Leaked With the Blessing of the VP

Posted by on February 9, 2006 at 03:18 PM

Disturbing news from the National Journal via Murray Waas:

Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, testified to a federal grand jury that he had been "authorized" by Cheney and other White House "superiors" in the summer of 2003 to disclose classified information to journalists to defend the Bush administration's use of prewar intelligence in making the case to go to war with Iraq, according to attorneys familiar with the matter, and to court records.

Libby specifically claimed that in one instance he had been authorized to divulge portions of a then-still highly classified National Intelligence Estimate regarding Saddam Hussein's purported efforts to develop nuclear weapons, according to correspondence recently filed in federal court by special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald.

We all remember President Bush's response to the "leak" of classified information a few weeks ago:

As a result, our enemies have learned information they should not have, and the unauthorized disclosure of this effort damages our national security and puts our citizens at risk. Revealing classified information is illegal, alerts our enemies, and endangers our country.

Unfortunately, you just can't take anything seriously that this adminstration says about national security. They condemn the reports about illegal domestic spying, yet keep people like Karl Rove and Vice President Cheney around the White House. They say their first responsibility is to protect the American people, but the 9/11 Commission says the government isn't doing nearly enough to protect American citizens. In fact, here are the actual grades:

# of A Grades: 1
# of B Grades: 12
# of C Grades: 9
# of D Grades: 12
# of F Grades: 5
# of Incompletes: 2

Grade Point Average: 1.53

It's sad, it's shameful, it's unfortunate, it might surprise some people, and it's embarassing to admit, but Governor Dean was right: This president is weak on defense.

Comments (26) «

King George and President Cheney have committed treason. Impeach them all!

1
pee-wee on February 9, 2006 at 04:45 PM

They can't keep their lies straight.

2
SandyH on February 9, 2006 at 05:38 PM

I can't think of much worse of an action, on the part of a sitting vice-president, then to put the security of a citizen (especially one who is serving our government in a vulnerable position) at risk for political gain. That Dick Cheney would encourage a subordinate to put a fellow citizen at risk, while clearly breaking the law, makes watergate look as benign as Monica-gate.
It is my sincere hope, in light of this new information, that Dems call for a watergate style investigation into Mr. Cheney's actions, otherwise, Mr. Libby will drag this out while this criminal administration remains in office.

3
TonyJ on February 9, 2006 at 07:44 PM

Is this being published in the papers for all the world to see?

4
freeforall on February 9, 2006 at 07:53 PM

This is getting worse and worse for the Bush Administration.Do you think we'll get an apology? Or,the usual" Yes,I did it for National Security reasons" LOL

5
FreedomOfSpeech on February 10, 2006 at 12:33 AM

imagine that, giving out the name of our agent to the media and then lying to cover it up...


unAmerican
unChristian
unbelievable!!!

6
ezworld on February 10, 2006 at 09:46 AM

Sure Libby got this approved by the upper level. Nobody would do this without top approval and if they squeeze Libby hard enough he will spill his guts. All these tough Republicans are not so tough when you put the squeeze on them, they roll over every time. Bush and Rove had to be in on it. These people are scoundrels and they think they are above the law and just maybe this will stick to them.

7
Tug on February 10, 2006 at 10:22 AM

The real 'evildoers' are George W Bush, Dick Cheney and Carl Rove. Impeach them ALL!

8
charri on February 10, 2006 at 10:30 AM

ANYONE WHO BELIEVES ANYTHING KING GEORGE HAS TO SAY IS DAFT IN THE HEAD UNLESS THEY ARE RICH!

9
ANTIREPUBLICAN1 on February 11, 2006 at 01:57 AM

I am not shock by this new information that the Vice President gave his former chief of staff the orders to destroy the Joe Wilson by hurting his wife V. Plame. Now she is out of a job at the CIA and Karl Rove is not fired for this effort too. This white house has a double standard with leaks. I feel that President need to clean house as soon as possible. I feel he needs to fired everyone that was apart of the CIA Leak story. But that is not going to happened. We need to win back the house and senate from the republicans. I want to help my party win but I have applied for many jobs in Texas with the democrats to help them fight the republicans to get our nation back. I hope to heard something soon from the DNC in Texas.

10
Freedom101 on February 12, 2006 at 01:27 AM

The President will not take action against the Vice President at all. This President will not fired any of his friends from the white house. I feel that the democrats need to fight back hard and not quit. We need to elect more democrats that share our values and tried to stop judge Alito on the supreme court. We have a chance to teach republicans a powerful lesson in 2007 and we will get really results from democrats on CIA Leak story, katrina, and etc. The democrats have a strong chance to win back the house and senate from the republicans. But we need to fight now and vote in November for a change as soon as possible.

