Johnny Coli Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 The Mouth of The Emperor had a tough day in the press briefing. Here's the Press Briefing transcript. There's a pretty long, but hilarious exchange between The Mouth and a reporter regarding a press conference on July 18, 2003. Libby "leaked" the info to Judith Miller on the 8th. Scott get's a bit flustered. Like I said, it's a pretty long exchange, but here's a snippet: (emphasis mine) Q I understand the reason why you thought it needed to be declassified, because of the debate at the time. The question was, when was it declassified. And you were asked that day, when -- the question was, "When was it actually declassified?" And you said, "It was officially declassified today." If it had been officially declassified on July 18, 2003, then 10 days before, when the information was given out, it was still classified at the time. MR. McCLELLAN: Again, you're going back to an assertion that is made in a filing related to an ongoing legal proceeding when you talk about the second part of your question. There is no way for me to separate that question and talk about this issue without discussing an ongoing legal proceeding. And I can't do that. We have a policy that's been established, and I'm obligated to adhere to that policy. Q But answer the question, it's a factual question. MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, but you can't separate that question from the legal proceeding -- Q Was it declassified that day -- MR. McCLELLAN: -- because of one of the assertions that was made in the filing. Well, you can go back and look at comments that were made at that time. That was when it was -- Q Those were your comments. MR. McCLELLAN: -- that was when it was publicly released at the time. I haven't looked back at exactly what was said at that time. Q Well, let's be really clear about this. It says right here on July 18th, "When was it actually declassified?" Mr. McClellan, answer, "It was officially declassified today." Is that correct? MR. McCLELLAN: Again, you're asking me to get into the timing. I'm not backing away from anything that was said previously -- that's when the document was released, so that's when it officially -- Q They don't say "released." They say "declassify." MR. McCLELLAN: I know, Jim. Let me tell you. That's when it was officially released. So I think that's what I was referring to at the time. I'd have to go back and look at the specific comments, but I'm not changing anything that was said previously, so let me make that clear. Q But if you were -- MR. McCLELLAN: Now, secondly, the question you're going to, again, relates to the timing of when certain information was declassified -- Q I'm not going to that question -- MR. McCLELLAN: Well, but there's no way you can separate that question out from the ongoing legal proceeding -- Q Scott, you are very careful with your words here. I think if you wanted to say "released," you would have said "released." You said, "declassified." MR. McCLELLAN: Okay. That's good comedy!
Wacka Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 Plame wasn't under the law about revealing someone's cocver, so this whole thing is a political witch hunt. No law was broken .
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 The Mouth of The Emperor had a tough day in the press briefing. Here's the Press Briefing transcript. There's a pretty long, but hilarious exchange between The Mouth and a reporter regarding a press conference on July 18, 2003. Libby "leaked" the info to Judith Miller on the 8th. Scott get's a bit flustered. Like I said, it's a pretty long exchange, but here's a snippet:(emphasis mine) That's good comedy! 656006[/snapback] Marketing, man. Marketing.
Johnny Coli Posted April 7, 2006 Posted April 7, 2006 Plame wasn't under the law about revealing someone's cocver, so this whole thing is a political witch hunt. No law was broken . 656009[/snapback] You should send your evidence to Fitzgerald, then, because according to him, she was still covert. Newsweek--The CIA Leak: Plame Was Still Covert But special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald found that Plame had indeed done "covert work overseas" on counterproliferation matters in the past five years, and the CIA "was making specific efforts to conceal" her identity, according to newly released portions of a judge's opinion.
YellowLinesandArmadillos Posted April 8, 2006 Author Posted April 8, 2006 You should send your evidence to Fitzgerald, then, because according to him, she was still covert.Newsweek--The CIA Leak: Plame Was Still Covert 656024[/snapback] Yeh I know, Admin folks love claiming it was common knowledge that she was CIA before the leaks, which is not true, that her neighbors knew, which is also not true according to Fitzgerald. And that she was no longer involved in Covert work at the time her identity was revealed, also not true. I skated with a couple CIA guys and they are supporters of this President, but furious with the leak. They won't talk, but agree someone's head should roll, at the time we didn't realize the leak it went up so high! Treasonable offense comes to mind.
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted April 8, 2006 Posted April 8, 2006 Yeh I know, Admin folks love claiming it was common knowledge that she was CIA before the leaks, which is not true, that her neighbors knew, which is also not true according to Fitzgerald. And that she was no longer involved in Covert work at the time her identity was revealed, also not true. I skated with a couple CIA guys and they are supporters of this President, but furious with the leak. They won't talk, but agree someone's head should roll, at the time we didn't realize the leak it went up so high! Treasonable offense comes to mind. 656140[/snapback] I love the quote I heard from McClellan this evening, too. It was something along the lines of "The President didn't authorize a leak, he authorized the release of information for the public good." Are these people really so stupid that they think they can sell that line of sh--?
YellowLinesandArmadillos Posted April 8, 2006 Author Posted April 8, 2006 I love the quote I heard from McClellan this evening, too. It was something along the lines of "The President didn't authorize a leak, he authorized the release of information for the public good." Are these people really so stupid that they think they can sell that line of sh--? 656206[/snapback] Poor McClellan, he probably came up with that line himself.
YellowLinesandArmadillos Posted April 8, 2006 Author Posted April 8, 2006 Sounds like something straight out of Sadam's P.R. guys mouth, can't remember his name, but the next thing we know Scott will be saying, "Were kicking their @#$#$, as our troops are evacuating Bagdad.
Wacka Posted April 8, 2006 Posted April 8, 2006 libby is on trial for purjury, not for revealing secrets.
