LAT: White House Plans to Deflect

[hang a left]

White House Plans to Deflect
By Doyle McManus, Warren Vieth and Mary Curtius, Times Staff Writers

WASHINGTON — The prosecutor hasn't announced any indictments, but President Bush's aides and their allies in Congress are working on strategies to counter the blow if White House officials are accused of crimes.

The basic plan is familiar to anyone who has watched earlier presidents contend with scandal: Keep the problem at arm's length, let allies outside the White House do the talking, and try to change the subject to something — anything — else.


The White House doesn't plan to attack Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor in the CIA leak investigation — at least not directly, several GOP officials said. Instead, expect Bush to unveil a flurry of proposals on subjects from immigration and tax reform to Arab-Israeli peace talks.

"We've got a lot of work to do, and so we don't have a lot of time to sit back and think about ," Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said Wednesday, reflecting the strategy. "We're focusing on what the American people care most about, and that is winning the war on terrorism, succeeding in Iraq, addressing high energy prices ... and helping the people in the Gulf Coast region recover and rebuild."



snip>

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-assess27oct27,0,1051268.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[truthisfreedom]

1. "We're focusing on what the American people care most about,and destroying

that is our first priority."

[bluestateguy]

2. Protect little baby Bush! Protect the little child from all criticism!

It might hurt his feelings!!!

[amitten]

3. Little Baby Bush needs to go sit in Time Out. n/t

[cyberpj]

22. Reminds me of a pamphlet from AA I read - King Baby or something

like that. He fits the description perfectly.

[punpirate]

4. If there's a predictor of what the `pugs will do...

... look to Iran-Contra and the pounding that Lawrence Walsh took from those "allies outside the White House." They will do everything they can to distance Bush from the actions of those indicted, including smearing Fitzgerald (in at least one instance, that's already started).

[goforit]

18. I agree.....it'll be an ugly campaign. But this long wait is Fitz's weapon

The public has already accepted a verdict of guilty
with this super long wait and no matter what happens
the Bush Cabal is QUILTY!!!!!!

[Mind_your_head]

5. Ooooooh, I guess we'll get to hear about 'Going to Mars' again?

expect Bush to unveil a flurry of proposals on subjects from immigration and tax reform to Arab-Israeli peace talks.

:eyes:

[Carolab]

6. Excuse me, but isn't this a bit of a disconnect here?

What do: "proposals on subjects from immigration and tax reform to Arab-Israeli peace talks"...

Have to do with: "focusing on what the American people care most about, and that is winning the war on terrorism, succeeding in Iraq, addressing high energy prices ... and helping the people in the Gulf Coast region recover and rebuild"?

[Skittles]

9. it is obvious Scotty just talking out his ass

he just repeats the same crap over and over

[Lone_Star_Dem]

10. Not to mention a living wage and health care.

Immigration and tax reform (why do I think that translates to more tax cuts?) are just lame attempts to feed his base. As far as what he hopes to accomplish in the grounds of Arab-Israeli peace... well, that's just laughable.

[The Roux Comes First]

7. Deflection? - how about emergency surgery?

In this case "giving more speeches" seems especially unlikely to work due to speaker's inherent limitations. When did * recently give a speech that would draw attention away from something as absorbing as, say, picking at a scab? And how's he to get better at those vital gripping speeches with his brain out of order and the media semi-alert to prompter-box on his back?

I've had to give him high marks at times for his chutzpah in stepping out despite obvious limitations in brains, ability to think on his feet, and grasp of the fundamentals of language and syntax.

It's enough to make one worry whether "they" too realize more drastic distractions are needed.

How about a gall bladder operation for Cheney? Or does he still have one?

[janx]

20. There's nothing they can do.

It's just the same, tired machinations, over and over again. The RW radio and TV talking heads will try and stave this one off, but the rest of the media are finally getting a bit suspicious and somewhat freaked, after what happened with Miller.

The White House thinks it can still lean on the media.

It can't.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. It is startign to feel like watergate

with all the elements of one of them uber scandals

[opihimoimoi]

11. The BLADE of TRUTH is COMING, She Looks Kinda PISSED>>>>}>

[0007]

15. You mean "Mother Kali"

"When the Universal Mother becomes pissed, it is a dazzling sight - like billions of suns ablaze at the same time. Who could bear such a thing?

[cal04]

12. White House Aides Await Fate in CIA Probe

Two key White House aides await their fate in the CIA leak probe, after a prosecutor spent three hours before a grand jury that has the power to hand up indictments that could rock the Bush administration. The White House braced for the possibility that Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, could become a criminal defendant by week's end. Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, remained in jeopardy of being charged with false statements.

Rove's legal team made contingency plans, consulting with former Justice Department official Mark Corallo and GOP strategist Ed Gillespie about what defenses could be mounted in court and in public. Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald met with Rove attorney Robert Luskin at a private law firm office Tuesday, heightening White House fears for Rove's future.

In 2003, eight days after former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson accused the Bush administration of twisting prewar intelligence to exaggerate the Iraqi threat, columnist Robert Novak disclosed the identity of Wilson's wife, covert CIA officer Valerie Plame. After checking with Rove and Libby, the White House categorically denied that either aide was involved in leaking Plame's identity. Fitzgerald was appointed nearly two years ago to determine whether any presidential aides violated a federal law that prohibits the intentional unmasking of an undercover CIA officer.

The prosecutor also has discussed other charges with defense lawyers in recent weeks, including false statements, obstruction of justice and mishandling of classified information. The grand jury's term expires on Friday, and the panel met with Fitzgerald's team for about three hours Wednesday before adjourning for the day. The administrative assistant to Thomas Hogan, chief judge of U.S. District Court in the nation's capital, disclosed that Hogan met with Fitzgerald. The assistant, Sheldon Snook, declined to say what was discussed.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CIA_LEAK_INVESTIGATION?SITE=NYNYD&SECTION=NATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[are_we_united_yet]

13. I'm starting to get this sinking feeling

about this case. I hope I'm wrong.

:(

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

14. Clinton said he was doing the people's business during impeachment

W will be doing the coroporation's business during traitorgate.

Had to edit and ad the apostrophe. I saw the grammar police in action yesterday.

[Stargleamer]

16. Time to raise the terror alert status to orange, maybe even red

n/t

[UpInArms]

17. Let's try a bit of "focus" on that $8 TRILLION in DEBT

and if anyone is curious - here are the numbers for 2000 and 2001

09/28/2001 $5,807,463,412,200.06
09/29/2000 $5,674,178,209,886.86

[janx]

19. This is so pathetic and funny:

• The president and other White House officials would limit their public comments on the case. Outside interest groups and allies would do most of the talking.


• The White House would try to insulate Bush from the scandal allegations. Officials would argue that the president has not been accused of any direct involvement in the leaking of information in the CIA case or subsequent efforts to minimize the political damage. Although it is not yet clear who would coordinate the defense, several advisors said they expected Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman would be heavily involved. One official said former Cheney aide Mary Matalin was another likely participant. Neither Mehlman nor Matalin could be reached for comment.

White House officials and allies are hoping that intensive news coverage of the Fitzgerald investigation will be short-lived. On Nov. 7, they predicted, attention would shift to the Senate confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Harriet E. Miers.


These strategists, in their zeal to control the news, fail completely to recognize that that's what started this problem in the first place!

The irony is staggering...

[dubyaD40web]

21. I noticed yesterday...

Bush* was speaking about Social Security again!!! He'll talk about anything now.