VP Cheney Loses in Federal Court!

[H2O Man]

Federal District Court Judge Emmett G. Sullivan ruled that the FBI must reveal the majority of the notes taken from the 2004 interview with Dick Cheney, in which the vice president discussed his role in the Plame Scandal. This ruling, in response to a suit filed by CREW this summer, allows for sections of the interview that had to do with national security could be withheld. More troubling, the parts about the communications between Cheney and President Bush will also be kept secret.

Still, CREW will apparently get 67 pages of Patrick Fitzgerald’s interview with Dick Cheney. While both the Bush and Obama administrations opposed CREW’s request, claiming a wide-range of potential problems could result from the release, Judge Sullivan noted that there is no on-going investigation, and hence no grounds to deny the FOI request.

Judge Sullivan wrote that the arguments against the released demanded the court to create a new FOI exception, something he refused to do. This should deflate any attempts to appeal his ruling. Judge Sullivan ordered that the records must be released by October 9.

[H2O Man]

1. The Court Order:

Hope this link works:

http://www.citizensforethics.org/files/20091001%20-%20S...

[grantcart]

36. tks

[Hepburn]

50. Thank you, H20....

...I love to read the actual orders and rulings in cases. So the links are much appreciated.

KNR...!

[H2O Man]

60. Did you read

the MO, in post #4? I think it's impressive. I don't see it being overturned, at least not in a manner based upon law. Of course, the USSC can't be trusted to not step outside of the law, to give George and Dick a hand.

[Solomon]

2. Judge Sullivan is a great friend of mine.

Conscientious man of integrity there.

[H2O Man]

6. Judge Sullivan

put them in check. Very impressive memorandum opinion. Hard to see it being overturned, in my opinion. What do you think?

[HughMoran]

3. Good stuff - when can we fire up the gallows?

[H2O Man]

8. It should convince

the "average citizen" that VP Cheney needs to face his day in court.

[H2O Man]

4. Memorandum Opinion:

http://www.citizensforethics.org/files/20091001%20-%20S...

[The Backlash Cometh]

63. This becomes more relevant each day, in light of the nuclear plant

in Iran. Since that was what Valerie Plame was investigating.

Do you remember what happened years after she was outed? During the Bush Administration it was "discovered" that Iran was working towards the nuclear option, and someone was given tremendous credit for the finding. Who was it? Do you remember?

At that time, only the Liberal blogs knew enough to figure out that what they were talking about was the result of Plame and Brewster Jenning's investigations.

[berni_mccoy]

5. Now Americans will see what the Bush Regime was really doing to them.

[H2O Man]

9. Right.

And it sure sure as hell make it clear that the Bush/Cheney administration held the concepts of democracy and the rule of law in utter contempt.

[mod mom]

56. Unfortunately most Americans are tuned in to what ever the latest stupid tv hit is and

doesn't pay attention.

I surround my self w people who care enough to follow what has been going on and most are active at least in some way. It wasn't until I joined face book that I realized the depth of ignorance and apathy of some. I have a few fb friends from HS and I'm just waiting till they de-friend me for posting truthful relevant material that goes against what they want to believe.

[Echo In Light]

7. K&R

[H2O Man]

10. Thank you!

A lot of us "old-timers" have been waiting for this a long time. Thanks, CREW, for this victory!

[redqueen]

11. Finally...

And the release date is my birthday, too. Bonus.

[goclark]

12. Happy Birthday! I would have loved to see Cheney's face when

he got the News!

[H2O Man]

18. I'd bet

he had a sneer on his nasty mug.

[the blues]

47. But how could you tell?

[redqueen]

30. Hahahahaha

Oh, to be a fly on the wall... imagine the curse-laden tirade!

And thanks for the early birthday wishes... sorry but I was referring to the release date, not today. Oops.

[H2O Man]

16. I can think of

another person who I like a lot, who was born on that day. I think he played in a group called Johnie and the Moon Dogs. It's only appropriate that we celebrate the two of your birthday with these documents!

One Edit: Happy Birthday! I was thinking you meant 10-9. My error.

[redqueen]

25. Hah, yes...

haven't heard that name in a while.

[H2O Man]

27. Now I am confused.

I frequently am, of course.

Is your birthday today, or 10-9? (Or both?)

[redqueen]

29. I meant the release date... the 9th.

I'm gonna go edit that now. OOPS!

[peace frog]

55. John Lennon's birthday

is Oct 9. RIP, John.

[H2O Man]

59. Yep.

He played with the Moon Dogs, and a couple other bands. His music remains my favorite.

[NYC_SKP]

24. You and Gandhi?! YAY!

Happy Birthday to Both of You!!!

[redqueen]

28. Sorry, no I meant the release date.

But thanks just the same.

[cbdo2007]

13. We'll never see these notes.

[Echo In Light]

14. Tough to not get that feeling about it

[H2O Man]

19. It's possible.

There are certainly folks who do not want them to see the light of day. CREW pushed the case in a manner that should also result in the release of not only the notes on the Cheney interview, but also Rove's and Rice's.

I put nothing beyond some of the injustices on the USSC. But I do not think they have the numbers to stop this.

[cbdo2007]

26. Nope...they'll destroy them first....or black out literally everything

I HOPE they prove me wrong.

But stuff like this keeps getting our hopes up and then some asshole comes along and will say they don't have to show the notes and we're back to square one.

[H2O Man]

32. Considering the vast amount

of documentation that "disappeared" in late 2003, it would be hard to deny the possibility that there are people who would like to keep this information hidden. And that includes those who would be willing to destroy the records. However, there are multiple copies, kept in several places, so it would be impossible to destroy almost all copies, without a large, coordinated effort that would bring too much attention.

