If Cheney admitted to declassifying intel and told Libby to expose

[Rex]

Plame, then the real question is why? To me, it sounds like Cheney admitted to criminal activity on national television. Why would a Vice President fess up to giving an underling declassified information in order to out a fellow American citizen; one which has been charged with defending America? I don't think Cheney realizes what he admitted to. I think his political career will be over soon or we will go to war with Iran as a grand distraction.

[BR_Parkway]

1. Shrub admits repeatedly that he's breaking the law with wiretaps

and no one will do anything about it, why should Darth be worried.

[Talismom]

5. It's just like Andrew Jackson...the congress tells him that the

Cherokee relocation is illegal and he replies, "Fine, so stop me from doing it!"

These guys won't stop their raping and pillaging til they're dragged away!

[Rex]

6. Very good point

Crime in broad day light, on national TVEE.

[papau]

2. US Media will ignore the implication - lest they get ahead of known facts!

The BS excuses just flow from our media workers (actually the editors and RW owners - the "workers" try to do their best)

[rodeodance]

3. Cheney did not admit to specifically declassifying any particular doc.

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. Keep your eye on the ball, grasshopper...

Think back to where this started, the administration "took the leak seriously" and "would find who was responsible".

Turns out that revealing the identity of the covert operative who was watching Iran for WMD proliferation, was performed as a conscious, strategic decision by the President and Vice President. Don't get all hung up on the legalities. From my perspective, the Fitzgerald investigation was begun to prove what Cheney has just admitted to - he directed his staff to reveal Plame's identity.

I like a good perp walk as much as the next guy, but discrediting these guys and their failed ideology is the bigger goal.

[sam sarrha]

7. 'Declassifying' proves "INTENT" to out a spy and that is TREASON.!!!

[janx]

8. He's desperate.

He knows what's coming.

[Igel]

9. He didn't say he declassified anything, just that

the claim that authorizing the release of an NIE (not Plame-related, IIRC) would have been ok. The executive order claimed to extend the permission is from 3/25/03, revising a Clinton EO stipulating classification authority; I'm guessing the logic is that if you have the authority to classify things, you can declassify things. I'm unaware of any evidence that Libby actually publicized the contents of the NIE prior to its formal declassification.

The NIE was declassified the next month, and released. July '03. It's the same time frame as the Plame business, and possibly related by having been part of the same discussions, intended to buttress their justification for invading Iraq.

There's some sort of proof needed to show that he actually declassified something, and to tie it in with Plame. But I'm also guessing that Plame's status would not fall under his authority for declassification. Else Libby's little mess could have been cleaned up with a quick phone call, and Fitzgerald would get back to working full-time on the Muslim charity case.