Comments on: And The Reason Was….??? http://firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/ Firedoglake weblog Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:02:56 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: roberto http://firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-63051 roberto Mon, 10 Apr 2006 22:55:36 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-63051 <p>So if we are to believe this “malarkey”, then the declassification process might have gone something like this:</p> <blockquote><p>Cheney: Mr. President, Scooter and I want your approval to declassify certain, selective pieces of the NIE. Don’t worry what for. It’ll be good for us. Just nod your head and say “Okay”.</p> <p>Bush: Okay.</p></blockquote> <p>As ridiculous as this scenario is, it also seems plausible, given what we know from various accounts such as Paul O’Neil’s and the Katrina briefing tape that King George ain’t big on asking questions.</p> So if we are to believe this “malarkey”, then the declassification process might have gone something like this:

Cheney: Mr. President, Scooter and I want your approval to declassify certain, selective pieces of the NIE. Don’t worry what for. It’ll be good for us. Just nod your head and say “Okay”.

Bush: Okay.

As ridiculous as this scenario is, it also seems plausible, given what we know from various accounts such as Paul O’Neil’s and the Katrina briefing tape that King George ain’t big on asking questions.

]]> By: roberto http://firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-63046 roberto Mon, 10 Apr 2006 22:45:59 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-63046 <p>Tommy Yum,</p> <p>Regarding PNAC, the info is at their website.</p> <p><a href="http://www.newamericancentury.org/">www.newamericancentury.org/</a></p> <p>Your question is a good one. Let us know what you find out.</p> Tommy Yum,

Regarding PNAC, the info is at their website.

http://www.newamericancentury.org/

Your question is a good one. Let us know what you find out.

]]> By: Christy Hardin Smith http://firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62745 Christy Hardin Smith Mon, 10 Apr 2006 18:25:23 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62745 <p>Gang — Cheney and Bush were intereviewed separately by Fitz. They were interviewed together only for the 9/11 Commissioner’s report.</p> Gang — Cheney and Bush were intereviewed separately by Fitz. They were interviewed together only for the 9/11 Commissioner’s report.

]]> By: Swoosh http://firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62698 Swoosh Mon, 10 Apr 2006 17:55:43 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62698 <p>Nightfarmer — totally agree. Why else would Cheney need to hold W’s hand in their meeting with Fitzgerald last year, except to “refresh his memory?”</p> Nightfarmer — totally agree. Why else would Cheney need to hold W’s hand in their meeting with Fitzgerald last year, except to “refresh his memory?”

]]> By: Dan Lewis http://firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62681 Dan Lewis Mon, 10 Apr 2006 17:42:11 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62681 <p>From the piece:</p> <p>“Also unknown is whether Mr. Bush fully realized what information Mr. Cheney planned to disclose through Mr. Libby or was aware of the precise use that Mr. Cheney intended to make of the material.”</p> <p>This is so dorky. Now Bush declassifies material without knowing exactly what he’s declassifying? He releases material to confound the critics of the Iraq war but doesn’t know how the material will be used? I guess the incompetence dodge has worked before, though.</p> From the piece:

“Also unknown is whether Mr. Bush fully realized what information Mr. Cheney planned to disclose through Mr. Libby or was aware of the precise use that Mr. Cheney intended to make of the material.”

This is so dorky. Now Bush declassifies material without knowing exactly what he’s declassifying? He releases material to confound the critics of the Iraq war but doesn’t know how the material will be used? I guess the incompetence dodge has worked before, though.

]]> By: TiredFed http://firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62659 TiredFed Mon, 10 Apr 2006 17:21:41 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62659 <p>115<br /> jbalazs says:<br /> April 10th, 2006 at 8:38 am<br /> FYI, something doesn’t make sense in the timeline here. First off, I’m convinced that it was Bush who first told Woodward about Plame being a CIA Analyst, in an offhand comment, and later Libby confirmed it. But Woodward learned this bit of info BEFORE Libby told Miller. In fact, Woodward was told sometime between June 15-18, 2003. That’s why he called his source and testified in the first place because he learned it BEFORE June 24, 2003, when Libby told Miller.”</p> <p>I believe the first meeting on this subject between Miller and Libby (there were apparently countless others, above and below the sheets) was on June 23, 2003, at the White House (I think she was on the visitor’s log). Their “breakfast†meeting was on July 8th. </p> <p><a href="http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/Plame_Leak_timeline#June_23">http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki.....ne#June_23</a></p> 115
jbalazs says:
April 10th, 2006 at 8:38 am
FYI, something doesn’t make sense in the timeline here. First off, I’m convinced that it was Bush who first told Woodward about Plame being a CIA Analyst, in an offhand comment, and later Libby confirmed it. But Woodward learned this bit of info BEFORE Libby told Miller. In fact, Woodward was told sometime between June 15-18, 2003. That’s why he called his source and testified in the first place because he learned it BEFORE June 24, 2003, when Libby told Miller.”

