TIME: Hillary Calls Bush's Intel Leak Nixonesque

[DeepModem Mom]

Hillary Calls Bush's Intel Leak Nixonesque
While the President defended his decision to authorize the disclosure of pre-war intelligence, Senator Clinton invoked another President's name in decrying it
By MIKE ALLEN/WASHINGTON

...."After we liberated Iraq, there was questions in people's minds about the basis on which I made statements, in other words, going into Iraq," Bush said at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), in Washington. "So I decided to declassify the NIE for a reason. I wanted people to see what some of those statements were based on. I wanted people to see the truth and thought it made sense for people to see the truth.And that's why I declassified the document."

But Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) had a very different view of things. On Monday she accused Bush of declassifying national security information for political purposes and briefly invoked President Richard Nixon before backing off that explosive analogy. "Obviously it was done not just for political reasons, which sounds kind of everyday Washington politics," she told Al Hunt, Bloomberg's Washington bureau chief. "It was done to protect the decision makers from being held accountable for some of the information they used in the run up to the invasion of Iraq."

Senator Clinton, who faces reelection in November, told Bloomberg News in New York that Bush's authorization of the leaking of information to bolster his case on Iraq "was absolutely not the proper use" of the declassification process, according to a transcript provided by Bloomberg. "Presidents should know not to go too far," she added. "We saw it with Richard Nixon — claiming national security to break into Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office, to break into the Democratic National Committee. Well, here we have a president at least giving an implicit go ahead — "

Interjecting, Hunt asked if the Senator was saying this case was analogous to what Nixon did. "We don't know," she said. "We don't know. But we do know that for political purposes that really use national security to score political points and to protect decisions and decision makers material was declassified." Hunt asked Clinton, "You're convinced that your husband never engaged in any similar leaks." She replied, with a playful fillip, "Not that I'm aware of. Look, everybody leaks."...

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1182036,00.html

[wtmusic]

1. "Absolutely not the proper use..." ooooh Hillary, SIC EM!!!

:rofl:

[lovuian]

2. Nixonesque is that a new word try Benedict Arnoldish

thats more like it Hillary...

[Vexatious Ape]

3. Is this the best she could

come up with. This drooling towel-snapper we have in the white house has approval rating below Nixon's but the Dem's are still biting their tongues. Why?????

[henslee]

4. I'm with you. She never hits it out of the park. Never quite achieves the

right pitch.

[Tarc]

9. What do you want?

For her to stand up and yell "Bush is a dirtbag traitor and he sucks!" ? We're all free here to call Chimpy whatever we like, as their are no repercussions and no one to answer to. But the political realm is a bit different; one makes political attacks with a scalpel, not a hammer.

Certainly there are politicians that go to far in the other direction, i.e. Kerry nuancing himself to death in 2004, but this was a pretty good display from Clinton.... don't come out and literally say "he's a crook", but instead simply point out his crooked behaviour, note the actions of a confirmed crook (Nixon), compare the two, and let the mental image form in the recipient's mind.

[henslee]

15. To be a bit more Feingoldian.

[Politicub]

14. I disagree

Nixon is a disgraced president. And it fits bushy to a T.

[radfringe]

5. still doesn't answer my questions

"It's not a question of whether or not we would like to talk more about it," McClellan replied. "We don't want to do anything that could jeopardize this ongoing investigation and legal proceeding. We want there to be due process. We want there to be a fair hearing. And that's why we made it policy not to comment on it while it continues."

If it was in the PUBLIC INTEREST - why "leak" it and not make it a more OPEN and public announcement such as in a Saturday Radio Address, a press Release or during a White House Press briefing?

And why hide it behind "undisclosed" or "anonymous" sources instead of someone going on record? Why were they afraid/reluctant to go on record?

If you accept the spin of "whatever Bush leaks is legal" (and by extension - Cheney)then leaking of Plame's name was legal -- so if it was all legal - why are we investigating in the first place??

This could all have gone away back in 2003 by Bush declaring it was legal....but he didn't. WHY?

[Marnieworld]

12. This is what I was hoping she had said

Instead she only responds to RW talking points. She accepts their premise and therefore her response is weaker.

These are the proper questions. Of it was to inform why leak it at all anonymously and why didn't you clear up the confusion 3 years ago? They haven't answered this question yet. :grr:

[rodeodance]

6. The analogy to Nixion and his claim to nat. sec. was a good one.

[Demeter]

7. The Most Honest Thing Hillary Ever Said:

"There is a vast Right-wing Conspiracy".

This just might be the first honest thing she's said since then.

[symbolman]

8. Excuse me, but according to this article

Bush "declassified" the NIE AFTER we invaded?

Then WHY was Scooter Libby handing this info OVER to Judith Miller for PUBLICATION? Where did HE get it? THis opens up a whole new can of worms, as I had heard that he declassified it so he could LET LIBBY GIVE IT TO MILLER. Am I hearing wrong?

So the spin is that Bush Declassified the NIE AFTER WE INVADED? AM I getting this right?

[HuffleClaw]

10. "Not that I'm aware of. Look, everybody leaks."

EXPECT to see that as drudge's headline today and the pundits will run with it too. hillary needs to be a lot damn smarter about what she says. keeeerist.

[Supersedeas]

11. for political purposes ought to be attached to every reference to *'s leak

[leesa]

13. No cluless Hillary, it's TREASON. Stop playing these stupid games!

[BigDDem]

16. Everyone pile on Hillary

Way to go!!! Nader in '08
3rd (or 4th or 5th) times the charm!!!!

[noonwitch]

17. And if she says that now, she gets marginalized

Like the people who have made such statements.