AMERICABlog: The Rove story keeps getting worse (Fitz talked to Ari)

[Goldmund]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aPAumGLz.W9M&refer=top_world_news">From Bloomberg:

Rove is not the only potential subject for Fitzgerald's probe, which already has resulted in the jailing of New York Times reporter Judith Miller for refusing to reveal her sources and Time magazine being forced to turn over notes about confidential sources, including Rove, to a grand jury.

People familiar with the inquiry say Fitzgerald also is reviewing testimony by former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, though it is not clear whether the prosecutor is focusing on him or seeking information about higher-ups. Fleischer last night refused to comment.

Other Bush aides who have testified to the grand jury or been questioned by prosecutors include McClellan; Rove; former Deputy Press Secretary Adam Levine; Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff; and Dan Bartlett, a Bush communications adviser.

Bush himself was questioned by Fitzgerald in the Oval Office on June 24, 2004.

`Something Serious'

Randall Eliason, the former chief of the public corruption section of the U.S. Attorney's office in Washington, said the fact that Fitzgerald pursued Cooper and Miller so aggressively suggests that he has a legal target in sight. It is rare for a federal prosecutor to seek jail for a reporter who refuses to reveal sources, he said.

``You wouldn't expect him to go to these lengths unless he thought he had something serious to look at,'' Eliason said. ``You don't compel reporters to testify or jail reporters unless you have a pretty good reason. This is not something you do lightly.''

Eliason said Fitzgerald could be pursuing a perjury or obstruction of justice charge rather than a prosecution under the 1982 law that makes it a crime to reveal the name of a covert operative.

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005/07/rove-story-keeps-getting-worse.html

[robertpaulsen]

1. Cheney was also questioned by Fitzgerald.

Cheney Said Questioned On CIA Leak

CBS) Vice President Dick Cheney was recently interviewed by federal prosecutors who asked whether he knew of anyone at the White House who had improperly disclosed the identity of an undercover C.I.A. officer, The New York Times reports in its Saturday editions, citing people who have been involved in official discussions about the case.

"Cheney was also asked about conversations with senior aides, including his chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby, according to people officially informed about the case," the Times says. "In addition, those people said, Mr. Cheney was asked whether he knew of any concerted effort by White House aides to name the officer. It was not clear how Mr. Cheney responded to the prosecutors' questions."

The interview of the vice president was part of a grand jury investigation into whether anyone at the White House violated a federal law that makes it a crime to divulge the name of an undercover officer intentionally, the newspaper explains.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/02/politics/main620810.shtml

[AuntiBush]

21. Speaking of Cheney, Has Anyone Seen/Heard of him, lately?

Or have I missed "it?"

Ari: Knew it! Now we know why he stepped-down for R&R w/Mom (yeah...)

[Pachamama]

29. You mean "the case of the missing Dick"?

Good question - last I heard of a sighting was when he checked into a Cardiac unit at Vail for a flare up in an old "kneee injury"....

Hmmm....wonder if they have him hooked up to the Battery Pack for recharging....

But it does make one wonder, eh?

[GreenPartyVoter]

34. Loreena Bobbit was hired to do a hit on him

[Pachamama]

39. Then again,, she probably would have found nothing....

I have always had this image (scary) of the fat-belly of FUCheney's not only not allowing him to see his dick, but that what is there is so tiny and pathetic that it isn't worth seeing.

Real men (and particularly well endowed ones) don't behave like these neo-con neanderthals who wage war and destroy.....

:puke:

[AlinPA]

2. I'm concerned about how long this is taking; is Fitzgerald trying to run

out the clock? i.e., until Bush** is out of office. I know the GJ is disbanded in October, but why couldn't he just say "Aww shucks, we didn't find anything"? Again, I know he has a good reputation as a tough prosecutor, but since the Bush** administration (Comey asst. AG) appointed him. Why would they pick a "good tough prosecutor" unless he was told what the answer should be?

[fob]

8. Here's my thought on that. Maybe not run out the clock but push

this out early on so it's "over" by 2006 midterms. I think he'll find someone to take the fall as the leaker, the person who gave the name/info on Plame to rove, and rove will be found to have "bent, but not broken" some minor aspect of a law, receive a "Why you little scamp!" from bush* with a ceremony and a medal and POOF!, it's all done.

Incidentally, I hope I'm wrong.

