From AP via Jesse at Stakeholder who has more:

Announcing that it is "time for Congress to exercise its duty to oversee the Executive Branch," the ranking minority member of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, Rep. John Conyers has just released a press statement announcing that four different U.S. House Committees will be voting on resolutions within the next week to request information on the outing of covert CIA operative, Valerie Plame.

Conyers describes the issue as a matter of "criminal and ethical misconduct" done "for political reasons, to retaliate against the operative's husband for successfully challenging the President's claim that Iraq had sought nuclear materials in Africa."

The resolutions will be forced to come to a vote in the House Judiciary, International Relations, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Armed Services Committee.

Conyers also calls former Attorney General John Ashcroft on the carpet for initially dragging his feet on the investigation and for remaining involved in it as it moved forward despite Ashcroft's "long-standing ties to Karl Rove."

UPDATE: On ConyersBlog, he also adds this:

The complete press release, along with scheduled dates and Internet URL's for watching and/or listening to the debates on the four separate resolutions in the four separate House committees follow...

AMERICAblog's John Aravosis has all the skinny and more first-hand photos of all of those Americans who gathered yesterday in DC on the 4th Anniversary of 9/11 to support George W. Bush and his War. The event was sponsored by the Pentagon, and attended by...probably...several!

Officially named by the Defense Department as the "America Supports You Freedom Walk", Seattle Times claimed that "about 1500" participated, though apparently photos of the gathering are nearly non-existant and some families of 9/11 victims have had it...

(Hat tip Kira, and all the BRAD BLOG commenters requesting more info on this event.)

UPDATE: Reverend Mykeru (otherwise known as Michael Cortese) sets out on an Operation Yellow Elephant mission in search of new army recruits at the Pentagon-sponsored (your tax dollars at work!) fenced-in, no-media-allowed, registration-required "Freedom Walk". Video here. Additional details on the day here. Well done, Rev. Myk!

(Hat tip BRAD BLOG commenter, NewYorker!)

This item came across the AP wires as we were on our final leg back to Los Angeles yesterday. I happened to catch the original headline as "Soldier Not Killed in Action in Iraq; Kin Not Told". I was surprised and saddened, upon clicking to read the full story, to learn that the "soldier" in question just happens to have been 1st Lt. Kenneth Michael Ballard, the only child of Karen Meredith, a Gold Star Mom who we interviewed on The BRAD SHOW [MP3] and got to know a bit while in Crawford, TX.

He was killed in Iraq on Memorial Day 2004...His mother was told it was an accident only last Friday...

The full article also recalls the Army's failure to give the real story to the parents of the NFL's Pat Tillman after he had been used as a poster-boy by the Army and the Bush Administration for his sacrifice. It was more than a year after being killed in Afghanistan before Tillman's parents were given the real skinny on how their son died. One wonders, had not Meredith made a bit of a media figure of herself through her public support of Cindy Sheehan in Crawford and beyond, whether the story of the bungling of her son's death would have made a headline anywhere. Which makes one wonder just how many other families --- who have not become known to the media --- likely have similar stories of incompetencies from "the army we have."

I have been honored to wear a duplicate dog tag of 1st Lt. Kenneth Ballard --- in memory of both him and the thousands of others pointlessly killed in this ridiculous war --- since her mother gave one to us in Crawford. I was sorry to learn that there was even more reason to be troubled by his death yesterday.

Hopefully Karen's burden is made slightly easier knowing that there are thousands of us out here who do give a damn about both her, and the sacrifice that she and her son have made for this country. I think of both of them now every day...

(NOTE TO BUSH APOLOGISTS, DEAD-ENDERS AND OPPORTUNISTS: The above article is critical of the Army's bureaucratic power structure, not those who are putting their life on the line every day for your "President's" war. You can save your cynical, appalling and divisive "Support the Troops!" sloganeering and propagandizing for those who are too stupid to tell the difference between a Chinese-made car magnet on the back of your SUV and true support for the men and women of our armed forces who put their lives on the line on behalf of this country. We support them no end. We wish you'd become one of them --- if you still support this idiotic war --- instead of acting like you actually support them. If you actually did support those folks, you'd be calling for the same accountability from the same abusive and incompetent officials that The BRAD BLOG has been calling for for months on end. And may God bless America.)

Another fine selection from amongst our 50+ hours of LIVE broadcasting recently on the ground in Crawford, Texas will be reBRADcast on both Saturday and Sunday. The IBC Radio Network tells us they will be looping the program all day and night on both days, so you should be able to jump in any time! It'll certainly be up and rolling by our usual 7pm ET starting time.

