(Specter)Senator Asks Bush, Cheney for Explanation

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON - President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should speak publicly about their involvement in the CIA leak case so people can understand what happened, a leading Republican senator said Sunday.

"We ought to get to the bottom of it so it can be evaluated by the American people," said Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record) of Pennsylvania, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

~snip~

A lawyer knowledgeable about the case said Saturday that Bush declassified sensitive intelligence in 2003 and authorized its public disclosure to rebut Iraq war critics, but he did not specifically direct that Libby be the one to disseminate the information.


I think it is necessary for the president and vice president to tell the American people exactly what happened," Specter told "Fox News Sunday."

"There's been enough of a showing that the president of the United States owes a specific explanation to the American people ... about exactly what he did," Specter said.


more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060409/ap_on_go_pr_wh/cia_leak;_

[Cocoa]

1. Specter can do something himself

he's the chairman of the fucking Judiciary Committee.

[maddezmom]

3. can he haul their butts in and get them to testify under oath?

[WhiteTara]

19. will he make them testify under oath?

Didn't he refuse an oath in one his latest inquiries?

[jus_the_facts]

21. No oaths...no recording nor a stenographer in the room....

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/29/bush.911.commission/
Friday, April 30, 2004 Posted: 1:28 PM EDT (1728 GMT)



President Bush: "I'm glad I did it."



"If we had something to hide, we wouldn't have met with them in the first place. We answered all their questions."
-- President Bush



WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush said Thursday he "answered every question" posed to him by the 9/11 commission during what was described as an extraordinary session at the White House with the panel investigating the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.



Bush had only positive words for the session.

"They had a lot of questions and ... I'm glad I did it," Bush said. "I'm glad I took the time."

But the administration initially opposed the creation of the commission. The White House relented amid pressure from some 9/11 family members and it later backed down from its opposition to an extension of time for the commission.

No transcript

Bush and Cheney did not testify before the panel -- they were not under oath and there was to be no recording made of the session nor a stenographer in the room.

The two members of the White House counsel's staff were expected to take notes during the session, and the commission members were also allowed to take handwritten notes.

Bush brushed off a question from a reporter Thursday on whether 9/11 families were entitled to a transcript of the session.

"You asked me that question yesterday," Bush replied. "I got the same answer."

He did not repeat the answer, but the White House has said there will not be a transcript of the session. Bush said he expects details of his "conversation" with the commission to go into its final report.

[yurbud]

22. Cheney, "Senator, not only am I not going to answer that question, I want

you to forget that you asked it," is how I imagine them responding.

[sakabatou]

29. That'd be a first for those two...

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. He just wants an explanation

so he knows how to properly spin their version of events.

[0007]

4. Specter is better than Hulk Hogan with it coming to acting concerned

Remember the spy thingie.


Hogan sez, "Nice fucking try Senator Specter, 'y still wear pink panties"

[hippiechick]

5. An 'explanation' comes from a teenager out past curfew.

"If" (and I use that loosely) boy George and uncle Dick were the source of the leak - orchestrated or not - they need to be brought to the town square and enthusiastically questioned IN PUBLIC, under oath, by some of those very CIA folks whose cover/missions/lives they put in danger, not to mention, by the rest of us.

Then a jury of Constitutional Scholars should decide their fate, since the SCOTUS is so farking useless anymore.


JMHO.

[Frank Cannon]

9. I want to see Bush submit to the same type of videotaped questioning...

that Clinton got, FOR HOURS, over having his PENIS SUCKED. I want to see the Great Communicator hem and haw and heh-heh-heh and sweat and grind his coke jaw like a hurdy-gurdy and misspeak and mutter and make faces and give his questioners cute little nicknames while they grill him about why he outed an undercover CIA agent whose job was to track global WMD traffic, thus COMMITTING TREASON IN WARTIME.

[boobooday]

11. That would be really really nice

And don't forget Cheney, the sequel (pre-quel?).

[peaches2003]

26. But this time...

he MUST BE UNDER OATH (since he is a proven liar) and testify BY HIMSELF, not with Uncle Dick there to tell him what to say.

[saltpoint]

6. Specter is being as gentle as possible here, but it sounds to me as if

what he's saying is that the behavior of the White House appears to be illegal and he would like to hear an explanation of events from the source.

When the same-party Chair of the Judiciary Committee is asking a president to explain himself, it might well suggest that the behavior prompting the request is extremely questionable.

[babylonsister]

7. I don't believe him. He often appears moderate and thoughtful,

and then turns around and sticks it to us. Alito and wiretapping come to mind immediately.
I just don't trust him, so can't give his words any credence.

[acmavm]

8. Then after that explanation we can get one on why they LIED for

three years.

[Rose Siding]

10. Oh look, they're letting Arlen make reasonable noises again

Fool me once.

[zann725]

15. THIS time, I think it's different somehow. There IS a point in the 'sand'

...where eventually the saner minds finally decide to draw the 'line.' I think for Arlen, this IS that time.

Could be wrong, but...

[kurth]

12. NEXT: Bush explains by clearing throat, Specter satisfied

Anything that comes out of this White House is a lie.

[WhiteTara]

20. end of story...move along n/t

[gratuitous]

13. Gee Arlen, it's too bad you can't, you know, convene a hearing

After all, as a member of the majority party in the Senate -- and we don't know how much longer that situation will obtain -- you could call a hearing and swear them in and get them to testify, couldn't you? Wouldn't that go a long way toward getting to the bottom of this situation and getting a fair evaluation from the American people you so devoutly wish for?

You're a fucking mealy-mouthed hypocrite, and have been all of your political life, Mr. Specter.

[54anickel]

14. Wants an explanation so he can propose an amendment that will

make the legality of such actions unquestionable in the future. Of course it will also be retro-active - case dismissed. I don't trust Specter - never have and never will.

[savemefromdumbya]

16. Specter is all talk no action

besides if he did he would be suicided

[Zorra]

17. Bu*h: "Outing covert CIA agents and then lying about it can be a good

thing for this country".

Specter: "See? Bu*h and Cheney were justified in leaking this information!"

[sojourner]

18. yeah, like when Bush came out and "explained" the NSA wiretapping program.

Makes it all okay. That's the motive behind this IMO.

[Rex]

23. Yeah, make sure they ain't under oath like last time.

:eyes: Puleeze...this is just 2006 posturing for the elections. They could have taken Bush & Cheney to task YEARS AGO, but no...they weren't even made to take the oath! Specter and crew KNEW all this shit and that is why they didn't swear them in! Go ahead and rumble you Repukes...you ain't gonna do it! You ain't about it! :eyes:

[DearAbby]

24. What magic theory can you come up with this time Spector?

Tossing the independents a "see, I am a moderate" bone.

[Barrett808]

25. Kyl: "I don't think there's any evidence"

"I don't think there's any evidence that the president told the vice president to go leak information to the press," said Sen. John Kyl, R-Ariz.

But, umm, isn't that exactly what the Libby testimony states? Hearsay evidence, yes, but evidence nonetheless.

[cassiepriam]

27. Translation: Bush and Cheney please make up some silly lies

that the American people will buy.

[goforit]

28. The only way Repugs have a chance is to clean house and start

with a fresh slate.

But this will never happen with pathological liars!