<p>Is there anyone else who finds it ironic that the administration chose to leak to a reporter from a newspaper the administration despises? </p>
<p>Is there anyone else who thinks it is very ironic that Clinton parsed what “is” is…whereas Bush is parsing what “isn’t”… ie, it isn’t illegal for the president to disclose…it isn’t illegal for the president to authorize wiretaps…it isn’t illegal for Frist to sell his blind stock based on written communications directly to him about the stock, cept the writing wasn’t in braille…it isn’t illegal to give non-bid contracts to the VP’s former company, in Afghanistan, Iraq and in Katrina’s wake… it isn’t wrong to outsource our ports… it isn’t wrong to shoot your friend in the face…</p>
<p>My greatest disappointment with this administration is the non-stop attacking of Democrats…and any American who is democratic. Using any and every tool to attack Democrats, ie gay marriage, abortion, pensions…Yes it is 2006…but, I swear that the average American would prefer the rabid attacks (Swift boat etc) STOP and to instead have our elected leaders really focus on helping America take care of its own. Use the Billions spent on Iraq on American healthcare and education. I think a real leader could rally America to do more and accomplish more … and focus real energy on important things, instead of this infinite partisan war. </p>
<p>I personally hate it that CEO earnings have increased 400% while the “average” workers’ has fallen in what, the past 4 yrs? I hate it that lobbyists and accountants have fine tuned the laws in favor of American corporations and against American people. </p>
<p>At the end of the day, I am afraid that this is the tale of a son who thought he was better than his dad…who thought he could play in the big leagues…and has put thousands of Americans in their graves in defense of big oil, instead of encouraging alternative energies. China is gleeful…they are buying up a lot of the ports in this hemisphere, outside the US. Who exactly is protecting America? Is there anyone with the integrity needed to truly take on a job of this magnitude? And can they win a presidential election…or are we now at a point where only those that manipulate can survive and win?</p>
<p>The thing that is being missed is that the president didn’t authorize a “leak” of classified information–which is what he condemned. In order to contradict the false information being leaked by Joe Wilson and others within the CIA, he authorized the release of information declassified for that purpose. That is, by definition, not a “leak.” However, a very hard-driving former federal prosecutor agrees with you that he should have just gone ballistic on Wilson from the get-go, rather than playing the typical Washington game of giving scoops to various reporters. The “leaked” information was publically given to the press at large a week after Libby’s alleged “leak.”
I would add, in view of MaineParent’s recent post, that I have yet to see anything wrong with what the Swiftboat veterans did. Or anything to indicate that the administration is filling bodybags to benefit Big Oil. Feel free to fill me in.</p>
<p>Driver,
have not the oil companies had the biggest profit ever in fiscal year '05? Why did Halliburton refuse to donate to the Texas rehabilitation hospital for returning veterans? Bank of America has stepped up to the plate big time, but Halliburton said NO. </p>
<p>Haven’t the British confirmed that our President was committed to a war before he and Blair even met, and suggested painting a plane as though it belong to the UN to provoke an attack? Obviously we only know what we are told…my gut just tells me that these guys are acting on behalf of Republicans, corporations and CEO’s and not Americans. Some Americans benefit…but the Americans that are not Republicans are NOT enemies of America. The Swiftboat ads were venal at best…attacking an honored veteran to benefit the President and VP’s reelection campaign, 2 individuals who did everything they could to NOT serve our country. Morally abhorrent. IMHO… </p>
<p>I cannot claim to know enough to defend or protest each and every action…but, neither Cheney nor Bush has gone to a single funeral (I don’t think) and yet, the VP travels to Saudi Arabia for funerals. I just do not accept that it took the VP 11 days to show his face after Katrina. Again…morally abhorrent. IMHO…</p>
<p>Releasing classified information 1 week after giving it to a reporter smacks of covering your derriere…how do we know that Cheney and Bush authorized the passing of the info to Judith Miller before it was passed…or if that is the story after the fact? This administration has chosen to spend their political capital in ways that are unfathomable, to me anyway. </p>
<p>I do not think this is who the United States of America wants to be. Tax cuts bought a lot of votes because peoples wallets trumped the other issues. We are all going to be paying…and our kids and our kids kids will be paying for this administrations policies for a very long time.</p>
<p>My feeling is this - assuming that President Bush authorized the release of information concerning Valerie Plame and Joseph Wilson to head off or minimize the impact of Mr. Wilson’s statements regarding (true or not) the transport or sale of nuclear material, then the quote where George W. Bush insists, “If there’s a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is…If the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of. I welcome the investigation. I am absolutely confident the Justice Department will do a good job. I want to know the truth…Leaks of classified information are bad things.” should have been followed with a statement concerning the fact that Valerie Plame’s identity and/or occupation was released legally, just as he has come out and stated that wire taps without FAFSA approval are done legally based on congressional action.</p>
