Valerie Plame, Judith Miller, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Karl Rove

[Neil D]

The saga continues to plague the Rove/Bush administration....

UK's Guardian Unlimited

[:"green"] According to her account, Ms Miller told the grand jury she had discussed the fact that the wife of Joseph Wilson, a White House critic, worked for the CIA on at least three occasions with Mr Libby before the agent's name was made public. But she denied he had told her the agent's name - Valerie Plame - despite the fact the same notebook she used when interviewing Mr Libby contained the name "Valerie Flame". Ms Miller said she thought the name had been given to her by "another source" whose name she could not remember. [/]

Is she protecting Mr. Libby??

[:"green"] But as well as Ms Miller's first-person account - which appeared on page 19 - the New York Times also published a front-page piece written by three staff reporters that described the journalist as [:"red"]a "divisive newsroom figure" [/] whom many on the paper refused to work with. [/]

Now, what does that mean??? Nobody likes her??? They don't like to work with her????

[lazarus]

Clearly, Miller was so close to the White House that this caused some resentment among her co-workers. I heard she had been given a security clearance by the pentagon whilst she was an imbedded reporter. That is unprecidented.

In her article in the Times she equivocates enough that it seems as if she is covering for Libby. "I don't recall" I don't remember" .....mmmmmmm!

Apparently, DC political circles are buzzing with rumours.

[Neil D]

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Apparently, DC political circles are buzzing with rumours.

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So is mainstream media....They are saying that there is a grave possibility of Libby or Rove or both being charged. My crystle ball thinks that Libby is charged and Rove gets off... Wouldn't that be a major hit in Bush's political ship?

[Ron Lambert]

Neil, haven't you been watching West Wing? C.J. Craig did it!

[Neil D]

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Ron Lambert said:

Neil, haven't you been watching

West Wing

? C.J. Craig did it!

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OMG! It was all made up by a fictious character!!!!!!!!

This came up on Google news....

[:"blue"] Case Against Cheney

Well, of course, the investigation of who leaked CIA agent Valerie Plame's name -- violating the federal law that bars the "outing" of intelligence operatives -- has come around to Vice President Dick Cheney's office. While it may be news to the Washington Post -- which headlined a breathless report on Tuesday: "Cheney's Office Is A Focus in Leak Case" -- the fact is that Cheney and his aides have been likely suspects from day one.

No prominent member of the administration had more to lose as a result of the 2003 revelation by Plame's husband, former Ambassador Joe Wilson, that the White House's pre-war claims regarding Iraq's weapons of mass destruction had been inflated than did Cheney -- who, to a far greater extent than George Bush, had a hand in shaping the arguments for going to war, plugged them in media appearances and defended them after all evidence suggested his pronouncements had been wrong. It is important to recall that, while Bush may have deliberately fuzzed the facts in his 2003 State of the Union address, it was Cheney who leapt off the cliff of speculation with the pre-war declaration that, "We know Saddam Hussein's been absolutely devoted to trying to acquire nuclear weapons, and we believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons."

No key player in the administration was more at odds with the Central Intelligence Agency than Cheney. Indeed, Cheney's badgering of the agency to come up with "evidence" of Iraqi WMDs and al-Qaeda connections was so aggressive -- he regularly stormed into the CIA headquarters to demand a briefing and then, when the information did not fit his biases, demanded that someone else brief him -- that members of the House Intelligence Committee complained in a reprimanding letter, "These visits are unprecedented. Normally, vice presidents, including yourself, receive regular briefings from (the) CIA in your office and have a CIA officer on permanent detail. There is no reason to make personal visits to the CIA."

No top office within the administration was better positioned than Cheney's to gather the information that was used to attack Wilson and his wife and to peddle that information to the press. In fact, as Joe Wilson told me in an interview about the leaking of his wife's name that we did early in 2004, "With respect to who actually leaked the information, there are really only a few people -- far fewer than the president let on when he said there are a lot of senior administration officials -- who could have done it. At the end of the day, you have to have the means, the keys to the conversations at which somebody might drop my wife's name -- deliberately or not -- a national security clearance, and a reason to be talking about this. When you look at all that, there are really very few people who exist at that nexis between national security and foreign policy and politics. You can count them, literally, on two hands."

