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By MATT APUZZO, Associated Press Writer 12 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan blames President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for efforts to mislead the public about the role of White House aides in leaking the identity of a CIA operative.
In an excerpt from his forthcoming book, McClellan recounts the 2003 news conference in which he told reporters that aides Karl Rove and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby were "not involved" in the leak involving operative Valerie Plame.
"There was one problem. It was not true," McClellan writes, according to a brief excerpt released Tuesday. "I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest-ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice president, the president's chief of staff and the president himself."
Bush's chief of staff at the time was Andrew Card.
The excerpt, posted on the Web site of publisher PublicAffairs, renews questions about what went on in the West Wing and how much Bush and Cheney knew about the leak. For years, it was McClellan's job to field — and often duck — those types of questions.
Now that he's spurring them, answers are equally hard to come by.
White House press secretary Dana Perino said it wasn't clear what McClellan meant in the excerpt. "The president has not and would not ask his spokespeople to pass on false information," she said.
McClellan turned down interview requests Tuesday.
Plame maintains the White House quietly outed her to reporters. Plame and her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, said the leak was retribution for his public criticism of the Iraq war. The accusation dogged the administration and made Plame a cause celebre among many Democrats.
McClellan's book, "What Happened," isn't due out until April, and the excerpt released Monday was merely a teaser. It doesn't get into detail about how Bush and Cheney were involved or reveal what happened behind the scenes.
In the fall of 2003, after authorities began investigating the leak, McClellan told reporters that he'd personally spoken to Rove, who was Bush's top political adviser, and Libby, who was Cheney's chief of staff.
"They're good individuals, they're important members of our White House team, and that's why I spoke with them, so that I could come back to you and say that they were not involved," McClellan said at the time.
Both men, however, were involved. Rove was one of the original sources for the newspaper column that identified Plame. Libby also spoke to reporters about the CIA officer and was convicted of lying about those discussions. He is the only person to be charged in the case.
Since that news conference, however, the official White House stance has shifted and it has been difficult to get a clear picture of what happened behind closed doors around the time of the leak.
McClellan's flat denials gave way to a steady drumbeat of "no comment." And Bush's original pledge to fire anyone involved in the leak became a promise to fire anyone who "committed a crime."
In a CNN interview earlier this year, McClellan made no suggestion that Bush knew either Libby or Rove was involved in the leak. McClellan said his statements to reporters were what he and the president "believed to be true at the time based on assurances that we were both given."
Bush most recently addressed the issue in July after commuting Libby's 30-month prison term. He acknowledged that some in the White House were involved in the leak. Then, after repeatedly declining to discuss the ongoing investigation, he said the case was closed and it was time to move on.
___
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Seriously, at this point is anyone really surprised at this revalation?
Nope... And then, in the months & years ahead, more of these will be launched and the inevitable rebuttals will ensue.
Leaving it all, as usual, up to individual perception... Fun stuff!
Nope... And then, in the months & years ahead, more of these will be launched and the inevitable rebuttals will ensue.
Leaving it all, as usual, up to individual perception... Fun stuff!
The "fun" and interesting thing will be; What will Scooter do?
Did he get paid enough to keep his mouth shut?
Time will tell.
Albeit, nobody will care and what difference would it make after the fact.
The "fun" and interesting thing will be; What will Scooter do?
Did he get paid enough to keep his mouth shut?
Time will tell.
Albeit, nobody will care and what difference would it make after the fact.
Honestly O - isn't this sort of crap nothing more than the latest scandal du jour??? I mean, what Presidency didn't fall prey to the scandal seekers? My god, we certainly had our fill of "scandal and intrigue" with the Clintons, did we not - and still do??
I'm so fed up with it all... For the most part, none of it ever sticks and it seems to me that it's those "caring" citizens who seem to get their collective panties all twisted up over this crap, while all of the "perps" move on in life, right their books and live an immensely priviledged life...
