Question now is how much longer can staff deflect inquiry

[struggle4progress]

Richard W. Stevenson, New York Times
Sunday, November 6, 2005

Washington -- In the hours before the Justice Department informed the White House in late September 2003 that it would investigate the leak of a covert CIA officer's identity, Scott McClellan, the White House press secretary, gave reporters what turned out to be a rare glimpse into President Bush's knowledge of the case.

Bush, he said, "knows" that Karl Rove, his senior adviser, had not been the source of the leak. Pressed on how Bush was certain, McClellan said he was "not going to get into conversations that the president has with advisers," but made no effort to erase the impression that Rove had assured Bush that he had not been involved.

Since then, administration officials and Bush himself have carefully avoided disclosing anything about any involvement the president may have had in the events surrounding the disclosure of the officer's identity or anything about what his aides may have told them about their roles. Citing the continuing investigation and now the pending trial of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, they have declined to comment on almost any aspect of the case. <snip>

Bush was not mentioned in the indictment. But the fact that so many of his aides seem to have been involved in dealing with the issue that eventually led to the leak -- how to rebut or discredit Joseph Wilson, a former diplomat who had challenged the administration's handling of prewar intelligence -- leaves open the question of what the president knew. <snip>

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/06/MNGARFJSD41.DTL

[Skittles]

1. I may be in the minority opinion here

but I honestly beleive bush did not know a thing - I don't think they include him in on anything because, well, come on, bush is a f***ing moron whose sheer stupidity must boggle their evil minds

[struggle4progress]

2. I incline towards the "empty suit" theory: if you're going to go to ..

.. the trouble of appointing somebody, it might as well be an easily manipulated dimwit. But even easily manipulated dimwits can hear what is said nearby and can assent to crimes ...