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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Comments

[LeftLeftLeft]

Why is Bush still standing? We need to light a BIG fire under Pelosi and get started on the housecleaning now!

[AntonRobb]

Senator,

There have been numerous actions perpetrated by this lawless, craven mis-administration warranting investigation, prosecution and impeachment. Yet you and your colleagues have really done nothing to pursue truth or justice. Speaker Pelosi's taking impeachment off the table clearly demonstrates that there is no honor among the thieves who have infiltrated our political system. I hold out very little hope that this latest revelation will be the straw that breaks the back of this cabal of criminals. After all, the disclosures of a tell-all book selling tool is far less weighty than say, the politicization of the judiciary. I love my country but detest my government. You all should hang your heads in shame.

[ceu]

"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."
Seriously...how many people were surprised by this? Why is it such a big deal with the media? Virtually everyone who paid attention knew that Bush, Cheney, Rove, et al were lying about involvement with the outing of an agent working on preventing the proliferation of WMD?(which was why we went into Iraq, wasn't it? And why Bush wants to bomb/invade Iran!) The current administration needs to be investigated...and we all know what the results of that investigation will be, and therefore impeachment proceedings need to begin IMMEDIATELY! We're talking about preserving the U.S.Constitution here - doesn't anyone in Congress - beside Kucinich - care anymore about that document that they swore to protect & defend??

[Giglawyer]

If we launched an investigation every time a politician lied to the press, we would do nothing but investigate. Ugh. This is such a non-event. But you jump on the bandwagon just to get your name in the press, in usual fashion. "Look at my leadership - I was the first to call for an investigation." Thank God you will never be President.

[TedB]

No, LAST November it was time, Senator. Where have you been?

[jmpurser]

How about we investigate the 4 Senators who skipped out on the confirmation vote for America's second publicly pro-torture attorney general? I hear all 4 of these Senators shirked their duties but are are claiming they'll do better in their NEXT job.

Can you think of any reason why anyone would trust them again?

[TimNevins]

Enough investigations! Just have these jackasses report directly to prison!

How many more lies are we willing to accept before we take these idiots to task?

[Ravenlea]

Well, no offense, but a large chunk of the American public has been BEGGING for impeachment. It's not only time to investigate. It's way past time to investigate. Thanks to Dennis Kucinich, HR333 is ready and waiting and Congress only needs to take action and do what it should have done long ago.

[yowza1]

Yes well Bush's predilection for betrayal and lying was very evident from the first time he opened his mouth to run for President (and probably before that). That he is and was disingenuous, malignant and self serving really did not need to be tested by time and events, he was self evident from the get go. America needed and needs yet to be laid low as the people are obviously still liable to this sort of hucksterism. The American culture of greed and sadistic violence makes its populace ripe for the picking by unscrupulous liars.

[Economike]

And so what are we going to do about it?

[EspressoAtNoon]

I agree Senator. I'm starting to like you more and more as a candidate. You are showing courage and leadership that the others are too political to risk.

[CelticMajic]

I never had sex with that woman....

[muliebrity]

I love how everyone's panties are in a bunch because of one quote from McClellan's new book. His "revelation" is not news to the American public, at least not those of us with common sense. It is obvious where this leak came from, it always has been. The question is: what are our elected officials going to do about it???

[jesusquintana]

Launch away, Chris! I can't launch any investigations from where I'm sitting.