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For President, First a Leak; Now, a Jam
NYT Via The Oregonian ^ | 4/8/06 | Scott Shane

Posted on 04/08/2006 8:42:11 AM PDT by Carling

WASHINGTON, April 7 — That President Bush authorized an aide to disclose classified intelligence on Iraqi weapons, as asserted in court papers, comes as no shock to official Washington. The leaking of secrets has long been a favored tool of policy debate, political combat and diplomatic one-upmanship.

"We've had leaking of this kind since the administration of George Washington," said Rick Shenkman, a presidential historian at George Mason University.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bullzogby; bush43; bushhassers; bushhaters; cialeak; declassification; dnctalkingpoints; drivebymedia; getbush; goebbelswouldbeproud; leak; libby; lyingliars; makingitup; mediabias; newyorktimes; nytimes; nytimesbias; prewarintelligence; propaganda; saddamites; thebiglie; zogbyism
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To: drypowder; MNJohnnie
Bush is getting bad advice, he should have admitted his culpability / responsibility in this at the on set. How much has this cost us tax payers so far?

Here's another one.

The cockroaches are all over the place today.

41 posted on 04/08/2006 9:25:47 AM PDT by sinkspur (Things are about to happen that will answer all your questions and solve all your problems.)
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To: hgro

I agree wholeheartedly. Fitzy knows who leaked Plame's name, speculation is it was Armitage, but Fitzy is protecting him, and refers to him as UGO (unidentified Government Official). He knew it as early as February 04...Fitzy bought Wilson's story hook, line and sinker, and has gone beyond his mandate to determine who leaked her name, into investigating a conspiracy against old liar Joey. He has several errors of fact in his filings to the courts, one specifically that comes to mind, is that Fitzy claims that the first time Wilson went public is in the NYTimes article in June; when in fact, Wilson went public prior to that. I look forward to seeing the next filing by Team Libby, which I think will be next week. Also, media responses to their subpoena's are due next week as well.


42 posted on 04/08/2006 9:27:03 AM PDT by Laverne
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To: sinkspur; EagleUSA
There is no "declassification process" when the President chooses to declassify.

I am shocked you believe this. Of course the president is subject and at the mercy of a bunch of bureaucrat's with big red "classified" and "not classified" stamps. He must submit in triplicate a notarized request, a copy of his Mother's birth certificate, a 500 word essay on why he wanted to be president a processing fee of $5.00 and include a self addressed envelope.

Please allow 208 weeks for processing.

43 posted on 04/08/2006 9:27:53 AM PDT by Raycpa
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To: drypowder
Ah that right. Just ignore reality cause your political indoctrination doesn't agree with it. Really sad.
44 posted on 04/08/2006 9:29:18 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (In the end it does not matter if you win. All men die. What matters is how you lived. No surrender)
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To: EagleUSA

And exactly WHO requires the declassification process????


The Commander in Chief.



This is a good explanation of this.


http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/62024.htm


DUBYA CAN'T LEAK





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April 7, 2006 -- AND INFO WAS ALREADY PUBLIC
IT'S amazing how the common topics and subjects of discussion three years ago should vanish so quickly from memory.
Yesterday, breathless news reports suggested that President Bush had directed the "leak" of classified information in July 2003. Yet the "leak" in question was from a document called the National Intelligence Estimate, or NIE - and by the time this "leak" occurred, the contents of the NIE as they related to Iraq were almost entirely public.

On Oct. 7, 2002, nine months before Bush's supposed "leak," the administration released an unclassified version of the very same NIE at the urging of Senate Democrats. And in early 2003, reporters hostile to the administration (primarily John Judis and Spencer Ackerman of The New Republic) were being told all sorts of things about the still-classified portions of the NIE.

And this "leak" wasn't a leak in any case. A "leak" is the unauthorized release of government information. The leak of classified information is a crime. But according to Scooter Libby, the former chief of staff to the vice president who gave the information from the NIE to a reporter, he only released it because he was authorized to do so by the president himself.



Constitutionally, the authority to declare documents "classified" resides with the president. So, under the terms of an executive order first drafted in 1982, he can declassify a document merely by declaring it unclassified.

The language of the executive order reads as follows: "Information shall be declassified or downgraded by the official who authorized the original classification, if that official is still serving in the same position . . . [or] a supervisory official." In the executive branch, the president is the ultimate "supervisory official."

We have found out about the president's decision to declassify information from the 2002 NIE because the special prosecutor who has charged Libby with perjury and obstruction of justice revealed elements of Libby's grand-jury testimony in new court papers.


45 posted on 04/08/2006 9:29:48 AM PDT by sgtyork (May it ever be so, that our government is not afraid to trust the people with arms)
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To: EagleUSA
It has not been clarified as to whether the information was still classified when the leak happened or not.

It is a technicality to argue whether the info was "already" declassified or not, since the Pres has the power to declassify. I suppose you will argue that Bush is a cowboy, unilaterally declassifying information at will?

46 posted on 04/08/2006 9:30:28 AM PDT by ez ("Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is." - Milton)
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To: Carling
The majority of the people don't listen to the alternative media. Bush needs to have a presser and get this information out IMMEDIATELY. Half the country thinks the guy is illegally leaking intel, and the liars in the MSM are willing to set this template and perpetuate it.

GOP party hacks such as MNJohnnie are incapable of seeing the bigger picture. Although Bush is in the right on this, the way he and his flunkies on the WH press staff handles the MSM is beyond horrible.

