Yesterday former White House press secretary Scott McClellan took the sand out of Fitzgerald's face. When Fitz indicted Scooter Libby, he used that famous sports metaphor of "kicking sand in his face" and obstructing the investigation. Fitz has not released any grand jury testimony because that would show that there was no sand in his face despite Libby's perjury and obstruction.
The only conclusion one can make about McClellan's disclosure is that he had already told that to the grand jury. And Fitz's failure to release McClellan's grand jury testimony seals the deal. Furthermore, Fitz did not put either Bush or Cheney under oath. In 2004, Fitz may have owed them some loyalty. Given the recent U.S. Attorney firings, he needs to "come up to the plate" to save his reputation. For his own professional integrity, he should not run out the clock. He must either resign or indict Cheney.
The statute of limitaions is 5 years for federal crimes. I believe that a sitting VP does not have the sovereign immunity that Presidents have. At a minimum, Cheney should be an unindicted coconspirator because there is no doubt that Bush is going to pardon him and many in his administration.
Ex-Press Secretary Blames Bush in Leak By MATT APUZZO, AP Posted: 2007-11-21 11:18:37 Filed Under: Politics News WASHINGTON (Nov. 20) - Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan blames President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for efforts to mislead the public about the role of White House aides in leaking the identity of a CIA operative.In an excerpt from his forthcoming book, McClellan recounts the 2003 news conference in which he told reporters that aides Karl Rove and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby were "not involved" in the leak involving operative Valerie Plame.
"There was one problem. It was not true," McClellan writes, according to a brief excerpt released Tuesday. "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."
Well now the president has been implicated.
Would that be frog-marched out of Newsweak Mr Rove?
You're preaching to the choir here, Sheldon. How hard can that be?
It will all come out in the wash of time. History has a way of washing away the stains of corruption and confusion.
"The sun will come out tomorrow, tomorrow.."
So, OK, he can't get them for lying under oath. One can only hope they did lie to him; he knows that from McClellan's testimony; he is still investigating, while we wait for the other shoe to drop? Perhaps, this will give him the incentive to act sooner than later. I can't imagine that he is NOT feeling pressured with his place in history..either by his own complicity in not seeking those indictments or conversely, a sense of futility in going forward in an election year..will he let it fade away into that history?
As for McClellan, while I give him credit for resigning his position & speaking out, it just seems like the whole bunch waits until they can make a buck or 2 or 1000$$ on books, before being truthful about things that the American public has a right to know, without paying for it! And, they all do it with some kind of caveat.."I didn't know" or "I was misled"..Jeez, talk about rats deserting the sinking ship, now that it doesn't really matter if the ship sinks. It's done..we'll be searching for survivors & continuing rescue efforts for years to come!
Thanks Sheldon, for "kicking the sand" back into all of their faces for "kicking the sand" into ours!
I understand you are upset by all of this, as am I, BUT!
I believe you have jumped the gun, so to say.
If you examine Mr. McClellan's recent statement:
"I had unknowingly passed along false information."
He is now speaking after the fact, he may have not known anything at the time of his testimony before the Grand Jury.
It may be that now he has come upon information that he was kept out of the loop or directly been given misinformation.
Mr. Fitzgerald may have been in the dark at the time with the information he had.
Futher investigation is warrented, one can only hope justice will be served. Agape.
The big question is: what will Fitzgerald do now?
Impeachment of one and all is the only way forward.