BREAKING-EMAILS PROOF CHENEY SPEARHEADED EFFORT TO OUT PLAME-JASON LEOPOLD

[kpete]

BREAKING-EMAILS PROOF CHENEY SPEARHEADED EFFORT TO OUT PLAME-JASON LEOPOLD
White House 'Discovers' 250 Emails Related to Plame Leak
By Jason Leopold
t r u t h o u t | Report

Friday 24 February 2006

......................

The emails are said to be explosive, and may prove that Cheney played an active role in the effort to discredit Plame Wilson’s husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, a vocal critic of the Bush administration’s prewar Iraq intelligence, sources close to the investigation said.

Sources close to the probe said the White House “discovered” the emails two weeks ago and turned them over to Fitzgerald last week. The sources added that the emails could prove that Cheney lied to FBI investigators when he was interviewed about the leak in early 2004. Cheney said that he was unaware of any effort to discredit Wilson or unmask his wife’s undercover status to reporters.

............

However, the emails say otherwise, and will show that the vice president spearheaded an effort in March 2003 to attack Wilson’s credibility and used the CIA to dig up information on the former ambassador that could be used against him, sources said.

Some of the emails that were turned over to Fitzgerald contained references to Plame Wilson's identity and CIA status, and developments related to the inability of ground forces to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq after the start of the war in March 2003.

According to sources, the emails also contained suggestions by senior officials in Cheney’s office, and at the National Security Council, on how the White House should respond to what it believed were increasingly destructive comments Wilson had been making about the administration's pre-war Iraq intelligence.

lots more at:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/022406Y.shtml

[Tin Man]

1. Bush is throwing Cheney under the bus - opportunity to handpick successor

"Sources close to the probe said the White House “discovered” the emails two weeks ago and turned them over to Fitzgerald last week."

The sudden 'find' of email implicating Cheney in the Plame investigation tells me that * has finally 'had it' with DeadEye Dick and his runnings amuck.

For Bush, this action represents a 'two fer one' opportunity:
1) By cutting Cheney (the man who established a shadow presidency complete with undeclared unilateral power to declassify) Bush reconsolidates presidential powers into the Office of the President alone.
2) Cheney has become an political albatross to * and 'his legacy'. By dumping DeadEye, * has an opportunity to select a successor to the presidency (Condi, McCain, etc.) who might extend 'the legacy' - a notion which seems to fixate Jr. these days.

[NewJeffCT]

2. I believe you may be correct

If I'm not mistaken, if there is a successor to Cheney and that successor is appointed after the elections in November, that successor would still be eligible to run for president twice.

My guess is either Condi Rice or Rudy Giuliani.

[Ouabache]

3. huh, I think you are confused

if someone suceeded BUSH now they would be eligible to serve out his term and two of their own, Johnson was eligble for two of his own even though he had served out Kennedy's term...of course if someone was appointed VICE-P for Cheney now they would be eligible for two presidential terms, just like Cheney would be if he serves out his VP and would be elected President in his own right.

[NewJeffCT]

4. You're right

I'm confused. If Bush stepped down or resigned after being impeached, then his successor would be eligible for 2 full terms. I think there is a restriction, though, that if the successor serves more than half the term, then he or she is ineligible for two full terms.

[degreesofgray]

35. In what universe

would Cheney's successor win the next presidency (well, besides the one run by Diebold)? If Cheney is forced out over this, the stink on this administration will be so vile that perhaps even the Fox News viewers will notice (by changing the channel, presumably).

[rateyes]

46. The only stipulation is that

a president cannot serve longer than 10 years. If someone replaced BUSH now, then he/she could run for only one extra term.

Now, HERES a question: Could Bill Clinton serve as Vice-president?

[MoJoWorkin]

5. McCain has been sticking with Dubai Dubya on the Port deal--

Could be Mccain has further sold his soul in order to get the nod.

[NewJeffCT]

8. I think we're going to see some sucking up from many

Over the next 8-9 months or so as the Cheney treason scandal widens...

McCain
Giuliani (don't forget, despite his past, he did get the stamp of approval from Pat Robertson)
Condi Rice's name will be prominent, but I think Rove & Bush realize that if they elevated a black woman to that high a post, they'd lose a lot of their white base in the South.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

10. Bush doesn't have the power to throw Cheney anywhere.

Cheney knows where ALL the bodies are buried, and bush only knows what Cheney chooses to tell him.

[sofa king]

45. I concur.

America is now effectively a dictatorship so we're seeing strongman/dictator politics now--not, ahem, unlike the internal politics played out in the Nazi Party from ca. 1936-1944. The timing of the release and my slimeball-sense says that Karl Rove is behind this. He's the only other guy in Washington who has the clout to take on Cheney.

