Pressure mounts on Cheney over smears against diplomat and 'outing' of CIA

[NNN0LHI]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=517287

Row that began with 'IoS' interview deepens as Vice-President's officials are accused of serious felony
By Andrew Buncombe in Washington
02 May 2004


Vice-President Dick Cheney was under mounting pressure last night after he and his senior officials were accused of smearing a former ambassador and outing his wife as an undercover CIA officer in a deliberate act of revenge hatched inside the White House.

In a row which began with off-the-record comments he made to The Independent on Sunday last year, a former diplomat, Joe Wilson, said Mr Cheney oversaw a group of neo-conservatives who decided to try to damage his reputation. Because of Mr Wilson, the White House was forced to admit that a key claim in President Bush's 2003 State of the Union address - that Iraq was seeking uranium for nuclear weapons - should not have been made.

The controversy over what happened next could prove to be the most damaging yet to engulf the Bush administration. A criminal inquiry is investigating the unveiling in the press of Mr Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, as a CIA agent - a serious felony under US law. If one of Mr Cheney's senior officials were charged, the damage would be huge.

Should the Vice-President be personally implicated - which Mr Wilson believes he is - the outcome would be devastating for both Mr Cheney and Mr Bush as they campaign for re-election.

more

[wryter2000]

1. As usual

We have to read this in a British paper.

On edit: my copy of Wilson's book is in the mail. When he starts to make the circuit of TV shows, maybe this'll pick up some steam.

[mike_c]

2. ok, they've hung themselves....

Now let's see how long it takes for rigor mortis to begin....

[jackstraw45]

3. Beyond the Corporate Media hand.....

Unlike NBC, CBS, Faux, CNN, MSRNC, etc.....

Someday, hopefully, the momentum will swing and these Corporate Media whores will be broken up.


Won't be for a LONG time.

[gristy]

4. Great article

And look at this. In today's SJ Mercury News:

Sun, May. 02, 2004

White House officials went after me and my wife, a CIA operative, after I questioned their claim that Saddam was pursuing nuclear weapons. Here's how they did it, and why it was so important to them.
By Joseph C. Wilson, IV

The Bush administration lied to get us into war, and it lied when it said the war in Iraq was part of the struggle against terrorism.

The invasion of Iraq may have been about other things: among them, the president's vision of bringing the ``Almighty's gift'' of freedom to the Middle East, at the barrel of a gun. But it was not about weapons of mass destruction, and it was not about terrorism. Not until we attacked and gave Al-Qaida the best recruitment tool it ever had.

Americans have been bombarded in recent weeks with overwhelming evidence that our government has bungled its way into the desert equivalent of a quagmire. Former administration loyalists Paul O'Neill and Richard Clarke essentially said so, arguing that the White House was so focused on overthrowing Saddam Hussein that it pushed aside other priorities, including fighting Al-Qaida.

With the publication of my book Friday, I added my voice to that group. I believe "The Politics of Truth" will shine a light on leaders who refuse even to entertain information that could challenge their assumptions and keep them from making grave errors of judgment. Like invading Iraq.

MORE: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/editorial/8572254.htm?1c

[enough]

7. The same op-ed by Wilson appeared in today's Philadelphia Inquirer (nt)

[Occulus]

10. link doesn't work for me n/t

[crossroads]

24. It does for me - but you have to register to read it!

[madrchsod]

5. this puts alot of pressure

on the grand jury investigation that will be the moab on the bush whitehouse..it would have been really simple if the whitehouse would have fired some underlings for being over zealous and the whole thing would have been forgotten but they thought because they are the law no one would challenge them. they were wrong and they will pay the price. didn`t bush say he was going to fire people???

what is the anthrax killer doing right now?

[glitch]

6. last line

"Serialisation of 'The Politics of Truth' begins in 'The Independent' tomorrow"

Can't wait! Thanks for posting.

[JoFerret]

8. It should be a much bigger story here

...embarassing it has to be a foreign newspaper. But - the media loves to report on itself so it will make its way.

[Just Me]

13. "The Politics of Truth"!!!! A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!

That gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling all over!!! :bounce:

[cliss]

9. Interesting....Mr. Wilson has not given up yet.

I know he dropped a minor bomb on the White House a few months ago when that whole sordid incident about the Niger uranium incident blew up. Those were sweaty times for the administration. Joe Wilson was eloquent, classy, and dangerous. He named names. He narrowed the search down to just a few people who could have done it.

I think Karl Rove gained 10 pounds, just from nervous eating over the whole mess. There was a photo-op of Bush getting on a plane. He was waving his usual beauty-queen wave. He was so surprised, because not a single camera was pointed at him. They were all focused dead center on Rove. He looked humiliated and chubby.

The river of time moves slowly forward, with new news stories crowding out even "hot" old ones. This one got moved to the back burner. The administration breathed a sigh of relief.

But -- like dryrot by the toilet, some things keep growing even in the dark. Apparently this one has too.

I will be most interested to see how this plays out.

The only thing I can say for certainty is that, there has been a virtual tidal wave of people and books who have courageously spoken out against this administration. If the Average Joe chooses not to hear, it's his own fault.

[hannah]

19. Joe Wilson

I clapped my hands while watching MTP today. I haven't been able to watch any of these shows since idiot boy was put into office. Joe Wilson was so awesome. I hope everyone, Please repeat what he said This is treason!

