I guess this will come as no surprise to some people.
Swift guilty pleas/firings/ resignations or will the Bush team circle the wagons? Haven’t they tried that already?
Think anybody will care?
Will Libby and Hannah fall on their swords or will they sing?
My money’s on the swords but you never know…
sorry, wasn’t sure which forum to put this in
No! (gasp!) Chicanery and political skullduggery in the Vice President’s office! I’m shocked! Shocked! I have little doubt that swift justice will be meted out to the miscreants, who will make full confession and admit that the entire blame is thiers, it was all thier idea. Indeed, they went to great lengths to ensure that thier Boss knew nothing about it, as he would have been swift to put paid to such!
Indeed, they will fall upon their swords, and right crisply. But perhaps some compassion may be called for, some rueful understanding of thier patriotic enthusiasm. A few lectures from Chuck Colson, and a stern talking to. A firm reprimand placed in their Permanent Record, and banishment to the private sector, or perhaps some minor sinecure in some understanding and forgiving corporate office.
I heard that it was no big secret that she was a CIA agent. Like so many other events that have transpired in Washington, it isn’t so much the act but the cover-up that makes it so bad. I agree that Hannah and Libby will be sacrificed for the “greater cause”.
Then why would Justice and the FBI go to all this trouble if she was “just an analyst” or if her CIA job was common knowledge? Certainly they evaluated how big a secret it was before embarking on this venture.
IIRC, the relevant law does not distinguish between agents who are sort-of-kinda-secret and deep cover moles serving as Osama chauffuer. How a law might go about making such a distinction eludes me. It hardly matters, this kind of retribution towards a political opponent who’s crime is telling the truth just plain bites, and must not be tolerated.
Actually, if you want something more damning…
Marketplace (on NPR) tonight reported that the FBI is investigating Halliburton again. This time for making $180,000,000 in bribes to obtain a lucrative Nigerian (HA!) gas contract (I think…I’m working from memory here).
This would have occured while Cheny was CEO…and is a violation of US law.
The vultures aren’t circling…but there are some people who wouldn’t mind pointing them in the right direction.
Throwing a punch like that without back up gives me hives.
Surely this can’t be the same Libby and Hannah that tried to get Clinton to invade Iraq back in 98:
What a tumble the neocon’s high ethical and moral standards have taken if the OP’s link turns out to be accurate.
Link, ALWAYS put in the link dammit!
Quote from Joshua Micah Marshall
Is Insight a creditable source?
Well, IOTN’s “about us” page has this to say:
And they get exclusive interviews with such luminaries as Ann Coulter, so it’s probably safe to say that Insight is not a left wing scandal sheet.
If the story holds up it’ll be all over the mainstream press in a few days.
They are getting Karl Rove off the hook then ?
It looks that way, but after Cheney’s arrest Bush will need to call on Dan Quayle as a last minute running mate. 
Let’s say the story is true. Is there any way that Cheney’s CoS would do this without Cheney? Would Cheney do this without Bush?
My guesses would be not likely, and absolutely, respectively.
Hannah would not have had access to Plame’s undercover status on his own. The identities of UC operatives are highly protected. Hannah had to have gotten the info from Cheney.
Let’s hope Cheney burns for this.
Libby’s reportedly been under suspicion since October: CIA leak suspicion centers on Lewis Libby, Cheney’s chief of staff (10/03/03), so the Insight article is notable mostly for telling us that the FBI is now ready to play hardball.
Any bets that Tom Ridge will recieve the V-Pres nomination as a result of this?
The first rule of Karl Rove is there is no Karl Rove!
waves hand You do not need to see his memos. This is not the puppetmaster you’re looking for.
Only gotta string this along 9 more months, if Cheney wants to keep the office (and it’s his call, not George’s, of course). Or, he has known health problems that would make a fine public pretext for deciding against running again, if the sword-falling by grown men with names like “Scooter” doesn’t work. Look for the Bureau to give the Vice-President of the United States an honorable-looking way out if his alternative is a frog-march.