Seeing The Forest For The Trees: Bush and Cheney Must Resign
But I had to stop, realizing I was missing the forest for the trees. And also that I might miss our very own firecracker MaryScott O'Conner on Fox News tonight, whom has courageously picked up the impeachment banner and is leading the charge into the breach.
MaryScott is right. Sufficient evidence exsist to start the Articles of Inquiry motion to set up a HRC subcommittee to collect and analyze the data.
Let's focus on this.
It's time for the House Judiciary Committee to do its job and get this evidence on the record, and have a full formal professional analysis and recommendation. Having folks like me trying to do this job for them may be a misallocation of resource. Perhaps, I should be helping activists to get these hearings started.
We need no more evidence to take actions in the right direction. We should still get it. My only point it that the best way forward to gain evidence in the most legitimate way through the constitutionally provided process. What we need is Democratic and GOP leaders with courage and partriatism to stand up and protect and defend our Constition.
So the Action Steps questions should be how to we do this.
Let's get out the list of HJR members and start working the phones, letters, etc. We will need two GOP cross overs I beleive.
An Organized, Fair, and Dignified House Inquiry Is The Right Way To Resolve This.
The current nightly kangoroo court trails by media circus is not a dignified or fair way for a Constitutionally based Country like ours to resolve this kind of crises.
This is why the Constitutional Framer designed the Impeachment Processw. I demand that our President and Vice President be given the fairness and dignity of this formal process. Where they can properly defend themeselves with subpoena power.
This current disastor is unseemly, disgraceful, and damaging to our international and national image at a time when we have urgent critical issues to deal with.
But Please President Bush and Vice President Cheney, It's Time To Face The Fact And Do The Right Thing
But, is it not also appropriate, for President George W.Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to realize this and take responsibility for what they've done.
Mr President and Vice President, if you have any pride and respectability do not let yourselves take down the ship of state so you can go down with the ship.
Sometimes, for better or worse leaders must put aside your own egos, or even sense of justice, and do what is right for your country. And the world.
No Other Way Out
And the simple facts are this. No possible spinning and additional deception, will change the facts that the evidence now is public that you were participating in a vast ongoing 3 year White House Conspiracy to control and manipulate intelligence surrounding the Iraq War and that you not only authorized, but were aware of, and informed of but actively participated in and ongoing coverup of these actions. A conspircacy that continues today.
All the while, denying this to the American people, on at least eight documented occassions. And apparently, denied your involvement in this to prosecuted Patrick Fitzgerald. This is obstruction of justice even though you were not under oath, and irregardless of whether you properly declassified it.
We can stop right here Mr President. This is sufficient grouds for you to resign or be impeached.
And from the highest level of good for our country, Mr. President, it almost makes no difference what other interpretations you may offer.
At least half of the country is going to insist now that these and dozens of other charges are properly investigated and processed through Constitutional Impeachment proceedings.
And their conclusion seem inevitable as well. Check with you senior most GOP advisors on the hill. When it comes to high crimes and misdeamenors and charges that look to many like treason to our country.
So, please. Do the right thing. Do not put our country through this unnecessary, divisive, and destructive process.
You've done as much for our country as you are going to be able. It's time to leave. And let our country move on and heal.
If you put aside personal considerations and put our country's best interest ahead of your own, and resign for our collective best interest, you will win back some respect and admiration for at least this one selfless act.
Sad, Weak, And Inadequate White House Response: What does the word "leak" actually mean?
So getting back to the new evidence, and developments of the day. Scott McClellan's White House Press Conference was an expectable tap dance.
The White House today tried to redefine what a leak is. Reminiscent of the "it depends on what is the meaning of "is" discussions, the White House suggested today that the concept of a "leak" was only applicable to others.
"See what the American people need to know is...." when the President does it, we should call it a "selective declassification." and Scott McClellan denied that the President would do this for political purposes. Implying, that if the president does it, it is by definition, for the good of the nation.