All the while, the traditional political footballs continue to get kicked around (Civil Rights, Foreign Affairs, Social Security, Healthcare, Budgets...), with no real progress made because our politicians forgot why they were sent to DC, and what their purpose truly is...
Fun? Not at all... It sucks...
Last edited by 82CardsGrad; November 20th, 2007 at 09:41 PM.
Honestly O - isn't this sort of crap nothing more than the latest scandal du jour??? I mean, what Presidency didn't fall prey to the scandal seekers? My god, we certainly had our fill of "scandal and intrigue" with the Clintons, did we not - and still do?? Why does it always come back to the Clintion? Were there not scandals before Hill/Billy? Remember Nixon?
I'm so fed up with it all... For the most part, none of it ever sticks and it seems to me that it's those "caring" citizens who seem to get their collective panties all twisted up over this crap, while all of the "perps" move on in life, right their books and live an immensely priviledged life... If it wasn't for caring citizens where would we be?
I fear your definition of a "perp" and people that live "priviledged" lives (Clintons included) are entirely different then mine
All the while, the traditional political footballs continue to get kicked around (Civil Rights, Foreign Affairs, Social Security, Healthcare, Budgets...), with no real progress made because our politicians forgot why they were sent to DC, and what their purpose truly is... We agree completely there!
Fun? Not at all... It sucks...
Someday we'll have a beer together 82 and argue face to face.
I think we will walk away agreeing about more things then we disagree about.
Someday we'll have a beer together 82 and argue face to face.
I think we will walk away agreeing about more things then we disagree about.
You know I look forward to that day O... And I also believe our agreements will outnumber our differences...
1.) Yes, there were scandals before the Clintons... In fact, I bet if we were to go back in each presidency and closely review the events, we would find "scandals" in ALL administrations... This is politics after all...
2.) Our country functions in large part, because of caring citizens. Citizens who are generous of their time, money and resources... The "caring" citizens who dwell on scandal after scandal after scandal? Not so much...
3.) Politicians for the most part, SUCK, irrespective of their party pursuasion... To make it all the way to DC, you simply have to be a scumbag and be willing to subjucate whatever moral and ethical bearing you may have ever had...
The key to remember is that this is the TIP of the iceberg. This is the sort of thing that shows that those that criticized bush the last 7 years were right, and that their 'conspiracy theories', tend to be more true, then untrue. This is the smoking gun.
The question shouldn't be 'are we surprised by it', the question should be 'how surprised will we be' if stuff starts coming out. I won't be, those that believed Bush was actually a god fearing man (yeah right), who walks that line (like a guy after 30 beers) might be.
But seriously how hard was it to think he was doing stuff like this? It wasn't hard to see he was lying, you couldn't prove it, but common sense told everyone he was lying.
But why did 50 percent or so not trust themselves? That's something to be scared of, because we couldn't of been handed a worse president, that was SO EASY to IDENTIFY as being the worst president in history. He almost had a label on his forhead telling us so, and still 50 percent or so voted for him. If 50 percent let bush in, we ain't far behind germany in the 30's and that IS THE TRUTH. Bush in a healthy democracy would get the kind of votes david duke got or even kucinich. And hell kucinich would get what Bush got. That doesn't mean kucinich should be pres, but his ideas are more of where all of our candidates should be based around.
I personally take that we just learned one of the lesser charges against Bush and Co. were true. I bet we can surmise that 90 percent of the rest MUST be real now. Yes a stretch, but hey, they were so guarded about this relatively small infraction Bush has been accused of. So wherever you see the same wheels of injustice turning, the same tactics used, one MUST surmise that the same outcome would ensue...guilt.
In nov 2000, my friend signed up for the army days after bush won. I said, he'll send your butt to Iraq, better watch out. He just got out of the army a couple of weeks ago, 7 years, 2 tours, 1 IED explosion. Glad to have him back, and that his injuries were no where near as severe as others (went to a 2nd tour after the IED incident). But when do we just trust our instincts for once. That was what my instinct was right then. I formed it years earlier, it occured years later, but my perception regardless of time, was right. I'm no seer, no nostrodamus, I'm just one person among tens of millions in this country with enough common sense to make the connections.
