NYT - Federal Prosecutors and F.B.I. Officials Fault Ashcroft on leak ...

[Bozita]

inquiry.

This is gonna be HUGE.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/16/politics/16LEAK.html?pagewanted=print&position=
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October 16, 2003

Senior Federal Prosecutors and F.B.I. Officials Fault Ashcroft Over Leak Inquiry
By DAVID JOHNSTON and ERIC LICHTBLAU

ASHINGTON, Oct. 15 — Several senior criminal prosecutors at the Justice Department and top F.B.I. officials have privately criticized Attorney General John Ashcroft for failing to recuse himself or appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the leak of a C.I.A. operative's identity.

The criticism reflects the first sign of dissension in the department and the F.B.I. as the inquiry nears a critical phase. The attorney general must decide whether to convene a grand jury, which could compel White House officials to testify.

The criminal justice officials, who spoke on the condition that they not be identified, represent a cross section of experienced criminal prosecutors and include political supporters of Mr. Ashcroft at the department's headquarters here and at United States attorneys' offices around the country.

The officials said they feared Mr. Ashcroft could be damaged by continuing accusations that as an attorney general with a long career in Republican partisan politics, he could not credibly lead a criminal investigation that centered on the aides to a Republican president.

more...

[DeepModem Mom]

1. The list grows....

Yesterday, in response to the Powell revelations on Sixty Minutes, I wrote that Rumsfeld, Condi, Cheney, and Powell now have their competence and/or integrity questioned/exposed in the mainstream media, and Rove could be under criminal investigation. Now Ashcroft. People of conscience in the government are talking. And, as his inner circle is discredited, Bush himself is being asked to lead, which he cannot do. I hope this steady barrage begins to chip away at Bush's personal Teflon --

[Mari333]

2. Drip Drip Drip

wish the dam would hurry up and bust wide open!!

[Spazito]

3. Kick

*

[leetrisck]

4. fish rots from the head down

and I want "Slimy Shrub" investigated

[havocmom]

5. Prosecute that person if possible,...moving with all appropriate dispatch?

<snip> "The official said Mr. Ashcroft had twice gathered his investigative team to urge them to find out who had leaked the identity of the C.I.A. operative and to prosecute that person if possible."

Prosecute that person if possible? WTF? Under what circumstances would it not be possible to prosecute that person?

<snip> After a news report indicated that the F.B.I. would move cautiously because of the intense scrutiny, an angry Mr. Ashcroft had an aide call the F.B.I. immediately to let officials there know that that would not be the case, a Justice Department adviser said. "He wants to make certain we're moving with all appropriate dispatch."

Moving with all appropriate dispatch? OK, I'm from Missouri too, show me! Show me 'all appropriate dispatch'. Why aren't there agents all over the WH and VP offices gathering up evidence? Why isn't Novak in custody?

The Patriot Act gives them the okey-dokey to break into our homes and take what they want without so much as letting us know they were there. And they can do that on a whim of some official deciding we may be somehow involved with a group they deem to be terrorist or supporting terrorists. They do not need to present their criteria for which groups they decide are worthy of such investigation. They can do it on a whim. But for finding the tratior who outed a NOC agent and rendered an important tool for fighting the real spread of WMD impotent, there is foot dragging, hemming and hawing, hand wringing?!?

[meow2u3]

6. King-sized kick

:kick:

[jburton]

7. how long has it been

since we've had a color-coded terra 'lert?

Every single major admin official is screwed. They need to plan a distraction