This particular political dynamic is similar to the political fallout within the Luftwaffe as a result of a series of strategic failures in 1940 and 1941. Hermann Goering presided over the Luftwaffe, and wasn't going to take the flak for it--roughly the same position in which George Bush is in now. Goering's two most important underlings at the time were Erhard Milch and Ernst Udet. Udet was the connected old-boy with dirt on his boss, while Milch was the conniving political operator. While Udet and Milch were ostensibly friends, Milch was secretly assembling evidence against Udet, both professional and personal, which eventually led Udet to commit suicide.

Cheney and Rove are in similar positions in Plamegate: both are in unassailable positions of power due to their high standing in the criminal ruling political party; both are responsible in part for the incidents which must be punished; both are in a position where one can save himself by destroying the other.

One of them just showed a flash of vulnerability, and the other is a guy who has exploited every vulnerability he ever spotted.

[Scout1071]

15. Exactly what my first reaction was to this news.

When Cheney shot Whittington, he may have actually shot himself in the foot.

[FreedomAngel82]

28. Or maybe someone else inside?

Maybe someone else inside is fed up with everything and wants to get rid of all of them. Could that be it? :shrug:

[rateyes]

47. Stephen Hadley is my bet there!

He's singing to keep from getting indicted!

[kpete]

6. FROM: Born at the Crest:

So, if Jason's characterization is correct, Fitzgerald now has in his possession hard evidence that Cheney was "spearheading" an effort to go after Wilson. If that included outing his wife, I thinkFitzgerald has found the top element of the conspiracy.

Also, there's that mention again of the use of the CIA to dig up dirt on a political opponent. Now, this is a matter of characterization as well. If Cheney said, "find out everything you can about Wilson so we can assess his judgement on this matter," that's ugly, but okay.

But if Cheney used the CIA to dig up dirt on a political opponent solely to discredit him, we're seeing something clearly Nixonian here, and the use of the CIA for this purpose is seriously illegal.

Also, as an answer to an earlier question, we also learn in this article that Alberto Gonzales, the AG and chief law enforcement officer in the country has also withheld emails from Fitzgerald under executive privilege claims.

Did you ever notice how executive privilege always seems to come up around illegal actions by the white house? I guess it's the president's "privilege" to listen to his subordinates propose illegal activities and then protect them.

http://bornatthecrestoftheempire.blogspot.com/2006/02/plame-gossip-discovered-emails.html

[H2O Man]

7. Yes, indeed ....

http://h2oman.blogspot.com/2005/01/waterman-paper.html

[kpete]

9. Wow

Just poured another cup of coffee, Thanks as usual!

[Patsy Stone]

50. Remember Cheney's numerous visits to the CIA?

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0627-03.htm

Published on Friday, June 27, 2003 by the Hartford Courant

Cheney And The CIA: Not Business As Usual
by Ray McGovern

As though this were normal! I mean the repeated visits Vice President Dick Cheney made to the CIA before the war in Iraq. The visits were, in fact, unprecedented. During my 27-year career at the Central Intelligence Agency, no vice president ever came to us for a working visit.

During the '80s, it was my privilege to brief Vice President George H.W. Bush and other very senior policy-makers every other morning. I went either to the vice president's office or (on weekends) to his home. I am sure it never occurred to him to come to CIA headquarters.

The morning briefings gave us an excellent window on what was uppermost in the minds of those senior officials and helped us refine our tasks of collection and analysis. Thus, there was never any need for policy-makers to visit us. And the very thought of a vice president dropping by to help us with our analysis is extraordinary. We preferred to do that work without the pressure that inevitably comes from policy-makers at the table.

Cheney got into the operational side of intelligence as well. Reports in late 2001 that Iraq had tried to acquire uranium from Niger stirred such intense interest that his office let it be known he wanted them checked out. So, with the CIA as facilitator, a retired U.S. ambassador was dispatched to Niger in February 2002 to investigate. He found nothing to substantiate the report and lots to call it into question. There the matter rested - until last summer, after the Bush administration made the decision for war in Iraq.

[salin]

11. I can't help it - but after reading this I got this crazy image in my head

per the implication of Cheney lying to the FBI. By now it is obviously that the man lies naturally - that lies fall through his lips like water - and that there is almost a gleeful knowledge that most folks hearing him *know* he is lying.

