altara

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

NO CANCER IN WHITE HOUSE


In his New York Times column last Sunday, David Brooks made much of the point that no "cancer on the presidency" was found in the indictment issued by the grand jury investigating the White House leaks of the name of a CIA covert agent. He notes that independent prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald did not find evidence of a broad conspiracy. From this, Brooks reasons that assertions by Democratic leaders of conspiratorial behavior in the White House were "overheated" and represented a need to "stretch, distort, and exaggerate."

Far be it for me to argue with David Brooks. He is too intelligent and articulate. However, the fact that Mr. Fitzgerald apparently feels that he cannot prove a criminal conspiracy doesn’t mean that nothing bad was going on. This was not a leak designed to inform the American public of important policies. The leak was a mean-spirited effort to punish a critic, Mr. Wilson, by hurting the career of his wife, which wasted CIA’s work in creating her cover and is possibly endangering foreign agents who dealt with her.

Wasn’t this leak worthy of indignant language? As for conspiracy, maybe it didn’t amount to a provable crime but obviously these people were working together. It is clear that Mr. Cheney talked to the CIA and informed Scooter Libby of Mrs. Wilson’s employment. Mr. Libby talked to Karl Rove and others. Mr. Libby and Mr. Rove revealed
Mrs. Wilson's identity to at least 3 reporters. Does anyone believe that these leaks were just a slip of the tongue?

Monday, October 31, 2005

SUB-ROSA NEWS
Some of the News
That is True

BUSH AWARDS MEDAL OF FREEDOM TO LIBBY


Washington October 31, 2005. In a ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House.
President Bush today awarded to Lewis (Scooter) Libby The Presidential Medal of Freedom. He had previously given this honor, our nation's highest civic award to George Tenet, General Tommy Franks, and Paul Bremer.

In his remarks, Mr. Bush made no reference to the pending indictment of Mr. Libby. However, he did refer to "Scooter's" long service to the American people, most recently as Chief of Staff to Vice President Cheney. The President noted the awards he had granted to others for their contribution to the successful initation and prosecution of the war and peace in Iraq. Mr. Bush stated that "It is only fitting that, along with previous Medal recipients, Scooter Libby should be recognized as one of leading advocates for the liberation of Iraq that has now made the Middle East safe for democracy."