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Doesn’t Colin Powell Owe Scooter Libby an Apology?
Jen rubin explains why in this excellent piece on Colin Powell, Richard Armitage, Vice President Cheney and his Chief of Staff, Scooter Libby.The extent of the dishonesty is quite stunning. In a Cabinet meeting on October 7, 2003, the White House press corps bombarded President George W. Bush with questions about who the leaker was. Bush said he didn’t know, but there would be an investigation to get to the bottom of it. Powell, who had been told by Armitage just days earlier that Armitage was the leaker, sat there next to the president, stone silent. Not very loyal or honest, was it?
Moreover, the notion that Armitage’s slip was somehow inadvertent is belied by Bob Woodward’s taped interview in which Armitage repeatedly mentions Joe Wilson’s wife, evidently doing his best to get Plame’s identity out there. This was no slip of the tongue. Woodward testified that when he spoke to Libby sometime later that Libby never said anything about Plame.
At issue here is not simply Powell and Armitage’s deception and undermining of their commander in chief. There was a victim, one whom neither Powell or Armitage has ever apologized to. The person who ultimately paid the price for this was Scooter Libby. Had the president and the country known about Armitage, a special prosecutor would never have been appointed. Libby was eventually convicted on the basis of a he-said-he-said dispute between his recollection and that of the late Tim Russert. (Charges concerning Libby’s alleged comments to Judy Miller were dismissed, and he was acquitted on the count involving Matt Cooper.) A compelling case for Libby’s innocence can be found in this account by Stan Crock.
Powell may be peeved at being fingered by Cheney. But on this one Cheney has him dead to rights. The Plame is a blot on his record and that of Armitage. Maybe it is time to own up and make amends rather than bristling at Libby’s former boss.
Dick Cheney said that when his book, In My Time, was released that heads would explode in D.C. It appears that Colin Powell’s has and he should apologize to Libby and Cheney for his despicable conduct in the Valerie Plame matter.
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CIA Leak Case Watch: Valerie Plame’s Lawsuit Dismissed AGAIN
Former CIA operative Valerie Plame and her husband Joseph Wilson (R) hold a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington in this file photo taken on July 14, 2006. A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday dismissed former CIA analyst Valerie Plame’s lawsuit against Vice President Dick Cheney and several former Bush administration officials for disclosing her identity to the public.
It’s over for the liars: Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson.Previous:
Cia Leak Case Watch: Valerie Plame’s Lawsuit Dismissed
Technorati Tags: CIA Leak Case, Joe Wilson, Valerie Plame
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Scott McClellan Accuses Bush, Cheney and Rove in CIA Leak Case
Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan sitting next to Presidential Advisor Karl Rove
Not the CIA Leak Case, Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson again?
Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan names names in a caustic passage from a forthcoming memoir that accuses President Bush, Karl Rove and Vice President Cheney of being “involved” in his giving the press false information about the CIA leak case.
McClellan’s publisher released three paragraphs from the book “WHAT HAPPENED: Inside the Bush White House and What’s Wrong With Washington.â€
Flap wonders if McClellan’s publishers also have the rights to a movie version of Valerie Plame’s book?
Hasn’t this horse been beaten to death yet?
Previous:Cia Leak Case Watch: Valerie Plame’s Lawsuit Dismissed
Joe Wilson Endorses Hillary Clinton for President
CIA Leak Case Watch: No Prison for Scooter Libby
CIA Leak Case Watch: No Delay for Libby Prison Term
Cia Leak Case Watch: Libby Sentenced to 2 1/2 Years in Prison for Perjury
Technorati Tags: CIA, CIALeakCase, ValeriePlame, JoeWilson, PatrickFitzgeraldScooter Libby
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President Bush to Have Colonoscopy – Will Cheney Pardon Scooter Libby?
President Bush, left, is greeted by retired boxer ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard, right, as Bush departs the White House for a weekend at Camp David, Friday, July 20, 2007, in Washington.
News Item: Bush to Have Colonoscopy at Camp David
Yeah, I know, a Scooter Libby PARDON is WISHFUL THINKING.
Technorati Tags: CIA, CIALeakCase, ValeriePlame, JoeWilson, PatrickFitzgeraldScooter LibbyDick Cheney, George W Bush
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Cia Leak Case Watch: Valerie Plame’s Lawsuit Dismissed
Former CIA officer Valerie Plame, left, and her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, arrive for a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington in this July 14, 2006 file photo. On Thursday, July 19, 2007, a federal judge on Thursday dismissed Valerie Plame’s lawsuit against members of the Bush administration in the CIA leak scandal.