I believe the first meeting on this subject between Miller and Libby (there were apparently countless others, above and below the sheets) was on June 23, 2003, at the White House (I think she was on the visitor’s log). Their “breakfast†meeting was on July 8th.

http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki…..ne#June_23

]]> By: TiredFed http://firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62643 TiredFed Mon, 10 Apr 2006 17:06:24 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62643 <p>55 chicago tom says: </p> <p>April 10th, 2006 at 7:39 am<br /> The hell with censure, maybe we should be getting after our Dem leaders about this: Note the line that there is “no pressure†from Congress not to attack Iran. </p> <p>I think he wants to do it so we’ll be at war, again, for the Fall elections.”</p> <p>Right. The republicans learned their lesson with Bush the Elder that you dont want to peak too soon. Always have a war going on during elections. Wouldnt want to switch horses in midstream.</p> 55 chicago tom says:

April 10th, 2006 at 7:39 am
The hell with censure, maybe we should be getting after our Dem leaders about this: Note the line that there is “no pressure†from Congress not to attack Iran.

I think he wants to do it so we’ll be at war, again, for the Fall elections.”

Right. The republicans learned their lesson with Bush the Elder that you dont want to peak too soon. Always have a war going on during elections. Wouldnt want to switch horses in midstream.

]]> By: Rayne http://firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62628 Rayne Mon, 10 Apr 2006 16:57:30 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62628 <p>Stephen (132) — Heh. Good one. Those f*ckers in the PNAC built themselves a damned tax shelter, small though it may be, for the purposes of creating a “long war” with which to line their pockets.</p> <p>Wish I could think like that, be that evil. I’d lying on a beach sipping mojitos, snapping my fingers at the cabana boys instead of slaving over a hot laptop for a few measly bucks.</p> <p>Waiting patiently for the end of tax season to see what you find.</p> Stephen (132) — Heh. Good one. Those f*ckers in the PNAC built themselves a damned tax shelter, small though it may be, for the purposes of creating a “long war” with which to line their pockets.

Wish I could think like that, be that evil. I’d lying on a beach sipping mojitos, snapping my fingers at the cabana boys instead of slaving over a hot laptop for a few measly bucks.

Waiting patiently for the end of tax season to see what you find.

]]> By: Rayne http://firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62618 Rayne Mon, 10 Apr 2006 16:48:14 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62618 <p>Larry (130) — Been waiting for “RICO Suave” to be introduced for a year now…both in the DeLay-Abramoff cases, the Noe-Coingate case, the Cunningham-Wilkes case, the Plame-CIALeak case. Far too many of these have multiple counts of mail and wire fraud involved, and yet no trigger pulled on RICO. What gives?</p> <p>In the case of Plame-CIALeak, I can see the rationale, though; as soon as OVP or WH staff are tagged with RICO, it opens up the floodgates for greymail defense. Fitz will keep it very, VERY narrow for two reasons: the first is to preempt greymail, the second he alluded to in his speaking indictment of Libby. Basically he can get the same punishment with the charges shown rather than go for the whole enchilada (and implying he has the case cold to convict rather than a less firm case with the whole enchilada).</p> <p>And of course the OVP and WH, being drunk with hubris for five years, may do something REALLY stupid during the trial, thereby killing any chance that greymail would work for them. I’m personally hoping for this one; would love to see them do a “Colonel” Jessup on themselves (thanks, Jerry Walters upthread, for the memory jog).</p> Larry (130) — Been waiting for “RICO Suave” to be introduced for a year now…both in the DeLay-Abramoff cases, the Noe-Coingate case, the Cunningham-Wilkes case, the Plame-CIALeak case. Far too many of these have multiple counts of mail and wire fraud involved, and yet no trigger pulled on RICO. What gives?

In the case of Plame-CIALeak, I can see the rationale, though; as soon as OVP or WH staff are tagged with RICO, it opens up the floodgates for greymail defense. Fitz will keep it very, VERY narrow for two reasons: the first is to preempt greymail, the second he alluded to in his speaking indictment of Libby. Basically he can get the same punishment with the charges shown rather than go for the whole enchilada (and implying he has the case cold to convict rather than a less firm case with the whole enchilada).

And of course the OVP and WH, being drunk with hubris for five years, may do something REALLY stupid during the trial, thereby killing any chance that greymail would work for them. I’m personally hoping for this one; would love to see them do a “Colonel” Jessup on themselves (thanks, Jerry Walters upthread, for the memory jog).

]]> By: jim preston http://firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62614 jim preston Mon, 10 Apr 2006 16:44:11 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/04/10/and-the-reason-was/#comment-62614 <p>As I described yesterday, there is an alternative version of the history of the genesis and declassification of an NIE at <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/18/AR2005111802397.html">www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/.....02397.html</a><br /> peace,<br /> jim</p> As I described yesterday, there is an alternative version of the history of the genesis and declassification of an NIE at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/…..02397.html
peace,
jim

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