Rove Testifies in CIA Leak Investigation

Bob Novak did a good thing by publishing his column explaining why Joe Wilson, enemy of George W. Bush, went to Niger. We would do well to remember it.

21 posted on 10/15/2004 3:08:27 PM PDT by cyncooper (And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm)

Not only that, but what Wilson did there...sitting by the pool, drinking minty-tea or whatever the heck, and talking with a bunch of Niger stooges. The real controversy here is that Wilson was sent at all, and that we spend taxpayer's money for him to kick back and do a half-assed job of investigation.

22 posted on 10/15/2004 3:11:15 PM PDT by My2Cents (http://www.conservativesforbush.com)

Thanks for the ping. I heard the Rove story on Fox and came into the office for a few minutes to search for the threads I knew would be here.

Thanks for the Cooper (no relation, LOL) update. I'll be back to the computer shortly to get caught up.

23 posted on 10/15/2004 3:12:10 PM PDT by cyncooper (And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm)

To: Shermy; Gothmog

Ping to Plame (or whatever Fitzgerald is really looking into)

24 posted on 10/15/2004 3:14:51 PM PDT by cyncooper (And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm)

Excuse me, but isn't the ultimate leaker Bob Novak?

Yes, but the media never get held to account for either their deliberate or accidental errors. Isn't is amazing how the 1st Amendment is interpreted either to strongly restrict or strongly permit, depending on the clause. Yet the language is so simple and clear for each clause. Here it is, partially diagrammed:

Congress shall make no law
-->respecting an establishment of religion,
----->or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or
-->abridging the freedom of
----->speech, or of
----->the press, or
----->the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to
----->petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The most narrow interpretation of "free exercise" clause has been imposed by the courts over the last 40 years or so. As a consequence, in the name of not offending anyone, the free exercise of religion has been all but banished in the public area.

The freedom of speech clause has been broadly interpreted to include pornography and certain kinds of vile actions (such as flag burning). But other kinds are severely restricted (as political speech in McCain-Feingold).

The freedom of the press clause is by far the most broadly interpreted, to the point where our libel and slander laws are all but moridbund. As a consequence, the media is the one type of business whose defective products are virtually beyond the reach of civil and criminal law.

25 posted on 10/15/2004 3:23:57 PM PDT by Wolfstar (John Kerry may trust the enemies of America, but the American people just can't trust John Kerry.)

Rove appeared before the grand jury PING.

26 posted on 10/15/2004 3:34:14 PM PDT by cyncooper (And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm)

What do you figure Novak did "wrong"?

27 posted on 10/15/2004 3:34:44 PM PDT by cyncooper (And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm)

To: cyncooper; Wolfstar; My2Cents

The investigation is not only looking into the Novak "leak".

It's also looking into the leaks to Newsday by "intelligence" officials, and the later leak of the State Department memo which recounted Plame involvement in getting Agent Mint Tea the Niger gig.

28 posted on 10/15/2004 3:37:52 PM PDT by Shermy

Exactly. When the pronouncement from Ashcroft was made that they would not tolerate leaking of classified information, many assumed he meant Plame and her supposed undercover role. It appears to be much broader. Perhaps Plame and Wilson are involved in the leaking of information (and I'm not talking about her "name").

29 posted on 10/15/2004 3:45:17 PM PDT by cyncooper (And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm)

Why don't they drag Wilson and this Plame woman before the grand jury?

30 posted on 10/15/2004 3:46:45 PM PDT by My2Cents (http://www.conservativesforbush.com)

I wonder how Wilson's tea-sipping Niger holiday at government expense, written about in a national magazine, squares with national security laws?

31 posted on 10/15/2004 3:50:02 PM PDT by My2Cents (http://www.conservativesforbush.com)

I do not know if Novak did anything wrong. However, the system is rigged to make sure you and I will never know. Unless the source comes forward or is discovered:

(1) There is no way to determine if he made up his source.

(2) There is no way to determine if his source is a real live human being, as opposed to, say, a note or memo he surreptiously peeked at, lifted info from, and attributed to an anonymouse source.

(3) The U.S. government is spending umpteen millions of our tax dollars digging into something that Novak should own up to. If he doesn't want to reveal the name, then he should at least testify as to:

Whether or not the source is a person vs., say, a memo,
Where the person works (if he knows),
If a person, then explain the context in which the info was revealed. For example, did Novak lie to the source to get him/her to reveal more than might otherwise have been the case.