11
Freedom101 on February 12, 2006 at 01:34 AM

Right-Wing Conservative George Will stated, "We're listening and we just don't care.", on "This Week With George Stephanopoulos", Sunday, February 12, 2006. George Will's statement is irrelevant because the political battle is not whether one can convince lumpen-proletariat Republicans to accept understanding that is in conflict with Right-Wing cult programming, but whether or not cult programming can be changed: Can lumpen-proletariat Republicans be reprogrammed to accept information other than what the Right-Wing has, through the media, the educational system and the Churches of the Christian Coalition, programmed them to accept and believe? The answer to this question is yes -- and, the process for doing so is stated by B. F. Skinner in his book "Science and Human Behavior.

To be politically successful, the Democracy For America Movement to reform the Democratic Party must learn to use "Science and Human Behavior" for political benefit in the same manner as it is used by the Conservative Right-Wing Republican EXTREMISTS, rather than to continue to be victims of the Conservative Right-Wing Republican EXTREMISTS'use of "Science and Human Behavior" by B. F. Skinner.

What does this post have to do with the CIA leak scandal? The answer is nothing.

What does this post have to do with politics and the Democracy For America Movement reforming the Democratic Party and taking back MAJORITY CONTROL of the Government? The answer is everything.

What this post really says is that a "General Comment" topic of a less ephemeral nature should be made available on this forum at all times for Democratic Party Membership and supporters to talk about what they see as relevant, rather than to limit dialogue to predetermined topics.

12
_ThomasG on February 12, 2006 at 02:15 PM

Jeez, just a couple of months ago everyone here was ready to tar and feather Scooter Libby because he was a lying SOB. Now all of the sudden he says something you like and he's a freaking saint. Make up your minds people.

That's right, fight harder against Republicans. Call us baby-killers, liars, cheats, warmongers, and everything else you can think of. Your base eats it up but the public at large gives your party fewer and fewer votes every election. But hey, Republicans weak on defense, right? That's why war hero John F. Kerry is now President. Oops, sorry. That's why the Democrats control the Senate and the House. Crap, wrong again. Democrats are going to be in the minority for years to come because the American people do not trust them on national security issues. You're like lemmings heading over the cliff.

Support our troops and long live the USA.

13
AProudRepublican on February 13, 2006 at 01:45 AM


Well, I was going to post but I see once again that there doesn’t seem to be a grownup in the house. Just a bunch of frustrated sheep or fake trolls batting people for fun. I’ll leave for now and go read some well written blogs to inform myself. Or I may go tell the news station what I think of their baiting/slanted broadcasting. I'll check in here later to see if the comments become more constructive.

14
painter45 on February 13, 2006 at 05:27 PM

Warning,

I wouldn't want to be around Dickey when he has a gun. He might accidently shoot YOU. It sounds like Dickey has a bad aim.

15
Robert on February 13, 2006 at 07:33 PM

Warning,

I wouldn't want to be around Dickey when he has a gun. He might accidently shoot you. It sounds like Dickey has a bad aim as well as no common sense.

16
Robert on February 13, 2006 at 07:35 PM

You have a point, painter. We have here, the typical deslusional Republican, and a couple of dim bulbs who go around shouting non-sequiters in bold faced type and calling everyone who disagrees with them lumpy-proles.
I think I'll go kill orcs, it's more productive.

17
Butte on February 14, 2006 at 02:02 AM

Off topic~Cheney's hunting accident

Nobody seems to get it. The big news is NOT so much that Cheney accidently shot someone, nor that he delayed announcing the same for 24 hours. The big news is the GUEST LIST of the people who were at the ranch. They were all lobbyists!

Follow the guest list and I'm sure the reason(s) for the delay in making the announcment will become much clearer than they would be if Cheney himself issued a public statement.

Sorry for posting this here, but I was stunned to see that nobody started a thread on the Cheney shooting incident, and I didn't want this point to be missed.

18
aBigSAM on February 14, 2006 at 01:23 PM

Nobody should be shocked by anything Cheney and the chumps do. They feel that with a republican congress, they will not have to answer to anybody. They only care about the money they can make and not have to risk going to jail.It's congress that keeps us off their backs and allow them to do as they please and it will take changing out congress to stop it.It's like Al Capone operating with no police force.

19
Tug on February 14, 2006 at 02:02 PM

This leak should be all we hear about on the news, but it isn't. The democrats on the hill need to be in front of any microphone they can find, demanding a full investigation etc of Cheney. It would have never happened, but if this had occured during Clintons administration, people would be impeached yesterday. Democrats need to stand up and demand action. Then, when the republicans are completely bogged down with court appearances, the democrats need to get out and give solutions to the problems facing our country and world, so, in upcoming elections, we can take back and fix this government.

