WP 9/29 Bush Aides Say They'll Cooperate with Probe Into Intelligence Leak

[grasswire]

Bush Aides Say They'll Cooperate With Probe Into Intelligence Leak

By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, September 29, 2003; Page A01


President Bush's aides promised yesterday to cooperate with a Justice Department inquiry into an administration leak that exposed the identity of a CIA operative, but Democrats charged that the administration cannot credibly investigate itself and called for an independent probe.

White House officials said they would turn over phone logs if the Justice Department asked them to. But the aides said Bush has no plans to ask his staff members whether they played a role in revealing the name of an undercover officer who is married to former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, one of the most visible critics of Bush's handling of intelligence about Iraq.

An administration official told The Washington Post on Saturday that two White House officials leaked the information to selected journalists to discredit Wilson. The leak could constitute a federal crime, and intelligence officials said it might have endangered confidential sources who had aided the operative throughout her career. CIA Director George J. Tenet has asked the Justice Department to investigate how the leak occurred.

(snip)

Asked about the possibility of an internal White House investigation, McClellan said, "I'm not aware of any information that has come to our attention beyond the anonymous media sources to suggest there's anything to White House involvement."

[grasswire]

1. link

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14909-2003Sep28.html

[Jackpine Radical]

6. Definitely some new information here.

First, Wilson KNOWS WHO (at least some of) THE OTHER REPORTERS ARE...

"Wilson said in a telephone interview that four reporters from three television networks called him in July and told him that White House officials had contacted them to encourage stories that would include his wife's identity."
...
"Wilson identified one of the reporters as Andrea Mitchell of NBC News. Mitchell did not respond to requests for comment."

and DOJ doesn't seem to be doing much.

"White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the Justice Department has requested no information so far."

So just what ARE they doing by way of investigation if they aren't talking to the witnesses & suspects?

[Sliverofhope]

8. This is such farce

Wilson knows the reporters, the reporters knows the leakers. No investigation is needed. This could be resolved in five minutes, and yet we must play this silly game.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

24. You know why the Bushies are playing this game, don't you?...

...It all leads to the highest levels, just like everything else that's happened since the 2000 election.

I'm smelling Watergate and Iran-Contra fumes.

[0007]

25. .......and how do you think this trivial matter

should be resolved, Sliverofhope?

I don't believe we shoot folks before their trail. I could be wrong.

[markses]

18. Didn't Andrea Mitchell have the byline on Friday's MSNBC piece

Y'know, the one that broke the CIA request for investigation story, and basically started this whole ball rolling this weekend?

And she was one of the other contacted reporters?

That's not weird, or some kind of inherent conflict of interest?

WTF is going on here?

[papau]

34. Great Questions for US media to ask - if there is a non GOP media

From the ABCnote:

"Has President Bush made clear to the White House staff that only total cooperation with the investigation will be tolerated? If not, why not?

Has he insisted that every senior staff member sign a statement with legal authority that they are not the leaker and that they will identify to the White House legal counsel who is?

Has Bush required that all sign a letter relinquishing journalists from protecting those two sources? Has Bush said that those involved in this crime will be immediately fired? If not, why not?

Has Albert Gonzalez distributed a letter to White House employees telling them to preserve documents, logs, records? If not, why not?

Has Andy Card named someone on his staff to organize compliance? If not, why not?

White House officials who might have legal or political exposure on this are going to have to decide whether to hire lawyers or not, and the White House counsel's office is going to have to decide what legal help they can and should provide to officials if and when the DOJ wants to talk to them.

That means that the '90s practice of every Washington bureau of calling members of the bar to see who has hired whom is about to heat back up. The first one to report someone hiring a criminal lawyer wins a prize, as does the first person who develops that lawyer as a source on all this.

A reminder that students of recusal politics will have to consider the Rove-Ashcroft history"

[Beetwasher]

2. Sweet! It's on the Cover Page!

It's rolling...

[Carmerian]

3. Gotta love those words

"independent probe".

[Bucky]

4. Why it took so long

The actual offense happened months ago. But only now are we seeing any movement toward an investigation. Every reporter in DC knew that the administration broke the law and compromised field sources in the fight against weapon proliferation. Why the delay?

I think the sheep in the press corps wanted to see if the story would have any legs first. So they waited and waited. The only buzz on this topic was coming from the partisan internet and political bloggers. This only became newsworthy because the netizens wouldn't shut the hell up about this crime.

