It Is Time to Investigate the White House's Betrayal of Trust
Our country has spent over four years attempting to unravel the story surrounding the leak of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity by members of the Bush administration to a number of journalists. The leak jeopardized our national security and belies the administration's long standing claim that they and the Republican Party are best suited to keep America safe.
Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan was one of the key figures in the Bush administration's efforts to respond publicly to the investigation into the Plame leak. He spoke for the White House and he was the filter through which the public learned about which officials were and were not involved in the leak. Standing in front of the White House Seal, McClellan famously denied any White House involvement in the leak, "If anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration."
Yesterday we found out that this simple statement attesting to McClellan's faith in the Bush administration's lawful behavior appears to be patently untrue. McClellan tells us, "I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice President, the President's chief of staff, and the president himself."
We need to launch an immediate investigation to determine the facts of this case, the extent of any cover up and determine what the President knew and when he knew it. If in fact the President of the United of States knowingly instructed his chief spokesman to mislead the American people, there can be no more fundamental betrayal of the public trust.
That any White House official, let alone the President and the Vice President of the United States, would instruct others to mislead the American people about revealing the identity of a covert CIA agent is beyond unconscionable. It is an action that makes us less safe and secure. Worse still, it undermines the ability of our intelligence community to act with the confidence that their work will not be jeopardized in order to advance the partisan interests of one political party.
The American public deserves to know the extent of President Bush's involvement in both the leak of Valerie Plame's identity and what efforts, if any, he made to direct a cover up. Scott McClellan has brought forward a new piece to this sordid puzzle - it is time, once and for all, for the public to know the full story behind the betrayal of Valerie Plame by the Bush administration.
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Nothing like being 4 years late.
What does he have to do for Pelosi to put Impeachment on the table? This is insanity.These are serious crimes. Even Bush 41 said this type of leak is a serious form of treason (not exact words). We need to disinfect our Country and regain our Democracy NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW
I'm sick of hearing phrases like "betrayal of trust." The question that the spineless Democrats need to be asking all of their Republican colleagues, and asking publicly inn every media interview is, "Is intentionally revealing the identity of a covert American intelligence operative treason, or is it not?" One or more people in the Bush administration, and I think everyone knows this goes all the way to the top, is guily of treason to their country. Our representatives need to start calling it what it is.
Remember how Clinton was forced to testify to a Grand Jury UNDER OATH about whether he had sex or not? Remember how that testimony was, in violation of court rules, broadcast all over the media? Remember how the Repubs shouted the mantra, "NO MAN IS ABOVE THE LAW"?
Bush, Cheney, Rove, Libby,--all of the inner circle of the White House, have LIED over and over again to the American public. Their lies, unlike Clinton's, have resulted in untold damage to our country, our Consitution, the Middle East, and to our standing in the world! ALL OF THEM, including McClellan, must be FORCED by both Houses of Congress to testify UNDER OATH regarding this matter, as well as their lies leading to war, torture, unwarranted spying, etc., etc.!
Every Democrat, EVERY REPUBLICAN, every citizen of these United States who cares one whit about our constitution and the law should be OUTRAGED at the moral depravity and criminality of this administration! How far have we fallen when Nixon was threated with impeachment by his own Party for crimes far LESS than what this President has done?
Thank you, Sen. Dodd, for taking a strong stand on this! If the other Senators have any integrity and honor left, they will join you in demanding the TRUTH of this matter and, and if necessary, the Constitutional remedy!
The real way to get an investigation into the Plame affair, plus a very long list of other crimes, is impeachment. I really fail to see how getting Bush's latest toadie to do an investigation will do anyone any good. Do you really think we'll see a "real" investigation if Mukasey does it? What we'll get is another 911 Commission Report that is so flawed and so full of stink that even the people who wrote it don't believe it. Do it the right way. Do what the Constitution requires you to do. That means impeachment, not another two-bit investigation by Mukasey.
Well Chris the ball is in your Court ....IMpress us !!! Bought time someone did .....
You should consider dropping out and formally endorsing Kucinich; you would make a hell of a VP.