20
together on February 15, 2006 at 08:37 AM

The fact that the people on the guest list were lobbyists isn't news. Who else would the VP of the US be hanging out with. Real people? The fact the he shot one of them is news. It also shows what type of "hunter" he is.
Actually most of the real people I know wouldn't be caught dead on one of those "pay to kill" game farms. These farms cater to rich wannabee "hunters" who don't respect or value the animals they kill, don't use the meat they harvest and only talk about kill totals and the trophys they bring home. Come to think about it that describes most lobbyists and Bushies.
These are the same wannabees who pay money to come into Montana, pay outfitters to find them game, then don't want to use the meat they harvest. They only the big trophies. They are wiping out our mountain lions, and changing the genetics of our elk herds. I'll bet dollars to donuts that many other western states are in the same boat.
In the mean time there is more and more land closed to real hunters because catering to these rich butt-heads has become big business for cash-strapped ranchers.
It just shows up what kind of pond-scum these Bushies and their lobbyist buddies are.

21
Butte on February 15, 2006 at 11:03 AM

I have been confused from the beginning, About Cheney. He has secret talks with the people that conspired to bilk millions of dollars from the American People. When ordered to report what transpired he refused, citing national security, went all the way to the Supreme Court. Now I here he went hunting with one of the justices only days before the decision.
He 's he was missing for several days then comes crawling out, making a statement that he has turned himelf in to the Justice Department to become a federal witness against the very company that he was the CEO of. That Corporation (Halliburton) brought down Enron. At the same time President Bush made a statement that he would prosecute any and all persons who participated to defraud stock holders, then the war started. All along I felt someone would say something. WhaT goes has the days of the robber barons arrive once again. Instead of looking for more Sh---it to sweep under the carpet how about demanding prosecution for the many criminal act that has been ignored

Just con_fused

22
con_fused on February 15, 2006 at 11:49 AM

I have been confused from the beginning, About Cheney. He has secret talks with the people that conspired to bilk millions of dollars from the American People. When ordered to report what transpired he refused, citing national security, went all the way to the Supreme Court. Now I here he went hunting with one of the justices only days before the decision.
He 's he was missing for several days then comes crawling out, making a statement that he has turned himelf in to the Justice Department to become a federal witness against the very company that he was the CEO of. That Corporation (Halliburton) brought down Enron. At the same time President Bush made a statement that he would prosecute any and all persons who participated to defraud stock holders, then the war started. All along I felt someone would say something. WhaT goes has the days of the robber barons arrive once again. Instead of looking for more Sh---it to sweep under the carpet how about demanding prosecution for the many criminal act that has been ignored

Just con_fused

23
con_fused on February 15, 2006 at 11:51 AM

I am mad as an old snake about this. But, I am very angry about the Widows Tax. Here is another plan of Wes Clark's and several other Democrats that didn't even make it in the line up for debate or vote. It really upsets me when they ignore our brillant Democrats that write up great plans and then they have the brass to say we don't have a plan. They ignore every plan, at least one a week from a group of Democrats, and they have the nerve to say we just gripe but have no plans. The Republicans have said this so often that they have some uninformed Democrats that write in the Blogs saying it too. I hope the Democrats stay up with what is going on and the Republicans get blasted from the people that know Democrats have so many plans for War, Security of the Homeland, Border Safety, the Economy, Tax cuts, health care, Medicare Drug plan with health care, the Clinton's plan for creating jobs, and many more too numerous to mention. Most of the plans will go into our Platform. BUT,DON'T LET THE REPUBLICANS TELL YOU THE DEMOCRATS DON'T HAVE A PLAN BECAUSE IT WILL MAKE YOU LOOK AS STUPID AS THEY ARE.

24
freeforall on February 15, 2006 at 10:17 PM

I'm thinking that the Republicans want the Democrats to have a plan so they can co-opt it and claim it for their own.
Let's face it. This administration didn't have a plan on how to run a country before 9/11, they just were sort of floundering around. 9/11 sort of did them a favor because it took everybody's minds off their non-plan.
They invaded Afghanistan, then because they didn't have a plan on how to help the Afghanis pull themselves up by the boot straps, they faked a reason to go to war in Iraq to take everybody's minds off their lack of a plan.
They had no idea how to take over the country and occupy it, much less help the Iraqis start a democratic society. Dumping money into war-profiteers pockets doesn't take much planning.
The along came Katrina, for which they not only had no plan, but no response until they were kick-started by public opinion.
They said they had a plan to bring the economy into the 21st century, but they wound up regressing the economy to somewhere between the robber barons of the 19th century and the Great Depression of the 1930s. Some plan that's turning out to be.
But they keep saying the Democrats need to get a plan.
I think I'll go along with the no-plan Democrats. We can't afford any more of these Republican plans.

25
Butte on February 16, 2006 at 09:36 PM

I noticed the proud republican doesn't condemn anybody that was responsible for this leak. It is only a criminal offense no matter who does it is OK if his guys are the ones. What is that word,'hypocrite' or something like that. Doesn't he believe that criminals who break the law should be punished or maybe he believes that Republicans should be immune to the same laws we all are supposed to live by. A great American, isn't he?

26
Tug on February 17, 2006 at 11:09 AM


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