[AlinPA]

11. I hope so, too; I think it is naive to think that a prosecutor appointed

by someone in the Bush**-Rove administration would actually find wrong doing by Rove or any WH official. These bastards are rotten, no way they would let Fitzgerald move ahead unless there was a deal up front. These bastards lied about reasons for going to war where many thousands died, so why would anyone trust them here?

[ProfessorGAC]

35. Look Into Fitzgerald's Past Investigations

If you were here in Illinois, you'd know he's got no such loyalty to the Republicans. He almost single-handedly destroyed the Republican party in Illinois. He rooted out illegalities in the gov't here to such a high level that the whole party ran from Springfield in disgrace. They have no control over anything in this state now, and they are so desperate for recovery that they ran Alan Keyes for Senate. (And, he got annihilated.)
The Professor

[More Than A Feeling]

3. Seems like Fitzgerald is going for all the marbles

One of the weaknesses of the white house's message cohesion is that if they all repeat the same lies, they are all potentially threatened if one backfires.

I wonder if that is what is happening here, and we are going to see indictments against the entire administration for perjury or obstruction. Or have I been eating the funny mushrooms again?

[sniffa]

4. i was just thinking of ari on the ride home

and that i used to think he was the Leaker, or had some hand in it.
didn't he retire the day before the novak coLumn?

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

16. I don't know if liari retired the day before

but it was right around the same time nofact's column came out. Also judy "media darling' miller said she hasn't talked to the leaker in 2 years which would put it right about the time liari quit.

[Scout1071]

19. Yep. He announced his retirement the week of 5/20/05

but his last day was indeed the day of or day after the article ran.

I don't think it's coincidence at all. People tend to say and do things they normally wouldn't when they are leaving a job.

[against all enemies]

5. Get that smug ass Ari, oh if life could be that good.

[Pachamama]

30. "People should be careful about what they say"....

Yeah, getting that smug ass Ari would be oh so sweet....I bet those words would come back to haunt him, especially if he had something to do with saying something about Valerie Plame....

:eyes:

[ThoughtCriminal]

6. Considering the timing of Ari's departure

It seems likely that the leak might have something to do with it.

[Zen Democrat]

9. Ari had already announced he was leaving two months earlier.

But, the SP did subpoena the transcript of one of his press gaggles in Africa. One of his last official acts as Press Secretary.

Getting that smug bastard would be sweet indeed.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

18. The real question is when did the WHIG (White House Iraq Group)....

...start planning their operation against Wilson, Plame, and Plame's global WMD tracking network?

Did the time when the plan was first discussed coincide with Ari's departure?

Did Ari suddenly develop a conscience and resign when he first heard about the plan and the plan's potential for a massive backlash?

Or, knowing that what was being discussed was a felony, did Ari get out of Dodge while the getting was good?

[Bumblebee]

13. Since he is no threat any more

I hope he won't be the fall guy because then nothing changes...

[Just Me]

7. Soooo, even the rats that jumped ship have been pulled in?

:rofl:

This is all just so dang delicious!!!

[ScamUSA.Com]

10. Ari on Fire... classic pic

[Jackpine Radical]

12. Where is all this information coming from all of a sudden?

Fitzgerald was running about as tight-lipped an investigation as possible, with very few leaks & very little information of any kind coming out.

Was all this info about Bush, Cheney & all the others being questioned already public knowledge & I missed it or forgot it? Or is it new? Is this all authorized by Fitz as a way of preparing people for what's coming (e.g. Bush & Cheney as unindicted but eminently impeachable co-consipriators)?

Anybody got this figured out?

[kohodog]

14. Remember that this case goes back to 2003

As I recall Bush testified for 70 minutes. Rove was called in three times. Cheney, Libby and many others were called in.Fitzgerald was about to wrap things up last summer/fall when Miller and cooper refused to comply and Judge Hogan found them in contempt. Their appeals have taken this long to go through to the Supreme Court which refused to hear the case as we heard a few weeks ago. I don't have transcripts of the various court opinions, but they are particularly enlightening. Judge Tatel wanted to rule in favor of Miller and Cooper but couldn't bring himself to do it considering the National Security implications and seriousness of the case. It has been a tight lipped case,, but tidbits have come out over the two years.

This is no small matter for this pack of liars.

[Jackpine Radical]

15. Thanks. Some of it is coming back now.

Dementia ain't easy.

