Frog march, perp walk, and then the “Dance of the 7 Veils”.
This just in: Judith Miller has access to Islamic diet, prayer rugs, and plays soccer.
Am I the only one thinking perhaps he should now be classified as an enemy combatant. Gitmo for the win.
It is somewhat hard to believe, but it appears more and more that Rove’s tit is quite firmly in the wringer on this one. The maladroitness of the White House PR response today tends to support that notion, at least for me. I have a couple of tangential thoughts on the issue.
First, it appears more and more the case that Rove committed serious crimes in an effort to discredit Joseph Wilson because he reported information that did not fit with the White House’s version of the WMD truth. For those who still cling to the idea that the Bush administrations statements about WMD were simply innocent mistakes based on faulty information, how can you square that version with a vindictive smear effort targeting someone because of the accurate information regarding WMD they present? If the Bush administration was not engaged in a concerted and intentionally deceitful campaign of lies regarding WMD, why would they need to respond to Joseph Wilson by trying to smear him, particularly in a way that violates federal law and borders on treason?
I really would very much like to hear how anyone can square these two things.
Secondly, I wonder if the fact that Newsweek broke this is at all related to the over-reaction of the White House to the Koran bruhaha. Did they have an inkling that Newsweek was going to be the one with the story first, thus they sought to pre-emptively discredit them, or was that “Newsweek got people killed” bullshit just a general Rove knee-jerk bit that happened to involve Newsweek?
A very interesting set of questions, Hentor. However, if we bear in mind the fact that this administration has already had its “accountability moment,” I think we’ll have a strong clue as to the likelihood of obtaining useful answers.
Whenever I read transcripts of McClellan’s responses I can’t help but be reminded of the scene toward the end of “Animal House,” where the ROTC cadet is standing on the street, being run over by the rioting crowd, all the while screaming “ALL IS WELL! BE CALM!! ALL IS WELL!!”
Hmm, I wasn’t aware of this (or if I was, I’d forgotten) – the President has stated that he would fire anyone involved in the Plame leak. From the press briefing today:
This is from the reporter questioning McClellen. I’ve been googling, and haven’t come up with what exactly was said. Was it that simply stated, that Bush would fire anyone who discussed Plame with reporters? I’d bet there are weasle words: that if someone leaked the name, they’d be fired, so of course the name wasn’t leaked, just the identity.
squeegee, see post 253 of this thread.
The defense that he didn’t actually name her is really puny. Can you imagine some thug trying to use the defense that he didn’t threaten to do harm to a hypothetical President – but only to “the First Lady’s husband”? He would get what he deserved.
But that was McClellen’s statement in a press briefing in September 2003. I want to know what Bush said to affirm that the following June.
sorry - for me, that particular scene is reserved for those moments when the Administration is discussing the current situation in Iraq.
My mistake! Sorry.
It doesn’t show up at whitehouse.gov, but the Washington Post has the transcript:
Transcript: President Bush Holds Post-G-8 Summit News Conference
Nope.
The WH will play the “no comment” angle while their paid mouthpieces will parrot the “not actually covert - no play no foul” line.
Then we’ll get something said by Kennedy or some other Dem CongressCritter blown way out of proportion.
It’s always possible I’ll be wrong. But I won’t be.
-Joe
Finally On Fox:
White House Mum on Rove Role in CIA Leak
Thanks, Squink!
I’ve still not been emailed my talking points.
However, here’s this from Mr. Limbaugh:
“From everything I’m reading, I don’t think Karl Rove mentioned Valerie Plame’s name. I think that he mentioned Wilson’s wife. It looks like Rove was trying to warn TIME Magazine: You’re barking up the wrong tree.”
That was a hoot!
Over at Redstate.org:
Joe Wilson: Lying Liar who Tells Lies
A Reminder
To Paraphrase:
“Wilson lied about how he came to be in Niger, and some other stuff too, so his wife deserves whatever Rove can dish out”