Wilson added that, without a doubt, "the vice president is one of those people."

And no one, repeat no one, in Washington is known to be more vindictive than Dick Cheney. So the notion that Cheney would not only have been aware of but in fact delighted in punishing Wilson by ruining the career of the ambassador's wife is entirely plausible. By all accounts, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is investigating that prospect as his long examination of crimes that may have been committed in relation to the Plame leak draws to a close.

Does this mean that the vice president will be indicted by the federal grand jury that is currently examining the actions of White House political czar Karl Rove and, more importantly, Cheney Chief of Staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby?

Don't bet on it.

Libby is blood-oath, fall-on-the-sword loyal to Cheney. A Reagan-era State Department hand and Congressional staffer who came to know his future boss when Cheney was serving in Congress during the 1980s, Libby went with Cheney to George H. W. Bush's Defense Department -- serving Secretary of Defense Cheney as Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Strategy and Resources and Deputy Under Secretary for Policy. Libby was then a founder of the neo-conservative Project for a New American Century, which promoted the vision of American Empire that Cheney and his staff had cooked up in their controversial draft Defense Policy Guidance statement during their final days at the Pentagon. And when Cheney returned to the corridors of power, as vice president, Libby was at his side.

But the Cheney-Libby partnership is not merely a power and policy connection. Their relationship is more father-son than boss-surrogate. Libby vacations with Cheney at the vice president's $2.9 million villa in Wyoming, and Libby's access is such that he is welcome to invite friends and compatriots along to enjoy the skiing near Jackson Hole.

The likelihood that Libby would give up a relationship that has buttered his bread for the better part of a quarter century is even more remote than the likelihood that Rove would turn on Bush.

Yet, no one who knows about how Cheney and Libby operate will doubt that the two men had no secrets from one another during the period when the attacks on the CIA, in general, and Wilson and Plame, in particular, were taking place.

The vice president is a famously hands-on player. He personally requested information about claims that the Iraqis were attempting to obtain uranium from African countries -- the issue that Wilson examined in 2002, when he was dispatched to Africa and found that the claims were not credible. And while Cheney now says that he knew nothing of the report that Wilson produced before the war, the former ambassador has never believed him.

"If you are senior enough to ask the question, you are senior enough to get a very specific response," said Wilson. "In addition to the circular report that was sent around as a consequence of my trip, I have every confidence that one way or another the vice president was briefed as well." Yet, it was the vice president who continued to claim, long after Bush had dropped the line, that Saddam Hussein was a nuclear threat. And Cheney always went much further than Bush or others in the administration when making that claim. Indeed, it was Cheney who specifically stated prior to the Congressional votes on authorizing the use of force in Iraq that, Hussein had "resumed his efforts to acquire nuclear weapons." Cheney claimed in the same speech that, "Armed with an arsenal of these weapons of terror, and seated atop 10 percent of the world's oil reserves, Saddam Hussein could then be expected to seek domination of the entire Middle East, take control of the world's energy supplies, directly threaten American friends throughout the region, and subject the United States or any other nation to nuclear blackmail."

It is certainly reasonable to argue that Cheney had more reason to strike out at Wilson than anyone else in the administration when the former ambassador revealed the truth in a New York Times opinion piece that appeared in the summer of 2003. And, while Cheney may not have done the deed directly, it is comic to suggest that the vice president -- who was in constant contact with both Libby and Rove around the time of the leak -- could have been unaware of any serious effort to discredit Wilson by "outing" his wife as a CIA agent. [/]

[Neil D]

Some things just need to be kept in the public eye....

[lazarus]

What if Bush gets deeply implicated?

[Neil D]

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lazarus said:

What if Bush gets deeply implicated?

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From what I have read, I doubt that will come to light. Mainly because Karl Rove is a "take one for the team" kind of guy and as for Libby, well, he is even worse than Karl Rove.