News item: Valerie Plame’s Lawsuit Dismissed
A federal judge dismissed former CIA operative Valerie Plame’s lawsuit against members of the Bush administration Thursday, eliminating one of the last courtroom remnants of the leak scandal.
Plame, the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, had accused Vice President Dick Cheney and others of conspiring to leak her identity in 2003. Plame said that violated her privacy rights and was illegal retribution for her husband’s criticism of the administration.
U.S. District Judge John D. Bates dismissed the case on jurisdictional grounds and said he would not express an opinion on the constitutional arguments. Bates dismissed the case against all defendants: Cheney, White House political adviser Karl Rove, former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby and former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.
No jurisidiction and No case – just political theater.
Previous:Joe Wilson Endorses Hillary Clinton for President
CIA Leak Case Watch: No Prison for Scooter Libby
CIA Leak Case Watch: No Delay for Libby Prison Term
Cia Leak Case Watch: Libby Sentenced to 2 1/2 Years in Prison for PerjuryMichael Ramirez on Valerie Plame’s Congressional Appearance
CIA Leak Case Watch: Valerie Plame Wilson Sheds Little Light in Congressional Appearance
CIA Leak Case Watch: Is it About Something Bigger?
Michael Ramirez on Scooter Libby and Patrick Fitzgerald
CIA Leak Case Watch: Libby Found Guilty in 4 of 5 Counts
Technorati Tags: CIA, CIALeakCase, ValeriePlame, JoeWilson, PatrickFitzgeraldScooter Libby
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Joe Wilson Endorses Hillary Clinton for President
Fmr. Ambassador Joseph Wilson Endorses Clinton
The Clinton Campaign today announced the endorsement of leading Iraq war critic and former Ambassador Joseph Wilson.
“I have known Hillary Clinton for a decade. She is the one candidate who, in my judgment, understands the need to get Americans out of harm’s way and to move this to a political process,” Wilson said. “She knows what to do. She has the leadership. On day one, she will be able to reach out to the international community, and I am delighted to fight the fight with her.”
“I admire Joe Wilson’s courage in standing up to this administration and holding it accountable for the misinformation that led us into the Iraq war,” Clinton said. “I’m honored to have his support as we do everything in our power to bring this war to an end and begin bringing our troops home safely.”
Guess Joe wants another ambassador gig now that his wife, Valerie Plame is retired from the CIA.
Previous:CIA Leak Case Watch: No Prison for Scooter Libby
CIA Leak Case Watch: No Delay for Libby Prison Term
Cia Leak Case Watch: Libby Sentenced to 2 1/2 Years in Prison for PerjuryMichael Ramirez on Valerie Plame’s Congressional Appearance
CIA Leak Case Watch: Valerie Plame Wilson Sheds Little Light in Congressional Appearance
CIA Leak Case Watch: Is it About Something Bigger?
Michael Ramirez on Scooter Libby and Patrick Fitzgerald
CIA Leak Case Watch: Libby Found Guilty in 4 of 5 Counts
Technorati Tags: CIA, CIALeakCase, ValeriePlame, JoeWilson, PatrickFitzgeraldScooter Libby
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CIA Leak Case Watch: No Prison for Scooter Libby
Lewis “Scooter” Libby arrives for a sentence hearing at a federal courthouse in Washington, June 5, 2007. President Bush on Monday spared former vice presidential aide Lewis “Scooter” Libby from going to prison for 2 1/2 years for obstructing a CIA leak investigation.
President George W. Bush on Monday spared former vice presidential aide Lewis “Scooter” Libby from going to prison for 2 1/2 years for obstructing a CIA leak investigation.
“I respect the jury’s verdict. But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive,” Bush said in a statement. “Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby’s sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison.”
Bush’s move came after intense pressure from conservatives who demanded he pardon Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, and saw him as the victim of overly zealous special prosecutor.
His decision to commute his sentence, instead of an outright pardon, was a nod to the fact that the court process for Libby had not yet run its course, but it was unlikely to quell criticism from the left.
The announcement came at the start of the Fourth of July holiday week with Congress in recess and at the end of a day in which the news was dominated by Bush’s high-level talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A federal judge ruled last month that Libby would have to report to prison in six to eight weeks. An appeals court on Monday rejected Libby’s request to remain free while he appealed his conviction.
About time.
But, President Bush wanted to await the outcome of the legal proceedings and not allow Libby to go to jail.
Libby was sentenced to prison for lying and obstructing an investigation into who blew the cover of a CIA officer whose husband criticized the Iraq war. He also received at $250,000 fine and two years probation.