So this image came to mind... the walls have fallen down - his lies are fully known by the public - he is disgraced nationally and upon some public forum (perhaps just after a public resignation event) - he just snaps... you know - psychologically snaps... and starts barking at folks "You knew it was a lie... you *wanted* me to lie... you *liked* how the lies made you feel... you basically *begged me* to keep lying... and now you crucify me for the lies that you wanted to hear?" (a wierd version of the "You can't handle the truth!" moment.)

[nruth]

40. Let's not get hysterical over this.

No-one is going to quit and no-one is going to be impeached. Bush can get along without Cheney about as well as Charlie McCarthy could get along without Edgar Bergen!

[Oilwellian]

12. There's still something missing

“In an abundance of caution,” Fitzgerald's January 23 letter to Libby's defense team states, “we advise you that we have learned that not all email of the Office of the Vice President and the Executive Office of the President for certain time periods in 2003 was preserved through the normal archiving process on the White House computer system.”

Bush claimed he didn't know who outed Plame yet there are emails directly tied to his office that suggest he knew exactly who outed her and why.

[spindrifter]

23. "the Executive Office of the President" sounds like

Rove's connection.

[FreedomAngel82]

30. Oh wow

So Bush lied to Fitzgerald?

[Wilms]

13. bink n/t

[MelissaB]

14. delete

I thought you said "blink". I thought your eyes were always open? :hi:

:rofl:

[Wilms]

20. Me? Nah. I post with my eyes closed half the time!

It's amazing how many thread gems one can find sinking in the unforgiving vortex of GD.

This one had four votes when I "binked" it.

1/2 an hour later, ten.

Enjoy the weekend, M.

Wilms :)

[Shelor]

16. whadda shocker

[Generator]

17. Of course it's Cheney

The question remains, what can and will Fitzgerald do about it? Just how powerful and rotten is Cheney? Clearly it's Cheney. And clearly Rove is guilty too. How long do we have to wait? The country is going down the tubes and and as wonderful and methodical as Fitzgerald is I fear by the time he makes his case it will be too late. Also, I think suggestions of Bush throwing out Cheney are ridiculous. YES, it's the smart and obvious thing to do. Bush is neither smart nor sensible. And Cheney will not be going anywhere unless it's HIS idea. This is the Cheney government with Bush as his Gilligan.

[Kansas Wyatt]

19. Wouldn't Cheney & Bush still have to go through the impeachment process?

Could Fitz charge Cheney & Bush, or would it have to go in front of the impeachment process?

If it does have to go to impeachment, then the chances are still not good with a Republican Congress, even today. However, could this just be sitting there waiting for the right time in an election year to get a fairer judgement in the impeachment process?

[Qutzupalotl]

21. If Cheney's indicted, he would have to resign

like Scooter. If he doesn't, Bush would be under enormous pressure to fire him. His promise of firing anyone "involved" morphed into anyone indicted (I forget the actual words he used). There's not a lot of wiggle room left. No way to spin it.

The bigger question is whether Bush made false statements to investigators. He is bound to have known, IMO.

You are correct that impeachment is remote with a Republican-controlled congress. But that becomes a campaign issue ("The Republicans think lying and treason are just fine!").

If Democrats win back the House, which is looking more and more likely, it's game over for Bush.

So everybody: monitor your elections. They are cornered and desperate, and therefore at their most dangerous.

[Mythsaje]

25. I don't think he CAN fire him...

He doesn't work for Bush, after all. He works for US. (Allegedly).

[Kansas Wyatt]

31. Could Fitz be even a step further ahead?

Both Cheney & Bush would be facing a friendly Congress if impeached today. However, if more of the truth surfaced right before the 06 Election, they both could be facing an unfriendly impeachment process. Especially some more of the truth about what Cheney & Bush knew, did, and abused, regarding our national security. The Republicans would take a direct hit as well, since they have not kept them in check.

Since BushCo wants to play a political game on everything and Fitz, could he be dumping it back in their lap in an election year and setting up a more favorable stage of events?

Oh, and Cheney was elected with Bush, so Bush cannot fire him. But more importantly, is Bush just as involved as Cheney?

[FreedomAngel82]

32. Right

Which is why, after thinking about it, why Bush is doing the UAE deal now. Midterms are coming close and they want to get it now while they're still in control.

[Garbo 2004]

34. VP can be indicted without prior impeachment. As for Pres, it's more

problematic which is why the phrase "unindicted co-conspirator" became popular during Watergate. During Watergate they concluded that the Pres would need to be first impeached and removed from office before he could be indicted. Although that conclusion's arguable since it's not really set in stone that a sitting Pres can't be indicted.

