Bush Authorized Libby’s Leaks

Yesterday, the world learned that Lewis 'Scooter' Libby leaked classified information with the President's blessing. We learned that Dick Cheney had a direct role in the release of Valerie Plame's identity.

From NBC News:

Libby’s participation in the critical July 8, 2003. conversation with Miller , “occurred only after the vice president advised defendant that the president specifically had authorized defendant to disclose certain information in the National Intelligence Estimate,” the papers by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald stated. The filing did not specify the “certain information.”

“Defendant testified that the circumstances of his conversation with reporter Miller — getting approval from the president through the vice president to discuss material that would be classified but for that approval — were unique in his recollection,” the papers added.

Our PRESIDENT and VICE-PRESIDENT allowed CLASSIFIED information to be released. And, they did it for two specific purposes: to discredit a political enemy who questioned the administration's pre-war intelligence and to boost support when no WMDs were found in Iraq.

Does anyone expect this to change Bush's approval results? Maybe a couple 30-percenters will wake up and realize they've been supporting and defending a man who doesn't deserve their loyalty.

A man for whom the Constitution is meaningless.

A man who claims a deep Christian faith, but approves torture.

A man who claims to be protecting America, but whose policies are bankrupting it financially.

A man who claims to be bringing democracy and stability to the Middle East (despite of all evidence to the contrary) but who is undermining democracy and stability in the United States.

A man who disapproves of leaks in his administration, to the point of asking the Justice Department to investigate and find those who leaked the classified existence of his super-secret illegal wiretapping, but authorized leaking the identity of a covert agent in order to discredit her husband. And, by virtue of making her private work public, destroyed years of work by others in her group and in the CIA. We can only guess as to whether or not lives were lost.

Maybe the 30-percenters will wake up…and maybe the Democrats will grow some spines and realize they should have supported Russ Feingold's censure motion, but I'm not holding my breath.

Firedoglake, as always, has great coverage on this.