Good luck with that, Chris. Excuse my cynicism, but to anyone with a brain not lobotimized by right-wing talk radio and even the MSM, McClellan's statements are hardly news. How can something so evident to so many be ignored and swept under the rug. Pelosi knew when she became speaker that Bush, et al, had lied repeatedly to the American people, and had deliberately outed a covert CIA agent in an attempt to exact political revenge. And yet, "impeachment is off the table". Excuse me, but nothing's going to come of this. Nothing is going to come of all the other blatantly illegal acts of this administration, either. The cesspool that is Washington DC is beyond cleansing. The rot is too deep, the well has been poisoned for too long. The liars, thieves, and megalomaniacs who inhabit that swamp have no one's interest in mind except for their own. The American people have NO representation in Washington.
"If in fact the President of the United of States knowingly instructed his chief spokesman to mislead the American people, there can be no more fundamental betrayal of the public trust."
Perhaps you have more faith in our politicians than we do. I think the fundamental betrayal is our rush to war for greed. The solution is to open our eyes and see we as a nation are spending far more than anyone else building our military, and we have most of the world's stockpiles of WMDs. If we cut our defense budget in half we would still be by far the strongest, no other nation would think of attacking us, and we would be much less tempted to start wars, plus other nations would feel less need to build up because of fear over who we might attack next. Some in congress might understand, but they can't openly suggest cutting the budget in half because of politics. I guess you can't both get elected and deserve public trust at the same time, so you are forced to make your choice.
Senator Dodd, your words are always welcome but the United States needs DEEDS performed. This Criminal Organization in the White House needs to be prosecuted for its activities.
The time has come for Democrats and Republicans in the Congress to honor their oath of obligation to the Constitution and protect the United States from a domestic enemy ... The Bush Administration.
I had the opportunity to observe a session of the Philippine Senate in 1988. I was impressed with the sonorous oratory delivered by the elected officials ... truly inspiring ... then I returned to Earth when I considered how difficult it is to identify anything of value that elected body has delivered to the People of the Philippines in its decades of existence.
A Congress needs to be more than a Toastmasters Club. Everyone appreciates your words Senator ...
But we need ACTION!
Thank you, Senator.
Treason under the law - and it seams that the white house occupiers can be summarily detained incommunicado indefinitely without charge or trial at one of their extraordinary "resorts" that are scatted around the world. And lets not forget the wonderful waterboard and the tazer to extract information that will never be used because they need not ever be brought to trial by their own actions and the very laws the criminals have put in place with wich they planed to do away with their own personal enemies the American public.
An investigation is needed. Can you work with Senator Leahy to get it into the Judiciary Committee instead of letting it go to the Intelligence Committee?
I'd also like to know whether this might provoke a reopening of the Federal grand jury case.
Why isn't this the most talked about story in the country? Why? This is outrageous! McClellen's story is huge––probably the biggest story of the year. And it gets ignored by most of the media. The White House wants the story to die, and if people don't keep talking about it, it will.
Say what you will about McClellen, but he's finally worked up the courage to tell the truth and the world (except HuffPO and MSNBC) has totally ignored this smoking gun? Where's the fucking outrage? At this point, we need to give McClellen all the support we can.
Senator, haven't the clues been lying around in plain sight for a long time? How is it that no one in the Washington press corps or Congress ever bothered to compare the record compiled in the Libby prosecution with Bush's statements beginning in about July 2003 and continuing through the end of September 2003? He said he would get to the "bottom" of the leak. He said he would fire anyone involved. Since we know to a moral certainty that Cheney, Rove and Libby knew who was involved, one of two possible inferences must be drawn: First, that these direct subordinates allowed the President to make false statements to the American public and to make a fool of himself while doing so. OR, as suggested now by McClellan, that Bush was actively misleading the American public and prosecutors by intentionally feigning ignorance. The second inference is the only one that makes sense, and is consistent with two other facts: First, Bush took no disciplinary action against anyone. Second, when James Knodell, chief of White House security, testified to Henry Waxman's committee, he stated that he had NEVER been requested to open an investigation into the leak, although that was his area of responsibility. Bush didn't need an investigation because he already knew. Can you people please do something about this? The laziness of Congress and the press corps allowed Bush to be reelected in 2004. How much more damage are you going to allow?
How many millions did Congress waste investigating Bill Clinton? Yes, Bush is a criminal. Still, by the time it would take to investigate his dirty administration, he'll be long gone. Better for America to move on from his dumb ass. Let him rot in the realization that he is an international embarrassment and the worst president ever.
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