Thread: Cheney's Handwritten Notes Implicate Bush in Plame Affair

Cheney's Handwritten Notes Implicate Bush in Plame Affair
By Jason Leopold and Marc Ash
t r u t h o u t | Report
Wednesday 31 January 2007


Copies of handwritten notes by Vice President Dick Cheney, introduced at trial by defense attorneys for former White House staffer I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, would appear to implicate George W. Bush in the Plame CIA Leak case.

Bush has long maintained that he was unaware of attacks by any member of his administration against [former ambassador Joseph] Wilson. The ex-envoy's stinging rebukes of the administration's use of pre-war Iraq intelligence led Libby and other White House officials to leak Wilson's wife's covert CIA status to reporters in July 2003 in an act of retaliation.

But Cheney's notes, which were introduced into evidence Tuesday during Libby's perjury and obstruction-of-justice trial, call into question the truthfulness of President Bush's vehement denials about his prior knowledge of the attacks against Wilson. The revelation that Bush may have known all along that there was an effort by members of his office to discredit the former ambassador begs the question: Was the president also aware that senior members of his administration compromised Valerie Plame's undercover role with the CIA?

Further, the highly explicit nature of Cheney's comments not only hints at a rift between Cheney and Bush over what Cheney felt was the scapegoating of Libby, but also raises serious questions about potentially criminal actions by Bush. If Bush did indeed play an active role in encouraging Libby to take the fall to protect Karl Rove, as Libby's lawyers articulated in their opening statements, then that could be viewed as criminal involvement by Bush.

Last week, Libby's attorney Theodore Wells made a stunning pronouncement during opening statements of Libby's trial. He claimed that the White House had made Libby a scapegoat for the leak to protect Karl Rove - Bush's political adviser and "right-hand man."

"Mr. Libby, you will learn, went to the vice president of the United States and met with the vice president in private. Mr. Libby said to the vice president, 'I think the White House ... is trying to set me up. People in the White House want me to be a scapegoat,'" said Wells.

Cheney's notes seem to help bolster Wells's defense strategy. Libby's defense team first discussed the notes - written by Cheney in September 2003 for White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan - during opening statements last week. Wells said Cheney had written "not going to protect one staffer and sacrifice the guy that was asked to stick his head in the meat grinder because of incompetence of others": a reference to Libby being asked to deal with the media and vociferously rebut Wilson's allegations that the Bush administration knowingly "twisted" intelligence to win support for the war in Iraq.

However, when Cheney wrote the notes, he had originally written "this Pres." instead of "that was."

This is getting to be more and more interesting by the minute, IMHO. I'd personally like to see the whole "kit and kabootle," including our beloved Emperor, thrown into the slammer for what went down.

Peace!

MeMyselfnI

My opinion...............Nobody goes down for this. If the story is accurate, which it probably is, there is reasonable doubt right there. And by trying one doesn't that make reasonable doubt for anyone else? Drop the charges, save our money!

Originally Posted by metheron

My opinion...............Nobody goes down for this. If the story is accurate, which it probably is, there is reasonable doubt right there. And by trying one doesn't that make reasonable doubt for anyone else? Drop the charges, save our money!

Sorry, but I don't buy that! Bush has had his fingers in every corrupt pie since taking office as pResident, and he should go down along with the rest of his ilk.

MeMyselfnI

Originally Posted by MeMyselfnI

Sorry, but I don't buy that! Bush has had his fingers in every corrupt pie since taking office as pResident, and he should go down along with the rest of his ilk.

MeMyselfnI

You don't have to agree with it or like it. But its true. I don't necessarily disagree with some of your feelings about Bush, but if you believe he will get convicted for anything he did during his Presidency you are only kidding yourself.

Originally Posted by metheron

You don't have to agree with it or like it. But its true. I don't necessarily disagree with some of your feelings about Bush, but if you believe he will get convicted for anything he did during his Presidency you are only kidding yourself.

Well, he should be tried and convicted the same as any other common criminal, IMHO. What the heck makes him "special," anyway?

MeMyselfnI

Originally Posted by MeMyselfnI

Well, he should be tried and convicted the same as any other common criminal, IMHO. What the heck makes him "special," anyway?

MeMyselfnI

He passed legislation preventing him and him administration from being charged with war crimes.

Originally Posted by metheron

My opinion...............Nobody goes down for this. If the story is accurate, which it probably is, there is reasonable doubt right there. And by trying one doesn't that make reasonable doubt for anyone else? Drop the charges, save our money!

After Judith Millers testimony yesterday (for the prosecution)was found to be wanting, & the Time Reporter (can't remember his name) the same wanting, I tend to agree with you.

Originally Posted by Ausinus

He passed legislation preventing him and him administration from being charged with war crimes.

He also, I think by EO, not sure how, made his & past presidents files be kept secret for a long period of time. They are all skanks when it comes to their bacon. "The Presidents Club", yeah, cause they are soooo special & above it all.

Originally Posted by MeMyselfnI

This is getting to be more and more interesting by the minute, IMHO. I'd personally like to see the whole "kit and kabootle," including our beloved Emperor, thrown into the slammer for what went down.

Peace!

MeMyselfnI

I'd like to see this story verified by a second source....I'm likely to be sceptical of anything Jason Leopold says.

What I'm trying to say is, don't believe everything Jason Leopold says, he's already got busted several times for making stuff up with regard to this particular issue.

Originally Posted by metheron

My opinion...............Nobody goes down for this. If the story is accurate, which it probably is, there is reasonable doubt right there. And by trying one doesn't that make reasonable doubt for anyone else? Drop the charges, save our money!

Of course nobody is going to go down for this.

Patrick Fitzgerald is just wasting money on this wild goose chase.