Dean's letter is F*CKING AWESOME!!!

[4_Legs_Good]

Exactly what needs to be said. Rove is going down, we all know it. Let's make sure we don't forget that the President is complicit in the crime.

Great work Dean!!!

*********************************************************
Politics drove someone in the White House to do a treacherous, potentially criminal thing: a senior administration official leaked the identity of a covert CIA operative. They endangered the agent's life and compromised our national security in a time of war.

Here's what former president George H.W. Bush said about that kind of crime: "Even though I'm a tranquil guy now at this stage of my life, I have nothing but contempt and anger for those who betray the trust by exposing the name of our sources. They are, in my view, the most insidious of traitors." That's from a speech on April 26, 1999.

I agree. But as it became clear this week that Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove is a subject of the criminal investigation into the leak, the second Bush administration has gone silent. And its operatives have launched a cover-up and smear campaign against anyone raising questions.

This is bigger than politics -- every American should agree that this administration needs to come clean immediately about this leak, and any White House official's role in it. The only way to pressure this administration is to show that Americans will not tolerate this -- and that every American regardless of party will unite and publicly demand that they come clean:

http://www.democrats.org/comeclean

We will publish comments from Republicans, Democrats and independents across the country -- demonstrating that our party won't play politics with this, but keeping the pressure on this administration to do the right thing. And we will do it until they come clean.

When former President Bush made the remarks above, he wasn't speaking as a Republican. He wasn't even speaking as a former president -- he was speaking as a former CIA director who understands the sacrifice of our covert operatives and the danger of their work.

What happened here is even worse than what former President Bush describes. That's because the leak was not an accident -- it was part of a campaign to try to discredit anyone, including those inside the CIA, who questioned the administration's claims about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

Other former CIA officials agree. Three former operatives (who are also registered Republicans) gave this joint statement in testimony on October 24, 2003: "This has set a sickening precedent. The 'senior Administration officials' who did this have warned all U.S. intelligence officers and the Intelligence Community that any one individual may be compromised if providing information or factual analysis the White House does not like."

This is a serious situation -- it goes to the heart of our national security, and what kind of standards we have for those entrusted with secret and potentially dangerous information. Forward this message to everyone you know -- Republican, Democrat, independent -- and ask them to add their name to the list of Americans demanding this administration come clean:

http://www.democrats.org/comeclean

You don't have to be a former intelligence official to understand the implications of this crime.

Here's what former Republican Party chairman Ed Gillespie had to say on 'Hardball' on September 30, 2003: "I think if the allegation is true, to reveal the identity of an undercover CIA operative -- it's abhorrent, and it should be a crime, and it is a crime." Asked by MSNBC's Chris Matthews if it would be worse than Watergate, he said, "Yeah, I suppose in terms of the real world implications of it. It's not just politics."

George W. Bush said when this leak became public that he "welcomed the investigation" and called the leak a "criminal action." He pledged that anyone found to be the source would be "taken care of".

But the New York Times reported that when asked yesterday if he would fire Karl Rove, the question was met with a "stony silence".

Will George W. Bush keep his word and demand that everyone in his administration uphold the trust of their office? This is his chance to rise above politics and do the right thing for our security and for our country.

Our party will rise above politics by asking all Americans, regardless of party, to publicly ask the administration to come clean about this serious situation:

http://www.democrats.org/comeclean

Please get this message out to as many people as possible. Americans of all political persuasions should agree that we need to get the truth -- and take responsibility for publicly demanding it.

Thank you.

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.
Chairman, Democratic National Committee
************************************************************

[Totally Committed]

1. To add anything would be

trying to "gild the lily".. perfect as-is.

Thanks to Howard Dean, and recommended for "Greatest" page!

TC

[ellenfl]

2. my comment . . .

This action, no matter how you rationalize it, was despiccable and criminal. The administration needs to tell the American people the truth . . . now . . . and the 'leaker' should face the consequences . . . and I don't mean the Medal of Honor.

ellen fl

[4_Legs_Good]

4. LMAO! Perfect

:)

david

[Totally Committed]

5. There were so many great lines in this letter...

I couldn't pick just one as "best"!

TC

[BlakeB]

3. Gotta love Dean.

I'm proud to have him as our chairman.

[Tamarin]

6. He's absolutely right,

the implications of outing Plame go beyond she and her husband. This outing sends a message to other agents that any information or analysis not welcomed by the administration will result in their total destruction.

[Larkspur]

7. Awesome letter!

Dean is really getting better as a public spokesperson without losing his spirit.

Keep giving 'em Hell, Howard!

[DarienComp]

8. Here's my letter

Joe Wilson's wife was an undercover CIA operative. Her main area of expertise was weapons of mass destruction. Because of the actions of Karl Rove (and possibly others in the White House), her career was destroyed, her life was endangered, and the American people are less safe because of it.

We're in a war. Two wars, actually. This was not a case of setting a reporter straight on a false story. It was an illegal leak of classified information- information that, once out, compromised America's safety. Let me put it simply: it was high treason.

The press corps continues to ask whether the White House will fess up. The White House could have fessed up when this happened three years ago, but in the face of a difficult reelection campaign, they decided to let taxpayer funds pay for an investigation that landed a reporter in jail for not revealing a source that she didn't use for a story that she didn't write. But now, simply telling the truth, at long last, will not cut it. Karl Rove should not only resign from his current job, he should retire from politics all together. He should be looked on by the rest of us as the disgrace to this nation that he is.

Finally, the President needs to address the following: When he said that he didn't know who the leaker was, was Karl Rove lying to him, or was he himself lying to the American people?