That is why I predict that Libby will "take one for the team" and go thru the sentencing, but will only get probation or a 1 year term at some light facility. And Bush may give Libby a "get out of jail card" and set him free.

There is lots of ways to handle it and free libby...

[lazarus]

I Am sure I am not the only one who is really exited by this whole thing!!!!!!

[Dr. Shane]

If indited I am sure they will resign. And that may not be such a bad thing for the White House. Look at the President's ratings. Sure they may have jumped up a few points the last couple of weeks, but 45% still isn't anything to be happy about. My point is, Karl Rove isn't doing such a hot job anyway. Let's just hope Karl Rove knows what the meaning of the word is is. <img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Neil D]

The grand jury will disolve at the end of this week...

Unless there is an extention granted...which may indicate an indictment or two ....

And Lou Dobbs doesn't think there will be indictments for outing Valery, but rather for obstruction of justice...

Which, in my humble opinion, has to be rather extra-ordinary, if a charge like this is gonna stick.

Oh well, We will see by tomorrow...

[Dr. Shane]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />

rather for obstruction of justice...

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Just like President Clinton. I have already heard a few right-wingers making hypocrits out of themselves on this. Now I am getting ready for the left-wingers to do the same.

[Jeannieb43]

LIBBY IS INDICTED, AND HE RESIGNS

This Yahoo article just showed up:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cia_leak_investigation&printer=1

(Libby is taking the fall for Cheney -- he GOT his news about Valerie Plame FROM CHENEY.)

Cheney should go to prison.

[lazarus]

Fitzmass has finally arrived

[Neil D]

[:"blue"] Besides government policy, Libby also has other interests. It took him 20 years to complete "The Apprentice," a romantic novel set in rural Japan during a blizzard in 1903. It was published in 1996.

"I went out to Colorado, drank tequila and wrote," Libby told CNN's Larry King in 2002 in a rare television interview, during which he talked mostly about his novel, which had just been released in paperback.

He told King then that he dreams of giving up the powerful Washington life to devote his life to writing.

"I'd like to consider myself full on [Cheney's] team, but there's always a novel kicking around in the back somewhere," he said. [/]

Looks like he should have retired from politics a bit earlier....and gone onto writing...

[Jeannieb43]

He'll have more time to write, from now on. But not to go skiing. [he seems to think he'll retire now and go back to skiing.... but not if he's in prison.]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4974546

This NPR story says it was Wolfowitz who's been behind this warmongering, all along. Wolfowitz has been wanting the U.S. to go to war SINCE 1992!

They tried getting Clinton to start a war with the Middle East, and he wouldn't do it. So they got themselves a puppet, Dubya, to do it -- and he now has sacrified 2000 of our finest and best, because of the hare-brained scheme hatched by Wolfowitz 15 years ago.

[Neil D]

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Jeannieb43 said:

This NPR story says it was Wolfowitz who's been behind this warmongering, all along. Wolfowitz has been wanting the U.S. to go to war SINCE 1992!

They tried getting Clinton to start a war with the Middle East, and he wouldn't do it. So they got themselves a puppet, Dubya, to do it -- and he now has sacrified 2000 of our finest and best, because of the hare-brained scheme hatched by Wolfowitz 15 years ago.

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[:"blue"] Paul Wolfowitz

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Jump to: navigation, search

Order: 10th President of the World Bank Group

Term of Office: June 1, 2005 – present

Predecessor: James Wolfensohn

Date of Birth December 22, 1943

Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York

Spouse: Clare Selgin Wolfowitz (Separated)

Profession: Bureaucrat, University Professor

Political Party: Republican

U.S. President: George W. Bush

Paul Dundes Wolfowitz (born December 22, 1943) is an American academic and political figure. Wolfowitz is a polarizing and controversial figure both within the United States and abroad. He is often seen as a leading proponent of the 2003 Iraq War and architect of the ambitious foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration known as the Bush Doctrine. His views are often characterized as representing a modern American philosophy of neoconservatism. He is currently President of the World Bank. [/] Paul Wolfowitz

Very good info, Jeanie...Thanks for clueing us in....

