Newsday- Backstory: The push for war (WH tries to close the book on Libby)

[maddezmom]

Faulty intelligence in the run-up to invation

BY CRAIG GORDON
WASHINGTON BUREAU

October 29, 2005


WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush's administration did all it could Friday to close the book on I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

Don't have any contact with Libby about his indictment, staffers were warned. His security clearance - gone. And no goodbye meeting with the president. Libby "has left the White House, and I do not expect him to return," spokesman Scott McClellan said.


If only it were that easy.

Far from a clean end to the CIA leak investigation, Libby's indictment is just the start of a potentially drawn-out legal process and does nothing to halt an ongoing investigation of the president's top political adviser, Karl Rove.

It is that legal never-never land that worries some Republicans who fear the uncertainty will limit Bush's ability to put the case behind him and try to regain momentum for a presidency in free fall.

more:http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/nation/ny-usanal294489209oct29,0,4185259.story?coll=ny-nationalnews-print

[ClintonTyree]

1. They need a distraction.........

the impending attack on Syria or Iran is just around the corner I think. They have to do something to remove the spotlight form the White House and what better than a little "wag the dog"? :shrug:

[Missy M]

2. The one question this article asks is "how did they come to use such

flawed intelligence in the run up to the Iraq war". The answer seems to be very simple, they knew it was flawed and used it anyway. They didn't care if it was truthful because it was their plan all along to invade Iraq. The bush administration had no respect for the American people and willfully lied about Iraq, that is very clear. The lies came right from the top.

[rodeodance]

3. I do not think Libby will sit quietly by -facing up to 30 years in jail.

In other words, I do not think the WH can close the door and forget about him.

[Missy M]

4. I don't blame him. He didn't act on his own, that is obvious.

[rodeodance]

5. oh, either do I. But I seriously wonder how far the 'friend/loyality"

stuff will go when a long jail sentence is facing him.

[rodeodance]

6. yes, and it says--a trial could lay bare 'secrets"

.....Libby's indictment "is bad. Nobody can spin it otherwise, but the real bad part is the lack of closure," said Rich Bond, a former Republican national chairman. "You've got the trial potentially coming up. You've got the vice president potentially appearing as a prosecution witness. And you've got a grand jury still going on and looking at Rove."

A trial or further indictments could lay bare some of the White House's most politically embarrassing secrets: How did they come to use such flawed intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war? How did they deal with political enemies like war critic Joseph Wilson? And did Vice President Dick Cheney or even the president himself know anything about Libby's activities?


.....Bush's other political strength - that the public viewed him as honest and trustworthy - also had been taking a hit as the CIA leak investigation gained momentum and seems likely to suffer further erosion now.

This, after all, was a man who came to office in 2000 pledging to "restore the honor and the dignity" of the Oval Office after President Bill Clinton's scandal - only to see one of the White House's top lieutenants indicted on five counts of lying to investigators.......

[Missy M]

7. Oh, how I wish it would. It could take away the myth created about...

bush being "honest and trustworthy" and his pledge to "restore the honor and the dignity" of the Oval office. I guess honesty wasn't part of restoring the honor and dignity. I still think everyone will fall on their sword and protect bush through this whole thing. Hopefully, they won't protect Cheney.