McClellan Clear Up Confusion: The President Is Good And All Of His Actions For The Good Of The People
See folks, don't you feel better now. Gosh Scott, thanks for clearing that up. I guess we all should just go home and happily watch American Idol and leave our political think to our great benevalent Patriorch. It is so encougeing to be informed that President Bush has trasncended any political motivations and all of his actions for Public Good.
Because Bush loves us and has our best interest at heart, whatever he does is by definition good and legal.
But now, I'm feeling a little bad. Because, doesn't this mean that those of us who question our "Fearless Leaders" would by definition be bad. Probably even "double plus un-good."
Maybe even terrorist. I forgot to read the Patriot Act II.
OMG. But if, our fearless leader is givingn me a second chance, let me apologize for questioning his political judgement and attempts to do good for all of us.
I'm overcoming with humility and gratitude that our president is so kind and compassionate that he would give trouble makers like me a second chance and a fair warning.
I was unaware that by going against our President's goodness I was by definition bad and liable to be picked up by the Patriot Act Police as a potential "non-combatant political dissadent" NOT!
How A Constitutional Republic Really Works
This is not how the US Constitution works folks. And even this President will not get away with this rediculous line of thinking.
Let's look more critically at how the US system of justice actually still work. Let's start with the concept of a "nation of laws" not men." It turns out Scott McClellan, George Bush and Dick Cheney are not the first leaders to think up the "whatever our good leader does is the law" argument.
Historions, please help me out, but the idea of separating the Legal and Judicial institutions in our government from the Executive functions goes back even before out Constitutional framers based our governments structure on a tricameral system of check and powers.
The president does not get to decide what is legal or not. He must obey the law. And framers esteblished a clear expectation that out president will observe the higheswt standards of protecting the constitution and law of the land, and provided an unambiguous and explicit process for removing him if he falls short.
And all other members of the government including the President are required to take an oath of office to defend and protect this system, the constitution, and the legal system on which is based.
A requirement not an option. It is now well past time for all of these officials to step forward and do their duty.
Making False Statements To Federal Prosecutors Is Obstruction of Justice: No Oath Required, Whether The Subject Of The False Statement Is Properly Declassified Does Not Matter
The MSM has totally failed to pick up this aspect of the story as far as I've seen. Has anyone else seen comment on these critical distinctions. Is it a GOP trick to talk alot about a different but less outragious scandal. So many scandals so little mindshare. I hope it's just a matter of time.
But GOP spinmeister must be hoping for scandal fatique. And hoping this dies out on the theme, that it may be unseemly, but Bush does have the right to declassify stuff right? If Chris Matthews says this one my time I may become ill.
Wake up journalists! (BTW Can you believe these clown get paid enormous sums of money for this lack of intellectual concentration. When hard working stiffs like you and me sacrifice our Friday nights to come in and do this as volunteers?
What's wrong with this picture. Let's get some brainpower on TV. If some of these talking head spent half of much time exercising their brains as they spend blow drying their hair we wouldn't even have slipped this low.
And as predicted, the White House tries to frame this as a technical question about the Presidents powers of classification, To deflect the "slam dunk" indictment that the President Bush and VP Cheney made false statements to the Prosecutor that appear to constitute obstruction of justice. Which as reported yesterday, does not require the guilty to be under oath, and is not in anyway contingent on whether the underlying focus of the questions were illegal or legal, or properly declassified.
Impeachment advocates are seizing the day and pointing out the Constitutional impeachment process contains broader flexibility to include political impropriety not just criminal ones. So the selective misuse of intelligence to deceive the public and mislead congress into war, as well as lying to the public are also fair game for impeachment. Remember the charges for both Nixon, and Carter were at there core, lying to the American people. Watch for MaryScott O'Conner to spark fireworks on Fox News Tonight. Go MaryScott! - I hope to be live blogging this if I can figure out how to bail out of this tomb fast enough! (Brevity Hounddog, Brevity, Brevity. Yes, I can do it!)
Something,(Lying to the American People) the White House has not denied. And for which ample evidence exist. Democrats and now several MSM have documented eight specific occasions where President Bush or his spokesmen Scott McClellan specifically and directly denied any involvement in the NIE-Plamegate affair. (I'll put the sources in the comments. Brevity is the Soul of Wit!)