Amongst the folks to be featured: Truthout.org's ace Cindy Sheehan blogger SCOTT GALINDEZ, organizer of the upcoming massive Sep. 24-26 rallies in D.C., LESLIE CAGAN of United for Peace and Justice, Iraq Vet PATRICK RESTA with an important message for George W. Bush and a live ceremony and interview with DENNIS BANKS, co-founder of the American Indian Movement. Plus one kick-ass --- and windy --- song from Camp Casey's default soundboard operator, JESSE DYEN. All that and much more from our Monday, 8/28 "Operation Noble Cause" broadcast from Camp Casey II.

I should finally be off the road by the end of this weekend. A bit more than a month after having been sidetracked from what what was to have been --- in Gilligan parlance --- just "a three hour tour". Nonetheless, there will likely be more Saturday night "encore reBRADcasts" in store for the next several weeks...The reasons for that to become clear (hopefully) in the not-too-distant future...Until then, please enjoy the show...

(And yes, we'll still accept help for gas money for the last leg of our trip home.)

The truth eventually makes its way out...

Glad that Powell is beginning to come clean. Though somehow, we have a feeling that speech ended up being much more painful for hundreds of thousands of Americans and Iraqis who will never be able to shake the "pain" caused by Powell's inability to stand up for his country instead of his blind "loyalty" to his boss.

By the way, Powell additionally acknowledges that he's never seen any connection between Saddam and 9/11. We mention that just for you Bush Dead-Enders out there. As well, the article goes on to discuss Powell's "loyalty" to the "President" instead of the country...

Uh...Here we go again...Your old boss knew, Mr. Powell!

...Not to mention your more recent boss, Dick Cheney, who said at the time that invading Iraq would get the United States "bogged down in the quagmire inside Iraq."

Then again, who could have imagined anyone flying planes into building in New York or forseen the levees breeching in New Orleans?

Sigh...And so it goes in the New American Century...

(Blogged by Brad, from somewhere in Arizona)

1) When Days Inn says they offer High-Speed Wireless Internet in their rooms, they don't mean that it actually works. Three different Days Inns over the last three weeks in three different states have been maddeningly disappointing in that regard. None of those Days Inns has offered a refund or even a discount for their inability to deliver what they'd promised.

2) BRAD BLOG Guest Blogger, Joseph Cannon is a genius. Evil genius perhaps, but genius nonetheless. Proof.

3) George W. Bush performed flawlessly in every respect in his response to Hurricane Katrina. Every American can be justifiably bursting with pride in his great leadershipt. His ability to keep our country safe and secure --- precisely as he'd promised so many times in the past --- has never been more perfectly exemplified than in the last two weeks.

4) Out "in the wilds" there is no Internet (information), only Fake Conservative Talk Radio (lies).

5) Talk Radio is 98% Fake Conservative. 1% Actual Conservative. 1% neither of the above.

6) Fake Conservatives on Talk Radio have a remarkable ability to lie in lockstep and with alarming effectiveness across a 24 hour broadcast day (several layers deep in most markets).

7) Americans who listen to Fake Conservatives on the radio are remarkably gullible and ever-surprisingly effective at parrotting what they've heard on the radio even when they are parrotting demonstrable lies and insipid spin. Such Americans are also masters of self-delusion.

8) Trolls and Bush Apologists of all stripes are welcome to post comments on The BRAD BLOG. Unlike most wingnut blogs, we welcome all points of view. Such trolls are not, however, allowed to post under different names or (more importantly) deliver personal attacks towards other commenters. That would include the repeated sad use of calling other commenters "socialists". Not that there's anything particular wrong with being a socialist, but when such language is meant as an attempt at some kind of perjorative with not a shred of supporting evidence to support said name-calling, its nothing more than a sad attempt at a personal attack.

9) The continued inability to follow the rules outlined in #8 will be grounds for having such comments deleted and/or the authors of said comments banned permanently at the discretion of myself or Official BRAD BLOG Concierge, Winter Patriot.

10) Falsely representing oneself as "a troop fighting in Iraq" will bring the same punishment as those violate the rules described in #8. After spending so many weeks and months speaking with actual such troops, and the families of those who've lost their lives fighting that ridiculous War for real, I'm especially sensitive to those jerks who would impersonate same.

11) I am remarkably generous. Please don't push me.

12) There are mountains in Northwest Texas. Beautiful ones. I previously had no idea.

