Probe sheds light on Bush assault on critics

[hang a left]

INSIDE POLITICS
Probe sheds light on Bush assault on critics

Tuesday, October 18, 2005; Posted: 8:44 a.m. EDT (12:44 GMT)


Bush on Monday listens to a reporter's question on the probe into the leaking of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity.



WASHINGTON (AP) -- Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's CIA-leak inquiry is focusing attention on what long has been a tactic of U.S. President George W. Bush's administration: slash-and-burn assaults on its critics, particularly those opposed to the president's Iraq war policies.

If top officials are indicted, it could seriously erode the administration's credibility and prove yet another embarrassment to Bush on the larger issue of how he and his national security team marshaled information -- much of it later shown to be inaccurate -- to support their case for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

snip>

Anxiety at the White House increased after Bush adviser Karl Rove's fourth appearance last week before Fitzgerald's grand jury, and with a New York Times reporter's firsthand account of her dealings with I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's top aide.

Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes, the Bush administration's public diplomacy chief and a longtime Bush confidante, said, however, that the White House was not distracted by the investigation. "It's not something that's affecting the daily business of the White House," Hughes said in a taped interview aired Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show. "It's business as usual."

snip>
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/18/leakprobe.ap/

[jean]

1. can't read his lips - he has none, just like his daddy

[ixion]

2. yes, CNN, and I remember how you trumpeted that 'innaccurate'

information.

Where was the investigative journalism then? There were those of us asking the tough questions. Why weren't you?

[gratuitous]

10. Ding, ding, ding, WINNER!

Precisely. CNN's credulous reporting on this is beyond hypocritical and cynical. They acknowledge that slash-and-burn assaults have long been a tactic used by the Bush administration, yet up until now, they've been wholly silent on this subject. Thanks for looking out for the public interest, CNN. Now go bankrupt.

Of course, the possible consequences of the criminal indictment of members of the Bush administration are not that American prestige is harmed, or our credibility is shot, or any other real world consequences. No, for CNN, the most dire outcome of this imbroglio seems to be embarrassment for the Bush administration. Oh no! Bush and his criminal cabal could be embarrassed if their criminal actions come to light! Horrors!

Well sure, we've spent billions of dollars and wasted thousands of lives in pursuit of an illegal invasion based on bogus premises, but how could that compare at all with embarrassment for Bush? Why won't someone please think of the president in all this??? Selfish widows and orphans.

[Joe Chi Minh]

16. They certainly haven't been silent on the subject!

CNN were among the principal and most powerful proponents of the neocons' "slash and burn" policy!

For example, apart from all the criminals, rogues and vagabonds they had on their various shows during the lead-up to President Clinton's "show trial" impeachment hearing/"Watch with Mother" children's show, vilifying him, CNN had a headline, streamer, something of that kind on the screen every day, "President on Trial". Goebels would have been proud of the endless repetition of that message, for sure.

Although America was not and is still not a theocracy, for some reason they thought a civil action concerning promiscuity, unambiguously lawful, however exceptionable, and a wholly justifiable determination to keep it private, was equivalent to the kind of criminal charges of which Nixon and his administration were convicted! Indeed, infinitely worse.

[blm]

14. Most DC media KNEW Karl outed Plame for TWO YEARS and refused to tell

their news audiences filled with voters.

[fasttense]

3. Yup business as usual, brush got a bunch of his cronies looking

at more tax cuts. Sorry I mean cutting tax deductions on home loans and state taxes for the middle class. The rich get to keep their tax cuts, and we American serfs get to pay more taxes. Yup business as usual.

[0007]

7. Can't go bankrupt and can only sue for three bucks. n/t

[Kolesar]

4. WHO WROTE THAT? KARL, FIND OUT WHO WROTE THAT AND TEAR HIM APART

Release the flying monkeys!!

[Beetwasher]

5. *SPLUTTER*

What fucking universe am I in to see an article like this? I think I woke up in Bizarro World this morning.

[0007]

6. A get even look, or just wait unit I get my hands on you?

This is a very vindictive man. Extremely nasty.

[vogonity]

8. Business as usual?

Isn't Karl overseeing the rebuilding of New Orleans? How's that going Karl? I would think that he might need to be IN New Orleans to be fully effective with the rebuild.

[calimary]

11. Welcome to DU!

You'd think that, wouldn't you? Funny how kkkarl hasn't been struttin' his stuff lately. Canceling fundraiser appearances, out of public view, laying low, went straight home after his fourth visit to the grand jury.

He's not going to be effective at ANYTHING at the moment. He's going to be too tied up in his own defense, hoping to keep his fat, dimpled, anemic, pansy ass out of prison.

[Felix Mala]

13. He got Texas "restructured" long distance. It's solid GOP, now.

He getting the same kind of "redistricting" going in NO. Not to mention the bones he's passing out to school voucher fanatics and the oil companies that were so damaged they need billions in gov. welfare just to keep the price of gas under $3.... For some, Rove's doing a great job.

[No Exit]

9. I noticed their slime machine when they tried to brand Scott Ritter

as a "child molester".

[savemefromdumbya]

12. whitewash coming?

"There's a serious investigation. I'm not going to prejudge the outcome of the investigation." meaning you won't get me and my administration?

[kmla]

15. Does the quote from Karen Hughes remind you of this?

"...Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes, the Bush administration's public diplomacy chief and a longtime Bush confidante, said, however, that the White House was not distracted by the investigation. "It's not something that's affecting the daily business of the White House," Hughes said in a taped interview aired Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show. "It's business as usual."..."




"Remain calm! All is well! All is well!"