[0007]

25. Treason it is for sure - but with this organized crime family with

juice with the Supreme Court it appears they can't lose and everything goes their way as usual.

I hope Cheney is frog marched out of office.

[Just Me]

22. You MUST be a writer,...

,...capturing such essence of life. I relish the talent of participants in this forum. It blows me away!!!

Rove is like an infinitely sore, yet "winning", loser, doncha' think? He never "wins", but gets so much attention and reward by being an ass. Amazing that our country "produces" such human beings.

[crossroads]

26. Mushrooming...

This story will not die unfortunately for Bush and his Beasties...
It was shoved into the darkness of the cellar and in the midst of a lot of BS, it has now MUSHROOMED!!!

[goclark]

28. The Sopranos Are Getting In Deep

The Sopranos( The Three Tenors- Bush/Chaney/Rowe) are going to have to hit some high notes in order to stay out of the mud on all of this information.

:nopity:

I bet they are having a real hard time sleeping at night.

[goclark]

29. The Sopranos Are Getting In Deep

The Sopranos( The Three Tenors- Bush/Chaney/Rowe) are going to have to hit some high notes in order to stay out of the mud on all of this information.

:nopity:

I bet they are having a real hard time sleeping at night.

[0007]

33. If the average Joe isn't outraged he's not paying attention!

[IndianaGreen]

11. "Pressure"? The sob should be impeached and prosecuted!

It is clear that Scooter Libby was involved in the outing of the NOC agent, and it is also reasonable to believe that Scooter would not have acted without the approval of his boss, Dick Cheney.

[bluedeminredstate]

15. It's amazing, though

with the evidence pointing toward the VP's office, Chimp lovers across America will say that Joe Wilson is only doing this for the money. Like a best seller will give him and his wife their lives back...

:eyes:

[susu369]

16. Doncha know Wilson has a political agenda?

that's what Tim "GE" Russert implied this morning..mouthing something about Wilson appearing to be partisan.

Damn, I just don't understand why Wilson would not be backing bu$h* and his cabal rather than Kerry.

/sarcasm

[VolcanoJen]

17. And Wilson's response was, as usual, fantastic.

I'm paraphrasing, but when Russert read the "frog march" comment, and accused Wilson of being a partisan Democrat who voted for Gore in 2000 and who now supports John Kerry, Wilson responded that he is an American, he is entitled to maintain his own political beliefs, and that, damn straight, he's supporting and voting for Kerry.

He is so classy, so unapologetic. There are few Washington-types that I admire more.

[jdj]

21. yes but

I think he should have looked Tim Russert right in the eye and said "and look I was correct in my political leanings, too, in case you haven't noticed this mess we're in in Iraq."

Or maybe he should have said "well if I was partisan before, I sure as hell am twice as partisan now that they put my wife's life in danger, not to mention the security of this country."

It's so weird how we get put on the defensive over things that don't need to be defended.

[Just Me]

23. Yup. SOME Americans still have their hearts in their own hands,...

,...rather than closing their hearts down to sell their souls.

There are still "principled" Americans in this nation,...who refuse to sell their dignity and worth to some fascist freaks.

[Ernesto]

12. This gets better every day!

Mr. Wilson is over due for the talk show circuit. I expect we'll be hearing from him this coming week.

[BadGimp]

14. fat chance

Chenney is untouchable.

[Malva Zebrina]

18. Oh really?

Isn't that amusing. It is simply an amusing matter.

and now, what fund raiser is Cheney next scheduled for? What amount of millions of dollars will he raise for the idiot who is his puppet while he successfully avoids all scandal--mostly because the media is willing to let him.

We are a nation of crooks and liars.

[skip fox]

20. Scooter Libby named in DU pages last fall,

reposted last week:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=47871

[Just Me]

27. Anyone really wanna' want to see this SH*T meet fan?

I would say that all those who care about humanity are embracing a great deal of enthusiasm concerning another neocon turd being revealed.

Doncha' think *LOL*!!!! :bounce:

THE POLITICS OF TRUTH!!!!! Embrace THAT!!! :hug:

[SayitAintSo]

34. I'm ready for a really stinky one to be laid on the Whitehouse steps ..

On fire .... and someone ...rings the doorbell and runs ....

Oh wait .... this might just be it !!!!!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

<one can always hope>

[lanlady]

30. wishful thinking?

Pressure is mounting on Cheney? From where? From who? The DOJ investigation of this is a complete farce and we all know it. It's all been covered up quite nicely, thank you very much, despite the Wilson book. I think the British press is engaging in hyperbole again. I wish it were otherwise but we've seen this time and again.

[MaineDem]

31. I disagree with you

I don't think the investigation is a farce. Even Ambassador Wilson himself has said that Kevin Fitzgerald (I think I got the name right), as a career government employee, will be thorough and fair. If Wilson trusts him to do a good job that's good enough for me.

The US press has been slow on this but I think what we've seen so far is just a tip of the iceberg.

I just don't understand why the question of "Who did it" is not asked on Crossfire every night that Novak is on. The fact that CNN keeps him around amazes me.

[rvgwinn]

32. ratings

For all the information coming out about this administration, the books, the people talking etc,etc,etc, why does his ratings stay the same or go up?? Why is there not more people calling for their resignation? Why is there not more outrage? Clinton got mixed up with 1 fluzzy and they wanted his head. Don't understand????

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

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[Moderator]

36. kick

:kick: