Guest blogged by David Edwards
The GOP attacked Howard Dean’s Sunday interview on CBS Face the Nation (video here). Dean responded to the attack on CNN’s American Morning.
Dean also said that that Vice President Cheney “has to go” if he authorized Scooter Libby to leak the classified National Intelligence Estimate as court documents have indicated.
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Of course he has to go. But there’s a glitch in the law that will make it tricky to get him out. Public opinion might have to do it (as with Agnew and Nixon).
Presidents are legally permitted to declassify information at their own discretion. Whether vice presidents may do the same isn’t clear. But if push comes to shove, that will be Cheney’s defense. "It wasn’t classified, because I declared it otherwise."
The problem with that defense is that it WAS classified at the time Cheney ordered Libby to leak it. Even if Cheney had the power to declassify it (maybe), he had not done so. Thus he’s guilty of a high crime or misdemeanor, no question about it.
Whether the leaked classified information was Valerie Plame’s status, or something else linked to it (which seems more likely). makes no difference. This has nothing to do the indictment of Libby, either. The impeachment of Dick Cheney will be a fait accompli if Libby is telling the truth that Cheney ordered him to leak classified information, provided only that enough of our elected representatives have the guts to face the truth and impeach him.
Boy, if that RNC response isn’t their standard Ken (closeted) sMehlman boiler plate, I don’t know what is
They have got to come up with some new lines
I don’t think it’s actually a matter of law to call for him to "step down".. I think the matter of law is about if he goes to prison or not. His stepping down should be about the unmittigated gaul and audacity of turning out national security resources over a petty vendetta, especially when it’s because you’re pissed you got busted in a lie.
Cheney should step down because he’s slime. He won’t for the same reason. That’s why we have a Congress.. unfortunately, they aren’t much better than Cheney in the long run. Those assholes won’t even prosecute (or investigate) OBVIOUS crimes, simply to toe the company line. Our Congress is no longer a body of representitives of the American people, and until that changes, we citizens are screwd.
The prez will say he authorized The Dick to do what he did, thru Karl Rove, et. al.
The Dick will skate. If not, he will be pardoned.
The only thing that can stop a pardon, is if the congress impeaches him first … which won’t happen.
So forget it, nothing will have any impact except a voter backlash that holds the republicans to account, and votes them out big time.
November is the month of accountability.
OT
David Gergen said on This Week with George Stephanopolus, that the republicans talk up politics better than democrats, but democrats govern better.
That to me is an honorable distinction.
The US is saber rattling daily towards Iran, and I’d venture to say that most of the public still hasn’t heard about this part of the story:
Outed CIA Agent ‘Working On Iran’
Somebody give me one good reason we shouldn’t tag everyone who is involved with a treason charge.
I don’t know about you guys but I don’t feel safer with Repubs in charge .They scare the shit out of me. I think they all need to go. Like yesterday,just more BS from them about everything.
Laura
Every fucking incumbent needs to go….and if they kick out people like Hackett, then its time for them to go as well.
Help get the third party ready….the third party candidate of Texas has come within 8% of the incumbent….Lets kick the rest of these voting machines, and go independent on all their ass.
Then whatever is left of the democrat party can prove if it can get elected or not. Put a fire under all of ’em, the time is now……douse the voting machines in flames.
Doug E.
Why does Gov. Dean single this incident out???
Why this issue and why now?
Dick-head Cheney has been breaking the law repeatedly and getting away with it since long before the 2000 campaign.
Again, I ask, why does the Empty Scrotum Society start to grow a spine now????
You people dont care about leaks or you would be outraged over the wiretap leak. You just care about attacking the majority party who represents the majority of the American people.
#10,You don’t get it ,You are NOT the majority!
