Bush Says He Declassified Iraq War Documents (Bush admits leak?)

[ProSense]

More lies...

Bush Says He Declassified Iraq War Documents

POSTED: 2:07 pm EDT April 10, 2006
UPDATED: 2:19 pm EDT April 10, 2006

WASHINGTON -- President George W. Bush would not comment directly Monday about allegations he authorized a top White House official to leak intelligence on Iraq in 2003.

But, the president told an audience at Johns Hopkins University in Washington he declassified part of a prewar intelligence report so Americans could "see the truth."

Bush said that, after the U.S. invasion, there were "questions in people's minds," so he decided to free up the information.

Snip...

Sen. John Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat who ran against Bush for president in 2004, said it was wrong for Bush to declassify information selectively "in order to buttress phony arguments to go to war " and to attack people politically.

"This was not a declassification in order to really educate America. This was a declassification in order to mislead America," Kerry said on "Meet the Press" on NBC. "I think it's a disgrace."

more...

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/politics/8598524/detail.html

Now Bush admits it. Bush leaked!

[mdmc]

1. but the stuff that bush leaked was not true, right?

[ProSense]

2. Despite Best Efforts At Spin, Bush Is Up To His Neck In Leak Mess

Monday :: Apr 10, 2006

Despite Best Efforts At Spin, Bush Is Up To His Neck In Leak Mess

by Steve Soto

After hearing all the leak talk over the weekend, and after carrying his water longer than he wants to, Arlen Specter said yesterday that Bush and Cheney need to explain why they leaked classified information to defend themselves from Joe Wilson. It is especially curious that they did this, when in fact they were leaking and actively promoting information that was already being discredited inside the Administration, especially by Colin Powell and the Agency.

Editor and Publisher says the Post's Fred Hiatt penned his despicable whitewash of an editorial yesterday to change the subject away from the paper's own pathetic and tragically wrong support for the war.

It shouldn't surprise anyone that Bashing blacks is a Fox News is downplaying the leak revelations and instead is devoting twice as much coverage to bashing black Democratic representative Cynthia McKinney. Bashing blacks is a diversionary tactic for Fox.

Jay Rosen over at his blog says that Bob Woodward was played by the Bush White House, and is now part of the problem. Thanks to Jay for the nice reference to ER’s work as well. Face it, Woodward's a tool for Bush.


more...

http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/007326.php

Four related articles:

New Twist in CIA Leak Probe
Spin cycle springs a leak
Treasongate: Libby and the NIE "key judgements"
First, a Leak; Now, a Jam; Timing Is Bad for President

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2559473&mesg_id=2559473

[Vickers]

3. I must've missed the prime time speech he made about this.

:sarcasm:

I mean, if it was SO important to reveal this stuff to the People, wouldn't he want it disseminated as widely as possible, and with his very public stamp of approval? :eyes:

[ProSense]

4. Bush's Search for Leakers Leads to His Mirror (Prosecute Them)

Bush's Search for Leakers Leads to His Mirror: Margaret Carlson

By Margaret Carlson

April 10 (Bloomberg) -- I. Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby, former chief of staff and close confidante to the vice president, looked into the maw of a grand jury and disgorged words that few thought could be squeezed out of him.

Libby told the grand jury, according to court documents obtained by the New York Sun, that he was authorized by President George W. Bush, through Vice President Dick Cheney, to spill classified information to New York Times reporter Judith Miller. This Libby did, on July 8, 2003, over drinks at the St. Regis Hotel, a few blocks north of the White House.

Snip...

Prosecute Them

The president has lots of authority, but it's not unlimited or without hoops to jump through. For instance, the president has the authority to pardon anyone he wants for any reason. But imagine if he'd told the veep to tell Scooter to tell the warden at the Alderson, West Virginia, prison to spring Martha Stewart early. He could never get away with such a thing.

The president wasn't unaware of the leaks; he was on top of them. And he isn't just a leaker, but a hypocritical one. He calls leakers of intelligence treasonous and vows to prosecute them. There's at least one official investigation going on now to track down and punish whoever leaked the existence of Bush's warrantless wiretaps.

McClellan repeatedly insisted that Bush's power to declassify on a whim was absolute on Friday, without citing any authority or expressing any need to.

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=aA0KoKrk5.Ec

Text of the excutive order on declassifying information
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2559473&mesg_id=2559474

[0007]

5. bttft