W.House takes issue with Novak on CIA leak claim

[sabra]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1408997

W.House takes issue with Novak on CIA leak claim

Dec 15, 2005 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House took issue on Thursday with a claim by syndicated columnist Robert Novak that President George W. Bush knows who the source is who leaked the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame.

"I don't know what he's basing it on," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan, declining to comment further.

Novak said Tuesday the public and the news media should be asking Bush about the source rather than reporters who received the information.

"I'm confident the president knows who the source is," Novak told a luncheon in Raleigh, North Carolina, according to the Raleigh News & Observer. "I'd be amazed if he doesn't."

[BlueEyedSon]

1. Is scotty calling novak a liar?

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

6. Or just trying to avoid an Obstruction Of Justice indictment for the Boss?

It sure raised my eyebrow when I heard what Novak had said. :think:

[NYC Liberal]

32. No. He was careful in that.

"I don't know what he's basing it on." He did not outright deny it, which with these people means it's true.

[underpants]

2. No s**t

[displacedtexan]

3. Fight! Fight! Dubya v Novakula!

I'd pay to watch those two go at each other!

[0007]

10. Bob would remove his teeth and gum junior to death

Scott McClellan is just another little Eric Cartman.

[KansDem]

12. Yea! Pretzels at 50 paces! (eom)

[MGKrebs]

19. LOL! Or instead of rock-paper-scissors

they could do pretzels-dentures-bourbon or something.

[A Brand New World]

15. Hopefully it's a fight to the death! Both of them's!!!

n/t

[Cha]

17. I can't believe novakula

would say something like this..what about all the water he's carried for the bushites? Did he decide to drop the bucket?

:popcorn: :popcorn:

And, of course, scatty is going to deny it for smirkface.

[central scrutinizer]

4. What will happen when

the unconscionable force meets the unscrupulous object?

[Andrea]

9. beautiful wordplay! Thanks. n/t

[Al-CIAda]

30. Ha! -nt ...kick

[Straight Shooter]

5. Novak is playing word games. "I'm confident he knows."

"I'd be amazed if he doesn't."

Have Novak and the White House agreed to play another game of red herring? I'm confident bush knows, too. Any person with a modicum of common sense would be "confident."

bush needs to hold a press conference on this issue. *snort* Like that's going to happen.

[Don Claybrook]

7. Notice that McClellan hasn't denied the charge

He's answered with his usual non-answer.

Instead of a yes or no, we get "I don't know what he's basing that on". I think everyone can see their bs from miles away now.

[VegasWolf]

8. Yes, and notice that our vigilant press failed to pick up on that point

also.

:puke:

[Athame]

14. I was composing as you were posting

I hope you are right that everyone can see their bs, but there is not a lot of evidence for that.

[Athame]

11. Non-denial denial

"I don't know what he's basing it on." That is NOT the same as "The president does not know who the source of the leak is." Notice that the headline of the article also does not say "White House denies truth of Novak's CIA leak claim." It merely says that the WH "takes issue" with Novak. These word games are tiresome, but they seem to work. I think that we on DU should take every opportunity to point them out and spread the word.

[Rose Siding]

13. "I don't know what he's basing it on" is taking ISSUE?

What a crock. If McC had been asked to comment on something he really took "issue" with -maybe something like "Rush says bush has wild coke parties in the WH basement"- wouldn't the puffy puppet have catagorically denied that? "Absolutely not"..."That's outrageous"..."Hell, no".

Scotty doesn't want his name on any of Fitz's witness lists.

[joeunderdog]

26. I'll bet Fitzgerald asked what he was basing it on, too.

And I'll bet Snotty McFelon would like to know just how all of that was spelled out, wouldn't he?

[redqueen]

16. They're so good at not answering.

Wish we had REAL journalists who would point out this kind of evasive crap.

[rodeodance]

24. "here we go around the mulberry bush so early in the morning"

[rodeodance]

25. kick

[quiet.american]

18. Sounds like a classic non-denial denial to me. n/t

[BenDavid]

20. Well we all know the media

does not believe bush is a stupid man but he can make the press believe that they are as smart as he is.

[truthisfreedom]

21. "takes issue?" what happened to "blasts","rejects", "plays down", "denies"

and a million other ways the WH shouts "never mind the man behind the curtain!"

[CGrantt57]

22. The White House is denying it....

which can only mean...

IT'S TRUE!!!

Remember: What did the president know, and when did he know it?

If Bush* knew that someone outed a covert CIA agent, and DID NOT report it to the correct authorities, at the very least, it's obstruction of justice.

Same thing that sunk Nixon.

This could get verrrrrryyyyy inteeerrresting.....

:popcorn: :rofl: :popcorn: :rofl:

[rodeodance]

23. "So I say, don't bug me.,,,Bug the president"---I agree, Bush knows and

if he would have been leader who cared about America--he would have demanded the person resign--right when this happened!!



"I'm confident the president knows who the source is," Novak told a luncheon in Raleigh, North Carolina, according to the Raleigh News & Observer. "I'd be amazed if he doesn't."

He added: "So I say, don't bug me. Don't bug (Washington Post reporter) Bob Woodward. Bug the president as to whether he should reveal who the source is."

Novak has repeatedly declined to discuss his role in disclosing Plame's identity. It was his column on July 14, 2003, that outed Plame and triggered an ongoing investigation into the leak.

Plame's cover at the CIA was blown after her husband, former diplomat Joseph Wilson, accused the Bush administration of twisting prewar intelligence to support invading Iraq. Wilson said it was done to undercut his credibility.

[tuvor]

27. Oh, this is getting interesting. K/R so that all might see.

And don't forget your :popcorn:

[Moochy]

28. SCOTTY DOESNT KNOW!!!

SCOTTY DOESNT KNOW!! SCOTTY DOESNT KNOW!!! SCOTTY DOESNT KNOW!! SCOTTY DOESNT KNOW!!!

( OK, sorry for the lame Eurotrip reference, but it seems to be appropriate! :hide: )

[daleo]

29. Another non-denial denial

"I don't know what he's basing it on," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan, declining to comment further.

Classic. Not - it isn't true.

[Maggie_May]

31. Novak has been snubbed by the White House

He also been snubbed by the GOP and he can't stand it.

[BamaBecky]

33. Clowns - both of them

[Nightjock]

34. bush is getting impeached

if that shill Novak is turning on him.

I'm already convinced Cheaney is going down next year thanks to the Plame investigation.

[symbolman]

35. This just proves to me that the Bush admin is powerless

at this point, they can't even Kill Novak, a guy who's half dead as it is..

the Pussy has been defanged and declawed by the Plame affair.

Bush is political toast, useless. Rove too powerless to destroy anything either. Their reign of terror is nearly over, now comes the GOOD part, the downward spiral :)

[zann725]

36. Novak said this how soon after his departure from CNN was announced?

n/t