The closest the White House can now come to a denial is admit involvement but suggest this involvement was not a violation of the Espionage act because the president can declassify at will, and that such involvement was really motivated by good intentions for the country not a smear campaign against critics.
Despite the dubious nature of these claims which Congress and the courts can sort out at their leisure in upcoming years, they are irrelevant to the Obstruction of Justice charges and to the Lying and Deceptions To Congress Charges, In fact, their excuses constitute admissions to these crimes.
Admitting He Declassified NIE And Authorized Libby Disclosure, Is An Admission Of Lying To Public
The President and White House looked America, and Congress in they eye and denied any involvement in these matters. Now they admit involvement but say it was not technically as violation of some arcane espionage act, and it was not with only the best intentions.
President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney Must Resign Now!
Stop, the lying Mr President. The jigs up. This kind of tap dancing is shameful and conduct unbecoming an America President.
1.You have lied repeated and often to the American People and continue to do so.
2. You lied and or mislead the Legislative oversight branch in violation of the Constitution in your 2003 SOTU speech and submission for Congressional approval of your Iraq war in violation of USC 18 Sections 1001 and 371.
3. You lied to the Judicial branch with regard to the NSA Wiretaps and bypassed FISA in subversion of Judicial Branch Oversight.
4. You distorted what "unitary executive'" means to justify this. This isn't the loop clause that allows you to reestablish a Monarchy. It means that the Executive branch is considered one indivisible legal entity in terms of internal chain of command as well as legal accountability in Constitutional Check and Balances.
I could list at least a dozen other impeachable offenses, but will not. I ask readers to assemble them in one place in the comments so we can redraft a better Censure, Articles of Impeachment, and historical analysis.
But in the spirit of my new middle name "Brevity" lied me rush forward. (Hound Brevity Dog - I like it. Sort of captures my essence eh? :-) (This reminds me of an interesting story....LOL ... but I will but it in the comments.)'
Finally, Everything above should be labeled Brief Introduction. Here's where I was going to start before realizing I should be brief. And then had to explain why. LOL
Jason Leopold Reports Evidence of Conspiracy May Be Surfacing In Fitzgerald Court Papers,
Jason Leopold will probably win a Pultzer for his reporting on for his reporting. Let's face it. He has been out in front on this or a half of a year at least. And although, things have taken longer than we all and he expected. He's has a higher "hit' rate of correct prediction than anyone else trying to be so far ahead. IMO (So can I have more transcripts now Jason? By the way, the 250 emails was not in the last batch. Did we misunderstand you letter to us?)
Jason reports in Truth Out Evidence Suggests White House Conspiracy
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald stated in a court filing late Wednesday in the CIA leak case that his investigators have obtained evidence during the course of the two-year-old probe that proves "multiple" White House officials conspired to discredit former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, a critic of the administration's pre-war Iraq intelligence.
This is the first time the special counsel has acknowledged that White House officials are alleged to have engaged in a coordinated effort to undercut the former ambassador's credibility by disseminating classified intelligence information that would have contradicted Wilson's public statements.
Fitzgerald's court filing was made in response to attorneys representing I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, who was indicted on five counts of perjury, obstruction of justice, and lying to investigators related to his role in the leak. The attorneys are desperately trying to obtain evidence from the government that will prove Libby did not intentionally lie to the grand jury when he was asked how he found out about Plame Wilson and whether he shared that information with the media.
Furthermore, Libby's attorneys have argued that they are entitled to the evidence in order to prove Libby was not engaged in a "plot" to discredit Wilson. However, Fitzgerald says the evidence he has obtained proves there was a coordinated effort by White House officials to discredit Wilson.
Go Fitzgerald. Evidence of a "Coordinated" effort by White House officials.
Fitzgerald wrote in the filing, "There exist documents, some of which have been provided to defendant and there were conversations in which defendant participated, that reveal a strong desire by many, including multiple people in the White House, to repudiate Mr. Wilson before and after July 14, 2003."
