I bet Asscroft was the Plame leak

[4_Legs_Good]

And that's why he's so eager to leave or is being forced out. They're closing in on him and the farther he is from George Jr. when the sh*t hits the fan, the better off the Administration will be.

Just a thought...

david

[liberal N proud]

1. Or he will become the leak in any investigation.

[H2O Man]

2. Zero chance.

Nothing has changed since last night when this was discussed here. There is zero chance it was Ashcroft. The leak came from the White House, not the DoJ. The identity of the leakers is known, and has been discussed on DU and in numerous other media sources.

[4_Legs_Good]

3. Doh! I missed the thread last night

I'll look it up!

Thanks!!

david

[H2O Man]

4. Ashcroft's health is failing

and that is why he is retiring. There is little chance that he will consider any other position in either government or private business. We are all the losers, considering his unbelievable talent in music. Hold close to your copies of F 9-11, with his beautiful rendition of "As The Eagle Flies," as it will be a collector's item within a month. I suggest buying a copy of F 9-11 for any red-neck right-wing rabid republican relative for Christmas, so they will have a copy of his greatest hit.

[4_Legs_Good]

9. :) They played even more of it on Democracy Now! Yesterday

It's a classic! Destined to go down in the 'Greatest Patriotic Hits' of all Time list.

david

[H2O Man]

11. I'm sure that you, like I

am having trouble deciding whether to play that or Sgt Barry Saddler's classic cult hit, "Fighting Soldiers" as we salute the film clip of George W. Bush in his Power Ranger's costume. Tough call.

[kohodog]

18. A couple of one hit wonders

Thankfully there's no album!

[johnfunk]

13. I think the correct title is "Let the Eagle's Whore"

... or something like that...

[Pastiche423]

14. What is his illness?

I've totally missed that.

[jhain]

15. gall bladder/prancreantitis

but that was all awhile ago and not that uncommon.. .

prancreantitis can be deadly but he obviously survived.

is there something else?

I know he GALLS me...

[nixonwasbetterthanW]

5. he wasn't the leak, but he has info

Remember that Ashcroft was given information about the probe when it was still being handled within DOJ. Among other things, he basically knows what Rove was asked and how he answered in the initial questioning.

While I am inclined to believe that he's quitting mostly because of his illness, it would not be wild speculation to surmise that he may want to leave in part because he knows he'll be tarnished for knowing much more about the seaminess of this whole episode than he ever publicly revealed.

[H2O Man]

7. I think you could

take that two steps farther, and include what he knows about the other scandals that the administration faces. The DoJ has tried to bury the Franklin/neocon spy scandal.

[Caution]

6. Link to the thread or subject?

Curious to read it but can't find anything that looks likely

[H2O Man]

10. See: Ashcroft, Plame etc

I looked through and found it, and brought it back up to speed.

[billyoc]

8. I don't know, would the CIA give their list of spies

to the Justice Dept.? That sounds crazy, why would they?

[H2O Man]

12. No.

Very, very few people were aware of Plame's identity.

[Ducks In A Row]

16. Oddly, I don't think so. He would have the clearance for that.

It's out of Cheney's office.

It's time to throw Novak into Gitmo until he talks.

[nixonwasbetterthanW]

17. No, not the OLD att. gen. ... but maybe the NEW one knew!

Remember that Gonzales issued the order that all e-mails and other pertinent records be preserved for the initial Ashcroft probe into the Plame affair. Of course, the actual order went out a full four days after WH insiders already knew that the DOJ was set to make its request to Gonzales.

Gonzales later appeared before the grand jury. No one has said boo -- at least for public consumption -- about his testimony.