesting incumbents and open seats.  These brave souls stepped outside of their routine, faced (and faced down) legendary opposition, spent countless hours on the phone asking strangers for money, wore out shoes and ate rubber chicken and kielbasa 'til it was coming out of their pores.  They withstood slander and media scrutiny and an unending stream of bad advice and criticism.

Coleen Rowley is one of those heroes; she is the former FBI whistleblower who ran for Congress in Minnesota's second district.  You can help her out at the WGYB ActBlue page  Her plea for support is in the extended entry.

Vote for an honest Congress. Vote your hopes, not your fears. Vote for Coleen Rowley.

She stood up for us after 9/11 -- she'll stand up for us against the corruption and abuse of power in the U.S. Congress.

Wouldn't she be a great addition to the Ethics Panel?

Let's hope for a long night with a surprising victory. The politics of Karl Rove should not ruin another election.

U.S. Congressional Candidate Coleen Rowley held a press conference Friday, November 3rd to respond to a barrage of negative mailings and television attack ads from the John Kline campaign to voters in the Second Congressional District.

She also released an ad that will be running in the StarTribune taking each of Kline's charges blow-by-blow.

Rowley is a national hero, who risked her own career to blow the whistle on mistakes at the FBI, where she worked for 24 years, which if hadn't occured might have spared America from 9/11. Her opponent, Rep. John Kline, has been especially vicious with negative attacks against her. With a campaign bankrolled by corporate interests, the War industry, the tobacco industry, the most unethical members of Congress and more, he's blanketed the district with hate flyers.

Click on the image above to have a PDF version of the ad appear in a new window.

AND
Video of Coleen Rowley press conference available:

View video from the press conference Coleen Rowley held today:InsideMinnesotaPolitics.blogspot.com

Nowhere is this more evident than in the Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District, where John Kline has inundated the airwaves and mailboxes with negative attack ads, using lies and distortions about Coleen Rowley to drown out any real discussion of the issues important to our country.

Here's your chance to fight back in the spirit of the political campaigns of yesteryear!

Then read about some of the people supporting Coleen Rowley below.