I'm more concerned about the USSC.

[Echo In Light]

39. Exactly

[SalviaBlue]

15. Good! Thanks for posting. rec. eom

[H2O Man]

20. The release of these

documents should be interesting. I suspect that we will see the gang from the infamous DU Plame Threads gathering here shortly.

[Me.]

17. What I've Always Wondered Is

If Cheney, in his not under oath testimony, told any form of truth or did he lie his a$$ off right to Fitz's face. I also wonder, with all the redactions, if we'll be able to tell.

[H2O Man]

22. Both.

I am familiar enough with some of the contents to say that Cheney mixed some truth with some purposeful lies. Scooter covered for him, as we know.

[gratuitous]

21. Was Cheney lying to federal investigators?

I believe that has become a crime again since the Bush administration expired.

Without reading the opinion, federal judges are highly reluctant to write new laws based on what Congress "meant" or "should have" written into the law. It's part and parcel with the right wing yammering about "activist" judges who go beyond the black letter of the law. So we get hare-brained rulings like the Ledbetter case which imposed a statute of limitations on employment discrimination strictly by the letter of the law, rather then when the plaintiff could have reasonably discovered she was being discriminated against. In other words, if an employer could hide its wrongdoing for six months, the employee was screwed forever.

Now repressives want judges to carve out new exceptions in the letter of the law to suit them. Well too fucking bad, and I hope Cheney is forced to choose between incarceration and skipping his meds for a day and slipping away to Satan's waiting arms. He'll have much to answer for.

[H2O Man]

23. Well said.

I agree, 100%.

If you or I worked for a company, stole a sum of money, lied to investigators, and retired without having been charged, the fact that we retired should not be a defense against future prosecution. Cheney stole much more than money, and not only from the Wilson family.

[bleever]

31. A week from today!

Now there's something to look forward to. Can't wait.

[H2O Man]

33. I am very interested

in the Rice documents, too. Though this will not produce them, it opens the way.

[bleever]

49. She had previously managed to keep her name out of this.

But as National Security Adviser, her job description would seem to have included not letting intelligence networks get blown up for childish, vengeful reasons.

[goclark]

34. Hurry Release Date ~ bet they won't interview Darth

on CNN or any channel.

[H2O Man]

37. Right.

Cheney wants to keep this as low-key as possible. The corporate media will not go into any great detail about the topic.

[NoSheep]

35. Let's hope this is only the first of many.

[H2O Man]

38. I think that

Rove and Rice's documents per their interviews will follow.

[myrna minx]

40. This is excellent news. K&R n/t

[Vidar]

41. K&R

[annabanana]

42. This is good news..

It should be very very interesting.

[bluesmail]

43. K&R It's been a long time since I've been this optimistic! eom

[malaise]

44. This is huge

K & R

[spanone]

45. absolutely kicked and nominated!!!!!

[vinylsolution]

46. The net is closing in on you, Dick....

.... you can't run away for much longer.

[Major Hogwash]

48. Maybe he'll go on Faux Snooze and talk about it with Bill O'Reilly

But, I doubt it.

Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Iwillnevergiveup]

51. If I shot my friend-in-the-face Dick-Cheney

slept well during his 8 years of criminal activity, I bet he's losing sleep now. Thankfully, he's been off the TV circuit pretty much. Hmmmmm....whatta coincidence.

[Lugnut]

52. K&R n/t

[BluDemocratGirl]

53. GWB and Cheney had done a lot of underhanded shit!

No wonder Cheney was so quiet during his vice-presidency!

[Enthusiast]

54. I have no hope that

this will reveal much of anything. The incriminating parts have either been destroyed or are not available to see. Same old shit, just like with Nixon. They only got to see EVERYTHING when it was Clinton being investigated. Same old two tiered justice system.

[KharmaTrain]

57. So Now What?

Kudos to CREW for prevailing on the FOIA. While we don't get to see the real strings being pulled, hopefully there's enough in that interview to indicate who was calling the shots and outted Ms. Plame.

That said, now what? The Wilsons case is colder than Chicago's Olympic bid...unless someone knows something they're not sharing with the class.

Here's hoping this is another step closer to getting the accountability on the criminality of the boooosh years.

[H2O Man]

58. The information in the documents

was denied to members of the House, when Bush-Cheney were in office. If we had enough honest and decent Representatives, these documents could be used in a referral to the DoJ, calling for the criminal prosecution of Cheney. Of course, this is extremely unlikely to happen.

I am not sure why CREW filed this their case in August, though by asking for a summary judgement, I have a feeling that it is for more than simply the ability to say, "Told ya so." I know that they are focused on the interviews with several other Cheney administration officials, including Condi Rice. I have a lot more respect for CREW, than for government officials.

[KharmaTrain]

61. That's The Pisser...

Thank you for all you contribute here. I ask the question as we both know Cheney was complicit...directing the Plame outting from the moments he wrote his "notes" in the margin of Joe Wilson's article (wife??). Yes, in a fair and just world that material would be enough to start Congressional and DOJ investigation but we lived in a near dictatorship with a perverted justice system. The lack of appetite of AG Holder signals to me he's both gunshy (memories of Elian Gonzalez) and how bad off the department still must be.

My inner hopes is this testimony is passed along to the World Court, but I even see them as lacking both the fortitude and the interest in investigating obvious war crimes.

Oh well...at least we're one step closer to bringing the darkness into the light. Proves what we suspected...little consolation for all the destruction that was done.

Cheers...

[pleah]

62. K&R

[eauclaireliberal]

64. Cheney's been warming up his paper shredder I'm sure

nt

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

65. Well

The Aspens are turning.

[Swamp Rat]

66. kick