Most crimes the police start to investigate within a few hours of discovery. White collar crimes like what the administration has done usually takes months of political build-up before perps can be caught.

The news story makes it clear that the authorities already know who the crims are. Name them, nail them, throw them in jail. NOW!

[Sliverofhope]

5. Asshole!

"But the aides said Bush has no plans to ask his staff members whether they played a role in revealing the name of an undercover officer who is married to former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, one of the most visible critics of Bush's handling of intelligence about Iraq."

Either he knows, or just doesn't care. How infuriating.

Also:

"Asked about the possibility of an internal White House investigation, McClellan said, "I'm not aware of any information that has come to our attention beyond the anonymous media sources to suggest there's anything to White House involvement.""

What the hell do you think you're playing at? Bastards, all of them.

[kskiska]

7. at end of article

Democrats also questioned why Bush's aides had seemed to show little interest in the disclosure before the CIA request was made public. McClellan was asked about the Novak column during briefings on July 22 and Sept. 16. He replied that no one in the White House would have been authorized to reveal the operative's name and that he had no information to suggest White House involvement.

Democrats e-mailed a quotation from former president George H.W. Bush, a former CIA director, who said in 1999 at the dedication of the agency's new headquarters that those who expose the names of intelligence sources are "the most insidious of traitors."

[Stephanie]

10. Traitorgate

.

[RobertSeattle]

12. ...contROVErsy...

I was half heartedly listening to Drudge's radio show tonight and he said something about Rove not denying that he released the information.

[Stephanie]

13. Karl Rove's Frog-March

He so did it. Can't wait for the trial. Do you think it will be televised? What about web-cast? I'm thinking along the lines of OJ.

[qanda]

16. traitorgate...

I like it!

[grasswire]

11. it would still be a no-go...

...if it weren't for Andrea Mitchell raising the story again on Friday.

Better not let anyone say she's a hack. She is seriously working this on behalf of truth and democracy.

[thebigidea]

22. boom!

oooo, can I take credit for digging up the Poppy quote and emailing it to everyone, who in turn damn near emailed it to everyone else?

[robbedvoter]

26. Yes! I saw your post and put it on the DNC blog yesterday!

http://www.democrats.org/blog/
By all means, take a bow!

[Gman]

9. The storm surge is just now starting to come in

it's still building, but the tide is rising with the Bushies about to get swamped.

[SoCalDem]

14. Two good stories.. above the fold.. Lookeee-Lookeeee

[RevolutionStartsNow]

20. Hey, that's the greatest front page I've seen in a long time!

I sure hope people are READING! Damn!

[annagull]

15. They are shielding traitors to this nation in the White House?

Seems like they would give up someone and disavow them. Wouldn't that be better than waiting for it to all come out in the press? These people are scum, I hope they all go down. I am calling my congresspeople tomorrow--and DEMANDING a special prosecutor to ferret out the traitors.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

23. Based on how they got into the WH in the first place...

...they're ALL traitors. It all starts with the 2000 election.

[Nottingham]

17. Until Congress steps in and has Independant Counsel!

Nobody is going Anywhere! But the CIA knows its under attack by these powerful men! and I hope they keep fighting back!

:bounce:

[calimary]

19. So it's IMPERATIVE THAT WE CALL CONGRESS!

Here are the TOLL FREE Capitol Switchboard Numbers:

1 (800) 648 - 3516

1 (800) 839 - 5276

Call them, FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, and they'll switch you to whichever office you name.

Or check www.congress.org - for the phone numbers of ANYBODY on the Hill - in their Washington offices AND their local offices.

CALL AND RAISE HELL! MAKE A STINK!!! DEMAND AN INVESTIGATION.

One or two calls, they'll turn their noses up and scoff. But several dozen? That will force them to admit there's muscle behind this and it's not just a few liberal crackpots out here.

WE HAVE TO MAKE MUCHO MUCHO NOISE ABOUT THIS. Otherwise it'll be ALL Arnold Schwarzenegger for the next two weeks!

Ask them if they're aware that if they do nothing about this, and SO many people seem to know and to be keeping silent about it - that this could mean they're accomplices or accessories to TREASON!!!!!!

[cliss]

21. It's probably safe to say Ambassador Wilson

knows who the 2 "senior officials" are. His wife works for the CIA. He's been around in the intelligence community for a long time. So if he says 'Rove', it probably is him + some crony who did the calling.

