Cheney Discussed Inquiries Into Plame Leak, Obama Administration Trying To Keep Details Secret

WASHINGTON — Vice President Dick Cheney talked with top White House officials about how to respond to reporters' inquiries into who leaked the identity of a CIA operative, according to a court filing.

Cheney told the FBI about his recollection of discussions with his former top aide, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, and other White House officials on the media's questions. But the Obama administration is fighting in court to keep the substance of what Cheney revealed to the FBI from the public.

The FBI interviewed Cheney in 2004 as it was investigating the leak of former CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity to reporters the year before. Her name was revealed after her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, criticized the Bush administration's prewar intelligence on Iraq.

The leak touched off a lengthy inquiry that led to Libby being convicted on charges of obstruction of justice and lying to investigators about his conversations with reporters. Libby told the FBI it was possible that Cheney ordered him to reveal Plame's identity to the media.

The liberal watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit last year seeking records related to Cheney's FBI interview.

In a court filing Wednesday, Acting Assistant Attorney General David Barron argued that parts of Cheney's interview should be kept secret because they involve confidential deliberations among White House officials. Barron said their disclosure could limit frank and open discussion about matters of national importance in the White House in the future.

He said Cheney's recollection of discussions with Libby, the White House communications director and chief of staff about media inquiries into the Plame leak were among those portions that should be protected. He also included Cheney's discussions with the CIA director about Wilson's trip and his role in resolving disputes about declassifying "certain information" in that category.

Barron's filing was first reported Thursday on The Washington Post's Web site.

Comments

[Wood-Harp]

Jonathan Turley: "Welcome to Bush 2.0." Leave Valerie Plame and her husband under the bus as a means of protecting National Security? Check. Block U.N. and U.S. investigations, as well as potentially damaging Freedom of Information requests as a means of protecting National Security? Check. Go back on your public word and block images of detainee abuse (torture - as promoted/authorized from Bush and Cheney on down)? Check. Recite (verbatim) old propaganda points from the Bush era? Check. Continue covering up the wholly illegal Warrantless Surveillance program? Check. Cover for the CIA? Check. Cover for the lawyers who crafted “opinions” (in wide-range complicity) solely for the purpose of providing immunity from War Crimes prosecutions? Check. We could not allow a McCain/Palin administration to become a reality. And, through your presidency, some good measures will be passed. Yet, obviously, you will never come to terms with how much you are letting most of us down. seaclearly.wordpress.comress.com

[Derelict outlaw]

bad link

[Wood-Harp]

Countdown April 16, 2009, Special Comment: "'But at a time of great challenges and disturbing disunity, nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past.' Mr. President, you are wrong. What you describe would be not 'spent energy' but catharsis. Not 'blame laid,' but responsibility ascribed. You continued: 'Our national greatness is embedded in America's ability to right its course in concert with our core values, and to move forward with confidence. That is why we must resist the forces that divide us, and instead come together on behalf of our common future.' Indeed we must, Mr. President. And the forces of which you speak are the ones lingering - with pervasive stench - from the previous administration. Far more than a criminal stench, Sir. An immoral one. One we cannot let be re-created." Let it also be clear: Those of us who expected actual Justice under national (and/or international) Laws are the ones being referred to as "the forces that divide us.”
http://seaclearly.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/no-torture-prosecutions-no-justice

[Derelict outlaw]

Thanks

[gotalifepost]

Libs are as gullible as cons.

He lied and is covering up crimes.

Admit it.

[Heavy]

zzzzzzzz

[NWRICK]

Not yet.

[ReedYoung]

Cheney lied, and uncovering his crimes all at once would be chaotic both legally and culturally.

President Obama is smarter than you.

Admit it.

[abouttime]

Uncover?
Hell, Obama could have his arse in jail, with all that is public.
You think Obama is waiting for a golden moment to ...?

