Bush acknowledges his administration leaked CIA operative's name

[steve2470]

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/12/america/NA-GEN-US-Bush.php

The Associated Press
Published: July 12, 2007



WASHINGTON: President George W. Bush on Thursday acknowledged publicly for the first time that someone in his administration likely leaked the name of a CIA operative, although he also said he hopes the controversy over his decision to spare prison for a former White House aide has "run its course."

"And now we're going to move on," Bush said in a White House news conference.

The president had initially said he would fire anyone in his administration found to have publicly disclosed the identity of Valerie Plame, the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson and a CIA operative. Wilson is an outspoken Iraq war critic.

Ten days ago, Bush commuted the 30-month sentence given to I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby by a federal judge in connection with the case.

Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, had been convicted of lying and obstruction of justice in the CIA-leak case.

<snip>

Holy shit. Is this old news ?????

on edit: another link here with video

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Bush_acknowledges_administration_official_leaked_Plames_0712.html

[BuyingThyme]

1. There was no underlying crime.

:P

[MADem]

2. We're gonna move on, eh? Now that he's "taken care of the leaker"--is that it?

Fuckin' putz!

[Disturbed]

3. Congress needs to move on...to Impeachment of

Cheney then Bush.

[chaska]

4. He's baiting us. He wants us to go after this...

Something fishy here. This story was almost dead. Why is he reviving it?

[Whoa_Nelly]

7. He was answering a reporter's question re: Libby

However, the asswipe pResidnet should be nailed because he DOES KNOW who the leaker was.

[MADem]

12. It was a direct response to a reporter query. That said, his remarks had an interesting subtext

He wasn't definitive. That crew isn't stupid. They know how to shield Bush and Cheney:

Bush would not directly address answer a question about whether he is disappointed in the White House officials who leaked Plame's name.

"I'm aware of the fact that perhaps somebody in the administration did disclose the name of that person," Bush said. "I've often thought about what would have happened if that person had come forth and said, 'I did it.' Would we have had this endless hours of investigation and a lot of money being spent on this matter? But, so, it's been a tough issue for a lot of people in the White House. It's run its course and now we're going to move on."

He also defended the decision to commute Libby's sentence. "The Scooter Libby decision was, I thought, a fair and balanced decision," Bush said.

[Vincardog]

5. Gee who would have thought that such a miserable failure would make such a lousy (p)Resident?

[Aristus]

6. Shit, man! We F*****G KNOW his administration leaked her name!

Just cop to it already, chimpster! :banghead:

[jobycom]

8. One of the typical rove conservative strategies for handling scandals.

There are several, but this is the "Deny until there is incontrovertible proof, then declare it an old story and say 'let's move on.'"

[donkeyotay]

13. Stonewall until declaring it old news

"But, so, it's been a tough issue for a lot of people in the White House. It's run its course and now we're going to move on."

Tough.
it's run its course.
Move on.

No accountability from the folks who create reality.

[shain from kane]

9. Let's move on ... to the question of motivation. Why was her name leaked? Deliberately?

Ambassador Wilson has his theory on the motivation. Can it be confirmed?

[steve2470]

10. unbelievable

Either this human-looking carbon life form is 1) seriously stupid; 2) daring Congress to impeach him; or 3) both.

Un--be---lieve-able !!!

[merh]

11. You mean that Fitz didn't know that Armitage was the leaker

within minutes/days/weeks, at the beginning of the investigation and the rest was just an exercise in harassment :crazy:


Note to readers: I did not make that reasoning up, this is right wingers
justifying Libby's lies and bad mouthing the Fitz witch hunts. x(

[mmonk]

14. He can brag. He is above the law and won't be held accountable.

[annabanana]

15. I saw that.. He DID ackowledge it... One of HIS staffers leaked

the name of a covert CIA agent.

And he says "Oh well, tomorrow is another day"