Dem Strategist Suggests on MSNBC that President May Be Focus of Leak Probe

MSNBC News | 07/16/2005 | MSNBC

[RightFighter]

On MSNBC a little while ago, they had a story about the "politics of the CIA leak". The reporter was interviewing Pat Buchanan and Democratic strategist Peter Fenn. What follows is the best transcript I could piece together quickly. I've quoted Fenn word for word.

PAT BUCHANAN: It's very, very serious...There is a credibility problem for the press secretary...There is no legal problem for Rove...Reporters in Washington have a gleam in their eye and smiles on their faces, and there's a reason for it...Pat Fitzgerald hasn't been digging for two years and judges haven't been sending reporters to jail because they don't have anything...Everyone in town (Washington) feels there is something very, very serious and today's story in the NY Times where a memo was floating around aboard Air Force One about Wilson's trip to Africa indicates this could be very big stuff.

ALEX: Peter, what kind of big stuff could Pat be referring to?

PETER FENN: Alex, this is not a third-rate burglary. The focus had been on White House staff. Now, as Pat says, with this memo from the State Department about Wilson, about his wife, about the connection, it was brought onto Air Force One by Secretary Powell. I cannot imagine, Alex, that if he's going up and down the aisles with that memo as he was supposed to have been, that he did not discuss it with the President of the United States. I cannot imagine that there were not phone calls from Ari Fleischer, the Press Secretary who was on board, back to the White House about this. This was precisely at the time when Wilson was about to publish his article. Folks knew about his position about weapons of mass destruction. I have a sense that this may go all the way to the top.

[NavySEAL F-16]

See Post #175

[Howlin]

Precisely.

All this wild speculation just plays right into the hands of the dumba$$ liberals.

[hinckley buzzard]

Nope, just relax.

I agree. They've been after Bush for five years now, and have yet to lay a glove on him. Hard to frame an honest man. 'Rats still haven't learned the lesson of their eight years of impotent struggle against the "teflon president."

[tarheelswamprat]

So, where is this memo about Wilson from? State Dept. And who was a very high up and perceived-as not-so-partisan admin official? So who might have been Judith Miller's source and Novak's source?

Colin Powell. Who the Dims and the MSM just love.

Perfectly plausible. Powell is probably the only member of the Bush Administration that Judith Miller and the New York Times would want to protect.

[hophead]

"There is absolutely NO WAY something will delay the confirmation hearings once the nomination is made."

Did you hear Schummer, Pelosi and Reid? To paraphrase, there is no need to hurry because O'Connor said in her resignation letter she would stay on until her replacement was "confirmed". Not nominated, confirmed. The only way this SCOTUS process will go somewhat smooth and on schedule is if GW nominates some "moderate". Which I see as not impossible givin GW's moderate view on many things. If a "conservative" is nominated, all hell is going to break loose. I guarantee it will be like nothing we have seen in a generation. It will make Clarence Thomas' hearings seem like a tea party.

[txrangerette]

I believe the Independent Counsel would report to the Justice Dept., because what has happened is that the Attorney General, who was Ashcroft at the time, stepped aside from investigating this so the Aministration could not be accused of investigating itself and covering up anything. Yet, in effect, Fitzgerald is working for the Justice Dept. and would submit his report to them.

Also, he will most likely hold a press conference and talk about it publicly.

Don't they always?

[streetpreacher]

Did you feel that way about Ken Starr?

[Howlin]

Who are you and when did you start listening to what those fools say?

[F16Fighter]

" Both are hip-deep in MSM misinformation. Both will be used by the MSM to split conservatives."

"Conservatives" or "Republicans"??

The GOP is already in tatters....

Witness their current "Presidential field":

John McCain

Condy Rice

Orrin Hatch

George Pataki

Rudy Guiliani

RINOs one and all.

[Howlin]

Did you feel that way about Ken Starr?

FGS, there is no reason to bring him into this; the reason he went on so long is because Clinton KEPT ON BREAKING THE LAW after Starr got started.

[hinckley buzzard]

after the war started in Iraq, Buchanan completely went kooky

Pat has never reconciled himself to the fact that he is now on the outside looking in, and largely due to his own ill-considered repudiation of the GOP.

Spewing pap on the food-fight shows is now his only opening to the public, so he will say what he is asked to say.

[tobyhill]

Here's the real Grand Jury investigation in the World according to Toby Hill,

Wilson has a confidentiality agreement with the CIA about anything coming from his trip to Niger.
He comes back and gives an oral briefing, maybe an oral in someone's briefs, that he didn't find nothing and because of his great importance he thinks the President has been briefed on it.
The President gives the State of the Union and claims, BRITISH intelligence said Saddam tried to get Uranium from Africa. Keyword,"BRITISH"
Wilson gets ticked off and writes an oped in NY Times, same company Miller works for.
Wilson tried to justify his oped by claiming "whistle blowers" status but he forgot the President didn't dispute his claim he just relied on British Intelligence which is a far cry for that status. (Wilson never wrote a report so how could anyone acknowledge or dispute it?)
Wilson then realizes he just violated the agreement and planted the seeds of exposure of his wife to Miller but he failed to understand the law didn't apply to her (Plame).
Wilson tells investigators that his wife never referred him for the job and she was a covert agent that someone in the administration outed.
Case is already in the GJ but now here we are. A memo surfaces that shows Plame referred Wilson, Wilson lied. Previous testimony indicates Plame was exposed through the Media but she was not covert so, Wilson lied again. Wilson disclosed classified information about his trip to Africa even if it's about what he didn't find, federal crime.
Now Wilson is trying to find Rat allies and appearing on every talk show trying to out someone in the administration to cover his own butt because he knows the GJ is now getting to the nitty-gritty.

[Howlin]

The GOP is already in tatters....

Oh, don't you wish that were true.

[WhiteGuy]

classic.

So why the diversion?

[F16Fighter]

"You cannot possibly believe that ANY Republican would vote out impeachment on the president."

In her post, arasina didn't imply that the GOP would vote to impeach the Prez; Only that far too many in the GOP are an unpredictable lot who can NEVER be counted on to do the right thing (much like the "Traitorous Seven of Nuclear Option 'Agreement' fame") when push comes to shove.

[arasina]

"...just as long as any of their flung monkey dung sticks to the wall in America's psyche."

An especially good line in a finely written intrathread mini-rant. :^D

[Howlin]

In her post, arasina didn't imply that the GOP would vote to impeach the Prez

Really? Then what did this mean?

Use the media to stir up the people to join the rallying cry and you've got 'principled' senators and congresspersons who just HAVE to vote with their constituents in mind.

[nsmart]

...so the Bush administration "doesn't" participate in cover-ups? One of the first executive orders out of the Bush administration was to 'lock up' presidential papers and make them off limits to 'freedom of information act'. The (then) Democrat congress let it pass, too. Why would they want Clinton's laundry aired? Washington, thy NAME is coverup.

Both sides do it. Its a cesspool and just because GW is at the head now, doesn't mean he has any idea of the crap going on beneath him. How could any keep track?

[FreeReign]

Both are hip-deep in MSM misinformation. Both will be used by the MSM to split conservatives.

"Conservatives" or "Republicans"??

Answer: Conservatives.

The GOP is already in tatters.... Witness their current "Presidential field":.....RINOs one and all.

It's up to us, the conservative base to put up a candidate who is neither a RINO nor a devisive, pyrite-conservative media whore.

[nsmart]

-- correction -- democrat congress should read SENATE.