Fritz: Bush "was unaware of the role" that Libby? played in outing Plame.

[rodeodance]

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0407/dailyUpdate.html
posted April 7, 2006 at 12:54 p.m.

Did Bush misuse presidential powers?
Experts: Leaks are probably legal but 'amount to using sensitive intelligence data for political gain.'

By Tom Regan | csmonitor.com

The news that President Bush authorized the disclosure of classified information to certain reporters has set off a debate on whether or not Mr. Bush misused his national security powers. FoxNews reports that papers filed Thursday by Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald disclose that I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the only person indicted so far in the investigation into who 'outed' CIA agent Valerie Plame, told a grand jury that Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney had authorized him to discuss with reporters the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) regarding Iraqi weapons systems.

Nothing in the papers indicate Bush or Cheney told Libby to reveal the name of CIA analyst Valerie Plame, nor do they suggest that either the president or vice president did anything illegal. But the documents do hint at more problems for the administration since some may show a plan to punish one of its critics, Plame's husband, Amb. Joe Wilson.

The Associated Press reports that the picture painted by the court papers is of a hesitant Mr. Libby, who had "qualms about leaking classified information to the press, but was quickly persuaded to drop them" after coming under pressure from Mr. Cheney, "who advised him that the president had authorized Libby to do so."


In his court filing, Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald asserted that "the president was unaware of the role" that Libby "had in fact played in disclosing" Plame's CIA status. The prosecutor gave no such assurance, though, regarding Cheney.

......

[rodeodance]

1. but Friz does not let Cheney off the hook.

In his court filing, Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald asserted that "the president was unaware of the role" that Libby "had in fact played in disclosing" Plame's CIA status. The prosecutor gave no such assurance, though, regarding Cheney.

[rodeodance]

2. there are a lot of juicy nuggets in this article.

[maddezmom]

3. going to bookmark for reading

thanks for posting :hi:

[rodeodance]

9. LAT:" he is either a leaker or a hypocrite."--referring to Bush

....The Los Angeles Times writes in an editorial that the president now faces "an uncomfortable choice: he is either a leaker or a hypocrite."

There also is the issue of Bush's numerous previous statements, now making their way across the Internet at the speed of a DSL line, about leaking. One of the most popular is from Sept. 30, 2003: "Let me just say something about leaks in Washington. There are too many leaks of classified information in Washington. There's leaks at the executive branch; there's leaks in the legislative branch. There's just too many leaks. And if there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated law, the person will be taken care of."

Leave the legal issues about classified information and executive power to the constitutional scholars. The simpler question is whether Bush still believes, if he ever did, what he said in September 2003. If so, who in his administration needs to be taken care of?

[incapsulated]

4. I don't care. If he goes after Cheney...

Which, it appears he might, the walls come tumbling down. Cheney is the dark force fueling this whole evil enterprise.

To paraphrase: "If you can get Cheney... that would be beautiful." :)

[rodeodance]

5. maybe this answers the Question: Who is the real President?

[incapsulated]

7. Indeed. n/t

[Blaze Diem]

6. Meaning what? That George's ignorance relieves him of any guilt?

Play dumb, george..Your stupidity will be your salvation.

[rodeodance]

11. It was news to me when I read it. I don't know what it means-

[infogirl]

8. but it all leads back to

Valerie Plame....it is about what happened as a consequence, of Bush "releasing" the now unclassified material. A man, Joe Wilson wrote to the American people, the leak was filled with false information. Then, BAM, an unforgivable crime has taken place...one of our best was outed. This was always the issue...and Bu*h has wasted the country's time...playing these games...and if he gets away with this...it wasn't himi..blah, blah, blah...at the 100% of the people will know, he doesn't even care....for all that he already knows....

He is finished.

[rodeodance]

14. yes, and I think it is Waas who says Bush knew the infor. was false

[xchrom]

10. bush knew about 9-11 and he knew about this.

[rodeodance]

12. well, seems that Friz believes Bush (recall he had that interview with him

[xchrom]

17. and bush wouldn't lie?

[rodeodance]

20. te he. Yet, Fritz's comment seems pretty clear cut

[bee]

13. so he's just oblivious to whats going on in his admin?

thats just as bad.

[rodeodance]

16. Fritz only addressed the role Lib. played, not the fact that Bush

did reslease the information (whch according to Wass was not Declassifed at the time).

[worldgonekrazy]

15. That is an important distinction

I just posted a thread, which also cites this same article, explaining why it is false to say that Bush authorized the leaking of Plame's identity:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2557919

A lot of people seem to know this, but I still see many here on DU and elsewhere saying that Libby's statement means Bush is complicit in the leaking of Plame's identity. This is wrong, and to continue to parrot the line only hurts our credibility.

[BootinUp]

18. Excellent coverage.

:kick:

[MADem]

19. Circling and squeezing, the Fitz way...going slowly up the ladder

Libby's gotta feel like he's being left to twist, slowly, in the wind....

[0007]

21. This administration is sure doing a lot of sneaking around

and fooling absolutely no one.

[AtomicKitten]

22. but it's fun to watch!

[Disturbed]

23. "And if the person has violated law,

the person will be taken care of."

Yes, we see how Libby is being "taken care of". Millions of $s being raised by RWingers for his Defense and Obstruction at every turn.