Question: When the White House rushed to overturn their policy

[lindashaw]

about non-disclosure of backgrounders (as the one FOX news gave to Rice and others to counter Richard Clarke with) did the White House make itself vulnerable to the Valerie Plame inquiry?

Can the Plame lawyers now request the backgrounders that Robert Novak used? The precedent has certainly been set.

[No Mandate Here.]

1. Would be nice,

but we shouldn't count on it. Uncle Karl says it wouldn't be a good idea. In their poker game, they only give away the opponents hand.

[lindashaw]

2. Very good! Just read on Talking Points Memo that Josh has

raised the same question. They're on the case!!!!!!

[billybob537]

3. Am I all alone on this

or is there a mountian of shit waiting to fall on poor little Georgieboy?

[yolatengo]

5. you'd think.

But I think they're dumping all of this now, winding Democrats up, with
all the shit they've done, but come October, they'll say:

We're looking to the future, they're looking to the PAST (like, March),
what loooooosers. Vote Bush.

And The People will say in November:

"Richard Clarke? Who's he? Why dwell on the past? Bush is a
good, Christian man and my ADHD will not allow me to
remember any past misdeeds. Kerry looks French and wears
earth tones and thinks he invented the internet".

I mean, for THREE YEARS we've known Bush let Bin Laden's
fucking family leave the USA on September 12th, and that
Ashcroft CUT the counter terrorism budget in summer, 2001.
Have they taken ANY political damage from this?

People are fickle. March Madness is distracting. 45% will vote
Bush no matter what. 45% will vote Kerry no matter what. 10%
will be swayed on emotional trivialities come November and
Bush has $200million to show us his trivialities are better than
Kerry's. Unfortunately, in our 'winner take all' system, that 10%
could mean the GOP keeping both houses and Bush winning
a narrow Electoral College victory.

Anyone expecting a 200 electoral vote shift or 20+ seat swing
in either house is delusional. I predict 80% of the people won't
be able to identify Richard Clarke come November or tell you
ONE thing damaging to Bush that came out of the 9/11 Commission.

Hell, I was at a 'trivia night' last night and only 3 of 11 teams could
identify Richard Clarke YESTERDAY, and this was in an urban pub
filled with 25-35yr olds, 99% of whom were college educated.
I think most can identify John Ashcroft, but few have an informed
opinion of the bastard.

Finally, I hate to say this, but there seems to be an underlying meme
that is probably NEVER going to go away;

"Who the fuck cares about those goddamn muslim ragheads? I mean
ANY of them? Afghanistan? Iraq? Nuke them all and take their fucking
oil. I really just don't care WHAT Bush said or did to start this war, but
I just don't give a shit about those people, how many we killed, etc.
And if gas prices are up, it's BECAUSE those goddamn ay-rabs keep
killing our soldiers (though no one *I* know) and each other and
won't straighten up and fly right (and give us cheap oil). And since
they won't, they DESERVE us occupying them, the fucking losers.
They will NEVER change".

The most egregious abuses of power EVER in US History, but the
bottom line to far too many americans is:

if it keeps them from doing another 9/11, and keeps my SUV in
cheap gas, I DON'T CARE WHAT BUSH DID "WRONG".

Same mentality it took to think it was OK for Hoover to spy on people
for Nixon. They call themselves Patriotic Americans, but really it's all
about the ENDS JUSTIFYING THE MEANS.

Bigby

[emulatorloo]

4. I feel the other reporters contacted re Plame ought to now feel free

to reveal who contacted them.

[cmayer]

6. Unfortunately, they have an out.

Since the "White House" was responsible for giving the information about Clarke's backgrounder, they have the authority to wave confidentiality privilege.

The White House claims that the information given to Novak came from a "rogue" senior official (or two.) Therefore, it is the "rogue" who must waive privilege.

Of course, they could order all staff to waive privilege, but the "rogue" would not, and Novak would not have to give it up.