Most mainstream media have omitted in reporting the news that over a year ago, public health experts put the number at 100,000.

The original Lancet study is online—registration is required to access. The radio show This American Life also did a segment earlier in the year on the credibility of the Lancet study, and found it to be credible. Link to broadcast is here.

The Lancet study was widely critiqued by the right for its methods, which were made public and employed very common statistical sampling techniques, some deriving from a Pentagon statistictian. So should the method behind Bush’s number be made public.

I trust a group of (hopefully) non-partisan public health experts far more than Bush and Rummy.

It turns my stomach that our president can actually justify this war to himself and others despite this massive and unnecessary loss of life. Will no one point out to him the immorality of “fighting them over there so we don’t have to fight them here” when it causes the death of innocent women and children? He claims that we are bringing freedom and democracy to the Middle East. What good is freedom when you must worry every day about your children dying, no to mention when your electricity will work and where your next job will come from?

After the speech ended early, Bush — in a rare move — took questions from the audience. When the president was asked about the number of Iraqi deaths in the war, he estimated 30,000 people have been killed since March 2003.

According to Reuters, a White House spokesman said Bush was giving a figure based on media reports and the number wasn’t an official estimate from the U.S. government.

I was under the impression from everything I’ve heard that this figure is far greater that 30,000. Has anyone seen the media reports the White House referenced and can anyone provide better figures on this so we can hold the White House to account on their ridiculous statement.

Cheney Adviser Indicted in CIA Leak Probe
Vice President Accepts I. Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby’s Resignation ‘With Deep Regret’

• RawStory says this is only the beginning and prosecutors are pursuing more serious charges against Rove with a possible indictment next week.
• Steve Soto thinks this is it and after 2 years, all Fitzgerald could get is Libby.
• The Smoking Gun has the indictment.
• MyDD says that David Addington, “a principal author of the White House memo justifying torture of terrorism suspects” and a man who “stands out for his devotion to secrecy in an administration noted for its confidentiality” will replace Libby as VP COS.
• The Guardian confirms that while Rove was not indicted today, he remains under investigation.

Arianna Huffington commented that Plamegate will be bigger than Watergate because of the massive loss of life (now 2,000 Americans, see Josh’s post below). Keep in mind the Iraqi total is over 26,000. Given that the Democrats have been handed this golden opportunity to launch a platform of “Together, America (or we) can do better,” they must now capatalize on the Republican implosion and corruption.

The message of this particular incident, “Plamegate” must be simple, and directly tied to the Iraq war. Joe Wilson was a critic from the INSIDE, not from the lefty blogosphere. He had contributed $1,000 to elect George W. Bush, and in 2003 wrote a piece condemning the adminsitration’s handling of how they sold the war to the American people. What needs to be on trial here is that Bush, Cheney, and Rove lied to the American people about the neccesity of war, and covered it up with this intentional smear of their critic.

If the Democrats fail to grasp this concept, and sieze this opportunity, the indictments mean nothing, and we have let Bush get away with murder, literally.

….comments?

I. Lewis Libby Jr., Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, first learned about the C.I.A. officer at the heart of the leak investigation in a conversation with Mr. Cheney weeks before her identity became public in 2003, lawyers involved in the case said Monday.

Notes of the previously undisclosed conversation between Mr. Libby and Mr. Cheney on June 12, 2003, appear to differ from Mr. Libby’s testimony to a federal grand jury that he initially learned about the C.I.A. officer, Valerie Wilson, from journalists, the lawyers said.

So now we know Libby lied to Fitzgerald to cover Dick’s ass (couldn’t resist). Anyone else wondering what Cheney told him in his testimony?

10. Put down the caffeine: For the next 48 hours, cleanse your body of java, aspartame, splenda, and whatever other shit you’ve been putting in your system. Your body will be producing more adrenaline during Fitzmas than it did when you were a hormone-crazed teenager, so don’t fuel the fire.
9. “Refresh” is the AntiChrist: Resist the urge to press “refresh” every TWO SECONDS. Checking into Drudge every minute won’t make any indictments come any faster..it’ll just give him hits and make Drudge’s head swell even more. Eww. I put “Drudge” and “swell” and “head” in the same sentence. I just grossed myself out.
8. …

Admittedly, you’ve gotta be a Plamegate junky to find it funny, but if you ARE, keep reading, it’s hysterical.

Rep. Tom DeLay will likely be booked in a Texas county jail this week despite attempts by his attorneys to bypass the fingerprinting and mug shot process.

The former House majority leader was forced to step down from the post last month when he was indicted by a Texas grand jury. DeLay initially was charged with conspiracy to violate the election code and days later was indicted on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to launder money in an alleged illegal scheme to funnel corporate money to Republican Texas legislative candidates.

On a happier note, it looks like Tom DeLay will have options after the 2006 elections. I have talked to my sources and it appears likely that Orkin would consider hiring the former exterminator to handle some of their small-scale infestation jobs.

WELL DONE, TOM!

Under House rules, this means Delay has to step-down as Majority Leader.

Radical Rick Santorum, get off your cell phone, we’re coming for you next baby.

Good work, everyone.