What should our instincts be telling us, and what should we trust? How about the fact that everything has been a lie out of Bush's mouth. It's all been shock and awe on US, not the terrorists. This proves him, rove, and all the top guys were more about propaganda than facts.
This means, there is a high likely hood we were sold a bill of goods that wasn't true, and that this whole war, and ALL of this debt, which is basically the money earned in the 90's from our boom (yes bush essentially stole and wasted the wealth we built in the 90's...90's boom = 00's bush iraq war lost...and MUCH MUCH MORE)....that all of this was to get what bush wanted, and not what WE NEEDED. It was A LIE! Another nail in that coffin.
So with Bush stilling having keys to the nukes, and is being rhetorical about Iran, Pakistan, etc. We should be worried that they might want or allow 'something' to happen or b.s. us like gulf of tonkin to get his way. After all they are ready to pass through more bills as soon as we have another attack. One more attack under his watch, and we'll have even more freedoms taken away.
Bush should resign. But he won't, because he still doesn't believe he did anything wrong.
If that is our lineage to presidents, wow, then I'd rather have my future kids be car salesman or telemarketers because I'm concerned that being a president might harm his integrity.
Anyone that supports him now is as blind as a 5 year old who doesn't know what his parents are doing in their bed. (actually 12 year old, we've had 7 years to learn what it is)
Also lets not compare clinton to either of them. Clinton, was not god, was not even a great president, and I liked clinton, but he was not a great president, and signed nafta which is a huge mark on him.
Now, Bush didn't get oral. Which isn't news, except to those holy rollers (but news that should be talked about amongst themselves in their settings). But those same people will allow bush to kill, murder, steal, lie, destroy America fiscally, morally, spiritually (yep he has god's servants spouting propoganda and doing all sort of unchristian activities on his behalf), and prestigiously. Not only that, but not even acknowledge that he pissed on the toilet seat. If they don't allow it, they do by turning their head and saying bush can do no wrong, al qeada, 9/11. Maybe get some of the drug companies to use that windfall bill for them, use just 1/10 of 100th of a percent of the kickbacks to give free xanax to the worriers.
Nixon was dirty too, but not nearly as dirty (and he was very dirty like 3 days without a shower, but bush would be 1 year without a shower and just out of a pit of mud), and at least when caught he owned up pretty much. And people in the repub party could still look at Bush under such a scenario and claim he is as clean as a whistle.
We used to make fun of Russia for being so stupid like this (or at least that was our jokes of them), now the joke is on us as we actually ARE that joke in reality.
Bush, he won't even tell you he was the one who farted.
Let's use ice as an example of how dirty they were
Clinton = 1 crushed ice cube
Nixon = 1 bag of ice
Bush Sr = 5 bags of ice
Bush jr = antartica (maybe why he didn't believe in global warming...he wanted it to melt)
It's simple. This story is a microcosm of the entire 7 years. It was all a lie. I think for the best interest of our country we spend the next 1 year+ figuring out how far those lies go. It is only our countries descent from a superpower we only have to save. Anybody that got burned by bush because they believed like a good american in one sense that we need to protect america...well now and in 2008 is your chance.
It's imperative imho that we find out what 5 percent of the story was true, so have some inkling of the direction we need to heads towards.
The key is to look at what they've done, what they say they want to do, what they actually are doing, AND ACTUALLY USE THAT AS A JUDGEMENT to who we vote. NOT who sounds like an average joe.
Because we knew bush had done nothing in his life except taking profitable companies and leave them bankrupt. (gee same with america)
Because we knew bush had an agenda against Iraq, and has an inferiority complex (gee iraq war)
Because we knew what they said they wanted to do (project for new american century and a new pearl harbor (9/11) needed)
And after the first election
Because we knew what he was doing, robbing the poor and giving to the rich, hollowing out our manufacturing sector, basically sucking worse then any president in history domestically, but using 9/11 and al qeada as scapegoats.