YellowLinesandArmadillos Posted April 9, 2006 Author Posted April 9, 2006 libby is on trial for purjury, not for revealing secrets. 656682[/snapback] That is only because he cut a deal and it is easier to prescute purjury, you know that so why bother making the statement. It is called leverage,
blzrul Posted April 9, 2006 Posted April 9, 2006 I love the quote I heard from McClellan this evening, too. It was something along the lines of "The President didn't authorize a leak, he authorized the release of information for the public good." Are these people really so stupid that they think they can sell that line of sh--? 656206[/snapback] It depends on what your definition of "is" is.
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted April 9, 2006 Posted April 9, 2006 It depends on what your definition of "is" is. 657138[/snapback] No, that was still stupider. But not by much...
blzrul Posted April 9, 2006 Posted April 9, 2006 No, that was still stupider. But not by much... 657178[/snapback] It's right up there with a recent letter to the editor I read, dissecting and seeking to redefine the meaning of "mission accomplished". hee hee. I love watching the wheels come off.
Wacka Posted April 10, 2006 Posted April 10, 2006 That is only because he cut a deal and it is easier to prescute purjury, you know that so why bother making the statement. It is called leverage, 657104[/snapback] d No, it's calle" What he did wsan't illegal, but lying to a grand jury about it is."
YellowLinesandArmadillos Posted April 10, 2006 Author Posted April 10, 2006 dNo, it's calle" What he did wsan't illegal, but lying to a grand jury about it is." 657319[/snapback] Yeh, I guess because Bush "gave him blanket permission" to leak classified info, not sure that passes the smell or legal test, but under this admin, like going around FISA, it is okay if the Presidents lawyers say that he has executive powers to avoid the law? Can the President actually delegate someone arbitrarily be a selective releaser of highly classified info? If so, that is incredible!
Wacka Posted April 10, 2006 Posted April 10, 2006 Get it through ypur skull. Plame wasn't covered under the Aldrich Ames law. There was no crime in saying she worked for the CIA. Everybody they partied with knew. Of course, Bush Bad!
/dev/null Posted April 10, 2006 Posted April 10, 2006 BushBad! Clinton did it too!!! Haliburton! Whitewatergate! Nobody died when Clinton Lied! You're either with us or with the Terorists Okay, think i've covered the standard PPP replies DING! Oooh, Breakfast Hotpockets®. Gotta Go! Sucks when you have Monday off, cuz you're drunk and everoyne else is asleep waiting to go to work. That and Taco Bell® closes early on Sunday nites
Scraps Posted April 10, 2006 Posted April 10, 2006 BushBad!Clinton did it too!!! Haliburton! Whitewatergate! Nobody died when Clinton Lied! You're either with us or with the Terorists Okay, think i've covered the standard PPP replies DING! Oooh, Breakfast Hotpockets®. Gotta Go! Sucks when you have Monday off, cuz you're drunk and everoyne else is asleep waiting to go to work. That and Taco Bell® closes early on Sunday nites 657424[/snapback] Nose Pick Mission Accomplished!
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 10, 2006 Posted April 10, 2006 BushBad!Clinton did it too!!! Haliburton! Whitewatergate! Nobody died when Clinton Lied! You're either with us or with the Terorists Okay, think i've covered the standard PPP replies DING! Oooh, Breakfast Hotpockets®. Gotta Go! Sucks when you have Monday off, cuz you're drunk and everoyne else is asleep waiting to go to work. That and Taco Bell® closes early on Sunday nites 657424[/snapback] Where does asleep AND working (if you want to call it that) fit into the picture?
Johnny Coli Posted April 10, 2006 Posted April 10, 2006 Well, after several days of not denying that they declassified the parts of the NIE that supported their claims and helped them to sell a war, the administration finally admitted that The Emporer did indeed declassify parts of the report, but also put forth the laughable notion that he didn't know what Cheney and Libbey were doing with it. I don't know what's more absurd, Bush coming out and saying he has no idea what he's doing with classified intelligence, or that he declassifies intelligence at the behest of Cheney without knowing why. Bush Ordered Declassification, Official Says A senior administration official confirmed for the first time on Sunday that President Bush had ordered the declassification of parts of a prewar intelligence report on Iraq in an effort to rebut critics who said the administration had exaggerated the nuclear threat posed by Saddam Hussein. But the official said that Mr. Bush did not designate Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby Jr., or anyone else, to release the information to reporters. [...] The disclosure on Sunday appeared intended to bolster the White House argument that Mr. Bush was acting well within his legal authority when he ordered that key conclusions of the classified intelligence estimate should be revealed to make clear that intelligence agencies believed Mr. Hussein was seeking uranium in Africa. Moreover, the disclosure seemed intended to suggest that Mr. Bush might have played only a peripheral role in the release of the classified material and was uninformed about the specifics — like the effort to dispatch Mr. Libby to discuss the estimate with reporters. [...] The explanation offered Sunday left open several questions, including when Mr. Bush acted and whether he did so on the advice or at the request of Mr. Cheney. Still unclear is the nature of the communication between Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney. Also unknown is whether Mr. Bush fully realized what information Mr. Cheney planned to disclose through Mr. Libby or was aware of the precise use that Mr. Cheney intended to make of the material. [...] A separate effort was occurring simultaneously at the White House to declassify a significant part of the estimate by July 18, 2003. It is unclear why that process was necessary if Mr. Bush had already authorized the release of the information. So, the guy who is declassifying intelligence doesn't really know what it's eventually going to be used for. The wheels on the bus go round and round.....
Recommended Posts