Libby Implicates Cheney in Plame Outing
by RonChusidIt looks like Libby might not be taking the fall for Cheney after all:
I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, will in part base his defense on the claim that Cheney instructed and encouraged Libby to share classified information with reporters, sources familiar with the case tell NBC News. . .Legal sources close to the defense indicated the authorization to discuss classified information by superiors, including Cheney, will be a crucial part of Libby’s defense. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the case hasn’t gone to trial yet. . .
On Thursday afternoon, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., issued a statement saying that any implication of Cheney as the one who authorized release of classified information would require Bush to honor his promise to “clean house” of anyone who had anything to do with the Plame leak.
Perhaps Fitzgerald’s strategy is to prosecute Libby first in order to get the evidence against Cheney for the more serious charge of exposing a covert CIA agent’s identity.
Earlier today National Journal also ran a story reporting that:
Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, testified to a federal grand jury that he had been “authorized” by Cheney and other White House “superiors” in the summer of 2003 to disclose classified information to journalists to defend the Bush administration’s use of prewar intelligence in making the case to go to war with Iraq, according to attorneys familiar with the matter, and to court records.
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I wondered about this just a couple of days ago when it came out that Libby implicated Cheney.
OH YEAH!!
Pamela,
The previous storie said that Cheney had been the one to tell Libby, but that in itself wasn’t a crime. It is MUCH bigger now that Libby is actually saying that Cheney encouraged him to release the information to reporters.
The Pellosi in 2007 scenario, while remote, is looking more and more plausible. Both Bush and Cheney appear to be guilty of impeachable offenses. All we need is the votes to get this through after the next election.
Sounds good to me Ron, I would love to see the barn fall on their heads.
We just have to time this right. We can’t have Cheney pull an Agnew too soon, allowing the Republicans to hand pick Bush’s replacement. My fear is that McCain would get the Ford role and we’d be stuck with him for several more years.
Ron
I haven’t had time to fully read all of this today, but it sounds good. Will catch up with this in a while – it’s been a day!
By the way, email from Kennedy’s office says he’s slated to be on “NBC Nightly News later this evening to discuss these recent developments.”
Kennedy will be on NBC, and we’ll be hearing a lot more about this.
While it would be better if Libby’s trial wasn’t put off until after the election, there still should be a lot of embarassing news for Bush and Cheney coming out of this before the election.
I’m not going to get a chance to watch NBC, hopefully someone will have the video.
God help us if Mccain got the VP spot.
As for libby, I hope he’s living in hiding because ol chenney isn’t one to go down without a nasty fight. I believe chenney would send bush up the river before he went himself.
It does seem very odd that the most damging info on this case somes out after the 04 and 06 elections.
Every time chenney shows his face condeming dems they are to bring this up and ask the question who else is lying for dick chenney?
I’m still in a wait and see mode.
Although Brownie could prove embarrasing to bush tomorrow if he testifies under oath.
But remember McCain “has no desire to be VP”
NativeTexan,
He would be much more likely to accept the VP position in an Agnew/Nixon/Ford scenario if it looks like he’d be the last one remaining, meaning moving up to President.
McCain would take the job under these circumstances – he’s no fool.
McCain nothing! Can you guys say, “George Allen?!” He’s one of them!
BlueWashington,
If the GOP had a crisis where both Cheney and Bush were being forced out of office, I bet that McCain would be the choice as he would be most easily acceptable by both parties and the public. In such a scenario the right wingers would be too weak to push thru their choice.
Ron,
The GOP foot soldiers hate McCain. I don’t know how he’s going to make it through the primaries.
Allen, on the other hand, he’s a true believer.
Besides, I don’t know if both Bush AND Cheney would be forced out. My bet is Cheney falls on his sword for Bush.
Has anyone stopped to think that we could be talking Hastert or Frist too for that matter. I would see Bush chossing Dr Bill before McCain.
Blue Washington.
I’m not writing about the primaries. I’m writing about a scenario where a Republican replacement is chosen for Bush or Cheney if one is forced out of office. If Congress were to choose in such a scenario, after Democrats have taken control, someone like McCain becomes much more likley as a compromise choice.
Pamela,
In such a scenario, Frist and Hastert will no longer be around–both are leaving their positions after this Congress. Plus Bush would be too weak to make the choice.
Ron
I don’t know why, wishful thinking I guess, I was thinking of something happening sooner than later and not thinking at all clear at the same time… Duh!
Pamela,
I’m assuming that there would only be a chance of Bush or Cheney being removed if the Democrats took control of both houses of Congress, and therefore this wouldn’t happen until next term.
Even then it would be difficult to get enough Republicans, even if the minority party, to go along with conviction.
Ron
The idealist in me is thinking tonight that with the latest news today (Cheney & Brownie), people will finally wake up and demand an end to the madness. It’s a follish idealist thought, but maybe if we all dream it together it will happen…
The one way it might happen would be if the people not only demand an end but also vote the Republicans out of power in Congress, to make impeachment a possibility.