Posted on 10/28/2005 4:54:12 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Worse Than Watergate
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald today indicted Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, on two counts of perjury, two counts of making false statements and one count of obstruction of justice.
Libby was known to have been part of a group of White House officials that included Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove, Deputy National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, and Press Secretary Scott McClellan who were charged with selling the Bush Administration's rationale for the Iraq war to the American people.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following statement:
"This is a sad day for America.
"Beyond the evidence that the White House manipulated the intelligence used to justify the war in Iraq, a group of senior White House officials not only orchestrated efforts to smear a critic of the war, but worked to cover up this smear campaign. In so doing, they ignored the rule of law, endangering our national security and the brave men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting our nation's security. I. Lewis Libby was a part of this internal White House group.
"This is not only an abuse of power, it is an un-American abuse of the public trust. As Americans, we must hold ourselves and our leaders to a higher standard. We cannot fear dissent. We cannot fear the truth. And we cannot tolerate those who do.
"More importantly, we can't ignore the glaring questions this case has raised about the rationale the Bush Administration used to send us to war in Iraq, a war that continues. American soldiers are still in harms way. Over 2,000 brave Americans have lost their lives, thousands of American soldiers have been wounded, and thousands of American families have made the ultimate sacrifice. Still, the President has no plan and no exit strategy. And still he hasn't answered the question, what are we doing in Iraq and when can our troops come home?
"President Bush faces a serious test of leadership; will he keep his pledge to hold his Administration to high ethical standards and give the American people what they deserve, and will he answer to the American people for these serious missteps?"
"Yes, the libs are all cheering -- mainly because their scumbag reprobate criminal President got away with so many crimes, yet Repubs appear to have to pay for theirs."
"When will the Repubs ever learn how to FIGHT ON CAPITOL HILL???"
My Answer: When Trent Lott and his ilk either get cajones or are thrown out!
Semper Fi,
No, The DNC is correct.
This is much worse than Watergate.
They, the democrats, aren’t going to be able to make much out of this.
That is what makes it much worse than Watergate!
(Remember it all depends on what the meaning of "Is" is.)
In fact, if they continue to ride this issue they are going to look very funny when Libby’s legal team goes to work in PUBLIC. Then the unwashed masses will see exactly how small this pig’s ear really is. Who knows; the masses might actually learn the differences between being accused of something and actually doing it.
Whoops, that is the second thing that makes this worse than Watergate - the full run of this comedy of errors could, even without help from the LMSM, expose the reality of Zippergate, Travelgate, Eargate, Papergate, and whatever other “--gate” that occurred 1993 - 2001.
In a time a war , prosecution effort would be better spent on captured terrorists, rather than tying to catch the leaders of our country trying to explain whom called whom over an issue that they have been unable to prove was against any law after wasting millions of dollars of tax payers money and two years of court resources. Sickening state of affairs…..
I light of this onslaught from the MSM, Dims, etc. I think an indictment by a grand jury for a non-crime is a badge of courage. I disagree with Fitz that this is a serious thing. What is serious is that this investigation will affect the 2006 elections and the White House as long as it continues. My goodness, after a two year investigation, this is all we get? Hell, let the 2006 campaign continue.
You have a great "feel" for the milieu and others are lost in the agonies of defeats past. This "thing' is the precursor to Republican and conservative glory!
But then:"You lose it if you talk about it." - Ernest Hemingway
Over horsedump like this?
------
No. Over letting a heinous criminal like Clinton get off the hook, that is what I am talking about. He got off easy because the Repubs are weak. He should be doing about 4 life sentences now for felonies and treason.
The Repubs also do NOT know how to meet fire with fire. If the Libs are going to do this crap, and dominate the national media scene with it, then the Repubs should do the same -- then, AND ONLY THEN, will the Libs maybe clean up their crap-weasle act.
You should realize that.
Good one. I agree that neither Lott nor Frist constitute those brass knuckles.
You make something of a valid point here, but let's not forget the Gingrich maneuver back in '95, shutting down the govt. for a few days in a budget showdown with the Rats. I was all over it then, like stink on poop, and only belatedly realized that it was too much, too fast. We paid dearly in backlash for a full 3 election cycles... right up until 2000.
Had Rove or Libby gotten a gentleman's call from the prosecutor that they were about to be indicted, I am sure they, too, would have resigned. As to levels--cabinet officials are certainyl higher up the ladder of officialdom than an aide to the VP. In anyone's book.
Fitzgarulous and the likely Liberal Judge who will hear the Libby case in a political SHOW trial are very simi;ar to show trials of the past in communist countries. There is no presumed innocence until Scooter is proven guilty. He is tried and sentenced in the press for reasons political.
Conclusion which will be clear to the American People:
Kangaroo Court and Kangaroo prosecutor. Same with the Delay trial.
Result: More votes for Republicans on election day.
Fitzgerald 9-11 Commission transcript in part, Re: al Qaeda and/or reference to the Media. [9-16-2004]
...And the other thing they (al-Qaeda) appreciate is what they can learn from the media, in terms of gathering information, both publicized or leaked, that shows how we got about doing our business. And they know how to manipulate the media, both in terms of propaganda and terrorizing our population. "
FITZGERALD: "I think it was clear in public, from 1996 forward, that war had been declared upon the American military. And from February '98, bin Laden had declared war upon the American civilians who are in the world. And I think the arrest of Mr. al-Hage was public in September '98 and the arrest of ali Mohammed became public shortly thereafter."
FITZGERALD:" I think it's fair to say that there's a lot in open source that wasn't reported widely, even by the media. I've always been confused by way people don't pay attention to what becomes public."
ROEMER: "Thank you Mr. Chairman."
"I want to thank the panelists for their time here".
"I know, Mr FITZGERALD, you're busy on a case of great importance to the country and to policy makers looking for a source of a leak. Is there anything you want to tell us here this morning?"
(LAUGHTER)
FITZGERALD:We understood there was a very, very intimate relationship between al Qaeda and the Sudan. They worked hand in hand. We understood there was a working relationship with Iran and Hezbollah, and they shared training. We also understood that there had been antipathy between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein because Saddam Hussein was not viewed as being religious."
"We did understand from people, including al-Fadl -- and my recollection is that he would have described this most likely in public at the trial that we had, but I can't tell you that for sure; that was a few years ago -- that at a certain point they decided that they wouldn't work against each other and that we believed a fellow in al Qaeda named Mondu Saleem (ph), Abu Harzai (ph) the Iraqi, tried to reach a, sort of, understanding where they wouldn't work against each other. Sort of, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
"And that there were indications that within Sudan when al Qaeda was there -- which al Qaeda left in the summer of '96 or spring '96 -- there were efforts to work on joint -- you know, acquiring weapons."
FITZGERALD:" Clearly, al Qaeda worked with the Sudan in getting those weapons in the national defense force there and the intelligence service. There were indications that al-Fadl had heard from others that Iran was involved. And they also had heard that Iraq was involved."
PATRICK FITZGERALD,U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS; DR. K, SPECIAL ADVISER TO CIA;TED DAVIS, CIA OFFICIAL
Now jumping to the subject at hand..Question: Why does Fitzerald, today at the indictment of Libby, continually refer in the past tense to Plame as "WAS" CIA? "Was" Plame fired? "WAS" is quite noticeable throughout.
..and 70 million dollars.
compare it to the Big Dig or the Bridge to Nowhere.
No DNC?
...uhhh, not so much.
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