[Raiden]

9. Imagine what McAuliffe would've said

If anything... God I luv ya Dean!!

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. Done. Here's my ltte on the subject

There are many questions surrounding the issue of who blew CIA agent Valerie Plame’s cover in retaliation for her husband, Ambassador Wilson, revealing as forgeries the Niger yellowcake uranium documents that provided "proof" for pushing forward with the Iraq war.

For example, are these forgeries what was meant by the Downing Street memo which stated that the “intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy" of going to war in Iraq?

Who authorized the revelation of Ambassador Wilson’s wife as an undercover weapons of mass destruction operative for the CIA, thus putting her mission and dozens of other operatives at risk?

Why did former Attorney General Ashcroft remove himself from the leak investigation?

If the leak indeed came from a member or members of his staff will President Bush, who promised honor and integrity in the White House, stand by his word and “deal” with the person who created the leak as he promised way back in 2003?

And why is the White House changing its story from “it’s ridiculous” to think that Karl Rove is involved in the leak, that they’ve “made it very clear, he was not involved, that there's no truth to the suggestion that he was” to “This is an ongoing investigation at this point. The president directed the White House to cooperate fully with the investigation, and as part of cooperating fully with the investigation, that means we're not going to be commenting on it while it is ongoing.” Have they been hiding something for two years, or does President Bush have so little control over what his staff does, including Karl Rove, a man his own father once fired for leaking a negative story about Bush supporter Robert Mosbacher to none other than columnist Bob Novak, who features in the Plame story as well?

[patrioticliberal]

11. Keep it up Howard!

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Welcome to DU!

[patrioticliberal]

18. Thanks

And, yes, let's keep fighting for Andy. I guess it is kind of fitting that Mike Malloy went on vacation because he has so much respect for him.

[stickdog]

13. Nice. (nt)

[NVMojo]

14. Leaks are done to coverup something. Why was this leak done?

We need to get to the bottom of it. It had to do with WMD and the fact that the White House was spinning intelligence to meet their needs and Plame and her husband were in the way so they got SMEARED with the leak! And it ties in to the DSM. Intention.

[Carla in Ca]

17. And the 'fix' is in for this guy

Can we wipe that smile off his face yet?

[Cha]

22. Oh, that 'toon tells it

like it is!

[Carla in Ca]

24. Some of these I see say more than words ever can.

n/t

[Cha]

29. OMG!

That's one of the most graphically Best!

[Debi]

15. *sigh* Howard Rocks My World

[Cocoa]

16. Poppy Bush is part of the "Angry Left"

or so Ken Mehlman seems to think.

[LiberalAndProud]

19. My comment (I plagarized)

I want to know the truth. Leaks of classified information are bad things.

If the person has violated law, that person <should> be taken care of.

Here I will credit the original source:
G.W. Bush, February 11, 2004

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/09/30/wilson.cia/

[WillyT]

20. Done !!! - Great Letter!

:kick:

[Cha]

21. That is a Good Letter!

That man can write, too..:patriot:

Thanks, Dean!

[Allenberg]

23. You tell 'em, Howie!

This makes me all the more excited about meeting him on Tuesday at an event in Pittsburgh. (Check the PA subforum if interested) :D

[bigwillq]

25. DEAN is da man!

Thanks Howie!

[laugle]

26. Great letter, I think Dean is finally getting

the hang of his job. Recommended!

[radfringe]

27. Media still missing the story

this is my LTTE - just emailed it this morning - feel free to use it

The focus is currently on Karl Rove and what did he say - when did he say it. However, The media is once again missing out on the real story. The big story is not Rove. The big story is why are we in Iraq.

It's been reported Rove's outing of Plame was an attempt to discredit Ambassador Joseph Wilson's statements that there was no connection between Niger-Yellowcake and Iraq/Saddam. This brings us to a larger question - why was it necessary for the White House to discredit Wilson in the first place?

If Wilson was mistaken in his assertion there is no Niger-Iraq connection, then surely the White House had access to information to correct that assertion and would be well served to disclose it to the American people. Instead they chose to smear Wilson's reputation.

Could it be because Wilson was right? If so, wouldn't that question the credibility of Bush's assertion of Saddam, Iraq and WMDs?

In September 2002, the White House began the selling of a new product. Saddam must go, and he must go because he had Weapons of Mass Destruction. Hans Blix led an UN Inspection team into Iraq and found no WMDs. Wilson went to Niger and found no evidence of Iraq trying to buy yellowcake. Yet, Bush insisted we had to invade Iraq because they had WMDs. We know today there were no WMDs even though Rumsfeld had said "..we know exactly were they are...".

We were also told Sadam had connection with Bin-Laden - which later was also found to have no merit.

Next we were told we invaded to liberate the Iraqi people - our troops would be greeted with flowers. It seems the shower of flowers are as elusive as the WMDs.

The latest spin is the "flypaper" strategy - we invaded Iraq to give the terrorists a place to fight so we won't have to fight them at home. Last week's attack in London says otherwise.

Through out this - when a particular excuse has been dispelled - the White House claims it "misspoke", blames someone else and thereby avoids taking responsibility for anything it does.

It's time for investigative journalists to look beyond Rove and start asking the big question - Why are we in Iraq and why is Bush lying about it?

[4_Legs_Good]

30. Fantastic letter

and hits the point exactly. I think that the Rove business is a chance to dig deep into the Iraq choices and deceptions.

Great work!

david

[bklyncowgirl]

28. I sent mine nt