Has anyone thought of this re: Sandy Berger ?

[kentuck]

They have been holding onto this information since last October. Why? Have they been holding it as their ace in the hole?? They have been dragging their feet about finding the culprit that leaked the info on Joe Wilson's wife so perhaps they have decided to play hardball? If you insist on going after one of ours, then we will go after one of yours? And that is the whole story behind the story about Sandy Berger?? Just a thought... :)

[jjmalonejr]

1. I'm a staunch Kerry supporter, and it wouldn't surprise me...

...if the Kerry campaign, or a Kerry-friendly camp, was the source of the leak re: Sandy Berger.

Let's face it, no matter what the explanation for Sandy Berger's removal of classified documents from the National Archives, there is no positive way to spin the story. It's a serious embarrassment, and the best that Democrats can do is try to limit the size of the embarrassment to the Kerry campaign. I'm willing to bet that people within or close to the Kerry campaign knew about the investigation (more than likely from Berger himself), knew that there was a danger of Rove leaking it at a SERIOUSLY inopportune time, and decided to do it themselves at the moment of THEIR choosing.

The bonus is the fact that no one knows who leaked the story, and it might seem reasonable to some that the White House leaked the story, further tarnishing their image as dirty players.

Getting the story out early, trying to minimize the damage, removing Berger as an advisor to the campaign, and leaving open the possibility that the leak might have come from the White House seems like the best way to handle it.

That's my take. I could be wrong.

[lancdem]

3. Your analysis is interesting

Josh Marshall still thinks it was the Repukes because of how coordinated all the leaks are about the case. But I much prefer this coming out now than in October. And I like the way Kerry is handling it.

[jjmalonejr]

5. Josh could be right, and frankly...

...that's the way I would prefer people think. Let the pundits believe that Rove and Co. are evil geniuses and the Democrats are strategically inept. Go ahead.

Frankly, I think that Kerry and his closest advisers are a LOT smarter than they are given credit for. It wouldn't surprise me one iota if this were their handiwork. And, if it is, God bless 'em!

[kentuck]

6. I have heard Kerry say that he knew nothing about it.....at all

:shrug:

[jjmalonejr]

8. Of course he said that.

What else should he say?

"Oh, yeah, I knew about that, but I figured it was no big deal and kept him on as a top campaign advisor on national security?"

Better to say you knew nothing about this, back away from Sandy Berger slowly, and let him fend for himself.

Sandy Berger dug his own political grave here, whether it was through carelessness or something more sinister doesn't matter.

[sandnsea]

7. I kind of agree

The talking points are too orchestrated. Dems never speak with one voice like this.

[jjmalonejr]

9. Of course, the GOP talking points are coordinated

They are in attack mode here, and their attack points are ALWAYS coordinated.

The question is who leaked the story?

What I'm proposing is that Kerry-friendly people leaked the story, knowing full well that Republicans would attack, but preferring to have the attacks come at a time of THEIR choosing, as opposed to on Rove's time table.

This was gonna come out eventually.

[kentuck]

10. I just don't think the Dems are that coordinated.....

Why were they holding onto this since October?? Must have had a reason?

[sandnsea]

12. Timing

This is a good time to dump the story. It didn't hurt the 9/11 Commission's work, they could blame it on the Pubs as a diversion, papers in socks is silly next to the actual report, and it'll all get buried under the Dem convention next week.

And we aren't usually that coordinated, but we are this week. All the Dems are saying the exact same thing. Focus on the 9/11 report, that's what's important. That's what makes who leaked this suspicious.

[kentuck]

13. It was that little bastard Ashcroft...

The Justice Dept had the authority to hold or continue the investigation...

[jjmalonejr]

16. What do you mean by coordinated?

It doesn't take any coordination to leak a story. It takes one well placed phone call.

Then the expected feeding frenzy begins.

If you are looking to make a bad story go away, you might leak it early so you can handle it early. If you are looking to use a bad story to do damage, you hold it until the precise moment you want to use it.

As for why now instead of last October, who knows when the Kerry campaign found out about this. Berger might not have revealed it to them until recently.

I'm just speculating here, but it makes just as much sense to me that the Kerry campaign wanted to put this thing away now rather than let it be an October Surprise. It wasn't going to stay a secret forever.

[sandnsea]

11. I kind of agree

I said that. The Republians are always coordinated, I'm not talking about them.

WE are coordinated this time, that's what is so supsicious to me. Get the story out, say it's a Republican diversion from 9/11, then have the story die between the 9/11 report and Dem convention. Seems like a reasonable plan to me.

[jjmalonejr]

17. Oh, I see

You were expressing surprise that the Dems are this coordinated, not dismissing the possibility that they've suddenly got their act together.

Kerry and Co. are very, very smart.

[Bush was AWOL]

18. Why wouldn't Kerry

just leak it months ago instead of right before the convention and 9/11 report.

[jjmalonejr]

20. One possibility: they didn't know about it until recently.

Another possibility: they held onto it because thought it could remain a secret, but had reason to suspect that the White House knew about it and would leak it at a moment of THEIR choosing.

[sandnsea]

21. Buries the story

Months ago this would have hung over the entire campaign. Every time Kerry said anything about Bush, it would have been "Berger stuffed his socks". Now people know Kerry and Edwards, better than the media is saying I think, and this story doesn't mean alot to most people. Most people don't know who Sandy Berger is, what the archives are, or why anybody cares that he took some of his notes home with him. 9/11, Convention, and the Olympics start August 13. Too much going on for this story to get any legs.

Excellent timing, excellent.

[kentuck]

22. It's very possible ....

and that would still fit into the theory about why Bush was dragging his feet on the CIA rat? This was like a protective shield for him so long as he had Berger held hostage...but with the Berger story out of the way, and the Repubs pushing it the way they have for the last couple of days, how can they now defend protecting the person that ratted out Plame?? So, it is possible...

[tom_paine]

2. That is a distinct possibility for murderous thugs like the Imperials

[Carni]

4. Wishful thinking on my part

But wouldn't it be interesting if Berger swiped something damning to prove bush's treasonous behavior regarding 911?

It's quite unusual that the whole mess wasn't laid in Clinton's lap
(which I fully expected)

The "no one was at fault thing was quite a surprise.

I may be wearing tin foil but something is funny about this.

On edit: Let me make this clear -- I think bush was completely at fault PERIOD (that is if this wasn't a MIHOP and yes I am one of "those")

[VolcanoJen]

14. If this tempest-in-a-teapot is the best they've got...

... then, YAY! Bring it on! Good thing. Very good thing.

Of course, I'm one of the rare folk who believes these folks couldn't come up with an October Surprise if it bit them in the ass. :D

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. Is this the best they can do for their ace in the hole? I bet not.

[kentuck]

19. If the person they are trying to protect in the Wilson case is Cheney??

It's definitely an ace in the hole, albeit the other four cards is a busted straight....:)