Posted on 02/12/2006 10:31:55 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Senators: Cheney Should Be Probed in Leak
12 minutes ago
Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald should investigate Vice President Dick Cheney and others in the CIA leak probe if they authorized an aide to give secret information to reporters, Democratic and Republican senators said Sunday.
Sen. Jack Reed (news, bio, voting record), D-R.I., called the leak of intelligence information "inappropriate" if it is true that unnamed "superiors" instructed Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, to divulge the material on Iraq.
Sen. George Allen (news, bio, voting record), R-Va., said a full investigation is necessary.
"I don't think anybody should be releasing classified information, period, whether in the Congress, executive branch or some underling in some bureaucracy," said Allen, who appeared with Reed on "Fox News Sunday."
According to court documents disclosed last week, Libby told a federal grand jury that he disclosed in July 2003 the contents of a classified National Intelligence Estimate as part of the Bush administration's defense of intelligence used to justify invading Iraq.
Fitzgerald said in the documents it was his understanding that "Mr. Libby testified that he was authorized to disclose information about the NIE to the press by his superiors."
The White House has refused to comment on the case.
"I think this calls into question in terms of Fitzgerald's investigation of the conduct of the vice president and others," Reed said. "I think he has to look closely at their behavior."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Allen is turning into a first class idiot.
Probed? Not that!
Oh, wait...it's not THAT kind of probe. Never mind.
Oh, no! Life time employment for Fitz. This is such a joke.
Oh, no! Life time employment for Fitz. This is such a joke.
"Fitzgerald said in the documents it was his understanding that "Mr. Libby testified that he was authorized to disclose information about the NIE to the press by his superiors.""
It was his understanding? Either is was or it wasn't. And if the Pres of VP decide it is ok to declassify parts of the NIE, why can't they. Classification is an Executive branch function.
Fitz knows his case is going down the tubes so his office releases/leaks this crap to throw up a smokescreen.
Missleading headline got me to read it though
Ummmm, constitutionally speaking, aren't the prez and vice prez the ones who get to determine what's classified and what ain't?
No,Allen is anything but an idiot. He knows Cheney had nothing to do with it. I want this issue for front come November when it comes crashing down on the Dimicraps.
Investigate the treasonist bastards who are leaking "Classified Secrets" to the NYT...
Investigate the treasonist bastards who warned Syria we were gonna to invade Iraq...
Investigate the treasonist bastards who tried to circumvent an election with lies about Yellowcake and a bogus undercover agent...
Investigate this: MIDDLE FINGER STRAIGHT UP!!
Gee, you'd think the phony story by Murray Waas was released just so that Democrat Senators could demand investigations.
Doesn't the President (and Vice-President) have the inherent authority to determine what is classified and what can be released?
-PJ
That's right. The VP has the authority. The Senators should know that.
This is interesting -- I learned this from my ex-CIA nephew (he threw in the towel and went for the big bucks on Wall Street), but the President and VP don't have security clearances! Therefore, it is just as legal for them to disclose classified information as it is for the New York Times to disclose and publish it.
My jaw dropped when I first heard that, but can you imagine Bill Clinton passing any kind of a security clearance investigation?
This guy is showing himself to be the biggest meely mouth mush head. With his continually non-answer answers, maybe they should make him a spokesman for the federal reserve. I think Fitzgerald is lying through his teeth and hiding something. He's always being EVASIVE!!!
Libby's lawyer stated that this is not true and he was not authorized by the Vice President to "leak" anything.
There is more "probing" going on up on Capitol Hill than there was on Brokeback Mountain. I can't they use our taxpayer dollars to pay these lowlife buffoons so they can play their goofy little political games with each other.
Both Allen and Reed were speculating without knowledge of the facts. Allen should restrain himself from falling into the DNC trap of innocently giving up a damaging quote while being basically in the dark. Reed can be excused because deceit, as he is a Democrat, is his nature.
I don't like Allen either, OldFriend. I do like Sen. Cornyn but have no idea if he has an interest in the presidency.
Allen should know better than this. Libby's lawyers have completely denied that Libby was told by the VP to out Plame. Not that the facts matter to the media anymore. They've proved that.
Very disappointing.
Senators should be probed to see if there is sensient life above the neck.
This is ridiculous. No way Dick Cheney would tell Libby to leak classified information.
But,,,,DO NOT,,,put the Wilsons under oath!!! And BTW,,,stand on one leg all the while.
That's exactly my take on this. I have real concerns about the legality of leaking this info to the press. Maybe Fitz is hoping the case will be thrown out of court due to this disclosure rather than his failure to extablish a case based on the original investigation.
I hope you're right. I've been leaning toward Allen, voting for him in on-line polls, etc., and intending to support him if he runs.
And this sort of shook me up.
Probe me in the leak, and yer lookin for a black eye!
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