Just because someone says it is not "illegal" does not make it so...

[kentuck]

Of course, everyone always says they are innocent. The media reports that Bush was the leaker of the information against the CIA agent. Then they have to come back out and qualify their statements because they got the word from the White House? As if this White House said it so that makes it gospel? Since when have they told you the truth, you assholes! No, they are not innocent. They have broken the law. The President is not exempt from the laws about leaks of classified information...even if they say they are. Do your damn jobs! :mad:

[Ksec]

1. It was illegal

Period.

Until they show me where this was declassified "prior" to him leaking its a crime.

[JohnnyRingo]

7. I would think it appropriate to ask for a reason as well

Why did he have to declassify Plame's identity?
Did it help in his "war on terr"? Because it was revealing his lies?

And to think...They gave this Libby guy a job.
This is the thanx they get
Hahahahaha

[BooScout]

10. The President CANNOT declassify the identity of a covert agent...

Plame was protected by statute from having her ID disclosed. She meets the criteria as a covert agent by having served overseas undercover within the past 5 years. Nothing can superced the statute protecting her idetity.............not even that son of a bitch sitting in the White House. Not only should he be impeached but he should be tried for treason as well.

[countryjake]

2. Looks rather illegal to me...obstruction, anyone?

From TruthOut:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040606Y.shtml

According to four attorneys who over the past two days have read a transcript of the President Bush's interview with investigators, Bush did not disclose to either investigators or the special counsel that he had authorized Cheney or any other administration official to leak portions of the NIE to Woodward and Miller or any other reporter. Rather, these people said the president said he frowned upon "selective leaks."


Not to mention, he lied to the American people.

[Ksec]

3. not to mention, he lied to the American people.

Yes, but he wasnt under oath. Just so you know its fine to lie as long as you are not under oath. :)

If they try this route , just say he was under oath. He swore to tell the truth when he took the OATH of office.

[countryjake]

12. I use that "oath of office" a lot. Oaths are way overrated, in my book.

But not to people who think that putting one's hand on a good book honestly represents requirements to uphold that oath. Very serious matter, this latest exposure is turning out to be.

I just spoke to a good friend who is wildly religious and we had a great talk on the whole thing...she hadn't heard about this news, so I struck while the iron was hot, LOL. Read her EarlG's list of the prez's statements out loud, all of which she recalled, cause we'd argued about each of them long ago. Then I broke the joyous "revelations" of this morning to her. Her response, "Well, that stinker!" Then she went on to, of course, blame the devil, for working his evil.

What was this fundie, stalwart Republican's conclusion...our prez needs to ask for forgiveness.

[Ksec]

13. does a pres have the legal right to authorise the public release of

covert classified intelligence?

[kentuck]

14. What's the precedence?

If it's happened in the past, when was it?

[Mandate My Ass]

4. bizarro world

scandal plagued doesn't come close to describing what has gone on during the past five years. But in bizarro world illegal domestic spying = terrorist surveillance program. Hmmmm, outing covert WMD agent = tactical anti-secrecy disclosure.

[porphyrian]

5. And ignorance of the law is no excuse. - n/t

[Fredda Weinberg]

6. The prez can declassify whatever he wants but

he exposes a covert agent at his peril. That's why the spin is so precise.

[electropop]

8. Legality is almost beside the point.

This bombshell will do so much political damage that it's going to be a major step along the impeachment path. Nothing has to be minutely proven in order to impeach the bum. The only consideration there is the political support, and this certainly will add to that. The public will be furious at the way he repeatedly lied to our faces on TV about this.

[kenny blankenship]

11. this is certainly the kind of behavior that was meant by "misdemeanors"

in that famous phrase "high crimes and misdemeanors" from Article II section 4.

[NYC]

9. If it was legal, why did he sit back, and let Libby lose his job

over it? (And commit perjury and obstruction of justice.)

[neoblues]

15. Uh... I didn't do it.... Uh... And if I DID, then it wasn't illegal...

because the laws don't apply to me, 'cuz I'm the "President" and we're "at War"! (uh... nevermind that I started the war--the one with IRAQ, and I created the pretext for the, uh, war on Terra'ists (when I helped some of my rich buddies to get away with the demolition of the WTC while still getting insurance coverage--after all, my other buddies sed we needed a new pearle harbor--and letting some terra'ists do some of the dirty work for us gave us just what we needed)). Also, if it WAS illegal, it won't be as soon as my pals in Congress get finished re-writing the laws retroactively. So I'm redundantly innocent redundantly!

So, everything's okay here people, I was within my God-given rights to do whatever it was since it was necessary to keep the American people safe like I said I was going to do. Of course, yuh gotta understand that nullifying all laws of which I'm guilty of breaking is uh urgent matter of national security--cuz anything that could remove me from power (I mean the Presidency) would leave Americans at the mercy of Terra-ists; therefore, I cannot be found guilty of anything illegal. Get it? God's will on Earth as He communicated it to me. Besides, I enforce the laws (as I see fit), I appointed the judges and I have Congress either in my back pocket or thoroughly intimidated (so you better get used to me).