So when we look at these upcoming elections, and AT ANY POLITICIAN in general, I think people need to quit buying all the lip service.
Or else we WILL do this again. If we mess up again, and ALLOW what we have allowed, torture, murder, invading a soverign country with no threat to us, etc, etc, etc, etc, then we the world will dish us what we deserve, a low dollar, and other countries having the bling bling. Because from what I see, we're too blind to keep ahold of it....that is, if we don't learn from this bush mistake. And it starts by saying, it WAS a mistake.
I'm not writing this piss people off, and I guess it's my opinion only. But man, we've got ourselves so twisted we can't even make judgments on the simplest of issues. 8th graders from the 1920's would own half the politicians in logic, it's gotten that bad, and the overall populous resembles idiocracy to the max. It's definitely something to be concerned of, and acknowledged as a problem, or else this is the best it'll get, and that's sad.
__________________
In the Cards...?someday?...
Last edited by CardsFan88; November 21st, 2007 at 09:19 AM.
The key to remember is that this is the TIP of the iceberg. This is the sort of thing that shows that those that criticized bush the last 7 years were right, and that their 'conspiracy theories', tend to be more true, then untrue. This is the smoking gun.
The question shouldn't be 'are we surprised by it', the question should be 'how surprised will we be' if stuff starts coming out. I won't be, those that believed Bush was actually a god fearing man (yeah right), who walks that line (like a guy after 30 beers) might be.
But seriously how hard was it to think he was doing stuff like this? It wasn't hard to see he was lying, you couldn't prove it, but common sense told everyone he was lying.
But why did 50 percent or so not trust themselves? That's something to be scared of, because we couldn't of been handed a worse president, that was SO EASY to IDENTIFY as being the worst president in history. He almost had a label on his forhead telling us so, and still 50 percent or so voted for him. If 50 percent let bush in, we ain't far behind germany in the 30's and that IS THE TRUTH. Bush in a healthy democracy would get the kind of votes david duke got or even kucinich. And hell kucinich would get what Bush got. That doesn't mean kucinich should be pres, but his ideas are more of where all of our candidates should be based around.
I personally take that we just learned one of the lesser charges against Bush and Co. were true. I bet we can surmise that 90 percent of the rest MUST be real now. Yes a stretch, but hey, they were so guarded about this relatively small infraction Bush has been accused of. So wherever you see the same wheels of injustice turning, the same tactics used, one MUST surmise that the same outcome would ensue...guilt.
In nov 2000, my friend signed up for the army days after bush won. I said, he'll send your butt to Iraq, better watch out. He just got out of the army a couple of weeks ago, 7 years, 2 tours, 1 IED explosion. Glad to have him back, and that his injuries were no where near as severe as others (went to a 2nd tour after the IED incident). But when do we just trust our instincts for once. That was what my instinct was right then. I formed it years earlier, it occured years later, but my perception regardless of time, was right. I'm no seer, no nostrodamus, I'm just one person among tens of millions in this country with enough common sense to make the connections.
What should our instincts be telling us, and what should we trust? How about the fact that everything has been a lie out of Bush's mouth. It's all been shock and awe on US, not the terrorists. This proves him, rove, and all the top guys were more about propaganda than facts.
This means, there is a high likely hood we were sold a bill of goods that wasn't true, and that this whole war, and ALL of this debt, which is basically the money earned in the 90's from our boom (yes bush essentially stole and wasted the wealth we built in the 90's...90's boom = 00's bush iraq war lost...and MUCH MUCH MORE)....that all of this was to get what bush wanted, and not what WE NEEDED. It was A LIE! Another nail in that coffin.
So with Bush stilling having keys to the nukes, and is being rhetorical about Iran, Pakistan, etc. We should be worried that they might want or allow 'something' to happen or b.s. us like gulf of tonkin to get his way. After all they are ready to pass through more bills as soon as we have another attack. One more attack under his watch, and we'll have even more freedoms taken away.
Bush should resign. But he won't, because he still doesn't believe he did anything wrong.