[there buster]

The real story here is the same as with Martha Stewart. There is NO underlying crime. The investigation discovered no underlying crime, only that, during the investigation, contradictory statements were made.

But there is no cover-up, because there was no crime to cover up in the first place.

All real civil libertarians ought to be concerned about both cases, where people innocent of the crime investigated end up charged with things related solely to the investigation.

It's very much like a doctor treating a patient for a condition they don't have, and the treatment itself causes a medical crisis for the patient.

And no, there is no similarity to either Hillary or Bill. Except that they got a pass.

But I'm sure the moral equivalence crowd will chime in.

[there buster]

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warmongering. . . puppet. . .hare-brained

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I had hoped for better from you.

[Neil D]

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The real story here is the same as with Martha Stewart. There is NO underlying crime. The investigation discovered no underlying crime, only that, during the investigation, contradictory statements were made.

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Tell that to the 2000 men and women who sacrified thier lives...better yet, tell that to their families. And while you are in a telling mood, why not tell that to the 100,000 Iraqis nationals who have died during this little exercise.

Matha Stewart repeatedly gave no information to the investigators...Libby deliberately impeaded a NATIONAL SECURITY investigation and not only told lies once, but repeated the lies. It took the investigator 24 months to just arrive at this point in the investigation, and the investigator still couldn't answer the question if national security was breached. Such was the convoluted stories that came out of the main players of this investigation. There are others who are STILL under investigation...the special procecutor would have to obtain another grand jury to obtain inditment.

Did you know that Libby blamed Tim Russert of Met the Press that HE leaked the name???? Tim Russert is a better reporter than Novak, who, as I understand it, is pretty much out of the woods. In my view, he needs to be charged with treason...He knows better.

The implications of this question on national sequrity may directly show that the President and Vice President sacrificed over 2000 of our boys and girls to feed a war hawk mentality.

If this is true, then Bush and Cheny should, in my view, be tried for crimes against humanity, and abuse of power of a political office and should be turned over to the Iraqis after conviction of thier crimes here in the States. But that is just my fickle opinion, subject to change...

[Dr. Shane]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />

Tell that to the 2000 men and women who sacrified thier lives...better yet, tell that to their families. And while you are in a telling mood, why not tell that to the 100,000 Iraqis nationals who have died during this little exercise.

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Apples and oranges

[Neil D]

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Apples and oranges

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No, it is not, Shane. It is the direct result of a cover up and the selling of war to a nation that trusted it's president to do the best thing for the nation. Instead, they ruined FOR YEARS any reputation that the US has. The beast that acted like dragon has been voted in......Wanta take responsiblity for it?

[Dr. Shane]

Scooter Libby leaking Valerie Plame's name to the press is not the reason why we went to war. It may have happened because of the war but was not a reason for going to war.

Many Americans continue to support our reasons for going to war. However most Americans are not happy with the way the war is progressing. Many of us have wanted the Iraqis trained in quicker so we could reduce our numbers in the area much faster.

[Neil D]

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Libby leaking Valerie Plame's name to the press is not the reason why we went to war. It may have happened because of the war but was not a reason for going to war.

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That's only partially true, Shane.

Libby outed Valery because Wilson went public with the knowledge that Iraq DID NOT purchase neuclear materials. He went public because the information that he obtained was damaging to the advertising campaign the administration was doing to sell the war. His information was a large blow to the advertising campaign. It basiclly showed that Bush was lying thru his teeth regarding Iraq nuclear capabilities.

Libbys outing Valery was a result of the media campaign to sell a war to a naive country. The administration betrayed the trust the US gave to the administration.

[Dr. Shane]

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It basiclly showed that Bush was lying thru his teeth regarding Iraq nuclear capabilities.

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No, Bush choose to believe the Brittish intellegence instead of Joe Wilson. The Brittish said one thing, which they still stand by and Wilson said another, which he still stands by.

A lot of spin-misters out there that want to make us like tops.