WP to name SOTU culprit(patsy)

[indictrichardperle]

WP website to name a Mr Joseph, NSC deputy, as the person who insisted on the Niger Uranium forgery being in the SOTU speech.

MSNBC reports WH may invoke executive privelige, to block his senate testimony.

(this is a patsy/fall guy to insulate Cheney and Scooter Libby)

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Watergate II

Executive Priviledge, I knew it was comming

[dflprincess]

17. My heart leapt with joy when I heard those 2 little words

on the evening news tonight.

"Execuitve Priviledge" the last refuge of scoundrels.

[priller]

26. After religion and patriotism

Executive priviledge is the very last refuge. And notice how Shrubby hides behind all three!

[lanlady]

2. the scoop on Joseph

He's a nuke industry turd, probably making a profit off his gov't "service:"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=58006&mesg_id=58006&page=

[I AM SPARTACUS]

3. Robert Joseph, Senior Director for Proliferation Strategy...???

http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/nsc.htm#joseph

Senior Director for Proliferation Strategy, Counterproliferation and Homeland Defense
ROBERT JOSEPH

National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice announced February 22 the appointment of Robert G. Joseph as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Proliferation Strategy, Counterproliferation and Homeland Defense, effective January 22, 2001.

Prior to joining the National Security Council staff, Dr. Joseph served as a Professor of National Security Studies and Director of the Center for Counterproliferation Research at the National Defense University. In the previous Bush Administration, he held the positions of U.S. Commissioner to the Standing Consultative Commission (ABM Treaty) and Ambassador to the U.S.-Russian Consultative Commission on Nuclear Testing. In the Reagan Administration, he held several positions within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, including Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy.

Dr. Joseph has taught at Carleton College and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and an M.A. from the University of Chicago.

[bluestateguy]

4. Hrmph!!!

I would expect them to name some 19 year old intern in the speechwriting shop, as that person would be easy to hang out to dry. Or better yet, they could blame "Clinton holdovers" in the State Department or the NSC. If Clinton holdovers are so bad why are they still keeping them on the payroll after 2 years anyway?

[indictrichardperle]

6. If the Democrats

dont stand up to a Water-Gate level executive privelidge stunt......i will switch to the Green Party, permanently.

This stone-walling will backfire, and people will hold rallies and protests.

Joseph is not the guy, and if he testifies, that will implicate others.

[DagmarK]

5. sure, he can claim exec privilege, if he so chooses......

NO PROBLEMO.....

Problem is.....when America wants answers.....they want answers. A "no comment" contitutes an answer! And it isn't the right one!

What arrogant bastards.

[starroute]

7. Talking Points Memo has some comments on this

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/july0303.html#071703324pm

Quoting The Nelson Report, he says:

"The implications of Tenet's counterattack are potentially huge: while Joseph is a career professional, his highly ideological approach to arms control, and refusal to countenance compromise, has made him a major political player by default, sources confirmed as early as 2002, due to his central role in blocking negotiations with North Korea. . . . but no career professional could have had such impact on the decision-making process if he didn't receive the backing of his political masters. Tenet, who came to the CIA from Capitol Hill, thus knew exactly what he was doing when he threw Joseph's name out to the Senators yesterday."

[indictrichardperle]

10. The obvious superior is

Chevron Condi, but that isnt justice. She is an absolute dimwit, moron, just like Junior.

Bunker Dick and the OSP.....that is where the truth lies. Scooter Libby is going to be indicted first, then its .......the sneering Oilmeister.

Thats a great point, Tenet may be playing a very brilliant game of chess. This all inter-twines with the assumption, that Democrats and Congress will follow the constitution and be loyal americans.

[lanlady]

14. Condi's no dimwit

But she's a pure political creature, and a lackey of the Bush cabal.

[indictrichardperle]

16. She is so smart

She went on the record with a damning self-incriminating lie, last week regarding the Niger Forgery.....she is an absolute imbecile.

[ward919]

8. And we shouldn't let Bush off the hook on the OTHER BIG LIE

That Saddam refused to let the inspectors in.
Who was responsible for that doozie?
Call Chris and Wolf and ask that question!

[wryter2000]

9. Executive Privilege

This isn't the first time the question of executive privilege came up. After Cheney was asked for the first time to release the list of his energy advisers, Bush tried claiming that executive privilege covered his entire cabinet. I don't think it's going to apply to some under-secretary.