If that is our lineage to presidents, wow, then I'd rather have my future kids be car salesman or telemarketers because I'm concerned that being a president might harm his integrity.
Anyone that supports him now is as blind as a 5 year old who doesn't know what his parents are doing in their bed. (actually 12 year old, we've had 7 years to learn what it is)
Also lets not compare clinton to either of them. Clinton, was not god, was not even a great president, and I liked clinton, but he was not a great president, and signed nafta which is a huge mark on him.
Now, Bush didn't get oral. Which isn't news, except to those holy rollers (but news that should be talked about amongst themselves in their settings). But those same people will allow bush to kill, murder, steal, lie, destroy America fiscally, morally, spiritually (yep he has god's servants spouting propoganda and doing all sort of unchristian activities on his behalf), and prestigiously. Not only that, but not even acknowledge that he pissed on the toilet seat. If they don't allow it, they do by turning their head and saying bush can do no wrong, al qeada, 9/11. Maybe get some of the drug companies to use that windfall bill for them, use just 1/10 of 100th of a percent of the kickbacks to give free xanax to the worriers.
Nixon was dirty too, but not nearly as dirty (and he was very dirty like 3 days without a shower, but bush would be 1 year without a shower and just out of a pit of mud), and at least when caught he owned up pretty much. And people in the repub party could still look at Bush under such a scenario and claim he is as clean as a whistle.
We used to make fun of Russia for being so stupid like this (or at least that was our jokes of them), now the joke is on us as we actually ARE that joke in reality.
Bush, he won't even tell you he was the one who farted.
Let's use ice as an example of how dirty they were
Clinton = 1 crushed ice cube
Nixon = 1 bag of ice
Bush Sr = 5 bags of ice
Bush jr = antartica (maybe why he didn't believe in global warming...he wanted it to melt)
It's simple. This story is a microcosm of the entire 7 years. It was all a lie. I think for the best interest of our country we spend the next 1 year+ figuring out how far those lies go. It is only our countries descent from a superpower we only have to save. Anybody that got burned by bush because they believed like a good american in one sense that we need to protect america...well now and in 2008 is your chance.
It's imperative imho that we find out what 5 percent of the story was true, so have some inkling of the direction we need to heads towards.
The key is to look at what they've done, what they say they want to do, what they actually are doing, AND ACTUALLY USE THAT AS A JUDGEMENT to who we vote. NOT who sounds like an average joe.
Because we knew bush had done nothing in his life except taking profitable companies and leave them bankrupt. (gee same with america)
Because we knew bush had an agenda against Iraq, and has an inferiority complex (gee iraq war)
Because we knew what they said they wanted to do (project for new american century and a new pearl harbor (9/11) needed)
And after the first election
Because we knew what he was doing, robbing the poor and giving to the rich, hollowing out our manufacturing sector, basically sucking worse then any president in history domestically, but using 9/11 and al qeada as scapegoats.
So when we look at these upcoming elections, and AT ANY POLITICIAN in general, I think people need to quit buying all the lip service.
Or else we WILL do this again. If we mess up again, and ALLOW what we have allowed, torture, murder, invading a soverign country with no threat to us, etc, etc, etc, etc, then we the world will dish us what we deserve, a low dollar, and other countries having the bling bling. Because from what I see, we're too blind to keep ahold of it....that is, if we don't learn from this bush mistake. And it starts by saying, it WAS a mistake.
I'm not writing this piss people off, and I guess it's my opinion only. But man, we've got ourselves so twisted we can't even make judgments on the simplest of issues. 8th graders from the 1920's would own half the politicians in logic, it's gotten that bad, and the overall populous resembles idiocracy to the max. It's definitely something to be concerned of, and acknowledged as a problem, or else this is the best it'll get, and that's sad.
The key to remember is that this is the TIP of the iceberg. This is the sort of thing that shows that those that criticized bush the last 7 years were right, and that their 'conspiracy theories', tend to be more true, then untrue. This is the smoking gun...