[pearlx2]

Yes, the President is trying to keep the stupid media cycle from detracting and derailing all of his very urgent initiatives. He knows (and we know) that as soon as something about Cheney's many hidden crimes breaks loose in the news cycle, healthcare and energy will take a back burner for a long time. Just look at how the media dumped the Iran revolution when MJ died. It might never have happened for all you see about it now, while MJ talk is still going strong on every network and cable channel. They're all salivating and hoping for a huge custody battle so they can go into O.J.-mode again.

Americans are simple, easily led and prefer to be entertained rather than informed on important stuff -- that is what your so-called news people think of you. That is why they behave as they do, and that is why Pres. Obama is not about to throw them a bone they can use to blot out his initiatives.

[abouttime]

As a proud liberal and progressive who demands justice for all.... I admit Obama has betrayed the people!!

But we are not gullible, as you suggest!

We are growing and we will perservere!

[wijg]

Some liberals are as gullible as conservatives. In my opinion, there is a much larger percentage of gullible conservatives.

As of right now, the President is covering up crimes. There, I said it.

[flossophy]

This comment is pending approval and won't be displayed until it is approved.

gu||ible?

Like Obama str|nging along the ant|-w`ar cr0wd to get elected... but then once in office, he pretty much continues the Bu`sh h0me|and secur|ty / ter`r0rism reg|me.

Oh, he changed the n0menclature a bit... because he thinks that will f00l the gu||ibles in his party.

[abouttime]

Is it too late for impeachment?

[NWRICK]

Not too late, waaaaaaay too early!

[Amunaka]

Hmmm....



A Man of Mystery
Richard Hohlt is the heavy hitter you've never heard of
.
By Michael Isikoff

Newsweek
Feb. 26, 2007 issue - Robert Novak, as usual, had a scoop to unload—only this time, it was from the witness stand. Testifying last week in the trial of Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, the conservative columnist gruffly described how he first learned from two top Bush administration officials that Valerie Plame, wife of Iraq war critic Joseph Wilson, was a CIA officer. But then Novak injected a new name into the drama—one that virtually nobody in the courtroom knew.

Asked by one of Libby's lawyers if he had talked about Plame with anybody else before outing her in his column, Novak said he'd discussed her with a lobbyist named Richard Hohlt. Who, the lawyer pressed, is Hohlt? "He's a very good source of mine" whom I talk to "every day," Novak replied. Indeed, Hohlt is such a good source that after Novak finished his column naming Plame, he testified, he did something most journalists rarely do: he gave the lobbyist an advance copy of his column. What Novak didn't tell the jury is what the lobbyist then did with it: Hohlt confirmed to NEWSWEEK that he faxed the forthcoming column to their mutual friend Karl Rove (one of Novak's sources for the Plame leak), thereby giving the White House a heads up on the bombshell to come.


http://www.newsweek.com/id/68495

[katocat]

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/6175/90151073.jpg

[wherriott2]

A very disturbing pattern is developing here...starting to get disappointed in O.

[Heavy]

Agreed. We need to see the minutes from the secret energy meetings too, and have a real investigation of nine e leven still....etc etc etc.

[Coinyer101]

agreed. patience wearing thin here, as well.

[NWRICK]

Yep, here too.
Not giving up on him yet though.

[Heavy]

You still here?

[drmynatt]

Obama is turning out to be not so friendly to democracy as he is to Cheny and the other war criminals. He promised us during the campaign to stand up for justice and openness. The only reason why he would want to restrict access to documents now that prove there was illegal and unlawful activity going on at the White House is that he wants to reserve that right to himself. That means he's no better than them. We are unable to change his actions thru pleas to his honor or word so he may not have either. Bad day for America to elect two criminals in a row.

[frappe]

Cheney should be in jail.

[whatthel]

A supermax of his very own.

[NWRICK]

We can make room for a few "cellies".

[Harvo]

Okay, let me try this again.
I'm sure they have very good reasons for wanting to keep this information secret.
But it has nothing to do with national security or limiting future discussions.