Medium [has his head]Right[up his ass] .. Are you saying "whistleblowers" are the same as "leakers"? As in, are you saying that when our government breaks the law and pisses on the Constitution and burries it in "secret memos and classified language" and some PATRIOT comes out and tries to PROTECT AMERICA, that that somehow is the same as leaking the identity of a National Secret protector that is fighting to help save America by tracking the bad guys and their nukes.. who’s name was leaked as a personal vendetta because the leaker’s lies were publicly exposed?
That is, you say Cheney is a swell guy for putting America at risk because he’s a petty little man, while whistleblowers are bad for trying to protect our Republic?
Na.. right-wingers aren’t all about being totally fucked up and ass-backwards in their view of the world.
Savanster, in some fucked up and deluded way, they think that destroying the planet and its inhabatants will bring world peace, you know, they might be right, by the time their done being in power, the world will be so sick of these fuckers, that we’ll all figure it’s easier to get along than to go that insane route again
Floridiot,
Exactly, we’re thinking the wrong way. We should be following the Republican motto, "Shoot em all and let God sort em out." 🙂
Mr Right up his ass
You don’t get it fuckwad, you’re not the majority party. The independents, and all their progressive libertarians are the majority party.
And we’re going to kick out these worthless voting machines and all of you with ’em!!!!! YOU GET IT YET!??!?
Most of you are going to jail, including many democrats, and getting dragged from your seats in what I am going to call "runoff elections"
Doug E.
Floridiot.. well, if they turn the bulk of the surface of the planet into a wasteland that humans can’t inhabit.. I recon we’ll have peace then too.. we just wont’ be here to enjoy it /sigh
OT, kinda… but here is what the neo-Cons and typical Repugs are all about
Read this
Most flippin profitable companies in HISTORY.. and they want to given them another free $65 billion, and pass up $7 billion that could be funding the war, or health care, or prescription drugs, or welfare for people who don’t have billions in assets.. instead, they want to give the billions to billionares?
How can anyone support such action?
Medium Right: Polls show they DON’T represent the majority of the American people. 39% approval rating? Since when is 39% the majority of something? What the fuck are you talking about???
Know what, Medium Right? Wait until you lose your job, get old, or get hurt. Then all of your "guys" policies will screw you right up the butt. When you need help the most, all of "your guys’s" policies will come into play.
#10
You have never been the majority, and Bush’s 39% poll rating that has been stuck in that range for the last three years should be a clue for you.
Now you know why duck tales is the leading headline, its still alot better than being caught in high treason. and we fell for it 🙁
Oh please, sojo.
I hate to bring the bad news to you but the fact it was filed in court Cheney authorized CIA leaks is not "proof" of high treason.
It is one man’s testimony. That is all, and it would not dominate the news.
Proof would be almost an open admitting to it by probably more than 3 people and documents which show it.
And you better believe that Fitzgerald is going after those documents and has most of them…he knows exactly what it is. But it sure hasn’t been proven everywhere yet, that Cheney is guilty of treason, its only an opinion so far….even if valid.
Let them talk about it when it does come to that.
Doug E.
Re the Dean interview…
I like Dean, but Jesus God, why is it necessary to say 37 times "IF it turns out to be true…" before you answer the question??
And then he never DID answer it!!
It’s on tape, for Christ’s sake, Howard, people GET IT! So why not just ANSWER THE QUESTION, as Arlen Specter did recently? The question being
"WHAT IS THE REMEDY then—IF it turns out to be true!—that the vice ordered Libby to leak on Valerie Plame: indictment? resignation? impeachment? WHAT?"
I wish he had just spit it out!! Jesus. It made him look evasive. Bloody frustrating to watch.
:plain: :plain: 😥 :hehe: :crazy: 😛 :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: 😛 :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: 😉 🙁 🙂 😎 :satisfied:dean dean dean :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: he , dean,
doesn’t know any better, seems like most of you don’t either!
SB No it is you who doesn’t know any better, please tell us what your worthless racist shits are doing today. We don’t care. The voting machine controversy: Continue to end their placement everywhere.
By way of force we will demolish the voting machine empire and do our own war. Keep sinking it in, Dean.
Doug