All of the above matters, and should not be off limits in a legal proceeding, because none of it abridges freedom of the press. It merely serves to hold the media accountable for its products, just like very other business is so held.

32 posted on 10/15/2004 3:51:00 PM PDT by Wolfstar (John Kerry may trust the enemies of America, but the American people just can't trust John Kerry.)

That assumes the wrongdoing being investigated was someone telling Novak that Wilson's wife recommended him for the Niger trip.

33 posted on 10/15/2004 3:54:26 PM PDT by cyncooper (And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm)

No, actually, I don't assume any wrongdoing whatsoever. In fact, I don't even assume Novak's source was a human being. Or, if there was a human source, that the person (or persons) "leaked" to Novak deliberately, versus merely responding to loaded questions posed by Novak. It is a common interrogatory technique to make the person being questioned think that you know more than you actually do. A person is more likely to volunteer what he thinks is additional information if they think you already know most of the story anyway.

In other words, I allow for the possibility that the reporter has lied on one or more points, both privately and in print. And I'm saying that the overly broad interpretation of the freedom of the press clause makes it all but impossible to ever get the truth out of a reporter.

34 posted on 10/15/2004 4:04:56 PM PDT by Wolfstar (John Kerry may trust the enemies of America, but the American people just can't trust John Kerry.)

Kerry senior adviser Joe Lockhart issued a statement calling on Rove and other aides to "come clean about their role in this insidious act."

Ahhh -where's the investigation on Sandy Berger's "Inadvertent" stuffing of his pants and socks with archive documents that Clinton sent him for before the 9-11 commission got their hand on them?
Where's the investigation on RatherGate? -
Am I insane or are both of these far worse?
No, I'm okay - this is just part of their purge -
methinks we conservatives had best start roaring or we're going to wake up and find that anyone of can be hauled off to our own "Siberia" for the least of incorrect talk...
Maybe we should ALL write letters to ALL the MSM, in droves, and ask "What about the investigation - Berger - Rather/CBS etc.
I wonder what a few hundred letters might do? At least make 'em a little nervous?
We better start speaking up while we still can. These people DO mean to take over. They have all their little ducks (politicians/judges/etc/) pretty well installed, (thought I was going to say "in a row, didn't ya?) - and it will be increasingly hard for any equality for our side - we will find ourselves a very endangered species.
WE had better realize that what is going on in this country right now is an all out PURGE. Maybe we should start using this word loud and clear. If it "Looks like a purge, sounds like a purge - it's a PURGE" Maybe if we get the word echoing in peoples heads, more will start recognizing it - and maybe we can fist stem the tide and then turn it back on them. FIRST, we MUST win this election. BUT then, we must not relax and think, "There. Job done." That will, at least, give us a breather to regroup and start getting our swords sharpened. We have to get voter reform - one vote one person. Everyone has a social security card issued at birth. That and a photo ID - and vote via computer - with the system that doesn't allow a second vote by the same person. If we have a valid vote - I think people might be surprised that there are more republicans than thought. We must never again have the mess at election we had 4 years ago and now. And we must start getting conservatives into teaching and the media. WE must at the least counterbalance. Our colleges and public schools have been systematically high-jacked...deliberately and unlined with the Communist point by point plans of 50 years ago, towards the goal, as Kruschev pontificated: "We will bury you within 50 years. And we will not have to fire a shot!" We must start to turn them back now. There must be too many of us to go after "With malice aforethought" as they pick us one by one, like they have Rush, now O'Reilly and next, they vow, is Hannity...and now Rove, etc. This country is in the throws of a Bolshevik/Hitler like PURGE. I fear what, in the light of the violence across the county at our headquarters - ignored by the MSM - of what may well happen on election day...and after. ***** I fear the shenanigans today are only the tip of the iceberg. If it goes much further, it may be impossible to fight back. They are stirring up "the masses" that are always a part of any society. Remember how successful they were 30 years ago with Kerry as their point man. If we can hold them off for 4 more years - we have a chance to keep America - at home - free. It ain't gonna be easy. But if we don't want to see our children living in a dictatorship - we need to realize and admit to the very real and evil goals of these people. Sorry about the length of this - but, hey, if we don't win and turn the tide - I wont be able, in a few years, to write such thing "out loud."

35 posted on 10/16/2004 12:32:39 AM PDT by maine-iac7

They probably asked Rove if anyone approached him in an attempt to confirm the name and if they gave the name of the source?

they asked him for reason only - smear

36 posted on 10/16/2004 12:33:50 AM PDT by maine-iac7

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