[deminmo]

If President Obama wants to really find out the truth, he will stand behind
any and all investigations, and let special investigators do their jobs. I
tend to think President Bush and VP Chaney will never have to account
for their involvement in the War in Iraq or anything else.

[abouttime]

Scandel in the "Obama transparency Presidency"

LIE!

[Coinyer101]

This administration is doing everything it can to make me want to give up on them.....,I try to remain positive, but, the lack of truth and transparency is seriously eroding my support for them. I'm regretting not supporting Kucinich.

[NWRICK]

I share in your frustration.

[ondamony]

Me too, but I shudder when I think of the alternative.

[Heavy]

You know how I feel about this. Not happy at all

[Coinyer101]

it is getting so frustrating for me. When I think of all the people languishing in prison for non-violent dr ug offenses, while theses tourrorists walk around scott free, I get downright plssed.


lol

[foxistoofunny]

I feel like a teenager again and reliving Watergate. But hey, my sisters and girlfriend still think I'm a cougar grannie!

[Coinyer101]

lol

[RegLib]

Same here. It's refreshing to see the turnaround in our foreign policy, and I do think hes getting a handle on the economic mess.

But Obama's failure to play hardball with congress on healthcare is disappointing so far.

And the "let's look forward, not backwards" stance on the long, long list of the Bush administration's alleged illegal activities is beyond understanding. Mr. Obama certainly understands the basic concept of justice; and strong leadership from him can certainly overcome the concern that congressional investigations of the Bush administration would overshadow everything else he wants to accomplish.

[lungfish]

In my opinion, the refusal to release the documents fingering Cheney as the source of the Plame leak (the contents of this doc have already been leaked and he admitted that he was the source of the info), as well as its attempts to delay the release of the CIA Inspector General report is based upon the hope that the calls for prosecution will cool off and Holder and Obama won't be the ones to force an accounting on the previous Administration.

In this light, the actions of the Obama administration are deeply suspect. The fact is that our President declared that "Nobody is above the law..." and Holder and the majority of Congress declared the same thing.... yet, it appears that EVERYONE in the previous Cheney Administration is above the law...

We have crimes and documentation and the parties responsible. The International Red Cross can't find most of the "Renditioned" detainees and fears that they are dead - killed directly or indirectly by the CIA. Gore told us that over 100 Renditioned people died in CIA custody. 95 Interrogation tapes are missing and assumed destroyed by the CIA.... We know that the torture program was implemented at the highest levels and the abuses at Abu Ghraib were institutionalized, not random acts...

Nobody is above the law? Prove it.

[wijg]

Well said.

[ReedYoung]

Lobby Congress. Unless other prominent elected officials are public in their support for prosecution I don't think it will happen. So far, I count Leahy and Kucinich. I would guess Ron Paul doesn't oppose prosecution, but sort of lost track of him after Fox and the GOP sabotaged his primary campaign. Anyway, 3 out of 535 isn't much, and anybody else who supports investigating the Cheney/Bush war crimes and prosecuting according to the evidence that's revealed, hasn't been vocal enough about it yet.

[grammies]

What a disappointment. Obama is not keeping his word to have a "transparent" administration. We demand all the facts in the CIA leak case. Cheney and his cronies broke the law and must be held accountable. We the people couldn't get away with this kind of behavior we would be prosecuted and sent to the crow bar hotel. Sounds like great living arrangement for all those who participated in this disgusting crime.

[vinny]

obama is doing whatever he can to shield the WH from public scrutiny.

a typical conservative position.

[Colston]

I agree, the cover up domestic spying, torture, and rendition, all going strong today. Obama has turned his back on himself and the people who voted for him.

[dems08]

"It was pretty much world-record speed with which the smears against Barack Obama's patriotism alley-ooped from the right wing attack machine into the pages of legitimate media, neatly laundered into the AP by Nedra Pickler."

- Firedoglake's Jane Hamsher (Feb. 08)