<p>DE93,
I think that’s what Joe DiGenova was saying in the quote I cited above. There’s nothing remotely illegal or immoral about the transfers of information that the White House authorized. But they should have just come out and ripped the miscreants to shreds. I don’t know why they didn’t do it that way…Republicans are too genteel for their own good some times. Of course, having a very hostile press affects the way an administration deals with the release of information. So you have to consider that as well.</p>
<p>So what exactly does that have to do with the issue in question, the release of information from the National Intelligence Estimate?</p>
<p>As for the Plame release, that was apparently never authorized. Actually, since Fitzgerald and the judge in the Libby case agree that the person who actually first told reporters about Plame (who is neither Libby nor Rove) didn’t break any laws when he did so (it says so specifically in Fitzgerald’s court filings in the Libby case and the judge speaks directly to the question in his response), you have the same answer, it was legal to do so. That leaves the lack of authorization, the fact that Bush had nothing to do with release as the real reason that Bush never said anything of the kind.</p>
<p>And you guys are hardly the first folks who thought that the Administration should have taken Wilson and some others head on over this stuff. The real shame remains that they never really answered Wilson and let others do it for them.</p>
<p>Actually, that’s another lie that’s being spread. If you bother to google back to what he actually said, he said he’d fire anyone who broke the law and deal with anyone who leaked classified information appropriate.</p>
<p>Since a leak is an unauthorized disclosure of information and this was a perfectly legal, authorized one, how do you think what he said applies?</p>
<p>Ha ha ha. I admire his chutzpah at least. But this information basically makes all those press conferences he held on Plamegate look like a pile of BS. Kind of like OJ Simpson wanting to find his wife’s murderer. What a straight shooter :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Declassifing info for release is one thing, making sure it ‘accidentally’ gets to the right people is another… </p>
<p>Considering the volumes of info that get declassfied every day I doubt this info was not found without some help from someone. But that happens in every administration, Republican or Democrat. Common method, nothing to really get worked up about. The stuff Bush has already done is good enough for him to lose points as a human being in my eyes.</p>
<p>Before you carry on with your laughter, you should get your facts straight, lest people start laughing at you. Bush was clearly talking about the leaker of Plame’s identity. Despite the wishful thinking of the left and the OP, this is NOT what was made public by Bush.</p>
<p>Bush has spoken several times, in several different contexts, about his contempt for those who leak confidential information. Even though his leaking (which I know was not about Plame) may be technically legal, it certainly carries the stench of hypocrisy.</p>
<p>ff, a LOL just for you. I think your advice might find more applicability in its speaker, IMO.</p>
<p>And again, same article:
A pile of BS, as I said before. The sanctimonious condemnation of cloak-and-daggers behavior is a little less convincing when Bush engages in it himself.</p>
<p>The NIE and the Plame leaks were the two-pronged counterattack led by the administration against Wilson - that is a fact. To try and dissociate them is absurd, even more so when they are linked back to the same man - Libby.</p>
<p>The conservatives even will try to justify leaking classified information for political retribution. Cripe, how low will you go?</p>
<p>For the sake of this country, it’s time to start apologizing and reforming the Republican party. I know many of the true conservatives are speaking out now about their disappointment and regret at what their party has become, but the fringe really needs to disavow the incompetence and corruption of this administration.</p>
<p>I have often wondered why the conservatives fight so furiously to protect Bush’s every lie. There isn’t any question what Bush said…it’s all in the transcripts, and most on the White house.gov website. And the fact that now, all the Bush lovers are saying, “oh, well, he DEclassified the info”…this is so rich, really so funny, since I would once…just once…like to hear one of the conservatives admit that their man has big egg on his face…</p>
<p>I guess we are all in amazement - the fact that the left continues to allege lies on the part of Bush but have yet to prove one of them is amazing to me. Every time they think they have something, an objective look at the facts proves them wrong once again. I think Driver’s Wiley Coyote analogy is quite apt.</p>
<p>The ironic thing is that to promote the perception that Bush has lied, they perpetuate lies/falsehoods themselves. Just look at the OP:
</p>
<p>This part in bold is a flat out lie, but they continue to try to get away with it. The first part is a complete distortion but that doesn’t stop them either.</p>
I think your advice might find more applicability in its speaker, IMO.</p>