13) Despite Winter Patriot's Open "Impeachment" Thread here and a commenter named Bob's words about my having called for the Impeachment of George W. Bush, I'm not sure I actually ever have. Not publicly anyway. Not that I recall. Not that I'm against it.

14) BRAD BLOG Guest Bloggers David Edwards and Winter Patriot are not only great bloggers, they are tireless patriots and world-class human beings. Top-notch. As good as anyone could find. Anywhere.

15) For those wondering when I might reply to their email or return to full-time BRAD BLOGGING here, please see #1 once more and then count days with me until I'm finally off the road (only to leave again in a few weeks, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it...if it's not under water). Shouldn't be long now...Hopefully those who don't receive a reply will understand, I now receive nearly 1000 messages a day, and it's difficult --- if not impossible --- to read them all, let alone reply to all of them. But I'll do my best. Thanks for understanding.

Wholly hell this is a big state! We're still working our way westward and may stop in the mountains if we can find any (we hear rumors there are some in NW Texas) to cool off for a day or three along the way.

So the bulk of the BRADBLOGGING will be done by our fine bevy of Guest Bloggers who will be paid double for their extended duty.

Speaking of which, any opinions on how you all like the generally increased amount of BRAD BLOG items in my general absense now that we've got the GB's cranking it out with a bit more regularity than I do when I'm running the usual one-man-band here? Should we continue with the additional voices even when I'm finally back? Your thoughts are appreciated...

IBC Radio is replaying our "Operation Noble Cause" coverage from Crawford, Texas continuously all weekend long. Or so I'm told...Enjoy.

The filter is gone. This is the No Spin Zone...

Listen all the way to the end to Mayor Ray Nagin. Heartbreaking.

Thanks to our great engineer Otie Maclay (who we found on the side of the road on our way to Crawford), this Saturday Night's BRAD SHOW will feature many of the highlights from our 50+ hours of LIVE daily broadcasts from on the ground at Camp Casey in Crawford, Texas.

Highlights to include interviews with: CINDY SHEEHAN, JOAN BAEZ, REP. JOHN CONYERS, RANDI RHODES, Goldstart Mom KAREN MEREDITH, Iraqi Vet TOMAS ANDREWS, plus musical highlights and much much more!

And yes, your DONATIONS are still greatly appreciated to help us pay for the Radio Miracle that was "Operation Noble Cause"!

Thank you to everyone who helped to make this historic series of broadcasts possible!

CRAWFORD, TX - Driving his own pickup, with two trucks blockading both sides of the street, Bush Administration Senior Political Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff, Karl Rove made a surprise sunset visit/photo-op Tuesday night to the half dozen or so Bush supporters camped across the street from "Camp Casey" in Crawford, Texas where Cindy Sheehan --- whose son, Casey, was killed in Iraq --- originally made her stand requesting a meeting and an explanation from George W. Bush, The BRAD BLOG has learned from eye-witnesses.

According to supporters from both the Bush and Sheehan sides of the street at the makeshift protest sites, Rove's visit occurred as the bulk of Sheehan supporters and volunteers were enjoying a final "thank you dinner" down at the larger Camp Casey II several miles down the road on Tuesday evening.

The BRAD BLOG has obtained exclusive photographs from Rove's quick glad-handing and back-patting with the few pro-war, pro-Bush stalwarts who were manning a counter-protest site across the street from Sheehan's original camp.

Rove did not meet with any of the dozens of Iraq and Afghan war vets, nor the Gold Star Family members who'd lost loved ones in those wars who were present in Crawford to support Sheehan's request to meet with Bush for an explanation of the "noble cause" that he's suggested their loved ones had died for.

After nearly 2,000 U.S. troops have lost their lives in the sands and streets of Iraq, and even while scores of thousands of U.S. citizens were fighting for their lives in the face of devastating flood waters encroaching into New Orleans, Rove laughed, greeted and thanked those who came to Crawford to attack a mother who'd lost her son in the cause of George W. Bush's unexplained "noble cause."

Bush's top political advisor completed his quick early evening photo-op, after which several "Bush Supporters" who reportedly were present especially for the occasion, promptly got in their vehicles and left the Bush side of the street according to one of the volunteer security guards who was standing watch at the Sheehan camp while most supporters were enjoying their final evening in Crawford at a group dinner in Camp Casey II.

Will Marean of Minneapolis, a blogger and right-wing activist who voted for Bush in 2004 and spent several nights camping with Bush supporters across the street from Sheehan's camp, described the event to The BRAD BLOG and provided our exclusive photographs.