However, I don't expect an investigation from the Justice Department to formally say it's Rove. These people are far too clever, far too treacherous to let themselves get nailed.

They'll pick a stooge to take the blame. They'll probably pick Steven Hadley again and nail him as the perpetrator. Condo-lizard already picked him to walk the plank this summer when she was in trouble. Maybe they can nail his assistant, as well.

The rest of them wipe their hands and walk away. Or so they hope....

[snippy]

27. Several important points.

First, McClellan's quote:

"I'm not aware of any information that has come to our attention beyond the anonymous media sources to suggest there's anything to White House involvement."

This, of course, is another blatant lie. So blatant that I am dumbfounded. The White House is aware of the CIA request for an investigation. Why didn't the press ask him whether the White House considers the CIA request for an investigation to be information "beyond the anonymous media sources"?

Second, this statement:

the aides said Bush has no plans to ask his staff members whether they played a role in revealing the name of an undercover officer.

There are two possible conclusions which can be drawn from this.

1. Bush has no plans to ask whether any staff members committed crimes because he already knows.

2. Bush has no plans to ask whether any staff members committed crimes because he doesn't care.

Either of these conclusions is damning. Where are the media questions about why Whistle Ass is not concerned enough about possible crimes to ask any questions?

Third, many people seem to think this entire matter may begin and end with Turd Blossom Rove (or some other single individual in the White House). I think this is wrong. I do not think the Wilson affair is an isolated incident of criminal activity by a rogue actor in the White House. I think it is a single thread in the massive tapestry of lies woven by the Whistle Ass administration to market the invasion of Iraq. The weaving of that tapestry was supervised and coordinated by the White House Iraq Group which was created by the White house Chief of Staff. The weaving of that tapestry was a huge criminal conspiracy entered into not by a few members of the Whistle Ass administration but by most. The investigation of the Wilson affair should be only the first step of a larger investigation of that conspiracy.

Ultimately, that investigation should seek the answers to these questions:

1. Who made the decision to use a campaign of lies to market the invasion of Iraq? (Turd Blossom Rove? Whistle Ass? Cheney? Roger Ailes? Rush Limbaugh? Someone else?)

2. When was that decision made? (Before or after January, 2001? September 11, 2001? March, 2002 when Bush told three Senators in Rice's office: "Fuck Saddam. We're taking him out."? September 2002 when Andrew Card said about trying to sell the American people on the invasion of Iraq: "From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products in August."?)

3. Why was that decision made? (Political reasons? Financial reasons? Personal reasons? Religious reasons? Other reasons?)

[rocktivity]

29. He's not even smart enough to be pissed off about it?

Originally posted by Snippy:
There are two possible conclusions which can be drawn from this.
1. Bush has no plans to ask whether any staff members committed crimes because he already knows.
2. Bush has no plans to ask whether any staff members committed crimes because he doesn't care.
Either of these conclusions is damning.

Originally posted by Sliverofhope:
Either he knows, or just doesn't care. How infuriating.


If he had a grain of common sense, Georgie would be the picture of righteous rage right now. Not only is a direct subordinate of his looking at a federal charge, his authority and reputation have been deliberately undermined (assuming, of course, that it was done without his knowlege or consent :eyes:). If I were him, I would be making a great public display of looking for the culprit with a fine-toothed machete!


rocknation

[snippy]

32. Does Whistle Ass know or care?

Comrade Squealer now says this:

"He wasn't involved," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said of Rove. "The president knows he wasn't involved. ..."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030929/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/iraq_uranium_15

So how does Whistle Ass know this?

[LeftHander]

28. Wonder what AssKroft will do....

Maybe he will focus efforts on actually ENFORCING the law instead of attempting to spy on the boogieman behind the curtain.

Dick Cheney broke the law in continuing to recieve money from Halliburton after saying he has no ties. LIAR!!!!.

Bush's lakey's release top secret info to press.

An they commited fraud on the american people in going to war with Iraq.

COVER UP
COVER UP
COVER UP....

[havocmom]

30. A$$KKKroft will probably do another hooker bust

in New Orleans.

The chimpster must think the "don't ask; don't tell" policy applies to sexual behavior in the White House where Rove is busy f**king all his ememies.

[Love Bug]

31. Doesn't this leak violate the Patriot Act?

Wouldn't it be nice to see whoever did this "hoist on their own petard"?

[revcarol]

33. Their "cooperation ": DELAY, DISTRACT,DENY.

N/T