“He will remain on probation. The significant fines imposed by the judge will remain in effect,” Bush said. “The consequences of his felony conviction on his former life as a lawyer, public servant, and private citizen will be long-lasting.”
The pardon will come next.
Wonder what Patrick Fitzgerald is thinking? Maybe he will resign – We can only hope.
Update:
“After evaluating the facts, the President came to a reasonable decision and I believe the decision was correct.”
Previous:CIA Leak Case Watch: No Delay for Libby Prison Term
Cia Leak Case Watch: Libby Sentenced to 2 1/2 Years in Prison for PerjuryMichael Ramirez on Valerie Plame’s Congressional Appearance
CIA Leak Case Watch: Valerie Plame Wilson Sheds Little Light in Congressional Appearance
CIA Leak Case Watch: Is it About Something Bigger?
Michael Ramirez on Scooter Libby and Patrick Fitzgerald
CIA Leak Case Watch: Libby Found Guilty in 4 of 5 Counts
Technorati Tags: CIA, CIALeakCase, ValeriePlame, JoeWilson, PatrickFitzgeraldScooter Libby
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CIA Leak Case Watch: No Delay for Libby Prison Term
Lewis “Scooter” Libby, former chief of staff to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney after he was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for lying and obstructing the CIA leak investigation. Libby is headed back to court Thursday, June 14, 2007, to try to forestall his 2½-year prison term in the CIA leak case.
Judge Won’t Delay Libby Prison Term
A federal judge said Thursday he will not delay a 2 1/2-year prison sentence for I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, a ruling that could send the former White House aide to prison within weeks.
U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton’s decision will send Libby’s attorneys rushing to an appeals court to block the sentence and could force President Bush to consider calls from Libby’s supporters to pardon the former aide.
No date was set for Libby to report to prison but it’s expected to be within six to eight weeks. That will be left up to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, which will also select a facility.
Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was convicted in March of lying to investigators and obstructing Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald’s inquiry into the 2003 leak of a CIA operative’s identity.
Will President Bush pardon Libby?
If the President doesn’t, W will be “ABSOLUTELY DONE” with the GOP base.
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Cia Leak Case Watch: Libby Sentenced to 2 1/2 Years in Prison for Perjury
Michael Ramirez on Valerie Plame’s Congressional Appearance
CIA Leak Case Watch: Valerie Plame Wilson Sheds Little Light in Congressional Appearance
CIA Leak Case Watch: Is it About Something Bigger?
Michael Ramirez on Scooter Libby and Patrick Fitzgerald
CIA Leak Case Watch: Libby Found Guilty in 4 of 5 Counts
Technorati Tags: CIA, CIALeakCase, ValeriePlame, JoeWilson, PatrickFitzgeraldScooter Libby
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Cia Leak Case Watch: Libby Sentenced to 2 1/2 Years in Prison for Perjury
AP: Libby Sentenced to 2 1/2 Years in Prison
Former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison Tuesday for lying and obstructing the CIA leak investigation.
Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, stood calmly before a packed courtroom as a federal judge said the evidence overwhelmingly proved his guilt and left the courthouse without commenting.
“People who occupy these types of positions, where they have the welfare and security of nation in their hands, have a special obligation to not do anything that might create a problem,” U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton said.
Walton did not set a date for Libby to report to prison. Though he saw no reason to let Libby remain free pending appeal, Walton said he would accept written arguments on the issue and rule later.
How quickly can you spell PARDON?
If Judge Walton does not allow Libby to stay out of jail pending appeal then the President will be faced with either pardoning Libby or letting him go to jail. However, written arguments are do next week to allow him out on bail pending an appeal and there will be an appeal of Judge Walton’s ruling should he not permit bail while Libby’s appeal is being pursued.
Will Scooter Libby ever go to jail?
Doubtful.
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Michael Ramirez on Valerie Plame’s Congressional Appearance
CIA Leak Case Watch: Valerie Plame Wilson Sheds Little Light in Congressional Appearance
CIA Leak Case Watch: Is it About Something Bigger?
Michael Ramirez on Scooter Libby and Patrick Fitzgerald
CIA Leak Case Watch: Libby Found Guilty in 4 of 5 Counts
Technorati Tags: CIA, CIALeakCase, ValeriePlame, JoeWilson, PatrickFitzgerald
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Michael Ramirez on Valerie Plame’s Congressional Appearance
CIA Leak Case Watch: Valerie Plame Wilson Sheds Little Light in Congressional Appearance
Another CIA disinformation campaign?
Representative Henry Waxman REALLY does look like an OINKER, doesn’t he?
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Technorati Tags: MichaelRamirezValeriePlame, CIALeakCase