Recall that SCOTUS ruled that a civil proceeding wouldn't impede a sitting President when Clinton was sued. And also reportedly Ken Starr toyed with the idea of indicting Clinton while in office, claiming that the constitution allows for indictment of a sitting president. Of course, that was when they were after Clinton and lying about a BJ was an impeachable offense.

[Independent_Liberal]

18. Kick!

[slaveplanet]

22. The Good , the Bad and the Cheney

wanted in fifteen counties of this state, the condemned standing before us...sitting before us...Tuco Benedicto crashcarto Ricardo Maria Cheney has been found guilty by the third district circuit court of the following crimes: High Treason, misleading a justice of the peace, Destroying public evidence, lying to a federal prosecutor...derailing a country in order to rob the passengers, bank robbery, highway robbery, robbing an unknown number of goverment Offices, breaking cronies out the state prison, using marked cards and loaded dice, promoting prostitution, blackmail, intention of using fodder slaves, and counterfeiting. Crimes against places of high authority include burning down the courthouse and sheriff's office in DC. The accused is also guilty of cattle rustling, horse thievery, supplying Idiots with firearms, unlawful discharge of firearms...misrepresenting himself as an American General, unlawfully drawing salarly and living allowances from the Union Army, and occupying high office while in possesion of a defective heart. For all these crimes the accused has made a full and spontaneous confession. Therefore we condemn him to be hung by the neck until dead....may the lord have mercy on his soul....proceed."

[blue4barb]

24. Was cheney doing damage control a few days ago when

it was reported that he has the power to classify and de-classify documents? I'm thinking he knows what is coming and he is getting his talking points ready for all the corporate media.

[FreedomAngel82]

33. The thing to remember with this group

is they ALWAYS like to frame the debate first. So yes when he was talking to Brit Hume and mentioned this out of nowhere he talked about this. So they're framing the debate first and giving them their talking points so when this does hit.

[lyonn]

41. Yup, talking heads were discussing this issue, declassifying

It looks like what should get bushie in trouble is when he had his "Monica" moment and said something like, if I find out who did this dastardly deed I will take care of it. Then there is the press secretary, Scotty, saying that Rove and Cheney (I think) didn't have anything to do with the outing. The reporters need to repeat all the denials from the White House Press room.

[FreedomAngel82]

26. Wow

I wonder why they turned this information over though. :shrug: They always believe they're above the law so I wonder. :shrug:

[lyonn]

42. The way I figure it is that an e-mail is sent Out

Now, who were they sent to? Surely it wasn't just inter-office stuff. So someone coughed these up for the Court.

[newportdadde]

27. If true Fitzgerald will just end sitting on them for who knows how long.

The whole Plame issue will never fully blossum during the remainder of Bush's term.

[H2O Man]

29. silly n/t

[Sabien]

36. a prediction

Dick Cheney will resign.

King George 2nd will replace Dick with Condi or Jeb.

Condi and/or Jeb will be on the Repub. ticket for prez. in '08

[Lorien]

37. I think there's an "anti-kingmaker" law that won't allow Jeb as a

replacement.

I heard a PBS interview with Dan Quayle's wife last year. She said that Quayle was chosen by Bush Sr. because he reminded him so much of *, and "anti-kingmaker" laws wouldn't allow H.W. to have W as his V.P.

[AntiFascist]

39. Condi may get disgraced enough by '08 not to have a chance...

If Jeb, all hell may break loose!!

[Delphinus]

38. Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please!!!

I was feeling some despair - like nothing was going to happen at all.

The other day, when reading about Rove pulling out all the stops for Ohio, I asked myself why he was still wandering around free. I'm hoping Patrick can get some real good "goods" on him too.

[Nothing Without Hope]

43. **Two other threads on this important Jason Leopold article- LINKS:

I include these because all have valuable comments.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2131403
thread title (2-25-06 LBN): White House 'Discovers’ 250 Emails Related to Plame Leak
Article by Jason Leopold posted at Truthout Friday 24 February 2006. Excerpt: “The emails are said to be explosive, and may prove that Cheney played an active role in the effort to discredit Plame Wilson’s husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, a vocal critic of the Bush administration’s prewar Iraq intelligence, sources close to the investigation said. Sources close to the probe said the White House “discovered” the emails two weeks ago and turned them over to Fitzgerald last week. The sources added that the emails could prove that Cheney lied to FBI investigators when he was interviewed about the leak in early 2004. Cheney said that he was unaware of any effort to discredit Wilson or unmask his wife’s undercover status to reporters.
Hmmm… are they authentic? And is a sign that Cheney is being groomed for dumping and/or scapegoating for all the Bush crimes? “Finding” 250 pages of emails after all this time is obviously a lie.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x192949
thread title (2-25-06 Editorials): White House 'Discovers 250 Emails Related to Plame Leak
Another thread on the Jason Leopold story about the “explosive” 250 pages that implicate Cheney.

