Has anyone here actually read the Fitz document?

[Pryderi]

I think Jason Leopold's speculation that Bush approve the Plame leak will be true.

Excerpt from the recent release:

Defendant’s participation in a critical conversation with Judith Miller on July 8 (discussed further below) occurred only after the Vice President advised defendant that the President specifically had authorized defendant to disclose certain information in the NIE.

Defendant testified that the circumstances of his conversation with reporter Miller – getting approval from the President through the Vice President to discuss material that would be classified but for that approval – were unique in his recollection.

Defendant further testified that on July 12, 2003, he was specifically directed by the Vice President to speak to the press in place of Cathie Martin (then the communications person for the Vice President) regarding the NIE and Wilson. Defendant was instructed to provide what was for him an extremely rare “on the record” statement, and to provide “background” and “deep background” statements, and to provide information contained in a document defendant understood to be the cable authored by Mr. Wilson. During the conversations that followed on July 12, defendant discussed Ms. Wilson’s employment with both Matthew Cooper (for the first time) and Judith Miller (for the third time).

Even if someone else in some other agency thought that the controversy about Mr. Wilson and/or
his wife was a trifle, that person’s state of mind would be irrelevant to the importance and focus defendant placed on the matter and the importance he attached to the surrounding conversations he
was directed to engage in by the Vice President.

http://salonmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o1/pdf/30561.pdf

It's not that far from Bush leaking the name of a CIA operative...

[EST]

1. Yes, I have.

Stripped of its qualifying language, Bush, Cheney and Libby leaked the classified info. They all lied about it. Libby is being prosecuted for his lie, while the other two, as of now, are not.
No one, right now, is being prosecuted for the leaking, the needless investigation, all the other improprieties, however, Libby is to be in the dock for lying about his own role in the cover up.
The only charges in effect at present are those connected to Libby's lies and obstruction.
Do I have it right?

[NewJeffCT]

2. and you know the Freeper response will be...

Since he's Bush, he can do anything. It was not a crime to leak the name.

Of course, then our response has to be, if it was not a crime, why the cover-up? why not just put the kibosh on the whole investigation 3 years ago by saying he authorized the leaks?

[Pryderi]

3. ...and it will work. I mean, afterall, we invaded Iraq to spread freedom

and democracy.

[annabanana]

4. but how do they answer "WHY?"

How can it be for the good of the country, or in the interest of National Security for him to expose the identity of an undercover agent? How can they answer when you ask them why he would want to "declassify" this document (if he does indeed have that power to selectively declassify it in such an ad hoc manner)

whywhywhywhywhy???

[aquart]

5. So it's okay for President Hillary Clinton to do the same?

I say Clinton because of the foam-at-the-mouth effect, but you can put any Democrat's name in there.

[NewJeffCT]

9. I used Hillary in response to the wiretapping

I wrote a LTTE regarding the illegal wiretapping and how one Republican op-ed writer justified it because it was needed to fight terror & she trusted Bush. She had also cited a flimsy scenario about trying to take down the Brooklyn Bridge with blowtorches. I think my final line in the LTTE was "and if you think Kathleen Parker would be so nonchalant about illegal wiretapping if the president was named Clinton, I have a certain bridge in Brooklyn to sell you."

[Garbo 2004]

6. See pg 27, during that time (Sept 2003) Bush unaware of Libby's role

in the disclosure of Plame's CIA employment. That's Fitz talking. Doesn't appear from that at least that Bush authorized Scooter to blab that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA. But Libby's testimony does make it appear that Cheney had a central "hands on" role in directing the response to Wilson.

[jamesinca]

7. I have read it

ON page 23 of the PDF file, Libby states that he had reservations about handing over a classified document to Judy. He asked a few questions and was told he was allowed to do it. If the President gave him permission, then it was considered a declassified document from that point on. So working on that information, Scooter gave the documents to Judy. He made the assumption that what he was handed, he was allowed to turn over to Judy in its entirety. Regardless of how or why you reveal the name of a CIA agent, it is against the law.

I think the only thing that remains to be sorted out is this: Was it Bush or Scooter who turned over the name of Valerie Wilson to the media. Scooter did, but he feels everything he was handed had been cleared for release. I think Bush will deny this and try to say Scooter acted inappropriately and on assumptions when he turned over the information.

What I think will happen is Bush will walk and Scooter will get 3 years, the minimum sentence. I think they will say that Scooter handed the information over to Judy on a communication mix up and that Bush did nothing wrong.

[Garbo 2004]

8. Libby doesn't claim that Bush authorized release of Plame info. Libby

denied leaking Plame's identity and said he couldn't possibly have leaked it to Miller on July 8 because he didn't know it.

Of course, he did tell Judy that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA, but Libby's testimony does not say that Bush authorized leaking of the Plame info. Libby in his testimony was still claiming he didn't yet know about Plame or that he'd "forgotten" that he knew.

The NIE was Libby's cover story for talking to Miller on July 8. Unfortunately for Scooter, he didn't have a cover story for the undisclosed June 23 meeting he had with Miller where he mentioned Wilson's wife.

[jamesinca]

13. I will have to go back and re-read it

"Defendant testified that the Vice President later advised him that the President had authorized defendant to disclose the relevant portions of the NIE"

That is the part on page 23 that stuck in my head from the entire document. When I read "President had authorized", I passed out.

[unc70]

12. Doc only reveals info needed to refute Libby's document request

I believe that Fitzgerald, in this pleading, is only revealing just enough of the big picture to completely counter all of Libby's arguments for the further documents. By limiting the indictment to "just" perjury, etc. and not to the underlying actions of Libby and others, makes it a lot easier to contain his legal arguments in this response.

But I am also certain that Fitzgerald was quite aware of the scrutiny this document would receive and of its likely impact. Since this document was filed openly, it confirms reports that indictments of other WH staff are being prepared and could be brought within the week. This does turn up the heat by revealing/confirming the direct case against Cheney and at least a here-say case against Bush. These cases are likely spelled out in some detail in the anticipated indictments.

I personally am convinced that Bush was directly involved in all these decisions and not out of the loop. He has a long-standing pattern of deep involvement in "dirty tricks" and has been described as "the enforcer" during his father's administration. The "Flame" nickname for Valerie Plame was exactly the kind of thing he would say and which would be repeated by his staff.

[12345]

10. I can't help but think that this is leading to...

a blanket defense for everyone that, in fact, the information was no longer classified because of the President's power to classify and declassify information. Don't know about it with respect to the CIA, but isn't that agency in the executive branch?

Or maybe it was part of the larger "War on Terror" so Bush could do whatever the hell he wanted...

[12345]

11. dupe