[shelley806]

26. I'd forgotten much of this also. This means that if Miller and Cooper

had initially complied last year, the case might have been completed before the election; and, depending on the ruling and the media coverage, it could have altered the election, right? And considering the percentages of those polled who want Rove fired, I believe the election outcome would have been vastly different, even with vote tampering.

[kohodog]

27. I agree, but it was not Fitzgerald who slowed the investigation down

The court process is slow, but one or two judges could have kept this from moving fast enough to be resolved before the election. We may never know, but Nixon was re-elected too.

[shelley806]

33. Thanks for your answer, but I was wondering if it was Cooper and

Miller who slowed down the process by refusing to comply...

[insane_cratic_gal]

17. Ari's last WH briefing

Subject: Ari's last WH briefing
Message:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/07/2003071...

Lots of information in there on the Yellow Cake and the "fixed intell .. DSM alleges" Given by Chimp during the state of the Union Address.

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 14, 2003

<Snip>

MR. FLEISCHER: Because of the notion that what the President said is wrong, that the President included erroneous information in the State of the Union. There have been a series of allegations made that are unsupportable allegations. What we have said is -- you know, of course, based on the fact that Iraq did, indeed, get its uranium from Africa, from Niger in the early 1980s, what we've said is these statements may be true, they may not be true. It's part of the intelligence mosaic. Yet, this should not have risen to the level of Presidential speech.

Q But you're trying to have it both ways. You're saying it shouldn't have been in the speech, but it still may be true. But you really don't know. Why don't you simply retract and withdraw the statement?

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, we said it should not have been in the State of the Union.

Q But you're still trying to suggest that it may be true in the end.

MR. FLEISCHER: That's because in the face of allegations that it was false, I think it's important for people to have a realistic understanding of Iraq's attempts to pursue nuclear weapons; and in the pursuit of nuclear weapons, they needed uranium, they had only a limited amount of uranium from inside Iraq; they needed to get uranium from somewhere; they previously had a history of getting it from Africa; and the reporting at the time indicated that there were suspicions they were getting it from Africa, indeed.

[lumpy]

41. Can't get the file

it can't be found.. Thanks tho' for the bit of info. I must say Ari was swifter with his mouth than the present automaton.

[SoCalDem]

20. You can bet your life that there were many meetings taking place

late at night in the bowels of the WH.. ALL the principals were there, and the goal was to TRASH Wilson..threaten him, and SHUT HIM UP..

As long as he stayed silent, it was no biggie, but once he went public, they had to destroy him..in any way they could...

They all knew the reporters to contact..Judith Miller was Chalabi's champion (and he was OUR guy then) and she "mainlined" the war effort and the WH position.. Novak practically keeps a toothbrush at the WH (he's a favorite of theirs)..

Wilson was big news then because he was a lone voice in the wilderness, and all the news outlets would have liked to have more stuff to write about..

It's no accident.. Probably Gonzales was in on it too, so that they could carefully craft their words to avoid CRIMINAL CHARGES..


Nothing happens by accident in this WH.

[burythehatchet]

22. I have wood

[kohodog]

25. I've got kerosene. Anybody got a match?

This thing is goin' up!

[brettdale]

23. Kick

Kick

[brettdale]

24. kick

kick

[brettdale]

28. Kick

Kick

[brettdale]

31. kick

kick

[Borgnine]

32. Yes, this isn't just about Rove.

I have a feeling that this story could bring down the entire Administration in the right hands. It's the potential silver bullet.

[sendero]

36. Someone tell me...

...where I'm wrong here. Miller was not jailed for "failing to reveal her sources". She has no "source", she did not print the information in question.

She's being jailed to refusing to testify before a grand jury. Sure, there is no doubt the GJ is going to ask her what she was told and by who, but that is not the same as "revealing her sources".

I just feel like "refusing to reveal her sources" is pure spin.

[The Night Owl]

37. Worse? The Rove story just keeps getting better and better...

... just not for Rove and company.

Throw them all in jail. Let them set up their little criminal enterprise within the confines of a maximum security prison.

[Ganja Ninja]

38. Do you suppose Ari saw this train wreck coming and ...

that's why he resigned? I'm sure he's watching Scottie and smiling and thinking "Sucks to be him!"
:rofl:

[Pachamama]

40. Heard today on the Randi Rhodes show that ole Ari has lawyered up!

Guess things are getting a little hot there for some of them insiders in the ole Bush White House these days....So its not just the current insiders employed in this White House who are getting nervous....

Karma is a bitch, ain't it?