And your earlier post about the 250 pages of "discovered" emails, but before the Leopold article was available:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x514621
thread title (2-24-06 GD): FITZGERALD: WH 'RECENTLY LOCATED' 250 PAGES OF EMAILS IN CIA LEAK
Raw Story reporting on an AP story: “ Special Prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald said in a court hearing Friday that the White House "recently located and turned over" 250 pages of emails from the Office of Vice President Dick Cheney, according to an article filed by the Associated Press Friday evening. The AP article focused primarily on the fact that U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton told Vice President's former chief of staff I. Lewis Libby that he was not entitled to know the name of the individual who "outed" CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson. Libby was told, however, that he could have copies of notes he took during 2003 and 2004 while he served as Cheney's chief of staff. … The newly-turned over emails could indicate that not all information had been divulged when the Justice Department first required the information be delivered. It could, however, also signify that Fitzgerald is seeking additional email correspondence based on information he obtained during the probe.”

[stop the bleeding]

48. NWH - I love your posts and just wanted you to know, different people

here at DU have different strengths. Some of us are good at finding news/articles, some of us are good at analyzing/research/summaries, and then there is those who log/track/interlink which really brings it all together.

I just wanted to say thank you for the kind of work you do here at DU it is vital to what we do.:headbang:

[Nothing Without Hope]

55. YVW. I actually much prefer to find articles and try to analyze "the big

picture," but I was so very frustrated with DU's biggest flaw: even the most important threads simply disappear from consciousness after they are on the Greatest Page or Home Page for their day of visibility. After that, often when threads are at their peak of importance, with many valuable links and comments in the Replies, they are GONE in effect. Then the wheel is re-invented over and over and over as the SAME DAMN ARTICLES are posted on all over again as if no one had ever discussed them or worked out what they mean.

I've been keeping my own monthly running "important DU threads" list for some months now as a way of imposing a memory on this monumentally wasteful nonsense. I decided to start posting some of the older threads and collections here so that people would be able to use what already existed rather than re-invent the wheel or go without knowing.

But I don't enjoy doing this. I really don't like "details," but until DU comes up with a workable browsing archive of important rhreads, I think SOME kind of memory is essential. I don't know if I'll keep doing it, because I dislike it and it's draining in time and energy. I'd MUCH rather be finding articles and analyzing.

[Emit]

49. I agree with stb's assessment of your posts! TX ! n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

56. YVW. Please see my reply to stb upthread here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=516442&mesg_id=525714

[Nothing Without Hope]

44. One of the things I would like to know: WHY did Fitz make the statement

about the 250 pages of emails "discovered" by the WH? Clearly, the disclosure was to apply pressure to get what he needs for his investigation - evidence and/or cooperation - but WHAT is he after?

Fitz runs leak-proof investigations, and he only talks when he has good reason to. So you KNOW there's good reason for disclosing this information so publicly. He's after something still bigger.

[Patsy Stone]

52. Excellent question

and observation, Hope! Maybe it's Hadley? He was nervous for a while. Maybe Fitz want him to flip. Maybe it's the "unnamed not in the WH" official? And: WHO IS THAT??? :)

[stop the bleeding]

54. NHW here is your answer(s)

this is from post #80 on H2O Man's thread titled: DC Burning

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=516325&mesg_id=520757

more important than this post at #80 is H2O's response at #92 and then my follow up reply at post# 96.

I hope this helps.

[Loge23]

51. Is the case falling apart?

Fitz (according to a published report 2/24/06 in the WSJ) is due to respond to Libby's request for dismissal. This appears to be a fairly standard defense tactic, but who knows?
More troubling is the US District Judge Walton's consideration of ordering Fitz to turn over a year's worth of documents detailing intelligence briefings of Libby to Cheney. According to the 2/25/06 report, again in the WSJ, this potential move is one that "prosecutors say could derail the case".
A ruling is expected within the next two weeks.

I am well aware of the extreme right-wing bias of the WSJ's editorial board. However, their coverage of the Fitzgerald investigation has, up to now, been quite comprehensive.

[napi21]

53. I'm not worried. It's the job of the judge to review all filings and

rule on them. This judge isn't going to dismiss the case, that request was just another legal maneuver that lawyers use to justify their pay check! As I understand it, the years worth of documents were Libby's own emails and hand written notes. I see no problem with that. Libby wouldn't have access to them anymore since he left the WH.

[H2O Man]

57. Not. n/t