Although Fitzgerald makes it abundantly clear that Libby is not charged with conspiracy, he argues that Libby's suggestion that there was no White House plot to discredit Wilson is ludicrous, given the amount of evidence Fitzgerald has in his possession that suggests otherwise.
"Once again, defendant ignores the fact that he is not charged with participating in any conspiracy, much less one defined as a 'White House-driven plot to punish Mr. Wilson,'" the filing states. "Moreover, given that there is evidence that other White House officials with whom defendant spoke prior to July 14, 2003, discussed Wilson's wife's employment with the press both prior to, and after, July 14, 2003 - which evidence has been shared with defendant - it is hard to conceive of what evidence there could be that would disprove the existence of White House efforts to 'punish' Wilson."
This is great. Now we seeing Fitzgerald in action. And is he not one tough cookie? I wish I could see video of this. Is he raising his voice here, or calmly reading of off? Which would be more devastating?
Fitzgerald did not name the other White House officials who were involved in the effort to undercut Wilson, but sources close to the case said that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley are the officials who were involved in the alleged plot.
A footnote in the court filing states that Hadley was involved in conversations and meetings at Cheney's office in which White House officials discussed how to respond to Wilson's statement that the administration used bogus intelligence to make a case for war.
Hadley suggested declassifying a portion of the highly sensitive National Intelligence Estimate and leaking it to reporters as a way of responding to Wilson's statements.
"The government is producing to defendant Mr. Hadley's notes of meetings and conversations in which both defendant and Mr. Hadley participated, and in which the potential declassification of the NIE was discussed," the court filing says.
New Evidence Of Libby Move To Have WH Exonerate Him Via McClellan
Moreover, Wednesday's court filing lays out for the first time how White House press secretary Scott McClellan came to publicly exonerate Libby and Rove during a press briefing in October 2003, three months after Plame Wilson's identity was unmasked.
The filing suggests that Libby lied about his role in the leak when McClellan asked him about it in October 2003. Libby, with Vice President Cheney's backing, persuaded the press secretary to clear his name during one of his morning press briefings, and prepared notes for him to use.
"Though defendant knew that another White House official had spoken to Novak in advance of Novak's column and that official had learned in advance that Novak would be publishing information about Wilson's wife, defendant did not disclose that fact to other White House officials (including the Vice President) but instead prepared a handwritten statement of what he wished White House Press Secretary McClellan would say to exonerate him:
People have made too much of the difference in
How I described Karl and Libby
I've talked to Libby.
I said it was ridiculous about Karl.
And it is ridiculous about Libby.
Libby was not the source of the Novak story.
And he did not leak classified information."
"As a result of defendant's request, on October 4, 2003, White House Press Secretary McClellan stated that he had spoken to Mr. Libby (as well as Mr. Rove and Elliot Abrams) and "those individuals assured me that they were not involved in this."
McClellan's public statement and the fact that President Bush vowed to fire anyone in his office involved in the leak were motivating factors that led Libby to lie during an interview with FBI investigators in November 2003, Fitzgerald states in the court filing: "Thus, as defendant approached his first FBI interview he knew that the White House had publicly staked its credibility on there being no White House involvement in the leaking of information about Ms. Wilson and that, at defendant's specific request through the Vice President, the White House had publicly proclaimed that defendant was 'not involved in this"
Conclusion And Next Steps
Wow. This White House Conspiracy Is Unraveling So Fast. Has anyone been keeping a scorecard of how many White House officials are going to have to resign in disgrace.
Hey, let's all wake up and smell the coffee folks. With regard to the need for immediate resignations we are past the point of whom authorized what, and which ones will be indicted for which charges? By the Prosecutor, By impeachment committees, By popular demand?
Bull poppies!
The next actions steps are clear.
We need to have all of the scoundrel involved in this sorted and disgraceful affair to resign immediately.
This is not acceptable conduct for high White House officials.
I hereby demand that all involved look within their hearts, consult with their ministers, priests, or rabbis, and then resign in shame.
Who should resign for these actions? At the very least. President George Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and Stephen Hadley, Perhaps others as well. And many others for other reasons.
We need to bring justice and integrity back to the White House - One Indictment At A Time.
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