Posted on 02/12/2006 12:08:27 PM PST by wagglebee
Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean said Sunday that Vice President Dick Cheney "cannot remain in office" if he ordered his chief of staff, Scooter Libby, to leak classified information to the press.
But in the next breath Dean falsely claimed that Libby himself had "been indicted for leaking information."
Appearing on CBS's "Face the Nation," Dean said: "It may be that the vice president leaked security information in a time of war in order to discredit political opponents. I don't think the vice president has any credibility on national security whatsoever and I think he's in deep trouble."
Referring to reports last week that said Libby told the Leakgate grand jury that his "superiors" authorized him to leak classified intelligence on the Iraq war, the DNC chief contended:
"If it turns out that Scooter Libby, who said this week that his superiors ordered him to leak the information for political reasons, then this vice president may not be vice president very much longer."
Moments later Dean added: "If that's true the vice president cannot remain in office."
Pressed on what he meant, Dean explained:
"If it turns out that what Scooter Libby testified . . . to the grand jury, that his superior ordered him, or suggested that he leak the information to the press in order to discredit one of their political opponents - if that happened in a time of war - then the vice president cannot sit in the office he now occupies."
Asked if he would favor an "impeachment proceeding" for Cheney, Dean said: "That's getting a little far down the road. First we have to find out of it's true."
Despite his incendiary rhetoric, Dean managed to get a key detail about the case wrong, when he told "Face the Nation": "It's been alleged by Scooter Libby, who's been indicted for leaking information, that his superiors ordered him to leak that information."
In fact, the Libby indictment has nothing to do with "leaking information," but instead alleges that the top Cheney aide made false statements to prosecutors.
No. But I heard it.
Mr. Cheney is a good American. That is more than I can say for the seditious Mr Dean. Mr Dean will cost the democrats seats in the next election. That's a good thing.
Dean is the best Chairman of the Democratic National Committee the Republicans ever had.
I'd never even heard of the news outlet that reporting the original, incorrect stoy.
Took the words right the hell outa my mouth. I'm proud to say that I voted for Dean in the Democratic primary here in Tennessee, where we don't register by party and can vote in either primary. Bush had it wrapped up so I looked for the looniest Dem I could find. It was a toss-up between Dean and Sharpton, but I knew the Dems would never advance Sharpton to become DNC Chair. The morons over at Democratic Underground think he's a political genius while the rest of the Democrats wonder how to shut him up, get him to take his meds or "disappear" him.
Funny, that's what the Dems say about Dean behind his back.
man he sure is out there...they're coming to take you away, away, they're coming to take you away!
Why do the Dims keep him around? They know he looks like a fool, acts like a fool, talks like a fool, is a fool, so why?
Not to be confused with Howard Dean, who can't get in office.
Howlin' Howard doesn't have a clue.
I don't know why the dems keep him around, but I am glad they do. I'd guess that Karl Rove is behind it. Dean's a gift to the GOP.
MVP! MVP! MVP!
Dean may cost "seats in the next election." But, DEMOCRATS are going to cost us AMERICAN LIVES.
This is BS.
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