As far as I know, executive privilege didn't even exist before Nixon made it up. There was a very interesting SCOTUS case, US v. Nixon, in which the Court ruled that there was such a thing as executive privilege, but it was trumped by a criminal investigation (probably the Watergate burglary). So, Nixon was ordered to release whatever it was...probably the oval office tapes.

Sadly, we have a different Supreme Court now. But I don't think executive privilege is going to fly on its first try from the WH. At least, I hope not.

Time for more letters to Congress

[JohnOneillsMemory]

24. Hell, SCOTUS believes in the 'Divine Right of Kings!'

Was it Scalia who, when giving a paid-for speech to some organization, said that he found democracy "frustrating" because the ignorant masses sometimes chose unwisely AGAINST GOD'S WILL?!?!?!?!
Yes, people. A supreme court justice actually said this out loud to witnesses in the 21st century. GGHHHHH!!!!! I remember reading the transcript a few months ago and trembling for a few hours so now I have to go search this up and print it out so I can prove to conservative friends that the USA is being run by the SPANISH INQUISITION.

[Walt Starr]

11. Ahhh, so Tenet fell on his sword for this guy

RIIIIIIGGGHHHHTTT!

I believe that about as much as I believe Ann Coulter is overweight.

[jmcgowanjm]

12. Joseph in charge of weaponization of space

From Xymphora:

From the Independent:

"Quite how the claim entered the speech remains unclear. Reports yesterday suggested the decision was taken after a conversation between Robert Joseph, a nuclear proliferation expert at the national security council, and Alan Foley, a CIA official with similar expertise. Exactly what the two men said to each other is unknown. Some unnamed administration officials said Mr Joseph had pressured the CIA man to authorise the claim, while others said he had done no such thing."
Robert Joseph?! From the New York Times:

"Before the speech, the crucial conversations between the C.I.A and White House over whether to include the African reference in the State of the Union address were held between Robert G. Joseph, a nuclear proliferation expert at the National Security Council.

[jmcgowanjm]

15. Cheney and Joseph are an item

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/6076139.htm

Among the most vocal proponents of publicizing the alleged Niger connection, two senior officials said, were Cheney and officials in the office of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. The effort was led by Robert G. Joseph, the top National Security Council staff official on nuclear proliferation, the officials said.

[tjdee]

13. He bullied Condi, Dick, etc......SURE.

Some no-name deputy went over the DIRECTOR of the CIA, over the heads of his boss, the Vice President, and wittle Georgie himself with the pen and the glasses on, to put this in there?

And either a)nobody checked/questioned that or b)they let this lower level guy tromp all over them?

Really?

This defies logic. They are beyond ridiculous.

[indictrichardperle]

19. Sidney Blumenthal kicking Ass on MSNBC

Way to go Sid......

He says he knows from experience, Condi Rice went over the SOTU speech, and Cheney visited the CIA at least three times.....

He is nailing the case down tight....ah the irony

:evilgrin:

[David Zephyr]

18. The SCOTUS Was Sitting 100 Feet From Bush During SOTU

Don't forget this, friends. At least six of them will squash his "Executive Privilege" claim.

Bush: No one has the right to know the name of my ventriloquist. No one! I assert this right.

--DZ

[Heddi]

20. is there a link for this?

where is this coming from?

[indictrichardperle]

21. WP website

will put this up tonight, it will be in tomorrow's post. The WP journalist broke this on MSNBC a couple of hours ago. So, there should be a link in a couple of hours....

[Jolene]

22. He denies it

NSC Special Assistant to the President Robert Joseph denied through a spokesman that he said it was O.K. to use the line {in the State of the Union about Iraq, uranium and Africa} and as long as it was sourced to British intelligence. "There was a debate about whether to cite it on our own intelligence," another official told TIME. "But once the U.K. made it public, we felt comfortable citing what they had learned." TIME writes, "And so the line went in. While some argued last week that the fight should have been kicked upstairs to {NSC adviser Condoleeza} Rice for adjudication, White House officials claim that it never was."

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,464424,00.html

[indictrichardperle]

23. Tenet named a WH official in testimony to the Senate

WP will fill in the details tonight.

So the WH is calling Tenet a liar? How in the hell can they not have hearings?

[snippy]

25. "There was a debate . . . . But . . . we felt comfortable citing { it }."

So who participated in the debate? And who is "we"?

[Star]

27. That article's from July13

before Tenet had his hearing. So, Joseph had already denied it.

This is like watching a tennis match between the CIA and the WH.