1 Some blog (or a commenter on a blog) surmised shortly after Galloway's testimony that the Senate team (or some members therein) had set trap for Gorgeous George. That is - catch him in his own lie - it may have worked.

2 That was me! (Heh, one of too many to count.) Seriously, I think you're right, but what I think I recall is that it was someone, er, important (probably a nationally known columnist) who asserted that Galloway's testimony painted him into a corner. Time to put pressure on Jordan. The answer to a lot of questions lie in the banking records over there.

3 Always knew it had to be that Galloway was a crook in addition to being a nutcase.

4 As usual, the "neocons" are foaming at the mouth, wanting to attack one of their "enemies". That "facts" are that Galloway has not been charged with ANYTHING, and that IF he were charged, he would be "innocent until proven guilty" in a Court of Law, and that would not be the Kangaroo Court that Emperor George II is creating, but it would be a REAL COURT at the Old Bailey in London. As for these accounts from the US Senate, who believes it? The facts are that BOTH Republicans and Democrats were complicit in the lies about Iraq and its "threat" against the civilized world with nuclear, chemical and biological weapons that it did not have. All these Americans rushed off to war, and they did it for the Money. It does not matter if their politics were Republican or Democrat, what was voting here was their wallets. Just look at Senator Joe Lieberman and ask yourself seriously what kind of a "Democrat" is he really, when you compare him to Franklin Roosevelt, or Harry Truman.

5 Debbye: Check Wretchard at Belmont Club - he had a good original analysis which he discussed yesterday in light of the new evidence. Partial excerpt below. "The really striking thing about the Galloway's testimony as transcribed by the Information Clearing House is how the Senators and the Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow were pursuing a non-collision course. Galloway had come to score press and public relations points at which, by all accounts, he was successful at doing. But Senator Coleman and Levin seemed totally uninterested in responding to Galloway's sharp political jibes. It was almost as if the Senators were deaf to his political posturing. Instead, they focused exclusively and repeatedly on two things: Galloway's relationship with Fawaz Zureikat and Tariq Aziz. Zureikat was a board member of Galloway's Mariam foundation who is also implicated in the Oil For Food deals. Tariq Aziz was Saddam's vice president." Yesterday's comment: "(Speculation alert) It was Galloway's contempt for the intelligence and capability of his Senatorial pursuers that may have gotten him into this perjury mess in the first place. It wasn't enough to remain silent on his relationship with with Zureikat. Playing to his gallery, Galloway boomed, "I can assure you, Mr. Zureikat never gave me a penny from an oil deal, from a cake deal, from a bread deal, or from any deal." Nice touch about the cake and the bread. Perhaps he couldn't imagine, at the time, why these yokels were asking him simple questions that were beneath his level of rhetorical ability. Even today Galloway may think so little of his adversaries that he was willing to boast on BBC Radio that "I am ready to fly to the US today, if necessary, to face such a charge because it is simply false." He is as smart today as he was then." http://fallbackbelmont.blogspot.com/ Joe Green: Must hurt when one of your heroes is shown to be a liar on the payroll of Saddam eh?

6 "...Galloway has not been charged with ANYTHING..." Yet. "...IF he were charged, he would be "innocent until proven guilty" in a Court of Law," Just like everyone else who winds up in prison. What is your point, exactly in invoking the legal preumpstion of innocence? Surely it's not that everyone has to presume he's innocent, which is one of my all-time major pet peeves. He's entitled to the presumption of innocence from the court and the jury, not from public opinion. "...and that would not be the Kangaroo Court that Emperor George II is creating..." What are you talking about? If Galloway were charged with perjury and/or obstruction of justice, he'd face those charges in a court created not by George W. Bush, but by the First Congress in the Judiciary Act of 1789, signed by George Washington. "...but it would be a REAL COURT at the Old Bailey in London." Um, why would the Central Criminal Court in London be the venue for the United States Department of Justice to prosecute a crime (or crimes) under US law, committed in the US? If Galloway were charged with perjury and/or obstruction of justice, he'd face trial in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, the court with jurisidiction over the alleged criminal acts. And why is that court any less a "REAL COURT" than the Old Bailey? Because its judges are picked by presidents (of both parties) subject to Senate confirmation, rather than by the unaccountable fiat of the Lord Chancellor? Galloway engaged in self-righteous bluster because he's used to being a back-bencher in a legislature whose members are unaccustomed to separation of powers, where debate is more pointed and vigorous (and yes, more entertaining) precisely BECAUSE that's all that there is, and they're otherwise under the thumb of the executive. Norm Coleman didn't care about political point-scoring: he and his staff, mostly former prosecutors, set and baited the trap and Galloway waltzed right into it.

7 OK, this may seem flippant as regards all this heavy stuff, if you don't look at Ottawa , that is. Volunteering for an experiment. I am very absent minded. You guys should send me about $15,666 and we'll run a test. Call me in about six months and see if it skipped my mind. Check to see if I have forgoteen about it. I promise, if my phone number is still the same and I have not moved, I'll give you an honest answer. I love doing research. TG

8 Someone's been away busy. In the mean time have a look at 3 not-so-hot photos of some gems an old guy I met at a kiosk is crafting. Nice work. I'll have to do some close-in shots. http://bendgovernment.blogspot.com TG