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Source: The Washington Post
We all knew this day would come. No, we weren't dancing around joyously, waiting for its arrival (well, maybe some were).
Scooter Libby says that Bush ordered the leak.
A former top aide to Vice President Cheney told a federal grand jury investigating the leak of a CIA agent's identity that President Bush authorized him to disclose classified intelligence information about Iraq as a way of rebutting criticism from the agent's husband, according to court papers filed by prosecutor
Well, it was some sort of leak. Libby still denies that the White House had anything to do with the Valerie Plame leak.
However, the former top aide, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, testified that although he gave a reporter sensitive information from a secret National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) in a July 2003 conversation with the president's approval, he did not disclose the CIA employment of Valerie Plame.
Folks, the rumors have been on the internet for a few months now that a group of big businessmen and high-powered Dems were going to press to start the impeachment process since there's been so many reasons lately to fire Bush. We saw Feingold's censure and how other Dems dragged their heels. However, now it's looking like the process may move forward soon; even if by a miniscule amount.
Under a March 2003 executive order issued by Bush, the president has the authority to declassify -- and thus disclose -- intelligence information, and Cheney has also asserted that authority. But both men have repeatedly criticized the leaking of sensitive intelligence to the news media, and the administration has ordered investigations of leaks concerning a National Security Agency eavesdropping program and the existence of secret overseas CIA prisons for terrorist suspects.
Leading Democrats immediately seized on the disclosures today to accuse Bush of hypocrisy and demand that he explain his role in the Plame leak case.
"In light of today's shocking revelation, President Bush must fully disclose his participation in the selective leaking of classified information," Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said in a statement. "The American people must know the truth."
Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said, "The fact that the president was willing to reveal classified information for political gain and put the interests of his political party ahead of America's security shows that he can no longer be trusted to keep America safe."
Right now, I'm still not singing the praises of the Democratic party because they also have their problems, but at least someone has the balls to accuse Bush of going too far...which he has many, many times.
And even so, let's say Bush and Libby didn't have a hand in the Plame leak. Someone did.
Don't forget, all signs were pointing to Karl Rove at the beginning.
Tags: [George Bush], [Dick Cheney], [Scooter Libby], [Karl Rove], [Valerie Plame], [Plame leak], [Libby leak case], [Libby says that Bush OKed leak], [White House scandals]
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