I took this picture in 2000 while participating in the No Whiners Rendezvous II, at my high school buddy's Northern Neck retreat near where the Rappahannock flows into the Chesapeake Bay in Virgina.The only thing I have to say about Libby's indictment today is that any adult who still goes by "Scooter" has no business working in the White House.
OK, I'm just kidding. If you read the indictment you will notice that it, at one point, says:
"On or about May 29, 2003, in the White House, LIBBY asked an Under Secretary of State (“Under Secretary”) for information concerning the unnamed ambassador’s travel to Niger to investigate claims about Iraqi efforts to acquire uranium yellowcake. The Under Secretary thereafter directed the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research to prepare a report concerning the ambassador and his trip. The Under Secretary provided LIBBY with interim oral reports in late May and early June 2003, and advised LIBBY that Wilson was the former ambassador who took the trip."
Who might that Under Secretary of State be?
My two readers will recall that I have, a number of times, suggested John Bolton's involvement in the Plame Name Game affair. Bolton's previous position was Undersecretary of State and one of his aides, Fred Fleitz, worked for the CIA and was "detailed" to Bolton's staff.
The Fitzgerald investigation continues; and, it seems, Libby's indictment (a great birthday present, by the way) is not the end. I am wondering, since Rove was spared an indictment today and since he has reportedly been in last minutes meetings with Fitzgerald, if Rove may have flipped.
I suspect that Fitzgerald has sought the indictment only against Libby because he has Libby dead to rights and is hoping Libby will flip. I mean is Libby really ready to go to prison (and if they sent Martha Stewart to prison for lying, they damned well better send Libby there) to save the Vice-president, Rove and the whole host of other sleaze bags up to their ears in this sordid affair.
Update: I lifted the following from Laura Rozen's blog "War and Piece."
Update II: The Post has more, including this tidbit about Rove, which Kevin [Kevin Drum's blog "Political Animal"] highlighted:
Update III: Here's the Indictment.Rove provided new information to Fitzgerald during eleventh-hour negotiations that "gave Fitzgerald pause" about charging Bush's senior strategist, said a source close to Rove. "The prosecutor has to resolve those issues before he decides what to do."
Point 4 is particularly interesting and has new information. On May 29, 2003, Libby asked Under Secretary of State for information concerning Wilson's trip to Niger. It doesn't name him but I believe* that was Marc Grossman. (Mark Goldberg at Tapped suggests it's Bolton. Hmm.) That led to the infamous State Department memo on Wilson's trip. . . . (still reading)
I will witholding gloating until Bolton's involvement is confirmed.
8 comments:
What's the chance that Cheney is eventually charged. One of the sources for Libby's information was Cheney. Libby is stuck between one hell of a rock and a hard spot. Doesn't want to go to jail - and yet who would want to point the finger towards Cheney?
If this gets to the point of finding the truth as to the original convincing of the people of the righteousness of going to war - Cheney will be in trouble. Remember, Cheney looked the American people in the eye and said "I did not have sex with that woman" - Whoops wrong guy. What Cheney did was look the American people in the eye and said...."we know where their WMD are"! That statement is now known to be false and was ....IS ....more damaging than Libby's falsehoods.
NL
As for the chances of Cheney being charged, I guess will have to wait. Of course, there is always the possibility that Bush pardons the whole lot, a la Iran-Contra. I think Bush could get away with it, since Congress will certainly not pursue impeachment. On the other hand it seems pretty clear that Fitzgerald is not done, and I think he's smarter than all of those self-professed Straussian philosophers and their gentleman enablers put together.
Pundits were all over the place Sunday morning doing their individual introspection. Most interesting was that by William Saffire as he twist in the wind again trying to justify his support of Judith Miller. Calling her a great intellect (or some such term) he said again that she was missjudged and served an unjustice spending time in jail. Calling the Libby indictment a lone event of a single person - I suspect will come back to bite him.
It will be interesting to see how Bush handles this. If he tries to ignor it on the hope it will just go away, he digs a deeper hole. If I was the Prez, I'd fire Cheney. Can he do that?
NL
It is amazing to me what "pundits" get air time, like that completely washed up, down-the-line republipologist, William Saffire; and the likes of William Kristol, chief Bush administration propagandist, who, of late, has parroted the republican talking point about the "criminalization" of politics. What utter tripe. Or how about Fred Barnes, who has to be just as stupid as Douglas Feith, who, according to Bob Woodward, General Franks called the "fucking stupidest guy on the face of the earth"?
No. Bush can not fire Cheney. The Vice-president is elected by the Electoral College, just as is the president, and can only be removed through impeachment. The Electoral College, by the way, was established by the Constitutional Convention as a compromise between those delegates who did not want to grant the vote to the unwashed, who did not own property and were not aristocrats, as were those who wrote the Constitution and the Jeffersonians who advocated universal suffrage, for free men that is.
I got to wondering, in he wake of the Miers nomination, if perhaps Bush is feeling betrayed by just about everyone in his administration, including Rove and Cheney, who, as you will recall, was to be the steady hand on the tiller of the administration of the perpetually adolescent, Incurious George; and, thus, nominated one of the few people in whom he still trusts. One of his "mother hens", as he calls them, whom include Miers and Rice.
Isn't great that our president is such a pitiable, pathological?
You bring up an excellant point that Bush might feel betrayed. If so he might become a paranoid recluse. He seems to have no interest other than cutting wood on the Ranch (see Vanity Fair article - George W. Bush's Vacation From Hell) One reporter whose only job is to report on the President said he is getting very tired. Too bad he doesn't read, as that would at least give him something to do!
If Cheney was my VP, I might not be able to fire him, but he would spend all his time entertaining wool knitters in the Rose Garden! I suspect this is yet to get interesting.
And a Happy if belated Birthday greeting!
NL
NL,
Thanks for the birthday greeting. I don't think Bush has the stones, or brains, to stand up to Cheney. Bush is like those yappy little dogs that are real brave as long as they're safely on the other side of the fence.
Yes but even yappy little dogs like to get praise and an occasional pat on the head. I think he must be thinking about his legacy. Does he really want to be remembered for what is going on right now? I doubt it.
The Senate today went into closed session. A tactic by the democrats - they smell blood! Wilson was on Larry King and was very impressive I thought.
Is Bush as dumb as a stump? Maybe? But I'm of the thinking he needs to do something big to turn this around and might surprise us. He should clean house. Goes against his character I know - but still, it is going to be Bush spending his time in the Rose Garden with wool knitters if he doesn't do something.
NL
I don't think Bush is amongst the brightest folks around, but I don't think he's dumb as a stump. I think the guy is unstable, incurious, and lazy; and, thus, permits others to do his thinking and decision making for him. I also think he is unable to admit his errors of accept responsibility. As I have said, I think he is a perpetual adolescent. Some have commented that he behaves like a "dry alcoholic", though there also have been recent reports that he's drinking again.
As for his legacy, it has been often reported that Bush's daddy and his adult republican friends, most notably James Baker and Brent Scocroft, have repeatedly sought to meet with Bush to suggest alternate approaches and have repeatedly been rebuffed. Finally, as you probably recently read, Brent Scocroft went public with some fairly withering criticism of the Cheney presidency; saying that, though he and Cheney are long-time friends, the vice-president is not the Cheney he has known.
I wonder why Laura Bush has not talked some sense into the guy. I guess she's no Nancy Reagan, either as to intellect or force of character.
But, then again, as for all of the foregoing, I really have no idea.
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