Rove first reportedly drove through Camp Casey without stopping on his way to Crawford from the Bush vacation ranch. "He was in Bush's truck," said Marean, "a White Dodge RAM extended-cab pick-up truck. He was driving it himself."

"He came by slowly...and he rolled down the window, leaned out and gave us the thumbs up and drove by," explained Marean. "Everybody in the camp was really excited."

Rove then came back approximately 45 minutes later, sped by the camp without stopping, but then turned and returned to greet supporters a few minutes later.

Marean said, "We were all happy --- we were literally giddy --- to meet Karl Rove. And then he proceeded to say he was glad that we were there and we were happy to say that we supported our President and supported our troops."

It had been reported to The BRAD BLOG that prior to Rove's surprise visit several new signs had been added to the side of the street that Bush's pro-war supporters have dubbed (apparently with a complete lack of irony) "Camp Reality".

An inspection of the site conducted by The BRAD BLOG later in the evening revealed that in fact there appeared to be several new signs, including the addition of a dozen or more new "Support the Troops" and "This is Bush Country" signs than had been there the previous evening.

The newly added signs were identical to the ones that lined one side of the street leading to Camp Casey opposite the quarter mile or more of crosses that were placed on the other side of the road as part of a memorial created by combat veterans who stood in support of Sheehan.

The nearly quarter mile of memorial crosses on one side of the street, juxtaposed with the "This is Bush Country" signs on the other, was apparently just one more piece of overlooked irony by the handful of squatters in the ditch that is "Camp Reality".

Despite the presence of officers from the Mclennan County Sheriff's department, Rove, who is allegedly responsible for the unprecedented outting of a covert CIA agent by a Senior White House official was not arrested by police. Neither was he beaten to a bloody pulp for either his shameless disregard for the security of the United States of America, nor for his arrogant disrespect for the men and women that serve in America's armed forces.

Yet.

(BRAD BLOG has been in Crawford, TX for the past several weeks to present a special LIVE daily "Operation Noble Cause" broadcast of The BRAD SHOW via RAW RADIO. Though we are no longer broadcasting from Crawford, highlights of our 50+ hours of live coverage --- with more coming online --- are currently available at www.BradShow.com.)

"I came here bitter and angry, but this is a place where the anger turns to hope. And you know why it turns to hope? Because of Camp Casey, we remembered something we forgot. We own this country. This is our country."
-- Cindy Sheehan, in closing remarks to supporters and volunteers on the final night at Camp Casey II
Crawford, TX, Aug. 30th, 2005

The BRAD SHOW via RAW RADIO's "Operation Noble Cause" carried Sheehan's final remarks to volunteers at Camp Casey II in Crawford, Texas. Exclusive audio here [MP3]...

(Many more highlights from The BRAD SHOW's "Operation Noble Cause" coverage in Crawford can be heard here with more to be made available soon!)

As The BRAD BLOG has been reporting for months, the recount of the 2004 Ohio Presidential Election was gamed by Ohio elections officials and voting machine company employees who violated state laws requiring a random recount of precincts in order to determine if a hand recount of entire counties would be necessary.

Reports that county officials and voting machine companies colluded to assure the hand recount would match with the initial machine recount have been reported for months and yesterday the first indictments were handed down.

According to today's Cleveland Plain Dealer...

Amongst the reports on this matter that The BRAD BLOG has carried since last November, is the case of Hocking County election board worker Sherole Eaton, who filed a sworn affidavit that an employee from voting machine company, Triad had offered a "cheat sheet" to her and other county officials on how the recount might be carried off to assure the entire county would not need to be recounted by hand. He also allegedly removed and restored a harddrive from the county's central tabulating machine prior to the recount, according to Eaton, also in violation of Ohio state law. Eaton is currently challenging her firing as improprer.

Ohio law calls for a random selection of 3% of a county's precincts to be carried out by hand. If that random recount doesn't match the initially reported count, a full recount of the county would then be necessary. Eaton was subsequently fired from the board after making her claim public (our BRAD SHOW interview with Eaton is here [mp3]).

As well, RAW STORY had reported last January that several recount witnesses had testified to stickers having been placed over Kerry/Edwards votes on ballots before they were fed into vote tabulators during the recount in that county. (Our BRAD SHOW interview with two of those witnesses, Stephen Spraley and Eric Gifford, is here [mp3]).

(Hat tip Ray Beckerman!)