U.S. News & World Report: White House Watch: Cheney resignation rumors fly

[RSchewe]

Sparked by today's Washington Post story that suggests Vice President Cheney's office is involved in the Plame-CIA spy link investigation, government officials and advisers passed around rumors that the vice president might step aside and that President Bush would elevate Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"It's certainly an interesting but I still think highly doubtful scenario," said a Bush insider. "And if that should happen," added the official, "there will undoubtedly be those who believe the whole thing was orchestrated – another brilliant Machiavellian move by the VP."

Said another Bush associate of the rumor, "Yes. This is not good." The rumor spread so fast that some Republicans by late morning were already drawing up reasons why Rice couldn't get the job or run for president in 2008.

"Isn't she pro-choice?" asked a key Senate Republican aide. Many White House insiders, however, said the Post story and reports that the investigation was coming to a close had officials instead more focused on who would be dragged into the affair and if top aides would be indicted and forced to resign.

"Folks on the inside and near inside are holding their breath and wondering what's next," said a Bush adviser. But, he added, they aren't focused on the future of the vice president. "Not that, at least not seriously," he said.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/051018/18whwatch.htm

Relax, these are just rumors, but it is sort of funny seeing all these people running around like their hair is on fire.

[Walt Starr]

1. Fitz to the WH: Tell Cheney I'm coming...

AND HELL IS COMING WITH ME!!!

:evilgrin:

[Debau2005]

8. HAHA

:spray:

[charlie]

2. "Isn't she pro-choice?"

Lookit that. Fresh rumor, and what pops up first thing?

And I keep hearing about we're obsessive purists.

[tuvor]

3. Everyone, calm the hell DOWN.

Like I just posted in a dupe, news about rumours is NOT NEWS.

[Walt Starr]

5. Well come on, who do you think is starting the rumors?

I figure it's the Norquist faction in the White House floating a potential replacement because they're expecting the PNAC faction to go down.

[tuvor]

15. Anyone can start a rumour, LOL.

You just proved it! ;)

[Walt Starr]

17. I didn't state anything as fact.

Starting a rumor requires a statement of fact be floated.

I simply speculated.

[RSchewe]

6. Who says posts have to be news?

Can't we just discuss anything here in the General Discussion Forum? This is not the Latest Breaking News Forum...

[tuvor]

13. No one, but you're citing the U.S. News and World Report.

Discuss all you like; I just think their article is more worthy of a supermarket tabloid.

I'll confess, though, I know nothing of the reputation of USN&WR. Maybe they engage in this sort of non-news often?

[converted_democrat]

4. Damn.....n/t

[SeattleRob]

7. fingers crosssed n/t

[malaise]

9. Randi just said

that tomorrow may be the day.

[madrchsod]

10. well the lauria b not going to be happy

with sister-c and little g-boy spending all that time in the oval crib...
i can hear the aryan nations storm troopers locking and loading

[Lerkfish]

11. The fact that there are rumors points to how plausible the corruption is

no one is actually acting like the crime was not committed, just scrambling to see how to spin it.

that, is a good thing, IMHO

[robertpaulsen]

12. Rumors assuming Rice is NOT involved.

No way would she be confirmed if she is involved, even if she is not indicted.

[Walt Starr]

14. Actually, I see this whole thing as a trial balloon

for throwing Cheney overboard as the scapegoat.

IF this is what is really going on, they're terrified that Fitz has the goods on *.

[robertpaulsen]

23. If * is an unindicted co-conspirator, when would we know?

I'm wondering because my historical knowledge of Watergate is that Nixon was an unindicted co-conspirator from the indictments Jaworski handed out in March of 1974, but this was not made public knowledge until after Congress initiated impeachment proceedings. Does that sound right?

If so, I'm worried that our reactionary Congress, in spite of their current misgivings on Miers, won't lift a finger to impeach *. I think you're right that the focus would then be on Cheney, which would give * the freedom to pick whoever is not involved in Plamegate to replace Cheney without anyone exposing *'s role.

[progressivebydesign]

16. Yeah, wasn't Rice part of the Iraq War Team???

Isn't that whole bunch knee-deep in this shit? What I REALLY wish was that Fitzgerald was focusing on the entire FALSIFIED intelligence and lies leading up to the invasion of Iraq. Now THAT would net a whole cast 'o characters.

[robertpaulsen]

24. Yeah, Rice is a WHIGger.

Here's a list:

http://www.thinkprogress.org/leak-scandal

RICE RECEIVED TOP SECRET BRIEFING BOOK ON AFRICA TRIP: “To allow her to prepare on the long flight home to D.C., White House officials assembled a briefing book, which they faxed to the Bush entourage in Africa. The book was primarily prepared by her National Security Council staff. It contained classified information — perhaps including all or part of the memo from State. The entire binder was labeled TOP SECRET.”

snip

RICE CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF LEAKS: “I know nothing of any such White House effort to reveal any of this. And it certainly would not be the way the president would expect his White House to operate.”

“COOPERATED” WITH FITZGERALD’S PROBE. When asked if she had been asked to testify before the grand jury, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, “I have, like everybody else, cooperated with Prosecutor Fitzgerald and I’m quite certain that he will make his report.”

MEMBER OF THE WHITE HOUSE IRAQ GROUP: Rice was a regular participant in the weekly meetings of the Bush Administration’s White House Iraq Group. The main purpose of the group was the systematic coordination of the “marketing” of going to war with Iraq as well as selling the war here at home. One clear example of this fact is that “the escalation of nuclear rhetoric” during the pre-war stage, “including the introduction of the term ‘mushroom cloud’ into the debate, coincided with the formation” of WHIG. The group included the two individual who have been confirmed as leakers, Karl Rove and Lewis Libby.




No knowledge, my ass. If she said this to Fitz, its PERJURY!

[Buns_of_Fire]

18. Rumor or not, anything that adds to the discomfort of the WH

gives me a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling.

[RSchewe]

21. Exactly.

They shouldn't complain. Republicans make careers out of throwing crap until something sticks. Not that this is the same, but I guess it don't hurt to poke a little.

[sofa king]

19. A-hole Republican asks, "isn't she pro-choice?"

Not:

"Wasn't she responsible for advising the President on national security prior to 9/11?" or;

"Did she really warn Willie Brown not to fly the day before 9/11"?
( http://www.fpp.co.uk/online/02/05/Bush_knew2.html )
or;

"Didn't she help spread false information justifying the invasion of Iraq?" or;

"Didn't she hang out with a Chinese spy at Stanford?"

Hell no. None of those considerations even cross the mind of GOP flacks, because in their small minds, the greatest enemy is still the American people.

[Neil Lisst]

20. No, Bush would pick someone like George Allen

... or one of the other young darlings of the party

This just gave me an idea for a Neil Lisst comic.

THANK YOU! two words - Dan Quayle. hahahahahaahhaaa


http://www.webcomicsnation.com/neillisst/

[RSchewe]

22. It is hard to believe Bush would be able to survive losing Cheney. n/t