47 posted on 04/08/2006 9:30:59 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist (A nickel bag is sold in Central Park. I WANT IN!)
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To: Carling
He must be taken out of his position immediately

Yeah, 'cause Patrick Fitzgerald is basically a modern-day, American GUY FAWKES doing everyhting possible to stretch the law & his authority to destroy our current administration.

48 posted on 04/08/2006 9:31:03 AM PDT by ExcursionGuy84 ("Jesus, Your Love takes my breath away.")
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To: MNJohnnie

HEY YOU GOT MAIL!

VERY IMPORTANT!!


49 posted on 04/08/2006 9:32:52 AM PDT by eeevil conservative (I'm not racist- I'm an Equal Opportunity Enemy of ALL LAWBREAKING, TAX DODGING, FENCE CLIMBERS!)
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To: sanjacjake

I have no problem with the President releasing whatever information he deems appropriate to combat our INTERNAL enemies in the MSM as they wage a propaganda war against the duly elected administration.


50 posted on 04/08/2006 9:32:54 AM PDT by ez ("Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is." - Milton)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

Iam hoping that one of the changes that Josh Bolton makes is to find a good replacement for Scott McLellan. He has done an OK job, and I think the way he handled the latest "leak" story was OK. It is not a big deal, and Scott made the case for that. But he does stumble too much, he lets the press get away with too much, and President Bush needs someone in there that can laugh at the presstitutes and respond to the ridiculous questions in a fashion that puts them in their place. I think we will see a change in this post in the not too distant future.


51 posted on 04/08/2006 9:34:13 AM PDT by Laverne
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To: ez

You might want to familiarize yourself with Bush's own executive order relative to the PROCESSES that are to be followed for the declassification of classified information. As you read and learn you will not find anything that says the President is authorized to unilaterally disclose classified information, making it automatically unclassified, or anything similar. Again there are procedures to be followed and again, my question simply was, were they followed or not? Very objective and not biased. Just keeping it real. No one has yet to show any evidence or rules to the contrary. For your reading enjoyment and enlightenment.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030325-11.html?tag=nl


52 posted on 04/08/2006 9:38:29 AM PDT by EagleUSA
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To: Laverne
I think we will see a change in this post in the not too distant future.

I seriously doubt it. Bush is content to be defined by other people rather than aggressively pursuing his 2nd term goals.

53 posted on 04/08/2006 9:39:50 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist (A nickel bag is sold in Central Park. I WANT IN!)
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To: Carling

"Many of us already know the media is bogus,"
I have nothing to do with the media, and am getting very tired of being blamed for everything!
Dr. Bogus Pachysandra


54 posted on 04/08/2006 9:40:12 AM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ("Don't touch that thing")
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To: MNJohnnie
First of all, I'm a regestered Independent and about as far right politically as there is. What ever Bush did, right or wrong and I'm not suggesting he did anything wrong, Plame was a nobody and he knew that. My point is that Bush knew he approved the flow of info and in the pursuit of the facts, that would become known so why didn't he step up to the plate and say so in the beginning?
55 posted on 04/08/2006 9:44:36 AM PDT by drypowder
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To: EagleUSA

"Leaked" is a blast word used by the media instead of the correct terminology which would be "released" or "declassified".

It is a used as smear word that is misleading as well as dishonest.

What can I say? These people are liars by saying that when the president releases information it is "leaked".

We have a media today that works to manipulate society; the people by deceiption and the politicians by intimidation.

As Stern was caught on tape saying,

"We [journalist] know how to destroy people," "It's what we do. We do it without creating liability. That's our specialty."

Some do it for for a fee, some do it for a pay check, some do it to promote their agenda or themselves, some ask for payment not to do it, but abuse in journalism is widespread and the media inlarge has become totally corrupt. They are now a greater threat to our nation and liberties than any enemy we face today.


56 posted on 04/08/2006 9:45:23 AM PDT by inpajamas
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
I seriously doubt it. Bush is content to be defined by other people rather than aggressively pursuing his 2nd term goals.

Yep. It's like he is still trying to win over the press with his charm. It won't work. He needs to view the media and treat them as adversaries. It won't change the coverage he gets, so why not start challenging the WH press corps?

57 posted on 04/08/2006 9:46:13 AM PDT by Carling (Mocking liberal claptrap since July 1, 2004)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

Bush is content to be defined by other people rather than aggressively pursuing his 2nd term goals.
-----
Well put, and true, but he is also being defined BY HIS ACTIONS, or lack thereof. This is true for ANY President. Informed voters WATCH what a President does, and pay little attention to just what he says.


58 posted on 04/08/2006 9:46:41 AM PDT by EagleUSA
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To: Carling
More lies from . The old floozy needs some new tricks.
59 posted on 04/08/2006 9:46:49 AM PDT by pabianice
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To: sinkspur
There is no "declassification process" when the President chooses to declassify. It just happens.

I wonder if there was a 'declassification process' when Hazel O'Leary decided to make public to the world nearly all of the Department of Energy's former secrets? How come the media didn't have their knickers in a twist over that little 'indiscretion,' which disseminated huge amounts of sensitive nuclear and other technical data to our enemies?

60 posted on 04/08/2006 9:48:33 AM PDT by Bernard Marx (Fools and fanatics are always certain of themselves, but the wise are full of doubts.)
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